B/R Gossip Roundup: Wenger to Stay at Arsenal, Real Madrid Target Another Star
Another Sunday means it's time for another batch of the hottest football gossip from around the world.
On the menu this week is Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, whose fortunes improved with victories over Galatasaray and Newcastle following his side's disappointment at Stoke.
In addition, we have morsels on Morgan Schneiderlin, Lucas Silva, Robbie Keane and more.
Spurs Linked with Morgan Schneiderlin, but Is That a Step Up from Southampton?
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Southampton midfielder Morgan Schneiderlin was not a happy man in the summer. After watching a number of team-mates leave the club, the Frenchman was keen to make a move himself, as Sky Sports reported.
The 25-year-old looked set to leave the St Mary's Stadium, six years after joining the club from Strasbourg.
But Schneiderlin stayed with the Saints under new manager Ronald Koeman and has become an integral part of the success that has seen the team reach the Champions League places in the league table.
Now, though, Dave Kidd of the Daily Mirror claims the France international is back on the radar of former Saints boss Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham Hotspur.
It is understandable that the former Southampton head coach should be eyeing Schneiderlin having previously worked with the player.
Like Rickie Lambert before him, the midfielder has been a part of the Saints' rise from the lower tiers of English football to the top four of the Premier League. As such, Southampton will be unwilling to part with him halfway through the season.
The Press Association (via The Guardian) reported last month that Schneiderlin was still considering a move away from the south coast club.
But with Spurs suffering an inconsistent campaign under Pochettino as Southampton rub shoulders with the elite, would a move represent a genuine step up for the midfielder at the moment?
That is a question only Schneiderlin can answer.
Believability Meter: Medium
Pochettino being linked with Schneiderlin is no surprise, but the key to this move lies with the player rather than Southampton or Spurs.
Lucas Silva on Course for Dream Transfer to Real Madrid
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When a player openly talks of his desire to play for one particular club and the manager of that team also admits an interest in the same footballer, there can only be one outcome.
This is the position in which Cruzeiro midfielder Lucas Silva finds himself, after admitting a transfer to Real Madrid would fulfil his dreams, as Spanish newspaper AS reported (via Sky Sports).
At 21, Silva represents a potential star for the future and has helped his club to a wealth of silverware in recent seasons.
He was quoted in the article as saying:
"I'm happy with the news and also very surprised; it shows that people are recognising my work not only here in Brazil but also abroad.
If it really does happen, because at the moment it's only speculation, it would be very important for my family.
It would be the realisation of dreams, comforts for everyone and maybe the time has arrived to return the favour to them.
"
That sounds pretty much like a come-and-get-me plea to the outside world, made even more pertinent by the words of Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti on Monday.
The Bernabeu boss was quoted by Jack Bezants of the Daily Mail as saying:
"We have an interest in signing Lucas Silva, but he is not the only one we are scouting.
After the Club World Cup we will decide if we have to make some signings in January.
"
By confirming an interest in the player, Ancelotti has opened the door for the transfer—one that makes sense when you consider the injuries to Luka Modric and James Rodriguez and the uncertainty over the future of Sami Khedira.
There are still strong and talented players vying for the midfield berths at the Bernabeu, even considering the current injury list, but the open nature of Real Madrid's interest, coupled with Silva's desire to join Los Blancos, suggests the move is on.
Believability Meter: High
With both parties publicly declaring their interest, it seems only a fee needs to be agreed with Cruzeiro for the transfer to happen.
Andrej Kramaric Could Prove Right Striking Option for Title-Chasing Chelsea
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According to the newspapers this week, interest in HNK Rijeka striker Andrej Kramaric is reaching fever pitch.
Izzy Horsefield of the Daily Express claims Premier League strugglers Leicester City have had a £7 million bid for the forward rejected.
But the article also notes some contradictions between the club and Kramaric's father over the length of the player's current deal, offering some hope to the Foxes.
However, Horsefield also credits Chelsea—and Tottenham Hotspur—with an interest in the Croatia international, which poses a greater danger to Leicester's hopes of landing the forward than the price tag.
Chelsea, under manager Jose Mourinho, have enjoyed an excellent start to the season, with summer signing Diego Costa tearing up the goalscoring charts for the Blues.
The Stamford Bridge boss also has Loic Remy and Didier Drogba in reserve as cover for the Spain international.
But Mourinho will be aware that he will need to add at least another striker to his squad for the second half of the campaign if he is to claim the league title once more this season.
And with a haul of 28 goals already this season, 23-year-old Kramaric appears to offer a solid option for Chelsea in January.
Of course, Mourinho will need any newcomer to be prepared for immediate use as the Blues head into the closing months of the season, which is an issue for the Blues boss to consider.
Believability Meter: Medium
This sounds like an interesting proposition for Chelsea. Mourinho needs a further striking option for the second half of the season to ensure the groundwork of the first half is not lost.
But he will also need to assess whether Kramaric can make an immediate impact.
Train Station Abuse Will Not Decide Fate of Arsenal Manager Arsene Wenger
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Arsenal's defeat at Stoke City was clearly the final straw for some Arsenal supporters.
The abuse aimed at Gunners manager Arsene Wenger as he boarded the train back to London on Saturday night was as shocking as it was brutal (please note this clip on YouTube contains strong language).
Seven months ago, things seemed somewhat different for the Gunners boss after ending the club's trophy drought and signing a new contract at the club.
But this season has so far been another one of underachievement, and it is arguable that the team has progressed at all this term.
While the voices jeering Wenger at Stoke-on-Trent railway station might be dismissed as those of a disaffected few, the frustration of Arsenal supporters has been growing for a while, notably with the unfurling of a banner at West Brom two weeks ago, as Alex Richards of the Daily Mirror reported.
Wenger might have the idea of usurping Sir Alex Ferguson's 26-year stint as Manchester United manager at the back of his mind, but as things stand, only an unprecedented run of success will encourage every Arsenal fan to get behind him.
What the Frenchman did in his opening seasons with the Gunners was sensational. He took the fight to Ferguson and United and has since also guided the club to significant earnings in the Champions League.
The fact he kept the Gunners in the top four of the Premier League with the club paying for the construction of the Emirates Stadium is little short of remarkable.
For that reason, there will be no great groundswell of anti-Wenger opinion in the boardroom, which is the only area of the club with the power to determine the manager's fate.
However, the actions of a few on a train station platform in the Potteries has provided Wenger with support from several high-profile figures in the game, notably former England forward Gary Lineker, as BBC Sport reported.
It is likely to ensure that the board remains solidly behind Wenger for the moment and perhaps allow the manager to make his own decision on his future.
Believability Meter: Medium
We doubt anyone can predict what is going to happen here apart from Wenger and the Arsenal board.
Whatever the decision, it will not be foul-mouthed words at a Staffordshire train station that will have made the difference.
Winston Reid Could Be Way to Go for Arsenal and Liverpool
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The trouble with being a "surprise package" in any league is that your success inevitably brings bigger clubs sniffing around your best players.
Southampton were the most recent Premier League side to discover this when Liverpool cut several swathes into their first-team squad after an excellent campaign under Mauricio Pochettino.
Now, it looks as though Sam Allardyce could be about to pay the price for guiding West Ham United into an unexpected top-four place when the transfer window reopens in January.
John Cross of the Daily Mirror reported this week that Hammers defender Winston Reid, who has been a mainstay for the Upton Park outfit this season, is a target for Arsenal and Liverpool.
The article claims that the New Zealand international is looking for £60,000 per week and a £1 million signing-on fee in a new deal with the east London club.
Cross notes that those figures will be out of reach for West Ham but will be no problem to the Gunners and the Anfield club.
Reid's current contract at West Ham ends in the summer, leaving the club's hierarchy to consider allowing the defender to leave for a transfer fee in January.
Arsenal and Liverpool are both in need of defensive additions, made all the more urgent by inconsistent starts to their respective campaigns in the Premier League this season.
Reid has plenty of experience in the English top flight, having joined West Ham in the summer of 2010, and his strengths are tackling and his concentration levels, according to WhoScored.com. Both assets have been sorely lacking at Arsenal and Liverpool this term.
Believability Meter: Medium to High
This looks like a plausible transfer for January. West Ham might be flying high this season, but the bigger clubs will soon be circling for the most impressive players.
Reid's contract issue is also a major factor for the east Londoners to consider and could lead to an early-2015 exit for the central defender.
Could Robbie Keane's Next Stop Be QPR?
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Robbie Keane’s star is sitting high in the sky after firing LA Galaxy to MLS glory at the weekend.
Keane can now put his feet up and enjoy the festive period, but what does the future hold for the Irishman?
Is there a Premier League return on the cards—maybe on loan? It is certainly a possibility, as it will allow Keane to remain sharp ahead of the 2015 MLS season.
Any team looking to sign Keane would need to have a pressing need for a striker capable of putting the ball in the back of the net.
A club that fits the bill is Queens Park Rangers, who are currently languishing near the foot of the Premier League.
There have been links with Jermain Defoe, and Keane’s name has now been added to the mix, per a report from the Mail’s Philip Quinn.
QPR boss Harry Redknapp has been made aware of the reports and played them down.
“We’ve not made an enquiry about him,” Redknapp said. “He belongs to LA Galaxy and is the star man of their team and league. They wouldn’t let him go.”
It is fair to say that Redknapp has, on occasion, been wrong with his transfer predictions. With that in mind, if Keane can be persuaded to make a temporary return to England, do not be surprised to see him pitch up at Loftus Road.
Believability Meter: Medium
The transfer window is still some weeks from opening, and Keane has given no indication as to what he has planned in January, but it would not be the biggest surprise to see Redknapp’s stance alter.
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