Sports
Wazupnaija – Naija Entertainment blogs & Forums – Sports
Real Madrid have beaten Arsenal to the signing of Portuguese transfer supremo – report
Real Madrid have appointed Luis Campos as their sporting director despite the recent interest from Premier League club Arsenal. It was recently reported that Campos was in talks with both European clubs, but it appears that Los Blancos have landed his signature. According to Turkish outlet T24, the Portuguese was signed by the club shortly after the appointment of Carlo Ancelotti as the manager. Campos, who was recently contracted with French champions Lille, will also act as the advisor to Los Blancos president Florentino Perez. Sportslens view: Campos has done a fantastic job previously at Monaco and Lille, helping them pursue quality young signings for the first-team squad as well as the academy. He brought in the likes of Bruno, Boubakary Soumare, Renato Sanches and Jonathan David, who...
Barcelona keen on signing 27-year-old Spanish star, could offer Sergi Roberto in exchange – report
Barcelona could propose a part-exchange deal to sign Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte this summer, Spanish publication Sport claims. The Spain international made just 14 starts in the Premier League last term as he played the back-up role behind central defensive duo Ruben Dias and John Stones. Laporte recently hinted that he couldn’t guarantee his stay with the Cityzens with the limited game, and it is now reported that the Blaugrana are keen on signing him. The club are unlikely to afford him in a straight-cash deal and could offer Sergi Roberto as a makeweight to the Cityzens to secure his signature. Pep Guardiola is reportedly a huge admirer of Roberto. He handed him his Blaugrana debut when he was the club’s manager back in the 2010/11 season. Sportslens view: The 27-year-old ...
Matt Doherty gives insight into why Tottenham sacked Jose Mourinho
Tottenham Hotspur’s players were partly responsible for Jose Mourinho’s sacking, according to right-back Matt Doherty. Mourinho was sacked by Spurs in April following a poor run of form with the club and after 17 months in charge. “He was only there for 18 months. If it was three or four years, it could be a different conversation, but we weren’t getting the results for him,” Doherty told Sky Sports. “The manager is always the one to lose his job, but as players, we were the ones on the pitch, and we weren’t able to get the results for him, which was a shame because he’s one of the best managers ever.” Spurs were seventh in the Premier League when Mourinho was sacked and had also been humiliated in the Europa League in the round of 16 by Croatian outfit Dinamo Zagreb. The 58-year-old faile...
Reliable Journalist: Pochettino convinced highly-rated Dutchman about PSG instead of Barcelona
The presence of Mauricio Pochettino has convinced Georginio Wijnaldum to join Paris-Saint German ahead of Barcelona, according to reliable journalist Julien Laurens. The Dutchman was heavily linked with a move to Barcelona ahead of next season after he opted to not stay with Liverpool. However, it appears that PSG have now hijacked the deal by offering the player a better financial offer. As well as the (much) better financial offer, Mauricio Pochettino has also played a big part in convincing Gini Wijnaldum to join PSG and not Barcelona. @ESPNFC 🤝✅ — Julien Laurens (@LaurensJulien) June 6, 2021 Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman previously worked with Wijnaldum while he was managing the Dutch national team. He was keen on a reunion with the midfielder as he looks to rebuild th...
Leicester have beaten Arsenal in race to sign 23-year-old with 28 goal contributions – report
Leicester City have beaten the Arsenal and Inter Milan in the race to sign Celtic striker Odsonne Edouard, The Times reports. The Frenchman has only 12 months left on his contract with the Glasgow giants, and he has reportedly decided to pursue a fresh challenge. The Foxes have won the race to land his signature ahead of Arsenal and Inter due to his preference to reunite with Brendan Rodgers. Rodgers signed him for the Hoops from Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, initially on a season-long loan. The Foxes will pay £15 million for his services. The transfer deal is likely to be finalised shortly after Celtic confirm Ange Postecoglou’s appointment as their new manager. Sportslens view: Edouard has had an excellent time with Celtic over the past four years, registering 83 goals and 37 assists from...
Report: Euro club considering a bid for £36.7m Chelsea star, club open to selling
Napoli are reportedly considering a move for Chelsea winger Hakim Ziyech. According to reports from Calciomercato, Chelsea are open to selling Ziyech in the summer transfer window. The Moroccan winger arrived from Ajax in a £36.7 million transfer last summer, and he impressed in his first season at the club. The 28-year-old bagged six goals and four assists in all competitions, including strikes against Manchester City in the FA Cup and Premier League. However, Calciomercato are reporting that several Italian clubs are plotting a move to sign Ziyech this summer. Serie A giants Napoli are considering a bid for the left-footed winger, with new boss Luciano Spalletti keen to make his mark on the squad after taking over this summer. AC Milan could also be tempted to move fo...
Gary Lineker’s nine-word reaction to Fabrizio Romano’s transfer update on Liverpool player
Gini Wijnaldum is set to reject Barcelona to join Paris Saint-Germain. Although technically still a Liverpool player, it has been known for months that the 30-year-old will be heading elsewhere this summer. Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano has provided daily updates on this saga, but the latest development is truly intriguing. Since bidding goodbye to Liverpool, Wijnaldum has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona, with Dutch boss Ronald Koeman a keen admirer. Despite interest from Bayern Munich, it looked certain that he would join the Catalan giants on a free transfer. However, in a dramatic turn of events, PSG moved in quickly and are now in the driving seat to sign the Dutch midfielder who is currently busy with the national team preparing for the European Championships. ‘...
Leeds and Brighton & Hove Albion keen on signing 23-year-old defensive midfielder – report
Leed United and Brighton & Hove Albion have joined the race to sign Sparta Rotterdam midfielder Abdou Harroui in the upcoming transfer window, Football Insider claims. The 23-year-old has impressed for Netherlands at the Under-21 European Championships, where Rangers have been keeping tabs on him. It is now reported that Leeds and Brighton have entered the pursuit of the Dutchman, who is approaching the final year of his contract with the club. Rotterdam are prepared to sanction his sale for the right price. Harroui has spent his entire career with the club, making 102 appearances. Sportslens view: Harroui can play in different midfield positions, but he played regularly in the holding midfield role during the back end of last season. Leeds currently have Kalvin Phillips fixed for...
West Ham and Tottenham stars in line to shine in tough Euro 2020 group
Of all the Euro 2020 groups, Group D is perhaps the one with the fieriest rivalries. England begin their campaign with a clash against Croatia. The Three Lions will still be hurting from the World Cup semi-final defeat back in 2018, and will be hungry for revenge. They follow this up with a fixture against neighbours Scotland, who qualified for their first major tournament since 1998. England vs Scotland at Wembley? Yes please! The final team in the group is Czech Republic. Despite being underdogs, they boast the best finish in European Championship history in their group, finishing second in 1996. It’s shaping up to be a group worth watching. Croatia – Mislav Orsic Orsic destroyed one English team – can he do it again? The man who gives Tottenham Hotspur fans nightmares. Mislav Orsic has ...
Real Madrid and Inter Milan stars on a mission to restore their reputations at Euro 2020
Group B kicks off at Euro 2020 next week, and it’s shaping up to be an exciting set. Belgium head into the tournament as favourites, boasting several world-class players. However, they cannot afford to underestimate their opposition. Denmark have been tipped by many as possible dark horses for the tournament, while Belgians remember what Wales did to them five years ago. And then there’s Finland, who enter their first-ever major tournament this summer. Here’s one player from each Group B side to look out for this tournament. Belgium – Eden Hazard Can Hazard get back to his best with Belgium? Belgium enter the tournament with some of the world’s most in-form players. Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, Thibaut Courtois – all among some of the best in the world in their positions. And, up until ...
Chelsea extend 34-year-old star’s contract, may move on 23-year-old this summer
Chelsea sprung a surprise this weekend by confirming that striker Olivier Giroud had extended his contract with the club for another year. He scored just four Premier League goals last season from 17 appearances and was widely tipped to be heading out of the club this summer. However, director Marina Granovskaia told the club’s official website that she was delighted to agree a new deal with the Frenchman. “Olivier has been such a crucial part of so many big moments for this club, from his contribution to our FA Cup victory in 2018 to scoring 11 goals on the way to winning the Europa League in 2019,” she said. “He has continued to score significant goals, and we will never forget his effort against Atletico Madrid on the way to winning the Champions League this season. ...
Barcelona and Real Madrid player wage cuts expected to continue next season
It is no secret that the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in crippling financial implications for clubs across the globe. The world’s strongest sides have been no exception to this, with La Liga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid amongst those affected. The fierce rivals have felt the repercussions of the pandemic significantly harder than their European counterparts, who benefit from more elaborate broadcasting rights and stronger financial stability from billionaire owners. Barcelona are estimated to have surrendered close to €500 million in revenue due to COVID-19, while Madrid’s losses are around €400m. During the first coronavirus lockdown in March 2020, Los Blancos players agreed to a 10% wage cut to allow non-playing staff to receive their full pay. The Barca squad agreed to give up ...
