Tomas Rosicky is set to stay at Arsenal next season.

The 34-year-old Czech has been on the fringes of the squad this season, making only five starts in the Premier League.

However, Arsene Wenger in-sisted the former Borussia Dortmund playmaker remained integral to his plans for 2015-16.

Asked if he expected Rosicky to stay, Wenger replied: “Yes. We have taken up the option (of a one-year contract extension).”

Arsenal are likely to strengthen the squad in summer, with Chelsea keeper Petr Cech a reported target. The close relationship between Cech and Rosicky is also said to be a factor in any potential £10m deal.

Allardyce’s future

Sam Allardyce will discover on Monday if he is to continue as West Ham manager, but will not be attending the scheduled meeting with owners David Sullivan and David Gold.

The 60-year-old will travel to Spain for a holiday after tomorrow’s league clash with Newcastle so will send his agent for the talks with Sullivan and Gold.

“It will be all sorted Monday, one way or the other. I’m not personally having a meeting but my agent will be available to speak to the owners,” Allardyce said.

Boniek wants 2018 World Cup moved

Zbigniew Boniek, the former Poland international who is now the Polish FA head, has called for Russia to be stripped of the 2018 World Cup because of its involvement in the Ukraine civil war.

Boniek, who played at Juventus alongside UEFA president Michel Platini, said he will make his position clear at FIFA’s Congress in Zurich next week.

Boniek said: “When Russia were awarded the 2018 World Cup it was an acceptable decision, but from today’s perspective hosting the World Cup in a country like Russia, which has raided another state, is a mistake.”

Boniek plans to boycott the 2018 World Cup qualifying draw on July 25 in St Petersburg.

Adebayor on leave

Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor will miss his club’s final game of the season at Everton tomorrow after being allowed to return to his native Togo on compassionate grounds.

The 31-year-old is also set to miss the club’s post-season tour of the Far East as speculation mount on his future at Spurs.

Adebayor has used his Facebook account three times to reveal his complicated family issues.

In one post, he accused brother Rotimi of stealing mobile phones belonging to team-mates at a leading French football academy.

Adebayor’s third installment was the most striking this week as he said arguments with his brothers Kola and Peter, who died in July 2012, drove him to consider taking his own life.

Van Gaal targets Schweinsteiger

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal is interested in signing Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger this summer.

Although he spent £150m on six new players last year, Van Gaal has been assured that he will be given sizeable funds to improve the squad in the close season if he deems it necessary.

With Michael Carrick turning 34 this summer, and the jury still out on Daley Blind, the United boss is concerned he does not have enough cover in front of the back four so he has made a dynamic midfielder his priority and World Cup winner Schweinsteiger certainly fits the bill.

Reports said the midfielder is on Van Gaal’s transfer shortlist and the United boss is hoping to sign the player this summer.

Champs... at last!

Ghent ended their 115-year wait for the Belgian league title with a 2-0 victory over Standard Liege that secured a place in next season’s Champions League.

The Buffalos have won three Belgian Cups, but never the league. Their title brings to an end 17 years of dominance by the top four – Anderlecht, Standard Liege, Club Bruges and Racing Genk.

Ghent were struggling under debt of more than 20 million euros in the late 1990s.

But they managed to cut that to zero by 2012 and a year later moved from a 13,000-seater stadium to the sleek multi-purpose 20,000 capacity Ghelamco Arena, the first new build Belgian soccer stadium in almost 40 years.

Bayern Munich dates for China tour

Bayern Munich will face Valencia, Inter and Guangzhou Evergrande on their pre-season tour of China in July, the German champions have announced.

Pep Guardiola’s side will open their tour against Valencia at Beijing’s “Bird’s Nest” stadium on July 18 before moving to Shanghai to face Inter three days later.

They wind up the trip with a game against 2013 AFC Champions League winners Guangzhou Evergrande, who have won the Chinese Super League title four years in a row.

Bayern, Germany’s richest club with a turnover of more than half a billion euros in the previous season, are looking to Asia’s massive market to accelerate growth and previously toured China in 2012.

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