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It’s been another fine season in the Premier League, one that Manchester City have made unforgettable with their incredible dominance over the rest of the division. But away from the best team in the English top flight, this term’s champions, and onto the best individuals. Here are the six Premier League nominees for the PFA Fans’ Player of the Season award…

Raheem Sterling

It’s been a real coming of age season for Raheem Sterling, one that’s seen him double his previous best scoring return for a single Premier League campaign with 18 goals and grab eleven assists as well. In fact, he’s one of just three players in the whole division to reach double figures for both strikes and setups. More than just output though, the England international has been a relentless presence, completing 2.3 dribbles per ninety minutes.

Eden Hazard

Injuries may have prevented him from making his first Premier League start until September but Eden Hazard has nonetheless enjoyed another strong season as Chelsea’s most talismanic presence. The Belgium international finished the term with twelve goals and four assists, while completing the most dribbles of any Premier League player and ranking sixth for key passes per match.

Harry Kane

It’s incredible to think a young Harry Kane was once dubbed a flash in the pan. The Tottenham striker may have missed out on this season’s Golden Boot but he’s now scored at least 20 goals for the last four Premier League campaigns, this term bagging his highest total to date of 30 in 37 appearances. The England attacker took 5.4 efforts at goal per ninety minutes this season.

Kevin De Bruyne

Manchester City’s chief creator, Kevin De Bruyne finished up top of the Premier League’s assists charts for 2017/18 with a stunning 16 setups – alongside an impressive eight goals. More than statistics, however, he’s been the roaring engine of Pep Guardiola’s title-winning team, the man ripping through the midfield and distributing to their potent forward line.

David De Gea

The Player of the Season award is usually all about attacking players, but David De Gea’s form at the opposite end of the pitch has been impossible to ignore. He lifted the Premier League’s Golden Glove award with a whopping 18 clean sheets and produced an overall save success rate of 79%. In terms of single performances, his heroic display against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in which he made 14 saves particularly comes to mind.

Mohamed Salah

The real surprise story of the 2017/18 season, Mohamed Salah was inconsistent at best during his short time with Chelsea but has transformed into an absolute superstar throughout his debut campaign at Liverpool. The Egyptian’s set a new record for goals scored in a 38-game season, an illustrious 32, and supplied his teammates with a further ten assists. Few players across the entire of Europe have matched Salah’s form this term and he’ll surely be nominated for 2018’s Ballon d’Or.

Southampton looked to be on course for their first Premier League win since November and a much-needed three points when they led Watford 2-0 at half-time at Vicarage Road last Saturday, but like on so many other occasions in recent weeks and months, they failed to hold on to their advantage and ended up dropping two points.

The under pressure Mauricio Pellegrino would probably have been the most annoyed and frustrated person that his side couldn’t hold on, and he is coming under increased scrutiny from the fans and the board with the club lying just one spot and one point above the top flight relegation zone with 15 matches left to play.

While the Argentine’s team selections, tactics and substitutions often leave a lot to be desired and the 46-year-old has deservedly received stick because of them, the Saints players have to take their fair share of the blame too.

Having come through the first 13 minutes of the second-half against the Hornets unscathed, club captain Steven Davis picked up the ball around 30 yards from his own goal and had plenty of time to make a pass forward or even to the side.

However, the experienced Northern Ireland international instead turned backwards and dawdled on the ball before it was stolen off of him, and Andre Gray ended up putting the ball into the back of the net.

Having only tasted victory on four occasions in the Premier League this season – with two of those coming in the first month of the campaign – the players were clearly nervous and throughout the last half-an-hour they gradually retreated further and further towards their own goal as the introduction of Troy Deeney and Stefano Okaka saw Watford go more direct.

Although the equaliser came in controversial circumstances as Abdoulaye Doucoure put the ball into the net with his hand, it came and it counted after had been left free in the penalty area to convert.

It was another experienced Saints player in Ryan Bertrand that lost his concentration to allow the Frenchman into the penalty area unchallenged, and the south coast outfit were forced to settle for a point that looked for so long to be three.

It isn’t the first time a mistake or lapse of concentration has cost Southampton this season, either.

In the 2-1 defeat against Crystal Palace at St Mary’s earlier this month Saints were leading in the 68th minute, but they left James McArthur all alone at the far post to score the equaliser before Luka Milivojevic netted the winner from outside the box.

Previously, Maya Yoshida had failed to mark Huddersfield Town striker Laurent Depoitre in the 1-1 draw against the Terriers before Christmas as the Belgian was allowed to head home, while Olivier Giroud was allowed to also score with a free header after Dusan Tadic failed to prevent a cross from Alexis Sanchez as Southampton surrendered another two points against Arsenal earlier in December.

Yes, Southampton’s tactics haven’t helped in any of these cases as they have chosen to sit back rather than try and find another goal, but the players certainly need to be held accountable as well as the manager for some of the errors they are currently making.

Senior players like Davis, Bertrand, Yoshida and Oriol Romeu – who was so good last season but hasn’t reached the same level this time around – need to step up, while Sofiane Boufal and Mario Lemina need to show their talents more than they currently are when they are on the pitch.

Southampton desperately need to start picking up wins in their quest to move away from the bottom three, starting when they welcome in-form Tottenham Hotspur to St Mary’s on Sunday.

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Pellegrino’s men were disappointing in the 5-2 defeat against Spurs at Wembley on Boxing Day, and if they play like that again this weekend they will be in for another comprehensive loss.

It certainly won’t be an easy game when the Saints players come up against Harry Kane, Son Heung-Min, Dele Alli and Christian Eriksen, and they can’t afford to make errors or lack awareness given how good the movement of the aforementioned quartet is.

If Saints do suffer a heavy defeat and put in a poor showing the manager will likely be on his way, and while that may please some fans they must realise that the players have let themselves and the supporters down too, and they need to be held accountable for their part in what has been such a disastrous season.

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Anzhi Makhachkala striker Lacina Traore is set to leave the Russian giants once the transfer window re-opens in January, according to reports from Izvestia.

Liverpool have been linked with the giant forward over the past few months, with manager Brendan Rodgers thought to be keen to make additions to his squad this winter.

Traore was one of only a few big name players to stay at Anzhi over the summer, after billionaire owner, Suleyman Kerimov, elected to cut his investment in the club.

This led to the sales of top first-team stars such as Willian and Samuel Eto’o leaving, as the Dagestan outfit set about reducing their lavish expenditure.

Traore was linked with a similar fate, and now looks set to be sold in January.

The 23-year-old is wanted by a number of top European clubs following an impressive goal return of 13 in 27 for Anzhi.

Liverpool are one of the sides in the running, with Rodgers keen to bolster his options in a bid to maintain the Reds’ impressive start to the campaign.

The 6ft. 8” forward joined Anzhi from domestic rivals Kuban Krasnodar in 2012 and has six Ivory Coast international caps to his name.

Should Liverpool move for Lacina Traore?

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Tottenham Hotspur can consider themselves a regular top-four side in the Premier League having finished inside the top bracket in the last three seasons.

Mauricio Pochettino has been a major reason for the club’s surge up the standings.

The Argentine has shaped a young team into capable trophy challengers, but they are not quite at the level that they wish to be.

It has been a decade since the North London outfit won a piece of silverware, and they cannot compete with the financial clout of Manchester City and Manchester United.

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Moving into a brand new stadium, though, will certainly bump their status among England’s elite.

Concerns have been raised over the futures of a number of first-team players, but the fans were able to breathe a sigh of relief on Thursday when Pochettino signed a new contract.

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The club’s official website confirmed that the Argentine has put pen to paper on a five-year deal.

It is safe to say that the supporters were overjoyed by the news.

Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan does not think that Cameron Borthwick-Jackson has a future at Elland Road.

The left-back moved to the Championship outfit from Manchester United in the summer.

A loan deal was agreed for the 2017-18 season, and even though there is still over four months to go until the end of the campaign, Whelan does not think that Borthwick-Jackson has made a big enough impression.

The 20-year-old has made just one appearance in the Championship and that was way back in August when he played 82 minutes of a goalless draw with Preston.

The youngster has had to settle for appearances in the Carabao Cup, and he is expected to make his fifth outing in a cup competition this season when Leeds face Newport County in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday.

Whelan thinks that even if Borthwick-Jackson puts in a stellar performance this weekend, the youngster will be returning to United.

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The former striker told BBC Radio Leeds:

“I don’t think it makes any difference. I think he’s going to go back no matter what. I think they are just giving some of the lads a break, giving some bodies a game.”

Tottenham are looking to make a move for Brazilian midfielder Paulinho, whose agent is said to be in London negotiating the potential move. Although the Corinthians midfielder isn’t the like-for-like replacement the club may have been looking for to fill the void left by Luka Modric, Paulinho will regardless be seen as an exceptional piece of business if Spurs get their man.

Paulinho is currently with Brazil at the Confederations Cup, where the host nation opened the competition with a 3-0 over Japan – of which Paulinho added the second goal – therefore any movement of note on this deal will likely only take place once the competition is over.

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A move for Paulinho has significant implications for Andre Villas-Boas and the style of play that won him such success with Porto. While the Portuguese was keen to bring in Joao Moutinho last summer, it’s often overlooked that the arrival of the now Monaco midfielder would have seen Tottenham convert to a flat midfield three, or at least with all three midfielders holding a deeper role away from the front three.

Paulinho, notably, isn’t the conductor of an orchestra Tottenham may look for in this role, but that position could be filled to an extent by Mousa Dembele. Instead, the Brazilian will provide muscle, power and a driving force from deep. He’s very good at both ends of the pitch, able to contest aerial duels and also chip in with goals. In fact, it wouldn’t be too wide of the mark to say Paulinho is a midfielder who has a plenty of goals in him over the course of a season in Europe.

Combined with his box-to-box style and alongside countryman Sandro, Tottenham could see the forging of an especially strong midfield duo. However, if Villas-Boas wants to persist with the current formation which sees an advanced midfielder behind the striker, Paulinho is also capable of playing further up the pitch. Again, he isn’t a player whose creative work can be compared to, say, Oscar, but he does play in a more attacking role for Corinthians than he does for Brazil. It gives Tottenham options and offers a big step up in quality from some of the likely departures this summer.

This also says a lot about the club’s ability in the market even without the draw of Champions League football. Paulinho has been touted for a move to Europe for the last 12 months at least, with Shakhtar, Inter Milan and Chelsea all holding an interest at various points. It’s a crucial statement of intent from the club.

In many of his appearances for the Brazil national team, Paulinho has often stood out as one of the better players on the pitch. As well as that, his successes with Corinthians are notable, having won the Brazilian Serie A title and Copa Libertadores, culminating in the win over Chelsea in the Club World Cup final.

There is, of course, that issue we’ve seen in the past with players coming into the Premier League from South America and failing to adapt. Paulinho, however, doesn’t seem to force any of that questioning. Even at a fee of around £17million, Paulinho should be seen as a bargain. He’s 24, possesses the tools needed to excel and even thrive in English football, and it’s a remarkably odd that many more clubs aren’t chasing his signature.

This is a deal that could be of great importance to Tottenham. It’s a statement to both the club’s rivals and its star players. It will show that with everything in place the club can replace outgoing names with quality of equal stature. And then there’s the on-pitch side of things. The signing of Paulinho means the team are a step further to creating the playing style Villas-Boas wants to carry out. That, in turn, and coupled with better luck on the injury front, could see Spurs make up the ground for a top four finish.

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Are Tottenham right to target Paulinho?

Join the debate below

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Tottenham fans are mercilessly mocking Liverpool, after their side finished above the Merseysiders for the eighth time in nine seasons.

Tottenham looked to have ruined their chances of a third place finish on Sunday when they fell behind to Leicester, but “destiny still arrives” as some of their fans are saying.

Liverpool won 4-0 against Brighton, meaning Spurs had to win to ensure a third place finish, and they did just that thanks to Harry Kane’s superb cultured finish to win the game 5-4.

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Liverpool of course have a Champions League final to look forward to, and their European efforts have certainly hampered their Premier League form, but nonetheless Spurs fans are having the last laugh.

The two clubs have formed somewhat of a new rivalry over the incidents at Anfield earlier this year, when Harry Kane had two attempts from the penalty spot to help the visitors to a 2-2 draw.

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Liverpool finished above Tottenham in 2013/14 when they fell short to Manchester City in the title race, but excluding that season the Reds have not topped Spurs since the 2008/09 season.

Liverpool fans enjoyed Mohamed Salah grabbing the golden boot over Kane, but Tottenham fans are certainly enjoying themselves too, and some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…

Southampton are demanding close to £30million for Manchester United target Morgan Schneiderlin, according to reports from the Daily Mail.

Schneiderlin has been heavily linked with a move away from the St. Mary’s Stadium the past season, with Arsenal also previously interested in the defensive midfielder.

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But it seems that the Gunners have dropped out of the race for the France international, which has left the door open for United to make a transfer.

However, the Saints have already rejected an initial £20million bid from the Red Devils, and Southampton manager Ronald Koeman insists that Man United will need to match the club’s valuation of his star man.

“Every player has his price and we have a good experience of selling players,” said Koeman. “If there is interest in Morgan Schneiderlin, then okay, but it has to be at a price that the club wants.

“He is one of the key players of our team. He is an international player. But I don’t think that is a problem for Man United.

“Two weeks ago we had a bid from Manchester United. It wasn’t enough. It wasn’t serious. And no more bids up to today.

“I know the situation. I spoke a lot with Morgan. Last season we said stop all this business with Morgan because we are not selling any more players.

“That was difficult but he came back after a few days with good motivation and he had a great season. But we know the situation. There is a lot of interest in the player.

“With a club like Man United, we know it is difficult to keep the player. If they pay, okay, he can make the transfer. But I hope if there is any business that it’s soon, because that’s best for the player and for us.

“It is important for the player to do a good pre-season. We have to prepare for what we’d have to do if we sell the player. We will see what happens in the next few days.

“I don’t talk about money, about numbers. It’s not my business. It’s up to the club.”

It was earlier reported that Southampton would allow the 25-year-old to leave for £24million, but it seems that his price has been push up nearer to the £30million mark.

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Schneiderlin played 30 games in all competitions last season, scoring five goals.

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Steve Clarke has admitted that WBA need to sort out Peter Odemwingie’s future as quickly as they can this summer.

The 31-year-old was on the bench for Albion’s 3-2 defeat at the hands of Wigan this weekend and would have featured had it not been for the jeers of the fans as he warmed up along the touchline.

Baggies supporters still haven’t forgiven the Nigerian international for his transfer deadline day stunt that saw him attempt to push through a move to QPR and then attack Albion and it’s supporters over Twitter once it fell through.

However, Clarke has admitted that he may be forced to use him again this season because the West Brom squad is so small.

“His situation is something we will have to consider at the end of the season,” Clarke said.

“It’s a decision for us all to sit down at the end of the season and make. We need to decide what is the best way forward for the football club.”

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According to reports in the Sunday Mirror, Tottenham Hotspur are ready to spend more than £100m to sign Lazio duo Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Ciro Immobile this summer.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Sunday Mirror says that the pair have been heavily scouted by the north London outfit in recent weeks, and while they wouldn’t come on the cheap, Spurs feel that they can afford them by offloading some of their fringe players at the end of the season.

The Sunday Mirror says that the players that could go are Toby Alderweireld, Danny Rose, Mousa Dembele, Moussa Sissoko and Victor Wanyama, whom Tottenham fans on Twitter have been discussing the futures of, with the money used to strengthen the Tottenham squad before they move into their new £750m home.

The report adds that signing either Milinkovic-Savic or the 6ft 1in Immobile would be a coup, with the former being watched by several of Europe’s biggest football clubs, and the latter able to offer a strong alternative to Harry Kane up top.

How good have the duo been this season?

They have been excellent.

Striker Immobile has scored a remarkable 41 goals in 45 matches for the Serie A outfit, as well as providing a further 11 assists, while Milinkovic-Savic has found the net on 12 occasions and picked up nine assists, even though he has often been deployed as a central midfielder.

The Serbia international has shown how useful he can be at both ends of the pitch, and he has great ability on the ball, too.

Meanwhile, his Italian teammate is obviously a great finisher, but he is strong in the air too and is no stranger to scoring goals with his head.

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Would they be good signings for Spurs?

They certainly would be.

Milinkovic-Savic in only 23 years of age and looks to have a massive future ahead of him, while Immobile certainly looks as though he could be more of a success with the north London outfit than Vincent Janssen and Fernando Llorente have been.

Will they get them?

It’s difficult to say.

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They will certainly have to pay through the roof to get Milinkovic-Savic, which they may not be willing to do, while they would have to convince Immobile that he could still get regular minutes on the pitch even though he would likely be Kane’s back-up.

Considering the number of goals he has scored this season that is going to be difficult to do, and it would perhaps make more sense if Pochettino has a plan to play both of them together in a new formation with two strikers.