When Buhari returns, some people will hide their heads in shame - Femi

Femi Adesina, special adviser on media and publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, says when his principal returns to the country, “filthy dreamers” will hide their heads in shame.

He left for the United Kingdom for medical follow-up on May 7.
In a piece on Friday, Adesina described the filthy dreamers as those who “despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities”.
He said as spokesman of the president, he would never respond to such people.

“President Buhari has been indisposed since the beginning of the year. It is human, and presidents, despite their elevated status, remain human,” Adesina wrote.
“If there is anybody who considers himself 100 percent healthy, or who bears what William Shakespeare calls ‘a charmed life’, let that person stand up to be identified. All mortals are doomed to sickness, they can recover, and they can die.
“That is the truth that has been internalised by millions of people praying for the recovery of our President. And that is where the shallowness, vacuousness, and hollowness of people who wish the President dead, and carry unfounded rumours, is on stark display.

“Filthy dreamers. They speak evil of dignities, and despise dominion. But we forgive them, for they know not what they do. When President Buhari returns (as God would make him do) where would they hide their faces? In shame.”
He likened Shimei, a character in the Bible, to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), whom he described as “evil wishers” who spend “their days conjecturing tragedy for leadership”.

“David had succeeded Saul as king of Israel. And Shimei was from the family of Saul (read, People’s Democratic Party, PDP). Shimei hadn’t forgotten the bloody nose the family of Saul got, when the kingship was taken away from them, and given to David. So when the latter got into a time of travail, no pity at all from people still smarting from bloody noses,” Adesina said.
“The All Progressives Congress (APC), inspired by Muhammadu Buhari, halted the 60-year pipe dream of PDP at the polls in 2015. Has the latter forgotten? No, they won’t forget till forever.

“But so much is the animus, the antipathy towards the president that they wish him dead. While millions of Nigerians are praying, some elements are rejoicing, and imagining evil. But they forget: man is not God, and Jehovah always has the final say. The descendants of Shimei need to learn vital lessons from their forebear.
“President Buhari has tolerated people who have called him all sorts of names in the past two years. If he didn’t move against them directly, he could have allowed many Abishais to move against them, ‘and take off their heads.’

“But not our president, a reformed democrat, a pious man, who has resolved to leave the people suffused by hatred unto God.” - Cable Nigeria

Chelsea vying to sign Sarr

Chelsea, Barcelona and Real Madrid are trying to sign Nice defender Malang Sarr.
Sky sources understand the 18-year-old centre-back has a £36m (€40m) release clause in his contract.

He scored the winning goal on his Nice debut when he was 17 in the first game of last season (1-0 home win against Stade Rennais).
The French U21 international played 31 times for Nice last season, helping the club finish third in Ligue 1.

Sarr was born in Nice and has been at the club's academy since he was five.
Arsenal tried to sign him before he signed his first professional contract in November 2016, according to Sky sources.

Transfer news : Joining Chelsea from Real Madrid like 'leaving home' for Morata

Alvaro Morata feels like he is "leaving home" after completing his move from Real Madrid to Premier League champions Chelsea for a reported club-record fee of £70 million.


Morata scored 15 La Liga goals as Madrid won the title last season, but he only started 14 league matches and was on the bench for the Champions League final victory over Juventus, coming on in the last minute of the 4-1 win.
A product of the capital club's youth academy, Morata spent two successful seasons at Juve before Madrid exercised a buyback clause to return him to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Although he insists it was his decision to leave for Stamford Bridge, the 24-year-old concedes that it is difficult to be moving on after just one more year in Spain.

"Today is a special day, different…" Morata wrote on Twitter. "There are many things I would like to say now, there are many feelings, many memories that now gather in my head.
"Today my second spell at Real Madrid finishes, today a new phase of my career begins. I'm sure that some will not understand my decision, others will certainly not support it... but in the end that's what it is, my decision. A decision well thought through and considered.
"I'm leaving home, because that's how I feel at Real Madrid. I'm going with the clear conscience of someone who gave everything in every training session, in every minute in which I was lucky enough to wear the shirt, with the calm of having been important in an amazing year in which we lifted four trophies, a year that I'm sure neither you nor I will ever forget..."

Morata is confident he has become a better player over the past year and paid tribute to his former coaches and team-mates for their successful season, with Madrid having won the Champions League, La Liga, the Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup in 2016-17.
"I only have words of thanks for Real Madrid. I'm the player that I am now thanks to this club," the striker continued. "I want to make the most of these lines of my farewell, which cannot be done in any other way, in order to say thank you: thank you to the president for having understood my vision, for understanding that I've made a decision and for respecting it.


"Thank you also to the coaching staff for everything they have helped me and supported me with, I am a better player than a year ago and it's thanks to them. Thank you also to my team-mates, with whom I shared an amazing season. Thank you to each and every one of the employees of the club who worked hard every day to make life easier for the players.

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"And thank you, of course, to the fans, because since my return you have made me feel loved and valued, because you've always been there, from my presentation until the last night at Cibeles... Lastly, and most importantly, thank you to my wife, thank you to my family, to my agent and my friends, who are always there and never let you down." - Goal

Chelsea complete Morata signing

Chelsea have completed the club-record signing of Alvaro Morata from Real Madrid on a five-year contract.

The Spain striker flew into London on Thursday to have a medical and complete the formalities of a deal which could eventually cost Chelsea £70m.
The Premier League champions announced his arrival on Friday evening, and Morata will now fly out to join his new team-mates on their pre-season tour of Asia.
He told the club website: "I am so happy to be here. It's an incredible emotion to be part of this big club.
"I am looking to work hard, score as many goals as I can and to win as many trophies as possible."


Technical director Michael Emenalo said: "We are delighted to complete Alvaro's signing and welcome him to the club. We believe he can make a great impact for Chelsea and look forward to seeing him in action.
"Alvaro has proven class at the highest level and his quality will be a huge asset to Antonio and the squad."
Morata was a target for Manchester United earlier in the transfer window before Jose Mourinho moved for Everton's Romelu Lukaku.
But the 24-year-old told Sky Sports News on Thursday he is joining "the best club" in Chelsea, where he will replace Diego Costa as first-choice striker.

Morata scored three goals at last summer's European Championships and had the best goals-per-minute record of any Real Madrid player in La Liga last season after winning two Italian titles in two years on loan at Juventus.
And Sky Sports' Spanish football expert Terry Gibson believes Real will regret selling.
He said: "I think this may prove to be a mistake on Madrid's part. Morata is a dynamic striker that works the channels, he's got a great first touch.

"He'll control the ball where it is knocked up to him and he's good at attacking crosses - those attributes lend to doing well in the Premier League."

Ox will be next on Chelsea's hit list

Chelsea will step up their efforts to sign Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain next week after securing a deal for Alvaro Morata.

The Premier League champions paid a club-record fee to bring in Morata from Real Madrid on Friday and Arsenal midfielder Chamberlain is now in their sights, according to Sky sources.
Arsene Wenger has said he "100 per cent" expects Oxlade-Chamberlain to stay at the Emirates, but the player is inside the final year of his contract.

And Sky Sports  News understands the 23-year-old - also wanted by Liverpool and Manchester City - told Wenger this week that he has no intention of signing the extension currently on offer.
Arsenal play Chelsea in a Beijing friendly on Saturday before flying back to England, and the Blues plan to open talks about a transfer within 48 hours of the Gunners' Sunday return.
Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez are also into the final year of their deals, but the German says his preference is to stay while Wenger insists Sanchez is "not for sale".

'Lucas 'll make a fantastic coach' - Klopp wants him back at Liverpool after tearful exit

Jurgen Klopp wants Lucas Leiva to return to Liverpool at the end of his playing career, vowing to "find a place for him" if the coach is still in charge.

The Brazilian midfielder ended his decade-long stay at Anfield by agreeing a three-year deal at Lazio this week, having slipped down the pecking order on Merseyside.
Lucas started only 12 league games for Klopp last season but the German is hoping he gets the chance to work with the 30-year-old again in the future.

"He loves Liverpool. It's unbelievable," Klopp told ESPN. "He comes from Brazil - it's a nice country and the weather is much better.
"He could imagine staying in Liverpool for the rest of his life. I told him that the door is always open for him after his three years and [if] I'm still here, of course, then we will find a place for him.

"I'm sure he'll be a fantastic coach or manager."
Klopp confirmed Lucas requested to leave Liverpool in a bid to get more first-team football with Lazio, who finished fifth in Serie A last season.
"Things change but Lucas is a special case," Klopp said. "He asked for it. I would say he's a friend. He's a fantastic person. How I know and how he knows, he has a few issues when he's not playing!

"But we always had a very respectful understanding. It was really good. When he left, we both had a little tear in our eye. It was really a special moment.

"For the team, it's difficult. It's the age and it's life. He could sign a long-term contract in Rome and how can I say: 'You stay here, but I don't know if you sign a new contract and I don't know how often you will play next year'. So you need to be honest, especially with a player like him." - Goal

Pires : Arsenal record signing Lacazette will need time to settle

Arsenal's record signing Alexandre Lacazette will need time to get used to life in the Premier League, former Gunners star Robert Pires has warned.

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The striker moved to the Emirates Stadium from Lyon this month for a reported fee of £52.7million, making him the club's most expensive player.
Lacazette scored on his debut in a 2-0 friendly win over Sydney FC, having hit 28 goals in 28 starts in Ligue 1 last season.

But Pires, who enjoyed a decorated six-year spell at Arsenal from 2000 to 2006, believes the 26-year-old could find it as difficult as he did to make the transition to England's top flight.
"I think he'll be a success. But maybe he will need time to adapt," he was quoted as saying the BBC.
Alexis meets PSG chief to discuss move
"He is a good striker who has scored a lot of goals with Lyon. Of course it will be very difficult in the beginning because when you play in France and move to England it is not the same, it is very aggressive.

"Maybe he will need time for the adaptation but everyone around him is very important, especially the French connection.
"But to make the adaption, to find the rhythm and the tempo, for me it took six or seven months. It was very tough, for me it was the aggression and intensity."

Pires, who won two Premier League titles and two FA Cups with Arsenal, even considered if he had made a mistake in joining the club.
He added: "It was my first game away at Sunderland and Arsene Wenger said 'Robert, I know you are a bit upset because you want to play but I prefer if you are on the bench and you can watch the game, the fight and the tempo'.

"After 20 minutes sat on the bench I said to myself 'what are you doing here?' because it was very, very difficult. I remember one tackle from Patrick Vieira and I thought this football wasn't for me.

"It was very difficult and it is about adaptation. If you play in France, Spain or Italy it is not the same football." - Goal