Liverpool have agreed a fee with Newcastle United for midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, multiple sources have told said. Wijnaldum will now travel to Merseyside to undergo a medical “as soon as possible,” one source said. Sky Sports News reports that the two clubs have settled on a deal in the region of around £25 million. Wijnaldum is set to depart the North-East club after their relegation from the Premier League last season. Liverpool have already strengthened in the forward area this summer after they paid £30m to prise Sadio Mane away from Southampton. Wijnaldum featured in Newcastle’s friendly with Doncaster Rovers…
Author: David Folami
Barcelona manager Luis Enrique has said that he doesn’t expect Lionel Messi to return to training with less enthusiasm despite the striker’s decision to quit the Argentina national team following the Copa America loss. The Blaugrana coach gave his first news conference for the preseason, addressing speculation that his star player might be affected by Argentina’s summer struggles. Messi announced he would not play for his country again after he missed a penalty during a shootout defeat to Chile in last month’s Copa America Centenario defeat, in what was a third consecutive loss in a major international final. The situation…
Manchester United have unveiled their new squad numbers for the 2016-17 season, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic taking the No. 9 shirt worn by Anthony Martial last season — and a gap being left at No. 6. It had been reported by The Sun that United would delay releasing their numbers because the possible arrival of Paul Pogba was being taken into consideration. Pogba could feature as a defensive midfielder, so the No. 6 shirt could be an appropriate one for him, should the deal be concluded successfully. That shirt was given to Jonny Evans at the start of last season, but…
Germany’s World Cup winning goalscorer Mario Goetze has returned to Borussia Dortmund after a frustrating three seasons with Bayern Munich, the clubs announced on Thursday. The 24-year-old has never established himself with the German champions. The clubs did not give a transfer fee but Bild newspaper said Dortmund paid between 22 and 25 million euros ($24-27.5 million). That would mean Bayern have booked a loss of about 13 million euros on the price they paid for Goetze. Bayern president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge called the deal “a good solution for all sides”. Goetze scored the winning goal in Germany’s World Cup final…
Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has ruled out Chelsea forward Diego Costa’s possible return to the Vicente Calderon stadium this summer despite reports suggesting otherwise. The arrival of Michy Batshuayi at Chelsea from Marseille has led to reports in England and Spain that Costa, who has scored 36 goals in 77 games since joining Chelsea in 2014, could move back to Atletico, a team he helped capture the La Liga title, a King’s Cup and two Super Cups in his four years with the outfit. New Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has said the Spain international will stay put, describing him…
Former Manchester United great David Beckham says he is certain the club can go back to challenging for top honours under new manager Jose Mourinho. Since the retirement in 2013 of Alex Ferguson, who won more than 30 trophies during his 26-year spell in charge, United have landed just one piece of silverware – the FA Cup last season – and sacked two managers. “I fully expect it to work. With Jose leaving Chelsea and now coming back into the Premier League with United, for me it is a great move,” Beckham told Sky Sports. “We have had quite a…
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho admitted on Thursday the club needs one more signing before the season starts but would not confirm it would be record target Paul Pogba. Media reports in the UK on Wednesday suggested United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward had pulled out of the club’s pre-season tour to China so he could meet and agree personal terms with Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola. Mourinho was asked directly at a news conference in Shanghai whether he could confirm the reports. “I don’t confirm and I don’t deny. I cannot tell you,” Mourinho said on the eve of the International…
While Pogba’s future is debated by some of football’s leading powerbrokers, the man himself appeared completely unflustered by the hype while on holiday with Everton striker Romelu Lukaku, who is another of Raiola’s clients. A series of social media posts by the star show Pogba soaking up the sunshine and working out in Miami, where he has also been pictured playing basketball while wearing a jersey of the recently crowned NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers. However, a trip to a Florida barbershop ramped up further speculation over Pogba’s future following a less-than-subtle Instagram post from his barber. “Had to change up…
Paul Pogba’s agent denied on Thursday a potential world record transfer sending the France star to Manchester United from Juventus had been finalised as Jose Mourinho looks to reinforce the Premier League giants. United have reportedly had an £86 million offer ($113 million, 102 million euros) turned down by the Italian champions as they try to lure France international Pogba back to Old Trafford four years after allowing him to leave on a free transfer. But Mourinho’s side are expected to return with an improved bid that approaches Juventus’s £100 million asking price after United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward met…
The All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), Oyo State branch, has apologised to the state government over the June 6 violent disturbances in Ibadan. This is contained in a statement signed by Ranti Obafunmiso and Mathew Ogunkunle, the state Chairman and Secretary, respectively. According to them, the apology is on behalf of principals, teachers and students of schools across the state. Obafunmiso and Ogunkunle said that the association dissociated its members from any group or association that might have instigated the students to embark on the ugly incident. “ANCOPPS wishes to tender its unreserved apology to Oyo…
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Abia State, Mr.Sylvester Ezeani, has been detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over corruption allegations. He allegedly benefited from the N23bn ($115m) disbursed by a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, during the build-up to the 2015 presidential election. The EFCC alleged that the accused received N20 million while he was the REC in Cross River State during the March 28 Presidential and National Assembly elections. Ezeani was detained having failed to explain why he collected the N20 million, report said. “The REC was on Tuesday interrogated by operatives of the…
One week after Senator Dino Melaye, from Kogi State, hurled abuses and threatened Senator Oluremi Tinubu, from Lagos State during the Senate’s July 12 Executive Session, the victim has queried the Senate’s silence on the matter. In separate petitions on Tuesday, July 19, to Bukola Saraki, the Senate President, and John Oyegun, the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Tinubu said Melaye bragged that he would “face no consequence even if he fulfilled these criminal threats”. She warned that Melaye remains a threat to her and the Senate. “The totality of that misconduct amounted to an assault against my person,…
Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai’s lawyer has cautioned critics over the Dubai property scandal involving his client, saying the army chief has been cleared any wrongdoing by the Code of Conduct Bureau. Buratai has been under heavy criticism in the past weeks when the news of some properties, worth $1.5 million, he owns in Dubai was made public, with critics accusing him of purchasing the assets with stolen funds. In his defense, the Army had in a statement claimed that Buratai acquired the properties with his personal savings, which deepened the suspicion – as many queried how…
Gov. Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State on Tuesday urged the Federal Government to declare state of emergency in the agriculture sector. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Fayose, who made the plea in Ado Ekiti while declaring open the 2016 Ekiti Agriculture Summit, said doing so would boost government’s commitment to the diversification of the economy. The governor said the step was also imperative in view of the dwindling revenue from the oil sector, adding that the Federal Government should devote more funds to the sector. According to him, none of the 36 states could solely fund agriculture…
Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo has spoken against the notion that President Muhammadu Buhari’s war against corruption is biased. Osinbajo made his comments via a statement released by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande on Tuesday, July 19, 2016. The statement reads: I think it (the allegation) is entirely absurd. I think that view is absurd and without foundation or basis whatsoever. We look at corruption from all possible facets. If you look at, for example, corruption in the military, from military procurement, obviously the only individuals responsible for that could be persons who had held office within…
The Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Mr Ibrahim Idris, has appointed CSP Jimoh Moshood as the Deputy Force Public Relations Officer. This is contained in a statement issued by the Force Spokesman, Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP Don Awunah in Abuja on Wednesday. The statement said that Moshood who hails from Kwara, holds a B.Sc in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State. It said he was a Police Public Relations Officer at the Federal Capital Territory Command. He attended several courses within and outside the country few of which are Crime Prevention of Korea Police, at the Police…
Former Deputy Governor of Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore has praised the Federal Government over the decision to reopen the murder case of former Attorney General of the Federation, Bola Ige. Omisore made his comments via a statement released on Tuesday, July 19, 2016, Punch reports. The statement reads: The decision of the Federal Government to revisit the killing of the former Minister of Justice and a political icon, the late Chief Bola Ige and Chief Dokubo is good and a welcome development. I am particularly happy that a fresh investigation will further exonerate me and others who were wrongfully…
The House of Representatives on Wednesday replaced the Appropriation Committee Chairman, Rep. Abdulmumuni Jibrin (APC-Kano), with Rep. Mustapha Dawaki (APC-Kano). Speaker of the House, Mr Yakubu Dogara, announced Jibrin’s replacement at the end of plenary. According to the Speaker, Jibrin had earlier approached me to express his desire to discontinue as chairman of the Appropriation Committee. Jibrin later told newsmen in Abuja that he decided to step aside on personal grounds. However, the former appropriation chairman said it was a painful decision as he enjoyed the responsibilities. He said that he would make the specifics leading to his decision to…
Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari sued Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state over allegations that she was involved in the Halliburton scandal. The governor was served the court summons today, on Wednesday, July 20, 2016. Governor Fayose accused the president’s wife of being the “Aisha Buhari” who was involved in the bribery case involving a U.S lawmaker,Williams Jefferson. Mrs Buhari issued a five-day ultimatum to the governor demanding a full retraction of the widely-circulated material issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi. The Nigerian constitution however provides the governor immunity against criminal prosecution. Meanwhile, the United States government…
The Minister of Interior, retired Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau, on Wednesday said the military had defeated the Boko Haram fighters in the North-East. Dambazau disclosed this in Port Harcourt at a two-day seminar with the theme: “Media Engagement in Crises Situation for Military, Security and Response Agencies,” partly organised by the Centre for Crisis Communication. He said that the Federal Government was now focused on rebuilding and relocating the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to their respective communities and homes. “The war in the North-East with the Boko Haram has been fought and won – as the Boko Haram elements have been…