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Tottenham Hotspur looked as though they were going to launch another Premier League title challenge when they went seven games unbeaten.

However, the North London outfit have since dropped points, winning just one of their last four outings in the top flight.

There is still a long way to go before the champions are decided, but as it stands, the club are 13 points adrift of leaders Manchester City.

At the weekend, Mauricio Pochettino’s men took on managerless West Bromwich Albion and they were stunned in the first five minutes when Salomon Rondon nudged the Baggies ahead.

Harry Kane came to the rescue later in the game to find an equaliser, but the hosts could not secure all three points at Wembley.

The disappointment was emphasised given that in the previous league match, the team were beaten by arch rivals Arsenal 2-0.

Next up for Pochettino’s men is an away trip to Leicester City on Tuesday and an away game against Watford four days later.

It is safe to say that the fans are expecting results.

It was announced on Tuesday evening that former Everton midfielder Tim Cahill had left Melbourne City by mutual consent, and some Toffees fans are confident he could be on his way back to Goodison Park.

The Australia international, who turned 38 years of age on Wednesday, was a huge fans’ favourite during an eight-season stay with the Merseyside outfit, and he left for New York Red Bulls in 2012 having scored 68 goals in 278 appearances in all competitions.

Having helped his country qualify for the 2018 World Cup it seems certain that Cahill will sign for another club at least until the end of the current campaign, but it is unclear whether a return to England or the Premier League is on the cards.

Everton supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on the news, and while one seemed confident by saying “welcome back to Everton”, plenty of others simply urged him to “come back”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Arsenal play host to BATE Borisov in their final Europa League group game at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday night, and Gunners fans want the highly-rated Eddie Nketiah to be handed a start in attack.

The north London outfit have already qualified as group winners for the knockout stages of the competition, with the 18-year-old featuring on three occasions from the substitutes’ bench.

The versatile forward, who signed a new long-term deal to stay with the club on Wednesday and has scored four goals in eight Premier League 2 appearances this term, came to the attention of the Emirates Stadium faithful when he scored twice from the bench in their EFL Cup win against Norwich City in October.

Arsenal supporters were quick to have their say on the teenager via social media, and while one simply said he “needs to start”, another said it “would be good to see Nketiah get a start”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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Man Utd’s summer so far has been a good one. They’ve filled a couple of pretty sizeable gaps in the squad, particularly in midfield and in defence, and it’s clear that Jose Mourinho’s men are in a much better spot than they were at the start of last season. Next season, of course, the Red Devils will be expected to put in a sustained title challenge, but Mourinho won’t be able to do that unless his squad is improved upon.

Despite the success that Man Utd have already had this summer, it’s important that they continue to invest.

It’s important to note that the transfer window closes earlier this summer to coincide with the start of the next Premier League campaign, and so the sooner that business gets done the better.

July, then, will be a key month for the club. They need to, realistically, get the vast majority of their business done before the month ends. If they don’t, then they’ll be in a race against time with the end of the window edging ever closer.

But what would the perfect July look like for Man Utd? Let’s take a look

Alex Sandro Signs

Man Utd’s left-back situation needs resolving.

Ashley Young has had a great year, but he’s too old to rely on, and Luke Shaw’s long-term future remains up in the air.

Signing a top quality replacement, then, must be priority number one.

According to Duncan Castles on the Transfer Window Podcast (via the Daily Star), Man Utd have agreed personal terms with the Brazilian – but if they get a deal over the line over the next few weeks, it would be a huge boost for the club.

Willian Moves To Manchester

Willian is facing an uncertain fate at Chelsea, with the club reportedly open to offers for the talented 29-year-old.

A move to Man Utd could make a lot of senes. The Red Devils lack a right-sided option, and that’s Willian’s preferred spot.

He’s already a bit of a Jose Mourinho favourite, owing to their time together at Chelsea, and so perhaps both parties would want to link up with one another again.

His incredible work rate would put him right at home in the Man Utd first team, and it’s fair to say that he’d be a fantastic signing for the club.

Striker Situation Solved

This is a pressing issue for Man Utd.

The departure of Zlatan Ibrahimovic has left the club short on attacking options, and Romelu Lukaku can’t lead the line on his own next season.

They must, then, bring in at least one new forward as soon as possible.

Man Utd won’t find this easy, though, as it’s tough to find a top-class forward that is happy to play second-fiddle. Without one, though, Man Utd may struggle next season.

Gareth Southgate has shown impressive loyalty to his England players throughout their unexpected run into the semi-finals of the World Cup.

Dele Alli and Raheem Sterling are among the players who have failed to replicate their club form but Southgate has kept the faith in the face of calls to drop the duo, persisting with his first-choice eleven when they’ve been fit.

As the furore surrounding Southgate’s decision to rest players for the final group game against Belgium showed, many football fans buy into the idea of not changing a winning team.

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However, there are alterations that could be made. The tactical demands of the match against Croatia, accumulated fatigue and underwhelming displays all could be used as justifications for tinkering.

Ashley Young has enjoyed a solid tournament and his set-piece delivery is what is likely keeping him in the side ahead of Danny Rose, who is valued at £27m by Transfermarkt.

However, Young’s propensity to cut back onto his right foot can slow down England attacks in open play and Rose made a strong impact when he came on against Colombia.

Elsewhere, another Tottenham player who may be considered as a replacement for a United one is Eric Dier. Jesse Lingard has enjoyed a brilliant tournament but central midfield is where Croatia are strongest.

The holding midfielder is the most obvious choice to come in if Southgate decided to beef up the engine room, although he did look sluggish when he came on against Colombia.

Chelsea’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek is a powerful option, who would retain attacking thrust, while Fabian Delph marries energy and discipline and showed that against Sweden.

Although two Red Devils may be at risk, one member of Jose Mourinho’s squad may be hoping to come in against Croatia.

Sterling’s movement was excellent against Sweden but he struggled in front of goal, especially with one first half chance where his decision-making was poor.

Marcus Rashford could offer the same level of dynamism and theoretically better finishing, although he did miss a sitter against Belgium.

That’s why we’re asking you – should Southgate name an unchanged side for England’s biggest game since 1990? Let us know by voting in the poll below…

According to HITC, reporting via Italian outlet Bergamo Corriere Della Sera, Atalanta have made an attempt to sign Pedro Obiang from West Ham United.

Obiang has been with the Hammers since 2015, but endured an injury hit campaign last time out. The subsequent arrival of Jack Wilshere to the London Stadium looks to have pushed the Spaniard down the pecking order and now Obiang may be willing to seek first team opportunities elsewhere. 

The aforementioned report states that Atalanta have offered around £8 million for Obiang. Until a transfer is confirmed though, there is still time for any other interested clubs to muscle in on the deal.

West Brom should consider moving for Obiang before it’s too late.

The Breakdown

The Baggies have endured a player exodus so far this summer following their relegation from the Premier League. Darren Moore’s midfield options have been left perilously thin, and he’ll be desperate to bring fresh faces to the Hawthorns soon.

A defensively minded midfielder will be high on Moore’s list, with 37-year-old Gareth Barry the only out and out defensive midfielder left in his squad. 

The arrival of the 26-year-old Obiang would inject a lot of badly needed youth, athleticism and defensive awareness to West Brom’s midfield. 

Transfermarkt value Obiang at £7.2 million, but it looks as though West Brom will have to outbid Atalanta they’re to land their man. 

Whilst Obiang may be tempted by the lure of top flight football in Italy, the opportunity to stay in England, where he has lived since his arrival at West Ham, may sway him. 

According to Goal, reporting via Sport Bild, Manchester United have made contact to negotiate the potential signing of Ante Rebic from Eintracht Frankfurt.

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has already admitted that Anthony Martial could exit Old Trafford this summer, as reported by The Guardian. The departure of the Frenchman would see the Red Devils lacking depth in the wide areas.

With Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard both vying for more central berths, and Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia having receded into defensive players, Alexis Sanchez is the only member of the senior squad who is at his most comfortable when attacking on the flanks.

Mourinho will want to secure a replacement quickly if Martial does move on during this transfer window.  

However, Rebic is not the solution to Mourinho’s wing woes.

The Breakdown

The dangers of buying off of the back of a strong international tournament showing having been echoed into becoming a cliché. Yet, in swooping for Rebic this summer, United would be failing to heed this smart advice.

Transfermarkt currently value the 24-year-old, who shone in the Croatian team that reached the final of this summer’s World Cup in Russia, at £27 million. On June 9th, only a matter of days prior to the World Cup, they considered his market value to be £9 million.

Considering Rebic’s performances in the last two seasons, since he joined Eintracht Frankfurt, the second figure is the more reasonable. 8 goals and 5 assists in 49 Bundesliga games are hardly the kind of statistics that will get United fans excited about this potential incoming.

Mourinho should listen to the aforementioned old adage and avoid paying such a vastly inflated fee for a player short of United’s standard.

Sunderland need to land a striker who can push them towards promotion to the Championship. 

With time ticking on the transfer window, Sunderland have to find a target and bring them in or they could well face another relegation campaign. The Black Cats had been linked with a move for Cheltenham Town’s Mohamed Eisa and most recently, Bradford City’s, Charlie Wyke.

With Joel Asoro departing the club, Jack Ross only has Josh Maja to call upon. The club simply can’t just have the academy product as the only sole striker in the squad. In their relegation campaign, Sunderland only managed to score 52 goals, and therefore must sign a top quality forward.

While Sunderland may have a tight budget, the club need to ambitious as they options left for them to sign are beginning to run out. With that in mind, here are two strikers that Sunderland should consider to help them get back to the Championship…

Regarded as the striker in the division, Jack Marriot, scored 27 goals in 44 games for The Posh last season.

Quick and always alive in the box, Marriot would be a steal if Sunderland can sign him. Both Marcus Maddison and Marriot are up for sale but considering that Sunderland are now direct rivals with Peterborough.

Sunderland will have to put up a substantial bid to lure the striker away from the club but even so, a deal would be extremely hard. If they can get the deal over the line though, he might just be the guy to take Sunderland back to the Championship.

Luton Town’s boss, Nathan Jones, will be hard pushed to keep his star striker who scored 21 goals in 39 games for the club.

Danny Hylton was a huge reason to Luton Town’s promotion to League One last season and could well be a great backup option to Jack Marriot.

While Marriot will command a huge transfer fee, Hylton only has one year left on his contract and might be able to be bought for a relatively low sum.

After weeks of fairly small business in the past 24 hours, Newcastle have managed to sign Fabian Schar today and are apparently close to sealing the transfer of Yoshinori Muto. 

Although it seems like a classic Mike Ashley transfer, the £3 million deal for the 26-year-old for the Fabian Schar looks like it could be an absolute steal for the Magpies.

While it’s unsure how much of an impact Muto may have on the squad, Newcastle’s business seems to have really taken off in the last few days.

With much of the focus on who is coming into the club, according to the Chronicle, Newcastle midfielder, Isaac Hayden wants to leave the club this summer.

The Breakdown

Joining Newcastle from Arsenal two seasons ago, Hayden was an integral member of Newcastle’s promotion campaign in 2017. Since then, however, the midfielder has struggled to replicate now that Newcastle are back in the Premier League.

The former Arsenal has apparently put in a transfer request to leave the club and hopes to move back down south.

“I’ve done my bit over the last two years to get this football club back kind of where it belongs in the top 10 of the Premier League, and I just hope they recognise that and help me with a solution.”

The midfielder, who’s valued at £6.3 million by Transfermarkt, isn’t exactly one of Benitez’s best players. If the club can find a replacement for the midfielder, a deal might be a wise for the Magpies.

The club may be short on the position but any potential deal may help bolster the funds of the club.

Thoughts Newcastle fans? 

Reports claim Everton are in talks to sign Badou N’Diaye from Stoke, but they’d be much better served making a shock swoop for West Ham’s Pedro Obiang.

What’s the word?

According to Sky Sports, Everton could sign N’Diaye as part of the deal to send Ashley Williams to Stoke.

The Senegal international is “keen” on a return to the Premier League, and Everton are probably just delighted to get rid of Williams.

However, if the Toffees are seeking an energetic midfield maestro, they could do a lot worse than looking to East London, where Obiang could leave West Ham.

According to Sky Sports, Sampdoria are chasing the Spanish midfielder, as West Ham look to revamp their midfield.

The 26 year-old, who scored one of the goals of the season last year, could look to move away for more regular playing time as he enters his prime, and his impressive mixture of long passing, tough tackling and wiry dribbling could be perfect in Marco Silva’s midfield.

[brid autoplay=”true” video=”275398″ player=”12034″ title=”4 Potential Replacements For Jordan Pickford At Everton”]

Doucoure 2.0?

While Richarlison was extremely impressive under Silva at Watford, the Hornets’ best player last season was Abdoulaye Doucoure. The Frenchman has the strength and game reading ability to help out defensively, and the energy and eye for a pass to get forward and help create and score goals. Obiang could fulfil this exact role in Silva’s new side.

The Spaniard joined West Ham from Sampdoria in 2015, and has racked up 67 Premier League appearances for the Hammers, despite spending some time out with injuries.

He averaged one aerial win, 2.5 tackles, 1.1 interceptions and 1.3 fouls per games last season. His athleticism and intelligence make him an excellent defensive midfielder, able to swoop in and steal possession at any moment. He loves to get stuck in, which should endear him to the fans on Merseyside straight away.

What separates Obiang from your standard defensive midfielder though is his ability on the ball, able to weave his way out of tight spaces with his wiry strength and impressive close control, similar to Tottenham’s Mousa Dembele.

The 6 ft 1 midfielder has an eye for some audacious passes, completing over two long balls per game last season while boasting a pass completion rate of 81 per cent. He also loves to crack a few shots from distance, which can come in handy when struggling to break down a deep defence.

All in all, Obiang offers the game reading ability of Morgan Schneiderlin, the energy of Idrissa Gueye, and the audacious long shots and passes of Gylfi Sigurdsson, all in one neatly wrapped package. He is one of the most underrated players in the Premier League, and would be a much better signing for Everton than N’Diaye.

So, Everton fans, which midfielder would you rather sign? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…