Transfer news : Inter Milan ready to let Candreva leave for Chelsea

Chelsea are eager to add another creative forward to their ranks with this summer amid reports that Barcelona are looking at Eden Hazard as a potential replacement for PSG-bound Neymar.

The Blues have been linked with a move for Inter Milan attacker Antonio Candreva as a versatile addition to his squad seeing as he can play in a wing-back role or more advanced.
Inter Milan seem ready to part ways with Candreva this summer as the Mirror note than the San Siro club are eyeing a move for Lazio attacker Balde Keita.

If Inter can beat Serie A rivals Juventus to Keita’s signature than Candreva will be allowed to leave the club and Chelsea are ready to sign him.
Antonio Conte worked with Candreva during his time in charge of the Italian national side and is keen to bring him to Stamford Bridge. - Read Sport

Football : The soaring world-record fee

With Barcelona forward Neymar edging closer to a £198m switch to Paris Saint-Germain, we've charted every record-breaking transfer since 1992... 

Talks over what would be a world record move are at an advanced stage and Neymar was given permission by Barcelona to miss training on Wednesday morning.
His fee would mark a 110 per cent rise from Paul Pogba's landmark £93.25m transfer from Juventus to Manchester United last summer.
That would make the deal the biggest hike since 1932, when Bernabe Ferreyra joined River Plate for £23,000 to break David Jack's £10,890 move to Arsenal four years earlier.

We chart the meteoric rise of world record transfer fees from 1992 to present day...
Jean-Pierre Papin, £10m (1992) 
Jean-Pierre Papin racked up 285 league appearances for Marseille and was named European Player of the Year in 1991 before his world record £10m transfer to AC Milan in July 1992.
However, the French striker only made 40 appearances in Serie A, scoring 18 goals, and moved to Bayern Munich in 1994 before returning to Ligue 1 in 1996 with Bordeaux, Guingamp and retiring with Saint-Pierroise.

Gianluca Vialli, £12m (1992) 
Days after Papin signed for Milan, Juventus smashed the world record again when they signed Gianluca Vialli for £12m after the Italian had helped Sampdoria reach the European Cup final.
Vialli spent four successful seasons in Turin, playing alongside Roberto Baggio, Alessandro Del Piero, Fabrizio Ravanelli and Paulo Di Canio before joining Chelsea on a free transfer in 1996 and taking the helm at Stamford Bridge in 1998.
Gianluigi Lentini, £13m (1992) 
AC Milan broke the world record again weeks after Vialli's record fee, signing Torino winger Gianluigi Lentini for £13m - despite only having made his international debut for Italy in February 1991.

Lentini was injured in a serious car crash in 1993 and rejoined Torino three years later after making 60 appearances for Milan - staying at the club until 2001 before playing for several lower-league Italian clubs.
Ronaldo, £13.2m (1996) 
Four years after Lentini's record fee, Barcelona splashed £13.2m on PSV striker Ronaldo after the Brazil forward scored 54 goals in 58 Eredivisie appearances.

Ronaldo hit the ground running at the Nou Camp under boss Sir Bobby Robson, scoring the winning goal in the European Cup Winners' Cup final against Paris Saint-Germain and winning FIFA World Player of the Year at just 20 years old - but he left the club after just one season due to contract issues.
Alan Shearer, £15m (1996) 
Alan Shearer became the first Premier League player to break the world record transfer fee in July 1996 after joining Newcastle from Blackburn for £15m, having won the Premier League title with Rovers in 1994/95 and helped England reach the Euro '96 semi-finals.

Shearer enjoyed a decade at St James' Park before hanging up his boots and became the all-time Premier League top scorer with 260 goals - a record that still stands today.
Ronaldo, £19.5m (1997) 
Ronaldo broke the transfer record for the second time in a year after spending just one season at Barcelona, joining Inter Milan for £19.5m in July 1997.
In the same year, Ronaldo was crowned FIFA World Player of the Year for the second time and won the Ballon d'Or. He spent four years in Serie A, lifting the World Cup with Brazil before signing for Real Madrid in 2002.

Denilson, £21.5m (1998) 
Real Betis extended the world record transfer fee to £21.5m when they signed 21-year-old Sao Paulo winger Denilson in 1998, having made his international debut for Brazil two years earlier.
Denilson spent seven years in La Liga with a brief spell on loan at Flamengo in 2000 and signed for Bordeaux in 2005, joining MLS side FC Dallas in 2007 for one season before representing several lesser clubs and retiring in 2010.
Christian Vieri, £32.1m (1999) 
Inter Milan broke the world record fee again in 1999 after acquiring the services of Lazio striker Christian Vieri for £32.1m after the Italian had impressed at numerous clubs including Juventus and Atletico Madrid.

Vieri initially teamed up with former world-record breaker Ronaldo in Milan and enjoyed several successful seasons at Inter and scored 103 goals in 143 league appearances, moving to rivals AC Milan in 2005 before representing Monaco, Sampdoria, Atlanta and Fiorentina.
Hernan Crespo, £35.5m (2000) 
Lazio spent the income generated from Vieri's sale to Juventus and more after securing the signature of Parma striker Hernan Crespo for £35.5m in 2000.

The Argentine ended his first season in Rome as Serie A's top goalscorer but replaced Ronaldo at Inter Milan in 2002 after Lazio sold several key players due to financial difficulties, before spending five seasons at Chelsea and representing AC Milan, Genoa and second spells with Inter and Parma.
Luis Figo, £37m (2000) 
Portugal playmaker Luis Figo began a 13-year period of Real Madrid dominance for purchasing the world's most expensive players, known as Galacticos, making a controversial switch from Barcelona to Clasico rivals Real Madrid for £37m in 2000.

Figo was awarded the Ballon d'Or later in the same year and spent five years at Madrid, claiming two La Liga titles and winning the Champions League in 2002, before ending his career with four seasons at Inter Milan.
Zinedine Zidane, £47.2m (2001) 
One year later, Madrid smashed the world record transfer fee for a second successive season, signing Juventus midfielder Zinedine Zidane for £47.2m, having won two Serie A titles and the Ballon d'Or in 1998 during his time in Turin.

The Frenchman scored the winning goal in the Champions League final against Bayer Leverkusen in 2002, winning the La Liga title and being named FIFA World Player of the Year for the third time in his career in 2003 .
However, Zidane ended his playing career controversially after being sent off in the 110th minute of the 2006 FIFA World Cup final for headbutting Italy's Marco Materazzi, but he returned to Real as head Castilla coach in 2014 before being appointed head coach of the senior side in 2016.

Kaka, £59m (2009) 
It would be another eight years before Zidane's fee would be surpassed, when Kaka became the next Galactico to sign for Madrid in a £59m deal, after scoring 70 goals in 193 Serie A appearances for AC Milan, winning the World Cup with Brazil in 2002, the Champions League in 2007 and being awarded the FIFA World player of the Year and Ballon d'Or in the same year.
Kaka spent four seasons in Madrid but returned to Milan on a free transfer in a two-year deal before moving to MLS side Orlando City in 2014.

Cristiano Ronaldo, £80m (2009) 
One month later, Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo made an £80m switch to Real Madrid, having won four Premier League titles, the Champions League and winning the Ballon d'Or in 2008 during his six years at Old Trafford.
Ronaldo has now completed nine seasons at Real since his blockbuster move and broken numerous league records en-route to winning two La Liga titles, three Champions League finals and three additional Ballon d'Or wins.

Gareth Bale, £85.3m (2013) 
Gareth Bale became the world's most expensive player in 2013, and the fourth consecutive record-breaker to sign for Real Madrid, when the Wales international moved to the La Liga giants from Tottenham for £85.3m.
Bale has established himself in Madrid alongside former world-record breaker Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, scoring 54 goals in 100 league appearances, winning three Champions League titles and helping Real lift their first La Liga trophy in five years last season.

Paul Pogba, £93.25m (2016) 
Jose Mourinho made his first marquee signing as Manchester United boss by smashing the world-record transfer fee to re-sign Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba for £93.25m in 2016.

The France international had left Old Trafford on a free transfer four years earlier but won the Europa League in his first season back at Old Trafford to guarantee Champions League football this term.

Neymar, £198m (2017)
However, Pogba's record fee is set to be eclipsed within a year if PSG sign Neymar for £198m, having joined Barcelona as a 21-year-old in 2013.
Despite winning two La Liga titles and the Champions League in 2014/15.- SKY Sport

Na wa !!! Lady arrested for stealing bag of condoms in Lagos

A young lady identified as Mary Johnson has been arrested and arraigned before a court for stealing a handbag full of condoms which she mistook for cash. The bag was stolen from a nightclub in Lagos State.
The 29-year-old lady was charged before a Lagos court and was remanded in prison custody.

The incident occurred at Diamond Club, Allen Avenue in Ikeja, Lagos.
Florence Ahokpa who is the victim, was said to have kept her hand bag while engaging in a discussion with an undisclosed person when the suspect reportedly stole it.

Soon after the talk, Florence came back for her bag but discovered it was missing. An alarm was raised immediately, by the time the suspect was making an attempt to leave the club house with the bag.

Further investigation shows that the stolen bag contained condoms, her phones and other personal effects.

The suspect was arraigned at the Ikeja Magistrates court and she pleaded not guilty.
She was granted bail in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties in like sum by the presiding Magistrate, Mrs A.O Layinka.
She was remanded in prison custody pending when her bail condition is perfected. - Daily Post

Ritual : Popular Ibadan-based radio presenter, Hamzat allegedly caught with dead body of teenager

A radio presenter in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, Oriyomi Hamzat, has appeared before an Iyaganku Magistrates’ court for the alleged murder of a 17-year-old boy.

Hamzat was arrested by the State’s police command after the body of the boy was found in his car.

The dead boy was an orphan being raised in an unregistered orphanage home, allegedly belonging to the suspect.
27-year-old Idowu Ibrahim, 23-year-old Taiwo Olaronke, Mohammed Bashir 31, and Yusuff Ajisafe, 23 were also arraigned in connection with the orphan’s murder.

The charge sheet, with number mi/1248c/201, stated that the five suspects were arraigned on two counts of conspiracy and murder.
The Police prosecutor, Sunday Fatola, earlier told the court that Hamzat and others on July 21, 2017, at about 4am, in the Oremeji Agugu area of Ibadan, conspired together to commit murder.

Fatola also said that the suspects unlawfully caused the death of the victim by inflicting injury on his head and body.
The magistrate, A. A. Adebisi, ordered that the accused be kept behind bars in the Agodi Prison pending the release of legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.
The case was adjourned till September 5, 2017. Daily Post

Kidnap capital of south west !!! Gunmen abduct Ikeja council clerk, demand N20m

Gunmen on Wednesday morning kidnapped the Ikeja Local Government Clerk, Shamsideen Abiodun Omotayo.

Omotayo was whisked away at Imota, Ikorodu, while on his way to work, spokesman for the local council secretariat, Bello Onilegbale said.
According to him, Omotayo’s kidnappers have contacted the council’s Head of Administration, Mrs. Mosunmola Otaiku-Okoka.
He said they demanded N20 million ransom. The Nation

Yeah !! corruption and looting !!! We are greater together than apart – Osinbajo

The Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday urged Nigerians to exercise caution in their utterances and respect each other in their conversations and interactions to foster national unity.

He said “we are greater together than apart.”
Speaking at a seminar on national unity and stability at the Department of State Security (DSS) Training School, Bwari, Abuja, Osinbajo also advised the citizenry to shun all narratives which foment trouble and create divisions and embrace those that unite.
The acting President said the language of exchange in the country must be civil, adding that we must not tolerate a situation where people speak in any way they like.

He was reacting to hate speeches which had crept up in different sections of the country and heat up the polity.
Osinbajo warned that the Federal Government had no choice than to ensure the security of lives and property of citizens.

He noted that the administration had initiated series of social investment programmes to promote social justice and give all Nigerians a sense of belonging.
“The truth is that we have a duty to ensure that we deal seriously with the issue of poverty and social justice,’’ he said, adding that the N500 billion earmarked for social investment programme would be utilised in that direction.

He said the fund was not for poverty alleviation but specifically meant to correct the social and economic imbalance in the country.

Traitors !!! MEND pulls out of deal with Niger Delta elders

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) has withdrawn its representatives in the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), a coalition of elders and leaders of the region.

PANDEF was instrumental in ending the resurgence of militancy under the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Jomo Gbomo, spokesman of MEND, who announced the withdrawal of his organisation in a statement, accused the leaders of the forum of being insincere.
The development comes two days after PANDEF gave the federal government a three-month ultimatum to implement the agreements reached in the peace deal.

Gbomo said the stakeholders who were silent under the “wasted” years of former President Goodluck Jonathan in power have “miraculously” regained their voice.
He also accused PANDEF of issuing threats to the federal government through some militant groups.
“The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) dissociates itself from the hypocritical press conference called on Monday, July 31, 2017 in Abuja by the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF),” the statement read.
“PANDEF, led by elder statesmen Chief Edwin Clark and His Royal Highness King Alfred Diette -Spiff, lack the moral justification in giving an ultimatum to the federal government and making demands they never made from Goodluck Jonathan when he was at the helm for six wasted years.

“Instead of listening to the so-called Niger Delta activists and the compromised Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) who have miraculously regained the voices they lost when Jonathan was president, and instead of issuing threats through fake internet-based militant groups, PANDEF ought to have used the forum and opportunity to commend the federal government for exposing the monumental looting of our commonwealth by some sons and daughters of the soil starting from the former president, his wife Patience, cousins, relatives and cronies and so many other traitors; down to the mind boggling theft by Dieziani Allison-Madueke, who empowered others while her people lived in squalor and abject poverty.

“PANDEF is also pretending not to notice that the Amnesty programme is still operating on the corrupt template that still pays ghost militants after it hoodwinked the government into believing in the fraud. A programme that has neglected the children of the dead freedom fighters and those in prison, for those that never made any sacrifice is cursed.
“In view of our irreconcilable differences, MEND hereby recalls its representatives in PANDEF for consultation with immediate effect.” Cable Nigeria

AGF wahala ! same old story !! - AGF, EFCC head for showdown over high-profile case files

The office of the attorney-general of the federation is heading for a showdown with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for  allegedly breaching the rules in its prosecutions, TheCable understands.

An EFCC official, who declined to be named, told TheCable that Ibrahim Magu, the acting chairman of the EFCC, was on Tuesday served a letter from the office of the AGF seeking compliance with the regulation on the prosecution of “serious” cases, usually understood to mean high-profile investigations.
Specifically, the attorney-general, Abubakar Malami, is accusing Magu of breaching section 10(1) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Enforcement) Regulations 2010.
The regulation mandates the EFCC to forward the outcome of investigations along with its recommendations to the AGF in cases or complaints that are “serious or complex”.

A case is considered “serious or complex” if it has significant international dimension, involves money or assets of a value exceeding N50 million or requires specialised knowledge of financial, commercial, fiscal or regulatory matters such as the operations of the markets, banking systems, trusts or tax regimes.
It is also considered serious if it involves allegations of fraudulent activities against numerous victims, involves a significant loss of money by a ministry or department or public body, is likely to be of widespread public concern or involves an alleged misconduct which amounts to economic sabotage.

After the EFCC must have conducted the investigations, it is then left to the office of the AGF to decide whether or not there are sufficient grounds to initiate prosecution, according to the regulation.
EFCC officials believe Malami is seeking to take over the prosecution of cases handled by the commission in order to water down the anti-graft war, but sources at his office said he is trying to reassert himself “having been persistently sidelined by the anti-graft agencies under his supervision”.

There was a similar showdown between the AGF and EFCC in 2007 when Michael Aondoakaa, then the attorney, sought to take over the prosecutorial powers of the anti-graft agency, headed by Nuhu Ribadu at the time.
Ribadu was eventually removed as the EFCC chairman.
Last weekend,  Okoi Obono-Obla, special assistant to the president on prosecutions, threatened that Malami would report Magu and Ekpo Nta, chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to the presidency for breaching the rules.
He accused the agencies of withholding the case files of more than 35 former governors and senators from the AGF.

Obono-Obla said the failure to forward the files to the AGF since July 2016 when the request was made had caused a setback to the anti-graft war, blaming the strings of losses recorded in high-profile cases on the “breach”.
He also accused the EFCC and ICPC of failing to cooperate with Malami, which had led to the loss of some high-profile corruption cases.

But EFCC’s head of legal department, GK Latona, has since denied claims of not cooperating with the AGF, maintaining that “we are not working at cross purposes with the office of the attorney general of the federation; we are cooperating with them. We have a wide range of corruption cases in concert with state agencies.”
He also said the attorney-general’s office has the right to initiate new high-profile corruption cases and investigate them without waiting for cases initiated by the EFCC. - Cable Nigeria

Transfer news : Liverpool target Keita unlikely to sign new RB Leipzig deal, admits Rangnick

Liverpool target Naby Keita is not expected to renew his RB Leipzig contract, according to sporting director Ralf Rangnick, potentially opening to door to a €50 million exit in 2018.

After a stellar first season in the Bundesliga, Keita has been heavily linked with a switch to Liverpool and Leipzig last month confirmed they had rejected a bid of €75m for the midfielder.
The Guinea international is contracted to the German side until 2020, but reports in Germany claim a €50m release clause in his existing deal will become active at the conclusion of the upcoming season.
Rangnick admits it is unlikely Leipzig will tie Keita down to new terms beforehand, but reiterated the player will not be leaving in this transfer window.

"I am not currently assuming that we will be able to extend his contract prematurely," Rangnick told Sport Bild.
"I can assure you that Naby will be playing with us this season. All other scenarios also depend on how we do this season, how Naby plays himself and so on."
Having secured a place in the Champions League by finishing second to Bayern Munich in their maiden Bundesliga campaign, an unwillingness to part with their prized assets before a landmark season is behind their staunch opposition to letting Keita go.

 Rangnick said: "It does not matter at all whether it's €75 million or €100 million. We have not developed for five years so that we can lose one of our best players in the first Champions League season. - Goal

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Transfer updates : Messi bids fond farewell to Neymar

Lionel Messi has wished Neymar "a lot of luck in this new stage of your life" as his Barcelona colleague closes in on a world-record move to Paris Saint-Germain.

Neymar's proposed €222million switch to the French capital swiftly gathered pace on Wednesday as Barca head coach Ernesto Valverde granted the 25-year-old permission to miss training and tie up his future.



The Brazil star informed the Barcelona board and his team-mates of his intention to leave and Messi, who lined up in the all-conquering "MSN" forward line alongside Neymar and Luis Suarez, paid tribute to his colleague in an Instagram post. 

"It was a great pleasure to have shared all these years with you friend @neymarjr," Messi posted alongside a photo montage of the pair.
"I wish you a lot of luck in this new stage of your life. See you, I love you a lot."
Messi signed a new contract at Barcelona last month, reportedly worth €565,000 per week, tying him to Camp Nou until 2021.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner's continued presence at Barca is rumoured to have been a factor in Neymar's decision to leave, with his inner circle reportedly of the opinion that he will not be considered the best player in the world until he has the opportunity to step out of Messi's shadow.
Neymar scored 105 goals in 186 games for Barcelona, with 20 of those strikes coming from Messi assists. He set up Messi on 22 occasions out of a total 59 assists.

In a club statement, Barca said they would insist on the full payment of Neymar's €222m release clause – something one of the players' representatives, Wagner Ribeiro, told Spanish reporters at Barcelona's El Prat airport would not present a problem.

UEFA told Omnisport all transfers come under the jurisdiction of FIFA so this would be a matter for world football's governing body.
LaLiga president Javier Tebas told AS on Wednesday that Spain's top flight could seek to block the transfer on the grounds of PSG being in breach of UEFA Financial Fair Play rules by paying such a fee.

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Photo : US man accused of using fake UK passport for 20 years

An Oregon man has been accused of using a fake UK passport for close to 20 years.

Local media said that the man is accused of using a passport with a dead baby’s name on it multiple times.

He used it to enter Mexico, Thailand, Cambodia, China, Russia, Guatemala and Kazakhstan.
Assistant US Attorney Benjamin Tolkoff said investigators suspect the man was “up to something nefarious”.

US Department of State Special Agent Michael T McLean said the 53-year-old man’s birth name is Timothy Michael Schneidt, born in Wyoming.

He changed his name to Timothy M Matthews in 2013.
He is accused of using the name Peter Matthews – the name of a baby who died shortly after birth in 1963 in Great Britain.

Officials in the United Kingdom revoked the passport in October 2012. - PA

BA chaos at UK airports as systems crash causing delays and 'huge queues'

British Airways systems have crashed at UK airport this morning, causing chaos for passengers.

Passengers faced long queues at airports following a glitch with the airline's check-in system.
Disruption was reported at airports including Heathrow, Gatwick and London City.
The airline said it was having to use a manual check-in process which takes longer than the computerised system.
One passenger described the bag drop area at Heathrow Terminal 5 as "almost at a standstill".

BA issued a statement shortly before 9am stating that the problem had been resolved and passengers were being checked in as normal.
It went on: "We are sorry for the temporary check-in problems which caused some delays for our customers first thing this morning.
"This issue is now resolved and our staff are working flat out to help customers get away on their holidays."

The disruption comes around two months after more than 670 flights were cancelled due to a power failure over the spring bank holiday weekend.

Passengers complained that the airport was ‘complete chaos’ this morning and some claimed to have missed their flights.
Amanda Porter tweeted BA and said: “T5 is absolute carnage with systems down!! Very unhappy customers left right and centre.”
She added that it took her nearly two hours to check in because of the hold up.
Passenger Nick Haley also reported there were delays at London City airport.

He tweeted: "Uuuuge queues at London City after @British_Airways systems crash and now a 30-45 minute grounding waiting to leave."
Another passenger claimed he had missed his flight because his boarding pass "could not be printed".
Travellers also claimed they were stuck on the runway for over an hour. - Mirror

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Meet the mysterious billionaire who just become the second-richest man in the world

Amancio Ortega is the second-richest man in the world, with a net worth estimated at $85.5 billion.

The mysterious founder of Zara just beat out Jeff Bezos to become the second-richest person in the world.

Amancio Ortega claimed the No. 2 spot on the list of the world's richest people on Tuesday, Forbes reported. Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos - who just last week beat out Bill Gates to briefly claim the title of the richest man in the world - dropped to the No. 3 position.
Bezos' drop is due to Amazon stock fluctuations, as the ecommerce company's stock has fallen nearly 5% since last Thursday. As of Tuesday afternoon, Forbes estimates Ortega's net worth to be $85.5 billion, compared to Bezos' estimated net worth of $84.6 billion.

Despite Ortega's enormous wealth, many people have never heard of him. Ortega is an incredibly private man, is rarely seen in public, and has given just a handful of interviews throughout his incredibly successful career.
That career began when Ortega founded fast-fashion giant Zara with his then-wife Rosalia in 1975. Today, his retail company Inditex SA - which owns Zara, Massimo Dutti, and Pull&Bear - has 7,385 outposts around the world.

While Ortega is immensely private, we do know a fair amount about him. 

PL :Are Arsenal title contenders?

There will be no Champions League football at Arsenal this season but can they mount a genuine Premier League title challenge? Read our 2017/18 preview with expert views from Charlie Nicholas.

Last season's finishing position: Fifth (-3)Total points: 75 (+4)Champions League: Round of 16FA Cup: WinnersEFL Cup: Fifth roundTop league scorer: Alexis Sanchez (24)
Key stat: Arsenal finished outside the top four for the first time under Arsene Wenger. Despite a points improvement of four, better campaigns for other sides saw them drop three places - although they did set a new points record for the team finishing fifth.

Major ins: Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon, £52.7m), Sead Kolasinac (Schalke, free)
Major outs: Wojciech Szczesny (Juventus, £13.5m), Yaya Sanogo (Toulouse, free), Chris Willock (Benfica, free)

CHARLIE NICHOLAS'S VIEWCan Arsenal finally step up to the plate and challenge for the title?
NICHOLAS: That's the simple question right now. Forget the Europa League, it's all about the Premier League and taking on the big spenders, led by Manchester City. I fear there are some way off because of the confusion at the club. Arsene Wenger used the wrong terminology when suggesting they are in an ideal situation with the contracts.

Wenger is caught in a difficult place because he's such a loyal guy and, while I have no issue with him being prudent, he said he would analyse it all at the end of the campaign but he's still not addressed the defensive issues. I stand by what I said last season, they don't have the best XI, maybe not the best 15, but the squad is among the best around.
There's so much dead wood to get rid of around the club. That's what Antonio Conte has done at Chelsea, but Arsenal's numbers are terrifying in terms of the players sat around who aren't doing anything.

Which of their players are you most excited about watching?
NICHOLAS: Alexandre Lacazette by a mile. Arsenal will always give goals away because they are an attack-minded team but they were not clinical enough last season. They had Man City by the throat at the Etihad and they lacked the ability to finish them off.
Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey should be identifying the chances to find Lacazette's movement. He reminds me a bit of Nicholas Anelka, with pace and power and he's a deadly finisher.

What are the challenges facing the manager this season?
NICHOLAS: I still anticipate Alexis Sanchez leaving this summer. Of course, I'd like to see him stay long-term but I would rather see it sorted. I know it happens all the time but clubs should not be held to ransom by footballers.
The last time this happened Robin van Persie was sold to Manchester United and helped them win the league, but the club are in a better position now. If you can sell your best ever player in Thierry Henry, and your second greatest in Patrick Vieira, then I'd rather you sold a player playing silly games over his future.

Sanchez has asked Arsenal for similar wages to Cristiano Ronaldo but he is not in the same world. It's not about what you lose, it's about how you replace it. They could sell £100m worth of players, sign Thomas Lemar and finally get a top-class centre-back and be in a stronger position.

What are their strengths?
NICHOLAS: On their day, Arsenal can beat any team on the planet. The strength in depth in enormous and when they are fluent and confidence then they are unstoppable.
Another strength is going to be not being in the Champions League. A lot of players will get games they might not have otherwise

What are their weaknesses?
NICHOLAS: Their strength used to be the unity but that is getting tested with the fans. When they don't start well, the pressure is back on from the start. That fabric needs to be built again.
Where will they finish this season and why?
NICHOLAS: As it stands right now, they will finish fourth at best. There are still too many questions about this side and Wenger needs to answer them before the transfer window shuts. - SKY

Nigeria is not one !!! Quit notice: Why Igbos must leave North on October 1 – Arewa youths

The coalition of Northern Group, Arewa youths have maintained that its October 1 quit notice asking Igbos residing in the North to vacate the region is sacrosanct.

Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday, leader of the group, Shettima Yerima said though the groups in the coalition had meetings on the ultimatum, they were yet to lift the quit notice.

Yerima disclosed that the coalition was currently consulting with stakeholders across the country with a view to reviewing its position.
According to Yerima, “I do not also remember specifically saying we are going to finally withdraw the quit notice. No, certainly not. We have not.
“But we said, within the week, we are going to make a statement.
“We need to do a lot of work, we are in consultations now. We are likely going on consultations in northern region; we will discuss issues before we finally review our position

“But you can be rest assured that those who believe in Nigeria should remain where they are and be assured of their safety. But to those who don’t believe in Nigeria, we cannot guarantee their safety.
“So, it’s better if you want to do your Biafra, you stay and do your Biafra over there. But if you believe in Nigeria, we intend to work side by side with you to build the nation of our dreams.” - Daily Post

OMG!!! Jealous lover allegedly kills girlfriend for discussing with her ex-boyfriend

The Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Ago-Okota Police Station, Yusuf Abdul, has confirmed a story that made the rounds on social media last weekend about a girl, simply identified as Happiness, who her boyfriend, out of jealousy, allegedly killed for talking with her ex-boyfriend.

It was alleged that the deceased’s lover, Victor, hosted a birthday party for her in a hotel on Ago-Palace Way, Lagos.
While the party was going on, the man saw the lady conversing with her former boyfriend and left in anger.
Happiness was said to have returned to Victor’s home after the party and a quarrel ensued which led to her death.

A neighbour who narrated the story on social media wrote: “We heard them quarreling, but we thought it was a normal verbal war, until we did not hear Happiness. We decided to find out what was happening, only to meet the lifeless body of Happiness.
“When Victor saw us, he tried to escape, but we held him and quickly alerted the police from Ago-Okota Division, who came to the scene and arrested him.”

Confirming the incident to journalists, the Ago-Okota Police boss said: “On Saturday, July 29, 2017, around 12 midnight, one Osuh came and reported that they heard loud screaming coming from his neighbour’s apartment.
“He said when he came out to find out what was going on, in company with others, they saw the lifeless body of Happiness whose address and surname are unknown.

“We arrested one Victor, whom the deceased visited, as he was trying to escape. In a bid to frustrate investigation, the suspect hid the deceased’s phone on top of a fence after inserting it inside a packet of cigarettes that contained Indian hemp.
“During interrogation, the suspect told us that they went to a club along Ago-Palace Way to celebrate the deceased’s birthday but when they got there the deceased started talking with her ex-boyfriend and he left in anger for his house. Shortly after he got home, the deceased came to meet him and they had a fight that led to her death.”

When reporters had a chat with the suspect, he said: “I did not kill her. Someone else did because, I met her lifeless body outside my house.”
Happiness’ body has been deposited at a public hospital for autopsy. - Daily Post