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REUTERS/Andrew Couldridge
Published Aug 11, 2026, 7:40 PM GMT+1
Tom is a football journalist with over five years of experience, specialising in Premier League reporting, feature writing and transfer analysis, with particular expertise covering Liverpool and Everton.
His work has been featured in The Non-League Paper, Crawley Observer, Sussex Express and The Redmen TV, where he produced features, news and exclusive interviews across all levels of the game.
For Football FanCast, Tom has interviewed a number of respected figures from across football, including Ally McCoist, Philippe Senderos and Chris Waddle. Elsewhere, he has covered the National League South play-off final, Formula E's London E-Prix, Crawley Town and Brighton & Hove Albion's Under-21s.
Tom's expertise lies in analysing transfer developments, explaining what they mean for clubs and supporters, and producing in-depth features on the biggest stories in football. Through years of covering Liverpool and Everton, he has developed an extensive understanding of Merseyside football, both clubs' recruitment strategies and the issues that matter most to their supporters. He has also built strong relationships across the football industry that add valuable context to his reporting and analysis.
Tom also enjoys writing features on the broader challenges facing football, its clubs, players, governing bodies and, most importantly, supporters.
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Aston Villa's midfield rebuild is continuing to take shape. After losing Youri Tielemans to Manchester United and Amadou Onana to an ACL injury in a particularly cruel blow, they instantly turned to Joao Gomes and Johan Manzambi.
The two arrivals represent impressive business from those in the Midlands, having hijacked Newcastle United's deal for Manzambi before stealing Gomes from rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers.
REUTERS/Willy KurniawanHowever, even after those arrivals, Unai Emery is still looking for more. The Spaniard has now set his sights on Joao Palhinha in an attempt to complete a new-look midfield trio.
The Bayern Munich man was once again one of the best tacklers in the Premier League when on loan at Tottenham Hotspur last season and could be set for another return this summer.
|
Johan Manzambi |
CM / AM |
Freiburg |
Adds creativity, technical quality and attacking intent, while his ability to operate deeper gives Unai Emery another versatile midfield option. He arrives after a breakout season with Freiburg and an impressive 2026 World Cup with Switzerland. |
|
João Gomes |
CM / DM |
Wolves |
Brings intensity, ball-winning and relentless pressing to Villa's midfield. His tackling and ability to recover possession should add the defensive bite Emery needs. |
|
João Palhinha** |
DM |
Bayern Munich |
Provides an experienced defensive shield in front of the defence, with his strength, tackling and positional discipline offering Villa greater protection in midfield. Villa's interest is confirmed, but the move is not yet completed. |
Under a manager who values winning possession back quickly, Palhinha makes perfect sense. It's not the prettiest new midfield in the Premier League, but it would be effective.
Gomes and Palhinha would particulatly thrive together, especially when considering that the latter was one of just two players to make more tackles than Gomes in the Premier League last season.
The duo would provide the perfect foundation for a player like Manzambi to thrive. He proved at the World Cup that he can perform on the biggest stage and lead from the front and it doesn't get much bigger than the Premier League.
Aston Villa launch unmatchable Palhinha offer
REUTERS/Andrew CouldridgeAs reported by A Bola in Portugal and relayed by Sport Witness, Aston Villa have launched an unmatchable offer to sign Palhinha, leaving them in pole position.
The Midlands club have put the transfer out of Benfica's reach for the time being, offering a much higher loan fee and salary as they look to get their season-long loan deal over the line.
Aston Villa's Damia Vidagany has already confirmed that the club are in talks to sign Palhinha and he currently looks destined for a return to the Premier League.
"We need a midfielder because Amadou Onana is out for the entire season – and João Palhinha is a very good player who would fit our plans. We are in talks, but there is currently no agreement. If something were to happen, it would always be based on the great respect we have for Bayern."
Despite efforts from Newcastle United and Benfica, the Bayern Munich man is currently Aston Villa's to lose. They've now got less than a month to get their deal over the line and complete their midfield rebuild.
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