Three players Liverpool should cherry pick from Everton – agreed?

Liverpool have started pre-season well this summer and manager Jurgen Klopp is busy building his squad for the upcoming season.

It is the first time the German manager has had the chance to craft a squad to his liking since taking the reigns at Anfield and he hasn’t hesitated in bringing in new faces.

We’ve already seen Sadio Mane, Loris Karius, Ragnar Klavan, and Joel Matip come in but we expect there to be more additions before the summer is up.

And one thing we can’t rule out at this stage is whether Jurgen is planning to raid Merseyside neighbours Everton, who endured an extremely turbulent season last time out.

Now playing under Ronald Koeman, the Toffees will expect big improvements from an side that widely underachieved last season- but could Liverpool move for some of these players that have undoubted quality, even when they’re not in fantastic form?

Sometimes, it’s not well-liked by supporters but if a player is doing a good job for your side, there is little you can do but get behind him as the season goes on.

So with that in mind, here’s THREE names Liverpool could cherry pick from Everton this summer…

Romelu Lukaku

A rather straight-forward one this in all honesty. If Liverpool are looking for a sure-fire replacement for exiled Christian Benteke and Mario Balotelli, then there are few better than Romelu Lukaku.

Even with his Everton team-mates misfiring last season, the Belgian international still weighed in with 25 goals- his biggest career haul yet.

But his future is riddled with uncertainty- he actively exclaimed he was looking for a move away from Goodison Park when Roberto Martinez was at the helm, but could Koeman persuade him to stay?

If not, then expect some top sides to start prowling- and one could be Liverpool. Their supporters are looking for a big-name signing to compete with the likes of Chelsea and Lukaku seriously fits the bill.

Tom Davies

A name not all will be familiar with, but Everton youngster Tom Davies is one of the hottest young midfielders in England, and he would be a real coup if Liverpool could tempt him away from Goodison.

Whilst he’s only appeared once for the Everton first-team, Davies has excelled in the clubs’ youth teams, where he was promoted to the U21s last season.

Good performances will no doubt have caught the eye, and the 18-year-old has already been included in the senior pre-season training squad.

One for the future.

John Stones

Stones endured a pretty tough end to last season as some Evertonians began to question his true quality in the heart of the defence.

Some jittery performances did little to settle the nerves of some supporters, and the England international quickly lost his place in the side, despite being linked with a move to Barcelona.

However, with age comes maturity and it is essential to remember that Stones is only 22-years-old, and has his whole career ahead of him.

Whilst a move to Liverpool may be seen as unlikely, some feel Jurgen Klopp needs to make a real statement in the transfer market at some point this summer.

The fans want to see healthy competition with the leagues’ other strong sides, and a move for Stones would no-doubt appease some nerves held by Reds’ supporters.

Five players Liverpool simply must replace this summer

Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool revolution keeps rolling on.

The German manager has brought in a host of new talent this summer as he looks to build his Liverpool side in his own image, and as he looks to bring his side back up to the pinnacle of the Premier League.

Some top players have already been signed, Sadio Mane and Joel Matip to name just a few, and the Liverpool first team will no doubt bring a new era of talent and freshness to the Premier League next year.

However, in order to make room for these new players – current Liverpool stars must be sold. Either through lack of form or simply as a result of circumstance; a host of Liverpool players will be facing the Anfield exit door this summer.

With that, here are FIVE players that Liverpool MUST replace this summer.

Alberto Moreno

This is an easy one.

Last season was a calamitous campaign for Moreno. In a position that demands reliability and solidity; Moreno was about as useful as a chocolate teapot.

Always prone to a mistake, and rarely offering much defensively; Moreno must be replaced by someone that is more adept to solidifying the left hand side of the Liverpool defence.

Simon Mignolet

A similar story here; Simon Mignolet is simply too error prone to play a role for Liverpool going forward.

New keeper Loris Karius has been brought in, but his quality remains uncertain; and even so it seems unlikely that Mignolet will be happy to play second fiddle to Liverpool’s new number 1.

As a back up keeper you want someone reliable and content to play second fiddle; Mignolet is neither of those things.

Christian Benteke

Christian Benteke has been linked with a move abroad for months; and it is imperative that Liverpool make it happen.

£32million was paid for his services, alongside a healthy wage packet; and Benteke has done very little to prove his worth. He has been inconsistent and injury prone during his spell, and Liverpool need to cut their losses and move on.

Liverpool’s strike force is easily the weakest part of the first team, and with Daniel Sturbridge often prone to injuries; the club need someone reliable to back him up. Benteke is not that guy.

Mario Balotelli

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A similar situation with Mario Balotelli.

Jurgen Klopp has already told the Italian forward that he has no future at Anfield, and that he will be sold as soon as possible.

It is important that Liverpool look to replace the forgotten forward, with the team in desperate need of attacking firepower.

Both Balotelli and Benteke are risks that haven’t paid off; the club need to replace them both and invest in reliable firepower.

Lucas Leiva

Lucas Leiva has been an excellent servant for Liverpool over the last few years; but his time at the club must come to an end soon.

In recent years he has found himself playing less than less, and though he did well playing out of position towards the end of last year; Liverpool’s new arrivals likely mean there will be no space in the first team going forward.

He should look to finish his career at a stable club where he will feel valued as a first team performer.

Liverpool should look to bulk out their midfield in place of Leiva.

This is the only possible solution to England’s Rooney problem

“Today Wayne played wherever he wanted to, he was brilliant and controlled midfield. I can’t stop Wayne playing there.” These are not the words not of a pundit reacting to Wayne Rooney’s latest performance in an England shirt, but those of the new Three Lions manager, Sam Allardyce.

When asked about the Manchester United man’s future role in Allardyce’s set-up he also said it’s “not for me to say”. These comments suggest the former Sunderland man is unprepared and that he hasn’t done his homework on his players, but that cannot be further from the truth.

Allardyce is a man who gives great attention to stats and player characteristics, there is no chance he wasn’t ready going into this new role. Evidently, he also knows the best position for every other player in the England squad, so what is the issue with Rooney?

It’s a problem that has rumbled on for large parts of his career and tells a story of a player whose talent has been prodigious yet unfulfilled. Where Rooney should play is a question that will continue to run on until he retires, so here at FootballFanCast we thought we’d throw our hat into the ring too and look at why Rooney should be only playing up top for England – whether that means he’s in the best XI or not.

When the England captain broke onto the scene for Everton, everyone sat up and took notice. Here was a player with the sheer audacity to make a fool of Patrick Vieira and his Arsenal team-mates as he crashed a swirling effort past David Seaman. He soon made a name for himself at EURO 2004, too, and secured a move to Manchester United as he quickly cemented his place for both club and country. He did all of this as a teenager and when you compare him to the players seen as England’s future now – Ross Barkley, Dele Alli, Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford for example – his talent was truly special.

So where did it go wrong? And by wrong, we’re not saying he’s had a bad career, he’s England’s top scorer. He’s going to be Manchester United’s top scorer as well, and he’s won everything there is to win at club level – the only bad thing is that he hasn’t been utilised properly. The problem stopping Rooney from fully reaching his potential is that that the potential was so big in the first place.

The great Johan Cruyff was of the opinion the best players can play anywhere on the pitch and it was on this he based his footballing philosophy. Now, consider the Manchester United man. He can play up front, he can play off the main striker, he can play on the left and on the right of an attacking midfield and of course in the middle as a central attacking midfielder. Then, he showed for United last season he can do a job as a deep lying midfielder, and that threw in more questions – perhaps this is his new role?

It turned out it wasn’t and Rooney took more flak when really we should’ve been looking at why arguably the most talented footballer this country has produced since Paul Gascoigne was being pegged into all kinds of different roles.

The main reason Rooney has been shoehorned here there and everywhere is a combination of his ability to do a job anywhere and his selflessness. Say what you want about him, he’s never going to say ‘no’ to playing somewhere even if it’s not his position, and this has led him to being used all over the place to varying degrees of success when really his best position is at the top of the field.  Of course, he can play where he wants, given his talent, but that doesn’t mean he should be allowed to.

One criticism of Rooney is that he wants to come deep and influence the game when he’s not getting the service up top – that is the nature of someone with his ability – but it should be his manager that ensures this doesn’t happen. If you have to force it into him until he gets it then so be it because when Rooney did play up front and stayed there, he was devastating.

In 2009 United saw Cristiano Ronaldo join Real Madrid and attention at the club turned to how they were going to cope with the void of goals he left behind. Rooney went up front as the main man to step in and duly delivered. It was the first time in his career he’d scored over 20 goals in the league in one season as he hit 26 and it looked as though he’d finally found his role, he was an out and out striker and was proving thus. The common phrase in the media is that you need a 25+ goals a season striker to win you trophies and United had had one being played out of position in the seasons previous. He did the same again in 2011/12 after a blip the season prior amid contract negotiations, hitting 27 goals this time, leaving United with a striker who finally looked like he’d found his position… and then they signed Robin Van Persie.

Van Persie, of course, was a good signing but thinking more selfishly it ruined Rooney’s chance to stake his claim as the main striker – the Dutchman was never going to play anywhere else and it was the factor once again, that Rooney is a far better player than most, that saw him drop back into the 10 role. He scored just 12 Premier League goals in the ensuing season.

For those couple of seasons as the main striker though Rooney showed the talent he had. Those seasons were his personal best ones regardless of team achievements and that’s why he should be up top for England.

Allardyce loves stats, you only have to look at Rooney’s to see where he truly belongs. Yes, he can play in midfield but he could probably play as a centre-half if you asked him. Where he truly influences games, though, is as a number 9.

Whether or not this happens for the national team is up for a debate. It’d probably be considered a step backwards, but can a step back to the Rooney that broke 20-goals-a-season or to the one who led the line with Michael Owen at EURO 2004 be a bad thing?

If it is then Rooney should call it quits because it’s getting tiresome watching a player of his talent getting used wrongly simply because he’s versatile.

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Three things Arsenal must do if they want Champions League success

If anything, the performance we saw from Arsenal in their Champions League game was very much what we’ve come to expect from the Gunners in recent years.

They were on the back foot for the entirety of the game against PSG in France but thanks to a second-half strike from Alexis Sanchez, Arsene Wenger’s men came away with a fantastic 1-1 draw. The French champions had plenty of chances to put Arsenal to bed, but failed to capitalise on their dominance throughout.

And whilst a point away from home against the toughest team in the group is a massive plus for Arsenal, other teams in the tournament will ruthlessly expose the shortcomings that we saw on Tuesday evening.

So with that in mind, if Arsenal are to enjoy any sort of Champions League success this season, they must do these three things.

Football FanCast author Hayden Atkins takes us through three things Arsenal must do to improve their chances of Champions League success…

Tighten up at the back

Nothing was more apparent in the game than Arsenal’s complete inability to defend. Credit the Gunners, they somehow hung on with a mixture of luck and goodwill but when the equaliser came, their defensive game was completely wrong.

The Arsenal midfield – the likes of Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla just didn’t close down quickly enough and it left Marco Verratti to enjoy yards of space infront of him for the whole game.

If Arsenal don’t tighten up, then the best teams will take advantage of them – think of Barcelona’s crushing of Celtic.

Sort out the imbalance in the team

For the whole of the game in France, Arsenal just seemed unbalanced throughout. There was something missing, an anchor perhaps, or a player that can really hold the fort in the middle of the park.

Even when Granit Xhaka came on it felt rather hectic off the ball and it’s an imbalance that needs to be sorted extremely quickly. Arsenal have a whole wealth of exciting, attacking talent – we know that, but if they don’t have the scrappers that can do the ugly side of the game, it’s not going to work for them in Europe this season.

We need to have more faith in their goalkeepers

Whilst Arsenal keeper David Ospina made some fantastic saves to keep the likes of Edinson Cavani and Angel di Maria at bay, it was still evidently clear that not all Gunners fans have total faith in David Ospina.

He was forced into a series of blocks after sloppy play from the defenders in front of him and he made a fantastic save from a Di Maria corner. But he was rash coming of his line at times and was lucky to see Cavani miss a handful of efforts the Uruguayan really should have scored.

He just needs to sure up a little and really instil a sense of confidence between the sticks. He wasn’t the biggest problem on the night for the Gunners.

These 3 are the worst Everton defenders of the last 10 years – Thoughts?

The Everton fans in the Football Transfer Tavern have had some great defenders over the years…

In a league as attacking as the Premier League, having a solid defence is the most important part of a successful team.

From Stones to Baines, the Blues have often been blessed with a solid defensive line.

However, some poor defenders have definitely slipped through the cracks – and Everton have very nearly paid the ultimate price on a number of occasions.

The Everton fans in the Football Transfer Tavern have put together a list of some of the worst over the years – and it has proven a very controversial list to make.

There have been some very divisive Everton defenders over the last 10 years, it seems.

With that said, these THREE are the worst Everton defenders of the last 10 years….

 Tony Hibbert

This one was a very controversial one in the Tavern, give the massive respect that Everton fans have for their veteran defender.

However, the reality is that Tony Hibbert was never very good.

Granted, he was an excellent servant – but he was a hugely limited footballer and was extremely one dimensional.

His technical ability was next to zero, and on the ball he was largely inefficient.

He was strong off the ball and was decent at reading the game; but that’s about it.

Very controversial, but even the Everton fans in the Tavern can agree that dedicated service doesn’t make you a good footballer.

Philippe Senderos

Whilst Hibbert drew up a few mixed reviews in the Tavern, the same cannot be said for Philippe Senderos.

The Everton fans in the Tavern are united in their feelings towards the Swiss defender.

The nomadic defender joined Everton in January of 2010, and he failed to make an impression on Merseyside.

He made just 2 league appearances for the club before departing after failing to cement himself in the Everton first team.

Lacking the technical ability necessary to be a top defender; Senderos simply was not good enough – as evidenced by his inability to hold down a regular side in England.

 Alessandro Pistone

Alessandro Pistone stayed at Everton for a whopping 7 years – and the Everton fans in the Tavern have no idea how he lasted that long!

Whilst he did achieve somewhat of a cult following at the club, his spell on Merseyside was marred by inconsistency and injury – and that is how the majority of the Everton faithful in the Tavern remember him.

He unsuccessfully tried to hold down a spot at both Newcastle and Everton after failing to replicate his Serie A form in England – and his transfer to Everton was nothing less than a failure.

Three reasons Newcastle should sanction this emotional winter farewell

One of the real surprises of Newcastle’s drop down to the Championship has been Yoan Gouffran. The French winger was widely criticised as the Magpies slipped to relegation last term and has often been questioned by fans due to his flaky nature on the pitch, so in the hustle and bustle of the second tier, it was expected that he would find it hard to cope after a proposed move away from the club collapsed.

However, Rafa Benitez has welcomed him into his high-flying North East XI and has been rewarded, with the 30-year-old notching two goals and two assists in 13 Championship outings, while looking a far better all-round player.

His improved form has, according to the Northern Echo, attracted the interest of Lille, who are believed to be looking at a cut-price January move for the wide-man, whose contract expires at the end of the current campaign.

Although there remains the possibility of extending his contract, it looks likely that the 22-time France U-21 international will be on his way in the New Year, and we caught up with Nothing But Newcastle editor, Jonnie Gorrie, to get his verdict on why cashing in on Gouffran makes sense…

A Prem flop…

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Gouffran’s Premier League spell at Newcastle was hardly a success. The Frenchman signed for the Magpies from Bordeaux in a cut-price deal during the winter window of the 2012/13 season and after making an initial impact over the latter half of his debut campaign before going on to net six league goals in his first full term in England, his performances slowly declined. Even at his peak, the now 30-year-old could drift in and out of games, but across both 2014/15 and 2015/16 he struggled to make any sort of impact as the Tynesiders battled against relegation.

Indeed, he made only two starts during the campaign the inevitable eventually happened, and Jonnie Gorrie thinks it could be more of the same if he does return to the top tier with Newcastle:

“As much as the Newcastle faithful would love to see ‘The Gouff’ continue his fairytale resurgence and make it back into the Premier League, he’s not quite up to the job.

“That’s not to say the Frenchman is at all a bad player, but the notion of him starting in the Premier League as frequently as he does in the second tier is not exactly inspiring.

“He’s done a decent enough job at the level the club previously aimed for, but the ‘Rafalution’ simply demands more.”

Cash in before a free transfer

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“Amazingly, Gouffran is yet to be on the losing side when he’s been used by Benitez this season.

“Still, as excellent a stat as that is considering his standing in the squad, the ex-Bordeaux man is replaceable.

“Though he’s certainly played his part in the recent run of good form, his exit mid-way through the season wouldn’t really change all that much in the grand scheme of things.”

Jonnie Gorrie reflects the views of many Newcastle fans, with the general verdict being that losing him will make little difference. There are the caveats of a new contract remaining a possibility, but for where Newcastle want to be in terms of progression, there are doubts surrounding Gouffran’s ability to contribute. The fee they get will be minimal and there’s no desperate need for cash in January after a big summer of sales, but it makes business sense to sell.

Clear room for current stars to shine

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Newcastle aren’t exactly short of options in attacking midfield and wide areas, so Gouffran’s potential exit, albeit he’s been in good form, may not be felt too strongly. Indeed, Rafa Benitez could opt for a two-man forward line or even lean on the likes of Christian Atsu or Rolando Aarons, according to Jonnie Gorrie:

“Christian Astu, Ayoze Perez, Matt Ritchie and Rolando Aarons provide adequate cover on the wings.

“The aforementioned cover in wide areas is enough for the Magpies throughout the course of what could well be a champagne campaign, though perhaps Aarons would be the youngest of the lot to benefit.

“Should he sort his injuries and personal problems out, the 20-year-old can have a big future on Tyneside.”

The five best Merseyside derby goals

The Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton is one of the most famous fixtures on the English football calendar, and it has certainly produced some memorable moments over the course of its history.

In matches that usually involve passion, drama, tension and an electric atmosphere in the stands, some players have dealt with the pressure and produced brilliant goals against their arch-rivals to gain the bragging rights in the city.

Of course, there have been a lot of finishes with quality in these matches over the years, but only the very best can make it onto our shortlist.

The likes of Ian Rush, Kenny Dalglish, Robbie Fowler, Andrei Kanchelskis and John Barnes narrowly missed out on making the top five, showing just how tough the competition really is.

So, without further ado – and in no particular order – here are the fantastic strikes that made the cut in Football FanCast’s best Merseyside derby goals…

Phil Jagielka vs Liverpool

Liverpool were leading 1-0 against their arch-rivals going into second-half stoppage-time at Anfield and looked set to record a narrow Premier League win over the Toffees.

With seconds left to play, Aiden McGeady picked the ball up on the left-hand side and when his cross was cleared out of the box, many Everton fans would have held their head in their hands when they saw centre-back Jagielka ready to unleash a half-volley.

Unbelievably, the captain thundered the ball into the top corner to salvage a point.

Gary McAllister vs Everton

The veteran midfielder made a big impact during his time with Liverpool, none more so than when he scored the winning goal in the last minute of a 3-2 win against Everton at Goodison Park in 2001.

Around 35 yards out, the Scot stepped up and curled a sublime free-kick into the bottom corner to send the away fans into raptures and produce a look of surprised elation on manager Gerard Houllier’s face as the Reds took all three points.

It was 1984 and Everton picked up their first league win against Liverpool at Anfield for 14 years with a 1-0 success, thanks to a brilliant strike from Graeme Sharp.

A long ball forward from Peter Reid was taken down on the Scot’s right foot 25 yards out – beating Reds defender Mark Lawrenson in the process. He let the ball bounce before unleashing a volley that flew over Bruce Grobbelaar into the Liverpool goal. Outstanding.

Danny Murphy vs Everton

The midfielder always seemed to score important goals for Liverpool and one of those was a brilliant strike in a 2-1 win against Everton at Goodison Park in 2003.

It was David Moyes’ first Merseyside derby in charge of the Toffees but wasn’t a memorable one for the Scot as Murphy picked the ball up 25 yards out and shifted it on to his right foot before curling a sublime strike in off the far post.

Dan Gosling vs Liverpool

This occasion will be remembered for ITV accidentally going to an advertisement break during a live broadcast of an FA Cup fourth round replay between Everton and Liverpool – with viewers missing this winning extra-time goal as a result.

And it was a great one too. With just over two minutes to play until a penalty shootout, Gosling controlled a cross from the right with his left foot, beat two Reds defenders with a shift to his right and curled the ball beyond the despairing dive of Pepe Reina.

Three reasons Spurs vs. Chelsea could be the game of the season

Tottenham Hotspur play hosts to table-topping fierce rivals Chelsea at White Hart Lane on Wednesday night.

With both teams heading into the heavyweight clash in excellent form, the supporters could be about to witness one of the games of the season in the Premier League.

It was only six weeks ago that the two sides met at Stamford Bridge; Chelsea secured their position at the summit of the Premier League, while Spurs were in the midst of an eleven-game winless run.

Since that meeting in west London, the Blues have maintained their dominance over the rest of the division. Spurs, meanwhile, have turned their uninspiring season around.

A win for Chelsea would guarantee the longest running run in Premier League history of 14 successive victories. On the other hand, the Lilywhites have recorded six wins from seven games since the 3-1 loss to Chelsea in November.

So without further delay, here are THREE reasons why we could potentially have the game of the season on our hands at the Lane.

Kane and Costa in red hot form

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With the duo bagging a total of 24 goals between them this season, the game will witness two of the Premier League’s best forwards do battle for supremacy.

Both players have been instrumental in their team’s successes this season and the chances of victory rest largely on their shoulders.

If Kane and Costa hit the heights shown in recent weeks, we could be in for a goal-fest at White Hart Lane.

Revenge

Last season’s 2-2 thriller at Stamford Bridge was one of the most ill-tempered games in recent Premier League history.

Indeed, Eden Hazard’s incredible late equaliser saw the match erupt into never-ending fisticuffs all over the pitch as Spurs realised their title dreams were over.

There’s still no love lost between the two sets of players but perhaps more importantly, Spurs will be desperate to get their own back after having the title taken away from them by local rivals.

History suggests so

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Down the years, this fixture has registered some of the finest Premier League games ever witnessed.

In fact, only two years ago, this exact fixture was underway on another Wednesday on New Year’s Day. A 5-3 victory for Spurs soon followed and left everyone watching in awe.

4-4 in 2008, 2-2 in 2016 and 1-5 in 2012 are just some of the goal-inflated classics to have occurred down the years.

Janssen’s woeful display criticised yet again

Tottenham Hotspur are enjoying a fine season and having ended Chelsea’s remarkable winning run last week, the Lilywhites put their name in the hat for the FA Cup fourth round with a 2-0 victory over Aston Villa.

Mauricio Pochettino has led the side valiantly since his appointment three years ago and will surely be targeting success in the cup competitions this season, with the North London side establishing themselves as contenders.

Whilst they still have to be wary of the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea, all of whom also progressed this weekend, Spurs have shown they can beat anyone on their day.

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However, without Harry Kane their options up front are extremely limited as summer signing Vincent Janssen has been woeful in his Spurs career thus far.

Scoring just three penalties since a £17m arrival in the summer and not yet scoring from open play, Janssen had another game to forget about Villa and was criticised by many on social media.

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Three January signings Bournemouth should be eyeing

With Bournemouth halfway through their second ever Premier League season, you would have to say that they have adapted to life in the top flight well. As with any promoted club that manages to avoid the drop in their first season, the next task is then not to succumb to ‘second season syndrome’

That is something that the Cherries have managed to fend off in the first-half of this campaign but their FA Cup defeat away to Millwall highlighted the fact that they perhaps don’t have the depth of squad to make wholesale changes like the ones that were witnessed at The Den.

Some may have felt those changes unnecessary with Bournemouth in a comfortable league position, but this side certainly cannot afford to get too complacent. To make sure his team don’t slide down the table, Eddie Howe may well look to bring in a few more players to get them over the line and secure a third top-flight campaign come August.

So with that said, let’s now take a look at three potential signings for Bournemouth this month…

John Terry

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The Cherries have been unfortunate to see Nathan Ake recalled by parent club Chelsea after a string of impressive performances this season, but they could return to Stamford Bridge in a bid to complete arguably one of the shock moves of this transfer window.

That is because they have none other than former England captain John Terry in their sights in regards to a move to the Vitality Stadium. Terry’s days at Stamford Bridge are undoubtedly coming to an end and with Chelsea being in the in-form team they are in as of late the 36-year-old’s first-team opportunities have been few and far between.

Terry obviously has not helped himself on that front after receiving a red card in the FA Cup Third Round Round tie against Peterborough and with the prospect of him being limited to just a few cup appearances, he may well feel that it’s time to see out his playing days elsewhere.

If there is one thing that has let Bournemouth down this season it has been their defence. They seemed assured in attack but this is a side that is often prone to the odd defensive lapse. However, should they manage to pull off the capture of Terry’s signature, his experience would undoubtedly give them a boost in confidence at the back.

Terry has often been linked with big money moves to Major League Soccer outfits or teams in China but if he does not want to end his career abroad then a move to the Dorset coast may appeal.

Pedro Pereira

Football Soccer – Napoli v Sampdoria – Italian Serie A – San Paolo stadium, Naples, Italy – 07/01/17 – Napoli’s Marek Hamsik in action with Sampdoria’s Pedro Pereira . REUTERS/Ciro De Luca

Another defensive target that Bournemouth have their eye on this month is Pedro Pereira of Sampdoria. The 18-year-old has been a key cog in Portugal’s youth set-up, representing his country and U-15 through to U-18 level.

Bournemouth are said at the head of the queue for his services with a fee of £7m believed to be enough to take Pereira to the Premier League.

After deciding to stay at Sampdoria in the summer the Portuguese starlet has been rewarded with ten Serie A appearances this season and it’s those that have seemingly captured the attention of the Cherries’ scouting department.

He may not quite be top of many Bournemouth fans’ shopping lists for this transfer window but if the club can capture Pereira’s services then they could very well reap the rewards for years to come.

Morgan Sanson

To complete this trio of potential transfer targets, we now move our attention to France and Montpellier in particular as Bournemouth could be prepared to make a bid for Morgan Sanson. They have been tracking the 22-year-old and with a number of clubs doing likewise they may well feel that now is the right time to move that interest to the next level.

With other clubs around Europe also eyeing up Sanson, the one thing Bournemouth do not want to get caught up in is a bidding war, one which would undoubtedly see Sanson’s asking price increase. Therefore the Cherries will probably want to get a deal wrapped up as soon as possible.

After only making 14 appearances in Ligue 1 last season, Sanson has been an ever-present this season as Montpellier boss Frederic Hantz continues to show his faith in him. Unfortunately, though, it seems the more he plays the more he is in the shop window and there is now a strong likelihood that he will be with a new club before the end of the month.

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