Arsene Wenger could make a surprise deadline day move for Uruguayan full back Alvaro Pereira after a thigh strain ruled Kieron Gibbs out for three weeks, the Telegraph report.
Gibbs picked up the injury during the 2-2 draw with Liverpool on Wednesday and looks set to be sidelined until the end of February leaving Andre Santos as the only fit and available left back at the Emirates Stadium.
The Brazilian has looked defensively suspect when called upon this season and that could force Wenger into the market for a specialist before the transfer deadline closes at 11pm, joking that he needs the window extended by an extra week.
“Gibbs has a thigh strain and that rules him out for the next three weeks – it is a big blow for us,” the Frenchman said.
“I’ll see what I can do. Gibbs was a big player for us going forward and in the game we want to play. I cannot promise you any transfers. We work on it.
“We want an official extension of the window for one week.”
Reports are now suggesting the Gunners boss is eyeing up Inter Milan’s Pereira, formerly a target for Chelsea, after being priced out of moves for Southampton’s Luke Shaw and Everton’s Leighton Baines this month.
The 27-year-old has struggled at the San Siro since arriving from Porto for £8million last August and Wenger will have to fend off interest from North London rivals Tottenham.
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Everton defender Phil Jagielka is adamant that uncertainty surrounding manager David Moyes’ future will not derail their season.
The Toffees have made a flying start to the Premier League campaign, and are still in with a chance of Champions League qualification with 12 games to go.
But, as the club enter the vital period of the season, Moyes’ future is far from clear, with the Scot delaying contract talks with chairman Bill Kenwright.
He is thought to be considering his future, and is keen to see whether Everton secure European football for next season.
Moyes has been linked with a number of jobs in recent times, with some suggesting he may be the long-term successor to Manchester United legend Sir Alex Ferguson.
It is also believed that he could be keen on moving abroad to further his abilities and reputation within European football.
Despite this, Jagielka is adamant that the squad are just focused on performing week in, week out:
“The manager has pretty much brought every single player in, so we are his players.” He is quoted by the Daily Mail.
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“He has made decisions that he wants to make. He has come out in the press and said he will not sign anything until the end of the season, which is fine with us.
Newcastle will be boosted by the return of keeper Tim Krul for Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final first-leg trip to face Benfica.
The Dutch custodian has missed the last seven games because of an ankle injury picked up in the last-32 tie at Metalist Kharkiv, but he will oust Rob Elliot from the number one spot at the Estadio da Luz, in Lisbon.
Magpies boss Alan Pardew said: “He has trained very well and I personally think he is one of the top goalkeepers in the world.
“This is a great opportunity for him to come back as the number one ahead of Sunday [against Fulham].
“I don’t mind putting that pressure on him – he accepts at this level that if he wants to play in the Dutch national side, that is the pressure he is under.
“I have no doubt he will respond to that.”
Meanwhile, Chieck Tiote will miss out because of a muscle strain while Mathieu Debuchy and Yoan Gouffran are ineligible.
Central defender Mike Williamson could feature after not playing since mid-January, while striker Shola Ameobi, midfielder Yohan Cabaye and Argentine international Jonas Gutierrez are in the squad.
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Teenagers such as 18-year-old Adam Campbell and midfielder Gael Bigirimana are in the 19-man squad which flew out to Portugal earlier this week.
It proved to be one of the most perfect striker performances in the Champions League, up among the Gods with Ronaldo’s excellence at Old Trafford in 2003 with Real Madrid and Lionel Messi’s five goals against Bayer Leverkusen last season. Robert Lewandowski went above and beyond, reaching the near-impossible rating of 10 in L’Equipe on Thursday morning. It wasn’t the moment the world woke up to the Borussia Dortmund striker’s talents, as one English pundit confidently exclaimed; it was, however, the building of tension and excitement for what may be the forward’s final few months at Signal Iduna Park.
Borussia Dortmund has already expressed their desire to keep Lewandowski into next season, despite the player’s contract coming to an end in 2014. They were quick once again last night to confirm their stance, probably hoping in a way that glory in Europe this season will be enough to keep the key elements of their group together.
But on some level you can see through the confident tones, acknowledging that they’re more hopeful than anything else. Bayern Munich may come calling once again, adding to the storm created by their successful approach for Mario Goetze, while rumours have already arisen that Bayern have indeed stolen a march on the rest of Europe for Lewandowski’s signature.
Yet it remains the case that the Premier League is the destination many on the continent hold as the pinnacle of the game in Europe. Manchester United have made their interested known, while the most recent incident involving Luis Suarez means Liverpool may well be in the hunt for an elite forward this summer. In fact, you could make a strong case for any of the teams currently competing for the top four in England as legitimate destinations for Lewandowski.
At this point, however, you can’t ignore the possibilities and suitability of Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea. All three London clubs are in the hunt for a striker to elevate them onto the next level, with two wanting to build themselves back up to consistent title challengers, and the other needing the break into the Champions League on a yearly basis and build from there.
Manchester United have put their interest forward in at least two of Europe’s best strikers leading into the summer, but the form of Robin van Persie and the continued muddy future of Wayne Rooney suggests that for now, Lewandowski would be used in rotation rather than as the undisputed starter.
Arsenal, however, and provided rumours of a £24 million price tag are to be believed, could be the ideal club for Lewandowski moving forward. His style of play suits Arsenal far more than, say, Mario Gomez, who remains on the borders of a match until he comes into his element inside the box. Lewandowski, meanwhile, has been talked up as one of the best complete forwards in the world, with the ability to act as creator and goal scorer. His technique, versatility and intelligence could see other forwards in the Arsenal team thrive, while his status as a prolific striker is exactly what is needed to link up with Santi Cazorla in the playmaker role.
The price tag of just above £20 million isn’t too much of an issue, either. Arsenal are continuing to push the idea that this will be the summer of change, with figures of least £70 million spoken of regularly in relation to Arsene Wenger’s summer budget. If Arsenal is serious about pushing on next season, they need to make themselves known in the race for Lewandowski. But money aside, it will be about convincing the player that the club are genuinely taking steps to become a real contender for the title as soon as next year.
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With Chelsea continuing down the road towards Radamel Falcao, it opens up an avenue for Arsenal to accelerate towards Lewandowski. It will take an enormous amount of convincing, for both the club and player, but the Polish international is the level of signing Arsenal need to be making in order to convince their fans that the club are moving on from year-on-year mediocrity.
To illustrate just how tight the Premier League bottom-half is: a win for 17th placed Sunderland would move them level on points with 11th placed Stoke and still wouldn’t guarantee top-flight football next season. What Paolo Di Canio needs is a reaction from his players if they’re to kick-off amongst the elite again in August. After a two-game winning streak Di Canio was brought back down to Earth with a thump following the 6-1 mauling suffered at Aston Villa last week. To make matters worse his side dropped back to 17th over the weekend and could be in the bottom three by Wednesday should Wigan win their game in hand.
The Potters, despite their mid-table position, aren’t deluded enough to believe they’re safe just yet. Back-to-back wins lifted Tony Pulis’ men to 40-points but the usual survival threshold doesn’t offer the security as it has done in previous years. That leaves them needing to leave Wearside with maximum points if they’re going to finally confirm their Premier League place for 2013/14 and heap even further pressure on the teams below them.
Team News
Sunderland are without Stephane Sessegnon for the remainder of the season after he was sent off against Aston Villa last time out. Connor Wickham (calf) is unlikely to feature meaning Paolo Di Canio isn’t dealing with any fresh injury concerns.
Defenders Marc Wilson (hamstring) and Andy Wilkinson (back), as well as midfielder Glenn Whelan (groin), are all doubts for Stoke. Matthew Etherington could feature from the start after returning from a back complaint last week.
What the managers said…
“When I arrived, in my opinion, Danny wasn’t really fit enough in terms of playing in the Premier League. He had a long face during my first two or three training sessions and I thought ‘can he play football?’ I wondered what was going on so I spoke to him. Now he is confident. He is not down. He feels part of the cause and is always active, encouraging the other players in the training drills. He is intelligent and now he is ready, which is why I feel confident that he can score.” Paolo Di Canio is confident Danny Graham can fire Sunderland to safety (Guardian)
“There has been nothing from the club that suggests anything other than I want to continue and they are happy for me to continue. I still feel there is stuff to be done, certain aspects within the club that can be improved. I would like to be given the opportunity to do that. There are aspects we have learned from this year. There are certain things that you look back on and think you could have dealt with that better. That’s for me to discuss with the powers that be, to learn from one or two mistakes.” Tony Pulis concedes mistakes have been made at Stoke this season (Daily Mail)
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Pre-match Statistic: Sunderland have won three and kept four clean sheets in the previous four Premier League meetings with Stoke.
Sunderland manager Paolo Di Canio is closing in on the signing of Vito Mannone from Arsenal, according to Sky Sports.
The Black Cats sold their number one Simon Mignolet to Liverpool earlier this week and Mannone has been eyed as the ready-made replacement.
The 25 year old has failed to break into the first team at Arsenal since his move from Atalanta eight years ago but impressed on loan at both Hull and Barnsley in the Championship.
Di Canio wants his compatriot to be the man between the stick at the Stadium of Light in a deal that will see Sunderland save a sizeable fee in that department.
The North East club are also in talks with Argentinean right back Gino Peruzzi over a switch to England from South America.
Peruzzi was the man that kept Brazilian hot-shot Neymar quiet over two legs of the Copa Libertadores semi-finals earlier this year and was expected to make a move to big European club this summer.
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Tottenham have been continually praised for their strength of squad, the ability for Andre Villas-Boas to maintain the good start to the season across all competitions.
Football, funnily, has a way of looking at the black or white, rather than the grey area in between. There’s always the assumption from football supporters that X player would be a misguided transfer due to the strength of the starting XI, completely neglecting the need for a strong squad as opposed to just eleven good players.
Jermain Defoe seems to be Tottenham’s designated backup and Europa League striker. No problem, it’s still only October. The England international’s competitive nature will see him attempt to force his way in ahead of new signing Roberto Soldado, but the Spaniard’s reputation and scoring record in La Liga places him, for now, firmly ahead of Defoe.
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The thing is, Tottenham want silverware and they want progression. Defoe is a good name to keep on board when the pressure mounts. Such is his own scoring instinct that many teams would fear the probability of a Defoe goal if he were to replace Soldado midway through a match. His movement and pace is adaptable to the European game, where size and strength aren’t as emphasised as they are in England.
But beyond Defoe, what do Tottenham have? A striker in Emmanuel Adebayor whose ambition for the prizes of football are limited to just one aspect. To top that off, he’s not too reliable either.
So in spite of the World Cup approaching, where is the sense in toying with the idea of moving Defoe on in January? Defoe himself may wish to take that path, but for the good of Tottenham’s campaign, they’d obviously be advised to hang on to what they have. Like them, their north London rivals have a strong group of midfielders, and yet Arsenal are regularly condemned for having one senior striker in Olivier Giroud. Though how so many people forget that Lukas Podolski is a striker is beyond me. Tottenham don’t want to find themselves in a similar situation.
Thus far into the season, the fixtures have already been taxing, with the September domestic schedule being broken up by international weeks and European excursions. More of the same will take place this month and through Christmas, by which time Tottenham’s new recruits may start to feel the strain of fixture congestion and no midway break. Defoe is used to these demands where Soldado isn’t. Defoe is an experienced Premier League forward who can be rotated with the former Valencia man when Spurs are forced to play three league games in a week.
The short-sighted nature of football is to look at the next fixture, the strongest XI and the nonexistent problems of a squad that is ‘too strong.’ Where’s the balance? The perfect harmony of keeping everyone happy while also remaining competitive throughout a campaign. Where’s the need and acceptance of the grey area?
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Will the lack of action in a World Cup year ensure a January move for Defoe?
Arsene Wenger’s one-year contract policy for player’s over thirty used to be criticised, often fiercely. Some were of the view that Wenger was neglecting the value of experience, especially in the post-Highbury youth project.
Though it would be wrong to say Wenger always got it wrong, in fact more often than not he was right. There are exceptions: Gilberto Silva had a lot more to offer the club when he was moved on 2008, and not just because he was one of three defensive midfielders the team lost that year. But the positive about Wenger is that he seems to know when players are declining, even if it isn’t obvious to everyone else.
You could almost forget that Bacary Sagna is 30, and by the time his current contract runs out he’ll be 31. There has been a dip in form over the past year, but that was indicative of the injury problems Sagna has suffered and not of his advancing years. He provides stability, both in defence and away from the pitch in the dressing room. He’s a model pro, staying quiet and on form while the exodus of major stars took place. He’s the type of figure almost every club would value, and it’s clear, as even at his age, the powers in France are showing an interest.
But it’s not just that. The value of a player is told by his relationship with the supporters. There is still an immense bond between Sagna and the Arsenal fan base. There would have been little said had he received the captain’s armband following Robin van Persie’s departure. Retaining such a figure will only help to maintain the good feeling at the club.
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The thing is, Wenger works by what he feels is right, and not by outside pressures. There would be a lot of frustration if the club fails to offer Sagna an extension of more than just a year, and many will be mindful of the fact that Carl Jenkinson isn’t quite up to standard to be a regular in the XI, regardless of his promising performances.
From a footballing perspective, it makes sense to keep Sagna as long as possible. With very little else in the way of players coming through the academy, it can’t be said that Sagna is blocking the development of others, while even Jenkinson will experience a safer and less troublesome journey over the next few years with Sagna as the veteran figure ahead of him.
But as has been said, Wenger knows when the time is right. There are no comparisons to be made between those who have been sold prior to reaching their peak years, but rather the older heads who were either past their prime or flat out declining. Following Thierry Henry’s departure, the rest of the team were liberated and produced some of the best football under Wenger. With the case of the right-back position, Arsenal are known to have been tracking Sime Vrsaljko, who came up through the academy at Dinamo Zagreb but moved to Genoa in the summer.
It may not be the most popular decision if the club do decide that Sagna’s services are no longer required, but with Wenger and his team, there has to be faith that there is something in the works. When it comes to outgoing transfers, Wenger rarely gets it wrong.
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Doom and gloom seems to very much be the order of the day when talking about England’s World Cup hopes recently. Injury to Theo Walcott in the recent North London derby was for some the final straw, and has left many with little hope going into a pivotal year on the international stage.
I don’t contest that the injury to the Arsenal winger was anything but a major blow, but given the plethora of young talent looking to break through isn’t this a huge opportunity?
The name on everyone’s lips following a series of sensational recent performances is that of Raheem Sterling. The talented 19 year old has been on the cusp of breaking through with just the sole full international cap to date, but if recent form is anything to go by this could all be about to change.
Sterling has been an integral part of the Liverpool title charge, and it is his pace and cutting edge that have seen the ‘Reds’ tear apart opposition in the blink of an eye. At 19 he is clearly a player that needs nurturing, but on merit his inclusion on the plane to Rio is a must.
His club captain Steven Gerrard echoed this sentiment in a recent Telegraph interview:
“He’s in top form at a fantastic time,” Gerrard said. “I’m obviously disappointed for Theo with his injury but I’m sure Roy Hodgson is looking out for who is going to replace him and Raheem’s performances of late have been sensational.
“There are many candidates. Aaron Lennon’s playing well. There is Andros Townsend and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s back, but if you are looking at like-for-like – pace down the wing and someone who can make, score and create – then Raheem has got a fantastic chance.”
If there were a squad announcement next week, it would be hard for Hodgson not to select the precocious Sterling. With his near rivals only just returning form injury, it has been the Liverpool based winger who has shone and staked him claim. But the problem for Sterling in what has so far been a short career has always been consistency. Dogged by off-field dramas throughout, it is unsurprising that Rodgers has treated his development with caution. Yet ever since his dropping back down to the U21’s we have seen a totally different side to Sterling, especially in domestic football.
His 16 Premier League appearances this term have returned 3 goals with a remarkable 24 clear-cut chances created. Rather than the volatility of old, we are starting to see the young Englishman turn in performances week in and week out. With the likes of Lennon and Townsend still struggling for regular game time as well as failing to produce on weekly basis this could be the time for Sterling to nail down a place.
Gerrard was again quick to underline the way in which Sterling is beginning to deal with his meteoric rise to stardom a little better:
“You’ve got to understand his age. He’s learning the game. He’s got a fantastic manager to help him through that,” he said.
“He’s only 19 and you are going to suffer a dip in form. Who doesn’t have a dip at 19 years of age? But the mark of a good player and how good any player is going to be is how they come back from that. Can he react? To come back the way he has, he’s been one of our most consistent players in the last couple of months. He’s been brilliant.
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“I think he knows what the situation is. I said to him after the Stoke game ‘if you keep your performance at that level and you are going to make it very difficult for Roy Hodgson not to take you’.”
Sterling clear has the talent to be a star for club and country, but as he finally starts to knuckle down under the excellent tutelage at Liverpool is it finally time he gets that regular call from England?
The biggest mistake Bayern Munich have made this season – probably the only major mistake they’re likely to make in what is sure to be another sublime campaign for the Bavarians – is opening the door, allowing the chasing pack a peek inside to the possible availability of one of Europe’s star midfielders.
Bayern Munich have allowed the contract negotiations with Toni Kroos to spill into the open market, not so much saying that they’re in an impossible position in the way Borussia Dortmund were with Robert Lewandowski, but just giving outside parties enough of a sniff to send relevant individuals scrambling in order to tell the 24-year-old what is available outside the walls of the Allianz Arena if Bayern don’t yield to his demands.
It’s still a little troubling that it’s gotten this far. Not that Manchester United and Chelsea are hot on Kroos’ trail and have reportedly offered him eye-watering figures that surpass what he’s asking for from his current club, but that there is an idea very much out there that Bayern would be willing to let a player of his importance go so easily.
Unlike Dortmund, Bayern sit atop numerous Bundesliga mountains: champions, status, financial. FC Hollywood, for the most part, get exactly what they want.
They were ruthless when dealing with Athletic Bilbao a little under two years ago in the chase for Javi Martinez. Where Manchester United were so feeble in their attempts to lure Ander Herrera from San Mames, the Bavarians stumped up exactly what was required to free Martinez from his contract, with the club later going on to admit that they had indeed paid over the odds for the Spanish international, but that he was worth it and was vital to their cause. A quick glance at Pep Guardiola’s side would show that Martinez was well worth the €40 million.
So the impression that Bayern would be so powerless in keeping Kroos on board just doesn’t fit with the image of the club. Kroos’ contract comes to an end in 2015, and while the player isn’t speaking out of grand new adventures elsewhere, his goal is clear: financial parity with those who he believes he’s on equal footing with in terms of importance to the club.
In terms of playing personnel – Pep Guardiola is on €17 million and well, well above the club’s next highest earner – it’s no surprise to know that Franck Ribery is the club’s top dog. After that Mario Goetze, and then the usual suspects of Philipp Lahm and Bastian Schweinsteiger.
Kroos is looking for €8 million a year, double his current wages, which would leave him on par with Thiago and Arjen Robben, who is said to be closing on a new deal.
And then come the reasons why Bayern simply won’t allow a player like the midfielder to leave at this time, no matter how much the Premier League’s best talk up a position of royalty.
The 24-year-old is one of the most complete midfielders in Europe. Not only that, but he’s ideally suited to the needs of this Bayern team. He’s an attacking midfielder who was aided in his development through a two-year loan spell at Bayer Leverkusen, where, naturally, he was one of the team’s best players during his second year, demonstrating not only his precision as a creator but his lethal touch from set pieces.
Now at Bayern, he’s learnt to drop deeper in the midfield, playing regularly in any three-man combination. His ball retention is phenomenal, so too is his calmness under the pressure of major European and domestic clashes.
But what is absolutely vital is his rightful place as one of Bayern’s own, another in the line of Lahm and Schweinsteiger, something Ribery, Goetze and Lewandowski obviously aren’t. For a club who pride itself on tradition and continuity – look to the positions of ex players in the club’s hierarchy – they won’t let a player like Kroos go over something he is unquestionably deserving of.
Bayern are a financial behemoth in the modern game, but they’re still well short of paying the kinds of fees Real Madrid have for Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale, or indeed Barcelona’s recently revealed total expenditure on acquiring Neymar from Santos in the summer.
If Bayern sell Kroos, and in spite of the strength of their midfield, they’ll have to replace. Even if money isn’t an issue, how do you find a player as well-rounded and influential as that?
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For that, are we supposed to believe that the club will simply allow Chelsea or Manchester United to arrive in Germany, fling Kroos over their shoulder and carry him back to England?
Allowing the contract negotiations to drag is an unfortunate position Bayern have put themselves in. But it’s far from one they can’t easily wriggle out of.
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