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According to The Mirror, Marco Silva is eyeing English midfield duo Jack Wilshere and Ruben Loftus-Cheek as potential additions to his new-look Everton team. The Portuguese was given the nod to take over from Sam Allardyce earlier this summer and signing the offensive-minded pair would certainly bring the Toffees a lot closer to producing the kind of entertaining football that supporters craved during the former England gaffer’s underwhelming stint in charge.

But could there be unforeseen negatives to Everton snapping up Wilshere and Loftus-Cheek on a free transfer and most likely a loan respectively? How will their arrivals affect the makeup of the squad and the balance of the team? Football FanCast take a look at three potential consequences – some good, some bad – of Everton pulling off a double swoop for the English midfielders this summer.

Tom Davies is frozen out

Davies’ development has been one of the biggest success stories at Goodison over the last few seasons but a midfield overhaul would appear to push the 19-year-old into the shadows of the engine room pecking order, especially as Loftus-Cheek is of similar age and Jack Wilshere – theoretically, at least – is entering his prime years.

That doesn’t necessarily mean Davies won’t be a part of the first team squad next season, but it certainly suggests Silva doesn’t have an overwhelmingly positive opinion of the youngster at this moment in time. For both Toffees fans and the England setup, Davies featuring in the side that won the Toulon Tournament earlier this year, that would be a real disappointment.

Gylfi Sigurdsson is sold

Sigurdsson arrived at Everton last summer and although he only managed to show it in glimpses during his first season, there’s no doubting the Iceland international’s immense technical talent. But Silva’s interest in Wilshere and Loftus-Cheek suggests the attacking midfielder probably isn’t an integral part of his plans going forward.

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A midfield trio of Wilshere, Loftus-Cheek and Sigurdsson would be far too offensive, leaving what’s already a rather shaky backline glaringly exposed, and if the latter’s difficult debut season proved anything it’s that he needs to be playing centrally with the rest of the team built around him. Wilshere and Loftus-Cheek don’t seem like the players to do that – in fact, they’re incredibly similar to Sigurdsson as offensive-minded No.8s – so perhaps Silva is already considering axing Everton’s club-record signing.

Silva adopts the Klopp approach

Silva’s used plenty of different setups during his time in the Premier League but started last season fielding Watford in a 4-3-3 with two roaming No.8s, in a similar style to what we saw from Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool and Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City throughout their potent 2017/18 campaigns. It feels like the vogue formation at this moment in time, producing exciting football by taking advantage of a new breed of technically gifted, dynamic and mobile central midfielders.

Through their dribbling ability and creativity, Wilshere and Loftus-Cheek are ideal candidates for those crucial midfield roles, at their best when pushing forward from the engine room to make things happen in attack. It seems like the most logical setup to maximise the qualities they bring to the team, and it certainly fits into the Premier League’s current tactical trends.

So, Everton fans, should your club sign Wilshere and Loftus-Cheek this summer? Let us know by voting below…

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Newcastle United and manager Rafa Benitez secured a brilliant 10th-place finish in their first season back in the Premier League following a one-year absence, and while they had their ups and downs throughout the campaign, in the end they avoided being embroiled in a relegation battle and were safe in April following a fine run of form.

The Spaniard will certainly be keen to significantly strengthen his squad this summer – hopefully with the backing of owner Mike Ashley – if the Tyneside outfit are to push on and progress in the 2018/19 season, and he will surely focus his attentions on bringing in new attacking players given his team only scored 39 goals in their 38 top flight fixtures last term.

The Toon, whose fans are unhappy with a transfer link to a Championship midfielder, ideally need more goals from out wide if they are to begin to push for Europa League qualification, and the former Real Madrid and Liverpool boss will also potentially want two new strikers, too.

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With Joselu failing to fire, Dwight Gayle not a consistent goalscorer at this level and Aleksandar Mitrovic looking likely to go having shone during a loan spell with Fulham in the second-half of the previous campaign, at least one centre-forward is a priority.

Benitez will be confident of getting one of those in if he is given the right budget, and he may well hope that reinforcements in the final third can help them improve as he will want them to.

The 58-year-old is in something of a minority in the Premier League right now seeing as he prefers to play with a 4-4-1-1 or 4-4-2 system, and while it clearly worked last term it could be more difficult for Newcastle in general now the other top flight sides generally know how they are going to play and how to exploit their weaknesses.

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The tactically-astute Benitez perhaps needs to look for a new formation before the new season in order to bring some unpredictability to his side’s playing style, and he perhaps should be learning a lot from England manager Gareth Southgate.

As shown by the Three Lions’ win in their opening 2018 World Cup fixture against Tunisia on Monday – especially in the first 25 minutes or so – the players have adapted quickly and are well suited to the flexible 3-5-2 formation that the 47-year-old has introduced.

With a couple of additions, Newcastle certainly have the players to work in that system too, with four decent central midfield options in Mo Diame, Jonjo Shelvey, Mikel Merino and Isaac Hayden, and Ayoze Perez or Dwight Gayle able to play alongside a new centre-forward up top.

DeAndre Yedlin would be a great right wing-back and if they could find someone similar on the opposite flank – perhaps Kenedy if they can sort out a deal to bring the Chelsea man to St James’ Park on a permanent basis following a successful loan spell – they will be well set.

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The 3-5-2 formation allows a lot of movement in those central areas of the pitch with Dele Alli and Jesse Lingard often pushing forward against Tunisia to leave Jordan Henderson as the deep-lying player when England were attacking, and the same technique could certainly work for Benitez when his team were in need of a goal.

With the energy this Magpies team already has and with the right signings this summer, the Tyneside outfit would be in a great place to follow Southgate’s blueprint and bring even more success for the club in the upcoming season.

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Wolves are looking forward to returning to Premier League action next season after romping to Championship glory this term, and manager Nuno Santo will be looking forward to spending some big money on new players this summer.

The Midlanders, backed by their super rich owners and influenced by agent Jorge Mendes, will no doubt be linked with a whole host of fresh talent, but here in the Tavern, our landlord thinks the club could well look closer to home to find its next star.

Wolves are bound to be linked with a whole host of names in the coming weeks, and with good reason. However, there are plenty of players already in the English game who could well do a superb job at Molineux if given the chance.

One player our landlord dropped into the conversation this week was Man City star and Celtic loanee Patrick Roberts, who has been excellent for the Bhoys over the course of the last two seasons, but looks to have a job on his hands breaking into the City team this term.

The impressive young attacking midfielder was a key member of the Celtic squad once again last term, and despite only getting on the scoresheet just the once, his performances in general were of excellent quality.

However, with City having such a depth of talent, Wolves could well look to make a move for the 21-year-old, where he will no doubt be given more first team chances and the opportunity to impress crowds in the Premier League.

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Wolves fans, what do you think? Would you take Roberts? Good signing? Let us know!

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Borussia Dortmund are expressing an interest in signing West Ham starlet Declan Rice, according to The Sun.

What’s the word?

West Ham have struggled for form this season, losing five of their opening eight matches, and also face a stern fight behind the scenes to retain the services of Declan Rice amidst a lengthy contract saga with the teenager.

The Hammers are desperate to retain the services of the 19-year-old but he has so far rejected the contract extensions offered by West Ham, which The Sun says has led Borussia Dortmund to express an interest in the starlet.

Dortmund’s interest in Rice follows the impressive form shown by Jadon Sancho after he quit Manchester City to move to the Bundesliga last year, while Reiss Nelson has also impressed on loan with Hoffenheim from Arsenal.

A Hammer blow?

While Dortmund’s interest in Rice will grab headlines, it should not change West Ham’s stance at all as they continue to push for the teenager to pen a new deal – although the interest of the German giants strengthens the defensive midfielder’s bargaining position.

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The teenager has featured five times in the league for Manuel Pellegrini’s side this term, with his versatility proving to be an extremely useful asset, and the threat of losing the 19-year-old academy graduate is a major concern for the Hammers as he has proven his worth over the course of the past 18 months.

Tottenham Hotspur reportedly rejected the chance to sign Sancho before his move to Dortmund, and West Ham can’t afford to make the same mistake that their arch-rivals did by letting Rice go the same way.

Having been extremely convincing in large parts against Stoke City at home yesterday afternoon despite Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud not gobbling up all of the chances that were presented to them, our resident Arsenal fans are largely happy given they are now third in the Premier League table.

In many ways, yesterday’s game at Emirates Stadium told you everything you needed to know about Arsenal’s current state with their playmakers such as Mesut Ozil, Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey providing opportunities yet again, only for the likes of Walcott and Giroud to miss their fair share before they scored them.

If Arsene Wenger did manage to find value in the market while attaining a new top class forward this summer, many Arsenal fans would be laughing because they always create chances and would undoubtedly be closer to Manchester City at the top of the table but given Chelsea’s dire start to the campaign, they are relatively content where they are at the moment.

Having now achieved their first win at Emirates Stadium coupled with hard fought victories away at Crystal Palace and Newcastle United, the Gunners sit on 10 points, five adrift of leaders Manchester City while they face a trip across London to face wounded animal and fierce rivals Chelsea next Saturday lunchtime.

While the Blues have had the better of the fixture more recently, Arsenal and Arsene Wenger managed to inflict their first ever defeat on a Jose Mourinho-led Chelsea team in the FA Community Shield so they will be full of belief this time around.

With fans still hanging around in the tavern following today’s Super Sunday action, they’re taking a moment to list who they believe to be Arsenal’s five most underrated players right now.

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Click on the image below to reveal the 5 most underrated Arsenal players in the current squad.

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Francis Coquelin

Nothing short of a revelation since returning to Arsenal’s first team from a loan spell at Charlton Athletic last season, Arsenal fans now rave about Francis Coquelin on a weekly basis but there seems to be a reluctance from opposition fans to class him in a close to world class bracket.

Seemingly because he returned from a Championship loan spell and because he didn’t cost a £40 million plus fee, rival fans refuse to recognise Coquelin as such an important player for Arsenal but ever since returning from the Addicks, it has only really been the dire season opener against West Ham United in which the young Frenchman played terribly.

A firm fixture in Wenger’s squad until the end of last season including a great performance in the FA Cup Final, Coquelin is all-action and gees up his team-mates by making crucial interceptions that are timed to perfection – just look at his fantastic tackle that sparked Theo Walcott’s opener against Stoke City yesterday!

Doing everything a holding midfielder should do at the moment, Coquelin has also proved he’s not just a small game player too, having also proved incredibly effective in last season’s standout result away at Manchester City.

Nacho Monreal

Left back is hardly the most spectacular position in a starting eleven but if you watch Nacho Monreal’s game closely nowadays, you will find that he is extremely consistent and this wasn’t always the way with the Spaniard.

Giving little away while supporting Arsenal attacks when he can, Monreal has proved himself to be one of the most dependable unsung members of the Gunners’ squad in the second part of last season and the early part of this one.

Used as a scapegoat when he was unfairly positioned at centre back in the first part of last season when injury struck and Arsene Wenger failed to adequately replace Thomas Vermaelen, Monreal deserves great credit for bouncing back and forcing himself ahead of Kieran Gibbs in the defensive pecking order.

Considering we are yet to really see Kieran Gibbs this season as an Arsenal academy product that is still rated highly at Emirates Stadium, this tells you all you need to know about the impact Monreal has enjoyed.

Olivier Giroud

A controversial choice in this countdown given the fact he is like Marmite with his opinion splitting attributes, no matter what you say about Olivier Giroud, he is never frightened to take his next chance.

Yesterday’s performance against Stoke City summed the French international up in a nutshell given the fact he missed an easy strike from point blank range ahead of scoring shortly after to seal a 2-0 victory.

While a striker playing for a team of the calibre of Arsenal should be gobbling up easy opportunities, Giroud was man enough to take his second chance showing that he doesn’t go into himself after missing a howler.

Now boasting 43 goals in 102 Premier League appearances for the Gunners, there are far worse striking records out there in the world of football.

All Arsenal needed to do was supplement Giroud’s talents with another top class striker this summer to really prove they were the real deal but it wasn’t to be.

Gabriel Paulista

Most definitely a standout selection for this particular countdown, it still seems as if pundits and rival fans don’t really take Gabriel Paulista seriously given the fact he was brought to Arsenal as a lesser known name.

But that said, people should recall how many mistakes the Brazilian international has made since arriving at Emirates Stadium from Villarreal in January.

The answer is that Gabriel has made minimal errors in Arsenal’s back line, always looking assured but not only that, he is tough in the tackle too as a rugged competitor.

Currently ahead of Per Mertesacker in the centre back pecking order, this is testament to Gabriel’s consistency at the back and if he manages to remain in Wenger’s starting eleven for the next few months, perhaps it’ll be only then that other fans start to appreciate Gabriel’s attributes like Arsenal fans do as well.

Tomas Rosicky

We must be honest; how often is Tomas Rosicky missing from Arsenal squads due to injury?

The answer is a lot but Arsenal’s second longest serving player continues to be a threat whenever he is injury free and receiving rare starting opportunities in Arsene Wenger’s side.

Scoring a sumptuous goal away at Brighton & Hove Albion in Arsenal’s successful run to a second successive FA Cup triumph last season, Rosicky is most definitely a player who is a match made in heaven with Arsenal’s playing style.

Elegant on the ball and direct in his running abilities, Rosicky is most definitely an underrated player who you feel could’ve achieved so much more on a personal level, had he not been so injury prone in his Arsenal career.

We’re some way into the London derby between Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham, and it’s been a predictably exciting clash so far.Even though goal mouth action hasn’t been exactly free-flowing, both sides are putting in committed, organised and energetic displays – as you’d expect from a clash involving two local rivals separated by just one position and three goals in the Premier League table.Well, make that five goals actually, because Lilywhites favourite Harry Kane of the Lane opened the scoring with a short-range rocket into Adrian’s net on 23 minutes, leading to a chorus of ‘He’s one of our own’ swirling around White Hart Lane, and team-mate Toby Alderweireld followed up around ten minutes later, latching onto a Christian Eriksen corner to head past the Hammers’ No.1 for the second time in quick succession.Needless to say, Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham and Premier League fans in general have all had their say on social media. Here are some of the best reactions from Twitter:

This is an important campaign for West Ham United, with a move to the Olympic Stadium next season a landmark in the London club’s history.

Ahead of the significant stadium move, a successful and progressive 2015-16 was required to give the club’s fans something to be optimistic about and to say goodbye to the long-serving Upton Park.

The appointment of Slaven Bilic was followed by an aggressive summer recruitment policy, with a host of new faces heading to the Hammers.

Of the new men to join the London club, the likes of Dimitri Payet and Manual Lanzini have stood out, while Victor Moses and others have also played their part so far.

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With West Ham sitting sixth and only four points off the top four after 20 games, few would disagree that it has been a successful campaign to date, with memorable away wins at Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City making it all the sweeter.

One of the key features of this success has been strength in depth after the summer signings, which has been put to the test of late.

Bilic has bemoaned his situation as a crux of key men have been sent to the treatment table, with the Hammers down to their bare bones over the manic festive season fixture schedule – especially in attack.

This has given another summer signing that had been somewhat forgotten about a chance to play and proved that he can be an influential member of the team both for the rest of the current campaign and for seasons to come.

Michail Antonio joined West Ham from Nottingham Forest after proving himself as a dangerous attacking force in the Championship over a solitary campaign with the City Ground outfit.

Something of a journeyman before his move to the Midlands outfit, the 25-year-old lived up to his potential at Forest and looks capable of continuing this in the Premier League.

A winger with sparkling pace and footwork, Antonio’s eye for goal stood out during his time in Nottingham, with the versatile attacker striking 14 times in the 2014-15 campaign. This was backed up by 12 assists, with Antonio’s drive and desire too much for most opposition full-backs to handle.

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Given the competition for places in wide areas at West Ham, the star will find it tough to play week-in, week-out; but over recent weeks he has shown that he can be an important player for Bilic’s men.

During five starts and a number of substitute appearances for West Ham in quick succession, Antonio has scored a number of important goals and added an extra dimension to the team’s attacking play.

The club are clearly eager to play with pace on at least one flank, with the former Forest man offering this in abundance with Moses not available.

It will be interesting to see just what line-up Bilic opts for when some of his missing men return to availability, but so far Antonio has taken his opportunity to play with two hands.

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Mark Hughes should be commended for the job he has undertaken at Stoke City, with the Potters played some excellent football in recent months and climbing up the table.

The Welshman was handed the task of reinventing the Britannia Stadium outfit upon his arrival, with Tony Pulis’ direct and physical approach giving the team a certain reputation and starving the club’s fans of silky football.

Hughes has taken time to change this ethos but the playing squad have now turned their attention to getting the ball down and playing rather than looking for a domineering striker to play it long to.

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Stoke’s recruitment has been key to the alteration in style, with the Potters now able to boast some international calibre attacking footballers full of technique and skill.

Offensive pair Xherdan Shaqiri and Bojan Krkic most commonly are heralded as a reason for an upturn in the Potteries and hog the headlines given their feats of individualism.

There is no doubting the calibre of the duo, who have both been in scintillating form this season.

However, a third member of the Stoke attacking trident must also be recognised for a remarkable upturn in form, with Marko Arnautovic proving himself to be just as important as his more distinguished team-mates.

The Austria international’s unique blend of power and precision, coupled with a thunderbolt shot, has seen him become a favourite with the Stoke fans. Some of the side’s major achievements this season have had Arnautovic right at the core of them.

Stoke outplayed and defeated both Manchester sides at the Britannia Stadium, while also beating Premier League champions Chelsea on home soil.

On all three of these occasions the former Twente, Werder Bremen and Inter Milan attacker hit the back of the net and put in memorable performances.

Arnautovic is Stoke’s top scorer with seven goals this season and adds a clinical edge to the delicate interplay of Shaqiri and Bojan.

Against Everton in their last outing, it was the Austrian that made clever runs in front of and in behind the home side’s defence, bamboozling John Stones in the process. He also won and scored the decisive penalty to give the visitors a memorable 4-3 win.

Cutting in from the left wing, Arnautovic’s menace off the ball kept the Toffees’ back four honest and allowed Bojan to drop deep to pick up possession and turn.

The 26-year-old developed something of a bad-boy reputation at former clubs, with Jose Mourinho and Steve McClaren both speaking out about his questionable character and personality.

However, since joining Stoke Arnautovic has answered his critics on the pitch and is starting to look decidedly at home with Hughes’ men.

His air of entitlement, the way he carries himself and even his appearance are not dissimilar to Zlatan Ibrahimovic and it is clear to see that the Austrian can be a devastating attacking weapon when given the ball and full of confidence.

Stoke’s journey to the top eight looks set to reach destination this season, with a new footballing ethos delighting the club’s fans.

Although Bojan and Shaqiri are poster boys for the new-look Stoke, Arnautovic’s aggression and footballing intelligence should not be overlooked as a reason for their success.

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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has insisted that he will not sell injury-plagued striker Daniel Sturridge.

Sturridge has been recently linked with a move away from Anfield, with reports suggesting that Klopp has become frustrated with the England international’s constant injury problems.

West Ham United have been touted as one of the clubs interested in Sturridge, despite the striker already having his comeback delayed on three occasions due to niggling problems.

However, Klopp is adamant that he will not give up on the former Chelsea star, pointing to the example of Ilkay Gundogan, who spent over a year out injured during his time in charge of Borussia Dortmund.

He is quoted by The Mirror: “We have to patient. That’s not my best skill, to be honest, but in this case I have no other choice.

“To have a player like Daniel in your squad is always a good situation, and when it’s not possible to use him, it’s not a good situation.

“We all know it’s pretty easy for him when he’s fit, but at this moment he isn’t. We cannot change this and I am not thinking about making a general decision (about him) at the moment.

“I had 15 months with Ilkay Gundogan where we had to all wait. It was his back and we had no chance to force it. It’s not a back problem with Daniel, but it’s the muscle.

“Out of responsibility, we have to do everything we can to give him the physical strength to be able to play Premier League football.”

Sturridge has only made six appearances in all competitions this season, but when he has featured he has been incredibly effective, scoring on four occasions.

The Reds will travel to Carrow Road to face Norwich City on Saturday hoping to end their three-game winless streak.

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After watching Reading v Crystal Palace on Friday, one player that caught the eye was the Royal’s Dutch midfielder Ola John. The youngster, on loan from Benfica, was unplayable against the Premier League defence at times, and although he wasted a lot of key chances, was definitely their stand out player.

With three goals and five assists in 20 games, it isn’t stand out form but still promising. Quite how Reading got the promising player on loan from the Portuguese side is beyond me, but it looks to be a good signing. Although Reading’s form has been very inconsistent this season, they still made it to the quarter-final stage of the FA Cup.

The FA Cup success of course can’t be put solely down to John, but he is a player that has been fairly well known since he FC Twente days. At Twente he scored nine goals in 46 appearances, and then netted three goals in 55 outings for Benfica. He could be a lot better if he was given consistent playing time at Reading, rather than substitute appearances.

With six games to go, he has the chance to prove himself to bigger teams. It’s obvious at Benfica that he was struggling to get the game time that he craves in order to be a better player. Considering his quick adaptation to the English game, he should be looking for a permanent move to England.

If not one of the big teams, then he should look to extend his loan to Reading for another year. With Brian McDermott now back in charge after Steve Clarke’s shaky reign, Reading could enjoy the consistency needed for them to mount a serious promotion push next season.

Although he has struggled for success for the national team, John is one move away from getting into the fold. As a winger, he will certainly be in demand. At a team like Palace he could become one of the next big things, especially if they sell Yannick Bolasie.  Even at a team like Newcastle if they stay up this season, John could prove to be a good addition.

The Dutchman may be far from the finished article, but if he can get a move away and regular playtime, then he could improve. But with the skills that he showed against Palace, he has the potential to be a great player.

Like so many quality players when they were starting out, all he needs is consistency: rather than just being brought on as a sub, he needs to start games and have managers build a team around him.

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