When Tottenham Hotspur reached the Champions League final in 2019, it was supposed to be a watershed moment for the ambitious London outfit.

Mauricio Pochettino had crafted one of the most eye-catching and fluid teams in the Premier League and, despite the loss on that fateful day by the hand of Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, the rich pool of talent tantalised green pastures over yonder.

Instead, the dismissal of Antonio Conte this year was the fourth permanent manager discarded in as many years, and the failure to qualify for European football this term has underscored the issues that the club is currently beset with.

Ange Postecoglou has now been appointed and supporters will eagerly anticipate how the Australian will bolster the squad this summer.

One of his first moves could be to seal a swoop for Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie, who has been linked with a departure from Camp Nou after just one season and has been reported by Spanish publication AS to be of interest to the Lilywhites.

As per the report, a fee of €35m (£30m) could be required to prise him away, and given his imposing physicality and tendency to progress play with his barging presence, he could suit English football and Postecoglou's system to a tee.

Should Tottenham sign Franck Kessie?

Dubbed a "warrior" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the 60-cap Ivory Coast international won Serie A last term and LaLiga this season, making 43 appearances for Xavi's outfit but only starting seven times in the league, consequently discontented with life in Catalonia and ostensibly seeking an exit, with Spurs all too willing to enrich their ranks.

If he is managed aptly, Kessie could be moulded as Tottenham's next version of Dele Alli, with the England international suffering misfortune and a plummet from prominence over the past several seasons but unequivocally one of the most prodigious talents to ever grace Premier League soil.

Alli plundered 67 goals and 61 assists from 269 appearances for Spurs before losing his spark and being shipped out to Everton at the midpoint of the 21/22 campaign, having now completed an unsuccessful season-long loan move with Turkish Super Lig side Besiktas.

At his resounding best, Alli was lauded as a talent with the "world at his feet" by Frank Lampard and "very special" by Xavi – two former stars who know a thing or two about how to succeed as a first-rate midfielder.

The one-time MK Dons youngster was best suited to an attacking role deployed behind the all-encompassing talisman Harry Kane, almost a shadow striker at times, and wreaked havoc with his unflinching approach and devastating offensive potency.

Praised as an "amazing player" by former Spurs 'keeper Paul Robinson, Kessie can emulate this; he ranks among the top 12% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for both touches in the attacking box and progressive passes received per 90, as per FBref, driving forward just like the 37-cap England ace.

And while the former AC Milan gem has been a peripheral figure with La Blaugrana this year, 19 goals across his final two seasons in Serie A, complemented by clinching the Scudetto last term, illustrates a goal-scoring prowess and a "devastating" danger, as remarked by Antonio Cassano, to match Alli's – who posted 37 strikes across his first three top-flight campaigns.

Kessie's possible transfer to Tottenham could well be an unmitigated success, with Kane's superlative skill as one of football's most creative striking focal points – ranking among the top 10% of strikers for shot-creating actions and the top 4% for progressive passes per 90 – providing Kessie with the perfect platform to unleash the full might of his attacking arsenal.

Forging a battle for top four and a confident domestic cup run is imperative next year and with Kessie's signing, the return to the former free-flowing football that left the Spurs support in raucous rapture could return to cast aside the cobwebs of the 22/23 term and drape the curtain irrevocably on the recent woes.

Sean Dyche vowed Everton would learn from narrowly missing out on relegation from the Premier League last month.

The truth is, though, the Toffees will find themselves in the exact same position next time around unless new players are recruited – particularly up top.

What is the latest with Everton's striker search?

Everton have been linked with their fair share of attacking players already this window, including the likes of Wilfried Gnonto, Nicolas Jackson, Jack Harrison and Viktor Gyokeres.

According to Portuguese outlet O Jogo, Everton are showing a particular interest in the latter, with a formal bid set to be made this week to test Coventry City's resolve.

Sporting CP are also said to have made signing Gyokeres a priority, however, potentially setting up a bidding war for a player who could potentially go this summer for as much as £17m.

Is Viktor Gyokeres a good option for Everton?

That is a fairly sizable sum to spend on a player who has no experience of top-level football, having spent the past four seasons in the Championship and previously played for St Pauli in 2.Bundesliga.

However, prolific strikers in the mould of Gyokeres, who can also chip in with their fair share of assists, are worth their weight in gold.

The Sweden international scored 21 goals and set up ten in 46 regular-season Championship matches last season, with those 31 direct goal involvements being the most of any player in the division.

Gyokeres has a natural ability to find himself in the right zones, highlighted by his 7.16 touches in the opposition box per 90 minutes last season, as per FBref, which ranks him in the top 3% of strikers across Europe's next best eight leagues.

The 11.01 progressive passes he received per 90 minutes – a completed pass of ten yards or more into his path – ranks him in the top 1% of strikers, meanwhile, and suggests he is always alert to where spaces are going to open up.

Those are exactly the type of qualities Dominic Calvert-Lewin showed at his Everton peak when scoring 29 combined Premier League goals in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons.

Calvert-Lewin struggled to show anything close to that form last season, though, when restricted to 15 starts due to injuries. The England international scored just two goals and assisted one more, with those stats described as "embarrassing" by Alan Shearer.

As Shearer pointed out in February, Everton are "so poor in forward positions", with Neal Maupay another who came in for criticism from the Premier League's all-time record goalscorer.

Calvert-Lewin – on a reported £100k-a-week at Goodison Park, according to Capology – cannot be relied on by Dyche next season if Everton are to avoid being dragged into another serious relegation scrap.

There are other options out there ready to plug the gap, but on the basis of last season, Gyokeres seems to perfect choice for the Toffees.

اكتمل عقد المتأهلين لدور ربع نهائي بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، موسم 2023/24، بتأهل 8 فرق.

وتمكن بايرن ميونخ الألماني من الحصول على بطاقة التأهل إلى ربع نهائي البطولة بعدما تغلب على لاتسيو بنتيجة 3-0 في الإياب، معوضًا هزيمته في الذهاب 1-0.

في حين تأهل باريس سان جيرمان على حساب ريال سوسيداد، حيث فاز بنتيجة 4-1 (مباراتي الذهاب والإياب).

وحجز ريال مدريد مقعده في منافسات الدور ربع النهائي على حساب لايبزيج، عقب تعادله مع الفريق الألماني في مواجهة الإياب بنتيجة 1/1، مستفيداً من فوزه بالذهاب بهدف دون رد.

وتأهل مانشستر سيتي إلى الدور ذاته، بعدما كرر فوزه إياباً على كوبنهاجن الدنماركي بنتيجة 3/1، وبمجموع المواجهتين بنتيجة 6/2.

اقرأ أيضًا | فيديو | هاري كين يقود بايرن ميونخ إلى ربع نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا بثلاثية أمام لاتسيو

وتأهل برشلونة إلى منافسات ربع نهائي البطولة، على حساب نابولي، بعدما فاز في مباراتي الذهاب والإياب بنتيجة 4-2.

بينما تأهل آرسنال إلى ربع النهائي بعدما فاز بركلات الترجيح على حساب بورتو بنتيجة 4-2، بعد التعادل 1-1.

ونجح فريق بوروسيا دورتموند في العبور إلى الدور ذاته عقب الفوز أمام آيندهوفن الهولندي بنتيجة 2/0، بعد التعادل 1/1 في لقاء الذهاب.

وبركلات الترجيح أتلتيكو مدريد أقصى إنتر ميلان، بنتيجة 3-2، بعد نهاية الوقت الأصلي والأشواط الإضافية (2-1) للفريق الإسباني، وكانت مباراة الذهاب حسمت للإنتر بهدف دون رد.

وتُقام مراسم قرعة دور ربع نهائي ونصف نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا يوم الجمعة 15 مارس الجاري. المتأهلون إلى ربع نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا 2023/24

بايرن ميونخ الألماني.

باريس سان جيرمان الفرنسي.

ريال مدريد الإسباني.

مانشستر سيتي الإنجليزي.

برشلونة الإسباني.

آرسنال الإنجليزي.

بوروسيا دورتموند الألماني.

أتلتيكو مدريد الإسباني.

Arsenal have been linked with a Premier League ace ahead of the transfer window as Mikel Arteta aims to strengthen his title-challenging side this summer.

The Spaniard enjoyed a successful season, but after narrowly missing out on the Gunners’ first league title in 19 years, he will aim to bolster his squad to push further next term.

Lack of defensive depth arguably cost Arsenal the title following the double injury blow to Takehiro Tomiyasu and William Saliba. However, an ongoing link could ensure the north Londoners aren’t caught short again.

What’s the latest on Joao Cancelo to Arsenal?

As reported by 90min early last month, Arsenal are interested in Manchester City full-back Joao Cancelo, who is due to return to Manchester after a loan spell at Bayern Munich.

More recently, journalist Dharmesh Sheth revealed via Sky Sports that Arsenal and City are in ‘early verbal talks’ over the defender, who could reportedly be sold for a fee in the region of €40m (£34m).

Sheth added to the update that Arteta’s side are looking to be ‘very ambitious’ in the window.

What could Joao Cancelo bring to Arsenal?

Lauded as “world-class” by former Premier League defender Ahmed Elmohamady, the versatile right-back could offer a host of things to Arsenal.

Despite having Ben White dominating in the position currently, it was suggested by Football Insider that the Englishman could return to a more central role next term.

Cancelo could take the Gunners to the next level, just as Oleksandr Zinchenko has since trading Manchester for north London and becoming a firm starter on the left side.

As per FBref, the Portuguese ace is one of the top-performing full-backs in Europe, despite having inconsistent game time throughout the past year.

The 29-year-old ranks in the top 1% of wide defenders in the continent in terms of assists, averaging a huge 0.32 per 90, showing his ability to contribute in the final third as well as in defensive areas.

Defensively, the Barreiro-born gem could be a reliable asset to Arsenal, averaging 2.13 tackles per 90, considerably higher than Zinchenko who scores 1.71 in this area via FBref.

There are several reasons as to why the quality of the three-time Premier League winner would be a strong fit for the Gunners, one being his suitability to play alongside Saliba.

Featuring predominantly for Arsenal on the right side of central defence, the Frenchman is a right-footed ball player and could provide a solid outlet when transitioning play through the City ace on his side of the defence.

As per FBref, the 22-year-old averages 3.69 progressive passes and holds a pass completion rate of 91% per 90, showing that he is an accomplished passer of the ball – which could become a deadly combination alongside Cancelo.

The Bayern Munich loanee rates highly in comparison to those in his position in Europe when it comes to receiving progressive passes, averaging 8.6 per 90, which places him in the top 4% in this attribute, via FBref.

Arteta could form a defensive quartet of players equally as impressive defensively as they are as a threat going forward, in a system that could take Arsenal to the next level and push on again next term.

Tamil Nadu took the first-innings lead against Gujarat in Belagavi to almost seal the qualifying scenarios from the group. Going into the final day, it was all but certain that these two sides – barring a Gujarat collapse, however unlikely – will join Mumbai as the three qualifiers from Group A. This became a real possibility late in the day when it emerged that Madhya Pradesh were unlikely to force a bonus-point win over Bengal in Delhi.Tamil Nadu had Kaushik Gandhi to thank for being in this position. The top-order batsman, who has come into his own this season after being in and out of the side in the past, struck his third century of the season. He was unbeaten on 150 as Tamil Nadu ended the day 90 ahead, on 397 for 4. His 116-run stand with B Indrajith, who made 66, helped the side recover from the late dismissal of Abhinav Mukund (99) on the second day. Gandhi and Vijay Shankar (35 not out) had added 97 when play ended.Manpreet Gony’s four-wicket haul kept Punjab in line for an outright win as they they enforced the follow-on against Mumbai in Rajkot. It may yet not be enough, unless of course Tamil Nadu, having taken a lead, lose outright to Gujarat.Having already taken a wicket overnight, Gony took two early wickets on the day as Mumbai slipped to 19 for 4 within the opening five overs. It took a 101-run sixth-wicket stand to rescue Mumbai from 37 for 5. This partnership was between Sufiyan Shaikh (67) and medium-pacer Shardul Thakur (70), who had been released by the Indian Test team after he didn’t make the XI in the ongoing Test. Mumbai’s resistance didn’t last too long after this partnership, and they folded for 185.In the second innings, they reached 94 for 2 stumps, on the back of a 72-run stand between Shreyas Iyer and Armaan Jaffer for the second wicket. At stumps, Shreyas was unbeaten on 59, alongside nightwatchman Vishal Dabholkar (2*).Bengal were unlikely to make the cut despite putting up a tall first-innings score•PTI

Ankit Sharma and Ishwar Pandey struck their highest first-class scores and put on 121 for the eighth wicket to keep Madhya Pradesh in the game against Bengal in Delhi.MP’s overnight pair extended their partnership to 84, having come together after Dinda had struck on the first ball of their response to Bengal’s 475. However, they lost six wickets for 82 runs from that point, and were reduced to 166 for 7, thanks largely to medium-pacer Sayan Ghosh, who took four of those wickets. Ankit then scored an unbeaten 90 as he put on 121 with Ishwar (63) and an unbroken 76 with Naman Ojha (40*) – who came in at No. 10 – to take MP to 363 for 8 at stumps.Baroda‘s last five wickets added 307 runs, but couldn’t succeed in getting them the first-innings lead against Uttar Pradesh in Nasik. Baroda had been steadied by a 91-run stand between Kedar Devdhar and Irfan Pathan overnight, after having fallen to 151 for 5 in response to UP’s 481. The pair added a further 53 in the morning before Pathan was dismissed for a 98-ball 81.Devdhar eventually fell for 157, after adding 53 with left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh, who went on to make a career-best 95 as he added 97 with Sagar Mangalorkar(34) for the eighth wicket. However, Kuldeep Yadav dismissed both of them in a space of four overs before a run-out ended Baroda’s innings on 458. UP’s openers, Shivam Chaudhary (55*) and Almas Shaukat (61*), put on an unbroken 117 to take them to stumps with a 140-run lead.

West Ham United have their sights set on Joao Palhinha and are now preparing to make an initial offer for the player, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Are West Ham United signing Joao Palhinha?

The Portugal international, who currently stars for Fulham, had an excellent first campaign in the Premier League in 2022/23. The Cottagers surprised many by not battling near the relegation zone after their promotion from the Championship and instead bursting into the top ten in the top flight. Palhinha had a key role to play in that success, as he featured on 35 occasions for the club in the league and even bagged three goals along the way.

Not only did he produce a joint-best individual year in terms of his goal haul but he also had plenty to contribute in defence too. When you compare Palhinha to others in his position amongst the Men's 'Top Five' big leagues in Europe, he is one of the most eye-catching prospects out there at the moment. With a superb rate of 4.26 tackles per 90, it means that he sits in the top one percent in that area for midfielders. With 2.06 aerials won too, he also sits in the top eight per cent for that category.

The 27-year-old then has certainly caught the eye of other clubs and it's the Irons who are the most heavily linked. According to reliable journalist Romano, an initial opening bid be made soon. He states that the Hammers are lining up an offer and that he is seen as a good replacement for Declan Rice, who appears to be heading out of the exit door.

Romano said: "West Ham are preparing their first approach for João Palhinha. Not an easy deal with Fulham but he's top of the list for West Ham to replace Declan Rice. Edson Alvarez remains in list but Borussia Dortmund are pushing to agree personal terms after proposal sent."

What is Joao Palhinha's transfer value?

There is no potential fee or asking price mentioned in terms of a bid and although CIES Football Observatory suggest that his value could be about 20 million Euros (or £17m), one would expect that to be much higher in reality considering the Cottagers paid £20m for the player last summer and he's only gotten better since.

It could well be worth splashing out big though when you consider how well he has performed. He's been hailed for his form in the Premier League for example, with football journalist Josh Bunting calling the midfielder "outstanding" and adding that he is "top class" in a variety of different areas. David Moyes then would no doubt love to add such a fantastic player to his side and if he can get a deal done, the worries over a Rice departure might ease for the Hammers.

A round-up of the third day of Group C matches in the eighth round of the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Dec-2016

Four wickets from Goa medium-pacer Rituraj Singh trumped Ricky Bhui’s 71 to seal an exciting 34-run win against Andhra early on the third day in Dhanbad. Chasing 233, Bhui took Andhra till he was eighth out at 179. They were eventually bowled out for 198.Resuming on 99 for 3, Andhra’s overnight pair saw out the first 10.1 overs of the day before Shadab Jakati struck in consecutive overs to bowl Dwaraka Ravi Teja for 49 and have AG Pradeep caught behind for 1. From 127 for 5, Andhra pushed towards their target via a stand of 39 between Bhui and Bhargav Bhatt.But Rituraj wiped out the lower order, striking off consecutive deliveries to remove Bhatt and KV Sasikanth. At 168 for 7, Bhui was Andhra’s only hope. Once he was caught behind off Amulaya Pandrekar, Rituraj took the last two wickets to finish with 4 for 24. Bhui’s third half-century in as many matches could not get Andhra any points, while Goa took six. Jakati finished with 11 wickets in the match, having taken a career-best 8 for 53 in the first innings.Nakul Verma’s second successive century helped Services set Chhattisgarh a target of 281 in Mumbai. Services, who were stuttering at 19 for 3, drove ahead courtesy Verma’s stands of 106 with Shamsher Yadav and 175 with Rahul Singh (99), which helped them declare on 340 for 7, with Verma unbeaten on 156. Chhattisgarh batted out the last three overs of the day to finish on 6 without loss, with Sahil Gupta and Abhimanyu Chauhan at the crease.Hyderabad were six wickets from their third successive win as Jammu & Kashmir stumbled to 42 for 4 chasing 396 in Vadodara. J&K, resuming on 156 for 7, were bowled out for 169, with seamer Ravi Kiran taking 4 for 32. Tanmay Agarwal then struck his second century of the match, scoring 103, his 128-run stand with Akshath Reddy laying the foundation for he innings.S Badrinath, the captain, then added 116 with Agarwal to set up Hyderabad’s declaration on 244 for 1. Ravi Kiran struck early again to dismiss Ahmed Bandy with J&K on 20. Off the next over, CV Milind sent back Shubham Khajuria. Pranav Gupta and Ian Dev Singh fell soon after to leave them reeling by the end of the day. Ram Dayal and Aditya Singh will resume batting on Friday.Kerala, who conceded a first-innings lead, were 66 short of victory against Tripura in Cuttack, ending the third day 117 without loss. Mohammed Azharuddeen made a 98-ball 80, and had solid company from Bhavin Thakkar (37 not out).Iqbal Abdulla, the left-arm spinner, picked up three wickets to rip through Tripura’s middle order as they stumbled to 111 for 5 in their second innings. Akshay Chandran then completed the demolition as Tripura were bowled out for 162, with Smit Patel top-scoring with 54. Their second innings lasted just 70.1 overs. Four other batsmen got into double figures, with the highest score among them being 25 by Bishal Ghose.Himachal Pradesh were asked to follow on by Haryana in Valsad after they were all out for 233 in their first innings. They ended the day 142 for 1 in their second innings, trailing Haryana by 27 runs.Sanjay Pahal took his first five-wicket haul in first-class cricket as HP managed to add only 132 runs for their last seven wickets. Overnight batsman Sumeet Verma top-scored with 66 and stitched a 69-run partnership with Amit Kumar (37) for the seventh wicket – the team’s only significant one. The last four wickets fell for 19 runs.Still trailing by 169 runs, HP’s openers RI Thakur and Prashant Chopra added 140 for the first wicket. Debutant Thakur was dismissed for 45 by Pahal in the day’s last over as Chopra finished not out on 89 with new batsman Robin Bist (2) for company.

The 14-member squad will be playing in the Women’s World Cup qualifier matches in Colombo scheduled from February 7 to February 21

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Jan-2017

Allrounder Mona Meshram lost her spot in India’s 14-member squad for the upcoming Women’s World Cup Qualifier matches, which will be played in Colombo from February 3. She was the only player who missed out from the 15-member squad that played West Indies in November 2016, India’s previous ODI assignment. Sukanya Parida and Devika Vaidya, who made their debut in India’s last ODI, retained their place in the squad.India squad for WC qualifiers

Mithali Raj (capt), Ekta Bisht, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Jhulan Goswami, Thirush Kamini, Harmanpreet Kaur, Veda Krishnamurthy, Smriti Mandhana, Shikha Pandey, Sukanya Parida, Poonam Yadav, Deepti Sharma, Devika Vaidya, Sushma Verma (wk)
Out: Mona Meshram

Meshram, who was out on 2 and didn’t bowl in the first ODI against West Indies, was overlooked for the next two matches. After making her debut in June 2012, she managed to score 47 runs in the eight ODIs she played in, with a top score of 22 and a solitary wicket to her name.India, who blanked West Indies 3-0, are in the middle of a seven-match unbeaten streak that started from the last ODI against Australia in Hobart. Since then, they beat Sri Lanka 3-0 at home before completing a whitewashing of the touring West Indies team.India start their qualification campaign with a practice match against South Africa on February 5 before their first game of the tournament against Sri Lanka on February 7. The tournament also includes Pakistan, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, Ireland, Scotland, Thailand and Papua New Guinea. The top four teams qualify for the Women’s World Cup, joining Australia, England, New Zealand and West Indies who automatically qualified through the ICC Women’s Championship. World Cup 2017 will be held from 26 June to 23 July in England.

Newcastle United are currently battling West Ham United for the potential signing of Chelsea's Conor Gallagher.

How much is Conor Gallagher worth?

The Toon have secured themselves a spot in the Champions League for the upcoming season on the back of a sensational campaign which saw them finish fourth.

However, with that brings the pressure of competing among Europe's best which could put some question marks on the depth of Eddie Howe's squad.

Newcastle were able to capitalise on the underwhelming campaigns from the likes of Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea but playing the likes of Real Madrid could bring another challenge altogether.

This has seen the Magpies linked with some ambitious moves this summer with reports suggesting they hold a serious interest in the Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella.

But it seems as if they could also be turning their attention to some potential opportunities within the Premier League.

Indeed, Gallagher is a player who has been linked with a potential exit from Stamford Bridge this summer with reports suggesting Brighton & Hove Albion hold an interest.

According to reports from Germany (via football.london), the Blues have placed a whopping £44m price tag on their England international this summer.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has claimed it is the Irons who may pose the biggest threat to the Toon in their pursuit of Gallagher:

"I wanted to add something and it's something about other clubs; Newcastle and West Ham. These two clubs are in the race for Conor Gallagher.

"This is an idea, this is a concrete idea, so we will see where they go from there but these two clubs are interested in Gallagher and Chelsea are open to letting him go."

How much does Conor Gallagher earn?

Newcastle will now see a higher revenue stream come into the club this summer following their qualification for the Champions League and a significant new sponsorship deal.

Indeed, the Tyneside club have sealed a deal with a Saudi Arabian firm which will see a reported £25m come into the club annually to feature on the front of their shirt.

This could potentially open the door for the Toon to make some bigger transfers over the coming years and see a possible increase in their wage structure.

Currently, their believed top earner at the club is Kieran Trippier on a reported £120k-per-week.

The same website reports – the hailed "magic" – Gallagher as earning £50k-per-week at Chelsea, however, if he is to seal a big move he could likely see his wages increase significantly.

But did the England international show enough in the 2022/23 campaign to justify Newcastle potentially spending in the region of £44m this summer?

After all, he only managed to find the back of the net three times in his 35 league appearances so perhaps this is money which could be spent better elsewhere.

Aston Villa are reportedly interested in a La Liga whizz, as Unai Emery prepares to bolster his squad this summer.

The Spaniard will team up with president of football operations Monchi, in the bid to take the side to the next level with European involvement pending next campaign.

The club have already been linked to a host of talent, with the latest name suggesting that a former player of Emery’s could follow him to Villa Park.

What’s the latest on Alex Baena to Aston Villa?

As reported by Spanish publication AS – relayed by Sport Witness – Aston Villa have emerged as a club interested in Villarreal midfielder Alex Baena.

The report claims that both Barcelona and Villa want the young talent, who is said to be valued by his club at £43m (€50m).

The Midlands club have however the claim to be favourites to sign the 21-year-old, with AS stating that Villa have ‘more options’ to secure the midfielder due to Barca’s financial woes.

What could Alex Baena bring to Aston Villa?

Having worked his way through the academy at Villarreal, Baena was given playing time by Emery at the start of the season, following his return from a loan spell at Girona.

Played mainly as a central attacking midfielder, the Roquetas de Mar-born gem has the ability to play in most offensive areas, deployed as both a left and right-sided winger on occasions in his career.

Lauded as “sensational” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Emery could see a reunion with his former scholar, who has proved himself in his first full season playing in the first team at the club.

In 35 appearances in La Liga this term, the 21-year-old has scored six goals and provided two assists, via Sofascore, asserting himself as an influential figure at the club he has developed at.

Having signed a new contract with the Yellow Submarine in January, the price could be high to allow the player to leave, which is something Villa intend to make happen if reports are to be believed.

The starlet could bring an abundance of talent to the midfield, in a move that could benefit the squad in many ways, however, it could be bad news for Philippe Coutinho.

The Brazilian has struggled to find his feet since making his return to the Premier League, scoring just once across 22 games last term, and could find himself knocked off the shelf should Baena opt to make the move from Spain to England this summer.

The Spaniard ranks as one of the best-attacking midfielders in Europe when it comes to his statistics in the final third.

The 21-year-old sits in the top 1% of midfielders over the past year in terms of total shots per 90 averaging 2.87, as well as ranking in the top 5% of those in his position for touches made in the penalty area, with an average of 3.05 per 90 recorded, via FBref.

Coutinho, who plays in a similar versatile role to the Villarreal ace comes up short of his numbers in areas critical to being a competent midfielder, averaging just 0.4 key passes per game to Baena’s 0.9 per game plus 12 big chances created, via Sofascore.

Emery could significantly upgrade his options in midfield by ditching the 31-year-old for the youngster, in a move that could signify the transitioning times at Villa Park.