Borussia Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski has discussed a summer move to Manchester United, according to his agent.
The Red Devils have been tracking the Polish international for some time, and are believed to be keen to bring him to the Premier League in the near future.
Reports have emerged recently that the 24-year-old is set to leave Dortmund, after turning down an extension to his current contract, which is set to expire at the end of next season.
As well as United, Bayern Munich are said to be highly interested in the man who has become one of the hottest properties in the Bundesliga.
His agent, Cezary Kucharski, revealed that his client is likely to move on this summer, and that discussions have taken place with United:
“Yes, it is true; I have spoken to Bayern and Manchester United.” He is quoted by The Metro.
Despite having Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck, as well as loanees Federico Macheda, Bebe and Angelo Henriquez, on his books, United boss Sir Alex Ferguson is still keen on drafting in Lewandowski.
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Although he is widely regarded as one f the top striker in Europe, he would likely be available for around £10m, with Dortmund keen to sell whilst they can still receive a solid fee for his services.
Irrespective of where QPR end up next season, Joey Barton is expecting to make his loan move to Marseille a permanent deal.
The controversial midfielder has been on loan at the French club for the entire season and he is loving life in France and says an agreement between the two sides is already in place.
Barton, who was handed a 12-match ban for his actions on the final day of last season at Manchester City, tweeted: “It’s not up to QPR if I stay. [There is an] agreement already in place for me to stay.
“I’m loving life in France. Loving Marseille. They love me.
“I can’t see QPR wanting me on the wage bill in the Championship.
“All I want to do is give everything for this football club [Marseille]. They backed me when nobody else did. For that I will be eternally grateful. This club is now in my blood, its impossible to get it out.”
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Not since 2001, during Glenn Hoddles time in charge, have Southampton won four straight Premier League games. In fact such a feat was considered unthinkable when they entered the top-flight arena guided by the steady hand of former manager Nigel Adkins. And while the club was largely chastised in the wake of his surprise dismissal it ultimately proved a shrewd decision. After a shaky start in the formative days of his tenure the Saints have hit stride under Mauricio Pochettino’s guidance. The Argentine has won rave reviews for the brand of football employed at St Mary’s with summer signing Jay Rodriguez, who has three goals in as many games, just one player benefitting from the changes instilled since his arrival. Pochettino now stands just one victory away from securing top-flight football for another year and will urge his side to make home advantage count.
The same can be said for West Ham who are locked on 37 points and sit a place behind Southampton in the table with a game in hand. The Hammers have enjoyed a positive run of late with victories over Stoke and West Brom, a defeat at Chelsea sandwiched in between, followed by an encouraging goalless draw at Liverpool last Sunday. That seven-point haul has pushed them closer to survival and eased any lingering relegation worries although manager Sam Allardyce still refuses to enter contract discussions until his side reach the 40-point safety net. And it’s difficult to blame Allardyce for leaving nothing to chance, given West Ham’s inconsistency this season. Not since March 2011 have they recorded back-to-back Premier League wins and have departed the South Coast empty handed on nine of their last 10 visits.
Team News
Luke Shaw, Jason Puncheon and Jay Rodriguez are all doubts for Southampton after coming down with a virus during the week. Other than that Mauricio Pochettino has a fully fit squad to choose from.
Andy Carroll is back for West Ham after he was ineligible for the game against parent club Liverpool. Midfield duo Joe Cole (hamstring) and Mark Noble (shoulder) are out as are defenders Winston Reid (hip) and George McCartney (knee).
What the managers said…
“I do not think it is something far-fetched if both Rickie and Jay are playing for England, as they have done really well recently. I think Jay has developed a lot in a football sense and I think he has great potential. He has a lot more to develop and has not reached his peak. He has more to give. To be able to play in the national side, you need more than just two months of playing well. If he is able to do that, than he is able to play internationally, for sure.” Mauricio Pochettino backs Rickie Lambert and Jay Rodriguez to earn England call-ups (Daily Mirror)
“We may (have to) sneak the points total up maybe one or two more, but I certainly think 40 now is definitely going to be good enough. Wigan have put a run together, Southampton have put a run together, Aston Villa have done it. I thought probably 38 but if you’re going to be absolutely (sure), we’re going to still go to the golden 40 aren’t we.” Sam Allardyce is confident West Ham will hit the magic 40-point mark (Sky Sports)
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Pre-Match Statistic: West Ham have lost each of the 10 away games in which they’ve fallen behind – the only Premier League team to do so.
Prediction: Southampton 2-1 West Ham United
Make your bets ahead of the showdown at St Mary’s by clicking on the banner below
Brendan Rodgers is close to finishing his first season in charge of Liverpool, in his long term bid to bring success back to Anfield. With a 6th place finish above neighbours Everton still a slim possibility, the Reds will need to keep pushing to have any hope of finishing higher than 7th place in the Premier League. Despite being led in attack by Luis Suarez, who has got 22 league goals this season, Liverpool’s English contingent have shown a massive improvement under the Northern Irishman’s reign.
Captain fantastic Steven Gerrard has once again been a key figure at the club, playing every single minute of Liverpool’s 33 league games so far, without showing a sign of fatigue. Fast approaching his 33rd birthday, Gerrard has scored nine goals this season, as well as assisting nine for his team mates to score too, and has arguably had his best campaign in the last three years. His Scouse team mate Jamie Carragher has also raised his game this season. Despite many thinking the soon to retire defender was too slow, the Liverpool legend has featured in over half of the Reds’ Premier League matches this season. In a sudden burst of form that has led to fans calling for the centre-back to delay his retirement, Carragher looks set to bow out on a high note.
Staying in defence, Glen Johnson has enjoyed a strong season with the club once more, despite at times having to play at left-back instead of his preferred position on the right hand side. Missing just two league games all season, the former Chelsea defender has been a key part to Rodgers’ defensive set up this year. Along with Johnson, midfielder Jordan Henderson has dramatically improved this season under the management of Brendan Rodgers. Henderson struggled in his first year at the club last year, but since being brought in to replace the unpopular Joe Allen midway through the campaign, the 22-year-old has started to show fans why Liverpool paid £16million for his potential.
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Stewart Downing is another 2011 signing that has enjoyed a sudden change of fortunes at the club. A further player who was highly criticised in his first season at Anfield, Downing has noticeably improved as this league campaign has progressed for Brendan Rodgers. Despite fierce competition for his place, Downing has reacted strongly to the threat of being sold by the club. Fighting for Stewart Downing’s place in the team has been Raheem Sterling, who has burst onto the Premier League stage with speed and trickery. Set to miss the rest of the season due to injury and fatigue, Sterling could play a major part for Rodgers next season.
Finally, new signing Daniel Sturridge is only four months into his Liverpool career, yet already has four Premier League goals in a red shirt. Scoring three in his first three games in all competitions, Sturridge has given signs to fans that he could be a great addition to the team, after a tough time at Chelsea. With Liverpool youngsters Jonjo Shelvey, Martin Kelly and Jack Robinson all tasting first team action this season as well, Liverpool’s English talent can be happy with their progress this season. Mixed with the foreign flair of Coutinho and Suarez, and the strong defence of Daniel Agger and Lucas, The Reds could be in a great position to push for a top five place next season and a place in one of the European competitions.
Rodgers could be set to add more British talent to the squad in the summer too. The Daily Mirror have reported that the Reds are interested in signing Manchester City wing-back Micah Richards. But is there any need for Richards? With Johnson and Enrique doing well for the team this season, and with young English talents Martin Kelly, Jack Robinson and John Flanagan all progressing in the youth academy, there seems little room for Richards to fit in. But with Johnson’s ability to play left-back, Rodgers may see Richards as a good player to compete with the English wing-back and Enrique for a starting place, with Johnson able to cover for the Spanish left-back if needed. Although it would seriously hinder the progress of the youth cover for the Reds, at just 24-years-old, Richards has plenty of time and potential to grow.
But is there need for English talent greater than that? The argument for is to bring the club right back to its roots, such as when Rodgers restored the traditional ‘This is Anfield’ sign in his first week at the club. With the mind frame of Liverpool’s successful history, with the young, British talent that can keep progressing, Rodgers may find fame and success.
However, some fans will demand a mixture of British and foreign players. Talented forwards such as Coutinho and Suarez have a flair that is rarely seen in English players, and although attacking midfielder Gareth Bale is only five goals short of Suarez in the Premier League this season, the highest ranked British striker is Rickie Lambert with 14 goals. An impressive total, but eight short of the Uruguayan’s. And there aren’t many supporters who would rather swap Lucas for an English defensive midfielder. The Brazilian is extremely popular in The Kop, due to his work rate and willingness to tackle players instead of attacking. And after Liverpool lost Xabi Alonso due to Benitez’s desire to sign Gareth Barry, the Anfield faithful will be defiant in keeping Lucas.
It’s great to see so much home-grown talent on offer at a competitive club like Liverpool. Especially compared to clubs like Arsenal, who only have five British players in their main Premier League squad that aren’t on loan, or Chelsea who only have seven players in theirs.
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But with the Premier League being one of the top leagues in the world, clubs battling with Liverpool are going to look across the globe for the best talent available. The Reds have a fantastic amount of home grown talent, but should only add to that with players that are needed. If a Spaniard can do a better job than an Englishman, then bring the Spaniard in.
Richards could be a great signing for the Reds, but that doesn’t mean Rodgers should only sign players from the British Isles. Liverpool should keep what they have, but bring in the best players available for the needed position, not just because they’re flying the flag for homegrown talent.
Dimitar Berbatov has handed Fulham a boost by claiming that he is happy at the club despite reports linking him with a move to Monaco.
The 32-year-old Bulgarian hitman has enjoyed a successful debut season with the Cottagers following last summer’s move from Manchester United.
However, having notched 15 goals for the Londoners, big-spending French Ligue 1 new boys Monaco amongst other clubs have earmarked Berbatov as a summer transfer target.
Cottagers boss Martin Jol has always maintained that he wants to keep Berbatov at Craven Cottage and now the player has admitted that he has no desire to depart.
Speaking to the Bulgarian media after scoring two goals in a charity matched staged in honour of his former international team-mate Stiliyan Petrov, who announced his retirement from football earlier this month as he continues to fight against leukemia, Berbatov said: “I love England, people respect me there. It’s one of the best leagues in Europe. We’ll see what will happen, but I am happy in Fulham under Martin Jol.
“Monaco is a nice place, I haven’t been there yet, but we’ll see.”
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West Ham boss Sam Allardyce has confirmed that midfielder Alou Diarra is expected to miss the rest of the season with a cruciate ligament injury, as reported by Sky Sports.
The French international, who joined the Hammers last summer, failed to make much of an impact at Upton Park last season and was sent on loan to Rennes in January where he made ten appearances.
However the holding midfielder had been a key player for Allardyce in pre-season and appeared to have forced his way into the first team squad with two appearances already this season before being stretched off against Cheltenham in midweek.
The 32 year old may have played his final game for the Hammers however as Allardyce fears his season may be over with the terrible injury and his contract is up at the end of the season.
“Alou Diarra got injured the other night and is not involved in the squad,” Allardyce said.
“It’s more serious than we expected and it looks like an ACL reconstruction, unfortunately.
“That will probably finish his season, that is a big blow to us in squad terms. He was hoping to forge his way into the side this season but, obviously with the injury, now that won’t be the case.”
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Manchester City secured their spot in the Capital One Cup semi-finals with a 3-1 victory over Leicester City.
The Foxes headed into the tie in optimistic mood, with the prospect of a cup upset on the cards. However, it took just eight minutes for the Premier League side to find the back of the net courtesy of an Aleksandar Kolarov free-kick. The Serbian – who has been a peripheral figure at the Etihad Stadium – has a reputation for his set-piece prowess, and certainly delivered as his 30-yeard effort sailed past Kasper Schmeichel and into the top corner.
From then on the Sky Blues were on top in the clash, with the Championship side’s goalkeeper called into action on a number of occasions to keep the score down.
But, there was little he could do in the 41st minute to prevent Edin Dzeko from doubling City’s advantage. The Bosnian ace – one of a number of changes from his side’s 6-3 thumping of Arsenal over the weekend – nodded home from close range from a James Milner cross.
The second-half began in much the same fashion as the first ended, with Dzeko needing just over five minutes to notch his second of the game. He once again latched onto a ball from Milner to drill home from just inside the penalty area.
However, Manuel Pellegrini’s men didn’t have it all their own way, with Lloyd Dyer pulling one back for Leicester. The winger’s effort took a deflection off of Vincent Kompany on its way into the net, leaving Joe Hart helpless.
The 31-year-old’s effort was not enough to set up a barnstorming finish though, as City eased to victory.
One obvious downside for Pellegrini was Pablo Zabaleta’s injury. The Argentine limped off in the first-half with what appeared to be a hamstring problem, and will join compatriot Sergio Aguero on the sidelines for the hectic Christmas schedule.
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The result puts City in the pot for the semi-finals with Sunderland, who beat Chelsea, while Tottenham v West Ham, Manchester United v Stoke this evening will decide the two remaining slots.
Our inability to develop youth in this country is becoming a topic of increasingly painful debate. Too many clubs simply don’t have the required calibre of footballer within their academy systems, but what is frustrating for a club like Manchester United is their apparent ability to let their very best young stars leave.
The Premier League club seem to have had a wealth of young stars in their youth system; many of which should by now have graduated and made it at the highest level. In fact many of these players are making it at the highest level, just not at Manchester United. A club that now appear to be stretched in the post-Ferguson era, where has this pool of talent to fall back on gone?
Gerard Pique and Paul Pogba are two of the bigger names among a clutch of talents to leave the Theatre of Dreams in recent years. Current star Patrice Evra has already voiced his own concerns at this worrying pattern emerging at his club, discussing the Pogba sale:
“His [Pogba’s] talent on the pitch, his aggression, his presence, is very rare,” Evra said in an interview with French TV station TF1.
“He very quickly earned the respect of players like Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes. It’s true that have you have to win over the manager too, but to have won the dressing room like he did [was impressive]. It was truly a huge loss when he left the club.”
In most cases players have left because of a lack of first team opportunity, with Ferguson ultimately preferring to play second string players as cover rather than a potential future star. This phenomenon seems ridiculous, how can a club like Juventus who arguably have a stronger squad be able to incorporate Pogba and United not?
United are beginning to look foolish as the players they let slip fast begin to realise their potential. With a pair of ageing centre halves, how the Manchester club would now yearn for a Gerard Pique back at their disposal now.
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The problem may be stark at United, but it is a worrying trend emerging at a number of top English clubs. Too often we are content to play experienced players out of position rather than give youth a chance, a decision we may soon live to regret.
With youth players the nature of their contracts mean that clubs must impress players as much they the must the club. Many of the stars to exit Old Trafford have been for nominal sums towards the end of players’ contracts, owing to fallouts and general disagreements in many cases. Pogba voiced his discontent in a recent interview with TF1 stating a 3-2 defeat to Blackburn was really the final straw:
“I said to Ferguson: ‘Play me, and I will show you if I’m ready or not.’
“Against Blackburn, on December 31, 2011, I was on the bench. Ferguson puts Rafael in midfield with Ji Sung Park. Then I gave up. I was really bummed.”
For all his successes Ferguson in his later years was rarely the great cultivator of talent that United needed, often much too content with what he had already than to look towards the future. You could call him shortsighted towards the end, and in David Moyes they may well again have a manager who is frustratingly averse to youth development.
Everton fans will often harp on about Moyes’ inability to bring through youth; often happy to play with the experience he has rather than to go out on a limb for a younger talent. The meteoric rise of Ross Barkley is as much down to the change in manager as it is in the player himself, a serious worry for United fans hoping for something different going forward.
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Fans may well have been frustrated with the lack of summer spending and seemingly directionless approach to the market. That said for me this issue of youth development is a much more concerning one. Pundits have suggested United are maybe 3 or 4 players short of where they should be to challenge both domestically and continentally. If they still had the likes of Pique, Pogba, Morrison and to a lesser extent Fryers the spotlight may have been a lot less intense.
This doesn’t look like a pattern that will be radically changed anytime soon, the likes of Nick Powell and Wilfried Zaha still appear a long way from first team opportunity and unless something can be done they risk the same future as many of their predecessors.
Will United buck the trend of releasing their pool of prodigious talents?
Inter Milan striker Diego Milito has claimed he wants to sign a new deal at the Serie A club to finish his career there, as reported by Sky Sports.
The 34 year old is out of contract at the end of the season and has been linked with a move away from Inter, with West Ham showing a major interest as their desperation for strikers goes on.
However Milito is hoping for a new deal at the San Siro which would rule out any move to the Premier League even though the Argentinean has only played once for Inter this season.
A loan move may still be a possibility however with the striker given a chance to prove to Inter that he warrants a new deal.
“For me, there won’t be any problem in putting a signature and remaining for another year,” Millito told Sport Mediaset.
“I feel at home. But for the moment I don’t think what will happen in June. I live in the moment and the only thing that interests me is to come back playing.
“My deal with Inter expires in June and my dream is to retire with this shirt. I don’t exclude the possibility of coming back to Argentina. We will see in June.”
It has been a tough second half of the season for Arsenal, as it wasn’t that long ago that they were clear top of the Premier League.
However, after a dreadful fixture list during February and March, they could still be well in touch with a handful of games to go in the season.
A good result at White Hart Lane today will need to be backed up by a big performance against Chelsea next week, but with the FA Cup semi-final also on the horizon there is no doubt their season is far from over.
Here is why we think the Gunners can’t be ruled out of the title race.
The Chelsea game
At lunchtime next Saturday, the Gunners go to Stamford Bridge for arguably their biggest game of the season.
A win or even a draw with league leaders Chelsea will be seen as positive result and will keep them at worst four points behind the Blues with a game in hand.
Chelsea have the Champions League to distract them as well as suspensions so who knows?
Fixtures at the end of the season
Arsenal’s toughest game in the final five fixtures is at home to Newcastle, a game they should be winning, and although others are scrapping for their lives the Gunners should get some serious points.
Rivals Manchester City and Chelsea have tougher games to contend with and so if Arsenal can pick up something against both Chelsea and City this month, confidence will grow.
The Ox
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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has come back into the Gunners side and has reformed their attacking style.
Whether it be from out wide or behind the striker, the England man was immense against Bayern Munich and caused problems for Tottenham today too as he comes to form at the right time.
If Arsene Wenger can keep him fit and possibly add refreshed Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil to the side, they must start scoring plenty of goals.