ARSENAL are in pole position to secure the signing of Raheem Sterling after Xavi tore up Barcelona’s January plans.
The England winger has 18 months left on his contract and Man City are believed to be willing to accept an offer of around £45m
But one man who may be heading to Barca is Arsenal’s striker Alexandre Lacazette, who Xavi is believed to still retain an interest in.
Meanwhile, Arsenal fans have been given the hairdryer treatment by former rival boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
Fergie has laid into the Wenger Out brigade, which he sees as having got the legendary Gunners boss sacked in 2018.
We’ve also the very latest on Dusan Vlahovic, with Arsenal reportedly battling with North London rivals Tottenham for his signature.
And in a boost for Arteta, Granix Xhaka has returned to training as he continues his comeback from a knee injury.
Follow ALL of the latest updates below…
PIZZA THE ACTION
Emile Smith Rowe capped off an incredible 12 months by making his England debut tonight.
Upon this achievement, Arsenal reminded fans that just 367 days ago, the attacking midfielder was playing for their youth team in the Papa John’s Trophy.
HE’LL DU – By SunSport’s Paul Jiggins
Tottenham are plotting to snatch Serbian sensation Dusan Vlahovic from under the noses of rivals Manchester City and Arsenal.
New Spurs boss Antonio Conte wants another striker in January to take the weight off Harry Kane.
The ambitious Italian only took charge of the North Londoners at the beginning of this month.
But he has already made it clear to chairman Daniel Levy and managing director of football Fabio Paratici that he needs more options in attack.
Vlahovic is top of Conte’s shopping list after bagging 21 goals for Fiorentina in Serie A last season.
The frontman, 21, has netted eight goals in 12 league games this term and Italian giants Juventus are also keen.
He was already on Paratici’s radar when the Italian joined Spurs as their new recruitment guru last summer.
With Vlahovic’s contract due to expire in 2023, Fiorentina are said to be willing to cash in on their £65million-rated marksman.
UNITED FRONT
Arsene Wenger’s plans to host a World Cup every two years have been dealt a blow by unimpressed Premier League clubs.
The ex-Arsenal boss had put forward a scheme to play the tournament biennially rather than once every four years as it currently is.
The Frenchman is now Fifa’s chief of football development and has also suggested extending international windows.
But all 20 top flight clubs have unanimously rejected the proposals amid concerns for player welfare and a packed domestic calendar.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters confirmed the united front and warned against tinkering in future.
He said: “The Premier League is committed to preventing any radical changes to the post-2024 Fifa International Match Calendar that would adversely affect player welfare and threaten the competitiveness, calendar, structures and traditions of domestic football.”
EM-BELIEVABLE
Here’s that special moment for Emile Smith Rowe tonight.
The first of many, Arsenal fans?
FULL TIME: ENGLAND 5 ALBANIA 0
The Three Lions ease through the second-half to seal an excellent 5-0 victory over Albania at a packed Wembley Stadium.
Harry Maguire set Gareth Southgate’s side on their way in the ninth minute, nodding home Reece James’ delivery.
Harry Kane then made it 2-0 with a close range header, before teeing up Jordan Henderson to make it three.
The Spurs star then made it 4-0 with a left-footed drive, before sealing his perfect hat-trick with an excellent right-footed volley on the stroke of half-time.
A low-key second-half was to follow, but fans were treated to the international debut of Emile Smith Rowe, with the Arsenal star coming on for Raheem Sterling in the 77th minute.
GUNNER BE SPECIAL
Emile Smith Rowe is on for his England debut!
Arsenal’s No10 replaces Raheem Sterling in the 77th minute for his first Three Lions senior appearance!
Still 5-0 at Wembley.
COME ON, GARETH
England might be cruising to victory, but Arsenal fans are all still waiting for the same thing…
Surely this man will come on at some point, right?
ROY RAGE
Manchester United legend Roy Keane made a cheeky dig at Tottenham prior to tonight’s England clash with Albania that Arsenal fans will love.
Referencing Kane’s slump after not getting a move to Manchester City, the Irishman said: “He’s got to liven up. He’s got to liven up.
“He’s got to look at himself and say, ‘get over these disappointments’.
“Listen, he plays for Spurs he should be used to disappointment.”
HALF TIME: ENGLAND 5 ALBANIA 0
Wow, what a perfect start for the Three Lions at a sold out Wembley Stadium tonight.
Manchester United star Harry Maguire nodded them into the lead in the ninth minute, before a Harry Kane double either side of a Jordan Henderson strike put Gareth Southgate’s side into a commanding position.
The Spurs man then made it a perfect hat-trick, when he volleyed home a corner on the stroke of half-time.
This could finish any number!
AUBA AND OUT
Arsenal skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has opened up on his failed switch to Tottenham in 2012 as he revealed he doesn’t care about Antonio Conte’s appointment.
Speaking in an interview with Sky Sports, presenter Joe Thomlinson asked the Gabon international what his first thoughts were of Conte’s arrival.
To which he said: “I don’t care. I’ll be honest, I really don’t care. That’s not my problem, really…”
He was then asked would he rather retire from football or play for Spurs, with Aubameyang recalling the time he was snubbed by the club during his Saint-Etienne days.
Quick to answer, the 2020 FA Cup winner remarked: “You don’t need to ask the question, you know it already! Retire. Even more because a few years ago, I was close to signing for Tottenham but in the end, I don’t know what they did. So retire for sure.
“I was in St-Etienne or at the beginning at Borussia Dortmund. I came here and went to the stadium at White Hart but the day after they just never gave us an answer or called back.
“So I was like ‘OK, no worries’. That’s why whenever I play against them they know.”
GETTING SHIRTY
One England fan at Wembley tonight is a particularly big fan of Arsenal star Bukayo Saka.
And who can blame her?
ROWE WHAT YOU’RE MADE OF
England are underway against Albania in front of a sell-out Wembley crowd!
Will this man get on for his senior debut?
LEAP OF FAITH
Aaron Ramsdale has revealed he’s no different to football fans worldwide as he admitted to watching replays of his wondersave ‘about 100 times’.
The Arsenal keeper pulled off the sensational dive to stop James Madison’s sharp free kick against Leicester last month.
He told Watford keeper Ben Foster on his YouTube channel: “I’ve watched it 100 times already honestly.
“He had a sighter before, which hit the wall, and I’ve trained with him a lot. I thought he was going to reverse it because it’s so close to the box. I thought he’s going to put a load of pace on it my side.
“Our goalie coach has talked a lot about saving on ‘your post’. So I’ve taken maybe a negative position, protecting my side.
“I’ve seen it’s not gone my side and just gone, just gone, and it looks better off the bar doesn’t it?”
Foster then paid tribute to his fellow keeper’s agility and reactions to make the save after seeing the ball late over the wall.
Ramsdale went on to admit he needed a slice of luck to make the follow-up save that denied Jonny Evans on the line.
He added: “The photos look so good. But obviously the second one was a bit of luck. I didn’t have a clue where it was.”
BULL FIGHT
Manchester United and Arsenal could be set to miss out on RB Leipzig’s talented youngster Dominik Szoboszlai.
LaLiga giants Atletico Madrid have entered the race to sign the 21-year-old and reports suggest they could be in pole position.
AS reports United are a more likely Premier League destination than the Gunners if Szoboszlai does favour a move to England.
The North London club tried to bring him to the Emirates last year but he opted for a five-year deal in Germany instead.
Any renewed offer would need to trigger the player’s reported €60million (£51m) release clause.
TOP TIER
What a last-ditch challenge by Kieran Tierney for Scotland! At such a crucial moment too.
The Arsenal star is flourishing for his country.
GUNNER GET ON?
Arsenal stars Emile Smith Rowe, Bukayo Saka and Aaron Ramsdale are on the bench as England take on Albania at Wembley this evening.
Smith Rowe and Ramsdale will be hoping to earn their first senior caps tonight, should they get on.
CURTAIN CAL
Roma are interested in Calum Chambers, according to reports.
The Serie A side have recently been linked with Premier League aces Harry Winks and Ruben Loftus-Cheek.
And according to Corriere dello Sport, Chambers is the latest Premier League player to catch Jose Mourinho’s eye.
The defender has struggled for game time of late, with boss Mikel Arteta preferring Gabriel and Ben White at centre-half, and Takehiro Tomiyasu at right-back.
ALL CED AND DONE
Arsenal right-back Cedric Soares has vowed to fight for his place in the team, after seeing Takehiro Tomiyasu take the starting berth this term.
He told ESPN: “I’m there fighting.
“Every week, every day, I will be there knocking [on the door], making him a problem — in a good way — that he needs to think who to put on the pitch.
“Of course, it is his decision. I respect that and he knows that. But I will not make it easier. Never. This is how I grow up in my career: fight and win.”
A TIER ABOVE
Here’s Kieran Tierney in action for Scotland… and being sent flying!
Given the left-back recent injury woes, Arsenal fans must be wincing seeing him getting clattered like this.
Steve Clarke’s side are currently drawing 0-0 with Moldova.
FLOP GUNS
After being rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table three games into the season momentum is starting to build at Arsenal under Mikel Arteta.
The Gunners are TEN games unbeaten in all competitions and just two points off the coveted top four places.
Arteta seems to be assembling a squad genuinely capable of challenging for Champions League football – but how did the squad look the last time they competed in Europe’s elite competition?
Bayern Munich were the visitors to the Emirates to take on Arsene Wenger’s side in the second leg of a last-sixteen tie in March 2017.
After being thrashed 5-1 in the first leg a dismal performance at home saw a repeat result – meaning the Gunners were humiliated 10-2 on aggregate.
Here SunSport takes a look at the starting side from their last Champions League outing.
KICK-OFF!
Kieran Tierney’s Scotland are underway in Chisinau against Moldova!
Remember, a win would guarantee the Tartan Army a place in the play-offs for next year’s World Cup in Qatar.
AUBA-WHELMING
Arsenal star Martin Odegaard has admitted that it was ‘frustrating’ to see offside Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang tap in his goalbound effort against Watford at the weekend.
He told Norwegian broadcaster TV2: “It was a pity.
“I saw it nicely from the side, it was going in.
“I knew as soon as he touched it that he was offside. It was frustrating, but we won. If they had equalised, it would have been tougher!”
MAR TO COME
Gabriel Martinelli’s dad has offered an update on his son’s future at Arsenal.
He said: “There is no chance of him going to Corinthians or any other Brazilian club!
“Since he came back from an injury, he’s been playing a lot less than he would have liked. They even painted some proposals from Europe, but Arsenal has already warned that they will not release him.
“People like him a lot. Not only for what he plays, but also for his dedication. Martinelli is almost always the first to arrive for training and the last to leave.”
TOP TIER
Arsenal star Kieran Tierney is back in action tonight, as he lines up for Scotland against Moldova in Chisinau.
The defender has missed recent games for the Gunners through injury.
Should Tierney and Co come out on top, they will book a play-off place for next year’s Fifa World Cup in Qatar.
STER IT UP
Manchester City have reportedly placed a £45million release clause on Raheem Sterling.
That is according to Metro, who report that Sterling has recently fallen down the pecking order under Pep Guardiola with both Phil Foden and Jack Grealish being preferred.
The winger is about to enter the final 18 months of his contract at City – who had been keen to offer him a new long-term deal.
Those negotiations have now ended for the time being as neither the club nor the England international is willing to commit at the moment with the Gunners keeping tabs
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
