..::Football III::..

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Cavani open to England or Spain move - agent

Edinson Cavani’s agent admits the Paris Saint-Germain striker is open to moving to the Premier League or La Liga as speculation around his future grows.

The 28-year-old, who has scored eight goals in 28 Ligue 1 appearances this season, has been linked with summer moves to Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool.

Cavani recently refused to rule out the possibility of leaving the French champions this summer and the striker’s representative, Claudio Anellucci, says the Uruguayan’s future is yet to be determined.

"For the moment, it seems too early to make any such considerations. Edi is under contract with PSG and discussions of this kind are linked to different situations," Annellucci told Radio Olympia.

"Once the situation has been clarified, different scenarios could open up given that players such as him, at the height of their maturity, are coveted by the best teams in Europe.

"The markets of interest are Spain and England, and that currently excludes an Italian club being able to take part in going for Cavani."

The prospect of Cavani departing the Parc des Princes seemed to increase last weekend as the player had a very public spat on the touchline with head coach Laurent Blanc as he was replaced during Sunday's Classique win over Marseille.

The striker exchanged heated words with the 1998 World Cup winner as Ezequiel Lavezzi was introduced just before the hour mark and offered a thinly veiled attack on the coach in the game's aftermath.

"The only concern that I have ever spoken about is that I was recruited to play as a striker with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and it has not always been the case," he told Canal+.

"In France, people judge me as a lone striker, but I do not play in that position."

Cavani has subsequently been left out of the Coupe de France squad to face Saint-Etienne - officially because he has a thigh injury.

 

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Cavani England thamai Spain team 1kakata play karana 1kak naha​

 

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Pastore opens up on Madrid links

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Javier Pastore has downplayed suggestions that he is set to leave the Ligue 1 champions for Real Madrid.

Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti is a known admirer of the Argentina international, but Pastore has made it clear there is nothing to the rumours claiming he is on his way to the Santiago Bernabeu outfit.

"There are always rumours in the press. I briefly talked about Real Madrid with my agent, but there is nothing to it," Pastore told Mundo Deportivo.

"Ancelotti is one of the coaches who has been following me since I was young. He wanted me at Chelsea as well."Could he make a push for me? Maybe... He knows me and wanted me before, but he has not personally told me that he wants me at Madrid."

The 25-year-old then went on to reveal that talks over a contract renewal with PSG have been put on hold for now.

"I am calm about my future. I still have a contract for one more season. We just want to finish 2014-15 as good as possible. I have not thought about leaving the club.

"Contract talks have been put on hold. I do not know whether negotiations will be resumed, but I will respect my contract with PSG."

 

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Liverpool to join race for Lacazette

Liverpool are ready to join a host of Premier League clubs in the chase for Lyon star Alexandre Lacazette this summer.

German giants Borussia Dortmund are also monitoring his situation, while Manchester City have been keeping a close eye on the 23-year-old and have been weighing up a bid since November.

Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham, meanwhile, have all also posted scouts to check on his progress in recent months and Newcastle United remain keen, despite previously having tried and failed to land the forward.

Liverpool are determined to make sure they are not left short in attack, as was the case last summer when Luis Suarez was sold to Barcelona and they were forced into a last-ditch move for Mario Balotelli to bolster their options.

Dutch starlet Memphis Depay remains high on their summer agenda although Goal understands that Manchester United are closing in on signing the PSV star ahead of their north west rivals.

After Balotelli's struggles and Daniel Sturridge's injury woes, as well as the uncertainty over Raheem Sterling's future, Brendan Rodgers wants more options in his squad which will also include Divock Origi, who will arrive at Anfield this summer when a year-long loan with Lille comes to an end.

And Origi could be joined by another Ligue 1 star in Lacazette.

The France international is enjoying his best season to date with 24 league goals to his name already, and has a host of clubs chasing his signature despite signing a new long-term deal in September.

 

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Arsenal have 'no chance' of signing Cech

Chelsea have told Arsenal that they will not sell Petr Cech to their London rivals this summer.

The Gunners are actively looking for a new goalkeeper and have made an enquiry for Cech, who is expected to leave the Blues after losing his place as the club’s first choice to Thibaut Courtois this season.

Chelsea, however, are determined not to sell to Arsenal as they fear strengthening a rival for the Premier League title next season.

Arsenal could test Chelsea’s resolve with a bid of over €14 million, but the Gunners believe the club have virtually no chance of bringing Cech to the Emirates Stadium.

"Cech is still one of the best goalkeepers around and he would be the perfect signing, but the message from Chelsea is not to bother wasting our time," an Arsenal source told Goal.

Chelsea accept that Cech wants to leave in search of regular football but would prefer to sell him abroad, with Paris Saint-Germain among the clubs linked with a move for the 32-year-old.

Arsene Wenger wants a top class No.1 in the summer having dropped Wojciech Szczesny earlier this season, with David Ospina currently starting in Premier League fixtures.

Cech has made only 14 appearances this season – just five in the Premier League – after Jose Mourinho selected Courtois as his first choice at the start of the campaign.

The Czech Republic international, who moved to Stamford Bridge from Rennes in 2004, admitted in an interview last month that he is open to the possibility of leaving the club at the end of the season.

"I don't know what the club's idea will be," he told Czech newspaper Idnes. "It looks like it works well with me and Thibaut as a duo.

"But that can work for one season only. I don't want another one like this."

 

[JCT]

Klopp: Kehl cracker was beautiful

Jurgen Klopp has lauded Sebastian Kehl's "beautiful" extra-time effort that sent Borussia Dortmund into the last four of the DFB-Pokal.

Hoffenheim goalscorers Kevin Volland and Roberto Firmino cancelled out Neven Subotic's opener before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's equaliser took the quarter-final tie beyond 90 minutes.

Veteran midfielder Kehl settled the tie with a stunning strike from outside the box - his third goal of the season - and his coach conceded he did not think the 35-year-old was still capable of such stunning strikes.

"We built up constant pressure and the result was a deserved outcome," the BVB boss told reporters. "And then there was Kehl's goal. Such a cracker of a goal today was really nice.

"I did not think he could still do that. It's beautiful that he can be the hero today.

"It was a really intense game, in the second half I was especially pleased with our calm response to being behind. It was such a dramatic game; it went back and forth."

Dortmund were rock-bottom of the Bundesliga earlier this year but a turnaround in form has seen them look more like the team which challenged at the top of the table over the past few years.

Considering injuries to major players and the weekend's narrow defeat to Bayern Munich, Klopp stressed his relief at avoiding a cup exit as they attempt to salvage a season in which so much has gone wrong.

"After the Bayern loss and in light of the short-term losses of Mats Hummels and Marco Reus, the team showed a great reaction," he added. "Reaching the semis is good for everyone at Signal Iduna Park.

"Wounds have been licked and now we await the weekend clash with Borussia Monchengladbach."

Kuba & Kehl Patta

 

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La Liga 2015.04.09

La Liga 2015.04.09

Athletic Bilbao Vs Valencia

Elche Vs Getafe

Villareal Vs Espanyol​

 

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Liverpool to join race for Lacazette

Lacazette patta & only 23

 

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Barcelona 4-0 Almeria: Messi and Suarez brilliance seals three points

 

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Athletic Bilbao 1-1 Valencia: Aduriz denies Che vital victory at the death

Ten-man Valencia were left fuming after being held to a controversial 1-1 draw at Athletic Bilbao on Thursday.

Los Che looked set to claim three precious points in their bid to qualify for next season's Champions League when Rodrigo De Paul opened the scoring in the 61st minute.

However, the visitors then had Nicolas Otamendi controversially sent off before Aritz Aduriz equalised from an offside position in the dying seconds of normal time.

Valencia had arrived in Basque Country requiring a victory to both keep fifth-placed Sevilla at bay in the battle for fourth spot, and keep up the pressure on Atletico Madrid in third.

Nuno Santo's men dominated possession in a shockingly bad opening half but did absolutely nothing with it. Athletic did, at least, carry something resembling a goalscoring threat from set-pieces but they were dreadful on the ball and seemingly more concerned with breaking up the play with niggly fouls.

Thankfully, the second half brought about a welcome and sudden improvement in quality, with Xabier Etxeita's header from a corner drawing a spectacular one-handed save out of Diego Alves in the Valencia goal just seconds after the restart.

Valencia had another major escape in the 54th minute when Otamendi acrobatically cleared Aduriz's goal-bound header off the line.

However, it was Los Che who belatedly broke the deadlock just after the hour mark, with a sublime dummy from Paco Alcacer affording Rodrigo De Paul sufficient time to take a touch to steady himself before calmly stroking the ball into the bottom right corner.

Valencia then had two glorious chances to make the game safe, but Rodrigo Moreno wasted both. The Spanish attacker dragged his volley horribly wide after being brilliantly picked out at the back post by substitute Alvaro Negredo.

Rodrigo squandered an even better opening when he was put clean through on goal by a quick free-kick but he criminally shot straight at Gorka Iraizoz.

Valencia would be made to pay for their profligacy - primarily because of the incompetence of the officials.

Firsty, Otamendi was inexplicably shown a straight red card after getting to the ball first in a 50-50 challenge with Mikel San Jose in midfield.

Then, in the final minute of normal time, the offside flag incorrectly stayed down when Aduriz latched onto a deflected effort from Borja Viguera to fire home from just a yard out.

It was a case of insult added to injury for Valencia, who were not only cruelly denied two points but also lost Pablo Piatti to a hamstring injury during the first half. All things considered, it was a costly evening for Los Che in every sense.

 

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Valencia demand apology after refereeing 'outrage' in Bilbao

Valencia coach Nuno Santo has called Fernando Teixiera's handling of Thursday's Liga clash with Athletic Bilbao "an outrage", while club president Amadeo Salvo is demanding an apology from the referee.

Los Che looked set to claim a crucial victory in their pursuit of Champions League football for next season when Rodrigo De Paul put them ahead just after the hour mark.

However, Nicolas Otamendi was then remarkably dismissed for winning the ball in a 50-50 with Mikel San Jose and the 10 men were then cruelly denied all three points when Aritz Aduriz equalised from an offside position with just seconds of normal time remaining.

Consequently, Nuno Santo was furious that Los Che were robbed of a win that would have seen them move four points clear of fifth-placed Sevilla and to within a point of third-placed Atletico Madrid."It is very difficult for me to make a calm analysis of the match because Otamendi touches the ball before San Jose and Athletic's goal was clearly offside," he told reporters.

"It is an outrage. It's wrong if someone does not want Valencia to achieve their goals."We've done a good job, we deserved more, but we could not do anything about it.

"The players are outraged. They have clearly been hurt by a very obvious refereeing mistake.

"There are too many moments of injustice but we are not going to stop fighting."
Meanwhile, Salvo was just as upset by the controversial end to the game at San Mames.

"I do not usually talk after games, but I need to voice a complaint against the refereeing performance," the Che supremo added."Teixeira should apologise and acknowledge the very negative nature of his attitude toward Valencia."

 

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Kuyt: I'm going back to Feyenoord

Dirk Kuyt has revealed that he will leave Fenerbahce at the end of the season to rejoin Feyenoord.

The forward's contract with the Super Lig side expires this summer and he announced on Thursday that he will move back to Rotterdam on a free transfer.
“I’m coming home after the summer and I can't wait to play again in De Kuip," Kuyt told De Telegraaf.

"Feyenoord have always been a draw. We talked about a return when I left Liverpool but it didn't happen."However, now nothing was standing in our way."

The 34-year-old Kuyt started his professional career at Utrecht but made his name during three successful seasons at Feyenoord before joining Liverpool in 2006.
The former Netherlands international became a huge fan favourite at Anfield and spent six years with the Reds before linking up with Fenerbahce.

 

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Hazard: Confident Chelsea can win Premier League title

Eden Hazard believes Chelsea’s confidence will see them clinch the Premier League title ahead of their rivals this season.

The Blues currently sit seven points clear of second-placed Arsenal, having played a game less than the Gunners.

With eight matches still to play, Hazard concedes that he and his team-mates are remaining focused on the job in hand, but believes that they can win their first league title since the 2009-10 season.

"We are confident as a team - we are first in the Premier League and we are just taking it game after game,” he is quoted as saying by the Daily Express.

"We played beautiful football in our last match against Stoke, and we deserved to score three or four, but the most important thing was the victory.

"We just want to bring the trophy back to Stamford Bridge."

Chelsea face QPR at Loftus Road on Sunday.

 

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Rooney vows to put a 'smile on the face of Manchester United fans'

Wayne Rooney says he is desperate to put a smile on the face of every Manchester United fan this weekend as the club prepare to face fierce rivals Manchester City.

City have won four successive derbies, with their most recent victory coming at the Etihad in November, as Sergio Aguero scored the only goal in a 1-0 win.

Rooney, though, insists that United have a duty to secure a result against Manuel Pellegrini’s men, who have slipped to fourth in the league – a point behind United ahead of Sunday’s clash.

“We want to give United fans something to smile about when they go to work on Monday morning, we want them to be the ones to be able to give out the banter to Manchester City fans at work,” the 29-year-old told MUTV

“I think it’s a very important game for Manchester United and Manchester City...for the fans and, for me, it’s a massive game of pride.”

Rooney has scored 11 goals against City in his career – including a famous overhead kick in 2011 – and will hope to add to his tally at Old Trafford this weekend.

 

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Ibrahimovic banned for four games for anti-France tirade

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been hit with a four-game ban for his anti-France tirade following Paris Saint-Germain's Ligue 1 loss at Bordeaux last month.

The Sweden international was caught on camera verbally abusing referee Lionel Jaffredo after the 3-2 defeat and caused huge controversy by labelling France "a s**t country" that was not worthy of his talent.

Indeed, Ibrahimovic was roundly criticised for his outburst, with even his adopted nation's Prime Minister weighing into the argument.

The 33-year-old apologised for his comments and argued that he would not have signed a new contract with PSG if that was the way he felt about France.

However, the LFP has nonetheless decided to ban Ibrahimovic for four games, meaning he will miss the Ligue 1 champions' upcoming clashes with Nice, Lille, Metz and Nantes.

The ruling is a major blow for PSG, given the outspoken attacker had announced his return to his very best form with a hat-trick in Wednesday's Coupe de France rout of Saint-Etienne.

The capital club are also just one point clear of Lyon at the top of Ligue 1, with just seven rounds of the season remaining, only three of which Ibrahimovic will now be eligible for.

Gallingly for Ibrahimovic, he will also have to sit out PSG's Champions League quarter-final, first-leg clash with Barcelona next week through suspension, after being sent off in their previous fixture against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

However, the former Barcelona man will be able to lead the PSG attack in Saturday's Coupe de la Ligue final against Bastia.

 

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Mascherano: I want Dani Alves & Xavi to stay at Barcelona

Barcelona defender Javier Mascherano has admitted that he wants both Dani Alves and Xavi to stay at Camp Nou.

Dani Alves looks set to leave the Blaugrana after seven stellar years of service, with the Brazilian's agent having announced on Thursday that his client had found the Catalan club's most recent contract offer "unsatisfactory".Xavi, meanwhile, is undecided on his next step after recently travelling to Qatar to hold talks with Al Sadd about a possible summer switch.

Mascherano, though, is praying that both players are still a part of the Barca squad next season.“Dani Alves has been one of the best players this club has ever had," the Argentine is quoted as saying by the club's official website. "He’s a great performer.

"I’d like him to stay. He’s an amazing person, a real fun guy and very professional."
As for Xavi, Mascherano says that the veteran midfielder still has so much to offer, both as a player and role model.

“I wasn’t surprised that Xavi got a standing ovation against Almeria [on Wednesday]," the versatile centre-half added. "He has had many ovations because of what he represents to this institution.

"He holds the record for the most titles won with FC Barcelona and is one of the biggest heroes in the history of the club.

"It would be great if he could stay here because of all he offers. He is everything being an FC Barcelona player is about – the way he behaves and the example he sets for youngsters."

Dani Alves' current contract with Barca expires this summer, while Xavi still has a year to run on his deal with the Liga leaders.

 

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Neuer: I removed Bayern armband to ease the tension

Bayern Munich ace Manuel Neuer has revealed that he removed the captain's armband during Wednesday's shootout success over Bayer Leverkusen in order to ease the pressure on him.

The goalkeeper was given the armband when Philipp Lahm was replaced midway through the second half but the elected to take it off when the DFB-Pokal clash went to penalties.

That move surprised many pundits but Neuer has now explained that he did not want to have to deal with any additional psychological burden during a high-pressure shootout.

"It felt right," the 29-year-old told the DFB's official website after helping his side to a 5-3 spot-kick success by stopping Josip Drmic's effort."There is always a slight tension when you wear it and you need to do everything possible to be as comfortable as possible when you have a shootout.

"I think every penalty, including from Leverkusen, was taken very well. It’s obviously very tough for any team to lose on penalties."It was fair for the game to go to penalties after 120 minutes and we were lucky to have come out on top in the end."

Neuer was particularly pleased that Bayern had managed to prevail despite the unavailability of a number of key players, including wing wizards Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben.

However, the shot-stopper added that the current injury crisis at the Allianz Arena has had a galvanising effect on Pep Guardiola's squad."This was already clear after the Dortmund game [Saturday's 1-0 win at Signal Iduna Park]. I think the team has been brought closer together," Neuer added.

"This is important going into the next few weeks. Every fit player is vital for us.
"We’re aware of the injuries and we are hoping that one or two can come back quickly.

"The most important thing for us now is to recover as quickly as possible, stay fit and go into the next game."

Bayern's triumph at the BayArena means that the Bavarians remain on course for a treble, given they are currently 10 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga and set to face Porto in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

 

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Young: No contact with England boss Hodgson

Ashley Young says that he had no contact with Roy Hodgson over a potential England recall ahead of the recent matches against Lithuania and Italy.

The Manchester United winger has enjoyed a remarkable upturn in form under Louis van Gaal in 2014-15, despite spending the majority of the season at left wing-back.

The 29-year-old’s form led many to speculate that he could be included in Hodgson’s squad for last month's games, but he was left at home, with Young revealing that he did not even receive a phone call.

“There was no conversation,” he told BT Sport. “Obviously I will always want to represent my country.

“I was a little bit disappointed not to be in the squad, but I have just got to make sure I am playing well here at United and hopefully I will get the call at some time soon.”

United face fierce rivals Manchester City this weekend and Young is keen for his side to end City’s recent dominance of the fixture, with Manuel Pellegrini’s men having won the past four derbies.

"That's something you want to put right," he added. “It will be another massive game.

"We know it will be tough but as long as we can play the way we have shown, especially in the last few games, and add to that, it's going to be a great game and hopefully we will get the three points.

"We want to keep the momentum going and the positive play."

 

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'Casillas has shut a lot of mouths'

Rayo Vallecano coach Paco Jemez says that under-fire Real Madrid captain Iker Casillas "shut a lot of mouths" with a stellar showing in Wednesday's 2-0 win at Vallecas.

Casillas' form for both club and country has been the subject of much debate over the past year, with the goalkeeper having been particularly heavily criticised for his performances with Spain at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

It is also believed that Madrid would like to replace their long-serving skipper with Manchester United No.1 David de Gea this summer, but Jemez believes that Casillas' enduring class simply cannot be questioned."Iker has shut a lot of mouths," he told El Partido de las 12 after watching his side lose their derby clash with Los Blancos.

"Real hadn't been shot at so many times in a long while and he was the man that stopped us scoring. "He is still one of the greatest goalkeepers there is and today he has vindicated himself as one of the best."Once again, he has shown us just what he is made of."

Jemez also admitted that Cristiano Ronaldo was unlucky to have been booked for an alleged second-half dive when the Portuguese had clearly been taken out in the area by Antonio Amaya.

"It all happened very fast and you can hardly see anything, but I reckon there was some contact there," the Rayo boss conceded.

Ronaldo subsequently opened the scoring with a header before James Rodriguez sealed a victory that enabled Real to draw back to within four points of Liga leaders Barcelona.

 

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Wenger's Wilshere stance underlines Arsenal are ready to rival Chelsea again

There was a time when a Jack Wilshere transfer to Manchester City would have been inevitable. A painful, protracted formality that would serve to undermine Arsene Wenger, damage his and Arsenal's credibility and strengthen a supposed rival.

Not now. Wenger's refusal to countenance the possibility of Wilshere treading the well-worn path from north London to the Etihad Stadium was delivered with a certainty that underlines the fact that Arsenal are playing by different rules now.

"You can imagine my answer," said the Frenchman when asked about Wilshere's potential sale to a rival. "We are not in a position any more where we have to sell our best players."

There are many who would, with some justification, question the motives behind the Frenchman's public denial. Was he simply protecting the stock of an English-born asset that would command a hefty fee, regardless of the fact he is about to launch his latest comeback from a lengthy injury? Maybe.

Was he conscious of rocking a boat that appears to be at its most stable since the move to Emirates Stadium? Probably. Does he believe that Wilshere still boasts the potential to be the cornerstone of Arsenal's engine room? Almost certainly.

Potential, of course, is a word that has hung around Wilshere's neck like an albatross from the moment he broke into Arsenal's first-team plans as a precocious teenager.

The stinging criticism delivered by Paul Scholes last year still rings painfully true - this is a player who simply hasn't progressed enough, considering his talent, even in light of the mitigating circumstances surrounding his persistent injury problems.

An early season flurry was billed as a renaissance in some quarters, but the numbers suggest Wilshere was operating at a similar level to that of a frustrating 2013-14 campaign which saw him shunted out to the wing for long spells and comprehensively usurped by Aaron Ramsey as Arsenal's driving force.

Indeed, despite having been withdrawn from the heat of a midfield battle, Wilshere was averaging more touches per game and creating more chances last season than this term before he launched into that challenge with Manchester United's Paddy McNair, a challenge which had 'long-term injury' written all over it.

In Wilshere's absence, Arsenal have been transformed from the calamity kings that somehow conspired to lose that match against Louis van Gaal's makeshift side into a relentless winning machine. That may be by coincidence rather than design, but Wenger will not be agonising over how to crowbar the 23-year-old into his first XI having stumbled on a magic formula.

Wilshere's route back into the team is far from straightforward. He need only look at Theo Walcott's current situation to realise he may well have to get used to life on the bench for the remainder of the season.

Mesut Ozil is now excelling as the conductor of the Arsenal orchestra, while Santi Cazorla has arguably been Wenger's most consistent midfielder this term. After his own injury troubles, Ramsey is rediscovering the form of last season, albeit from a slightly different position, while Mikel Arteta and even the long-lost Abou Diaby have returned to fitness to offer Wenger a variety of options.

The Frenchman had earlier championed Wilshere as a potential candidate to fill the defensive midfield spot that had been vacant since Alex Song's departure to Barcelona. Wilshere played that role for England with distinction over the course of a series of impressive performances late last year, but the emergence of Francis Coquelin has closed the door on any such opportunity at Arsenal, while further reinforcements in that area are likely to arrive in the summer.

While Wilshere would not currently appear to be as integral to Arsenal as his ability suggests, he may be in the future. His mere presence in the squad, meanwhile, adds an extra dose of competition to a crop of midfielders brimming with talent.

Space is at a premium and that can only be healthy for a club that has been allowed to coast for too long. Wilshere will either relish the opportunity to battle for his Arsenal future or sulk and be sold for a fortune – everything in his character suggests he will take option A and scrap like never before.

There are those in the Arsenal boardroom would be attracted to the idea of cashing in on a player liable to break down at any given moment, but this is where Wenger's stance - his public one at least - is particularly refreshing. "The days of Arsenal being bullied in the transfer market are over," added Wenger on Thursday.

Not only are they able to compete for superstars as the signings of Ozil and Alexis Sanchez prove, they are capable of keeping them, or at least in a position to drive an incredibly hard bargain for those that are surplus to requirements.

Putting their own declines to one side for the moment, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy can point to being part of two title-winning Manchester City sides, while Robin van Persie's goals almost single-handedly carried Sir Alex Ferguson to a fairytale final season at Old Trafford.

Arsenal, belatedly, have taken a leaf out of Jose Mourinho's transfer guide and will refuse to aid their rivals any longer.

Only this week Goal revealed the champions-in-waiting will block any attempts by Arsenal to prise Petr Cech from Stamford Bridge - ruthlessness that has been missing from the top down at the Emirates, both on and off the pitch, for far too long.

Arsenal now have an environment that Wilshere should thrive in, not one he should be looking to escape - he might not yet be back in the big time but his club most certainly are.