French Ligue 1
NFF CONDOLES WITH VICTOR OSIMHEN OVER DAD’S DEATH
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has reached out to Super Eagles’ forward, Victor Osimhen who lost his father.
Reports have it that Pa Patrick Osimhen, 80, died in Lagos on Saturday night after a brief illness.
President of the NFF, Amaju Melvin Pinnick was the first to reach out to the player following the outbreak of the sad news, and he assured the former U17 World Cup winner of the empathy and support of the country’s football family at this challenging moment for the youngster and his family.
“I have spoken to Victor Osimhen and expressed the sorrow of the NFF and the entire Nigerian Football family.
“His club, Lille OSC of France has given him a private aircraft to come to Nigeria to be with his family and probably for the burial rites.
“We have applied for landing permit but we are yet to get this. However, we are still on it and hopeful for the sake of the young lad.
“The loss of either parent is usually a moment of heartbreak for anyone. We condole with Victor (Osimhen) at this moment and pray that God will grant his late father eternal rest, while also granting the family the fortitude to bear the great loss.”
Osimhen is the record holder for number of goals at the FIFA U17 World Cup, after winning the top scorer at the 2015 finals in Chile with 10 goals as the Golden Eaglets cruised to a fifth title, and has scored four goals for Nigeria at senior level, including three in the Super Eagles’ 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Benin Republic and Lesotho late last year.
He was involved in all four goals against Lesotho in Maseru, scoring two and providing assists for the other two as Nigeria got a firm hold on leadership of their AFCON qualifying pool.
He has also shone for the U23 team, scoring three of four goals that turned the table against Libya in a 2019 U23 AFCON qualifying second round fixture.
Osimhen has scored 19 goals in all competitions for French Ligue 1 club, Lille OSC this season, prompting keen interest from top teams in England and Germany for his services.
Paul Pogba has joined AS Monaco on a free transfer after signing a two-year contract, the Ligue 1 club said on Saturday, as the 32-year-old French midfielder looks to revive his career following a doping ban.
Pogba was handed a four-year doping ban in February 2024 after testing positive for DHEA, which boosts testosterone levels. The suspension was cut to 18 months after a successful appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Italian club Juventus announced in November that they had mutually agreed to terminate his contract, which was due to expire in June 2026.
The 2018 World Cup winner had a disappointing second spell with Juventus due to injuries after returning to the Turin-based club following his departure from Manchester United on a free transfer in 2022.
Pogba was signed by United in 2016 for a then-world record fee of 89 million pounds ($122 million) but the four-times Serie A champion won only two trophies with the Premier League club — the League Cup and Europa League in his first season.
He last played for France in 2022 but knee surgery prevented him from appearing at the World Cup in Qatar.
Monaco finished third behind Ligue 1 champions Paris St Germain and Olympique de Marseille last season.
-Reuters
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After Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi signed a contract extension with French Ligue 1 side, Paris Saint-Germain, he became the World’s most-paid fullback.
The Moroccan international will earn a staggering €70 million in wages over his new five-year deal, cementing his status as football’s highest-paid defender.
He signed a contract extension with the French champions until 2029. The new deal adds three years to his previous contract, which was set to expire in 2026.
His net salary is increasing from €10 million to €14 million per season (€28 million gross).
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The 2024 Ballon d’Or nominee and Super Eagles winger, Ademola Lookman, is almost certain to leave the Serie A in the coming winter transfer window following interest from Premiership but the biggest interest is from Paris Saint Germaine.
The AFCON 2024 silver medal winner with Nigeria has been on the radar of the London side, West Ham United and three other sides from the league but all is more certain that the London club will find it difficult to compete for the signature of Atalanta star according to Football Insider.
Reports have suggested that the Irons are ready to swoop for the Nigeria international in the January transfer window.
However, sources say there will be “huge interest” from Europe in the 27-year-old ex-Everton star.
Paris Saint-Germain will be the frontrunner for the forward if he becomes available in the coming months.
Additionally, Lookman plays in the same area of the pitch as West Ham’s big-money summer signings Crysencio Summerville and Luis Guilherme.
The London-born has raised his stock with his displays for Atalanta since joining from RB Leipzig in 2022.
He finished 14th in the Ballon d’Or rankings this year after leading the Italian side to a Europa League title last term.
Lookman has already hit five goals and contributed five assists in 10 games across all competitions this term.
The forward, who is under contract until June 2026, hit 17 goals and notched 10 assists in 45 appearances last season.
West Ham are unlikely to have serious funds to spend in the January window after their lavish spending in the off-season.
Julen Lopetegui’s side started slowly and sat 13th in the Premier League after nine games.
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