Published Jun 26, 2026, 7:09 PM GMT+1

Tom is a football journalist with five years of experience. He has been featured in the Non-League Paper, Crawley Observer, Sussex Express and The RedmenTV - producing features, news and conducting interviews.

For Football FanCast, Tom has sat down with a number of names from the industry, including Ally McCoist, Philippe Senderos and Chris Waddle. Elsewhere, he has covered the National League South final, the Formula E London Prix, Crawley Town and Brighton’s U21s.

Tom enjoys writing features about teams in the Football League and Premier League, whilst also receiving the opportunity to conduct interviews on behalf of FFC.

Having written for The RedmenTV, he is particularly an expert on all things Liverpool.

In terms of spending, although they've still got SCR problems (formerly, PSR), European qualification should at least allow them to invest wisely if not necessarily heavily.

There are also question marks about the future of certain stars which could change that spending allowance. Arsenal are among the clubs still interested in Morgan Rogers and he's likely to generate a similar fee to the £100m that Manchester City spent on Jack Grealish many moons ago.

Meanwhile, Emiliano Martinez is also one to watch as Juventus go in search of their next No.1. The Argentinian had a somewhat awkward goodbye at the end of the 2024/25 campaign before staying put in the Midlands. This time around, however, his farewell could be for real.

Before those potential sales take place, though, those in the Midlands could welcome their first incoming of the summer in the form of an ex-Premier League star.

Aston Villa on the verge of signing defender

Unai Emery is seemingly set to get his first signing of the summer. According to Brazilian journalist Venê Casagrande, as relayed by Sport Witness, Aston Villa are on the verge of signing Emerson Royal from Flamengo.

The Villans have reportedly increased their offer, reaching the €10m (£9m) mark, having initially bid around €9m (£8m) to sign the former Tottenham defender.

Whilst Royal is not a name that many were expecting to come through the door at Villa Park this summer, he will provide key depth across the backline, with his ability to play centre-back and at right-back.

There is expected to be no problems when it comes to personal terms, either. Villa's second offer has reportedly been well-received by Royal's camp, as he prepares to rejoin the Premier League for the first time since leaving Spurs in 2024.

Why Emerson Royal makes sense for Aston Villa

It's far from a blockbuster move, but Unai Emery will be the first to insist that players like Royal will prove to be important at Villa Park. The defender will provide vital depth and compete with Matty Cash as the fixtures come thick and fast next season.

Aston Villa learned the hard way that squad depth is key the last time that they were in the Champions League. It is not a lesson they need to learn twice.

Royal already has Premier League and Champions League experience and should have no trouble stepping back into English football in a backup role.

Crucially, however, his arrival must only be the start. If there's money for Villa to spend, then they should not hesitate to back Emery in full this summer.

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