Connect with us

Sports

Aston Villa Progress Talks to Sign Joao Palhinha as Newcastle Focus on Hojbjerg

Published

on


Aston Villa are stepping up their interest in a move to sign Bayern Munich outcast Joao Palhinha ahead of Newcastle, who are focusing on a deal for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, GIVEMESPORT sources understand.

The Villans have had a busy summer window after losing Youri Tielemans, Lucas Digne and Morgan Rogers, bringing in Joao Gomes, Johan Manzambi, and Alejandro Garnacho, while Unai Emery is still keen to make further additions before the transfer deadline after Amadou Onana was ruled out for the majority of the campaign due to an ACL injury.

That has seen the midfield become a priority in the final weeks of the window, and the club are now pushing to get a deal over the line for a familiar face.

Aston Villa Pushing for Palhinha Deal

Joao Palhinha in action for Tottenham Hotspur via Reuters

Palhinha, who has been described as ‘world-class’, spent last season on loan at Tottenham Hotspur and scored the crucial goals that kept them in the Premier League. But the north London club opted against making his move permanent after signing Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali, meaning he returned to parent club Bayern.

But the German side have made it clear that the 37-cap Portugal international has no future at the Allianz Arena, and they are desperate to offload him this month.

Clubs in Portugal have found a deal too difficult to do financially, while Newcastle United have also shown an interest in taking him to St James’ Park. However, GMS understands that Villa are the frontrunners for his signature, and they are now pushing to find an agreement with the Bundesliga champions, with talks progressing.

Newcastle, meanwhile, are now prioritising a move to sign Denmark international Hojbjerg from Marseille, having held talks with the Ligue 1 side, GMS understands.

The Magpies are looking to replace Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes, who left for Tottenham and Arsenal respectively in deals worth a combined £175m in this window, and new manager Matthias Jaissle has identified Hojbjerg as someone he wants in his squad, and the 31-year-old is now seen as a leading target.

Joao Palhinha (Premier League 2025-26)

Appearances

33

Starts

23

Minutes Played

2,199′

Goals

5

Assists

2

Total Shots

33

Shots on Target

9

Touches

1,511

Touches in Opp. Box

46

Cairney: Palhinha ‘One of the Best’

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Joao Palhinha celebrates Premier League win over Aston Villa via Reuters

During his time at Fulham in his first stint in the Premier League, Palhinha established himself as one of the best defensive midfielders in the division.

A move to Bayern ultimately hasn’t worked out, which has seen his reputation take a hit. However, it’s clear that he still has the quality to make an impact at the highest level, with Tom Cairney singing his praises.

“If you lose the ball, he smells blood,” Cairney said.

“He’s probably one of the best I’ve ever seen off the ball, in terms of getting back, recovering and trying to win back the ball.”

“He doesn’t just put pressure on them, he goes back to win the ball and does the tackle.

“It’s amazing to watch sometimes. I think the fans have taken to him. I think he’s been a breath of fresh air in the Premier League.”

Stats courtesy of StatMuse– correct as of 10/08/2026

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sports

The Inside Track on Dangerous Tottenham Target

Published

on

By


Tottenham are now being linked with a move for Villarreal striker Georges Mikautadze as Roberto De Zerbi turns his attention to his attacking line. Spurs have already amassed a record spend this summer, racking up a bill of more than £230million, and particular attention has been paid to the defence and midfield.

The likes of Jan Paul van Hecke, Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes have been snapped up, and Spurs will now concentrate on adding competition out wide, and potentially up top. De Zerbi looks to be prioritising a winger signing, while a striker signing could depend on one of Richarlison or Dominic Solanke moving on. Mikautadze has emerged as an option, and here we get you up to speed on the LaLiga frontman.

Georges Mikautadze’s career so far

Georges MIKAUTADZE (ol) during the Ligue 1 MCDonald's match between Lyon and Rennes

Mikautadze is a Georgian international, but he was born to Georgian parents in France, and he started his career with FC Gerland, but he was quickly snatched up by Olympique Lyon. We will see Lyon again in this story, but Mikautadze actually went on to make his breakthrough to first-team football with Metz, initially graduating to Metz B and going to become a first-teamer in 2019. He scored 25 goals in 42 league games for Metz, quickly gaining a reputation as a goalscorer as a youngster, but a frustrating move to Ajax followed. Mikautadze joined for €19million and only made five league appearances, but he hadn’t lost his scoring touch, scoring 13 in 20 league games during a loan spell back at Metz, and after Metz took up an option to buy, Lyon signed him almost immediately, paying around €23million plus agreeing a 15% sell-on fee.

Mikautadze had a superb Euro 2024 campaign, finishing as joint-top scorer of the tournament, and he went on to score 12 times in 36 league appearances for Lyon.

That’s when Villarreal came forward, agreeing a deal worth up to €36million, and in his first season with the Yellow Submarine, he had an almost identical scoring record, netting 13 times in 32 league games.

Team

League goal record

Metz

62 games/38 goals

Seraing (loan)

49 games/28 goals

Ajax

5 games/0 goals

Lyon

36 games/12 goals

Villarreal

32 games/13 goals

Georgia national team

34 games/23 goals

The inside view on Mikautadze

Georges Mikautadze in action at Euro 2024

For context, I’m a Villarreal fan, based just down the road in Valencia, and I’ve followed the club for over 15 years. I’ve been fortunate enough to have seen plenty of Mikautadze. The striker has incredible technical talent, and he is able to produce some of the most satisfying finishes you are likely to see. With both feet, too.

He loves to chip the goalkeeper whenever it’s on, and he produces superbly-placed precision finishes from inside or outside of the box. Mikautadze is one of those players who just has that something special, that something unique in the way he controls and plays the ball. It makes him hard to defend and a nightmare for goalkeepers. The Georgian international has pace aplenty, and he will win most races in behind, while he also has the tricky with the ball at his feet to face up a man and beat him.

“Intelligent, mobile, instinctive and has excellent finishing with both feet.” – Former Villarreal boss Marcelino

Those are the positives. As for the drawbacks, as a smaller forward, there are times when he has gone missing in games, particularly games with a more direct style, and now former Villarreal boss Marcelino worked with him last season to make sure he can find ways to get into games. But there was progress on that front, with Marcelino saying in February: “He’s much more involved. He has better coordination with his teammates and now he’s fluid, he’s agile of mind, he’s happy.”

There is more to come from Mikautadze, who is still only 25 and adjusting to LaLiga, and if he stays, it will be interesting to see how he adapts to playing under new boss Iñigo Pérez, who has a very different style of play to that of Marcelino’s. Equally, if Tottenham do sign him, it will be interesting to see if Mikautadze can maintain his goalscorer reputation in the Premier League.

At this stage, it remains unclear what Mikautadze’s release clause it, but you can expect Villarreal to demand around £50million or move. The Yellow Submarine have said they will sell a player this summer, as is usually the way, but they do not want to sell their star striker, especially with Ayoze Perez and Gerard Moreno not getting any younger.

Continue Reading

Sports

Footage of Him Cheating During Round of Golf

Published

on

By


While Donald Trump is an avid golfer, he’s also been accused of being a cheat.

Now, shock footage has emerged that appears to catch Trump red-handed when it comes to bending the rules around the golf course to his advantage.

Donald Trump’s relationship with golf dates back to attending Fordham University in 1964. It was there that the love affair began.

He’s gone on to own and develop a number of courses and plays regularly, even as president. He even released a book all about golf, sharing tips from some of the world’s top professionals and teachers on how to “think your game better, when to swing hard, and how to foster a love of the game that will transcend setbacks.”

Donald Trump Playing Golf Mike Stobe/Getty Images

In it, Trump writes: “For me and millions of people – men, women, young and old around the world – golf is more than a game. It is a passion.”

But while that love is not in question, Trump’s actual ability on the golf course is.

Donald Trump’s Golfing Ability Constantly Questioned

Several big sports stars, including England captain Harry Kane, UFC star Bo Nickal, and even golf legend Tiger Woods have all spoken positively of Trump’s golfing ability. However, others claim that the business mogul-turned-president regularly cheats when out on the course.

Sportswriter Rick Reilly wrote a whole book on how Trump cheats at golf. This included an anecdote, citing golfing icon Gary Player, who, when told by Trump he’d won 18 championships, replied: “I told him that if anyone beats him, he kicks them out. So, he had to win.”

It goes further than that, though, with Reilly writing: “Trump doesn’t just cheat at golf. He throws it, boots it, and moves fit. He lies about his lies. He fudges and foozles and fluffs. At Winged Foot, where Trump is a member, the caddies got so used to seeing him kick his ball back onto the fairway they came up with a nickname for him: ‘Pele’.

Even the late US senator Lindsey Graham suggested that while some say you might outdrive Trump, “you’re not going to outdrive his caddy.” And now, footage has emerged appearing to prove Graham’s point.

The footage, that was originally posted last year but has since resurfaced on social media, shows Trump pulling up to a bunker in a buggy.

He’s flanked by two caddies, one of which is dressed in blue who, while walking, uses the natural back and forth of his arms to effortlessly drop a golf ball behind him without breaking stride. The clip is only 11 seconds long, with it not clear if Trump does then play the dropped ball, but it still appears to be pretty damning, with the president looking as if he’s about to set himself with it for his next shot.

The original post, shared in July 2025, has 2.2 million views with the caption reading: “Trump’s caddie was caught dropping a ball in the rough for him. USA taxpayers paying $20 million for a Scotland trip, so that Trump can score cheat at his golf.”

The re-shared post has already amassed a further 1.1 million views itself.

Continue Reading

Sports

Turkish Journalist Arrested For False Jamal Musiala to Galatasaray Claim

Published

on

By


In one of the strangest news stories of the summer, a Turkish sports journalist has reportedly been arrested for his claims involving Jamal Musiala.

The summer transfer window is often referred to as the silly season for the many wild rumours that appear, linking players to clubs in unlikely moves that never happen. Although every now and then, an unexpected deal is completed with eye-watering amounts of money involved.

One interesting rumour, for example, has seen Bayern Munich star Musiala linked with Turkish club Galatasaray. However, claims made around that potential transfer have sparked some very real legal issues for one journalist.

Jamal Musiala Transfer Rumours Lead to Arrest

Jamal Musiala

According to reports in Turkey, journalist Burhan Can Terzi has been detained after claiming that German midfielder Musiala would move this summer in a transfer from Bayern to Galatasaray. His arrest was made on alleged charges of “publicly disseminating misleading information.”

Terzi, who covers football as a reporter in İstanbul, is said to have been detained in an investigation launched by İstanbul’s Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. His legal issues came after Galatasaray denied the truth of his claims.

Despite the Turkish club rubbishing the report, Terzi refused to back down and reportedly responded: “I’m putting my life on the line [for this story].” It’s said that Galatasaray have not lodged any official complaint, but fans accused him of misleading the public, with the journalist continuing to make false statements.

After those complaints from football supporters, the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation. Eye-opening footage has now emerged online, as it appears to show Terzi being led away by local police enforcement.

Turkish Journalist Arrested as Galatasaray Statement Denies Transfer Claim

Terzi is said to have made the initial report on 26 July. Galatasaray then moved to deny the report five days later. Without directly naming any journalist, they completely dismissed any claims relating to a transfer between Musiala and Galatasaray as “an attempt to create a perception aimed at discrediting our club’s transfer operations.”

A statement from the Turkish giants read:

“Due to the deliberate circulation of false and misleading reports about our club in recent days, we find it necessary to issue the following statement to inform the public that the ‘Jamal Musiala is set to transfer to Galatasaray’ reports are completely unfounded.

“It is also noteworthy that the individuals and platforms responsible for these speculations were behind similar false claims during the previous season.”

The case marks the first time the disinformation law has been applied to sports reporting.

Continue Reading

Trending