Premier League | Calum Chambers strong in Arsenal debut

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Calum Chambers looked very much the part deputizing for Per Mertesacker in Arsenal's 3-0 Community Shield win over Manchester City.

The Southampton product was solid partnering Laurent Koscielny and then Nacho Monreal in the center of defense as Arsenal cruised to victory over last season's champions. Chambers' strong performance against solid competition is important after Arsenal's two main deputy center backs from last season - Thomas Vermaelen and Bacary Sagna - both left the club over the summer. With Per Mertesacker still recovering from his World Cup exploits there is a solid chance Chambers starts at CB in Week 1 for the Gunners.

Sun, Aug 10, 2014 01:05:00 PM

JRod closing in on move away from Saints

Southampton striker Jay Rodriguez is closing in on a move away from Southampton.

Newcastle and Burnley are rumoured to be interested in securing his signature but it's Tony Pulis at West Brom who is most keen. Since rupturing an anterior cruciate ligament towards the back end of the 2013/14 campaign, when Rodriguez broke through the 15 goal barrier in the league, "JRod" has struggled to get regular game time at St Mary's. He made 34 appearances for Southampton last season, starting just 9 PL games and scoring just 6 in all competitions. Thus, a move away had been anticipated for the forward, who has nearly left the club in both of the last two transfer windows. The Baggies are willing to pay £12 million to bolster their options up top as they had just Hal Robson-Kanu and Solomon Rondon leading their line last season. A deal is unlikely to be completed imminently as Rodriguez is on vacation.

Source: Southern Daily Echo

Jun 21 - 12:49 PM

Mourinho will block Darmian move to Juve

Manchester United full-back Matteo Darmian has been linked with a move to Juventus in recent days, but it appears Jose Mourinho is unwilling to let the Italian go.

Juventus are said to be interested in bringing Darmian to the club as a replacement for want-away wing-back Dani Alves who is expected to sign for Man City in the coming days. Darmian, 27, arrived at Old Trafford 2 seasons ago but struggled to find a place for himself in Jose Mourinho's plans this year until late in the campaign when he won back his place in the first team. The confluence of events which led to Darmian's revival was injuries and fixture congestion, but the Italian grasped his opportunity when it came. He was one of United's best players in the Europa League final. Now, his manager sees value in him and does not want to relinquish his grasp on the player. The news is a setback for the Old Lady, who believed Darmian could be a seamless replacement for Brazilian in their defensive system after months of tracking.

Source: goal.com

Jun 21 - 1:00 PM

Januzaj on cusp of moving to Real Sociedad

Manchester United winger Adnan Januzaj is set to leave Old Trafford having failed to rediscover the form which helped him burst into their first team in 2013/14.

The Belgian's career has nosedived since that season under David Moyes and unsuccessful loan spells did nothing to solve his on-field problems. Now, with a year to run on his current contract, his club are looking to offload him while he still has transfer value. France Football are claiming that a £9.7 million deal has been negotiated with La Liga outfit Real Sociedad, where Januzaj will hope he can revive his career through first-team experience. In December 2016, while on loan at Sunderland, David Moyes questioned the 22 year old's fitness and form. The call to action did nothing to inspire the once next big thing. Instead his season petered out along with that of the relegated side he played for.

Source: metro.co.uk

Jun 21 - 1:27 PM

Walker deal could run on and on

Kyle Walker’s proposed move to Manchester City could drag on into next week as Tottenham stand firm on their £50 million valuation.

News broke in May that the England international wanted to leave Spurs following a falling out with manager Mauricio Pochettino. The pair clashed when Walker was left on the bench for the north London derby [April] while he was regularly rotated with Kieran Trippier during the latter part of the season. Pochettino is said to have concerns over the full-backs fitness and feels he is unable to play in two high profile games in a week. However, Tottenham have no need to sell, and chairman Daniel Levy is not prepared to agree a cut-price deal with Walker tied to the club until 2021. The news comes on the back of reports that Dani Alves has agreed a two-year deal at the Etihad, but his arrival will not be a simple case of one or the other, with Pep Guardiola still very keen to land his prime target.

Source: The Independent

Jun 21 - 10:57 AM

Bolasie believes injury will make him better

Yannick Bolasie is hoping to play again before the end of 2017 as he continues his recovery from a serious knee injury.

The former Crystal Palace winger, who arrived at Goodison Park 10 months ago, has been sidelined since damaging knee ligaments in December 2016. Bolasie has since undergone two separate operations to repair his meniscus and anterior cruciate ligament, and while an initial timeline had him pencilled in for a return in early 2018, he is hoping to comeback ahead of schedule. "Getting back in December would be the best Christmas present. A player like me always wants to be on the pitch." Bolasie also feels that his time out will help to improve his game: "I am going to be subconsciously more cautious with any sharp movements. My old managers - Alan Pardew and Tony Pulis - always felt I would gain more composure with age. Now I have had this injury, I think it will come, but I don't think I will lose my pace or my sprinting - and I feel strong already."

Source: Belfast Telegraph

Jun 21 - 10:37 AM

West Ham ditch midfielder Nordtveit

West Ham confirmed the departure of midfielder Havard Nordveit after just one season at the club.

The Norwegian international joins Bundesliga side Hoffenheim on a five-year contract for an undisclosed fee. The versatile midfielder, who can also play in defense, joined the Hammers on a free transfer last summer from Borussia Monchengladbach and made 21 appearances in all competitions, mostly as a second-half substitute. But the bright side for Slaven Bilic is the profit made off Nordveit that will allow him to reinvest back in the transfer market. Said Bilic: "I would like to thank Havard for his commitment and hard work last season. He is an excellent professional and we wish him all the very best at Hoffenheim."

Source: West Ham website

Jun 20 - 2:16 PM

Aguero vows to see out City contract

Manchester City forward Sergio Aguero said he is not planning on leaving the club anytime soon.

Rumors have swirled over the star forward's future at the club with Gabriel Jesus' rise and the club reportedly interested in a move for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. But Aguero still scored 33 goals in 45 games for the Sky Blues last season to show he is still in prime form. "I still have two years on my contract with Manchester City," Aguero said. "I feel very happy here, so I will fulfil my contract to stay here until the end of my contract. I have not thought about where to play next. I just want to focus on the work here."

Source: Sky Sports

Jun 20 - 2:20 PM

Coleman begins the long journey back

Seamus Coleman is battling his way back to full fitness but admits it’s too early to say when he will be ready for a return to competitive action.

The Everton full-back suffered a horrific double leg break while representing Ireland in a World Cup qualifier against Wales almost three months ago. Following surgery, in which his leg was pinned and screwed, Coleman spent some time in his hometown of Donegal before returning to Finch Farm to start the long road back to peak fitness: "Progress is being made," he said. "I'm doing all that I'm being asked of so far and I just have to keep going that way." However, hopes of an early return were quickly dashed when Coleman went onto add: "There is no end date - I'm just wanting to tick the boxes early on and keep improving." The average recovery time for this type of injury is around 9 months, which means Coleman faces a race against time to play again this year.

Source: Liverpool Echo

Jun 20 - 4:13 AM

Rooney shows he still has the desire

His future maybe undecided, but Wayne Rooney is already back on the training pitches and getting ready for the new campaign.

Rooney said he had "more or less" decided on his next steps when the season finished, although he did admit that it would take a few weeks to finalise those plans. United begin their pre-season programme in July, when they take on LA Galaxy and Real Salt Lake before facing rivals Manchester City in Houston, Texas. Rooney still has a year remaining on his current deal, but a lack of game time, combined with his omission from the latest England squad may see the former Three Lions captain move on with "lots of offers on the table, both in England and abroad." Rooney started just 15 Premier League games [1538 minutes] during 2016/17, the lowest since arriving at the club 13 years ago.

Source: talkSPORT

Jun 20 - 4:44 AM

Mixed injury update on Tottenham duo

Reports suggest that Erik Lamela may not be ready for a return to competitive action until October, but there was better news regarding his Tottenham teammate.

The Argentine endured an injury plagued 2016/17 which restricted him to just six Premier League starts. Lamela was battling an ongoing and persistent hip injury which ultimately ended his season after going under the knife. The initial procedure in early April focussed on a problem on his left hip and that was followed up by surgery on the opposite side 6 weeks later. Although there has been no definitive timeline outlined by the club, the Mirror say that Lamela is still around 4 months away from playing again. However, there was better regarding Danny Rose who is recovering from a knee operation. The England international was back with the first team in April having been sidelined since January, but a decision was taken to undergo "exploratory surgery" as the problem had not been fully resolved. While Rose is expected to miss the opening weekend, he should be available by mid-August.

Source: The Mirror

Jun 20 - 3:57 AM

Enner Valencia linked with return to Liga MX

Sources close to Enner Valencia have claimed West Ham are ready to sell the forward to Liga MX outfit UANL.

The 27-year-old spent last season out on loan at Everton, but the Toffees opted to not make his move permanent after he managed just five starts and three goals in 16 Premier Leagues. As a result the Ecuador international returned to West Ham, however, he might not be there for too long. The Hammers actively are reportedly shopping Valencia, who signed with West Ham from Pachuca in 2014 for a transfer fee of £12 million, in order to release his wages and generate further funds for manager Slaven Bilic's summer transfer plans. Speaking to West Ham news outlet Claret & Hugh, sources close to Valencia said: "There’s absolutely no chance of him [Valencia] finding a place in Slaven Bilic’s plans now and various plans are being looked into. Tigres is just one of them but the Chinese option is alive."

Source: Claret & Hugh

Jun 19 - 3:11 PM