Arsenal may have resisted their exits during the summer, but Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez’s contract situations can’t be simply brushed under the carpet. The Gunners are still on course to lose their two most talented players on free transfers at the end of the season, and could consequentially be forced to cash in on them when the January window comes around.
In terms of replacements, though, one candidate already stands out in Nabil Fekir. The Daily Star claim a deal to sign the powerful playmaker in January is ‘almost done’ and although they’re not the most reliable of sources, a mid-season swoop would certainly make sense for two key reasons.
First of all, Fekir is one of Ligue 1’s top talents outside of PSG and he’s enjoyed potent form once again this season, notching up nine goals and four assists in just eleven starts. He’s also completed the second-most dribbles of any player in the division after Neymar.
Perhaps more important, though, is Fekir’s well-established bond with Arsenal’s club-record summer signing Alexandre Lacazette. The French poacher has enjoyed a solid if unspectacular start to his Gunners career in goalscoring terms and although Ozil’s ability to create chances can’t be faulted, he’d surely love to link up with Fekir once again.
Last season, the duo amassed 36 goals and six assists between them in the league for Lyon – all three of Lacazette’s set-ups directly supplying the attacking midfielder.
If acquiring Lacazette was the first step to launching Arsenal into a new era, then reuniting him with Fekir could be the all-important second. That being said, the Daily Star believe the deal will be worth more than £60million – pretty much eating up whatever the north Londoners might receive for Sanchez and Ozil in the new year.
So, Arsenal fans, would you sell Ozil and Sanchez to fund a deal for Fekir? Let us know by voting below…
According to reports in The Mirror, Manchester United look set to miss out on the signing of Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil, who will be offered a £350,000-a-week deal to join Barcelona.
What’s the word, then?
Well, The Mirror says that the La Liga giants are keen to sign the Germany international, whose contract with the Gunners runs out at the end of the season with no new deal close to being finalised.
The Mirror says that the 29-year-old will be able to command a huge pay-day next summer, with United boss Jose Mourinho said to be keen on a reunion with the playmaker having worked with him at Real Madrid previously.
The fact that Barcelona and not the Red Devils can sign a pre-contract agreement with the player in the New Year could prove to be a problem though, with Mourinho potentially having to look elsewhere for a new No. 10.
Why does Mourinho want Ozil?
While the Portuguese boss has some decent attacking options in the form of Marcus Rashford, Romelu Lukaku, Anthony Martial and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, he perhaps doesn’t have the elite No. 10 that he would want.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan started the season as the first-choice in that position but despite providing five assists in the first three Premier League games this term, he hasn’t registered one since and was dropped from the squad for the games against Newcastle United and FC Basel in the previous week.
Ozil has provided 48 assists in 126 top flight outings for Arsenal since joining them from Real Madrid in 2013, and he would be a creative force at Old Trafford.
Could United still get him?
Well, Arsenal are unlikely to sell the Germany international to a direct Premier League rival in the New Year, and if Ozil wants his future sorted out then rather than at the end of the season then Mourinho looks unlikely to get his man.
Reported Arsenal target Riyad Mahrez scored a stunning goal for Leicester City in their 3-2 win against Newcastle United at St James’ Park on Saturday, and Gunners fans have urged their club to sign the Algerian.
The Mirror reported back in October that the north London outfit and arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur are ready to go head-to-head during the January transfer window to complete a £30m deal for the winger.
Following a disappointing personal campaign last time out, the 26-year-old is starting to recapture the form that saw him win the 2015/16 PFA Player of the Year award, and brilliant strike against the Magpies now means he has five goals and five assists in 17 appearances in all competitions this term.
Arsenal supporters were quick to have their say on his display via social media, and while one said “I want Mahrez so bad”, another said “surely we’ve got to replace Walcott with Mahrez in January”.
Liverpool’s Champions League fate will be decided when they host Spartak Moscow at Anfield on Wednesday night, and Reds fans have been quick to have their say ahead of the huge clash.
The Merseyside outfit are currently top of Group E with nine points, but they are just one point ahead of Sevilla, who travel to Maribor on Wednesday, and three points above Spartak.
While their goal difference is seven better off than the Russian outfit, a 1-0 defeat could be enough to consign them to the Europa League as their opponents would have a superior head-to-head record following the 1-1 draw in Moscow back in September.
A loss would still be ok if Sevilla were beaten in Slovenia, but Jurgen Klopp will know that a draw for his team will be enough whatever happens elsewhere.
Liverpool supporters took to social media to speak out before the match, and while many were “nervous”, another looked on the bright side and said “if we lose though, we’re still in Europe so all is good”.
Celtic fans in the Transfer Tavern are packing their bags, their Champions League qualifier is just around the corner.
Our punters are hoping for a better performance in the competition than last year. Celtic completed the domestic treble but faced a group exit from the Champions League after being drawn alongside Paris St Germain and Bayern Munich. The Hoops travel to Armenia next week to face champions Alashkert in their first Champions League qualifier.
Brendan Rodgers has made just one permanent signing thus far, paying £9m to PSG to keep Odsonne Eduoard at the club. Our regulars are hoping the Northern Irishman will secure some signatures in the coming weeks with the start of the season getting closer and closer.
One man he should target is Liverpool youngster – Harry Wilson. Valued at £900k by Transfermarkt, the Welshman has been heavily linked with a move to Rangers after Steven Gerrard took over as manager. The 21-year-old was loaned to Hull City for the last half of the season and scored seven goals as well as registering three assists in just 11 appearances.
He is considered one of the top prospects on Merseyside, but his route to the first-team is currently blocked due to the form of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane. Jurgen Klopp may decide another loan move is the best course of action.
Wilson would fit right into Rodgers’ system at Celtic Park. With excellent dribbling ability and bags of pace, he would be a nightmare for defenders. He is desperate for the chance to prove himself. Therefore, Celtic need to beat Rangers to his signature.
Tottenham Hotspur have made a £16million bid for Besiktas defender Domagoj Vida according to Turkish news outlet A Spor.
What’s the story?
The 29-year-old centre-back only signed for Besiktas in January but has struggled to settle at the Turkish club.
The Croatian defender has impressed with his World Cup performances, scoring his country’s second goal against Russia in the Quarter Finals.
Now according to the report, Tottenham have submitted a £16million bid for the defender who is valued at £6.3million on Transfermarkt, as they look for a potential replacement for Toby Alderweireld who is being linked with a move to Manchester United.
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A solid replacement
Vida has been one of Croatia’s stars of the tournament as he has helped his country progress to the semi finals of the tournament.
He is a tough no-nonsense defender who can also provide a goal threat as he showed against Russia, but Besiktas will know that his performances mean they can seek a handsome fee for the 29-year-old with reports suggesting they want as much as £27million.
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If Tottenham could sign him for under £20million, Vida could prove to be an even better defensive stalwart than Alderweireld has been over the past few years.
Crystal Palace will be hoping for an excellent season next time out as they seek to build on the success instilled within the team from Roy Hodgson.
The Eagles put together an excellent run of form following a miserable start to the campaign under Frank De Boer, and Hodgson will be confident he can bring some success to the club in the coming 10 months.
Of course, new signings are going to need to be made for the club if they are to continue to progress, and adding players in vital positions, such as up front, will be crucial.
One player we at the Tavern have been casting an eye over is Derby County striker Matej Vydra, who has been on the radar of Leeds United this summer.
The pacey forward has really found his feet this season after sealing a big money move last year to Pride Park, and ran out as the Championship’s top scorer last season.
Palace are going to need to add further goals to their squad, and with Christian Benteke not always firing on all cylinders, signing someone like Vydra would be a shrewd move indeed.
Quick, good in front of goal, and with a point to prove in the Premier League, the Derby striker would be an excellent signing if the Eagles could pull off a deal.
Palace fans, what do you think? Good signing? Let us know in the comments!
West Ham have signed Jack Wilshere to boost their options in the middle of the park, but manager Manuel Pellegrini is still pursuing another midfielder.
Stefano Sturaro (via Gazzetta dello Sport) and Mario Lemina are the two latest names to be linked with the club, and the likely departure of Pedro Obiang (via Sky Sports) will only increase Pellegrini’s desire to bring a fresh face through the door.
Competition for Sturaro, though, is fierce while Southampton will be desperate to keep Lemina at St. Mary’s this summer.
Furthermore, Pellegrini should try and lure Tottenham’s Moussa Dembele to the London Stadium.
Dembele, who is valued at £16.2m by Transfermarkt, only has a year left on his contract with Tottenham said to be open to a sell (via Daily Mirror).
And the Belgium international would be a shrewd acquisition for West Ham.
While Dembele does not top the goal charts or rack up assists, his presence in midfield can help change the tide of a game.
The former Fulham man can retain possession of the ball like no other, battling off any player that comes into his proximity, while he is also capable of bulldozing his way through the middle of the park before laying off the ball to a more creative team-mate.
At West Ham, Dembele would be the perfect link between midfield and attack, capable of winning possession before feeding the ball to the likes of Felipe Anderson and Andriy Yarmolenko.
No matter how difficult it may be, Pellegrini should try to sign Dembele this summer.
According to The Sun, explosive winger Wilfried Zaha has told Crystal Palace he wants to leave the club this summer. And while Eagles fans will be desperate for their talismanic attacker to stay, there’s no doubt Zaha’s wish has been a long time coming. He kept them up last season pretty much single-handed, and rightly feels he deserves another shot at the big time.
Palace reportedly value their star man at a staggering £70million. So what would actually happen if another club met the Eagles’ valuation, paid up and prised Zaha away from Selhurst Park? We take a look at the potential consequences – some positive, some negative – of such a transfer deal taking place this summer…
Michail Antonio arrives and Yannick Bolasie returns
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The Eagles will want to move quickly to fill Zaha’s void and considering how almighty that void will be, it could well require bringing in two talented replacements. Palace have been strongly linked with Michail Antonio, who now seems to be a bit of a spare part at West Ham following the arrivals of Andriy Yarmolenko and Felipe Anderson, and selling Zaha would leave the south Londoners with more than enough money to agree a deal with the Hammers.
But there’s also talk of Zaha moving to Everton with former Eagles charge Yannick Bolasie moving the other way. He’s never quite been the same calibre as the Palace product and is still getting back to his best after a horrendous injury at the start of his Goodison career. But the Congo winger would be a decent replacement and could in fact be the perfect signing to keep the fans on board – a friendly face who is known to have genuine passion for the club can go a very long way, especially when you’ve just lost your most important player.
Should Palace’s valuation be met, there’s no reason the Eagles can’t pull off deals for both widemen and have something left over.
Roy Hodgson gets the funds to replace Ruben Loftus-Cheek
Of course, Zaha isn’t the only huge talent leaving Selhurst Park this summer. Ruben Loftus-Cheek was one of the stars of last season in south London, his surging runs forward from midfield creating excitement amongst supporters and plenty of scoring opportunities for the likes of Zaha, Andros Townsend and Christian Benteke.
Palace have some good quality in midfield. Although Yohan Cabaye has just left for the Middle East, Luka Milivojevic has been one of the most underrated engine room enforcers in the Premier League over the last 18 months, James McArthur’s proved a decent source of goals and Jason Puncheon will be back in action next season too.
But none are offensive driving forces in quite the same way, and Hodgson will be keen to bring someone in who can replicate that kind of service. Selling Zaha will give him the funds to do so on a permanent basis rather than another loan deal.
Palace endure woeful start to the season
Palace were only caught up in a relegation battle last season because they endured such an abysmal start to the campaign, but selling Zaha could unfortunately see history repeat itself. It’s no secret that Palace failed to win a single point without their star man last season and while that doesn’t mean the Eagles will go an entire campaign without earning one should the Ivory Coast forward leave this summer, the statistic does inevitably highlight Zaha’s intrinsic role in this side.
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When you have a talisman like that, it often takes time for another player to truly step up and fill the void, to take it upon themselves to rise to the big moments. Eventually, that will happen – especially if Hodgson brings in new blood this summer that isn’t accustomed to relying on Zaha in the same way. But it’s really a question of how long, and what position Palace are in before someone truly takes up Zaha’s mantle. If it doesn’t happen in the first few weeks of the season, the Selhurst Park outfit could quickly find themselves in another relegation battle – even if they’re more than capable of getting out of it once again.
Would you sell Zaha for £70million, Palace fans? Let us know by voting below…
Jose Mourinho has admitted his team have been struggling during the course of pre-season, something that doesn’t leave the team in good shape with the season just a few weeks away.
Man United have been reasonably quiet compared to usual in the transfer market but that can all swiftly change. Fred, Dalot and Lee Grant are the only additions Jose Mourinho has made to his team thus far but if they’re serious about contending for the Premier League title, more quality will need to be brought in, like someone in the form of German World Cup winner Jerome Boateng – who is valued at £40.5 million on Transfermarkt.
Bayern Munich are reportedly ready to let Boateng leave as he searches for a new challenge in a new league. Manchester United have struggled at the heart of defence for a number of seasons now should they move for the 29-year-old, Boateng will not let them down based on his quality performances in the Bundesliga over the last 7 seasons.
Boateng was limited to just 19 Bundesliga starts last season but obviously, Bayern are a better side with him as the German international kept 11 clean-sheets during those appearances.
Eric Bailly, Chris Smalling and Victor Lindelof are great defenders in their own right but injuries have prohibited each and every one of them from making a real name for themselves at Old Trafford. Should their injury woes be forgotten, Jerome Boateng would prove to be the perfect partner for any of them, providing speed, strength and a winning mentality, having previously lifted a World Cup, 6 Bundesliga titles, the Champions League and even the FA cup during his short time with rivals Man City.