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      Arsenal plot summer clear-out with David Luiz, Alexandre Lacazette, Lucas Torreira & Matteo Guendouzi on chopping block

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      ARSENAL will launch major cost-cutting plans — despite just slashing their wage bill by almost £700,000 a week.
      And that could see the Gunners listen to offers for Alexandre Lacazette and release David Luiz in a summer overhaul.

      Alexandre Lacazette may be sold as his contract enters its final yearCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      Matteo Guendouzi and David Luiz could also be cut to save costsCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      With no prospect of admitting fans this season and a £120million short-term loan to repay to the Bank of England, the club are feeling the pinch like never before.
      And the threat of missing out on European qualification for the first time since 1995 is looming over the Emirates like a dark cloud.
      Chief executive Vinai Venkatesham has already started the economy drive by cancelling the contracts of Mesut Ozil, Shkodran Mustafi and Sokratis Papastathopoulos.
      With Sead Kolasinac, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Joe Willock also loaned out last month, Arsenal will save £16.5m on wages for the rest of this season.

      But further reductions in running costs are required — putting added pressure on manager Mikel Arteta to prune his squad.
      Lacazette is rapidly approaching the final year of his £150,000-a-week contract and no decision has yet been made as to whether to extend that deal.
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      The £52million French striker remains a key part of Arteta’s squad but the club are in no mood to give him a pay rise and could sell him this summer, rather than risk him going for free next year.

      Veteran defender Luiz, 33, earns about £120,000 a week and is out of contract this summer — when he will probably be released.
      Midfielders Matteo Guendouzi and Lucas Torreira — on loan with Hertha Berlin and Atletico Madrid — will be sold in the summer for around £25million each.
      While defender Kolasinac is likely to leave for a nominal fee and the club may consider offers for Willock and Maitland-Niles, plus other home-grown stars Reiss Nelson and Eddie Nketiah.
      Arteta and technical director Edu are already making plans for the summer window.
      They want to sign Dani Ceballos and Mat Ryan on permanent deals from Real Madrid and Brighton, and may seek to agree a fee with Real for Martin Odegaard.

      Lucas Torreira could be let go after a loan stint with Atletico MadridCredit: Splash News

      Mat Ryan is being eyed for a longer stay at ArsenalCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      But transfer cash will be reliant on securing European qualification and with the team currently tenth in the table, that is by no means certain.
      Arteta remains confident the top six is still within reach and has not completely ruled out qualifying for the Champions League after a four-year absence from Europe’s top competition.
      Arsenal return to Europa League action on Thursday when they take on Benfica in Rome.
      But Arteta could rest players ahead of hosting league leaders Manchester City on Sunday.
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

      Arteta reacts to Arsenal’s 4-2 victory over Leeds More

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      Northampton eye Aldershot boss Danny Searle in shock move as they look to replace the axed Keith Curle

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      NORTHAMPTON are weighing up a surprise move for Aldershot boss Danny Searle.
      Cobblers are on the hunt for a replacement for Keith Curle, who was axed last week after a run of one win in ten league games left them scrapping for League One survival.

      Northampton are eyeing Aldershot’s Danny Searle as their new bossCredit: Rex Features

      Searle, 42, has impressed Northampton chiefs with his work in the National League and would jump at the chance to step up.
      Although he has no experience as a No 1 in the EFL, Searle has previously worked as youth coach at Chelsea and is the former head of West Ham’s academy.
      He helped the likes of Declan Rice break into the first team at the London Stadium.
      And his ability to work with young players is a huge plus for the cash-strapped Northampton.

      SunSport understands the club have made contact with his representatives
      But Northampton are yet to make an official approach.
      Other high-profile candidates who appear to be in the mix include Arsenal legend Sol Campbell and former Huddersfield chief Danny Cowley.
      Paul Tisdale is also looking for a new job after leaving Bristol Rovers and has been linked with the position.

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      Leyton Orient and Northampton players in 17-MAN BRAWL as last-minute equaliser sparks fiery clash More

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      Pep Guardiola afraid international break will cause more coronavirus chaos in Prem – undoing recent progress

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      PEP GUARDIOLA fears next month’s international break could spark more Covid chaos in the Premier League.
      The top flight recorded just two positive results from the latest tests.

      Pep Guardiola has voiced his concerns over the upcoming internationals

      But Manchester City boss Guardiola is worried the progress made could be undone when players head off to their national teams.
      He said: “I think the Premier League should be concerned about this.
      “The people are going to travel, the players are going to the national teams and it’s difficult afterwards to control it.
      “So I think something is going to rise, unfortunately.”

      City — who have Kevin De Bruyne back from injury — visit Everton on Wednesday for a clash postponed because of a Covid outbreak at the Etihad.
      Guardiola added: “I would love to say it’s not going to happen but from experience it happened in two or three waves already worldwide.
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      “If you move, you take a risk to be contaminated, to get the virus again.

      “The reason why there were a lot of cases in the Premier League and now there are none is because people don’t move.
      “The moment you take planes and go places, everything can happen.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

      Pep Guardiola reacts to Rodri’s concerning penalty taking More

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      Arsenal investigating Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang over alleged coronavirus lockdown breach after picture of new tattoo

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      ARSENAL are investigating a possible breach of Covid regulations by club captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
      The striker appeared to break lockdown rules to get a new tattoo.

      Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is being probed by Arsenal over a new tattooCredit: Instagram / @alexink8

      The striker may have broken coronavirus protocol by getting the ink workCredit: Instagram / @alexink8

      He was pictured showing off the inking on the Instagram account of Spanish tattoo artist Alejandro Nicolas Bernal.
      And the footage was posted just days after Aubameyang had been given time off by the club to visit his ill mother in France.
      Under UK Government regulations, all mobile and static tattoo parlours must remain closed during the coronavirus pandemic.
      But neither Aubameyang nor Barcelona-based Bernal were wearing a mask during the session to decorate the player’s hand.

      It was not clear when or where the tattoo work was carried out but the film was posted five days ago on the alexink8 account.
      It appears to have taken place in some kind of industrial area.
      Now Arsenal want to know if their ten-goal top-scorer has compromised their biosecure bubble.
      Aubameyang, 31, was given permission by manager Mikel Arteta to dash to France on a mercy mission when his mother, Margarita, was taken seriously ill three weeks ago.

      He missed Arsenal’s FA Cup loss at Southampton and the Prem games away to Saints and at home to Manchester United.
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      Arsenal are investigating the potential breach of the rulesCredit: Rex Features

      Auba returned to the starting line-up on Sunday and scored his first Premier League hat-trick in the 4-2 win against Leeds, when he kept his hands hidden by gloves.
      Now Arteta, who was the first person in British football to get Covid, will be wondering if his trust has been betrayed.
      An Arsenal spokesman said last night: “We will speak to the player about this matter and establish what has taken place.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

      Arsenel ace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang watched stunned as his brother fired a pistol next to his own head in online chat More

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      Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti’s safe recovered after masked gang stole it from his £2million home

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      EVERTON boss Carlo Ancelotti’s empty safe has been recovered after raiders stole it from his £2million home.
      It was found dumped in a car park after Friday’s 6.30pm heist in which Ancelotti’s stepdaughter Chloe, 25, disturbed the two thieves.

      Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti’s empty safe has been recovered after raiders stole it from his £2million home

      Italian Ancelotti, 61, raced back from training to join her in Crosby, Merseyside.
      Now cops have revealed they found the safe in Thornton – three miles away from his five-bed home – on Saturday.
      Officers said it had been “forced open” but refused to disclose the value of its contents.
      Merseyside Police took the item for “forensic examination” as they launched a fresh appeal for witnesses.

      They are still tracing the masked thieves dressed all in black who lifted the safe in minutes.
      Ancelotti has ramped up security at his mansion he shares with wife Mariann Barrena McClay since the raid.

      The hit raises fears for his neighbour, Liverpool’s Georginio Wijnaldum, as well as Jamie Carragher and boxing champ Callum Wilson who live nearby.
      The Everton gaffa was seen leaving his gated compound in his £313,000 Rolls-Royce SUV over the weekend as pals said he is “determined to carry on as normal”.

      Ancelotti’s side lost 2-0 at home to Fulham on Sunday.

      Ancelotti’s side lost 2-0 at home to Fulham on Sunday

      Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti says he will wait until January 5th before signing new players
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      Arsenal investigating Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang over alleged coronavirus rules breach after pic of new tattoo

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      ARSENAL are investigating a possible breach of Covid regulations by captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
      The striker appeared to break lockdown rules to get a new tattoo.

      Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is being probed by Arsenal over a new tattooCredit: Instagram / @alexink8

      The striker may have broken coronavirus protocol by getting the ink workCredit: Instagram / @alexink8

      He was pictured showing off the inking on the Instagram account of Spanish tattoo artist Alejandro Nicolas Bernal.
      And the footage was posted just days after Aubameyang had been given time off by the club to visit his ill mother in France.
      Under UK Government regulations, all mobile and static tattoo parlours must remain closed during the coronavirus pandemic.
      But neither Aubameyang nor Barcelona-based Bernal were wearing a mask during the session to decorate the player’s hand.

      It was not clear when or where the tattoo work was carried out but the film was posted five days ago on the alexink8 account.
      It appears to have taken place in some kind of industrial area.
      Now Arsenal want to know if their ten-goal top-scorer has compromised their biosecure bubble.
      Aubameyang, 31, was given permission by manager Mikel Arteta to dash to France on a mercy mission when his mother, Margarita, was taken seriously ill three weeks ago.

      He missed Arsenal’s FA Cup loss at Southampton and the Prem games away to Saints and at home to Manchester United.
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      Arsenal are investigating the potential breach of the rulesCredit: Rex Features

      Auba returned to the starting line-up on Sunday and scored his first Premier League hat-trick in the 4-2 win against Leeds, when he kept his hands hidden by gloves.
      Now Arteta, who was the first person in British football to get Covid, will be wondering if his trust has been betrayed.
      An Arsenal spokesman said last night: “We will speak to the player about this matter and establish what has taken place.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

      Arsenel ace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang watched stunned as his brother fired a pistol next to his own head in online chat More

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      Leicester No1 Kasper Schmeichel is overweight and wears a CORSET, claim Slavia Prague ahead of Euro clash

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      SLAVIA PRAGUE have scored an embarrassing own goal in the run up to their Europa League last 32 tie with Leicester City.
      By writing off current Foxes skipper Kasper Schmeichel as a roly-poly-goalie who wears a CORSET under his Leicester kit!

      Slavia Prague aimed a bizarre dig at keeper Kasper SchmeichelCredit: PA:Press Association

      The amazing jibe appears on Slavia TV, the club’s in-house TV website, in the first episode of a mini-series called Leicester Loading which is available on Youtube with English subtitles.
      The Czech champs don’t hang about in episode one as they wind up Schmeichel in a bizarre goalie gaffe!
      In the piece, former Czech Radio reporter and author Jan Hošek gives his lowdown on the Foxes, ahead of Thursday night’s tie in Slavia’s Eden Arena and admits the tie ‘won’t be a walk in the park.’
      However he then goes on to single out Danish international Kasper Schmeichel for a bit of bizarre sledging and says Slavia’s tough taskmaster boss Jindrich Trpisovsky would soon knock the 34-year-old into shape!

      Hosek, turning his attention to Schmeichel, said: “Occasionally he makes a blunder, but overall his performances have been extremely good and he’s also a kind of a glue that holds the team together. 
      “He is a keeper that has had problems with his healthy lifestyle. Certainly a tough manager that favours athleticism and the physical aspects of training, the likes of Trpisovsky, would probably want Schmeichel to lose five or 10 kilos.

      Slavia Prague launched a mini-series called ‘Leicester Loading’

      “And by the way, as far as I know, Schmeichel must be the only Premier League player that, underneath his shirt, wears a corset.”
      Hosek, who has worked in England, clearly doesn’t rate Leicester as a city either and says: “If it weren’t for football you probably wouldn’t know much about it. Leicester is a city in central England. It’s a city where personally I wouldn’t want to live.

      “Apart from the Cathedral and the surroundings there really isn’t much to do there.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

      Leicester City v Liverpool as it happened More

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      Wayne Rooney wants VAR SCRAPPED and claims it sucks joy out of goal celebrations and ruins football for fans

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      WAYNE ROONEY has slammed the VAR system for sucking the joy out of goal celebrations and says it is killing fun in football.
      The Derby boss fears a crucial connection between players and fans will be lost when spectators return to football unless VAR decisions can be sped up because players no longer know if they have scored or not.

      Wayne Rooney now manages Derby in the ChampionshipCredit: PA:Press Association

      One of Rooney’s most iconic goal celebrations came in 2015 – after The Sun on Sunday had revealed exclusive footage of a home video in which the striker was apparently knocked out by Stoke’s Phil Bardsley during a playful bout of sparring in Rooney’s kitchen.
      After scoring against Spurs in his next game Rooney mocked himself by producing a flurry of punches in an impromptu bout of shadow boxing – then pretended to take one on the chin and fell backwards to signify himself hitting the canvas.
      That’s why he says he felt for Leicester City’s James Maddison on Saturday when he scored a brilliant free kick equaliser against Liverpool to set up his side’s 3-1 win – yet didn’t dare celebrate it!
      Rooney, whose Derby side take on Wycombe Wanderers on Tuesday night, said: “I saw James Maddison after he scored and he stood around and didn’t know whether it was a goal or whether it would be disallowed.

      “I think it’s ridiculous players are waiting around for one minute, two minutes, to see if the goal will stand.  If we knew every decision was right people would accept it better – but the fact they aren’t getting all the decisions right is even more frustrating.
      “We have to allow referees to do their job and accept there will be human error within that. But if that means keeping that emotion and excitement in the game, I’m sure a lot of people would want to see that.
      “A goal is the one time the fans feel connected to their club and their player, when they are celebrating a goal together. Take that away and you lose that connection players have with fans.”
      Rooney had more than 300 career goals to choose his favourite celebration from, during a stellar career in which he became Manchester United and England’s greatest ever goalscorer.

      Wayne Rooney produced his iconic KO celebration against Spurs in 2015Credit: Getty – Contributor

      James Maddison was initially reluctant to celebrate his strike against LiverpoolCredit: Jon Super/ The Guardian
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      He enjoyed Jamie Vardy’s rock n’ roll celebration, using the corner flag as a makeshift electric guitar after scoring against Liverpool at the weekend and revealed: “I didn’t really do that many which I worked on – it was a reaction, it just happened.  
      “Of course there are also some embarrassing celebrations out there but that’s a part of football and it’s great for fans to see.”
      Rams fans have yet to see Rooney doing a knee-slide down the touchline yet in his new role as Derby boss but he was pleased with the elaborate corner kick routine against Middlesbrough at the weekend which led to Lee Gregory’s opener.
      “The plan was to do it 5,6,7 times in training but we did it once and we scored off it, so we didn’t go back and do it again,” said Rooney. “So that’s two from two – Wycombe have seen it now but all the best trying to work it out because it’s difficult to defend.”
      ⚽ Read our Football live blog for the very latest news from around the grounds

      Mark Halsey says VAR needs to improve after ref Mike Dean receives death threats after West Ham game More