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History beckons for Rooney

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Wayne Rooney can break Bobby Charlton's 45-year-old record and become the first player to score 50 goals for England.

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London - Wayne Rooney can break Bobby Charlton's 45-year-old record and become the first player to score 50 goals for England when Roy Hodgson's men take on San Marino and Switzerland in their two upcoming Euro 2016 qualifiers in the next week.

Charlton's record of 49 goals from his 106 internationals has stood since May 1970 but Rooney, who has 48 in 105 matches, has the perfect opportunity to beat it when England play tiny San Marino in Serravalle in Group E on Saturday.

If he should fail, the England skipper, who has scored in England's last five qualifiers and has grabbed nine goals in his last 12 England games, will get a second chance when England play Switzerland at Wembley next Tuesday.

Victory against San Marino, who have only avoided defeat in one competitive international in the last 10 years, will virtually ensure England's qualification for next year's finals in France, and they will make absolutely certain of their place by beating Switzerland as well.

England top the group with a perfect haul of 18 points from their six matches, with Switzerland trailing them on 12 and Slovenia third with nine.

Even if England win on Saturday there remains the minute mathematical chance they could finish on 21 points with Switzerland and Slovenia, but in real terms, they are virtually home and dry.

And despite a host of injuries, coach Roy Hodgson will certainly hope to see England stretch their unbeaten run in World Cup and European qualifiers to 26 when they take on San Marino.

Midfielder Jonjo Shelvey, one of the men included in the squad, partly as a result of the injuries to other players but more significantly because of his good early season form for Swansea City, says he will do all he can to help Rooney get the record on Saturday.

Last week, Shelvey, whose only cap came against San Marino in 2012, was in the Swansea side that beat Rooney's Manchester United 2-1 in the Premier League, but on Wednesday their club allegiances were put to one side.

“For me he is the best English player in England,” Shelvey told a news conference at England's training base at St George's Park in the Midlands.

“He is a tremendous player, and it speaks volumes of what he is about to do. If I play, I will try and set him up to get the two goals for the record and hopefully he can do it.”

England have won all five competitive matches they have played against San Marino with a goal tally of 31-1 and even without the injured Ryan Bertrand, Jordan Henderson, Jack Wilshere, Phil Jones and Danny Welbeck, they are virtually certain to win again.

San Marino coach Pierangelo Manzaroli achieved something of a minor miracle in November when his team drew 0-0 with Estonia, the first time they managed to avoid a competitive defeat in a decade.

He has little chance of repeating that relative success against England who won 8-0 at Serravalle on their last visit there for a World Cup qualifier in March 2013, when Rooney scored once.

He also scored against them in England's 5-0 win at Wembley last October. – Reuters

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Wenger defends transfer policy

Arsene Wenger defended his transfer policy — despite Arsenal’s failure to buy a senior outfield player during the summer window.

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Arsene Wenger defended his transfer policy last night — despite Arsenal’s failure to buy a senior outfield player during the summer window.

Goalkeeper Petr Cech was his only capture in the window, signing in an £11million deal from Chelsea.

In fact Wenger’s Arsenal were the only club in Europe’s top five leagues (Premier, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1) not to buy an outfield player.

Even Spanish champions Barcelona, who are currently under a transfer ban, managed to sign two big-name players.

Turkish midfielder Arda Turan arrived from Atletico Madrid for £25m and defender Aleix Vidal came from Sevilla for £12.5m even though Barca cannot play them until 2016.

The Gunners’ lack of activity in the summer window has prompted the Arsenal Supporters Trust to call for an enquiry into the club’s transfer policy.

But a defiant Wenger said: ‘Am I happy with the investment I make? Yes, every time.

‘I bought Alexis Sanchez, I bought Mesut Ozil, I bought Cech, I bought Gabriel last year.

‘The problem at the moment is finding the players who guarantee you are a better team after, and that example last night shows you very well.’

Wenger was referring to the £36m Manchester United spent to sign France youngster Anthony Martial on Tuesday night.

Martial, 19, became the most expensive teenager in history when he signed for Louis van Gaal’s side from Monaco.

The deal could rise to £58m, and Wenger said: ‘Martial scored 11 goals in the French championship — that sums it up well.

‘Martial is a huge talent — he is 19 years old — but the investment is absolutely huge as well.’

Martial has made just 29 senior starts in spells at Lyon and Monaco. He only earned his first call-up to the French national team last month.

Wenger added: ‘It just shows that there are not many players in the world who can strengthen these teams.’ – Daily Mail

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Berahino urged not to go on strike

Professional Footballers' Association Chief Executive Gordon Taylor has advised West Bromwich Albion's Saido Berahino not to go on strike.

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Professional Footballers' Association Chief Executive Gordon Taylor has advised West Bromwich Albion's Saido Berahino not to go on strike after missing out on a move to Tottenham Hotspur during the transfer window.

The PFA has offered to mediate between West Brom and Berahino after the 22-year-old suggested on Twitter that he would not play for the Baggies again under chairman Jeremy Peace, who reportedly rejected four bids from Spurs for the player, including two on deadline day.

“Players know if they come to the end of a contract they have that right to move but if it's during a contract there are other factors involved and it can't be taken for granted,” said Taylor, who is keen to see the matter resolved without Berahino following through on his strike threat.

“It's always better for players to be playing.

“Things can be said in the heat of the moment and contracts work both ways but players need to play and keep fit,” he added.

“Hopefully he has an international future as well, so just for the sake of the lad as well as the club we're hopeful it can be resolved.”

Berahino, who had a transfer request turned down last month, has been given time off until Monday to consider his position and is expected to hold talks with head coach Tony Pulis when he returns.

He was dropped for the Baggies' last three games by manager Tony Pulis.

“Young men are young men and sometimes things are said which are regretted,” the PFA chief added. “We're in a world of social media and a lot of our young players are expected to have old heads on young shoulders and sometimes can let off steam.

“People get disappointed and sometimes things are done that, on reflection, wouldn't be out in the public domain and we're hoping that situation will be understood.

“We have approached the club, we have dealt with them on similar issues in the past, and offered to help resolve the matter, both for the club's sake and the player's sake.

“We're available to help resolve matters if needed but I'm hoping we won't be.” – Reuters

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Time to forget about Masilela

It would appear that Tsepo Masilela just does not want to play for Bafana Bafana anymore, says Matshelane Mamabolo.

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Johannesburg - It would appear that Tsepo Masilela just does not want to play for Bafana Bafana anymore.

Why else would the Kaizer Chiefs left-back continue not to honour call-ups to the national team?

Arguably one of the best left-backs in the country and probably the most experienced of the lot, Masilela is the kind of player Shakes Mashaba needs if South Africa are to get back to being among the continent’s best.

A seasoned international, who has Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup caps to his name, as well as having spent numerous seasons in Europe where he turned out in the competitive Spanish La Liga, the Amakhosi defender is streets ahead of the likes of Patrick Phungwayo and Thabo Matlaba in the experience stakes.

And it was for this reason as well as his sterling performances for Chiefs last season that many lamented his absence from the squad.

Back in January, Mashaba called him up – albeit it as a replacement after Phungwayo had broken down.

Masilela did not honour that call-up, which would have seen him go to yet another continental showpiece, as his club declared him unfit.

Fast forward to August and Mashaba surprised most when he included him in his squad for the Afcon qualifier at Mauritania this weekend.

The day before the squad announcement, Masilela had spoken to journalists about his surprise at his being continuously overlooked by the national team coach for selection and declared he has not retired from the international game.

But alas, the defender has failed to go to camp this week – with his team informing the national side that he has a knee injury.

Really? When did he sustain it?

For just on Saturday Masilela was at his rampant best as he helped Chiefs to a 1-0 win over Bloemfontein Celtic in the second leg of an MTN8 semi-final tie.

Bafana were expecting him to come to camp so they could test him themselves to see if he truly was injured. But indications were that they would wait in vain, with murmurings abounding that the player was actually not in the country but had travelled to America to see his partner and child.

Whether that was true or not is not the issue here.

The truth of the matter is that it is clear that Masilela is not keen to play for Bafana anymore and the sooner Mashaba acknowledges this and stops calling him up the better.

As good a player as he might be, he is no Leo Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo that he can hold the national team to ransom. And he shouldn’t be allowed to.

The Star

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De Gea told to be a ‘good professional’

Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has urged David De Gea to put his failed transfer to Real Madrid behind him.

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Madrid - Spain coach Vicente del Bosque has urged goalkeeper David De Gea to put his failed transfer to Real Madrid from Manchester United behind him and focus on being a “good professional”.

De Gea's move to Real was wrecked in bizarre circumstances on Monday when the paperwork was not delivered until after the midnight deadline.

Real and United blamed each other for the bureaucratic snafu, which means De Gea will remain in Manchester, while Real's Costa Rica keeper Keylor Navas, who was meant to join United as part of the deal, stays in Madrid.

De Gea, whose United contract expires at the end of the season, could find himself in limbo, at least until the end of the year when the market opens again.

While the transfer saga rumbled on, United coach Louis van Gaal left the 24-year-old former Atletico Madrid keeper out of the squad, with Argentina's Sergio Romero playing instead.

“I don't want to say anything drastic about what we will do,” Del Bosque, who has hinted De Gea will not be selected if he is not playing regularly, told Spanish radio.

“We have to wait and see what happens and the important thing is that David... looks to the future and is a good professional,” he added.

“We have to hope that David can play for (United) and is active so we can count on him in future (Spain) squads and he can show what a good keeper he is.

“It's a difficult situation for him but he has to be happy to be in the national team and at (United) and in the future he will be able to decide where he would like to go.”

De Gea has yet to comment publicly on the failed deal and did not speak to reporters when he arrived at Spain's training camp outside Madrid on Tuesday.

With captain Iker Casillas also in the squad, De Gea is likely to be on the bench for Spain's Euro 2016 qualifiers at home to Group C leaders Slovakia on Saturday and away to Macedonia three days later.

Reuters

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Premier League spending set to increase

English Premier League clubs spent 585 million pounds during the transfer window that closed Monday.

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London - Foreign clubs are the main beneficiaries of the Premier League's transfer dealings and will continue to be so with forthcoming increases in broadcast revenue, financial analysts predicted as the summer window finally closed this week.

Although many fees remain unofficial, it was generally agreed that of the 10 most expensive deals involving English clubs since the end of last season, seven of the players were bought from other leagues.

Germany's Bundesliga benefited most, with VfL Wolfsburg, Hoffenheim and Bayer Leverkusen receiving almost 100 million pounds ($153.09 million) between them for Kevin de Bruyne (sold to Manchester City), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) and Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur) respectively.

Gross transfer fees to overseas clubs of 585 million pounds were 10 per cent up on the previous year, according to the annual analysis by the Deloitte business advisory firm.

“Since the introduction of the new (Premier League) broadcast deal for 2013-14, spending on overseas players has nearly doubled,” Deloitte's Alex Thorpe told Reuters in an interview.

“In 2012 it was 300 million pounds. This summer it was 585 million.

“That shows how broadcast revenues have driven the increase in clubs' spending in the international market. And it's not just the transfer fees. They can also offer financial packages that are very attractive to international players.

“Not only is the Premier League a net importer of talent, way ahead of other leagues in gross and net spending, but Germany and France have actually been net exporters.”

Given that a lucrative new domestic broadcast deal, a 70 percent increase on the existing one, comes into effect next season, with overseas rights still to be negotiated, Thorpe sees no reason why the current trends will not continue.

“Looking to the future, the biggest factor driving transfer spending has been broadcast revenue, so that has already been taken care of for the next three years,” he added.

“So spending is not only going to continue, it is going to increase. Clubs will still have the ability to spend at these kind of levels if they so choose.”

According to Deloitte's figures, Premier League clubs' record gross spend of 870 million pounds was more than double that of Italy's Serie A, the second highest.

But there was an unexpected benefit in the strength of the pound against the euro, which according to corporate broker Foenix saved them 85 million pounds in buying players from European clubs.

The next transfer window for all Europe's major leagues opens on January 1. – Reuters

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Big pressure on teen Martial

Anthony Martial is the most expensive teenager in football history, having cost Manchester United an initial fee of £36 million.

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If Anthony Martial felt unsure about the scale of the challenge awaiting him at Manchester United, it will have been made plain by a comment from his new team-mate Morgan Schneiderlin.

Addressing journalists at France's training camp, which the 19-year-old Martial had just left in order to sign for United, Schneiderlin said that Wayne Rooney had spoken to him about the club's newest recruit.

“Wayne Rooney came to speak to me and asked me who this Martial was, because the English press were starting to really talk about it,” Schneiderlin said. “'Do you know him? What's he like?' Those were his questions.”

Not only is Martial alighting at Old Trafford as the most expensive teenager in the game's history, having cost a reported initial fee of £36 million ($55.1 million, 49 million euros). He is doing so as a relative unknown.

It is believed the fee could rise to £58 million, but though the deal is said to be heavily incentivised – including a provision for Martial winning the Fifa Ballon d'Or - it inevitably prompts unhelpful comparisons.

Only Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez, Neymar, James Rodriguez and Angel di Maria have cost more than that and all were fully fledged world-beaters at the time of their respective transfers.

Thierry Henry, with whom Martial is often compared, was similarly raw when he left Monaco for Juventus in 1999, but he was two years older, had twice as many games behind him and had already won a World Cup.

Henry himself has described the deal as a “massive gamble”.

Like Henry, Martial is a striker who started his senior career as a winger and he is similarly drawn to the left flank, from where he can cut inside onto his right foot and shoot at goal.

The fact he has been handed the number nine shirt, coupled with Rooney's early-season struggles as United's lone striker, suggests he will be given a chance to play through the middle.

But United manager Louis van Gaal's emphasis on Martial being a “multi-functional forward” suggests he may be asked to serve at least part of his apprenticeship on the flanks.

In Van Gaal, Martial could hardly have asked for a coach with a better reputation for developing young talent.

The Ajax team that Van Gaal led to Champions League glory in 1995 remains a symbol of the power of youth and Patrick Kluivert was a year younger than Martial when he scored the winner against AC Milan in the final.

In that there is a caveat, however, with several youngsters having been given chances at Old Trafford in recent months -- Tyler Blackett, Jesse Lingard, Paddy McNair to a lesser extent – only to then sink from sight.

United's recent record when it comes to big-money signings does not bode particularly well, with Di Maria having left after a year and Juan Mata, Ander Herrera and Marouane Fellaini still finding their feet.

Martial, though, said he was unfazed by the weight of expectation, telling MUTV: “I don't feel the pressure.”

He has also spoken about how the birth of his first child in July has sharpened his focus, after he was criticised for nonchalance during his early days at Monaco.

He will not want for team-mates of a similar age in a squad that contains 19-year-old James Wilson, Luke Shaw, who is 20, and 21-year-old Memphis Depay, who has quickly been supplanted as the club's star signing.

In Schneiderlin, Martial also has a fellow Francophone (Fellaini is another) to help him adapt to life with both United and France, albeit one who has only just set foot in both camps himself.

His move to Manchester having come just days after his first France call-up, it has been a whirlwind week, and there will be no time to catch his breath – his United debut will be a home game against Liverpool. – AFP

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Chiefs to use CT Stadium

Kaizer Chiefs have announced that they will play three of their home games in the Mother City.

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Kaizer Chiefs have announced that they will play three of their home games in the Mother City.

The controversial scenario, which will see a Gauteng club using the Cape Town Stadium as its home venue, was confirmed yesterday via Chiefs’ Twitter account. In addition, the venue change has already been made to the fixture programme on the Premier Soccer League’s official website.

The Soweto club will play Wits on December 19, Platinum Stars on January 24 and SuperSport United on February 20.

Initially these three games, on the fixture programme, had been scheduled for FNB Stadium, but were yesterday altered to reflect the Cape Town Stadium as the venue.

Needless to say, Ajax Cape Town, the Mother City’s PSL club, is not happy, and chief executive Ari Efstathiou last night described the situation as “a mess”.

“I haven’t heard anything official from the City as yet, but if Chiefs have made the announcement and the fixtures have been changed on the PSL’s website, we have to assume that Chiefs have got approval,” he said.

“We had a meeting with the City last week (Efstathiou and Safa-CT president Norman Arendse) to discuss the Chiefs situation. The City’s Garreth Bloor (committee member for tourism, events and economic development) promised to get back to us. I have been in contact with him this week and was always told that there was still no word on approval.

“But it seems that approval has been given, without us knowing about it. It’s a just a mess.”

Ajax have stated their unhappiness with Chiefs coming to play in the Cape as it downplays their own home game against Amakhosi. It’s the one fixture a season when they can guarantee a financial windfall for the club. Also, there’s the fact that Chiefs will demand an appearance fee for coming down to the Cape.

The wooing of Chiefs by the City has certainly been on-going for a while. Every PSL club has to submit two venues before the season kicks off – a homeground and an alternate venue. Chiefs named FNB Stadium in Joburg as their home ground and the Cape Town Stadium as their alternate.

While Ajax have stated that, if Chiefs get approval to use the Cape Town Stadium as a home venue, they will move their own home fixture against Amakhosi to Port Elizabeth.

But that is now also doubtful. Efstathiou said: “With us making the MTN8 final against Chiefs, it looks like the venue will be Port Elizabeth. It hasn’t been confirmed yet, but it’s about 90 percent certain that we will play Chiefs there in the Cup final on September 19.

“The problem is our home league game against Chiefs is the following week (September 26)… We doubt very much that we will get a full house if we play Chiefs two weeks in succession in Port Elizabeth.

“But we haven’t, as yet, made a decision. The club’s management will sit down and discuss the situation today. I also want to speak to the City this morning and get the official word.”

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Arsenal’s transfer policy questioned

The Arsenal Supporters' Trust has called on the Premier League club to carry out a “full review” of recruitment policy.

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The Arsenal Supporters' Trust has called on the Premier League club to carry out a “full review” of recruitment policy following a quiet transfer window where goalkeeper Petr Cech was the only major addition to Arsene Wenger's squad.

Cech arrived from Chelsea for a reported 10 million pounds ($15 million), while 17-year-old Frenchman Jeff Reine-Adelaide joined from Ligue 2 side Lens along with a flurry of academy recruits.

But the transfer deadline passed on Tuesday without the addition of a blockbuster striker or world class defensive midfielder that supporters have long called for.

The lack of arrivals are not for a paucity of money. In July, Arsenal director Philip Harris said the Gunners had the money to sign “anyone but Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi” and had over 200 million pounds ($306.18 million) in the bank.

“Arsenal are in a strong financial position and it is of course disappointing that (the) transfer window has closed with just the signing of Petr Cech,” the AST said in a statement posted hours after the window closed.

“Arsenal have built a strong squad and just one or two more good additions would have strengthened the chances of winning a first title in 11 years.”

Under Wenger, Arsenal have endured a period of severe financial restriction brought on by their shift from their old Highbury ground to the Emirates Stadium before the start of the 2006-07 season.

However, the expensive arrivals of Mesut Ozil in 2013 and Alexis Sanchez last year led to an end of the prudent years and back-to-back FA Cup wins.

The AST, keen for the club to kick on and land a first ever Champions League title and end the wait for another Premier League crown, said a transfer review was long needed.

“No one wants Arsenal to buy players just for the sake of it, but we do want to see the money being invested to make the club stronger,” the AST added.

“This isn't an issue that affects just one transfer window and seems to indicate a wider structural issue.

“We urge the board to now open a full review into its arrangements for scouting and purchasing players.

“A review of this type is a good governance practice and can only help Arsenal to become a stronger club. The AST will be raising this with the Arsenal board.” – Reuters

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Wenger’s quiet transfer window

The transfer window shut with Arsene Wenger only acquiring the services of Petr Cech from Chelsea.

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The past two summer transfer deadline days have seen the acquisition by Arsenal of Mesut Özil, in 2013, and then 12 months later, Danny Welbeck from Manchester United, prompting fans to gather outside the Emirates Stadium to celebrate their club's return to being a major player in the transfer market.

As of 6pm yesterday, the only gathering planned outside Arsenal was a low-key protest by disgruntled fans at Arsène Wenger's perceived lack of investment in the team after a summer of dashed hopes, and transfer rumours that turned out to be just that. In fact, Arsenal have not signed a single senior outfield player to add to their game-changing acquisition of goalkeeper Petr Cech for £10m from Chelsea in late June.

Ten weeks on from buying Cech and Arsenal have not added another senior player of note to the roster, while Premier League leaders Manchester City have spent more than £150m and broken their transfer record twice. In the meantime, Manchester United have acquired six new players, including the £50m-plus they have committed to the 19-year-old French striker Anthony Martial from one of Wenger's former clubs, Monaco.

As for Arsenal, there has been a long-standing interest in strengthening the problem positions: a holding midfielder to support or understudy Francis Coquelin and a blue-chip striker to provide a more regular supply of goals than Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud have managed so far. The club say that any interest in Edinson Cavani, valued at £50m by Paris Saint-Germain, is overstated. Karim Benzema of Real Madrid, perennially linked to Arsenal, was never a serious possibility.

They signed the 17-year-old Jeff Reine-Adelaide from Lens in May and the teenager was impressive against Wolfsburg in the pre-season Emirates Cup, but he is expected to spend the season in the club's Under-21s. Elsewhere, Carl Jenkinson has gone out on loan again to West Ham, so too, among others, Yaya Sanogo, Chuba Akpom, Serge Gnabry and Ainsley Maitland-Niles.

While top strikers have been in short supply across many of Europe's top clubs, more baffling has been the inability to identify a holding midfielder of the requisite qualities. There has been a passing interest in Seville's Polish midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak that came to nothing. Arsenal looked at PSG's Adrien Rabiot last season but did not make a move. In the meantime the injury-cursed Abou Diaby has been allowed to leave.

The club point to their activity last summer, during which they signed Alexis Sanchez, David Ospina, Calum Chambers, Mathieu Debuchy and Welbeck; and then January when they bought the Brazilian centre-back Gabriel. They reject the notion that there is £200m in the bank, a criticism often thrown at Wenger when his reluctance to spend causes fans to despair.

Instead, Arsenal say that the “debt service reserves” of £173.3m that were announced in the annual financial results last September are spent over the course of the financial year. They maintain they have invested significantly in the squad over the last 12 months and also given new contracts in recent years to the British core of players around which Wenger has built his latest Arsenal team. All this, the club say, costs money.

The lack of major change means that Joel Campbell, who last played for the club in January, is back in the squad after a loan spell at Villarreal. Mathieu Flamini, 31, will stay for another season, the third of his second spell at the club. As ever, there will be great interest in Arsenal's financial results coming up - making them perhaps the only club in the country who provoke, rather than reassure, their supporters by posting modest profits. – The Independent

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Mourinho’s consolation transfers

Chelsea were hoping to sign Paul Pogba and John Stones, and they ended the transfer window acquiring Reading’s Michael Hector.

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Chelsea began last month hoping to sign Paul Pogba and John Stones in time for the transfer deadline, and they ended the window acquiring a Reading centre-back whose list of former non-league loan clubs sounded like a rundown of David Brent's sales territory.

Michael Hector, 23, can count Bracknell Town, Didcot Town and Havant & Waterlooville among his clubs, as well as a stint in Dundalk in the League of Ireland. In all he had a remarkable 11 loan clubs before making the grade at Reading, where he has flourished into a Jamaica international whose Twitter profile picture is a shot of him tackling Lionel Messi at this summer's Copa America in Chile.

Hector was born in East Ham but has said in the past that it was always his intention to represent Jamaica at international level. His father, Pat, played cricket for England at junior level and made a handful of first-class appearances for Essex in the 1970s.

Hector Jnr only made his Reading debut in January 2014 but has become an established part of Steve Clarke's side and the former Chelsea player and coach has proved a useful connection for the Premier League champions. With Crystal Palace also interested, Chelsea have spent around £4m on Hector and loaned him back to Reading until the end of the season at the very least.

Hector becomes the 33rd registered Chelsea player out on loan, and the club evidently believe that should he never make the grade for them, there is a chance that he could be sold at a profit at some point in the future.

They have also completed the £2.3m signing of centre-back Papy Djilobodji from Nantes and he is another who must grow into the job, but in this case the 27-year-old Senegalese will go straight into Jose Mourinho's first-team squad.

It is a low-key end to the transfer window for Chelsea, who had been prepared to break the British transfer record to land Pogba. They also bid four times for Stones, up to the value of £38m last week, but were met with a determined stance by Everton. Nevertheless, both players remain serious targets for Chelsea in the future.

They have paid more than £40m for Pedro from Barcelona and the left-back Baba Rahman of Augsburg. Apart from the signing of Radamel Falcao on loan and the £8m acquisition of goalkeeper Asmir Begovic as a new understudy to Thibaut Courtois, it has been a muted summer. However, the £6.7m signing Kenedy from Fluminense could yet be an interesting buy, to judge by his performance as a substitute against Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Hector's home-grown status is very helpful to the club and shows just how important those players will be to elite clubs such as Chelsea who have an international scouting approach to recruitment. The club feel that, with a shortage of English centre-backs on the market, it is a better option to buy him now and take a risk rather than see his price inflate over the space of 12 months.

There have also been new contracts for Victor Moses, sent on loan to West Ham, and Isaiah Brown, the highly rated 18-year-old forward signed from West Bromwich Albion and on loan at Vitesse Arnhem. The club are planning carefully for the future with the belief that their latest recruits at academy level and beyond will come of age in the next few years. For Mourinho, however, the slow start to the season will have to be arrested with his current squad. – The Independent

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Martinez happy with Everton squad

Manager Roberto Martinez is pleased with Everton's business in the summer transfer window.

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Manager Roberto Martinez is pleased with Everton's business in the summer transfer window and said the Premier League club have ensured they will maintain continuity at St James' Park.

The Toffees brought in seven players, including the deadline-day signings of centre-half Ramiro Funes Mori from River Plate and Aaron Lennon from Tottenham Hotspur.

They also signed Tom Cleverly, Gerard Deulofeu, David Henen, Mason Holgate and Leandro Rodriguez, but probably the club's best piece of business was resisting three bids from Chelsea for England defender John Stones.

Martinez had earlier declared his intention to sign another striker but the club were left frustrated in their attempts to bring in Andriy Yarmolenko from current Ukrainian champions Dynamo Kiev, according to British media reports.

However, the manager said he was happy with the players at his disposal and stressed the importance of being able to hold on to his key performers.

“I feel really pleased about the way in which our business during this transfer window will allow us to carry on with the continuity in our squad and develop some of our young talent while adding some outstanding characters,” the Spaniard told the club website (www.evertonfc.com).

“Keeping the main performers of the team that attempted that fourth-place finish in the Premier League two seasons ago and shared in some incredible memories in Europe last season will help us to integrate all of our new signings and to carry on reaching better levels of performance on a consistent basis.

“Four full senior internationals for England, Argentina and Spain reflect the huge calibre of players we have been able to bring in, with some of those - Gerard Deulofeu and Aaron Lennon - already knowing our dressing room and our home,” the 42-year-old added.

“They represent a guarantee in terms of settling in well to our club and adding to our squad.” – Reuters

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Berahino refuses to play for West Brom

West Bromwich Albion's Saido Berahino has suggested he will never play for the club again after failing to secure a last-minute transfer to Tottenham Hotspur.

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London - West Bromwich Albion's Saido Berahino has suggested he will never play for the club again after failing to secure a last-minute transfer to Tottenham Hotspur as several players did not get the moves they wanted on a frenetic deadline day.

England under-21 striker Berahino was the subject of four failed bids from the London club and reacted angrily on Twitter, saying he would not play for the Midlands outfit again under chairman Jeremy Peace.

“Sad how I can't say exactly how the club has treated me, but I can officially say I will never play (for) Jeremy Peace,” he said.

While Peace responded by saying he made it clear to Spurs that West Brom would not accept a bid for Berahino so late in the window, he admitted the player had been unsettled by what he called Tottenham's “antics”.

Berahino's was among a number of high-profile deals that failed to get over the finish line, including goalkeeper David De Gea's transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid and Everton defender John Stones' proposed move to Chelsea.

The breakdown in De Gea's deal has led both teams to blame each other for a bureaucratic failure to file all the documents in time for the transfer to be processed.

Stones put in a transfer request and was the subject of three bids of 20, 26 and finally 30 million pounds ($45.91 million), which were all rejected by Everton who held firm and insisted that the player was not for sale.

Stoke City's Jon Walters and Southampton's Victor Wanyama also have bridges to build with their clubs after both asked to leave but failed to force through moves.

Wanyama, who was linked with Tottenham, was left out of Sunday's 3-0 home win over Norwich City for not being “mentally and physically good enough to play”, according to Southampton manager Ronald Koeman.

Koeman, however, would not agree to any transfer, according to media reports, having earmarked the midfielder as a key player after losing Morgan Schneiderlin to Manchester United earlier in the transfer window.

Walters submitted a transfer request to smooth the wheels of an exit from Stoke, with Leicester City and Norwich City in a deadline-day race to secure his signature.

But his club were not prepared to sanction his sale without bringing in a replacement and Walters' departure was quashed when Stoke's move for Crystal Palace's Mile Jedinak broke down. – Reuters

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English clubs break spending record

There was a frenzy of late deals as the Premier League brought the curtain down on another bumper transfer window.

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London - There was the usual frenzy of last-minute deals as the Premier League brought the curtain down on another bumper European transfer window in which Manchester City again flexed their financial muscle as the continent's top spenders.

With Europe's other major countries closing for transfer business on Monday, the English top flight hogged the limelight for an extra day, with City's rivals Manchester United completing the biggest and most eyebrow-raising late deal.

The capture of Anthony Martial from Monaco for 36 million pounds ($55.12 million), labelled a panic-buy by sections of the British media, ensured Premier League clubs racked up a record spend of more than 860 million pounds.

That comfortably surpassed last season's record by more than 25 million pounds and reinforced the competition's status as the leading league in terms of transfer spending in the window.

City, who have won their first four league games this season, led the way with an outlay of 150 million pounds, including the 50 million-pound capture of midfielder Kevin De Bruyne from Wolfsburg, and forward Raheem Sterling from Liverpool in a deal that could reach 49 million pounds.

City were followed in the spending stakes by United who took their outlay past 100 million with Tuesday's deal for 19-year-old French striker Martial, who followed Memphis Depay, Morgan Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger into Old Trafford.

Liverpool were not far behind in the spending stakes, splashing out almost 80 million pounds, mainly on Christian Benteke from Aston Villa for 32.5 million and Hoffenheim's Roberto Firmino for 28.5, offset by Sterling's move to City.

English domination

Fuelled by the money from the Premier League's increasingly lucrative broadcast deals, English clubs made six of the biggest seven signings in the window.

Only Qatari-backed Paris St Germain punctuated the list of the biggest deals with the 63 million euros ($71.26 million) signing of Argentina winger Angel Di Maria from Manchester United.

Some of Europe's traditional powerhouses had quieter windows than many might have expected.

Arturo Vidal's 37 million euros move to Bayern Munich from Juventus was the high point of the Bundesliga champions' spending while there was no “galactico” signing for Real Madrid, seeking to wrestle the La Liga crown back from Barcelona.

Madrid, under new coach Rafa Benitez, brought in Croatia midfielder Mateo Kovacic from Inter Milan for 30 million euros in their biggest deal but failed to sign Manchester United's Spain goalkeeper David De Gea before the window slammed shut.

That failure, with the two clubs blaming each other for the administrative snarl up, will have likely handed a psychological fillip to Real's bitter rivals Barcelona.

The Catalan club managed to pull off deals for attacking Turkey midfielder Arda Turan from Atletico Madrid and winger Spaniard Aleix Vidal from Sevilla despite being prevented from registering new players until January, meaning this pair will have to kick their heels for some months.

In Italy, champions Juventus replaced the outgoing Carlos Tevez with another Argentine following the capture of forward Paulo Dybala from Palermo for 32 million euros.

Some restraint

Yet as cash flowed freely between clubs there was also some restraint shown by some of Europe's biggest teams.

Chelsea, traditionally among the game's biggest spenders, tightened the purse strings with their biggest outlay being on Spanish forward Pedro from Barcelona for 30 million euros.

Having missed out on defensive target John Stones from Everton, the English champions recouped the vast majority of their transfer outlay through sales and loan fees.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is renowned for keeping his powder dry but, after spending big on Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez in the last two summer windows, his only spending was the 10 million pounds he paid for Chelsea keeper Petr Cech.

REUTERS

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United ink deal for Monaco’s Martial

Manchester United have completed the signing of Anthony Martial from Monaco on a four-year deal.

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London - Manchester United have completed the signing of Anthony Martial from Monaco on a four-year deal, the Premier League club said on Tuesday.

The transfer fee was undisclosed but British media reports have estimated it to be around 36 million pounds ($55.17 million).

Having been called up by France for friendlies against Portugal in Lisbon and Serbia in Bordeaux, Martial was allowed to leave the training camp to sign his contract on deadline day.

The clubs announced the deal less than an hour before the Premier League transfer window closed at 1700 GMT.

The 19-year-old scored nine goals in 35 Ligue 1 appearances last season.

“I am so excited to be joining Manchester United. I have enjoyed my time at AS Monaco and I would like to thank them and the fans for everything they have done for me,” Martial said in a statement on the club website (www.manutd.com).

“I have always wanted to play in the Premier League and to join the biggest club in the world is what every young footballer dreams of. I am looking forward to meeting my new team mates and working with (manager) Louis van Gaal who has achieved so much in his career.”

Van Gaal said: “Anthony is a naturally talented, young, multi-functional forward with great potential. We have been watching him for a while now and he has developed immensely during his time at AS Monaco.

“I am delighted he has joined Manchester United as I believe this is the right club for him to continue his development as a young player. He has all the attributes to become a top football player. However, we need to give him time to adjust to his new environment and the rhythm of the Premier League.”