KYL ZONE
Cesc Fabregas handed a snub to pal Lionel Messi and superstar Cristiano Ronaldo – and admitted if he was a manager he would sign wonderkid Kylian Mbappe instead.
The former Barcelona, Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder revealed who would be his top buy if he could bring anyone in and money was no object, and believes Mbappe is the new Thierry Henry.
Fabregas said: “Cristiano is 35 and Leo is going to turn 33, they are older.
“For youth, talent, desire and mentality, I would sign Mbappe.
“The thought of having him for ten years up front for my team, I would go for him.”
SHAME ON YOU
Piers Morgan has blasted Mesut Ozil for allegedly rejecting Arsenal’s 12.5 per cent pay cut due to coronavirus.
Morgan was raging while hosting Good Morning Britain today, saying: “Shame on you Mesut Ozil. Shame on you.
“Some of the younger players, who are on far less money than you, are taking a 12.5 per cent pay cut, a minuscule drop in the ocean for you, and you don’t want to do it because you want to see how the financial situation plays out while you are sitting on your backside on your Playstation every night rather than actually playing football. Really?
“I’ve reserved my condemnations for football clubs who have been furloughing, using taxpayers money when they have plenty themselves. Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle… all got shamed into doing U-turns on this kind of thing.
“The players I thought were getting a bad rap – but this is why some of them deserve a bad rap. People like Mesut Ozil who have just said ’Sorry, no. I may be one of the highest-paid players at Arsenal, one of the highest-paid in the world, I might be worth gazillions and sitting on my backside at the moment doing nothing, but no I’m not going to take a pay cut.”
CHUK THIS OUT
Villarreal striker Samuel Chukwueze has named Chelsea as his favourite club in England – despite nearly joining Arsenal.
“My favourite team in England is Chelsea,” Chukwueze said in an Instagram Live.
“I was supporting Chelsea when I was young. When Chelsea lost that Champions League final against Manchester United, I was crying all through the night.”
“Playing in England is still an ambition for me,” he told Team Talk.
“I really want to play in England. It was very close for me to sign for Arsenal, almost had the contract in my hands.
“Unfortunately, it did not work out fine with my academy due to the side of agreement and payment.
“They did not agree with the terms of the contract.”
GOOD MORNING, GUNNERS FANS
Arsenal have confirmed the first-team squad and Mikel Arteta will take a 12.5 per cent pay cut.
The Gunners released a statement to their club website on Monday to confirm a “voluntary” agreement had been reached.
It read: “We are pleased to announce that we have reached a voluntary agreement with our first-team players, head coach and core coaching staff to help support the club at this critical time.
“The move follows positive and constructive discussions.
“In these conversations there has been a clear appreciation of the gravity of the current situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and a strong desire for players and staff to show their backing for the Arsenal family.
“Reductions of total annual earnings by 12.5 per cent will come into effect this month, with the contractual paperwork being completed in the coming days.”
However, The Mirror claims Mesut Ozil is one of three senior players to refuse taking a cut.
Meanwhile, Arsenal are reportedly keen on snapping up highly-rated teenage midfielder Noah Francoise.
The Rennes prodigy, 16, has caught the eye of Mikel Arteta after some fine performances in this season’s UEFA Youth League.
Françoise score once in five games as Rennes remarkably reached the quarter-finals of the competition.
And he has been rewarded for his form with call-ups to France’s U16 and U17 sides.
Despite making a name for himself at Rennes, Francoise is yet to sign a professional contract with the Ligue 1 outfit.
And that has apparently opened the door for Arsenal to make a move.
However, they are said to face stiff competition from Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain and Spanish giants Sevilla.
Finally, Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele is reportedly interesting United and Arsenal but a bid is being held back by injury concerns.
Despite costing an initial £92million back in 2017, Dembele is said to be among those available for the right fee.
For that price, a return of just 19 goals in 72 games across almost three full seasons has led to the Frenchman being labelled a serious flop.
Nevertheless, United and Arsenal are reportedly investigating Dembele’s rocky injury history to determine whether it is down to bad luck, Barcelona’s mismanagement, or a more deep-rooted problem affecting the player, who has missed 26 games this season.
WHAT A MES
Mesut Özil is one of three Arsenal players who rejected the club’s proposed pay cut.
The Mirror claims he has decided not to go along with a 12.5 per cent deduction from his £350,000-a-week pay package amid the coronavirus crisis.
Arsenal announced the move on Monday, with boss Mikel Arteta leading from the front.
However, Ozil is one of three stars who is not following suit.
7am Arsenal news LIVE: Ozil one of three players to ‘REJECT pay cut’, Thomas Partey transfer LATEST, Aub - The Sun
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