Julian Draxler was once again the centrepiece of Schalke’s win over Stuttgart on Saturday, setting up Jefferson Farfan for his first and winning his side a penalty in the second half.

For Arsene Wenger, nothing much has changed. For those who wish to look at Arsenal’s pursuit of the young German at face value, it does appear that the club are looking to flex their financial muscle in the market for a second time; some may even question the need for Draxler in Arsenal’s congested locker room of midfielders.

The only thing that has changed is the price and the financial scope Arsenal are allowing themselves. Under Wenger, the onus has always been to develop young talents. The club are seen as the final step in the schooling of young players. Of course, some like Jack Wilshere have been at the club for much of their lives, yet others like Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain or Aaron Ramsey have been picked up with the view to moulding them in Arsenal and Wenger’s image. The talent was evident, but the final lessons were needed.

It’s much the same with Draxler. He’s considered one of Germany’s finest at present. At 20, he already has a wealth of experience at the top level of German and European football, continually looking more and more at ease with himself and the responsibilities that have been laid upon him.

But Schalke are not going to be the start and end of his journey. Like so many German youngsters over the years, he’ll either be swept up to the bigger power of German football, Bayern Munich (or Borussia Dortmund), or one of Europe’s top clubs will come calling.

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There’s no doubt about it that Draxler will make Arsenal a better team. There will of course be those who question the point of his signing, should it take place, while others will simply push for further reasoning behind Wenger’s famed stubbornness: Arsenal need a centre-back and certainly a striker, so the Arsenal manager buys another attacking midfielder.

But think of the depth Arsenal will have in that particular area of the field, and not just the use of the word to talk up numbers. Arsenal will genuinely have strength in depth. Is there any side in the Premier League who wouldn’t be better off with Draxler in their side? Manchester United; Manchester City could do with another creative figure when David Silva is out of the team. Only Chelsea can make a strong case that they don’t need the Schalke midfielder.

So Arsenal, who are known for hitting the self-destruct button in the past – something which was at times borne out of really poor playing personnel – will only be reinforcing their case as mainstays in this and future Premier League title races.

In hindsight, there is weight in the argument that Arsenal never made the most of their scouting network. Despite what some may think there’s nothing wrong with focusing on and acquiring youth to build good or even great teams in the future. Look at Dortmund, who initially didn’t have the spending power that they do now. But Dortmund were a contrast to Arsenal’s arguably wasteful approach.

Denilson was never an Arsenal player. How much did he really improve in the time he was at the club? Technique and skill is one thing, but a lot of it is in a player’s mental capacity too. Fran Merida is another, arriving with plenty of promise as another Cesc Fabregas. Joel Campbell, currently on loan at Olympiacos, may be doing well at other clubs around Europe, but I question whether he’d offer much to the current Arsenal team. Ignasi Miquel is yet another name who will never make it at Arsenal.

The point is Arsenal had a scattergun approach, stockpiling young players – and notably cheap players – in the hope that a few would stick. Obviously no one is expecting every player who comes through to be as good as Fabregas – he was one of those players that you land on once in a lifetime. But considering how long Arsenal have been at work with this youth approach, it’s taken a long time, and counting, to see any real return.

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Draxler, on the other hand, is a proven talent, despite that phrase being something of a paradox. How can a talent be “proven?” If he was proven, he wouldn’t be a “talent,” with the implication being he’s still young and ripe for moulding. But the point is you know what you’re going to get with Draxler. His qualities are much, much clearer than previously mentioned Arsenal “talents.”

Arsenal now, like Dortmund, have the spending power to take themselves into higher tiers in the market. The club could go on in the manner which they started this past summer by bringing in another readymade superstar like Mesut Ozil, but Wenger wants to continue the approach of developing youngsters as his primary means of building.

There are some who would rightly argue that Draxler falls somewhere in between. He’s young, but there are few doubting that he’d be a superstar in the future. The point is he is young and he does have further room to develop. At 20, no matter how high the transfer fee, no one is the finished article. Look at Mario Goetze as an example.

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Manchester United have wind in their sails, a lease of life; Ed Woodward has shown his competency in securing the signing of a player initially thought to be well out of the club’s reach, with nothing based on financial footing.

Even before a ball has been kicked in what seems to be a new dawn for the club, it feels as though the surge of enthusiasm and renewed hope from Juan Mata’s signing will lift United into the top four – and his signing may well signal the start of a feverish and frantic week of spending in these final few days of the January window.

The temptation is there. United need more than just one player, no matter how good he is, to put the ship right. David Moyes was in Germany on Friday night to take in Bayern’s 2-0 win away to Borussia Monchengladbach, where he reportedly made contact with the agent of Toni Kroos, discussing the possibility of taking on a player whose contract situation, at this time, is identical to that of Wayne Rooney.

The German international would represent another slightly altered change in tact for United. Yes, Kroos is young and therefore fits the bill of what United have been looking for over the past few years. But the Bayern star’s image and profile is far greater than that of Ashley Young, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling; from a talent perspective, he outshines Shinji Kagawa.

Kroos is a name that makes sense for United, if Bayern find themselves in a position to relinquish hold on the player. He’s been a regular in the centre of midfield, dropping deeper into the deep-lying position in the absence of either Bastian Schweinsteiger or Javi Martinez.

Much is the same of Yohan Cabaye, another name linked over the past week with a move to Old Trafford. The Newcastle midfielder, even with a slight blip, has been one of the Premier League’s best central midfielders since he arrived from Lille in 2011. PSG’s move for him earlier this month speaks of his talent and potential to be an influential figure at the top of the European game, and for United, Cabaye could have an equal say alongside Mata in the coming fortunes for the club.

But there is danger for United at this time. The idea that Juan Mata was a panic signing was thrown out there, and while it makes little sense due to the need of the club at this time – star power and a player who could make a difference in the final third – United may make a wrong move into the territory of panic buying if they’re not pragmatic.

There’s no doubt that the relevant figures at Old Trafford will be encouraged even further to make another big signing, but while Ed Woodward has done well to bring in Mata, the club’s chief executive must keep his composure and avoid overpaying in the wrong areas of the market.

The club need reinforcements in defence, probably right across the back line if rumours are to be believed that Rafael’s future is in doubt. Fabio Coentrao has been linked at the start of the month, but United can do better. Much of the same can be said of Dante, who despite having an excellent season for Bayern last year, is 30 and doesn’t have too much time left at the top of the game.

It wouldn’t even be a terrible idea if United held their cards until the summer, at least in terms of big-name buys. January is notorious for creating inflated fees, while clubs can be drawn into the game of “panic buying” if their first or second choices aren’t available.

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Kroos and Cabaye would be fantastic signings for United and David Moyes – both the German and the Frenchman could form the base and starting point of a possession or counterattacking system. Unless they become available, however, the club must be mindful to not waste the funds Moyes requires to rebuild the squad at Old Trafford.

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In an almost predictable turn of events, Hull City striker Shane Long netted in the recent 2-0 victory over former club West Bromwich Albion.

Considering the Baggies’ current goal-scoring woes, it seems odd that the Irishman was allowed to leave so easily. Having tried and failed to sign the striker in the summer, Steve Bruce returned and finally got his man for a fee believed to be in the region of £7million.

Already Bruce’s decision to splash the cash on Long and Nikica Jelavic looks as though it may pay dividends in Hull’s bid to beat the drop. Although it has only been a few months, the Tigers’ new strike partnership looks to have already developed a good understanding and both have already hit the back of the net on several occasions.

The same cannot be said of West Brom’s current attacking options. Youngster Saido Berahino currently sits atop their goalscoring chart with just four in the league this season. The likes of Victor Anichebe and Matej Vydra have failed to fill the goalscoring void left by last season’s loan star Romelu Lukaku.

Bearing in mind these troubles in front of goal, the decision to sell a proven Premier League goalscorer, especially to a relegation rival, continues to baffle.

Of course, the fact that West Brom were offered such a substantial fee for a player with just six months left on his contract could suggest that they’ve actually performed a smart piece of business. But by not reinvesting that money in a replacement, the club are risking their Premier League status in a move which doesn’t make so much financial sense.

The reason the club found themselves in such an unenviable situation was because contract negotiations with the player had broken down. Obviously it is difficult to determine the true reasons behind such an impasse, but Long’s comments whilst he was still at the Hawthorns prove very telling.

When asked about a move in the January window, the striker stated he was settled in the area yet suggested that “if a club doesn’t want you, what’s the point in staying?”

According to reports, contract negotiations broke down in the Spring of last year and no further offers were said to have been presented to the player. The manner in which the Irishman was transferred mid-season and the apparent lack of activity on a new contract hardly suggests Albion were eager to keep the striker.

Bearing this all in mind, why did West Brom not want Shane Long? Although he isn’t the most prolific goalscorer in the division, his endeavour and running off the ball posed a problem to most defences. And it isn’t like any of Albion’s other forward options have demonstrated a ruthless streak in front of goal.

The rumour mill hasn’t churned out anything to suggest that Long was a disruptive influence or was agitating for a move. Something may have happened behind closed doors that would shed light upon the decision. But from a footballing perspective, the sale is difficult to fathom.

It is a transfer that has even been questioned publicly by figures at the Hawthorns.

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After Saturday’s defeat, Ben Foster candidly spoke on the matter and surprisingly stated that “sometimes I think why did we let him go to be honest with you.” The goalkeeper described the striker as “one of our best players from the last couple of years” and that “it’s disappointing that he’s no longer here.”

Manager Pepe Mel echoed this sentiment when asked about Long, admitting that he would have preferred to have kept the striker at the club.

Obviously it would be impossible to speculate upon the West Brom’s fortunes if Long was still at the club. But judging by the Irishman’s performances for his new club, the striker would certainly offer more than any of the Baggies’ current options.

Which begs the question, why didn’t West Brom want Shane Long?

Arsene Wenger’s transfer policy is enormously flawed. It’s held Arsenal back for much of the period in which they’ve called the Emirates Stadium home, while confirming Wenger’s own reluctance or inability to adapt and modernise his methods.

Arguably a great strength of Wenger is his ideal of waving off a player to another club and then bolting the door shut. Of course, that didn’t apply with Jens Lehman, Thierry Henry and Sol Campbell, but those were different circumstances, though funnily connected to the initial premise that Wenger’s recruitment policy is flawed.

The only player to come back to Arsenal who wasn’t a three-month stop-gap was Mathieu Flamini, but yet again there wasn’t a great deal of goodwill towards Wenger for that signing initially.

So, in the event Arsenal re-sign Cesc Fabregas this summer, would it be viewed as a weakness from Wenger? Here is a man who doesn’t waver on his principles, but even he can’t ignore that tremendous upside of signing someone like Fabregas a second time.

There’s nothing wrong with it. It won’t uncover a weakness in Wenger, nor will it give restless fans ammunition to use against the manager. Quite simply, clubs re-sign ex-players. It isn’t exclusive to one group of clubs or even one sport. It’s commonplace, and for the most part, it doesn’t confirm that the club were wrong to part with the player the first time around, highlighting a flaw or bad judgement. That logic is far too simplistic, too black and white and doesn’t take into account the various subplots that led to the sale.

As an example, Wenger didn’t want to sell Fabregas back in 2011. He didn’t want to because he had a vision for the club and because, obviously, who would want to sell a player that good? But he had to sign off on the deal for a player who irrevocably wanted Barcelona.

Then there’s Carlos Vela, who’s also been linked with a move back to north London. I’m in the minority. I was always a fan, albeit a frustrated one, of the Mexican, but letting him go when Wenger did was the right call. He wasn’t developing at the club or anywhere in England, and going to Real Sociedad has been to the benefit of everyone – especially Arsenal if they can buy him back for £4 million.

What that amounts to, provided Vela returns, is an extremely long-winded loan, basically what Chelsea have been doing with Thibaut Courtois. No harm; plenty of upside.

Going into this summer’s transfer period, Arsenal are looking at a clean slate for the players on the market. Vela and Fabregas’ signings at Arsenal will generally be weighed up in terms of what they can provide going forward, not what has happened in the past. If Vela has truly turned a corner in his career, then he’s definitely a player the club should be looking to re-sign. Fabregas’ potential involvement requires little explanation.

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Wenger will long be criticised for the way he has worked in the market in previous years. But the re-signing of old players, especially good ones, doesn’t go hand-in-hand with that criticism. There will be no uncovering of poor judgement on Wenger’s part if any ex-players arrive at Arsenal this summer.

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Troy Deeney has signed a four-year contract extension with Watford, despite reported interest from many Premier League clubs.

Deeney scored 24 Championship goals in the 2013/14 season and 19 in the season before. And the 26-year-old shows no signs of a possible decline – already netting three goals in Watford’s opening five games.

He has to be described as a proven goalscorer by now and there is no doubt that many Premier League clubs are aware of Troy, scouting him at any number of Watford fixtures last season and in the present.

Before signing his current long-term extension with Watford, Deeney was linked with all three promoted clubs. He is club captain at Watford and has been their top scorer for the past two years, therefore his worth to the club will surely be massive if they themselves are to gain promotion anytime soon.

Deeney has been a prolific striker in the Championship with 48 goals in his last 96 appearances in all competitions – a strike rate of better than 0.5 goals per game.

So why is it that he is still plying his trade in the second tier and that no Premier League side is willing to gamble on a player entering his peak?

The first thing to consider is the price that Watford would ask for him. As I’ve already mentioned, Deeney is the club captain and rarely does a club captain leave a club. I would suggest that at least one of the clubs would be able to afford any reasonable demand for Deeney as QPR and Redknapp are not shy when it comes to spending large sums of money.

There is, of course, a possibility that Troy Deeney simply loves Watford enough to stay, but surely regardless of how much he is enjoying it, if Watford fail to gain promotion again this season Troy will surely want to test himself in the Premier League before it’s too late? It may be a dream for him to only play in the Premier League with Watford and so he is determined to get The Hornets promoted, instead of ‘going it alone’.

Premier League clubs are always looking for goalscorers and sometimes risks have to be taken. Deeney’s record would suggest that he isn’t that much of a risk, but just how much of an effect does the step up to the Premier League have on a prolific Championship hitman?

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Take Danny Ings for example – he had a better than 0.5 goals per game record over the full Championship season last year but is yet to open his Premier League account so far this season. Famously, David Nugent had been a prolific Championship striker, but has yet to acclimatise to the Premier League. In his last 36 Premier League appearances Nugent has scored just six times, compared to his previous Championship campaign with Leicester City where he scored 20 goals.

To summarise, it is unlikely that a Premier League club will sign a Championship striker who will then go on to score 10+ goals per season. There will always be exceptions to the rule, and perhaps Troy Deeney could be just that, but it would undoubtedly be a risk – a risk that seemingly no Premier League clubs are willing to take (for now).

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Everton are currently sitting in 15th place in the Premier League. They have hit the back of the net plenty so far this season, scoring 12 in total, the joint second highest in the league. However, their defence is another story, 14 goals conceded – the highest in the league. It seems as though their backline has gone from one of the strongest in the league, to one of the worst.

Going to Goodison Park was once considered to be a tough fixture, but this season, teams are walking all over the Toffees, as shown in the games against Arsenal, Chelsea and Crystal Palace. Throughout the whole of last season, Everton only conceded 39 goals, 19 of them in home games. So far this season, Everton have conceded 11 goals in three home league games. At this current rate, Everton could be in real danger of slipping down the table if they don’t improve their defensive performances.

Is the ageing of their defensive players the reason behind this? Frenchman Sylvain Distin is coming up to 36 years of age and is the oldest member of the squad. He has featured in every single one of Everton’s home games this season as well as the 2-2 draw against Leicester in the season opener. In the Foxes game, he made a costly error which lead to a Leicester equaliser when the Toffees were 1-0 up. When Englishman John Stones is played in place of Distin, Everton have won away at West Brom and drawn against Liverpool. Stones was in fine form in both of those games, picking up a whoscored.com rating of above seven in both fixtures. So could they perform better at the back by simply getting their team selection right?

Englishmen Leighton Baines and Phil Jagielka are also in their, or coming up to their 30s and they have also dropped in form compared to last season. Baines whoscored.com rating has fallen from 7.25 last season, to 7.18 this season. Jagielka on the other hand has had a bigger drop in rating from 7.26 last season, to 6.8 this season. While there mustn’t be any rush to start thinking about getting rid of these two straight away, replacements must be considered for the future. Most defenders hit their peak between the ages of 25 and 32 so Baines and Jagielka are coming near the end of their respective times in the sun.

You could even point the finger at Toffees goalkeeper Tim Howard. He played brilliantly in the Europa League against Wolfsburg, but his form overall has been dropping when compared to last season. In the league last season, Howard earned a whoscored.com rating of 6.89, but so far this season, he has only managed a rating of 6.27. While goalkeepers are usually like fine wine – they get better with age – Howard may be starting to go a little bit sour at the age of 35. Maybe a replacement for him should be considered soon as well?

Everton’s position in the table is all because of their defence. To be more specific, their ageing defence. It’s about time they start looking to the future and the likes of Stones if they are to stop the rot.

It could be worse Nando, you could be one of these guys…

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One of the biggest matches happening in the Championship this evening is the tie between Watford and Nottingham Forest.

Both sides have been early pacesetters this season. Watford sitting at the top of the league on 24 points after picking up a fantastic 3-0 away victory against Sheffield Wednesday, despite being on their fourth manager since the start of the season. Forest on the other hand, sit 5th in the table on 21 points after a 2-1 away loss to Cardiff City, meaning the Reds have failed to win in their last five Championship games.

Watford’s current manager, Serbian Slavisa Jokanovic got off to a good start in charge against Wednesday thanks to goals by Odion Ighalo, Almen Abdi and Matej Vydra.

Scottish winger Ikechi Anya is set to return to the Watford squad for the visit of Forest. He was out at the weekend due to a calf injury but was back in training on Monday. Striker Troy Deeney could be making his full return as well. The Englishman did play a couple of minutes at the weekend after being out for a whole month with a hamstring injury. Craig Cathcart and Keith Andrews will miss the Forest match due to calf problems but they are expected to train on Wednesday, leaving just Gabriel Tamas (knee) and Gabriele Angella (ankle) on the injury list for The Hornets.

Forest manager Stuart Pearce suffered his first defeat in charge on Saturday, ending their 11-game unbeaten streak. They are now three points adrift from the top of the table.

Despite making a promising start to the match at the Cardiff City Stadium, the Reds fell two goals behind after 30 minutes, before their top goalscorer, striker Britt Assombalonga scored a late consolation. This was the Englishman’s ninth goal of the season. Fellow Englishman Michail Antonio assisted the goal, putting him on six for the season so far. These two danger men will be marked closely by Watford’s defence.

Pearce named an unchanged squad to face Cardiff, but a couple of changes will have to be made for this midweek fixture. English midfielder Henri Lansbury will miss the trip to Vicarage Road through suspension after he was booked for the fifth time this season during the defeat to Cardiff on Saturday, much to the irritation of Pearce.

“Henri has picked up a lot of bookings in a short space of time and it is something he has to improve on, cheap bookings. And it is another player down for us on Tuesday night,” said Pearce.

“Henri has always had it in him to give cheap bookings away, even going back to my time working with him in the England Under-21 squad. It is something he has to mature a little bit, in his game, to eradicate.”

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David Vaughan or Ben Osborn are expected to replace Lansbury in the midfield. As well as this, Pearce also still has Andy Reid, Chris Cohen and Jack Hobbs out through injury. Matty Fryatt is still expected to replace Reid behind Assombalonga.

The Hornets are undefeated in their last six home matches in the Championship, and The Reds have failed to win in their last five Championship games. In the eight of the last nine home matches against Forest for Watford, there has been under 2.5 goals, and with how close the teams are to each other in the table, this is likely to be a low scoring game. This will be both sides’ toughest game yet, and a position at the top of the table is a probability for either side if they win and results go their way, but a draw is the most likely outcome.

Prediction: Watford 1-1 Nottingham Forest

Liverpool spent a club-record £117million this summer in the wake of Luis Suarez’ departure to Barcelona, but Brendan Rodgers’ prolific spending spree hasn’t quite had the desired effect.

Indeed, with the Reds in eighth place in the Premier League, five points off the top four, it’s believed the Merseyside outfit will look to splash the cash again when the transfer market reopens in January.

And purely because huge transfer fees leaves us at Football Fancast screaming with excitement like little girls watching vines of Justin Bieber, we’re hoping Liverpool’s coming transfer window is as lucrative as the last.

So with that in mind, here’s a list of five well-known, highly-priced targets Brendan Rodgers should break the bank for in January.

SAIDO BERAHINO

He may cost an arm and a leg, or £23million to be precise, but from a tactical perspective, Saido Berahino would be the perfect January signing for Liverpool. Unlike misfiring forwards Mario Balotelli and Rickie Lambert, he’s blessed with pace, agility and trickery and would constitute a step back towards the fluid counter-attacking football that defined the Merseysiders last season.

The West Brom forward can play out wide, in behind or as an out-and-out poacher; the notion of him, Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling operating as a roaming front-three leaves one foaming at the mouth. 12 goals in his first 50 Premier League outings is a decent return, but Berahino’s attitude away from the field has often drawn criticism.

EDINSON CAVANI

Another costly striking option for the Reds to consider is PSG front-man Edinson Cavani. The 27 year-old boasts healthy returns at both club and international level – 104 in 138 for former side Napoli, 38 in 65 for current club PSG and 24 in 69 for the Uruguayan national team – and looks a good fit for the Premier League, through the height, power and strength of his 6 foot 2 frame.

And it seems the South American is on his way out of the French capital, having failed to dislodge Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the star front-man since moving to Parc de Princes 18 months ago, instead often settling for an unfamiliar role out wide. £50million is a lot of moolah however, and Arsenal are believed to be leading the race for Cavani’s signature.

MATTIA PERIN

Having recently dropped Liverpool No.1 Simon Mignolet for ‘an indefinite period’, it’s quite clear that Brendan Rodgers is on the look-out for a new goalkeeper. One of the names believed to be in the mix is Genoa’s Mattia Perin.

Many have labelled the Serie A starlet as ‘the next Gigi Buffon’, having already represented the Italian national team at just 22 years of age. His 6 foot 2 frame isn’t the tallest compared to Premier League standards (in fact, it’s the average height for PL goalkeepers) but the Italian stopper looks like a real prospect. That being said, £16million is a rather sizeable fee for such a young and unproven goalkeeper.

MORGAN SCHNEIDERLIN

Liverpool fans have probably endured enough of Southampton players turning up at their club for ridiculous amounts of money, but it could be worth making one final exception for France international Morgan Schneiderlin.

The 25 year-old has continually proved himself to be one of the Premier League’s top enforcers since the Saints’ top flight ascension in summer 2012, this term ranking in fifth in the division’s tackle charts. Additionally, he’s tall, powerful and ever consistent on the ball – boasting a 90% pass completion rate this term – and looks more than ready to ply his trade at a higher level.

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The Reds need an upgrade on Lucas Leiva and Schneiderlin fits the bill perfectly. Ronald Koeman recently failed to quash rumours that the tough-tackling Frenchman could move on in January, but even so, he’ll likely set the Reds back around £25million.

JUAN CUADRADO

Another signing who could revive the intensity of Liverpool’s waning attack comes in the form of Fiorentina star Juan Cuadrado.

The South American’s blend of pace, stamina and tenacity has seen him tear apart Serie A over the last 18 months, amassing 16 goals and eight assists in his last 45 league outings. He brought his form to the World Cup in Brazil too, finishing up with the joint-most assists of any player alongside Daley Blind.

Brendan Rodgers isn’t too fond of wingers but could make an exception for the 26 year-old; he’s notoriously versatile and has featured in virtually every position for the Florence outfit, ranging from right-back to left winger and defensive midfield to No.10. His £27million release clause should be within the Reds’ financial reach, but long-term interest from Manchester United, Manchester City and Barcelona could prove problematic.

James Milner is said to be targeted by Liverpool in planning for life after Gerrard, and he appears to be a worthwhile acquisition.

The England international’s contract at Manchester City expires this summer, the Red’s are capable of attracting Milner to Anfield and they should certainly look to do so.

From a financial viewpoint Milner appears extremely good value as he would be a free transfer, despite his obvious qualities and experience. In an age where Financial Fair Play is becoming increasingly prominent in club’s transfer dealings, Milner would not be one to worry the books at Anfield.

Though he would probably command a high salary, Milner appears a worthwhile investment, particularly considering he is probably currently worth circa £20million were he not be nearly out of contract.

Tactically Milner would be an ideal fit at Liverpool, particularly given that Brendan Rodgers likes versatile players. The way Manchester City have used Milner has led many to forget his creative qualities, most obvious when playing as an attacking midfielder when at Aston Villa.

This form earned Milner a £26m move to the Etihad, which fully demonstrated his versatility, capable of playing at full-back, as a holding midfielder and on the flanks.

Milner would surely appreciate the opportunity to play regularly in his preferred position in the centre of midfield, something Liverpool can offer, particularly given the upcoming absence of Steven Gerrard. Joe Allen is currently struggling, whilst Lucas Leiva looks set to depart relatively soon, meaning Milner would undoubtedly start whenever he was fit.

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Title winning experience, from two successful Premier league campaigns with City, is also something Milner can offer that is currently lacking throughout Liverpool’s squad.

Mental scars will still remain with both players who came so close to lifting the title last season, making Milner a valuable asset, particularly given how young Liverpool’s squad is. Regular starters such as Emre Can, Philippe Coutinho, Alberto Moreno, Lazar Markovic and Raheem Sterling are all under 23, with new captain Jordan Henderson just 24.

At 29, Milner is in the peak years of his career and perfectly placed to complement these youngsters’ potential through being a proven winner with extensive international experience.  The ex-Leeds midfielder would also, similarly to Daniel Sturridge, want to prove that he can be the focal point in a top side rather than just a squad player.

Milner is an asset to City, partially through assisting with the completion of the home-grown quota required in the Champions League. Moreover, City have few players who are particularly tactically versatile, or midfielders that truly appear to understand their defensive duties.

Milner is often criticised for a lack of creativity, though at Manchester City he is compared with some outstanding attacking talent, such as Samir Nasri, Yaya Toure and David Silva. Unlike those names, Milner is a true team player who understands his role within a squad.

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Milner is also more creative than often given credit for, managing six Premier league assists this season, despite often being used out of position and as a substitute. This is still more assists than any Liverpool player in the League this campaign.

Milner’s role at Anfield might well be the understated hero – experienced, supposedly ‘boring’ and often criticised. However, to understand his true worth, notice how highly valued he is by managers and fellow players.

As his brilliant parody Christmas video showed, James Milner might be ‘boring’, but given their current troubles Liverpool should do everything possible to sign him.

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Well, there you have it, Arsenal are the third English team to crash out of the Champions League this season following a crushing away goals defeat to Monaco.

Despite bagging the victory in France, Arsenal couldn’t undo the damage done during a hellish 90-minutes back in north London – how Arsene Wenger must look back on that late Monaco third goal as the game-changing moment.

If anything, the two-legs sum up this Arsenal side; you just never know which one will turn up. You can get the pathetic and weak XI that played at the Emirates or you can get the side that dig deep, that take their chances but, ultimately, always just fall short.

Fair play to Monaco, though, who know what they’re good at and stick to it – a friendlier Stoke City perhaps?

Anyway, Arsenal’s Champions League campaign is over for another season at least but before they return home, let’s have a look at what we learnt from tonight’s game

Aaron Ramsey is getting back to his best

It was a welcome sight for all Gunners when Aaron Ramsey was named in the starting line-up against West Ham last weekend. And that sight got even sweeter when the Wales international bagged Arsenal’s all important second goal to kill off the Hammers.

Ramsey’s performance was so impressive that Gooners were gutted to see him back on the bench for tonight’s game against Monaco.

When Ramsey did eventually come on, he changed the game with his forward-thinking play and, of course, his well taken goal.

Mesut Ozil will forever be a scapegoat

The anti-Mesut Ozil brigade is a bizarre one and one that isn’t going to change its agenda anytime soon. The German international was in his usual subtle genius form against the Ligue 1 outfit tonight. However, as soon as the cameras picked up the World Cup winner swapping shirts at half-time with Kondogbia, that was it for the attacking-midfielder.

Scapegoat; now, forever and always.

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Arsenal will forever be valiant losers

We all knew what to expect from Arsenal tonight; it is what the Gunners do time and time again, ‘heroic failure’. They came close against Bayern Munich in the previous two seasons, however, ultimately, the damage was already done and they had left themselves with too much to do.

When will it change for Arsene Wenger’s side? Something has got to give? Something has got to change? They’re in a cycle and don’t know how to break it.