Horst Heldt say Schalke will not let Real Madrid and Arsenal target Julian Draxler leave the club in the summer, according to Goal.
The winger has been in fine form for the Gelsenkirchen outfit this season, leading to reports linking him with a move to a host of Europe’s top clubs in the summer.
However, Heldt has denied the claims and says the club have no intention of letting the 19-year-old leave at the end of the campaign.
“There is no exit clause and we have no intention of selling Julian at the end of this season. He is feeling very well at the club and is the face of Schalke,” Heldt was quoted as saying by Bild “What I would say if a €100 million offer came in tomorrow?”
“You can’t blame Julian for having the desire to play at one of his dream clubs in Spain at some point. If Barcelona or Madrid were to offer €100m, we would look at things differently.”
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Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho rang the changes for the trip to Bournemouth – making seven in all – and gave hope to some of his fringe players that they might force their way into contention for the FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley on Saturday.
In contrast to Saturday’s opponents – Mauricio Pochettino also made alterations but then saw his team held 1-1 by Brighton – United were more fluid as a result and ran out 2-0 winners, with Chris Smalling and Romelu Lukaku securing the win in a routine victory.
Second place looks all but theirs now so their attention can be fully turned to the FA Cup – United’s only remaining chance of silverware – and one man who did his chances of securing a surprise inclusion no harm was Luke Shaw.
The defender, valued at £13.5m by Transfermarkt, enjoyed a solid return to the first-team on his first start since the FA Cup quarter-final against Brighton, after which he was severely criticised by Mourinho.
Here, he made amends with a solid, energetic performance. In an attacking sense, he showed what he can offer United – that maybe Ashley Young cannot – with three crosses to go with a shot and a key pass apiece.
At the other end, he made four tackles and two clearances against a lively home attack, which should serve as something of a reminder to Mourinho of his defensive capabilities.
Ashley Young has emerged as something of a lieutenant for Mourinho this season, but the former Aston Villa man has been average at best since he muted Mo Salah at Old Trafford in March.
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If that does open the door to Shaw, he showed here that he is primed to take advantage on Saturday.
Paul Pogba seems to be the most sought-after player in the world at the moment with every well-known club being linked to tempting the Frenchman into a summer move away from Juventus.
It is believed a bid of at least £72million would be needed to lure him away from Juve with his current deal with the Italian side lasting until 2019.
Two of the clubs in the race to sign the midfielder are Manchester rivals both on the hunt for a title win. After last year’s big money signings didn’t go quite as according to plan for Louis van Gaal he is already registering his interest ready for a big summer shake up at Old Trafford. As long as United qualify for the Champions League there will be another £100m available to spend on transfers and it looks like most of this could be put up for a bid for Pogba.
The French midfielder has, of course, already played for the Red Devils but he left on a free in 2012. He is seen as one of the “ones that got away” and having already played for United he could be tempted to re-join his own side having not parted in bad terms, he just wanted to play more football.
While he is a fantastic player it is slightly hard to picture where he would fit in to the Red Devils’ side. Van Gaal likes to play 4-3-3 and as he is described as one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the world you struggle to see a role for him. United certainly need more strength in midfield and the 6ft 2in Frenchman could certainly provide that. Of course there is an argument that he could probably fit into any team in the world just fine but it probably wouldn’t be a smooth transition (Angel Di Maria anyone?)
Manchester City are keen to sign Pogba as the “heir” to Yaya Toure. It is thought they are ready to put as much as £100m up for the man of the moment and he could become the most expensive player ever sold. Pogba’s agent, Mino Raiola, believes that City are leading the race to sign him in another bid.
Yaya Toure has been far from his best this season and it looks like Pellegrini is keen to bring in some younger talent. Fans are well aware that Man City is an “ageing” team and Pogba would change the demographic of the side. His pace and skill would bring in some creativity that has been lacking this season in midfield and as City try and conquer the Champions League he would be a keen signing as someone who as excelled in the competition. As well as bringing in skill he will bring in a knowledge of how teams on the continent play and excel in the Champions League.
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There is still a long way to go before Pogba’s future will be decided and I am sure it will all come down to who can splash the most cash. Manchester needs to look out- Barcelona and PSG have entered the race now.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has endured a difficult campaign fraught with criticism at every turn, but with the club seemingly timing their good run of form at precisely the right time, should they achieve a top-four finish and secure Champions League football for a 17th consecutive season, will it rank as one of his greatest managerial achievements at the club?
First things first, Wenger clearly deserves great credit for keeping the club in the mix for a top four spot this season. After a summer of great upheaval off the pitch was saw long-time assistant Pat Rice retire and the club’s leading striker Robin van Persie secure a move to Manchester United, many tipped the club to miss out considering the relative strength of their rivals Tottenham, while Everton also looked to be pushing for a return to Europe’s elite, while Chelsea were trying to re-establish themselves after spending big in the summer after a disappointing sixth-placed finish last season.
However, with Andre Villas-Boas’ side struggling to juggle their league and Europa League commitments successfully in recent weeks, after dropping points against Fulham, Liverpool and Everton, similar to last season, they have started to close a seven-point gap on their rivals to sit just two points behind them with a game in hand and seven fixtures left to play. Last season the club clinched an improbable third-placed finish after a tremendous run of form down the home straight as they overhauled a 12-point gap between themselves and Harry Redknapp’s out-0f-sorts side.
It seems just as Wigan seem to avoid the drop every campaign while others around them lose their heads by putting together a decent run of form at the right time, Arsenal are the top-four equivalent at the other end of the table and they used their experience at just the right time while Tottenham and Everton have been up and down and Chelsea remain focused on winning a piece of silverware. At this stage of the season, it’s certainly better to be in a position to be chasing something rather than holding on, and at the moment you’d have to back Arsenal to clinch either third or fourth after winning their last three league games on the bounce since beating Bayern Munich away from home in the Champions League shortly after losing the north London derby 2-1 at White Hart Lane.
Not only has replacing van Persie proved to be something of a selection headache this season, there have been various other issues, albeit minor when placed in the larger context of 20 teams competing to finish as highly as possible, but when piled together make a substantial impact on the shape and feel of the side.
Theo Walcott’s contractual dispute which dominated the headline, captain Thomas Vermaelen suffering from a crisis of form and confidence and eventually being dropped from the side, Wojciech Szczeny struggling with injury and then his father’s outburst in the media, Bacary Sagna going off the boil, the departure of Alex Song, the constant state of worry surrounding Jack Wilshere’s fitness and the overwhelming need of the fans to turn someone into a scapegoat, reported issues with new assistant Steve Bould, not to mention their terrible record against top-four opposition this term and defensive fragility. Overcoming all of these problems has proved difficult, often tiresome, but they are still there and retain a chance of clinching a top four spot which says a lot about the man in charge.
There are still legitimate criticisms to be levelled at Wenger, namely that the lack of quality within the squad which is entirely of his own making, while he continues to emplace trust in several players that are patently not up to the job and pursue an increasingly dogmatic style of play, lacking any sort of plan B against top level opposition. He appears to regard a top-four finish as more important than silverware and has been responsible for the zealot-like pursuit of of Financial Fair Play which has seen the club grow less and less competitive in the transfer market. He’s a absurdly stubborn individual and he and Arsenal remain a ridiculously frustrating duo.
Clinching a top-four place would still be a massive achievement, though, even if it doesn’t let him completely off the hook for all the needless and wholly preventable mess he has made of certain situations. Looking at Arsenal’s fixture list, with games against QPR, Norwich, Newcastle, Wigan and Fulham, they seem capable of keeping their recent run going for a little while longer yet, even if they face difficult home games against Manchester United and Everton.
When you compare and contrast this with Tottenham’s, which includes games against Manchester City, Chelsea and a seriously in-form Southampton side that’s already claimed the scalps of Liverpool and the aforementioned duo in recent weeks and their run-in starts to look a lot more tricky, particularly keeping in mind their Europa League campaign, Gareth Bale’s fitness issues and their drastic loss of form. Their ability to shoot themselves in the foot just when it looks as if they may be turning a corner and building something to last knows no bounds.
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It’s far from a foregone conclusion yet, and Chelsea could yet come into the mix even more than their north London rivals, but given the context of losing their best player in the summer, having to blood in three new attackers in the form of Olivier Giroud, Santi Cazorla and Lukas Podolski, while losing the last derby game and facing constant questions over his future after losing the support of large swathes of the club’s fans, Wenger could still pull off a huge coup. There are sure to be plenty of twists and turns yet, but you’d have to say with the what he’s currently got at his disposal in terms of quality and depth, few could do a better job at Arsenal than the Frenchman.
Ruben Neves scored yet another ridiculous goal for Wolves on Tuesday night, and Leeds fans don’t seem too confident they’ll get the same from Eunan O’Kane anytime soon.
Wolves moved one step closer to a title-winning promotion last night, as they ran out 2-0 winners over playoff chasing Derby County.
The home side took the lead early on thanks to Diego Jota, but it was controversial summer signing Ruben Neves that stole the show, looping an incredible volley into the top corner from 30 yards.
Neves has now scored six times in the Championship this season, all of which have been fantastic goals, and Leeds fans are annoyed that their club for failing in the transfer market.
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While Wolves had a remarkable summer, Leeds fans were underwhelmed by their club’s business, and they weren’t exactly convinced when owner Andrea Radrizzani claimed he would follow the Wolves model this coming summer.
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Leeds are one of the biggest clubs in the Championship, but their fans are fed up of seeing the same old mistakes year after year, and Neves’ wondergoal was the icing on a very depressing cake.
Some of the best Twitter reactions can be found below…
With Arsenal’s hunt for a top four finish and another season of Champions League football progressing nicely since the turn of the year, one of the stars of the show for the North London side has been Santi Cazorla.
The Spanish midfielder’s range of passing and ability to release the Gunners’ quick attacking players has been a key element in the Emirates Stadium outfit winning most of their games in 2015 so far. At the home of the champions, the former Malaga playmaker ran the show and was voted man of the match in the visitors’ 2-0 victory over Manchester City.
However, in the disappointing 2-1 defeat to local rivals Tottenham, Cazorla was identified as the danger-man, shackled by the Spurs midfield and had a limited influence as a result. This all goes to show that Cazorla is an essential cog in the Arsenal wheel, with the Spain international being handed the captain’s armband for the most recent victory over Everton.
With the Spaniard playing some scintillating football, it is an interesting side note that he has been operating in a deeper position. In Arsene Wenger’s bespoke 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 formation, Cazorla has been deployed in a holding role of sorts alongside Francis Coquelin.
With the 30-year-old usually preferring to play further forward in a role behind a central striker or even on a wing, it has been intriguing to see Cazorla revel in a new position. However, with a new role comes added responsibilities, which can be both positive and negative.
Here are the pros and cons to Cazorla’s tactical change compared with his usual more forward-thinking position:
Pros
The old adage ‘if it’s not broken, don’t fix it’ springs to mind here, and as such, Wenger will be reluctant to remove Cazorla from the boiler room given his extraordinary performances of late. The Spanish schemer has had to play in the centre of the park due to ongoing injury concerns for Mikel Arteta, Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey, but he has arguably been doing a better job than the crocked trio.
In a deeper role, Cazorla inevitably sees a lot more of the ball and can orchestrate the ebb and flow of Arsenal’s possession as a result. His precise passing from deeper has allowed him to find the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Danny Welbeck in space, while he has coped with the defensive responsibilities that come with the role without major incident.
Playing the Spaniard deeper also allows an extra attacking player to flood the three man line behind a lone striker and can also give Mesut Ozil the chance to play centrally rather than be shunted onto the wing.
All in all, the positives of playing Cazorla deeper certainly add up.
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Cons
Despite the success that Cazorla has been having in his new role, there is a feeling that the Spaniard is a square peg in in a round hole, and another stopgap in Arsenal’s longstanding midfield dilemma. The added defensive responsibilities will surely have a physical impact on a player whose game is technically focussed, while against top opposition, his presence in the space in front of the Arsenal defence could actually be seen as a weakness.
Cazorla may well have scored seven Premier League goals this season, but six of those have come from the penalty spot – the exception was against Newcastle back in December. Compare this to the Spaniard’s debut campaign at the club in 2012-13, where he scored 12 times. Playing Cazorla deeper removes his individual attacking threat, and robs Arsenal of a player capable of scoring when he gets into the box.
Verdict
It will be interesting to see just how Wenger uses Cazorla when the likes of Ramsey, Arteta and Wilshere are available again, but the veteran’s versatility must be seen as a major plus.
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In the long run the Spanish star is probably best utilised in a more advanced role but he has shown his pedigree by slipping into central midfield almost seamlessly this season.
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Stoke are said to be among the clubs showing an interest in Phil Neville but any move will hinge on staying in the Premier League, according the Daily Telegraph.
Neville will be on the look out for a new club in the summer after revealing he will not be extending his stay at Everton and reports have claimed Stoke are in the hunt.
The 36-year-old has revealed he wants to carry on playing in the Premier League and a switch to the Britannia Stadium would appear to be the perfect fit as long as Stoke fight off relegation.
Potters boss Tony Pulis will be looking to re-shape his squad in the summer even if they stay up and he will no doubt be interested in Neville, who still has a couple of seasons at the top left in him.
Neville will not be short of offers but for now Pulis will be fully focused on making sure Stoke get enough points to stay in the Premier League.
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According to RMC Sport, Manchester United will launch a £26m move for Napoli defender Faouzi Ghoulam in this summer’s transfer window.
The Red Devils are expected to be in the market for a new left-back at the end of the season as speculation surrounding the future of Luke Shaw continues to gather pace.
Matteo Darmian and Daley Blind could also depart Old Trafford in the summer, leaving Jose Mourinho short of options in the left-back position.
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Ghoulam started the 2017-18 campaign in impressive fashion for Napoli – managing two goals and three assists in his first 11 Serie A appearances of the season.
The 27-year-old, who has also been linked with Liverpool and Manchester City, has been on the sidelines since the end of October, however, having suffered a serious knee injury.
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The United fans have been debating the potential arrival of Ghoulam, and it would be fair to say that many would rather Shaw was kept at Old Trafford this summer.
A selection of the Twitter reaction to the transfer rumour can be seen below:
Manchester United’s need for a 20 goal a season striker has been on Louis Van Gaal’s mind. Robin Van Persie is currently injured, Falcao has just four Premier League goals to his name for the season, James Wilson has not featured too heavily, leaving Wayne Rooney as the closest LVG has to a prolific striker.
If it is goals Louis needs, he should look no further than the man he loaned to Real Madrid in the summer – Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez.
The Mexican began to fall out of favour after the signing of Robin Van Persie in 2012. As time went on, Hernandez was a regular feature on Manchester United’s substitute bench, and never really made his way back to the starting eleven.
In his last game for Manchester United – the dreaded fixture against MK Dons – it was clear Hernandez was looking for a way out. He found his exit on Deadline Day to La Liga, joining Real Madrid on loan, with an option to buy at the end of the season.
But what Hernandez called a ‘dream come true’ has quickly become a nightmare for him. He has simply moved from one bench to a much sunnier bench. He has made one start in La Liga, but that has been the height of it.
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Being continually benched at United is what cost him a starting place in the World Cup under Miguel Herrera, and first team football was Chicharito’s priority. The competition for the starting line up at was always going to be much stronger at Real, and Chicharito never truly stood a chance against the likes of the Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.
Although first team football may not be calling at Old Trafford, bringing Chicharito back on loan could rack the goals up, which Louis Van Gaal is looking for. When given the opportunity he has often made the difference. Twenty being the magic number, is exactly how many the Little Pea scored in his debut season for Manchester United.
Admittedly, Chicharito would be likely to resume the position of the ‘super sub’ upon his return to Manchester United. But if Falcao can start, so can Hernandez.
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With The Daily Star suggesting the likes of Southampton, Everton and West Ham may be calling on the Mexican’s signature for next season, Louis Van Gaal needs to act fast on wether Chicharito could be a serious option or not for the squad he is hoping to build.
Economically, it makes sense to bring back Chicharito, rather than spending the £43 million for Radamel Falcao.
Despite the poignancy of the occasion, it’s felt all too easy to make a catalogue of sweeping generalisations in the wake of Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-1 victory over Arsenal during the weekend.
Andre Villas-Boas’ side could have seen their four-point gap disintegrate to just the one with defeat at White Hart Lane on Sunday, but for them to extend that lead over their neighbours to seven with a victory on derby day, it was always going to be difficult to strip the emotion away from the event.
Does this mean that Spurs have now slain their fierce neighbours and tipped the eternal balance of power in their favour? Not just yet and while they may well be the best team in North London this season – or perhaps the entire capital, should they finish above Rafa Benitez’s Chelsea – we will need to see the trick pulled off a little more sustainably before we start making such durable assumptions.
Yet for however much you choose to read into Sunday’s result, the poignancy of what was on show by the men in white, felt almost undeniable. And it wasn’t necessarily in regards to what they were doing with their feet, either.
The shredded nerve ends and bitten nails of some Tottenham fans may argue to the contrary, although as Villas-Boas’ men entered the final phases of the game with a slender one goal lead, the impending feeling of self-destruction felt almost palpable in its absence. In what has since become the Premier League’s highest ever scoring fixture, the North London derby has served as a shrine to the self-doubt and perennial flakiness that has dogged Spurs over the years.
But this time around, you got the impression that you were witnessing a bunch of players that weren’t in the mood for wilting anymore. And for all the tactical evolution, the Gareth Bale thunderbolts and cascade of pressing that we’ve seen Spurs display this season, it could be that galvanized mentality that makes more of a difference above anything else in N17 this season.
Because a large proportion of this squad have, as Spurs fans hardly need reminding, been scorched by failure more than enough times to suggest that a steely, winning mentality might never fully evolve amongst this current crop of players.
In the trio of Aaron Lennon, Michael Dawson and Jermain Defoe, three of Spurs’ most seasoned campaigners at the club, you find an experienced core that’s been rattled not just once, but twice, in their inability to get the job done in the league over Arsenal. Of course, all three of the aforementioned have proved their ability to qualify for the Champions League at the club, but in both 2006 as well as 2012, they failed to finish above the Gunners after leading them for the majority of the season.
But it was within last season’s now infamous implosion that you could attribute the bulk of any real lingering feelings of self-doubt within this Spurs squad. It was just over 12 months ago that Harry Redknapp’s side blew what seemed like an almost unassailable 10-point lead over their North London rivals. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but looking back upon their 5-2 mauling at the Emirates last February and for all their manager’s flirting with the England job and their chairman’s reluctance to spend in January, last season’s team simply couldn’t recover from the blow Wenger’s men inflicted upon them.
As brutal as it sounds, for all the barnstorming wing play and exquisite floods of attack, Spurs simply didn’t have the presence of mind to cope with the pressure or the belief needed to overcome adversity.
We will only find out if they’ve truly rectified that come their placing at the end of the season, although Sunday’s victory over Arsenal and to a similar extent, the 3-2 win over West Ham United, too, suggest that Tottenham may have finally found that vital mental ingredient that’s been missing for a small lifetime at White Hart Lane. And it could just be the key they need to finally supplant the Gunners in the league for the first time since 1995.
How much do you attribute this to Andre Villas-Boas, a change in personnel or simply a newfound maturity within what remains a very young squad?
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Certainly in the influx of new players in N17 such as Hugo Lloris, Mousa Dembele, Jan Vertonghen and Gylfi Sigurdsson, Spurs have attained not just young and gifted talent with a high resale value in fitting with the Daniel Levy model. Most importantly, they’ve acquired players with a genuine hunger and a desire to succeed.
But for all the comparisons between both Redknapp and Villas-Boas that have peppered the Portuguese’s first season with Spurs, a special mention must be given to the ex-Porto man’s own winning mentality. From day one, amongst talk of winning the Europa League and one day challenging for the league title, Villas-Boas made clear that Tottenham have to finish above Arsenal.
The slow adoration that’s built for Villas-Boas has often unnecessarily been adjoined by an incessant need to fire parting shots at the now QPR-boss. But perhaps supporters shouldn’t be too surprised with the difference in mentality from a team that used to ‘go out and give it a good go,’ to one that’s now told they can ‘still pose a threat’ to second-placed Manchester City.
Either way, Tottenham’s new found mentality might just prove to be the defining element of their 2012-13 season. The proof will as ever, be in the pudding. But after nearly a generation of self-doubt, this side may now have just turned the corner.