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Super Eagles defender William Troost-Ekong drops hint on Osimhen’s future move

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Super Eagles defender William Troost-Ekong drops hint on Osimhen’s future move

Nigeria captain William Troost-Ekong admitted he ‘knows’ where Chelsea and Arsenal target Victor Osimhen will play next season.

The Napoli star is widely expected to leave the Campania capital in the coming summer transfer window, with his new contract containing a €120-130m release clause. He’s already hinted that he’s decided his next step when speaking to the press last month.

The Napoli project has collapsed over the last six months, but Osimhen has still managed to shine despite the difficulties, scoring 10 goals and providing three assists across 20 appearances this term. At the recent Africa Cup of Nations, he scored once and provided three assists.

Speaking to Sky Sport via TMW, Troost-Ekong first discussed the struggles of his former clubs Salernitana and Udinese this season.

 “I always follow Serie A, it’s a great league. This weekend with Salernitana-Udinese will be special for me, also because it was also the last match I played in my last season. The points would certainly be more useful to Salernitana than to Udinese.”

He remembered his time at Tottenham with Harry Kane.

 “We started together 14 years ago and after training he always stayed on the pitch to try something else: shots, penalties, work with the goalkeepers.

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 “He always wanted to grow, and this ultimately led him to reach the top of the top. He is an example of the desire to improve and work harder.”

Finally, Troost-Ekong was asked if he knew where Osimhen would play next year.

 “I really can’t tell you anything, but I know!”

Meanwhile, Chelsea have  reportedly stepped up their chase for  Osimhen as they have opened talks with his representatives over his personal terms.

Chelsea are among the top European clubs gunning for Osimhen and so have begun discussions with his agents, according to transfer expert Rudy Galetti.

Osimhen, according to multiple reports, is the top transfer target for London club, who the striker supported while he was growing up in Lagos.

The Super Eagles striker is already on a good salary of around Nine Million Euros a year at Napoli after he extended his contract with the Serie A champions till June 2026.

He will want a bigger pay going forward and Chelsea can afford this. It is believed that after agreeing the striker’s personal terms, Chelsea could then begin talks with his club.

Napoli are believed to have placed a 130 Million Euros exit clause on the player’s new contract.

Rival London club Arsenal are also ready to pay Osimhen big.

Super Eagles defender William Troost-Ekong drops hint on Osimhen’s future move

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Mbappe left out of France squad for Nations League games

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Mbappe left out of France squad for Nations League games

France captain Kylian Mbappe has been left out of his team’s UEFA Nations League matches this month after coach Didier Deschamps on Thursday named his squad.

The Real Madrid star returned from a short spell on the sidelines, with a thigh injury, to appear as a substitute in the surprise 1-0 defeat at Lille in the Champions League on Wednesday.

However, the 25-year-old will play no part in France’s games against Israel and Belgium, a decision clearly made in order to allow Mbappe to rest and work on his fitness.

“I had an exchange with Kylian. He has a problem which is not serious. I am not going to take risks, which is why he is not in the squad,” Deschamps told reporters in Paris.

France play Israel on Thursday, October 10 in an away fixture moved to Budapest due to the security situation in the Middle East.

Les Bleus, Nations League winners in 2021, will then take on Belgium in Brussels on Monday, October 14.

France have three points after their first two outings in Group A2, which is topped by Italy with six points.

Thursday’s squad announcement was the first by Deschamps since vice-captain Antoine Griezmann retired from international football at the beginning of this week.

“He had such an impact that we can’t play in the same way,” Deschamps said of losing Griezmann, who quit aged 33 after winning 137 caps.

“I am not necessarily going to change the system, but I am not going to look for an equivalent player.”

Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku, who won the last of his 10 caps in June last year, returns to the squad, from which midfielder N’Golo Kante is also left out.

France squad

Goalkeepers: Alphonse Areola (West Ham United/ENG), Mike Maignan (AC Milan/ITA), Brice Samba (Lens)

Defenders: Jonathan Clauss (Nice), Lucas Digne (Aston Villa/ENG), Wesley Fofana (Chelsea/ENG), Theo Hernandez (AC Milan/ITA), Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool/ENG), Jules Kounde (Barcelona/ESP), William Saliba (Arsenal/ENG), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich/GER)

Midfielders: Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid/ESP), Youssouf Fofana (AC Milan/ITA), Matteo Guendouzi (Lazio/ITA), Manu Kone (Roma/ITA), Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid/ESP), Warren Zaire-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain)

Forwards: Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dembele, Randal Kolo Muani (all Paris Saint-Germain), Christopher Nkunku (Chelsea/ENG), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich/GER), Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan/ITA)

Mbappe left out of France squad for Nations League games

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Eguavoen gives conditions to accept permanent S’Eagles job

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Super Eagles interim coach, Augustine Eguavoen

Eguavoen gives conditions to accept permanent S’Eagles job

Super Eagles’ interim coach, Augustine Eguavoen, has hinted at the possibility of taking on the role of head coach on a permanent basis, provided certain conditions are met.

Eguavoen, who has been entrusted with leading the Nigerian national team through the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Libya, shared his thoughts during a recent interview.

Eguavoen, who helped secure four points in the first two matches of the qualifiers, emphasized that for him to consider a long-term position, the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) would need to offer a long-term contract.

He also stressed the importance of patience and continuous support from the football authorities to build a strong and competitive team.

“The Super Eagles job isn’t one you take lightly. If I were to take it permanently, I’d need to sit down, reflect, and think deeply because it’s not a small task.

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“It’s going to be tough. I’d need a long-term contract, patience, and clauses in the deal because you don’t win every day. It takes time to build a team,” Eguavoen told Brila FM.

Eguavoen, who has had three previous stints as head coach, lamented that he was never given enough time to truly implement his vision for the team.

“In 2006, I was in charge for six months. Every other time, it was just two months or two to three games. Clemens Westerhof had five years. Gernot Rohr had six years. They got time, but I never had two straight years,” he noted.

He reiterated that to succeed as the substantive coach, he would need long-term assurances, contractual clauses, and a show of confidence from the NFF.

Eguavoen gives conditions to accept permanent S’Eagles job

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Salah shines in Liverpool-Bologna 2-0 UCL match

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Mohamed Salah

Salah shines in Liverpool-Bologna 2-0 UCL match

LIVERPOOL, England, Oct 2 (Reuters) – Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah set up one goal before bagging his 49th in the Champions League in a 2-0 win over Italian side Bologna at Anfield on Wednesday that kept Arne Slot’s team perfect with their second win in the competition.

A rousing atmosphere greeted Slot and his players in their first game at Anfield in Europe’s top competition after a year away. Slot’s men had beaten AC Milan 3-1 away in their opener, and Liverpool did not disappoint, with Alexis Mac Allister scoring in the 11th minute, tapping in Salah’s pinpoint cross from close range.

Bologna made a game of it, however, and there was an element of relief around Anfield when Salah blasted home the winner in the 75th minute.

“(Salah) is a player that helps us a lot, sometimes it looks like he’s not in the game but suddenly a perfect touch, he puts the ball in the top corner. That’s his quality, his strength as well,” Liverpool keeper Alisson said.

“We are lucky to have him.”

Mac Allister’s first goal of the season came less than two minutes after Bologna’s Thijs Dallinga slotted the ball past Alisson, but his effort was disallowed for offside.

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Liverpool were denied a second goal in the 17th minute of an entertaining night when Darwin Nunez sprinted onto a pass before calmly firing home past Lukasz Skorupski, but the Uruguayan was flagged for offside.

After narrowly missing several scoring chances, Reds talisman Salah finally connected, touching the ball past Juan Miranda before curling a rocket into the top corner.

Moments before his goal, the 32-year-old Salah fired just wide, holding his head in frustration.

While Liverpool dominated much of the night, Bologna were not without their chances, recording 12 shots to Liverpool’s nine. Dan Ndoye hit the post in the first half and then seconds later Alisson was forced to dive to stop Kacper Urbanski’s shot.

“You know very well how difficult it is, especially for guys experiencing stages like this for the first time,” Bologna manager Vincenzo Italiano said.

“Once they got past the initial excitement, though, we played with courage. The boys are starting to adapt to these rhythms, and they put on a great performance.”

The victory propelled Liverpool to fifth in the new 36-team league phase, with the top eight teams automatically qualifying for the last-16. Bologna are 26th with a point after they opened with a 0-0 draw against Shakhtar Donetsk.
It was the eighth win in nine games across all competitions for Slot since he replaced Juergen Klopp. They currently top the Premier League table, a point ahead of Manchester City and Arsenal.
“It is clear we are in transition, we are happy with the ideas, we are trying to get there,” Mac Allister said on his new boss. “There is room for improvement, that’s why we work very hard every day.”
Liverpool — six-times Champions League winners, most recently in 2019 — will look to maintain their perfect record when they play at RB Leipzig on Oct. 23, while Bologna visit Aston Villa on Oct. 22.

Salah shines in Liverpool-Bologna 2-0 UCL match

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