Published Aug 25, 2026, 4:40 PM GMT+1

Dominic is a football journalist for Football FanCast, specialising in Premier League reporting, transfer analysis and the EFL. He graduated from the University of Huddersfield in 2022 with a first-class honours degree in Sports Journalism.
 

Since leaving university, Dominic has written for several leading football publications, including GiveMeSport, Football FanCast, The Transfer Tavern and Sports Mole, producing everything from transfer exclusives and breaking news to in-depth analysis and match coverage.
 

Dominic has previously worked in club media with FC Halifax Town, as well as for The Halifax Courier, where he interviewed figures including Pete Wild, Gary Johnson and Phil Parkinson. He has also interviewed the likes of Gus Poyet and Dean Saunders for Football FanCast.
 

His expertise lies in assessing the credibility of transfer stories, analysing what potential deals mean for clubs on and off the pitch and providing context behind football's biggest talking points. Through years of covering Manchester United and Newcastle United, Dominic has developed an extensive understanding of both clubs, their recruitment strategies and the issues that matter most to supporters. His reporting is informed by established relationships across the football industry, providing valuable insight into the game's biggest stories.
 

A Tranmere Rovers supporter, Dominic has a particular passion for the EFL and enjoys covering every level of the English football pyramid.

After being left out of Villa's squad for their 4-0 defeat against Brighton on Sunday, Watkins has now returned and apologised to his teammates, but a move to Al-Hilal is still expected to go through.

The 30-year-old is keen on a move to Saudi Arabia, after a successful six-year spell at Villa Park, in which he's picked up 108 goals and 47 assists in 278 matches across all competitions.

With the England international's future in doubt, the Villans have started looking for a new striker, and Lepaul could be an exciting option, considering he won the Ligue 1 Golden Boot award last season by a considerable margin.

Former manager Habib Beye is a big fan of the centre-forward too, saying last season: "Esteban lives for goals; he's spontaneous, drawn to open spaces in front of the net, and has an exceptional work ethic every day."

With Watkins' move to Al-Hilal advancing, the 26-year-old could be an exciting replacement, and Unai Emery's side have entered the race for his signature.

Aston Villa battling Man City for Esteban Lepaul

According to a report from L'Equipe (via Get French Football News), Aston Villa have now registered their interest in signing Lepaul, with Premier League rivals Manchester City taking the same course of action.

Atletico Madrid, Como and Napoli are also in the race for the Frenchman, with the race for his signature starting to heat up, but Rennes have little interest in sanctioning a departure.

Moreover, the Ligue 1 side remain in a strong negotiating position, as the Auxerre-born marksman's current contract isn't due to expire until 2030.

There is a feeling Zinedine Zidane could hand the centre-forward his first France call-up next month, as he has been in red-hot form in Ligue 1, streching back to the end of last season.

However, it would arguably be a risk for Villa to replace Watkins with Lepaul, considering he still remains relatively inexperienced at the top level, having made just 63 Ligue 1 appearances, and he was playing Ligue 3 football until the 2023-24 season.