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It remains to be seen whether Unai Emery will opt for evolution or revolution as he attempts to fill the enormous void Arsene Wenger has left behind at Arsenal, but the Spaniard has nonetheless been handed the chance to bring a new era to the north London club in a bid to restore it to its former glories.

And perhaps the biggest question amid that process, regardless of whether the changes are sudden or gradual, is who to build Arsenal’s newlook team around, especially considering there’s so much creative talent already at the club – even if it hasn’t always shown the true extremities of its abilities over the last few seasons.

With that in mind, Football FanCast outline four suggested solutions for who should be at the heart of Emery’s Arsenal side…

Solution A – Henrikh Mkhitaryan

The Armenian international spent the second half of last season bedding into the team, not quite producing his best form but impressing in doses nonetheless with two goals and four assists in eleven Premier League outings.

Mkhitaryan’s prolific form during his final campaign at Dortmund too, with 23 goals and 32 assists across all competitions, showed he has the potential to be the creative driving force behind a team of Arsenal’s calibre, even if he’s yet to prove it to the same degree in the Premier League following an incredibly underwhelming stint with Manchester United.

If there’s one concern though, it’s that Mkhitaryan seems to have a similar profile to Ozil – excellent against lesser teams, but rarely the talisman who delivers on the big occasion.

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Solution B – Aaron Ramsey

The Gunners always seem that bit more dangerous and fluid when the Welshman’s in the side and the stats back that up, twelve goals and nine assists from his Premier League and Europa League outings last term representing a fantastic return for a midfielder.

At times Ramsey’s relentless forward runs seem to disrupt the balance of the team, leaving the engine room with too much space to cover defensively, but removing Ozil from the equation would remedy that somewhat, and potentially even see Ramsey score more because the team is better-geared towards that part of his game.

There’s an obvious counter-argument though, in the form of the 27-year-old’s fitness; he suffered three different injuries last term alone, resulting in eleven games on the sidelines. The other concern is whether Ramsey will sign a new contract at the club. With his current deal due to expire in 2019, now is the time to clash in on the goalscoring midfielder, who Transfermarkt value at £40.5million.

Solution C – Mesut Ozil

The German World Cup winner will always split opinion, and one of the lines of division revolves around how much blame should be attributed to him for Arsenal’s recent struggles.

There’s no doubt Ozil has a knack of going missing for the Gunners during the big moments, but how much of that is really his fault and how much of that is due to tactics, team selection and the quality of player surrounding him?

What do you think of the World Cup so far? Let us know and win any World Cup shirt of your choice.

Perhaps in a different setup and under the guidance of a more meticulous manager, the 29-year-old will arrest the inconsistency that has plagued much of his Arsenal career. At the same time though, if Germany’s World Cup campaign has proved anything it’s that Ozil isn’t at the same level he was five years ago when he first moved to north London.

Solution D – A New Signing

Considering the impact of a new signing is inevitable while the transfer window is still open, and with Ramsey, Ozil and Mkhitaryan all aged 27 or older, perhaps the time is right to bring a younger, fresher, more innovative talent into the team who can really shake things up at the Emirates Stadium.

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The obvious problem though comes down to cost. Emery’s summer budget isn’t the largest and most of his attention thus far has been devoted to addressing the deficiencies in defensive areas – particularly the backline with Stephan Lichtsteiner and goalkeeper Bernd Leno arriving already.

Selling Ozil this summer should free up some more funds, but are Arsenal actually in a position financially to bring in another creative talent that exceeds what the Germany playmaker currently gives to the team?

So, Arsenal fans, which solution do you think Emery should adopt? Let us know by voting below…

West Ham are one of a number of Premier League clubs interested in signing Porto striker Moussa Marega, according to Portuguese news outlet O Jogo.

What’s the story?

The 27-year-old has been at Porto since 2016 and comes on the back of a successful season, scoring 22 goals and registering four assists in 29 games in the Primeira Liga.

The Mali international’s performances have brought him to the attention of a number of Premier League clubs, with West Ham, Everton, Tottenham and Chelsea reportedly interested in the forward.

Do you think this has been the best World Cup ever? Tell us your thoughts here and win any World Cup shirt of your choice.

However, Marega’s release clause of £35million for a player valued at £17.1million on Transfermarkt is likely to put off West Ham.

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West Ham fans shouldn’t hold their breath

While Marega would be a really good signing, the price and the competition for his signature mean that a transfer to the London Stadium is rather unlikely.

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If they do manage to pull it off, the 6ft1 striker would be a great focal point for the West Ham attack with his physicality and power.

But with West Ham focusing on other targets, it is safe to say that Marega is unlikely to be donning the claret and blue any time soon.

We have all hit one like it. But whilst ours probably came in the back garden against our little cousin, former Sweden international Erik Edman did it against Liverpool in the Premier League.

The former Tottenham Hotspur defender hit an absolute belter in April 2005, with his ferocious strike giving Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek absolutely no chance at all.

Edman only actually represented Spurs for one season – scoring once in 31 Premier League appearances before making the move to French outfit Rennes.

It was not exactly the most glittering of Premier League careers, but there are many that still remember his strike against Liverpool.

Tottenham’s official Twitter account wished their former defender a happy birthday on Saturday, which gave everyone another chance to relive the wonder effort.

Some say that the 39-year-old’s strike would still be travelling if the net had not stopped it, but that is purely speculation at this stage.

A selection of the best Twitter reaction can be found below:

In recent years, Premier League fans have become accustomed to the division’s top clubs enjoying carte blanche over its rising stars.

Even those daring to insinuate greater loyalty than Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard turn into tantruming, spineless prima-donnas the moment a Chelsea, Manchester City or Manchester United waves a triple-figure weekly salary beneath their nose. It’s especially the case with home-grown players who, through no genuine fault of their own, attract amongst the biggest transfer fees and wage packages in the Premier League due to the quota-driven demands of the modern transfer market.

Defying that stereotype, however, is Everton defender John Stones, who proved amid quite the recruitment drive from Premier League champions Chelsea that young English footballers don’t necessarily have to let inevitable ambition eat away at their professionalism.

Indeed, the Blues launched three separate bids for the England international, deemed the natural successor to struggling skipper John Terry, the last and most lucrative being worth a whopping £30million. And the Blues’ campaign to snap up Stones didn’t stop there; Terry, Gary Cahill and Jose Mourinho all breached Premier League rules by openly discussing the west London outfit’s pursuit of the 21 year-old, not so subtly attempting to publicly convince him into a Stamford Bridge switch – or at the very least, start making the situation as difficult for Everton as possible.

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Stones made his feelings known after Chelsea’s third bid, handing in a transfer request at Goodison Park. But the difference between the 6 foot 2 centre-half and other Premier League prospects who have found themselves taking the same course of action in recent years is that he successfully separated it from Everton’s efforts on the pitch.

Take West Bromwich Albion’s Saido Berahino, for example, who is now essentially on strike at the Hawthorns after his deadline day move to Tottenham Hotspur collapsed. He immediately took to Twitter to vent his frustrations, claiming he’d never play for the club under chairman Jeremy Peace again. Likewise, although Raheem Sterling continued to feature for Liverpool regularly after it was revealed that he’d refused to extend his contract past 2017, his performance levels dropped to almost incomparable levels; scoring only thrice in the Premier League after the close of the January window and just once in the six appearances following his infamous interview with BBC Sport.

Stones, on the other hand, played 120 minutes for Everton in the Capital One Cup the day after handing in his transfer request and helped them claim a clean sheet against Tottenham Hotspur the following Saturday, despite being informed he wouldn’t be allowed to leave the club with just three days of the summer window remaining. There was no strike, no threat of passive resistance, no public demand of his relinquishment; the Three Lions prodigy simply accepted the decision of his employers and continued performing his job to the impeccable standards he’s set over the last two seasons.

It’s an invaluable lesson for the many young Englishmen who the Premier League’s top clubs will attempt to cast in their nets over the next few years. Although every footballer is ambitious by nature and determined to reach the highest, most competitive level possible, you don’t have to prove it by burning bridges and turning on those who provided the platform to impress.

It also speaks volumes about Stones’ character, suggesting he possesses the temperament to separate on and off field issues in spite of the media frenzy that ensued during the final weeks of the transfer window. Unfortunately for Everton, that may have convinced even more top clubs that the 21-year-old has what it takes to become one of England’s and the Premier League’s biggest stars.

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One of the finds of last season was unquestionable Francis Coquelin. The midfielder was plucked from his loan spell in the lower leagues and dropped into an Arsenal midfield desperate for a bit of steel.

He became Arsenal’s backbone at a time when the only thing stopping the Gunners from flopping into a pile in the floor was the starch in their shirts.

There was – and is – still criticism, though. Last summer came and went without Arsenal adding strength to their midfield, January then became a chance, but instead of going out and buying a proven midfielder Wenger plumped for Coquelin instead. It’s a call that seems to have been vindicated given the youngster’s performances, but that doesn’t mean the criticism was unfounded.

Wenger was clearly right to give Coquelin a chance, but that certain doesn’t mean he was right not to buy a defensive midfielder.

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Even if Coquelin is the best defensive midfielder in the world – and let me spare you the suspense here, he isn’t – Arsenal would still need another good defensive midfielder to do the job alongside him.

Pundits have been asking since the start of the season, ‘what happens if Coquelin gets injured?’ But look what happens even when he’s fit.

You can’t ask a player to play a whole season. And by that I mean every game, in all competitions. Wenger seems to know the importance of Coquelin to his team, and so the young French midfielder is rested from time to time – Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League and this midweek in the Capital One Cup against Sheffield Wednesday, both defeats.

Of course you can’t blame the omission of one player for defeat, and especially not defeats like that, Arsenal should really have enough good players to beat both of those teams without Coquelin. But his absence is always obvious. He’s such a big player for Arsenal.

That’s a good reason to bring in another good defensive midfielder, but even if Coquelin was a complete force of nature and could play in every game, Arsenal would still need another one.

Mikel Arteta – the club captain no less – just doesn’t look up to filling in for the Frenchman this season. And Mathieu Flamini, the player Wenger used in that role before Coquelin shows an almost satirical lack of defensive discipline. His cameo appearance against Everton, when Wenger brought him on to shore up the defence for the last ten minutes whilst 2-1 up, was almost like a caricature. He was a parody of himself.

He was brought on as a defensive midfielder to keep things tight in front of the back four yet he had two chances to wrap up the game, he was overlapping on the left hand side, bombing forward at every opportunity and leaving Arsenal’s defence totally exposed to the counter attack in a way that they weren’t before his arrival.

Only Arsene Wenger, I thought, could make a defensive substitution and actually make his defence weaker. Only Mathieu Flamini could come onto the pitch with instructions to protect his defence and yet bomb forward like a team searching a last minute goal to win the title.

Wenger said that if he’d been signed for £40m, instead of being brought back from his loan spell at Charlton, he would be heralded as a fantastic signing. I think that’s fair enough – if a big new signing put in those performances we’d be lauding him. Yet Arsenal need another one. Even if Coquelin is worth £40m, even if he’s that good, Arsenal still need something better than Mathieu Flamini as an understudy.

Arsenal might be serious title contenders this season for the first time in years, but they really need to cover Coquelin long-term. It’s not a striker Arsenal need – I actually think Walcott, Giroud and a fit Welbeck could be enough for a title charge – what they need is a steely midfielder. Because it doesn’t matter how good Coquelin is, Arsenal just don’t have enough quality behind him.

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What an outrageous night. We could barely keep up as the Group B pendulum swung back and fourth over a crazy hour and a half, as PSV Eindhoven and Manchester United battled hard in their games against CSKA Moscow and Wolfsburg respectively for a spot in the last 16. At various stages of the night both had it all in their hands.

Eventually the footballing gods shone on the Dutch side, and Louis van Gaal’s men will be playing in the Europa League next year. Naturally there is a red mist over the vast majority of the Old Trafford faithful, who are (it could be said rightfully) annoyed that their team couldn’t get out of a fairly routine group.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom. And we at FFC Towers think there are some actual silver linings. So keep calm and carry on, United fans…

Louis van Gaal may get sacked…

Manchester United are playing boring football. We all know it. League results have, however, remained fairly positive, but the financial reality of Champions League elimination may increase the itch on the United big shots’ collective trigger finger.

And would any United fans be really sad to see LVG go? Especially as Carlo Ancelotti is out of work and Pep Guardiola may be available at the end of the season

Europa League allows for greater rotation

Unlike in the Champions League, United could feasibly get away with playing a second string side for the Europa League’s knockout phase. This might then help the club’s title/top four charge as the ‘first XI’ could best kept 100% fresh for key games.

Alternatively, the Europa League offers a Champions League qualification spot for the winner, with only ‘weaker’ teams standing in the way.

Were Man United ever good enough anyway?

Well, were they? If they could not make it out of a fairly routine Group B, what chance would this United side have against a Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Barcelona? An embarrassing defeat would do little to help United in their post-Sir Alex Ferguson recovery, so maybe it’s for the best…

Well there we have it. Jamie Vardy is a record breaker, and it’s hard to argue that he hasn’t deserved it. It was almost forgotten in the build-up ahead of kick-off at the King Power Stadium that the game was one that would see the victor go top of the league heading into December, such is the hype surrounding the 28-year-old’s performances of late as the opportunity to break Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record loomed.In truth the 90 minutes weren’t the most enthralling, and aside from Vardy’s goal there was little to get excited about. Louis van Gaal’s side were once again dominant in midfield, yet blunt up front, which is becoming a worry.Leicester moved joint top of the table with Manchester City after 14 games, while United sit third, and here are THREE things we learnt…

Jamie Vardy is going nowhere…

Tonight was widely seen as the night the Jamie Vardy express would be de-railed. 10 goals in 10 games is s stunning return, but to better Ruud van Nistelrooy’s equal haul, the Foxes man needed to score past the meanest defence in the Premier League this season. Not a chance… at least that’s what many thought.

However, midway through the first half the in-form forward raced through and drilled the ball past David de Gea sending his team, their fans and the entire internet into a mad state.

If he can beat the best, why can’t he carry on beating the rest? We’re not saying he’ll take the record as high as say 15 or 20, but Vardy is certainly a striker to be feared across the division.

Rooney may well be past it…

Hauled off with just over 20 minutes to go after a lifeless display, Rooney will want to forget his evening at the King Power Stadium. The fact remains that the Red Devils skipper is a legendary player for both his club and country, but has his time past? It’s looking more and more like it as the weeks pass, with Rooney’s pace having faded, his movement grown laboured and his first touch having all but evaded him.

Time to head off to America or China? It may be worth considering if this trend carries on, as it would be a shame to see his reputation eroded.

Are Leicester genuine title contenders?

Joint-top of the table in December! This is no blip! Leicester have to be talked about as a candidate in the title race, they deserve the recognition. 14 games and 29 points is a staggering tally for a side that were in the relegation zone for the bulk of 2014/15, and we shouldn’t really be fooled by all the talk of aiming for 40 points coming out of the Leicester camp.

It’s true that Claudio Ranieri’s men have a tough run coming up, but being able to play on the counter-attack against bigger sides is ideal for the likes of Vardy and Riyad Mahrez.

I dislike seeing once great teams going nowhere and this includes Leeds United.

The list of Director’s and managerial names are endless (Eddie Gray, Peter Reid, Terry Venables, David O’Leary, George Graham, Norman Hunter, Billy Bremner, Cloughie and not to mention Don Revie) read like a who’s who of British football. Revie was the most successful manager in their history with two league championships, two Inter-Cities Fairs Cups, one Division Two Championship, one FA Cup, one League Cup and a Charity Shield. 740 games all told under Revie from 1961 to 1974 when England came calling and his successor, Brian Clough, never stood a chance of emulating that feat. Much like following Ferguson at Manchester United – a thankless task.

In the early ’70s it was all Leeds. They were brutish, would kick you hard and didn’t worry about making friends, but on their day they were sublime, elegant, a side brimming with international talent and above all… successful. I recall the day they beat Southampton at Elland Road. It wasn’t just a win, but a display of such artistry that Southampton couldn’t compare and the final score of 7-0 was about as deserved as you can get. Magical.

Then came the early ’90s and another superb Leeds team swept all before them as they became the last winners of the old Division One title in ’91-’92, their third and last major title. This was under Howard Wilkinson, but after such a triumph, the tables turned and life became sour for Wilkinson. George Graham took over, but after a short period with the club, Graham left and in came David O’Leary with Eddie Gray. Leeds went on to enjoy top five finishes in the Premier League under O’Leary and semi-final appearances in European competition, but you somehow knew it couldn’t last.

So where did it all go wrong after being so right? Well, in a nutshell…

I guess it had to implode somewhere down the line and after the heyday under Peter Ridsdale and the money that was spent, it went spectacularly wrong. Large loans were taken against expected revenue that didn’t materialise. Players were sold off against the wishes of the managers that were then sacked until another came in through the revolving door and received the same treatment. Ridsdale resigned from the Leeds board and in came Gerald Krasner leading a consortium of local businessmen. Being an insolvency specialist, Krasner oversaw the the sale of the club’s assets and this included players of all levels. Relegation in 2003/04 duly followed.

Further players were sold to reduce the wage bill following the drop and in the end in 2004, Leeds sold their training ground and the stadium. Ex-Chelsea Chairman, Ken Bates, then bought the club for £10m and whilst more managers came and went without success, in came the administrators in 2007, as the club were relegated once more. To make matters worse, Leeds had been hit with an automatic 10 point deduction, which virtually guaranteed the fall into the third tier for the first time.

In the 2009/10 season, Leeds finally won promotion to the Championship, but not after a few more scares. At one point in 2007, HMRC challenged the CVA as under league rules, if the club were still in administration at the start of the next season, then they would prevent the club from starting their games. This was challenged and KPMG put the club up for sale and once again Ken Bates entered the fray. HMRC withdrew their legal challenge and Leeds had a 15 point deduction this time.

Once back in the Championship, Leeds did admirably, narrowly missing out on the play-offs. However, things are never quiet when Ken Bates is the chairman, as he announced that he now owned Leeds United. With a lack of investment in the team, the fans protested and the chairman and fans fell out, as more managers came and went. In 2012, the Middle East-based private equity group, GFH Capital, completed a takeover. in 2014, another take over by a consortium collapsed due to a lack of financial backing, whilst on the pitch, nothing much happened. A state of lethargy had hit the club.

In came Massimo Cellino, President of the Serie A club Cagliari. Within a day, the manager at the time, Brian McDermott, was sacked and then reinstated, as Cellino wasn’t in a position to sack him. Acquiring 75% of the ownership was also not an easy process as the Football League had yet to approve Cellino.

In April 2014, Cellino finally got his way and appointed a surprise choice as manager in Dave Hockaday, who lasted roughly 70 days. Milanic came in and lasted about a month and that sums up Leeds since David O’Leary really.There are further tensions between Cellino and fans and he is somewhat more disliked than he is liked.

Once again, it is the fans that suffer and despite the board saying that they want the best for the club, they never seem to know what is best and so the club lurch nowhere in particular, selling off prized assets that mean that for the foreseeable future, Leeds United will do well to stay mid-table in The Championship.

Such a shame.

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When Everton look at the Premier League table and see Tottenham Hotspur in second place, they should wonder what could have been this season.

Indeed, amid a Premier League campaign not quite like any other, in which Chelsea have produced the worst title defence in Premier League history, Manchester United have rarely surpassed the realms of mediocrity, Arsenal have capitulated once again and Manchester City have performed below expectations, the Lilywhites have taken advantage, surging up the table with a young, ambitious and prodigious side who balance out zealous attacking displays with relentless industry off the ball.

Yet, on paper at least, the disparity of quality between Spurs and Everton is minimal. Harry Kane and Romelu Lukaku and Ross Barkley and Dele Alli are almost interchangeable in terms of age and ability, James McCarthy and Eric Dier are near enough like-for-likes, Leighton Baines, Seamus Coleman and Phil Jagielka are amongst the most proven defenders in the Premier League and a significant percentage of neutrals would place John Stones above any player on show at White Hart Lane when considering potential.

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Spurs may boast better depth in certain departments and superior quality between the sticks, but that doesn’t go anywhere near to explaining the ten positions and 17 points separating them and Everton in the Premier League table. The north Londoners are a shoo-in for Champions League qualification and an outside bet for the English title; the Toffees, meanwhile, might not even finish in the top half.

It has become almost too simplistic to place the manager at the heartbeat of every indiscretion in the Premier League, amid arguably the most chaotic and confusing era of its 24-year history. But in the instance of Everton, on course to finish in the bottom half for successive seasons for the first time in nearly 15 years, it’s difficult to look beyond the role of Roberto Martinez.

No doubt, the Spaniard has created an incredible side going forward, tapping into the enormous potential of Everton’s many prodigious attacking talents. Only Leicester City have scored more goals than the Toffees this season, only Manchester City have netted more from open play, only Arsenal have averaged more successful dribbles per match and only four sides have averaged more shots on target per match.

Yet, Martinez has not created an effective team and that remains his ultimate downfall. Team ethic has become a predominant trend this term; the likes of Spurs, Leicester City, West Ham, Watford and Stoke have performed beyond expectations because of their cohesion as a unit. City, Swansea, United, Everton and Newcastle, meanwhile, despite boasting decent enough starting XIs on paper, just haven’t gelled as a collective in the same way.

Their current league standings compared to their season objectives are evidence enough. But particularly in the case of Everton, individual results are equally telling – starting with that inexplicable defeat to West Ham last weekend. The Hammers are a good side and Dimitri Payet, who bagged a last-minute winner, is an incredible player, but stoppage time goals are a by-product of team spirit. Leicester and Tottenham Hotspur have produced many throughout the season.

In dramatic contrast, Everton have suffered an opposing disease, throwing away results in the dying embers of games. The Toffees have conceded 14 points from winning positions this season and throughout the entirety of Martinez’ 104 game tenure, that number skyrockets to a rather incredible 45. Many have placed that on defensive frailties, a common criticism throughout Martinez’ career, but the issues must stem a little deeper, considering Baines, Jagielka, Stones and Coleman is hardly a mediocre back four – in fact, quite the opposite – and Gareth Barry and McCarthy are solid enough defensive midfielders.

Whilst Mauricio Pochettino prioritises fitness and industry ahead of attacking brilliance, it appears to be the other way round under Martinez at Goodison. Tottenham earn their right to turn on the charm in the final third, Everton act almost as if it’s their divine right. That steely influence and team cohesion, a product of back-breaking work on the training grounds at Enfield, just isn’t evident on the blue half of Merseyside.

Some may argue that’s as much about individuals as the manager. Barkley, Lukaku and Deulofeu all possess a particularly notable selfish streak. But young players are adaptable, moldable, impressionable and open-minded. Pochettino has used that to his advantage in creating an effective team, Spurs’ young squad completely buying into his philosophy and methods, but Martinez has failed to curtail the individuality of his youthful players in the same way.

They all want to be the star player and such ambition should be encouraged, but it should never stand in the way of the team and most importantly of all, the right results. That is where Martinez has let himself down.

No doubt, Martinez is an impressive developer of young players. In five or ten years, I’m sure Barkley, Lukaku and Stones will look back upon their spell under the Spaniard as the era in which they truly began to flourish. But that development will be of little use to Everton if results can’t keep their most promising talents at the club.

Pochettino, on the other hand, has balanced out development and results to a world-class degree at White Hart Lane and with the promise of Champions League football, no clubs will be able to prize away their biggest assets this summer.

So am I suggesting Everton would be in the top four right now if Pochettino was at the helm? Well, they certainly wouldn’t be far from it.

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Louis van Gaal is somehow clinging onto his job for now but most expect the under-fire Manchester United manager to be replaced by Jose Mourinho at the end of the season.

The Portuguese’s anticipated arrival should coincide with the most expensive transfer window to date at Old Trafford; the current Red Devils squad still lacks top-class quality and the new TV deal should see Premier League clubs spend like never before.

Mourinho will find that particularly pleasing. Although there is no doubt over his ability to obtain silverware, his trophy hauls are often accompanied by prolific spending in the transfer market, bringing in the biggest talents Europe has to offer.

So with that in mind and the summer transfer window by no means as far away as it may seem, here are FIVE superstar signings to kick off the Jose Mourinho era at Old Trafford.

MATS HUMMELS

Not a transfer window goes by without Manchester United being dubiously linked with a bid for Mats Hummels, but the coming summer represents their best chance to date of luring the World Cup winner away from Borussia Dortmund – when his Westfalen contract will have entered its final twelve months.

The Red Devils require a long-term partner to Chris Smalling, with utility man Daley Blind filling the void at the heart of defence this season, and the German international certainly fits the bill, famed for his Beckenbauer-esque ball-playing instincts and widely considered one of the top centre-halves in world football.

Indeed, the 27-year-old has featured in World Cup and Champions League finals whilst lifting two Bundesliga titles and has captained the Black-Yellows since the start of last season. But the Hummels-to-United transfer saga has dragged on for so long that most Red Devils fans have probably given up all hope of him actually turning up at Old Trafford.

Antoine Griezmann

Antoine Griezmann was continuously linked with a Chelsea transfer throughout Jose Mourinho’s second spell at it’s not hard to see why; the Frenchman has flourished under Diego Simeone’s likeminded philosophy of organised pragmatism, bagging 49 goals in 94 appearances for the Mattress Makers.

Manchester United lack firepower up front and quality out wide but the 25-year-old’s arrival could address both issues in one fell swoop. In addition to emerging as one of La Liga’s most potent frontmen at Atletico, his performances as a winger for former club Real Sociedad often verged upon talismanic.

Famed for his tenacity and stamina, Griezmann has often been mooted as a particularly good fit for Premier League football. But Atletico are desperate to keep hold of their star asset ahead of their twelve-month transfer ban and are working to raise his release clause to a whopping £79million.

ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC

They don’t get much more star-studded than Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who looks set to leave PSG on a free transfer at the end of the season.

Indeed, the notoriously enigmatic Sweden international hasn’t lost a title race since 2003, spanning spells with Ajax, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Juventus, Barcelona and the Parisians – firing his current employers to four consecutive Ligue 1 honours with 141 goals in 169 outings across all competitions.

Zlatan may not offer much longevity at 34 years of age but pace has never been his forte and the 6 foot 5 striker is still producing the goods in front of goal, so a short-term deal could prove to be an incredibly shrewd move on United’s part.

There are already rumours of a preliminary discussion with Jose Mourinho regarding a potential Old Trafford transfer, but the veteran front-man’s wages are astronomical and he’s always been a rather controversial character.

JAMES RODRIGUEZ

James Rodriguez emerged as one of the beautiful game’s top talents upon claiming the Golden Boot award at the 2014 World Cup but his subsequent move to Real Madrid hasn’t exactly gone as planned, struggling for fitness and form particularly this season.

Nonetheless, the attacking midfielder is an exciting player who combines creativity, technical flair, firepower and a stocky frame that should put him in good stead for the physical challenges of the English top flight. Likewise, a return of 19 goals and 18 assists in 48 La Liga outings is certainly nothing to be sniffed at.

Rumour has it Real Madrid will look to offload the Colombian international this summer and barring a move to Bayern Munich, the Premier League remains his most logical next destination. However, Los Blanos will expect to recoup the vast majority of their original €80million investment and the 24-year-old’s underwhelming form this season is a significant concern.

PAUL POGBA

Paul Pogba looks set to enter the summer transfer window as arguably the most sought-after player in world football, so bringing him to Manchester United will be a real signal of intent on Jose Mourinho’s part.

The Juventus ace has emerged as one of the best in the business since swapping Old Trafford for the Old Lady in summer 2012, placed somewhere between Yaya Toure and Patrick Vieira on the goalscoring enforcer spectrum through his mix of netting prowess, technical skill and ranging physicality.

The France international rejected widespread interest last summer – including from Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea – but is likely to be on the move during the coming transfer window following yet another title campaign in Turin and the European Championship on his home soil.

But Juve still expect to pick up a fee in excess of £65million for the 23-year-old and with so many major clubs interested, not least including Barcelona and Real Madrid, United could find themselves some way down the pecking order.