Arsenal agree to sell Aubemeyang as Chelsea, Inter Milan, Barcelona, others circle

There are reports in England that Arsenal have now decided to sell their striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as the Gunners given up hope of keeping star.

According to the Dail Mail, the Mikel Arteta-tutored side have consequently shelved contract talks with the Gabon international.

Chelsea are reportedly watching the development with keen interest amid claim that Barcelona and Inter Milan are equally circling.

The Gunners have already agreed a 12.5 percent wage cut with the majority of their players, but the financial consequences of the coronavirus crisis will also have a knock-on effect on the club’s contract negotiations.

The striker earns in the region of £200,000 per week and wants a significant upgrade on his current deal to sign an extension.

He also wants to recommence his Champions League career – an unlikely scenario in time for next season.

But given the financial uncertainty caused by the coronavirus, there appears little hope at the moment of the club offering Aubamenyang a significantly improved deal.

The striker’s deal expires at the end of next season and the problems facing Arsenal in their efforts to extend the former Borussia Dortmund star’s contract is likely to result in the Gunners having no option but listen to offers for their top goalscorer ahead of the new campaign to avoid losing him for nothing.

Hudson-Odoi asks Jadon Sancho to join Chelsea, says “me and Sancho are mad close, we talk every other day”

Chelsea forward Callum Hudson-Odoi has called on Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho to join him at Stamford Bridge.

The 20-year-old England international is wanted by both Chelsea and Manchester United, while multiple reports claim that Dortmund are preparing a bumper contract extension to keep him in the Bundesliga.

Earlier this week, The Sun reported United have agreed “almost every detail” of the deal to sign Sancho in the summer.

Chelsea also want the England ace, 20, but he is keen on joining Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, three years after leaving Manchester City.

But close friend Hudson-Odoi hopes that Chelsea can pip United to his signature should he return to these shores this summer.

“I don’t know [if he’ll come]. Of course, I would love it if he came to Chelsea,” he said during an Instagram live video.
“We’ve had a great partnership throughout, the way we play with each other is amazing. If he came, the link-up will still be there.”

“Me and Sancho are mad close, we talk every other day, always seeing how each other are and how we’re doing.”

“We make sure that we’re both doing well, obviously he’s doing amazing and having a great season,” he continued.

Liverpool legend explains why Wayne Rooney, other Man United stars wildly celebrated Reds victory over Chelsea

Jamie Carragher has revealed that Manchester United players celebrated Liverpool’s 2007 Champions League semi-final win over Chelsea despite the intense rivalry between the two clubs, such was the Blues’ ability to get “under people’s skin”.

The former Reds centre-back recalled how England’s record goalscorer was apparently overjoyed after watching the Merseysiders dump out the Blues.

Liverpool and United share one of the most famous and bitter rivalries in global football, but the divisive figure of Jose Mourinho was seemingly enough for Wayne Rooney and his team-mates to delight in the fact that Chelsea had been dumped out.

A penalty shoot-out was required to separate the teams on Merseyside, with Dirk Kuyt burying the decisive spot-kick to send the hosts into what would be a re-run of the 2005 final against AC Milan – although they would not come out on top at the second time of asking, report Goal.com.

The other semi-final that year saw Rooney and Co. lose out to eventual winners Milan, with that match due to be played a day later, and the former United skipper apparently revealed to Carragher that he and his team-mates had celebrated Liverpool’s victory in their team hotel.

“Wayne Rooney told me a story – I think it was 2007 – we played [Chelsea] and I think [Man Utd] were playing AC Milan,” Carragher said on Sky Sports while in conversation with former Chelsea skipper John Terry.

“Milan ended up beating them but we must have played the night before. And Wayne Rooney told me when we won on penalties that all the Man Utd players watching it together in the hotel erupted and cheered.

“You think Liverpool-Man Utd, the rivalry… so I think it shows how respected you were as a team, but also how much Jose and Chelsea at that time got under so many people’s skin.”

Photo Credit: liverpoolfc.com

REVEALED: How Taribo West caused hilarious stir in dressing room when his coach at Inter Milan excluded him from team line-up

Italian legend Christian Vieri reveals a curious conversation between Taribo West, Marcello Lippi and the voice of God at Inter. “I was doubled up laughing.”

During the lockdown, retired striker Vieri is becoming quite the star on social media with a series of Instagram Live videos, where he can reminisce with former teammates.

It was in one of these discussions where he spilled the beans on a bizarre moment in the Inter dressing room during West’s stay from 1997-00, report Football Italia.

“It was Saturday morning, we were all standing around and Lippi told us the line-up so we could go out and get the practice session in,” Vieri told Marco Materazzi.

“Taribo West stood up and with this big deep voice said: ‘Mister! God told me that I have to play!’

“I was already doubled up laughing before Lippi gave his reply: ‘That’s strange, He didn’t say mention it to me.’ I nearly wet myself.”

Nigeria international West later became a pastor and founded his own church in Lagos.

Photo Credit: fcinter1908.it

Arsenal, Napoli set to lose out to Chelsea as Ligue 1 star pays Frank Lampard glowing tribute

There are strong indications that defender Gabriel Magalhaes may favour a move to Chelsea in the summer after the Lille ace spoke of his admiration for Frank Lampard.

The Gunners and Blues are among the sides tracking the centre-back, along with Serie A side Napoli.

However the 22-year-old has remarked to UOL that Chelsea coach Lampard was a player he looked up to while growing up.

He said: “He was a great player without a doubt. He is one of those players that I admired on the small screen, but we have to be calm with all this.”

On the transfer window, he added that returning fourth-placed Ligue 1 side Lille to another year of Champions League football is his priority, report The Sun.

Gabriel noted: “It is early and I renewed my contract with Lille until 2023.

“The focus now is to return to play and end the season at a high level, and qualifying Lille for the 2020-21 Champions League.”