Author: Rashaad Harris

English Premier League side Brentford has announced the signing of Nigerian U-20 defender Benjamin Fredrick on a permanent deal. “We are pleased to announce the signing of Benjamin Fredrick on loan from Simoiben FC until the end of the 2023/24 season. The move is subject to international clearance.There is also an option to make the signing permanent,” Brentford confirms. The central defender will join up with Neil MacFarlane’s B team for the campaign.Benjamin is a Nigerian youth international and featured at the Under-20 World Cup for his country earlier this summer as they reached the quarter-final stages, before exiting the…

Manchester United against Bayern Munich is the standout fixture thrown out by the 2023/24 Champions League group stage draw, while Real Madrid are in the same group as Napoli.The draw took its usual format, with the 32 qualifiers divided into eight groups of four, A-H.Prior to the draw, all competing clubs were assigned to one of the four pots, with one team from each pot going into each group. No two clubs from the same country could be drawn in the same group.Manchester City and Sevilla headlined pot one as reigning Champions League and Europa League holders respectively. They were…

Belgian striker Romelu Lukaku has been signed on loan by Serie A side AS Roma in the ongoing summer transfer window. Lukaku has been intent on a move away from Premier League club Chelsea all summer. He was loaned to Italian side Inter Milan last season. The 30-year-old had been linked with moves to Juventus, the Saudi Pro League and another loan stint at Inter Milan. Football Italia reports that the fee for the loan deal is in the region of €5 million, excluding performance-related add-ons. He reportedly had his medicals on Tuesday at Villa Stuart in preparation for the…

Holders Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea will face tricky opponents in the third round of the Carabao Cup. In the draw that was held on Wednesday, United will host Crystal Palace at Old Trafford and City will visit Newcastle United. While Chelsea will welcome Brighton and Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge. Championship side Leicester City will be guests to Liverpool at Anfield, Arsenal and Brentford will battle and it’s Aston Villa vs Everton. Other draw include Bournemouth vs Stoke, Fulham vs Norwich and Ipswich vs Wolves. The games will be played week commencing 25th September 2023.In last season’s Carabao…

Chelsea booked their spot in the third round of the EFL Cup courtesy of a 2-1 victory over League Two outfit AFC Wimbledon at Stamford Bridge.James Tilley sent the visitors into a shock lead from the penalty spot in the 19th minute, but Noni Madueke levelled with a spot kick of his own in first-half stoppage time, before Enzo Fernandez came up with the winner in the 72nd minute of the contest in the English capital.As expected, Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino rung the changes for the cup contest, and there was interestingly a start and ultimately a full 90 minutes…

Chelsea are set to bolster their attacking options after reaching an agreement in principle to sign Manchester City’s Cole Palmer. City rejected Chelsea’s opening offer of £35m for the winger but subsequent negotiations between the clubs have gone well and the deal is expected to be concluded before the transfer window shuts on Friday for a fee expected to be £40m plus £5m in add-ons.It will come as a welcome boost for Mauricio Pochettino, who has been trying to add another attacking player to his squad since losing Christopher Nkunku to a long-term knee injury. Pochettino has given his backing…

Premier League club Manchester City have verbally agreed a deal for Portuguese midfielder Mattheus Nunes this current summer transfer window. The Cityzens are set to disburse the sum of £47.3 million for the 25 year old Wolverhampton Wanderers player. According to BBC.com there will be no add-ons included if he is eventually signed on a contract. City made a bid for Nunes last week but the offer was rejected. Nunes has been missing Wolverhampton Wanderers warmup sessions recently as he is determined to move to Manchester this season. City are on the lookout for a new midfielder following Kevin De…

Former Barcelona defender Jordi Alba retires from the Spanish national team after almost 12 years as an international and 93 games and 10 goals with the senior team.He communicated his decision to Spain coach Luis de la Fuente when leaving Barcelona and sign for Inter Miami.Alba has been a fixture with Spain since he made his debut on October 11, 2011 at the hands of Vicente del Bosque, who sent him on in a match against Scotland qualifying for the 2012 Euros.He also participated in the 2014, 2018 and 2022 World Cups and in the 2016 and 2021 Euros, in…

Nigerian Professional Football League champions, Enyimba have been selected among the eight teams that will take part in the inaugural edition of the African Football League (AFL) by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The AFL is a partnership between CAF and FIFA. The teams were selected from the three African Regional Blocks which are: the North Region, the Central-West Region and the South-East Region. Egyptian giants Al Ahly Football Club, Tunisia’s Espérance Sportive de Tunis and Wydad Athletic Club from Morocco are the football clubs from the North Region. The clubs from the Central-West Region are: Nigeria’s Enyimba Football…

England-born Nigerian striker Chuba Akpom, has won the Professional Football Association (PFA) Championship Players’ Player of the Year award. Akpom claimed the award at the 50th PFA Awards held at the Lowry Theatre on Tuesday 29th August. The former Arsenal player scored 28 goals in the Championship and in all competitions for Middlesbrough last season. His impressive form in front of goal saw him land the Golden Boot and a move to Ajax for £10 million. Other winners at the PFA awards are Manchester City striker Erling Haaland who won the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award while Arsenal’s…