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Villa have been linked with a late move for an elite defender who is also wanted by Spurs and Newcastle.

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Aston Villa could be lining up a January move for one of Tottenham Hotspur’s priority transfer targets – Paris Saint-Germain centre-back Milan Škriniar, who is expected to leave the French club after falling out of favour.

Sport Witness, who cite a story from L’Equipe, claim that while Spurs, who have been linked with a bid the Slovakian defender by a number of press outlets in recent weeks, have a “real desire” to sign Škriniar, and their interest is “more along the road” than that of the Villans.

Meanwhile, Unai Emery’s side are “waiting in the wings to pounce” and could “hijack” the deal. Reinforcements at centre-half are not believed to be an urgent priority for Emery, but the chance to sign a player of Škriniar’s quality may prove to be too good to pass on.

Why is Milan Škriniar up for sale?

Škriniar, who has earned 77 caps for his country and is the national captain, earned a reputation as one of the best defenders in Europe during an impressive six-year stint in Italy with Inter Milan, for whom he made nearly 250 appearances.

He left Inter as a free agent at the end of the 2022/23 season and quickly signed a five-year deal with PSG with a salary estimated by Capology at €315,000 (£266,000) per week, which could prove a stumbling block in negotiations.

His time in the French capital has been unproductive, however, with injuries and sub-par performances across his debut campaign leading to his being dropped by head coach Luis Enrique. Škriniar is reportedly unhappy with his reduced playing time and is amenable to a move.

How much would Škriniar cost?

A prior report from Caught Offside suggested that the transfer fee for the 29-year-old Škriniar, who signed for PSG as a free agent in 2023, could be as high as €35m (£29.5m). That report also suggested that Newcastle United could be interested.

However, Sport Witness’ report claims that PSG are now looking to ease the player’s departure from the club by allowing him to leave on an initial loan deal with a purchase clause which would be activated in the summer after some “easy” conditions are met.

That could help Villa – or a Premier League rival – to make the deal work despite profit and sustainability restrictions. It isn’t stated whether PSG would demand a fee up front for a loan, or how much of Škriniar’s wages may have to be covered.

If none of the defender’s Premier League suitors make a move, then Galatasaray and José Mourinho’s Fenerbahçe are also hovering, per the report. The latter recently had a bid for Newcastle defender Lloyd Kelly rebuffed and are working hard to bring in reinforcements for the back line.

Elsewhere, Aston Villa have completed their second transfer deal of the January window with the sale of young winger Jaden Philogene, netting a substantial profit in the process, and have also been linked with a move for a free-scoring £25m-rated striker from the Turkish top flight.

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Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly planning a bid for a player Wolverhampton Wanderers only signed four months ago.

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Sam Johnstone could depart Wolves this January as fellow Premier League side Tottenham are reportedly interested in acquiring his services.

Bought from Crystal Palace for £10 million in the summer transfer window, Johnstone arrived at Molineux as a decent option to rotate with Jose Sa. Gary O’Neil, then Wolves manager, insisted at the time that there was no clear number one goalkeeper and that turned out to be true as the game time has been shared this term.

Sa is the preferred option for new head coach Vitor Pereira but Johnstone has made seven Premier League appearances of his own in 2024/25. It’s not been an overly successful start for the 31-year-old, however, as he’s conceded 17 times in those seven outings and failed to preserve a single clean sheet.

Johnstone may not have to warm the bench at Wolves for much longer as Tottenham are interested in signing him, according to a report from TBR Football. It’s claimed Spurs have identified Johnstone as a target to start in the absence of Guglielmo Vicario, who is not expected to return from his serious ankle injury until at least March.

Fraser Forster has deputised for Vicario between the sticks for the past eight Premier League matches but the 36-year-old has only kept one clean sheet and has conceded 15 goals. Spurs want another senior option to step in if possible, especially with Forster’s contract set to eclipse on June 30 of this year.

Wolves make Sam Johnstone call amid Spurs interest

The report from TBR Football claims the Old Gold are willing to let Johnstone go despite only welcoming him to the club a matter of months ago. As long as Wolves can make a profit and are able to source a replacement, they would be up for cashing in. The latter point is less urgent, though, with Daniel Bentley a decent alternative already on the books.

Wolves can expect an update in their inbox soon as Tottenham are now ‘exploring a deal’ to bring in Johnstone on loan with an option to buy. It awaits to be seen if Wanderers would agree to those terms but that’s what Spurs are looking to set out as they seek a solution to their poor defensive form.

Currently down in 11th in the Premier League, Tottenham have conceded 28 goals at the halfway stage of the campaign. Out of the teams in the top half, only Aston Villa (31) have let in more. Even the likes of AFC Bournemouth (23) and Fulham (25) boast superior defensive records than Spurs.

It’s not all down to Forster, of course, as Vicario was also susceptible to conceding due to Ange Postecoglou’s gun-ho attacking system. A high back line is always risky and can lead to some devastating scorelines, no matter the goalkeeper between the sticks.

There are still some contrasting figures between Vicario and Forster, though, with Tottenham’s first choice shot-stopper conceding 1.08 goals per 90 minutes this season. For comparsion, Forster has let in 2.14 per 90. Johnstone’s figure stands at 2.43, but he does of course have an inferior defence in front of him.

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The latest Premier League transfer rumours as Wolverhampton Wanderers discuss terms with an attacker wanted by Tottenham Hotspur.

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Wolves are reportedly set to offer star forward Matheus Cunha a lucrative new contract following an impressive start to the new season.

The Old Gold are aware of interest in their best players from the Premier League’s elite clubs but want to keep them at all costs. Cunha comes under this bracket and as does left wing-back Rayan Ait-Nouri, who has been heavily linked with Liverpool and Manchester United in recent weeks.

The Telegraph reports Wolves want to reward Cunha for his efforts over the past couple of seasons, offering him significantly improved terms while extending his stay at Molineux. It’s stated the Old Gold feel it’s inevitable that bigger clubs will come knocking in the summer, so they want to ensure Cunha’s contract is of a longer term.

This update comes after reports that higher-ups at Tottenham have been in talks over a potential move for Cunha in the summer transfer window. Another fellow Premier League side, Man Utd, are also said to have been monitoring the Brazilian’s progress.

Cunha, 25 years old and heading into his prime, has contributed an impressive seven goals and three assists in 12 Premier League matches this season despite Wolves’ torrid form. Wanderers have picked up just nine points out of an available 36 but that hasn’t stopped Cunha from starring in games, even when his side have been defeated.

Goal contributions came at a similar rate last term, too, as Cunha netted on 12 occasions while providing seven assists in 32 league matches. The £44million fee may have seemed a little excessive at the time but the 11-time former Brazil international is certainly proving his worth.

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Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur clash in the Premier League in North London on Sunday, November 3, at 2.00 pm.

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Aston Villa hope to bounce back from their exit from the Carabao Cup in midweek when they travel to London to face Spurs in the Premier League.

The Villains lost to Crystal Palace 2-1 on Wednesday night, despite Jhon Duran getting them back on level terms after Eberechi Eze opened the scoring. Villa have won twice in their last two meetings at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but the most recent clash between the two sides resulted in a 4-0 win for Spurs back in March.

Spurs progressed to the last eight of the Carabao Cup after beating Manchester City, but they didn’t come through things unscathed. They’ve got some injuries to contend with, and so without a further ado, here’s the latest injury update on both side’s squads.

Aston Villa team news

In what is a rarity these days given the volume of fixtures, Aston Villa have no injury concerns. Jaden Philogene missed their last league match due to picking up two yellow cards, but he's now back, and available for selection.

Villa have a game against Club Brugge in the Champions League next Wednesday, and so there might be one eye on that fixture when it comes to team selection. The Premier League is the bread and butter, but Villa will want to continue their good start, having topped the league phase in the UCL after three games.

Unai Emery made 10 changes from the team that drew with Bournemouth against Crystal Palace, including starts for Tyrone Mings, and Boubacar Kamara who have recovered from ACL injuries.

Spurs team news

Micky van de Ven has emerged as an injury concern for Spurs. He felt something in his hamstring after playing a part in their win against Manchester City on Wednesday. He'll be assessed, and an update should be provided on Friday.

Timo Werner looked to have been contending with fatigue towards the latter stages of the game against Man City. Werner should be okay to play at the weekend however. Cristian Romero is similar to Werner, but given van den Ven's injury, a decision was made to bring on Ben Davies early in the second period.

Summer signing Wilson Odobert has been ruled out. He's picked up a fresh injury which is around the same area as he picked up the first which put him out for over a month.

Spurs are hoping that they can get Heung-Min Son back for the weekend. He's been sidelined with a thigh injury, and he's been described as 'almost fit' and so it seems he's touch and go for the weekend. Djed Spence is in a similar position to Heung-Min Son, with Ange Postecoglou hoping that he would re-join the squad this week in training.

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The Premier League table based on the total squad transfer values of all 20 teams.

Aston Villa have begun the new season in style, with just one defeat in their opening seven Premier League matches.

Unai Emery’s side have continued their fine work from last campaign’s fourth-placed finish, building further momentum toward becoming an established European outfit.

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That’s been proved in the Champions League itself, too, as Villa have won their opening two fixtures. The second of those victories was incredibly impressive as they beat Bayern Munich by one goal to nil at Villa Park.

On paper, Emery has achieved these remarkable feats with a squad not quite at the level of those in the so-called ‘big six’. Villa’s financial power is far less significant than those teams, too, making the progress all the more admirable.

How, then, does Villa’s total squad value compare to the rest of the Premier League? Emphasising just how brilliantly Emery is doing, here’s a full run-through.

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A bold decision from Lee Carsley before England 1-2 Greece riled up supporters from both Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur.

An experimental Three Lions side were beaten by Greece at Wembley Stadium for the first time in history on Thursday night as several of Carsley’s tactical flaws were exposed.

The interim England boss raised eyebrows when the team selection was announced as Jude Bellingham was named as a false nine. Harry Kane’s absence meant Carsley had to source a replacement but he ignored both Ollie Watkins and Dominic Solanke, instead opting for a rather unbalanced midfield.

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Bellingham netted what he thought was an 87th-minute equaliser for England after Vangelis Pavlidis’ opener just after half time, but Pavlidis scored again deep in second-half stoppage time to secure a famous UEFA Nations League victory for the visitors.

Not many would argue it wasn’t a deserved result as Greece matched England’s attacking output without, all while having less of the ball. And it turns out - as per a report from talkSPORT - that the Three Lions only practiced Carsley’s new system for 20 minutes during a training session.

With that in mind, many fans took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) post-match to belittle Carsley’s team selection, pointing to Watkins and Solanke as the obvious solutions.

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Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo has been tipped to join Aston Villa instead of Tottenham Hotspur or Newcastle United.

Semenyo has made a stunning start to the new Premier League season, with three goals and one assist in seven matches so far.

The 24-year-old, signed from Bristol City for a reported £10 million fee in January 2023, is already closing in on his previous best goalscoring tally of eight Premier League goals in a single campaign.

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GiveMeSport reports Tottenham and Newcastle are among several top-flight teams regularly scouting Semenyo, keeping a close eye on his progress at Bournemouth. Liverpool are also mentioned, though the latest assessment from a bookmaker backs Villa as the likeliest destination for Semenyo.

Villa are said to have a 33.3% chance of acquiring the Ghana international’s services, while the probabilities of Tottenham and Newcastle snapping up the attacker are 16.7% and 7.7% respectively.

Unai Emery already has two superb striker options in Ollie Watkins and Jhon Duran but the Spanish head coach is always looking at ways to add depth and quality to his squad. An acquisition on the right-hand side of defence is arguably the more pressing issue but it could be temping to add more talent in attack.

There’s nothing concrete to suggest Semenyo will be a player Villa turn to in January, but that hasn’t stopped the conversation from being sparked. Capable of playing as an out-and-out centre-forward or an attacking-minded winger on either flank, Semenyo would contribute versatility to any potential suitor.

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A leak ahead of the England squad announcement suggests an in-form Aston Villa star has been ignored.

Morgan Rogers is set to miss out on his first senior England call-up despite being nominated for the September’s Premier League Player of the Month accolade.

The 22-year-old, who has one goal and two assists in his last three outings, has become one of the first names on the Villa team sheet but is yet to get the nod for England. Rogers is expected to continue in the Three Lions’ Under-21 ranks for the time being as he waits patiently for a chance in the senior team.

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The Athletic reports Interim England head coach Lee Carsley has opted for Tottenham Hotspur striker Dominic Solanke instead. The 27-year-old, signed from AFC Bournemouth in the summer for £65 million, is expected to receive an Three Lions call-up for the first time in seven years.

Rogers isn’t the only in-form player ignored as West Ham United winger Jarrod Bowen and Tottenham attacking midfielder James Maddison also miss out. In defence, Manchester United centre-back Harry Maguire has not been included in the squad as Carsley prefers Chelsea’s Levi Colwill.

The Three Lions take on Greece at Wembley Stadium on Thursday, October 10 before making the trip to Helsinki to face Finland on Sunday, October 13. The UEFA Nations League action then concludes during another international break next month - with fixtures away at Greece and at home against the Republic of Ireland.

Those who didn’t make the cut this time around will be hoping they can force their way into Carsley’s plans before November swings around.

Aston Villa reportedly attempted a summer swoop for a wonderkid striker wanted by Tottenham Hotspur.

The Villans are said to have acted on their reported interest in Beşiktaş attacker Semih Kılıçsoy, seeing a bid rejected during the recent transfer window.

It turned out to be a rather quiet end to the summer for Unai Emery’s side but business appears to have been bubbling away in the background as Sinan Engin, a former general manager at Beşiktaş and now a pundit, has claimed Villa saw an official proposal for Kılıçsoy rejected.

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Engin made the shock revelation while commentating on a recent match for Beyaz Futbol, as relayed by Turkish outlet Aslinda. “Aston Villa gave 15 million euros to sign Semih Kılıçsoy and Beşiktaş did not accept it,” Engin said.

It’s understood that Emery wanted to sign a new versatile forward in the the summer, so it would come as no surprise if Villa did indeed lodge a €15 million (£12.6 million) bid. After all, the 19-year-old has gained the attention of a whole host of clubs across Europe, including Premier League sides Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham.

Already a three-time Turkey international and once an appearance maker at UEFA EURO 2024, Kılıçsoy scored 11 goals in 23 matches during his recent breakthrough Süper Lig season. Before that, the 18-year-old netted an impressive 42 goals in 64 games for Beşiktaş Under-19.

Semih Kılıçsoy’s play style suits Aston Villa

Predominantly a centre-forward but also capable of playing on either flank, Kılıçsoy is a strong dribbler and finisher but occasionally dawdles on the ball and struggles with crossing. The Turk likes to take on defenders by cutting inside, though he does commit fouls often.

Still a teenager, Kılıçsoy is a raw talent and would likely flourish under the stewardship of a man-management genius like Emery. The likes of Mikel Arteta, Pep Guardiola and Ange Postecoglou are all very capable too, though, so it could be tricky for Villa to brush away the competition.

Birmingham City reportedly saw a move for Tottenham Hotspur youngster Alfie Devine fall through on Deadline Day.

Football Insider claimed Blues had been in talks with Devine to bring him to St Andrew's on a season-long loan, but a move failed to materialise. Several clubs including Blackburn Rovers and Swansea City were also reportedly interested, as well as Saudi Pro League outfit outfit Al-Ettifaq, who are managed by Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard.

The 20-year-old ended up remaining in England for several days, but has now completed a move, despite the transfer window shutting in England. Six days after the window shut, Devine has signed with Belgian side Westerlo on a season-long loan deal.

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The reason that a deal could be completed was that the Belgian transfer window is open until Friday, September 6. Westerlo had no difficulties in completing a deal for the Spurs youngster, and now despite talks of moves to English clubs, the attacking midfielder is going to ply his trade in Belgium for the coming months.

Birmingham were able to seek an alternative option to Devine as they secured the signing of Jay Stansfield from Fulham for a deal worth up to £20m. Stansfield, an attacking midfielder like Devine, was Birmingham's prime target this summer, and they were able to land him on the final day of the window, despite Fulham's initial desire to keep hold of the England under-21 international.

Another attacking midfield option available to Chris Davies is Luke Harris, who is on a season-long loan from Fulham. He was on international duty this week with Wales' under-21s team but was withdrawn.

The lack of deals between Birmingham City and Spurs during the transfer window perhaps will have some as a surprise however. First-team manager Chris Davies departed the North London club this summer, but instead looked to another one of his former clubs in Celtic to recruit midfielder Tomoki Iwata on deadline day.