Sports

Chelsea Star Reece James Rejects Arsenal Bid Amid Twitter Spat With Fans

Published

2 years ago

June 30, 2023

James took to Twitter to respond to talk about him potentially leaving Chelsea for their London rivals Arsenal.

The supporter had suggested the possibility of James moving to Arsenal, following the signing of his Chelsea teammate Kai Havertz by the Gunners.

But, James responded with a straightforward “I say no” to the fan’s proposal. Chelsea showed their support for James by replying to his tweet with the message “One of our own” accompanied by a blue heart emoji.

James, who joined Chelsea at the age of eight, has made 147 appearances for the club. He played a crucial role in helping Chelsea win the Champions League in 2021.

Havertz, on the other hand, scored the winning goal in that final against Manchester City. However, he will be moving to Arsenal next season in a £65m transfer.

Upon signing for Arsenal, Havertz expressed his excitement to be joining the club and becoming part of their rich history. He mentioned the high mentality within the Arsenal squad and his determination to win trophies for the supporters and the club. Havertz is eagerly looking forward to meeting his new teammates and staff during pre-season.

James has established himself as one of the most athletic and attacking full-backs in the Premier League, his only problem – and it’s quite a big one – is his injury record having only started 14 league games last term and 22 the campaign prior to that.

Despite his plagued injury career as of late, he did sign a new long-term contract to keep him at his boyhood club Chelsea just last year, which saw his salary take a major boost up to £250,000 per week.

The England international is a superb asset for the Blues at both ends of the pitch having managed to register 21 goal involvements since making his Premier League debut for Chelsea which makes him very hot property to other clubs.

James does still have a long-term contract left to run at Stamford Bridge and with a young and progressive-thinking coach such as Mauricio Pochettino in the dugout, it’s unlikely he would be looking to leave any time soon.

Under Mikel Arteta Arsenal has become a home for some top-name Premier League players from rival clubs who perhaps see them as no longer good enough or needed for their sides such as Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko and most recently Kai Havertz.

James will be hoping to make a bigger impact on Chelsea’s season this campaign in terms of goals, assists and top-level performances as he was absent for the majority of last campaign, which perhaps contributed largely to their poor season.

Sports

AFCON 2025: Lookman Scores Winner As Super Eagles Start Campaign With 2–1 Victory Over Tanzania

Published

4 days ago

December 23, 2025

Editor

Ademola Lookman scored what proved to be the decisive goal as Nigeria beat Tanzania 2-1 in their opening game at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The Super Eagles came into the match as heavy favourites to win and dominated the opening exchanges.

After coming close a few times, the three-time champions took the lead through Semi Ajayi.

The ball was recycled following a corner-kick, before Alex Iwobi crossed it into the area for Ajayi to head home.

Tanzania equalized after Charles M’Mombwa found himself unmarked inside the area.

But two minutes later, Nigeria struck the winner through Lookman, who took a few touches and finished with his left foot.

Sports

JUST IN: Dembélé Named FIFA Best Men’s Player, Bonmatí Wins Women’s Award

Published

2 weeks ago

December 16, 2025

Editor

Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé has been awarded the FIFA Best Men’s Player for 2025, following a season in which he contributed significantly to both his club and the France national team.

Dembélé, known for his pace, creativity, and goal-scoring ability, played a central role in Paris Saint-Germain’s campaigns across domestic and European competitions. His performances for the national team also helped France secure notable results in international fixtures.

Speaking on the recognition, Dembélé said, “It is a great honour to receive this award. I could not have achieved this without my teammates at PSG and in the national team, whose support has been invaluable.”

In the women’s category, Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmatí was named FIFA Best Women’s Player for 2025. Bonmatí was influential in Barcelona’s domestic and European campaigns, providing leadership, vision, and creativity in midfield. She also played a key role in Spain’s international successes.

“This award reflects the hard work of my teammates and coaches,” Bonmatí said. “I am grateful for their guidance and support throughout the season.”

The announcements reaffirm FIFA’s recognition of individual excellence in football while highlighting the contributions of players to both club and country.

Sports

Court Fixes Date To Hear Sala Compensation Dispute

Published

3 weeks ago

December 9, 2025

Editor

A commercial court examining the long-running dispute between Cardiff City and French club Nantes over compensation for the death of Emiliano Sala in a plane crash said Monday it would give its decision on March 30 next year.

Sala, a 28-year-old Argentine striker, died when the light aircraft taking him to the Welsh capital came down in the English Channel on January 21, 2019, two days after he had signed for the then-Premier League side. He and pilot David Ibbotson were killed.

The Welsh club took the case to the Nantes commercial court in 2023 to claim compensation for loss of income and other damages suffered by the club as a result of the player’s death.

Following an analysis conducted by an expert appointed by Cardiff City, the club estimated their losses at over 120 million euros ($139.5 million). Lawyers for both clubs made their cases at Monday’s hearing.

The Welsh club argue that Nantes, through their intermediary, agent Willie McKay, were the organisers of the private flight on which the footballer was travelling and that, if the transfer was effective at the time of the accident according to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), it is the organisation of this flight that is at issue.

Cardiff City’s lawyer, Olivier Loizon, told the court Monday, Willie McKay “could not have been unaware of the illegality of the flight”, and argued that the agent had acted with “negligence”.

“Whatever the ultimate cause of the accident, (Sala) should not have been on the flight,” he added.

Nantes’ lawyer, Jerome Marsaudon, insisted Monday the only agent authorised by the club in connection with the transfer was Mark McKay, the son of Willie McKay.

The elder McKay “was simply helping his son, given his extensive experience”, the lawyer said.

“It is sad to see that Cardiff have exploited this tragedy and turned it into a genuine legal farce,” he added. “Nothing in this case justifies holding FC Nantes liable.”

Prior to the start of the hearing, a Nantes representative said the club “have no doubt that Cardiff’s claims will be rejected outright, just like all the others”.

In another case related to the dispute between the two clubs, CAS ruled in 2022 that Sala’s transfer had definitely been finalised at the time of his death.

In 2023, world football’s governing body FIFA ordered Cardiff to pay Nantes the balance of Sala’s transfer fee, which at the time amounted to just over 11 million euros out of a total of 17 million euros.