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“It’s not a decision against Real Madrid, I want to find new challenges for my career and continue to grow as a player.

“I don’t have an agreement with any club nor any preferences as to who I would like to join. I will do everything I can to continue helping the team during the forthcoming weeks.”

These are the words of Sami Khedira talking about leaving Real Madrid when his contract expires this summer. Arsenal fans are sure to be paying close attention to these developments, with the German seemingly the ideal addition for the Gunners. Reports last summer suggested that the World Cup winner was on the verge of switching to the Emirates Stadium, and when he eventually stayed at Real Madrid, there was a feeling of ‘the one that got away’, with the rangy central star having long been thought of as one of the best in the business.

So maybe it’s time to make a fresh move then, right? Right, and here are FIVE reasons the north London club really do need the 27-year-old…

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The mould of midfielder Arsenal are missing

Arsenal have long been criticised for lack a real presence in the middle of the pitch. Francis Coquelin has returned from Charlton as the ‘saviour’, but even though the young Frenchman has impressed, he’s hardly the calibre of player the Gunners need if they’re to compete for titles and European honours.

Khedira, however, is a more complete midfielder, and although not quite in the same mould as Patrick Vieira, he would bring a greater physical power and a commanding presence.

He’s free!

Should Khedira be moving for his true value, it’s likely that the German would cost upwards of £30m… that’s how good he is! However, thanks to the Bosman ruling, the world champion is free to move on for nothing, and such an opportunity is one a top club like Arsenal cannot really afford to turn down.

Okay, Khedira is likely to use his situation to negotiate a big wage and a significant signing on fee, but even these figures will not come close to what it would take for Arsene Wenger to land a level alternative.

Brings vast levels of experience

Almost five years at Real Madrid and over 50 caps for Germany, Khedira knows what playing at the highest level is all about. Arsenal have been labelled bottlers in the past, but with a calm head who’s done it all before in the middle, maybe they can get over the line that separates fourth place and a proper title challenge.

He’s a proven winner

Bundesliga title? Check. La Liga winner? Yep. Champions League? Oh yes… WORLD CUP. You bet! Khedira knows what it takes to win, and his career thus far has reflected that. He was a part of Stuttgart’s impressive 2006/07 title winning side before eventually joining Real in 2010 to take part in the Jose Mourinho era.

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In the same period, Arsenal have won only the FA Cup… so perhaps having a winner in their XI may make the difference when it matters.

Statement of intent

The last two summers Arsenal have sent out a real signal in the transfer market. Massive fees have been paid to lure Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez from Spain to London, and it’s fair to say that both sent out the message that the Gunners mean business.

Getting another big name in for next season will once again make the likes of Chelsea and Manchester City take notice, which is often half the battle.

Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United are set to battle Juventus in the race for Barcelona star Alexis Sanchez, according to reports from talkSPORT.

The Premier League trio were all interested in the Chilean attacker during his spell in Serie A with Udinese, but were unable to compete with Barca, who tied up a £22m deal for his signature in 2011.

However, despite impressing in his opening campaign with the Spanish giants, Sanchez has struggled this term, netting only four goals, with Cesc Fabregas, Pedro and Lionel Messi enjoying the lion’s share of game time in attacking positions.

This has led to speculation that he will be allowed to leave the Catalans this summer, news which has sparked interest from a number of top European sides.

Liverpool were linked with a loan move for the South American ace during January, but Barca were keen to keep hold of him.

The Reds will unlikely be able to compete with City, United and Chelsea for a permanent deal, however they will face strong opposition in the shape of Juve.

The Italian champions are believed to be willing to spend big to snap up Sanchez after agreeing a deal to take Fernando Llorente to Turin at the end of the season.

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But, the English clubs will be able to match their offer, which could spark an intense battle for his signature.

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As reported by The Daily Record, Celtic are ready to open talks with goalkeeper Scott Bain about signing a permanent deal at the club, extending his current loan spell which is due to end this summer.

What’s the story?

Bain signed on loan from Dundee in January as an emergency replacement for injured shot-stopper Craig Gordon, but his contract at Dens Park also expires at the end of the season and it appears incredibly unlikely he returns to the Dees.

Celtic were previously reported to be keeping their options open regarding Bain, but impressive recent performances look to have brought forward the prospect of him staying in Glasgow.

The Daily Record report that after glowing recommendations from boss Brendan Rodgers, the club are ready to commit to a permanent deal for the player.

Does he have what it takes to become the number one goalkeeper at the club?

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A long-term Gordon replacement?

Craig Gordon has had a wonderful few seasons at Celtic, especially when you consider he was on the brink of retirement before signing up at the Hoops.

However, with a number of errors this season, his latest injury keeping him out for months and the fact he is now 35 years old, in the long-term, Celtic need to think about a replacement.

Bain has shown so far he can be that man with a mightily impressive debut in the whirlwind that was the recent derby at Ibrox and two clean sheets in subsequent matches boosting his credentials.

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The Dundee man has long been one of the best pure shot-stoppers in the division and working with Celtic’s renowned goalkeeping coach Stevie Woods, his game can be brought to new levels.

The chances of him making the position his own by the end of next season are high at this stage.

It has been quite the turnaround for Rotherham United in recent years. Financial trouble saw the club struggling in League Two before back-to-back promotions had the Millers promoted to the Championship for the first time since 2005. Steve Evans’ men were odds on favourites to be relegated this season but some fantastic victories have left the club in 19th place, three points above the drop zone with every chance of a remarkable survival.

Rotherham’s revival stemmed from a turbulent period in the club’s history. The 2006/07 season saw the Millers relegated from League One following a ten point deduction for entering administration and narrowly missing out on liquidation. They re-entered administration the following season and were deducted a further ten points, which halted an immediate return to the third tier. In 2008/09, Rotherham were dealt a double blow, being kicked out of their Millmoor stadium and docked 17 points.

Despite this enormous penalty, the club were fighting for a play-off place but missed out by finishing mid-table. Three more disappointing seasons in England’s fourth tier followed before finally securing promotion in 2013. Steve Evans – who had taken over in April 2012 – guided his team to League One after the club were playing in Rotherham again, in the newly built New York Stadium.

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The 2013/14 was a season fans won’t be forgetting in a hurry. A 16 match unbeaten spell during the second half of the season saw the club finish fourth and enter the play-offs. The semi-final against Preston ended 1-1 after the first leg and a fantastic 3-1 victory in the second saw Rotherham win a place in the final. Leyton Orient went into the second half of the final 2-0 up before an excellent come back by Rotherham meant that the match ended 2-2 and needed penalties to decide who would be playing Championship football. Rotherham nicked it 4-3 and rounded off an unbelievable turnaround from nearly going out of business to promotion to the Championship in the space of just a few years.

This season has seen the side struggle for the majority of the season but, nonetheless, have put in spirited displays that currently see the team keeping their heads above water. Fantastic results against Bolton and Ipswich show how tough it can be to beat Rotherham at home and it is this home form that could prove to be the difference between survival and relegation. This is also reinforced by a poor away record, which has only seem them win twice away from the New York Stadium all season.

Evans has made his team hard to beat but Rotherham were always going to be in the bottom half of the table due to a lack of financial muscle compared to pretty much the rest of the division. This is why they had to sell last season’s top scorer Kieran Agard to League One Bristol City, with Agard more than happy to join a team a division below.

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Despite all this, Rotherham have given themselves a great chance of survival, which would be a tremendous achievement given all that has happened in recent times.

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Four top football club mascots are facing a weighty challenge to prove their match fitness to League Cup sponsors Capital One, after arriving for an advertising video shoot showing the side effects of an over-indulgent Christmas period.

Despite a hectic Christmas schedule that saw the mascots of semi-finalists Chelsea, Swansea City, Aston Villa and Bradford City run out no fewer than 12 times over the festive football spell, the League Cup sponsors Capital One were alarmed to see the mascots looking even cuddlier than normal, just two months away from the showpiece Capital One Cup Final on February 24th.

Cyril the Swan (Swansea City), Hercules the Lion (Aston Villa), Stamford the Lion (Chelsea) and Billy the Bantam (Bradford City) have all shot to fame as the stars of a series of football video challenges from Capital One. But now the likes of Cyril the Swan is getting himself in a flap, after being asked to lose the festive flab in line with his new higher profile.

The mascots are facing a rigorous training regime after being teamed up with personal trainer to the stars Charlotte Ord, who has taken on the task ahead of this week’s Capital One Cup Semi Finals. The larger than life characters have been given strict instructions to watch their food intake, as well as perfecting a number of fitness exercises including practice lifts of the Capital One Cup trophy.

The mascots are also keeping themselves fit by taking part in a number of video challenges on behalf of competition sponsors Capital One, pitting themselves against one another to settle football fan debate.

Charlotte Ord, ‘Personal Trainer of the Year 2012’ said: “January is a time of year when people feel a bit sluggish after a heavy Christmas, and unfortunately our club mascots are no different. I’ve created a plan that will ensure the finalists are flying down Wembley Way next month for the Capital One Cup Final.”

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Michael Woodburn, Chief Marketing Officer at Capital One, said: “Now the club mascots are big video stars, we need to make sure that they are fit and healthy for the job at hand. With their clubs also standing just two games from Wembley in the Capital One Cup Final, one of these will be able to get their hands on the trophy for real come February.”

To view the Mascot Challenge videos and join the debate go to www.facebook.com/CapitalOneUK

Gareth Southgate’s England are an improving outfit but the inclusion of players such as Jake Livermore among the midfield options for the games against Holland and Italy was still somewhat depressing.

It highlighted the paucity of the choices on the Three Lions menu and yet one name who is not even in contention is a man who created a huge buzz before the last World Cup; Ross Barkley.

The Scouser allowed relations between himself and his boyhood club Everton to sour to the extent that he was an outcast for the first part of the season, before his January move to Chelsea drew ire because he would benefit personally – in the eyes of some Evertonians. 

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There is no doubt that the playmaker – valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt – has lost his way, but he still has talent and the ability to drive a team forward from the centre of the park.

One team who could maybe do with that sprinkling of stardust is Newcastle United. Rafa Benitez has moulded the Magpies into a cohesive and organised unit but one that sometimes lacks a goal threat.

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Barkley could be the man to propel them to the next level but what do you think? Would he be a good signing? Let us know by voting in the poll below…

Liverpool must move for Southampton’s Morgan Schneiderlin or Newcastle star Moussa Sissoko to replace Steven Gerrard at the end of the season, according to club hero Danny Murphy.

The Reds’ iconic skipper is due to join MLS side LA Galaxy at the end of the season when his contract at Anfield expires, which is sure to leave massive hole in Brendan Rodgers’ midfielder, regardless of the criticism the 34-year-old has been subject to of late.

The Northern Irishman has already talked up the need to sign established stars to replace Gerrard when the time comes, while there have been whispers that summer signing Emre Can is being tipped to fill the veteran’s boots long-term.

WANT MORE? >> Liverpool transfer news | Latest transfer news

There have been many targets mentioned, but Murphy believes that his old club could do much worse than to move for Schneiderlin AND Sissoko:

“Moussa Sissoko and Morgan Schneiderlin are the two players Liverpool should go for,” he told talkSPORT.

“Sissoko is a box-to-box midfielder, who has looked absolutely terrific since going centrally. He’s only 25 and a France international. His wages aren’t going to be an issue.

“He’s going to be a brilliant signing for somebody. Sissoko’s been linked with a number of clubs in this window, so it looks like he might be on the move.”

“Morgan can play with Sissokho, and along with Henderson, because it looks like Lucas is on his last legs.

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“He’s also only 25 years old. Yes, he’s signed a new contract but you could get him out of Southampton because he’s an ambitious boy. He’s got Premier League experience and wouldn’t need time to adjust. He’s a really good player.

“Those two players will set you back around £40-50million. Liverpool would be better signing two players, rather than one. They’re already missing numbers in midfield. With Emre Can and Henderson, that gives you four there in midfield.”

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Liverpool look set to clinch the signings of both Chelsea forward Daniel Sturridge and Blackpool winger Tom Ince during the January transfer window, but with the vast majority of the club’s transfer budget yet again spent on British players with the overwhelming element of risk behind them, are the club merely repeating the mistakes of the past all over again?

Of course, this is referring to the terrible excesses of the Kenny Dalglish and Damien Comolli era which thought that it was a good idea to spend £71m combined on Andy Carroll, Stewart Downing and Jordan Henderson. So far under Brendan Rodgers, the club have spent £15m on Joe Allen and £10m on Fabio Borini, both of which he has worked with before in the past, while the proposed £12m deal for Sturridge which looks certain to go through and the Ince switch which should come in between £4-6m all smacks of a lack of imagination in the transfer market and not quite the best value around either.

Building the nucleus of your squad around young, determined, homegrown talent is clearly a positive, but it’s when the fees involved start to escalate and inflate to such an extent that any move is negligible in terms of what the player can actually offer that you have to start questioning the motivation behind any such move.

The 23-year-old England international is clearly a talented player capable of playing in multiple roles, so in theory, you are essentially getting two players for the price of one, with his ability to play out wide and through the middle up front. Nevertheless, there’s a reason that Chelsea have been so willing to do business and were again in the summer.

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The move has been met with a lukewarm response by most of the club’s fans so far and while Rodgers’ tough stance regarding contractual negotiations and agents fees is a long overdue one but hugely welcome all the same, the fee does seem a little on the steep side. Every Liverpool fan that I’ve talked to regarding Sturridge has said the same three things – he’s a good player, he has something to offer even if there are question marks about his temperament and character, but looks a little expensive, surely they could get a better deal than £12m when you consider the second point?

Personally, Sturridge has always looked like someone in search of a home and when he gets one, playing through the middle, he could be a very dangerous and effective player. Looking at the size of the fee long-term, while it’s not quite as bad as the Comolli-Dalglish signings, it does appear a bit rich for my liking, but with depth required above all else up top and out wide to give a clearly fatigued Raheem Sterling a rest, should the club make over £15m on Andy Carroll in the summer, they come out ahead eventually with a player more suited to their needs. We shall call this version of events ‘Scouse maths’.

Speaking of which, the fee regarding Ince looks likely to be smaller than the official figure quoted for the deal given that the club will essentially be paying themselves 35% of the fee after their sell-on clause becomes null and void, so if it’s pushed up to around £6m, Liverpool will pay approximately £4m and so on. When you stack it up against what Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha would cost at the moment, or what Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain cost in the past, then it certainly looks a very appealing piece of business and value for money.

However, while Barcelona have become expensive practitioners of this sort of transfer policy, by which you buy back youth-team players from elsewhere at double the cost, it does point to a certain lack of creativity in terms of scouting. Are the Sturridge and Ince deals interlinked? Can the club only afford Sturridge if they move for someone like Ince who they can get a sizeable discount on? If that’s the case, then it’s another question mark about pursuing the Chelsea man over someone like, say, Newcastle’s Demba Ba, a Premier League proven striker available for just £7m.

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It was rumoured that Rodgers was only going to be handed a transfer kitty in the region of £10m in January earlier in the campaign, but that looks a little frugal now and wide of the mark. With the top half of the table so open still, there are plenty of opportunities for upwards movement and FSG seem to be finally putting their money where their mouth is after the dithering left the club woefully short on deadline day.

Moreover, there has been tangible progress in recent months as the players have adapted to their new manager’s methods, and in order for this ‘project’ to be successful it requires a certain amount of faith, which needs to be backed up with money. The likely deals to bring Sturridge and Ince to Anfield in terms of style and substance looks sound ones, but you do have to wonder what the scouting department at Liverpool really do for 10 months of the year if this was the best that they could come up with for a combined £18m; they will fill gaps in the squad, there’s no doubt about that, but the sheer lack of ingenuity on show has become a worrying, long-term trend.

Leeds fans are absolutely delighted for Hadi Sacko after the 23 year-old was called up for Mali’s international friendly with Japan.

There probably weren’t many Leeds fans planning on spending the international break watching Mali play Japan, especially after enigmatic Leeds loanee Yosuke Ideguchi was surprisingly left out of the Japan squad.

Now there’s another reason to keep an eye on the friendly though, as 23 year-old Leeds winger Hadi Sacko could make his senior international debut. The French-born winger has played through the youth teams for France, but has switched allegiances and earned his first senior call-up with Mali.

Sacko hasn’t featured much since joining Leeds permanently from Sporting CP last summer. He’s made 14 Championship appearances, 13 of them as a substitute, and he’s yet to find a league goal. Still, an international appearance could spur him into life and instil some confidence in the youngster.

Sacko has taken plenty of stick from fans since his arrival at Elland Road, but there is certainly still hope amongst many that he will blossom into the player they thought he could be.

Some of the best Twitter reactions to Sacko’s great news can be found below…

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The weekend loss at Swansea leaves Arsenal in a tricky position. The Gunners are among a pack of top four chasing clubs that have all faltered early in the campaign, which is sure to make for a fascinating battle, but one which will heap the pressure on the perennial European qualifiers..

Liverpool are blunt up top and shaky at the back, Spurs cannot cope with Europa League and domestic commitments, Manchester United are so top heavy it’s ridiculous, while West Ham and Southampton are unlikely to be able to maintain the momentum they’ve shown so far.

Money is set to be splashed in January – with Brendan Rodgers and Louis van Gaal likely to be big spenders – but reports suggest that Arsene Wenger will be given just £20m. It may seem a big sum, but in modern football it’s unlikely that many top class players will be within the Gunners’ price bracket. However there are some, and here are SIX cost-effective options for the Londoners…

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CLICK ON VIRGIL VAN DIJK TO GET THE BALL ROLLING

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Fabian Schar

Wenger has already revealed that a centre-back will be his major target in January, with the reliance on Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny having been ruthlessly exposed by injuries already this term. Mats Hummels is the dream sighing, yet his abilities will command a massive fee, leaving Schar as an alternative.

The classy Swiss defender’s contract expires at the end of the season, so Basel may be receptive to a cut-price offer with the player himself thought to be eyeing a switch to one of Europe’s bigger leagues. At 22, Schar has bags of ability and potential, as he showed at the World Cup over the summer.

Virgil van Dijk

Scottish football may no longer be the breeding ground for top talent it once was, but Van Dijk has flourished with Celtic. The Dutchman has been in Glasgow since 2013 after relocating from his homeland, and is widely being described as ‘too good’ to be plying his trade north of the border – even though the Hoops are struggling this term.

Celtic want between £10m-£15m for their man, who is open to joining Arsenal:

“Arsenal are an amazing club,” he told Sky Sports.

“It’s a big club with a great history. I’m happy here just now and I want to play well and we’ll see what happens in the future.

“Until there are bids I can’t say thing. There is no rush to leave but you never know in the future.”

Sami Khedira

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A World Cup and Champions League winner in 2014, it seems odd that Khedira could be leaving Real Madrid for as little as £8m in January. But with his contract due to expire at the end of the season and Los Blancos resigned to losing the 27-year-old, a switch to the Emirates Stadium at a reduced rate is a possibility.

Khedira himself is thought to be open to relocating to north London to link up with international colleagues such as Lukas Podolski, Mertesacker and Mesut Ozil, with reports over the summer having claimed that a contract was all but agreed. Top class cover in the middle of the pitch for a minimal fee? Not even Wenger can pass on this one, surely?

Romulo

A somewhat left-field target, Romulo has been linked with Arsenal in recent weeks. The Brazilian enforcer has impressed in Russia with Spartak Moscow despite a range of injuries in recent seasons, and has been aligned with a few top clubs.

Wenger is reportedly considering a £9.5m offer, plus Yaya Sanogo on loan, for the 24-year-old enforcer, who could add the steel missing in the Gunners’ midfield.

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Stephan Lichtsteiner

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Yet another play whose contract expires at the end of the season – seeing a theme here? – Lichtsteiner is a genuine option for Wenger. The experienced 30-year-old Swiss defender may not be of the age range the Frenchman usually pursues, but for a minimal fee his versatility could be a major draw.

The Juventus man is able to play on either side at the back, which has been a problem for the Gunners in recent weeks given the never-ending bout of injuries being suffered at the Emirates Stadium. Short-term fixes aren’t Wenger’s style, but this one could tempt him.

Winston Reid

Keeping his options open as his contract runs down, Reid is likely to be available for a reduced fee in January, The New Zealander is said to be aware that his stock is at an all-time high following West Ham’s successful start to the campaign, which is thought to be luring interest from the Gunners.

A leader at the back, the Hammers ace could slot in nicely alongside either Koscielny or Mertesacker and provide the cover missing since the sale of Thomas Vermaelen.