Red Van Man! Fergie finally seals £24m deal for Gunners captain RVP

Manchester United sealed the signing of the summer on Wednesday night when Arsenal agreed to sell Robin van Persie to their Barclays Premier League rivals for £24million.

After weeks of negotiating with Arsenal and the Holland striker, United have beaten Manchester City and Juventus to Van Persie’s signature and the 29-year-old will have a medical at Old Trafford on Thursday.

United front: Sir Alex Ferguson has finally got his man by agreeing a deal for Robin van Persie

 

Van Persie is the first Arsenal player to join United since Viv Anderson in 1987 and the move has riled Gunners fans, who took to Twitter to abuse him.

United are understood to have agreed a £15m downpayment for last season’s Footballer of the Year and Players’ Player — who scored 30 Premier League goals for last season. That will rise to £24m depending on appearances. Van Persie is expected to sign a four-year contract worth over £200,000 a week.
A statement on United’s website said: ‘Manchester United is pleased to announce it has reached agreement with Arsenal for the transfer of Robin van Persie. The deal is subject to a medical and the agreement of personal terms.’

In signing Van Persie, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has laid down a clear marker ahead of the new season. It is the first time the club have paid  for a big name since Dimitar Berbatov from Tottenham for £30.75m in 2008.
Having decided two or three years ago they would not sign players over the age of 27, United have signified just how far they are prepared to go to wrest the title back from City.

Final hurdle: The protracted deal will be concluded when Van Persie has a medical on Thursday

City manager Roberto Mancini will be particularly irritated that United have been allowed to steal his top target from under his nose, and this will test his strained relationship with the club’s football administrator Brian Marwood still further.

Van Persie was on Wednesday night with Holland, who lost a friendly 4-2 to Belgium. He is expected to fly to Manchester early on Thursday morning.

His departure will leave Arsenal fans angry that yet another of their star players has decided to depart in search of an improved salary and better prospects for  winning major honours.

Van Persie follows Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas, who left a year ago, although the club recovered from a poor start — including an 8-2 demolition by United at Old Trafford — to finish third.

Manager Arsene Wenger has the best part of two weeks to spend some of the money before the transfer window is closed. He said on French TV on Wednesday night: ‘It’s sad to lose a player of his quality. He had only one year left on his contract so we didn’t have the choice.’

Asked who he would recruit, Wenger said: 'We already signed Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud.'

Talisman: Van Persie bagged the vast majority of Arsenal's goals last season

Michael Carrick, who was on duty with England on Wednesday, was first to comment on the deal.

He said: 'Someone mentioned in the dressing room about Van Persie and if it goes through, it will be brilliant. He had a terrific season and he will further strengthen our squad. It is a great boost going into the new season.

'He is a world class player and we have always been about bringing in players of that ability.

'Can it make the difference between second and first? There wasn't much difference so hopefully we can go that step further! But the club has always had strength in depth and it is about the squad and not the 11 on the pitch.'

England 2 Italy 1: Defoe thunderbolt earns Hodgson's men morale-boosting win

When it was put to Roy Hodgson on the eve of this encounter that only now is he on trial, he sounded slightly aggrieved.
‘I thought I was being judged in the summer,’ he said, and while that was true to an extent he was also cut an awful lot of slack given how little time he had been in charge. The good stuff he was praised for, the less impressive stuff he was forgiven for. He got them organised and he made them difficult to beat, and that amounted to an achievement after 40 days and 40 nights.
Now, though, this is Hodgson’s England, not an England side suddenly inherited from Fabio Capello, and what can be taken from a pre-season friendly on neutral Swiss ground reflected well on the new man in charge. At the beginning of his first full season at the helm, he has made a decent start.

Hot Spur: Jermain Defoe came off the bench to fire a wonderful winner as England beat Italy

Match facts

England: Butland (Ruddy 46), Walker, Cahill, Jagielka (Lescott 61), Baines (Bertrand 78), Carrick, Lampard (Livermore 69), Johnson, Cleverley, Young (Milner 62), Carroll (Defoe 46). Subs not used: Caulker, Rodwell.
Scorers: Jagielka 27, Defoe 79.
Italy: Sirigu, Ogbonna, Abate (Schelotto 86), Balzaretti (Peluso 46), Astori, Aquilani (Poli 68), De Rossi, Nocerino, Destro (Fabbrini 84), Diamanti (Verratti 59), El Shaarawi (Gabbiadini 58). Subs not used: Perin, De Sciglio, Acerbi, Gastaldello, Consigli.
Booked: Fabbrini.
Scorer: De Rossi 15.

Referee: Sascha Kever (Switzerland).
Attendance: 15,000.

On a night when he blooded five new players, Chelsea’s Ryan Bertrand and Tottenham’s Jake Livermore among them, Hodgson secured England’s first win against Italy in 15 years.

It was nothing like the Italy side England ran into in Kiev 52 days earlier; an Italy side that outclassed England before eliminating them from the European Championship on penalties. Cesare Prandelli handed debuts to eight players, with both teams making six substitutions.

But a victory this remains and it was one from which the England manager can take plenty of positives.

He can take some satisfaction in the knowledge that he is now unbeaten in seven games over 90 minutes. Just as he can take credit for the way he approached this contest.

He was far more positive than he had been in Eastern Europe, organising his side in a 4-2-3-1 formation that encouraged the wide players to attack and saw Tom Cleverley impress in that space between central midfield and the striker, in this case Andy Carroll.

First blood: Italy's Daniele De Rossi jumped highest from a corner to hand his side the lead

In the end the the goals came first from Phil Jagielka and then Jermain Defoe, the decisive 79th-minute effort from the latter one that perhaps could have been diverted to safety by Salvatore Sirigu but was still a super strike.

But there were echoes of England’s performance against Germany in Berlin in 2008, this young side playing with the fluency and finesse their senior colleagues too often lacked at the European Championship. They actually retained possession of the ball for more than a few seconds and the occasional pass.

Now let’s not get too excited here. This team would have found it every bit as difficult to prise the ball away from Andrea Pirlo as Steven Gerrard and Co did in June, even if an extra man in midfield might have given them half a chance.

Back in it: Phil Jagielka brilliantly got his head to a corner to put England back on level terms

But we saw why Hodgson wanted Kyle Walker as his right back in Ukraine, and why Leighton Baines pushed Ashley Cole as hard as he did for that left-back berth.

We also saw the benefit of playing those five men in midfield, and the threat that can be posed when players of the quality of Ashley Young and Adam Johnson are encouraged to attack down the flanks.

Cleverley impressed in the centre but so, Hodgson no doubt noted, did Frank Lampard and Michael Carrick, while first opportunities to shine were seized by Jack Butland and John Ruddy. Ruddy made two super second-half saves, first to deny Mattia Destro and then Davide Astori. As a second-half substitute, James Milner also excelled.

Safe hands: Jack Butland became England's youngest debutant goalkeeper for a century

Captain's performance: Frank Lampard was back in England action as skipper having missed Euro 2012

Carroll did not have such a good night, and one can only wonder if the confidence he gained from selection for Euro 2012 has now been lost amid the uncertainty over his Liverpool future. Not being wanted, as seems the case now that Brendan Rodgers is manager, is never a good situation for a footballer.

Behind him Cleverley was quick to respond to the responsibility he was given by Hodgson, while at the very back the youngest goalkeeper in England’s history also started well. When Alessandro Diamanti’s free-kick took a nasty deflection off Baines, Butland made a fine save.

Sadly, however, Italy scored from the resulting corner that Diamanti delivered. A lapse in England’s concentration, not least from Carrick, presented Daniele De Rossi with a free header that Butland was powerless to stop.

Sparse: England fans were in good voice despite the numerous empty seats around the stadium in Berne

Going close: England had plenty of chances to stretch their lead earlier than they eventually did

What would have pleased Hodgson was the way his young side then responded to going behind after only 15 minutes.

Johnson tested Sirigu with a reasonable effort and when Walker and Johnson combined well to win a corner, Jagielka got himself in front of Federico Balzaretti to beat Sirigu with a terrific diving header.
England grew in stature after that. Lampard threatened on two of three occasions, going particularly close with a free-kick that skimmed the roof of Italy’s net.

A free-kick from Milner then nearly ended in a goal. Sirigu spared Federico Peluso the embarrassment of an own goal before Joleon Lescott saw his follow-up effort deflect off the head of Peluso and hit a post.

You again: Italy manager Cesare Prandelli had masterminded England's downfall at Euro 2012

Defoe’s goal capped a fine piece of attacking football that started with a goal-line clearance from Bertrand — his first touch. Milner broke down the left before finding Defoe, the Tottenham striker turning Ignazio Abate on the edge of the box before unleashing a marvellous right-foot shot.

By then Hodgson was only too happy to be judged.

Next! Barca jet into London to begin negotiations over £12m Arsenal star Song

Arsenal are facing up to losing two of their top players for the second consecutive season after Barcelona made their move to sign Alex Song.

Nou Camp officials flew into London on Wednesday intent on tabling a £12million offer for the all-action midfielder.
And Sportsmail understands despite Song's major influence and the fact he still has three years left to run on his current deal, the Gunners will give serious consideration to selling the Cameroon international if they receive an offer between £15-20m.

On Song: Barcelona are to ramp up their bid for Arsenal star Alex Song

 

Arsene Wenger will be reluctant to lose Song, who together with Robin van Persie, was one the Gunners top performers last season.

Song, who currently earns in the region of £55,000-per-week, has been keen to discuss a new contract to put him among the club's top earners. And the Gunners could yet decide to offer Song an improved deal amid Barca's interest.

Arsenal will step up their interest in Yann M'Vila if Song departs.

Together with Van Persie's switch to Manchester United, Song's proposed move to La Liga will leave two gaping holes in Wenger's first-team plans.

Wenger was left with a similar problem last season after losing Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri - as well as Gael Clichy - ahead of the summer transfer window.

All good: Song insists he is happy at Arsenal despite the interest from Spain

Real Madrid to seal Modric signing by the weekend with clubs close on fee

Real Madrid believe they have made a decisive breakthrough in their attempt to sign Luka Modric from Tottenham.

The latest offer for the Croatia midfielder to be turned down by Spurs was for £38million, comprising £30m in cash with the remainder in add-ons over the length of Modric’s contract.

Hands up who wants to leave Spurs: Luka Modric is set to sign for Real Madrid this weekend

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has been adamant he will not accept less than £40m and is also unhappy with the percentage of the money Jose Mourinho’s Spanish champions are proposing to pay in add-ons.
But Real have told Tottenham officials they are now willing to increase the cash portion of the fee — and are confident the deal can be concluded by the weekend, with Modric due to fly to Spain in the next 48 hours.

Impressive: Modric was in excellent form for Croatia against Spain in Euro 2012 and appeared at the Bernabeu with Spurs in the Champions League quarter-final two years ago (below)

  As revealed by Sportsmail last week, Modric has been training by himself away from the senior squad.

Meanwhile, Croatia manager Igor Stimac has accused Levy of breaking a promise he made a year ago to let Modric go to Real.

Schoolgirl, 10, scouted by AC Milan after taking part in Spanish holiday kick-around

Her parents thought a holiday kick-around would just a fun way of keeping their daughter occupied during a summer break to Spain.
But scottish schoolgirl Aisha Saini, played so well in a football tournament in the resort of La Manga, in Murcia, that she has been headhunted by top Italian team AC Milan.
The 10-year-old and her family had no idea that scouts and coaches would be watching the youngsters during the AC Milan summer football camp.

Aisha Saini, 10, from Lenzi, East Dunbartonshire, pictured in her new AC Milan kit, couldn't believe her luck when she was snapped up by the club's scouts

After five days scouts asked permission to sign Aisha up to their European football academy annual tournament.
The young midfielder will now join a handful of other selected youngsters to play in the competition with other hand-picked players from similar camps all over the continent.

 

She will also become the only girl ever to play in the prestigious challenge when she runs on to the pitch in October.
Aisha’s father Michael, 44, a roofing business owner, said: ‘We are so proud of her. We just enrolled her in the tournament to keep her busy because we thought she might be bored.
‘I couldn’t believe it when it turned out scouts from AC Milan were watching.
‘Aisha was the only girl in the tournament. The scouts said they have never asked a girl to join their academy.

Scouts said Aisha has excellent control and technique. She is pictured left after her new signing and right aged eight, playing for her local youth club

The AC Milan camp where Aisha played was set up ten years ago as part of the Milan Soccer School. Pictured is AC Milan's stadium, San Siro

‘Normally little girls want to be dancers but Aisha has always been into football.’
Aisha, from Lenzie, Dunbartonshire, started playing football three years ago when she joined Lenzie Youth Club.
The schoolgirl, who will attend Glasgow Academy in September after graduating from Lenzie’s Millersneuk Primary School, was recognised by the academy’s head coach Daniele Paccagnan.
He said: ‘Aisha was one of the youngest in her age group but she has excellent control and technique.’
Aisha said: ‘I didn’t know the coaches were watching me until they told us after the final training session.
‘I was so excited when they said they’d chosen me.’
The AC Milan camps were set up ten years ago as part of the Milan Soccer School, which produced legends such as former Milan stars Paolo Maldini and Franco Baresi and Roma’s Carlo Ancelotti, now manager of Paris Saint-Germain.

Back-from-the-dead footballer Fabrice Muamba 'devastated' after being forced to retire from game following cardiac arrest that caused his heart to stop for 78 minutes

Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba today spoke of his devastation at being forced to retire from football due to the heart attack he suffered in March.
The npower Championship club announced that the 24-year-old - who had hoped to make a comeback - had made the decision to retire from the professional game after taking medical advice.
'While the news is devastating, I have much to be thankful for,' said Muamba.

Devastated: Fabrice Muamba has spoken of his disappointment at retiring from football

Return: Muamba had returned to the pitch at the Reebok Stadium after recovering from a heart attack sustained in March

'I thank God that I am alive and I pay tribute once again to the members of the medical team who never gave up on me.'
Muamba collapsed while playing for Bolton against Tottenham at White Hart Lane in an FA Cup match on March 17.
He received lengthy attention on the pitch and it later emerged that his heart had stopped for 78 minutes.
Remarkably he made a stunning recovery and left hospital a month later.

Muamba's fiance Shauna Magunda, with tears in her eyes, claps from the stands

Emotional: When Muamba returned to the pitch in May, there wasn't a dry eye in the house

Until today it was unclear whether or not Muamba would return to playing the sport he loved

Fans from both sides brought messages to show their support for the Bolton Wanderers player in May

Muamba told Bolton's official website: 'Since suffering my heart attack and being discharged from hospital, I have remained utterly positive in the belief I could one day resume my playing career and play for Bolton Wanderers once again.
'As part of my on-going recovery, last week I travelled to Belgium to seek further medical advice from a leading cardiologist.
'But the news I received was obviously not what I had hoped it would be and it means I am now announcing my retirement from professional football.
'Football has been my life since I was a teenage boy and it has given me so many opportunities.
'Above all else, I love the game and count myself very lucky to have been able to play at the highest level.

A message went up on the big screen to welcome the star back 46 days after his heart attack, but he has since retired from the game

Having left hospital just two weeks earlier, Muamba was remarkably able to walk to the centre circle

Muamba, after being cheered to the rafters, returns down the players' tunnel at the Reebok

After stepping out onto the pitch Muamba watched the match from the stand with his fiance

'I would also like to thank everyone who has supported me throughout my career, and the Bolton fans who have been incredible.
'I am blessed to have the support of my family and friends at this time.'
Bolton chairman Phil Gartside said: 'To have Fabrice here and with us is truly amazing and we are all very thankful for that.
'We are all hugely disappointed that Fabrice will be unable to return to his playing career but we have to be guided by the medical recommendations and the best interests of Fabrice.

Nightmare: The football world was shocked by events at White Hart Lane in March

'The most important thing is that Fabrice and his family have the rest of their lives ahead of them.'
Bolton boss Owen Coyle said: 'We have spoken with Fab and he knows we will always support him in whatever he wants to do and that we will always be here for him.
'He is obviously massively disappointed that he won't be able to carry on his career, but everyone has seen what a fighter and strong person he is in mind and body.
'We know that he will go on to achieve great things and within all this disappointment, the most important thing is that he is here, alive, today.'
Muamba and his family fled war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, seeking asylum in the UK.
Despite arriving in London age 11, unable to speak English, he went on to achieve 10 GCSEs and three A levels and joined Arsenal's youth academy in 2002. He later joined Birmingham, before moving to Bolton in 2008.
Tributes have begun to pour in for the widely respected midfielder as celebrities, fellow footballers and fans took to Twitter to show their support to Muamba.

What's next: Muamba received an honorary degree from Bolton University

His fiance Shauna Magunda tweeted: 'Thanks for all the support. We're blessed to have our family and we're looking forward to whatever the future holds. Much love.'
Friend and former team-mate Ricardo Gardner tweeted: '@fmuamba We thank GOD u still here with us bro. keep positive as you always been. Greater things is ahead for you and the family. Bless Life.'
James Vaughan tweeted: 'Gutted my friend @fmuamba has retired from football. Such a great player and even better person. good luck bro
And added: 'One thing I no about @fmuamba is whatever he chooses to do next he will be the best at it! #Driven #Talented.'

Tribute: Bolton fan Amir Khan tweeted his support to Muamba

Old friends: Arsenal footballer Benik Afobe was amongst many to take to Twitter to wish Muamba luck

Even the president of FIFA, Sepp Blatter, offered his condolences to Muamba on his early retirement

Even the president of football governing body FIFA showed his support for the retiring Premier League star.
Sepp Blatter tweeted: '@fmuamba - Have just read about your retirement. It's very sad for you and I wish you all the very best.'
Bolton fan and boxer Amir Khan tweeted: 'Sad to hear Fabrice Muamba has had to retire. I wish him all the best for the future and know it holds great things for him!'
Arsenal footballer Benik Afobe tweeted: 'Fabrice Muamba retires from the beautiful game. Good luck to @FMuamba for his future endeavours. £SuchAGreatGuy!'