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Eddie Howe faces a difficult task to end Bournemouth’s two-game losing streak in the Premier League with a visit from Arsenal next up.

The Cherries have been the surprise package thus far, sitting comfortably in sixth place after 12 games. Bournemouth can move within one point of the Gunners if they come out on top at the Vitality Stadium. Despite losing back-to-back games against Manchester United and Newcastle, confidence will remain sky high on the south coast.

The January transfer window is less than two months away, and Howe will be able to bolster his ranks to ensure his side’s excellent start to the campaign continues. With a few more additions, qualifying for Europe won’t be out of the realms of possibility.

The ideal January recruit could be Chelsea outcast – Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Valued at £16.2m by Transfermarkt, the England international was expected to fight for a first-team place after impressing for Crystal Palace and at the 2018 World Cup. Maurizio Sarri was keen to keep the youngster but has given Loftus-Cheek just 94 minutes of action in the Premier League so far this season.

A strong, powerful midfielder, Loftus-Cheek would add steel to the Bournemouth midfield and would be an excellent partner for Lewis Cook. Howe has a reputation for working and bringing the best out of youngsters meaning Bournemouth would be the perfect home for the 22-year-old. The Englishman will have a point to prove, and the Cherries would be the team to benefit.

Securing Loftus-Cheek’s services could be the boost Bournemouth need to achieve European football for the first time in their history.

Bournemouth fans, thoughts?

West Ham once again crumbled to defeat at the London Stadium yesterday as Man City rolled into town and cleaned up.

The Hammers have been woefully inconsisten this term, and despite a squad which boasts a wealth of talent, they look like being involved in a heavy relegation battle at the moment.

With January coming up though, the Hammers might well choose to splash a bit more cash, and we think signing a few players in defence might well be the ideal move for manager Pellegrini.

And one man we think fits the mould for a Hammers signing is Sheffield United defender Jack O’Connell, who has been superb for the Blades once more this term as Chris Wilder’s men look at winning promotion themselves.

The former Brentford man has matured into one of the finest defenders in the Championship over the last two years or so, and he is very much at the heart of what the Blades are trying to achieve.

A firm fan favourite too for his all action displays and surges forward, there is little doubt O’Connell would go down a treat at West Ham.

Hammers fans, what do you think? Is this a good signing? Let us know in the comments!

West Ham were able to bounce back from their heavy defeat to Manchester City after they beat Newcastle United 3-0 over the weekend in a game that saw the return of Jack Wilshere.

The 26-year-old joined the Hammers from Arsenal on a free transfer back in the summer, but has missed most of the season so far through injury.

He was, however, able to feature against Newcastle and has since come in for some huge praise from manager Manuel Pellegrini.

The Breakdown

“He was a high risk [signing],” Pellegrini was quoted saying by Sky Sports ahead of West Ham’s Premier League clash versus Cardiff City tonight. “We knew before he was not a player who would be available for every game, every week, but was a player of a quality that is not easy to bring to West Ham at a price we could afford.

“Maybe players of the quality of Wilshere at this moment can cost £100m, £90m, £70m. Good creative midfielders are very expensive.”

When he is fit and able to get a run of games in the team, £18m-rated (Transfermarkt) Wilshere is certainly a player who can bring much to the middle of the park. He carries the ball extremely well, passes accurately and is not afraid to go to ground.

However, to suggest the England international has the quality of a £100m player is absurd.

Wilshere does not find the back of the net or set up his team-mates often, while his overall influence in the middle is fairly limited compared to those who also do not score many goals like N’Golo Kante and Luka Modric but still manage to make their presence felt on the pitch.

The Chelsea and Real Madrid midfielders are the ones with low attacking numbers who are probably worth £100m, not Wilshere.

Pellegrini is not fooling West Ham supporters or anyone for that matter with his comments on the former Arsenal man.

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Newcastle United are seemingly in pole position to sign Atlanta United attacker Miguel Almiron.

What’s the story?

“He will definitely go to England, what’s left to be decided is to what club but Newcastle is the one with the advantage,” the Daily Star quotes Almiron’s father, Ruben, as saying on Paraguayan radio station ABC Cardinal.

The 24-year-old managed 13 goals and 13 assists in his 38 appearances for MLS Cup winners Atlanta last season, and it is not a surprise that a number of clubs are interested.

Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United have all been linked with a move, but Newcastle are in the driving seat, according to Almiron’s father.

The Paraguay international played 85 minutes in Atlanta’s 2-0 win over Portland Timbers in the MLS Cup final last weekend, and that might well prove to be his farewell appearance for the club.

Will Newcastle get the deal over the line?

The finances of this particular deal will be very interesting indeed.

It had been claimed that Newcastle wanted to sign Almiron on loan in January before paying a fee at the end of the season, but that looks unlikely now.

Almiron, who plays as an attacking midfielder, is valued at £25m by Atlanta, according to ChronicleLive.

It seems unlikely that Newcastle will pay that amount in the January transfer window, with the Magpies seemingly hopeful of negotiating a new price.

The 5ft 9in playmaker would be a terrific signing for Newcastle, but Atlanta have every right to hold out for a good price due to the South American’s quality.

Playmaker FC’s Matchday with Max caught up with Jamaica’s women’s team. See what happened when he met the history makers in the video below…

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The Daily Mail recently reported that West Brom are in the hunt for outcast Leicester City midfielder Andy King.

Before the Baggies can land their man in the January transfer window though, Nottingham Forest should enter the race for the 30-year-old’s signature.

Despite having made 378 appearances for the club, and having been part of the remarkable 2015/16 Premier League title triumph, King is now clearly surplus to requirements with the Foxes. Claude Puel hasn’t even registered the midfielder for his league squad this season.

Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Playmaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video below…

After more than a decade at the King Power Stadium, the time has come for the 50-cap Wales international to seek pastures new and get his career back on track.

The City Ground represents an ideal destination, as Aitor Karanka’s squad are ambitious, and King could quickly become an integral part of the team.

Plenty of Forest fans certainly seem keen on signing King. Of those who took part in our poll, 69% voted in favour of making a January move for the Leicester man.

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Manchester United announced they had sacked manager Jose Mourinho on Tuesday morning, and the departure of the Portuguese should give Alexis Sanchez the chance to rescue his dwindling Red Devils career.

On the chalkboard

Hopes were high that the Chile international would make a huge impact, be massively influential and improve the club in the final third following his move from Arsenal less than 12 months ago, but instead he struggled to make any impact under Mourinho’s leadership.

The 30-year-old primary position has been on the left wing, although he has also played behind the main striker, on the right and as a centre-forward at times, as he tried to find the role best suited to him in the starting XI.

The South American attacker still hasn’t done that though, and while he has had his injury issues in the previous few weeks he has still only made 12 appearances in all competitions for the club this season, scoring one goal and providing a further two assists, while he came on as a substitute in four of his last five Premier League outings.

What happens now?

Whoever takes the caretaker role at Old Trafford, Sanchez will be hoping that he can finally prove that he can be a success with United – if he wants to stay that is given The Times reported he wanted out last month.

There is no doubt that the Chilean has the ability and attitude to become a hero among the fans, and he needs to be given that opportunity to do it with regular game time.

The 30-year-old must admittedly give off more of a positive persona than he has at times over the course of 2018 to get his new manager and the fans on side, but when he does he can completely transform an attack that has been pedestrian for far too long.

Who’s most to blame for Man Utd’s poor season? FFC’s James Jones has his say in the video below…

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Jermain Defoe made 26 appearances in all competitions for Bournemouth during the 2017-18 season, and whilst he has been involved for the Cherries this term, there is no question that he is down the pecking order.

Indeed, Callum Wilson and Josh King are Bournemouth’s first-choice pairing in the final third, and Defoe has struggled for Premier League football this season.

The experienced centre-forward’s contract at the Vitality Stadium will run until the summer of 2020, but there is every chance that he could leave before then.

The 36-year-old has been a goalscorer at every club that he was represented, and a record of 163 strikes in 496 Premier League appearances is very impressive indeed.

With that in mind, we have put the question to the Leeds United fans. Would you be interested in a January deal for the 57-time England international?

Have your say down below and keep an eye out for the published results…

According to a recent report from The Daily Mail, West Brom are one of a few teams interested in a January move for midfielder James McCarthy. The Republic of Ireland international currently plays his football at Premier League outfit Everton and has done so since leaving Wigan Athletic back in 2013, although a lack of game time under Toffees manager Marco Silva this term has called his future at the club into question.

And reports suggest that Darren Moore’s Baggies, as well as Premier League duo Fulham and West Ham, are keen on a move for the £6.3 million-rated ace (as per Transfermarkt), and having already signed one Everton star in Mason Holgate this month, landing McCarthy as well would leave promotion very much on for the Midlands outfit this season.

The Breakdown

Ultimately, the Baggies are very much in contention for an immediate return to the Premier League given they sit fourth in the Championship table after 26 matches, although it seems pretty clear that they are going to have to tighten up defensively if they are to sustain a challenge until May.

Moore’s side have shipped 34 goals so far this term which is the joint-most alongside Norwich City of any team currently sat in the top eight of the division, which is why a move for Everton youngster Holgate wasn’t overly surprising earlier in the month given the versatility he will offer to the Baggies backline.

The 22-year-old is adept as both a right back and indeed a centre back to thus give Moore plenty of options in his defence, while the addition of the tenacious McCarthy in the centre of the field can only further help West Brom form a solid foundation from which to challenge for promotion.

The 28-year-old has struggled greatly with injuries in recent years to restrict his game time at Goodison Park, but in between various injury issues have been several impressive central midfield displays, with the Irishman combining skill both on and off the ball to very good effect.

McCarthy made his name at Wigan under Roberto Martinez for his calmness and overall composure with the ball at his feet, which he has since transferred into his time at Everton at the same time developing the so-called ‘dirty work’ in the middle of the park in breaking up play and screening the backline.

And in a Baggies side that have shown clear defensively vulnerabilities at times so far this season, having someone like McCarthy just in front to help keep things ticking over off the ball as well as transition play on it can only be beneficial to Moore and his team in their quest for an immediate Premier League return – the forward play is there, it’s just a case of bringing everything else up to that level.

And with Holgate having made the move to the Hawthorns, the Baggies must seek to add his Everton teammate McCarthy as well, in a move which would leave promotion very much on for Moore’s team this term.

West Brom fans… what do you think? Let us know!

According to The Star, Aston Villa are planning on a £10m bid for Sheffield Wednesday star man Adam Reach this January. 

The 25-year-old has already bagged six goals and three assists this season for The Owls, and has arguably been the club’s best player.

In fact, the versatile forward has been directly involved in more goals than any other Sheffield Wednesday player so far this season, and has remained a high performer throughout troubling times. It is not so much his goal scoring that has attracted attention from the likes of Villa, but also his ability to cover a number of positions. Although primarily a winger, he has been deployed in the middle of the field this season to a lot of success as well; he is a real asset to any club, and Sheffield Wednesday surely know that.

The Owls have a lot to look forward to for the rest of the season, with the arrival of Steve Bruce in February. They are on a positive unbeaten run in the league, and that will surely improve when Bruce arrives at the beginning of February. The last thing the club would want is to see a star player leave before the four-time promotion winner takes over at Hillsborough.

Reach looked as though he would have been a vital part of the Bruce revolution in Yorkshire; to lose him would be disastrous. This is an offer that Dejphon Chansiri should definitely turn down for the sake of the club.

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Sunderland fans have been voting in a recent Football FanCast poll after speculation come out of the Stadium of Light that Jack Ross was looking to reunite with Celtic midfielder Lewis Morgan.

The pair had worked wonders together when at St Mirren, with the 22-year-old scoring 14 goals and assisting a further nine on route to promotion into the Scottish Premiership.

Morgan later departed for Celtic, having signed for them in January 2018 but stayed with the Buddies on loan, only to struggle establishing himself under Brendan Rodgers.

Ross tried to land his signature on loan in the summer, but was turned away by the former Liverpool boss who wanted to oversee his progress personally. A lack of minutes since, however, saw the 42-year-old tipped to try his luck again in the mid-season window.

When the rumour emerged, Football FanCast polled the Black Cats faithful, with a resounding 78% voting in favour of the loan deal happening, but an update has since broken.

In an interview with superscoreboard of Clyde 1, as noted by Roker Report, Ross says no move for the winger is on as things stand.

Ross said: “There’s been no communication between the clubs.

“Naturally with Lewis, obviously that link is easier to make because I’ve worked with him. He’s a young man that I forged a really close relationship with and he’s someone that I am desperate to keep progressing his career.”