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As reported by The Daily Mail, West Ham United must up their initial bid for Lazio talent Felipe Anderson if they want to bring him to the London Stadium this summer.

What’s the story?

The Hammers have an important transfer window ahead, with new boss Manuel Pellegrini looking for the talent that can see them improve on last season’s relegation battle in the English Premier League.

One player on their radar is Lazio attacking midfielder Felipe Anderson, with the club having already made an offer for the player, according to The Daily Mail.

The paper also report though that the initial £25m plus add-ons bid will have to be upped, with the Italian side looking for a fee that looks more like £35m.

Is he worth pushing the boat out for ahead of next season?

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Worth the fuss?

With the fitness of Manuel Lanzini in doubt ahead of the new season after his knee injury in training ahead of the World Cup, it’s more important than ever that the Irons add much-needed creative guile in midfield.

Felipe Anderson can certainly provide that, having provided 10 assists for the Italian club last season, despite not being a regular starter. With 8 goals also added across the season, it’s clear he is a player who likes to make an impact in the final third.

With an average 1.9 key passes and 3.7 dribbles per game, as shown by WhoScored, he could be the perfect complement to the likes of Marko Arnautovic and Lanzini himself when he returns from injury.

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That’s worth paying that little bit extra for and now is not the team for the Hammers board to be cheap, when they have a great opportunity to progress under Pellegrini.

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According to reports in The Mirror, Wolverhampton Wanderers attacker Ivan Cavaleiro, rated at £9m by Transfermarkt, is a summer transfer target for their Premier League rivals Huddersfield Town.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Mirror says that the Terriers are in need of adding some more firepower to their team ahead of their second season in the English top flight, and the Yorkshire club have made a move to bring the Portuguese forward to the John Smith’s Stadium.

The Mirror says that despite Wolves, whose £11m move for a midfielder would hint at Nuno Santo making a big formation change for their Premier League campaign, signing the 24-year-old in a £7m deal from Monaco two years ago and him being a regular last term, the west Midlands outfit’s ambitious owners are ready to sell him this summer in order to make way for new signings.

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How did Cavaleiro do during the 2017/18 season?

He impressed.

The 24-year-old played a key role as Wolves ran away with the Championship title, scoring nine goals and providing a further 12 assists in 42 league games.

The Portuguese attacker primarily played on the right wing, and his trickery and speed from the flank ensured that he caused plenty of left-backs big problems last term.

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Should Wolves sell him?

It would certainly be something of a controversial decision if they did let him go considering how much of a key man he was for them last season.

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However, his sale could be really positive news for the Molineux faithful, as it perhaps suggests that if the club are ready to move on one of their key players, it’s because their ambitious owners believe they can get an upgrade on the 24-year-old – perhaps even one that proves to be a marquee addition.

Liverpool fans in the Transfer Tavern have got every reason to be excited for next season. With two top-quality midfielders signed up, Jurgen Klopp’s side looks like they could be serious contenders for the title next season. 

We all know Liverpool are great going forward. With that front three, goals are never going to be a problem. Last season, Liverpool scored 84 goals in the league last year – only Manchester City scored more.  Where Liverpool fall down, is at the back. The signing of Virgil Van Dijk definitely helped in the second-half of the season but it also makes you wonder how they would’ve faired if he’d played the whole season for the Reds.

While Lovren has done well at times, at others he looks like a mistake waiting to happen. Liverpool need to upgrade and one player they could do with, also happens to be a target of their arch-rivals, Manchester United.

According to Yahoo Sport, Jose Mourinho is looking to capitalise on AC Milan’s financial situation to try and sign Leonardo Bonucci. The former Juventus defender, made the shock move to Milan last summer in a window where they spent £220 million on transfers. However, the club have breached UEFA Financial Fair Play regulations and could be excluded from the Europa League next season.

With that in mind, Liverpool should capitalise on their precarious financial position and try to bring the Italian defender to Merseyside.

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His ability on the ball and title-winning experience could be the final ingredient in a Liverpool side that is very close to winning the title.

Southampton have sparked into life this transfer window by recently adding both Mohamed Elyounoussi and Stuart Armstrong to the club.

Elyounoussi joins the Saints from Basel for a £16m fee, as reported by Sky Sports, while Armstrong left SPL champions Celtic and arrived at St. Mary’s in a £7m deal (via BBC Sport).

Having now strengthened his midfield and attacking midfield options with the signings of Elyounoussi and Armstrong, manager Mark Hughes must now turn his attention to up front.

Guido Carrillo has failed to have any impact since joining Southampton in the January transfer window, Manolo Gabbiadini and Shane Long have barely done any better in front of goal, while Charlie Austin is constantly picking up injuries.

Furthermore, Hughes should consider making an approach for Tottenham target man Fernando Llorente.

Llorente, who is valued at £6.3m by Transfermarkt, hasn’t been able to impose himself at Spurs after leaving Swansea for north London with Harry Kane the club’s undisputed No.9.

The 33-year-old could now be made available for transfer and would be a great buy for Southampton if he were to be signed.

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Llorente can add the sort of firepower up front the Saints have been missing. The former Juventus centre-forward scored 15 Premier League goals for Swansea in the 2016/17 campaign and, in a team like Southampton that possesses much better players than the Swans, Llorente could easily hit similar figures again.

While he may represent a short-term option, Llorente would still be a drastic upgrade – that wouldn’t cost much – on most of Southampton’s strikers.

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has claimed that Sergio Aguero is as good as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo after his five-goal display on Saturday, according to reports from the Mirror.Aguero put five goals in the space of just 20 minutes against Newcastle United during the weekend, ending in a 6-1 victory for the current league leaders.And Pellegrini has given the Argentina international the best possible compliment by comparing him to Ballon D’or favourites Messi and Ronaldo, however the former Malaga boss also revealed that City must win the Champions League in order for the world to recognize Aguero on the same level.WANT MORE? >> Manchester CityÂTransfer News | Latest Transfer News“After what we have seen today, of course Kun [Aguero] is at that level,†said Pellegrini, as his Blues regained top spot in the Premier League. “I have already said that, after Ronaldo and Messi, he is the best player in the world.“But the important thing – not only for Kun but as a team – is that we must continue to improve. We need to win the Premier League again and to win the Champions League, because Messi and Ronaldo are always involved in that competition and that’s very important for a player.“I’m very happy for us that in Kun we have a very important player. He always makes important things [contributions] in competitions.“Remember, three years ago he decided the title in the last minutes of the season, and last season he was the top scorer in the Premier League. Every year he is improving, every day he becomes a better professional and he is more mature, so I think he will finish his career with some important achievements.â€Aguero became only the fifth player in Premier League history to score five goals in a single game, with his tally now an amazing 115 goals in just 175 games for the Citizens.Last season, Aguero was also the league’s top scorer with 26 goals, but the 27-year-old has yet to win the PFA Player of the Year following five seasons at the Etihad.

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In many ways, Piers Morgan is the perfect modern day celebrity football fan. He is a man, so paranoid of his own flair for corruption coming back to haunt him, that he blurts out every irrational thought he has on Twitter, just so no one else can on his behalf.

Morgan presumably grew up wanting to be famous, although when he realised he had no discernible talent, he became bitter, and took to ruining the lives of those who had. But let’s keep this light, we are talking about football after all.

Our national sport has a massive global reach, with a greater following than any political party or movement. The TV audience for the Premier League was 4.7bn in the 2010/11 season, a figure that has almost definitely increased since then.

And Morgan is aware of this, much to the frustration of Arsenal fans around the world. The former CNN presenter considers himself to be a Gunners supporter. Like it or not Piers Morgan is an influence in modern day football.

His opinion, most of the time, concerns Arsenal’s failure to win a Premier League title since 2004, something of which most Arsenal supporters are frustrated about. However, Morgan continues to publicly blame manager Arsene Wenger, a man, who probably reinvigorated Morgan’s interest in the club in the first place.

Morgan has a history for manipulating football in the media, to reach a wider audience. When editor of the Daily Mirror, Morgan was responsible for the infamous headline, “Achtung Surrender! For You Fritz Ze Euro Championship Is Over”, prior to England’s EURO 1996 semi-final with Germany. A typically tasteless remark from Piers, which did little more than motivate a German victory.

His inadvertent derailment of the England national team continued in 2002, when he engulfed the then England manager, Sven Goran Eriksson, in a storm of controversy after the Mirror editor broke news of the Swede’s adulterous behaviour, by virtue of the Daily Mirror’s talent for hacking communication devices. The result was another England World Cup campaign, marred by events off the pitch.

However, this was a long time ago and football is a fickle business. Morgan’s influence in football has been more of a nuisance than a hindrance in recent years. ‘Chubby’, as Michael Owen unwittingly calls him, is an armchair fan. Therefore football doesn’t exist to him beyond the clutches of his iPhone and his beloved Twitter feed.

Arsenal fans have my sympathy, they didn’t adopt Morgan; he was forced upon them without their permission like a bad summer signing. However, their association with Morgan, which should be harmless, is actually detrimental to the image of Arsenal Football Club, and especially its supporters.

He has no discernible background in the game and yet Morgan has become the voice of all Arsenal supporters. This privilege allows him to embarrass himself and the club, by using social media to instigate public battles with famous sports stars, just to enhance his own celebrity.

The petulant Morgan is not defending Arsenal when standing up to the provocations of Wayne Rooney or Robin van Persie, on the contrary, Morgan embarrasses Arsenal every time he opens his mouth. It’s time for Piers to remove himself from the culture of football and allow the real people of football to enjoy the people’s game once more.

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Arsenal are seriously considering allowing Mikel Arteta, Tomas Rosicky and Mathieu Flamini to all leave the club once their contracts expire at the end of the season, according to reports from the London Evening Standard.

No final decision has been made, but manager Arsene Wenger is thought to be edging towards axing the trio next summer in a bid to freshen up his Gunners squad.

All three players will be out of contract at the end of the 2015/16 campaign, and reports claim that, as things stand, each could be on the lookout for a new side.

WANT MORE? >> Arsenal transfer news | Latest transfer news

Perhaps the most surprising name on the list is club captain Arteta, but the Spaniard’s role in the Arsenal midfield is under serious doubt with Santi Cazorla having shone since being moved into a deeper position.

The ex-Everton ace will also be 34 by the time his deal expires, and despite Wenger being appreciative of his influence in the dressing room his powers are undoubtedly waning.

Flamini is also on the exit list, with the Frenchman’s ability to perform at the highest level now under question.

The Frenchman has dipped in and out of the first-team this term, and his alarming showing in the League Cup exit at the hands of Sheffield Wednesday has led to a feeling behind the scenes that his presence is hindering youngsters attempting to break through.

Rosicky, 35, is the last name in the frame, and given his injury record – he is currently not expected to be available until after Christmas – there’s little surprise that his future is in doubt.

The Czech playmaker almost left the club over the summer before a clause in his contract was activated for him to stay another 12 months, however, he’s not longer a key player and is thought to be considering a return to Sparta Prague.

Wenger will have the final say on all counts, and his decision may be influenced by the availability of replacements next summer.

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When it comes to landing up and coming youngsters who could potentially go on to take the European footballing world by storm one day, Arsene Wenger and his determined Gunners outfit usually play host to many potentially exciting candidates who certainly fit the mould of that particular role.

Whilst Arsenal have indeed witnessed their fair share of promising talents who just never made the grade at their club, the North London outfit have undoubtedly produced several impressive stars who begun with humble roots in the early stages of their career at the Emirates.

However, as the 2015 calendar year certainly could have turned out far more profitable for Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamerlain, the jury seemingly remains out on whether or not the former Southampton winger will ever fulfil his full potential within Arsene Wenger’s current set-up.

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So then, is it only a matter of time before the England international starts turning on the goods with the Gunners, or is Oxlade-Chamberlain never really going to make it at the Emirates with all things fairly considered?

The quick-footed winger obviously displays many of the raw qualities necessary to make it in the English top-flight.

But as he often runs into defenders without much thought on where to go next, sometimes drifts out of important matches just when his teammates need him most, and invariably lacks the ability to produce the end product for Arsenal time and time again, the ex-St. Marys’ favourite simply flatters to deceive quite a lot of the time.

It’s not for the want of trying of course, for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could never be discredited in terms of his sheer desire to make things happen, or when it comes to displaying the right amount of effort for his manager whenever handed the chance to impress at the Emirates.

It just seems as if the wide-man doesn’t play with his head up enough of the time for Arsenal, with certain question-marks subsequently surrounding his overall spacial awareness and sense of vision with the Gunners at this particular stage in his career.

Yes, he’s not a bad player by any relevant stretch of the imagination – and of course Oxlade-Chamberlain could easily find a home in another Premier League side looking to achieve big things in the not too distant future – but does the 22-year-old Englishman really represent the kind of quality Arsenal are looking for at the end of the day? It remains somewhat hard to decide.

However, in the modern footballing era it’s sometimes easy to forget that certain players need those few added years under their belt in order to blossom into the unquestionably talented assets we all know they can become. Alex Oxlade-Chamerlain hasn’t quite set the English game alight for Arsenal at this current moment in time, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that he never will.

As the Three Lions representative is still in the early stages of his career, in a star-studded outfit that would prove a tough nut to crack for any up and coming star hoping to build a successful legacy for himself, it would seemingly feel wrong to cast this bustling attacker aside just yet.

The former Southampton man definitely still possesses enough potential to make it within the Premier League, he seemingly maintains the backing of the Emirates community in general – and if Arsene Wenger can continue to express the same level of confidence in the winger that initially brought the 22-year-old to Arsenal in the first place – perhaps Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain could easily prove most of his recent critics wrong.

With the Gunners are looking to land the league title for the first time in many a season this year however, it may indeed prove hard for the pacey winger to nail down a first team place at the Emirates right now. But if he can steer clear of injury and keep his head in 2015/16, there is no reason to suggest that the current Arsenal front-man simply isn’t capable of producing the goods at least somewhere down the line.

For now though, it’s up to the player in question to grab the rest of the season by the scruff of the neck, and prove that he is certainly worthy of operating at the Emirates one way or another.

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Despite spending close to £50million over the course of the summer transfer window, and subsequently parting ways with yet another small fortune across the past month, Steve McClaren and his persistent Newcastle United outfit still seemingly have it all to do this season.

The impending threat of relegation remains very real for the Magpies looking into the immediate future, with the overall atmosphere in and around St. James’ Park feeling just as tense and uncertain as it has done for quite some time now…

However, after landing a succession of potential stars on Tyneside throughout the recent January transfer period – have Newcastle United simply spent their way out of trouble this winter?

Seydou Doumbia was the last name to eventually seal his move to St. James’ on what turned out to be a somewhat underwhelming transfer deadline-day truth be told. Although 28-year-old Ivory Coast international didn’t exactly set the world alight when operating for AS Roma amid the Italian Serie A last season, the striker in question could still nonetheless come up trumps for Steve McClaren’s side.

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The former CSKA Moscow favourite arrives with a very impressive goal-scoring record in the Champions League of course – and as Newcastle have admittedly failed to put away several clear-cut chances in front of goal this season – maybe this somewhat understated loan signing could potentially save the Magpies from relegation in the end.

Elsewhere this January, Newcastle United also landed themselves both Henri Saivet and Andros Townsend to help strengthen the team’s cause in the middle of the park this season. The former represents yet another gamble from the French Ligue 1 that could seemingly go either way in 2015/16, whilst the latter has barely completed a full 90 minutes for Tottenham over the past few league campaigns.

Townsend himself will likely help create a fair amount of excitement in and around St. James’ due to his prior reputation with England on the international scene, but arguably fails to go down as someone worthy of such a hefty price tag. The Magpies hierarchy were obviously keen on putting their money where their mouth is this January, for even though the former Spurs winger will nevertheless strengthen the current options available to McClaren, £12million still seems a rather steep valuation.

Saivet however could prove somewhat of a success on Tyneside after seeing his signing slip largely under the radar this January, but only if the Senegalese international is issued with a fair amount of game-time from the current manager down at St. James’.

And last – but certainly not least – the Newcastle United faithful witnessed yet another £12million capture earlier on in the transfer window, but this time in the shape of former Swansea City battler and England international – Jonjo Shelvey.

The creative ball-playing midfielder has already served to impress for the Magpies since his recent departure from the Liberty Stadium, for when this 23-year-old play-maker is truly performing to the very best of his abilities in front of his respective fan-base, the limitations placed on Jonjo Shelvey ultimately prove few and far between.

Via his intelligent style of play in the middle of the park, impressive prowess when sending searching through-balls all across the pitch for his newfound teammates to run on to – and uncanny ability to make things happen just when his side seem to need it most – Steve McClaren may have sourced himself one of the signings of the entire January transfer window in this often effective central-midfielder.

Jonjo Shelvey admittedly carries a somewhat dirtier side to his overall game but as Newcastle have clearly been lacking a sense of fight and passion throughout the current season thus far, maybe the Magpies would in-fact benefit from the addition of such a personality when push invariably comes to shove this term.

So then, despite coming off second best to Roberto Martinez’ Everton last time out in the Premier League, it seems reasonable to suggest that Steve McClaren’s side have all but ensured their Premier League survival between now and the end of what has so far proven a rather unpredictable season.

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Despite being forced to go about their business under a cloud of persistent scrutiny throughout large portions of the campaign thus far, Leicester City – and their ever impressive manager in the shape of Claudio Ranieri – seemingly don’t look keen on letting their current position in the upper echelons of the Premier League slip from their grasp any time soon.

The Foxes have provided this year’s unquestionably dramatic Premier League proceedings with easily the most notable side of the entire season, yet whilst the likes of Jamie Vardy, Robert Huth, Danny Drinkwater and N’Golo Kante have rightfully drawn a great deal of praise from all quarters of the English footballing community in recent weeks, the mercurial figure of Riyad Mahrez must arguably arrive as the standout performer of the current Leicester contingency.

As the Algerian international has since been linked with an illustrious move to some of Europe’s most elite clubs in 2015/16 however – from the undoubtedly enticing riches on offer at both Real Madrid and Barcelona, to a series of admirers found much closer to home in the form of Arsenal and Manchester United – it seems as if Claudio Ranieri ultimately has a massive task on his hands in persuading the 25-year-old play-maker to stay put at the King Power Stadium this summer.

So in light of all the deserved hype and subsequent speculation to surround the in-form Foxes front-man this season – is Riyad Mahrez certain to leave his current employers in the summer, or will the quick-footed attacker eventually maintain his positive relationship with the Leicester City faithful well into the 2016/17 campaign?

Seeing as Ranieri has already stated his desire to gracefully let his players decide upon their own fate come the final culmination of the 2015/16 campaign, it seems as if Mahrez may well depart the King Power Stadium one way or another this summer – regardless of whether or not Leicester manage to crown themselves league champions between now and the end of the season.

The former Le Havre man has certainly been in scintillating form for Claudio Ranieri’s side so far this term, and would obviously represent a massive loss for the club should he finally decide to move on to a new challenge next season. Although the Foxes would likely recoup a great deal of profit on any deal involving Riyad Mahrez this summer, no right-minded Leicester fan ultimately wants to see the wide-man playing for another team in 2016/17, within or beyond the realms of the Premier League itself.

Even if Leicester City end the current season on triumphant terms this year, the prospect of playing alongside the likes of Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo at either Real Madrid or Barcelona, would be a hard notion to turn down for any Premier League player operating within the prime stages of their career.

The King Power faithful would therefore seem somewhat unjust in expecting their current fan-favourite to stick it out at their club over the course of the foreseeable future, despite the understandable sense of heart-break that would invariably follow in the wake of Mahrez’ potential move away from the Foxes during the upcoming summer transfer window.

But as Claudio Ranieri’s impressive outfit will seemingly find themselves in the Champions League next season, with an extended reputation boost likely to ripple throughout the rest of the European footballing scene as a result of their daring exploits this term – is it really such an unrealistic thought to picture Riyad Mahrez still operating for Leicester City come this time next season? Arguably not…

Whatever your opinion on the Foxes before the 2015/16 campaign first got underway, this is a side that clearly seem to be going places with all things fairly taken into account. They have consistently proved several football ‘experts’ wrong across the duration of the current season, so perhaps Claudio Ranieri has yet another shock in store regarding the fate of his highly coveted no. 26 this summer.

None of us can truly offer anything close to a definitive answer on just how Leicester City will be lining up next season, for the final chapter in the Foxes 2015/16 fairy-tale is seemingly yet to be written. At this particular stage in the proceedings, all any of us can really do is wait it out and see just how far this team have come in such a short period of time.

As Leicester City have surprised most of us all the way through the current campaign however, maybe the concept of Riyad Mahrez consistently turning out in Foxes colours next season shouldn’t really come as much of a shock after all.

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