Tottenham Hotspur forward Emmanuel Adebayor has been dropped from the Spurs’ Europa League squad as the out-of-favour striker remains in limbo at the club.
Spurs were keen to part ways with the Togo international during the summer transfer window with the club even attempting to sever his contract to remove his bumper wages.
Spurs were desperate to get his weekly wage off the books before Tuesday’s transfer deadline but no agreement could be reached.
The North London club tried to offload the striker to Aston Villa and West Ham on deadline day but they were put off by his reported £100,000 per week wages.
Saints plan to tie down Wanyama
Southampton midfielder Victor Wanyama, who was heavily linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur during the summer transfer window, has been offered a new five-year contract by the club.
Wanyama has bridges to build with the club after failing to force through his move and was left out of Sunday’s 3-0 home win over Norwich for not being “mentally good enough to play”, according to manager Ronald Koeman.
“We’d like to tie him down for another five years. Whether that’s possible or not, I don’t know, but the opportunity is there to do that,” Les Reed, the club’s executive director of football, said.
Reus ruled out of qualifiers
Germany forward Marco Reus has been ruled out of their upcoming Euro 2016 qualifiers against Poland and Scotland after fracturing his toe during a league match.
Reus left the team hotel on Wednesday evening after team doctors diagnosed the injury.
“The painful injury which the 25-times capped international sustained in the Bundesliga match against Hertha Berlin (last week) makes his participation in the two international matches impossible,” the German team said in a statement.
“Further treatment will be undertaken at Borussia Dortmund.”
Deadline day deals delight Bilic
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic is thrilled with the business done by the Hammers on transfer deadline day after the Croatian welcomed four new faces to the club on Tuesday.
Alex Song, Victor Moses, Nikica Jelavic and Michail Antonio were all brought in on a busy day of activity for the Hammers.
“I think we’ve done a good job – that’s what we wanted and it looks like the last day was a hectic day, but really the deals were done a few days ago and we just needed the papers (finalised),” Bilic said.
“We were patient and we said we’d wait until the last day and have a back-up if necessary.”
De Gea to be given United chance
Manchester United will welcome David de Gea back into the fold even if, as expected, the goalkeeper refuses to sign a new contract following his failed attempt to move to Real Madrid.
The Premier League club has dismissed rumours emanating from Spain that United manager Louis van Gaal will not countenance selecting the 24-year-old unless he commits his future to the club, with a spokesman telling British media those reports were “rubbish”.
De Gea has not featured for United this season, with Van Gaal questioning the player’s focus in the wake of Madrid’s pursuit.
De Gea could return to United’s starting line-up when Liverpool visit Old Trafford in the Premier League on Sept. 12.
Pogba worth more than £100m – Juve
Midfielder Paul Pogba could be worth more than 100 million euros in the future, Juventus chief executive Giuseppe Marotta predicted.
“As we want to win, we have decided to keep hold of a player as important as Pogba, although we have had offers from some very important clubs,” he said.
“In the future he could be worth more than 100 million euros.”
The 22-year-old Frenchman, who combines explosive pace and strength with outstanding technique, joined Juventus from Manchester United in 2012 and has helped his side take a stranglehold on Italian football.
Allofs plays down rising transfer fees
Wolfsburg director of sport Klaus Allofs has defended the spiralling transfer fees in football, saying it is a natural economic evolution which will continue to have its ups and downs.
The Wolves sold Kevin De Bruyne for around €80 million to Man. City, reinvesting half of that in Julian Draxler from Schalke.
While there is more money coming into the game, most notably from more lucrative television deals, Allofs says that will ensure a greater circulation of money.
“Things have changed in every walk of life,” he said. “A car 20 years ago costs half as much of what a car costs now.
“We’re in the middle of a European economy and there are just new sums doing the rounds now.”