FLEKS SPORTS DAILY UPDATE

TUESDAY EDITION
📅📅 9TH AUGUST 2022


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HEADLINES

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🎮🎮Is Arnautovic really the answer to Ten Hag’s problems? – Today’s question

🎮🎮Man United reach agreement to sign Adrien Rabiot for initial £15m

🎮🎮Barcelona blocked by La Liga from registering new players before season

🎮🎮Everton sign Conor Coady on season-long loan

🎮🎮Wolves confirm Goncalo Guedes signing on five-year deal

🎮🎮Thiago Alcantara facing six weeks out with hamstring injury

🎮🎮Barcelona accused of inflating TV rights sale by €150m

🎮🎮Azpilicueta admits he considered leaving Chelsea for Barcelona

🎮🎮Barça want De Jong contract annulled due to ‘criminality’ behind agreement

🎮🎮Benjamin Sesko set to join RB Leipzig in 2023

🎮🎮Lewandowski not interested in creating rivalry with Karim Benzema

🎮🎮Conor Coady & Idrissa Gueye undergoing Everton medicals

🎮🎮Inter confirm termination of Alexis Sanchez’s contract

🎮🎮Dortmund enter race to sign Callum Hudson-Odoi from Chelsea

🎮🎮Everton’s Ben Godfrey out for three months with fractured fibula

🎮🎮Arsenal confirm Lucas Torreira exit to Galatasaray

🎮🎮Borussia Dortmund sign Anthony Modeste on one-year deal

🎮🎮Thomas Tuchel admits ageing Chelsea must prepare for ‘new generation’

🎮🎮Sporting CP rule out shock approach for Cristiano Ronaldo

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FLEKS SPORTS UPDATES
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🗞️🗞️Barcelona legal department see clear signs of criminality in the renewals that Bartomeu signed for Ter Stegen, Piqué, Lenglet and Frenkie de Jong. The club have spoken to all four players, but only Piqué is willing to negotiate

🗞️🗞️Joan Laporta’s board are considering taking legal action against Bartomeu’s board over the contract renewals of Frenkie de Jong, Gerard Piqué, Lenglet and Ter Stegen in 2020.

🗞️🗞️Josep Maria Bartomeu claims that the renewals of Piqué, De Jong, Ter Stegen and Lenglet in 2020 were validated by Barça lawyers, audits and La Liga.

🗞️🗞️Barcelona legal department see clear signs of criminality in the renewals that Bartomeu signed for Ter Stegen, Piqué, Lenglet and Frenkie de Jong. The club have spoken to all four players, but only Piqué is willing to negotiate

🗞️🗞️Frenkie de Jong and his entourage believe Barcelona should take responsibility and that they should pay him the contract they promised him. They believe that the fact the club has no money is not their fault.

🗞️🗞️Frenkie de Jong and his entourage do not understand how his contract renewal passed through audits, La Liga regulations, and Forensic without any suspicion. They do not believe there is criminality in his 2020 contract extension.

🗞️🗞️Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s in Chelsea’s list but there are still no direct talks with Barcelona. Deal depends on price tag and salary conditions.

🗞️🗞️Timo Werner has signed a contract at RB Leipzig until 2026. Official Announcement expected today.

🗞️🗞️Rio Ferdinand has said that Manchester United would not even entertain the idea of letting Cristiano Ronaldo leave at present.

🗞️🗞️Bologna’s sporting director Marco Di Vaio says Marko Arnautovic is ‘PRICELESS’ to the club’s project as Manchester United’s woes in the transfer market continue.

🗞️🗞️Bologna manager Sinisa Mihajlović on Man Utd bid for Arnautović: “I would be happy for Marko [in case he joins United] but I don’t think he will leave”. “I spoke to Arnautović about Man Utd proposal – in case he leaves we will see… but I think he will stay”.

🗞️🗞️Manchester United ‘agree £15m fee for Juventus’ Adrien Rabiot’ but will now have to deal with the star’s mother as attention turns to personal terms

🗞️🗞️Bernardo wants to play for Barcelona as it his childhood dream. Silva is waiting for Barça to make a decisive move in the coming days by reaching an agreement with him and Man City, but everything depends on De Jong.

🗞️🗞️Negotiations between Juventus and Memphis Depay could start in the next few days.

🗞️🗞️Chelsea are willing to make Barcelona a good offer for Frenkie de Jong and cover Frenkie’s current deferred salary, reports David_Ornstein

🗞️🗞️Barcelona will pay €8m (add-ons included) for Marcos Alonso. The player will have a 2-year contract + 1 optional year. However, they will not carry out the signing until all the club’s new players have been registered.

🗞️🗞️Piqué has informed Barcelona that he is resigning from his current contract and the club will offer him a new contract with a reduced salary.

🗞️🗞️Frenkie de Jong and his agent are really disappointed with Jordi Cruyff and Barcelona football club. In the next few days they could give their version of the situation.

🗞️🗞️Chelsea defender Malang Sarr undergoing medical ahead of loan move to Monaco

🗞️🗞️Barcelona are preparing an offer to Manchester City for Bernardo Silva if Frenkie de Jong agrees to leave the club.

🗞️🗞️Chelsea owner Todd Boehly called Frenkie de Jong several days ago and the player reiterated his wish to stay at Barcelona. Despite this, Chelsea are still trying to sign the midfielder.

🗞️🗞️Arsenal have announced the sale of Lucas Torreira to Galatasaray. Fee around €7m. Contract until June 2025.

🗞️🗞️Everton have signed Conor Coady from Wolves on a season-long loan, with an option to buy.

🗞️🗞️Cesar Azpilicueta on his reasons to reject Barcelona and stay at Chelsea. “The conversations were there [with Barcelona]. I felt it was the time to go back [to Spain]. But then everything happened with this club and I wanted to stay committed to Chelsea.”

Tottenham Hotspur have agreed a deal to sign Super Eagles-eligible wing-back Destiny Udogie for 15 million pounds(approx. 7.6Billion Naira), according to Sky Sports News.

London Evening Standard claims that it is not necessary for Udogie to travel to Hotspur Way base to conclude the deal.

He is to undergo the routine medical examinations in Italy before signing a five-year contract with the North London club, per reports.

BREAKING 🚨: Tottenham have agreed a deal with Udinese to sign young left wing-back Destiny Udogie 🤝 pic.twitter.com/Aoh9kq0mM9

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) August 9, 2022

However Udogie will not be part of Antonio Conte’s squad this season as he will be loaned back to Udinese, where he will finish the 2022-2023 season, before returning to Tottenham Hotspur next summer.

Antonio Conte’s team are well covered in the left-back position with Ryan Sessegnon and Ivan Perisic, and there is also Sergio Reguilon, who is surplus to requirements.

Manchester City and Brighton were keen on signing him but Tottenham got the deal over the line.

Leicester City manager Brendan remain unlikely to make any new signings this summer despite their lack of options contributing to their 2-2 opening-weekend draw with Brentford.

The Foxes are the only side in Europe’s top divisions yet to bring in a single new recruit and unless there are departures over the next few weeks, that will still be the case come September. Without any new faces, and following the injury to Harvey Barnes, Brendan Rodgers felt he had to change formations for the first game of the season against the Bees.

While preparing to play in a 4-3-3 over the course of pre-season, Rodgers changed to a three-at-the-back system on Sunday, tasking his players with adapting to the new shape in one week. But that would have been different if the manager had been able to secure the signings he had wanted.

When Barnes was unavailable last season, Rodgers was able to call upon loanee Ademola Lookman but with Leicester City not in a position to make signings and bring him back, he has joined the club’s former recruitment chief Lee Congerton at Italian side Atalanta in a £15million deal instead.

Asked if City are going to be able to make signings, Rodgers said: “At this moment in time, I would say no. That was the frustration for us, that with Barnesy out, we didn’t have a direct replacement.

“I would have loved to have signed Ademola who was great here last season and got over 10 goals and assists but we weren’t able to do that. Unfortunately that means we then have to look at the squad and the team and try to adapt, and then put them out to be as best organised as they can be.

“For 60-65 minutes we were excellent in the game, in total control of it, played really well, our pressing was good, our football was terrific. It’s a huge credit to the players because we worked on something for five weeks in pre-season, then in the last game here we had a couple of injuries, we didn’t have a replacement (for Barnes) to come in, so we had to change the structure, and I thought the players played it really well.”

Lookman finished with 13 goals and assists across all competitions last season, the winger most notably bagging the winner against Liverpool. He was seen as a player who could provide competition for Barnes on the left side and was one of the five or six transfers Rodgers wanted as part of a healthy shake-up.

Now, with Barnes injured, Marc Albrighton is the only recognised wide-man in the squad. However, Ayoze Perez has spent much of his City career on the right, James Maddison played there for a large portion of last season, and Dennis Praet came on in Barnes’ place on the left flank in the win over Sevilla.

Clubs participating in the 2022 Aiteo Cup have threatened to pull out after NFF presented Kwara United to CAF as the country’s second representative in the CAF second interclub competition.

The remaining clubs at the quarter-final level of this year’s Aiteo Cup are Niger Tornadoes, Lobi Stars, Wikki Tourists, Nasarawa United, Heartland FC, Katsina United, Kogi United and Kano Pillars.

Confirming this development on Monday morning, President of NPFL Club Owners Association, Barr. Issac Danladi, said, “…We have made contacts with the Federation expecting their response before the close of work today (Monday), otherwise the eight clubs in the quarter final will have no other option than to stop further participation and withdraw from the Aiteo cup.

“In view of the circumstances, we hereby urge clubs affected by this development to remain calm and await further necessary action as our decision is premised on the doctrines of justice, equity and fair play as ” injustice to one is injustice to all.”

Every regular football season, each CAF member country is allocated a number of slots for clubs to take part in both CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup.

For Nigeria, CAF has already provided four slots with three top clubs from the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) and winner of Federation Cup expected to represent the country at the competitions in line with continental and global best practices.

NPFL Champions Rivers United, Plateau United and Remo Stars finished as top three at the end of 2021/22 league season while Kwara United finished fourth on the log table.

The Head Coach of the Nigeria Women’s U20 team, Falconets, Chris Danjuma has declared the readiness of the team to make Nigerians proud in the FIFA U20 Women World Cup in Costa Rica.

The two time finalist arrived Saturday night ahead of the competition kick-off slated for August 10th.

Danjuma revealed that playing against different opponents during the qualifiers will lead his team to do great things in the tournament.

“We took a long route to get here, having to play four different teams in the qualifying series. I can tell you that we are prepared to do Nigeria and Africa proud. It is not about being here to make up the number; it is about being here to make an impact,” he said.

Nigeria will square off against one of the tournament’s  favourites in France in the opening group game on Thursday, August 12th.

Nigeria International Henry Onyekuru helped his team Adana Demirspor to all three points against Giresunspor on Sunday 7 August, 2022 on the openeing day of the Turkish Super Ligue.

The man on loan from Olympiacos was on target when as his club as defeated Giresunspor 3-2 away from home.

Adana Demirspor went into half time two goals up thanks to goals from Gökhan Inler and Younes Belhanda  in the 23rd and 28th minutes.

In the 56th Borja Sainz tried to start a come back for Giresunspor to make it 1-2 but Henry Onyekwuru scored for Adana Demirspor as he was the quickest to get to a loose ball as he scored Adana’s third with just eight minutes to go.

Giresunspor didn’t give up though as the Çotanaklar scored again in added time through Rahmetullah Berişbek.

A delightful Vincenzo Montella said after his lads sealed the 3 points: “We worked very hard in recent periods and we happy to get the win. We have shown top-level game.”

Former Super Eagles winger, Victor Moses career has suffered a major setback after the former Chelsea man suffered an injury which will put him on the sidelines for the next six months.

Moses who has been in top form with Spartak Moscow since the start of the new Russian Premier League season; earning a Man of The Match award and scoring two goals, suffered the injury on Saturday in Spartak’s win against Ural.

The Nigerian who didn’t finish the game was later stretchered off after 33 minutes.

MRI results from the scan done and announced by Spartak Moscow informed that Moses will need surgery due to an Achilles tendon injury sustained in the match.

The development means that Moses will be facing a long lay-off as his recovery will take about 6 months.

Coach of Super Eagles B, Salisu Yusuf has invited 35 players to camp ahead of their crucial CHAN qualifiers against rivals, the Black Galaxies of Ghana, Nigeriasoccernet.com gathered.

Akwa United FC first choice goalkeeper Adeyinka Adewale, who was in the Super Eagles A squad for the international friendlies against Mexico and Ecuador in the United States of America earlier in the summer top the list.

Katsina United FC defender Sani Faisal, Akwa United midfielder Babatunde Bello, Enyimba FC’s safe hands Ojo Olorunleke, and Rivers United midfielder Chiamaka Madu who were also in the USA have been called up, as well as veteran defenders Tope Olusesi and Samson Gbadebo.

Yusuf has also invited Nathaniel Nwosu, who drew rave reviews with his excellent performance in goal for the Flying Eagles as they won the WAFU B U20 Cup in the Niger Republic in May as well as hard-as-nails Rivers United defender Kazie Enyinnaya and NPFL top scorer Chijioke Akuneto, also on the books of champions Rivers United.

All invited players are expected at the Bolton White Apartments in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on Wednesday, 10th August.

The Eagles B will square up to the Black Galaxies in the first leg in Accra on Sunday, 28th August with the return encounter already scheduled for the MKO Abiola National Stadium, Abuja on Saturday, 3rd September.

The winner on aggregate will earn a berth at the 7th African Nations Championship finals to be staged in Algeria early next year.

Nigeria picked the bronze medals at the third edition of the competition held in South Africa in 2014 and then emerged runners-up of the fifth edition hosted by Morocco four years ago. The Eagles B however failed to qualify for the last edition of the competition, staged in Cameroon only early last year as a result of the global coronavirus pandemic.

Invited Players 

Goalkeepers: Victor Sochima (Rivers United); Adeyinka Adewale (Akwa United); Ojo Olorunleke (Enyimba FC); Nathaniel Nwosu (Flying Eagles)

Defenders: Tope Olusesi (Rangers Int’l); Kazie Enyinnaya (Rivers United); Sani Faisal (Katsina United); Samson Gbadebo (Akwa United); Ebube Duru (Rivers United); Christopher Nwaeze (Akwa United); Isa Ali (Remo Stars); Tosin Adegbite (Enyimba FC); Temple Emekayi (Rivers United); Andrew Ikefe (Plateau United)

Midfielders: Babatunde Bello (Akwa United); Philip Ozor (Enyimba FC); Maurice Chukwu (Rivers United); Hafeez Nosiru (Kwara United); Zulkifilu Mohammed (Plateau United); Chiamaka Madu (Rivers United); Jide Fatokun (Kwara United); Kenechukwu Agu (Rangers Int’l); Joseph Onoja (Rivers United); Haggai Katoh (Plateau United); Uche Onwuasonaya (Rivers United)

Forwards: Abdulazeez Yusuf (Gombe United); Sadiq Abubakar (Enyimba FC); Chidiebere Nwobodo (Rangers Int’l); Promise Amadi (Akwa United); Chijioke Akuneto (Rivers United); Valentine Odoh (Abia Warriors); Andy Okpe (Remo Stars); Adams Yakubu (Akwa United); Godspower Aniefiok (Kano Pillars); Ossy Martins (Rangers Int’l)

Rio Ferdinand: “People are saying you’ve got to let Ronaldo go… Well, get someone in who can score 24-25 goals first. Darwin Nunez has gone, Erling Haaland has gone and Robert Lewandowski has gone. They were the three players that you were thinking,

“look these are the only ones that you were going to go for that will outright come into the Manchester United team immediately.” But they’re gone. So Manchester United can’t let Ronaldo go, they can’t. Even if he’s begging to go, they just can’t let him go. It’s not the right thing to do, I don’t think. If you let him go, you’re gambling on Anthony Martial, who’s never been consistent enough for Manchester United, who they would have let go for peanuts last season if there were any takers. He went to Sevilla and didn’t do it. Marcus Rashford hasn’t played properly for probably 18 months, maybe longer. Jadon Sancho last season didn’t hit the heights that United expected, Anthony Elanga’s a young kid…So, you’re looking at it and thinking,

“who can we hang our hat on and say yes, he’s going to drag the others up?” Bruno Fernandes maybe, but he’s not a striker. It’s very easy for everybody to say,

“you’ve got to get rid of Ronaldo, it’s a circus around him, he’s bringing too much attention…” He might be bringing a little bit more attention than the club wants, but the geezer guarantees goals every single season.”

In the pipeline for a while, the African Super League, this new CAF competition, will be officially launched after tomorrow in Tanzania.

In a press release on Monday, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced the official launch of “the long-awaited African Super League on Wednesday August 10, 2022”, we read, by President Patrice Motsepe.

The official launch ceremony will take place in Arusha, Tanzania from 10:00 GMT. It will be broadcast « on several television networks in Africa and other parts of the world, including on CAF’s streaming platforms, CAFTV (YouTube) », indicates the CAF Communication Department.

The details of this new continental