•Arsenal have opened the bid for Shakthar Donestk attacker, 21-year-old Mykhailo Mudryk.
• Cristiano Ronaldo will have a medical at Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr’s headquarters and he and his people have been booked into a five star hotel.
Image: FILE
Erik Ten Hag did not get the one Christmas present he most desired, a new striker.
After being in prime position, Manchester United were overtaken by Liverpool and Dutch club PSV Eindhoven have confirmed their World Cup success-story Cody Gakpo now belongs to Jurgen Klopp’s team for £44million. The 23-year-old striker left for England on Wednesday to take a medical after PSV signed transfer documents on Boxing Day.
Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp has confirmed it was his action which pushed the transfer at full speed because he needed to strengthen his attacking options due to injuries to Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota. There is no need to rush things now as the deal is done.
However, Gakpo could be allowed to play in the Premier League from Monday against Brentford. But after checking with Liverpool, it is more likely he will start on January 7 in an FA Cup match against Wolverhampton.
Cody only began training last weekend following his return from World Cup duties. He has an impressive 18 goals and 18 assists from 34 appearances this season and is top of the Dutch League for his goals, assists, chances created and shots on target.
Mudryk has eyes on Arsenal but Nketiah impresses
Arsenal have opened the bid for Shakthar Donestk attacker, 21-year-old Mykhailo Mudryk. Clearly, the two clubs have different opinions of the youngster’s value with the Gunners putting £40million on the table with £15million in add-ons but Shakthar are talking about £90million.
It is early days but the Ukraine international has expressed his wish to join the Premier League after an impressive season. Interestingly, he watched Arsenal’s victory over West Ham on his ipad and uploaded a picture from the screen which we understand was designed to say: “Here I am, come and get me.”
At the moment, Arsenal have only five attacking players whereas Liverpool now have seven seniors, Manchester City also have seven and Tottenham six.
Meanwhile, Eddie Nketiah rose to the occasion as a stand-in for injured Gabriel Jesus in the West Ham match. Both Mikel Arteta and Nketiah were pleased with his performance, scoring the third goal for the Gunners.
Arteta was particularly pleased with Norwegian midfielder and club captain Martin Odegaard, who was exceptional in running the game, pulling all the right strings and making two of the goals... for Bukayo Saka and Nketiah.
It was good to see former coach Arsene Wenger in the director’s box. It is the first time he has attended a game since leaving the club in 2018. He admitted it was difficult for him to return after being such an integral part of Arsenal, achieving the highest accolades and winning championships. He clearly looked delighted and was given a standing ovation by the thousands of fans who could see him.
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Ronaldo taking medical in Saudi Arabia
Cristiano Ronaldo will have a medical at Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr’s headquarters and he and his people have been booked into a five star hotel.
The 37-year-old terminated his contract, in agreement with Manchester United, after an explosive interview with my former colleague Piers Morgan on national TV in the UK. It is clear Ronaldo is yet to sign a formal agreement but I understand he will be given a high profile role in Saudi Arabia’s bid to host the World Cup in 2030.
Ronaldo has tinkered with the possibility of club management and the Saudis have offered to help him in that direction. His agent Jorge Mendes tried to secure a European club with Champions League credentials. However, this did not happen as no leading club showed interest.
Ronaldo’s wish to lift the World Cup with Portugal also came to nothing and with Lionel Messi, fresh from lifting the famous world trophy, now being hailed as the best footballer ever in various voting polls, Ronaldo has had an uncomfortable few weeks.
Newcastle are serious title contenders, says coach Howe
The top of the table is fascinating and Newcastle have arrived to shake up the “big boys”. They are not only challenging for a top four spot.Supporters believe they can overhaul Arsenal at the very top of the table. Their 3,300 supporters sang loud and clear in the away seats at Leicester... “We’re going to win the league!”
Coach Eddie Howe, clearly on a high after the win said: “We can do anything.” Those “big boys” Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham, Manchester United and Liverpool occupy the top six places with Newcastle but only four can qualify for the Champions League.
Managers are under pressure. A year ago, the Black and Whites were fighting relegation but with Saudi money, Howe and in-form players such as Miguel Almiron, the club has been completely revitalised. In the win against Leicester, Howe was able to field the same eleven players who beat Chelsea before the World Cup break.
Almiron showed the break has not dampened his form and, once again, he scored to bring his season total to nine ─ more than he contributed during the last four campaigns. Bruno Guimaraes has been a clever buy and with players such as Joelinton, Kieran Trippier and Nick Pope in goal, Newcastle can boast that they have, at last, world class players.
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Psychologists and drones are part of United future
Manchester United coach Erik Ten Hag has brought in a performance psychologist and has been meeting with the people behind this year’s Tour de France winners in order to give his squad of players something extra. They concentrated on diet and sleep patterns.
United’s new approach started at their winter training camp in Spain. Ten Hag has also ordered that United’s new state-of-the-art drones be improved so they can monitor training, hovering over and watching specifically any player and providing statistics and information from their individual sessions.
Spurs players made to train in the dark
Antonio Conte cracked the whip and prepared his Tottenham team, not with an enjoyable winter warm training camp abroad in a favourable climate but cold nights in north London in the bitter English winter weather.
He put his players through his famous “double” training sessions with exhausting runs around the perimeter of the training ground and often into the early evening in the dark – sometimes without flood lighting.
Conte knows that sitting in fourth place in the league with Newcastle shaking everyone up and Manchester United breathing down their necks, the only way to remain Champions League place contenders is to work, work and then work some more. Fortunately, only World Cup finalists Hugo Lloris and Cristian Romero are still away.
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World Cup rules for the Premier League?
Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi wants the World Cup time wasting rules brought into the Premier League and has contacted the FA to propose such a move.
There was often up to 12 minutes extra time added to a match where officials thought time wasting was taking place in the tournament. De Zerbi’s action was motivated by his team’s loss to Aston Villa in their last game before the World Cup break and he felt that Villa employed time-wasting tactics which were unfair.
Before Boxing Day’s victory over neighbours Southampton, he said: “Yes, I agree to injury time of 10, 11 or 12 minutes being added onto a match because it was impossible with Aston Villa.”
How long will Lampard survive?
Everton coach Frank Lampard is under intense pressure and is the bookmaker’s favourite to be out of job very soon. After the Toffees’ loss at home to Wolves on Monday, sections of the crowd chanted that Lampard must go and many left their seats at half time.
They lacked any sort of goal threat and Lampard is bitterly disappointed that he still does not have the services of the injured Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Neil Maupay, Alex Iwobi, scorer Dwight McNeil and Anthony Gordon all looked goal-shy and only Gordon, due to sign a new contract in a couple of days, showed any sort of fight.
New Wolves manager Julen Lopetegui is currently being guided by his backroom staff on which player makes the starting 11 and his delight at his first victory and the knowledge that he has quality performers such as Adama Traore, Daniel Podence, Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho.
This encouraged the highly-rated coach to say he can mould and build around these players as Wolves seek to climb away from the relegation. More misery probably awaits Lampard and Everton as they face Manchester City on New Year’s Day.
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Rodgers working on training field
It wasn’t the return Leicester coach Brendan Rodgers was expecting. After a run of seven wins in ten games he confirmed to us that he has taken a much more hands on role on the training field and he expected his Foxes to give high-flying Newcastle a more severe test but ran out 3-0 losers.
His main assistant, KoloToure, has left to manage Wigan but he still retains Chris Davies, Adam Sadler and Lars Knudsen and I understand that he will not replace Toure. Rodgers said: “My natural habitat is on the field. When I was a young manager, I would coach everything. As you grow, you have more responsibilities as a manager but I am never far from the training ground and that is my big interest in coaching.”
The Leicester board have agreed to make funds available for Rodgers to buy a centre-half and a winger during the January transfer period.