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.
Victor Osimhen has been named the 2023 African Footballer of the Year, cementing his status as one of the world’s top players.
Osimhen surpassed competition from Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi and Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah for the prestigious award.
The Super Eagles forward concluded a remarkable year in the imperial Moroccan city of Marakesh, ending Nigeria’s 24-year wait for Africa’s top individual prize, last won by legendary Kanu Nwankwo in 1999.
During the event, Osimhen expressed gratitude, acknowledging the impact of Nigerian legend Emmanuel Amuneke, who coached him at the U-17 level, and the support from fans and fellow players.
“It’s a dream come true for me. I want to thank everyone who has seen me through life’s journey, in achieving my dreams and goals. I appreciate Nigerians and Africa for their unwavering support and encouragement,” he said.
Osimhen recognised the influence of Emmanuel Adebayo, Solomon Kalu, and other African legends, expressing gratitude to his role model, Didier Drogba.
The award reflects Osimhen’s outstanding performances with Napoli, where he played a pivotal role in their Serie A title run, scoring 26 league goals and becoming the first African to win the top scorer award, breaking George Weah’s record in the Italian top-flight.”
Lionel Messi, the renowned Argentine football icon, clinched the coveted 2023 Ballon d’Or, setting a new record for the 2022 World Cup champion.
In a glamorous event held in Paris, Messi, who now plays for Inter Miami, received the prestigious award on Monday night. This achievement is widely seen as a well-deserved recognition for his pivotal role in guiding the Abiscelete to World Cup victory in the previous year.
Aged 36, Messi succeeded Karim Benzema as the recipient of this award, which acknowledges his exceptional performances during the last season when he inspired Argentina to triumph at the World Cup.
His remarkable displays in Qatar, where he led his nation to a historic victory, enabled him to surpass strong competition, notably from Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. Haaland secured the second spot in the final voting, with Mbappe finishing third and Kevin De Bruyne taking fourth place.
Messi, a former Barcelona superstar, left an indelible mark at the World Cup, scoring seven crucial goals. His exceptional performance led to him being named the tournament’s best player, especially after Argentina’s victory over France in the final.
While Messi’s World Cup heroics were undeniable, his final season with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) was relatively lackluster. Subsequently, he made a move to Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.
His former PSG teammate, Mbappe, made a strong case for the Ballon d’Or with his outstanding World Cup performance, finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with eight goals, including a memorable hat-trick in the final for France.
Norwegian striker Erling Haaland had a remarkable season, scoring an incredible 52 goals in 53 games for Manchester City. This stellar performance played a pivotal role in helping Pep Guardiola’s team secure a historic treble in the English Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League.
Both Haaland and De Bruyne were nominated for the Ballon d’Or from their exceptional contributions to the success of Manchester City.
Juventus and France midfielder Paul Pogba’s ‘B’ sample has confirmed the presence of testosterone, a source close to the case told AFP on Friday.
The 30-year-old former Manchester United player, a World Cup winner in 2018, faces a ban of up to four years.
The original test by the Italian anti-doping agency (Nado) showed the presence of testosterone metabolites.
On Friday, Pogba learned that the analysis of his B sample, carried out on the previous day, had produced the same result.
The player’s entourage declined to comment.
Under the World Anti-Doping Code, Pogba is liable to a four-year suspension, which could be halved if he proves that he was not at fault.
The ban could even be limited to a few months if the use of the substance took place “out of competition and is not related to his level of performance”.
Pogba’s representatives said last month that the testosterone came from a food supplement prescribed by a doctor he consulted in the United States.
Testosterone promotes muscle development.
Contacted by AFP, Nado was unable to confirm this information “due to a decision by the Italian privacy authority”.
Pogba has seven days to submit his defence to Italy’s National Anti-Doping Tribunal, which will investigate his case and request a sanction, a process that could take several weeks.
In addition to the proceedings of the Italian sports justice system, a judicial investigation will be opened by the Turin public prosecutor’s office, as doping is a criminal offence in Italy.
Since the announcement of his positive test, Pogba has been unable to train with Juventus, the club to which he returned in July 2022 after six seasons with United.
The announcement came shortly before Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri’s press conference on the eve of the Turin derby against Torino, at which he simply said he was “sorry for Paul”.
Contacted by AFP, the club, which has also suspended payment of his estimated annual salary of 8 million euros (8.4 million dollars), did not respond.
Pogba started the season attempting to bounce back from string of injuries last season and from summer surgery.
His sample was reportedly taken at his club’s opening match of the Serie A season, a win at Udinese on August 20, during which he was an unused substitute.
After the first sample tested positive on September 11, Pogba’s agent Rafaela Pimenta said she was “awaiting the second sample and cannot have an opinion before the results”.
“What is certain is that Paul Pogba never wanted to break a rule,” she added.
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