Blasphemy! Seven clubs lock horns for the title after sir Alex Ferguson's retirement!

[KevinHann]

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Lee Dixon: Citizens snap another Barcelona winger
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LEE DIXON Thursday 19 June 2014

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New Manchester City manager Jurgen Klopp wasted little time before concluding his first signing at the club. The Citizens have agreed a 26.5 million pounds fee with Barcelona for winger Pedro (26) who has put pen to paper for a five year deal. The Spain international has represented his country on 37 occasions, scoring 13 goals. He was very impressive for his club last season with 10 goals from 23 starts.

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Pedro the right type of player for City​

Pedro can fit on both wings and offer a back up option up front. He is the type of player the fans will love watching for his offensive minded runs with the ball in the box. If anything, this transfer confirms Jurgen Klopp will maintain the flowing attacking football brand we grew so accustomed to in recent years.

Pedro transfer verdict: 8.5/10 - statement of intent from City as they will be looking to improve on last year's fourth place finish.

 

[apovsic]

- With Liverpool relegated the number of title contenders drops from seven to six. Does covering so many teams deprive the story of enough focus?

- I have stripped the side-articles recently to move along the season more smoothly. I am always looking for ways to balance the format of the story though so let me know which components you enjoy most and want to see or can live without?

- Is there anything else I haven't provided you would like to see that would add to the experience?

- What changes would you suggest to make the story more eye-friendly in terms of layout? Perhaps there is too much information with all the screenshots? Or there are additional things I am missing to include?

I enjoy how you do it in the last months, heavily focused on Newcastle. But on the other hand the multiple club style is what makes the story interesting. I would suggest that for every Newcastle article (like commentary of the month) you add one article for one other team (keep all 6 of theme) and then you rotate (so one month City, next ManUtd, then Arsenal,...). And keep the twetts, it short and sweet.

 

[KevinHann]

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Simon Pegg @simonpegg what a tool @ Marseilles can yo-----i------ue 1m

New blockbuster deal #CFC coming soon! Been a while since the last one...

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[KevinHann]

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Mourinho turns to Mexican for Terry long-term replacement?

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Tony Cascarino Commentary
Last updated at 11:51PM, June 20 2014

Jose Mourinho has concluded only his second signing since returning to Stamford Bridge last season. Chelsea have captured Espanyol center back Hector Moreno (26) for a fee of 17.75 million pounds. Moreno might not be the popular choice for John Terry long-term replacement amongst the Blues fans but the defender is 43-times capped Mexico international and has established a reputation in both Eredivisie and Primera.

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​Moreno becomes Mou's second signing
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It is believed a decisive factor for picking Moreno was his trophy winning pedigree as he claimed the U-17 World Cup and the Gold Cup with Mexico, as well as Eredivisie and the Dutch Super Cup with AZ Alkmaar. Mourinho will certainly hope Hector will add to that with Chelsea in the forthcoming season.

Hector Moreno transfer verdict: 7.0/10 - maybe it isn't the household name Stamford Bridge got so accustomed to over the past decade but the Mexican is a solid no-nonsense defender and will be very useful.

 

[KevinHann]

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Newcastle confirm sale of a string of fringe players

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Rob Lee
Published at 10:47AM, June 21 2014

It was evident since last summer manager Hristov would not be using several of the squad players but there was never sufficient interest to cash in on them so most of them were allowed to go out on loan deals. This has been addressed as soon as the summer transfer window opened and Newcastle have now confirmed new clubs have been found for those not needed. The first to leave is young winger Sammy Ameobi (22) who depards for Leicester for 1.6 million pounds.

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Sammy Ameobi becomes a Fox
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The second fringe player Newcastle have sold is Haris Vuckic (21) as Blackburn have agreed to pay 2.8 million pounds for his services.

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Vuckic goes to Rovers
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Newcastle have also agreed a 1.5 million pounds deal with Bolton for French midfielder Romain Amalfitano (24) who failed to live up to expectations since his arrival at the club.

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Amalfitano leaves for Bolton
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The final player to leave Newcastle is Mehdi Abeid (21) who will be going to Stoke for 2.8 million pounds.

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Stoke take Abeid
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Hristov hinted no other players are expected to leave the club permanently although some would be allowed loan moves in the coming weeks.

Sammy Ameobi transfer verdict: 5.0/10 - the youngster could probably have served as backup player or at least commanded a higher fee but the policy Hristov adopts gives local talent little chance.

Haris Vuckic transfer verdict: 7.0/10 - the Slovenian simply couldn't develop as much as his early potential and the fee Newcastle picked up for him was pretty good.

Romain Amalfitano transfer verdict: 5.5/10 - getting rid of a failure is never easy but the Magpies somehow pulled a bit of profit on him.

Mehdi Abeid transfer verdict: 6.5/10 - the Algerian could have been given another year but Stoke's offer was probably good enough anyway.

The combined fees of Ameobi, Vuckic, Amalfitano and Abeid account for 8.7 million pounds and have been added to the transfer budget:

Newcastle transfer budget: 31.30 million pounds (29.85 million initial)

 

[KevinHann]

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Piers Morgan @piersmorgan what a tool @ Marseilles can youiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiie 1m

Koscielny replacement reportedly on his way to #Arsenal

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[KevinHann]

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Arsenal turn to Kyiv defender to replace Koscielny
Austrian international arrives at the Emirates

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Dragovic becomes first major summer signing

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By Alan Smith
8:47AM GMT 24 Jun 2014

Arsenal have moved swiftly to replace Laurent Koscielny after Dinamo Kyiv accepted a 10.0 million pounds bid for Aleksandar Dragovic (23). The Austrian center back has 29 caps for his country and was a big success for the Ukraine powerhouse in his first and only season with them.​

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Aleksandar Dragovic profile​

Dragovic has won the Swiss league three times and the Swiss Cup once with Basel and was also part of the Austrian FA Cup winning Austria Wien team. He matches the profile of young up and coming player Wenger looks to sign. Arsene suggested this wouldn't be the last defensive signing Arsenal make this transfer window although the fans will be expecting some firepower to be added up front as well.

Aleksandar Dragovic transfer verdict: 6.5/10 - typical Wenger transfer which doesn't mean it is a bad deal - but it won't be enough to re-establish Arsenal as a title contender.

 

[KevinHann]

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Magpies loan out six players

June , 2014

By Kevin Keegan

As manager Dimiter Hristov promised recently, some of the players who wouldn't be with the first team this season have been allowed to move out on loan in order to get regular first team football and develop. Those are as listed below:

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Ryan Taylor - Middlesbrough, 100k p/m
Massadio Haidara - Brighton, 170k p/m
Christos Ntaflas - Crewe, 60k p/m
Mario Pugliese - Nottm Forest, 56k p/m
Adam Campbell - Nottm Forest, 80k p/m
Alberto Cerri - Doncaster, 93k p/m​

No other players are expected to leave the club until the summer transfer windows shuts. Hristov has reiterated his desire to add one or two wingers to boost competition in that area.

 

[KevinHann]

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Simon Pegg @simonpegg what a tool @ Marseilles can yo-----i------ue 1m

Big news coming soon for #CFC I hear a deal has been struck with Barcelona!

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[KevinHann]

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Barcelona star agrees to join Chelsea
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By Ray Wilkins | Last Updated: June 26, 2014 11:00am

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Chile winger superstar just what the Blues need

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Deal generates positive energy around the club, says Ray Wilkins.

Chelsea have officially announced the signing of Alexis Sanchez (25) from Barcelona for a 18.75 million pounds fee. This is the first really big deal Jose Mourinho has concluded since returning for his second stint as the Blues manager and although we had to wait more than a year to see it happen, it was worth it. The Chile international has 61 appearances and 15 goals for his country and adds explosive threat from the wings.

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Sanchez in blue​

It is believed Barcelona allowed Alexis to leave after he mysteriously fell down the pecking order for the Catalan giants, only starting three games during the entire last season - while coming off the bench on 23 occasions. Sanchez was infuriated with this and demanded a move elsewhere. As much as I like their squad, I simply don't understand how you can keep such a tremendous talent rooted to the bench but, well, their loss - our gain. One thing is certain - a transfer of this magnitude will lift the entire team and deliver a message to rival clubs.

Alexis Sanchez transfer verdict: 10.0/10 - not many better than him out there and considering the price it will be a strong contender for transfer of the year.

 

[KevinHann]

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Cheryl Cole @CherylCole what a tool @ Marseilles can you beiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiie 1m

Reports #nufc have just broken the club's record transfer fee!

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[KevinHann]

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Newcastle smash transfer record to steal wonderkid from Old Trafford

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Rob Lee
Published at 10:11AM, June 26 2014

This will be one the fans enjoy. There has always been a grudge with Manchester United ever since that notorious campaign Alex Ferguson's mind games got to our Entertainers team and destroyed what could have been the beginning of a legacy. Dethroning them last season felt good, yes, it did, but this will taste even better as now we share a similar standing and the rivalry is back on full throttle. And what feels better than taking one of your rival's most promising players right under their noses? Newcastle today announced the transfer of Manchester United's teenage sensation Adnan Januzaj (19) for a record-breaking fee of 47.5 million pounds. Yes, this will be one the fans enjoy but the club accountants will have a hard time to swallow.

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​Januzaj accepts move to SJP
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Of course when you look into the details it isn't all that scary. The huge sum is broken down to 7.5 million up-front payment and the rest will be due over the next four seasons. It also doesn't really deprive the Red Devils from a significant first team player as Januzaj barely made nine appearances last campaign. Even then it is clear he is going to be a tremendous player in the future and just like Manchester United priced Wayne Rooney away several years ago, Hristov was probably right to do so today. It is what big clubs do.

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Januzaj in black and white
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Dimiter Hristov was not at all bothered with the huge money paid for a single player when approached by the media:

Reporter: This is quite some news, Mr. Hristov! We understand there were extensive negotiations prior to concluding the deal and David Moyes hinted in the end it all depended on your determination to get the player. It could also be said you paid way over the odds for a kid yet to show anything but promise though.
Dimiter Hristov: Let me tell you something, players like Adnan don't turn up in this game very often. When they do, you do what it takes to get them, you nurture them and you get the best out of them for years to come. David Moyes can hint whatever he wants but he and I both know they lost a big, big player today. Yes, Adnan is not there yet and won't be a first team regular this season, but he will play as much as needed to progress, then next season he will play a bit more and you will see the full extent of what is behind my words.
Reporter: Okay, you suggested you would be looking to add two players to compete for a role on the wing. We take it this is the youngster you wanted in the mix. Probably you didn't intend to spend that much on him though - does that mean you will not be doing further business now?
Dimiter Hristov: It means no such thing at all. I keep to my word and we are already at an advanced stage of negotiations about another player. As usual I will not reveal any names before all the papers have been signed but hopefully you'll have another story soon enough.

I must say I like the way Hristov is dominating the public domain despite the fact some of the other contenders have wrapped up amazing deals recently. Chelsea signed a ready-made superstar from Barcelona for a bargain fee but this week everyone will talk about the Adnan deal.

Adnan Januzaj transfer verdict: 9.5/10 - publicity and talent aside, we cannot ignore the fact any young player represents a risk and could always struggle to realize early potential - remember Quaresma? - so for this reason we can't reward a top rating for this transfer.

The structure of the Adnan Januzaj transfer fee means 15 million pounds have to be deducted from the current transfer budget:

Newcastle transfer budget: 16.30 million pounds (29.85 million initial)

 

[KevinHann]

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World Cup 2014 Watch
Host - Brazil
Current Holders - Spain

Group Stage:

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1/8 Final Draw:

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Japan - Colombia

Switzerland - Belgium

Russia - Croatia

Italy - Mexico

Ukraine - Ivory Coast

Germany - Turkey

Argentina - South Korea

Spain - Cameroon

 

[KevinHann]

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Latest Manchester United transfer PR disaster
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Last Updated: 28th June 2014

WRONG to announce youth signing after Januzaj departure!

What Manchester United needed after the shock sale of Adnan Januzaj was a big transfer, one to make a statement to the world the club is not going backwards by selling its brightest talents. Instead we get a club official website news we have signed Per Paarup (16). Excuse me, Per who?! No disrespect to the FC Kobenhavn lad, he might be the next Mertesacker, but for all I know right now he sounds like we went shopping for a Ferrari and returned with a bag of vegetables. You don't make a statement by spending 240k pounds on a youngster, simple as that.​

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Per Paarup profile​

So who is Paarup, exactly? He's an attack-minded fullback and plays on the right side of defense. Never made a first team appearance since coming through the youth ranks at FC Kobenhavn last season. And that's all. There isn't anything spectacular about his play. No additional information on what to expect. Paarup is someone who can emerge in three or four seasons or we may never hear his name again. Odds are we will remember him as the player Manchester United brought just after cashing in on the brightest rising star Old Trafford has seen since Wayne Rooney. Sometimes I wonder why we pay a PR Department at all.

Per Paarup transfer verdict: 1.5/10 - some may say it's unfair to judge this deal solely on its timing but as we know timing is what can make kings or destroy empires.

 

[KevinHann]

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Lee Dixon: Citizens bring in a third keeper
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LEE DIXON Saturday 28 June 2014

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This isn't the kind of deal to wet your mouth so don't get your hopes high. Manchester City have just announced the capture of Scott Loach (26) from Ipswich for a 350k pounds fee. Scott is obviously arriving as back-up keeper and it is probably a little strange that Jurgen Klopp chose him after he failed to make a single first team appearance for the Tractor boys last season.

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Loach profile​

Loach was considered a promising goalkeeper not so long ago when he was a regular part of the England U21 team but he failed to follow up those 14 caps with an appearance for the full international selection. It has to be said it seems very likely he would struggle to do that for City either.

Scott Loach transfer verdict: 3.5/10 - never hurts to have a back-up option in the squad just in case and the fee would hardly allow anyone to call this transfer a failure but the Citizens should really look for better prospects even for the fringes.

 

[KevinHann]

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World Cup 2014 Watch
Host - Brazil
Current Holders - Spain

1/8 Final Stage:

Saturday 28th June 2014:

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Japan - Colombia

2-1
Ikeda (52), Hayashi (55); Falcao (28), Valencia sent off (53)
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Switzerland - Belgium

1-1
Inler (72); Mirallas (5)
Belgium win 5-4 on penalties
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Sunday 29th June 2014:

Russia - Croatia

3-3
Dzyuba (1, 40), Kombarov (81); Mandzukic (64, 65), Vrsaljko (90+1)
Belgium win 6-5 on penalties
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Italy - Mexico

3-1
Giovinco (48), Balotelli (50), Osvaldo (89); Guardado (84)
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Monday 30th June 2014:

Ukraine - Ivory Coast

3-0
Shynder (35), Konoplyanka (59), Yarmolenko (84)
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Germany - Turkey

1-0
Petersen (12)
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Tuesday 1st July 2014:

Argentina - South Korea

1-2 AET
Han Jung-Hwan o.g. (31), Rojo sent off (78); Park Chu-Young (21, 98)
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Spain - Cameroon

1-0
Bedimo o.g. (6)
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Quarter Final Draw:

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Japan - Italy

Belgium - Russia

Ukraine - Spain

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Germany - South Korea

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[KevinHann]

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Hugh Laurie @hughlaurie what a tool @ Marseilles can -u--------------e 1m

News is about to break out Arsenal have completed three transfers. Don't
know how many are in and out though.

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[KevinHann]

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Gunners bring in genuine Koscielny replacement but lose two more
Summer restructuring continues but new midfield enforcer is a must​

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Sol Campbell
The Guardian, Tuesday 1 July 2014

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Even when Wenger signed Aleksandar Dragovic it was clear the Austrian would struggle to fill in the boots of Laurent Koscielny. Arsenal knew that all along as proved by today's official news that Ezequiel Garay (27) has joined the club from Benfica in a deal worth 10.75 million pounds. The Argentine international has the required pedigree and experience to be a success in the Premier League and is a nice deviation from the manager's usual signings.

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Garay becomes Koscielny's replacement

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Last season was a failure everyone at the club wants to put behind and after so many years of just hanging in the top four the bubble has burst. Changes are required. The squad needs to be restructured and some players will have to leave. As a matter of fact two did so today. Arsenal announced Mathieu Flamini (30) has been allowed to move to Swansea for 1.6 million pounds. Flamini didn't impress during his season-long second stint with the club but he did a lot of dirty work in midfield and totaled 38 games. While his departure is not a massive surprise as an upgrade is definitely required, failure to replace him would leave a gaping hole in front of the back four.

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Flamini failed to make dream return
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The other player to leave Arsenal is Johan Djourou (27) who opted to make his loan move to HSV permanent for 1.9 million pounds. This leads to the logical conclusion Dragovic was never meant to be Koscielny's replacement but was in fact signed to replace Djourou. Johan has spent the last two seasons out on loan and never developed into the player we all wanted to see.

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Not good enough - Djourou leaves
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Ezequiel Garay transfer verdict: 8.5/10 - like for like replacement for Koscielny although the deal leaves the bitter sense the club just took the money for the Frenchman.

Mathieu Flamini transfer verdict: 4.0/10 - since there is no replacement yet and Mathieu was heavily relied on last season we must say his sale was rushed the least as he could have given the club at least another year.

Johan Djourou transfer verdict: 4.5/10 - it was the right decision to let Djourou go albeit his market value was nearly triple the amount the Gunners received for him.

 

[KevinHann]

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Spurs let Assou-Ekotto leave
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Last Updated: 2nd July 2014

BENOIT was good servant but needs to move on

Tottenham have announced the sale of Benoit Assou-Ekotto (30) to Lille for a cut-price 975k pounds. The Cameroon international full back has found himself surplus to requirements and after returning from a loan spell with Q.P.R. it became clear he has no future with the club.
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View attachment 420776
​Assou-Ekotto leaves the Lane

This doesn't come to say Benoit doesn't deserve credit for the wonderful service as he has been with Spurs over seven seasons and helped the club to a Champions League qualification. He has managed 155 league appearances with 4 goals and the supporters will certainly wish him well and keep fond memories of his best moments at White Hart Lane.​

Benoit Assou-Ekotto transfer verdict: 5.0/10 - it was the right time to let go before the Cameroonian became deadweight - he deserves better.

 

[KevinHann]

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Lee Dixon: Demichelis sold as experiment didn't work out
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LEE DIXON Wednesday 2 July 2014

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Manchester City manager Jurgen Klopp was less than impressed with veteran Martin Demichelis (33) and his form last season and sanctioned a 400k pounds move to Fluminense for the defender. Demichelis managed 14 appearances for the Citizens and while he didn't particularly make huge mistakes he didn't shine either. Of course that was never expected of him - given his age. He was brought in as experienced backup to help the team mainly in the Champions League.

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Demichelis profile
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It didn't quite work out and Klopp doesn't wish to continue trusting a player he didn't bring in and so close to retirement. It is the best option for Martin as well as he will have the chance to enjoy his last days of football in a league much more likely to be forgiving to his deteriorating mobility.

Martin Demichelis transfer verdict: 5.0/10 - no huge surprise even if some will suggest Demichelis could still have been useful.