Sports
Wazupnaija – Naija Entertainment blogs & Forums – Sports
PFA Team of the Year: Man City dominate, Man Utd, Spurs and Liverpool also represented
The PFA Premier League Team of the Year has been revealed. The team is comprised of one goalkeeper, four defenders, three midfielders and three forwards. It is voted by fellow professionals based on who has performed best in the Premier League over the last season. The XI is heavily dominated by runaway champions Manchester City, who boast six of the 11. Of the remaining five, two play for rivals Manchester United, two for Tottenham Hotspur and one for Liverpool. The most notable omission from the team is Man City’s Phil Foden, who misses out despite being one of the six nominated for the PFA Player of the Year award. Full team Ederson and Dias have been excellent at the back Ederson (GK) – The Brazilian has been excellent since arriving in the Premier League, and this year was no exc...
Bayern Munich keen on Atletico Madrid midfielder, player favours EPL move
Bayern Munich are close to signing Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez for €80 million, according to Radio Marca. Despite making 33 La Liga appearances last season, Saul was not a regular starter as Atletico won the Spanish title and they are open to listening to offers this summer. Diego Simeone is interested in recruiting Udinese captain Rodrigo de Paul which could make the club more inclined to sanction Saul’s sale. Bayern are in the process of reshaping their squad despite romping to a ninth successive Bundesliga title last season. They were beaten in the quarter-finals of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain and will be keen to reclaim the trophy they won in 2020. If Saul moves to Bayern, he would be an unusual signing as they are noted for targeting players in their ea...
Leeds United propose new and improved contract to £15,000-a-week star – report
Leeds United have made an improved contract offer to defender Ezgjan Alioski, Football Insider reports. The 29-year-old has been with the Yorkshire outfit for the past four seasons, but he could leave the club when his deal expires on June 30. They failed to convince him with a contract proposal earlier this year, but they have now made a fresh approach with an improved salary. Sportslens view: The £15,000-a-week man has made 171 appearances for the Whites in all competitions, and he has firmly made himself a favourite among the fans. Marcelo Bielsa had the opportunity to bring in a new left-back after promotion last term, but he decided to stick with his existing options. Alioski was almost ever-present throughout the Premier League campaign, and 29 of his 36 appearanc...
Antonio Conte reportedly concerned about Tottenham’s ambition
Talks between Tottenham Hotspur and Antonio Conte have hit a stumbling block as the Italian is concerned about the club’s ambition, according to Gianluca Di Marzio. Spurs are still searching for their next full-time manager after Jose Mourinho was sacked in April. Conte has been linked with the Spurs job since leaving Inter Milan at the end of last season. He guided Inter to their first Serie A title in 11 years, ending Juventus’ dominance in Italy’s top flight. Conte has concerns about the budget he will be handed to rebuild Spurs this summer, which could scupper their chances of appointing him. Transforming Spurs into a team that could challenge for the Premier League title could take three or four years, and Conte isn’t renowned for his patience. He is considered to be among t...
Atletico eye Arsenal star as possible replacement for Red Devils target
La Liga champions Atletico Madrid are keeping tabs on Arsenal’s Hector Bellerin as a potential replacement for Kieran Trippier, according to Marca. Although Trippier featured extensively for Diego Simeone’s side last season, he has been linked with a return to the Premier League. The 30-year-old could be tempted to return to the Premier League, with Manchester United and Everton both credited with an interest in securing his services. Bellerin struggled for game time at Arsenal towards the end of last season as Mikel Arteta preferred Calum Chambers over the Spanish international. The 26-year-old is at a phase of his career where he will want a more prominent role in Spain’s plans, and a move to Atletico could help him achieve this goal. In addition to Atletico, Bellerin has also been linke...
Real Madrid talks with Sergio Ramos stay deadlocked
Sergio Ramos remains locked in talks with Real Madrid over his future at the club, according to Cuatro. The 35-year-old’s contract is set to expire at the end of the month and it appears increasingly likely that he will leave this summer. However, Los Blancos have not confirmed that Ramos is heading elsewhere, raising the possibility that he could remain with the club. Ramos is believed to have had a fallout with Madrid President Florentino Perez, and Spanish publication AS reported that he will definitely leave. Ramos made just 15 La Liga appearances last season, with injuries limiting his game time. He subsequently missed out on a place in the 26-man Spain squad that will contest the European Championships this summer. He may now be in the final years of his career but Ramos will be...
Spurs could target 21-yr-old if Conte joins, Zlatan thinks he is the best in his position
Tottenham Hotspur are being linked with a move for AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. The 22-year-old will be a free agent this summer, and his future has yet to be decided. According to Tuttosport, the arrival of Antonio Conte and Fabio Paratici could see the Italian international added to Tottenham’s wishlist. SL View: Ideal replacement for Lloris Hugo Lloris has been linked with a move away from the Premier League club, and Donnarumma would be a sensational replacement. He is already one of the best goalkeepers in the world and has massive scope for improvement. He could sort out Tottenham’s goalkeeping situation for the next decade, and signing a player of his calibre on a free transfer could prove to be a major bargain. Lloris is a target for Jose Mourinho at Roma, with the Fre...
Norwich City star expected to shine for national team at Euro 2020
Finland’s Euro 2020 squad features Norwich City talisman Teemu Pukki as the Nordic country set to make their inaugural appearance at the final tournament. After Euro qualification eluded them for 60 years, the Huuhkajat will be making their tournament debut on the back of a decent qualifying campaign. Finland finished runners-up to Italy in Group J, winning six of their ten qualifying fixtures while losing the other four. Russia and Denmark will be challenging tasks to join group favourites Belgium, though the Finnish side are confident they are not there to make up the numbers. Head coach Markku Kanerva has Pukki to thank his team has successfully negotiated qualifiers, with the 31-year-old forward notching up ten goals to lead his country to the pan-continental tournament. A true h...
Inter Milan star in his final international tournament at Euro 2020
Slovakia’s Euro 2020 squad was released by head coach Stefan Tarkovic as the Falcons managed to qualify for back-to-back European Championship for the first time in their history. Sought-after Inter Milan centre-back Milan Skriniar has soaked up the limelight as his country’s most trusted defender. After a memorable Serie A campaign, the 26-year-old will be hoping the league title with the Nerazzurri was the start of a great summer. Skriniar will share defensive duties with experienced international members, Peter Pekarik of Hertha BSC and former Zenit St Petersburg star Tomas Hubocan. Once regarded as one of the most exciting young prospects in European football, Vladimir Weiss has matured into one of his countries best players. After a six-year stint in Asia, the 29-year-old returned to ...
Highly-rated Bundesliga forward out of national team squad for Euro 2020
Hungary’s Euro 2020 squad was named in the wake of Dominik Szoboszlai’s withdrawal because of an injury as the Hungarians face a stern test this summer. Hungary are underdogs in Group E as they come up against continental juggernauts, France, Germany and Portugal in a ‘Group of Death.’ This is only the second time in the 21st century the Magyars have qualified for the European Championship. But making it out of the group will be almost impossible given the quality of the opposition. RB Leipzig forward Szoboszlai, who scored a last-gasp winner to propel Hungary past Iceland in the UEFA Nations League play-off final, has failed to recover in time for the tournament. The 20-year-old’s absence comes as a massive blow to the country’s hopes of defying the role of group whipping boys as he...
Chelsea cull tipped to gather pace, £40m man linked with summer switch
Tiemoue Bakayoko looks set for another temporary move away from Chelsea, with journalist Fabrizio Romano claiming that Fiorentina want to sign the midfielder on loan. The France international has proved to be a massive disappointment since joining the Blues from Monaco for around £40 million in 2017. He struggled to make an impact during his first season at Stamford Bridge and has spent the last three years with AC Milan, Monaco and Napoli. Chelsea have been tipped to shake up their squad this summer, with more than ten players potentially heading out of the club. SL View Big things were expected of Bakayoko when he moved to Chelsea, but he failed to deliver the goods during an ill-fated first season in the Premier League. His subsequent loan moves have largely been underwhelming, with non...
Celtic submit bid for 24-yr-old target, but face competition from rivals Rangers
Rangers and Celtic are interested in signing Elfsborg defender Joseph Okumu. According to Daily Record, the Scottish clubs have submitted bids for the 24-year-old, although the size of the offers have not been revealed. Elfsborg are holding out for a fee of around £3.4 million, which should be within the range of both Rangers and Celtic. SL View: Celtic must improve defensively to win the title There is no doubt that Celtic need to improve their defensive options this summer, and Okumu could prove to be a quality signing. The 24-year-old has been outstanding for Elfsborg this past season and would be a massive upgrade on Shane Duffy. Celtic conceded 49 goals in 38 league games, and it is an area they must improve on if they want to win the title next year. By contrast, Rangers had the best...
