Fabian Delph spent the best part of four years at Manchester City.
Delph left Aston Villa in the summer of 2015 to join up with the Citizens.
The Englishman subsequently went on to rack up 89 appearances across all competitions for the Sky Blues, in which he scored five and assisted three.
However, after four successful years in Manchester, Everton recently completed the signing of Delph on a three-year deal.
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 09: Fabian Delph of Manchester City takes a throw in during the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final first leg match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 09, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Victoria Haydn/Manchester City FC via Getty Images)
Delph’s target
During his stint with Man City, Delph managed to help the club to earn a plethora of trophies.
In total, Delph would win seven trophies in his four years with City.
Those trophies were two league titles, one FA Cup, three League Cups and a Community Shield.
Now, after being so successful at City, Delph is looking to share some of that winning mentality with Everton.
The Toffees have not won a piece of silverware since 1995, when they lifted the FA Cup.
Despite this, Delph claims that his main goal with Everton is to be successful and win something:
“I’ve been fortunate enough to be in a squad full of winning mentality.
“I’m not going to change coming here. The main goal is to be successful and win something.
“I’m aware the club hasn’t won something in a long time. That’s top of my list to hopefully try and push the lads and them to push me and win something.
“[The winning mentality] probably comes easier to me because I’m one of the older players. You don’t have to be the best player in the team to influence people, to drive and to set standards high with good habits.
“The winning mentality is massive. Everyone needs to be on it and have that mentality in training. There’s no egos here. A great work ethic and the staff are fantastic.”
Arsenal-linked defender William Saliba has been photographed alongside a trio of Gunners’ stars, at a pre-season clash between Saint-Etienne and Marseille.
Saliba’s breakout
Saliba, an 18-year-old centre-half, burst onto the scene this past season, after being introduced to the first-team ranks of Saint-Etienne.
The imposing stopper, who has already been likened to fellow countryman and Real Madrid star Raphael Varane, went on to rack up 19 appearances across all competitions for Les Verts, quickly establishing himself as one of the most highly-regarded young talents in France.
And the teen’s standout showings at the heart of Saint-Etienne’s backline certainly didn’t go unnoticed across the rest of Europe.
Despite his tender years, the story surrounding Saliba’s future has proven one of the talking points of the summer transfer window so far.
Gaitan Laborde vies with William Saliba during the Ligue 1 match between Saint-Etienne and Montpellier.. (Photo by JEAN-PHILIPPE KSIAZEK / AFP) (Photo credit should read JEAN-PHILIPPE KSIAZEK/AFP/Getty Images)
Arsenal bound
Of the clubs to have been touted as potential destinations for Saliba, meanwhile, Premier League giants Arsenal have been by far the most persistently-linked.
And, on the back of mounting rumours over the last couple of weeks that the Gunners’ were on the verge of clinching a deal with Saint-Etienne, confirmation arrived courtesy of a number of reliable sources last Thursday night that an agreement to take the Frenchman to the Emirates had been found:
Saliba meets Gunners’ stars
As such, Saliba’s Arsenal switch looks set to be made official imminently, though he is expected to spend next season back on loan at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.
Despite his anticipated Saint-Etienne return, however, the gifted stopper is already taking the time to get acquainted with his soon-to-be new teammates.
As showcased below, Saliba was last night photographed alongside Arsenal trio Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Ainsley Maitland-Niles at Saint-Etienne’s preseason clash with Marseille:
Tottenham’s pre-season began on Sunday, July 21st, vs Italian outfit Juventus.
Erik Lamela would open the scoring vs Juve in the 30th minute.
Maurizio Sarri’s side would then come from behind to make it 2-1 thanks to goals from Gonzalo Higuain and Cristiano Ronaldo.
However, Spurs would then also come from behind. A Lucas Moura strike and a 93rd-minute attempt from the halfway line by Harry Kane gave Mauricio Pochettino’s side the win on Sunday.
LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 05: Cedric Soares of Southampton is challenged by Danny Rose of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton FC at Wembley Stadium on December 5, 2018 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Pochettino on Rose & Janssen
After said game, Pochettino was questioned on a number of topics, including Danny Rose and Vincent Janssen.
Both Janssen and Rose have been left out of Spurs’ pre-season tour squad so they can search for a new club.
Rose has most recently been linked with a move to Serie A side Juventus, while Janssen is being linked with a move to Mexico.
As such, Pochettino was this afternoon asked for updates on the futures of both players:
‘There are some reports about Vincent Janssen leaving and is there any update on Danny Rose?’
And the Tottenham boss replied:
“I don’t have any information. I am not in charge of that you know. I was so clear in my press conference the day before.
“I try to manage the squad in the best way possible. Our players when we get back to pre-season after China like I told you for different reasons if they are there and they are still our players then of course they will be involved.
“It will be no problem. For different reasons the club takes some decisions and I cannot explain more. It’s not my situation.” As quoted by football.london.
A brilliant goal from 17-year-old Mason Greenwood earned Man United the win.
Greenwood, boosting his case to be involved in the first team this season, turned inside the Inter box before firing a shot into the far post.
Man United have won all three pre-season friendlies this summer.
They beat Perth Glory 2-0 and Leeds United 4-0.
United are yet to concede a goal in pre-season.
Man United react to fans booing Ashley Young
Yet, the match against Inter Milan didn’t pass without incident.
Even before he touched the ball, the home crowd in Singapore revealed they didn’t like Ashley Young.
Then, when Ashley Young came off the bench in the second half, the crowd booed him continuously.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said the following about the abuse dished out to Young:
I think Ashley is a top professional. He always gives absolutely everything and his delivery today ended up with a goal.
We want our fans to support our players and Ash has been a very loyal servant to this club for many years and he will keep on performing when he plays.
I’ve not spoken to him, they’ve had to do running after the game, but I’ll have a chat with him, yeah.
Chelsea youngster Ethan Ampadu has this evening been spotted in Germany, ahead of a potential loan switch to Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig.
Chelsea prodigy
Ampadu, an 18-year-old central-defender who can also play in a defensive midfield role, came up through the youth ranks of Exeter City, before making the move to Chelsea in 2017.
And the young stopper has since gone on to establish himself as one of the most highly-regarded starlets on the books of the Blues.
Despite his tender years, Ampadu emerged as a regular member of Chelsea’s first-team squad last season, going on to notch a none-too-shabby 8 appearances across all competitions.
In addition, the gifted teen has already racked up 8 caps for Wales.
‘In the interest of Ethan and Chelsea’
With the likes of David Luiz, Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen all ahead of him in the central-defensive pecking order at Stamford Bridge, however, the path to a starting berth week-in, week-out, looks a tough one to navigate for Ampadu at present.
Ethan Ampadu during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Chelsea and Nottingham Forest.
As such, when the Welshman was omitted from Chelsea’s pre-season squad that flew to Japan earlier this week, Blues’ boss Frank Lampard was quickly questioned on his plans for Ampadu for the coming season.
And Lampard went on to admit that the club intend to loan the prodigious teen out:
‘We are looking at the possibility of Ethan going on loan for the season.’
‘I tried to sign Ethan on loan at Derby last year so I’m a big fan, but with the minutes he played last year, in the interest of Ethan and of Chelsea, the idea he can play a lot of games somewhere could be good for him. That’s not done yet, but we haven’t brought him here while that’s up in the air.’
‘I really wanted to work with Ethan this year. That’s a slight disappointment, but it’s to benefit him. In midfield and defence we have a lot of quality, so each player is a case by case.’
Leipzig bound?
Aston Villa were previously viewed as the front-runners to clinch Ampadu’s signature on a temporary basis, but, as per the aforementioned updates spreading across social media this evening, the versatile Chelsea man could in fact be set for a surprise move to the Bundesliga.
This comes after Ampadu was photographed in the city of Leipzig.
This has since led to inevitable speculation that the youngster will spend the 2019/20 campaign with RB Leipzig.
A number of reports across the European media tonight confirm that Arsenal have finally clinched an agreement for Saint-Etienne starlet William Saliba.
Saint-Etienne standout
Saliba, an 18-year-old centre-half, broke into the first-team ranks at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard for the first time this past season.
The imposing stopper, who stands at 6ft 4in tall, went on to make 19 appearances across all competitions, impressing onlookers across Europe with his combination of stature and poise.
Saliba has also been capped by France at every level up to U19, with his performances at the heart of Saint-Etienne’s backline throughout the campaign having seen the teen establish himself as one of the most highly-regarded young players in Ligue 1.
Jose Mourinho, meanwhile, recently had the following to say about Saliba:
‘I think he has everything needed to become a good player, much like Kurt Zouma, who I signed.’
Gaitan Laborde vies with William Saliba during the match between Saint-Etienne and Montpellier. (Photo by JEAN-PHILIPPE KSIAZEK / AFP)
Arsenal interest
As such, the potential showcased by the stopper to this point in his fledgling career unsurprisingly saw Saliba added to the respective wishlists of a number of clubs around Europe.
A report from Charles Watts of Goal.com in May revealed that two of the outfits interested in the Saint-Etienne starlet were Premier League giants Arsenal and Manchester United.
Unai Emery’s Gunners, though, had long been said to be particularly keen.
In fact, Saliba was reportedly identified as the north Londoners’ ‘top’ transfer target this summer.
Emirates bound
Reports emanating from France early last month confirmed that Arsenal were making serious inroads in their pursuit of the stopper, with the personal terms of a contract said to have been agreed between the parties.
And, despite a scare courtesy of north London rivals Tottenham last week, the Gunners had nevertheless long-been viewed as clear front-runners to eventually secure a deal for Saliba.
As such, reports quickly spreading across the European media tonight that Arsenal have finally sealed a deal for the stopper have come as little surprise.
In news that was first announced by Mohamed Bouhafsi of RMC Sport, and has since been backed by the reliable Fabrizio Romano, the capital giants and Saint-Etienne have reached a full agreement over Saliba’s transfer.
Arsenal will fork over 29 million Euro, including bonuses, to the Ligue 1 outfit.
Saliba is expected to put pen-to-paper on a 5-year deal at the Emirates, with the Frenchman’s will having proven crucial in negotiations.
The deal will then finally be made official next Tuesday.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has admitted that Leroy Sane can leave the club if he wants to, amid rumours of a move to Bayern Munich.
The German winger scored 10 and assisted 11 in 31 Premier League appearances last season.
Sane also scored four and assisted four in the Champions League.
Though, Sane is still not exactly a guaranteed name on the Manchester City team sheet.
With options such as Riyad Mahrez, Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva and more at the club, that’s not really surprising.
Despite that, Sane possesses immense potential and as a result, Bayern are reportedly looking to tempt him back to the Bundesliga.
Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge recently admitted that the German giants will attempt to sign Sane.
Now, Pep Guardiola has claimed if Sane wants to leave, he’s welcome to.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 06: Leroy Sane of Manchester City is closed down by Theo Walcott of Everton during the Premier League match between Everton FC and Manchester City at Goodison Park on February 06, 2019 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Matt McNulty – Manchester City/Man City via Getty Images)
‘If they don’t want, they go’
Speaking after Manchester City’s 4-1 win against West Ham in the Premier League Asia Trophy, Guardiola explained that he only wants players who are happy, and those who aren’t are free to go.
‘The club made him an offer last year,’ Guardiola explained, as quoted by the Mail.
‘We want people happy to be here. We are going to help him to the best we know how, (to realise) his potential.
‘The desire to have him to be with us is always there. I spoke to the club 10 times (to say) that I want people here to be happy, if they don’t want, they go.’
Harry Maguire has spent the past two years honing his craft in the English top-flight with Leicester City.
The Foxes are believed to have paid around £12m for the Englishman.
Maguire has featured 76 times for Leicester, scoring five and assisting three in those fixtures.
The 26-year-old showcased perhaps the most impressive form of his career, though, with England.
Maguire was one of the standout performers for England as they reached the 2018 World Cup semi-finals in Russia.
GUIMARAES, PORTUGAL – JUNE 09: Harry Maguire of England controls the ball during the UEFA Nations League Third Place Playoff match between Switzerland and England at Estadio D. Afonso Henriques on June 9, 2019 in Guimaraes, Portugal. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images)
Maguire to Manchester United?
However, it is being reported that Maguire has now told Leicester that he wishes to leave the club this summer.
Sky sources: Harry Maguire has told Brendan Rodgers and his Leicester teammates that he wants to leave the club this summer.
According to Sky Sports, Leicester will only let Maguire leave should they receive a world-record fee (for a defender) for him.
The current world record for a centre-back transfer is Virgil van Dijk’s £75m Liverpool switch.
Sky claims that both Manchester United and Manchester City are interested in Maguire’s signature, with United leading the race, after offering £70m earlier in July.
While Brendan Rodgers’ side do seem open to selling Maguire, it doesn’t look as though they will be replacing him.
Then, a report from Sky’s website claimed that if Maguire does depart, the club will not look to replace him, and instead give Filip Benkovic and Caglar Soyuncu more chances.
Everton have tonight confirmed the signature of out-of-favour Manchester City man Fabian Delph.
City stint
Versatile 29-year-old Delph had been on the books of Premier League champions City since the summer of 2015, when he made the move to the Etihad from Aston Villa.
The years since, though, had seen the Leeds United youth product’s game-time largely fluctuate, amid a number of lengthy injury problems.
The 2017/18 campaign proved the English international’s most productive with the Sky Blues, as Delph racked up 21 Premier League starts, en route to the English top-flight title.
This past season, however, saw the 29-year-old, who was generally deployed at left-back by Pep Guardiola, notch just 8 league starts.
Fabian Delph during the UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final first-leg match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City. (Photo by Victoria Haydn/Manchester City FC via Getty Images)
Everton switch
As such, amid claims that City expect Benjamin Mendy to return to play a prominent role next season, and the faith showcased by the Citizens in Oleksandr Zinchenko based on the youngster’s new long-term contract, Delph had long looked set to be the odd man out at the Etihad next season.
This subsequently led to suggestions that City were ready to part with the versatile midfielder this summer, for the right price.
Everton, meanwhile, emerged as the clear frontrunners to secure his signature last week.
And, as per the aforementioned announcement across the Toffees’ social media platforms, Delph’s move to Goodison Park has come to fruition tonight:
✅ High Quality
✅ Experience
✅ Hunger
✅ Ambition
City, meanwhile, have since wished their now-former star the best of luck with their Premier League rivals:
Delph has put pen-to-paper on a 3-year deal with Everton.
And, though no official word has been forthcoming on the fee involved, the BBC suggest that the Merseysiders have splashed out around £10 million on the 29-year-old’s signature.
‘Really happy to be here’
Speaking in an interview with Evertontv on the back of his move being made official, Delph explained:
‘Every time I have played against Everton, whether it was home or away, straight away the first thing that comes to mind when you see the fans is passion. The Everton fans seem to know football, seem to understand it, it seems to be in their blood and they really back the team.’
‘You are always going to hear Evertonians and I’m excited to play at home and hear them when I am playing.’
‘I’m really happy to be here. I’m going to give absolutely everything – nothing less than 100 per cent.’
‘Hopefully we can push together, fans and players, to do something special.’
With the 2018/19 Premier League season less than a month away, West Ham are rather short staffed in the striker department.
Lucas Perez has been sold to Spanish outfit Alaves while Andy Carroll was released on a free transfer.
West Ham would then announce that they had sold Marko Arnautovic to Shanghai SIPG
Arnautovic had reportedly previously handed in a transfer request back in January amid an offer from China and now he looks to have finally got his wish.
Whether West Ham fans liked Arnautovic and his attitude or not, the Austrian was till a key member of their squad.
The 30-year-old was their top scorer this past season netting 11 and assisting four in 30 games across all competitions.
But with three of their first-team strikers having already departed this summer, Manuel Pellegrini’s side should really be looking at signing a new forward before the forthcoming season.
LONDON, ENGLAND – MARCH 30: Marko Arnautovic of West Ham United looks dejected during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Everton FC at London Stadium on March 30, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Paul Harding/Getty Images)
Maxi Gomez joins Valencia
West Ham United did look to be in the market for Spanish forward Maxi Gomez.
It had been reported that Gomez would join West Ham for a fee of around £45m, snubbing Valencia in the process.
This would have been a huge signing for the Hammers.
The 22-year-old looks to have bags of potential and despite playing for relegation battling Celta Vigo, Gomez netted 13 and assisted five in 35 La Liga outings last campaign.
However, on Sunday the 14th of July, Valencia would officially announce they had signed Gomez from Celta Vigo.
After missing out on Gomez, West Ham need to act fast if they want to sign a new forward before the PL season starts, here are three potential options.
Sebastien Haller
The first striker West Ham could target this summer is Eintracht Frankfurt forward, Sebastien Haller.
Haller was somewhat overlooked this past season due to the fact he was playing alongside now Real Madrid forward, Luka Jovic.
However, Haller himself had a very impressive 2018/19 campaign.
The 25-year-old would score 15 and assist nine in 29 Bundesliga outings last season.
Haller also impressed for Frankfurt in the Europe League, netting five and assisting three in 10 appearances.
The Frenchman has also already been linked with a move to West Ham with Sky Sports claiming Haller is rated at £40m.
West Ham and Eintracht Frankfurt are in talks over the transfer of £40million-rated striker Sebastien Haller, according to Sky sources
FRANKFURT AM MAIN, GERMANY – MAY 12: (EDITORS NOTE: Image has been digitally enhanced.) Sebastien Haller of Frankfurt looks on during the Bundesliga match between Eintracht Frankfurt and 1. FSV Mainz 05 at Commerzbank-Arena on May 12, 2019 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. (Photo by Simon Hofmann/Bundesliga/DFL via Getty Images)
Gonzalo Higuain
Like Haller, the next player West Ham could sign has also already been linked with a move to the club.
Gonzalo Higuain has previously spent some time in England, playing the second half of last season on loan at Chelsea.
While the Argentine didn’t have the greatest time at Stamford Bridge, Higuain still scored five in 14 PL games.
Higuain has also proven for Real Madrid, Napoli and Juventus that he can be a top quality goal scorer if he is on form.
The Hammers may have one problem when trying to sign Higuain though as the 31-year-old is said to be keen to stay at Juventus.
West Ham are interested in bringing former Chelsea striker Gonzalo Higuain back to the Premier League, according to Sky in Italy.
LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 27: Gonzalo Higuain of Chelsea looks on during the FA Cup Fourth Round match between Chelsea and Sheffield Wednesday at Stamford Bridge on January 27, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
Salomon Rondon
Finally, West Ham could attempt to sign Salomon Rondon in a bid to bolster their attacking options.
Rondon is currently a West Brom player but spent the 2018/19 season on loan at Newcastle United.
In a rather defensive minded Newcastle team, Rondon would manage a very respectable 11 goals and seven assists in 32 league outings.
Rondon has the most Premier League experience of the above mentioned players, playing 140 PL fixtures for West Brom and Newcastle.
Furthermore, while West Brom may wish to keep hold of a player as talented as Rondon, they failed to regain promotion to the English top-flight this past season, losing to Derby in the Championship play-off semi-finals.
West Ham may, however, face some competition from Rafa Benitez as The Times have reported he is keen to bring the striker to his new club in China.
