Roberto Firmino: Liverpool's Marquee Signing

In a bid to change around Liverpool's fortune, Brendan Rodgers has targeted 3 big name South Americans to add to his squad hoping to get back into the top 4 next season. Overnight he has successfully got his first of his 3 targets after signing 23 year old Brazilian playmaker Roberto Firmino from Hoffenheim on a 5-year-deal. The fee is estimated to be around £21.3 million however the fee could rise to £28 million with the additional transfer fee coming via add ons. Firmino isn't exactly a household name over here just yet but I feel he can possibly become a fantastic addition to both Liverpool and the Premiership.

Firmino has had a very impressive season scoring 15 times in 45 appearances and providing 10 assists for Brazil and Hoffenheim. Roberto Firmino finished as the Bundesliga's third best player this season and finishing only behind Kevin De Bruyne and Arjen Robben (according to whoscored.com).

He is naturally an attacking midfielder who tends to play just off the striker and could form a formidable partnership with the likes of Daniel Sturridge this season.

My only concern about Firmino joining is what will happen to Phillipe Coutinho as his performances have been one of the only positives Liverpool can take from this season. Rodgers has often used one attacking midfielder and two wingers and the signing of Firmino would surely force Coutinho out wide or out of the team all together. 

Firmino is the fifth player so far to move to Anfield alongside James Milner, Adam Bogdan, Danny Ings and Jospeh Gomez but I feel this is by far the most significant of their new signings. Either way if Firmino is regularly playing and used well, then Liverpool may well return to their former glory.

Bobby Wood: Klinsman's latest hidden gem?

Since Jurgen Klinsman's reign in charge of the USA national side, he has been tactically scouting players from Germany or playing in Germany who are eligible for the United States. He included 5 of these players in his 2014 World Cup squad with big names such as Jermaine Jones and Julian Green included. He has encouraged the USA to play more aggressive and attacking football which helped them have an impressive World Cup campaign. The success is continuing with the USA side after picking up two impressive victories away in Europe beating the Netherlands and World Cup Winners Germany 3-4 and 1-2 respectively.

In these 2 friendly matches, a hidden talent has proven to come off the bench and score in both fixtures. This is 22 year old Bobby Wood who plays his club football for Erzgebirge Aue in the German second division. Despite the low level domestic football and his lack of previous fame, his recent impressive form for the national side may revitalise his career.

This is big risk for the USA but if players like him can continue to play impressively for the national side, the American's national football talent will soar to development which will help further the domestic league in terms of popularity and standard of football. Particularly with the likes of Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Kaka recently arriving at the MLS.

The question is, could Bobby Wood a poorly-known second tier striker use his International opportunity to become a global household name like Landon Donovan once was?

Pedro Obiang: Who is he?

West Ham have made their first signing of the summer by bringing in 23 year old Spaniard Pedro Obiang from Sampdoria. West Ham fans will be excited of the new arrival, but many football fans will be thinking, who is he?

Obiang has joined on an undisclosed fee from Sampdoria after spending his first 5 years as a professional with the Italian giants. In that time Obiang has made over 130 appearances scoring 4 times with 3 of them coming in this season. Obiang has had an impressive season in Sampdoria playing 33 times and finishing as their 4th best player of the season (according to whoscored.com). 

Obiang has been often used as a central midfielder by Sampdoria this season although he has also proved himself at on either side of the midfield, or sitting just in front of the back 4. Obiang is probably best known for his defensive contributions and was last season ranked 5th for average tackles per player in Serie A.

Obiang has featured 8 times for Spain at youth level representing the Under 17's, Under 19's and Under 21's. Obiang could be a key man in midfield for "The Hammers" this season potentially forming  a midfield partnership with Cheikou Kouyate and could be filling the role left behind by Alex Song after his loan spell expired.

Ex-England International given permission to go for Stevenage Job

Ex-England international and Manchester United legend Teddy Sheringham has today been given permission by West Ham to speak to Stevenage about potentially replacing Graham Westley as their new manager. If Sheringham was to take charge of "The Boro" this would be his first full managers job since retiring from playing back in 2008.

The 49-year old is currently West Ham's forward coach and has been since May 2014. He has been highly credited as one of the key reasons to West Ham's new attractive attacking football this season. He has also been labelled as the key reason for Diafra Sakho winning the Premiership's player of the month in October 2014.

I personally feel sorry for Graham Westley as he has guided Stevenage to the League 2 play-offs, however Stevenage went out after losing 4-2 to Southend on aggregate. However, given that Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink turned Burton Albion from a relegation threatened side to League 2 winners in just 6 months, then Teddy Sheringham maybe Stevenage needs to get promoted at the end of next season.

Despite Teddy Sheringham still being fairly new to the coaching side of the game, his career has been filled with playing under great managers such as Sir Alex Ferguson who I'm sure he will take a lot of inspiration from the Scotsman's managerial success'. Having spent all season working closely with Sam Allardyce, then Teddy Sheringham may soon become a fantastic manager whether he gets the Stevenage job or not.

Argyle fans favourite Banton amongst those getting the chop

Plymouth Argyle have recently announced the list of players who shall be released at the end of the season.

8 players will be departing Argyle without their contracts being renewed which includes fans favourite Jason Banton and central midfielder Dominic Blizzard. Both men have regularly featured for the greens throughout this season with Banton having a lengthy loan period at Home Park prior to his permanent move.

Others amongst the list include experienced striker Marvin Morgan, future prospects Matt Lecointe, River Allen and Jamie Richards. Ollie Norburn is also departing after struggling to cement first team football with the Devon-based side this season.

Another disappointment for the Argyle fans is the news that Paul Wotton has confirmed his retirement from playing despite already being a first team coach at Plymouth. Wotton's illustrious career has seen him play 491 times for Plymouth Argyle who were his local side as a child.

This leaves Argyle with only 9 players currently signed on for next season as well as 6 players rumored to be offered new contracts which include first team regulars Lewis Alessandra and Peter Hartley.

Where next for Preston's play off hero?

It's now that annual time of the season where all football clubs are starting to release players from there clubs with Bolton Wanderers certainly following suit after today releasing 13 first team players. This includes English-born Jamaican international Jermaine Beckford who has had a fantastic loan spell at Preston North End this season with Beckford scoring 20 times in 35 appearances for "The Lilywhites" and he will be heavily missed at Deepdale.


Despite Beckford travelling around a lot in his 10-year professional career, he still has an impressive goal-scoring record having netted 158 times in 376 professional appearances at club level as well as 1 international goals in his 6 caps for the Jamaican national side. Nether the less he has proved to be prolific when playing his domestic football in league one scoring 113 goals in 199 appearances during his league one spells with Leeds United, Carlisle United, Scunthorpe United and Preston.


I feel that Beckford has the skill and ability to do well in a low level Championship side or a high level League One side and I feel given his vital contribution to Preston's Play Off campaign this season, regardless of where they are next season this could be his best possible destination. Having been there for the majority of this season then will settle in very quickly and would certainly feel at ease. However, there are also some other good clubs that I'm sure would be happy to sign a player of Beckford's calibre with Reading and Millwall being two of my other strong suggestions as to who should attempt to snap up Beckford in the summer.


Needless to say, he may coming to the later stage of his career the 31-year old still has the ability and capabilities of doing a good job wherever he goes and if used right, he may well have a fantastic 2015-2016 campaign.  


 

Fullham interested in Newcastle United Goalkeeper

Marcus Bettinelli has been a bright spark for Fullham this season and is heavily rumored to be leaving Craven Cottage at the end of the season. Kit Symons has stated that he will offer the 22-year old a new contract but with Chelsea stepping up their interest in Bettinelli, Fullham are almost having to look for an alternative option.

With Rob Elliot set to become third choice goalkeeper at Newcastle Untied, when Karl Darlow returns from his loan spell at Nottingham Forest then Elliot's lack of game time is only going to be shortened even more. Elliot will surely be set to look for a new club as he has only made 28 first team appearences in his 4-year tenure with "The Magpies".

Fullham have confirmed to be interested Elliot and I feel that if Elliot really wants first team football then this is probably his best option. He isn't getting any younger and with Elliot only playing 176 professional matches in his 11-year career then surely he would daft to turn down this opportunity.

Rob Elliot has shown signs of being a good goalkeeper and maybe a move to Fullham could get his career back on track as well as hopefully guding Fullham to a much stronger season than they've had this time around.