Chelsea player ratings: Bournemouth (H)

Chelsea loosened their grip on a coveted Champions League spot thanks a calamitous 3-0 loss at home to relegation strugglers Bournemouth.

A cagey first-half saw few chances created as Bournemouth stifled Chelsea’s attack in front of a subdued crowd at Stamford Bridge.

Gary Cahill nodded over but both sides were reduced to half chances. Andreas Christensen, in hindsight the one player who seemed capable of defending against Bournemouth’s pace, hobbled off midway through the half to be replaced by Antonio Rudiger.

A second-half blitz early on from Bournemouth put Eddie Howe’s team on course for their first away win since the start of November, as Chelsea’s makeshift but nonetheless experienced defence crumbled.

A mistake from Tiemoue Bakayoko sent Callum Wilson through, and the English forward slotted home for his fourth goal in seven games. Lewis Cook nearly doubled Bournemouth’s lead moments later, firing just wide of Thibaut Courtois’s goal. Junior Stanislas caught both Cesar Azpilicueta and Gary Cahill out of position to latch onto Wilson’s through ball and poke the Cherries into a 2-0 lead.

Just three minutes later, former Chelsea youth product Nathan Ake compounded Chelsea’s misery as he got a touch to Stanislas’s shot, wrong-footing Courtois and putting Bournemouth out of sight of the reigning champions.

Callum Hudson-Odoi was introduced as one of only two possible attacking changes Chelsea had at hand, but even his youthful endeavour couldn’t salvage anything from the game.

Here’s how the Chelsea players rated:

The post Chelsea player ratings: Bournemouth (H) appeared first on Read Chelsea.

Pundit explains exactly why Paul Pogba failed against Tottenham Hotspur

Former Chelsea player and pundit Frank Lampard has questioned Paul Pogba’s defensive commitment during Manchester United’s clash with Tottenham.

Jose Mourinho’s men travelled to Wembley in the hopes of keeping up the pressure on Manchester City but instead fell behind even further in the title race.

Their fierce rivals and league leaders managed to win their match vs West Brom meaning there’s now a 15 point gap between the two clubs.

United conceded within 15 seconds in their match vs the London club and failed to recover after, even conceding a comical own goal by Phil Jones.

The Red Devils’ backline were certainly in shambles but Lampard seems to suggest it could do with Pogba’s reluctance to track back.

Lampard; “Pogba’s got so many great attributes, a lot going forward. I didn’t see him have awareness defensively. He doesn’t run back as fast as he does forward.” #mufc

— United Xtra (@utdxtra) January 31, 2018

Much has been made of how to get the best out of the star Frenchman but it’s slowly becoming clear that there’s only really one way to do it.

A 4-2-3-1 formation vs smaller clubs may tend to get the job done, particularly when facing teams who will defend stubbornly but against bigger sides Manchester United must opt for the 4-3-3 formation.

The extra man in midfield allows Paul to be at his devastating best and whilst it means sacrificing one of the in-form attacking players, no one will surely mind if the result ends in the club’s favour.

Against Spurs, United’s lack of midfield allowed them to cruise through a huge chunk of the match unchallenged and untested, much to the disappointment of supporters.

Perhaps Jose Mourinho doesn’t trust his other midfielders but the former Juventus man’s reluctance to track back isolates Nemanja Matic far too much and the big sides will continue to punish the team for it.

Jose Mourinho reacts to Man United's disappointing performance against Spurs

Jose Mourinho has slammed his players’ poor start to the clash vs Tottenham Hotspurs after losing 2-0 away from home in the Premier League.

The match started poorly for Manchester United with the away side conceding within 15 seconds of the match through a Christian Eriksen goal.

Mourinho’s men began to recover quickly after, attempting to score immediately to nullify their threat with Jesse Lingard having an opportunity that would’ve tied the match.

Instead the Englishman missed and Phil Jones on the other end conceded a comical own goal to give Tottenham an extended lead.

With the pressure off Mauricio Pochettino’s men they cruised through the rest of the match and United failed to score in the remaining 60 minutes or so.

Mourinho: “It’s a performance that starts with a ridiculous goal. That goal after a few seconds has a big influence in the game because Tottenham can play the way they like to play. In the end we played against a very good team. Both goals were ridiculous.” #mufc

— United Xtra (@utdxtra) January 31, 2018

Jose has every right to be furious with his players given the lack of fight after conceding the second goal as the London side were allowed to play with no pressure whatsoever.

The Red Devils could’ve played for another 90 minutes without getting a result in their favour and it was one of their most damning performances of the season.

Most supporters can live with a poor display but can’t live with a gutless one and those Manchester United players were truly disappointing.

Jose Mourinho must also take a long hard look after his strange tactical decision having started the match with a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Although fans were delighted to see the attacking intent, Spurs extra man in midfield allowed them to completely play United off the park with very little threat.

Video: The reason why Jose Mourinho was forced to take off Marouane Fellaini

Marouane Fellaini suffered an injury less than a minute into his appearance from the bench against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night.

The Belgian, who spent all of December sidelined with a knee problem, came on to replace Paul Pogba at Wembley in the second half.

But he was, much to the confusion of all watching, hooked off for Ander Herrera just eight minutes later despite showing no signs of discomfort and went straight down the tunnel.

However, this video clearly shows Fellaini, 30 seconds after coming on, picking up what looks to be a strained or pulled muscle after competing for a loose ball.

Looks like Fellaini injured himself after about 30 seconds, this could explain it.

pic.twitter.com/l8GMGZBH3y

— Mootaz Chehade (@MHChehade) January 31, 2018

Jose Mourinho finally lost his temper midway through the second half, his side once again cut open by an effervescent Spurs side, and many interpreted his hooking of Fellaini as a symptom of his growing chagrin.

But it turns out that anger was instead related to the notion that, once again, Mourinho was set to be short of options in midfield. Another injury in the same position could suddenly cause real problems.

Fellaini’s superb patch of form in September feels like eons ago now. The 30-year-old, with speculation surrounding his future refusing to die down, has continued to pick up niggles preventing him from breaching the starting XI, and you wonder whether that will factor in the club’s stance on offering him a new contract over the next few months.

Player ratings: Pogba and Jones awful, Man United capitulate against top six opponents again

David de Gea 6 – Couldn’t do anything about either goals in the first half and did well to prevent the hosts from making it worse before the break.

Antonio Valencia 6 – As usual, the Ecuadorian was one of the more reliable players on a night when Manchester United’s cage was well and truly rattled. Fought hard defensively and produced a sensible display on the ball.

Phil Jones 4 – A truly miserable night for a defender in great form prior to this clash. Lacked urgency for Tottenham’s first goal and, well, I don’t need to say anything about that own goal.

Chris Smalling 5 – Lacked strength and discipline throughout the encounter, twisting like a fish out of water whenever Harry Kane got the ball. Another unconvincing outing.

Ashley Young 6 – Brought his standard application and energy to the table out wide, but mainly frustrated whenever he entered Spurs’ half and could have done better for Tottenham’s opener.

Nemanja Matic 5 – The Serbian, perhaps unsurprisingly, found himself completely overrun by a midfield trio comprising of Moussa Dembele, Eric Dier and Dele Alli. Couldn’t even begin to shift play forward or maintain possession with no options around him.

Paul Pogba 5 – This was the first time Jose Mourinho brought the Frenchman off for reasons other than injury. Completely failed to generate any momentum against a packed midfield, frustratingly losing the ball or misplacing a pass when he did break free.

Jesse Lingard 5 – Never truly found his way into the game. Didn’t get on the ball nearly enough in the first half and lacked precision around the final third.

Alexis Sanchez 6 – Not the debut the Chilean would have wanted. Gave everything on the ball, displaying more attacking innovation than anyone, but couldn’t influence the game regularly.

Anthony Martial 5 – A largely anonymous display from the Frenchman, who struggled to find space or offer precision in the final third.

Romelu Lukaku 5 – Once again found himself feeding off scraps for the most part, reduced to flicking on headers and holding up lost causes. Forced Hugo Lloris into a save in the second half but, aside from that, had precious little influence in the box.

Substitutes

Juan Mata 

Marouane Fellaini

Ander Herrera

Man Utd fans react to Jones' performance vs Tottenham

Manchester United fans were completely let down by their centre-back Phil Jones after his disappointing display vs Tottenham Hotspurs in the Premier League.

Jose Mourinho’s men headed into the fixture knowing they need all three points if they wish to have any hope of keeping the pressure on league leaders and fierce rivals Manchester City.

Instead, it was Tottenham who managed to open the scoring within 15 seconds to put to shame the United backline and worry their fans.

Their concerns got worse after Jones managed to turn the ball into his own net despite his team recovering well from the early goal.

Phil’s career at Old Trafford has hardly been perfect and often riddled with injuries but his recent performances suggested he was on the up until he came up against Mauricio Pochettino’s men.

Chris Smalling and Phil Jones. Manchester United’s Comedy duo… pic.twitter.com/xDEf7bebnj

— SportsJOE (@SportsJOE_UK) January 31, 2018

When you watch Phil Jones trying to defend pic.twitter.com/ziMBXvMiWK

— Footy Humour (@FootyHumour) January 31, 2018

Mourinho: “Stop Kane scoring at all costs, do you understand?”

Jones: “Say no more…” pic.twitter.com/Ds5rKKvSzH

— Footy Memes (@FootyMemes) January 31, 2018

Phil Jones when he gets into the United changing room & Mourinho starts going mental: pic.twitter.com/r3CScsEGua

— Footy Accumulators (@FootyAccums) January 31, 2018

When Phil Jones finally *does* turn into the next Duncan Edwards, it’s going to be one hell of a plot twist.

— Tom Williams (@tomwfootball) January 31, 2018

Nah just when you think Jones is redeeming himself he starts to reinforce his status as biggest meme ever

— Elliott (@ElliottUnited) January 31, 2018

Phil Jones will surely be looking over his shoulder after his display due to the amount of competition he’s got for the centre-back position.

The Englishman, Chris Smalling, Marcos Rojo, Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof all represent the club’s current senior options.

Axel Tuanzebe is currently out on loan but is expected to be a part of the first team squad next season, particularly since he’s highly rated by the staff.

Daley Blind is also capable of playing in the centre-back position if need be but it’s Bailly and Lindelof that Jones should be concerned with given it was the pair that Jose invested in over the two seasons he’s been at Manchester United for.

Derby County hoping to take Chelsea youngster on loan

Championship promotion hopefuls Derby County are interested in a deadline day move for Chelsea youngster Kasey Palmer on loan until the end of the season.

Twitter: Derby eye late move for Chelsea midfielder Kasey Palmer on loan. #dcfc #CFC https://t.co/uMudunRgFb (@SportsPeteO)

The 21-year-old is keen to get a move away after struggling to gain many chances with the Chelsea first team and Derby would provide him with a great opportunity.

He was out on loan at Premier League side Huddersfield Town earlier in the season but this had to be terminated earlier due to him featuring in just five matches before January.

He would be right in the mix in trying to help the Rams complete promotion back to the Premier League as they currently sit in second place in the second tier of English football.

The post Derby set to make late move for Kasey Palmer appeared first on Read Chelsea.

Arsenal Confirm Two Players Have Left On Deadline Day

Arsenal have confirmed that both Olivier Giroud and Mathieu Debuchy have left the club on deadline day (via The Guardian).

On what is proving to be an incredibly busy deadline day for Arsenal, the news isn’t showing any signs of slowing down.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has joined and Mesut Ozil has signed a new contract at the club but two players have also left the Emirates.

Olivier Giroud has completed his move to Chelsea for a price in excess of £18 million.

The Frenchman joined the club from Montpellier in 2012 for a fee of around £10 million and made over 250 appearances, scoring 103 goals for the Gunners.

The club has announced that another Frenchman, Mathieu Debuchy has also left Arsenal after almost four years at the Emirates and is expected to join Saint Etienne.

BREAKING: St Etienne are close to signing Mathieu Debuchy from @Arsenal, according to Sky sources. #SSN pic.twitter.com/B1s8A73VQh

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) January 31, 2018

Debuchy joined from Newcastle United in 2014 but injuries have reduced the Frenchman to just 20 appearances for the Gunners.

It will take some time to analyse what has proven to be an incredibly busy deadline day window for Arsenal. The incomings have been wonderful but the Gunners may prove to regret the outgoings. It seems a strange decision to sell a player as useful as Olivier Giroud to a direct rival like Chelsea, especially for that fee. Mathieu Debuchy’s departure makes a little more sense.

Chelsea confirm the exit of star forward

Borussia Dortmund have officially signed striker Michy Batshuayi from Chelsea on loan until the end of the season.

The struggling forward was recently backed by Antonio Conte, who revealed he was happy for Batshuayi to stay in Chelsea’s ranks, but with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s imminent move to Arsenal, Chelsea have offloaded Batshuayi to make room for Oliver Giroud, who is make the move across London on deadline day.

Batshuayi joined Chelsea in 2016 after leaving Marseille but has struggled for game time. The 24-year-old’s wanted replacement, Giroud, has been prolific in front of goal for Arsenal since his arrival and would offer Alvaro Morata stiff competition to be Chelsea’s main man up front.

The move has come at a good time for Batshuayi as he seeks a spot in the Belgium World Cup squad in the summer. Had he stayed at Chelsea, the chances of that happening could have been slim, but the striker will hope to kick-start his season in Germany, and potentially return to Stamford Bridge a better player next season.

The post Michy Batshuayi completes Dortmund switch appeared first on Read Chelsea.

Jose Mourinho: Manchester United’s attack cannot be improved

Jose Mourinho has insisted that Manchester United’s attacking situation is perfect, and that no one in the transfer market could possibly improve it.

Having signed Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal last week, Mourinho now has an array of attacking talents at his disposal with Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, Romelu Lukaku, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata and Zlatan Ibrahimovic as well as new boy Sanchez.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan departed to the Gunners in the Sanchez player-swap deal, with Man United paying no transfer fee for a world-class player, something Mourinho has admitted his delight about.

Now, United could line-up in any number of ways, and predicting the starting XI for the Reds’ Wednesday night fixture against Tottenham Hotspur is a tricky task.

”I think in attack it’s difficult for us to improve,” Mourinho said, when asked about any future plans in the transfer market.

“Where are we going to get a better combination of players than we have? We cannot buy Messi and Cristiano. These are the best players of the last decade.

“In attack, we have an amazing group of players.”

United’s options are now salivating, but it would be a surprise if such a policy was continued into the summer window. Unsurprisingly, plenty of players have been linked, and while Mourinho has a huge deal of options, he still has no natural right-winger.


Sanchez’s best football at Arsenal has come from the left or in central positions in the same way that that has been the case of Rashford and Martial at United. Lingard’s best stuff is when he plays behind the striker centrally, and the same can be said for Mata, who enjoys playing on the left, too. Lukaku, meanwhile, is a striker and that’s it.

Who will be played out of position, because someone will be, remains to be seen, but it may lead Mourinho to look to attackers in the transfer market again in the summer.

Chelsea defender won't be leaving the club amidst Arsenal interest

According to David Ornstein, David Luiz will not leave Chelsea this deadline day, despite links to Arsenal.

Twitter: As widely reported by others, Chelsea have signed France striker Olivier Giroud from Arsenal for a fee in the regio… https://t.co/ALYWUwwnl5 (@bbcsport_david)

Luiz has been linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge this January window after falling out with manager Antonio Conte, who has started to play Andreas Christensen ahead of the Brazilian for the ball-playing centre-back role.

Chelsea and Arsenal have already done business with each-other on this deadline day, after Olivier Giroud joined Chelsea from Arsenal, but it is unlikely that any more deals will be done between the London rivals.

Although he was struggling for a place in the Chelsea lineup recently, Luiz will likely see himself back in a starting berth very soon, as the Blues look to continue in the Champions League and FA Cup, as well as fighting for a top four finish in the Premier League this season, so squad rotation will occur.

The post David Luiz not moving anywhere this transfer window appeared first on Read Chelsea.

Chelsea make their third January signing

Chelsea have announced the signing of Arsenal and France striker Olivier Giroud.

Giroud was linked with a move to West Ham and Everton last summer but he decided to stay at The Emirates instead of moving away from Chelsea’s rivals.

However, the Frenchman’s head has now been turned by the reigning champions of the Premier League, who have been looking for a target man all January, and they finally have their man. He’ll cost an initial £15.3m, with £2.2m in add-ons.

Chelsea paying Arsenal £15.3m for Olivier Giroud and £2.2m in add ons

— Kaveh Solhekol (@SkyKaveh) January 31, 2018

This transfer will complete the transfer triangle of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Michy Batshuayi and Giroud, with Aubameyang moving to Arsenal this morning and his former club looking like replacing the Gabonese striker with Chelsea’s Batshuayi, who’s replacement is Giroud from Aubameyang’s new club.

The new man will compete with Alvaro Morata for a starting place at Stamford Bridge but with The Blues’ Champions League knockout campaign ahead, as well as the rest of the FA Cup, both front-men will get plenty of game-time ahead of the 2018 World Cup. Both players will be hoping to be on the plane for for their respective countries.

The post Olivier Giroud signs for Chelsea appeared first on Read Chelsea.

Ornstein: Arsenal enquire to sign Chelsea outcast as part of Giroud deal

Chelsea have secured the signing of Olivier Giroud from Arsenal this afternoon but a player could leave the Blues for the Emirates before the transfer deadline passes this evening.

Twitter: Hearing whispers (nothing concrete) Arsenal have been exploring possibility of signing David Luiz from Chelsea as p… https://t.co/p6s3YJfcdR (@bbcsport_david)

BBC Sport reporter David Ornstein has claimed that Arsenal have explored the possibility of signing David Luiz from Chelsea as part of the deal which will see Olivier Giroud move from North to West London.

Arsenal are eager to improve their defence before this evening’s 11PM deadline and have been linked with a move for the Brazilian centre-back this month.

Luiz has fallen out-of-favour under Antonio Conte in the last few months and has also struggled with knee issues in the last 12 months which has allowed Andreas Christensen to break into the first-team.

Whether Arsenal can persuade Chelsea into allowing Luiz to leave for a Premier League rival remains to be seen.

The post Arsenal ask about David Luiz in Giroud deal appeared first on Read Chelsea.

Chelsea complete loan deal for defender

According to Sky Sports News, Chelsea’s Todd Kane has joined Oxford on loan for the rest of the season.

Twitter: BREAKING: @OUFCOfficial sign right back Todd Kane on loan from Chelsea until the end of the season. #SSN (@SkySportsNews)

Kane has been in Chelsea’s youth ranks since 2010 but he’s never made a first team appearance for The Blues, despite being on Chelsea’s books for a long time.

The 24-year-old has never been considered for the first team, with the likes of Branislav Ivanovic, Victor Moses, Davide Zappacosta and many more being ahead of him, such as current Hull right-back, Ola Aina, who is on loan from Chelsea.

Kane has had plenty of loan spells away from Chelsea, as they continue to persist with their loan system for young players. He has had stints at Preston, Blackburn (twice); Bristol City, Nottingham Forest, NEC Nijmegen and FC Gronigen, but he has failed to please the people in charge at Chelsea.

He will be hoping to impress at Oxford in an attempt to push into the first-team at Chelsea or make a permanent signing to a club who’d play him, as he looks to get his career going.

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Revealed: The full cost of how much Olivier Giroud will cost Chelsea

Chelsea will pay Arsenal £19 million for striker Olivier Giroud, and will offer the player an 18-month contract according to reports from L’Équipe, cited by GFFN.

Giroud, 31, has spent six years with the Gunners after joining from Montpellier back in 2012, and has scored over 100 goals for the club, however, is now deemed surplus to requirements and is expected to head to Stamford Bridge.

With Arsenal announcing the signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund on deadline day and Michy Batshuayi expected to join Borussia Dortmund from Chelsea, Giroud will complete the circle by joining the Blues from the Gunners.

Giroud is hopeful of making the France squad for the upcoming World Cup this summer, and sees himself getting more game time with the Blues over staying at the Emirates.

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has been desperate to add to his attacking options this month, and has become increasingly frustrated by the lack of business the Blues have done in the window, however, with the addition of Ederson Palmieri from Roma along with Giroud today, Conte may well be a muh happier man.

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Mourinho triggers contract extension of ‘important, important’ Man United player

Juan Mata has had a one-year contract extension clause triggered in his deal at Manchester United, manager Jose Mourinho has revealed.

The Portuguese hailed his attacking midfielder ahead of Man United’s trip to Wembley to face Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night.

Mata’s current contract was set to expire in the summer, but as with almost all of United’s players, the club have always had the option to trigger than one-year extension.

Mourinho was effusive in his praise of Mata, and defensive of his treatment of the Spaniard.

“Mata is important,” Mourinho said.

“He is another one, a big story when I arrived one-and-a-half years ago – ‘Mata is in trouble’. Now he’s getting an extension,” the 55-year-old United boss revealed, reminding people of how Mata was written off when Mourinho arrived because of their relationship at Chelsea which saw Mourinho sell Mata to United for over £37m in January 2014.

Yet Mourinho was insistent upon his arrival that there were no bad feelings with Mata and that it was a simple football decision. That appears to be undoubtedly true, with Mata consistently an important part of the squad since Mourinho’s arrival, if not a key player as such.

“He’s an important player for me, an important player for the club, an important player for the other players,” Mourinho commented.

Mata is a role-model for young footballers and a fantastic influence on the United dressing room. Calm, considered and experienced, Mata can always assist with the development of the younger players, while his actions off-the-pitch are exemplary, creating the Common Goal Initiative which aims to see all players pledge 1% of their wages to a common goal to tackle the world’s key issues.

Confirmed: Mesut Ozil Signs New Deal At Arsenal

The BBC’s David Ornstein has confirmed that Mesut Ozil has signed a new deal which will keep him at Arsenal until 2021 (via BBC).

After well over a year of speculation, we finally have confirmation that Mesut Ozil will stay at the club.

The German playmaker has signed a new contract which will make him Arsenal’s highest earner and keep him in North London until 2021.

Ozil arrived from Real Madrid for a then club record fee of £42.5 million and has since established himself as a key player.

His future has been in doubt for some time and with is current deal expiring at the end of the seasons and after the departure of Alexis Sanchez, the 28-year-old seemed set to leave too.

EXCLUSIVE: Mesut Ozil signs a new three-and-a-half year contract to remain at Arsenal until summer 2021. Becomes highest-paid player in club history on around £350k per week before tax. Deal agreed last weekend, signed at Colney this morning. Could take him to 8yrs at #AFC & 32yo pic.twitter.com/600XtVnbnH

— David Ornstein (@bbcsport_david) January 31, 2018

But today, the BBC’s David Ornstein has confirmed that Ozil has penned a new deal worth an estimated £350,000/week.

It’s great to see the official confirmation of something which has been rumoured for some time. Mesut Ozil is a world class player and the fact that he has agreed to stay at the club can only be a good thing. Arsenal may have announced the transfer of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang but this is the most important signing of the window.

Jose Mourinho ridicules myth regarding Marcus Rashford at Manchester United

The idea that Marcus Rashford has suffered from Jose Mourinho’s arrival at the club has been ridiculed by the Manchester United manager.

When Mourinho took over at Old Trafford in July 2016, there were significant worries for the development of Marcus Rashford, who had just broken into the side the previous February under Louis van Gaal and shone before earning a place in England’s squad for the 2016 European Championships in France.

Yet, since, Rashford has played more than any other player at United. This season, he has featured in every single United game in all competitions, an astonishing record.

“The story that Marcus will not get minutes and matches is really old because he’s a very important player for us,” Mourinho said, with Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp having claimed recently that Rashford would have to move on to find regular first team football for his development, a completely unfounded suggestion.

“The kid is having a hell of an experience at every level so an amazing future waits for him and being surrounded by these players can only help him.”

“His story is quite interesting because he started playing with Mr. Van Gaal when the team was really in trouble to have options. Then the monster that kills the little kids arrived. But he has played every game since then.”

Mourinho, as creative as ever using ‘the monster that kills the little kids, to describe himself, is correct. Rashford’s development is going well. Perhaps because he burst onto the scene so extraordinarily with two goals on his debut against FC Midtjylland and then two further goals on his Premier League debut just days later against Arsenal as well as the winner in the Manchester derby and a goal on his England debut, expectations are high.

That’s acceptable, but people must realise that while his goalscoring form may have dipped, he’s playing on the left of attack rather than up front. He’s playing every week, and very little can be better for his development.

Batshuayi photographed undergoing Dortmund medical ahead of loan move

Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi is set to have a medical with Borussia Dortmund, according to ESPN.

The striker is set to move to Dortmund as a replacement for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who is set to move to Chelsea’s London rivals Arsenal for a fee rumoured to be around £60m. That move would free up Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud to then move to Chelsea to provide backup for Alvaro Morata.

The rumours of the Belgians move have been strengthened by this tweet, which appears to show him taking part in a medical at Dortmund.

Twitter: @mbatshuayi https://t.co/Vb0f38J7Ug (@BorussenEdition)

The 24-year-old has made 26 appearances for Chelsea in all competitions this season, scoring 12 times and setting up a further two goals for his teammates. In addition to this, he has received three caps for his country this campaign, scoring once and getting one assist.

Chelsea currently sit third in the Premier League and will face Bournemouth tonight at home.

The post Batshuayi undergoing Dortmund medical appeared first on Read Chelsea.

Official: Arsenal Announce Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Signing

Arsenal have announced that the club has completed the signing of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund (via Arsenal.com).

After years of speculation and weeks of waiting, Arsenal have finally announced the news which the fans have been waiting for: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is a Gunners player.

The striker has signed for the Gunners on a long-term contract in a club-record deal from Borussia Dortmund.

The transfer is believed to be in excess of £61 million which eclipses the £52 million the Gunners spent on Alexandre Lacazette in the summer.

#YoPierre pic.twitter.com/VKlUZdOqv1

— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) January 31, 2018

Aubameyang has been one of the top scorers in European football in the last few years, scoring 69 goals in his last 79 Bundesliga matches.

It’s great to see that the club has finally wrapped up a deal for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. He’s a fine player and provides goals and pace to an attacking line which sorely needs it.

Aubameyang will link up with his one-time teammate at Dortmund, Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Let’s hope the pair can fire Arsenal to some silverware this season.

Bild: Mesut Ozil Is Signing A New Contract At Arsenal

German publication, Bild has claimed that Mesut Ozil will soon renew his Arsenal contract (via Sport Witness).

Arsenal fans would be forgiven for thinking this would never happen, especially after last night’s performance.

Despite that, reports in Germany suggest that Mesut Ozil will renew his contract and remain at Arsenal.

The reports come from Bild and claim that the German playmaker is pleased with Arsenal’s business in the window with the signings of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan acting very much as the catalyst for this decision.

The former Real Madrid man’s current deal expires in the summer and after Alexis Sanchez’s switch to Manchester United, many Arsenal fans feared the same for Ozil.

The German is a key player at the club and has been ever since his 2013 arrival from Spain.

Let’s hope these reports are true because Arsenal need to keep hold of their star man. The Gunners just don’t look like the same team when Ozil isn’t in it and, hopefully, we’ll see a marked upturn in form once these new signings have embedded in.

Cech On Swansea Defeat: It Is The Same Game Again And Again

Petr Cech has lamented Tuesday’s 3-1 defeat to Swansea City and claimed that it is the same type of match again and again (via Arsenal.com).

Despite the optimism of the last few weeks, Arsenal fans fell swiftly back down to earth last night with the 3-1 defeat to Swansea City.

The Gunners surrendered a 1-0 lead to the Premier League’s bottom side as defensive errors ruined the night.

One of those errors came, unfortunately, from Petr Cech and the former Chelsea man spoke about the team’s performance after the match.

“Well, they defended well and we simply made mistakes,” Cech said bluntly.

“When you keep making mistakes then obviously at this level the team can take advantage of that and I thought that going 1-0 up was a big breakthrough for us.

“In the second half I obviously made a mistake for the second goal and then we made a mistake for the third goal.

“We are aware that the position in the table that we are in, is thanks to the away form. It’s as simple as that.

“At home we are strong and we are getting points and we take advantage of playing at home. But for some reason away from home it is not happening for us.

“You can see it is not once or twice, it is the same type of game too many times this year. We try to find the solution, but obviously, we haven’t found it.”

Petr Cech was clearly furious both with his and the team’s performance in the aftermath of the match last night. The Czech stopper made a horrible error but can’t bear too much blame for the team’s performance.

Chelsea in deadline day talks to sign Liverpool and Tottenham striker target, Bayern Munich also in talks

Earlier this month, Chelsea were linked with a move for Lyon starlet Willem Geubbels as they looked to bring in another top young talent but so far a deal has yet to be agreed.

The 16-year-old striker has broken into the Lyon first-team setup this season and became the youngest player to feature in the Europa League in the process but the teenager is now considering his options given the interest in him.

Chelsea, along with Bundesliga clubs Bayern Munich and Red Bull Leipzig have entered talks with the player’s entourage regarding a deadline day move.

Lyon themselves are holding talks with the player in a bid to convince him to stay at the club and are ready to offer him a professional contract in order to stay.

Austrian side Red Bull Salzburg made an approach to sign the teenager during the January transfer window but his agent has informed the club to stop in their efforts given the considerable interest in his client from Champions League clubs.

Fellow Premier League sides Liverpool and Tottenham are also interested in the France U17 international but if he’s to leave Lyon then Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Red Bull Leipzig are at the front of the queue.

The post Lyon trying to convince Chelsea target Geubbels to stay appeared first on Read Chelsea.

Chelsea outcast completes loan move to Bundesliga outfit

Chelsea defender Baba Rahman has gone back out to Germany to rejoin Schalke on loan until the end of the season according to Sky Sports.

The player has joined up with his teammates this morning and is involved with his first training session following the move.

The player spent last season out on loan at Schalke only for the second half of the loan to be cut short after he picked up a disappointing injury.

He is yet to play this season following his injury so it may take a bit of time for him to get back up to the speed needed to compete.

Chelsea signed him for over £21 million in 2015 but he has since made just 23 appearances in their first team and looks like his long-term future will be away from Stamford Bridge.

A strong end to the season with the Bundesliga club could see the player earn an opportunity with the first team in preseason next season.

The post Baba Rahman returns to Schalke on loan appeared first on Read Chelsea.

Former Man Utd player predicts result for Spurs clash

Former Manchester United man Michael Owen has predicted what he thinks will be the result of the clash with Tottenham in the Premier League.

Jose Mourinho’s men travel to Wembley on the 31st of January in the hopes of keeping their recent winning run going against the fifth placed side.

A win is the only acceptable result if United hope to close the 12 point gap on league leaders and fierce rivals Manchester City.

Spurs meanwhile are chasing Champions League football with their current position sure to be considered a step back from their past two seasons.

Owen has featured for the Red Devils during top of the table clashes and knows exactly what it’s like to play in high pressured environments.

According to the Sport Review, Michael said to BetVictor: “Spurs have won their last two home league games against Manchester United but the Red Devils have won their last six at Wembley scoring at least twice in each of those games.

“Harry Kane has currently scored 99 PL goals and the great Alan Shearer scored his 100th PL goal against United. I expect to see a hugely entertaining game, which could go either way, but the hosts get a narrow vote in a fixture that should see goals.”

Although Tottenham are the hosts in this fixture, they’re technically not at home given that they temporarily play their games in Wembley.

Manchester United will be hoping to capitalise on this uncomfortable feeling for Mauricio Pochettino’s men and continue to apply pressure to Manchester City.

With just 14 matches left, time is running out for Mourinho’s side to turn things around in their favour and know a win is necessary if there’s any hope of winning the title.

City will be facing relegation candidates West Brom at the same time as the top six clash and will know that should they lose and United win, the gap will close to nine points.

The Red Devils won’t face their cross-town rivals in the Premier League until April and can potentially turn the season around if all goes well.

[Match Highlights] Swansea City 3-1 Arsenal - All The Goals And Highlights

Arsenal surrendered a 1-0 lead only to lose 3-1 away at Swansea City on a dismal night in South Wales.

—–
Matchday: Team News – Player Ratings – Match Highlights
Match: Swansea City v Arsenal
Stadium: Liberty Stadium
Kick-Off (GMT): Tue 30 Jan 19:45
—–

—–
Matchday: Team News – Player Ratings – Match Highlights
Match: Swansea City v Arsenal
Stadium: Liberty Stadium
Kick-Off (GMT): Tue 30 Jan 19:45
—–

Well, that was far from the best way to welcome Henrikh Mkhitaryan to Arsenal.

The Gunners must have known they were in for a tough match away at Swansea City but perhaps not as bad as the one they played.

Arsenal took the lead through Nacho Monreal but the Premier League’s bottom side hit back with almost instantly through Sam Clucas.

A horrible error from Petr Cech gave Swansea the lead in the second-half before Clucas again found the back of the net late on to seal yet another defeat for the Gunners.

Here are the goals and highlights

[Player Ratings] Swansea City 3-1 Arsenal - Woeful Gunners Lose Away Again

Arsenal surrendered a 1-0 lead to lose 3-1 at the Premier League’s bottom club, Swansea City.

—–
Matchday: Team News – Player Ratings – Match Highlights
Match: Swansea City v Arsenal
Stadium: Liberty Stadium
Kick-Off (GMT): Tue 30 Jan 19:45
—–

It was an exciting start to the match on a rainy night in South Wales. Swansea City certainly didn’t play like a side bottom of the table in the early exchanges of this match as they really took the match to Arsenal.

The Swans could’ve been a couple of goals up but for some fine defensive play from Aaron Ramsey and later Mohamed Elneny.

But it was the Gunners who took the lead. Mesut Ozil found some space on the edge of the box and curled in a wonderful cross to the back post. Nacho Monreal was the player rushing on and, incredibly, slid in to score.

But it wouldn’t last. Less than two minutes later and Swansea City were pushing forward. Alfie Mawson nicked the ball from Mesut Ozil before sliding a through ball into Sam Clucas to score.

The Swansea City defence sat back as the game entered the second-half and Arsenal struggled to break them down. The Gunners were forced out wide but had very little chance of winning anything aerially against the Swansea back three.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan was brought on just before the hour mark and came on just in time to witness Swansea City score. Nacho Monreal threw the ball back to Petr Cech in the Arsenal goal and his wild clearance only went as far as Jordan Ayew who made it 2-1.

Olivier Giroud may be the subject of much transfer speculation but was forced into making an appearance as Arsenal tried to force an equaliser.

Arsenal needed a goal but it wouldn’t be long before they needed two. With too many players up the pitch and some woeful defensive errors, Sam Clucas found space in the box to grab his second of the game and secure the win.

Here’s how we rate the Arsenal players:

GK) Petr Cech – 3

That could well have been the worst error of his career. Petr Cech won’t want to see the second Swansea goal again and, sadly, his performance will be remembered for it.

 

RB) Hector Bellerin – 4

Hector Bellerin has had better matches. The Spaniard was caught a little too high up the pitch on a number of occasions and offered very little moving forward.

RCB) Shkodran Mustafi – 2

Shkodran Mustafi saw quite a lot of the ball but will be hugely disappointed with what he did with it. The German’s passing out from the back was poor and he was caught out of position on far too many occasions. An embarrassing performance.

 

LCB) Laurent Koscielny – 5

He was okay. Laurent Koscielny suffered from the same errors as his defensive partner but not on the same scale.

LB) Nacho Monreal – 5

Nacho Monreal did well for much of this match. The Spaniard popped up with the important opening goal but was partly to blame for the defeat. His throw to Petr Cech was a little rash and his error for the third goal was unforgivable.

 

RCM) Granit Xhaka – 3

Granit Xhaka was really poor out there. The Swiss international was at fault for the opening Swansea goal and it just summed up his performance. He was caught out of position on far too many occasions and was just careless in possession.

 

LCM) Mohamed Elneny – 6

Mohamed Elneny played well. The Egyptian was probably the strongest part of a weak Arsenal midfield and was unfortunate to be replaced.

Sub: Henrikh Mkhitaryan (60′) – 5

It was far from the ideal conditions for a debut and it’s a match Henrikh Mkhitaryan will want to forget. He had some moments of quality but was ultimately left frustrated.

RAM) Alex Iwobi – 5

It was a tough afternoon for Alex Iwobi. The Nigerian had such little time on the ball against an organised Swansea defence. He wasn’t alone on that front but didn’t pop up with a crucial assist like Mesut Ozil did.

Sub: Olivier Giroud (76′) – N/A

Didn’t see much of the ball.

 

CAM) Aaron Ramsey – 5

Aaron Ramsey started in an attacking midfield role but didn’t spend long there. Ramsey put in one memorable tackle on his return to South Wales but had a relatively quiet match.

 

LAM) Mesut Ozil – 5

Much like Alex Iwobi, Mesut Ozil was anonymous for the majority of this match. He saw very little of the ball but still popped up with the sole moment ofqualityy from Arsenal in the first-half for that opening goal.

ST) Alexandre Lacazette – 3

It was a very tough evening for Alexandre Lacazette. The Frenchman seemed to have four players marking him at times and he did not cope well.

Chelsea complete Emerson deal

Chelsea have completed the signing of AS Roma defender Emerson Palmieri, for a fee believed to be in the region of £20 million.

Twitter: .@EmersonPalmieri is a Blue!
Full story https://t.co/a8VTRAXsQj
#WelcomeEmerson https://t.co/AcVjRg5DOC (@ChelseaFC)

As confirmed by the club’s official Twitter account, the Brazilian joins on a four-and-a-half year contract.

The Blues have been in the market for another left-sided defender to provide competition for Marcos Alonso.

Palmieri has been linked with a move to the Premier League for some time, with Liverpool expressing an interest in the 23-year-old previously.

The defender has struggled to break into the Roma side this season, making just two appearances in all competitions.

Antonio Conte has been limited in his options on the left side, using Kenedy as a makeshift wing-back in cup competitions.

However, the latter has not featured in the Premier League with Conte having identified better options. Kenedy will spend the rest of the season on loan at Newcastle.

The post Chelsea complete Emerson deal appeared first on Read Chelsea.

Jose Mourinho provides injury update ahead of Spurs clash

Jose Mourinho has confirmed that Manchester United have no fresh injuries to contend with ahead of Wednesday night’s Premier League meeting with Tottenham Hotspur.

Michael Carrick made his first start since September against Yeovil Town as Paul Pogba, Chris Smalling, David de Gea, Ashley Young, Antonio Valencia, Nemanja Matic and Anthony Martial all received rests.

Alexis Sanchez will make his Premier League debut in a Man United shirt after impressing against the League Two side last Friday.

And Mourinho, speaking ahead of the visit to Wembley, noted that there weren’t any fresh injury problems for his side.

“We have no more injuries,” he said. “It was a tough match at Yeovil, a difficult match, difficult conditions, but everything is good.”

“The real headache is when you don’t have the players, so when you have so many injuries then you are in trouble. When almost everybody is available and the quality is high, these are the good problems to have.”

Man United’s hectic Christmas schedule inevitably consigned a number of players to the injury table but Mourinho’s men, following their Dubai warm weather training camp earlier this month, are more or less back to full strength ahead of the business end of the campaign.

Only Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Eric Bailly remain sidelined. The Swede’s return date is unclear as rumours of a potential move to the MLS continue to surround his name, while club medical staff are confident that Bailly will return in time for the clash with Sevilla on February 21.

[Confirmed Lineups] Swansea City v Arsenal - Ramsey Returns For Gunners - Mkhitaryan On Bench

Arsene Wenger has confirmed his starting lineup for the Gunners’ Premier League trip to Swansea City.

—–
Matchday: Team News – Player Ratings – Match Highlights
Match: Swansea City v Arsenal
Stadium: Liberty Stadium
Kick-Off (GMT): Tue 30 Jan 19:45
—–

While most Arsenal fans will have one eye on the transfer window and whether or not the deal for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will be announced, there is still some football to be played.

Arsenal are in South Wales to take on Swansea City in a Premier League clash which will surely be a tough one.

There have been some hard-fought matches between the two teams in the last couple of years and this one will surely be no different.

The Swans may be struggling thus far but Arsene Wenger’s men cannot assume that the three points is theirs.

Here’s how the two teams line up:

Arsenal

GK) Petr Cech

RB) Hector Bellerin

RCB) Shkodran Mustafi

LCB) Laurent Koscielny (C)

LB) Nacho Monreal

RCM) Granit Xhaka

LCM) Mohamed Elneny

RAM) Alex Iwobi

CAM) Aaron Ramsey

LAM) Mesut Ozil

ST) Alexandre Lacazette

Subs: Ospina, Chambers, Maitland-Niles, Kolasinac, Mkhitaryan, Nketiah, Giroud

 

Swansea City

Lukasz Fabianski

Kyle Naughton

Mike van der Hoorn

Federico Fernandez (C)

Alfie Mawson

Martin Olsson

Sam Clucas

Ki Sung-Yueng

Leroy Fer

Nathan Dyer

Jordan Ayew

Subs: Nordfelt, Bartley, Carroll, Routledge, Narsingh, Bony, Abraham

4-2-3-1: Predicted Man United XI for crucial Spurs clash

Alexis Sanchez will make his Premier League debut for Manchester United against old neighbours Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley on Wednesday night.

The Chilean, who arrived from Arsenal last week, produced a ‘Man of the Match’ performance against Yeovil Town but will be properly judged for the first time against Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

Man United have won all five of their games in 2018 so far and would pull 11 points clear of the fifth placed side with another victory.

Here is Sam’s predicted XI for the meeting at Wembley. Be sure to leave your own predicted XI in the video’s comments section.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan fires dig at Jose Mourinho after joining Arsenal

Henrikh Mkhitaryan has aimed a dig at Jose Mourinho’s playing style after joining Arsenal, noting he was happy to be playing “offensive football” under Arsene Wenger.

The Armenian begun this season brightly, claiming five assists in three games, but eventually fell out of favour following a string of disappointing displays that has culminated in him making just one Premier League start since November 5.

And he has duly joined Arsenal this month as a result in a swap deal that sees Alexis Sanchez move the other way.

Speaking soon after arriving at the Emirates, Mkhitaryan sent a subtle dig in Mourinho’s direction when asked about his decision to move to North London.

“It was not very difficult to make this decision to come to Arsenal, because I think the way that Arsenal play [makes] it a dream for every player to come here and play offensive football,” he said.

Arsenal fans may interpret this quote as good Mourinho ammunition, but in reality it highlights a sobering truth about their new player and, by extension, their club as a whole.

When things became difficult at Old Trafford, Mkhitaryan never stood up to take ownership of the situation. Nice bloke, yeah, pretty good footballer, lovely to watch, sure. But the only time we really saw him thrive was when the conditions were right for him, the pitch nice and big, the opponents fatigued, players streaming forward.

This, I guess, explains why he belongs at Arsenal, a club stuck in a groundhog day nightmare of succeeding in the same areas and failing in the same areas, unable – or perhaps just reluctant – to develop anything different to combat the errors made in the past.

And therein lies the key difference between the two managers in question here: a Mourinho player would find a way to swim through toxic waste; a Wenger player, on the other hand, will only swim if the water is sparkly and turquoise.

Report: Chelsea star agrees terms for Borussia Dortmund loan deal

According to reports in Germany, as per GGFN, Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi is edging ever closer to securing a loan move to Borussia Dortmund.

The Belgian international is poised to join the German club on a temporary basis until the end of the season. Batshuayi will head to Dortmund as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s replacement for the time being, with the Gabonese forward heading to Arsenal.

Chelsea are all but set to land Olivier Giroud from the Gunners despite recent complications in negotiations, meaning that Batshuayi will be allowed to test himself on loan elsewhere.

The reports indicate that Dortmund will pay Chelsea a sum of €1.5m for the short-term loan of former Marseille front man Batshuayi.

It has been a frantic few days at Stamford Bridge and Batshuayi appears to have finally made his mind up, with the reports from Germany claiming that he has reached an agreement with Borussia Dortmund in recent times.

The post Batshuayi agrees Dortmund switch appeared first on Read Chelsea.

Juan Mata sends message to Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Juan Mata has sent Henrikh Mkhitaryan a message of good luck ahead of the playmaker’s Arsenal debut against Swansea City.

The Armenian has been consigned to the periphery under Jose Mourinho ever since an anonymous display against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in November.

He completed a move to the Emirates last week in a swap deal involving Alexis Sanchez and could make his debut for Arsenal at the Liberty Stadium on Tuesday.

And Mata, writing in his weekly blog, was quick to send a message of goodwill to the 29-year-old after joining Arsenal.

“I don’t want to forget to wish the best of luck once again to Henrikh Mkhitaryan, a footballer with great talent and a friend that deserves all the good things that happen to him,” he said.

“Enjoy in your new club and see you soon!”

Mkhitaryan has always admired Arsenal and will, you sense, find refuge in the slick dynamism of Arsene Wenger’s style going forward.

And yet, at the same time, Mkhitaryan’s move down to London comes with a tint of sadness as well. He would have obviously preferred to leave Old Trafford on his own terms rather than as a bargaining chip, and as someone who always appreciated the stage he was on you can’t help but feel as if Mourinho’s words will continue to ring in his ears for some time. Namely: that Mkhitaryan has gone from a ‘giant’ club to a ‘fantastic’ club.

Arsenal may prove to be the salvation he needs, but it also serves as a symbolic death knell for his time at the highest rung of the footballing ladder.

Man United receive fresh injury blow at the back: report

Daley Blind has been sidelined for Manchester United’s last three games due to ankle ligament damage sustained in training 11 days ago, according to reports.

The Dutchman’s last Premier League start dates back to August but Jose Mourinho has used him in all European and domestic cup matches this season.

But he didn’t feature against Yeovil Town on Friday and hasn’t been present in the squad since Man United’s 2-0 win over Derby County earlier this month.

And according to the Times‘ Paul Hirst, the 27-year-old damaged his ankle ligaments during training and had to be carried off the pitch, prompting fears of a potentially extensive period on the sidelines.

Mourinho noted in his Monday press conference that there weren’t any fresh injuries in his squad ahead of the clash with Tottenham Hotspur but, with this new information in mind, he must have been referring to the group of players he was intending to select from – of which Blind is not one.

The 55-year-old clearly prefers the know-how of Ashley Young and athleticism of Luke Shaw at left-back in league games, and has shown great reluctance to use Blind at centre-back.

He appears to be reduced to something of a bit-part role this season, chipping in for games that sees perhaps more important players receive a rest.

This is probably a sensible assignment for a player with limited – yet unquestionable – ability, but with his contract set to expire at the end of this season and plenty of years still ahead of him, Blind may feel like his current quota of games isn’t enough and seek a move elsewhere.

 

Axel Tuanzebe reveals long-term ambitions at Manchester United

Manchester United defender Axel Tuaznebe has outlined what he wants to achieve in his career at the club.

The 20-year-old centre-back has joined Sky Bet Championship side Aston Villa on loan until the end of the 2017/18 season. The Villains are fighting for promotion under the guidance of former-Man United centre-back Steve Bruce.


Meanwhile, Tuanzebe is also benefitting from playing alongside former-England captain John Terry.

Born in DR Congo, Tuanzebe mainly grew up in Rochdale and has played for England’s youth sides. He insisted that he has two aims, one short-term at Villa and one long-term at United.

“I’m at Villa to fight, to play and help the team win promotion,” he said.

“After getting promotion and my medal, I want to go back to United and be a real contender for my place.”

Tuanzebe has been at United for over a decade, playing in the youth sides from a very young age up until now, his first taste of football away from Old Trafford and Carrington at Villa. He made his debut under Mourinho last season and played a couple of times while featuring regularly in matchday squads for the first half of this season.

He was certain that his long-term future and hopes lie at Manchester United.

“It’s my home. I want to be playing there for ten to 15 years,” he claimed, “that’s my motivation.”

It’s a great attitude from Tuanzebe. It shows his commitment to United but loan players have to also commit fully to their loan club.

United players are generally very good at doing that. Dean Henderson, goalkeeper for Shrewsbury Town this season and Grimsby Town last campaign, has been adored by both sets of supporters for his passion for whichever club he is playing for and has performed fantastically, too.

David Beckham reveals what he thinks about Mourinho at Man United

David Beckham has described Jose Mourinho as the right man to lead Manchester United back to their former-glories.

The Englishman has just launched a Miami-based MLS franchise, a plan which has been in the pipeline for some time.

One of the great players in Manchester United’s recent history, Beckham was asked about his former club’s recent fortunes under Mourinho, who arrived at the Old Trafford helm in July 2016 and has led the club to two major trophies already.

“Of course he’s the right fit for United,” Beckham asserted.

“We’re talking about Jose Mourinho. He’s one of the best managers in the game.”

The Portuguese manager signed a contract extension at United last week, meaning his reign will last until 2020 should he see out the deal. That would mean Mourinho’s longest single stint at any club in his whole career, having had short spells at Chelsea twice as well as FC Porto, Real Madrid and Inter Milan.

“United has had success over the last 25 years because we have had stability that has run throughout our club,” Beckham said, having played under Sir Alex Ferguson for his whole United career and Beckham saw the Scot continue at the club while he had spells himself as a player at Real Madrid, AC Milan, LA Galaxy and Paris Saint-Germain,

Mourinho has started well at United. With 18 months gone, he’s earned a new contract with two major trophies in his first season and attracting big-name players that would otherwise likely not have come. Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic joined in July 2016 while Romelu Lukaku signed last summer and Alexis Sanchez arrived at the club last week.

Chelsea's deal for Giroud hanging in the balance

Chelsea’s pursuit of Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud has been a complex one and yet another twist in the tale has emerged.

According to reliable BBC Sport correspondent David Ornstein, the Gunners have thrown Giroud’s move to Chelsea into doubt and could look to offload the Frenchman to Borussia Dortmund instead.

Twitter: LATEST: Aubameyang medical pencilled for Wed AM. Earlier today all set for Batshuayi loan to Dortmund, Giroud to Ch… https://t.co/cuMLBRlKve (@bbcsport_david)

The German side will only sanction the sale of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Arsenal if a replacement is secured and with the Gunners angered by Chelsea’s recent negotiating tactics for Giroud, the ex-Montpellier star could be on his way to Germany.

Discussions appeared to be progressing well between the Blues and their London rivals. It was reported that the two clubs were nearing an agreement over a deal for Giroud, but Ornstein claims that Chelsea’s director Marina Granovskaia intention to drive the price down for the move has left Arsenal infuriated. 

It seems the Blues are at risk of missing out on Giroud if they cannot agree a deal worth £20m in the imminent future, and this would also mean that Michy Batshuayi is set to stay, as his move to Dortmund hangs in the balance.

The post Arsenal angered as Chelsea aim to drive Giroud price down appeared first on Read Chelsea.

Chelsea make breakthrough as they near €20m agreement for Arsenal star

Chelsea appear to have finally made a breakthrough in their pursuit of Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud.

It was reported initially that the clubs had reached an agreement over a deal worth in the region of £15m. However, these claims were refuted as Arsenal stalled negotiations with their London rivals.

The Gunners are now closing in on a deal for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, though, and the striker is apparently close to officially completing his move to the Emirates.

This means that Giroud is likely to be made available for a move away and Chelsea have pounced at the chance to recruit the Frenchman, with L’Equipe (via GFFN) stating that an agreement worth €20m including bonuses is set to be agreed.

Twitter: L’Équipe: Arsenal & Chelsea now closing in on a €20m including bonuses agreement for Olivier Giroud. Talks began ag… https://t.co/Mnpe0YizEs (@GFFN)

Chelsea have been in the market for a physically imposing striker throughout the transfer window and it seems they will secure Giroud.

Michy Batshuayi may now leave Chelsea, with Borussia Dortmund keen.

The post Chelsea and Arsenal nearing agreement over €20m Giroud move appeared first on Read Chelsea.

Tottenham make approach to sign Chelsea man

In a surprise turn of events, it seems Tottenham Hotspur have emerged as the latest potential suitors for Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi.

According to a report from French news outlet RMC Sport, though, as cited by GFFN, the Blues have rebuffed their London rivals’ approach to sign the Belgian on loan.

Twitter: Breaking | Tottenham have had a loan offer rejected by Chelsea for Michy Batshuayi, according to RMC. The player do… https://t.co/JrIEQjhjnF (@GFFN)

Batshuayi is currently included in what is a peculiar transfer triangle. It seems his future depends on whether or not Chelsea are able to recruit a new striker, as they have been chasing for the duration of the transfer window. 

The former Marseille man has been heavily linked with a move away from the club and has recently been linked with Borussia Dortmund. This would be with the view for him to arrive as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s replacement, with the Gabon international heading to Arsenal.

A move to North London for Aubameyang would mean that Olivier Giroud could become available, and Chelsea are keen to recruit the Gunners striker as their search for a target man continues.

Conclusively, that would enable Batshuayi the chance to depart Stamford Bridge, albeit on a temporary basis, and it seems he is not short of teams to choose from if he does indeed receive the chance to move.

Although, it does not look as though he will be playing out the rest of the season at Wembley, with RMC claiming he does not want to join Tottenham.

Chelsea are also rumoured to be keen on Spurs striker Fernando

The post Tottenham make surprise move for Michy Batshuayi appeared first on Read Chelsea.

Mkhitaryan Starts For Gunners - Swansea City v Arsenal [Predicted Lineup]

Arsenal take on Swansea City in the Premier League this evening and we think Henrikh Mkhitaryan will make his Gunners debut.

—–
Matchday: Team News – Player Ratings – Match Highlights
Match: Swansea City v Arsenal
Stadium: Liberty Stadium
Kick-Off (GMT): Tue 30 Jan 19:45
—–

Here’s how we think the Gunners will line up:

GK) Petr Cech

He’ll start.

RB) Hector Bellerin

Hector Bellerin will play after a run of performances.

RCB) Shkodran Mustafi

He’ll start.

LCB) Laurent Koscielny

Laurent Koscielny will start and captain the Gunners.

LB) Nacho Monreal

We think a 4-2-3-1 is in store for the Gunners and after a fine run of performances, Nacho Monreal should feature.

RCM) Granit Xhaka

He’ll start.

LCM) Mohamed Elneny

Mohamed Elneny has played a lot of football lately and is performing well. It should continue this evening.

RAM) Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Henrikh Mkhitaryan should make his Arsenal debut this evening. The Armenian completed his move from Manchester United last week and should be thrown straight into the team.

CAM) Jack Wilshere

He should start despite Aaron Ramsey’s return to fitness. Jack Wilshere has performed well of late.

LAM) Mesut Ozil

He’ll start.

ST) Alexandre Lacazette

Alexandre Lacazette will undoubtedly start up front.

Phil Neville instructs Manchester United: start a women’s team

Phil Neville has urged Manchester United to create a women’s team with the Reds one of the only top clubs in England without a current side.

Man United discontinued their women’s side in the mid-2000s but have seen their rivals across the country have great success in the women’s game, with cross-city rivals Manchester City taking full advantage of the possibilities and investing hugely.

Neville was recently appointed England women’s boss despite having no experience of full management or the women’s game. Questioned about his former-club’s reluctance to create a women’s side, Neville insisted he would try to convince the club to decide otherwise.

“I will be encouraging them,” Neville said, via ESPN.

“I am sure they are in the process of doing it,” he continued. Often asked about the issue, United always insist it’s under consideration but litle movement is ever made.

It’s a huge debate that splits the fanbase and many in the football community. Some argue that the club shouldn’t be forced to have a women’s side, and bring up the good work the Reds do in developing young female players in their academy.

However, others suggest that United have to be a part of the game given the influence they have over attitudes within football and for so many people around the world.

“A club of the size of United should be the leaders, the pioneers,” Neville insisted. “I am sure they are working to do that.”

Real Madrid ahead of Man City to sign Chelsea star after Blues rule out sale to PL rival

Chelsea attacker Eden Hazard has been talked about of a potential move to Manchester City this month but it’s been thought that the Blues would reject any offers which come their way from Manchester City even if it was a world record deal according to the Telegraph.

After missing out on Alexis Sanchez who went to Manchester United last week City are keen to add options in attack and have identified Hazard as a player they’d like to bring in.

City would be up against Real Madrid if the Chelsea man was to not renew his current Chelsea deal at the end of the season.

Chelsea wouldn’t be able to stop him from joining the Spanish giants but would stand in his way if a move came from a domestic rival such as Manchester City.

The Blues still hope to tie him down to a deal of £300,000 per a week to make him their highest earner at the club but this is yet to be achieved.

The post Chelsea will not sell Hazard to City appeared first on Read Chelsea.

Aubameyang Pictured At Dortmund Airport Ahead Of Reported Arsenal Move

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been pictured at Dortmund airport ahead of his proposed move to Arsenal.

Nothing can ever be straightforward at Arsenal, especially where transfers are concerned.

The Gunners have been trying to wrap up a deal for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for some time but still can’t quite get it over the line despite agreeing to terms with both the club and player.

The BBC‘s David Ornstein has claimed that Dortmund are only willing to sign off on the deal once they have signed a replacement player.

The options on that front are reportedly Anthony Modeste, Olivier Giroud or Michy Batshuayi but should it be the latter then Chelsea would also need to sign a replacement.

It’s an incredibly complicated situation but there has been one further twist in the plot this morning when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was pictured at Dortmund airport.

BREAKING! @Aubameyang7 ist mit seiner Familie soeben an @DortmundAirport angekommen. pic.twitter.com/S3GkcUZPHy

— Florian Groeger (@RN_Florian) January 30, 2018

The Gabon international was shown exiting a car with some family members before heading inside.

It’s unclear whether this means he is on his way to London or not. The forward will need to complete a medical before his move to the Emirates but would need Dortmund’s permission to do that. Let’s hope a solution can be found which involves Aubameyang in an Arsenal shirt at the weekend.

Chelsea have enquiry for Spanish striker rejected

Chelsea have had an enquiry for Tottenham striker Fernando Llorente turned down, according to The Mirror.

More to follow…

The post Chelsea have Llorente enquiry rebuffed appeared first on Read Chelsea.

Chelsea told they must pay £25m if they want to sign Batshuayi replacement, Conte keen on the deal

Tottenham forward Fernando Llorente has really struggled to make much of an impact since his arrival and has been subject of a move elsewhere with Chelsea one of his suitors.

It’s been reported that Mauricio Pochettino will only accept bids of £25m for the player who has started just one Premier League game this season.

Twitter: On Llorente I’m told Tottenham will only consider selling him for around £25m in this window. He could still become… https://t.co/rNlZ310M2L (@Matt_Law_DT)

The Spanish striker had a brilliant season at Swansea City last season and played a key role in helping to keep them up but has struggled to make any kind of impact and is well down the pecking order with Harry Kane playing so well and Heung-Min Son a capable stand-in.

Chelsea may well make a move for the player which they missed out on in the summer if their first plan to bring in Arsenal’s Oliver Giroud to the club falls through in the last few moments of the transfer window.

With Michy Batshuayi heading to Dortmund on loan, Chelsea want a new striker to serve as Alvaro Morata’s backup and Llorente is an old favourite of Antonio Conte’s dating back to their time together at Juventus.

The post Chelsea must pay £25m to land Llorente appeared first on Read Chelsea.

Chelsea propose swap deal to Arsenal to sign Giroud, Gunners are interested in player on offer

Chelsea’s desperate attempts to land a striker before tomorrow’s transfer deadline has seen them offer out the services of David Luiz in order to pave the way for a potential arrival.

The Daily Star claim that the Blues are in contact with Arsenal regarding a late move for Olivier Giroud, and that Antonio Conte has offered Luiz in a straight swap for the French striker.

Arsenal are expected to sign Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund – with Chelsea’s Michy Batshuayi set to move to the Bundesliga club on loan as his replacement, in a deal which would see Giroud move further down the pecking order at the Emirates.

Giroud is pushing to leave Arsenal in a World Cup year and Chelsea are desperate for a tall, physical striker to add to their ranks – but whether Arsene Wenger is willing to deal to another Premier League rival after allowing Alexis Sanchez join Manchester United remains to be seen.

A centre-back has been on Arsenal’s January wishlist and they were linked with a move for Luiz before Wenger poured cold water on talk regarding a potential swoop, but it appears as if Chelsea are willing to let him leave in order to bring in a striker.

The post Chelsea offer David Luiz in exchange for Olivier Giroud appeared first on Read Chelsea.

Armenia manager gives his thoughts on Man United letting Mkhitaryan leave

Henrikh Mkhitaryan will be far better off playing away from Manchester United, according to Armenia’s national team coach Artur Petrosyan.

The 29-year-old was Man United’s first ever player from Armenia, and provided some special moments for the Reds, including being one of the most important players in Jose Mourinho’s side’s victorious UEFA Europa League run.

Petrosyan said he was happy that Mkhitaryan has escaped United and Mourinho after the attacking midfielder joined Arsenal in a straight player-swap deal that saw Alexis Sanchez go the other way.

Sanchez was the main man in the transfer after Mkhitaryan’s value at United dropped significantly in the last few months of his 18-month career at the club.

“We are very happy with this transfer from Manchester United,” Petrosyan said.

“His style of play will be better suited at Arsenal.”

It’s a fair point. Mkhitaryan, in a way, benefits from having a team built around his fantastic technical ability and is helped by others protecting him. He wasn’t given that at United and Mourinho’s style of play didn’t suit the Armenian particularly well.

At Arsenal, he will fit in better, something that manager Mourinho admitted.

“It is my impression that I think Henrikh had a problem with the coach [Mourinho],” 46-year-old Petrosyan said “and, at Arsenal, it will be another thing and not the same situation. There will not be so much pressure on him defensively.”

Mkhitaryan looks set to make his debut for the Gunners on Tuesday night against Swansea City. United fans bid farewell to their ‘midfield Armenian’ with sadness, it was hardly a good riddance.



He showed his fantastic quality at times, but just not consistently enough. Maybe at Arsenal, he will.