Sports
Arsenal confident of completing Mkhitaryan and Aubameyang deals
Arsenal are growing increasingly confident of signing Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan this month with both players agreeing personal terms with the club, Goal understands.
Arsene Wenger is looking to soften the blow of losing Alexis Sanchez to Manchester United by bringing in what he sees as two world class attacking players and talks with Mkhitaryan’s agent Mino Raiola have finally seen a breakthrough after Arsenal agreed a healthy financial package to make the Armenian one of the club’s highest paid players.
Sanchez was forced to train with the club’s development team on Thursday as his move to United was deemed imminent by Wenger. The transfer will have to be completed by Friday 12pm GMT in order for the 28-year-old to be available for Saturday’s league match away to Burnley.
The deal for Mkhitaryan will see Sanchez go the other way and become one of the Premier League’s highest paid players with an eye-watering £14m-a-year contract, while his agent Fernando Felicevich is expected to receive a fee in excess of £10m for facilitating the deal. Felicevich previously had a gentleman’s agreement in place with Manchester City for a January transfer but United swooped in last week after offering improved financial terms.
Wenger remains a long-term admirer of former Borussia Dortmund star Mkhitaryan and tried to sign him before he joined Manchester United in the summer of 2016.
The 28-year-old, who fell out of favour under Jose Mourinho at United, speaks six languages, has a diploma from the Institute of Physical Culture in Armenia and studied economics at the St Petersburg Institute.
Arsenal’s new head of recruitment Sven Mislintat, who arrived from Dortmund in November, has played an integral part in the Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan transfers and has referenced his experience spent working with them at Westfalenstadion as reason to pursue both players in the January transfer window.
While talks continue over extending Mesut Ozil and Jack Wilshere’s contracts, both signings are seen as a sign of the club’s ambition to take Arsenal to the next level, with further playing staff additions set to happen this summer.
Aubameyang, who is valued at £55m by Dortmund, was left out of the BVB squad for the second week running and won’t be involved in Friday’s match against Hertha Berlin , with sporting director Michael Zorc questioning the striker’s mentality. Wenger was lambasted by Zorc after the Frenchman suggested the Gabon international would be a good fit at Emirates Stadium during his press conference on Thursday.
“Auba trains in Dortmund,” Zorc told reporters. “We have the impression that Aubameyang is not 100 per cent mentally focused. It’s a difficult situation.”
Zorc described Wenger’s comments as “disrespectful” and confirmed that the 28-year-old would not be part of Dortmund’s squad against Hertha . Interest from Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande is also at an advanced stage, although Goal understands that Arsenal are the favoured destination of the striker, who has 13 goals in 15 appearances this season.
Olivier Giroud, who is still a week from returning to full fitness following a hamstring injury, has been mooted as a potential makeweight in the deal to sign Aubameyang. The Frenchman almost joined Dortmund in the summer when they were looking for potential Aubameyang replacements but a deal did not come to fruition.
However, with the World Cup on the horizon this summer Giroud is keen on leaving Arsenal in search of regular playing time. His representative remained coy when asked about the rumours linking his client with a move to Germany.
“Today it is just rumours but tomorrow it could become a reality. Maybe,” Michael Manuello told the Guardian .
As Goal revealed on Tuesday , Jonny Evans remains a target for the Gunners, who are still in the market for a centre back with Premier League pedigree due to Laurent Koscielny’s chronic Achilles problems and Per Mertesacker’s impending retirement.
West Brom boss Alan Pardew revealed on Thursday that the club had still not received any formal offers for the Northern Ireland defender but it’s understood that Arsenal will switch their focus to bolstering their defence once they get the Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan deals over the line.
Evans’ preference is to stay in the north west of England for family reasons but he has refused to rule out a possible move to London knowing that it would be his final ‘big’ transfer in English football.
Goal revealed at the start of the month that Wenger had planned a firesale over the next six months , with Alexis, Theo Walcott, Francis Coquelin, Mathieu Debuchy and Giroud among those heading for the exit door in a bid to free up space for new first-team additions.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed the appointment of German tactician Bruno Labbadia as the new Head Coach of Nigeria’s Senior Men’s National Team, the Super Eagles.
This development was announced by the NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, in the early hours of Tuesday, following the approval of the NFF Executive Committee based on a recommendation from its Technical and Development Sub-Committee. Labbadia’s appointment takes immediate effect.
Born on 8th February 1966 in Darmstadt, Germany, Labbadia enjoyed a distinguished playing career, earning two caps for the German national team. His club career included stints at prominent clubs such as Darmstadt 98, Hamburger SV, FC Kaiserslautern, Bayern Munich, FC Cologne, Werder Bremen, Arminia Bielefeld, and Karlsruher SC. Notably, he won the Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich in 1994.
Labbadia’s coaching career has seen him manage top-tier clubs such as Hertha Berlin, VfB Stuttgart, VfL Wolfsburg, Hamburger SV, and Bayer Leverkusen, among others. He holds a UEFA Pro License and is well-regarded for his tactical acumen.
With his appointment, Labbadia becomes the sixth German to lead the Super Eagles, following in the footsteps of Karl-Heinz Marotzke, Gottlieb Göller, Manfred Höner, Berti Vogts, and Gernot Rohr. Höner notably guided the Super Eagles to a runner-up finish at the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations, while Rohr qualified Nigeria for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Labbadia’s immediate task is to prepare the Super Eagles for their upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying matches.
Nigeria will face Benin Republic on Saturday, 7th September in Uyo, and Rwanda on Tuesday, 10th September in Kigali. The team will also play four additional qualifying matches in October and November as they aim to secure a spot in the 2025 AFCON, scheduled to be held from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
The Super Eagles, placed in Group D, will face familiar foes Benin Republic, who recently defeated Nigeria in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The draw for the AFCON qualifiers, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, last month, also sees Nigeria taking on Libya and Rwanda, both of whom are also part of the Super Eagles’ group for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers set to be hosted in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
Labbadia’s appointment comes at a crucial time as the Super Eagles look to regain their dominance on the African continent and secure qualification for both the AFCON and the World Cup.
Finidi George has stepped into a new role as the technical manager for NPFL side, Rivers United, following his resignation as coach of the Super Eagles.
During his brief tenure with the Eagles, George’s 1-1 draw against South Africa in Uyo and a 2-1 loss to Benin Republic in Abidjan cast doubts on Nigeria’s World Cup qualification, prompting calls from fans for his dismissal.
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Nevertheless, Rivers United, the 2021-22 champions, expressed optimism in a statement on Wednesday via their official handle about having the former Eagles international manage their team.
“Finidi brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our team, having had a distinguished playing career spanning over fifteen years,” the statement read.
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Dr. Okey Kpalukwu, General Manager of Rivers United FC, welcomed George, stating, “We are delighted to have Finidi George join our team. His appointment marks a new chapter in our club’s history, and we are committed to working together to achieve success.”
Expressing his gratitude to the club, an elated George remarked, “I am honored to have this opportunity, and I thank the Sports Commissioner, the General Manager, and the supporters for their confidence in me. I am committed to working hard and making the team win.”
Inter Milan were taken over by US fund Oaktree on Wednesday after the Serie A champions’ outgoing owners Suning missed a deadline to repay a debt worth hundred of millions of euros.
In a statement, Oaktree announced they had “assumed control” of Inter after the non-repayment of a “three-year loan to Inter Milan’s holding companies that matured on 21 May 2024 with a total balance due of approximately 395 million euros ($428 million)”.
Chinese conglomerate Suning have relinquished control of Inter to Oaktree three days after the team were officially crowned Italian champions for the 20th time.
Suning borrowed 275 million euros at over 12 percent interest three years ago to pay staff and players as the Covid-19 pandemic ravaged the finances of clubs across Europe, putting up their controlling stake in the club as collateral.
“Oaktree is dedicated to achieving the best outcome for the long-term prosperity of Inter Milan, with an initial focus on operational and financial stability for the Club and its stakeholders,” Oaktree continued.
Inter became a powerful force at home and abroad after Suning acquired the club in 2016, with seven trophies including two Serie A titles and two European finals.
Simone Inzaghi’s team cruised to this year’s championship, winning the Scudetto with five matches remaining by beating AC Milan in a thrilling local derby.
Oaktree, which manages $192 billion in assets, said they are “committed to working closely with Inter Milan’s current management team, partners, the league and governing bodies to ensure the Club is positioned for success on and off the pitch”.
Inter ended up in the hands of Oaktree in a manner similar to the way another US fund, Elliott Management, took control of their local rivals Milan in 2018.
Elliott became Milan’s owners when Chinese businessman Li Yonghong was unable to repay a loan he had taken out when he bought the club from the late Silvio Berlusconi’s Fininvest the previous year.
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