Tag: Aston Villa

Mark Bullingham: The FA is ready to ease GBE restrictions – allowing Premier League clubs to sign players early

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Chief executive Mark Bullingham says the Football Association is ready to ease Governing Bodies Endorsement (GBE) restrictions to allow more Premier League clubs to recruit players early. But the FA is also concerned that the influx of new players could limit the path to the first team for English footballers. Post-Brexit, the introduction of the GBE in January 2021 has significantly impacted people who can be recruited from outside the UK. Clubs can no longer take talent from Europe under the age of 18 and the points tally now decides…

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“I want one for every match,” Ollie Watkins set himself a new goal

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Record-breaking Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins has cleverly set himself a new target: “I want one every game,” he says. “Who knows what could happen now?” Watkins scored his ninth goal of the season in all competitions during Villa’s 2-0 win over Everton, but it was his fifth consecutive Premier League goal that helped rewrite history. No Villa player has ever achieved this and the last player to score in five consecutive games was a Ride Out Bull in 1985. Asked if he was aware of the record before the…

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Ornstein: Mount talks on hold, Rashford deal boost, Krosche in Liverpool frame

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Chelsea’s faltering campaign suffered its latest setback on Saturday as they were beaten at home by bottom-of-the-table Southampton: they remain 10th in the Premier League with 15 games still to play. One of the many issues facing the new ownership at Stamford Bridge concerns Mason Mount, the homegrown talent and England international midfielder whose deal is due to expire in June 2024. Negotiations between Chelsea and Mount over a new contract have not yet led to an agreement, with several offers made last summer and in the autumn rejected by…

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English clubs are responsible for more than half of all transfer fees in the January window

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English football clubs spent more than half of global transfer fees worldwide in the January transfer window, according to FIFA International Transfer Snapshot. The 2023 report says teams in England topped the money spent table in January, with a total of $898.6m (£739.5m) spent, accounting for 57.3 per cent of total spending globally. France followed in second place with total spending of £108.5m. A record number of transfers also occurred during the January transfer window across the men’s and women’s matches.A total of 4,387 transfers were completed in the men’s…

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How Aston Villa’s John Doran transfer affects Chicago Fire, MLS’ under-22 junior initiative

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John Doran arrived in MLS as one of the most unique signings in the league’s history. It leaves as one of its most spectacular success stories—at least on the balance sheet. The Chicago Fire signed 17-year-old Duran in January 2021 from Colombian club Envigado, but the $2 million transfer came with a big catch. Since FIFA rules prevent players from leaving their home countries until they are 18, Duran could not actually join the Fire for another year. Stuck in limbo, he remained with Envigado throughout 2021 before finally arriving…

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Aston Villa have reached an agreement to sign John Doran from MLS club Chicago Fire

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Aston Villa have reached an agreement to sign John Doran from Chicago Fire. This step is subject to Doran, 19, completing medical conditions and agreeing to personal conditions, in addition to being accepted for a visa. Doran played 22 games for the Fire in the MLS last season, scoring eight goals and handing out five assists. His impressive campaign also saw him called up to the Colombia senior team for the first time, where he has since earned three caps. Duran joined the Fire from Colombia’s Envigado ahead of the…

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Unai Emery may need to adjust his tactics to unleash Alex Moreno at Aston Villa

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Knocked out of the FA Cup by Stevenage last weekend, Aston Villa needed a reply against Leeds and got one – even if it was flawed, messy and required a touch of luck. The 2-1 victory ensured Unai Emery continued his impressive start to life at Villa Park as he tallied 13 points from a possible 18 since his appointment in early November, and there are signs that Emery’s vision is starting to take shape. Nowhere was this more evident than at full-back Villa fans first saw Alex Moreno, who…

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What Aston Villa can expect from Alex Moreno: A defender with an eye for attack and an eye for goal

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Alex Moreno will become Unai Emery’s first signing for Aston Villa after they agreed a deal with Real Betis worth €15m (£13.2m, $16.1m) including add-ons. The 29-year-old left-back might seem like an unusual signing for Emery given his squad is already well equipped in that position – Lucas Digne has been a mainstay when not injured this season, while Villa also have Ashley Young and Ludwig Augustinsson. Moreno will provide Digne – who was brought to Villa from Everton by former manager Steven Gerrard in a £25m deal last year…

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Kylian Mbappe is unfazed by Emiliano Martinez’s ‘useless’ taunting at the World Cup

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Kylian Mbappe said he would not “waste his energy on such useless things” when asked about Argentina’s taunts after the 2022 World Cup final. Argentina beat France on penalties to win the World Cup after a thrilling 3-3 draw, in which 24-year-old Mbappe scored a hat-trick. After the match, Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez called for a minute of silence in front of Mbappe during his team’s celebrations in the dressing room. Later, he poses with a puppet portraying the player. “The celebrations are not my problem,” Mbappe told RMC Sport…

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Aston Villa will face former Villarreal team led by Unai Emery in a friendly match during the World Cup break

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Aston Villa will host former Villarreal club for new coach Unai Emery in a friendly match during the World Cup break. A club statement on Thursday confirmed that the match will take place on Thursday, December 15, “as part of Villa’s preparations to return to the stadiums after the World Cup.” West Midlands club appointed Emery in October and paid the £5.25m release clause to award the 50-year-old from La Liga side Villarreal. In a statement confirming his departure, the Spanish team said: “Emery entered the history of Villarreal because…

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