Klopp: I'm surprised United sold Kagawa

The German has revealed he didn't expect Louis Van Gaal to allow the Japan international to leave Old Trafford

Borussia Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp has admitted that he was surprised that Manchester United were willing to let Shinji Kagawa leave the club.

The Japan international left BVB for Old Trafford two years ago but returned to his old club after two frustrating seasons in England and marked his second debut with a goal in Saturday's win over Freiburg.

"I was kind of surprised Kagawa was on the market again," he told reporters.

"His first year at Manchester United was Sir Alex Ferguson's last year, so that isn't the time to develop players. The only thing you want at that stage is results and titles.

"Kagawa's second year at United was the first year of the new coach, so that's also all about results. Then there was a third manager with a very successful philosophy [Louis van Gaal].

"So we saw the chance to sign Kagawa and we took it. Kagawa was sensational against Freiburg."

BVB take on Arsenal in their opening Champions League game on Tuesday and Klopp believes the addition of Alexis Sanchez will see them play more offensively than they did when the two teams met last term.

 "Arsenal have new players in their squad and the last time we played them they had players with injuries like Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey," he said.

"Now they have new players like Alexis Sanchez. Olivier Giroud can't play but when you look at their squad they have a lot of alternatives.

"Arsenal played very defensively here last year. But you have to say that our Champions League is starting against a great team. Arsenal are a very hard opponent and I think they did a great job on transfers over the summer.

"Now their squad has great stability and they're actually able to play the type of football that Arsene Wenger wants to see.

Hazard close to agreeing record new Chelsea deal

The Belgian playmaker is on the verge of settling fresh terms that will extend his contract to at least 2019 and make him the highest-paid player in the club's history

EXCLUSIVE
By Wayne Veysey | UK Correspondent

Eden Hazard is close to agreeing a new contract that will make him the best-paid player in Chelsea's history, Goal understands.

Goal has learned that Hazard has been offered a deal worth just over €250,000-a-week plus performance-related bonuses.

The new deal would make him the highest paid player in the club's history, above current top earner Cesc Fabregas, whose total package is believed to be worth €250,000-a-week.

Jose Mourinho sanctioned the improved deal after having a heart-to-heart with the 23-year-old at the end of last season.

Mourinho had been concerned about Hazard's willingness to work for the benefit of the team, particularly in light of comments from the player in which he criticised the team's reliance on his own creative powers.

Goal understands that firm words were proffered from the manager but Mourinho was satisfied with Hazard's attitude and moved to ease fears the fan favourite could be tempted into a big-money transfer.

Hazard, whose current deal expires in 2017, subsequently opened contract talks with Chelsea in June after being persistently linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain.

Speaking at the time, Hazard said: "I am staying at Chelsea 100 per cent. Of course in football you never know but I am under contract with Chelsea and want to stay there. It is only the beginning of talks right now so we have time."

The new deal for the No.10, who has started all four of Chelsea's matches this season, is expected to be tied up in the coming weeks.

Chelsea confirmed last week that Thibaut Courtois had also agreed a new five-year contract

Ronaldo is fed up at Real Madrid'

The Portuguese has been linked with a move to Manchester United next year and former president Ramon Calderon has fanned the flames of speculation

Former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon claims Cristiano Ronaldo has become "fed up" with life at the club.

The prolific Portugal forward moved to the Spanish giants from Manchester United in 2009 and has since won a Liga title, the Champions League and the Copa del Rey twice.

Ronaldo has become the club's talisman over the past five years due to his phenomenal goalscoring record, but Calderon has launched his latest attack on the man who replaced him at the Santiago Bernabeu, Florentino Perez, by suggesting Ronaldo has become disillusioned under his reign.

Key men Xabi Alonso and Angel Di Maria both moved on in the summer and, although Madrid have recruited world-class replacements in Toni Kroos and James Rodriguez, Calderon believes the Ballon d'Or winner is unhappy with the departures.

"My impression is he is fed up with the policy of the current president," Calderon told Talksport.

"When he came to Real Madrid with Arjen Robben he thought he would be a good colleague for him in the team but then Robben was sold.

"Two years ago it was Gonzalo Higuain sold and he didn't like that. Last year he thought it was a mistake to let Mesut Ozil leave and the last straw was selling Xabi Alonso and Angel Di Maria this summer."

Rumours have been prevalent since the summer transfer window closed that Ronaldo could be tempted to join either former club United or rivals Manchester City should he opt to call time on his career at Santiago Bernabeu.

I was never going to join Manchester United - Muller

The 25-year-old had an impressive World Cup with Germany but, despite rumours linking him away from Bayern Munich, he insists he was always happy at the club

Bayern Munich forward Thomas Muller claims his rumoured transfer to Manchester United was never realistic.

The World Cup winner was linked with a move to Old Trafford in the summer and a possible reunion with former coach Louis van Gaal. But, in an interview with The Guardian, Muller explained it was always unlikely.

"I know there was interest, but Man United were interested in a lot of players this summer," he said.

"It never really got anywhere because I had just renewed my contract [until 2019], and Bayern were clear that they saw my future here. The decision for me was an easy one."

Muller was involved as Bayern beat Stuttgart 2-0 on Saturday to continue their unbeaten start to the new Bundesliga season.

United ultimately secured the signing of striker Radamel Falcao on transfer deadline day to bolster their attacking options, with the Colombian poised to make his Old Trafford debut against QPR on Sunday.

Value-added products: Poultry industry faces hurdles, but expansion plans go on

A number of foreign experts have also been hired to help treat chicken under the watchful eye of poultry nutrition, health and housing specialists. PHOTO: AFP

LAHORE: The concept of processed chicken is not new in Pakistan. Many firms are now coming up with innovative means of providing healthier poultry and its byproducts for consumers.

Though the brands supplying value-added chicken products to local and multinational retail outlets are numerous and the trend is on the rise, the pioneers of this industry are facing many obstacles because of import duties. Owing to this many have quit production and have found it more lucrative to import value-added chicken and market it under their name. However, some local players are still committed to pressing on with their operation.

“Import duties are a hurdle. Indonesia and Malaysia have zero import duty, while China has 25%. But still we would like to grow and continue as per our future expansion plans,” said K&N’s Chief Executive Officer Khalil Sattar in an interview to The Express Tribune. “For a progressive company, there is never an end, whether conditions are favourable or not.”

K&N’s was established in 1964 by Sattar when he was still studying in college. He started with an aim to provide better nutrition to people, with a broiler chicken farm and a thousand chicks, providing them the best feed.

He established the first state-of-the-art environmentally-controlled shed in 1982. Initially, people thought the idea was ridiculous, but later other industry players followed suit and started making investment.

The company has 97 outlets nationwide and its products are sold in other retail stores as well. Over the years it has added more products and business activities to its portfolio and is entirely self-sufficient; right from poultry breeding to producing ready-to-cook products. The only exceptions are a few spices that are imported to meet requirements of local clients.

A number of foreign experts have also been hired to help treat chicken under the watchful eye of poultry nutrition, health and housing specialists. Chicken is kept in large, clean and airy sheds equipped with latest heating, cooling and ventilating equipment, making K&N’s a leading player in the processed chicken segment.

In coming years, Sattar feels it might be difficult to purchase live chicken from open market as with growing health consciousness, people are making healthier choices. Increased urbanisation and higher disposable income will help further, as people will spend a chunk of their incomes on healthier food options.

“Majority of the public is still unaware of what processed chicken really is. Annual growth of the industry is merely 3% to 4%, which is not enough.”

In Pakistan, there is still a lot of room to expand, since the processed chicken industry is in its infancy and comprises only 1% of total chicken market of the country, Sattar said, adding a 1% improvement in the gross national income leads to a 2% rise in chicken demand.

The company currently is not contemplating processing other meat items like mutton and beef. Sattar believes that there is still much to be covered in processed chicken items.

Gas exploration: PPL announces second hydrocarbon find

Discovery takes place in Hala block, follows the one in Gambat South. PHOTO: STOCK IMAGE

KARACHI: 

The Pakistan Petroleum Limited (PPL) has announced a gas and condensate discovery in Hala block, located in Sindh’s Sanghar and Matiari districts. This is its second hydrocarbon find within six weeks.

The company said that it found 18.6 million standard cubic feet per day (mmcfd) of gas and 31 barrels per day (bpd) of condensate in exploratory well Adam West X-1.

“Exploration well Adam West X-1 was spud on May 21, 2014 and reached final depth of 4,057 metres on July 29, 2014,” the company said.

“At current estimates, flow potential of Adam West X-1 translates into approximately 3,200 barrels per day in oil equivalent, resulting in potential foreign exchange saving of $355,000 per day.”

Hala is a joint venture between PPL and Mari Petroleum Company Limited, with 65 and 35 percent working interest, respectively. It covers as area of about 395 square kilometres. The exploration licence for Hala was granted to PPL in March 2004. Subsequently, the first exploratory well Adam X-1 was drilled in 2007, resulting in the discovery, according to PPL’s website.

The recoverable gas reserves from the field are stated to be around 18 billion cubic feet. Hala supplies gas to Sui Southern Gas Company and condensate to National Refinery Limited.

PPL currently produces 10 mmcfd of gas and 150 bpd of condensate from another well in the same block.

It announced two other discoveries in the Gambat South block, located in Sanghar district of Sindh, last year.

In August, the company discovered 42 mmcfd of gas in the Gambat South block, its third and biggest discovery in that particular block. At the time, production from the well was expected to go up to 60 mmscfd.

“Two additional zones have been identified that will be tested later, resulting in an expected cumulative production of 60 mmscfd, translating into approximately 7,400 barrels per day in oil equivalent and foreign exchange saving of $0.75 million per day,” the company announced.

PPL has a portfolio of 47 exploration blocks and has been aggressively searching for new hydrocarbon finds since last year to compensate for the decrease in production from its established fields like Sui. It has also been trying to cut the depletion rate of its fields by installing compressor plants and drilling more wells.

The company accounts for 22% of the country’s gas production. In fiscal year 2013-14, it posted a profit of Rs51.41 billion, up 23% over the previous year. During last fiscal year, Rs10 billion were earmarked to be spent on exploration activities with focus on Gambat South.

PPL’s six producing fields include Sui, Kandhkot, Adhi, Mazrani, Chachar and Hala, while it has working interest in eight partner-operated fields. It also has working interest in offshore fields in Iraq and Yemen.

Microsoft to buy Minecraft creator Mojang for $2.5 bn

PHOTO: FILE

STOCKHOLM: The creators of the videogame Minecraft, the Swedish company Mojang, on Monday announced a takeover by the US software giant Microsoft worth $2.5 billion (1.93 billion euros).

The founders of Mojang, the main beneficiaries of the deal, also announced their departure from the company.

“Mojang is being bought by Microsoft,” the Swedish company confirmed after a week of media speculation about the takeover.

Minecraft is one of the world’s most popular videogames – often described as digital Lego, where players fight to survive in a hostile world populated by monsters while having the power to re-design the environment as they progress.

Despite far less sophisticated graphics than many successful competitors, the game has succeeded in attracting both children and more seasoned video gamers.

Since its release in 2009, over 50 million copies have been sold for a range of platforms including Microsoft Xbox, PlayStation Sony, PCs, tablets and smartphones, ensuring enormous wealth for its creators.

Microsoft is already an established player in the videogame business with its Xbox console although its latest version (Xbox One) has fared less well than PlayStation 4, released at the same time last year.

However the acquisition of Minecraft is expected to boost the company’s rating with gaming enthusiasts.

“The founders: Notch, Carl, and Jakob are leaving. We don’t know what they’re planning,” wrote the Swedish company on its website, adding that “the vast majority (if not all) Mojangstas will continue to work at Mojang for the time being.”