Sports
Wazupnaija – Naija Entertainment blogs & Forums – Sports
Everton closing in on 61-yr-old manager, Toffees held secret meetings with his agents
Former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez is closing in on the Everton job. According to Daily Mirror, secret talks were held with the Spaniard’s representatives at the weekend, and the move could be confirmed in the coming days. There have been protests and social media backlash from Everton fans ever since the links with Benitez surfaced. The former Liverpool manager labelled Everton as a small club during his time at Anfield, and the fans are clearly not keen on seeing him appointed as their manager. Club owner Farhad Moshiri was nervous after the backlash from the fans, but he has not pulled the plug on the deal. The Spaniard’s representatives have held a few positive meetings with the Merseyside outfit, and he appears to be firmly in contention for the job. The 61-year-old could be a dece...
Rangers want to sign £15m striker in two weeks’ time – report
Rangers are looking to sign a striker and want to bring Santos Borre to Ibrox this summer. According to Football Insider, the Gers have set their sight on the 25-year-old and want to get the deal done in the next fortnight. The Scottish Premiership champions will be looking to add depth this summer, particularly with Champions League participation also on the agenda. Borre is out of contract at River Plate at the end of this month, and Rangers are looking to sign him. He is not keen to sign a contract extension with the Argentine club. The report claims that River Plate value the player at around £15 million, but Rangers can get him for free at the end of this month. However, Rangers are likely to face competition from multiple clubs for the signature of the C...
Copa America: Argentina continue bright start, Uruguay and Chile draw
It was a star-studded night of Copa America action, with some of the biggest names in the tournament lining up for their countries in Group A. Lionel Messi made history as he appeared for his side for a record-equalling 147th time, alongside the likes of Sergio Aguero and Angel Di Maria. Meanwhile, Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani were out on the pitch for Uruguay’s second group stage game against Chile. Here is how things unfolded. Uruguay 1-1 Chile Vargas and Brereton combined for the opener Chile went into the game top of the group, having accumulated four points from their opening two games. Uruguay, on the other hand, were looking to bounce back after their defeat against Argentina in game one. Ben Brereton continued his promising start to life as a Chile international, combining with E...
Profile: The 17-year-old goal machine with a bright future at Man Utd
Charlie McNeill has already caused a stir of excitement since rejoining Manchester United from local rivals Manchester City. The 17-year-old is a lifelong United fan and grew up playing for the academy with the likes of Mason Greenwood. However, he made the controversial switch to Manchester City in 2013 to get more playing time. After scoring 600 goals in six years for City’s academy, no one could argue that McNeill isn’t an exceptional talent. Despite facing interest from RB Leipzig, Juventus and a host of English clubs, McNeill decided to re-join his boyhood club Manchester United in 2020. He signed for the Red Devils for an initial fee of £750,000 plus bonuses. Playing style The striker has been sensational in front of goal for United’s U18s, netting 21 times in 24 appearances. One of ...
Real Madrid man MOTM, Man City player disappointing – Ukraine 0-1 Austria Player Ratings
Austria confirmed their place in the knockout stages of Euro 2020 with a 1-0 win over Ukraine. The first half was end-to-end, with both sides intent on getting a win – even though a point would probably take them both through to the round of 16. The deadlock was broken in the 21st minute, and it was Austria who took the lead. David Alaba’s cross was met by the studs of Christoph Baumgartner, who turned the ball into the net from close range. It wasn’t long before Ukraine came close to an equaliser when Mykola Shaparenko’s shot was palmed away by Daniel Bachmann, with Andriy Yarmolenko just inches away from getting on the end of the rebound. Austria responded with a couple of efforts of their own. Konrad Laimer had a curling shot beaten by Georgi Bushchan, and Marko Arnautovic skewed a glor...
Some Scotland and Chelsea fans react as Billy Gilmour tests positive for COVID-19
Some Scotland and Chelsea fans have expressed their disappointment on Twitter after Billy Gilmour tested positive for COVID-19. The 20-year-old made his full international debut against England last week, and he produced a standout display in midfield. Gilmour was adjudged the man of the match, but he won’t play any part in the final Euro 2020 group stage game against Croatia. He has tested positive for coronavirus following the goalless draw and is expected to stay in isolation for 10 days at least. This has led to disappointment among some Scotland and Chelsea fans. Here are a few reactions on Twitter. Are the team in a bubble during the tournament? Like.. in a hotel or something?Does Billy have a room mate?Have they been together in training recently?Could others in the team now be in d...
Club reportedly feel Spurs will come for boss, Sir Ferguson dubbed him ‘magnificent’
Tottenham Hotspur are still searching for a new manager two months after parting company with Jose Mourinho. Spurs have been linked with several names, while deals for former Serie A bosses Paulo Fonseca and Gennaro Gattuso fell through last week. According to GiveMeSport, some figures at Rangers fear the Londoners will make a move for their manager Steven Gerrard. The former Liverpool star was initially linked with the job, but those reports went quiet in the following weeks. Rangers had been keen to hand him a new deal, but that has reportedly proven difficult following an offer from an unnamed Premier League club. Sportslens View Gerrard has three more years left on his deal at Ibrox and has insisted he is not looking to leave anytime soon. Nevertheless, the temptation to manage in the ...
Aston Villa set to submit £30m bid for playmaker with 14 goal contributions last season
Aston Villa remain keen on signing the Arsenal midfielder Emil Smith Rowe this summer. According to Football Insider, the West Midlands club are preparing to submit an improved bid of around £30 million for the 20-year-old attacking midfielder. The Premier League side tried to sign the young midfielder last week as well but they had an opening offer of around £25 million turned down. It is evident that Arsenal do not wish to sell their prized asset this summer but Villa are not prepared to give up just yet. Apparently, Arsenal are trying to agree on a new deal with the young midfielder who will be out of contract in 2023 and Villa are doing their best to capitalize on the uncertainty surrounding his future at the London club. SL View: Arsenal unlikely to sanction departure Smith Rowe...
West Ham looking to sign 25-yr-old attacker on loan with an option to buy
West Ham United are interested in signing the Cagliari striker Giovanni Simeone. The 25 year old Argentine forward had a mediocre season in the Italian league this past year and he would be nothing more than a squad option for the hammers. According to Calciomercato, the Premier League side are offering €1 million to loan the player with the option of signing him permanently. However, the Italian outfit are not keen on the offer. SL View: West Ham must look to sign a better striker There is no doubt that the Hammers need to sign a quality striker this summer but Simeone would be an underwhelming signing for them. Simeone scored just six goals for Cagliari last season. David Moyes has been relying on Michail Antonio for goals this past season but the West Ham star is not a specialist g...
Aston Villa set to hold talks with the representatives of South American attacker
Aston Villa are thought to be interested in signing the Argentine winger Julian Alvarez. According to reports via the Birmingham Mail, the Premier League side are all set to open talks with the representatives of the 21-year-old winger this week regarding a summer transfer. Apparently, the talented young attacker is keen on a move to Europe this summer. SL View: Ideal squad options for the wide roles Villa could definitely use more depth in the wide areas and Alvarez could prove to be a quality long term acquisition. The West Midlands club have already signed Emiliano Buendia from Norwich City and the Argentine is expected to play as the number ten behind Ollie Watkins. Villa are currently using Jack Grealish and Bertrand Traore as their wingers and Smith could definitely use more options ...
Premier League and Serie A stars shine – Finland 0-2 Belgium Player Ratings
Belgium wrapped up top spot in Group B with a 2-0 win over Finland in their final group stage game. The first half was one-way traffic, with Finland evidently looking to stay in the game for as long as possible. Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku were seeing a lot of the ball, but couldn’t find a way through. Those same two players combined for the best chance of the opening 45. De Bruyne floated in a wonderful cross for Lukaku, but the Inter Milan forward’s finish was uncharacteristically poor, heading straight at Lukas Hradecky. Hradecky had to be at his best shortly before half time. Teenager Jeremy Doku drove into the box and struck a shot towards the far corner, but the goalkeeper threw out a strong left arm to turn it away. The two sides went in at the break level. Finland ended the h...
Turkish international switches sides in Milan, signs three-year-deal
Hakan Çalhanoglu’s new contract with Inter Milan is set to run until the summer of 2024, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. The deal will also see the 27-year-old earning €5 million per season with an added €1 million as a bonus, added Romano. Hakan Çalhanoglu confirms to @trtspor: “I’ve reached an agreement with Inter, yes. I’m flying to Milano tomorrow and then I’m gonna sign the contract”. 🇹🇷⚫️🔵 #Inter He’s set to sign until June 2024 for €5m/season net as salary. Also €1m bonus per season will be included. — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 21, 2021 Given that he has joined Inter from arch-rivals AC Milan, there is no doubt that the Turkey international will have lost respect in the eyes of many fans of the Rossoneri. He ...
