Analysis

Tottenham vs. Everton. A real blockbuster of a game to open the Premier League weekend. Oddly not chosen to be televised, the match kicks off at 3pm on Saturday. The two former successful Southampton managers meet, and both will be desperate for a positive start to their campaigns. Tottenham must bounce back from last seasons disappointment whilst a new-look Everton need to make vast improvements this season and a result against Tottenham would be a great start. Who will win? We think the match outcome will hinder on the battle between these three.

1 - Ross Barkley vs. Eric Dier

One player who featured regularly for England this summer up against one who never got a lot in. This season it is really important that Barkley kicks on with his development. Koeman is likely to trust in the young English midfielder but he needs develop more consistency and add more to his game to really be considered a top player. This weekend he comes up against Dier, a player who has reinvented himself in a holding role and not just secured his spot for his club but for his country too. The addition of Victor Wanyama puts pressure on Dier to continue improving though and he can start by shutting out one of the most talented young midfielders in the division in Barkley. Both players lack mobility to it’ll be an interesting match up as I expect Dier to stay in close proximity to Barkley throughout. Barkley could ‘take one for the team’ and use Dier’s close marking tactics to Everton’s advantage. If Barkley shifts Dier out of his holding role it may allow more room for the likes of Kevin Mirallas, Gerard Deulofeu and Romelu Lukaku to cause problems to a Tottenham defence that rarely opens up (apart from the last day of last season).

Arsenal’s transfer activity is increasing at the moment. A £25million deal for central defender Mustafi is thought to be close and now according to reports from France, the Gunners are in for Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez.

According to L’Equipe Arsenal have already had one bid turned down for Mahrez and have since returned with an improved €41million bid.

Mahrez scored 17 Premier League goals last season and also made 11 assists. The Algerian, albeit not a striker, is a natural goal threat and would certainly add productivity to an Arsenal side that has ultimately lacked efficiency in the final third since Robin van Persie’s departure.

With the lack of central strikers on the market currently, perhaps the addition of Mahrez would be a good alternative for the Gunners and it could lead to a formation change for the Gunners. Alexis Sanchez who is expected to start as a striker on Sunday, could play that position more regularly and allow Mahrez to come in and start on the right-hand side.

Not only would this allow both Alexis and Mahrez to be in the team, but it could possibly bring out the best in Mesut Ozil and also allow the development of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Alex Iwobi to continue, as both players can also play on the left wing.

It could come down to, can Arsenal sign a striker that is of better quality than Mahrez? At the moment it doesn’t look like it. Although Alexandre Lacazette is available for around £45million, I think Mahrez is a better player.

Some may say that Alexis cannot play as a lone striker but I disagree. He has the hunger to go and hunt for the ball, the aerial ability and strength to hold it up and win attacking headers. He can score from inside or outside of the box and his pace would stretch defences in a way that Giroud cannot.

So would Mahrez improve Arsenal? If he can replicate last season’s form then certainly.

Ozil is the only Arsenal midfielder who comes close to Mahrez in terms of statistics, even Alexis Sanchez struggled to hit the heights of the 2014/15 season weighing in with only 13 goals and four assists himself. With Alexis in a more central role and the likes of Ozil and Mahrez behind him, I think the Chilean could be reborn and thrive in a more central position. If it doesn’t work or if Arsenal want to play with an alternative option then the Gunners always have Olivier Giroud as a perfectly good option through the middle.

€41million is only £35million and that is not likely to be enough to persuade Leicester City to part with last seasons PFA Player of the Year. The L’Equipe report does mention that the Gunners could also include €9million in add ons, that would take the potential value of the deal to around €50million. Still I think Leicester, if forced into a sale, would want to hold the Gunners to ransom and try and receive around €58million (£50million).

Chelsea are also thought to be interested in Mahrez but new manager Antonio Conte has so far baulked at the excessive asking prices floating around at the moment.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this one, so tweet us @FreshFootball.

After weeks of gruelling preparation, the time has come for us all to second guess the form of the Premier League’s finest and compile them into our very own fantasy football team. In direct reference to the Premier League’s official instalment of fantasy football, here are Fresh Football’s top five heavyweights for you to swear by in the upcoming season:

1 - David De Gea

Position: Goalkeeper
Club: Manchester United
Price: £5.5m

Fans know exactly what to expect with José Mourinho – watertight defences. Manchester United’s defence didn’t do so badly last season under Louis van Gaal, conceding the least amount of goals all campaign with 35, but when their goal was peppered, David De Gea was there to rescue his team.

The Spain number one has collected three of Manchester United’s Player of the Year awards on the bounce, such is his prominence, and we can expect the former Atlético Madrid man to again be central to any success the Red Devils may have.

Mourinho’s twist on things comes with the added peace of mind for the Spaniard (and fans) that the experiments of defensive midfielders at centre back are, supposedly, long gone, with Man United likely to settle for a duo of Chris Smalling and Eric Bailly for now.

To add to the familiar surroundings set at the heart of defence, Mourinho has a track record of managing excelling goalkeepers. In each of his first seasons at Chelsea (2004/05 & 2013/14), the Portuguese boss’ re-organisation of the defence led to Petr Čech claiming the Premier League’s Golden Glove award for the most clean sheets in both campaigns, as Thibaut Courtois missed out on the gong by two clean sheets in his title-winning season of 2014/15.

The price of goalkeepers are all within close proximity of each other, but if you find yourself with the need to relinquish the Man United goalkeeper for whatever reason, Leicester City’s Kasper Schmeichel, Hugo Lloris from Tottenham Hotspur and Stoke City’s Jack Butland could all be interesting bets.

When Arsenal host Liverpool on Sunday it will perhaps be the biggest game of the Premier League’s debut weekend. An Arsenal side that continues to have the same flaws and restless fans meet a rejuvenated Liverpool side that has been refurbished under Jurgen Klopp this summer. We take a look at three key battles that will decide the outcome of this one.

1 - Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain vs. Alberto Moreno

Despite all the hard work that Klopp has done over the summer, he still hasn’t recruited a new left back and that will be a cause for concern for Liverpool fans. Moreno really struggled last season for the most part and he is likely to come up against an Oxlade-Chamberlain that has really impressed in pre season for the Gunners. But as Arsenal fans will know only too well, ‘The Ox’ has a terrible productivity rate in the Premier League and he needs to start showing some of that pre season form when it matters. If he starts on the right against Moreno on Sunday it could be the perfect opportunity for him to lay down a marker, just as a good performance from the Spaniard could settle the Liverpool critics down.. for a few days maybe. The deciding factor will be whether Oxlade-Chamberlain can perfect his ambitious attacking play, he is unlikely to get as many openings as he managed in pre season games. The unpredictability of ‘The Ox’ leaves this battle wide open, but it could be a deciding factor in the outcome of the game.

They don’t make them as consistent as Stoke City in the Premier League – their past three league finishes have seen the Potters finish ninth, ninth and, you guessed it, ninth. Although fans of the club would like to think otherwise, bettering Stoke’s recent standings, for all the interesting signings made, will be a tall order.

The traditional top four morphed into a highly-competitive top eight last season, which is sure to increase if Chelsea and Everton are to up their game. Stoke have their work cut out for sure, but the potential to makes waves under Mark Hughes is still there. Here’s how they could shape up in the coming season: Formation: 4-3-3.

Back Five: Jack Butland; Glen Johnson, Ryan Shawcross, Philipp Wollscheid, Erik Pieters

Jack Butland will be hurting, quite literally, after missing out on Euro 2016 action due to an ankle injury sustained in March. New eyes now take up the position of power at international level in the form of Sam Allardyce’s managerial appointment, with Butland ready to once again gear up for the fight to become the Three Lions’ number one. Last season saw the goalkeeper stop more shots from inside the box than any other in the league, so he’s on the right path.

In front of the 23-yer-old stands Ryan Shawcross, entrusted by Hughes to captain Stoke and defend the club’s core values on the pitch, as well as impede the opposition from peppering Butland’s goal, as I’m sure he’d appreciate it. Erik Pieters gives Hughes an easy decision at left back. The ex-PSV Eindhoven won more tackles (91) than any other defender last season, who’s also ranked fourth in duels won with a total of 194.

No sane Tottenham Hotspur fan would have twisted their nose at the prospect of direct qualification for the Champions League at the start of last season, let alone a small dash for the title in the months of April and May. What they didn’t subscribe to, however, was the emotional capitulation that ensued versus West Bromwich Albion and Chelsea, subsequently rounded off with a 5-1 hammering at the hands of relegated Newcastle United on the final day of the season that saw the north Londoners finish behind rivals Arsenal. Again.

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino is now tasked with lifting the spirits of his team, which includes those who suffered further humiliation at Euro 2016 with England, meanwhile also attempting to transform his also-rans into something even more memorable than the work exemplified throughout most of last season. Here’s how the starting XI could pan out: Formation: 4-3-3.

Back Five: Hugo Lloris, Kyle Walker, Toby Alderweireld, Jan Vertonghen, Danny Rose

Hugo Lloris’ spot as number one is pretty much uncontested, the antithesis of what is found on the flanks. With Ben Davies, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker and Danny Rose to choose from, it’s the latter two who conveyed Pochettino’s message best of pressing high up the pitch and, when in possession, offering a solution to attack via overlaps.

No full back to have played consistently throughout last season won more duels for the ball than Rose (6.21 per game), whereas Danny Simpson was the only right back to top Walker’s number of 92 interceptions throughout the season, as the England international also ranked in the top 10 for tackles won with 72.

In the Belgian duo of Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen, Spurs had the foundations of the tightest defence all season, sharing that particular title with Manchester United after conceding 35 goals after 38 league games. Vertonghen could miss out on Spurs’ first game of the season away to Everton after he tore his ankle ligaments during Euro 2016, but in Kevin Wimmer, who missed out on much of pre-season as well, Pochettino should be left at ease.

The left-sided centre back only featured in one Premier League defeat all season, losing 1-0 to West Ham United at the Boleyn Ground, as he deputised for a then injured Vertonghen. That’s seven victories in ten league appearances. With Spurs again involved on the continental stage, Davies, Wimmer and Trippier will all be key in allowing Pochettino to rotate his hard-working squad in confidence.

Project Jose Mourinho is underway at Old Trafford and Manchester United fans should certainly be excited by the signings Mourinho has already made and the ones he still, reportedly plans to make.

Back 5: Courtois; Ivanovic, Terry, Cahill, Azpilicueta

Until Zouma returns from injury or Chelsea sign a new central defender, you can expect the familiar pairing of Terry and Cahill to line up next season. The English duo at their best were some force, but they were heavily criticised during the clubs collapse last season, but then again, so was the whole squad. In fact the entire back 5 is likely to look similar next season as Conte looks to build upon an established back five. Although he was linked with a move away earlier in the window, Courtois is set to stay with the club. 32-year-old Ivanovic could be a cause for concern. Of course we all know his quality but he really struggled last season and it looks as if his age is getting the better of him. Azpilicueta could always move to right back and allow the young but promising Ola Aina to feature at left back.

Click the navigation to reveal the rest of the team

Arsenal are no strangers to a defensive crisis or two, so it’s perhaps no surprise that they find themselves embroiled in another just a week before their first game of the Premier League season versus Liverpool.

Gunners’ fans will recall a similar shift at the heart of their defence last season that saw Arsène Wenger forced to couple Calum Chambers with Gabriel Paulista for the first time against Liverpool, whereas it was Mathieu Debuchy who deputised at centre back against the Reds back in December 2014.

Following injuries to Per Mertesacker and now Gabriel, Liverpool have once again found themselves as the recipient of Arsenal’s woes. Koscielny will have little less than a week’s training and remains an unlikely to feature, leaving Wenger, barring the arrival of a new centre back in the coming days, with Chambers, new boy Rob Holding, Krystian Bielik and an adapted Nacho Monreal to choose from.

Wenger remains hopeful that a scan will say otherwise, but Arsenal fans can’t hold much optimism after Gabriel was stretchered off in tears in the final moments of their 3-2 win against Manchester City on Sunday.
Whereas the Gunners were already looking to bolster their defence in light of Mertesacker’s four-month lay-off, finding a new centre back has now become paramount. Here are three options Arsenal could look towards:

1 - Shkodran Mustafi

Age: 24
Club: Valencia
Nation: Germany

Shkodran Mustafi has collated his fair share of experience throughout his career, despite being just 24-years-old. The German centre back experienced life as a Premier League player, despite failing to make a single appearance for Everton since 2009.

As a 20-year-old, Mustafi was moved on to Serie A club Sampdoria in 2012, later impressing in his 50 league appearances in Italy before Valencia snapped up the Germany international two summers later.

The 2014 World Cup winner, with 77 appearances to his name since joining ‘Los Che’, now finds himself with a viable route out of the Mestalla, as Arsenal, potentially, line up to take him. As much as Valencia would like to refuse the prospect of his sale, receiving a fee in the region of €30 million (£25.5 million) would go a long way into solving their Financial Fair Play commitments.

Valencia, with no UEFA Champions League football this season after an underwheliming campaign, may have even already identified a replacement for Mustafi in ex-player Raúl Albiol, associated numerous times with a comeback to La Liga. Deportivo de La Coruña’s Sidnei is also referenced as a transfer target, holding strong ties with notorious agent Jorge Mendes, whereas Valencia will also look to offload Aymen Abdennour, Lucas Orbán and Aderlan Santos.

Of those to have played more than 25 times in La Liga this season, only Weligton (Malaga), Germán Pezzella (Real Betis) and Aythami Artiles (Las Palmas) won more aerial duels per 90 minutes than Mustafi’s 2.90%. Translating to 73%, Mustafi still has some way to go in surpassing his compatriot, Mertesacker, who registered a 78% success rate, but in turn the Valencia defender offers Arsenal versatility, superior physical attributes more befitting of the Premier League’s fast-paced nature and, more importantly, availability in the final weeks of the transfer window.

Everton will have a new look next season under Koeman. The Dutchman has already made a couple of shrewd additions as he looks to justify his decision to leave a rising Southampton for a somewhat plateauing Everton team.

Of course, Everton and Koeman remain in the market and it would be extremely surprising if they did no more business this summer, but with the big kick off little more than a week away, we take a look at how Koeman could line his team up as things stand (bar one probably addition).

Back 5: Stekelenburg; Coleman, Stones, Williams, Baines

Although John Stones’ future remains unclear, it looks like Manchester City are so far, not willing to pay the players £50million valuation. If they do stump up the cash before the close of the window then Fuenus Mori or Jagielka can come into the XI. Ashley Williams is another defender whose future remains unclear, but it is very possible that the Welshman will end up in blue before the end of August. Koeman is keen to add an experienced defender to his back line as it was the defence that really let down Everton last season. Jose Fonte has also been targeted but it seems that Fonte would only be willing to leave for a Champions League club. Williams would cost around £10million but it appears that Everton would be happy to pay that price. Meanwhile, with a full pre-season behind them, Everton fans will hope that Coleman and Baines can return to their very best form.

West Ham are closing in on the transfer of an exciting Premier League attacker after agreeing a fee with the club.

According to Sky Sports, West Ham have met Swansea’s £20million valuation of Andre Ayew. The versatile forward is likely to complete a move to the London club before the season starts next weekend. A week ago Sky Sports reported that Swansea were set to bid £20million and now they report that Swansea will accept that bid should Swansea secure the signing of a replacement. Swansea are eyeing Borja Baston as a potential replacement for Ayew according to Wales Online, and they have already signed Fernando Llorente.

Ayew would probably have no hesitation in signing the contract at West Ham. The location of London is an obvious draw whilst the clubs new stadium and ambitious recruitment will also be attractive to the player.

Swansea will be happy to net £20million from Ayew’s sale considering he didn’t cost them a penny just 12 months ago.

Although West Ham have been searching for a central striker, Ayew can play there quite well. WhoScored note that he scored 6 goals in 9 starts at centre forward, not a bad return at all. In total Ayew scored 12 Premier League goals and made 2 assists last season.

With the Hammers lack of quality central striking options it is possible that Ayew could be signed to play up front. So how does he compare to West Ham’s options from last season? We took a look at the stats.

Firstly I wanted to take a look at goals scored per 90. That is the main thing the Hammers were missing last season afterall. Ayew managed a very respectable 0.37, that’s very good when you consider he played many matches in wide areas. Andy Caroll tops the list on 0.56 but the other strikers are behind Ayew (Valencia - 0.35, Sakho - 0.30). There is a similar pattern when you look at shot accuracy, Carroll leads the way again with 57%, whilst Ayew is 2nd on 50%. In terms of key passes, it is Carroll who leads the way again on 1.12 per 90, Ayew is last in this area on 0.65.

The problem with Carroll is, despite his impressive statistics he struggles against the lower Premier League clubs and his consistency is troubled by injuries. West Ham fans will hope Ayew can be more consistent if he did arrive.

Is Ayew a nice middle-ground between Carroll and the more agile strikers? The statistics certainly paint that picture. Enner Valencia leads the way with successful take ons (1.33) and Carroll is last on just 0.44. Ayew managed 0.86 and he certainly has more pace than Carroll.

One area for concern is potentially Ayew’s lack of creativity. Despite playing in a wide forward role last season, Ayew managed just 2 assists in 34 games. That certainly is a worry and it is backed up by his poor key passes tally of just 0.65 per 90. Carroll uses his body and touch to create openings for others and leads the way between the four forwards in terms of key passes (1.12).

Of course statistics don’t tell the full story and we don’t know exactly how well Ayew will fit in at West Ham if he does join, but it’s clear that the player is a proven Premier League talent that certainly has the potential to improve Bilic’s starting eleven.

Bilic is likely to demand more running from Ayew who was often perceived as lazy by many Swansea fans during many games last season. West Ham fans will know though that Bilic has the potential to motivate players and get the most out of them physically.

It’ll certainly be interesting to see how Bilic decides to line up next season with the likes of Feghouli and potentially Calleri and Ayew in a new look Hammers attack. Will it be enough to take them into the top four? We’d love to hear your thoughts, tweet us @FreshFootball on Twitter.

The managerial VIP section of the Premier League shall be filled to the brim this season, but new Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola may just have the best seat in the house. Pocketing league titles in every country he’s plied his trade in as a manager, the Catalan will be out to do it all again come August 13th. Once again a favourite for domestic success, here are four reasons why the ex-Barcelona man could lift the coveted Premier League trophy in his highly-anticipated debut season.

1. The Pep Factor

After its announcement back in February 2016, the Guardiola – Manchester City alliance was one that was quickly thrown back at the Spaniard’s face for opting to manage the richest and/or most powerful team in the land once again, following stints at Bayern Munich and Barcelona.

His heyday at the Camp Nou, the official introduction of Guardiola into the world of management, was thought to be subsidised heavily by the quality and growing influence of Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and a peak Xavi Hernández, meanwhile his arrival at Bayern Munich coincided with the reinstated monopolisation of the Bundesliga by the Bavarians.

Belief that Guardiola has had it easy all his career is conveyed further by his choice to join oil-rich City, but if there’s one team in the Premier League who knows that such advantages aren’t the be-all and end-all when it comes to breeding success, that club is Man City.

The 45-year-old will know such claims discrediting his pedigree as a coach are untrue, since the Barcelona side he inherited from Frank Rijkaard in the summer of 2008, with the Messis, Iniestas, Ronaldinhos and all the rest, finished third in La Liga, trailing the eventual champions, Real Madrid, by a staggering 23-point gap.

In his debut season as a manager, Guardiola flipped the scripts completely, smashing Real Madrid 6-2 en route to a La Liga title that had escaped Barcelona’s grasp for the past two seasons. A 4-1 victory versus Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final nailed the Catalan giants’ their second conquest of the season, meanwhile a 2-0 victory versus Manchester United in Rome’s Champions League final saw Guardiola wrap up a treble-winning season as the youngest manager ever (38) to win Europe’s most prized competition.

After sweeping up 14 trophies in three years with Los Culés, Guardiola arrived in Munich to succeed the highly-decorated Jupp Heynckes – a Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League winner in his final season as a manager.

To outdo the highs of the Heynckes era was the order of the day and the 45-year-old laid the groundwork to do just that. The 2013/14 season saw Guardiola smash the record (14 games) for the longest unbeaten run since the start of a new tenure with a sequence of 28 matches, whereas he later went on to become the quickest Bundesliga winner with seven games to go, overcoming the work of his predecessor.

Bayern, unsurprisingly, clinched the title in Guardiola’s following two seasons, but the former footballer leaves Germany with a great blemish alongside his name – the failure to deliver Champions League success after three consecutive semi-finals.

Nevertheless, Guardiola’s Midas touch in debut seasons cannot be ignored and it could well prove to be a decisive factor in a year where so many of the habitual big boys aim for reconstruction as a general riposte to the disappointment of last season.

Manchester United have a good manager and a strong squad, but it is important that Jose makes the final adjustments in the last few weeks of the window to make his team title favourites. Here’s my four suggestions.

1) Paul Pogba

This rumour has been done to death but it does look like Pogba will be signing for United soon. What will he add? Well it’s pretty obvious that he will add that ‘superstar’ quality to United’s midfield that they haven’t had for some time now. Pogba is a top class international midfielder that will add goals, bite, power and flair to the heart of United’s midfield. Aged just 23, Pogba has the time to become one of the best midfielders in Europe and his price tag reflects that. A deal still isn’t complete but appears to just be a matter of time. Mourinho will be keen to get the deal signed off before the season kicks off so that Pogba can start making his impact and winning the team points as soon as possible. It’ll be intriguing to see who Jose selects alongside Pogba in midfield as it will take the right players around him to bring out the best in the Frenchman. Last season Pogba created 1.61 chances per 90 which led to him grabbing 0.36 assists per 90 minutes which is very impressive for a central midfielder. Pogba also had a handful of goals managing 0.24 per 90 minutes. The maestro also contributed well defensively with 1.64 tackles per 90 and proved to be a force in the air winning 64.95% of his aerial duels.

Manchester City have officially confirmed the signing of Brazilian sensation Gabriel Jesus for a fee of £27 million from Brazilian club Palmeiras, the exciting youngster has signed a five-year-deal with the club but will stay in his native country with Palmeiras until January 2017. Pep Guaridola’s era is in full flow and the former Blaugrana manager has signed some of the most promising talent in world football. We have already covered what the German sensation Leroy Sane will bring to the club, so I take a look at how Jesus will fit into the squad from 2017, and what he will bring to the Etihad Stadium.

Individual Brilliance

The Blues won the race for the 19-year-old’s signature fighting off competition from Spanish giants Barcelona which in itself is considered a major achievement and just shows what one phone call from Guardiola can do. The new Blues boss is known for having a young squad and has certainly injected youth into the ageing City squad. Experts in Brazil can barely contain their excitement when talking about Jesus, saying the sky is the limit, he is the most exciting youngster to come out of Brazil since Neymar. But, why? The versatile winger can play along the forward line in any position and has elegant style to his play which influences in him oozing brilliance.

Jesus, like compatriot Brazilian star Gabigol have quite high expectations coming out of Brazil and both players will soon find themselves playing in Europe, the comparisons for both players are obvious, the press have gone straight to Barcelona star Neymar, which is almost inevitable.

Jesus possesses magnificent artistic style in his play, his positioning for someone so young is superb and he always wants to put himself in goal-scoring positions, although his stature is quite weak, he is certainly a warrior which of course comes with the “street football” he has adapted from South America, a warrior on the ball and will fight for it if needs be, something Guardiola will be happy with, especially given the physicality of the Premier League.

The youngster comes to England with massive expectations with a high price tag too, but I feel he will thrive from it, a natural born true goal-scorer, possessing beautiful skills with end product is something the youngster has mastered with ease, and being of thin, light stature that certainly hasn’t stopped his progression in his early career.

His versatility will be a huge plus for City, as mentioned; his best position is playing from the left of midfield in a 4-3-3 but has also just moved into a centre forward position, where he is also showing very impressive performances.

Not all wingers have a good goal to game ratio, but this is another strength the youngster will bring, Jesus has scored 15 in 19 games to date this year and will look to improve his impressive record with the Brazilians whilst on loan there until January.

The new City man boasts supremacy, often using his quick feet and trickery to mock defenders, his style of majestic foot work and step overs, followed by rolling the ball to each foot before send his opponent elsewhere is illustrious.

Not just a goal-scorer, a creator too, using his hawk eye vision with admirable passes with different techniques, outside the foot, no look pass, you name it Jesus has tried it, and often rather than not succeeded.

Not every modern day winger has exquisite vision and often the number 10’s will take that into their path, but this is another trait Jesus carries, his awareness to pick out his team-mates and play pin point passes is quite unique for someone so premature.

He is also fearless; not intimidated in a head to head battle with his opponent, whether they are big and strong or quick.

Concerns

Like most, the major concern is how he will cope with demands of the Premier League, although he has shown great fighting ability, English football is like no other and it could be a concern for Manchester City, especially as Jesus is just 19-years-old.

Raheem Sterling can be deemed selfish by some, this could also be assumed because of Jesus’s style of play at times, he is still very early on in his career and like most flair players, he wants to showcase his abilities, but in a Guardiola styled team, he’ll soon become a good team player and drop the solo attitude.

A concern could certainly be taking the jump and leaving Brazil too early, for example, Neymar waited until he was 21-years-old and guaranteed game time before moving to Barcelona were he has become one of the best players in the world, the attacker’s progression will only resume by playing regularly and at a club like City, his development has been rapid and taking the jump so early, the Blues may not be able to guarantee such game time demands.

What the experts say

The Brazilian sensation is the best talent coming out of Brazil, experts in South America say, known for his work ethic, speed, technical alibies and more. The former Brazilian king Ronaldo has hailed him for future success not only at club level, but nationally too.

The legend said “I am a fan of his, I watch him and I see myself when I was younger, I see the similarities. He is very young and already has had a lot of success and so much responsibility; he has a footballing career ahead of him. We are already loving what he is doing”.

Another impressed with the star attraction is Palmeiras under-17 coach Bruno Petri.

“He will become a major player in Brazilian football, and also the Selecao, if they have patience, he is a boy who is easy to speak with and work with and who is different to the others in the question of training, always giving more than 100 per cent.”

Where will he fit in at City?

Guardiola has opted with a 4-2-3-1 system in pre-season thus far, the formation used may be the same formation they will use in the new season but there is still time for testers before the Premier League kicks off.

When Jesus arrives once the season has finished in Brazil, I feel he will play wide left in the three behind the striker, but as mentioned can be used in all front four positions which will give Guardiola plenty of options.

The Brazilian international will bring a very good offensive option for City, deploying him where he is needed but will certainly hurt teams in either position he plays, he is joining the side half way through the season and may not walk into the first team, especially if the likes of Sane, Nolito and Sterling all hit fine form.

City have landed themselves one of the most exciting prospects in world football and in time he will become an effective key player for them, although he may not light up the scene straight away, he is a player the City faithful should be a very enthusiastic about, under the majestic Guardiola, he could become one of the best wide players in the world.

It’s with lofty ambitions that West Ham United attack the 2016/17 season. A 6th place finish in the campaign just gone sees Europa League football pending for the Hammers, meanwhile the transfer window supplies a few more Dimitri Payet-esque signings for West Ham to parade around the new surroundings of the Olympic Stadium. Here’s how they could line up:

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Back five: Adrián; Sam Byram, Winston Reid, Angelo Ogbonna, Aaron Cresswell*

Perhaps the greatest blemish in one of West Ham’s finest seasons for decades was the amount of goals shipped in throughout their league campaign. Conceding 51 times in their 38 games, the Irons’ defence leaked in at least 10 more goals than those directly above them in the table.

With the partnership between Winston Reid and Angelo Ogbonna growing stronger and the injured Aaron Cresswell excelling at left back, the most flagrant reason for West Ham’s defensive shortcomings points towards the vacancy left at right back by Carl Jenkinson’s lengthy injury last season. West Ham boss Slaven Bilić turned to backup centre back James Tomkins, now at Crystal Palace, to occasionally fill in the gaps, as well as January signing Sam Byram and, eventually, Michail Antonio.

Although Byram’s performances proved to be satisfactory when called upon, the 22-year-old’s arrival mid-season complicated his trajectory to the starting line-up. With a full season now ahead of him, the hope is that Byram will now undergo a smoother transition into the first XI, which should in turn see him stand as the preferred option at right back over the adapted Antonio.

Cresswell is widely expected to return to the first team once fit, but the Hammers will be keen to make amends for his four-month lay-off with an additional signing at left back, meanwhile further depth at right back is sure to be recommended in order to avoid the back four inconsistencies experienced last season.

With the season set to start, we take a look at all the Premier League clubs and analyse where we think they’ll finish next season.

Manager

Jose Mourinho will play a big part in Manchester United’s restructure. I think it will go well, but as always with Mourinho, there is a risk that he could cause a bit of trouble. It will be important to have the right people around him to harness the power of the Portuguese manager, whilst also keeping him in check and not allowing him to damage Manchester United’s global brand image.

It could be said that Mourinho is the clubs biggest asset now, but he has the potential to cause catastrophic consequences. For this season at least, I think we will see the good side of Jose. He has landed his dream job and I don’t think he will ruin that.

Business so far

The signings Jose has made for United have been brilliant. Although I haven’t seen much of Eric Bailly, many experts describe him as one of the best young defenders in Europe. He’s tall, fast and strong and that aligns with Mourinho’s vision for central defenders. Zlatan is another ace addition. On a one year deal he can come in and guarantee the club goals. The Swede could also help mentor the huge raw talent that is Marcus Rashford. There’s also Anthony Martial who is young and can play central, so I think Mourinho has done the right thing by bringing in an old experienced striker that will improve the clubs efficiency in the short term without blunting the clubs young attacking talent coming through. Thirdly, as an Arsenal fan it hurt me to see Mkhitaryan join United. I was a big fan of his at Dortmund and really wanted him at Arsenal. He’ll score and create goals consistently, and his work rate is really good too, that’ll certainly please Jose. The one area he’ll have to improve is his touch and awareness, the Premier League is different to the Bundesliga: it’s fast and you don’t get much time on the ball, it could take the Armenian a while to adjust to this.

Will they do more business?

Well the obvious one is Paul Pogba in, and that signing would certainly change the dynamic of United’s season. Even if they don’t manage to land Pogba I expect them to sign a top quality central midfielder. I expect several players to leave the club in the coming weeks too, whether that be on a permanent or temporary basis. Although Jose insists he only wants one more player, I wouldn’t be too surprised to see an experienced central defender arrive.

Prediction: 2nd

I can see Manchester United doing very well, but not quite enough to win the title. I think Mourinho, as he often is, will be successful in his debut season but there is also a lot of quality in other teams.

Southampton fans will have seen this summer before, Liverpool come knocking with a substantial offer for one of their star players and in turn the Saints reinvest a portion of that cash in order to attack the spots for European qualification.

The latest instalment of the growing relationship saw the Reds swoop in for Southampton’s Sadio Mané for £34 million back in June of this year, meanwhile new boss Claude Puel has wasted no time in welcoming Nathan Redmond, Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, Alex McCarthy and Jeremy Pied to the St. Mary’s Stadium for little less than what they received for the Senegal international.

Puel hints the summer shopping won’t end there, stating: “We will see if there is an opportunity or not [to add to the squad].” But who might Arsène Wenger’s protégé have in mind? Here’s Fresh Football’s pick:

1 - Theo Walcott

The Arsenal winger was steadily growing into the unique player he had always promised to be before his anterior cruciate ligament injury side-lined him for approximately 11 months. Walcott’s woes were soon followed by pelvic and calf problems, whereas poor form upon his long-awaited return has subsequently displaced him from Arsenal’s XI.

The Gunners are now reportedly ready to approach the likes of Wolfsburg’s Julian Draxler and Riyad Mahrez from Leicester City, which in turn should mean that Joel Campbell and/or Theo Walcott become surplus to requirement at the Emirates Stadium.

Walcott may well have the greater amount of soul-searching to do, so what better place to do so than at home? Fears over the fitness of Jay Rodriguez and Charlie Austin could see Southampton dip into the transfer market once more before August 31st, keen to replace the 22 goals amassed last season by high-profile departures Mané and Graziano Pellè.

Redmond has entered the equation as a potential striker option for the Saints this season, but old boy Walcott is sure to offer greater assurances in front of goal, meanwhile Wenger has a vested interest in seeing Arsenal’s number 14 return to his habitual form. An ambitious loan move could well make sense, here.

As the season draws closer we are going to be looking at every Premier League team and what they need to do to their squad before the window closes. This will include ins and outs and will not necessarily correspond to what media reports are speculating the club will do. We want to give our individual writers opinion on what needs to be done and we’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment section.

1 - Alvaro Morata

With Chelsea reportedly eyeing a £70million move for Romelu Lukaku, my opinion is that they would be better spending less money, probably around £50million, on Morata. Despite previous reports indicating the player was set to stay at Real Madrid, more recent reports show the player could be tempted by a move. He told reporters: “I do not want to die on the bench”. The 23-year-old must be aware that Ronaldo, Benzema and Bale are going to be in front of him in the pecking order and surely if Chelsea and Real Madrid were to agree a fee, the player would consider a move to London. I think his attributes would be well suited to the Premier League and his style of play would work well alongside new-boy Batshuayi. Although Morata has never managed to be prolific at club level, he is only 23 and showed his talent at the European Championships this summer where he scored 3 goals for an uninspiring Spain team. He has all the ingredients to develop into a top striker and although Lukaku scores more goals, he’s already tried and failed at Chelsea and for me, his first touch is a huge concern - especially when he will cost in excess of £65million! Use the page numbers below to see the rest of the article.

Liverpool have officially signed the exciting Sadio Mane from Southampton this summer for £35 million, the Senegal-born midfielder has signed a five-year-deal with the club and was Jurgen Klopp’s third signing of the summer.

The versatile winger will add goals to the Liverpool squad and will form a formidable partnership with Coutinho and Firmino. Jurgen Klopp is on course to rebuild the Liverpool squad and I take a look at how Mane will fit into the squad next season and what he will bring for the Anfield faithful.

Individual Brilliance

The Reds won the race for the 24-year-old and certainly paid enough to ensure they won his signature with Manchester United long term admirers of the new Liverpool player. Klopp wants to bring back the glory days to Liverpool and Mane is an exciting talent who will give Liverpool more attacking threat and add the odd goal and assist for his new side, he will add quality going into the final third and although Mane predominantly occupy’s the flanks he can also interchange and play the number 10 role, which will give Firmino, Coutinho and himself the freedom to roam and ooze their proficiency. It also makes Liverpool’s attack more diverse and unpredictable.

Although he has only been in England for two years, his performances have not gone unnoticed. Mane has managed 21 goals in 67 appearances for his former club Southampton and has managed to net double figures in both of his seasons at the St Mary’s to date, his fine form has been rewarded managing 36 games for Senegal, scoring 10 goals.

Looking at Mane’s style of play, it is quite obvious why Klopp has spent so much money on his services, the pressing / counter attacking style Liverpool have identified in the last 6 months or so under Klopp have seen them play some excellent football, Mane tracks his fullback brilliantly and if he manages to nick the ball, he wants to use his direct style of play to immediately look to get his side on the counter attack using quick transition.

A real strength is his versatility, he is able to play on either flank, and can even fill in as a CAM, the Senegalese international loves the ball at his feet and then uses his elevated, dazzling dribbling abilities to lure defenders in and then take it past them when the defender commits, he managed 55% successful take ons which is all you can ask from an attacking player and something which will only get better as he matures.

Playing for a club like Liverpool, you are expected to be able to make a difference, something Mane impresses with is his key passes, he’ll work wonders having the athleticism of Daniel Sturridge ahead of him, slotting through killer passes for his striker to run on to, the new Liverpool man managed 1.21 key passes per 90 minutes last season which led to him contributing to 0.21 assists, something which will certainly improve playing with the players of calibre around him at Liverpool.

One of his best traits is his speed, much like Alexis Sanchez and Eden Hazard, he has a low center of gravity and uses this to his advantage. Mane possesses great control and mobility on the ball, something which is a special trait for wingers which often plays a big part of their game, Mane is a fighter on the ball and shows great balance.

The exciting 24-year-old uses both feet well but is more natural on his right foot, which he uses in good effect with shooting, passing and dribbling. Unlike some wingers, who can be guilty of not lifting their heads and just running with the ball, his comfortableness on the ball allows him to lift his head which makes him a team player.

Jurgen Klopp will have a beautiful problem in fitting Coutinho, Mane and Firmino into the starting eleven, each player oozes brilliance and will interchange behind the strike force and give defenders non stop headaches. Each of the three mentioned are very influential on the ball and rarely give the ball away, instead recycle play and get the movement going through themselves, something which the Liverpool faithful should be very excited about watching next season.

Weaknesses

Despite showcasing several singular abilities, Mane does also have a few weaknesses that need to be worked on, for example aerial duels, this is an underlying problem which hasn’t massively affected his game but could be worked on, managing to win just 35.14% of his aerial duels last season.

Where does he fit in?

As I have previously written about, I expect Liverpool to go with a 4-2-3-1 next season, this will help the club balance their squad and fit in their most elegant attackers including Sadio Mane.

I can see Mane taking the league by storm next season, he will be playing with similar talents and will be given the opportunity to roam and showcase his abilities, floating from left to right will be a huge plus for Klopp, allowing his versatile front three pick up the ball in any position and work their magic.

The Red’s have landed themselves a brilliant winger, he does have a lot to live up to because of his price tag, but in this inflated market he is certainly worth it. Top 4 must now be the target for Klopp.

If you’re wondering if you’ve read this piece, or something not too dissimilar before, it’s probably because you have. Last year, the season before that and, most likely, the other two seasons that followed since Robin van Persie’s controversial move to Manchester United in 2012.

Arsenal’s hunt for a top striker has entered its fourth year and with the lack of genuine high quality candidates available being coupled with the fact that some of the more popular names to be associated with Arsenal in the off-season have already found new clubs, you wouldn’t bet against the Gunners eventually looking to fill the void left by Van Persie with, well, the man himself.

There are a still a few candidates out there for Arsenal to look at, however, before the thought of a comeback begins to creep into one’s mind definitively. Here are three strikers that could calm the fans’ cravings for an elite goal-getter:

1 - Alexandre Lacazette

Club: Olympique Lyonnais
Nation: France
Age: 25




Lately, not a day goes by where the potential link-up between Arsenal and Alexandre Lacazette isn’t talked about in the papers. With the rumours comes Olympique Lyonnais’ president Jean-Michel Aulas, a seasoned professional when it comes to the transfer market. If reports in France are to be trusted, even the “irreplaceable” Lacazette has a price to his name and he’s there for the taking should Arsenal believe he’s good enough.

Despite toning down his appetite for goal in this past year, 54 goals and 12 assists in his last 84 appearances might suggest that he is, at the very least, worthy of the north Londoners’ attention. In the past two seasons, that’s 12 goals more than the often-maligned Olivier Giroud, who’s appeared 90 times for the Gunners in the past two seasons.

Averaging just over 0.6 goals a game, only the then Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic had a better ratio in Ligue 1 last season than a “below-par” Lacazette, who initially felt the full effects of Nabil Fekir’s injury, his Lyon strike partner, when scoring just six league goals from August to December.

Of those in Ligue 1 to have started consistently as a striker, only Paris Saint-Germain’s Edinson Cavani and Diego Rolan from Girondins Bordeaux managed to top Lacazette’s passing accuracy (78%), averaging 30.15 passes per game.

Closer to home, despite doubling Lacazette’s number of assists amassed during last season, Giroud trails his compatriot in both passing accuracy and the number of successful passes – 569 to 792 – pointing towards a greater involvement from Arsenal’s centre forward position should Lacazette arrive at the Emirates Stadium.

Acquiring the 25-year-old is sure to leave its mark on Arsenal’s transfer kitty, but with the Lyon man visibly quicker and more likely to fashion his own chances in comparison the Gunners’ number 12, Lacazette would at least offer Wenger a potentially decisive alternative to what’s often been Giroud’s one-man show over the past four years. With the stakes being as high as they are in the Premier League this season, providing answers and alternative methods through squad depth and differing player profiles becomes paramount to those vying for success.

After weeks of to and fro speculation, Manchester City have finally moved to conclude the signing of Schalke 04’s Leroy Sané for £37 million plus add-ons. The German’s arrival contributes to the intrigue already surrounding Pep Guardiola’s debut season in the Premier League, who once again chooses to shop in his old playground for Bundesliga talent.

The versatile Sané enriches the attacking options already at the Man City boss’ disposal, and with the winger previously referenced as a Bayern Munich transfer target in Guardiola’s time with the Bavarians, you can tell just how much thought has gone into to this signing. Here’s the lowdown on City’s exciting new purchase.

The Strengths

The technical ability and its simplicity is laudable, meanwhile the turn of pace and individualism is as menacing as it comes – it’s easy to see just why the Premier League club was so keen to nail down the £37 million-rated Sané. Although the young German’s habitual tricks don’t always come off, it’s yet to be something that’s thrown him off a style that’s made him the exciting talent he is today.

Be it success or failure in taking on his opponents, Sané looks to return with the same confidence and enthusiasm as if it were the first time he was looking to blow defenders away. Space simply cannot be afforded to the 20-year-old, who constantly looks to utilise his explosiveness and height-supplemented long strides on the ball to inflict damage.

Wolfsburg had to learn that the hard way in the 2014/2015 season, even if Sané was 70 yards away from goal before powering through on the counter and scoring one of the goals of the season. And speaking of goals of the season, the ex-Schalke man provided another gem in the very same campaign versus Eintracht Frankfurt, demonstrating his awe-inspiring technical simplicity and composure in front of goal to full effect when rounding the goalkeeper, shuffling sideways down the by-line to take a defender out of the game before repeating the dosage on Frankfurt’s keeper once again and slotting the ball in.

There certainly appears to be something about Sané’s confidence in front of goal in that he doesn’t just come up with regular finishes, but instead produces those you’d aesthetically associate with a clinical and cool-headed striker. Perhaps being the son of former Freiburg and FC Nürnberg front man Souleyman Sané has helped in that regard.

Despite consistency fears, Sané stepped up last season for an often underperforming Schalke team to contribute to more goals than any other under-21 player in the Bundesliga, scoring eight goals and assisting a further six.

The Weaknesses

As touched upon crudely, consistency has so far been the stick to beat down the Sané hype with. When the space to attack defenders isn’t there, the winger’s presence on the game often goes with it, resulting in contrasting sides of the German international. When he’s hot, he almost looks unplayable, but if that unique flow to the game isn’t there for him to strive in, he goes totally unnoticed.

His decision-making has at times looked sketchy, but it’s important to remember the psychological effects an underperforming team can pose to such a young player, especially when he’s rated as highly as Sané.

Furthermore, the 20-year-old has just 47 Bundesliga appearances to his name. He is still very young and early into a potentially world class career. He will, inevitably, experience more bad days at the office throughout his career, but that’s all part of the learning curve.

Where he fits

The observation from onlookers is that Sané’s highly-anticipated move puts the brakes on Raheem Sterling’s relevance as a Man City player and, statistically, it’s easy to see why that conclusion has been drawn.

Despite trailing his new team mate in shot accuracy, Sané with 56% and Sterling with 61%, the new signing does beat the England international in goals-to-games ratio (0.23 – 0.09) and assists-to-games ratio (0.31 – 0.28), all while playing for the inferior team.

But if Sané can be excused for his inconsistent form due to his tender age, Sterling is just a year older and is by no means out of the picture at the Etihad Stadium. Furthermore, despite appearing comfortable in all three attacking positions behind the striker in a 4-2-3-1, much of the German’s best work has come as an inverted winger on the right flank, meaning Sterling’s case on the opposite wing still remains a bold one.

Guardiola’s love for inside forwards and overlapping full backs could also indicate that Sané will, predominantly, be utilised on the right, meanwhile Kevin De Bruyne may go on to occupy Thomas Müller’s role in support for Sergio Agüero.

On face value, Sané also doesn’t strike many as a typical possession-manipulating Guardiola-esque player, like David Silva. The ex-Schalke man is still young and, naturally, very raw, but perhaps that’s what has made him so coveted in the blue half of Manchester.

In Sané, the Catalan manager has a project in which to transform the player to bear his own image and style, meanwhile utilising his youthful exuberance until then to add an element of unpredictability to City’s game.

Such a move in the transfer window was evident when Guardiola turned to Douglas Costa and Kingsley Coman last season; players that allowed the ex-Bayern boss to be fully equipped with tools for every eventuality throughout their campaign. With that in mind, Sané’s trajectory in England has all the makings of being an exciting one.

As the 2016/17 Premier League campaign draws ever closer, we are going to be previewing all 20 teams. We’ll take a look at their key players, strengths, weaknesses and then predict where they’ll finish. Note: Each report is the opinion of the individual writer.

I’m writing this on August the 2nd. As of now, Arsenal still have not signed a striker and for that reason the same question marks remain. With injury concerns over both Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere already, the same problems are already creeping in for Arsenal and that will worry the fans. In a season that could be Arsene Wenger’s last at the club, the Gunners need to go one better than they did last season.

Key Players

Arsenal have a lot of talent in their squad but next season it will be important for the best players to come out and make a difference when it matters. For that reason I am highlighting Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil as the clubs key players next season. In Ramsey’s case, it is really important he rediscovers his best form and if he plays alongside Granit Xhaka he could have a chance to do that. The Swiss international should free up Ramsey to express his attacking instincts. It was in a role where he had more freedom for Wales where he excelled this summer.

For Ozil, he turns 28 in October and with less than 2 years remaining on his Arsenal contract, he’ll need to step up and make the difference this season. The German was brilliant last season and equally as good at Euro 2016 - he could in fact be in the best form of his life now and he’ll hope that Wenger can find a top level striker to compliment his abilities in the coming weeks - otherwise he will surely be looking to move on. Ozil be determined to win a title with Arsenal and whilst the plethora of new players look to settle in Manchester, Ozil could lead a steady and stable Arsenal squad to the title. Both players are captain candidates and with Per Mertesacker out with a long-term injury, it will be interesting to see who Arsene Wenger hands the captaincy too.

One To Watch

I think I said this last season but if Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain can stay injury free for the majority of the season, he is certainly the one to watch. He needs to improve his final ball and his finishing but the signs in pre-season so far have been good. Not only has Alex scored 2 goals in 3 games, they were two pretty incredible goals. His confidence is high, his head seems screwed on and he’s determined to go and prove the doubters wrong this season. I hope for Arsenal and England’s sake that he does. With no wide signing on the horizon and Theo Walcott struggling to make an impact, it could be the year of The Ox. He is almost certain to start against Liverpool on the opening day so let’s see if he can make an instant impression on the 2016/17 campaign.

Weaknesses

Arsenal’s weakness continues to be attacking inefficiency and unless the Gunners sign at least one top forward, that is unlikely to change. Theo Walcott epitomises that, his career has gone backwards in the last few years and the signs really aren’t good for him. His touch has gone and his confidence is as low as it has ever been, when Theo is in a one on one situation now, you wouldn’t have much confidence he’ll score, and that’s not good enough for an Arsenal attacker. As good as Olivier Giroud can be at times, he also struggles during long periods of the season. The Gunners need a plan B as when Giroud starts it is pretty obvious how Arsenal will play and many teams find the striker easy to understand and defend against. Ultimately Arsenal need to add more goals to their game if they are to top the league, especially at home where last season they struggled to break down deep-lying oppoisition.

Where They’ll Finish

I think Arsenal will make a couple of good signings before the window closes, but I can see them dropping just short again. I think a 2nd or 3rd placed finish is the most probable. If that did happen, it will be interesting to see what Arsene Wenger decides to do. His contract expires at the end of the season but you get the feeling he would only end his time at the club after a success. Once Mourinho and Guardiola settle at their new clubs it will be harder than ever for Arsene to achieve that so this season is hugely important to him. There is no outright favourite for the title this season and it’s tough to call. Can Leicester City repeat the impossible? Could Conte, Guardiola or Mourinho succeed in their debut season? Can Klopp surprise a few? 6 or 7 teams could win it this season and Arsenal do have a great chance again - Arsene can’t afford not to do it this time around.

The Manchester rivalry is going to be back to it’s best this season with the arrivals of Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola this summer, but who will come out on top? Pep Guardiola has been dubbed the best manager in world football, but he has never played in the Premier League and in Manchester City, he has inherited a completely different project. Here are three reasons why United could reclaim bragging rights this season.

1 - Jose Mourinho

For all of Pep Guardiola’s quality, the Premier League is a different monster altogether. You cannot afford to not be at your best for any game, or these lowly Premier League teams will punish you. The advantage United have over City is they have a manager who already knows the league and although he collapsed last season at Chelsea, he won the league comfortably the season before. Mourinho is a respected Premier League manager and he has years of top level experience. Surely he will learn from last years failures and become an even better manager. At Manchester United he has all the tools to go and become the manager he has always wanted to be, I can’t see him getting this one wrong. In contrast I can see Pep being a bit naive, believing in his philosophy and not adapting enough to beat the lower sides, who all have weapons of their own. Take Watford for example, when on form Deeney and Ighalo can cause huge problems for teams like City. Mourinho is wise to all of these threats and you’d expect his defensive tactics to shut out the threats of the sides who often slip under the radar.

It is worth remembering that traditionally Mourinho does very well in his first couple of seasons, it takes a few seasons for the cracks to begin to spread.

Manchester United have landed one of the most exciting attackers in Europe this summer after signing Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Borussia Dortmund earlier this month for an undisclosed fee on a four-year-deal.

The versatile forward will add plenty of goals to the United squad as they look to fight for their first league title since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club. I take a look at how he will fit into the squad next season and what he will bring to the Theatre of Dreams.

Individual Brilliance

The Red Devils won the race for the Armenian international and splashed the cash in order to sign the 27-year-old. Jose Mourinho is building a title winning squad and Mkhitaryan certainly fits that calibre, he will add enormous quality to the United squad predominantly playing as an attacking midfielder but he can also play on either flank. It was on the right wing where he actually found his best form under former boss Tomas Tuchel.

The attacking midfielder joined Dortmund in 2013 from Shakhtar Donetsk for £23.5 million and went on to play 88 times for the German giants, scoring 23 goals. Mkhitaryan has also been capped 59 times for Armenia, scoring 19 goals.

Although Mourinho could opt to play Mkhitaryan on the wings, in my opinion he plays best when he is right behind the number 9, whether that is Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Marcus Rashford next season. When he has the ball, space opens up for him as he creates fantastic goal-scoring opportunities with his exquisite vision he often will feed his teammate with the perfect pass to take into their stride.

Premier League defences will be chasing shadows if Mkhitaryan hits form next season, his creativity, technique, and movement are just elements of his game that can dazzle defences.

The versatile attacking midfielder has many strengths to his game, including through balls, dribbling and his delivery into the box, which will help fellow teammate Ibrahimovic come to life. The new United man loves to pick up the ball and drive at defences where he often beats them with his pace and individual brilliance on the ball, this is backed up with the fact he managed 2.94 successful take ons per 90 last season. He is not just a one dimension player, he’ll often cut inside onto his stronger right foot before creating a goal-scoring chance or playing a killer pass.

Mkhitaryan’s work rate is absolutely sensational, he reminds me of Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez in the fact he never gets tired and doesn’t want to take a second to rest in the 90 minutes. If his team is threatening in attack but gets dispossessed, he will certainly track back to help his fellow defenders, which will be a massive bonus for Mourinho’s side as they will be able to trust his work rate. For an attacking player, he also has impressive defensive attributes. Last season he managed to win 1.36 tackles per 90 minutes, which is more than you’d expect from a winger that is so productive in the final third.

As I have said, he has been praised for his efficient passing, technique, movement, dribbling and creativity, but he is also blessed with another important trait, being equipped with a dangerous shot and he can become very dangerous in and around the box if a shooting opportunity opens up.

Mkhitaryan is likely to play in the number 10 role for United, benching Juan Mata. I take a look at a few stats to why he should be ahead of the Spanish international. The new United man is far more lethal in front of goal and scored 0.38 goals per 90 minutes last season compared to Mata who managed just 0.19. Creating chances is a key asset to a midfielder’s game, once again the new United man blossoms with 2.87 per 90 which puts him comfortably ahead of Mata (1.65).

Weaknesses

Honestly, none. The dazzling midfielder excites me and I am very excited to watch him in the Premier League next season, albeit with Manchester United. There are not many traits to his game that I could pick out as an obvious weakness, he is the perfect all round attacker and will thrive in England this season, dare I say it, I think he’ll have a bigger impact than Zlatan Ibrahimovic at United.

Where does he fit in?

I think United will play 4-2-3-1 next season, or could sometimes play a 4-4-2 (diamond) with their new man Mkhitaryan giving them plenty of options to alter the formation if needs be.

The 27-year-old will be feeding the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial next season, all three attackers have a deadly eye for goal and ooze brilliance.

Mourinho will give him the freedom to roam around, left to right and centrally, this will only be a plus for the side as the versatile man will pick up the ball from any position and create a moment of magic.

He fits in perfectly to a Mourinho team, hard work and graft but also possessing a killer edge to his game makes him the perfect player for the new manager.

The Red Devils have landed themselves a brilliant player in Mkhitaryan, if they add Paul Pogba as well they will certainly be pushing for the title next season and bring back the fear factor to the Theatre of Dreams.

Premier League Champions Leicester City signed Ahmed Musa earlier this month in a deal worth £16million, signing a four-year-deal with the Foxes. Leicester have signed the 23-year-old striker to give them better attacking options ahead of their title defence and Champions League campaign, I take a look at how he will fit into the squad next season.

Leicester City have splashed the cash in order to sign the 23-year-old Nigerian international and there is enough evidence why the have done so. Claudio Ranieri identified that his attacking options needed more quality and depth and they have certainly added that with the signing of Musa. The right-footed attacker is capable of playing on either flank, as a striker and will bring versatility to the Foxes forward line.

Musa’s versatility will help Ranieri massively, mainly favouring a 4-4-2 formation last season which saw him win the league, Musa’s arrival allows Ranieri to switch to a 4-5-1 / 4-3-3 with the Vardy, Ulloa, Musa and Okazaki all competing for a central spot. Musa could play out wide in the five in midfield or can play through the middle / wide in a front three. Having a versatile option means Leicester should remain unpredictable as clubs attempt to nullify the threat of the Champions.

Musa is the perfect counter-attacking striker, much like Jamie Vardy, this will be useful for Leicester City going into next season as they are a counter attacking side. Musa’s blistering pace is his main attribute, he combines his speed and ability to glide by defenders with close dribbling which opens up space for him to put dangerous crosses into the box.

Playing in the Premier League, Musa will love the physicality and speed of the league, Leicester could use Musa as a target man at times as another main strength of his is his ability to hold onto the ball and retain possession for his side, this is another reason why he is perfect for the Foxes who play their best football when they set up to counter. Problems could potentially arise next season when Leicester face teams who sit back against them, as Vardy and Musa are not the best strikers in tight situations.

A fox in the box is one way to describe Musa, his good goal scoring record has saw the versatile attacker score 42 goals in 125 league appearances for his former club CSKA Moscow.

Musa will be partnering the record breaker Jamie Vardy next season and they could turn out to be a deadly partnership. Musa averaged a shot every 34.9 minutes, compared to strike partner Jamie Vardy’s 28.6.

As suggested, The tinker-man (Ranieri) could change to a favoured 4-3-3 formation to deploy all three of Vardy, Okazaki and Musa. The Nigerian will need to settle into life in England but with his style of play, he should be just fine.

Aerial duels and offside awareness problems

With the Foxes counter-attacking style of play, Musa will need to improve on his offside awareness, he often finds himself a step behind the defence and can be flagged up time and time again. If Ranieri deploys Musa as a target-man, he will need to improve on his movement and ensure he is in an onside position when receiving the ball.

Musa does hold European experience, playing in the Champions League for his former club last season. His statistics in this competition clearly identifies his underlying problems in aerial duels, managing to win just 27.78% in Europe last season, this could turn out to be a problem for the Foxes going into next season as Jamie Vardy, who Musa will accompany upfront, also lacks efficiency in the air.

At 23-years-old he has improved massively in recent seasons, he has blistering pace, but his technical skills are not perfect, and coming up against some of the best defenders in Europe he may struggle if there is no space for him to run in behind them.

This thought is backed up with Musa managing to be successful with less than half of his take ons last season (48%), without individual brilliant skills applied in his game he may struggle in a 1 on 1 situation.

This trait reminds me a lot of Arsenal’s Theo Walcott, both players are gifted with very good pace, but are unable to do much with the ball in tight situations, both players are one dimensional but will need to adapt their game to become a more successful player.

Where does he fit in?

I recently wrote about Leicester sticking with the 4-4-2 next season and I will stick by this, although Musa will give them options to change formation if needed.

I believe Vardy and Musa will be the two up top going into the new season, The Foxes went all out for the 23-year-old so it is highly unlikely he will be a bench warmer to Okazaki.

Although Musa is a versatile attacker, he has to play centrally as his lack of skills can be a problem to beat his marker on the wings, but he will have freedom to roam around, similar to Vardy and pull defenders wide to open space for him to run into.

Vardy and Musa share similar traits in their game, speed, counter attacking style and clinical finishing, if Vardy retains last seasons form for next season then both players could bring out the best in eachother.

Watford will play another season in the Premier League next season after avoiding the drop zone quite comfortably. Quique Sanchez Flores left Watford after finishing in a very respectable 13th position. Walter Mazzarri will be the new manager next season for Watford and he will certainly be eyeing a top-half finish. This means he will be wanting to strengthen the current squad, we take a look at how the Hornets could line up next season.

Back 4: Gomes; Britos, Cathcart, Kabasele

Gomes will retain his number one spot between the sticks for Watford going into the new season. He was one of the first names on the team sheets last season and had reasonable good spells at times. Gomes does have an error or two in his locker though and this will be concern for the new boss, but someone of his experience at the back will be a huge plus for the squad. The 35-year-old has been with Watford for two seasons since his arrival in 2014, he has gone on to play 82 appearances for the club and was part of their promotion success. Gomes managed 0.29 clean sheets per 90 minutes last season, something he will be aiming to improve on for next season, he also managed to make 2.19 saves per goal.

Watford have been working on a new formation ahead of the new season playing with three at the back, Britos will play on the right-hand side of the back three after an impressive debut season in England saw him make 24 appearances for the Hornets.

In the middle of the three, 6ft 2′ Northern Ireland international Craig Cathcart will slot in, he will give Watford needed stability at the back and can use his aerial presence to dominate forwards, winning an impressive 61.68% aerial duels per 90 minutes last season. Cathcart is also a strong tackling defender and thrives off a tough battle, winning 1.01 tackles per 90 last season.

New signing Kabasele will complete the back three, playing on the left hand side of Watford’s defence. The central defender arrived for around £6million from Genk and will expect to slot right into the back three. The 25-year-old is a natural tough tackling defender using his body to his own advantage, he also possesses good acceleration which will benefit playing in a back three, especially with the pace of the Premier League.

Midfield: Berghuis, Capoue, Doucoure, Boufal, Zuniga

Playing with five in midfield, I think Walter Mazzarri will use Berghuis and new signing Zuniga as wing-backs. New man Zuniga who will spend the season with the Hornets for a season-long loan, is more natural in this position as he predominantly plays as a wing-back. This position will be a bit of a learning curve for Berghuis, the 24-year-old has featured a lot in pre-season as he looks to learn this position before the new season starts which shows he is in Mazzarri’s plans for next season. Playing just nine times in his debut season for the club he will have a massive point to prove next season and he will certainly be playing in one of the hardest positions to do so, the transition from a 3-5-2 to a 5-3-2 will be very, very quick in play and he will have to defend as well as support Ighalo and Deeney in attack.

Watford could find themselves with a very talented youngster, with reports suggesting they want to sign Boufal from Lille, Mazzarri will want to play the versatile winger more centrally so the team can benefit from his offensive creativity. He will not be asked to sit deep and will more or less play as a modern day attacking midfielder, roaming around the middle and picking the ball up on the flanks. The 22-year-old stands out with his exquisite dribbling capabilities, his style of play is similar to that of Leicester City’s Riyad Mahrez.

Capoue and Doucoure could sit in the middle of the park for Watford next season and play more defensively allowing Boufal to roam forward. I am personally a massive fan of Capoue and last season he was untouchable at times, he uses his strength and height to hold off defenders and has an impressive skill or two in his locker. Doucoure is likely to partner Capoue in the middle of the park next season, the 23-year-old spent last season on loan at Granada but I feel Mazzarri will bring him back into the starting eleven at Watford, both Capoue and Doucoure could build a brilliant partnership at the base of the midfield, with great height and strength they could be a very tough midfield to face next season.

Strikers: Ighalo, Deeney

Deeney will once again lead the forward line for Watford next season, after signing a new bumper deal with the Hornets and rejecting the chance to play in the Champions League with Leicester City. He has proven to be the heart and soul of a squad that had a very impressive debut season in the Premier League. The Englishman has a very impressive goal scoring record but he can also drop deeper to pick the ball up and play as a play-maker, his strong physique helps as he is very hard to knock off the ball. The 6ft tall striker has been with Watford since 2010 and has gone onto to play 243 times for the club scoring 90 goals.

Deeney has a real eye for goal and is not afraid to shoot from outside the box. He managed 0.96 shots from outside the box per 90 minutes last season. Although he is a forward player, a real strength of Deeney’s is his defensive contribution, he is a very strong tackler and works hard for his team - this is highlighted in the 0.98 tackles per 90 minutes he won last season.

Ighalo will lead the line again alongside Deeney next season after Watford rejected a massive bid from China for his services, his sublime form at the start of the season helped Watford with a very impressive start to their Premier League campaign, he certainly showed inconsistency in the latter stages of the season. To stay out of relegation trouble, Watford will need Ighalo to hit a longer purple patch next season.

There are no doubts about Ighalo’s talents though, he is the perfect counter-attacking striker and can convert a half-chance into something spectacular. The 27-year-old’s fine form caught the eye of Manchester United who were said to be interested. Since his arrival in England, Ighalo has scored 32 goals in 65 league appearances which is sublime, this statistic shows why he is so highly valued by the club.

In summary, Watford look set to play in a 3-5-2 formation next season, of course it is a risky formation to play considering Watford played a flat 4-4-2 last season, but with the players brought in so far this summer this formation could certainly work and prove to be a positive change by the new boss. Watford have a good set-up and have so far signed good players whilst also managing to keep their main stars. A top 10 finish should certainly be the target for the Hornets next season, and maybe another cup run.

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has refused to give up hope in their pursuit for Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata, despite reportedly having bids rejected previously.

Madrid signed the Spanish international this summer after triggering his buyback clause in his contract. Morata finalised a move to Spain for just £23million and it has been widely reported they want to immediately sell their new man for a hefty profit.

With Diego Costa possibly moving back to Atletico Madrid, Chelsea are looking to sign a new striker. Morata remains first choice but Belgian international Romelu Lukaku who left the Blues in 2014 has been seen as a viable back-up option if they fail to agree terms with Madrid.

Chelsea have already signed one striker this summer after securing the services of Michy Batshuayi for a fee of £33million. Although they still have Spanish international Costa in their ranks, they appear to be in the market for one more prolific striker ahead of the new season, as uncertainty remains over the future of Costa.

Morata has been on the lips of everyone this summer, he showcased his ability for Juventus last season and one performance that really stood out was his individual performance against Bayern Munich last season at the Allianz arena, there are few players as gifted as Morata and he certainly showcased it that day. Morata often impresses on big European nights and he typified the Juventus courage in their loss to Bayern. Morata single handily demolished the Bayern back line with delightful skills and high pressure, he made their defence surrender into making mistakes, which led to the forward bagging a deserved assist.

Another big occasion which Morata thrived off was in the Coppa Italia final, Morata came off the bench to score the winning goal in the 110th minute to win 1–0 against AC Milan.

A clear weakness of the 23-year-old is his killer instinct in front of goal, scoring just 15 goals in two seasons in Italy, it will have come as no surprise if many clubs didn’t want him because of that record. But, he still oozes brilliance and the goal-scoring will surely follow as he matures. He is still very young and will no doubt flourish and realise his potential as he moves into his peak years. Standing at 6ft 2′, he uses his power and pace to get at defenders and uses his trickery to dazzle defences.

Morata is well suited to many roles he is told to play in, a well-rounded forward, Morata is of course best in his natural role as a main striker, but he has superb traits in linking up play between the lines and can often drift out wide to collect the ball if needs be.

Morata has many aspects to his game, he is very good in the air and can hold up the ball with neat close control, quick feet and excellent movement sees Morata shine on the pitch, with a clinical presence hopefully to follow soon. The Chelsea and Arsenal target stood out for his energy and work-rate on the pitch, and although I have talked a lot about his lack of killer instinct, he has scored several crucial goals due to his positional brilliance.

How different is he to Diego Costa?

Diego Costa has a real eye for goal and has impressed in his short time in England thus far, his finishing stands out over Morata, managing 36 goals in 78 appearances for Chelsea since arriving from Atletico. The Blues forward has a real tendency to make a key pass and this is seen as a real strength of Costa’s play. He has an obvious weakness though and that is his offside awareness which could certainly annoy Conte, with the Spaniard’s attitude deemed lazy at times.

His stature and physical style of play which saw him settle very well in England. His style of play suits the Premier League down to the ground. The 27-year-old has strong dribbling abilities which has helped him out massively in his career, as he can also create chances for himself and not rely on his team-mates. Although he doesn’t possess dazzling skills, Costa uses his strength to glide past defenders, and when he is in form, there are few defenders in Europe that are capable of stopping him.

The real question most Chelsea fans will be thinking is can Costa play with his Spanish compatriot Morata, or will a move to Stamford Bridge open up the exit door for Costa? If the duo combine well they’d stand a great chance of winning the league. Here are the latest Premier League odds.

Both players possess unique abilities in their game and are near enough different on every level. Unlike Morata, Costa is a mean striker with a killer instinct in and around the 18-yard box. Morata drops deep and plays as number 10 at times as he is most comfortable when collecting the ball, whilst Costa often sticks between the centre-backs and looks to finish off counter attacks. Both bring different traits to their game and it would be welcomed at Chelsea as they would benefit from playing together, with Morata dropping off and feeding Costa. But, contrary to reports suggesting Costa will stay with the arrival of Morata I cannot personally see it happening.

Chelsea have just signed a very young exciting striker in Batshuayi who scored 17 goals in Ligue 1 last season. At the tender age of just 22 Batshuayi is already a mature clinical presence. He is strong and fast, similar to Morata and he’s quick and deceptive with his feet. He will love the skill and speed of the Premier League.

He has already developed into a very mature and instinctive finisher with fantastic movement in and around the penalty box - I don’t think he will be happy on the bench.

Chelsea will find it hard to fit all three players into the squad and keep each of them happy, Conte is even looking internally with Ruben Loftus-Cheek allegedly learning to play as a striker, he has previously played predominantly in central midfield.

The arrival of Morata could see his Spanish teammate depart London, Costa has come under strong criticism of late due to his “foul” play and seemed very unhappy last season. Atletico are desperate to land their former star and a return to Vicente Calderón Stadium could certainly be on the cards this summer after just two years away.

Perhaps Batshuayi and Morata could be the new strike partnership in a 3-5-2 formation for Conte?

Liverpool have agreed a fee in the region of £25million with Newcastle for midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum and the player is set to undergo a medical.

According to Sky Sports, the 25-year-old is set to sign a five-year deal with the Anfield club and will travel to Merseyside for his medical today, which is expected to last two days.

Wijnaldum made his last appearance for the Magpies in their 2-2 draw with Doncaster Rovers on Wednesday night.

Newcastle signed the midfielder for £14.5million a year ago from PSV Eindhoven. Despite relegation, there has been no pressure for the club to sell Wijnaldum as Newcastle are in no financial trouble, instead the club have stood firm and bagged themselves more than a £10million profit.

The Dutch international impressed in his debut season in England and scored 11 goals in 38 appearances - he’s also represented the Netherlands 30 times scoring six goals.

Although Wijnaldum was unable to help Newcastle retain top flight football next season he certainly showcased some very impressive performances last season, finishing the season as Newcastle’s leading goalscorer with 11 goals, scoring four of them in a 6-2 demolishment of Norwich City.

Rafael Benitez was appointed the Magpies boss midway through the season and was also unable to secure the club safety. Being one of the most respected managers in Europe winning the Champions League and managing at the highest level the Magpies faithful will be delighted he has gone on to sign a new deal at Newcastle. His presence has however not been enough to convince Wijnaldum to stay.

Newly-appointed Toffees manager Ronald Koeman was also reportedly keen to bring his Dutch compatriot with him to Goodison Park this summer, but no bid materialised from Liverpool’s fierce rivals and now Jurgen Klopp has seemingly won the race for his signature.

Liverpool have already signed Sadio Mane to play on the wings and already have many versatile players in their squad able to fill in too, so Wijnaldum could find himself in central midfield alongside Emre Can. If that is the case he will certainly need to work on his defensive contribution. With such an attacking midfield, and Sturridge, Origi and Firmino as attacking options, it may be worth checking the latest betting odds on Liverpool to be top scorers next season.

Wijnaldum certainly loves to run at defenders which makes him very hard to defend against, this is a trait Klopp will look to use to his advantage. Surging runs either from a deeper role or playing in the number 10 position will get the best out of Wijnaldum. His ability to cut inside or go outside with equal ease is an aspect of his game which remains his strongest but he needs to work on disposal of the ball.

Wijnaldum possesses impeccable technique, he is an excellent dribbler and has bags of explicit skills in his locker, something Klopp will like to see, especially considering he already has similar players in Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino in his ranks.

Wijnaldum predominantly plays on the left, but can be used on the right with the advantage to cut in and use his favoured left foot. His versatility certainly makes him a beneficial signing with the player capable of playing three different positions quite comfortably. Wijnaldum can also play centrally and as soon as he gets the ball he wants to dribble, his impressive power on the flanks saw him be successful with 60.24% of his take ons last season. One thing that could be improved in Wijnaldum’s play is his final ball, although this could be worked on, he still managed to create 1.37 chances per 90 last season.

Serie A giants Roma were also in the hunt for Wijnaldum as they looked to fill a hole in their squad which Miralem Pjanic left, but Liverpool boss Klopp will be delighted Liverpool have all but won the race for their man.

£25million is a hefty price and Newcastle have certainly done well to receive such a large amount considering they were releagted and the player was pushing to leave.

Sky Sources have also reported that Joe Allen is set to join Stoke City for £13million, so Liverpool may want to deploy Wijnaldum in a deeper role if he is viewed as a direct replacement for the Welshman.

In terms of how Allen and Wijnaldum compare, Allen certainly excels over the Dutchman in defensive areas. The Welsh international managed 2.27 tackles and 1.67 interceptions per 90 last season in comparison to Wijnaldum who managed just 0.88 and 0.77. Wijnaldum, as you’d expect, just edges Allen in terms of goals per 90 (0.31 vs. 0.24) and assists (0.14 vs. 0.12). It’s clear the two players are different, but if Emre Can plays a more defensive role then it could free up Wijnaldum to express his creative instincts alongside the German at the base of the Liverpool midfield.

Liverpool are now well stocked for attacking midfield talent and they may need to sell a few players in order to give the squad more balance. There is currently a lack of defensive-minded midfielders in the squad, whilst there are several players competing to play in attacking midfield and on the wings. It’ll certainly be interesting to see how Klopp lines up his team when they travel to the Emirates on the opening day of the Premier League.

The transfer market is in full flow and the usual transfer rumours are flying about including the inevitable ‘Julian Draxler to Arsenal’, but one that really has caught the eye of the Gunners faithful is the prospect of signing Gonzalo Higuain from Napoli.

Arsenal came very close to securing the Argentinean’s signature in 2013 before opting to target Luis Suarez, to then end up with nobody, Higuain went on to sign for Napoli where he has found astonishing form scoring 71 goals in 94 appearances.

No offer has been made by the Gunners and the reported fee asking price is £80million.

The Naples hit-man found fine form last season scoring 36 goals in Serie A finishing the as the league’s top goalscorer. The former Real Madrid man would cost Arsenal a club record fee that would certainly exceed the £42.5million the Gunners paid for Mesut Ozil in 2013.

The potential signing of Higuain has led to speculation in Italy regarding the future of current Arsenal forward Olivier Giroud, suggesting he could be used as part of player plus cash deal.

Giroud’s agent didn’t deny the speculation as expected and even suggested Giroud would enjoy playing for the Italian club. Mickael Manuello said: “There is no fear in Olivier going to Napoli, it is a magnificent city.

“In Campania, my client would lead a wonderful life, not to mention that the type of game orchestrated by Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri could enhance the quality of a centre-forward like him.”

He added: “At the moment, Giroud is an Arsenal player. If he was asked to leave, then we would evaluate our options.”

However desperate Arsenal are for a new striker, swapping their only fit natural striker for another does not make sense, they need to add numbers in that position, to add competition but selling one and buying one does not fix the issues that the Gunners have.

Arsenal and their faithful have been crying out for an Henry-esque striker for many years, a player that could take on three players, nutmeg the fourth and embarrass the goalkeeper in the process, the days when Dennis Bergkamp would make defenders look silly after elegantly bringing the ball into his stride before clinically finishing anything that comes his way. They need to bring back that fear to the club, a fear that clubs are worried about playing the Arsenal, but they have become anything but that. A striker like Higuain would certainly bring that label with him, and we take a look at exactly why.

Higuain brings many things to his game, one thing that stands out about the striker is his finishing, his deadly eye for goal and coolness in key areas has seen him become one of Europe’s most clinical finishers for many years.

Standing at 6ft, he is able to look after himself and is prepared for the physical side of the game, and will defend from the front which is perfect for a modern day number 9.

There is no doubt Higuain is a natural striker, but his technical ability to also build up play and put through killer passes makes him versatile to the playing style on the day. He can score all types of goals, headers, tap-ins and even extraordinary acrobatic attempts.

A deadly offensive threat on the counter attack, using his pace in the final third to create himself a goal-scoring chance is another sublime trait of the Argentine’s game, his playing style has seen him likened to Hernan Crespo.

The 28-year-old has been phenomenal consistently for many years, this is shown by scoring 71 goals in 190 appearances for Real Madrid and carrying on his form for Napoli and also Argentina.

Higuain has come under strong scrutiny in major tournaments for Argentina, he was branded a “big game bottler” after missing sitters in the 2014 World Cup final against Germany, and the Copa America 2016 final against Chile. I view this as very disrespectful, one of the deadliest strikers in Europe has done enough to be known as a great, not a big game bottler.

His style of play is very much suited to the Premier League, he likes to dribble, execute long balls and likes to tackle, he has all the attributes to be a massive success in England, we take a look at how he compares with Giroud.

Giroud has come under strong criticism for many years, this is mainly due to inconsistent performances and being deemed to go missing during parts of the season, however, I do feel he is under appreciated by Arsenal fans and even other fanbases, he cost the Gunners just £12million and has gone on to score 57 goals in 135 league appearances.

The prolific goal scoring machine Higuain has just come off one of his best personal seasons in his career whilst Giroud has come off the back of a good personal season too, finishing as Arsenal’s top goalscorer. Despite a decent campaign, Giroud is thoroughly outshone by Higuain who scored 1.09 goals per 90 minutes last season, this shows why he is thought of as one of Europe’s best. Giroud managed just 0.59 goals after going through a very bad dry spell which saw him not find the net for several weeks.

Both are playing predominantly as strikers, but both show they have much more attributes to their game than just scoring goals, Higuain created 1.55 chances per 90 with Giroud once again trailing on 1.33.

One thing Giroud is superb at is his hold up play and ability to bring others into play, which is why he thrives playing for France alongside Antoine Griezmann. This is proven in his 0.22 assists per 90 last season, which is far superior to Higuain (0.06).

Killer balls, another aspect to Higuain’s game, shows once again why he’d be a sublime addition to the Gunners squad, managing 1.49 key passes with Giroud behind, but with a still impressive score of 1.11.

Juventus seem to have entered the race to sign Higuain and the player himself rejected £800,000 a week to play in China. With the influx of money coming into Arsenal from the TV rights and league position they will not be priced out of any deal and can offer him massive wages, which he would definitely demand. The born goalscorer is the perfect striker the club need, the player to take them to the next level, he will not only bring them success in the league but also in Europe.

Down to you Arsène.

As the Euros comes to an end, and with the new season on the horizon, we take a look at five strikers that could take the Premier League by storm next season.

1 - Zlatan Ibrahimović

The Red Devils landed one of Europe’s deadliest strikers this summer after announcing the signing of Zlatan Ibrahimović. The prolific goal-scorer will take the Premier League by storm next season and we take a look at what to expect from the 6ft 5′ man.

Ibrahimovic brings many different aspects to his game, one thing that stands out about the Swedish international is his hold up play, his first touch is astounding and his ability to hold off defenders and bring his teammates into play is something United players will feed off. Standing over 6ft, he often has a physical battle on his hands each game, something that he thrives off. There is no doubt Ibrahimovic is a number 9, one of the best in the world, he is technically gifted but not just a goal scorer, the veteran striker can often create chances and contributes to build up play and puts through killer passes.

The goal scoring machine can also play as target man which just shows the variation to his game.

Tactically, Ibrahimović is capable of playing anywhere along the front line, although he is most often deployed as a striker, or as a creative supporting forward, which allows him to provide assists for team mates. Ibrahimovic can score almost any kind of goal, he is a dominating force in the box, can score tap ins, headers or has even been known to score extraordinary bicycle kicks.

Some suggest Ibrahimovic will struggle in the Premier League and that he’s getting too old to play at the top level, but at 34 his goal ratio is still incredible, he played 122 league games in four years for PSG and scored 113 goals, which proves just why he is one of Europe’s best. The exceptional striker scored 1.34 goals per 90 minutes last season which is utterly flawless, a stat like this just shows why he is mentioned amongst the likes of Karim Benzema and Robert Lewandowski. Ibrahimovic can also create chances for his teammates; he managed 1.59 per 90 last season which led to him bagging himself 0.46 assists.

We take a look at how he compares with United’s current number one striker, Anthony Martial. Ibrahimovic has had a prolific season and managed to score 1.34 goals per 90 minutes compared to Martial who only managed 0.39. Ibrahimovic doesn’t just score goals and has also created 1.59 chances which is just ahead of Martial (1.24). Ibrahimovic scores a very impressive 60% when it comes to shot accuracy with Martial behind on 57%.

Ibrahimovic will bring the fear factor back to the Theatre of Dreams, his presence alone will be a huge positive for the United squad. I expect him to be brilliant in his debut campaign and push United for the title, where they belong.

Since Jurgen Klopp’s arrival he has managed to lift new life into the squad and the fans, taking the club to two cup finals. It was another poor season for the Reds in the league though, finishing eighth. Klopp needs to line the team up much better to break into the top four next season, here’s how he might do it.

Back 5: Mignolet; Clyne, Lovren, Matip, Hector

Mignolet looks set to remain in the number 1 spot again next season, although he will have stiff competition with the arrival of Loris Karius. Mignolet isn’t an ideal starter for such a big club, although he can make a miraculous save it is normally followed by a simple mistake which puts the team under pressure, I feel Klopp will stick with Mignolet, especially at the start of the season but any mistakes could see Karius replace him.

Clyne will retain his right-back position where he has been quite successful under Klopp, his desire to get forward and put the ball in the box is exactly what Klopp will be looking for, he will be used in a flat back four and also as a wing-back next season. Klopp will be keen to improve upon Alberto Moreno at left-back, with FC Koln and Germany defender Jonas Hector linked persistently by outlets such as Sky Sports.

After securing the signing of Joel Matip on a free, I expect him to partner the experienced Dejan Lovren at the heart of the Liverpool defence next season, both defenders stand over 6 foot tall and will be a real dominant pairing at the back, I am excited to see how well they perform alongside each other, as the centre of defence has often caused problems in recent history for Liverpool.

Holding Midfielders: Can, Milner

I am a massive fan of Can, especially playing deep as he has a drive about him and can dictate the play, standing over 6 foot he can look after himself and is always up for the physical battle. Playing from deep he can dribble forward and has a good passing range which will impress his boss. Can does need to be more professional / switched on and not get wound up as he does commit fouls often, last season he committed 1.30 fouls per 90 minutes which is something that can put his team under pressure.

It is likely Can will partner the reliable, solid, professional James Milner in the holding midfield position next season. Milner is underrated by many, due to not doing fancy tricks or pinging a 40-yard pass every five minutes, but he is a real team player and has become a leader at Liverpool. The impressive England international found fine form in 2016 and an impressive spell saw him bag 0.41 assists per 90 minutes, which is very impressive for a midfielder that also does a lot of defensive work.

Attacking midfield: Mane, Coutinho, Firmino

New £30million man Sadio Mane will slot into the Liverpool squad occupying from the right-hand side, a real athlete who will add bags of skills and ideas to the Liverpool forward line. He is an excellent addition to the squad and will no doubt make an instant impression in his debut season. His dribbling abilities are something that really stands out, he managed to be successful with 55% of his take ons last season which is all you can ask for from an attacking player. Key passes are another strong aspect of Mane’s game and he managed 1.21 per 90 minutes last season which led to him contributing to 0.21 assists.

Liverpool’s magician Coutinho will cement his place in the squad once again, and now Liverpool have found themselves a quality right winger, I think Klopp will use Coutinho at number 10 for the whole season. The stylish playmaker was an inspiration for the Reds last season and helped them reach the Europa League final. Coutinho has many things to his game, he has a hawk eye and can pick his teammates out with impressive passes and can also score goals out of nowhere, having one of the best long shots in the Premier League. The Brazilian has changed his approach in recent seasons and you can see that under Klopp, along with Can and Firmino they stick to Klopp’s idea of pressure from the front as all three don’t let their markers have a second on the ball.

I wasn’t too keen on Firmino when he first joined Liverpool, in his first few appearances it seemed like he was trying too hard and couldn’t get into the game, but under Klopp he has been reborn and rekindled his fine form we saw in the Bundesliga. He has been a real threat going forward and also tracks back and does the dirty work. Like Coutinho, he has beautiful skills and can assist and score goals which makes him the all round perfect attacking player.

Striker: Sturridge

For me, Daniel Sturridge is England’s best striker and arguably one of the best in the league on his day, if he can stay fit, I have no doubts he will lead the Liverpool line. Sturridge struggled with an injury plagued season last year but whenever he steps on the pitch he oozes brilliance, the delightful striker has an amazing eye for goal and scores ridiculous goals out of nothing, he also has a killer pass in his locker like you saw against Iceland in the Euro’s which saw Sterling latch onto the ball and win a penalty.

I do feel this is now or never for Sturridge under Klopp, Origi is breathing down his neck and will provide very good competition next season, but if the latter stays fit then there is no doubt Klopp will use him as the club’s main number 9.

Managing just 14 league games last season, Sturridge managed to score 0.74 goals per 90 minutes. The Liverpool man loves to dribble with the ball and have a go at defenders and he managed to be successful with 61.90% of his take ons.

The out and out number 9 has a great through ball and this is a main strength of his play, this led to the England international creating 0.64 chances per 90 which included 0.55 key passes.

In summary, I expect Liverpool to play with a 4-2-3-1 formation next season, this will help the club balance their squad and fit in their most elegant attackers. Liverpool fans should be excited ahead of the new season as the whole squad seemed to be lifted by the German managers arrival, exciting times on Merseyside and I’d expect them to challenge for the top four next season.