Watford
Super Eagles star bids Serie A club goodbye as Watford switch nears
William Troost-Ekong has taken to social media to say his goodbyes to Serie A club Udinese as he nears a switch to Championship side Watford. The 27-year-old Nigerian centre-back has been with the Little Zebras since the 2018-19 season, when he joined from Turkish outfit Bursaspor. He has been a regular fixture in the Udinese squad since then, racking up 66 appearances in all competitions, all which have seen the club comfortably avoid relegation, finishing 12th and 13th, with 43 and 45 points, in respective seasons. Troost-Ekong’s time in Udine is, however, coming to an end with an eminent switch to Vicarage Road as reported by Watford Observer, set to be completed soon. Though he participated in pre-season, Troost-Ekong was an unused substitute in Udinese’s season opener at Hellas Verona...
Deportivo La Coruna sign Uche Agbo from Standard Liege
Segunda Division B side Deportivo La Coruna has announced the permanent signing of Uche Agbo from Belgian First Division A club Standard Liege. The centre-forward put pen to paper on a four-year deal with the Spanish third-tier club after successful medicals. The 24-year-old spent the second half of the 2019-20 season with the side and featured in nine league games but his efforts were not enough to help Fernando Vazquez’s men avoid relegation after finishing 19th on the table. Swayed by his performances during his short stint with the club, the Blues and Whites have decided to secure the forward permanently. “Uche Henry Agbo will continue in the ranks of the Real Club Deportivo,” read a statement from the club website. “The Nigerian midfielder, who played for Depor in the second half of l...
British lawmakers write Commonwealth over killings in Nigeria
Thirteen members of the House of Lords, United Kingdom, have expressed concern over the killings by Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East and Fulani herdsmen in the Middle Belt region. The upper house of parliament members said the failure of the Federal Government to protect Nigerians was a breach of the Commonwealth Charter. They requested the Commonwealth to raise the killings with its Ministerial Action Group. This was contained in a letter to the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland, dated September 14, co-signed by Baroness Cox, Baroness Kennedy, Jim Shannon, Fiona Bruce, former Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Williams and 14 others. They cited a report by the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief, which accused unnamed ...
Report: Southampton want Everton midfielder Tom Davies
Southampton are interested in signing Tom Davies from Premier League rivals Everton in the summer transfer window, according to talkSPORT. It has been reported that the Saints are in talks with the Toffees over the transfer of the midfielder. The report has claimed that Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl sees Davies as a replacement for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who joined Tottenham Hotspur earlier this summer. Hasenhuttl wants to sign the 22-year-old central midfielder on a season-long loan deal, according to the report. Davies has done well for Everton over the years and is progressing well, but there is intense competition for places in midfield this season. Allan has joined from Napoli, while Abdoulaye Doucoure has moved from Watford, and it is going to be extremely hard for Davies to p...
Report: £40m Spurs target wants Liverpool move, talks held over terms already
Liverpool started their 2020-21 Premier League campaign with a thrilling 4-3 win against Leeds United on Saturday at Anfield. The Reds are still a very strong side despite being largely inactive in the transfer market, but Jurgen Klopp probably feels the need now to make necessary incursions to add depth and quality to the side. However, the Reds may look to offload some of their players to fund moves for any potential arrival. And Klopp may need to make ruthless transfer calls. According to reports from The Sun (printed edition, 13/09/2020), Liverpool are keen to sign Ismaila Sarr from Watford this summer. The 22-year-old wants to join Liverpool and the player’s advisors have already met with Anfield chiefs to discuss terms. The Evening Standard reported last month that the Horn...
Everton sign Abdoulaye Doucouré from Watford
Everton have confirmed the signing of Watford midfielder Abdoulaye Doucouré. The Frenchman joins the likes of Allan and James Rodriguez as summer recruits for Carlo Ancelotti’s side. The 27-year-old has signed on a three-year deal with an option for a fourth. 🇫🇷 | And another one… Bienvenue, @abdoudoucoure16! 🔵#BienvenueDoucouré pic.twitter.com/pHYJ0w2b86 — Everton (@Everton) September 8, 2020 “I have been waiting a long time to come here and now it has happened so I am very happy,” Doucoure told evertonfc.com. “I had some interest from other clubs but from the beginning when Everton showed an interest in me I told my agent to focus on Everton. “It was the only club I wanted to join. “Everton has a big history in English football and it is a good club for me to have...
Premier League set to reject requests to postpone games due to Covid outbreaks
Premier League officials are set to reject requests to postpone games in the event of Covid outbreaks amongst top-flight sides, with clubs required to fulfil fixtures unless they have fewer than 14 players available. The 2020/21 season is set to begin this weekend with the division’s authorities determined to finish the rescheduled and congested campaign on time ahead of next summer’s European Championships, with clubs having been informed that fixtures will need to be fulfilled even in the event of significant coronavirus outbreaks amongst top-flight squads. According to the Mail, Premier League clubs will be required to fulfil fixtures unless they have less than 14 players available for selection, including U21 players, who they will be obliged to play in the event of such circumstances....
Report: Club have accepted Everton’s bid for star player, medical tomorrow
According to Telefoot Chaine (via GFFN), English Championship side Watford have accepted Everton’s £20 million bid for Abdoulaye Doucoure and the Frenchman is set to have his medical tomorrow. The midfielder has agreed a four-year contract with the Toffees, and is set to finally join the Merseyside giants after former boss Marco Silva attempted to sign him last summer. Wolverhampton Wanderers and Fulham were also keen on Doucoure, but the box-to-box midfielder always wanted to link up with manager Carlo Ancelotti at Goodison Park, and it appears that it will finally happen in the coming days. Everton saw a £30 million bid for the 27-year-old knocked back last summer as Watford stood firm and refused to let him go, believing he was key to their top-flight survival given his importance at bo...
Report: Liverpool ready to pay £40m to land winger that destroyed them last term
According to The Sun, Liverpool are ready to meet Watford’s £40 million asking price for Ismaila Sarr as they look to land the versatile Senegalese forward this summer. The Reds clearly need quality attacking options on their bench if they want to mount a strong title challenge when the 2020-21 Premier League campaign starts, and they have the 22-year-old on their radar. Sarr was the architect that orchestrated Liverpool’s first league defeat last term, scoring twice in the Hornets’ shocking 3-0 victory at Vicarage Road back in February. The Senegal international is keen to remain in the English top-flight following Watford relegation, and Jurgen Klopp’s side are ready to offer him that chance. Sarr can play on both wings and as a striker, and it’s one of the reasons why the Premier League...
Report: Newcastle are keen on signing 24-yr-old Watford target this summer
Newcastle are interested in signing the PAOK left-back Dimitris Giannoulis. According to Sportime, the 24-year-old could be signed for a fee of around €5-6m and Watford are keen on the player as well. It is no secret that Newcastle need to sign a quality left-back this summer. They had Rose and Willems on loan last season and Bruce needs to find a permanent solution this summer. Giannoulis has done well for PAOK and he could prove to be a useful addition to the Newcastle defence. It will be interesting to see if Newcastle can agree on a fee with his club now. The asking price seems very reasonable and a club with Newcastle’s resources should be able to afford it without any problems. They should look to move quickly in order to fend off the competition from Watford. The Hornets are a ...
Relegated Premier League sides get fixtures as 2020-21 Championship schedule released
Bournemouth will start life back in the Championship at home to Blackburn Rovers, while Watford host Middlesbrough and Norwich City travel to Huddersfield Town. The Cherries were relegated after a five-year stay in the Premier League, while Watford and Norwich were also demoted in a top-flight campaign that was disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. That halt means the new Championship season starts on September 12, with beaten play-off finalists Brentford travelling to Birmingham City on the opening day, while south Wales rivals Cardiff City and Swansea City – who also made the top six – host Sheffield Wednesday and visit Preston North End respectively. Wycombe Wanderers – playing in the second tier for the first time – welcome fellow new boys Rotherham United for their first game, while ...
Britain secures early access to promising vaccine candidates
The British government on Friday announced that it had secured early access to 90 million doses of two new promising vaccine candidates. British citizens will receive early access to 90 million doses of the two COVID-19 vaccine candidates should they prove safe and effective. By far, the British government has secured access to six different vaccine candidates as part of the government’s strategy to build a portfolio of promising new vaccines should any be found to be safe and effective. The government has also agreed in principle to co-fund a global clinical trial with the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson and Johnson to establish how effective their vaccine could be in providing long-term immunity against COVID-19. The next phase of Janssen’s clinical trials is expected to begi...
