As reported in an exclusive by The Daily Star, Paris Saint-Germain have offered Arsene Wenger an escape route this summer if he decides to call time on his reign at Arsenal.
What’s the story?
PSG are ready to end their association with Unai Emery after just one year and have targeted a replacement that would certainly cause a stir on the European football scene.
The Star reckon they have already offered Wenger a deal at the club, a one year deal with the option of a second, if he decides to the quit the Gunners.
It’s far from a done deal with Wenger keen to stay at Arsenal for one more season and leave the club on a high, according to the report.
Is his time up at the Emirates or should he move on and embark on a new challenge in his homeland?
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Should he stay or should he go?
Staying at Arsenal for one more season is both a risk and an opportunity for the Frenchman.
Some would argue that staying on for another 12 months would finally tip the perception of his time at the club into failure territory.
On the other hand, a successful season could see him leave the club on a high and be vindication for a long and storied service at the club that has given them stability and consistent achievement.
The chance to effect change at one of the biggest clubs in France could prove tempting but we reckon that, ultimately, the chance to bring major success to the Gunners may prove to be too big of a draw for him.
This season might just be the poorest Arsenal have had in the last two decades.
The Gunners currently sit in 6th place in the Premier League, seven points of the top four. You’d have to go back to the 1995/1996 season to find the last time they finished outside the Champions League qualifying positions. It is looking increasingly likely that that streak is going to come to an end.
Having started the season strongly as they often do, Arsene Wenger’s men have faltered as the year has gone on, so much so that is strongly suggested Wenger will leave the Emirates in the summer.
With a top four finish increasingly less likely, the Gunners may be able to just about salvage their season with an FA Cup. It would be their third in four seasons.
Arsenal’s shot at redemption starts on Sunday as they travel to Wembley to take on Pep Guardiola’s men for a place in the FA CUp final. City themselves have had an underwhelming season, so they too will be hoping for a victory to enhance their chances of silverware come the end of the campaign.
The Gunners have failed to win any of the previous three meetings between the two, drawing two and losing one just before Christmas last year. The most recent meeting between the clubs only earlier this month ended in a 2-2 draw with Theo Walcott and Shkodran Mustafi both getting on the scoresheet.
With little else to play for, Arsene Wenger will be looking to field a strong team as he tries to topple City and claim himself some silverware, albeit not the trophy the fans have craved for so long.
Here the Arsenal XI we expect to see at Wembley this weekend…
GK – Petr Cech
David Ospina’s injury means Arsenal will be turning back to their number one for arguably their make or break fixture of the season. The veteran shot stopper still remains one of the best in the league, and despite not having the best season of his career, will be no easy feat to beat for the likes of Sergio Aguero and Leroy Sane.
RB – Oxlade Chamberlain
Hector Bellerin has come under plenty of criticism this season for his poor performances, and things came to head last weekend against Middlesborough when Arsene Wenger opted to use Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as the right-wing back as he tried playing a back three. Chamberlain was excellent and could be given the mammoth task of keeping Leroy Sane quiet for the afternoon as his reward.
CB – Gabriel Paulista
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Another injury problem in the form of central defender Shkodran Mustafi means Brazilian Gabriel is more than likely to be handed a start ahead of his team-mate and youngster Rob Holding. Not been a huge hit with the fans since his £11.3million move from Villarreal and has found it hard to adjust to the physicality of Premier League football.
CB – Laurent Koscielny
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The Frenchman is one of the first names on the team-sheet at the Emirates these days, but he will miss his partner in crime Mustafi this weekend. The pair have started to form a formidable partnership at the back for the Gunners, however with the German out injured, Koscielny will have to be at his best to help guide Gabriel through what is likely to be a busy 90 minutes for the pair.
LB – Nacho Monreal
Nacho Monreal is certainly not a spectacular defender, but he does a fairly solid job and rarely makes a mistake. He will probably be preferred instead of Kieren Gibbs who, although offers more going forwards, is more susceptible defensively.
Raheem Sterling’s pace may prove too much for the Spaniard.
CDM – Granit Xhaka
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The Swiss international might be wondering who on earth he signed for this season, with him having joined a club who finished second in the Premier League last season and were starting to look like genuine title contenders. The former Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder cannot be blamed for Arsenal’s poor show this season and big performance against City at the weekend would cement that notion.
CDM – Francis Coquelin
Coquelin started against City earlier in the month and made life difficult in the middle of the park for the likes of David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne with his high energy pressing and industrious like running, and the Frenchman will be asked to do the same again this weekend.
Will be preferred to the likes of Aaron Ramsey to mitigate the threat from City’s undoubted quality in the centre of the park.
RM – Alexis Sanchez
It’s horrible to think where Arsenal would be without the former Barcelona star this season. With 24 goals and 12 assists in all competitions, Sanchez has very much kept the Gunners afloat and has been their main source of creativity going forward. He is perhaps Arsenal’s only hope this weekend, but he has the ability to take City’s back four apart.
CAM – Mesut Ozil
It has been an very ordinary season for a not so ordinary player. Ozil’s partnership with fellow superstar Alexis Sanchez flourished in the early stages of the season but while the Chile international has continued to perform, Ozil has dropped off and has failed to contribute over the past couple of months.
His goal at the weekend will have done him good, so Arsene Wenger will hope he can build on that and get his confidence back ahead of the weekend.
LM – Alex Iwobi
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Should be given the nod over Theo Walcott as he offers a slight more ingenuity going forward rather than just blistering pace. If Arsenal are to damage City at the back they will need to be clever in and around the box and in the midfield, something which the young Nigerian is more than capable of.
Iwobi has had an indifferent time since the turn of the year but certainly has the ability to deliver on the big stage as he showed with his performances in the Champions League – most memorably against Barcelona – earlier in the season.
ST – Olivier Giroud
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The Gunners are out of other options due to injuries to both Danny Welbeck and Lucas Perez, meaning Frenchman Olivier Giroud will get his opportunity to show his worth.
The striker has the best goals-per-minute ratio of any of Arsenal’s players, finding the net on every 106 minutes on average. Giroud is often used as a scapegoat by Gunners fans when he does infact have the ability and eye for goal to be leading the line effectively for Arsene Wenger’s men.
Chelsea supporters seem to have fallen more in love with their manager Antonio Conte after he visited the club’s Under-18s to congratulate them on winning the FA Youth Cup.
The young guns sealed their fourth consecutive title after sealing a 6-2 aggregate win over Manchester City in midweek.
On the night, Conte watched from the executive boxes at Stamford Bridge as the players of the future claimed a 5-1 triumph, with Trevoh Chalobah, Ike Ugbo, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Dujon Sterling and Cole DaSilva getting on the scoresheet.
After the final whistle, celebrations ensued and Conte took part before heading to the dressing room and delivering a speech to the teenage team.
It was a nice touch from the Italian coach, who is edging closer to claiming his first-ever Premier League title as his senior team have a four-point lead with five games left to play.
Unfortunately for the youth players, they face a huge challenge trying to break into the first-team squad.
John Terry is the only big success story in terms of Chelsea’s youth development, but a visit from Conte will only spur on the Blues’ developing talent.
After winning mid-week, Arsenal’s dreams of a top four finish this season are still alive. If they win away to Stoke City this evening, they’ll be just one point behind Liverpool and three points behind Manchester City with two games remaining. Stranger things have happened in football.
What’s for sure though is that they need all three points against Mark Hughes’ side. Anything other than a win would surely end their hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League once again.
With kick-off approaching, Arsene Wenger has named his starting eleven.
The surprising choice for many is the dropping of Aaron Ramsey to the bench. Having been pretty inconsistent all season, his last two performances for the Gunners against Manchester United and Southampton have been very impressive indeed and many Arsenal fans think Wenger has made a big mistake.
Is the Frenchman correct to go with a more pragmatic line-up that includes Francis Coquelin, or has he made a fatal error that could cost his side a top four finish?
Supporters took to Twitter to share their thoughts on it all…
Leeds United fans have experienced some turbulence in recent weeks, but they have since received some reassurance from one of their key players of the season.
Pontus Jansson joined the Whites on a season-long loan from Torino, but in January agreed to sign a permanent deal when his temporary one expired in the summer.
After failing to secure a playoff spot, speculation was rife that the defender could have his head turned by Premier League clubs.
His agent Martin Dahlin told Swedish outlet Expressen in April that his client has ambitions of playing top-flight football next season, but the player’s recent message on social media suggests that he will return to Elland Road for the 2017-18 campaign.
Following Garry Monk’s decision to walk away from Leeds, despite being offered a new contract, the fans could be forgiven for fearing the worst where their players were concerned.
There is always a sense of limbo during the time in between managers, but the supporters have been left feeling encouraged by Jansson’s comments.
Paul Pogba’s eternal struggle to justify his own price-tag has been a recurring subject of discussion throughout the 2016/17 Premier League season.
In terms of his own profile, Pogba has marketed himself as audaciously as you’d expect of the most expensive footballer all time; his return to Manchester United announced by rap star Stormzy, his own personal emoji plastered across advertising boards during the Manchester Derby, and his haircuts changing on a weekly basis. In the ignorant age of social media trends and Twitter feuds, Pogba is quickly establishing himself as the new David Beckham – football’s transcendent Rockstar.
On the pitch, however, Pogba certainly hasn’t convinced everybody that he deserves to be the world-record signing. In fact, at this point, many would argue United paid as much for the Pogba brand as they did the footballing entity, falling for the hype, the social media presence and the age-old trap of making a ludicrously expensive statement signing to create the aura of power in the transfer market, rather than focusing on the weaknesses in his game that were always evident during four affluent years at Juventus.
Make no mistake, though, Pogba was always an exciting enigma in the Old Lady engine room; a powerful presence, a daring dribbler, a tricky technician and a goal threat from long-range. Aged 23 at the time of his big-money move, it’s almost as if Manchester United assumed hanging a world-record fee around the France international’s neck would serve as the catalyst to transform his obviously enormous potential into unequivocal world-class ability. It was anticipated goals like the self-set-up half-volley he thundered in off the inside of the post against Napoli in 2013 would become increasingly common occurrences at Old Trafford.
In fairness, we have seen a loose imitation of that goal – the strike against Swansea City in November, during what was one of Pogba’s most dominant performances of the season. Yet, that is one of the few examples in which the midfielder has affected games in the way you’d expect of an £89million player, providing the skill and excitement such a price-tag obliges. In that sense, Pogba’s profile has arguably worked against him; his performances have lacked the glamour he’s often laden in off the field and that contrast has lead to accusations of under-achievement.
Even for those not expecting Pogba to directly influence the scoreline so regularly, there has been something disappointing about the Frenchman this year. He’s struggled to control games from the middle of the park – United’s main man in that sense has been the terrier-like Ander Herrera – and has often demonstrated a worrying immaturity in his decision-making and tactical discipline, with and without the ball respectively. That has created a whole separate debate over what type of midfielder Pogba actually is and subsequently, what players and what systems are required to get the best out of him.
Yet, when compared to the rest of the Premier League, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a more effective creative-minded central midfielder in the division this season. Indeed, despite the animosity shown towards the world-record signing, he ranks in the top four from the 23 central midfielders to make more than 25 Premier League appearances in that position this term for goals, assists, key passes, passes, successful dribbles, fouls won, shots and aerial duels won based on per-game metrics.
No doubt, statistics can never tell the full story and for every piece of data suggesting the criticism thrown Pogba’s way has been harsh for the most part, there are counteracting returns, ranking first for inaccurate short passes, shots off target, unsuccessful touches and times dispossessed per match. But that’s part of the parcel of Pogba’s style and what makes him such a unique entity in central midfield. He’s a risk-taker; someone who tries to create moments of magic rather than waiting for the opportunities to come to him. Perhaps that’s to his detriment more often than not, but it also makes Pogba a rare proposition for opponents and on his day, a particularly troublesome one.
Of course, United fans will want to see a greater consistency in Pogba next season and more telling moments – like his opening goal in the Europa League final. But once again, it feels as if we’re being a little harsh. Pogba’s hit the woodwork the second-most times of any Premier League player this season, five, and if those efforts had all seared into the net after colliding with the frame of the goal, he’d have nine goals to show from his first full campaign in the Premier League. That kind of return would likely have many of Pogba’s doubters thinking twice right now, about the heights his performances could reach by the end of next season rather than the depths his inconsistencies could drag him to.
There are little room for ifs and buts in football, but one thing we can be fairly certain about is the impact Fassou Pogba’s passing would have had on his son. The Manchester United midfielder has not only had to contend with his father’s death over the last few weeks, but also an illness he’d been battling for some time prior. Players are so far removed from society these days it’s easy to forget they’re humans too. That feels especially true in Pogba’s case, as the most expensive and one of the highest profile footballers in the modern game, whose performances have been so fiercely debated this season.
And interestingly, Pogba’s absence towards the end of the campaign, in part due to his father passing away, has highlighted how important he’s become to this United side. Without him, the Red Devils lost to Arsenal and Tottenham and could only manage draws against Swansea and Southampton. That’s no anomaly either; United’s overall win rate this season drops by 4% when the 24-year-old isn’t in the starting XI and their only Premier League victory without him came against relegated Middlesbrough in March. They often say you become a better footballer when you’re not in the side, and that appears to be the case with Pogba.
Undoubtedly, however, next season will be when opinions on Pogba become almost irreversible, whether he’s worthy of being the world’s most expensive player or whether United have overspent on a footballer who offers more off the pitch than on it. But ahead of what will be the most definitive campaign of Pogba’s career, it’s important to keep an open mind. He hasn’t been as bad as many would have you believe and unfortunate circumstances have conspired against him. Likewise, if United hadn’t paid so much for him last summer, most would likely brand him a good signing.
Nonetheless, next season will be the ultimate test of whether Pogba can meet those dizzying expectations.
According to a number of media sources, including BBC Football, Southampton captain Virgil van Dijk wants to join Liverpool this summer.
The centre-back has become one of the most coveted players for the top teams in the Premier League following a number of outstanding performances at the back for the Saints over the course of the last two seasons, but it appears as though linking up with Reds boss Jurgen Klopp is his preference.
While that may be the case, the sticking point for any deal could be the transfer fee with the south coast outfit ready to demand at least £60m for the 25-year-old.
If the Dutchman does move to Anfield, he would be the latest in a long of Saints players to make the move to the red half of Merseyside, including Adam Lallana, Sadio Mane, Nathaniel Clyne and Dejan Lovren.
Southampton supporters were quick to have their say on the latest news via social media, and they were understandably crushed that yet another of their star players looks set to join Liverpool.
Birmingham City assistant manager Kevin Bond is not particularly delighted by the news that John Terry has joined the club’s rivals Aston Villa.
The former Chelsea captain, who recently closed the curtain on a 22-year spell at Stamford Bridge, signed a one-year contract at Villa Park today.
The club’s Midland rivals Birmingham were also in the running for Terry, and manager Harry Redknapp tried to get that deal over the line, but it was not to be.
While speaking to talkSPORT, Bond said:
“Harry did speak to John and I believe the club made him a very good offer, but he has made his decision to go to Aston Villa. I’d like to wish him well, but its going to be difficult for me to do that!”
It is believed that the 36-year-old ruled out joining a Premier League club as he did not want to play against the Blues.
Terry will now line up for Villa with the hope of guiding the club back to the top flight.
The centre-back certainly has experience of winning having helped Chelsea clinch 15 trophies during his career, including five league titles, five FA Cups and the Champions League crown.
As reported by The Daily Star, Arsenal fans can look forward to seeing both Alexis Sanchez and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in a Gunners shirt next season with the club remaining stubborn about selling them this summer.
What’s the story?
With neither player having signed new deals as yet, both Sanchez and Oxlade-Chamberlain could potentially leave Arsenal for free when their contracts expire next summer.
It could perhaps be seen as a risky strategy then that Arsenal seem so insistent on not selling them in the current transfer window.
The Daily Star report that Arsene Wenger will remain stubborn about selling them to Premier League rivals with Manchester City and Liverpool both hovering for their unsettled stars.
They say that the Arsenal manager has grown weary on seeing his top talent move elsewhere and play for teams that can have a negative impact on the Gunners’ trophy ambitions.
Fans will be pleased of course, it’s never nice to see your favourites play for a rival team.
However, are Arsenal delaying the inevitable? Is it better to sell them now and recoup a fee for their talent or see them join a rival anyway at the end of next season?
The hope from everyone at the Emirates will be that the club can still reach agreement on contracts for the pair. If they do that alongside adding more key talent to the squad, they could be contenders again next season.
Former Manchester United and Everton star Phil Neville was subjected to plenty of teasing by football fans when he took to Twitter on Thursday night.
The retired player, who now works as a TV pundit, gave Wayne Rooney a short but glowing review following his performance in Everton’s Europa League match.
Ronald Koeman’s side scrapped their way to a 1-0 victory over MFK Ruzomberok thanks to Leighton Baines’s 65th minute goal at Goodison Park.
The opening leg of the third-round qualifier was the first competitive match for the Toffees, and it was not the most attractive display.
Rooney, who returned to his boyhood club from Manchester United earlier this month, started the fixture and was a little rusty.
The forward faced plenty of criticism for his performances at Old Trafford last season, with many suggesting that he is nearing the end of the road where his playing career is concerned.
When asked on Twitter what he thought of Rooney’s showing a Goodison, Neville described the England international as “world class”.
Judging by the comments that followed, Neville was alone in his assessment of Rooney.