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Tottenham keen on Stephan El Shaarawy

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Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas is desperate to spend more of the money the club received from the Gareth Bale sale and the Portuguese-man has turned his attentions to AC Milan forward Stephan El Shaarawy.

The club had a very busy summer after selling several first-team players, including Bale, and they were also very busy with arrivals as they spent over £100million on new faces, including Roberto Soldado, Christian Erikssen and Paulinho, to name just a few.

However, that doesn’t appear to be enough for Villas-Boas and he is keen to spend more money in January in order to turn Spurs into a title challenging oufit.

With strikers needed at White Hart Lane, the former-Chelsea boss has labelled El Shaarawy as one of his main targets for the winter window and it is thought that the Italian side would want at least £20million for the 20-year-old.

Spurs are desperate to sell Emmanuel Adebayor, who has been training with the developmental squad despite being sit on £100k-a-week, and they are hoping to offload the Togo international in the winter.

Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt

Manchester United and Chelsea target Ross Barkley

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Premier League giants Manchester United and Chelsea are both considering making a January bid for Everton starlet Ross Barkley, after the Englishman has impressed so far this season.

The 19-year-old has been a highlight for The Toffees so far this season, despite it being only four games old and his superb strike against Norwich City stole all the headlines during the opening day of the season.

It is believed that Everton want at least £20million for the teenage starlet, but that is a price-tag that both United and Chelsea are prepared to pay as they both believe the midfield-man is destined for the top of English football with a lot of people labelling him as the ‘new Wayne Rooney’.

In fact, Sir Alex Ferguson enquired about Barkley when he was 17, but Everton boss at the time, David Moyes, who is now United manager, rejected the approaches from Ferguson and claimed he was not for sale at the time.

According to some reports as well, Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, highlighted Barkley as a potential replacement for Frank Lampard when the Englishman retires from the game.

Writte by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt

Arsenal goalkeeper welcomes competition

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Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny has admitted that he welcomes competition from Lukasz Fabianski and Emiliano Viviano, despite losing his place in the first-team last year due to being mentally fatigued.

Nearing the conclusion of last season, Szczesny was dropped by Arsene Wenger after the manager claimed he was mentally unfit and this gave second-string goalkeeper Fabianski a chance to shine, and if he didn’t pick up an injury, he would have most likely finished the season as the number-one shot-stopper.

Szczesny doesn’t just have Fabianski to worry about now after Arsenal signed Viviano on loan for the season from Italian side Palermo, but the Pole has admitted that he does not fear losing his place.

“The most important thing is the manager’s faith in me. I’m not going to him and asking whether a new goalkeeper will be bought,” Szczesny told Gazeta Wyborcza.

“I train very hard, pay him back with my performances. I’m not scared of competition.”

The current number-one was then asked about when he was dropped last year and whether he was surprised about his exclusion.

“No (I wasn’t surprised). But only because he told me eight days before that second game with Bayern. I took this decision like a man.

“I had a hard time at Arsenal in March. I lost my place and had to fight my way back. I was given my chance, luck was on my side and Lukasz has got injured as well.”

Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt

Aaron Ramsey delighted to be scoring goals

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Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey has admitted that he is delighted to be scoring goals for the club, after he added another two to his tally against Sunderland yesterday.

The Gunners ran out 3-1 winners at the Stadium of Light and after the game, Ramsey admitted that it feels great to finally be scoring goals for the club.

“We were totally in control in the first half and then we conceded a goal very early in the second half,” the Welshman told Sky Sports.

“The crowd were right behind them and we were under pressure, but we had to dig in and be patient and the goals came at the end. And I thought we deserved it in the end.

“I am delighted to be on the score sheet again. I feel like in the last few seasons I have been getting in the right positions but I’ve lacked composure maybe.

“Now I am feeling good again and everything is starting to click into place.”

It was another in-form player that gave Arsenal the lead when Olivier Giroud smashed home a Mesut Ozil cross, before Craig Gardner pulled the hosts level just after half-time from the penalty spot.

However, it was the Welshman that stole the show after that when he struck a sweetly timed volley into the bottom corner before curling home a neat finish to make it 3-1.

The Gunners will now get ready for their first Champions League group stage game against Marseille.

Writtten by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt

Kyle Walker wants to forget about nitrous oxide image

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Tottenham Hotspur defender Kyle Walker has admitted that he is ready to move on and forget about the picture of him inhaling nitrous oxide, better known as laughing gas, from a balloon during pre-season.

The picture was released to the public before England’s World Cup Qualifier with Ukraine and both Roy Hodgson and Andre Villas-Boas have confirmed that they are ready to forgive and forget, which is exactly what Walker wants.

The Spurs right-back has spoken to both club and country managers and has told them both that he won’t go near the substance again.

‘It’s all part and parcel of the job. You just have to deal with it,’ Walker said.

‘It has been a steep learning curve. I think people forget that I am young.

‘What’s done is done now and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season. It’s onwards and upwards now.’

Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt

 

Roberto Soldado full of praise for Christian Eriksen

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Tottenham Hotspur striker Roberto Soldado was full of praise for team-mate Christian Eriksen after he made his debut for the club in yesterday’s 2-0 victory over Norwich City.

The Danish international completed his switch to White Hart Lane in the summer but only made his first appearance for the club yesterday and fellow summer-signing Soldado, believes the midfield-man will be a great addition to the side.

Eriksen grabbed himself an assist on his debut and was dangerous throughout the game before being substituted in the second-half and Soldado is delighted to have him at the club.

“He is a brilliant player. It’s incredible that he has got up to this level already in his first game in English football,” the Spain international said.

“It’s great for him, for the team. He is a player who is capable of improving all of us.

“He is a player that makes everything look easy and that’s good for us. Today he made the difference; he’s a player that can support us in everything we do. He can offer us a lot of passes to everyone who plays in attack for Spurs.”

Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt

John Obi Mikel says Eto’o needs time

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Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel believes striker Samuel Eto’o will prove to be a great signing from Jose Mourinho, once he gets used to English football and life in the Premier League.

The former-Barcelona and Inter Milan striker had a debut to forget in Chelsea colours as he featured in their 1-0 loss to Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday with the Cameroon international missing a whole host of opportunities.

Despite the poor performance, his team-mate, Mikel, believes time will help Eto’o get better and once the 32-year-old has settled, he will be a great player for Mourinho’s side.

Mikel said: “Samuel is a great player, a fantastic player. You could see the way he played, he created some fantastic chances. That is why the manager brought him in. Obviously he has a lot of trust and belief in him.

“Let’s wait and see, the English league is very difficult to adapt to and this was the first game for him and he has done pretty well.

“Chelsea was my first real professional club and it took me six months to a year to adapt, but I think someone like Eto’o, who is well experienced and has played in so many leagues, won’t take very long.

“I think he looked a bit sharp so it won’t take him long to get back into his fitness.

“He is a world-class player, a fantastic guy. We just have to keep playing with him and helping him to adapt to the Premier League.

“He tries to give his experience so we have to keep working with him, keep playing with him and trying to help him to fit in.”

Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt

Jose Mourinho: ‘The best team lost’

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Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho was left baffled after the full-time whistle blew at Goodison Park yesterday as he saw his side fall to a 1-0 defeat to Roberto Martinez’s Everton, despite having the majority of the chances.

The visitors fully controlled the game and had chance after chance but unfortunately for Mourinho, none of his players could find the back of the net and they were left ruing those missed chances when Steven Naismith put the hosts up just before half-time.

The loss is Mourinho’s first in the Premier League since his return and after the game, he told Sky Sports that he was baffled by the loss and couldn’t believe his side were leaving Merseyside with no points.

Mourinho told Sky Sports: “I don’t know if I have to say we didn’t deserve to lose, or if I should say we deserved to lose.

“We didn’t deserve it (to lose) because we were the best team, because we play the best football, because we dominate the whole game, because we had 21 shots, because we risk everything we could…

“In that sense it is fair to say we deserved to win the game.

“But the other way, a team that has 21 shots, some of them easy shots and easy situations to score and we don’t score and we have a mistake in the last minute of the first half…

“Maybe with that I should say we deserve to lose.”

Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt

Olivier Giroud plays down injury fears

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Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud has played down fears that his injury sustained during Saturday’s victory over Sunderland could keep him out for a few weeks.

The Frenchman was substituted late on after going down after a tough challenge from a Sunderland defender and after the game Arsene Wenger admitted that the injury could be a massive blow to The Gunners.

However, Giroud took to social networking site Twitter to reassure fans that his knee is okay.

The striker tweeted: ‘My knee is ok don’t worry! Thanks for your support’.

The former-Montpellier striker has been in superb form for Arsenal so far this season, scoring four goals from four Premier League games.

Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt 

David Moyes not happy with Ashley Young

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Manchester United manager David Moyes has admitted that he is not happy with winger Ashley Young after he appeared to dive in order to win a penalty against Crystal Palace on Saturday.

The English winger has built up quite a reputation of diving and after looking at replays, it is clear to see the United winger took yet another dive in order to win a spot-kick, which resulted in a Palace player getting sent off and also Robin Van Persie giving United the lead.

The champions eventually went on to win 2-0, but after the game, Moyes admitted that he wasn’t impressed by Young’s actions.

Moyes said: ‘I’ve always said I don’t like diving. He deserved to get booked. I don’t want any of my players diving, I don’t want anybody doing it.

‘If you look at it (the penalty), the boy definitely throws his leg out and Ashley’s leg goes into it. I think Ashley has put his leg into it. But I will definitely say to Ashley that it is not what I want.’

Moyes continued: ‘I don’t like the rule where every time it is the last man it means it is (a red card).’

‘I thought it was harsh. If I was Ian Holloway I would be disappointed.

‘OK, it might be a penalty. But I don’t think the boy made a challenge to wipe him out.

‘Unfortunately that is the rule.’

Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt

 

Liverpool manager warns striking duo

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Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has played down fears that egos could get in the way of a potential lethal partnership developing between strike duo Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez.

Sturridge has become one of the fan-favourites at Anfield scoring three times already this season and also winning August’s player of the month competition, but there are fears that he could collide with former-star man Suarez, when the Uruguayan returns from his lengthy suspension.

Suarez will become available for Liverpool later this month and there are some doubts whether or not Sturridge and Suarez could develop a partnership together up front, but Rodgers is adamant that the team must come first, rather than their own personal goals.

‘Liverpool isn’t that type of club,’ he said. ‘It’s a club where players get told where to play. We don’t mollycoddle them, they are expected to come in and do a job. If they want to be the superstar, if they want to be the individual, they can forget it.

‘It’s about the team and whatever they can bring to the team, they will do. We know what strikers are like, what they want. But I don’t think it’s an issue in this case.’

‘Neither of them will be the main man. This is based around a team,’ said the straight-talking Liverpool manager. ‘People were talking about Suarez being a one-man team last year, I kept saying we’re not and if you look at the results since, clearly we weren’t.

‘I see them both as people. I was exactly the same at Chelsea, the boys there like John Terry will tell you that.’

‘Sturridge has this myth around him that he was a real arrogant sort, a difficult boy. He’s actually one of the nicest boys I’ve met.’

Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt

Carlo Ancelotti happy with Gareth Bale debut

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Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is happy with Gareth Bale’s debut after the Welshman found the net just 38 minutes into his La Liga opener.

The former-Tottenham man couldn’t help Madrid get three points, but his goal did pull them back into the game just before half-time. The match eventually finished 2-2.

Bale’s debut lasted just over an hour before he was substituted for Angel Di Maria, but all the Spanish newspapers are dominated this morning with pictures of the 24-year-old celebrating his goal and after the match, his manager was full of praise for his performance.

‘I think he (Bale) is happy to score his first goal for Real Madrid. He played in a difficult match and he played well, showing his good attitude’. Ancelotti said.

‘It was a hard match for everyone.’

Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt

Arsenal dealt Cazorla blow

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed that Spanish midfielder Santi Cazorla is set to miss the next few weeks of action due to an ankle injury.

It is believed that Cazorla picked up the injury during training and his exclusion from yesterday’s squad puzzled fans, but after the game, Wenger confirmed that the midfielder has picked up an injury and will miss the next few weeks of action.

The Gunners didn’t seem to miss Cazorla yesterday though as they strolled to a 3-1 victory away at Sunderland, but after the game, Wenger confirmed the news about Cazorla.

He said: “Cazorla has an ankle problem. He will be out for a few weeks as well. I don’t think he will play before the next international break”.

Written by Alex Batt – @AlexBatt

OFFICIAL: Ronaldo extends contract with Real Madrid

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Real Madrid earlier today published on their official homepage that Cristiano Ronaldo have extended his contract with the club.

The La Liga-side will announce the news 12.45 UK-time in a press-conference at the Santiago Bernabeu and both Florentino Perez and Cristiano Ronaldo, of course, will be present.

According to reports in Spain, the contract extends to 2018 and Marca states the Portuguese will scoop up a staggering sum of 17 million euros/a year which means he gets a rise in salary.

Jacob Hallsten