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Harvey Elliott has been impressing at Blackburn Rovers since joining on loan from Liverpool in the recent summer transfer window, to the extent where he could be considered ready for the Reds’ first-team next season.

The 17-year-old joined the Championship side on loan in October and in six appearances for Tony Mowbray’s side, he has contributed one goal and three assists (per Transfermarkt).

Elliott joined Liverpool from Fulham in 2019 and he has already made as many as nine appearances for Jurgen Klopp’s first team, suggesting that the German manager has very high hopes for the youngster.

The winger has also impressed for Liverpool’s U23 side, having contributed three goals and four assists in 13 appearances, which included a superb overhead kick against Wolves’ academy side.

The ‘wonderkid’ is showing himself to be immensely talented, as to contribute to four goals in six appearances in the Championship with a new club suggests to us that it won’t be long at all until he is pushing for a starting spot in Klopp’s side.

Of course, Liverpool have world-class talent on their wings, in Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane but with both of those players set to play in the African Cup of Nations in January 2022, perhaps Elliott could be the man to fill in in their absence.

Back-up winger Xherdan Shaqiri has also been linked with a move away from Anfield in recent times, so if he leaves in January or the summer, perhaps we could see Elliott promoted to one of Klopp’s main back-up options.

The 17-year-old was praised by Klopp after Liverpool beat Arsenal on penalties in the League Cup last season, with the German manager saying:

“It’s easy to be convinced about him when you see him training, he is an exceptional talent, absolutely, and he’s a nice kid as well.

“To see him, how he encouraged the crowd around the corners…I had a couple of moments where I was really touched tonight, to be honest. So for a few moments, that’s really cool.” (per Liverpool Echo)

Therefore, if Elliott is able to continue his impressive start to life at Blackburn Rovers for the rest of the 2020/21 campaign, there seems no reason why he can’t be pushing for a spot in Liverpool’s first-team next season.

When it comes to Fantasy Premier League, you forward options are often the most important decisions to make before the start of each new season – and this one proves no different to the rest.

There is an abundance of strikers and wingers to choose from now, with plenty of forwards last season heading into double figures for their goalscoring tallies. This new season has seen plenty of new additions from new signings at the big clubs, all the way to the new players coming through from the clubs promoted from the Championship.

No matter what, you can always rely on your go-to’s from each season, as well as finding room for those hidden gems and cheaper players to help fill out your squad whilst making sure you build the best starting XI and bench possible.

With that being said, we’re going to take a look at four options up top that could be a make or break for your FPL team, ranging from all prices at any club in the league.

Aleksandar Mitrovic – £6.0m

The Serbian international is back in the Premier League with Fulham after their prometon via the Playoff final against Brentford. Last season in the Championship, Mitrović managed 26 goals in 41 appearances for the Cottagers – and in his last season in the Premier League, he still scored 11 goals for the club despite their relegation in the 2018/19 season.

The 25-year-old will currently cost you just £6.0m, a great price for a striker of his ability and proficiency, and has only been selected by 25.7% of users. Along with an ICT index rank of 512 of 521, Mitrović should be in everyone’s starting XI this season.

Anthony Martial – £9.0m

Last season saw the Frenchman enjoy his best goalscoring season for Manchester United yet, managing 17 goals in 33 appearances. During that time, he picked up a total of 200 points and certainly struck up a great partnership with Marcus Rashford both before and after the Englishman’s injury.

This season has only seen 13.8% of user select Martial, likely due to his £9.0m price tag – but don’t let that scare you off. Now that the 24-year-old has found his feet in a Red Devils shirt, I can’t see that slowing down now, and he would be a great option in your starting XI if you give him the chance.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin – £7.2m

Everton’s No.9 has certainly shown what he is about in the Premier League last campaign.

The 23-year-old scored 13 goals for the Toffees last season, amassing 126 points by the end of the year, and I don’t see that being the end of the Englishman’s goalscoring form. This season has seen Carlo Ancelotti sign three new midfielders in Allan, Abdoulaye Doucoure, and James Rodriguez, with the latter being the most important for Calvert-Lewin.

Rodriguez will bring a new attacking dimension for Everton, and I can see Calvert-Lewin benefitting greatly from this. This season the striker will only cost you £7.2m and has only been selected by 24% of users.

Neal Maupay – £6.5m

The French striker has been something of a revelation for Brighton. Since 2016, Glenn Murray was a fantastic goal scorer for the Seagulls, but the 2018/19 season was far from Murray’s brilliance – and this led to the now 36-year-old being side-lined due to injuries and his age.

In steps Neal Maupay, and suddenly Brighton have themselves a real goalscoring striker in their hands. Last season was Maupay’s first for the club, and the 24-year-old managed 10 goals in 37 appearances, totaling 131 points for the campaign.

Maupay can currently be picked up for just £6.5m. Only 2.1% of users have selected him, meaning he has certainly gone under the radar.

Just a season after leaving Arsenal, it looks as though Aaron Ramsey may already be heading out of the exit door at Juventus.

The £400k-a-week earning star played just 24 times in Serie A in his debut campaign in Italian football, with many of those appearances coming off the bench – in fact, he completed the full 90 minutes on just one occasion during the whole year.

Now, Calcio Mercato claim that West Ham are eyeing up a potential move for the midfielder, and that given Juventus signed him on a free transfer, they are considering letting him go and simply making a profit on their investment.

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The report further adds that the Hammers could face competition from fellow Premier League side Crystal Palace in the race to sign him.

Whilst he may not have pulled up any trees in Italy, there’s no doubting that Ramsey had proven himself to be an elite box-to-box midfielder in this country.

He struck two FA Cup final winning goals for Arsenal, and ended his career with the Gunners with an unbelievable record of 65 goals and 65 assists in 371 games for the club.

Hammers boss David Moyes even admitted during his time as Manchester United manager that he was very close to signing him in 2008 when he was at Everton.

He said: “Yes, I was very close to signing Aaron when I was at Everton. I had him and his family in my house but Arsenal beat me to it.”

More than 12 years later, and Moyes could finally get his man.

The North London Derby is upon us as Jose Mourinho’s side welcome Arsenal to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Once upon a time, this match would be one of high stakes, with both teams challenging for a top-four finish. However, such has been the decline of both clubs this season, this fixture in one being played with both sides languishing in mid-table, with only an outside chance of taking one of the Europa League places that are on offer this season.

This is a Premier League fixture that normally delivers goals and entertains the neutral, but if Mourinho’s charges continue to park the bus as they have during their last two outings, then we may be set for a dreary affair.

Form

Whilst Tottenham have rediscovered their abilities to keep a clean sheet, the goals have dried up completely as Mourinho’s more pragmatic approach has impacted the fluidity of Spurs’ attacking play.

Despite only one defeat since the Premier League restart – a 3-1 capitulation against Sheffield United – they haven’t looked convincing at all. Arsenal, on the other hand, after a shaky start, have been growing in confidence and Mikel Arteta’s side are starting to gel, although they didn’t get the result their performance deserved against Leicester City at the Emirates earlier this week.

The Gunners will be relishing their first visit to their bitter rival’s new stadium, such is the fragility of Spurs at present.

They may also believe they have the bonus of Michael Oliver as referee; the official who has been responsible for two controversial VAR decisions that have gone against Tottenham in recent weeks.

Team news

Eric Dier remains suspended following his four-match ban from the FA, whilst Juan Foyth and Japhet Tanganga remain out injured.

Arsenal have Bernd Leno, Gabriel Martinelli out with knee injuries and Nicolas Pepe remains a doubt over a personal issue, but the Gunners hope to welcome back Mesut Ozil to their squad following a back problem.

How to watch

Spurs v Arsenal kicks off at 16:30 UTC at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London and will be broadcast live Sky Sports, while fans can also live stream football online.

Bournemouth winger Ryan Fraser has told friends that he is keen to join Tottenham Hotspur this summer, according to Football Insider.

What does the report say?

Fraser has impressed on the South coast since arriving in 2013, managing 24 goals and 33 assists in 208 appearances for the Cherries.

The 26-year-old is out of contract this summer and is said to have attracted interest from a number of Premier League clubs.

According to Football Insider, the winger has told friends that he is keen on a move to Spurs, with the Scot hoping to test himself in the Champions League.

The North London club currently have a number of talented wingers including Lucas Moura, Heung-Min Son and Steven Bergwijn, but it is understood that Erik Lamela could be sold.

Wrong move

Fraser is a talented player that has impressed at Bournemouth in recent seasons and could provide value this summer on a free transfer.

However, Spurs are already well-stocked on the wings and should be focusing their attention elsewhere.

The Scot has only registered one goal and four assists this season and would likely find himself behind Moura, Son and Bergwijn if he made the switch.

According to Football Insider, Leeds United will be in the race to land Rhian Brewster this summer, but it could depend on a couple of crucial factors.

What’s the word?

It’s claimed that the Yorkshire side missed out on the impressive 20-year-old in the January transfer window with the English starlet opting to join Championship rivals Swansea City on loan instead.

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A source has told Football Insider that those at Elland Road are continuing to monitor Brewster ahead of a second attempt ahead of the new season.

However, this will only be able to happen if Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp gives the green light for another loan move – something that may be bolstered if the Reds clinch Timo Werner from RB Leipzig.

Second time lucky?

Brewster has gone on to be a prolific source of goals for the Swans in the second tier since moving to the Liberty Stadium. He’s found the net four times in just 919 minutes of action, via Transfermarkt.

Victor Orta and Marcelo Bielsa had to settle for Jean-Kevin Augustin instead, and he’s only been able to make three short cameo appearances, so that is looking more like a disaster as every week passes.

The Liverpool youngster has been lauded as “exceptional” and “fearless” in the past and is clearly rated highly by Klopp despite a lack of senior opportunities.

It’s also believed that there could be a chance he progresses up onto another Premier League club rather than returning to the Championship, so Leeds would need to ensure promotion so they can springboard to the front of the interested pack.

Therefore, if the Whites hold a genuine interest in Brewster, then they’ll need to firstly, be a top-flight team once again, and secondly, hope that the popular German sanctions another temporary exit.

AND in other news, Leeds fans react to huge Andrea Radrizzani claim…

In one of the more dramatic games of the Premier League this season, Manchester United thought they had clinched a remarkable victory against Sheffield United on Sunday afternoon.

The Red Devils found themselves 2-0 down, before a second-half rally saw them go 3-2 in front. However, having thought they had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat, the Blades equalised in the dying moments of the game.

Speaking after the match, Marcus Rashford delivered an encouraging verdict on his side’s comeback, he said: “The manager knows when we play on front foot we’re a good team. The three goals is the response we managed to give. We have to keep pushing though – if we kept going then perhaps we would have got the win.”

After hearing the England international’s comments, United fans flooded to Twitter to voice their thoughts on the forward.

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Many supporters of the Manchester side insisted that Rashford would make for a better manager than Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and that he is slyly taking a dig at the Norwegian.

Check out some of the reaction of United fans below:

Meanwhile, Marcus Rashford has delivered an ominous warning to the rest of the Premier League about his potential.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to Corriere Bergamo, Wolverhampton Wanderers are one of several clubs chasing Atalanta starlet Dejan Kulusevski, and he is a player that would absolutely delight manager Nuno Santo.

What’s the word?

Reports in Italy suggest the 19-year-old is rather unlikely to return to his parent club as his impressive outings for Serie A rivals Parma have attracted interest from across Europe.

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Inter Milan, Manchester United and Southampton are just three teams the west Midlands club will have to compete with in order to clinch the Swedish prospect.

A fee between €17-18m (£14.6-£15.4m) is touted to be enough to secure Kulusevski with Atalanta willing to listen to offers as soon as January despite his loan deal lasting until the summer.

This week he is in line for his first senior international bow after being called up to the Swedish squad for their Euro 2020 qualifiers against Romania and the Faroe Islands.

Perfect player

It is well known that Wolves are chasing reinforcements in January as BirminghamLive revealed that both a central defender and a central midfielder are high on their wishlist, and that was even before Willy Boly went down with a serious injury.

Kulusevski is an attacking midfielder that can play in the centre or on either wing – this campaign he has played the majority on the right-hand side of midfield, scoring twice and assisting five goals per Transfermarkt.

The Swedish prodigy offers a physical presence at 6 foot 1 with his passing and dribbling being noted as his key attributes in the final third, aside from clearly being a goal threat.

Goal.com also claims that his defensive upbringing, which includes playing five-a-side football, has enabled him the intelligence and knowledge to drop back and help out the team – mainly when he’s playing alongside former Arsenal winger Gervinho.

This very aspect of his game would make him the perfect addition at Molineux as Wolves sometimes deploy a 3-4-3 formation with either wide forward operating the half-spaces behind Raul Jimenez.

Nuno must push the boat out in a couple of months to clinch this dream option.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

Liverpool are now all but qualified for the next round of the Champions League.

The Reds were in action against Genk on Tuesday, and prevailed 2-1 thanks to goals from Georginio Wijnaldum and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

They now top their group in Europe’s premier club competition, five points clear of third-placed Red Bull Salzburg with just two matches left.

Jurgen Klopp made several changes to the side that won 2-1 against Aston Villa at the weekend, but one of those to keep his place was Trent Alexander-Arnold.

One of Liverpool’s stars under the former Borussia Dortmund manager, he displayed both experience and naivety against de Smurfen.

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First, let’s look at the positives. Defensively, he had some good moments, winning three tackles and making three interceptions. In both aspects, he led the way among his teammates. Going forward, too, he shone at times, creating four chances and landing a game-high two crosses.

However, just two of 12 found their target, and that was not the only area of his game that was below his usual high standards. The seven-time England international lost possession an astonishing game-high 32 times, with the next worse being Joakim Maehle with 24. James Milner, the next Liverpool player, lost the ball on just half as many occasions.

The stats won’t tell the whole story either. For example, the 21-year-old will be credited with an interception for the way he took the ball off Mbwana Samatta’s head just before the visitors equalised, but he was only forced to make such a last-ditch challenge after he failed to track the Tanzania international’s run quickly enough. Had he been marking his man properly, he may have even been able to avoid the corner that led to the leveller which he instead gave away.

We often forget that he is just 21 years old, but considering he already has 100 first-team appearances for the Reds and has a Champions League medal, there is only so much slack he can be cut when using the argument of his youth.

Against Genk, it was not necessarily an issue – Liverpool could afford to be slightly off the pace and still dominate. But it will be a much different story against Manchester City at the weekend.

The £72m-valued right-back – as per Transfermarkt – needs to eradicate this type of sloppiness immediately, otherwise the likes of Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero will be waiting to take advantage.

Arsenal fans on Twitter have been absolutely fuming with Unai Emery after a ridiculous stat about Mesut Ozil was revealed.

Bleacher Report tweeted that the German has, in fact, played fewer Premier League minutes than Henrikh Mkhitaryan this season, despite the fact that the Armenian left Arsenal on loan back in August.

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It just goes to show how out of favour the playmaker is at the moment, and understandably, fans were far from happy with their manager.

Of course, there were once again calls for Emery to be sacked from his job.

It really is strange to see Ozil frozen out like this, especially when you consider he’s reportedly earning £350,000 a week.

Whether or not the manager starts to include the German more often from here on out remains to be seen, but he’s certainly not winning many fans over with his treatment of the attacking midfielder.

Here’s what Gunners supporters have been saying about the matter on Twitter…