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Legendary Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech is expected to leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the season but many were surprised as to who he has been linked with.

After playing understudy to Thibaut Courtois this season it is time for the long-standing to decide on the next chapter in his career. Jose Mourinho has agreed that the 32-year-old has many years ahead of him and after seasons of faultless displays, and he is in demand this year.

Among the many names that have been linked are local rivals Arsenal. Many Blues fans were dismayed when it appeared their star goalkeeper could go to their closest rivals.

The Gunners’ regular number one Wojciech Szczesny has struggled to get back into the team after a number of poor performances meant he was dropped to the bench. The Pole has only made 17 appearances in the Premier League this term, with David Ospina being impressive in his place. Many don’t believe Ospina is a long-term solution for the club, thought, and they are now on the lookout for a new shot-stopper.

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It does seem highly unlikely that the Blues would sell such an important player to the team who have challenged them for the title this year. Mourinho has always been very clever when he has sold other players – Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Saloman Kalou were all sold overseas so they couldn’t do any damage against their former club in the Premier League.

Former assistant manager Ray Wilkins is adamant that they will do the same again with Petr Cech. He said: “If you look at Chelsea’s actions over the last few years, I am sure Jose Mourinho will do the same with Petr Cech.”

Cech has been at Stamford Bridge since 2004 and has won four Premier League titles and the Champions League with the London club, but it is now time for him to move on. While no one believes he could really head to the Emirates, Arsenal are extremely confident that Cech will be allowed to join them in the summer.

It is understood that the Czech has been given permission to speak with the Gunners, and if he is allowed to go it will be one of the most shocking signings in recent years.

The Special One has never before allowed his key players to go to a rival club but speaking after they were crowned champions he told reporters that this team was better than the one that had won the league with him back in 2005 and 2006. He said: “We’ve shown everything since day one.

“Everything football demands from a team we have had. We had fantastic attacking football, fantastic domination, high percentages of ball possession, low percentages when we let the opposition have the ball strategically and times when we have defended amazingly well.

“We did everything the team needs to do. That’s why we’re champions.”

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If Mourinho is so confident that his team are the best and they are already looking at bringing in even more star quality then he should sell his goalkeeper to Arsenal.

It would be a way of showing the rest of the Premier League just how confident they are. Jose likes to be brash and he has never been afraid of saying what he thinks before, so why stop now?

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West Ham plan to splash out on as many as five new players over the summer according to co-owner David Sullivan.

West Ham are on track to finish in the top half of the Premier League table this season and are looking to increase the quality of the pool of players they have at their disposal.

The co-owner says that boss Sam Allardyce will be handed a significant amount of money to spend on his summer transfer targets.

Sullivan, speaking in the matchday programme, said: “Our planning has already started to make sure next season is even better than this one.

“A crucial factor of that will be recruiting the right players in the right positions.

“Our aim for the coming season is to bring in four or five players that will strengthen the squad and provide Sam Allardyce with greater options and variety next season.

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“We will be aiming to bring in at least one proven goalscorer to further bolster our attacking threat.”

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As reported by The Daily Mail, Rangers are interested in signing Burnley midfielder Scott Arfield during this summer’s transfer window.

What’s the story?

After another disappointing season at Ibrox, the Light Blues will again be on the hunt for affordable talent this summer that can improve their squad to the extent they are capable of competing with Celtic for major honours.

One name on their radar, according to The Daily Mail, is Canadian international Scott Arfield.

The paper report that the out-of-contract English Premier League star is one of Rangers’ priorities heading into the transfer window, as they plan to make the £20,000-a-week midfielder one of their first acqusitions.

The big hurdling block is wages, reckons the report, but can they convince him his future lies in Glasgow?

Would he be a good signing?

With six years of experience playing regularly in either the English Premier League or Championship with the likes of Burnley and Huddersfield Town, Arfield is exactly the kind of player that Rangers should be looking to bring to the Scottish Premiership this summer.

A player who shows desire and fight at Turf Moor on a regular basis, he doesn’t just have the right skills to fit in at Ibrox but the right attitude too. His hard work and determination would help strengthen a midfield that has at times looked too lightweight this season.

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Another benefit is obviously his knowledge of the Scottish top-flight, given he started his career at Falkirk before they were eventually relegated.

On a free transfer, signing him would be a great bit of business despite his reported wage demands and if they can get the deal done, it’s something of a no-brainer for Rangers.

For the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson left Old Trafford, United go into a Manchester derby as genuine favourites. Louis van Gaal has ensured his new side have recovered from their early season slump to such an extent that they now find themselves ahead of their city rivals for the first time in what seems like an age.

On the Blue side of Manchester, there is a full blown crisis; the wheels have fallen off the City title challenge quicker than a Jesus Navas cross being intercepted by the first man. Three defeats in their last five have left them not only out of the title race, but with question marks surrounding their chances of remaining in the top four.

Vincent Kompany has recently suggested that they are playing Man United at the perfect time. “It’s the perfect place for us to go and try rectify what we’ve done.” As the old cliché goes, form goes out of the window on the derby day. So where are the best value bets to ensure you can navigate the madness of the Manchester Derby?

United’s captain, the leading scorer in the fixture, is surely desperate to put smiles back on the faces of those wearing red and ensure bragging rights are with his fans.

The reverse fixture in November saw Manchester City run out 1-0 winners following Chris Smalling’s first half dismissal. City, similarly to now, found themselves in a poor run of form at the time, but managed to win the tie with the solitary goal. That game was a rarity compared to recent fixtures as in the four previous encounters goals had flowed feely, with two fixtures seeing three goals and the remaining seeing a whopping five.

With Manchester City’s recent frailties at the back, twinned with Wayne Rooney’s return to form in his favoured forward role, goals could be on the cards come Sunday afternoon.

Back over 2.5 goals @ 5/6

Without the creaking Van Persie and the stuttering Falcao, Wayne Rooney has finally been given free rein to show his attacking license in his preferred position. Simply put, he seems back to his best for both club and country, with six goals in his last eight games. United’s skipper’s record against their neighbours is one to strike fear into the bluest heart – he has managed to notch 11 times in this fixture. He is so often the man for the big occasion, expect to see him step up once again.

Back Wayne Rooney to score anytime @ 6/4

The final recommendation for this weekend’s big game is on the most basic of markets. Although they have lost the last four against their ‘Noisy Neighbours’; Manchester United are absolutely flying at the moment and for the first time in Van Gaal’s tenure they seem to be playing the kind of football the Old Trafford faithful longs for. City on the other hand are desperate for the solace of Test Cricket and beach holidays. If they can scrape a top four place it will be all they can wish for. Expect Manchester United to increase the pressure on Pellegrini come Sunday evening.

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Back Manchester United to win @ 6/4

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Norwich manager Chris Hughton has set his sights on Birmingham’s teenage sensation Nathan Redmond, according to reports from The Mirror.

The Canaries boss sent scouts to watch the 19-year-old in action against Wolves, and was impressed by the feedback received.

He is now ready to make a summer offer for the winger, who is widely tipped as one of the Championship’s finest emerging stars.

Hughton is keen to add some creativity and flair to his attacking set-up this summer, and sees Redmond as the ideal man to follow his capture of Ricky van Wolfswinkel from Sporting.

Only Stoke have netted fewer goals than the East Anglians this term, which is a real source of concern for the club.

Hughton, who joined Norwich from Birmingham last year, has made multiple attempts to sign some his former players, with Curtis Davies one of his top targets.

Multiple bids for the defender were knocked back in January, but he is confident of being able to reach an agreement with the Midlanders to take Redmond this summer.

He may also return for Davies, a player he is known to be a fan of.

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Meanwhile, Blackburn’s Martin Olsson is also being lined up for a move, with the Carrow Road outfit keen to bring in a new left-back.

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Brazilian winger Kenedy has made quite the impression on the Newcastle United supporters since joining the club on loan from Chelsea during the January transfer window.

The attacker has scored twice and provided two assists in his eight Premier League appearances for the Magpies, but it is his overall contribution and commitment to the cause that has made him so popular with the Newcastle fans.

Rafael Benitez’s side are obviously desperate to sign him on a permanent deal, but it is thought that Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and indeed Arsenal will also be in the running if Chelsea decide to sell at the end of the 2017-18 campaign.

On Wednesday, Kenedy was voted Newcastle’s Player of the Month for March by the club’s official shirt sponsors Fun88.

The Newcastle fans were not surprised to see the 22-year-old pick up the award, and a large number took to social media to lavish praise on the in-form attacker.

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A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Chelsea star Diego Costa has hit out at English defenders for kicking him during Premier League games, according to reports from the Daily Star.

Costa made a £32million move from Atletico Madrid during the summer and has settled in nicely with the Blues, scoring 19 league goals in 23 games for Jose Mourinho’s men.

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However, the Spain international has been involved in several incidents this season, including a three-game suspension for a stamp on Liverpool’s Emre Can and a tunnel bust up with Reds co-captain Jordan Henderson.

Now the Chelsea striker has come out to insist that he is trying to control his temper in the hopes of avoiding any more confrontation with the referees, but that he isn’t helped by his opponents constantly hacking him during the games.

“Some players try to put me out of the game,” he said.

“But I’m getting to control my temper better all the time, and I just set out to play my normal game.

“When I think about English defenders the word nobility doesn’t come to mind. They kick me all the time, just like they did in Spain.

“But I don’t complain. They go in hard on me, but over here the refs don’t give me free kicks whereas they do in Spain.

“The Premier League is not over-rated. It is a tough league, with huge teams, and the small sides can beat you.”

The 27-year-old is now sitting out of Spain duty with a hamstring injury, which has been largely criticised by the Spanish media as the player not showing enough commitment to the national set-up.

But Costa thinks otherwise, and feels he has just been unlucky not to be at full fitness for La Furia Roja.

He added: “I was in good form, I thought everything was finally going to work out. I really wanted to prove my form and my worth…

“My history with the national team is that it still hasn’t really started. I haven’t done anything yet.

“Sometimes it angers me that they put in doubt my commitment.

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“I already proved that I’m enthusiastic and that I want to achieve success with the national team.

“The best way to silence the critics is to play and to do things well. But I haven’t done that yet and hence, I have to listen and swallow it.”

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If there was one player within this Tottenham Hotspur side that has perhaps personified the Lilywhites’ rollercoaster season so far, although he might seem the most apparent choice, Icelandic midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson might prove a somewhat fitting selection.

Indeed, the 23-year-old has – very much in sync with the greater feeling of the team he plays for – struck something of an enigmatic figure at White Hart Lane. Having arrived at the club last summer generally heralded as an attacking component that would fit seamlessly within Andre Villas-Boas’ new-look side, if Sigurdsson was a model puzzle piece, then it’s certainly been hard work making him fit properly.

Like the performances of Villas-Boas’ side for much of the season, we’ve often seen flashes of brilliance from the former-Hoffenheim man, but only when the often-overbearing mist of inconsistency has subsided.

When watching him scurry about the pitch for Spurs this season, it’s not felt particularly difficult to recognize his talent and potential, but figuring out quite how to maximize the most out of it has resembled a much harder task. Again, not exactly something that cannot be applied on a much larger plain in N17.

But as now enter the final straight of the Premier League campaign, far from finding himself on the periphery as he has done at several points this season for Spurs, Sigurdsson is now sitting at the heart of an increasing bitter battle for Champions League qualification. And although some at White Hart Lane remain slightly skeptical about his true worth to this Tottenham side, he looks set to play an important role in determining his team’s fate this season.

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Sunday’s ground out 2-2 draw with Everton saw Sigurdsson underline his recent rise to prominence within Villas-Boas’ side by scoring a crucial 87th minute equalizer in a game which saw the Icelandic international turn in another astute performance on the left-hand side.

Sigurdsson is now enjoying what’s comfortably his best spell of form at the club since his £8million summer move, having now started seven of the Lilywhites’ last eight games and scoring four goals in his last nine showings. Not a bad turnaround for a man whose placing at the club was deemed insecure enough to lure Reading in for a deadline day bid at the end of the January transfer window.

The key to his turnaround? Belief, perhaps more than anything else.

After a difficult start to his Tottenham career, in which a crushing sense of expectation paired with a seeming lack of time and patience to adapt to a new role within a new formation, saw Sigurdsson struggle to make an impact at his new club.

With Clint Dempsey managing to find his feet quicker at the club, the former-Reading man had to make do with bit-part cameos coming off the bench in an attempt to force his way back into proceedings; cameos of which came much harder to come by following Gareth Bale’s central deployment and the arrival of Lewis Holtby from Schalke.

Yet despite often struggling to find a solid role within this side, Sigurdsson has kept his head down, worked hard and continued to furrow away whenever he’s been given the chance.

But it was when he really seized his opportunity against West Ham United after coming off the bench to score in the 3-2 win, that he reached something of a crossroad in his Spurs career. There was little more that Sigurdsson could have done to earn to a start, but for as easy as it would have been for Villas-Boas to leave him on the bench against Arsenal, the Portuguese rewarded his effort with a start. A superb assist to Bale in the North London derby followed and since then, he hasn’t looked back.

Playing on the left hand side of whatever variation of a midfield three or four that Villas-Boas has asked of him, Sigurdsson has managed to finally carve a niche out for himself in this Tottenham side. It’s not perfect – Sigurdsson has recently admitted that playing out on the wing isn’t his ‘favourite’ position – but most importantly, it’s a role that he’s making the most out of. And should he move forward with his Spurs career, it’s this period now that could be the making of him.

While Spurs were left far too bereft of pace and penetration during the weekend, Sigurdsson once again demonstrated why his guile and industry has a place within Villas-Boas’ side. Technically astute and consistently inventive, what sets the 23-year-old apart from the seemingly infinite pallet of similarly neat and tidy players at the club, is his goal threat.

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His current return of six goals is hardly setting the world on fire, but with a run of games has come a surge of confidence and Sigurdsson is beginning to show the vision and touch in front of goal that saw Tottenham fight it out with Liverpool to acquire his signature in the first place. Should he wish to eventually play more centrally within this Spurs side, he’ll have to start contributing more during matches and wield a far greater influence in building up play.

But as we enter the final straight of the season, Sigurdsson is finally looking like an effective part of the puzzle at Spurs, as opposed to a faltering and awkward component.

With Champions League qualification now hanging in the balance and a squad looking worryingly destabilized by injury, Tottenham need the likes of Sigurdsson to now step up and shoulder responsibility.

In terms of solidifying his Spurs future, the Icelandic international now has a guilt edged opportunity to finally convince the remaining doubters – as well as his manager – that he deserves a permanent place in this side. Where the club finish will go a long way to determining how well he will have taken that chance.

Everton will look to beat Liverpool for the first time since October 2010 when the Merseyside rivals meet in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon.It does seem incredible that Everton have not overcome their bitter rivals for almost eight years, with Liverpool utterly dominating this fixture in recent seasons.Sam Allardyce’s side won back-to-back Premier League matches against Brighton & Hove Albion and Stoke City last month before being brought back to earth with a 3-1 defeat at home to runaway leaders Manchester City last weekend.[ad_pod ]The Everton supporters will be looking for a response at Goodison Park this weekend, but it seems that not many are confident of their team’s chances of picking up a result.Toffees full-back Seamus Coleman, who has been tipped to become the new Everton captain, attempted to rally the troops with some words on the derby. However, it appears that Coleman’s quotes have fallen on deaf ears.A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Since making just over 10 starts for Manuel Pellegrini’s champions throughout the course of this season, former Arsenal man, Bacary Sagna, is apparently ready to end his spell at the Etihad – according to reports from The Mirror.

As the 32-year-old Frenchman only signed for Manchester City last summer, any potential move linking Sagna away from his current employers would largely indicate that things haven’t gone well for him at his new club.

Within the context of Pablo Zabaleta’s somewhat un-droppable form of late however, it perhaps comes as no surprise that Arsene Wenger’s former favourite – who incidentally spent seven years playing at the Emirates – has been forced to play second fiddle to the Argentinean throughout this season.

Yet Bacary Sagna’s initial arrival in Manchester was in-fact met with some suspicion. Arsenal could have offered him a great deal more first team football, as well as the chance to be part of their grand plans for the 2014/15 campaign – but as working with Manuel Pellegrini’s star-studded squad outlined a more likely chance to win silverware this season, Sagna’s Gunners career had seemingly come to its natural end.

If the French international does to decide to move on from the Etihad come the end of term nonetheless, high flying Serie A outfit AS Roma, are thought to be strong admirers of the former Arsenal man and would be reportedly willing to offer Sagna a new life away from the Premier League. 

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