As reported by The Daily Mirror, West Ham United are set to make an ambitious move for Bayer Leverkusen star Javier Hernandez.

What’s the word?

It’s no secret that the Hammers need an elite striker to lead the line next season after their woes in attack last term, preferable one who has a proven track record of scoring at the highest level.

Step forward Mexico international Javier Hernandez. The Mirror reckon that West Ham are interested in activating a £13m release clause in his contract to bring him back to the English Premier League, two years after he left Manchester United.

The paper say that the Irons have scouted him extensively at this year’s Confederations Cup and on the back of that are ready to commit to the deal.

The hero West Ham need?

While things didn’t quite pan out how he’d like at Man United, the fact remains that Hernandez is still an elite goalscorer, capable of performing in the English top-flight.

Since he left Old Trafford on a permanent basis he has scored 39 goals in 76 appearances for Bayer Leverkusen which is a healthy return. When you consider he’s also scored 48 goals in 94 international caps, there’s enough evidence to suggest he would also bang in the goals for the Irons should they sign him.

They need a poacher, an instinctive goalscorer to stick away chances on a consistent basis and Hernandez appears to tick all the boxes should they be able to get the deal done.

According to an interview on arsenal.com, striker Olivier Giroud has hinted that he would like to stay with the Gunners despite the imminent arrival of Alexandre Lacazette and interest from West Ham United and Everton.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Sunday Times reported last weekend that Everton had joined West Ham United in the race to sign the £20m-rated Frenchman, who scored 16 goals last season, who was expected to leave Arsenal when they completed the signing of Alexandre Lacazette – a move which is imminent.

The 30-year-old grew frustrated with his lack of first team opportunities last season with Alexis Sanchez often preferred up top, and it was thought that the arrival of his France international teammate would only hamper those chances even more and that he would look to move on for more regular playing time.

However, Giroud’s latest comments on the weekly podcast have suggested that he could yet stay at the Emirates for at least another year.

What did he say?

He told the club’s official podcast: “That’s why I want to carry on my good journey at Arsenal and I always want to give my best.

“I would love to win another title, or maybe more until the end of my contract.

“The motivation is here, always doing your best to make your family proud.”

Those comments certainly aren’t ones that would suggest Giroud is on his way out of the club in the coming weeks, with his current deal due to expire in 2019.

How did Giroud do last season?

Despite not being a regular starter, the 30-year-old still made a huge impact for the Gunners – especially from the substitutes’ bench.

The centre-forward scored his 16 goals in 40 appearances in all competitions, while he also provided a further seven assists.

Could he still leave the club?

Of course, circumstances can change quickly and if Lacazette joins and Alexis Sanchez stays, then it is hard to see Giroud getting too much of a look in next season – especially with the likes of Danny Welbeck and Theo Walcott able to play up top too.

With the 2018 World Cup just a year away, regular playing time could be vital to the 30-year-old keeping his spot in the France side and therefore a move to Everton or West Ham could still happen.

What’s the verdict, then?

Well, despite the comments it is difficult to see much of an Arsenal future for Giroud next season, and a move away still looks to be more likely than him staying at the Emirates.

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Everton announced their squad for the pre-season trip to Tanzania on their official website on Tuesday, and contract rebel Ross Barkley was a notable absentee because of a groin injury.

The 23-year-old has been the subject of  a lot of speculation in recent months as he is yet to sign a new contract with the Toffees, and with just a year left on his current deal the Merseyside outfit will likely cash in on him this summer rather than lose him for nothing next year.

The signings of Davy Klaassen and Wayne Rooney have already provided the England international with more competition, and his latest absence has only cast further doubt over his future.

Everton supporters were quick to have their say on Barkley’s absence via social media, with many believing that the story that he had an injury wasn’t true, especially as teammate Yannick Bolasie has travelled despite the fact that he is still recovering from an ACL injury, and that Ronald Koeman is trying to force him out.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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According to reports in The Mirror, Newcastle United face competition from north-east rivals Middlesbrough in the race to sign West Ham United goalkeeper Darren Randolph this summer.

What’s the word, then?

Well, despite being the Irons’ first-choice stopper for half of last season, The Mirror says the 30-year-old looks to be on his way out of the London Stadium this summer after the club signed Joe Hart on a season-long loan deal from Manchester City, while fellow keeper Adrian penned a two-year extension to his contract.

The Mirror adds that the Republic of Ireland international could be available for just £2.5m, which has caught the attentions of both the Magpies and Boro.

Toon boss Rafa Benitez is keen to bring in a new number one and he could hold the advantage by being able to offer Premier League football and the report adds that he has missed out on deals for Manchester City’s Willy Caballero – who joined Chelsea – and Napoli’s Pepe Reina, whom he bought for both Liverpool and the Italian giants.

However, Garry Monk is desperate to bring him to the Riverside Stadium having lost last term’s first-choice and back-up goalkeepers – Victor Valdes and Brad Guzan – following the club’s relegation to the Championship.

How did Randolph do last season?

Prior to last term, the 30-year-old had made just seven Premier League appearances in his career but he more than tripled that throughout the previous campaign.

Despite starting behind Adrian at the start of the season, a costly mistake against Stoke City saw the Spaniard dropped from the side and Randolph was promoted to first-choice goalkeeper.

The Republic of Ireland international put in some impressive performances and made some spectacular saves – including one from a Jordan Henderson shot for Liverpool – but he was dropped in April following a 2-2 draw against Sunderland.

Would he be a good signing for Newcastle?

It’s difficult to say.

It seems as though Benitez wants an experienced goalkeeper to be his first-choice next season after the links with Caballero and Reina, but with just 29 Premier League appearances to his name it’s hard to see how Randolph would be much of a step up from the likes of Karl Darlow or Rob Elliot, even if he is available for a good fee.

According to an extensive interview he has done with The Sun, Tottenham Hotspur left-back Danny Rose has hinted that he will leave the club in the future with some particularly damning comments about the Spurs supporters.

What’s the word, then?

Well, despite becoming Premier League title contenders under the leadership of Mauricio Pochettino over the course of the last two seasons, Tottenham have failed to make a single new signing so far this summer with Kyle Walker also leaving to join Manchester City last month.

That is something that has frustrated players like Rose, who want the club to push on if they are to win trophies in the near future, and The Sun says that while the England international isn’t demanding a move away, he would be open to considering offers from other teams if they did arrive and would like to return up north.

The Sun believes that Rose is currently earning around £65,000-a-week after signing a new five-year contract last September, and the players knows he could earn a lot more if he moved to the Red Devils or the Blues.

What are the pick of his quotes?

Talking exclusively to The Sun, Rose said: “I am reaching my peak and have probably only got one big contract left in me.

“Time is running out and I do want to win trophies. I don’t want to play football for 15 years and not have one trophy or one medal.

“I will say this too — I will play up north. I don’t know exactly when, but I will get back up north and play some football somewhere.

“I got a lot of stick [from the fans] before Mauricio came to the club. I’ll never forget some of the things they were saying about me.”

Is he right?

Rose’s comments will likely produce a mixed reaction from Tottenham supporters.

While many will be angry that he has gone to the press to express his opinions and feelings and criticise them, others will feel that he is right as Spurs probably need to show more ambition if they are to continue competing with the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City in the Premier League.

While it is disappointing that they are yet to bring in any new additions, they still have three weeks left of the transfer window to change things.

What happens next?

Well, it will be interesting to see if there is any fall-out between the club and the player, and whether the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United could now be tempted to bid for the 27-year-old star before the window slams shut at the end of the month.

Everton did just enough to ease past Hadjuk Split in the second leg of their Europa League qualifier yesterday evening.

The tie tensed up when the Croatian outfit opened the scoring just before half time, meaning one more goal would bring them on level terms with the Toffees, who bagged two goals at Goodison Park last week.

But any chance of an upset was ruled out just after the interval when Gylfi Sigurdsson unleashed an incredible strike from just inside the Hadjuk half, lobbing the goalkeeper with a long-range chip to secure a result-sealing away goal.

Everton are now through to the Group Stages of the Europa League – a competition Ronald Koeman will be keen to focus on this season, not least because it offers the chance of qualifying for the Champions League.

But, Everton fans, who do you think was the Man of the Match from last night’s draw? Sigurdsson, Jordan Pickford – who saved a penalty late on – midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin, wing-back Cuco Martina or centre-half Michael Keane?

Let us know by voting below…

As reported by The Mirror, Everton are in the race to sign Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy before the transfer window shuts.

What’s the story?

After selling Romelu Lukaku to Manchester United, the Toffees are still seeking the natural goalscoring talent that can provide the finishing touch to their attack.

The likes of Wayne Rooney and Sandro Ramirez have arrived at the club but both are more creative types in the final third than the out and out poacher Everton need.

The man Ronald Koeman is reported to be interested in filling that void is Jamie Vardy.

The Mirror reckon they could even spend as much as £40m to land the man who fired Leicester City to an English Premier League title two seasons ago.

Born goalscorer

At 30 years old, Vardy may not have the potential or resale value of a Romelu Lukaku but he is a proven Premier League goalscorer and that’s what Everton need to reach the heights Ronald Koeman wants to bring them to.

Scoring 24 goals in the title winning season with the Foxes and 15 goals last-term, he’s already off to a flyer this season too with two goals away to Arsenal on the opening night.

He’s a short-term solution but could be a very effective one and despite the reported £40m being a pretty steep price, if Everton can afford it, he could very much be worth it.

Aston Villa picked up a much-needed Championship win as they beat Barnsley 3-0 at Oakwell on Saturday, but Villa fans are still divided summer signing Glenn Whelan.

The former Stoke City man started in the middle of the park alongside Conor Hourihane as the visitors picked up their first victory on their travels since March, and just their second success in eight attempts this season.

While Albert Adomah and Keinan Davis were the heroes from an attacking sense, Steve Bruce’s men also worked well and were organised defensively to ensure that they picked up a third successive clean sheet, with Whelan situated just in front of the back four.

Aston Villa supporters were quick to have their say on the 33-year-old’s performance via social media, and they were divided with their opinions.

While some described him as “woeful” and a “liability”, others believed he was “brilliant” in Yorkshire.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Victory, draw or defeat this Saturday won’t decide Chelsea or Manchester City’s seasons. There will still be 31 Premier League games left to go, not to mention the chance to settle the score in the reverse fixture later in the campaign.

Psychologically, however, it’s impossible to ignore the potential impact, especially as both teams are largely unknown quantities at this point. The fixture beckons the adages of ‘six-pointer’ and ‘making a statement’, due to their close proximity in the table and their shared ambitions for the campaign, but what do we really know about either side heading into Saturday’s 5.30pm kickoff?

After a summer of ruthless re-modification, Antonio Conte has created a different animal to the Chelsea side that claimed last season’s title; one that has exchanged the sharp, rugged tooth of Diego Costa for the silkier and smoother Alvaro Morata and the midfield experience of Nemanja Matic for the prodigious ability of Tiemoue Bakayoko, while even Gary Cahill has found himself dislodged from the back three by summer signing Antonio Rudiger in recent weeks.

Likewise, for all the sensational attacking verve City have shown this season, scoring 21 times in the top flight, Pep Guardiola’s side are yet to be truly tested by a team of a similar ability – the closest they’ve got so far is a 5-0 demolition of Liverpool at home, when Sadio Mane’s sending off instigated a Reds collapse.

Of course, you can only play what’s in front of you but that’s exactly why Saturday’s game could catch people off guard; the table doesn’t accurately reflect the quality of every Premier League’s side just yet, while a clash between two title hopefuls will give us a clearer idea of the true balance of power at the division’ summit.

The theme linking both teams, however, is how much they spent during the summer and the high esteem their managers are held in. The two clubs shelled out roughly £400million on new signings before the transfer deadline and the Premier League has now become the top flight of the super-star manager, even if super-star players aren’t as present as they once were. Conte and Guardiola indisputably belong in that bracket.

Which, in turn, is what makes Saturday’s encounter so important, even this early in the season. For all the managerial quality on offer in the Premier League and for all the clubs who can spend small fortunes tailoring their squads to their manager’s philosophies, only one team can win the title. The fact we haven’t seen a successful title defence Manchester United in since 2009 shows how hard it now is to claim English football’s top honour and this season already, we’ve seen three or four sides with a justifiable claim to being the best in the league.

While the potential victor this weekend will feel they’ve come one small but significant step closer, the loser will inevitably have to consider the possibility of missing out and the likely consequences. Of course, there are two more trophies on offer domestically and one in Europe. But for the money spent and the faith placed in the men in the dugouts, the Premier League title seems like a must.

Guardiola himself has already questioned the integrity of the Carabao Cup and we’ve now reached a point where both of English football’s cup competitions are viewed as little more than consolation prizes for the also-rans. Neither Chelsea nor City can afford to become one of those.

But amid an era of world-class managers and unprecedented competitiveness, it seems almost unrealistic to expect so much from the gaffers we fetishise. Can it really be argued Jose Mourinho deserves the sack if Manchester United don’t win this season’s title? Would it be fair to label Chelsea’s campaign a failure if they don’t successfully defend the crown? Should we expect Guardiola to win the title in his second season, when his methods are so much more demanding, precise and unique than Manuel Pellergini’s?

The rational response is quite simply no, but that would contradict the self-perpetuating short-termism of the Premier League and the relentless hyperbole that comes with it. When put into black and white, it will be hard for Conte or Guardiola to justify not winning the Premier League title after the money they’ve spent and while tabloid inquests into their futures will likely come at the end of the season, the reaction to the result on Saturday will give a snippet of how strong those feelings are – whether there are doubts over Guardiola’s project at the Etihad Stadium, or whether those disputes between Conte and his paymasters from the summer suddenly re-emerge.

Yet, removing either at the end of the season would be incredibly short-sighted. There are only a handful of managers outside of England who can hold a candle to either Guardiola or Conte at this moment in time and changing up would only require another blank cheque in the transfer market as a new man comes in with new ideas, new demands and new targets.

And thus, we reach the twilight the Premier League now resides in, where short-termism and the lack of more convincing alternatives meet. Only once force can prevail; loyalty to the men at the top of their respective fields or the hire-and-fire, never-stand-still, ruthless culture of the English game. Liverpool’s former chief executive Rick Parry once joked £500million was one hell of a price for Chelsea to pay for a League Cup during a season that saw them miss out on the title, but that is the reality the clubs at the very pinnacle of the Premier League now face.

The traditional reaction has been to rip apart and start anew, yet the many managers who could but inevitably won’t win the title this time around may go on to receive a much more lenient fate – you can’t win them all when the competition is so intense and the margins are so severely thin. In any case, Chelsea vs Manchester City serves an early season reminder – over the course of ninety minutes and the whole campaign, only one club can win it.

As reported by The Daily Record, Celtic midfielder Scott Brown is ready to extend his international career to another qualifying campaign, as long as Gordon Strachan isn’t given the boot by the SFA.

What’s the story?

The future look of the Scotland set-up isn’t yet known, with Strachan’s job yet to be discussed formally by the SFA hierarchy and some ageing players having not yet committed to another long and difficult qualifying gauntlet.

However, it seems that one scenario is emerging and that’s a continuation of the status quo with captain Scott Brown and Gordon Strachan remaining to lead the Tartan Army forward.

That’s according to The Daily Record, who say the Celtic legend is keen on staying on should his former club manager escape the sack.

A source told the paper:

Everyone expects Broonie to call it a day now that the World Cup has gone but the truth is he has loved every minute of being involved in this campaign and he is absolutely convinced that the team Strachan has put together will qualify for the Euros. As far as he is concerned the manager is the only man for the job and if Strachan does stick around for another campaign then he would love to be a part of it.

Given the up turn in form of the national team when he came back into the fold after initially retiring from international football, this could be seen as good news for Scotland, but what does it mean for Celtic?

Club vs Country

At 32 years of age, Brown is no spring chicken and continuing with double duties for club and country without the rest that an international break could offer him might not play out well moving forward.

The midfielder has defied all expectations to produce the best performances of his career over the last 18 months, after a period of playing with injuries and significant fitness issues. So far international football hasn’t fazed him, but with that injury history, how long can that continue?

Last season, the Hoops captain played more matches than any other outfield player, 54 in total, and this season that has continued, starting all but two of Celtic’s 18 matches so far.

Focusing on Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic project would likely allow him to perform to an even higher standard than he has already set and the last thing the Scottish champions need is for him to pick up injuries on international duty.