Stoke City are struggling to offload unwanted midfielder Giannelli Imbula, despite the club declaring they are open to offers several weeks ago.

The Potters have made an unspectacular start to their summer business – with just midfielder Darren Fletcher arriving through the doors so far.

And, of the senior squad, only goalkeeper Shay Given has departed – leaving fans, who expect a lot of business to be done this summer, slightly frustrated.

Imbula joined Stoke for a club-record £18m in 2016 but fell out of favour very quickly last season – and manager Mark Hughes wants him out of the club.

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Stoke want to sell him for about £13m, but chief executive Tony Scholes has said there are no takers just yet.

“It’s that time of year, we are still very early,” he said.

“The only deals that tend to get done this early are the ones where things were put in place before, or where the player is a free agent and you haven’t got the complication of having to deal with the club, you are just dealing with one party.

“There’s been one or two high-profile ones done, but there hasn’t been that many deals done between clubs to buy or sell a player, yet.

“So we are a little bit early and on Giannelli, as with a number of players, everything is just speculation at the moment.

“You always have to see what’s available and what the options are.”

Few clubs can match Arsenal for history, prestige or the size of their trophy cabinet – even if they no longer pack the punch of a super heavyweight.

Arsene Wenger may have angered many by clinging on to his job for yet another season, but the Frenchman once steered them to three Premier League titles and brought many of the game’s greats to north London.

An unprecedented seven FA Cups and a European final has made his tenure remarkably successful, and he will go down as a legend – however his career at the club ends.

There was once a time when they went toe-to-toe with Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United and won – including that unbeaten Premier League season.

Six of that team make it into our Greatest Arsenal XI (4-2-3-1) – while there are a couple of retro additions for fans to enjoy.

David Seaman

David Seaman may be known by most for ‘that Ronaldinho goal’ from the 2002 World Cup – but the England international was one of the Premier League’s best keepers for years.

A vocal presence, calm under the high ball and a superb shot-stopper, Seaman was a key player for Wenger in his first few years in charge.

They have never quite replaced the mustachioed hero, although Petr Cech has brought some solidity to the position, highlighting just how key Seaman was.

Lee Dixon

The most talented? Certainly not, but Lee Dixon was a key piece in that famous Arsenal back four.

Dependable at the back and dangerous in attack, Dixon was so consistent he racked up over 450 appearances for the Gunners in 14 years.

He went out on a high, winning the Premier League title in 2002 – alongside captain Tony Adams.

Tony Adams

With his management career failing spectacularly, it is easy to forget how great a player Tony Adams was.

The centre-back was a one-club man, a term anyone under 15 will probably have to Google, and made over 500 appearances at the heart of the famous Arsenal back four.

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The Englishman was made skipper at just 21 and led the team with distinction, winning four league titles, three FA Cups and two League Cups in a distinguished career.

Sol Campbell

He may have joined from arch-rivals Tottenham, but Sol Campbell quickly became a Gunners legend at the heart of the defence.

With Tony Adams just a year away from retirement, Wenger needed a new leader at the back – and he pounced to sign the quick, agile, muscular England international on a free transfer in 2001.

Alongside Kolo Toure, Campbell was the glue at the back as Arsenal won two league titles in three seasons and back-to-back FA Cups.

He also scored in the final of the Champions League in 2006, which almost won them the trophy, before joining Portsmouth soon after.

Ashley Cole

It’s a controversial choice, but Ashley Cole is the best left-back Arsenal have had in the Premier League era.

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Many fans will yell Nigel Winterburn at the screen, but Cole is one of the greatest full-backs of his generation – supreme in defence and attack, with his wicked pace, ice-cool delivery and tenacious tackling helping him win more than 100 England caps.

Patrick Vieira

Captain fantastic, Patrick Vieira was the man who took the armband from Tony Adams and led the club to even more success.

The Frenchman could do everything. He was bigger and stronger than almost everyone else, pacey, powerful, scored plenty of goals and was a rock in front of the back four.

His rivalry with Manchester United skipper Roy Keane is legendary. He fought fire with fire, and often came out on top.

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He spent nine years in England and departed for Juventus aged just 28. But with almost 300 appearances and seven major trophies to his name, he left a legend.

Cesc Fabregas

Another controversial choice, the boos can be heard across the capital every time Cesc Fabregas sets foot at the Emirates Stadium these days.

But the Spaniard is undoubtedly an Arsenal legend, even if his trophy cabinet is not quite as full as some others.

Fabregas burst through as a 16-year-old, and stayed in the team from there. His ability to ghost past opponents, thread a pass through the eye of a needle and score big goals in big games confirmed his legendary status long ago.

He left for boyhood club Barcelona in 2011 with the club’s blessing, but his return to these shores in the blue of Chelsea was not part of the deal – angering Arsenal fans.

Robert Pires

Pires personified Arsenal in the early 2000s: Stylish, skilful, scored plenty of goals, and a Frenchman.

Already a France international, Pires joined Arsenal in 2000 from Marseille. He lacked the outright pace most wingers now have, but his vision and ability on the ball more than made up for that.

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He also had an eye for the spectacular, which only endeared him to Arsenal fans (think of that lob against Aston Villa), while he also scored the winning goal in the 2003 FA Cup final.

Dennis Bergkamp

Dennis Bergkamp was so good that even Tottenham fans might admit to secretly admiring him.

When the Dutchman was on the ball, time seemingly stood still. He did not have express pace or score 30 goals a season, but he had incredible vision and anticipation.

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Bergkamp arrived in 1995 from Inter Milan and changed the way Arsenal played.

Eleven years, more than 300 appearances and 100 goals later he retired – but not before Arsenal celebrated him in style by dedicating their home game with West Brom to him.

Alexis Sanchez

The only member of the current squad to get in, Alexis Sanchez became an instant fan favourite when he arrived from Barcelona for £35m in 2014.

And since then, he has been comfortably their best player with his pace, trickery and weight of goals single-handedly winning games.

The notion of a lack of leadership is often chucked at Arsenal these days, but Sanchez is a vocal presence and is not afraid to say what he thinks. If he does depart, as expected, this summer then he will be almost impossible to replace.

Thierry Henry

Thierry Henry arrived in north London as a little-known French winger, but left as the club’s all-time top scorer.

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Converted into a striker by Arsene Wenger, Henry led Arsenal to two Premier League titles – while at international level he also won a World Cup and European Championship crown.

Between 2002 and 2006, he did not fall below 30 goals a season – even hitting 39 in the 2003-04 unbeaten season, before leaving for Barcelona in 2007.

Honourable mentions: Jens Lehmann, Lauren, Steve Bould, Kolo Toure, Nigel Winterburn, Freddie Ljungberg, Gilberto Silva, Ian Wright, Emmanuel Petit, Robin van Persie, Marc Overmars, Martin Keown, Nicholas Anelka.

Swansea legend Lee Trundle has acknowledged the Swans’ tough opening fixtures for 2017-18, but feels the club are in a good place to better their 15th place finish last season.

Trundle, who last played for Swansea seven years ago, is now a club ambassador and was speaking after returning from Thailand where he helped England win the Senior World Cup alongside former greats Barry Hayles and Jamie Cureton.

The 2017-18 Premier League fixture list was released earlier this week and the Swans begin their seventh year in the Premier League with a trip to Southampton before hosting Manchester United and then travelling to Crystal Palace.

And Trundle, who scored 83 goals in 166 Swans appearances, believes that the South Wales club can continue the form they showed at the end of last season.

“I am more optimistic this season with the manager in place,” he said.

“We did really well in the second half of last season after he took over and, with some of his signings coming in and a good pre-season, I think we will have a better year.

“The form the lads showed to get out of trouble was really good. Now they have to try to repeat that next season and I am confident they can.

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“You look at the early fixtures and it is a tough start, ideally you would like to start at home as you want to get that first win on the board, and Southampton away will be difficult.

“We don’t have a great record there but, saying that, the lads showed at the end of the season that they can compete with any team.

“If you are picking out months, then February and March look like they could be key, although we saw last season that the points don’t always come from the games you expect them to come from.

“The biggest thing to focus on for the moment is trying to make a good start. If we can do that, that will set us up nicely for the rest of the season.”

Brighton and Hove Albion look on track to break a new club record for the biggest number of tickets sold for a friendly match at the Amex Stadium.

The newly-promoted Premier League side have reported that some 14,000 tickets have already been snapped up for Albion’s pre-season friendly against Spanish giants Atletico Madrid on August 6.

And earlier this week, the seaside club revealed that they were prepared to open up more blocks of the stadium to satisfy the demand from eager fans.

Chief executive Paul Barber said: “People seem to love this game and can’t wait to see [Antoine] Griezmann and people like that.

“We have got to know the people from Atletico very well over the last month and they are really good people – a really good football club – and we have every confidence the side they put out will be the strongest they possibly can.

“They have got that quality about the way they do things.”

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The news indicates the growing excitement ahead of the new season, which will see the Seagulls return to the top flight of English football for only the second time in their history and just 20 years after narrowly avoiding relegation from the Football League altogether.

And with the season-ticket waiting list having surpassed the 6,000 mark, fans are being urged to join the club’s membership scheme to boost their chances of getting tickets, a move being encouraged by Barber.

The Brighton chief executive said: “Season ticket numbers are going to be around 23,000. Away fans would be around 3,000 for every game.

“We will have between 3,000 and 4,000 match tickets to sell at each game – it’s going to be very difficult to get a ticket for our matches here.”

Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino says his side are already motivated for their opening-day fixture against Newcastle at St James’ Park, where they suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat two seasons ago.

The shock victory for the already-relegated Magpies, playing with ten men, on the final day of the 2015-16 campaign allowed North London rivals Arsenal to finish above Tottenham in the table, in a disappointing end to an otherwise successful season.

But after the announcement of the 2017-18 Premier League fixtures on Wednesday, Pochettino believes this memory will serve his team well come August 12.

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Spurs will face Chelsea in their first home game at Wembley the following week, but may be without forward Son Heung-Min, who will undergo surgery on a fractured forearm.

It is uncertain whether the South Korea international will return in time for the beginning of the season, but Pochettino is focussed on giving his team the best possible start in the Premier League.

“This is a moment for our players to enjoy their holidays and try to recharge the batteries but for us, we’re thinking about starting the season in the best condition,” said Pochettino.

“The Premier League is tough and we start in Newcastle, that will be exciting because it’s our first game and then our first game at Wembley is against Chelsea – I’m sure the fans will be excited for that.

“Newcastle is another motivation for us, the way that we finished the season before last is not too important now but we’ll have that in our mind to motivate us and we’ll try to win.”

Juventus’ Mario Lemina says he will talk to manager Massimiliano Allegri after Watford reportedly showed interest in the midfielder.

The Gabon international expressed his frustration at a lack of game time in Serie A, having made just eight appearances last season.

Lemina has three years left on his contract with the Serie A winners and Champions League finalists, but is struggling to establish himself in a midfield dominated by Sami Khedira, Miralem Pjanic and Claudio Marchisio.

The 23-year-old has been linked with the Hornets and Arsenal but would not reveal much about his future, saying he must discuss it with Allegri first.

“We’re going to see what they really want to do with me and what I want to do in terms of how much playing time I’ll get,” Lemina said.

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“We’re going to put everything on the table and speak about it calmly.

“I learn a lot, I gain a lot of experience, but it is true I have to play a lot more to be able to make a name for myself.

“Personally it was quite a difficult season, I would like to have played more – I’m a young player, I really need to play.

“Everything might interest me. You have to see the project, the feeling that you get from the board.

“Of course they’re interesting projects, but for the moment, my head’s at Juve.

“After talking to them, we’ll be able to talk about real interest or not.”

Burnley manager Sean Dyche believes the transfer market is getting increasingly difficult for all clubs and that he will only go after the ‘right type’ of player.

The Clarets boss is looking to strengthen the ranks at Turf Moor after he secured the Clarets’ Premier League status for a second year running, despite operating with a tight budget.

Last season, Burnley broke their transfer record with the £13m purchase of Robbie Brady, and chairman Mike Garlick has previously stated that Dyche will have a bigger budget to work with this summer.

But Dyche says that finding the right player for Burnley is getting tougher and tougher amidst an inflated transfer market.

“In an ideal world, you want players in as early as you can but in reality, it doesn’t happen very often and if it does, they’re big deals when the money’s right,” said Dyche.

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“We’ve always got targets and ideally, we’ve not got just one, because it’s rare we get the first one we go after.

“When I first started six years ago, you could ring a manager and get it done quite quickly if there was a deal to be done – now it’s not like that.

“The idea of breaking the transfer record sounds grandiose but when you look at the figures, they’re not enormous in the modern game.

“Usually, the clubs that take a big risk are the ones with a backer, so if the TV money dries up, they’re okay anyway.

“They take a bigger, more inflated risks. If you’re our club, it has to be a manageable risk, which is hard.”

If there was ever a man the Liverpool faithful could rely upon to bag a late goal, it was Dirk Kuyt.

The Dutchman was unrelenting in his commitment to the cause and Reds fans will never forget his contribution to the club.

Snapped up by Rafa Benitez in 2006 for £10million as a prolific forward, Kuyt operated mostly on the right during his six years at Anfield and was, at first, widely underappreciated.

But few could match his energy levels and sheer willingness to keep going and make the difference to the team.

Liverpool fans have always taken players who play with passion and for the shirt to their hearts and Kuyt’s unwavering devotion makes him the ultimate cult hero.

Relentless

There are stories that Kuyt used to lap his teammates on runs during training and many could testify to how big his engine was.

But if you believe fitness was his only quality, then think again. He may not have had the silky skills of Fernando Torres or Luis Garcia but he was a highly effective player, who was more than a match for any full-back.

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Leighton Baines used to call the Dutchman ‘the nightmare’ for his tenacity and never-say-die attitude during feisty Merseyside derbies.

Kuyt was fortunate not to see red at Goodison Park for a wild lunge on Phil Neville, a challenge that no doubt endeared himself to the Anfield fans and angered Evertonians alike.

Not just on the pitch, but off it, he was working hard for the team – Kuyt helped Luis Suarez settle in England after he moved from Ajax in 2011 and was leader in the dressing room.

Man for the big occasion

They say hard work pays off and that certainly was the case for Kuyt, who not only contributed with goals but crucial goals at that.

The Dutchman was composed from the penalty spot and rarely missed when called upon. Kuyt slotted home the winning spot-kick in the Champions League semi-final against Chelsea in 2007 to set up a rematch with AC Milan in Athens.

He also netted in the 2012 League Cup final, a last-minute penalty to salvage a draw at Arsenal, and bagged five goals against the Toffees in his time. When there was a big occasion, Kuyt never went missing.

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Hat-trick downs Fergie’s United

There’s nothing quite like a hat-trick against your fiercest rivals to ensure that you’ll go down in Liverpool folklore.

The 2010-11 season was an inconsistent one for the Reds, with two defeats against Premier League newbies Blackpool but impressive victories over Chelsea and Manchester City.

But it was their 3-0 thumping of eventual champions Manchester United that put a shine on the season and nobody deserved a hat-trick more than Kuyt.

All three of the goals were relative tap-ins but the hard-working Dutchman showed composure when needed to send the Kop delirious.

Kuyt recently finished his career by also netting a hat-trick for Feyenoord to help them snatch their first Eredivisie title since 2000 and no-one could deny Dirk Kuyt deserved his final glory.

West Bromwich Albion’s Jonathan Leko is, in a manner of speaking, rubbing shoulders with some of the greatest young players on the planet.

Monaco’s coveted teenage star Kylian Mbappe, prodigious Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford and AC Milan goalkeeping sensation Gianluigi Donnarumma are just some of the names that accompany the Baggies forward on the list of nominations for the 2017 Golden Boy award.

Granted, a hefty line-up of 98 players was constructed to decide the European-based youngster perceived to have performed best over the space of a calendar year but it’s doubtful Leko is sniffing at being nominated for a gong previously held by Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero and Wayne Rooney.

When he was introduced as a 78th-minute substitute against Sunderland in April 2016, the Ghana-born England youth international – then at the tender age of 16 – became the first player born in 1999 to feature in the Premier League.

Leko, who turned 18 less than two months ago, made a further four top-flight appearances in 2015-16, grabbing an assist against Liverpool on the final day of the season and being named the Baggies’ young player of the year.

Baby steps

The teenager was deployed by Hawthorns chief Tony Pulis nine times last term and although he had to settle for being introduced from the bench every time, Leko still managed to assert himself in a blue and white shirt.

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The England U18 man produced a string of impressive performances for West Brom’s U23 side and was named the Premier League Two player of the month for December, becoming the first Baggies youngster to clinch a monthly award.

Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus, Everton’s Tom Davies and 2016 winner Renato Sanches, of Bayern Munich, are just a few more in the running for the 2017 Golden Boy award, with nominations drawn up on the suggestions of sports journalists from across the continent.

The chance of Leko being crowned the cream of the crop are probably slim but being recognised a potential star of the future should be prize enough for the West Brom youngster, who, now he is finally old enough to vote or open his own bank account, will be aiming to fully break into Pulis’ first-team plans next season.

Captain Ryan Shawcross is relishing the opportunity for Stoke City to make a statement early on in the Premier League following the fixture announcement this week.

Mark Hughes’ men welcome Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea to the bet365 Stadium in their first three home games of the 2017/18 campaign.

The Potters had a shaky start to the season last year with two draws and four defeats in their opening six games with their first league victory not coming until October 15.

And Shawcross is focussed on a much better start for his side this time around despite the difficult nature of their early fixtures.

“We struggled during the opening few weeks of the season last time, especially in the matches against the bigger sides, but we have a real opportunity to put that right this season,” he said.

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“We have three mouth-watering games at home against Arsenal, United and Chelsea, which we will be right up for, and hopefully we will be able to make a real statement of intent in those matches.

“We know that we let ourselves down in those kind of fixtures last season, so we will be desperate to make amends for that this time around and start the season in really positive fashion.

“Everton away is never an easy one for any side, but we have been there in the past, competed with them and beaten them, so we can go there with real belief this time around too.”