Author: sportfc

  • Victor Osimhen’s Transfer Market Value drops from €130m to €75m

    Super Eagles talismanic striker, Victor Osimhen’s valuation has dropped following his move to Turkish champions Galatasaray according to a new report.

    The 25-year-old linked up with Galatasaray from Napoli on a season-long loan deal this summer and was previously valued at €130m.

    But clauses in his deal mean his value has dropped to €75m which still makes him the most valuable player in the Turkish Super Lig with a price tag of €75m according to the Transfer Market Website.

    Former Sevilla striker Youssef En-Nesyri and fellow Morocco World Cup star Sofiyan Amrabat are next in value to Osimhen in Turkey – at 22 Million Euros each.

    Osimhen‘s devaluation comes after failed bids by Chelsea to sign him this summer.

  • Footballer, Paul Pogba’s ban reduced to March 2025

    Paul Pogba’s four-year doping ban has been significantly reduced to just 18 months following a successful appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

    The former Manchester United star was initially handed the lengthy suspension in February after testing positive for Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) last August.

    DHEA is a substance known to enhance the production of hormones in the body, including testosterone. Pogba faced the grim prospect of retirement if the ban were upheld, but the 31-year-old French international demonstrated that he inadvertently ingested the banned substance, leading to a reduction in his penalty.

    With the new ruling, Pogba is set to resume his career at Juventus in March next year and is reportedly allowed to start training in January. Although he has not made an official statement regarding the outcome, Pogba hinted at his potential return by sharing an Instagram post featuring a sand timer emoji.

    According to the Daily Mail, Pogba’s appeal was heard at CAS headquarters in Switzerland in August, where photographic evidence of the potentially contaminated product played a crucial role in exonerating him.

    Pogba was provisionally suspended in September last year following an adverse finding in his post-match drug test after Juventus’ 3-0 victory over Udinese on August 20. Although he was named as a substitute in that match, he did not enter the field. A request for a counter-analysis of his sample also returned a positive result.

    Initially, anti-doping prosecutors in Italy sought a four-year suspension for Pogba, which was accepted by Italy’s National Anti-Doping Tribunal (TNA). Following the initial ruling, Pogba expressed his feelings of being “sad, shocked, and heartbroken,” while vowing to clear his name.

    Since rejoining Juventus, Pogba has struggled with injuries, making only ten appearances in all competitions during his first season back in Italy and just two matches prior to his ban due to a back injury.

    Upon his return, Pogba will find himself back in a Juventus squad that is currently unbeaten and sitting second in Serie A under new manager Thiago Motta.

  • John Obi Mikel reveals why Chelsea failed to sign Victor Osimhen before he joined Turkish club Galatasaray on loan

    Former Super Eagles captain and Chelsea midfielder, John Obi Mikel has revealed why Chelsea failed to sign Victor Osimhen before he joined Turkish club Galatasaray on loan.

    The Premier League club made a late attempt to sign the Nigeria international in the closing stages of the summer transfer window but were unable to complete a move.

    The 25-year-old had previously rejected an offer to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli, whose €80 million (£67.3m) bid was accepted by Napoli.

    Obi-Mikel has now revealed that a Chelsea deal was only ‘hours away’ from being finalised before the move failed to materialise.

    ‘I know what Victor wanted, I know what the club offered him, I know where we got to, we finally got to a compromise, both sides had to compromise, I was just some little things here and there, paperwork, medical, and a few issues we just couldn’t get over the line and we didn’t have much time,’ Obi Mikel revealed on The Obi One Podcast

    ‘Both sides really played their part in terms of getting the deal done, and I commend Chelsea for that because I can see their ambition of where they want to take this club now and also on Victor’s side, how much he really wanted to come to the club.

    ‘He was disappointed it didn’t happen. I spoke to him when the transfer window shut, I gave him a call, we spent 20 minutes talking, I said, ‘listen, I’m always here for you, you need to keep your head down, you need to keep working hard, keep training, I know it’s not the best situation right now but I know you’re strong’.

    ‘You know, Victor’s a strong character, he’s a bit like Didier Drogba and Diego Costa and that’s something we’re missing at the club, strikers who have that edge, who have that bite who can intimidate defenders and Victor definitely has that.’

    Asked if there is an issue between Osimhen and Chelsea over the failed transfer

    ‘Definitely, there are no issues. I think if we have to pick this back up again like I said, whenever it is, January or next summer, we know where we are, we know where we’ve stopped, and it’s just little details that need to be finalised and the deal will be done. Mikel replied

    ‘So for me, the club is in a very happy place with Victor and Victor is in a very happy place with the club.

    ‘I want to make sure, I’m not going to rest, I want to make sure I get him to the club because I know, not because he’s my friend, or he’s like my younger brother or he’s Nigerian, no, he is one of the best strikers in the world right now, he’s Africa’s best player, I know what he can bring to the club and I’m sure a lot of Chelsea fans know what Victor can bring to the club.

    ‘Victor has come under a lot of criticism about this because people don’t know the ins and outs of what happened. You need to know that before you criticise the kid.

    ‘Victor really, really wanted to come to the club and he had to compromise a lot to come to the middle because we did reach an agreement in terms of the salary, in terms of what he wants, it was just a few minor details here and there that we couldn’t get over the line.

    ‘For me, hearing all that nonsense about Victor being greedy, a lot of people talking down about him. No, I think it’s time, especially Nigerians, support him, it’s time people around him, friends, Nigerian fans, get behind him and support him.

    ‘Like I said, if we have to pick it back up again, if there is interest come January, Chelsea still want Victor and Victor still wants to come to Chelsea, we know exactly where we are. It’s not a matter of it being difficult, we’re just going to get the deal done.’

    Obi Mikel also credited Chelsea’s co-sporting director, Paul Winstanley, for driving the club’s push to sign Osimhen.

    ‘I want to say that is absolutely not true – Victor is not a greedy boy, he’s not a greedy guy, he only wants to get what he’s deserves and that’s not a problem,’ Obi Mikel said.

    ‘I know what happened, I was there, I was in the midst of everything. Victor is not a greedy boy, he just wants to play football and get what he deserves, and that’s not a problem, a player knowing what he’s worth and asking and demanding to be paid what he’s worth, that’s not a problem.

    ‘And also to be able to come to a compromise between him and Chelsea to make sure the deal got done. We were very, very close, I’ll put it that way. We were hours away from getting this deal done but there were slight issues, slight little problems that we couldn’t get over the line, and of course the medical couldn’t be done as well – even if we got the deal done it was too late.

    ‘I know exactly where we stopped, I know exactly where we are with the deal, and if eventually, say January or whatever, we have to pick it up again, I know exactly where we are and where we have to start from.

    ‘I was the guy right in the middle of everything. For a couple of days I didn’t sleep, Thursday and Friday I didn’t sleep, obviously I’m here in Dubai, it’s about three hours difference, I had to wait for phone calls, I went to sleep at 4am in the morning because I was waiting for a phone call from this side and that side just to make sure we try to include everything that Victor wants and the club also have to make sure they get the okay from the owner.

    ‘Paul Winstanley was really, really amazing. I can tell you this guy, the sporting director, is somebody I’ve spoken to now and got to know really well.

    Hearing from him, it’s amazing, it’s refreshing to see where the club, where the owners, especially Paul, wants to take the club to, there’s so much to be happy about, there’s so much excitement, they’ve got a vision and it’s a very great vision. They don’t want to just bring in any player to the football club, it’s about bringing the right players, the players who can improve the team and the squad and I think Paul is on top of that and from this transfer window I think we’ll start to see the right players coming to the football club and that’s something that’s really, really nice to see.

    ‘[Chelsea] were very serious about getting the deal done. I think I spoke to Paul [Winstanley] on Wednesday and I said, ‘listen, we have to send somebody down to see Victor and that will change the way he sees things and then he will understand how much they want him to come to the club’. Straight away the club sent someone to Naples to try to speak to Victor and his agent to make sure we get the deal done.

    ‘It shows how much the club were willing to have the player and how eager Victor was, as well, to come to the club.

    ‘I know people say, ‘oh, he didn’t want to come’, no that’s not true. Victor really, I know, wants to come to the club because he still knows he has a lot to prove in Europe. He wants to come to Chelsea, he wants to help the club get back to where he should be, he knows he can score a lot of goals in the Premier League and what a better place to do that than his childhood club Chelsea.’

  • Osimhen to arrive Super Eagles camp on Thursday for AFCON 2025 Qualifiers

    Victor Osimhen is scheduled to arrive at the Super Eagles camp on Thursday, ahead of Nigeria’s crucial 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

    Nigeria will play against Benin Republic and Rwanda in a bid to secure a spot in the 2025 AFCON tournament.

    The 25-year-old striker is part of the 23-man squad selected for these fixtures. He accepted the invitation despite his recent saga with Napoli, and subsequent loan move to Galatasaray.

    Osimhen’s arrival will be possible once he finalizes his move to the Turkish Super Lig champions side.
    The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) confirmed that Osimhen, along with Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, will join the team at the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel in Uyo two days before the match against Benin Republic.

    Kelechi Iheanacho, who recently signed with Sevilla, is also expected to report to camp on Wednesday.

    However, at present, 20 players are already in camp, preparing for the upcoming matches.

  • Napoli agree to sign Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea in a deal worth up to £38m

    Napoli have reportedly agreed to sign Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea for £26m plus £12m in add-ons.

    The agreement came after Partenopei sporting director Giovanni Manna met with Chelsea directors on Friday, the second time this week.

    The Italian side agreed to pay £26m plus £12m in add-ons for the 31-year-old who will sign a three-year contract to link up once again with Antonio Conte.

    The deal will see Lukaku represent a new Serie A club after spending the last two seasons on loan in Italy. He was at Inter Milan in 2022-23, and Roma in 2023-24.

    Chelsea previously paid Inter £97.5m to sign Lukaku in August 2021. He scored 15 goals in 44 games in the 2021-22 season. He has not played for the Stamford Bridge club since May 2022.

    Chelsea have also shown serious interest in Napoli’s Victor Osimhen this summer as they continue to search for a new striker.

  • Mbappe held as Real Madrid stumble in La Liga opener against Mallorca

     

    Real Madrid’s La Liga title defense began with a frustrating 1-1 draw against Mallorca in the season opener.

    Despite the anticipation surrounding Kylian Mbappe’s much-hyped debut, Los Blancos struggled to secure all three points on a challenging night in Palma.

    Rodrygo Goes gave Real Madrid an early lead, capitalizing on their dominant play in the opening half.

    However, the visitors were unable to extend their advantage, leaving them exposed to a Mallorca comeback.

    Mbappe held as Real Madrid stumble in La Liga opener against Mallorca
    Mbappe struggles as Real Madrid end first game on stalemate against Mallorca – Getty image
    Vedat Muriqi took full advantage of the opportunity, powering home a header in the second half to level the score for the hosts.

    Mallorca, energized by the equalizer, resisted Madrid’s attempts to regain control and even threatened to snatch a late winner on the counterattack.

  • My mother still wants me to study medicine – Super Eagles star, Chukwueze reveals

    Samuel Chukwueze, the Super Eagles forward, has disclosed that his mother still desires him to pursue a career in medicine or pharmacy, despite his success in football, according to Soccernet.ng.

    He said: “My mom did not want me to play football. In Africa, everyone focuses on school, and she used to say ‘football will never make you money,” Chukwueze said, per football Italia.

    “But I was born with football inside me. I would play until seven in the evening, and when I came home, she would punish me. She would take my football shoes and confiscate them, so I had to hide them.

    “The problem was she always found them. Once, she burned my shoes and shirts and told me, ‘Samuel, you need to focus on your studies.’ I tried, but a part of me was switched off.”

    Although his mother is highly supportive of him, Chukwueze admits that she still wants him to study and become a medical doctor.

    “The funny thing is, in Africa, you don’t change your mind. She still wants me to study, wants me to be a doctor, maybe a doctor in football. I wanted to be a lawyer, but she said, ‘No, no, doctor. You need to study pharmacy,” Chukwueze added.

  • Germany’s Ogunleye wins Olympic gold in women’s shot put

    Germany’s Yemisi Ogunleye grabbed the gold medal in the women’s shot put at the Paris Olympics on Friday throwing her winning 20.00m with her final attempt.

    Ogunleye’s effort took her past New Zealand’s Maddison-Lee Wesche, who threw 19.86, her personal best with her fifth throw, while Song Jiayuan took bronze with 19.32.

    Ogunleye’s previous best performance was a silver in the world indoor championships in 2024, while she also collected a bronze in the European Championships in Rome in June.

    There was disappointment for the USA with Jaida Ross finishing fourth while her team-mate Raven Saunders was eliminated after the three opening throws.

    Tokyo gold medal winner Gong Lijiao of China, who also won silver in London and bronze in Beijing in 2008, finished fifth.

  • Tobi Amusan fails to qualify for Olympics 100m hurdles final

    Nigerian athlete, Tobi Amusan has failed to progress into the final of the women’s 100 meters hurdles.

    The 27-year-old clocked 12.55 seconds to finish third in the first heat of the event’s semi-final on Friday.

    She placed outside the two automatic qualification spots and was later edged to the non-automatic slots by athletes in other heats.

  • I Had An Amazing Career – Mikel Obi Reflects On Spell At Chelsea

    John Mikel Obi, a former Super Eagles captain, has reflected on his successful stint at Chelsea.

    Mikel was on the books of the Premier League giants for 11 years.

    The 37-year-old won multiple titles including two Premier League titles, four FA Cups, one Champions League and one UEFA Europa League.

    Mikel’s move to Stamford Bridge was held up for around one year following a transfer tussle involving Chelsea and Manchester United.

    The issue was later resolved with the midfielder joining Chelsea in a deal worth £16m in June 2006.

    Mikel reflected on the infamous transfer saga between the two clubs.

    “It was a massive relief. Obviously, it was going on for almost a year, I couldn’t play for any club because of the whole saga,” he told the obionepodcast.

    “But after that was settled, it was a massive relief for me and I joined the club that I really wanted to play for, which was Chelsea. And I just couldn’t wait to be unveiled as a Chelsea player, because it was taking such a long time to get settled.

    “But after that was done, you know, I was happy to be here. Amazing career. Had won everything to be won. And my memory here is absolutely fantastic. I will never, never trade it for anything.”