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West Bromwich Albion will surely be looking to the end of the domestic transfer window to secure a new striker and if they do, we’ve predicted how Slaven Bilic could line up his starting XI from there on out.

The Baggies have made new fewer than six new additions this summer but they have started the Premier League season with just one point from their opening four matches.

It leaves the Croatian with plenty to think about over this international break, so if he gets his reported top target, this is how Albion could look against Burnley…

Sam Johnstone is one man who will certainly keep his place as West Brom’s first-choice goalkeeper but will Bilic stick or twist with a back three?

It’s likely that he reverts back to the formation that won them promotion from the Championship, so Kieran Gibbs comes in at left-back with Darnell Furlong taking up a place on the other flank.

Whilst through the middle is likely to be first-choice pairing of Kyle Bartley and Semi Ajayi.

The changes started to begin in midfield where skipper Jake Livermore holds an anchorman role with summer arrivals Filip Krovinovic and Conor Gallagher taking up a slightly advanced position.

It means Matheus Pereira is pushed out wide with Grady Diangana also played out wide.

Then it comes down to Albion pushing through a deal for Huddersfield Town striker Karlan Grant – the Express & Star believe he could join on a £5m loan which would only be made permanent for an additional £13m if they stave off relegation.

AND in other news, West Brom must sanction £10m move to finally end striker headache…

Manchester United are ‘already negotiating’ a deal for Thiago Almada as they look to steal a move in the summer, according to fichajes.net.

Almada has caught the eye of a number of European giants, including Arsenal, Atletico Madrid and Manchester City (TEAMtalk). However, United have made the first move as the club look to beat their competitors to his signature.

Fichajes.net reported that he has a release cause of €22m, which equates to £20m, and this is set to run out in a matter of weeks. Football reporter Hector Andreu claims that the youngster is “ready to make the big leap to Europe” despite his young age.

Indeed, the 19-year-old has impressed for Velez Sarsfield in the Superliga this season, scoring four goals for Mauricio Pellegrino’s side, taking 1.2 shots per game, averaging 1.3 key passes and successfully completing 1.7 dribbles on average (via WhoScored).

Moreover, the board are adamant that Jadon Sancho remains a top priority, and this could benefit Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s attempts to bring the Englishman to Old Trafford. The Red Devils have moved to gain a head start over their closest rivals and the decision could pay off, as they may not have to pay a bigger transfer sum in the future.

It is worth highlighting the fact that Sancho is valued at a whopping £105.3m and Almada is priced at just £16m via Transfermarkt.

If his clause expires, United would then be able to use the leftover cash set aside to go towards a bid for the Borussia Dortmund star as well.

United fans, do you think Ed Woodward should sign Thiago Almada in the upcoming window? Let us know down below!

Manchester United could spring a surprise and sign former Burnley midfielder Jeff Hendrick on a free transfer this summer.

According to Football Insider, as per Daily Express, Man United are plotting a shock move for Hendrick in the summer following his release by the Clarets and amid reported interest from AC Milan. The Red Devils are ready to move for him as he can fit into multiple positions in midfield.

It is no secret that United want to sign Jack Grealish and Jadon Sancho, but the 2-2 draw with Southampton showed that still need to shore up defensively.

The Irish international, who has won 54 caps for his country, is now a free agent.

Hendrick has impressed for Burnley this season, as Sean Dyche’s side have climbed their way into the top half of the Premier League table. He played 24 games in the Premier League this term, scoring two goals, supplying two assists, winning 1.1 headers per game and recording a passing accuracy rate of 75% (via WhoScored).

Nemanja Matic remains the club’s only specialist in the defensive midfield position, which is a major cause for concern as the 31-year-old Serbian isn’t getting any younger, but the Republic of Ireland midfielder could provide cover as a midfield anchor if necessary.

Dyche had made it clear that he wanted Hendrick to stay with the Clarets but the 28-year-old rejected the offer of a new deal from the Turf Moor outfit.

His versatility could prove useful as Solskjaer’s side seek to challenge for silverware next season. However, whether or not the Red Devils will be able to stave off interest from AC Milan and Newcastle is another matter altogether.

United fans, should Ed Woodward sign Jeff Hendrick in the summer? Let us know in the comments section!

Many Newcastle United fans have reacted to comments made by Amanda Staveley, the businesswoman leading the takeover bid.

As per ChronicleLive, moderator Manus Cranny could hear a ‘discernible change of tone’ in her voice when they talked about sport and chose to ask her why someone would want to invest in the game.

She said that they are quite big football supporters in her family, both in terms of supporting clubs and as investors, and have been looking to buy assets in the Premier League for some time.

However, Staveley added that there is a difficulty in terms of totally different valuations, and as a private equity investor, you would look at quite moderate ones and then, suddenly, you are getting advisors saying that some of the big top flight teams are now trading at four or five times revenue. She claims that this is heavy, but they believe very much in investing in sport.

These members of the Toon faithful reacted to the comments on Twitter:

Newcastle fans, what are your thoughts on Staveley’s comments? Let us know below…

After the signing of Bruno Fernandes from Sporting CP in the January transfer window, Manchester United embarked on a stellar run of form before football was postponed.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side remained unbeaten across all competitions after the arrival of the Portugal international, and things are beginning to look up for the Red Devils as the Premier League returns later this month.

But whilst their attentions will be firmly on whether they can book a place in next season’s Champions League, the likes of Ed Woodward and co will also be keeping one eye on potential summer signings.

Can you name every one of United’s top goalscorers from the past 15 seasons? It’s a tricky one…

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And with reports in recent days suggesting that United are monitoring both Jack Grealish and Kai Havertz ahead of a move, the Manchester side will have to make a big decision on who they should prioritise.

But whilst Havertz has enjoyed a stunning few games since the return of the Bundesliga – he has bagged five goals in four games – Grealish is the one who Woodward should firmly be fixed on signing for United this summer.

The Aston Villa captain has been in inspired form throughout the campaign, and is trying to drag his boyhood side away from relegation back to the Championship this season.

In just 26 Premier League games, he has managed seven goals and six assists, including scoring a wonder strike at Old Trafford to claim a 2-2 draw back in December.

His form has even led to former Villa man Gabriel Agbonlahor insisting that Grealish would “walk” into the United side, whilst United’s own icon Gary Neville similarly waxed lyrical about him after a particularly impressive performance against Newcastle. He said: “Grealish is a talisman and tonight was a good night for him. They love him. I’m really impressed with him, he wanted the ball all the time. He looked like he ran the game tonight.”

And with the 24-year-old already Premier League-proven, there would be no real concern as to whether he could hit the ground running at Old Trafford, unlike Havertz. Whilst the German is about four years younger, moving from a different country and league poses its own challenges, regardless of ability.

Grealish would be more of a guarantee than the Leverkusen starlet, and what with him already being Villa captain, seems to have the mentality to lead and thrive at a demanding environment like United.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to The Evening Standard, Richarlison has emerged as a January transfer target for Manchester United.

What’s the story?

United are said to want to add a striker to their squad during the upcoming transfer window, and Richarlison is on the list of forwards they are looking at.

Also mentioned are Red Bull Salzburg’s Erling Haaland, RB Leipzig’s Timo Werner and Bournemouth’s Callum Wilson.

Cannot afford to lose him

Everton have been rather disappointing so far this season. After 12 games, they have won just four matches, and currently sit 15th in the Premier League table. On top of that, they have only scored 13 goals in the competition, which is more than just five other teams.

Watch Everton Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below

However, Richarlison has been one of the few bright sparks. He was the Goodison Park outfit’s joint-top scorer in the previous campaign, and he has started this term in similar fashion. His three goals in the top tier means he leads the way amongst his teammates alongside Dominic Calvert-Lewin, with only Lucas Digne managing more than his two assists.

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With a WhoScored rating of 7.24, he is ahead of all of the other players at Marco Silva’s disposal. He has also had the most shots amongst any of his teammates with 2.7 per game, also winning a team-high 2.1 fouls.

Having started every single fixture in the league so far this campaign, it is clear how important the 17-time Brazil international is to this team. Not only can they not afford to sell the former Watford man halfway through the season, it would be madness to move him on to a side who they are just two points behind in the table.

Bill Kenwright has previously stated that Farhad Moshiri wants to take Everton to the Champions League. What kind of message does it send to the fans, and indeed the players, if a star player were to be sold to a team that is not even in the competition themselves? Quite frankly, the stance on Richarlison’s future should be unequivocal: he cannot be allowed to depart.

In other news, this key battle could decide the Toffees’ clash with Norwich City this weekend.

After Jay Rodriguez enjoyed a fine season in the Championship for Burnley – in which he scored 15 goals and recorded six assists, including one set-up against Southampton at Turf Moor – Nigel Adkins handed the Clarets £6m for the forward’s services in 2012.

In the previous campaign, the Burnley-born striker had scored 14 goals and registered seven assists – 29 goals and 13 assists in two seasons isn’t bad going at all, and you can see why Southampton wanted to sign him.

Ultimately, it turned out to be a shrewd move, as the attacker of Spanish heritage netted six Premier League goals along with eight assists in his first season for the club.

However, the next campaign was even better.

With a World Cup on the horizon, the Englishman scored 15 Premier League goals in 33 appearances, making up part of a deadly trio alongside Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert.

Surely, he would have a spot in Roy Hodgson’s World Cup squad, right?

Sadly, a serious knee injury suffered in April – just weeks before the tournament began – meant Rodriguez would miss six months of action, despite Hodgson revealing that he was “hoping against hope” that the attacker would be fit.

That cruel moment appeared to make the striker cursed.

He never really got back to his best, failing to score in 12 Premier League appearances following his return to action in 2015/16, before only scoring five league goals the following season – Rodriguez then left for West Brom in a deal worth £12m.

The ex-Barnsley forward scored 35 goals in 126 appearances for Southampton, and eventually netted the club a cool £6m in profit – in that respect, he was a gem of a signing by Adkins.

Ultimately though, it feels like the attacker was cursed in an underlying manner – to have a chance to appear at the World Cup stolen away from you with just five games left of the season is a cruel, cruel blow.

Premier League experts will get full marks: The ultimate quiz on top flight transfer flops…

In other news, this Mauricio Pochettino flop was an absolute disaster of a signing for Southampton…

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

There’s damning with faint praise, but is there such a thing as praise with faint damning?

Because that’s the situation that the staff and players at Sheffield United might just find himself in after some rather weird remarks from former Blades boss Neil Warnock.

What’s he said?

Speaking to talkSPORT, Warnock praised Wilder for the work that he is doing at Bramall Lane right now even though the players he’s working work aren’t exactly of the highest quality:

“It’s an amazing system. I’m not being disrespectful, but he’s got bang average players playing top of the Premier League standards. That’s what you talk about man-management, these lads believe in what Chris is doing and good luck, the fans are loving it and I’m sure they’ll do well.”

Unleashing the beasts

Warnock has always been one that isn’t afraid to voice his opinion on all things football, but this might come back to bite him in the backside at the end of the season.

The praise for Wilder just seems to be never-ending, with ex-pros like Tony Cascarino saying that he should be considered for ‘bigger’ Premier League jobs further down the road, but a comment like this, is exactly what players like those in the Bramall Lane dressing room should be looking for, extra motivation.

Whilst Warnock might not exactly hold the highest esteem when it comes to the world of football, much in the same way John Terry made disparaging remarks about Robbie Savage a number of years ago, the chance to go and prove someone wrong should be a big motivator for the players as they go on this season.

Whilst some might write the Blades off, including to a certain extent us at FFC as well, they should take all these comments and use it as a way to prove everyone wrong.

They’ve already exceeded expectations by even getting into this division, and a quote like this might just be that little bit extra that they need to really kick on and make this season a memorable one.

A recent Twitter post has had many Sheffield United fans thinking about some of the poorer players to have represented the club in recent years.

The account @BladesPod said that they had put together their “worst Blades XI of the decade” ahead of their latest podcast.

Their post led to a barrage of replies from Sheffield United supporters who couldn’t wait to make their suggestions as to who should be included in the team.

Whilst the Blades are going great in the Premier League under Chris Wilder at the moment, the ‘teenies’ hasn’t been the best decade for the club as they spent six years playing in League One (Transfermarkt).

There are therefore plenty of contenders for players who should make the team, and some names seem to crop up in most of the fan made XIs.

The likes of Steve Simonsen, Dean Hammond and Martyn Woolford have the honour in being in most teams. Here are the players some Blades supporters selected in response to the post from @BladesPod on Twitter…

Sheffield United fans, who would make your worst XI since 2010? Let us know in the comments below…

Liverpool will look to get their first away win in the group stage of the Champions League since 2017, when they travel to Belgian side Genk on Wednesday.

The Reds were held to a 1-1 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday, as their 100% record in the Premier League this season was brought to an end.

After losing to Napoli 2-0 in their opening game of the new Champions League campaign, the reigning European Champions will aim to get their first victory on their travels in the first round of the competition since beating Maribor 7-0 two seasons ago.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

So what XI should Jurgen Klopp select at the Luminus Arena?

Here is what we think the German should do to deliver the three points.

Alisson Becker should make his second consecutive start since returning from a calf injury sustained against Norwich City in August.

We think Klopp should make two changes in defence, with Dejan Lovren coming in for the rested Cameroonian centre half Joel Matip. Joe Gomez should also come in for the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold after he was ruled out of the tie on Tuesday. Andrew Robertson and Virgil van Dijk should retain their places.

Ahead of them, Naby Keita should come in for Georginio Wijnaldum and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain should also line up alongside him in the middle. Fabinho must retain his place to protect the back four in the same impeccable fashion that he has this season so far, with Jordan Henderson the other man dropping out.

Liverpool should stick with a 4-3-3 formation as they are more creative playing in this system. Despite Mohamed Salah being fit to play this game, he should start on the bench and make way for Adam Lallana to play on the right-hand side. His equaliser against the Reds’ hated neighbours on Sunday means he deserves to be in the XI in Belgium.

Lastly, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino will keep their starting places as the attacking pair can hurt the Genk defence.