Aston Villa owner Dr Tony Xia announced the club’s first summer signing on Twitter on Friday, but it was quickly apparent that he was just having a bit of fun.

The Villa chairman met Brazil legend Roberto Carlos at the 2017 World Football Forum, and having heard a story that the left-back almost moved to Villa Park in 1995, he decided to get the 44-year-old to hold up the club shirt in the style of a new signing.

Carlos played won one World Cup and three Champions League titles during his career, and came close to joining the Villans when he left Palmeiras to progress his career in Europe, where he eventually signed for Inter Milan.

Aston Villa supporters were quick to have their say on the image from their owner via social media, with some saying he is better than some of the players they have in the full-back positions now, while others went a step further by saying the retired Brazilian would be more useful than any of their current squad.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

As reported by The Daily Star, Arsene Wenger has been handed a massive £150m transfer budget, at the minimum, this summer as he prepares to build an Arsenal squad capable of competing for the English Premier League title.

After pledging his future to the Gunners by signing a new two-year contract, it appears he’s been promised the resources that could see them finally able to match the spending power of the other massive clubs in division.

Of course, that money doesn’t go as far as it used to in world football, even compared to five years ago, but it’s still a huge amount and will allow Wenger to target some of the top talent across England and Europe.

We reckon that far from signing a barrel load of players, the Gunners boss should focus on three or four targets that could potentially bring the club to the next level.

Here are THREE stars that should be at the top of Wenger’s wishlist…

Jordan Pickford

Sunderland may have been consistently dire in the English Premier League last season but the fact remains that Jordan Pickford is one of the brightest goalkeeping prospects in the country.

The Black Cats only won five games across their league campaign but of those five wins, four were thanks in part to clean sheets. The shot-stopper made 135 saves across the season, 20 more than Arsenal number one Petr Cech and second in the entire division behind Tom Heaton at Burnley.

Cech may not quite be done at the highest level quite yet but Pickford would certainly push him for the number one spot and if necessary play a perfect role as a number two and coach of sorts to the inexperienced Pickford. Still just 23 years of age, he has a decade plus left of playing time and getting in early on his talent this summer could end up being a stellar bit of business from Arsenal.

He’s a potential future England number one too, which would only increase his value.

Virgil van Dijk

Virgil van Dijk is possibly the most sought after defender in Europe right now with massive clubs linked with the Dutchman on a seemingly continual basis.

Arsenal are one of those according to The Daily Mail, who say he could cost any suitors up to £50m if they want to prise him away from Southampton. With Arsene Wenger’s new spending power, it at least puts them into the conversation around his signing and he would undoubtedly add a lot of class and poise to the Gunners’ backline.

At 6ft 4ins tall, he would help solve their problems with set-pieces. Of the 44 goals they conceded in the Premier League last season, a massive 39% of them came from dead ball situations.

Perhaps most importantly though, he has shown the leadership skills to really shine most when Southampton are under pressure, often being the literal last line of defence when times are tough for the Saints. That leadership has arguably been something missing from Arsenal in recent years and his signature could be a game changer for Wenger’s defence.

Kylian Mbappe

Kylian Mbappe may be the teenager with most potential across the entirety of European football right now, blowing away Monaco fans and neutrals alike with outstanding performances both in Ligue 1 and the UEFA Champions League over the last season.

Scoring an incredible 26 goals and creating 8 assists in 44 appearances in all competitions, he’s taken French football by storm, apparently having all the attributes to be a massive success in the English Premier League.

In conjunction with the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, he could add real danger to the Arsenal attack, with the versatility to play either as a striker or across attacking midfield.

Reported by The Sun to be valued at around £87m, he would obviously be a massive investment but if they have the chance to secure a potential next Thierry Henry then surely his acquisition is a no-brainer?

Inspired by Iain Macintosh’s journey with Everton on CM01/02, I’ve decided to boot up Football Manager 2017 and take Aston Villa back to the glory days of the 1980s.

Previous episodes: Episode One, Episode Two, Episode Three, Episode Four, Episode Five, Episode Six, Episode Seven, Episode Eight, Episode Nine, Episode Ten, Episode 11, Episode 12, Epsiode 13, Episode 14

One of my biggest fears was being forced to sell more of my key players before the transfer window closed. This time last year, we were a newly-relegated club and we still carried some clout. But now we’re in danger of just being another Championship side, and the best players don’t want to play for just another Championship side. Thankfully I managed to keep hold of the squad that’s started the season so strongly, but it’s a warning that promotion this season is a must.

I also chose against signing another striker and have instead decided to keep my faith in Richairo Zivkovic, who up to now appears to have struggled to adapt to life in England. We know from last season that promotion isn’t an easy task, but we certainly could do with a break.

Thankfully we’re granted one of the international variety, which is the perfect time to try and sort out our lack of goals while also ensuring our defence remains as solid as it has been so far. One goal conceded in our opening seven games in all competitions is an encouraging start but we can’t get complacent.

September starts with Rob Holding being named Championship Player of the Month and I come third in the manager awards. No time for accolades though, there’s a job to be done: judge me at the end of the season, not after one month.

Friday Night Football. We’re not in the Premier League so there’ll be no Rachel Riley calling us bottle jobs if we fail to beat the visiting Sheffield Wednesday, though I was looking forward to kicking back in the dugout sporting the casual Jeff Stelling look, an open collared shirt and a demeanour which seems to ask the question, ‘drinks after work?’

But casual is perhaps the wrong vibe to send to the players, so I’ve named an unchanged XI and expect three points here.

But casual was indeed the word, and a few other words spring to mind, too. Sheffield Wednesday were superb and played us at our own game, their finishing in front of goal just a little better than ours. Vaclav Cerny scored his first goal for the club but I couldn’t care less about that – we were awful!

Our impeccable defensive record is out of the window and so is our impressive unbeaten run. Now it’s back to the drawing board, Zivkovic will be dropped for the Leeds clash on Tuesday night as well.

Neil Taylor picked up his fifth yellow card of the season already, so Zeki Fryers comes in to replace him at left-back while Jonathan Kodjia comes in for Zivkovic, who has been truly shocking since signing for us.

Leeds are third, we’re sixth, so a win here will keep us up with the chasing pack early doors. Lose and I’m sure bad memories of last season will come flooding back very quickly. I know we’ve only just lost our first game of the season but the way we performed against Sheffield Wednesday was worrying.

Better! We were outstanding from start to finish. Everything about this performance is what I’ve demanded from the team ever since I arrived at this club. Such a rampant victory away at Leeds sends a real statement to the rest of the league. That defeat to Sheffield Wednesday was just a blip and we’re going to be the team to beat in the Championship.

Jonathan Kodjia justified being recalled to the starting XI by finding the net in the second half but it was Conor Hourihane’s goal to put us 2-0 up in the first half that will take some beating for goal of the season…

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Next up is a trip to 14th placed Fulham. If our away performance at Leeds is anything to go by I expect another solid and convincing performance with lots of goals and another clean sheet. Funny what a win can do to your confidence levels, isn’t it?

The only change I’m making for this one is the return of Taylor for Fryers. Other than that, it’s the same tactics with the same players.

That was a devastating performance, positively devastating. A lapse in concentration at the back had given Fulham the lead but we were level from within 15 seconds of the restart as my players refused to let it effect them.

From there we were ruthless as both Kodjia and Ince continued their fantastic goal scoring form. Carlos Gil wrapped it all up in stoppage time to lift us in to second spot and just two points off league leaders Derby.

Nine goals in two games is the sort of attacking prowess I was searching for at the beginning of the season. I think I’ve cracked this managerial lark. Took me long enough.

It’s Stoke City up next in the EFL Cup third round. This will be a true test of where we’re at. A win here won’t just send a message to the Championship but to the rest of the country. Aston Villa are on their way back to greatness. Only a win over Stoke City can confirm that. Obviously.

The pre-match report I get about Stoke City tells me they lost their last outing 2-0 at home to West Ham. Simone Zaza scored both goals to help justify the Hammers making his loan move permanent in a £14m deal during the summer. I thought this game was supposed to be realistic?

I have no choice but to name an unchanged XI here. A Premier League club are in town and we’re on fire. Mark Hughes better be ready for this.

Sometimes you need luck to go your way in this game and my word was it on my side here.

We deserved to win, there’s no doubting that, but the way in which Stoke City gifted it to us was comical. Jonathan Kodjia put us in the lead just before the hour mark but Stoke’s Imbula looked to have forced extra time with an 85th equaliser.

And then this happened…

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Can I claim that Aston Villa are indeed on their way back to greatness as a result of being gifted a win like that? I don’t care. We’re in the fourth round and playing extremely well. We can beat anybody. Apart from Sheffield Wednesday, obviously.

We draw Crystal Palace away in the fourth round and I’m confident we can do them and reach the fifth. Perhaps we can even win it? Don’t rule us out.

We now host 11th placed Nottingham Forest at Villa Park and can go top with a win, we just need Derby to drop points at home to rock bottom Charlton.

Once again, an unchanged XI.

Well, Derby played their part by losing at home to Charlton, but we also dropped points. Kodjia was having a bad game but Tom Ince continued his great start to the campaign by putting us in to the lead with a wonderful solo effort. Cerny gave away the penalty that led to their equaliser and after that we really struggled to find a winner.

We have to be better than that and I know we’re capable of it. Two games remain in September and we can’t afford to drop any points from them. Can we do it? Just Barnsley and Ipswich stand in our way from ending this month in some great form.

Barnsley are 20th so shouldn’t cause us any problems. We need to respond well after than disappointing draw with Forest. Yet again it’s an unchanged XI.

Results like that could cost us come the end of the season. Not scoring from 19 attempts on goal just isn’t acceptable. Kodjia had another shocker in front of goal, which is worrying. He was on fire only a few games ago, now he’s struggling to kick a ball straight. I’m really worried about him.

The final game of the month sees us travel to Ipswich. They’re 19th but I won’t go in to this one expecting three points like I did against Barnsley. Let’s just see what happens. If Kodjia fails to score again then Zivkovic can have another go up top.

Both Veretout and McCormack picked up knocks against Barnsley so they’ll sit this one out, Westwood and Gil come in…

Yes! Zivkovic is off the mark and I couldn’t be happier for him. Kodjia was forced off shortly after half-time due to a dead leg and Zivkovic opened his Villa account with the goal to send us to the top of the Championship! They say real winners know how to grind out results and we did just that here.

And a shout out to Pierluigi Gollini – seven clean sheets from our opening 11 games and on course for the golden glove so far…

This time least year we were languishing in the bottom six and I was fearing my job. Now we head in to October as league leaders and real force to be reckoned with.

This month has been a bit of a game changer. It started poorly with that home defeat to Wednesday but, since then, we’ve been very good. Rob Holding, Conor Hourihane, Thiago Illori, Tom Ince and, to an extent, Jonathan Kodjia have all impressed me and I’m feeling very confident that we’ll go up this season now.

Here’s a reminder of our September results…

And the league table before the next international break. Aston Villa top of the pile – what a beautiful sight…

October is a going to be a difficult month. Games against recently relegated Middlesbrough and Swansea will truly show us where we’re at while a trip to Selhurst Park to take on Premier League Crystal Palace won’t be easy, even if I had earlier claimed we weren’t scared of them.

I’m off for a celebratory beer. We’re top of the league!

<< Click here for Episode 14 | Click here for Episode 16 >>

Fabio Cardoso became the fourth signing of the close season for Rangers on Wednesday, further proof that Pedro Caixinha is not just determined to bring in talent early to the club this summer but bring in talent from abroad that he knows well.

Bruno Alves, Dalcio and Cardoso himself all come from Caixinha’s homeland Portugal, the Ibrox boss utilising his European contacts well to secure talent he feels will impact on the Rangers first team.

Caixinha is also apparently looking at bringing in players from his time in Mexico too with the likes of Carlos Pena and Eduardo Herrera arriving in Glasgow over the last week for medicals, two players he knows from his time as Santos Laguna manager.

Complementing these foreign signings is former Aberdeen Ryan Jack, who signed on a free after his contract expire at Pittodrie. Caixinha recognises that he can’t fill the first team with players who have no experience of Scottish football.

With this foreign talent set to make their mark on Ibrox, we reckon the club should now turn their attention to domestic talent and pick up some of the brightest and best in the SPFL.

Here are THREE Scottish stars we reckon would be good purchases this summer…

Jamie Walker

With his contract at Tynecastle due to expire next year, Hearts Director of Football Craig Levein confirmed last week that the left-winger wants to leave the club and test himself elsewhere.

Walker has been in outstanding form in the Scottish Premiership this season, scoring 12 goals for the Jam Tarts, more than any Rangers player scored in the competition.

His ability on the left-wing, cutting inside is beyond most other in the league outside of Celtic and if Rangers can do a deal for him then it should be pursued.

Still just 23 years old, he has the potential to be an even more effective presence in the top-flight, especially when surrounded by better players than he’s alongside at Hearts, and would be the kind of player that can really excite the Ibrox home support.

Liam Lindsay

Liam Lindsay made it into the PFA Scotland Team Of The Year at centre-back and rightly so. At just 21 years of age he’s emerged as one of the best defensive prospects in the entire country.

He’s helped Partick Thistle secure their highest finish in top-flight football since the early eighties, with his assured and committed performances at the heart of their defence.

It’s an area of the pitch Rangers have been found lacking in all season and some fresh blood would surely give that backline a boost. At 6ft 3in, he has the physicality required to be a hit at Ibrox but is capable on the ball too, gaining plaudits for his ability to play the ball out of defence.

With the signing of Bruno Alves, the Light Blues have made a statement that they’re ready to turn up the heat on Celtic next season and putting Lindsay alongside the Portuguese legend could be a masterstroke. Alves undoubtedly has a lot of knowledge and experience to impart on young players and coupled with the upward trajectory of Lindsay’s career so far, it could be the kind of pairing that makes Rangers a strong defensive force.

Craig Sibbald

Up to now Craig Sibbald has been a one-team player with Falkirk but at the age of 22 and with his contract expiring at the Bairns this summer, it seems inevitable that he will finally move on from the club. One of the brightest prospects in the Scottish Championship, Sibbald was again the driving force for their promotion push last season, finishing the campaign as their top scorer with 10 goals from midfield.

With over 200 senior appearances to his name already at the age of just 22, he’s had a fine education at Falkirk but a move to a bigger team could be the making of him. Frankly, it’s surprising a team hasn’t come in for him in prior transfer windows.

Like Jamie Walker, he’s the kind of player that can entertain and excite the Rangers support with his ability to find space in between the opposition midfield and defence.

If he rejects the advances of a new contract at Falkirk and is available on a free then a move for him is relatively risk free and he would certainly add competition and some fresh blood to an area of the pitch that badly needs a spark next season.

According to reports in Portuguese newspaper Record, via Sport Witness, Crystal Palace are eyeing a move for €30m-rated (approximately £26.3m) Sporting Lisbon midfielder William Carvalho, although they could face competition from Premier League rivals Manchester City and West Bromwich Albion for the 25-year-old’s signature.

The Portugal international has long been linked with a move to England and the article in Record, via Sport Witness, suggests he is keen on joining a Premier League team following some impressive performances for club and country.

Meanwhile, West Ham United boss Slaven Bilic is keen to significantly strengthen his side this summer following a disappointing debut season in their London Stadium home, and he will be looking to make some signings that can push the club on to compete for European football next term.

The Portuguese star could help them do that and with teams like West Brom and Palace lining up a move for the midfielder too, the Irons should be getting involved.

Here are three reasons West Ham must join the Eagles in the race to sign Carvalho…

Quality

Considering some of the eye-catching performances he has produced for Sporting Lisbon and Portugal, it is something of a surprise that the 25-year-old hasn’t been snapped up by a top European or Premier League club already.

Carvalho is strong in the air and a big physical presence in the middle of the park, and he has proved to be an effective shield in front of the defence on a number of occasions.

He showed his awareness by making 43 interceptions and 36 clearances in 32 Liga Nos appearances last term, but it is his ability on the ball that is perhaps more impressive.

The midfielder had a passing accuracy of 88% in the Portuguese top flight, while he also successfully completed 35 of the 43 take-ons he attempted.

Experience

Having racked up more than 150 appearances in all competitions for Sporting Lisbon – including in European competition – as well as winning 37 caps for his country and playing a key role in their Euro 2016 success last summer, Carvalho has a wealth of experience despite being just 25 years of age.

The fact that he has won a major international trophy will certainly win the respect of his new teammates, and he could prove to be an influential figure for West Ham in the future if he completed a move to the London Stadium.

Potential

Considering the qualities he brings and what he has already achieved in his career, if West Ham could sign Carvalho for around £26.3m it could prove to be a brilliant deal.

If he impresses in a midfield role for the Irons next season, he could easily be worth double that figure next summer with the way transfer prices are going, and it would prove to be a sound investment in that sense.

The 25-year-old certainly looks ready-made for the Premier League and has the potential to improve his game and get even better, and his addition would also help to bring down the average of the squad – something that Slaven Bilic is actively looking to do.

Do you agree, Irons fans? Let us know below.

According to reports in The Mirror, Newcastle United are leading the race to sign former Manchester City winger Jesus Navas after his return to Sevilla stalled over his wage demands.

The 31-year-old was released by the Citizens this summer following the expiry of his contract, and he is now available on a free transfer.

Magpies manager Rafa Benitez is keen to bring some experience into the team before the start of next season in order to ensure that the club don’t find themselves in a relegation battle, and he has received a boost with the news that the La Liga outfit are refusing to pay Navas more than £1.3m-a-year, according to The Mirror.

Newcastle supporters were quick to have their say on the rumour via social media, and they were divided with their opinions.

While some feel he would be a great signing and that the club should wrap a deal up as soon as possible, others believe that he all can do is run and he is unable to score or create.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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According to reports in the Sunday Mirror, Manchester United’s chances of completing a £60m deal to sign Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti have taken a huge blow with the French side demanding Anthony Martial in return.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Sunday Mirror says that Verratti has become a top target for Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho in his search for a new central midfielder with Chelsea refusing to budge on their £50m valuation of Nemanja Matic.

The Sunday Mirror say that United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward stepped up his pursuit of the 24-year-old after Barcelona cooled their interest in the Italy international, who recently chose Mino Raiola to become his new agent – the same man that represents Mourinho, Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku.

However, the report adds that PSG are only willing to do business with the club if Martial is included in any deal and while United aren’t willing to agree to that, negotiations are continuing over a deal.

How did Verratti do last season?

The Italian was once again an influential figure for the French side and he scored three goals and provided an further eight assists in 43 appearances in all competitions in what was a disappointing season for PSG as they lost out to Monaco for the Ligue 1 title, and suffered an embarrassing exit at the hands of Barcelona in the Champions League.

The 24-year-old is considered to be a deep-lying midfielder who can dictate the play and with an 89% passing accuracy in 28 league appearances last season, he showed how comfortable he is in possession.

In addition, Verratti is not only good on the ball but he likes to run with it too and he successfully completed 58 of the 66 take-ons he attempted.

Would he be a good signing for United?

He certainly would be.

With the likes of Michael Carrick and Marouane Felllaini in the middle of the park there is a real lack of legs and energy and bringing in Verratti would certainly help that issue.

The 24-year-old has show just how good he can be for club and country during his career so far, and his addition would undoubtedly be adding another piece of the jigsaw that will take United closer to winning the Premier League title again, although it now all depends on their negotiating skills.

Chelsea are planning to table a £50m bid for Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk this week, according to The Mirror.

What’s the story?

The Dutch centre-back has been a regular name in the transfer gossip pages this summer.

It was widely reported that he would sign for Liverpool, but the club were forced to issue a public apology to Southampton after being accused of tapping up.

Van Dijk has maintained that he wants to leave, and he handed in a transfer request last week in order to force his way out.

Liverpool remain linked to the 26-year-old, but now Chelsea have stepped in, with The Mirror claiming that the club will offer £50m to the Saints in the coming days.

Do Chelsea have a chance?

Southampton have reiterated that Van Dijk is not for sale, but the player’s public criticism of the club and desire to leave, puts them in a difficult position.

They do not need to offload the defender, but having an unhappy player in their ranks could disrupt the season.

As mentioned, Liverpool have been the frontrunners for the majority of the summer, but Chelsea could swoop in due to Southampton’s relationship with the Reds.

The tapping-up issue is straight away going to put the Saints off doing business with Liverpool, regardless of whether Van Dijk would prefer to move to Anfield or not.

In addition to that, the Merseyside outfit have bought a number of Southampton’s key players in the past, including Adam Lallana and Nathaniel Clyne.

If Chelsea are willing to pay the asking price, then they have a big chance of getting the Dutchman.

Aston Villa have had a difficult start to the Championship season, which has not helped lift their hopes of Premier League promotion.

The Midlands outfit have managed to pick up just one point from their first three league games of the campaign.

The last two outings have ended in defeats, and Steve Bruce’s side have scored just twice so far in the second tier.

The results have been a big contrast to a positive summer when the club recruited Chelsea legend John Terry.

Ahead of Villa’s home match against Norwich City on Saturday, Bruce confirmed that Mile Jedinak is in contention to return from a groin injury this weekend.

The midfielder underwent minor surgery towards the end of last season to rectify the problem, and now looks set to get back on the pitch.

It is a welcome boost for the Villans, as the Birmingham Mail reports that the team have not won a Championship game without Jedinak since the start of last season.

As expected, the fans are relieved to hear that the midfielder is on his way back.

It must be said that Arsenal were nothing short of abysmal at Anfield, playing straight into Liverpool’s hands tactically and failing to apply anywhere near the level of fight you’d expect from one of the biggest clubs in English football in such a high-profile game.

But that shouldn’t take away from a superb Liverpool performance either; the Reds fine-tuned their game-plan perfectly and were relentless from the opening whistle to the last, in a performance that highlighted the vast differences between Arsenal and the rest of the top six at this moment in time.

Mohamed Salah endlessly capitalised on Arsenal’s disorganisation in counter-attacking scenarios, constantly attacking the space behind their defence and producing five shots on target, one of which resulted in a goal.

Attacking accomplices Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino got in on the act as well, while Joe Gomez did a terrific job in keeping Alexis Sanchez quiet and Emre Can’s action-packed display epitomised the control the Merseysiders exerted in midfield.

In fact, there were strong individual performances all over the pitch; so who was your Man of the Match? Let us know by voting below…