Liverpool have confirmed the signing of forward Dominic Solanke, who has moved to Anfield following the expiration of his contract at Chelsea.

It is understood that Chelsea wanted the 19-year-old to sign a fresh deal at Stamford Bridge this summer, but the England Under-20 international decided to leave the English capital to seek pastures new on Merseyside.

It became clear that Solanke would move to Liverpool last month, but the Reds have only just confirmed the arrival of the highly-rated teenager.

The signing has not caught the imagination of the supporters in the same way that Arsenal and Manchester United fans reacted to the arrivals of Alexandre Lacazette and Romelu Lukaku respectively, but Solanke’s move to Merseyside still brought a positive response.

Solanke, who will wear the number 29 shirt for Liverpool next season, could make his first appearance for Jurgen Klopp’s side in their pre-season clash with Tranmere Rovers on Wednesday.

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According to reports in the Daily Mail, Manchester United youngster Timothy Fosu-Mensah is a loan target for Watford.Despite the fact that the 19-year-old has featured in all of the Red Devils’ pre-season fixtures – and has been named in the starting line-up for their latest friendly against Sampdoria on Wednesday – the versatile Dutchman made just 11 appearances in all competitions under Jose Mourinho last term.Only one of those was a start – the final day win against Crystal Palace at Old Trafford – and it remains to be seen whether Fosu-Mensah – who can play at centre-back, right-back or in defensive midfield, will be given more opportunities in the upcoming campaign.The Daily Mail says Mourinho will make a decision on whether he can leave the club on a temporary basis following their UEFA Super Cup clash against Real Madrid later this month.Man United supporters were quick to have their say on the future of the teenager via social media, and they were divided with their opinions.While some believe he would be better off staying to provide cover, others believe it would be better for his development if he played regularly elsewhere.Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Pre-season begun with what can only be described as a cull of catastrophic proportions as all but 5/6 players from last year’s squad were brutally removed from the “group chat” and told their services were no longer required. With only a couple of months until the season opener and needing to recruit 30/40+ players time was against us.

So first up, was the trials…

Trial day one brought about a wealth of young skilful players, the Romford Riyad (Samraj Gill) and The Guvnor (Tre McDonnell), to name a few. However, for all the technically gifted attacking players on show I still felt we were lacking that experience and “know how” that we were so short on last season.

Trial day two and with a lower turn out and less quality throughout. Things looked disappointing, until unearthing the professionalism and maturity we had been crying out for in the form of the biggest family to hit football since the Neville brothers – The Trumans. In Pete Truman we had the old school centre-half who has been around the block to organise our once shaky defence and in Scott, the combative yet classy midfield general, Chairman Norths’ prayers may well have been answered.

The weekend had arrived for our first Pre-Season games and with around 40 players to choose from, two equal sides were picked with one travelling to play Chingford AFC – who had dominated the Essex Alliance Premier league in recent seasons (and coming away 4-0 winners) – and one hosting East Ham International (drawing 3-3).

Overall not a bad weekend of results, but Mark being his usual merciless self, spotted weaknesses that needed to be addressed and heads would roll in the WhatsApp group once again!

The next weekend saw us take on Ryan FC of the Essex Olympian League and Mark was able to give a start to his marquee summer signing and prolific scorer in the form of Harry Chalk. ULFC ran riot, ending the game 8-0 winners and although Harry didn’t manage to net a goal on his debut, his Diego Costa/Mike Tyson-esque style of play had made him an instant hit with the United faithful!

Fellow debutant Ajani Wilson was also impressive, putting in a tireless performance down the left flank that was reminiscent of a 1990s Cafu (although he played on the right, but that’s not important).

Our 4th fixture saw us pitted against Lymore Gardens, a psychical and well organised side. Lymore provided a real test and dominated the game for large spells so we did really well to snatch a 3-2 win with quite a young side out ourselves.

In the other game we had lined up to play AFC Croydon but in typical grassroots fashion, the game was on at 9am, off at 10.30am, back on at 11.15am and finally cancelled an hour before kick off when all of our players got there.

Our final game to date was against a newly formed Thames Ironworks FC side, which had been put together by some of the lads at West Ham Fan TV. Despite coming away 12-0 winners it was an enjoyable contest played in the right spirit. Fair play to TIFC; we had a very strong side out that day, so it was always going to difficult for a team still trying to learn to play together.

So here we are, five fixtures in, four wins one draw, still undefeated with three more pre-season games left to play. We have recruited well and the mood in the camp couldn’t be better!

In terms of my own pre-season, 12 goals in 4 games isn’t a bad start and I believe I can score a hat-trick every time I step on to the pitch at the moment. Bring on the season!

Follow Billy on Twitter : @billytex10 | Instagram: @billytex10 | YouTube: billytex10TV

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According to the Nottingham Post, Leeds are leading the race for in-demand striker Junior Kabananga, with Nottingham Forest and Hull hot on their tail.

What’s the Story?

DR Congo international Junior Kabananga is cauguht in the middle of a tug of war between three Championship clubs, with Leeds believed to be in pole position to sign the 28-year-old.

Kabananga plies his trade in Kazakhstan with Astana but caught the attentions of European scouts after his stellar displays at the African Cup of Nations earlier this year. The striker was the top scorer in the competition and impressed with his strength and tenacity in front of goal.

However, the report also claims that Kabananga, who has only recently signed a new deal with Astana, is happy in the country stating;

“I’m happy to play in Astana, where I feel the respect and support of the Kazakh people. My environment, the very environment where you live, is very important to me, and Kazakhstan has become for me another place where me and my work on the field is appreciated.”

How good was Kabananga last season?

By far the best season of his career, the 28-year-old was a revelation in Kazakhstan and during the African Cup of Nations. After spending much of his career playing a bit-part role for a number of Belgian clubs, Kabananga flourished, netting 16 times in 33 games for Astana.

The DR Congo international, who is valued at £1.08million by Transfermarkt impressed with his towering strength and eye for goal, which could be a real asset to a Championship club.

Some Arsenal supporters have not quite gotten over the fact that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain rejected a new deal in favour of joining Liverpool.

The 24-year-old made the switch to Anfield on transfer deadline day last Thursday for what The Telegraph claimed was a £35m fee.

Last month it was reported by the Daily Mail that the England international had turned down an offer of £180,000-a-week wages at the Emirates as he felt his time at the club was over.

Oxlade-Chamberlain joined the Gunners from Southampton in 2011 and during a six-year spell he won three FA Cup trophies.

The majority of his time on the pitch was spent as a winger, and manager Arsene Wenger opted to play the Englishman in a wing-back role in the early matches of this season.

Oxlade-Chamberlain has previously admitted that he has a desire to play more centrally, and he could be given that wish by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.

During his first day at the club, the midfielder spoke of how the German coach was a major influence on his decision to move to Anfield.

Some Arsenal fans did not take too kindly to this by suggesting that Oxlade-Chamberlain was having a dig at Wenger, while others criticised the player for leaving.

West Ham United advanced to the fourth round of the EFL Cup as they beat Bolton Wanderers 3-0 at the London Stadium on Tuesday night, and Irons fans were particularly impressed with the performance of Arthur Masuaku.

The 23-year-old has often played second fiddle to Aaron Cresswell this season – featuring for just 171 minutes prior to the clash against the Trotters – but he was handed a started at left-back by Slaven Bilic for the visit of the Championship strugglers.

While he wasn’t really troubled from a defensive point of view, the full-back made an impact at the other end of the pitch when he fired a 25-yard thunderbolt into the top corner late on.

West Ham supporters were quick to have their say on his showing via social media, and while some said that he was “absolutely brilliant”, others feel he “deserves to start on Saturday” when the Irons play host to arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Moscow has proved an incredibly tricky place for teams to go in the Champions League and particularly those from England.

But Manchester United made incredibly light work of CSKA on their own patch last night, cruising to a 4-1 win that saw them produce a whopping ten shots on target and claim 62% of the ball.

Romelu Lukaku opened the scoring after just four minutes as he latched onto an Anthony Martial cross, while the latter doubled United’s lead shortly after from the penalty spot.

The Belgian battering ram soon completed his brace, giving United a 3-0 lead after just 26 minutes – a margin Henrikh Mkhitaryan increased to four in the second half before CSKA hit back in the last minute to grab a late consolation goal.

So, Manchester United fans, who do you think was the Man of the Match from last night’s convincing victory? Let us know by voting below…

While it was a fascinating encounter for the neutrals, last night’s 3-3 draw with Roma will have left Antonio Conte concerned. Chelsea struggled to truly impose themselves on the opposition at Stamford Bridge and although Roma produced some truly stunning goals, their defence was carved open far too easily.

The Blues host Watford on Saturday and while it should be a routine win on paper, Marco Silva’s side have started the new season in good form, rising to fourth in the Premier League table and scoring the joint-most goals of any team outside the top three. They’ll certainly fancy their chances of breaching Chelsea’s defensive ranks as well.

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That being said, there was one obvious positive for the west Londoners to take from last night’s six-goal thriller – the superlative form of talismanic attacker Eden Hazard.

After starting the season on the sidlines through injury, the Belgium international has struggled to get going in the Premier League, yet to score or assist in 212 minutes thus far.

But Hazard showed his quality in the impressive 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid last month and it was a similar case in his latest Champions League outing, twice finding the net against Roma while ranking first throughout the Chelsea team for chances created and successful dribbles.

If the 80-cap playmaker can carry that form over to the English top flight, Chelsea will fancy their chances of beating any opposition regardless of how open their defence currently is. But there’s no guarantee Hazard will be as effective against Watford and the Blues simply must improve at the back if they’re to keep pace with Manchester City and Manchester United.

West Ham United had to settle for a point away to Burnley on Saturday in the English Premier League after Chris Wood’s late header cancelled out a Michail Antonio opener.

It could be seen as a point gained however, since the Hammers were up against it for the majority of the match due to striker Andy Carroll being sent off early in the game.

The 28-year-old unbelievably picked up two yellow cards in as many minutes for using elbows and was sent down the tunnel in the 27th minute.

From that point on their game plan had to change and although they defended well for the majority of the match, Burnley eventually managed to stick one past Joe Hart five minutes from time.

The result leaves Slaven Bilic’s side in 15th position, just three points ahead of sides in the relegation zone.

Fans were left absolutely raging at the actions of Carroll and took to Twitter to share their thoughts…

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Last season, Aston Villa fell short in their bid for promotion to the Premier League.Manager Steve Bruce came under heavy scrutiny, with some fans calling for the ex-Birmingham City coach to be sacked.In the 2017-18 campaign, though, the outlook is more optimistic for the Midlands outfit given that they currently sit fifth in the Championship, five points adrift of the top two.After a three-game winless start to the season, Villa upped turned things around by going eight league matches unbeaten.They hit a snag against fellow promotion chasers Wolverhampton Wanderers by losing 2-0 at Molineux, but got back to winning ways with a 2-1 triumph over Fulham.Following last weekend’s goalless draw with arch rivals Birmingham, Villa nabbed a 2-0 away win at Preston on Wednesday night.James Chester and Robert Snodgrass got on the scoresheet, leaving former Villa defender Paul McGrath in a very complimentary mood.

The team will return home this Saturday to face Sheffield Wednesday.