IP addresses are NOT logged in this forum so there's no point asking. Please note that this forum is full of homophobes, racists, lunatics, schizophrenics & absolute nut jobs with a smattering of geniuses, Chinese chauvinists, Moderate Muslims and last but not least a couple of "know-it-alls" constantly sprouting their dubious wisdom. If you believe that content generated by unsavory characters might cause you offense PLEASE LEAVE NOW! Sammyboy Admin and Staff are not responsible for your hurt feelings should you choose to read any of the content here. The OTHER forum is HERE so please stop asking.
Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has ruled out selling striker Edinson Cavani despite intense speculation over his future with the Ligue 1 club.
Cavani, who joined PSG from Napoli for a fee believed to be in the region of €64million in July 2013, has been heavily linked with Manchester United, Juventus and Atletico Madrid.
However, he has been said to be dissatisfied with his role at PSG, with the Uruguay international pushed out wide due to coach Laurent Blanc's preference in playing Zlatan Ibrahimovic as a central striker.
The former Palermo man was also publicly criticised by Blanc and forced to sit two games in January after missing a mid-season training camp.
But Al-Khelaifi is unwilling to part with PSG's record signing.
"Edinson Cavani is a player I like a lot," he said. "I can tell you that he is very much fine with us, and the question of his departure does not arise.
"Paris loves him and he loves Paris."
Cavani scored 25 goals in his first campaign with PSG and has 20 in all competitions this term.
Rodgers: Sturridge must find a way to play through pain barrier
13 April 2015
Brendan Rodgers admits that Daniel Sturridge is unlikely to return to top form until next season, but urged the striker to find a way to play through the pain barrier until the end of the campaign.
England international Sturridge has been beset by thigh and hamstring problems this term and has been restricted to just 12 Premier League appearances, scoring four goals.
It marks a stark contrast to 2013-14, where he formed a deadly partnership with Luis Suarez and netted 21 times in 29 league outings.
The former Chelsea man recently suggested that it will take for him to rediscover top form after his injury woes.
Manager Rodgers agrees with that assertion, but is still hoping to see a decent return until the end of the season.
"When you're out for that length of time, it maybe takes you the same amount of time to get back again. The key for him was to get back and be fit, but he needs a good pre-season - a total run - and hopefully he'll be fine for next season," Rodgers said.
"Until that point, we have to maximise what we can get out of him.
"Everybody is different when they get injured and how they deal with it. A player will never be 100 per cent fit - more or less - when he plays. They're always carrying something.
"If it hinders performance, then you can only trust the player that he cannot give any more or they can't operate at the level they want to because of injury.
"With Daniel, there's been a number of injuries that he's had and that's before he came here. He had a fairly sustained run last season and served us well, but this season has been difficult.
"He just needs to find a way to physically and mentally try to keep himself as fit as he can, but sometimes that isn't all down to you sometimes it's about luck as well."
Lennon must keep pushing for permanent Everton deal - Martinez
13 April 2015
Everton manager Roberto Martinez has urged Aaron Lennon to maintain his good form as the winger pushes for a permanent move.
The England international has impressed at Goodison Park since joining on loan from Tottenham in the last transfer window and made it consecutive goals in Premier League away games by scoring in the 1-1 draw at Swansea City on Saturday.
Manager Martinez has been impressed by Lennon's contribution, but told the former Leeds United player to keep up his high standards.
"The impressive thing about Aaron is he does not look like a loan player, he looks like he has been playing for Everton for many, many years and that is a very important sign," Martinez said.
"What we now want is for Aaron to carry on pushing, carry on enjoying his football, carry on keeping his place in the side and making sure he enjoys his time with Everton."
Martinez was also boosted by the return of Steven Pienaar after the midfielder missed the past four months with a knee injury.
The South African has made just nine league appearances in an injury-hit campaign and Martinez concedes that Pienaar has been a big miss.
"You see what we have been missing all season," he added. "Steven has been unavailable for 19 Premier League games and that is an astonishing amount of games to be without a key player."
Advocaat fears Sunderland relegation after Palace rout
13 April 2015
Dick Advocaat believes Sunderland have no chance of avoiding Premier League relegation if his side continue to produce performances akin to their 4-1 defeat to Crystal Palace.
Sunderland followed up a 1-0 Tyne-Wear derby success over arch rivals Newcastle United with a dismal showing at the Stadium of Light on Saturday.
Glenn Murray's opener and an 11-minute hat-trick from Yannick Bolasie blew Sunderland out of the water and left them just three points above the drop zone with six games remaining.
"If we carry on performing like this then we have no chance," Advocaat said. "[Am I] worried? Yes. Very worried. I'm as worried as the other coaches who are in the same position as ourselves.
"We are not the first team to get beaten by Palace, because they have beaten better teams in the last nine games. But we have to believe in ourselves. We showed we can do something against Newcastle.
"I see for myself that we don't create enough chances even though we play with three strikers.
"It is not about looking at other results, we have to do it by ourselves."
QPR have launched an internal investigation into an incident during Sunday's defeat to London rivals Chelsea in which Branislav Ivanovic appeared to be struck by a cigarette lighter.
The Serbian defender was celebrating with his team-mates as Cesc Fabregas' dramatic late winner in the 1-0 triumph at Loftus Road sent Chelsea seven points clear of Arsenal at the top of the Premier League.
Cameras subsequently showed Ivanovic clutching his neck and photos have emerged of a lighter being aimed towards the defender.
Other objects were launched in the direction of Chelsea players and QPR - who remain in the relegation zone - say that any fan found to have been involved will face a stadium ban and potential police action, while the Football Association confirmed QPR would be contacted.
A club spokesperson said: "The club is aware that objects were thrown by a small section of supporters towards the pitch following Chelsea's 88th-minute goal.
"The club takes the safety of all supporters and players very seriously and are currently reviewing CCTV footage of the aftermath of the goal in an attempt to identify those responsible.
"Whilst we understand that passions run high during derby fixtures, this is not the kind of behaviour the club condones in any way, shape or form.
"We take a zero tolerance approach to this sort of behaviour and, if the perpetrators are identified, they will be banned indefinitely from the stadium and, where appropriate, we will liaise with the Metropolitan Police.
"The club are awaiting communication from the FA following the referee's report and will work closely with them in ensuring something like this does not happen again."
Clyne´s ambition casts Southampton future in doubt
13 April 2015
Nathaniel Clyne has hinted that his long-term future may lie away from Southampton after speaking of his ambition to play in the UEFA Champions League.
The England international has been in fine form at the St Mary's Stadium this season and has been linked with the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United.
Last week manager Ronald Koeman admitted it would be difficult to retain the full-back and said Southampton face a battle to hold on to one of their prized assets.
Clyne insists that his focus remains on Southampton, but he stated his desire to win trophies and play in Europe's premier event.
"It's always good to have teams looking out for you, it shows how well you've been doing all season," he told Sky Sports.
"I am going to take that, and keep on performing and be the best player I can be.
"Right now I'm concentrating on playing for Southampton, there are still games to play, and try to push for that fourth spot.
"I am an ambitious person and I want to play Champions League football. To win the title and the FA Cup, that is what I want."
Chelsea striker Didier Drogba plans to carry on playing next season.
At 37, Drogba is almost at the end of a storied career that has seen him win league titles in England and Turkey, the UEFA Champions League, the FA Cup on four occasions and three League Cups.
The former Ivory Coast international looks set to finish 2014-15 as a Premier League title winner for a fourth time – Chelsea are seven points clear with seven games remaining – although he is used primarily as an impact substitute in what is his second spell at Stamford Bridge.
Drogba penned a one-year deal when he rejoined Chelsea in July and wants to play on into 2015-16.
When quizzed by the Daily Telegraph about whether he has reached a decision regarding his future, he replied: "I have made a decision, yes. And no, it's not my last season."
Drogba has scored three goals in 23 league appearances for Chelsea this term, four of which have been starts.
Back in January, Drogba said: "I love this club and would love to be part of this club for the future, with the new players."
Slaven Bilic has moved to dismiss rumours that he has held talks with West Ham about the possibility of replacing Sam Allardyce as manager next season.
Besiktas coach Bilic is fondly remembered at Upton Park after impressing as a defender during his playing days between 1996 and 1997.
Allardyce's future at the Premier League club has been shrouded in doubt after a promising opening half to the season has been followed by a dismal run of form in 2015, with the club winning just two league matches since the turn of the year.
Former Croatia boss Bilic has been linked with a return to the club, but he insists there is no substance in the reports.
In an interview with Fanatik, Bilic said: "I do not know who keeps spreading the West Ham link but I can tell you I am not in talks with the club.
"My future will be decided at the end of the season with Besiktas.
"I am very pleased with the work I do, and think I do my job well. I have not received an offer from anyone."
Liverpool 2-0 Newcastle: Sterling & Allen boost top-four hopes
Apr 13, 2015 21:50:00
The Reds climbed above Southampton into fifth place with a comfortable win against the out-of-form Magpies, who had Moussa Sissoko sent off for two yellow-card offences
Liverpool ran out 2-0 winners against Newcastle United at Anfield to move within four points of Manchester City and the top four.
Goals from Raheem Sterling and Joe Allen either side of half-time kept Brendan Rodgers' side's Champions League hopes alive and condemned the Mapies to a fifth consecutive defeat.
To compound the visitors' woes, Moussa Sissoko was sent off late on for two bookable offences.
Following back-to-back league defeats against Manchester United and Arsenal, Liverpool were given an ideal start when Sterling curled home nine minutes in.
Brendan Rodgers' side - shorn of injured striker Daniel Sturridge - controlled the remainder of the half, but were perhaps fortunate not to concede a penalty when Dejan Lovren appeared to foul Ayoze Perez.
While Newcastle improved after the break, Sterling should have put the game to bed before the hour as he conspired to miss from close-range, with Liverpool's profligate finishing frustrating the home faithful.
However, Allen's instinctive strike erased any fears of a slip-up as Liverpool ensured they remain in the hunt for a top-four finish as well as FA Cup honours, with a Wembley semi-final against Aston Villa to come this weekend.
In contrast, John Carver's Newcastle, who saw captain Moussa Sissoko sent off for a second time this season late on, limp towards the end of another disappointing campaign following a fifth defeat on the bounce.
After a dismal showing in the derby defeat to Sunderland, Carver made three changes and Newcastle started relatively brightly prior to the game's first moment of quality that broke the deadlock.
Sterling offered a timely reminder of his prodigious talent as he brought down Jordan Henderson's delivery before breezing past half-hearted challenges from Daryl Janmaat and Gabriel Obertan and curling a strike past the helpless Tim Krul.
The Liverpool pressure was almost constant prior to the half-hour mark, other than a strike from Mehdi Abeid that was comfortably saved by Simon Mignolet.
Newcastle should perhaps have been given an opportunity to draw level seven minutes before the break, but Lovren's clumsy challenge on Perez was not enough to persuade Lee Mason to point to the penalty spot.
Perez had the half's final chance - Mignolet clawing out the Spaniard's header - and Newcastle took that momentum into the second period by creating a flurry of half-chances.
Sterling then missed a gilt-edged opportunity shortly before the hour as he managed to place an effort wide with the goal at his mercy following a defensive howler from Ryan Taylor.
However, as Liverpool got back on top, Mike Williamson's sloppy defending allowed Allen a sight of goal - the Welshman duly firing past Krul to seal the points, with Sterling coming close to a second shortly after.
There was still time for Sissoko - booked for an altercation with Glen Johnson - to cap another disappointing outing for Newcastle by gaining another yellow card for a dangerous tackle on Lucas Leiva seven minutes from time.
It leaves Carver's men looking nervously over their shoulders while Liverpool move fifth.
Liverpool still alive in top-four fight, says Henderson
Apr 13, 2015 22:48:00
The Reds claimed a 2-0 victory over Newcastle on Monday to close in on fourth-placed Manchester City, and the Reds' midfielder says his side will keep on fighting
Jordan Henderson has not given up hope of finishing in the top four after Liverpool claimed a 2-0 victory over 10-man Newcastle United on Monday.
The Reds moved to within four points of out-of-form Manchester City thanks to goals from Raheem Sterling and Joe Allen, bouncing back from consecutive defeats to Manchester United and Arsenal.
Skipper Henderson was delighted to get back on track after losing pace in the race for a Champions League berth and has promised that the side will be fighting to qualify up until the final game of the season.
"We knew it was an important game for us," the England international told Sky Sports afterwards.
"The last couple of weeks in the Premier League have been disappointing, in both performances and results, so we knew today we needed to put that right and I think we did that. It was a great result for us."
Asked if Liverpool were back in the hunt for the top four, he continued: "Yeah, we've still got ground to make up but we've just got to keep going, keep winning games, keep putting in performances and then, come the end of the season, you never know."
Liverpool dominated the opening exchanges at Anfield but Henderson admits they let their foot off the gas at the end of the first half, with Dejan Lovren lucky to escape a clear penalty shout.
"We had a few chances [to score more], and I thought we controlled the game for about 30-35 minutes and could have scored a few more," he added.
"And then in the last 10 minutes we got a bit sloppy in our passing and could have kept it better. But in the second half we kept going and Joe [Allen] got a great finish to sort of wrap it up for us. Like I say, a great result and another clean sheet which is always pleasing."
West Ham hopeful that Sakho will play again this season
By Greg Lea
Apr 13, 2015 21:04:00
The Senegalese damaged his thigh during the weekend draw with Stoke City, but the Hammers believe there is still a chance that the striker will play again before the summer
West Ham are hopeful that striker Diafra Sakho will be able to play again this season as he begins his rehabilitation from a thigh strain.
Sakho - who has netted 10 times in 23 Premier League appearances in his first season in English football - was withdrawn after 59 minutes during the 1-1 draw with Stoke City on Saturday.
However, despite speculation that his campaign is over, Sakho could return before the end of next month.
"After undergoing a scan on Monday, Sakho has been diagnosed with a thigh strain and will now commence rehabilitation with a view to returning to action before the end of the season," Stijn Vandenbroucke, West Ham's head of medical and sports science, told the club's official website.
Vandenbroucke also confirmed that Enner Valencia suffered a foot injury against Stoke that will be monitored.
The winger has scored twice since joining from Tottenham on loan - the winner against QPR and the equaliser at Swansea - and his manager has urged him to keep improving
Roberto Martinez has urged Aaron Lennon to maintain his good form as the Everton loanee pushes for a permanent move from Tottenham.
The loanee has impressed since joining on in the last transfer window and made it consecutive goals in Premier League away games by scoring in the 1-1 draw at Swansea City on Saturday.
Martinez has been impressed by Lennon's contribution, but told the 21-time England international to keep up his high standards if he wants to extend his stay beyond the end of the season.
"The impressive thing about Aaron is he does not look like a loan player, he looks like he has been playing for Everton for many, many years and that is a very important sign," Martinez told reporters.
"What we now want is for Aaron to carry on pushing, carry on enjoying his football, carry on keeping his place in the side and making sure he enjoys his time with Everton."
Martinez was also boosted by the return of Steven Pienaar after the midfielder missed the past four months with a knee injury, and his manager has admitted the South African has ben a big miss.
"You see what we have been missing all season," he added. "Steven has been unavailable for 19 Premier League games and that is an astonishing amount of games to be without a key player."
Young set to sign new three-year Manchester United deal
Apr 13, 2015 12:48:00
The winger, who will be 30 in July, has been in fine form in recent weeks and is assured that he will be an important member of Louis van Gaal's Old Trafford plans
By Scott Loney
Manchester United are set to reward Ashley Young for his fine form with a three-year contract extension, Goal understands.
Young has been one of the stand-out performers for United in the last month as the club have bounced back from FA Cup elimination at the hands of Arsenal to secure impressive victories against Tottenham, Liverpool, Aston Villa and Manchester City.
The England winger scored one and set up another two in Sunday's derby victory against City, which moved Louis van Gaal's men closer to Champions League qualification via a top-four Premier League finish.
United opened talks with Young several weeks ago and he is expected to take a slight cut on his current €166,000-per-week deal, although he is likely to make up the total figure in bonuses.
Van Gaal has assured the midfielder, who will be 30 in July, that he is an important part of his plans at Old Trafford.
Indeed, he has kept British record signing Angel Di Maria out of the starting line-up in recent weeks and is currently enjoying some of his best performances since joining United from Aston Villa in 2011.
Rodgers: Sturridge won't be at his best until next season
By Peter Hanson
Apr 13, 2015 15:51:00
The 25-year-old has made just 12 Premier League appearances this season, scoring four goals, having battled persistent thigh and hamstring problems
Brendan Rodgers admits that Daniel Sturridge is unlikely to return to top form until next season, but urged the striker to find a way to play through the pain barrier until the end of the campaign.
Sturridge has been struggling with thigh and hamstring problems this term and has been restricted to just 12 Premier League appearances, scoring four goals.
It marks a stark contrast to 2013-14, when he formed a deadly partnership with Luis Suarez and netted 21 times in 29 league outings.
The former Chelsea man recently suggested that it will take for him to rediscover top form after his injury woes. Rodgers agrees, but is still hoping to see a decent return from his star striker until the end of the season.
"When you're out for that length of time, it maybe takes you the same amount of time to get back again. The key for him was to get back and be fit, but he needs a good pre-season - a total run - and hopefully he'll be fine for next season," Rodgers told reporters.
"Until that point, we have to maximise what we can get out of him.
"Everybody is different when they get injured and how they deal with it. A player will never be 100 per cent fit - more or less - when he plays. They're always carrying something.
"If it hinders performance, then you can only trust the player that he cannot give any more or they can't operate at the level they want to because of injury.
"With Daniel, there's been a number of injuries that he's had and that's before he came here. He had a fairly sustained run last season and served us well, but this season has been difficult.
"He just needs to find a way to physically and mentally try to keep himself as fit as he can, but sometimes that isn't all down to you sometimes it's about luck as well."
Manchester City have 'opened the door' for Liverpool - Rodgers
By Greg Lea
Apr 14, 2015 00:13:00
The manager believes that Manuel Pellegrini's side's recent slump has reignited the Reds' chances of a top-four finish after their defeat of Newcastle at Anfield
Brendan Rodgers believes that Manchester City's downturn in form has "opened the door" for Liverpool's Champions League hopes after they beat Newcastle United 2-0 at Anfield.
The champions' defeat at Manchester United on Sunday was their fourth loss in six games and leaves them looking nervously over their shoulder with eight games of the season remaining.
And Rodgers insists that his Liverpool side still have a chance of overtaking City in fourth place after goals from Raheem Sterling and Joe Allen secured a vital three points against the Magpies on Monday.
"We want to fight until the very end," the 42-year-old told reporters. "We knew we had to win tonight, and we'll take that into the weekend. Manchester City have maybe opened the door up for the teams in below.
"So, for us, you've still got to win your games, and the teams above us are in an advantageous position. But for us, if we win our games and perform well, we'll see what happens."
Liverpool's victory over Newcastle was their first in three matches after suffering disappointing setbacks against fellow top-four contenders Manchester United and Arsenal in recent weeks.
And Rodgers was full of praise for his team's character and ability to bounce back and return to winning ways.
"We have won 10 of 13 games but have had two disappointing results," he added. "It is always a crisis when you lose games but we knew we had to respond and got ourselves into the [FA Cup] semi-final and won tonight.
"There are teams above us but as we have seen last year that there can be changes and points dropped and I think there will be changes."
Rodgers to speak with Sterling over nitrous oxide controversy
By Ewan Roberts
Apr 14, 2015 00:39:00
The Liverpool boss says he will discuss the youngster's unprofessional off-field activities, but is convinced he will not be distracted and remains a key player for the side
Brendan Rodgers says he will speak to Raheem Sterling after he was pictured inhaling nitrous oxide, but insists the controversy will not affect the Liverpool youngster.
England international Sterling had a mixed Monday, netting the opening goal in the Reds' 2-0 victory over Newcastle but facing fresh scrutiny after The Sun acquired a video of him apparently passed out after inhaling the legal high.
Sterling has also recently been pictured with a shisha pipe and Rodgers says he will discuss the 20-year-old's off-field activities privately, admitting that he needs to remain professional away from the pitch as well as on it.
"I will speak to Raheem on that. Until then, it is something we will deal with internally," the Liverpool boss told reporters.
"For me it is something that, as a professional sportsperson at the top, I don't think it is something you should be doing. It is as simple as that. But I will speak to him. We want players here who are super professional and focused on their football. He very much is."
Speaking to Sky Sports, he added: "It's one where internally we'll always look after these types of items.
"He's a young kid who has been in the spotlight now so he knows the demands of being a top-class player and a top-class professional. It's not just on the field, it’s off the field. So I'll speak with him on it and we'll move on."
Sterling did not appear to be affected by the furore as he bagged a stunning opening goal for Liverpool at Anfield, and Rodgers has no fears that he will be distracted by the episode.
"You see the way he plays. He is a kid that is very strong willed and strong minded. He should have had a hat-trick, his performance was outstanding, him and [Philippe] Coutinho.
"He's a kid who is non-stop, he wants to learn and improve himself. I thought he was outstanding tonight.
"He'll be disappointed he didn't get three goals this evening, the second one he should slot away. But wonderful skill and ability for the first goal, and he was tireless all evening, pressing the ball, and he's always a threat."
Liverpool escaped 'stonewall penalty' decision, fumes Carver
By Matthew Rogerson
Apr 14, 2015 00:28:00
The Newcastle United boss says the first-half incident, in which his side were denied a spot-kick after Dejan Lovren appeared to foul Ayoze Perez, was a turning point
John Carver believes that Newcastle United should have been given a penalty during Monday's 2-0 defeat to Liverpool.
Goals from Raheem Sterling and Joe Allen settled the encounter as the Magpies fell to a fifth consecutive defeat.
However, Newcastle felt aggrieved at the lack of a first-half spot-kick when Dejan Lovren brought down Ayoze Perez - a call that left Carver baffled.
"It comes down to a huge decision, I thought it was a stonewall penalty at the time and after seeing it again it was," Carver told Sky Sports.
The defeat at Anfield follows Newcastle's derby loss to Sunderland, and head coach Carver added: "It thought it was a good reaction after last weekend. There was energy on the pitch and we caused them problems.
"In the first 10 minutes we were quite tentative and then we grew into the game. We had a bit of pressure, didn't get the penalty, and we were right in the game."We wanted to try get the points and it's something that's disappointing. But I can't fault the effort.
"It's been tough but last weekend was hard to take and we've restored some pride."
Manager role changing within football, says Bevington
13 April 2015
Managers may have to relinquish power in the future as football evolves, the Football Association's former director of communications Adrian Bevington feels.
While European clubs have long embraced a sporting director role to help support bosses, their English counterparts have traditionally shied away from this - but Bevington believes now is the time to embrace change.
"Many of today's managers have grown up in a culture where the manager is all controlling - but now clubs are so huge that's unrealistic," he said ahead of the inaugural Sporting Directors Global Summit.
"There are so many different skill sets at play here, it's impractical to expect someone to take on all those responsibilities, as well as managing a big squad of players.
"Just because you're a very good coach or manager, it doesn't mean you're necessarily going to operate well in the transfer market or be the best at identifying new talent. Of course, there are many examples of managers who are good at both, but in my view, that's not what they should be spending their time doing.
"I'm not in any way trying to underplay the importance of the role of first-team manager - I still think they're the most important employee in an organisation. They have to pick the team that gets results and be the public face of the club, but that doesn't mean they should have responsibility for or control of every aspect of it.
"There should be cohesive relationships within clubs, with a clear understanding of where the roles and relationships sit.
"And that's where the sporting director comes in. They're there to be the manager's help and support mechanism, to look after the long-term vision of the club and ensure everyone works together to fulfil that."
Brendan Rodgers is hopeful Daniel Sturridge will be fit for Liverpool's FA Cup semi-final clash with Aston Villa at Wembley.
Sturridge missed Liverpool's 2-0 Premier League win over Newcastle United on Monday after injuring his hip during last week's 1-0 quarter-final replay win at Blackburn Rovers.
But the England international striker could return on Sunday as Liverpool bid to reach their first FA Cup final since 20011-12.
"Daniel Sturridge was injured from the Blackburn game and he just wasn't right for tonight. It's his hip but hopefully he'll be okay for the weekend," Rodgers told reporters on Monday.
"I'll probably know more in the week. He said he feels reasonably fine, so we're hoping by the middle of the week we'll have a good indication of where he's at."
One player who will definitely miss Liverpool's trip to Wembley is France international defender Mamadou Sakho.
Sakho has been nursing a hamstring issue and is facing "three to four weeks" on the sidelines, according to Rodgers.
´Faster than Bolt´ claims see Bellerin and Walcott issued £30,000 challenge
14 April 2015
Having been labelled "faster than Usain Bolt", jet-heeled Arsenal duo Hector Bellerin and Theo Walcott have been challenged to a £30,000 sprint race by the World and European indoor 60 metre champion.
Walcott revealed last week that Bellerin had usurped his previous Arsenal record over 40 metres of 4.42 seconds – a quicker mark than that clocked officially by Bolt during his 100m record-breaking run of 9.58secs.
Reports claiming the Arsenal duo may be swifter than the six-time Olympic gold medalist have been wildly scoffed at by professional sprinters, with former British athlete Craig Pickering questioning the logic behind the reports.
Fellow Briton Richard Kilty, who won gold over 60m at last year's World Indoor Championships before adding the European title last month, has also waded in and challenged the Arsenal speedsters to prove their true pace.
He posted on Twitter: "Media claiming @HectorBellerin can run 4.42 over 40m. Absolutely no way. Are these journalists complete morons!
"I will put £30,000 on the line to race @HectorBellerin and @theowalcott any sprint distance, any time, any place, anywhere.
"The race will be over very quick. So if they put their money down I will gladly show everyone they can not sprint as fast as the media claim."
