Football
Lyon set deadline for Memphis Depay’s departure
Olympique Lyonnais have set Barcelona an ultimatum on signing their forward Memphis Depay this transfer window, as per Diario AS. The report cites how Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has told French media outlet Telefoot: “I think I will tell the players that all those who did not leave on Friday will remain at Lyon. As of Friday there will be no more departures.” It is reported how he is referencing both Memphis and midfielder Houssem Aouar – who has been linked with a switch to Arsenal. The Blaugrana are keen on a move for Memphis but it remains unlikely that they will be able to finance a deal, despite clearing Arturo Vidal, Ivan Rakitic and Luis Suarez from their wage bill. Memphis, 26, netted 11 goals across his last 18 matches for the Dutch national side and has also developed into ...
Serie A side Genoa confirm 14 virus cases
Genoa have announced that 14 members of their match squad, believed to include 8-10 players, tested positive for COVID-19 after the game with Napoli. So far, only goalkeeper Mattia Perin and midfielder Lasse Schone have been confirmed to have Coronavirus. According to Sportitalia, the latest round of swabs following Sunday’s 6-0 defeat to Napoli found the virus had spread throughout the matchday group. It was confirmed with a statement from Genoa, who acknowledged that there are now 14 members of the matchday group – which includes members of staff – who tested positive. Sportitalia and the Gazzetta dello Sport claim the figure is divided into eight players who tested positive – so that could well be 10 in total including Perin and Schone. “Genoa CFC announce that after the tests, the numb...
Super Eagles star bids Serie A club goodbye as Watford switch nears
William Troost-Ekong has taken to social media to say his goodbyes to Serie A club Udinese as he nears a switch to Championship side Watford. The 27-year-old Nigerian centre-back has been with the Little Zebras since the 2018-19 season, when he joined from Turkish outfit Bursaspor. He has been a regular fixture in the Udinese squad since then, racking up 66 appearances in all competitions, all which have seen the club comfortably avoid relegation, finishing 12th and 13th, with 43 and 45 points, in respective seasons. Troost-Ekong’s time in Udine is, however, coming to an end with an eminent switch to Vicarage Road as reported by Watford Observer, set to be completed soon. Though he participated in pre-season, Troost-Ekong was an unused substitute in Udinese’s season opener at Hellas Verona...
Deportivo La Coruna sign Uche Agbo from Standard Liege
Segunda Division B side Deportivo La Coruna has announced the permanent signing of Uche Agbo from Belgian First Division A club Standard Liege. The centre-forward put pen to paper on a four-year deal with the Spanish third-tier club after successful medicals. The 24-year-old spent the second half of the 2019-20 season with the side and featured in nine league games but his efforts were not enough to help Fernando Vazquez’s men avoid relegation after finishing 19th on the table. Swayed by his performances during his short stint with the club, the Blues and Whites have decided to secure the forward permanently. “Uche Henry Agbo will continue in the ranks of the Real Club Deportivo,” read a statement from the club website. “The Nigerian midfielder, who played for Depor in the second half of l...
Thiago Silva not at Chelsea to ‘visit tourist sites’
Thiago Silva is eager to point out that he is not at Chelsea to “visit tourist sites” and “go through the motions”, with the Brazilian defender determined “to win” with the Blues. The 36-year-old centre-half has made a habit of doing that throughout his career to date. Stints with AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain delivered Serie A and Ligue 1 titles, while Confederations Cup and Copa America glory has been savoured with his country. Silva is now taking on a new challenge at Stamford Bridge after forming part of a serious squad refresh by Frank Lampard in west London. He is still finding his feet in new surroundings, with a costly error made on his Premier League bow against West Brom, but the intention is to become a commanding presence for the Blues. Silva told Chelsea’s official matchday...
Partizan Belgrade’s Sadiq Umar bags sixth goal of the season
Sadiq Umar was on target for Partizan Belgrade in their 2 – 1 victory over Backa Backa Palanka in Monday’s Serbian pro league game. After a goalless first half, the Nigerian forward put his side ahead in the 50th minutes when he scored from close range. Partizan Belgrade were lucky to double their lead in the 62nd minutes, and it was Backa Backa Palanka defender Dimitrije Tomovic who diverted a cross into his own net. Backa Backa Palanka reduced the deficit with 18 minutes left when Krsta Djordjevic slotted a low drive into the bottom corner to make it 2 – 1. Sodiq and his teammates however held on for the maximum points and also for their seventh win of the season from nine matches. Umar Sodiq who scored 12 goals in the league last season also has 2 assists this season. Get more stories l...
Frank Lampard casts doubt over Victor Moses future at Chelsea
Frank Lampard insists Victor Moses will not be part of his squad for Tuesday’s Carabao Cup clash with Tottenham Hotspurs. Moses who spent last season on loan at Fenerbahce and Inter Milan respectively is back at the club, but he is not training with the first team. The former Wigan Athletic has not been selected by the Blues boss this season, except for a friendly against Wimbledon, where he also scored. While speaking ahead of his side trip to North London, Lampard made it clear in the news conference that he is not counting on the former Super Eagles forward for the season, despite injuries to Christian Pulisic and Hakim Ziyech. “At the moment, Victor isn’t in that moment with us. He isn’t in the bubble with us at the training ground but I know him well and trained with him,” Lampard tol...
Manchester United reluctant to pay up for Alex Telles
Manchester United are reportedly struggling to see eye to eye with FC Porto over a transfer fee for Alex Telles as negotiations trudge on. The superb Brazilian is believed to be up for the transfer but a lack of progress has seen fans lose hope over the deal. Fans recognise what Telles can bring to United and are keen to see his attacking prowess at Old Trafford. However, until both the clubs can agree on a fee then it’s likely the deal will fall through in a similar way to Sergio Reguilon. It’s believed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has a third left-back in mind should such a scenario occur but supporters will not be pleased with missing out on yet another player. According to Forbes, the Red Devils are trying to haggle with Porto because they’re not happy to spend £18m on a player whose contract ...
Barcelona, Jorge Mendes dispute length of Ansu Fati’s contract
Barcelona and agent Jorge Mendes are in dispute about the length of contract of their teenage star Ansu Fati, according to reports. Diario Sport build on a report from the ‘Tot Costa’ programme on Catalunya Ràdio that the Blaugrana believe they hold an option to extend the 17-year-old’s contract through to 2024, with Mendes adamant that the current deal is set to expire in 2022 with no extension. As reported earlier this month, the player’s release clause has moved from €170m to €400m after he was promoted to the club’s first-team squad for the current campaign. Fati was the star of the show in the Blaugrana’s first game of the 2020-21 campaign, with two goals in Sunday’s 4-0 win over Villarreal. The Spain international picked up where he left off from 2019-20, when he netted eight goals i...
Leicester boss hails Jamie Vardy after Manchester City romp
Brendan Rodgers hailed Jamie Vardy’s “incredible view of football” after the Leicester talisman scored a hat-trick for the Premier League pacesetters in their 5-2 victory against Manchester City. The 33-year-old former England international converted two penalties and scored one from open play as the 2016 champions came from 1-0 down at the Etihad on Sunday. It is the first time in 686 games as a manager that Pep Guardiola has seen his side concede five goals. The victory gave Leicester maximum points from their first three games in the English top-flight for the first time in their history. Rodgers praised Vardy’s overall awareness of the game. “He’s a phenomenal player,” said the Leicester boss. “He’s tactically so good. You see his goals and runs but he has an incredible view of footbal...
Super Eagles forward Struggles as AC Milan beat Crotone away
Simy Nwankwo struggled as Crotone fell to a 2-0 home defeat against AC Milan at the Stadio Ezio Scida on Sunday. Nwankwo was in action for the entire duration of the game. The forward, who failed to register a shot on target in the contest is yet to open his goal for the season. The Nigeria international scored 20 goals to emerge top scorer in Serie B last season. Frank Kessie put AC Milan ahead from the spot on the dot of half-time. Brahim Diaz made the points save when he netted the second goal five minutes after the break. Crotone will face Sassuolo in their next Serie A game on Saturday. Get more stories like this on Twitter 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 B...
Micah Richards slams Manchester City defenders after Leicester thrashing
Micah Richards has slammed the Manchester City defence for their performance in their hammering by Leicester, accusing them of being “reactive, rather than proactive”. City’s weaknesses at the back were ruthlessly exposed by the Foxes, who fought back from a goal down to claim a famous 5-2 victory. Jamie Vardy was the star performer, hitting a hat-trick, with further goals from James Maddison and Youri Tielemans sealing the win. It is the first time a team managed by Pep Guardiola has shipped five goals and the first time City have conceded five goals at home in 17 years. It is not, however, the first time the team’s defence has been questioned, with a shaky back line one of the reasons why City failed to mount a sustained defence of their title last season. Richards certainly didn’t hold ...
