Arsenal star Mikel Arteta has claimed that he is now back to full fitness following a season ravaged by injuries, according to report from the Express.

Arteta underwent ankle surgery at the beginning of the year and beforehand struggled with a thigh problem, limiting him to just 12 games the entire campaign.

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However, the Spanish midfielder is adamant that his injury worries are behind him and is aiming to be back amongst the first-team in the near future.

“I had a really tough period last year after my last game in November and I went through some really difficult moments with my surgery.

“For me it is the frustration [that is the hardest thing] because there is always pain and you are trying to get back every day and you spend a lot of time doing rehabilitation.

“When the players go outside for a training session, you feel wasted. They come back, they travel and they have different times to you. Personally I don’t feel productive.

“I’m here because I want to play games, make this team more successful and be a part of it.

“When I’m not able to do that I still have to contribute, be positive, be good around the other players, give advice and try to help my team-mates. But it is not the same.

“But I worked really hard and tried to stay positive, do my best and here I am again now, earning my place in the squad and ready to help the team.”

Wenger will be boosted by the news after seeing Danny Welbeck and Jack Wilshere pick up long-term injuries before the start of the season, while centre-back duo Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny are expected to recover from their respective problems in time for their clash against Stoke City this weekend.

Arsene Wenger’s men haven’t had the best start to their Premier League campaign, scoring only three goals in four matches, with two of them coming from own goals.

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When Brendan Rodgers needed him most, Daniel Sturridge delivered. That is the story of Liverpool’s weekend compressed into a single sentence, counter-intuitively typifying how circumstance has continually conspired against the Ulsterman during his Anfield reign.

Having spent Friday’s pre-match press conference denying reports that he’d been sacked, securing all three points against an Aston Villa side set for another campaign in the Premier League’s bottom five was imperative to stopping the growing tide of supporter disillusionment becoming a tsunami – especially after the disappointing draw with Norwich City the weekend prior.

Liverpool are more accustomed to crucifying the Canaries via a spate of worldly efforts from Luis Suarez, so the 1-1 home draw was a harrowing reminder of their struggles since the Uruguayan swapped Merseyside for Barcelona in summer 2014. Rodgers needed a performance against Villa to prove his Anfield vision hasn’t turned into an irreversible, inescapable nightmare and Sturridge, making only his second Premier League start since March and only his 14th league appearance in 18 months, willingly provided it.

The 26 year-old netted a stunning half-volley at 59 minutes after a delicate one-two with James Milner on the edge of the box, whilst his shrewd side-footed finish ten minutes later turned out to be the decider in a 3-2 affair. Two goals of the highest calibre, albeit against the Premier League’s third-leakiest defence.

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The England international is now Liverpool’s most important player. Quick centre-forwards have always flourished over more attritional ones during Rodgers’ tenure but it’s equally a question of match-winning quality – the kind of quality required to break the Premier League’s top four. Sturridge now stands alone in that regard throughout the Liverpool squad, perhaps excepting the exciting but unpredictable Philippe Coutinho.

But the striker’s match-winning display against Aston Villa was in itself a testament to what Rodgers has been up against during his three years on Merseyside. Injuries have surrendered Sturridge to just 57 Premier League appearances out of a possible 100 since signing from Chelsea in January 2013, so one can only speculate how many points Liverpool have missed out on during his absences.

And Sturridge’s recurring sideline bouts are just the tip of the iceberg. Along with the 26-year-old, Rodgers has lost former captain Steven Gerrard to age and Raheem Sterling and Luis Suarez to the allure of Champions League football over the last 18 months. Even when Sterling was there in body, he wasn’t quite in spirit; Gerrard’s case, vice versa.

They were four integral cogs of the Reds’ 2013/14 runner-up campaign; two of which two of the biggest clubs in Europe were willing to pay a combined £125million for, one of which is amongst the best strikers in the Premier League and the last of which has been the heart and soul of the Liverpool first team for so long that his debut was made in a different millennium. Spanning back a summer earlier, Rodgers lost Jamie Carragher, another Anfield icon and dressing room leader, to inevitable retirement.

The £255million spent in that time period suggests Rodgers has been allowed the finance to replace them – although whether the responsibility for signings should truly rest with him or Liverpool’s ‘transfer committee’, a gang so secretive, mythical and far removed from the public eye they rival Yale’s Skull and Bones society, remains open to interpretation.

However, that’s not necessarily true. How can you replace a one-club captain like Steven Gerrard, for example? Or a striker so eclectic he’s now the support act to Lionel Messi at Barcelona? Tottenham Hotspur involuntarily parted with Ledley King, Luka Modric and Gareth Bale in the space of a calendar year. Two seasons later, they’re still a shadow of the top-four contending force of old, despite spending £229million and sacking three managers.

Every club in world football, be they Barnet or Barcelona, would struggle after losing such a pivotal core. Take Manchester City’s shock defeat to Spurs on Saturday for example; Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany and David Silva were all absent, whilst Yaya Toure came off with an injury midway through the second half.

Of course, that by no means atones for Rodgers’ many errors as Liverpool boss, which are by no means exclusive to the transfer market. But Sturridge’s performance against Aston Villa proved what Liverpool are capable of with just one top-class player in their starting Xi, so imagine what they’d achieve if they still had four – or for that matter even just two.

Whilst he’s still no longer fit for purpose in the eyes of many, its unquestionable that Sturridge’s unfortunate injuries, Gerrard’s inevitable Premier League retirement and the departures of Luis Suarez and Raheem Sterling – two transfers instigated by incidents out of his control – have made Rodgers’ primary aim of regular Champions League qualification a near-impossible task.

Although I’m sure he’ll eventually bare the brunt of responsibility and receive his marching orders, I doubt any manager, be they Jose Mourinho or Gary Megson, would have fared significantly better under the same circumstances.

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When Liverpool travel to Manchester City this weekend, all eyes will be on Raheem Sterling as he faces the Reds for the first time since leaving the club in acerbic circumstances over the summer.

Those vindictive souls who make up the majority of the football watching populous will find it hard not to slip into a mentality of wanting to watch him booed and hissed loudly or of wanting to see a heavy Martin Skrtel tackle set the young winger straight. Liverpool fans will be baying for blood.

And with the optimism at Anfield recently, the new manager and the new lease of life, the idea of a full-blooded game filled with high pressure, lots of running and no time on the ball seems inexorably coupled with the idea of crunching tackles and a bit of winding-up. It’s the old English way, after all.

Jurgen Klopp has never managed Sterling, he more than likely has no ill-will towards the player, and he’ll hardly send his players out any more fired-up than he usually does. It’s just that with the away fans booing their former starlet, they might fire the players up even more than the manager does.

And if that’s the case, Liverpool should be careful.

City have the pace and the attacking quality to threaten Liverpool. They don’t need much time on the ball to punish you because they counter-attack with so much pace.

Klopp’s ‘gegenpressing’ is designed to stop counter-attacks. If you get close to an opponent when he wins the ball off you, then he won’t have the time to look up and pick the right pass. But when the opponent is Fernandinho or Yaya Toure they’ll just hold off the tackle and run up the pitch.

It’ll be up to Liverpool to try to stifle City’s attacks when Pellegrini’s men do build-up pressure, but the more important issue for Liverpool is not to give the ball away too cheaply in City’s third of the pitch. A sloppy square ball, or a misplaced pass in a central area will allow City to break, whereas a ball into the channels won’t carry the same risk.

The situation gets even more complicated for Liverpool if Sergio Aguero is back. The Argentine is much quicker and more mobile than Wilfried Bony, so with Aguero at the helm, City can play their counter-attacking game with even more ease. It’s not just the fact that Aguero is a better player than Bony, it’s that Aguero suits City’s Plan A much better than Bony does.

Liverpool will know all about City, having beaten them by playing a very fast-paced game over the last few seasons. Memorable goals from Philippe Coutinho and Jordan Henderson sealed wins for Liverpool at Anfield last season and the season before, and a game at the Etihad was won by City only after Liverpool had the opening goal of the game disallowed by a very dodgy offside call. Ironically, the man denied the goal was Sterling himself!

Since then, though, City have added the pace of Sterling and the precision of Kevin De Bruyne. It’s a new-look City attack, and one that will pose Liverpool more problems.

At the other end, the addition of Otamendi adds even more bulk to City’s defence, meaning that Christian Benteke won’t look as big as he usually does.

This will be a full-blooded game. City are going to try to counter with pace and power, Liverpool will pressurise them with every available body. Pure English entertainment served up with the Raheem Sterling situation bubbling away in the background.

Liverpool will have to be very careful how the approach this one, otherwise City could do to them what they’ve done to City for the last few years.

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Black Friday is here! That’s right, the annual 24 hours in which budding shoppers from the USA and the UK recreate scenes from The Purge to ensure nobody beats them to a toaster with five quid knocked off its recommended retail price has finally arrived.

A strange tradition but an increasingly popular one nonetheless. Last year, a whopping £810million was spent by online consumers alone; one can only imagine the total with all those riotous shoppers trampling over small children on their way to the discount lampshades isle included as well.

And in homage to this year’s Black Friday, Football Fancast have been prowling the transfer market for some of its best bargains on behalf of the Premier League’s top clubs – in this instance, Chelsea and Manchester United.

Some come with knees made of glass, off-field baggage and controversial reputations, but all are available for a knock-down rate this Black Friday!

EMMANUEL ADEBAYOR

What better way to kick off Black Friday than signing an experienced goal scorer without spending a penny?

Indeed, only 25 players throughout the competition’s history have scored more Premier League goals than Emmanuel Adebayor, who boasts an impressive return of 96 from his spells with Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.

Chelsea and Manchester United are both believed to be in the market for added firepower, the Blues’ reportedly concerned with the sharp decline of Diego Costa and the Red Devils’ current strike-force of Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial finding just five Premier League goals between them this season.

The 31-year-old represents a short-term fix until more coveted targets become available. He’s certainly well experienced in life at a major club, but like most Black Friday giveaways, the Togo international isn’t exactly reliable.

ALEXANDRE PATO

Another experienced striker striker doing the rounds is Alexandre Pato, whose services have allegedly already been offered to Arsenal, Liverpool and Spurs at the relatively cheap cost of £11million.

The 26-year-old is best famed for his prior spell at AC Milan, where he scored 51 goals in 117 appearances, but has spent the last three years rebuilding his career in the Brazilian league after enduring 18 months of injury hell at the San Siro.

That may put some off the 5 foot 11 striker. Nobody wants a television set with a busted up aerial, regardless of how cheap Currys are selling it for.

But the Brazil international has now enjoyed three straight seasons of full fitness and just come to the end of the most prolific campaign of his career, netting 26 times in 56 appearances on loan at Sao Paolo.

Sao Paolo can’t afford to sign him permanently, parent club Corinthians are keen to cash-in and Pato is resultantly eyeing a return to European football.

JOEL MATIP

Boasting fantastic athleticism, great versatility and relative youth, Joel Matip has plenty to offer a top European club like Chelsea or Manchester United.

The Cameroon international measures in at 6 foot 4 but is slight and agile, whilst his ability on the ball has seen him feature in defensive midfield as frequently as his preferred position of centre-half throughout his Schalke career. He’s even filled in at full-back on occasion too.

The 24-year-old has been deployed exclusively as a centre-back this season and is arguably enjoying his strongest form to date, averaging 1.5 tackles, 3.5 interceptions, 5.5 clearances and 3.8 successful aerial duels per match whilst claiming two goals and one assist in 13 Bundesliga outings.

But with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, some Black Friday haggling could see the Miners surrender Matip on the cheap.

NICOLAS N’KOULOU

If you’re spending Black Friday searching for a bargain centre-half, then look no further than Marseille’s Nicolas N’Koulou.

The Cameroon international has been regarded as one of the French top flight’s leading defenders for some time, having twice claimed a slot in the division’s Team of the Season since moving to Stade Velodrome in summer 2011.

The 25-year-old has been tipped for a Premier League move before without anything materialising. But N’Koulou is now edging upon the final six months of his Marseille contract and without a new deal in sight, he’s another who can be whisked away on the cheap with a bit of bartering.

SOFIANE FEGHOULI

The third and final bosman-bound bargain on this list. Sofiane Feghouli’s contract situation at Valencia has seen him linked with countless clubs over the last few months – not least including Chelsea, Manchester United and Barcelona.

The Algerian international isn’t exactly a world-beater, finding six goals and six assists in 33 La Liga outings last season, but he’s a real nuisance in the final third and at 25 years of age could up his game to a new level within the next few years.

He possesses the pace and power to be a real hit in the Premier League and although Valencia are optimistic of eventually agreeing extended terms with the African attacker, a decent bid will certainly make them think twice about his future.

Chelsea perhaps aren’t in need of added options out wide but Louis van Gaal has made no secret of his desire to add a speedy winger to United’s starting line-up. Feghouli could be the man for the job.

MARIO GOTZE

A considerably pricier Black Friday deal compared to the rest on this list but one that represents good value-for-money nonetheless.

Mario Gotze is best famed for scoring the winning goal in the 2014 World Cup final but his club career has somewhat tanked since moving to Bayern Munich in summer 2013.

Indeed, he’s gone on to see just 4476 minutes’ worth of action in the Bundesliga under Pep Guardiola, which works out at just shy of 50 full appearances from a possible 81, and often finds himself benched for Bayern Munich’s most important Champions League fixtures.

The German international’s agent made plenty of noise about leaving due to a lack of game time during the summer and the situation hasn’t particularly improved, with Douglas Costa and Kingsley Coman representing even greater competition for a regular starting berth.

So with Gotze’s contract set to expire at the end of next season, a cheeky bid around the £20million-£30million mark might just convince Bayern to cash-in on the disillusioned 23-year-old.

What a Black Friday coup that’d be!

Tottenham have one of the youngest squads in the Premier League and their academy continues to produce players who would walk into most sides in the country.

Mauricio Pochettino is developing a reputation for bringing youngsters through his squad and into the England setup, but he can only have so many starlets at a time and it might be best for some to look for a loan move to a side like QPR.

Alex Pritchard has already made his loan move in January and others are likely to follow suit as the loan window opens for Championship clubs.

Pochettino may be reluctant to let players who have featured in the first-team could out on loan as they go into a busy period with the return of the Europa League later this month.

The Lilywhites will be eyeing up a title challenge in the remainder of the season, but these youngsters must put their own career first and look for first-team football.

Here are FIVE players that QPR could be looking at…

Joshua Onomah

Onomah has been a central figure in the successful Spurs academy and captained the under-18s side in their youth cup run a couple of seasons ago.

Despite having featured a couple of times this season, the attacking midfielder is a season or two away from forcing his way into the starting XI and has all the strengths to be a dangerous force in the Championship.

Harry Winks

Winks made his first team debut in the Europa League in 2014, but has failed to push on to compete with the more experienced players in the first team squad.

The central midfield man featured strongly in the under-21s last season and is ready to make the move for more minutes in senior football despite being overlooked by Pochettino.

QPR’s side could do with an injection centrally and there is no better solution than Winks.

Clinton Njie

Njie has everything that you would associate with a successful Championship attacking player.

The former Lyon man has a great turn of pace and would be a good foil for Washington in QPR’s forward line. Son, Chadli and Lamela are all ahead of Njie in the battle for the wide positions in Pochettino’s side so Spurs might consider a loaning out their summer signing.

Tom Carroll

Carroll has made his way into Pochettino’s first-team plans on a more regular basis of late, yet their could be an argument for QPR to push to bring the talented midfielder back on loan.

Dembele, Alli, Bentaleb and Dier are all likely to make their way back above the diminutive youngster in the pecking order and regular minutes are crucial to his development.

Kyle Walker-Peters

Walker-Peters is adept at both left and right full-back and the youngster made his senior debut during Spurs’ pre-season tour of Asia.

Having become a regular in the under-21s, the youngster must be considering a loan move to begin his career at senior level and QPR would be a good starting point.

Despite landing himself several impressive pieces of silverware during his current stint at the Etihad, and subsequently proving an influential figure behind Manchester City’s recent success in the modern Premier League era – Yaya Toure has seemingly always felt the cold winds of criticism come his way in the English top-flight.

Although the 32-year-old combative midfielder has admittedly provided the Premier League with one of its most exciting stars in recent seasons, the Ivory Coast international has nonetheless suffered with a range of inconsistency issues whilst playing at the Etihad, regardless of his strong form overall.

The former Nou Camp battler sometimes portrays an almost unbeatable customer on his day for Manchester City, whilst somehow looking distinctly out-of-sorts throughout large portions of each respective campaign in equal measure.

So with his former Barcelona manager all set to step in and take over at the Etihad after the 2015/16 season finally reaches its natural conclusion, will Yaya Toure end up parting ways with Manchester City this summer in inevitable circumstances?

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If a series of recent reports are to be believed, it does in-fact seem as if Yaya Toure looks destined to depart the Etihad this summer, whether or not Manuel Pellegrini’s side eventually finish the 2015/16 campaign with some hard-earned silverware tucked safely in the trophy cabinet.

Due to his well-established reputation in the Premier League, Toure is almost routinely linked with an illustrious move away from the Etihad with every passing transfer window – but as Manchester City look set on parting ways with several high profile players this summer – perhaps all the recent gossip and speculation surrounding the 32-year-old midfielder may have some genuine substance behind it this time around.

Although Pep Guardiola previously managed the Ivorian whilst the pair were both operating at the Nou Camp together, such a notion doesn’t guarantee the player’s future in the Premier League whatsoever this summer. The incoming Manchester City boss was also the man who ultimately allowed Toure to seal his big-money switch to the Etihad in the first place.

However, even though much hype and anticipation will inevitably greet Pep Guardiola upon his initial introduction within the English game, would the Citizens really benefit from parting ways with one of their most influential players before the 2016/17 campaign finally gets underway?

The wealthy Premier League club are clearly keen on building something new at the Etihad once Guardiola finally asserts himself down in the Man City dug-out, but as Yaya Toure can nonetheless provide the English top-flight with one of its standout performers when things are going well for the powerful Ivorian, the Etihad boardroom staff can’t be carrying out any hasty decisions in what could very well turn out to be a particularly telling summer for the club indeed.

But whilst the current Manchester City star has clearly succeeded during his stay in the English game, the former Barcelona midfielder has simply looked far from his best throughout the vast majority of the 2015/16 campaign thus far. Toure has been  indecisive so far this term, suspiciously lack-lustre on occasion, and he has undoubtedly gone missing from time to time under Manuel Pellegrini in 2015/16.

Regardless of whether or not Yaya Toure could suddenly start performing once again with Pep Guardiola at the helm, the mere presence of hesitation surrounding his overall game simply tells us all we really need to know. For all the success he has achieved in the Premier League, this is a player who Manchester City can no longer count upon for pure reliability on a week-to-week basis.

At 32 years of age, the once dominant Ivory Coast international is now reaching the latter stages of his career, and should potentially look to move on this summer in order to freshen up his own individual game more than anything else.

So, whilst several Manchester City fans may still feel a clear connection with the technically gifted midfielder and all that he can successfully bring to the Premier League, it remains hard to imagine Yaya Toure sticking it out at the Etihad this summer.

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With champions Chelsea floundering so badly for most of the season and after an explosive start, Manchester City were supposed to be coasting to the title by now.

A faltering campaign however, containing several shock results, has seen City fall off the pace and even been required to look over their shoulder with regards to their Champions League status in recent weeks.

Manuel Pellegrini’s men have slipped out to 11/2 with most bookies but those odds look good for a side with so much quality, experience and a game in hand.

There is plenty to suggest that City could be the favourites to overhaul Leicester, currently 10 points in front of them. Here are three reasons the Manchester outfit look dangerous.

Aguero

Sergio Aguero represents a one man title bid. Is the little Argentine the best player in the division? Quite possibly.

The forward has 16 goals in the top flight this term and is hot on the heels of Vardy, Kane and Lukaku.

Aguero though has played far less Premier League minutes due to injury and there is no doubt City would be closer to the summit had he been available throughout.

Their talisman now is back in business and few would bet against him overtaking his competitors to finish top of the scoring pile in May.

Such a run would have a massive impact on the outcome of the title itself. With or without Aguero, City have more firepower than any of their rivals.

The Etihad Stadium outfit have netted 52 times so far; equal to Leicester but with a game less played. The goals of their star man and the understanding he forms with David Silva over the last two months could be pivotal.

Strength in depth

City’s vast riches have put them in a privileged position compared to their title rivals.

While Arsenal have a large squad, injuries have reduced their overall quality at key moments and they have suffered accordingly.

Spurs have been fortunate in this regard but the absence of Jan Vertonghen is currently impacting upon the solid quality of their side which helped them rise into contention.

Leicester meanwhile, with the smallest squad of the four, have had incredible luck.

There is no doubt that prolonged absences of Aguero and Vincent Kompany have affected the league position of Pellegrini’s side this term.

Despite this though, they remain in contention and those players are now back in the fold. What impact will the loss of Cech have on Arsenal? Would a Vardy or Mahrez injury derail Leicester entirely?

City can take the blows and keep moving forward which means they will come close.

The Last Days of Manuel

Pellegrini himself is clearly keen to win the Champions League, something which has eluded a string of City managers since the club’s rags to riches transformation.

The players are playing for their futures at a club anticipating the arrival of Europe’s premier coach in Pep Guardiola. Expect them to finish strong.

Pellegrini is a popular figure and most will want to do him proud while simultaneously catching the eye of the incoming boss.

Aside from Leicester, the Citizens also have the advantage of the easiest looking fixtures which includes their game in hand.

In the penultimate week of the season Arsenal visit the Etihad. A game in which City have home advantage as the players and manager alike attempt to sign off the Pellegrini reign in style.

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This season looks to be the last in the top flight for Aston Villa for a little while, and it will be a shock for the club as it’s been the place they have called home since 1988. The former champions of England and Europe are now staring relegation in the face, sitting 12 points below safety with seven games to go. Many thought that Tim Sherwood, after leading the team to an FA Cup final was the man to bring something special.

However in October, fans everywhere were shocked to see Sherwood sacked and then replaced by former Lyon boss Remi Garde, whom had no previous experience of managing in the Premier League. Of course the Frenchman has now been sacked with an appalling win rate of 13.04%, leaving the team with no figure-head  and a squad full of high-earning, under-performing players. But just who is to blame for the teams poor turn in form?

Well considering that Sherwood installed a new confidence within the side, I highly doubt he is the villain for the Villans. It would appear that he did not have full control of the transfers last summer, highlighted by some very questionable deals in July. The early signings of Scott Sinclair, Micah Richards, Mark Bunn, and then Rudy Gestede and Joleon Lescott all looked to be players Sherwood would know and could easily implement in his squad. But, then their were additions that many fans were not familiar with: Idrissa Gueye, Jordan Amavi, Jordan Ayew, Jose Angel Crespo, Jordan Veretout, Adama Traore and Matija Sarkic. All these players were relatively unknown, and the only one that has had any real first-team impact has been Amavi… but he’s now injured.

It looked early on in the season that owner Randy Lerner had fully lost the plot at Villa. After a few years of success, the Villans have struggled and been rooted near the bottom of the table for a while. Lerner has not kept quiet about his desire to leave, but after various sales looked to have gone through and failed, the only losers are Villa and their fans. If all the talent that the club has had had been kept rather than cashed in on, then their side could line up like this:

Shay Given, Ashley Young, James Collins, Gary Cahill, Stewart Downing, Gareth Barry, Craig Gardner, Fabian Delph, Marc Albrighton, James Milner and Christian Benteke.

Okay, it’s hard to keep some players at the club, but there’s a feeling that many have been freed too soon. Villa used to entice talent to make names for themselves, but ultimately, like cattle, the top players were sold for big prices and never replaced.

In a transfer window that saw big stars such as Benteke, Delph and then the experience of Given, Andreas Wiemann, Darren Bent and Tom Cleverley leave, they should have been replaced with Premier League-proven talent. Instead unknown players have been brought in and struggled to cope. The areas they needed to strengthen have been neglected, with the need for a good winger, a couple of good strikers and a better goalkeeper to replace Brad Guzan completely overlooked.

Under Martin O’Neill Villa tried to punch above their weight and get Champions League football, but this current side are a far cry from that oh so impressive unit. The blame can’t be put solely at the feet of Garde, who was not been given the support of the players and the board, but it has to be at the owner. When Villa do inevitably drop down, it will be a sad day, as this is a club with a rich history and a devoted following.

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It’s safe to say that Dimitri Payet was one of the standout players in the Premier League last season and a case could be made to suggest he was one of the best players in the world, in fact. But with the EUROs now here and as West Ham edge closer to their move to the Olympic Stadium, thoughts have turned to who could compliment the Frenchman on the pitch next season.

The Hammers will need to add to their ranks if they want to keep Payet on their books for seasons to come because a successful campaign in France could entice some of Europe’s giants to make a move for their talented playmaker.

So with that in mind, who could Slaven Bilic move for in order to get the best out of Dimi Payet? Here’s FIVE players who could do just that…

Roberto Pereyra

This Argentine playmaker has been extremely impressive since joining Juventus from Udinese in 2014.

Whilst he missed a large part of this season with a muscle injury, Pereyra has shown on numerous occasions his vast array of skills and his ability to bring others into the game. Whilst he may not start alongside Payet, he’d certainly be an extremely healthy source of competition, and this may be what Payet needs to keep him on his toes.

Carlos Bacca

The Hammers have already one bid for AC Milan hit-man Carlos Bacca rebuffed, but he could be the man to bring Payet even more success next season. He was the player of the campaign at the San Siro last season, scoring 20 goals and keeping Mario Balotelli well and truly sidelined.

He’s got heaps of international experience, too, and he might be a coup if the Hammers can convince him.

Sofiane Feghouli

Sofiane Feghouli has been a huge player for Valencia for five years now, and at 26-years-old, the Algeria international still has plenty left in the locker.

A pacey and skilful right winger, he has the ability to bring his team-mates into the game whilst creating plenty of opportunities for himself. Whilst he’s not a household name, he could come in and strengthen the West Ham squad, and most importantly, create chances for Dimi Payet.

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Theo Walcott

It’s common knowledge – Theo is well and truly out of favour at Arsenal. He’s struggled to cement a place in the squad over the past couple of years and it’s been tough for the former England wonderkid. Now could be the perfect chance to start somewhere else and why not West Ham?

The Irons are a club on the up, who have done extremely well recently, after all. Whether he’s played up front or on the wing, he could really bring Payet into the game.

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Yannick Bolasie

A household name in the Premier League, Yannick Bolasie has been one of Crystal Palace’s most important players for a few years now.

The DR Congo international has pace, skill and the ability to score – as we saw when he despatched an eleven minute hat-trick back in 2014. He’s played behind the striker, on the wing and as an attacking midfielder and would be a great option for the Hammers.

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With The Independent reporting the Chinese state backed investment group SinoFortone want to buy Liverpool, an air of uncertainty has swept over the Anfield club.

Reportedly current owners Fenway Sports Group are uninterested in any such deal, given that they’ve just financed the redevelopment of Anfield, but if a monster offer comes in they’ll surely consider it.

It’s an interesting time to be a Liverpool with cautious optimism once again swirling around in the Merseyside region. Jurgen Klopp will undertake his first summer transfer window with the Reds as he looks to build a side in the mould of his high pressing playing style with the sole aim of replicating his successes at Dortmund.

Klopp’s appointment was considered somewhat a coup by many and with two finals to show from last season, the Reds faithful are confident the club is in the right hands.

But how could any touted take over change things? There are bound to be some pros and cons as with anything and here at FootballFanCast we’ve presided over some of the main ones to bring you THREE of each…

Pro 1: More money

A £700 million figure is mooted to be the offer from the Chinese group. This is an eye watering amount of money, even in football terms, but it suggests that should any takeover go ahead the Reds would suddenly have the financial muscle to compete with the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea. FSG are by no means paupers but maybe even for them a figure like this is too good to turn down.

Con 1: Other interests

According to The Independent the investment group has already put it’s money into other projects in this country. Whilst this is understandable, it suggests that the group have other interests that may be prioritised over Liverpool. The club’s fans will want assurances their team is put first before anything else and it remains to be seen if SinoFortone would be willing to commit to that.

Pro 2: Redeveloped training ground

One of the reported promises the potential new owners would like to fulfil is to redevelop the Melwood training ground. This obviously advantageous in terms of helping develop the players and youth prospects come through as well as possible. Melwood is a fantastic facility but there are always room for improvements and with owners like Manchester City’s, who have done so much in this sense for the club as well, this would be a welcome addition.

Con 2: New stadium

The redevelopment of Anfield is almost complete as the Reds look to compete with Arsenal in the Emirates Stadium and Manchester United at Old Trafford. The news that the club would be staying at their home for over a century was wholeheartedly welcomed but SinoFortone have already looked at the possibility of building a new stadium. As exciting as that sounds leaving Anfield would be a real knock back especially after the extra work being done.

Pro 3: Clear Liverpool interest and willingness to invest

Reportedly that one of the interests in the club, aside it’s history, is Liverpool as a city being home to Europe’s biggest Chinese community. Evidently the group are interested in the club and whilst they do have other ventures going on they do at least genuinely invest money into them. We’ve seen owners buy clubs and then bleed them dry and this is unlikely to happen with SinoFortone.

Con 3: Consistency

With FSG bringing in Klopp there was evident harmony between the two parties and this should not be overestimated. Liverpool fans are well aware of what can happen when the manager and owners fall out and whilst Klopp would probably get on with any new bosses any problems could cost Liverpool one of the best managers in the game. It’s a fine line to tread with FSG currently still holding the majority of fans’ patience and so any change would have to be carefully considered.