This time last month, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain appeared to be edging towards the Arsenal exit door, with little but a recurring cameo role from the bench and constant jostling around a variety of midfield positions on offer at the Emirates Stadium.

That has been the shape of the stocky midfielder’s six-year Gunners career thus far – he’d made just eleven Premier League starts in the league before mid-April whilst featuring in five different roles – and it has inevitably impacted his involvement with the England national team, making just one appearance for the Three Lions since October 2015.

Consequentially, and with his contract due to reach that all-important two years remaining mark this summer, the 23-year-old’s name has circulated the transfer rumour columns throughout the season, Manchester United and Liverpool being amongst the clubs linked since late March.

But a month can be a long time in football, especially when your club is in as much turmoil as Arsenal, and during that period, Oxlade-Chamberlain has unexpectedly been reborn as his side’s right wing-back – something nobody have predicted during the Gunners’ 20-year run of exclusively playing four at the back, or when he was deployed almost as a No.10 against Bayern Munich back in March.

Indeed, a run of just seven points gained in eight Premier League fixtures compelled Arsene Wenger to adopt the 3-4-3 trend that has taken the English game by storm this season for a clash against Middlesbrough and it’s certainly provided the required shock to the system, Arsenal’s only non-win using the system coming in an (admittedly humiliating) 2-0 defeat in the north London derby.

And although right-back Hector Bellerin might seem the natural candidate for the right wing-back role, as a one-time winger converted into a No.2, it’s Oxlade-Chamberlain who has adopted it and arguably benefited most from Arsenal’s change in system – as shown by our infographic.

Being deployed deeper has allowed Oxlade-Chamberlain the space to gallop into, evident through his 2.5 successful dribbles per match, and a few yards extra room to unleash crosses into the box from deeper positions. He’s flung in a staggering 29 over his last four appearances, with seven hitting their target and two directly resulting in assists.

Of course, we all know how effective the 25-cap international can be going forward, but defensively too, he’s managed to hold his own – making nine tackles and chipping in at the back with eight clearances. Not all of his returns have been quite so impressive in that regard, however; in his last four appearances, Oxlade-Chamberlain has won just three headers and failed to make a single interception.

Nonetheless, Wenger may have inadvertently stumbled upon Oxlade-Chamberlain’s best role, one that highlights his physicality without putting too much pressure on him offensively – much like Victor Moses at Chelsea – and one that may convince him to sign a new contract this summer rather than look for first-team football elsewhere, at Liverpool for example.

If 3-4-3 continues to impact English football in the way it has this season over the next few years, the change in setup could well be the making of an Arsenal player who has often demonstrated his talent but never quite felt like the right fit anywhere else on the pitch.

A lot can change in just one month.

According to the Daily Mirror, Marco Asensio is keen to join Liverpool, if Real Madrid cannot guarantee him first team football next season.

What’s the Word?

According to the latest reports from Spain, Real Madrid winger Marco Asensio has told Zinedine Zidane he wants to leave the Bernabeu this summer, if the club cannot offer him first team football.

The 21-year-old has seen his playing time restricted this season, with both Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo, Isco and others about Asensio in the pecking order.

Asensio has reportedly told the Madrid hierarchy that he would be happy to join Liverpool if his playing time fails to extend next season. The attacker is valued at £12.75m by transfermarkt.com.

How good has Asensio been this season?

Having only been restricted to 18 starts in his three years since joining Madrid from Mallorca, it has been hard to gauge exactly how good Marco Asensio is.

However, considering how young he is, Asensio has shown glimpses of deft skill and technique that demonstrates just how talented he is.

Is Asensio a good fit for Liverpool?

With great pace, incomparable stamina and phenomenal technique, there is no doubt that Asensio could flourish immensely at Anfield.

If he were to join Liverpool, Asensio would need a solid run of games to reach his immense potential. His career to date at Real Madrid has been marred with spells in and out of the team. If that continues at Anfield, the 21-year-old could once again cut a frustrated figure on the side line.

As reported by The Daily Record, Pedro Caixinha is planning a Rangers raid on Mexico for one of his former players, Eduardo Herrera.

What’s the story?

One of the most exciting aspects of Caixinha’s appointment for Rangers fans was the possibility of him tapping into his global network of footballers that could make a genuine difference in Scottish football.

That at least appears to be the Portuguese’s intention according to latest reports in The Daily Record. They say that the Ibrox boss is planning a seven-figure move for Mexican international Eduardo Herrera, who is currently on loan at Veracruz.

He played under Caixinha when he was manager of Santos Laguna and has since expressed regret that he did not sign the striker permanently after his loan finished.

As quoted by The Daily Record, the Rangers manager said:

I think it was a mistake by me not to try and sign him. He was a player who contributed a lot at the time at Santos. He’s improved every year and is now a complete striker. He’s Mexican, he’s very professional and he scores goals. He was a great player for me.

Is he the answer in Rangers’ search for a consistent goalscorer in the Scottish Premiership?

A better alternative

A nine-cap Mexico international, for who he has scored three goals, Herrera presents an exciting, unknown quantity for Rangers fans to get behind. The likes of Martyn Waghorn and Joe Garner haven’t exactly excited the Ibrox loyal this season and bringing in a player with a bit of pedigree on another continent would certainly attract interest.

Overall in domestic football in Mexico he has scored 57 goals in 207 appearances, also netting nine times in continental competition.

Perhaps most importantly of all he is respected by Caixinha and that could be a key factor in becoming a success at Ibrox. While he may cost a bit of cash, Transfermarkt currently rate him at £1.5m, it could be the kind of ambitious move that Rangers need.

According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle United are exploring the possibility of signing Southampton forward Jay Rodriguez in this summer’s transfer window.

What’s the story?

Rodriguez, 27, has made over 100 Premier League appearances for Southampton since a 2012 move from Burnley, but it is thought that the forward will leave the Saints this summer.

According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle are eyeing a swoop for the one-time England international, and have learned that they would have to pay £15m to sign him.

Newcastle have been strongly linked with a move for Chelsea forward Tammy Abraham, but the England Under-21 international is said to be on the wish-list of a number of clubs, which has left Newcastle needing to put a contingency plan in place.

It is understood that West Bromwich Albion and Burnley are also considering a move ahead of the 2017-18 campaign, although Newcastle are believed to be in the driving seat.

What has happened to Rodriguez?

Rodriguez scored 41 times in 128 appearances for Burnley between 2007 and 2012, which led to Southampton signing the forward in a £7m deal.

The attacker enjoyed a spectacular 2013-14 campaign, hitting 17 goals in all competitions, including 15 in 33 Premier League matches. Indeed, it was thought that Rodriguez’s form would see him make the England squad for the 2014 World Cup.

The now 27-year-old ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament in April 2014, however, which would see him miss the entire 2014-15 campaign.

Rodriguez signed a new four-year contract at Southampton in May 2015, but he has only scored five times in his last 36 Premier League appearances after struggling to rediscover his best form.

Last term, he only managed nine Premier League starts, and it is understood that the forward wants a fresh start away from Southampton as he bids to fully overcome his injury troubles.

Newcastle might be reluctant to spend £15m on a player that has struggled in recent years, but the newly-promoted outfit could well help Rodriguez find the type of form that saw him represent England in the latter stages of 2013.

According to reports in the Daily Mirror, Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino is ready to step up his interest in signing AC Milan winger Suso.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Daily Mirror says that Pochettino is looking to add more creativity to his team’s attack before next season to ensure that they are once again contenders for the Premier League title and can have a crack at the Champions League, and he is a big fan of the 23-year-old who has two years left on his contract with Milan.

The report adds that the Serie A giants have offered the Spaniard a new deal, but he is keeping his options open following interest from the north London outfit, AS Roma and Napoli.

However, Milan aren’t keen to sell him to an Italian rival, and that could put Tottenham in the box seat to win the race for his signature.

How did Suso do last season?

The former Liverpool man – who played 20 times for the Reds in the 2012/13 campaign – was an impressive performer for Milan last season and he ended the season with seven goals and 11 assists in 37 appearances in all competitions, with the majority of those outings coming on the right wing.

It really was a breakthrough campaign for the 23-year-old, who is starting to make an impact for one of the biggest clubs in Europe.

Would he be a good signing for Spurs?

He could well be, yes.

Tottenham love to sign a player with potential that they can develop and improve – as they have done with the likes of Dele Alli and Victor Wanyama – and Suso certainly fits under that category.

Whether he would be a regular starter remains to be seen, but it is certainly a position that Spurs might need cover in at the start of next season considering both Erik Lamela and Son Heung-Min could be missing as they recover from hip and arm surgery respectively.

What’s the verdict, then?

Well, it is clear that Spurs need attacking reinforcements this summer if they are to compete with their Premier League rivals and in the Champions League next season, and Suso looks to be a player with great potential and the added advantage that he already knows about the English game.

With a number of deals already going ahead, it can be easy to forget the summer transfer window doesn’t officially open until next Saturday.

Plenty of English clubs have used the no-man’s land between the end of 2016/17 season and the start of the summer window to get a head start on their divisional rivals, none more so than Everton.

Indeed, the Toffees have already acquired the services of Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and Ajax midfielder Davy Klaassen, shelling out just shy of £60million, and are reportedly on the verge of announcing a deal for striker Sandro Ramirez as well.

At this point in the summer, the only club that can rival them in the quantity and value of their arrivals are title-chasers Manchester City, snapping up shot-stopper Ederson from Benfica and Monaco playmaker Bernardo Silva.

Everton’s early spree isn’t simply by chance either; Ronald Koeman has a gigantic summer ahead, requiring a bigger rebuild than last term’s seventh place finish might initially suggest. In theory, Koeman needs a right-back who can step in for the injured Seamus Coleman, a left-back to deputise the ageing Leighton Baines, some young blood in the centre of defence and most pivotally direct replacements for Ross Barkley and Romelu Lukaku, who both look set to leave Goodison Park.

Everton’s attempts to fill those positions are boosted by Farhad Moshiri’s investment last summer. Koeman didn’t get much of a chance to take full advantage of it during his first transfer window as Toffees boss and although some impressive additions arrived in January, namely Morgan Schneiderlin and Ademola Lookman, this summer represents the Dutchman’s real opportunity to revamp the squad he inherited from Roberto Martinez – further financed by the enormous sums Barkley and Lukaku should bring in.

So far so good, then. Koeman has already addressed the questionable quality in Everton’s goalkeeping department with a sizable swoop for Pickford, added to his midfield armoury with Klaassen and potentially his strike options with Ramirez. If there’s one concern to be had regarding Everton’s ambitious early spending, however, it’s what becomes of the exciting young, English players who forced their way into the first-team picture at Goodison last season.

To claim Everton have a fully-fledged Class of ’92 on their hands may be a tad hyperbolic, considering how quickly young Englishmen rise and fall in the Premier League these days. Likewise, no player aged 21 or younger started more than half of Everton’s Premier League fixtures last season – during a campaign in which the Toffees squad’s average age was 27, ranking it the 12th oldest throughout the top flight.

But the starting line-up of the England U20s side that brought the first World Cup back to these shores in 51 years just under two weeks ago included a staggering four Everton youngsters – not least including winning goal-scorer Dominic Calvert-Lewin – and the Toffees were the most represented club throughout the entire squad with five. That rabble didn’t even include Mason Holgate and Tom Davies, the two youngsters aged 20 and 18 respectively who featured prominently for Everton during the second half of last season.

It takes more than luck to win the U20s World Cup – three of the last five winners are all countries that have reached at least the semi-finals of the 2014 World Cup or Euro 2016 – and it’s vital that Everton’s participants don’t find their paths to the first team suddenly blocked by Koeman’s summer additions.

The Toffees gaffer appeared more than willing to use them last season but that was very much a transition campaign which offered Everton little to play for post-Christmas and Koeman’s track record of developing young players, at least in England, isn’t is as exemplary as you’d expect for a former Ajax and Barcelona star.

In fact, one of the biggest criticisms of his two seasons at Southampton was his reluctance to use an academy set-up that is still widely revered as the best in the country, producing five players to have represented England in the last twelve months. He only actually issued Premier League debuts to four players aged 21 or younger in two years at St. Mary’s – that’s one every six months.

Furthermore, already spending the kind of money you’d expect of a side looking to force their way into top four reckoning, there will be much more pressure on Koeman next season – improving on last term’s final standing of seventh will be the bare minimum requirement despite the incredible competitiveness in the Premier League. As we know, Premier League managers have a fascinating knack of shying away from young players, especially English ones, when they’re put under pressure for results.

But Tottenham Hotspur have shown the benefits of bravery in such scenarios. Spurs’ English contingent is now the beating heart of the national team and the main driving force behind their back-to-back title bids; it’s rather incredible to think that, when Mauricio Pochettino arrived at the club, Harry Kane, Danny Rose and Kyle Walker were all viewed rather negatively by the Premier League audience, whilst Dele Alli was plying his trade in League One and Eric Dier was a backup defender at Sporting Lisbon.

Who’s to say Everton’s youngsters can’t go onto similar feats in the coming years, especially if Koeman uses the summer signings to compliment their strengths and weaknesses rather than upgrade upon them? And that’s not just crucial for the Merseyside club but also the Premier League in general; of the 543 players to feature in the Premier League last season, just 42 were English and under the age of 22 – less than eight percent – and just eight of those made more than 15 appearances – less than 1.5 percent.

No doubt, this summer represents a fantastic opportunity for Koeman to rebuild Everton, to cash in on Lukaku and Barkley, to utilise Farhad Moshiri’s investment, and create a side that, in the long term, can compete at the very top end of the Premier League.

But as vital as any new signings is further integrating the likes of Calvert-Lewin, Lookman, Davies, Holgate, Kieran Dowell, Jonjoe Kenny and Callum Connelly. Big money additions come and go, Lukaku is testament to that, but these players are Koeman’s real chance to forge something special on Merseyside that can upset the Premier League’s established order.

Chelsea supporters have had a frustrating summer so far given that they have had to watch their rivals bring in new players while activity at Stamford Bridge remains quiet.

The Premier League champions are constantly linked to big-name players in the gossip pages, but none have come through the door as yet.

Everton striker Romelu Lukaku was regularly touted as a possible target for the Blues, but it is believed that the Belgian will swerve his former club to join Manchester United.

The Guardian reports that the 24-year-old was booked in for a medical on Thursday ahead of a £75m switch to Old Trafford.

With Lukaku seemingly no longer an option, speculation has been rife about who Chelsea will target.

According to Transfermarketweb, a deal to sign Swansea City forward Fernando Llorente is close to completion.

The Spaniard, who has previously played for Athletic Bilbao, has worked with Chelsea manager Antonio Conte before when the pair were at Juventus.

Last season, Llorente scored 15 goals and produced one assist in 33 Premier League appearances.

A number of Chelsea fans are not happy with the club’s reported pursuit of the Spaniard, who may come in as Diego Costa’s replacement amid rumours that the forward will leave this summer.

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Everton manager Ronald Koeman has claimed that it is up to the board to make the final decision regarding the pursuit of Swansea City midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson, reports the Liverpool Echo.

What’s the word?

The Merseyside outfit have been linked to the Iceland international for some time, and it seemed as though something could be on the cards when he was not included in Swansea’s pre-season trip to the United States.

However, the midfielder has since returned to training and according to The Independent, the Welsh club have rejected a second bid worth an initial £40m, rising to £45m in add-ons from Everton.

It is believed that Swansea, who managed to avoid relegation to the Championship last season, are demanding £50m for Sigurdsson.

During a press conference, Koeman confirmed interest in the 27-year-old, but said that the matter was firmly in the board’s hands.

The Liverpool Echo quotes him as saying:

“The whole business what is difficult is the amount of fee, money you have to pay for players. It is growing and growing and growing and I don’t know where it will stop.

“Okay, it is all about business and the final decision is by the board of the club because they make the final decisions – what I did is to give them the final picture about positions, about what we need to improve and choose options.”

Should Everton fall to Swansea’s demands?

The valuations of footballers rise year on year, and this summer in particular has seen some staggering figures being paid.

Sigurdsson is capable of performing at the top level and would be a positive addition to Everton’s team, but he is not worth £50m.

The Merseyside outfit have shown that they are not afraid to splash the cash having parted with more than £100m already, but they do not want to get a reputation of being weak in negotiations.

If Koeman is determined to bring Sigurdsson into the fold then the board can ease the pressure by getting a decent amount for Ross Barkley.

Given that Koeman has made it clear that Barkley will be sold, the funds could be used to sign the Icelandic midfielder.

What Everton will get for the England international, though, is a different story.

According to Fotospor, Manchester United have met the release clause of Benfica playmaker Talisca.

What’s the Story?

Turkish media are reporting that Talisca, the 23-year-old Benfica midfielder who is currently in the middle of a two-year-loan deal with Besiktas, is set to join Manchester United, after the European Giants met the players’ release clause.

The article states that the fee accepted is around £22.6million, with £3.6million of that fee going to Besiktas, as compensation for interrupting their ongoing loan deal with the player.

How good was Talisca last season? 

The Brazilian, who is valued at £11.7million by Transfermarkt was impressive during his first season on –loan in Turkey, The 23-year-old was a revelation netting an impressive 16 times in just 32 appearances from attacking midfield.

Talisca especially stood out in the Europa League where his ball control, finishing and threat from set pieces helped Besiktas reach the knockout stages.

Would Talisca be a good signing for Manchester United?

A gamble…but a cheap one. In today’s market, paying £22.6million for a player whose goal scoring record rivals Europe’s best should be considered a steal. And while Talisca is not probably not the marquee addition that Manchester United fans wanted, he is a real talent and at just 23, has his best years ahead of him.

If Mourinho can help Talisca adapt to the tough physicality of the Premier League then he could become a real asset at Old Trafford. Granted, Talisca may not be a regular feature in the first-team but could be a seriously proficient impact substitute whose talents would quickly adhere him to the fans at Manchester United.

Chelsea have had a weird transfer window so far but things may be about to get a bit better.Having missed out on signing Romelu Lukaku to Man United, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Liverpool and seemingly Fernando Llorente to Tottenham, you could forgive Chelsea fans for feeling a little down beat as clock ticks ever closer towards the 11pm transfer window deadline.It’s not over yet, though.Chelsea are still interested in signing Leicester duo Danny Drinkwater and Riyad Mahrez, as well as Everton’s Ross Barkley and SkyBet has just slashed their odds on all three of them signing before the transfer deadline to 7/1 – they opened today’s market at 12/1 for all three to sign.The Express are currently reporting that Riyad Mahrez is very close to securing a £45m switch to Stamford Bridge, which should soften the blow of losing out to Oxlade-Chamberlain earlier in the day.Yesterday it was being reported by BBC Sport that Everton had rejected the Blues’ £25m bid for England international Ross Barkley and while no new bid is yet to have been reported, it would be surprise if Antonio Conte didn’t return with an improved offer.And then there’s Danny Drinkwater, who recently handed in a transfer request at Leicester. Daily Telegraph journalist Matt Law reported on Thursday morning that Chelsea had made a bid worth over £30m for the midfielder.

So despite all the disappointment in recent days for Chelsea, things may still be on the up for the reigning Premier League champions.

Signing all three before the 11pm deadline might be a stretch, but this is Deadline Day after all.