Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin joined Valencia yesterday in a four year deal, the La Liga side announced. The 26-year-old Frenchman moves to Spain for an undisclosed fee with an 80 mn euros (96.4 mn dollars) buy-out clause attached to his new contract. “I’m very happy, it’s a big challenge for me, I start a new life, but I’m very excited,” Coquelin said, saying he had talked to coach Marcelino Garcia Toral. Coquelin joined Arsenal in 2008 and made 160 appearance for the club. Jack Wilshere’s return to the Arsenal team helped limit Coquelin to one Premier League appearance this season. He had been linked to West Ham and Crystal Palace as well as Valencia. After leaving Coquelin out of Arsenal’s team for Wednesday’s League Cup semi-final first leg draw at Chelsea, Wenger confirmed: “He goes to Valencia. He didn’t get enough games for us this season. He had an opportunity and I let him go.”

Leipzig again rule out early Keita Liverpool move
 RB Leipzig yesterday again told Liverpool that Naby Keita will not be moving before next season, amid reports the Merseyside club want the Guinea midfielder immediately to replace Philippe Coutinho.
Keita, 22, already has a contract with Liverpool which comes into effect on July 1, but having completed the sale of Brazil star Coutinho to Barcelona on Monday for 160mn euros, Liverpool are reportedly keen to bring Keita to Merseyside early.
In November, RB Leipzig also ruled out Keita joining Liverpool earlier than planned. Countinho’s departure has changed the situation at Liverpool. Report say the Reds are prepared to pay 15mn euros extra to sign Keita this month. Keita has not been impressing in training in a bid to force the German club’s hand.
Leipzig will get 75mn euros for Keita if they qualify directly for the Champions League next season, which will drop to 65mn euros if they fail to qualify for Europe. The German club, who are fifth in the Bundesliga, have repeatedly said they need their midfield dynamo to help them qualify again for the Champions League.

Vardy fit to return against Chelsea
 Jamie Vardy will be fit to play for Leicester in a clash of the past two Premier League champions when they visit Chelsea on Saturday, the Foxes manager Claude Puel said. 
Vardy, who turned 31 yesterday, has recovered from the groin injury that kept the England international out of the 2016 champions line-up for the FA Cup third round 0-0 draw with his former club Fleetwood Town last weekend. Vardy has scored 10 Premier League goals this season including one in the 2-1 home defeat by Chelsea in September.

Colombia Mina joins Barca
 Colombia centre-back Yerry Mina joined Barcelona from Brazilian side Palmeiras yesterday on a five year contract for a fee of 11.8mn euros ($14mn), the Catalan club announced. The 6ft 5in (1.95m) 23-year-old is set to fill the void left by Javier Mascherano, who is on the verge of a 10mn euro switch to China’s Hebei Fortune.
The Colombian international will be Barcelona’s second signing of the January transfer window after Philippe Coutinho’s 160 million-euro capture from Liverpool. Mina has a 100mn euro release clause attached to his contract.
With Mascherino set to leave and injured young French centre-back Samuel Umtiti widely reported to be in talks with Manchester City, Barcelona had faced being left with only two recognised centre backs in Gerard Pique and Thomas Vermaelen.
Aubameyang deal dead as China champions vow to focus on youth
Chinese champions Guangzhou Evergrande appear to have ended any interest in Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after a public dressing-down by football authorities in the country.
The club coached by Italian legend Fabio Cannavaro had reportedly won a 72-million-euro tug-of-war with Chinese Super League (CSL) rivals Beijing Guoan for the Gabon hotshot.
But on Tuesday, the Chinese Football Association (CFA) warned the two clubs — without naming them or Aubameyang — against “engaging in a bidding war” and said that its prohibitive 100% tax on incoming foreign players would be strictly enforced.
CSL champions Evergrande consequently denied that they were pursuing the 28-year-old — though they too did not name him — and on Wednesday reiterated that they want to field an all-Chinese team within two years. The club won a seventh CSL title on the bounce in October.