Championship
Stoke, Derby County others eager to have Akin Odimayo
English footballer of Nigerian descent Akin Odimayo has been caught in the middle as Championship sides Stoke and Derby County jostle to have him in their squad. The Swindon Town defender has been impressive doing his job and has attracted attention from a number of clubs in recent times. Odimayo joined The Robins last summer on a free transfer from Reading, and has played over 30 times for the League One side. He has played at both full-back and in central defence for Swindon, who are battling hard to avoid relegation. Despite their struggles as a team, the 21-year-old has impressed. Therefore, Swindon are set to take up the one-year option they have on him before then selling him. Aside from Stoke and County, Sheffield Wednesday and Preston North End are also in the race for Odimayo. Odi...
Arsenal dodged a bullet – calamity keeper is an accident waiting to happen
No-one in football likes losing. However, the feeling of hurt is undoubtedly heightened when something negative happens during a game. That was certainly the case on Friday evening, as Brentford rode their luck to secure a 1-0 victory at Blackburn Rovers. In addition to being denied two clear penalties, the home side also suffered the blow of losing playmaker Bradley Dack to another serious injury. Dack has only recently returned from a lengthy spell on the sidelines, but his comeback looks set to be short-lived. We all hate losing but tonight the football match becomes insignificant when you see one of your brothers hurt. My thoughts and love with you @BradDacks40 💙🙏🏽 — Elliott Bennett (@Ebenno88) March 12, 2021 A clash with Brentford goalkeeper David Raya resulted...
West Ham United must fend off Arsenal for 26-goal striker this summer
West Ham United head into the latest round of fixtures in the Premier League with plenty to play for. The Hammers have defied expectations this season to force themselves into contention for European qualification. Manager David Moyes has got West Ham supremely organised, despite his squad lacking a natural centre-forward. Step forward, Ivan Toney. The Brentford striker has bagged a bucket load of goals in the Championship this season, sparking interest from across the Premier League. SL View Toney’s form for Brentford during the current campaign has triggered talk of a big-money move to the Premier League this summer. The 24-year-old highlighted his ability as a difference-maker as the Bees secured a 1-0 win at Blackburn Rovers on Friday evening. Winning promotion to the top-flight would ...
‘Not going to pay £20m-plus’: Corresondent dismisses Newcastle link with prolific forward
A respected Newcastle United correspondent has dismissed claims that the club are interested in signing Ivan Toney. The Brentford striker previously had an unsuccessful three-year spell with the Magpies, spending most of his time out on loan before being sold to Peterborough United in 2018. After enjoying two prolific seasons in League One, Toney was snapped up by the Bees and has since made a massive impact in the Championship. He has racked up 24 goals in 30 appearances for Brentford, sparking talk that he could secure a move to the Premier League at the end of the season. Leicester City, West Ham United and Arsenal have already been linked with Toney, while Newcastle’s name has also been thrown into the mix. However, Chris Waugh has poured cold water on Newcastle’s supposed interest, sa...
Rodgers ‘in the hunt’ to sign West Ham and Arsenal target
Leicester City have been tipped to make a summer move for Brentford forward Ivan Toney. The 24-year-old has been sensational in the Championship this season, scoring 24 goals in 30 appearances for the Bees. The former Peterborough United star has already been linked with Arsenal and West Ham United, but they could face competition from the Foxes this summer. Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers is searching for a long-term replacement for Jamie Vardy, and the Mirror has claimed that he is ‘in the hunt’ to sign Toney this summer. SL View It is no surprise that Toney has been attracting interest from Premier League clubs given his performances for Brentford this season. However, his potential suitors will have to dig deep if they want to prise him away from the Championship outfit. In addition to ...
West Ham United linked with unrealistic bid for prolific forward – opinion
“David Moyes wants West Ham scouts to track Blackburn hotshot Adam Armstrong ahead of a summer bid.” Alan Nixon. The Sun. That’s probably all you need to know about this nonsense. Apparently, ‘(David) Moyes likes the 18-goal striker and considered an £8 million offer in the January window’. Maybe he was also considering ditching his wife and trading her in for a younger model. Who knows? Nixon goes on to say that the West Ham boss held off in favour of continuing his checks to see if Armstrong is worth the £10m-plus that Rovers want. SL View Where to begin with this one? Nixon – also known as the Twitter blocking machine – likes to portray himself as something of a transfer expert on Lancashire clubs. He isn’t. Let’s break this down. Moyes considered an £8 million offer for Armstrong? Good...
Davies to Liverpool: Reds take odd approach to solving defensive issues – opinion
Liverpool’s acquisition of Ben Davies from Preston North has undoubtedly raised a few eyebrows across the football world. Opinion on the signing is divided, with some fans suggesting it could be an inspired bit of business while others are questioning Liverpool’s sanity. We take a closer look at whether a player with 129 appearances in the Championship under his belt can make the step up to the Premier League. Links with other teams Davies was close to signing for Celtic before Liverpool made their move. He had also been linked with Sheffield United, Burnley and Bournemouth – heady stuff. It is perhaps the proposed move to Celtic that should be most worrying for Liverpool fans. This is a club that thought Shane Duffy was a sensible defensive signing. Be afraid, be very afraid. The Robertso...
Thomas Tuchel appointed new Chelsea manager
Chelsea have confirmed the appointment of Thomas Tuchel as the club’s new manager. The Blues moved swiftly to bring in the German following the decision to sack Frank Lampard on Monday. The 47-year-old will be charged with the task of reviving the fortunes of a side sat in ninth in the Premier League table, with Champions League qualification the likely target for the remainder of the season. Tuchel, who was sacked as coach of Paris Saint-Germain in December, has signed an 18-month contract, with the option of a further year in west London. His predecessor, Lampard, had been handed a three-year contract when the Blues legend was appointed Chelsea boss in the summer of 2019 following a season in charge of Championship side Derby County. When will Tuchel take charge of his first game? Tuchel...
Opinion: Swansea City playmaker not the answer for Leeds United
Media reports linking Leeds United with a move for Swansea City playmaker Yan Dhanda have certainly raised a few eyebrows around the Sportslens team this weekend. Various outlets have reported that the Whites are interested in signing the 22-year-old after he produced some impressive performances in the Championship over the past couple of months. His efforts have helped to fire Swansea into contention for promotion and sparked talk that a move to the Premier League could be on the cards. SL View – Yan Dhanda Dhanda spent five years in Liverpool’s academy before moving to Swansea in search of first-team opportunities in 2018. He initially struggled to force his way into the first team, but he has started to see more game time this season. His ability on the ball has been eye-catching, alth...
FIFA increases Africa’s women’s world cup slot to 6
FIFA has increased Africa’s slots at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup to be held in Australia and New Zealand from three to six. The decision was one of the major decisions the Bureau of FIFA Council took on Thursday, December 24, when it met to discuss the fate of upcoming FIFA competitions. Africa in time past had three direct slots, which were given to the top three performing teams at the Africa Women’s Championship. The new decision, which is due to the expansion of the competing teams from 24 to 32 teams, will mean that Africa will have four direct slots and two others fighting in play-offs. The two host countries, Australia and New Zealand, will automatically qualify for the 2023 World Cup and their slots have been taken directly from the quotas allocated to their confederations, nam...
Wafu B Cup: Ghana edge Burkina Faso to win tournament
Ghana have been crowned winners of the 2020 Wafu B Cup of Nations following a 2-1 triumph over Burkina Faso in Saturday’s final in Benin. Kouame Jean Fiacre Botue scored first for the Young Stallions but captain Daniel Afriyie and Precious Boah hit back for the Black Satellites at Stade Charles de Gaulle in Porto-Novo. Abdul Karim Zito’s outfit not only leave Benin with the trophy but also have a qualification ticket for the 2021 Africa U20 Cup of Nations in Mauritania. Afriyie was among the returnees to the coach’s line-up for the final, taking back his place – at the expense of Issah Huda – after dropping to the bench for the semi-final 5-3 penalty shoot-out win over Niger. Ofori McCarthy was also a new face in the starting set-up, replacing Abdul Mugees Zakaria. Burkina Faso opened the ...
WAFU B Cup: Ghana fall to Cote d’Ivoire but book Niger date
Ghana have ended their group stage campaign at the ongoing Wafu B Cup of Nations in Benin with a 1-0 loss to Ivory Coast but will still progress to the next round of the competition courtesy of a 1-0 victory over Nigeria on the last matchday. Kossi Nguessan’s second-half free-kick proved the separating factor at Stade de Gaules in Porto Novo on Saturday. The Black Satellites ultimately finished second in a three-team group, setting up a semi-final date with Niger. The 2009 world champions had already booked the qualification to the next round of the championship before Saturday’s last group game, having amassed vital three points in their first game against archrivals Nigeria. Ghana coach Abdul Karim Zito made five changes to his starting line-up for Saturday’s game, bringing on Alhassan U...
