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Man City end pursuit of €100m Real Madrid star Rodrygo

Manchester City have reportedly pulled out of the race to sign Real Madrid forward Rodrygo Goes, insist on keeping Savinho.

Pep Guardiola’s side had identified the 23-year-old as a potential replacement for Savinho, who was attracting strong interest from Tottenham.

However, Spurs’ reluctance to meet City’s valuation for Savinho has forced the Premier League champions to shut the door on his departure, and in turn, on Rodrygo’s possible arrival.

But with the winger now staying at the Etihad, Rodrygo’s prospects of joining City have collapsed.

Liverpool and Arsenal remain the other major contenders for the Madrid star, though both have conditions attached to a move.

Liverpool are monitoring Rodrygo as a fallback option should their pursuit of Alexander Isak fail, while Arsenal’s interest hinges on whether they can offload players and conclude a deal for Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze.

Rodrygo, who has been central to Real Madrid’s attack in recent seasons, may now be forced to weigh his options, especially after Madrid boss, Xabi Alonso waved off his transfer “noise”.

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Inter end pursuit of Ademola Lookman

Inter Milan have abandoned their move for Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman after negotiations with Atalanta collapsed.

The Nerazzurri are now set to officially notify the player’s camp that the deal is off, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Inter officials are expected to meet Lookman’s representatives within 24 hours to provide clarity, bringing an end to two weeks of stalled discussions.

Club sources also dismissed speculation that Lookman’s situation was tied to Nicola Zalewski’s potential switch from Roma to Atalanta, stressing the two transfers were unrelated.

Lookman, 26, has been instrumental for Atalanta since arriving from RB Leipzig in 2022, impressing both in Serie A and Europe.

He also starred for Nigeria at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, scoring three goals en route to the Super Eagles’ run to the final.

Inter had viewed him as a versatile option to bolster their forward line, but with negotiations deadlocked, the club will now shift focus to alternative targets before the transfer window closes.

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EPL: Cunha, Mbeumo shine but defensive woes hand Man United first defeat vs Arsenal

Arsenal opened their Premier League account with a 1-0 win at Old Trafford, punishing Manchester United’s defensive frailties from a set piece.

The decisive moment came in the first half when Declan Rice delivered a corner that United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir failed to claim under pressure from William Saliba.

Riccardo Calafiori reacted quickest to nod the ball over the line, handing Mikel Arteta’s side the lead.

New signings Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha impressed on debut, with Cunha striking the post and testing goalkeeper David Raya, but the finishing touch remained elusive.

Benjamin Sesko’s introduction after the break also failed to alter the outcome.

Arsenal, who struggled for attacking fluency, relied on their defensive organisation and depth from the bench to protect the lead.

Viktor Gyökeres and Martin Zubimendi endured difficult debuts, while substitutes Kai Havertz and Noni Madueke were introduced to steady the performance in the second half.

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EPL: Chelsea survive Crystal Palace test, begin campaign with goalless draw

Chelsea began their Premier League campaign with a goalless draw against Crystal Palace in a London derby at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

The Blues were handed a reprieve after Eberechi Eze’s first-half free-kick for Palace was disallowed following a VAR review.

Eze struck a thunderous effort that appeared to give the visitors the lead, but the goal was overturned when replays showed Marc Guehi had committed a foul in the build-up.

The Blues struggled to create clear chances, with a series of corners easily dealt with by Palace and Cole Palmer largely ineffective in attack.

Substitute Estevão Willian provided some energy after replacing Jamie Gittens, but his runs down the flank failed to break down the visitors’ defence as Chelsea laboured in the final third.

The London derby ended with Chelsea avoiding a major scare but still searching for a cutting edge in their attacking play.

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You Never See Anything – Boniface Reveals Past Exchange With Jose Mourinho

Victor Boniface, the Nigerian forward, has shared that he once had an encounter with former Chelsea, Real Madrid, and Inter Milan manager José Mourinho.

The conversation between the two professionals took place before AS Roma’s humiliating 6-1 defeat to Bodo/Glimt.

The Norwegian club handed Jose Mourinho and his AS Roma side a humiliating defeat in the UEFA Conference League group stage on October 21, 2021.

Boniface played for the Norwegian club before joining Bayer Leverkusen.

The Nigerian international noted that cold in Bodo/Glimt, a small city in Norway was challenging for professionals.

Boniface told The CultureLeaguePodcast, “I played in Norway, one of the coldest countries in the world. I played for Bodø/Glimt, the city is too small… it’s surrounded by sea. It is freezing.

“Mourinho came to the pitch, walked inside, took his phone, recorded everything and posted: ‘This is the situation, we’re about to play, very cold.’

“He posted it. I commented on that same post because I didn’t know I’d be at this level today. I said to him, ‘You never see anything.”

Meanwhile, the Super Eagles star did not participate in that game as he was recovering from a cruciate ligament injury.

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“I’ve spoken to Ajibade” – Bukola Olopade on FG promised rewards to Super Falcons after WAFCON win

The Director-General of the National Sports Commission, Bukola Olopade, has shared an update on the Federal Government promised rewards to Super Falcons after WAFCON win.

In an interview with Arise TV, Bukola Olopade clarified that the Super Falcons’ bonuses have been paid, excluding a few players with account issues related to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

According to Bukola Olopade, the Federal Government’s promises to the Super Falcons are underway.

He clarified that discussions are ongoing with the Minister of Housing and the Renewed Hope Homes initiative to provide the apartments without delay.

Recall that the Federal Government’s promises to the Super Falcons stemmed from the team’s thrilling 3-2 comeback against Morocco to claim the WAFCON title.

The promises include a $100,000 reward for each player, $50,000 reward for technical crew members and a three-bedroom apartment.

Watch video below.

Here

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La Liga: Barcelona begin title defence with 3-0 win over nine-man Mallorca

Barcelona begin their La Liga title defence with a 3-0 win over nine-man Mallorca in a chaotic contest at Estadi de Son Moix.

Raphinha opened the scoring after just seven minutes, heading in a cross from Lamine Yamal.

Ferran Torres doubled the lead midway through the first half, capitalising on confusion as Mallorca’s players stopped play with Antonio Raillo injured in the box.

Manu Morlanes was sent off after receiving two yellow cards in quick succession, and Mallorca were reduced to nine men before half-time when Vedat Muriqi was dismissed following a VAR review for a high boot on Eric Garcia.

Barcelona pressed for a third after the interval, with Dani Olmo and Raphinha both going close, before Yamal sealed the win deep into stoppage time with a curling effort.

Debutant Marcus Rashford had minimal impact after he was introduced in the second half, confirming his La Liga registration earlier reported by gistreel.com.

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EPL: Man City new signings steal show in 4-0 win over Wolves

Manchester City opened their Premier League campaign with a dominant 4-0 win over Wolves, as debutants Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki made an immediate impact in Pep Guardiola’s new-look side.

Reijnders, signed in the summer to help fill the void left by Kevin De Bruyne’s move to Napoli, scored once and was instrumental in two other goals during an impressive first outing.

Cherki, introduced in the second half, sealed the win with a fine finish just eight minutes after coming on.

The result provided Guardiola’s men with a bright start after last season’s struggles.

There was a moment of concern in stoppage time when Nico Gonzalez landed awkwardly, though he was able to continue after receiving treatment.

Meanwhile, Wolves supporters paid tribute throughout the game to former striker Diogo Jota, applauding and chanting his name.

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Man arrested over racist abuse towards Bournemouth’s Semenyo at Anfield

Merseyside Police have arrested a 47-year-old man from Liverpool after Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo reported being racially abused during Friday’s Premier League opener at Anfield.

The incident, which led to a brief stoppage in play, was immediately reported to the referee by Semenyo.

The suspect was identified, ejected from the stadium, and later taken into custody on Saturday on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence.

Semenyo later thanked teammates, Liverpool players, supporters, and officials for their response to the incident.

Under UK law, racially or religiously aggravated offences carry tougher penalties.

Convictions can attract up to two years imprisonment, an unlimited fine, or both.

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Tottenham 3-0 Burnley: Kudus shines with double assist on Spurs debut

Mohammed Kudus marked his Premier League debut for Tottenham with two assists as Thomas Frank’s side eased past Burnley 3-0 in their season opener.

The Ghana midfielder, signed this summer from West Ham, created the breakthrough inside 10 minutes when his run and cross set up Richarlison to finish sharply on the turn.

Kudus was involved again 15 minutes inside the second half, delivering another ball from the byline that Richarlison converted with a stunning scissor kick.

Richarlison, who scored only four league goals last season, left the pitch to a standing ovation when substituted in the 71st minute.