Sports
Maresca says Chelsea squad ‘not a mess’ after another signing
Maresca says Chelsea squad ‘not a mess’ after another signing
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca dismissed claims that his squad is in disarray following the club’s recent transfer activity. On Wednesday, Maresca addressed concerns after Chelsea secured another signing with Joao Felix, who was returning to the club on a seven-year contract. This move also saw Conor Gallagher transfer to Atletico Madrid in exchange.
Despite the growing number of players at his disposal, Maresca, who now manages one of the Premier League’s largest squads, was firm in his stance that the situation is under control. He clarified that Raheem Sterling and Ben Chilwell are not currently in his plans.
Maresca emphasized that he only works with a manageable group in training, saying, “I am not working with 42 players, I am working with 21 players (in first-team training). It’s not a mess like it looks from the outside. The other players can even have 20-year contracts, it is not my point. I don’t care.”
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Regarding Sterling and Chilwell, Maresca clarified, “At this moment, they are training apart (from the squad). The situation with both of them is quite clear. We have a big squad, for me it’s impossible to give everyone minutes, so if they’re looking for minutes, probably it is better to leave. And in case they don’t leave, they have a contract here, they are Chelsea players.”
Maresca also expressed his enthusiasm for Joao Felix, who returns to Chelsea after an earlier loan spell during the 2022/23 season. “He is a good player, a talent. The club already knows him from two years ago. He can play different positions with us, inside, as a nine, outside,” said Maresca.
Although the transfer fee for Felix was not officially disclosed, reports suggest Chelsea agreed to pay Atletico Madrid £40 million ($51 million). Felix joined Atletico in 2019 and made 131 appearances for Diego Simeone’s side. He spent last season on loan at Barcelona. During his previous loan at Chelsea, Felix made 20 appearances in all competitions, scoring four goals.
Maresca says Chelsea squad ‘not a mess’ after another signing
Sports
Cristiano Ronaldo slams Man U coach Erik ten Hag over attitude
Cristiano Ronaldo slams Man U coach Erik ten Hag over attitude
Portuguese superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo has knocked Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag for his attitude since taking over the club.
Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, the Al-Nassr star again hit out at Ten Hag over his conduct as United boss.
‘As I told you, Manchester, they need to rebuild everything, in my opinion,’ he said
‘The coach, they say they cannot compete to win the League and Champions League.
‘(As) Manchester United coach, you cannot say that you’re not going to fight to win the League or Champions League.
‘You have to be, to mentally say, listen, maybe we don’t have that potential, but I cannot say that. We’re going to try. You have to try.’
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Ronaldo felt that the appointment of the Dutchman was a step in the right direction, but he still lashed out at Ten Hag in the process.
‘If Ten Hag listens to Ruud, maybe he can (help himself),’ he explained. ‘I think it can help a lot because he knows the club and the club should listen (to) the guys who were there.
‘You [Rio] or Roy Keane or Paul Scholes or Gary Neville, whatever, Sir Alex Ferguson. You cannot, you cannot rebuild a club without knowledge. Not guys who work in the office. They understand.
‘The people who understand the football, it was, 99 per cent is the people who were there in the dressing room. They know how to deal with the players. It’s the people who understand these things.
‘So I believe that Ruud is going to help because he was inside the club. He knows the club. He knows the fans. If the coach listens to him, I think they can improve a little bit the club.’
Since Ten Hag took over, United have finished third and eighth in the Premier League. They have also won the Carabao Cup and FA Cup in that time.
Ronaldo, who is a legend at Old Trafford scored 145 goals in 326 appearances across two spells, he also won nine trophies with the club.
However, his second stint ended in acrimony after a falling-out with Ten Hag, with Ronaldo subsequently terminating his contract, before he attacked the Dutchman and said he felt ‘betrayed’ by him.
Cristiano Ronaldo slams Man U coach Erik ten Hag over attitude
Sports
Osimhen deletes Napoli traces from X profile
Osimhen deletes Napoli traces from X profile
Victor Osimhen is once again in the spotlight after the striker deleted all traces of his parent club, Napoli, from his social media page and flaunted pictures and colours of Galatasaray, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
While awaiting his Galatasaray debut after the international break, Osimhen continues to hug the headlines, the latest of them being the striking transformation of his X handle.
Six days ago, an X user, Pink Tony, asked Osimhen to change his bio after the striker posted a picture of himself donning his new No. 45 jersey with his daughter taking to the Rams Park Arena—the home turf of the Turkish giants.
Several X users disagreed with Pink Tony that the Eagles striker couldn’t change his bio because he was still under contract with Napoli.
The former Lille player has changed his bio while erasing all traces of Napoli from his profiles and proudly adorning them with the colours of the Turkish giants.
Osimhen’s updated bio now reads, “Professional football player for Galatasaray and Super Eagles of Nigeria,” accompanied by a new display picture of a player whose face has been cropped out in a Galatasaray jersey.
His banner image features the back of him in the number 45 shirt, carrying his daughter, symbolising a fresh chapter in his career.
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The new move by Osimhen has got many X users talking, as many expressed a desire to make his imminent debut for Galatasaray.
The former Sporting Charleroi player ended his protracted summer transfer saga by joining the Turkish saga on a loan deal from Napoli during the last hours of the window.
His transfer and eventual departure from Italy were one of the most talked about incidents at the time, having requested to leave Napoli despite penning a new contract in December 2023.
Despite helping Napoli to their first Scudetto win in over three decades two seasons ago with 26 goals, which earned him the Serie A top scorer’s award, Osimhen fell out with some fans of the club during last season, pushing the 25-year-old towards the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium’s exit.
The relationship between both parties had speedily gone sour when the Nigerian requested to leave the club and was subsequently left out of their pre-season and their first three Serie A matches of the new season, with new manager Antonio Conte reiterating the reigning African Player of the Year was not in their plans.
Osimhen is expected to play his first match for Galatasaray on September 15, when they take on Rizespor in a Turkish Super Lig fixture.
Osimhen deletes Napoli traces from X profile
Sports
Chelsea will sign Osimhen in January despite Galatasaray move – Mikel Obi
Chelsea will sign Osimhen in January despite Galatasaray move – Mikel Obi
Former Super Eagles captain and Chelsea midfielder, John Obi Mikel, has said he would do everything he can to make Victor Osimhen transfer to Chelsea a reality.
Mikel said he wanted Osimhen at the Stamford Bridge because he was the best striker in the world.
Speaking on the Obi One Podcast, he revealed behind-the-scenes details of the botch move by Chelsea to sign Osimhen.
Obi said, “I want to make sure, I’m not going to rest until I get him to the club. This is not because he’s my friend, a Nigerian or like my younger brother, no. But because he is one of the best strikers in the world right now and Africa’s best player.
“I know what he can bring to the club and I’m sure a lot of Chelsea fans also know that.”
Mikel described as “nonsense” claims that the deal fell through because of Osimhen’s greed.
He said those making such ludicrous allegations were not privy to the details of the deal and what went on behind the scene.
He disclosed that the former Napoli star really wanted the Chelsea move to materialise and did everything on his part to make that happen and was gutted when things did not go the way he envisaged.
“Victor has come under a lot of criticism about these because people don’t know the ins and outs of what happened. You need to know that before you criticise the kid.
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‘Victor really, really wanted to come to the club and he had to compromise a lot to come to the middle because we did reach an agreement in terms of the salary, in terms of what he wants.
“It was just a few minor details here and there that we couldn’t get over the line.”
The Chelsea legend further said, “I know what Victor wanted, I know what the club offered him, both sides had to compromise.
“It was just some little things here and there, paperwork, medical, and a few issues we just couldn’t get over the line and we didn’t have much time.
“Both sides really played their part in getting the deal done, and I commend Chelsea for that because I can see their ambition of where they want to take this club now and also on Victor’s side, how much he really wanted to come to the club.
“I spoke to him when the transfer window shut for 20 minutes. I said ‘listen, I’m always here for you, you need to keep your head down, you need to keep working hard, keep training, I know it’s not the best situation right now but I know you’re strong.”
“You know, Victor’s a strong character, he’s a bit like Didier Drogba and Diego Costa and that’s something we’re missing at the club, strikers who have that edge, who have that bite who can intimidate defenders and Victor definitely has that’, he submitted.
Daily Trust reports that the Premier League club made a late attempt to sign the Nigeria international in the closing stages of the summer transfer window which didn’t materialise.
The 25-year-old had previously rejected an offer to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli, whose €80 million (£67.3m) bid was accepted by Napoli
Chelsea will sign Osimhen in January despite Galatasaray move – Mikel Obi
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