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Aston Villa are set to announce Barcelona man Mateu Alemany as a new director in charge of transfers at the club, according to a key update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.

What job is Alemany doing currently?

The Villans may have lost 1-0 away to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Saturday, but there is still a feeling that this is a very positive time at the club.

Unai Emery has come in and excelled as manager, and there is still a chance of European football coming to Villa Park next season.

This summer is going to be vital one at Villa, with money available to make new signings, in order for Emery to take his team up a further level. In terms of off-field matters, it also looks as though Alemany could come in, with various reports suggesting that is the case recently.

The 60-year-old is currently at Barcelona in a role as director, having moved there in 2021, and he has also enjoyed stints at the likes of Valencia and Real Mallorca in the past.

Is Alemany off to Aston Villa this summer?

Taking to Twitter, Romano claimed that Alemany's move to Villa is now all but agreed, in what could be a significant piece of off-field business:

"Contracts are set to be signed for Mateu Alemany to become Aston Villa's new director. Full agreement in place, he has accepted all the clauses.

"Alemany, set to work together with Emery; already targeting and discussing of some potential names from La Liga & more."

This is a potentially exciting appointment by Villa, given the experience and pedigree that Alemany has in his role down the years. To be acquiring the services of someone high up at Barca is testament to both the progress the club is making and also the esteem that Emery is held in as a manager.

The pair will hopefully have a strong working relationship together, and as Romano mentions, Alemany's pulling power could be key in attracting some La Liga players to Villa Park once the summer transfer window arrives.

It really does feel as though everyone is pulling in the same direction at Villa currently, with everything in place for a great era in the club's history to kick into gear. Nothing is a given, of course, especially given the competitive nature of the Premier League, but appointments such as Alemany's only further raise confidence levels and suggest that memorable times are coming.

Arsenal have enjoyed an unprecedented season, which although has faltered in recent weeks, could very well still culminate in the capture of the Premier League title.

Mikel Arteta has worked wonders to evolve what was a side that could barely achieve a top-four spot into true competitors for the unflappable Manchester City, and to fall at this final hurdle would be a heartbreaking experience, although one the Gunners can remain proud of.

At last, they seem to have returned to the pinnacle of English football, and the Spaniard will seek to keep them there for as long as possible.

Such steady growth into their current state was curated over years of careful planning, which saw big names pushed to the exit door in favour of a new model of player. The 41-year-old was not afraid to cull previous fan favourites if they did not subscribe to his ideals.

However, he was just as likely to outline a ruthlessness with those who were also deemed to be lacking the requisite quality to perform at the top level that he foresaw his side at.

The likes of Shkodran Mustafi, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and David Luiz were all casualties of their dwindling abilities. Now, in this coming summer, the same could be set to happen to Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

How has Ainsley Maitland-Niles played out on loan?

It feels like the 25-year-old has always had something a bit special, but never quite seemed to pin down exactly the kind of footballer he wanted to be. At times an attacking midfielder, then shifted deeper, even the wing was his home for many years which gave credence to the occasion stint at wing-back too.

This London-born trickster is the epitome of the phrase: jack of all trades, master of none.

Having graduated from the club's prestigious Hale End academy in 2014, a whopping 11 years after he had first joined the club as a youngster, the £35k-per-week nomad has only mustered 132 total appearances for the north London outfit, scoring three and assisting eight.

Such a lack of mastery in a sole position has often led Maitland-Niles to be snubbed in favour of a bigger name, who has shone in one specific position all their careers. As such, he has endured four different loan spells throughout his career, three of which have come since Arteta's arrival.

That is certainly a damning indication of the midfielder's standing within the new manager's squad. It even led to a strange deadline day social media fiasco back in 2021, in which the 5 foot 10 star was refused a move to join Everton on loan only for him to post online pleading with the club to release him.

This led talkSPORT's Simon Jordon to launch into a scathing rant on the conduct of the wantaway ace: "They need to understand that they are the sum of a part and that part is a football club who they’re employees of and they need to do as they’re told.

"Why isn’t he in Arsenal’s team? Because the team stinks right now, so he has to look at himself as the reason why he isn’t in Arsenal’s team. His performances last year at West Brom didn’t pull up any trees, and secondly you are a professional footballer."

With a relationship not to be desired with the head coach, and an average 6.81 rating during his time on loan at rock-bottom Southampton, this summer should mark the end of a stuttering career in the captial for the boyhood Gooner.

Glasgow Rangers suffered a damaging 3-2 Old Firm defeat this afternoon which has all but ended their slim Premiership title aspirations that they had going under Michael Beale – and thoughts now turn to 2023/24.

Both sides had a goal ruled out during the first half and they went into the break with the scores at 1-1. James Tavernier scored a sublime free kick on the stroke of half-time to go within one of a century of Rangers goals.

The full-back would score his 100th with a cleverly taken header, yet it was all too late for the Light Blues, as two calamitous mistakes by Ben Davies and John Souttar had earlier Celtic a 3-1 advantage.

Beale has yet to win an Old Firm game since taking over at the club back in November, and this will have to totally change next season if they are to challenge for the league title.

Despite the defeat, a few players made themselves known – most notably Tavernier, who put in a solid display; yet, it was January signing Nicolas Raskin who looked at home in the Gers' midfield axis.

How did Nicolas Raskin play for Rangers against Celtic?

The Belgian came in for John Lundstram in the starting XI ahead of the game and proved why Beale wanted him so badly during the January transfer window.

He received a Sofascore rating of 6.4/10, which wasn’t the best in the team, but his combative nature and ability to hunt down every ball were key to Rangers enjoying some success through the match, especially when they pressed Celtic and forced them to make mistakes.

Indeed, Raskin managed 48 touches throughout the tie, and although he made just 76% of his passes, the midfielder succeeded with both his dribble attempts, won five duels and made two tackles, showing great physicality to stand his ground and only being dribbled past once in the whole game.

It looks like he will be a huge success at the Ibrox side, and being thrown into a first league derby start in the most important game of the season is an indication of the faith placed into him by Beale.

Rangers Review journalist Joshua Barrie claimed that Raskin was the “standout” for Rangers while also stating that the 22-year-old was “such an upgrade in midfield”, and if Beale can build a Rangers side around him and a few other players ahead of next term, we think the title race could be a lot closer.

Tottenham Hotspur are once again without a manager, with Fabio Paratici and Daniel Levy the men responsible for ensuring this next appointment does not fall flat.

Having signed Antonio Conte just eight months after sacking Jose Mourinho, and with the Italian now also dismissed, the Lilywhites find themselves at a crossroads.

They can either persist with the big-name managers in a desperate attempt to win their first major honour since 2008, or they can start again by entrusting the club to a young up-and-coming coach.

In Oliver Glasner they could have the perfect option should they choose the latter, who would not stray too far from their current structure. Fortunately, he would add some attacking impetus and does have a pedigree with attaining silverware too.

But arguably even more fortunately, he is reportedly keen to make the move to north London, as his contract talks with Eintracht Frankfurt stall.

This potential appointment would offer an injection of fresh ideas into a club stagnating under recent leadership, whilst the element of unknown that a foreign coach brings only adds intrigue. The only wish would be that he could start straight away, in an effort to retain Champions League football at the very least for next season.

Would Oliver Glasner be a success at Spurs?

Having led his German outfit to the Europa League title last season in remarkable fashion, downing Barcelona, West Ham United and Rangers on their historic run, he already boasts a cut-throat pedigree that Spurs do need some degree of.

However, his tactical brain is so impressive that it even drew praise from Nico Kovac, who claimed: "He’s very structured, very well organised, meticulous, observes the opposition very closely and prepares the team very well for them. He doesn’t just let Eintracht run their boots off. He adjusts tactics."

This has culminated in the 48-year-old's 1.53 points per game average, taking over a struggling team and stabilising them. This in turn led to the construction of the solid foundation with which they earned their European success.

The Austrian's preference for a three-at-the-back formation does make him a fine fit for this current squad, which was somewhat moulded in Conte's image. The likes of Pedro Porro could explode under him, given Filip Kostic returned seven goals and 15 assists in all competitions last season under his tutelage from left wing-back.

With an improved style that aligns with their previous regime, but builds upon it with actual emphasis on attack, plus the fact that he is capable of the odd "tactical master stroke", as lauded by journalist Stefan Bienkowski, Glasner is the outstanding option to replace Conte at Spurs.

Tottenham Hotspur may have been on the end of a wrong decision as an image has emerged showing they perhaps should have been playing against 10 men.

The Lowdown: Spurs fail to impress once again

Spurs can have no excuses last night about being dumped out of the FA Cup embarrassingly by Championship side Sheffield United as the Blades put up a good fight and even squandered a huge chance in the first half.

Christian Stellini decided to bench star striker Harry Kane last night and when he came on he did very little to impact the game apart from missing a free header late into the second half.

However, some Tottenham fans may well be fuming that John Brooks didn’t make the pretty obvious decision to send off George Baldock for his late and reckless challenge on Ivan Perisic.

The Latest: Refereeing decision may have changed the game

Brooks clearly thought that Baldock didn’t make sufficient contact with Perisic as he didn’t even award Baldock a yellow card which is quite crazy judging by the image below.

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The score was indeed all square at the time of this tackle and many will know that if Spurs were playing against a Championship side and held a numerical advantage then it would have been a major shock for them to not progress into the quarter-final.

The Verdict: A clear red card ignored

We believe that this challenge is deserved of a red card. The Sheffield United player clearly has his studs showing and foot raised high enough to make contact with the shin area, as well as flying into the tackle at force which endangers the Tottenham man.

While Tottenham can have no gripes about the result and performance with Stellini even claiming some of his players lacked the energy required to win, this decision could have changed their season.

If Tottenham had ended up playing against 10 men for the majority of the game then many would have fully expected them to progress into the next round and then they’re one win away from Wembley and just two away from a final in May.

However, Spurs have now been dumped out of the FA Cup, have no chance of winning the Premier League by sitting 15 points off top spot, face an uphill battle against AC Milan in the Champions League as they head into the second leg 1-0 down and look set for yet another trophyless season.

Newcastle United have showcased a real willingness to invest in potential stars for the future in recent times, with Eddie Howe overseeing the arrivals of budding gems like Harrison Ashby and Anthony Gordon of late, along with the 2022 acquisition of Australian teenager Garang Kuol.

As much as short-term success will be on the agenda for PIF, the new regime also appear keen to build for the future, with that focus on the long-term no doubt emphasised by the Magpies’ reported interest in signing highly-coveted Bristol City starlet Alex Scott.

What’s the latest on Alex Scott to Newcastle?

According to The Mirror, the Tynesiders are believed to be ready to ‘enter the race’ for the 19-year-old dynamo ahead of the summer transfer window, with Howe and co said to be currently ‘running checks’ on the teenage sensation.

The report suggests that the St James’ Park outfit will also be joined in the battle for the youngster by the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace and West Ham United, while Wolverhampton Wanderers were also keen on a deal last month, only to be put off by the Championship club’s reported £25m asking price.

Could Alex Scott be the next Grealish?

The versatile gem – who can feature all across the midfield and on the flanks – has been making waves as a result of his standout displays for the Robins in recent times, having provided five assists in 32 league games so far this season, with all of those outings coming from the start.

Despite his relative youth, the playmaker has already established himself as a regular fixture in Nigel Pearson’s side, having particularly impressed with his ability to put in the hard yards defensively by averaging 2.3 tackles per game this season.

The England U20 international is also a real master at driving his team up the pitch with a surging run from deep, with that trait showcased by his ranking in the top 17% among those in his position in what FBref term as the ‘Men’s next eight competitions’ for progressive carries, as well as in the top 19% for successful take-ons.

That silky elegance has seen young Scott lauded as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’ due to his apparent likeness to Manchester City star Jack Grealish, with Bristol City team-mate Kal Naismith having also talked up that comparison earlier this month.

He told the Open Goal podcast about Scott: “Have a look for this boy, he’s deadly. A few clubs bid for him – he’s played every game for us – he won the Euros (U19s) with England in the summer. Centre mid, little old school, box-to-box. Like a Gerrard kind of (player) – obviously I don’t want to make that comparison, he’s got a long way to go. He’s tall enough, he’s maybe six foot, he can run all day, he’s hard in the tackle, really good on the ball.

“He’s different class, he’s reminding me of when Grealish was in the Champ, he’s obviously more of a centre mid but see that way he takes the ball, lets people get tight to him and then runs away as if they weren’t even there. His past 5-6 games, he’s been tremendous. I can honestly see him going to a top four/five team in the Prem.”

That likeness is further indicated as Grealish is also truly adept at carrying the ball forward, with the former Aston Villa man – who moved to the Etihad Stadium for £100m in 2021 – ranking in the top 1% among those in his position in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries.

As Scott will look to emulate, the Three Lions star has succesfully made the transition from life in the second tier to competing for major honours in the Premier League, with the 27-year-old showcasing his class this season with three goals and five assists in 31 games in all competitions.

The Birmingham native has particularly caught the eye with his ability to draw contact and alleviate pressure for his team, having been fouled 2.7 times per match for City this season, while Scott is only just below that figure as he has averaged 2.2 for that same metric.

To be able to snap up a player of such potential would be a further indication of the great strides forward that Newcastle are making at present, with Howe undoubtedly set to relish the opportunity to nurture the Grealish-esque prospect.

Tottenham ‘could move’ for Benfica chief Rui Pedro Braz if sporting director Fabio Paratici is handed a worldwide ban, according to reporter James Nursey.

The Lowdown: Paratici sentenced…

Spurs chief Paratici was recently hit with a 30-month ban from Italian football for his alleged role in Juventus’ apparent false accounting and financial irregularities.

The Lilywhites transfer man could also be slapped with a worldwide ban depending on developments, meaning he would no longer be able to serve as Tottenham’s managing director.

Antonio Conte’s side, in that scenario, would need a new recruitment chief to head N17 operations off-the-field.

The Latest: Spurs ‘could move’ for Pedro Braz…

According to Nursey, writing for The Daily Mirror, it is believed Spurs ‘could move’ for Benfica talent spotter Pedro Braz if Paratici’s worldwide ban comes to fruition.

The 44-year-old has amassed quite the reputation in Portugal for head-hunting football’s most promising gems, ultimately attracting interest from north London.

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The Verdict: Right man?

If Paratici can no longer fulfil his Premier League duties at Tottenham, there are few better than Pedro Braz to step into the Italian’s important role.

The Benfica official has helped make his club one of the world’s leading teams for spotting and recruiting talent – even leading to Chelsea’s courtship before the west Londoners appointed Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley as their new directors.

Financially, Pedro Braz has contributed towards some real gains in profit at the Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica – most recently playing a part in selling Enzo Fernandez to Chelsea for a British record £106 million.

He has also possesses a masters degree in communication and leadership with it being crystal clear he would be qualified to succeed Paratici.

Indeed, Pedro Braz would certainly come as a promising appointment.

Everton must compromise on their asking price for Anthony Gordon to make a deal happen, claims Luke Edwards.

The Lowdown: Gordon in demand

The Everton forward has been in high demand since his breakout campaign last year, where his performances helped keep the Goodison Park outfit in the Premier League, as he started 25 games in the top-flight, majority coming at the business end of the season.

This led Gordon to look destined for Chelsea in the summer, but the Toffees stood firm as he remained on Merseyside.

Talks regarding his exit are back again with Everton floundering in the drop zone, and the Daily Mail is reporting that he has missed training for a third consecutive day amid a potential switch to Newcastle United.

The Latest: Edwards’ comments

Speaking on the BBC’s Transfer Gossip Daily on Thursday morning, Edwards claimed that the only way a deal will go through is if a compromise on the price is met, with the Magpies believing Everton’s valuation is too high.

He said: “If the player wants to leave, which he certainly does – he’s not been at the training ground for two days; I think he may even have handed in a transfer request now – at some point, there’s going to have to be a compromise in those fees.

“Newcastle are not going to go that high, Everton may have to kind of wake up and smell the coffee a little bit and realise they’re not going to get that sort of fee for him.

“I would expect it to be closer to something like £35m, maybe rising to £40m or something like that.”

The Verdict: Interesting days ahead

With the 21-year-old’s public display of unhappiness on Merseyside, it begs the question of whether Everton will bow to his demands or stick to their guns on their £60m tag.

Despite Newcastle boasting the finances to pay £60m for a player considering their lavish spending in recent windows since their Saudi Arabian-backed takeover (as per Transfermarkt), the Toffees’ demands clearly don’t represent value for money for buyers.

With Gordon bagging just three goals and not registering an assist in the top flight this campaign, it could be argued that he’s far from an attractive figure to bring into a Champions League-chasing side for that fee.

It seems Everton are fixed on getting the full amount that was mooted last year, and with their current struggles and the limited amount of time left in the window, you wonder whether the Toffees should indeed cut their losses on an unhappy player given their situation.

Liverpool have ‘nothing concrete’ going on with Atalanta regarding a potential deal for Teun Koopmeiners, according to the club’s sporting director Tony D’Amico.

The Lowdown: Scouting mission

The Merseyside outfit are reportedly planning to make a box-office midfield signing this month following a mixed start to the season and have identified the 24-year-old as a potential target.

The Dutchman has been the recipient of interest from the Reds having scouted him on multiple occasions over the last 12 months, though it doesn’t sound like he’ll be making a move to the Premier League anytime soon.

The Latest: D’Amico’s comments

Speaking to Sky Italia (via Sport Witness), D’Amico admitted that Liverpool have been in contact to enquire about Koopmeiners, but quickly shut down any chances of him leaving for Anfield.

“There’s nothing concrete with Liverpool: we welcome the interest, but he’s one of our players.”

The Serie A star himself also recently confirmed that he’s content with his current position at the Gewiss Stadium.

“I’m playing for Atalanta, I’m very happy here and I’m only thinking about this.”

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The Verdict: Blow for Klopp

Koopmeiners is a fantastic player and it’ll surely be a huge blow for Jurgen Klopp to learn that he’s set to miss out on his target, who’s been dubbed an ‘orchestrator’ and ‘press-resistant’ by scout Jacek Kulig.

The Castricum native has posted seven goal contributions so far this season and is currently averaging 1.8 shots and 1.6 key passes per league 90 minutes (WhoScored).

Liverpool will be gutted that they’ve failed to secure Koopmeiners, but it’s important that the hierarchy turn their attention elsewhere to sign a different central candidate before the end of the month.

Chelsea remain interested in signing West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Chelsea’s midfield targets

The Blues have been targeting a new midfielder this month, with both Jorginho and N’Golo Kante’s contracts expiring at the end of the season.

The midfield duo are now both over the age of 30, meaning that younger options are needed for Graham Potter, and the manager has recently been linked with moves for the likes of Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia.

The Latest: Rice still targeted

While there may have been some concern that Chelsea’s interest in a plethora of midfielders indicated that the Blues were no longer interested in Rice, Jones has now claimed that this is not the case.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “It’s an interesting one because Declan Rice does still remain a target at this stage. But he’s not available until the summer so Chelsea are trying to make sure they’ve got enough in the tank by the time they get to next season.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

CBS reporter Ben Jacobs claimed this week that the 23-year-old would be available for around £70m in the summer, and there is no doubt that Chelsea should pursue a deal for the West Ham skipper at that price, as he has consistently proven himself to be a top-level player.

ESPN’s David Cartlidge has previously hailed the Englishman as a ‘monster’, a fitting description considering his performances for the Irons, as he is still excelling despite his team’s very poor Premier League campaign up to this point.

His 6.90 WhoScored rating is the best of anyone at the London Stadium and would put him joint-fifth in Potter’s squad at Stamford Bridge.

The former Chelsea youth player has displayed his talent in distributing the ball by completing 1,106 passes, the eighth-most of any player in the league, making him a fantastic fit for Potter’s possession-based style of play.