Arsenal have named defender Per Mertesacker as their new club captain following the departure of Mikel Arteta this summer, the club said yesterday.
“Per is a very respected figure in the dressing room, is loved as well and is also a very demanding figure,” Arsene Wenger said.
“I think it is absolutely natural to be (him).”
The 31-year-old Mertesacker helped the club to FA Cup victories in 2014 and 2015 but will be missing for the first four months of this season after picking up a knee injury in July.
Arsenal begin their Premier League campaign at home against Liverpool today.
Ibrahimovic keen to extend United stint
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is open to extending his stay at Man. United.
The 34-year-old former Sweden striker was reunited with Jose Mourinho, who he worked with at Inter, after signing a one-year deal at Old Trafford last month.
And after netting the winner in United’s Community Shield victory over Leicester last week, Ibrahimovic has refused to rule out the possibility of prolonging his time with the Red Devils.
“I don’t believe there is anyone who could say ‘no’ to Manchester United,” he said.
“I played for Barcelona and also for Juventus and Milan, it’s the same thing, but I think this could be one step more.
“Let’s see what happens. It could be more than two (years), it could be more than three.”
West Brom make move for Schlupp
West Brom have made a renewed bid for Leicester winger Jeff Schlupp.
The Baggies have had two bids rejected for the 23-year-old but are understood to still be in the hunt for the player who has failed to establish himself in Claudio Ranieri’s first-choice line-up at the King Power Stadium.
The move has the blessing of Albion’s new owners, Yunyi Guokai (Shanghai) Sports Development Limited, headed by Chinese entrepreneur Guochuan Lai, and the financial package is not believed to be a problem for them.
Pogba price tag stopped Barca move
Barcelona dropped out of the bidding for Paul Pogba this summer because of his inflated price tag, according to the Catalan club’s transfer advisor Ariedo Braida.
Pogba completed a world record €105 million move from Juventus to Man. United, but Braida does not believe the France international is worth that much.
“Nobody is worth that amount of money,” he said. “All footballers are overvalued. When you reach such levels, the gap to normality is truly too great.
“We’re talking about an operation of €150m, excluding the salary. How must one feel to be overvalued? Probably they don’t think about it.”
Roma are similar to Barca – Vermaelen
Thomas Vermaelen said that Roma can aspire to challenge for the Scudetto and added that their tactical approach is similar to Barcelona.
The Belgium international defender arrived on loan from Barcelona with an option to buy and already made his debut in a 1-0 friendly win over Latina.
“Training is going well, I am very impressed with the quality this team has and the game we played,” he said.
“I spoke to (Luciano Spalletti) a few times, I think it’s very important to get to know him and how he wants the team to play.
“He wants to build from the back, which is similar to what I am accustomed to at Barcelona, so the way they want to play is quite similar.”
Gazzaev to challenge Mutko in elections
Former Russia head coach Valery Gazzaev has registered himself as a candidate in the election for Russian Football Union (RFU) president.
The incumbent, Vitaly Mutko, who is also Russia’s sports minister, and Gazzaev are the only candidates so far to register their intention to stand in the Sept. 24 election.
“I believe that I have a better chance of winning than Mutko does,” Gazzaev, who coached CSKA Moscow from 2004 to 2008 and won the UEFA Cup with them in 2005, told reporters.
If elected, the 62-year-old Gazzaev said his first move would be to abandon the limit on foreign players in the Russian Premier League. At present, a team can field a maximum of six players who do not hold Russian passports.
Moura wants action against Bastia fans
Paris Saint-Germain forward Lucas Moura says Bastia fans cannot go “without punishment” after he was hit by a missile in Friday night’s Ligue 1 meeting.
Lucas was hit before he took a corner in the 68th minute of PSG’s 1-0 opening day win, though Bastia have since accused him of making more of the situation.
“Lamentable, unacceptable what happened today in Bastia and it gets worse every year,” Lucas tweeted.
“This gesture cannot go unnoticed and without punishment. That is not football.”