Premier League Offers For Dindane

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Lens chairman Gervais Martel has revealed that here have been offers from the Premier League for striker Aruna Dindane, with Portsmouth, Stoke City, West Bromwich Albion and more recently Tottenham Hotspur all linked with the Ivory Coast International.



Reports in France suggest that the offers have been to take the 28-year-old striker on loan, with a view to a permanent deal, but Martel is adamant that the Ligue 2 club will only sell Dindane outright and that he will not leave the Stade Felix Bollaert for the Premiership on loan.

“We have some offers,” Martel told Le 10 Sport.

“One thing is for sure - Aruna won't be loaned out, he will be transferred permanently.

“We have started to receive transfer offers. We have a few offers from England, but they are not alone.”

Martel also revealed that Lens will hold on to Dindane until the end of the season unless they receive a suitable offer, with the Les Sang et Or chief insisting figures in the press are short of his own valuation of the striker.

“I can just say the fee stated in the press is clearly not enough. If we don't receive offers that will satisfy us, we will keep him until the end of the season,” he added.

Dindane has been at Lens since joining from Belgian side Anderlecht in 2005 and has scored 25 goals in 90 league appearances for the French club, but is keen on a move to England after Len’s relegation from the top-flight of French football last season.

Wenger Tells Eboue To Win Arsenal Fans Back By Giving 200%

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Ivory Coast International Emmanuel Eboue has vowed to bounce back for Arsenal after being booed by his own fans and suffering the humiliation of being a substituted substitute in the Gunners Premier League clash with Wigan Athletic last weekend.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger claimed at the time that he had hauled 25-year-old Eboue off against the Latics for his own good, but has since backed the versatile right-sided player to come good for the Premiership club.

Despite the backing from Wenger, Eboue started on the bench for Arsenal in the 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday, but Wenger has told the former Beveren player to play his way back into the hearts of the Emirates faithful by giving 200% in every match for the North London club.

Eboue told The People: "It was sad. I did not expect that reaction from the public because I have always given all for Arsenal.

“But I am a professional and I have respect for the reactions of the crowd.

“The manager has encouraged me in the last few days and told me that you get over these things by working harder and fighting.

“He has promised me that if I give 200 per cent in every game, the fans will applaud me again.”

Arsenal To Swoop For Barca Outcast?

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Arsenal are ready to reignite their interest in Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure, younger brother of Gunners defender Kolo, with a £6million offer for the Ivory Coast International being mooted in January, according to The Sun.



Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger had been heavily linked with a move for 25-year-old Toure in the summer, but were put off by the £15million price tag put on the combative midfielder by the Catalan club.

However, Toure has fallen out of favour at the Nou Camp under new Barca coach Pep Guardiola and has not featured for Guardiola at all in La Liga this season after a successful debut season for Barcelona in 2007/2008. Where Toure made 26 league appearances for the Spanish club following his transfer from AS Monaco.

Toure has had a trial at the Premier League club, but failed to earn a contract with Wenger’s North London side and was signed by the Blaugrana, where the midfielder has impressed. Toure did also reveal recently the interest by the Gunners in the summer and that he had chose to stay at Barcelona, but with the midfielder not able to break into the Barca first-team this season Toure could see a reunion with brother Kolo at the Emirates Stadium as the perfect solution in January.

Chelsea's Drogba In Talks With Inter?

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Ivory Coast International Didier Drogba's Chelsea future has become surrounded in doubt, with the Blues striker understood to have held discussions with officials at Serie A club Inter Milan, according to the La Gazetta Dello Sport website.

30-year-old Drogba is understood to have met with Nerazzurri coach Jose Mourinho’s agent Jorge Mendes and Marco Branca the technical director at the San Siro along with his agent Pierre Frelot at a restaurant in West London.

Former Stamford Bridge boss Mourinho was a huge influence on Drogba, while at Chelsea and had been heavily linked with a move to bring the former Marseille striker to Inter in the summer. However, Drogba, who is currently serving a three-match ban for throwing a coin in the Carling Cup defeat to Burnley, remained at the Premier League side.

Mourinho has an abundance of striker’s at the San Siro, with Hernan Crespo, Adriano, Mario Balotelli, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Julio Cruz and Victor Obinna all fighting for a starting berth upfront for Inter. Despite this Mourinho is expected to offload Adriano in January, with Balotelli a reported target for Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea, while Crespo never made the grade under Mourinho at the Blues.

Young striker Obinna had been heavily linked with a loan move to Everton in the summer, but this didn’t materialise due to work permit problems and this deal could be resurrected in January, which if as Mourinho has stated recently that some forward’s will leave Inter in January then the path would be clear for Inter to sign Drogba, who would be keen on a reunion with his former boss.

FA Hand Drogba The (Coin) Tosser Three-Match Ban

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Ivory Coast International Didier Drogba has been given a three-match ban by the FA for throwing a coin back into the crowd during Chelsea’s defeat in the Carling Cup to Burnley at Stamford Bridge last Wednesday.

30-year-old Drogba had already admitted to a charge of violent conduct yesterday, with the former Marseille striker apologising for his behaviour straight after the match. Drogba threw the coin after giving Chelsea the lead against the Clarets and was also booked for a gesture towards the travelling Burnley fans.

Drogba will now start his ban with immediate effect, starting with the Premier League clash against Newcastle United at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.