Napoli initially set a €130 million price tag on Victor Osimhen, but the high release clause has deterred interested clubs. In recent weeks, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain were rumored to have approached the Serie A club for the Nigerian striker. However, neither club was willing to meet the steep asking price, and Chelsea has since shifted its focus to Atletico Madrid’s Samu Omorodion. The 20-year-old, who was on loan at Alaves last season, is currently representing Spain’s U23 team at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. According to Sky Sports’ Marco Demichelis, with the transfer window closing in, Napoli may be…
Author: Oluwaseun samuel
Kylian Mbappé, who made headlines by joining Real Madrid as a free agent this summer, has officially embarked on his new journey with the club. The 25-year-old striker, formerly of Paris Saint-Germain, had an outstanding season last year, netting 27 goals in 29 Ligue 1 matches. On Wednesday, Mbappé took part in his first training session with Real Madrid. According to a report by L’Équipe, he arrived in excellent physical condition. The club’s fitness coach, Antonio Pintus, praised Mbappé’s fitness, noting his commitment to a personalized off-season program. Pintus described Mbappé as “very sharp,” underscoring the player’s dedication and readiness…
Manchester United are preparing for the Community Shield as they face Manchester City this Saturday at Wembley Stadium. However, the Red Devils are grappling with a defensive injury crisis, with three key players missing from training. Manager Erik ten Hag faces uncertainty with defenders Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka all absent. Maguire missed the final pre-season match against Liverpool, raising doubts about his availability for the season opener. Ten Hag noted, “Harry Maguire sat out as a precaution and remains uncertain for Saturday. We have more training sessions to assess his fitness. Victor and Azza [Wan-Bissaka] are also…
Tobi Amusan remains Nigeria’s best chance for a medal at this year’s Olympic Games in Paris, France. So far, the West African nation has yet to secure a podium finish, with the competition concluding on Sunday, August 11. Amusan, the world record holder in the 100m hurdles, is set to compete in the semi-finals on Friday. She advanced from the heats on Wednesday, clocking a time of 12.49 seconds, ahead of the USA’s Alaysha Johnson, who finished second in 12.61 seconds, and Janeek Brown, who took third with 12.84 seconds. In the semi-finals, Amusan will face tough competition from reigning…
In a remarkable show of sportsmanship, Nigerian cyclist Ese Lovina Ukpeseraye received vital support from the German cycling team during the Paris Olympics. Ukpeseraye, representing Team Nigeria, faced a challenging situation when she had no bicycle for the keirin and sprint events due to the short notice of her participation. “Due to the short notice of me competing in the keirin & sprint, #teamNigeria I had no bicycle to race with on the tracks,” Ukpeseraye shared on her X handle on Thursday. In a generous gesture, the German team, Bund Deutscher Radfahrer, stepped in to assist the Nigerian athlete. “In…
Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has paid a heartfelt tribute to his longtime teammate Pepe, who announced his retirement from football on Thursday. Pepe, who is retiring at the age of 41, played his final match at Euro 2024, where Portugal was eliminated by France in the quarter-finals after a penalty shootout. His appearance at the tournament made him the oldest player to compete in a European Championship. Over his illustrious career, Pepe earned 141 caps for Portugal, ranking behind only Ronaldo (211) and João Moutinho (146) in appearances. “There are not enough words to express how much you mean to…
FIFA has lifted its ban on Nigeria Premier Football League team Katsina United. The ban, which prevented the club from registering new players, was imposed due to a payment dispute with former player Mohamadou Souley Salamoun. The ban was lifted after Salamoun confirmed receipt of his outstanding wages from the club. Katsina United has since strengthened their squad by signing four new players and is expected to add more before the season begins. The Chanji Boys will face Plateau United in their opening match of the new season.
Football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that Chelsea are set to complete the signing of Samuel Omorodion for a fee of approximately £35 million. Romano announced on his verified X account on Wednesday: “Samuel Omorodion to Chelsea, here we go! Deal in place for £35m as a fixed fee from Atlético Madrid. A seven-year contract for Omorodion has been agreed, and he is set for medical tests.” Despite interest from Bayer Leverkusen and other clubs, Omorodion has chosen to join Chelsea. The promising forward, eligible to play for the Super Eagles, will sign a seven-year contract with Chelsea, keeping…
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has reviewed his team’s 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid on Tuesday night, marking the Blues’ third pre-season loss under his leadership. Real Madrid’s Lucas Vazquez and Brahim Diaz scored to give their side a two-goal lead before Noni Madueke reduced the deficit for Chelsea. After the match, Maresca highlighted the need for improvement in Chelsea’s defensive structure. “Offensively, we played well and created 6 or 7 clear chances,” Maresca said. “However, we need to address and adjust our defensive issues. Our defensive line, in particular, needs improvement.” Chelsea will have one more friendly against Inter Milan…
The Football Association (FA) has been compelled to change the referee for the Community Shield match between Manchester United and Manchester City. John Brooks was originally set to officiate the game at Wembley, but due to a minor injury, he will be replaced by Jarred Gillett. Gillett, who was initially appointed as the fourth official, will now take charge of the match. Sam Barrott will step in as the new fourth official, while Adrian Holmes and Nick Greenhalgh will serve as Gillett’s assistants. Peter Bankes will oversee VAR duties at Stockley Park, with Sian Massey-Ellis and Tim Robinson supporting him.…
Bayer Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso believes Arsenal and Liverpool will challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title this season. Alonso made these remarks after his team suffered a 4-0 defeat to Arsenal in a pre-season friendly on Wednesday evening. Last season, Arsenal narrowly missed out on the title, finishing just two points behind City. Since then, Mikel Arteta has only added Riccardo Calafiori to the squad, although Calafiori did not play in the friendly. The match was decided by goals from Oleksandr Zinchenko, Leandro Trossard, Gabriel Jesus, and Kai Havertz. When asked if Arsenal could compete for the title…
Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong will join a Saudi Arabian club for the upcoming season. Troost-Ekong is set to leave PAOK for Al Khalood following an agreement on the transfer fee between the two clubs. The 30-year-old has also finalized personal terms with his new team. Football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano shared on X: “William Troost-Ekong has agreed to join Al Khalood in Saudi Arabia. PAOK and Al Khalood have settled on the fee, and personal terms are also finalized. The 30-year-old Nigerian defender is moving to the Saudi Pro League.”
Samuel Ogazi advanced to the men’s 400m final at the 2024 Olympic Games on Tuesday night, according to DAILY POST. Ogazi finished third in Heat 3 of the men’s semi-final with a personal best time of 44.41 seconds. Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith won the race in 44.07 seconds, followed by Michael Norman in second with 44.26 seconds. Ogazi is the first Nigerian athlete to reach the men’s 400m final in 36 years, with Innocent Egbunike being the last to achieve this milestone. The final will take place on Thursday.
Dijon forward Rayane Messi is set to join Strasbourg after both clubs agreed on a €1 million deal for the 17-year-old. The agreement includes add-ons and a 10% sell-on clause. Football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano shared on X: “Strasbourg have agreed a deal to sign 17-year-old talent Rayane Messi from Dijon. €1m including add-ons plus a 10% sell-on clause agreed. Rayane is expected to sign a three-year deal.” Rayane Messi, who joined Dijon’s youth academy from Versailles in 2022, made his first-team debut on April 5, 2024. He holds the record as Dijon’s youngest-ever scorer at 16 years and 325…
Chelsea Football Club has officially unveiled their latest addition to the squad, defender Aaron Anselmino, via an announcement on their website this Thursday. According to Chelsea News, while the club has been active in the transfer market this summer, not all signings are meant for immediate impact, and Anselmino falls into this category. The 19-year-old Argentine center-back has signed a seven-year deal with Chelsea but will remain in his homeland for the 2024/25 season on loan at Boca Juniors. The club emphasized their commitment to closely monitoring his progress during this loan spell. Anselmino’s signing is part of Chelsea’s broader…
Victor Osimhen, the 25-year-old striker from Napoli, is available this summer, but his high price tag of at least 100 million euros has cooled Chelsea’s interest. Chelsea: End of the Osimhen Pursuit? According to Sky Italia, Chelsea is now looking at Samu Omorodion, a 20-year-old who played 34 games and scored 8 goals for Alavès last season while on loan from Atletico Madrid. If Chelsea signs Omorodion, Osimhen is unlikely to join them. Osimhen could still move to other clubs. Arsenal is interested but also considering Alexander Isak from Newcastle. PSG, focusing on finding a winger, is another possible destination…
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has named Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi as the player he wishes he had the chance to coach during his career. The Italian gaffer recently spoke on John Mikel’s Obi One Podcast. Ancelotti, one of football’s top managers, has coached several star players including Luka Modric and Eden Hazard. He has also managed top clubs such as AC Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Napoli, and Everton. “He [Messi] is one of the few [that I missed out on working with],” Ancelotti said. “I have an unbelievable list [of players I coached in my…
Four players have joined Manchester United’s squad for duty at Carrington amid ongoing pre-season preparations for the upcoming 2024/25 campaign. Man United disclosed this in a statement on their official website on Friday. The four players are Diogo Dalot, Bruno Fernandes, Altay Bayindir, and Alejandro Garnacho. Dalot and Fernandes helped their country reach the quarter-finals of Euro 2024, before losing to France on penalties. Bayindir also featured for Turkey in Germany during the Euro 2024 competition, where they lost 2-1 to the Netherlands in the last-8. Garnacho, meanwhile, enjoyed representing Copa America winners Argentina in the United States.
Peter Etebo, a once-promising Super Eagles midfielder, has completed a transfer to Turkish second division club Genclerbirligi. Etebo’s career has declined in recent years. He emerged as a bright young star in Nigeria after his impressive performance with the under-23 team at the 2015 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations, where he scored five goals. This performance led to his move to Europe after several years with Nigerian league side Warri Wolves. Etebo joined Feirense in January 2018, and by June, he had secured a transfer to Stoke City. Unfortunately, the 28-year-old midfielder struggled to find consistent game time and went…
John Utaka, the legendary Super Eagles attacker, has confirmed to the press that he has submitted his application to the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) for the position of U-20 coach. In July, the NFF advertised the vacant position of the Flying Eagles coach, seeking qualified candidates. The role comes with specific criteria outlined on the Federation’s official website. Utaka, who played for Nigeria’s senior national team from 2001 to 2012, revealed in an exclusive interview with Brila FM that he has officially applied for the job. “I have applied for the under-20 job, and it’s something I would like to…