Everton and England star Ross Barkley is approaching a crossroads in his fledgling career.

A player of undoubted ability can no longer be considered a player of potential, it’s time the boy became a man and started to produce top class performances on a regular basis.

If you were to watch a compilation video of Barkley’s greatest moments, there would be no disputing his special talents.

However, the alarming dip in form he suffered in the second half of last season must be a small bump in the road and not an indication of a more permanent downturn in career trajectory.

The arrival of new manager Ronald Koeman and his highly rated backroom staff will surely aid Barkley in his quest for more consistent showings.

And the more demanding nature of the Dutchman, as opposed to the often perceived over-indulgence shown by former manager Roberto Martinez towards his young charge, could be just what is required to push Barkley onto the next level.

An injection of cash within the corridors of power at Everton means a higher level of player can now be attracted to Goodison Park.

Therefore, Barkley may no longer take his place in the starting eleven for granted. Yet, on the flip side he could be the talisman and superstar Everton have been craving for an age, who they could build a new team around.

But one thing which cannot be argued, is that the upcoming season is one of huge importance for the young blue.

Step up to the plate and the sky can be the limit, but if he fails to grasp this opportunity, we may never see the best of this mercurial talent.

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The FIFA 17 demo is out and we’re all gearing up for the full release of the game having had a small taste of what to expect from the full version.

One team we’re all looking forward to playing with is Manchester United. The Red Devils have gone through something of a mini overhaul over the summer, with Jose Mourinho replacing Louis van Gaal and immediately splashing the cash.

Mourinho only bought four players but in doing so, he still managed to spend £157.25m. Eric Bailly arrived from Villarreal for a whopping £32.3m, Henrikh Mkhitaryan signed from Borussia Dortmund for £35.7m and, of course, Paul Pogba completed his return to Old Trafford for a world record £89.25m fee. Zlatan Ibrahimovic arrived on a free transfer, too, which is already looking like the bargain of the summer transfer window.

So, four quality additions to Mourinho’s side and that can only mean that there are four quality players to look forward to playing with at Man United on FIFA 17 this year.

But how do they line up in Manchester United’s top 10 rated players in this year’s game? We’ve listed them for you, counting down from 10, and there’s even a shock inclusion for one player – do you agree with the ratings?

10. Herrera – 82

Ander Herrera has been used sparingly by Jose Mourinho during the opening four games of the Premier League campaign, starting just once and making two appearances from the bench. However, that’s not taking away from his ability in midfield. There’s no surprise why the Spaniard has made the top 10.

9. Schneiderlin – 82

The Frenchman has managed just five minutes of Premier League football under Jose Mourinho this season and already appears to have been the biggest player to have missed out at the expensive of Paul Pogba’s arrival. FIFA still rank him as the club’s ninth highest ranked player, though.

8. Schweinsteiger – 83

This is the shock inclusion, purely because he has been frozen out by Jose Mourinho and his Old Trafford appears to be all but over. The former Germany international is still rated as Man United’s eighth best player on FIFA 17, though, which will no doubt please a lot of his loyal fanbase.

7. Smalling – 84

The England international struggled with injury this pre-season and even though he’s now fit and ready for a return to first team action, the performances of centre-half partnership Daley Blind and Eric Bailly have prevented him from waltzing straight back in to the side. However, he is expected to replace Blind in the coming weeks and his 84 rating is probably accurate.

6. Rooney – 84

Some will say Rooney’s rating of 84 is a little harsh and deserves to be much higher, but he is knocking on a bit and the confusion over what position he’s best suited to has probably worked against him. Still, he’ll no doubt be a beast of a player for FIFA 17 players – just like he has been for so many years now.

5. Mata – 84

Juan Mata’s Man United future looked bleak when Jose Mourinho was confirmed as the new Old Trafford chief, but his form this season has arguably made him one of the first names on the Portuguese’s teamsheet. Of course, Juan Mata is one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, which is reflected in his 84 rating – the fifth highest ranked United player on the game.

4. Mkhitaryan – 85

The capture of Henrikh Mkhitaryan was seen as a very shrewd one but it has taken some time for the Armenia international to get going. He has been limited to just one start and three appearances off the bench this season but despite struggling with niggling injuries is still expected to be a key player in Man United’s title bid. Some would say an 85 rating isn’t high enough, but we think it’s bang on.

3. Pogba – 88

The world’s most expensive player isn’t Man United’s best player on FIFA 17, which may have left a lot of you confused. How can he only be their third best player, too? The France international impressed on his second debut against Southampton but has since failed to live up to his price tag, especially after he went missing in the Manchester Derby last weekend.

2. De Gea – 90

De Gea is arguably the best goalkeeper in the world, so it’s no surprise that he’s Man United’s second-best player with a huge rating of 90. However, we’re not sure about his handling rating of 85…

1. Ibrahimovic – 90

Surprise surprise! Zlatan Ibrahimovic is Manchester United’s highest rated player and no one can argue with that. The Swede has scored four goals in his opening four Premier League games and is showing no signs of slowing down that goal scoring record – he’ll no doubt be one of the main reason why people choose to play as Manchester United in FIFA 17.

It’s been a good start to the season for Tottenham to see them sit third in the division and unbeaten after three wins and two draws.

Mauricio Pochettino’s men have been quick to carry on from last year and are starting to find their groove with wins over Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Stoke whilst they’ve also drawn at Everton and at home to Liverpool.

They’ve seen the return of Mousa Dembele too now and we all know how influential he is in Spurs’ fortunes so things could be about to step up a notch for the club as they head to Middlesbrough this weekend.

It’ll be another big test as Boro have started well in their first Premier League season since 2008/09 and Aitor Karanka’s men look confident of giving anyone a game.

Meanwhile, Harry Kane is out for Spurs and that will be an obvious miss but here at Football FanCast we think this line-up should still be enough to get the three points…

Hugo Lloris

The second best ‘keeper in the league, the Frenchman will start.

Kyle Walker

Spurs’ best right-back by a long way, has to play.

Toby Alderweireld

He’s started this season how he did last year and will be key to Spurs’ season.

Jan Vertonghen

Just as important as Alderweireld, he has to keep Alvaro Negredo quiet this weekend.

Ben Davies

Danny Rose is still out so Ben Davies will once again deputise.

Mousa Dembele

Arguably the most important player Spurs have, they’ll be very glad he’s back.

Eric Dier

Dembele’s foil – a key part to how Spurs play.

Christian Eriksen

Signed a new contract and now needs to start finding last season’s form.

Dele Alli

He found the net against Stoke a couple of weeks ago and needs to keep scoring now Kane is out.

Erik Lamela

Like the rest of their midfielders Spurs need Lamela to step up quickly and help fill the goals void Harry Kane has left.

Vincent Janssen

The Dutchman has to take this opportunity with Harry Kane out, but actually doing so is harder than just saying it.

Make no mistake, Tony Pulis is right – Liverpool are right in the mix.

Along with Manchester City and Arsenal, Liverpool have looked the most threatening team in the Premier League. The likes of Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United of course cannot be discounted, but off the back of a tough run of fixtures, the Reds are joint top and bang in-form.

Having won away at Arsenal and Chelsea and drawn with Tottenham and Manchester United, Liverpool have played well in the big games, and avoided dropping points against key rivals. The only blip was Burnley; apart from that, their record as yet is impeccable.

Set-pieces are an issue defensively, but going forward, the likes of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Philippe Coutinho are more than compensating at the other end. Conceding one is not an issue as long as you score two or more at the other end, and that is what has been happening. In midfield, Adam Lallana and Jordan Henderson have been exceptional, too.

The strength in depth is also key. With Giorgino Wijnaldum only recently coming back from injury, Emre Can stepped in against West Brom. Daniel Sturridge, one of the most gifted players at the club – and indeed in the league – can’t get a look in. Danny Ings has not got near the squad for any league game so far.

With no European competition, the pressure is off the squad physically with fewer games to play, but there is still enough depth to compensate for injuries. Their high-tempo, all-action style of play could be difficult to maintain, but the depth in the squad means rotation is possible, and that should help to combat it.

The next eight league matches – Crystal Palace, Watford, Southampton, Sunderland, Bournemouth, West Ham, Middlesbrough and Everton – are arguably easier than the fixtures Liverpool have played so far. Win six or seven out of the eight and Liverpool could be top at Christmas for the first time since 2013.

They are by no means the favourites for the league, but they will certainly be up there come the end of the year.

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Oh, the international break; just when the Premier League appeared to be hitting a peak of excitement, drama and unpredictability, it timely returns in an attempt to bore us all to death.

England struggle to beat X, scoreless draws between Malta and Montenegro, Roy Keane saying something slightly controversial whilst donning increasingly dishevelled facial hair – every international break follows a mind-numbingly similar pattern.

But don’t be fooled, the international break is a fantastic chance to broaden your footballing horizons and soak in some of the finest talents not on show in the Premier League, whilst those already employed by the English top flight are suddenly put into a different context.

It’s an ideal opportunity to partake in some scouting on behalf of your respective club and with that in mind, here’s a look at four reported transfer targets Manchester United fans should keep an eye out for over the next ten days.

Gelson Martins

Linked by Mirror Football last month, Gelson Martins has enjoyed a fantastic start to the season, notching up two goals and four assists in 10 Primeira Liga appearances whilst also impressing for Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League.

The 21-year-old winger-come-right-back claimed his first cap for Portugal earlier this year and considering the frailty of the opposition, he has a pretty good chance of picking up a third against Latvia (likely from the bench) on Thursday night.

Andre Silva

Another Portugal starlet linked with the Red Devils, amongst a host of their Premier League rivals, Andre Silva’s senior international career has begun with a flurry of four goals in as many appearances, albeit coming against tepid opposition in Andorra and the Faroe Islands.

The Porto striker’s domestic form has been equally impressive, claiming seven goals in the Primeira Liga and two strikes against Club Bruges in the Champions League.

Portugal’s struggle to fina a dependable front-man for Cristiano Ronaldo to play off is well known; Silva could well be the answer to that long-standing issue, with Latvia representing another chance to impress.

Virgil van Dijk

Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk will already be well known to most Manchester United fans. The former Celtic star, who was linked with the Red Devils last weekend, has established himself as one of the best defenders in the Premier League since moving to the south coast, but his exposure to international football is notably limited with just eight caps to date.

However, the classy centre-back has been included in Danny Blind’s latest squad and with Oranje’s defensive options hardly outstanding, we expect him to start in the friendly against bitter rivals Belgium on Wednesday night. The 25-year-old’s performance in a high-profile fixture against one of the most talented attacks in world football could give an insight into whether he can cut the mustard at Old Trafford.

Antoine Griezmann

Antoine Griezmann has been mooted as a prime Red Devils target repeatedly since the close of the summer window, with Mirror Football, Manchester Evening News and Bleacher Report all giving their take on a potential Old Trafford transfer in recent months.

The majority of United fans will already feel well acquainted with the Euro 2016 Golden Boot winner but should they need further evidence of whether his £89million release clause is justified, he’s certainly worth a watch as France take on Sweden and the Ivory Coast.

While we can almost guarantee the forward getting on the score sheet, how the 38-cap international would fit into Manchester United’s starting XI could become more evident in Didier Deschamps’ 4-3-3 formation.

Dimitri Payet was one of the standout players of the 2015-16 Premier League campaign, and a key contributor to West Ham’s remarkable seventh-place finish. The silky attacker went on to become a pivotal cog in France’s charge to the Euro 2016 final, and attracted interest from a number of top clubs.

At the time, West Ham were preparing to move into their new stadium and seemed like a team on the up, so the playmaker pledged his allegiance to the club by signing a new five-year deal. The Irons’ campaign is in disarray now, though, and if an elite club can come in with enough money to pry Payet away from the Olympic Stadium, the midfielder may well jump from Slaven Bilic’s sinking ship.

Recent reports from the Daily Star suggest that Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has earmarked Payet as his top priority in the January transfer window. The man who made 13 assists in the league last season (see below) could be the ideal creator to supply Zlatan Ibrahimovic with the teasing aerial balls the Swede thrives on. A switch could turn out to be beneficial for both parties; United need that inventive spark, and Payet needs to get back on top after a recent slump.

The move to the Olympic Stadium seems to have cursed West Ham this season, and nothing is going right for Bilic or his players. Although research from Voucherbox has found that Hammers fans can watch a home game for less than any other supporters in the league, the fans are surely missing the menacing threat that the Boleyn Ground imposed on visiting teams. The players certainly don’t feel as though they have a home advantage at the moment, partly due to the fact that they haven’t settled in yet, but the running track that distances the fans from the pitch is also a factor. This gap makes for a far less threatening atmosphere.

Bilic will be desperate to hang on to Payet in the transfer window, as the Frenchman could be the key to helping the Irons claw their way back up the table and away from the threat of relegation. With Andy Carroll finally back from injury, the 29-year-old will have a lethal target man to get on the end of his crosses. In West Ham’s favour, penning a new deal with the player earlier in the year to tie him to the club for the next five years was a smart move. The London club are under no pressure to sell.

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On the other side of the coin, Payet has looked a shell of last season’s player in this campaign, and if a club comes in with a big enough offer then it could actually be beneficial to West Ham to offload the Frenchman. It would free up funds to move in for a prolific striker, and the Irons have been linked with Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge in recent months.

The ideal scenario for Bilic would be to keep hold of Payet, revitalise the player, and get the whole side psychologically set to perform in their new surroundings. But the way West Ham’s season has gone so far, January could spell a time of even more chaos and uncertainty.

Arsenal are closing in on completing their first signing of the January transfer window, with manager Arsene Wenger confirming the impending arrival of Hednesford Town left-back Cohen Bramall, according to Squawka.

What’s the word?

Wenger is not usually one for snapping up non-league talent, but he has deemed Bramall worthy following a trial at the Gunners’ Colney training base.

The Mirror reports that the Premier League outfit will seal the youngster’s signature for £40,000 and will hand him a two-year contract at the Emirates.

Wenger reportedly confirmed the deal, describing the new arrival as having similar attributes to Ashley Cole, who spent nine years – including two in the academy – at Arsenal.

The Frenchman told beIN Sports: “[Bramall] has signed for us. He’s an exceptional physical talent. I don’t think he’s ready, today, to play in Premier League.”

Who is Cohen Bramall?

Well, the footballer’s agent Dan Chapman revealed in an interview with Football.London that Bramall’s move to Arsenal is somewhat of a fairytale after the youngster was recently made redundant from a full-time job in a Bentley factory.

The report also claimed that Crystal Palace and Sheffield Wednesday have been keeping eyes on the full-back, but Arsenal managed to push aside the competition.

In terms of his ability on the pitch, one of Bramall’s biggest strengths is his pace, but not only does he have quick feet, he has a physical presence that could fair him well in one-on-one tussles.

Could he be fast-tracked into the first team?

Well, looking at Wenger’s quotes, it’s clear that he intends to place Bramall in the Under-23 squad in order to help the young gun develop.

However, there are opportunities for him to progress into the senior setup quicker than he may have elsewhere due to the Gunners’ weak right-back positions.

At the moment, Nacho Monreal and Kieran Gibbs occupy that side of the field, but both have struggled to hit the heights this season, plus the latter’s contract expires at the end of next season.

As suggested, it is unlikely that Bramall will be thrown into the first team upon his arrival this month, but the potential is there.

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After two consecutive defeats in the Premier League, Arsenal managed to get back to winning ways at the Emirates Stadium today but it was far from a routine victory for the Gunners and there is still plenty of room for improvement.

Late drama was present at the Emirates Stadium, as Olivier Giroud scored a very late winner for Arsene Wenger’s side to ease the tension upon the under-performing North London giants and ensured they didn’t fall further behind leaders Chelsea.

It certainly wasn’t a vintage performers from the Gunners but Arsenal got the result they needed in the end, although the fans will want to see a better performance later this week against struggling Crystal Palace.

The focus today though is very much on the narrow victory for the hosts and here are the five images that summed up a hard-fought victory.

Safe hands

Although the flag went up and the goal wouldn’t have stood, Petr Cech sprung into action to brilliantly prevent Solomon Rondon from finding the back of the net and the veteran’s performance was crucial to a match where the Gunners finally kept a clean sheet. This was one of just many incidents where Arsenal relied on their stopper, who seemed back to his best.

One of those days

An image that summed up exactly how Arsenal fans were feeling during the game, Arsene Wenger was looking pretty frustrated on the sidelines as his side couldn’t find a breakthrough. Clearly feeling the pressure mount in the Emirates Stadium, Wenger’s tactical approach was called into question during the match and was desperate for a victory.

So close

Often the hero for Arsenal this season, Alexis Sanchez was extremely close to breaking the deadlock as he beat Ben Foster and the West Brom defence but was prevented from finding the back of the net by the crossbar. It fitted the course of flow in the match, where things weren’t quite going Arsenal’s way.

A thousand words

Penny for the thoughts of Alexis Sanchez, who faces a huge year in 2017 as he enters the final 18 months of his deal with Arsenal. Whether he extends or not likely depends on the fortunes of the Gunners this season and hand Alexis’ side fallen to 11 points behind leaders Chelsea today, his future would have come under even more scrutiny.

Finally a breakthrough

Finally, Arsenal got the breakthrough they needed and secured three points courtesy of Olivier Giroud’s match-winning goal. Moving six points ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, at least for the time being, it could well be a vital moment in Arsenal’s season as they continue to charge towards launching a genuine challenge for the Premier League crown.

As you’d expected given their resources in comparison with other teams in the country, Celtic have by far the most talented squad in the Scottish Premiership.

That’s not true simply of their first-choice XI, but through regular bench choices and even players who don’t feature in matchday squads.

Inevitably, that means that a bit of bloat creeps into the player pool over time, with footballers not quite good enough to make it at the club, many of whom could pursue a playing career elsewhere, still picking up big wages.

Brendan Rodgers likes to work with a core group of players who have something to offer the first-team and as such might be looking to move on some of his squad before the end of January. Outside of youth players, six moved on in the summer after the manager’s arrival, including the likes of Stefan Johansen and Anthony Stokes.

This month Eoghan O’Connell and Kristoffer Ajer have gone out on loan with the focus being getting some first-team football so they can return and make an impact at the Bhoys. Nobody has left permanently yet but there’s still plenty of time.

Who should stay and who should leave?

Here are THREE Celtic players we think should be shown the door this January…

Nir Bitton

Let’s be fair to Nir Bitton, he is a good footballer. He just isn’t the right fit for Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic. There’s no doubt he can perform adequately in Scottish football for the majority of the time but in Europe his lack of urgency and commitment has been frustrating for supporters.

The Israeli midfielder has struggled for game time since Stuart Armstrong burst onto the scene. He did make a start in Sunday’s Scottish Cup action against Albion Rovers but that was only his second start since October.

Unlike others, Bitton is probably a fairly valuable and sellable asset and that makes us think he should be moved on more, rather than stick around.

The Hoops brought in Ivorian midfielder Kouassi Eboue this January meaning Bitton probably falls further behind in terms of opportunities for first-team football. He’s too good to sit on the bench and finding a new club is probably the best for all parties in this situation.

Nadir Ciftci

Nadir Ciftci has never really settled into life at Celtic. Scoring just four goals in his two seasons at the club, he’s barely featured for Rodgers – his only two appearances this season came against Gibraltar-based minnows Lincoln Red Imps.

With Leigh Griffiths and Moussa Dembele in front of him, there’s little chance of him getting first-team football anytime soon, especially as he’s unlikely to develop into a better player.

On top of this, Celtic should be in the market for another forward to offer a more viable alternative should either or both of the Bhoys’ in-form strikers should get injured or go through a prolonged period without scoring.

Moving Ciftci on would be key to that. He’s unlikely to be on massive wages but with the Hoops’ limited budget, finding him a new club would get some vital cash into Rodgers’ transfer coffers.

Efe Ambrose

The Celtic support have a love/hate relationship with Efe Ambrose. The love his attitude and obvious passion for the Hoops, yet fans can’t shake a number of terrible performances and key mistakes made in his time at Celtic Park.

Ambrose has made close to 170 appearances for Celtic but has featured only twice under Rodgers. Like Ciftci, those both came in early Champions League qualifiers last summer and the defender has not managed to force his way into the team despite absences from Jozo Simunovic, Kolo Toure and Erik Sviatchenko.

Rodgers prefers to utilise right-back Mikael Lustig in the middle rather than turn to the Nigerian, which perhaps shows how far down the pecking order he is.

So while popular personality and presence-wise, he has no future in the squad and Celtic can’t afford to keep players around who can’t contribute. Fans will be hoping a team comes in for him between now and 31st January.

Swansea City have rebuffed a £30m bid for Gylfi Sigurdsson from a club in the Chinese Super League and have made it clear they won’t sell the Icelandic international this month, Wales Online reports.

What’s the word?

The increasingly ambitious Chinese Super League, who’s clubs secured moves for Oscar and Odion Ighalo from the Premier League during January, have now seen some of their sides identify Swansea City’s Gylfi Sigurdsson as a new big-name target.

Sigurdsson was heavily linked with an exit from the struggling South Wales club during the January window but Swansea rebuffed approaches for their Euro 2016 star, with two enquiries coming from the Chinese Super League.

With Swansea desperate to keep the 27-year-old and Sigurdsson himself keen to stay, an offer of £30m was rejected and any chances of a saga this month have been ruled-out.

Will he move in February?

The transfer window for the Chinese Super League closes at the end of February, meaning that Sigurdsson could still theoretically move to the Far East, but, with neither Swansea or the player interested in an offer, he’ll stay at the Liberty Stadium.

Sigurdsson is crucial to Swansea’s battle against the drop, which was evident this week as he netted the crucial winner to defeat Southampton and see the Swans rise out of the relegation spots in the Premier League, and the club had decided before the transfer window opened that Sigurdsson will not be going anywhere.

That stance remains for this month and is likely to last until the summer, although by that stage Swansea may find it difficult to keep hold of their talisman- especially if the club are relegated to the Championship.

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