Arsenal announced on Monday afternoon that Mohamed Elneny had signed a new long-term contract with the club.
Elneny, who is valued at £9m by transfermarkt.co.uk, joined the Gunners from Basel in January 2016, and has made 65 appearances in all competitions for the Premier League club.
The midfielder, who is expected to represent Egypt at this summer’s World Cup, has scored once and provided two assists in 26 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal this season.
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There remains uncertainty surrounding the future of Jack Wilshere, but Arsenal have secured the future of Elneny, who has actually only appeared in 10 Premier League fixtures this term.
The Gunners supporters, who have previously been split on Elneny, are not exactly delighted with what is happening at their football club at the moment, and it was somewhat surprising when such a large number reacted positively to the news surrounding the Egyptian.
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Indeed, the club’s fans seem delighted with the contract news, and a selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:
Ryan Mason may well have been at Tottenham Hotspur since 2007, but the 23-year-old has had to wait an extremely long time to be given a chance to showcase his talents in the Spurs first team.
Mauricio Pochettino must have seen something in the midfielder that Tottenham’s previous managers haven’t, and Mason has certainly not disappointed since making his Premier League bow against Arsenal in late-September. The Enfield-born star, who has been loaned out on numerous occasions during his Spurs career, has finally made the step-up this season – going onto play 22 times for Lilywhites – and becoming a regular feature in Pochettino’s first team plans.
Mason has forced himself in front of the more senior players at White Hart Lane, and he seems to be getting better and better every week. Mason, along with Harry Kane, have been the standout bright sparks for the north London club this season – both players were instrumental in the 2-1 win over their fierce rivals Arsenal last weekend. The former England U20 international ran the show in the middle of the park for the Lilywhites, and he played like a midfielder who had been doing just that at the highest level for a number of years.
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Mason loves to have possession of the ball, he’s constantly looking for space to receive it – when the ball is at his feet, he rarely gives it away and more often than not makes a decisive pass. The former Doncaster and Millwall loanee has become one of the first names on Mauricio Pochettino’s team-sheet, and the only dilemma the Spurs boss has on a matchday now, is who’s going to partner him in midfield.
Tottenham’s 43-year-old goalkeeper Brad Friedel praised his fellow teammate in an interview with talkSPORT last week, he said: “I don’t think many Tottenham fans thought that he would be in our 25-man squad this year and maybe thought he wouldn’t even be at the club.
Friedel added; “In pre-season he impressed that much that they had to give him his opportunity and since he banged in that goal in the League Cup against Nottingham Forest he’s gone from strength to strength.”
Mason’s well documented loan spells and injury setbacks have undoubtedly played a huge part in his late development. At 23, you couldn’t have blamed the midfielder from wanting a move away from White Hart Lane, but to his credit, he sat tight and believed in his own ability, and is now reaping the rewards.
Nobody could have envisioned just how big an impact Ryan Mason and Harry Kane would have made at Tottenham this season. In fact, if you would have said back in August that Spurs’ push for a top four spot this season, will have a lot to do with Mason and Kane, you would be labelled as utter mad.
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Don’t be too surprised to see Mason in Roy Hodgson’s England plans in the not so distant future, and if he carries on playing the way he has done since cementing a place in the Lilywhites starting XI, then he’s all set for a very bright future at While Hart Lane.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is confident that the returning Fabio Borini from injury can make an impact on his side and add a spark to their attack.
Borini is nearing a return to full fitness following three months out after surgery on a fractured foot, and Rodgers believes the Italian can add fresh impetus to the Liverpool attack along with new signing Daniel Sturridge, who scored on his debut in with FA Cup victory at Mansfield on Sunday.
Luis Suarez has been in scintillating form for the Reds this term, surpassing his league goals tally of 11 for the whole of last season, with 15 already this time around.
Rodgers is now excited about the prospect of having a full compliment of forwards to choose from and was quoted by the clubs official website as telling the Liverpool Echo:
“Other clubs have the depth to bring people off the bench and make an impact.”
“We have been unable to do that in the opening months of the season, which gives incredible credit to the players who have kept us going until now.”
“We have Daniel here now and will have Fabio fit soon and that will give us that spark.”
“Hopefully over the years Fabio can develop into a top performer which I think he can be.”
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Borini is only 21-years-old so still a young prospect, and everyone associated with the club will hope he is able to fulfill the potential that Rodgers believes he has.
According to the printed version of the Sunday Mirror on March 25 (Page 64), Southampton are lining up a move to sign Stoke City centre-back Ryan Shawcross this summer.
The 30-year-old played under current Saints boss Mark Hughes at the Britannia Stadium, and the Sunday Mirror says that the Welsh manager will look to bring the Potters captain to St Mary’s if he keeps the south coast outfit in the Premier League – they lie two points from safety ahead of their potentially season-defining clash against fellow strugglers West Ham United at the London Stadium on Saturday.
Any transfer would likely rely on the 54-year-old manager extending his deal however, with it due to expire at the end of the season.
The report adds that Shawcross will look to leave Stoke if they suffer relegation to the Championship this term – they are currently in 19th position and three points from safety with seven matches left to play.
Meanwhile, Newcastle United can move a step closer to securing their spot in the top flight for at least another 12 months when they host Huddersfield Town at St James’ Park on Saturday, and manager Rafa Benitez will already be thinking about the players he can bring to Tyneside this summer.
Shawcross should be on the Spaniard’s radar, and he could prove to be a great addition for the Toon.
Here are three reasons the Magpies must hijack Southampton’s bid to sign the 6ft 3in defender…
Lascelles has established himself as one of Newcastle’s best and most important players in the Premier League this season, and the Magpies captain has been a real leader at the back for his team whether he has been partnering Ciaran Clark or Florian Lejeune at the heart of the defence.
The Tyneside outfit have only conceded 40 goals in 30 top flight matches this term – only six clubs have conceded fewer – but the experienced Shawcross would prove to be a great addition alongside Lascelles and make them even stronger at the back next season, if they do stay up.
With Martin Dubravka in goal, Lascelles in defence and Jonjo Shelvey and Mo Diame in midfield, Newcastle have formed a strong spine to their team in recent weeks and it is no surprise that the positive results have followed that have led the Magpies towards Premier League survival.
Adding experienced 30-year-old Shawcross – who has been Stoke captain for a number of years and has 310 top flight appearances to his name – alongside Lascelles, whose link to West Ham United over the weekend has been laughed off by Magpies fans, next term would make them even solid through the middle of the park, and that could be vital to their future success.
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If Stoke do go down this season and Newcastle stay up, the Magpies would fancy their chances of keeping the 30-year-old in the Premier League for a reasonable transfer fee.
Shawcross would certainly want to stay in the top flight rather than drop down to the Championship, and the Potters may not be able to demand the fee that they would ideally like for a player that is going to turn 31 years of age in October and who has been such a great servant for them over the years.
After Manchester United’s emphatic 3-0 win over Liverpool on Sunday, club captain Wayne Rooney believes the Red Devils are still in with a shout at the Premier League title.
United had an indifferent start under new boss Louis van Gaal, but the weekend’s result made it six wins on the trot for the 20-time English champions.
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And although they are still eight points behind league leaders Chelsea, Rooney believes that on United’s current form, the margin can be shortened very quickly.
“I think we have to believe we can win the title,” the England international told Sky Sports.
“We are eight points behind and coming into a busy period. If we can win our games and the others have one bad result, then there is nothing there.
“We have to keep winning our games, hopefully get back to the top, and you never know.
“We have shown a great resilience this season. Some of the games haven’t gone the way we would like but we are winning them and that is a great quality to have.
“We have been here before but we have a lot of new players and this is where the experience of myself, Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher can rub off on the other players.”
Rooney also had praise for Spanish goalkeeper David de Gea, who had another commanding performance with some crucial saves against the Reds.
“In my eyes he is the best keeper in the world,” said the England forward.
“Sometimes in training you hit a shot and turn away thinking it has gone in and he just manages to get there. He came through a tough patch early on in his career here and he is starting to prove what a top keeper he is.
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“I hope he wins some of the top personal awards, he has had a really good season.”
Well 2012 has been an eventful year for Coventry City Football Club both on and off the field.
On the field the Skyblues have been relegated from the Championship, have changed their manager and had a high number of players both depart and arrive at the club.
Off the field the delicate relationship between Coventry’s owners Sisu and the fans hit melting point with weeks of protests taking place against Sisu’s running of the club. Sisu’s other relationships fared no better with discussions over the Ricoh breaking down resulting in unpaid rent and a row which is going to stretch into the new year.
Looking at the facts and 2012 looks like a very bad year in Coventry City’s history. I however am beginning to think that it could in fact be the year that started the revival of the club.
The clubs form on the field over the last couple of months has been second to none and we have been steadily climbing the table to finish the year in 9th a mere 2 points off of the playoff positions. In my eyes it is the beginning of a new era at Coventry City. Now I never thought I would say that with Sisu still having ownership of the club but they look like they are genuinely beginning to turn things around.
Yes people can point to the Ricoh row as a sign that this isn’t the case and Sisu are in fact as inept as they have ever been. I believe they are turning the corner and have genuinely learnt from previous mistakes. I also still firmly believe a deal will be struck which will allow Coventry to continue playing at the Ricoh Arena and doing so for a drastically reduced price which everyone must agree is in the clear interests of the club going forward.
The pivotal moment now is January. For me January will be what defines our season as a whole. Bailey’s initial loan spell has come to an end but thankfully the club have wasted no time in snapping him back up on loan until the end of the season along with Moussa. This is a big step towards a successful end to the season and the next step is to keep players like McGoldrick and Adams. These players have brought so much to this team and the club needs to do everything in its power to keep them here for as long as possible be it on loan or permanently.
We are perfectly poised to mount a serious promotion challenge and Saturday’s victory over the Mk Dons showed we are ready for it. Mk Dons are one of the outstanding sides in League One and are certain of a top six finish. They have quality throughout their side which is complemented by a manager who clearly knows what he is doing. Everything is in place for that club to be a huge success and I can only see good things in their future.
We however went to their place full of confidence with five away wins on the bounce and nine games unbeaten. These were records that you could clearly see the players wanted to extend. It was a game blessed by two of the best sides in League One and this was clear for everyone to see with some real quality football on show.
Coventry fell behind relatively early on and for the first time ever since I have been a Coventry City fan I actually wasn’t worried. I had complete belief that we would get back into it and even go on to win it. My new found confidence was rightly placed as the Skyblues fought back and ended up winning the game 3-2 thanks to 2 goals from Stephen Elliot along with a brilliant goal from Frank Moussa. There were plenty of nervy moments but to go to a team like Mk Dons and come away with the 3 points is a fantastic achievement and I think truly showed how far Mark Robins has brought us in such a short space of time.
We now look like a side who is hungry for success and is no longer content to under achieve. Long may this continue and it was clear on Saturday that the fans are responding. 4,988 was the official figure for away fans and that is a truly incredible following. I would just like to say a huge thanks to everyone who travelled down and made it a match to remember. That sort of support could carry us all the way, the fans being a 12th man is a disputed notion but it is one that I have full belief in. If we can get a few more down at the Ricoh for the home games and make it a noisier and more intimidating place to come then we are definitely onto a winning combination.
I for one cannot wait for 2013 and what it might bring for Coventry City fc. The prospect of going to Wembley not once but twice is enough to make any football fans mouth water. It is now a distinct possibility and the time is now to start believing. We are good enough to do it that I am sure of but what I am not sure of is whether Coventry’s usual bad luck has gone or if it is lurking just round the corner waiting to pounce and destroy our dreams once more.
Bad luck was the story on new year day as we fell to a 1-0 defeat to Shrewsbury. It wasn’t a bad performance by any means but it wasn’t at the level we have been at. This is going to happen from time to time but the positive was that we still created a lot of chances which we should have at least taken one of. It was just one of those days and one which we should be able to move on from quite quickly. Bring on Spurs!
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Arsenal are considering a summer swoop for Inter Milan midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia, according to FC Inter News.
What’s the story?
The last few weeks have raised questions over Arsenal’s progress given that they were comfortably beaten by Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final and they are struggling to stay in the fight for top four.
In fact, the North London outfit are 13 points off the pace, and fans have once again turned on manager Arsene Wenger.
The Frenchman’s long-term future remains unclear, but recent reports have suggested that a defensive midfielder is on the list of this summer’s transfer targets.
FC Inter News claim that Kondogbia, who has been at Inter since his 2015 switch from Monaco, is wanted by the Gunners.
How likely is this deal?
The publication suggests that Arsenal could face some stumbling blocks in trying to land Kondogbia’s signature.
At the moment, the 25-year-old is on loan at Valencia, who have an option to buy the midfielder at the end of the season.
A figure of £22m will reportedly get the deal done, but there are indications that Valencia would immediately sell the player on.
There is no doubt that Arsenal could do with some power and grit in the middle of the park.
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Kondogbia has those qualities, but he also has the ability to create attacking plays.
In fact in his 26 outings so far this season, the midfielder has scored four goals.
Mario Balotelli’s name has been trending all over social media in recent weeks based on his poor performance, but is beginning to gather positive comments thanks to his goal against Swansea and most recently, for an amazingly huge act of kindness towards a Liverpool fan.
Jack Gandy, an 11-year-old Reds fan, along with his father climbed the wall at Melwood to watch Balotelli along with the squad in training as he recalls one of the most touching stories about the under-fire Italian striker you may ever hear.
Jack’s father, Lee, said “We just couldn’t believe it, he’s such a nice person. Jack’s a massive, massive Liverpool fan. He can tell you anything about every player.
“He broke up for half term last week and we went to watch them train over the wall at Melwood on Friday.
“Mario went to the far side and was doing longshots and we were watching him ping them in.
“Jack was clapping him as he went to go in and Mario turned and waved. The next minute he came round the back of the goal, scooped up a ball and signed it, before passing it to Jack and then told him ‘you be good’.
“I said ‘thank you so much Mario’ and he turned round, put his thumb up and said ‘no problem’.”
This wasn’t it as he continued the events which took place after they once again spotted the 24-year-old leaving the training ground.
“All the fans were outside afterwards and Mario stopped his car and told the security guard to let Jack come over.
“We went up to his car and he said to Jack ‘you couldn’t get a picture up there, would you like one now?’
He put his hand up to him and I said to Jack ‘he wants to shake your hand!’. Mario held his hand and I took the picture. Jack’s just so made up.
“I had the Swansea game on the radio on Tuesday and when Mario scored Jack was jumping around his room.
“He loves Mario now, he keeps saying to me ‘he’s such a nice person’. He’s put such a big smile on his face.
“You see him on the pitch and he looks angry all the time but he was so nice with Jack, I just think people should know about him doing things like this.”
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Newcastle are battling it out with Juventus for the signature of Toulouse midfielder Moussa Sissoko, according to reports from talkSPORT.
The Magpies have been tracking the French international for some time and could make a move during January with manager Alan Pardew keen to bolster his squad in a bid to improve their Premier League form.
Russian big spenders Anzhi Makhachkala were thought to be front-runners for his signature, but reports have now emerged that Juventus are Newcastle’s main opponents.
Sissoko is a key member of the Ligue 1 outfit’s squad, but with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, a transfer appears to be on the cards.
It’s unclear whether the St James’ Park club will look to force through a move in January, or simply attempt to agree a pre-contract agreement for a free transfer at the end of the campaign.
The Frenchman has made over 150 appearances for his current club since breaking into the first-team set-up during 2007.
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He has been on the radar of many of Europe’s top clubs for some time, with the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool having been linked with moves on numerous occasions.
Patience may be a key virtue for Australia’s Test batsmen in Sri Lanka, according to Joe Burns, who hit 72 in the ongoing practice match at the P Sara Oval
Andrew Fidel Fernando19-Jul-2016Patience may be a key virtue for Australia’s Test batsmen in Sri Lanka, according to Joe Burns, who hit 72 in the ongoing practice match at the P Sara Oval. Burns’ half-century was one of three in Australia’s solid 431 for 9. The visitors scored at 3.53 runs an over against a modest Sri Lankan XI attack, but Burns suggested Australia should become accustomed to a slow run rate, given the nature of the surfaces they are likely to encounter on tour.”We’ve talked as a batting group about needing to be patient for long periods on the subcontinent,” Burns said. “If they bowl good areas, it’s tough work and slow going. You have to be committed to trying to bat all day. I guess that’s one disappointing thing to come out of the day – all our batsmen spent some time at the crease but no one went on to get a big score.”When bowlers are bowling straight, with straight fields, you hit the fielders a lot. You go long periods where you’re not scoring quickly, and then you might get a few boundaries away in a cluster. That’s generally how scoring goes on low, slow wickets with reverse swing and spin bowling. You just have to ride the waves and wait for the sets to come in.”Burns was tested by both seam and spin during his stay. He and Shaun Marsh made a quick start against the new ball in the third session of the first day, but were more measured as the innings wore on – particularly to left-arm seamer Vimukthi Perera and the spin bowlers. Burns was eventually dismissed by Perera, who angled a ball in through his defences early on day two.”You just have to be prepared to buckle in and try and go with the conditions,” Burns said. “There’s nothing too much you can do about it as a batter. As a batting group we’re prepared for those long battles. Hopefully we can bat for extended periods of time going into the Test series.”The Australian batsmen largely scored their runs square of the pitch with a few venturing slog sweeps to push the spinners off their lengths. Burns suggested this could be a trend through the Test series.”I guess here – with the lower, slower wickets – you hit more balls than perhaps you would in Australia, especially because bowlers bowl straighter as well. I guess you want to be hitting straight, but that seems to be where the fielders are. Generally you probably pick up your runs quite square, even though you’re trying to hit straight. There are also periods when it’s reversing quite a lot, and then it will die down.”The Australians are 202 runs ahead with one wicket in hand, at stumps on day two of the three-day encounter.