Sports
Wazupnaija – Naija Entertainment blogs & Forums – Sports
Manchester United must pay €50m to sign world-class star, they have offered €45m – report
Real Madrid are reluctant to sell Manchester United target Raphael Varane this summer unless their €50 million price tag is met, Spanish publication ABC reports. The Frenchman has entered the final year of his contract, and he has yet to show any intention of exceeding his stay with the Madrid heavyweights. The centre-back is eyeing a new challenge after a decade with Los Blancos, and United are regarded as the front-runners to land his signature. They have made a bid of around €45m for the World Cup winner, but Los Blancos are adamant that they won’t sell him for less than €50m. They have no plans of negotiating the price, and are open to keeping Varane for the final year of his contract if there are no suitable offers. Sportslens view: Los Blancos recently parted ways with...
QPR hoping to sign Premier League duo
Queens Park Rangers are looking at completing deals for Burnley’s Jimmy Dunne and Norwich City’s Sam McCallum, according to West London Sport. The Rs had a mostly positive 2020/21 season. After a bumpy start, they managed to finish in ninth place in the Championship – their highest finish since getting relegated in 2015. There is a feeling that they could push for promotion next season with the right additions. Warburton guided QPR to ninth last season If Mark Warburton’s men wish to compete with the teams at the top, they will need to tighten things up at the back. They conceded 55 goals, which was the most in the top half. In order to rectify this, QPR have turned to Premier League pair Jimmy Dunne and Sam McCallum, reports West London Sport. Dunne joined Burnley in 2016 after being rele...
Tactical Analysis: How England nearly caught Italy off guard in the Euro 2020 final
This was it. A month, 50 games, and 140 goals after the curtain-raiser in Rome between Turkey and Italy, this was the ultimate stage of the Euros – the final. Coincidentally, Italy represented one half of the story. while hosts England were the other. Just as he had done against Germany, Gareth Southgate went for a back-three system, although the difference here was that he was not mirroring his opposition, but instead working against a 4-3-3. That decision took less than two minutes to make a lasting impact on the match, as England scored the fastest-ever goal at a Euro final. After an intense battle, Italy found an equaliser in the second half to take the game beyond the normally allocated 90 minutes. There were no goals in extra time either, so penalties were needed to decide the winner...
24-yr-old linked with Arsenal move, Gary Lineker reckons it would be a ‘backward step’
Arsenal fans are thought to be keen on a move for the Leicester City playmaker James Madison this summer, according to a report from Football London. The 24-year-old attacking midfielder is one of the most exciting English talents in the Premier League and he could prove to be a sensational signing for the Gunners in the long run. Arsenal could definitely use an attacking midfielder like him next season especially after the kind of impact Martin Odegaard had during his loan spell last year. The Norwegian was on loan at the London club during the second half of the season and the Gunners improved a lot in the final third with a creator like him. Maddison scored 11 goals and picked up 10 assists across all competitions for the Foxes last year and he helped them win the FA Cup as well. There ...
Fabrizio Romano claims £31m Liverpool target wants to leave, club ready to sell
Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on Renato Sanches amidst recent links with Liverpool, when speaking on his official Youtube channel channel. L’Equipe recently claimed that Reds boss Jurgen Klopp is keen to bring the talented Portuguese midfielder to Anfield this summer. The 23-year-old’s career sparked back into life over the past 12 months after a really difficult few years. Sanchez made the huge move to Bayern Munich from Benfica in the summer of 2016 for a fee that could eventually rise to €45 million (£40.5 million), according to BBC Sport. The midfielder really struggled with the Bavarian giants, however. He spent an unsuccessful loan spell with Swansea City as well before joining Lille for around £17 million in the summer of 2019 (Bavarian Football Works). Fabrizio R...
Report claims Wolves man who scored 16 goals last season is a target for Atletico Madrid
Wolves forward Rafa Mir is a summer transfer target for Atletico Madrid according to a report from AS (print edition, July 12th, page 15). The 24-year-old moved to Molineux from Valencia in January 2018 for around £1.8 million (Daily Mail). He has struggled to make an impression for Wolves, however, playing just four games for the club and failing to score a single goal. Atletico are allegedly chasing Wolves ace Rafa Mir – ZUMAa181 20210516_zaa_a181_285 Copyright: xJoaquinxCorcherox The striker is out of contract with the Black Country outfit in just 12 months time. And it seems as though he could be heading for the exit door. Atletico Madrid targeting Rafa Mir swoop That’s according to today’s print edition of Spanish newspaper AS. It is suggested that Diego Simeone is keen to bring in mo...
Conor McGregor Details His Successful Three-Hour Surgery and What Really Caused the Break
Not even a day after the shocking events of UFC 264, Conor McGregor has released an official statement regarding his broken leg. The Notorious was back in his old ways leading up to the UFC fight against Dustin Poirier where the trash-talking touched on areas in Poirier’s personal life, but it was the threats on Poirier’s life that kept The Diamond laser-focused during the match. While Poirier is certain that it was a checked kick that cracked the bone first, McGregor is standing firm that it was not caused by a check with even coach Kavanagh confirming that it was most likely from Poirier’s elbow when he blocked a hard front kick. Fans fearing that this could be a career-ending break can rest easy as McGregor’s surgeons at the Cedars-Sinai hospital have revealed that the Irishman will be ...
Floyd Mayweather Thanks Poirier for Beating McGregor After Cashing in Big on Winning Bet
Floyd Mayweather has revealed details of a huge bet he placed on Dustin Poirier to beat old rival Conor McGregor at this weekend’s UFC 264. Poirier’s big win in Las Vegas’ trilogy fight occurred after a doctor’s stoppage was announced after McGregor appeared to have suffered from a cringe-worthy leg break at end of the first round. The victor, also known as “The Diamond” now takes a 2-1 lead in the rivalry against the Irishman, just six months after a memorable second-round stoppage at UFC 257 that saw Poirier earn a shot at the lightweight title which is currently held by Brazilian fighter, Charles Oliveira. Mayweather took to social media to celebrate Poirier and his win by posting a photo of a betting slip that showed his $50,000 USD bet on Poirier to win. The photo was accompanied by a...
Report: PL rival ready to bid for 24 y/o after Leeds refused to meet asking price
Burnley are ready to make a bid for Lyon defender Maxwel Cornet this summer. According to The Sun, the Clarets are in talks to sign the 24-year-old and are ready to bid around £13 million for the Ivory Coast international. The report claims that Burnley want extra pace, and they have earmarked Cornet as a perfect fit for their squad. Cornet can play at left-back and further forward, and his versatility would be handy for the Clarets. German outfit Hertha Berlin are also in the race for the player’s signature and could offer more than Burnley are willing to splurge. We have already seen several players moving from the Ligue 1 to England this summer, and Cornet could do the same. Cornet was heavily linked with a move to Leeds United, but they were not willing to meet Lyon’s asking ...
38-cap Int’l set for showdown talks regarding his future, Spurs and Arsenal keen
Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal are keeping tabs on the situation of the Real Madrid midfielder Isco Alarcon. The 29-year-old playmaker has fallen down the pecking order at the Spanish club and needs to leave to play regularly. According to Daily Mirror, Isco is set to hold crunch talks with newly appointed manager Carlo Ancelotti regarding his future and is open to moving abroad this summer. AC Milan are also keen on the player and are waiting to see how his meeting with Ancelotti unfolds. Isco has just 12 months left on his current deal, and Madrid will probably feel that they should cash in on him instead of losing him on a free transfer next year. Tottenham and Arsenal desperately need a quality playmaker, and the 38-cap Spanish international could prove to be a smart addition. Spurs hav...
Rafael Benitez could raid for £50m attacker if Everton star joins Real Madrid – report
Everton boss Rafael Benitez could look to sign Newcastle United attacker Allan Saint-Maximin if Richarlison makes the switch to Real Madrid this summer, The Mirror reports. The Toffees are yet to make any new signings, and there is uncertainty whether Richarlison and James Rodriguez could stay after manager Carlo Ancelotti’s return to Madrid. Ancelotti has urged Madrid’s hierarchy to move for Richarlison, and it is reported that Benitez has identified Saint-Maximin as a potential replacement for the Brazilian. The Magpies value him at £60 million, but the Toffees believe they could prise him away for around £50m. They could secure a similar fee through Richarlison’s sale. Sportslens view: Richarlison was far from his best for the Toffees last term but still registered seven goals and three...
Italy Wins Euro 2020, Beating England on Penalties
Italy took the crown at the UEFA Euro 2020 championship match on Sunday, beating England on penalties. This is Italy’s first Euro win since 1968 on penalties. The match was determined by a penalty shootout, with Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma denying England’s Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho, leading to a final score of 3-2. Italy joins Germany, Spain and France as winners of multiple Euro titles. Italy are 34 matches unbeaten since September 2018. Midfielder Jorginho became the tenth player in history to win a European Cup and a European Championship in the same year, The match took place at London’s Wembley stadium, where about 60,000 fans were allowed to spectate, according to NBC News. ? ???????? ?’?????? ? ?? Congratulations Italy, EURO 2020 winners ???@azzurri | #ITA...
