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It’s been an exhilarating week for English football – an expectedly dramatic third round of the FA Cup followed by a mesmerising batch of midweek thrillers in the Premier League – and the coming weekend looks set to maintain that theme.

Indeed, Manchester City face away day specialists Crystal Palace at the Etihad, fallen giants Chelsea take on top-scorers-of-the-bottom-half Everton and Manchester United will clash with Liverpool in Sunday’s installment of the ever-dramatic northwest derby.

So slipping under the radar somewhat is West Ham’s visit to Newcastle United, with kickoff at 3pm on Saturday. But these two sides are Premier League institutions who, for better or worse, always seem to entertain the neutrals.

Likewise, the Hammers and the Magpies have plenty to play for at the moment – the former a win away from escaping the relegation zone and the latter just a point off the Premier League’s top four – so we’re predicting a tight-knit encounter in front of a packed St. James’ Park.

With that in mind, the match could well depend on which side dominates the key individual battles. Here are FIVE Football Fancast view as the most important.

ALEKSANDAR MITROVIC VS WINSTON REID

Aleksandar Mitrovic is a temperamental character but also a fantastically hard worker, providing Newcastle United with a physical foothold in the final third despite often operating with exceptionally little service and support from midfield.

The Serbian international received just reward for his industriousness against Manchester United in midweek, scoring one from the spot and providing the assist for another in a rather epic 3-3 affair at St. James’ Park.

That will fill the 21-year-old with some much-needed confidence ahead of Saturday’s game, having scored just once in his last ten outings across all competitions before Tuesday night.

But West Ham’s centre-back cohort is one of the most formidable in the Premier League, filled with old-school defenders who protrude physicality and thuggish grit over eye-catching style.

Winston Reid looks set to come back into the starting Xi after being rested against Bournemouth in midweek and although Mitrovic will unquestionably enjoy the physical challenge the New Zealand skipper always provides, he might struggle to impact in the lone striker role.

ENNER VALENCIA VS FABRICIO COLOCCINI

With Andy Carroll and Mamadou Sakho both injured, Slaven Bilic faces a bit of a selection dilemma at the tip of West Ham’s attack. Nikita Jelavic replaced the former as he was subbed off with a hamstring injury against Bournemouth but my money’s on Enner Valencia starting up front on Saturday – after netting twice in the wide-right role on Tuesday night.

The Ecuador international hasn’t exactly set the world alight since moving to Upton Park after a string of impressive displays at the 2014 World Cup, mostly due to a string of injury problems. But he’s clearly a very talented player with power, strength and leap in equal measure and should relish the chance of impressing as a lone centre-forward.

Likewise, Fabricio Coloccini and Chancel Mbemba aren’t exactly the most convincing of centre-back partnerships – especially in the case of the former. Mbemba possesses the athleticism to nullify Valencia’s but if the West Ham striker manages to single Coloccini out, he’s got the pace to run beyond him and the leap to beat him in the air.

MOUSSA SISSOKO VS AARON CRESSWELL

Despite being primarily considered a centre-mid, powerhouse Moussa Sissoko has spent the majority of the season on the Magpies’ right wing, providing a decent if slightly unspectacular five assists in 20 appearances.

His presence allows adventurous full-back Daryl Janmaat to regularly overlap, so West Ham No.3 Aaron Cresswell will have to track both incredibly carefully on Saturday and make sure he’s not leaving too much space on the outside.

That being said, the Hammers defender is no stranger to adventuring forward either and blessed with a fantastic left foot that consistently produces lethal deliveries into the box from deep positions.

Sissoko has a knack of going missing when not facing heavyweight opponents so if he doesn’t close Cresswell down quick enough, Newcastle could be facing expert cross after expert cross.

Likewise, Janmaat must ensure he doesn’t get caught too high up the pitch. Although his marauding runs are important to the Magpies’ build-up play, Cresswell has the quality to take advantage of any gaps he leaves behind.

CHEIKHOU KOUYATE VS CHEICK TIOTE

Two midfield enforcers with similar-sounding names who both add much-needed physicality to their respective engine rooms.

Slaven Bilic has already hinted Cheikhou Kouyate will start after being rested for the 3-1 win over Bournemouth, whilst Cheick Tiote looks set to retain his place at the base of midfield with Vurnon Anita sidelined through injury.

As aforementioned, the power, strength and tenacity both midfielders bring to their respective sides is an incredibly important element, but their roles do differ somewhat.

Tiote likes to sit deep, hold position and break down attacks before simply moving the ball on. Although that’s a big part of Kouyate’s game as well, he also uses his power to break forward from time-to-time.

Jack Colback doesn’t have the natural physicality to stop the Belgium international, so Tiote will have to watch out for his runs from midfield. That being said, the Ivory Coast international has a much bigger fish to fry in attacking midfielder Dimitri Payet, which brings us rather nicely onto….

DIMITRI PAYET VS GEORGINIO WIJNALDUM

Although the four aforementioned battles are certainly important, it’s the contest between West Ham’s Dimitri Payet and Newcastle’s Georginio Wijnaldum that will likely have the biggest impact on Saturday’s result.

Both are talismanic entities and this season’s top scorers for their respective sides and both will most likely be fielded in the ever-glorified No.10 role this weekend.

The Netherlands international has bagged eight goals and two assists in 21 outings this term compared to his West Ham counterpart’s return of six strikes and four set ups in 13, but most would probably hail Payet’s influence a little above Wijnaldum’s due to the sheer quality he’s shown around the final third.

That being said, the vast majority of what Newcastle do going forward stems from their summer signing and he’s got a brilliant knack of arriving late in the box at the right time to find the net.

Of course, neither will be too concerned with stopping the other on Saturday – that will come down to their more defensively minded team-mates. But the result could well hinge on who has the biggest impact going forward.

Grzegorz Krychowiak is a target for both Arsenal and Manchester City, The Sun report.

Arsene Wenger and Pep Guardiola are both interested in the Polish central midfield player as Guardiola looks to change the Manchester City squad and develop his own spine of the team.

Krychowiak is being eyed up as a defensive midfield and centre-back option by Guardiola, who has previously looked to use midfielders in defensive roles at both Barcelona and Bayern. Krychowiak would be joining Mascherano, Alonso, Song and Martinez in dropping into a deeper role as Guardiola looks to add depth to City’s inconsistent central defensive options.

Arsene Wenger, on the other hand, is preparing for life after Mikel Arteta, who is to leave at the end of the season, and sees Krychowiak as an ideal addition to the Gunners’ defensive midfield artillery.

Sevilla would allow the Pole to leave the club if a £25 million bid was made and that sort of spending is easily within the reach of Arsenal and City.

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Leicester City’s incredible 2015/16 can be compared to a script retrieved from the bin after the screenwriter originally believed it to be too far-fetched. Filmed on a shoestring budget, it then goes on to break box-office records and is currently in line for a clean sweep of awards. You couldn’t write it. Only someone, somewhere in the universe, has.

The Foxes’ Rocky-esque rise from rags to glory has made bona fide stars of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez while N’Golo Kante and Danny Drinkwater have been plucked from straight-to-DVD obscurity to be lavished with glowing reviews and offers to top the bill on Broadway. Director Claudio Ranieri, meanwhile – previously considered an erratic art-house auteur – is now set to helm the sequel entitled ‘The Amazing Foxes 2: Euro Trip’.

But enough of these filmic analogies, because it’s time to celebrate the supporting cast, the players who may not have enjoyed as much screentime as Vardy or Mahrez, but without whom none of this would have been possible.

Kasper Schmeichel

Seven years ago Manchester City had two young promising stoppers on their books competing to establish themselves as the club’s number one. One has proven himself to be a commanding Mr Reliable this season with the third best shots-saved-to-goals-conceded stats in the Premier League and is on course to steward his side to a title. The other is Joe Hart.

Ever-present between the sticks, the 29 year old with the impeccable goalkeeping genes took the brave decision to drop three divisions after City to forge his credentials, but has now indisputably stepped from his father’s shadow to be considered a fantastic talent in his own right.

Blessed with quick feet, clear organisational skills and astute distribution, perhaps Schmeichel’s biggest asset to a side that has a propensity to get caught up in adventure is his terrific one-on-one attributes.

Danny Simpson

If Vardy best symbolises Leicester’s surreal trajectory, Simpson epitomises a team who are punching above their perceived weight. Having played his part in QPR’s promotion in 2014 the Hoops evidently regarded the right-back as not being sufficiently of Premier League standard following his two patchy seasons in the top flight with Newcastle. So with Rangers ‘upgrading’ to Mauricio Isla, the Foxes benefited with the bargain purchase of a player desperate to shake off his journeyman tag.

Simpson may have made the headlines for entirely the wrong reasons on numerous occasions in recent years, but on the pitch he has flourished into the defender he once promised to be coming through the Manchester United ranks.

Wes Morgan

The Leicester skipper began this campaign as the weak link, looking decidedly shaky at times despite the club’s fantastical start to 2015/16. As autumn chilled to winter however, the Jamaican has formed a muscular partnership with Robert Huth and grown into a dominant figure capable of nullifying the Agueros and Kanes of the division.

When Ranieiri’s men have required a siege mentality, it’s been the 32-year-old emitting a calm authority that his team-mates thrive off and if we need yet another example to illustrate just how magnificent Leicester’s season has been consider this: Should they win the title in May the list of captains who have held aloft the trophy in recent years will read Nemanja Vidic, Vincent Kompany, John Terry and a defender who made his top flight debut at the age of 30.

Morgan’s rise to prominence has been hard earned and richly deserved.

Marc Albrighton

Released by Aston Villa in 2014 after 16 years’ service, Albrighton found himself on the fringes at the King Power Stadium under previous boss Nigel Pearson until utilised as a makeshift wing-back. Thereafter we have witnessed a truly remarkable discovery of form and consistency from a winger who had long shown glimpses of such heights but usually, ultimately, failed to deliver.

The 26-year-old may not be as eye-catching as Mahrez on the other flank, but with his work-ethic and protection of full-back Christian Fuchs he has offered balance and been a significant part of why Ranieri’s 4-4-2 is rarely over-run in midfield areas.

His six key assists have been a huge boon too along with countless occasions his dangerous crosses have resulted in corners and penalty area chaos.

Shinji Okazaki

All the talk prior to last January’s transfer window centred on Leicester’s need to buy additional firepower as surely Vardy couldn’t be expected to shoulder the goalscoring threat alone season-long. Not only has the Albert Steptoe lookalike remained fit and firing, but increasingly we are seeing Okazaki come to the fore, providing invaluable energy and clever movement from deep to ensure Leicester’s frontline poses a threat to beleaguered defenders from the first minute to the last.

It has been an outstanding debut season for the Japan international, and while the bargain fee for Mahrez is deservedly mentioned often  it’s worth remembering that this 100-cap bundle of trickery cost a mere £7m.

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It has been a relatively disappointing campaign for Everton in the Premier League this season, with many Toffees fans here in the Transfer Tavern calling for Roberto Martinez to be sacked!

Over the years, Everton have had some top players play for them such as Marouane Fellaini, Sylvain Distin, Thomas Gravesen and Jack Rodwell.

Most of them have performed well enough at Goodison Park to earn some big moves away, most of which turned out to be a failure but nevertheless gained the Toffees quite a bit in transfer fees.

However, like pretty much every other club to play football at any level, there have been players that their fans couldn’t wait to see the back of and who simply just didn’t cut it at the top level.

Here we have a quick look at what a possible WORST Everton XI could look like……

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PRESS THE IMAGE BELOW TO SEE THE WORST EVERTON XI!

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Richard Wright

Struggling to break into the Arsenal first team on a regular basis, Wright arrived on Merseyside in 2002 with the Toffees paying around £3.5 million for his services.

He cost his side a possible victory on his home debut when he gifted Spurs a goal in a game that finished 2-2.

Playing in 33 of Everton’s 38 Premier League fixtures in his debut season was about as good as it got for Wright.

A number of freak injuries reduced his appearances and then he found himself behind firstly Nigel Martyn and then Tim Howard in the pecking order.

After only 27 league appearances in his final four seasons at Goodison Park he left to join West Ham United on a free transfer in the summer of 2007.

Per Kroldrup

Kroldrup has to go down as one of the worst players in Everton’s recent history.

The Dane, who was part of their Euro 2004 squad, signed for the Toffees in the summer of 2005 for around £5 million from Italian side Udinese.

He had to have surgery before he had even made his debut, though, after picking up a groin injury.

He eventually made his debut, which actually turned out to be his only Premier League appearance, in the 4-0 defeat at Aston Villa on Boxing Day of 2005 and he quickly returned to Italy by joining Fiorentina in January of 2006, less than a month after his only appearance.

Alessandro Pistone

The Italian Alessandro Pistone joined the Toffees in 2000 after three years with Newcastle United.

Like Kroldrup above, he was quickly beset by injuries which allowed him only eight appearances in his first season.

Another major injury the following season saw him miss much of that campaign.

Only three games into the 2005-06 season he suffered a knee ligament injury which ruled him out for the remainder of that campaign, and the whole of the next one and he was released in 2007 after making 103 appearances in all competitions during his seven years at Goodison.

Claus Thomsen

Ask an Everton fan to name some of their worst ever players and many who watched the club during the 1990’s would name Claus Thomsen.

The Danish defender arrived at Goodison Park in 1997 after three years with Ipswich Town.

A fee of around £900,000 was a big deal at the time and in his first season scored an own goal in the Merseyside derby, which cost his side a victory.

After his only season on Merseyside, where several below-par appearances see him ranked unfavourably amongst most fans, he returned to his native Denmark.

Alex Nyarko

The Ghanaian is another import that didn’t go down too well with the Goodison Park faithful.

It was his first taste of English football when he arrived in the Premier League, commanding a £4.5 million transfer fee.

He was perhaps doomed to fail when during a game with Arsenal, a fan entered the pitch and offered Nyarko his own Everton shirt, not exactly a ringing endorsement.

He joined Monaco just days later before having a loan spell with PSG for the whole of the 2002-03 season.

He had a second bite of the Everton cherry when he returned off loan for the 2003-04 season but after just 11 more appearances he was forced to leave when his work permit expired.

Li Tie

Originally joining on loan in 2002, Li Tie made 29 appearances during his first season at Goodison Park and generally impressed as the club finished seventh.

However, when he joined permanently the following year things started to go wrong.

After an early season sending off, he then struggled with injuries before being ruled out for 12 months after breaking his leg on international duty with China.

After undergoing yet more surgery in 2006 he was released by the Toffees after just five Premier League appearances in three seasons, and joined Sheffield United.

Andy van der Meyde

Dutch international who had played for Ajax and Inter Milan and played major tournament football with the Netherlands, what could possibly have gone wrong when Andy van der Meyde came to Everton?

Well the answer to that, is plenty.

Only ten appearances in his first season wasn’t exactly what the club were looking for, and there were plenty of off-field issues with the Dutchman with rumours of alcoholism he was fined by the club, after claiming to have been spiked while out in a Liverpool bar.

Another issue, where he failed to appear for training, saw him again fined and he was eventually released in 2008 after only 20 league appearances in four seasons.

Idan Tal

It never filled the Everton fans with bags of confidence when Idan Tal arrived on Merseyside, after a career that hadn’t spanned outside of Israel.

During two-and-a-half years at Goodison Park, he made only 29 appearances and was never a regular in the Everton side with a number of below-par appearances.

After a brief spell in Spain, he returned to Israel before finding himself in the Premier League again with Bolton.

Simon Davies

Simon Davies had a decent enough career at the top level, playing in the Premier League with Tottenham, Everton and Fulham as well as making 58 caps for Wales.

However, his time at Goodison Park was disappointed on the whole, after commanding a £4 million transfer fee from Spurs in 2005.

He featured in 30 of the Toffee’s 38 league games during his debut season but his performances were generally disappointing and after the first half of his second season, where he failed to find the net, he moved to Fulham for an undisclosed fee after only 18 months on Merseyside.

James Beattie

After a prolific spell at Southampton, the signing of James Beattie excited the Everton fans but his spell, as a whole, was mainly disappointing.

In only his fifth appearance for the Toffees, he was given a straight red card for a headbutt on Chelsea’s William Gallas which, combined with a series of injuries, severely limited his appearances during his first season.

After 10 goals in his second campaign, he managed only two league goals in 33 appearances during his third, and final, season at Goodison Park.

After only 13 league goals in 76 appearances, he was sold to Sheffield United who broke their club record transfer fee to sign him.

Nick Chadwick

Coming through the youth ranks at Goodison Park, Nick Chadwick was a player tipped for big things in the future.

After 48 goals in 75 appearances in the youth sides, he burst on to the first team scene with early goals against Bolton, Leicester and Blackburn but then found it a struggle.

He had loan spells away from the club, and despite still finding the net regularly for the reserves, he didn’t do enough to nail down a first team place and a promising career unfortunately was reduced to a journeyman lower league career which spanned ten different clubs.

Another summer, another David De Gea rumour.

Last summer finally looked like the year that De Gea would make the move to Spanish giants Real Madrid, but after the paperwork was not completed in time, he was forced to remain in Manchester for another year.

With the transfer window now about to open once again, the rumours linking the Spanish stalwart with a move to Madrid have started early this time.

Given that a bid was accepted last summer, it is safe to assume that should Real Madrid be interested, and cough up enough cash, he may well be allowed to leave, despite recently signing a new deal.

Should that be the case, however, there are a wealth of world class goalkeepers that might just be available to replace the Spanish shot stopper at Old Trafford.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the FIVE best options for Manchester United to replace David De Gea…

Keylor Navas

This one was supposed to happen last summer.

When the deal was agreed to take De Gea Madrid in the closing hours of last summers transfer window, an agreement was also settled to see Navas move the other way as part of the transfer.

However, both were not completed in time, meaning the players remained at their respective clubs.

Navas has done well since, proving himself a quality goalkeeper in his own right. Should Madrid come back in for De Gea, Navas would seemingly be surplus to requirements at the Bernabeu.

United could look to pick him up as a replacement, given that he would likely be available for a reasonable fee.

Hugo Lloris

A goalkeeper that has a bit more star power about him; United could also look to Hugo Lloris as a De Gea replacement this summer.

Tottenham have been looking to sign the keeper to a bumper new deal for a while, but the Independent is now reporting that the French shot stopper has rejected all advances for a new deal.

As a result, Tottenham may be forced to sell the keeper this summer, and there would likely be no better target available.

It is of course unlikely that Spurs would be happy selling to a rival club, but should United cough up the cash; there is little they could do.

The Frenchman would fit in seamlessly at United, offering the same level of quality as they currently have with De Gea.

Thibaut Courtois

Another top keeper that may be on the move this summer, Chelsea’s Thibaut Courtois is widely thought to be unhappy at the club.

This deal would be a major coup for United, given that the Belgian is largely considered to be the best young goalkeeper in world football.

Should United show interest, it would likely prove difficult for Courtois to turn down.

This one is likely to be very pricey, but in the young Belgian they would have a world class keeper that could stay between the sticks for upwards of a decade.

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Asmir Begovic

Another potential target is Courtois’ Chelsea team-mate, Asmir Begovic.

The Bosnian is reportedly looking to leave the club this summer after spending the season as a back-up to Courtois.

Whilst certainly not on the level of Courtois, or De Gea, Begovic is a talented goalkeeper in his own right, and has not looked out of place during his time with the Blues.

This deal could be very affordable for United give his woes in west London, and he would likely be available should they offer up the cash.

If nobody on the level of De Gea or Courtois is available; United would struggle to do better than this 28-year-old Bosnian.

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Kasper Schmeichel

Kasper Schemichel has been touted for a move to Manchester United for years in order to follow in the footsteps of his father, Peter.

The Schmeichel lineage is legendary at United, so we’re sure that most fans would be delighted with this signing, should it happen.

Kasper is a talented goalkeeper in his own right, and shone on his way to picking up a Premier League winner’s medal with Leicester last season.

Leicester are reportedly looking to tie the shot-stopper to a new deal, but with Peter Schmeichel’s latest admission that his son has always dreamt of playing for United; Leicester would not be able to stand in his way.

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Pep Guardiola is now firmly installed in the Manchester City hotseat, and after months of plotting the tactical course he’s going to take at the club, the new boss is putting those plans into action.

After announced Nolito and Ilkay Gundogan, City seem to be plotting to bring centre backs to the club to freshen up the defence that looked so shaky last season.

With Manchester United across the road also strengthening majorly, there seems to be something of an arms race between the two clubs. That means that it’s surely out of the question to see any movement between the two clubs in terms of players this summer.

Anything that strengthens City weakens United, even if selling to any other club in the universe wouldn’t mean weakening the squad. And that means Mourinho won’t be strengthening title-rivals City!

But if Guardiola did look jealously across the city, here are some of the players he’d want to look at. They’re not the new signings, nor are they necessarily the biggest names. They’re simply players who would make City stronger.

Chris Smalling

If Guardiola is in the market for a centre back it can mean two things. One is that it may spell the unfortunate end to captain Vincent Kompany, given his injury problems. The other is that he simply doesn’t fancy Mangala or Otamendi.

And if there is a defender at United who would add something to City’s erratic defence, it’s probably Chris Smalling. The England defender has been a success story of Louis van Gaal’s time in charge, establishing himself as one of the first names on the teamsheet at United and England over the past few seasons.

He’s the kind of dominant defender that City need to buy to line up alongside the likes of the silkier John Stones or Leonardo Bonucci if City do end up splashing the cash.

Anthony Martial

One of the clauses reportedly put into the deal that Manchester United negotiated with Monaco over the transfer of Anthony Martial was that United would pay extra money to Monaco should Martial win the Ballon d’Or.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/leaked-anthony-martial-transfer-documents-7203482

That’s the calibre of young talent we’re talking about here. And although City have Kelechi Iheanacho and Raheem Sterling waiting to make a huge impact under Pep Guardiola, Martial would be yet another young talent who can shine at City and cover for Sergio Aguero.

David De Gea

Is Joe Hart on his way out of Manchester City? He’s been a great servant for the club, but his form is erratic and that’s proven by his poor Euro 2016 for England.

At the moment, Hart looks like he could have some sort of competition at the Etihad next season, and Pep Guardiola won’t take any dips in form – perhaps he’ll be looking over jealously at Manchester United who find themselves with absolutely no problems in that area!

If you somehow managed to miss it among the psychedelic flashing-yellow coverage of Deadline Day on Sky Sports, Premier League clubs spent well over £1bn across the summer transfer window – an all-time record.

No fewer than 13 sides broke their transfer records for new players and the last day of the madness resulted in some staggeringly expensive deals.

Naturally, among this there are a few ‘what were they thinking?’ signings. It’s hard to say what is overpaying right now with the new TV deal having swelled valuations, but some deals done by clubs up and down the division just scream more money than sense.

With this in mind, here’s an XI made up of the most overpriced players to have moved to Premier League clubs over the past two months (they make a big chunk of that £1.2bn outlay!)…

Goalkeeper and defence… GK – Claudio Bravo (£13.75m)

Don’t shout us down straight away! We know Bravo is a decent goalkeeper, but the mooted £13.75m sum is pretty steep considering he’s 33.

Man City were perhaps somewhat forced to go so high for the Chilean as they desperately searched for an alternative to Joe Hart late on, but having had all summer to find the stopper they wanted, it’s hard to have sympathy.

RB – James Tomkins (£10m)

Solid and reliable, Tomkins is not a bad defender, but the £10m Crystal Palace paid feels a little steep. It remains to be seen how the Eagles fare over the season, but should they struggle against relegation, or even be unable to avoid the drop, questions will surely be asked of their decision to ay such a fee for Tomkins.

CB – Shkodran Mustafi (£35m)

Arsene Wenger’s desperate late search for a defender saw Mustafi’s fee swell to an eventual £35m. The German, a World Cup winner has been in good form for Valencia over the past couple of season, yet it’s hard to put him among the elite defenders on a global scale, which is where his price-tag puts him.

CB – John Stones (£47.5m)

A defender with question marks around his ability to defend for £47.5m? Man City don’t do themselves any favours, do they! To be fair Stones has looked decent in Pep Guardiola’s XI since his move along the M62, but a fee that makes him one of the most expensive defenders in the history of the game is well above the odds.

LB – Marcos Alonso (£23m)

Alonso, once of Bolton and Sunderland, cost Chelsea £23m… TWENTY-THREE MILLION POUNDS. The Spaniard has improved immeasurably over the last 12 months at Fiorentina, but it feels like the Londoners’ desperation to sign a left-back was taken advantage of by La Viola.

Midfield… RM – Jordon Ibe (£15m)

If Ibe wasn’t English, would he be worth £15m? Probably not. The winger struggled at Liverpool last season and has failed to kick on after initially impressing under Brendan Rodgers at Anfield, at which time he was tipped to be better than Raheem Sterling. A big risk from Bournemouth, this.

CM – Paul Pogba (£89m)

Pogba will probably continue his development and be a very, very good midfielder.

However, for a fee of £89m the Frenchman will need to be Player of the Year to justify the huge outlay, and that’s before the ‘he was allowed to leave four years ago for £800k’ factor is thrown in…

CM – Moussa Sissoko (£30m)

The big story of Deadline Day, Sissoko ended up costing Spurs a mooted £30m after they swooped at the last minute to snatch him from Everton’s grasp.

The Frenchman is clearly a talented midfielder when he’s motivated, but there are question marks surrounding his attitude and with his performances at the Magpies were related last term having been so poor, the reported fee is exorbitant.

LM – Yannick Bolasie (£25m)

Bolasie’s YouTube skills videos are certainly worth a watch, but with his end product having been questioned it seems like flop status awaits the £25m man at Everton, unless Ronald Koeman can work his magic.

Up front… ST – Andre Ayew (£20.5m)

A free transfer last summer, Swansea probably couldn’t believe their luck when West Ham offered a club-record £20.5m for the Ghana international.

Ayew is a decent forward, but he’ll need to make a swift return to his best when he comes back from his four-month lay-off if he’s to justify the fee paid.

ST – Islam Slimani (£29m)

Leicester finally spent like champions on the last day of the transfer window, but £29m for Slimani seems like misplaced funds.

The Algerian is now 28 and is unproven in a ‘major’ league and it’s hard to see where he fits in with Jamie Vardy, Ahmed Musa and Shinji Okazaki in Claudio Ranieri’s ranks.

Modern football now lives in a different world than the one it occupied in 1986 when Alex Ferguson took over as Manchester United manager. Football – the game – has changed dramatically, too.

And like a life-sentence prisoner who suddenly finds himself on parole after 26 years inside, Manchester United came into the real world a gibbering wreck, frightened by their own shadow, ill-equipped to cope with the outside world, and completely stunted by the weight of their own institutionalisation. Struggling to adjust to the world, at various points during Louis van Gaal’s regime they looked so oddly close to dressing up in their best suit, stepping onto a chair, carving ‘Brooks was here’ into the wall, and ending their misery.

United find themselves stuck in a stormy present; caught between the sepia-tinged nostalgia of their glorious past and the prospect of a cold, corporate future. A future for football more generally, too, inclusive of business-types with incomprehensible job titles, sinister-sounding ‘transfer committees’, and ‘Moneyball’ policies seeking to reduce a sport with a rich cultural heritage to some sort of academically-understood science.

21st-century football is a lot like 21st-century business, a manager is just someone who makes sure that the quality of the product matches what the advertising, marketing and branding says that it is: this is the manager as a quality-control officer, inspecting the product on the conveyor belt.

The battle between old and new protrudes visibly at United, a club now trying to make a very difficult transition, and one that has never been managed successfully. But it is also important to note that United is not simply a club coming out of a lifetime of institutionalisation and finding that it’s a brave new world out there.

The situation described above is the situation taken to its dystopian extreme, and it reads like something George Orwell’s Manchester United-supporting alter-ego may have written in the 1980s. But we must also remember that the United managed by Sir Alex Ferguson was a deeply progressive club.

Take any popular monarch or leader who spent a long time at the head of a country – or any institution, for that matter – and what characterises their tenure is usually a willingness to modernise, not to fight the tide of time. Human advancement is, by its very nature, exciting and often quickly embraced. Any great leader will lead his followers into that advancement, not try to fight it. In the end, human advancement creates a better – or at least more desirable at the time – quality of life, and that will always be the people’s choice.

So it’s worth remembering that Ferguson may have been a wonderful manager in 1986, but he was still a great manager in 1999 and a remained a great manager in 2013. That wasn’t simply because of his own natural ability as a football manager, or the fact that he had all the attributes that great football managers must have, but it was also because of his willingness to accept modernisation. Indeed, he didn’t just accept it, he was at the forefront of it.

During his tenure, football changed and Ferguson changed with it. He understood the power of it all: larger squads, player rotation, sports science, the changing face of the media and how it could be used to his advantage. Importantly too, Manchester United became one of the world’s biggest clubs under his management; that is, his football club garnered a worldwide following, tapping into global markets in a business sense as well as a footballing one.

So whilst we might caricature Manchester United as a club undergoing a tug-of-war between the traditionalists (Ferguson and the Class of ’92) and the modernisers (Ed Woodward and his merry marketing men) it isn’t strictly true. United are not a club who have resisted modernisation for years. But they are a club suffering from institutionalisation.

At the end of last season, United found themselves at a crossroads.

Ferguson’s retirement has so far precipitated three years of mismanagement and unrecognisably poor Manchester United performances; and it has precipitated, most importantly, three seasons of football with only one winners’ trinket to show for it. The appointment of Jose Mourinho seems to signal the triumph of short-term success, the quest for shiny things – the victory of the cold corporate suits over the so-called traditionalists.

That’s the road they’ve taken.

But the whole debate must bow its head to the context in which it is discussed: namely the fact that United have endured three turgid years without Manchester United-levels of success, and that Ed Woodward has spent over a quarter of a billion pounds and appointed two failed managers with only an FA Cup to put on his CV.

Far from being simply a problem related to winning trophies, though, over the last few years, the biggest criticism levelled at United has been their style of play. Stodgy and hard to watch, it is a long way from the swashbuckling, caution-to-the-wind attacking swordsmanship Manchester United are supposedly known for.

The problem is, with Jose Mourinho in charge, will Ed Woodward really find a solution? The style of play will surely become much more pragmatic and direct, it will surely bring trophies back to the cabinet, but will it be entertaining? Will it live up to United’s attacking tradition? And if it doesn’t, is that as much a problem for the club’s marketing department as it is for the fans who pay for their season tickets?

Despite being the club with the most league titles in England, only three managers have actually won league titles at United: Ernest Magnall, Matt Busby and Alex Ferguson. There are 20 titles between the three of them, 18 between Busby and Ferguson. Clearly, United have always liked to build dynasties.

Both Ferguson and Busby built various starting elevens during their reigns. Over their years, they didn’t simply build one great side and move on three or four years later when the success fell apart. Instead, they both remained a firm constant at the club, below which players came and went.

By staying in control for so long, and having the power to shape events at the club, Manchester United’s legendary managers could act as the river banks to the club’s river, directing the flow.

The transient nature of football usually forces managers to leave. Players grow older and move on or retire, tactics evolve and managers must evolve too, apathy sets in as things get stale. These are things that haven’t happened Manchester United, traditionally. United’s legends have been above all this, shaping the flow of that river by making sure that the club could replace players when needed by promoting young talent from within the club, supplementing their homemade wares with talented players brought in from outside. A culture was created where longevity was something to aspire to.

That’s not the Jose Mourinho way. Indeed, nastiness, infighting, and the constant igniting of his players’ passions is more Mourinho’s style. He winds them up and away they go, but that’s hardly conducive to long-term success at a football club. It’s conducive to titles over a two or three year period before the springs break, and at that point winding things up just makes everything worse.

Mourinho’s place in football is now as the manager of one of the world’s biggest clubs, and one of the only clubs that have an established tradition. That acts as a huge selling point. United’s past, the titles the club has won, the players it has produced, and its sustained success over decades make it a club whose manager is expected to continue the tradition – though tradition is a slippery concept.

Mourinho, on the other hand, is a very modern football coach. His tactical nous, his attention to detail, and his ability to identify strengths and weaknesses in his own team as well as in the opposition allows him to impact football games almost as much as the players on the pitch. That skill set in the modern game is important, but they are skills that might also be applied to Sir Alex Ferguson.

Especially the ‘modern’ aspect: the bit that makes Mourinho a coach for the 21st century. Ferguson moved with the times, and Mourinho, too, captures the zeitgeist.

Manchester United are a club that has, for years, built a marketing strategy around its tradition. But in a way, their tradition was being a club who could move easily with the times, building new teams who won trophies, and doing it in the traditional way: that is, with homegrown players and modern coaching methods; and more recently modern business practices.

The problem is that creating a ‘brand’ based on ‘tradition’ is a jarring concept. It’s one that works whilst you can still point to a tradition being upheld. After years of being able to point to the guiding hand of Sir Alex Ferguson, the club wanted to be able to point to that of his hand-picked successor, David Moyes instead.

But the fight between modernisation and tradition was a fight United always seemed to win. A fiery Scot like Ferguson could never have been seen as part of the changing face of the game – or at least never was. Claudio Ranieri was the tinkerman, and ridicule was heaped on Rafael Benitez and Gerard Houllier, too, for player rotation policies. Arsene Wenger has also had those sorts of critics, those who mock his ‘professorial’ approach to football management.

There is an inverted snobbery leveled at the managers Ferguson rivalled with, and that snobbery was never leveled at him. Even though he followed the same principles, the same tactics. His ability to couple the tradition with the modern was unparalleled.

But the modernisation and the tradition are coming apart now. The marketing trick was to convince the world that United’s tradition was to be a club at the forefront of modernisation; it was not simply a tradition that endured despite the changing of the modern world, their tradition was to change the modern world.

But somewhere along the line, modernity caught up with United and overtook them. Because when Ferguson left, United found a footballing world outside which no longer favoured monarchies. If United’s tradition was to shape the course of modernity, it is now the modern world that is forcing United to take a risk on a manager who looks very much like he could erode their tradition.

Long-serving managers are, for the most part, a thing of the past. There are simply too many jobs in football, too many leagues from which to scout players, too many tactical intricacies to spot in the next opposition. It can’t all be done by one man alone.

The experiments with David Moyes – the hand-picked successor – and Louis van Gaal – the failed master builder of a club identity – didn’t work. But they were a sign that the club was easing itself to a more modern framework, bit by bit.

By appointing Jose Mourinho, Ed Woodward may have made a deal with the Devil; a Faustian moment that could ruin United in the long term, but bring riches and trophies in the short. Or maybe this is just a sign that United are now a modern football club like every other club, with no special traits.

Either way, Monarchs come and go, but entire Republics remain. United have put Jose Mourinho in charge of theirs as they sell yet another piece of their tradition in order to stay at the top of the game. That might very well have been a necessary move, but you get the feeling that they’ll have to do it again in three years.

It’s that familiar pre- Champions League group stages feeling for Arsenal fans today as they wait for their latest assault on the trophy.

The Gunners fans will be hoping for a serious run in the competition this time around instead of the fluffing of lines in the groups that has led them to getting knocked out in the round of 16 for the last few years.

The London club are in a group with PSG, Ludogorets and FC Basel this season and on the face of it, it looks a straight shoot-out between them and the French Champions for the top spot in the table.

FC Basel may have something to say about that but the Gunners know that tonight’s game in the French capital arguably will decide where they could end up after match week six and therefore a big performance is needed.

It’s time Arsenal came of age in Europe then, and certainly, some of their players did too.

With this in mind, we’re bringing you the three players Arsene Wenger needs a performance from tonight in the Parc des Princes…

Olivier Giroud

The Frenchman doesn’t have long left to prove he can be world class. At EURO 2016 he looked a real force up front for France but until he cuts out that ability to go missing for games on end he can’t be considered top drawer. After the transfer

After the transfer window, Arsene Wenger needs him to prove he was right in not buying a top striker and it’s games like this that present the perfect opportunity. Over to you, Olivier.

Mesut Ozil

Some Arsenal fans would have you believe this guy is the third best player in the world behind Messi and Ronaldo and whilst his world class talent cannot be ignored, he still needs to prove himself for the Gunners in this competition. In full

In full flight, the German is a class player make no mistake but the club need him to do it on these stages more often, starting tonight.

Granit Xhaka

Presumably, Xhaka was bought with the idea he’d be the final piece in Arsenal’s European challenge puzzle.

He provides good cover for the centre-halves and obviously isn’t scared to mix it up but he needs to be disciplined if the Gunners are to get a result.

If Marco Verratti plays for PSG we could be in for a real battle in central midfield, one Xhaka simply has to win.

Manchester United are keen on Valencia’s teenage midfielder Fran Villalba, according to reports from El Desmarque.

The facts…

Name: Francisco Jose Villalba Rodrigo

Age: 18

Club: Valencia

Nationality: Spanish

International experience: 23 caps at youth level (U-16s to U-19s)

Club experience: Two senior appearances

Who is he?

Villalba is seen as one of the top youngsters emerging at Valencia. The 18-year-old has been a regular in Los Che’s youth ranks and ‘B’ team for a quite some time and even has two senior appearances under his belt – both of which came under Gary Neville during his ill-fated spell at the Mestalla. In the mould of many Spanish playmakers, the 18-year-old is good on the ball, is able to find space for himself and boasts a strong level of technique, but he stands at just 5ft. 6”, which is a bit of a worry physically.

Can Man United get him?

El Desmarque claim Villalba wants to stay at Valencia for a little while yet, which makes sense given his tender age. However, there is a €4m (£3.6m) release clause in his contract and should the La Liga side show little sign of making him a first-team regular, he could be tempted to look elsewhere – although his chances of game time in Manchester appear just as (if not more) slim. Interestingly, Barcelona are also keen.

Should they bother?

It’s hard to tell at this stage, but Valencia have a habit of bringing through talented playmakers. Both Juan Mata and David Silva got their big breaks at the club, while Isco was a youth player there before leaving to join Malaga. However, his diminutive stature may be an issue and the Red Devils need only look at Liverpool’s record with Dani Pacheco and Suso to see the issues with importing slight playmakers from Spain – albeit the game is rapidly changing.