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Aston Villa have confirmed they have reached an agreement with Belgian side Royal Antwerp for the transfer of Bjorn Engels.

And a number of Villa supporters have been sharing their thoughts on the news on social media.

Engels with have a medical this weekend ahead of a proposed move back to his native country. He’s been with Villa since 2019 after joining in a move worth £7.2m from Stade Reims.

However, the 26-year-old failed to make a Premier League appearance under Dean Smith last season, with Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa ever-presents at Villa Park.

Engels looks set to leave Villa with just 19 appearances to his name, scoring his only goal for the club in a 3-2 defeat to Tottenham last year.

Villa fans react

The club shared the news on Engels on their official Twitter page on Friday evening.

The majority of Villa fans seemed fairly sad at the news, with one describing the defender as ‘brilliant’.

“We’re better than this statement, wish him well. Class costs us nothing.”Credit: @KevinCorAvfc”Gutted it didn’t work out for him at Villa, wishing you the best at Antwerp”Credit: @YusufYasser1″Brilliant defender, if only he had a yard or two more pace he would have been top drawer. A real shame it never worked out. All the best Bjorn “Credit: @AvfcU”Good luck lad. Really sad it didn’t work out.”Credit: @everysongsung”Will miss Bjorn a lot, he did very well in his short playing time, hope everything goes well for him.”Credit: @CharlesHay19″No best of luck? No thanks? No mention of even playing for the club? Something doesn’t fit right with me. Guess we’ll never know. Best of luck, Bjorn”Credit: @wh0actuallykn0w”He only made one mistake tbf. Clearly isn’t our type of player but still feel bad for him”Credit: @ViIlaI_

In other news: Many AVFC fans react to club’s reported interest in Aaron Ramsey, find out more here. 

A number of Manchester City fans have been reacting to comments from Pep Guardiola on Sergio Aguero after the Argentine played his last Premier League game for the Citizens.

On Sunday, City wrapped up the league campaign in style as they thrashed Everton 5-0. After the match, they received the Premier League trophy at the Etihad Stadium as they were able to celebrate with the fans – it was a special day for the all involved with the club.

The £22.5m-valued striker (Transfermarkt), who scored twice against the Toffees after coming on from the bench, will depart the club at the end of the season. He has scored 260 goals in 389 matches for City (Transfermarkt), becoming their all-time leading scorer, and he will be an incredibly hard player to replace.

After the match, Sky Sports spoke to Guardiola about Aguero, and he was unable to hold back the tears when describing the 32-year-old, about whom he said: “We love him so much. He is a special person for us…We cannot replace him.”

The manager’s emotional comments have attracted plenty of attention from the City supporters, and they took to Twitter to share their thoughts.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about Guardiola’s comments on Aguero

“This broke me. And this is why I love Pep & #MCFC”

Credit: @BobbieJack77

“Guardiola got me all emotional with this one”

Credit: @Demmiedgod

“And people say he hates him, have some shame!”

Credit: @poli_thundermc

“Can’t stop the tears! I’m so happy for Aguero but really sad for us fans”

Credit: @omidvheravi

“you can’t do without tears – these are emotions and this is wonderful”

Credit: @CgON0NIPt523qIA

“in tears”

Credit: @93Noorr

In other news, some Man City fans slammed this man’s performance against Everton.

The Athletic’s Manchester City correspondent has recently delivered an enticing update on City’s interest in Tottenham Hotspur Harry Kane, with a switch to Pep Guardiola’s side looking more and more likely as we approach the summer transfer window.

Lee revealed, in a recent article, that Kane wants to join City this summer if he can get out of Tottenham Hotspur, with the North London side’s disappointing season clearly the final straw for the England captain, as he made it clear that he wanted to leave the club this summer as he looks to win his first career trophy.

City have regularly been linked with the 27-year-old forward ahead of the summer transfer window, with recent reports suggesting that Guardiola’s side could even offer a few first-team squad players, such as Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling, to Spurs in an attempt to bring Kane to the Etihad.

It is no surprise that Guardiola is keen on signing the Spurs man this summer, as he enjoyed a phenomenal campaign with the Lilywhites, finishing top of the goalscoring and assist charts in the Premier League.

In 35 Premier League appearances this season, the impressive striker would contribute 23 goals and 14 assists, earning a superb 7.79 average rating from WhoScored, which saw him edge out Kevin De Bruyne as the highest-rated player in the top-flight.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/read-the-latest-manchester-city-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Read the latest Manchester City transfer rumours and news!”]

Considering City will be without the legendary Sergio Aguero next season after he joined Barcelona on a free transfer, you could argue that the Citizens need to add a clinical striker to their squad if they want to progress from this season.

The Champions League final emphasised that City could do with a physical presence up front, as in the latter stages of that game, they became desperate and began launching the ball up to John Stones who was playing as a target man, so having someone such as Kane, who is adept at holding the ball up, would help them avoid situations such as that.

The “unbelievable” forward also showed how dangerous he can be this season when dropping deep and playing through balls to wingers, so he could prove to be extremely effective in the same team as someone such as Sterling, Riyad Mahrez or Phil Foden next season.

[freshpress-quiz id=“577936″]

Therefore, after the latest report suggesting that he is keen to join City, Txiki Begiristain should do all he can to bring Kane to the Etihad this summer.

And, in other news… Guardiola handed huge boost with “exceptional” beast, City fans will be relieved 

Former West Brom midfielder Carlton Palmer has told Football FanCast in an exclusive interview that Conor Gallagher is better off staying at the Hawthorns than returning to Chelsea.

Gallagher has spent the season on loan at West Brom from Chelsea but looks set to return to the west London club in the summer.

According to The Sun, the 21-year-old midfielder plans to remain at Stamford Bridge for the 2021/22 campaign and compete for a place in Thomas Tuchel’s team.

Given the competition he faces at his parent club, though, Palmer believes the best choice for Gallagher would be to remain at West Brom or join another outfit on loan.

When asked by FFC would staying at the Baggies be a better option for the midfielder, the retired England international said:

“There’s no point going back to Chelsea, sitting on the bench or playing in the reserves. There’s no point; you need to play – that’s as simple as it is. I’ve always said that. My advice to any young player would be you’ve got to get out and play.

“Don’t let your career stagnate for a year or two years.”

Should Gallagher indeed return to Chelsea, he could very well find himself sitting on the bench.

The Blues are currently stacked in both the midfield and attacking midfield positions, with Tuchel already having the likes of Mason Mount, N’Golo Kante, Hakim Ziyech and Jorginho to call upon.

Tottenham Hotspur legend Graham Roberts has hit out at Steve Hitchen’s record at the club in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast.

Hitchen was previously the chief scout at Spurs and is now the club’s Head of Recruitment, meaning that he heads up the search for new signings in north London.

However, Spurs have struggled in recent transfer windows and have failed to bring in a multitude of targets.

The club have been linked with the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Ruben Dias, and Milan Skriniar, with Hitchen actually pictured in Italy negotiating for the latter.

Fernandes and Dias moved to Manchester United and Manchester City, while Skriniar is still at Inter Milan.

Last summer, for example, there was something of a mixed bag of a transfer window, as Spurs brought Giovani Lo Celso, Sergio Reguilon, Matt Doherty, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Joe Rodon, Carlos Vinicius, Joe Hart and Gareth Bale to the club.

It is arguable that none of those players have been complete successes, and Roberts believes that Hitchen should be held to account for his work.

He told FFC: “Our recruitment has not been the best.

“It’s not been the best.

“And Steve Hitchen has a lot to answer for really, to be fair.”

The Athletic’s Phil Hay has delivered a major update on Leeds United midfielder Adam Forshaw.

What’s the story?

The £60k-a-week earning ace has been out of action for Marcelo Bielsa’s side for well over a year, and thus, is still yet to make an appearance in the Premier League for the Whites.

Now, Hay has suggested Forshaw is closing in on a potential return to the first-team, with the 29-year-old set to feature for the U23s.

He revealed: “Leeds midfielder Adam Forshaw could make his first competitive appearance in more than 18 months this week following a long fight to recover from hip surgery, reports Phil Hay. Forshaw has a chance of playing in the under-23s match between Leeds and Aston Villa on Friday, a year and a half on from his last first-team outing.

“Forshaw is understood to have completed an hour of a game organised between Leeds’ under-23s and non-League York City at Thorp Arch on Saturday. The former Middlesbrough midfielder is understood to have come safely through the 60-minute run-out and will now be considered for another academy game in the days ahead, raising the prospect of a first-team comeback.”

Bielsa will be buzzing

Given how he’s still been yet to call him up for a game in the Premier League, the news on Forshaw nearing a first-team comeback will surely have Bielsa buzzing.

Before his injury, the midfielder was clearly someone who had impressed the Argentine, who said: “Forshaw is a player who, when he has played, he is always between the better players of the team.

“He has a feature that is very difficult to get. He defends similar to Kalvin, he attacks similar to Klich. What he does close to Phillips doesn’t impede, it is not a problem for him when he goes close to Klich to attack.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-transfer-rumours-and-news” title=”Latest Leeds transfer rumours and news”]”You are not going to find a lot of players with this kind of characteristic. Always Adam when he plays is one of the players who runs more and not just in total distance, in sprints in high intensity.”With Leeds being linked to midfielders like Teun Koopmeiners ahead of the upcoming summer transfer window, Forshaw’s impending return will give Bielsa some time to assess the 29-year-old before the end of the Premier League season and whether he can cut it at this level.

Meanwhile, Leeds are eyeing this 6 foot 3 powerhouse…

Aston Villa have been handed a major blow before their Premier League clash against Manchester City on Wednesday night, with news that Morgan Sanson is set to miss out once again.

The Frenchman was taken off in Villa’s game against Fulham, and he subsequently missed the 2-1 defeat to Liverpool last week.

And now, speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Pep Guardiola’s side, Dean Smith confirmed: “Morgan Sanson’s got a knee injury as well. He’s still feeling it so we’re not too sure how long he’ll be out.”

The £16.2m-rated midfielder only joined the club back in the January transfer window from Marseille, and has only slowly been eased to life in the Premier League, playing just 291 minutes of top-flight football.

Speaking after his signing, Smith waxed lyrical about the kind of qualities the Frenchman could bring, saying: “He has got a big game mentality, he has played at the top of the French league for the last five years, played in the Champions League.

“He is a great technician and has great tactical awareness. He can play in a number of positions, can set up goals and can score goals. He has a bit of everything in his game so we’re really pleased with the acquisition.”Dubbed as a “warrior” by himself, Sanson showed his qualities as a really effective box-to-box presence in his time at Marseille.Before his move to the Midlands, he averaged an impressive 1.8 tackles and 1.1 key passes per game in Ligue 1, both of which ranked him favourably compared to the rest of Villa’s squad. In fact, only two other players have averaged more tackles per match than him, while again, only two other have averaged more key passes too.[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/latest-aston-villa-transfer-rumours-and-news-copy-copy” title=”Latest Aston Villa transfer rumours and news”]News that he will once again be missing for a crucial Premier League game in Villa’s quest to finish in a European spot for this season, will come as a big blow to Smith. And, the fact the manager has admitted that there is uncertainly over “how long he’ll be out” for, makes it an even bigger pill to swallow.Meanwhile, Dean Smith must drop this Villa liability tonight vs Man City…

Reliable reporter Alan Nixon has given an update in regards to Celtic’s hopes of landing Eddie Howe as their new manager.

The former Bournemouth boss has reportedly agreed in principle to succeed Neil Lennon in the Parkhead dugout after ironing out details of a Glasgow switch on Friday.

The 43-year-old is now expected to put pen to paper on a contract worth up to £2m per year at Parkhead – a salary £400,000 less than Lennon’s.

Howe’s Celtic announcement

That has led to speculation mounting regarding when an official announcement by the club will be made, with one fan on Twitter asking Nixon, who writes for The Sun, whether confirmation would be made on Tuesday.

The journalist replied on Sunday morning, admitting that the two parties have ‘been talking seriously for a couple of days now’.

Transfer Tavern take

It seems as if an announcement isn’t too far away, but until the club officially confirms the appointment, there will still be that slight doubt in some supporters’ minds.

Should Howe make the move to Scotland, Celtic would be the third club of his managerial career and perhaps as challenging as his stint at Bournemouth.

A summer rebuild looks to have taken shape off the field, with stalwarts like Peter Lawwell set to stand down, and it may now be up to Howe to make some tough calls in regards to major incomings and outgoings ahead of the 2021/22 season.

In other news: Howe tipped to make Celtic move for international forward on £45,000-a-week, find out more here. 

KV Mechelen boss Wouter Vrancken had admitted that talks with Celtic over extending Marian Shved’s stay in Belgium are on hold.

That’s because of numerous off-field changes at Parkhead, with wide midfielder Shved thought to be keen on a Parkhead exit this summer.

The Ukrainian is currently on a season-long loan and has made 16 Jupiler Pro League appearances during the current campaign, scoring three times and providing two assists.

Vrancken, whose comments were covered by Het Laatste Nieuws and relayed by Sports Witness, admitted that changes in Glasgow have prevented a potential deal materialising.

“Only there is a whole change going on at Celtic.

“There will be another trainer and technical director. The people we talked to are gone now.

“Marian has clearly indicated that he likes being here and wants to stay. I also think that’s best for himself. He needs stability.”

Transfer Tavern take

Shved has made just three Hoops appearances since joining for £1.8m in 2019 and his £7,900-a-week contract at Parkhead expires in 2023.

Therefore, we feel as if the club have a big decision to make on the wide midfielder over the coming months – either give him a chance to impress under the new Celtic manager or cut ties with him completely.

Another loan deal could work against the Hoops, as Shved will then have just 12 months left on his deal in the summer of 2022.

That could then leave the club in a tricky situation, so we feel it’s best if they make a firm call over the summer when a new manager and director of football are in place.

In other news: Celtic interested in signing record-breaking teenager from English side, find out more here. 

Kevin Phillips has exclusively told Football FanCast that Southampton striker Danny Ings should decide against joining Tottenham this summer if the opportunity arises.

Having entered the final 18 months of his contract, Ings has been linked with a move away from Southampton, with Jose Mourinho’s team one of the sides reportedly pushing hard to sign the former Liverpool frontman at the end of the season.

Spurs currently have on-loan Benfica man Carlos Vinicius as Harry Kane’s back-up, but the Brazilian striker has started just one Premier League game since his arrival, with Mourinho opting for the likes of Heung-Min Son and Lucas Moura in Kane’s injured absence last month.

Signing for Tottenham would give Ings an opportunity to play European football once again, but Phillips has advised the Saints number nine to consider somewhere that guarantees more regular first-team football.

He told Football FanCast: “Whenever I get asked that question, I always put myself in Danny’s shoes. Why would I want to go to Tottenham to sit on the bench and play cup games, it’s as simple as that. At his stage of his career, why would you not want to play football week in, week out?

“Tottenham probably would take him because as long as he’s happy to sit on the bench they know they’ve got a quality striker sitting there waiting. But from the player’s point of view, I don’t see why you would want to go and compete with Harry Kane, because you know you’re not playing because he’s the world’s best centre-forward in my eyes.”

Whilst signing for Tottenham would be a progressive move for Ings’ career, and possibly enhance his England chances, anyone playing in the same squad as Kane is most likely going to get limited opportunities as shown by the likes of Fernando Llorente, Vincent Janssen and Vinicius, so Ings might want to consider his options if Spurs do come calling.