Scotland last night voted no to independence after a long few months of ifs, whats and maybes. We here at FFC Towers are glad that our friends north of the border will be staying put, and we’ve decided to celebrate by naming a British XI to applaud the union of the nations.

As well as the English and Scottish, we’ve got the ever-improving Welsh in on the act too, to create a side that would certainly book a spot at EURO 2016.

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CLICK ON DANIEL STURRIDGE TO REVEAL THE XI

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Manager: Sir Alex Ferguson

There’s only one choice when it comes to a gaffer for this little lot. Sir Alex is, arguably, the greatest manager of all time following his stunning time at Manchester United, and his driven personality and uncompromising style could whip any set of players into shape. As his assistant we’ll have Ryan Giggs.

Fraser Forster

Even though Joe Hart is perhaps one of the best around, we’ve plumped to start Forster in or XI thanks to the former’s tendency for errors. The now Southampton ace carved out his reputation in Scotland with Celtic and now looks set to challenge for England’s No 1 jersey over the coming years. Commanding, strong and an excellent shot stopper, Forster is our man.

Glen Johnson

A worrying lack of options at right back sees Glen Johnson get the nod. The Liverpool man may be a much-maligned figure for his dip in form, but with bags of big game and tournament know-how, we’re sure he can function in this XI effectively.

Gary Cahill (C)

At the back we have Chelsea stalwart and captain of this ragtag bunch, Cahill. The tough-tackling Englishman looks set to take over from John Terry and club level and is certainly beginning to show the heroic playing style of his senior team-mate in the white shirt for England. There aren’t many better centre-backs in Britain right now.

Ashley Williams

Alongside Cahill we’ll have Williams. The Welshman captains his national side and has proven himself to be a star performer in the Premier League with Swansea – attracting big club attention along the way. He may not have the level of pace he possessed a few years ago, but his experience and strength are key attributes.

Leighton Baines

The standout left-back in Britain is undoubtedly Baines. The Everton man is great going forward, solid defensively and can whip in a mean ball from set-pieces. His attacking intent would bless any side, so he virtually picked himself here.

Darren Fletcher

The Scot will anchor our midfield. Fletcher may have had a torrid few years, but his fitness is creeping back and we think his ability to clean up in front of the backline will be a great asset. Fletcher has bags of big game experience from his time with Manchester United, making him a key cog in this XI.

Aaron Ramsey

The Welshman has really developed into one of Britain’s top midfielders over the course of the past few years. A horror injury threatened his career at a young age, but ‘Rambo’ has bounced back and built on the potential he showed in his early years at Cardiff. The Arsenal ace was a sure fire choice for this side.

Raheem Sterling

The most advance of our midfield three is young Sterling. The 19-year-old is, arguably, the best teenager in European football and has thrived in the ‘No 10’ role since being moved in from the wing by Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool. His pace and great strength – well, for a small-framed player – are very impressive.

Gareth Bale

The world’s most expensive player takes up the role on our right flank. Bale is now a star turn at Real Madrid and has really pushed on since leaving Spurs – which is some feat seeing as he was voted the best player in the Premier League while at White Hart Lane. The flying Welshman looks set to be the talisman of this team.

Steven Naismith

He may not be the most fashionable player, but Naismith brings real nuisance value. The Everton man has kicked on massively in recent months, settling in well since moving to the Premier League, with his industry and eye for goal big plusses.

Daniel Sturridge

Controversially we’ve axed Wayne Rooney as we go for a pacey approach (Wazza has been poor at international level for a while) with Sturridge our man. The prolific goal-getter knows where the goal is and has shown that his form at club level translates to the international game.

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Bench

Joe Hart – Not a bad back-up ‘keeper.

Phil Jagielka – A decent stand in for Williams or Cahill.

Alan Hutton – Tough and uncompromising. Useful for a late defensive display

Jordan Henderson – Bags of energy and a sprinkling quality.

Shaun Maloney – Creative and experienced, could be useful off of the bench.

Wayne Rooney – Well, he has to be on the bench.

Steven Fletcher – Guarantees goals.

Scotland stays! Man United & Liverpool stars make UK XI.

After eight games played so far this season, Southampton sits in third place in the Premier League with five wins, one draw and two loses with their most recent results being an 8-0 win against Sunderland. They have scored 19 goals (second highest in the league), only conceded five goals (lowest in the league), and earned 16 points. With this incredible start, can The Saints continue their good form and finish in the top four this season?

This impressive start is one that no one expected, especially after the amount of key players from last season that had left the Saints over the summer. Italian Graziano Pelle, Serbian Dusan Tadic and Englishman Ryan Bertrand arrived at Southampton during the transfer window, and have been fine replacements for English trio of Rickie Lambert, Adam Lallana and Luke Shaw.

All three new arrivals have played in The Saints first eight games of the season, Pelle has scored six goals, Tadic has provided seven assists, and all three have currently have a whoscored.com rating of higher than 7.3. Frenchman Morgan Schneiderlin has also played well for The Saints, scoring three goals and earning a pass success percentage of 88.4%, the highest out of all the frequent starters at the club. All of these players under the guidance of manager Ronald Koeman have made the transition from last season to this an easy one.

After eight games last season, Southampton had 15 points and was sitting in sixth. A top four spot was only a point away but despite this position, The Saints ended the season in eighth with 56 points. There was a point last season in November when they climbed up to third and some questioned if they could even win the league but obviously that didn’t happen.

You have to be careful what you say so early into the season. Whilst Southampton are sitting in third, West Ham are in currently sitting in fourth but no one is saying they’re going to finish there or even near there when all is said and done. Southampton is currently 8/1 by the bookies to finish in the top four but they are 7/4 to finish in the top six. Maybe asking can the Saints achieve a European spot and a top six finish is a more realistic target, rather than finishing in fourth or higher. This is a target which everyone can agree on.

Southampton have played against three of the top eight from last season in this campaign, losing to Tottenham and Liverpool, but winning against Arsenal. These are the teams they need to beat to make European qualification more of a reality. They have a good run of games against mid and lower table teams coming up till they face three killer fixtures starting from the end of November. These games are against Manchester City at home, Arsenal away, and Manchester United at home. Keeping momentum high going into these games is paramount if will benefit The Saints, as it will give the side confidence in these tough fixtures. Winning these games will make it more like that Southampton will play European football for the first time since the 2003/04 season.

If Southampton continue their current good form, they will finish the season with around 77 points. That amount of points by a team would have given them a fifth place finish last season, good enough for an automatic spot in the Europa League group stage. It’s surprising to say, but The Saints will need to step up their game if they want a top four finish, but a European spot is certainly a possibility.

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As Premier League campaigns go, this one has the early signs of one of the most unpredictable and surprising ones to date.

Chelsea, perhaps somewhat unsurprisingly, are the early pace setters and appear to be going for an unbeaten season, while Liverpool have arguably already failed in their attempts at replicating last season’s superb title challenge.

Southampton have gone from relegation favourites to top four hopefuls in the matter of a few months and Sam Allardyce is fast dispelling his reputation as a long ball merchant and turning West Ham in to a side playing attractive football fighting for a Europa League spot.

And, to top it all off, we’ve got Alan Pardew still in a job at Newcastle after steering them in to the top six for a couple of weeks and QPR’s Charlie Austin being touted for an England call up.

So we asked the Sunday Express Chief Football Correspondent John Richardson for his thoughts on some of the Premier League’s big talking points of the season so far. Here’s how he sees it…

Which Premier League sides apart from Southampton has surprised him so far this season?

West Ham, because a lot of people thought they would be in relegation trouble. There was a lot of talk during the summer about Sam Allardyce losing his job or maybe even walk out because he was under pressure to play a more expansive game. He was told to bring in an attacking coach.

The Sam Allardyce of old may have walked but he is a bit more mature these days, knows what the game is all about. He brought Teddy Sheringham in to help with the forward coaching. Allardyce is an excellent manager in his own right. They deserve to be where they are at the moment in the top six. They have played some good football, they’re hard to beat.

The fans are off his back, but I don’t think many people would have predicted this. Most would have predicted he would have been one of the first managerial casualties of the season but instead he has gone from strength to strength.

Who is the next manager likely to be sacked in the Premier League?

It changes from week to week in the Premier League. Usually around February/ March time they get twitchy. I would say Mauricio Pochettino has to watch his back, there’s talk about Harry Redknapp under pressure.

I hope Burnley stick with Sean Dyke because they knew it was going to be a tough season. I spoke to one of the directors at the start of the season and he said they would stick with Sean no matter what happens. It’s easy to say that at the start of the season than say January or February when you’re bottom of the league and you’re staring the Championship in the face.

The one under the greatest pressure has to be Pochettino.

Do Tottenham have to finish in a European spot for Pochettino to keep his job?

No and yes. I think Tottenham would like that. He did a fantastic job at Southampton but it isn’t going well at Tottenham. You have to question some of the buys and see who they get in the January transfer window.

As long as he buys well in January and we see some improvement, I think he will be safe but if they drop further and if this supposes unrest between him and the players continues then the pressure increases. He’s a capable manager as he has shown at Southampton but he needs to start doing the business at Tottenham fairly rapidly.

Was Mike Ashley right to stick with Alan Pardew especially after the bad run of form at the start of the season?

It’s a complicated situation there because it’s not always about results at Newcastle. Why a lot of the fans want Alan Pardew out, they feel he is a yes man to Mike Ashley. In an ideal world, they would want Mike Ashley to sell the club because they feel the club won’t go forward with him in charge. He’s a good business man but he doesn’t give the club money, he sells the best players. 52,000 have turned up every other week thinking ‘Where is the club going? There is no ambition’.

They have felt that Pardew has always said yes to what Mike Ashley wanted. That’s why they have had a downer on Alan Pardew. I don’t think it is to do with results. They haven’t been fantastic but they have improved over the past month winning five on the trot. Really it was the case they wanted someone to stick up to Mike Ashley and you would of thought anyone that did wouldn’t be in the job very long so it’s a no win situation. So what I am really saying is nothing has changed.

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If Newcastle wins ten games on the run, there will still be people unhappy with Alan Pardew. In certain respects he can’t win.

Should the likes of Charlie Austin be selected ahead of Rickie Lambert for England?

Yeah probably, Rickie Lambert has been a disappointment so far at Liverpool although he could argue he hasn’t had many opportunities. You can’t blame him going from Southampton to Liverpool because it was the club he supported as a kid.

You do wonder about that decision though because he was a regular at Southampton, scoring goals and in form which lead to him being selected by England. Roy Hodgson is very loyal to players and I suppose as far as he’s concerned although Lambert isn’t receiving playing time, he still knows him as the player he selected at Southampton so he stuck by him.

Personally I think the likes of Charlie Austin and Danny Ings probably desire to be ahead of him because they are scoring goals in the Premier League and the under 21s and should be given an opportunity. Rickie Lambert is quite lucky.

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As far as left-field signings go, talk of Nene to West Ham this week has been… erm… out there. The Brazilian was recently released by Qatar side Al-Gharafa and is believed to have undergone a medical in east London ahead of a short-term deal to join the Hammers.

A few weeks ago a fair few Irons supports probably hadn’t even heard of the 33-year-old, and we think they would have been better off keeping it that way.

Here are FIVE reasons we think this deal is destined to be one to forget…

Been in a sub-standard league for too long

No disrespect to the Qatar Stars League, but it’s not exactly on a par with many top-level European divisions. The Middle Eastern game is so far behind the elite competitions that it’s simply impossible for players to maintain any sort of ability in comparable ability to those plying their trade in the best set-ups, meaning that Nene’s decline could be a worry.

The Brazilian opted to cancel his contract with Al-Gharafa, read into that what you will, on the back of two years in Qatar, in which time he netted 20 goals in 43 showings.

Too old

At 33, soon to be 34, Nene is clearly at the back end of his career. The tricky and versatile attacker used to be a decent performer in the French top tier, but PSG’s cash injection coincided with his move away from the club. More than 10 goals per season between 2009 and 2012 in Ligue 1 – the last of which he notched 21 – shows that he was once a dangerous forward, but the years have a way of being unkind to pacey goalscorers, and adjusting to a demanding league now will be tricky.

Smells like a panic addition

With Andy Carroll injured and the goals at Upton Park drying up, Nene looks like a desperate throw if the dice to get the Hammers’ top four charge back on track. Since the turn of 2015 Sam Allardyce’s men have slipped away from a shock Champions League charge, and now look in danger of missing out on a spot in the Europa League – albeit the competition can be a poison chalice.

Last gasp, panic buys rarely come to fruition, and with Enner Valencia and Diafra Sakho more than able to bang in the goals, Nene is not really needed.

Zarate’s struggles in a ‘Big Sam’ team

As much as Allardyce claims he’s not into direct football, West Ham are a physical ‘up and at ‘em’ type team when at their best. There’s nothing wrong with that approach, despite the negative words from ‘tiki taka’ hipsters, but only certain types of players can really thrive in such a system. Nene is not too dissimilar to summer arrival Mauro Zarate in terms of approach, and with the former Lazio man now at QPR on loan you can reach your own verdict on what is appreciated in east London.

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The Hammers have failed with freebies before

Remember Mladen Petric? Nope? Razvan Rat? Meh… West Ham don’t have a great record of snapping up free agents, so learning from mistakes could be wise. Carlton Cole has contributed, to an extent, since being brought back in from the footballing wilderness, but even his toils – he has bags of English top tier experience – show that freebies are not always bargains…

Well, that was absolutely baffling and brutal to watch for Arsenal fans.

In truth, the Gunners cannot complain about the result as their performance gave them what they deserved – they probably didn’t even deserve a consolation goal!

It was such an ‘Arsenal’ performance that you couldn’t help but laugh; from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s lifeline in the dying minutes to the same man costing Arsenal in the dying seconds to gift the Ligue 1 outfit a third goal and all but killing off the tie.

Nothing went right for the boys of north London, epitomised by the fact Dimitar Berbatov, one-time hero of their arch rivals Tottenham Hotspur, found his name on the scoresheet.

If Arsenal are going to comeback from a 3-1 defecit, then there aren’t too many better teams to face in this competition, however, the fact only six teams in European cup history have gone through after a first-leg defeat, I wouldn’t bank on a footballing miracle.

Anyway, here’s what we learnt from tonight’s clash at the Emirates.

Walcott’s Arsenal career over?

Theo Walcott was yet again on the bench for Arsenal tonight and although the Englishman has the most appearances and goals of anyone in the current squad, that lengthy spell on the sidelines appears to have cost him dearly.

Arsene Wenger opted to go for Danny Welbeck alongside Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud in the final third and with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also returning to the squad tonight, you have to question just how long Theo’s Arsenal career will last.

Arsenal have their Patrick Vieira replacement

Well, kind of. They don’t own him but boy should Arsene Wenger do everything he can to make sure they do. Geoffrey Kondogbia put in an imperious and physical performance in the middle of the park, capped off with his fine opener (via a helping hand from Per Mertesacker).

It is hard to replace someone of Patrick Vieira’s talents, however, Arsene Wenger could go a long way in doing so by bringing the former Sevilla midfielder over to the Premier League.

Time for Gabriel

Per Mertesacker was at fault for two of Monaco’s three goals tonight, sure, it is hard to blame the former German international for the first goal – a wicked deflection – however, shouldn’t he close down Kondogbia quicker?

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The blame can firmly be placed at Mertesacker’s door for the second, though, with the central defender’s rash decision to close down Monaco on the halfway line backfiring majorly, leaving Dimitar Berbatov to run through unmarked and to smash home.

Arsenal never really change

They always do it, Arsene Wenger’s side always trick the footballing world into thinking they’re ready to return to the upper echelons of English football. And then they go and do things like trail Liverpool 4-0 after 20-minutes or throw away a 3-0 lead at home to a bang average Anderlecht.

North London derby performance aside, Arsenal’s recent form had been impressive and they were expected to coast past Monaco tonight, have the job done after the first-leg. However, the footballing version of suicide is never too far away from this group.

On Sunday, as Chelsea laboured towards victory over Hull and limped ever closer to the Premier League title. Liverpool and Anfield was playing host to the ‘Juan Mata Show,’ as the 26-year-old Manchester United midfielder was tormenting their dearest rivals.

With home draws against Burnley and Southampton in the not so distant past, Mourinho’s men have lost all the early season flair which differentiated them from any other Jose side.

It is over a year since Mata departed Stamford Bridge for Old Trafford. Are Chelsea beginning to miss the mercurial midfielder?

The strangest thing about Juan Mata’s masterclass on Merseyside, was the fact that it came out of nowhere. van Gaal, similar to Moyes and Mourinho before him, did not trust the Spanish midfielder. He will trust him now.

When Mourinho dispensed of Mata’s services in January 2014, it was a move met with almost complete confusion. The two-time Player of the Season at the Bridge was now seen as surplus to requirements.

His main strengths have always been his technical abilities as opposed to his physical prowess, his work-rate has always been questioned, something Mourinho could not facilitate.

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Instead, the Chelsea midfield is packed with players who are happy to, coining an English phrase ‘Put a shift in.’ Even Willian, has transformed himself from a typical Brazillian attacker, to one that is willing to curtail his own attacking tendencies in order for the team to succeed.

Juan Mata’s Manchester United career has hardly been an unmitigated success. David Moyes did not manage to fit him into his United side. van Gaal has also struggled, but as the Dutchman has continuously searched for the perfect midfield blend, he may have stumbled across it. His last two performances, against Tottenham and Liverpool, have, almost definitely, been their best showings of the season.

Chelsea’s early season form, seemed to perfectly vindicate their manager’s decision. Nemanja Matic has established himself as one of the world’s great defensive-midfielders and early season Cesc Fabregas was unquestionably the best footballer plying his trade in the country.

But as winter turned to spring, Mourinho’s men have begun to stumble.

Following a humiliating defeat to lowly Bradford City in the FA Cup, Chelsea were eliminated from Europe by 10 man PSG. Fortunately for the Blues, their early season form seems to have done enough to secure them the league, but their 2015 has hardly been one to excite fans and perhaps more importantly, the owner.

Fabregas has become the centre of recent criticism from his own fans. His early season form now seems a distant memory. Where once he was dynamic, he is now becoming static.

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Chelsea are the massive odds-on-favourite, to win the title come May, maybe earlier. But it is of no doubt, that for the first time since he’s left, they will have been looking at the magnificent Mata and wishing him to still be in the blue of Chelsea.

Mata’s career was in danger of tailing off. A relic of the tiki-taka era. His performance on Sunday, proves he still has a long future in the English game.

Chelsea may still come to regret that fateful day in January, 2014.

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With just four games remaining of the Premier League season, north London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham are starting to look ahead to the future.

Mauricio Pochettino looks set to miss out on a top four finish during his first season in charge, but the improved style of play and the emergence of Harry Kane have given Spurs fans reasons to be hopeful for the season.

Arsenal meanwhile are hoping for a second placed finish, having been the form team in the country over the second half of the season, whilst back-to-back FA Cups can be secured with a win over Aston Villa on May 30.

Arsene Wenger will be cursing his teams slow start to the season, but will hope lessons will be learnt in time for next season.

With both sides keen to push forward, we have decided to take a look back on some of their finest ever players, with this combined Arsenal and Tottenham XI.

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Click on Arsene Wenger and Mauricio Pochettino to reveal the best all time Arsenal and Tottenham combined XI

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David Seaman

It speaks volumes for the quality of David Seaman that Arsenal have struggled to replace him since he left the club way back in 2003 (bar a couple of decent seasons from Jens Lehmann).

‘Safe hands’ as he was known is firmly regarded as an Arsenal legend, being the undisputed number one for club and country during Wenger’s most succesful period at the club.

Seaman won twelve major honours in a career that spanned thirteen years with the Gunners.

The only grievance Arsenal fans can hold against him is that ridiculous ponytail he wore during his final two seasons at the club.

Lauren

Signed as a midfielder originally in the summer of 2000, Cameroon star Lauren would go on to become a key player for the Gunners in the successful years that followed. He pips Lee Dixon to the starting right back slot due to his consistency over the season in which the Gunners became the ‘Invincibles.’

He made his home debut in crunch clash with Liverpool at Highbury, where it took less than 10 minutes for him to open his account as the Gunners went on to a 2-0 victory.

A crucial match winning penalty against Tottenham will also be remembered as one of his Arsenal highlights.

Sol Campbell

As he has never been allowed to forget, Sol Campbell represented both sides of north London during his career.

Commanding, physical and a leader, it could be argued the Gunners have not had a centre back to replace him sufficiently since he left the club.

A key member of two title winning sides under Arsene Wenger – including the invincible side of 2003-04 – Campbell was also just minutes away from writing his name into Arsenal history with what would have been a winning goal  in a Champions League final, until goals from Samuel Eto’o and Julian Beletti swung the 2006 final back into Barcelona’s favour.

Ledley King

The devestating thing for Tottenham supporters and King himself is the struggles the former Tottenham skipper had with injury.

In the end it lead to an early retirement, but when fully fit – there were few better Premier League defenders than King.

It was sad to see his career finish prematurely, as it will always be a case of wondering what might have been for Spurs had he been fit on a regular basis, whilst supporters of England were left wondering exactly the same thing, with King having impressed every time he pulled on the white shirt at international level.

Jan Vertonghen

Given the way Arsenal fans still feel about Ashley Cole, it is Belgian Jan Vertonghen who steps in to cover the left back position!

The Belgian has established himself as the best defender at White Hart Lane since his arrival from Ajax in 2012, and although he is most comfortable in the middle, he has shown he is more than capable of playing the left back role – whilst also popping up with a few important goals.

Vertonghen has often been linked with a move to a club offering Champions League football, however he remains vital to Tottenham’s hopes of breaking into the top four.

Robert Pires

The Frenchman was one of the top wingers in the game for a few years before injuries took their toll.

His pace and trickery down the flanks were crucial to Arsenal’s style of play in the early 2000’s, whilst he had a habit of scoring plenty of important goals – some of which were spectacular.

Wenger once again proved he had an eye for a bargain in the transfer market, paying just £6million to bring the World Cup winner to the Red half of north London in 2000.

Luka Modric

The Croatian signed for Tottenham in 2008, and signalled the beginning of another era in terms of Spurs challenging the top sides under Harry Redknapp.

Modric was an integral part of the new Tottenham, dictating the play in the middle of the park, classy on the ball and able to find a killer pass seemingly at will.

He also had the ability to score stunning goals – perhaps not as often as he should have done – but never the less he remained a class act in his four years at the club.

He left the club for Real Madrid in a deal worth £30million in the summer of 2012.

Patrick Vieira

Captain of the invincibles in 2003/04, Vieira typified everything the modern day midfielder should be.

A natural leader in the middle of the park, Arsenal have not had a player quite like him since he left for Juventus in the summer of 2005.

Vieira won two league and cup doubles during his time with the Gunners, whilst popping up with a vital goal against Tottenham as Arsenal claimed another league title in 2004.

His final kick for the club was the winning penalty against Manchester United in the 2005 FA Cup final – not half bad for a £3.5million signing.

Gareth Bale

Even though Tottenham recouped a world record £86 million for Gareth Bale, there is surely not a Tottenham fan who wouldn’t take him back for the same price if it were offered tomorrow.

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Bale was sensational for Spurs, and is arguably one of the club’s all-time greats, with his performances in the Champions League under Harry Redknapp arguably the moments in which a star was born – his hat trick against Inter Milan in the San Siro a particularly special moment.

Bale carried Tottenham during his final two years at White Hart Lane, but failure to secure Champions League football saw him join Real Madrid in a world record deal.

Thierry Henry

Surely the greatest striker in Arsenal’s history and perhaps even the Premier League era.

Henry scored all kinds of wonderful goals, helped Arsenal to league titles, FA Cup’s and a Champions League Final and left as their record goal scorer.

Originally signed as a winger by Arsene Wenger, Henry went on to become arguably the finest striker in the world for a five year period.

His major regret will be failure to lift the Champions League as Arsenal captain, having reached the final of the competition in 2006.

Jermaine Defoe

Perhaps not the biggest name, but one of the Premier League’s most consistent goal scorers of all time.

Tottenham fans have fallen in love with Harry Kane this season, having watched the local lad fire more than 30 goals in all competitions.

Yet Kane has one good season under his belt, whilst Jermain Defoe scored goals consistently in the Premier League season upon season wherever he was, but particularly at Tottenham.

He pips fellow Spurs forwards the likes of Kane, Jurgen Klinsmann Robbie Keane and Teddy Sheringham to the forward’s position alongside Thierry Henry, having scored over 100 league goals in two spells at White Hart Lane.

After the reports that Raheem Sterling is ready to leave Liverpool, the 20-year-old was booed as he stepped up to claim the Reds’ Young Player of the Year award last on Tuesday evening.

That’s some fall for a player many Kopites loved just a few months ago and the first-teamer who, arguably, outperformed Luis Suarez during last season’s title run-in. Is there any way back then? Maybe not…

And now Chelsea have joined the long list of suitors for the England international, with claims they’re ready to sacrifice January addition Juan Cuadrado and midfield star Oscar to raise funds. Wow.

However, why not cut out the middle man and offer Oscar is exchange for Sterling? After all, Liverpool have been linked with the Brazilian passer in the not too distant past. It makes sense all round, and here are FIVE reasons why…

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Sterling can challenge for trophies…

Sterling has claimed that fighting for trophies and playing at the very highest level is what matters most to him right now. So if we take his claims on face value, a switch to Chelsea makes sense, with the Blues having scooped two bits of silverware – the Premier League and League Cup – this term while also advancing pretty deep into the Champions League – well, deeper than Liverpool.

On that note, the Reds are yet to win a trophy under Brendan Rodgers and look to be in for a tricky battle to balance Europa League responsibilities and challenging for a top four finish next term.

Oscar will get guaranteed playing time

Perhaps a little warning for Sterling is Oscar’s plight. Although the Brazilian has featured 28 times in the Premier League season, he’s often been used as a substitute of hauled off by Jose Mourinho, limiting his playing time. As much as Kopites will hate to admit it, Liverpool are a step down from Chelsea, but the 23-year-old could benefit from moving to become a focal point, rather than an ‘also ran’.

Sterling will get the money he wants

Let’s be cynical about Sterling then… he wants more money. In any line of work a pay rise of 400% – Chelsea will surely be able to present him with wages of around £140,000 – £150,000-per-week – on his £35,000-per-week earnings is the sort of proposal that cannot be ignored. Although fans look at football from a passionate point of view, the 20-year-old’s career will not last forever, so gathering money while he can makes sense. Also, as one of the best youngsters around, shouldn’t he be paid in line with the likes of Luke Shaw?

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Rodgers has a habit of reviving big club strugglers

The finest example is Daniel Sturridge. Liverpool offered the forward a move away from Chelsea in 2013, and the deal has worked amazingly well for them. Frequently shoved out of position and used sparingly at Stamford Bridge, Sturridge is now the main man at Anfield when fit, which is almost certainly down to Rodgers. The Northern Irishman has performed a similar feat with Philippe Coutinho, who was struggling at Inter Milan.

Can Liverpool really hold down an unsettled player?

Dressing rooms are fragile things. One ‘bad egg’ could unsettle the feeling of harmony in a squad, and although there’s nothing to suggest that Sterling is a rotten apple, if he’s being kept against his will can Liverpool really expect him to nail his colours to the mast? Reports have already suggested that Rodgers wants the situation resolved quickly, which makes sense, whatever the outcome.

With the recent arrivals of Angelo Ogbonna and Dimitri Payet, West Ham boss Slaven Bilic is probably giving himself a huge pat on the back. And he deserves it, but now that he has made great signings for his defence and the midfield, the time has come to turn his attention to strengthening the front line.

And the answer lies in a Manchester United cast-off – Javier Hernandez.

On loan at Real Madrid last season, ‘Chicharito’ bagged nine goals and nine assists in 33 appearances for the club. That may not seem so impressive when compared to the output of stars like Cristiano Ronaldo or Karim Benzema, but consider this – Hernandez still fared better than any West Ham player in terms of creativity, and fell behind forward Diafra Sakho by just one goal.

Despite starting only seven times, the Mexico international averaged a stellar 124 minutes per goal in La Liga play, an improvement on his 214 minutes per goal season in the Premier League in 2013/14. The 27-year-old hasn’t hit the peak of his career yet, and fans at Boleyn Ground could be around to witness it if Bilic’s £9m bid is accepted.With his small build, Hernandez relies on speed, agility and movement, all skills that line up perfectly with the Hammers’ strengths. Nearly a quarter of his shots came from headers, and half of those were on target. Hernandez averaged 3.4 shots per game, again more than any West Ham player. The forward’s incredible speed is what gives him a competitive edge, as he has the potential to make dangerous runs both in open play and from indirect set pieces.Bilic favors formations that employ either one or two strikers. At Real Madrid, Hernandez was squeezed up top in a 4-3-3 – alone or with just one other forward. However, he would have more space to move around and make himself a passing target for his team-mates, or to make runs down the flanks and assist, under Bilic.Speaking of assisting, ‘Chicharito’s’ passing is exceptional compared to that of a typical striker. His pass success rate of 82.2% t was the best of all the Real Madrid forwards, and the majority of his key passes were short balls, highlighting his control and awareness. Hernandez was dispossessed just 0.7 times per league game, a better possession rate than any forward at either Real Madrid or West Ham.With another midtable season behind them, and just 44 goals scored, something’s got to give at Boleyn Ground. The Irons need an eager centre forward willing to take chances. Hernandez has demonstrated his ability to do so even in two years as a substitute, and will be even more motivated in a first-team role. Bilic has done well transfer-wise so far, so his policy on ‘Chicharito’ should be this: No risk, no reward.

According to Marca, via the Daily Express, Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil is one of five January signings that Barcelona are intending to make when the transfer window reopens.

The German international’s contract expires at the end of the current season, and the 29-year-old is free to sign a pre-contract agreement with an overseas club when the window opens on the 1st of January.

What’s the story?

It is being reported that Barcelona are preparing to make five signings in the new year at relatively cheap rates to bolster Ernesto Valverde’s squad.

Rather famously, Barca underwent a summer of vast spending – much of which was evoked by the departure of Neymar to PSG – accordingly they’re hoping to make financially shrewd deals in the upcoming window.

Is Ozil the right fit?

Since joining Arsenal from Barca’s arch rivals, Real Madrid, in the summer of 2013, Ozil has amassed 177 first-team appearances for the Gunners, scoring 36 goals. Last season was the German’s most prolific term from a goal-scoring perspective for the North London team, and he’s highly regarded for his tendency to create goals.

Real Madrid’s former playmaker, who is valued at £45m by transfermartk.com, has started this season in fine form having scored four goals and registered five assists in 16 league games for the FA Cup winners. There’s no denying that the German international provides an abundance of creativity, a quality that would augment Barcelona’s attack enormously.

Will Wenger let him go?

While the thought of losing one of their star players at a reduced fee may evoke concern among Arsenal supporters, the likelihood is that Wenger would rather see Ozil return to Spain in January – with Arsenal recouping some money – than see their number 11 join someone like Manchester United on a free transfer in the summer.

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