By Ian Grant
Pressure on Wenger to sign
Arsene Wenger has been given 24 hours to sign a new deal with Arsenal – or prepare to quit next summer, says the Mirror.
Arsenal are said to have offered him a new four-year deal worth more than £8million.
If he doesn’t re-new, other clubs can talk to him in January.
Premiership odds
William Hill’s latest Premiership odds are Manchester United 8-11 ON, Arsenal, Liverpool 9-2, Leeds United 7-1, Chelsea 11-1.
Spread bets
IG, offers spreads on every Premiership club, and gives 60 points for the winner, 40 for second, 30 for third then down in five-point increments to five points for the eighth finisher.
IG’s spread on Manchester United is 49-52; 31-34 for both Arsenal and
Liverpool, then 28-31 for Leeds and 21-24 for Chelsea.
Business doubts
The Sunday Business says they are not convinced of the extent to which Arsenal’s close-season purchases have strengthened their squad, though Sol Campbell can only reduce the growing defensive creakiness.
Inamoto out
Philippe Troussier has left his four European-based players out of Japan’s 25-man squad for the Asia-Oceania Challenge Cup match with Australia, the Japan Football Association announced.
Troussier has rested Parma’s Hidetoshi Nakata, Junichi Inamoto of Arsenal,Feyenoord’s Shinji Ono and Akinori Nishizawa of Bolton Wanderers for the August 15 match.
Chile trip
France, have arranged a trip to Santiago in Chile on September 1, which is likely to mean call-ups and long flights for Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Robert Pires and Sylvain Wiltord.
African engagements?
Wenger’s Nigerian striker Kanu and Cameroon midfielder Lauren will be
absent for around a month because of the African Nations Cup in Mali between January 19 and February 12.
Jeffers doubt
Arsene Wenger is concerned about the progress of £10m Francis Jeffers whose arrival at the club has been marred by a niggling injury.
Wenger said: “I don’t know how long it will take Francis. The problem is he’s been injured. He’s just come back and he’s still a little bit short physically.
“He hasn’t reached top level yet because he didn’t play last year and he maybe needs three or four weeks without being injured to get fully fit. Then it won’t take him long to adapt.”
More security
Arsene Wenger said he will demand improved security
whenever Arsenal play similar pre-season friendlies abroad following the attempted assault on Ashley Cole after the Roma friendly in Austria.
Cole said: “It was scary. The guy came up to me after the final whistle as I was going off and asked for my shirt.
“It seemed to me like he had been drinking a bit. Anyway, I said no and he took a swing at me.”
Thierry Henry raced after a youth after he grabbed his swapped Roma shirt, and regained it.