Chinese Super League
Mikel Obi leaves Stoke City, joins Kuwaiti club
Former Nigeria captain John Obi Mikel has joined Al Kuwait SC, the Kuwaiti Premier League side on a year’s deal. The announcement was made by the club on Thursday, after Mikel and Stoke City cancelled their contract by mutual consent. Mikel’s new club finished third in the division last season behind Al-Qadsia and champions Al-Arabi. The Nigerian spent 11 years and made 372 appearances across all competitions for Chelsea. After Chelsea he played for Trabzonspor and Middlesbrough, before heading to China to spend two years with Tianjin Teda in the Chinese Super League. Mikel returned to UK in August 2020 to play Stoke City. Stoke boss Michael O’Neill told the club’s official website: ‘Although John triggered the second year of his contract, we always had an agreement in place whereby we wou...
Why Bayern’s Alaba stance means United could sign £50m winger this summer
Bayern Munich’s refusal to meet exorbitant wage demands from their players could be good news for Manchester United. According to German football expert Florian Plettenberg, the Bundesliga champions were unwilling to pay David Alaba what he was looking for. The 28-year-old is now set to sign for Real Madrid, and he may not be the last player to leave Bayern this summer. Plettenberg has claimed that Kingsley Coman could be sold, with the winger stalling on signing a new contract with the club. SL View Coman’s current deal runs out in 2023, and he is believed to have asked super-agent Pini Zahavi for advice about his future. United have already reportedly submitted a financial proposal to Coman, and their offer may well have had the desired effect. The 24-year-old is thought to be seeking fi...
Gareth Bale: Real Madrid blocked my return to Premier League
Gareth Bale has accused Real Madrid of making it “very difficult” to leave the Spanish club as the Wales forward looks to end his Bernabeu exile. Bale is out of favour with Real manager Zinedine Zidane and played just 48 minutes of Madrid’s 12 games when the Spanish season resumed after the coronavirus lockdown. Zidane, who has feuded with Bale throughout his two spells in charge, said the winger did not want to play in last season’s Champions League last-16 second-leg tie at Manchester City. Bale has two years left on his Real contract, but there appears little chance he will force his way into the manager’s plans. The 31-year-old almost joined Chinese Super League club Jiangsu Suning in 2019 before Real pulled the plug on the deal, a decision that still irks Bale. “I think the club needs...
Beijing’s Workers’ Stadium razed as China target World Cup bid
China rapidly tore down the famous Workers’ Stadium in Beijing this week as part of grand plans to revamp its football infrastructure ahead of an expected World Cup bid. The imposing arena in the heart of the Chinese capital will be almost completely rebuilt and is scheduled for completion in December 2022. Groups of people gathered to watch as the stadium, a landmark for decades, was levelled within just a few days, with the goalposts poignantly left standing even as the stands crashed down all around. The Workers’ Stadium was built in 1959 as one of 10 major construction projects to mark the 10th anniversary of communist China. Fondly known as “Gongti” — an abbreviation of its name in Chinese — the cavernous but crumbling arena was home to Chinese Super League club Beijing Guoan and host...
Zinedine Zidane: Gareth Bale didn’t want to play against Manchester City
Gareth Bale “didn’t want to play” in the Champions League last-16 second-leg tie against Manchester City, says Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane. The post Zinedine Zidane: Gareth Bale didn’t want to play against Manchester City appeared first on TODAY. You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back their fair share of Internet revenue.
Diego Simeone hails Yannick Carrasco’s impact in Barcelona draw
Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone has singled out midfielder Yannick Carrasco for praise, following their 2-2 La Liga draw at Barcelona. The Belgian international caused problems for Quique Setien’s side right from kick off at the Camp Nou, with the home defence struggling to contain him. He won a 14th minute penalty following a foul by Arturo Vidal, with Saul Niguez converting, after a retake was ordered following Diego Costa’s miss. The former AS Monaco star continued to pose a threat after the break, winning a second spot kick just after the hour mark, and Simeone was impressed at full time. “Carrasco did a good job tonight. He has found it difficult since coming back, and he put in a huge effort here,” he told a post match interview with Marca. “He played a decisive role tonight. Agai...
Peter Schmeichel labels Odion Ighalo a positive surpise at Manchester United
Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel says Odion Ighalo has been a revelation at the club and one of the most positive surprises ever. The Nigeria forward joined the Red Devils on loan from Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua in January and has performed admirably for the Premier League side. The 31-year-old has scored four goals in nine appearances for the club. The former Watford striker will stay with United until January 2021 after his loan deal was extended last May. “I think he (Ighalo) has been one of the most positive surprises ever,” Schmeichel said. “He has been a revelation at the club and everybody has come to like him.” Ighalo was in action for United in Friday’s 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur. He replaced Anthony Martial in the 78th minute of the encounter. Get...
Odion Ighalo close to extending Manchester United loan deal – agent
Odion Ighalo’s representative Ladi Salami has revealed that his client could remain at Manchester United beyond next week. Ighalo joined Manchester United from Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua on a six-month loan in January. The temporary deal is set to expire at the end of this month with the former Watford player expected to return to China on Monday for the start of the new season. Salami however states that United are in talks with Shanghai Shenhua over an extension. “The Super Eagles feels very good in Manchester with whom he is very close to a salary agreement. Negotiations with the Chinese are ongoing and are going well,” Salami told Foot Mercato. Ighalo has scored four goals in eight league appearances for the Old Trafford outfit. Get more stories like this on Twitter You...
Odion Ighalo would like to end his career at Manchester United – trainer
According to Odion Ighalo’s personal trainer, the former Super Eagles of Nigeria star would like to remain at Manchester United for the rest of his career. The striker’s future is an uncertain one: he is officially on loan at United until May 31, but the Red Devils are keen to extend this period to allow him to feature if and when the season resumes in the coming weeks. However, Igahlo’s parent club, Shanghai Shenhua, want the player to return to their stable for the start of the next Chinese Super League season. United are also not seeking a permanent deal for the former Super Eagles spearhead. Despite being in this awkward situation, Ighalo’s has remained focused on keeping himself fight and ready for action while under lockdown in Lagos. “He’s a wonderful athlete, I’ve never seen someon...
Manchester United delay extension talks with Odion Ighalo
Manchester United are delaying talks of loan extension with Shanghai Shenhua striker Odion Ighalo who joined the Red Devils on a loan move from Chinese Super League in the January transfer. Manchester United reserved the right to make the move permanent based on the performance of the 30-year old striker at the Old Trafford. The former Super Eagle striker hit the ground running in the Red Devils colours having scored four goals in eight games for Manchester United. Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been impressed with the performance level of the former Watford striker and he has instructed the Old Trafford board to permanent his deal at the club. The Red Devils want to keep Ighalo for the remainder of this season, even if games go deep into the summer. Manchester United m...
