Burnley have been struggling to find goals so far in the Premier League this season, although Danny Ings scoring twice against Stoke City was the first sign of a possible end to goal-shy Burnley’s fortunes.

But after going six games in a row without scoring a goal earlier on in the campaign it’s no secret that The Clarets could do with another goalscorer. However, Burnley don’t quite have the funds to battle off other Premier League teams, so they must go down to the Championship and take a few risks on possible players.

In Danny Ings they have a prolific scorer at that level and he is beginning to prove that he can make the step up. They’d like that to happen again with a new signing in January – but who can they sign?

[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON INGS TO SEE THE THREE POSSIBILITIES!

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Britt Assombalonga

Born in Zaire, the powerful striker began his football career with Watford. However it was at Peterborough United where Britt showed that he had a true scoring touch. He has only recently moved to Nottingham Forest on a 5-year deal but the power of the Premier League can prize players away.

Assombalonga was signed for a hefty £5m initial fee which could rise up to £8m, certainly not cheap for a Championship player. If Burnley could scrape the barrel they could convince the true goalscorer to sign for them. He has 11 goals so far in just 18 league appearances for Forest and at 21-years-old he’s certainly an exciting prospect.

Perhaps too pricey for Burnley, but can you put a price on goals?

Jordan Rhodes

Another true goalscorer in the lower leagues, and yet still waiting for a chance to ply his trade in the Premier League. After Rhodes signed for Blackburn Rovers for a fee of £8m he has continued the fine goalscoring form that he showed with his previous club of Huddersfield Town.

Now 24, surely Jordan is looking to test himself at the highest level? He’s approaching the same amount of league appearances that he made for Huddersfield with Blackburn and a move away could be possible if somebody is willing to pay the price.

Of course signing any player from the Championship is a gamble, but a poacher-type goalscorer can usually transfer their skills across the divisions.

Rhodes has seven more goals to his name so far this campaign and he doesn’t look like slowing down. A costly buy again, but still an investment at 24-years-old.

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Rudy Gestede

Blackburn’s top goalscorer this season has been in fine form with 10 goals in 16 appearances. The Frenchman stands at 6’4″ and could be a beneficial target man for Burnley. Of course the rivalry between the two sides will threaten any deal between the two (the same goes for Rhodes) but once again, the power of the Premier League is strong.

Gestede played a minor part in Cardiff’s relegation season from the Premier League but was initially loaned out to Blackburn. After signing a permanent deal with Blackburn he has found a fine scoring touch and has scored 20 goals in 34 league appearances, quite a fantastic record.

He could benefit Ings with a target man to play alongside and perhaps wouldn’t be as costly as the other two. The rivalry would be the main thing that stands in the way but the Frenchman may not care too much about the East-Lancashire derby.

Selfies are becoming all he rage in football nowadays. From Francesco Totti’s unorthodox celebration for Roma after he netted against Lazio to various clubs banning ‘selfie sticks’ in the stands, pictures that feed into our social media absorption are everywhere. And one Premier League club above all others are committed to the Twitter and Instagram trends… Arsenal. The majority of the Gunners’ first-team players seem addicted to giving us all a glimpse into life off the pitch, with images of themselves in the gym, on the training field or, most frequently, celebrating a win commonplace.[ad_pod id=’football-friends’ align=’center’]Although harmless, one pundit hates their antics, and that is Jamie Carragher. The Liverpool idol is now part of Sky Sports’ top-class Monday Night Football coverage, and he used his moments on screen to lay into the north London club:“It was one giant going to another giant. Of course celebrate, but it’s nonsense all of these team pics in dressing rooms – normally you have them with a cup! It’s nonsense and they need to stop doing it.â€â€˜Carra’ then, once the cameras were off, trolled the major culprit, Aaron Ramsey, with a cheeky Twitter post. Classic!

Great team effort, everyone worked their socks off #AFCUna foto publicada por Aaron Ramsey (@aaronramsey) el Ene 18, 2015 at 10:12 PST

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2014 FIFA Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo has been having a torrid time at Real Madrid recently.

Dips in form and booing from disgruntled fans has resulted in a player who doesn’t look settled or happy at his club anymore.

The problem seems to stem from the ridiculously high expectations the Bernabeu faithful have of their squad of superstars. Spoilt by an enviable level of success, Real Madrid are a club where just one season without a major trophy is akin to just surviving a relegation battle. Questions get asked and millions must be spent.

Ronaldo has, as ever, been a prolific striker scoring 31 times from 25 league appearances . Even in a season not considered to be his best the Portuguese powerhouse still makes all but one other player look pedestrian.

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That other player of course is long time rival Lionel Messi. The quiet Argentine was 12 La Liga goals behind his nemesis back in December but following the winter break now leads Ronaldo on 32.

Both Bale and Cristiano have struggled to find the net recently with the Welshman going nine games without scoring. There have even been rumours that a breakdown in relationship between the two has occurred, given credibility by Ronaldo’s negative reaction to Bale finally ending his goal drought against Levante last weekend.

According to the Daily Mirror, all of this unwanted stress has made Ronaldo consider a sensational move back to Manchester United and of course there are ridiculous sums of money being mentioned. Ronaldo originally signed for United in 2003 and enjoyed six successful years there before a big money move to Madrid.

United fans are guaranteed to show Ronaldo the love and adulation that he is missing in Spain so a return could be perfect for both the player and the struggling North Western club.

At 30, Ronaldo is still hot property and personally I think a move away from Real Madrid wouldn’t be a bad idea. After last year’s Champions League success he has won everything worth winning with the Spanish giants.

A move back to the club where he made his name and one who could desperately use his impeccable eye for goal would be the perfect way to cement his legendary status at United and a comfortable way to end his career.

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Failing that, I think he should check out America’s MLS. While the football there is nowhere near European level Ronaldo can start setting up his next chapter as a Hollywood superstar.

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Aside from displaying a few brief glimpses of quality in his debut season at Old Trafford, Manchester United’s Adnan Januzaj has not done much to set the English game alight. There was a great deal of initial hype and sensation when the young Belgian first set foot on pitches in the Premier League, yet as is usually the case with these up and coming unproven talents in the modern game, such a reaction was seemingly made far too prematurely.

Obviously at just 20-years-old, to write the attacking midfielder off now would be very silly. He still has a long way to go in discovering his very best form after all – even if his future ultimately lies beyond the ever testing realms of Old Trafford next season.

With that in mind, Roberto Martinez and Everton certainly go down as strong admirers of the no. 11’s talents, but as some reports are linking the Toffees with an incredible £20 million move for the youngster, certain questions just have to be raised.

So then, is this just another case of a young emerging star being dangerously over-valued before he has even had the chance to truly make a name for himself, or will Adnan Januzaj one day be worth the lofty sum Manchester United are reportedly asking for?

At this stage in proceedings, the answer arrives as a pretty simple one…

No, Januzaj is simply worth nowhere near the amount certain papers have being touting of late. He may have done well to establish his name in the Premier League at such a young age, his involvement in the Belgian national set-up certainly seems impressive, and his overall technique and style out on the pitch definitely suggests that he has something to offer – but ultimately £20 million is just a ridiculous asking price, if true.

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In the grand scheme of things, this is a player who Louis van Gaal has seemingly forgotten all about this season. He has failed to truly assert himself under Manchester United’s new Dutch boss so far throughout 2014/15, making fewer than ten league starts across the entire campaign and subsequently falling short in the goal-scoring department as a result.

However, such a negative turn of events for the player in question doesn’t mean that Januzaj couldn’t find his feet at a club such as Everton next term. The midfielder certainly goes about his business with an elegant nature on the ball, he has shown in seasons past that he has it in him to score some nice goals every now and then – and although 2014/15 has so far been a campaign to forget for the youngster – at 20-years-old a bright future still potentially lies ahead of the current Manchester United man.

All of which would indicate that Adnan Januzaj would fit in perfectly at Goodison Park next season, among a group of players that also remain technically gifted on the whole, if not entirely proven at the highest level in the Premier League.

Having said that though, if Roberto Martinez’ side are forced to pay out anything over £10 million for their reported transfer target, the Red Devils would certainly be walking away from the deal in a very pleasing position. The Belgian international simply hasn’t done anything meaningful enough to be worthy of such hype, and as this is a player who has picked up more bookings for diving than he has goals this season, it remains hard to view the potentially exciting Januzaj in anything other than a negative light.

Yet these days all it seems to take is a string of half decent games for any up and coming young player to be credited as the next big name of the future. Gone are the days when ‘one season wonders’ would have to consistently prove themselves after their much talked about honeymoon periods. Pundits and fans alike are all too quick to draw comparisons with truly world class players before they have really seen enough to gauge the extent of talent on offer from the likes of Adnan Januzaj.

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As PSG were also reportedly in for the young Manchester United talent in January however, perhaps Everton will be left with no other choice than to stump up the cash for the no. 11 if Roberto Martinez and co. eventually decide that Januzaj is their man.

With high profile deals like this one often proving too much to handle for the young stars of the Premier League in the end though, maybe a degree of caution must be taken before such drastic steps are ultimately taken.

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Oh, Mario Balotelli. When will you learn?

The not so prolific striker took to Twitter on Sunday, in support of Manchester City in their clash with local rivals Manchester United. City were first to score within eight minutes, with Aguero’s goal. As City celebrated their lead over the Red Devils, Mario Balotelli tweeted the scoreline, followed by “Stand up and shut up.”

But, the key thing to note here, is that Mario Balotelli is not a Manchester City player. Nor has he been for years. Balotelli failed to tweet the final scoreline, with Manchester United pulling the game back to win 4-2 on a deserved performance.

When is Mario Balotelli going to learn how to use social media effectively? This is not the first time he has looked foolish online. He came under fire for a picture he posted on Instagram of Super Mario of the Mario Brothers (as it is related to his nickname, supposedly), yet did not read the text that came with it. It states “Don’t be racist! Be like Mario”, stating the different nationalities that come into play with the games character. Yet at the bottom of the picture, states derogatory remarks about other cultures and races. With Mario Balotelli’s unfortunate run-ins with racism during his career, this was his dumbest move yet. The post has since been deleted, and Mario Balotelli has apologised for the post.

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Mario also posted a photo of himself on Instagram, praising his team, with a thermometer in his hand. This is clearly to prove he was in fact ill, which is why he had been withdrawn from the squad. But Balotelli could not foresee the memes that would make fun of him – surprisingly. There were photos that stated he was pregnant, amongst others.

It is becoming clear that Mario Balotelli is not learning his lessons when it comes to using social media. It will be no surprise that Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers will not be happy with the Manchester City-supporting tweet. A loss for Manchester City realistically is what Liverpool would have wanted, in order to close the current gap between the sides.

Balotelli needs some guidance with what can and cannot be posted online. Do not post in favour of a rival club. Especially when that club score early on, because that is asking for trouble.

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Manchester is Red, Mario!

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Amid a purple end to a promising 2014/15 campaign, many believe Arsenal are just a few shrewd signings away from being genuine Premier League title challengers.

Resultantly, Arsene Wenger is expected to keep himself very busy in the transfer market this summer – at least, by the reckoning of the tabloids, who remain relentless in their Gunners-based rumour gathering as we approach the opening of the offseason window.

But the transfer market is always filled with inevitable booby-traps; the low-risk-high-reward signings that amount to nothing, the bargain bosmans who break their legs on the first week of training but end up on the wage bill for the next four years, the big names who struggle to live up to their preceding reputations, the ‘next Paul Scholes’ prodigies who end up more like the next Nicky Butt.

So to ensure the north London outfit avoid an error-free summer on the inward front, we’ve listed the FIVE targets they should avoid at all costs.

BENEDIKT HOWEDES

Available for just £13million through a release clause, Benedikt Howedes could prove to be a smart piece of business for one of Europe’s bigger clubs.

He’s renowned for his versatility, capable of playing anywhere across the backline or in midfield, lifted the World Cup with Germany last summer, boasts experience in the Champions League and has served as Schalke captain since 2011. Not bad for such an unspectacular fee.

But what does the 26 year-old actually offer Arsenal’s squad apart from further depth? Arsene Wenger added to his centre-back options with Gabriel Paulista in January, whilst both full-back positions are firmly covered through the likes of Mathieu Debuchy, Callum Chambers, Hector Bellerin, Kieran Gibbs and Nacho Monreal.

Throwing another World Cup winner into the mix is hardly the worst thing Wenger could do this summer. Yet, it’s money that could be better spent in other areas – or a more specific position withn the starting XI.

Furthermore, despite his heroics for Die Mannschaft last summer, the 6 foot 2 defender has put in some horrendous Champions League displays over the last few seasons.

SAMI KHEDIRA

Arsenal need to sign a physically-imposing midfielder this summer and Sami Khedira, blessed with fantastic aerial ability, strength and undying stamini, fits the bill perfectly.

He’s widely viewed as one of the top defensive midfielders in world football, proving such status last summer by lifting the Champions League title with Real Madrid and the World Cup with Germany in just a matter of months. And better yet, he’ll be available on a free transfer at the end of the season when his Bernabeu contract expires.

There’s only one problem, however; that spate of success during summer 2014 was a rare island in a sea of recurring injuries for the 28 year-old. Due to his constant sideline bouts, Khedira has managed just 24 La Liga appearances over the last two campaigns.

There’s already far too many injury-prone midfielders within Arsenal’s squad; Jack Wilshere, Abou Diaby, Tomas Rosicky, Aaron Ramsey – the list continues.

Although Khedira represents exactly the kind of player the Gunners should be targeting this summer, his injury record – especially when combined with his likely wage demands – makes the Bernabeu star a risk simply not worth taking.

ANDRE AYEW

Set to leave Marseille on a free transfer at the end of the campaign, Andre Ayew will be arguably the best value-for-money winger-forward on the market this summer.

He boasts 60 goals in 193 appearances for L’OM – including eleven this season – claimed the Goal King (top scorer) award at the 2015 African Cup of Nations and has an incredibly physical, direct style that should make him a natural suitor to the athletic demands of Premier League football.

But is the 25 year-old a particularly better option than what Arsenal already have? He might score a few more goals than Danny Welbeck or Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, but in my opinion Theo Walcott and Alexis Sanchez are both considerably above his level.

With the former potentially moving on this summer, the Ghana international could be deemed an effective low-cost replacement. But ahead of a campaign in which many expect Arsenal to challenge for the title, it seems like a bit of a sideways move. He’d add depth to the squad, but not quality to the starting Xi.

ISCO

Isco is a fantastic footballer and he’s probably been treated a little unfairly by Real Madrid since joining them from Malaga in summer 2013,often finding his role in the starting Xi dependent upon the fitness of the club’s somewhat more lucrative names.

The Express claim he could resultantly decide to leave the Bernabeu this summer, with Arsenal mooted as potential suitors.

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But if there’s one thing the Gunners definitely do not need in the coming transfer window it’s yet another No.10. Arsenal have so many already most are now playing out of position; Santi Cazorla in deep midfield, Jack Wilshere transformed into a box-to-box and Aaron Ramsey playing everywhere apart from the central attacking berth that made him one of the most exciting prospects in English football during his teenage years. Meanwhile, Tomas Rosicky waits patiently in reserve.

The north Londoners have finally figured out a system that gets Mesut Ozil into his rightful position just behind the striker. Adding Isco to the equation will only recreate the problems that plagued the German international during the first 18 months of his Emirates tenure – not to mention the fact Arsenal would apparently have to pay a club-record £45million fee to land the Real Madrid playmaker.

RAheem Sterling

Do I think Raheem Sterling could play for a better club than Liverpool? Judging on the fact the 20 year-old ranks second for goals, assists and successful dribbles per-match and first for created chances per-match within a Liverpool squad that are currently fifth in the Premier League, yes.

But would I actually take a punt on him this summer amid rumours he plans to force a move away from Anfield? At Liverpool’s apparent valuation of £50million? Certainly not.

No doubt, the 2014 Golden Boy winner is a sensational talent, potentially the best of his home-grown generation. But placing the weight of such an almighty transfer fee on his young shoulders could completely debase the Liverpool prodigy’s career.

With Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez already proving highly effective together in the attacking midfield berth, it’s a risk Arsene Wenger doesn’t need to take. Other areas of the squad – particularly defensive midfield and centre-forward – should be taking priority.

When Alexandre Lacazette signed for Arsenal in the summer, it felt like a case of better late than never.

Since the departure of Robin van Persie to Manchester United in 2013, Arsenal have lacked a top striker. And after being linked with big-money moves for massive names, the Gunners always seemed to shy away from actually making the purchase, must to the displeasure of their fans.

But after signing the Frenchman in the summer, Gunners fans had to wait until late October for a glimpse of their golden trefoiled attack to start a game together.

This season, despite the arrival of Lacazette and the success – if you can call it that – in keeping Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil in the summer, Arsenal have still floundered at times this season, especially away from home. But they do remain very much in the hunt for fourth place and a return to the Champions League next season. And with a deadly striker on board, Arsene Wenger’s side will be a force this season.

This weekend, their victory over Newcastle showed just what Lacazette brings to the team, even when he’s not scoring.

Although the vital goal in Saturday afternoon’s victory over Newcastle came from Ozil, the Frenchman’s performance was the kind of striker’s display that Arsenal have been lacking for an age.

When players like Lacazette are not scoring goals, you have to be prepared for them to seem inactive: predators don’t do much for most of the game, except for when they pounce.

With someone like Olivier Giroud up front in recent seasons, Arsenal always had a player who was more likely to get involved in games and link-up with other players. The problem with that, however, is that it can often be easier to defend against: the opposition don’t have to worry about a deadly striker lurking in the box miles away from play. With Lacazette, they do.

At the weekend, the Frenchman managed only 38 touches of the ball: one more than Petr Cech and comfortably less than half of the contribution of any other Gunners player, although he was taken off with just over 15 minutes to go.

With those touches, however, he won one dribbles, played two key passes and took four shots: when he gets it, there’s always danger and that’s because of the positions he occupies.

What’s also interesting is that, in contrast with his team’s 85% pass accuracy, Lacazette’s was all the way down at just 70% – much lower. But that’s because he’s not just attempting easy short passes, but rather trying to win battles with defenders, play lay-offs to his teammates or even set some of his attacking partners through on goal or into dangerous positions.

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For years, Arsenal have been accused of being too intricate and too pretty in their build-up play.

With Lacazette in the side, they’re a little bit more direct and look straight to goal that little bit more often. Later on in the season, that could be crucial when it comes to the race for the top four.

Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin posted on his official Twitter account following his side’s 3-2 win against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Thursday night, and Gunners fans were quick to react.

The Spaniard has been playing as a right-back in recent times but he was pushed forward into a wing-back role in a 3-4-2-1 formation against the Eagles, with the north London outfit taking an early lead though Shkodran Mustafi.

A second-half brace from Alexis Sanchez wrapped up the points for the visitors, but they were made to sweat when James Tomkins scored in the 89th minute to set up a nervy finish.

Bellerin has struggled to replicate the form he has shown in the past this season, and he failed to make too much of an impact at both ends of the pitch against Palace.

Arsenal supporters took to social media to give their thoughts to the 22-year-old, and while one said “step up your game”, another said “you’re the weak point of the team”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

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Former Everton striker Kevin Campbell has branded the arrival of Cenk Tosun ‘a great piece of business’ for the Toffees.

Tosun joined Everton from Besiktas earlier this month off the back of scoring 14 times in 24 appearances for the Turkish club in the first half of the 2017-18 campaign.

The 26-year-old made his Everton bow against Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend, and despite his new team suffering a 4-0 defeat, the forward showed glimpses of his talent.

Campbell was the last player to move to Everton from Turkish football, with the now 47-year-old switching from Trabzonspor in March 1999.

The former striker has hailed the capture of Tosun, insisting that the Turkish international will be a star for the Merseyside club once he has fully settled.

Campbell told Everton’s official website:

“It is a great piece of business for Everton to bring in somebody of international quality. Tosun is a good player, a strong player. He is blessed with good technique and knows where the goal is.

“The quicker we can get him settled in the better. He might need a couple of games to adapt but he is a top-quality striker.”

Everton, who have lost each of their last three in the Premier League, will be looking to put three points on the board when they host West Bromwich Albion this weekend.

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According to reports in the Daily Mail, Everton are in pole position to beat Southampton to the £20m signing of Arsenal winger Theo Walcott, who has scored 108 goals in 398 games for the Gunners.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Daily Mail says that the Toffees are challenging their Premier League rivals in the battle to land the 28-year-old attacker this month, and they are confident that they will beat Saints to his signature.

The Daily Mail says that the Merseyside outfit would be able to get closer to match Walcott’s current £110,000-a-week wages, whereas Southampton would be looking for their former player to take a wage cut if he was to return to St Mary’s before the window slams shut on January 31.

The report adds that if comes down to location however, the England international may choose not to uproot his young family from the south of England which could give Mauricio Pellegrino’s men the advantage.

How has Walcott done this season?

While he has been a regular in the domestic cups and in the Europa League, the 28-year-old has barely featured in the Premier League and has played just 49 minutes in total across five top flight appearances from the substitutes’ bench.

Elsewhere, the winger has scored five goals and provided a further four assists in 10 games – prior to the EFL Cup clash against Chelsea – although he was also part of the side that suffered a disappointing 4-2 defeat against Nottingham Forest in the third round of the FA Cup at the City Ground on Sunday – a display that may have put his future into further doubt.

Would he be a good signing for Everton?

He certainly would be given his impressive goalscoring record – usually from a position out wide –but it would be interesting to see where he would fit in.

Sam Allardyce has preferred a 4-2-3-1 system since he arrived at Goodison Park and with new boy Cenk Tosun surely the first-choice up top, Walcott would be fighting for a place out wide along with the likes of Yannick Bolasie, Ademola Lookman, Nikola Vlasic, Aaron Lennon and Gylfi Sigurdsson as things stand.

Will they beat Southampton to him?

The chase for Walcott seems to depend on a number of factors.

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Firstly, whether Arsene Wenger will be willing to let him go if Alexis Sanchez leaves this month, whether he will leave on loan or permanently, and what the player’s preference is.

If the 28-year-old doesn’t mind moving up north and isn’t desperate to rejoin his former club then Everton would be the frontrunners for his signature, so it will be interesting to see how things pan out over the course of the next couple of weeks.