TheNewsGuru

Tag: Transfer

  • Financial details of Ighalo’s move to Manchester United

    Financial details of Ighalo’s move to Manchester United

    Manchester United have signed former Watford striker and Nigerian international, Odion Ighalo from Shanghai Shenhua on loan until the end of the season.

    The deal to bring the 30-year-old Nigeria international to Old Trafford contains no option to buy.

    Ighalo, who is still in China but is expected to fly to the UK in the next few days, scored 39 goals in 99 matches for Watford between 2014 and 2017, BBC reports.

    He then moved to the Chinese Super League, first with Changchun Yatai.

    After two seasons he moved to Shanghai Shenhua and has scored 10 times in 19 games.

    His form for his country has been eye-catching, finishing as top scorer in African Cup of Nations qualifying with seven goals, before scoring five at the tournament during the summer.

    Daily Mail on Thursday evening published further details about Ighalo’s deal to Manchester United, which is believed to be imminent.

    According to the report, Manchester United will pay a third of Ighalo’s wages during his time at Old Trafford.

    This works out at £100,000 a week. Ighalo, who has just under two years left on his contract with Chinese Super League outfit Shanghai Shenhua, is currently earning an astronomical £300,000-a-week.

    United will also pay Shanghai Shenhua a loan fee of between £2 million and £4 million.

    It’s understood that United will also have an option to sign Ighalo on a permanent deal at the end of his loan.

    While Ighalo wouldn’t have been top of United fans’ lists prior to the January transfer window, many of them will be relieved that a striker is arriving to ease the burden on Martial and Greenwood.

  • Chelsea set to sign £40m midfielder despite transfer ban

    Chelsea set to sign £40m midfielder despite transfer ban

    Chelsea are expected to complete the signing of Real Madrid midfielder Mateo Kovacic for £40m despite being under a two-window transfer ban.

    Kovacic spent last season on loan at Stamford Bridge, so Chelsea have already registered him.

    It means, providing the deal is done before the loan expires on 30 June, it would not require another registration.

    Therefore, that would not contravene Fifa’s transfer ban on Chelsea, which runs until the end of January 2020.

    The suspension, which followed an investigation by world football’s governing body into the Stamford Bridge club’s signing of foreign under-18 players, is currently the subject of an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

    Chelsea have not asked for the ban to be lifted until the appeal is heard.

    Kovacic made 32 Premier League appearances for the Blues last season, although former manager Maurizio Sarri’s repeated decision to switch the 25-year-old Croatian with Ross Barkley created confusion about his effectiveness.

    Chelsea will definitely have one new arrival next season as Christian Pulisic, currently on international duty with the USA at the Concacaf Gold Cup, has completed his six month loan at Borussia Dortmund after signing for the Blues in January.

    The club are also expected to confirm Frank Lampard as their new manager in the coming days.

  • Liverpool welcomes Manchester City’s forward

    Liverpool has finally completed the signing of Melissa Lawley from Manchester City Women.

    Melissa, who spent two and a half year at City, making over 50 appearances at the Etihad.

    The 25-year-old engaged for City in the Women’s Champions League and helped them win two FA Cups and a Continental Cup.

    Speaking on her signing, Lawley told Liverpool’s official website: “I’m so excited to get back to playing football and enjoying my football again.

    ”When I first spoke to Vicky, she turned my head straight away. The plans and the visions she has for this club excite me.”

    She added that ”Watching Liverpool at the end of last season, they finished on a high and I believe this squad has something special that I can add to and hopefully get Liverpool back to where we should be.”

  • Man City faces two-window transfer ban

    Manchester City will be banned from making signings in the next two transfer windows by FIFA for breaking rules related to the protection of youth players and third-party ownership, according to reports.

    The club is already being investigated by the Football Association and Premier League for allegations related to youth transfers and financial fair play rules, with the latter also being looked at by European football’s governing body UEFA. That investigation could result in City being banned from the Champions League.

    A transfer ban for the Premier League champions would come less than a month after Chelsea was also hit with the same sanction for 29 breaches of article 19 of FIFA’s regulations on the transfer and status of players.

    The west London club has already lodged an appeal against that punishment but were told by FIFA last week that the sanction would not be frozen while the case is being reviewed, as Chelsea had hoped.

    FIFA has been investigating City’s international transfers for several years, although the club was cleared of breaking the rules when it signed Benjamin Garre from Velez Sarsfield in 2016 just after the Argentine midfielder’s 16th birthday.

    According to The Sun, FIFA believes City has crossed the line, though, in regards to their relationship with FC Nordsjaelland and the Right To Dream football academy in Ghana that is also owned by the Danish side’s president Tom Vernon.

    Last year, two players from the academy, Sierra Leone’s George Davies and Ghanaian Dominic Oduro, told Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten that they signed for City and played in youth matches before they turned 18.

    Both have since left City – Davies now plays in Latvia and Oduro in the United States – but FIFA has been investigating their time with the English club.

    And that investigation was broadened later in 2018 when a second Danish newspaper, Politiken, published a story that claimed City had a secret deal with Vernon to have first refusal on the best prospects from Right to Dream.

    If true, that would be a breach of the rules preventing the third-party ownership of players, as City could be argued to have undue influence over another club’s players.

    In regards to international transfers of players aged under 18, they are only allowed in three circumstances: the players’ parents have moved to the new country for non-footballing reasons, they and the club are based close to the relevant national border or the transfer takes place within the European Economic Area and the player is at least 16.

    As well as Chelsea, Spanish trio Atletico Madrid, Barcelona and Real Madrid have all been punished for signing under-age players from abroad in the past.

    Real were able to get their ban reduced on appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport – an avenue Chelsea and now perhaps City will also explore.

    Neither Manchester City nor FIFA were available for comment on Thursday night.

  • Chelsea appeal against two transfer windows ban

    Chelsea have appealed against Fifa’s decision to ban them from signing players in the next two transfer windows.

    It follows the world governing body’s investigation into Chelsea’s signing of foreign under-18 players.

    Fifa says it found breaches in 29 cases out of 92 investigated, including striker Bertrand Traore, now at Lyon.

    The governing body says it has received an appeal but could not confirm when this would be heard.

    Chelsea have also been fined £460,000, while the Football Association has been fined £390,000.

    The ban, which runs until the end of January 2020, does not prevent the release of players and will not apply to their women’s and futsal teams.

  • Premier League January transfer spending fell for first time since 2012

    Premier League spending in the January transfer window fell for the first time since 2012 after three of the top six clubs decided not to add players to the squad, according to a Deloitte report published on Friday.

    Thursday’s deadline day spending accounted for 50 million pounds ($65.49 million) bringing the month’s spending to 180 million pounds.

    That is less than half of January 2018 spending of 430 million pounds, which included Liverpool signing Virgil van Dijk from Southampton for a world record deal fee for a defender.

    The top six Premier League clubs – Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United – accounted for 43 percent of expenditure, lower than January last year when this figure stood at 62 percent.

    Tottenham are set to play the entire 2018-19 campaign without recruiting players, having failed to add new faces over the last two transfer windows.
    Liverpool, United, Everton and Southampton also chose not to sign anyone in January.

    “With central distributions to clubs now likely to remain around current levels until at least the end of the 2021-2022 season.
    “Clubs are potentially taking a more long-term view to their transfer strategies,” Tim Bridge, director in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, said.

    January spending was at 225 million pounds in 2011 but fell to 60 million pounds in the following year.

    This year’s biggest transfer move of the January window came from Chelsea, who spent 55 million pounds for Christian Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund.

    For the first time since 2005, Newcastle United broke their transfer record to sign Paraguayan playmaker Miguel Almiron from Major League Soccer side Atlanta United for 20 million pounds.

    Wolverhampton Wanderers completed the signing of Atletico Madrid full back Jonny Otto for 15 million pounds after a successful loan spell.

    Defending champions Manchester City signed Hajduk Split midfielder Ante Palaversa for 7 million pounds and loaned him back to the Croatian side.

    The Deloitte report also confirmed that clubs in the bottom six of the standings recorded spending of 20 million pounds, compared to 90 million pounds in the same period last year.

    Reuters

  • Chelsea reject Hudson-Odoi’s transfer request

    Chelsea reject Hudson-Odoi’s transfer request

    Chelsea have rejected Callum Hudson-Odoi’s transfer request, Sky Sport reports.

    The 18-year-old has been the subject of four bids from Bayern Munich, the last at £35m, and has turned down Chelsea’s latest £85,000-a-week contract offer.

    He admitted he did not know if he would play for Chelsea again after scoring in the 3-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday in the FA Cup on Sunday, having told the club he wanted to leave.

    But Chelsea have maintained throughout the window they wanted to keep him.

    Hudson-Odoi was urged to stay at the club to become one of the best players in the world by team-mate Willian on Monday, while Chelsea assistant manager Gianfranco Zola said they were beginning to show “trust” in him.

    The England youth international has yet to start a Premier League game for the club and Zola admitted he and head coach Maurizio Sarri are “still finding the space to play him”.

  • Transfer news: Arsenal could sign two players – Emery

    Transfer news: Arsenal could sign two players – Emery

    Arsenal Manager Unai Emery has said his club could recruit up to two players before the transfer window closes on Thursday.

    The Arsenal boss has previously stated his preference for loan deals in January for players who can improve his squad.

    Inter Milan’s Ivan Perisic handed in a transfer request at Inter Milan after Arsenal had a loan offer rejected for the winger, while Barcelona midfielder Denis Suarez has also been linked.

    Emery, who would not be drawn on specific names, said, “This transfer (window) is not easy and the message is the club is working on different players and the possibility if it can be is good for us.

    “We are looking at two different players and the possibility they can come. If they aren’t coming to help us like we want, I prefer they don’t come.”

  • Transfer talk: Chelsea set asking price for Willian, Juventus on Ronaldo

    Transfer talk: Chelsea set asking price for Willian, Juventus on Ronaldo

    The World Cup keeps delivering shock after shock but so too could the transfer window, with several major clubs trying to line up big moves.

    Below are some current transfer talks in Europe, with potential moves likely to occur.

    Spain

    Spain’s back pages have understandably led on their exit from the World Cup. ‘The End of a Generation’ is on the back page of AS while Mundo Deportivo‘s headline is ‘The Ultimate Penalty’.

    Chelsea have set a high price for Willian, who wishes to join Barcelona. The Catalan club have been quoted a price of €80m (£70.7m), which they reportedly believe is too high a price for a player approaching his 30s. (Mundo Deportivo)

    Steven N’Zonzi – or, rather, his father – has told Sevilla that he would like to leave. The Frenchman has been linked with several Premier League clubs in the past, and reports suggest he has a €40m (£35.3m) release clause in his contract. (Mucho Deporte)

    Speaking of fathers, Alvaro Morata’s has got involved regarding the Spanish forward’s current situation. According to Spanish journalist Eduardo Inda, Morata senior has asked Real Madrid president Florentino Perez to re-sign his son. (El Chiringuito TV)

    Italy

    The end of the Gianluigi Buffon saga could be influential in Leonardo Bonucci’s future. The Manchester United transfer target is also wanted by PSG, and could be tempted there by the presence of the Italian goalkeeper. (Corriere dello Sport)

    Juventus have turned down a deal to buy Sergej Milinkovic-Savic from Lazio. The Rome-based club had proposed a deal in which Juventus paid £89million for the Serb while also sending over Uruguayan Rodrigo Bentancur. (Tuttosport)

    Meanwhile, Juventus are keeping an eye on Cristiano Ronaldo. The Ballon d’Or winner has turned down a contract extension due to salary demands and his agent Jorge Mendes has opened a door to Italy. (Tuttosport)

    Juventus and Chelsea could arrange a swap deal for Alvaro Morata and Gonzalo Higuain, with Maurizio Sarri – still rumoured to be the next Chelsea manager though nothing is official yet – interested in the Argentine striker. (Gazzetta dello Sport)

    France

    The Buffon saga will soon finally be at an end. The Italian goalkeeper’s move to Paris Saint-Germain reportedly will be made official this week. (L’Équipe)

    Aston Villa will miss out on talented PSG youngster Jonathan Ikone. The winger is set to move to Lille for a price of around €5m (£4.4m) – the Villans could only afford to offer a loan move. (Paris United)

    Germany

    “Does nobody want ex-Schalke Meyer?” asks Bild. The former Schalke player has been officially without a club since Sunday, but few seem interested in the 22-year-old, who continues to train on the Greek island of Mykonos. (Bild)

    Benjamin Pavard is staying at Stuttgart, according to their sporting director Michael Reschke. The Tottenham transfer target will not be available even for ’50 million euros’ as the German club look to hang onto the 22-year-old for another year. (Stuttgarter Nachrichten)

    Germany’s early exit from the World Cup means their stars will have to jet around the world with their teams on pre-season tours that they would have otherwise been able to miss. At Dortmund, Marco Reus’ holiday period ends two days before the club fly to America. Bad for Reus, good for marketers, with the trip reportedly worth €8m (£7.1m) for the club. (Bild)

    Sky Sports

  • How we transfer victims’ funds using their phones – Suspects

     

    The Edo State Police Command have arrested a three man gang who specialize in transferring funds from their victims’ accounts to their own accounts using their victims’ mobile phones.

    According to a report by The Punch, one of the suspects, Lucky said the sum of N210, 000 was transferred from the accounts of three of their victims on the eve of the New Year through the code of a popular commercial bank.

    He said, “We transferred money from people’s account. We used to work for a telecoms company. When we see people with big phones, we told them that they could watch satellite TV stations on their phones. We also offered to help them with their subscription.

    “Through that process, we also transferred money from people’s accounts. We transferred N100, 000 each from the accounts of two individuals and N10, 000 from another account. We did it on the eve of the New Year.”

    The 19-year-old suspect said one of their victims alerted the police when she discovered a deduction in her account and raised the alarm.

    The suspect said, “The person from whose account we transferred N100, 000 saw us when we were going home and held my friend, who transferred the money and demanded his money.

    “From there, we were arrested and taken to New Benin. I regret everything. My dad is late but my mum was fed up with me because of what I did.”

    Lucky and two others were arrested by the Edo State Police Command for allegedly engaging in cybercrime and other fraudulent activities in Benin metropolis.

    They were said to have been arrested at Upper Mission Road in Oredo Local Government Area of the state, after allegedly defrauding a woman around New Benin.

    Lucky and other suspects (each aged 19 years) identified as Louis Ogidamen and Theophilus Oko, had posed as registration agents for a telecoms company.

    It was learnt that they offered to register the SIM cards of their victims.

    They were also alleged to have offered to assist their victims to enable financial transactions on their mobile phones and in the process, transferred money from the victims’ accounts to their own account.

    The Commissioner of Police, Haliru Gwandu, confirmed the arrest, adding that the suspects were under investigation.