Brighton are keen to bring in Liverpool defender Joe Gomez on-loan as they prepare for life in the Premier League for the first time.

The 20-year-old Gomez joined Liverpool from Charlton in 2015, making his debut in August of that year starting at left-back when still only 18.

His progress was slowed by an ACL tear in October 2015, keeping him out for more than a year, but he came back into the first team at the start of 2017.

He did not feature for the Reds in the league last season however, and Brighton are keen to give him more game time as Chris Hughton looks to bolster his defensive options before the season gets underway.

Hughton has already brought in Pascal Gross and Mathew Ryan this summer, but is hoping to add more reinforcements as Brighton aim to avoid a relegation battle, with Gomez very much on their radar.

(Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

Hughton said: “He’s a player who we are definitely interested in.

“But he’s a Liverpool player and it will be Liverpool’s decision on whether they keep him there or whether they allow him to go out on-loan.

“If he’s allowed to go out on-loan, he would be a player we’d be interested in but he’s Liverpool’s player and they will make that decision.”

Watford’s head of sport science, Gianni Brignardello, has revealed Marco Silva is already making his mark on the club with his unique pre-season training plan.

The Hornets returned to training ahead of the 2017-18 Premier League campaign last week where the former Hull City manager conducted sessions that were largely characterised by the amount of work the players did with the football, as opposed to hard-core endurance training.

Brignardello has worked under every Watford head coach since Beppe Sannino’s one-year managerial spell during the 2013-14 season and has adapted his methods along the way – something he views as a positive change for the club.

Photo by Stephen Pond/Getty Images

“All managers have different philosophies and the Portuguese staff like to work a lot with the ball, so this is a good challenge for our performance department,” said Brignardello.

“It is very interesting for us to work with a different school of football.

“We can reach a good level of endurance working with the ball. This is good as then you don’t need more time to adapt to a game.”

“It’s already very different to last season as every manager is different and they have different demands.”

“This is normal that one manager wants one kind of work and another manager wants another kind of work. This is our job.”

Stoke City have a fight on their hands to keep star player Marko Arnautovic after the winger handed in a transfer request in order to push through a move to West Ham.

The Austrian signed a contract extension last summer when it had just 12 months to run, but he has reportedly decided the club no longer matches his ambition.

West Ham had a £15 million bid rejected by Stoke, who are said to have been insulted by the Hammers bid and are holding out for a much larger sum.

And boss Mark Hughes is in no hurry to sell the forward, who scored 11 goals for club and country last season.

Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

“Well, Marko and his people have put in a transfer request but that happens on occasions,” he confirmed.

“Any comings and goings are at our discretion and it’s our decision ultimately.

“Players can express an opinion or a view in terms of where they see their future but at the end of the day contracted players are contracted to the club and ultimately we have the final say.”

Hughes believes Arnautovic’s head has been turned, and West Ham, who have only signed right-back Pablo Zabaleta so far this summer, are reportedly set to offer bigger wages.

“We’ve never put him up for sale, we’ve never said he’s for sale,” Hughes said.

“Maybe clubs – and why wouldn’t they? – see a good player at another club and I would imagine there would be some interest from maybe one club.

“There’s been a bid but bids have to be reasonable and that one wasn’t.”

The Premier League may not have produced a Champions League winner in five years but new Crystal Palace boss Frank de Boer is adamant it is still the best league in the world.

The Dutchman is preparing for his first game in charge after replacing Sam Allardyce in south London, after six fruitful years at Ajax.

Palace start against new-boys Huddersfield Town, but De Boer is more excited about pitting his wits against the likes of Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp and Arsene Wenger.

Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images

Palace may seem like a step down from Ajax, especially as he was linked with the Tottenham Hotspur job two years ago, but De Boer is adamant it is a major role.

“With the coaches here, you want to be here, and that’s why I’m very proud,” he said.

“A friend of mine congratulated me, saying ‘you can be very proud, you’re one of the 20 managers of the Premier League, the best league in the world, the most watched of the world’.”

“Spain is a fantastic league, no doubt, but it’s always Barcelona and (Real) Madrid and Atletico lately. Here, everyone says every team can win.

“Mostly the top six are always there but they had to fight for every point. The depth is much better in the Premier League.

“And also the atmosphere. It’s like what they did with the NBA. They sold the product so well. Everyone’s happy to watch the Premier League.”

Despite having one of the largest youth systems in the country, Chelsea aren’t exactly renowned for blooding young players throughout the Premier League season – usually sending them away to enjoy first-team football elsewhere.

Nathaniel Chalobah is all too familiar with such a scenario – the Blues had shipped him out on loan no fewer than six times until Antonio Conte arrived at Stamford Bridge last summer, when the Italian saw something in the 22-year-old that caught his eye.

The Sierra Leone-born player has been one of the brightest prospects to grace Chelsea’s academy in recent years, since he joined the club from Fulham at the age of 10.

Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images

And Chalobah, who made his senior debut last season six years after being named on the bench for a League Cup tie by then-manager Carlo Ancelotti, wants to repay Conte’s loyalty.

“He showed faith in me in pre-season and he liked the way I was working,” the midfielder said.

“That was a confidence boost. He made a decision to keep me. The way I see it is that I’m in a better position than I was last year.

“I have worked with plenty managers and last year for me, being in and around the first-team, training with them every single day was always going to be a positive because you are training with the best players in the world.”

Photo by TF-images/Getty Images

Chalobah ticks almost every box. He has the ability to intercept and break up play; he is powerful and athletic; yet technical and aggressive – qualities that have seen him hold down his place in the England youth set-up year on year.

His England junior career has been remarkable: he made his under-16s debut aged 13; his under-17s debut aged 14 and his under-21s debut in 2012, aged 17. Now he hopes to make the final step up to the seniors.

Extensive loan spells might have galvanised the promising midfielder, but the mature Chalobah knows the challenge he faces if he wants to cement a first-team place – something that could become a reality this season, having now tasted first-team football as a Blue.

“We won the league and I have got competition ahead of me in Kante, Fabregas and Matic and we’re talking European Cup winners, World Cup winners and full internationals,” he said.

“These are players that you can learn from every single day in terms of what they do on the pitch and the way they are off the pitch.”

All the attention may be on Wayne Rooney’s return to Everton but former Toffees goalkeeper Tim Howard believes another man could prove to be their signing of the summer – Jordan Pickford.

Goalkeeper Pickford moved to Goodison Park from relegated Sunderland earlier this summer for £25million, potentially rising to a club-record fee of £30m.

The 23-year-old shone for a dismal Black Cats side last term and could nail down the Everton no.1 jersey for the next decade-plus.

Photo credit: Getty Images

The last man to do that was American Howard, who made 414 Toffees appearances during a 10-year stay that ended last summer, and the 38-year-old is convinced the club have signed a gem of a player.

“As someone who has worn that shirt for a long time, I’m proud to have Jordan on board,” said Howard, who now plays for Colorado Rapids in the MLS.

“Any time a player signs with a big price tag, people are looking out to see what is going to happen next but he’s shown already he has all the ability in the world.

“Knowing what I know about the club, he will be given time to settle in and find his feet. Talent-wise, he has got it all – he’ll be a great custodian for Everton. I like his movement, his ability to get about the goal and spring around.

“In a very tough season for Sunderland, he seemed unfazed which, for a young guy, is very good. He was probably their player of the season and that’s a tough thing to achieve when you get relegated.

“I think he has got the mettle to handle the ups and downs of the Premier League.”

Former Manchester City midfielder Dietmar Hamann has tipped the Citizens for the Premier League title next season, insisting Pep Guardiola’s men are the team to beat.

City had an up and down campaign last term, eventually finishing 15 points adrift of table-toppers Chelsea, despite a strong start.

This season will mark Guardiola’s second in charge at the Etihad Stadium, with the Spaniard having captured the signings of Bernardo Silva and Ederson this summer.

And as Guardiola starts to re-shape his squad, Haman, who spent three years with City following his seven-year spell with Liverpool, is confident City can launch a title bid once again.

(Photo by Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images)

“I’m not sure we will see a different Pep Guardiola next season – but I am certain we’ll see a different Manchester City team this time,” said Hamann.

“I can’t see beyond them for the title. Guardiola inherited an old, unbalanced squad with an ageing defence, where all the full-backs were the wrong side of 30.

“The squad was very poorly put together before Pep arrived, and given City’s resources, that was staggering, really.

“I remember a game a couple of seasons ago. They only had one outfield player under 30 and although they’ve tried to lower the age profile, signing Raheem Sterling, Kevin de Bruyne, John Stones and [Gabriel] Jesus, I wasn’t surprised when they struggled to keep up with Chelsea last season.

“Stones is a capable defender but he simply didn’t have enough support last season, and in the end, it was problems in defence that cost City.”

Mesut Ozil has pledged to help Arsenal summer signing Sead Kolasinac settle in at the Emirates Stadium.

The pair both formerly played for Bundesliga outfit Schalke, although their respective spells at Veltins-Arena didn’t intersect, and midfielder Ozil says that he has picked the brains of his German international colleague Julian Draxler to get the lowdown on Kolasinac.

Both players are on duty as part of Arsenal’s two-week tour of Sydney, Shanghai and Beijing and Ozil is expecting big things from the versatile Bosnian defender.

“I’ve spoken to a few players who have played with him at Schalke, like Draxler,” Ozil told Arsenal Player.

“They said to me that Sead is a really good player, with a character that will fit our team.

(Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

“What I’ve seen of him on the training pitch so far is that he’s very strong but character-wise, he seems to be a really nice guy. We’re happy to have him in our team.

“If he has questions where I know I can help him, I’ll be very happy to do that.

“As a new player, you want to know about where you can live, what you can do, which restaurants are good – if he has any questions, my door is always open to him.

“I don’t know how his English is but it’s definitely good for him to have so many players and coaches who you can speak [German with] and with whom you can communicate.

“I think that’s definitely very good at the start.”

Manchester United players past and present have paid a raft of tributes to Wayne Rooney after his illustrious Old Trafford career came to end on Sunday.

The 31-year-old has rejoined boyhood club Everton, departing United as both the Red Devils’ and England’s all-time record goalscorer, as well as having won every major honour available during his 13 seasons with the 20-time League champions.

Members of Jose Mourinho’s current United squad, as well as some of those that played alongside Rooney in seasons past, have flooded social media to laud their now former teammate.

Ander Herrera, one of those tipped to take up the captain’s armband, tweeted: “One day I will be able to tell my grandkids I played with you. All the best and thank you.”

Meanwhile, Michael Carrick posted: “Blew me away by how good he was from day 1. Outrageous. Had ups n downs but what a ride we’ve been on. Gonna miss him. Good luck Pal.”

Teenage striker Marcus Rashford kept his tribute short and sweet, writing: “What a player and a person. People only dream of doing what he has done! All the best.”

(Tony McArdle/Everton FC via Getty Images)

Rio Ferdinand, himself a former England skipper, reminisced about the first time he shared a training pitch with Rooney while on duty with the Three Lions.

He tweeted: “I have just seen this kid make a couple of seasoned England defenders look very basic, then nonchalantly dink the ball over/around the keeper….then jog back like it was some sort of regular playground messabout.”

Gary Neville, who spent his whole career at Old Trafford and played with countless top-class frontmen, posted: “All the best and congratulations on a great United career. The best striker I played with and saw at the club.”

As one of just six ever-presents in the Premier League, Tottenham have had their fair share of cult heroes, particularly with the huge turnover of players and managers in that time.

Countless full-backs, going back to Justin Edinburgh and Mauricio Taricco through to Erik Edman and Benoit Assou-Ekotto in more recent seasons, fit the bill.

If only for his goal in that Cup Winners Cup Final against Arsenal for Real Zaragoza, Nayim is a contender, while Ruel Fox and Andy Sinton also had their moments.

You could even make a case for a couple of classier more recent Spurs players, Dimitar Berbatov and Rafael van der Vaart.

But as one Danish midfielder runs the show for Tottenham these days, we’re going to go back a couple of decades to another.

Allan Nielsen might not have the innate talent of Christian Eriksen, but his four-year spell at White Hart Lane will be fondly remembered by all.

ARRIVING AT THE LANE

A teenage prodigy from Denmark, Nielsen was scooped up as an 18-year-old by Bayern Munich only to be discarded after one substitute appearance in three seasons.

A return to his native Denmark, via a fruitless spell in Switzerland with Sion, saw him come into his own, making his international debut in 1995.

A year later and after a good show in Euro 96, Tottenham manager Gerry Francis, the man who tried to take the mullet into the 90s and beyond, had obviously spotted something, and Spurs bought Nielsen for £1.65million from Brondby.

THE EARLY YEARS

Nielsen made his debut against Wimbledon – a team against whom he would later enjoy great success – however on that occasion Spurs were beaten 1-0 with the Dane taken off at half-time.

He quickly cemented his place in the Tottenham midfield though, scoring his first goal in a 1-0 win over Aston Villa in October of that season.

A constant goal threat from midfield during his time with Spurs, he managed three in as many games during the Christmas period of his first season, and finished with six in all in 33 appearances.

LEAGUE CUP HERO

Francis and then Christian Gross had been and gone in barely two seasons at Spurs for Nielsen, but in 1998 George Graham arrived.

His time at Tottenham will not be fondly remembered by all, but it did bring some silverware, and Nielsen was at the heart of it.

In a season when he scored nine goals – including one very fortuitous rebound against Wimbledon, none was more important than the 93^rd-minute winner for ten-man Spurs at Wembley against Leicester.

After Justin Edinburgh had seen red for falling into Robbie Savage’s trap and reacting to a bad tackle, a Tottenham win seemed unlikely.

But with extra-time beckoning, Steffen Iversen showed an unlikely turn of pace to get down the left and Kasey Keller parried his shot into the path of Nielsen.

He needed no second invitation and headed home from five yards for the latest of late winners, earning the man-of-the-match award in the process.

SAYING GOODBYE

Nielsen spent another season at Tottenham before being offloaded by Graham, but in total he racked up 115 appearances for Spurs, scoring 18 goals.

It was the arrival of Tim Sherwood that signalled the end for Nielsen and by February of 2000, he was sent out on-loan to Wolves.

His last game with Tottenham would prove to be a 1-0 defeat to Leeds, but he did check in with his former club when they signed Eriksen, the two remain the only Danes to have played for Tottenham.