According to The Sun, Tottenham Hotspur are not prepared to pay more than £15m to sign Aston Villa attacker Jack Grealish in this summer’s transfer window.
It is understood that Spurs will make a take-it-or-leave-it offer for Grealish as the Premier League club look to test Villa’s resolve.
The Championship outfit are not exactly in the best of positions to negotiate when considering their financial problems.
It has previously been reported that Villa want £40m for the 22-year-old, but it is extremely difficult to imagine any club coming up with that sort of money in this transfer window.
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The Villa fans have been reacting to Tottenham’s reported bid, and it seems that the bulk are in agreement when it comes to whether their club should accept £15m.
Grealish scored three times and registered five assists in 27 Championship appearances last term, and he might not see a lot of first-team football if he moves to Tottenham.
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That said, Villa’s financial problems could well force them into a sale for less than his true value.
A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
The recent publication of this year’s Deloitte Football Money League review was hardly met with untold worry by Tottenham Hotspur fans, but the news that the club had posted an overall loss in revenue would have certainly provoked a universal grunt of frustration.
You don’t need to have anything in the way of an economics degree to figure out why the club’s total revenue took a £19.3million hit during the 2011/12 season, with the glaring absence of Champions League football proving an inescapable demon for all connected with the club.
The frustration on missing out on another chance to dine on Europe’s most exclusive table was always going to hit the club’s bank balance as much as it left its supporters dreadfully disappointed. The doors that Champions League football opens in terms of both financial luxury and player recruitment hardly need preaching to a set of supporters who are reminded almost daily about its merits.
But it was within another statistic within Deloitte’s annual review that bears a similar level of perpetual frustration, yet an even more harmful word of caution to their long-term financial prospects.
Deloitte’s description of ‘capacity constraints at White Hart Lane’ might serve to do Spurs’ hallowed old ground something of a disservice, but as is always the case when the Football Money League is wheeled out, a glance down the road to fierce North London rivals usually tends to bring a brutal sense of perspective.
Because although a £20.6million disparity in broadcasting income between Spurs and Arsenal can be accounted for amongst their failure to gain Champions League qualification, a staggering £54.1million difference in their matchday income, most certainly cannot.
It’s the elephant that’s been in the room for several years now in North London and after what feels like a lifetime of struggles to get their long-awaited Northumberland Development Project off the ground, talk of the new White Hart Lane has a touch of the taboos about it.
Not because fans harness anything in the way of anger towards the project; most supporters are well aware of the delicate need to attain naming rights before phase two of the development (the stadium itself) can even begin to be thought of as a reality. Yet with there being no immediate news in sight from a club who continue tend to give very little-away in regards to stadium developments, some have felt it easier to simply just put it to the back of their minds.
Although for however far your head may have been in the sand in regards to Spurs’ stadia-based woes, this latest round of financial figures should leave you with little doubt as to quite how important attaining an increased capacity stadium is to the club’s future.
Because while they might be on the same plateau of competition with Arsenal in the Premier League this season, financially, the Gunners are in a different postcode. And regardless of whether Andre Villas-Boas’ side achieve their target of qualifying for the Champions League this season, without the eventual development of White Hart Lane or the less-likely arrival of a sugar-daddy in N17, that fight to attain elite European football may become unsustainable.
There is a school of thought amongst some sections of fans that following their Uefa Champions League adventure during the 2010-11 season, that chairman Daniel Levy was hiding a nice chunk of money behind the White Hart Lane sofa for him and ENIC head-honcho Joe Lewis to sit upon.
Yet for all the lavish financial gains that their run to the quarterfinals brought to the club, it also brought its fair share of financial pain as well, primarily to the tune of a 36% increase in their wage bill from £67million to £91million. If you consider that the total of Spurs’ additional revenue as a result of their Champions League run was estimated to sit at around £37million, the hit they took in wages hardly equates to peanuts.
Should Tottenham qualify for the Champions League again next year, they will of course be able to look forward to a similar slew of riches that will fall their way, although those expecting a change in attitude from Levy towards a summer of excess on transfer fees and wages are likely to yet again feel disappointed.
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The supporters know better than anyone just how volatile qualification for the Champions League may be. Some will argue that you have to speculate to accumulate and show ambition to get there in the first place. Although it’s worth noting that Chelsea harness a £170million wage bill and still finished outside the top-four last year.
Of course, they still eventually qualified for the competition. Although should that hypothetically happen to Spurs next season after splashing out on couple of big money transfers tied down to £100,000-a-week contracts, they haven’t got a Russian billionaire to balance out the books when the Champions League party reneges for another season. The point is here that while Champions League football is absolutely vital to the club in both the long and short term, it doesn’t represent a secure means of income of which to finance the sort of financial boost the club needs to take them to the next level.
As the club have proved in recent years, you don’t need a relatively gargantuan wage bill to compete for a top-four finish, yet as they continue to loose financial ground to their rivals, it’s going to become increasingly difficult to do so. Qualifying for the Champions League this season would be a massive stepping-stone en route to further success both on and off the pitch. But without securing the funding for a new stadium, the chances are their Champions League pushes are likely to become fewer and further between.
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Nobody knows when the term “world class” crept into the language of sport – or who first qualified for the distinction – but I imagine it must have been more than 50 years ago, coinciding with developments in football that made it truly international. It is a description used so often and so loosely today that if the author still lives he may feel a burden of responsibility for corrupting the minds of sports followers.
A friend of mine suggested that “world class” is a rating often heard as a basis for negotiation. “People use it all the time,” he said, “and I wonder how they arrive at the assessment. Surely, to argue that anyone or anything is world class is purely a matter of opinion and has no definable substance.”
This brought to mind remarks once passed by Sir Alex Ferguson shortly before the start of a Premiership season which are no less appropriate as another campaign has just begun. Manchester United’s manager recalled being at Hampden Park, Glasgow, in 1960 when 135,000 spectators, the great majority Scots, hailed the thrilling virtuosity displayed by Real Madrid when overwhelming Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3 to secure a fifth successive European Cup. In the context of that enthralling performance, Ferguson addressed the issue of greatness. “The description ‘world class’ can only be justified if a player has had success in World Cups,” he said.
This is one way of determining the completeness of a footballer, but is inevitably flawed. It would, for example, rule out one of Ferguson’s all-time favourites, Eric Cantona, who never took part in the World Cup finals for France, and Ryan Giggs who has yet to enjoy the experience with Wales. It also disqualifies George Best, who was unfortunately denied an appearance on the ultimate football stage, which may help to explain why his career went into rapid decline when Manchester United’s European Cup-winning team of 1968 broke up.
You can go on and on like this. In golf, I suppose, the clearest, most obvious way of electing a player to world class is to go for those with major championships to their names. A number of cricketers stand out as much for their presence as statistical evidence. All the gold medallists at next month’s Olympics in Athens will be accorded world class status, although there are examples in history of outstanding athletes who, for one reason or another, didn’t come through on the day. When there were only eight weight divisions, world class status in boxing was clearly defined. Now there is such a proliferation of world titles that the term has no real meaning.
At some point in last week’s informal debate in the pub, I introduced a list of footballers held for some time in my head and acceptable to managers, past and present as irrefutably world class. It includes, of course, Pele and Diego Maradona, who were jointly honoured by Fifa as the outstanding players of the 20th century. In no order of preference, there are seven others – Alfredo di Stefano, Best, John Charles, Ferenc Puskas, Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer and, the most recent entry, Zinedine Zidane. By their towering standards others are judged.
We hear and read so much about the supposed scale of excellence in modern football that it might not be a bad idea at this stage of proceedings to suggest that things are not necessarily a great deal better than they were and that people should not be deceived into thinking otherwise. Nobody is obliged to share this point of view, but whenever questions crop up about greatness in football, some of us keep seeing faces from the past.
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Interestingly, of the players mentioned above (plenty of others come close) only three, Pele, Maradona and Beckenbauer, managed to become World Cup winners. Puskas (1954) and Cruyff (1974) appeared in a World Cup final but ended up on the losing side. Di Stefano, once described by Sir Matt Busby as the best player he had ever seen (“Magnificent. The complete footballer”) and Charles, who was rated the most valuable player in Europe when he appeared for Wales in the 1958 finals, were denied the ultimate stage. More recently, the hotly-debated enigma of Lionel Messi has also struggled to win trophies on the international stage, yet has been hugely successful at Barcelona.
Doubtless, any number of players operating in the Premier League this coming season will be rated world class. It depends, of course, on how you look at things; curious how often that consideration crops up.
Having shipped fifty goals in the Premier League last season, Brendan Rodgers is understandably in the market for defensive reinforcements this summer. Along with Alberto Moreno and Ricardo Rodriguez, Rojo is another name that has consistently been linked with Liverpool over the last month. The 24 year old netted the winner against Nigeria in the final group fixture and is expected to start against Switzerland this afternoon.
The Argentine made the move to Spartak Moscow in 2011 but evidently struggled to settle, moving on to Sporting Lisbon after just one season. However, the left back has thrived in Portugal and as well as impressing Liverpool’s scouts, the 24 year old is reportedly attracting attention from the likes of Barcelona and Juventus.
Predominantly a full back, Rojo has deputised centrally for large portions of this season. The 24 year old was a key component of a defence which only conceded 20 goals in the Primeira Liga. Standing at 6’1″, the Argentine uses his physicality to contest for the ball and unsettle his opponents. In possession, the 24 year old remains composed even in tight situations. Having netted four times in the league last season, the defender also clearly poses an offensive threat from set pieces.
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However, although he was deputising in central defence for large periods, the failure to record an assist in the Primeira Liga suggests a potential deficiency in the full back’s offensive play. As ludicrous as it sounds, the Argentine may be deemed somwehat too conservative for a modern full back. In Rodgers’ attack-minded Liverpool side, the manager would expect Rojo to contribute much more in the final third.
If the reports are to be believed, Moreno is Liverpool’s preferred target but the Reds’ are baulking at Sevilla’s £20 million valuation. With Sporting willing to accept a fee around the £10 million mark, Rojo provides a much cheaper versatile alternative to the Spaniard. The Argentine would provide a strong presence in the Liverpool backline but concerns remain as to whether he possesses the required attributes to succeed offensively in Rodgers’ attack-minded formations.
Fulham boss Martin Jol has claimed that he believes Brede Hangeland will sign the new deal that he has been offered and that he is happy at the West London club.
Hangeland’s current deal is set to expire at the end of the season and Fulham fans may be fearful of losing their key defender, but the manager has put their fears to bed.
The Norwegian giant has been a rock for the Whites since arriving at the club from Scandinavia and big clubs’ interest in the past has been quickly dismissed so a long term stay at Craven Cottage may be in store.
Jol has confirmed that talks have been on-going to tie Hangeland down to a new deal and he is hopeful of finding out the outcome after Fulham’s clash with Newcastle on Monday night, where Hangeland returns from suspension.
While Jol is confident the extension will be signed, he maintains that it is still all up to the player.
“It only depends on a decision so if Brede says yes it is okay,” Jol told Sky Sports.
“If he says no, then we have to wait, talk and negotiate.
“I will ask Alistair [Mackintosh, chief executive officer] what the situation is after the game again.
“I am confident he will sign because he loves it here. He is a Fulham player.
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“We took him from Scandinavia and I think he loves it here and we offered him a good contract.”
Calm is the operative word at the Emirates Stadium nowadays. Such has been the Gunners’ excellent start to the season that the naysayers who wrote them off as title contenders before a ball had even been kicked are now picking humble pie out of their teeth. Arsene Wenger has ridden an almighty storm in the wake of Robin Van Persie’s acrimonious departure and came out unscathed to steer his side through August and three quarters of September unbeaten and playing an attractive brand of football that became synonymous with the club during the Invincible’s era. Wenger has even gone out on a limb to stress that his current squad is far more well rounded than the one that navigated an entire Premier League season without incurring a single defeat. Another milestone was achieved in mid-week as Oliver Giroud finally opened his goalscoring account, albeit against lower league opposition, with many expecting the floodgates to open for the Frenchman. For Wenger the objective now is to ensure his players remain grounded and focused on their objectives for the campaign.
This week on FFC are the Gunners a more resilient unit than in previous years and would this Spanish star suit a move to the Premier League?
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Best of FFC
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Have Arsenal solidified their threat?
For some Arsenal fans its all gone a little quiet
Simply The Top TEN Arsenal/Chelsea moments
Whatever happened to Steven Morrow…
Montpellier warn Arsenal off January bid
Arsene Wenger admits withdrawing transfer bid
Arsenal report financial year profit of £36.6m
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Best of WEB
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Taking The Mikel – A Cultured Left Foot
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Logic, movement and energetic pointing – Arseblog
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Shareholders Letter – Ivan Gazidis talks Arsenal financials – Le Grove
Iron out the little problems Arsene….. – Highbury House
Russia Captain Rumour Has Premier League Big 4 On Red Alert – Transfer Tavern
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Quote of the Week
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“We want to spend our money in the right way. We are not scared to spend the money. With some clubs we can’t compete on certain players – and for the rest, we only want to bring in players who add something to our squad and give a chance as well to the young players we have. We have good players, because to buy one more, we have to get one out.” Arsene Wenger says he is not afraid to splash the cash at Arsenal if necessary
The date was the 15th August 1992. The match was Manchester United vs. Sheffield United. And after 15 minutes, the first goal in Premier League history was scored by a Mr Brian Deane, a commonly known fact for fans of English football trivia, earning Deane a spot in the history of the game. He actually scored the Blades’ winner that day as well, notching from the penalty spot to give them a 2-1 victory over the eventual Champions.
Deane was actually an experienced striker before he bagged that first goal, indeed his goal scoring record initially for Doncaster Rovers and then Sheffield United was pretty decent. He earned three caps for England under Graham Taylor, making his debut against New Zealand in 1991 before his final appearance in the Three Lions shirt came against Spain just weeks after his goal against Manchester United.
That first Premier League season proved to be his last at Bramall Lane and he became Leeds United’s record signing when he joined in the summer of 1993 for £2.9 million. His 83 goals in 198 games for the Blades was by far and away the best goal to appearance ratio he ever achieved at any club and he remains something of a cult hero at the club after returning in 1997 to score another 11 goals in that season.
Deano spent four years at Leeds United between 1993 and 1997 as Howard Wilkinson’s side struggled to live up to their title victory of 1991/92 and began to slip slowly down the league. Deane always worked hard up front, putting in a shift as a target man, but he found goals more difficult to come by at Elland Road, managing just 32 in his 138 games at the club. He formed effective partnerships up front for the Whites though, playing with Rod Wallace and Tony Yeboah during his time in West Yorkshire, but having been signed as a replacement for Lee Chapman, he struggled to replace the man whose goals had fired Leeds to the First Division title.
Once George Graham had taken over at Elland Road, Deane moved back to Sheffield United briefly, before securing a surprise switch to Benfica where Graeme Souness was the manager. Seven goals in 18 in Portugal proved that Deane still had the ability to find the back of the net at the highest level, prompting Middlesbrough to fork out to bring him back to England after less than a season. He actually managed three years with Boro, notching 18 goals in 87 appearances there, but that lack of goal scoring prowess saw him moved on to Leicester in 2001 with Middlesbrough struggling in the Premiership.
He bagged himself another piece of ‘first goal’ history with the Foxes as well, scoring the first competitive goal at the new Walkers Stadium by recording a double against Watford. 19 goals in 52 games followed in Leicester colours, a decent return that helped the side back into the Premier League following their disappointing relegation the year before. However, Deane had seemingly found his level in the First Division and joined recently relegated West Ham, now aged 35. He continued his nomadic existence as a footballer, lasting just one season at Upton Park before heading for the exit.
He rejoined Leeds United, who had just been relegated after a long stay in the Premier League, but the club was in financial turmoil and were struggling to put together a competitive squad. Deane did a job up front for a while amidst all the chaos, and the Elland Road crowd recognised his efforts, but by now, age appeared to have caught up with the striker. He managed six goals during the 2004/05 season with the Whites, but four of those came astonishingly during a 6-1 win over QPR, a game never forgotten by those who saw it. With Leeds starting to strengthen their squad under Kevin Blackwell, Deane moved onto to Sunderland, before ending his career with a brief spell at Perth Glory and a final two appearances back with Sheffield United in the 2005/06 season, making him the only player to turn out for the club in three different spells.
Deano enjoyed a fine career at the highest level for many years, though he never quite hit the top of the Premier League game. As a target man, he will always be remembered for his hard work up front, even if finishing was never his strong point. He now works as a Sports Consultant for a solicitor’s firm in Leeds, but after a long career of 654 league appearances and 195 goals, Brian Deane will always be remembered for that goal he scored on the 15th August 1992.
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Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers could be forgiven for already counting the days until the January transfer window opens after his side’s reliance on youth in the early stages of this season and the somewhat threadbare nature of his first-team squad, but with resources tight, where will he need to focus his attentions the most?
The 39-year-old has spoken of ‘operational issues’ hindering him in the past, with a clear and knowing nod to the way that the club managed to somehow let Andy Carroll leave on loan in the final few days of the transfer window without a guaranteed replacement lined-up, with Ian Ayre unable to negotiate successfully for either Daniel Sturridge or Clint Dempsey.
Indeed, Rodgers has even spoken this week about the need for reinvestment when the earliest opportunity presents itself, telling TheDaily Mail: “There are still areas we want to reinforce — and we have to reinforce as soon as we can. Our best team are comparable to any team in the Premier League. But we’re a very thin squad and we are having to challenge on a lot of fronts. I’ve had good conversations with the owners and they understand where we are at as a team.”
In light of Fabio Borini’s recent fractured foot injury that he suffered while on international duty with Italy’s U-21 side, it only served to compound their transfer failings in recent times, despite the lack of clarity over whether he is best utilised in a wide or central role. As a result, Rodgers looks extremely short on numbers up top, with the burden now falling even heavier on Luis Suarez to perform and provide a consistent stream of goals.
The only other options available aside from the controversial Uruguayan are youth-team players Samed Yesil, Adam Morgan and Daniel Pacheco and none of them can be relied upon to provide ample support to Suarez just yet, with Pacheco in particular in danger of missing the boat completely in terms of his ability to be a relied upon member of the squad.
It becomes clear that despite the midfield weighing in well with their fair share of goals so far, that Liverpool are going to require first and foremost another striker in the transfer window, with Demba Ba and Gary Hooper the latest names rather understandably linked with a move to Anfield in recent days. No other position in the squad offers the same paucity of options and dearth of recognised and established talent and Rodgers may even exercise the call-back option on Carroll’s loan move to West Ham if nothing else materialises.
In midfield, the likes of Gerrard, Sahin, Allen, Henderson, Shelvey and Lucas when he returns from injury provides a more than healthy competition for places, with each player showing a run of form at some point this season and even with the side playing three in the middle of the park, the squad would seem to be well set there.
Next up on the agenda may be another winger and while talk of moving for someone such as Cristian Eriksen may be fanciful at this point, it’s clear that Stewart Downing’s future is in doubt at the moment after a very public falling-out with Rodgers and Sterling and Suso, by virtue of their age and inexperience, along with Assaidi in his first year in England, are going to require some support further down the line.
The recent links to Angelo Ogbonna and Diego Lugano are also completely understandable, with Daniel Agger playing injured at the moment and the jury still out on whether Jamie Carragher can force his way into Rodgers Premier League plans. Quite where this leaves Danny Wilson at the moment remains to be seen, but the presence of the burly Micah Richards mark 2 that is Andre Wisdom means that this can be seen as less urgent for the time being at least.
Finally, Jack Robinson’s run-outs at full-back in the Europa League so far this season have been hugely promising, as has Wisdom’s elevation into the first-team, with Glen Johnson a versatile option, but Jose Enrique’s slump has now become the norm and he could be moved on if a replacement is found, while Martin Kelly is still a long-term casualty.
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Liverpool’s squad is full of promise and potential for the future but there’s a suspicion that just a few more injuries during the busy festive period, where the fixtures pile up every year, could leave Rodgers extremely short in several key areas, namely up front and out wide, while more depth at full-back would also be understandable. With the side still competing on four fronts, proven experience is the order of the hour, but whether he’ll be given the budget to bring the quality that’s required into the club is another matter entirely.
Realistically, who would you like to see Brendan Rodgers bring into the club in January? In your opinion, where do Liverpool need to strengthen most?
In the early stages of the season, it was difficult to see anyone other than Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane taking home the Premier League Golden Boot.
The England international has been scintillating in front of goal, and was on course to claim his third consecutive individual award.
However, Liverpool star Mohamed Salah found shooting boots of his own and ended up securing the gong with a two-goal advantage.
The race for the award was taken to the final day of the season, and Kane managed to add two strikes to his tally in a dramatic 5-4 victory over Leicester City.
The 24-year-old ended the campaign with 30 goals in the top flight, which is an improvement on his previous two seasons.
However, Salah recorded 32 by netting in Liverpool’s 4-0 romp over Brighton at Anfield on Sunday.
In the end, Tottenham closed the 2017-18 season without a trophy, but they did grab third place and qualification for the Champions League.
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Unsurprisingly, Liverpool fans have been quick to poke fun at Kane, who has scored 41 goals and registered four assists in all competitions, but he received plenty of support from Spurs fans on Twitter.
In a World Cup summer where the transfer deadline for English clubs has been brought forward to before the start of the season, getting deals over the line at the right price is going to be tougher than ever.
Unai Emery is charged with guiding Arsenal to success in the post-Wenger era in North London, while Jose Mourinho is under pressure to construct a genuine Premier League title charge and emerge from the shadow of Pep Guardiola in Manchester.
Reports have emerged of a transfer deal that could impact the summer plans of both men; Serbian star Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is still on the radar of the Red Devils and Lazio have reportedly lined up one of Emery’s key men as a replacement.
That’s why Football FanCast have decided to look at the potential transfer triangle that could spring from the deal that The Manchester Evening News report, via Corriere Dello Sport would cost in the region of £90m…
What do you think of the World Cup so far? Let us know and win any World Cup shirt of your choice.
Milinkovic-Savic finally joins United
Milinkovic-Savic has been linked with United for the better part of a year so it is not a shock to see fresh reports.
It would mean that Jose Mourinho has finally bitten the bullet and told Ed Woodward to get the expensive deal over the line on the back of a World Cup that has seen the Serbian impress on the global stage.
The summer arrival of Fred and expected last-ditch retention of Marouane Fellaini dampen the urgency of United’s need for reinforcements in midfield, so it would be a small shock if Jose went big for yet another face in the engine room, certainly while Paul Pogba is knocking around as well.
Ramsey leaves Arsenal to replace him at Lazio
The report also says that the man that the Italian giants have lined up to replace Milinkovic-Savic if he leaves for big money is Arsenal’s Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey.
Amid uncertainty over the former Cardiff man’s willingness to commit to the Gunners, Emery has reportedly offered him a new contract as he wishes to build his Arsenal midfield around him.
Therefore, losing Ramsey would be a major blow to his hopes of overseeing instant improvement at the Emirates but it would be mitigated to some degree if a substantial chunk of the £90m United paid indirectly swelled the budget at Arsenal.
Arsenal sign Ever Banega
Ever Banega has been linked with a reunion with Emery at the Emirates and was outstanding on his introduction a toiling Argentina side as they scraped through into the World Cup last 16 with a 2-1 win over Nigeria.
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At 29, he would be a slight indulgence as he has no resale value but if Emery is armed with a war chest after receiving a big-money bid for Ramsey, then the deal may get over the line.
He would offer more subtlety and guile than Ramsey, who is an impressive goalscorer but does not have a natural position in Emery’s preferred 4-2-3-1 system, especially with Mesut Ozil the outstanding candidate to be the number 10.