Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has advised Arsenal that they need to add four new signings to their squad if they are to dominate the Premier League once more.

The Blues and the Gunners drew 0-0 on Sunday to move Mourinho‘s side one step closer to a fourth Premier League title—they need just six more points from their remaining five games to confirm their triumph.

Arsenal have not won the title since 2003-04—the season of the “Invincibles” in which Arsene Wenger‘s men did not lose a match—but Mourinho believes they are not far from challenging once again, per Darren Lewis in the Mirror:

It’s even more difficult to dominate than before. How can you speak about domination when everyone knows what will happen next summer? Arsenal have a phenomenal squad. The other night, Thierry Henry said they need four top-class players. Give Arsenal four top-class players and I think they will again be the Invincibles.

After a lengthy spell of frugality, Arsenal and Wenger seem to have loosened the purse strings somewhat in recent summers, and they have benefited as a result.

Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez were marquee signings in 2013 and 2014 respectively, and the Gunners may well splash out again once the current season is over.

Dybala, Gomez and Schneiderlin all Targeted 

Palermo striker Paolo Dybala has been targeted by the Gunners for some time, and they reportedly put in a bid for the 21-year-old in March, per Simon Jones on MailOnline. 

Per WhoScored.com, the youngster has netted 13 times and assisted 10 in the league this season and would bring added firepower to the Gunners front line.

However, the Argentinian Dybala is being pursued by many other top clubs, including Juventus and Barcelona. He has recently talked of his delight at reported interest from Inter Milan boss Roberto Mancini, per La Repubblica (h/t GianlucaDiMarzio.com):

Mancini’s interest in me makes me happy, it’s something that fills me with pride, but when I go out on the pitch I don’t think about who’s in the stands. When I go out on the pitch I only think about giving the best for myself and my team. I don’t think about that someone is sitting in the stands observing me. […]

There is no agreement in place with Juventus. The only agreement I have is with Palermo. This is the only agreement which I hold on to and which I aim to respect until the end.

As Jones reported, Palermo president Mauro Zamparini wants £30 million for Dybala, a big price for someone so young. 

But he has enormous potential and he could improve hugely under Wenger‘s tutelage, making Dybala a genuinely attractive transfer target for the Gunners.

Arsenal look to be in the driving seat to sign Charlton’s young defensive star Joe Gomez. According to Adrian Kajumba in the Mirror, the 17-year-old is being pursued by both Manchester clubs also, but the Gunners lead the way.

Gomez has been impressive in the Championship this season, earning a nomination for Apprentice of the Year, per Charlton:

A centre-back who can also play on the right, Gomez is valued at £8 million, per Kajumba, and looks to be another youngster who would add necessary depth to the Gunners squad.  

In terms of marquee signings, Arsenal have been dealt a blow in their long-term pursuit of Southampton’s Morgan Schneiderlin, with Saints’ head of football development Les Reed insisting he is not for sale, per Sky Sports’ Amy Lewis:

It wouldn’t be our intention to sell any of our players this summer. We’re in the process of renegotiating contracts with some but our main purpose at the moment is keeping this squad together and adding to it.

Arsenal have long needed a world-class defensive midfielder in their ranks and the French international looked to be the obvious choice given his excellence at Southampton. Now it seems, the Gunners will need to look elsewhere.

Arsenal have finished the Premier League season very well, and although they will not win the title in 2015, next term could well be their year, per B/R UK’s James McNicholas:

The addition of a few more quality players to the squad this summer and, as Mourinho suggests, Arsenal will be a definite threat to Chelsea in 2015-16. 

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/1znG1Az
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Lukas Podolski has been a bit of a flop since moving to Inter Milan on loan after struggling to see any time on the pitch with Arsenal.

After 11 matches with the Italian side, the German, known for his penchant for scoring goals, had yet to do so.

In fact, things were so bad he was voted as one of Serie A’s worst signings, as per Metro‘s Hannah Duncan. 

But on Tuesday against Udinese, Podolski rediscovered his goalscoring touch—and did so in classic Podolski fashion, with a thunderbolt of a goal. 

[Vine]

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/1QFYSvE
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Mauro Icardi‘s late finish in Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Roma gave Inter Milan their first home win in Serie A since they defeated Palermo at the San Siro on 8 February.

There was a euphoric air as the Argentinian rushed to greet the celebrating hordes having driven his low, hard strike beyond Morgan De Sanctis. It’s not a surprise given the mediocrity that Inter’s fans have come to expect of late.

Roma are hardly in inspiring form themselves at this stage of the season, but as far as the Nerazurri are concerned, a win is a win. Not only that, but this result came on the back of a respectable draw in the derby with AC Milan and a hammering of Hellas Verona.

Thus, the signs are promising for Inter coach Roberto Mancini, though to turn this brief momentum into something bigger he must do everything he can to ensure Inter keep hold of Icardi.

Club president Erick Thohir will make the call on any prospective transfer deal, but with Icardi in the midst of negotiating a new contract, as the player told Mediaset (h/t Goal), Mancini should be absolutely clear on the player’s importance to his long-term vision.

Icardi has been linked with moves to the English Premier League of late, by outlets such as the Express, and Inter should plan on building their attack around him to ward off potential suitors.

In a team bereft of cutting edge, Icardi has been a game-changer this season. His 19 goals in 38 appearances in all competitions have probably been the difference between a poor year and an embarrassing one for a club currently lingering in mid-table—well beneath their ambitions.

With six league matches left, his goals continue to give Inter hope of qualifying for European competition next season.

Icardi‘s countryman and club team-mate Rodrigo Palacio was out of form in the first half of this season. It put a lot of pressure on the younger man’s shoulders, but, generally, he has handled the burden of responsibility with consummate ease.

One blip came following Inter’s 1-3 away loss at Sassuolo on 1 February. Icardi came off the bench to score Inter’s goal in that game, but afterwards unleashed a verbal tirade at Inter fans. Having thrown his shirt into the crowd, they threw it back. There was perhaps a degree of petulance on both sides, but Icardi‘s behaviour didn’t go down well.

They were ominous times that seemed to suggest his future may lie elsewhere, but since then, Icardi has reacted like a true professional. He scored twice in the aforementioned win over Palermo, before scoring what was essentially the match-winning goal away to Cagliari two weeks later. On 8 March, it was his stunning Panenka-style penalty kick that secured Inter a valuable point away to Napoli.

An even more intriguing signal of Icardi‘s maturation as a player is his increasing tally of assists. Per WhoScored.com, he only setup one goal in the first half of this campaign, but has provided for three in his last seven appearances.

Perhaps he is now more of a team player; perhaps he is enjoying the greater certainty that comes with Mancini’s more consistent recent team selections. Either way, he is showing additional worth to this Inter team as the weeks go by.

Regardless of whether or not Inter qualify for European competition, at 22 years old, Icardi is only going to get better. If Inter want to progress at the same rate, they must keep hold of their star striker.

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/1IfMj6F
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

Brazilian youngster Nathan dropped another big hint he’s on the verge of joining Chelsea, but according to the latest reports from Brazilian media, certain complications are standing in the way of the long-awaited transfer.

The 19-year-old has been in London for quite some time now, working on completing a £4.7 million move to the Blues, as reported by Metro‘s George Bellshaw.

He confirmed he’s still in London on Saturday, taking to Twitter to inform the fans he would be attending Sunday’s match against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium:

The transfer seems done and dusted, but according to the latest news coming from Brazil, there are some serious complications.

Brazilian football insider Zizouology tried to explain the situation, which involves Portuguese club FC Porto and potential tampering charges:

Brazilian newspaper Gazeta Do Povo (h/t Sport Witness) provided more details:

Nathan can be a Chelsea player if the club force it. As part of Nathan’s release from Atletico Paranaense, Chelsea put their contract offer up in a Brazilian court. … Chelsea’s offer was approved by the court, validated. Gazeta Do Povo say that’s legally binding and Chelsea could force the move through, they have a completed transfer and have legally agreed the deal to sign him. 

The problem comes from Doyen Sports and Porto, who have put together a better offer for Atletico. Doyen still have outstanding payments on deals which may not help but Porto, funded by Doyen, are apparently trying to hijack the player and their plan could very well work.

Gazeta Do Povo explain that’s because Chelsea don’t have the stomach to enforce the legal contract they have for the purchase of Nathan, because they fear Atletico could in turn report them to FIFA for tapping the youngster up and therefore open the door for transfer sanctions.

Whether the youngster is worth all the trouble is debatable. Most of the excitement surrounding his signing comes from his five-goal performance at the 2013 U17 World Cup, where he put together an incredible highlight reel:

The bulk of those highlights came from two matches―Slovenia and United Arab Emirates―and the attacking midfielder was held relatively quiet for the rest of the tournament. Since then, he’s yet to complete a single 90-minute match for Atletico Paranaense‘s senior side or, in fact, score a single goal.

The reported fee of £4.7 million is quite steep for a player who has flashed potential but little production so far in his young career, but the Blues can afford to take a gamble. Transfer sanctions are a different matter, however, and likely the reason why we’ve yet to hear an official announcement of his signature.

Inter Milan Rule Out Mauro Icardi Sale

Inter Milan and Mauro Icardi have been doing everything possible to play down a potential split during the summer, with strong rumours linking the Argentinian with Chelsea.

Pundits like ESPN FC’s Miguel Delaney all but assume the striker will be with the Blues next season after a lengthy transfer saga:

But according to club president Erick Thohir, the 22-year-old is not for sale. Thohir told Corriere della Sera the club is working hard on a new contract for Icardi, as reported by the Daily Star‘s Chisanga Malata:

We won’t sell Icardi, he’s one of our most important players.

Often money can cause problems, but not for him as he has his head firmly on his shoulders.

We are working towards an agreement for a contract renewal, it’s important that he stays with us.

As shared by David Amoyal of Gianlucadimarzio.com, the player himself echoed a similar sentiment after yet another excellent performance against AS Roma on Saturday:

Icardi has been one of the few shining lights in what has been another disappointing season for Inter, who are currently ninth in the Serie A standings, five points behind Sampdoria for the final Europa League ticket.

The Nerazzurri have been dependent on Icardi‘s scoring, which explains why they’re so desperate to keep ahold of him heading into next season, via WhoScored.com:

Icardi continues to indicate he’s more than happy in Milan, but given Inter’s continued struggles, it’s easy to see why plenty of newspapers predict a split between club and player during the summer. Icardi is too good not to be playing in Europe next season, and a club like Chelsea will be willing to pay top dollar in order to bring him to London.

A transfer still seems unlikely, however. Inter have a number of young pieces to build around and are slowly working their way back to relevance. They need a star scorer like Icardi to lead the squad moving forward, and Thohir will likely reward the Argentinian handsomely for his loyalty.

Combined with the fact Chelsea can’t promise Icardi a starting position, with Diego Costa slotted in firmly as the choice striker, and it’s difficult to see the prolific forward leaving the Nerazzurri for the Blues anytime soon.

Follow @ReverschPass

from Bleacher Report – Front Page http://ift.tt/1DOstcv
via IFTTT http://ift.tt/eA8V8J