French Ligue 1
BARCELONA, REAL MADRID CHASE OSIMHEN
Victor Osimhen may follow his striking predecessor in the Super Eagles with a possible move to bigger club than the Lille he currently features for.
At the weekend, Odion Ighalo who was succeeded in the Super Eagles centre forward position by Osimhen, made what is easily the biggest transfer move by a Nigerian player in the recent time as he moved from China to Manchester United.
A similar move seems in the offing for Osimhen as La Liga giants, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid are reportedly after him.
Both clubs are reportedly to be in talks with French outfit Lille OSC as they consider a move for Nigeria international at the end of the season.
The 21-year-old has been one of the standout players in Lique 1 and in UEFA Champions League for his club although they failed to reach the knockout phase and scored 15 goals and picking up five assists across all competitions.
Osimhen, who was part of bronze wining Super Eagles has established himself as one of the most exciting young strikers on the continent over the last 18 months, and Le 10Sport reports both Real Madrid and FC Barcelona made contact with Lille during the January transfer window over a potential summer move for the striker.
Spain’s two biggest clubs apparently held talks with the Ligue 1 side to discover what their plans were for Osimhen at the end of the season, rather than looking to complete a move during the middle of the campaign.
The two side of El Classico are both on the lookout for a new striker, with Luis Suarez and Karim Benzem respectively coming towards the end of their careers at the highest level.
Barça’s main target will still be Lautaro Martínez at the end of the season, but there are still concerns over how the club will be able to finance a move for the Argentina international.
Real Madrid have also shown some interest in Martínez, although it’s still unclear who Los Blancos will prioritise as they look to find Benzema’s long-term replacement – a role which almost certainly won’t be taken up by summer signing Luka Jović.
Osimhen isn’t the star name that Barcelona or Real Madrid fans would be hoping for once the summer transfer window opens, but the Nigeria international could actually prove to be one of the signings of next season.
Arriving at Wolfsburg in 2017, Osimhen didn’t really get a chance to impress in the Bundesliga and he was eventually loaned out to Belgian side RSC Charleroi for the 2018/19 season. That deal also included an option to make his move permanent for just over £3m.
After scoring 20 goals for Charleroi, Osimhen joined the club on a full-time basis last summer, but he moved to Lille just one month later in a £10m deal. He’s scored 15 goals since arriving at the Stade Pierre Mauroy , sitting fifth in the top scorers’ charts in Ligue 1.
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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