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Aston Villa announced the signing of former Chelsea youngster Declan Firth on Wednesday.

And, as to be expected, a number of Villa supporters have been reacting to the news on social media.

Villa took Firth on trial in September after he left the Blues in August. The 19-year-old has since impressed at Bodymoor Heath, making three appearances for the Under-23’s, registering two assists.

The wide midfielder also netted a hat-trick in a 6-2 win over Coventry Sphinx in the Birmingham Senior Cup for the Under-18’s, with academy Mark Delaney confirming he has now signed a professional contract with Villa.

Villa shared the news regarding Firth on their official website, however, they didn’t relay it on their official Twitter page.

Villa fans react

Unofficial page The Villa Academy did post the news on social media, which led to these fans giving their thoughts.

Here’s what some had to say in reply, with one labelling it as ‘tremendous’.

“finally!!!”

Credit: @12345charles

“Tremendous signature”

Credit: @amc89avfc

“Great move. Very impressed with him during his trial. Good work Villa.”

Credit: @Son_Lyme

“Fantastic news, that! Looked a really good addition in what I saw of his trial games. Hope he does well for us!”

Credit: @rad_nauseam

“Excellent news! Welcome Declan”

Credit: @AndyAVFCBaker

“This could be a fantastic signing”

Credit: @JUSTIN_AVFC_

In other news: Ashley Preece expecting Smith to make bold Villa call by starting ‘fantastic’ ace vs Wolves. 

Callum McGregor is in line to be offered a new Celtic contract, The Daily Record’s Scott Burns reports.

And, as to be expected, a number of Hoops fans have been quick to give their thoughts to the news on social media.

McGregor, who missed the Europa League defeat to Real Betis on the week through injury, is thought to be on £20,000-a-week at Parkhead.

His current deal still has just under three years left to run, but Burns shared a story on Friday evening, citing comments from Ange Postecoglou on contract situations

Postecoglou claimed that the club will start addressing contract renewals now the window has shut, with McGregor reportedly in line to extend his current deal by a further 12 months.

The Hoops boss labelled the Scot as a ‘pivotal figure’ for the club, and it seems as if he may well pen new terms over the coming months.

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Celtic fans react

The Daily Record shared Burns’ story on McGregor on Twitter. This is what these Hoops supporters had to say in reply, with one labelling it as ‘great’.

“Brilliant news, if true The heartbeat and lifeblood of the side! So lucky he’s still playing in this country and I dread to think about the state we’d be in at the end of the season, without him.”

Credit: @Dechughes_

“Rolls Royce of a player and has Celtic in his heart”

Credit: @MildooWolf

“Great stuff”

Credit: @PaulMcG1994

“Best player for a few years”

Credit: @YKP1888

“5 year deal please”

Credit: @Bowley67_

“One club man he’s going to be int he, Captain CalMac”

Credit: @adamm1888

In other news: ‘I’m sure’ – Sky Sports pundit says Desmond will take big Celtic action before January. 

Andriy Yarmolenko’s time at West Ham United could quickly be coming to an end after his latest cameo performance against Manchester United on Sunday afternoon flattered to deceive.

The Hammers fell to a 2-1 defeat at the London Stadium after last season’s loan sensation Jesse Lingard bagged a last-minute winner before club captain Mark Noble missed an agonising penalty.

David Moyes turned to the Ukraine veteran in the second half, replacing summer signing Nikola Vlasic in the 68th minute, and Sky Sports commentator Rob Hawthorne noticed that the Irons boss was far from pleased with the 32-year-old.

“I’m not sure David Moyes was entirely happy with the efforts of Andriy Yarmolenko there,” he said during coverage. “Still the dialogue is ongoing between the West Ham manager and the Ukrainian forward, who he has just brought on. He certainly wants to see more from him.”

The Scotsman will probably want to think twice about trusting Yarmolenko as the season goes on, the fact that he turned to him in their need to find an attacking spark was perhaps a little perplexing.

All in all, the £3.6m-rated forward is lucky to still be at the club, having started just one Premier League game in 2020/21.

With his £115k-per-week contract set to expire at the end of the season, Moyes may be better off axing the former Borussia Dortmund man for the foreseeable future.

He has no business playing for the side again after such a lacklustre outing at the weekend.

It’s certainly not a good enough attitude from someone as vastly experienced as Yarmolenko, who has been capped a whopping 102 times at international level throughout his long career.

Moyes clearly won’t stand for it either as he was straight onto the 32-year-old’s back when he wasn’t performing, despite only just arriving on the pitch.

After joining in a £17.5m deal from the Bundesliga giants in the summer of 2018, Yarmolenko has never really hit the ground running in east London, largely due to a combination of injuries and his inconsistent performances on the pitch.

As per Transfermarkt, he’s made only 60 appearances in just over three seasons, where he has only contributed ten goals and six assists. You’d expect a lot more from what was your highest-paid player, prior to the arrival of Kurt Zouma this summer.

In the past, the 6 foot 2 Ukraine star has been lauded everything from “special” to “talented” but on the above evidence, we’ve rarely ever seen it – if at all.

Moyes should not turn to Yarmolenko again this season. His time at the Hammers must be done and dusted.

AND in other news, “Moyes wanted…”: Journo drops worrying West Ham transfer claim, fans will be furious…

Former Leeds midfielder David Norris has exclusively told Football FanCast that pinning down Illan Meslier to a long-term contract is great business for the club.

Since breaking into the team during the back end of the Championship season two years ago, the Frenchman has not only established himself as Marcelo Bielsa’s number one, but as one of the finest young goalkeepers around.

Meslier started all but three Premier League games last season, keeping 11 clean sheets to help Leeds finish ninth on their return to the topflight.

Such was the 21-year-old’s fine form, he quickly attracted interest from PSG, although Leeds rejected any approach from the French giants, who eventually signed Euro 2020 hero Gianluigi Donnarumma instead.

And on the eve of the new Premier League season, Meslier put any doubts over his future to bed when he penned a new deal to keep him at Elland Road for several years to come.

Asked how important tying Meslier down was, Norris told FFC:

“It appeases the fans. For someone they like, and they see him sign long-term, it’s good for the club, it’s good for morale.

“He was linked with PSG, so for Leeds to get him signed down on a longer-term deal, good keeper, great shotstopper, I think that’s a great signing.”

Tottenham Hotspur have been jolted in their pursuit of Bologna defender Takehiro Tomiyasu, with one of their London rivals locked in talks to sign the 22-year-old, as relayed by David Ornstein on Twitter.

The Lowdown: ‘Dependable’ Tomiyasu has excelled in Italy

Producing an impressive level of consistency since moving to his current club in 2019, Tomiyasu has shown a dependability in both centre-back and right-back positions.

Adept at mopping up sticky situations at the back, the Japan international obtained a commendable average of 3.3 clearances per Serie A game last season [WhoScored].

Earning adulation for his performances, he was labelled a “very, very dependable player” by Italian football expert Conor Clancy earlier this month [Football FanCast].

The Latest: Late twist in the tale as Arsenal look to strike

Tomiyasu’s form has seen Tottenham Hotspur register serious interest in his services this summer, even having a £15.5m bid rejected for the Japan international in early July [Sky Sports].

However, there could now be a sting in the tail. According to The Athletic journalist Ornstein on Twitter, Arsenal are said to be working on a deal to sign Tomiyasu before tonight’s transfer deadline.

In a surprise turn of events, the Gunners reportedly have ‘talks underway’ to sign the 6 foot 2 ace, although any movement may be dependent on positional departures at the club [The Athletic].

The Verdict: Royal arrival could soften Tomiyasu blow

Losing out on Tomiyasu may come as a source of frustration for Tottenham, but the seemingly imminent arrival of Emerson Royal will help to soften the blow for Nuno Espirito Santo.

A regular for Bologna in 2020/21, the former Sint-Truiden defender featured 33 times in all competitions, scoring twice [Transfermarkt].

Following that up with a strong showing at the Olympic Games with his native Japan, helping them to reach the semi-finals [Eurosport], it is clear to see why Spurs wanted to secure his signature.

Nevertheless, with three senior right-backs on the books in N17, any notion of Tomiyasu pitching up at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this window has probably run its course.

In other news, Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt another transfer blow. Find out more here.

Many Wolves fans have been left reacting to some comments made by Patrick Cutrone.

Speaking to Sky Italy (via Talking Wolves), the striker commented on his imminent loan move to Empoli in the Serie A:

“Happy to be back in Italy. I chose Empoli because it’s a great club and a great place to play football. I tell the fans that I am really fired up: I can’t wait to get to know you all, get on the pitch & tear things up.”

Some members of the Molineux faithful were left confused by him claiming that he will ‘tear things up’, given his troubled time at the Midlands club, in which he has only managed to score just a mere three goals in 28 games in total over all competitions across the last two seasons (Transfermarkt), and he has been shipped out on loan to both Fiorentina and Valencia respectively.

Nonetheless, Cutrone does not seem too enthusiastic to stay at the Wanderers judging by his latest comments, and so it may be a wise idea for them to move him on permanently after his loan spell ends.

Wolves fans on Cutrone comments

These WWFC supporters gave their reactions as the comments were shared on Twitter, with one even going as far as to claim that Cutrone is a ‘joker’:

“For a starters mate. Tear up your Wolves contract and everything will be sweet”

Credit: @charliewwfc_

“Couldn’t tear a piece of paper dafty”

Credit: @wwfcrhys

“Who does this guy think he is?”

Credit: @kyewazza

“When has he ever torn things up?”

Credit: @danielcmila

“Tear things up … Behave”

Credit: @trev291

“How many years has this joker got left on his contract?”

Credit: @silentbob1957

In other news, find out what transfer update has Wanderers fuming here!

According to journalist Ekrem Konur, Tottenham Hotspur, and by extension managing director Fabio Paratici, have lodged an offer to sign Shakhtar Donetsk defender Dodo – and they have already received a reply.

The Lowdown: Spurs in right-back market?

Amid the exit links surrounding Serge Aurier and even Matt Doherty, Tottenham have been touted to add a new right-back to Nuno Espirito Santo’s ranks before the transfer window closes on August 31.

The likes of Zeki Celik, Max Aarons and Tariq Lamptey have all been linked with Spurs this summer, while Bologna defender Takehiro Tomiyasu can also operate in that position.

Konur has now brought news of a Paratici offer for yet another Spurs right-back target.

The Latest: Spurs submit Dodo offer…

As per the Turkish reporter on social media, Spurs have now made a €20m (£17m) offer to Shakhtar for their defensive ace, with the Ukrainian club swiftly replying.

It is explained by the journalist that Tottenham’s bid has been rejected as Shakhtar rate him at around €40m (£34m).

Along with Spurs, Bayern Munich lodged a bid of their own amounting to roughly €25m (£21.2m), with that offer also being rejected outright.

The Verdict: Move on…

Given that Spurs are also eyeing moves for Pau Torres and Lautaro Martinez (The Times), we advise Paratici to move on from this chase if £34m is indeed the price for Dodo.

Stepping up talks for Tomiyasu to play as a right-back is arguably far more fruitful, considering that he would cost around half of that amount, according to Sky Sports.

Tottenham certainly cannot afford to splash such a huge amount on that position if they wish to add a potent attacker like Martinez or Dusan Vlahovic.

In other news: ‘Terminate his contract’, ‘Huge problem’…Sky Sports news has many Spurs fans talking, find out more here.

Rangers kicked off their Scottish Premiership title defence with a comfortable 3-0 win against Livingston at Ibrox on Saturday afternoon, although Fashion Sakala struggled to impress on his first competitive appearance for Steven Gerrard’s side.

After scoring the equaliser in Rangers’ pre-season win against Real Madrid last weekend, with Alfredo Morelos out of action after returning from Colombia after the Copa America, Gerrard opted to start his new signing up front against David Martindale’s side.

The Zambia international, who joined from Belgian Pro League side KV Oostende earlier in the summer, impressed Gerrard with his attitude and performances in pre-season but failed to really make any inroads in the Premiership opener.

As per SofaScore, the 24-year-old earned a less than impressive 6.5/10 rating for his display, with only Glen Kamara (6.4) rated lower of the Rangers players to feature in the game.

During his 71 minutes on the pitch, the £3.6m-rated forward had just 15 touches of the ball, completing only five passes in total. In comparison, Rangers goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin had 31 touches and completed 29 passes, which emphasises just how little Sakala contributed.

Much to the Ibrox faithful’s frustration, the new signing was caught offside on four occasions, whilst he also lost the ball six times in the game, which suggests that he struggled to adapt to the demands of the Premiership.

Although this was his first appearance for Rangers and there is undoubtedly more to come from the forward, Kemar Roofe’s goal from the bench suggests that he will be given the nod to start ahead of the Zambian against Malmo in the Champions League qualifiers on Tuesday night.

[freshpress-quiz id=“593776”]

Hopefully Sakala will be able to put this disappointing first performance behind him and grab his first Rangers goal in the near future, as Gerrard will surely be hoping that the 24-year-old can provide stiff competition for Morelos and Roofe throughout the 2021/22 campaign.

In other news… Too slow, Wilson: Rangers miss out on “outstanding” beast loved by Gerrard

Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a major blow in their bid to bring Jules Kounde to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by The Sun, who claim that Chelsea are preparing a bid to steal the Sevilla defender away from a potential move to Spurs, with Thomas Tuchel’s side expected to make an offer for the centre-back in the coming days.

It is reported that Manchester City have also seen a bid of £47m rejected for the France international, with the La Liga side believed to be demanding a fee of £69m in order to part with the 22-year-old this summer.

The report also goes on to claim that Kounde himself is not overly enthused about the prospect of linking up with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, something that would appear to suggest the Frenchman would prefer a switch to west London ahead of next season.

Paratici will be livid

Considering the length of time Tottenham have been linked with a move for Kounde, the fact that the player now seems against the idea of a switch to the north London club, in addition to their London rivals Chelsea now appearing to be ahead of them in the race for the defender, is likely to have left Fabio Paratici livid.

Indeed, it would appear the director of football has spent a great deal of both time and energy in pursuing the £54m-rated man, as the continued reports would appear to indicate, something that now could be seen as time that could have been spent on attempting to sign a player more willing of a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

And, considering just how impressive the 22-year-old was for Sevilla this season, if Chelsea do indeed go on to sign the Frenchman ahead of Spurs, it would be a significant blow for Paratici and his side.

Over his 34 La Liga appearances for Sevilla last term, the £73k-per-week defender helped his team keep 15 clean sheets, as well as making an average of 1.2 interceptions, 0.8 tackles, 2.9 clearances and winning 5.4 duels per game.

The centre-back also chipped in for his side going forwards, bagging two goals, providing one assist and creating two big chances for his teammates, in addition to making an average of 0.3 key passes per league fixture.

These metrics saw man Julen Lopetegui dubbed an “important” player earn an average SofaScore match rating of 7.08, ranking him as the club’s third-best performer in the top flight of Spanish football, playing a key role in his side sealing an impressive fourth-place finish in La Liga.

As such, should Tottenham indeed fail in their attempts to land Kounde this summer, it would very much appear as if they would be missing out on a player who not only has an extremely bright future in the game, but also one who would easily slot straight into Nuno Espirito Santo’s first team next season.

In other news: Paratici could land his dream player in “outstanding” 21-y/o gem, Spurs would love him

Former Leeds United player David Norris believes that signing Noni Madueke would offer the club something different.

Marcelo Bielsa has got Leeds playing attractive, high intensity football, with the club reaping the praise of many fans who have watched them.

Despite being easy on the eye to watch, Norris believes that Leeds need other ways of playing, saying: “That high intensity all the time, I don’t always think is going to work because teams will just step off and let them do their thing or play a bit longer and take that out of it.

“Teams are going to know more about them, so they might need a couple of different ways and options of playing.”

Madueke would add to Leeds attacking flair, with the ability to operate both as a winger and also down the middle as a striker. Last season for PSV Eindhoven, Madueke scored nine goals and provided eight assists in all competitions, showing that he will contribute to Leeds attack should he sign for the Elland Road outfit.

When asked by Football FanCast what Madueke will bring to the team, Norris added: “I think his composure is his big thing and he looks like he can play.”

According to Football Insider, the England Under-21 international has been linked with Leeds previously, but the Elland Road outfit were put off by his £25m price tag. That price is now believed to have been reduced to around £20m, which could see Leeds look to prise Madueke away from PSV this summer.