Friday 47

Sports Friday, August 9, 2019 Tottenham, Arsenal to splash cash on deadline day LONDON: Tottenham made the headlines on a mer. And Spurs’ long-running interest in England busy final day of the Premier League transfer under-21 international Sessegnon will be realised window with deals in the pipeline for Giovani lo in a reported £25 million deal that could rise to Celso and Ryan Sessegnon, but their hopes of £30 million including add-ons. signing Paulo Dybala are fading. Across north London, Arsenal are expected DYBALA NO-GO to complete moves for Celtic left-back Kieran However, a sensational swoop for Dybala has Tierney and centre-back David Luiz from reportedly broken down, with Juventus unwilling Chelsea. Manchester United striker Romelu to let the Argentine leave without an adequate Lukaku’s prolonged transfer to Inter Milan is replacement, having missed out on Lukaku. Ar- also close to completion after the clubs report- senal are badly in need of defensive recruits to edly agreed on a deal that could rise to 80 mil- shore up a backline that conceded 51 Premier lion euros (£74 million, $90 million). League goals last season to miss out on Cham- Lukaku arrived in Milan early yesterday, pions League football for a third straight year. leaving United facing a race against time to find Tierney travelled to London on Wednesday a replacement despite interest in Juventus for- after the payment structure of a £25-million ward Mario Mandzukic. Spurs chairman Daniel move from Celtic was finally agreed between the Levy has been under pressure from manager clubs. Luiz is also set for a switch across London Mauricio Pochettino to build on the progress to replace departed Arsenal captain Laurent Ko- made on and off the field as Tottenham moved scielny, who joined Bordeaux earlier this week, into a new 62,000-capacity stadium and in a £8 million transfer from Chelsea. reached the Champions League final last season. No more business is expected at Premier They have made just one summer signing so League champions Manchester City after they Giovani lo Celso far, with French international midfielder Tanguy secured right-back Joao Cancelo from Juventus Ndombele joining for a club-record fee from on Wednesday. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp Lyon, but all that is set to change in the final confirmed the European champions would not are hoping to complete a host of last-minute transfer request and did not train with the Eagles hours of the window. delve into the market at the last minute after deals to add to six arrivals already at Goodison on Thursday. Argentine international midfielder Lo Celso making just three low-key additions in teenagers Park during the window. Everton are hopeful of Leicester are also set to use some of the £80 is expected to complete a season-long loan deal Sepp van den Berg and Harvey Elliott and back- taking Manchester United defender Marcos million they received from Manchester United that will contain an obligation on Tottenham’s up goalkeeper Adrian. Rojo on loan and could still land Crystal Palace’s for Harry Maguire on Sampdoria midfielder part to make the transfer permanent next sum- By contrast, Merseyside neighbours Everton Wilfried Zaha after the Ivorian submitted a Dennis Praet for 20 million euros. — AFP

about that. And if you sit back for a second and slot in the Champions League qualifiers, an ho- Liverpool bank have a look at the squad, do we need more play- FIFA sidesteps nour reserved for a country’s top league. ers?” On the evidence of last season, there is Ranjit Bajaj, owner of I-League champions precious little for Liverpool to improve on. Minerva Punjab, earlier promised to launch legal on stability over A Premier League points tally of 97 would India row as action if FIFA does not step in. have won the title in any season bar the last two “I am surprised to find FIFA turning a blind signings to end as Manchester City have set a new bar under Pep league plan eye to the clear and obvious violation of FIFA Guardiola. City have further strengthened the statutes and principles by the AIFF which would 30-year title wait squad that won a first ever domestic treble of tro- splits sport not be acceptable anywhere in the world,” he phies in England last season with the club record wrote in a letter to FIFA. signing of Spanish midfielder Rodri and will be the “We strongly believe that the AIFF is totally LIVERPOOL: Missing out on the Premier benchmark for Liverpool to beat. A 1-1 draw be- NEW DELHI: World body FIFA has told Indian incompetent in handling the crisis which is being League title despite a record-breaking cam- tween the sides, with City edging a penalty football to sort out its differences after a move faced by the Indian football.” paign was eased by winning a sixth European shootout 5-4, in the Community Shield last week- to hand the I-League’s top-tier status to the But AIFF general secretary Kushal Das said Cup for Liverpool last season, but ending a 30- end again highlighted how little there is to sepa- franchise-based Indian Super League drew a the national body was not shutting the door on year wait to be crowned English champions is rate the English and European champions. threat of legal action. the I-League. “We have always maintained the now more important than ever on Merseyside. Yet, in contrast to last season when Liverpool Swiss-based FIFA said clubs needed to work body which is in the best position to direct In- Jurgen Klopp’s men are expected to strike were the least affected of England’s big six by with the All India Football Federation after the dian football is the AIFF,” Das told AFP. first blood in the title race when they kick off the the late return to pre-season of players at the national body moved to strip the I-League win- “There can be suggestions from various Premier League season against newly-promoted World Cup, Klopp has a tougher time in ensur- ners of their place in the AFC Champions stakeholders, but ultimately it is the AIFF who Norwich under the Friday night lights of . ing his side hit the ground running. League qualifiers and give it to the ISL. has to implement it taking into account all prac- However, unlike most of their competitors who The prolific front three of Salah, Roberto Despite an appeal from aggrieved I-League tical issues, and FIFA simply said that is indeed have delved into the arms race for talent in an- Firmino and Sadio Mane were all involved in in- club owners, FIFA refused to intervene and said the case. “Give us two to three years to define a other transfer window where Premier League ternational tournaments again this summer. Liv- they needed to find a solution with the AIFF. proper roadmap. We are not here to destroy In- clubs have spent over £1 billion ($1.2 billion), the erpool have decided against investing heavily in “It was clear that there are numerous aspects dian football unlike some of the nonsensical European champions have been conspicuously back-up for that trio and their presence was of the recommendations that still require further clubs are claiming.” — AFP quiet in the transfer market. missed in a bumpy pre-season that saw an consideration prior to them being implemented,” Teenage talents Sepp van den Berg and Har- under-strength side beaten by Borussia Dort- FIFA wrote in a letter to the I-League clubs. vey Elliott have been snapped up with an eye to mund, Sevilla and Napoli. “... We therefore strongly believe that the MATCHES ON TV the future, while Spanish goalkeeper Adrian will But Klopp believes the squad he has assem- AIFF is best placed to do this.” LOCAL TIMING replace Simon Mignolet as back-up to bled will be bolstered by Alex Oxlade-Chamber- The collision between the rival competitions Becker in three low-key arrivals. lain, Adam Lallana and Rhian Brewster’s return has been coming since the ISL, backed by India’s ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE Klopp, though, believes the foundations are to fitness, while Naby Keita can have a bigger richest man Mukesh Ambani, made its debut in Liverpool v Norwich City 22:00 already in place for another tilt at the title after impact in his second season in English football. 2014. The ISL, modelled on cricket’s hugely suc- beIN SPORTS HD 2 spending over £230 million in the past two years “People think that players from other cessful Indian Super League, quickly overtook on the likes of Alisson, and Mo- clubs, other countries, are better than the the I-League’s viewing figures as it attracted FRENCH LEAGUE hamed Salah. “You should never do transfers be- players we have here but without really hav- veteran stars like Alessandro Del Piero and AS Monaco FC v Olympique Lyonnais 21:45 cause other clubs are doing transfers,” Klopp ing the proof, because those players haven’t Nicolas Anelka. Six I-League clubs have chal- beIN SPORTS HD 6 told Sky Sports. “That makes no sense, it’s not played here,” he said. — AFP lenged the plan to give the ISL winners India’s