Romelu Lukaku reveals why he left Chelsea

Inter Milan are pursuing a deal for the Arsenal duo of Lukas Podolski and Joel Campbell.

Reports in Italy suggest that Inter, who are well-backed by fresh investment, will launch a bid for the duo, who are both out of favour at Arsenal.

Podolski, a recent World Cup winner with Germany at the 2014 finals in Brazil, stated recently that he would be ready to leave the Gunners should he fail to gain first team football with Arsene Wenger’s side.

However Inter face competition from fellow Serie A side, Juventus, and Turkish outfit, Galatasaray, in pursuit of his signature.

Meanwhile, Campbell is a target for the Italians, who are keen to give the 22 year old Costa Rican forward first team football at the San Siro.

The signings of Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck have seen them both slip down Arsenal’s pecking order in recent weeks.

by Ben Reardon

@BenReardon1

Sterling close to Liverpool deal

By

Ben Reardon

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Oct 13, 2014

Raheem Sterling is close to agreeing a new long term deal at Liverpool, according to The Daily Express.

19 year old Sterling has enjoyed a fine year all in all for club and country, helping the Reds to a second placed Premier League finish last season, and of course breaking into the full England squad.

Liverpool are keen to gt the deal done, to starve interest off the player from Spanish La Liga side Real Madrid.

According to reports in the City’s newspaper, the Liverpool Echo, Sterling will earn £125,000 a week, should he pen his proposed five-year deal at Anfield.

Rodgers was always confident Sterling would sign a new deal, and recently stated:

“It’s not a big issue for us. Ian Ayre has spoken with his representatives and he is quite relaxed.

“The boy is happy here, there are no secondary thoughts about anything else other than continuing to play for Liverpool.

“He must continue with his development because he still has a lot of growth and for that the best place for him to be is here.”

by Ben Reardon

@BenReardon1

David Silva: ‘Chelsea won’t have it easy’

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Oct 13, 2014

Manchester City midfielder David Silva has warned title-favourites, Chelsea, that they won’t have it easy this season, despite already being five points clear at the top.

Jose Mourinho’s men have made a bright start to the season, including impressive wins over Everton and Arsenal, but Silva believes the unpredictability of the Premier League means The Blues will have to work hard in order to win the title.

City, who won the league last year, are still yet to hit top-form, and their Spanish maestro has fired a warning to their main title-rivals.

‘Chelsea have made great transfers, they have a great team, a great squad,’ said Silva.

‘But it doesn’t mean things are going to be easy, especially in England.’

Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt – @AlexsArticles

Trial reports are false, says Valdes’ agent

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Oct 13, 2014

The agent of Victor Valdes has denied reports stating the goalkeeper had refused a trial at Premier League side, Liverpool.

It was reported over the weekend that the Spaniard snubbed the chance to spend four-days in Merseyside trialing with Brendan Rodgers’ side, but those reportes have been dismissed by Valdes’ agent, who has confirmed the reports are false.

The veteran shot-stopper is currently a free agent after leaving FC Barcelona in the Summer, but it’s believed that he will be joining Liverpool sooner rather than later, and now that the trial reports have been dismissed, a transfer could be completed in the near-future.

Gines Carvajal, Valdes’ agent, had this to say on the false reports: “Liverpool didn’t ask us to train for four days. We haven’t rejected it because it [the story] is false,” Carvajal told Sport.

“Neither Brendan Rodgers nor Liverpool have ever made us this proposal, at any time.”

Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt – @AlexsArticles

German starlet to fill John Terry’s boots?

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Oct 13, 2014

It seems that John Terry has been booting the ball (and the opposition) around West London since the dawn of time, and that it’s inconceivable that one day he may have to hang up his boots.

However, time will eventually catch up with the ex-England international, and the ever-loyal 33-year-old Chelsea defender’s long-term replacement will need to be bedded into the Stamford Bridge way sooner rather than later.

Already a German international, 21-year-old Antonio Rutiger may just fit the bill.

Chelsea are eyeing up the Stuttgart starlet, and a moderate £7million price tag will attract their interest further.

The Blues have recently been interested in Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane, but with a £40million asking price, that plane ticket may be on hold for some time.

The struggling German club (17th in the Bundesliga, with only one win in seven attempts), do not want to part with Rudiger, after the club’s sports director, Jochen Schneider, revealed that they were keen to retain the services of the bright young defender.

‘Our intention is to extend the contract with Antonio Rudiger,’ Schneider told German publication Bild.

The lad from Berlin was a target for both West Ham United and French giants Monaco this summer – with the latter club reportedly failing with an £11.8million offer.

John Terry may still go on for a few more seasons, but a replacement is inevitable. The hard hitting defender from Barking <ironic smile>, will be sorely missed at the heart of the Blues defence if the search is not succesful. With over 630 appearances for the Stamford Bridge giants, Terry will leave a big hole to fill.

Written by Michael Horne

Follow me on Twitter @MichaelHorne777

Valencia accused of sending explicit images to women

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Oct 13, 2014

Manchester United winger Antonio Valencia has been accused of sending X-rated images of his body to two females, despite being married with children.

The Ecuadorian, who has an eight-year old daughter with his long-term wife, has been sending pictures to beautician, Katy Latham, according to reports, and in a recent interview, Latham revealed all about the texts she would receivve from the footballer.

The 24-year-old revealed that Valencia would offer to fly her out to Manchester in order to spend the night together in a hotel, as well as sending rude pictures to her on a regular basis.

Latham said: “When I looked him up and saw he has a wife and a child I just thought he was a disgusting creep.

“I feel like all he wants is sex — nothing else. That’s what he expects. And I don’t want that.

“The first time he messaged me, he said, ‘Hay amor (sic)’, which means ‘My love’ in Spanish.

“He said I was beautiful and was asking me to send him pictures.

“His messages were all in Spanish because, despite living here eight years, his English is rubbish.

“Some of his messages were dirty.

“He made it clear he wanted to see naked pictures of my private parts.

“We were just messaging and then, completely out of the blue, he sent me a picture of his willy.

“I couldn’t believe it. He’d contacted me a few hours earlier and had a big match next day. But that was the last thing on his mind.

“He sent me photos any time of day. I’ve lost count of the number I’ve received — and I haven’t asked for them once.

“He usually texted, ‘Hay amor’ followed by a photo of his willy.

“He comes across as a creep. I think he must do it to more women — I’m sure I’m not the only one.

“He kept saying he wanted to fly me to Manchester and book a hotel. But then I looked him up and found out he has a wife.

Latham then continued and discussed what happened when she brought up Valencia’s wife and daughter.

“I asked him if he has a wife or a girlfriend and he just replied, ‘Hmmmmm’. I did find it suspicious he kept talking about going to a hotel and not his place, but when I read about Zoila and their daughter it all fell into place.

“He has reputation as a family man. The pictures of his willy are not attractive, they are disgusting and vile. All he mentions is sex, nothing else. That’s what he expects. And I don’t want that.

“What he’s doing is wrong on so many levels. He uses a picture of his wife and daughter on his Instagram profile — but if you love and respect someone you don’t do this. I’d tell other women to avoid him.”

Another girl is reportedly a 20-year-old student who was sent images via social networking site.

Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt – @AlexsArticles

Pedro set to disappoint Gunners!

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Oct 13, 2014

Spanish international forward, Pedro, was left frustrated last season due to his lack of time on the pitch, but it seems his employers still wish to retain his services.

Arsenal mastermind, Arsene Wenger, is a keen admirer of the Barcelona striker, and will be waiting intently for news coming out of the Catalan club.

With Lukas Podolski creating waves of discontent regarding his future at the Emirates, Wenger will be looking to bolster the Gunner’s attacking prowess if the German 6-footer decides to up and leave in January. Pedro, could well fit the replacement bill.

With Luis Saurez eligible to play for the Spanish giants at the end of October, following his lengthy ban for acting like an alligator, Pedro may see himself once again down the pecking order. Despite this, Barcelona are urging his agents to begin negotiations to extend his stay at the club.

Pedro, originally from Tenerife, has never plyed his trade away from Barcelona having worked his way up through the ranks since 2005, and the 27-year-old, valued at £10million, may seem a snip at that price to the North London giants.

Incidently, if the move did go ahead, surely there would be no language barrier? Isn’t Tenerife predominantly English these days?

Written by Michael Horne

Follow me on Twitter @MichaelHorne777

Thibaut Courtois defends Chelsea

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Oct 13, 2014

Following a nasty clash with Alexis Sanchez in the recent game against Arsenal, Thibaut Courtois, the Belgium international stopper, went on to play for a further 13 minutes, following treatment from the Chelsea medical team on the pitch.

Despite new rules being brought in for this season stating that only a doctor can make the final decision regarding a players fitness to continue, the Blues keeper was allowed to carry on. Chelsea have since been criticised for there actions over the incident.

Feeling more and more unwell, Courtois succumbed, and was replaced by Petr Cech between the sticks. The World Cup star has since come out and defended his club’s actions:

‘The doctor of Chelsea did well, I think,’ Courtois told Sky Sports

‘She asked me the questions she needed to ask and I could repeat immediately so I was feeling well and didn’t have to come off.

‘I didn’t feel I was knocked out but I was hit. I didn’t have a headache or anything, but after a few minutes I felt worse and worse.

‘Then I started to feel a little dizzy and I couldn’t see the ball anymore, and there was a little blood coming from my ear. Because I saw trouble, I went off.

‘I know you have to be careful, but I was not really knocked out so I could have carried on if I was not seeing blurry.

‘I had some neck pains, dizziness and headaches for a few days afterwards. I had neurological tests to see if my brain was responding correctly and, after it was okay, I travelled to Belgium.’

Courtois was deemed fit enough to play for his national side on Friday in their 6-0 drubbing of Andorra, and it seems the incident is now in the past for player and club, however the incident does highlight the inconsistencies with the new ruling.

It is widely considered that all keepers are barking mad, so it’s unlikely that a knock on the head will stop them wanting to play on!

Written by Michael Horne

Follw me on Twitter @MichaelHorne777

Liverpool and Arsenal target want-away Edinson

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Oct 13, 2014

Edinson Cavani is reportedly unhappy at playing second fiddle to Zlatan Imbrahimovic at PSG. The World Cup striker is having to play out of position at the Parisian club, and is now ready to listen to offers from further afield.

Premier League clubs, namely Liverpool and Arsenal have shown interest of late, and a huge offer could be on the table in the coming months. With Anfield new boy Mario Balotelli still stuttering, and Liverpool unable to replace the seemingly irreplaceable Luis Saurez, The Reds could well make a move for the striker.

Uruguayan Cavani has been in Europe since 2007, plying his trade at Palermo and then Napoli in Italy, before a sensational £55million move to Paris Saint Germain in the summer of 2013.

Cavani is a proven goal scorer at the very top level, winning many team and personal awards during his time in Europe. All that remains is for him to decide which plane to catch. Paris to Heathrow or John Lennon Airport.

Written by Michael Horne

Follow me on Twitter @MichaelHorne777

Podolski has Arsenal future, says Wenger

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Oct 13, 2014

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed that Lukas Podolski still has a future at the club, despite strong reports linking him with a January departure.

The German international has struggled to cement a regular first-team place under Wenger at the Emirates Stadium, and with new signings coming in, his status in the pecking order has dropped even further down.

With the January transfer window coming up, the 29-year-old was open about his future recently and admitted that if the situation doesn’t change, he will look to move on in order to gain regular first-team football, but Wenger has reassured the German by saying he still has a role in North London.

“It is quite simple, there is no transfer market at the moment. When there is no transfer market, you are all on board – or not on board. It is like that.

“This is a job where you can only be successful if you’re fully committed. You cannot be half in and half out, so all this transfer speculation is not considered at all.

“We are all on board to get results, and Podolski will be part of that.”

Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt – @AlexsArticles

Arsene Wenger gives positive update on Giroud

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Oct 13, 2014

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has revealed that striker, Olivier Giroud, could be back quicker than first thought after recovering well from a broken foot sustained in August.

The French striker picked up the injury in a bizarre fashion after blocking a clearance from an Everton defender back in late-August, and after the game, it was confirmed that he had broken a bone in his foot, and was set to miss up to four months.

However, in a recent interview, Wenger has revealed that the striker has reacted well to the surgery and could be back sooner than expected.

“Olivier Giroud is recovering very well,” Wenger told beIN Sports.

“I believe he is ahead of schedule in terms of rehabilitation. The operation went perfectly.”

Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt – @AlexsArticles

Riri ready to open talks over a deal to buy Liverpool!

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SteveMilne

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Oct 13, 2014

Rihanna is set to take her new found love of football to the next level – by launching a bid to buy Liverpool. Seriously.

The pop queen entered our hearts during the World Cup in Brazil, by brilliantly live-tweeting matches and adding her own killer insight.

And amid reports that she has been looking to invest in an English football club, Spanish newspaper El Mundo Deportivo says Liverpool are the team of choice.

The paper says she has been advised by close friend and Chelsea striker Didier Drogba to make an offer for the Anfield club.

Liverpool are currently owned by John W. Henry’s Fenway Sports Group and it’s unlikely that they’d want to sell, meaning Anfield may may be spared a Rihanna takeover.

Still, we so want this to happen. Just because.

Emre Can reveals why he joined Liverpool

By

Ben Reardon

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Oct 12, 2014

Liverpool midfielder Emre Can has revealed that a chat with Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers convinced him to join the club.

The German had an opportunity to re-join Bayern Munich from Bayer Leverkusen, but turned down the chance to re-sign for Pep Guardiola’s Bundesliga title holders.

Bayern inserted a buy-back clause following a £4 million move to Leverkusen in 2013, however Can decided to turn down a return to Baveria, and link up with Liverpool.

And a conversation with Reds gaffer Brendan Rodgers, shortly before signing, convinced him to to sign for the Merseyside outfit.

“There were some discussions with Bayern this summer but I decided the best thing for me would be to accept the opportunity to come to Liverpool.

“Before I came here I had discussions with Brendan Rodgers and that made my mind up. From those talks I was very positive about this move.

“This whole club is very ambitious and positive about how it wants to play football. That’s the way I want to play football, too.

“Liverpool believe in the same things and that’s why I came here. I want to stay here for a long time.”

by Ben Reardon

@BenReardon1

Varane on Chelsea’s radar

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Connor Breen

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Oct 12, 2014