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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Arsenal are still seeking new players in what’s expected to be a “big week” in the transfer market for the Gunners, with moves for William Saliba and Dani Ceballos reportedly close to completion.

On the chalkboard

It’s clear the North Londoners are starting to pick up the pace in the transfer window and Edu’s arrival may have been the catalyst.

Despite being told to “be excited” for the remaining weeks of the window by none other than the owner’s son himself, Josh Kroenke, some fans are still left unimpressed by the lack of defensive incomings.

Arsenal have been linked with a whole host of attacking options, the most notable of targets being Wilfried Zaha, but this hasn’t stopped fans desiring reinforcements in defensive areas.

Klopp’s rebuild model

Those Arsenal fans are justifiably worried about the defence coming into the new season. Shkodran’s Mustafi is still at the club despite some woeful displays, captain Laurent Koscielny wants out and Rob Holding is nursing a long-term injury.

The lack of links to centre-backs should not be of great concern though, even though a deal to bring William Saliba from Saint-Etienne next summer looks all but agreed is he still only 18 years of age and won’t play a competitive match for the Gunners until August 2020 at the earliest as part of his expected loan return to the Ligue 1 outfit.

Watch Arsenal Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Jurgen Klopp developed his Liverpool side by starting with attacking additions and building his way backwards, with Sadio Mane and Gini Wijnaldum making up 86% of the Reds’ spending in the German manager’s first summer transfer window. The summer after saw more emphasis on attacking signings with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Mohamed Salah arriving, and high-priced defensive reinforcements didn’t join until the windows after.

Arsenal, like Liverpool, want to play on the press under Emery, so making sure that having the right attacking players who embrace this and lead from the front is absolutely vital. Then, targeting defenders who can sweep up and tie up the loose ends will be the next logical step.

No-one can know for sure whether this is the transfer policy being undertaken by Emery and the Arsenal staff. However, with highly-rated Saliba set to arrive next summer, it does look as if the Gunners are following a similar model to that which brought Klopp’s men to the summit of European football. It might be frustrating for fans, but patience is certainly needed.

It’s been one of the worst kept secrets in football, but it is all but confirmed that Joe Aribo will become a Rangers player this week.

The Charlton star will join the Scottish giants on a free transfer according to journalist Jack Pitt-Brooke following a season where the midfielder was pivotal in the club’s promotion to the Championship as the 22-year-old hit 10 goals and five assists for the London-based club, and Rangers have done well to secure the signature of Aribo with interest high from the youngster across both England and Scotland.

Aribo will be Steven Gerrard’s seventh signing this summer, with the Daily Record reporting that the Rangers boss is eager to bring Ryan Kent back to the Ibrox this summer after flourishing last season at the club, and if the Gers are to really compete with Celtic next season, who could be about to lose star defender Kieran Tierney to Arsenal according to BBC Sport, the club could benefit with a few more quality additions.

Kent would be a fantastic next step given his impact on the squad last year, winning the PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year award, and with just £760,000 spent so far this summer per Transfermarkt Rangers should have the financial muscle to make one or two more signings for actual cash.

Things are looking promising at the Ibrox with the arrival of Aribo and Kent potentially on the way, but there’s still work to do this summer if Rangers are to go head-to-head with Celtic next season.

Rangers fans, are you confident heading into next season? Let us know!

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According to Esporte UOL, Everton are said to be in advanced negotiations along with Paris Saint-Germain for the signature of Ajax forward David Neres.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Toffees are punching well above their weight in vying with the French champions for Neres.

The Brazilian international enjoyed an eye-catching 2018/19 campaign with Ajax as they won the Eredivisie title and the Dutch Cup, whilst they were just seconds away from making the final of the Champions League.

Neres played a huge role in helping the Dutch giants achieve these feats, scoring 12 goals and recording 15 assists including Champions League knockout strikes against Real Madrid and Juventus – the latter of which was an absolute scorcher.

Watch the video below to see the most insane overhead kick you will see this week…

As a result, the 22-year-old is attracting interest from around Europe, with the Toffees and the Ligue 1 outfit reportedly leading the way for his signature.

Good relationships with agents are helping Everton punch above their weight

Normally, it shouldn’t be possible that a club like Everton can compete in the market against a club who spent a combined £366m on Neymar Jr and Kylian Mbappe alone.

The Qatar-funded French top-flight holders are up to their eyeballs in cash, whereas the Toffees aren’t even in Europe next season.

However, the story from UOL reveals that the Merseysiders are ‘advanced in negotiations’ due to the fact they’re easy to negotiate with after completing the signings of Bernard and Richarlison in the past – both players share the same representatives as Neres.

Furthermore, it is said to be Neres’ wish to play in England, so the Toffees are even more well placed to land his signature this summer.

There is no way that Everton can match the finances of PSG, but in building up good relationships with representatives in previous deals, it appears that they can viably punch above their weight when needed to.

On a scale of one to Nuri Sahin, how wrong can one loan move go?

‘How flipping wrong can this go?’ – This is a question we often find ourselves asking when the next flopped attempt at short-term glory steps in and out of our favourite club like a bare body testing a boiling hot bath. Well, ask Liverpool fans and they will give you a pretty comprehensive account.

Once one of the brightest prospects in world football and forged in the talent producing powerhouse that is Borussia Dortmund, Turkey international Nuri Sahin was kicking a ball around for the iconic Real Madrid when Liverpool came knocking back in 2012. He wasn’t the quickest of players, but what he lacked in pace he more than made up for in technical ability. Sahin could pick a pass from any range and deliver it with such efficiency and effectiveness that it was rumoured UPS were going sack off couriers and recruit him to volley parcels to their customers’ doorsteps.

Oh boy, did they think they had a player. The midfield “maestro” (in the loosest possible sense) started off his spell with the Reds in emphatic style, scoring one and assisting two in his second start against the mighty Norwich City. Surely the sky was the limit. It had to be.

Alas, sadly this was not the case.

Indeed, it seems the unprecedented highs of clipping the canaries wings was just about as good as it got for Sahin, who went on to contribute a paltry zero Premier League goals and assists in the remaining five fixtures before being unceremoniously disposed of in January, months before the expected return date.

One of the worst ever? We think so.

Liverpool fans, how shocking was Sahin? Was he a victim of time? Would he perform in your current squad? Let us know in the comments below…

[ad_pod ]Charlton booked their place in the League One play-off final last weekend as they edged past Doncaster Rovers on penalties.Now, against the odds, they have a perfect opportunity to win promotion to the Championship.The Addicks have been contending with all sorts of issues off the pitch, including the uncertain futures of a manager who has guided them to a top-three finish, as well as a number of players who have been crucial in the side’s success. The root of it all? Roland Duchatelet.The controversial Belgian seems like the type of person to completely detach himself from a group project only to put his name on it when it’s done, although to the contrary, he will in fact not be in attendance for the Addicks’ crunch clash this weekend.Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…Most of The Valley faithful absolutely despise the owner, whose reasoning behind his avoidance of Charlton’s biggest game of the year centred around the threats he receives from some fans.In response to his explanation, plenty of disgruntled made their feelings clear on Twitter.You can check out the best of the reaction below…

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According to The Sun, Crystal Palace are one of four Premier League clubs keeping a close eye on Liverpool’s Harry Wilson with a view to a swoop this summer.

The 22-year-old has been on fire during his temporary spell with Derby this season and has been a crucial part of the Rams’ hugely successful campaign. Regardless of whether Frank Lampard’s side achieve promotion at Wembley Stadium on Monday, Premier League football in 2019/20 is at Wilson’s fingertips.

What’s the word?

Well, The Sun reports that the Eagles may have to compete with Bournemouth, Wolves and bitter rivals Brighton for the winger’s services – a selection of suitors that suggests he has had a phenomenal season in the Championship – while Derby are also keen to keep him at Pride Park if they secure promotion.

Liverpool will hold out for £25m if any of the aforementioned clubs want to sign him permanently, although they will reportedly be open to another loan move as well, with the player unlikely to find a way into the Reds’ first team.

Losing Wilson next year would be a devastating blow to Derby, but not nearly as devastating as the exit Palace may suffer this summer – star man Wilfried Zaha could be allowed to leave and, if the Ivorian does indeed head out the door, the Eagles will need to get a new winger in. While Wilson doesn’t have the twinkle toes of Zaha, he does have the outrageous, long-range shooting of Andros Townsend.

Wonderful Wilson

The Welshman scored plenty of wonderful efforts from distance in 2018/19 , including a spectacular free-kick that beat David De Gea when the Rams knocked out Manchester United in the FA Cup’s third round.

Which player with “no potential” has just been named Crystal Palace’s worst ever January signing? Find out in the video below…

The number seven chalked up 15 strikes and six assists in 48 games across all competitions, averaging out at 0.44 goal contributions per game – a solid output for a player who still has plenty of room to improve.

It’s unclear as to whether Palace would be willing to cough up the £25m required to bring Wilson to Selhurst Park permanently but assuming he will not be a like-for-like swap for Zaha, who plays on the opposite side to the Welshman, then Townsend will have a job to hold onto his right wing berth – both are left-footed and are lethal when allowed to cut inside.

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Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to debate whether or not Salomon Rondon would be a good signing, after the Newcastle forward tore them apart on Saturday evening.

The Venezuelan international played a huge role in Christian Atsu’s goal by making life hard for Dejan Lovren, and then managed to grab an equaliser to make it 2-2 with a thumping volley into the bottom corner, impressively with his weaker left foot.

Has Salamon Rondon had a better season than Bobby Firmino? Matt from The Magpie Channel discusses in the video below…

The strike was Rondon’s 10th Premier League goal of the season, whilst he has also recorded an eye-catching seven assists for the Magpies since signing on loan from West Brom – 17 goal involvements for a club who spent the season battling relegation is very good indeed.

After watching him tear them apart and even give Virgil van Dijk a headache, some Liverpool fans reckon the 29-year-old would be a handy signing.

However, others are against the idea of bringing him to Anfield, as seen by the mixed responses on Twitter…

It seems like only yesterday when Arsenal were the front-runners for Ivan Perisic.

The January transfer window saw the Inter Milan winger be linked constantly with a move to north London, and three months later the Croatian international has now been linked with a move West Ham.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport via the Sun, the Hammers are willing to meet the £35 million price tag Inter want for their 30-year-old winger, who is still being courted by Arsenal as well as Tottenham.

West Ham are braced for a big summer, with David Gold & David Sullivan likely to bolster the attack with the likes of Andy Carroll likely to leave the club this window, but Perisic isn’t the player the Hammers need.

The Croatian would no doubt be a big-name signing, and surprising one if that, but Perisic is simply just not what West Ham need this summer in terms of recruitment. The winger is no doubt a Premier League quality player, but he isn’t what Hammers should be targeting in this transfer window.

At 30, Perisic is heading into the winding-down years of his career, and in a league as fast as the Premier League the former Wolfsburg attacker will find it difficult to keep up with the speed of English football.

As well as age, Perisic’s nature to play on the left side of the wing means that star-man Felipe Anderson will have to be shifted around to accommodate the reported £35 million man, which could result in the Brazilian international being frustrated with playing out of position.

Perisic might seem like a good signing on paper, but with strikers leaving and fans preferring to see Anderson start on the left, the winger just doesn’t make sense for the Hammers as a summer signing.

West Ham fans, would you take Perisic as a summer signing? Let us know!

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Having failed to sign a single player during the last two transfer windows, there’s plenty of work to be done at Tottenham this summer. Mauricio Pochettino’s side remain competitive when it comes to the Premier League’s top four and even had their hand in the title race earlier this season, but to sustain or even improve that level, reinforcements are clearly needed.

With that in mind, Football FanCast’s writers have attempted to answer a simple question – which position do Tottenham need to strengthen most during the summer transfer window? Read their verdicts below…

James Beavis – Attacking Midfield

“Bringing in some competition for Dele Alli. With Christian Eriksen off-colour and potentially leaving the club in the summer given his contract situation, Tottenham are lacking some real creativity through the middle. They really missed the England international when he was injured and it gives Mauricio Pochettino a big problem ahead of the upcoming transfer window. Spurs can’t rely on Alli all of the time and they need some extra quality there. In addition, doing that would reduce Harry Kane’s work rate, seeing as he wouldn’t have to continually drop deep to try and make things happen.”

Billy Meyers – Right-Back

“Right-back. 100%. Even though Tottenham have three recognised options such as Kieran Trippier, Serge Aurier and Kyle Walker-Peters in that department, none of them have shown that they can be relied on this season – it is an area that is in desperate need of reinforcing. Pochettino’s preference to see his wing-backs bomb up and down the flanks, something that is a huge feature of Spurs’ play, should mean that the full-back areas are prioritised above others, with the right hand side of defence the more problematic of the two wide berths.”

Jack Saville – Central Midfield

“It’s obvious that Pochettino is crying out for a world class central midfield player, someone who can connect the dots and take the club to the next level. Harry Winks and Moussa Sissoko have been outstanding this season but collectively they form something of an underdog partnership rather than a formidable title-winning duo. Quality central midfielders are rarely prised away for anything less than a premium price, but Daniel Levy simply must splash out to give fans the marquee signing they deserve.”

Christy Malyan – The Flanks

“Pochettino seems to prefer setting up his side to clog more central positions, to the extent that the width is usually provided by the full-backs, but if Tottenham wish to get to that higher level where they’re genuinely challenging the Premier League’s best, they need a Plan B – an attacker who looks to hug the touchline and stretch defences rather than constantly drifting inwards. Only Heung-min Son really offers that amongst Spurs’ attacking options, and even he is more interested in scoring than supplying by cutting from the left. Find a proper winger and Spurs could get a lot more joy out of Fernando Llorente.”

It’s fair to say that Manchester United have been brilliant over the last few months but they need to continue that form in order to cement a top-four spot this season. Frankly, there’s nothing like a good winger to come in and light up Old Trafford, is there? 

To say it has been a rollercoaster ride for all involved with the club this season would be an understatement and, considering at one point under Jose Mourinho they were ready to write the season off completely, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has done well to restore the faith around Old Trafford.

It hasn’t been easy to do but with a number of massive victories and superb turnaround’s, the team are now looking to consider themselves as one of the best in England, once again.

With the hope for this season being that they can get into the top four and qualify for the Champions League, Man United must also consider what they will do in the summer in a bid to improve next season.

Another winger would be a sensible move but links with Jadon Sancho and Callum Hudson-Odoi should be ignored. Surely, either one of those two would be ludicrously expensive and United need to focus on a number of positions, so focusing on a previously reported target (from TMW via talkSPORT) makes so much more sense.

Indeed, Leon Bailey would definitely be an inspired choice.

Bailey, (who is valued at £31.5 million on Transfermarkt) is a winger with exceptional quality that is hoping to progress into being one of the world’s best.

At the age of 21, Bailey has the world at his feet and his footballing ability is one of the highest quality.

He was described as a “real weapon” by former Bayer Leverkusen manager Heiko Herrlich (as per i News), so it’s clear to see that he’s very highly-rated in the final third and could pose a real threat in England.

The youngster has again been impressive in-front of goal this season, scoring five times whilst setting-up a further five goals as well. For his constant efforts to be effective in-front of goal, Manchester United would probably be one of many interested teams who look at Leon Bailey as a genuine option for their team going forward.

With options ranging from Rashford to Martial, Sanchez to Bailey, United will be blessed with some of the most influential wingers around. So good, even Romelu Lukaku would struggle not to score.

We joke, of course, but just imagine that front line…

Do you agree that Leon Bailey could make a difference at Old Trafford… Let us know!