Riyad Mahrez could be the only arrival at the Etihad this summer with manager Pep Guardiola content with his Manchester City squad, who won the Premier League title last season with a record 100 points.

The former Barcelona boss had hoped to reinforce his midfield with the addition of Jorginho, but the Brazilian-born Italy international opted to join Chelsea alongside Maurizio Sarri instead.

The Times (via City Watch) reports that after losing out on Jorginho, Manchester City are unlikely to sign an alternative with Fabian Delph set to act as cover for Fernandinho in the defensive midfield position.

However, if Guardiola changes his mind, a bold move for Bayern Munich’s David Alaba would be ideal.

During his tenure as Bayern Munich manager, Guardiola described Alaba as a “God” who played in “almost all 10 positions” for him (via Sport).

Despite playing his best football as a defender, Guardiola has used £45m-rated (via Transfermarkt) Alaba as a midfielder. And under the tutelage of the Spaniard, Alaba has since ascended to the podium of elite footballers.

Being a natural left-back also means bringing in the Austrian would solve any concerns Guardiola has with that position in particular, too.

Delph filled in there for the injured Benjamin Mendy for the majority of last season, but did not put in the most convincing of performances when the Premier League champions went up against strong opposition.

Bayern Munich are not a club that can be bullied into selling a player – especially one as valuable as Alaba – but the 26-year-old is exactly the kind of player that can improve a team like Manchester City.

Jose Mourinho has proven that he has a significant sway when it comes to landing big names. Though the Red Devils haven’t really been competitive for a few years, they’ve still been able to bring some of Europe’s biggest names to the club. From Romelu Lukaku to Paul Pogba to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the list goes on and on…

Perhaps, then, he should attempt to use that sway to bring in one of Europe’s biggest – figuratively and literally – players in the form of Raphael Varane of Real Madrid, who is rated at a whopping £72 million by Transfer Markt.

Granted, a move would be costly, and it would be considered a real coup if the club were to land him, but it’s a deal worth pursuing nonetheless.

Varane is one of Europe’s best central defenders. He had to bide his time in Madrid, and it’s only over the lasts few years that he has finally broken into the team on a regular basis. However, he’s been patient and now that has been rewarded, and he’s now a regular for Real Madrid and a World Cup winner.

A towering defender, Varane is dominant at the back and is a real physical presence, which would set him up well for the Premier League, and particularly in a Jose Mourinho team. He’s also comfortable with the ball at his feet, and so he’d function well in a team that is made up of players that are very technically gifted.

A very solid tackler, the Frenchman is a rock at the back, and he’d add some real composure to a team that has lacked that as of late.

Man Utd’s squad has a few gaps, but none are more evident than in the defence. Eric Bailly is solid, but beyond him, a lack of quality is a problem. Chris Smalling and Phil Jones are simply not good enough, and they must be replaced. It would be a shock if the club were able to land Varane – but what a deal it would be.

Man Utd fans – thoughts?

Let us know below!

Everton fans are desperately awaiting their first signing of the summer.

Marco Silva is yet to open his chequebook since replacing Sam Allardyce in the dugout at Goodison Park. The former Watford boss has not been given the funds to strengthen the squad with the Toffees needing to sell in order to buy. A host of players are expected to leave as Everton trim their team.

After generating some much-needed cash, Silva will no doubt target a left-back this summer. Leighton Baines is approaching the end of his career with Cuco Martina the only backup option. Landing a long-term replacement for Baines should be a priority in the transfer window.

The perfect man for the job could be Manchester United outcast – Luke Shaw. Valued at £13.5m by Transfermarkt, Shaw is determined to prove himself at Old Trafford but may be forced out the club should United strengthen. With that in mind, Everton would be wise to attempt to bring Shaw to Goodison Park.

Fitness and injuries have plagued his time with the Red Devils since joining from Southampton. Shaw was once considered England’s future left-back, but he remains out of favour under Jose Mourinho. The 23-year-old needs to get his career back on track by finally leaving United.

Everton could offer him the chance of regular first-team football, working with a manager who puts emphasis on his full-backs. With just one year remaining on his deal, the Toffees could land his signature at a knockdown price.

It would be a risky move given Shaw’s recent troubles. However, it seems the Englishman has finally turned a corner, and the Blues need to take a punt on him this summer.

Everton fans, thoughts?

Liverpool find themselves in a peculiar position with regards the depth of their attacking options; there is a burning need to provide quality backup to Roberto Firmino, Mo Salah and Sadio Mane, but Klopp has four forwards in reserve that he does not appear to trust.

The bargain swoop for Xherdan Shaqiri was clearly aimed at rectifying that issue but Danny Ings, Daniel Sturridge, Divock Origi and Dominic Solanke are all still at the club and could make a contribution.

However, after a summer of spending, Klopp could well be looking to offload them, and Football FanCast have taken a closer look at the best potential destinations for all four…

Danny Ings – Crystal Palace

Ings is probably the likeliest to leave Anfield, with the injury problems that have dogged him since his arrival under Brendan Rodgers robbing him of enough chances to impress Klopp.

The Englishman’s debut Premier League season with Burnley showed that he can score goals at this level and if he can return to full fitness, he offers a high-energy, pacy option to a number of top flight clubs.

After Christian Benteke endured a misfiring season at Crystal Palace, Roy Hodgson will be looking to kickstart his stuttering transfer window with a striker bid and Ings fits the bill.

The Eagles play a counter-attacking style and Ings’ speed on the break could be a useful weapon and it wouldn’t take much for him to prove more clinical than Benteke this season.

Daniel Sturridge – Wolves

In theory, Sturridge’s ability to change a game, find the net and play through the middle or wide makes him the ideal backup for Klopp.

However, he has never quite fitted into the German’s pressing game, his well-documented injury problems have held back his opportunities and the suspicion persists that he is not content with a bench role.

Sturridge’s wage demands make him hard to shift, but free-spending Wolves would be able to match them and allow him to move back to the Midlands, where he was born.

Nuno Santo already has a sparkling attack but lacked a genuine goalscorer last season as Leo Bonatini laboured under the weight of expectation in his first season in England. Sturridge, if fit, would immediately remedy that.

Divock Origi – Valencia

Origi is the kind of striker Newcastle could use to bolster their blunt attack, but reports quoting his asking price at £26m put him far beyond Mike Ashley’s budget.

In truth, that high price should put off many Premier League sides, so a move abroad could well be the best option and Valencia are reportedly currently the most likely to land him.

Origi has a great deal of potential and it might be that he needs to escape the glare of English football in order to realise it.

After all, Spanish football has allowed Reds flop Iago Aspas to shine.

Dominic Solanke – Leeds

A World Cup winner with the England Under 20 team, Solanke underlined his faith in his ability by pitching up at Anfield after leaving Chelsea, when the easier option may have been to drop down lower.

He is a modern target man, who has the pace and energy to fit into a high-tempo system as an all-round forward and under Marcelo Bielsa, there is no greater place to hone those skills than Leeds United right now.

The simple fact is they haven’t yet replaced Chris Wood’s goals and they are begging out for someone to slam in 20 next season to get the fans excited again.

A loan deal might be best for all parties, because at this stage, Solanke just needs regular games to establish himself as a striker who can find the back of the net on a regular basis.

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Leeds have already improved their attacking force from last season by bringing in Patrick Bamford from Middlesbrough this summer.

Despite the arrival of the striker from Boro though, Leeds’ attacking contingent still lacks quality depth.

As things stand, Caleb Ekuban, who managed only 2 strikes in all competitions last season, is the most senior out-and-out centre-forward available as back up to Bamford at Elland Road. 

The Whites would be wise to add further to their forward line before time runs out this summer. However, the funds at Marcelo Bielsa’s disposal could be limited, likely meaning that any further recruitment in this area of the pitch would have to be on a loan basis.

Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah would be the perfect striker for Leeds to target on a temporary agreement in this transfer window.

The Breakdown

Nketiah made his debut for the Gunners last season, and then scored a match-winning brace against Norwich City in the Carabao Cup on only his second senior appearance for the club.

Despite his explosive start to life in red, the 19-year-old remains a long way off regular first team involvement at the Emirates Stadium, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette, Danny Welbeck and Lucas Perez all ahead of him in the Arsenal pecking order.

More regular experiences of first team football would be beneficial to the England under-21 international at this stage of his career, and a drop down to Championship level would be the best way for him to gain that game time.

Nketiah would be a great back up option to Bamford at Leeds, and the youngster’s pace could be a potent weapon to introduce late on in games to stretch tired opposition defences. The promising Arsenal man is also effective in the air, comfortable on the ball, and a lethal finisher when through on goal.

If Leeds could seal a loan deal bringing Nketiah to Elland Road, then it should work out well for all involved. 

Leeds United are interested in signing Peterborough United star Marcus Maddison, although they will face some fierce competition for his signature from a number of Championship rivals, according to The Birmingham Mail.

What’s the story?

The 24-year-old has been at Peterborough since 2014 and has gone on to make 148 appearances for the Posh, scoring 35 goals.

The versatile midfielder has made a reputation as a free-kick specialist and only Manchester City star Kevin de Bruyne registered more assists than him in England last season.

According to the report, Maddison could be available for £2.5million and as well as Leeds, West Brom, Aston Villa, Middlesbrough, Derby, Wigan and Blackburn are keen on signing the highly-rated talent this summer.

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Sign him up

The playmaker would be a perfect addition to Bielsa’s squad and would give the team the ability to create something out of nothing.

He would form a strong partnership with Patrick Bamford with his pinpoint passing, and for a relatively small fee considering other Championship transfers this summer, Marclo Bielsa would have an excellent creative outlet on his hands that could take Leeds to the next level.

If Victor Orta wants to give Bielsa all the tools he needs to get Leeds promoted, a player like Maddison could make all the difference and be what de Bruyne has been for Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

Jay Rodriguez was on fire last weekend as West Brom picked up their first points of the Championship season with a dramatic 4-3 win over Norwich at Carrow Road, and Southampton will be wishing they never sold him after their recent striker troubles.

Jordan Rhodes had put the Canaries ahead before keeper Tim Krul clattered into the Baggies’ summer signing Dwight Gayle in the penalty area. Rodriguez stepped up and swept the ball into the bottom corner to equalise from the spot.

The 29-year-old then put Darren Moore’s side ahead just two minutes into the second half. His shot from distance was speculative but well struck and it was too much to handle for Krul. After 65 minutes, the 6 foot 1 attacker showed his quality again as he dummied a Matt Phillips pull-back in order to let youngster Harvey Barnes bend the ball home from a far better angle.

It’s clear that Rodriguez is too good for England’s second division, but no club matched the Baggies’ valuation of their star man, with his former club Burnley seemingly closest after having a £16m bid rejected.

The England international only joined West Brom in the summer last year in a £12m deal from Southampton and since then, the south coast side have had serious issues with getting goals from their strikers. Their toothlessness was highlighted once again in the opening weekend goalless draw with Burnley.

Manolo Gabbiadini came in to St Mary’s in January 2017 while Rodriguez was at the club and certainly hit the ground running, scoring four goals in his first three Premier League games. However, last season the Italian managed just five in all competitions and now looks to be short of confidence.

Saints boss Mauricio Pellegrino was sacked in March, and his attempt at buying a striker to address the issue failed miserably. In January earlier this year Southampton smashed their transfer record to sign Guido Carrillo for £19.2m from Monaco. The Argentine signed a three-and-a-half-year deal but has already left the club on loan after failing to score a single goal in 10 appearances.

Southampton’s top scorer since Rodriguez left the club has been another former Burnley man, Charlie Austin, who netted seven in 24 Premier League appearances last season but struggled with injuries throughout. Then there’s Shane Long who, despite his excellent work rate, only managed a paltry two goals in 35 appearances in all competitions last season, while youngster Michael Obafemi who has only made one appearance for the first team.

There’s no doubt that Saints have struggled to find the perfect striker since Rodriguez left the club.

He struggled with injuries during his time on the south coast, missing the entire 2014/15 campaign with a serious knee problem that also ruled him out of contention for England’s World Cup squad the summer before. However, the current West Brom man still managed to net 35 goals in 126 appearances during five years at St Mary’s and has scored 13 for West Brom since he left.

In contrast, the five strikers that Saints have used since last summer’s transfer window only have 15 between them. Having now signed Rodriguez’s former Burnley teammate Danny Ings, who they released as a schoolboy, Southampton fans will be hoping that they have finally found a prolific striker – although it’s clear that most would still welcome the current West Brom man back with open arms.

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Liverpool fans have been discussing which Manchester United players they would take at Anfield, and plenty are calling for a shock move for Anthony Martial, who is out of contract next summer.Liverpool added Xherdan Shaqiri to their incredible attack this summer, but many fans still feel they need a bit more depth to compete with Manchester City.Manchester United’s Martial was heavily linked with an Old Trafford exit throughout the transfer window, and while a deal with their arch-rivals is of course incredibly unlikely, fans are dreaming about the Frenchman’s potential under Jürgen Klopp.[brid autoplay=”true” video=”278881″ player=”12034″ title=”Rafa’s Pub Facts Kane’s Kryptonite & London’s Biggest Losers”]The German has a habit of turning talented attackers into better players with superior confidence, particularly in front of goal, and there is a feeling that Martial has some serious untapped potential.The 22 year-old ha scored 24 times in 86 Premier League appearances for the Red Devils, but has never truly been unleashed under Jose Mourinho.The Frenchman’s contract runs out next summer, but the club does have the option to extend it for a further season.You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where Reds’ fans are fantasising about adding another young talent…

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers in the market for a new central defender with Dedryck Boyata’s future at the club uncertain.

Celtic have since been linked with Aberdeen’s Scott McKenna with BBC Sport reporting that the SPL champions have already seen a £3.5m bid turned down for the Scotland international.

At 21 years of age and with four Scotland caps under his belt, McKenna is on the road to becoming an established SPL defender, who would help Celtic in their pursuit for an eighth Scottish League title.

However, in Celtic’s quest to go far in European competitions, McKenna is not the player who can boost the club’s chances of doing so.

Furthermore, Celtic should launch an ambitious raid on Chelsea for Gary Cahill instead.

Naturally, the England centre-halve may seem like an unrealistic name to most Celtic supporters, but his current predicament at Chelsea and the fact that the transfer window in England is closed makes things interesting.

£13.5m-rated (via Transfermarkt) Cahill was not included in either of Chelsea’s first two Premier League matchday squads with new head coach Maurizio Sarri choosing David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger as his two starting central defenders with Andreas Christensen acting as cover from the bench.

Quite frankly, it is hard to imagine how Cahill gets back into the 2016/17 Premier League champions’ starting XI, and a move away from Stamford Bridge could be in his best interest.

Galatasaray are said to be interested in Cahill’s services (via Turkish-Football), but Celtic are the ones that must put themselves at the front of the queue if the England international indicates his time in west London is up.

Cahill has the experience and defensive ability that Celtic are in dire need of for their games against stronger opposition outside of the SPL.

Ultimately, given the situation Cahill finds himself in at Chelsea, Celtic should try and lure the former Bolton man to Celtic Park.

Tottenham’s club captain Hugo Lloris was arrested and charged with drink driving in the early hours of last Friday morning, and Spurs fans on Twitter were hoping that he would be stripped of the captaincy after failing to set an example.

Spurs travel to Old Trafford to play Manchester United on Monday evening having won both of their two games so far against Newcastle and newly promoted Fulham.

Lloris has apologised publicly for his arrest and The Guardian reported that the club would deal with the extremely serious matter internally.

The 31-year-old shot stopper captained his country to World Cup success this summer in Russia and would have been hoping that Mauricio Pochettino’s side could progress from their third place finish last season, although he may now have put his place in the starting line up at risk with his behaviour.

Tottenham fans on Twitter were undoubtedly disappointed with Lloris and called for him to be stripped of the club captaincy, although most wanted him to keep his place in the side against United. Jan Vertonghen and Harry Kane would be the most likely candidates for the captaincy if it was taken from Lloris.

Check out some of the best tweets from Spurs fans below.

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