THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2017 SPORTS Drogba repels bullet-proof Corinthians offer RIO DE JANEIRO: Former Chelsea (110,000 euros) a week, a 24-hours-per- right move for me at this time,” wrote In mid-January Corinthians’ sporting ing there for the 2014-2015 season. striker Didier Drogba has refused an day translator, six return tickets to Drogba. director Flavio Adauto had indicated A Champions League and four-time offer to join Corinthians of Brazil that Europe-and a bullet-proof car. The club thanked the player for that Drogba had been approached by Premier League winner with the Blues, would have included generous wages Drogba said on Twitter yesterday showing an interest. “Life is made on the club and that his relatively modest Drogba has hinted at a return to and a bullet-proof car. that he had spoken with the choices and this renowned player will demands would be met. Marseille. The former Ivory Coast cap- The Ivory Coast star, 38, is out of Corinthians president Roberto de head for other horizons this season,” Drogba moved to Chelsea from tain has also played for Chinese side contract after a spell at Montreal Andrade to decline the offer. “I’m very Andrade said in a press release head- Marseille in 2004, remaining at Shanghai Shenhua and Galatasaray in Impact and was offered $120,000 honoured... but it doesn’t feel like the lined “Thanks anyway, Drogba”. Stamford Bridge until 2012 then return- Turkey. -— AFP Mourinho warns Martial to prove his worth MANCHESTER: Anthony Martial still has Premier League rivals who fielded severely work to do to convince Manchester United weakened line-ups in the FA Cup at the manager Jose Mourinho he is worthy of a weekend. regular starting place in his Premier League line-up. French forward Martial, signed ‘MISTAKE’ from Monaco in 2015, has endured a diffi- “I don’t do it,” said Mourinho. “Even if I cult season since Mourinho’s arrival. am the manager of a club without the Martial has scored just two league goals same ambitions as us, especially in the FA this term and has drawn criticism recently Cup. “I did it once, in my first year in from his manager, leading to speculation England, I understood the mistake. I under- that he might be leaving Old Trafford dur- stood the dimensions of my decision. ing the January transfer window. “It was a period where we had to play No move has materialised and Barcelona in the Champions League. We Mourinho was adamant that the 21-year- went direct to the League Cup final against old would be staying with the club. Liverpool. “In that period we played Martial was handed a starting opportu- Newcastle in the FA Cup and I threw it nity in the weekend FA Cup win over away. I understood the dimension. The FA Championship club Wigan. Cup deserves respect. “I don’t do that. If I He improved after a poor first-half show- am changing players I do it because I have ing, assisting on two goals in the 4-0 victo- to give chances to some other players. I ry. But as Mourinho prepared for his side’s have to give rest to some others. “I will next fixture, a home Premier League meet- change players against Blackburn because I ing with Hull on Wednesday, the United have to give players a chance. I will change manager revealed Martial still has some but I am not going with a team with seven way to go if he is to regain his trust. kids. I can’t do that. I will risk but I can’t do “He has done enough to be on the that.” Similarly, Mourinho claimed that he bench,” said Mourinho. “He has to perform will treat the Europa League with equal better than the others who are competing seriousness as it offers the chance of for the same positions. “His position is one Champions League football next season where we have lots of options. Do you should United advance past Saint-Etienne want me to leave Mkhitaryan out after in the last 32 and go on to win the trophy. being man of the match and playing so “Personally, I miss the Champions well as he did? I can’t. League,” he said. “Every match I don’t play “The players pick themselves. I am just in the Champions League means an incred- LONDON: Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi, right, and Watford’s Craig Cathcart challenge for the ball during the English Premier League soccer match there to analyse what they do and try to be ible number of matches is not going up. between Arsenal and Watford at the Emirates stadium in London, Tuesday. —AP fair with them. Such a good performance, “I am the youngest one to be in the club Mkhitaryan has to play tomorrow. Simple.” of 100. Every time I don’t play I am not hap- The Wigan victory maintained United’s py. “But obviously Manchester United is interest in all four competitions in which much more important than me and my Wenger stumped after they started the season. individual targets. And despite a gruelling February ahead, “What matters is Manchester United and in which they will play seven fixtures in all as everyone knows, Manchester United is a four tournaments, Mourinho insists he will club that belongs to the Champions not follow the example set by a number of League.” — AFP Watford sink Arsenal they can achieve great things. “But we had at least four or five players com- Premier League hits “I was very happy at the end because recently ing back from injury and who hadn’t played 90 Arsenal 1 we deserved to win some games, but didn’t minutes for a long time, so they weren’t in con- because luck was not on our side. We needed a dition to play the full 90 minutes at the same lev- record transfer spend big win, especially for the morale of the team. el. “Today was a great game and I want to dedi- “Of course I would have liked us to play the cate this victory to a great person in Graham LONDON: Premier League clubs have Dimitri Payet, Odion Ighalo and Memphis Watford 2 whole 90 minutes like we did in the first half. Taylor.” —AFP shelled out a record £1.4 billion in transfers Depay, as well as around £20m worth of this season, according to a report yesterday sales to Championship clubs, have helped that warned of over-reliance on big Premier League clubs record net receipts LONDON: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was Chinese spending. for the first time in a transfer window,” said Negredo on target but at a loss to explain his side’s appalling first-half The Deloitte consultancy study said top- Jones. “As was the case last year, it is clubs display during their surprise 2-1 defeat by tier English sides made 40 million pounds in the bottom half of the table who have Watford at the Emirates Stadium. Middlesbrough held ($50 million/46 million euros) in profit from driven expenditure this January, investing His side mustered just three wayward efforts the January transfer window, the first time in their squads in an attempt to secure sur- on goal in the opening 45 minutes as they they have come out of the football horse- vival.” This month has seen the increasingly allowed Watford to canter into a two-goal lead behind after six minutes. trading in the black. wealthy Chinese Super League flex its and damage further their tilt at the Premier After the home side failed to clear their The market closed on Tuesday night financial muscles with Brazil international League title. Middlesbrough 1 lines from a ball into the box, West Brom skip- with Southampton swooping for Napoli’s Oscar leaving Chelsea for Shanghai SIPG in “It was not good in the first half, especially in per Darren Fletcher expertly chested down to Italy forward Manolo Gabbiadini for at least a move worth £51 million. the first 20 minutes. We were beaten in the duels Morrison and the former Middlesbrough £14 million while Burnley completing the With Tuesday’s deadline day made more and Watford were sharper than us,” Wenger academy product rifled low past Victor Valdes reported club-record £13 million signing of complicated by the fact several Premier admitted after Tuesday’s match. West Brom 1 from the edge of the area. Norwich winger Robbie Brady. League clubs had important fixtures, one of “Did we think subconsciously that we just Boro were nearly two down inside the first Deloitte said total gross spending by the few big deals in the closing hours of had to turn up? I don’t know. Honestly we pre- quarter of an hour as Chris Brunt’s dipping Premier League clubs for the 2016/17 sea- the window saw more Chinese spending as pared well for the game. Looking at the prepara- MIDDLESBROUGH: Alvaro Negredo rescued volley went narrowly over, but they were giv- son is now almost £1.4 billion ($1.76 bil- Watford striker Ighalo joined Changchun tion, I have no basic regret. Middlesbrough as the Spanish striker’s penal- en a lifeline in the 17th minute when lion/1.6 billion euros) smashing the previ- Yatai for a fee reported to be around £20 “We knew that Watford would make it very ty secured a 1-1 draw against West Bromwich McAuley senselessly hacked down De Roon ous record of £1 billion set last season.