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Kevin Phillips has exclusively told Football FanCast that he thinks Jack Grealish will leave Aston Villa this summer.

Having scored the crucial goal at West Ham on the final day of last season which kept Villa in the Premier League, Grealish has continued his outstanding form this term to put Dean Smith’s team on the cusp of the European places.

Grealish has contributed to 18 goals Premier League – with his brilliant performances not only making him a strong favourite to be named in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the European Championships, but he’s attracting attention from Manchester City, who’ve been heavily linked with the attacking midfielder.

Villa’s captain is currently out injured having missed their last five games with a leg problem, and Phillips, who played for the Villa Park outfit himself, thinks that his former side are resigned to losing the England star this summer.

Phillips told Football FanCast: “I actually see him wanting to stay because I live in the area, and I know people that know him – he absolutely loves Aston Villa, a bit like Stevie G at Liverpool.

“He’s Villa through and through, but from a footballing perspective, I think someone will come in with a big bid, and the club will probably find it hard to turn down. Villa have done very well this season, but my suggestion would be ‘go and win trophies’. And he’s good enough to do that, he’s shown that.”

But exactly how confident is Phillips that Grealish will be tempted by a move away from the West Midlands?

He added: “If I had to put my head on the block, I think Grealish will probably move in the summer.”

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has a near-fully fit squad to choose from to face Southampton, barring outcast defender Phil Jones.

The Red Devils will look to get back to winning ways today against the Saints after their draw against Arsenal last time out.

Solskjaer’s side will be well aware that they can’t afford too many more slip-ups if the title challengers are to make a real push to win the league this season.

Bearing this in mind, here is Football FanCast’s predicted starting XI, which sees Solskjaer make four changes to the side that drew with Arsenal at the Emirates.

With another tough game against Everton at the weekend, Solskjaer may well decide to ring some changes to his starting XI, though first-choice goalkeeper David de Gea is expected to start between the sticks.

With Victor Lindelof struggling with an ongoing back injury, it’s likely that Harry Maguire will keep his place in the heart of the defence, with Axel Tuanzebe back alongside him in the starting line-up.

Luke Shaw may be given a rest, however, having played a lot of football recently, with Alex Telles coming in for a start on the left-hand side of the defence and Aaron Wan-Bissaka keeping his place on the right flank.

It’s hard to imagine too many changes to the midfield, but it might be beneficial if Paul Pogba was rested for Saturday, with Marcus Rashford switching to the left and Mason Greenwood replacing Rashford on the right.

Bruno Fernandes, as ever, will resume his rightful place behind Anthony Martial, who is likely to lead the line.

This means that there will be no room for former Paris-Saint Germain striker Edinson Cavani, with the 33-year-old having struggled against the Gunners.

AND in other news, Woodward can deliver a masterclass with move for long-term Man Utd target Jadon Sancho…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, former Leeds United player Carlton Palmer revealed his surprise over Marcelo Bielsa’s contract situation at Elland Road.

Bielsa, who guided the Yorkshire club back to the Premier League after a 16-year absence, is out of contract in the summer and does not yet appear to be any closer to putting pen to paper on a new deal.

Currently on 35 points, Leeds look set to retain their status as an outfit in English football’s top flight, a further display of just how well the Argentinian has done since succeeding Paul Heckingbottom back in 2018.

Given that success, Bielsa’s contract dilemma has left Palmer scratching his head. Speaking on the matter exclusively with FFC, the ex-Leeds midfielder said:

“I’m a little bit surprised given he’s got them promotion – and, you know, they’re 11th in the Premier League – that he hasn’t been tied down to a longer contract. I’m a little bit surprised.

“But maybe on both parts, you know, I would think that Bielsa would be looking and saying this – if he’s going to kick on, he’s going to need funds available to do that. And maybe they’ve said to him, listen, or both parties have said, listen, let’s wait and see where we are at the end of the season.”

Bielsa appears settled at Leeds, with his time at Elland Road being his longest reign at a club. Considering that, and how well he has done in the dugout overall, a contract extension looks to be in everyone’s interest.

And under the former Lille boss, there is no reason why Leeds cannot continue to grow. The Whites have really impressed in the Premier League this season with him at the helm, boasting a very good record in front of goal.

Crystal Palace’s progress has been stopped in its tracks by the embarrassing defeat to Liverpool at Selhurst Park earlier this month.

Jurgen Klopp’s side utterly dominated proceedings from start to finish, leaving the Eagles trailing in their way as they surged to the top of the table.

With Leicester City on the horizon, Roy Hodgson faces some tough decisions to avoid a repeat of the 3-0 defeat at the King Power Stadium towards the latter stages of last season.

Hodgson’s side have rarely been so badly humiliated but they were put the sword as the Reds ran riot over their helpless defence.

Vicente Guaita was called into action almost immediately from the get-go but the veteran goalkeeper was largely forced to sit and watch as Liverpool took an astonishing 14 attempts on goal, including eight shots on target, as per SofaScore. The final score finished 7-0 with the 33-year-old failing to register a single save or punch a single shot on target.

However, he can’t be solely to blame for their problems at the back, as Gary Cahill, Nathaniel Clyne and Cheikhou Kouyate were mostly at fault for the poor defensive performance. Clyne particularly caught the eye for all the wrong reasons as he was caught out of possession time and time again by Sadio Mane and Mo Salah, losing 100% of his duels overall.

There’s no denying the fact that Palace need to stop the rot from spreading even further, at least until new summer recruit Nathan Ferguson has recovered from his latest injury setback.

Hopefully cooler heads prevail and Hodgson hands Joel Ward his second consecutive start to face the Foxes, as they arguably need all the experience they can get to shut up shop and plug the gap in their leaky defence. The Eagles have conceded more goals than Burnley, Brighton and Premier League strugglers Sheffield United so far this season which makes for pretty grim reading.

Although he started against Aston Villa, Ward, 31, is an experienced campaigner who knows what it takes to stop the Foxes in their tracks. After all, he has won four and drawn one out of nine games in the top flight against the one-time Premier League champions, via Transfermarkt.

Standing at 6 ft 1 in, he’s certainly a force to be reckoned with, but has made just six starts across all competitions this season so far, and was left as an unused substitute on the bench as Palace were dispatched by Liverpool.

Valued at £2m via Transfermarkt, in six appearances in the Premier League so far, Ward is averaging 1.8 tackles, 1.7 interceptions and a staggering 4.3 clearances per game, via WhoScored.

WhoScored lists some of his strengths as his ability to intercept the ball, win individual battles in the air, and his strong tackling, which shows that he is armed with the tools to deal with the likes of Harvey Barnes and Jamie Vardy, and is more than can be said for Clyne, who has done very little to justify his valuation. Transfermarkt value him at £3.6m.

Granted, Hodgson doesn’t exactly have the best of options, but it’s now up to the Palace boss to put his faith in Ward and unleash him on the right flank as he will have a tough task trying to contain the attacking duo who have scored 14 goals between them in the Premier League at the time of writing.

AND in other news, Steve Parish must look to cash in on Crystal Palace defender James Tomkins in January…

Speaking to Il Napoli Online, via Sport Witness, Italian journalist Gianluigi Longari dropped a promising Tottenham transfer claim – going on to say that the Lilywhites and, by extension, chairman Daniel Levy, are ‘ready’ to meet Serie A defender Nikola Maksimovic’s wage demands in a potential swoop.

Maksimovic, who has started just four Serie A matches for Napoli this season (WhoScored), is apparently still attracting Spurs’ interest regardless – with Levy seemingly prepared to match the Serbian’s salary in a move.

Levy ready to meet Maksimovic wage

Longari hints Spurs are showing a desire to sign the 6 foot 4 titan, while he believes Maksimovic ‘will’ move away from the Stadio San Paolo with an exit out of Napoli seemingly inevitable – especially considering he is out of contract in the summer.

The journalist claims that it is unlikely that he will put pen to paper on a new deal, with Napoli chairman Aurelio De Laurentiis allegedly working on a renewal, and that Tottenham are ‘ready’ to meet any ‘economic’ demand for his signature.

“About Hysaj, I have more hope, while I believe that Maksimovic will go away,” Longari explained (to Il Napoli Online via Sport Witness).

“On him, there are many teams ready to satisfy him even at an economic level, including Tottenham.

“Napoli has a great relationship with the agent of Hysaj, Mario Giuffredi, therefore, they are very optimistic about the renewal of the Albanian-back.”

Transfer Tavern take

Despite only playing a handful of games this season, Maksimovic appears to fit the profile of a defender Jose Mourinho would be keen on, judging by his past pursuit of 6 foot 2 colossus Milan Skriniar (Gianluca Di Marzio).

According to WhoScored, both Skriniar and Spurs’ latest alleged defensive target have comfortably averaged over 90% pass completion this campaign (Skriniar, 92.6%; Maksimovic, 95.3%) – while the two centre-backs are also towering in stature.

These numbers suggest that Mourinho is keen on a defender who can play out from the back whilst possessing physical prowess, and Maksimovic could also be a welcome addition in the summer given he could leave as a free agent.

Time will tell whether Spurs are the club to land him, but he could tick all the boxes for Mourinho.

In other news: Fabrizio Romano says Tottenham are also ‘ready’ to let this player leave, find out more here.

Mike Ashley must accept a mammoth transfer loss in the January window and offload Newcastle United outcast defender Achraf Lazaar.

What’s the word?

While speaking with Passione Inter, Lazaar has revealed how he cannot wait to secure a new challenge away from St. James’ Park having struggled for playing time under Steve Bruce.

The Moroccan was omitted from the Toon’s Premier League squad and told to train with the club’s Under 23s upon his return from a loan spell with Serie B side Cosenza Calcio this summer.

Cosenza passed on the chance to purchase Lazaar at the end of his year on loan, leaving Bruce to inform the player and his agent that now is the time he finds a “new home” after just 10 outings for Newcastle since joining from Palermo in 2016 for £2million.

No deal was struck, leaving Lazaar – whose £32,000-per-week is due to expire next summer – to look fondly on a winter move with his Tyneside future as good as over already.

“It’s true, it’s not easy and I’m not finding space with the first-team, but I have many reasons not to give up. I still have one year on my contract and I still have a lot to prove,” he said.

“Italy is my home and I miss my family, I don’t know what will happen in January, if maybe I will go to Italy or elsewhere: the only thing that matters to me is to go to a team that allows me to play with continuity and confidence. My agent [Mohammed Sinouh] is taking care of it.

“I would like to take back everything I have lost in the last few years. I know I have lost something, but I have also gained a lot, I have learned a lesson in life and experience. And I can’t wait to start a new challenge.”

A mammoth loss incoming

If Ashley is to avoid a total loss on the £2m investment he made in 2016 and the £7.1m spent in wages, the Newcastle owner must sanction a January move despite knowing full well that he is set for a mammoth hit with Lazaar now valued by TransferMarkt at just £315,000.

Lazaar’s value is a mere 15.6% of the fee Ashley offered Palermo four years ago, but any hopes of avoiding a loss have been thrown out of the window by the 28-year-old failing to feature regularly at St. James’ Park.

He could not establish himself with Italian second-tier outfit Cosenza, either, with just nine outings to his name across all competitions last season of which Lazaar started only four, ensuring Bruce saw fit to omit the 18-cap Morocco international from his 25-man squad.

Ashley will find it impossible to argue the reasons behind demanding any substantial fee in the winter if he is to avoid losing the flop for free at the end of the campaign, which is the only eventuality guaranteed to happen after limited interest this summer.

AND in other news, Mike Ashley can hand Steve Bruce and Newcastle an ideal upgrade in January with a lethal £2m hitman.

Steve Bruce would be heading for an unforgivable mistake by pursuing a move for outcast Manchester United defender Brandon Williams to join Newcastle in January.

What’s the word?

According to The Shields Gazette, the Magpies and Red Devils have agreed on the framework to a half-season loan deal that will see Williams move to St. James’ Park for the remainder of the 2020/21 campaign.

Manchester United club chiefs have granted the England U21 international permission to leave Old Trafford on a temporary agreement after falling out of favour following the summer arrival of Alex Telles and form of Luke Shaw.

Newcastle may yet face further competition for Williams’s signature with a deal yet to be signed off and ratified, but are currently at the front of the queue featuring Southampton, as Bruce strives to secure competition for Jamal Lewis and Matt Ritchie.

Lewis has struggled at times as Bruce’s first-choice left-back since his £15m summer arrival, and could face a fight for his position from former Eintracht Frankfurt loanee Jetro Willems with the Dutchman also said to be under consideration.

A step in the wrong direction

Newcastle moving to sign Williams on loan would see Bruce head for an unforgivable mistake, as the £65,000-per-week prospect would be a step in the wrong direction compared to Lewis despite the former Norwich City full-back’s struggles at St. James’ Park.

Williams would arrive on Tyneside completely lacking match fitness, having played just six minutes of Premier League football so far this season beside two brief cameo outings in the Europa League and appearances in the early rounds of the Carabao Cup back in September.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has not named the £10m-rated talent in a league squad since the start of December, either, despite likening the 20-year-old to Gary Neville last year.

“I think he’s been absolutely outstanding since he came in, every challenge we’ve put in front of him he’s tackled head-on. He’s only 19, made 10 or 11 starts but he reminds me so much of the mentality of Gary Neville,” Solskjaer said, via quotes by the Manchester Evening News.

Williams would need to show a great deal of promise in training to move ahead of Lewis in Bruce’s pecking order if signed, as the youngster’s efforts last season were rarely at a higher level than what Newcastle have seen from their summer signing this term.

Williams’ creativity came from 0.3 shots and 0.8 key balls while playing 27.4 accurate passes and delivering 0.2 accurate crosses a game in the Premier League last season, per SofaScore. Defensively, he also made 1.2 successful tackles, 0.9 interceptions, won 3.6 duels and was dribbled past 1.2 times.

Lewis, meanwhile, has averaged 0.3 shots and 0.6 key balls a game in the top-flight since the 22-year-old joined from Norwich, while playing 18.5 accurate passes, 0.8 accurate crosses, making 1.4 successful tackles, 0.5 interceptions, winning 3.1 duels won and has been dribbled past 0.9 times.

AND in other news, Steve Bruce is keen to sign a “fantastic” £15.5m-rated brute for Newcastle United…

Just what does Federico Fernandez have to do to be recognised as one of the Premier League’s better central defenders?

Whether it’s because he plays for a Newcastle side that haven’t pulled up any trees and have had to fend off relegation battles in recent seasons, or that he isn’t in the mould of a modern, flashy centre-back, Fernandez’s name isn’t one that crops up in conversations about who the top-flight best defenders are.

On Sunday afternoon against Everton, the Argentine delivered yet another monstrous display at the heart of defence, as Steve Bruce’s side stopped the high-flying Toffees 2-1 at St James’ Park.

And whilst Callum Wilson will be the man in the headlines for his match-winning brace, Fernandez deserves a whole load of credit for the way he marshalled the Newcastle back-line, and was desperately unlucky not to have been a part of a side that kept a clean-sheet – Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s injury-time strike put an end to that.

But that takes nothing away from Fernandez’s individual performance. As per Sofascore, he won an impressive 100% of his duels, whilst he really batten down the hatches with a monstrous ten clearances. To put that last stat into context, the rest of his Newcastle teammates only combined for 13 in total.

The 31-year-old – signed by Rafa Benitez in the summer of 2018 from Swansea – also threw himself at everything, putting his body on the line for the cause and ending up blocking two shots, including a fine one on Calvert-Lewin’s effort.

Fernandez’s tally of clearances actually ranks him first in the entire Premier League, and 13 more than fellow centre-back and club captain Jamaal Lascelles.

Whilst he may not wear the armband, the Argentine continues to prove he’s one of Bruce’s unsung heroes, and the real kingpin of a defence that could really hold the key to their success this season.

The Magpies should be thanking Benitez for bringing him in for just £6m a couple of years ago. An absolute bargain.

After suffering defeat at the hands of Leicester City last time out, Marcelo Bielsa will be looking at what went wrong and whether it’s something that can be rectified ahead of their clash against Crystal Palace.

The Eagles are currently level on points with the Yorkshire outfit, who have pulled off some impressive results so far this season. A win over their closest opponents will be a tough ask but it will establish them in the league if they can get the job done.

Football FanCast has predicted how Bielsa will line up this afternoon…

The Argentinian made some questionable changes to his squad after half-time against the Foxes. After a poor first 45, Bielsa hauled Jamie Shackleton off the pitch and replaced him with Ian Poveda, who is naturally a right winger. Having both him and Helder Costa on the pitch was a head-scratcher for fans, but could be an avenue the manager wants to explore a bit more.

For this reason, Poveda could get the nod ahead of the struggling Shackleton and he might be partnered up with Mateusz Klich, who usually plays a more defensive role. This leaves no room for Pablo Hernandez, who also struggled against Leicester.

With injuries galore, Robin Koch could be forced to use his versatility to fill the absent No.6 role. With this in mind, £675,000-valued youngster Pascal Struijk could earn his third senior start of the season. He last featured against Aston Villa in Leeds’ impressive 3-0 win, so Bielsa will be hoping that he can pull off another strong defensive performance today.

In other news, in an exclusive interview with FFC, Chris Kirkland believes Leeds should’ve signed a Championship keeper this summer…

Glasgow Rangers face Galatasaray at Ibrox on Thursday as they continue their Europa League campaign.

The Gers have already breezed past Lincoln Red Imps and Willem II so far this term, winning 5-0 and 4-0 respectively, and that has led to them facing the Turkish giants in a one-off play-off match. Whoever prevails in this clash will secure a place in the group stages of this competition.

Of course, due to the current coronavirus regulations, no fans will be allow to enter the stadium to watch the game, and as such they will have to make do with Rangers TV to take in the clash – it will cost them at least £9.99 to do so.

It is clear that the club aim to make this worth the supporters’ while, though, with them securing a star-studded broadcast line-up for the game that includes the likes of club legends Walter Smith and Graeme Souness. Not only that, the Gers have confirmed that Lorenzo Amoruso will also be joining to give his opinions on the clash. The Italian is nothing short of a club hero, having won nine trophies during six years north of the border between 1997 and 2003.

This latest addition appears to have delighted the club’s fans. They took to Twitter to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments from the social media platform below.

Let us know what you think below!