Aston Villa are now said to be eyeing a proven Premier League commodity as they contemplate further improving their midfield. Unai Emery was dealt a big blow ahead of the new season by Manchester United, who snapped up Youri Tielemans after paying his £36million release clause.

The Belgian midfielder was crucial to Villa’s success, but they must continue on, and it looks like Johan Manzambi will be recruited to plug the midfield gap. But there could yet be more to come in the midfield, with Emery well aware of the serious depth he needs ahead of a Champions League campaign.

Aston Villa could move for Joao Palhinha

via Reuters

Villa are now being linked with a move for Bayern Munich midfielder Joao Palhinha, who is up for sale this summer. Palhinha enjoyed a superb spell at Fulham to earn a £50million move to Bayern, but things did not work out in Germany. A loan spell with Tottenham followed last term, and while Spurs had a disastrous campaign, Palhinha was one of the most reliable players.

Despite that, Tottenham did not take up their £26million or so option to buy due to spending big money on Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, meaning Palhinha remains available and very much up for sale.

According to Record, Benfica are targeting the Portuguese midfielder as they look to kick-start life post José Mourinho, but Villa are named as the Lisbon side’s main competitors, especially after Tielemans’ departure.

It’s claimed Bayern will sell for £21.2million this summer, and Benfica are willing to pay, but they would prefer a loan deal with the obligation to buy, which could open the door for Villa, who could comfortably pay upfront.

Palhinha a universally praised midfielder

Palhinha has been a steady performer throughout his career, and back in 2023, then Fulham boss Marco Silva said: “He leads through his attitude, he’s not the most vocal guy and he’s improving his English as well. I want him to be more vocal and in that position it’s important. His attitude, his commitment, the way he leads the others around are things that are hard to find in football.

“In moments (when) we lose the ball, his reaction is impressive and we want to take the best from him and in other moments we want him to keep improving. We won the ball in a high area and our players took the right decisions. Then, the finish from Joao was great.”

Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi, who ultimately changed his mind on signing Palhinha, said late last season: “We have to start from this type of person. We need reliable people as well as reliable players and Palhinha is one of the best. I want to see players with the same attitude, with the same passion, with the same spirit and personality. We are lucky to have Palhinha with us.”

Arsenal are expected to lodge their first bid for Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers very soon, according to GIVEMESPORT senior football correspondent Ben Jacobs.

Rogers enjoyed an exceptional 2025/26 season for the Villans, scoring 14 goals and providing 11 assists across all competitions. This productive campaign has unsurprisingly sparked interest from several top clubs, including the Gunners, who have reportedly made Rogers their primary attacking target for the summer.

The North Londoners opened talks on the player’s side a number of weeks ago, and are now expected to accelerate their pursuit by approaching Villa directly about a potential deal.

It’s well documented that the West Midlands outfit are holding out for an excessive fee for Rogers, with Elliot Anderson’s £116million move to Manchester City potentially being used as a benchmark in negotiations.

Arsenal are preparing to test Aston Villa’s resolve

Arsenal are intent on upgrading the front end of their squad this summer. Leandro Trossard is set to join Besiktas, while Gabriel Martinelli could also leave N5, paving the way for two left-sided attackers to be added to Mikel Arteta’s ranks.

Rogers is the top target, although Villa are reportedly demanding upwards of £130million for the England international.

Ben Jacobs has revealed that Arsenal’s first bid for Rogers is imminent, and despite the supposed £130million valuation, the journalist hasn’t ruled out the possibility that a deal can get done for closer to the £100million mark.

Speaking in his GMS newsletter, which you can sign up to receive free here, Jacobs said: “Bradley Barcola, Eli Junior Kroupi and others are on the Arsenal list too, but Arsenal are expected to bid for Morgan Rogers, and let’s see whether Villa stick to a reported asking price, which may not be that far off Elliot Anderson’s fee to Manchester City from Nottingham Forest, or if the clubs are able to get that deal under £100million.

“Last year, when Rogers extended, the feeling from interested parties was £80million, maybe with some add-ons, might be good enough, but we’re in a crazy inflated market.

“Villa have brought in some money already, and there’s more than one club interested, so let’s see how negotiations develop, but Arsenal are expected to start formal talks with Aston Villa for Morgan Rogers, and they still retain an interest in Bruno Guimaraes, with Newcastle awaiting formal contact there.”

Arsenal cannot overpay for Morgan Rogers

Caean Couto (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters)

By all accounts, Rogers is viewed as a left-wing option by the key decision-makers at Arsenal. Whether that bears fruit remains to be seen, but suggestions that Bradley Barcola is the fallback option appear to confirm that this is indeed how the Gunners plan on using the Manchester City academy graduate if they land him.

Immediately, that should give Arsenal enough reason to be cautious in their approach. While Rogers, often described as one of the best players in the Premier League, has been used as a left-sided number ten from time to time, he’s predominantly been used in central roles.

Thus, spending in excess of £100million on a player to play in a role he’s hardly been used in previously is a huge risk.

If it turns out Rogers looks unnatural in wide areas and is unable to play as a proper winger, Arsenal will have wasted a huge sum of money failing to fix an issue in their squad.

Argentina have long been known as ‘La Albiceleste‘, a reference to the iconic home kit of their national team, but in recent years, another nickname has become just as closely associated with the reigning world champions: ‘La Scaloneta‘.

The nickname has exploded in popularity during Argentina’s remarkable run of recent success, becoming a rallying cry for supporters as the team ended a 28-year trophy drought before going on to conquer the world.

What started as a light-hearted term has since evolved into a symbol of unity, resilience and one of the most successful eras in the nation’s football history.

Explained: Why Argentina’s National Team is Called ‘La Scaloneta’

REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian

After taking over Argentina’s national team in 2018, Lionel Scaloni was left with one of the biggest tasks in world football, ending what was then, a 25-year trophy drought. His appointment followed Jorge Sampaoli’s resignation, for whom Scaloni was an assistant, and was met with widespread criticism from across the nation.

Speaking to Clarin, via El Tiempo, Argentinian legend Diego Maradona claimed that the new manager was “unqualified”, adding that:

But Scaloni refused to succumb to the doubters, and guided Argentina to their first trophy since the 1993 Copa América, with their triumph at the 2021 edition of the tournament.

After a 3-0 win over Ecuador in the quarter-finals, a meme went viral on social media, featuring Scaloni driving a van, with Messi at his side and the rest of the team in the back. The vehicle was adorned with the colour of the national team’s kit, with the phrase ‘La Scaloneta’, a combination of the manager’s name and the Spanish term ‘camioneta’, meaning ‘bus’, written on top.

After securing the 2021 Copa América, Scaloni oversaw their 3-0 victory over Italy in the 2022 Finalissima at Wembley Stadium, before winning their first World Cup in 36 years with their title in 2022.

The head coach’s most recent success came at the 2024 Copa América in the US, with Lautaro Martinez’ strike just eight minutes before penalties securing a 1-0 win over Columbia and back-to-back continental titles.

What Other Nicknames Do Argentina Have?

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Before their recent domination, the Argentinian national team were often referred to by a different nickname: ‘La Albiceleste’.

Translating directly as ‘the white and sky blue’, the term refers to the coloured stripes that feature on the Argentinian national team’s home kit, borrowing its colour palette from the nation’s flag.

The iconic stripes have featured on their kit for well over 100 years, but their 2026 World Cup jersey features a subtle nod to their previous successes.

This year’s kit features three vertical blue stripes that each fade through a two-tone gradient. The three shades of blue used have been taken from each World Cup winning kit, with their victories in 1978, 1986 and 2022 honored throughout the strip.

Whilst all World Cup winners will have a gold star for every victory above their crest, Argentina’s 2026 kit features another discreet nod to their past, with the years of their titles detailed within each star.

The Argentinian national team are also sometimes referred to simply as ‘La Seleccion’, meaning ‘the selection’.