Sunderland fans will be hoping that they can hear some positive news in the Transfer Tavern this summer. 

Jack Ross will probably be on the lookout for a new striker this summer. The Black Cats struggled for goals last season as they were relegated once again. Rumours have linked the club with moves for Nottingham Forest’s Jason Cummings and Preston’s North End’s Eoin Doyle.

While both could be good signings for Sunderland, Ross has a striker in his midst who might just be the one to provide him with some firepower.

Rumours have linked Asoro with a move away from the club, especially as he only has one year left on his current deal and has so far resisted any new contract offers from the club.

The Breakdown

In a season of low points, the emergence of Joel Asoro has been of the few bright lights for Sunderland.

The quick striker emerged as a first-team regular for Chris Coleman in the second-half of the season. In his first full start for the club against Hull City, Asoro scored his first goal and although he only managed to score three over the course of the Championship, the talent is definitely there.

The Swedish under-21 international has been linked with Arsenal in the past but Ross needs to everything he can to keep him. A full season playing as the club’s main striker would be huge for his development. At this stage in his career, it’s much more important for the youngster to play consistent first-team football. Regardless of whether the player signs a new deal or not, Sunderland need to keep and hope after a season – which may result in promotion – that he signs a new deal.

What do you think Sunderland fans? 

Having confirmed the signing of Lewis Baker on loan from Chelsea, Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa may look for more loan deals from Premier League clubs to fill his squad with attacking talent this summer.

What’s the story?

Goal.com have reported that both Leeds and Rangers are keen on taking young Liverpool winger Ryan Kent on a season-long loan deal.

However, the Reds are pushing for a deal that would allow them to fine the other party if Kent does not start enough matches, as was the case when the 21-year-old was at Bristol City during the second half of last season.

The Englishman endured a difficult 2017/18 season, spending the first half of the year in the Bundesliga with SC Freiburg where he only started one league game. He then started six games for Bristol after January but this was not enough for The Robins to avoid a £500,000 fine.

There is no doubt that Kent is an exciting prospect, but with the attacking talent available to Jurgen Klopp at the moment it seems that he will spend another season away from Anfield.

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Attacking options

Given his wealth of experience and reputation in the game, Bielsa was perhaps a surprise appointment at Leeds this summer and despite being linked with a number of players, the Argentine has taken his time before delving into the transfer market.

Creative attacking players must be a priority for Bielsa as Leeds look to improve on their 13th place finish in the Championship last season. Kent fits this bill perfectly as he has pace and trickery in abundance and can play on either wing, behind the striker and even upfront.

His goal for Liverpool against Chester during a pre season friendly on Saturday proved his quality, as he cut inside from the left and whipped the ball into the far corner of the net.

If Leeds are willing to accept Liverpool’s strict terms then this could be the perfect loan-deal for both Kent himself and the West Yorkshire club.

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As the sun sets on another managerial reign at Stamford Bridge following the sacking of Antonio Conte, the Chelsea fans will be left wondering whether Conte’s replacement can get their club back challenging for the title.

A poor Premier League season last time out was half rescued by an FA Cup win, but the top four really is the aim, and Chelsea fell woefully short with some abject performances along the way.

The summer is bound to see an element of change at the Bridge, with players likely to be coming into the club and a few faces just as likely to be shipped out.

We at the Tavern think Chelsea could well have plenty of players who are on their way out, and one man we think falls into this category is Spanish winger Pedro.

The experienced winger has never quite looked like the player he was at Barcelona, and was often left out for Brazilian winger Willian last term, playing a bit part throughout the season.

Pedro, who is valued at some £22.5m by Transfermarkt, might well see a move away from the Bridge at this stage of his career somewhat appealing.

The Spaniard is not completely past it, but for Chelsea to move on and be able to really challenge, replacing the likes of Pedro could be key. He still holds value in the market, and the Blues might well be wise to shift on their tricky winger before his value plummets in the coming years.

Blues fans, what do you think? Would you like to see Pedro go? Let us know in the comments!

After two relegation campaigns, Sunderland need to make some key signings to stop their slump down the leagues. 

The Black Cats may finally be on the right track with the arrival of their new boss and owner. The former St Mirren boss Jack Ross and Stewart Donald have been quick to add six players to the squad but could well be after a lot more to help their promotion push.

Sunderland fans will be hoping that the club will bring a raft of new players as they look to turn their fortunes around. The club have been linked with multiple players this summer and according to HITC, Sunderland have now joined Oxford in the race for Sunderland winger, Ricky Holmes.

The Breakdown

During his time at Charlton Athletic, Holmes was a consistent performer scoring 19 goals and providing 13 assists for the south London club. He joined Sheffield United in January but failed to establish himself at the club, making only five appearances for the club without scoring a goal.

The Blades are now looking to loan the winger to get some first-team football under his belt.

A loan move would be ideal for the Black Cats as they look to bolster their attacking options for next season. As it stands, the club only have Chris Maguire, Callum McManaman and Aiden McGeady while Duncan Watmore is returning from injury.

With his proven record in League One, Holmes would be a great addition to the club, especially as Sunderland would not have to pay a transfer fee.

Would you be happy with this Sunderland fans?   

Everton should launch an audacious move for Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina.

What’s the word?

In all the areas on the pitch, the goalkeeping position is not where many would assume Everton need to strengthen.

Jordan Pickford has gone from strength to strength since his move to Goodison Park from Sunderland last year.

So much so that he starred for England during their World Cup campaign to the semi-finals, which they lost in extra time to Croatia.

However, at the moment, Pickford has no real challenge at Everton due to the fact that Maarten Stekelenburg is the only other first-team keeper in the squad following Joel Robles’s departure.

This does not mean that the Three Lions star will become complacent, but the danger is there if he has nobody to test him.

Why move for Ospina?

During his four-year stay at Arsenal so far, in which he has won the FA Cup twice, the Costa Rica international has failed to hold down the number one spot.

In recent seasons, Ospina has fallen second fiddle to Petr Cech, and in the 2017-18 campaign, he had to settle for cup games.

Despite not being first choice, the 29-year-old has proven that he is a strong second in command, and certainly has the ability to put Pickford, who can’t be allowed to become too complacent following his World Cup heroics, under some much-needed pressure.

On top of that, he is well versed in the Premier League, and would not take long to settle in at Goodison Park.

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Is a deal likely?

Probably not.

It would be no big surprise if Ospina left Arsenal before the transfer window closes due to the arrival of Bernd Leno.

Manager Unai Emery recruited the shot-stopper from Bayer Leverkusen, which suggests that he will take Cech’s number one role.

If so, then it will push Ospina even further down the pecking order, but judging by recent reports, the Costa Rican may have already chosen his next destination.

According to Football.london, the keeper is closing in on a move to Besiktas, so if Everton want to try their luck, they should move fast.

According to reports in The Sun, West Ham United are battling with Premier League rivals Everton for the signing of Augsburg centre-back Martin Hinteregger.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Sun says that the Irons want to bring the highly-rated Austria international to England, but they face competition to get the 25-year-old – rated at £13m by his club – with the Toffees and Italian giants Inter Milan among the interested clubs.

The Sun says that Augsburg will fight to keep hold of the left-sided central defender as they view him as one of their prized assets, but they will be aware that the east London outfit often sent scouts to watch the 31-cap international in action during the 2017/18 campaign.

The report adds that Manuel Pellegrini still wants another centre-back despite already signing Issa Diop and Fabian Balbuena this summer, with James Collins and Jose Fonte both leaving in recent months and the long-term fitness of Winston Reid unclear as he continues to be hampered by injury issues.

Would he be a good signing?

He certainly would be.

Despite only being 25 years of age he is hugely experienced both domestically and internationally, making almost 300 senior appearances at club level.

According to WhoScored.com, he is strong in the air while he showed how good he is at intercepting by winning 49 in 30 Bundesliga outings last term.

While Pellegrini, who has been urged to snap up a £60,000-a-week Chelsea ace by Hammers fans, has already brought the likes of Felipe Anderson and Jack Wilshere to the London Stadium, Hinteregger could be his most important addition given West Ham’s defensive issues last season – they finished the campaign with the joint-worst record for conceding in the Premier League.

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Newcastle United announced the signing of Yoshinori Muto on Thursday, but they should have tried to sign Paco Alcacer from Barcelona.

What’s the word?

Rafael Benitez will be hoping that Japan international Muto will boost the team’s attack following a lacklustre season.

Dwight Gayle and Joselu were responsible for finding the back of the net, but neither impressed.

The 26-year-old has experience of European football having spent the last two years at Mainz, but he is still an unknown quantity in the Premier League.

The Magpies should have considered a move for Alcacer instead as he has the qualities that the team need.

Why is he the right fit?

The 24-year-old tends to find himself in the right places at the right time, which is ideal for those providing service to the front line.

Alcacer is a poacher and has regularly displayed quick feet and trickery in the box.

Unfortunately for the Spaniard, he has struggled to earn a regular spot in the Barcelona team since his switch from Valencia in 2016.

Even so, the forward has still racked up 43 La Liga goals in his career so far, as well as 22 assists.

Alcacer was certainly an option worth looking at, but Newcastle’s lack of transfer funds may have prevented them from making a serious offer.

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Despite the departures of Emre Can and Philippe Coutinho, Liverpool’s midfield looks stronger than ever.

Three years after his appointment, Jurgen Klopp has completely rebuilt Liverpool from top to bottom. The Reds are no longer viewed as a stepping stone, and the German finally has a squad capable of competing with the best sides in the world. In previous seasons, he has never had as many options at his disposal, a credit to the excellent business conducted by him and his recruitment team.

Against West Ham, Klopp opted to leave new recruit Fabinho, skipper Jordan Henderson and Adam Lallana on the bench. Georginio Wijnaldum started in the holding role alongside James Milner and Naby Keita. Wijnaldum and Milner, in particular, were exceptional but it was the £54m-man that stole the show.

Liverpool had wanted to sign Keita last summer after he impressed in the Bundesliga. However, Leipzig were unwilling to lose their star player ahead of their debut campaign in the Champions League. Amid interest from Barcelona, Liverpool were to wise to tie up a deal in advance and were forced to wait a year to see him don the red shirt.

The Anfield faithful finally got to see their new number eight in action against the Hammers and were left salivating. His quality on the ball was evident from the first minute, and the weight on his passes were perfect. A perfectly timed through ball to Andrew Robertson allowed the Scot to pick out Mohamed Salah to open the scoring. His link up with the former Hull City man could be a partnership to keep a close eye on.

Keita was later moved to the left of a midfield four as Klopp looked to see out the win, highlighting the versatility he offers his boss. He ended the game with 89% pass accuracy, including 18 in the final third of the pitch.

Coutinho’s departure was a real blow to the Reds, but they have a new talisman now. And his name is Naby Keita.

It took a while to get him but his success, after that of Virgil van Dijk’s (another player that waited for), shows those behind the scenes at Liverpool have the best recruitment policy in the world.

Liverpool fans, thoughts?

Everton have officially confirmed their acquisition of Bernard on a free transfer. 

The Brazilian became a free agent this summer following the expiry of his contract with Shakhtar Donetsk. Bernard enjoyed five trophy-laden campaigns with the Ukrainian giants but must now prove his quality in a more major division if he is to stand any chance of returning to the Brazilian international set up. 

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Bernard last turned out for the Selecao in their 7-1 humiliation at the hands of Germany in the semi-final of the 2014 World Cup.

Impressing in the Premier League could be Bernard’s ticket back to the national team, and Toffees fans will be hoping that the 25-year-old can bring his best form to Goodison Park this season.

Alongside fellow new arrival Richarlison, Bernard will bring plenty of flair and technical quality to Marco Silva’s attacking options, and he certainly has the ability to have a big impact in English football.

Everton fans on Twitter were quick to give Bernard a warm welcome to Merseyside…

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West Bromwich Albion have shown enough promise at the start of the Championship campaign to suggest they could challenge for promotion this season, and the form of Jay Rodriguez will certainly play an instrumental role in their bid to return to the Premier League. 

4 points from their opening 3 games and a safe passage to the 2nd round of the Carabao Cup have given the Baggies a decent platform from which to build their season, but they are still lacking the strength in depth which will be needed to push for a place in the automatic promotion places.

Jay Rodriguez has started the season in bright form with 2 goals from his opening 3 fixtures but, with Dwight Gayle the only recognised centre-forward on West Brom’s ranks aside from Rodriguez, there’s no doubt the club are in a slightly precarious position for the season ahead.

Hal Robson Kanu can also do a job at centre-forward, but the Baggies should still be targeting the signing of another natural striker in the coming weeks.

With that in mind, Moore should approach free agent Lacina Traore regarding a potential free transfer, as his physical presence could provide Rodriguez with an ideal partner at the spearhead of the attack this season.

The 6ft 8in striker was recently released by Monaco after struggling for both first-team opportunities and goals during his final season with the club, and he is now available to sign on a free.

Traore has played for clubs across Europe throughout his career including CSKA Moscow, CFR Cluj and even Everton where he struggled to settle, but his failure to succeed at the first time of asking in English football may well provide him with the inspiration to move to West Brom.

Although he has also plenty of technical ability to offer, there’s no doubt that Traore’s physical presence would be problematic for plenty of Championship defenders.

His ability to use his height to bring the ball down in the final-third and feed the players around him could work to Rodriguez’s advantage and provide the Baggies talisman with an ideal partner to feed off.

The classic little and large combination appears to be something of a dying breed in modern day football, but that does not suggest that it’s effectiveness is dying out, so West Brom should attempt to bring it back this season by signing Traore on a free transfer and partnering him with the more mobile and intricate Rodriguez.

West Brom fans – thoughts? Let us know below!