Aston Villa's £18 Million Bid for Harwood-Bellis Rejected

Aston Villa have seen an £18 million bid for Taylor Harwood-Bellis knocked back by Southampton, according to The Athletic, as the Midlands club brace themselves for the likely departure of Ezri Konsa to Arsenal.

Unai Emery wants a new defender lined up with Konsa on the verge of a £51m move, plus add-ons, to the Emirates. Harwood-Bellis is one of three names on Villa’s shortlist and they have now made their move, but Southampton are holding firm.

They are not alone in being rebuffed. Benfica have already had an opening offer of £17m rejected, underlining how determined Saints are to drive up the price for the highly rated centre-back.

Arsenal under fire over Lewis-Skelly saga

While Arsenal prepare to spend big on Konsa, they are facing a storm of their own over the future of Myles Lewis-Skelly.

The teenage midfielder has been linked with a summer switch to Manchester United despite making it clear he wants to stay in north London. That disconnect has infuriated club legend Ian Wright, who has publicly criticised his former side for allowing the situation to spiral.

Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Wright said: “I don’t know where that’s coming from because I know for a fact that’s not coming from his team.

“It’s not coming from his mum. Arsenal fans need to chill out with his mum saying that she’s touting him about. Myles has already said he’s happy to stay. Why have Arsenal not just said he’s not for sale?

“He’d be a great signing for Manchester United, of course he would. Look what he’s doing.”

New season, new rules

While clubs wrestle with transfers, players and coaches must also adapt to a fresh batch of laws for the coming campaign.

• If play is stopped for an injury, the affected player must now leave the pitch for at least one minute, up from the previous 30 seconds. The tweak is designed to cut down on time-wasting and encourage quicker restarts.
• Second yellow cards will now fall under the scope of VAR, but only in very specific circumstances. A review can take place if a player is shown a clearly wrong second yellow card, not to check incidents where a second booking might have been given but wasn’t.
• Set pieces are under the microscope as well. A five-second countdown will be used to clamp down on delays at throw-ins and goal-kicks. If a team exceeds that limit, the restart will be reversed – a throw-in handed to the opposition or a corner awarded if a goal-kick is delayed.
• Substitutions will have to be sharper too. Players now have 10 seconds to leave the field when being replaced. If they take longer, the incoming substitute must wait until the next stoppage after one minute has elapsed before entering the pitch.
• Some of the experimental measures seen at the World Cup will not be adopted. There will be no enforced hydration “quarters” as used in North America; drinks breaks will only be allowed if the temperature at kick-off exceeds 30 degrees Celsius.
• VAR will not be expanded to overrule incorrectly awarded corners, even though replays often expose errors. The technology also cannot overturn a yellow card for simulation in terms of the offence itself – only mistaken identity can be corrected, a point underlined after Switzerland’s Breel Embolo was sent off against Argentina due to a misinterpretation of IFAB’s rule.
• There is no move towards red cards for players covering their mouths. The existing three-step discrimination protocol inside stadiums, triggered by player-reported abuse, remains in place.

Gyokeres focused on Arsenal, not Barcelona

Away from rulebooks and into the transfer rumour mill, Viktor Gyokeres has made his stance clear: his mind is on Arsenal.

Linked with Barcelona, the Swede played down talk of an exit when speaking to talkSPORT, insisting he is concentrating on the campaign ahead and an eye-catching opener.

“I’m looking forward a lot, it’s going to be nice to start a league campaign again and to start against my old club.

“It’s a great way to start at home so I’m looking forward to it. I haven’t played against them so of course it’s going to be nice to see a few of them that are still there and meet the fans as well.”

Keane unconvinced by United’s title credentials

At Old Trafford, the focus is on the middle of the pitch. Carlos Baleba is set to arrive, but Roy Keane still doesn’t believe Manchester United’s midfield is good enough to win the league.

Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, Keane said: “If you’re on about winning the league, I think it’s (United’s midfield) short. United’s big problems are still going to be defensively.

“That midfield and going forward, there is a big goal threat at United, they were very good last year with it, especially when Carrick took over they were a real goal threat.

“But the issue is at the back, the full-backs and the two centre-halves are still a big issue. But on paper, they [the midfield] jump out as really good players. But is there a league-winning midfield there? Probably not. No, I don’t see it.”

Curtis Jones closing in on Inter switch

One player heading for a fresh start is Curtis Jones. The Liverpool midfielder is expected in Italy today for a medical ahead of a move to Inter Milan, according to reports in Italy.

Gianluca Di Marzio reports that Jones has agreed a five-year deal with the Serie A champions, who have tabled an offer in the region of £30m. With the 23-year-old entering the final year of his Liverpool contract and no extension in sight, the path is clear for a switch to San Siro.

Barcelona move on from Alvarez

Barcelona’s search for attacking reinforcements has taken another twist. Their pursuit of Julian Alvarez has ended, with Atletico’s hardline stance forcing sporting director Deco to look elsewhere, according to ESPN.

Speaking about the task of replacing Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres, Deco laid out the scale of the challenge.

“We’ve lost two players in attack, Lewy and Ferran. I think we have solutions to cover Ferran with the signings we have made. Replacing Robert is much more difficult. It’s really tough to replace a player like him.

“We have some internal solutions, but we have to look [what’s available]. There is a lot of noise. I think there will be more movement, we are still working hard.”

Arsenal close in on Konsa

Back in north London, Arsenal are edging closer to landing Konsa from Aston Villa as they scramble for defensive cover before the new Premier League season.

Mikel Arteta wants a right-sided defender and has identified the 28-year-old as his preferred option. Long-term injuries to William Saliba and Jurrien Timber have left Arsenal light at the back, and Konsa’s ability to play both centre-back and right-back fits Arteta’s demand for versatility.

The Athletic report that talks are now advancing, with discussions even taking place at ownership level to bridge the gap in valuations. Arsenal have been prepared to pay around £40m, while Villa value Konsa closer to £60m. Personal terms are not expected to be a stumbling block.

If Arsenal get their man, Villa will need to move quickly for Harwood-Bellis or one of their other targets. The window is tightening, the numbers are rising, and the defensive dominoes are lining up. Who blinks first?