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According to Sky sources, Newcastle United have agreed to loan Aleksandar Mitrovic back to former club Anderlecht.

What’s the word?

Sky Sports’ North East correspondent Keith Downie alleged on Twitter this morning that Newcastle had reached an agreement with Anderlecht to loan them game-shy striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, provided they could seal a replacement in the form of Leicester City’s Islam Slimani. Well, it appears the Magpies have now got their man – something also reported by Sky Sports – suggesting Mitrovic will return to his former club before tonight’s deadline.

Why hasn’t it worked out at Newcastle?

The strange irony of this situation is that, in the eyes of many, Mitrovic has been the best strike option at Rafa Benitez’s disposal this season. He offers the height and power the Spaniard wants from his centre-forwards and his first Premier League season produced nine goals – an incredibly impressive return for a striker who was just 21 years old at the time.

But Benitez never felt like he could trust the Serbian international because of his discipline problems, sent off twice in his Magpies career, and has accordingly issued him just six Premier League appearances this season, all from the bench, equating to just 89 minutes’ worth of game-time. And the fact he’s not getting in the team despite Newcastle’s other strike options – Dwight Gayle, Joselu and Ayoze Perez – providing just nine league goals this term made it patently obvious the 23-year-old doesn’t feature in Benitez’s plans.

Have we seen the last of Mitrovic?

Mitrovic rejoins the club where he made his name with 44 goals in 90 appearances and his return to Anderlecht is rather symbolic of how the 6 foot 2 striker never reached his full potential on Tyneside. When he first joined Newcastle, he was seen as something of a coup after being linked with a number of big clubs from around Europe.

But it’s only a loan deal – most likely until the end of the season – and his contract will have another two years left to run come the summer. Perhaps Mitrovic is hedging his bets here; aware of the possibility that Benitez could well leave Newcastle at some point before next season, and that he could accordingly get another chance under a new manager.

Even if he doesn’t have a future at Newcastle though, we could well see Mitrovic in the Premier League again at some point. He’s well suited to the English game and despite the narrative of untapped potential, he’s still just 23 and remains Serbia’s main striker with 33 caps under his belt – including seven alone in 2017.

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Brighton have already failed with an £8million swoop for Mitrovic this month and if he’s made available in the summer, it wouldn’t be surprising for the Seagulls and other Premier League sides to come in for him. He still feels like a player who could be a real force in the Premier League under the right manager.

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The cynics have been waiting for the day when the Arsenal title challenge grinds to a halt, November was meant to be the month where the wheels finally came off but Wenger’s men continue to flourish.

They have taken the Premier League by storm so far, and there was a point this weekend where the gap at the top was as wide as 7 points. Those that had Arsenal down simply as early season pace setters and nothing more have had to seriously re-evaluate their position, the Gunners are no doubt major title contenders.

Having a world-class midfield is almost taken as a given with Arsenal, the Gunners continually dominated the middle of the park throughout their darkest days under Wenger. The difference now is that they have a rock-solid defence to back up this attacking menace. The back four of Sagna, Mertersacker, Koscielny and Gibbs has been an almost constant feature this season, 5 clean sheets last month is a testament to this newfound solidity, add to this the  bonus of an ever more competent Szczesny and you can start to understand the reasons for the new solidity.

This isn’t a trait picked up over-night, Arsenal’s impressive run to pip Spurs to fourth place was characterised by defensive rigidity above all else. This is all the more important given that Arsenal appear to have that same attacking incision as before, a particularly powerful combination.

But how long can it all last?

Arsenal’s lack of depth has been a hot topic, a failure to bring in the necessary resources last summer has left Wenger with a strong first XI but with very little else. The teams around Arsenal all have the necessary depth to carry a title challenge throughout the season, a Chelsea second choice XI may well contain the likes of Ashley Cole, Willian and Juan Mata to name but a few. Contrast this to an Arsenal bench that has seen the likes of Gnabry, Zelalem and Sanogo upon it in recent weeks and you can start to understand the problem here. Arsenal’s title challenge is precarious, and without management and possibly investment it could well become unachievable.

Arsenal’s depth in midfield isn’t a major concern, with Podolski and Oxlade-Chamberlain still to return there is increasing support going into the winter months. The problem though is in the defence, the bedrock of a title tilt. Wenger has persisted with the same back-line for 14 of the clubs 20 league and Champions League fixtures this term and as a result those waiting to enter the fray are lacking that match sharpness to compete.

When injury and fatigue catches up with Arsenal will the likes of Vermaelen and Monreal be able to answer the call?

It is a concern for the club, the festive period means midweek fixtures and a definite need for rotation, the worry being that Arsenal may lose the cohesion that has made them so successful to date. This test starts against Hull with Jenkinson moving in to deputise for a suspended Sagna, and the possibility for more rotation given trickier fixtures ahead. Wenger won’t want to upset the balance too much, but he will also know that keeping his defensive unit together is also unrealistic.

Arsenal do have some cover at the back, club captain Thomas Vermaelen has been forced to miss out for much of the season, something Wenger clearly feels quite bad about:

“It is a difficult decision,” he said of Vermaelen, “because of his attitude, influence at the club, and because he is a top-class player. He certainly suffers but he handles it with great dignity and great professionalism.” 

Everton at the Emirates this coming weekend and then crucial trips to Naples and Manchester; Wenger is going to be forced to shuffle his defensive pack. The gulf between the starting line-up and bench is growing and in my opinion could well prove detrimental to the clubs chances in the next few weeks.

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With other clubs rotating with ease, will Arsenal’s inadequate squad finally catch up with them this December?

A title challenge that has been built on firm defensive foundations, for me the next few weeks could well be Arsenal’s undoing as Wenger is forced into rethinking his defensive outfit.

See who England will face in Brazil on our World Cup Draw LIVE Blog below!

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It seems like the criteria for being a Manchester United goalkeeper is not just how good you are in between the sticks, but also how good you are at pulling gorgeous women! We have previously featured David de Gea and his WAG Edurne García Almagro and now Anders Lindegaard’s other half Missé Beqiri takes centre stage.

Missé Beqiri is a Swedish model who doesn’t seem to be a big fan of clothing. The 24-year-old is actually Albanian-born but has resided in Malmo, so it’s easy for her to get the train to Lindegaard’s homeland, Denmark. Misse not only models, she even has her own blog and is quite a wordsmith.

Rumours of the pair hooking up emerged on Facebook, as Misse replied to Anders’ brag that he had the best girlfriend in the world by saying: “as good as it gets”. The pair also follow each other on Twitter, where Bequiri’s bio states: “it’s simple”. As is viewing the Missé Beqiri WAG Gallery.

Click on Misse Bequiri below to see her WAG Gallery

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According to reports in the Evening Standard, Inter Milan would prefer to sell midfielder Joao Mario to West Ham United for a permanent £26m fee, with the east London club said to be more interested in another loan deal.

The Portugal international was solid, if unspectacular, having moved to the London Stadium on a temporary basis from the Serie A giants during the January transfer window, but the Euro 2016 winner certainly showed more than a few glimpses of the quality he has in his locker.

The £26m fee would surpass the club-record deal that saw the Irons buy Marko Arnautovic from Stoke City last summer, although it would potentially be a big hit in new manager Manuel Pellegrini’s transfer budget as he looks to significantly strengthen his squad.

We asked West Ham supporters to vote on our poll to see whether they thought their club should splash the cash on the 25-year-old, and a huge 79% said they would.

The Irons have also been linked with a move for Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Javier Pastore, who like Joao Mario prefers to play in an attacking midfield role, and it could prove to be one or the other for the east London outfit before the transfer window slams shut on August 9.

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If Alexis Sanchez leaves Arsenal in the coming days, then the fans will need a big transfer boost.

Not only will they be losing their best player, but it will be at a time when things are going wrong on the pitch.

After Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium, the Gunners dropped further in the race for top four.

The team are now seven points adrift of a Champions League spot, and they may have to finish the season without Sanchez.

The Guardian reports that the Chile international is closing in on a move to Manchester United after he did not travel with the Arsenal squad to Bournemouth.

As a replacement for the attacker, it seems that Borussia Dortmund star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is on Arsene Wenger’s radar.

Bundesliga expert Lee Price has told The Express that the Gabon international has agreed a move to Arsenal, but the deal will only go through if Sanchez leaves.

Aubameyang did not feature for the German club over the weekend as he was dropped for disciplinary reasons – the second time this season.

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Arsenal fans have been having their say on the latest rumours.

manager Brendan Rodgers says that his current squad is not big enough to cope with their current injury woes.

The Reds slipped to a shock 3-1 loss to newly promoted Hull over the weekend, a clash they entered without Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho in their starting XI.

The duo have been two of the Anfield side’s top performers over the course of the season so far, and appeared to be sorely missed at the KC Stadium.

Coutinho made a brief cameo appearance from the bench and is expected to be fit for the midweek clash with Norwich, but Sturridge is set to miss the festive period with an ankle injury.

Following the loss, Rodgers bemoaned his side’s fitness concerns, stating that he feels his squad is currently not big enough to cope with multiple injuries to key personnel:

“There’s no doubt the quality in our squad, with all due respect, isn’t big enough to cope with two big players like that missing,” he is quoted by The Guardian.

“We still have some very good players. Daniel could be out for up to eight weeks. Philippe [Coutinho] hasn’t trained all week, he has a high ankle strain and had some injections to get on the bench. He did very well to get on the field.

“You take those two out and they are two very good players who have been very efficient for us. This period now will test us. For the players who come in, it will be a great opportunity to stake their place in the team and hopefully we can get back to winning games.”

Rodgers is expected to delve into the transfer market in January with a striker and a wide midfielder thought to be priorities.

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Is Liverpool’s squad not big enough? Or is Brendan Rodgers just making excuses after a below par display?

Get involved below!

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Scott Sinclair cannot wait for tomorrow’s match as he travels with the Manchester City to squad to face Real Madrid, Sky Sports reports.

The former England Under-21 international arrived at the Etihad on deadline day, and says that it is this type of game which saw him decide to leave Swansea and join the Premier League champions.

He said: “This is why I came here – to play with the best and be in a world-class team.

“I don’t know if I’ll play – I’ve just made my debut and all I can do now is concentrate on the next game, and on training every day, and give 100%.”

The 23-year-old made his City debut in the 1-1 draw at Stoke on Saturday and has seemingly been brought in to fill the void left by Adam Johnson, who joined Sunderland in the summer.

It is Sinclair’s second chance at the big time, after failing to force his way into the Chelsea team following a frustrating five-year spell between 2005 and 2010.

He was loaned out to six different clubs during his time at Stamford Bridge and eventually decided to join Swansea- where he scored the club’s first-ever Premier League goal in a 3-0 win over West Brom last season.

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Sinclair admits he is uncertain whether he can keep his place in the starting line-up for tomorrow’s match, but will just keep working hard to stay in Roberto Mancini’s plans.

“I am just looking forward to playing any games, to be honest, whether it’s my City debut in the Premier League or a Champions League game. All I can do is try to make an impact,” he added.

Everton fans are crucifying Sam Allardyce, after their former manager said “most fans†did not want him to be sacked.With the exception of Alan Pardew at Newcastle, you’d be hard pushed to find a more toxic relationship between fans and manager in recent years than Sam Allardyce at Everton.Allardyce did exactly what he was brought to the club to do, making them harder to beat, saving them from a relegation scrap, and stabilising the club.The former England man alienated the fans though, failing to sympathise with their frustrations about his style of play and even throwing in a few bizarre boasts along the way.Fans were delighted when the experienced manager left the club on Wednesday, and they’re once again bashing their former leader for his departing comments.[ad_pod ]”I would say most of them (Everton fans) didn’t want me out. Not everybody has the same opinion as some few,†Big Sam told talkSPORT.“The fans who show discontent are always more vocal.“The club was in a very difficult position, but it improved as time went on.“If it wasn’t enough for the Everton fans at that time who were showing some discontent, I think there were certainly more fans who were happy with what we were doing than the ones that weren’t.â€It’s safe to say Everton fans don’t agree with this, although there are certainly a few who appreciate what Allardyce did for the club.Fans have been absolutely destroying him on Twitter, and some of the best reactions can be found below…

According to reports in The Mirror’s live transfer blog at 7:23pm on December 20, Tottenham Hotspur are keeping tabs on Lyon winger Maxwel Cornet, who has a £7m buy-out clause in his contract and has scored 24 goals in 116 games for the French club.

What’s the word, then?

Well, The Mirror says that Spurs are monitoring the 21-year-old carefully with a view to making a move for the forward in the future, although they could face competition for his signature from Borussia Dortmund.

Even though Erik Lamela has recently returned to action following a long injury lay-off, the north London outfit still don’t have many wide options and that is something that manager Mauricio Pochettino may look to put right either during the January transfer window, or next summer.

How has Cornet done this season?

The 21-year-old really burst on to the scene with Lyon during the two previous campaigns, and he has made a decent – if unremarkable – start to proceedings this term.

The winger has scored two goals and provided a further four assists in 21 appearances in all competitions – including the Europa League – with around half of those coming from the substitutes’ bench.

The Ivory Coast international has been more of a regular starter in Ligue 1 in recent weeks though, and according to WhoScored.com, he has successfully completed 12 of the 25 dribbles he has attempted in France and Europe this season, although the same website also lists one of his weaknesses as his crossing – not ideal for a wide-man.

Would he be a good signing for Tottenham?

If they could get him for £7m, then he certainly would be.

The 21-year-old certainly isn’t the finished article but with 16 goals and six assists in 83 Ligue 1 appearances for the Lyon, the potential is very much there.

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The winger – who can play on either flank – would add some much-needed pace to the Spurs frontline, but he would more likely be a substitute at first if he does move to north London anytime soon.

Arsene Wenger dealt with a lot of criticism by frustrated Arsenal supporters during this summer because of the lack of signings. But it seems like the Mesut Ozil transfer has restored a good relationship between him and the fans.

Football Fan Cast went to the Emirates yesterday and got to hear the supporters thoughts about the 63-year-old manager. The Gooners still seem to have faith in him; however they do realise that he could have done more when the transfer window was wide open.

“He’s pushed me to the edge to be honest,” said Alex who had just bought an Ozil shirt and started taking photos of it. “But I think it’s not solely his fault because the club have a lot to answer for as well.

“But he’s definitely done what the club needs with a marquee signing and got a lot of people off his back and everyone is really happy. He’s got my belief at the moment.”

It seems like the late transfer of Germany international Mesut Ozil restored serenity at the Emirates as the fans calmed down and the media are no longer giving Wenger a hard time.

Just like all other fans, Andrew believes that the Frenchman has always been a formidable manager; however this summer he did manage to push a few buttons.

“I’ve always thought he is a fantastic manager,” said the Arsenal fan. “I know he is a little bit of trouble because he hasn’t signed anybody else in the whole transfer window, for any money anyway. But I think he is an experienced manager and we’ll definitely qualify at the Champions League again and finish at the Top 4.”

Miles and Michael were both very thrilled with the signing of the former Real Madrid footballer but when they were asked about the Gunners’ manager they both sighed.

“Wenger will be Wenger,” said Miles. “He is trying to get the cheap buys. Fellaini and Sanogo are not really what I was looking for.”

His friend Michael seems less critical and more faithful to Wenger: “We could have got a couple of more players but I think the Ozil transfer has done more than enough. It has balanced it out.”

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The 63-year-old has been the coach of Arsenal since 1996, he has won the Premier League three times, and the FA Cup as well as the Community Shield four times. He led the Gunners into an unbeaten Premier League season in 2004 as well as the final of the 2006 Champions League.

It looks like the ‘Wenger Out’ supporters are falling short to the ‘In Wenger We Trust’ slogan as the North London club has probably made the biggest signing of the summer and have also improved on the pitch, especially after a win against rivals Tottenham. It also seems that Arsenal are indeed more than capable to rise above the challenge of their Champions League opponents.

“He’s a great manager. He can be a bit frustrating at times but he always knows what’s best” said Ben who was already walking outside the Emirates with an Ozil shirt.