Declan Rice has been developing in West Ham United’s youth ranks since 2014 when he switched from Chelsea.The 19-year-old made his first-team debut last year and has gone on to become an important member of the unit.During the 2017-18 campaign, the versatile player, who can be positioned at centre-back or as a defensive midfielder, started 15 Premier League matches and came off the bench in a further 11.Rice’s current contract has one year left to run, which has led to a conversation among fans regarding his future at the club.The Republic of Ireland international, who is valued at £9m byÂTransfermarkt, certainly has the talent to thrive at an elite level.[brid autoplay=”true” video=”273047″ player=”12034″ title=”Power Ranking the 1819 Premier League kits”]At just 19, Rice still has plenty to learn and he will continue to perfect his craft, but it raises questions over whether he deserves to be earning big bucks at this stage.Reliable source ExWHUemployee tweeted on Monday that the defence-minded star should be given a deal worth around £30,000 per week.Plenty of West Ham fans agreed.

West Ham United are considering making a move for Independiente winger Martin Benitez, according to ESPN’s live transfer blog (July 23, 14:30).

What’s the word?

New West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini has moved swiftly in the summer market since being appointed as David Moyes’s successor.

The Argentine, who won the Premier League title while in charge of Manchester City, has already recruited seven new faces.

Ryan Fredericks, Issa Diop, Lukasz Fabianski, Jack Wilshere, Fabian Balbuena, Andriy Yarmolenko and Felipe Anderson have all come through the welcome gates at the London Stadium.

Now, according to ESPN’s live transfer blog (July 23, 14:30), Argentine winger Benitez is now on Pellegrini’s radar.

The 24-year-old has played for the South American club for his entire career so far, but he has just one year remaining on his current deal.

What would Benitez provide?

Given the recent acquisitions, the Hammers are not screaming out for a new winger, but it is important to have strength in depth.

Plus, the pacy attack-minded player has versatility on his side in that he can feature in a variety of positions on the pitch.

Predominantly, the Argentine plays on the right wing, but he can also switch to the left or play behind the striker.

He has scored 15 goals and recorded 10 assists in 81 Primera Division matches, and while that may not be hugely impressive on paper, there is no doubt that he would push the likes of Felipe Anderson and Andriy Yarmolenko at the London Stadium and make the Irons an unstoppable attacking force in 2018/19.

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According to a report from the Daily Record earlier this week, Jose Mourinho is concerned at the lack of progress occurring at Old Trafford at present. The Red Devils have had a decent summer so far, but it’s fair to say that they’ve been far from as efficient as they have been in previous years – and that is not good for the club.

If they are to have any chance of catching Man City in the English top flight, further investment is needed, and Jose Mourinho clearly recognises that.

Unfortunately, as we’ve seen in the past with Mourinho, such as at Chelsea, once initial frustration sets in for him it can be a long route back.

However, if Man Utd spend big this summer, things could turn around quickly, and one player that would surely make Mourinho happy – beyond the players that the club are regularly linked with – is Leon Bailey.

Though not seemingly a target of the Red Devils at present, it’s a wonder why Bailey isn’t on Man Utd’s radar. The attacking midfielder is exactly what the club need at the moment.

An attacking midfielder by trade, Bailey – who is rated at £40.5 million by Transfer Markt – offers incredible quality going forward, making particular use of his pace and technique. Able to play across the attack, the Jamaican can make an impact both down the wings and through the middle, and that makes him a potent threat for his current team Bayer Leverkusen.

Last season he picked up a very respectable 9 goals and 6 assists, and that’s a testament to the quality that he provides going forward.

Furthermore, at just 20-years-old, Bailey is only going to improve, and a few years under Jose Mourinho could truly work wonders.

Bailey wouldn’t be cheap, but the directness and quality that he would provide for Man Utd could be hugely beneficial for the Red Devils – and a signing of that calibre would surely please Jose Mourinho.

Man Utd fans – thoughts?

Let us know below!

Newcastle United are considering a move for West Bromwich Albion left-back Kieran Gibbs, according to the Daily Mail transfer blog (August 2, 16:51).

What’s the word?

Most of the transfer news surrounding the Magpies has been centred on the lack of funds available.

For the second summer in a row, manager Rafael Benitez has been left frustrated by the limited budget.

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So far, Ki-Sung yueng, Kenedy, Fabian Schar and Yoshinori Mutu have come through the welcome gates at St James’ Park, but one was a free transfer and another a loan.

According to the Daily Mail transfer blog (August 2, 16:51), Gibbs is now attracting interest from the Magpies in a bid to solve their left-back issue.

Is Gibbs the answer?

At the moment, Paul Dummett is Newcastle’s only recognised left-back in the squad.

Last season, Javier Manquillo was often called upon to cover, so the need for an established player is required.

Gibbs has been at West Brom since 2017 when he signed from Arsenal, where he spent 10 years and won two FA Cups.

The 28-year-old is used to playing at the top level, and he is likely to be jumping at the chance to return to the Premier League following the Baggies’ relegation to the Championship.

Price could be a stumbling block, but if the Magpies manage to get a deal over the line, they could be securing a hugely important signing.

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Loads of Everton fans have been giving their verdict on Saturday’s draw at Wolves, but fans are completely split on the performance of Michael Keane.

Everton drew 2-2 at Molineux on Saturday evening in a hard-fought encounter, made even harder by the early dismissal of Phil Jagielka.

The veteran defender was sent off towards the end of the first half, leaving a lot of responsibility on the shoulders of Keane.

The former Burnley ace was signed last season to fix the Toffees’ defence, but had a difficult first year on Merseyside.

His lack of pace and positional awareness is a huge concern, but he played well under the increased pressure on Saturday.

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The 6 ft 3 defender helped set up the first goal, and impressed defensively making seven clearances and winning four aerial duels. However, he got caught under the ball for the second Wolves equaliser, which is the last straw for some fans.

The arrivals of Kurt Zouma and Yerry Mina will surely force him to up his level, but fans can’t decide on his Saturday showing.

Plenty are ready to dump him for the new signings, while others believe he showed signs of real potential.

Either way, you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

Aston Villa made it two wins from two at the start of the new Championship campaign when they recorded a 3-2 victory over Wigan Athletic at the weekend.

Steve Bruce’s side certainly had to ride their luck when it came to picking up all three points though, with Birkir Bjarnason’s 94th-minute strike securing a huge win.

Villa were impressive going forward, but it would be fair to say that they looked a little shaky at the back, with Mile Jedinak struggling to impress at centre-back.

Jedinak has long impressed in a midfield position, but the Australian had a difficult afternoon alongside James Chester in the heart of Villa’s back four.

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It will certainly be interesting to see whether Bruce selects the 34-year-old in defence again, but the Villa fans are hopeful that is not the case.

Indeed, a number of the club’s supporters have taken to Twitter to criticise £50,000-a-week star Jedinak, and a selection of the reaction can be seen below:

According to a recent report from The Daily Mirror, Mohamed Elneny could be on his way out of Arsenal this summer. The Egypt international only made the move to the Emirates Stadium back in 2016 but hasn’t always been a regular at the North London giants, thus prompting interest in his services this summer from French side Marseille.

And reports suggest that the 26-year-old could well be set to move to the Ligue 1 giants, which could be Arsenal manager Unai Emery’s first big mistake since taking over from Arsene Wenger earlier in the summer.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, it wasn’t going to be an easy job for anybody to take over from Frenchman Wenger following his 22-year stint in charge of the club, but there was some optimism over the summer following the appointment of former Sevilla and Paris Saint-Germain boss Emery, alongside some of the signings made during the close season.

The likes of Bernd Leno, Lucas Torreira, Matteo Guendouzi, and Stephan Lichtsteiner have all been seen as shrewd additions by some Gunners fans, and while the arrival of Torreira and Guendouzi is likely to add further competition for places in the centre of midfield, Arsenal would be making a mistake letting the talented Elneny leave.

Yes, the Egyptian star has suffered from some niggling injuries during his time at the Emirates Stadium, and as such hasn’t always been a regular in the starting eleven, but there have been glimpses from the 26-year-old that he could well give the Gunners that physical presence needed in the middle of the park.

Elneny was particularly impressive at the rear end of the 2015/16 campaign in starting nine of Arsenal’s last ten league games to usurp Tottenham in second place come the end of the season, with Wenger’s side remaining unbeaten during all nine of the matches the 26-year-old started.

Significantly, not only is Elneny a physical presence in the middle of the park, and thus able to dominate off the ball in making key tackles and interceptions, but he also possesses genuine quality on the ball in always showing for it in the middle, and seeking to get on it and move the Gunners forward.

Yes, Guendouzi may have got the nod against Manchester City at the weekend, and Torreira was the man Emery brought off the bench as opposed to Elneny, but having someone like the latter in the squad can only be beneficial to the new Gunners boss, as the midfield area has been something of a problem position for many a year now.

Thus, the Spaniard could be about to make his first big mistake as Arsenal manager by sanctioning the midfielder’s departure.

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

West Ham have endured a tough start to the Premier League season, losing back-to-back matches against Liverpool and Bournemouth.

Manuel Pellegrini has been unable to solve the Hammers’ long-standing defensive woes, with the club now boasting the unwanted record of conceding a whopping 74 goals since the start of last season – far more than any other top-flight side.

The Chilean has selected Angelo Ogbonna and Fabian Balbuena as his defensive pairing for the opening two matches of the campaign but some fans are now calling for change, as they want Issa Diop to be handed his Premier League debut.

Signed for a whopping £22m in the summer, the 21-year-old has the capability to become a leader at the London Stadium after captaining former side Toulouse and some on social media want him named as a starter for this weekend’s clash with Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

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We have rounded up the best reactions below.

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According to the Nottingham Post, Forest are one of the Championship clubs who are interested in taking Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham on loan, and Reds fans on Twitter were excited by the news.

The Nottingham Post reports that if young striker Ben Brereton completes his move from the City Ground to Blackburn before the loan deadline, then boss Aitor Karanka will look to bring in another attacking option.

Forest currently sit 13th in the Championship after five matches. Karanka’s side are still unbeaten but have only won one game, a 1-0 victory at home to Reading. Brereton is an England U19 international but has struggled for game time at Forest recently and is yet to play this season.

Abraham on the other hand is third choice striker at Chelsea behind Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud after spending last season on loan with Swansea and a loan move may be best for the 20-year-old’s development.

Check out some of the best tweets from Forest fans in response to the rumour below.

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Newcastle are still searching for their first win of the season following a 2-1 defeat away to Manchester City.

Despite captain Jamaal Lascelles returning to the side, Newcastle were behind after just eight minutes when Raheem Sterling curled home to give his team the lead. The Magpies hit back through DeAndre Yedlin but were behind after the interval when Kyle Walker blasted home his first goal for the Citizens. Another defeat leaves Newcastle in the relegation zone after four games.

After being knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Nottingham Forest, Newcastle again looked poor against Pep Guardiola’s men. The Magpies had just 21% of possession with new signing Solomon Rondon cutting an isolated figure in the attack. Rafael Benitez desperately needs a creative playmaker to help turn defence into offence and add goals to the side.

One man he could target is former Manchester City maestro – Samir Nasri. Valued at £5.4m by Transfermarkt, Nasri is currently available on a free transfer after his contract was mutually terminated at Antalysapor after the Frenchman was given a ban for doping. Despite his ban being extended to 18 months, Nasri can begin training with a new club in November.

The former France international is no stranger to the Premier League having made over 150 appearances for both Arsenal and Manchester City. He lifted two Premier League titles during his time in Manchester and scored 36 goals as well as registering 42 assists in over 200 appearances in England. If he can hit the ground running at St. James Park, he could prove to be an inspired addition.

Despite his troubles, Nasri remains a top playmaker, and his arrival would be a massive boost to Newcastle’s attackers. With expert dribbling and an eye for a pass, he is exactly what Newcastle need to address their slump. The 31-year-old can be a massive success if he can prove his fitness; on a free transfer, Newcastle have nothing to lose.

Newcastle fans, thoughts?