Gossip: Antonio Conte considers quitting Chelsea, Ancelotti linked with Arsenal job and more
Sacked after a Champions League humiliation with Bayern Munich, Carlo Ancelotti was dishing one of those out to Arsenal last season – but could he soon be in the home dugout at the Emirates?
Well, stranger things have happened and the Metro says the Italian wants to replace Arsene Wenger at the Gunners helm.
Good news for the #WengerOut brigade then. However, there is also some less encouraging news for north London club in the Sunday Express, which claims King Carlo has sold out and agreed a £13m-a-year contract with Chinese side Guangzhou Evergrande.
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It’s a shame, especially because if Ancelotti holds out a bit longer he may get the chance to return to Chelsea.
The Sunday Times revives the story that Blues manager Antonio Conte is set to quit Stamford Bridge due to his “long-standing dissatisfaction at the level of support he has received from Chelsea’s board”.
West Ham wouldn’t mind getting him either, but the Times predicts that Conte will return to Italy. Sorry Hammers fans.
In better news for Chelsea, the Sunday Express says Eden Hazard is set to sign a new £300,000-a-week deal at the Bridge that will make him the Premier League’s highest paid player and finally end speculation of a move to Real Madrid. Until the speculation starts again.
West Ham hitman identified as Lukaku replacement
Here’s the most surprising statistic of the season so far. In the past 20 days, Andy Carroll has played in four Premier League games for West Ham United and he’s still not injured.
He hasn’t scored any goals or got any assists either, but that’s beside the point. It means the big man is back to reclaim his rightful place as the future of England’s attack and fulfil his destiny of bringing the male ponytail back into fashion on British shores.
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Everton aren’t going to miss out on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be a part of this. The Sun on Sunday reports that Toffees boss Ronald Koeman has identified the strapping Geordie as the solution to his side’s goalscoring problems and will launch a bid for him in January.
In terms of sheer physical presence and posterior circumference, Carroll is one of the few men capable of filling the Romelu Lukaku-shaped hole in Everton’s attack.
Koeman is also evidently attracted by the prospect of teaming him up with Wayne Rooney to create one of the slowest – not to mention the scalliest – front lines in Premier League history.
He can reportedly make it happen for the princely sum of £20m, potentially allowing the Hammers to make a profit on one of their most disastrous ever signings.
Let’s hope for both sides’ sake that Carroll doesn’t get injured between now and January and be once again written off as football’s ultimate useless overpaid crock.
Wilshere to be rewarded by Arsenal?
Elsewhere, Arsenal are set to offer injury-hit midfielder Jack Wilshere a new four-year contract after he had one good game against BATE Borisov (Sunday People).
Chelsea are chasing 19-year-old Steaua Bucharest winger Florinel Coman, who apparently has an £88m release clause in his contract (Mail on Sunday) and the Premier League “big six” (Man Utd, Man City, Chelsea, Liverpool, Spurs, Arsenal) will “go to war” and “break away” if other clubs deny them extra TV cash in a crunch meeting this week (Sunday Mirror). Not sure where they will break away to. Scotland?
