Everton dominated a distinctly average Bournemouth side on Saturday afternoon as Eddie Howe’s side’s form continues to dip at the worst time.

Recent defeats to both Arsenal and Stoke have left the Cherries in a precarious position and they were completely played off the pitch by an Everton side that could have started with a lot more attacking line-up on a different day. Roberto Martinez knows that his best chance of turning this season into a perceived success is to build a cup run and they are now in the quarter finals, just one victory away from Wembley.

Eddie Howe rotated his squad significantly and Everton’s experience at a higher level showed as they held out for the last half an hour with intelligent game management and allowed Romelu Lukaku a brief rest as Oumar Niasse tries to make his way in English football.

Here we have the FIVE things we learned from the game..

Bark has that lucky touch

Barkley (correct me if I’m wrong) seems to have a knack for scoring deflected goals, in a Frank Lampard-esque manner.

Yet again today Barkley saw another effort take a dramatic reflection and end up in the net…

Calm Ed turns a blind eye

Eddie Howe made several changes to his last XI and it showed. The depth isn’t there in the Bournemouth squad, but Howe seemed unphased by the dominance that Everton had for much of the game.

Allowing Iturbe to settle and keeping some of the rotation options match fit is as useful as anything as they look to avoid the drop.

Stones is not the messiah

Ramiro Funes Mori and Phil Jagielka looked secure for much of the game today and, as talented as Stones is, the defence benefited from him being left on the bench.

His brilliance is likely to attract attention from the big boys again this summer and Everton could just be preparing for life after him.

Distin will never retire

Sylvain Distin gave a relatively assured performance against his former club and the Frenchman is the very definition of an evergreen footballer.

The former Everton man has been a class act for years and Bournemouth’s decision to sign him is one of the shrewdest signings this season.

Mirallas’ time is up..

Kevin Mirallas has been out of favour with Roberto Martinez for some time and the Belgian was pushing for a move away in January.

His work rate has been under question at times and Martinez looks to have placed faith in him momentarily to keep him at the club and given up once more.

The Belgian is hugely talented and could surely make a big move in the summer.

The Premier League has been home to its fair share of superstars in the past. Whilst a lot of the truly elite talent often ends up in the upper echelons of continental football – whether it be Spain, Germany or even Italy in Serie A’s pomp – the ‘Prem’ has seen a number of high profile players make their name on the world stage over the years.

The fast pace of the English game gives younger players a good foundation, whilst the ever-increasing amounts of cash available for wages has, rightly or wrongly, attracted many a top-class footballer towards the end of their career. It has also helped make stars out of lesser-known foreign players – the likes of Eric Cantona, Dennis Bergkamp and Gianfranco Zola really rising to prominence while playing in the Premier League.

These three players are more the exception than the rule, however, and should there ever be a Premier League Hall of Fame they seem certain to be inaugural members. More often than not though, the better players the league helps develop get picked off by the giants of European football, their best years (mid to late 20s) often played out on foreign soil. Two of the biggest examples of this in recent times are Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, both of whom rose onto the footballing stage in the Premier League before joining the ranks at Real Madrid.

And whilst this season has seen the likes of Riyad Mahrez, Dimitri Payet and Harry Kane produce outstanding performances and play the kind of football that may well see them move onto elite status later in their career, there is one player in the Premier League currently who looks almost certain to go on and be a true great in world football, in the mould of Henry, Ronaldo or Bale. And that player is Kevin De Bruyne.

There were sure to be more than a few eyebrows raised when Manchester City paid Wolfsburg an estimated £55m for the Belgian’s services on the final day of the summer transfer window, but they are already reaping the rewards. Let go by Jose Mourinho at Chelsea (whoops), De Bruyne really proved and improved himself in Germany, doing what the best young players do in the Premier League before earning big money moves. His performances this season have been scintillating at times and it’s no surprise that City’s worse period came during the two months he was out – losing four games and only beating Villa and Sunderland during February and March.

His influence on this City side is already significant – only perhaps Sergio Aguero and Vincent Kompany are more important to the team – and he’s only been there a little over seven months. A return of 15 goals and nine assists (already) is a mighty fine contribution in your first season at a club, so it seems that De Bruyne is on course to be one of the best players in Premier League history, his goals and assists only likely to increase even further under incoming boss Pep Guardiola.

Indeed, De Bruyne’s signing to a six-year deal at the Etihad might mark a changing point in terms of how the best players in the world view the Premier League. Because, should Manchester City become one of the truly European elite clubs under Guardiola, something entirely possible, and De Bruyne plays a key role in his side over the next few years, he has the potential to become one of the truly great players in the world whose best years will be in the Premier League.

Much like the Premier League luminaries before him, whenever De Bruyne gets the ball you feel something is going to happen. The same excitement that fans at Old Trafford felt whenever Ronaldo twinkled his toes, or Bale set-off down the wing at White Hart Lane, or Thierry Henry in his pomp gliding over the pitch at Highbury – players that can single-handedly change a game and get supporters on the edge of their seats.

The 24 year-old Belgian has this kind of aura about him and if Manchester City can hang onto him for the length of his contract, the club, their fans and even the Premier League as a whole will greatly benefit from having a world class player at the peak of his powers amongst their ranks.

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Manchester United are riding a three-year Premier League title drought,which equals the longest in the club’s storied history. Jose Mourinho walks into a situation with monumental expectations.

‘The Special One’ has plenty of recruiting to do, and he doesn’t have to look any further than the EUROs. Group F, comprised of Portugal, Austria, Hungary and Iceland, in particular holds potential targets.

Portugal boast the most talent of these squads, and some Portuguese players have already been the subjects of transfer rumours. Mourinho should focus on these FIVE players from Group F as he enters his first season at Old Trafford…

Cristiano Ronaldo

As if acquiring legendary manager Mourinho wasn’t enough to make headlines this off-season, imagine if Ronaldo joined him? Arguably the world’s top player, Ronaldo officially broke out onto the scene at Old Trafford and has elevated himself from being a promising winger to a fearsome all-round attacking force. If the Real Madrid ace returns, which is far from expected, expect one of the most lucrative deals in history to take place.

João Mario

United have shown interest in the Portuguese midfielder, and for good reason. Mario is only 23-years-old, a brilliant playmaker and an ideal replacement for many of the ageing Man United midfielders.

David Alaba

His transition from defence to midfield was effortless. Alaba is one of the world’s top players and undoubtedly Austria’s most dominant force. However, with Real Madrid showing interest in Alaba, acquiring him will take plenty of doing and money, of course.

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Joao Moutinho

Moutinho is a consummate midfielder whose passing is pinpoint and shooting dangerous. With Man United’s Bastian Schweinsteiger and Juan Mata ageing and struggling to maintain pace, restructuring the midfield is a top priority for Mourinho.

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Adam Nagy

More of a long-term investment, Nagy is only 20-years-old but has shown an ability to pass and operate in tight areas. Man United’s midfielders are slowing down, and restructuring is needed. The Hungarian has potential to play in a top league.

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The Scottish Premiership is set to be the most competitive it has been in half a decade at least. Scotland’s biggest clubs are getting on their feet, dusting themselves down and getting ready to make an impact in the title race.

Aberdeen, still smarting from letting Celtic slip away from them in the latter part of the season, are in a great position to improve the squad for a third consecutive summer.

Hearts, after a year of consolidation in the top flight upon promotion, will fancy their chances at improving greatly on their points total of 2015/16 under a bright young coach in Robbie Neilson

Rangers, once again capturing the imagination of not just their fans but also neutrals, are as defiant as ever in their quest for silverware, finding fresh impetus under the direction of Mark Warburton.

But can any of them really challenge a Celtic side showing serious ambition with the appointment of Brendan Rodgers? Hoops fans have been hoping for a domestic treble for years, can it be stopped?

Aberdeen

It’s fair to say that Derek McInnes is threatening to turn on the northern lights of Aberdeen once again. With major trophies lacking since the heady days under Sir Alex Ferguson, there’s a real groundswell of opinion that that’s changing. Indeed many think it’ll be them, not Rangers, who have the best chance to take a shot at Celtic’s throne next season.

The evidence thus far suggests that while obviously in good shape they don’t have quite what it takes to sustain a challenge over a 38 game league campaign. It was neck and neck in season 2015/16 until mid-March. The Dons were just one point behind Celtic at Christmas and within touching distance well into spring until three defeats in four weeks put to bed their title charge.

A leaky defence was the main hindrance, despite finishing six points ahead of Hearts they were worse off by 5 in goal difference compared to the Tynecastle club. They conceded 17 more goals than a much maligned Celtic defence. That illustrates they have a lot to improve on.

Graeme Shinnie, Adam Rooney, Niall McGinn, Kenny McLean and Jonny Hayes all rank among some of the best players in the division. If they are really going to challenge for first place then the key is making them believe that.

Ultimately, with the financial disparity being what it is, the cups will be their best chance at a trophy. On their day they can beat any team in Scotland.

Hearts

Ever since Ann Budge took control of the Jambos in 2014 and steered them out of administration it’s been a club on the up. The appointments of Craig Levein as Director of Football and subsequently Robbie Neilson as Head Coach have proven to be shrewd moves from a person with no previous experience in the industry. If that trend of improvement continues then Hearts should go some way to closing this season’s 21 point deficit with Celtic.

At just 35 years old, Neilson has emerged as one of Britain’s best young coaches. His Hearts side destroyed the competition in the Scottish Championship in season 2014/15. They finished with 91 points, to put into context that’s 10 more than the points total of a much fancied Rangers in season 2015/16.

He proved that was no fluke with an adventurous and ambitious season on their return to the top flight. They feared no-one. Only Celtic lost fewer games across the campaign and if not for a high proportion of draws they would have pipped Aberdeen to second place.

With the historic Tynecastle close to sell-out every week and with talent like Callum Paterson, Juanma and Arnaud Djoum, next season presents their best chance to win a trophy in 5 years and an opportunity to mount a title challenge for the first time in a decade.

Rangers

When Tom Rogic failed to convert his vital spot kick in a penalty shootout at Hampden, Rangers fans felt vindicated for finding a confidence and a belief in Mark Warburton’s Rangers.

There’s no doubt to any observer that the side’s fortunes have improved since he took over from Stuart McCall in 2015. Out of a period of soul searching following a promotion playoff defeat to Motherwell, he’s given a signal that his side are not to be underestimated any more.

A cup final defeat to Hibs will do little to dampen that enthusiasm internally. They’ve already made two impressive signings in Jordan Rossiter and Joey Barton, undoubtedly improving a squad that’s been playing lower league football for years.

The penalties win over Celtic proves that there are no paper winners of football games, you have to turn up and produce on the pitch. If they can do that consistently over the coming season then things could be closer than you’d think at first glance.

With a bigger budget than any team outside of the Scottish champions they potentially have the resources to construct a squad better than both Aberdeen and Hearts.

What remains to be seen is if they can get used to life in the top flight straight away. While faring better this season, they’ve struggled against Premiership opposition in the cups over the last four years. Five defeats in this season’s Championship also indicate that there’s perhaps a fragility at the heart of this resurgence. To overcome a re-energised Celtic side would be a gargantuan task.

The fans though, they have belief and a Rangers with belief can never be discounted out of hand.

It all promises to be one of the most exciting seasons in Scottish football we’ve seen in quite a while.

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Last season was as brilliant as it was unexpected for Tottenham Hotspur.

Mauricio Pochettino added a defensive solidity to his team that was sorely lacking the season before. They also played some of the most attractive football in the league last season, uncovering some wonderful young players who shined massively in a title chasing team.

Tottenham’s inability to chase down Leicester and capitalise on the poor form of the more established title-chasing teams led to their eventual demise, even though the youth and vigour of the squad means that they are still perfectly placed for the future.

But if Mauricio Pochettino were to look to his rivals in North London, Arsenal, he’d find that the Gunners have a certain strength in depth in the attacking midfield area that Tottenham don’t possess with the likes of Nacer Chadli making appearances off the subs bench to try to change games last season.

Pochettino is hardly likely to raid Arsenal for their top talent next season, but if he did, here are three players he could look to in order to try and make his squad stronger – not necessarily as starters, but with the Premier League the strongest it’s ever been, every player in the squad will have to have a role as the drive for efficiency and greater options to change games has never been more important. A push for European glory can’t be overlooked either – so a strong squad is a must!

Here are three that would help…

Santi Cazorla

He doesn’t fit the Pochettino mould as such, given that he’s not a young player, but Santi Cazorla would fit right into Tottenham’s team. It’s not just about the ability to run, it’s also about the ability to run the game.

Cazorla’s passing ability would unlock defences for Tottenham, and in games where the opposition pack the defence, Cazorla could link up with the likes of Christian Eriksen and pull the strings, allowing Dele Alli and co to provide support for Harry Kane.

He’d be a luxury player at White Hart Lane, but sometimes you need that flair to add to the disciplined squad that Pochettino already possesses.

Theo Walcott

Sorry, Spurs fans! Theo Walcott has failed to impress at Arsenal for quite a while now. But there is undoubtedly a lot of talent there.

Walcott possesses superb pace and a great touch, when he wants to show it. His finishing ability is always in question, but in Harry Kane and now Vincent Janssen, Tottenham already have that kind of player.

Walcott is still only 26 and looks like he has stagnated somewhat at Arsenal – maybe a move to another club who play a different way would suit him. A club where he’s not under pressure to score the goals but to help create them might suit him.

You’d trust Pochettino to get the best out of him and a Theo Walcott with a new lease of life would be a frightening prospect, especially as an impact player from the bench.

It’s that attacking strength in depth Spurs now need!

Alexis Sanchez

Well you can dream, Spurs fans!

Even if my arguments for Theo Walcott didn’t convince you, there’s probably not a lot I need to say to convince you that Alexis Sanchez is a player who would make Tottenham’s starting XI better, let alone the squad as a whole.

Last season, Spurs were a little bit light in the wing areas. The likes of Eric Lamela and Christian Eriksen were often employed out there, and there is a lack of specialised wide player to give width and as such Spurs relied on the full backs to provide options from the wide areas.

As a result, Harry Kane often drifted wide in matches that Spurs were either chasing or when they needed to unlock a stubborn defence. In reality, you really do need Kane in the box, as England found out this summer.

A player you can trust from the wide areas is what Spurs need, either to provide another option from the bench, or to ignite a spark in the starting XI week after week.

If Theo Walcott doesn’t do it for you, surely Alexis Sanchez will!

As Chelsea and West Ham went to war at Stamford Bridge, we saw two of the league’s most excitable managers face-off. Antonio Conte and Slaven Bilic were jumping around throughout the game, getting involved with the ball whenever they could do and having a good lot of fun in the process.

Good on them, we say. It’s nice to see people enjoy what they do, but we reckon Antonio Conte was enjoying what he does a fair bit less when James Collins lashed the ball into the back of Thibaut Courtois’ net late in the second half.

Earlier in that half, Eden Hazard had fired Chelsea in to the lead from the penalty spot after Michail Antonio – who had once again started at right-back – had fouled Cesar Azpilicueta in the box.

The game was good to watch, Chelsea dominated throughout and West Ham defended resolutely for much of the match, despite looking a little short of ideas when in possession.

These two sides may well end up battling for a top four place later this season, so this Chelsea victory could prove vital in a few months time.

Check out what we learned from a fascinating clash…

Cescual Frustration

From being the key creator in Chelsea’s winning side the season before last, Fabregas was left on the bench against West Ham. One game left bench warming might not mean too much, but in this instance it may well hold some relevance for the rest of the season.

Conte’s sides are a battering ram of relentless attacks, quick transition and fast possession, which doesn’t suit the more calculating Fabregas. Chelsea’s all-action display was exciting, if a little crude at times, and this might just be a sign of things to come.

Cesc will surely be rotated in and out of the side, but the way that the Blues approached their first clash of the season suggests he will spend more time as a substitute than a starter.

Ayew kidding?!

With Sofiane Feghouli and Manuel Lanzini both unavailable through injury and Dimitri Payet not yet fully fit, the last thing Slaven Bilic needed was another injury to one of his attacking options.

Andre Ayew, who has recently arrived from Swansea for around £20 million, picked up what looked like a knock to his thigh during the first half and left Bilic with a dilemma. Gokhan Tore was brought on, but – with the hefty demands of the Europa League – the Irons’ manager cannot afford to have his players falling like flies.

Could this be the result of over-training? Or is it a little bit of bad luck at the beginning of the campaign?

Oscar Winning Performance

Chelsea’s Oscar was marginalised under Jose Mourinho, with inconsistent performances blighting much of his Chelsea career to date. The Brazilian did not offer the creativity needed in a Mourinho team and too often was drifting in and out of games.

It was a signal of trust that he started in Conte’s first game and the Brazilian did not disappoint. Functioning in a 4-3-3 rather than a 4-2-3-1, Oscar ran from deep and led the high-intensity Chelsea game in the final third.

Favoured over Cesc Fabregas, Oscar has the all-round game to become a real star under Conte. His work-rate, intelligent runs and ability to inject pace into the attack with sharp one-twos make him the perfect player for the new Chelsea style. Nordtveit and Kouyate struggled to track his surging runs throughout the game, as will many throughout this season if he continues on this sort of form.

The Brazilian was the best player on the pitch for much of the match, this could be the season where he finally realises all that potential.

Arsenal’s title challenge is right back on track after a wobbly start.

The Gunners kicked off the season with a poor 4-3 loss at home to Liverpool before travelling to Leicester City and getting a point. From then on, though, they’ve been flying and been beating sides easily whether it be Watford or Chelsea leaving their fans to once again dream of winning the title for the first time since 2003/04.

They’ve always had a habit of beating the so-called smaller sides in the division but coming unstuck against the bigger sides, but after that Chelsea performance they’ll really feel they can kick on to get some silverware this season.

The next step towards the trophy comes against Burnley this weekend who themselves go into the game on the back of a victory against Watford.

Arsenal, though, are expected to win and with this line-up there’s no reason why they shouldn’t do just that.

Goalkeeper

As good as always, simply has to start.

Defence

The Arsenal defence is looking pretty solid with Hector Bellerin, Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi, so expect them all to start. The one change should come at left-back with Kieran Gibbs fit again and he will fancy his chances to get ahead of Nacho Monreal.

Midfield

With Francis Coquelin out, Granit Xhaka will once again be the holding player alongside the ever-impressive Santi Cazorla. Going forward Mesut Ozil will be down the middle whilst Theo Walcott has to start given the current purple patch he is in. Alex Iwobi could play down the left hand side as his fledgling Arsenal career continues to blossom.

Attack

With Olivier Giroud out of action for this weekend’s trip to Lancashire, that means Alexis Sanchez could start up front, and his pace and movement in the number nine role could be a huge asset against Burnley’s two solid banks of four and create space for the in-form Walcott.

Before Manchester City rocked up at White Hart Lane two weeks ago, there was talk of Pep Guardiola’s men going the entire campaign unbeaten.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side put paid to that with an impressive 2-0 victory, to prove City are not quite the finished article just yet.

However, that’s not to say Man City haven’t been hugely impressive so far. They’re the joint highest scorers in the top-flight with 18 goals from their opening seven games and they’d made easy work of almost everyone they had faced before Spurs.

As ever, City’s form and devastating attacking threat means picking at least two of their players for your FPL team is a must. It’s the same every season.

But with Sergio Aguero struggling with injuries and a number of players in reserve ready to step in and do a job across the field, there are several City players who are worth considering for your team who others may not.

So we’ve taken a look at City’s top five most effective FPL points scorers so far this season, taking in to account average points per 90 minutes.

You’ll find some of the usual suspects in here but there are a couple of surprises…

5. Claudio Bravo – 5.5 PP90

Claudio Bravo arrived in the summer tasked with replacing the ousted Joe Hart and, so far, he hasn’t done a bad job.

His start for City hasn’t been perfect but he has racked up some decent FPL points across his four Premier League appearances.

One clean sheet, three bonus points and a penalty save have all contributed to him averaging an impressive 5.5 PP90.

At just £5.5m he is reasonably priced and he’s also a decent differential option – only 2.4% of teams have him.

4. Nolito – 6.56 PP90

Another summer signing, Nolito was impressive during the early games of the season.

His needless red card in the 4-0 victory over Bournemouth has led to his average PP90 being lower than it should be, but his overall impact has been good.

Two goals, two assists, one clean sheet and two bonus points gives him an average PP90 of 6.56 – and he’s only completed a full 90 minutes just once in the league this season.

Only 1.6% of teams own him, so he’s worth a look if you need a differential.

3. Raheem Sterling – 7.36 PP90

Raheem Sterling has been superb for City this season and has already spoken of how Pep Guardiola has given him the confidence he had been craving under previous managers in his career.

The England international has four goals, three assists, one clean sheet and five bonus points to his name so far, which gives him a whopping 7.36 PP90 average.

If he continues to perform the way he is, then expect his £8.6m value to rise, as well as the 25.7% of teams owning him, too.

2. Sergio Aguero – 7.99 PP90

If Sergio Aguero wasn’t injured for City’s win at Man United and the 4-0 thrashing of Bournemouth, it’s fair to say his average PP90 of 7.99 would be much, much higher.

However, five goals and nine bonus points from five appearances means he’s just as valuable to FPL teams as ever before.

He is the most expensive player on the game and, unsurprisingly, he’s one of the most owned players, too.

Where Aguero is concerned, if you haven’t got him then you need to find a way of doing so.

1. Kevin De Bruyne – 8.64 PP90

The player of the season so far? Can’t be far off it.

The Belgium international has been the focal point of Manchester City’s new era under Pep Guardiola – the fact City lost the only game he hasn’t featured in is testament to that.

He’s the highest scoring player on the game right now after scoring two, assisting six, keeping one clean sheet and earning nine bonus points – giving him an attractive 8.64 PP90 average after just six appearances.

His ownership is just 8.6% – mostly because people got rid of him after his injury – but that will rocket once he’s back doing his thing.

If you haven’t got him then you need to start thinking about how to fit the midfielder in.

Fresh from signing Deportivo’s Lucas Perez ahead of the last transfer deadline, Arsenal are looking at another attacking player in the form of Porto’s Andre Silva, according to reports from O Jogo.

What’s the story?

The Portuguese outlet claim Arsenal scouted Silva during his Champions League outing against Leicester City last week, a game the Estadio do Dragao outfit lost. It’s understood that scouts were dispatched by Arsene Wenger to keep an eye on the 20-year-old, who has been in good form so far this season.

So, why the fuss?

Silva is emerging as one of the top talents in the Primeira Liga, that’s why he’s attracting attention. The youngster has already netted seven goals in league action this season and boasts a good return with Portugal at U21 level – four goals in three games.

There are the caveats of football in his homeland being a level below the traditional ‘big five’ divisions in Europe, but it must be remembered that the Portuguese won EURO 2016 with a host of players plying their trade in domestic action, while big-name strikers such as Hulk and Radamel Falcao were schooled at Porto. Interestingly, ESPN claim he has a release clause, but it’s hard to imagine Wenger shelling out €60m (£52.9m) for Silva…

Where would he fit?

Wenger seems to be heading away from his target man centre-forward method of recent years, with Olivier Giroud now firmly behind Alexis Sanchez in the pecking order at the Emirates Stadium. His move for Lucas Perez, who has yet to fully adjust to English football, further hints at fluid movement and pace being seen as the answer to Arsenal’s title-blocking issues.

Silva, who stands at 6ft. 1”, is more of a traditional striker, which does somewhat go against this seemingly new Gunners ethos. Perhaps, though, the problem for Wenger is Giroud’s lack of ruthlessness, and he may simply want a similar player with a better goal return.

Silva’s stats (via Squawka) show that he is returning comparable numbers with Arsenal’s leading striker this season, Sanchez, and is outperforming the likes of Perez and Giroud – albeit in a league of notably lesser quality.

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Pep Guardiola is pretty good at his job, isn’t he?

So, whatever false past you give yourself on the game, you are going to be under pressure to prove you are the right calibre of manager for Manchester City. With gargantuan funds available from the second season onwards, your challenge must be to build a squad capable of dominating world football.

Talent in the squad makes you a title contender in your first season, too, while the young players in your reserve team will be ready to step up to the top side before you know it. You can play some beautiful football with this Manchester City team, even without the need for big money signings.

Building for the future then, seems the best path. If you are unaware of where to look, or who could be worth adding to your embarrassment of riches, then take a look at the five young players we have suggested…

Carlos Soler

With Fernandinho and Fernando ageing, a future successor is needed at the base of the Manchester City midfield.

Look no further than the bargain Carlos Soler. He may not look much at the beginning of your save, but do not worry about that.

Soler can develop into a Busquets-type defensive midfielder, as can be seen from his high passing and tackling stats.

Niklas Sule

With Vincent Kompany suffering a realistic amount of injuries and Nicolas Otamendi liable to the odd suspension, defensive cover should be one of your first priorities on your Manchester City save.

John Stones needs a caring partner, after all.

Niklas Sule could just be that man. He’ll command a princely price tag unfortunately, but the towering German will add some no nonsense defending to your side.

Jorge

Kolarov and Clichy might just about bundle you through your first Football Manager season at Manchester City, but reinforcements in the left-back berth are a must after that.

Step up, Jorge.

Everyone loves a Brazilian full-back and rightly so. An asset going forward and able to play on the wing for the more defensive minded of you, Jorge is a must sign for any team in need of a left-back.

Andre Horta

Creative midfielders aren’t exactly a big problem for Manchester City. In fact, you could say they possess the best depth in the midfield playmaking positions of any team in the world.

They do say you can’t have too much of a good thing, though, and Andre Horta would just make your midfield options even better.

Passing, dribbling and technique numbers to die for make Horta one of the game’s hottest young talents.

Ze Gomes

Gabriel Jesus and Kelechi Iheanacho may not look on the arrival of Ze Gomes too favourably, but a shrewd signing in the first couple of seasons of your save could pay out some big dividends in later years.

You might feel a bit irresponsible signing another forward player at Manchester City in your first summer, so you could choose to leave Gomes until the second summer for your own sanity.