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Wenger still interested in Melo

ARSENAL manager Arsene Wenger has reiterated his admiration for Juventus midfielder Felipe Melo and admitted he is still tracking the Brazilian.

Arsenal were linked with a move for Melo last summer when he was at Fiorentina but the 26-year-old eventually joined Juventus.

He has struggled to produce his best form for Juventus, though, and was in December awarded the “Golden Bin”, given by fans to the worst signing of the season.

Wenger is aware of the difficulties Melo has encountered this season but he remains an admirer of the player, who lined up for Brazil against Republic of Ireland on Tuesday and is set to go to the World Cup this summer.

Wenger said: “We still think he is a very talented player. We are still looking at him.”

Ivory Coast look to Hiddink

IVORY Coast are hopeful that Guus Hiddink will take charge of them at the World Cup this summer. Dutchman Hiddink is contracted with Russia until June 30th and has signed a two-year contract to coach Turkey that starts in August.

Ivory Coach association president Jacques Anouma said: “Guus is one of the people we have contacted about becoming coach. Probably in the middle of next week something will be concluded.”

Old Fim warned over TV deals

CELTIC and Rangers will not be allowed to stay in the Scottish Premier League if they try to negotiate their own TV deals, the Old Firm clubs were warned yesterday. SPL chief executive Neil Doncaster admitted that the loss of one Champions League qualification spot next year would increase the pressure for change.

But he insisted the Old Firm could not go it alone in terms of TV deals.

Doncaster, speaking at the Soccerex conference in Manchester, said: “The coefficient being as it is leading to the loss of Champions League representation for one of our teams will certainly increase the pressure for change.

“There are two very big clubs in our mix and they certainly in the past made no secret that they may be open to invitations from elsewhere.

“The Premier League made it unequivocally clear where they stand on that last year and that means that the two clubs, Celtic and Rangers, are likely to be there for the foreseeable future”.

Ireland drop two places in Fifa list

GIOVANNI Trapattoni’s Republic of Ireland side have dropped two places to 39th in the latest Fifa world rankings released yesterday, while Northern Ireland moved up one place to 40th.

England have also moved up one place to eighth, swapping places with Argentina.

Germany switch places with Portugal to move up to fifth, while Euro 2004 champions Greece (10th) are back in the top 10 for the first time since June 2008.

Spain remain in first place ahead of Brazil and The Netherlands.

Craig Levein’s Scotland moved up one place to 45th but Wales remain 76th.

FIFA WORLD RANKINGS: (last month’s positions in brackets): 1 (1) Spain; 2 (2) Brazil; 3 (3) Netherlands; 4 (4) Italy; 5 (6) Germany; 6 (5) Portugal; 7 (7) France; 8 (9) England; 9 (8) Argentina; 10 (12) Greece. Others: 39 (37) Republic of Ireland; 40 (39) Northern Ireland; 45 (44) Scotland; 76 (76) Wales.

Manchester City's Johnson arrested

MANCHESTER City’s Michael Johnson is under investigation after allegedly headbutting a fan of rivals United in a nightclub, English police said yesterday.

The fracas erupted after the alleged victim was singing Manchester United songs with friends in the club, 42nd Street, in the city centre.

Johnson (22) was arrested later and interviewed by police. He is currently on bail.

The alleged victim is understood to have flagged down a passing police patrol car in the early hours of December 6th, last year.

Johnson was later approached by police and an appointment was made for him to attend a police station to be questioned over the incident.

He was then arrested on suspicion of assault causing actual bodily harm and has been bailed until April 14th

Benitez fears Aurelio may be out for three weeks

LIVERPOOL manager Rafael Benitez believes defender Fabio Aurelio could be sidelined for three weeks with a thigh problem.

The Brazilian was forced off midway through the first half of Sunday’s victory over Blackburn after straining quadriceps in his right leg. Aurelio has not had the best luck with injuries, having missed the start of the season after sustaining a freak knee problem in a kickabout with his children during the summer.

Since then he has struggled with a few niggling injuries but appeared to be ready for a longer run in the team before this latest setback as Benitez was keen for young left back Emiliano Insua to have a break.

“It’s not good news and we think he is going to be out for maybe another two or three weeks – Fabio has had really bad luck,” said Benitez.

With right-back Glen Johnson on the verge of a comeback it seemed Benitez’s injury worries were over until Martin Skrtel broke a foot in last week’s Europa League tie.

Billboard campaign by Liverpool fans

LIVERPOOL fans group Spirit of Shankly have taken their opposition to American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks on to the streets of the city with a billboard campaign.

Several huge posters have sprung up on major routes into Liverpool with the message ‘Tom and George, Debt, Lies, Cowboys. Not welcome here’. It is the latest venture in the group’s campaign to pressure Gillett and Hicks into ending their tumultuous reign which has been plagued by financial constraints and a failure to start work on a promised new 60,000-capacity stadium in Stanley Park. “We, as fans, are unhappy with Gillett and Hicks and this is part of the campaign to show they are not welcome,” Spirit of Shankly spokesman Jay McKenna said.

McKenna dismissed any possibility of linking up with Manchester United counterparts – unhappy at the level of debt the Glazer family have brought to their club – in a joint protest at the Premier League match between the two at Old Trafford on March 21st.