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Manchester City faced the enviable task of finding it difficult to improve their squad this summer, with only Riyad Mahrez added to the title winning team from last season.

Pep Guardiola will know it is difficult to improve such a talented bunch of players, but he is no doubt always on the lookout for added quality.

However, there is room for improvement as always, and one position which seems to be somewhat lightweight is a right back, where only Kyle Walker is of real world class level.

And one player we think would be a superb signing for City is Bayern Munich and Germany star, Joshua Kimmich.

Kimmich is very much on the same level, if not better in terms of ability than Walker, and at just 23, could make the right back slot his own at the Etihad.

Despite not having the best time with Germany over in Russia this summer, Kimmich is still recognised as one of the best in the world in his position, and rightly so.

A classy operator, Kimmich would improve the squad and first team at City no end, and would be a massive signing for the club.

Quick, dangerous in attack, and crucially, solid in defence, there is little doubt that the German star would bring an added element to the City squad and give them even greater depth as they seek to win the Champions League.

 City fans, what do you think? Good signing? Let us know in the comments!

In his press conference on Friday, Jose Mourinho confirmed that Antonio Valencia would continue as captain when he returns from injury, taking over from Paul Pogba who will again lead the side against Brighton on Sunday, as reported by Metro.

Mourinho and Pogba have been involved in a long-running bust up this summer, but the French World Cup winning midfielder captained the side in their opening day win over Leicester at Old Trafford and netted the first goal from the penalty spot.

Valencia is currently out with a calf strain that he suffered during pre-season, and Manchester United fans on Twitter were clearly against him taking the captain’s armband back from Pogba on his return.

Metro did report however that Mourinho claimed Pogba, as an academy graduate and guaranteed starter, had all the right attributes to be considered a future United club captain. Although clearly that day cannot come soon enough for many fans. Check out the best reactions to the news below.

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Leeds United have been linked with a move for free agent Morteza Pouraliganji, according to Iranian news outlet Tasnim News Agency.

What’s the story?

The 26-year-old is a free agent after leaving Qatari club Al-Saad this summer, with a proposed move to Trabzonspor falling through.

The centre-back, who played every minute of Iran’s World Cup campaign in Russia, is now being linked with a move to Leeds United as Marcelo Bielsa has taken a liking to the talent who can also play as a central midfielder.

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Worth a punt

Even though Leeds have looked very strong so far this season, another centre-back would really help solidify Bielsa’s squad, and someone that is capable of playing in midfield would be an added bonus.

Pouraliganji may not have been tested at the highest level of European club football, but the 30-cap international played against Portugal and Spain at the World Cup, conceding one goal in each game.

On a free transfer, there is a very little risk to signing Pouraliganji and he could be that finishing touch that sees Leeds over the line come the end of the season, with little cover for the centre-back options in particular currently on offer.

According to Turkish website Fanatik, Beşiktaş are interested in signing West Brom winger Nacer Chadli.

The Belgian was expected to leave at some point this summer, and it looks as though the club from Istanbul could be his destination.

Chadli (valued at £13.5m on Transfermarkt.co.uk) has not featured for The Baggies so far this season. However, this may be because manager Darren Moore would like to rest his man after featuring in the World Cup for Belgium, including bagging his country's winner against Japan in the last 16.

But after a successful World Cup, it always seemed unlikely that the former Tottenham man would return to The Hawthorns, and many fans would not blame him. On the back of his World Cup, he would want to playing the highest level of football possible, and the former Turkish champions can potentially offer the 29-year-old European football, providing they qualify.

Chadli's 2017/18 season was marred by injury, as the player only managed to play four times in the Premier League, finding the net once, as his side were relegated. While it is expected that a relegated club will have an exodus of players, the surprising thing is that it has taken this long for anyone to show an interest in Chadli.

Beşiktaş finished fourth in the Süper Lig last season and will want to add to their squad to regain the title that they lost from the season before.

Of course this will be disappointing news for West Brom fans, but it is one that they must have seen coming, and cannot blame Chadli.

Celtic fans have been discussing possible targets to rescue their defence, and nearly two thirds of fans are backing a move for Micah Richards.

According to BBC, Celtic had a bid in the region of £3.5m rejected for Aberdeen youngster Scott McKenna.

Rodgers has since confirmed that the Hoops are no longer interest in McKenna, but along with the links to Wolfsburg’s Jeffrey Bruma, it is clear the Hoops are chasing another centre back.

Fans have been discussing other possible targets, and one fan has suggested making a move for Aston Villa’s Richards.

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The versatile veteran can play as a centre back or right back, which are Celtic’s two major problem positions right now, so if they could get him for a reasonable price it would actually be a very smart move.

Richards didn’t play a game for Aston Villa last season, and a move to Celtic Park could be exactly what he needs to revive his career.

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61 per cent of fans think they should move for the 30 year-old, and you can find the full poll results down below…

West Ham United launched a summer spending spree during the recent transfer window which garnered widespread media attention and hype among the expectant fanbase, but not one of their signings have shaken the footballing world to its core quite like the famous double deal they completed in 2006 to secure the signatures of both Javier Mascherano and Carlos Tevez. 

The photograph which displays a delighted Alan Pardew stood in-between two fresh faced Argentinians is one of the most iconic images of the Premier League era. West Ham’s manager at the time looks like a proud father who has just watched both his sons sign professional contracts in the same day as if, somehow, he was solely responsible for their special talent.

The pride written all over Pardew’s face was certainly not misplaced: indeed, the Hammers had just secured the signatures of two players who had been widely tipped to reach the highest heights of European football. Football manager enthusiasts and avid watchers of South American football salivated at witnessing Mascherano and Tevez showcase their potential in the Premier League.

It was an incredibly groundbreaking deal which was aptly described as ‘the biggest transfer coup of the summer’ by the Daily Telegraph; make no mistake about it, this was a deal which shocked the footballing world to its core. Nobody saw it coming and yet, out of nowhere, the Irons had brought two of South America’s most promising youngsters to Upton Park.

But neither Tevez or Mascherano hit the ground running in English football in the manner which many had expected them to. Mascherano made just 3 Premier League starts for the Hammers before joining Liverpool in the January transfer window on a loan deal spanning nearly 18 months – by the end of his first season in England he was in Liverpool’s starting XI to face AC Milan in the final of the Champions League.

Whilst Mascherano was busy establishing himself as a first-team regular at Liverpool and highlighting Pardew’s failure to recognise his true potential, Tevez was intent on writing himself into West Ham folklore. The bullish centre-forward failed to score in his first 16 Premier League appearances, but his moment of relief arrived in April 2007 as he scored a direct free-kick and provided 2 assists during a cruel 4-3 home defeat against Tottenham Hotspur.

What happened next will remain in the hearts of the Hammers faithful for eternity. Tevez embarked on a goal-scoring spree which saw him net 7 goals in the final 10 games of the season as the club scrapped with Sheffield United to avoid relegation to the Championship.

The final day of the Premier League season arrived and West Ham travelled to Old Trafford to face a game worth millions of pounds as they flirted with the prospect of relegation. Amid extreme controversy relating to the legality behind Tevez’s transfer to West Ham and Kia Joorabchian’s reported third-party ownership of his client, the Argentine turned the media attention towards his performance on the field of play by netting the opening goal against Man United on the stroke of half-time.

United failed to reply in the second-half and West Ham secured three points whilst their closest relegation rivals Sheffield United suffered a 2-1 defeat against Wigan at Bramall Lane, and with that result Tevez had unquestionably scored one of the biggest goals in the club’s history. To this day the bitter rivalry between West Ham and Sheffield United over the Tevez deal continues to fizzle as one of the most intense, unique and recent rivalries in English football.

Mascherano has gone on to lift 2 Champions League trophies with Barcelona, 5 La Liga titles and 5 Copa del Reys, making 333 appearances for the Catalan giants in the process whilst pivoting in a midfield anchor role and marshalling the defensive unit from centre-back.

Meanwhile, Tevez continued to establish himself as one of the most controversial figures in Premier League history by completing a switch from Manchester United to Manchester City in 2009 – a deal which was greeted with another iconic image: this time a blue banner scattered across the northern powerhouse detailed a picture of Tevez wheeling away in celebration along with the deliberately antagonistic phrase ‘welcome to Manchester’.

Not only did the Argentinian pair shock the world with their initial decision to move to east London, their abject opening to life in English football, legal issues related to Joorabchian’s ownership of the players, season-defining goals, controversial transfers and above all, the enormity of the success they have respectively achieved have, with the benefit of hindsight, made West Ham’s deal arguably the most dramatic in the history of the Premier League.

West Ham fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

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Nottingham Forest recently announced the signing of Claudio Yacob on a free transfer after the Argentinian midfielder left West Brom at the end of last season and plenty of Reds fans on Twitter were excited by the deal.

Yacob spent six years at the Hawthorns, making 175 appearances before the club were relegated from the Premier League last season and his contract was not renewed by new Baggies boss Darren Moore.

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The defensively minded midfielder has three caps for Argentina and becomes Forest boss Aitor Karanka’s 16th signing of an incredible summer of overhaul at the City Ground which has also seen 21 players leave the club either on a permanent or temporary basis.

While some fans worried about the number of midfielders now in the squad, others were excited by the competition for places that it would bring and many believed that Yacob could turn out to be the best of the bunch. Check out the best tweets in reaction to the signing below.

So, Forest fans, who was your best signing of the summer? Let us know by voting in our poll below.

Alberto Moreno is not the most loved figure at Liverpool due to his poor displays on the pitch.

Throughout his four-year spell at Anfield, the Spaniard has been inconsistent, particularly defensively.

In the 2016-17 season, Moreno suffered a major blow when his left-back spot was taken by midfielder James Milner.

In the following summer, Andrew Robertson was bought by manager Jurgen Klopp from Hull City and after taking time to find his stride, the Scotland international made the position his own.

There are no indications that Robertson will be losing his first-team spot any time soon, which pours doubt over Moreno’s future.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are considering a shock swoop for the Liverpool outcast as they require cover in the left-back area.

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Having said that, Klopp’s options will be limited if Moreno moves on and it could be his biggest mistake in years if he goes, but would it be best for both parties if he does?

Let us know by voting below.

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According to Corriere dello Sport, via Sport Witness, Arsenal are amongst the top European clubs interested in securing Hector Herrera’s signature should he become a free agent at the end of the season.

What’s the story?

The Mexico international midfielder is currently in the final year of his contract with Porto, and unless new terms are agreed, he will be able to depart the club as a free agent come the summer.

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Having won the Portuguese top flight title for the first time in his career last time out, and at 28-years-old, now could be the perfect time for Herrera to take the next step in his career. His consistently good form since arriving at Porto, coupled with his soon-to-be free agent status, ensures that he will attract the attention of many top sides.

Should the dynamic midfielder become available, Arsenal ought to be ready to do all they can to bring him to the Emirates Stadium.

Ideal for Emery

Herrera is a player made for the Premier League and would be a perfect fit in Unai Emery’s side. His battling, relentless style makes him ideally suited for the Spanish manager’s hard, high-pressing system.

As a powerful box-to-box operator, Herrera is exactly the kind of player the Gunners could soon find themselves missing too. With Aaron Ramsey himself heading towards the expiry of his contract and Mohamed Elneny so far seemingly not a part of Emery’s plans, a player in Herrera’s mould could soon be at the top of the North London club’s shopping list.

With a Transfermarkt valuation of £18 million, landing the midfielder for nothing would be a major coup, not to mention a huge step forward in Emery’s process of building an Arsenal team in his own image. 

West Ham supporters have been in fine voice in recent times after seeing their side back up their first Premier League victory of the season last weekend with a hard-fought draw on Sunday.

Manuel Pellegrini’s men went into their meeting with London rivals Chelsea at the London Stadium off the back of easing past Everton 3-1 at Goodison Park the week before, thus securing their first win of the campaign at the fifth attempt. And while they weren’t able to make it back-to-back successes on Sunday, they deservedly secured a 0-0 draw from the visit of Maurizio Sarri’s Blues, in turn ending the 2017 league champions’ 100% start to the season.

As such, there have been many satisfied Hammers fans up and down the country in recent times, although some are unlikely to be too pleased with the current situation surrounding the future of Declan Rice, what with contract talks seemingly not progressing.

And defender Pablo Zabaleta has had his say on the situation, stating that the 19-year-old could become ‘one of the greatest players for West Ham’, and that as such the club must ‘think about his situation’.

And the 33-year-old is absolutely right to suggest that the Hammers have to sort his future out, as failing to do so could see the East London outfit make one of their worst mistakes in years.

Ultimately, Rice has burst onto the scene in the last few years since making his senior debut for the club at the end of the 2016/17 season, with the versatile starlet going on to make 26 Premier League appearances last term in the Hammers’ run to 13th place in the table.

And while he was substituted at half time in their opening weekend 4-0 defeat at Liverpool last month, the 19-year-old has played as big a part as anyone in their recent upturn in form, dominating the midfield expertly in their win at Everton before giving Chelsea no room at all in the middle of the park last time out – thus, he has a very bright future ahead of him.

Clearly, even at the tender age of 19, Rice looks set to play a key part under Pellegrini this season if recent performances are anything to go by, which makes the youngster’s future even more exciting given he could indeed become a star at the London Stadium – potentially a great as Zabaleta notes.

But with his contract set to expire at the end of the current season, the Hammers board simply must act to tie the 19-year-old down to a new deal – reports suggest that top Premier League clubs are already keeping tabs on the Republic of Ireland Under-21 international.

Failure to do so would not only see Rice leave the club next summer for very little, but it would also see West Ham lose not only a star for the future, but an integral part of their squad now – regardless of the amount of money spent during the summer, the 19-year-old appears to be just as important as anyone to this team.

As such, Zabaleta is absolutely right to suggest that the club need to tie Rice down to a new deal, as at present they are at risk of making a terrible mistake in losing the 19-year-old in the near future.

West Ham fans… what do you think? Let us know!