Arsenal being linked with signing a defensive midfielder for an entire summer before opting for a tricky ‘No.10’ has almost become a running joke in itself.

Unfortunately for Gunners fans, Arsene Wenger has avoided the issue of recruiting an enforcer year after year, and is at risk of doing so again thanks to the emergence of Francis Coquelin. If Arsenal are to win the title, a new defensive midfielder must be the top of their priorities to avoid any risk of Mathieu Flamini wearing an Arsenal shirt within 100 miles of a football pitch again!

Here are FIVE possible options that Arsenal could pursue…

William Carvalho

Fresh from a brilliant tournament with the Portuguese Under 21s, Carvalho is one of the younger options open to Wenger.

The 6ft. 2″ defensive midfield player can also cover in central defence, which would add extra depth if Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker were to suffer with injuries once more.

Hard in the tackle and already playing like someone far beyond his 23-years-of-age, Carvalho would be the ideal base to Arsenal’s extremely talented midfield. Carvalho’s age also means he fits perfectly with Wenger’s blueprint for signings.

John Obi Mikel

Having spent the majority of his career with London rivals Chelsea, Mikel is unlikely to be a popular option for anyone at the Emirates Stadium.

The Nigerian has developed the sort of experience in his time at Stamford Bridge that puts him far ahead of Coquelin, whilst his role in Chelsea’s run to the Champions League glory cannot be underestimated.

Still only 28, Mikel has several years left at the top and his calm approach to midfield play would work nicely to control the tempo of games and cover for potential counter attacks.

Javi Martinez

As a Spaniard working under Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich it is hard to see why you would want to transfer clubs. However, the offer of more money and a greater challenge may be enough for Arsenal to lure Martinez to England.

The guarantee of minutes would be a huge attraction and Martinez could be a magnificent signing for Arsenal. 26-years-old, the ex-Athletic Bilbao ace could feasibly have a decade left at the top of his game and would be a real game-changing capture for the Gunners.

Morgan Schneiderlin

Links with Schneiderlin have been going on for over 12 months now and the Saints man is still a very popular option among Arsenal fans.

Some have displayed concerns about his ability on the ball and questioned if he is capable of playing as a controlling man in a deeper position, but his signing would still provide an elite option capable of playing as a defensive midfielder.

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The Frenchman will not leave the south coast cheaply, but he would be worth every penny.

Thiago Motta

Despite nearing his 33rd birthday, Motta continues to prove himself as a top quality defensive midfielder.

The former Barcelona and Inter Milan man is currently at PSG and, due to his age, would surely be available at a cut price if Arsenal were to make a move for the Italy international. Wenger would have to go against his usual age protocol for this signing, but the short-term impact is likely to push Arsenal onto the next level.

As reported by The Daily Mail, West Ham United are interested in signing Swansea City midfielder Ki Sung-yueng.

What’s the story?

The Irons’ central midfield area has been a problem all season for both Slaven Bilic and David Moyes. If they’re to climb the English Premier League table then it’s an issue that Moyes must address in next month’s January transfer window.

One player said to be interesting the new West Ham boss is South Korean international Ki Sung-yueng, whose contract expires at the end of the season.

That’s according to The Daily Mail, who report that the 28-year-old is open to a move away having only made 10 Premier League appearances for Swansea this term so far.

Is he the right man to turn around West Ham’s midfield fortunes?

What does he offer?

Arguably what the Hammers have lacked in midfield this season is composure and the ability to retain possession under pressure, a problem that Ki Sung-yueng can undoubtedly solve.

Calm with the ball, he also has excellent technical and passing ability, offering a link between defence and attack that is currently absent in David Moyes’ starting eleven. He likes a tackle too and can sit in front of the Hammers defence, offering more protection than the options available right now.

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With plenty of experience for Celtic, Swansea and South Korea, he appears to be a great fit for a club like West Ham, especially if available for a budget price due to his contract expiring, although he is still rated at £6.3m by Transfermarkt.

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When a young player fails at a top club, there is often an assumption that they’re not mentally equipped to be a success at that level. But no two footballers are precisely the same and no journey of development takes exactly the same course. Sometimes players need to go down the pecking order to bounce back up again, and sometimes that failure is the motivation they need to drive them to reach their fullest potential.

Sometimes too, they simply make the move too soon or at the wrong time; that may well have been the case with Wilfried Zaha who, after firing Crystal Palace to the Premier League in 2012/13, made just four senior appearances for Manchester United as a 21-year-old before returning to his boyhood club.

In any case, there’s no better way to prove you belong at the top level than consistently performing against that bracket of football club, which is exactly what the Ivory Coast winger did last season.

His twelve performances against last season’s top six were instrumental in keeping Palace in the Premier League after a disastrous run under Alan Pardew, producing a return of one goal and five assists – that’s more than half of his setups for the entire campaign coming against the very best the English top flight has to offer.

More than just output, though, which was the biggest criticism of Zaha during the early stages of his career, the winger-forward’s all-round performances against top quality opposition have shown an aggression, intelligence and work-ethic you wouldn’t necessarily expect of a young wide-man who has already failed to take one chance at the top and tasted the often-debasing fame and fortune that comes with a club of Manchester United’s stature. Just look at Adnan Januzaj, once English football’s most coveted teenager who is now trying to rebuild his career at Real Sociedad.

In stark contrast to the young Belgian who always had a knack of reverting back into his own shell, Zaha showed incredible responsibility both with and without the ball against the Premier League’s top sides in 2016/17.

While we’ve come to expect dazzling dribbling displays on the counter-attack, Zaha also demonstrated the intelligence to bring his team up the pitch by winning fouls in dangerous areas and the tenacity to play a key role in Palace’s many rear-guard displays by averaging 2.3 tackles per match. In fact, against all opposition, Burnley’s George Boyd was the only winger to complete more tackles than Zaha in the Premier League last season.

While that’s partly a consequence of Palace’s counter-attacking style of play, and something that’s required far more of wingers outside the top six, the combination with Zaha’s deadly dribbling and impressive output makes him a unique proposition amid a Premier League era in which high pressing and energy from the front is more prevalent than ever before.

Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham all pride themselves on the aggression of their attacking personnel but according to the statistics, Zaha made more tackles than all of them last season.

This term, Zaha’s season has taken something of a different course. While he’s continued to impress, his best performances have come against those closest to Palace in the table; goals against Everton and West Ham who have been involved in the relegation scrap as well, alongside productive displays in the 2-1 win over Stoke City and the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth.

Although that’s far more conventional and expected, it should be acknowledged in similarly impressive terms nonetheless – when boiled down, Zaha is quite simply producing upon facing the teams Palace need results against to turn their abysmal start around.

But having been linked with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City ahead of the January transfer window, this coming week represents a pivotal audition in Zaha’s career as Palace prepare to face the Gunners and the Citizens before the turn of 2018.

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Not only will the 25-year-old have the chance to flaunt his abilities against two potential future managers, should tabloid gossip be believed, but also the chance to show those managers last season’s returns against the top clubs wasn’t simply a fluke or statistical quirk. And while an attacking player who can consistently perform against the big clubs or the small clubs is one thing, one who can perform against both is something else altogether. In fact, it makes Zaha pretty much the total package.

The big question, however, is the viability of a mid-season move. He’s valued at just £16.2million by Transfermarkt but Crystal Palace will expect far more if they’re to part with their most valuable attacking outlet amid a relegation fight. At the same time, while an Alexis departure may force Arsenal to move for the eight-cap international, City’s ginormous margin at the top of the table could convince them and Chelsea that any reinforcements can wait until the summer, when they’ll have another half-season of evidence to determine Zaha’s suitability and when the deals usually feel less extortionate.

In any case, though, this week feels like perhaps the biggest yet in Zaha’s career. Consecutive impressive performances against the calibre of club once deemed beyond him won’t go unnoticed, and it might well be what convinces Pep Guardiola, Arsene Wenger or Antonio Conte to put some money on the table – be it in January or the summer.

Alexis Sanchez has dominated the transfer gossip pages in the last few days, particularly now that Manchester United have reportedly entered the fray.

According to Sky Italy, the Red Devils are interested in making a move for the Chile international, who has been heavily linked to Manchester City for some time.

It was widely expected that the attacker, who will come to the end of his current Arsenal contract in the summer, was poised to join Pep Guardiola’s title-challenging side.

Recent reports have suggested that it may not be as straightforward as first anticipated, with United now in contention.

However, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has attempted to play down the speculation by insisting that the two Manchester rivals are not fighting it out for Sanchez’s signature.

According to talkSPORT, the Frenchman told reporters:

“A bidding war is always beneficial to the club who can take advantage of it. We are not in that. I maintain what I’ve said many times. Normally, he should stay here until the end of the season but we’ll see.”

Sanchez’s contract situation means that he is eligible to sign a pre-contract agreement with another club before the end of the month.

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If Arsenal do not sell Sanchez in this window then they will not receive a fee for the Chilean come the summer.

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Celtic returned to competitive action this weekend, demolishing Scottish Championship strugglers Brechin City 5-0 in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup.

The Hoops looked refreshed after their mid-season training camp in Dubai as Brendan Rodgers named a strong starting eleven, with seven of the players who featured in last season’s final also playing on Saturday.

It was a match that the trophy holders were always expected to win and they dominated the entire 90 minutes, finding goals through James Forrest, Scott Sinclair, Olivier Ntcham, Dedryck Boyata and Odsonne Edouard.

One talking point coming out of the match was the decision to exclude Moussa Dembele despite being fit, with Rodgers again opting to start Paris Saint-Germain loanee Edouard, with the former Fulham man spending the afternoon as an unused substitute.

Despite scoring his fifth goal of the season late on in the match, Celtic fans weren’t particular impressed by Edouard’s performance, with some hoping to see Dembele reintroduced to regular action in the green and white hoops.

Supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts on Edouard’s display…

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According to club insider @ExWHUemployee on episode 74 of The West Ham Way radio show, West Ham United have handed new signing Patrice Evra a contract worth £75,000-a-week, and Irons fans have been quick to have their say on the rumour.

Hammers boss David Moyes has chosen to bring the former Manchester United man to the London Stadium on a free transfer – presumably after the six-match ban that Arthur Masuaku received for spitting at a Wigan Athletic player last month – with the 36-year-old being sacked by Marseille in November following an altercation with one of his own fans.

Given his age and his circumstances, his lucrative pay packet isn’t one that has impressed the London Stadium faithful, especially as Moyes also missed out on signing the defensive midfielder he wanted during the January transfer window.

West Ham supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on the wage, and while one said it’s “a ludicrous amount of money”, another said “classic Sullivan”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

To describe Sadio Mane as the weak link in Liverpool’s attack may seem overly critical, but after coming in and out of the side during the start of the season, the Senegal international’s form since recovering his role on the left-hand side has paled in comparison to Roberto Firmino’s and Mohamed Salah, undoubtedly amongst world football’s best in their respective positions during this moment.

Indeed, since his last Champions League outing against CSKA Moscow in December, the Reds speedster had found just two goals in all competitions. Compare that to Firmino with nine goals during the same time frame, alongside five assists, and Salah with an incredible twelve strikes and four setups. If Liverpool were to make one addition to their front-line this summer, current form suggests it would be at Mane’s expense.

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But attacking players are inevitably confidence players, and sometimes it takes just one performance to rediscover the powers of old, the kind of powers we saw from Mane last season when his presence was so intrinsic to Liverpool’s results – Jurgen Klopp’s side didn’t actually pick up a Premier League victory without the African forward until April, and their win-rate dropped by 26% across all competitions when he wasn’t in the side.

That’s exactly what happened last night against FC Porto, as Liverpool recorded a huge 5-0 win over the Portuguese side on their own patch to secure a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League barring an incredible comeback in the reverse fixture at Anfield. Amid the demolition job, Mane bagged a hat-trick with just four shots at goal.

It must be said that there was an element of good fortune in the 25-year-old’s route to the match ball; his first goal was a calm and composed strike, but the curling effort slipped under the Porto goalkeeper’s body, while his second was a rebound from a Firmino shot that Jose Sa parried straight into his path.

But Mane deserved his luck last night. Whether running with the ball or pressing the defence off of it, the 48-cap international always works hard for the cause and that was the case against FC Porto, Mane completing two dribbles and helping to set up counter-attacks with three huge tackles.

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By the time of Mane’s third goal, it was easy to tell his confidence had restored. Galloping forward on the break, the wide forward latched onto a Danny Ings pass and rifled the ball home from just outside the box, giving the Porto ‘keeper no chance of saving it.

That’s the kind of relentless threat we consistently saw from Mane last season, and the kind of quality that puts him on parity with Firmino and Salah when in top form.

Toby Alderweireld’s recent absence from Tottenham Hotspur’s squad has led to speculation over his future.

It is widely known that the defender has not signed a new contract yet, which naturally sparks rumours about a possible exit.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino has since explained that Alderweireld was left out of the squad to face Arsenal, as well as the travelling party to play Juventus in the Champions League due to his recent injury troubles.

The Argentine boss has indicated that the Belgian needs to work on his fitness having only recently returned to action following a three-month layoff with a hamstring injury.

According to ESPN, talks between Tottenham and Alderweireld regarding a new contract have broken down, with the North London outfit reluctant to meet the defender’s wage demands of around £150,000 per week.

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Charlie Nicholas, though, does not think that Pochettino’s decision to leave one of his key players out of recent important matches has anything to do with the 28-year-old’s future.

While discussing the upcoming FA Cup games in a piece for Sky Sports, the Scotsman said:

“I think [the tie against Rochdale] will be another game for Toby Alderweireld to be eased back in again. I don’t think there is anything more to his absence than managing his recovery because Pochettino is a very honest and open man.”

Heung-min Son will be feeling the love from Spurs fans this morning after the South Korean apologised to fans for getting knocked out of the Champions League.

Spurs were stunned at Wembley on Wednesday by a second half flurry from Italian champions Juventus.

The home side held the advantage from the first leg, the 2-2 draw in Turin giving Spurs the upper hand on away goals. Son looked to have wrapped things up in the first half, his scuffed finish giving the hosts a deserved lead on the night.

But the Old Lady showed their experience in the second half, as quick-fire goals from Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala left Spurs on the ropes. The home side pushed for an equaliser, but Harry Kane’s late header could only find the post.

Son apologised to fans after the match, saying he was proud of the team and the fans…

The 25 year-old has been in fine form for Spurs this season, and has been especially potent at home – he has five goals and an assist in his last three appearances in all competitions.

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Needless to say, the flying winger has endeared himself to the Wembley crowd this season and has received nothing but praise after his post match comments.

Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has provided a puzzling update on midfielder Harry Arter via the Bournemouth Echo, with the Republic of Ireland international a reported transfer target for West Ham United.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Express reported on March 2 that the Irons are ready to make a £10m bid for the 28-year-old this summer with David Moyes keen to have a shake-up of his midfield options at the end of the season.

While Arter has been a key player for the Cherries in recent years, he has found first-team opportunities hard to come by over the course of the last couple of months, potentially throwing his future with the south coast outfit into doubt.

His manager, Howe, has explained the situation of the Sidcup-born player via the Bournemouth Echo, in order to explain his recent absence from the XI.

What did Howe say?

The 40-year-old said, via the Bournemouth Echo: “He is not totally out of the picture at all. Harry’s still very much part of our plans.

“I have to make decisions, pick teams, pick squads and Harry’s only focus is to try to get back to his best.

“Harry has a challenge on his hands to displace Dan Gosling and Lewis Cook, who are performing very well in the team at the moment.

“Everyone who is here has a future. They can change their future in the short term or the long term depending on how they train and play.”

How has Arter done this season?

While he was a regular earlier in the campaign, the 28-year-old has found himself sidelined in more recent times, and he hasn’t played a single minute of their previous eight Premier League matches, leaving West Ham fans unimpressed with the link to him.

Would he be a good signing for West Ham?

He would certainly bring some energy and character in the middle of the park for the Irons – something they have been badly lacking at points this season – but his recent non-involvement at Bournemouth would have to be a bit of a worry for the club and Moyes.

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They need to be signing players that are improvements on what they already have and who can be key first-team players for a number of years, and it is difficult to see Arter fitting into that category.

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