In today’s news roundup, we have reports from Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, who has insisted that Sterling will stay at Liverpool and rubbished all transfer rumours for the 20 year old winger. Also, Ian Wright and Alsiher Usmanov weigh in with their opinions about club transfers.
Elsewhere, Liverpool duo Lallana and Sturridge have been declared fit to play at the Emirates today. Sturridge was in lethal form last season, but has been sidelined for most of this season through injury. Also, defender Mathieu Debuchy has declared that he feels ‘guilty’ after spending most of his first season at Arsenal on the sidelines. All this and more in today’s roundup.
‘Raheem is not going anywhere’
With massive speculations in the media regarding the future of Liverpool and England forward Raheem Sterling, manager Brendan Rodgers has addressed the issue directly; claiming that Sterling will stay where he is and that the club have no intention of selling.
His comments come in the wake of an interview the 20-year-old Sterling gave to the BBC where he revealed he was flattered by the reported interested of Arsenal and attempted to justify why he was refusing to sign a new Liverpool contract.
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This is what the manager had to say:
Arsenal is a great club, but this is Liverpool. For Raheem to be playing here is an honour.
He has got two and a half years left on his contract and is going nowhere this summer.
As a club we’ve shown that [money doesn’t come into it]. If the club doesn’t want to sell, it won’t sell.
Rodgers is making a strong statement, but I think we haven’t heard the last of this matter yet.
Meanwhile, ex-Arsenal striker Ian Wright has insisted that Arsenal need to sign Sterling and let him play ‘where he wants’.
Usmanov keen to bring Dybala to the Emirates
Alisher Usmanov is said to have inquired directly with Palermo about the cost of Paulo Dybala, despite Arsene Wenger insisting that Arsenal aren’t interested in signing the Argentine striker.
The Daily Star site cites claims by the website of Italian journalist Gianluca DiMarzio, which says Usmanov wrote a letter inquiring about details on the status of Dybala.
This latest twist comes in the same week Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini claimed Arsenal had lodged a bid for the forward along with Juventus.
But it’s a rather bizarre and unprecedented move from Usmanov, if true, because it’s unclear just what he’s got to gain from it, especially considering he holds no sway at the club and Arsene Wenger only yesterday denied any interest in Dybala.
Liverpool fitness update: Lallana and Sturridge fit to play
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has confirmed that Liverpool duo Adam Lallana and Daniel Sturridge should be fit to face Arsenal on Saturday. Both players were injured in the Merseyside club’s last Premier League outing against Manchester United.
Sturridge’s recovery in particular is rather miraculous after Roy Hodgson claimed during the international break that the striker would be out for a month with a hip injury. However, the 25-year-old is prepared to play through the pain barrier to give Liverpool the best chance of securing a top-four finish and Champions League football next season.
Mathieu Debuchy ‘guilty’ about inability to contribute
Although defender Mathieu Debuchy is a recent transfer to the club, he is intimately acquainted with the injury curse of Arsenal. Early on in the season, he suffered ligament damage to his ankles and was sidelined for several months; when he finally made his comeback, he managed to play only a few games before dislocating his shoulder.
Now he has returned to full training again, the Frenchman seems motivated to give his best to make up for his absences so far:
I just need to find my rhythm and feeling. It’s never easy having two operations in the same season. I’m not 100%, but not far off.
It’s annoying to arrive at a new club and be injured. I made a good start, felt well and then have had two injuries.
Inevitably, in your head, you’re not feeling great, you feel guilty. When a club signs you they’re counting on you and in return, I’ve not brought anything.
After the World Cup, it’s true that I needed a break. Three weeks of holiday goes quickly. It’s possible my first injury was related to fatigue, but I don’t know.
It’s not easy being in the stands or watching TV. It was hard, but I made the effort to go to the stadium and to the dressing room after the game.
It is important to show our face. I could have made my recovery in France or elsewhere, but I chose to stay at Arsenal.
Hopefully, he will be able to make a few telling contributions before the end of the season.
Other interesting stories on allarsenal.com
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