Arsenal winger Theo Walcott.
Arsenal winger Theo Walcott.

Transfer talk: August 29 - Walcott faces exit, Berbatov to Fiorentina



Tottenham are set to sign Moussa Dembele from Fulham in a £15m (Dh87m) deal. Read our full story here.

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Arsenal could sell Theo Walcott before Friday if the player fails to agree a new contract, according to reports in the UK.

The 23-year-old winger has a year left on his current agreement with the Emirates Stadium side.

Talks have so far failed to reach an agreement between club and player over a new deal, though Walcott is understood to be willing to continue negotiations and wants to stay at the club.

However, multiple reports today claim Arsenal will sell him before Friday's transfer deadline, unless he signs an improved five-year deal worth £75,000 a week.

The club would look for around £12m (Dh69.7m) for the England international, alerting Premier League rivals to his availability.

He started the home draw with Sunderland on the opening day of the season but was left on the bench for Sunday's draw at Stoke, eventually coming on after 72 minutes in the Gunners' second straight 0-0 draw.

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Dimitar Berbatov could be on the verge of a £4.5m (Dh26.1m) move to Fiorentina, according to reports today.

The Manchester United striker, who is has slipped well down the pecking order at Old Trafford, is reported to have flown into Italy this morning to finalise a switch to the Serie A side.

The 31-year-old Bulgarian is set to agree a two-year deal, subject to passing a medical.

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Scott Sinclair's move to Manchester City could still go through before Friday - despite Swansea City rejecting a £6.2million (Dh36.1m) bid from the English Premier League champions.

The 23-year-old, who is out of contract next summer, has refused to sign a new deal at the Liberty Stadium, increasing the chances of him leaving before the end of the transfer window.

Swansea are thought to be looking for a higher offer from City, as Chelsea would be due a percentage of any fee for the player via a sell-on clause.

But Michael Laudrup, the Swansea City manager, said he would not rule out a deal being completed in time for the weekend.

"Even if talks have broken down there is still time for everything to happen, I am not saying he will go, or he will stay," said Laudrup.

"The point where we are now could change completely.

"He plays in a position where we don't have that many players and if he leaves we need another one.

"That's the balancing act and the closer we get to the deadline the more difficult and shaky it will be."

Laudrup is still keen to sign Pablo Hernandez and Marvin Emnes from Valencia and Middlesbrough respectively.

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Italian legend Alessandro Del Piero could make a shock move to Australia after a transfer offer from Sydney FC.

The 37-year-old, who spent 19 years with Juventus before becoming a free agent in May, has been made an offer to join the A-League side as their marquee player for the season.

"We're going to go for it as hard as we can," the club's chief executive Tony Pignata told the Sydney Morning Herald.

"The board is 100 per cent behind this. We believe he's the perfect marquee player.

"We've already made an approach to his management team, and we're waiting to hear back. This is not a gimmick, it's deadly serious. To get a player of his stature would be huge, and we know that," he added.

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QPR are closing in on a deal to sign Brazil international goalkeeper Julio Cesar from Inter Milan.  Read the full story here.

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Sunderland fullback Kieran Richardson looks set for a move to Fulham after the two clubs agreed a fee for his transfer last night.

Black Cats boss Martin O'Neill confirmed that the Wearsiders have accepted an offer for the 27-year-old, but did not disclose the club.

However, reports from the UK indicate he is on his way to Craven Cottage after missing last night's Capital One Cup win over Morecambe, and could complete his move back to London today.

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AC Milan have signed in-demand French teenage striker M'baye Niang from Caen - and insist they are no longer looking to sign Kaka.

The 17-year-old joins on a three year deal after scoring five goals in 30 appearances for the Ligue 1 side last season.

But Kaka will not be joining the former Everton target at the San Siro, insists Rossoneri vice president Adrian Galliani - for tax reasons.

"We were waiting to hear from a tax man in Spain and we got his reply today," he told the club's website.

"The deal is off because it is too risky."

The player has been benefiting from the 2005 'Beckham Law' brought in by Spain to allow foreign workers into the country by reducing their tax liabilities - but a move to Italy would have meant a far larger tax liability for Milan on signing the player.

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English Premier League new boys Southampton have bolstered their strikeforce with the signing of Zambia forward Emmanuel Mayuka.

The 21-year-old has joined the club from Young Boys Berne on a five-year deal.

Mayuka, scored 32 times in two seasons at the Swiss club, was joint top-scorer in Zambia's successful 2012 African Cup of Nations campaign.

He has already been granted a work permit and Saints are now awaiting entry clearance for the deal to be fully ratified, which is expected to happen in time for the weekend.

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Joey Barton's move to Marseille could still take place before the end of the transfer window, according to Mark Hughes, the QPR manager.

The player tweeted yesterday that the move seemed to have collapsed, admitting he was heartbroken at not being able to leave Loftus Road - where he is serving a 12-game ban.

But last night Hughes insisted there was still a chance Barton could get his exit.

"The Marseille ordeal may not be dead in the water," he said.

"We might be able to get a solution for everybody. This option has attracted Joey's enthusiasm so hopefully it is concluded."

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The Perfect Couple

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor

Creator: Jenna Lamia

Rating: 3/5

The%20Specs
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SPECS
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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A cryptocurrency primer for beginners

Cryptocurrency Investing  for Dummies – by Kiana Danial 

There are several primers for investing in cryptocurrencies available online, including e-books written by people whose credentials fall apart on the second page of your preferred search engine. 

Ms Danial is a finance coach and former currency analyst who writes for Nasdaq. Her broad-strokes primer (2019) breaks down investing in cryptocurrency into baby steps, while explaining the terms and technologies involved.

Although cryptocurrencies are a fast evolving world, this  book offers a good insight into the game as well as providing some basic tips, strategies and warning signs.

Begin your cryptocurrency journey here. 

Available at Magrudy’s , Dh104 

OPENING FIXTURES

Saturday September 12

Crystal Palace v Southampton

Fulham v Arsenal

Liverpool v Leeds United

Tottenham v Everton

West Brom v Leicester

West Ham  v Newcastle

Monday  September 14

Brighton v Chelsea

Sheffield United v Wolves

To be rescheduled

Burnley v Manchester United

Manchester City v Aston Villa

Brief scores:

Everton 0

Leicester City 1

Vardy 58'

The biog

Favourite colour: Brown

Favourite Movie: Resident Evil

Hobbies: Painting, Cooking, Imitating Voices

Favourite food: Pizza

Trivia: Was the voice of three characters in the Emirati animation, Shaabiyat Al Cartoon

Ibrahim's play list

Completed an electrical diploma at the Adnoc Technical Institute

Works as a public relations officer with Adnoc

Apart from the piano, he plays the accordion, oud and guitar

His favourite composer is Johann Sebastian Bach

Also enjoys listening to Mozart

Likes all genres of music including Arabic music and jazz

Enjoys rock groups Scorpions and Metallica 

Other musicians he likes are Syrian-American pianist Malek Jandali and Lebanese oud player Rabih Abou Khalil

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The five stages of early child’s play

From Dubai-based clinical psychologist Daniella Salazar:

1. Solitary Play: This is where Infants and toddlers start to play on their own without seeming to notice the people around them. This is the beginning of play.

2. Onlooker play: This occurs where the toddler enjoys watching other people play. There doesn’t necessarily need to be any effort to begin play. They are learning how to imitate behaviours from others. This type of play may also appear in children who are more shy and introverted.

3. Parallel Play: This generally starts when children begin playing side-by-side without any interaction. Even though they aren’t physically interacting they are paying attention to each other. This is the beginning of the desire to be with other children.

4. Associative Play: At around age four or five, children become more interested in each other than in toys and begin to interact more. In this stage children start asking questions and talking about the different activities they are engaging in. They realise they have similar goals in play such as building a tower or playing with cars.

5. Social Play: In this stage children are starting to socialise more. They begin to share ideas and follow certain rules in a game. They slowly learn the definition of teamwork. They get to engage in basic social skills and interests begin to lead social interactions.


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