Arsenal have reportedly had a first offer of €50 million for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang rejected by his German club Borussia Dortmund, according to Kicker magazine on Saturday.

Aubameyang, last season's top scorer in the German league with 31 goals, has been dropped by Dortmund for the last two games amid speculation he is chasing a move to the Premier League club.

Arsenal are reportedly on the verge of selling Chile striker Alexis Sanchez to Manchester United.

Dortmund will not accept less than €60 million for Gabon hot-shot Aubameyang, who is under contract with Borussia until 2021, reports say.

Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke confirmed to SID, an AFP subsidiary, that there has now been contact with Arsenal, but said reports of a possible fee are "speculation" and "the first contact has not been about money".

Aubameyang was dropped for Dortmund's draws with Wolfsburg last Sunday and at Hertha Berlin on Friday after failing to attend a team meeting, and the club say he has lacked "focus" in training.

His father, also his agent, was said to be in London this week to try to push through a transfer to Arsenal.

Aubameyang trained hard alongside Dortmund's reserves for an hour on Saturday.

His tempo was noticeably higher than it had been having been dropped by Stoeger for Friday's draw after the head coach thought the striker had been distracted in the final session before the Bundesliga match in Berlin.

On Friday, while his club was drawing in Berlin, Aubameyang played a kick-about game indoors with his friends in Dortmund.

German daily Bild report that he wore a Dortmund shirt bearing the name of Ousmane Dembele, who transferred to Barcelona in August after going on strike to force the German club to sell him for €105 million.

Before the draw in Berlin, Dortmund's director of sport Michael Zorc said Aubameyang was still in the club's future plans, providing he changed his behaviour.

"There's a way back into the team for him, but professionalism is part of that, which includes saying you've made a mistake in one situation or another," added Zorc.

AFP

Brazil legend Pele is in hospital after collapsing on Thursday with exhaustion.

The 77-year-old was due to travel to London this weekend for a dinner held in his honour by the Football Writers Association (FWA).

Pele – the only player to win three World Cups – “has undergone a series of tests which appear to point to severe exhaustion”, said the FWA.

“He is on fluids while doctors monitor his recovery. Thankfully there is no suggestion of anything more serious.”

Pele has been taken to hospital for kidney and prostate problems in recent years.

Widely regarded as the greatest player of all time, he scored 1,281 goals in 1,363 appearances during his 21-year career, including 77 goals in 91 appearances for Brazil.

He helped his country win the 1958, 1962 and 1970 World Cups and was named Fifa’s Player of the Century.

Vanguard

 At the age of 39, Didier Drogba is in the twilight years of a glittering football career that has spanned two decades and six countries and brought him a harvest of trophies.

Such moments are typically occasions of nostalgia, even sadness, for many ageing football greats.

But, in an interview with AFP, Drogba showed he was brimming with passion - launching a school project for Ivory Coast's disadvantaged young and fiery about the under-performing state of the national football team.

"I say to young people who want to become Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto'o, Yaya Toure... education is very important, it's this which is going to allow you to have a good career," he said, referring to the country's trio of football heroes.

"The best way to have an impact on the future of people is to educate them. Thanks to education, we avoid a lot of socio-ethnic problems. We learn tolerance and that avoids war," said Drogba.

Drogba's seven-year-old charity is inaugurating a new school for 350 children in Guiberoua, a region of southwestern Ivory Coast whose economy is dominated by the cocoa trade.

As the world's largest cocoa producer, Ivory Coast has struggled to prevent children working in the sector, with somewhere between 300 000 and a million children doing cocoa-related work, chocolate industry figures show.

These children grow up using machetes to prise open beans for sale and most receive little, if any, education.

Six classrooms and a pitch

The new school, which will be located in Pokou-Kouamekro village, will have six classrooms, a canteen, three homes for teachers - and, of course, a football pitch.

"The Pokou-Kouamekro community, which has more than 4 000 people, until now had a small non-official school made of wood, with three classrooms for all the children," according to the International Cocoa Initiative (ICI), which teamed up with the Didier Drogba Foundation and food giant Nestle to build the new school.

Drogba's storied career has taken him to France, England, China, Turkey, Canada and the United States.

He is best remembered for his spell at Chelsea, helping them to four Premier League titles, four FA Cups and the 2012 Champions League, which he famously won through an 88th-minute equaliser and the winning penalty in the deciding shootout against Bayern Munich.

He was twice named African Footballer of the Year.

Last year, as both player and co-owner, he joined Phoenix Rising, an Arizona club in the second tier of the American league system which has hopes for joining Major League Soccer (MLS), the North American elite.

"Today I'm dedicated to my club, I still have a season with the aim of getting it into the MLS," he says.

'Elephants' in crisis

Drogba's big disappointment is Ivory Coast's national team, which he captained to runners-up in the African Cup of Nations in 2006 and 2012 and helped it qualify for the World Cup in 2006, 2010 and 2014.

But "The Elephants" failed to qualify for this year's World Cup in Russia - a setback that he bluntly says is the result of a "deplorable crisis".

"There is a discontent, there is a real malaise, it is necessary to speak about it. It must be solved, everything must be done so that Ivorian football is growing out of this crisis."

Drogba is no stranger to intervening in the problems of his country, which was gripped by political crisis and civil strife between 2002 and 2011.

In October 2005, after Ivory Coast qualified for their first World Cup in Germany, the team dropped to their knees on national television and Drogba pleaded for the different warring factions to lay down their weapons. His appeal was followed by a ceasefire.

In 2007, he pushed for an African Nations Cup qualifier to be played in Bouake, a rebel stronghold, in an attempt to unify the country.

And in 2011, he joined a Truth, Reconciliation and Dialogue Commission to try to consolidate the fledgling peace.

No political ambitions

Despite this, Drogba says he has no ambitions of going into politics like fellow African football star-turned-president George Weah, Liberia's newly-elected leader.

"This is basically not my ambition. George had this ambition for years. Today that's not the case for me," Drogba says.

"I congratulate George Weah. He's a big brother, a model for me.

"What he has accomplished demonstrates that through hard work and perseverance, you can achieve your objectives, realise your dreams for the good of the community."

AFP

North and South Korea will march jointly under one unified flag during the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, the biggest sign yet of a detente after months of tensions over Kim Jong Un’s nuclear program.

The statement, made on Wednesday following the third round of talks in just over a week, said the two Koreas will form a joint women’s ice hockey team. They will also conduct some activities in North Korea, including a joint cultural event at Mount Geumgang and training for skiers from both countries at the Masikryong ski resort on the east coast.

It will be the first time the two Koreas have marched together during the opening ceremony of an international sporting event since 2007, and the ninth time overall, according to South Korea. The two Koreas haven’t competed under a single banner since 1991.

The progress came as U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned about the possibility of war, telling fellow top diplomats in Canada that North Korea’s nuclear advancements had brought the world to a “tenuous stage.” President Donald Trump’s administration is seeking to maintain maximum pressure on North Korea even as Seoul reaches out to make the Olympics a success.

North Korea’s athletes will come to South Korea on Feb. 1, with the rest of the delegation arriving on Feb. 7, according to South Korea. Pyongyang will also send 150 people, including athletes, a cheering squad, reporters and an art troupe to the Paralympics in March.

The sides have yet to decide who will represent Kim at the Games to be held in the ski resort of Pyeongchang from Feb. 9. Last week, they agreed to allow a 140-member North Korean orchestra to perform concerts in Seoul and Gangneung, a vacation city near Pyeongchang.

At an International Olympic Committee meeting in Switzerland planned for the weekend, officials will decide on matters such as the number and names of North Korean athletes and Olympic officials, the committee said in a statement last week. It will also decide on participation protocol regarding the flag that North Korea will compete under, as well as other matters concerning the anthem, ceremonies and uniforms.

In a sign that the Olympics may only be a temporary break from Kim’s threats and push to develop nuclear weapons capable of hitting America, a North Korean state-run newspaper called on South Korea to stop its military drills with the U.S.

Bloomberg

Theo Walcott has completed his move to Everton, signing a three-and-a-half-year deal which keeps him at the club until 2021.

Sky Sports News understands the fee for the forward is in the region of £20m, with the England international set to take the No 11 shirt vacated by Kevin Mirallas who has re-joined Olympiakos on loan.

"I'm very ambitious and I've come here because I want the club to push to the next level," said Walcott.

"And with the players that have come in, I feel like the next level can be reached. I'm very excited to be starting a new chapter and I felt this was the right place for me to be.

"Everton is a club with a great history. The fans are always passionate, they're great and I always used to find it very tough playing here.

"The club has won trophies but I want them to win trophies now. The manager is very hungry and it's just what I need. I've had a couple of chats with him and straightaway I felt that hunger and that desire that he wanted from me.

"It felt like it was time for me to move on [from Arsenal]. It was sad but it's exciting at the same time and I want to reignite my career and push Everton to win things as they have done before."

Everton boss Sam Allardyce, said: "I'm thrilled we've been able to secure a player of Theo's experience and quality.

"There was a bit of a chase between a couple of clubs but I think after we set out the ambitions of the Club and my ambitions for him he was motivated to come here and refreshed in his mind by the new challenge he can put upon himself.

Allardyce confirmed last week the club had entered into negotiations with Arsenal over Walcott, who carried out his medical on Tuesday after travelling to the club's training ground.

The 28-year-old leaves Arsenal as their current longest-serving player having signed from Southampton in 2006 but had fallen out-of-favour at The Emirates this season, making only six Premier League appearances.

Southampton had been keen to land Walcott, but Sky Sports Newsunderstands that Everton's spending power and the player's desire to work with Allardyce were the key reasons for his move to Goodison Park.

Walcott becomes Everton's second signing of the January transfer window, following Cenk Tosun's £27m switch from Besiktas, and Allardyce revealed last week that he believed Walcott would be another "great addition" to his squad.

Sky Sports

Anthony Joshua says he will command the respect of Joseph Parker after inflicting a punishing defeat on the New Zealander, but insists there will not be a post-fight handshake.

The WBA 'super' and IBF champion has been angered by a verbal attack from Parker and his promotional team ahead of his heavyweight unification clash with the WBO title holder at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on March 31, live on Sky Sports Box Office.

Joshua suggests that Parker does not deserve to be mentioned alongside other champion sportsmen and will not offer a gesture of appreciation after he delivers a first humbling loss to the 26-year-old.

Asked about Parker's pre-fight comments, Joshua exclusively told Sky Sports: "I haven't seen them all, but I've heard some of them.

"In sports you've got the likes of Roger Federer, Andy Murray, Lewis Hamilton, Cristiano Ronaldo, [Lionel] Messi, LeBron James, and then you've got people like Joseph Parker, so he's not a respectable type of person, he can't control himself.

"But that's just how it is. You've got to accept people for who they are. If that's how he wants to plan his shot, we let him crack on.

"He'll be respectful after I whoop him. He might try to shake my hand. I won't shake his hand though."

Parker has questioned the punch resistance of Joshua, who was floored for the first time in his professional career in the Wembley win over Wladimir Klitschko, even ending his own tweets with the mocking hashtag of 'never been dropped.'

But Joshua is paying little attention to talk of Parker's renowned chin as he will instead attempt to break down the Kiwi with the same sustained body assault that grinded down the resistance of Carlos Takam in October.

"I'm going to smash him up to the body," said Joshua. "What slowed [Carlos] Takam down is when I started punching him to the stomach.

"Jab to the stomach, right hand to the stomach. If someone has got a strong head, you hit them to the body. It's quite simple so if Parker's got a granite chin, I'll weaken his body down."

Sky sports

Russian Premier League side Spartak Moscow have caused controversy by posting a racially insensitive tweet from their warm weather training camp.

A video uploaded to the club's Twitter page that appeared to show Pedro Rocha, Fernando and Luiz Adriano performing stretching exercises in Dubai was captioned: "See how chocolate melts in the sun".

Rocha, Fernando and Luiz Adriano are all black.

Goal

New Barcelona signing Yerry Mina got goosebumps when he encountered "the best in the world" Lionel Messi for the first time since joining the club.

The Catalan giants announced an €11.8 million deal to bring Mina from Palmeiras on Thursday, the Colombia international putting pen to paper on a five-and-a-half-year contract.

The 23-year-old is pleased to join a club possessing top-tier talent, detailing the impact his first meeting with Messi and Luis Suarez had on him.

Goal

Pep Guardiola has urged Manchester City to underline their intention to make history this season when the runaway Premier League leaders travel to Liverpool on Sunday.

Guardiola's side have turned the title race into a lengthy coronation party after powering 15 points clear of second placed Manchester United and 18 ahead of fourth placed Liverpool.

Barring an epic collapse, City will spend the rest of the season focused on the historic implications of their remarkable campaign.

If unbeaten City can leave Anfield unscathed, they will have only 15 more matches in which to avoid defeat as they aim to emulate the achievements of Arsenal in 2003-04 and Preston in 1888-89, who both went an entire top-flight season without losing.

"Of course if you want to achieve something that's good and win titles you have to win these kind of games," Guardiola said.

"This season at Stamford Bridge we were able to do that but still we have to go to Anfield, to Emirates and against Tottenham.

"We still have tough teams away, there is still a lot of things to do. For us it's a real test, going to Anfield, one of the most prestigious stadiums and teams in the world so we'll try to put on a good performance, it's a big game for us.

"Liverpool is such an important game, to realise again if we are able to do big things in this season, in important stages, in the Champions League."

Becoming England's third top-flight "invincibles" isn't the only milestone fuelling City's charge.

There have only been five longer unbeaten streaks in the top flight than City's current run of 30 matches.

Arsenal's 49 games in 2003-2004 is currently top, followed by Nottingham Forest's 42 in 1977-1978, Chelsea with 40 in 2004-2005, Leeds's 34 in 1968-1969 and Liverpool's 31 in 1987-1988.

City, still in the hunt for four trophies this term, could also become the first team to win a top-flight match at Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United in the same season since Wimbledon in 1986-87.

But to do that City must end their wretched run at Anfield, where they are without a win since 2003, a run of 16 matches in all competitions.

Asked about City's Anfield curse, Guardiola said: "I don't believe in these kind of things, but of course the last time City won was 15 years ago, so it means a lot in terms of how difficult and complicated it is to play there. But records are always there to be broken."

Since losing to Tottenham on October 22, Liverpool are unbeaten in 17 matches in all competitions and 13 in the league, their best run under Jurgen Klopp.

Their 5-0 thrashing at City earlier in the season was Klopp's heaviest defeat in all competitions as Reds boss, and his joint-heaviest ever managerial loss.

City's visit will provide evidence of whether Liverpool can cope without Philippe Coutinho following the Brazil forward's sale to Barcelona.

While Coutinho's departure brought the curtain down on his role in Liverpool's attacking 'Fab four', Klopp's three remaining big hitters will ensure the Reds pose a major threat to City's unbeaten record.

Crucially for Liverpool's chances of derailing the leaders, Egypt winger Mohamed Salah, who missed the last two matches with a groin problem, is fit and available for selection.

"It's interesting to play against City. They play really good and if you don't respect that, you have a problem," Klopp said.

"But if you are not brave in your game, you will also have a problem. You need to show up."

AFP

Claude Puel has confirmed striker Kelechi Iheanacho will NOT be leaving Leicester City in the January transfer window.

The 20-year-old Nigerian has been the subject of speculation that City were ready to let him gojust months after he moved to the King Power Stadium from Manchester City in a £25million move.

But Puel said Iheanacho is a player that City still think has great potential.

Iheanacho has struggled to make an impact since his arrival, due mainly to the form and fitness of Jamie Vardy this season.

However, when Vardy was injured recently Islam Slimani was preferred ahead of Iheanacho to lead the attack, but Puel believes Iheanacho will improve.

The Nigerian national team manager, Gernot Rohr, has stated he believes both Iheanacho and fellow countryman Ahmed Musa need to find new clubs in January, but Puel said Iheanacho is going nowhere.

“Iheanacho is a young player,” he said. “He signed this season with us and we have to develop him. I hope he can have more game time in the second half of the season.

“We don’t know about what the national trainer said. We will see.

“We have discussions with different players. For example, Iheanacho is a young player, arrived this season and he will stay with us.”

Puel was less committal over the future of Islam Slimani, who has also been the subject of speculation that he could be moved on if City receive a good enough offer.

“It is a good try but I can’t give all the details of individual players to you,” Puel said when asked about Slimani’s future.

“Yes, I talk about Iheanacho because there has been a lot of speculation. He is a young player who arrives in a good team where there is competition and he needs to keep working and improve. He needs time to improve and work.“I cannot talk about details about players. It is important to have a good balance in the team and have a good game time for the players.”

“We will see. Some players want and need some playing time. It is important to get the right balance for the squad, and give players good game time.

“It is a question of respect and keeping them with a good attitude. That is important for Leicester.”

Leicestermercury