Aston Villa 'could sign' £30m Ajax star as pundits laud Gary O'Neil for Wolves turnaround

Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa returned to Premier League action at the weekend. While Wolves picked up a massive away win over Marco Silva’s Fulham, Villa could only muster a draw against a struggling Crystal Palace outfit.

With the international break over and all the teams in England’s top division now back in the fold, let’s take a look at all the biggest rumours from today.

Aston Villa are thought to be in pursuit of a highly rated midfielder who currently plays for Ajax in The Netherlands. He will not come cheap - reports suggest he is rated at £30 million.

Meanwhile, Wolves head coach Gary O’Neil has been praised for Wolves’ resurrection in the Premier League, following a run of form that sees them out of the drop zone.

Aston Villa linked with £30 million Ajax midfielder Kenneth Taylor

Aston Villa are thought to be in the race to sign Kenneth Taylor from Ajax in a deal that could be in the region of £30 million, according to Football Insider. Despite this, they are far from the only interested party - Newcastle United are also thought to be in the hunt for a new defender before the end of the season.

Taylor has been a standout performer for the Dutch giants this season. So far, he has played in 22 games across all competitions for Ajax, scoring six goals and notching up four assists along the way. He also plays for The Netherlands’ national team, having picked up four caps.

An adaptable midfield player, Taylor is most comfortable when playing centrally - despite this, the 22 year old is also perfectly capable of functioning as a defensive midfielder. His contract is not due to expire until the summer of 2027 - therefore, Ajax are under no pressure to let him go as of yet.

Gary O’Neil praised for Wolves’ positive form

Wolves endured a tough start to the Premier League season, as they have sat in the bottom three for the majority of the campaign thus far. However, following a resurgent run of form that has seen them unbeaten in their last four league games, they are now out of the relegation zone.

His performances from the dugout have caught the eye of Alan Shearer, who singled the Wolves boss out for praise. He said that he has instilled an air of confidence around the club and believes this is the reason for their strong form.

Speaking on The Rest is Football podcast, Shearer said: “You can tell there’s an air of confidence around Gary O’Neil now. They had a really tough start in terms of fixtures.

“We said ‘This is the time for them to step up when they’ve got winnable games’. They certainly have done, and you can tell that. You can just see there’s a bit of a spark back in Gary.

“He’s got the belief back and the confidence is back within the football club. I always felt they’ll be all right. If they can keep him (Cunha) fit, they may be more than all right.”