Sports
Wazupnaija – Naija Entertainment blogs & Forums – Sports
Aston Villa ready to let 92-cap international leave in summer, 26-yr-old will take up his role
Aston Villa defender Ahmed Elmohamady is expected to leave the club at the end of this season. The experienced full-back will be out of contract in the summer and the Premier League club are not willing to offer him an extension. The 33-year-old defender has returned to the starting line-up in recent weeks after an injury to Matty Cash and has struggled with the intensity of the Premier League. There is no doubt that the 92-cap Egyptian international has been an impressive servant for the Midlands club over the years, but he is past his peak and Villa should look to move on this summer. The 33-year-old has played 124 games for Aston Villa since his move from Hull City in 2017. According to Football Insider, manager Dean Smith plans to offer the back-up right-back role to Frederic Guilbert,...
Spurs and Leicester linked with 22-yr-old Brazilian who would cost around £69m
Roma defender Roger Ibanez has been linked with Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City. The 22-year-old centre-back recently signed a new long term contract with the Italian outfit and he has a release clause of €80 million (£69m) in the deal. According to Calciomercato, the release clause will be valid until mid or late July and the defender’s suitors will not be able to trigger it in the final weeks of the summer transfer window. There is no doubt that the Brazilian is a talented defender, but he has done nothing to justify the €80m price tag and it would be highly surprising if clubs decided to splash that kind of money on him this summer. Spurs and Leicester are in need of defensive reinforcements but the Roma star will probably be too expensive for them. Jose Mourinho has been linked wi...
David Moyes’ plan for 21-yr-old could save West Ham a lot of money next season
West Ham United are thought to be planning a first-team role for Frederik Alves next season. The Danish under-21 international joined the Hammers in January from Silkeborg for around £1.4 million. According to Football Insider, the 21-year-old defender has made quite an impression since his arrival, and the coaching staff are delighted with his performances. David Moyes and his backroom staff are confident that Alves can cut it at Premier League level, and the youngster is likely to get his chance next season. With the likes of Fabian Balbuena and Craig Dawson expected to leave in the summer, the Hammers will need to bring in defensive reinforcements. Promoting from within would save them a lot of money, and it would give talented young players like Alves the chance to showcase their poten...
Report explains how Steve Bruce could be responsible for Newcastle’s injury problems
Newcastle United players are concerned with the way Steve Bruce has been planning his training schedule. According to Daily Mail, the Newcastle manager decided not to train on three of the five days since Saturday’s draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Magpies take on West Bromwich Albion on Sunday, and the players believe that additional time off could hamper their preparations for a crucial game. Newcastle are in crisis right now and could get relegated if they do not improve considerably in the coming weeks. The Magpies are currently three points clear of the drop zone with the likes of Fulham breathing down their necks. The training schedule has been a problem with some players since Bruce took over as the manager. They believe that two or three days off every week affects th...
Premier League Player of the Month nominees for February announced
The nominees for February’s Premier League Player of the Month award have been revealed. Rather unsurprisingly, runaway leaders Manchester City are the most represented side on the shortlist with two nominees. This comes after a sensational February, which saw them pick up maximum points from six games, as well as victories in the FA Cup and Champions League. Meanwhile, arch-rivals Manchester United also boast one nominee, as well as West Ham United, Leicester City, Fulham, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leeds United. The winner will be announced on Friday, March 12. Joachim Andersen – Fulham Andersen has been a crucial part of Fulham’s survival bid An underdog for the prize, Lyon loanee Joachim Andersen has starred in an impressive Fulham backline throughout February. The Whites kept four cl...
Arsenal announce huge losses following COVID-19 pandemic
Arsenal’s accounts for the 2019/20 season have been announced, revealing a massive £47.8 million loss. The figures cover the expenses during the time period from May 31st 2019 through to May 31st 2020. Therefore, Premier League matches played during June and July, as well as August’s FA Cup win, are not included in the report. August’s FA Cup triumph was not included in the accounts According to Football.London, the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent halting of all football cost the club £34m in broadcasting money, as well as £14m in matchday revenue. However, the £34m in broadcasting money will count towards next year’s accounts. The pandemic reduced the costs of running a football club, with £19m cost savings being made by the Gunners. This is largely made up from the pay cuts taken by fir...
‘He was magnificent’ – Rio Ferdinand drools over Spurs ace, likens him to PL legend
Former Manchester United defender and Premier League legend Rio Ferdinand has heaped praise on Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Dele Alli after his performance against Fulham on Thursday. The 24-year-old was handed a rare start by Jose Mourinho and he justified his manager’s decision with a splendid performance. Alli played a key role in Tottenham’s only goal of the night and he caused all sorts of problems for the Fulham defence with his work rate. Ferdinand has likened the England midfielder’s movement to that of the Premier League legend Frank Lampard. “I thought he had something today I’ve not seen for a while, that running beyond the striker,” Ferdinand said on BT Sport (via Express). “That is how he made his name, that is what excited everybody about him, getting into the box, a bit like...
West Ham eyeing move for Illan Meslier
West Ham United are reportedly considering a move for Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier. Meslier joined Leeds on an initial loan deal from Ligue 1 club Lorient in August 2019. Following the Yorkshire side’s promotion to the Premier League, he signed a permanent three-year contract. He has established himself as one of the league’s most promising young goalkeepers this season, keeping eight clean sheets despite Leeds’ questionable backline. Meslier is congratulated by his teammates after a standout performance This form has attracted the attention of fellow top-flight side West Ham United, according to a report by Football Insider. The Hammers have had a marvellous season to date. They currently sit in sixth place, two points off a Champions League spot with a game in hand. However, the...
Premier League preview: Can Arsenal and Tottenham finish ahead of the champions?
The 2020/21 Premier League season rumbles on this weekend, with some eye-catching EPL fixtures scheduled over the next few days. With Manchester City looking nailed on to win the title, attention has switched onto the battle to qualify for Europe. Arsenal have the opportunity to boost their chances when they visit Burnley in the early game on Saturday. A victory at Turf Moor would move the Gunners just three points behind Liverpool, who are currently in seventh place. There are three further games later the same day, with the Midlands derby between Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers the pick of the bunch. Villa are also in the running to bag a European qualification spot but may find it difficult to break Wolves down. There are four fixtures on Sunday, headlined by the Manchester derb...
Liverpool’s centre-back crisis worsens as Klopp confirms Kabak injury
Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that Schalke loanee Ozan Kabak is a doubt for Liverpool’s home game against Fulham on Sunday. Kabak was brought into Anfield during the January transfer window following a series of injuries at centre-back for Liverpool. Kabak in action against Sheffield United The 20-year-old has not made an ideal start to life in the Premier League. His debut came against Leicester City, where his mix up with goalkeeper Alisson allowed Jamie Vardy to tap home to put the Foxes 2-1 ahead late on. After a victory in the Champions League over RB Leipzig, the Turkey international was once again under fire after the 2-0 home defeat to Everton in the Merseyside derby. This was followed by a victory at Bramall Lane, before a 1-0 loss against Chelsea. Kabak is now believed to be a doubt...
‘Future captain’, ‘Best player’: Some Chelsea fans react to midfielder’s performance vs Liverpool
A selection of Chelsea fans on Twitter were delighted with Mason Mount following his impressive showing against Liverpool in the Premier League last night. The Blues went into the game needing a victory to jump into the top four and managed to do so through Mount, who scored the only goal at Anfield in the 42nd minute. The west London giants were the better attacking side over the course of the game and were unlucky to not open the scoring in the 25th minute. Werner pounced on a long ball before rounding the goalkeeper to find the back of the net, but his strike was cancelled out by VAR as he was offside by millimetres. The Blues kept on going and eventually broke the deadlock before the interval when Mount was found on the left flank through a brilliant pinpoint pass from N’Golo Kante. Mo...
Arsenal midfielder may not play under Mikel Arteta again, asking price set
Arsenal will sanction the sale of midfielder Matteo Guendouzi once he returns from his season-long loan stint at Hertha Berlin this summer, Football Insider reports. Guendouzi fell out-of-favour under manager Mikel Arteta following the project restart last season due to an incident after the defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion. The Frenchman was frustrated with Neal Maupay playing a part in Bernd Leno’s knee injury and after the final whistle, he grabbed the forward by the neck for a brief moment. He escaped any punishment through the FA for the reaction, but Arteta was clearly not pleased and axed him from the first-team squad for the rest of the season. Guendouzi was loaned out to Hertha last summer and it is now reported that he may not play another game for the Gunners as he is not in...
