The Europa League. Often looked at as the Champions League’s runt sibling, UEFA’s second tier of continental club football has been sneered at in recent years, with many claiming that the sheer level of matches involved and the long trips for Thursday night games have a negative impact on domestic performances.

True, there are a lot of matches (15 to win the tournament proper) and, granted, there are often trips to countries such as Bulgaria, Russia and Turkey, but the Europa League deserves some respect.

Southampton are the latest new kids on the block from the English game to roll up their sleeves and wade in, with a winnable qualification play-off tie with FC Midtjylland all that stands between the Hampshire outfit and real continental football.

Although some have already suggested that the extra games may be too much for Ronald Koeman’s men – citing Everton’s struggled last season – we believe that the Saints must embrace the challenge and that taking it seriously is the best possible thing to do. Here are FIVE reasons why…

Realism

Let’s be realistic for a few seconds. Southampton pretty much reached their ceiling last season. Pushing for a Champions League qualification spot was all well and good, but eventually the financial muscle of the likes of Liverpool, Spurs and Manchester United saw the Saints pushed down to a seventh place finish. No disrespect intended, but that’s the best the club can truly hope for, unless they get a huge cash injection from wealthy owners – albeit Financial Fair Play would prevent a Manchester City-esque rise.

Southampton are somewhat in limbo, they’re not powerful enough to compete for the top four this season, yet they’re far too good to be anywhere near a relegation fight. So, why not put serious effort into the Europa League? Silverware is on offer and, aside from a handful of elite sides – whose motivation in the competition may be questionable – the South Coast outfit are among the upper end of the teams involved in terms of quality.

Style of football

Although not at the extreme end of the scale – the tiki taka phenomenon – Southampton do aim to play football in an attractive manner, selecting technical prowess over physical power. Okay, Victor Wanyama and Graziano Pelle bring an element of brute force, but in Jose Fonte they have a centre-back comfortable bringing the ball forward, while attacking midfielders such as Jay Rodriguez, Dusan Tadic and Sadio Mane enable a fluid approach in the final third.

A solid defence last season – albeit the first two games of the new Premier League season have raised concerns – bodes well for European football, with keeping it tight away from home often necessary.

Champions League back door route?

Win the Europa League and you book a spot in the Champions League. Finally the competition has been given genuine credibility by UEFA’s decision to allocate another spot in the biggest competition, and Sevilla, in its inaugural campaign, took advantage by lifting the trophy – they finished fifth in La Liga.

38 Premier League games are likely to see at least six teams finish ahead of the Saints, while a friendly draw and a handful of truly great performances could put the Hampshire side in with a shout of reaching the final, and maybe even lifting the Europa League trophy.

Continental appeal

The Europa League may be given a look akin to that you may direct at unidentified brown mess on the bottom of your shoe in England, but across the continent the competition has a larger appeal. Aside from the bigger teams who drop into the tournament from the Champions League or find themselves eligible on the back of below par seasons, the competition is pretty fierce with impressive sides such as Sevilla having shown just how to benefit from the exposure it brings.

Players want to play European football, and if Southampton can impress it may give them a greater level of attractiveness when chasing stars from mainland Europe, or further afield.

Something for the fans

Midweek games under the floodlights are always a little bit magical. Southampton supporters have been through a lot over the course of the last 10 years, dropping as low as League One while almost witnessing the club, one of only a few elite sides on the South Coast, nearly cease to exist through financial issues.

A season of European football seemed improbable not so long ago, so supporters of the red and white side are really embracing it now – the atmosphere at St Mary’s against Vitesse Arnhem was truly excellent.

It would be quite the reward for the club’s loyal following to see their side playing against teams such as, potentially, Schalke, Villarreal or Napoli when trips to sides like Bristol Rovers and Walsall were on the agenda in 2011.

Although Matteo Darmian first arrived in the English Premier League with decent reputation already to his name, it’s fair to say that very few prominent voices within the Beautiful Game ever quite expected the Italian to take to his new life at Old Trafford as well as he seemingly has.

The 25-year-old former Torino star has proved a revelation at Manchester United since Louis van Gaal saw fit to acquire his services this summer, and as the defender also has a fair amount of experience with the Italian national team under his belt at this stage in his career, his future among the English top-flight certainly remains well placed right about now.

So then, although the Red Devils nonetheless managed to sign a whole host of arguably more high profile talent throughout the summer transfer window – including such illustrious names as Memphis Depay, Bastian Schwienstieger and Anthony Martial – does Matteo Darmian in-fact represent the most underrated capture made at Old Trafford in the run up to the 2015/16 campaign?

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Well, if his early form in Manchester United colours is to prove anything to go by this season, the signing of Darmian could well turn out to be not only the best transfer made at Louis van Gaal’s club this summer, but potentially across the entire Premier League itself. For a reported fee of £12.7million, the current league leaders seem to have finally sourced themselves some genuine value for money in the transfer market for once.

When you consider that Luke Shaw was eventually signed at Old Trafford for an incredible £27million, with both Ander Herrera and Marouane Fellaini somehow costing in the region of £60million between them – it seems obvious that the Red Devils have in-fact been fleeced somewhat in the transfer market of late. The club seemingly haven’t been interested in landing a fair price for their targets and it’s ultimately only served to damage the team’s league form prior to the current campaign…

However through the signing of Matteo Darmian, that particularly concerning trend seems to have been well dodged for a change. There are many other full-backs out there that Manchester United could have easily signed for a ridiculous price this summer without even giving second thought to such a gamble – but seeing as the 25-year-old seems to represent anything but a risk for Louis van Gaal this season – the high flying Premier League club nonetheless deserve credit for finalising such a deal.

The current Italian international somehow arrives as both a modern day flying full-back who has the potential to aid his team heavily in attack from the wide positions, as well as someone capable of playing the traditional full-back’s role – with an emphasis on solid defensive work above anything else. Darmian therefore embodies every approach available in his position, making him a truly valuable asset for Manchester United indeed.

When it comes to breaking up play just when his side need it most, playing the ball calmly out from the back as opposed to lumping it forward in rather aimless fashion, and simply running the entire flank across the entirety of the 90 minutes – this is a player who has failed to disappoint in the Premier League thus far.

Darmian possesses the skill and level of technical ability any first choice full-back needs to make it within the pressure of Old Trafford, as well as all the notorious gamesmanship tactics employed to gain a mental advantage over the opposition. The former Torino defender also offers a fair amount of versatility for Louis van Gaal to consider, as he can play on either wing with the same degree of confidence, efficiency and influence.

Yes, it still remains early days for the 25-year-old in the Premier League of course – and we all know that a sticky patch of bad form could come round to haunt even the most gifted of professional footballers out there – yet as things currently stand, this particular deal nonetheless seems highly profitable for every different party involved. Between the manager, players, chairman and general club supporters alike, there can really be no complaints surrounding this move.

Manchester United fans ultimately have great cause for excitement in their club’s latest defensive recruitment. Although the Red Devils are far from secure across every single area of van Gaal’s desired starting XI, the signing of Matteo Darmain certainly represents the most underrated capture made at Old Trafford this summer – and perhaps even across the rest of the league itself if his current form continues in such impressive style.

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Let’s analyse, player by player, the performance of Liverpool on the night:S. Mignolet – 7The Belgian has barely had an easier game in a Liverpool shirt. 0 shots on goal for Rubin shows that he was not tested in Russia. For the first 80 minutes he didn’t have anything in his box to deal with, but then a five/six minute spell of pressure from the home side produced one or two nervy moments. All in all a very easy night for him.N. Clyne – 6.5Clyne had a very solid night. Defensively he didn’t have much to do and he was solid in possession – providing overlapping runs for Ibe was his main output. Match by match he is becoming a key man under Klopp. Klopp, however, would like him to improve his crossing ability, as that addition will make Clyne a complete right-back.D. Lovren – 6The Croatian replaced Martin Skrtel for this game and was under a little pressure to perform. He actually didn’t have to do much as Marko Devic was barely making runs in behind to test him. He did, however, give away a cheap free kick in dangerous territory late on, but overall I would say he had very little to do.M. Sakho – 7.5The Frenchman produced another classic centre back display in a Liverpool shirt, as he grows both as a player and a leader at the back. His offensive passes were extraordinary with more than 90% of them being completed. Defensively he didn’t have much to do – one or two headed clearances and blocks in later stages of the game when Rubin were trying to equalise. Overall a thumbs up for the former PSG man, who is becoming Liverpool’s main centre back..A. Moreno – 6.5The Spaniard also had a solid night in Russia. With not much to do in defensive sense, he was good in possession, stretching Rubin in wide areas. That said, he needs to improve his crossing and decision-making in final third of the pitch. All in all a stroll for him as he continues to thrive under Klopp in the left back position.J. Allen – 6Allen replaced Lucas for this game and was in the centre of the midfield. It was a typical Allen display with few neat touches and clever transition tocuhes as he helped his midfield partners to press higher up the pitch. Apart from one or two losses of possession and fouls, the Welshman had a comfortable night.E. Can – 7Can was again influential in midfield and continues to thrive as a player in his favoured position. He was neat in his passing, pressing, tracking back and breaking of the opposition’s counter attacks. He really needs to be more decisive in passing when in final third of the pitch and needs to release the ball quicker from his feet, though. However, in all fairness, the German looked increasingly comfortable in that central midfield role and we have to remember that he is still young and has a long future ahead of him.J. Milner – 5Milner was on the left of the three men behind the centre forward, and the former Manchester City man endured another tricky outing – questions will be raised whether he should be a regular starter and whether he will continue to wear the captain’s armband. A below average performance as continues to struggle in wide areas, fails to track back and slows play down. He had a good chance early on in the game from which he struck the top of the crossbar, but apart from that a sub-standard outing from the 29-year old, who was eventually substituted in the hour mark.R. Firmino – 7.5The Brazilian continues his good form and produced another crafty performance in that No.10 position that he’s slowly making his own. He was the player who looked like creating an opening whenever had the ball and always tried to run in behind or between the centre backs causing problems. A typical playmaker’s performance from the ex-Hoffenheim man, who is now finding his feet at Liverpool.J. Ibe – 8.5 (MOTM)By the far the most impressive player on the pitch and this was, arguably, his best performance in a Liverpool shirt. The teenager played on the right side and looked at ease when cutting inside and shooting. He was was impressive in holding the ball and letting Clyne make overlapping runs, too, and those two combined well. Ibe, of course, scored a wonderful goal that eventually proved to be the difference on the night. A statement performance from the 19 year old, which could earn him more starting berths in future.C. Benteke – 6Starting for the first time under Klopp, the Belgian had a quiet night in front of goal, mainly due to lack of effective crosses from either side of the field. He was fairly strong in the air, winning headers and holding up play for runners to get up in support. Liverpool have to improve their crossing to get more from him, though. Overall a good performance.A. Lallana – 7 (on for Milner in 60th minute)Came on for Milner and did pretty well. The Englishman provided few neat touches and turns and laid a good pass to Ibe on a notable Liverpool break. He has looked different player under Klopp and is becoming a regular in the team.Lucas – 7 (on for Firmino in 81st minute)The Brazilian came on when Rubin started to look a bit dangerous. He came just to shore up the backline and be a presence between the centre backs.M. Skrtel – NA (on for Can in 90+2 minute)The Slovakian came for a few seconds and had no involvement in the game.Jurgen Klopp – 8The manager continues to impress and the results are now showing just that. Three wins on a bounce in all competitions – the last two coming in tough away trips – is pleasing. He started with a 4-2-3-1 formation with Can and Allen in central midfield and gave Ibe the start he needed, which proved to be a master stroke. He continued with Firmino in the No.10 position, which also paid dividends. Overall, tactically a good showing for the manager, who maintained his unbeaten start as Liverpool boss.All in all, a solid away European performance for Liverpool, which was their first away European win in three years. They also became the first English team to beat Rubin Kazan in their own back yard.[ad_pod id=’writeforus’ align=’center’]

Monday’s Champions League draw saw a different English side take the bullet and face Barcelona. It was Arsenal, whose 3-0 away win against Olympiacos gave them a late reprieve in the competition, that was drawn against Manchester City’s usual Round of 16 opponents.

The Citizens’ reward for topping the group is a tie to Dynamo Kiev. Certainly an easier prospect but not without its downsides.

Avoiding PSG was the target for all those who won their groups. It’s Chelsea that will have to face them and hope they can reverse last season’s elimination at the hands of the rich Parisians. Most City fans had braced themselves for the trip across to the French capital so it was light relief when they swerved a meeting.

Such is the ill-feeling toward UEFA, and the paranoia that bad luck will always follow City in the Champions League, that the dream of drawing Gent was never going to be realised. Instead they got a game with a readymade subplot. Just like when the Manchester side faced CSKA Moscow, they will be unable to take any travelling support.

For a second time now, City have been punished because of the actions of rival fans. It was Kiev fans that were found guilty of racist chants. A more fitting punishment would be to ban them from the 70,000 NSC Olimpiyskiy stadium and allow City to take as many of their supporters as they please.

Instead UEFA have given them a ban that will only act as a small financial punishment and on match day will be a leveller of the atmosphere which could assist the home team as they will be familiar with the environment.

Crowds aside, by February the current Manchester City side needs to have settled. Against Swansea they once again produced a display befitting of the new Typical City definition. Even in the lead there’s a feeling the team can switch off and concede goals. When the inevitable occurs the belief that follows is that City will rescue the day. More often than not, they do.

But they’ve found out before that escape acts are harder to pull off in the Champions League. If they need an example, then they should give CSKA Moscow a few further minutes’ worth of thought. Like Swansea at the weekend, Kiev is a winnable tie. But like the Swans match, the feeling persists that City can make hard work of it.

The cold away leg has the potential to be a banana skin. However, there is enough time before then to bring key players back from injury and rediscover the form from the opening five games of the season. If the side starts keeping clean sheets again (something they have failed to do with Vincent Kompany out of the side) and becomes more clinical in front of goal so they can put games to bed earlier, a trip to Kiev will look far more appealing.

To place it into context, for fans and players alike, the daunting prospect facing Arsenal is one City had become used to. Facing Barcelona requires a degree of faith when considering progression because logic says it will be unlikely. Teams like Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Barcelona are currently playing at a higher level than their English counterparts. The Gunners have become the sacrificial lamb often played by the Blues.

If City do progress – as they will be expecting – they will have to face a top team at some point. But perhaps this squad only needs a run in Europe to instil the belief they’re currently missing. They’ll be hoping to give their fans a big European away day after dealing with the Ukraine threat.

And who knows? Arsenal could even cause an upset and remove Barcelona from the list of potential quarter final opponents.

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Manchester United’s fortunes have dipped dramatically over the last two months, with Louis van Gaal’s side looking short of confidence and inspiration.

Elimination from the Champions League and a drop out of the top four has seen pressure mount on the Dutch coach, who in turn has rotated his squad in recent matches.

Despite this, a number of players in the United ranks have not been afforded as much football as they would want and will be considering a temporary stint elsewhere as the January transfer window opens.

With the manager’s future uncertain and potential recruitment to be done over the next month, these three players would be advised to spend the rest of the campaign with a new, short-term employer.

Paddy McNair

Van Gaal has not been afraid to blood young players during his time in England and has a venerable list of prodigious talent that he has given opportunities to at former clubs.

Northern Irishman Paddy McNair was one of those that was handed a shock chance to play when the Dutchman first took over at Old Trafford but has found himself on the periphery of the starting XI this season.

Five Premier League outings would surely be increased upon if McNair was to make a move elsewhere for the rest of 2015/16 and give him a chance to make a statement to United.

With Northern Ireland also competing at EURO 2016 in the summer, the youngster could well have a part to play at the tournament in France and would increase his chances by stepping out more regularly at club level.

Victor Valdes

The distinguished Spanish goalkeeper has had a nightmare tenure in England and as long as Van Gaal remains in charge will not be given a chance to play.

It seems likely that the former Barcelona and Spain custodian will leave Old Trafford for good over the next month, but if this is not afforded then a loan move back to his homeland would be a preferable choice than staying in his current predicament.

Valdes has a history of winning silverware and at 33 he still has a number of years to play at the top level – as such if he remains at United for the rest of the season it would be a real shame and waste of talent.

Nick Powell

A sublimely gifted midfielder, Powell’s arrival at Old Trafford, and subsequent promise while out on loan, has had the club’s faithful excited about just how good the Englishman could be in the future for a while now.

However, in the short term Van Gaal remains unconvinced, with the 21-year-old only making a solitary Premier League outing this season.

Powell needs to experience top-flight football consistently to develop and it is evident that for the time being this will not be on offer at United.

Moving to a team in the Premier League’s lower reaches would be a smart option for all involved and could well be the spark to ignite Powell’s career.

The Premier League is vibrant and healthy. Or is it? Is the world’s supposedly top’ league in good shape and is it all a bit, well, boring?

The league this season has seen many things. The fall of Chelsea, the boring Manchester United, the predictable Arsenal, the hot and cold of Manchester City, but the emergence of the so-called ‘lesser’ teams.

Fans of Crystal Palace, Leicester and West Ham have never had it so good. It is said that anyone can beat anyone and that’s been proved by the three aforementioned sides, but if those teams have broken the golden rule of ‘you don’t beat elite teams’, then what’s happened to these elite teams?

The gap financially is closing, but the Premier League’s elite clubs will always be the big four. Arsenal, Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea are still the main draw to the league. The financial backing is such that they will go on and buy the big names on big salaries that emerging, competing teams can only dream of.

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Let’s face it, the likes of Leicester, Palace and West Ham have some good players, but they are only reaching unheard of goals because of the decline in the other teams’ standards.

Globally, the Premier League is where it’s at. Big name companies still sponsor the teams within it, the international following is immense and teams eye up Asia like a crocodile watching wildebeest drinking by the edge of a river. It’s all about revenue.

The Premier League is a bit dull now because the eyes of the bigfFour are on the Champions League instead. Excluding Manchester United right now, of course. Is it revenue over competition? Possibly…

Chelsea’s decline this season has surprised everyone. They are stabilising, but they are not the Chelsea of old. Arsenal just seem to plod on regardless and are just unexciting and predictable. Manchester City are the most inconsistent in recent memory and Manchester United’s play has slowed up so much, the fans now take a sharp stick to each match to prod themselves with to stay awake.

The likes of Depay and Martial hit us like lightening at the beginning of the season, but under van Gaal, he has slowed them down, played them out of position or not at all.

Liverpool are in transition and will always be on the fringes until a manager brings in players who are talented enough, who care about the badge and deserve to play for an iconic club. That leaves Spurs. They are seemingly there or thereabouts these days, but they don’t have what it takes to win the league. Something is missing. Maybe a strike partner alongside Kane, but there is a piece of the jigsaw missing there.

Would some of the players of today been good enough to play in the better teams of the past?

The introduction of a 25-man squad for Premier League and Champions League football — including a homegrown quota — has reduced the ability of leading clubs to stockpile players, thereby increasing the range of talent available to clubs outside the top four now able to offer greater wages than ever before.

But the clubs and star players are there to entertain, aren’t they? Equally, the best league needs the best coaches to bring in the best and to improve them.

Leagues across Europe are not too dissimilar. In Germany and it’s always a one-horse race, almost a monopoly with Bayern Munich. Since the year 2000, the Muinch club have won the Bundesliga 10 times and will win it again this season.

In France, PSG are already 21 points clear of second place Monaco with a stunning goal difference of +46. The last three seasons, the title has stayed in Paris. In Spain, you have Barcelona, Real Madrid and sometimes Atletico Madrid, as it is this season.

In Holland it’s always Ajax, PSV or Feyenoord. Twente and AZ spoilt the party on a couple of occasions, but you need to go back to 1963 before you find a different team with their name on the trophy.

However, isn’t that just a little boring? The other clubs are always hoping to catch up, but never getting there except for the occasional victory that halts the biggest teams for one minute.

What you end up with is a league within a league.

Match day attendances are up, sponsorship increasing, revenue going through the roof, but the bigger names don’t necessarily fall over themselves to play on these shores. Maybe the lack of Champions league success has something to do with it.

So, is the Premier League in decline? Not in every corner, but it is in danger of becoming elitist.

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The beautiful game has become increasingly obsessed with individuality in recent years, to the extent that the Ballon d’Or now carries almost parallel gravitas to the Champions League title.

That particularly rings true in the Premier League, a division that accelerates its collective spending with every transfer window in a relentless effort to bring big-money superstars to the English game.

But in this season’s title race, the world-class talents at Arsenal and Manchester City are being overshadowed by the team spirit of Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur, who rank first and second respectively with just twelve games to go until the medals are handed out.

That’s not to suggest Arsenal and City are completely abhorrent of team spirit and that’s not to suggest City and Spurs are completely absent of superstars.

Nonetheless, it’s dressing room comradery and perfection as a cohesive unit rather than talent on an individual level that has seen Leicester and Spurs perform beyond their means to rise to the Premier League’s summit.

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Arsenal and Manchester City, meanwhile, despite sharing the most talented players on show in the Premier League with the exception of a small rabble of underperforming Chelsea stars, find themselves chasing rather than setting the pace.

Leicester and Spurs’ respective team spirit stems from rather different sources. This Foxes squad has been together for some time – Andy King, for example, represented them back in League One – and their miraculous great escape at the end of last season has inserted a fearlessness into the collective psyche, the idea that they’re capable of anything they put their mind to as long as they stick together.

Spurs, on the other hand, owe their team spirit almost entirely to Mauricio Pochettino, a manager who favours attacking football but insists upon a bedrock of energy, hard work and passion.

We’ve seen countless and arguably more talented Spurs sides wilt at this point in the season before, but the current crop have completely bought into the Argentine’s philosophy and barring the most spectacular of implosions, will be fighting tooth and nail until the very last second of the 2015/16 Premier League season.

Yet, the consequences are almost the same; two sides who play to their strengths, remain irreverent of reputation, possess a penchant for last-minute winners and resultantly perform to a level beyond the sum of all their parts.

Arsenal and Manchester City, despite boasting superior quality in practically every department, just haven’t banded together in the same way this season.

The Citizens have collapsed in almost every major fixture, claiming just two points off the Premier League’s top five, and looked completely devoid of leadership during Vincent Kompany’s prolonged absence through injury.

Arsenal, likewise, despite the assumption of an ever-harmonious dressing room, lack a real driving force. Leicester and Spurs are highly self-motivated, but the Gunners are almost too content with producing moments of attacking brilliance even if it doesn’t translate into brilliant results.

Much of it harks back to the man in the dugout. Wenger and Pellegrini are hardly the most demanding of characters, especially when compared to Pochettino.

But there is a lesson to be learned, about money, reputation and the perception of ‘world-class’, that every Premier League club can learn from – especially with the new £8billion television deal looming in.

Although we’re all obsessed with comparing the quality of individuals, football is a team sport and it’s the two best teams who are currently leading the Premier League title race.

No doubt, City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United will be courting the same old names in the summer – Gareth Bale, Paul Pogba, Neymar, Marco Reus, Antoine Griezmann and Mats Hummels to mention a few.

But Leicester and Spurs have proved that superstars aren’t the be all and end all. If you create a team that plays to its strengths, hides its weaknesses, sticks together and never knows when it’s beaten, you can overcome any disparity of quality.

Rather than looking at the most talented and most expensive names they can possibly bring in during the summer to appease disgruntled fan bases, Arsenal, City, Chelsea, and United should be searching for the players and characters who’ll make them a better team.

With so much money at their disposal, however, we look set for another transfer window of record-breaking fees and hollywood arrivals.

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Dominic Ball has stated that he would be open to a return to Glasgow Rangers next season, with the youngster admitting his chances of first-team football at Tottenham are slim.

The versatile 20-year-old has been part of the Ibrox side that has won promotion back to the top tier of Scottish football during a loan switch from the North London side.

Ball is set to return to White Hart Lane this summer, with an unenviable task of trying to break into a Spurs starting XI loaded with international stars.

In reality, the defender-come-defensive midfielder will have to move elsewhere again next term on a loan deal to play senior football regularly.

With Rangers playing in the Scottish Professional Football League again and set to be challenging for domestic honours, a return is not off the table for Ball.

“I love the lads here, and the manager, and I’d definitely be open to coming back here,” Ball told the Rangers website.

“But it’s down to Spurs and the manager there.

“I’ll have to see what the options are and what the manager at Spurs wants. I’m contracted with them and I keep in touch with them every couple of weeks.

“The manager down there has built a really good squad and a strong mentality to the team. Because of that, it’s encouraging to know that if I do stay down there, I’ve got to push really hard to get in that team and he’ll develop me as a player.

“But I haven’t been there so I don’t know the standard. We’re talking about three or four world-class players playing at centre-back and holding-mid.”

The young starlet has featured in 18 league games for the Gers this season and looks like a player with a bright future in the game, but needs regular football to aid his development.

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After missing out on Champions League qualification, Manchester United are set for another summer rebuild.

Whether it’s Louis van Gaal or another manager in his place making the decisions remains to be seen, but whomever is in charge has a number of areas to improve in order to change the team’s fortunes for the better. Van Gaal has famously spent hundreds of millions of pounds to little effect at the club and whether the Red Devils’ owners want to afford him such riches again this time around is up for debate. If they do, however, they’ll be expecting a far bigger return for their outlay.

Around every transfer window the same names get banded about – players who are reportedly perpetually unhappy at their current club and set for a move to Old Trafford. With this in mind it’s nearly that time again and so FootballFanCast brings you TEN players bound to be linked to the club…

Toni Kroos

Kroos was linked with the club before moving to Real Madrid from Bayern Munich. The World Cup winner is a world class player but perhaps hasn’t been the replacement Madrid wanted for Xabi Alonso, who went in the opposite direction. Meanwhile Luka Modric has completely expelled any doubts over his ability to become the best midfielder at the club, so maybe the German Kroos might want out.

Neymar

A deal for the Brazilian star has been in the pipeline for some seasons and though Neymar started La Liga in blistering form this season, he somewhat dropped off as Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi kept firing. Of course keeping pace with those two would be hard for any player in world football, but maybe Barcelona have seen life after him? Perhaps not, but that might not stop United testing the Catalans resolve.

Paul Pogba

The former United youth player went off to Juventus because he wanted first team action and felt he deserved it, whereas Sir Alex Ferguson did not. It looks as though Fergie got this one wrong though as the Frenchman has evolved into one of the world’s best and offers attributes the Manchester United midfield is sorely lacking. Another dominant season for Juventus means he might not want to move, but perhaps the sense of unfinished business at Old Trafford could turn his head?

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Ibrahimovic is on the move and has yet to reveal where, though it’s likely it could finally be the Premier League. The towering Swede scores goals for fun and has done wherever he’s gone, winning an abundance of league titles along the way. He’s sure to be linked with a whole host of top clubs but may fancy being United’s main striker given the Old Trafford outfit are short in that department.

Alvaro Morata

Morata has been in good form for Juventus this year contributing eleven goals and twelve assists in all competitions. The young Spaniard already has an impressive CV having moved from Real Madrid to play in Turin and is also set to play a part at EURO 2016 with his national side. Every player has a price though and if United offer a good deal the Old Lady might be persuaded to sell up.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Maybe he’ll be back this year? Ever since Ronaldo left Old Trafford in 2009 he’s been linked with a return. He obviously has serious affection for the club and is repeatedly being asked about his happiness at the Bernabeu, add to that he’s getting older but still scoring ridiculous amounts of goals and it could be time for the Portuguese to return to the club that transformed him into a world class talent.

Raphael Varane

United’s defence needs improving and Raphael Varane needs to be playing, it makes sense, surely? Varane has all the tools to be a world class centre half but doesn’t get the game time his ability demands at Real behind Sergio Ramos and Pepe. United could be the club for him with Daley Blind a makeshift centre half and Phil Jones’ injury woes there’s a perfect opening for the Frenchman.

James Rodriguez

The Colombian was the best player at the 2014 World Cup, despite the golden ball going to Lionel Messi. Rodriguez scored ludicrous goals and put himself in the shop window for the elite clubs in Europe, allowing him to sign for Real Madrid. Things, however, have not been plain sailing since and the South American has not featured anywhere near as much as he would have liked this year, leading to inevitable questions over his future.

Antoine Griezmann

Griezmann is one of the men to watch at EURO 2016 as he has had a phenomenal campaign. A player who has evolved from a left winger to a second striker and at times leading the line, he has fired Atletico Madrid to the Champions League final. If he performs well in that and then at the European Championships, Atletico with their smaller resources might find it hard to turn down a mega offer from the likes of United.

John Stones

Stones has had an indifferent campaign that has highlighted both his potential and needing to learn. He’s been encouraged to play the ball out from the back but not to just clear his lines sometimes and that’s caught Everton out. It’s up for debate whose fault that is for the Toffees this year but Stones risks seeing his career floundering when he does have the potential to be world class.

From the moment Jurgen Klopp arrived at Anfield you could feel the excitement and anticipation around the club. The Reds had performed somewhat of a coup in bringing the German, a manager who had been linked with the biggest jobs in world football, in.

The fans were rightly elated that such a man had come to their club, a club that has fallen far from where it once was, longing for the glory days of the ’70s and ’80s. With Klopp’s acquisition, the Anfield faithful began to dream once more. Klopp has won the league in Germany transforming Dortmund from also-rans to one of the most formidable sides in Europe and the hope is that the he does exactly the same for the Reds.

Time will only tell if Klopp can replicate his success, but there already signs of a positive nature that the club isn’t far away from where it wants to be. The former Mainz boss has certainly been a breath of fresh air in his press conferences and it’s his personality that has endeared him quickly to the English game.

But what are the best things Klopp has brought with him? FootballFanCast brings you FIVE.

Self Belief

Under Brendan Rodgers the team looked ponderous, and playing football games didn’t look natural for the players towards the end of his tenure. This is in stark contrast to how the team go out and play until the final whistle now, with the Rads having scored memorable late goals against Dortmund, Norwich and West Brom, among others, and this is all thanks to the belief Klopp has brought to his side that there is always time to save the game.

No Pressure

Klopp’s relaxed nature in his press conferences must rub off on the players on the training ground. The German seamlessly fitted into his new surroundings and began to relax his players. This is demonstrated best in the performances of the likes of Dejan Lovren – who has become Liverpool’s best defender – and Adam Lallana – who now looks like the player he was at Southampton – as well as many others who have flourished under the German’s guidance where they seemed to be being hindered in the Anfield spotlight prior to his arrival.

Exciting Attacking play

Liverpool have scored more goals than anyone else in the Premier League since the turn of the year and whilst that stat counts for little in terms of silverware, it suggests the Reds are becoming one of the most threatening sides in the league. Players like Daniel Sturridge, Roberto Firmino and Philipe Coutinho have been flying under Klopp’s tutelage and surely, with time, they’re only going to get better.

Improved Defence

Liverpool’s defence has been largely criticised for much of the season and has left a lot to be desired when it came to set pieces but there are signs of hope. Dejan Lovren is beginning to show why the club paid out such a big fee for him and he was forming a miserly partnership with Mamadou Sakho, before the Frenchman failed a drugs test. The indication is though, that Klopp can improve defences just as much as the attacking players and this is something the Reds have needed for some time.

Fan Engagement

Klopp has really connected with the fans and sees it as a perfect replication of his relationship with those at Dortmund. He knows how passionate the Anfield crowd is and has tapped into this at every opportunity to inspire his side to some impressive victories. The atmospheres at the Europa League games in particular have been incredible and Klopp will be doing everything he can to ensure he and his side experience many more in the future.