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      N’Golo Kante ‘was on verge of Arsenal transfer before ex-Chelsea manager Conte convinced him to join Blues’

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      ANTONIO CONTE reportedly won N’Golo Kante over to sign the midfielder for Chelsea – just as he was about to join Arsenal.The France international has the chance to add to his World Cup, Premier League and FA Cup medals with the Blues’ Champions League run this year.
      Antonio Conte (left) persuaded N’Golo Kante (centre) to join Chelsea in 2016Credit: Reuters
      But it could have been a very different story for both player and club had he chosen a different capital club back in 2016.
      Having helped Leicester to a fairytale title triumph, Kante was a hot property in the transfer market.
      According to the Telegraph, a switch to Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal was in the works when Chelsea came calling.
      The £30million deal was completed after then-Blues boss Conte phoned the midfielder to convince him that he would win a second Prem crown in a row at Stamford Bridge.
      It has previously been claimed that a row over agents’ fees led to the Gunners backing out and signing Granit Xhaka instead.
      While the Swiss midfielder has been unable to threaten the Premier League trophy, Kante went on to lift it that year with Conte’s Chelsea.

      The 30-year-old has tasted success in Europe too when winning the 2019 Europa League.
      And Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final second leg with Real Madrid marks the furthest he has gone in the competition following a couple of last-16 exits in previous years.
      Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel sung the star’s praises ahead of the tie, which is set up for a thrilling finale at 1-1 on aggregate.
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      He said: “[Kante] is the guy who needs to win trophies and that’s why we are so, so happy that he’s here.
      “I’ve been dreaming about this player, fighting for this player at any club I was coaching, so now he’s my player and he’s won every trophy except the Champions League.
      “Hopefully, he will do everything that he can to help us get this trophy.”
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      Ex-Man Utd star Van Persie to coach his son Shaqueel in Feyenoord’s U16s next season after landing assistant role

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      ROBIN VAN PERSIE has joined Feyenoord’s Under-16 team as assistant manager and will be coaching his son Shaqueel next season.Arsenal and Manchester United legend Van Persie cemented himself as one of the greatest strikers in Premier League history.
      Robin van Persie will take over as Feyenoord’s Under-16s assistant managerCredit: PA:Empics Sport
      Robin van Persie will be coaching his son Shaqueel at FeyenoordCredit: Getty
      But the Netherlands’ record goalscorer ended his glittering career two years ago at his boyhood club Feyenoord.
      After his retirement, the 37-year-old was hired by the Rotterdam giants as the first team’s strikers coach on a part-time basis.
      However, the Algemeen Dagblad report that Feyenoord have decided to promote him to the youth squad under manager Brian Pinas.
      Van Persie is now set to work with his son Shaqueel, who has apparently taken after his father on the pitch.
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      The 14-year-old forward joined Feyenoord’s youth ranks from Fenerbahce in 2017 and is considered as one of the most promising young talents in Holland.
      Van Persie has been a constant source of advice for his son throughout his young career.
      The Prem winner never holds back on constructive criticism, especially when it comes to failure, and thus preferential treatment appears to be completely out of the question.
      Van Persie previously told The High Performance Podcast: “He (Shaqueel) was complaining about others, the trainer etc.

      “Then I said, ‘Shaqueel, you sound like a loser when you talk like that. You blame everyone, but I don’t hear about yourself.
      “‘Winners take control and look at themselves, they see where they can improve themselves. ask yourself, do you want to be a winner, or do you want to be a loser?
      “‘It doesn’t matter to me because I’m your dad. All I have is to get you ready for life when you’re 20.
      “‘I love you anyway. It doesn’t matter to me whether you make it as a footballer or not.
      “‘But you say this is your passion, so you have to take control of your life and stop complaining.'”
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      Donny van de Beek trains with Man Utd More

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      Santi Cazorla admits Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are ‘inconsistent’ but insists old pal is best man for manager’s job

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      SANTI CAZORLA has backed Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta as the “right man” to lead his former club forward despite this year’s “inconsistent” campaign.Cazorla spent six years at the Emirates following his arrival from Malaga in 2012 and became close friends with Arteta while they both played under legendary manager Arsene Wenger.
      Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta and Santi Cazorla played together under Arsene WengerCredit: Mark Robinson – The Sun
      The Al Sadd ace admits that the Gunners have had a rocky season, which has seen them drop to ninth place in the Premier League table.
      But the 36-year-old is adamant that his good pal has what it takes to turn things around and lead the north Londoners to more silverware amid the club’s Europa League bid.
      The Europa League poses as Arsenal’s only hope of qualifying for next season’s Champions League competition and Cazorla is pleased with Arteta’s work in the competition as well as last season’s FA Cup triumph.
      Cazorla told uefa.com: “I think he’s the right man to take the club forward.
      Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is close friends with Santi CazorlaCredit: EPA
      “It’s difficult to follow a period like Wenger’s – the club has to adapt to another kind of football, another philosophy, another vision of football.
      “He’s got a clear idea of how he wants his team to play, they’re in the semi-finals and they did well in the FA Cup [last season].
      “They have been pretty inconsistent but you’ve got to give him time and I think they’re convinced that Mikel can get a lot out of the squad and achieve big things.
      “I’m great friends with him and whatever good happens to him and the club I’d be happy for them because I’m a ‘Gunner’.”
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      Cazorla also spent a total of nine years, across three different spells, at Villarreal, who beat Arsenal 2-1 in Spain last Thursday in the Europa League semi-finals.
      Arteta’s men got the away goal but his predecessor Unai Emery has cast doubt over the Gunners’ chances of making it to the final.
      Cazorla advised his friend to keep an eye on the “best forward in Spain” Gerard Moreno, who has amassed a total of 26 goals and nine assists in 40 appearances across all competitions this season.

      He added: “He is the best forward in Spain right now. I’m not saying that just because of the goals he scores.
      “You shouldn’t just look at what he does in the box and the goals he scores for Villarreal, but also what he does outside the box.
      “He’s a player who makes a difference, doesn’t need a lot of chances to score goals, and he’s at a point of his career where he’s full of confidence and at his peak, which is ideal in terms of the team being able to achieve its objectives.
      “He’s a chilled-out guy, he works hard and he brings a lot to the dressing room as well.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Arteta reacts to Arsenal’s ‘strong performance’ against Newcastle More

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      How Arsenal could line up against Newcastle with Aubameyang up front, Bellerin returning and David Luiz pushing to play

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      ARSENAL could welcome skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and defender Hector Bellerin back to the starting line-up for Sunday’s trip to Newcastle.Neither began the 2-1 defeat to Villarreal in the Europa League semi-final first leg on Thursday with Aubameyang coming off the bench after recovering from a bout of malaria.

      Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang came off the bench against VillarrealCredit: Getty
      The Gabonese forward could lead the line in the absence of the injured Alexandre Lacazette, if he continues to make progress in the right direction.
      Speaking about his captain’s return to fitness in his Friday press conference, Arteta said: “He hasn’t trained much, he is still not at the level in his physique that he should be to start.
      “We will see again tomorrow how he is.
      “Yesterday he could only play a few minutes but we managed to get him on the pitch, which is great news for us.”
      Arteta controversially employed Emile Smith Rowe as a false No9 in midweek and admitted he got it wrong and so is set to revert the Croydon De Bruyne to a more familiar No10 role.
      Gabriel Martinelli could bag a starting place after impressing off the bench with Nicolas Pepe the man likely to make way.
      Dani Ceballos’ red card and subsequent suspension for the second leg at the Emirates means he is likely to start with Thomas Partey rotated out.
      Martin Keown slammed Arteta for hanging Granit Xhaka out to dry by exposing him as a makeshift left-back.
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      With Scot Kieran Tierney still injured Cedric Soares could come in on the left with Swiss ace Xhaka reverting to midfield, although Mohamed Elneny could also be handed a rare start.
      Bellerin is set to replace Calum Chambers at right-back with Gabriel also potentially returning to the starting XI.
      David Luiz returned to training on Tuesday after five weeks out following minor knee surgery but Sunday’s game may come too soon for a return from the off with Rob Holding in line to continue.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds
      Arteta admits he got it wrong after bizarrely picking false 9 in Europa League semi defeat to Villarreal More

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      Arsene Wenger turns on Stan Kroenke as old boss vows to help £1.8bn Arsenal takeover bid by Daniel Ek, Henry and Co

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      ARSENE WENGER has admitted he is open to helping Daniel Ek’s takeover bid after praising the involvement of former players.Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Patrick Vieira are all said to be part of the Spotify billionaire’s plan to buy the club.
      Arsenal fans have demanded Stan Kroenke sell up and leave North LondonCredit: PA
      Club legend Arsene Wenger has given his take on a potential buyoutCredit: Getty
      And the former manager, 71, highlighted their involvement as a positive for the potential takeover, in the hope they follow Bayern Munich’s example.
      But he expressed doubts over Ek’s chances of success after he announced the bid before reaching an agreement with Stan Kroenke.
      Wenger told beIN Sports: “I like the fact that [the deal would see] former people of the club run the club.
      “Basically you have two examples in football; former players who run the club like Bayern, or big investors who buy a club like Manchester City.
      “I personally, because I’m a football man, I like the fact that former Arsenal players take over and give advice.
      “For the project, I believe and prefer personally [that] the best deals are when nobody knew about it and you come out and it’s done.
      “Once you announce things, you have a mountain to climb. Nobody wants to give in.
      “It’s better always when you do your deals, it’s done, you come out and [announce it].”
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      Current owner Kroenke, 73, began investing in Arsenal in 2007 and became majority shareholder four years later, with Wenger still in the dugout.
      A disappointing few seasons for the Gunners and the European Super League debacle has led to heightened fan calls for the club to be sold.
      Yet Kroenke, who has appointed son Josh to the broad and former midfielder Edu as technical director, has dismissed the notion.
      When asked if he wanted to join the Invincibles trio and Ek in formulating a takeover, Wenger insisted the club must come first.
      The Frenchman said: “Look, I will always support Arsenal. If I can help Arsenal I will do it in any way. That’s my answer.”
      He added: “I always put Arsenal first.

      “I sacrificed many of the best years of my life in my career to help the club build the new stadium and pay it back without any money from anybody.
      “We didn’t go out and say we needed money, we did it with the quality of our work and we kept the club at the top.
      “Yes, I was criticised, you have to accept that when you’re in a public job. I think nobody would question the fact that I did it genuinely and with the desire to do what is best for the club.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

      Arsenal chief Stan Kroenke releases statement ruling out sale despite Daniel Ek plotting £2.5bn offer and fan protests More

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      How Arsenal could line up against Villarreal with Aubameyang, Lacazette and Tierney available in triple injury boost

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      MIKEL ARTETA could have a fully fit squad to choose from for Arsenal’s huge Europa League tie with Villarreal.Thursday’s first leg at Estadio de la Ceramica kicks off at 8pm and sees the Gunners face old boss Unai Emery.
      How we expect Arsenal to line up against Villarreal
      Kieran Tierney and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are both set to be fitCredit: Eddie Keogh Telegraph Media Group
      Arteta confirmed SunSport’s news of a huge fitness boost for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and gave updates on Alexandre Lacazette and Kieran Tierney.
      The coach told reporters: “They are all in contention. All of them. Including Aubameyang, Laca and Kieran.”
      He added: “We do need them, because we know that we have some players that are in contention and they are the ones who can make the difference in a big tie like this.
      “But the word risk, I don’t like to put players on the pitch if they can’t perform and they can’t feel secure that they can perform. If it’s a risk or we’re going to take a gamble, then I don’t think it’s the right thing to do.”
      Club captain Aubameyang has been out of action for almost a month while suffering from malaria and top scorer Lacazette missed Friday’s defeat to Everton with a hamstring issue.
      If available, the duo can expect to line up alongside Bukayo Saka and the fit-again Martin Odegaard in the Gunners’ 4-2-3-1 attack.
      It is arguably Tierney’s absence that Arsenal have felt the most and Arteta detailed the left-back’s huge effort to make the game.
      The Spaniard noted: “[Kieran] didn’t need the surgery that we were afraid of at the beginning and then he’s been working like a beast every single day.
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      How Arsenal could line up if Mikel Arteta changes up his backline
      “I don’t know if he’s going to make it tomorrow but he certainly wants to be as close as possible to that football pitch to give himself the best possible chance.”
      David Luiz has also sat out the last month after undergoing minor knee surgery but returned to training this week.
      Selecting his defence will be Arteta’s biggest headache as the squad heads to the Mediterranean coast.

      Bernd Leno was rotated back into the line-up for Mat Ryan ahead of the Everton defeat but his huge error gave away the only goal of the game.
      Calum Chambers is also fighting to keep Hector Bellerin out at right-back with Rob Holding, Gabriel Magalhaes and Pablo Mari competing with Luiz for the central spots.
      Spanish defender Mari was selected for the pre-game press conference and outlined his hopes of starting the semi-final.

      He said: “I grew up in Valencia, I supported Villarreal and Valencia.
      “I’m really glad to be here to fight for Arsenal in the semi-final.
      “When you play a lot of games in a row it’s easier for you as a football player.
      “I think I’ve done well and that’s because every day I’ve worked really hard. I love being here.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

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      Premier League Hall of Fame nominees revealed as Beckham, Gerrard and Lampard fight to join Shearer and Henry

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      GOALSCORING legends Thierry Henry and Alan Shearer have become the first inductees of the Premier League Hall of Fame.The online showcase of English football’s modern greats launched on Monday morning – and now the nominees for a fan vote for the next six additions have been revealed.

      Having moved to Blackburn with the advent of the Premier League in 1992, England hero Shearer smashed a record 260 goals en route to three Golden Boot crowns and a league title.
      The striker was also named the division’s Player of the Season as his 34 goals led Blackburn to their historic 1995 triumph, and he later signed for hometown club Newcastle to lead the line in awe-inspiring fashion.
      Shearer, 50, said: “When you look at some of the unbelievable players to have graced the Premier League – week in, week out, year in, year out – I feel very honoured to join the Hall of Fame.
      “I have to thank all of my team-mates, as well as the managers and coaches that I’ve worked with.
      “All I ever wanted to be was a professional footballer.
      “It was my dream to do that, my dream to win trophies and my dream to score at St James’ Park, to wear the number nine black-and-white shirt and it was fantastic. I enjoyed every minute of it.”
      Joining the Toon icon is Arsenal great Henry, who claimed a pair of Premier League titles and Player of the Season gongs.
      The Frenchman’s imperious record includes 175 Prem goals in just 258 appearances, combining for four Golden Boots.
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      Alan Shearer is the Premier League’s all-time top scorerCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Thierry Henry (left) led Arsenal to two league titlesCredit: Times Newspapers Ltd

      The 43-year-old stated: “To be inducted alongside Alan Shearer as the two first inductees into the Premier League Hall of Fame is more than special.
      “When I was young, I was just trying to make sure I could get a pair of boots and now we’re talking about the Hall of Fame.
      “During my career I wanted to play hard and make sure I was fighting for the cause, because that’s all the fans want to see.
      “If you asked me at the start of my career about entering the Hall of Fame, I wouldn’t have believed you. It’s an amazing honour.”
      Now the battle has commenced to see which six legends will join them.
      To qualify for this year’s selection, players must have retired by August 2020 and made 250 appearances in the Premier League.
      Alternatively, they can qualify by playing 200 games for one club, winning three titles, winning a Player of the Season, Golden Glove or Golden Boot crown, or either scoring 100 goals or keeping 100 clean sheets.

      Six more inductees will be named in the coming weeks after a fan vote kicks off on Monday evening.
      Among the list of 23 Premier League heroes of yesteryear are David Beckham, Eric Cantona, Didier Drogba and Patrick Vieira.
      English players John Terry, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes are also in there.
      Prem CEO Richard Masters said: “Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry are two world-class players who lit up the Premier League throughout their time in the competition.
      “Both players were capable of scoring every kind of goal, including some of the best we have ever seen.”
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      Premier League Hall of Fame 23-name shortlist

      Tony ADAMS
      David BECKHAM
      Dennis BERGKAMP
      Sol CAMPBELL
      Eric CANTONA
      Andrew COLE
      Ashley COLE
      Didier DROGBA
      Les FERDINAND
      Rio FERDINAND
      Robbie FOWLER
      Steven GERRARD
      Roy KEANE
      Frank LAMPARD
      Matt LE TISSIER
      Michael OWEN
      Peter SCHMEICHEL
      Paul SCHOLES
      John TERRY
      Robin VAN PERSIE
      Nemanja VIDIC
      Patrick VIEIRA
      Ian WRIGHT

      Frank Lampard and John Terry have won eight Premier League trophies between themCredit: PA:Empics Sport
      Alan Shearer say Prem should ban Super League breakaway six ‘immediately’ saying they chucked a grenade so ‘chuck one back at them’ More