Aston Villa's decision to sign Alejandro Garnacho on loan from Chelsea does not sit well with Dean Saunders.

“If I’m being honest, I’m not a fan of Alejandro Garnarcho and his attitude. Look at what happened with him and Manchester United.

“When you look at his talent and ability, when I was playing football and we had talented players come in to train with us or sign for us, talent alone didn’t impress me.

“I wasn't impressed by people who can do tricks, juggle a ball and beat three men. I was more impressed with people who were hard to play against like Jamie Lawrence, who I played with at Bradford. No one liked playing against Jamie. He'd run through a brick wall, tackle someone, chase back, and defend.

“Some players have nowhere near the talent of Garnacho, but I’d be more impressed with someone who turns up every week, gives a seven-out-of-10 performance, works hard defensively, and provides quality in the final third. We can all do tricks and skills, but that consistent work rate is what you’re getting paid for.

“To be honest, I was surprised Villa signed him.”

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The saga over Manchester City's 115 charges has opened up a long stream of unanswered questions.

Official confirmation that City have been found guilty of 114 of those charges has been provided by the Premier League.

An appeal from City will be lodged, so until that is concluded, no final decisions on sanctions can be made, whether that be a fine, points deduction, or even expulsion from the Premier League.

There is the issue of compensation, too. Not just from those who finished second in title races to City but those who missed out on European football during the period of the alleged financial breaches.

Uncertainty will not be in short supply in the City dressing room. If the more extreme sanctions are handed out, it would not be a surprise if players quickly considered their futures at the club.

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Viktor Gyokeres has admitted frustration at a lack of game time at Arsenal this season, while also addressing transfer speculation.

Despite only arriving from Sporting CP last summer and going on to score 21 goals across all competitions in his debut season, including 14 in the Premier League, Gyokeres was heavily linked with exit from Arsenal during the recent transfer window.

There had been talk of Gyokeres being used as makeweight in a swap deal for Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez, and there were rumours of a Barcelona switch leading up to transfer Deadline Day.

Ultimately, the striker stayed put and has revealed he was never close to leaving.

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Manchester City players are discussing the prospect of relegation after the club was found guilty of prolonged financial misconduct by the Premier League.

An independent commission confirmed on Tuesday that the club had been found guilty on 114 of the 115 charges levelled against them back in 2018, with the official legal decision citing sham sponsorship deals designed to covertly funnel money into the club.

It is alleged the club brought in over £900m from the deals, and went out of their way to throw investigators off the scent.

Elsewhere, City are accused of misreporting their accounts, and their witnesses have been accused of giving false testimony. City are able to appeal the decision and must do so by this Friday. The club continues to maintain its innocence and claims to hold “irrefutable evidence” to prove it.

In the meantime, conversation has turned to the question of potential sanctions, with a severe points deduction bad enough to send them down or expulsion from the Premier League among the mooted measures.

And, per reports from L’Equipe, players are beginning to worry about the prospect of being banished from the Premier League.

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Attentions have already turned to the January transfer window.

Arsenal did recently confirm the signing of striker Vincent Joseph as part of a renewed focus on youth recruitment, but the likes of Eli Junior Kroupi, Kenan Yildiz, Rio Ngumoha and Maximilian Beier continue to be linked with moves to the Emirates Stadium.

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Crystal Palace and France striker Jean-Philippe Mateta is a target for Manchester United.

According to TEAMtalk, United will look to strengthen their attacking options in 2027 and the 29-year-old is said to be on the shortlist.

The Red Devils want greater competition for Benjamin Sesko up front and Mateta is seen as an ideal option.

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As the international break rumbles on, Manchester United are continuing to be linked with both player and managerial targets.

The Red Devils have made a dawdling start to the new campaign despite a summer of heavy spend.

The club’s back line remains in need of reinforcement, and they have been linked with an exciting young right-back on the continent. they have also learned Brian Brobbey’s conditions of sale.

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Chelsea have confirmed the signing of former Tottenham starlet Leo Black.

The versatile 20-year-old, who can play as a right-back and in midfield, called time on his 12-year association with Spurs in June.

Black joined Chelsea on trial earlier this summer and made a bright start to life in west London. Two Premier League 2 goals were enough to see him nominated for the division’s September player of the month award alongside his new team-mates Reggie Watson and Chizaram Ezenwata.

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Al Nassr forward Joao Felix has revealed he dreams of returning to Europe, 18 months after calling time on a horribly underwhelming stint with Chelsea.

The versatile Portuguese forward signed for the Blues on a short-term loan from Atletico Madrid in 2023, before returning on a permanent deal the following year. That transfer was worth a reported £46.3m including add-ons, and Felix put pen to paper on a seven-year contract.

He struggled to crack the first-team, though, and left on loan to join AC Milan just six months later, before subsequently being sold to Saudi outfit Al Nassr, where he joined forces with Cristiano Ronaldo and Sadio Mane.

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Arsenal have been credited with an interest in Stuttgart defender Finn Jeltsch.

Jeltsch, 20, is also said to be on the radar of Real Madrid, thus potentially sparking a bidding war.

Sport Witness have even reported that Stuttgart are now waiting for serious offers, which they expect to happen soon.

The report also states Stuttgart have set an asking price for Jeltsch and believe he is worth €45million (£38.5m).

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