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Aston Villa fans will have been keeping a close eye on the progress of Middlesbrough this season, with two of their brightest young stars currently on loan with the Championship side.

Cameron Archer has long been lauded as one to watch at Villa Park and has certainly shown glimpses of his potential with Michael Carrick's side, notching ten goals and six assists in just 18 appearances in the second tier.

However, he is likely to remain behind Ollie Watkins in the pecking order in Unai Emery's side and unless the Spanish manager changes his formation in order to accommodate both next season, it is difficult to see Archer becoming a regular in the Premier League.

Emery could promote Aaron Ramsey into his starting side next term considering his impressive performances, with the Englishman likely to compete with Emiliano Buendia in the attacking midfield role, given the Argentine's lack of goal involvement in the top flight so far this term.

Who is Aaron Ramsey?

Ramsey, who is the younger brother of Jacob, spent the first half of the Championship season with Norwich City, where he would manage a respectable three goals and three assists in 18 appearances.

Since linking up with Carrick at Middlesbrough, the 20-year-old has taken his game to another level, notching five goals and one assist in just 11 Championship outings, with a superb WhoScored average rating of 7.16 for his performances.

For context, the top performer at Villa so far this season has been Watkins with a 7.01 rating from WhoScored, so Ramsey will surely be eyeing up a first-team spot when the 2023/24 campaign rolls around.

While Archer and Ramsey's performances weren't quite enough for Boro to seal automatic promotion from the second tier, they will likely be key figures for Carrick in the playoffs, and could well help the north east side return to the Premier League.

Carrick was full of praise for Ramsey's role in his side earlier in the season, saying:

"AJ was brilliant. He's a selfless player. He makes selfless runs for those around him, he's intelligent, he sacrifices himself and understands what others around him are good at.

"He's just a good footballer. He's fitter and stronger, because athleticism is a big part of his game, but I thought his football intelligence and quality on the ball was fantastic."

Despite Villa's impressive form in recent weeks which has them on the brink of the Champions League spots, Buendia has just five goals and two assists in 33 appearances in the top flight, with a disappointing 6.74 rating from WhoScored.

The Argentine also averages fewer shots (1.2 vs 1.7) and dribbles (0.7 vs 1.8) per game than Ramsey, so the academy graduate could easily take Buendia's place in the first team if he can transform his strong recent form into equally impressive Premier League displays throughout 2023/24.

Liverpool winger Luis Diaz will be available for his side's Premier League clash with Leeds United, as relayed by journalist David Lynch.

How big a loss than Diaz been?

The Colombian joined the Reds from Porto in January 2022 and he made an immediate impression, injecting new life into his side's campaign and helping them mount a genuine quadruple bid. He scored four times in the Premier League and twice in the Champions League in the second half of last season, and was expected to potentially go up another gear this time around.

Unfortunately, Diaz's season has been hampered badly by injuries, with a serious knee issue picked up away to Arsenal back in October keeping him out ever since. He aggravated the problem late last year, when lengthened his absence, and he has been battling hard to play some part in the remainder of the 2022/23.

The 26-year-old has been a massive loss for Liverpool, and while he won't be available for Sunday's league clash at home to the table-topping Gunners, it looks as though his return is now imminent.

When will Diaz make injury return?

Taking to Twitter, Lynch relayed news from Jurgen Klopp that Diaz is likely to be back for the trip to Leeds a week on Monday:

"Virgil van Dijk available for Arsenal, Thiago Alcantara could be too, Jurgen Klopp says. Luis Diaz back for Leeds."

This is an enormous boost for Liverpool, with Diaz such a huge loss throughout this season, with his pace, end product and fight all making him such a lethal weapon for the Reds.

He has the ability to terrify defenders and he had been one of his team's better players earlier in the campaign, scoring a superb solo effort at home to Crystal Palace and bagging four goals and two assists before his injury.

Granted, Liverpool are unlikely to see the 37-cap Colombia international at his swashbuckling best between now and May, as he looks to get some match rhythm back, but simply having him in the mix again will still feel so positive, and the hope is that a full pre-season will leave him primed to star in 2023/24.

For all the physical and mental shortcomings that the Reds have displayed this season, injuries have also hurt them badly, and Diaz has been as big a miss as anyone, having been hailed as "exceptional" by Klopp.

Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson looks set to leave Old Trafford on a permanent basis over the coming months, Football Insider report.

What’s the latest on Dean Henderson’s future?

The Red Devils shot-stopper is currently out on a season-long loan with Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest having not played a single minute under Erik ten Hag after he took over.

The 26-year-old has made 20 appearances in all competitions under Steve Cooper, keeping six clean sheets, but has been out through injury since the end of January, resulting in Forest bringing in Keylor Navas from Paris Saint-Germain until the end of the season.

Despite this, Forest are still reportedly keen to sign Henderson on a permanent basis over the coming months, providing they remain in the Premier League, with Tottenham also thought to be interested in his services.

There was previous speculation suggesting that the goalkeeper is ‘unlikely to be welcomed back to Old Trafford when his loan at Nottingham Forest expires after criticising Ten Hag’, and a further update has emerged.

Reporter Pete O’Rourke shared a transfer column for Football Insider and touched on Henderson’s future at Old Trafford, saying that it is ‘over’. Henderson has reportedly accepted his fate and is pushing for a permanent exit as a result. He is also aware that United are in the market for a new goalkeeper to rival David de Gea, and not willing to play second fiddle, wants regular first-team minutes elsewhere, looking to force his way back into the England setup.

Will United regret selling Henderson?

Henderson has made 29 appearances for the Red Devils, and at one point, was mooted as De Gea’s long-term replacement at Old Trafford. However, De Gea swiftly returned as first choice and has remained so under Ten Hag during the current campaign.

Henderson, hailed as "insane" by former teammate Sander Berge, has been solid at the City Ground this season, keeping six clean sheets. He could have been a shrewd option to rival De Gea, however, his criticism of Ten Hag and desire to play regularly appears to have made the club’s decision relatively straightforward.

Only time will tell if United are right to cash in on the goalkeeper, however, what is important is that a new shot-stopper arrives this summer to challenge or cover for De Gea, especially as Jack Butland is only on loan from Crystal Palace and 36-year-old Tom Heaton is out of contract in the summer.

Liverpool head coach, largely working with former chief Michael Edwards, Jurgen Klopp has had amazing success in the transfer market over the years at Anfield.

The German manager has signed the likes of Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, Virgil van Dijk, and Gini Wijnaldum, to name a few, during his time at the club and has proven that he has an eye for top-level talent.

However, the previous Liverpool boss – Brendan Rodgers – was no stranger to a bargain in the market and one of his final masterstrokes was the signing of Danny Ings from Burnley in his last window in charge of the club in the summer of 2015.

How much did Liverpool pay for Danny Ings?

The club only paid an initial £6.5m to sign him from the Clarets, which was decided by a tribunal as the marksman was out of contract, and went on to make a big profit on the gem.

Ings, who Noel Whelan once hailed as a “phenomenal finisher”, only ended up playing 25 first-team matches for the Reds in all competitions – scoring four goals.

However, his time at the club was marred by horrible injury luck. Between the 2015/16 and 2016/17 campaigns, the attacker missed a staggering 85 competitive matches due to knee injuries, which disrupted his development and did not help his efforts to become a regular at Anfield.

After those frustrating years for the striker, Klopp then decided to send him out on loan in the 2018/19 campaign and that move turned out to be a blinder.

The Englishman joined Southampton on a temporary basis and plundered seven goals and three assists in 24 Premier League appearances for the club.

This led to the Saints snapping the dynamo, who Klopp once lauded as “unbelievable”, up on a permanent deal for a fee of £20m in the summer of 2019 – £13.5m more than what Liverpool initially paid to sign him in 2015.

Ings thrived in his new home and scored 34 Premier League goals in his next two seasons combined, which shows that it was a great transfer for all parties involved. The Reds received a big fee, Southampton landed an excellent player, and the forward was able to find his best form at the top level.

Therefore, Rodgers and Klopp – between them – played a blinder with Ings in picking him up for a fairly small fee before making the right choice in his development – despite the injury issues – to then sell him for a huge profit.

West Ham United are keen on signing Manchester United forward Anthony Martial, according to reliable CBS reporter Ben Jacobs.

The Lowdown: West Ham eyeing forward

West Ham are believed to be eyeing a forward in the summer transfer window, with the club said to be in contact with Terem Moffi’s agent, while Flamengo striker Pedro has also been linked with a move.

The Hammers did bring in Danny Ings in the January transfer window, with the Englishman arriving from Aston Villa for an undisclosed fee, however given that he is now 30, a younger option may be targeted by David Moyes.

The Latest: Keen on Martial

According to Jacobs, who spoke to TEAMtalk, the Hammers could look to sign Martial in the summer, with Erik ten Hag expected to reshape his Manchester United squad.

The reporter said: “Anthony Martial is another one to watch. West Ham have really liked the player in the past and a Monaco return is not unthinkable either.

“It’s a shame really because everyone at Manchester United likes Martial. But fitness has been a problem and that might well provoke a move.

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The Verdict: Get it done?

Hailed as ‘world class’ by former Man United forward Robin van Persie, the Frenchman has had a mixed career with his current club, but he has really started to come back into form this season, scoring six and assisting two in 14 appearances in all competitions.

However, as alluded to by Jacobs, a major concern is the 27-year-old marksman’s fitness, given that he has already missed a total of 22 games this season due to a variety of injury concerns, most recently suffering with a hip issue.

As such, West Ham should monitor Martial for the rest of the season, and if he appears to have put his injury problems behind him, then they should definitely make a move in the summer. If not, he is not a worthwhile signing, regardless of his talent when he is fully fit.

The Express & Star’s Liam Keen has claimed that Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui wants players to fight for their place in the starting XI. 

The Lowdown: Places for grabs

Lopetegui only took charge of the club in November, so he’s likely still piecing together and working out what his best starting lineup is.

Craig Dawson was given the nod to make his league debut last weekend in their Premier League clash against Liverpool in place of Nathan Collins, who was dropped to the bench – and rewarded the Spaniard’s decision by smashing in a finely taken goal in front of the home fans.

Wolves would take all three points at Molineux in a 3-0 win, which saw the Old Gold climb out of the relegation zone into 15th place.

The Latest: Train hard

Keen said that there’s competition for places in the squad and the players need to show their desire to play in training.

Speaking on The E&S Wolves Podcast, he said: “He wants to keep the players on their toes. He said to me recently, I don’t want any player happy to be on the bench. On a matchday, they support their teammates, but in training, they need to show me that they’re not happy about being on the bench.

“So that’s the challenge to Collins now, who probably was a little bit hard done by, because I thought he’d done well recently, but we both thought that he’d be the one to drop out, and I think it makes sense on the face of it.

“You’ve got a right-footer [and] a left-footer with the two that are in, in Kilman and Dawson. You’ve also got Kilman, who is more experienced, who is a bit older – not by a lot, but he is – in comparison to Collins.

“So it made sense that he stayed in, and I thought they worked really well together. Kilman looked a lot more assured.”

The Verdict: Healthy competition

Our view is that it sounds like Lopetegui is trying to inject healthy competition into his Wolves side, and we think that’s a great thing to do.

We believe that the Old Gold are going to need a lot of fight if they’re to stay in the Premier League, and having players battling for places will certainly instil that.

It appears as if the tide is starting to turn for the club in the past few games, as they’ve only lost two of their last six league matches.

When you consider those two defeats came against Manchester United and Manchester City, that’s nothing to be ashamed of.

Before taking charge of Wolves, Lopetegui looked like an exciting appointment due to his managerial CV, and our view is that he’s proving those who believed in him to be correct.

Their recent Premier League form will certainly have some of the Wolves faithful believing they can stay up.

Chelsea transfer target Moises Caicedo is ‘extremely keen’ to join the club in January, according to CBS journalist Ben Jacobs.

The Lowdown: Caicedo links…

The Blues have been repeatedly linked with a move for the Ecuador international who has shone under Roberto De Zerbi at Brighton this season.

Reports have suggested that Chelsea have been readying another bid for Caicedo as they seek to bolster Graham Potter’s midfield options this winter.

The 21-year-old is a player Potter knows well from his time at Brighton, but if he is to bring his former prodigy to Stamford Bridge, a marquee fee will be required.

 The Latest: Caicedo ‘extremely keen’ to join…

Caicedo could apparently cost in and around £75 million, with the emerged £100 million asking price not being serious, but that is still a steep valuation with Brighton appearing stubborn over a sale.

That is according to Jacobs, who also claims on Twitter that the player is ‘extremely keen’ to join Chelsea.

He explained:

“An offer of £75m+ (or one with a strong structure for less) would still give Brighton a serious decision to make, especially with Caicedo extremely keen on the move. He’s very humble & focused, so will not force a transfer like Wesley Fofana, but he’d love a January move to #CFC.”

The Verdict: Keep pushing?

The South American starlet has averaged more tackles per 90 than any Brighton player this season and has proved a regular in De Zerbi’s squad – starting 18 league matches.

A robust presence in front of the back four, Caicedo also ranks in their top two for interceptions made and has completed an impressive 88.2% of his passes this season (WhoScored).

Still very young, the midfielder would also come to west London as a real long term signing with real potential.

Caicedo has attracted praise for his performances from both members of the press and Brighton’s manager, with De Zerbi calling him a ‘big player’ for them.

Meanwhile, Brighton correspondent Andy Naylor of The Athletic has dubbed the youngster a ‘huge talent’ at both club and international level – leading to no surprise that Chelsea and owner Todd Boehly appear to still be chasing his signature.

Caicedo’s stance is clear with the battle being between Brighton and Chelsea, but going by his credentials, the latter side should certainly keep pushing.

Leeds United are closing in on their second signing of the January transfer window…

What’s the word?

According to The Athletic’s Phil Hay, a deal for Hoffenheim striker Georginio Rutter was on course for completion that would break the Whites’ current club record of £27m, which they spent on Rodrigo back in 2020.

The Daily Mail believe this fee to be around £35m plus add-ons and also claim that a medical is scheduled for this week.

Rutter has been excused from the Bundesliga outfit’s recent friendlies ahead of the league’s return in just over a week’s time, meaning the door has opened for Leeds to make their move.

Rutter can take Leeds to new heights

The young forward could be the answer to Jesse Marsch’s woes and one that may well benefit the club for years to come, given he’s just 20.

A pure no.9 to fill Patrick Bamford’s shoes is arguably the no.1 priority right now and will be for the next few seasons should they fail to resolve it. And Rutter is just that, a complete and all-round talisman capable of performing through the middle.

Past targets such as Cody Gakpo and Charles De Ketelaere were never out-and-out strikers but more versatile options that could feature anywhere along the frontline – a bit like summer signing Wilfried Gnonto.

Whilst 10 goals and four assists in 57 league appearances aren’t the eye-catching statistics that Leeds fans will be hoping for in their new forward, it is surely hoped that he can blossom into a well-oiled attacking machine under the stewardship of Marsch, the man who took Erling Haaland to a new dimension early in his career at RB Salzburg.

Rutter, who has been dubbed a “huge talent” by journalist Ronan Murphy, appears to be a surefire fit for the American’s pressing system too, with Hay also highlighting that the Frenchman’s “running on the ball, dribbling and take-ons, is very good.”

As further described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the 20-year-old is also a “complete” and “clinical finisher” with “blistering pace” and these are all attributes that should serve him well in the Premier League, particularly as a natural successor to Bamford, who proved in 2020/21 that when fully fit he’s a talismanic centre-forward with 17 goals and seven assists.

Also dubbed “physical” by journalist Joe Donnohue, it’s more clear as to why Leeds chief Victor Orta is prepared to pay a club-record fee for a relatively inexperienced player with a lack of figures to back it up.

As such, Rutter could genuinely be a big missing piece in the Whites’ puzzle and one that should still serve them well for many seasons from now.

AND in other news, Beren Cross drops Illan Meslier injury update…

Newcastle United are now showing an interest in the Real Valladolid right-back Ivan Fresneda amid this month’s winter transfer window.

What’s the latest?

According to Sky Sports News reporter Dharmesh Sheth, the Toon are now looking to the La Liga defender, who has “inexhaustible energy”, as a potential option to strengthen their backline this month:

“Newcastle are interested in signing Real Valladolid right-back Ivan Fresneda,” said Sheth.

Adding a young player like Fresneda could provide Newcastle with a young option to grow and develop under the wing of Trippier who may also be able to help settle the youngster to England having previously spent time in Spain himself.

The youngster has only played a handful of games in La Liga but has already come up against some of the league’s finest and was recently hailed for his display against Real Madrid which saw him keep Vinicius Jr quiet.

Strength in depth

Currently, Eddie Howe has Kieran Trippier as his starting right-back at Newcastle and despite only being at the Tyneside club for one year, the England international has already earned the captain’s armband.

Trippier’s arrival at Newcastle has provided Howe with a highly dependable option in defence and has played a big part in Newcastle’s solid backline this season having started every league game this season.

Newcastle have made a sensational start to the 2022/23 campaign and have established themselves as the Premier League’s sturdiest defence with just 11 goals being conceded by Nick Pope – which is perhaps even more impressive when considering they have now kept 10 clean sheets.

However, Trippier did arrive on Tyneside with injury issues from his time in Spain with Atletico Madrid and prior to that with Tottenham Hotspur.

And he has already suffered a serious injury at Newcastle having fractured a metatarsal last season which saw the 32-year-old miss 13 games just weeks after signing for the Toon.

Fortunately for Howe, Trippier has remained injury-free this season, but he has now played every league game this season which could potentially leave him susceptible to potential issues down the line.

And – when fit – lying in wait on the bench is Emil Krafth, a player who in 20 league appearances last season was only able to return one assist which is one goal and three assists fewer than Trippier has managed this season.

But the Swede is currently out with a long-term knee injury leaving Howe’s options severely limited with Javier Manquillo now the backup right-back on the bench.

Manchester United midfielder Fred is reportedly a transfer target for Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain. 

The Lowdown: Fred’s season so far

So far this season, the Brazil midfielder has made 17 appearances for the Red Devils in all competitions but has only started seven times, scoring one goal in the process.

United recently triggered a one-year option to extend the £120k-per-week midfielder’s contract at Old Trafford to the end of the 2023/24 season.

Despite that, one of the big hitters in the Champions League have set their sights on signing the 29-year-old, who recently returned from Qatar having made four appearances for his country in the World Cup.

The Latest: PSG eyeing move for Fred

According to a recent report from The Sun, the French giants have been long-term admirers of the midfielder and are looking to secure a ‘shock’ move for him.

The report adds that, while the Red Devils would only consider selling the Brazilian for a minimum of £30m, Erik ten Hag is apparently a big fan of Fred and has been impressed by his attitude on and off the pitch at Old Trafford.

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The Verdict: A decision for the summer

Even though he has only started a handful of games this season, Fred has still shown how useful a player he is for United, for whom he now has 174 appearances to his name.

From an attacking point of view, the 29-year-old has the highest rate of shot-creating actions per game (4.52) at the club, along with the third-highest rate of shots at goal per 90 minutes (3.17).

However, his overall performances have only earned him a rather disappointing season rating of 6.38/10 from WhoScored, making him one of the lowest-rated players in the squad.

With that in mind, we feel that unless he improves and forces his way into the team consistently in the second half of the season, United should consider cashing in on Fred once next summer’s transfer window comes around, assuming there are still suitors for him at that point.