Everton have finished 5th for the last 2 seasons and Simon Hopper thinks the Toffees are good value to be near the top of the tree again this time – see his low-down on all the contenders and recommended bets here.

Barcelona midfielder Aleksandr Hleb has agreed a one-year loan move to former club Stuttgart.

The Belarus international had originally been included as part of the the swap deal that took Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Barca from Inter with Samuel Eto’o going in the opposite direction.

However, Hleb said he preferred a return to the Bundesliga and his former club Stuttgart.

“I decided on VfB because the team has such great potential and I am convinced we can reach it together,” Hleb told the club website.

The 28-year-old, who joined Barcelona from Arsenal a year ago, struggled to break into Pep Guardiola’s side last season.

“With Hleb, we have the commitment of a world class player who will further increase the quality in our squad,” said Stuttgart sports director Horst Heldt.

Everton have finished 5th for the last 2 seasons and Simon Hopper thinks the Toffees are good value to be near the top of the tree again this time – see his low-down on all the contenders and recommended bets here.

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