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After a poor season, a host of backroom staff and structural changes, the Arsene Wenger era finally ended at Arsenal after 22 years at the north London club. 

To follow that, the Gunners brought in five new players over the summer to improve a side that missed out on Champions League football for a second successive year. Matteo Guendouzi, Sokratis and Lucas Torreira have all played well so far for the Gunners and represent a new era for the Gunners as the club looks to scout and search for reasonably priced deals.

With Sven Mislintat now as the head of recruitment, Arsenal will now be focusing on unearthing the next top talent, and according to Sport1 are scouting Hertha Berlin midfielder, Arne Maier, who’s valued at £6.75 million.

The Breakdown

At only 19-years-old, Maier has already become a regular for the German side having played in 17 Bundesliga matches last season and all three of their league games this season and also their DFB Pokal match in August.

Considering the arrivals of Torreira and Guendouzi this summer, Arsenal fans may question why the Gunners are targeting yet another midfielder but with Mohamed Elneny firmly entrenched as a backup player and Granit Xhaka yet to win over the fans, targeting a young midfielder makes perfect sense.

Like Guendouzi, Maier is smart with the ball, although he may not have the best passing range. He’s also capable of breaking up play and could develop into a player that would be ideally suited in sitting in front of the back four and supplying the more creative players going forward.

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

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Liverpool loanee Ryan Kent has been a huge hit at Ibrox, and Steven Gerrard should re-visit his old club next summer to try and sign Harry Wilson.

What’s the word?

Manchester United were stunned on Tuesday night as Derby County dumped them out of the Carabao Cup at Old Trafford.

Wilson was the star of the show, slamming an incredible free-kick into the top corner while completely dominating the match for the Rams.

Gerrard has had great success with the likes of Kent and Ovie Ejaria, and the promise of playing regular European football should be enough to convince Wilson to join the revolution.

Would he join?

While Wilson has been extremely impressive on his loan spells away from Liverpool, the youngster simply isn’t going to get a chance at Anfield due to the quality in front of him.

Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino have both penned long-term contracts, and the likes of Xherdan Shaqiri and Daniel Sturridge are itching for their opportunities, so the chance to play week in week out under a Liverpool legend should be enough to bring him to Ibrox.

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Just how good is he?

The Gers have acquired some brilliant young attackers with the likes of Kent, Alfredo Morelos and Glenn Middleton, but what sets Wilson apart is his end product.

The 21-year-old can play either as a winger or striker, and grabbed seven goals and four assists in just 13 Championship matches for Hull last season. That run of form came after netting ten times in 12 games for Liverpool’s U-23 side, for which he scored twelve times in 18 games in the previous season.

He even has a senior international goal to his name, bagging once in four Wales caps with a wonderful strike against China.

Morelos has often divided opinion amongst Rangers fans due to his lack of discipline, and if more clubs join Bordeaux in trying to sign the Colombian then Wilson could be the perfect replacement.

The Liverpool youngster has Kent’s skill, Middleton’s directness and Morelos’ eye for goal, and his versatility would be a huge asset given how often Gerrard rotates his forward options.

So, Rangers fans, would you like to see a move for Wilson next summer? Do you think Gerrard could bring him to Ibrox? Let us know your thoughts by voting in the poll below…

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Lots of West Ham fans have been reacting to Friday’s clash at Brighton, as their run of good form ended in a drab 1-0 defeat.

After a terrible start to the season, Manuel Pellegrini’s Hammers have got back on track in recent weeks with some extremely impressive results.

Brighton have been the Hammers’ kryptonite in recent times though, and the Seagulls grabbed all three points once again courtesy of a first half strike from Glenn Murray.

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West Ham fans are fuming at Arthur Masuaku, who stood and watched as Murray ghosted in for an easy finish in the first half.

The French full back is excellent going forward, excelling last season while playing as a wing back.

His defensive capabilities are questionable to say the least though, and fans are crucifying his display at Brighton.

Aaron Cresswell fell out of favour last season, but the Englishman will have to come in if Masuaku does not improve defensively.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, look away now Arthur…

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Bournemouth striker Josh King put in one of the individual performances of the season as the Cherries smashed Watford 4-0 at Vicarage Road on Saturday, with the Norwegian involved in three of the goals.

Eddie Howe’s side are flying at the moment and sit in sixth in the Premier League table having won five times, drawn once and lost just twice. The 40-year-old English boss has won plaudits for his attacking approach and playing two upfront has been key to this.

Watford have also been playing with two strikers in Andre Gray and Troy Deeney and have looked impressive so far during this campaign under Javi Gracia, but they were taken apart by the visitors on the weekend.

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King was involved in the first goal as Bournemouth hit the Hornets on the counter-attack and the 26-year-old picked out his strike partner Callum Wilson with a fantastic low cross. Wilson’s subsequent finish was saved brilliantly by Ben Foster but youngster David Brooks was there to convert the rebound for his second goal in as many games.

King’s strength and pace were then both on display as he got in behind Watford defender Christian Kabasele, who could only bring the Bournemouth man down for a penalty. The Belgian defender received a second yellow card and King stepped up to convert the spot-kick, effectively ending the game as a contest just after the half-hour mark.

Bournemouth then ran riot and the attacker netted his second with a fantastic header back across Foster’s goal just before half-time. Then just after the break Wilson finally got himself on the scoresheet as he converted Ryan Fraser’s cross.

Bournemouth’s attacking players were all on fine form once again but it was King who really stood out. The 35-cap international recorded four shots, two of which he scored from and his two aerial duels won prove just how much of a handful he can be alongside Wilson.

One stat that perhaps epitomises Howe’s side at the moment though is the three clearances that the Norway international made during the win. The Cherries are all working for each other and the hard work allows the manager to play such an attacking formation which is clearly causing teams a whole heap of problems.

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Aston Villa fans on Twitter were clearly delighted that the club had appointed Brentford’s Dean Smith as their new boss, after Steve Bruce was sacked a week ago following a poor run of form.

The Villans had been linked with Thierry Henry initially, but the former Arsenal striker is now being considered for the vacant Monaco job, and Jose Mourinho’s former assistant Rui Faria also rejected the vacancy.

Smith though is a Villa fan who regularly attended games at Villa Park while in charge of Brentford. Last season he took the Bees to ninth place in the Championship and they currently sit seventh this year – three points and eight places above his new side.

Along with the announcement of Smith, Villa confirmed that John Terry would be his assistant and that Jesus Garcia Pitarch would come in as Sporting Director. Check out some of the best tweets in reaction to the managerial appointment below.

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Sunderland have had an excellent start to the season, but the Black Cats need to act fast to tie Josh Maja down to a new contract.

What’s the word?

Manchester City, Southampton and Tottenham were all reported to be interested in Maja last week, and Sunderland will be making the biggest mistake of their new era if they allow the youngster to leave on the cheap.

Maja’s contract expires at the end of this season, meaning the Black Cats are currently facing the prospect of losing him for free next summer.

Jack Ross and Stewart Donald have been absolute revelations since arriving on Wearside, but missing out on a potentially huge transfer fee for Maja is the exact type of thing Ellis Short would do.

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Mistakes of old?

Sunderland fans were rightfully frustrated by their old ownership, as not only was the club a shambles on the pitch it was abysmal off it. The transfer dealings under Short were shocking, leading Donald and Ross to almost completely overhaul the squad this summer.

The new leadership has done a fantastic job in such a sport space of time, but not giving Maja a new deal would be a fatal error.

The 19-year-old has scored nine goals in 12 League One games, and if he keeps developing at this rate he could potentially become one of the Championship’s top scorers as well, assuming the Black Cats get back up.

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Even if promotion isn’t secured, an extended deal would mean any exit for Maja would bring a hefty transfer fee, possibly allowing the club to bring in even more experienced League One players, something that was clearly a focus of this summer’s business.

At this point it doesn’t really matter how much money he wants, Sunderland simply must tie Maja down to a new deal before they fall right back into their old tricks.

Sunderland fans, let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

It’s been a decent season so far for Liverpool, at least in the Premier League, and it’s important that the Reds are able to continue that into the Champions League too.

They’ve had a mixed campaign so far, with 1 win and 1 loss, and so it’s vital that the Reds pick up another three points against Red Star Belgrade on Wednesday evening.

Fortunately, ahead of the game, the Reds have been handed a boost. According to the Evening Standard, Sadio Mane is set to be fit for the game, having not played for the club since before the international break, and that’s particularly great news for the Reds, given the their performance against Huddersfield Town.

Though Liverpool were able to comfortably dispatch of the Terriers, it’s fair to say that they didn’t possess their characteristic lethality. A few weeks ago, that 1-0 scoreline may have been doubled or even trebled, but without Mane in the attack, they struggled somewhat. Unable to break down the defence for much of the game, the likes of Adam Lallana, and others, were simply not good enough.

With Salah no longer enjoying the sublime form that saw him dominate the Premier League last year, the onus has been passed onto others to make an impact – and Mane certainly has.

With 4 goals in 8 league games this season, Mane is vital for the Reds, and he offers a very distinctive set of traits that nobody else does at Anfield. His directness, lethality and drive, alongside his electric pace, makes him an invaluable option going forward, and he’s an individual that could help turn the Champions League tide in the favour of Jurgen Klopp.

Thoughts?

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Ronan Curtis is lighting up League One with Portsmouth, leading to as many as 30 clubs eyeing his signature – with Derby County amongst those, according to TeamTalk.

What’s the word?

Curtis never established himself as a prolific goal scorer when playing in the Irish Premier Division for Derry County, yet the taste of the English game lit a fire in his boots, seeing the forward score six times and set up a further five for his high-flying teammates who sit top of the third-tier table.

Derry received what now seems like a measly figure of less than £100,000 for the services of a 22-year-old who can play across the front three positions.

Curtis’ superb season has also caught international attention, with the Republic of Ireland gaffer calling up the 6 foot forward to the senior side, though Martin O’Neill opted not to play him.

The Portsmouth starlet has scored international goals for his country at Under 21 level, though, netting against Kosovo in a European Championship qualifier last month.

Altogether, Portsmouth will have to endure a tough January due to interest from a range of clubs, with TeamTalk understanding Leeds, Leicester, Sheffield United, Brighton, Middlesbrough and Derby are amongst the most keen for a mid-season move.

What kind of return on investment the Fratton Park side will be hoping for unfortunately remains unclear.

Derby must act quickly and sign Curtis

With Mason Mount loving life at Pride Park alongside Harry Wilson and Mason Bennett while on loan from Chelsea, it is hard to see how Ronan Curtis would slot into Frank Lampard’s starting eleven.

Yet it is through Mason Mount that he does.

Being on loan from Chelsea, Mount is not the Rams’ priority in the long run as it is unlikely a deal would be reached to see the 19-year-old stay on a permanent agreement.

Instead, making the signing from Pompey would create a long term future line-up whilst showing the Derbyshire club’s strength in the market by fending off such varied interest.

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Loads of Sunderland fans have been running the rule over their incredible recent form, and they’re full of praise for Luke O’Nien.

Most of Jack Ross’ summer signings hit the ground running on Wearside, but one man who had to wait for his chance was former Wycombe fan favourite O’Nien.

The 23-year-old was behind the likes of Lee Cattermole and Max Power in the midfield pecking order, but has come into his own over the last few weeks.

The all-action youngster has been fantastic as a super-sub over the last few games, and his impact off the bench has been one of several reasons why the Black Cats have won five league games in a row.

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He was impressive again in his brief cameo in the win at Plymouth, and endeared himself to fans even further by taking the train home.

The young midfielder was spotted chatting to fans on the train, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

Celtic go into tonight’s game looking to salvage some semblance of pride following a fairly poor European campaign which has seen them lose all three of their Europa League games. 

Domestically, Brendan Rodgers’ side has improved as they recently beat Hearts 5-0 – their second successive 5-0 win victory – and now sit second in the table one point off Hearts with a game in hand.

Unfortunately for Rodgers, he has now lost midfielder Eboue Kouassi and on-loan winger Daniel Arzani for the rest of the season due to respective knee injuries. Nir Bitton is also out until later this month which has left Celtic in need of a defensive midfielder.

In what will come as good news for the club, Youssouf Mulumbu has returned to the squad for tonight’s Europa League game against RB Leipzig. His return is crucial as according to the report, Jozo Simunovic, Cristian Gamboa, Scott Brown and Leigh Griffiths are all also out.

The Breakdown

Probably not the star signing Celtic fans would’ve expected over the summer, Mulumbu signed a two-year deal with Celtic at the end of August but has struggled with injuries since he joined.

Indeed the former West Brom man has only played two games this season. He may not be the best player at the club but what he is capable of doing is being an adequate defensive midfielder who can shut down opposition attacks and can sit in front of the defence.

With so many injuries hitting the club, Rodgers needs as many players as possible.

Thoughts Celtic fans?