Chelsea travel to Manchester United this weekend facing the biggest test in their run-in to title glory.

The Blues hit the Red Devils for four at Stamford Bridge earlier this season and beat them again in the FA Cup, but that will surely only serve as extra motivation for the home side on Sunday – with Mourinho undoubtedly determined to get one over the club he won three Premier League titles with.

The title race has proved a little beyond the Old Trafford outfit this season but Mourinho is slowly assembling a talented side that appears to be moving in the right direction after two underwhelming campaigns under Louis van Gaal.

Meanwhile, although Chelsea look set to be reigning champions for 2017/18, only ruthlessness in the summer will ensure them becoming the Premier League’s first successful title defenders since 2009.

Poaching players from rival clubs would not only strengthen Antonio Conte’s options but also weaken the squads of the clubs also involved in the title race next term. So, Chelsea fans, which Man United stars should Conte try to prise from Old Trafford this summer?

Let us know by voting below!

Leyton Orient are the latest victims of reckless mismanagement and the fans who saw their club on the brink of Championship football a couple of seasons go, will now be planning for life in the 5th tier.

Of course, in football, perspective goes out the window so a few miles down the road Arsenal fans will be feeling equally as hard done by if Tottenham manage to guarantee finishing above them with victory in Sunday’s North London Derby.

Equally, the entire of German football has felt pretty aggrieved of late thanks to the emergence of RB Leipzig. Bankrolled by energy drink giants Red Bull, the club once known as SSV Markranstädt has bought its way to the Bundesliga and leapfrogged the likes of Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen to a Champions League spot at the first time of asking.

Naturally, these two sketchy scenarios combined, seemed ideal for an intriguing Football Manager simulation. Watch the video to find out what would happen if Red Bull saved Leyton Orient from liquidation but to the detriment of fans of both the club and English football in general.

With their third win in three games, Arsenal have put themselves in a great position to snatch fourth place in the English Premier League right at the tail-end of the season.Arsene Wenger’s men were in sparkling form against Stoke City on Saturday evening, running out comfortable 4-1 winners away from home.Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud were all on target for the Gunners in a match they never looked like losing.At the heart of the action was Hector Bellerin, who picked up two assists across the 90 minutes setting up Giroud for the opener and later Sanchez.While there have been some question marks about Bellerin’s ability to defend consistent for Wenger’s side, his attacking prowess isn’t in question.In fact, as this stat from Squawka shows, no defender in the English Premier League has notched up more assists than the full-back than the Spaniard.

He has 13 in all competitions in that time. Only Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez have more than the defender at the club in the same period. He is integral to Wenger’s team and can be relied upon often to help break down stodgy defences that sit in against the Gunners, that makes him very valuable indeed.

According to reports in The Independent, Everton are closing in on the signing of out-of-contract Southampton defender Cuco Martina, and they are ready to hand him a three-year deal.

Toffees boss Ronald Koeman has been looking for an experienced right-back to cover for Seamus Coleman while he continues his rehabilitation from the double leg break he suffered while on international duty with the Republic of Ireland in March, and he looks to have found his man.

The Dutchman signed the Curacao international during his time managing at St Mary’s and he will compete with the likes of Mason Holgate and Jonjoe Kenny in the early stages of the campaign.

Everton supporters were quick to have their say on the news via social media, with many disappointed at the lack of ambition shown and others wondering why Holgate and Kenny couldn’t cover the void.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Antonio Conte will consider quitting Chelsea if he cannot reach an agreement with the club’s hierarchy about various issues, reports the Daily Record.

What’s the story?

Just over a month after lifting the Premier League title, not many would expect there to be rumours of a potential walkout from the manager.

However, the Daily Record claims that Conte is frustrated with Chelsea’s bigwigs over transfer strategy and not having a direct link to club owner Roman Abramovich.

It is believed that the Italian is exasperated about numerous issues, including transfer budget as he wants to enhance every area of the pitch ahead of the 2017-18 campaign.

Conte is also rumoured to be demanding full control of the club’s academy, as well as the final say on who joins his coaching staff.

The former Juventus boss is also said to want an improved salary after guiding the team to the league title, and if his demands are not answered, he may walk.

Former Borussia Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel has reportedly been outlined as a potential replacement.

Should Chelsea fans be worried?

Some supporters may be left scratching their heads after this report as it seems to have come from left field.

The Mirror claims that Chelsea have laughed off the rumours and have no concerns that Conte will resign from his position.

It would be hugely shocking and rather bizarre if the Italian walked away considering that he has the chance of defending the league title next season and embarking on a Champions League campaign with the Blues.

At this stage of post-season, clubs hold meetings with their managers to discuss the strategy moving forward, and disagreements are expected, but it is difficult to foresee Conte walking away from Chelsea.

It was not that long ago when speculation was rife that the Blues were keen to offer the manager a new contract, so matters would have had to have escalated rapidly for the two parties to now be at loggerheads.

Slaven Bilic appears close to completing his second signing of the summer, bringing in Middlesbrough right-winger Adama Traore, according to online bookmakers BetVictor.

The 21-year old former Barcelona youth player has solid Premier League experience and would add some speed and creativity to a West Ham squad that scored one or fewer goals in 24 games last season.

The Spanish youth international led the league in dribbles per game last season, averaging five across 27 league appearances. A move for Traore is an interesting one for Slaven Bilic as it would likely force him to move on better, more experienced players.

Last summer, right-winger Sofiane Feghouli joined on a free transfer from Valencia and, after initially struggling, showed improved form in the second half of the season. The 27-year old Algeria international didn’t score his first league goal until 14 January against Crystal Palace but contributed two more goals and assisted another pair after finally breaking his duck.

It would be disappointing for Bilic to move on from a player like Feghouli for Traore, who hasn’t really done much in his two Premier League seasons.

Traore moved to Aston Villa ahead of the 2015/16 season but struggled to break into the league’s worst side, making only 10 substitute appearances in the league and one in the EFL Cup. He did score his first English goal in that cup appearance and picked up two assists in the league, which was enough for Middlesbrough to keep him in the top division last summer.

At Boro, the winger registered only one assist in 32 appearances for the goal-starved club. Traore started 16 league games for Aitor Karanka and Steve Agnew and was substituted in seven of those. He is a very raw player and seems to be staying in the Premier League based on the reputation he developed at Barcelona, where he made his professional debut aged just 17.

He certainly has excellent dribbling skills, but his lack of an end product leaves a lot to be desired. Whether it’s his shot or final pass, goal creation is the aspect of Traore’s game that needs the most work. He clearly picked up some dribbling tricks training alongside players like Lionel Messi and Neymar, but his finishing looks more like Javier Mascherano’s.

Still only 21-years old, Traore has plenty of time to develop and could prove a great signing for the Hammers and Bilic, but the Croatian hasn’t had a great track record of developing young players.

He has stunted the hype surrounding Reece Oxford and 21-year olds Ashley Fletcher, Edimilson Fernandes struggled for consistent playing time for the Hammers last term.

Perhaps Traore can break the trend.

On Tuesday afternoon, Chelsea revealed that Tammy Abraham had signed a new five-year contract with the Premier League champions, before heading out on loan to Swansea City for the new campaign.The 19-year-old netted 26 times during a loan spell at Championship side Bristol City last term, but he will be given the chance to play top-flight football in the 2017-18 season.It is understood that Swansea have beaten the likes of Newcastle United to the loan signing of Abraham, who represented England Under-21s at the Under-21 European Championships this summer, scoring once at the Three Lions reached the semi-finals of the competition.It would be fair to say that Chelsea have become known for buying and loaning players in recent years, but there is certainly excitement over the potential of Abraham.News of the striker’s contract, and subsequent loan, was announced on Chelsea’s official Twitter page, and a number of the club’s supporters reacted positively to what had occurred.

WATCH THE LATEST 442OONS VIDEO BELOW…

Manchester United have joined the race to sign Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti this summer, according to Italian journalist Alfredo Peduella.

What’s the story?

Barcelona have been strongly linked with a move for Verratti this summer, with the Spanish giants believed to have made the Italian their leading transfer target.

However, according to Peduella, Man United are in a strong position for Verratti as the 24-year-old prepares to ditch his current agent Donato di Campli for Mino Raiola, who has taken the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Romelu Lukaku to Old Trafford over the last 12 months.

Verratti’s unhappiness with Di Campli is believed to have stemmed from comments made by his current agent earlier this summer, which suggested that the midfielder was desperate to leave Paris in this transfer window.

Verratti has since apologised for the comments made by his agent, and according to Peduella, the midfielder is in talks with Raiola, who has a strong relationship with Man United, in particular their head coach Jose Mourinho.

Could a deal be struck?

Man United have brought Lukaku and Victor Lindelof to Old Trafford this summer, but it is no secret that Mourinho still wants a central midfielder to support Paul Pogba and Ander Herrera in the middle of the park.

It is believed that PSG value Verratti in the region of £85m, which is a figure that Man United would be prepared to pay for one of the finest midfielders in the world.

Reports have claimed that Man United scout Jose Mayorga has already spoken to PSG about the transfer of the Italian international, and the Red Devils will watch developments over the next few days before considering making a move.

Verratti joined PSG from Pescara in the summer of 2012, and the 21-time Italian international has made over 200 appearances for the French giants, winning an impressive 15 domestic trophies in the process.

Barcelona will certainly have something to say about the interest from Old Trafford, but a change in agent would seemingly place Man United at the head of the queue.

Newcastle United striker Ivan Toney is wanted by Wigan Athletic on a season-long loan, according to the the Chronicle.

What’s the word?

The 21-year-old has been part of the Magpies’ fold since 2015 when he joined from Northampton Town.

The forward is yet to make an impact in the first team, and has been shipped out on loan to Barnsley, Shrewsbury Town and Scunthorpe United over the past two years.

Now, the Chronicle claims that League One club Wigan want to take Toney on a temporary deal.

It is believed that Newcastle are willing to sanction a move for the young forward in order to give him an opportunity to prove his ability.

The report claims that Wigan will have to cover Toney’s wages for the duration of his loan.

What does the future hold?

Even though the Englishman is still at a young age, he needs to be catching the management’s eye at Newcastle in the next couple of seasons if he wants to succeed at St James’ Park.

Nowadays, competition for places is fierce, and with most coaches buying players from abroad, it can be difficult for homegrown talent to come through.

Manager Rafael Benitez will want experienced figures to help the team retain their Premier League status this season, so it makes sense for Toney to get another loan spell under his belt.

Wigan would provide a more competitive environment than the striker’s previous loan destinations as the Latics try to return to the Championship.

Toney can use the opportunity to prove that he can cut it at a decent level, and if not, his Newcastle career could be jeopardy.

Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness is concerned that there could be trouble ahead for Chelsea if the club do not offload Diego Costa before the transfer deadline at the end of the month.

The striker’s future at Stamford Bridge looks bleak given that he was not welcomed back for pre-season training.

It has become clear that manager Antonio Conte does not see Costa in his plans for the upcoming Premier League campaign.

However, a club spokesman – via The Telegraph – has described claims that Conte told Costa in a text message that he is no longer wanted at the club as “nonsense”.

The situation is getting messy given that lawyers are now involved, but it remains unclear where Costa will be playing football this season.

A return to Atletico Madrid has been mooted, while AC Milan have also appeared as rumoured suitors for the controversial striker’s signature.

Souness has had his say on the situation, and believes that the senior players in the dressing room need to make sure that Costa does not become a problem for the entire group.

The Scotsman wrote in The Times:

“If Chelsea can’t move Costa on in the next few months it will require the senior players to bring him into line before it gets ugly. I would be looking to the likes of Gary Cahill and Cesc Fabregas – established players with a good command of English.

“That’s how dressing rooms should be run: the senior pros take care of small problems before they become headaches that distract the manager from doing his job.”