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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

Arsenal are reportedly interested in signing Dries Mertens on a free transfer when his contract comes to an end in the summer, as reported by Il Mattino (via Sport Witness).

They are set to battle with Tottenham Hotspur, Juventus and Internazionale to get the 32-year-old on their books ahead of next season.

This could be a brilliant move if the Gunners pull it off, due to the fact that they would be getting someone who made 27 goal contributions in the league last campaign.

He has carried on his prolific touch this season, getting 7 goals across 12 starts and 3 substitute appearances in Serie A and the Champions League.

While this could definitely be a positive sign for the club, it would send the completely wrong message to Gabriel Martinelli.

The 18-year-old has been a revelation since joining the Gunners from Ituano in the summer, scoring 7 goals and getting 1 assist in 5 starts and 4 substitute appearances across all competitions.

This is a very impressive return, considering his age and how new he is to the club.

His electric opening suggests he will eventually be rewarded further down the line with a more prominent role in the team in the Premier League.

But with both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette already ahead of him in the pecking order, a move for Mertens would add an extra layer of intensity to the competition.

Therefore, seeing Arsenal bring in somebody like Mertens, who would likely get in the team ahead of him due to the aforementioned goal statistics, would surely be demoralising for the Brazilian.

It is important that Martinelli is not hyped up too much just yet but there is enough evidence to suggest he’s a player with the potential to make a profound impact in north London.

The Gunners should be looking to mould him into someone who can lead the line for years to come, rather than bringing someone in who will block his route into the first-team.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

In this modern world of inflated transfer fees and astronomical wages, finding real value for money is becoming increasingly difficult. Premier League clubs can now spend upwards of £50m on multiple players, and it shows no signs of slowing down as the stakes continue to get higher.

But every so often, you get teams who show a bit of nous and intelligence in their planning, and pull off such bargain deals it leaves you scratching your heads as to how they managed to pull that off. After all, with scouts essentially littered everywhere across the world scouring for the next big thing, it is difficult to sing players under the radar.

But in Leicester’s case, they have done exactly that. In Caglar Soyuncu and Jonny Evans, the Foxes have a thriving centre-back partnership who have been the cornerstone of their success this season. Brendan Rodgers’ side find themselves in second-place in the Premier League, and have conceded just eight goals in total – the best defensive record in the top-flight.

It’s therefore no surprise that reigning title holders Manchester City are said to be considering both Evans and Soyuncu as potential centre-back options. The Citizens’ interest in the duo shows the sterling work Leicester have done behind the scenes in finding out such great deals.

Evans was signed from West Brom for a measly £3.5m, whilst Soyuncu arrived from Freiburg for £19m – their combined totals cost just over a quarter of the £80m Manchester United spent in taking Harry Maguire away from the King Power. Claude Puel may have been sacked by Leicester in February this year after just 16 months in charge, but there’s no doubt he has left his former side the most incredible gift in their two central defenders.

As per Whoscored, Soyuncu and Evans have an average match rating of 7.25 and 7.00 respectively, and their partnership at the back has been crucial to their success this year. Puel’s name may be forgotten by most Foxes fans considering what Rodgers has transformed them into, but the Frenchman should be handed a lot of credit for bringing in two players who are now of firm interest to the best side in the country.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to the Express & Star, West Bromwich Albion are considering a move to make Chris Willock’s loan deal permanent in January, and the situations surrounding two of their current regulars could convince the club to pay up.

What’s the word?

It is believed that the Baggies have an option to make the transfer permanent for a ‘reasonable fee’, and those in charge will continue to monitor his progress in the coming months before making a decision.

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Willock has been restricted to U23 football since joining on deadline day from Benfica – he has scored three and assisted four in seven Premier League 2 matches, per Transfermarkt.

The form of Grady Diangana, Matty Phillips, and Matheus Pereira has been a key cause of his lack of first-team opportunities as between them, they have contributed to 82% of Albion’s Championship goals this season.

January situations

With such impressive form comes the risk that a team from the upper echelons of football will take a keen interest, and that’s already been seen with multiple players this season.

Grady Diangana’s future will continually be in doubt until January passes – Manuel Pellegrini may have said he will stay at the Hawthorns but a combination of Manuel Lanzini’s injury and Claude Puel’s comments on Harvey Barnes last season should be enough to leave you with a sense of uncertainty.

Matheus Pereira, meanwhile, has been attracting interest from a Premier League heavyweight in Manchester United. The Baggies have the option to sign him permanently as well, but the Red Devils’ interest certainly complicates matters and creates the perception that his stay at the Hawthorns, whether fully transferred or not, will end up being a short one.

If the club are to lose one of the two players – or even worse, both – in January, then they may well be convinced into making a firm decision on Willock.

Either departure would open the door for his opportunity amongst Bilic’s first-team fold and his role would, therefore, be much greater, making paying a fee for him in the winter window all that more justifiable.

Albion also won’t want to run the risk of similar scenarios occurring later down the line, so securing the former Arsenal graduate could well be in the best interests of long-term planning.

Given that the club already value him as a player with ‘real potential’, there’s a very good chance they’ll do it anyway.

It was one of those rare Sir Alex Ferguson calls that the great Manchester United legend admitted he may have got wrong.

“When I think of disappointments, obviously Jaap Stam was always a disappointment to me, I made a bad decision there.”

The Dutch defender joined the Red Devils back in 1998, agreeing a then club-record fee with PSV to get their man. He went on to enjoy great success in the short time that he was at Old Trafford, winning a hat-trick of Premier League titles in consecutive years, and of course being part of that famous Treble-winning side in 1999.

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But in 2001, the centre-back left the club in rather acrimonious circumstances, with the fall-out from his book causing ramifications for his place in the team and the trust that he had with Ferguson.

However, whilst the former United boss himself he made a “bad decision”, is that really the case?

Yes, the club may have lost an elite central defender who was part of a team that had dominated English and European football for a three-year period, but what transpired the summer after that arguably off-set any feelings of regret.

The Red Devils signed Rio Ferdinand for a British record £30m in July 2002, which made him the world’s most expensive defender for the second time in his short career (his £18.5m switch from West Ham to Leeds in November 2000 was the first).

The then 23-year-old went on to establish himself as the cornerstone of United’s defence and back-line for the best part of a decade, winning multiple Premier League titles, domestic trophies and getting his hand on the coveted Champions League crown too.

How well do you really know the Premier League’s greatest ever manager? Find out below…

Had Stam stayed put, would Ferguson have considered splashing out big-money to sign yet another dominant central defender? Indeed, even if they had, Ferdinand may have struggled to impose himself as he did by himself, and may have been under the shadow of the more high-profile Dutchman.

In the end, Sir Alex’s “bad decision” worked out for the best at United. With 455 games under his belt, and multiple trophies in his cabinet too, Ferdinand became a United legend, and surely more than erased any bad memories of Stam’s exit in 2001.

Meanwhile, Man Utd must make a ruthless decision on this ace.

With the Premier League now suspended indefinitely, we’ve been given plenty of time to reflect on what’s already happened this season.

It’s been something of a rollercoaster ride for Man United: a defeat to Newcastle in October saw them plummet all the way down to 12th place, but they’re now just three points off claiming a Champions League spot.

So, who has been pulling their weight at Old Trafford this term and who has left much to be desired? We look at two players who’ve let manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer down this season, in one way or another…

Hilariously obscure Premier League players – Can you name them all?

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Andreas Pereira

Granted, Pereira may have only begun starting regularly for United last season, but he also has two full campaigns of senior action in La Liga under his belt and is 24 years of age. Throw in a cap for Brazil as well, and the midfielder should be a far more consistent performer for United, but ultimately he’s continued to underwhelm, earning a Whoscored rating of just 6.59 for his Premier League efforts this term.

But the real disappointment here is the fact Solskjaer’s persisted with Pereira by continuing to give him chances. He’s made 18 Premier League starts this season – only eight team-mates boast more – and predominantly featured in his favoured No.10 role, yet produced just one goal and three assists in the top flight, with all except a setup versus Chelsea on the opening weekend of the season coming against very unspectacular opposition.

Perhaps Pereira simply isn’t at United’s level – although he has previously won the Goal of the Season and Reserve of the Year awards at Old Trafford – but Solskjaer must be frustrated that his faith simply hasn’t been rewarded.

Jesse Lingard

Aged 27, a fully-fledged England international and a Red Devils academy product, Lingard should be one of the real leaders of this United team, someone who demonstrates the level of industry and consistency needed to become part of the furniture at Old Trafford. Think back to the likes of Wes Brown or Nicky Butt; they were by no means the biggest talents in the squad and didn’t start every game, but usually delivered when called upon.

Lingard’s career should be following a similar trajectory, but instead he’s quite clearly regressing. 20 Premier League outings this season haven’t produced a single goal or assist and while just nine of those have been starts, it’s incredibly telling that Solskjaer has preferred the likes of Dan James and even the aforementioned Pereira to Lingard at times.

United have the youngest squad age in the Premier League currently and Lingard should be showing the others how it’s done. His form this season though has been nothing short of rookie.

Meanwhile, Odion Ighalo has revealed what he loves most about Manchester United.

Many Sheffield Wednesday fans have fondly looked back on John Harkes’ memorable goal against Derby whilst playing for the club.

After developing his football in his homeland of America, Harkes quickly became known for ability, making his first appearances for the US national side in 1987.

Interest would soon follow from European football, and it was Sheffield Wednesday who would agree a deal with Albany Capitals for the midfielder.

Arriving to help the Owls gain promotion from the second division to the first, Harkes would also go on to play for the Yorkshire club in the Premier League campaign of 1992/1993.

A consistent performer, Harkes would create history at the club when he scored what was later named ‘English football’s Goal of the Year’, netting from distance against Derby County, for whom Peter Shilton played in goal for.

Leaving Wednesday in 1994, Harkes would join Derby, having two years at Pride Park, before finishing his spell in England with a short spell at West Ham United.

Now head coach of Greenville Triumph, Harkes 90 international caps to his name and no less than 358 career club appearances.

Looking back on footage of his strike against Derby, Wednesday fans issued the following responses on Harkes’ memorable moment…

Owls fans, what are your memories of John Harkes? Let us know below…

Liverpool’s owners FSG have overseen a huge change in the fortunes of the Anfield outfit.

When they took over in 2010, the Reds were in dire financial difficulty – there had even been talk of them going in to administration. However, since then, the Merseyside club have gone on to become European champions, whilst they also lead the table by 25 points from Manchester City – there is arguably no better team in the country right now.

At the moment, the biggest story in English football other than when the sport will restart in the midst of the current pandemic is Newcastle’s prospective takeover. It looks as though the Saudi Arabian Royal Family will soon complete the takeover, making them the richest club in the Premier League.

With that in mind, Twitter page Empire of the Kop has asked their followers whether they would like the club to be taken over in such a way – that has been met by a resounding no. The supporters have taken to the social media platform to share their thoughts, and you can see some of the best comments below.

Let us know what you think!

Reports emerging from France haven’t gone down well with the Tottenham Hotspur faithful this week.

According to beIN Sports, mooted director of football Luis Campos is now set to remain at his current club Lille following a couple of weeks of speculation linking him with an exit.

Many fans in north London were eager to see the Portuguese talent-spotter reunite with his former Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho.

Campos is the man responsible for unearthing this era’s stars such as Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe as well as several Premier League regulars like Nicolas Pepe, Anthony Martial and Fabinho amongst others.

Spurs have somewhat suffered in the transfer market for several years under the guidance of owner Daniel Levy. The club has not had someone in the director of football role since December 2016 when Paul Mitchell reportedly fell out with the chairman.

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He’s now at RB Leipzig helping find talents like Matheus Cunha, Nordi Mukiele and Dani Olmo.

Whilst it took until this summer for Levy to break their club-record transfer fee, signing Tanguy Ndombele for £55m from Lyon after a couple of years without spending a single penny.

Which is why a couple of supporters took aim at the British businessman.

The situation has also given some members of the Spurs faithful a disappointing sense of deja vu – remember the Paulo Dybala saga?

At one stage, the Argentine forward appeared set to swap Turin for north London as Sky Sports reported that a €70m (£62.3m) fee had been agreed.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein then claimed a few days later that Juventus had pulled the plug on the deal, thus no Dybala at Spurs.

In some ways, this has been mirrored here after Canal+ had suggested that Campos was heading to Spurs – but now fresh claims counter that this week.

For now, it appears unlikely that Campos will become a member of Mourinho’s staff just yet.

AND in other news, Alasdair Gold denies Spurs interest in reported striker target…

A lot of the West Ham fan base are reacting to comments from former fan favourite Dimitri Payet, who was comparing his time at the Hammers to his current club Marseille over the weekend.

Speaking to Clicanoo, via Claret & Hugh, the Frenchman said: “West Ham is a popular but modest Premier League club. When I was not good, nobody fell on me. Here at Marseille this is not the case. You can’t fall asleep on your laurels. Even when I’m good and the team wins, you can always fault my performance.â€

The attacking midfielder was signed as virtually an unknown by the Irons back in 2015, but immediately set both the Premier League and the domestic cups alight as he scored 12 goals whilst picking up 15 assists in 38 appearances, via Transfermarkt.

This turned him into a cult hero at the club, but things ended badly after he wanted to return to Ligue 1 outfit Marseille, and he eventually forced the move in 2017.

However it is clear to see that despite this and whilst his recent comments aren’t fully complimentary about West Ham, fans wouldn’t mind him back.

He is still appreciated for the sheer quality he possessed whilst at the side highlighted by his goals and assists, and also by the fact he earned a call up to France’s European Championship side in the summer 2016.

Added to that, the club’s current crop of midfielders haven’t really chipped in with many goals scoring only six this campaign, via Whoscored, so you can see why fans would want the talented Frenchman back.

Here is what fans had to say about the player:

Hammers fans, how do you feel about the way Payet left? Comment below!

Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce has given a fresh injury update on Florian Lejeune as he spoke in his press conference (via ChronicleLive) ahead of the Tyneside club’s Premier League clash against Eddie Howe’s AFC Bournemouth side this evening.

As per the outlet, the coach said that the defender has “picked up a nasty thigh injury” from when the Magpies played Hull City in a friendly game behind closed doors last month in preparation for the 2019/20 season to restart.

Bruce’s team won that match, 2-0 with Lejeune incidentally getting himself on the scoresheet alongside Allan Saint-Maximin (as per Vavel).

Nevertheless, the central defender could potentially be out for the rest of the campaign, which would be a blow to the Toon – in his six Premier League matches this season, Lejeune has won four duels per game and also averaged 2.2 clearances, 1.7 interceptions and 1.3 tackles per game, according to Sofascore.

He may not have start every upcoming match, but the 29-year old could be a useful player to have on the bench if one of Newcastle’s centre-backs gets injured, or even tactically if Bruce wants to see the match out and put on an extra body to help defensively.

However, it seems possible that Lejeune may miss the rest of the season, meaning that the manager will have to rely on the likes of Jamaal Lascelles and Federico Fernandez to stay fit in the heart of his defence.

Only time will tell whether Lejeune missing will make any real difference, but his absence could be a real blow for Newcastle.

Geordies, is Lejeune’s injury a major blow to Newcastle? Comment below with your views!