Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger claims that no sum of money would tempt the club to part with Cesc Fabregas providing he wants to stay.But Wenger has also suggested that his captain and Samir Nasri, both transfer targets of some of Europe’s biggest teams, must be committed to the north London club if they are to stay at the Emirates.
Fabregas has long been linked with a move back to Barcelona while France international Nasri has been attracting interest from Premier League rivals Manchester City.
Despite reiterating his desire to keep the duo beyond the European summer, Wenger hinted that he wants the futures of two of his star players to be sorted out within the next 10 days.
“If Fabregas is committed to this club and wants to stay, no money will get him out of here,” the Gunners boss said after seeing his side draw 2-2 with Boca Juniors in Saturday’s Emirates Cup clash.
“We are not in a position where we need to sell our players. We want to keep our players. We are not looking after money. We want the players to stay here, from our side that is clear.”
“It’s not ideal for us on the financial side (Nasri potentially leaving on a free transfer next summer) but, on the sporting side, he is an important player. We have to deal with the situation one way or another. In the next 10 days we have to be clear on that front.”
“If you ask me if I want to keep him (Nasri), I say yes. But he needs to be committed to that as well. I don’t give them (Fabregas and Nasri) 10 days, the transfer period is until August 31.
“Ideally, we go into big games in two weeks, in the next two weeks we have to sort our problems out. There is no specific deadline of one day or 24 hours. It’s not like you shoot a shuttle into space. Sometimes it’s very quick on that front and sometimes it’s very slow.”
The Metro are reporting that Chelsea have agreed a deal to sign Islam Feruz – dubbed the ‘Scottish Wayne Rooney’ – from Celtic.
Boss Andre Villas-Boas has moved swiftly to bring the 16-year-old to Stamford Bridge. Feruz has joined on a scholarship deal, although it’s expected that he will sign a professional contract when he turns 17.
Celtic are now prepared to fight for compensation after nurturing Feruz’s talents for 10 years and also helping his family avoid deportation back to his native Somalia and settle down in Scotland.
His agent Rui Alves revealed a number of clubs from across Europe expressed an interest in the teenage forward but Feruz chose to join Chelsea as he felt they could match his lofty ambitions.
‘The possibility of training with [John] Terry, [Didier] Drogba and [Frank] Lampard will be fantastic for him.” Alves said.
“The structure at youth level at Chelsea is great. It would be a gift from God to see him playing in the English Premier League.”
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It’s yet another step in the youthful direction for Villas-Boas who has moved to freshen up his ageing squad with some fresh faced talent. Romelu Lukaku, Juan Mata and Ulises Davila have already joined – although it may be a few years before Feruz joins them in the first team.
It has become something of a given that Arsenal will produce some new young starlet every season. The famed Hale End academy that has produced Cesc Fabregas, Ashley Cole, Jack Wilshere, Alex Song and numerous others has been complimented by the signing of young talent from elsewhere to make it truly one of the most formidable academies in the world. We all know about the latest crop of youngsters to come out such as Frimpong and Wilshere but here we’re going to take a look at the next in line.
Chuks Aneke
Aneke, of Nigerian descent but playing for England at youth level, signed for Arsenal in 2001 aged just seven years old. However after impressing for Arsenal’s youth and reserved sides Barcelona attempted to poach both Chuks Aneke and Benik Afobe from the North London Club. Both Arsenal youngsters were invited to Barcelona’s training camp in 2009 but both decided that Arsenal was where their futures lay. Aneke is a powerful central midfielder who has recently been likened to Yaya Toure by Gunners boss Arsene Wenger.
Aneke’s early form for the Gunners’ reserve team has been turning heads and he told the Arsenal website: “I’m feeling good so far this season. I’m optimistic that this will be a big year for me. I intend to produce good things on the field and show people how good I am, and so far I think I’ve done ok…I’ve played three times for the Reserves and been in decent form – scoring a couple of goals and playing pretty well. So overall I’m happy and want to push on from here”
Aneke, who made his debut in the Carling Cup this season, is now thought to be heading out on loan with a host of Premier League clubs interested in taking the youngster. Many Arsenal fans lament the loss of former captain Patrick Vieira who was arguably the complete midfielder – able combine defensive solidity with attacking prowess. With Aneke Arsenal fans will be hoping that finally they have produced a player in a similar mould.
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Benik Afobe
Benik, the other player to be approached by Barcelona, is a powerful striker for the gunners who has formed a powerful on field relationship with midfielder Aneke. Afobe was on loan at Huddersfield last season and helped the Terriers reach the League One play-off final. The speedy striker scored eight times in thirty six appearances for the Northern club and continued his good form at international level too as he was part of the under-17 team that won the 2011 European Championships. He was also named player of the tournament after scoring four goals and notching up three assists.
Afobe is a powerful out and out striker with deadly finishing and pace to match, the type of striker that Arsenal have not had since Adebayor left. Despite the success of the Arsenal academy the one thing they have so far failed to produce is a truly world class striker. Maybe Afobe is about to change that…
Reice Charles-Cook
To put a spin on an old cliché: goalkeepers at Arsenal are like buses; they never turn up when you need one and then suddenly three come at once. Whilst Szczesny has established himself in the first team and young Argentine goalkeeper Damian Martinez is getting stronger by the day you could be forgiven for forgetting about Arsenal’s latest youth team keeper Reice Charles-Cook. Nephew to James Cook MBE, a former British and European super-middleweight boxing champion, Reice shares the reflexes and presence of his uncle.
Described as an exceptional shot stopper with a firm command of his area the young goalkeeper, at just seventeen years of age, may have a long way to go before he can even think about breaking into the first team. However the improvements noted in him in the past years have been vast and his reputation at the club is growing as fast as his talent.
Most Arsenal fans would say that they are extremely happy with their current goalkeeper but there’s nothing like competition to get the best out of your players.
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Newcastle host Wigan on Saturday in their second consecutive home fixture looking to preserve their unbeaten start to the season that has catapulted them into fourth.
The Magpies have been this seasons surprise package so far gatecrashing the top four and have yet to taste defeat in their eight Premier League games. As many have pointed out they have yet to be fully tested with the fixture list being kind to Alan Pardew and his side as they yet to face any of the top-flights big guns. They came away unscathed from their first real examination against Tottenham last weekend with Shola Ameobi further enhancing the Geordies love for him with a late leveller at St James’ Park to secure a 2-2 draw. Pardew’s side more than held their own against Spurs and could have won the game had Fabricio Coloccini converted a late chance. The skipper along with the Steven Taylor, his namesake Ryan and keeper Tim Krul have been impenetrable and have contributed no about to their 11 match unbeaten run – their best sequence since 1997. One aspect of Pardew’s reign on Tyneside that has been a problem for the club in recent years is consistency. Eight players have started every league games this season with the rapport built up amongst the squad a key factor in their success so far. Only Leon Best, Gabriel Obertan and Demba Ba aren’t ever presents but have certainly made some telling contributions with the latter scoring five goals in the last three games including the Toon’s first goal against Spurs. The omens are good for Newcastle, who have been strong on home soil this season, with Wigan yet to win on their six visits to the North East.
Roberto Martinez’s side are stuck in a rut having lost their last five games in a row slipping into the relegation zone which will be familiar territory for them. Their start to the campaign raised the optimism levels at the DW Stadium but they have fallen back into their old habits and will need to pick up if they are to pull themselves away from another desperate relegation battle. Improving on the road is something that needs to be addressed with only eight wins away from home in the two years since Martinez took charge. They’ll need to be more ambitious in attack if they are to break down a tough Newcastle defence after they managed only get only two of their 16 shots on target against Bolton last week. The return of Hugo Rodallega from injury will certainly add some much needed fire power in the final third but they’ll need more than just the efforts of the Colombian to beat the Magpies. Tightening up at the back is also something Martinez needs to address after they gifted the Trotters their goals last week and Maynor Figueroa’s return will give the back line some much needed steel and experience.
Key Players
Demba Ba – Five goals in three games have changed the Geordies opinions of the Senegal international after a series of lifeless displays at the start of the season. His performances since then have been superb with his pace, strength and prowess winning over supporters he’ll be a handful for the Latics defence this week.
Ben Watson – Despite Wigan’s poor form Watson has been a shining light with his all action midfield performances adding some much needed grit to the side. His defensive work and ability to break up attacks has been vital for the Latics at time and he’ll need to be on top of his game against a swashbuckling Newcastle side.
Prediction: 2-0
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Demba Ba continued his brilliant run with his 5th goal in three games. His run is reflected in his move up the EA SPORTS Player Performance Index table. He is now ranked 34th. Ba has hit 64% of his 14 shots on target this season Wigan midfielder Ben Watson will also give Newcastle a tough time, and is 4th in the tackling table having won 25 tackles this season 93% of those attempted. Watson has also made 20 interceptions. Mohamed Diame completes a Wigan hat trick of player in the top ten tacklers having won 24 tackles (83% of those attempted)
Football has many sayings but some resonate more than others. Most notably Roberto Mancini and Jupp Heynckes have commented that ‘strikers win you matches but defenders win you championships.’
The latter part of this can be extended to goalkeepers – ask any Arsenal aficionado about Lukasz Fabianski. Newcastle’s Tim Krul and Swansea’s Michel Vorm may not be challenging for titles but they are nevertheless at the crux of their sides recent fortunes.
Until November, Newcastle were unbeaten in the Premier League whilst Swansea still have the best defensive record at home. To attain this though, both stoppers have certainly had to be Flying Dutchmen during the campaign.
Krul, 23, has turned in a string of impressive performances, none more so than at Old Trafford as the Magpies picked up a point. However, it was overshadowed slightly by a controversial penalty awarded to Newcastle which received the lion share of newspaper columns in the days after the encounter.
Vorm meanwhile has received plaudits for similar consistency and continuing to grow his reputation as the “Penalty Killer,” a title the 28-year-old picked up in his time at FC Utrecht in the Eredivisie. It’s worth noting how his old club’s fortunes have taken a turn for the worse defensively since his departure. They have conceded 35 goals in the first half of the season – something they never did when Vorm was between the sticks for the club.
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Utrecht sit in 14th place at the winter break although the departure of star striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel is another contributing factor to their poor performance so far this season.
It demonstrates how a strong defence provides a platform for any attacking flamboyance. This comes in the sense that as an attacker, you know that should you lose the ball, you don’t have to worry about your mistake costing the team. This is perhaps something players wouldn’t think about openly and is more applicable on a subconscious level.
The Netherlands will forever be associated with Total Football and talented goalkeepers such as Krul and Vorm do give their teams a licence to thrill. Vorm’s Swansea has come closer to emulating the likes of Johan Cruyff. Their passing at times is mesmerising but Roberto Martinez must take credit for bringing a stylish brand of football to South Wales during his two years at Swansea.
That was before he moved onto Wigan in an effort to further his career, something Krul and Vorm will both appreciate. However, there’s an interesting comparison to be made here. Many of the best Dutch players usually originate from or play for Ajax at some point in their careers.
Both played for their home town clubs; ADO Den Haag in the case of Tim Krul and Utrecht for Michel Vorm. The latter actually turned down the Amsterdam club’s advances when he was 13, something many would have been perplexed by when you consider Ajax’s standing in world football, let alone Holland. Instead Vorm left for Swansea City some 14 years later for £1.5 million, a price which looks astoundingly good considering how he’s played thus far.
Krul jumped slightly earlier at the opportunity to move to the bigger stage from Den Haag in 2005 before he signed his first senior contract in 2006. As understudy to Shay Given and Steve Harper, Krul had to bide his time before being handed a place in the starting eleven. This season, Pardew decided to make the Dutchman his first choice keeper and it’s a decision that looks to be paying dividends.
Any gap left in the Dutch goalkeeping stakes by Edwin Van der Sar’s retirement last season has been filled firmly in the Premier League at least by Krul and Vorm. It was perhaps no surprise when they came up against each other for the first time in the Premier League that the game finished 0-0. What’s more the first time they met each other was earlier this summer in the Dutch International squad as Krul received his first call up. Vorm subsequently called Krul before deciding on a move to Swansea in the summer.
Maarten Stekelenburg is the current first choice for Holland. Should he pick up an injury ahead of the European Championships, Bert van Maarwijk should have no concerns about selecting Krul or Vorm. The situation wouldn’t be unfamiliar to the pair either. They’ve been patient waiting for their opportunity for a long time. Now they’ve been given their chance in the Premier League, Tim Krul and Michel Vorm are certainly grasping the opportunity with both hands.
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How do you rate Vorm and Krul’s performances this season? Tweet me @arhindtutt or comment below!
The Telegraph are reporting that Barcelona are set to make one final bid for Cesc Fabregas and bring an end to the transfer saga.
A second offer nearing the £35 million is set to be made after their original £27 million bid was rejected by Arsenal.
Fabregas is also willing to see his salary reduced by around £5 million for the duration of his contract, which would encourage Barcelona to raise their bid.
The offer would be worth the £35 million Arsenal are looking for and would include up to £5 million in potential add-ons.
It’s understood that the Spanish clubs’ President Sandro Roselli is already travelling back from the United States where Pep Guardiola and his men are on tour.
Guardiola also hinted that Fabregas was the final piece of the Nou Camp jigsaw saying, “We’re short of just one player and everyone knows which one that is.”
Despite Barca’s willingness to meet the Gunners valuation it isn’t entirely certain that the bid will be accepted.
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However boss Arsene Wenger has become tired and frustrated at the entire saga and there are no assurances that he will immediately say yes to the Catalan clubs latest offer.
If the bid were to be accepted it would put an end to one of the longest running transfer chases in Premier League history.
Sir Alex Ferguson has stated that he does not want to retire for another two to three years, but admitted that his eventual successor at Manchester United needs to be someone with a wealth of experience.
The Scottish coach recently completed 25 years in charge at Old Trafford, but has revealed that he is not planning to walk away from the game just yet.
“I think you always want to go out on a winning note,” Ferguson told Sky Sports.
“Hopefully we can do that. I don’t know how long I can last now, but if my health stays up I don’t think another two or three years would harm me,” he admitted.
Ferguson also stated that whenever he does leave the Premier League champions his replacement must be someone who has a track record of success.
“I think United need to have someone experienced. If I was coming into United today I would struggle because of the beast it is.
“When I came in we were in a valley because Liverpool were the dominant team and United were well adrift from that so we had to rebuild the club and it wasn’t easy, it took time.
“But the experience I had was the success from Aberdeen and that gave me a chance in terms of respect from the dressing room and gave me self-confidence I could do the job.
“If I was taken from the job in Aberdeen today it would be a much more difficult task even though I was successful,” he continued.
Finally, despite all the success that Ferguson has seen during his tenure with The Red Devils, he admits that he has made a mistake or two.
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“I could have bought Joe Hart for £100,000 [in 2005] so we all make mistakes,” he concluded.
A debut goal from Emmanuel Adebayor and a strike from partner Jermain Defoe was enough to hand Tottenham their first win of the season in an open encounter with Wolves at Molineux.
Defeat for Mick McCarthy’s side ended their three game unbeaten run as they struggled to deal with the pace and power of the visitors new striking partnership.
Another new face at Spurs, Scott Parker, was also instrumental as Harry Redknpapp’s side bounced back from the 5-1 thrashing they received at home to Manchester City two weeks ago.
The first half was a wide open affair with Brad Friedel denying Karl Henry with a superb stop whilst Roger Johnson headed wide from Michael Kightly’s free kick.
Wayne Hennessey was also busy in the home side’s goal tipping Defoe’s stinging long range effort wide. Niko Kranjcar also saw his effort cleared off the line by Christophe Berra with Spurs taking the ascendancy leading into the second half.
Adebayor finally broke the deadline in the 67th minute taking Parker’s wonderful pass into his stride before rounding Hennessey and slotting into an empty net.
The points were secured 10 minutes from time by Defoe who swapped passes with Krancjcar before smashing a delightful effort into the bottom corner to hand Spurs only their fourth win in 15 games.
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New Aston Villa arrival Shay Given is hoping that Stephen Ireland will get an opportunity to impress under Alex McLeish.The pair played together at Manchester City before Ireland moved to Villa Park last season and Given is hoping that fans will finally see the midfielder shine after he endured a difficult campaign last season.
“When I joined Manchester City Stephen Ireland was the first name on the sheet,” Given told the Birmingham Mail.
“He’s a fantastic player, and one of the top midfielders in the country when he is on song. Hopefully myself and the new manager can get the best out of him.”
“It’s like a new signing because for whatever reason he didn’t feature at all last season. It has got to come from him as well, but the player that I’ve seen at Man City and that I’ve seen again in training at Villa is a top midfielder.”
Given also claimed that his former Republic of Ireland team-mate was the best trainer during their time together at Manchester City.
He added: “You read different things about him, but all I can talk about is his football and he’s a fantastic footballer. If we can get the best out of him we have a real top player on our hands.”
“At Man City he was one of the best trainers, he puts a real shift in when he’s working.”
“When Villa signed him I thought they’d got a top player, and hopefully we will see that this season.”
Roma boss Vincenzo Montella said his players can defy a long injury list for their Coppa Italia semi-final second leg against Inter Milan.Francesco Totti, Philippe Mexes, Matteo Brighi and Rodrigo Taddei are all out of Wednesday’s clash at the Stadio Olimpcio, but Montella believes his side still has the ability to overturn a 1-0 deficit at the San Siro.
“We’ll try. Of course this is a difficult match taking into consideration all unavailable players: Mexes, Brighi, Totti, Taddei, who would give us a huge boost,” Montella said.
“Therefore it’s going to be a difficult match, but we’ll do our best because we have the ability to and we’ll do it till the end.”
Montella also praised his squad for turning around their disappointing start to the Serie A season, to leave them fifth with two games remaining and almost assured of a European spot for next term.
“The team should have been able to finish second or third in the table. I think that these players are committed and have given their all for me. It is also thanks to them that our form has changed,” he said.
“Of course everyone was expecting more from this team, but it isn’t simple to get out of a rut. There has been an improvement and it has been achieved especially thanks to the players.”