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Southampton kick off their 2022/23 Premier League season this afternoon with an away clash against Tottenham Hotspur.

In terms of what Ralph Hasenhuttl’s first starting XI of the season could look like, one man who we think should be included is Joe Aribo.

Aribo must start for Southampton

The Saints signed the midfielder from Rangers last month on a four-year deal for an initial fee of £6m, which could reportedly rise to £10m.

In 148 appearances for the Gers, the 26-year-old racked up 26 goals and 25 assists along the way, highlighting how useful he can be in terms of scoring and setting up goals.

Across 34 Scottish Premiership appearances under his belt last season, the Nigerian took 56 shots at goal in total, leaving only four other Rangers players with a higher tally.

Even from a defensive point of view, the midfielder showed why the Saints were keen on signing him, as only James Tavernier (42) won more tackles for the Light Blues last season than Aribo (34).

Having scored in Southampton’s final pre-season game of the summer in their 2-1 defeat against Villarreal, the former Rangers gem has shown that he can also be a goal threat for his new club.

Looking ahead to today’s match, bearing in mind how Spurs ended their previous top-flight campaign with the fourth-best attack and defence in the league regarding the number of goals conceded and scored, this would make a player like Aribo – who can not only offer a goal threat but also be a solid defensive figure – crucial for the Saints’ chances of getting a result.

Having also been lauded as “unplayable” by BBC journalist Oluwashina Okeleji, Aribo – who is currently valued at €4m (£3.3m) according to Football Transfers – will surely have lots of Southampton supporters itching to see him in action today.

This could make him a frightening prospect for Spurs to come up against, especially as the Nigeria international will be raring to get his Saints career in the Premier League off to a flying start.

While the south coast club definitely have a tough opening test on their hands against Antonio Conte’s team, having Aribo in from the start could give Southampton a good chance of securing a positive result at Tottenham for the second season in a row.

Manchester United are interested in signing Paris Saint-Germain forward Mauro Icardi this summer, according to Argentine media outlet TyC Sports. 

The lowdown: Expensive flop

Signed for £45million from Inter Milan having netted 124 goals in 219 appearances for the Italian giants, Icardi has struggled to recapture his best form in Paris.

Despite directly contributing to 48 goals in 92 outings, the 29-year-old Argentina frontman has often been on the periphery of matters in the French capital, never making more than 24 Ligue 1 outings in a single campaign in three seasons at the club.

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Recently, PSG boss Christophe Galtier explained that the ‘best thing’ for Icardi would be to find a new club having been linked to West Ham, Wolves, Tottenham and Newcastle this summer.

The latest: ‘On the radar’

As per TyC Sports, Man Utd and Galatasaray are both keeping tabs on the eight-cap Argentina star.

It’s claimed that Icardi – who has been training apart from the first team at PSG –  is ‘on the radar’ at Old Trafford as Erik ten Hag attempts to bolster the attacking options at his disposal.

The report also states that the move to United for the man dubbed a ‘pure goal hunter’ by legendary French hitman Jean-Pierre Papin ‘could be on loan with a purchase option’.

The verdict: No risk

Albeit clearly out of sorts having been £19.8million valued ace on loan would represent a shrewd piece of business from the Red Devils hierarchy.

Already in need of additional firepower, Ten Hag’s options could be about to be diminished further as PSG themselves reportedly target misfiring Marcus Rashford, who is believed to be open to a fresh challenge away from Manchester whilst the future of Cristiano Ronaldo also remains in doubt.

Therefore, with 203 domestic career goals all told, adding a player of Icardi’s previously proven class and goalscoring ability to the Carrington ranks would be a welcome boost.

Sharing similar stylistic traits to Jamie Vardy, Luis Suarez and Callum Wilson (FBref), the old-fashioned Argentine centre-forward operates exclusively through the middle and would act as a focal point of the attack, ideally ably supported by wide options such as Jadon Sancho, Anthony Elanga and Anthony Martial.

Transfer insider Dean Jones believes Che Adams is the perfect fit to end Leeds United’s striker search. 

The lowdown: Orta approach for Adams

The Whites have been reliably linked with a move for Adams in recent weeks, with reports suggesting that Southampton could be willing to sanction the departure of the striker and an approach from Victor Orta revealed.

Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest, Everton and Newcastle are all also believed to be keen on the 26-year-old Scotland international, with the south coast club demanding £15million for their man.

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Now, as Leeds continue to be linked with attacking options such as Ismaila Sarr, Joao Pedro and Adams himself, one well-informed onlooker has stated why the Scot could be the ideal candidate to bolster Jesse Marsch’s ranks…

The latest: ‘Good fit’

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones – a journalist for Eurosport – claimed that the 19-cap frontman is the perfect target from Orta.

He said: “I can see why they would want to land him. They need that central option up front far more than they need another wide player, in my opinion.

“They keep getting linked to wide players, but they’ve got loads of them so I think Che Adams would be a good fit.”

The verdict: Spot on

Operating almost exclusively as a centre-forward throughout his career, Adams would certainly provide genuine competition to Patrick Bamford for a place in the starting XI.

Last season, the former Birmingham frontman – who was hailed as ‘fantastic’ by his manager Hasenhuttl in 2020 – scored eight times and provided three assists in 33 appearances across all competitions for what was a struggling Saints side for the most part.

Holding an estimated market value of £16.2million and under contract until 2024 (Transfermarkt), signing Adams for the mooted fee would represent a smart piece of business from Orta and Andrea Radrizanni, adding much-needed strength in depth to the attacking options in the process.

Additionally, with Southampton going through a period of unrest at present, the player could be keen to seek pastures new and a move to Yorkshire could be the ideal solution.

This summer was always going to be one of change for Leeds United after surviving relegation by the skin of their teeth last term.

Players were going to come and go during Jesse Marsch’s first transfer window in charge but it’s arguably their most exciting signing who is proving to be the biggest joy to watch so far.

When Raphinha left Leeds it would have had many around Elland Road fearful for how the season could play out, especially with Patrick Bamford still not up to speed from a fitness point of view.

However, club-record signing Rodrigo has finally come to life, scoring four in his first three games, and his new partner in crime, Brenden Aaronson has also come to the party early on.

He was cruelly robbed of a goal on the opening weekend as it went down as an own goal but during the club’s famous 3-0 win over Chelsea on Sunday was a lot more fortunate.

The American was one of the stars during a remarkable victory and it was the attacking midfielder who opened the scoring.

He harried Edouard Mendy in the Chelsea goal before robbing him of the ball and tapping it into an empty net. It will be the easiest goal during his Leeds career but arguably, he will never work harder for one either. It was the epitome of not only his style of play, but also the clubs.

It was a first Leeds goal for Aaronson and he didn’t stop there, as he won four defensive duels, completed two tackles and registered two key passes, via SofaScore.

He did lose possession of the ball 17 times, but that was indicative of the risks he was taking, rather than a constant stream of misplaced passes.

Despite finding the back of the net, it was his pressing that caught the eye the most and it wasn’t a surprise to see him working so hard. Indeed, before today’s game, the 21-year-old was only beaten by fellow new signing, Tyler Adams, for distance run by Leeds players this term – 22.2km.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if he racked up another 10km after this mammoth performance, one that drew praise from a plethora of journalists.

Reporter Yaw Ampofo Jr labelled him the “ultimate pressing machine” while the Athletic’s Adam Crafton said he was “completely relentless” in his running.That appraisal seemed to be a common theme in the media with MLS writer James Nalton saying his “work off the ball is unrivalled.” Fellow Major League Soccer expert Chris Smith, meanwhile, said of Anderson’s game that he was “absolutely everywhere” on his way to making five ball recoveries in the first half alone.It is a long season and the young American will have to ensure he doesn’t burn out with the rigours of the Premier League in mind. However, he has been a breath of fresh air to this Leeds side and if he continues to put in performances like that, he will quickly become a fan favourite.It was a relentless display by the entire Leeds team, but Aaronson certainly stands out compared to his teammates.

Arsenal are set to miss out on the signing of Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Pedro Neto this summer, according to Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth.

The Lowdown: Arteta’s priority target

The Athletic report that the 22-year-old has been identified as the Gunners’ number one target to replace Nicolas Pepe, who is close to joining Nice on a season-long loan.

The article states that discussions between Mikel Arteta and Bruno Lage’s sides have been taking place for over a month, with Portuguese agent Jorge Mendes in negotiations with both clubs separately.

Despite the interest, the forward recently admitted that he is happy at Molineux and is purely focused on the Premier League season ahead.

The Latest: Neto set to stay at Wolves

Speaking to GiveMeSport, Sheth revealed that Wolves will not sell Neto this window, with Arsenal having no choice but to go back in for him at a later date.

“As far as Wolves are concerned, he’s not going to be sold in this transfer window. That’s the information I was told – this transfer window.

“Maybe in the future, Arsenal could go back in. Who knows? Neto could be the longer-term target, but there is definitely interest to strengthen that forward line.”

The Verdict: Second time lucky?

Arsenal will have their resolve tested when it comes to Neto, but it’s important that Arteta doesn’t give up the chase and makes a second attempt to sign him next year.

The attacker already has plenty of experience in the top-flight having clocked up almost 100 appearances for Wolves, making 23 goal contributions during that time, via Transfermarkt.

Neto’s creative spark is something that would only improve the Gunners’ frontline and it’s easy to forget that he’s still only 22, so will have many of his prime years left ahead of him.

An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos and his situation at Ibrox… 

What’s the talk?

Gio van Bronckhorst has revealed that he is set for talks with the Colombia international to discuss his situation at the club.

He told the Scotsman: “In terms of Alfredo, he worked hard this week. We will sit down this week and speak about him and his future, but as I said before, he is still our player, he knows what he has to do to become available for matches again. In this first week, the reaction that he has shown has been very positive.”

This comes after he was outcasted from the squad for the second leg of their Champions League clash with PSV, which they won courtesy of a goal from his replacement Antonio Colak.

Cash in on him

Van Bronckhorst must wield his axe and brutally cash in on the centre-forward before the end of the window as he is a liability to the squad.

The manager has claimed that Morelos has put the work in to force his way back into contention this week but this is not a one-off issue for the attacker.

He has displayed worrying behaviour when it comes to professionalism and being easy for those in charge of the club to work with.

The Athletic have claimed that former director Mark Allen wanted to sell him after an incident with Carlos Pena that involved the pair buying beer, whilst some of Steven Gerrard’s coaching staff were open to replacing him after the current Villa boss omitted him from a squad for returning to Glasgow late.

He was reportedly fined by Gerrard on a number of occasions for being late and this issue cropped up again recently as he failed to arrive on time for a recovery session earlier this month.

It has been noted that he has been “hard work” for the coaching staff throughout his career at Rangers and Jordan Campbell claimed in his piece on the striker that a ruthless club would have sold him by now.

Chris Sutton described his behaviour as “unacceptable” this week and the form of Antonio Colak could allow van Bronckhorst to cash in on the £33k-per-week liability.

The Croatia international has scored seven goals in nine games and is showing that he can lead the line and be the main man for the Gers.

This could allow the club to sell Morelos in the coming days without worrying about being left without a reliable goalscorer at the top end of the pitch.

Therefore, van Bronckhorst must now push Ross Wilson to offer the centre-forward out in the final days of the window, so that his squad does not suffer any more disruptions throughout the rest of the campaign.

Newcastle United are reportedly among the favourites to sign Central Coast Mariners striker Garang Kuol in the January transfer window.

The Lowdown: Upcoming prospect

At just 17 years of age, Kuol is certainly a precocious prospect, having played nine senior games for his club in Australia, scoring four goals and supplying one assist (Transfermarkt).

Hailed as a ‘talented’ player by Mariners chairman Richard Peil, he has even earned high praise from footballing legends Xavi and Dwight Yorke, and Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has personally swapped shirts with him in the past (The Age).

The Latest: Newcastle among the favourites

As per Australian outlet The Age, Newcastle are ‘close to the front of the queue’ to sign Kuol in January, with Barcelona and Chelsea also in the race for his signature.

He is thought to be a possible wildcard for Australia’s 26-man World Cup squad in Qatar, and if he continues to impress, the striker could find himself playing against some of the best players in the world in a couple of months’ time.

The Verdict: Exciting

It is certainly exciting for the Toon Army that their club could be signing a player as talented as Kuol in January.

He would likely start off in their academy ranks, with the hope of breaking into the first-team squad under Eddie Howe.

Nonetheless, if they could beat the likes of Barcelona and Chelsea to his signature, then it would be a real coup for the Magpies.

Everton manager Frank Lampard has hinted that midfielder Allan could leave the club in ‘the next week or two’ prior to their next Premier League clash against Southampton on 1 October.

The lowdown

The 31-year-old, who made a £21.7m move from Napoli to Merseyside in 2020, has yet to play a single Premier League minute this season. Indeed, he was left out of the matchday squad entirely on Sunday as the Toffees beat West Ham 1-0 at Goodison Park.

The Athletic’s Patrick Boyland said last week that it looked like ‘the beginning of the end’ for the Brazilian in an Everton shirt.

The latest

The Liverpool Echo journalist Joe Thomas took to Twitter to relay Lampard’s comments on Allan prior to the weekend win over West Ham. It sounds like the 31-year-old could depart the club in the near future, with so many midfielders ahead of him in the pecking order.

Thomas tweeted Lampard’s comments on Sunday: “Allan left out of today’s squad on selection: ‘You have to make those decisions sometimes.’

“Speculation over his Everton future raised and Lampard responds: ‘We’ll see over the next week or two.’

“Looks like Lampard has Iwobi, Doucoure, Gueye, Onana, Garner + Davies ahead of him.”

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The verdict

Where could Allan potentially go?

Most transfer windows in Europe are already shut, but clubs in Israel and Ukraine are still able to sign players, so that’s a possibility.

There’s also a chance that player and club would mutually agree a contract termination which would enable him to choose his next move as a free agent.

Allan is the fifth-highest earner at Everton on £70,000 per week, and right now that outlay feels like a waste for Everton.

Still, there could be some fans who may be sad to see him go, particularly given that he is highly rated by coaches like Jose Mourinho, who called him a ‘great’ player.

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur should start against Arsenal this weekend despite strong competition, club insider John Wenham has claimed.

The Lowdown: Massive game ahead

Spurs have a massive game on the horizon on Saturday lunchtime as they make the short trip to the Emirates Stadium to take on the Gunners.

It is one of the biggest Premier League matches of the season so far, with Antonio Conte knowing that victory for his team will see them overtake their table-topping rivals.

The manager may have a few selection headaches going into the game, not least in midfield, with Yves Bissouma and Oliver Skipp both hoping to feature.

The Latest: Bentancur backed to start

However, speaking to Football Insider, Wenham backed Bentancur to get the nod in the middle of the park at the Emirates this weekend, having scored in the 6-2 thrashing of Leicester in Tottenham’s last match.

The Spurs insider, who regularly breaks news about the club on his Lilywhite Rose social media channels – said:

“It was brilliant to see Bentancur on the scoresheet. He doesn’t get many goals, he hadn’t scored in such a long time but he took the finish really, really well. He’s never even looked like scoring for Tottenham before that.

“That’s fine though, he is a holding midfielder. We have other players to get the goals and we saw that with Son when he came on.

“I just think Bentancur is such an important player. When he didn’t play against West Ham a few weeks ago we just didn’t look the same and, obviously, we couldn’t get the win in that one.

“The goal helped his chances of staying in the side too. Bissouma is still chomping at the bit to be involved and we have Skippy coming back too.

“So he has made a strong and huge case because, as I have said before, I think Skipp will come back in once he is fit.”

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The Verdict: Makes complete sense

It is very healthy to have such strong competition for places in midfield, but it makes perfect sense for Conte to go with Bentancur alongside Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg against Arsenal.

Bissouma is still adjusting to his new surroundings, having only started one league match so far this season, while Skipp is lacking match fitness after returning from injury.

As Welham referenced, Bentancur was missed against West Ham as Spurs could only manage a 1-1 draw, while Cristian Romero has described his team-mate as an ‘animal’, and it would be a surprise if he didn’t take to the field from the start this weekend.

With a goal and assist against Leicester seeing him ranked as Tottenham’s second-best player that day according to Sofascore, it would make perfect sense to keep him in the team for the crunch North London Derby.

Nottingham Forest will head to the King Power Stadium on Monday night and Steve Cooper has now delivered a double injury concern ahead of the important Premier League clash for his team.

What’s the latest?

The Forest boss took to his pre-match press conference to deliver an update on the fitness and injury issues at The City Ground, and addressed the concerns surrounding Morgan Gibbs-White and Scott McKenna.

Cooper told the press (via Nottinghamshire Live):

“Scott is a doubt, to be honest. He had to withdraw early from the Scotland camp,

“With regards to Monday, we are still unsure whether he will be available for that.

“Morgan obviously missed out on the England Under-21s. But we are integrating him back into training over the last day or two. We are not completely conclusive on that yet, but we are hoping so.”

It’s bad news for Forest

Nottingham Forest haven’t had the best start to their Premier League campaign and are currently 19th in the league table after suffering four consecutive defeats, so to lose two starting players to injury would be bad news.

Both Gibbs-White and McKenna have consistently featured for the Garibaldi Reds over their campaign so far, and Cooper will now have to look to other options in the squad to fill their positions in the team should they not be available for the clash against Brendan Rodger’s side.

Forest have already suffered a number of fitness problems with the defenders in their squad as Steve Cook, Moussa Niakhate and Omar Richards all sustaining injuries over the season so far, which led to the panic signing of Wolverhampton Wanderers centre-back Willy Boly on Deadline Day.

Both Niakhate and Richards remain unavailable for selection against Leicester and now McKenna could join them too, leaving Cook, Worrall and Boly to cover the back-line in their away clash.

Leicester are the only team below Forest in the table and taking advantage of the Foxes’ even worse start to the season by securing all three points from the clash could give the team a great chance to get out of the relegation zone if results go their way this weekend.

With that being said, Cooper should have enough players in his team to make up for the absence of both Gibbs-White and McKenna should they be unavailable for the game on Monday night, and securing their second victory of the season could put them in a much stronger position in their Premier League challenge.