Premier League Paper Round: Club in close contact with Wenger Monaco are keen to take Arsene Wenger back to France; but the Arsenal manager will have yet more cash to splash at the Emirates in January; Gareth Southgate is being lined up to replace Roy Hodgson as England manager; and Radamel Falcao has English blood - the main stories making headlines in todays newspapers. Monaco keeping tabs on Wenger: French club Monaco are in close contact with Arsene Wenger and remain keen to tempt him from Arsenal, according to a report in the Daily Mail. The paper claims officials from the Ligue 1 side met Wenger two months ago on a trip to London for the pre-season Emirates Cup and harbour a desire to take the manager back to the club where he first made his name. Paper Rounds view: According to Monaco vice president Vadim Vasilyev Wenger is part of our history, part of our heritage. While that may be true and while the two parties may well be close to one another, that does not mean that Wenger will be tempted to turn his back on a newly-penned £24 million deal with Arsenal any time soon. Wenger is just a part of the Gunners history and heritage, after all. Wenger to be given January war chest: Wenger will be handed a £20m transfer budget once the transfer window re-opens in January, despite a net spend of just under £60m over the summer. Despite the arrivals of Alexis Sanchez, Calum Chambers, Mathieu Debuchy, David Ospina and Danny Welbeck, Wenger is still in need of defensive cover, reports the Daily Telegraph, with two players in the region of £10m each a possibility in the New Year. Paper Rounds view: Another reason why Wenger is unlikely to leave the Emirates in the near future: with all this money to spend on improving his squad further, hed be mad to jump ship at the moment. Now the purse strings have been loosened for him, these are exciting times in north London and Wenger is very much a part of it. Gareth Southgate, next England manager: Gareth Southgate is being lined up to succeed Roy Hodgson as Englands next manager, reports the Daily Mirror. The England U21 boss has impressed FA officials in guiding his side to their fifth consecutive U21 European Championship and is set to be rewarded with a contract extension to keep him with the age-group teams until 2017. Hodgsons deal with the Three Lions ends after Euro 2016 and with the likes of Roberto Martinez and Brendan Rodgers unlikely to leave their high-profile club jobs to replace Hodgson, Southgate has emerged as a real contender for the post. Paper Rounds view: A possession-based, forward-thinking game is one which many would like to see at senior level; given that Southgate has employed such tactics - with great success - at U21 level, a bright future may well lie in the former defenders hands. Continuity too could be key to any decision - Southgate has worked with many of Englands current young stars, and would be able to bring through the next generation - already schooled in his methods - relatively seamlessly. In theory, it all sounds rather tempting. Falcao is a Yorkshireman: The Daily Mail makes the interesting revelation that Manchester United striker Radamel Falcao has English blood in him. The Colombia strikers great grandfather, a Yorkshireman called George King, came from the small North Yorkshire village of Burn, a few miles south of Selby. This family link led to Falcao applying for a British passport at the age of 13, when he was on the verge of signing for River Plate, but he was turned down as King was one branch too far up the family tree to qualify. Paper Rounds view: Radamel Falcao, England international. Its an intriguing concept, but sadly one which will not materialise. Chelsea discuss partnership with Besiktas: Chelsea have talked about a proposed partnership with Besiktas that could lead to a number of Blues players going out on loan to the Turkish club. The Daily Mail reports that the two clubs are close to confirming a collaboration which would involve close co-operation between the first teams and academies; offering training support and joint scouting projects. In addition, potential loan moves for Chelsea academy players would be a possibility under the terms of the agreement. Paper Rounds view: As if Chelsea didnt have enough players out on loan already. Still, these kind of partnerships are mutually beneficial; the bigger club gets to offload young players to gain more experience while the smaller club profits from an influx of new talent and expert guidance. Its a win-win situation. Sherwood and Pulis on QPR radar: The Times reports that Queens Park Rangers are torn between two possible replacements for Harry Redknapp, if the manager is dismissed. Under-pressure Redknapp could be sent packing as early as Monday, according to the report, and the board at Loftus Road is split between Tim Sherwood and Tony Pulis if he is. Paper Rounds view: Redknapps departure is becoming increasingly easy to envisage, with things unlikely to get much better when the Hoops meet Liverpool at home on Sunday. If he does go, Pulis would seem to be the better option of the two possible candidates; his work with Crystal Palace last season was admirable and with far more managerial experience under his belt than Sherwood, he would appear to be better suited to a lifting QPR out of their current mire and towards safety.
Posted on: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 12:00:34 +0000
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