Alan Shearer Exclusive: Newcastle must land Guehi deal before the window shuts

• Newcastle must bring in England defender by 31 August

• Foden and Palmer deserve their PFA awards

• Havertz can step up and fire Arsenal to glory

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PFA Awards are a mark of respect from your rivals

The PFA Awards are very, very special because they are voted by your fellow professionals. To be voted best player and in the Team of the Year, means you've done something very special because most of them are trying to kick you every single week.

There's huge respect there. So, if you're voted for the award by the players then that's very special.

In my day, the POTY awards were at the back end of March, so it was difficult to give the vote out because there were still five or six weeks to go until the start of the season.

Obviously, that's changed now for the better because you can reflect on the full season and to give the awards out at the beginning of the new season must give those players great confidence to go again.

It's a huge thing and the players should be able to carry that confidence with them, not only this season but for the rest of their careers.

Foden and Palmer are an outstanding duo

England have got some incredible talent; I know it didn't quite work for us in the Euros, having got to the final without playing particularly well, but having said that, that's nothing to take away from the incredible English players we've got and those two are without a doubt two of the outstanding ones.

The way Cole Palmer handled his move to Chelsea, the way he dragged Chelsea through so many games last season, he was the outstanding young player.

Phil Foden, what a season he had. The goals he scored and some of his performances were absolutely outstanding. There was no doubt those two were going to be the Young Player and Player of the Year in my opinion, and they were both thoroughly deserved.

Foden has been handled perfectly by Guardiola

Phil Foden has been around for such a long time, he's won so much, he's achieved so much and he's only 24. His appearances are off the charts and he deserves all the titles he's won.

He's an incredible talent and of course, he's managed by a genius in Pep Guardiola, who has handled him perfectly.

There's no doubt Foden can improve and get even better, and I expect this will be one of many individual awards that he wins. He'll deserve whatever he gets because he's an incredible talent.

Palmer's arrogance is why he's at the very top

Cole Palmer needs to go again, and I have no doubt that he will. He should enjoy this moment and embrace it.

He looks so relaxed; there is an arrogance about him, in a good way, he's got that strut, which I love. He's saying: "Give the ball to me, I don't feel any pressure." That's the way he played last season.

When you've had a season like he did, you've got to somehow go again, as difficult as it will be in that Chelsea team because they're doing things very differently to what a normal club does.

But we've seen the talent, we've seen the ability, we've seen he can score goals and we've seen he can handle the pressure. The one thing you've got to do is go again, because that's what top players do.

The top players enjoy what they've done, they get a taste for it and think: "I want more." That is what Palmer's got to do now too.

Newcastle must land Guehi deal before the window shuts

I don't feel Newcastle have a choice now when it comes to Marc Guehi, they've shown their hand and perhaps expected it to be done by now. It would be an underwhelming summer in terms of signings for Newcastle if they were not able to get one big signing over the line.

They got the right result last weekend against Southampton, but they didn't play well. Even when Newcastle had 11 men, for the first 28 minutes or so, I thought Southampton were the better team. I wouldn't say there was a flat atmosphere at St James' Park, but it wasn't as loud as it could have been and maybe you could put the atmosphere down to the lack of signings.

Newcastle should go ahead with signing Guehi. They want the player; they probably know the price and they're going to have to pay that. Fabian Schar is suspended for three games now too and that puts a little bit more pressure on Newcastle.

I don't think it would look too good for the Newcastle hierarchy if they didn't get the transfer over the line as it's been dragging on for so long.

Dan Burn, Joelinton and Bruno were stars at Saints

I thought Dan Burn, Joelinton and Guimaraes were magnificent for Newcastle, who were under the cosh for well over an hour, they had to stand firm. Southampton missed one or two big chances, but in the main, the work-rate the vast majority of Newcastle players had to put in was incredible.

Big Dan was a part of that, as was Joelinton. I put big Jo in my team of the weekend and rightfully so - I thought it was a quality performance from him. Dan was unlucky to miss out as well.

No-brainer for City to snap up Gundogan

With Julian Alvarez leaving Manchester City, and the club not signing anyone as yet to fill that void, means the signing of Gundogan makes sense. Pep knows him, he knows his character, he knows who he is, what he can do and for them to get him in would be a no-brainer.

Arsenal can go one step further

It very, very, very nearly worked out for Arsenal in the Premier League last season. They took it all the way to the final day, so the question is, can they go that step further? Of course they can, absolutely.

But I think Kai Havertz will have to score more, Bukayo Saka will have to score more, Trossard will have to score more, Gabriel Jesus will have to score more. They all can do that, so if they all chip in with two or three more goals each then that might help them over the line.

They had the best defence last season, they've gone out and signed a quality defender for a lot of money, and it looks as if they'll also get Mikel Merino over the line, which will be another good signing.

It looks as though the manager has the belief in the players they already have to say: "You're going to have to go again."

It doesn't look as if they're going to bring in a striker, so the players that are there are going to have to step up and yes, they can do that, absolutely.

Does Havertz have the final product of a striker?

You've got to be there to miss the chances and Havertz does miss a few. He got his goal last weekend though, and it was a great cross in from Saka, a brilliant header from Havertz the way he timed it and got there before the goalkeeper.

Havertz must do that more often. That's what Arteta wants him to do, the ability is there, there's no doubt about it. Havertz and other players need to step up their game by 10% though for Arsenal to pip Manchester City to the Premier League title, because that's who they're going to have to beat, again.

Arsenal got so close last year to the title, and I think they can do it again if those players step up and improve, and without a doubt those players can improve. Havertz is one of those.

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