| Rhys Williams all but out of World Cup as club confirm he needs surgery Posted: 30 Jan 2014 02:59 PM PST |
| Newcastle's Alan Pardew unsure he can seal deal for Lyon's Clément Grenier Posted: 30 Jan 2014 02:54 PM PST • Midfielder seen as ideal replacement for Yohan Cabaye
• New arrival Luuk de Jong 'is a big presence of a player' Alan Pardew is not optimistic about Newcastle United's chances of signing Clément Grenier from Lyon and fears missing out on the midfielder he has identified as the ideal replacement for Yohan Cabaye. Shortly after Cabaye swapped Newcastle for Paris St Germain in a near £20m transfer on Wednesday, Newcastle lodged a substantial bid, believed to be about £10m, for Grenier but Lyon rejected it and the chances of any deal being completed before Friday's closure of the January window seem remote. His agent Frederic Guerra said Grenier would be staying with the French club. He told the sport website Le 10 Sport: "It's not easy to say no to a big club like Newcastle, but with Clément we have finally decided to stay at Lyon. "Six months out from the World Cup, is a hasty departure just days before the end of the transfer market a good option? It's not a certainty. Lyon are starting to find their true colours and Clément didn't want to leave the club during the season. "The conditions of his departure weren't creating a favourable context for his development. Clément would be arriving at Newcastle not as Clément Grenier but as a replacement for Yohan Cabaye. "I have the greatest respect for the quality of player that Cabaye is, deserving of everything that is said about him. However, as Clément Grenier's agent I am obliged to say: is Clément worth just half what Yohan Cabaye is? "Above all the reasons which have led us to decline the offer from Newcastle, the conditions of the deal didn't seem fair to Clément." Pardew said: "You can't take a player out like Cabaye and say it is not going to weaken you. It's disappointing to lose a player of that quality and it is going to weaken you unless you can replace him like for like – but whether we can do that, I don't know." Pardew is viewing this summer's transfer window as a very important period when he envisages reconstructing his team for the third time since taking over at St James' Park in December 2010. "You could argue I've built two teams since I've been here and I'll have to build another new one in the summer," said a manager who knows he is likely to lose three strikers in Loïc Rémy, Papiss Cissé and Shola Ameobi at the end of this campaign. "Things turn over very quickly at Newcastle. You have to keep a clear mind … and we need to make sure we spend Yohan's money wisely. There's no point buying someone for £6m if they're not good enough." Since Joe Kinnear's installation as director of football at St James' Park last summer, Newcastle have failed to make a permanent signing, although they have secured Luuk de Jong, the Holland striker on loan from Borussia Mönchengladbach this week. De Jong has struggled to start games in the Bundesliga following a high-profile £12.6m move from FC Twente. "I'm pleased in so much he's a player we've had our eye on for a while," said Pardew. "He was someone we couldn't quite reach in his last transfer move, in terms of the finance, but that hasn't worked out as perfect a transfer as they probably both hoped – the team and Luuk. But he's ended up here and has trained well today. I like his confidence and we are looking forward to his inclusion in the squad. He is a big presence of a player. He is a goalscorer and if there is a criticism you could aim at us maybe, we could do with scoring a few more goals." Pardew suspects Saturday's north-east derby at home to Sunderland will come too early for the 6ft 2in forward. "Luuk hasn't had much game action and this is the Premier League," he said.       |
| Manchester City talk to Porto about Eliaquim Mangala and Fernando Posted: 30 Jan 2014 02:42 PM PST • €46m for defensive pair is above English club's valuation
• Transfer window deal unlikely but Porto keen to raise funds Manchester City are attempting to pull off a late deal to take both Eliaquim Mangala and Fernando from Porto, who are demanding €46m (£37.8m) for the pair, which is above the English club's valuation. City had planned to move for the 22-year-old Mangala, a central defender, and Fernando, a 26-year-old defensive midfielder, in the summer. But Porto's changing financial situation has meant the Portuguese club is keen to bring in funds as soon as possible. While negotiations were taking place on Thursday evening, both sides accept that a deal for one or both players has only an outside chance of occurring. If Mangala was bought by City then Joleon Lescott may be allowed to leave.       |
| West Ham's '19th century' style drove Lacina Traoré to opt for Everton Posted: 30 Jan 2014 02:30 PM PST • New loan signing says he is better suited to Goodison ethic
• 'I looked at the two and decided I would fit in better at Everton' Lacina Traoré has strayed into the argument over West Ham's "19th century" football by citing style of play as the main reason he chose Everton over Sam Allardyce's side. The Ivory Coast international almost joined West Ham on loan from Monaco in early January only for Roberto Martínez to hijack the deal as he sought a replacement for the Hull City-bound Nikica Jelavic. The West Ham manager was incensed by Everton's late move, having visited the striker in Monaco and with West Ham having sought a work permit for the 23-year-old, and Allardyce found himself at odds with José Mourinho on Tuesday over his tactics in the goalless draw at Chelsea. Mourinho accused West Ham of "playing football from the 19th century" with their defensive approach at Stamford Bridge. And Everton's new loan signing has admitted the contrasting approaches of Martínez and Allardyce swayed him towards a six-month deal at Goodison Park. Traoré, who is recovering from a hamstring injury, said: "I had a medical at Monaco where the manager [Allardyce] and one of the physios from West Ham came out to see me, and I think the results were sent to West Ham afterwards. There were other clubs interested but I looked at the style of the two teams, the football is different between Everton and West Ham, and I came to the conclusion that I would fit in better at Everton. From what I've seen, Everton keep the ball on the ground a bit more, pass the ball around more, and I like that. I like to see a lot of the ball and I think Everton's way is better suited to my technical ability." At 6ft 8in, Traoré's height advantage is glaringly obvious but he – and Martínez – insisted his strengths are not necessarily in the air. "I am tall so if there are corners, free-kicks and high balls I'm not going to shy away from them and will use my presence there," he said. "But I think the strength of my game is the technical, skilful side and I like the ball on the ground. Everton like to pass the ball on the floor and play football. Coming back to West Ham, it is also a squad full of strikers so I think the competition there would have made it difficult to get a starting place." Traoré's hamstring injury will keep him out of Aston Villa's visit to Goodison on Saturday and Romelu Lukaku's ankle injury means Everton will be without a recognised striker for that game. However, Traoré hopes to be available for the trip to Tottenham Hotspur the following weekend. The striker's move to Everton appeared in doubt when Monaco lost Radamel Falcao to a cruciate ligament injury. "Right up until this moment in time I don't really know why Monaco didn't want me to stay. I couldn't tell you," he said. "The way I see it, the deal was pretty much done at around the time that Falcao got injured." Everton, meanwhile, have announced that their turnover rose by almost £6m to £86m and an operating profit of £700,000 before player trading for the financial year ending 31 May 2013. The club made an operating loss of £6.4m the previous year. The figures, which do not include the new record broadcasting deal or the sales of Marouane Fellaini, Victor Anichebe and Jelavic for a combined total of almost £40m, show the club's overall debt fell marginally to £42.6m.       |
| Nottingham Forest 4-2 Watford | Championship match report Posted: 30 Jan 2014 02:28 PM PST Nottingham Forest's unbeaten run of Championship matches reached double figures after a rush of inspired substitutions led to a stunning comeback at the City Ground. The Reds were behind to Gabriele Angella's double but Simon Cox, Darius Henderson and Jamie Mackie came off the bench and scored in the order in which they were introduced to turn the game on its head, before Cox netted again late on. Billy Davies's side have now gone 10 games without defeat in the league, 12 matches in all competitions, and consolidated their position in fifth place. Watford remain a shadow of the team that reached last season's play-off final and are languishing in 16th place, without a league win since Boxing Day. Troy Deeney curled a shot narrowly over the crossbar after three minutes after a neat exchanges of passes with Daniel Pudil on the edge of the penalty area. At the other end Danny Collins's diving header struck the bar after Guy Moussi had nodded an Andy Reid free-kick back across the six-yard box. Watford did not clear the danger and Djamel Abdoun's looping volley from the left side of the box dropped just wide of the far post. Angella almost got on the end of a couple of corners. Both sides looked vulnerable from set pieces but it would prove to be a warning that Forest did not heed. Jamie Paterson forced Manuel Almunia into a save on the half-hour mark when he cut inside from the right flank on to his left foot. It was third time lucky for Angella in the 33rd minute when his back-heel flick from Ikechi Anya's corner put Watford in front. Gonzalo Jara tried to keep it out on the far post but the Chilean could only head the ball against the underside of the bar and it bounced down over the goalline. Another example of slack defending should have seen the unmarked Greg Halford equalise five minutes later but the defender, again given the nod to play as a striker by Forest manager Davies despite him having five recognised forwards sitting on the bench, sent a free header over the crossbar. Deeney went close to extending Watford's lead but his near-post volley from Anya's cross went into the side-netting. Davies replaced Halford with Cox at half-time. Reid forced Almunia into a good parrying save shortly after the restart as Forest began the second half with some urgency. However, Angella quickly knocked the wind out of their sails with a second goal. Again it was poor defending as the Italian was given time and space to plant his header past Karl Darlow from Sean Murray's inswinging free-kick. Almunia helped Reid's free-kick over the bar before Cox got the fightback moving in the 58th minute. Abdoun's inswinging cross from the left was headed back across goal by Moussi, and Cox swept the ball home from close range. From then on it was all Forest and the inevitable equaliser arrived from a predictable source. Former Hornet Henderson, on after 69 minutes, had been on the pitch less than five minutes when he stooped to head home Reid's exquisite cross with the outside of his left foot. Darlow got his fingertips to a Cristian Battocchio effort as Watford provided a reminder that they were still a threat. However, three minutes later the comeback was completed. Reid was involved again as he crossed for Mackie, fresh into the game, to head past Almunia from six yards out with 82 minutes on the clock. Cox made absolutely sure of all three points when he slotted past Almunia in the final minute.       |
| Racing Santander players stage on-pitch strike Posted: 30 Jan 2014 02:18 PM PST • Entire team refuses to play as whistle blows for kick-off
• Referee suspends Copa del Rey match against Real Sociedad Racing Santander's Copa del Rey match with Real Sociedad was suspended on Thursday evening after the home players refused to play, having not been paid for several months. The Racing players had released a statement on Monday announcing they would boycott the quarter-final second leg unless the president Ángel Lavín and his board stepped down – something they did not do. Although the home players turned up and completed their warm-up on Thursday, when the first whistle blew it soon became evident there would not be a contest. Once Sociedad kicked off, the Racing players moved in and stood arm-in-arm around the centre circle, with substitutes and coaching staff lining up in solidarity on the touchline. Sociedad passed the ball between themselves in their own half for a while before kicking it out for a throw-in, at which point the referee signalled that the match was suspended. In the statement on Monday, the Racing captain Mario Fernández said the players had not been paid for a number of months despite promises that they would be. Luis Rubiales, head of the Association of Spanish Footballers, met the Racing players and coaching staff in Santander on Thursday, and said they had the "complete backing" of his union. The evening's events at El Sardinero appear to mean that Sociedad – 3-1 winners in the first leg – advance to a semi-final against Barcelona. However, that scenario is subject to official confirmation. "Right now we have mixed feelings of sadness and a kind of joy but it is a shame it had to come to this," the Santander midfielder Javi Soria told Canal Plus TV. "We have had things clear in our minds since Monday and we have showed tonight we are a team. We hope things get sorted out because we just want to get back to playing and try to make Racing the best it can be. "We hope there are no legal consequences because we have done this for the good of football, for the good of a city and for the whole of Spain because there are lots of similar cases and we wanted to set an example." As recently as 2008, Racing finished sixth in the Primera División, but in the last two seasons they have suffered back-to-back relegations to drop to the third tier.       |
| Sunderland will not sell Lee Cattermole but Liam Bridcutt set to sign Posted: 30 Jan 2014 01:36 PM PST • Fellow strugglers Stoke City linked with Cattermole
• Brighton's Bridcutt expected to seal £2.5m move Lee Cattermole will not be sold by Sunderland this month after all. Stoke City had been keen to sign the combative midfielder but, quite apart from very possibly needing Cattermole in the club's fight against relegation, Gus Poyet is unwilling to sell him to a rival near the bottom of the Premier League. Even so Cattermole – variously described as "rotten" and "unprofessional" by Poyet's predecessor, Paolo Di Canio – now faces serious competition for his first-team place. Liam Bridcutt, the Brighton midfielder, was on the brink of completing a £2.5m move to Sunderland on Thursday after travelling to Wearside for a medical and is expected to assume the role of sitting in front of the back four and helping choreograph the brand of possession football the Uruguayan is gradually instilling at Sunderland. The League Cup finalists have also completed the signing of Ignacio Scocco, the Argentina striker, for about £3m from Internacional of Brazil and loaned the midfielder Alfred N'Diaye to Spain's Real Betis. Meanwhile the defender Modibo Diakité is close to a return to Italy with Fiorentina after failing to establish himself in Poyet's plans.       |
| Transfer window round-up Posted: 30 Jan 2014 12:45 PM PST • Chelsea set to sign Kurt Zouma from St Etienne
• Schalke say Julian Draxler will not join Arsenal Kurt Zouma Chelsea
José Mourinho is set to complete the £12.5m signing of the St Etienne centre-half Kurt Zouma, although Chelsea will loan him back to the French club for the remainder of the season. Zouma's acquisition will raise questions about John Terry's future, with the captain, who is out of contract in the summer, yet to agree to a new deal. Chelsea have a policy of offering only one-year extensions to players that are in their thirties. Mourinho has said that nothing would be discussed with regard to Terry's situation in January but there remained trust on all sides and the confidence that a solution would be found. Terry is enjoying a fine season, in which he has not missed a single minute in the Premier League, having previously fallen from favour under the ex-manager Rafael Benitez. Zouma has attracted the attention of many clubs, despite being banned for ten matches in November for a leg-breaking tackle on the Sochaux midfielder Thomas Guerbert, for which he was sent off. Zouma apologised to Guerbert and insisted that it was an accident. David Hytner Liam Bridcutt Sunderland Lee Cattermole will not be sold by Sunderland this month after all. Stoke City had been keen to sign the combative midfielder but Gus Poyet is unwilling to sell him to a rival at the bottom of the Premier League. Even so Cattermole - variously described as "rotten" and "unprofessional" by Poyet's predecessor Paolo Di Canio - now faces serious competition for his first team place. Liam Bridcutt, the Brighton midfielder, was on the verge of completing a £2.5m move to Sunderland after travelling to Wearside for a medical and is expected to assume the role of sitting in front of the back four and helping choreograph the brand of possession football the Uruguayan is gradually instilling at Sunderland. The League Cup finalists have also completed the signing of Ignacio Scocco, the Argentina striker for around £3m from Internacional of Brazil and loaned the midfielder Alfred N'Diaye to Spain's Real Betis. Meanwhile the defender Modibo Diakite is close to a return to Italy with Fiorentina after failing to establish himself in Poyet's plans.Louise Taylor Julian Draxler Schalke Schalke say that Julian Draxler will not leave them to join Arsenal before Friday's transfer deadline, with the German club's sporting director, Horst Heldt, saying that he expected the attacking midfielder to stay beyond the summer, too. Arsenal have been interested in signing Draxler and their chief transfer negotiator, Dick Law, has been in Germany for talks with Schalke. David Hytner Dimitar Berbatov Spurs Dimitar Berbatov's Fulham future is uncertain and he stands to make a deadline day move if the club were to sign their top target Kostas Mitroglou of Olympiakos, while Ajax's Kolbeinn Sigthorsson is a back-up plan. Berbatov, whose contract expires in June, has attracted the interest of Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal. The 32-year-old has moped in recent weeks and Fulham are of the opinion that Berbatov can leave but only if they were able to sign a suitable replacement. Fulham have made two unsuccessful offers for Mitroglou, the Greece international, of €10m and €12m, with Olympiakos holding out for €15m. Fulham hope to reach a compromise at around €13m. Fulham, who have cooled their interest in West Ham United's Ravel Morrison, have signed the 28-year-old Denmark midfielder William Kvist from Stuttgart on loan for the rest of the season. David Hytner Clément Grenier Lyon Alan Pardew is not optimistic about Newcastle United's chances of signing Clément Grenier from Lyon and fears missing out on the midfielder he has identified as the ideal replacement for Yohan Cabaye. Shortly after Cabaye swapped Newcastle for Paris St-Germain in a near £20m transfer on Wednesday, Newcastle lodged a "substantial" bid, believed to be around £10m, for Grenier but Lyon rejected it and the chances of any deal being completed before tonight's/Friday's closure of the January window seem remote. Louise Taylor Thomas Ince Crystal Palace Crystal Palace believe that they have a loan deal for Tom Ince, after giving Blackpool a £1m loan fee. The winger has been chased by several clubs, chief among them Stoke and Swansea City but Palace have moved decisively. The London club have freed up the space for Ince by turning Jason Puncheon's loan from Southampton into a £1.7m permanent transfer. Palace also hope to announce a deal for the Wigan Athletic defender Ivan Ramis. David Hytner Abdul Razak West Ham West Ham have signed the former Manchester City midfielder Abdul Razak on a short-term deal. The 21-year-old Ivory Coast international came through the ranks at City after originally starting out at Crystal Palace but found first-team opportunities limited at the Etihad Stadium. Razak has spent time on loan at Portsmouth, Brighton, Charlton and most recentlyAnzhi Makhachkala, who signed him on a permanent deal in October. PA Joseph Yobo Norwich Norwich have signed the centre-back Joseph Yobo on loan for the rest of the season from Turkish club Fenerbahce. Their manager Chris Hughton had been keen to bring in the former Everton man to provide cover for the injured centre-half Michael Turner. PA       |
| Chelsea set to sign Zouma for £12.5m Posted: 30 Jan 2014 12:13 PM PST • José Mourinho closes in on teenage centre-half
• Signing may raise questions over John Terry's future José Mourinho is set to complete the £12.5m signing of the St Etienne centre-half Kurt Zouma, although Chelsea will loan him back to the French club for the remainder of the season. The Chelsea manager has been active in the January window, buying Nemanja Matic and Mohamed Salah for a combined £32m and moving out Juan Mata and Kevin De Bruyne for £53.5m, together with Michael Essien on a free transfer. Mourinho had said at the start of the month that he envisaged no business in or out of the club. Zouma, the 19-year-old France youth international, who was a part of the team that won the Under-20 World Cup last year, is considered as one for the future at Chelsea and, as such, he fits into Mourinho's long-term plan for the club. But the acquisition will raise questions about John Terry's future, with the captain, who is out of contract in the summer, yet to agree a new deal. Chelsea have a policy of offering only one-year extensions to players in their thirties – Terry is 33 – and he would like a longer contract. Mourinho has said that nothing would be discussed with regard to Terry's situation in January but there remained trust on all sides and the confidence that a solution would be found. Terry is enjoying a fine season in which he has not missed a single minute in the Premier League, having previously fallen from favour under the former manager Rafael Benítez. Zouma has attracted the attention of many clubs, despite being banned for 10 matches in November for a leg-breaking tackle on the Sochaux midfielder Thomas Guerbert, for which he was sent off. Zouma apologised to Guerbert and insisted it was an accident.       |
| Why the Premier League banned 'third-party ownership' of players | David Conn Posted: 30 Jan 2014 11:11 AM PST League chief executive Richard Scudamore compared practice of investors buying stakes in players to 'indentured slavery'
• Questions for Chelsea over links to third-party ownership of players The "third-party ownership" of footballers was banned by the Premier League after the "economic rights" of the Argentinian stars Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano were discovered to still be owned by two offshore companies when they signed for West Ham United in 2006. The Premier League's chief executive, Richard Scudamore, has compared to "indentured slavery" this practice, by which investors, often operating anonymously via tax havens, buy stakes in players and receive a share of the transfer fee when they are sold. The revelation that players' "economic rights" could be "owned" by investors, and the money for their signing not be paid wholly to the selling club, shocked English football, but it is common in eastern Europe, Portugal and Spain, and widespread in South America, notably Brazil. A report in August by the consultants KPMG found that 27%-36% of the players in Portugal's Primeira Liga are owned by third-party investors, and the practice has "greatly increased" in Spain, particularly at financially struggling clubs. Such clubs argue that selling a share in a player to investors brings money up front and enables them to keep the player for longer, before sharing the proceeds with the investors when the player leaves. West Ham were ultimately fined £5.5m for not disclosing all the documents relating to the Tevez and Mascherano signings, and a series of court cases followed, before the Premier League clubs agreed to prohibit third-party ownership of their own players. In November 2012 Scudamore strongly lobbied Fifa to ban third-party ownership across world football, a stance with which Fifa's football committee, chaired by the Uefa president Michel Platini, agreed. Platini and Uefa have outspokenly condemned third-party ownership and promised to act if Fifa, which has commissioned studies on the practice, fails to ban it. In December, Platini said: "We cannot accept that players are owned by an agent or an entity, or financial institutions. It is hard to understand that footballers, who have battled so much to be independent of clubs, ending the old contract situation [with the 1995 Bosman ruling], are now controlled by third-party funds. I do not accept that. I am going to fight with all my strength against that." Fifa's rules prohibit "third-party influence" on clubs' employment and transfers, but still allow third-party investment. The two studies commissioned by Fifa are seeking all the facts about the practice, "integrity considerations", and the different regulations worldwide, before considering what to do. Uefa says European football transfers amounted to €3bn last summer, and of that, fully 30%, €900m, was paid to agents. Gianni Infantino, Uefa's general secretary, said that did not include more money going out to third parties, which he argues is a short-term, destructive fix to clubs' financial difficulties. Infantino pledged to "fight alone" and ban the practice in Europe if Fifa are too slow. "This situation cannot continue," he said. "What matters is that clubs have a stable future. Uefa takes issue with all investment funds related to third-party ownership of players, [where] for instance, 30% of the transfer fee goes to the agents. That's great for them, because they have worked well. But we have to have financial transparency, it must be clear where the money is going. It is a matter of integrity. "There are players and managers that belong to an investment fund and are at different clubs, clubs that are competing against each other. That endangers the integrity of football. Obviously everyone wants to earn money, but we have to protect the integrity of our game."       |
| Chelsea face tough questions Posted: 30 Jan 2014 11:04 AM PST Documents suggest Premier League club are working in partnership with José Mourinho's agent
• Why the Premier League banned 'third-party ownership' Chelsea Football Club appear to be involved in the funding of "third-party ownership" of players outside the Premier League, contrary to the Premier League's and Uefa's strong official condemnation of the practice. Company documents in the UK, Jersey and Ireland strongly suggest that Chelsea are working in partnership with José Mourinho's Portuguese agent Jorge Mendes, and the US company Creative Arts Agency, who buy "economic rights participation agreements" in footballers playing for other clubs outside the Premier League. Roman Abramovich's Chelsea appear to be partners in the Quality Sports Investments and Quality Football Ireland network of companies, which operate via a complicated series of companies and several different funds in the tax haven of Jersey, to buy a percentage of players' "economic rights". The QSI funds seek to cash in by making a profit when the players are sold, operating via companies in Ireland, where corporation tax is set at 12.5%. Peter Kenyon, the former Manchester United and Chelsea chief executive, who is now based in St Helier, Jersey, has been reported to have helped set up this Quality Sports Investments and Quality Football Ireland operation, with Mendes and CAA, shortly after he left Chelsea in 2010. Asked by the Guardian to confirm or deny their involvement, and to explain the purpose of the Jersey investment entity the club unquestionably owns and discuss any possible conflicts of interest, Chelsea declined to discuss any aspect of it. However, Chelsea sources indicated the club considers it is not breaching any rules. Chelsea's most recent annual accounts for 2012–13 state that the club, via one of its UK companies, Briskspring Ltd, owns a partnership registered in Jersey, Burnaby Investments LP. Until November 2012, this partnership was called Quality Sports III Investments LP. The Chelsea accounts say that the club's partner in Burnaby Investments LP is Burnaby GP Limited. Its country of registration is not specified, but there is no Burnaby GP in the UK or in Ireland. However, there is a Burnaby GP Limited registered in Jersey. Its most recent annual return, January 2013, discloses that it is jointly owned, 100 shares each, by CAA and Mendes's company, Gestifute International, which is registered in Ireland. So, Chelsea appear to have formed a partnership with CAA and Mendes, and formed Burnaby Investments LP in Jersey, which the Chelsea accounts describe as an "investment company". The accounts do not explain the kind of investment that Burnaby Investments LP in Jersey conducts, and the club declined to explain. However, company records suggest it is linked to a company buying and selling footballers' "economic rights": Burnaby Investments Ireland Ltd. Until its name was changed in November 2012, that company was called Quality Football Ireland III Ltd. This latter company, Burnaby Investments Ireland, stated in its financial accounts for the year to 31 December 2011 that "QSI III" had paid it a total of €10.5m. Of this money, Burnaby Investments Ireland spent €9.8m buying four "ERPAs," which are explained as players' "economic rights participation agreements", with two clubs. The accounts, stating that the money came from "QSI III", cover a period when Chelsea's partnership, Burnaby Investments LP in Jersey, was still called Quality Sports III Investments. Burnaby Investments Ireland Ltd's financial accounts for the following year, to 31 December 2012, covering the period after Chelsea's Quality Sports III Investments LP had changed its name to Burnaby Investments LP, state that the €10.5m had been received from "the LP". The shareholding of Burnaby Investments Ireland is held on trust "for charitable purposes" according to its accounts. Its directors are the Dublin-based accountants Rory Williams and Wendy Merrigan, who declined to answer any questions, including whether Chelsea are involved. The Quality Sports Investment and Quality Football Ireland network operates through at least 10 separate entities in Jersey: five general partnerships, GPs, and five limited partnerships, LPs. According to sources involved, QSI operates different funds, raising money separately for them. CAA, an agency which from its Los Angeles headquarters predominantly represents Hollywood actors and rock bands, is understood to have ventured into the lucrative world of football in 2010-11, and is involved with three players' "economic rights participation" funds. One of the companies, Quality Football Ireland Ltd, is 70% owned by CAA itself, with the other 30% equally owned by senior CAA directors Michael Levine, based in New York, and David O'Connor, in Los Angeles. The most recent accounts for this Irish company show that at 31 December 2012 it had £15m worth of "economic rights participation agreements", and that money moved between companies described as "QSI" and "QSI II". CAA declined to comment on their involvement with QSI or to confirm whether Chelsea had any involvement, but the agency is understood to be now seeking to sell its interests in this "economic rights" business. The QSI, Burnaby Investments Ireland and Quality Football Ireland operation does not publicly disclose which players' economic rights it has bought, nor the clubs they are playing for. However, the Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon does declare which of its players are owned by "third-party" funds. Sporting's most recent annual report, for the year to 30 June 2013, lists nine players whose economic rights were sold – in percentages ranging from 25% to 50% – to Quality Football Ireland Limited, Quality Football Ireland III (now renamed Burnaby Investments Ireland) Limited and Quality Football Fund Ireland Limited (which no longer exists in that name). These players included Ricky van Wolfswinkel, the Dutch striker now playing for Norwich City in the Premier League, after Sporting sold him last summer for £8.5m. The Sporting report shows that 50% of Van Wolfswinkel's economic rights were owned by the Quality Football Ireland companies – not specifying which one – which bought the 50% share for €2.5m. The Premier League has banned third-party ownership, which means Norwich's £8.5m payment had to buy out both Sporting's and Quality Football Ireland's half shares of Van Wolfswinkel. A Norwich City spokesman said: "We can confirm we were aware of third-party ownership of Ricky van Wolfswinkel … Accordingly we liaised with the Football Association to ensure that all third-party ownership issues were properly resolved prior to the player's transfer." The other Sporting Lisbon players listed as owned by the three Quality Football Ireland companies were the 20-year-old attacking midfielder Carlos Chaby (50% of his economic rights bought for €1m), 19-year-old striker Cristian Ponde (25% bought for €100,000), 20-year-old striker Diego Rubio (40% bought for €1.4m), 28-year-old Brazilian midfielder Elias Trindade (50% bought for €3.85m), the 26-year-old Argentinian midfield player Fabián Rinaudo (50% bought for €1.1m), whom Sporting sold earlier this month to Italian club Catania, 21-year-old midfielder João Mário, (25% bought for €400,000) sold on January 18 to Vitória Setúbal; 30-year-old Dutch midfielder Stjin Schaars (37.5% bought for €319,000), sold last summer to PSV Eindhoven for £850,000 and 19-year-old defender Tobias Figueiredo (50% bought for €1m). It is not possible to see from the publicly filed company documents whether Chelsea's money, or Burnaby Investments LP, its wholly owned Jersey partnership apparently with Mendes and CAA, directly funded purchasing the economic rights in these Sporting Lisbon players. Even if Chelsea did, and are indeed involved in buying and selling "economic rights participation agreements" of players at other clubs, they seem not to be breaking Premier League rules because none of their players are third-party owned. The Premier League banned "third-party ownership" of players at its clubs after the outcry over West Ham United's signing of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano in 2006 while the Argentinian stars' economic rights were still owned by two tax haven-registered companies. Richard Scudamore, the Premier League's chief executive, for whom the Tevez affair lengthened into a rocky saga of lawsuits and disciplinary proceedings – West Ham were fined £5.5m for failing to disclose all the contracts – is wholly opposed to third-party ownership. Uefa strongly agrees, and has, in alliance with Scudamore, lobbied Fifa to ban the practice. It is unclear if the Premier League ever considered the possibility that, despite having outlawed "third-party ownership" of players in English football, its clubs could be involved in third-party ownership of players in other leagues abroad. The Premier League declined to comment on Chelsea's apparent involvement. That Chelsea should be in partnership with Mendes and CAA in the Burnaby venture, without openly discussing it, raises many questions. One inference is that Chelsea could be seeking through this involvement to secure options over players at other clubs. Mendes and Kenyon worked closely together when, as the chief executive of United, Kenyon signed Mendes's clients Cristiano Ronaldo, Anderson and Nani. After he moved to Chelsea to spearhead Abramovich's multimillion pound desire for football trophies, Kenyon signed Mendes's players Deco, Ricardo Carvalho and Paulo Ferreira. Mendes's Gestifute company itself is known to buy players' economic rights as well as representing players, which means it receives a portion of the transfer fee when such a player is bought by another club. Most publicly, when Manchester United bought the Portuguese player Bébé in 2010, Gestifute had just days earlier bought 30% of the player's "economic rights" and begun representing him, Bébé having sacked his former agent Gonçalo Reis just before the United deal. Of the €9m United paid the Portuguese club Guimarães, Gestifute reportedly received €2.7m for the 30% "ownership" of Bébé, and were also paid a 10% agents fee: £3.6m in total although Mendes never confirmed these figures. The Guardian asked detailed questions about QSI, the Jersey and Irish companies and the apparent Chelsea involvement, of Mendes's company Gestifute and Kenyon. Like Chelsea, CAA and Williams, they declined to comment.       |
| 273. Samuel Eto'o, Chelsea Posted: 30 Jan 2014 11:00 AM PST Click to enlarge, and debate the strip below the line. Keith Hackett's verdict appears in Sunday's Observer and here from Monday. Competition: win an official club shirt of your choiceFor a chance to win a club shirt of your choice from the range at Kitbag.com send us your questions for You are the Ref to you.are.the.ref@observer.co.uk. The best scenario used in the new YATR strip each Sunday wins a shirt to the value of £50 from Kitbag. Terms & conditions apply. For more on the fifty year history of You Are The Ref, click here.       |
| Leeds in disarray as takeover fails Posted: 30 Jan 2014 09:52 AM PST • Sport Capital pulls out despite agreeing to 75% stake
• Cagliari's Massimo Cellino reported to be interested The takeover of Leeds United by the consortium Sport Capital has collapsed owing to a lack of "financial backing", leaving the club's future unresolved and uncertain amid speculation that two separate groups remain interested in the Championship side. The Leeds managing director and head of the Sport Capital consortium, David Haigh, released a statement on Thursday afternoon conceding that it was unable to complete a deal despite two months ago agreeing to purchase a 75% stake in the club from the owners Gulf Finance House, the Bahrain-based investment bank. Haigh claimed he and Sport Capital had "injected substantial sums into the club to ensure its viability" but earlier in the week fellow consortium member Andrew Flowers, the managing director of Leeds' shirt sponsor Enterprise Insurance, stated that GFH had "breached their covenant with us" after inviting a rival bid from Massimo Cellino, the president of the Serie A club Cagliari. Cellino has been strongly linked with a takeover although another consortium are also reportedly interested in securing a majority shareholding in the club, who are on a dreadful run and without a victory since mid-December. Haigh's statement, released on his personal website and claiming he had been the victim of smear campaigns, read: "We [Sport Capital] signed a share acquisition agreement with GFH Capital at the end of last year. This meant, I believed, that we were in a position to move things forward and complete the transaction in time for the January transfer window. "Unfortunately, however, some of the consortium's backers ultimately didn't feel able to deliver the financial backing we had hoped was agreed to take the club forward. "I have met many, many potential investors over the past year and, sadly, while many are keen to talk the talk, they have been unable or unwilling to deliver in financial terms." Haigh, part of the GFH Capital group that bought the club from Ken Bates in 2012, has seen Leeds sign the wingers Jimmy Kébé (Crystal Palace) and Cameron Stewart (Hull City) on loan this month, although they pulled out of a move for Brighton's Ashley Barnes, with the striker signing for Burnley instead. GFH Capital issued a statement after Haigh, saying: "GFH Capital can confirm that we are in continual discussions regarding the introduction of new investment into Leeds United."       |
| Newcastle without Loïc Rémy for Tyne-Wear derby after appeal fails Posted: 30 Jan 2014 09:47 AM PST • Striker had appealed against red card shown at Norwich
• Rémy will miss games against Sunderland, Chelsea and Spurs The Newcastle United striker Loïc Rémy will sit out the derby match with Sunderland after failing in a bid to have his sending-off at Norwich overturned. The Magpies lodged an appeal against the 27-year-old's dismissal along with the Canaries midfielder Bradley Johnson after the pair clashed late in Tuesday night's 0-0 Premier League draw at Carrow Road. However, while Johnson's own effort to clear his name was upheld, Rémy's fell on deaf ears and he will now miss the league games against the Black Cats, Chelsea and Tottenham. A Football Association statement said: "An independent regulatory commission heard two claims of wrongful dismissal today both in relation to the Norwich City versus Newcastle United game on Tuesday. "The claim involving Norwich's Bradley Johnson was upheld, meaning his three-match suspension is withdrawn. "The claim involving Newcastle's Loïc Rémy was dismissed, therefore his three-match suspension remains with immediate effect. Both players had been dismissed for violent conduct." Although the news was not unexpected, it will come as a blow to manager Alan Pardew, who is also likely to be without injured duo Yoan Gouffran and Papiss Cissé as he attempts to avoid a third successive derby defeat.       |
| Science’s transfer market Posted: 30 Jan 2014 09:45 AM PST |
| Franck Ribéry and Karim Benzema acquittal 'extremely moving', says lawyer – video Posted: 30 Jan 2014 09:06 AM PST |
| Romelu Lukaku to return 'in a few weeks', says Everton manager - video Posted: 30 Jan 2014 08:56 AM PST |
| Why not treat scientists like footballers? | Daniel Zeichner Posted: 30 Jan 2014 08:55 AM PST |
| West Ham's Sam Allardyce to Chelsea manager: 'hard luck, José' - video Posted: 30 Jan 2014 08:53 AM PST |
| Notfootball | The Fiver Posted: 30 Jan 2014 08:52 AM PST Click here to have the Fiver sent to your inbox every weekday at 5pm, or if your usual copy has stopped arriving TROUBLED WATERSLet's start with a riddle, The Fiver likes riddles. Who doesn't like riddles? OK, here goes: When is football not football? When it's notfootball. Yesterday, Manchester City annihilated Tottenham Hotspur (again). In so doing, they played with magnificent, uplifting attacking verve and invention, delivering the kind of performance that every supporter is desperate to see from their team. This is football. Yesterday, Manchester City published their latest financial accounts. In so doing, they revealed a loss of £52m. Though The Fiver is not one for mathematics, it is able to deduce that 52,000,000 is a big number, and is smaller than 97,900,000, the amount of English pounds lost by the club last year. And this difference – 45,900,000 – was achieved despite a huge payment made to the sacked former manager Roberto Mancini, and a wage bill rising from £201.7m to £233.1m. Football fans having to hear, know and care about this is notfootball. And there's more: City's turnover increased too, by nearly £40m, such that the club can now expect to satisfy Uefa's financial fair play conditions. These stipulate a limit for permitted losses – or, put another way, ensure that no other club can "do a City", the ringfence already protecting the wealthiest clubs now electrified. This is notfootball. Recently, City purchased New York City FC and Melbourne Heart, two clubs whom, along with Manchester City Ladies FC, recently acquired from them £22.45m's worth of "intellectual property", effectively children paying their father for the privilege of surname use. "The structure is designed to ensure that each of these entities can draw upon the world-class football and commercial capabilities that exist within the City family," reckons Ferran Sorriano, the City chief executive. "Selling nebulous things they own to other things they own, when the average football fan would think there is no reason not to give them away for free," reckons the Fiver. This is notfootball. The problem is that notfootball precedes football. Old Sheikho Mansoury was not suddenly captured by reverie and captivated by tales of Trautman, Bell, Baker and bananas. Rather, Manchester City, a proud club with a proud history, are now the public relations arm of an oil emirate, because nothing in the world relates to the public better than football – even when it's notfootball. For City supporters, their current supremacy is the reward for decades of failure and abuse. They have suffered for their success, worked for it and deserve it, even – but they have not earned it. They should not have to ask themselves moral questions when simply trying to enjoy football, but moral questions cannot be avoided. This is notfootball. And yet. And yet, without the artificial stimulus of obscene wealth, Manchester United may well have won the last seven Premier League titles. This too would constitute notfootball. And yet. And yet, money from Abu Dhabi has been and is being spent on regenerating east Manchester, positive social change brought about through means of Manchester City. This is football. And yet. And yet, migrant workers in Abu Dhabi, brought in the by the same government so keen to regenerate east Manchester, live in appalling poverty, in appalling conditions, working for appalling wages. This is notfootball. Let's end with a riddle, The Fiver likes riddles. Who doesn't like riddles? OK, here goes: When is notfootball not notfootball? Never. QUOTE OF THE DAY1 June, 2011: "That history that West Ham have I am very well aware of and we will play the West Ham way with the players we have got to achieve the ultimate, and that's winning football matches" – Sam Allardyce promises to uphold the values of The Academy Of Football on his arrival at West Ham. 29 January, 2014: "He can't take it, can he? He can't take it because we've out-tactic-ed him, outwitted him. He just can't cope. He told me that, but he can tell me all he wants. I don't give a s***e, to be honest. I love to see Chelsea players moaning at the referee, trying to intimidate him, José jumping up and down in his technical area. It's great to see" – Sam Allardyce, who once claimed José Mourinho copied his formation, defends tactics that led to Chelsea having 39 attempts at goal and West Ham having just one. 30 January, 2014: "I looked at the styles of play of the two teams we are talking about and the way in which Everton play is more of a passing side and the style of Everton suited my technical ability" – new Everton striker and West Ham target Lacina Traoré reveals that Big Sam's chickens are now roosting comfortably at home. FIVER LETTERS"Regarding José's 19th century rant. Does Jonathan Wilson's excellent Inverting The Pyramid not suggest 19th century football usually consisted of everyone playing five up front? Though I'm sure a Black and Decker would have still come in useful" – Tom Kelly. "Re. yesterday's Fiver: 'Still, at least Tim hasn't presided over the horror show that was their hammering and tonking at the hands of tonight's opponents, Manchester City'. Well done, Fiver. Well done" – Matt Byron. "Following Arsenal's new kit deal, and the concerns expressed by Eddie Fitzgerald in yesterday's Fiver Letters, I'm happy to report that Monsieur Wenger can rest easy" – Kyle Barber (and 1,057 others). "Why the obsession with steam? The Fiver ran out of it a long time ago" – Paul Reeve. • Send your letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. And if you've nothing better to do you can also tweet the Fiver. Today's winner of our prizeless letter o' the day is: Tom Kelly. JOIN GUARDIAN SOULMATESWe keep trying to point out the utter futility of advertising an online dating service "for interesting people" in the Fiver to the naive folk who run Guardian Soulmates, but they still aren't having any of it. So here you go – sign up here to view profiles of the kind of erudite, sociable and friendly romantics who would never dream of going out with you. BITS AND BOBSArsenal's Aaron Ramsey has signed a new contract … with Elite Models. "At this moment in time I wouldn't want to do any shoots with my kit off," he pouted, adding: "Obviously football is my main focus". Adel Taarabt has joined Milan on loan who, presumably, have not seen his backhanded snub of them in 2012: "If I joined Milan, then it would open up the doors for me to great clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona." Fulham, meanwhile, have borrowed Stuttgart's William Kvist for a bit. Worth reading twice dept: Manchester United's Ashley Young has been banned from driving for six months. Norwich are in talks with Fenerbahce over a loan deal for defender Joseph Yobo, 64. Frank Ribéry and Karim Benzema have been acquitted on charges of soliciting an underage pr0stitute. West Ham have signed Abdul Razak despite Big Sam's assertion just three days ago that "I don't see us doing any more business". STILL WANT MORE?DOWNLOAD FOOTBALL WEEKLY EXTRA! DOWNLOAD FOOTBALL WEEKLY EXTRA! DOWNLOAD FOOTBALL WEEKLY EXTRA! DOWNLOAD FOOTBALL WEEKLY EXTRA! DOWNLOAD FOOTBALL WEEKLY EXTRA! DOWNLOAD FOOTBALL WEEKLY EXTRA! DOWNLOAD FOOTBALL WEEKLY EXTRA!. Sid Lowe on Spain's unemployed XI: out-of-contract players offered a chance to impress in a one-off friendly against CSKA Moscow. In this week's Classic YouTube: the referee who ditched his yellow cards so he could only dole out reds. The best players in Europe, according to the Sport Network. Why shouldn't managers park the bus? Have your say here. You win nowt pretending to know about football, reckons Sachin Nakrani much to The Fiver's consternation. Oh, and if it's your thing, you can follow Big Website on Big Social FaceSpace. SIGN UP TO THE FIVERWant your very own copy of our free tea-timely(ish) email sent direct to your inbox? Has your regular copy stopped arriving? Click here to sign up.       |
| Football Weekly Extra: Manchester City underline title intent with Spurs rout Posted: 30 Jan 2014 08:44 AM PST On today's Football Weekly Extra, James Richardson is joined by the unholy trinity of Barry Glendenning, Amy Lawrence and Rafa Honigstein to look back on an spectacular midweek round of Premier League action. We start at White Hart Lane, where Manchester City underlined their title intent with a terrifying 5-1 defeat of Spurs. With Arsenal drawing at Southampton and Chelsea failing to get round Sam Allardyce's 19th century footballing masterplan, City are back on top. Next up at the Etihad are Chelsea, which should be interesting. Next, we look at the race for fourth place. Liverpool remain in pole position after smashing Everton 4-0 in the Merseyside derby, but perhaps Manchester United can now make a fight of it, especially now that Robin van Persie is back. Finally, we talk transfers - yes you, Julian Draxler - and look forward to the weekend's Tyne-Wear derby and Inter's clash with Juventus.       |
| Berbatov set to leave Fulham Posted: 30 Jan 2014 08:27 AM PST • Club hope to sign Olympiakos striker for €13m
• Deal could allow Bulgarian to leave Craven Cottage Dimitar Berbatov's Fulham future is uncertain and he stands to make a deadline day move if the club were to sign the centre-forward they are chasing. René Meulensteen, the manager, has made Kostas Mitroglou of Olympiakos his top target while he has Ajax's Kolbeinn Sigthorsson as his back-up plan. Berbatov, whose contract expires in June, has attracted the interest of Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, among other clubs, and his situation is delicate as Friday night's transfer deadline approaches. The 32-year-old has moped in recent weeks after his agent, Emil Dantchev, went public at the beginning of last month over the striker's desire to get a January move from Craven Cottage. Fulham are of the opinion that Berbatov can leave but only if they were able to sign a suitable replacement. The club's owner, Shahid Khan, fearful of the prospect of relegation from the Premier League, is prepared to release £15m-£20m for Meulensteen to spend on reinforcing the squad. Fulham have made two unsuccessful offers for Mitroglou, the Greece international, of €10m and €12m, with Olympiakos holding out for €15m. Fulham hope to reach a compromise at around €13m. Mitroglou, 25, was available last year for just £4m but his value has increased on the back of his prolific form this season. He has 14 goals in 12 league appearances plus three in five Champions League ties – all three of them coming in the 3-0 group stage win at Anderlecht. Olympiakos face Manchester United in the last 16. Sigthorsson, the 23-year-old Iceland international, is less prolific and he has scored only seven league goals so far this season for Ajax. But Meulensteen rates him and he believes that he could represent value at €10m. Berbatov enjoyed two seasons at Tottenham from 2006 before he left under acrimonious circumstances for Manchester United. It would be a sensation were he to return to White Hart Lane but Tottenham do need another striker, with Jermain Defoe set to join Toronto FC at the end of February. The manager Tim Sherwood has Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldado but he favours playing with two up front. There was interest in Berbatov from Arsenal at the end of last month and Fulham mooted the idea of taking Nicklas Bendtner in a part-exchange deal, featuring a cash adjustment. Bendtner is also out of contract in the summer. But the Dane was injured on New Year's Day as he scored a crucial goal for Arsenal against Cardiff City and he has only just returned to fitness. Berbatov is famously self-assured and one possible complication over a move for him would be his desire for guaranteed playing minutes. Fulham, who have cooled their interest in West Ham United's Ravel Morrison, have signed the 28-year-old Denmark midfielder William Kvist from Stuttgart on loan for the rest of the season. They have the option to make the deal permanent in the summer. Meulensteen also wants the Tottenham attacking midfielder Lewis Holtby.       |
| Liverpool hope to expand Anfield Posted: 30 Jan 2014 08:09 AM PST • Club hope to complete work on expanded Main Stand by 2018
• Reds also hope to redevelop Anfield Road Stand Liverpool hope to submit plans to redevelop Anfield before the end of the season and complete work on an expanded Main Stand before 2018, according to the latest regeneration proposal for the area. A document entitled the Anfield Spatial Regeneration Framework (SRF) was released on Thursday, giving more details on Liverpool's stadium scheme, plus the city council's attempt to improve housing and job prospects in Anfield. The SRF will be considered by the council on 7 February and, if the draft is approved, a four-week public consultation will take place before it can be officially adopted by the council in April. Liverpool intend to apply for planning permission to expand the Main Stand and Anfield Road Stand, although the city council has still to acquire four houses – owned by two people – that would need to be demolished as part of the plan. Deals have been agreed for 67 of the 71 properties affected by the stadium plans and compulsory purchase orders could be served on the remaining four houses by the end of February. CPOs, however, are considered a last resort and could potentially cause a delay of at least 12 months. While Liverpool will seek planning permission to expand two sides of Anfield, the SRF draft mentions that "subject to residents' support and planning approval, the club would wish to expand its Main Stand, followed by potential redevelopment of its Anfield Road stand". The club would initially focus on a complex expansion of its Main Stand before deciding on the viability of following suit at the Anfield Road end. While no designs are included in the SRF, it is understood Liverpool intend to build "up and over" the existing Main Stand, partially demolish the existing structure, and finally join the old and new stands together. It is projected there will be no reduction in Anfield's matchday capacity while work is under way. "The stadium is expected to be a landmark not only for the Anfield area but representing the Liverpool city on a global stage," the SRF reads. "Therefore the highest quality of design is required." The SRF also reveals plans for a "96 Avenue" in honour of those who died at Hillsborough. The "wide, high-quality" avenue would run behind the new Main Stand between Stanley Park and Walton Breck Road and "would be a major focal point for the area". Liverpool have held discussions about a possible relocation of the Hillsborough Memorial with representatives of the families. The Memorial may have to be moved during construction work and the aim, according to the SRF, is to have "an area of quiet contemplation and reflection for the Hillsborough Memorial".       |
| Arsenal suffer Draxler blow as Schalke rule out transfer Posted: 30 Jan 2014 08:06 AM PST • 'Club convinced midfielder will not leave in January or beyond'
• Arsenal had sent chief negotiator to Germany to agree a deal Schalke say that Julian Draxler will not leave them to join Arsenal, or anybody else, before Friday's transfer deadline, with the German club's sporting director, Horst Heldt, saying that he expected the attacking midfielder to stay beyond the summer, too. Arsenal have been interested in signing Draxler and their chief transfer negotiator, Dick Law, has been in Germany for talks with Schalke. The London club had the feeling that their chances of a deal for the 20-year-old, who is rated as one of Germany's hottest prospects, would be better in the summer but Law's presence for the face-to-face negotiations reflected Arsenal's desire to explore the possibility during the current window. Arsenal, though, have always had concerns about Schalke's valuation of the player, whether shaped by his £37m buyout clause or the inflated January market. Heldt said that the clause was not currently valid and the market would decide the player's value while Draxler is on record as saying that the clause would apply again in the summer. Over and above any confusion, Arsenal had hoped that there could be room for manoeuvre with Schalke. There has seemingly not been enough this month. "We are happy to have such a world-class player in our lines and I am very convinced that Draxler will be playing for us in the Rückrunde [second half of the season] but, most probably, beyond that," Heldt said. "We are not interested in letting Julian leave and he has also not approached us about a transfer. "Of course, there are always other clubs interested in him and should someone make a serious offer for him, then we as a club have to professionally consider that. That does not only apply to Julian Draxler but to every other player." On the buyout clause, Heldt added: "That agreement was only in place for last year. From now on, the transfer fee is up for negotiation." Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, must balance the final day of the transfer window with his preparations for Sunday's Premier League game at home to Crystal Palace and he confirmed that Aaron Ramsey's injury setback did not "look too good". Ramsey aggravated the thigh strain that he suffered at West Ham United on Boxing Day when he returned to training this week and he has been ruled out for at least a fortnight, meaning he will miss the league games against Palace, Liverpool and Manchester United, plus the FA Cup tie at Liverpool. He also stands to be a doubt for the Champions League last 16 first-leg tie against Bayern Munich on 19 February. But Wenger's bulletin sounded even more worrying. "Ramsey will be out for longer because he had a setback and it doesn't look too good," Wenger said. "It is a matter of some weeks for him." There was better news on Jack Wilshere, who missed Tuesday's 2-2 draw at Southampton with ankle trouble. "For Sunday, he will be short but he has a chance to be available for the week after at Liverpool," Wenger said. "We have no [new] problems apart from Mathieu Flamini's suspension. We could have Tomas Rosicky back for Sunday. He had problems after surgery on his nose."       |
| Tottenham to appeal against Danny Rose's red card against Manchester City Posted: 30 Jan 2014 07:38 AM PST • Defender was sent off in penalty incident during 5-1 defeat
• Rose clearly won ball in challenge with Edin Dzeko Tottenham are set to appeal against the red card shown to Danny Rose in Wednesday night's 5-1 Premier League defeat at home to Manchester City. The 23-year-old was sent off by Andre Marriner after the referee awarded a penalty following Rose's challenge on Edin Dzeko, although replays suggested the Spurs full-back got a touch to the ball. The hosts were losing 1-0 before the spot-kick, which was despatched by Yaya Touré, before City went on to score three more goals - with Etienne Capoue grabbing a consolation for Tim Sherwood's side. The assistant referee Scott Ledger flagged for the foul, with Marriner originally having signalled for a corner before siding with his colleague and pointing to the spot – with Rose dismissed as a result. Sherwood, the Tottenham head coach, suggested after the game that he was considering lodging an appeal against the decision, with Rose currently ruled out of clashes with Hull, Everton and Newcastle. "I think Andre got it right in the first place when he called it as a corner," Sherwood said. "Unfortunately for us, the linesman decided that Andre got it wrong and he's given a penalty there. I think Danny's making a last-ditch tackle so he's having to lunge in there a bit. He clearly wins the ball – I think we will appeal." City moved top of the Premier League courtesy of the win, and their manager Manuel Pellegrini was at odds with Sherwood's views of Marriner's decision. "If you ask me, it was a clear penalty and a clear red card because he was the last man," the City boss said. "The sending-off was not the thing that changed the game. The game was over and completed from the beginning for our team."       |
Posts
