Sports
Wazupnaija – Naija Entertainment blogs & Forums – Sports
‘There was an offer’ – Journalist claims Newcastle wanted to sign 27-yr-old attacker
Newcastle United tried to sign former Napoli striker Arkadiusz Milik during the January transfer window. According to journalist Vincenzo Morabito, the move did not materialise because the player was not convinced by Newcastle’s efforts to sign him. He said to CalcioNapoli24: “Milik to Newcastle? For Arek, the desire of the club was lacking. There was an offer of €20 million, but Napoli at that moment considered his valuation higher, around €25-30m. “I think it is not easy to work in a club with a president who is certainly good and active, Giuntoli is a top director of football, but perhaps he needs space. “De Laurentiis is not an easy subject to please, both when selling and when buying. Image rights have blocked many businesses, for example.” The Polish striker ended up s...
Celtic-linked manager reveals where he wants to work next season
Former Premier League manager Rafael Benitez has been linked with a return to management. As per recent reports, the Spaniard is thought to be on Celtic’s radar, but he has now admitted that his priority is to manage in the Premier League next season. Speaking about his future, Benitez claimed (via Daily Record): “A competitive team that allows you to challenge for trophies or a project that allows you to improve and grow and do better. “The priority is England. Why? Because obviously, I like the Premier League and my family is here. I have a lot [of offers] from the UAE, United States, Brazil, China, but I want to stay in Europe. And I want to stay in England. “If it’s the right one, we can do it tomorrow but the project, the competitive team, is not there at the moment, so we h...
‘There’s been some talks’ – Rangers star opens up about his long-term future at the club
Rangers midfielder Glenn Kamara is in talks with the Scottish Premiership club regarding a new deal. The 25-year-old midfielder has two years left on his current contract, and he claims that talks over a new deal could advance over the summer. He said (via Daily Record): “There’s been some talks. The season’s been good – obviously, we’ve just become champions. “It’s been a success so far. I still have two years left on my contract, and there’s still time over the summer to see what will happen.” Rangers signed the midfielder for a fee of around £50,000 from Dundee FC, and he has proven to be an exceptional bargain for the Ibrox outfit. Kamara helped Rangers win the title this season and has established himself as a key player for manager Steven Gerrard. Rangers fans will certainl...
Four major sports manufacturers involved in a sponsorship battle involving Aston Villa star
Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish is reportedly at the centre of a tussle involving four sports manufacturing giants. The midfielder’s sponsorship with Nike is into its final year, and their rivals are looking to secure his signature. According to Daily Mirror, Adidas, Puma and Under Armour are all reportedly chasing the midfielder’s signature, while Nike are also keen on renewing their terms. The 25-year-old has developed into one of the hottest prospects in English football, and it is no surprise that top brands are circling. The player has been linked with Manchester City and Manchester United, but he signed a five-year deal of around £130,000 per week with Villa last September. The highly-rated attacking midfielder has been one of the best players in the Premier League this sea...
Arsenal star down with hamstring knock, to miss country’s game tomorrow
Arsenal midfielder Bukayo Saka will miss England’s World Cup qualifying clash against San Marino tomorrow as a precautionary measure. Bukayo Saka misses #eng v San Marino. Still at #afc having assessment on hamstring. Southgate hopes Saka will link up at Pennyhill Park later this week. Rashford #mufc not out training this morning, continuing (ankle) rehab indoors; tbh should have been rested from this squad. — Henry Winter (@henrywinter) March 24, 2021 The youngster is currently with the Gunners as he is still having an assessment on his hamstring, and Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate is hoping that he will join up with the rest of the squad later this week. England are in Group I of the European qualifiers for Qatar 2022 World Cup, and they face San Marino, Albania and Poland this mon...
‘He could play in any top team’ – Former PL winner lavishes praise on West Ham attacker
Manchester United attacker Jesse Lingard joined West Ham United on loan in January, and the 28-year-old has made quite an impression at the London club. Lingard has scored five goals with three assists in just seven starts for the Hammers. Former Manchester United defender and Premier League winner Rio Ferdinand is not surprised with Lingard’s start to life at West Ham and believes that he is good enough to play for any top club. “I’ve argued with pundit after pundit, on-air, and off-air,” Ferdinand said on Five. “He could play in any top team because he’s an intelligent footballer. He can play off one touch or two touch.” “He gets judged on his antics on social media. Some people it rubs them up the wrong way, and they don’t like him because of it, and a lot of the younger generation love...
UEFA rule change could result in an exciting summer transfer window for Aston Villa
UEFA are planning to scrap Financial Fair Play and replace it with a brand new system to govern club spending. According to reports (via Birmingham Mail), there could be a major shake-up in the summer, and the new system is likely to arm the clubs with greater freedom in the transfer market. This could allow them to exercise their spending power and sign more players in the transfer market without breaching regulations. Wealthy clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City could have a massive advantage in the market if that happens. The development could also be fascinating for Aston Villa heading into the summer transfer window. Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens are among the richest owners in the Premier League and have shown their commitment to improving the Villa squad. They have already spent ar...
Leeds reportedly set to lose £15k-per-week player this summer
According to reports from Football Insider, Leeds United winger Ezgjan Alioski has agreed a pre-contract deal with Turkish outfit Galatasaray. Alioski joined the Yorkshire club in 2017 from Lugano. He has made over 150 appearances for the club and has scored 21 goals. The North Macedonia international was a key member of the side that earned a promotion to the Premier League last season. He has been impressive in the Premier League as well, managing two goals in 27 Premier League appearances. Alioski is out of contract in the summer, and the Whites have failed to agree a new deal with him. The 29-year-old now looks set to leave on a free transfer at the end of the season. SL View Alioski, who currently earns around £15,000-a-week at Elland Road, has been a reliable play...
‘Sometimes Liverpool release a clip’: Tottenham player says he wants to learn from Liverpool star
Tottenham Hotspur loanee Oliver Skipp has spoken highly of Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson, saying he is fascinated by his leadership qualities. The 20-year-old midfielder has been on loan Norwich where he has been simply sensational this season for the Canaries. Skipp is one of the highly-rated young talents to progress from the club’s academy in recent years. He has made 38 Championship appearances for the Canaries and has been a key player for them as they are eyeing a swift return to the Premier League. The youngster has been selected for the England Under-21 duty ahead of the group stages of the U21 European Championships. According to reports from the Evening Standard, Skipp is an admirer of Fabinho, Fernandinho and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. The midfielder has said tha...
West Ham target available for cheap this summer
Valencia forward Maxi Gomez could be available for as little as £15 million this summer, according to a report by AS. Gomez joined Valencia in the summer transfer window of 2019 from Celta Vigo in a cash plus player exchange deal which saw Santi Mina and Jorge Saenz move in the opposite direction. Gomez has not had an easy ride at Valencia His move to Valencia hasn’t gone as planned. He has scored just 15 La Liga goals in the last two seasons in 57 outings, while Los Che are set to finish outside of the European places for the second season running. The Spanish side have hit some financial difficulty following the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning that certain players could be available for a cut-price deal. Gomez is believed to be one of those players, with AS claiming that they will accept £15m...
‘Has he done enough?’ – English striker questions Southgate’s decision to call up Spurs star
West Bromwich Albion striker Charlie Austin has questioned the decision of England manager Gareth Southgate to invite Tottenham Hotspur defender Eric Dier for this month’s World Cup qualifiers. The Three Lions are in Group I of the European qualifiers for Qatar 2022, and they face San Marino, Albania and Poland this month. Southgate’s 26-man squad had some few surprises upon its announcement, with Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold omitted while Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford was also missing despite being thePremier League’s current fifth top-scorer with 13 goals. Austin, currently on loan at Queens Park Rangers, believes that someone like Dier only made the squad because he plays for a big side and not based on current form. “There is favouritism to bigger clubs,” the Engl...
‘I’m so sad’ – Ian Wright sends Odegaard message to Arsenal
Arsenal went into the international break on the back of a 3-3 draw at West Ham United, and manager Mikel Arteta will be hoping his players can continue from where they stopped when they host Liverpool immediately Premier League action resumes. The Gunners found themselves 3-0 down 32 minutes into the clash with the Hammers, but they bounced back in style, leaving the London Stadium with a hard-fought point. Real Madrid loanee Martin Odegaard played a huge role in the comeback, playing a part in all of Arsenal’s three goals. The 22-year-old was also very impressive in the earlier and crucial victories over Olympiacos and Tottenham Hotspur, and the Gunners would hope to retain his services beyond the end of the campaign. Odegaard joined Arsenal on loan till the end of the season in January,...
