All posts by h79snht.top

Whilst the Gunners may have admittedly slipped up in the Premier League in their last two outings – against the respective powerhouses of both West Bromwich Albion and Norwich City – Arsene Wenger’s side have still performed rather well across their domestic duties this season.

Yet because Claudio Ranieri’s overachieving Leicester City have nonetheless maintained their impressive form right among the upper echelons of the league table, Arsenal seemingly haven’t performed quite well enough. If the Foxes can continue to dominate their individual matches on an almost week-to-week basis, then surely the Gunners must as well…

In a subsequent turn of events for fans of both sides this season however, Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez has recently seen his name linked with a whole host of clubs in 2015/16, including Arsenal. The pressure is on for the long-term Emirates boss in what could very well turn out to be one of the 66-year-old’s last major seasons on the top-flight managerial scene.

So then, could Riyad Mahrez really turn out a success at the Emirates, or does this loose paper talk simply represent nothing more than curious headline making at best?

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Well, although this particular transfer story would have likely been laughed off quickly had it been raised a mere matter of months ago, Mahrez is a player who is certainly on the up. The 24-year-old Algerian international has enjoyed a campaign to remember so far, consistently providing fans with a fair few goals and an abundance of assists to match.

The rapidly emerging Foxes man has been in dazzling form all season to be fair. His technical skill in front of goal has been effective to say the very least, the partnership formed between he and Jamie Vardy has proved too much to handle on occasion this term, and as the flying wide-man is looking more and more hungry with every passing match, maybe the good times have only just begun for Riyad Mahrez.

At 24-years-old, the Algerian star still theoretically has enough left in the tank to really make a name for himself in the Premier League. If he had been playing for a more technically gifted side – an outfit obviously superior than the determined Foxes – then perhaps the quick-footed no. 26 could have sparkled even brighter this season.

Arsenal could therefore arrive as the perfect destination for the current Leicester favourite. Although Mahrez is obviously highly valued by his current employers, the lure of the Emirates often proves tempting – especially for the many foreign imports who come to sample the notorious management style of a certain Arsene Wenger.

That said, although Arsenal would arguably suit the Algerian international down to the ground this January – do the Gunners even need him? Mahrez is a good player for sure, but question marks still surround his overall quality.

This is a talent who has only really just started to impress in the Premier League after all. It should arguably take a lot more achievement than that to be signed at the Emirates, especially for the kind of fee Leicester City will likely be asking for. The Premier League has become entirely unbalanced when it comes to genuine valuation over transfer fees recently, so even if Arsene Wenger was in-fact interested in the Foxes play-maker this January, it remains hard to imagine the Gunners spending over the odds in their pursuit of the reported target.

Although the Emirates faithful currently pay witness to a rather lengthy injury list at the moment – especially concerning several of Wenger’s most prominent attacking options – Mahrez is ultimately not the man to improve their season. Arsenal already pay host to a succession of players in a similar mould anyway, so perhaps some good old fashioned leadership quality should be sourced at the Emirates this January above all else. Lord knows the Gunners need it…

Riyad Mahrez has certainly looked good this season – but as we are yet to see how well he responds when the going gets tough down at the King Power Stadium – now is not the time for Arsenal to be making desperate panic buys in the January transfer window.

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Whilst nothing can quite be taken for granted within the modern game, the 2015/16 campaign looks like it will continue to haunt Aston Villa and their newly installed manager, as they aim to avoid the ever looming threat relegation.

No sensible Villa fan needs reminding of the current plight their team faces in the Premier League – but Remi Garde’s new side have only picked up one solitary win to their name throughout the entirety of the current season, subsequently suffering ten painful losses as a result of their poor form.

The January transfer window could therefore offer the Midlands-based club a way out of the dreaded relegation zone before the situation becomes truly unworkable. In light of Aston Villa’s reported interest in QPR’s in-form striker – Charlie Austin – last summer, Remi Garde has since seen his side linked with the 26-year-old Englishman once again this season, acting as a potential light at the end of the tunnel for the Villa Park faithful.

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However, could Aston Villa really get their hands on the rapidly emerging centre-forward this January, or have the Villans already missed the boat on signing Charlie Austin.

Well, if his most recent form is anything to go by, the current Queens Park Rangers hit-man really could help out Remi Garde’s team rather dramatically in 2015/16.

Austin certainly knows how to find the back of the net on the basis of what he achieved in the Premier League last season – and although he may look like a somewhat outdated traditional English striker of yesteryear, the 26-year-old also has a decent amount of technical ability under his belt.

When it comes to effectively holding up the ball in the final third, linking up with the rest of his teammates across the pitch, and entertaining his respective fan-base with some really well taken finishes, Charlie Austin rarely seems to disappoint. He is also just as useful on the deck as he is in the air, successfully proving able to marry the physical side of the English game with some impressive technical skill at times.

Although QPR had somewhat unrealistically set a £15million price-tag on their widely coveted striker last summer, the London club currently find themselves without much bargaining power, languishing in 15th place in the Championship. Aston Villa could well prove the ones to tempt Austin this January then.

Yes, he may be a tad over-rated, and he wouldn’t likely act as an overnight success at Villa Park should he eventually make the move, but could the current Loftus Road favourite serve to improve Remi Garde’s options in 2015/16? There’s ultimately not much doubt.

However, whether or not Aston Villa will remain in the Premier League beyond the realms of this season remains up for debate. The Midlanders haven’t yet been relegated from the English first division, but that rather trivial fact simply fails to help the struggling Villans out of their current predicament.

The club have already spent a fair amount on transfers throughout the summer, and as very few Aston Villa players have actually done their fans justice this term, maybe the writing is well and truly on the wall.

Charlie Austin himself probably wouldn’t be overly excited about the prospect of joining the worse placed team currently operating in the Premier League. Put in no uncertain terms whatsoever, Aston Villa look utterly hopeless at the minute – and although Remi Garde does in-fact seem to offer a fair amount of promise in the dug-out, the problems at Villa Park evidently run way deeper than poor managerial decision making alone.

Therefore, unless the Villans somehow manage to improve their fortunes out on the pitch sooner rather than later, it remains difficult to picture Charlie Austin turning out at Villa Park in the New Year.

Both West Brom and Newcastle have subsequently been linked with the in-form striker of late, which simply doesn’t bode well for Garde’s luckless outfit when all is said and done.

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A new cult hero appears to be emerging on Merseyside, and it sure isn’t Jurgen Klopp.

Across Stanley Park from the German lies a 21-year old Bosnian midfielder entering his second season as an Everton player.

His name is Muhamed Besic.

Amid the array of exciting names plying their trade at Goodison Park, the former Ferencvárosi  man has largely gone unnoticed since his arrival in 2014.

While the likes of John Stones, Ross Barkley and Romelu Lukaku take many of the plaudits in the national press, diehard fans on social media have not missed the Bosnian international’s recent performances.

A household name he may not be, but Toffees fans on Twitter are sweet on their £4m midfielder, believing him to be one of their most exciting players.

He had an eventual first few minutes, creating the first real opportunity of the game by pressing forward with a direct run before hitting the post.

However,, his game was curtailed by a recurrence of his hamstring issue, much to the dismay of the Everton faithful.

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Jurgen Klopp hasn’t been able to stamp his mark on the Liverpool squad just yet.

No doubt, the players are steadily adapting to his ‘gegenpressing’ philosophy but the Mersey outfit recruited sparingly during the January transfer window and until he can bring his own players in, the Reds will never be a proper Klopp side.

But come the end of the season, the German gaffer will have enjoyed the best part of nine months to analyse the talent already at his disposal and will be handed a sizeable transfer budget to improve his squad accordingly.

Logic suggests Klopp will turn to the Bundesliga as his predominant recruitment pool. The former Mainz and Dortmund boss knows the division – and most importantly, where all the transfer gems are kept – like the back of his hand.

With that in mind and the coming transfer window not as far away as it may seem, Football Fancast have taken a look at FIVE Bundesliga stars reportedly on Liverpool’s summer radar.

NEVEN SUBOTIC

Liverpool may have just agreed a pre-contract with Schalke centre-half Joel Matip but their options at the heart of defence still require further improvement, with Kolo Toure moving on and Mamadou Sakho and Dejan Lovren both failing to convince.

In that regard, it’s hard to look past Jurgen Klopp’s long-time ally Neven Subotic, who not only played under him at Borussia Dortmund but also former club Mainz – arriving at Westfalenstadion together back in summer 2008.

The Serbian international has spent much of his career in the shadow of World Cup-winning centre-back partner Mats Hummels but he’s a very talented defender in his own right, offering a sharp turn of pace, a strong reading of the game and a penchant for last-ditch tackles.

Subotic’s Dortmund career appears to be coming to an end. Injury problems have seen the 6 foot 2 defender slump behind Sokratis in the pecking order and his contract will enter its final two years come the summer window, making it an ideal time for the Black-Yellows to sell.

GRANIT XHAKA

A number of Premier League clubs are tracking Granit Xhaka ahead of the summer transfer window, including Liverpool, amid yet another strong campaign with Borussia Monchengladbach.

Indeed, the Switzerland international has averaged the seventh-most successful passes per match of any player involved in Europe’s five leading top flights this season, alongside 2.5 tackles and 3.1 interceptions per match.

The 23-year-old has been dubbed ‘young Schweinsteiger’ by former manager Ottmar Hitzfeld and he boasts a similar style of play to the Manchester United star, as a hardworking and aggressive centre-mid who excels in monopolising possession.

He could be the ideal signing to add playmaking quality to Liverpool’s otherwise industrious midfield and Gladbach appear set to sell in the summer. Xhaka’s contract includes a £27million release clause for summer 2017, making the coming window their best chance to secure a larger fee.

LEROY SANE

Schalke starlet Leroy Sane has set the Bundesliga alight this season, bagging five goals and four assists in 15 starts to emerge as one of the most exciting prospects throughout the division.

He’s also averaged 2.8 successful dribbles per match and muscled his way into Joachim Lowe’s plans for the German national team, picking up his first cap in November, all the more impressively at just 20 years of age.

The left-footed attacker has been tipped to reach the very top level of the game and resultantly, is a rumoured target of practically every major club in European football. That includes Liverpool but they may struggle to meet Sane’s £40million valuation and fend off interest from the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City.

JAVIER HERNANDEZ

Having shown what he’s capable of in front of goal with a regular starting berth, Javier Hernandez could make a very sudden return to the Premier League next summer after moving to Bayer Leverkusen at the start of the season.

Indeed, since the £7.3million switch, the former Manchester United super-sub has netted 22 times across all competitions – including five strikes in the Champions League – and claimed the Bundesliga’s Player of the Year award for November.

Already well-established as a Premier League goal-scorer, boasting three campaigns of double figures in the top flight from his United tenure, English clubs have inevitably found themselves drawn to the Mexico international over the last few months.

Liverpool and Arsenal have been tipped to duke it out for the 27-year-old’s signature this summer and in comparison to ever-benched target man Christian Benteke, he’s certainly a good fit for Jurgen Klopp’s high-pressing philosophy.

MARIO GOTZE

A lack of marquee signings has plagued Liverpool in recent years but their drought at the top end of the transfer market could be brought to a close this summer with a swoop for Bayern Munich star Mario Gotze.

The German international is perhaps best famed for scoring the winning goal at the 2014 World Cup but he’s really struggled at club level over the last few years, finding himself a peripheral figure in Pep Guardiola’s plans and now amid a lengthy injury bout.

But the 23-year-old was widely regarded as one of world football’s most exciting young talents whilst dazzling under Jurgen Klopp at Borussia Dortmund, where he claimed back-to-back Bundesliga titles and reached a Champions League final, and could look to revive his career by linking up with the German gaffer once again.

The attacking midfielder would certainly enhance the quality of Liverpool’s starting Xi and with his contract due to expire at the end of next season, a bid around the £25million mark this summer will probably convince the Bavarians to sell.

It’s not just been bad for Aston Villa, it’s been downright horrific.

From start to end, top to bottom, the Villains have been awful, both on and off the pitch. The team have been rocked by a number of off-the-pitch allegations, whilst on it they’ve struggled for form all season. This has led many fans to question whether back-to-back relegations could be on the cards.

It’s a rarity, but when it does happen, it can be devastating. Ask Wolves, Wigan Athletic or Blackpool. All have been Premier League sides in the past decade at least, but they’ve all fallen to multiple relegations in as many seasons and it looks like Villa could go the same way.

When Villa fans came away with three points from the south coast from the opening weekend win over Bournemouth, few would have expected to end up in this mess. Few football fans in general would have thought that a team flirting with European competitions a decade ago would end up in this situation, but at the end of the day, that’s modern football.

The team are relegated, there’s no question about it. Yes, it hasn’t been confirmed just yet, but they’re as good as down and a major rebuilding job is needed in the summer. There’s great tension between the players, the fans and the board and it’s even been described as “toxic” by former Villa star Stan Collymore, who has often bore the brunt of fan frustration on social media this season.

But it seems that at one point or another, Villa fans will have to make peace with owner Randy Lerner and the players, because they’re going nowhere with the current atmosphere.

Lerner has tried and failed to sell the club for at least two years and it seems there is no Saudi Prince that is going to come along and save them.

Villa Park is a cauldron of hate, and with every goal conceded the mood worsens. 40,000 still flock to the ground most weeks, and what do they see? 11 players who don’t even look like they want to work together. Branded a disgrace by Jamie Carragher, most professionals would be furious with such comments.

But there’s a real lack of fight, of passion, of hunger. At Sunday League level players show fight and passion, even if they’re being played off the park by opponents they know are simply a better side.

There are players in that Villa dressing room who should know better. Micah Richards and Joleon Lescott have been singled out on multiple occasions this season, and rightly so, too. Whilst their overall performances have been no worse, as local lads and leaders, they should be showing the youngsters and foreigners what it means to wear the shirt.

There’s been none of that and Villa fans must face the prospect of back-to-back relegations if things don’t improve. The Championship is a tough league to get out off, after-all.

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If Aston Villa really are to propel themselves straight back into the Premier League next season following their embarrassing relegation, finding a suitable manager is vital.

Former Villa star Paul Merson believes securing a new man at the helm must be their ‘biggest signing’ of the summer, and must think ‘long and hard’ about who will be Remi Garde’s successor after the Frenchman was sacked at the end of March this year.

After Martin O’Neill departed from the club in 2010 – having guided his side to three consecutive 6th place finishes in the Premier League – the powers that be at Aston Villa have struggled to find a worthy replacement for the Northern Irishman.

The club’s success has spiralled downward in the years since, and Villa have narrowly escaped relegation in the previous four Premier League seasons before inevitable relegation this term, finishing 16th, 15th, 15th and 17th respectively.

How such an historic club with a proven record of winning can go from fourth place challengers to bottom of the table in a mere few years is a question only the club itself can answer.

The problem certainly lies deeper than merely the players or the manager, but ensuring the right people are at the club is one step in the right direction.

Here are five men who could take the reigns at Villa at launch them back into the top division next season…

David Moyes

Currently unemployed, the Scotsman looks a smart choice for Villa if they want to bring in a manager with vast experience in the English game.

Moyes was highly praised for what he did with his Everton side during his decade long tenure at the club, where he guided the Toffee’s to continual top half finishes, including a top four spot in 2004/05.

Having also managed Preston and, more memorably Manchester United in England, Moyes could take to Villa like a duck to water.

The same cannot be said about his brief spell in Spain however, where he was sacked by Real Sociedad after less than a month in charge.

Sean Dyche

While it is unlikely Dyche will leave his newly promoted Burnley side, there is no denying the Englishman would be a perfect fit for an out of sorts Aston Villa.

Dyche’s record of gaining promotion not only as a manager, but as a player too, is quite astounding. As a player, he won promotion with four of his clubs, including Northampton Town and Watford.

As a manager, he has no guided Burnley twice to promotion from the Championship since taking over from Eddie Howe in 2012, and has proven he knows what it takes to get out of a very competitive league.

Martin O’Neill

Why fix something if it is not broken? That is what Aston Villa should be asking themselves after having parted ways with O’Neill back in 2010.

Randy Lerner had deemed that O’Neill and the club were going in ‘different directions’ and that that neither could come to a consensus on the correct way to take Aston Villa forward following his successful spell.

The now Republic of Ireland manager has gone on to help his side qualify for Euro 2016, while Villa find themselves rock bottom of the league with Championship football to look forward to next season.

A return after the competition could be on the cards, providing the Northern Irishman and Lerner can see eye-to-eye.

Nigel Pearson

Many thought Pearson’s sacking from Leicester was unjust after a late surge had kept his side in the Premier League during their first season back in the top division.

In hindsight, it was probably the right call, but that is not to discredit what the Englishman has achieved at the Foxes, as well as his previous clubs Southampton and Hull.

The 52-year-old had guided Leicester from League One to the Championship in 2009, which was followed by a brief spell at Hull City before he returned to the Midlands to earn the Foxes a Premier League place by winning the Championship.

With plenty of experience under his belt, Pearson could be just the ostrich/man, to guide Villa back up the Premier League.

Dwight Yorke

Former Villa striker Yorke has publicly announced his desire to get into management and his wish to steer Aston Villa back in the right direction by taking the vacant position at Villa Park.

Whilst he has no real previous management experience (besides being assistant manager for the Trinidad and Tobago national side), some fresh blood from a cult hero could spark some life into the club’s revival attempts.

It would certainly be a risk, but Yorke has played in and been promoted from the Championship before with former club Sunderland, so he must know a thing or two.

Wales have never been likely candidates to join the world’s footballing elite, and how could they be?

With a significantly smaller player pool to choose from than their rivals England, and most other countries, the fact that the team qualified for this year’s European Championship is phenomenal and great for football in general.

Wales, under Chris Coleman have exceeded expectations and qualified from a group that included one of FIFA’s leading teams – Belgium. In fact with a win at home and a draw away, the Welsh held their own impressively against the No.2 ranked side and finished second in the qualifying round, losing only once.

A huge part of their play is centred around the talismanic Gareth Bale. Although not a possession football side, Coleman has made Wales hard to beat and quick on the counter attack.

But it’s Bale’s dribbling, his running at defences, his goals and the trickery on the ball that he produces with seeming ease is pivotal to all that Wales do in and around the opponents penalty box.

Against Sweden, the Welsh were undone and were pushed aside by a stronger side. As their first and last warm-up game, the damage this result has done is unthinkable. From riding into the tournament on a high and hoping to outsmart the rival teams with their virtual anonymity, they now go into the competition after a sound kicking that has possibly left some doubts in their minds. Even Coleman chose his words carefully rather than attack his team on the eve of the finals.

Gareth Bale didn’t appear until the 64th minute that night after an eight month absence. After a gruelling Champions League final, Coleman decided to rest the Real Madrid man, while the Wales team that night wasn’t the strongest available, with or without Bale.

The 26-year-old gives so much attacking nous to the Welsh and once he entered the fray, the Dragons looked a threat going forward and for the first time in the game they started to attack with a bit of purpose. But they seem lost without him.

In qualifying, Wales scored just eleven goals, with Bale netting nine of them. Coleman generally starts with Hal Robson-Kanu in front of Ramsey and Bale. Sam Vokes, Simon Church and Robson-Kanu do all have differing strengths and can certainly help Bale or Ramsey deliver the incisive blows, but Coleman must know that they are unlikely to conjure many match-winning moments themselves.

“People always ask me about Gareth Bale and Aaron Ramsey and I understand that,” said Coleman. “But, from my point of view, Sam Vokes and Simon Church never fail to be here and are playing very well.”

The Welsh aren’t blessed with strength and depth, and are over reliant on certain players – in particular Ramsay and Bale. Many of the squad have had to learn fast after being fast-tracked to the senior national ranks and players like Ramsay already have a vast number of caps at tender ages.

This Wales side certainly contains decent players who generally have had fine seasons. James Collins for West Ham, Simon Church for Aberdeen and Ashley Williams, who is a very good defender, being just three. It is obvious that they will need to keep Bale fit, but generally without him, Wales are not the same side and do not have the players to bring in to deputise.

Wales could surprise many this summer and with the new format, where the four best-ranked third placed teams from the group stages could progress to the last 16, it is possible for them to go further than anyone imagined.

As Chris Coleman said though: “We have to be careful as well what message we send to everyone else in the squad. Everyone wants to talks about Bale and Rambo, I understand that, they are great players, but I promise we didn’t qualify because of two players. They were of course a huge help but the others players who have been involved in the last two years have been magnificent. When they have been with us, in the challenge with us, we couldn’t ask for more.”

Wales without Bale? Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that…

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Never believe what you read. Isn’t that what they say?

In the case of Manchester United, that is certainly true over David de Gea. With the arrival of the Portugese boss, De Gea expressed his desire to stay after last summer’s transfer debacle.

Real Madrid had the chance to activate a release clause in the Spaniard’s contract, but rejected it before the Euro’s despite remaining interested in the Manchester United goalkeeper, according to reports in Spain.

His release clause stands at €50m and although the claims are that De Gea wants to play under Mourinho, there is still a burning desire within the player to play for Real Madrid.

Contracts or not, we all know that they are not worth the paper they are written on these days, as contracts only protect the club.

So, if De Gea left for Real, who might Jose consider as his replacement? Here are five likely candidates…

Kasper Schmeichel

Wouldn’t that be a fairytale for the Schmeichel family?

With his father being one of the all time Old Trafford greats, younger Schmeichel would have a lot to live up to, but after having a taste as a champion and being a full Denmark international, the Leicester keeper is an experienced option.

Leicester will be loathe to give up their number one and are aiming to talk to the Dane about extending his contract, but money talks and the 29-year-old could be swayed by the salary on offer and emulating his father.

Rui Patricio

If you can’t keep a Spaniard, replace with him with one of your own, and that’s what Mourinho could do with Portuguese keeper Patricio.

Part of the Euro 2016 winning Portugal side, the 28-year-old has spent most of his career with Sporting, making his debut with the first team at only 18-years-old and going on to appear in more than 350 games.

Jan Oblak

The Atletico Madrid keeper became the eighth most expensive goalkeeper ever when he moved two years ago from Benfica for €16m.

Only once in his 41 appearances for Atlético has Oblak conceded more than two goals. Even under bombardment from Bayern Munich’s heavy artillery in the Champions League, the Slovenian won every aerial duel and contributed seven saves, including his decisive reflex reaction to Thomas Muller’s penalty.

Hugo Lloris

The Spurs keeper may not at want to move north when his current team are going to be competing in the Champions League, but when a club like Manchester United come calling, with a manager like Mourinho, you take notice.

The France international is a sound enough keeper and would be a superb addition to the squad. Already well versed in how the Premier League works and its pressures, Mourinho could do worse than lure the 29-year-old to Old Trafford.

Bernd Leno

Leno was one of the goalkeepers that Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp was reportedly monitoring before he signed Karius.

The 24-year-old Bayer Leverkusen shot stopper has also been watched by other Premier League clubs and is currently Manuel Neuer’s understudy for Germany.

His contract had a get-out clause of £12.5million, which expired on April 30, so now Leverkusen could more than double their asking price.

It is rumoured Leno wants to quit Leverkusen because of disagreements with coach Roger Schmidt and is another solid shout for the Man United manager.

Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth side were one of the success stories of the 2015/16 campaign. Despite struggling a little towards the end of the season, their attacking brand of football won over neutrals as they survived the drop with relative ease. The club is a great tale of recovery itself and their team, which has no standout big names, is one of the most entertaining to watch in the Premier League.

Signings this summer have been shrewd. The addition of Jordon Ibe is the undoubted highlight, the former Liverpool winger adding yet more pace to a terrifyingly quick Cherries front line.

However, Bournemouth fans would be forgiven if they were wanting a couple of more additions before the window slams shut (feel free to add another cliche here).

As any great transfer guru will tell you, the best way to strengthen your own chances is to simultaneously weaken your opponents as well. Bournemouth could do this with these THREE signings…

Scott Dann

From being one of the most applauded centre-backss in the league to the defensive leader of a sinking ship, Scott Dann endured a rather up and down time with Crystal Palace last season. Alan Pardew’s team suffered a pretty abysmal second half of the campaign, which could see Dann push for a move.

Bournemouth’s defence has largely been a little shaky since they arrived in the Premier League, with Howe focusing on the other end of the pitch much of the time.

Steve Cook and Simon Francis have not been at fault as regularly as some may wish to tell you, but the addition of a player of Dann’s calibre would certainly reinforce the backline.

James McCarthy

McCarthy saw his form dip horribly under Roberto Martinez and the arrival of Idrissa Gueye at Everton suggests the Irishman could be heading towards the exit door.

If he is available for a reasonable price, McCarthy would be an excellent addition to Howe’s midfield. The promising, but inexperienced, Lewis Cook, the classy Andrew Surman and hard-working Harry Arter started the Cherries’ opening game of the season and suffered against a strong-looking Manchester United side.

If McCarthy could return to his form of a couple of years ago, he would add necessary steel to the Bournemouth midfield and allow the front three yet more freedom to attack.

Saido Berahino

While other clubs continue to dither around Berahino, Bournemouth still have the opportunity to swoop for a player of great potential. Although their striking ranks are pretty well stocked at the moment, Berahino could slot in anywhere across their front three and would add yet more potency.

Natural finishing is a rare gift and Berahino possesses it – that alone makes him worth the investment. With just the one year left on his contract, too, it is a temptation for clubs to move for the Baggies star and Bournemouth should be one of the clubs considering this.

Callum Wilson and Benik Afobe may not be too chuffed at the arrival of another forward, but Berahino would give Howe yet more attacking options and significantly weaken West Brom.

What’s the story?

Tuttosport in Italy are of the opinion that Torino’s on-loan goalkeeper, a certain Joe Hart, may be open to prolonging his stay in Turin after a fairly promising start to life in Italy.

The England number 1 saw his position at Manchester City as their main ‘keeper taken by summer signing Claudio Bravo, so Hart decided a move to Serie A would be best for his career.

Torino are currently 10th in Serie A after a 3-1 victory over Roma last weekend and Hart appears to be enjoying his time there.

Would it be worth it?

There’s no doubt that Joe Hart is a top ‘keeper on his day, so he’d be more than welcome at many sides in Europe – Torino included. He’s playing games and enjoying his football which he wouldn’t have been doing if he’d stayed at City this season so in this instance, yes, it is worth it.

There are, arguably, more negatives to him staying at Torino for longer. For all Torino’s history and promising youngsters, they are still some way off of challenging regularly at the top of Serie A and in Europe. The same can be said for most Italian clubs, but if Hart does want to stay in Italy, he’d be better off playing for Inter Milan or Napoli who are at least there or thereabouts.

Furthermore, he needs to seriously consider his England future. With him not playing at the cutting edge of any division, is he going to be challenged more by the likes of Fraser Forster? When at City, he seemed to have that number 1 spot in the national team nailed down, but that looks a little more in doubt now and he’ll certainly have to consider it during the next international break.

Ultimately, it’s Hart’s decision if he stays on in Turin or looks elsewhere – if City isn’t an option. But for a player of his ability, he should be looking at some of the top clubs challenging in Europe right now.