As reported by The Daily Mirror, Everton are keen on West Ham United’s midfield maestro Pedro Obiang this summer.

What’s the story?

Ronald Koeman is on the hunt for talent that he feels can bring Everton closer to launching an assault on the top four in the English Premier League and according to latest reports has made the centre of midfield his priority.

The Mirror say that the Toffees are very keen on signing the Hammers’ Pedro Obiang, after a consistently good season at the London Stadium.

The paper reckon they want him to replace James McCarthy and work in partnership with the impressive Idrissa Gueye. Valued at £15m by the Irons, the report also says that in order to land their man, Everton will be competing with the likes of AC Milan and Sevilla for his signature.

The right fit?

Obiang was stand out for West Ham last season, finishing runner-up to Michail Antonio in the club’s player of the year award. With 60 appearances for Slaven Bilic since joining from Sampdoria in 2015, he’s a key part of the set-up at the London Stadium and would add serious depth to Everton’s midfield.

His defensive attributes are strong and in conjunction with Gueye, could be very formidable indeed. However, he also has the ability to drive forward with the ball into the final third and that spark could be just what the Toffees need to help support the likes of Romelu Lukaku.

In his column for Glasgow paper The Evening Times, former Rangers striker Derek Johnstone has given his verdict on the club’s link to Motherwell sensation Louis Moult.

What’s the story?

The Scottish Sun reported earlier this month that the Light Blues were interested in a £500,000 move for Moult after another impressive 18-goal season in the Scottish top-flight. The transfer was also said to have included Michael O’Halloran moving to Fir Park.

Derek Johnstone knows a thing or two about scoring goals for Rangers having netted 211 times for the Gers in a 554 game career across the 1970s and 80s. He reckons that while Moult is an impressive player, the deal doesn’t suit the Ibrox side.

Writing in his column for The Evening Times, Johnstone said:

I don’t think it would make sense for Rangers to part with half a million quid and Michael O’Halloran, a player who cost them about the same amount in the first place. If Rangers could do a straight swap, then I think that would be a very good bit of business.

While it’s true Rangers may have paid a decent sum money for O’Halloran, Pedro Caixinha can’t be expected to honour those values when identifying targets and given the former St Johnstone man is unlikely to be getting a game at Ibrox any time soon, it surely makes sense to get him off the Rangers books?

Still, Johnstone is correct, if the Light Blues can manage to do a deal without involving cash, it would allow Caixinha to divert limited resources to other top targets this summer.

Following the arrival of new signing Davy Klaassen at Everton, questions have now been raised over the future of Ross Barkley.

Questions were already being asked about the England international due to his apparent reluctance to sign a new contract.

Manager Ronald Koeman stated numerous times during last season that the 23-year-old will be sold if he does not put pen to paper on a fresh deal.

Barkley’s current contract expires at the end of next season, so it would make financial sense for Everton to sell rather than allow him to leave for nothing in the summer of 2018.

Now, though, the midfielder’s place in the team is under threat following the signing of Klaassen, who officially joined the club from Ajax for £23.6m on Thursday night.

The 24-year-old possesses plenty of attacking talent from the middle of the pitch as he managed to find the back of the net 16 times in all competitions for Ajax last season, and he also contributed nine assists.

In contrast, Barkley could only muster five goals and eight assists for Everton during the 2016-17 campaign.

Following Koeman’s capture of Klaassen, some fans are speculating over Barkley’s future, with some believing that he may even be encouraged to stay due to the club’s transfer activity so far.

According to reports in the Daily Mirror, Newcastle United are ready to battle with Premier League rivals Bournemouth for the signing of £5m-rated Hamburg attacking midfielder Lewis Holtby this summer.The 26-year-old was a regular for the Bundesliga outfit as they narrowly avoided finishing in the relegation play-off spot last season, and with just a year remaining on his contract Hamburg are ready to listen to offers for the midfielder, who had spells with Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham in the Premier League prior to his move to Germany.It is something that will have caught the attention of Magpies manager Rafa Benitez, who is looking to strengthen his squad and add some English top flight experience to his side.Newcastle supporters were quick to have their say on the rumour via social media, and while many would be happy to get the deal over the line – especially at a cost of £5m – some believe he was underwhelming during his time with Spurs and therefore a move could be a risk.Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

West Ham co-owner David Gold has made no secret of the club’s need to sign a striker this summer.

Although the Hammers ended up scoring the eleventh-most goals of any Premier League side last season, only nine came from out-and-out centre-forwards Jonathan Calleri, Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho, with the latter duo missing much of the campaign through injury.

The problem, however, is that strikers cost a small fortune in this day and age and in comparison to some of the Premier League’s top clubs, West Ham just don’t have that kind of money to spend.

With that in mind, we suggested a short-term fix in the form of Wolfsburg striker Mario Gomez, who bagged 16 goals in the Bundesliga last season and is rated at just £6.38million by Transfermarkt.

And according to our poll, the majority of West Ham fans – 68% – would back a swoop for the 70-cap German international. At 32 years of age, Gomez doesn’t offer much longevity, but he could certainly solve the Irons’ goalscoring problems for the next few seasons.

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Regardless of what happened the season before, the only way to view the opening fixture of a new league season as a football fan is with hope.

All negativity is cast aside, all pre-conceptions about the team you cursed in the previous term are put to the back of your brain, there are no pre-mature judgements of players that made you tear your hair out. In fact, the start of season is sometimes often the highlight of an entire season, depending how well or how badly it goes from that point on.

Rangers begin their Scottish Premiership bid on Sunday away to Motherwell and it’s with this expectation and hope that fans look forward to the match.

It’s been a strange summer for the Light Blues with competitive action finishing almost as quickly as it started in late June/early July. Since then they’ve regrouped with friendlies and are now ready to go.

Supporters will be keen to see a new look Rangers this season with a full pre-season behind them but what signs of progress should fans be looking for specifically against Motherwell on Sunday?

Here are four we think fans should keep a close eye on…

A resurgent Josh Windass’ new position

Josh Windass is the player fans are talking about most this week after his excellent performance against Sheffield Wednesday at the weekend. He netted a goal and was deployed in a more unusual position than fans have been used to during his time at the Light Blues.

He’s spent most of his time at the club in a more central midfield role, rarely given license to push up and be a menace in the final third.

Against the English Championship side though he was deployed on the left hand side and with a newfound confidence and with more space on the flank looked a vastly different player.

Pedro Caixinha was certainly impressed, telling the official Rangers website:

“He played more in the wide area and I think it suits him better changing the pattern of playing wide and helping inside, playing between the lines and more connections with the strikers and central midfielders. That is what Josh can give to us and he is doing really well and is going to help us definitely.”

It’ll be interesting to see if that continues against Motherwell and whether it can change the dynamic of the Rangers midfield enough for them to be more of a force away from home this season.

Do Rangers look more like a team than vs Progres?

The most worrying thing about Rangers’ exit to Luxembourg minnows Progress Niederkorn in UEFA Europa League qualifying was how disjointed and unfamiliar Pedro Caixinha’s starting XI looked.

In many ways that was to be expected after such a high turnover in players and just a few weeks on the training ground to bed them in, but it also pointed to perhaps too much of a scatter-gun signing policy from the Portuguese.

He has signed nine first-teamers this summer and let go seven more in the opposite direction. It’s massive upheaval for a team that need to hit the ground running in the new season or risk having even more pressure and unrest piled upon them.

Will Caixinha’s team vs Motherwell look like a unit that know each other well and can play to each other’s strengths? Time will tell, but it’s these on-the-pitch partnerships that will be the biggest sign of whether they are moving in the right direction or not.

Is there still a reliance on Kenny Miller?

Despite signing Mexican Eduardo Herrera and Alfredo Morelos, who has been ripping up the Finnish top-flight, Rangers have shown a worrying reliance on Kenny Miller this summer, pointing to the same old problems in the Light Blues’ attack.

The veteran Rangers star scored their goal in that Europa League tie and was also on the scoresheet against Sheffield Wednesday at the weekend. As of yet, Pedro Caixinha’s new boys have yet to find the net and until they do, the same old questions will plague this Rangers team.

Can they step up and take the pressure off Miller or is this going to be another season of toil and strife? It was their biggest inadequacy last term and fans will be hoping they have new striking heroes on their hands.

A much changed Rangers, but have they really changed?

The Rangers squad of this summer is almost unrecognisable from the one last summer that ‘boasted’ the likes of Joey Barton, Joe Garner and Philippe Senderos amongst its ranks. That can only be a positive for fans, but while there’s been a change of personnel, they’ve yet to prove that they are any better than the team of old and the proof will be in the pudding in terms of results.

The Light Blues badly need a victory away to Motherwell on Sunday, if they fail to pick up three points it immediately puts massive pressure back onto Pedro Caixinha and his team despite some positive friendly results and performances over the last few weeks.

The biggest problem last term was the side’s lack of consistency in winning away matches with dropped points away from home littering their Scottish Premiership campaign.

Can they prove they are changed outfit with an impressive away win to start the season?

Aston Villa announced on their official website on Thursday that they had signed defender Christopher Samba on a one-year deal.

The 33-year-old began training with the Championship outfit in February after being released by Greek side Panathinaikos in January, and he has done enough in the last few months to convince Villans boss Steve Bruce to hand him a contract.

The former Blackburn Rovers centre-back has been an impressive figure during the club’s pre-season friendlies, and Bruce has decided to add his experience to the squad as the side looks to secure a return to the Premier League next season.

Samba joins the likes of John Terry, Glenn Whelan and Ahmed Elmohamady in moving to Villa Park this summer.

Villa supporters were quick to have their say on the addition of the big centre-half via social media, and while many said the contract was well deserved, others are concerned at the age of the players the club is bringing in.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

According to reports in The Express on August 17, Manchester City are willing to sell out-of-favour defender Eliaquim Mangala in order to finance a move for West Bromwich Albion’s Jonny Evans.

The Express says that while Baggies boss Tony Pulis doesn’t want to sell the Northern Ireland international, for whom they have already rejected an £18m bid from City, they could be tempted by an offer of more than £25m.

However, the report adds that Citizens manager Pep Guardiola knows he needs to offload some of his fringe players as well and he could look to move on the likes of Mangala in order to boost his funds to bring Evans to the Etihad.

Considering that the former Manchester United man would ultimately be replacing the French centre-back, it makes even more sense for him to go before the transfer window slams shut next Thursday.

Meanwhile, Newcastle United have started the Premier League season with two defeats and Rafa Benitez will be keen to further strengthen his squad before August draws to a close.

Here are three reasons Newcastle should move to sign the out-of-favour Mangala…

Qualities

The 26-year-old showed the defensive qualities he has during his spell with Valencia last season, where he made 30 La Liga appearances.

The France international made 161 clearances and 69 interceptions, while he successfully won 40 tackles and 45 headed duels.

He also showed his ability to bring the ball out of defence by successfully completing 10 of the 14 take-ons he attempted, and Benitez would be a fan of a centre-back that can be comfortable and composed in possession.

Experience

While he may have struggled to become a regular in the starting line-up for Manchester City, Mangala still made 64 appearances for the club across two seasons before signing for Valencia on a season-long loan deal last term.

Having played for City, the La Liga outfit, FC Porto and Standard Liege during his career, the 26-year-old has plenty of experience in the Premier League and in Europe, while he is also at a great age to still improve before his upcoming peak years.

With new boy Florian Lejeune missing after picking up an injury on the opening day, Newcastle are lacking that know-how at the heart of the defence and signing Mangala would certainly help in that respect.

Transfer deal

The fact that City want to offload the Frenchman before the transfer window slams shut means that Newcastle could sign him for a cut-price fee if they bide the time – something that Rafa Benitez may want to do in order to use his budget wisely.

However, talkSPORT reports that Inter Milan believe they could bring the centre-back to Italy on loan with a view to a permanent deal, and that scenario would likely suit the Magpies even more rather than splashing out on a transfer fee in one go.

Do you agree, Newcastle fans? Let us know below.

Southampton are adamant that Liverpool and Chelsea target Virgil van Dijk will not be sold before Thursday’s transfer deadline, according to The Telegraph.

What’s the word?

The saga surrounding Van Dijk has been rumbling all summer ever since Liverpool made moves to sign the defender.

The Merseyside outfit were left red-faced, though, as they were forced to publicly apologise after being accused by Southampton of tapping up.

Van Dijk has since tried to force a move away from St Mary’s by submitting a transfer request and criticising the club for appearing to question his professionalism.

According to The Telegraph, despite the Dutchman’s desire to leave and interest from Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal, the Saints are prepared to stand firm and refuse a sale.

The publication suggests that only a bid upwards of £50m would likely cause Southampton to reconsider.

Is it the end of the road?

Previous transfer windows have taught us that it is never really over until the market is officially closed for business.

With just over three days until transfer activity ceases, it will be difficult for any club to secure a deal for Van Dijk due to Southampton’s unwillingness to sell.

Chelsea recruited Antonio Rudiger earlier in the campaign, and with Gary Cahill, Cesar Azpilicueta and David Luiz in the squad, the club are not in desperate need to strengthen the back line.

As for Liverpool, their all-too-familiar defensive frailties have resurfaced this season.

With Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip being the first-choice partnership, there is always a sense of unease, but the pair did manage to help keep a clean sheet against Arsenal at the weekend.

The Reds would be hugely boosted by the arrival of Van Dijk, but with the clock ticking, it seems that they may have to go without.

Newcastle United picked up a vital win against Stoke City on Saturday, battling to a 2-1 scoreline at St James’ Park.

After a difficult start on their return to the English Premier League, Rafa Benitez’s side have now won their last three matches in the top-flight and sit in a healthy position on nine points.

Stoke made them work hard for it with Xherdan Shaqiri cancelling out Christian Atsu’s first half effort.

However, captain Jamaal Lascelles was again the unlikely goal hero for the Magpies, heading home midway through the second half to secure all three points. Lascelles of course was also the man who delivered the points last week, his goal leading to a 1-0 win away to Swansea.

After another excellent performance Newcastle fans are looking for the club to sign him up to a new long-term contract, with The Telegraph reporting this week he was close to signing such a deal.

Fans took to Twitter to share their excitement about his contribution on Saturday…