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Arsenal remain keen on Crystal Palace winger, Wilfried Zaha, but would likely need to sell Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to raise his £80million price tag. The Gunners’ hopes of landing the Ivory Coast international have taken a blow after Manchester United agreed a deal worth £50m for Aaron Wan-Bissaka. According to BBC Sport’s David Ornstein, Palace don’t want to lose their two best players in one window and have slammed an enormous price tag on Zaha to ward off suitors. The £80m valuation would make Zaha the joint-ninth most expensive player ever, tying the fee Real Madrid paid to sign Cristiano Ronaldo from United back in 2009. However, Arsenal’s failure to qualify for the Champions League means they have a transfer budget of just £45m and will need to raise money to fund such a move. The easiest way to do so would be to cash in on Aubameyang, who has reportedly received a £300,000-a-week offer to play in China. The Gabon striker just turned 30 and only ha...

 David de Gea is being pushed to settle his new contract with Manchester United in the coming  months. The Sun says De Gea has a deadline of the end of the year to sign a new contract. The Spanish goalkeeper’s current deal expires in 2019 but United are expected to take up the 12-month option to protect their asset. Talks over a new deal with De Gea have been ongoing for some time with the offer on the table believed to be worth around £375,000-a-week. However, the contract still hasn’t been signed with the likes of PSG, Barcelona and Real Madrid thought to be keeping tabs on the situation. United are running out of patience and have set De Gea a deadline of the turn of the year.

Aaron Ramsey plans to stay at Arsenal for the rest of this season and not make a cut-price January move after the collapse of contract talks with the Premier League club. Arsenal could attempt to cash in on the 27-year-old midfielder in the January transfer window, with top Premier League, La Liga and Serie A clubs reportedly monitoring the situation. But Ramsey, who is set to become a free agent at the end of the season, said: “I am contracted to Arsenal and I am going to do my best now this season to try and achieve something special. “Everything has been going great with the club. We thought we were in a position where we had agreed a deal but that’s no longer the case. “So I just have to carry on playing my football and do my best for Arsenal this season and I’ll leave the rest with the club now.” The Wales international, who scored a stunning back-heel effort in Arsenal’s 5-1 win at Fulham on Sunday, has scored 59 goals in 338 appearances for Arsenal since jo...

  Arsenal’s French defender Laurent Koscielny eyes the ball during the UEFA Europa League semi-final second leg football match against Atletico at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium in Madrid on May 3, 2018. GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP Arsenal centre-back Laurent Koscielny, who missed France’s World Cup triumph in Russia due to injury, said on Sunday his international career was “finished”. The 33-year-old had intended to retire from France duty following the tournament, but the defender was ruled out of Didier Deschamps’ squad for the finals after rupturing his Achilles tendon in May. “The injury is one thing, the World Cup win is another. I think the victory certainly hurt me much more psychologically than my injury,” Koscielny told Canal Plus. “The World Cup will remain a dark stage of my career and my life.” “I think I’ve given what I could to the France team. I’m 33 now. I’ve been to two Euros, a World Cup. For me, my injury hasn’t changed anything,” he said. “I...

The Spain international secured the left-back spot in the PFA Premier League team of the year following his performances in a struggling Chelsea FC team. Alonso has netted six times and has made two assists in 31 appearances in the Premier League this season. However, the 26-year-old has been part of a Chelsea FC team that has struggled in their defence of their title. Liverpool FC signed Robertson in an £8m deal from relegated Hull City in the 2017 summer transfer window.The Scotland international started the season as Jurgen Klopp’s second-choice left-back behind Alberto Moreno. However, the Spanish defender suffered an injury in early December to present Robertson with the chance to secure a regular starting spot. Robertson has excelled in the Liverpool team to help the Reds reach the Champions League semi-finals and challenge Manchester United for second place. Former Liverpool FC midfielder McMahon believes Robertson deserved a place in the PFA team of the yea...

The  Sun  is reporting that the Red Devils are ahead of the competition in the race to bring the 20-year-old Brazilian to Old Trafford this summer as Jose  Mourinho looks to significantly bolster his squad this summer. The same story says that Manchester United retain a strong interest in the Brazilian, and that if he should indeed move to Old Trafford it could spell an end to Anthony Martial’s career at the club. According to the same story, Mourinho views Richarlison as a player who would be happy to slot into his squad and understand his position in the team. Richarlison has been in good form for Watford so far this season, scoring five goals and making four assists in 34 Premier League games for Watford. Manchester United are likely to be on the lookout for a number of new signings this summer as Mourinho looks to assemble a team capable of winning the title next season. The Red Devils are currently on course to finish as runners-...

The Red Devils have experienced a mixed season after a year of highs and lows. They failed to keep up with Manchester City in the Premier League title race and also suffered embarrassment in the Champions League. In their second leg tie with Sevilla, they lost 2-1 at Old Trafford to crash out of Europe. They also went out of the Carabao Cup after being outplayed by Bristol City, who scored a last-gasp winner back in December. But they remain in the hunt for the FA Cup, and face Tottenham later today. United most recently beat Bournemouth 2-0 as they look to gain some form ahead of their FA Cup game. Chris Smalling and Romelu Lukaku both scored to ensure of their place in the top four.

Manchester City   has been confirmed Premier League Champion without playing a match on Sunday as  West Brom  which is languishing at the bottom of the surprised  Manchester United  with a 1-0 home defeat of the Reds. Manchester United failed to keep the league competitive as a late header from Jay Rodriguez  gave  West Brom  a hugely surprising three points and finally gave their fans something to cheer this season. The lose for United means that City team cannot be displace from the top of the table, thereby given  Pep Guardiola   his first Premier League title in his second years as that Manager of Manchester United team. But, just a week after spoiling City’s title party by beating their local rivals 3-2 at the  Etihad , the way United abjectly gifted the title to their neighbours will sting. Although, observers know that it was a matter of time before City is crown the champion of the lead. This title won by ...

Cristiano Ronaldo Cristiano Ronaldo's injury-time penalty put holders Real Madrid through to the Champions League semi-finals after holding off a stunning Juventus comeback. Ronaldo's coolly-taken 97th-minute penalty into the top corner came after Medhi Benatia brought down Lucas Vazquez in the box. Juve goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was sent off by English referee Michael Oliver after awarding the spot-kick, for foul and abusive language. Real, Champions League winners in three of the past four seasons, came into the second leg leading 3-0, helped by Ronaldo's stunning bicycle kick. But the Serie A leaders got off to a dream start when Mario Mandzukic headed in from Sami Khedira's cross after just two minutes and Mandzukic got a second before half-time. Blaise Matuidi pounced to capitalise on Keylor Navas' fumble to level the tie on aggregate, before the dramatic ending. SOURCE FROM DAILYTRUST.COM

The 40-year-old goalkeeper was sent off for the first time in European competition in what may prove his last match Gianluigi Buffon's Champions League career has potentially come to a sad end, having been dismissed during  Juventus' exit at the hands of Real Madrid 4-3 on aggregate. The goalkeeper saw red for his reaction to a penalty decision given against his side in stoppage time, approaching referee Michael Oliver in an aggressive manner after Lucas Vasquez had been deemed to be fouled in the box. It proved to be the decisive moment of a tie that had looked like it was destined to be Madrid's by a comfortable margin after the Spaniards won 3-0 in Italy last week. Juventus, though, staged a rousing comeback at the Bernabeu, with two first-half goals from Mario Mandzukic setting the stage for them to draw level through Blaise Matuidi in the second half, albeit only after  a terrible goalkeeping error from Keylor Navas. The two-time defending champions,...

Football fans that will be watching Friday night’s friendly between the Super Falcons and their French counterparts, will cough out between €5 (about N2,200) and €20 (about N8,800) for the tickets. The game will be played at the MMArena in Le Mans, France. Other ticket prices for the game will attract a fee of €10 (about N4,400) and €15 (N6,600), according to mmarena.com. This will be the second meeting between both countries. The Les Bleues won their only game against Nigeria 1-0 at the 2011 Women’s World Cup in Germany. The French women’s national team are currently ranked sixth in the FIFA rankings, while Nigeria are 37th.

FILE PHOTO – Russian-born Greek businessman and owner of PAOK Salonika, Ivan Savvides (C), pictured with what appears to be a gun in a holster, enters the pitch after the referee annulled a goal of PAOK during their soccer match against AEK Athens in Toumba Stadium in Thessaloniki, Greece, March 11, 2018. Intimenews via REUTERS Greek club PAOK Salonika’s president Ivan Savvidis has  been banned from all soccer stadiums for three years for storming onto the pitch with a gun during a league game. The league’s disciplinary committee who said on today also stripped the club  stripped of three points, ending their title chances.  Naija News Learnt Savvidis, a Georgia-born businessman and former Russian state Duma deputy, charged onto the pitch with a gun in his belt when a goal for PAOK was disallowed in a match against fellow title contenders AEK Athens on 11 March. The game was interrupted and the incident prompted an immediate suspension of the league by the Gree...

Spain raced into a 2-0 lead when Diego Costa stabbed past Sergio Romero before Isco side-footed his first goal. Argentina, without injured forward Lionel Messi, pulled it back to 2-1 through Nicolas Otamendi's header. Isco and Thiago Alcantara extended the lead to 4-1, with substitute Iago Aspas adding the fifth before Isco completed his hat-trick. Spain, the 2010 World Cup winners, are now unbeaten in 18 games since Julen Lopetegui took charge following their exit at the first knockout stage of Euro 2016. They have two more friendlies, against Switzerland and Tunisia, before they launch their World Cup group campaign against European champions Portugal on 15 June.

Players will be able to represent two different clubs in the same European cup competition from next season after governing body UEFA changed its rules. As it stands, January signings cannot play for a second club in the Champions League or Europa League if they have already featured in that competition. A fourth substitute will be allowed in extra time of knockout ties, while 12 substitutes can be named in the finals.  A club may register three new eligible players without any restrictions after the group stage. “This is in line with the existing regulatory situation in the different domestic leagues, which does not impose restrictions on the eligibility for competitions of players registered for a new club during the winter transfer window,” said UEFA. This season, Barcelona are not able to select Philippe Coutinho for their Champions League knockout ties because he featured earlier in the competition for Liverpool. Likewise, striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang cannot...

Arsene Wenger has lifted the lid on why he has tended to substitute Alexandre Lacazette in the second-half of Arsenal’s matches this season. Lacazette, 26, joined Arsenal as the club’s marquee signing last summer and was expected to be the focal point of Arsene Wenger’s attack for the 2017/18 campaign. The striker has managed nine goals in 24 Premier League appearances this term but has only played the 90 minutes of a match six times since arriving in north London. Asked about his tendency to substitute Lacazette, Wenger told the Arsenal magazine: "I must say that [Lacazette] plays in a position where you sub more than say a defender. "You substitute a striker more than you would a defender, because they always have to provoke, to defend, to attack, you have to create holes in the defences. The strikers are more subbed than others. "Secondly, he was in an adaptation period where I felt that, without any objective measurement, that sometimes he struggled a bit m...

Super Eagles of Nigeria's Coach Gernot Rohr has announced his starting line-up for tonight's international friendly between the Super Eagles and Serbia at the Hive Stadium, London. The Eagles manager retained the trio of Joel Obi, Francis Uzoho and Bryan Idowu. However, Ogenyi Onazi, who started the game against Poland on the bench, is back in the starting line-up.  He will play in a three-man midfield alongside Joel Obi and Wilfred Ndidi. Also, Ahmed Musa is starting in place of Odion Ighalo. There’s also a rare start for Tyronne Ebuehi who replaces the injured Shehu Abdulahi at right-back. The German tactician also kept faith with Victor Moses and Alex Iwobi on the flanks for the game. The game will  will hold at the Hive stadium in London. Kick-off time is 8pm. Team list: Francis Uzoho;Tyronne Ebuehi, William Troost-Ekong, Leon Balogun, Brian Idowu; Wilfred Ndidi, Joel Obi, Ogenyi Onazi (Captain); Alex Iwobi, Victor Moses, Ahmed Musa.

7' SHOT!!! Mitrovic (Serbia) hits a shot outside the super Eagles area but Francis Uzoho blocks. GAME ON!!!! The Super Eagles take on Serbia at the Hive stadium in London. Kick-off time is 8pm. Team list: Francis Uzoho;Tyronne Ebuehi, William Troost-Ekong, Leon Balogun, Brian Idowu; Wilfred Ndidi, Joel Obi, Ogenyi Onazi (Captain); Alex Iwobi, Victor Moses, Ahmed Musa.

After Super Eagles victory against the Polish national team last week preparatory to the World Cup in Russia, another talented and Manchester United midfielder, Tosin Kehinde has pledged to play for Nigeria. Tosin, 19, along with his family met with the federation Vice-Chairman, Malam Shehu Dikko and General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi on Sunday at the Super Eagles hotel in London.   Federation vice chairman, Shehu Dikko stated that he was happy that a talented player of his calibre and from one of the biggest club in the world has indicated his interest to play for Nigeria. “I am very happy that Nigeria has got a new and future midfielder from one of the best club side in the world, pledging his future to Nigeria”, Shehu said. The midfielder told Prompt News Online correspondent that he was so happy after meeting the federation’s executives and told them his desire to play for Nigeria. Meanwhile, NFF General Secretary while commenting on Tosin’s allegiance to Ni...

Blessing Okagbare-Ighoteghonor made a big comeback at the weekend with an impressive 22.04seconds run at the 2018 Wes Kittley Invitational in Texas. Her feat has erased the 200m women African record held by Mary Onyali-Omagbemi since August 1996. Okagbare-Ighoteghonor, who spent most of last season nursing an injury after going under the knife, became the undisputed Nigerian fastest woman having the 10.79seconds women 100m national record under her belt. The athlete will remain in Texas to have a go at the 100m and it remains to be seen if she can also crack the African record held by Ivorian sprinter Murielle Ahoure since 2016. “We’re extremely glad Okagbare is back to her best form. Certainly we will see what happens at the African championships in Asaba,” said former AFN president, Solomon Ogba yesterday.

Three-time champion Venus Williams knocked out British number one Johanna Konta from the Miami Open in the fourth round. Defending champion Konta, ranked 14th, won the first set but eventually lost 5-7 6-1 6-2. The 26-year-old had beaten world number eight Williams in straight sets in the semi-finals 12 months ago. Williams, 37, will play Monica Puig of Puerto Rico or fellow American Danielle Collins in the quarter-finals. Konta saved set point to turn the first set - which lasted just over an hour - in her favour and take the early advantage. But Williams, a 10-time Grand Slam singles champion, cruised through the second set to even the score, with Konta requiring a medical timeout before the deciding set.