Dembele Heading for Arsenal

 

Ousmane Dembele’s representatives are encouraging Arsenal to intensify their efforts to sign the Barcelona star, reports claim.

 The Gunners have frequently been linked with the French international, who is reported to be unsettled by Malcom’s Nou Camp arrival.

 And Arsenal could pick up the pieces. Spanish radio station Cadena SER are claiming that Dembele’s agents have been in touch.

 They report that Dembele, 21, is happy to stick with Barcelona but would happily listen to any offers that arrive before the transfer window closes next week.

 In addition to Cadena SER’s claims, Football London say Arsenal transfer chief Sven Mislintat has been in touch.

 The 45-year-old knows all about the France international having brokered his move to Borussia Dortmund from Rennes in 2016.

 Whether it is enough for lure him to Arsenal, though, remains to be seen.

Lucas Torreira debut

Lucas Torreira will make his debut on Saturday against Lazio, Gunners boss Unai Emery has revealed. Torreira joined the north London outfit from Sampdoria last month for a fee believed to be in the region of £26million.

 "At the moment I am very happy with the players who are with here with us,” Emery said last night when asked if there could be any more new arrivals.

 "There are more coming; Nacho Monreal, Lucas [Torreira] and [Granit] Xhaka will start to play some minutes on Saturday."

Aubameyang vs Lacazette

 Alexandre Lacazette insists there is no rivalry between him and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as they aim to be Arsenal’s lead striker.

 Last night, Aubameyang started up front against Chelsea and was replaced by Lacazette in the second half with the Gunners trailing 1-0.

 But with virtually the last kick of the game, Lacazette equalised to take the game into a penalty shoot-out.

 With Arsenal’s first Premier League game against Manchester City 10 days away, Emery will need to decide which system will get the best from Lacazette and Aubameyang.

 But Lacazette says there is no problem between him and Aubameyang and talked up their friendship.

 "We know that if we are together, we can stronger and we just have the same target together, which is to win something for the club," Lacazette told Arsenal Player.

"So of course we don't have any problem with each other.”

Source: Express UK

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Courtois Quits Chelsea

 Real Madrid target Thibaut Courtois will “definitely” be heading out of Chelsea before the summer transfer window closes, says Belgium coach Graeme Jones.

The 26-year-old goalkeeper has been linked with a move to Santiago Bernabeu for some time after making no secret of his desire to be reunited with his young family in Spain.

 It is expected that the Blancos will step up that chase over the coming weeks, with Goal having revealed that the La Liga giants are merely waiting on Chelsea to find a suitable replacement.

 Once that search is finalised, Jones believes that Courtois will be making his way through the Stamford Bridge exits.

 A man who worked with the highly-rated keeper as part of Roberto Martinez’s backroom team at World Cup 2018 told talkSPORT when asked if he expects a move to be made: “I think definitely in Thibaut’s case.

“He’s got under a year left [on his contract] now, and I can only see him moving if I’m being honest.

“He’s obviously won the Golden Glove at the World Cup, and he had a fantastic tournament.

“I think he’ll move on.”

 Courtois is not the only Belgian star to have seen his future called into question over recent weeks, with several countrymen also being linked with moves before the next deadline.

 Club colleague Eden Hazard is another to have sparked talk of interest from Madrid, while Tottenham defender Toby Alderweireld is said to figure on Manchester United’s radar.

 Jones added on the potential of either of those star turns taking in a change of scenery: “With Eden I don’t know.

“Contractually he’s a Chelsea player, but he’s another who had a fantastic World Cup and could play for any team in the world.

“Again, Alderweireld’s contract is running down. Toby is a great boy and an excellent footballer, and I think he’s one of those boys that whoever he plays for, he will be focused and will give everything he’s got.

“So we’ll have to wait and see.”

 


When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

'Zimbabwe Presidential Election: Fake' Results Gave Mnangagwa Win - Chimasa

Nelson Chamisa

Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa, who received more than 44 percent of the vote, said on Twitter that “unverified fake results” had been announced by the electoral commission.

 The commission “must release proper and verified results endorsed by parties,” Chamisa tweeted.

 “The level of opaqueness, truth deficiency, moral decay and values deficit is baffling.”

 Meanwhile the Zimbabwe’s Electoral body has declared President Emmerson Mnangagwa as the winner of the tight election

 In a brief moment of drama shortly before the commission announced the winner in Friday’s early hours, two agents for Chamisa’s Movement for Democratic Change party took the stage and told waiting journalists that they “totally reject” the results.

 The further said  that they had not signed the election results as required, in protest. Police escorted them from the room.

 The week’s events left many Zimbabweans with a sense of unease and questions about how different Mnangagwa is from his predecessor and former mentor, longtime leader Robert Mugabe, who stepped down in November under military pressure amid a ruling party feud after 37 years in power.

 The 75-year-old Mnangagwa has tried to recast himself as a voice of change, declaring that the once-prosperous Zimbabwe is “open for business” and inviting the Western election observers who for years had been banned by Mugabe.

 If this election is judged credible, it will be a big step toward the lifting of international sanctions on this southern African nation whose economy has long collapsed and whose reputation has suffered after years of repression of the opposition and allegedly rigged votes.

 So far international observers have issued mixed reviews, calling Monday’s election peaceful and a break from the past but expressing grave concern about the military’s “excessive” use of force.

 They criticised the delay in releasing the results of the presidential vote, saying it raised concerns about possible manipulation.

 Anxious Zimbabweans waited to see what would happen next.

 In Kuwadzana, a poor suburb outside the capital where groups of youths overnight sang and chanted MDC slogans before results were announced, it was silent.

 One street vendor in the capital on Friday morning, Roy Mukwena, said Mnangagwa “won by force. No, I’m not happy, just because these elections were not free and fair.”

 Some, however, were content to move on and deal with the new leader.

“Yeah, I think he’s the right man. Because he has been there for quite some time and he knows where the weaknesses are,” said a 29-year-old clerk who gave his name only as Eddy.

 “He has the experience from … previous government. So he knows how to maneuver all the problems we have. I just hope he will do well.”

-FoxNews

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Former Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien Retires

Former Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien has announced his retirement from international football, after over 12 years of active service with Ghana.

 The 35-year-old, who is currently without a club after parting ways with Indonesian outfit Persib Bandung, last featured for the Black Stars in 2014 at the Fifa World Cup in Brazil.

 He was one of the three players, alongside Sulley Muntari and Kevin-Prince Boateng, accused of masterminding agitations for players appearance fees during the tournament. He maintains doing nothing wrong. “If I am called to play for the Black Stars again I won't honour it. No, it's not possible,” Essien told GHOne TV.

“This is because I've retired from international duty. I even retired before we went to the World Cup in Brazil but I was called back [by coach Kwesi Appiah] to come and help.

 “And then in Brazil they treated me like [something] so I'm not playing for the country again. It's time for the new generation,” he added.

 Essien made his Ghana debut in 2002 and boasts of 58 caps as well as nine goals. He was a key member of the country's golden generation that played their first-ever Fifa World Cup in 2006.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)

Digne Leaves Barcelona for Everton

 

The former Lille, Paris Saint-Germain and Roma defender has signed a five-year contract with the Toffees

Everton have completed the signing of Lucas Digne from Barcelona for £22m ($29m).

 The former Lille, Paris Saint-Germain and Roma left-back has signed a five-year deal with the Toffees, ending his two-year stay at Camp Nou.

 Everton have landed Digne for an initial £19.5m (€22m/$25.6m) fee which could eventually rise to £22m (€25m/$29m) once bonuses are included.

 Speaking about his move to Goodison Park, Digne told Everton's official website: “Everton is a big club with a great history. I want to play games, win games and excite the fans with the quality of our football.

 “I want to show my best football here and discover the best league in the world. Everybody loves the Premier League. I am loving the fact I am coming here.

“I am not afraid, I am excited. For me, it is a new challenge to discover a country, a league, people and a great club such as Everton. It is fabulous.”

 Everton boss Marco Silva has also hailed Digne's arrival, adding: “It is important to say that he is a player who, from the first moment he was contacted, showed enormous desire to play at Everton.

“He is a high-quality player, aggressive, with good technical ability and in the past five seasons he has played two years at Paris St-Germain, one in Roma and for the past two seasons he has demonstrated his clear quality in Barcelona.

 “Lucas is a player who will add competitiveness in a position where we only had Leighton Baines last season and he is accustomed to winning. This is his mentality having captured titles in his career and having these on his résumé.”

 Digne emerged through Lille's famed youth system before moving to PSG in 2013, helping the club win two Ligue 1 titles and two Coupe de la Ligue crowns.

 After spending the 2015-16 season on loan at Roma, Digne moved to Barcelona in 2016 and made 12 La Liga appearances as the club lifted the Spanish league title last term.

Digne, who was on standby for France's World Cup-winning squad in the summer, becomes Everton's second summer signing alongside Richarlison, who joined for £40m ($53m) in July.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)