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    Man Utd in three-way transfer battle with Arsenal and Liverpool for Red Bull Salzburg wonderkid Oscar Gloukh

    MANCHESTER UNITED, Arsenal and Liverpool are monitoring Israeli wonderkid Oscar Gloukh.The Premier League big boys had scouts watching the 19-year-old (below) during the international break.
    Oscar Gloukh is being monitored by Man Utd, Arsenal and LiverpoolCredit: Rex
    And it appeared he impressed, scoring the equaliser against Romania to boost his country’s chances of qualifying for Euro 2024.
    Attacking midfielder Gloukh played against England in this summer’s European Under-21 Championship and was a standout.
    Previously, he had played against a Three Lions youth team in the Euro 2019 final – finding the net with a brilliant strike.
    He joined Red Bull Salzburg from Maccabi Tel Aviv for £6million in January.
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    The youngster has already scored three goals in 24 games for the Austrian side.
    Gloukh was previously linked to Barcelona, Ajax and Borussia Dortmund.
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    It was reported that the Catalans were very close to signing the youngster, but their interest came after Salzburg had already agreed a deal.
    He said: “I was very excited that (Barcelona) wanted me, but they were late for the bidding and came back when we had already closed the Salzburg deal.
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    “In the end, I think we made the right decision to go to Salzburg and not to Barcelona. It makes more sense for my development as a player.” More

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    Arsenal line up Royal Ascot guru as new CEO following departure of Vinai Venkatesham

    ARSENAL are short-listing Ascot horse racing business guru Felicity Barnard for their chief executive vacancy.Barnard worked for the Gunners in London and Singapore and was also at West Ham.
    The Gunners will consider Felicity Barnard for the CEO vacancyCredit: Getty
    Current CEO Vinai Venkatesham is departing Arsenal next summerCredit: Getty
    Apart from being the Deputy DEO and commercial director at Ascot, she is also a non-executive director for Great British Racing.
    Barnard graduated in Material Science at the University of Birmingham in 2004.
    Arsenal’s interest in her follows Vinai Venkatesham confirming he will depart the club after 14 years next summer.
    After arriving in 2010 as head of global partnerships, he worked his way up to CEO three years ago.
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    Venkatesham is also a non-executive director of the British Olympic Association.
    He admitted quitting the Gunners was a “tough decision”.
    But he is determined to oversee a “seamless transition”.
    Arsenal director Josh Kroenke said the club’s board was “fully supportive of Vinai’s desire to pursue his next challenge”.
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    But Kroenke added: “Change and succession is something the club is well prepared for.”
    The Gunners have been on the rise under Venkatesham as CEO – helped by Mikel Arteta really finding his feet last season after taking over as manager in 2019. More

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    Ten Premier League stars who have been banished from club training including Sancho and Aubameyang

    FIERCE, feisty and free-spirited – this list includes players who could strike trepidation into their own managers as well as rival teams.Each of these ten big names in Premier League history have the same claim to fame – or shame.
    Luis Suarez bounced back from his training banishment to produce a legendary Liverpool season and earn his dream Barcelona moveCredit: Getty
    Paul Pogba’s second spell at Man Utd was far longer and filled with more drama but he was barred from training during his first stint thereCredit: Getty
    Some – like Paul Pogba and Luis Suarez – are legends whose careers in England were marred by controversy amid their brilliance.
    Others – such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – had long spells inspiring awe blotted by sudden revelations.
    And a few – step forward Virgil van Dijk – have long-forgotten incidents in their Prem CV.
    There’s also the public spats – none more dramatic than Jadon Sancho’s with his Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag.
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    But all of them have been banished from club training at some time.
    The numbers easily run into ‘trouble figures’ – but here’s our guide to how ten of these players were forced into solo practice and the effect it had on their careers.
    JADON SANCHO
    The England winger’s Old Trafford future was threatened by a remarkable exchange with Ten Hag.
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    Three Lions’ attacker Jadon Sancho had an incredible public disagreement with his Manchester United manager Erik ten HagCredit: Getty
    Sancho’s omission from a match squad at Arsenal in September 2023 was put down to poor training by his Dutch manager.
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    The 23-year-old hit back on social media at the “completely untrue” claims and added: “I’ve been a scapegoat for a long time.”
    Sancho deleted his post days later during an international break – when United players were given a week off training.
    The Red Devils then gave him an individual training plan – as club chiefs reportedly discussed if he should play for them again.
    PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG
    From iconic goalscorer and skipper to sudden outcast – the Gabon hero’s Arsenal stint deteriorated rapidly after what boss Mikel Arteta called his “latest disciplinary breach”.
    Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang landed on his feet at Barca after his Arsenal bust-upCredit: Getty
    The striker was stripped of the club captaincy for reportedly returning late after being given a day’s leave to visit his family in France back in December 2021.
    But amid other claims of dodgy time-keeping, the ex-Borussia Dortmund ace was promptly barred from first-team training.
    Aubameyang moved to Barcelona just two months later before an unhappy 2022-23 season with Chelsea.
    LUIS SUAREZ
    For a player banned for biting three players on three separate occasions, the Uruguayan’s training banishment at Liverpool seems tame by comparison.
    Suarez reacted angrily in the summer of 2013 after claiming the Reds had broken a promise to sell him to Barcelona.
    Then-Anfield manager Brendan Rodgers denied the suggestion – and made him train alone.
    But in a way the outcome was perfect for both parties.
    Suarez went on to hit 31 goals and SAS strike partner Daniel Sturridge 21 – as the first Liverpool frontpair to notch 20 apiece in one campaign since Ian St John and Roger Hunt in 1963/64.
    The Reds missed out on the Prem title to Manchester City by just two points.
    And Suarez was sold at the end of the campaign to Barca – where he formed the all-time great MSN link-up with Lionel Messi and Neymar.
    AINSLEY MAITLAND-NILES
    The versatile Englishman paid the price for an Instagram post on transfer deadline day in August 2021 revealing he wanted to quit Arsenal for Everton.
    The Londoner wrote: “All I wanna do is go where I’m wanted and where I’m gonna play.”
    Gunners’ chief Arteta swiftly told the wideman to train on his own.
    Maitalnd-Niles was, however, brought back into the Arsenal squad for the season, although he never became a regular starter and joined Lyon in August 2023.
    JOEY BARTON
    The hothead midfielder blasted Newcastle on Twitter in August 2011 – and as a result, in his own words, was “predictably” barred from training with the rest of the squad.
    Joey Barton has been involved in many hostile encounters on and off the pitch but it was his words that led to a training ban at NewcastleCredit: AFP
    Four years after winning his only England cap, Barton chose social media to attack the Magpies on their transfer policy and even suggested Toon players were unhappy.
    Boss Alan Pardew isolated Barton in training ahead of a move to QPR the same month.
    DIEGO COSTA
    Best-known for winding up opposition defenders, the hardman forward could be pretty adept at irking his own managers too.
    Then-Chelsea boss Antonio Conte sent the Spain star back to his birth-country Brazil following a row with one of the Blues’ coaches.
    Conte allegedly told Costa by text he was no longer wanted.
    And soon, in September 2017, the targetman got the return to Atletico Madrid that he admitted he wanted.
    Costa was later forced to do a solo spell of training back at Atletico – when manager Diego Simeone ordered him to lose weight.
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    PAUL POGBA
    Despite the soap opera of his second spell at Old Trafford, it was during the Frenchman’s first stint from 2011-2012 when he got banned from team training for a week.
    It summed up the awkward relationship Pogba and agent Mino Raiola had with legendary United chief Sir Alex Ferguson.
    The Red Devils eventually allowed the midfielder to join Juventus.
    United brought him back for £90million in 2016 but Juve re-signed him six years later.
    HENRIKH MKHITARYAN
    Arguably Jose Mourinho’s least successful recruit for Manchester United, the Armenia winger was an outcast just four months after arriving from Borussia Dortmund in June 2016.
    Henrikh Mkhitaryan was signed by Jose Mourinho for Man Utd but his Old Trafford career soon nose-divedCredit: Getty – Contributor
    Mourinho made Mkhitaryan train alone at Carrington.
    Yet his United career somehow continued until January 2018, when he switched to Arsenal as the make-weight in Alexis Sanchez’s move the other way.
    PAPISS CISSE
    The Senegal attacker put his principles first when controversial payday loan company Wonga became Newcastle sponsors in 2013.
    Standing by his Muslim faith, Cisse refused to wear the club shirt with the firm’s name on it.
    Toon chief Alan Pardew made him train on his own.
    But Cisse revived his Newcastle career impressively before joining Shandong Luneng in 2016.
    VIRGIL VAN DIJK
    Southampton ordered the Dutchman to train away from his club-mates when he tried to force a move to Liverpool in the summer of 2017.
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    The Saints wanted to hold VVD – already rated as one of the Prem’s finest ever centre-backs – to his contract.
    He did return to the fold – awkwardly – but hardly played for the whole of the campaign and switched to Liverpool at the end of the season. More

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    Arsenal ‘face competition from FOUR clubs to sign £70m-rated wonderkid Ousmane Diomande, 19, after summer bid rejected’

    ARSENAL are reportedly up against fierce competition from four clubs to sign Sporting Lisbon’s Ousmane Diomande in January. The Gunners had a £30million approach for the 19-year-old defender turned down during the summer transfer window.
    Arsenal are aiming to sign Ousmane Diomande in JanuaryCredit: Getty
    But despite being turned away, Mikel Arteta is said to be really keen on returning for Diomande in January.
    The Ivory Coast international joined Sporting last January from FC Midtjylland for just £6.1m, but has already caught the attention of big clubs across Europe.
    He played 13 matches in the Portuguese top flight last term and managed to help Sporting finish fourth in the league.
    But unfortunately for Arsenal his impressive campaign seems to have had a pretty big impact on his price tag.
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    Sporting will only be willing to sell Diomande if a club was to activate his £70m release clause.
    Arsenal are alone in the race for his signature with “three or four clubs” also keeping their eye out for Diomande, according to Fabrizio Romano.
    Romano adds that Arsenal would have struggled to sign the teenager last summer as he wasn’t up for sale and his Sporting contract runs until 2027.
    Juventus, Manchester City and Monaco have all previously been linked with the Ivorian and could consider a move.
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    Arteta already has a depth of high-quality centre-backs in his squad but is considering signing defensive cover after new recruit Jurrain Timber’s ACL injury.
    The Dutch ace is set to be sidelined for several months meaning a new addition may be of interest at the Emirates.
    Arsenal will travel to Everton on Sunday for their next Premier League match before beginning their Champions League campaign against PSV Eindhoven next Wednesday.  More

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    Arsene Wenger and David Seaman reveal how England team ‘killed’ Arsenal after Gary Neville spied at lunchtime

    ARSENE WENGER and David Seaman have revealed how the England team “killed” Arsenal’s tactical advantage under the Frenchman.Wenger, 73, was interviewed by Seaman as part of his podcast and the two traded tales from yesteryear.
    Seaman and Wenger spoke of the team’s cutting edge dietCredit: credit / Seaman says podcast
    But Gary Neville was there to spy on the Arsenal players’ foodCredit: Rex
    One of those consisted of Seaman’s time with the England squad in the early 2000s when Gary Neville “spied” on the Arsenal team.
    Arsenal and England shared the same nutritionist, Dr John Crane, who was at the cutting edge of sports science and nutrition.
    Dr Crane had the Arsenal players following a specialist diet at the time, and this continued while the players were on England duty.
    Seaman said: “We went to England and we were on our special diet.
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    “We were eating it and, I’ll always remember this boss, Gary Neville looked over to our table and was like ‘What are they eating over there? Why aren’t they eating the same as us? We’re a team! We should be eating the same!’
    “So that’s how he found out about what we were eating and then he took it back to Man United.”
    Wenger then moaned: “They copied us! The English national team killed us!”
    Arsenal and Manchester United became one of the fiercest rivalries in English football after Wenger took over Arsenal in 1996.
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    Arsenal won three Premier Leagues between his takeover in 1996 and 2004 and four FA Cups between 1996 and 2005.
    In that period, Manchester United, under Sir Alex Ferguson won five Premier Leagues, a Champions League, two FA Cups and a League cup.
    The two’s fierce rivalry was most famously symbolised by 2004’s “Battle of the Buffet” which saw police called to break up a fight between the two squads and a slice of pizza thrown at Sir Alex Ferguson by Cesc Fabregas.
    The two clubs’ duopoly at the top of the Premier League was only really broken by Chelsea’s takeover by Roman Abramovich in 2003.
    The financial implications of the construction of the Gunners’ Emirates stadium also heavily affected Arsenal’s ability to compete with Manchester United towards the end of Wenger’s tenure.
    However, his reign did end with a flurry of success, with the club winning the FA Cup three times between 2014 and 2017. More

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    Arsenal announce 25-man Premier League squad including little-known youngster as fans are left asking ‘who?’

    ARSENAL have confirmed their 25-man squad for the first half of the new Premier League season.The Gunners were busy in the transfer market this past summer, splashing out a whopping £201million of four new additions.
    Mikel Arteta has named his 25-man Arsenal squad for the first half of the seasonCredit: Getty
    Gunners fans have been left stumped by the inclusion of 22-year-old keeper James HillsonCredit: Getty
    Mikel Arteta bolstered his squad with Declan Rice, Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and David Raya in a bid to improve on last season’s second-place finish.
    And, as is customary this time of year, the North Londoners have announced their squad for their long and arduous domestic campaign.
    The club’s four summer arrivals are part of the 25-man squad, even the crocked Timber.
    There have been no surprise omissions, although fans have been left stunned by the inclusion of rookie goalkeeper James Hillson.
    The 22-year-old has been promoted to the senior squad following a string of impressive displays for the Under 21s last season.
    The Emirates faithful were stunned to see Hillson’s name in the list, with one tweeting: “Who TF is James Hillson?”
    Another said: “Who is James Hillson? ”
    And another said: “Who’s James Hillson?”
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    Arsenal’s 25-man Premier League squad
    Mohamed Elneny Kai HavertzJames Hillson*Gabriel JesusJorginhoJakub KiwiorGabriel Magalhaes Gabriel Martinelli Reiss Nelson*Eddie Nketiah*Martin OdegaardThomas ParteyAaron Ramsdale*David Raya*Declan Rice*Bukayo Saka*William Saliba*Emile Smith Rowe*Cedric Soares Jurrien TimberTakehiro TomiyasuLeandro TrossardFabio Vieira Ben White*Oleksandr Zinchenko
    * Denotes home-grown player

    One remarked: “Who the hell is James Hillson?”
    Another chimed in: “Hopefully, he is another breakout star.”
    One seemingly irate Gooner said: “FFS, man. Who the hell is James Hillson as well?”
    Hillson will be hoping to get some game time in cup matches along with new signing Raya, who has been brought in to keep current No.1 Aaron Ramsdale on his toes.
    He’s also been included in the Gunners’ 25-man Champions League squad – which was announced on Tuesday.
    The Emirates faithful were also perplexed by the inclusion of Cedric Soares, who spent the second half of last season on loan with Fulham.
    Arsenal will be back in action on Sunday, travelling to Goodison Park to take on struggling Everton.
    Arteta’s troops travel to Merseyside on a high following a last-gasp victory over Manchester United earlier this month. More

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    Jermain Defoe reveals Arsenal legend who used to PINCH him during matches as ex-Spurs ace says ‘I loved it

    JERMAIN DEFOE claims Arsenal legend Martin Keown “pinched” and “headbutted” him – but the ex-Tottenham striker “loved it”.Defoe has revealed his shock at the “mad” baptism he revealed as a teen breaking into the Premier League against no-nonsense defenders.
    Jermain Defoe punched above his weight as a West Ham kid but fears other players could have been ruined by the same treatmentCredit: Getty Images – Getty
    Martin Keown was named by Defoe as one of the harsh defendersCredit: Getty
    The former England star, 40, only quit playing last year after a second spell with Sunderland.
    But he vividly remembers the unexpected suffering he endured during his early days with first club West Ham.
    Defoe says he was “buzzing” with excitement but soon “stinging” with pain.
    Buzzing – from playing against greats like Thierry Henry amid the Gunners’ peak years under Arsene Wenger.
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    And stinging – from the treatment he got from ex-Three Lions centre-back Keown.
    He told BBC podcast Defoe & Deeney Football Firsts: “He’d be standing behind me.
    “He’d pinch your back or he’d headbutt the back of your head – mad stuff like that.
    “Remember, you’re not getting this in the youth team.
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    “So when he started doing it I was like, ‘what is going on here?'”
    Defoe thinks Keown’s behaviour actually inspired him – but wonders if other personalities would have buckled.
    He said: “It fuelled me. But if you are a different sort of character you are done.
    “In a funny sort of way I loved it because I’m buzzing anyway.
    “I’m playing at Highbury – Thierry and that all that lot playing there. I was buzzing, so when he (Keown) did it I loved it but it was mad.
    “The pinches would hurt, you know. It felt like someone had punched me – the sting and the little headbutts.”
    More than just grin and bear it, Defoe reckons Keown’s actions fired him upCredit: Getty More

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    William Saliba reveals Mikel Arteta’s new mealtime rule and says ‘it really helps when you’re on the pitch’

    WILLIAM SALIBA claims a new eating rule from boss Mikel Arteta has brought Arsenal’s players closer together than ever – even on the pitch.The France defender believes Arteta’s clever meal deal has boosted friendships and communication within the title-challenging squad.
    Mikel Arteta brought in a new eating policy to unite playersCredit: Getty
    The Spaniard unveiled the core of his plan in the Big Apple during the Gunners’ pre-season tour of the USA.
    Arsenal rolled out promising displays in New York and Los Angeles as Arteta introduced his meal-time trick.
    Saliba explained how the manager strengthened the unity of the travelling party by making them sit next to someone new at every food break.
    The 22-year-old told Arsenal’s media team: “We do a lot of things to be closer and closer and to learn about each other.
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    “The coaches will speak to us about how important it is to be a unit and to be together, not just with the fans, but as a team as well. 
    “An example is when we were on tour in America. For every meal we mixed the tables. We don’t choose the table where we sit at lunch or dinner.
    “We get to speak to the coaching staff, to other players and I really like that. 
    “There might be a player there who you speak to less and it’s a chance to know them more, to be together.
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    “That all helps as a team when you are on the pitch too. It really helps when you are on the pitch.”
    Judging by the Gunners’ unbeaten start to the season, they certainly look hungry to compete for each other.
    The biggest cherry on the cake so far came last time out – a 3-1 home win over Manchester United to send Arsenal into the international break fifth-placed in the Premier League. More