Standout team of the year - Who will make the 2017/2018 season, their season?

Season after season we see a new group of players stepping up and taking the games their involved in by the scruff of the neck, season after season we see a new group of players announcing themselves to the world as truly stand out talents, season after season we have breakout stars. We don't just have players coming from no where and showing what they can do to the world, we have the already established names stepping up a level and becoming world class. It's those kind of players I'm going to focus on now, the players who are already known to the fans, but the players who I can see changing up a gear and running their respective divisions over the next 12 months.

Goal Keeper - Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan)

The Italian shot stopped right now might not even be the best Gianluigi in the Italy national team (Then again there is no shame being second to the greatest of all time) but Donnarumma is destined for great things. In 2016, at the age of 17 years and 189 days, he became the youngest player to represent the Azzurri in history, just under a year prior, at the age of 16 years and 242 days, he became the second youngest player to even play in the Seria 'A'. At this moment in time he is the number one for his boyhood club AC Milan, and has just signed a new 5 year contract, despite controversy over whether or not he wanted to leave. It's easy to forget that he is just 18 years old and has potentially over 20 years of a professional career ahead of him, he truly could grow to become the greatest keeper of all time. But why is next season such a big deal? Well because of Milan's transfer activity so far in the window. They have spent over £100 million so far, which includes £35 million on Donnarumma's Italy team mate Leonardo Bonucci, arguably the best centre back on the planet! As well as Ricardo Rodriguez from Wolfsburg for £17 million and Mateo Musacchio from Villarreal for £15 million. Milan have built almost an entirely new defence, and supporting the back line will be Gianluigi. With the new foundation to their side we could see the 7 time European champions beck in the big time very soon, so for the Italian keeper to start making his way up the ladder, the time is now.

Defender - Kyle Walker (Manchester City)

£50 million. That's how much Manchester City spent on the English full back, making him the most expensive defender of all time and the most expensive Englishman of all time. During his time in the limelight so far Kyle has came under fire for his attacking mindset, saying he spends far too much time high up the field and not enough time actually being a defender. But that is where people are going wrong, Walker's primary focus isn't defending, it's attacking. He's a wing back, and this is why the huge price tag makes perfect sense. Pep Guardiola has a reputation for loving attacking wing backs, and during his time at Manchester City so far he has tried to force a 5 at the back system without the players to make it work, the English full back slots perfectly into that system. And when you look at the £50 million that was spent on Walker, and you look at the context of the deal, it isn't as shocking as it appears. This summer has seen £75 million spent on Lukaku, £30 million spent on Jordan Pickford, £53 million spent on Alexandre Lacazette, right now you have to pay to get the players you want, and if the signing will help your team going forward in a big way, the cost of the player is almost irrelevant. You could say the best right back over the last decade is former Barcelona star Dani Alves, a player mentored and moulded by Pep, if the Spaniard can have a similar effect on Walker, this season could really see the Englishman moving into up in the world. 

Defender - Antonio Rudiger (Chelsea) 

Rudiger has flown relatively under the radar over the past couple of seasons. Anchoring the second best side in Italy, the German has came on leaps and bounds to earn his big money move to English champions Chelsea. Antonio has spent this summer so far winning the Confederations Cup with Germany, staring in the final against Chile and marking Alexis Sanchez out of the game on the way to a clean sheet and the winners medal. When the signing of Rudiger was completed, Bonucci was still available, the Italian centre back was a favourite of Conte's for the national side and the former Juventus centre back has been heavily linked with Chelsea since Conte arrived last summer. So going for Rudiger over Bonucci shows the faith the Italian manager has in his new centre back, and by joining the best defence in the country Antonio is only going to improve. Last season we saw David Luiz go from a heavily criticised, some would say 'laughing stock', of a defender have an outstanding season under the coaching of Antonio Conte and if we see that same improvement undergone by Rudiger, a player who is already forcing himself into the most heavily stacked defence in the world, the German national team, the sky is the limit! 

Defender - Danielle Rugani (Juventus)

At 22 years of age, the young Italian centre back now has the opportunity of his life to reach his incredible potential. Playing in the Juventus back line is the perfect place for any defender to grow and develop their game, the Italian champions have perhaps the best defence in the world, but that defence is in a period of change right now. Dani Alves and Leonardo Bonucci have both already left, with Alex Sandro reported to be close to sealing a move to Chelsea, now is the biggest chance Rugani has ever had to break into the side. The Italian only featured in 15 league games last season, as he struggled to push his way into the defence, strong armed by Bonucci, Chiellini and Barzagli. However with Bonucci's departure that leaves a stop open, and with Juve's history of complete Italian hearts of defence, Rugani has to be the favourite to take his place. Also, with Chiellini and Barzagli both north of thirty years of age, Rugani could be the youthful injection into the defence that it needs to keep going. Also there aren't many better pairings in the world to learn from, then Barzagli and Chiellini. Both men are closing in on 100 caps for the national team and have a winning mentality ingrained into them by now. Rugani has been tipped for greatness since breaking into the first team, but his first team opportunities have been limited, now is his chance, and there isn't a better place for him to show the world how good he is then Juventus. Now is his chance, if he takes it, he can be world class!

Midfielder - Marco Verratti (Paris Saint Germain)

When you're a primary target of Barcelona you know you must be doing something right! Verratti is the latest in a long line of talented Italian midfielders, with his style being viewed very similar to that of Andre Pirlo. With an eyes for a pass and the ability to unlock the defence it is no surprise PSG are trying their hardest to hold onto the 24 year old. His creative footballing brain would be a perfect fit in Catalonia, and the opportunity to learn from the great Andres Iniesta is one which could see Veratti take the next step. One was he differs from the comparisons is his incredible work ethic. Marco covers huge amounts of ground during a game and he knows when to put in a tackle, he is a very well rounded and almost perfect midfielder. The only downside to his game is his tendency to let his aggression take control. Despite his short stature the Italian isn't one to back down from anyone, a quality many see as desirable, not one which has seen him pick up 9 yellow cards this season as well as one red card. Now picking up cards is all part of playing in the midfield, and don't let that distract you from just how good a player Veratti can be! Unlike most of the players in this side, I don't expect Veratti to reach his potential in the next 12 months, all he needs to do is continue to improve. Once again, the comparisons to Andrea Pirlo comes into play, the dynamic style the PSG star plays is great, but his stand out attributes are, and always will be his technical abilities. On the ball there are few better in world football, and once he drops into a more Italian style of midfielder I can see him reaching, and perhaps surpassing the levels Pirlo reached. To hit this heights however I feel he shouldn't spend too much more time at PSG, and the move to Barcelona should be one he jumps at! I say again the chance to learn from Iniesta could see Veratti fine turn his game in the style he needs to become a decade defining midfielder, a level I, and the world know he is capable of reaching. 

Midfielder - Phillipe Coutinho (Liverpool) 

Last season Coutinho continued to do what he has been doing for a few seasons, showing the world how big of a bargain Liverpool got when the brought him in from Inter Milan for just £8 million. Coutinho scored 13 league goals and provided 7 assists during the 2016/17 season, which becomes even more impressive when you consider he was playing out of position for the majority of his games last season. The Brazilian has always been a tricky, creative number 10, playing just behind the striker and finding those key passes to create goals, as well as chipping in with a fair few himself. However with the lack of a left sided midfielder, and Klopp's insistence to play a three up top system, Coutinho moved into a left side role, a role which he took to incredibly easily. The Brazilian continued to win games for Liverpool, providing a moment of magic whenever it was needed, however it still didn't feel right. That was until the final two games of the season, where due to an injury for Sadio Mane, Klopp adjusted his line up and moved Coutinho back into the number 10 role, where he scored three goals and provided an assist in two games, securing Liverpool Champions League football. Recently PSG enquired into how much is would cost to buy Phillipe, and Liverpool responded with an £88 million price tag, showing just how much the club value their number 10 at. With the signing of Mo Salah it looks certain that we will see Coutinho permanently moving back into the attacking midfield role, just behind Roberto Firmino, with Sadio Mane and Salah out wide. The fire power up top for the five time European Champions truly is a sight to behold, and with the Brazilian pulling the strings it is a frightening possibility for any opposing defence. And you can always bank on the Brazilian to pick the ball up, 25 to 30 yards from goal, on his right foot, and find the top corner with extreme accuracy! Now Coutinho is on the verge of being one of the world best, injuries and a paper thin Liverpool squad have hampered him so far, but if he manages to make it through the entirety of the upcoming season, the potential next legendary Brazilian number 10 could could end the campaign and go into the 2018 World Cup in Russia as just that.

Midfielder - James Rodriguez (Bayern Munich - On loan from Real Madrid) 

What else is there to say about the Colombian that hasn't been said already? he's been tipped form greatness and truly announced himself at the 2014 World Cup, before earning a huge move to Real Madrid. However since then it hasn't all gone James' way. He was been forced out of Zidane's team, watching from the sidelines and he's wasn't getting the game time he needs to develop. Now however, Rodriguez is with the German champions, Bayern Munich, and the fan fare around his signing was huge! Now it is a loan deal, for two years, with an option to buy for £35 million, with is a steal for a player the quality of Rodriguez. Bayern may be walking to the Bundesliga title season after season, but their side isn't getting any younger, and the 26 year old has plenty of years ahead of him as he reaches his prime. He can strike a ball, moving or dead, as clean and as crisp as anyone in world football, and his ability to pull the strings could be exactly what help Bayern Munich hack to the top of European football. James Rodriguez, my word this boy is a star. I keep going back to that line because it perfectly captured the ability of one of football's greatest prospects. There has been a bump in the road, but I see this move to Bayern Munich becoming the biggest master stroke of the decade. It is now that James shows just how good he is, it is now that he will become world class, truly on another level. 

Midfielder - Victor Wanyama (Tottenham Hotspur)

Victor Wanyama last season had a very similar campaign to that of N'golo Kante in the season prior. He was the clubs signing of the summer, held the midfield and played an integral part of a season which went above and beyond expectations, and despite this he was over shadowed by two star attackers. For Kante at Leicester it was Mahrez and Vardy, for Wanyama at Spurs it was Ali and Kane. Victor Wanyama's role in the Spurs midfielder can not be over estimated, the Kenyan holding midfielder played 36 league games last season, only Dele Ali played more, and game after game he ran the midfield, picking up loose balls, throwing in solid tackles and giving the likes of Dele Ali and Christen Eriksen freedom to roam. He is the heart of the midfield and was instrumental in Spurs' incredible final season at White Hart Lane. Despite this he went drastically under the radar, but like Kante last season, I can see Wanyama truly being recognised as the class act he is in the coming campaign. For Spurs to reach the heights they want to, they need to compete on all fronts, and having a player the likes of Wanyama to fall back on, game after game, knowing exactly what they're going to get, will go a long way in Spurs ending their run on no silverware. With the sale of Kyle Walker to Manchester City, an extra £50 million has just been made available to spend, and if Pochettino can strengthen his side in the areas he needs to, I can see Tottenham carrying on from where they left off last season, challenging for the title. And if they can reach those heights again, I'm certain that Wanyama will be at the fore front, and will get the recognition he deserves. 

Attacker - Yannick Carrasco (Atletico Madrid) 

At the time of writing this, 16th July 2017, Chelsea have just made an approach for the Belgian winger Yannick Carrasco. Reportedly Carrasco has been offered a 5 year deal and upwards to double his current wages if he is to join Chelsea. No official response has been put forward by Atletico so far but if the deal is pulled off, Chelsea will have once again, gotten a hold of one of the brightest young stars in European football. Since arriving from Monaco for a reported 20 million euros, Yannick Carrasco has turned heads, and earned many plaudits for his performances. He fired in 10 league goals last season, 14 in all competitions, only being topped by Antoine Griezmann and Kevin Gemeiro. As well as racking up four assists in the previous campaign, he also scored the equaliser in the Champions League final against Real Madrid in the 2015/16 season. He has also broken into the national team, scoring four goals in his first 19 caps for the red devils of international football, it is no surprise that Chelsea want him at Stanford Bridge. Carrasco is said to be intrigued by the possibility of playing in England, and it is now down to Simeone to convince him to stay. Carrasco is an incredibly skillful winger, with an eye for goal and a brilliant final ball. He is incredibly unpredictable, with the defenders never knowing what he will do, and that is what sets him apart from the rest. He makes it all look so simple, and if he does make the move to Chelsea, I'm certain he will fit right in. But even if he stays at Atletico, he really has the chance to make the world stand back and watch. He will be entering his third season in the Spanish capital, and now he has planted himself firmly in the first team for both club and country, it's time to push on. Despite staying around for now, the possibility of Griezmann leaving Atletico in the near future is still very large, and I can see Carrasco being his lined up replacement headliner. In the history of Atletico Madrid, they never let a top star go without someone ready to step into their boots. With Torres is was Aguero, with Aguero is was Forlan, with Forlan it was Falcao, with Falcao is was Costa, with Costa it was Griezmann, and with Griezmann I think it will be Yannick Carrasco. If the Belgian can continue to improve, and handle the responsibility of being made the star of the show, international team mate Eden Hazard may have some competition as the most talented member of their squad. 

Attacker - Timo Werner (RB Leipzig) 

Klose, retired. Gomez, inconsistent. Muller, adopting a midfield role. Timo Werner? The RB Leipzig striker is coming off of a breakout season in Germany, scoring 21 league goals and impressing the world with his pace, his eye for goal, and such incredible composure at such a young age. At just 21 years old Werner just helped lead German to the Confederations Cup, winning it for the first time in their history, he started in the final and created the only goal of the game. This is before being awarded the golden boot with three goals in the competition as well as two assists. Despite this, as of right now, no big clubs are coming in for the young German which is great for Germany, and it's great for Werner. With Leipzig qualifying for the Champions League next season, Werner will have his first glimpse of top level European club football, and he will have all the opportunities to develop. Should he continue to improve at the rate he is, next on his radar will be the 2018 World Cup, with Werner heavily fancied to be the latest German number 9. At such a young age Timo has the chance to become world class, and he has shown signs of it already in his very young career. With all of the supply in the world, Werner could make staring for the national team a regular thing, he has averaged a goal every other game for the first team, a very impressive strike rate at International level. And last season in his first for Leipzig he scored 21 league goals in 31 league games, again a very impressive strike rate. He has proven he has the talent, he has the ability to make it, the next test is if he has the endurance to go for a full season. Coming off of the Confederations Cup he will have the Bundesliga, German Cup and Champions League all to compete in, with Leipzig looking to challenge and replying on Werner to be their star man. And then of course to cap it off we will have the World Cup, with Werner, if he continues to bang in the goals, potentially leading the line for the world champions. That is a massive responsibility, and if he can live up to it, he could be a future world beater. 

Attacker - Douglas Costa (Juventus - On loan from Bayern Munich) 

Being one of a host of talented Brazilians at Shakhtar Donetsk, the world has been watching Douglas Costa for several years year. And after a 30 million euro move to Bayern Munich in 2015, everyone got to see what he could do up close and personal. The speed he runs with the ball at is frightening, full backs never know what he's going to do next, and with the ability to beat anyone who challenges him, Costa truly is the perfect modern day winger. The only thing missing from his game is goals, he only managed 8 league goals across his two seasons with Bayern Munich, before he penned a loan deal to Juventus, for two years, with the option of a permanent move valued at 40 million euro at the end. Costa has already played 21 times for Brazil, and will be hoping this season he can earn his spot on the plane to Russia. Now with the raw pace and skill Costa possess, he can make it work in any team, in any league, what he needs to do is add more goals to his game! This is why the move to Juventus could be massive for the winger's career. The old lady are currently champions of Italy, and have won six Scudettos in a row, a record for the Seria 'A', this means Costa is all but guaranteed the chance to improve his game in front of goal. Juventus tend to dominate possession in their games, and have Dybala and Higuain leading the line and finding the net, what they don't have, is a player like Costa, a player who can beat a man and get into the box with relitive ease. Juventus played an almost flawless season last year, with Real Madrid in the Champions League final their one slip up. They got found out in that game, but that is where Douglas comes in. Much like Mane at Liverpool, like Reus at Dortmund, like Mbappe at Monaco, Costa has a unique ability unlike anyone else in his team, no matter how the game is going, if he has the chance to run at an opponent, you know he will create a chance. His raw ability is right up there with the very best, there are just a few points of his game that need fine tuning to truly reach his potential. But when he reaches it, he could be seen on par with Neymar. 

There we go, there are some of my predictions for the stand out players of the upcoming season! And i'm sure some of these players won't quite meet expectations because on football, you can't predict anything, you can just sit back and watch. But if any of what I have just said turns out to be true, there could be a hand full of future world stars in this article, and even potential future Balon D'or winners. We'll just have to wait and see. 

Summer 2017 - Highlights so far of the craziest transfer window in history.

This years summer transfer window has seen an incredible amount of money spent so far. In the Premier League alone over half a billion pounds has been spent by the time of writing this, with last summers total finishing at £1.165 billion on 31st August 2016, it is looking incredibly likely we will have a new record for a transfer window in terms of spending. Now with the likes of Jordan Pickford signing for Everton for £30 million and Kyle Walker signing for Manchester City for upwards of £50 million it is easy to see how the figure has grown to such a large amount. But what are the highlights? We've seen some questionable spending so far, as well as some head turning deals including Dani Alves snubbing Manchester City in favour of a move to PSG. I'm now going to look into the main talking points from the summer transfer window 2017 so far.

James Rodriguez to Bayern Munich. (2 year loan with an option to buy.)

Perhaps a bit controversially I'm starting this piece on the summer transfer window with a loan move. However it isn't your typical loan, this isn't the young English striker going to the Championship to get some game time, this is the young man who won the 2014 World Cup golden boot despite being knocked out in the Quarter finals. The winner of the FIFA Puskas award from the same year. The man who Real Madrid paid approximately 80 million Euros to bring in. James Rodriguez. Now, the Columbia captain has been in and out of the Real Madrid side for the past couple of seasons, and has slipped behind Isco in the pecking order of the European champions. James only started 13 league games last season, coming off of the bench on 9 occasions. Despite this he managed to be involve in 14 league goals, scoring 8 goals and providing 6 assists, an example of the impact he can have when given the time. What makes this deal so ludicrous is the fact, that after paying a 5 million euro loan fee, Bayern have the option to sign Rodriguez for just £35 million. Less then half what was paid for him by Madrid just three years ago. And despite falling from the first team in the Spanish capital the Colombian attacking midfielder still has bags of potential. At just 26, he is coming into his prime, and under the coaching of Carlo Ancelotti I can see James proving to be the player we all know he can be. He was tipped as a future Balon D'or winner three years ago, the man is world class and a steal for Bayern Munich! Bayern already walk to the German title every year but where they want and need to be is competing for the title of champions of Europe. Since winning the Champions League in 2013, they have been unsuccessful at the Semi-Final stage every year since. Rodriguez has now been a part of two Champions League winning campaigns with parent club Real Madrid and that winning pedigree in Europe could be what Bayern need to prove that they are the best club side on the planet. Bayern's new number eleven is a truly world class player and I say with 100% certainty that he is going to set the world alight in Germany, Go back and watch his volley from the 2014 World Cup against Uruguay and remember the commentary. My word this boy's a star.

Romelu Lukaku to Manchester United. (£75 million + add ons)

From a deal which has cost virtually nothing to one which is the fifth largest in football history. The Belgian striker's move from Everton was pretty much a certainty when the Premier League season ended, but not many people would have predicted Lukaku returning to former manager Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese man was in charge of Chelsea during Lukaku's spell at the club, and it was Jose himself that saw him as surplus to requirements. However after impressing for the blue half of Merseyside during his time there, the big Belgian is Manchester United's newest number 9. With reported add ons and Wayne Rooney moving in the other direction also being part of the deal, the total transfer cost reaches an incredible £100million, and as it looks unlikely any club will spend more on one player this summer, for the second year in a row Jose will have out spent the rest of his challengers. However £75million on any player would always come under scrutiny, and with a lot of people claiming that the Belgian forward is not the finished article yet, maybe you have to question the decision making. When put one on one with any keeper, Lukaku is always the clear favourite and with his incredible strength and speed he is a constant threat. However his big criticism for years has been his first touch, and his ability to hold up the play. In a recent piece with former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher, the Englishman said that if he was to defend against Lukaku, he'd just give him a yard of space, banking on a loose touch from the attacker and then clear. This rings remarkably true with Romelu who was guilty on plenty of occasions last season of giving the ball away cheaply. His ability, or lack of, to hold up the play rarely effected situations at Everton last season. In the league he scored 20 more goals then his side's second top scorer, he was the constant and only real outlet. But United have the likes of Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard, all of which who will be expecting Lukaku to use his size to hold up the ball and to bring them into the game, in a similar vain to how Zlatan did last season. Is it right to spend so much money on a player who may limit your style of play? Only time will tell how this deal will work out, Lukaku has been tipped for greatness from a very young age, everyone knows just how good he can be, and very importantly so does he. The Belgian knows he belongs in a top side, and being in Europe with Manchester United is a real opportunity to show the world what he can really do.

Leonardo Bonucci to AC Milan. (£35 million)

Now this one caught me, you and the entire footballing world off guard. The Italian defender is arguably the best in world football. Playing in arguably the best defence in world football at Italian champions Juventus and is being heavily tipped for a move to English champions Chelsea and former Italian National team coach Antonio Conte. So where on earth did this come from? Bonucci has officially signed for AC Milan, a side which isn't even featuring in Europe's top competition for the upcoming season. Now it is known that Bonucci and Juventus manager Allegri had a major falling out last season, which saw the Italian being dropped for a league game against Palmero, so it is understandable as to why he would leave. But to AC Milan? The 7 time European champions have been on an incredible decline for much of this decade and I'm sure would not even be considered by many of the worlds top players at this point in time. However, with the signing of Bonucci, Milan have taken their summer spending over the £100million mark, with the likes of Ricardo Rodriguez and Hakan Calhanoglu both coming in from Germany. The contract will keep Leonardo at the Milan club for 5 years, and alongside the other new recruits coming to the San Siro, maybe we could see the resurrection of AC Milan in the coming years. Not much more is known about the deal as it all came out of no where, but one thing is for sure, what a move by AC Milan. He is set to have his medical over the coming weekend but it all seems like a formality now. Coming from a Liverpool fan, a club with a big history involving AC Milan it would be a welcomed return to the top table of world football for the club, who last won the Champions League in 2007 and are still the second most successful side in the history of top level European competition.

Mohamed Salah to Liverpool. (£36 million)

The Egyptian Mo Salah is getting his second opportunity to show the Premier League what he can do after a poor showing during his all too brief time at Chelsea. However since becoming Liverpool's record signing, the potential of things to come is getting the fans excited. His stats from last season speak for themselves, the winger scored 15 and created 11 in 31 league games while playing in Italy's Calcio 'A' for Roma, beating massively hyped Argentine and Juventus youngster Paulo Dybala on both counts while he played for champions Juventus. His lighting pace and play style is very similar to that of Sadio Mane, the Senegalese winger proved to be an incredible signing for the red's last season and I'm sure they're hoping for more of the same from their newest addition. However, bringing Salah into the team is only half the story, the other being how it will effect the rest of the side. Salah has been given the number 11 shirt, with it's former owner Roberto Firmino made Liverpool's newest number 9, making it more clear that he will be the number one striker for the club in the coming season. Firmino impressed massively last season but only managed 11 league goals, a fact which was made more telling whenever either Mane or Philippe Coutinho didn't play, both of whom out scored the Brazilian, with 13 league goals each. The pressure was on Firmino to be an out and out striker which he simply isn't, he is no slouch in front of goal but will never be a 20 goal a season centre forward. This is where Salah comes into play. What Firmino does better then any other striker in the league in my opinion is the 'dirty work', closing down defenders, forcing mistakes and creating opportunities for his team mates. Liverpool looked unplayable with Mane, Coutinho and Firmino all playing, and with Salah in there as another outlet it takes more pressure off of Firmino to be the star striker, and he can focus on the main plus points of his game. Roberto will still score goals, but his running, chances created and assists will be where his quality is shown next season. Also with the addition of Salah into the side, Jurgen Klopp no longer has to restrict Coutinho to a wide position and he can instead play the Brazilian midfielder in his preferred number 10 role, one he plays as good as anyone in the world. In the last two games of the previous season the little magician returned to the position and put in a man of the match performances in both, scoring three goals. Inside he is given more space to roam, and more of the pitch to work with. Also with the additional movement coming from Salah, he can fully utilise his incredible range of passing. And finally just imagine the look of fear on a defenders face when they're closing down a loose ball against either Sadio Mane or Mo Salah. The pace of both men is frightening and Liverpool will have it coming from both flanks, the options going forward for the club is endless. If they play the rest of this window smart, improve at the back and add much needed squad depth, we could see potential title challengers.

Alexandre Lacazette to Arsenal (£52 million + add ons)

Much like Bonucci this is a signing I didn't see coming, not because I didn't think the Frenchman would leave Lyon, but because of his choice of clubs. Lacazette fired in 28 league goals in 28 league games last season, and he almost single handedly got Lyon to the Europa League Semi-Finals. Before Atletico Madrid were handed a transfer ban at the start of the summer it looked as if the striker was on his way to Spain, however that deal obviously never came to be, but why Arsenal? The London club aren't even in the Champions League next season, and you'd think as Alexandre is one of Europe's top strikers he'd want to play amongst Europe's best sides and I'm sure very few teams would have turned him down. Lacazette has however said on record how long he's relished the idea of playing in England for, and living in London may have played a big part in his decision making as it does with many other players. What is also very big about this deal is it shows intent from Arsenal and Arsene Wenger. With star Alexis Sanchez reportedly on his way out as he is unhappy with the direction of the club, maybe this move might persuade him, and team mate Mesut Ozil, to stay for a while longer. On the flip side however, where does this move leave Alexis? Over the last twelve months the Chilean attacker has been moving in and out of the centre forward position, a position he claims to prefer. Lacazette will have been brought in to add goals to Arsenal and to fire them back into the Champions League, meaning Sanchez is likely to be back playing out wide, will he be happy about that? Especially after 'carrying' the side through a lot of last season. It is however no doubt a brilliant bit of business by Arsenal, bringing in a world class striker, something the fans have been crying out for, for years! It shows intent to not only the fans and the players, but also to the other Premier League sides, Lacazette is a big threat, and much like Liverpool, if the rest of the window goes in their favour, Arsenal could be in a very strong position for next season.

Antonio Rudiger to Chelsea (£34 million)

Shocking announcement video aside (Look it up, it really is that bad! So bad I'm asking you to go and watch it before reading on!) Rudiger signing could be the best 'under the radar' deal we will see in the Premier League this summer. Antonio Conte's Chelsea won the title last season based on a solid defence, and the adjective solid is perfect to describe his new German centre back. The now former Roma defender featured in 4 of Germany's 5 Confederation cup games, including the 1-0 win in the final, a game in which he kept Alexis Sanchez very quiet. After Chelsea had been linked with Bonucci for such a long time, the deal to bring in Rudiger came sort of out of no where, but one that makes perfect sense. The German played in 41 games in all competitions last season for Roma and Germany, demonstrating his incredible resilience, and throughout those games he stared as he played a key part in 14 league clean sheets. With Chelsea back in the Champions League next season the games are going to be coming thick and fast, and having a player like Rudiger who you can rely on to play each and every game you need him to play without signing signs of fatigue is invaluable. Possibly the least exciting of the signings I have mentioned so far today but also possibly the most effective. Just when you thought Chelsea's incredible defence couldn't get any stronger, they go an sign one of the best young defenders in Europe. At just 24 years old he has so much more room to grow, and under the guidance of his name sake Antonio Conte I feel the German centre back will prove his transfer fee to be pennies!

With over a month and a half of the transfer window yet to take place, there are a lot more potentially big deals to happen, including the rumoured signing of Naby Keita from RB Leipzig to Liverpool for an incredible £70 million. Juventus potentially losing another incredible defender in the form of Alex Sandro to Chelsea, and with Pierre Emerick Aubameyang's future still very much up in the air, there is still a lot of news to be made and a lot of money to be spent. It's getting to the point where money in football is meaningless, with every transfer a bit more crazy then the last, it should make for a pretty incredible upcoming season and I for one can't wait!

Germany Win - In other news grass is green.

Before you read on just scroll to the bottom of the page and read the quote. Gary Lineker really knows his stuff.

Germany have added two more titles to their incredible tally in the last week, with the U21's winning the European Championships, beating favourites Spain in the final. And last night the senior team won their first ever Confederations cup by edging out Alexis Sanchez's Chile side, also by 1 goal to nil. So Germany winning major tournaments, what's new? Germany are the joint second most successful side in World Cup history (Level with Italy on 4 titles, 1 behind Brazil) and the most successful side in the history of the European Championships, winning three titles. The are also currently ranked 3rd in the World in the FIFA world rankings but their Confederations cup win will see them up to first when the new rankings are announced. So, I ask again, what's new? Why is Germany winning two more titles such a news worthy event?

Let's start with the U21 European Championships. Going into the tournament the heavy favourites were Spain, and the Spaniards appeared to be taking the competition very seriously, brushing teams aside on route to the final. Then we have Germany. First of all, the team that featured was not the Germany U21 side, in fact 10, yes 10 players who could have featured in the tournament weren't even part of the squad. And these aren't squad players, these are guaranteed starters. The likes of Emre Can from Liverpool, Joshua Kimmich of German champions Bayern, Manchester City's Leroy Sane as well as Bayer Leverkusen stars Jonathan Tah and Juilian Brandt, none of these players made the squad. Why? We'll get to that. In fact with the missing players, you can put together an entire outfield side that could have won the tournament. Then we have, what I like to call, typical Germany. Why is it that, no matter how good the side, as soon as they face Germany they forget how to play football. This means that Germany don't even have to play well to win on many occasion, and that is often the case, including during this tournament. Germany didn't even win their group, finishing second to Italy via the head-to head rule. But then we reached the knock out rounds, the matches that actually matter to the Germans. Despite being taken to penalties by England, they were by far and away the better team, out classing the young lions at every turn. This still however wasn't a convincing Germany win, but that's the key word, win. Then we reached the final, their opponents Spain tore Italy apart 3-1 in their semi final and looked in great form. But form doesn't matter when Germany are involved. It was a tactical masterclass by the under dogs (How can I call Germany the under dogs!?) Limiting Spain to very few chances, the fast flowing football that had lead the Spaniards to the final was no where to be found, and one glancing header later, Germany were champions. They played their best football once all tournament, with a drastically weakened team, and they won the entire thing. Of course they did.

Now to the Confederations cup.  This is a very strange tournament, with some sides taking it incredible seriously and featuring their star players (Like now former holders Brazil in 2013) and with some sides featuring weakened sides. Now Germany fall into the column of the later. Do you remember when I said 10 Under 21s didn't feature in the U21 European Championships? That was because they were all playing in Russia. The U21 team were effectively representing the senior side, the likes of Leon Goretzka, captain of the side Julian Draxler and star striker Timo Werner. These U21 players were staring for the senior side, and as you now know, winning the entire thing. And much like in the U21 European Championships, Germany won it without every really hitting top gear! Much like Spain in the before mentioned tournament, opponents Chile came into the Confederations Cup final looking like the better side. The likes of Sanchez and Vidal were tipped to be too strong and experience for this second string German side. Now Chile managed a lot more chances then Spain's U21s but once again Germany did a number on their opponents. Scoring an early goal through a defensive mistake and then sitting back and playing on the counter. Now this is what makes the current situation so impressive from Germany's point of view. If you class the Confederations Cup winning side as German's B team, and their U21 winning side as their C team, you are, of course, left with their first team, the current World Champions. This means Germany currently are able to put out three entirely different sides, knowing they can win on the world stage. They beat the current, back to back Copa America winners Chile, without the likes of Thomas Muller, Mats Hummels, Jerome Boateng, Marco Reus, Toni Kroos and Mesut Ozil just to name a few. Chile featured their strongest side, a side that turned over Lionel Messi's Argentina to reach the competition, and Germany's second team out thought them, beating them and claiming their first Confederations cup title. 

The level of depth Germany currently have with their national side is simply remarkable and it is all a product of their reshuffle following the European Championships in France in 2000. After a poor tournament the German FA restructured their national league and everything below it to be a platform for the national side. The growth of young players was the priority, with the goal to become World Champions again by 2014. And now, in 2017, we can see that Germany won the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but have continued to grow, with their depth and pool of talent the envy of the rest of the footballing world. The German players now all posses a winning mentality, they know how to win when the pressure is really on. This is what allows them to win big games without playing well, they just know how to win, it's been pumped into them from the grass roots level, the overhaul in the early 2000's and it is now paying off big time on the national stage. 

Every side on the planet right now can learn from Germany, but really we've been saying this for years! The perfect execution of the plan set up by the German FA is an example of a long term goal being reached and surpassed, but to reach a long term goal you first have to set one! That is a big problem, in particularly with the English national side. Too much pressure is put on the 'here and now' and not enough thought is being put into the future. Joachim Low saw the Confederations cup as a chance for some of his younger players to shine for the senior side, win the competition, gain that vital winning mentality. The side Germany's U21s beat in the semi finals of their competition, England, and despite the close score line they out classed them with a side that was very much their junior! The side that player were effectively German's C team and they seemed far more matured and used to playing on the national stage. If the likes of Deli Ali and Marcus Rashford where at the tournament then that game could have gone very differently and it would be young English players learning how to win and gaining the vital experience that the German's clearly already possesed, but yet again it's the German's. Of course it is. What was that quote again Gary? 

Football is a simple game, twenty two men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win.