I don’t Think Riyad Mahrez Would Want Arsenal Move – Dennis Wise

Riyad Mahrez would not be interested in a move to Arsenal, according to former Chelsea midfielder Dennis Wise.

The Algeria international has been linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium as a possible replacement for Alexis Sanchez, who could make a January move to Manchester City.

Wise, though, believes that there will be better options on the table for the 26-year-old than Arsene Wenger’s men, with Liverpool also following his progress.

“I don’t think Mahrez would want to go there,” he told Sky Sports.

“I think there would be other teams that Mahrez would look at and think he’s capable of going into, teams that are in a better position than Arsenal.”

Ian Wright, who stands at second in Arsenal’s all-time scoring chart behind only Thierry Henry, was of a similar opinion.

“They’re in a position now where someone like him has got to go there and really pull up trees to get Arsenal back to where they need to go,” he said, referencing the fact that the Gunners may see both Alexis and Mesut Ozil leave on Bosman deals.

“What help has he got? He’s looking at two unbelievable players who might walk out.”

While the Gunners are struggling to make the top four in the Premier League once again and were eliminated from the FA Cup by Nottingham Forest last weekend, their Carabao Cup hopes remain alive after a scoreless draw in the first leg with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

Read More

Inter Set To Increase Icardi’s Release Clause With New Contract

Talks are ongoing between Inter and Mauro Icardi’s entourage which also includes his famous agent and wife, Wanda Nara. The goal for the Nerazzurri is to increase the release clause which is currently set at €110 Million and valid until the first few weeks into July of this year. The 24-year-old only signed a renewal 18 months ago and is currently tied to the Nerazzurri through to the end of the 2020/21 season but Inter do not want to take any risks.

In the twenty games played in this Serie A season, the Argentine International has scored 18 times and is second in the top goalscorer table to Ciro Immobile of Lazio who has scored 20 goals.

Read More

Barcelona & Chinese Side Hebei CFFC Reach Mascherano Agreement (Goal)

Wantaway Barcelona defender Javier Mascherano is finally set to leave the Liga giants after the club accepted a bid for the player from the CSL outfit Hebei China Fortune, Goal understands.

The two clubs have been wrangling hard over the final transfer fee, with Barca demanding at least €10 million for the Argentinian. However, Hebei China Fortune are reluctant to pay more than €5.77 million, which would trigger a 100 per cent levy on the payment for the transfer.

The Chinese Football Association announced last June that any loss-making club in China's top two divisions that pays more than 45 million yuan (€5.77 million) for a foreign player transfer must pay the same amount to a CFA youth development fund.

The CFA made its presence felt on Tuesday by issuing a harsh warning that it would severely punish clubs who flagrantly violate its transfer rules, following reports that Guangzhou Evergrande and Beijing Guoan are engaging in a bidding war over Borussia Dortmund's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Sources have told Goal that Hebei China Fortune held their ground in protracted negotiations with Barcelona for fear of incurring the wrath of the CFA, and eventually managed to convince the Blaugrana to accept a fee less than €5.77 million for Mascherano.

The 33-year-old is set to earn €7m-per-year in Hebei where his compatriot Ezequiel Lavezzi and former Arsenal forward Gervinho also ply their trade.

Read More

I Rebuilt Inter - Mancini

The Zenit St Petersburg Coach was in charge of the Nerazzurri for a second time in the 2015-16 season, and after a strong start to the season they tailed off in the second half to finish fourth, outside of the Champions League places.

A similar trend appears to be developing this season, with Luciano Spalletti undefeated until December 16 but having failed to win in seven games across all competitions.

“It’s different,” Mancini opined, speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport.

“We rebuilt the team, now the team has two years of experience plus many millions of investment. We finished the first half of the season in the lead despite having obvious shortcomings.

“At that point signings were needed in January to keep up, but it was only about selling. A club like Inter can’t just think about getting into the Champions League, you have to aim to win.

“The next summer’s signings? Gabigol was young, it would have been better to loan him out right away. Joao Mario was identical to [Marcelo] Brozovic. I needed something different.

“A quick striker, capable of attacking opposition defences when they close up. But at that point money was being spent and it wasn’t clear who was deciding. There was confusion.

“I’d have kept [Geoffrey] Kondogbia. He has a particular character, he needs to be protected, but he has talent, he was quality. In fact he’s always the best at Valencia.

“Mateo Kovacic? There were some harsh confrontations between us. I told him: ‘reject everything and explode here!’.

“But Real [Madrid] came in and there was a need for the money.

“What does Spalletti need? I haven’t seen Inter much. Maybe a quick striker like [Dries] Mertens, someone who scores like [Mauro] Icardi.

“I see them finishing third. For me, even like this, they’re stronger than Roma and Lazio. They’ll have to invest this summer though.

“I see Roma as more equipped [than Lazio], Lazio have qualities that the exploit well though, and they have the right spirit.”

That would put the Scudetto race down to two teams, does that mean Mancini thinks Juventus will win it, rather than Napoli?

“Yes, they’re the best equipped and they have that desire that comes from their history. You don’t learn to win in five minutes.

“I remember the faces [Roberto] Bettega, [Beppe] Furino and [Marco] Tardelli had when I faced them on the pitch.

“The Inter of my Scudetti had men like that.

“I fear Napoli will struggle with European matches on a Thursday, but I’m sure they’ll stay with Juve to the very end.

“Their beautiful game will continue to yield results.”

Mancio launched Mario Balotelli’s career, and he was asked for his opinion on the Nice striker.

“I haven’t followed him much, but I see that he’s scoring a lot of goals. That’s what I want, I hope he can still get a lot of satisfaction.

“He’s only 27, he has to go back to the national team. Someone like him can decide certain matches on his own.

Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho have been involved in a pretty spectacular spat in recent days…

“You’ll see, they’ll meet and it will end up with tarallucci and wine.”

Read More

Wright: Ozil Would Perform Better at Man United

Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright believes soon-to-be free agent Mesut Ozil would perform better at Premier League rivals Manchester United as doubts remain over his future in London.

Ozil is out of contract at the end of the season, and the Germany international playmaker is no closer to signing a new deal, tipped to follow Alexis Sanchez out of Emirates Stadium amid reported interest from Jose Mourinho's side.

The 29-year-old worked with Mourinho during the pair's time together at Real Madrid and Wright conceded Ozil would flourish in Manchester.

"I think he's that type of player who will drag a team by its bootlaces through a game, but if your team is playing well, he's going to sprinkle stardust all over the place," Wright told Sky Sports when asked if he thought Ozil would perform better at United.

"With the players he'd be playing with at Man Utd as well, he is unbelievable.

"He is just awesome, and with the right team, and the right movement in front of him, he is easily one of the best I've seen. He's amazing.

"Is this difficult to say? Yeah. And we can't keep arguably two of the best players, arguably in the history of the club, ability-wise. It's sad times."

Ozil, who missed Wednesday's goalless draw against Chelsea in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final, has scored four goals and tallied five assists in the Premier League this season.

Since arriving from Madrid in 2013, Ozil has netted 27 goals and recorded 47 assists in 134 league appearances.

Arsenal will return to the pitch Sunday to take on Bournemouth in the Premier League.

Read More

Batshuayi to End His Chelsea Nightmare?

Prior to his £33 million transfer to Chelsea, Michy Batshuayi was one of the hottest prospects in European football.

He would go on to make just a single Premier League start in his debut season in the English top tier and would eventually be offered to a host of clubs over the summer transfer window by Antonio Conte, though vowed to fight for his place. Despite his restricted playing time, Batshuayi scored five goals in 239 minutes - an average of a goal every 48 minutes - and refused to read into the claims that he was not cut out for a starring role at Chelsea.

Marseille were ready to take their former forward back on loan, while at least 10 Premier League clubs offered a temporary home, but Batshuayi again refused to give into the pressure.

His confidence is admirable but isn't shared by his manager, who has worked extensively with the striker to develop his understanding of what is required.

Batshuayi has made just two Premier League starts this season, with another five coming in cup competitions. And, to the striker's credit, he has scored seven goals this term in 20 bit-part appearances. However, his overall contribution is significantly short of what Conte requires from his leading frontman and the Italian's preference to push Eden Hazard into a makeshift 'false nine' role over selecting Batshuayi is telling. As was Conte's push to sign Fernando Llorente in the summer as an understudy to Diego Costa.

"He has to show me that he's better than Morata, or than Hazard. It's very simple,” Conte said earlier in the season. “But don't forget that Michy this season is playing more than last season. Last season he didn't play. He didn't play and I think this season, if you consider his injury for a month, he had his chance."

And Batshuayi was offered another chance to make a mark ahead of Chelsea's Carabao Cup tie with Norwich on January 6, with Alvaro Morata dropping to the bench and Hazard missing out through injury. Batshuayi offered little, however, and was eventually replaced by Morata in the second with the home support mocking the Belgium international as he left the pitch.

With an eye on the Russia World Cup this summer, Batshuayi is increasingly in need of regular playing time to restore his reputation as one of the most promising forward's in Europe.

Batshuayi is a player who hit double figures in goals in the four seasons prior to joining Chelsea, with his final campaign at Marseille ending with 23 in all competitions. His season and a half with Chelsea, then, can be fairly marked as a stain on an otherwise promising career to date. Still 24, Batshuayi now has a decision to make if he is to retain his status ahead of Roberto Martinez selecting his Belgium side for the World Cup.

"I was a player, I understand if someone is worried about the World Cup," Conte said previously when asked about his plans for fringe players in the winter transfer window. "I understand [if they want to leave], but at the same time it’s very important to keep players very happy to stay here, to work with us and I think this must be our priority."

So what next for Batshuayi?

Goal understands that Sevilla hold a strong interest in a six-month loan deal, while a move to West Ham has also been suggested. Chelsea are unwilling to let him leave without a replacement, however, regardless of how a move away would benefit all parties.

Sevilla's proposition is an attractive one, with European football in hand and currently sitting fifth in the Liga rankings. Vincenzo Montella's side recognise that Chelsea need a replacement before sanctioning a loan move, however, and are therefore also looking at both Stevan Jovetic of Monaco, who spent part of last season at the club, and Everton attacker Sandro Ramírez. The decision is up to Conte, though, and he risks scuppering Batshuayi's development by not pulling the trigger.

“Michy is a young player," Conte said. "He has to work very hard to improve himself. But he's doing this. I'm happy with his behaviour and his commitment. But I have to make the best decision for the team."

With Conte's mind made up and having had little change from persevering with his goal of being Chelsea's leading striker, now is the time for Batshuayi to cut his losses and look to make a short-term impact elsewhere.

Source: All Football

Read More

Allegri on Chelsea Radar To Replace Conte

Allegri has won the double for the past three seasons in a row, as well as reaching the Champions League final twice in that time.

Conte is expected to leave the Stamford Bridge at the end of the season.

Corriere dello Sport is reporting that Allegri is being considered as a possible candidate to replace him.

However, Juve have no intention of losing the Tuscan tactician this summer, and he’s under contract until 2020.

Allegri has admitted in the past that he wants to work in the Premier League, but a move this summer would appear to be unlikely.

Read More

Arsenal In Advanced Talk With Carlo Ancelotti To Replace Arsene Wenger at The End of The Season

Arsenal were embarrassingly knocked out of the FA Cup by Nottingham Forest at the weekend, and they haven’t won the Premier League since 2004.

According to Corriere dello Sport, the club’s owner has decided that Arsene Wenger will leave the club in the summer, after 21 years.

The Frenchman is under contract until 2019, but he has been intensely criticised in recent years.

The newspaper states that Ancelotti has already agreed in principle to a contract worth €10m per year, not including bonuses.

While the FIGC still hopes to convince Carletto to change his mind and take over as Italy, they could’t match that kind of salary.

Read More

Coutinho: Liverpool Did Their Very Best to Hold Me Down

Coutinho penned a five-and-a-half-year contract with Barca on Monday, after the Catalans forked out £146m to prise the Brazilian away from his employers at Merseyside.

The signing brought an end to a transfer saga that saw Liverpool reject a number of bids in August. Coutinho admits the Reds did everything they could to hold on to him, but his dream was always to sign for Barcelona.

"I just want to thank the club for its patience and its effort," said the 25-year-old, according to Sky Sports. "I'm very happy, this is a dream come true for me and I hope to live up to the expectations."

"They understood that it was what I wanted. They did all they could to try to keep me, but in the end they understood that it was my dream, and the dream of my family, to come here.

"I just would like to thank all the fans, all the staff and all the players for the years I lived there.

"For sure, I gave everything I could. Unfortunately we could not win but I lived [in Liverpool] for five years and my family was very happy there. So I just would like to thank them and wish them all the best."

Read More

Hodgson Praises VAR Despite FA Cup Defeat

The Eagles were knocked out in the third round of the competition after an 87th-minute winner from Glenn Murray earned the Seagulls a hard-fought win at The American Express Community Stadium.

The traveling Palace fans felt hard-done-by when the ball crossed the goalline, as many believed it went in via Murray's hand, but the VAR system was referred to, for the first time in a competitive game in England, and showed that it went in off his knee and the goal stood.

Hodgson admits his initial reaction was that the ball struck Murray's hand, but he was reassured that it was a legitimate goal thanks to VAR.

"We had suspicions," said Hodgson, according to Sky Sports. "I suppose they were fuelled by the reactions of the people close to it.

"They seemed to be incensed, and from our angle it looks as if he's guided the ball in with his arm.

"You've got to congratulate the system: when you watch it lots of times like they've been able to do, from different angles, it would have been very harsh [to disallow it].

"There's still a slight thought it might just have brushed off his arm into the goal, but if it'd been my player scoring that goal, I'd have been very upset if it had been disallowed for handball."

Read More

Dyche Hails Burnley's Mentality

The Clarets suffered a 4-1 defeat at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, when a Sergio Aguero brace and goals from Leroy Sane and Bernardo Silva cancelled out Ashley Barnes' 25th-minute opener.

Despite the loss, Dyche believes his players showed a positive mentality against Pep Guardiola's side and could perhaps feel a bit unlucky to have conceded four goals considering the few chances City created.

“The fitness of some of the lads who haven’t played that much, Vokesy (Sam Vokes), Westy (Ashley Westwood), was good, but the details cost us," said Dyche, according to the Burnley Express.

“I think (City) had five efforts on target, and four goals. That’s sometimes what you get for £50m per player.

“We’ve got to develop that, it can’t be done overnight, season on season we’ve been adding and adding, but there isn’t a short fix, so we have to be aware of that.

“These moments can occur, but it’s hard, I think the team are giving a lot, and not always had the breaks, we’ve been a little bit hard done by, whether it’s a decision here and there, but I’m very pleased with the mentality of the players.”

Read More

Shawcross: Stoke Players Must Accept Responsibility Of Poor Run

Stoke City dropped into the relegation zone after losing five of their last seven games and were knocked out of the FA Cup on Saturday by League Two outfit Coventry City, leading to Hughes' sacking.

Shawcross admits the Stoke players need to take some responsibility for the team's shortcomings and has urged his teammates to pull together and fight against the threat of relegation.

“I think we all have to look at ourselves in the mirror,” he told Stoke City .

“As players we haven’t performed well enough, maybe the manager will look back at things and be disappointed too.

“Thankfully we are far from adrift - we are five points from tenth place so there are positives there for us to take.”

“The next week or so, leading in to the Manchester United game, is huge for us and we really need to have a look at ourselves.

“Have we been doing enough as a group? Probably not, so we have to rally around each other now, get together, stand up and produce the performances that are going to keep us in the Premier League.”

Read More

Kent Returns to Reds From Freiburg

Kent, 21, joined the Breisgau-Brasilianer in the off-season after a successful spell at Championship side Barnsley in the 2016/17 season.

Three goals and as many assists in 44 league outings saw the academy graduate develop at a rapid rate technically and physically and head coach Jurgen Klopp was left impressed during their 2017 pre-season tour.

However, the Reds boss has been concerned by his spell in the Bundesliga after featuring only six times at the half-way mark of the campaign.

The England youth international is now expected to join up with the Liverpool first-team to provide back-up for the likes of Mohammed Salah and Sadio Mane.

Read More

Am Sorry I Made Mistake - Mike Dean

Mike Dean who officiate the match Westbrom v Arsenal had accepted the mistake of awarding a spot kick to the baggies at the death of the match.

Mike gave the spot-kick to the Baggies after Calum Chambers was struck on the hand although it appeared the decision was a poor one as the defender had his hands close to his body at the time.

Westbrom equalised through the spot kick which ultimately cost the Gunners two points.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was later given a touchline ban for his protestations, as the error led to further implications.

Nonetheless, Riley says that Dean has conceded that he had got it wrong and that Video Assistant Referee technology would help to cut out future mistakes.  

"I know Mike would have overturned it. He messages people, and he's a very honest guy, and he goes, 'I got it wrong'. He knows he did.

"But immediately there is evidence from another camera angle which shows actually the opposite happened. That is the safety net of the VAR.

"I think Chambers would have been overturned. The question you ask is, is it an act of deliberate handball? And the reverse angle shows him trying to bring his arm out of the way of the ball, rather than the reverse."

Monday's FA Cup third-round clash between Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace will see VAR used for the first time in a competitive match in England.

The technology will also be in evidence in next month's Carabao Cup final as well as both legs of the Chelsea v Arsenal semi-final in the same competition.

Read More

Ex-Ivorian Star Emmanuel Eboue Is Dead

Former Arsenal and Ivorian International star, Emmanuel Eboue, is dead.

Eboue is reported to have committed suicide in London.

He is believed to be struggling With long-term depression.

He  was found dead in his sister’s North London home according to Police.

The Ex- Galatasaray star did not leave any note behind and was found hanging in the room on a fan hook, Police said in a statement.

Police declined to comment whether it was suicidal or a perpetrated act but assured the public an investigation is ongoing.

Emmanuel Eboue had received offers of legal advice in his bid to overturn a court ruling which was set to leave him homeless in the wake of his bitter divorce.

The ex-Arsenal defender, 34, previously spoke to the Mirror of his fears for the future following his acrimonious split from wife Aurelie.

The former Arsenal star a fortnight ago revealed how he lost all his fortunes, going from a rich football star to a poor man who was contemplating suicide.

Eboue made millions of pounds at Arsenal and then more than £1.5million a year at Turkish side Galatasaray.

However, the football star said he had lost all he had to his wife Aurelie who he claimed also handled his finances, adding that “whatever she told him to sign he signed.

After their divorce, the court awarded all his fortunes to his wife in a divorce settlement and he was ordered to also give up his house in London to the ex-wife.

The 34-year old and his wife lived there before he bought a mansion – which Aurelie has now put on the market.

Eboue had also surrendered his expensive cars to his wife, and before his death, he relied on London public transport. He often slept on a mattress on his living room floor.

As if all these were not enough, Eboue was also said to be suffering from an undisclosed medical problem.

The 34-year-old had served a one-year ban for failing to pay a former agent but got back into football recently, agreeing a deal with Cypriot side Turk Ocagi Limassol.

However, his move to Cyprus was not plain sailing and his agent Tekin Bircini said his client was

facing ‘medical problems’.

Read More