After Manuel Pellegrini was appointed as West Ham United’s new manager in May, fans swiftly turned their attention to transfer activity.

The club had a brush with relegation last season, but were able to survive under short-term boss David Moyes.

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A handful of players have been linked with moves to the London Stadium, and according to a club insider, three could come through the welcome gates next week.

ExWHUemployee is widely regarded as a reliable source, and on Saturday it was claimed that Jack Wilshere, Andriy Yarmolenko and Fabian Balbuena could all sign on the dotted line in the next few days.

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Wilshere is expected to join on a free transfer after ending his 17-year spell at Arsenal following the expiration of his contract.

Yarmolenko is believed to be on the verge of signing from Borussia Dortmund after the winger struggled to impress in his first season at the Bundesliga outfit, where he scored six goals in 26 outings.

Balbuena is expected to round off next week’s transfer activity as he is reportedly poised to join from Corinthians.

After ExWHUemployee posted the tweet, fans gave their reactions, and there were split views.

Manchester United have suffered a setback in their bid to sign AC Milan central defender Alessio Romagnoli, according to Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport via the Manchester Evening News.

What’s the story, then?

The report says that Jose Mourinho elected not to bid for Romagnoli’s team-mate Leonardo Bonucci, and focused on bringing the 23-year-old to Old Trafford to bolster his backline ahead of a renewed persuit of Manchester City in the Premier League title race next season.

They say that the initial United offer of 45 million euros plus an additional 5 million in add-ons has been knocked back and deemed an unfair price.

However, they claim that Milan are willing to sell the defender if United can match the valuation – as yet unknown – they have set for the defender.

How far will England get in Russia? Tell us now and win any World Cup shirt of your choice.

Maguire would be a better alternative 

After a strong campaign in his first year at Leicester City, Harry Maguire was still perceived as a defender who was robust but lacking the finesse to succeed at an elite club where the emphasis is on class on the ball as well as solidity.

The Englishman has been doing all he can out in Russia at this summer’s World Cup to change that perception. He has strode out from defence with the ball, sparking countless Three Lions attacks with his poise and passing.

On top of that, he has offered a threat at set-pieces that Mourinho would surely love. He is valued at just £22.5m by Transfermarkt, but that price will only increase if he wakes up on 16 July as a World Cup winner…

Nobody performed better in England’s run to the World Cup semi-finals than Kieran Trippier, who has proved to a revelation at right wing-back and is a shoo-in for the Team of the Tournament.

With Kyle Walker moving inside to centre-half, many observers felt that England would miss his attacking thrust up and down the right flank, but Trippier confounded expectations with his constant energy and steady stream of dangerous crosses.

Trippier again produced a strong performance against Croatia, sending the national into delirium with his early pinpoint free-kick which offered England the perfect start after just five minutes.

It was a cruel twist of fate that ensured the defender’s World Cup dreams ended with him hobbling off in extra-time, leaving England hamstrung with 10 men and shorn of their best deliverer of a dead-ball.

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As the attention turns to club football, Trippier’s outstanding displays out in Russia have offered a dilemma to Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham.

His best role is clearly as a right wing-back – being in a four at the back limits his ability to scamper forward and puts more emphasis on him to recover quickly – but Pochettino appears to have gone cold on the idea of three at the back.

Spurs have looked good in a 3-4-2-1 previously, and Trippier’s performances could persuade the Argentine to return to it, but if he sticks with 4-2-3-1, Serge Aurier may expect to remain first choice.

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According to a report by French media outlet Le 10 Sport, Tottenham Hotspur left-back Danny Rose could be a shock summer target for Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain, and Spurs should move to snap up Uruguay World Cup star Diego Laxalt if Rose does move to France.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Le 10 Sport say that PSG wanted to sign the England international last year, but while no move materialised they haven’t dropped their interest in the player.

Le 10 Sport says that Thomas Tuchel’s top two targets as he searches for a new left-sided man is Juventus’ Alex Sandro and Borussia Dortmund’s Raphael Guerreiro, but with deals for the duo proving to be difficult he may not turn his attentions to making his interest in Rose concrete.

Should the 28-year-old move to the Parc des Princes he would be competing against Layvin Kurzawa for a spot in the starting XI, having struggled to reclaim his regular place in the side in north London from Ben Davies in 2018 following injury issues.

Why should Tottenham sign Laxalt to replace him?

Well, Spurs will certainly need some competition for Davies should Rose go given they will want to be at their strongest across four competitions, and there are few better and affordable options out there than the Uruguayan.

While Kieran Trippier was undoubtedly one of the top right-back/right wing-backs of the entire tournament in Russia, a case could be made that Laxalt made a similar impact for his country on the opposite flank.

Primarily an attack-minded player, the 25-year-old has all of the same attributes as Trippier from an attacking point of view, but he also showed that he is more than capable of being a good defender too even though left-back isn’t his natural position.

If Pochettino, who must accept that he isn’t going to complete deal for a £100,000-a-week attacker this summer, intends to play with wing-backs during the 2018/19 campaign, then there is no doubt that he must snap up Genoa man Laxalt before another club inevitably does.

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It’s hard to think it was only two years ago that Leicester City obliterated everything we thought we knew about Premier League football.

They were a team of misfits that rallied together to produce one of the greatest sporting shocks of all time as they challenged the established narrative that money equals success.

But since then, the top flight has reverted to its status quo with the rich top six clubs sitting comfortably above the other 14 teams making up the Premier League.

It seems then that Leicester’s win was much more a ripple than a sea-change for English football, and if anything, the top six looks stronger and more separate from the rest of the division than it has ever been.

Everton have been the club that has perennially threatened to sneak into the top bracket but never quite managed it. They finished seventh and eighth in the past two seasons, and that’s despite spending a reported £142.38million last summer – a huge sum for any club, let alone one which is much more accustomed to selling big rather than buying big.

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At the end of the 2016/17 season, Everton finished seventh eight points behind Manchester United in sixth. A year later, after spending £142.38million, plus an extra £40.5million for Theo Walcott and Cenk Tosun in the January transfer window, the Toffees finished eighth, 32 points behind the Red Devils and 14 points behind Arsenal who took up the final spot in the top six.

Of all the riches Everton have brought in since receiving a serious investment, only Jordan Pickford has really looked like a quality top six player. Of course, it’s not all down to the transfer policy, as the board must have hoped Ronald Koeman would bring out the best in their brand new luxuries which didn’t turn out to be the case.

Despite replacing Steve Walsh, the previous Director of Football, with Marcel Brands this summer, it appears their transfer policy isn’t going to change drastically. Everton had a very quiet start to the window but now Richarlison has reportedly completed a move to Goodison Park that could be worth an eventual £50million.

Even with a new club record signing and a new manager to boot, not many are predicting Everton will break up the established top six this season and that’s despite relative inactivity at Tottenham and Chelsea so far.

The argument used to go that European football would attract the top players, which is undoubtedly a key factor, but Manchester United broke the world record for Paul Pogba when they had only qualified for the Europa League and Burnley are yet to make a signing this summer despite making the competition.

Why then, with money finally available at the club, are Everton signing players that no other top clubs are looking at, and looking unlikely to better their seventh place finish of two seasons ago that they achieved before they could spend their new investment?

It’s a simple question with no easy answer other than the fact that the top six are really too good now.

They have world class managers and strong teams to build on, whereas Everton have to recruit in defence, midfield and attack this summer. Even though Richarlison could work wonders like he did in the short time he spent with Marco Silva last season, Everton’s transfer policy seems at odds with the traditions of the club and they are clearly still trying to find their feet at the top end of the market.

They are throwing money at decent Premier League players rather than those who really could take them to the next level, and this is why they will find it very difficult to finish above seventh in the coming season.

Liverpool have completed the signings of four quality players, which could well be enough to launch a substantial title push during this upcoming season. 

Fabinho, Naby Keita, Alisson and Xherdan Shaqiri will all wear the red of Liverpool next season, adding to the already high levels of quality throughout their team. Each player has been carefully acquired as Jurgen Klopp has established the weaknesses of their squad, in the hope of a more successful, trophy-littered campaign.

Liverpool played magnificently at times last season, reaching the top four again and even the Champions League final, where they lost to Real Madrid. Success is thought to be near for Liverpool and that would definitely occur if they brought in Miralem Pjanic as well this summer.

The Juventus midfielder is 28-years-old but his time at the Italian club may be coming to an end. Liverpool could certainly be the team to profit from this sale as the Bosnian international is a class act in midfield. Pjanic is the definition of versatile, with the ability to play any role in the centre of midfield, whether that be a more defensive role or even as an attacking midfielder popping up near the box to provide goals and chances for his team-mates to dispatch.

Last season, Miralem Pjanic demonstrated some of his best football in the Serie A when scoring 5 times and setting up 11 assists in 28 starts. As crazy as Juventus would be to get rid of him, Liverpool shouldn’t worry about that and do all they can to recruit him and play him in a midfield three alongside fellow new signings Fabinho and Naby Keita.

Do you agree… Let us know!

The 2017/18 Premier League season will live long in the memory for unprecedented campaigns at both ends of the table. The relegation battle proved to be one of the most competitive the Premier League has ever seen, while champions Manchester City set new records for points, goals scored and biggest title-winning margin en route to the English crown.

But away from the teams, there are plenty of individual campaign-long performances to remember fondly as well. A whopping 33 different Premier League players were nominated for PFA Bristol Street Motors Fans’ Player of the Month and Player of the Season awards last season, in nationwide polls carried out by fan engagement experts Snack Media.

So, with the new Premier League season now just a matter of weeks away, here’s a quick look back at which stars from the English top flight picked up awards last season.

August & September – Romelu Lukaku

The shared August and September award was all about goalscorers, and Romelu Lukaku quite rightly claimed it after an explosive start to his Manchester United career. During the first two months of the campaign, the Belgian netted seven times from just 15 shots on target, leaving fellow nominees Harry Kane, Sergio Aguero and Alvaro Morata trailing in his wake with six apiece. David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne also received nominations as Manchester City won six of their first seven Premier League fixtures.

October – Nacho Monreal

The only defender to win an award last season, Nacho Monreal’s sudden burst of goals – bagging two in four appearances – and impressive form as the left-sided member of Arsenal’s back three saw him claim the October prize. The Spaniard fended off some impressive competition too; Leroy Sane bagged three goals and three assists while Burnley’s stand-in goalkeeper Nick Pope made an incredible 21 saves in the space of a month.

November – Mohamed Salah

Mohamed Salah’s November award would prove to be the first of many for the Liverpool sensation, who quite incredibly hadn’t even been nominated for the two honours prior prior. But November truly marked the Egyptian international’s rise to talismanic status at Anfield, scoring seven times to finish the month with at least two more goals than any other Premier League player and become the first in the division to hit double figures. That included back-to-back braces against West Ham and Southampton.

December – Mohamed Salah

Suddenly Salah had begun to monopolise the award, becoming the first player of the season to lift it in consecutive months, in no small part due to a return of five goals and three assists in December alone. Kane, though, actually outscored the Liverpool star with eight goals from 38 shots, bagging hat-tricks against both Burnley and Southampton, while Everton and England man Jordan Pickford earned a nomination for his shot-stopping heroics despite conceding four times.

January – Heung-min Son

Breaking up Salah’s almighty hold on the monthly accolade, Heung-min Son beat the Reds forward to January’s award. The Tottenham man earned it more for the quality than quantity of his output, inspiring a win over Everton with one goal and one assist after scoring a stunner against West Ham. But Aguero, with five goals from just 14 shots, has a right to feel aggrieved that his pure potency wasn’t acknowledged by the voters, while Salah didn’t even receive a nomination for his performances during the opening weeks of 2018.

February – Mohamed Salah

With four goals and two assists, Salah’s form once again proved irresistible as far as the PFA Bristol Street Motors Fans’ Player of the Month award was concerned, picking up his third of the season in February. In the process, he saw off competition from attacking accomplice Roberto Firmino, who combined two goals with an impressive ten tackles, Chelsea’s Eden Hazard and Pascal Gross – the Brighton man notching up a division-best eleven key passes in February.

March – Mohamed Salah

Salah’s second award brace of the season came in March, Son’s January honour breaking up what would have otherwise been an incredible run of four consecutive accolades for Liverpool’s latest hero. That month saw Salah take his Premier League tally for the season to an impressive 29 with a further six strikes, as well as an assist, including an unforgettable four-goal performance in a demolition of Watford at Anfield.

April – Wilfried Zaha

A surprise winner in April perhaps, but Wilfried Zaha’s award seemed to be as much recognition for how important his season-long performances had been in pushing Crystal Palace clear of relegation as a prize for his displays in the final full month of the campaign alone. Then again, four goals in four games is nothing to be sniffed at, even if it was matched by Arsenal’s Alexandre Lacazette and only slightly greater than Paul Pogba’s return of three goals, including two in a thrilling Manchester derby comeback. The Gunners striker and United star were both nominated for the April honour as well, but Zaha edged clear of both to claim it.

Player of the Season – Mohamed Salah

No prizes for guessing this one. Having won precisely half of the monthly awards and set a new record for goals scored in a 38-game Premier League campaign along the way, crowning Salah the PFA Bristol Street Motors Fans’ Player of the Season always felt like a mere formality, even if an outpouring of votes were needed to make it official. Salah finished the season as the only player to win the award in more than one month, let alone in consecutive months, the only Liverpool player to win the award and the only player to win the award who wasn’t playing in the Premier League in 2016/17. An explosive start to his career on Merseyside – but can Liverpool’s new sensation keep it up in the coming campaign?

According to HITC, reporting via Corriere di Roma, Lazio have been informed by Arsenal that they can have Lucas Perez if they meet his £7 million asking price.

Perez joined the Gunners in the summer 2016 from Deportivo la Coruna. During his first season in English football, the Spanish striker impressed with the limited opportunities he was given but found regular football hard to come by.

The 29-year-old spent last season back on loan with his previous club, in an effort to get regular game time, but failed to replicate the form he showed prior to his switch to North London.

Now, Arsenal look willing to cash in on the forward, at a significant loss compared to the fee they handed over for him only two seasons ago.

With this striker apparently now on the market at a bargain price, clubs in need of a clinical finisher should be preparing themselves to pounce for his signature.

Wolves would be wise to offer Perez a second chance to prove his quality in this country.

The Breakdown

Wolves have money to spend, and have already done so by bringing some exciting talents to the club this summer in the form of Rui Patricio, Willy Boly, Joao Moutinho and Diogo Jota. However, Nuno Espirito Santo’s forward options feel one central acquisition short of completion. 

The recruitment of Lucas Perez this summer would add the proven, top level finisher to the roster at Molineux that the side currently lacks.

If Nuno can land the Arsenal man for a cut down fee, then he’d be able to round off his attacking options with an excellent bit of business. 

Newcastle United should not have given up on trying to sign left-back Joe Bryan, whose move from Bristol City to Fulham was confirmed on deadline day.

What’s the word?

Rafael Benitez did not leave empty-handed when the transfer window closed as he managed to bring in some much-needed signings.

However, it became clear early in the summer that the manager was in the dark with regards to funds available.

There were indications that owner Mike Ashley was not going to provide much cash when a handful of loans and free transfers were made.

One area that did not get strengthened was at left-back, where Paul Dummett remains the only viable option.

According to The Chronicle, the Magpies had been pursuing Bristol City’s Joe Bryan, but they eventually opted to walk away and consider other options.

The 24-year-old, who is valued at £4.5m by Transfermarkt, was on the verge of joining Aston Villa before deciding to sign for Fulham at the last minute.

Why were Newcastle wrong to give up?

The Magpies did look for other left-backs before the window closed, but Bryan could have been a realistic option.

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The fact that he switched from Villa to Fulham swiftly suggests that he could have been swayed by the Magpies.

Bryan may not have much top-flight experience, but he knows English football and he would have put up a serious challenge for Dummett’s place.

The left-sided player would have also been a cheaper option compared to some other targets, and considering the lack of funds that Benitez was given, a transfer could have suited all parties.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Serie B outfit Empoli are interested in signing Aston Villa midfielder Birkir Bjarnason.

The transfer window in England might be closed, but foreign clubs can still complete business until the end of the month.

Bjarnason joined Villa from FC Basel in January 2017, and he has scored five times and registered three assists in 39 appearances for his English club in all competitions.

The 30-year-old is already off the mark in terms of goals for this season, meanwhile, having netted the winner against Wigan Athletic on Saturday afternoon.

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According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Empoli believe that they have a strong chance of signing the 6ft Iceland international, but the Villa fans are entirely against the move, which has not always been the case.

Indeed, the Championship outfit’s supporters have been discussing the speculation on social media, and it would be fair to say that they are desperate for Bjarnason to stay.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from the Villa fans can be seen below: