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Southampton face Leicester City this evening in a fixture that will undoubtedly induce some self-contemplation amongst the home support. While few were disappointed to see Claude Puel leave the club during the summer, Saints have hardly progressed under the guidance of his successor Mauricio Pellegrino, while the Frenchman’s arrival in the east Midlands has lifted the Foxes to eighth in the Premier League table.

One of the recurring themes of Puel’s single season at Southampton was his questionable use of highly-rated winger Sofiane Boufal. The five-cap Moroccan international arrived from Lille amid comparisons with Chelsea’s Eden Hazard but struggled to convince Puel of such status, making only twelve Premier League starts and lasting the full ninety minutes on just two of those occasions.

Whether Boufal should be a regular starter for the south coast outfit has been a subject of much debate this season too, not least because the 24-year-old had to force his way into Pellegrino’s first XI with a stunning goal from the bench against West Brom – leading to some controversial celebrations.

On the most-part, Boufal’s held down a starting berth since then – but found himself dropped on Sunday as Southampton recorded an impressive 1-1 draw with Arsenal. According to our poll though, a staggering 92% of Saints supporters want the 5 foot 9 winger to start against Leicester this evening.

So, Southampton fans, how would you line up tonight’s starting XI to get the best out of Boufal? Let us know by commenting below…

According to Calciomercato, Newcastle United are close to completing a deal for Juventus midfielder Stefano Sturaro.

The 25-year-old has won four Serie A titles and four Coppa Italia crowns during his time in Turin, but has largely struggled to hold down a regular spot in the team.

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Indeed, the midfielder appeared in just 12 of Juventus’ 38 league matches last season, and is very much at the stage of his career where he should be playing regular football.

Newcastle have been linked with a move over the last month or so, and it now appears that they are nearing the capture of the four-time Italy international, who could replace Mikel Merino at the English club.

The Newcastle fans have been reacting to the speculation on social media, and it would be fair to say that they are struggling to agree whether Sturaro would be a good signing.

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Indeed, there are those who feel that the Italian would improve the Newcastle midfield, but that is not an opinion shared by all.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

The Celtic fans in the Transfer Tavern have been keeping a close eye on the World Cup this summer in order to identify any players who could potentially make a switch to Celtic Park. 

The World Cup has been a genuine footballing treat thus far with breathtaking goals, last minute drama and giant-killings contributing towards a magnificent spectacle. Whilst it’s easy to get carried away by the performances of relatively unknown players who shine on the international stage, there’s good reason for Celtic to take note of the performances of an international veteran, namely Keisuke Honda (valued at £3.6 million by Transfermarkt).

At 32-years-old it was no surprise that Honda was benched for Japan’s 4 World Cup fixtures, but the impact he had when coming on as a substitute suggested that he has plenty to offer at the top level.

Honda contributed a goal and an assist during the group stages and he almost netted a dramatic winner for Japan against Belgium with a Ronaldo-esque style free-kick which had Thibaut Courtois scrambling across his goal to turn the goal-bound effort around the post.

Now that Japan’s tournament is over, Honda will need to sit down and think about his future as his contract with CF Pachua expired at the end of June. The Mexican outfit gave him an opportunity to continue his career in Central America after he left AC Milan following a 3 year spell, but a return to Europe may carry a certain weight of appeal for the creative playmaker.

With Patrick Roberts looking unlikely to return to Celtic either permanently or temporarily, Rodgers should be in the market for another right-sided player who can cut inside onto their favoured left-foot to devastating effect, and Honda certainly fits the bill.

Clubs from both Asia and possibly the MLS are likely to be interested in signing Honda so he won’t be short of offers, but the opportunity to lift silverware in Scotland and embark on a unique challenge before winding down his career should carry a weight of appeal.

Celtic fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

According to a report from The Sun, West Ham are unsure as to whether to offer Yaya Toure a contract this summer. The 35-year-old ended his eight-year stint at Manchester City last month at the expiration of his contract, thus bringing to an end a hugely successful spell at the Etihad Stadium in which time the midfielder won three Premier League titles, and several other domestic trophies.

Yet at the age of 35, the Hammers should seriously consider against signing the Ivory Coast international, and must instead focus their efforts on landing fellow free agent Milan Badelj, valued at £13.5 million by Transfermarkt.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, while there is no doubting Toure’s place amongst some of the greatest midfielders to have ever graced the Premier League, at the age of 35 and having played so little football in the last 12 months, it would be unwise to try and land the Ivorian ace.

As a squad player, he could well do a decent job for the Hammers, but given the club appear to have moved away from the mistakes of previous transfer windows, in which they signed many over 30s, landing Toure would be a nod back towards that as opposed to the fresh outlook seemingly proposed by new manager Manuel Pellegrini.

And given Badelj’s efforts for both club and country in the last few years, the 29-year-old would be a much more effective addition to the West Ham squad.

The midfielder left Fiorentina at the end of his contract last month having played 140 times for the Italian outfit, adding to the 165 appearances he made for Croatian outfit Dinamo Zagreb between 2007 and 2012.

And given the 29-year-old has also proven his worth to Croatia in their run to the World Cup final this summer, having scored and assisted the other in their 2-1 win over Iceland in the group stages, it’s quite remarkable that he remains without a club less than a month before the new season gets underway.

But what with the Hammers are in need of further reinforcements in that midfield department, given neither Cheikhou Kouyate nor Pedro Obiang consistently produced the goods last season, Badelj would be an ideal addition.

Thus, Pellegrini’s side should forget about offering Toure a contract, and instead turn their attentions towards bringing fellow free agent Badelj to the London Stadium.

West Ham fans… what do you think? Let us know!

Leicester City have been active in the transfer market so far this summer with players moving both in and out of the King Power Stadium, and a recent report from the Leicester Mercury suggests another high-profile sale could be in the offing. 

According to the report, multiple international outlets believe that Amhed Musa is set to make a £40 million switch to Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr this summer, despite making just 4 appearances for the Foxes since January 2017.

Musa arrived at Leicester from CSKA Moscow for a £17.55 million fee in July 2016, but he has failed to make an impact since his arrival.

His sub-standard form for the club subsequently resulted in a lack of first-team opportunities, so he made the decision to return to CSKA last season where he enjoyed plenty of success.

Musa scored 6 goals and provided 3 assists from just 10 appearances in Russia before scoring an emphatic brace in the World Cup against Iceland.

His form for both CSKA and the Nigerian national side have clearly caught the eye of Al Nassr, and if they are willing to stump up £40 million for his services Leicester would complete their finest piece of business in years.

Although Musa returned to goal-scoring form in Russia, Leicester should not be tempted to give him another chance to shine in the Premier League as the standard of his performances have been far from the level that is required to succeed in the English top-flight.

Unfortunately the Premier League is an unforgiving league which often proves difficult for talented players to adapt to, such as Musa.

There’s no doubt that Musa has the potential to terrorise Premier League standard defenders on his day, but he has yet to prove this since signing for the club, so if an offer of £40 million arrives in the coming weeks Claude Puel has no reason to hesitate before accepting an offer well above his true value.

Leicester fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

According to a recent report from The Sun, Willian could be set to make a move away this summer. The future of the Chelsea forward has been subject of speculation for a while now amid reported interest from Barcelona and Manchester United, with the 29-year-old reportedly still seeking to leave Stamford Bridge despite the appointment of former Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri as Antonio Conte’s successor. 

Yet the Brazil international could still be on his way out of Chelsea this summer, which should be of keen interest to Everton manager Marco Silva, who should make an audacious move for the unsettled £34.2 million-rated ace (as per Transfermarkt). 

The Breakdown

Ultimately, the Toffees endured a hugely underwhelming campaign last time round having spent in excess of £100 million last summer, only to actually drop a place to eighth and thus fall even further behind the Premier League’s top six.

Nonetheless, under the highly-rated Silva, there are hopes among Everton fans that their team can indeed compete with the division’s best sides this season, although it’s clear that big signings will be needed for the Toffees to do just that.

And making a move for Chelsea’s Willian would be a massive statement of intent from the Merseysiders that they are serious about challenging the top six this term.

The 29-year-old has been a hugely consistent performer for the Blues over the years in netting 44 goals and laying on 39 assists in 236 appearances for the West London giants, six goals and eight assists of which coming in their run to fifth place in the top-flight last term.

In fact, the Brazilian ace has exceeded ten goals in all competitions in each of his last three seasons at Stamford Bridge, and with 27 assists over those three years, it’s clear that Willian has underlined his credentials in the final third of the pitch during his stint with the Blues.

Significantly, the addition of the 29-year-old would be a huge upgrade on the current forward options available to Silva at Everton, with the Brazil international a greater attacking threat and able to contribute more readily than the likes of Yannick Bolasie and Theo Walcott.

So not only would Willian’s arrival significantly bolster Silva’s forward ranks, but it would be a huge statement of intent from Everton ahead of the new season – the financial power is clearly there after last summer, but wiser signings are needed this time round.

And there is no doubt that Willian would fall into that category, which is why with the forward reportedly seeking a Chelsea exit, they should make an audacious move for the 29-year-old.

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

Aitor Karanka has ruled out a move for Liverpool youngster Sheyi Ojo according to The Nottingham Post.

What’s the story?

The 21-year-old joined Liverpool aged 14 and spent last season on loan at Fulham where he helped the Cottagers gain promotion to the Premier League.

The attacking midfielder made 22 appearances last season, scoring four goals and assisting two before returning to Anfield.

The Under-20 World Cup winner has been linked with a move to Forest and Middlesbrough this summer but Karanka has rubbished the rumours, saying the club are only interested in signing one more player this summer and it would be a right-back.

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Sensible decision

It’s understandably tempting for Aitor Karanka to keep on spending this summer if Forest have the money available, but he is wise not to over-do it as he looks to have a cohesive and balanced squad.

He knows what position he wants to target and Ojo would be a luxury he doesn’t need as he looks to build a squad capable of taking Forest back to the top flight, and it is probably his smartest decision of the entire summer.

Rangers are close to signing 21-year-old Kean Bryan from Manchester City on a permanent deal according to The Daily Mail.

The versatile youngster has understandably struggled to break into the City team under Pep Guardiola after graduating from the youth academy, and he has spent the past two seasons out on loan at Bury and Oldham.

He made 32 appearances for the Latics last season and was named the club’s Young Player of the Year following an impressive spell at Boundary Park.

Bryan is capable of playing in defence and midfield and he will become Steven Gerrard’s 11th signing since taking over as Rangers boss this summer after a mass overhaul of the squad.

Bryan is valued at £225,000 on Transfermarkt but according to The Scottish Sun, the total package including wages and signing on fee could total £2.5million for a three-year deal.

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Rangers fans have been reacting to the latest transfer link on social media and here’s what they’ve had to say about their potential new signing.

According to reports in The Sun, Manchester City are considering making a move for highly-rated Ostersunds attacker Saman Ghoddos, and their Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur should consider hijacking any potential deal.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Sun says that Cityzens manager Pep Guardiola had the 24-year-old watched during his side’s 1-0 win against Elfsborg, following an impressive 2018 for the Iran international in which he has scored 10 goals in 20 club appearances.

The versatile forward, who can play as a striker or on either wing, was paramount in helping his club reach the knockout stages of the Europa League last term, where they were knocked out by Arsenal over two legs despite winning 2-1 at the Emirates in a match he tormented Gunners centre-back Calum Chambers and played a huge hand in one goal, and assisted the other.

Should Ghoddos seal what would be a dream move to the Etihad, he would be competing with the likes of Gabriel Jesus, Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling for a spot up top, or with the latter, Leroy Sane and Riyad Mahrez for a position on the flank.

Why must Tottenham hijack any move?

Well, Spurs are still yet to sign anyone during this summer transfer window, and if no-one leaves the club that may not exactly be a disaster even if it leaves supporters frustrated with chairman Daniel Levy, who must sanction a move for a La Liga midfielder who would make their 2018/19 season.

However, The Evening Standard have reported that the north London outfit want to get rid of both Vincent Janssen and Fernando Llorente before the deadline, and if they do they need a new striker who will be willing to play back-up to Harry Kane.

Ghoddos would surely be willing to do that as he looks to further his career, and the fact that he could also cover out wide or potentially even for Dele Alli should make him an attractive proposition for Mauricio Pochettino, who will know that average players don’t catch the eye of his counterpart Guardiola.

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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has told the Liverpool Echo that club captain Jordan Henderson may have to play in a variety of positions this season.

What’s the word?

Whenever new players are bought, the current squad likely start wondering what it will mean for their careers.

In Henderson’s case, the Reds have recruited two new midfielders in the form of Naby Keita and Fabinho.

The former is a box-to-box performer, while the latter tends to take on the holding role in the middle third.

Henderson has been hit-and-miss in the past, but last season, particularly in the latter stages, he became the leader of Klopp’s team.

The 28-year-old, who is valued at £25.2m by Transfermarkt, carried that form with him into the World Cup for England.

Despite the recent influx of midfielders, Klopp has insisted in an interview with the Liverpool Echo that there is still a role for Henderson as either a number 8 or 6.

Will the captain be happy with this?

A club that wants to win trophies and regularly compete needs a big enough squad to cope with the demand.

Rotation is normal in this case, but a skipper in the prime of his career would expect to be the first name on the teamsheet.

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That might not end up being the case for Henderson this season, and initially he will take on board Klopp’s plan and rely on his brilliant work ethic, but for how long?

There has been no word from the midfielder on how he feels about his role for the 2018-19 campaign, but it would not be surprising if he considered his career as a result of being rotated.

At the moment, there is no need for Liverpool to be worried, but later down the line, they may struggle to keep Henderson happy.