Arsenal fans have called for the signing of Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi following Granit Xhaka’s performance in last Sunday’s controversial 2-2 home draw against Crystal Palace.
Ndidi has been one of the stars of the season so far, becoming an underrated star in Brendan Rodgers’ successful Foxes team.
Xhaka left Arsenal fans furious once again after his performance on Sunday and these fans on social media have seen enough.
Ndidi has enjoyed a fantastic start to the season and it wouldn’t come as a huge surprise if he were to be linked with some big moves away from Leicester City in the coming months.
He’s a player that would foot the bill for the profile of midfielder that Arsenal currently lack.
A true defensive option in the middle of the park is what the Gunners are calling out for.
Whether or not Arsenal could convince Leicester into selling remain to be seen. The Foxes have started the season fantastically and are even for a top-four finish.
Spanish giants, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have sent their scouts to monitor Golden Eaglets captain, Samson Tijani, at the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil. Scouts from the three clubs, according to Spanish news hub, as.comz were in attendance during Nigeria’s first Group B match against Hungary on Saturday which the Eaglets won 4-2. Tijani was on target twice in the game, the first a well taken penalty and the fourth, a sublime free-kick five minutes from time. Real Madrid, according to the report, had two of their scouts in attendance during the game, while Atletico Madrid and Barcelona had one scout each at the venue in Goiania. Tijani is one of the seven players Real Madrid are keeping a close tab on in the competition. The other six are; Brazil’s Talles Magno, France youngster Adil Aouchiche , Fernando Ovelar of Paraguay, Holland’s Naci Unuvar and Ecuador starlet Johan Mona. Nigeria’s Golden Eaglets will face Ecuador in their second Group game on Tuesday night.
Former Golden Eaglets handler John Obuh has been unveiled as the new head coach of Akwa United. The Former Kwara United tactician was unveiled by the promise keepers on Monday morning in Uyo alongside his assistant Duke Udi. He will be in charge for the 2019/20 Nigeria Professional Football League season as the Akwa Ibom state owned club set sight on returning to the continent. Obuh led Nigeria to a second place finish when the country hosted the FIFA U- 17 World Cup in 2009. He has also managed the country’s U-20 side, the Golden Eaglets Former Golden Eaglets handler John Obuh has been unveiled as the new head coach of Akwa United. The Former Kwara United tactician was unveiled by the promise keepers this Monday alongside his assistant Duke Udi. He will be in charge for the 2019/20 Nigeria Professional Football League season as the Akwa Ibom state owned club set sight on returning to the continent. Obuh led Nigeria to a second place finish when the country hosted the FIFA U- 17 World Cup in 2009. He has also managed the country’s U-20 side, the Flying Eagles in the past. The Promise Keepers will look to win their first NPFL title in the 2019/2020 campaign.
Abdul Maikaba has voiced his optimism that Plateau United will win the 2019/2020 Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL, title. Maikaba is technical adviser of the Tin City side, Plateau United as well as the assistant coach of Nigeria’s U20s, the Flying Eagles. He’s in his second season at the club following a move from Akwa United in 2018. Maikaba won the 2017 Aiteo Cup with Akwa United, a club which prides themselves as Promise Keepers. With the 2019/2020 season billed to get underway next week Sunday, Maikaba believes Plateau United would not miss the podium when honours would be shared at the close of the campaign in May. NPFL title winners in 2017, Plateau United signed a total of 19 new players ahead the coming season. After taking his wards through preseason games, Maikaba was delighted with the response of his squad to his regimen. And after a 1-0 shutting down the Green Barret team, a 3rd Armoured Division of the Nigerian Army sponsored side, in a preseason game, Maikaba did not hide his delight that his squad is now in good shape for the season. “At the close of last season, we dropped some players and some also left on their own volition”, Maikaba who has had stint at Enyimba said. “This provided us opportunity to bring in some players to bolster the team. “Yes, I can say I’m happy with the progress the team is making, the players are fitting into my plans for the coming season.’ Maikaba added: “Our objective is to try our hands on the trophy at the end of the season. We are working hard towards that and the team is ready for the challenge. “We can only appeal to our fans to rally round the team, we need their support in the new season because they have a role to play in our desire to excel because their support can always propel the team to victory”. Completesports.com understands that Plateau United have so far played 17 preseason matches against NPFL and non NPFL clubs, won 14 and drew three.
Enyimba boosted their chances of making it to the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup after they beat TS Galaxy of South Africa 2-0 in the first leg of the playoffs at the Enyimba Stadium, Aba on Sunday. Enyimba took the lead in the seventh minute through Victor Mbaoma, who slotted the ball home after he was set up by Abdulrahman Bashir. Substitute Martins Usule netted the second goal for the home team on the hour mark. TS Galaxy, gave a good account of themselves in Aba courtesy of their attractive passing game. The South Africa second division side outfit were denied a goal late in the game by Enyimba goalkeeper Theophilus Afelokhai. The return leg will be played next week in South Africa with the overall winners advancing to the group stage of the Confederation Cup.
Aston Villa announced the signing of Douglas Luiz from Manchester City in July, after the Brazilian failed to get a work permit in Manchester.
However, Aston Villa did not have the same issue when they completed the £15m deal.
The Premier League newcomers initially ran into the same problem as the Blues did : he has not played 30 per cent of Brazil’s games in the last two years and so, in a system that only wants the best talent playing in a country that is trying to produce homegrown talent, he does not automatically qualify.
Villa, though, has success with the appeals process by showing how important the midfielder will be to their team.
Pep Guardiola and Brazil coach Tite both tried to support Luiz’s application when the City manager wanted him as backup to Fernandinho once the Jorginho transfer fell through but the authorities did not view that the player was exceptional enough that he would go on to become a regular for club and country.
As much as Guardiola rated Luiz, the former Vasco da Gama star would not have been a first-team regular at the Etihad barring injuries and the £10m they paid for him is small compared to many other of their purchases.
At Villa, Luiz arrived as one of their most expensive transfers and the Midlands club were able to prove his importance to their team – especially with game time.
And any promises they made have come to fruition – with Luiz playing a crucial role under Dean Smith at Villa Park this season.
Manchester United will hope to use Thursday night’s Europa League victory over Partizan Belgrade as a launching pad for their season.
United broke their duck away from home this season with a 1-0 triumph in the Serbian capital, which was secured by Anthony Martial’s penalty.
Brandon Williams was the Man Of The Match after winning the penalty, while young midfielder James Garner made his debut in the game. Williams was among those l auded by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after the match.
With the Norwegian still sweating over the fitness of key United players such as Paul Pogba, Luke Shaw and Axel Tuanzbe – among other injury worries – United will have to get their squad in order for the trip to Norwich City on Sunday.
United would love two away wins in quick succession to kickstart their season.
‘United and Inter compete for Muller’
Manchester United are ready to pay £43million for Bayern Munich forward Thomas Muller, according to reports.
According to Bild , the German publication, United will face competition from Inter Milan to secure the signature of Muller – who has been short of game time at the Allianz Arena this season.
Muller is 30 and can play in a number of forward positions, though he doesn’t fit into United’s preferred profile of transfer target. It’s claimed that Alexis Sanchez’s injury for Inter has accelerated the Italian club’s interest in Muller.
Chelsea head coach Frank Lampard has responded to reports that the club are ‘increasingly confident’ of their transfer ban being lifted.
The Blues were given a two-window ban by FIFA earlier in the year which means they cannot register any new players who are above the age of 16, after breaking regulations over the signing of youth players.
However, back in June the west London outfit submitted an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to have this ban reduced to just one which would enable them to make signings in January.
This was after the appeal to FIFA was thrown out.
Although, they are still awaiting a hearing date from CAS, and with the January transfer window just around the corner, the Blues are running out of time if they want to bolster the squad.
Yet that hasn’t stopped reports claiming that the club are confident they will be able to make two big signings in the new year.
According to the Sun , Lampard has apparently made a back-up striker his main priority.
Bournemouth star Callum Wilson and RB Leipzig forward Timo Werner are said to be his main targets while a replacement for Wililan, who has not yet agreed a new deal with his contract expiring in the summer, is also on the wishlist.
But the Blues head coach has said that he’s in the dark over the appeal and is reluctant to speculate over the outcome.
Some of the best wins from players coming from the bench……so don’t worry if your coach keeps you on the bench, it doesn’t mean you don’t know how to play.
Lionel Messi will have Cristiano Ronaldo and Virgil van Dijk as rivals for the 2019 Ballon d’Or award. But not Neymar.
When the long list of 30 candidates was announced Monday — in the city where Neymar has played for more than two years at Paris Saint-Germain — the Brazil star’s name was missing from the nominations by a global voting panel of journalists.
Messi and Ronaldo’s 10-year grip on the individual award organized by France Football magazine was broken by Luka Modric last December.
Modric is also absent one year after he swept the Ballon d’Or and FIFA best player awards after a stellar 2018 with Real Madrid and Croatia.
World Cup winner Megan Rapinoe is favored to add a Ballon d’Or to her FIFA award won last month.
The United States star is joined on a 20-woman list by teammates Tobin Heath and Alex Morgan. Defending her title is Ada Hegerberg, winner of the inaugural women’s award, from Europe’s dominant club team Lyon which has six nominees.
Neymar has twice placed third in Ballon d’Or voting, both times finishing behind Messi and Ronaldo. Moving out of Messi’s shadow in Barcelona, where they won a Champions League title together in 2015, has not delivered the personal acclaim Neymar sought.
Messi won his sixth FIFA award last month, edging Van Dijk who starred in Liverpool’s Champions League-winning team.
Van Dijk would be the first defender topping the poll since Italy’s World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro in 2006.
The Liverpool center back was among seven teammates nominated, including Alisson Becker and Roberto Firmino. They also won the Copa America with a Brazil team that managed without an injured Neymar.
Van Dijk and Georginio Wijnaldum also figured in the five nominees from a resurgent Netherlands team. No Dutch player has won since Marco van Basten in 1992.
Liverpool forwards Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah are among a six-strong African challenge, including Mane’s Senegal teammate, Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly.
The only Asian player on the list is South Korea forward Son Heung-min of Champions League finalist Tottenham
BALLON D’OR SHORTLIST 2019 SO FAR… When is the 2019 Ballon d’Or? The ceremony will take place on December 2 2019. Where is it held? The 2019 Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place at the Theatre du Chatelet, in Paris. When will the shortlist be announced? France Football will announce their 30-man shortlist this evening. They will announce 5 players to make the shortlist every 15 minutes from 5pm. MORE ABOUT BALLON D’OR | BALLON D’OR 2019 |
Sadio Mane (Liverpool), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham), Dusan Tadic (Ajax), Frenkie De Jong (Barcelona), Sergio Aguero (Man City) Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Barcelona), Kylian Mbappe (PSG), Donny van de Beek (Ajax) Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Georginio Wijnaldum (Liverpool), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Alisson (Liverpool), Matthijs de Ligt (Juventus) Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Bernardo Silva (Man City), Heung-Min Son (Tottenham), Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Riyad Mahrez (Man City), Kevin De Bruyne (Man City), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Antoine Griezmann (Atlético Madrid)
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