Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is believed to have rejected Premier League champions Chelsea this summer in favour of a Deadline Day transfer to Liverpool because of his desire to play in central midfield rather than wing-back – the position that produced arguably his best form in an Arsenal jersey since arriving from Southampton as a teenager.

The problem, however, is the immense strength of competition on Merseyside at this moment in time. It speaks volumes that vice-captain James Milner has been forced to settle for a bench role in recent weeks, such has been the superb form of Emre Can, Georginio Wijnaldum and Jordan Henderson in the middle of the park, both individually and as a trio.

That being said, Oxlade-Chamberlain – who Transfermarkt value at just £19.8million despite his £35million price-tag – is the archetypal Jurgen Klopp midfielder; dynamic, powerful, energetic, creative and at his best on the counter-attack.

So, Liverpool fans, would you disrupt the central midfield formula to find room for the 29-cap England international when the Reds face Manchester City on Saturday? Let us know by voting below…

Yannick Bolasie has been unable to help Everton on the pitch due to injury, but he has been very vocal of his support on social media.Ronald Koeman’s side have not had the best start to the season having picked up just four points from a possible 15 in the Premier League.They are also on the backfoot in the Europa League following their opening 3-0 defeat to Atalanta in the group stage.The Toffees had an opportunity to boost morale on Wednesday night when they took on Sunderland at home in the third round of the Carabao Cup.Youngster Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored twice, while forgotten man Oumar Niasse netted with eight minutes left on the clock to help the Merseyside outfit to a 3-0 win over their Championship opponents.It was a much-changed side, but it gives the club some confidence heading into Saturday’s league match against Bournemouth at Goodison Park.Bolasie will not be in the squad as he continues to recover from a knee injury that has kept him on the sidelines for almost 11 months.However, the former Crystal Palace man is feeling optimistic for his teammates after witnessing Wednesday’s triumph.

West Ham United fans have been very vocal about the club’s recent results in the Premier League, and they are far from happy.

The East London outfit have picked up just seven points from a possible 21 and they currently reside two points above the relegation zone.

As expected, manager Slaven Bilic has taken the brunt of the criticism, with some fans keen to see the Croatian leave before his contract expires this summer.

The managerial merry-go-round is common in modern-day football, but it seems that the West Ham boss has been handed a lifeline.

According to The Mirror, the club’s hierarchy have decided to give Bilic the season before making a call on his future.

A number of fans have since expressed their discontent at this development.

After the international break, the Hammers will take on Burnley, Brighton and Crystal Palace before the end of October.

So far, the team have managed to find the back of the net seven times in league fixtures and have conceded 13.

Tottenham Hotspur regularly update the fans on how the club’s new stadium is developing.

Construction is expected to be completed in time for the start of the 2018-19 season, which is why the team have been playing all of their home games at Wembley.

Understandably, a lot of fans were emotional when waving goodbye to White Hart Lane, which had been the home of Spurs for 118 years.

However, having a new state-of-the-art ground will allow Tottenham to compete with the big heavyweights in the Premier League and it is a clear sign of progress.

On the pitch, Mauricio Pochettino has helped transform the team into genuine title contenders, and now the club are matching up off the field.

The latest round of pictures to be posted onto Spurs’ Twitter page is from an aerial view, showing that almost three quarters of the stands have been built.

As expected, the fans were very happy with what they saw.

Newcastle United fans here in the Transfer Tavern grow in concern over the recent news of an injury to one of their star performers. 

Rafa Benitez has set the Toon Army up for an impressive start to the season, as they sit proudly just inside the top half of proceedings. Looking to build on this momentum to take them right through to the January transfer window, where hopefully they’ll be able to enjoy some more investment.

However, in their last match, they faced a tricky trip away to face the inform Burnley at Turf Moor. Coming off the back of a win against Palace had let to the players being in fine confidence heading into kick off, but this wasn’t the case after the game, as it slowly diminished.

They endured a tough 1-0 defeat in what was a fairly even game after a late winner downed the Toon, much to the dismay of the punters here clad in black and white.

The loss wasn’t the only problem for Newcastle, as one of their inform players, Mikel Merino, who missed the game as he underwent an injury assessment on his back. This was a huge blow for the Tyneside club, as a player who has been so influential and found himself on the goal scoring sheet in recent games had to sit out on the sidelines.

Still, if you’re going to be a successful team and provide consistent results, then you need to have the depth and quality to replace unfortunate situations such as this one.

So, with some important games on the horizon, it looks vital that Newcastle can utilize squad depth and consistency in performance in what will be a tough few weeks.

Here’s a look at 2 players that will need to step up in Merino’s absence…

Mohamed Diame

The Senegalese international has been very much on the fringes of the side so far this season, as he tries to find a way in.

The tall midfield dominator was pivotal in the sides rise to the Premier League, but has had limited chances so far. Still, with the recent news of the Merino injury, Benitez opted to give the central midfielder a chance and he started against Burnley.

Having to fill a big void, it was important that the anchorman performed to the highest level, though was dispossessed too easily and remained largely anonymous.

On his day he can cause any midfielder or defender absolute nightmares as his strength and long legs glide past his opponents, while offering a deathly aerial threat.

Isaac Hayden

The former Arsenal youngster was always a promising prospect for the London based side and has continued this on Tyneside. After producing consistently high-quality performances over the past couple of seasons, he’s become a vital player for the Toon.

Benitez so far this season has been a manager who’s grown very fond of the rotation system, constantly rotating Hayden, Merino, Shelvey and now Diame as games go on.

But with Merino now out of the rotation, there is added pressure on the young star to step up and perform to the highest order.

Now with some important games on the horizon, he will probably be the preferred choice over Diame. However, he needs to find that extra level to match the start made by Merino, having made 8 appearances for the side so far this season with a goal in his last start for the side at St Mary’s.

So Newcastle fans, how vital is it that these two men can step up? 

According to Diario Gol, Arsenal have identified Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas as the perfect replacement for the ageing Petr Cech.

What’s the story?

Cech will certainly be remembered as one of the best goalkeepers to play in the Premier League, but there is no getting away from the fact that the 35-year-old has struggled to produce his best form in the early stages of the 2017-18 season.

It is not a surprise that Arsenal are looking to the future, and according to Diario Gol, the capital giants want Real Madrid stopper Navas to be their new number one.

The 30-year-old has been Los Blancos’ first-choice goalkeeper in each of the last three seasons, but talk of David de Gea joining from Manchester United will not go away, with many believing that the deal will finally happen next summer.

If that occurred, Navas would surely move on, and it would not be a surprise to see the Costa Rica international pitch up in the Premier League.

Would Navas be a good signing for Arsenal?

With Real Madrid actively trying to sign De Gea over the last three years, it would be easy to assume that Navas was struggling at the Bernabeu.

That is simply not the case, however, with the former Levante stopper proving a dependable performer between the sticks.

It is true that Navas, who is valued at £16.2m by transfermarkt.co.uk, has made the odd mistake, but the goalkeeper has also made a series of outstanding saves, especially in big matches.

The 30-year-old came close to joining Man United in the summer of 2015 in a deal that would have seen De Gea move in the opposite direction, but a faulty fax machine saw the move fall through.

The thought of Navas arriving at the Emirates Stadium might not excite too many of the Arsenal supporters, but he is a terrific goalkeeper, and played a key role in Real Madrid winning the Champions League and La Liga last season.

To think the beautiful game started out as something so simple as rival villages kicking a pigskin across a field. If you’d had told them it would one day become an industry where nation states effectively fund transfers worth in excess of £100million, they’d have sent you to the nearest mad house.

Nonetheless, that is the era football now resides in; the age of corporate interest, global marking profiles and records broken in every transfer window without fail. Just when people thought Manchester United had dangerously overspent on Paul Pogba in 2016, PSG went out last summer and snapped up Kylian Mbappe and Neymar for even more ludicrous fees.

Indeed, the rate of inflation in the modern market shows worryingly little signs of relenting and former Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp believes we’re now in a situation where every footballer who can ‘lace their boots’ is effectively overpriced. That’s caused him to question how much a certain Manchester United legend would be worth in the present day…

[game_video id=6]

West Ham United drew 1-1 with Leicester City at the London Stadium on Friday night, and Irons fans were quick to praise Marko Arnautovic’s performance.

Hammers boss David Moyes was looking to pick up his first point in charge against the Foxes but his side got off to the worst possible start as Marc Albrighton scored within the first 10 minutes, before Cheikhou Kouyate netted an equaliser just before half-time.

Arnautovic has been something of a controversial figure following his club-record move from Stoke City during the summer after struggling to make an impression and being sent off on his second Premier League appearance for the east London outfit.

However, he showed his qualities in the final third against Leicester and also worked hard defensively to help his team.

West Ham supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on the Austria international’s showing, and while one said “he can become a cult hero”, another said he’s “like a new player”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

[ad_pod ]

Matches between Southampton and Bournemouth have become derbies over the years due to the clubs’ close proximity.

The pair have gone head to head more regularly over recent seasons due to the Cherries progression into the Premier League.

In the last four meetings between the clubs, the Saints have come out on top twice, while Bournemouth have only been victorious once in what was a 2-0 triumph in March last year.

The last time that Southampton played the Cherries away, they earned a 3-1 victory, with Ryan Bertrand and Jay Rodriguez getting on the scoresheet.

The Saints are currently better positioned in the table than their competitors as they sit 11th, four places above Bournemouth, but only have a two-point advantage.

Mauricio Pellegrino’s side have only managed one win in their last four league outings.

The Cherries have had a better run by winning two, drawing one and losing one.

Ahead of Sunday’s contest, Southampton fans have tweeted their predictions for the showdown.

[ad_pod ]

Southampton completed what should prove to be a very smart piece of business at the end of June by signing Mohamed Elyounoussi from FC Basel in a deal worth £16 million, and recent reports suggest another top attacking player could be available for a summer transfer. 

Based on Elyounoussi’s impressive match-winning performance during FC Basel’s shock victory over Manchester City last season, the Southampton supporters should be feeling excited about watching their new signing in action next season.

With a record of 13 goals and 17 assists to boast from 44 appearances last season, Southampton look set to welcome a player with genuine flair and creativity into their squad, and they will need to get the best out of him next season to ensure they improve upon their sobering 2017/18 campaign.

In order to enable the Norway international to settle into life in the Premier League, Mark Hughes would be wise to sign another attacking talent who possesses both technical quality and a hard-working attitude to provide defensive cover for his full-back.

One player who matches that description is Tottenham’s Erik Lamela (valued at £18 million by Transfermarkt) and, according to the The Daily Express (via Tribal Football), Mauricio Pochettino is willing to sell the Argentine as part of a mass summer clear out.

If that report does indeed prove to be true then it could be fantastic news for a Southampton side who are crying out for further quality in the final-third.

Lamela’s versatility to play on both wings and in a number ten role would lend Hughes the opportunity to experiment with a number of combinations in order to find a system which best serves Elyounoussi’s abilities.

Elyounoussi is not the type of player to shirk defensive responsibility, but his best qualities certainly shine through when he is allowed to express himself in the final-third, so it would be a huge benefit for him to have a teammate like Lamela who is willing to track back for the team.

Hughes’ rebuild is underway at Southampton but he still has plenty of signings to make to ensure the Saints avoid slipping into a relegation battle once again next season, and signing Lamela would certainly help them take a huge step forwards in their development.

Southampton fans – thoughts? Let us know below!