Lille
Victor Osimhen: Napoli’s alternate striking target was Ciro Immobile
As Napoli close in on a deal for Victor Osimhen, it is claimed their other striking target was Lazio’s Ciro Immobile. Napoli officials are in Sardinia to finalise Osimhen’s transfer from Lille, which could cost as much as €81m. In the meantime, La Repubblica reports the Partenopei had also looked at Immobile. The hitman was born in Naples and his agent once said he could not turn down a move to his hometown club. However, Lazio owner Claudio Lotito had demanded no less than €50m for his No 9, which Aurelio De Laurentiis deemed too much for a player who turned 30 in February. Immobile is currently Capocannoniere in Serie A with 29 goals, but Osimhen is just 21 in comparison and ran out as Lille’s top scorer for 2019-20 with 13 strikes. Get more stories like this on Twitter You Deserve to Ma...
Victor Osimhen ready to join Napoli
Nigeria forward Victor Osimhen is ready to join Serie A club Napoli. The 21-year-old visited Napoli’s training facilities, plus head coach Gennaro Gatusso and president Aurelio De Laurentiis two weeks ago. Osimhen was however not too keen on linking up with the Partenopei due to racism issue in Italy. The former VFL Wolfsburg striker spoke with Senegal forward Kalidou Koulibaly who reassured him there is no racism issue in Italy. According to multiple reports, Napoli director Cristiano Guintoli met Lille president Gerard Lopez and Osimhen’s intermediaries for more face-to-face negotiations on Monday. He hopes to sweep aside the remaining doubts and convince Osimhen that this is the best step in his career. The cost of the transfer will be in the region of €50m plus Adam Ounas, which will b...
Victor Osimhen re-evaluates Napoli offer, to decide over the next 48 hours
Victor Osimhen will make a decision over the next 48 hours, but a new intermediary has helped smooth things over with Napoli. The Lille forward has repeatedly asked for more time, as he feels undue pressure from his agent and entourage to accept the Partenopei proposal. Sources stated last week that he was ready to reject the move, not so much because of Napoli, but as an act of defiance against those close to him who were trying to orchestrate the transfer. Now Radio Punto Nuovo – and sources – suggest the situation is changing, as Osimhen is being given the time and space to make his choice autonomously. “Napoli is still a possibility,” sources said. This is largely thanks to the introduction of a new intermediary in the negotiations, who is making Osimhen feel more at ease with the deci...
AC Milan join Napoli in race for Victor Osimhen
Italian giants AC Milan have joined Napoli in the race for Nigeria and Lille striker, Victor Osimhen. In a surprise development, Football Italia reported Milan had entered the race to sign Lille striker, although Napoli still remain strong contenders. Osimhen visited the Napoli facilities, meeting with coach Gennaro Gattuso and President Aurelio De Laurentiis last week. He wanted time to consider all the options, including waiting for an offer from the Premier League, but that does not appear to be materialising. Instead, Football Italia sources in Nigeria now suggest Milan are in the picture too, preparing their own proposal for Lille and the 21-year-old forward. The asking price is expected to be at least €50m, so the Rossoneri would try to include some players to lower the cost of the o...
Arsenal chiefs identify Victor Osimhen as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s replacement
Arsenal chiefs have identified Lille striker, Victor Osimhen, as a replacement for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Daily Express says Arsenal are tracking Osimhen as a potential replacement for Aubameyang. Aubameyang looks set to leave this summer after failing to negotiate new terms at Emirates Stadium. The Gunners are keen to avoid a repeat of the scenario which saw Aaron Ramsey leave for free last summer, so will offload Aubameyang this summer to ensure they get a fee. Osimhen has scored 13 goals in 25 Ligue 1 starts this season. Meanwhile, Osimhen has turned down an offer from Napoli. The Nigeria striker is being put up for sale by LOSC president Gerard Lopez as he seeks to balance the club’s books for next season. Napoli are keen, but Eurosport’s Manu Lonjon reports Osimhen has already...
NFF sympathises with Victor Osimhen over dad’s demise
The Nigeria Football Federation has reached out to Super Eagles’ forward Victor Osimhen who lost his father on Saturday evening, expressing grief and a groundswell of sorrow among the Nigerian Football family over the passing of the patriarch of the Osimhen family. Reports said Mr. Patrick Osimhen, 80, died in Lagos on Saturday night after a brief illness. President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Mr. Amaju Melvin Pinnick, was the first to reach out to the player following the outbreak of the sad news, and he assured the former U17 World Cup winner of the empathy and support of the country’s football family at this challenging moment for the youngster and his family. “I have spoken to Victor Osimhen and expressed the sorrow of the NFF and the entire Nigerian Football family. His club, ...
Everton submit £20m offer for Brazilian defender, personal terms provisionally agreed: report
Everton are understood to have made a fresh bid to sign Gabriel Magalhaes from Lille when the transfer window reopens at the end of the campaign, Football Insider reports. The French centre-back has been regularly linked with the Toffees in recent months and it was suggested in March that they could sign him for around £30m this summer. However, according to Football Insider, the Merseyside outfit have yet to finalise any fee with the French outfit and they are planning to make an offer of around £20m for the central defender. It is added that they are confident of finding an agreement with Lille for the Brazil international, having already agreed on provisional personal terms over a five-year deal with the centre-back. The Toffees are looking to rebuild their squad during the ne...
Report: Euro club sticking to their asking price on 22 y/o player wanted by Everton
It is an open secret that Everton are looking to sign a central defender in the summer transfer window. Carlo Ancelotti could be looking to offload either of Yerry Mina or Michael Keane, and a top-quality centre-back is needed to replace them. The Toffees have been heavily linked with a move for Lille defender Gabriel Magalhaes, with the Guardian claiming last month that the 22-year-old is poised to become Everton’s first signing under Carlo Ancelotti. Andy Hunter claimed that Everton officials have continued to negotiate a deal for the 22-year-old Brazilian player despite the lockdown situation across the world during the coronavirus pandemic. He added that the Toffees are hopeful that he will move to Goodison Park later in the year. Gabriel’s fee would be in the region of £30m. Howe...
Reported Tottenham Hotspur target responds to speculation
Reported Tottenham Hotspur and Lille defender Zeki Celik has told DHA that he is happy at the club. According to BuzzSport, Tottenham are interested in signing Celik from French club Lille in the summer transfer window. It has been reported that Premier League club Spurs may have to spend as much as €30million (£26.18 million) as transfer fee to secure the services of the right-back. However, the Turkey international right-back has said that he is happy at his current club. Celik told DHA: “I have a four-year contract with my club. It is also said that there are suitors for the transfer, but I do not know. I am preparing for the new season and I am happy with my club.” Stats According to WhoScored, Celik made 23 appearances in Ligue 1 for Lille this season before the campaign was called of...
UEFA releases possible dates for Champions League games
UEFA’s plan to complete the Champions League and Europa League continues. The plan says that they will be played throughout the month of August once the leagues are done in July. UEFA have an idea which is to end the season by the end of August. Therefore, the domestic leagues need to be completed by the end of July. The proposal is for the remaining last 16 games to be played in the first week of the month. On 26th and 29th August, Gdansk and Istanbul will host the Europa League and Champions League finals respectively. ‘Marca’ says that they will try and stick to that instead of playing both the finals at the same venue. There are 17 Champions League and 27 Europa League matches left to play. Confirmation of the new calendar depends first on leagues getting back underway and then on the ...
Victor Osimhen emerges fourth best scorer in Ligue 1
Victor Osimhen has emerged as the fourth highest goalscorer in the French Ligue 1 this season. The 2019/2020 campaign was cancelled last week, following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Osimhen, who joined Lille from Belgian outfit, Sporting Charleroi last summer scored 13 goals and bagged four assists in 27 league appearances for the Great Danes. Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe won the Golden Boot with 18 goals, while Monaco’s Ben Yedder came second with same number of goals. Mbappe edged out Ben Yedder because he scored more goals from open play. Three out of Ben Yedder’s 18 goals came from the spot while none of Mbappe’s 18 strikes were penalties. Mbappe also had a better goals-per-game ratio, scoring 18 in 20 – the same number in six games less than his rival Ben Yedder. M...
