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According to The Guardian, West Ham are currently in pole position in the race to sign Bernard on a free transfer this summer.

Bernard is a free agent having reached the end of his contract with Shakhtar Donetsk this summer. The Brazilian has enjoyed 5 trophy-laden seasons with the Ukrainian giants, but at the age of 25, he must now be relishing the opportunity to prove himself in one of Europe’s major leagues.

According to the aforementioned report, Chelsea and AC Milan have both shown interest in the winger. However, since learning that he may be willing to lower his wage demands, West Ham have also entered the fray for Bernard’s signature.

The fact that Bernard may be persuaded to compromise on his financial package must also attract the interest of other Premier League outfits.

If Newcastle could reach an agreement with Bernard, then signing the Brazilian would be a huge coup for the Magpies.

The Breakdown

Newcastle United have had a difficult summer transfer window so far, and Rafa Benitez will know that he has to strengthen his side further if he is to make their second season back in the top flight anything other than a long, hard slog.

Bernard’s arrival would signal a huge injection of quality and creativity into the attacking contingent at St James’ Park. Last season the Magpies were overly reliant upon the invention of Jonjo Shelvey. Bernard could help to alleviate the creative burden on the English midfielder.

Equally, this move could work well for the Brazilian too. If Bernard is to stand any chance of returning to the international set up – having not appeared for his country since their 7-1 humiliation at the hands of Germany in the 2014 World Cup – then he will need to be playing regular football at a high level.

At Newcastle, Bernard would likely find himself amongst the first names on the teamsheet. 

If the Magpies could agree a fair financial deal with Bernard, then this is a move that could work out well for all involved.

Newcastle the signing of Salomon Rondon yesterday but the Magpies aren’t done in the transfer market just yet.

It’s been a tough last few months for Newcastle as the club have tried to bring in some players to help Benitez keep the club in the Premier League and maybe even replicate their 10th place finish.

So far the club have spent £23.13 million in the transfer market as Mike Ashley has looked to do his business on the cheap.

Last month Benitez admitted that the club must ‘wheel and deal’ in the transfer market but according to The Guardian, the club have a made a £10 million bid for the versatile defender, Stanley N’Soki. The 19-year-old has so far refused all contract offers from PSG.

The Breakdown

A central defender who can also play as a left-back, N’Soki would be a steal for the club.

With Paul Dummett as the starting left-back, Benitez needs to find an upgrade on the left flank. Moreover, with Florian Lejeune now injured, Newcastle are in desperate need of some defensive cover.

A modern defender, N’Soki has the ability to come out with the ball from the back and can easily play forward.

While Fabian Schar will now start alongside Jamaal Lascelles, having N’Soki behind for depth would be an astute piece of business from the club.

However, with only two days left in the transfer window, it seems it might be tough to get the deal over the line. Adding to that, the rumoured £10 million fee, and it doesn’t really seem like a Mike Ashley transfer.

Newcastle fans…thoughts?

Manchester United had the worst possible start to the season given how poorly they played in pre-season. Jose Mourinho came under massive criticism and the team didn’t live up to previous performances. 

The team that finished 2nd in the Premier League looked a figure of themselves in pre-season and although that isn’t the end of the world, it is preferable that United show their intent with top performances, rather than worrying fans and manager Jose Mourinho. 

During the off-season, United brought in and let go a number of players which could be regretful come the end of the 2018/19 season.

Given their recent conundrum in defence, selling Daley Blind back to Ajax is a move they could regret. 

Despite recouping more money than they brought him for, recent injuries have left United struggling at the back. 

Granted Daley Blind wasn’t the best defender but his versatility could have been very handy for the Red Devil’s, given he could play anywhere in defence, as well as in defensive midfield.  The Dutchman was a crucial player during his first year in particular at Old Trafford, where the quality on the ball got United playing and his impact in defence meant less goals were conceded as a whole. 

However, his game-time did become more and more limited as the seasons went on, the sole reason behind his departure back to Ajax. 

United may live to regret that sale however, as Blind could guarantee your team a solid performance every game, he is one of those players. 

Jose Mourinho will have to build his United side without the Dutchman in the hope that he brought in enough quality for them to not worry about who left. 

Could United regret selling Daley Blind… Let us know! 

Arsenal started life under Unai Emery with a very tough start but the former PSG manager will still be confident of turning this team back into top four contenders over the course of the Premier League season. 

The Gunners strengthened their squad throughout the summer window and that will hopefully be enough for Emery to build something special with the club who have missed out on Champions League qualification for the last two years in a row. 

Arsene Wenger will rightfully go down as an Arsenal legend but now it’s time for Unai Emery to build his own legacy with the club. 

The legacy however, could have been a lot easier to build with the signing of Barcelona’s French wonderkid Ousmane Dembele – who is valued at £72 million on Transfermarkt. 

The young winger had a tough first season with Barcelona after moving from France for a fee north of £100 million. That figure put immense pressure on the shoulders of Dembele and at times it really seems like the pressure got to him. 

On other occasions, you could see exactly why Barcelona invested so much into the wonder-kid, with his unbelievable control and trickery, pace and goal-scoring ability proving troublesome for many opponents, alongside the extremely threatening Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi of course. 

Arsenal were in the market for a top wide player as Alex Iwobi has proven to be simply too inconsistent. On the other flank they don’t have an out and out winger, hence the need for a player like Ousmane Dembele. The youngster would have bolstered Arsenal’s frontline greatly, which already contains the likes of Pierre Emerick Aubameyang and Lacazette. 

That hasn’t happened though and given his immense potential and current form, the Gunners should clearly have done everything possible to try and persuade Dembele to swap Barcelona for the Emirates Stadium. 

Is this a deal Arsenal had to complete… Let us know! 

Crystal Palace’s valiant effort against Liverpool on Monday night was at times both aided and undermined by Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

Any full-back would have a tough time dealing with the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, but for much of the match at Selhurst Park, the 20-year-old coped well with the pace and flair of Jurgen Klopp’s attacking force.

The youngster’s two tackles and three clearances were vital in relieving some of the pressure on the Eagles’ back line, while his pace and impressive physique ensured he wouldn’t be brushed aside by the Reds’ formidable forwards

However, once Palace were in possession, Wan-Bissaka became something of a liability. A pass completion rate of 70% against such potent counter-attacking opposition is simply not good enough. Whilst others in Roy Hodgson’s line up registered even lower pass completion rates, it is still an area of Wan-Bissaka’s game in urgent need of improvement.

Wan-Bissaka’s one key pass in the match also suggests he isn’t being tremendously inventive or ambitious in his passing either – which otherwise may have earned him something of a reprieve for his poor pass completion rate. If the right-back isn’t going to be especially creative in possession then he must be more careful in his distribution.

Against Liverpool, Wan-Bissaka’s lack of experience also came to the fore as his misjudged challenge on Salah resulted in him being shown a red card by referee Michael Oliver.

Whilst the areas in which Wan-Bissaka must improve are clear, the positives to his game could also be seen at Selhurst park. The England under-20 international was fearless in taking on his more storied opponents as he completed an impressive four dribbles on Monday night.

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At this stage it is still obvious that Wan-Bissaka spent his entire youth career operating as a winger rather than a full-back. Going forward, the young talent adds an extra dimension to the Eagles’ attack with further speed on the break.

If Wan-Bissaka can raise his defensive game and distribution, then Palace will have quite the full-back on their hands. 

Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino is reluctant to let Josh Onomah join Aston Villa on loan, according to The Mirror.

What’s the word?

The North London outfit failed to make a single signing during the summer window.

In fairness to Pochettino, the Argentine coach was not in desperate need of new players and so far he has managed to keep hold of his star players.

Onomah is one of the fringe players in Tottenham’s squad who could benefit from a spell on loan.

However, according to The Mirror, Pochettino is not keen on sending the 21-year-old back to Villa on loan.

The midfielder was at the Midlands outfit for the 2017-18 campaign,  where he made 37 appearances, scored four goals and created three assists.

What should Tottenham do with Onomah?

The 21-year-old came through the academy ranks at White Hart Lane but has struggled to hold down a regular place in the team.

The midfielder has a tough task of breaking into the first XI, Pochettino’s reluctance to send him to Villa on loan will not help his progress.

The Mirror claims that due to Onomah’s lack of minutes towards the end of the Championship season, Spurs are unsure about whether Villa is the best place for him.

However, given that there is only five days left until the loan market shuts, Tottenham need to make a quick decision.

They either give Onomah a chance this season or find another loan destination.

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Despite being regularly criticised by his own fans on Twitter for his performances, Wesley Hoedt has started every Premier League match for Southampton since Mark Hughes took charge of the club in March.

The Netherlands international, who earns £60,000-a-week according to Spotrac, was certainly seen as one of the scapegoats of the St Mary’s crowd following some disappointing performances alongside the likes of Jack Stephens and Maya Yoshida following Virgil van Dijk’s departure to Liverpool during the January transfer window.

Not particularly strong in the air, lapses of concentration and some questionable distribution often left the south coast outfit in trouble, before they eventually escaped relegation to the Championship – albeit the 24-year-old stood up and was counted when his team needed him in battles against Bournemouth, Everton and Swansea City in particular.

Despite the arrival of Jannik Vestergaard over the summer and a switch to four at the back rather than a five-man defence in recent matches, Hoedt has remained a regular with Hughes obviously feeling that he offers something positive – or at least more than Stephens, Yoshida or Jan Bednarek would.

The Dutchman also showed some composure and quality – proving that the confidence that has been lacking could be returning – to set Matt Targett away for his team’s second goal in the 2-0 win against Crystal Palace on Saturday to suggest that he should remain in the team, and his case was strengthened with a clean sheet to boot.

On the other hand, Stephens, Bednarek and Yoshida – the latter two in particular after some impressive displays at the 2018 World Cup – will all be champing at the bit to work their way into Hughes’ thoughts having kept a clean sheet in the 1-0 victory against Brighton and Hove Albion in the Carabao Cup.

So, Southampton fans, do you think Hughes should keep the faith with Hoedt? Let us know by voting below…

Crystal Palace’s winless run without Wilfried Zaha in the team continued after losing 2-0 to Southampton at Selhurst Park last weekend with their talisman sidelined through injury.

Last season, the Eagles lost all of the nine games they played in Zaha’s absence, and the trend of failing to pick up wins — or a single point for that matter — when the 25-year-old is unavailable only looks set to continue if the game against Southampton is anything to go by.

Simply put, it is not good enough and manager Roy Hodgson must start demanding more from his players — regardless of Zaha’s availability — starting with Christian Benteke and Andros Townsend.

Christian Benteke

Having been brought in for big money from Liverpool back in 2016 and arrived with a reputation as being one of the top strikers in the Premier League, Benteke has turned out to be nothing but a massive disappointment.

The Belgian initially took to life in south London well after managing to score 15 league goals in his first season at Crystal Palace.

However, he has declined massively since, registering only three Premier League goals in 31 appearances last term to put his fall from grace into perspective.

Ultimately, sooner or later, Crystal Palace will have to make a decision about what to do with the 27-year-old.

But, until then, for the sake of Crystal Palace’s chances of retaining their Premier League status, Benteke has to start scoring, especially if Zaha is not in the side.

Andros Townsend

Townsend offers significantly more in attack than Benteke, but there is always this feeling that there is another level for the 27-year-old to reach.

Townsend is brilliant at getting past the opposition’s left-back and then cutting inside to arrive in more central areas of the pitch; however, a lot of the time not much comes after that.

The England international’s end product is still far from perfect, often firing a shot way over the crossbar or misplacing a cross.

Considering the positions he tends to pick up in the final third, Townsend should really be delivering better numbers in terms of both goals and assists.

If Crystal Palace want to progress and avoid constant relegation battles, then the likes of Townsend and Benteke have to step up instead of relying on Zaha every weekend.

Leeds had a near-perfect transfer window this summer, but who is Marcelo Bielsa’s signing of the summer?

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While much of the focus was on shifting players out of the club, there was plenty of business to be done at Elland Road this summer.

Bielsa’s arrival signalled a new era for the club, and the charismatic boss took his time to get his targets.

Another centre back will surely be on the agenda in January, but most fans would agree it was a pretty successful window.

After months of striker rumours, Patrick Bamford joined the Bielsa revolution from Middlesbrough, although the form of Kemar Roofe has kept the 24 year-old out of the side.

There was plenty of shopping to be done at Chelsea, as goalkeeper Jamal Blackman, and midfielders Lewis Baker and Izzy Brown all made loan switches to Yorkshire.

Jack Harrison looked promising during the 0-0 draw against Boro last week, and the youngster will provide competition for the likes of Ezgjan Alioski and Samuel Saiz.

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Barry Douglas might just be the best of the lot though, as the 5ft 10in full-back’s arrival has brought a whole new threat from set pieces, while also allowing Gaetano Berardi to thrive as a central defender.

So, Leeds fans, who do you think is the signing of the summer? Who is a waste of a money? Which loan signing will be best? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…

[ad_pod ]Tottenham Hotspur fans are having a rather forgettable week after throwing away a 1-0 lead at the San Siro on Tuesday evening.Following a loss to Liverpool on Saturday, Mauricio Pochettino’s men were in complete control of their first Champions League match of the season against Inter Milan, but a phenomenal equalising strike by Mauro Icardi in the 85th minute turned the tie on its head.Spurs were then their own worst enemy as poor defending from a corner in added time led to Stefan de Vrij heading the ball toward Matias Vecino in front of goal, who easily nodded it past Michel Vorm as Inter claimed an important win.The result made it the first time Spurs had lost three consecutive matches under the watch of Pochettino, who decided to leave defenders Kieran Trippier and Toby Alderweireld out of the squad for the trip to Milan.Spurs fans weren’t happy at all when the final whistle went, pointing the finger at a variety of key personnel at the club including the players, Pochettino and Daniel Levy. Here are some their reactions on Twitter:

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