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Arsenal appear to be well down the road to signing Alexis Sanchez from Barcelona, essentially killing two birds with one stone in their need to address the centre-forward position and add depth beyond Theo Walcott for the flanks.

If there was any doubt about Alexis’ credentials, especially after a frustrating and completely forgettable 2012-13 campaign with Barcelona two years ago, the World Cup in Brazil has shown the Chilean to be exactly the kind of marquee forward Arsenal’s supporters have been crying out for.

We’ve been here before though, and many will be sceptical until pictures of Alexis with an Arsenal shirt in hand emerge. Last summer, Arsenal were said to be on the brink of signing Gonzalo Higuain, only for the Argentine to land at Napoli instead. The north London club had accused Real Madrid of moving the goal posts on the deal at the last minute.

But Alexis would more than make up for that loss. With Olivier Giroud also experiencing a good World Cup with France, Arsenal, on paper at least, would look a far more threatening outfit over the course of next season.

The Chilean would also negate the need for Angel Di Maria, who is another big-name South American who looks set to leave La Liga.

Arsenal were interested last year and could have landed the Real Madrid winger had it not been for Carlo Ancelotti’s intervention, instead securing the signing of Mesut Ozil. What is certain is that Arsenal need two forwards, one capable of playing on the wing. In the case of Alexis and Di Maria, one would cancel the other out.

Di Maria does provide different qualities to the Chilean. This past season he showed himself to be a more than capable central midfielder, playing alongside of Xabi Alonso and Luka Modric and given the freedom to roam. He was sensational against Barcelona in particular, while his best season in the white of Real was capped with victory in the Champions League.

There’s no doubt that Di Maria is a player who would improve Arsenal over the coming seasons. He and Mesut Ozil would interchange roles in the attacking three while both were playing at the Bernabeu, and there’d be an opportunity for both midfielders to strike up a similar partnership.

But Arsenal would be getting that and much more in Alexis, who, unlike Di Maria, can play at centre-forward and relieve some pressure from Giroud.

To venture down the avenue of suggesting Arsenal don’t need Di Maria would be wrong; it wasn’t too long ago that many, including myself, were talking up the value of having Cesc Fabregas return to the club. Above all, Arsenal need strength in depth.

But Real want £40 million for Di Maria, while Alexis would be a little under £30 million. With a high-class defensive midfielder needed, as well as a right-back and another forward (possibly Loic Remy), the focus must be on what the team need first and foremost. In addition, Fabregas was available for a deal that was far better value for money than Di Maria’s price tag.

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If the club can wrap up a deal for Alexis in the coming weeks, it will be a positive sign to the supporters, who need convincing after the failure to properly strength during the last two windows and the complete collapse last season.

If what is said to be on the table does come to fruition, missing out on Angel Di Maria will be dusted away with the kind of renewed confidence that can only be delivered by star forwards such as Alexis.

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Ever since the January window slammed shut, the tabloids have been filled with regular reports of Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney signing a new £300k-per week mega-contract, that could also pave the way for him to be anointed club captain and the end of the season when Nemanja Vidic brings his Red Devils career to a close.

Wazza Roo is yet to sign on the dotted line, but reports on a daily basis have suggested that moment is only drawing nearer. Today, Mirror Football have even felt compelled to include the word ‘imminent’ in the title of their latest article covering the lengthy contract saga.

A mega-contract indeed; the deal, worth £70million over its reported four-and-a-half-term duration, would make the England international the highest-paid player in the history of the Premier League, and the direct recipient of 3% of Manchester United’s overall revenue, according to Nick Harris of Sporting Intelligence. He’d also engulf 8.5% of the club’s payroll.

To the Premier League champions, Rooney is undoubtedly worth that much. The 28 year-old, a decade-long servant to the club, has become the physical embodiment of Manchester United’s footballing identity; robust, English, hard-working, determined, yet exceptionally gifted in creativity and guile.

Amid their current malaise under David Moyes, he has at times been their savour, finding nine goals and nine assists in 21 Premier League appearances this season, and in the absence of a head-turning, trend-setting poster boy of the David Beckham or Cristiano Ronaldo ilk, Rooney has become  by far United’s most recognised player, and their most potent marketing tool.

And I guess in this capitalist-centric version of the beautiful game we now all reside in, you’re worth whatever someone is willing to pay you.

But not everybody outside of the Old Trafford camp, and even some parties within, necessarily subscribe to that point of view. For much of his career, the categorisation of Rooney’s ultimate quality has been open to debate, and upon news of his record-breaking wage hike, these doubts have once again emerged

As a natural footballer, few can argue with the England star’s abilities; as a striker, he scores goals, as a No.10, he creates chances, and in his short berth in central midfield last season, he pinged the ball around the pitch as if he’d been doing it his whole life. But fix Rooney to any particular position, and there’s at least one element to his game that’s always come up slightly short – a piece of the jigsaw missing to make him the perfect forward, the perfect playmaker, or the perfect centre-mid.

Yes, to many, the Premier League’s fifth all-time top scorer still has a lot to prove, and there are few who would actively campaign for Rooney to be described as undisputedly world-class, despite his world-class pay increase.

But there is an opportunity glimmering on the horizon that would allow the United forward to put the age-old  criticisms to rest once and for all, and prove he deserves not only every penny of his £70million deal, but also poster-boy status of the new era at Old Trafford – the 2014 World Cup.

The competition is the greatest footballing spectacle in the world, at one end a celebration of the great diversity and global reach of the beautiful game, and at the other, the  most ultimate of tests that separates the great from the greatest, and the elite from the legendary.

Following those who have solidified their place in the annals of football history through the World Cup, such as Pele, Johan Cruyff, Gerd Mueller or George Weah, no one will be able to question Rooney’s abilities, let alone his £300k per-week deal, if he can produce his form on the biggest stage of them all. Part of football’s magic is that everybody can have an opinion, but a series of breath-taking performances at a World Cup always brings debates of quality to a close.

Admittedly, for a tournament held partly in the Amazon rain forest; for a tournament in which Greg Dyke summed up our chances of escaping the group stages with an ill-tasting cut-throat gesture; the chances of Rooney  replicating the astonishing talismanic feats of Zinedine Zidane in 1998 and 2006, or Brazil’s Ronaldo in 2002 are incredibly unlikely.

But England need a hero and the time is upon Rooney to answer that calling, not only to advance his reputation at club level but also on the international scene; the Red Devils star is undoubtedly the finest home-grown talent of his generation, but a return of 38 goals in 88 international appearances hasn’t quite brought Rooney or the Three Lions to the dizzying heights many anticipated during days as a teenage Evertonian.

He’s also been an almost permanent fixture in an England side that haven’t lived up to expectations in their last four major tournaments, and failed to qualify for Euro 2008.

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More than anything else however, more than goals, good football, or moments for the history books, the coming World Cup gives Rooney the chance to prove he’s a leader –  not only a player capable of producing his best form on the ultimate stage and when his team need it most, but a player who can inspire that same quality in those around him.  If Wazza Roo is to become the figurehead of the post-Ferguson era at Manchester United – the definitive motivation behind the club’s proposed £300k per-week contract – these are the qualities he must demonstrate.

Roy Hodgson has called on the Old Trafford star to ‘explode’ at Brazil 2014, and although that may be a rather inelegant term, it does summarise the expectancy in a nutshell. At 28 years of age, this is Rooney’s final opportunity to dictate how he is perceived by a world-wide audience, and whether the issue of his quality will be left eternally open to interpretation.

But most importantly in regards to United, it will illustrate whether they’ve spent £70million on an effective world-class entity, a talismanic leader, capable of producing at the highest possible level, or foolishly backed a player, tipped to become the flagship star of a new era at Old Trafford, who will never bear the full fruits of his endless potential.

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West Ham have been linked with a move for Lazio midfielder for what seems like most of the summer, and some Hammers fans think his latest tweet hints at his impending move to London.

The latest reports suggest that the Brazilian midfielder has handed in a transfer request to the Italian club in order to force a move, according to Italian news outlet Tutto Mercato Web.

Sky Sports reported that West Ham made an offer of £35million plus add-ons for the 25-year-old and it is thought that a move will be imminent for the player valued at £27million on Transfermarkt.

Is this the best World Cup ever? Tell us your thoughts here and win any World Cup shirt of your choice.

However, the attacking midfielder’s latest tweet seems to have set West Ham fans’ hearts racing with many believing it is a sign that he is on his way out of the Roman club.

The cryptic message, when translated, reads: “Long live the goodbyes and all that they teach us!”

West Ham supporters have been reacting to the message with many thinking it refers to him saying farewell to Lazio, but it can’t be denied that the message does look deliberately vague.

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[brid autoplay=”true” video=”255853″ player=”12034″ title=”Watch West Ham’s opening fixtures for the 201819 Premier League season”]

Here’s a selection of what the Hammers fans are thinking.

Sri Lanka coach Graham Ford has told Sri Lanka Cricket he does not wish to renew his contract when it expires in January

Andrew Fidel Fernando12-Sep-2013

Sri Lanka’s series against Pakistan in the UAE from December could be Graham Ford’s final assignment•Manoj Ridimahaliyadda

Sri Lanka coach Graham Ford has told Sri Lanka Cricket he does not wish to renew his contract when it expires in January, an SLC statement has said. Ford came aboard for two years after Geoff Marsh was sacked in January 2012, and unless SLC convince him to stay, Sri Lanka’s tour in the UAE from December will be his last with the team.”Mr. Graham Ford has intimated that he would like to be released from his duties at the end of his contract due to his family commitments,” the release said. “Sri Lanka Cricket intends to discuss this matter with him further and obtain his thoughts and take the process forward.”Ford has been linked to the vacant coaching position at Surrey, which is expected to be filled over the English winter. Ford had said in August that he has already been informally approached by Surrey’s CEO regarding the position, but that he would not consider it until after his contractual obligations to the Sri Lanka team were fulfilled.Ford has strong ties with Kevin Pietersen, who plays for Surrey, and was the man the latter endorsed to take over the England coaching job after Pietersen’s turmoil with Peter Moores ended with Moores’ sacking in 2009. A move to Surrey will also strengthen the county’s South African connection, with Graeme Smith having signed on as captain until 2015.Sri Lanka won their first Test series in almost three years (against Pakistan), and progressed to the final of the World Twenty20 during Ford’s tenure, but were also whitewashed 3-0 in a Test series in Australia.

Munir Hussain, the legend of Urdu cricket commentary in Pakistan, has died aged 83 of a cardiac arrest in Karachi

Umar Farooq29-Jul-2013

Munir Hussain (middle) suffered a fatal cardiac arrest•PCB

Munir Hussain, one of the pioneers of Urdu cricket commentary in Pakistan, has died aged 83 of a cardiac arrest in Karachi. A former right-arm seamer, he played a single first-class match for Kalat District in 1969-70, taking two wickets against Quetta in the Quaid-e-Azam trophy.Born in November 1929, Hussain had earned many accolades during his distinguished commentary career spanning several decades. He was presented the Best Urdu Commentator of the Decade Award (1985-95), the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation, and the PCB’s World Cup Legends Award presented on the 10th anniversary celebrations of Pakistan’s victory in the 1992 World Cup.He was also the founder of the first Urdu cricket magazine . He also wrote a popular weekly column in the Urdu daily for years, and had commentated on the game on television and radio in the 1970s.”Munir , a journalist and broadcaster of renown from the early 1970s, had a fan following of his own,” Najam Sethi, the PCB’s acting chairman, said. “He was an informed, easygoing and affable personality; his death will be widely mourned by the journalist and broadcast community as well as the cricketing fraternity across the country.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Garantido na semifinal do Gauchão, o Grêmio tem uma preocupação para a sequência da temporada 2019. Ainda no primeiro tempo do jogo contra o Juventude, o polivalente Marcelo Oliveira caiu no gramado com a mão no joelho após disputa com o adversário e precisou ser substituído.

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Inicialmente, o departamento médico do Grêmio informou que o atleta vai passar por exames no CT Luiz Carvalho nesta sexta-feira a tarde para avaliar o grau da lesão.

Na coletiva, o técnico Renato Gaúcho não entrou em muitos detalhes, mas afirmou que o joelho do jogador está inchado.

‘Temos que esperar. Vamos aguardar o local desinchar para o exame mostrar. Ele vai ficar um tempo parado. Quanto tempo eu não sei, mas vamos torcer para se o mínimo possível. Estava bastante abalado no vestiário, falei com ele e agora está mais tranquilo’, disse.

MatériaMais Notícias

Líder na fase de classificação, o Sport confirmou o favoritismo diante do Petrolina e venceu por 4 a 0. Com o placar, o Leão está na semifinal do Pernambucano e encara o Salgueiro.

RelacionadasFlamengoFla abre vantagem, vê Flu encostar, mas sai com vitória no clássicoFlamengo24/03/2019BotafogoBotafogo vacila, só empata com Americano e dá adeus ao CariocaBotafogo24/03/2019Futebol NacionalGrêmio massacra Juventude e encaminha vaga na semi do GauchãoFutebol Nacional24/03/2019

O jogo

Empurrado pela torcida, o Sport buscou o ataque desde os primeiros minutos e encarou um Salgueiro ousado, que não se limitava em ficar no campo de defesa e incomodava no setor ofensivo.

Melhor tecnicamente, o Leão chegou ao primeiro gol através de Luan. O atacante aproveitou uma cobrança de falta e estufou a rede do rival. Ainda na etapa inicial, Hernane Brocador sofreu pênalti, chamou a responsabilidade e converteu o segundo do Sport.

No segundo tempo o Sport manteve o ritmo e não deixou o Petrolina crescer em campo. Aos 12 minutos, Leandrinho soltou a bomba e sacramentou a vaga do Leão.

Com o adversário entregue, o Rubro-Negro não tirou o pé do acelerador e chegou ao quarto gol com Ezequiel.

ESPNcricinfo previews the Champions League T20 match between Chennai Super Kings and Brisbane Heat

The Preview by Alagappan Muthu27-Sep-2013Match facts September 28, 2013
Start time 2000 local (1430 GMT)Big PictureChennai Super Kings’ power-packed batting line-up made a mockery of a 185-run target in their first game before blitzing a 200-plus total in the next to set them up for a semi-final spot, should they win their next encounter. Their opponents, Brisbane Heat, are languishing at the opposite end of the table, still winless in the tournament primarily because of inadequacies in the batting department.The situation, however, is similar to how Heat began their BBL campaign last year – three losses in four matches. Their bowling, which was largely responsible for the turnaround that fetched them the Big Bash crown, continued to impress, limiting Titans and Trinidad & Tobago to modest targets. But unlike in the Big Bash, their batsmen have failed to step up. Case in point was their last match, when Heat could not chase down 124.Brisbane Heat’s batting has been lacklustre in the Champions League so far•BCCI

The onus falls on captain James Hopes, Peter Forrest and Daniel Christian, all with international experience, to remedy the situation. Forrest is under particular scrutiny, manning the No. 3 position. Though his style of play involves spending a little time in the middle before using his stocky frame to muscle the ball down the ground, he is yet to taste success in this competition.Heat would be hopeful that the change of venue proves a useful ally. In addition to escaping Jaipur’s bowler-friendly conditions, Heat’s batsmen would benefit from the dew on the JSCA ground in Ranchi. The moisture on the field was so pronounced that seamer Ben Cutting was prompted into calling the toss in tomorrow’s game a “big one”.Another potential advantage lies in Super Kings’ relatively weak bowling line-up. Every bowler has an economy rate north of eight after two matches, with Ravindra Jadeja’s 17.75 being the worst of the lot . But Super Kings more than make up for It in their batting, with three key players – Michael Hussey, Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni – in such prime form they have almost benefited from the loss of M Vijay’s wicket, who has been woeful. Another concern for Super Kings could be lower-order rust, with Jadeja and Morkel having faced only two balls each in the tournament so far.Players to watchDwayne Bravo has steadily grown in value in the Super Kings camp, eventually taking over from Morkel as their first-choice allrounder and more recently has picked up the mantle of their premier death bowler.Joe Burns has been Heat’s most successful batsman in this tournament so far, but has been guilty of losing his wicket at crucial moments. Heat will look to him to resolve that issue and in effect help their batting develop a stronger skeleton.Quotes “One point is really clear, we need to learn to bowl in the dew-factor.”
“I certainly won’t be bowling any wide yorkers to him because they tend to disappear over the boundary.”

عبر محمد فخري، لاعب فريق الكرة بالنادي الأهلي عن سعادته بالفوز على الزمالك مساء أمس، والمساهمة في الفوز بلقب الدوري للمرة الـ43 في تاريخ القلعة الحمراء.

واستطاع الأهلي الفوز أمام الزمالك برباعية مقابل هدف، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما في اللقاء المؤجل من الجولة الـ31 بالدوري المصري.

وقال فخري في تصريحات صحفية عبر الموقع الرسمي لـ الأهلي: “أي لاعب يمر بجوار سور النادي الأهلي يمكنه الحصول على بطولة، ومباراة الزمالك دائمًا ما تكون لها طابع خاص”.

وتابع: “لاعبو الأهلي نجحوا في فرض سيطرتهم بشكل كامل على أحداث المباراة، وحصدوا الثلاث نقاط عن جدارة واستحقاق، وكان لدينا إصرار كبير على تحقيق الفوز أمام الزمالك، وعدم التأثر بحسم لقب الدوري رسميًّا وهدفنا كان واضحًا وهو إضافة 3 نقاط جديدة إلى رصيد الفريق”.

طالع | عماد النحاس: الأهلي أهدر الفوز بنتيجة كبيرة على الزمالك.. وكهربا لاعب كبير

واستطرد: “مارسيل كولر المدير الفني يوجه لي النصائح قبل كل مباراة ويخبرني بالمطلوب مني في الملعب، وهو يعرف جيدًا قدرات كل لاعب ولديه قدرة رائعة على توظيف اللاعبين بشكل مميز”.

واختتم: “تسود روح جميلة بين اللاعبين والجميع يلعب فقط من أجل اسم الأهلي، والجميع سوف يجتهد بشكل كبير من أجل مواصلة تحقيق البطولات في الموسم المقبل”.

كشفت تقارير صحفية، أن نادي مانشستر سيتي حسم صفقة التعاقد مع الدولي الكرواتي، جوسكو جفارديول، لاعب فريق كرة القدم الأول بنادي لايبزيج الألماني.

مانشستر سيتي يسعى لضم جفارديول منذ يناير الماضي، بعد تألقه في كأس العالم قطر 2022 مع منتخب كرواتيا، واحتلال المركز الثالث.

طالع أيضًا.. ديلي ميل: عرض جديد من أهلي جدة لضم رياض محرز

فابريزيو رومانو الصحفي الإيطالي الموثوق بسوق الانتقالات وعقود اللاعبين، أكد أن اللاعب الكرواتي أصبح على أعتاب الانضمام إلى فريق مانشستر سيتي، بعد أن توصل الفريقان لاتفاق بشأن انضمام اللاعب خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الجارية.

اللاعب الكرواتي أجرى الفحوصات الطبية اليوم، وأصبحت الصفقة على وشك الإعلان الرسمي، خاصة بعدما وافق جفارديول على الشروط الشخصية له منذ شهر.

ولم يعلن رومانو عن القيمة المالية للصفقة، ولكن التقارير السابقة كانت قد أشارت إلى أن مانشستر سيتي سيدفع 100 مليون يورو لحسم التعاقد مع جفارديول.