Both Liverpool and Newcastle United will make a January approach for Valenciennes centre back Nicolas Isimat Mirin according to the Metro.
The French club are happy to talk to admirers if a bid of £4million or more is placed in the January transfer window.
Both the Reds and the Magpies are desperate to sure up their failing defences with the pair massively underachieving this season after so much expectation in the summer.
Newcastle have had numerous injury problems this season with Fabricio Coloccini and Steven Taylor both being affected while Liverpool are planning for life without club legend Jamie Carragher.
The French centre half is just one of a batch of impressive young Ligue 1 players that have blossomed this season, sparking an Arsene Wenger style raid of the French League in January.
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Valenciennes are happy to do business with regard to Isimat Mirin but they would want to keep the defender on loan for the rest of the season.
Leeds United manager Neil Warnock has praised Ross Barkley after the Everton loanee put in an encouraging performance in the weekend’s clash against Barnsley.
The match against their Yorkshire rivals ended in disappointment for Leeds, who went down to a 2-0 defeat against the Championship strugglers.
But the performance of Barkley, who has joined on loan from the Toffees in a bid to get more game time, was a positive element in an otherwise forgettable day.
And Warnock admits he was not surprised by the 19-year-old’s display, saying he was well aware of what he would bring to the Elland Road outfit.
“I said to him afterwards that we’re not always like that”, Warnock told his club’s official site.
“You could see why we brought him here and you could see what he’s got. He’s got good energy, he created chances out of nothing and he was the one bright spark of the team.
“I thought the Leeds fans could see that with the reception he got at the end. They appreciated him and what he brought to the team.”
Barkley will be unavailable for Leeds’ next match, an FA Cup third-round replay against Birmingham on Tuesday evening.
The midfielder is ineligible for the fixture, alongside fellow January signing Michael Tongue, having signed for United after the initial 1-1 draw with the Blues.
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A victory for Warnock’s men would see them secure a home tie against Tottenham Hotspur in the competition’s fourth round.
Arsenal’s Bacary Sagna is having a troubling season to say the least. The French right-back has been continually struggling with injury throughout his time in the Premier League, but now, having been given the run of a few games in the first team, it seems he is past his best, and his times on the sidelines have unfortunately taken the best of him.
Another good player ruined by injury; it’s certainly a shame. But Arsene Wenger must move on, and it seems he’s well aware of the situation, with Sagna set to be shown the exit door at the Emirates in the summer.
So who will replace the french defender? Carl Jenkinson is a solid right-back, but he’s still learning his trade. A new right-back will certainly be one of Wenger’s top priorities in the next transfer window, but who is the Gunners gaffer even looking at?
Well here’s five suggestions of footballers who will be on Arsene Wenger’s shortlist, as he attempts to find a replacement for Bacary Sagna.
Click on Sagna to find out who could be Arsenal’s new right-back next season
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Spurs boss Andre Villas-Boas has been credited with an interest in Fiorentina’s Spanish midfielder Borja Valero.
Valero, who spent the 2008/09 season in the Premier League with West Brom, has been in fine form for La Viola this season and Villas-Boas is believed to have already contacted the Italian side with regards to a summer transfer.
The 28-year-old Spaniard only joined Fiorentina last summer from Villarreal and has since established himself as a key player in Vincenzo Montella’s side. The central midfielder will want to add to his one cap for Spain which he received in 2011.
Valero has given no indication that he is looking to leave Fiorentina but the lure of Champions League football could convince the midfielder to move to White Hart Lane if Spurs step up their interest and make a concrete move.
Fiorentina are currently 6 points behind AC Milan for the last Champions League place after a successful campaign under Montella. Fan favorite Valero is a major reason for that success, which lead him to say “perhaps this is my best season.” He has been one of the top passers in Italy during his time at Fiorentina, who play an expansive style of football.
Tottenham are currently in third place with seven matches left to play in the season. If they do qualify for the Champions league, they will be looking to get more depth in both attack and midfield this summer.
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Anders Lindegaard has revealed he’s frustrated about his lack of game time at Manchester United, suggesting he’s ready to leave the club.
Despite sharing the goalkeeping duties with David De Gea last season, it has become apparent that the Spaniard is Ferguson’s number 1 choice for the club. Lindegaard hasn’t featured for United in 2013.
The Dane spoke to the Mirror about his lack of game time, as he’s watched from the stands for most of the season:
“For me at the moment it’s not easy being on the bench when the team is performing as well as we do. We live for the thrill of playing and the adrenaline you get when you step out on the pitch.”
The 28-year-old added: “Everybody wants to play and I’m not different from anyone else. I’m sure all the players who are not in the starting line-up every game would say the same.”
The goalkeeper’s lack of games could be enough to see him move to a different club, offering him first team football. West Ham have been linked with the Danish ‘keeper, who could replace the ageing Jussi Jaaskelainen.
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Lindegaard has only been capped five times for Denmark, but wasn’t involved in all 3 of their last World Cup qualifiers, and isn’t expected to feature during the current international break.
Stoke boss Tony Pulis has defended his record while in charge of the club and insists the Potters have never had it better.
Pulis has come in for some heavy criticism this season as the club have battled to beat the drop and there have been calls from some sections of the Britannia Stadium faithful for him to be replaced.
The future of the Welshman will be discussed at an end-of-season meeting with Stoke owner Peter Coates but it will come as a big surprise if he is relieved of his duties.
Pulis has worked wonders during his time at the club but he is well aware that he could become a victim of his own success.
“If people want to give their opinion about me, then fine,” he revealed. “If you look at the past six years, we got promoted from being a lower-half Championship side.
“We have been to an FA Cup final, Europa League last 32 and have more players playing international football than ever. But expectations are going through the roof.”
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Leon Osman has signed a new deal at the club which will keep him at Everton until 2015.
The 32-year-old has had his best season yet for Everton and there was a worry that he would be poached away by rivals as it emerged that he had yet to agree his new deal.
That has all changed now and after announcing he had agreed a deal earlier in the week, he has now signed the contract and is very happy with his decision.
Osman told evertontv: “I am delighted to have put my signature on another contract and secured another year at the club.
“I have been here since I left school, I am a player and a fan, I love coming to work every day and I am delighted that’s going to continue.”
The midfielder explained that uncertainty over Everton’s next manager had not affected his desire to remain a Blue.
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“We are not quite sure what’s going to happen with a manager but I am still delighted to have secured my future here at the club,” he said.
“It’s time to take the family on holiday now, enjoy it and recharge the batteries for next season.”
Sunday was a day that I never thought would happen for this club. At the beginning of the summer we all knew there was a possibility that the club may not have been playing at the Ricoh but I for one never truly believed that it would happen.
Sunday brought about a new chapter in the drama that is Coventry City and for the few fans who decided to make the journey it was a game to remember. A final score of 5-4 saw the Skyblues get their first points of the new season and give them a first win in their new ‘home’ in Northampton.
There was a strange atmosphere circulating around the Coventry fans who remain divided over whether or not we should be going to support the team or staying away in protest to Sisu. My personal views are that no city fan should be putting any more money into the accounts of Sisu. We are their income and if we withdraw that income then surely something has to give.
Although I do appreciate why others still want to go. The boys on that pitch do deserve our support and it is painful to stay away when we are all used to going to them home games week in week out. I would never slate a fan who chooses to go as watching your side play on a ‘Saturday’ afternoon or in our case a Sunday is the basis of what it means to be a football fan.
My current working arrangements were set in place so that I would never miss a Coventry game with my Saturday afternoons always remaining free with the football in mind. Now with the move to Sunday even if I wanted to go to Northampton I couldn’t because of work commitments. This is the sort of thing that people at Sisu and the football league etc. fail to consider.
It has always taken a lot to force me to miss City matches in the past 10 years or so but now it has been turned on its head and it would now take a lot for me to even be able to go to a match. I still cannot believe it has come to this with our club but it is looking more likely than ever that we are going to have to accept that this is going to be the norm for the foreseeable future.
The majority of us who didn’t go were not just robbed of watching the club we love but we were robbed of what sounded like a bit of a classic. So many games we have been to and had to sit there and suffer as lacklustre performances see us lose with a whimper. This was not the case on Saturday as the players once again gave it their all to create a remarkable 9 goal thriller.
The Skyblues began the match with another new addition to the squad in the form of central defender Andy Webster. He started at the heart of defence who had conceded 3 goals in both of their last two games. It was probably too early to expect him to have a real impact in terms of making our defence more solid but I don’t think anyone expected us to ship 4 goals making it 10 goals conceded in 3 games.
This is far from being a good record but on the plus side their goalscoring record has been the best it has been in years. 9 goals in 3 games is a great scoring record and long may that continue. As Pressley stated in an interview as long as we keep scoring more than the opposition then we will all be happy. Whilst it’s worrying to see us ship the amount of goals we have been it makes for some real exiting football matches and that is one thing Pressley promised when he came to the club.
It was a match which the Skyblues had to cope with without their captain Carl Baker for his very harsh red card in the previous game. Leon Clarke was given the captains armband and led the team well from the front and it was his penalty which got the scoring underway after Wilson was brought down in the penalty area.
Then in the last few minutes of the first half Wilson got himself on the score sheet with a well taken goal quickly followed by a looping header by Billy Daniels which was his first senior goal for the club. This meant City went in at half time 3-0 to the good and the points already looked secure after a very dominant performance.
This was to change though and 30 minutes into the second half and Coventry saw there 3 goal lead completely demolished as Baldock levelled the game with his second. The Skyblues responded brilliantly though as within a couple of minutes their lead was restored through Wilson’s second of the game.
It was already a bit of classic but the drama was not over yet as Bristol levelled again through Elliot and we all thought how has this happened, how are we not going to win this game. The players had other ideas though and with 3 minutes of normal time remaining young Billy Daniels got himself into the box and latched onto Leon Clarkes’s low cross to send the 1000 or so city fans crazy.
The final whistle went and the drama had finally come to an end. Despite the brilliant result there was many left with underlying feelings of contempt that this wonderful match had taken place away from Coventry’s rightful home.
I have to mention the charity match which took place at the Ricoh at the same time as Coventry’s game at Northampton. The fans there which I would have been one of if it wasn’t for work commitments made themselves heard. A great turnout and a great message of defiance sent out to the football world.
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Also a special mention goes to Graeme Hawley who made an appearance wearing Skyblue with some of his boyhood Coventry idols. I know how much that day would have meant and it was a dream come true I’m sure. My only regret is that I was unable to be there for it as it sounded like a great day and a good distraction from everything that is happening at our club.
Fulham boss Martin Jol has blamed his side’s defensive mistakes after the Cottagers were knocked out of the Capital One Cup.
The Dutchman watched his side lose 4-3 away to Leicester City, as the Championship side booked their place in the fifth round of the tournament.
Jol has been under pressure recently after a poor start in the Premier League, with more questions set to be raised over his job security after conceding four goals at the King Power Stadium. But the Dutch manager has blamed his players for the defeat, slamming their defensive performances.
“The keeper should keep that ball in his hands,” Jol stressed to the club’s official website.
“And the second goal, Philippe Senderos tried to play it out in a very awkward way – he shouldn’t do that, especially away [from home]. Don’t concede goals, that is what we always say.
“Maarten Stekelenburg couldn’t hold the ball and for the second goal Philippe Senderos played it into their feet and they scored two goals and that was a hammer blow. I thought the spirit before the game and during the game was really good, but we gave cheap goals away. We came back from 3-1 down in the second half and scored two goals away from home against a good team.
“We should have scored earlier but then we scored the third goal and I thought we’d really go for it and score the winner but it wasn’t to be. They scored the winner; we had three players at the back, they had two up front and we should have closed that gap but Zverotić didn’t do that so they scored the winning goal.”
Jol will be desperate for his side to get back to winning ways, but he could have his work cut out as his Fulham side host Manchester United on Saturday for their Premier League encounter.
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The embrace with Francesco Totti told much of the story. No longer forced to take shelter in the shade of others for his own mishaps, Gervinho had finally found a home, two years after leaving France for greener pastures.
The double resurgence is either coincidental, ironic, or just the game’s funny way of doing things. Like Roma, Gervinho had only recently been labelled as not so much a sinking ship, but a raft all out at sea. The marriage between the Italian club and Rudi Garcia was initially as unlikely and unforeseen as any major club on the continent stumping up any considerable amount of cash for the Ivorian. But it’s working, the reunion with Garcia is exactly what Gervinho needed after a torrid time at Arsenal.
Garcia brought out the best in Gervinho at Lille to the tune of 15 goals and 15 assists en route to a league and cup double in the forward’s final season in Ligue 1. This time, Garcia is carrying out a reawakening on multiple levels though with the same desired effects. Roma look a different proposition, filled with intensity but crucially confidence, while Gervinho has been one of the keys to a spotless record in the league that has brought 20 goals and only one conceded.
Gervinho’s form in Italy and specifically under Garcia is proof that not every player can adapt to every club. There is often talk about players needing time to acclimatise to new surroundings and new leagues, no matter how good they are. Often, though, players don’t reach the end of the tunnel for one reason or another.
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At Arsenal, Gervinho certainly became a scapegoat for the team’s poor results at various points in his two-year stay. There were causes for optimism, but nothing like what is happening currently at the Stadio Olimpico. Gervinho was deployed as a centre-forward by Arsene Wenger early last season; the Frenchman hoping that Gervinho’s movement and pace in the final third would not only be the catalyst for good results but also for a clearly defined role for the forward. Of course that wasn’t to be, as Gervinho failed carry on his early promise of in each of the last two seasons. There were low points, monumental low points that signalled a stage of no return.
It would be wrong to label the frustrations and difficulties of foreign players in England as their failure to adapt to the Premier League. Gervinho isn’t the first to be an undeniable disappointment in the Premier League but a hit on the continent – and it isn’t because European football is in some way inferior. Diego Forlan left his inconsistent form behind when he left Old Trafford, scoring freely for Villarreal before going on to replace Fernando Torres at Atletico Madrid.
Maybe it’s also a case of managers, great managers in the case of Arsene Wenger and Alex Ferguson, failing to push the buttons of certain players and finding success in the way they have done with others. Gervinho in particular is not all that different from what Arsenal have bought in previous years. The potential was there, largely untapped due to the bigger clubs on the continent overlooking him. He’d done good things at international level and was in need of a step up from Lille. It’s also worth dismissing the pressures of the big time, as less than a handful of European clubs feel the heat in the way Roma do.
For now, though, the fire has been lit under Gervinho by a manager who knows him best and has an appreciation and understanding of his strengths.
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Are Gervinho’s failures at Arsenal simply down to his inability to adapt to the club and its manager?