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The Gunners boss gave a confusing response with two of his star men facing departures from the Emirates Stadium in the next 12 months Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil entering the last year of their Arsenal contracts is an "ideal" situation for the club, believes manager Arsene Wenger. Deals for Alexis and Ozil are due to expire at the end of the coming campaign, with the Chile international having been linked with Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain as a result. Alexis was not involved in this weekend's Emirates Cup as his return to training following international duty Confederations Cup was delayed due to illness, as speculation of an exit from the Gunners continues to surround the exciting forward. And Wenger insisted it will become more common for top players to allow their contracts to run down, with Jack Wilshere, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Santi Cazorla and Kieran Gibbs also in the final year of their current deals. "It is an ideal sit...

Tiemoue Bakayoko has joined Chelsea from Monaco and become the club's second-most expensive signing of all time. Sky Sports News HQ understands the 22-year-old has cost the Blues £40m - some £10m less than Fernando Torres in 2011. Bakayoko, an athletic central midfielder, has signed a five-year contract at Stamford Bridge and will join up with France international team-mate N'Golo Kante. Bakayoko said: "I have grown up watching Chelsea. Signing was the natural thing for me because it is a club I loved very much in my childhood. "I am now looking forward to evolving under this fantastic coach (Antonio Conte) and alongside so many great team-mates." Chelsea's technical director Michael Emenalo said: "Tiemoue was outstanding as Monaco emerged as one of Europe's best sides last season and we are delighted to welcome him to Chelsea. "Despite his young age he already has plenty of experience as a French title winner and having competed ...

Manchester United record goalscorer Wayne Rooney has rejoined Everton for an undisclosed fee, 13 years after leaving the Merseyside club. Rooney, 31, played 559 times for United, scoring 253 goals. He won five Premier League titles and each of the Champions League, Europa League and FA Cup once after joining from Everton for £27m in 2004. Rooney, who has signed a two-year deal, said he was "ecstatic" and his "first game back will be an emotional day". "It's a great feeling to be back. I cannot wait to meet the lads, get on the training pitch and then get on the pitch to play," he added. Rooney's return comes as United look set to sign Everton striker Romelu Lukaku, with a £75m deal for the Belgium international agreed between the two clubs. Everton confirmed Rooney will wear the number 10 shirt previously worn by Lukaku. "I'm not just coming back because it's the team I support, the team I grew up playing for - I'm...

Chelsea have matched Manchester United's £75m bid for Everton striker Romelu Lukaku. Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is understood to have become frustrated at the prospect of missing out on the Belgium international but the Blues appear to remain firmly in the race to sign Lukaku. The feeling at Stamford Bridge is that Lukaku's agent, Mino Raiola, wants him to go to United but the player himself would prefer a move to Chelsea. We understand Lukaku must now choose between suiting his agent's agenda or a sporting one to satisfy his long-held desire to return to Chelsea, who originally signed him from Anderlecht for £18m in August 2011. Lukaku was later loaned out to West Brom and Everton, who subsequently paid £20m for him in July 2014, but the 24-year-old could yet find himself back in west London, with Everton set to benefit from a bidding war between two of the richest clubs in world football. Conte is due back at the club's Cobham training ground at the end o...

Arsenal have completed the signing of Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon. The club confirmed Lacazette signed a "long-term contract for an undisclosed fee" on Wednesday evening. It was indicated earlier this week the France international would sign a five-year deal at the Emirates Stadium after Arsenal agreed a club-record deal which could rise to £52m over the course of his contract. Lacazette told Arsenal's official website: "I am, of course, delighted and very proud too because Arsenal is a legendary club. Throughout my childhood, thanks to Thierry Henry and other French players, I always dreamed of playing for this club so today that dream has been fulfilled. "The fact that the manager has been here for a while shows that it is a stable club which I like. In addition there are quite a few French players here, which makes it easier to settle in. In my opinion, Arsenal is also the club that plays the best football in England so I really wanted to come he...

Real Madrid are through to face Juventus in the Champions League final despite losing 2-1 to Atletico Madrid, who were playing their last European game at the Vicente Calderon. Atletico were tasked with overturning Real's commanding 3-0 semi-final lead from the first leg, and blew the tie wide open with two goals in the first 16 minutes through a Saul Niguez header and Antoine Griezmann penalty. However, a sublime moment of skill from Karim Benzema saw him set up Toni Kroos just before half-time, and though the German's effort was superbly kept out by Jan Oblak, Isco was there to follow up with the rebound and leave Atletico needing three more without reply. No goals followed in the second half, and the result means Real have now got the better of their city rivals for a fourth successive season in Europe. Only Juventus stand in the way of Real's bid to become the first side to retain the Champions League trophy, in what would be their 12th European title overall...

Alexis Sanchez produced a moment of brilliance on his 100th Premier League appearance as Arsenal saw off Southampton 2-0 to maintain their late top-four push. The Chilean had toiled with his team-mates at St Mary's but he elevated a low-key Gunners display just before the hour mark, his quick feet and cool finish breaking the deadlock before substitute Olivier Giroud (82) sealed a win to keep Champions League qualification in sight. Defeat was tough on a Saints side that had crafted the better openings and forced Petr Cech into fine first-half saves from Manolo Gabbiadini and Nathan Redmond. Injury before the break to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was a sour note but Arsene Wenger's men, given renewed hope by victory against Manchester United at the weekend, ended a 14-year barren league run on the south coast at the most crucial of times to climb to fifth in the table. They still require their rivals to slip up if they are to qualify for the Champions League for a 20th su...

Bastian Schweinsteiger has admitted he is sad to be leaving Manchester United after Chicago Fire confirmed he had joined them. The MLS club are offering him a one-year contract worth £70,000 a week - which will make him one of the 10 highest-paid players in the MLS - after agreeing a deal with United late on Monday night. A source understands Schweinsteiger is still in the United Kingdom and will jet out to Chicago to complete a medical once he obtains a work permit and a working visa. "I am sad to leave so many friends at Manchester United," Schweinsteiger told United's official website. "But I am grateful to the club for allowing me the chance to take up the challenge at Chicago Fire. Manchester United have agreed to let Schweinsteiger move to Chicago Fire "I have enjoyed working with the manager, the players and staff here and wish them all the best in the future. But I have to reserve special thanks to the United fans - whose support has been a v...

Arsenal crashed out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage for a seventh consecutive season after another 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Bayern Munich at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners put in a spirited first-half display as they looked to overturn a 5-1 deficit from the first leg three weeks ago and deservedly took the lead through Theo Walcott (20) and they could have even had a penalty when the England international went down under a challenge from Xabi Alonso. But things unravelled for the Gunners early in the second half when Laurent Koscielny brought down Robert Lewandowski in the penalty area. The Frenchman was initially shown a yellow card but that was upgraded to a red much to the disbelief of the Arsenal players. Lewandowski (55) stepped up to level the scores from the penalty spot before strikes from Arjen Robben (68), substitute Douglas Costa (78) and Arturo Vidal (80, 85) saw Carlo Ancelotti's side heap further humiliation on Arsene Wenger's side. ...

Sol Campbell believes Arsene Wenger will sign a new contract to stay at Arsenal beyond the summer. Wenger has come under pressure from some sections of the Arsenal support following another faltering title bid, while they head into Tuesday's Champions League last-16 second leg clash at home to Bayern Munich 5-1 down from the first leg. His contract is due to expire in the summer and he has remained tight-lipped over whether he will sign an extension, but Campbell, who won two Premier League titles and three FA Cups under the Frenchman, told Premier League Daily he thinks Wenger will eventually sign a new deal. "I think he will assess it, he has two years on the table. I think eventually he will take it," he said. "What he has done for the club, how he has steered the club from Highbury to the new ground, and also the training ground, obviously now there are other clubs with unbelievable training grounds but at the time he was visionary with his ideas about...

Casemiro's stunning volley helped Real Madrid earn a 3-1 first-leg advantage from their Champions League last-16 tie against Napoli. Lorenzo Insigne's opportunistic strike put the Italians ahead after eight minutes at the Bernabeu but Karim Benzema levelled 10 minutes later. Two goals in five second-half minutes after half-time put Real in control, with Toni Kroos edging the hosts in front before Casemiro's remarkable 30-yard strike. The result ends Napoli's 18-match unbeaten run but Insigne's away goal ensures they return to Naples for the return leg on March 7 with hope of advancing to the quarter-finals. Zinedine Zidane handed James Rodriguez his first start for more than a month in one of three changes from Real's 3-1 win over Osasuna. They had the chance to take the lead inside the first minute too, but Pepe Reina smartly saved from Benzema's snap-shot. It set the tone for an absorbing first half as Napoli sat back and looked to pick off ...

Thiago Alcantara scored twice as Bayern Munich thrashed Arsenal 5-1 on Wednesday to take full control of their Champions League last-16 tie. Arjen Robben handed Bayern the lead after 11 minutes with a trademark strike after cutting in off the left flank before Alexis Sanchez grabbed an away goal, following up to score the rebound after seeing his penalty initially saved by Manuel Neuer. The Gunners were well in the tie at the break, but they lost captain Laurent Koscielny shortly after the interval and it proved to be the turning point. Bayern went on the rampage, re-taking the lead in the 53rd minute thanks to Robert Lewandowski's header before Thiago scored twice in seven minutes to put Carlo Ancelotti's side in full control. Substitute Thomas Muller rounded off the scoring to leave Arsenal needing a Champions League miracle ahead of the second leg at the Emirates Stadium on March 7. As expected, David Ospina replaced Petr Cech for the Gunners and he was straight...

Kostas Mitroglou's goal earned Benfica a 1-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash. The former Fulham striker poked home the only goal of the game, against the run of play, three minutes into the second half of Tuesday night's match at the Estadio da Luz. However, it was a night to forget for much-hyped Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who saw a penalty saved and missed two glorious chances before being substituted after 62 minutes. Robert Lewandowski to score a brace PRICE BOOST WAS2/1 NOW4/1 Alexis Sanchez to score and Arsenal to win in 90 mins PRICE BOOST WAS13/2 NOW10/1 Arjen Robben to score first PRICE BOOST WAS9/2 NOW11/2 Mesut Ozil to score first PRICE BOOST WAS12/1 NOW18/1 Bayern Munich to win 3-0 PRICE BOOST WAS9/1 NOW12/1   And those costly misses helped to ensure Portuguese champions Benfica are in the driving seat ahead of the return leg in Germany o...

Angel Di Maria scored two stunning goals as Paris Saint-Germain thrashed Barcelona 4-0 on Tuesday to take control of their Champions League last-16 tie. In one of the most remarkable performances in the competition's history, the Ligue 1 champions completely dominated Barca at the Parc des Princes, taking the lead through Di Maria's free-kick after 18 minutes. Julian Draxler added a second in the 40th minute before Di Maria curled home their third from the edge of the box 10 minutes after half-time. Edinson Cavani sealed the rout with a low strike to put PSG in a formidable position ahead of the second leg at the Nou Camp on March 8. The scoreline, which equals Barcelona's worst ever Champions League defeat, could have been even worse on an awful night for the Spaniards, who also squandered the chance to grab an away goal when Samuel Umtiti's header struck the post from point-blank range. They will need to make Champions League history to advance as no si...

Jose Mourinho says Luke Shaw must be patient as he attempts to reclaim a starting place at Manchester United. The England left back has fallen out of favour with Mourinho, with the United boss questioning his mental toughness after he withdrew himself from selection for a 3-1 victory at Swansea in November. Prior to that, Shaw had started United's previous Premier League game against Burnley, as well as the first five games of the campaign, but he has not played a minute in the league since. Daley Blind was picked to start at left back for United's 2-0 win over Watford on Saturday, while Matteo Darmian was selected to provide defensive cover on the bench ahead of Shaw. Marcos Rojo has also been picked at left back ahead of Shaw in recent months and Mourinho says the 21-year-old will have to continue to bide his time behind the scenes - at least for now. "He has to work and wait," Mourinho said. "Against Watford I wanted one defender on the bench and ...

Pep Guardiola has admitted he is uncertain if striker Sergio Aguero will still be at Manchester City after this season. Speculation over the future of Aguero, despite the prolific Argentine's 18 goals this season, has recurred throughout Guardiola's first season in charge at the Etihad Stadium. Questions have again been asked in the past fortnight, with the 28-year-old having to make do with a place on the bench while new signing Gabriel Jesus has taken the plaudits. Asked if he feared the striker might leave in the summer ahead of Man City's match against Bournemouth on Monday, live on Sky Sports, Guardiola said: "At the end of the season I don't know. I know how difficult it is to find top goalscorers. "I would like him to remain, but I don't know what is going to happen. Even in my career I didn't know what would happen at the end of the season." Aguero, who is contracted to 2020, has scored 154 goals for City since joining the clu...

Jose Mourinho's progress at Manchester United has been endorsed by the club's most successful manager, Sir Alex Ferguson. United turned to Mourinho in the summer after deciding neither David Moyes nor Louis van Gaal was the right man to replicate Ferguson's glory years at Old Trafford. The Portuguese's first season has not been without its troubles, as the autumn brought two touchline bans and a run of one win from eight Premier League games. But United, who face Hull in the EFL Cup semi-final second leg on Thursday, live on Sky Sports, are unbeaten in 17 games and Ferguson believes Mourinho's players are taking their lead from the manager's growing sense of belonging in the job. "I think Jose is finding solutions now," the Scot told BBC Sport. "There was a period earlier in the season when he wasn't getting the decisions and his emotions boiled over. "You see him now - he is calm and in control. That is the obvious observati...

Sir Alex Ferguson has hailed Wayne Rooney's “outstanding” achievement and says he cannot see anyone beating his Manchester United scoring record. The 31-year-old notched his 250th United goal in Saturday's 1-1 draw at Stoke to move clear of Sir Bobby Charlton, with the World Cup winner also calling Rooney a "true great" after breaking a record that had stood since 1973. Ferguson, who led the Old Trafford side to 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups and two Champions League crowns, praised Rooney and said the United captain's record may well stand the test of time. "Well, it lasted for 44 years, I think, and when Wayne Rooney joined the club I could never imagine anybody could beat Sir Bobby's record," Ferguson told MUTV. "So his achievement is outstanding. It's amazing. He's 200-odd games short of Bobby's playing record and that makes it even more amazing. "I don't think [anyone can overtake Wayne]. I couldn...

The Football Association has charged Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger with misconduct in the wake of Sunday's game with Burnley. The Arsenal manager had been sent to the stands by referee Jon Moss for complaining about the decision to award Burnley a penalty. Wenger had a heated exchange with fourth official Anthony Taylor before walking to stand in the tunnel, and was caught on camera pushing the fourth official before stewards stepped in between the pair. Wenger, whose team went on to win the game 2-1 with a dramatic and controversial penalty of their own, later apologised for his actions. Arsene Wenger apologised for his actions after being sent to the stands against Burnley in the Premier League The FA confirmed on Monday afternoon that he has been charged. "Arsene Wenger has been charged for misconduct following Arsenal's game against Burnley on Sunday (22 January 2017)," a statement on the FA website read. "It is alleged that in or around the ...

Alexis Sanchez's 98th-minute Panenka penalty rescued 10-man Arsenal's title charge as the Gunners moved up to second with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Burnley. In a thrilling finale at the Emirates Stadium, the Chilean struck five minutes after Andre Gray's injury-time penalty moved the Clarets to within touching distance of only their second away point of the season. Arsene Wenger was sent to the stands for his protests to Burnley's equaliser, but, with seconds remaining, referee Jon Moss penalised Ben Mee's high boot on Laurent Koscielny - who was offside in the build-up - handing Sanchez the chance to restore their lead. Arsenal went ahead on 59 minutes through Shkodran Mustafi's first goal for the club, but Granit Xhaka's 65th-minute dismissal, for a lunge on Steven Defour, opened the game up for the Clarets. But the Gunners produced another stirring comeback to seal a fourth victory in their last five league outings that sees them leapfrog nor...