Daily Express - 08.08.2019

FOOTBALL: PREMIER LEAGUE Daily Express Thursday, August 08, 2019^61

DX1ST

By Matthew Dunn

By David McDonnell

contact with Sporting

Lisbon over a swoop

for Bruno Fernandes in

the event one of the

other deals collapses.

Barcelona’s Philippe

Coutinho, was also

linked with a

loan move to

Spurs, but

made it clear

he had no

interest in the

switch.

Tottenham

midfielder

Christian

Eriksen, who

has only 12 months left

on his contract,

continues to have his

heart set on joining

Real Madrid before the

Spanish transfer

window closes on

September 2.

GIOVANI LO CELSO

could be one of three

Tottenham signings

today as chairman

Daniel Levy prepares

for his usual deadline-

day mayhem.

The Argentina

midfielder flew from

Seville to

Stansted last

night and

headed for the

club’s training

ground after he

was pulled out

of Real Betis’

friendly against

Las Palmas.

Sours improved

offer of £55.5million

appears to have

unlocked the impasse.

Paulo Dybala of

Juventus and Fulham’s

Ryan Sessegnon are

also on Spurs’ radar,

while Levy remains in

Lo Celso in line as

Spurs target trio

performance-related

clauses. The 26-year-

old failed to turn up at

Carrington for training

for the second day

running on Tuesday,

choosing to

stay away while

his agent held

talks with the

two clubs.

Inter made a

breakthrough

with their new

offer, which is

close enough to

United’s £80m

valuation for them to

end the long-running

saga over the Belgian’s

future.

Lukaku effectively

made his position at

Old Trafford untenable

by refusing to train.

ROMELU LUKAKU is

on the verge of leaving

Manchester United

after Inter Milan

submitted an improved

bid for the striker.

United may replace

him by making

a deadline-day

swoop for

Juventus

forward Mario

Mandzukic, 33,

even though

his age does

not fit the

club’s policy of

investing in

young players

who have long-term

futures.

Inter have offered

United an initial

£65million for Lukaku

that could rise to £75m

with add-ons, including

Rebel Romelu is on

brink of Inter move

LO CELSO

LUKAKU

❑

DANNY WELBECK has joined

Watford – thanks to a little bit of

help from Gareth Southgate.

Ex-Arsenal striker Welbeck, 28,

who has 42 caps, signed a three-year-

deal after a long road back to

fitness. England boss

Southgate is a big fan

and the FA helped his

return as he did his rehab

at St George’s Park.

I would still be a bit in the wrong but it would

have been more understandable for the fans

and they wouldn’t have been so angry.

“I understood their reaction at the time

because how the news was presented to them

wasn’t the real thing. They were told a lie.

“Fortunately West Brom fans are great with

me now and I bounced back to go to the World

Cup with Nigeria the next year.”

And Odemwingie says today’s players should

be wary of taking bad advice as the transfer

window comes to a close.

“It shows you need a plan B. And if you are a

young player, you need to be patient.

“When you are a young player you can accept

what the club is doing and you have time on

your side. You can say to yourself, ‘One more

season and then I can get that dream move’.

“I feel if a player gives genuine reasons why

he wants a move, clubs should accept it. There

should be a way to agree.

“But as I found out, ultimately it is

always the clubs who call the shots and it

is their final decision.”

with Junior Hoilett, who didn’t want to come,

and that was the reason West Brom claimed

they couldn’t let me go. But that was never the

truth from what I understand.

“West Brom have their own fault in the

whole thing and if they were man enough they

could come out and say what really happened.

PETER ODEMWINGIE has opened up on his
notorious failed deadline day move and warned
today’s players not to be hung out to dry like
him.
The Nigerian striker hit the headlines as he
tried to complete an ill-fated switch to QPR in
January 2013. The West Brom man drove to
Loftus Road believing he would complete the
formalities on the last-gasp deal.
He then gave a memorable TV interview
through his car window at QPR confirming he
expected to sign for them.
But Albion publicly claimed they had not
sanctioned the move and left Odemwingie
red-faced in the Loftus Road car park.
Speaking at the Farmfoods British Par 3 golf
Championship in Warwickshire, he recalled:
“I wasn’t expecting to go to the ground or
find a camera. It was a silly idea of one of the
agents. But even then I still thought the move
was going to be done.
“Everywhere I go now, I get even more
recognised for that interview than what I did on
the pitch. It was later presented as a swap deal

Don’t get clobbered like me says Peter

OPENING UP:

Odemwingie

gives that

memorable

interview

By James Nursey

ALL THE BREAKING TRANSFER

NEWS ONLINE express.co.uk/sport

Brazilian

to force

Arsenal

switch

Manchester United for training with

Anderlecht without their permission.

Luiz’s agent, Kia Joorabchian, fell out

with Arsenal but is now back in favour as he

represents sporting director Edu and Arsenal

head of football Raul Sanllehi. Both men are

understood to be pushing for the Luiz deal to

go through.

The Gunners are also confident of sealing

a beat-the-deadline deal for 22-year-old

Celtic and Scotland defender Kieran

Tierney after agreeing a fee in excess of

£25million.

FROM BACK PAGE

he is not likely to be a regular first-team

player at Stamford Bridge while Arsenal boss

Unai Emery wants him to replace Laurent

Koscielny, who has joined Bordeaux.

Luiz, who is in his second spell at Chelsea,

has been acting up since the club’s return

from Austria last week.

The Brazilian is the latest big-name star

to kick off in this window after Koscielny,

left, refused to travel on Arsenal’s pre-

season tour of America while Inter Milan

target Romelu Lukaku has been fined by

By Darren Lewis

BLUES BYE?

Luiz, left, with

Lampard, is

looking to leave

Chelsea

Chelsea DNA

is so great...

have had seven. Maybe Luiz believes he

could be the difference at the Emirates

with Laurent Koscielny gone.

Perhaps Luiz believes he could provide

the leadership so sorely lacking at the

back for Arsenal that some fans fear they

could end up watching this season

through their fingers.

Only that could explain why he has

gone from gushing about the clutch of

exciting talent champing at the bit to be

let loose at Stamford Bridge to wanting

to force his way out.

Out in Austria Luiz pushed the claims

of Callum Hudson-Odoi – fresh from

having signed a new £25million deal –

and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, set to return

from injury. He added: “Chelsea have

amazing defenders, it’s great to work

with every single one.

“Kurt Zouma is an

amazing friend, an

amazing player.

Amazing guy. It’s

great to have him

back from loan.”

Not great enough

for him not to

want to jump ship,

clearly.

Hazard having defected to Real Madrid,

the side that confounded expectations to

win the Europa League in May might

just find this season a bridge too far.

Because now, he wants out...to join

Arsenal.

Remember, Chelsea demolished

Arsenal in that Europa

League final.

Chelsea scored

four and could

ONLY last week David Luiz could not

rave enough about the Chelsea DNA

of which he claimed to be a part.

Speaking after a 5-3 win over Red

Bull Salzburg in Austria, the Brazilian

centre-back was bullish about the club’s

chances of silencing a few doubters in

the Premier League this season.

“We have a lot of players here with

quality,” he said then. “Everyone can see

the talents from the young players. They

are mature enough with a great

experience and great mentality to work

hard and show that every single day.

“Chelsea is so well in this moment

because they have many many, many

people with the DNA of the club, not just

the staff. Everyone in the staff knows each

other well and has worked for this club

for a long time. Even with the players.”

Maybe Luiz developed a few doubts

himself. Maybe he lost faith in the Frank

Lampard project which, to

everyone else, looks

to be ticking along

quite nicely.

Maybe Luiz

is worried that,

with Eden

One week later Luiz wants out!

❑

PORTUGAL defender Joao

Cancelo has become

Manchester City’s third and final

signing of the summer.

Cancelo, left, has joined

the champions from

Juventus in a £60million

deal that sees Danilo go

in the opposite direction.

The 25 year old signed

a six-year contract.