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Last summer West Brom striker Saido Berahino was the subject of summer transfer talk when Tottenham offered £23million for the youngster.

As a promising frontman, he looked to be on the verge of becoming one of the few good English strikers in the Premier League.

But once West Brom blocked the transfer, the striker’s head had already been turned. Since then, he has only gone on to score four goals, and has looked like a player not wanting to play for the club.

Last season was West Brom’s best player, scoring 14 goals in 38 games. It was that form that led to an England call up, and looked to show Berahino as England’s next rising star.

Yet as soon as the Tottenham interest came in, his form started to dip. Why shouldn’t a young player want to earn that bigger move? At Tottenham he had the opportunity to be a first team striker playing alongside England U21 team mate Harry Kane.

Rather than getting his move, Berahino was instead kept at West Brom, with no agreement being put in place for his move. What followed was a player being punished for wanting to dream big, and has led to a good youngster rotting on the bench.

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Considering West Brom are 14th and struggling for consistency, it can only be down to the form of Berahino. With Berahino in the side last season, West Brom finished 13th and pulled off a few shocks on the way: beating top teams like Tottenham, Manchester United and Chelsea. It looked like this new Tony Pulis side was going to start climbing the Premier League table.

But it’s yet to happen, and this season West Brom are just seven points off the relegation zone. Whether or not Berahino is worth the fuss can only really be seen once he moves to a top club, though.

He certainly isn’t lacking confidence in his ability, and it will be interesting to see just how much he can step up to the mark should he earn a move away from the Hawthorns in the summer. Rather than keeping a player who evidently does not want to play for the team, West Brom should take the money, make profit and let him go.

Only then, once Berahino is making his name at a club, can we judge whether the youngster is truly worth the fuss.

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Southampton have developed a habit in the last few years of coming from nowhere to finish high up the table. And, based on their recent form, this season looks to be no different, with the South Coast side a point off fifth place Manchester United, and seven adrift of Manchester City in fourth.

If this season has proven anything, it is that the football in the Premier League is very unpredictable. Leicester are title contenders, Chelsea are fighting to avoid relegation – it is all happening this season. This means that Southampton could do what they’ve threatened to do a while now.

After a good run of form, the Saints have pushed themselves in contention and got some good results. A 4-0 win against Arsenal kicked off the streak, but it wasn’t until mid January that the points started coming in regularly.

With a run of six matches seeing no losses, should they continue this there is no reason why they cannot compete for the top four. The January acquisition of Charlie Austin from QPR looks to be a real stroke of genius, as, for a long time, the Saints have struggled with just Shane Long and Graziano Pelle to lead their line. Now Austin, who is Premier League proven, can help fire them up the table.

Their next few games will give everyone a good idea on where the Hampshire outfit can finish this season. They play Chelsea at home next, and should they win that and then go on and get points again Bournemouth and Sunderland, then the table could read nicely for them.

With no FA Cup or European football to distract them, Southampton could have an advantage that Liverpool and Manchester United do not. Saints can focus solely on the league, and, injury permitting, could really challenge for the top four. However, they still have to face a few top teams. Liverpool, Leicester, Manchester City and Tottenham will not be easy to beat – especially Tottenham and Leicester whom are looking to be the shock league title contenders. Between now and the end of the season, the Saints have a lot of ‘cup finals’ ahead of them.

Although they are performing now, when they have faced the big teams this season, Southampton have floundered. Other than against Leicester, they have been beaten by Liverpool, Man City and Spurs, and not by just one goal. In the League Cup quarter final, they got hammered 6-1 by Liverpool. When you consider how inconsistent Liverpool have been this season, it will ring alarm bells for the coastal club.

If league results go their way, there is no reason why Southampton cannot fight for the top four, though you would have to feel that the teams around them will be more likely to fill those spots.

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Amid the Leicester excitement, Newcastle’s potential great escape has been overlooked.

The Magpies were truly in the mire just four games ago, but Rafa Benitez has worked his magic to turn it all around. Sunderland still have it all in their hands – they know that if they win their remaining three they will stay up – however, three wins in a row for this Black Cats side is rather unlikely… and Newcastle face the comically bad Aston Villa next.

Benitez taking the Newcastle job was odd at the time, but now, having shown that he can get this highly talented squad to play, it is starting to make more and more sense. The Magpies have really struggled to live up to their expectations for the majority of this season, yet Benitez has rejuvenated the players and given the Geordie faithful some belief. It could yet be their year – it could be the black and white of Newcastle that are the next Premier League surprise package. The talent is there, the manager is there and they definitely have the home atmosphere to make St James’ Park a fortress. What is there to say that Newcastle can’t replicate the success of West Ham this season?

In Georginio Wijnaldum, Moussa Sissoko, Chancel Mbemba and Ayoze Perez, Newcastle have a spine of players who should be competing in the top half of the Premier League. Wijnaldum, for instance, moved to Newcastle last summer and it was a surprise to many that the star of PSV Eindhoven’s title winning side in 2014/15 was not moving to a team in a stronger position. The Dutchman has been patchy in his form throughout this campaign, but a couple of outstanding performances have shown the Tynesiders just how good he could become. Wijnaldum’s up and down season is symbolic of Newcastle in this campaign and equally representative of what they could be next season.

I’ll spare you the tedious – and meaningless – comparisons with ‘doing a Leicester’, as that is a freak that will seldom, if ever, be repeated. Newcastle need to be realistic in what they can achieve and, if they stay up, there is no reason they can’t make it into a battle in the top eight. The squad is there to really challenge the biggest sides, and St James’ Park should quickly return to the fortress it was when they were at their best. Aleksandar Mitrovic will quickly become the most popular man in the city with a few goals whilst Mbemba and Jamaal Lascelles have proven themselves as a trustworthy Premier League partnership.

Investment is unlikely to be flowing in the summer with Mike Ashley still at the helm, but Benitez can work around that. The Spaniard does not need to go signing Toni Kroos, as shrewd additions will comfortably be enough. West Ham’s squad is not light years ahead of Newcastle, nor is Southampton’s, there is simply no reason that the Magpies shouldn’t be competing in the top half of the table. All of the renowned ‘big sides’ will be fighting harder than ever next year, but Benitez can surely build a Newcastle team that has the mettle to match the talent, and only a couple of signings are needed to make a team that is good enough for a top six finish.

Assuming they manage to avoid the drop, Newcastle fans can reasonably expect their team to secure a top half finish next season. Their fan base, a world class manager and a squad rich in talent has all the makings of a team to shock a few people next season. St James’ Park can become one of the trickiest away trips once more and Benitez can become a Kevin Keegan-esque Geordie icon.

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A 1-0 win in the derby clash against their arch rivals has given Manchester United a fighting chance of redeeming a largely forgettable 2015-16 and qualifying for next season’s Champions League.

This season will not be remembered with much fondness by the majority of the Old Trafford faithful, with some abject performances and disappointing results reminding the masses just how far the mighty have fallen.

Although Louis van Gaal has and continues to harbour a sizeable proportion of the blame for United’s woes, the players must taken responsibility and be accountable for a campaign that has not lived up to expectations.

A fair proportion of the Red Devils’ playing squad have not been at their best this season, with only a handful honestly being able to hold their hands up and state that they have been a positive force on the team.

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Arguably the biggest disappointment for United this season however has been the rather underwhelming start to life that Morgan Schneiderlin has made at the club.

Since the heady days of Roy Keane and Paul Scholes, the Manchester club have called out for a dominant figure to take charge in the boiler room and assert ascendancy in an integral area of modern football.

Many have been and gone, failing to emulate the distinguished duo that came before them, but a lot of expectation has been put on Schneiderlin’s shoulders given his rise to prominence at Southampton.

A shrewd operator that has improved year-on-year in the Premier League, the former Strasbourg starlet has become a France international and moved to one of the biggest clubs in world football over the last 12 months.

However, Schneiderlin’s debut campaign at United has not gone quite to plan.

Van Gaal has insisted in selected two from the Frenchman, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Michael Carrick in anchoring the side’s midfield.

Only plenty of occasions it has been Schneiderlin that has been the odd one out, while injuries have taken their toll.

In all, the 26-year-old has started 20 Premier League games this season but struggled to assert himself to the same degree that made him such an eye-catching player on the south coast.

There is every reason to believe that the Frenchman will improve next season and play a more prominent part in a United side that look to fight for honours. In 2016-17 he needs a consistent run of games and a settled partner in the heart of United’s team to get back to his best.

A slightly negative style of play has not suited Schneiderlin’s game and the potential arrival of a new manager could also breathe fresh life into the midfielder’s career.

At the moment the potential is there for the France international to be a star man at Old Trafford, but after one season at the club he is in danger of being added to the list of Manchester United midfielders that could to hold a candle to Keane or Scholes.

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The season is now over for Arsenal, who enjoyed a good late run to ensure they finished in the top four and beat bitter rivals Spurs to second place, keeping Arsene Wenger’s record of always finishing top of the north London mini-league intact.

We take a look back at the FIVE Gunners stars who impressed the most:

5 –  Laurent Koscielny

The Frenchman has commanded the defence very well this season thanks to his speed and good positioning. He has been a real threat in set-pieces, scoring three goals in important matches, and he was missed when injured.

4 –  Alexis Sánchez

Since arriving at the club in 2014, the Chilean has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water. He scored 17 goals and assisted nine this season, and continues to prove he has incredible quality and composure when it comes to netting in or outside the box.

3 –  Petr Cech

What an incredible signing. With 16 clean sheets overall, his natural leadership, experience and shot-stopping abilities have been key to so many points this season. Deserving of his spot in the top five.

2 –  Hector Bellerín

The Spanish right-back has become a valuable asset for the Gunners both defensively, with two interceptions per game, and going forward, with six assists. Arsenal’s fastest player added spark to the right flank with the speed and technique on the ball that earned him a well-deserved spot in the PFA Team of the Year.

1 –  Mesut Özil

First place goes to Mesut Özil. The Arsenal magician provided 19 assists this season, putting him a close 2nd in the club’s all-time leaderboard for assists in a single Premier League campaign behind Arsenal legend Thierry Henry. The German playmaker has been brilliant in creating space for every Arsenal player on the pitch to be comfortable on the ball. It may well be hard for Arsenal to keep him next season, but they must do everything to retain him.

With the news that Hull City manager Steve Bruce has interviewed by The FA in regards to the vacant England job it shows that it’s not just a one horse race in terms of who will be the man to take from Roy Hodgson.

The 55-year-old announced that he held talks on Monday but as yet there has been no official approach from The Football Association. Even though these talks have taken place, Sunderland’s Sam Allardyce is still very much the favourite to be Hodgson’s successor.

Has Steve Bruce done enough to warrant being England manager, though? On the face of it you would say probably not, but maybe this highlights the paucity of candidates that are in the running for the England job, but credit must go to The FA for wanting to hire an English man for the job.

With there being five English managers set to start next season in the Premier League, it’s very slim pickings, and with both Alan Pardew and Sean Dyche not set to be in the running there are only a trio of candidates who could feasibly become the next England boss.

Eddie Howe could be viewed as someone a bit too young at this time but you get the feeling his time will come. However, for someone like Steve Bruce, this could be the perfect time to make his foray into international management. The only thing that is standing in his way is Sam Allardyce.

But you get the feeling that Bruce is happy to be Number 2 on the list. He hasn’t necessarily been angling for this move but at the same time, if you were in Bruce’s position you certainly wouldn’t be turning down the opportunity to at least talk with your future employers.

After getting to the Premier League with Hull, the challenge now is to make sure Hull don’t once again become a yo-yo club in the top-flight and instead try to become an established Premier League club.

That won’t necessarily be easy as the club is currently in a backdrop of takeover talks plus there is the ongoing row about changing the name of the club to Hull City Tigers, distractions that Bruce doesn’t really need and distractions that also make the England job very appealing.

Perhaps The FA are talking to Bruce just so that it doesn’t look like a foregone conclusion and in fairness, they would be silly to rush into making an appointment so soon after Hodgson’s departure. With no England game until September there’s no great rush, and even then Gareth Southgate is capable of holding the fort for the first few qualifiers should he be required.

Whether Bruce is the right man for the job remains to be seen, as I don’t think he would have been people’s first choice when the vacancy arose but realistically is one of very few viable options.

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Manchester City fans have every right to be both excited and optimistic about new signing Gabriel Jesus, who signed in a £27million deal from Palmeiras this week.

Excitement surrounding his City career will build and build, after all, it will be mid-season before fans get the chance to catch their first glimpses of the new signing. He’ll spend the remainder of the Brazilian national Championship on loan with Palmeiras before linking up with City after Christmas.

So in essence, it is a January transfer window signing, with the fee being arranged now. A little odd, but perhaps it could be the best sort of Christmas present for Manchester City fans.

And the first time they will get to see their new man in action will be at the Olympics, when he joins up with the likes of Neymar as Brazil chase gold in the footballing games. And speaking of Neymar, there are plenty of people in Jesus’ native Brazil that feel he could, in time, become as good as the Barcelona talisman. But just how accurate are these claims?

Well, Jesus was part of the Brazil Under-20 side that finished as runners-up at the 2015 World Cup in New Zealand. He scored their first goal of the tournament against Nigeria in a 4-2 victory, and converted in games against Uruguay and Portugal too.

But domestically he has impressed too, scoring 26 goals in 67 matches for Palmeiras’ senior side, having impressed academy bosses for years whilst playing in the clubs’ development squads.

It gets even more exciting for City fans when former Brazilian legend Ronaldo suggested that he can see part of himself in the youngster, back when he was trying to make it as a first team-pro. No pressure, but it seems like those who believe in Gabriel Jesus really do believe in him, and he is expected to go on and be a cracking player in the very near future.

One of the best things about Jesus going forward, particularly when arrives at City is his ability to move across the forward line. He’s played as a striker, a number nine and on both flanks for Palmeires, and this gives Guardiola a fantastically versatile option going forward, particularly when fatigue and injuries take their tole in the latter part of the season.

But it’s also important to note that Jesus will have to bide his time when he arrives in England. City have the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, Samir Nasri, Nolito, David Silva and Raheem Sterling as first-team options to play across the forward line, so it may be a matter of time before we see the Brazilian wonderkid line up for City in the Premier League.

But before then, the best thing for this young man is to knuckle down and enjoy his football back in Brazil. There will be plenty of English-based football fans who will be keeping an eye on his progress with a distinct amount of keenness as well as the entire City fan-base too.

With hard-work, practise and game-time, there is little doubt Jesus could become as good as Neymar. After all, there can’t be a better platform to achieve your goals at than Manchester City, working under Pep Guardiola- who knows a thing or too about developing great Brazilians…

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Tottenham are back in the big time on Wednesday as they face Monaco at Wembley in their opening Champions League group game.

Spurs will go on to face CSKA Moscow and Bayer Leverkusen in this season’s competition and Mauricio Pochettino will hope his young side are up to a challenge that some of them will not have faced before.

It seems weird to think such stars from last season like Dele Alli and Harry Kane haven’t played at this level before but that’s how it is and so there will be some doubts, however small, about how they and the rest of the squad can adjust to the rigours of being at Europe’s top table.

Even so, it is a group that Spurs will feel progression from is possible and with the prospect of having the backdrop of Wembley to make use of for their European fixtures they should be confident of building up some good momentum, starting with Monaco.

Spurs need to be on it from the first whistle and with this in mind, we think this trio in particular need to put in a good shift…

Harry Kane

Kane scored his first goal of the season against Stoke at the weekend so expect the floodgates to open now for the England international.

He’s never played at Champions League level but has the attributes to succeed and will surely relish playing some of Europe’s finest. Spurs still rely on him to score the majority of their goals and so another good performance is needed.

Victor Wanyama

With Moussa Dembele now free to play Wanyama needs to use the time he spends getting match fit wisely.

It’s more than likely that the former Southampton man will be the one to make way for Dembele so he needs to show why Mauricio Pochettino should give that second thoughts.

He’s settled into the Spurs side quickly and another good showing here could do him a huge favour going into the rest of the season.

Christian Eriksen

The Danish international has signed a contract extension so expect him to get back to his best. When he’s on top form he makes Spurs tick and that’s what they’re going to need up against European competition.

Make no mistake Monaco are a good side so will be tough to beat but if Eriksen hits the right notes Spurs should secure all three points at Wembley.

Jamie Vardy’s fall from national hero to aggressive, misfiring striker has been dramatic. Painted as the perfect professional by some during the latter part of Leicester’s title winning season, Vardy was benefiting from a healthy portion of narrative.

Now we are over a month into the following campaign, Vardy is beginning to realise the harsh reality of the British media and fanbases. The reality is hitting hard for one of the game’s greatest rags to riches characters and, although many were aware of his failings already, it could quickly turn into an ugly battle for Vardy.

Two Premier League goals to his name to date have been unable to restrict Leicester early season slump. The club themselves are having to learn to deal with mortality again. Vardy was iconic in victory and in many ways is iconic in their current woes. He was unable to take any joy from his first-half performance against Manchester United, as the supply lines were stifled and with it his goalscoring chances.

In the small sample that is this young, fresh-faced Premier League season, Vardy is averaging just 1.8 shots-per-game. For a player with a shoot-on-sight approach like the Leicester forward, that is on the low side, particularly considering that he averaged 3.2 per-fixture in the league last season. Shots aren’t exactly the surest way to judge his contribution, but he is also completing fewer dribbles, key passes and being fouled more rarely than last season. The numbers seldom tell the whole story, Leicester are as good a proof of that as anyone, yet there is something to be taken from this.

The team have suffered early this season and Vardy’s downturn in output is both a cause and consequence.

Replicating last season’s heroics was never realistically on the cards for Vardy or Leicester, although the hope of a top-half finish and a healthy goal return for the player was hardly outlandish. From the shot-equals-goal Vardy of last season, the beginning of this campaign is a stark return to reality.

A brief overflow of last season’s glory into 2016/17 seems a distant prospect now. Leicester are, as the majority of Premier League clubs are, embroiled in a battle this season. Jamie Vardy is still a wonderful asset, his pace alone guarantees that, but Ranieri must not be afraid to leave out his parodied hero should it make sense for the team.

Liverpool were held to a stalemate 0-0 draw against Manchester United on Monday in what was a forgettable affair on Merseyside.

What many expected to be one of the most exciting fixtures of the Premier League season so far, instead turned out to be somewhat of a bore-fest with neither side offering any real threat to the opposition goal.

The first 45 minutes were mundane as both sides high pressure allowed neither chance to attack and find options through the middle of the park.

And while things did improve in the second half – with both Philippe Countinho and Roberto Firmino being denied by an excellent save from David De Gea and last ditch tackle from Antonio Valencia respectively – it certainly wasn’t a great spectacle.

A point will be enough for both sides to stay in contention for a top four challenge come the end of the season, however the home side will be upset they could not snatch all three points, especially considering their dominance late into the second half.

Here are five things we learnt from tonight’s game at Anfield…

Keeper Troubles Continue

Simon Mignolet’s replacement and summer signing Loris Karius had a shaky game throughout, and often looked uncomfortable in possession. While United’s high pressing certainly didn’t help, his insistence on playing it out from the back instead of sometimes just clearing his lines made his life more difficult than it should have been.

It is early days in his Anfield career and he certainly will need time to adjust, but the German needs to be more assured with his distribution if he is to force Mignolet out of the side on a permanent base.

Adam is the Key

Liverpool looked instantly more dangerous once Adam Lallana entered the field to replace Daniel Sturridge with 60 minutes gone, and not only because Sturridge did next to nothing for his hour on the pitch.

The Englishman’s ability to twist and turn in the midfield as well as out wide caused trouble for United and he provided a different outlet when going forward, often making runs out wide or in behind. His midfield counterparts Emre Can and Jordan Henderson don’t have that in their locker and hence Lallana brings a balance to the Reds midfield they lack without him.

Pressing Matters

All the hype going into the game was about Liverpool’s ‘pressing’ style of play which makes life difficult for their opponents on the ball and has been a major part of their success so far this season.

But it was in fact United who seemed to play Liverpool at their own game.

Whether it was a stroke of managerial genius from Mourinho or not, his side were relentless in closing down. Mourinho’s tactics were spot on to pick up a draw, as he often plays for in challenging away games, and Liverpool struggled to create many meaningful chances.

United’s Cutting Edge

Too often Manchester United this season have relied on their wonderkid Marcus Rashford to save the day, however they must learn they cannot always do so.

Rashford had little luck going forward this evening and instead spent most of his time tracking back down the flank, much to his credit it must be said.

United’s front line looked unbelievably lacklustre and Zlatan Ibrahimovic did little to trouble anyone all night, nor did (unsurprisingly) Ashley Young. Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard and Henrikh Mkhitaryan are clearly being sorely missed as the Red Devil’s lack a cutting edge with only the Swede up top and Rashford out wide.

The class of the in-form Juan Mata was sorely missed, too.

Poor Paul

It was yet another disappointing display from Paul Pogba, many of whom expected to rise to the big occasion, especially considering his wonderful performance whilst on international duty for France last week.

It was not to be however, and the clubs record signing once again looked out of sorts, instead being eclipsed by the impressive Ander Herrera.

Albeit he may not have the players around him to be performing to his absolute best, it is still clear for all that the former Juve man needs time to become accustomed to the Premier League, Mourinho’s style of play and indeed his United team-mates.