Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane, in an exclusive interview, has categorically ruled out a move for Cristiano Ronaldo away from the Santiago Bernabeu. Speculation has mounted over Ronaldo’s future — with links to former club Manchester United and French champions Paris Saint-Germain surfacing — amid reports he would consider walking out on Real due to scrutiny over his income tax. Zidane, however, has said that the Portugal star, who is the favourite to win a fifth Ballon d’Or, remains a vital cog for Los Blancos. “In the end, Cristiano is one of us,” Zidane said. “He’s going to stay with…
Author: David Folami
Jordan Henderson says he is injury-free heading into Liverpool’s new season after a foot problem cut short a promising 2016-17 campaign. Henderson was thriving in a new defensive-midfield role until February when contact injury sustained in training ended his season early. The Liverpool captain has since returned to action this preseason and revealed in an interview after an open training session at the Mong Kok Stadium that he does not have to manage his foot in order to train and play in the Reds’ warm-up fixtures. “I haven’t managed it,” he told reporters. “I’ve trained every day since I’ve been…
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said the decision to part company with Diego Costa was taken in January. Costa, expected to leave Stamford Bridge this summer, said he had received a text from Conte at the end of last season to tell him he was no longer in his plans. But the coach said he had delivered that news to Costa and in his agent in January after the striker was linked with a big-money move to China. Speaking at a news conference, he told reporters: “In January, the Costa situation was very clear for the club, for him, and…
Chelsea have confirmed the signing of Real Madrid striker Alvaro Morata on a five-year contract. Morata, 24, joins on a deal reported to be worth an initial £58 million, potentially rising to £70m. “I am so happy to be here,” Morata told the Chelsea website. “It’s an incredible emotion to be part of this big club. “I am looking to work hard, score as many goals as I can and to win as many trophies as possible.” The Spain international was born in Madrid and progressed through Real’s academy and B team to make his first-team debut in 2010. He…
Southampton captain Virgil van Dijk has said he wants to leave the club, according to new manager Mauricio Pellegrino. Pellegrino revealed the Dutch defender, a target for Liverpool earlier this summer, has been ordered to train separately from the rest of the squad. “He is not involved with the team because psychologically he is not 100 percent,” Pellegrino told BBC Radio Solent. “When I was talking with him, the boy said that he is not available to play because he wants to leave. “I need to work with a player that works at 100 percent to defend Southampton. “This is…
Robert Pires has warned Arsenal fans they may not see the best of club-record signing Alexandre Lacazette for some time. The France striker completed his move from Lyon earlier in the month for a fee believed to be worth as much as £52 million. That eclipses the money spent on Mesut Ozil in 2013 and will be seen as a statement of intent from manager Arsene Wenger that he is gunning for major silverware in the upcoming campaign. Lacazette, who scored off the bench on his debut against Sydney FC last week, hit 28 goals in Ligue 1 last season.…
Kevin De Bruyne believes that Romelu Lukaku is one of the best strikers in the world after his £75 million move to Manchester United this summer. The Belgium international teammates are now on opposite sides of the city and Lukaku has already made an impact, scoring the opening goal in United’s 2-0 victory over Manchester City in the International Champions Cup on Thursday. Some fans and pundits have questioned whether Lukaku will be able justify his expensive price tag, but De Bruyne has no doubt that the former Everton forward will be a success at Old Trafford. “I think he…
Jose Mourinho is set for face-to-face talks with Ed Woodward in a bid to get Manchester United’s summer transfer window back on track. Mourinho has become frustrated as United’s transfer business has stalled since signing Romelu Lukaku in a £75 million deal from Everton two weeks ago. The United manager has admitted he wanted four new arrivals in place before the start of preseason training in Los Angeles on July 10. The club moved quickly to sign defender Victor Lindelof from Benfica for £31m and Lukaku. But in his first news conference on the summer, Mourinho said the job was…
It would take a financial commitment from Paris Saint-Germain of approximately €620 million to get Neymar what new car owners would call “on the road.” Football’s top-end finances is now so gross, so complex and so lacking in true transparency that we must all estimate here. But you won’t be far wrong if you add: €220m to exercise Neymar’s buyout clause, close to €50m in the taxes it would generate, the same sum for a signing-on fee and a five-year contract of €30m in tax-free salary (it means PSG pay the French authorities at least the same sum again each…
Chester Bennington has reportedly committed suicide at the age of 41. TMZ reports that the Linkin Park frontman hanged himself at a Palos Verdes Estates residence in Los Angeles County. The Los Angeles County coroner’s office has confirmed to Billboard that there was a death on Bennington’s Palos Verdes block on Thursday, July 20. Billboard has reached out to reps for the band and authorities for confirmation, but are yet to get a response as of the time of the report. According to the reports, Bennington struggled with drug and alcohol addictions during his life. He is survived by a…
R Kelly has denied allegations that he is holding several young women in an “abusive cult”. A report by BuzzFeed accused the singer of brainwashing women, who got close to him in an effort to boost their musical careers. The singer’s lawyer said they are currently working “diligently and forcibly to pursue his accusers and clear his name”. The singer’s lawyer, Linda Mensch, said in a statement: “Robert Kelly is both alarmed and disturbed at the recent revelations attributed to him. Mr Kelly unequivocally denies such allegations.” Recall that R Kelly has faced accusations of sexual misconduct in the past,…
Singer Davido is set to move into his newly renovated mansion in Lekki phase 1, Lagos. He announced the completion of the building in an Instagram post on Tuesday, July 18. “My crib complete!! Big ups @_infiniteconstruction”, the ‘Fall’ singer captioned a picture of the all-white painted masterpiece. Born David Adeleke, Davido also own a vacation house in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is, however, not clear when the HKN Music and Davido Music Worldwide (DMW) boss will be moving into his new crib. Meanwhile, Davido’s reps are denying reports that the singer’s crew members suffered black eyes from a…
Usher reportedly racked out $1.1 million to settle a lawsuit with a lady who claimed the singer infected her with herpes. Court documents dated back to late 2012 show that the 38-year-old singer, whose real name is Usher Raymond IV, was diagnosed with herpes in 2009 or 2010. The ‘Confessions’ star had unprotected sex with the claimant without confessing that he was carrying the virus, the papers add. In California, it is illegal to knowingly or recklessly transmit a sexually transmitted disease. Usher allegedly did that when he told the victim he had tested negative for the virus, despite a…
American singer Madonna is trying to stop the auction of Tupac Shakur’s handwritten break-up letter. The music star filed a request in New York Supreme Court for a temporary restraining order against New York auction house “Gotta Have It Collectibles” to halt the sale, due to start on Wednesday, July 19, 2017. Madonna will also be blocking the auction of her “personally worn panties”, and a note in which she called Whitney Houston and Sharon Stone “horribly mediocre”. She said in court documents that she only found out about the auction in the press and accused her former friend and…
Kevin Hart is having none of those cheating scandals this year. Hart who is expecting his first child with wife Eniko Parrish doesn’t want an extramarital affair threatening his marriage. The comedian found himself at the centre of a cheating scandal on Wednesday, July 19, 2017, when photos of him and a mystery woman sitting together in the backseat of a car surfaced online. Kevin responded to the rumours via Instagram same day by posting a photo of himself laughing writing, “At the end of the day, you just gotta laugh at the BS.” He added in the caption, “#LiveLoveLaugh…
It’s no longer news that music singer Banky W and actress Adesua Etomi are engaged. The ‘Made for you’ singer broke the news on Instagram, May 3, 2017. The duo are still spreading the love bug on social media. Actress Adesua Etomi took to Twitter on July 19, 2017, to celebrate her hero. “I don’t really do this but today I will. You, my darling, are my hero @BankyW . You deserve all the love in the world,” she tweeted. Trust Banky to reply with a heartfelt note, “Love you more sugar. Love you more.” Banky W and Adesua Etomi…
Popular Yoruba actress, Dayo Amusa is a year older today! Born to a family of five, Dayo Amusa grew up in Surulere, Nigeria along with her mother Mrs Abiola Amusa and her father Mr Kolawole Rasheed Amusa. Her acting kicked off in Nollywood in 2002 as an actress. In 2006, she ventured into movie production and within a short spate of her incursion into the Yoruba sector of Nollywood she has made a positive statement. Although Amusa acts mostly in Yoruba language films of Nollywood, she has also acted in English language films. She won the Best Lead Actress at…
Janet Jackson was spotted with baby , Eissa and boy is he super adorable? The music star was out on a stroll carrying her son in her arms. This comes months after news of the 50-year-old’s split from her Billionaire husband, Wissam Al Mana. She claims to have felt hidden by her marriage and that she was miserable. We guess this is the freedom she has been searching for. However, Al Mana isn’t giving up yet as he shared an emotional message to his estranged wife on his website. Meanwhile, Janet also opened up about her split from millionaire husband,…
Davido is balling! The music star got himself a customised new bling with the inscription ’30 billion gang’. This comes after the ‘If’ singer moved into his renovated Lekki mansion. He announced the completion of the building in an Instagram post on Tuesday, July 18, 2017. Davido also own a vacation house in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. “My crib complete!! Big ups @_infiniteconstruction”, the ‘Fall’ singer captioned a picture of the all-white painted masterpiece. Meanwhile, Davido’s reps are denying reports that the singer’s crew members suffered black eyes from a Mr Chris in London. We reached out to the singer’s…
The Senate said it would initiate a bill for a law to make Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) of the (EFCC) autonomous. This is coming on the heels of the suspension of Nigeria from the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units, the highest inter-governmental association of intelligence agencies in the world. The Senate said it would make the unit legally and operationally autonomous with powers to employ, reward, train, promote and discipline of its workforce independently. It also resolved to empower NFIU in line with international best practices, to exchange and relate with all countries on issues affecting its mandate…