When Mesut Ozil arrived at the Emirates for a club-record £42million last summer, it was meant to be a watershed moment for Arsenal.

Arguments were made that the German international’s sheer presence in north London would give an enormous boost to the club, awakening the Gunners from their dormant state in the Premier League title race and signifying Arsenal’s re-emergence at the elite end of the transfer market, whilst his world-class quality, well proven in the Bundesliga, La Liga and internationally, brought the starting XI to a whole new level. It was dubbed by many, including myself, as ‘the Ozil effect’.

Fast forward just twelve months however, and the 25 year-old is verging upon boo-boy status at the Emirates. He’s rarely shown form worthy of the third-largest transfer fee in Premier League history and his anonymous performance against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on Wednesday evening has particularly drawn criticism from the fans.

I don’t wish to make excuses for Ozil. He’s been at nowhere near his best since arriving in England and has never shown the leadership qualities assumed of a marquee signing; nobody expects the diminutive playmaker to be the loudest voice on the pitch,  but amongst the largest sources of frustrations surrounding him is that he’s yet to embrace significant responsibility in attack. Rather, that kind of talismanic role was adopted by Aaron Ramsey last season.

Yet, in my opinion, Arsene Wenger has played a significant role in the German international’s plight that cannot be ignored, especially from a tactical perspective.

The obvious point to make in this regard is that Ozil’s best performances for Real Madrid most commonly – but not exclusively – came at No.10, rather than the wide-right role which witnessed him burst onto the scene at the 2010 World Cup. That position saw the 25 year-old claim 47 league assists during his three campaigns at the Bernebeu, making him the most proficient creator in Europe’s top five leagues along with Lionel Messi.

He found nine assists last year, a decent return for an inaugural Premier League campaign, but featuring more frequently on the right flank than in his central berth for Arsenal, Ozil hasn’t been able to affect games in the same way.

Wenger’s decision to utilise the German out wide is continually bemusing; Ozil is more part of the midfield than a wide prong of a front three – as he was occasionally for Real – and unsurprisingly, he’s struggled to cope with the added defensive responsibilities. He also lacks the power and pace of conventional Premier League wingers, such as Alexis Sanchez on the opposite flank.

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A prevailing factor, in my opinion, is that Wenger doesn’t want to surrender Arsenal’s shape in midfield, and admittedly, compared to other Premier League players of the same role, Ozil doesn’t offer much protection at No.10, especially fronting two forward-thinking box-to-boxers in Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey.

Yet, that conundrum could have been easily resolved this summer if Wenger had addressed perhaps the most notable and fatal flaw in Arsenal’s squad; the perpetual absence of a physically intimidating, defensively-assured holding midfielder. A William Carvalho, a Lars Bender, a Sami Khedira or a Morgan Schneiderlin would offer the Gunners a more consistent, less open structure in the middle of the park, compensating for the gaps Ozil would inevitably leave behind him.

One could argue you must earn such an integral role, especially in an Arsenal side blessed with incredible quality and depth in midfield. Take Gareth Bale’s coming-of-age season at Tottenham for example, or Yaya Toure at Manchester City. Ozil’s been given more an enough opportunities to impress, albeit from out wide, and thus far simply hasn’t taken them.

But this isn’t just any No.10 we’re talking about – this is one of the best No.10s in world football, who just won a World Cup with Germany, playing as their No.10 in all seven tournament fixtures. His output, one goal and one assist, may have been largely underwhelming, considering Joachim Lowe’s side bagged 18 goals throughout, but the 25 year-old’s influence at the hub of midfield was crucial.

Upon returning to the Emirates however, he’s reduced to being a sideshow instead of the main act. I’m sure that’s not what Ozil envisaged when Wenger invested £42million in him. I’m sure that’s not what Arsenal fans envisaged when their record-signing lifted the World Cup this summer, or when Cesc Fabregas claimed Wenger refused to buy him back because his position was already filled by the German international.

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For that kind of money, you’d expect a team to be built around you, rather than being asked to perform a role that infringes upon your natural strengths. The argument comes full circle yet again; Ozil’s performances are yet to justify a crucial role and the greatest players should always be able to adapt. That’s certainly become a bit of a botch on the midfielder, compared to his many counterparts  throughout the Premier League and Europe.

However, never treating Ozil like a club-record signing remains Wenger’s biggest mistake. He’s had a fantastic opportunity to create a starting Xi around one of the best in the world in his position, whom, at just 25, could conceivably remain in north London for the majority of the next decade.

Ozil will never look like a £42million player out wide; quite clearly, he doesn’t have the natural requisites, or more importantly, the heart for it. Wenger needs to reconfigure and create a role that suits the German international better, but as previously stated, the key to that remains a holding midfielder.

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The Premier League often overlooks the lower tiers of English football – the Championship and beyond – as a viable recruitment pool, often favouring cheaper, better-proven talents from foreign top flights instead.But England’sÂlesser leagues still have a lot to offer in terms of future Premier League stars,ÂshouldÂyou know where to look, and just to prove it, here’s a list of FIVE Football League prodigies that have reportedly caught Liverpool’s transfer attention over the last 18 months.The Reds have plucked the likes of Jonjo Shelvey from the Football League before – could one of these hotshots soon follow his path to Anfield?

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DELE ALLI

Liverpool fans will know Dele Alli well, having been relentlessly linked with an Anfield switch since his first team debut for Mk Dons back in 2012. Recent reports claim the Reds are set to pounce in January:

So who is this League One show-stopper? Well, he’s already earned some interesting comparisons, such asÂGeorge Best, courtesy of Dons chairman Pete Winkleman, whilst BBC Sport have likened Alli to his boyhood hero – Steven Gerrard.

He certainly shares the swashbuckling midfield style of the Liverpool captain’s younger years, netting 13 times in 49 League One appearances for The Franchise .

That includes seven goals in 14 appearances this season, not to mention this beautiful assist back in September:

The 18-year-old’s creativity going forward particularly stands out but he’s also got the physicality to handle the Premier League, boasting broad shoulders, a big bum and a lofty 6 foot 2 frame. Here’s a clip of Alli in action:

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He and Southend’s Ted Smith are currently the only England U19s representatives outside of the top two tiers, which tells its own story of how highly the powerful midfielder is rated within the Three Lions set-up.

As previously stated, Liverpool have been tracking the teenager for some time, but some news sources, namely The Express, have mooted a rather steep £9million fee.

PATRICK ROBERTS

It seems virtually every major Premier League club wants to get their hands on Fulham youngster Patrick Roberts, including Liverpool:

Due to his age, just 17, Roberts hasn’t seen too much game time this season, amassing the solitary assist from two starts and nine substitute outings – amounting to just over 300 minutes of Championship football.

That may not seem like a lot to get excited about, but here’s the winger’s vitals this season based on per-90-minute metrics:

Impressive stuff, and Roberts’ potential is further underlined by 12 goals in 26 appearances for England across the junior levels, ranging from U16 to U19. Here’s a look at the teenage attacker in action:

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The tabloids claim, however, that Roberts is valued at a ridiculous £15million.

DEMARAI GRAY

Dubbed ‘the new Raheem Sterling’ by many, Liverpool already have a first refusal clause weaved into the contract of Birmingham City’s Demarai Gray, as part of the loan deal that saw Jordan Ibe go on loan to St. Andrews’ in the summer.

The 5 foot 10 winger’s had limited first team exposure thus far, making just 19 appearances in the Championship since his debut in October 2013. He’d already done enough by April this year however to make it onto FourFourTwo’s “Top Ten Football League Stars of Tomorrow”.

Like Sterling, he’s speedy, versatile and an exceptional dribbler. In fact, he’s been Birmingham’s most proficient in that regard this season by quite some distance:

Here’s a clip of the 18 year-old in action:

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There’s been an obvious progression to his performances this season, as detailed below:

Which, according to the Metro, has convinced the Reds to trigger their first option in January, at the value of around £2million:

WILL HUGHES

Will Hughes is another name that’s been linked with the Reds for quite some time, dating back to the January 2013 transfer window.

Indeed, the Derby County youngster is one of English football’s hottest prospects, playing a vital role in the Rams reaching last year’s Championship play-off final and this term’s push for automatic promotion.

Along the way, the 19-year-old central midfielder’s amassed six goals and eight assists in 61 Championship outings – including this goal against Blackburn in September:

Soon followed by this effort against Fulham:

Hughes’ technical ability and ball retention particularly stands out, allegedly even enticing scouts from Barcelona to Pride Park, as shown in the stats below:

That explains Brendan Rodgers’ undying interest in the wiry playmaker, and according to Mirror Football, Liverpool agreed a first option on Hughes some time ago.

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Other sources, however, claim he’s valued as highly as £15million by the Rams.

Max Clayton

Crewe Alexandra have one of the best value-for-money academies in the Football League and the latest hotshot to emerge from their youth set-up is 20 year-old Max Clayton – strongly linked with a Premier League move back in summer 2013:

The young forward netted 16 times in 92 appearances during his time at Gresty Road, which, via a short spell as a free agent, triggered a move to Bolton Wanderers back in September:

And his quick adaption to the Championship could convince the Reds to revive their interest, bagging one goal and one assist in just 161 minutes of second tier action – including this cheeky nutmeg against Wigan Athletic’s Scott Carson:

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This free-kick for the U21 squad wasn’t too bad either:

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The England junior, who has 31 appearances for the Three Lions across the youth levels, is still fine tuning his output but his contribution to open play remains impressive, as shown in the stats below based on per-90-minute metrics:

Liverpool will undoubtedly monitor his progress in the Championship but after moving to the Reebok, they’ll have to pay considerably more for Clayton than expected 18 months ago.

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“I was contacted personally. Arsenal are interested,

“But for now, there is still no contact with Saint-Etienne.”

Could Arsenal finally be about to address their defensive concerns? The words of Loic Perrin appear to suggest that Arsene Wenger is keen on the Saint Etienne captain, who is known for his versatility. Able to play at centre-back, his main role, as well as right-back and in a deep lying midfield role, the 29-year-old appears to be a good fit for the Gunners, and the deal looks even sweeter when the fact that he’ll be eligible for the Champions League is thrown in, too.

But, is he the best option out there? Perrin is relatively unknown outside of France and is now edging towards the back end of his career, and with younger and better suited players around, maybe Wenger should be aiming a little higher…

Winston Reid

Aside from Perrin, Reid looks to be the favourite to arrive at Arsenal before the month is out. The New Zealand centre-back’s contract at West Ham is set to expire at the end of the season, and the Hammers’ move for Doneil Henry suggests that Sam Allardyce is actually preparing for life without his Oceanic star.

One of the Irons’ top performers in what has been an excellent start to the season, a move in the region of £6m-£8m would be a wise one for the Gunners, who have been lacking a player of Reid’s qualities at the back this term.

Fabian Schar

Another soon to be out of contract centre-back on Wenger’s radar is Schar. Interest in the Swiss ace from north London has cooled of late, but he remains on Arsenal’s agenda with his situation at Basel yet to be resolved. The 23-year-old is believed to be holding out to assess his options, and with a good World Cup behind him, there are rumoured to be many suitors out there.

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Valued at less than £10m due to the prospect of a free transfer looming, the youngster offers a good long-term defensive solution for Wenger to consider, with Per Mertesacker edging towards the latter stages of his career.

Virgil van Dijk

Scottish football’s top defender, Van Dijk is being tipped for a 2015 move south of the border, despite claims from Celtic boss Ronny Deila that he will be able to keep his man. The Dutch ace has been a revelation since his switch from Groningen last year, and has been lauded for his all-round defensive qualities as well as ability on the ball.

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These attributes would suggest that he’s an ideal fit at Arsenal, and his status as somewhat of a newcomer are likely to see him content with an understudy role to Laurent Koscielny and Mertesacker. A fee of £10m-ish is rumoured to be enough to convince Celtic to sell, making him an option for Wenger.

Benedikt Howedes

A little above the budget options Wenger seems to be considering, a £15m+ move for Howedes may be a wise one. The Schalke ace was a key member of Germany’s World Cup-winning side over the summer, playing admirably as a left-back. A central defender by trade, his performances in the Bundesliga with Schalke have attracted much praise for some time, and his versatility is likely to appeal to Wenger with injuries an almost constant issue in the red half of north London.

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Tyrone Mings

Dubbed the ‘new John Terry’, Ipswich’s Mings has been earning rave reviews for his showings in the Championship this term. Currently filling the role left by now West Ham left-back Aaron Cresswell, the 21-year-old’s long-term position is believed to be at centre-back, with his towering 6ft. 3” frame and ferocious pace the building blocks for a top Premier League enforcer.

//www.youtube.com/embed/wvyRhxU0cxI

Wenger is already thought to be interested in Mings, and it’s fair to say that he would certainly be a better option for the future than Perrin. The Tractor Boys are in no hurry to get rid of their man, but a tempting January offer may be enough to alter their stance.

Lionel Messi at Stamford Bridge. The globally coveted South American making his debut in the Premier League, playing away on cold mid-week winter matches, speaking to Gary Lineker in post-match Match of the Day interviews…

The majority of the footballing community could just never imagine any of those situations ever becoming reality within English football, but if several sensational, yet nevertheless reaction-provoking reports are anything to go by, the four-time Ballon d’Or winner could well be on his way to the Premier League sooner rather than later.

While discussion surrounding Lionel Messi feels as if it has to be more sensible and more structured than for anybody else, rumours linking arguably the world’s best player with a move to Stamford Bridge remain high on the agenda. Could such a deal ever take place, and what would happen to football as we know it if Messi actually signed for Chelsea?

Although all this may seem a bit sensational and more dramatic than necessary, Lionel Messi’s ability simply has that effect on anyone that watches him play. He moves in a different way to any other player, finds passes that no one else can find, and simply finishes off chances that most would deem impossible.

Yes, some of the more pessimistic people within the footballing community have been bold enough to class Messi as too ‘lightweight’ to make it in England, with the physicality of the Premier League certainly looking more of a task than it perhaps is in La Liga for instance, but the Argentinean forward would likely not be phased by such hypothetical debate.

Alongside the likes of Eden Hazard, Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas, Messi would certainly shine in Mourinho’s team and become the same stand-out player he currently is at Barca. His signing would, by most accounts, turn Chelsea into a force that would simply be unstoppable in their quest to land silverware every season.

While winning domestic titles and impressing in Europe has been a hallmark of Chelsea’s success since the Abramovich era was ushered in, the signing of Lionel Messi would produce a special response never before seen at the Bridge, and would have its own untouchable spot in the Blues’ history book for many years to come.

Again though, would this deal actually ever happen? The reported £200million pricetag that is currently being touted in the news would seemingly knock Chelsea back in their attempts, as even for their renowned chairman, such a substantial purchase would be a big ask. Coupled with his wages, Messi may simply be unable to leave Barcelona any time soon on a financial basis alone.

The 27-year-old’s apparent row with Barca manager, Luis Enrique, may get Blues’ fans feeling optimistic no less, but as is mostly the case with high-profile fallings out within Europe’s big clubs, this supposed scandal seems no more than mere paper talk and idle gossip. If his reported clash with Enrique truly has any solid foundations, it would be the newly installed Barca boss that receives his marching orders long before Messi gets his.

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Lionel Messi is Barcelona. He is an embodiment of the way they play football, the way they excite fans, and the way they win silverware. The Argentinean star suits Catalonia down to the ground, and likely to the disappointment of Chelsea fans throughout the land, the same just couldn’t be said of Messi turning up in rainy West London.

Ultimately it’s just too hard to imagine the no. 10 in anything other than a Barcelona shirt. It’s hard to think of  el Clasico with Cristiano Ronaldo but not Messi. It’s hard to fathom the global star facing the likes of Stoke, Hull and QPR, as opposed to Espanyol, Malaga or Valencia.

But if any of this were to happen, it would simply be a momentous day for everybody involved with Chelsea and indeed everyone in the Premier League. Here’s hoping…

Manchester United’s need for a 20 goal a season striker has been on Louis Van Gaal’s mind. Robin Van Persie is currently injured, Falcao has just four Premier League goals to his name for the season, James Wilson has not featured too heavily, leaving Wayne Rooney as the closest LVG has to a prolific striker.

If it is goals Louis needs, he should look no further than the man he loaned to Real Madrid in the summer – Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez.

The Mexican began to fall out of favour after the signing of Robin Van Persie in 2012. As time went on, Hernandez was a regular feature on Manchester United’s substitute bench, and never really made his way back to the starting eleven.

In his last game for Manchester United – the dreaded fixture against MK Dons – it was clear Hernandez was looking for a way out. He found his exit on Deadline Day to La Liga, joining Real Madrid on loan, with an option to buy at the end of the season.

But what Hernandez called a ‘dream come true’ has quickly become a nightmare for him. He has simply moved from one bench to a much sunnier bench. He has made one start in La Liga, but that has been the height of it.

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Being continually benched at United is what cost him a starting place in the World Cup under Miguel Herrera, and first team football was Chicharito’s priority. The competition for the starting line up at was always going to be much stronger at Real, and Chicharito never truly stood a chance against the likes of the Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.

Although first team football may not be calling at Old Trafford, bringing Chicharito back on loan could rack the goals up, which Louis Van Gaal is looking for. When given the opportunity he has often made the difference. Twenty being the magic number, is exactly how many the Little Pea scored in his debut season for Manchester United.

Admittedly, Chicharito would be likely to resume the position of the ‘super sub’ upon his return to Manchester United. But if Falcao can start, so can Hernandez.

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With The Daily Star suggesting the likes of Southampton, Everton and West Ham may be calling on the Mexican’s signature for next season, Louis Van Gaal needs to act fast on wether Chicharito could be a serious option or not for the squad he is hoping to build.

Economically, it makes sense to bring back Chicharito, rather than spending the £43 million for Radamel Falcao.

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With Arsenal’s hunt for a top four finish and another season of Champions League football progressing nicely since the turn of the year, one of the stars of the show for the North London side has been Santi Cazorla.

The Spanish midfielder’s range of passing and ability to release the Gunners’ quick attacking players has been a key element in the Emirates Stadium outfit winning most of their games in 2015 so far. At the home of the champions, the former Malaga playmaker ran the show and was voted man of the match in the visitors’ 2-0 victory over Manchester City.

However, in the disappointing 2-1 defeat to local rivals Tottenham, Cazorla was identified as the danger-man, shackled by the Spurs midfield and had a limited influence as a result. This all goes to show that Cazorla is an essential cog in the Arsenal wheel, with the Spain international being handed the captain’s armband for the most recent victory over Everton.

With the Spaniard playing some scintillating football, it is an interesting side note that he has been operating in a deeper position. In Arsene Wenger’s bespoke 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 formation, Cazorla has been deployed in a holding role of sorts alongside Francis Coquelin.

With the 30-year-old usually preferring to play further forward in a role behind a central striker or even on a wing, it has been intriguing to see Cazorla revel in a new position. However, with a new role comes added responsibilities, which can be both positive and negative.

Here are the pros and cons to Cazorla’s tactical change compared with his usual more forward-thinking position:

Pros

The old adage ‘if it’s not broken, don’t fix it’ springs to mind here, and as such, Wenger will be reluctant to remove Cazorla from the boiler room given his extraordinary performances of late. The Spanish schemer has had to play in the centre of the park due to ongoing injury concerns for Mikel Arteta, Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey, but he has arguably been doing a better job than the crocked trio.

In a deeper role, Cazorla inevitably sees a lot more of the ball and can orchestrate the ebb and flow of Arsenal’s possession as a result. His precise passing from deeper has allowed him to find the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck in space, while he has coped with the defensive responsibilities that come with the role without major incident.

Playing the Spaniard deeper also allows an extra attacking player to flood the three man line behind a lone striker and can also give Mesut Ozil the chance to play centrally rather than be shunted onto the wing.

All in all, the positives of playing Cazorla deeper certainly add up.

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Cons

Despite the success that Cazorla has been having in his new role, there is a feeling that the Spaniard is a square peg in in a round hole, and another stopgap in Arsenal’s longstanding midfield dilemma. The added defensive responsibilities will surely have a physical impact on a player whose game is technically focussed, while against top opposition, his presence in the space in front of the Arsenal defence could actually be seen as a weakness.

Cazorla may well have scored seven Premier League goals this season, but six of those have come from the penalty spot – the exception was against Newcastle back in December. Compare this to the Spaniard’s debut campaign at the club in 2012-13, where he scored 12 times. Playing Cazorla deeper removes his individual attacking threat, and robs Arsenal of a player capable of scoring when he gets into the box.

Verdict

It will be interesting to see just how Wenger uses Cazorla when the likes of Ramsey, Arteta and Wilshere are available again, but the veteran’s versatility must be seen as a major plus.

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In the long run the Spanish star is probably best utilised in a more advanced role but he has shown his pedigree by slipping into central midfield almost seamlessly this season.

Arsenal fans – where would you want to see Cazorla play?

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Paul Pogba seems to be the most sought-after player in the world at the moment with every well-known club being linked to tempting the Frenchman into a summer move away from Juventus.

It is believed a bid of at least £72million would be needed to lure him away from Juve with his current deal with the Italian side lasting until 2019.

Two of the clubs in the race to sign the midfielder are Manchester rivals both on the hunt for a title win. After last year’s big money signings didn’t go quite as according to plan for Louis van Gaal he is already registering his interest ready for a big summer shake up at Old Trafford. As long as United qualify for the Champions League there will be another £100m available to spend on transfers and it looks like most of this could be put up for a bid for Pogba.

The French midfielder has, of course, already played for the Red Devils but he left on a free in 2012. He is seen as one of the “ones that got away” and having already played for United he could be tempted to re-join his own side having not parted in bad terms, he just wanted to play more football.

While he is a fantastic player it is slightly hard to picture where he would fit in to the Red Devils’ side. Van Gaal likes to play 4-3-3 and as he is described as one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the world you struggle to see a role for him. United certainly need more strength in midfield and the 6ft 2in Frenchman could certainly provide that. Of course there is an argument that he could probably fit into any team in the world just fine but it probably wouldn’t be a smooth transition (Angel Di Maria anyone?)

Manchester City are keen to sign Pogba as the “heir” to Yaya Toure. It is thought they are ready to put as much as £100m up for the man of the moment and he could become the most expensive player ever sold. Pogba’s agent, Mino Raiola, believes that City are leading the race to sign him in another bid.

Yaya Toure has been far from his best this season and it looks like Pellegrini is keen to bring in some younger talent. Fans are well aware that Man City is an “ageing” team and Pogba would change the demographic of the side. His pace and skill would bring in some creativity that has been lacking this season in midfield and as City try and conquer the Champions League he would be a keen signing as someone who as excelled in the competition. As well as bringing in skill he will bring in a knowledge of how teams on the continent play and excel in the Champions League.

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There is still a long way to go before Pogba’s future will be decided and I am sure it will all come down to who can splash the most cash. Manchester needs to look out- Barcelona and PSG have entered the race now.

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Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal stole the show at the club’s annual awards ceremony on Tuesday night.

After shouting “Hello, hello, pay attention to the manager!” he continued to amuse everyone in the room and reminded people just why he is the perfect man for the job.

When Sir Alex Ferguson announced that he was going to retire at the end of the 2012/13 season many were worried about what would happen. The next season was turbulent with chosen successor David Moyes struggling with the pressure, which saw him lose his job only 10 months later.

After club legend Ryan Giggs took over until the end of the season, the former Netherland’s coach came in on a three-year-deal with Giggs staying on as his assistant.

Van Gaal has had a mixed first season in the Premier League but the reception he received at the last home game of the season and the awards dinner showed how much the fans have grown to love the Dutchman. He endured a nightmare start to life at Old Trafford when the Red Devils lost their opening game of the season to Swansea and then were shockingly knocked out of the Capital One Cup by League One side MK Dons.

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Training has been tough under the 63-year-old but it seems to have paid off, and the team have bonded under the pressure. Captain Wayne Rooney said: “”I think the first few months it was different, we found it tough and I think that probably showed in our performances.

“But since then I think everyone has seen the quality of football we’ve been playing and I’m sure with the experience the manager has got we’ll kick on from that, learn a lot and it will benefit us.”

Van Gaal feared that the fans would not get behind him after this unplanned start but it has been completely the opposite. Speaking to the press, he said: “I have been asked recently what the biggest highlight of my first season as manager of Manchester United and the answer is always the same – the support of the fans.”

“For me, it is unbelievable and something I have not experienced at the other clubs I have managed.”

The team have secured 4th and a spot in next season’s Champions League and with one game to go, Van Gaal has managed to get a 61% win rate in all competitions. Not bad for a club that started so poorly.

The atmosphere at Old Trafford has gone back to the Ferguson years. All is not perfect, though, but it was always going to take time. Now there is a belief in the team and the management that wasn’t there during David Moyes’ short spell.

Team captain Wayne Rooney believes that this season will be a platform for future success for the squad and next season they can go on and really challenge for the title. The 29-year-old said: “We’ve done what we wanted to do this season.

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“The main aim was to get back in the Champions League. We’ve done that and we know we’ve got the quality in the squad to push on.”

The fans and the team have spoken. Van Gaal could be staying at United for a long time and they are all very happy about it. After a tough start, it is clear everyone involved with Manchester United believes Van Gaal has been a success.

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High quality home-grown talent is becoming an ever-rarer commodity in the Premier League’s modern age, something which Manchester City will be only too aware of.

Following the departures of James Milner, Micah Richards and Frank Lampard, Joe Hart is now a solitary England international in the Citizens’ first team squad, with only the ever-elusive Richard Wright – a 37 year-old yet to register a competitive appearance for City – Frenchman Gael Clichy and a selection of academy products boosting their home-grown quota.

So Greg Dyke’s intentions to increase the home-grown quota from eight to twelve over the course of the next few seasons, whilst also changing the parameters to three years of training in England before the age of 18 rather than 21, could soon land the Etihad outfit in particularly volcanic water.

That need has already seen the Citizens linked with a £30million bid for Arsenal’s Jack Wilshere this summer, but Arsene Wenger’s expected hands-off rebuttal is now forcing them to consider a cut-price alternative in Aston Villa midfielder Fabian Delph.

No doubt, Delph is a decent footballer, whose form over the last two seasons has earned him a recurring role in Roy Hodgson’s England plans; as Wilshere’s left-sided guard dog in the engine room.

He’s a well-rounded midfielder, with great tenacity, drive on the ball and occasional moments of technical brilliance – his under-footed volley against Chelsea during the 2013/14 campaign springs to mind. Without sounding too disrespectful to Villa, the Bradford-born box-to-boxer could – and probably should – be plying his trade at a higher level.

Furthermore, Delph’s Villains contract includes a £8million release clause, which certainly offers good value for money. That, in combination with his home-grown status, his proven Premier League pedigree, the 25 year-old’s relative youth and his preferred left foot, leaves the former Leeds youngster in a rather niche sector of the transfer market.

Yet, if there’s one lingering concern, it’s what kind of role Delph could expect should he make the move to Eastlands this summer. He’s no long-term successor to Yaya Toure, that much is already certain, but he’s also worryingly similar in style to Fernandinho, another box-to-box playbreaker, and lacks the Champions League experience of anchorman Fernando.

In my mind, he’s not done enough yet to prove himself worthy of a top European club, in the same manner as Arsenal and Manchester United target Morgan Schneiderlin has. So if Manuel Pellegrini persists with his four-man midfield for another season, Delph could struggle to break into the engine room on a regular basis.

In the short-term, Delph’s sheer arrival would complete City’s primary objective; improving their home-grown quota without spending an absolute fortune. Yet, he’s another home-grown addition to the squad rather than the starting XI, continuing a dysfunctional cycle the Sheik-owned club must start veering away from.

Although the likes of Lampard, Wright and Scott Sinclair all served a purpose, the short-term nature of their Etihad tenures leaves City facing the same issue every summer – how best to improve their home-grown contingent in the space of a single window, amid the seeming absence of readily available top drawer talent.  In a nutshell, they’re stop-gap solutions, and Delph is of the same cloth. That approach hasn’t particularly hindered them so far, but it is, in essence, unsustainable.

With City also boasting an ageing squad – the oldest in the Premier League last season – and the psychological impact of failing to retain a second Premier League title, this should be the summer they begin to rebuild, finding new, British focal points for their starting XI, capable of underpinning the team for the best part of the next five or six years. Whilst compatriot and fellow target Raheem Sterling has the potential to fit that category, Delph unfortunately does not.

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Rather than revamping, City are falling into the same old traps.

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Everton manager Sam Allardyce has made it clear that he wants to recruit a new striker before the January transfer window closes.

At the moment, Besiktas forward Cenk Tosun is high up on the list, but the negotiations are not running smoothly.

According to The Times, the Turkish club have upped the price tag to £27m, which is £2m more than the Merseyside outfit were hoping to pay.

Despite the current stumbling block, the Daily Mail report that Tosun’s camp are confident that the deal will go through.

Everton have struggled in the attacking department throughout the season having found the back of the net 25 times in 22 Premier League games.

Romelu Lukaku, who left the Toffees to join Manchester United in the summer, scored 25 goals on his own last season, and without the striker, the blue half of Merseyside have suffered.

It is certainly the area that Everton fans feel that the club need to strengthen.

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After hearing the latest news surrounding Tosun, supporters posted their views on Twitter.