Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has appeared to make a complete U-turn on his decision not to buy a striker in the January Transfer Window, according to the Metro.
Just last week Wenger told the press he would not be replacing Marouane Chamakh and Gervinho who are departing for the African Cup of Nations in the New Year, but it seems he could be keen on a short term signing to cover the prolific Robin van Persie.
Arsenal have relied on van Persie for the majority of their goals this season and the covering players have failed to make much of an impact at the Emirates. Wenger has been linked with big money moves for the likes of Lukas Podolski and Mario Gotze in recent weeks and either of them would fit well into the North London clubs plans for the second half of the season.
“We lose players like Chamakh and Gervinho to the Africa Cup of Nations so hopefully, touch wood, we do not get any injuries to our strikers,” Wenger told a supporters’ Q&A at the Emirates Stadium.
“But if an opportunity turns up in that department then we will buy.
“Economically the whole environment has changed and people suffer more. The clubs will suffer more financially and it’s much more difficult.
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“Maybe we will have some opportunities because we are in a good financial situation.”
Alex McLeish has once again reiterated that Darren Bent will not be going anywhere in the January transfer window. The Aston Villa striker has been heavily linked with a move to Liverpool, but Villa fans can be assured that their star striker is going nowhere.
Elsewhere in the news Rooney is fined for ill-discipline; Van Persie hails Thierry Henry, while Luis Suarez is urged to drop appeal.
News
Luis Suarez urged to drop appeal
Van der Vaart talks up Tottenham
Cech gives his backing to Andre Villas-Boas
Rooney fined for ill-discipline
Van Persie hails Thierry Henry
Moyes praises goalscorer Anichebe
Argentine cools Chelsea transfer talk
McLeish rules out move amid Liverpool talk
Zlatan keen for Tevez to come to Milan
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Other Transfer Talk
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Spurs plot £8m raid for Blackburn stopper – Mirror
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Moyes eyes midfield reinforcements as Everton boss targets Gibson swoop – Daily Mail
The latest Fad will cost Coyle £1m – Sun
Villa to offer Robbie Keane shock Prem return – Mirror
Newcastle have announced that they have signed striker Papass Cisse from Freiburg for £10 million.
The Senegal international has a big reputation after excellent performances and an impressive goal-scoring record in the Bundesliga, and has put pen-to-paper on a five-and-a-half year deal.
The attacker will be given the legendary No.9 shirt, and will partner countryman Demba Ba up front.
Cisse, and Ba, are currently away on African Cup of Nations duty, so it will be at least a month before the Tyneside fans catch a glimpse of their new signing.
Despite this, Cisse is pleased to have moved to the Premier League club, and is eager to get started.
“I would like to thank everybody for their welcome and for inviting me to sign for the club,” he told the Newcastle official website.
“It is an honour to play for such a big club and I am looking forward to it.
“I want to pay back the confidence the club have shown in me and give the supporters something to be proud of.
“I am aware of the huge importance of the No.9 shirt and when I spoke to the manager he made it very clear how important this shirt is.
“I will treat it with respect and I hope to do my very best in this shirt,” he concluded.
Toon manager Alan Pardew has admitted that the club have been on Cisse’s trail for some time, and is glad to have landed his long-term target.
“Ever since Andy Carroll left, Papiss was my first choice in the specific role he has at the end of the play,” the coach revealed.
“He is a finisher with an already-established CV in the Bundesliga, where we have monitored him for the best part of two years.
“Unfortunately he was out of reach, financially, for us in the summer, but it recently became apparent that Derek Llambias and Lee Charnley could do the deal in this window.
“It has become obvious this season that the team and the club have done exceptionally well and Mike Ashley has backed me to bring this player to the club.
“I would like to thank Mike, Derek and everyone involved for getting this deal over the line.
“I spoke to Demba about Papiss and he cannot wait to join up with his team-mate in Newcastle.
“In the short-term, of course, he is at the African Cup of Nations, but the competition he will bring to our squad when he joins up with us should inspire the players and reassure them of this club’s ambition.
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“Our fans know that this shirt brings its own pressures. One of the iconic numbers in world football – the No.9 of Newcastle.
“It will be only fair that Papiss is given time to understand the responsibility it brings.
“As the manager, I wish him all the luck in the world to bring success to himself and this club,” he stated.
This weekend’s Barclay’s Premiership action promises to produce some mouth-watering encounters. We start off with a pulsating match between Liverpool and Arsenal, with both sides fighting to secure the 4th Champions League place. Sunday sees Spurs host Man Utd, a match which could prove vital in the race for the Premiership title. And let’s not forget that local pride is also at stake in the North East as Newcastle and Sunderland prepare to do battle in the Tyne-Wear derby.
But there is another match that will undoubtedly intrigue the masses this weekend and it’s not a fixture that would usually stand out as a mouth-watering encounter.
At Ewood Park, there are bound to be banners and placards-a-plenty as Blackburn Rovers, a club that has been forced to endure season-long protests from its long-suffering supporters over the running of the club, face an Aston Villa side whose fans are beginning to show the same level of frustration against their club’s hierarchy.
Blackburn Rovers are, as they have been all season, in a complete mess.
On the pitch, they have a very average squad that currently sit in the relegation zone, having recorded just five wins all season. They have shipped 59 goals, meaning they boast the Premier League’s worst defence and they are the only team in all four divisions not to have kept a clean sheet all season.
Their 11-year stay in the top flight is in serious danger of coming to an end and their bid to avoid relegation has recently been dealt a huge blow, as arguably their best player, Christopher Samba, was recently sold to Russian side Anzhi Makhachkala.
The club’s precarious situation on the pitch has resulted in major problems off the pitch.
When Venky’s Group took ownership of the club in November 2010, the future looked very promising for the Lancashire club. But the decision to sack Sam Allardyce and promote the little-known Steve Kean as full-time manager has turned out to have had a hugely negative impact on the club.
Kean is not and has never been the experienced, world-class manager that the owners ensured the club would get and his record speaks for itself. His win ratio as manager is just 26% and the club have lost half of the games they have played during his tenure.
This has resulted in a vote of no confidence against the manager and the owners. Almost every match this season has been accompanied by supporters protesting against the running of the club and Steve Kean has been the subject of abusive chanting from the terraces and hate campaigns that have been condemned by the League Manager’s Association.
There are strong rumours that the club’s supporters will stage their biggest protest yet prior to the Villa game. One can only hope that when 3:00 comes around, the supporters turn their attention away from the owners and get fully behind their team.
And it has to be said that the timing of this fixture could not be better for them, given the dire situation that their opponents currently find themselves in.
Aston Villa have, for a while now, been heading down a very slippery slope. The club have never really got over the departure of Martin O’Neill as manager over 18 months ago. During this time, two managers have been at the helm, with the current manager, Alex McLeish, proving to be the most unpopular manager for years.
The club’s supporters have always made their feelings clear about the controversial appointment of McLeish from arch rivals Birmingham City.
The club currently lie in 15th place and, while they currently have some breathing space between them and the teams below them, they look set for yet another season of under-achievement. Judging from this, it would seem the supporters are justified in their protests.
On the pitch, star players such as James Milner, Ashley Young and Stuart Downing have all moved on and the club has been unsuccessful in replacing them.
On top of this, top scorer Darren Bent looks set to miss the rest of the season through injury, Robbie Keane’s successful loan spell has now come to an end and this now means that their strike force is looking very sparse for the remainder of the season. Taking Bent and Keane out of the picture, it has been four months since one of Villa’s other available strikers has scored a goal. It’s now got to the point where they may have to rely on Emile Heskey to actually score a goal or two!
To add insult to injury, this week the club has announced annual losses of almost £54 million. Truly these are the most worrying times in recent years for Aston Villa and you can’t help but feel that the protests against McLeish and owner Randy Lerner are only going to become more frequent.
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Needless to say, there is plenty riding on this match. Blackburn need a win to help them in their battle against the drop and Villa need a result to prevent themselves from being dragged into the same battle.
Blackburn vs Aston Villa is unlikely to be one of the most attractive games this weekend, but it is sure to be one of the most competitive and a 0-0 draw will simply not do.
Forget the title race. Forget Champions League qualification. Forget local derbies. This match is a battle of the two unhappiest teams in the Premiership.
Liverpool look set to go head to head with arch rivals Manchester United in the pursuit of Brazilian international Dede, according to the Daily Mail.
Liverpool’s chief South American scout Diego Caniggia reportedly watched the 23-year-old score Vasco’s second goal in their 3-2 victory against Allianza Lima.
Dede is highly regarded in his native country, with the defender widely tipped to star when Brazil host the World Cup in 2014. His impressive performances have not gone unnoticed across Europe with the likes of Juventus and Besiktas also said to be monitoring the £15m rated player.
The burly Brazilian is widely considered as Rio Ferdinand’s long-term successor at Manchester United and speculation has intensified after it was revealed that he derives from the same area of Rio de Janeiro as twins Fabio and Rafael.
However, Dede has insisted that no formal offers have been made and he is entirely committed to his current club.
“No offer has come yet,” he told Globo Esporte.
“I was at the national team when a reporter asked me if I will join Juventus. I said I like them as they are a big European team, but at this point I am focused only on Vasco.”
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The race for third place is hotting up and Arsenal face a real fight to hang on to their dreams of automatic qualification to next seasons Champions League. A 0-0 draw last week opened the door for the resurgent Magpies to close the gap and they’re now breathing down the Gunners’ neck. One potential factor that could hamper their hopes of fulfilling their objectives is Robin Van Persie’s scoring drought. Despite notching 34 this season the Dutchman has experienced a testing time in front of goal of late finding the net just once in his last seven games. 46 games in all competitions for Van Persie have taken it’s toll on the striker who’s looked a weary and lethargic in recent weeks. Wenger will be desperate for his captain to rediscover his goal touch in Arsenal’s three remaining fixtures and fire them into Europe’s elite club competition.
This week on FFC a potential transfer target’s suitability to Arsenal’s current system is analysed and could a move to the Emirates Stadium be the best way to go for a recently departed European coach?
[divider]
Best of FFC
Do Arsenal provide the ideal next move?
Would he truly fit into the Arsenal dynamic or just a good player in his current system?
A change in coaching philosophies needed in order to move forward
The Curse Of Individual Brilliance in football?
Have we been here before with Wenger’s transfer talk?
Does Arsenal’s ‘next generation’ actually have the potential to become a force?
The Top TEN Would-Be Arsenal ‘Exports’ This Summer
Arsenal set to finally land their man in £10m deal
Arsenal in advanced transfer talks
[divider]
Best of WEB
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Defensive Clarity Will Bring About Third Place – A Cultured Left Foot
Has this forward impressed in his first season at Arsenal? – Gunnersphere
What stops Arsène Wenger from being a truly great manager – Online Gooner
Penalties, discipline and shop windows – Arseblog
Barca say no… | Third is the new fourth for Arsenal | Wilshere plays it sensible – Le Grove
Do we really need Yann M’Vila? Hazard on his way to the Premier League…. – Highbury House
Surely Arsene Won’t Let A Potential £7M Asset Slip Away To Toon – Transfer Tavern
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Quote of the Week
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“He took his role seriously on and off the pitch and I think it added something to his determination as well. That is why maybe his commitment was even stronger – because he feels more responsibility. He grew into this role.
“The best way to be a captain for me is to be a fantastic football player, that is the best way to get respect in your team. He did that remarkably well.” Arsene Wenger believes the Arsenal captaincy proved the catalyst for Robin Van Persie’s prolific season
Bolton chairman and FA official Phil Gartside has backed Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp to become the next England manager.
The Three Lions have been searching for a new national selector since the resignation of Fabio Capello, with the White Hart Lane supremo the favourite and frontrunner.
Despite the FA insisting that they are being patient in their search for a new boss, Gartside has confirmed his support of Redknapp for the position.
In an interview set to be aired on BBC World Extra Time this weekend, Gartside states that he believes Redknapp would make ‘an outstanding England manager’ and that he is ‘a good motivator with a winning mentality’, according to The Daily Mail.
With Euro 2012 less than two months away, many are prompting the FA to make a move soon to give the new man the maximum time possible to prepare for the tournament in Ukraine and Poland.
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Newcastle are reportedly ready to make a move for Manchester United prospect Ezekiel Fryers, according to Metro.
The 19-year-old defender has only made two first-team appearances for the Premier League champions, and is out of contract at the end of the season.
Fryers has represented England up to under-19 level, and is judged to be one of the most promising products of the United youth academy in recent times.
As there has been no sign of a contract extension, Alan Pardew is set to offer the youngster the option of more first-team exposure at the Sports Direct Arena.
It is believed that Tottenham are also monitoring the situation, with the Red Devils only entitled to a mediocre compensation payment should be leave Old Trafford.
If Fryers was to leave United he would be the latest in a number of cases of youngster departing the club, after Ravel Morrison opted to move to West Ham and Paul Pogba has stalled on a new deal.
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Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre and Wigan chairman Dave Whelan have started a war of words, with bad links between the clubs after Roberto Martinez decided to stay with the Latics.
The Spanish coach was the frontrunner for the vacant Anfield role, but due to concerns over potentially having to work under a director of football on Merseyside decided to stay at the DW Stadium.
Ayre feels Whelan’s role in this may have played a part, and was not impressed with the Wigan chairman’s constant comment in the media.
“Our aim from the outset was to conduct a proper, thorough, search and do it in the proper manner,” Ayre told the Liverpool Echo.
“From our point of view, we did all the right things. We approached the clubs we needed to approach, and conducted ourselves properly at all times.
“It is disappointing, then, that Dave Whelan felt the need to run the kind of sideshow he conducted via Sky Sports News and various other media outlets.
“To be honest, I always thought John Bishop was the biggest comedian in the north west but Dave Whelan seems to have taken that mantle over the last couple of weeks,” he said.
Whelan has hit back with an attack of his own, leaving a sour taste in the mouth between the sides.
“He’s the fella who said the top-six clubs should share most of the Premier League TV revenue isn’t he? He is obviously very knowledgeable about football,” Whelan commented to The Telegraph.
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“Liverpool have got themselves a very good manager and I wish him good luck. I’m delighted Roberto is staying at Wigan. We’ll leave it at that.”
Chelsea are readying a £4 million bid for teenage Southampton defender Luke Shaw, and will contact the newly-promoted Premier League side this week according to The Daily Mail.
The west London club are looking to revamp their squad this summer, with a number of the old guard expected to leave and new faces galore expected.
With Roberto Di Matteo brought in on a permanent basis as the club’s manager, the additions of Marko Marin, Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard have already been captured.
However, 16-year-old Shaw is next on the Stamford Bridge club’s wishlist, after impressing for England under-17’s.
The young left-back made his first-team debut for the Saints against Millwall in the FA Cup last season, and is highly-rated amongst youth scouts.
However, despite Chelsea’s interest, Southampton are keen to keep hold of their young star and will resist the Blues’ attempts to snatch him away.
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