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Anyone who has ever seen Christian Pulisic play, for either the USA or Borussia Dortmund, will know he is a precocious talent.

At 19, he has the world at his feet. In his home country – the USA, who he represents, rather than Croatia, who he could have chosen to play for through his grandfather – there is a real belief that he can go on to become their first genuine superstar player.

Born in 1998, he has already cemented a status of potential world-beater on this side of the pond, and is regarded in America as someone with the ability to propel their side forward in the same manner that Gareth Bale has with Wales.

With 20 international games under his belt, and nine goals so far, as well as 55 Bundesliga appearances yielding eight goals and 15 assists, and 15 Champions League appearances, he already has pedigree at the top level.

Skilful, quick, mature and focused, the creative attacker has cemented a place in the Dortmund team and has looked confident and assured.

Both Liverpool and Manchester United are said to be keen, and rightly so. Both have American owners and large stateside fan bases; in a football world where revenue is king, this could be the perfect deal to seal.

At the perfect age for Jurgen Klopp to mould, Pulisic would be ideal as a player. He is already a good player, but will need more guidance to fully exploit his potential.

Primarily a wide man, he can also play as an attacking midfielder, potentially making him someone the Merseyside club could target to replace Philippe Coutinho.

It is no secret that United wanted a winger last summer, and still will, having failed to acquire Ivan Perisic from Inter Milan, despite the arrival of Alexis Sanchez, and Pulisic – valued at £40.5m by transfermarkt.com – fits the bill.

Like with Liverpool, it is logical from the perspective of the money-men as well as the scouts.

No doubt the fee to prise him away from the Rhine area would be astronomical. Given Ousmane Dembele set Barcelona back around an inflated £130 million last summer, a similar price-tag would likely be demanded.

But neither side are short of cash, with Manchester United’s financial power well-documented and Liverpool flush with the Coutinho money, and so that would not be a problem.

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Simply for his marketability the transfer fee would be vast, but the reward of having a player of his level is a guaranteed income for the next 15 years.

For both Manchester United and Liverpool, the American fan base is enormous, but a signing like this would propel that to another level.

Securing the USA’s prodigy would represent a smart move for either. It might be that he moves this summer, or at some point in the future, and all the top clubs will be in for him.

The optimal blend of ability and exportability, both Liverpool and Manchester United should be right at the front of the queue for Christian Pulisic.

Are you a frequent reader of footballing publication ‘The Blizzard’? Is your favourite formation Glenn Hoddle’s 3-6-1 from the early 2000s? Do you own a replica Real Mallorca shirt with ‘Hutton, 2’ printed on the back? Have you always felt that Michael Carrick, over Paul Scholes, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, deserved to be England’s key midfielder? Do you more frequently check the results of Icelandic top flight Pepsi-deildin than you do the Premier League?

Have you ‘always rated Danny Welbeck even when everyone thought he was dross and way before people started comparing him to Daniel Sturridge’? Then you my friend, are a football hipster.

Since signing for Arsenal on summer deadline day in a £16million deal, Danny Welbeck’s personal bandwagon has taken the nation by storm, as if the football hipsters reproduce by mitosis. His brace for England last week has only exacerbated the situation – justifying ‘long-held’ theories that a move up top would see him bang them in for fun.

Friends, foes, acquaintances, neighbours and pundits are now all fighting over credit for spotting the 23-year-old’s potential first, as if Gary Neville will come down from a spaceship, shake your hand in recognition and then beam you up to his home-planet of footballing superiority.

Not that I have anything in the slightest against Danny Welbeck. Of course, my praise for him will now be laced with hypocrisy, but even the Arsenal forward’s biggest critics would admit that he’s a decent, hard-working, earnest footballer, unfortunate to find himself competing with the likes of Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Javier Hernandez at Manchester United.

Yet the drastic change in public opinion since deadline day has been nothing short of embarrassingly fickle. A few months ago, Welbeck was relegation fodder, a player who epitomised everything wrong with the England national team, someone who had earned his places for club and country by potential and apparent favouritism, rather than merit. A few months ago, Welbeck was being compared to Emile Heskey.

One headline-grabbing transfer and a decent performance against Switzerland later, suddenly Welbeck is destined for greatness. Stan Collymore believes he should be starting over Wayne Rooney for England, John Cross has labelled the £16million striker ‘the bargain of the transfer window’, whilst The Telegraph’s Jeremy Wilson,  Chris Cutmore of the Daily Mail and by The Guardian’s Amy Lawrence, albeit considerably less rigorously,  hypothesise Welbeck’s move to north London will trigger a Daniel Sturridge-esque transformation on his goal tally.

Pay no mind to Daniel Strurridge probably being the best finisher of his English generation. Pay no mind to him reaching 30 league goals for Liverpool faster than any player since the 1890s. Pay no mind to the fact quality finishing, throughout underwhelming spells at Manchester City and Chelsea, was always Sturridge’s stand-out characteristic, whilst Welbeck’s biggest flaw is unquestionably his inconsistency in front of goal – even the forward’s first strike for England at St. Jakob Park bounced into the net off the his shin.

I have no doubts that joining Arsenal, receiving a greater share of game time and deployment in a more suitable role will bring a higher confidence to Danny Welbeck’s game. Alas, it seems logical to suggest he’ll improve upon his return for Manchester United, 20 goals in 90 league appearances, at the Emirates.

But let us deal with realities and not potential extrapolations. The 23 year-old’s unreliability in front of goal was part of the reason, in combination with his work-rate, tactical understanding and athleticism, that he found himself more commonly out wide than up front for United. He made nearly 150 appearances in all competitions for the Red Devils, but never even came close to making that role his own.

Arsenal’s acquisition – the idea that they’ve pulled off a masterstroke by signing a player for a position he’s yet to excel in – should be viewed as a major risk. Would any other Premier League club sign Welbeck as one of  their two leading strikers in a year they’re meant to be challenging for the title?

Even Arsene Wenger clearly has doubts, after revealing this morning he preferred a loan move and wouldn’t have signed the striker permanently if he was in London, as opposed to refereeing a charity match in Rome, on deadline day.

Diverse opinions are the underlying beauty of football. Everyone has a right to their own and, amid a game that’s developing, evolving and changing all the time, no opinion can be considered the absolute, impenetrable truth. It’s all a matter of perspective.

But how much of this support for Danny Welbeck is true opinion, and how much of it is simply the power of vogue? It’s almost as if genuinely enjoying Welbeck’s performances whilst he contributed just two goals in 27 appearances to United’s last successful title bid became so uncool, it’s now somehow emerged as cool again – like overpriced vintage clothing from an independent boutique that wouldn’t look out of place in your grandmother’s wardrobe. Does that really make you any more of an individual than shopping in Primark?

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If you’ve always appreciated Danny Welbeck’s talents (or rather, his lack of), then good for you. Well done – you’ve finally reached the promised land after three years of unjustifiable performances, you truly are a football hipster.

But, if deep down, like the rest of us, the prevailing pleasure Welbeck has given you in that same time period is the licence to heckle your television, bemoaning every misplaced pass for England, every squandered opportunity for Manchester United, whilst regularly commenting on his inadequacies not just as a winger, but as a goal-scorer, only to completely u-turn this opinion because of the positive reaction  to his Arsenal move in the British press and Media, then shame on you – there’s nothing worse than a football hipster than a wannabe football hipster.

Then again, in this modern age of world-wide exposure to every player in every league, irreverent statistics and 24-hour football news channels, whether we like it or not, to echo John Prescott in 1997; perhaps we’re all football hipsters now.

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Tottenham Hotspur star man Gareth Bale has claimed that if the right club came in, he would consider a move away from England.

Bale captained Spurs for the first time in midweek and despite his meteoric rise over the past few seasons, the Welshman is keeping his feet firmly on the ground.

“I never really think about being famous,” Bale told the Daily Mirror.

“As long as you don’t get too carried away, you are usually okay. You just go along with what is going along. You never really take too much notice.

“As soon as you realise how big you are, that is when you lose yourself.

“I just try to keep going. You just have to take the attention in your stride. The main thing is to concentrate on my football.

“My agent (Jonathan Barnett) has been great, we have been very close. And my family help me keep my feet on the ground. I have got a great group around me which helps me a great deal.

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“If the time comes and a team that is right comes in for me, then I will look at it seriously. I will see what happens.”

West Ham target Javier Pastore is reportedly nearing a switch to Roma instead, but West Ham fans think they may just have dodged a bullet.

According to Calciomercato, Pastore is set for a medical with Champions League semi-finalists Roma.

The PSG man has been heavily linked with a move to East London, but it appears his wage demands have halted any chance of a move to the London Stadium.

The Argentine playmaker, who has 2 goals in 29 caps for his country, is incredibly talented, but injuries have plagued his career since moving to PSG, and fans are thinking it might be a blessing in disguise to lose him to Roma.

Joao Mario is another player fans are discussing, and it seems plenty of them agree he would be a better signing than Pastore.

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The Portuguese international, who spent the second half of last season on loan with the Hammers, is younger, more versatile and far less injury prone than the PSG superstar.

Mario has been linked with re-joining the Hammers on a permanent basis, as Manuel Pellegrini seeks more attacking impetus to replace the injured Manuel Lanzini.

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You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

According Brazilian media outlet UOL Esporte, Tottenham Hotspur have been given the green light to sign reported target Malcom, rated at £45m according to the Daily Mail last month, after he confirmed that Bordeaux have promised him that he will be able to leave this summer.

What’s the word, then?

Well, Spurs were heavily linked with a move for the exciting winger during the January transfer window, but a deal never materialised as the Ligue 1 outfit were keen to hang on to the highly-rated 20-year-old.

However, the Brazilian’s latest comments via UOL Esporte suggest that the French club are ready to let him move on at the end of the season.

What did Malcom say?

The attacker said, as repoted by UOL Esporte: “Yes, there was a promise that I will be negotiating in June. I will choose the team, and Bordeaux will let me go.”

How has he done this season?

He has been excellent.

The 20-year-old has scored eight goals and provided a further six assists in 24 Ligue 1 outings, with his goals including a number of stunning long-range strikes.

The Brazilian likes to play on the right-hand side and cut in on to his left foot, and according to WhoScored.com he has made 56 key passes in the French top flight this term and successfully completed 63 of the 91 dribbles he has attempted.

Would he be a good signing for Tottenham?

He certainly would be.

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The winger is one of the most exciting young players in European football right now, and the potential he has means he would be a brilliant addition for the north London outfit.

Mauricio Pochettino has proven time and time again that he can develop and improve young talents, and Malcom is certainly one of those.

Will they get him?

They stand a good chance given they pushed hard for him in January, but with reports suggesting that Arsenal and Manchester United are all also interested, it could prove to be a big battle and perhaps even involve a bidding war.

While Manchester United are spending heavily to help repair the damage caused by David Moyes’ spell in charge at the club, Manchester City have kept themselves relatively quiet in the transfer market thus far.

In Willy Caballero and Bacary Sagna, they’ve signed two low-key veterans to help fill out the squad, while Porto’s Fernando will likely be a rotation option with Fernandinho.

City’s title win last season wasn’t a given, nor were they standout favourites at any stage of the season. The Jose Mourinho factor at Chelsea had many tipping them for the title at the start of the campaign, while Liverpool’s heroics during the second half of the season had them as frontrunners to land the league title. On top of that, doubts remained about Manuel Pellegrini’s credentials, or lack thereof, in taking City to the title, having never guided a team to major honours during his time in European football.

On the pitch the team didn’t always play up to the imperious feats displayed at the Etihad. Games such as the away loss to Cardiff City highlighted the defensive frailties in the side, both in goalkeeper Joe Hart and his back four.

The team’s lack of depth at centre-back also became an issue; while Martin Demichelis had to fight off his undeserved early detractors, Vincent Kompany was far more at fault for poor defensive displays throughout the season.

The problem City had in the summer following their 2012 title win was that they didn’t build on what they had. Players like Robin van Persie were chased and the team very much needed a strong midfield presence to play alongside or in place of Yaya Toure. Instead of moves that would have taken the club forward, the signings of Javi Garcia, Jack Rodwell and Scott Sinclair were even less than sidesteps, with the club failing to mount anything resembling a serious title challenge, something made even more clear following Alex Ferguson’s departure from United after landing the 2012-13 title.

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Despite their form at home for much of last season, few can say for sure City will defend their title amid the kind of strengthening taking place at Chelsea and Manchester United – the latter of which is surely not over.

Sergio Aguero had a torrid World Cup with Argentina, one which came off the back of another frustrating domestic campaign due to injury. Stevan Jovetic, similarly, struggled to get going, while there was plenty of concern that Alvaro Negredo hit only one league goal in the entire second half of the season.

If the league season isn’t a sure bet, the club are also in need of strengthening to further themselves on the European stage. The Champions League is a competition where Pellegrini has a good track record, but the loss at home to Bayern Munich displayed the gulf in class between City and the team widely considered the best in Europe.

Yaya Toure’s agent has become a nuisance more than anything of late, a fire which the club will want extinguished as quickly as possible. But it is a problem. Toure was the team’s most valuable cog in winning the league title last season in the prolonged absence of Aguero. Losing him, either altogether physically or just mentally, will have a resounding effect on the club’s efforts to retain their title.

As good as they can be, there are still holes in this side. City have a squad full of fantastic players, but it’s difficult to think of any beyond Toure and Aguero who can drag the side over the line to major silverware.

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The makeup of the behind-the-scenes staff differs from what it was two years ago, and there’s something about City’s quiet behaviour that plays to Pellegrini’s natural demeanour. But the Premier League can be unforgiving. City didn’t win the league last season because they had the best or strongest squad. Instead, they were gifted that opportunity through the self-inflicted mistakes of others. Chelsea, in particular, have moved quickly to address those shortcomings.

There is nothing certain about the state of City’s three most important players, Kompany, Toure and Aguero. But based on recent events, it could prove costly if the club set out to rely too heavily on those three individuals to see them to the top of the mountain once again.

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Luis Suarez earned Liverpool a deserved point at home to Newcastle, who had Fabricio Coloccini sent off with seven minutes remaining.

The Uruguayans second half equaliser, which canceled out a spectacular Yohan Cabaye opening goal, ensured it was another winless trip to the red half of Merseyside for the Magpies.

Alan Pardew’s men last won at Anfield in April 1994 under the stewardship of Kevin Keegan and looked certain to continue that the trend as the home side broke out of the traps with venom.

But for all their pressure Brendan Rodger’s side couldn’t fashion out a clear goalscoring opportunity, with Suarez going closest with a free kick that skimmed the top of Tim Krul’s net.

As the first half wore on the visitors gradually grew into the game and took the lead in spectacular style through Cabaye’s sublime volley just three minutes before half time.

Hatem Ben Arfa was instrumental in the build up, beating former Toon defender Jose Enrique down the right before picking out his French compatriot at the back post, who controlled and smashed the ball past Brad Jones in one fluid movement.

That seemed to fire Liverpool up and they fully warranted their equaliser in the 67th minute and it was Suarez who did the damage, controlling Enrique’s long punt on his chest before rounding Krul and slotting the ball home.

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Both teams pressed hard to find a winner with Ben Arfa having a shot saved by Jones and Papiss Cisse volleying wide, while Jonjo Shelvey and Raheem Sterling both wasted chances for the hosts.

However , the game was to end on a decidedly low note as the usually placid Coloccini was shown a straight red card by referee Anthony Taylor following an ugly late challenge on Suarez.

Villarreal attacker Denis Cheryshev came on as a substitute in Russia’s emphatic 5-0 win against Saudi Arabia in the opening match of the 2018 World Cup and scored two brilliant goals, and Everton fans want their club to sign the left winger.

The 27-year-old has played for Sevilla, Valencia and Real Madrid in the past, but his career has dwindled in recent years having left the Champions League holders to join Villarreal in 2016.

The Russian wideman, who would likely compete with Yannick Bolasie and Ademola Lookman for a spot on the left flank at Goodison Park, only played 920 minutes of La Liga football across 24 appearances last term, but he showed the quality that he has with a goal with a neat touch and finish for his first against the Saudis, before a peach with the outside of his left foot into the top corner for his second.

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Everton supporters, who may feel that Marco Silva’s pursuit of an £8m left-back deal would prove he can’t match Farhad Moshiri’s ambitions, were quick to have their say on Cheryshev’s display via social media, and while one said “sign up Denis Cheryshev”, another said “announce Cheryshev”.

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Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

The Manchester United fans here in the Transfer Tavern don’t really know how to take the latest rumour flying around about Marcus Rashford.

Much has been made of the conversation between the United manager, Jose Mourinho and Ajax young gun Justin Kluivert at the end of the Europa League final last season. With that in mind, there’s no surprise that the latest reports are breaking over a move for the talented winger this summer.

However, if that was to happen, our regulars are wondering what would happen to United prodigy Rashford. The England international has seen himself drop down the pecking order slightly in recent months due to the form of Anthony Martial and the arrival of Alexis Sanchez.

Mourinho could opt to move Rashford into the position he originally made his name in as a striker, but he would play second fiddle to Romelu Lukaku. It may be Rashford, not United that could push a move away from Old Trafford in search of regular football, although United may consider selling the youngster this season after the World Cup when his stock would surely be at his highest…

Post World Cup Prices

After any World Cup, especially a successful one, many of the player’s prices are driven up. United after a fair few windows of spending should be looking at balancing the books a little.

If England use Rashford and he lights up the tournament like many of the punters in the bar believe he can, United could capitalise on the situation. Considering the ridiculous premium put on English players most of the time, imagine how much money they could get after a promising World Cup.

Balancing the books

The Red Devils know that if they were to put Rashford up for sale, there would be a line of suitors ready to take the talented youngster on board. A bidding war could commence and with today’s prices alongside Rashfords potential, United could recoup some of the money they have laced out over the seasons following Alex Ferguson’s retirement.

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Many clubs are more interested in balancing the books within their business nowadays than team success, and United are no different.

Arsenal can’t win the Champions League. The be all and end all of qualifying for European football means nothing to those who value sporting achievement over financial gain. Arsenal are very much in Uefa’s top competition to feel the windfall of its revenue, not to challenge the best on the continent.

It’s a harsh reality that doesn’t require much digging to support its claim. Arsenal do have the resources to match the best in Europe. That’s why the club fought initially to move into the Emirates Stadium and then feed of its success, first through gate receipts and then to maximise on commercial sponsors, which we’re finally starting to see.

Arsenal far outstrip Atletico Madrid’s capabilities in building a squad. Borussia Dortmund’s wage bill of last season was smaller than QPR’s, and yet they finished as the runner-up to Bayern Munich, annihilating Real Madrid in the semi-final in Germany.

It’s the mentality that Atletico and Dortmund have that Arsenal can’t come close to. Atletico wiped the floor with AC Milan, beat Zenit and Porto in the group stages, and have now beaten Barcelona to advance to the semi-final. Arsenal don’t have that kind of mental capacity. They don’t have the organisation to hold a lead and withstand an attack that features Lionel Messi and Neymar. There is no motivation to turn over one of the biggest clubs in Europe at home.

For sporting reasons, Arsenal’s participation in the Champions League is built on the modern thinking that the competition adds prestige to a club’s name, as well as the fear that missing out for one season will result in years without top European football.

Like the struggles faced by David Moyes at Manchester United as an excuse not to change the manager at Arsenal, Liverpool’s fall out of Europe and Tottenham’s inability to build on that solitary season in the Champions League are the only two references used to tell of the importance of qualifying each and every year.

Arsenal don’t have the capacity to challenge on four fronts. They barely have the strength to do so on two. Injuries play a part, but the destruction of the squad on a year-on-year basis is the club’s own doing. Freak injury plagues occur, seen this season at Borussia Dortmund, who went the majority of the season without three of their first-choice back four. But what is happening at Arsenal can’t be dismissed or explained away as misfortune.

A year out of the Champions League for Arsenal will provide perspective. It will provide perspective to supporters who fear the unknown, just like with a change of manager. It will also provide perspective to the board and management, who seem to think that making do every season with a half complete squad will be enough; that a manager who has done it before, seemingly against the impossible, will continue to do it no matter what is going on around him at other clubs.

Investment is needed, and not just in new players. Atletico Madrid of this season and Dortmund of the past two or three years should be the models Arsenal follow. Neither of those two teams have invested or are capable of investing in the way their domestic title rivals are. For Arsenal, it’s now a matter of choice not to invest in the way Manchester City or Chelsea do.

Instead, those teams are buying into a strong idea, a footballing identity that is far more solid than what their cash reserves should allow. Diego Simeone’s players will break down walls for him; the same is true of Jurgen Klopp’s team, at least those who are have become accustomed to his coaching style.

They’re drilled to play in a way that speaks of their manager’s mindset and ideals. Atletico Madrid don’t play the prettiest football; Dortmund do and have done so. But vitally neither team can be accused of fragility. Their strengths come from in house, in terms of fitness – of which there are mountains of evidence – and the excellent and effective development of youth. At Arsenal, problems with the former has had a knock-on effect with the latter.

Like Atletico and Dortmund, the way Arsenal play and the attitudes of the players speaks of the mentality of the manager and club overall: a perceived lack of interest in bettering what’s currently available. Stagnation is rife at Arsenal, and only something as big as a drop out of Europe can change the attitude of the club.

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Arsenal may yet fall out of the top four this season, meaning a season in the Europa League is on the cards. But even that might be a distraction – and not because it should be seen as a pointless trophy.

This is not a club capable of handling four competitions with the way it is currently run. There may be comparisons to Liverpool’s season and that they’ve had the fortune of not being distracted by midweek travels around Europe, but they also have a manager who is able to adjust to what he has and bring the best out of his squad.

Arsenal may have to be forced into taking action through failure to qualify for Europe. It shouldn’t be the only option for a club of its resources, but dropping out of the Champions League can do a lot more good than bad.

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