Per The Times:

 

- PL will not require players to be quarantined in a hotel before games resume

 

- Games expected to restart on 19 June "or more likely 26 June"

 

- Vote this Wednesday re whether to resume contact training

 

- Further meeting this Thursday to discuss:

 

1) Exact date for restart

2) TV scheduling

3) Procedure to decide outcome of league if season curtailed

Arsenal may hold key Philippe Coutinho transfer advantage over rivals because of one man

 

Arsenal may well have an advantage in their apparent bid to bring Philippe Coutinho back to the Premier League. French outlet Le10 Sport claim that Mikel Arteta dreams of bringing Coutinho to the Emirates asian handicap tips.

And the report adds that arrangements have been made for the Gunners to speak with the player's agent, Kia Joorabchian, to broker a deal.

It is not said whether or not any move would be a loan deal or a permanent switch, though Arsenal's limited finances would surely require it to be the former.

It might not be straightforward to sign him, with Chelsea among the other clubs reportedly keen, but Arsenal have an advantage over any competitors - Edu Gaspar.

That's because Arsenal's director of football has long-standing personal links with Coutinho's representative Joorabchian.

 

Arsenal may hold key Philippe Coutinho transfer advantage over rivals because of one man

The Athletic reported well back in November that the Iran-born British businessman and Edu have close connections having done deals together at Corinthians and detailed the extent of their relationship.

Joorabchian is a fan of the Sao Paulo outfit, just as he is an Arsenal supporter, and the Brazilian club are where Edu started and finished his playing career.

He was also their director of football after hanging up his boots and famously brought in several Joorabchian associates, such as his client Alexandre Pato in 2013, who turned out to be one of the club's worst ever signings.

There were more successful signings, however, with Paulinho - who would go on to play for Tottenham - among them as Corinthians won multiple titles with Edu at his post.

The pair remain close and when Arsenal made Edu their technical director last year, it was Joorabchian - a boyhood Gunners fan - who was at the heart of the negotiations to make it happen.

And the super-agent's ties to Arsenal and to Edu surely offer them a jump-start should a deal for Coutinho become a reality.

Speaking back in April, Joorabchian told Sky Sports: "The fact I'm an Arsenal supporter is not a secret. I don't have any preference where the players go.

"I don't try to push someone to one club or another. Everything is a possibility."

But he went on to add of Coutinho: "The Premier League is something that he has always enjoyed playing in, and loved playing in, and would probably love to come back and play in."

The Brazil playmaker's stock has fallen in recent seasons but his productivity remains fairly high, having produced eight goals and six assists in 22 Bundesliga appearances for Bayern Munich this term.

And in his five years for Liverpool, he became one of Europe's finest attacking midfielders, ultimately producing 41 goals and 37 assists in 152 Premier League appearances.

Factor in that Coutinho is still only 27, can play as a No 8 and operate on the left or right flanks rather than just a No 10, and the appeal is clear.

That is, though, provided a loan deal can be agreed - as a price tag that would likely reach £70million is well beyond Arsenal's reach after their spending last summer, the coronavirus crisis and their lack of Champions League football in recent years.

Even a loan would not be cheap though, and Coutinho would immediately become one of Arsenal's top earners, though perhaps he may be willing to take a pay cut to return to England - or Barca may be open to paying part of his wages.

Arsenal would also likely need to negotiate a deal that would only make the move permanent dependent in a year or two's time on certain conditions.

If the north London club don't qualify for the Champions League with Coutinho back in the team, his wages - and transfer fee - would be unjustifiable.

But Barca's desire to offload him to fund moves for the likes of Neymar and Lautaro Martinez means negotiations will prove tricky.

The Catalan club will want him off their books immediately to free up finances and allow them to move on, while Arsenal simply cannot afford a permanent deal - and will even likely be opposed to paying a sizeable loan fee soccer tip forum.

Yet with the links to Joorabchian, there is reason to believe that an agreement can be found - and what an addition the goalscoring No 10 could prove to be.

Perhaps the South American, whose moments of magic were crucial to Liverpool getting back into the Champions League and eventually blossoming into the European titans they are once again under Jurgen Klopp, can be the talisman are likely to Arsenal need next term in the expected scenario that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang moves on this summer.

 

- Daily Express

Odion Ighalo looks set to return to China when his loan deal expires on 31 May, with Manchester United struggling to agree an extension with Shanghai Shenhua.

 

The Nigerian, 30, was signed on a short-term loan deal in January as cover for striker Marcus Rashford, who had been ruled out by a back injury.

 

However, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic means Ighalo's loan will end before the Premier League's intended June return date, by which time Rashford is also expected to be fit.

 

Well isn't that typical, after we finally sign someone who hits the ground running.

 

Arsenal may hold key Philippe Coutinho transfer advantage over rivals because of one man

Merged into the PL thread - it didn't need a topic of its own!

 

(welcome to Buzzjack btw)

Surely that's a spambot.

Probably, but all he's done is quote an article from the Daily Express so there's no harm in it existing. Plus there have been weirder entries to Buzzjack.

Premier League clubs have unanimously voted to resume contact training as four more individuals from three sides have tested positive for coronavirus.

 

A total of 1,008 players and staff were tested in the third round of testing.

 

Phase two of 'Project Restart' will see players "train as a group and engage in tackling while minimising unnecessary close contact", the league said.

 

Discussions continue on plans to resume the season when "conditions allow", it added.

The Prem is set to return on 17th June with Aston Villa vs Sheffield United & Man City vs Arsenal.

I want to celebrate but not allowing myself to do so until that first game actually kicks off :kink:

This is really good news! Now we'll get to find out who finishes where in the table in the fairest possible way.

 

I will update the Premier League prediction competition thread once kick off times have been confirmed.

Nice! It'll be good to get some sport back on air.

Nice! It'll be good to get some sport back on air.

Apparently the BBC will be showing four live games.

 

I'll wait to a ball is.kicked to get excited again.

Surely that's a spambot.

 

What is a Spambot?

What is a Spambot?

an autonomous program on the Internet that sends spam to a large number of users or posts spam on online forums.

 

 

Back to the football

 

 

Every one of the remaining 92 Premier League games will be broadcast live across Sky Sports, BT Sport, BBC Sport or Amazon Prime.

 

Sky Sports will make 25 of the remaining top-flight matches free to air, including the Merseyside Derby on the first weekend of the 19-21 June.

 

 

How many games do sky have altogether live?

 

 

I've just signed up to free 30-day Amazon Prime trial not thinking there'd be any chance of seeing PL football on it! (Remember, they'd already screened their 2 permitted round earlier this season).

They have a few games don't they? BBC coverage will be a sight to see! 25 of sky's games will be available free on sky one of sky sports mix.

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers says he "had no strength" after contracting the coronavirus in March.

 

Rodgers is the second Premier League manager to confirm he has had Covid-19, with Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta also testing positive in March. .

 

The 47-year-old says he suffered with "breathlessness" before fully recovering from the virus.

Sky Sports will show 64 live Premier League games when the season resumes. In addition to the 39 matches already scheduled to be broadcast exclusively live on Sky Sports before the coronavirus interruption, 25 more matches will be available on both Sky Sports Premier League and Sky's free-to-air Pick channel, allowing the whole nation to be part of the return of live sport.

Good to hear! I'll see if I can watch some of the free ones myself.