Aaron Ramsey needs to join Premier League rivals Chelsea to go to the next level

Arsenal have brought in five new faces this summer but the club could be about to lose one of their more important players before the window closes. 

There’s a lot of positivity surrounding the club at the moment following the appointment of Unai Emery combined with the introduction of the new signings.

However, one problem that could possibly derail the Gunners before the season has even started is the future of midfielder, Aaron Ramsey.

As it stands, Ramsey has not yet signed a new deal to stay at the Gunners and according to the Express, Arsenal may now be willing to sell the midfielder.

With only two days left in the transfer window, the scenario of losing Aaron Ramsey might seem a terrible one but for Ramsey, it’s the right choice.

The Breakdown

Not until the 2013/14 season did the Welshman showcase some of the talent that the club bought him for as he scored 10 goals to go along with nine assists.

Although he hasn’t quite replicated those statistics, Ramsey has now established himself as one of the better players in the squad and one of the few valuable box-to-box midfielders in the game.

At 27-years-old, he is now entering the prime of his career and could blossom in a new team where he can learn from a new coach such as Maurizio Sarri.

Under Unai Emery, it’s not completely certain what role Ramsey will play, whereas at Chelsea he would arguably become an instant starter and replicate Hamsik’s role in Sarri’s new look Chelsea side.

Ramsey needs a new challenge and he could well get that at Chelsea.

What do you think Arsenal fans?

De Bruyne is right to dismiss Manchester City’s Champions League critics

Last season, Manchester City won the Premier League breaking a tonne of records in the process, but there is a feeling that more needs to be done before Pep Guardiola’s side can truly be considered a great one.

Gary Neville, in particular, has praised Manchester City’s success but believes the club need to progress further and eventually win the Champions League before becoming a great side (via Sky Sports).

Kevin De Bruyne, however, does not agree with that sentiment.

The Breakdown

“I don’t agree that we have to win the Champions League to be a success. It is a big title to win but in the Champions League you don’t need to have the consistency that you need in the league,” De Bruyne told BBC Sport.

And the £135m-rated (via Transfermarkt) Belgium international is right in not letting Manchester City’s failure to challenge for the Champions League last season take anything away from the spectacular campaign the club still had.

Of course, should Guardiola leave the Etihad having not won Europe’s elite competition, it would be a disappointment — especially considering how much money has been spent during his tenure alone.

However, it is still narrow-minded to suggest Guardiola’s current team cannot become a great side without a Champion League triumph.

What Manchester City accomplished last season was incredible and, under Guardiola, they have become a brilliant footballing side in terms of how they play.

If they can continue to dominate domestically, while maintaining their current playing style, this Manchester City team will be remembered for a very long time. Perhaps even more so than some Champions League-winning sides.

With Abraham close, Aston Villa must now seal Bolasie deal in bid to storm the Championship

According to a recent report from ESPN, Aston Villa are on the verge of landing striker Tammy Abraham. The two-times England international currently plays his football at Premier League giants Chelsea having come up through the youth ranks at Stamford Bridge, yet he is one of many young players at the club who have found first team football hard to come by.

And it looks as though the 20-year-old is set to make his way to Championship side Villa for the entirety of this season, and with that deal seemingly close, manager Steve Bruce should now add Yannick Bolasie, another man they have been linked with, in a bid to storm the Championship this term.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, Englishman Abraham has only mustered three senior appearances for Chelsea in recent times to suggest that he remains a way away from the first team at the West London club, yet loan spells at Bristol City and Swansea City have underlined his pedigree in front of goal.

The 20-year-old netted a staggering 23 goals in just 41 games for the Robins back in the 2016/17 season to single-handedly keep them in the Championship, before scoring five times for Swansea last term in their disastrous Premier League campaign.

Thus, while things maybe didn’t go to plan at the Liberty Stadium last time round, it’s clear from his time at Ashton Gate that Abraham is a fine striker at second tier level, and as such will add a huge amount to a Villa side that were arguably lacking that 20-goal striker last term.

And were they to get a deal done for Everton’s Bolasie as well, they would take some stopping this season.

The 29-year-old may have struggled to re-discover his best form last season upon return from a year out through injury, yet the DR Congo international has proven during his time at both Everton and indeed Crystal Palace that he is a fine Premier League winger, which begs to wonder what he could do in the Championship.

Bolasie earned a move to Everton back in 2016 after netting 13 goals and laying on 30 assists in 144 appearances for Palace, with his pace, trickery, and overall willingness to drive at defenders earning many rave reviews during his time at Selhurst Park.

And he began life at Goodison Park in similar fashion before sustaining a cruciate knee ligament injury back in December 2016, and were he able to get back to that form this term, he could prove to be a massive asset for Bruce’s men going forward.

Thus, Abraham’s arrival will itself enhance Villa’s promotion hopes – adding Bolasie will only serve to make Bruce’s side incredibly strong and surely the team to beat in the second tier this term.

In fact, the arrival of the winger could see Villa take the Championship by storm this season.

Villa fans… what do you think? Let us know!

Liverpool keen to snap up Benjamin Pavard

Liverpool have been dominant so far this season as their attacking front three continue to score goals for fun. 

Indeed, the Reds will have their eyes set firmly on challenging for the Premier League title this season after bringing in a number of players this summer. And, it looks as if Jurgen Klopp is eyeing another swoop, as according to news outlet KickOff (via The Mirror), Liverpool are lining up a €35 million (£31.7 million) move for Benjamin Pavard.

Benjamin Pavard’s is definitely one for the future and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is said to be keeping tabs.

The 22-year-old can play either right-back or centre-half, where he plays most of his games for VfB Stuttgart.

And, the defender has been linked with a summer move to Anfield for around the €35 million mark (£31.7 million).

Indeed, the Frenchman can be signed for that price if his current club fail to qualify for the Champions League.

THE VERDICT: 

Benjamin Pavard certainly proved his worth at the World Cup as he is now one of the hottest prospects in the whole of world football. So, Liverpool must do everything they can to secure his services as they could certainly benefit from his talents both in the present and the future.

Indeed, the Frenchman could be available for around £31.7 million if his current club fail to quality for the Champions League, which doesn’t seem like that much money when you take some of the Reds’ previous purchases into consideration.

West Ham fans blast Merson over Kouyate comments

West Ham United sold midfielder Cheikhou Kouyate to Crystal Palace during the summer transfer window.

Kouyate joined West Ham from Anderlecht in 2014, and made 147 appearances in all competitions for the club before sealing a move to Palace ahead of the 2018-19 campaign.

West Ham spent big during the summer as head coach Manuel Pellegrini was seriously backed in the transfer market.

However, the capital outfit have lost all four of their Premier League matches this term, which has led to a lot of anger amongst the supporters.

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Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has criticised West Ham’s decision to sell Kouyate during the summer, with the former Arsenal forward claiming that the 6ft 2in midfielder has the legs that West Ham have lacked this term.

However, Merson’s words have been picked apart by the West Ham supporters, with many insisting that the 50-year-old does not know what he is talking about.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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Javi Gracia is one to watch for Tottenham Hotspur

Two of the Premier League’s form sides went head-to-head on Sunday afternoon as Watford hosted Tottenham Hotspur at Vicarage Road at the end of a week in which the visitors had already recorded a 3-0 victory at Man United.

The unpredictability of football is what makes it the most universally admired sport on the planet. Tottenham’s 2-1 defeat against Watford served as a quintessential example of how every game is different and ultimately three points is all you can win at full-time, regardless of the calibre, history or reputation of the opponent.

Javi Gracia got the better of Mauricio Pochettino and continued his impressive record with the Hornets to take his points tally to 30 from his opening 20 fixtures, which averages out at 1.5 points per game.

If the 48-year-old manager manages to achieve a rate of 1.5 PPG in this season alone then Watford will finish on 57 points – a total which would have seen them finish in 7th place during the 2017/18 campaign, just 6 points behind Arsenal.

In reality, Gracia is currently on course to achieve a Premier League record of 114 points, but nobody is holding out too much hope for Watford to continue their 100% record until the end of the season.

Obviously this brilliant run Watford are on must and will come to an end, but there is a growing feeling that the club may well have struck gold with their most recent appointment after chopping and changing for a number of years.

There are certainly comparisons to be drawn between Gracia’s success with Watford and Pochettino’s first foray into English football management at Southampton.

On the south coast Pochettino established quite the reputation for his expansive style of football whilst still managing to average 1.45 PPG before Spurs decided to take a punt on the Argentine.

Gracia is not quite as expansive in his style as Pochettino was when he took the reigns at Southampton, but it must be considered that Watford’s resources are limited and he is attempting to squeeze the maximum out of a squad which was relatively cheap to assemble.

So far Gracia has struggled to get his side to perform on the road but that should change as Watford continue to develop under his leadership and, with further exposure to Premier League football, the Spaniard could eventually be the man to replace Pochettino at Spurs.

Naturally, the Spurs supporters are eager for Pochettino to remain at the helm for the long-term future, but the lure of a club of Real Madrid’s stature could ultimately force him away from north London in the future.

And with that in mind, Tottenham should keep a close eye on Gracia’s development at Watford as he has shown glimpses of his potential to manage a top-4 club since he took over at Vicarage Road.

Tottenham fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

Falcao’s comments on Morelos prove Rangers were right to offer Morelos a new deal

While Rangers would have hoped to have had more points on the board, supporters will still be pleased with the club’s progression into the Europa League group stages and how competitive the team has looked on the pitch compared to previous sides. 

And, despite his discipline recently coming into question, one player who has started this campaign fairly well is Alfredo Morelos.

The Breakdown

Morelos has already bagged six goals in all competitions for Rangers, and his compatriot Radamel Falcao has since come out to praise the Colombian striker.

Quoted on the Daily Record, Falcao said: “Alfredo Morelos is going to be a star for us [Colombia]. When you look at attitude he has and commitment he shows, he’s ready to get to the top.

“He could be a big player for Colombia for years to come. I liked his work rate and he’s willing to learn. There’s a lot to like when you look at the kids coming though. He’s already playing for his country at such a young age and it’s clear he will be a regular for years to come.”

Morelos put pen to paper on a new deal at the start of the month to extend his stay at Ibrox until 2022 amid speculation linking him with a move to Bordeaux and Dynamo Kiev (via Sky Sports).

And, while Morelos has yet to convince everyone in the blue half of Glasgow — largely due to the sitters he tends to miss — Falcao’s assessment on his Colombian team-mate shows Rangers were right to offer him a new deal.

As well as the goals he has brought to Ibrox since arriving from Helsingin Jalkapalloklubi last year, he has given Rangers plenty of energy and an overall fresh impetus up front.

There are aspects of his game that need to be worked on but, at 22, that is only normal.

In Morelos, Rangers have a very talented player and, ultimately, the Ibrox hierarchy were right to back their man with a new contract.

Opinion: Swansea should target free-agent Jerry Mbakogu to bolster attacking options

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Swansea City boss Graham Potter must make a move for Leeds United target Jerry Mbakogu after the summer exodus at the Liberty Stadium.

What’s the situation?

Swansea currently sit in seventh place in the Championship after their first six games yielded 11 points from three wins and two draws – representing a good start for the recently relegated side.

Former Ostersunds boss Potter was brought in over the summer after Carlos Carvahal was sacked, and the 43-year-old new man quickly set about transforming his squad with a number of young players coming in and the old guard being shipped out.

In terms of strikers, Borja Baston, Andre Ayew and his brother Jordan Ayew were all loaned out by the Welsh club this summer.

All of this means that the Swans now only have Oliver McBurnie and Courtney Baker-Richardson as recognised strikers, with Wilfried Bony still sidelined through injury and new signing Joel Asoro being preferred out wide.

Bargain signing

If Potter is keen to add another striker to his squad he could do far worse than Mbakogu, who was linked with a move to Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds in the summer transfer window but is now a free-agent after leaving Italian side Carpi in the summer.

The 25-year-old Nigerian has played most of his football in Italy and has a career record of 63 goals in 243 club appearances. While this may not be fantastic, Mbakogu is yet to hit his prime and his signing could prove to be a masterstroke from Potter if he is able to come good.

So, Swansea fans, would you like to see Potter make a move for Mbakogu to add to your striking options? Have your say by voting in the poll below.

Chelsea fans are angry after Ruben Loftus-Cheek suffers fresh blow

Chelsea have had to deal with very little frustration so far this season. Maurizio Sarri has come in and made an immediate impact in the Premier League, and though West Ham were able to hold Chelsea to a draw over the weekend, it’s fair to say that most fans will have likely taken 16 points from 6 games at the start of the season.

Now, though, attention has turned to the Carabao Cup, with Chelsea set to take on Liverpool on Wednesday evening. Though perhaps not a priority for the Blues, any opportunity to take one to their Merseyside-based rivals is one that Chelsea fans won’t want to pass up.

However, ahead of the game, Chelsea have suffered a blow. According to the Telegraph, Ruben Loftus-Cheek is set to miss the game through injury after also missing their game with West Ham over the weekend.

It’s undoubtedly a blow for Chelsea, given that Loftus-Cheek was in with a chance of featuring for the Blues – having yet to make much of an impact in the Premier League. Chelsea will now instead be forced to rely on Ross Barkley or Mateo Kovacic, both of whom have been regulars so far this term.

Though Loftus-Cheek is popular at Chelsea, it appears as though this latest injury has tipped many fans over the edge. In response to the news, some Chelsea have revealed their frustration – and some are even calling for him to be sold.

Take a look at what they’ve had to say below…

Chelsea fans – thoughts?

Let us know below!

Everton fans can’t decide what to do with Sigurdsson

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Loads of Everton fans have been discussing their worrying form in front of goal, and fans are split over Icelandic international Gylfi Sigurdsson.

Everton are so close to creating something special under Marco Silva, but for all their spells of possession at the Emirates, they hardly created any concrete chances.

The Toffees are lacking both a clinical goalscorer and an out and out playmaker, as fans are growing concerned over the form of Sigurdsson.

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There’s no doubt the 29 year-old is wonderfully talented, but he has been largely ineffectual at times this season, and fans think he may be a luxury player that they simply can’t afford.

Silva’s high-tempo style requires constant pressing, and Sigurdsson is not that kind of player.

However, the 62-cap international is averaging over two chances created per game this season, which is perhaps why fans are so torn on his position in the team.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

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