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Football News: News Round Up As Man City Fear For Kompany And Roberto Carlos Looks To Take Neymar To Madrid

News Round Up As Man City Fear For Kompany And Roberto Carlos Looks To Take Neymar To Madrid
Image from: sportskeeda.com

1. Hughes dismisses Arnautovic wage talks
Stoke City manager Mark Hughes has rubbished reports that have claimed Austrian winger Marko Arnautovic is asking for £100,000 a week to sign a new contract. With reports emerging that Arnautovic has rejected an initial deal, stories have been rife that the Austrians wage demands would ruin any chance of a deal being reached. "I think figures get banded about," said Hughes this afternoon, "and people are taking a stab in the dark. They haven't got the details of the contract - and why would they? We hope it will get done quickly because it will be beneficial to Marko because he wants to know where he's going and to be settled. Sometimes people suggest that lengthy negotiations affect a player, but they haven't adversely affected Marko."

2. Vardy returns to training
Leicester City's England striker Jamie Vardy has returned to first team training following his minor groin operation. Vardy missed the weekend's 2-2 FA Cup 3rd round draw with Tottenham Hotspur while recovering, but now looks set to be available to face Spurs for their midweek clash in the Premier League. Claudio Ranieri is set to assess his fitness before deciding whether to risk his star striker or not. Ranieri said on Monday: "Jamie had a problem for a month, more or less, and he continued to play. Now without the problem he is much better. I'll see if he starts from the beginning or if he is ready to come with me on the bench. Every time he wants to play, I know him."

 

3. Kompany fears for Pellegrini
Mauricio Pellegrini has fears over the current injury that is afflicting the Manchester City skipper Vincent Kompany. With City looking shakey without their captain at the back, Pellegrini knows the club will struggle without the Belgian stopper. It was initially thought Kompany would only be out for three to four weeks, now they fear that the injury will be much longer term. "We have Demichelis, we have Otamendi, we have Bacary Sagna, who can play in a central defensive position, we have Cameron [Humphreys], who is a young player who featured in pre-season with the squad," Pellegrini told reporters when asked about his defensive options. "Mangala will return soon. Vincent maybe not so soon, but for the last part of the season, he could be fit. So at this moment, we are not thinking about making a change. It's difficult, because Vincent is doing a lot of different things to try to understand and find the reasons why he has so many injuries. In this moment, it's difficult for me to tell you an update about that."

4. Carlos wants to take Neymar to Madrid
Former Real Madrid player Roberto Carlos has claimed that he is in talks to join Zinedine Zidane's backroom staff at his former club. The 42 year old legendary left back is currently player manager of Indian Super League club Delhi Dynamoes, but he claims that talks with Madrid are ongoing and that he will take Barcelona's superstar forward Neymar Jr there with him. "I had a meeting with Real Madrid about my future with the club," Carlos said. "Soon I will know how I can collaborate with Zidane's Madrid." Carlos also said that Florentino Perez was right to sack Rafael Benitez, "Zidane is a leader in the dressing room. His personality is going to make him very successful. A coach has to befriend his players and Benítez struggled to form a bond with them." Carlos also made this bold claim about Neymar, "I can take him to Real Madrid. He's very young. I am sure next year he will finish even higher in the Ballon d'Or," he said.

 

5. Pellegrini rules out January business
Manchester City manager Mauricio Pellegrini has ruled out the possibility of the club making any signings in the January transfer window. With striker Wilfried Bony being linked with a move away and Vincent Kompany set to miss a large chunk of the season, there was an expectation that City would look to enter the transfer market, but Pellegrini insists he is happy with the squad he has. "Our squad is complete. Nobody will come and nobody will go out." Pellegrini said. "We have options until the last day, but at the moment, no news."

6. How not to do a knee slide
The knee slide is one of the most popular of goal celebrations, but Wolverhampton Wanderers new winger Michal Zyro shows how not to do it:

 

7. Transfer Round Up
Jordon Forster Hibernian to Plymouth Argyle on loan
Ntumba Massanka Burnley to York City on loan
Richard O'Donnell Wigan Athletic to Bristol City on loan
Will Randall Swindon Town to Wolverhampton Wanderers undisclosed fee
Jonjo Shelvey Swansea City to Newcastle United £12m
Nathan Thomas Hartlepool United to Mansfield Town undisclosed fee
James Wallace Sheffield United to Shrewsbury Town on loan

8. Preston hand out new deals
Preston North End's youth goalkeeper Matt Hudson has been handed a professional contract by the club. Hudson came on for the first team recently, against Leeds United, after first choice keeper Chris Kirkland missed out through illness and Jordan Pickford was sent off. Just 17, he has been with the club since he joined the academy at U14 level. Another youngster, defender Clive Smith, has also signed his first professional deal with the Lilywhites. While Smith has been training regularly with the first team, he has yet to make his debut.

 

9. The goal that won the Puskas award



10. Stevenage hit by another injury blow
League Two club Stevenage Town have been hit by a season ending injury to forward Ben Kennedy. Kennedy is the Northern Ireland U19 captain and a key figure for the team, having just signed a new 3 year contract in October with Stevenage, who are struggling in 19th place. Kennedy will now undergo surgery, as the club struggles to cope with an injury crisis. "This is yet another blow for the club and for Ben personally," chairman Phil Wallace told the club website. "I've never seen an injury crisis like this and I can't believe it's got worse. Combined with various loan deals expiring, it does leave the squad particularly thin," added Wallace. "However with the transfer window now open we're working day and night to get the right players in so we can climb the table."

Written by Tris Burke January 13 2016 04:43:15