Chelsea are well on course to make it a fantastic 2016/17 campaign. The Blues are steadily edging towards a fifth Premier League title, whilst a potential FA Cup double would provide the icing on the cake for Antonio Conte’s first season at Stamford Bridge.

Indeed, the west Londoners have performed fantastically as a collective, particularly since Conte introduced his season-defining 3-4-3 formation, but certain individuals have inevitably outshone others along the way.

With that in mind, we asked Chelsea fans earlier this week who deserves this year’s Player of the Season award in our exclusive poll.

Here’s a rundown of who made the top three…

3. Victor Moses

It’s amazing to think Victor Moses’ Chelsea career appeared to be dead in the water at the end of last season, following a decent if somewhat unspectacular loan campaign at West Ham. But Conte’s switch to a 3-4-3 formation has revived the Nigerian international’s fortunes, emerging as the only man in the squad capable of meeting the unorthodox demands of the industrious wing-back role. Whether Moses continues there next season or is overtaken by a summer signing remains to be seen, but Chelsea fans have clearly been impressed with his efforts throughout 2016/17.

2. N’Golo Kante

Much like Victor Moses, it’s debatable whether Chelsea’s 3-4-3 setup would be possible without N’Golo Kante putting in the work-rate of two men in the middle of the park, freeing up a slot for another presence in attack. Needless to say, the France international has been phenomenal this season and it speaks volumes that he’s now set to become the first player in Premier League history to win the title in consecutive seasons with different clubs. Kante’s industriousness is second to none throughout world football, but Chelsea fans felt compelled to choose quality over enthusiasm in our poll…

1. Eden Hazard

Who else but Hazard? After a disastrous 2015/16 campaign, the Belgium international has been well and truly back to his best this season, notching up 13 goals and five assists in 28 Premier League outings. But more than simply another goal threat, Hazard has consistently provided the cutting edge to get Chelsea over the line this season, undertaking a talismanic role in attack. The inside forward position suits his abilities perfectly and Blues fans will be hoping Hazard now commits to Stamford Bridge for the long haul.

Results

Despite the bravado and bluster that surrounded Rangers’ return to the Scottish Premiership last summer, it’s been a difficult season at Ibrox.

Naturally, the Gers’ situation is always likely to be compared to that of bitter rivals Celtic’s, as the Hoops cantered to a sixth league title in a row with all the ease in the world, though at least parts of Pedro Caixinha’s early tenure at the club have turned attentions back on to matters within their own camp.

It’s not been an ideal start for the Portuguese in Glasgow, though his rebuilding process was always likely to take time. Still, a resounding 3-0 win over rivals Aberdeen will have lifted spirits somewhat, as he brings through some burgeoning youth talents.

Granted, the spate of injuries he’s been forced to deal with since taking over from Mark Warburton have forced his hand somewhat, though the complexion of what remains in this campaign affords him the chance to blood the youngsters. With little left to play for, Rangers can start to get a feel for where their next batch of players truly stand.

One of those individuals is a certain Myles Beerman. Forced into the starting XI following injuries to the likes of Lee Wallace, the 18-year-old revealed he found out he’d be making his debut against Kilmarnock on Twitter, though has proved rather a popular youngster amongst supporters.

Born in Malta, Beerman has already enjoyed quite the footballing journey, even at his tender age. He began his career with local side Floriana, in a small town by the same, located in the South Eastern region of the island. While not much may be known about the club on these shores, Floriana are Malta’s most successful club and Beerman’s development on their books did not go unnoticed.

Manchester City would spot his big potential during his outings on the small island in the middle of the Medditerrian, a deal that saw them threatened with a Barcelona-like transfer ban. Though things may not have worked out during his relatively short stay at the Etihad academy, the club must have seen a lot of potential to bring him over in the first place.

Indeed, following his performance against Aberdeen, it’s easy to see why. Able to operate as either a left-back or left-winger, Beerman looks like a talent who could one day light up Ibrox. With creativity and excitement proving so hard to come by for Rangers this season, perhaps he offers an option full of attacking enterprise for next season.

The aforementioned Wallace, while a stalwart of the club, will surely be looking over his shoulder. Despite his history with Rangers, the Scotland international has had his fair share of bad games this season and the presence of a younger model looking to usurp him at the club’s starting left-back may be bad news for the 29-year-old.

Clearly, Beerman is hell-bent on making it work at Ibrox. Quoted in the Daily Record recently, the talented teen revealed he once sat weeping when he feared he wouldn’t cut it with the club.

“Everyone in Malta has a dream about playing professional football abroad, but nobody wants to make the sacrifices required.

“I admit I have had nights where I sat by myself weeping. It wasn’t nice.

“But I had to stay strong and move on and strive to keep going.

“The first thing we need to change in Malta is to adopt the British mentality about how we look at football if we want to get to the highest level.”

That sort of determination, along with the talent he’s shown in glimpses during his fleeting appearances in the first-team, could make Beerman the long-term successor to Lee Wallace’s throne.

If Rangers are going to improve their attacking output next season, he could be crucial to their success.

So, Spurs are planning to release a 2017 version of “We’re on our way to Wembley” which includes the new lyrics “Which of course means we found a way to lose, red ones, green ones, white ones, we even lose to Blues…”

What is it with Tottenham’s insistence on redefining the term ‘Spursy’ at every opportunity? Despite Jermaine Jenas’ opinion that they played Chelsea off the park, Spurs lost. That cunning Conte plan of scoring more goals than the opposition worked yet again.

As Alan Shearer eloquently put it: “Possession doesn’t win games.” Correct, Alan, and may I see football management’s loss is punditry’s gain with that level of analysis. Frank Lampard did his best not to laugh at Jenas, ruffle his hair and say, “what do you know about winning big matches anyway,” as he at least tried to be impartial for all of five minutes, which was almost as long as it took Lloris to put Tottenham on the back foot.

Sure, Kane and Alli were brilliant yet again and there has not been a Tottenham pass as classy as Eriksen’s since Hoddle was in his heyday, but the fact is Spurs played well enough to win at Wembley and didn’t. Again. Well, at least they are not back there anytime soon, right? How’s that psychological blow looking now, Harry?

To make matters worse, Arsenal only went and beat City. Hands up if you saw Wenger line up with three at the back, looked at City’s front line and thought, “time to get some popcorn, this could be fun!” I certainly did. Credit to Wenger, though, this tactical invention of his might just catch on.

Arsenal in the FA Cup final lines up so many potential narratives. Pretend for a moment that Arsenal win it, go on, just for a laugh. Wenger becomes the manager who has won the cup the most times. Do Arsenal get rid? Does he bow out as a champion? Does he use the trophy to get another two years? Alright, alright, Chelsea will batter them so the whole thought process becomes redundant, but hey. Getting to the final and then losing shows that Arsenal can even do being Spursy better than Spurs.

Whilst all that cup football was going on, there was the small matter of Man United and Liverpool trying to turn the Champions League screw when City and Arsenal weren’t looking. United managed to turn it the right way, Jose having little option other than to pick Wayne Rooney since Zlatan passed away. At least, I presume, that’s what those ridiculous warm-shirts were for.

Jose might have had to pick him, but he was sensible enough to say “Wayne, just hang around on the left and keep out of the way, will you?” Rooney did that successfully, only breaking rank to score a goal. Get used to scoring against teams like Burnley and Stoke, Wazza, because that’s what it looks like for you between now and your pension.

Liverpool didn’t just turn the screw the other way, they took it out, looked at it, deliberated which way it needed to be turned, agreed on the correct way, then managed to still turn it the wrong way.

Who had money on Benteke scoring at Anfield? You’d have been wise to have backed it. Beating teams like Arsenal and Liverpool means that Big Sam’s ego is due to be seen in all its glory again very soon. Palace must be safe, which means that’s another big tick for playing a big lad up top and relying on set-pieces.

Liverpool are a curious team. There’s not a great deal between them and Bournemouth for the most consistently inconsistent side of the season. Fair play to Mamdou Sakho, though. That celebration against your actual bosses was delightfully shameless. Especially when it was with someone else Klopp bombed out for little reason.

What did we learn from Swansea beating Stoke? Firstly, never ever let a player with boots in differing colours take a penalty. Secondly, Swansea need to start winning when Hull lose, rather than winning when Hull win. That is a far better potential recipe for not getting relegated. Imagine how gutted Clement must have been to learn that 10-man Hull had beaten a Watford side clearly not interested in having Mazzarri as their manager next season. Sam Clucas, though? What a goal, and he’s English. At least that’s some good Hull news for Paul Merson.

All I really picked up from watching Bournemouth’s thrashing of Middlesbrough was that Gaston Ramirez clearly has plans for the rest of the season that don’t involve helping Steve Agnew win at least one match before being relegated and fired. It’s a long way to Bournemouth from Tyneside, and it feels even longer when you are 2-0 down and have ten men after twenty minutes.

Poor Agnew, if he wasn’t bald already…

[ad_pod id=’playwire’ align=’center’]

According to reports from Sky Sports, Manchester City and Manchester United are both keen on signing Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel this summer.

The 24-cap Danish international was nothing short of immense as the Foxes unexpectedly lifted last season’s title and he’s one of the few Leicester players who’ve managed to maintain their level of form from 2015/16, making 83 saves in 25 Premier League outings this season.

City are reportedly eyeing their former starlet, who rose through the academy ranks at the Etihad Stadium before leaving for Leeds United and subsequently the east Midlands outfit, but Sky Sports claim he’s now the Red Devils’ first choice to replace David De Gea – should he leave for long-term admirers Real Madrid as expected.

So, United fans, does Schmeichel have what it takes to fill De Gea’s world-class void, or should Jose Mourinho be shopping elsewhere for successors to his current No.1? Let us know by voting below…

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that the club have opened talks over summer deals, but has also made it clear that Champions League qualification will be a deal-breaker for many of their targets.

What’s the word?

The Reds will go into their game against West Ham at the London Stadium this Sunday knowing exactly where they stand in the top four with their closest rivals, Manchester City and Arsenal, both playing their respective games the day before.

Having dropped crucial points against the likes of Bournemouth and Southampton in recent weeks, Klopp knows a win against Slaven Bilic’s side, who come into the game having beaten second-placed Tottenham at London Stadium just over a week ago, is imperative.

Missing out on the top four could have ramifications beyond where they are playing there football next year and, whilst the former Borussia Dortmund boss confirmed that talks had begun, he also admitted that his targets had other suitors and that a seat at Europe’s top table would be crucial for negotiations.

Speaking ahead of the east London clash, the German said;

“The players we are talking to, I know they have offers from other clubs. It’s important for the club,

“There’s a lot of money in Champions League, as a football club we have to do this.

“Should I go to the players in the dressing room, ‘boys the better you play the better the players that replace you next year are’?!”

Who is he chasing?

The self-proclaimed ‘Normal One’ has a fondness for attacking talent and, whilst that is the case for many of his rumoured targets such as Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain or Inter Milan’s Ivan Peresic, the German has also been heavily linked with a move for one of the most sought after names this summer.

Southampton’s Virgil van Dijk is likely to be swayed by the lure of Europe’s blue ribbon competition this summer, with the 25-year-old likely to have the pick of the Premier League’s top destinations over the next few months.

However, should the Reds miss out and have to settle for Europa League, another rumoured target in Burnley’s Michael Keane would less likely demand Champions League football should he be offered a move away from Turf Moor.

According to The Mirror, Manchester City are being forced to drop their asking price of £20m for Joe Hart after the Citizens received no interest in the England international at that valuation.

What’s the story?

One of Pep Guardiola’s first decisions as Man City boss was to relinquish Hart of his goalkeeping duties at the Etihad Stadium, with Claudio Bravo purchased from Barcelona to replace the 30-year-old last summer.

Hart was subsequently sent on loan to Torino for the 2016-17 campaign – where he made 37 appearances – but the stopper will return to Manchester ahead of the 2017-18 season.

It is understood that there will be no place in the squad for Hart, however, after Man City spent just over £34m to sign Ederson from Benfica, with the Brazilian set to battle Bravo for the number one spot.

According to The Mirror, Man City told interested clubs that Hart would be available for £20m, but there has been no interest at that price, which has left Guardiola’s side in a difficult position.

Who wants the England goalkeeper?

Everton, Liverpool and West Ham United were all linked with Hart in January, but it is said that the goalkeeper wanted to finish the season in Torino after the Italian club put their faith in him last summer.

It is understood that Man City are not interested in sanctioning another loan deal, and instead want to cut all ties with Hart, who is two appearances short of 350 for the Citizens following a 2006 move from Shrewsbury Town.

Everton are believed to still be monitoring developments at the Etihad, although it has been reported that Sunderland’s Jordan Pickford is now their number one choice in the goalkeeping department.

Torino, meanwhile, are interested in signing Hart on a regular basis, but would not be able to come up with a £20m transfer figure, nor the £130,000-a-week wages that the 30-year-old picks up from Man City.

Hart is at an interesting crossroads in his career as he plans to leave Man City for good, and there will surely be more parties in the hunt if Man City decide to slash their £20m valuation in the coming weeks.

As reported by Croatian outlet Sportske Novotski, Everton are readying a big bid for Gent goalkeeper Lovre Kalinic this summer.

What’s the story?

Reports from The Daily Mirror last month suggested Ronald Koeman was preparing to bring Sunderland number one Jordan Pickford to Goodison Park but it appears he’s keeping his options open and casting his eye to the continent for a goalkeeping solution.

Sportske Novotski say Croatian international Kalinic has emerged as a top target for Ronald Koeman after an impressive stint at Belgian side Gent. With new and significant resources available to him, the outlet says that Everton could even be prepared to pay up to £17.5m for the 27-year-old.

Could this be one of the inspired signings of the summer?

Who is he?

Kalinic has experience of facing English Premier League sides already, he was between the sticks earlier this year when the Belgian side shocked Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Europa League, knocking them out of the competition.

He’s had an impressive season domestically too, winning goalkeeper of the year in Belgium despite having only joined Gent in January. The Croatian kept a huge nine clean sheets in just 23 domestic matches.

Having previously won similar awards in his native country, it’s clear he’s a goalkeeper who can show the consistency required to be a success in the Premier League.

While the reported £17.5m is a lot of money, there’s no doubt Everton can afford it and if a move for the shot-stopper solves their goalkeeping woes next season then it would be worth it.

As reported by the Manchester Evening News, Manchester United are being held to ransom on one of their big summer transfer targets.

What’s the story?

Manchester United are on the hunt for players that can allow them to compete in both the English Premier League and UEFA Champions League next season.

They’ll be scouring clubs big and small across the world for players Jose Mourinho feels can bring them to the next level.

One they’re interested in is Inter Milan winger Ivan Perisic. That’s according to Manchester Evening News, who say that the Red Devils rate the player at £30m.

However, there’s a difference in valuation with Inter Milan holding out for £45m for the 28-year-old according to the report.

Is he worth that kind of cash?

Worth the money?

There’s no doubting that Perisic is an elite player. He’s played at the highest level for Borussia Dortmund, Wolfsburg and Inter for years now, often an effective presence across the attacking midfield.

However, the reported £45m is a lot of money for a 28-year-old and although he has great versatility, there’s perhaps better value on the market.

His return of 11 goals and 8 assists for the Italian club last season is decent but there are plenty of other players who offered more direct goal contributions that may be available for the same sort of money.

If Man United can talk Inter down to their reported valuation of £30m then the deal starts to make a lot more sense but the higher the fee, the more we reckon that Mourinho should move on to other targets.

According to reports in The Mirror, Newcastle United are interested in signing Villarreal striker Cedric Bakambu this summer, but they will have to pay a club-record fee to get him.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Mirror says that Magpies manager Rafa Benitez is looking to make some progress in the transfer market this week and that he is keen on a deal for Bakambu.

However, the report adds that West Ham have already a £22m bid rejected for the DR Congo international, which means that the Tyneside outfit would have to pay a fee considerably in excess of the £16m they paid for Michael Owen in 2005.

How good was Bakambu last season?

While his record wasn’t quite as good as in the 2015/16 campaign when he scored 22 goals in all competitions, the 26-year-old was still an impressive performer for the La Liga outfit.

The striker netted 11 goals and provided a further two assists in 34 appearances in total, which wasn’t too bad considering he missed the start of the campaign with a hamstring injury and then represented his country at the African Cup of Nations in January.

Would he be a good signing for Newcastle?

He certainly could be, yes.

Bakambu has shown over the course of the last three seasons what a fine finisher he can be, and he looks to have all of the attributes to be a success in the Premier League.

However, the transfer fee could be a sticking point as the Magpies may feel they could get a better deal for an alternative striker elsewhere seeing as he will cost more than £22m and has no Premier League experience.

Would Newcastle be willing to pay more than £22m?

While they probably wouldn’t want to, they will also be aware that the price tags on players are going to go through the roof this summer, and that they may have to pay big fees to bring their targets to St James’ Park and see off any competition from their rivals.

Benitez will want to be backed by Mike Ashley and securing a big-money deal for Bakambu would certainly be a statement of intent to the manager and the rest of the Premier League.

This summer has seen a lot of strange things happening around transfer announcements. From Roma confirming their new signing via FIFA 17, to Yeovil Town using a new Snapchat feature to declare their’s to the world and Stoke putting poor Josh Tymon on the spot with perhaps the most awkward of thumbs up you’ll see.

However, what has confused many is Manchester United’s new approach to their dealings this year, with the Red Devils having confirmed a deal for Everton striker Romelu Lukaku, before a medical has been undertaken and medical terms agreed.

It’s not only the way in which the club announced the deal that has taken some by surprise, but the move as a whole has caused some confusion, namely to Liverpool legend Robbie Folwer.

The former Reds striker, who scored 183 goals across two spells with the Merseysiders, has used his column in The Mirror to question just how the move came about.

“I have to admit I’m baffled by Romelu Lukaku’s decision to join Manchester United,” wrote the former England striker.

“It’s a funny one, why would he want to go and play for a manager who has already twice deemed him not good enough, which is exactly what Jose Mourinho has done, whatever way he wraps it up.

“Ok, I get he’ll say he’s improved, I get he is no doubt a better player, but really? It’s a strange one for me, especially as this deal looks suspiciously like it is a last minute deal.

“Everyone said he was nailed on for Chelsea and they were quietly confident, United seemed to be in for Morata, so what has changed so much to persuade Lukaku to risk his confidence, reputation and future with Mourinho.”

The Belgian international, who made just three appearances under the Special One at Stamford Bridge before he was sold to the Toffees in 2014, has also confirmed his move to Old Trafford – again ahead of any full announcement from United.

While Fowler goes on to balance his argument stating that the former Chelsea youngster is an upgrade on Zlatan Ibrahimovic and that, given his age, there is plenty of time to iron out any kinks in his game, there is a strange air around the sudden change of tide, with the 24-year-old seemingly all but a Blues player once again just weeks ago.

Watch the latest 442oons video below!