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Aston Villa ‘Dodged a Bullet’ Not Signing Conor Gallagher in January

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Aston Villa have been told they ‘dodged a bullet’ by not signing Tottenham star Conor Gallagher in the January transfer window by club legend Gabriel Agbonlahor.

The England international completed a £35m move to London in the winter window from Atletico Madrid, having opted against a move to become part of Unai Emery’s squad instead, as he opted to sign a long-term contract worth around £200,000-a-week.

But since making the move to Spurs, the team are yet to win a game in 2026 and were recently thrashed 4-1 by Arsenal, and Gallagher has come in for criticism for his own performances, with Agbonlahor now delighted that his side didn’t get the deal over the line.

Aston Villa ‘Dodged a Bullet’ With Gallagher

conor gallagher

Villa were understood to be keen on a deal for the former Chelsea man after influential star Boubacar Kamara was ruled out for the remainder of the season, while Youri Tielemans and John McGinn were also ruled out for a significant period of time.

But after a deal for Gallagher didn’t go through, Villa instead moved to re-sign Brazil international Douglas Luiz, who has shone alongside Amadou Onana in the heart of the club’s midfield, registering an assist in the FA Cup defeat to Newcastle recently too.

Now Agbonlahor, who scored 87 goals in 391 appearances for the Villans, including 74 in the Premier League, an amount only topped by Ollie Watkins, believes the club dodged a bullet by avoiding the Englishman.

“What I will say is we dodged a bullet with Conor Gallagher,” he wrote on his X account.

“He looks like a poor man’s Brett Emerton. Shadow of his former self!.”

Aston Villa Happy They Lost Battle

gallagher tottenham

While it may have felt like a blow at the time, Villa will now be buzzing that they missed out Gallagher because of everything that has happened since.

The player has struggled, Douglas Luiz returned instead, the team are still performing relatively well, although results have taken a downturn, but it also means they haven’t committed to a long-term deal with a big fee.

Villa signed Luiz on loan with an option to buy, but if he doesn’t perform well then they can send him back to Juventus and look elsewhere in the market for more midfield reinforcements. GIVEMESPORT asked ChatGPT who a good option could be to strengthen the midfield, and this was its response:

  • Pavel Šulc — Recently linked with Villa; creative, high-energy attacking midfielder who adds goals and pressing intensity.
  • Alex Scott — Progressive ball-carrier with Premier League potential; rumoured target who fits Emery’s technical midfield profile.

Best pick: Šulc — more end product and ready-made attacking output.

Unai Emery


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Newcastle ‘Front of the Queue’ to Sign Johan Manzambi

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Newcastle United are ready to step up their interest in a number of transfer targets, and they have been told they are at ‘the front of the queue’ for one target.

The Magpies are set for a major rebuild of their squad during the summer transfer window after selling Anthony Gordon to Barcelona for £70m, while Sandro Tonali has joined Tottenham Hotspur in a deal worth a total of £100m including add-ons.

Eddie Howe has already moved to sign Bazoumana Toure as Gordon’s replacement on the wing, and now the Toon are ready to accelerate their move for a new midfielder.

Newcastle ‘Front of the Queue’ for Manzambi

Johan Manzambi celebrates with Swiss teammate Granit Xhaka
Johan Manzambi celebrates with Swiss teammate Granit Xhaka

According to the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope, Newcastle United have been told that they are ‘at the front of the queue’ to sign midfielder Johan Manzambi this summer.

Manzambi, who has been described as ‘incredible’, has been one of the breakout stars of this summer’s World Cup while featuring for Switzerland in a midfield role, and Howe has identified him as someone he wants as part of his squad for next season.

Initial talks have been held between the clubs, and while they haven’t progressed as some reports have suggested, there is confidence that a deal can be struck to take the 20-year-old to St James’ Park.

It’s understood that Freiburg’s demands are not a huge hurdle for Newcastle, but there is still some scepticism following the situation with Victor Munoz earlier in the window, where they had a deal agreed only for Liverpool to swoop in and hijack it at the 11th hour.

Man Utd are among the clubs who have a long-standing interest in the player, but the Magpies believe a deal can be completed and are planning to send a formal bid imminently.

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Manzambi The Perfect Profile for Newcastle

Eddie Howe

Howe has made it his trademark to have a team that is high intensity, high energy, and full of players who will run until they drop. The most successful midfield of his career has been combining the strengths of Tonali, Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes in recent years.

Tonali is now gone, and Joelinton’s form is not what it once was, so adding Manzambi to the team shows great initiative to target a young star ready to explode, but also adds someone who fits the manager’s style immediately.

It’s the type of signing that could convince captain Bruno to stick around amid interest from Arsenal, and could help to accelerate their return to the Champions League.


Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe after losing to West Ham United.


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Man Utd Move to Sign Ederson Collapses

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Manchester United’s move to sign Atalanta star Ederson has collapsed, according to insider Djameel.

The Red Devils had agreed a deal with the Serie A club worth £38m including add-ons for the Brazil international, who is representing his nation at the World Cup this summer.

Ederson had agreed a five-year deal at Old Trafford, and was expected to complete a medical and the formalities of his contract once the World Cup was over later this month. However, it has now been claimed that a deal has fallen through.

Ederson Will Not Sign for Man Utd

Ederson in action for Atalanta

According to a report on X by Djameel, who is followed by reliable journalists Fabrizio Romano and Santi Aouna and has previous for breaking stories, the deal has now collapsed despite an agreement on all fronts.

It’s stated that Ederson will not be signing for Manchester United anymore, in a huge blow for the Red Devils, who have already missed out on a number of midfield targets in the current window.

United had made Elliot Anderson their top target for the window, but the England star has since joined local rivals Man City from Nottingham Forest in a record £116m deal.

The club were also keen on a deal for Portuguese midfielder Mateus Fernandes from West Ham, but they were gazumped by Tottenham Hotspur, who agreed to pay a fixed fee of £85m for the 21-year-old despite him being relegated to the Championship.

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Man Utd Pivoting Strategy?

Michael Carrick Manchester United manager (2026) via Reuters

GIVEMESPORT correspondent Sam Cohen reports that Man Utd’s official line is that they still intend to go ahead with the deal, but should they change their mind then it could point towards a change of strategy.

The club had been keen to add up to three midfielders to their squad this summer following Casemiro’s departure and Manuel Ugarte’s serious knee injury, but having missed out on a number of targets, they may have to pivot and find a way to bring in less midfielders for the same money, with the market demanding bigger fees.

For now, United say the deal is still on, but it’s something to keep a very close eye on in the coming weeks.


Man Utd manager Michael Carrick looks on vs Leeds


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Man Utd Eyeing £87m Deal to Sign Brazil Star Rayan

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Manchester United have already got an agreement in place to sign Atalanta midfielder Ederson this summer, but now they are eyeing up his Brazil teammate.

The Red Devils have made upgrading their midfield a priority in the transfer window, but a new forward and left-back have also been shortlisted if the budget can stretch that far, while the goalkeeper department is set for an overhaul too, with Altay Bayindir expected to move on.

The winger position is expected to be one that the club keep a close eye on, depending on what happens with the future of Marcus Rashford following the World Cup, and it has now emerged that they are closely monitoring a Brazilian sensation.

Man Utd Eyeing Rayan Deal

Rayan Brazil (Bournemouth) celebrates against Japan at the 2026 World Cup Action Images/REUTERS/Annegret Hilse

According to AS journalist Edu Burgos, Man Utd are among the clubs showing a very strong interest in Bournemouth star Rayan.

The Brazil winger, who has been described as ‘deadly’, joined the Cherries in the January transfer window for £35m and excelled immediately as Antoine Semenyo’s replacement, netting five goals and registering two assists in 15 appearances.

Those performances earned him a place in Carlo Ancelotti’s World Cup squad, and he has started on the right-wing ahead of Neymar, Luiz Henrique, and Gabriel Martinelli since Raphinha suffered an injury in the win over Haiti.

His performances have seen United hold internal discussions about making a move for his services, although Bournemouth are adamant that he will spend the 2026/27 season at the Vitality Stadium.

However, the 19-year-old has a €100m (£87m) release clause in his contract that becomes active in the summer of 2027, and it now seems inevitable that he could be on the move next summer at the very latest.

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Man Utd Could Skip the Queue With Big Rayan Bid

Rayan

Rayan is someone who has had eyes on him since he was tearing it up in Brazil, and it was somewhat a surprise when Bournemouth won the race for his signature in January.

But with his performances showing he is ready for the top level, a number of clubs are circling and waiting in anticipation for that release clause to come into effect.

Man Utd could skip the queue by making a mega offer this summer and getting a deal done early, but it won’t be easy to convince Bournemouth to sell early. It’s one to keep an eye on as the summer goes on, regardless of how unlikely it seems at this stage.


Michael Carrick


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