Mario Balotelli’s career is in the balance after Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp told the striker he has no future at Liverpool, Italy’s new coach Giampiero Ventura has said. The 25-year-old returned to Liverpool after an unsuccessful loan spell at AC Milan but is far down the pecking order at the Premier League club, who also have Daniel Sturridge, Christian Benteke, Divock Origi and Danny Ings in their ranks. Balotelli, who could not even make Italy’s provisional squad for the European Championship in France, has scored just once in 20 league games during his loan spell at the Serie A club.…
Author: David Folami
Juventus have confirmed the signing of Marko Pjaca, the exciting young Croatian international midfielder signing a five-year deal with the Italian champions that expires in 2021. A statement by the Turin giants, who secured a fifth consecutive championship last season, said: “Juventus Football Club announces the transfer of Marko Pjaca from Dinamo Zagreb.” Dinamo will receive a “23m euro transfer fee, payable in two instalments,” added the statement. He arrives as Juve are negotiating with Manchester United over a potential world record transfer for their France star Paul Pogba to Old Trafford. Pjaca, 21, came to the attention of some…
Borussia Dortmund have signed VfL Wolfsburg forward Andre Schuerrle on a five-year contract, last season’s Bundesliga runners-up said in a statement on Friday. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The 25-year-old Germany international joined Wolfsburg from Chelsea in February 2015 and scored nine goals in the top flight last season as the club finished eighth in the standings. Fellow Germany international Mario Goetze rejoined Dortmund on Wednesday, signing a four-year deal following a disappointing spell at champions Bayern Munich. “Andre Schuerrle is a German national player with outstanding offensive potential… his quality will be very valuable for our…
Barcelona have swooped for Portugal international Andre Gomes of Valencia, the Catalan club announced on Thursday. The 22-year-old attacking midfielder had been linked with Real Madrid and Manchester United after impressing in his two seasons at Valencia having joined them from Benfica. “Agreement with Valencia for Andre Gomes. The player will both sign and be presented as a new Barcelona player next week,” Barca tweeted. Barcelona have not revealed any more details about the transfer but Marca reported that Gomes will sign a five-year deal and join the Spanish champions for €50 million. Gomes, under contract with Valencia until June…
Liverpool have signed veteran goalkeeper Alex Manninger on a short-term contract, the Premier League club said on Friday. The 39-year-old Austrian, who spent five years with Arsenal from 1997-2002, signed on a free transfer after leaving German side Augsburg at the end of last season. Manninger is likely to be Liverpool’s third-choice keeper behind Simon Mignolet and new arrival Loris Karius. “When Liverpool was on the phone, it was a great pleasure for me to take it on because it gives me what I was looking for,” Manninger told the club’s website. “This is the moment I was waiting for…
Arsenal have a good enough squad to win their first Premier League crown since 2004 so the fans better not expect Arsene Wenger to be bringing in more high-profile faces, said chief executive Ivan Gazidis on Friday. Wenger has brought in Swiss star Granit Xhaka for a fee reported to be up to £35 million from German side Borussia Moenchengladbach. However, the fans have been restless as to how a club with in excess of £100 million in cash reserves is not willing to compete with their rivals such as Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City in the transfer market.…
Arsenal have completed the signing of defender Rob Holding on a long-term contract from third tier Bolton Wanderers, the Premier League club said on Friday. The 20-year-old made 30 appearances last season as Bolton were relegated from the championship. “It’s something you dream of as a kid – I can’t wait to get started,” Holding told the Arsenal website (www.arsenal.com). British media reported that Arsenal paid two million pounds for Holding, who can play as a central defender or fullback. He is manager Arsene Wenger’s third signing of the close season, following midfielder Granit Xhaka and striker Takuma Asano to…
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) have continued the search for a foreign coach for the Super Eagles after Frenchman, Paul Le Guen rejects the chance when he was appointed. Le Guen on Monday, July 18 denied agreeing a deal with the NFF despite being announced as the new Technical Adviser of the Super Eagles. Although Salisu Yusuf has been confirmed to be the new Chief Coach of the Super Eagles, sources close to the Glass House revealed that the NFF are still searching for a foreign Technical Adviser. Many have wondered why the Super Eagles need a Technical Adviser with…
Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil is making good use of his vacation time as he partied at popular Los Angeles nightclub The Nice Guy. Ozil is currently in the United States where he is spending his holidays before joining Arsenal ahead of the upcoming Premier League season. The Germany midfielder was given an extended break by Arsene Wenger following his participating in the Euro 2016. Germany was knocked out in the semi-finals by host, France who eventually lost in the final to Portugal. With most of his teammates already getting prepared for next season, Ozil is letting his hair down in…
Ahead of the 2016/17 Premier League season, Manchester United legend David Beckham is starring in an advert by Sky Sports. Beckham who won six Premier League titles with Manchester United stars in the advert which broadcasters Sky are using to build the excitement ahead of this season. In the 60-seconds clip released by Sky Sports, the fitness enthusiast is seen coming across footages of Premier League games as he goes for a run. He runs into a group of Manchester United fans in a pub watching a game as one of them lifts him up to celebrate a goal. In…
A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Jamiu Ekungba, has accused Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko of misappropriating about N400 billion federal allocations. He said in the last seven and a half years, there is nothing to show for the allocations accrued to the state. Ekungba stated this in a statement issued on Wednesday, July 20. “Ondo State has, in the last seven and a half years, collected over N600bn from the federation account but we cannot, in all sincerity, see tangible development that is reflective of the huge receipts,” he said. In reaction, Mimiko described Ekungba’s…
Tony Anenih, a former chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has appealed to the party caucus in the National Assembly to resist all attempts aimed at removing President Muhammadu Buhari from Office. Anenih disclosed this in a four page letter dated July 15, 2016 and addressed to the party’s National Caretaker Committee chairman, Ahmed Makarfi. The letter titled “The PDP Caucus in the National Assembly and the threat to impeach President Muhammadu Buhari” reads: “I am constrained to write this letter by my love for our great country and my long years of involvement…
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, will on Monday join current and former world leaders in the U.S. for 2016 Democratic Convention. This is contained in a statement released to newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday by APC’s Assistant Director of Publicity, Mr Edegbe Odemwingie. According to the statement, parliamentarians, diplomats and senior political party leaders from over 100 countries will observe the nomination process of the Democratic Party’s candidate for President and Vice-President of the U.S. The convention tagged the 2016 International Leaders Forum (ILF) would hold in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from Monday to Thursday.…
Former Sokoto State Governor, Attahiru Dalhatu Bafarawa has accused Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi of buying his way into the All Progressives Congress (APC) with N100 million. Bafarawa also said that the APC government claims to be fighting corruption but it’s actually the “mother of corruption”. The former governor made the claim during a recent interview with Daily Trust. “APC government says it is fighting corruption, but it is the mother of corruption; it has been the mother of corruption since the day it opened its gates to those five governors from the new PDP,” he said. “When they (five…
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Edo State, Osagie Ize-Iyamu has lost his Campaign Director, Mallam Balarabe Saidu to the All Progressives Congress (APC). According to reports, Saidu was among hundreds of PDP members who defected to the APC during the commencement of the ruling party’s governorship campaign in Auchi. “My brothers and sisters from Edo North, I hereby stand before you people with over two thousand persons from the dying PDP to join our Comrade Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, so that more development can come our way. Today, Edo North is like small London,” he said. The governorship…
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State has accused Governor Adams Oshiomhole of failing people of the state. The comment was made by Edo PDP Chairman, Dan Orbih during a recent campaign rally for the September 10 governorship election, Vanguard reports. “President Buhari has never intervened in any election before now, so we hope Edo State will not be an exception. Nobody can use INEC, police, army or EFCC to rig the PDP out,” Orbih said. “I want to tell Oshiomhole that Edo people are prepared to behave the way the civilian population in Turkey behaved when the soldiers…
In what what has been described by many as a “deliberate attempt to bribe Senator Oluremi Tinubu,” Senate President Bukola Saraki on Thursday, July, 21, 2016 announced the reshuffling of committees in the Red Chambers. Mrs Tinubu has been in the news over recent disagreement with her colleague, Dino Melaye who represents Kogi West Senatorial District. Senator Tinubu who was the chaired the Senate committee on Women Affairs has been announced as the Chairperson for the Committee on Environment. Others who benefited from the reshuffling exercise includes; Kabiru Marafa, (petroleum downstream committee), Adamu Aliero (Aviation), Baran Jibrin (Tertiary Institution), Binta…
A former Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba has been appointed the Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission by President Muhammad Buhari, Premium Times reports. The President was also said to have named a former Deputy Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Nsima Ekere, as the managing director of the Commission. The new appointments follows the removal of Ibim Semenitari, who has been the acting managing director since December 2015. Ndoma-Egba, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, who hails from Cross River State, takes over from Bassey Ewa-Henshaw, also from the state. He had resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party in September and…
Gov. Simon Lalong on Wednesday said he will not rest until those behind the killing of the Saf Ron Kulere, Chief Lazarus Agai, were arrested and prosecuted. Lalong, who paid a condolence visit to the Bokkos Traditional Council and people of the area, said he would work with security agencies to ensure that the killers were found and brought to justice. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), recalls that Agai, a first class chief in Bokkos Local Government was killed on Monday alongside his driver, orderly and daughter in-law by unknown persons. The killing of monarch sparked reprisal attacks among…
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Wednesday gave the Kogi Government a 30-day ultimatum to resolve the issue of unpaid workers’ salaries or face labour actions. The presidents of the two unions issued the ultimatum at a rally organised by their respective state chapters at the NLC office in Lokoja. Addressing a large crowd of workers, Mr Ayuba Wabba, NLC National President, said that no reasonable government would deny workers of their salaries for seven months. Wabba threatened a national labour action in the state if the governor refused to address lingering issues and stop…