International Football
Arsenal plots summer spree on Napoli duo
Arsenal are reportedly keeping tabs on Napoli duo Lorenzo Insigne and Faouzi Ghoulam ahead of making summer bids for the pair.
Citing reports in Italy, The Sun of London reports that the Gunners are keen both players who have been crucial to Napoli’s sustained push to qualify for the Champions League this season.
It builds on impressive campaigns last year, as they proven to be two of the top players in their respective positions in Serie A.
With Arsenal falling short of their lofty expectations again this season, it may well be time for Arsene Wenger to get the chequebook out and bolster his squad, but it won’t be cheap if Insigne is a target.
As per ESPN FC, the Italian international could fetch a transfer fee of around £45m, with the 25-year-old still under contract until 2019 and so if Napoli did want to sell, they’re in a strong position to demand a significant fee.
Given that he is a Naples native though and that he continues to play a pivotal role in the club’s success with nine goals already this season, it’s questionable as to whether the club would want to sell or if the player wants to leave.
While they’ve had their differences in the past, it remains to be seen whether a split is on the cards, but it seems as though Arsenal are ready to swoop in the event that there is one.
Meanwhile, Ghoulam is also of interest to Chelsea according to ESPN FC, and the Algerian international deserves the acknowledgement of being targeted by top clubs given his consistency and solid performances for the Partenopei.
With Nacho Monreal not getting any younger and having come under scrutiny this season for his poor performances at times, Wenger may be forced into making a change at left-back sooner than he would have liked as Napoli will have to be on guard in order to avoid losing two key pieces to their squad.
Well-travelled Portuguese coach Paulo Duarte has been named as Guinea’s new coach, less than a month before their next round of World Cup qualifiers.
Duarte, 56, has twice previously coached Burkina Faso and taken charge of Gabon and Togo, while also coaching at clubs in Portugal, France, Tunisia, Angola and Saudi Arabia.
Guinea’s football federation gave no contract details when they made the announcement on Monday, but said they would be looking for Duarte to “restructure their national team”.
Guinea trail leaders Algeria by eight points in their World Cup qualifying group with four games remaining, leaving them with only a slim chance of qualification.
They play Somalia away on September 5 and then Algeria at home on September 8 in their next two qualifiers although a stadium ban means Guinea have moved their home game to Casablanca, Morocco.
-Reuters
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Veteran coach Louis van Gaal says he has been cured of cancer and is keen for a return to the higher levels of the game.
The 73-year-old announced three years ago that he was suffering from prostate cancer, but told a Dutch television talk show, “I’m no longer bothered by cancer.”
When he announced his illness, Van Gaal was the coach of the Dutch national team, but he has not worked since the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022.
“Two years ago, I had a few operations. It was all bad then. But it all worked out in the end. I have check-ups every few months, and that’s going well. I’m getting fitter and fitter,” he said.
Van Gaal, whose career has included stints at Ajax Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, reiterated a lack of interest in returning to club management but said becoming the national coach of a top-tier country could tempt him back.
He now serves as a special advisor to Ajax.
-Reuters
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In a compelling twist of football destiny, Davide Ancelotti is stepping into his own spotlight as he begins his first head coaching role at Brazilian club Botafogo—just months after parting ways with his legendary father, Carlo Ancelotti, at Real Madrid.
The 35-year-old has been appointed as Botafogo’s new manager, the club announced on Tuesday, following the sacking of Renato Paiva. Davide, who has spent the last decade working alongside his father at some of Europe’s top clubs—including Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton, and Real Madrid—has signed a one-year deal with the Rio-based team.
This marks a significant milestone for the younger Ancelotti, whose career has long been shaped by his father’s influence, but who now faces the challenge of carving his own identity on the touchline.
The move comes shortly after both father and son departed Real Madrid at the end of last season, with Carlo taking over the Brazilian national team. Now, in a poetic alignment, father and son find themselves on different paths within Brazilian football—one leading the Seleção, the other steering the fortunes of a storied domestic club.
Botafogo’s decision to appoint Davide follows a controversial parting with Paiva, who was dismissed just days after their exit from the Club World Cup. Though he oversaw a stunning win over Champions League holders Paris Saint-Germain, a 1-0 extra-time loss to Palmeiras in the round of 16 proved to be his final act after just four months in charge.
As Davide Ancelotti begins this new chapter, all eyes will be on whether the son of one of football’s most decorated managers can step out from his father’s shadow—and perhaps, in time, build a legacy of his own.
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