As the curtain comes down on another Premier League campaign, Sports Mole picks out three figures who will be in the spotlight over the coming days.
1. Raheem Sterling
The transfer window may not yet be officially open, but there is no doubt who the subject of this year's will-he won't-he saga is going to be. Depending on which reports you read, Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Manchester United and Bayern Munich have all shown an interest in the want-away Liverpool winger.
© Getty Images
A new twist to the saga developed on Thursday afternoon, when the player's agent somewhat gleefully announced that Sterling would "definitely not" be signing a new deal at Anfield. That was that, then. Or so it should have been, until the man in question, Aidy Ward - who also lashed out at club legend Jamie Carragher for good measure - threatened to sue the publication that printed the original quotes.
Whichever way you look at it, the England international's Liverpool career looks rather bleak at this moment in time. Manager Brendan Rodgers has become an expert in these situations during his relatively short stint on Merseyside, having held out an extra 12 months before selling Luis Suarez last summer, when it looked inevitable that he would leave back in 2013.
It must be remembered that Sterling, who has hardly set the world alight during his career to date, still has two years left to run on his current terms. That means the Reds could conceivably cash in for a reported sum of £50m, thank him for his services and splash out on a couple of cheaper foreign buys. Or they could play hardball, as hinted by Rodgers earlier today, and instead hold down the 20-year-old for another 24 months. Only time will tell which direction this one goes, but the reception Sterling receives this weekend, should he be selected at all, may go a long way to making up Rodgers's mind.
2. Victor Valdes
Speaking of transfer sagas, just an hour up the road from Anfield there is a contract wrangle of a similar kind ongoing. The difference being that David de Gea arguably finds himself in a far more difficult position, having been caught between two clubs he clearly has a lot of affection for. Money does not have a say in this instance, but instead the draw of playing for hometown club Real Madrid, in the city where his girlfriend lives, may prove too much to turn down.
© Getty Images
The ball is firmly in De Gea's court, due to United's reluctance to let him leave on a free contract. At this stage it appears as though a switch is inevitable, with recent reports suggesting that personal terms over a six-year deal have already been agreed. If that is indeed the case, then Louis van Gaal must decide whether he needs to recruit a new first-choice stopper this summer.
Victor Valdes has had to wait patiently from the sidelines since joining last year, but he was finally given a chance in the 1-1 draw against Arsenal last weekend when his fellow Spaniard suffered a hamstring injury. His first job in the famous red strip was to pick the ball out of the back of the net, as a deflected effort off Tyler Blackett deceived him soon after coming on.
It could be argued that Valdes was to blame on that occasion, but the former Barcelona keeper has plenty of experience and was a key component in arguably the finest club side of all time during his illustrious spell at Camp Nou. Ex-United stopper Raimond van der Gouw claimed earlier this week that the 33-year-old is the "perfect" choice for his former side, and with Valdes expected to start against Hull City on Sunday, he has a great chance to prove his worth before the transfer window opens.
3. John Carver
Thankfully for the neutral, Newcastle United's inability to win a game over the past couple of months means that we have some sort of entertainment to look forward to on the final day. The league title already wrapped up in convincing fashion, Arsenal almost certain to claim third place and just the small matter of the finishing order of the top six to finalise, all eyes will turn to the battle to avoid relegation.
© Getty Images
Sunderland can put their feet up on Sunday afternoon (not literally, of course), in the knowledge that their status as a Premier League club has been secured for another year. That leaves just two teams - Newcastle and Hull City - left to battle it out to grab hold of that illusive 17th spot.
While Steve Bruce cannot be excused entirely for his part in City's poor campaign, having spent relatively big last summer in an attempt to make waves both at home and in Europe, the Magpies' plummet over the past 14 weeks or so has been something else entirely. Having failed to win a game since February 28, a run stretching 10 matches, United's fortune now comes down to the final 90 minutes of the season. West Ham United, led by former Toon boss Sam Allardyce, provide the opposition at St James' Park amid a backdrop of supporter unrest off the field. Throw into the mix that Big Sam will have a point to prove, and there is the recipe for real fireworks on Tyneside.
If the club's form since Alan Pardew departed is anything to go by, then United fans are probably better off sitting in front of their televisions and watching events as they unfold at the KC Stadium, because that is likely to be the decisive fixture in all this. The problem for Hull? They have lost all seven previous Premier League encounters with United, conceding 21 goals in the process, while also never winning a game in the month of May. Carver and his men are likely to stay up on default, but the mass rebuilding job must get underway imminently, regardless of what happens this weekend.
Daniel Lewis
