Sports
Wazupnaija – Naija Entertainment blogs & Forums – Sports
Man United want league winner with six assists to provide competition to Aaron Wan-Bissaka – report
Manchester United have revived their interest in Atletico Madrid defender Kieran Trippier ahead of the summer transfer window, Manchester Evening News reports. The England international left Tottenham Hotspur for Atletico in 2019, and he has since been a regular at right-back when available for selection. Trippier recently won the La Liga title with Diego Simeone’s side, but he could be on the move with his contract expiring in 13 months. The 30-year-old is open to returning to the Premier League, and a move to Old Trafford would tempt him, having been a boyhood fan of United. The Red Devils were keen on signing him in January, but they cooled their interest after being banned for eight weeks by FIFA for breaching betting rules. They are prepared to make a renewed bid in the coming weeks, ...
Norwich City join West Ham United in race to sign 29-goal striker for £10m – report
Norwich City have joined West Ham United in the race to sign Blackburn Rovers striker Adam Armstrong this summer, The Telegraph reports. Armstrong had a fantastic individual season with Rovers, registering 29 goals and five assists from 43 appearances in all competitions. He netted 28 times in the Championship, but it came to no avail as Tony Mowbray’s side finished a disappointing 15th in the league standings. With just one year left on his contract, he has been tipped to make the step up to the top-flight, with West Ham United interested in his services. The Canaries, who secured automatic promotion from the Championship, are also interested in the 24-year-old as they bid to bolster their frontline. They consider the Newcastle United graduate as value for money for a fee of around £10 mi...
Barcelona sign Brazilian, could this mean Spain star is on his way to Man City?
Barcelona confirmed the signing of Brazilian defender Emerson Royal from Real Betis on Wednesday. The 22-year-old is currently on duty with the Brazil Copa America squad and will link up with his new team once their run in the competition ends. Emerson made 73 La Liga appearances in the two and a half seasons with Betis and arrives at Camp Nou with potential improvement to come in the next few years. 👋 Hello, @emerson_royal22!💙❤️ #EmersonCuler — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) June 2, 2021 SL View After underachieving in recent years, the Blaugrana will make wholesale changes to their squad this summer to rebuild themselves as giants of Spanish and European football. Emerson’s arrival could mean that the club will look to offload Sergi Roberto, who has been tipped...
Euro 2020 is Kylian Mbappe’s chance to secure the Ballon d’Or
Having been delayed by a year, the European Championships are finally almost here. It’s been a difficult year around the world, and these major tournaments can help spark a bit of joy. One nation who are heavily fancied for the crown are France. They come into the tournament off the back of a triumphant World Cup campaign three years ago, and many of the squad that lifted the trophy are still at their peak. Some have even got better. France won the World Cup in 2018 and could be back for more For example, Kylian Mbappe. Back at the beginning of the World Cup in Russia, the speedy forward was known as a player with immense potential. By the end of it, he was the heir to Lionel Messi’s and Cristiano Ronaldo’s throne – the man to take up the mantle of ‘best player in the world’. Three years o...
Arsenal to rival Tottenham Hotspur for in-demand Ligue 1 star valued at just £13m
Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have expressed interest in signing Lille defender Zeki Celik, Standard Sport claims. Celik had a superb 2020/21 season with Lille as they won the Ligue 1 title after a decade. He has two years left on his contract, but it is reported that he is open to transfer offers. Lille value the right-back at £13 million. Inter Milan have also been linked amid the uncertainty over Achraf Hakimi’s future. Sportslens view: Among the English trio, United appear the least likely destination for Celik, given Aaron Wan-Bissaka is an undisputed starter under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Both Gunners and Spurs need a regular right-back, and they could go head-to-head to land the Turkey international this summer. The Gunners look certain to part ways with Hector ...
Barcelona still in negotiations to sign €45m-rated star with 34 goal contributions – report
Barcelona are still negotiating with Memphis Depay over a free transfer to the club, reputed Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano claims. The Dutchman had a superb 2020/21 season with Lyon, registering 22 goals and 12 assists from 40 appearances across all competitions. Despite his efforts, the club missed out on the Champions League as a defeat on the final matchday saw them finish behind third-placed Monaco. The 27-year-old will be a free agent when his contract expires this month, and the Blaugrana have been tipped to land his signature ahead of Juventus. It is now reported that the discussions are still ongoing over a Bosman deal, and a potential contract until June 2023 or 2024 is being negotiated. His move to Camp Nou could still depend on Ronald Koeman staying as the manager. Sportsle...
West Ham closing in on 23-yr-old, they want £14m deal wrapped up before Euros
West Ham United are closing in on the signing of Spartak Moscow midfielder Alex Kral. According to Daily Star, the Londoners want to complete the deal before the European Championships kick-off for around £14 million. The Hammers are looking to add more options to their midfield, and the 23-year-old could be a quality long term addition. The player’s agent has been in talks with the Premier League club for quite some time, and the Hammers are looking to wrap up the transfer before June 14. SL View: Ideal alternative for Declan Rice Vladimir Coufal and Tomas Soucek are already on West Ham’s books, and they will be keen to convince their compatriot to join them there this summer. David Moyes fielded Manuel Lanzini in a deeper role during Declan Rice’s absence this past season, and Kral’s arr...
Euro giants looking to raid Celtic for 23-yr-old, Leicester in the race as well
Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard has been linked with a move away from Parkhead this summer, and Italian giants Inter Milan have now joined the race to sign him. According to Calciomercato, his performances have caught the attention of the Italian champions, and they may come forward with an offer in the coming weeks. Leicester City are leading the race to sign Edouard, who scored 22 goals for Celtic in all competitions last season. Edouard’s contract expires in 2022, and Celtic are under pressure to sell him this summer rather than lose him for free next year. Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers knows the player well from his time at Celtic, and this could give the Premier League club an edge in the transfer chase. SL View: Leicester would be a better move for Edouard The French under-21 inte...
West Ham in talks with Euro giants to sign 24-yr-old, player will cost £13.7m
West Ham United are interested in signing Junior Firpo from Barcelona this summer. According to Spanish publication Sport, the Londoners have held talks with the Spanish club regarding a move, and Barcelona are willing to offload him this summer. Barcelona need to sell some of their fringe players to fund their own transfer business, and the 24-year-old is on the chopping block. The Spanish club would demand a fee of around €16 million (£13.7m) for the left-back, and that should be within West Ham’s means. SL View: Firpo needs more game time – West Ham move could be ideal Firpo has struggled to get regular game time at Barcelona, making just 24 appearances in La Liga over the past two seasons. The Hammers currently have Aaron Cresswell as their starting left-back, and Firpo has the talent ...
Has Gareth Southgate selected the right England squad?
England’s final 26-man squad for the European Championships was announced yesterday, sparking the usual carnage that we’ve come to expect from social media. The Three Lions haven’t even begun their warm-up games yet, and people have already declared the tournament as a write-off. “What’s the point? We’ll never win without <player who was left out of the squad> #SouthgateOut“, several furious fans Tweeted, with perhaps less clean language. Frankly, Southgate could have named any selection of players, and there still would have been outrage. Even if there were only 26 English professional footballers in the world, fans would have expressed their disgust over the omission of a 79-year-old Geoff Hurst or their mate from five-a-side. Complaining – it’s what the English do best. It’s natur...
Roman Abramovich personally driving Chelsea’s bid to sign £90m-rated star this summer – report
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich is personally involved in the club’s bid to re-sign Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan this summer, Eurosport claims. The Blues had a tremendous turnaround during the backend of last season after Thomas Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard as their manager. The German helped the Blues finish in the top four of the Premier League, and guided them to Champions League glory for the second time in their history. Tuchel is likely to be backed with transfer funds this summer, and the main focus could be on signing a centre-forward with an excellent scoring record. The club are exploring the prospect of re-signing Lukaku from the Nerazzurri, but the Serie A champions are reluctant to lose him despite their financial concerns. Abramovich does not involve himself in player matte...
Ex-Arsenal captain says Gunners board ‘made a mistake’ in signing £96,000-a-week man – report
Former Arsenal defender William Gallas has said that the Gunners board made a mistake in appointing Mikel Arteta as their manager. Arteta succeeded Unai Emery as the Gunners’ head coach in December 2019, guiding them to FA Cup glory at the end of the campaign. However, the Gunners were disappointing in the Premier League, where they finished only eighth on the table. The same was the case last season. Speaking to The Sun, Gallas believes Arteta could be a great manager in the future, but the Gunners made the wrong decision to appoint him. The former club captain said that Arteta’s lack of experience has cost the club, having previously only been the assistant coach at Manchester City. He said: “Mikel Arteta was not ready yet to manage a club like Arsenal. OK, he was assistant coach at Manc...
