Manchester City have completed their first significant transfer deal of the summer – spending £60m on Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez.

Pep Guardiola was a huge admirer of the Algerian and attempted to bring him to Manchester last January. The Citizens were ultimately priced out of a move at the time and dropped their interest. Guardiola reignited the transfer when the summer window opened and the 2016 PFA Player of the Year finally made the switch official on Tuesday evening.

The Spaniard said he wanted two major signings as City look to retain their title. Mahrez was one, and Napoli’s Jorginho was expected to be the second before Chelsea stole a march at the final hour. The ex-Barcelona must now switch his attention to building for the future and land one of the most promising youngsters in world football – Jann-Fiete Arp.

Valued at £6.75m by Transfermarkt, Arp is considered the hottest prospect emerging through Germany’s youth system. He played 18 league games for Hamburg last season, scoring three goals, but couldn’t prevent his side being relegated. His goal record for the U17 is phenomenal – Arp netted 37 goals in 45 appearances.

His performances have not gone unnoticed, and reports suggest Bayern Munich have agreed on terms with the youngster. The Bavarians are yet to settle a fee with Hamburg for their prized asset meaning the race is not over for signature and City should attempt to bring him to the Premier League.

With Arp and Gabriel Jesus up front, their attack is complete for the next decade.

Manchester City fans, thoughts?

Arsenal manager Unai Emery should turn attention to free agent Bernard as he looks to improve the width in his team.

What’s the word?

On Monday, Andersinho Marques of Premium Sport tweeted that Bernard has a choice of three Premier League clubs to sign for this summer.

Arsenal are among them, as well as Merseyside rivals Everton and Liverpool.

West Ham United were also heavily linked with the Brazilian’s signature, but it has been widely reported that Bernard rejected an offer to join the East London club.

The last five years for the attack-minded player have been spent at Shakhtar Donetsk, but he is now looking for a fresh challenge having come to the end of his contract.

Bernard is versatile in that he can play on the left wing or as an attacking midfielder.

If needed, the Brazilian can also be used on the right, but he is more comfortable doing his runs and taking on players down the opposite channel.

Why would Arsenal benefit?

The Gunners have some deadly attacking options in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette, but with the likes of Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain no longer at the club, the threat from wide areas is lacking.

Bernard may not be a world beater, but he has the speed and skill to provide service to Aubameyang.

Last season, the Brazilian made 29 appearances in all competitions, and in that time scored 10 goals and registered four assists.

Throughout his entire professional career, Bernard has provided more goals than scored them as he has created 54 assists and found the back of the net 44 times.

There is a risk to this deal, but taking into account the fact that Bernard will be a free transfer, it is worth pursuing for Arsenal.

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Time is running out in the transfer window for Tottenham Hotspur in their bid to strengthen ahead of the new season, but a recent report from Spain suggests they have failed to recognise a rare opportunity to secure a perfect replacement for Mousa Dembele.

According to the Spanish media outlet Marca, Mateo Kovacic remains determined to leave Real Madrid this summer in search of first-team football, with Man City, Man United, Bayern Munich, Juventus and Liverpool all lining up to secure his signature.

There is no explicit mention of Tottenham’s interest within the article, but based on the potential of the Croatia international there’s plenty of reason to suggest that they should join an array of Europe’s most prestigious clubs in the race for his signature.

First and foremost, the timing of Kovacic’s availability could not have arrived at a better moment for Spurs: the 24-year-old should be able to step straight into the first-team to replace Mousa Dembele if he departs before the end of the window, and the fact they have a new awe-inspiring stadium to present to Kovacic could play a crucial role in swaying his decision.

Naturally, Madrid’s asking price could prove to be too extortionate for Daniel Levy, but as the window develops the Spanish giants could be tempted to slash their asking price in order to steer clear of the prospect of having an unhappy player disrupting the club next season.

Interest from some of Europe’s top clubs will also provide Levy with some stiff competition, but Kovacic has strongly expressed his desire to play first-team football next season and, considering Tottenham are likely to need a new midfield lynchpin to replace Dembele, they would have a fantastic opportunity to fend off interest from elsewhere.

Kovacic’s stats from last season do not depict Kovacic in a particularly impressive way as, like Demebele, he struggles to make a decisive impact in the final-third. But there are plenty of qualities which stats cannot illuminate which Kovacic can bring to the table: a tremendous engine to move play a box-to-box midfield role, an extensive range of passing, the willingness to drive at opponents with the ball at his feet, defensive solidity and, above all, an enormous potential to grow into one of the most effective midfielders in world football.

Times of change are looming on the horizon for Tottenham Hotspur, so it’s about time Levy secured a huge coup for the club and proved Spurs mean business ahead of the new season with the signing of Kovacic.

Tottenham fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

Arsenal have had a brilliant summer so far, with the Gunners really backing new manager Unai Emery after the departure of Arsene Wenger. They’ve improved up and down the pitch, with major signings including Bernd Leno and Stephan Lichtsteiner.

One thing that the Gunners are still lacking, though, is depth going forward, particularly on the wings. The departure of Alexis Sanchez has left a rather gaping hole in the club’s squad, and it is one that Unai Emery has yet to plug.

Between now and the end of the transfer window, then, perhaps bringing in a new winger makes sense – and the Gunners may find the perfect choice in Lyon ace Bertrand Traore.

Traore is best known for his time with Chelsea, where though he failed to make an impact in the first team, he displayed just a part of the talent that he possesses. He impressed for the Blues during his time in the first team in pre-season, and at one point he looked likely to make an impact in the first team. That, obviously, didn’t happen – though the club are more to blame than he is.

Since leaving London, he’s proven with Lyon that he’s one of the more talented young players in Europe.

Best suited to a role on the right-hand side of the attack, Traore offers brilliant technique and quality going forward. He’s a tricky player, and he often looks to move forward and beat players with a sudden turn or skill move. He’s an unusual sight in that he’s quite tall and fairly robust, which would transfer well to the Premier League.

Having enjoyed a few successful years on loan preceding his permanent move to Lyon, Traore has proven his ability on a number of levels.

Is he the finished article? Certainly not, but the Burkinabe attacker has bags of potential – and under Emery, he could be just the ticket. He’d offer a fantastic option down the wings, and alongside the likes of Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, he’s got a great chance of developing further.

Arsenal fans – thoughts?

Let us know below!

According to reports in The Mirror, West Ham United want Celta Vigo striker Maxi Gomez and have seen a £27m bid rejected for the £35m-rated centre-forward, and their London rivals Tottenham Hotspur must hijack any deal.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Mirror report that Irons boss Manuel Pellegrini is determined to ensure that his squad doesn’t lack any depth when the transfer window slams shut on August 9, and the Chilean obviously feels that he needs another striker if reports are to be believed.

Despite having Marko Arnautovic, Javier Hernandez, Toni Martinez and Jordan Hugill currently available – although the latter is expected to go before the deadline – the former Man City man doesn’t appear to be satisfied – especially with Andy Carroll also yet again on the sidelines through injury.

It is no surprise that Gomez has caught his eye following a stunning debut season in La Liga with Celta Vigo, in which he scored 18 goals and provided a further five assists in 36 appearances, before playing back-up to Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani for Uruguay at the 2018 World Cup.

Why must Tottenham hijack any deal?

Well, reports in The Evening Standard suggest Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino wants to offload both Fernando Llorente and Vincent Janssen before next Thursday with both struggling in their role as back-up to Harry Kane previously, and Gomez certainly looks as though he would be a step up.

The 21-year-old has all of the attributes and the goalscoring prowess to be a success with the north London outfit, and with the quality and potential he has given his age it would certainly be third time lucky for Pochettino, who can save his team’s transfer window by sealing a major cut-price deal, when it comes to signing big-money strikers.

He certainly looks to be worth the £35m fee, given he is already showing he is good enough to allow Kane to have the rest he often looks as though he requires during the busy season.

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Sunderland fans are delighted with what could be their final piece of summer business, as they signed Max Power on loan with a view to a permanent deal.

Sunderland have been extremely busy this summer, and they rounded their business off with a bang on deadline day by signing Power.

The former Wigan ace will only join on loan until January, but is expected to make the move permanent after that.

Jack Ross and Stewart Donald have done a fair bit of shopping already, but fans are particularly excited by this deal.

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The 25 year-old, who scored 11 goals in 126 league appearances for Wigan, could be the final piece of Ross’ puzzle, especially as he has already earned two promotions as a player.

He will bring a fantastic balance and energy to the midfield, an area that was sorely lacking going into the summer.

EFL teams can still make loan moves, but this may be the last of the Black Cats’ summer business, and fans are loving it.

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You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

West Ham have been very active this transfer window, bringing in eight players to improve Manuel Pellegrini’s squad.

The Chilean manager has returned to the Premier League after a brief stint managing in China and has the task of rejuvenating a side that had a poor season last year.

As it stands, West Ham have Lucas Perez, Chicharito, the injury-prone Andy Carroll, and Marko Arnautovic as the club’s likely forward options.

Although it would seem that the club are pretty much set for strikers, according to Italian news outlet, CalcioMercato, West Ham have joined Crystal Palace in the hunt for AC Milan striker Carlos Bacca.

With the signing of Gonzalo Higuain, Bacca has fallen down the pecking order.

The Breakdown

The 31-year-old spent a season on loan at Spanish side, Villareal last year where he scored 18 goals in the league.

The Colombian striker has been a consistent performer, especially during his time at Sevilla which was where he caught the eye of most fans in Europe.

Since he joined AC Milan, Bacca has scored 31 goals in the league and is a very underrated player.

However, with West Ham having so many forward options at the moment, it seems unlikely that the east London club will splash any money on a deadline day move for Bacca.

Moreover, the reports claims that Bacca himself wants to return to Villareal and therefore, there seems no chance of any deal before the end of the transfer window today.

West Ham fans, what do you think?  

According to The Sun, Middlesbrough boss Tony Pulis is desperate to tie up a deal for Le Havre centre-back Harold Moukoudi ahead of the January transfer window.

West Ham United were strongly linked with the Frenchman in the latter stages of the summer window, but he ultimately remained at Le Havre.

A number of Premier League clubs are said to be considering a move for the 6ft 3in defender, but according to The Sun, Moukoudi would be prepared to drop down into the Championship if Boro agreed a deal with Le Havre.

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Indeed, the report claims that Boro boss Tony Pulis wants a replacement for Ben Gibson, who moved to Burnley in the summer transfer window.

Despite signing Aden Flint and Paddy McNair, Pulis is believed to want Moukoudi to lead his defence moving forward.

The Boro fans have been reacting to the transfer speculation on Twitter, and a selection of the responses, which are certainly mixed, can be seen below:

Celtic supporters in the Transfer Tavern have been reasonably quiet in recent times after seeing their side endure a testing start to the new season, which has seen them exit the Champions League.

Brendan Rodgers’ men had twice qualified for the group stages of Europe’s elite competition under the Northern Irishman prior to this season, but they fell at the third qualifying round this term in going down 3-2 on aggregate to AEK Athens. As such, instead of playing tomorrow against Ajax in a play-off for that competition, they are in action on Thursday night against Suduva seeking to qualify for the group stages of the Europa League.

As such, there have been many despondent Bhoys fans up and down the country in recent times, several of whom have been bemoaning the evident centre back crisis currently at Parkhead, which has been compounded recently by reports that Dedryck Boyata is refusing to play for the club.

Thus, it’s clear that Rodgers needs to boost his centre back ranks in the final few weeks of the summer window, and he could do a lot worse than lure £2.7 million-rated Premier League star Wes Morgan (as per Transfermarkt) to Celtic Park.

Ultimately, an injury to Marvin Compper and suspensions for Jozo Simunovic and Kristoffer Ajer forced manager Rodgers to partner the young and inexperienced Jack Hendry with right back Mikael Lustig against AEK Athens last week, and while the latter duo have since returned to action, the ongoing situation surrounding Boyata’s future suggests that further reinforcements are needed at the back.

And while luring Morgan away from Leicester City isn’t necessarily a nod to the long term, given the centre back is 34 years of age, there is no doubting that he still retains the ability to make a big difference to the Bhoys backline.

The Englishman has been a stalwart in the Foxes defence ever since his move from Nottingham Forest back in 2012, with the defender going on to appear 272 times for the Midlands club, 135 of which have come in the Premier League.

And the centre back really proved his credentials during the 2015/16 season in captaining Leicester to the most unlikely of Premier League title triumphs, with Morgan appearing in all 38 league games and showing his defensive capabilities brilliantly in forming a sensational partnership with Robert Huth – the 34-year-old was simply outstanding that season.

And having continued to feature regularly for the Foxes since then, with varying degrees of success, it’s clear that Morgan still retains the ability to play at the top level, which can only be good news for a Celtic side in dire need of greater experience and indeed quality in the heart of their backline.

Ultimately, the 34-year-old could still do a fine job at the back despite the fact that he is reaching the twilight of his career, and following the arrival of Jonny Evans over the summer, alongside the fact that Harry Maguire stayed at the club, it remains to be seen whether he is a regular at Leicester this term – he dropped to the bench on Saturday in their victory over Wolves.

As such, Rodgers must be ready to pounce in a bid to finally solve Celtic’s evident centre back issues.

Celtic fans… what do you think? Let us know!

According to the BBC, Celtic have rejected a significant offer for star striker Moussa Dembele from French side Lyon, which sent Bhoys fans on Twitter wild with excitement.

The 22-year-old has struggled with a thigh injury so far this season but has scored three goals in the six appearances that he has managed for Brendan Rodgers’ side.

A former France U21 international, Dembele has netted 51 times in just 94 games for the Hoops following his move north of the border from Fulham during the summer of 2016, where he had been since coming through the youth system of French champions Paris Saint-Germain.

The transfer deadline for French clubs is at midnight on August 31 though so it remains to be seen whether Lyon will come back with an improved offer.

Celtic fans on Twitter were absolutely ecstatic with the news that their talented front man, who is valued at £6.3m by Transfermarkt, looked set to be staying at Parkhead for the near future at least. Check out the best tweets after Rodgers’ announcement below.

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