Premier League
ARSENAL AT WAR! EX-CAPTAIN OTHERS FUME OVER STAFF SACK & AUBAMEYANG PAY RISE
Arsenal are increasingly confident they are close to agreeing a bumper new deal with captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – just 24 hours after the club revealed plans to make 55 members of staff redundant.
Arsenal players have been left furious by the club’s controversial redundancy proposals which come as negotiations with Aubameyang over a new three-year contract worth at least £250,000-per-week head towards a successful conclusion.
Members of Mikel Arteta’s squad reacted with dismay to the job cuts announcement with sources telling Sportsmail that former captain Granit Xhaka was among the most vocal in discussions between the players that followed Wednesday’s news.
His upset was widely shared by his teammates, with the proposed job cull being revealed just four months after most of Arsenal’s players were encouraged to agree pay cuts in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
They had believed that by accepting a 12.5 per cent cut, reduced to 7.5 per cent after qualifying for the Europa League, they would protect the jobs of Arsenal staff.
So they were stunned to find out at the end of a conference call with head of football Raul Sanllehi and managing director Vinai Venkatesham, that a significant number would still be made redundant.
Manager Mikel Arteta had been informed earlier of the proposals recommended by Sanllehi, Venkatesham and Arsenal’s executive team, and approved by billionaire owner Stan Kroenke.
Gunners stars intend to speak to the club to raise their concerns. And though there is an acceptance that there may be little they can do they are still determined to make their displeasure known.
The pay cuts Arsenal’s players agreed and the support they offered were described as ‘massive’ and prevented the club having to take drastic action sooner.
But with Arsenal’s income continuing to be hit it was felt further action was required, though club chiefs hope the latest reorganisation will protect them from the future financial impact of the pandemic.
Arsenal’s plan has dented the feel-good factor following their morale-boosting FA Cup final triumph last weekend.
And club chiefs acknowledge that the decision to cut costs so they can continue to keep the club running sustainably but also invest in the team is a hard sell that leaves them in a ‘no-win’ situation.
A lucrative contract for captain Aubameyang is one such move that contrasts starkly with the slashing of jobs along with the proposed signing of Willian.
The Brazilian is close to joining on a free transfer from Chelsea on an initial three-year deal.
Aubameyang had a year left on his previous deal worth just under £200,000 per week and Arsenal have been in talks to convince their talisman to commit his future to the club and give him the assurances that he will be surrounded by sufficient quality if he does.
Arsenal’s optimism that Aubameyang would agree to stay has grown further since their Wembley win and the Gabon striker has indicated he is prepared to extend his stay until 2023. He wanted at least £250,000 per week and Arsenal have agreed to meet his demands for a wage increase, with further bonuses on top.
Club legend Ian Wright added his voice to the criticism, responding to Arsenal’s Twitter post about the plans: ‘Remember who you are, what you are and who you represent’ — a poignant quote often attributed to his good friend and late Arsenal legend David Rocastle.
Renowned scout Francis Cagigao, who unearthed Cesc Fabregas among others, head of UK scouting Peter Clark and recruitment chief Brian McDermott are among those told their jobs will go.
Following a previous stripping back of the academy scouting set-up, several European recruitment roles have also been affected along with departments including commercial and administration.
The 55 jobs represent just under 10 per cent of Arsenal’s 590-strong non-playing workforce and there will now be a month-long consultation which could result in the final number of redundancies changing. However, the final number following the consultation is not expected to differ too much from 55.
-DAILY MAIL
Thomas Partey, who formerly played for English Premier League soccer club Arsenal, has been charged with rape and sexual assault, London’s Metropolitan Police said on Friday.
Partey, a Ghana international, was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, with the charges relating to three women and the offences reported to have taken place between 2021 and 2022, the statement said.
Partey’s management did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
He is due to appear at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Aug. 5.
Partey, 32, was signed by Arsenal from Atletico Madrid for 50 million euros ($59 million) in October 2020 and became a key member of Arsenal’s first team.
He was first arrested in July 2022, though he was not named at the time and continued to play for Arsenal while investigations were ongoing.
-Reuters
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Five players including England forward Marcus Rashford and Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho have informed Manchester United that they wish to explore a future away from the Premier League side, a club source said on Friday.
Brazilian midfielder Antony, Dutch defender Tyrell Malacia and England international Jadon Sancho are also looking to leave the club, the source added.
Rashford, who has made more than 400 senior appearances for United, has fallen out of favour with manager Ruben Amorim, played for Aston Villa on loan while United had their worst-ever Premier League campaign, finishing 15th in the standings.
Amorim had called Rashford’s work rate into question, saying he would rather put a goalkeeper coach on the bench than a player not giving their all.
Rashford said he was feeling fitter and better since joining Villa, where he scored two goals in 10 league appearances.
United also failed to qualify for the Champions League as they lost the Europa League final 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur. Garnacho, who was a late substitute in the final, voiced his displeasure on social media after the loss.
“Up until the final, I played every round helping the team, and today I play 20 minutes, I don’t know,” he wrote in a post . “The final will influence (my decision), but the whole season, the situation of the club.”
Sancho was on loan at Chelsea, where he made 31 league appearances last season. Antony, who joined United from Ajax Amsterdam in 2022 for a reported initial transfer fee of more than $100 million, scored five goals in 17 LaLiga appearances on loan at Real Betis.
Malacia joined Dutch side PSV Eindhoven on loan in February.
-Reuters
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Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes turned down the opportunity to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal in order to keep playing “at the highest level”, he said on Tuesday.
The Portuguese midfielder admitted that he had considered the move, which media reports said was worth four times his current salary, after being contacted by Al-Hilal’s president.
“There was that possibility, the president of Al-Hilal called me a month ago to ask me about it,” Fernandes, who is preparing to face Germany with Portugal, told reporters on Tuesday.
“It was a big offer, very ambitious. There was a waiting period for me to think about the future.”
Fernandes ultimately decided to stay at United and said he was motivated by his desire to continue playing at the top level and encouraged by his family and the club’s coach Ruben Amorim.
“I would be willing to do it if Manchester United thought so,” Fernandes added. “I spoke to the coach Ruben Amorim who really tried to talk me out of it. The club said they would not be willing to sell me, only if I wanted to leave.
“I spoke to my wife and family, and she asked me what my personal goals were in my career.
“It would have been easy to move there but I want to keep myself at the highest level, playing in the big competitions and I feel capable of it. I am happy with my decision.”
The 30-year-old Fernandes scored 19 goals and provided 19 assists in 57 appearances across all competitions for United last season, winning the club’s Player of the Year award for the fourth time.
However, it was a season to forget for the team, as they finished 15th in the Premier League, their lowest league finish in half a century, and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.
-Reuters
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