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Dom Howson recently claimed that Sheffield Wednesday could struggle to keep hold of Josh Windass this summer…

What’s been said?

According to Howson’s post on Twitter, should Wednesday suffer relegation to League One come the end of the season, the club will “have a job on their hands” in keeping the attacking midfielder at Hillsborough.

Howson also claimed in an article of his for Examiner Live that it would be unlikely the 27-year-old will be short of suitors in the summer transfer window, with West Bromwich Albion being credited with an interest in Windass back in January.

Owls must not sell

Sheffield Wednesday fans will require no explanation as to how important Windass has been to their side this season, with the £1.44 million-rated midfielder scoring nine goals and providing five assists over his 39 Championship appearances, as well as creating seven big chances and making an average of 0.7 key passes per game.

Additionally, the former Rangers man’s performances have seen him average a SofaScore match rating of 6.80 – ranking the 27-year-old as Wednesday’s sixth-best player in the second tier – with Sue Smith claiming that the midfielder is a “constant threat” for the Owls’ attack.

Furthermore, the appointment of Darren Moore as the club’s manager back in March appears to have improved the midfielder’s game significantly, with Windass scoring four goals and providing four assists over the 12 games the 47-year-old has been at the club.

As such, should Wednesday go on to suffer relegation to League One this summer, retaining Windass ahead of next season would undoubtedly boost the Owls’ chances of an immediate return to the Championship, particularly under the guidance of Moore.

However, whether or not the midfielder himself would be open to staying at Hillsborough after relegation is another matter entirely, particularly if a team such as West Brom declares their interest, although even if that is the case, the club should be doing everything in their power to keep the 27-year-old on their books as if he does leave, Moore will surely be gutted to lose such an influential player ahead of what will be a massive season.

In other news: Forget Borner: Shocking Sheff Weds star who lost possession 30x badly let Moore down – opinion

It appears increasingly likely that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be relieved of his duties as Manchester United manager, with Brendan Rodgers reportedly the frontrunner to replace him.

According to Manchester Evening News reporter Samuel Luckhurst, “key figures at United have privately accepted a change of manager is required” following their dismal start to the campaign.

Crushing defeats to local rivals Manchester City and Liverpool are believed to have played a key role in the Red Devils’ hierarchy’s thinking, although Solskjaer could see out the season while they line up a replacement.

Luckhurst claims that Rodgers is at the top of the Old Trafford outfit’s wishlist, while Ajax boss Erik ten Hag and Spain’s Luis Enrique are also greatly admired.

However, it’s hard to imagine Rodgers turning down the opportunity to take control one of British football’s biggest clubs once again.

With that in mind, here’s how Football FanCast expects the Northern Irishman to lineup should he take charge of the Red Devils in the coming months…

In goal, David de Gea’s recent return to form should be enough to maintain his place between the sticks ahead of Dean Henderson, although the Englishman certainly has the potential to reclaim the No.1 spot.

Ahead of the 31-year-old would likely be a familiar back four, but with one major addition at right-back in the shape of Max Aarons.

The highly-rated youngster has been linked with a £35m move to United and would offer a far more attacking alternative to Aaron Wan-Bissaka. Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire and Raphael Varane would complete the defensive unit.

But it’s in midfield where Rodgers would likely wring the changes. Paul Pogba’s future is far from certain, and the opportunity to sign Franck Kessie on a free transfer could be too good to turn down.

West Ham United’s Declan Rice is believed to be a top target for the Red Devils despite his £100m price tag, and the defensive-minded duo could switch between the No.6 and No.8 roles, providing a solid foundation for Bruno Fernandes.

And the forward line may also encounter some surprising decisions. Rodgers’ preference for a pressing style means Cristiano Ronaldo could find his game time limited, allowing a mobile trio of Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood and Jadon Sancho to thrive.

And, in other news…Journo shares what MUFC “figures” have “privately accepted” on OGS, fans surely elated 

Crystal Palace’s summer overhaul appears to have been a considerable success in the opening weeks of the new campaign, with Patrick Vieira’s charges impressing so far.

With Odsonne Edouard scoring a brace on his debut, Conor Gallagher already becoming a fan’s favourite, and the centre-back pairing of Marc Guehi and Joachim Andersen growing stronger by the game, it’s hard to criticise the south London outfit’s business in the transfer window.

However, while the arrivals at Selhurst Park have settled quickly, proving themselves to be sensible purchases, it’s one of their former stars who was allowed to depart that has raised several eyebrows.

Winger Andros Townsend was amongst several experienced campaigners to be released by the capital club in the previous window, although he revealed back in June that negotiations over a new deal were taking place with Palace’s hierarchy.

“We’re still having brief discussions,” Townsend told talkSPORT (as reported by Football.London). “The club have told all of us that there’s no decisions being made until a manager has been appointed.

“Since then, Christian Benteke has signed a new deal, so… (laughs). So I don’t know. I want to be somewhere on July 1st.

“My agent is in the background now getting as much interest put into an offer, and then I’ll sit down with my agent, and around July 1st (we’ll) see which one is the best for me at this time in my career.”

However, just a month later, the Evening Standard reported that a change in circumstances meant that the former England international would not be returning to Palace, leaving the door open for Everton to swoop.

And now chairman Steve Parish must be regretting his decision to allow the £58,000-per-week gem to depart after watching Townsend flourish at Goodison Park.

In just nine appearances for the Toffees, Townsend has bagged five goals and laid on a further three assists for his teammates, highlighting his ability to still produce at the highest level despite turning 30 in July. He even scored at Old Trafford against Manchester United, mimicking Cristiano Ronaldo’s celebration in the process.

The flying winger joined Palace in a £13m deal back in 2016, and the club’s chief will surely be gutted that such a talented star walked away for free over the summer, condemning them to their first transfer nightmare of Vieira’s new era.

And, in other news…Crystal Palace could be set for surprise injury boost, Vieira will be delighted 

The Birmingham Mail’s Ashley Preece has revealed the latest on Aston Villa starlet Indiana Vassilev.

What’s the story?

The 20-year-old had spent the previous few months on loan in the MLS with Inter Miami, playing 21 times for them and scoring three goals.

Now, during a Q&A for The Birmingham Mail, Preece has admitted that Vassilev’s current situation at Villa Park is a “strange” one.

He said: “Yes, I’ll ask Gerrard about Indy. It’s an odd one and it looks like he’ll have to make do with just training until that December 31 deal officially expires. Not been involved with under-23s which is again strange.”

Villa fans might be worried

Previously on FFC, we’ve earmarked Vassilev to play a big role for Villa in the coming years, and it’s no surprise given the kind of rave reviews he has earned.

Rusty Scarborough who headed up the IMG academy during the 20-year-old’s spell there, said: “On the field, you know he’s out there, he’s a leader, people follow him. The technical aspect he’s developed at a young age so now he’s phenomenal on the ball, passing, dribbling, shooting, heading, receiving.”

And, another coach from IMG, Kevin Hartman, hailed: “He’s got great leadership qualities and he’s got an undying desire to win every time he plays. That competitiveness is an attribute that I think every coach is going to be looking for and it really drives development.

“His future is boundless. He has all the physical capabilities of a top level player. The attributes and the characteristics that he has within are the ones that will drive his development. I don’t see a limit to what he can achieve.”Villa’s first-team squad is brimming with bright academy prospects coming through, including the likes of Jacob Ramsey and Carney Chukwuemeka among others.Vassilev of course has got the first-team edge on some of his fellow academy starlets given he has played senior football with the likes of Inter Miami and also Burton Albion last season.Losing him without even seeing him make his first-team debut for the club would surely have Villa fans worried about the rest of their promising young stars and the direction the academy is heading in.

Meanwhile, Ashley Preece has delivered the latest Aston Villa transfer update…

Sunderland were halted in their tracks in dramatic fashion on Saturday afternoon.

A 2-2 draw felt like daylight robbery for a Mackems side severely off the pace when they travelled to Gresty Road to face Crewe.

On the chalkboard

This was a performance that was completely out of tune with how the last few weeks have been.

Lee Johnson has made this Sunderland side a force to be reckoned with, recently seeing off fellow promotion hopefuls, Doncaster.

He has made the Black Cats’ attack infinitely better with Charlie Wyke and Aiden McGeady among the most prolific in their position in the league. The former is League One’s second top scorer while nobody has more assists in the entire division than McGeady. That stat defies belief when you consider he didn’t play until December.

Though, there are still issues lingering. McGeady’s utterly anonymous performance last weekend proved that when he’s not providing chances for Wyke, Sunderland really struggle.

The fact that Sunderland’s left winger was not his usual self was made all the more worse by Callum McFadzean’s performance. He completed a woeful 54% of his passes and lost possession 26 times.

The solution

So, how does Johnson solve a problem like this one? It’s been a difficult area for him to try and paper over.

McFadzean has shown plenty of times that he can be a liability this season; namely giving away a penalty against Wimbledon back in December. Though, the arrival of Jake Vokins has hardly helped proceedings either.

He was beaten time and time again on his debut in the 2-2 draw with MK Dons and he’s looked sluggish since. With Sunderland also struggling for creativity last Saturday, the case for Jordan Jones to start on the left has become even more appealing.

The Rangers loanee has started just one league game since his arrival in January but he’s shown with vibrant cameos off the bench in recent weeks that he simply has to be part of the XI.

Jones gave us a brief glimpse of what he could offer when he was brought on against Burton. The winger was only on the field for 23 minutes but managed three key passes – the second-highest number of anyone in a Black Cats jersey – and finished the clash with a pass success rate of 100%.

A mazy dribbler, he then truly burst onto the scene in a Sunderland shirt a few days ago. Alongside Chris Maguire, the 26-year-old formed part of a rescue act, scoring a tremendous strike from long range that helped Johnson’s men come back from 2-0 down to draw the match.

His performances should hardly be a surprise, though, especially to Glasgow Live reporter Mark McDougall who spoke about Jones when he first arrived at the Stadium of Light: “In all honesty, he should stroll League One if his attitude is right when he goes down there.”

The journalist added: “He can be a joy to watch when he’s on his game because of how direct and tricky he is.”

Indeed, supporters have already seen glimpses of that tricky nature. It’s now down to Johnson to unleash those qualities on a regular basis. He has to start more often; Vokins and McFadzean cannot be trusted.

AND in other news, Sunderland flop who lost possession 26x is becoming a huge problem…

In an exclusive interview with Football FanCast, Rob Lee had no sympathy for Newcastle United with their record of bringing in players claiming you get what you pay for in football.

Lee does give an exception to Joelinton however, who cost the club £40 million, but knows for sure that fact will never change in football. If you want good players you pay big fees.

Mike Ashley has kept the purse strings relatively tight during his years at Newcastle and that has been reflected on the pitch with Newcastle finding themselves at the wrong end of the table most seasons.

The former Magpies midfielder acknowledges there are bargains to be found, however, he claims you need the right recruitment and gave praise to Leicester City’s transfer business.

Lee played over 300 times for the Toon and in an exclusive interview with FFC, he bemoaned Newcastle’s poor transfer business in recent years.

“It will never change,” Lee said when asked about good players costing top money in football.

He added: “Every now and again, you’ll be lucky with somebody but nine times out of 10, you get what you pay for.

“If you want quality it costs money and at the moment we haven’t got the money so, you do have to search around.

“You look at Leicester City. They get the young players and they ease them in. They pay what people would say is over the odds but Brendan Rodgers gets them playing and he gets the best out of them.”

Like many clubs, Newcastle will be looking to spend little this summer due to the Covid-19 pandemic and having over a year with no fans attending games.

This could signal another season fo struggle if Steve Bruce guides the Magpies to safety this season.

Jurgen Klopp has been dealt a huge injury blow regarding Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino.

What’s the latest?

The Brazilian forward missed out on the Reds’ victories against Manchester United and Everton due to an ongoing foot injury.

In Tuesday’s press conference, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp gave an update on the No.9’s status coming into the Champions League semi-final clash against Villarreal.

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Asked whether the Brazilian would feature against Unai Emery’s side, Klopp said: “I don’t think [he is ready] yet. He is running outside and that’s good, obviously, but I am not sure. Maybe somebody will surprise me afterwards and tell me, ‘Yes, Bobby is in.’ [I will have] open arms, but I don’t think so.”

The boss also covered the status of his squad overall, adding: “Apart from that [Firmino injury] no [new injuries] that I know yet.”

Klopp will be gutted

The absence of Firmino against a side who are expected to employ a low-block will be a huge blow for Klopp, who would have benefitted from his intricate dribbling and textbook passing against Villarreal tonight.

The 30-year-old has been a fundamental part of their Champions League progression this season. Despite only starting in 20% of the fixtures for Klopp in this year’s tournament, the Brazilian has achieved five goals in just six appearances.

Despite Diogo Jota’s sensational ‘false-9’ style offering a potential stabiliser in the opponent’s final-third and his defensive metrics, in relation to his position, also an outstanding option in comparison to Jota or Mane.

Whilst his average of three shot-creating actions per match equal Jota’s offering, it’s his passing that sets him apart as a centre-forward, with his average of 37 passes per 90 an indication of his contribution to Klopp’s side.

With his midfielder-like approach, Firmino is difficult to mark out of the game as he is not a bolshy, traditional striker. His habit of dropping deep affords space for Liverpool’s wingers.

The Brazilian’s services and experience will be missed tonight in what is a huge blow for both the player and the team.

In other news: Liverpool plot bid to sign gem with 181 goals in 108 youth games, Klopp surely buzzing – opinion

Former Scotland international Alan Hutton believes that Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths could make the difference in the Old Firm clash against Rangers.

Griffiths is a key piece of Bhoys puzzle

The two sides will lock horns once more at Ibrox just after the New Year and all eyes have been on the Bhoys’ poor start to the 2020/21 campaign.

After winning the quadruple-treble, Neil Lennon’s side have hit a run of form having gone undefeated in their last seven matches in all competitions.

Celtic’s number nine, Griffiths, has played a huge part in this, having scored twice in his side’s last three Scottish Premiership encounters (Whoscored).

As a result, Hutton believes that this could play into the hands of the green half of Glasgow.

“Their form has turned. They’re hitting the heights at the right time,” he told Football Insider.

“If you see some of the movement for some of the goals in recent games, it’s been between those two boys [Griffiths and Edouard], so they seem to be clicking at the right moment.

“I’ve been very impressed. I’ve spoken throughout the season about what a miss Griffiths has been. He’s a great goalscorer, he’s that guy who, who normally only needs one or two opportunities before he scores a goal.”

Transfer Tavern Verdict

The old saying goes, the form book goes out of the window going into a huge game such as this one.

With their arch-rivals sitting 16 points clear with three games in hand, getting a victory here could be a huge momentum shift in terms of this season’s league title.

Because of this, Hutton is spot on. Griffiths has hit form just at the right time and the motivation of securing 10-in-a-row will be ringing in his ears. The Scot will not need reminding.

In other news, Celtic receive potential transfer boost in pursuit of ‘excellent’ young star.

Xisco Munoz’s Watford side are interested in bringing Ashley Young back to Vicarage Road this summer.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to Fabrizio Romano, who revealed on Twitter that the Hornets have opened talks with the 35-year-old midfielder regarding a potential return to the club.

The Italian journalist also claims that, should Inter Milan chose not to extend his contract at the San Siro, there will be a “huge chance” of the switch to Watford going through.

Giaretta should not sanction swoop

So far this season, Young has been in decent form over his 23 Serie A appearances for Antonio Conte’s side, with the midfielder registering three assists and creating two big chances, as well as making an average of 1.1 key passes per match, culminating in an average SofaScore match rating of 6.73 – ranking him as the club’s 19th-best performer in the Italian top flight.

However, while Watford could well be in need of a new left-back this summer, with Achraf Lazaar looking likely to leave the club at the end of the season, and with Young demonstrating at his time at both Manchester United and Inter that he is capable of playing in the position, there is still one overarching negative to his potential signing.

Currently, the England international is reported to earn a whopping £91,000-per-week at Inter, an amount that would comfortably make him Watford’s highest earner – topping Troy Deeney’s weekly wage by around £14,000.

And, with the 35-year-old potentially arriving on a free transfer, along with Watford receiving a windfall of Premier League cash following their promotion from the Championship, it is not an unlikely scenario that Young would demand a higher wage than he currently takes home a week in Italy in his potential switch back to the club.

As such, an extremely substantial weekly wage for a player with not many years left ahead of him in his footballing career would not appear to be a very forward-thinking or cost-effective move from Cristiano Giaretta and the Watford hierarchy, regardless of how romantic a return to Vicarage Road may be for Young.

In other news: Get him gone – Xisco must ruthlessly axe £18k-p/w Watford flop with “great qualities” – opinion

Tottenham Hotspur have Jerome Boateng atop their summer transfer wishlist…

What’s the word?

That’s according to Sport Bild, who claim the 32-year-old is attracting interest from Spurs ahead of the expiry of his contract at Bayern Munich next month.

Boateng will be free to join any club he wants in the upcoming window and it is believed he would accept a substantial pay cut to his reported £210k-per-week wages, though he desires a lengthy three-year contract.

Last month, Sky Germany suggested the German international had held ‘concrete talks’ with the North London outfit.

Short-term fix

It seems apparent that reinforcements in defence will be the priority for Spurs, regardless of who is in charge next season.

Alasdair Gold at football.london believes they are particularly looking for a centre-back with leadership qualities and ideally, he would be one of two additions in the role.

Hardly a surprise given defensive mistakes and inconsistencies have been the defining theme of Spurs’ tumultuous season.

A move for Boateng could well be an interesting option to consider as it will cost Levy nothing in terms of a transfer fee, and that will save a ton of money when it comes to finding that other central defensive signing.

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It would also fulfil their desire to find that leader at the back.

The 6 foot 3 colossus is a vastly experienced defender that has won multiple trophies, including a World Cup, nine Bundesliga titles and two Champions Leagues.

Back in 2015, Boateng was considered one of the very best in the world. “He has stabilised his play and now he is a complete player,” claimed former German international Matthias Sammer. “There’s no question that he is the best defender in the world.”

Despite not being offered an extension at the Allianz Arena, he has regularly featured for the Bundesliga champions, playing 37 times in all competitions and remains one of their best ball-playing options, with an average passing accuracy of 88% in the German top-flight.

He’s also not really regressed, so there shouldn’t be many doubts over his suitability to perform for Spurs. As European football expert Kevin Hatchard told talkSPORT this week:

“He is very much back this season. Hansi Flick is a big supporter of Boateng, he’s played him in the vast majority of the games and he wanted to keep him,” before adding: “I think he would be a good short-term option for Spurs. If he shows the form he’s shown this season then he could do well. And he’s free.”

The 76-cap beast would be a fine short-term fix to Spurs’ defensive issues and if Levy can tie him down to a smaller length contract, then it would certainly be a masterstroke.

AND in other news, Levy spends £60m on 3 new signings: How Spurs’ XI could look if Scott Parker is hired…