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It’s not been an easy few weeks for Liverpool on the Steven Gerrard replacement front.

They’re believed to be targeting Roma star Miralem Pjanic as their MLS-bound skipper’s long-term successor, but Manchester United’s plans to blow the Reds out of the water with a £37million bid were revealed by The Express last Friday.

And to make matters worse, reports from The Daily Star this morning claim both Premier League outfits will soon be gazumped by Barcelona, who view the 25 year-old playmaker as a natural successor to departing 2010 World Cup winner Xavi. The Catalan outfit are prepared to go up to £40million, but won’t be able to sign the Stadio Olympico talisman until their transfer embargo ends in January 2016.

But fear not Liverpool fans, for Football Fancast is here to help. We’ve listed FIVE alternatives to Pjanic, the majority of whom fall somewhere in between the Bosnian international and Steven Gerrard on the deep lying-playmaker spectrum, who the Merseysiders could turn to this summer.

YOHAN CABAYE

A likeminded playmaker who knows the Premier League well, former Newcastle star Yohan Cabaye could certainly keep Liverpool’s midfield ticking over for a season or two.

The France international spent two-and-a-half years at Newcastle, amassing 18 goals and 15 assists in 93 appearances before moving to PSG in January 2014, almost inspiring them to Champions League qualification during the 2011/12 campaign.

He’s blessed with cultured feet and fantastic vision, whilst his quality at dead-ball situations, when both scoring and supplying, verges upon world class. At least in terms of set piece delivery and long-range distribution, he’s a natural choice to fill Steven Gerrard’s void.

Having made just 20 Ligue 1 starts over the last 18 months, Cabaye’s widely expected to leave Parc de Princes this summer.

The Independent value him at just £10million, but at 29 years of age, the playmaking Frenchman doesn’t offer Liverpool much longevity.

GRANIT XHAKA

Once dubbed ‘young Schweinsteiger’ for his shared combination of playmaking ability and upper body strength with the German World Cup winner, Granit Xhaka has often been mooted as a potential successor to Steven Gerrard.

The Borussia Monchengladbach prodigy has been in fantastic form this season, averaging an eclectic 3.7 tackles, 3.1 interceptions, 1.7 created chances and 91.7 passes per-match from 25 Bundesliga outings. The latter statistic is the third-highest rate in the division, making him the only non-Bayern Munich player in the top five.

The 22 year-old is a fantastic talent with plenty of experience under his belt already; in addition to racking up 27 appearances in Europe throughout his spells with Basel and Gladbach, he’s also picked up 35 caps for the Switzerland national team.

Xhaka could be the long-term option Liverpool are looking for – but after extending his contract until 2019 in February, he’s unlikely to be on the move this summer.

JAMES MILNER

By no means a like-for-like alternative to Steven Gerrard or Miralem Pjanic but certainly an option worth Liverpool’s consideration; James Milner is set to enter the summer transfer window as one of its best value-for-money bargains, upon the expiration of his Manchester City contract.

The 29 year-old may not exactly be a world-beating superstar with a glamorous haircut, but he’s home-grown, two-footed, highly versatile, creative yet industrious and supremely experienced, with 415 Premier League appearances, two league titles and 53 England caps under his belt.

Central midfield is perhaps the former Leeds, Newcastle and Aston Villa man’s least-tested position, but will likely be the one he naturally gravitates towards during the next few years as his pace dwindles with age.

Liverpool are already mooted as potential suitors of Milner’s, courtesy of The Independent, but a host of clubs from across the continent, ranging from Arsenal to Inter Milan, have also been linked in recent weeks.

MATEO KOVACIC

Mateo Kovacic was touted as a world star from an early age – attracting interest from Ajax, Bayern Munich, Inter and Juventus when he was just 13 – and is now beginning to deliver on his heralded potential.

The Inter Milan prodigy has been in fantastic form this season, bagging five goals and two assists in 28 Serie A appearances whilst averaging 1.6 created chances and 2.8 successful dribbles per match.

He’s a fluid playmaker who could eventually emerge as more of a No.10, but this season he’s found his best form in deep positions, boasting a pass competition rate of 87%.

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Inter Milan could be forced to sell the 20 year-old this summer; although they have an eccentric free-spending owner in Erick Thorhir, the San Siro side need to balance their books under Financial Fair Play regulations.

But Liverpool may find themselves quickly eclipsed in any pursuit of Kovacic. According to talkSPORT, Arsenal, Manchester City and Barcelona have all been courting the Croatian international for some time.

DANI PAREJO

A name Liverpool fans will know well, the Reds were strongly linked to Valencia midfielder Dani Parejo last summer, with The Express mooting a £20million bid.

Such an offer never materialised but Brendan Rodgers might be advised to reconsider; this season, the 26 year-old has bagged eight goals and three assists in 28 La Liga appearances, whilst averaging an impressive 2.7 tackles, 1 created chance and 52 passes per match.

He’s a somewhat more passive presence than Pjanic or Gerrard but the former Real Madrid youngster’s technical quality remains without doubt, and added more industry and physicality to his game this season – suggesting he’d be a better fit for the Premier League than when Liverpool targeted him eight months ago.

After four seasons at the Mestalla, the former Spain U21 might be willing to consider pastures new this summer. And with just a year remaining on his current contract, a decent offer around the £15million mark would force Valencia to sell.

Liverpool legend Michael Owen has urged the Reds to sell contract rebel Raheem Sterling this summer, insisting that he can replaced reports the Daily Star.

The former Anfield star believes it’s inevitable that Sterling will quit the club sooner rather than later, and has advised his former employers to cash in on the forward as he feels can be replaced.

Liverpool lost star man Luis Suarez to Barcelona last summer, but Owen feels the club won’t be suffering a similar sort of blow should they allow Sterling to leave.

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“I think he is a very good player but, put it this way, a year ago they lost Suarez. He is irreplaceable,” Owen said.

“You cannot replace someone that good. If Liverpool lose Sterling they can replace him.

“Certainly with the money that they would get. I think you can replace Sterling.

“I wouldn’t be losing sleep if he did leave and you got a fair old chunk of money for him, because I think he is replaceable.”

Sterling turned down a new deal from Liverpool earlier this year, and is expected to leave the club with Manchester City favourites to sign him in a deal which could be as high as £50m.

And having lost the faith of a number of Liverpool fans; Owen feels it’s time for the saga to be put to an end.

He said: “I do think now it’s gone a bit too far. I expect him not be a Liverpool player.

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“If he was in two minds then the reaction of the fans, and with a sour taste in his mouth about everything that has happened, he would probably look into starting afresh again.”

Liverpool endured a difficult campaign, missing out on a second consecutive Champions League qualification after finishing in sixth place.

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The 2015 summer transfer window has certainly been a period of rapid activity for Aston Villa and their loyal fan-base. One way or another, things have rarely been boring for Villa supporters out there ever since last season finally reached its culmination.

With the door at Villa Park seemingly remaining open in the run up to the new campaign, several players have already signed and departed at the Midlands based club, with Tim Sherwood likely eyeing further new recruits ahead of the 2015/16 season.

High profile names likes of Fabian Delph and Christian Benteke leaving the club in recent weeks will have hardly sent shock-waves of positivity through Villa Park, however, despite the seemingly inevitable nature of their departures. Such dramatic moves in the transfer market have even led many football fans to questioning Aston Villa’s credibility as a Premier League club next season…

So then, although the Villans have already signed five new faces to aid their cause throughout 2015/16, will the threat of relegation ultimately prove too much for Sherwood’s side next term, or can Villa in-fact pick themselves up from their latest big money departures, and ultimately push on where several expect them to fall?

It seems the club’s fate in 2015/16 could potentially go in one of two directions. The first would seemingly condemn Aston Villa for failing to hold onto their most important stars this summer, and offer nothing but the slim hope of avoiding relegation as the only route of access for Sherwood’s plucky outfit next season.

And even for those Villa fans out there who remain distinctly positive ahead of the new campaign, such concerns simply remain relevant for the fan-base as a whole going into the next domestic term. Without the likes of Delph and Benteke on board, Aston Villa could dramatically struggle throughout 2015/16, and ultimately find themselves sinking faster than they can swim.

Under Paul Lambert for large parts of the previous season, the Villans simply weren’t good enough. They failed to justify their long-standing position in the English top flight with their all-round lacklustre displays, distinct scarcity of organisation throughout the spine of the team, and sheer inability to do the business in front of goal. The art of goal-scoring across the latter part of 2014 truly proved too hard a task for Lambert’s team to handle.

Whilst Tim Sherwood’s brief reign at Villa Park has so far seen a great improvement among the club’s strikers ,and the rest of the team in general, admittedly, managerial honeymoon periods in the Premier League inevitably die out eventually , and whilst the former Spurs boss does seem to possess a great deal more enthusiasm and excitement than his struggling predecessor , the core group of players within his ranks ultimately remain the same bunch that completely failed to do the business for Paul Lambert.

Tim Sherwood should therefore remain sensibly cautious ahead of the new campaign…

However, with the reported £32.5m that the club received as Liverpool’s payment for Christian Benteke this summer, there is no reason to suggest that Aston Villa can’t now push on in the run up to next season, with a view of enjoying the new term instead of dreading it. Such a hefty amount of cash should hopefully go a long way in the current transfer market, with the likes of Jordan Ayew, Diego Rolan, and of course QPR’s Charlie Austin, all remaining possible targets for Sherwood in the coming weeks.

In successfully staving off the threat of relegation with relative security in the end last season, and admirably reaching the FA Cup final when most had written them off in the competition a long time before their impressive run, Aston Villa could arguably be seen as a club on the up. Whilst it’s easy to remain concerned over the recent marquee departures that have afflicted the team, now should nonetheless be a time for positivity above all else.

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If the likes of Christian Benteke and Fabian Delph didn’t want to commit themselves to the club’s cause next term, then Aston Villa simply don’t need players like that on board in the cold light of day.

If Tim Sherwood can sign some fresh new stars ahead of the new campaign, whilst continuing his good reputation among the younger players at the club – such as the rapidly emerging Jack Grealish – perhaps relegation may ultimately be the least of Villa’s concerns next term – with the hope of achieving a top-ten finish not completely out of the picture for the plucky Villans in 2015/16.

Sparta Prague announced on Wednesday morning that Tomas Rosicky had retired from professional football at the age of 37.

The attacker re-joined Sparta Prague in 2016 after 10 seasons at Arsenal, whilst he has also represented Borussia Dortmund during a successful playing career.

Rosicky made 247 appearances for Arsenal during his time at the London club – scoring 28 times in the process, winning two FA Cups and one Community Shield.

The latter stages of Rosicky’s Arsenal career was blighted by injuries, but it would be fair to say that he made a big impression on the club’s supporters whilst in the English capital.

He was not with the Gunners during their most successful period in terms of Premier League titles, but when fit, made a big contribution on the field.

Arsenal’s Twitter account has been paying tribute to Rosicky thought the afternoon, whilst a number of his former teammates have been posting their own messages.

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Below is a selection of Arsenal fans offering their best wishes to Rosicky as he moves onto a new stage in his life. He could play could Rosicky, there is no question about that.

Manchester United crashed out of the EFL Cup at the quarter-final stage as they suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to Bristol City at Ashton Gate on Wednesday night, and Red Devils fans were quick to turn on the usually popular Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Jose Mourinho’s men were favourites to advance to the last four against the Championship high-flyers – especially as they won the trophy earlier this year – but a fine strike by Joe Bryan and a last-gasp goal from Korey Smith gave the hosts a famous win.

Ibrahimovic’s free-kick and first goal of the season sandwiched the two from the Robins, but the 36-year-old’s first start since April following a serious injury didn’t go to plan as he hit the post and generally struggled with his all-round centre-forward game.

Man United supporters took to social media to give their thoughts on the Swede’s display, and while one described him as “deadwood”, another said “he needs to be gone from my club ASAP”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Nice striker Mario Balotelli missed his side’s match with Monaco on Tuesday night through injury, but Southampton fans believe his absence means that he could be signing for them.

The rumours that the controversial centre-forward could be a target for the south coast outfit during the January transfer window originated from a Twitter post by former Saints winger Leandre Griffit, who hinted that the club may get a “Nice gift” with some “big names” set to arrive this month.

Griffit has since said via his official Twitter account that the player isn’t French, and with Balotelli being Italian everything still seems to fit.

The 27-year-old would certainly be a welcome addition at St Mary’s given their goalscoring issues, and he could certainly help them in the final third having netted 33 goals in 48 matches for the Ligue 1 outfit after joining them from Liverpool in 2016.

Southampton fans were quick to have their say on Balotelli’s omission from the Nice starting line-up via social media, and while one said it’s “Balotelli time”, another said “I see Balotelli isn’t in the Nice team…”

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Everton supporters have reacted to the news of Aaron Lennon’s departure on Twitter.

The 30-year-old winger has today (Tuesday) joined Burnley on loan for an undisclosed fee. During his time at Goodison Park, the experienced Englishman attained 77 first-team appearances, scoring nine goals.

Lennon initially joined Everton from Tottenham on loan for the second half of the 2014/15 season, scoring twice in 14 games. That summer, the winger joined the Toffees on a permanent basis and had always played with great commitment to the Merseyside team.

Lennon is widely considered as a fan favourite by Tottenham supporters, having spent nine-and-a-half years of his career with the North London team. During that time the Burnley wideman amassed 364 appearances scoring a total of 30 goals. To date, he has won major honour to his name, having won the League Cup with Spurs, and he also attained 21 caps for England.

Here’s how Everton supporters reacted to his departure on social media…

John Hartson joined West Ham United from Arsenal in 1997, and the Welshman spent two years with the Hammers – scoring 24 times in 60 league appearances for the club.

Hartson netted 24 times in 42 appearances in all competitions during the 1997-98 campaign, but only managed four goals in 20 matches the following season before leaving for Wimbledon.

It was a short but sweet time at West Ham, and the former striker is still fondly remembered by the supporters that used to cheer him on a weekly basis.

The 42-year-old, who also managed 14 goals in 51 appearances for the Welsh national team, later represented Coventry City, Celtic, West Bromwich Albion and Norwich City before returning from professional football in 2007.

He was very much an old-fashioned centre-forward, and not too many of the modern-day centre-backs would fancy taking on Hartson in his prime.

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West Ham posted a tribute message for the former striker on their official Twitter page on Wednesday, and the club’s supporters were on hand to hail the Welshman.

A selection of the reaction can be found below:

Aston Villa failed to put serious pressure on Cardiff City in the English Championship on Tuesday night, only picking up a point at home to Preston North End.

A win would have propelled the Villans up into second place and the automatic promotion spot, albeit playing one more game than the Bluebirds.

However, they were left having to rescue a draw in the second half after Tom Barkhuizen scored for the visitors in the opening 45 minutes. A Lewis Grabban penalty secured the 1-1 result but fans were left wanting more.

After winning so many matches in a row, Steve Bruce’s side have gone off the boil recently, frustrating fans and leaving them worried about their chances of promotion.

One of the least impressive performers on Tuesday night was midfielder Conor Hourihane, who was hauled off at half-time by his manager.

He may have scored a derby belter 10 days ago, but fans have noticed his form has dipped in recent weeks and are now looking for changes from Bruce, with some time on the bench for the Republic of Ireland international seen as a positive.

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They took to Twitter to share their thoughts on his role in the Villa first team…

Turning 25 today, Manuel Lanzini is entering the prime years of his career and there’s a growing feeling that they should be spent at a club with loftier ambitions than West Ham. That’s no disrespect to the east Londoners, who hope the move to the London Stadium will soon yield regular European football and could well be in the running for it this season had they not endured such a debasing start under Slaven Bilic.But Lanzini has steadily become the Irons’ chief creative threat since arriving from Al Jazira in summer 2015, especially since Dimitri Payet’s departure last January, and that impressive progress won’t have gone unnoticed by the Premier League’s top clubs – who have been the most recurring sufferers of the Argentine’s quality over the last three seasons.[ad_pod ]This term alone, Lanzini ranks joint-sixth throughout the Premier League for dribbles per match with 2.7, the same amount as former world-record signing Paul Pogba and 0.2 more than Liverpool’s rip-roaring winger Mohamed Salah, while he ranks joint-19th for key passes – just 0.1 behind Pogba and 0.2 behind Manchester City’s midfield metronome David Silva. Considering how turbulent West Ham have been this season, not to mention the fact they’ve scored 15 less goals than any side in the top six, that’s undoubtedly impressive form.But Lanzini’s quality becomes most evident when his performances against Big Six opposition are put under the microscope. Since arriving in the Premier League, 24 top flight appearances against the best the division has to offer have produced seven goals and three assists.Accordingly, the South American has contributed to one goal every 2.4 appearances against Big Six opposition, an incredibly solid return for a player who plies his trade with an inferior team, and for an attack-minded midfielder who hasn’t always been utilised in offensive roles. It also means 41% of his goals and 30% of his assists in the top flight have come against Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham and the two Manchester clubs.The obvious assumption, then, is that Lanzini’s ready to play at that level on a regular basis, where he can have an impact in the Premier League’s biggest games. But there’s an inevitable counter-side to Lanzini’s impressive form against such lofty opposition; his consistency against the Premier League’s lesser sides – just 11 goals and seven assists in 55 appearances – leaves something to be desired. In contrast to the above, that’s one strike or setup every 3.2 appearances.And it’s shown in the midfielder’s output droughts as well. There have already been five occasions in the Premier League in which he’s failed to score or assist for five consecutive games or more, and there have been two occasions in which he’s failed to do so for seven games. Barren spells that long for an attack-minded midfielder at a major club would inevitably draw criticism, at a far greater scale than he’s received during his time at the London Stadium.But the underlying question is who the inconsistency truly belongs to – Lanzini or West Ham. The Irons are unquestionably one of the most inconsistent sides in the Premier League and there have certainly been occasions when Lanzini’s form has suffered as a consequence. In any case, we’ve seen this pattern before – 14 of Sadio Mane’s 32 league goals and assists for Southampton were against Big Six sides – and the ability to turn it on against top-quality opposition is usually an indicator of a player looking to take the next step in his career.Speaking of Liverpool, they appear best-suited to Lanzini’s style of play. He’s creative, technical and can be devastating on the counter-attack, but knows how to win the ball in dangerous areas as well, averaging more than one interception per match this season.

It would be an assumption to suggest he’s an ideal fit for the high press, simply because West Ham have rarely employed that strategy, but he certainly fits the template of midfielder Jurgen Klopp seems to like in front of Jordan Henderson – offensive-minded players like Adam Lallana, Georginio Wijnaldum, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and even James Milner who have been as much a part of the attack as the midfield at their previous clubs.

That list of Reds players alone though beckons another key question – is there actually room for Lanzini at Anfield, or for that matter any other top Premier League clubs? The Reds already boast huge depth in midfield, although Emre Can’s departure this summer and Milner’s subtle decline could free up some room in the squad, while Arsenal and Manchester City are awash with playmakers of Lanzini’s description.

It’s hard to imagine Lanzini – who Transfermarkt value at £16.2million – taking an attacking midfield slot from Eden Hazard, Willian or Pedro at Chelsea, while their 3-4-3 requires more industriousness and power for the central roles. Then there’s Manchester United; Pogba’s causing Jose Mourinho enough headaches on his own, and the Portuguese will unlikely want another creative presence thrown into the equation.

That leaves Tottenham Hotspur and curiously enough, Spurs have recently targeted a player who draws real similarities to Lanzini in the form of Ross Barkley – who they withdrew their interest in last month as the England international agreed a move to Chelsea instead. Like Barkley, Lanzini has that ability to beat a man with the ball at feet, to score goals or create them for others and his typically Argentine nasty streak – picking up as many yellow cards as assists during his Hammers career – may well appeal to Mauricio Pochettino.

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It would be a controversial transfer given the rivalry between Tottenham and West Ham, not to mention the fact Lanzini’s winning goal at the end of last season essentially killed off Spurs’ title bid. But would you back a summer swoop for Lanzini, Lilywhites fans? Let us know by voting below…