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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to Simon Hughes on The Athletic (subscription required), Liverpool are trying to find the right loan move for young star Bobby Duncan.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the cousin of Reds legend Steven Gerrard enjoyed an excellent 2018/19 campaign in the Merseysiders’ youth ranks, netting an eye-catching 25 goals in 36 games including a screamer against Manchester City in the FA Youth Cup final.

After that exquisite campaign, clubs such as Borussia Dortmund have taken an interest in the 18-year-old, although Jurgen Klopp has name-checked the teenager as a player who he will keep an eye on – Duncan certainly did his chances no harm with a goal in pre-season against Tranmere.

Simon Hughes had this to say on the matter: “Interesting (to me anyway) Liverpool have been trying to find the right loan move for Bobby Duncan over the last few weeks. He was offered to at least one club in Sweden but the move hasn’t happened (yet). Liverpool very keen at the moment to get young players experience abroad. Klopp believes it helps broaden their minds.”

Finding the right move is crucial

It is of great significance that Liverpool find the right place to send Duncan out on loan.

A season of a youngster’s career at this stage is critical and could potentially shape how well they do in future, and we have already seen instances where some loan moves haven’t gone to plan for Liverpool starlets – Ovie Ejaria’s switch to Rangers was terminated after he struggled to settle.

A player of Duncan’s talent needs regular football in order to develop his vast array of talents, so those associated with Liverpool should be happy to hear about Klopp’s plan for the teenager.

Additionally, the part about broadening their minds shows that Klopp has a greater outlook on a youngster’s development aside from what they do on the pitch – a lot of being a footballer is down to the mentality of a player.

With Rhian Brewster, Roberto Firmino and Divock Origi ahead of him in the Anfield pecking order, the chances of Duncan getting first-team football at Liverpool right now are slim, so this decision is surely best for all parties.

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Arsenal have been linked with a move for Bayer Leverkusen’s attacking midfielder Kai Havertz. Whilst he would likely cost the Gunners a pretty penny, next summer would be the perfect time to bring the Germany international to the Emirates Stadium.

What’s the story?

It is being reported by German outlet Sport1 that Unai Emery and co are keen on a move for Havertz. They have also added that the 20-year-old will cost somewhere in the region of €100m (£90.6m).

The north London outfit are not the only side who are looking at the Leverkusen star, though. Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal have also been credited with an interest. As such, there should be stiff competition for his signature.

AFTV’s Robbie has his say on Arsenal’s owners in the video below…

2020 the perfect time to bring Havertz in

Arsenal did spend a lot of money during the past transfer window, £137.16m to be exact. Considering they were said to have a kitty of just £45m, they appear to have gone well over budget.

They tried to bring in some cheaper, more cost-effective options, including Dani Ceballos. The on-loan Real Madrid star has started the season well, and could prove to be a valuable arrival for this season.

However, should he perform as the Gunners hope, then Los Merengues will more than likely look to take him back to the Santiago Bernabeu – after all, there is no purchase option in the deal. With Mesut Ozil yet to feature this campaign and his form having waned last term, a new attacking midfielder will likely be in the club’s thoughts.

In Havertz, there are few better prospects in world football right now. He was rated as the third-best player under 20 earlier this year by L’Equipe, and for good reason. Last season, he was in stunning form, scoring 20 goals and recording 7 assists in all competitions for the Bundesliga outfit, and he has hit the ground running this time around, scoring two in two. He brings goal and assists from a number 10 role and could lead the midfield should Arsenal be able to snap him up.

Whilst Ceballos and Ozil should keep the Gunners going this season, next summer feels like the natural time to bring in Havertz and make the attacking midfielder slot his own, replacing an on-loan talent and overtaking Arsenal’s current creator-in-chief.

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The new 2019/20 Premier League season has so far been all about Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp.

The Reds hosted Arsenal at Anfield last weekend and after an entertaining bout on Merseyside, the hosts celebrated maintaining their 100% record in the campaign.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Three games have been played and all three have been won by Klopp’s troops. As a reward, at least for now, they can enjoy the top of the table and that number one spot all alone.

But there was another reason to celebrate after that triumph against the Gunners and Georginio Wijnaldum took to

/B1l7nknImRu/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link” data-lasso->Instagram to make sure everyone was aware of it.

As it turns out, the victory against Arsenal was Liverpool’s 12th consecutive win in the Premier League, which is now the new club record.

Wijnaldum emphasised how happy he is to be a part of this incredible group and complimented them in his snap.

Next, Liverpool will face Burnley on 31 August, just at the end of the month.

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Nottingham Forest were rather busy on deadline day.

And yes, you’ve read that correctly – the English window might have slammed shut just under a month ago for the top two divisions, but the rest of the English pyramid, as well as Europe, had until yesterday to complete their business.

On Monday, Arvin Appiah left the club in an £8m deal to Almeria whilst Liam Bridcutt joined Bolton Wanderers on loan.

It is reported at the time of writing that Daryl Murphy will leave the City Ground as his contract is set to be terminated so that he can follow Bricutt to Bolton.

Jason Cummings also departed the club for an undisclosed fee to Shrewsbury, which has left many Reds fans reacting on Twitter.

One supporter claimed it was an Evangelos Marinakis masterclass for even getting a fee for the forward.

A further fan even wondered if Forest had actually paid them to get rid, with one more stating that the owner was a ‘genius.’

Here’s the best of the reaction:

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Coming into the 2019/29 season it appeared as though the right-back position was going to be one of Southampton’s strongest, but it has been anything but in the early stages of the campaign.

On the chalkboard

With youngster Yan Valery impressing and nailing down the spot as his own under manager Ralph Hasenhuttl in 2019, it seemed as though his performances would only go from strength to strength when it became apparent that he would face competition from returning loanee Cedric Soares for the role this term.

The Portugal international appears to have won his Austrian manager over somewhat having been bombed out on a temporary basis to Inter Milan at the start of this year, and he has been heavily involved in the squad during pre-season and when the campaign got underway.

Both have been handed their chance on the pitch in the last month or so, but they haven’t exactly impressed.

What’s happened?

While Valery’s confidence – from both an attacking and defensive point of view – appeared to grow during his time in the starting XI last season, it hasn’t been evident recently.

Watch Southampton Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

The Frenchman’s WhoScored rating for his display in the 3-0 defeat against Burnley was the lowest of any of his defensive teammates, while both of Liverpool’s goals – albeit he wasn’t to blame for the second – came from his side the following week.

Having come off at Brighton following a dreadful tackle by Florin Andone, the 20-year-old has watched on as Cedric as attempted to stake his claim for the right-back position.

That hasn’t exactly gone well for the Euro 2016 winner yet though despite helping his side keep a clean sheet against Fulham, as he was only accurate with one of his five crosses – a long-standing issue – against Manchester United at the weekend, and having afforded Daniel James far too much time for his goal.

What does Hasenhuttl do from here?

The Austrian will surely eventually want one of the duo to be his first-choice, but right now it might be a case of rotating until that becomes more obvious.

Valery is a promising talent and Cedric has proven Premier League and international pedigree, so perhaps it is simply down to a lack of form and confidence.

Whatever it may be, Hasenhuttl will want a solution to become clear sooner rather than later in a position he shouldn’t have needed to worry about on paper.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

In just four Premier League games so far this season, Southampton have already used three different systems under Ralph Hasenhuttl, and with contrasting results to say the least.

What were they?

In the opening two fixtures against Burnley and Liverpool, the former RB Leipzig boss adopted a 3-4-3 formation and a 3-5-2 system respectively, in which Ryan Bertrand and Yan Valery started as wing-backs with Nathan Redmond and Che Adams as a two-man strike-force in the latter – Danny Ings joined them up top against his former side Burnley.

In the two most recent outings against Brighton and Manchester United, Hasenhuttl switched things up to a 4-2-2-2 system – supposedly his preferred formation according to Transfermarkt – in which a common four-man backline was adopted with two central midfielders, two wide attackers and two central strikers.

How did they get on?

Well, the two games with three-at-the-back ended miserably with no points amassed, five goals conceded and one scored.

The two fixtures using 4-2-2-2 saw the Saints record a win over Brighton and grab a point against Manchester United.

Whilst it would be easy to say that the 4-2-2-2 system is better based on the aforesaid, let’s put the games under the microscope a bit more.

The South Coast side’s games against Liverpool and Manchester United don’t properly reflect the two systems given the quality of the opposition, so with that said, let’s look at the Burnley and Brighton games more closely.

The Saints embarked on just six dribbles against the Clarets, whilst being far more adventurous against the Seagulls having completed 10.

There was also a huge rise in the amount of tackles – just seven were completed against Sean Dyche’s men, whilst 19 were made at the Amex Stadium.

One notable difference from the two games is that Southampton’s completed dribbles against Brighton came from more dangerous areas in the final third, whereas their dribbles at Turf Moor came from relatively harmless positions out wide – despite the wing-backs, it seems as if Hasenhuttl’s 3-4-3 didn’t offer the width he would’ve hoped for in the right areas.

The bottom line appears to be that the Saints looked far more narrow and unimaginative in a 3-4-3 formation, where there was little space in between the lines for their danger-men such as Redmond to run into and roam around in.

You could also argue, based off those numbers, that the additional midfielder made things too cluttered with little space to manoeuvre in, but somehow still lacked the solidity it should’ve provided with five goals conceded in two games using it.

Hasenhuttl and Southampton seem much more comfortable in the 4-2-2-2 system, to say the least.

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Everton’s woes on the road continued on Sunday with a defeat to Bournemouth, as Eddie Howe’s men ran out 3-1 winners on the south coast.

The Toffees enjoyed 59% possession but were able to conjure just five shots on target, and it was a familiar feeling for the defence and Marco Silva as the Cherries scored from two set-pieces.

No side has conceded more from set-pieces than Everton in the Premier League since the start of last season, with 16 goals in 2018/19, and three goals so far this term.

Despite the defeat, there were some positives to take. Everton looked comfortable in possession for large parts against a Bournemouth side whose average of 359.4 passes per game shows they like to keep the ball.

A first goal of the season for Dominic Calvert-Lewin should be a big confidence boost for the striker, too.

His contribution was positive for Marco Silva, whose trust in the 22-year-old was repaid with an equaliser.

However, it was at the other end of the pitch where his team let him down, and not for the first time this campaign. The Toffees have now conceded seven goals in their last three games.

After falling behind for a second time the Portuguese brought on more attacking flair, but it was too little too late.

Everton had chances to claw one back, with Alex Iwobi coming closest in what would have been his third goal in three games, but it instead ended up a frustrating afternoon for the visitors.

Watch Everton Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Everton may have picked up their first away goal of 2019/20, but it is now three defeats on the road. Such inconsistency is likely to hinder their hopes of breaking into the top six but they will look to get back to winning ways with the visit of Sheffield United to Goodison Park on Saturday.

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Of West Ham United’s defenders, it is understandable that Aaron Cresswell was the man to get the most attention following the victory over Manchester United.

The 29-year-old scored a sublime free-kick that beat David de Gea despite the Spaniard getting his hand to it, having not played a single Premier League minute since the opening day of the season, as per WhoScored.

However the full-back on the opposite side, Ryan Fredericks, also made an impact on the game before being replaced by Pablo Zabaleta in the 80th minute.

Fredericks worked well defensively, making 1 tackle, 2 interceptions and 2 clearances, as he came up directly against Daniel James for large parts of the game, with the Welshman having already scored 3 goals before this encounter.

It was important that the 26-year-old was defensively sound, as Issa Diop often struggled whenever he was pulled out into wide areas, as shown by the moment he toppled over James, having let the 21-year-old get in round him to nip the ball away – Fredericks’ impact ensured the Frenchman wasn’t put in this awkward situation too often.

He was also effective on the ball, completing 1 dribble and 81% of the passes he attempted throughout the match, which included some good link-up play with Andriy Yarmolenko.

The Hammers put in a brilliant performance against Man United, so there were various unsung heroes in this match, with Fredericks certainly being among those.

West Ham fans, how do you think Fredericks has started this season? Join the discussion by commenting below…

[ad_pod ]Jack Grealish still hasn’t managed to earn himself an England cap.Despite his impressive performances for Aston Villa over the past 12 months, the 24-year-old is still waiting for his first call-up to the national team.His position is heavily contested though, as a number of young players like Dele Alli, Mason Mount and James Maddison are all vying for the attacking midfield role in the Three Lions squad.The pundits on BBC Radio 5 Live had a debate about whether Grealish was better than Maddison, and one former Villa player was adamant that his old teammate was the more talented of the two.

Micah Richards passionately went in to bat for the Villa captain, as he said that if Grealish played in a stronger squad he would look better than Maddison.

It’s a tough argument this one. On one hand, Grealish hasn’t done it in the Premier League yet, but on the other side of the fence, you can’t discount the performances he has been putting in over the past year.

Watch Aston Villa Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Maddison was reportedly valued at £70m over the summer and a more recent report from Manchester Evening News suggested Manchester United would have to fork out close to the Harry Maguire fee to land him, which was £80m.

And after a strong start to the season his average WhoScored rating stands at 7.42, so it’s hard to imagine that valuation dropping at all.

For Richards to say that Grealish is a better player is a huge call, but only time will tell if he or Chris Sutton will be the one left with egg on their face.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Off the Bench series, which places in-game managerial decisions and squad selections under FFC’s microscope.

With the minutes ticking down on the clock against Wolves last week at Selhurst Park, Crystal Palace were 1-0 up.

The next goal would be a crucial one, and Roy Hodgson’s subs invited the visitors to have first dibs at it, an offer they didn’t hesitate to accept.

Frustratingly, the former England manager only used two of his subs – one of which being the very like-for-like swap  of James McArthur for James McCarthy, similar in name as well as playing style.

We detailed why the 72-year-old should have subbed Andros Townsend on as his third and final sub to work the tired Wolves players and exploit the space – it seems as if Hodgson learned from the error of his ways with a shrewd swap against Norwich last time out.

Snapshot

Similarly to the Wolves game, the Eagles were leading by a single goal going into stoppage time.

Typically, Hodgson would be conservative, presumably looking towards the more defensive option on his bench with his side 1-0 up.

In that respect, his decision to substitute Townsend on for Cheikhou Kouyate in the 70th minute seemed an uncharacteristic one, and also a move that suggested the experienced boss was preparing to extend his side’s lead rather than protect it.

Learned from the Wolves mistake

Where Hodgson was conservative against Nuno Espirito Santo’s side with his subs, his decision to bring Townsend on – as well as his decision to introduce another attack-minded option in Max Meyer – reaped the rewards.

Instead of conceding another gutting, stoppage-time goal, it was Hodgson’s side who scored one that was anything but gutting, rather uplifting – even more so given it was scored via the boot of Townsend.

To further emphasise how Hodgson learned the error of his ways, Meyer was also involved significantly in the build-up to Townsend’s strike, playing a deft, clipped ball into Wilfried Zaha’s feet down the line.

He can often be a stubborn man, can Hodgson, but he showed that even the oldest of dogs can learn a new trick or two with his beneficial substitution.