Sports

Osimhen To Sign Chelsea Pre-contract Agreement

Published

2 years ago

January 6, 2024

Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen, has agreed to leave Serie A champions, Napoli, for a move to Chelsea in the summer, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

According to TEAMtalk, the 25-year-old, who has a release clause of around £112m, will not be moving this month but is willing to sign a pre-agreement in January before making the switch to Chelsea official at the end of the season.

The report also states that the likes of Didier Drogba and John Obi Mikel have been in regular contact with Osimhen, hoping to persuade him to join Chelsea.

Chelsea have been keen to add a top centre-forward to their ranks for the majority of this season and have Osimhen at the top of their list.

The Blues are also keen on Ivan Toney, but his age and high asking price are seen as barriers to a move to Stamford Bridge.

TEAMtalk reports that the Nigeria international would welcome an approach from the London side and would be happy to agree a pre-agreement this month that would see him officially make the move in the summer.

The Napoli star man will not move this month and the pre-agreement is the only way that a deal will be agreed in this window.

Osimhen recently signed a new deal that secured Napoli a big fee, with a release clause of around £112m attached, a fee that Napoli will demand if they are to sanction a deal this month.

Multiple sources in Italy expect some movement to happen in the coming weeks and are convinced this is the last season they will see the forward in the famous light blue of the Serie A champions.

There is also building pressure on Chelsea to make their move as soon as possible, with the likelihood of a transfer battle in the summer as more clubs will be at the table for Osimhen’s signature.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side experienced a similar situation recently when they signed Enzo Fernandez from Benfica last summer.

Osimhen would become one of the club’s highest-paid players in the summer should he complete the move. Chelsea boss Pochettino has been pushing the board to add more ready-made experience to his young squad and Osimhen will offer that

Sports

AC Milan Scrap Victor Boniface Transfer Over Failed Medical Tests

Published

1 hour ago

August 24, 2025

Editor

AC Milan has called off its proposed transfer of Nigerian striker Victor Boniface from Bayer Leverkusen, claiming the player failed to pass mandatory medical examinations.

The deal, which had been verbally agreed upon with a €5 million loan fee and a €24 million buy option, fell through despite Boniface’s arrival in Milan within the last 48 hours.

The decision was confirmed by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, on Sunday.

“AC Milan call Victor Boniface deal off as Nigerian striker did not pass the medical tests,” Romano posted.

“Despite verbal agreement for €5m loan fee and €24m buy clause with player in Milano in the last 48h, deal called off due to medical. Boniface, returning in Germany today.”

According to reports, the 24-year-old Nigerian international had two anterior cruciate ligament operations and recurring groin problems that have affected his availability in recent seasons.

Milan are not the first Serie A club to have reservations about the striker’s fitness, with reports suggesting that Roma rejected a swap proposal involving Boniface and Ukrainian forward Artem Dovbyk several weeks ago due to similar concerns over the Nigerian’s condition.

Sports

Why I’ll Never Advise My Son To Visit Nigeria – Taribo West

Published

2 days ago

August 22, 2025

Editor

A former Super Eagles defender, Taribo West, on Friday, berated the Nigeria Football Federation and Lagos State Government for allegedly abandoning the family of late goalkeeper, Peter Rufai.

Speaking at Rufai’s burial in a video posted by News Central on Friday, the ex-Inter Milan star expressed disappointment over what he described as the neglect of Nigerian football heroes after their death.

“It’s disheartening that you have Lagos State, you have the Nigerian Football Association. They drop the bulk on the family. I felt in my spirit that there is nothing to put your life for. That’s why I say I have to shift back so that I will not implode. It’s grieving.

“My mother passed on. I never shed tears. My father passed on in my hands. I never shed tears. When Rufai passed on, I had goose pimples on my body. And every individual I’m speaking to, there were tears rolling down my cheeks. What kind of nation is this?” he said

The former international recalled similar situations with late football icons such as Stephen Keshi, Rashidi Yekini, and Thompson Oliha, stressing that the treatment of ex-players discouraged him from encouraging his children to serve the country through football.

“With this kind of example, I will never advise even my son to put his feet for this country. Send me out! Do we have a Football Federation or do we have a Football Association in this Lagos State? That this hero, this soldier, this football evangelist, has to be treated this way in his family.

“Could you imagine that the family would be crying just to solicit in within our groups to ask for money? That is madness. Look, please let me go. I don’t want to pour my heart,” he stated.

Rufai, fondly called “Dodo Mayana,” was Nigeria’s first-choice goalkeeper during the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations triumph and the country’s debut at the FIFA World Cup the same year.

He passed away in July 2025.

Sports

CHAN 2024: Top Scorers Ahead Of Quarter-final Fixtures

Published

4 days ago

August 20, 2025

Editor

Uganda’s Allan Okello and South Africa’s Thabiso Kutumela are currently joint top scorers at the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), with three goals each as the tournament heads into the quarter-final stage.

The group stage concluded on Tuesday, with Sudan holding Senegal to a 0-0 draw to finish top of Group D, while Nigeria defeated Congo 2-0.

Here are the top scorers going into the CHAN quarter-finals:

Allan Okello (Uganda) – 3 goals
Thabiso Kutumela (South Africa) – 3 goals
Abdelrazig Omer (Sudan) – 2 goals
Kaporal (Angola) – 2 goals
Austin Odhiambo (Kenya) – 2 goals
Clement Mzize (Tanzania) – 2 goals
The quarter-final fixtures are scheduled for Friday and Saturday.