قرر نادي آرسنال الإنجليزي، إعفاء تميمة الفريق المعروفة باسم “جيري كوي” من مهامه، بسبب التكلفة المالية، حيث يرغب مسؤولو الجانرز في تقليل التكاليف.

وحسبما أفادت التقارير الإنجليزية، راتب جيري كوي 30 ألف جنيه إسترليني سنويًا، ويتواجد في النادي منذ 1993، أي 27 عامًا، في آرسنال.

طالع أيضًا.. آرسنال يثير غضب سيميوني في آخر أيام الميركاتو

منذ أن كان النادي يلعب في هايبري، ثم ملعب الإمارات، جيري هو التميمة التي تستقبل اللاعبين، ويحتفل معهم بالأهداف وبعد المباراة، ويتفاعل مع الجمهور خلال اللقاء.

من جانبه، أعرب مسعود أوزيل عن حزنه بسبب قرار النادي بإعفاء جيري كوي من مهامه، وكتب عبر حسابه الرسمي على “فيس بوك”: “حزين جدًا لأن جيري كوي مخلص لنادي آرسنال، وجزء لا يتجزأ من نادينا، أصبح زائدًا عن الحاجة بعد 27 عامًا”.

وأضاف: “أعرض تعويض آرسنال بالراتب الكامل وأن أتكفل به طوال فترة تواجدي هنا، حتى يتمكن جيري من مواصلة عمله الذي يحبه كثيرًا”.

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Express & Star journalist Tim Spiers has waxed lyrical about Wolverhampton Wanderers loanee Raul Jimenez and told the club to sign him on a permanent deal in what would be a major summer move.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the west Midlands outfit brought the striker to Molineux on a season-long loan deal from Benfica back in June, and he has made a big impact.

The 27-year-old’s goal in the 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday now means that he has 12 Premier League goals for the season – more than Marcus Rashford and Roberto Firmino among others – but he can also create too having provided seven assists in his 30 top-flight outings this term.

The Mexico international once again linked up well with Diogo Jota against the Blues, and his display would surely have impressed manager Nuno Santo once again.

Spiers tells Wolves to act

According to the journalist, the seventh-placed club in the Premier League have an option to sign the centre-forward for around £30m, backed up by The Mirror, and he believes he would be worth every penny.

Wolves Fan TV are in no doubt that their side should have come away from Stamford Bridge with all 3 points on Sunday. Check out their views in the video below…

Writing in The Express & Star, he said: “It goes without saying now, but Wolves must make his move from Benfica a permanent one in the summer.

“An option of around £30million is good value in today’s transfer market, purely on the goals and assists that he can provide.

“Add Jimenez’s tireless work rate, unselfish play, intelligent movement and team ethic into the mix and the fee is a bargain.”

Given the huge impact he has made in terms of goals and assists in his debut campaign at the highest level in England, you would have to agree that £30m could prove to be a bargain for Wanderers in the long term as they chase European football in the coming years.

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Loads of Sunderland fans have been revelling in the aftermath of their Checkatrade Trophy semi-final win over Bristol Rovers on Tuesday, and they think Grant Leadbitter’s impressive form has gone under the radar.

After a run of bore draws in the league, Jack Ross’ side have returned to their top form at the best possible time, and have now won four games on the spin in all competitions.

The Black Cats were dangerously close to watching their promising season dissipate into nothing, but they are now just two points off an automatic promotion place with one trip to Wembley already secured.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals why Tyne-Wear is a more intense derby than anything London can offer – check out the video below….

That came courtesy of a 2-0 win over Bristol Rovers on Tuesday night, for which fans heaped praise on the performances of first team stars like Jimmy Dunne and Max Power.

Power’s lovely pass provided Will Grigg with the opener, while Dunne was an absolute brick wall at the back.

One man who never seems to receive many plaudits though is Leadbitter, who has been quietly but efficiently keeping things ticking over in midfield for the Black Cats.

The 33 year-old may not pose the goalscoring threat that Power and even Lee Cattermole have at times this season, but he is surely now one of the first names on the team sheet, and Ross’ move to sign the former Black Cat in January is looking like a stroke of genius from the boss.

The club didn’t even include him on their man of the match poll after Tuesday’s win though, and fans were quick to leap to the defence of the veteran midfielder. You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

قرر مدافع الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة، صامويل أومتيتي، عدم الاستسلام أمام مدربه الحالي، رونالد كومان، الذي كان يرغب في التخلص منه بالميركاتو الصيفي الماضي.

وأراد كومان رحيل أومتيتي نظرًا لكثرة إصاباته وعدم الاستفادة من خدماته، وطالب الإدارة بسرعة حسم صفقة مدافع مانشستر سيتي، إريك جارسيا.

اقرأ أيضًا.. مودريتش: سعيد ببقاء ميسي مع برشلونة

لكن في النهاية، سيستمر أومتيتي في برشلونة على الأقل حتى يناير، وربما قد يدخل خطط كومان وهو ما يود الفرنسي استغلاله خلال التدريبات في الفترة المقبلة.

وبحسب صحيفة “سبورت” الكتالونية، يريد صامويل المنافسة بقوة على العودة إلى التشكيل الأساسي لنادي برشلونة واستغلال النقص العددي في مركز المدافع ووجود الثلاثي، جيرارد بيكيه وكليموه لينجليه ورونالد أروخو، فقط.

هذا ما عبر عنه أومتيتي في أحد منشوراته خلال الساعات القليلة الماضية، بنشر بعض صوره في التدريبات الجماعية لنادي برشلونة، ليوجه رسالة غير مباشرة إلى كومان بأنه جاهز للتحدي.

[ad_pod ]Frenkie de Jong,ÂJorginho,ÂFred, and so on. A number of marquee names have been thrown around regarding who will eventually be the heir to Fernandinho’s defensive midfield throne at Manchester City.The three aforementioned names sold to their eventual buyers for a combined £162m, but Pep Guardiola could have the Brazilian’s replacement without spending a single penny.442oons have charted the entire career of Man City’s main man Sergio Aguero through song in the hilarious video below…Oleksandr Zinchenko. A man who is quickly becoming a fan favourite at the Etihad Stadium, not just for his excellent performances, but for his desire to stay and fight for his place despite Wolves having a £16m bid accepted for his services back in the summer.The Ukrainian international is extremely versatile. Having started his career as an attacking midfielder, Zinchenko became a left-back in the absence of Benjamin Mendy last season and hasn’t looked back.It will be very, very tough to leave such an impressive performer such as Mendy on the bench when he eventually returns to full fitness, so Guardiola may be able to kill two birds with one stone by moving Zinchenko into the middle and drafting the World Cup winner back into the side.

Yet another serious injury to the Frenchman has seen 22-year-old Zinchenko earn a lot more game time in the current campaign than he perhaps would’ve anticipated, and he very rarely lets the Citizens down – Guardiola has even pointed to the youngster as a player that the likes of Leroy Sane and Riyad Mahrez can ‘learn from’.

In his first outing whilst on international duty against Portugal, Zinchenko was deployed in an unfamiliar defensive midfield role, where he performed admirably against the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, club-mate Bernardo Silva and Andre Silva.

The video above shows Zinchenko getting stuck in on a number of occasions with some vital blocks, but also mirroring Fernandinho’s impact in sky blue by staying composed once the ball has been won and being able to use the ball efficiently and effectively.

Guardiola has tried and tried to sign a replacement for the soon-to-be 34-year-old Fernandinho, but all the time, the answer could have been right under his nose.

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Leeds United fans have taken to Twitter to react to the suggestion that Gaetano Berardi is the solution to the club’s defensive injury concerns.

On Monday, Pontus Jansson was ruled out for up to three weeks by the Whites after suffering a knee injury in their 1-0 defeat at home to Sheffield United on Saturday, and he could miss crucial games versus Millwall and Birmingham City.

Berardi could be set to replace the Sweden international after recovering from a torn hamstring which has restricted him to just nine Championship appearances this term.

Head Coach Marcelo Bielsa is a known admirer of the Switzerland international, and regarded him as one of his first-choice defenders until he suffered that injury back in October.

For some fans, the passion and dedication that Berardi demonstrates on the pitch is precisely what the Elland Road club need as they look to force their way back into the automatic promotion places with just eight games of the season left to play.

Others have questioned his defensive capabilities and proposed that alternative options, including highly-rated youngster Aapo Halme, could provide better cover before Jansson is fit to return.

After Phil Hay tweeted that Berardi could return to the starting line-up, fans were quick to have their say…

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West Ham fans have taken to Twitter to react after it was revealed that Declan Rice had won the ‘Young Player of the Year’ award at the London Football Awards on Thursday evening.

The Englishman has excelled for the Hammers this season, becoming one of the first names on the team-sheet under Manuel Pellegrini after breaking into the first-team in the previous campaign.

Impressively, the 20-year-old beat off competition from Crystal Palace starlet Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Arsenal’s Matteo Guendouzi, Queens Park Rangers attacker Eberechi Eze and Huddersfield’s Karlan Grant, with the latter earning his way onto the shortlist after a goal-laden spell with Charlton.

Rice is amongst the leading prospects in English football, and recently declared his intention to switch his allegiance to the country of his birth, having featured in friendly matches for the Republic of Ireland.

The previous winner of the award was Fulham sensation Ryan Sessegnon, who has been linked with a £50m move to Manchester United recently, and the 20-year-old is the first Hammer to pick up an award at the event since Dimitri Payet back in 2016.

Obviously, West Ham fans are beyond proud of their academy graduate, so let’s take a look at how they reacted to the news on Twitter…

كشفت صحيفة “ماركا” الإسبانية، كواليس فشل رحيل الدولي الصربي لوكا يوفيتش مهاجم ريال مدريد عن صفوف اللوس بلانكوس، في نافذة الانتقالات الصيفية التي انتهت الاثنين الماضي.

زين الدين زيدان، المدير الفني للنادي الملكي، كان أخبر يوفيتش بعد العودة من العطلة الصيفية، أنه لن يكون ضمن خططه، وأنه سيواصل الاعتماد على مواطنه وهداف الفريق كريم بنزيما في مركز رأس الحربة.

وقالت الصحيفة إنه بعد هذه المحادثات حاول وكلاء يوفيتش البحث له عن نادٍ، وريال مدريد كان ينتظر أيضًا عروض لدراستها وإعطاء الضوء الأخضر لـ يوفيتش للرحيل.

اقرأ أيضًا.. هازارد لا يريد المجازفة بالمشاركة في الكلاسيكو أمام برشلونة

وأوضحت الصحيفة أن الأيام مرت ولم يأتِ أي عرض رسمي للنجم الصربي، وأن أي اهتمام بضمه كان مجرد تكهنات صحفية ليس أكثر.

وأكدت الصحيفة أنه حتى الساعات الأخيرة من سوق الانتقالات، كان ريال مدريد ويوفيتش ينتظران عرضًا، ولكن لم يأت شيئا للنجم الصربي.

يوفيتش كان انضم لـ ريال مدريد في عام 2019 مقابل 60 مليون يورو، بعد موسمًا رائعًا مع آينتراخت فرانكفورت؛ ولكن الأمور لم تسر مع اللاعب بشكل جيد، نظرًا لثقة زيدان في بنزيما.

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Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has voiced his frustrations with fellow Championship clubs who are willing to make rash financial gambles in a desperate bid to achieve promotion to the Premier League.

Such actions can prove costly, as failure to go up can result in bloated wage bills and the threat of Financial Fair Play sanctions. 

The Blades are run on a far more sensible model, investing what they can afford smartly, and never leaving themselves on the brink of financial chaos should the team fall short of their ambitions. 

Who would make a combined Sheffield XI? Ingood Nick makes his picks in the video below…

Blades boss Wilder has made it clear that he has no sympathy for second tier clubs who find themselves in trouble following financial mismanagement and backfired gambles.

What he said

In his press conference on Monday, as quoted by The Star, the manager said: “Everything goes back to the gambles that teams have, they are prepared to put everything on the line. Clubs are prepared to break rules and break the FFP (Financial Fair Play) to get to the Premier League…No sympathy from me on that…It will be the same this year. Those that don’t go up or make it will be in the same situation as others have found themselves in recently.”

Wilder then continued to explain that the Bramall Lane club take a more measured approach: “It is not a do or die situation for us. If you look at our accounts and our financial dealings, in terms of what we pay our players, there will not be a situation here if we do not go up that will see everyone having to be sold and not being able to sign anyone.”

The responsible way to do it

Sheffield United could well get promoted this season. The Blades are currently in the thick of the chase for automatic promotion and will soon face one of their main rivals for this prize, Leeds United, in a potentially season-defining encounter.

If the Blades do achieve promotion then the club, and Wilder himself, will deserve plenty credit for managing the feat whilst still running the club in an exemplary and responsible manner.

Of course, if Wilder and his squad can’t pull it off this year, then his and the club’s pragmatism and common sense means the future is still bright.

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Newcastle and Atlanta United fans have forged a new friendship thanks to their mutual adoration for Miguel Almiron, but fans of the MLS outfit have taken offence to an article in The Evening Chronicle this week.

Newcastle finally smashed their transfer record to bring Almiron to Tyneside, shelling out £20m to bring the dynamic playmaker to the Premier League.

The 24 year-old scored 22 goals and added 21 assists in 70 showings in Atlanta, winning the MLS Cup in his final season there.

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals why Tyne-Wear is a more intense derby than anything London can offer – check out the video below….

It is not only his actions on the pitch that endeared him so much to the fans across the pond though, as his infectious passion for the shirt he wears and his sheer love of football made him the figurehead of Atlanta’s newest sports franchise.

An article in the Chronicle has contradicted that statement though, saying: “Unlike MLS, he cannot walk down the street. With the fans in the USA it was all very quiet; in England they recognise him and he is often asked for photos and autographs.”

Almiron’s fans in Atlanta are still his fans now, with many of them adopting the Magpies as their second team, and they have taken quite a lot of offence to the notion that he was not adored as a superstar during his time in the states.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below, where you can see just how highly folks think of the Paraguayan international…