Sports
Arsene Wenger admits Alexis Sanchez transfer has been “destabilising” – but Arsenal have “best possible solution” in Henrikh Mkhitaryan
The rebuild at Arsenal will be long and bumpy but at least they can finally start thinking about the future.
In truth, it feels as if Arsenal have been stuck in limbo all season, not knowing whether their star player is coming or going or if he is going to bother trying from one game to the next.
Arsene Wenger admits the whole Alexis Sanchez saga has been “destabilising” for the club and the other players have been weighed down by “uncertainty.”
It almost felt as if the shackles came off against Crystal Palace, Arsenal played with freedom and they were determined to prove there is life after Sanchez.
Sanchez was always a difficult character, most world-class players have an ego to match and he divided the dressing room because he is a brilliant talent but was also a diva with his strops and sulks.
Wenger admitted the atmosphere had suffered because Sanchez overshadowed everything and the players had been affected. When asked whether the uncertainty has destabilised some of the players, Wenger replied bluntly: “Yes. Not the other players, just the team.
“You work in a newspaper and there are periods when the atmosphere is less enjoyable than others. It is the lack of clarity.
“It is not losing players, teams are used to that. But it is fact you have uncertainty in the group – that they don’t know if he will be here or not. Once it is clear, the team gets used to it.
“There is always life. Arsenal Football Club is 130 years old and many big players have left. Will it go a bit less good? We will see.”
Arsenal have sold some big players in recent times with Robin van Persie, Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri going on controversial deals which left the fans in uproar for different reasons. Van Persie because he went to Manchester United, Fabregas because it was a long, painful goodbye and Nasri jumped ship to join Manchester City for a big pay day.
This time, Wenger believes Arsenal can come out of the other side stronger because Henrikh Mkhitaryan is coming in the other direction with Arsenal convinced they can do a deal for Borussia Dortmund star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Wenger said: “We have a strong squad that does not depend on one player. Let’s not forget that if Alexis Sanchez goes, somebody else will come in who has quality as well.
“It is not that we are only losing a player, we are gaining one as well. And we are still active in the transfer market and trying to bring players in.
“We have tried to find the best possible solution and that is we lose a world class player but we did not lose him without getting somebody after.”
Arsenal have known they were heading for this for a long time as it was clear Sanchez did not want to re-sign and the fear was the immediate fall-out from the sale.
Lose to Palace or suffer a setback and it would have turned toxic at the Emirates.
The fact they blitzed Palace with four goals in the opening 22 minutes was a dream for Wenger.
Nacho Monreal, Alex Iwobi, Laurent Koscielny and Alexandre Lacazette were on target. Monreal also provided two assists and was outstanding before hobbling off, as a precaution, after just 33 minutes. Mesut Ozil and Jack Wilshere were sublime in midfield.
Palace midfielder Luka Milivojevic got a late consolation but it was a good day for Arsenal and they really needed it.
It has been a painful time, the uncertainty has been difficult and the fans have been fed up.
But Wenger embracing Arsenal’s new behind-the-scenes set-up, led by ex-Dortmund scout Sven Mislintat as their head of recruitment, has been interesting to watch.
Wenger has no intention of leaving this summer and it would need for him to be pushed and Arsenal have never done that.
He is changing to survive and that will mean rebuilding the team and the club’s structure.
He was so dismissive of a director of football and yet that role has been split and Wenger is not complaining.
Mislintat also wants to go against the grain for Wenger by bring in Aubameyang despite his bad-boy reputation.
But the one area of doubt is Ozil who is out of contract in the summer and Arsenal have not given up on re-signing him.
However, Wenger insists Ozil’s uncertainty is different to Sanchez. Wenger was less optimistic than recently about Ozil but added: “He will be here until the end of the season, for sure. Afterwards it depends if we find an agreement or not.”
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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