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No Premier League manager quite enjoys a transfer bargain as much as Sam Allardyce.

The West Ham manager’s eclectic knowledge of the transfer market is renowned, but if you require further evidence of his ability to consistently sign value-for-money, just take a look at the summer window and the Hammers’ improvement since; on a modest budget of £30million, he’s transformed the Irons from habitual mid-tablers into genuine top four contenders.

Thus, with the January window upon us and the shops starting their post-Christmas sales, we’ve come up with FIVE bargains that should be taking the Hammers gaffer’s fancy this month.

With all accompanied by valuations under the £10million mark, Allardyce would be mad to ignore them.

AARON LENNON

Former England winger Aaron Lennon hasn’t seen too much Premier League action over the past few seasons amid Spurs’ managerial merry-go-round, but his defining strengths remain undoubted; a strong work-ethic, a decade’s worth of Premier League experience and lethal pace going forward.

He would add a new dimension to the Hammers’ attack whilst also maintaining the industrious themes the East London side are now famed for, providing a level of speed and energy, currently unrivalled throughout the West Ham squad, in the attacking midfield hub.

Aged 27, Lennon still has a good three or four years ahead of him and the Lilywhites are almost certain to sell this month – in fact, Sky Sports claim the former Leeds product will be the only player to leave White Hart Lane.

Mirror Football quote a £7million valuation, which should be within The Irons’ financial reach, but also label Everton as rival suitors.

YEVHEN KONOPLYANKA

Another bargain winger for the Hammers to consider is summer target Yevhen Konoplyanka, who Sam Allardyce launched an ill-fated £9.5million bid for back in July.

Having won three Ukrainian Footballer of the Year awards and the last two Ukrainian Premier League Footballer of the Year awards, the Dnipro star is considered by many to be one of the biggest talents outside of Europe’s leading top flights.

Furthermore, although West Ham failed to secure his services during the summer, they may have considerably better luck this January with the Ukrainian international, who first drew wide attention after netting a stunner against England at Wembley in 2012, entering the final six months of his contract.

The East Londoners will have to act quickly however; reports in December claimed negotiations over a pre-contract deal with Inter Milan have been ongoing for some time.

FABIAN DELPH

If we’re talking the Premier League’s best value-for-money bargain of the January window, it’s hard to look past Aston Villa star Fabian Delph.

It’s been a huge twelve months for the Midlands midfielder, earning the Villain of the Year award at the end of last season and more recently a spot in Roy Hodgson’s England squad, with three caps since his September debut.

Both achievements are a direct result of the 25 year-old’s energetic style of play, boasting a unique blend of industriousness, mobility and guile – epitomised best by the above goal against Chelsea last season.

Villa desperately want to keep hold of the Three Lions hotshot and Paul Lambert has issued a clear hands-off warning in regards to Delph and team-mate Ron Vlaar. But with his contract set to expire at the end of the season and Delph recently refusing improved terms on his current deal, the Midlands outfit will have little choice if approached with a respectable offer.

According to Mirror Football however, Liverpool are already preparing a £7.5million bid.

VEDRAN CORLUKA

With Winston Reid’s contract situation still waiting upon resolution, the issue of West Ham’s long-term defensive depth is creeping higher up Sam Allardyce’s agenda.

Plenty of defenders have been linked with an Upton Park move as a result, but one that particularly stands out, in terms of value-for-money, is Lokomotiv Moscow’s Vedran Corluka – available for just £4million this month according to The Daily Mail.

That name will sound familiar for good reason; the 28 year-old has already represented Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur in the English top flight, totalling 119 Premier League appearances before moving to Russia in summer 2012.

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The 80-cap Croatia international boasts the 6 foot 4 stature of a towering centre-half, but also the quality on the ball, the pace and the anticipation to operate at right-back when required.

There appears to be some strong competition for his signature however; the Daily Mail also link Aston Villa and Leicester City.

DANNY INGS

West Ham are hardly short of firepower this season, with Andy Carroll, Enner Valencia and Diafra Sakho all boasting healthy goal-returns, but the opportunity to sign an in-form Englishman at a discounted rate is just too good to ignore for the East London club.

Of course, I’m referring to Burnley’s Danny Ings; after initially struggling to adapt to the top flight, the 22 year-old is now amid a run of six goals and three assists in his last 13 Premier League appearances and that superfluous form has propelled the Turf Moor outfit up the league table.

Burnley understandably don’t want to sell and manager Sean Dyche has claimed he’ll only be forced to for silly money – as reported by the Daily Mail.

But with the England U21’s contract expiring at the end of the season and Burnley hardly famed for their financial strength, they will have to consider decent offers. The Telegraph claim Spurs are willing to pay around £7million, which West Ham could feasibly match.

They say the January transfer window is never the ideal time for Premier League clubs to buy – but that depends on whether you’re looking in the right places.

Take these FIVE stars for example; all highly-talented, all available for incredibly reasonable fees, and all capable of considerably improving Arsenal’s first teams squad for the campaign’s final run-in.

Indeed, being the helpful bunch we are at Football Fancast, we’ve listed FIVE fantastic transfer opportunities the Gunners can’t afford to ignore in January. Something already tells us however, Arsene Wenger most likely will.

Some have expiring contracts, others release clauses and a few simply need a new home.

[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON WENGER TO REVEAL

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FABIAN SCHAR

Arsenal desperately need to add some bodies to their defence in January, and one centre-back already linked with an Emirates switch is FC Basel’s Fabian Schar:

Statistically speaking, the 22 year-old was the best centre-half in the Champions League last season, as detailed below:

And his World Cup performances were impressive too, amassing eight interceptions in two appearances for Switzerland.

Schar comes with an intoxicating, eye-catching, front-footed presence, bearing similarities to Tottenham’s Jan Vertonghen and Borussia Dortmund’s Mats Hummels. He regularly takes spot kick duties for Bebbi, and once netted this wonder-strike during his FC Wil days:

With his contract at Basel entering its final year, the 6 foot 1 centre-back looks set to be on the move in January, likely for a pittance too.

But considered to be one of the most exciting defensive prospects in Europe, previously catching the eye of Barcelona, a plethora of top clubs will be fighting over the Basel star in the new year.

Borussia Dortmund and Inter Milan have both been strongly linked, with Lazio also recently emerging as potential suitors. Here’s another look at Schar in action:

WINSTON REID

Another centre-back option a little closer to home comes in the form of West Ham’s Winston Reid, who reportedly came close to joining the Gunners on deadline day:

The 26 year-old has shown remarkable consistency since the East Londoners returned to the Premier League in 2012, claiming the Hammer of the Year award twelve months later. Here’s a look at the 6 foot 3 defender in action:

His Upton Park contract is winding down – a real issue for the Irons – and a new deal is looking increasingly unlikely, with Reid claiming he’s in ‘no hurry’ to sign one. That’s grabbed to a plethora of attention throughout the Premier League:

The New Zealand skipper may not be the most talented or eye-catching centre-half to ever grace the Emirates, but he’s more than proved himself in the top flight and would fit well into the natural hierarchy of the squad as understudy to Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny.

Furthermore, the Hammers will be forced to let him leave on the cheap in January, currently valuing him at a reported £8million. But recent speculation claims Reid will snub his other January suitors in favour of a move to Liverpool:

KLAAS-JAN HUNTELAAR

The Gunners may have snapped up Danny Welbeck on summer deadline day, but they’re still short of quality and depth up top. One potential solution comes in the form of Schalke assassin Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who appears to be on his way out at the Veltins Arena.

The 31 year-old is no spring chicken and his contribution to open play is infamously poor, as shown in the statistics below:

But there’s no doubting the Netherlands international’s goalscoring credentials – he’s bagged an incredible 95 goals in 146 appearances for the Miners, in addition to amassing 36 goals and 66 caps for Orange.

That includes an expectantly consistent return of four goals in nine outings so far this season, one of which came against Chelsea in the Champions League:

Like Schar and Reid, Huntelaar’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season, and although Schalke have plans for a new deal, they want him to take a wage cut.

That makes a January switch seem all the more likely, and the Express claim he’ll be made available for just £3million. But any interest from Arsenal will likely be rivalled by Spurs:

Here’s a look at Huntelaar’s top five goals in the Bundesliga:

SAMI KHEDIRA

The likeliest player on this list to actually turn up at the Emirates in January, Sami Khedira has been persistently linked with Arsenal since the summer:

Interest stems from the German international entering the final year of his contract, combined with Arsene Wenger recently telling French sports outfit beIN Sport; “We still need a physical presence with prodigious ability like Vieira or Petit.”

It appears the Frenchman is finally coming to terms with his side’s lack of physicality in the middle of the park. A Champions League and World Cup winner, measuring in at 6 foot 2 and famed for his endless energy, the 27 year-old would fit the bill perfectly. Here’s a look at Khedira in action:

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A Bernabeu departure to the Premier League is looking increasingly likely, with the powerful midfielder still yet to agree new terms. It’s believed Los Blancos are prepared to sell for around £10million, but his availability has attracted interest from a number of English clubs:

JAVI MARTINEZ

Unlike the rest of the players on this list, Javi Martinez’ contract at Bayern Munich doesn’t expire until 2017.

But he’s never quite taken Pep Guardiola’s fancy at the Allianz Arena, often forced to feature at centre-half and making thirteen less appearances across all competitions last season than the year previous.

Following an injury that will see him out until the new year, Bayern signed the likeminded Xabi Alonso during the summer and Roma defender Mehdi Benatia, suggesting the German Champions could already be prepared to sell.

The Spain international emerged as one of the most impressive holding players in world football as he helped the Bavarians claim the 2013 Champions League title, making him a more than adequate alternative to Sami Khedira. Here’s a look at some of his highlights thus far for the German giants:

And here’s how he compared to Arsenal’s other defensive midfield options last season:

Signing Martinez would show Arsenal really mean business, but often discussed in the same breath as Real Madrid, Barcelona and PSG – to name a few – his services will be in hot demand, should they become available in January.

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Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has hinted that Raheem Sterling will play a bit part role for the rest of the season.

The teenager burst onto the scene this term, becoming a key member of the Reds’ first-team during the opening half of the Premier League season.

His fine performances even led to the 18-year-old securing his first international cap, with Roy Hodgson selecting him for November’s friendly against Sweden.

However, in recent weeks a dip in form, allied with Liverpool’s moves in the transfer market, has seen the winger play a more peripheral role on match days.

Rodgers believes that his starlet must be managed correctly if he is to on to fulfil his potential at the highest level:

“This is a kid we’re talking about, so we have to take a wee step back,” he is quoted by The Mirror.

“This league is so mentally and physically draining, it hurts experienced professionals and this boy has just stepped up from the Academy.

“The zip has gone and that’s down to fatigue. But was that to be expected? Yes it was.”

Sterling has been impressive on the whole this season, notching two goals and assists in 23 Premier League appearances.

As a result he is likely to be disappointed by his manager’s decision to ease him out of first-team action, but Rodgers says that he has talked to the player about it and explained his reasons:

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“I was talking to him the other day about this, and if he didn’t kick another ball this season he’s had a good one.

“So we have to nurture him and protect him – it’s just a very demanding league.”

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After a really positive end to 2012 it’s not been such a great start to the new year for Coventry City. A disappointing defeat at home to Shrewsbury followed promptly by David McGoldrick’s inevitable exit, topped off with a 3-0 defeat to Tottenham in the FA Cup 3rd round.

The Shrewsbury defeat definitely sounds a lot worse than it was though. They raised their game and it was just one of those days in front of goal for us. If we continue to create that number of chances then we will carry on winning more games than we lose and that’s a fact.

The biggest worry I do have is whether or not we are going to be able to finish these chances that we are creating. Our main man in front of goal David McGoldrick has now completed his loan spell with the club and has decided against re-joining us.

I can’t hide my huge disappointment in this decision as he has been playing the best football of his career here at Coventry and it genuinely looked like he had found his home in football terms at least. He has been scoring goals for fun, terrorising defence’s and quickly became a firm fans favourite because of his quality and work rate. He finished his spell with the Skyblues with 17 goals from 25 games which is a sign of striker who knows where the back of the net is.

His decision however has surprised me. Not the fact he chose not to join back up with the skyblues but that he chose to join a club like Ipswich. Ipswich have been struggling this season and find themselves 19th only 5 points off of the bottom three with the worst goal difference in the league. They also are a club with a lot of good strikers on their books which include fellow new signing Aaron Mclean. He is therefore by no means guaranteed a first team place and he seemed in his time at Coventry like a player who wants to play.

I worry for him a little not only in the sense of the club he has chosen to play for who like Coventry have a reputation for ruining good players but the fact he is making the step up to the championship which he has so far failed to deliver in. He has spent a few seasons in the championship but has never been able to make a mark on it and has often been in and out of the team.

He is also going into a team where he is going to have to learn how they play. The way Coventry played suited his game perfectly and allowed him to be the main man of the team. If this changes which I’m sure it will at Ipswich I think he is going to struggle. We witnessed this in his last game for us when Mark Robin changed formation to 4-4-2. The team lost its balance a bit and McGoldrick seemed to lose his way and became unsure of where he should be with another striker up alongside him.

He has been a fantastic servant to the club in his short spell with us and for that I wish him all the best for the future and hope he makes a success of it at Ipswich. I don’t however believe that this will be the case and I’m worried his talents will once again be put into the background and become lost within the reserves and the subs bench.

McGoldrick is now the past for Coventry and Leon Clarke may be the future. Having seen him play both in these opening two fixtures for us and for his previous teams I am yet to be convinced of his talents. He is not the same sort of player as McGoldrick but I cannot stop myself from comparing them. My personal opinion is McGoldrick wins hands down on everything that a striker should offer. He is faster, has a better touch, holds the ball up better and from the goals I have seen clearly has a better finishing ability.

Another thing that worries me about Clarke is the number of clubs he has already been at despite only being 27 years old. Coventry will be his 15th club in his career with the majority of them being on loan. This worries me even more in that it seems almost as soon as a club signs Clarke they realise they have made a bad decision and loan him out. We are the 3rd club he has been loaned too since joining Charlton having only made 7 appearances for his parent club.

Whilst his overall goalscoring record is pretty appalling for a striker his goalscoring record in league one is something that could be promising for the rest of the season. He has scored 31 Goals in 40 appearances for four different League one clubs which is a prolific strike rate. If he continues this for us then we will have found a readymade replacement for McGoldrick and hopefully it will mean we won’t miss him too much.

Our first game without McGoldrick was the FA cup 3rd round tie against Tottenham Hotspur. We were all hoping for a repeat of the 1987 final but right from the start we could see this wasn’t going to be the case. Spurs came out 3-0 winners and it could of and probably should have been more. It was a disappointing day out for the club and the fans in the end which is a shame but it is time to get back to games which truly matter.

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Thursday’s Johnstone’s paint trophy tie at home to Preston is a huge game for the club. It is effectively the quarter final of the competition and I really feel it is a chance to bring some good times back to the club and get that winning mentality which we so dearly crave.

PUSB!!

Follow @benleach2

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Sir Alex Ferguson became the first manager to win 100 Champions League games as Manchester United beat Galatasaray 1-0 at Old Trafford, Manchester Evening News reports.

The result could prove to be vital for United, who only managed two points from their opening two matches in last season’s competition- causing them to exit at the group stages.

Michael Carrick’s seventh-minute goal should have been the platform to a more convincing victory, but the Turkish champions continued to create numerous chances, with David de Gea forced to make some vital saves.

But Ferguson understandably did not reflect on his latest milestone and seemed to be more focused on the result.

He said: “After the experience of last season which was an unusual one for us, the result was the most important thing. Getting three points from the first game, is a bonus.

“For our club, it is more than that, it is about playing the brand of football we are recognised for and at times we did. The first 15 minutes we played very well and got the goal.

But the 70-year-old Scot will be worried by the Red Devils’ careless possession play and the way the Istanbul side cut through his team so easily.

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Although, what will be even more concerning for the United manager is the number of missed chances, particularly in the second-half, as Nani missed the team’s third penalty in a row and Javier Hernandez spurned several opportunities to score.

“Fortunately half time came at a good time for us because we were far more solid, they didn’t make any chances at all. We missed so many chances second half, that was the worrying part”, he added.

According to Mirror Football, Arsenal have been given a boost in their plans to sign Angel di Maria, with the Real Madrid admitting he’s unsure of his future at the Bernabeu.

The news comes as some surprise, considering the Argentine featured heavily for Los Blancos in a new-found central midfield role last season as the Spanish giants marched their way to a Champions League title.

The 26 year-old also lead La Liga’s set-up charts, with a stunning 17 assists in 34 league appearances.

Several Premier League clubs, including the Gunners, Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham have been eying the South American for some time, but it’s believed the Emirates are currently his most prevalent suitors.

But with Arsenal’s new sponsorship deal with Puma reportedly giving Arsene Wenger the largest transfer budget in Gunners history this summer, it’s unlikely Di Maria will be his only purchase in the coming transfer window.

With that in mind, here’s a list of SIX players who could follow the Argentina international to the Emirates – some inspired by his arrival, others more coincidental.

[ffc-gallery]CLICK ON ANGEL DI MARIA TO REVEAL ALL

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SAMI KHEDIRA

//www.youtube.com/embed/6GMNjPao7Ew?autoplay=1

Angel Di Maria could soon find himself joined at the Emirates by Real Madrid team-mate Sami Khedira, with the Daily Express claiming the Bernabeu star has emerged as a transfer target for Arsenal and Manchester United…

Widely considered to be one of Europe’s top ball-winning midfielders with a powerful 6 foot 2 frame, the 27 year-old would certainly address the Gunners’ need for a more defensive element in the middle of the park.

Compatriots and former Los Blancos team-mates, having both earned their moves to the Spanish giants after the 2010 World Cup, the Germany international has a strong on-pitch understanding with Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil, as demonstrated below…

Furthermore, the Spanish press have speculated that the former Bundesliga winner will be moved on this summer to make away for new recruits…

That could see him arrive in the Premier League for between £15million-£20million, but along with United and Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool have been strongly linked too.

KARIM BENZEMA

//www.youtube.com/embed/2LvJ2Z-owQ8?autoplay=1 Another Real Madrid star often mooted with an Arsenal switch is front-man Karim Benzema.

The France international has shown unbelievable form in the World Cup, with Whoscored.com ranking him the competition’s top performer thus far for his three goals and two assists in just two appearances…

That includes this tidy finish following an Emile-Heskey-esque clearance from Philip Senderos…

But unfortunately not this incredible strike, with the referee blowing the final whistle just before it left the 26 year-old’s boot…

//www.youtube.com/embed/O17RAOXpQeg?autoplay=1&loop=1&playlist=O17RAOXpQeg

Arsene Wenger will be keen to tap into the powerful striker’s ability to score and create – during his last season with Mesut Ozil at the Bernabeu, the attacking duo racked up 20 goals and 25 assists between them in La Liga.

Recent speculation suggests a summer switch involving Liverpool’s Luis Suarez could be on the cards…

MARIO BALOTELLI

Karim Benzema isn’t the only frontman Arsenal are reportedly targeting this summer, with the North London club also strongly linked to AC Milan’s mercurial star Mario Balotelli.

Just in case you’ve forgotten how disruptive an influence the former Manchester City badboy can be, here’s a video of the 50 Craziest things he’s done so far in his career…

//www.youtube.com/embed/BepDexjVfG0?autoplay=1

But there’s no doubt the Italy international has the quality and firepower to address Arsenal’s desperate need for a dependable goal scorer.

The 23 year-old contributed a vital twelve goals to the Citizens’ first Premier League title in 2012, and since joining AC Milan in January 2013 has netted 30 times in 54 outings, not to mention this dream-crushing header for Italy against England..

Here’s a shot clip of the Azzurri star’s top ten goals:

//www.youtube.com/embed/hZ2GEP2pPX8

The Metro believe a deal could be imminent…

But surprise interest from Napoli could prove a stumbling block:

Which brings us nicely onto…

GONZALO HIGUAIN

According to the Express, Arsenal are set to revive their interest in Angel Di Maria’s former Real Madrid team-mate and current Argentina ally, Gonzalo Higuain.

The Albiceleste forward is famed for his potency in front of goal, with an international record of 20 in 37 and a La Liga record of 107 in 190, subsequently firing Los Blancos to three Spanish titles.He’s a short vid of Higuain’s best goals for the European champions:

//www.youtube.com/embed/jtJXvedyY7Q

Arsenal were strongly linked with the 26 year-old last summer before his £34.5million move to Naples, where he’s since claimed 24 goals and eleven assists in 44 appearances, helping the Serie A side claim last season’s Coppa Italia.

And following news that he could again be made available this summer by Rafa Benitez, the Gunners are reportedly considering an offer.

But recent speculation from Italy suggests Barcelona are currently leading the race for the 6 foot 1 striker’s signature.

EZEQUIEL LAVEZZI

Another Argentine said to be on Arsenal’s radar this summer is PSG winger-forward Ezequiel Lavezzi.

The 29 year-old offers a blend of pace, creativity and firepower, as demonstrated in the below video:

//www.youtube.com/embed/Uz2G4u0RiEo

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He’s been in good form this season too as the Parisians marched their way to a second consecutive Ligue 1 title, finding twelve goals and ten assists across all competitions – including this strike against Chelsea in the Champions League…

The Daily Star believe the Albiceleste international, who provided an assist to Lionel Messi against Iran on Saturday, has emerged as one of Arsenal’s priority targets from the World Cup…

But long-term interest from Chelsea, as reported by the Metro, could prove to be an issue.

JUAN CUADRADO

Another winger option the North Londoners are believed to be strongly considering is Fiorentina’s Juan Cuadrado.

The Colombia international was in sensational form last season and is now transitioning his talismanic displays into the World Cup, as seen below…

In fact, only Daley Blind has matched the 26 year-old’s three assists at Brazil 2014, and he was unlucky not to mark his first World Cup goal with this effort against the Ivory Coast..

Arsene Wenger will be keen to tap into the South American’s versatility too, having featured in no less than eight different positions this season…

And his mixture of pace and trickery would certainly address Arsenal’s lack of natural penetration out wide. Here’s a short vid showing Cuadrado’s fancy footwork…

//www.youtube.com/embed/yWhmdK5YCA8

The Daily Star speculate the Gunners have already opened talks with the winger’s agent…

But they’ll face stiff competition from Juventus, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Monaco for his signature.

manager Andre Villas-Boas has told his players that they must avoid another costly slip up at home against Reading on New Year’s day in their quest for a top four finish.

AVB doesn’t want to see standards subside in a game against a Reading team who visit White Hart Lane off the back of a 1-0 win against West Ham at the Madejski Stadium.

Spurs have the chance to finish off a Christmas schedule of near perfection with a win against the Royals, making it seven points from a potential nine.

Talking to Sky Sports the Spurs boss commented that the New Year’s Day game will certainly be a tough one, noting that “The problem with that fixture is that we have done extremely well away from home, but we have to keep up the momentum.”

“We have to keep our home form going and it would be silly for us not to continue at this level, so it is a fixture in which we really want to get the three points to close finally the festive fixtures with three wins, hopefully, and one draw.

“[The players] have been excellent. The December that we [have] had shows exactly that.

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“We had big, big results against difficult teams and the Europa League in between.

“If we manage to take this form into January, it would be excellent.”

League leaders Chelsea welcome struggling Norwich City to Stamford Bridge on Saturday, hoping to maintain their unbeaten start to the season.

The two teams have endured contrasting seasons, with Chelsea picking up three points at the Emirates last time out, before firing another four goals in midweek.

Norwich endured a miserable afternoon at home to Liverpool last time out, losing 2-5 and looking extremely vulnerable at the back.

The blues have no new injury concerns, with Daniel Sturridge still unavailable through a hamstring injury. This means Fernando Torres is set to continue leading the line, hoping to add to the brilliant finish he produced at the Emirates last weekend.

Norwich could have defender Sebastian Bassong and forward Anthony Pilkington available, despite both struggling with injuries.

Grant Holt is likely to start as the lone forward, after coming on to score a consolation against Liverpool last weekend.

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Midfielder Simon Lappin is out with an ankle problem, whilst full back Steven Whittaker is also unavailable.

Prediction: Chelsea 4-0 Norwich 

I doubt players like Nicklas Bendtner give much worth to a number, just as long as he can show the world how much his wages are each week. For other players and specifically those of particular nationalities, there’s a lot of significance in a squad number.

Lionel Messi was given the no.10 shirt following the departure of Ronaldinho to AC Milan. There’s a lot of weight and responsibility in that number, especially due to it’s reputation in South American football. But clubs like Barcelona were hardly going to give a famous number to a player like Alex Hleb or Martin Montoya.

However, the importance of numbers do work both ways. Clubs want to hand responsibility and the prestige of certain numbers to their best players. At Arsenal, Jack Wilshere was recently given the no.10 after Robin van Persie found more worth in an extremely forgetful number elsewhere, while newcomer Lukas Podolski also chased the Dutchman’s former shirt. But Arsene Wenger’s decision to hand Wilshere the number was symbolic of the faith he has in the player and his position at the club moving forward. His position on the pitch and as a leader for the club.

It’s also not something that’s central to just football players. You’re sure to find players in many other sports who chase a number due to it’s meaning, while others land on a number and never change for the rest of their career. Does it hold worth beyond just being a throwaway gimmick? Sure, and it’s a strange one, yet wholly understandable.

And we can take it a step further and into the world of gaming, where I’m sure serious addicts of FIFA or Football Manager are going to offer their latest signing a respectable number and one in keeping with his talent and importance to the side.

William Gallas looked ridiculous in the no.10 shirt while playing for Arsenal, and not just because of the player who wore the number before him (although it did have something to do with it). But no Arsenal fan will complain at the decision to hand Wilshere the number. Quite simply, defenders have no place in a shirt number that is so regularly associated with one of the key attackers in a team.

No one will ever wear Wayne Gretzky’s no.99 shirt in the NHL again, while Bryce Harper is making the no.34 look increasingly more fashionable in the MLB. The importance of Michael Jordan’s 23 has been transferred to football with David Beckham opting for that number upon his arrival at Real Madrid, yet I’m sure he’d swat away the worthlessness of the number 24.

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Players like to feel comfortable in their numbers, and a classic no.9 striker needs his worth to be made a little more obvious with the correct number of his back. To outsiders, it’s all just sports nonsense, like which shin pad you put on first or the album that has to be played before a game.

One thing is certain, like Gallas at Arsenal, Michael Owen really shouldn’t have worn the no.7 at Manchester United. Again, probably a lot of old nonsense, but certainly not to those who are more used to players like Beckham, Eric Cantona or Cristiano Ronaldo carrying the traditions and importance of the number.

Wales head coach Chris Coleman has stated that he would not swap key attacker Gareth Bale for any other player in Britain.

The Tottenham winger has been in fine form for the Celtic nation, and has scored six goals in his last seven internationals, including a brace against Scotland on Friday night.

With a tough trip to take on Croatia on Tuesday in the offing, Coleman has confessed that Bale is a talent unlike the nation has seen in some time.

“He’s scored all our goals so far, but that performance on Friday wasn’t just Baley,” said Coleman, published in The Telegraph.

“He got the goals but there were some terrific performances. I know people are talking about him. He’s a show-stopper. People pay money to come and watch him play. I know about that. But we have another 10 players who played their part.

“But when you have a player who can make the difference you have to use him. We’ve got options with Gareth. He can be devastating when he plays out wide and cuts inside his full-back, but it’s always an option to play him in the centre.

“Gareth knows where he can hurt the opposition. When you have good players you don’t want to pigeon hole him. Look where he got the winning goal from – yet he was playing on the right side for us. When he runs through the middle he can cause you problems.

“You’d be crazy to try and swap him. There’s a lot of good players in Britain. I don’t want to label Baley as the best but I will label him as a terrific, terrific player.

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“Anyone can see when he’s got the ball he’s devastating. He plays with passion and incredible ability,” he concluded.

By Gareth McKnight