Many Glasgow Rangers fans were livid after Richard Keys urged supporters to tune in for an interview with the club’s disgraced former owner Charles Green.

The Gers may have won the Premiership last term and are currently in a healthy position, but it hasn’t always been that way over the last decade.

In 2012, they were demoted to the fourth tier of the Scottish football pyramid after entering administration (BBC), and they were than purchased by Green. However, he lasted less than a year in charge before stepping down as CEO, and was then charged with fraudulently acquiring the club.

He has now been speaking to Keys and Rangers supporter Andy Gray in an exclusive interview taking aim at a number of people (via The Daily Record). He labelled current Ibrox chairman Douglas Park a ‘lunatic’, tore into former Gers owner Dave King, defended his notorious kit deal with Sports Direct and even levelled criticism at Ibrox stalwart Allan McGregor and Steve Davis.

Keys took to Twitter to promote the interview, but it appears that many Gers supporters have no interest in listening to what Green has to say for himself.

These Gers fans took to the social media platform to let their feelings be known about the interview.

Let’s see what these fans had to say about the interview with Green

“Absolutely no chance. Won’t waste my time on that garbage”

Credit: @Macky1048

“Plenty of lies too I suspect”

Credit: @andi_dunn

“Talk about clueless. This is like telling Liverpool fans to read The Sun for an exclusive on their club.”

Credit: @jonathonmills

“A tissue of lies from a charlatan and fantasist. Very disappointed Andy Gray had anything to do with this. He should have known better.”

Credit: @wavydot

“It’s quite sad how 2 presenters who used to be at the top of the game are now reduced to literally scraping the dregs from the barrel”

Credit: @davetait1981

“You spelled ‘moon howling Celtic fans’ incorrectly. Andy Gray should know better.”

Credit: @scottberwick

In other news, this man has been partially blamed for Rangers’ Champions League exit.

West Ham United are said to be close to signing Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma, with personal terms believed to be the ‘final details’ of the deal according to Fabrizio Romano on Twitter.

Enjoying a solid 2020/21 campaign, the 26-year-old registered five goals in 36 fixtures as he helped the Blues win the UEFA Champions League [Transfermarkt].

Now, he looks set to be on his way to East London following recent reports from Romano.

Speaking to his large Twitter audience, the Italian transfer guru reported that West Ham only have to agree the small details on personal terms with the Frenchman before a deal can be completed for Zouma to join the Hammers.

It has been suggested by Romano that a deal could even be completed on Wednesday, via Twitch.

In light of this news, no wonder loads of West Ham diehards took to Twitter to express their opinions on latest developments.

West Ham United FC fans react:

Replying to multiple different outlets, here is what some Irons supporters had to say about the situation:

“Happy days”

Credit: @_ghzst”Believe it it is fabrizio”Credit: @MythicalOli69″If fab says, then it’s a done deal. He doesn’t mess about”Credit: @AdamTuckTuck”Can’t wait to shout zoooooouma zoooooouma when he scores from the Trevor brooking stand”Credit: @Chef_Haswell”What a time to be a hammer”Credit: @JesseLarch”Please”Credit: @Reece_WHU_In other news, West Ham fans are loving a transfer update. Find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur are considering a move for Philippe Coutinho, according to emerging reports…

What’s the word?

Mundo Deportivo claim that the former Liverpool attacking midfielder is on Spurs’ shortlist, should they sell Harry Kane to Manchester City before this month’s transfer deadline.

It’s thought that the Brazilian playmaker has even been offered to the North London outfit by his agent, Kia Joorabchian.

Coutinho remains under contract at the Nou Camp until 2023 but could be allowed to leave on loan with an option to buy,  a similar deal to the one that saw him move to Bayern Munich in 2019/20.

The 29-year-old cost the La Liga giants around £142m in January 2018 and is now valued at just €30m (£25m) by CIES Football Observatory.

Nuno needs him

Whilst he has struggled with form and injuries over in Spain, Coutinho is still in his peak years and will always be remembered for his glistening stint at Anfield.

Across 201 appearances for Liverpool, the 63-time Brazil international provided 54 goals and 45 assists, which worked out to be a direct contribution every 150 minutes, as per Transfermarkt.

An impressive feat.

At his scintillating best, he was a simply world-class maestro and that much is evident by the whopping nine-figure fee he commanded three-and-a-half years ago.

Coutinho did manage to show a glimpse of that form during a loan spell at Bayern, where his 11 goals and nine assists helped secure the treble.

[snack-amp-story url= “https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-team-news-transfer-rumours-gossip-and-much-more-copy” title= “Read the latest Spurs news, transfer rumours, gossip and much more!”]

Spurs truly do lack a player of his calibre – someone that can outwit the opposition with an exciting bit of skill or a defence-splitting pass, on top of delivering killer set-pieces and that knack for finding the net.

It’s believed that Fabio Paratici and co will now target the addition of a creative player after sealing a marquee centre-back in Cristian Romero. Perhaps the former Reds star is the answer.

During his time at the Allianz Arena, Coutinho averaged 2.2 key passes every 90 minutes. Those returns would see him sit top of the charts in North London, alongside Heung-min Son.

Current creative options at Nuno Santo’s disposal include Tanguy Ndombele (0.8 key passes per 90), Dele Alli (1.3) and Giovani Lo Celso (1.4), so you can see why the Portuguese coach may have requested a new playmaker.

Speaking about Coutinho’s ability in the past, Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino had nothing but praise for his fellow countryman.

“He’s phenomenal. You simply can’t say that he’s not a magician,” he claimed (via Goal.com). “He has magical powers. He produces plays that don’t exist, that you couldn’t make up.”

Spurs very much should consider a swoop for the creative talent this month. Nuno is in need of someone capable of pulling the strings in attacking midfield and there won’t be a more Premier League proven option than Coutinho out there.

AND in other news, “It’s done”: Fabrizio Romano drops exciting Spurs transfer update, fans surely buzzing…

Not everything went smoothly as Toronto hosted big-time cricket for the first time in nine years

Cricinfo staff10-Oct-2008
Canada was the hotspot for India-Pakistan contests in the 1990s © Picturecare
In the late 1990s it looked as if Canada was set to become North America’s home for visiting international sides. A large, primarily Asian, expat audience turned up in big numbers to a succession of tournaments, usually held in September.The presence of India and Pakistan was crucial to the viability of the ventures, but as the political tension between the two escalated, the cricket sides became caught up and eventually India were forced by their government to pull out rather than face Pakistan. Without the prime draw, interest waned and the Toronto project was doomed. Soon after, the whole match-fixing saga broke and offshore venues for matches lost their appeal as the authorities looked to clamp down on bookmakers’ opportunities.But nine years later on, and Toronto is again hosting major cricket. Some would argue it’s too late in the year – early-morning temperatures struggle to hit 50 degrees – but with the international calendar jam-packed, you take what window you can get.The event has been made possible by substantial sponsorship by a Dubai-based company. However, the build-up has been anything but ideal. West Indies were on the original cast list, along with Canada, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, but they pulled out as their board signed a deal to make all their players available to Allen Stanford. They were replaced by Zimbabwe, hardly an A – or even B-list – attraction.Promotion has been scratchy, not helped by rumbling uncertainty over the visa positions for two of the visitors. As late as Monday, both Pakistan and Zimbabwe were reported to be having difficulties. In the event, both made it, albeit with little time to spare.Temporary stands, accommodating up to 10,000, have been built in recent weeks, and the organisers have been bullish in their predictions of the turnout. In the event, there were never more than 1300 inside the ground today, with the bigger audience for the Pakistan match. The earlier game was not so attractive, either in terms of teams or time. The 9.30am start on a chilly autumn morning doesn’t appeal to many.The ground looks pretty good, the replay screens are big and the sightscreens impress. But the behind-the-scenes operation was hardly slick, with power outages and limited internet access for the media. What an event like this needs is publicity, and the PR machine has been, at best, spluttering into life. With a slicker operation, many more tickets might well have been shifted. Oh, and given that a picture is worth a thousand words, someone might have thought to ensure that there were photographers on the ground who would feed the world’s media.The hope is that the weekend will bring much bigger crowds, and talk is that when Sri Lanka play Pakistan tomorrow at 1.30pm in what should be a dress rehearsal for the final, there will be several thousand inside the hastily-constructed ground.Despite the glitches and grumbles, just getting top cricket to Canada is an achievement, and the organisers deserve credit for that. What they now need is three days of good weather, more spectators and some great cricket.

Days after the announcement of a Twenty20 competition in North East region, Cricket Council USA (CCUSA) unveiled what it described as “the richest Twenty20 tournament in the United States”.”We will give $100,000 prize money to the winner of the UST20 Cricket Tournament ’09,” said MAQ Qureshi, the chairman and chief executive of CCUSA, adding that the event was open to clubs from anywhere in the world. “I’m sure that this tournament will bring the best cricketers in the USA and abroad to display their cricket skills and of course the opportunity to win the prize money.”The event is scheduled to be held between April 4 and 9, 2009 in Florida. Matches will be staged in Lauderhill and Delray Beach.CCUSA is one of several groups that have emerged in recent years to try to fill the void left by the inaction of the USA Cricket Association. Some, like Major League Cricket, have come and gone, and outsiders will be looking to see just how successful this event is.

أشاد أحمد حسام ميدو مهاجم الزمالك الأسبق بالبرتغالي ريكاردو سواريس المدير الفني المرشح لتدريب الأهلي خلال الفترة المقبلة.

وكانت أنباء ترددت عن اتفاق الأهلي مع سواريس المدير الفني الحالي لنادي جيل فيسنتي البرتغالي ليتولى تدريب الفريق لمدة موسمين.

وقال ميدو خلال حديثه اليوم ببرنامج “الريمونتادا” المذاع على قناة “المحور”: “ريكاردو سواريس مدرب جيل فيسنتي أحد أندية الوسط في البرتغال وهو من الجيل الجديد المتطور في المدرسة البرتغالية”.

طالع | ميدو يهاجم عصام عبد الفتاح بسبب كلاتينبرج: مغرور ويُضلل الجمهور خوفًا على منصبه

وأضاف: “مدارس التدريب في البرتغال منها الكلاسيكية مثل التي يطبقها كارلوس كيروش وهي تعتمد على الطريقة الدفاعية والتحفظ في الأداء، والمدرسة الحديثة هي التي طورت الأسلوب لتنفيذ بعض الطرق الهجومية مثل أسلوب الدوري الإسباني”.

وتابع: “هو مدرب تدرج مع الفرق الأدنى ثم ترقى حتى تولى قيادة فيسنتي البرتغالي واستطاغ أن ينهي معهم الموسم المنصرم في المركز الخامس وسيشارك في دوري المؤتمر الأوروبي”.

وواصل: “إذا جاء هذا المدرب إلى الأهلي فأريد أن أشكر من أنهى معه المفاوضات وأنا أخبركم أن أمير توفيق وحسام غالي عملا بكد واجتهاد في هذا الملف، وهما لم يعتمدا في اختياراتهما على السيرة الذاتية والبطولات ولكن عملا على السن وطريقة اللعب”.

واستكمل: “لقد نجحا في حدود الميزانية المتاحة واستطاعا أن يقنعا مدربًا بترك الدوري البرتغالي من أجل القدوم إلى الأهلي، لأن هذا المدرب بعد المركز الذي حققه مع فيسنتي كان سيجلب أنظار أندية مثل بورتو وبنفيكا إليه”.

واستطرد: “الأهلي استقدم سير ذاتية كبيرة جدًا ولم يكتب لها النجاح مثل مارتن يول ولاسارتي وبونفرير ولم يحققوا نجاحات”.

وأكد: “هذا المدرب يطبق أسلوب المدرسة الحديثة وينوع طريقة اللعب وهو لا يعتمد على أسلوب واحد فأحيانا يلعب 4-3-3 أو 4-4-2 أو 3-4-3”.

وأشار: “حسين الشحات لن يلعب مع هذا المدرب إذا جاء، وأيضًا أفشة يجب عليه أن يبذل مجهودًا كبيرًا وبيرسي تاو وكل اللاعبين الذين لا يعودون للدفاع”.

وشدد: “يجب على محمد الشناوي أن يطور اللعب بالقدمين لأن هذا المدرب يعتمد على بناء الهجمة من الخلف ولأن الحارس دوره مهم في طريقة المدير الفني المحتمل للأهلي”.

وأتم: “سامي قمصان لعب بواقعية كبيرة جدًا ومباراة بيراميدز شهدت مولد مدرب سيكون له مستقبل واعد”.

واختتم: “أحمد نبيل كوكا لاعب واعد وجيد ولعب دورًا مميزًا أمام محمود وحيد في الشوط الأول وعرف كيف ينفذ تعليمات مدربه”.

وكان الأهلي قد نجح في تحقيق فوز على نظيره بيراميدز في مباراة دور الثمانية ببطولة كأس مصر، بهدفين مقابل هدف.

MatériaMais Notícias

Nesta quarta-feira, Fluminense e Grêmio dão sequência ao históricos de duelos e voltam a se enfrentar em mata-matas. As equipes entram em campo em busca de uma vaga nas quartas de final da Copa do Brasil e o Tricolor Carioca vai precisar de uma bela vitória no Maracanã para bater os gaúchos a avançar na competição. Para relembrar partidas semelhantes, o L! escolheu os dez duelos inesquecíveis entre Fluminense e Grêmio.

Fluminense 2×1 Grêmio – 1970 (Torneio Roberto Gomes Pedrosa)

Em 1970, ano em que o Fluminense venceu seu primeiro título nacional, a Torcida Tricolor comemorou, em casa, a vitória sobre o Grêmio por 2 a 1, no Maracanã. Os gols da vitória do Tricolor Carioca saíram dos pés de Lula e Marco Antônio. Paraguaio diminuiu para a equipe gaúcha.

Fluminense 1×2 Grêmio – 1982 (Campeonato Brasileiro)

Em 1982 ficou registrado o maior público do confronto no Maracanã. Foram 69.112 mil torcedores que presenciaram a vitória do Grêmio em cima do Fluminense. Com casa cheia, o Tricolor gaúcho não se intimidou e partiu para cima do Tricolor Carioca, em partida válida pelas quartas de final. A vitória por 2 a 1 veio com gols de Paulo Isidoro e Tonho Gil, pelo Grêmio e Mário Marques diminuiu para o Flu. O grêmio, que havia sido campeão brasileiro de 1981, avançou para as semifinais e terminou o campeonato como vice-campeão.

Grêmio 3×2 Fluminense – 1993 (Campeonato Brasileiro)

Após passagem pela segunda divisão do Campeonato Brasileiro, Grêmio fez seu primeiro jogo pela primeira divisão, no Olímpico, contra o Fluminense e venceu a partida por 3 a 2. Super Ézio abriu o placar, mas o Grêmio logo empatou, com gol de Serginho Wink, virou com gol de Gilson Maciel e ampliou, com gol de Adil. Super Ézio marcou mais um para diminuir a vantagem. A partida marcou, além da volta à série A, o início de um período vitorioso para o time gaúcho, que ganhou a Copa do Brasil de 1994, a Libertadores de 1995 e o Brasileiro de 1996.

Grêmio 4×2 Fluminense – 1996 (Campeonato Brasileiro)

Ano em que o conquistou o bicampeonato brasileiro, Grêmio fez uma ótima partida e venceu o Fluminense no Olímpico por 4 à 2. O Tricolor Carioca abriu o placar com Aldeir, mas logo no início do segundo tempo o Grêmio empatou com gol de Aílton. Zé Alcino marca de cabeça para virar o placar para o Grêmio. De pênalti, Dinho amplia. Após trapalhada da defesa do Flu, Zé Alcino marca novamente e põe o Grêmio com três gols a mais que o Fluminense. A equipe carioca diminuiu com gol de Paulo Roberto, de falta. O jogo foi válido pelo Campeonato Brasileiro de 1996, ano em que o Grêmio conquistou o bicampeonato brasileiro.

Fluminense 4×3 Grêmio – 2000 (Taça Amizade Tricolor)

Em 2000, os clubes disputaram um torneio amistoso chamado Taça da Amizade Tricolor. O torneio tinha como objetivo manter em atividade as duas equipes que haviam sido eliminadas nos torneios Rio-São Paulo e Sul-Minas. As partidas aconteceram no Estádio de Laranjeiras e no Estádio Olímpico. O Fluminense venceu as duas partidas. Em casa por 4 a 3 e fora por 1 a 0. O jogo de ida, em Laranjeiras, marcou a estreia de Valdir Espinosa como técnico do Fluminense. Espinosa enfrentaria em seu primeiro jogo pela equipe carioca, o Grêmio com o qual foi conquistou o Mundial em 1983.A mesma partida, contou também com a participação do craque Ronaldinho Gaúcho. Jogão!

Grêmio 4×4 Fluminense – 2006 (Campeonato Brasileiro)

Jogo Épico! Em 2006 Fluminense e Grêmio protagonizaram uma partida épica no Estádio Olímpico. Grêmio abriu vantagem logo no primeiro tempo com gols de Ramon e Rômulo, mas viu o Fluminense diminuir em pouco tempo com gol de Evando. A equipe Gaúcha teve um jogador expulso, Tcheco, que recebeu cartão vermelho, enquanto o Grêmio ainda vencia por 2 a 1. Com um homem a menos, o Grêmio viu o empate tricolor com um gol olímpico de Petkovic e depois a virada com um gol de peixinho do lateral, Marcelo. Outra expulsão, desta vez do lado Carioca. Jean levou o segundo amarelo e o vermelho. Tudo igual no número de jogadores em campo, e o Fluminense ampliou o placar com outro golaço de Petkovic, um chutão de fora da área. Mas, o Grêmio conseguiu o empate nos acréscimos. Com gol de Herrera aos 47 e de Rômulo aos 49, Grêmio e Fluminense terminaram empatados.

Grêmio 5×1 Fluminense – 2009 (Campeonato Brasileiro)

Uma goleada com direito a gol contra. A partida entre Grêmio e Fluminense, em 2009,no Olímpico, pelo Campeonato Brasileiro teve gols de Tcheco, Jonas, Souza (2) e Cássio (contra), e para diminuir, Kieza marcou pelo Fluminense. Ano em que o clube carioca lutou contra o rebaixamento, o Grêmio não tomou conhecimento do Flu na partida e aplicou a goleada de 5 a 1. Todos os gols aconteceram no primeiro tempo. O tricolor Gaúcho abriu o placar com Souza, para logo em seguida, Kieza empatar para a equipe Carioca. Após o empate, Cássio fez contra, deixando o Grêmio na frente novamente. A partir daí, só deu Grêmio. Tcheco marcou e com menos de 20 minutos de jogo a partida já estava 3 a 1 para a equipe gaúcha. Aos 23, Souza fez mais um e Jonas, marcou o quinto aos 39. Mais a frente o Fluminense começaria a arrancada que deu origem ao Time de Guerreiros.

Fluminense 2×3 Grêmio – 2010 (Copa do Brasil)

Na estreia do técnico Muricy Ramalho, o Fluminense perdeu para o Grêmio, em casa. André Lima abriu o placar para o Tricolor Carioca, mas logo em seguida, Douglas empatou para a equipe gaúcha. O Grêmio ampliou o placar com Jonas, após passe de Borges. Os gaúcho jogaram com menos um, após a expulsão de Rodrigo. Ainda assim, a equipe Carioca não conseguiu reverter o placar ou impedir que ampliasse. Douglas, recebeu passe de Borges e marcou o terceiro. O Tricolor Carioca diminuiu com Equi González. Neste ano o Fluminense levantou a taça do Campeonato Brasileiro.

Fluminense 5×4 Grêmio – 2011 (Campeonato Brasileiro)

Jogaço! Fluminense e Grêmio protagonizaram um dos melhores jogos do Campeonato Brasileiro de 2011. A partida que aconteceu no Engenhão teve 9 Gols e muitas viradas. O Grêmio abriu o placar com gol de Rafael Marques, o Fluminense tratou de buscar o empate. Em cobrança de falta, Marquinho jogou na cabeça de Fred para o artilheiro marcar, fazendo 1 a 1. O tricolor Gaúcho, no entanto, ficou a frente no placar novamente, no fim do primeiro tempo, com gol de Marquinhos. Já na segunda etapa, Fred recebeu um belo lançamento de Deco e empatou novamente para o Tricolor Carioca. Logo depois, Rafael Sobis recebeu de fora da área e com um chutão marcou para virar a partida. Em apenas dois minutos, o Fluminense viu o Grêmio empatar, com Brandão, de cabeça e o Adilson virar o jogo com um chute de fora da área. De pênalti, Fred marcou e conseguiu novamente o empate, para três minutos depois marcar novamente e levar o Fluminense a vitória. A partida teve emoção até os últimos minutos, Grêmio teve o Brandão expulso, mas ainda arriscou com um chute de Douglas na trave. Fred também tentou, mas a bola parou no travessão.

Fluminense 0X3 Grêmio – 2013 (Libertadores)

A partida válida pela segunda rodada da Fase de Grupos, da Libertadores de 2013, foi um chocolate do Tricolor Gaúcho em cima do Carioca. Barcos abriu o placar após cobrança de escanteio de Elano. O gol, na verdade, foi contra. A bola bate na cabeça que de Bruno e viaja para o gol. Na súmula, no entanto, o gol foi dado à Barcos. O argentino foi um dos destaque do jogo e teve participação direta nos três gols. Para ampliar o placar, André Santos, que estava impedido, aproveitou o rebote dado por Cavalieri, após finalização de Barcos, jogou a bola na rede e saiu para comemorar. Após passe em profundidade de Barcos, Vargas marcou o terceiro do Grêmio no jogo e seu primeiro gol pela equipe Gaúcha.

Crystal Palace will be looking to secure their first victory of the new campaign when they travel to Vicarage Road to take on Watford in the second round of the Carabao Cup tonight.

A 3-0 defeat to Chelsea and a goalless draw with Brentford have marked the beginning of Patrick Vieira’s reign in south London, and the new manager will be eager to build on their much-improved performance last time out.

Despite keeping a clean sheet against the newly-promoted Bees and looking relatively solid throughout, Palace couldn’t find the back of the net themselves and will be searching for the first goal of Vieira’s reign tonight.

The former Nice manager outlined his intention to select a strong starting XI against Watford in his post-match press conference in order to build some momentum going into a tricky league season.

“It’s important for us to win football matches,” he said. “To win football matches will give us confidence for the rest of the season. We are at the beginning of the season, players are feeling strong, are feeling good, there are two games before the international break, and we will play these two games with the best starting XI I have.

“We will play all the games with the desire to win it; I don’t think we can choose which competition we can go into. As a football club, we don’t have this privilege; we have to take one game after the other. The next one is on Tuesday, and we will put (out) a strong team to compete.

“It’s important for us to build momentum, it’s important for us to build our confidence, it’s important for us to win football matches, to win games. Our objective is to win the next one,” Vieira concluded.

With that in mind, here’s how Football FanCast expects the Frenchman to line up at Vicarage Road, with six changes from the side which started against Brentford…

In goal, former England international goalkeeper Jack Butland is likely to come into the team in place of regular first-choice Vicente Guaita. The 28-year-old is among the most experienced backup shot-stoppers in the division and will be eager to impress in this midweek encounter.

Ahead of him is likely to be a back four made up of a couple of experienced heads and two of talented youngsters. James Tomkins and Martin Kelly should replace Joachim Andersen and Joel Ward, partnering the highly-rated Tyrick Mitchell and Marc Guehi in defence.

The engine room will have a more familiar feel, with 33-year-old James McArthur making way for Jairo Riedewald, who will provide cover for the duo of Conor Gallagher and Cheikhou Kouyate.

Completing the lineup in attack is talismanic figure Wilfried Zaha, alongside Jordan Ayew and Jean-Philippe Mateta, who come in for Jeffrey Schlupp and the £8.1m-rated Christian Benteke respectively.

In other news… Vieira must unleash “impressive” £11.7m-rated gem today, could be CPFC’s game-changer 

Aston Villa must look to sign PSG midfielder Rafinha this summer amid a recent transfer claim.

What’s the story?

According to reports in Spain, the French giants – who have just signed Lionel Messi – are ready to let Rafinha leave this summer in order to raise some funds and Villa could come in for the Brazilian.

And now, speaking exclusively to FFC, Ligue 1 expert Adam White said: “I think he has already been pushed quite significantly towards the exit at PSG and he would be a good signing for Villa.

“The Premier League is a little bit of a step up and he wouldn’t be playing in such a dominant team, so that’s perhaps something that Villa fans will need to think about. PSG would be keen to sell.”

Messi rates him highly

Talking about the 27-year-old, former Barca defender Andreu Fontas once said: “Rafinha is a great player. Physically, he is a beast and, technically, he is superb.”

As per Whoscored, the midfielder boasted an impressive 90.9% pass accuracy in Ligue 1 last season (considerably better than any Villa player with more than one start), while he also averaged 2.3 tackles per match as well (only Matty Cash fared better with 2.5).

The £13.5m-rated play-maker could bring that same fearlessness and intensity both on and off the ball to Villa Park should Smith land his man this summer.

And, given reports have previously claimed that now PSG superstar Messi rates the Brazilian very highly and was completely on board with seeing the midfielder become a prominent part of Barcelona’s side, is a real indication of just how talented he is.

Villa could strike gold with a deal for Rafinha.

Meanwhile, Ashley Preece has dropped a new Aston Villa transfer update…

Crystal Palace remain in talks with Watford for midfielder Will Hughes, according to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.

And a number of Eagles fans have been giving their thoughts to the news on social media.

Hughes is into the final 12 months of his Vicarage Road contract and has actually turned down a new deal.

He’s been demoted to train with the club’s Under-23’s, and it seems as if a move to Selhurst Park could be on the cards.

Reports on the weekend from The Sun suggested that the Eagles tabled a £7m offer plus add-ons for the 26-year-old and were poised to agree a deal.

Sheth shared an update on Wednesday evening, claiming the gap in valuation between the two clubs is thought to be in the region of £10m.

Palace fans react

@CPFCtransfersHQ shared Sheth’s post on Twitter. This is what these Palace fans had to say in reply to the update, with some supporters responding to Sheth directly.

“The gap is 10 mil?!? Like ten mil difference!?! Surely not? If so forget”

Credit: @NickPRochford

“sky 2 weeks behind? imagine my shock”

Credit: @CPFC_Ollie_

“With respect, genuinely, £10mil. No thanks. Rather use that money on a winger and forward.”

Credit: @SuperSySez

“Yeah we need players but we don’t need Hughes for £10m”

Credit: @erictwigs

“I could have told you all that”

Credit: @SWPalace

“After this I am now more convinced than ever that Palace hold absolutely no interest in Hughes.”

Credit: @CroydonExile1

In other news: ‘On my knees’, ‘Get this done’ – Lots of CPFC fans erupt as ‘class’ transfer news emerges.