According to reports in The Mirror, Bournemouth are said to be confident of completing a £25m double deal for Chelsea duo Nathan Ake and Asmir Begovic this summer.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Cherries signed Ake on a season-long loan deal last summer and after impressing for the south coast outfit, he was recalled by Blues boss Antonio Conte during the January transfer window.

Eddie Howe was also keen to bring Begovic to the club during the same month, but a £10m deal wasn’t completed as Chelsea didn’t find a replacement for the Bosnian stopper.

How has Ake done on his return?

The 22-year-old may have felt that he would get some first team opportunities at Stamford Bridge having been recalled early, but it hasn’t really turned out like that.

He has made just three appearances and starts – all in the FA Cup, including Saturday’s semi-final success against Tottenham Hotspur – and is yet to play a single minute of Premier League football for his parent club.

That said, he did very well at Wembley at the weekend and it may have been a performance that has put him in contention for a league start against Southampton on Tuesday night.

And Begovic?

The 29-year-old is the club’s second-choice goalkeeper behind Thibaut Courtois and that is shown by the fact that he has made just seven appearances in all competitions this season, with just one of those coming in the Premier League – against Manchester United earlier this month.

The Bosnia and Herzegovina international will know that he needs to be playing regular football at his age and he will be aware that he will be the number one if he does decide to make the move to the Vitality Stadium.

What’s the verdict, then?

While a deal for Begovic seems likely, it remains to be seen whether Ake will be allowed to leave the club this summer.

With John Terry retiring Antonio Conte will need extra defensive cover, and it may take an offer of more than £25m if Eddie Howe is to tempt the Italian into selling both players.

Liverpool have suffered a big blow to their ambitions of a top four finish in the English Premier League after a dismal 0-0 draw at home to Southampton this afternoon.

The Reds had the chances to win the game, most notably through a penalty taken by James Milner, which was saved by the giant Fraser Forster.

It means Manchester United now have the initiative in the race for UEFA Champions League positions, five points behind with two games in hand, ahead of their huge game at the Emirates later today.

Jurgen Klopp’s men fought to the death of the game, hitting the bar in injury time, but ultimately couldn’t break down a dogged Southampton defence that did well to shut down the Liverpool frontline.

With just two games left for Liverpool, they really need to pick up maximum points against West Ham and Middlesbrough or risk seeing their season come off the rails right at the end of the campaign.

Manchester United fans were of course delighted and took to Twitter to share their thoughts on it all…

According to reports in The Sun, West Ham United are said to be lining up an ambitious £20m move for Napoli forward Dries Mertens this summer.

Irons manager Slaven Bilic is ready to significantly strengthen his squad following a disappointing season, with Sunday’s 4-0 defeat to Liverpool at the London Stadium just one of a number of below-par performances and results throughout the campaign.

Now the Croatian is targeting a move for the 30-year-old attacker, who is also said to be interesting the Hammers’ Premier League rivals Chelsea and Manchester United having so far failed to sign a new contract with the Serie A giants.

It would have to be an attractive offer too with the east London outfit having no European football on offer for the Belgium international next term, but it would certainly be a huge coup if they could bring him to the London Stadium.

Here are three reasons signing Mertens would help bring the good times back to West Ham fans…

He would bring goals and plenty of them

Despite primarily playing on the left side of a front three, the Belgium international has scored a remarkable 31 goals in 44 appearances in all competitions for Napoli this season to help keep them in contention to win the Serie A title.

His prolific record in front of goal would boost an Irons side that has often struggled to find the net when the likes of Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho have been ruled out because of injury this term.

If they were able to bring the forward to the London Stadium for £20m, it could prove to be one of the best bargains in recent years.

His creativity

As well as his ability to put the ball in the back of the net, Mertens is also a creative force for his teammates too, which is something the Irons have perhaps lacked since Dimitri Payet threw his toys out of the pram and departed for Marseille during the January transfer window.

In 33 Serie A appearances this term he has provided 10 assists while he also picked up four in eight outings in the Champions League too.

The Irons have been missing that spark all season long and the 30-year-old would be the answer to their problem.

He would excite Iron fans

There is no doubt that the Irons’ move to the London Stadium from the Boleyn Ground last summer hasn’t been the smoothest transition, with supporters struggling to create the same atmosphere as they did in their old home.

The team has also found it difficult to adapt too with a number of poor performances, and the home match against Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month is perhaps the first time we saw the atmosphere that is required for every match on their own turf.

However, it wasn’t replicated in the defeat against Liverpool on Sunday and perhaps it is because there are no players to excite the fans or to get them off of their seats.

A tricky dribbler and an attacker who loves to run at defenders, Mertens has the ability to do exactly that and he could be an important piece of the puzzle to improve the atmosphere in the London Stadium.

Do you agree, Irons fans? Let us know below.

After winning Ligue 1 and taking the title from the French capital for the first time in four seasons, AS Monaco have a fight ahead of them this summer to keep hold of their stars who helped them to the club’s first league title since 99/00.

Kylian Mbappe has been their poster boy sseason. The teenager showed the world just how good he is with his impressive displays in Ligue 1 and of course the Champions League as he became the youngest ever player to score in the knock-out stages.

Tiemoue Bakayoko, on the other hand, has been the ‘Paul Scholes’ of the operation because he has gone about his business quietly but effectively, proving himself to be one of Monaco’s key players.

According to transfermarkt.com’s list of potential Stamford Bridge incoming’s this summer, Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is keen on bringing Bakayoko to London but the recent good form of Chelsea’s own midfield dynamo, Nemanja Matic, will have given the Italian a bit of a headache.

Almost certainly destined for the exit door after Christmas, Matic has since shown the form he produced during the first season of his second spell at Stamford Bridge.

The Serbian has put in some dominate displays in the middle of the park, and has even added a goal threat to his game, scoring against both Tottenham and Middlesbrough in recent weeks.

But who would Chelsea fans prefer to see in Conte’s midfield next season? Have your say in the poll below…

Chris Smalling was arguably Manchester United’s best player in the 2015-16 season, but the England international struggled to rediscover that form under Jose Mourinho last term.

The 27-year-old has been strongly linked with a move away from Old Trafford in recent weeks, with Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal both said to be interested in the former Fulham defender.

Smalling, however, is seemingly confident that he will be staying at Man United after looking ahead to pre-season during an interview with the club’s official website.

Smalling’s words were posted on Man United’s official Twitter account, and the response from the majority of supporters was one of anger towards the centre-back.

Mourinho criticised Smalling for refusing to play through the pain barrier last season, whilst the arrival of Victor Lindelof from Benfica is another indication that the defender could be heading for the exit door ahead of the 2017-18 campaign.

Smalling has made 243 appearances for Man United since arriving from Fulham in 2010, but it appears that the majority of the club’s fans do not want to see him make a 244th.

The English national team has several players who are approaching a career crossroads and have a big decision to make this summer.

The Three Lions have plenty of starting spots up for grabs with the 2018 World Cup right around the corner, so playing time is now at the forefront of several players’ minds.

Gareth Southgate’s decision to leave captain and all-time leading goal scorer Wayne Rooney out of his latest England squad signifies a generational transition.

Gone is the era of Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, which leaves the door open for players such as Dele Alli and Harry Kane to establish themselves at international level, but they aren’t the only players looking to become a hero in Russia.

Although Rooney is almost sure to leave Manchester United this summer, he’s not the only English attacker that is likely heading for their club’s exit.

Here are four English attackers that could greatly benefit from a summer move…

ALEX OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN

The only player of this group that got called up to the latest squad, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has always been flush with talent but has never stayed in the Arsenal starting XI long enough to establish some consistency.

The winger is still only 23-years-old so to say he is in a do-or-die situation would be a little over the top, but he certainly has some things to think about this summer.

Of his 29 league appearances this past season, he only played the full 90 minutes five times and was substituted on 13 times. Oxlade-Chamberlain has never been expected to score 20 goals in a season, but only six goals across all competitions this past season is his Arsenal career-high.

Although he appears set to reject Liverpool to stay with the Gunners, another good option would be a move back to boyhood club Southampton. He would be a sure-fire starter for the Saints and be able to pick up the consistent game time that he has lacked thus far in his career. Oxlade-Chamberlain will surely have an eye on any Arsenal transfer rumours that could affect his role.

ROSS BARKLEY

The Everton youth product has only one year remaining on his contract and is less likely to stay with his boyhood club with each passing day.

Ross Barkley burst onto the scene with a six-goal 2013-14 campaign that drew the attention of Premier League elites like Manchester City and Chelsea and has continued to develop, albeit at a slower pace than most predicted.

The 23-year old attacking midfielder has scored 13 league goals across the past two seasons while missing only two games. Being a good English player, Barkley is very valuable to the Premier League’s top-six and a move for European football seems to be his next career move.

Barkely has only played five Europa League games in his career and if he wishes to establish himself as an England international and Premier League star, he can no longer stay with Everton.

DANIEL STURRIDGE

The 27-year-old forward has had an interesting career path, playing for three of last season’s top four Premier League clubs but also spending plenty of time on the sidelines.

Daniel Sturridge has missed a combined 68 games due to injury in the past three seasons after his extraordinary 2013-14, when his 21 Premier League goals was second in the league only to then-teammate Luis Suarez’s 31.

The left-footed forward is now battling for minutes with Divock Origi, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and youngster Ben Woodburn, so it will be difficult for the Englishman to impress Jurgen Klopp.

Sturridge’s talent is undeniable but with younger and healthier options to choose from, the Manchester City youth product should probably seek a move elsewhere.

ANDROS TOWNSEND

It has been only about three-and-a-half years since Andros Townsend scored on his England debut, but his inability to be consistent has made that day seem like a lifetime ago.

After nine loan moves, the left-footed winger finally earned playing time with parent club Tottenham but only played a first team role for two seasons.

After appearing in only seven games in the first half of the 2015-16 season, Townsend was sold to Newcastle where he scored four times in 13 appearances but couldn’t keep the Magpies in the Premier League. He moved to Crystal Palace last summer and played in a career-high 40 games across all competitions but scored only three times.

The 25-year old didn’t struggle for playing time with the Eagles, playing in 36 league games, but he hasn’t been called up to the England squad in 2017 due to his inconsistency.

He was linked with a return to Newcastle, a move that could greatly benefit both Townsend and manager Rafael Benitez as the Spaniard prepares for the Toons Premier League return.

According to reports in the Daily Mirror, new Crystal Palace manager Frank De Boer is said to be lining up a move to bring Fenerbahce striker Robin van Persie back to the Premier League after two seasons in Turkey.

De Boer is keen to strengthen his side’s attacking options as they only narrowly avoided relegation to the Championship last term, with the Daily Mirror stating that the 33-year-old is also keen on a return to English football.

However, Palace may face competition from a number of clubs if they do make a move for the Dutchman, who previously featured for Arsenal and Manchester United in the Premier League and lifted the title with the latter in 2013, and one of those could be West Ham United.

Irons manager Slaven Bilic is keen to bring in at least two new strikers this summer following more injury issues for Andy Carroll and Diafra Sakho last season, and he may feel that the attacker could be a worthwhile addition to his frontline.

Here are three reasons West Ham should hijack Palace’s move for Van Persie…

Guaranteed goals

Wherever Van Persie has been during his career, he has scored goals and it has been no different in the last two seasons with Fenerbahce.

The former Netherlands international – who netted 50 goals in 101 caps for his country before retiring in 2015 – has scored 40 goals for the Turkish giants in just 86 appearances in all competitions, while he left Manchester United previously with a record of more than one goal every two games having netted 58 times in 105 matches in total.

Marquee signing

Perhaps aside from the win against Tottenham towards the end of last season, the mood around West Ham United and the atmosphere inside their London Stadium home was rather subdued, and perhaps the clubs needs a ‘marquee’ signing to give the supporters a boost again – much like when Dimitri Payet arrived in 2015.

Bringing in Van Persie would certainly do that given what he has achieved in the game, and despite the fact that he is set to turn 34 years of age in August, he would still have plenty to offer at Premier League level.

Price tag

While he would probably need to take a wage cut if he did move to the London Stadium, the 33-year-old’s potential price tag could offset that potential issue.

Van Persie has just a year left on his Fenerbahce contract and with the Daily Mirror reporting that he is keen on a return to England, he looks unlikely to sign a new deal with the Turkish outfit.

Instead of leaving on a free transfer this time next year, he may well be available for a cut-price fee this summer, and that is something that could appeal to West Ham with the crazy inflation of transfer fees.

Do you agree, Irons fans? Let us know below.

Everton boss Ronald Koeman occasionally likes to update fans on Twitter of his day-to-day management.

On Tuesday, he posted an image of himself putting the team through their paces at a training camp in Holland.

The Merseyside outfit are preparing for a pre-season friendly against FC Twente, and new signings, including Jordan Pickford, Sandro Ramirez and Cuco Martina, could get a run-out.

As expected, plenty of Everton fans responded to the tweet, and the main focus was on new additions.

The Toffees have spent close to £100m on players so far in the summer window.

As well as Pickford, Ramirez and Martina, Everton have recruited Davy Klaassen, Henry Onyekuru, Michael Keane and Wayne Rooney.

Despite being the busiest Premier League club in the window, it seems that some supporters are not prepared to settle for what they have.

A handful of fans took the opportunity to tell Koeman who he should buy next, and the list included Liverpool target Virgil van Dijk, Swansea City midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson and Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud.

Newcastle United announced on Friday that they had secured the signature of Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino on a season-long loan from Borussia Dortmund.

The 21-year-old, who helped Spain Under-21s reach the semi-finals of the European Under-21 Championships earlier this summer, will spend the whole of next season with the Magpies after jetting in to sign a contract.

Merino has become Newcastle’s fifth summer arrival following the recent captures of Javier Manquillo and Jacob Murphy, and the deal has gone down well with the club’s expectant supporters.

Merino, who primarily operates as a defensive midfielder, started his professional career with Osasuna, and scored eight times in 67 league appearances for the Spanish outfit between 2014 and 2016.

He made the move to Dortmund in last summer’s transfer window, but only started two Bundesliga matches during the 2016-17 campaign.

Newcastle are believed to have beaten a number of clubs to the signing of the Spaniard this summer, and the club’s fans cannot wait to see their new man take to the field.

Liverpool warmed up for a crunch midweek Champions League qualifying second leg with Hoffenheim by overcoming bogey side Crystal Palace at Anfield to record their first Premier League win of the season.

Still unbeaten, though, the Reds have some positives to take from the opening games of the season, even if there are clear improvements to be made.

After conceding three goals away to Watford last weekend, and having rested some of their key players ahead of the midweek European game, perhaps that’s why a clean sheet and a solid defensive performance stands out as one of the most pleasing aspects of the win.

Although Palace are in the process of morphing into a different beast under Frank de Boer, they still have the height and power of Christian Benteke to cause a problem for most teams, especially when, like Liverpool, their defending at set-pieces has spent a week on a slide under the national media’s microscope.

A new centre back has clearly been on Jurgen Klopp’s shopping list this summer. The Virgil van Dijk saga may still be rumbling on, but it’s clear that Liverpool need extra help in that department. But this weekend’s performance from Ragnar Klavan might give Liverpool some hope that they can lean on the Estonian as a reliable second choice – especially now European football will put extra demands on Klopp’s squad. Demands that weren’t a problem last year.

The Estonian defender excelled in his task up against Benteke, winning six aerial duels in the entire game – no other player on the pitch bettered that total – and making four clearances. Only Scott Dann at the other end made more, though that’s surely to be expected given the away team at Anfield are usually the ones who should spend most of the game under the cosh. In this case, that was very much the case, as the home side took over 70% of the possession of the ball.

Perhaps, though, that wasn’t the most impressive part of Klavan’s performance. It’s probably the part he’ll receive most of the praise for, and it’s perhaps the steady defensive solidity that Liverpool will be most pleased about. But it should be the bread and butter for a defender, at least when he plays well. More important, though, is his ability to keep up with his team in recycling possession and helping to launch attacks was evident. When Klavan is partnered with Joel Matip, the Estonian certainly won’t be considered the more sophisticated ball-playing defender between the two, but it was Klavan who had more touches, played more passes and even had the better pass accuracy.

None of this is to say that Liverpool have found their best centre-half pairing in Matip and Klavan, and none of it says that Klopp and the board shouldn’t be on the look-out for another defender in the final week or so of the transfer window. But it is to say that when the basics are done right, that gives the team a much better ability to win football games.

It is now five clean sheets in the last six Premier League games for Liverpool, a stat which feels at odds with the recent narrative around the club, but one which should put things into perspective.