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Friday Kickoff: AEG reportedly in talks to buy Spurs, Zusi signs extension & more

Tottenham (Reuters Pictures)

There could soon be even more American influence at a major Premier League club.

According to a report out of England, Los Angeles-based entertainment giant AEG is in talks to take over ownership of Tottenham for £450 million from current owner Joe Lewis.

AEG, which currently owns the Los Angeles Galaxy and Houston Dynamo (but is looking to sell its share of the Dynamo) has been involved with Tottenham before, as the two organizations teamed in a bid for London's Olympic Stadium back in 2010. 

An AEG takeover at Tottenham would add to the list of Americans who have majority ownership stakes at top-flight English clubs. American ownership is already in place at Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Sunderland. 

Here are a few more stories to get your Friday going:

ZUSI SIGNS SKC EXTENSION

Graham Zusi's rise from obscurity to national team call-up was rewarded by his club, as Sporting Kansas City locked him up for the foreseeable future by signing him to a four-year contract extension.

Zusi was a midfield revelation for Sporting KC last season, his third in MLS. He accounted for five goals and a team-high seven assists while becoming a fixture in the starting lineup as well as one earning acclaim as one of the league's top set-piece takers. 

His consistent play over the course of the season merited a call-up to Jurgen Klinsmann's January training camp, and he scored the first international goal of his career in his second cap, netting an early game-winner against Panama.

EGYPT ACN QUALIFIER POSTPONED

The violence after a soccer match in Port Said, Egypt, that caused the death of 74 people has suspended all soccer activities indefinitely in the country, and as a result, Egypt's 2013 African Cup of Nations qualifier slated for the end of the month has been postponed.

The match against Central African Republic was supposed to be played on Feb. 29, but the two nations came to an agreement, and the Confederation of African Football signed off on it. Instead, they'll play on consecutive weeks in June, when the return leg was scheduled to be played.

UNITED'S VALENCIA OUT FOR A MONTH

Manchester United winger Antonio Valencia has been hit by the injury bug again. The Ecuadorian midfielder will miss the next month after injuring his hamstring in the Red Devils' UEFA Europa League match against Ajax on Thursday.

Valencia, who missed most of last season with a broken leg and missed time earlier this season with an ankle injury, had been in fine form for United. The club will be without his services for the upcoming stretch of games, which includes a crucial leg tilt at Tottenham on March 4.

DORTMUND'S KAGAWA INJURED

Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund's quest to repeat as league champions got a little more difficult with the word that Japanese midfielder Shinji Kagawa will be out for up to the next three weeks after tearing a ligament in his left ankle during training.

Kagawa joins Mario Goetze on the club's injured list. He had scored four goals in his last three games across all competitions. 

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What do you think about a potential AEG takeover at Tottenham? Happy to see Zusi locked up for four more years? How do you think the Valencia and Kagawa injuries affect United and Dortmund's championship hopes?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. If you listen to the complete interview, he stated that he has 2 years left on his LAG contract and, if he wasn’t deemed too old, would like to consider a move to Everton at that time.

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  2. I don’t think that’s a likely scenario, but I could see Moyes doing very well at Spurs. He’s done good things with Everton on a shoestring budget. If AEG injected the club with heaps of cash, Moyes could do wonders.

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  3. Do you have a real job and are you binded contractually for the next 4 yrs? If you leave within the next 4 yrs, does your future employer have to compensate the previous employer?

    Sure Zusi might get a raise in the short term, but look at the long term and you will see what is the better option. If you don’t see the obvious benefits, stick to writing on soccer blogs.

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  4. Onalfo was the coach when Zusi was drafted.

    When Onalfo was fired, and hired by DCU, Zusi was still in the KC reserves. If Onalfo knew how good Zusi was, he could have brought along Zusi instead of Morsink.

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  5. Actually Kagawa plays attacking mid. Since Goetze is already out the next player in line would be Lewandowski(sp?) who has been playing forward. This means that Barrios should now get some more starts as a forward and should open a bench spot for Boyd with a chance at sub minutes. This is my guess, but the Dortmund team is very versatile so they could switch things around. Also Boyd will report for the U23 camp on the 23rd, so he doesnt have much time anyway. We will find out tomorrow when Dortmund plays Hertha I guess.

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  6. One last point — every soccer player is one bad tackle or one 50/50 ball in the air away from being an ex-layer. Zusi has leverage now, and he parlayed it into a raise. Good for him.

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  7. yeah, this is a lot better from CAF. The Togo situation was a time to bend the rules/use some discretion and they stuck with the letter of the law. I understand why they did it but wow, that was tough. Those dudes on Togo’s squad really deserved to catch a break after that insanity.

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  8. Do i have my acronyms mixed up but didn’t the ACN just conclude last weekend?

    And qualifying is already on the very near horizon?

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  9. Why would you assume Moyes would replace Redknapp at Spurs? Also, where would Donovan play at Spurs? Unlike Everton, that team is loaded in the midfield.

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  10. Maybe because KC was smart enough to dump Morsink and keep Zusi on the roster?? Vermes has stated that they kept protecting Zusi in expansion drafts because they knew he was a diamond in the rough. Last season makes PV look pretty smart for doing so, plus Robb Heineman loves the guy. Zusi probably got a well deserved raise. Onalfo took Morsink to DC because he was Onalfo’s guy…not Vermes’ guy. And we in KC are thankful for that ( and still laughing as well).

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  11. Also, I have no clue what you’re talking about with respect to Zusi and DC United. Zusi came to U.MD., but I’m fairly certain I’m correct in saying he was not from the area and certainly did not play in DCU”s academy. SO, the team had no opportunity to sign him. I suppose they could have drafted him, but they chose another local college kid instead, Milos Kocic.

    Morsink was added to DC’s roster 2 months draft. There’s no real connection. IN fact, if the the team had drafted Zusi in the 2nd round, I think htey would still have brought in Morsink.

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  12. Apparently AEG is attempting another conflict of interest with Tottenham having ties to San Jose. If AEG does takeover I Guess San Jose won’t be getting players on loan.

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  13. What desired move? If you read his quote, he said he’d love to return to Everton on loan again to prepare for the hexagonal in 2013 and World Cup Finals in 2014… not a permanent move — that little bit was embellished by the British press.

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  14. The plot thickens. One outcome of a sale could be that, after Redknapp, takes over the English Nats, then Everton coach Moyes goes to Tottenham followed later this year by none other than Landon Donovan, whose comments earlier this week about wanting to go to Everton, but not yet, were, ah, interesting. pure speculation, of course.

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  15. Why would Zusi re-up unless he doesn’t realize how good he is yet. Why would you give KC leverage in controlling your next 4 yrs ?

    Anyone who has seen him play during his last year at UMD knew he was a special player compared to other American players, and I still don’t know why Onalfo didn’t bring him over to DCU while he was toiling in the reserves. Instead he brought over Morsink!

    Zusi could have been a DCU player but even Onalfo didn’t know how good he was until this past season.

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  16. Anyone familiar enough with Dortmund to know if this injury helps move Boyd up at all?
    Also, despite Donovan’s loyalty to Everton, I’m pretty sure he’d go to Totteham if that was an option. (I’m not saying it is).

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  17. I am surprised and impressed that the CAF actually allowed the Eygpt qualifier to be postponed. I recall the Togo tragedy being handle much more poorly.

    Reply

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