Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna has joined manager Arsene Wenger and team mates Samir Nasri and Robin van Persie in praising new signing Marouane Chamakh.

Even if the club is yet to announce the signing in an official way, it seems all is set for the Moroccan striker to become Arsenal’s first signing of the summer transfer market, a player who according to the 27-year old right back is simply top class.

Sagna is also quoted as saying by the Daily Mirror how the ex-Bordeaux star is very good in the air, can shield the ball to perfection and how the Gunners will surely benefit from a player with his characteristics.

The Frenchman also spoke of the disappointment of a fifth trophyless season, explaining how next year will be better. The player also declared how the Gunners need to learn how to win ugly and how they need to make sure to protect a lead instead of throwing it away just as they did when they played West Ham or Wigan away from home.

He said:

Quote:

I know him. I played against him. He is top class. He is very good in the air and he scores a lot of goals from crosses. He keeps the ball very well and it will only benefit us to have a player like him in the team. As a team we can always be better and we be will next year. But it’s not always about money. Money is not everything. As a player of course it hurts to hear the criticism because when you are close to winning something and you don’t it’s a real disappointment. Slowly but surely we are learning how to win ugly. We know there have been many games this season where we have led, yet conceded easy goals.

The Arsenal summer transfer market may be a big mystery for many, but some signals on how next season’s squad will shape up are slowly being revealed.

In an interview published by the club’s official website, Swiss defender Johan Djourou was speaking of the injury he suffered last September when on duty with his National side which kept him on the sidelines for more than seven months. It seems that before leaving for the Swiss training camp, the 23-year old already had pain in his knee and questions are now being asked on Arsenal’s medical staff.

The centre back also revealed how for the 2009/2010 season, he was supposed to feature for the Gunners after manager Arsene Wenger clearly told him that he let Kolo Toure join Manchester City in order to promote him as regular, alongside William Gallas and Thomas Vermaelen.

If the defender stays fit, he will probably be the one to replace William Gallas, who is set to leave the Gunners after failing to reach an agreement on his new contract. Fellow Frenchman Mikael Silvestre could also leave the club with 35-year old Sol Campbell also yet to renew his contract.

Djourou said:

Quote:

To be fair I had a knee problem already. So that is why the Valencia game was my last game. It wasn’t something that happened with the Swiss team as has been mentioned – I’d had it for a while. I had been playing with it since the end of the season before so sometimes I had my knee being swollen up after games but it wasn’t that painful. It got to the point that it was very painful and I just couldn’t do anything so I had to go in [for an operation]. At the time I wasn’t [aware how serious it was] because I thought I had swelling for no reason because I had no pain. I was wondering why so we had to do scans and things like that. Then, when I heard [the extent of the injury], it was a bit of a shock for me because it was something quite big and you never know what can happen with injuries like this with the knee. It is always difficult to take. I was really confident about being able to play this season. The boss said to me, ‘I let Kolo go for you to play’. It is the thing you don’t want to hear when you are injured but it is the truth. It is difficult to take on but I swallowed it and I will fight for my place next season, that is for sure.

Arsenal's Samir Nasri, Manchester City's Patrick Vieira and Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema have been left out of France's 30-man World Cup squad.

Ex-skipper Vieira was not included by coach Raymond Domenech's initial squad for the finals in South Africa.

Arsenal's in-form midfielder Nasri and Benzema, who cost Real £35m last summer, were also absent in a squad that features five uncapped players.

Barcelona's Thierry Henry and Arsenal's William Gallas were included.

The under-fire Domenech had promised to name his final 23-man list - even though Fifa's deadline is not until 1 June - but changed his mind at the last minute.

He admitted he was hopeful the 33-year-old Vieira, who has 107 caps and was a member of the sides that won the 1998 World Cup in 1998 and Euro 2000, would convince him worthy of a place.

"We have been following Pat for a while, hoping he could make it to the World Cup," Domenech said. "It's a difficult moment. We tried, he did too. It's tough but there comes a time when you need to make a decision".

A prominent member of the France side for a decade, Vieira last played for his country in June 2009.

His absence means that for the first time since winning the World Cup on home soil, France will play a major tournament without any player from the team that stunned Brazil 3-0 in the 1998 final at the Stade de France.

"It was a challenge for me but I will not be able to play one last major tournament for France," Vieira told Canal Plus television. "He (Domenech) made a choice on sporting grounds, I accept that."

Henry, now the France captain, was in the 1998 squad but did not play in the final.

He has appeared mostly as a substitute for Barcelona this season, but remains a key figure for France and it was his infamous handball that ensured their qualification at the expense of the Republic of Ireland.

Defender Gallas was included in the provisional squad for the finals, where the 2006 runners-up will meet hosts South Africa, Mexico and Uruguay in the group stages, despite suffering from a calf injury.

His Arsenal team-mates Gael Clichy, Abou Diaby and Bacary Sagna were also included, while Manchester United's Patrice Evra and Chelsea pair Florent Malouda and Nicolas Anelka also made the initial list.

Domenech had reassuring words for Benzema, who has endured a frustrating first year at the Bernabeu.

"Karim has talent and he will come back," Domenech said. "He's had a difficult season with Real and we needed players who were fresh and hungry."

Former Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse, who has scored 29 goals for Greek champions Panathinaikos, received his first call-up since being cut from the squad prior to the 2008 European Championship.

Among the surprises on the list were Stade Rennes' teenage midfielder Yann M'Vila, Olympique Marseille's winger Mathieu Valbuena and Bordeaux centre-back Marc Planus.

The latest twist in the unpredictable career of Tony Adams has seen the former Arsenal and England captain accept an offer to manage an obscure football club in the ex-Soviet republic of Azerbaijan.

Adams, who was sacked as Portsmouth manager in February, has signed a three-year contract with FC Gabala, who finished sixth in the Azeri national league last season.

Azerbaijan may be better known for its oilfields than its football pitches but Adams says he is excited by the prospect of nuturing a squad from the grass roots up and overseeing the development of players coming through the club’s academy.

“I was looking for a project,” he said. “I am too young to retire. This one was very rare. I just thought it was a magnificent project to get my teeth into. They’ve given me a clean plate here to build a football club and you don’t get that opportunity in the UK.


“I want this to be the ‘Tony Adams club’. I’ve been to Europe. I’ve coached in Holland. This is different. This club doesn’t have history. We hopefully will be able to build the history here.”

Gary Stevens, the former Tottenham Hotspur player, has agreed to become assistant manager and although the club’s infrastructure is basic, with two grass pitches and one synthetic surface, Adams is upbeat about the prospect of success.

“First things first,” Adams said. “Realistically to win the league in three years is achievable. It’s evolution, not revolution. I’m not going to throw the baby out with the bath water here. I’m building a club.”

Adams is not the first big name manager to be lured to a footballing backwater. Last year Luiz Felipe Scolari, the former Chelsea and Brazil manager, took charge of Bunyodkor, Uzbekistan’s leading side in July 2009. Scolari is reportedly being paid an annual salary of £7.5 million, although it is thought Adams will be paid closer to £1 million per season.

Bacary Sagna has expressed outright disapproval of Domenech's selection policy

The Arsenal left back said "no words can soothe Nasri", who has improved tremendously since he recovered from the injury that sidelined him at the start of the just concluded Barclays Premier League campaign.

France coach Raymond Domenech, announced his 30-man provisional squad ahead of next month' World Cup to be staged in South Africa with in-form midfielders Samir Nasri, Patrick Vieira and Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema the surprise exclusions.

Sagna can't believe the man that gave his friend the opportunity to make a name for himself at the Under 20 level, will be the one to dash his World Cup hopes.
The 27-year-old said of the players that didn't make the provisional squad.

"They must be surprised and dissapointed.
They are among the players who are regularly called up."

Sagna wants Arsenal fans to take solace from the knowledge that Abou Diaby, Gael Clichy and William Gallas will be part of the squad to South Africa.

"It's great to see so many Arsenal players but the news of Nasri has put things in perspective. In these moments there is little one can say.
I have not yet called him but no words can soothe him. He misses a World Cup."

It's quite unfortunate that Nasri hates to see Domenech being criticised by the media.
He came to the defense of the gaffer, when he was being criticised unfairly by a discontented portion of the supporters: "He's a great coach," Nasri replied when asked about the gaffer.

"I have an excellent relationship with Domenech, but some people really don't understand him. It's a pity because he is a great man and doesn't deserve such treatment."

Anyway, it's a provisional squad lets hope he changes his mind.

Исполнительный директор «Арсенала» Иван Газидис выразил уверенность в том, что главный тренер Арсен Венгер продлит истекающий в конце следующего сезона контракт.

«Все знают, что руководство всегда поддерживало Венгера и полностью доверяло ему. Не сомневаюсь, что мы продлим контракт с ним.

Мы должны оценить свои возможности и решить, каким образом мы будем осуществлять дальнейшее движение вперед. Ведь клуб уже долгое время ждет трофеев», – приводит слова Газидиса The Telegraph.

Главный тренер «Арсенала» Арсен Венгер признался, что пока не решил вопрос о продлении контракта с клубом.

«Пока что я не продлял контракт с клубом. Я счастлив в «Арсенале», и всегда с уважением отношусь к своим контрактам. Однако буду ли я его продлевать, и когда именно сделаю это – не знаю», – приводит слова Венгера официальный сайт «Арсенала».

По словам исполнительного директора клуба Ивана Газидиса, клуб обязательно продлит соглашение, которое истекает через год.