Sports
Arsenal expect tough negotiations with Aaron Ramsey after handing Mesut Ozil, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan big contracts
Arsenal have made moves to tie down Aaron Ramsey to a new deal — but it could cost them more after Mesut Ozil’s mega-contract.
Midfielder Ramsey , who is in superb form and scored a hat-trick against Everton at the weekend, is into the final 18 months of his current agreement and at 27 his next one will be the most important of his career.
The Gunners have effectively moved the goalposts on contracts with their £350,000-a-week three year deal for Ozil, and even manager Arsene Wenger has admitted that more of their players will want to follow suit.
Arsenal’s huge offer beat off rival interest from Manchester United and Barcelona and came after Alexis Sanchez’s departure as they had to break the bank to keep Ozil.
They also signed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan on big contracts in January, and their existing top stars are likely to want parity with them.
Wenger has made it clear they want to keep Ramsey but if he did want to leave after a decade in north London for a different challenge, this would be his most obvious chance.
Ramsey has attracted interest from Spain in the past particularly after his performances for Arsenal and Wales.
The midfielder has scored six goals this season, while also providing six assists, and is one of Arsenal’s most important players.
The club is braced for a string of difficult negotiations — talks are also underway with fellow midfielder Jack Wilshere, who is on course to be out of contract this summer.
Wilshere, 26, has made it clear he wants to stay, but Arsenal have made him an offer which means he must take a pay-cut on his current basic wage.
They want to give the England international – currently on £110,000-a-week – a new deal worth around £90,000-a-week and based heavily on incentives, success and appearances, because of his injury record.
Wilshere’s situation will alert several clubs and Ozil’s massive contract will only make other negotiations more difficult.
England striker Danny Welbeck is another set to be out of contact in 2019, and Wenger has insisted that more players and clubs will go into the final year of their deals in the future.
Welbeck will be desperate to ensure that he gets regular games — he knows that he will struggle to get his England place back unless he is a fixture in the Gunners’ starting XI.
Meanwhile, Hector Bellerin claims Arsenal were given a wake-up call by their horror defeat at Swansea last Tuesday.
He says it does not matter which defensive system they play, as long as everyone does their jobs.
Bellerin, who helped keep a clean sheet in Saturday’s big win, said: “It doesn’t really matter. The important thing is we know what to do when we’re on the pitch.
“After a bad performance in the last game everything looked way more solid and everybody was more aware of their defensive duties.
“We know once we have the ball we can create chances. So we were happy with the defensive performance as well.
“For me, I’ve more experience playing as a right-back. So it’s a position I’m comfortable with. But I feel comfortable as a wing-back as well. I just need to adjust a few things in my game. But whatever the boss wants, I’ll do.”
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed the appointment of German tactician Bruno Labbadia as the new Head Coach of Nigeria’s Senior Men’s National Team, the Super Eagles.
This development was announced by the NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, in the early hours of Tuesday, following the approval of the NFF Executive Committee based on a recommendation from its Technical and Development Sub-Committee. Labbadia’s appointment takes immediate effect.
Born on 8th February 1966 in Darmstadt, Germany, Labbadia enjoyed a distinguished playing career, earning two caps for the German national team. His club career included stints at prominent clubs such as Darmstadt 98, Hamburger SV, FC Kaiserslautern, Bayern Munich, FC Cologne, Werder Bremen, Arminia Bielefeld, and Karlsruher SC. Notably, he won the Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich in 1994.
Labbadia’s coaching career has seen him manage top-tier clubs such as Hertha Berlin, VfB Stuttgart, VfL Wolfsburg, Hamburger SV, and Bayer Leverkusen, among others. He holds a UEFA Pro License and is well-regarded for his tactical acumen.
With his appointment, Labbadia becomes the sixth German to lead the Super Eagles, following in the footsteps of Karl-Heinz Marotzke, Gottlieb Göller, Manfred Höner, Berti Vogts, and Gernot Rohr. Höner notably guided the Super Eagles to a runner-up finish at the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations, while Rohr qualified Nigeria for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Labbadia’s immediate task is to prepare the Super Eagles for their upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying matches.
Nigeria will face Benin Republic on Saturday, 7th September in Uyo, and Rwanda on Tuesday, 10th September in Kigali. The team will also play four additional qualifying matches in October and November as they aim to secure a spot in the 2025 AFCON, scheduled to be held from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026.
The Super Eagles, placed in Group D, will face familiar foes Benin Republic, who recently defeated Nigeria in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The draw for the AFCON qualifiers, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, last month, also sees Nigeria taking on Libya and Rwanda, both of whom are also part of the Super Eagles’ group for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers set to be hosted in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
Labbadia’s appointment comes at a crucial time as the Super Eagles look to regain their dominance on the African continent and secure qualification for both the AFCON and the World Cup.
Finidi George has stepped into a new role as the technical manager for NPFL side, Rivers United, following his resignation as coach of the Super Eagles.
During his brief tenure with the Eagles, George’s 1-1 draw against South Africa in Uyo and a 2-1 loss to Benin Republic in Abidjan cast doubts on Nigeria’s World Cup qualification, prompting calls from fans for his dismissal.
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Nevertheless, Rivers United, the 2021-22 champions, expressed optimism in a statement on Wednesday via their official handle about having the former Eagles international manage their team.
“Finidi brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our team, having had a distinguished playing career spanning over fifteen years,” the statement read.
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Dr. Okey Kpalukwu, General Manager of Rivers United FC, welcomed George, stating, “We are delighted to have Finidi George join our team. His appointment marks a new chapter in our club’s history, and we are committed to working together to achieve success.”
Expressing his gratitude to the club, an elated George remarked, “I am honored to have this opportunity, and I thank the Sports Commissioner, the General Manager, and the supporters for their confidence in me. I am committed to working hard and making the team win.”
Inter Milan were taken over by US fund Oaktree on Wednesday after the Serie A champions’ outgoing owners Suning missed a deadline to repay a debt worth hundred of millions of euros.
In a statement, Oaktree announced they had “assumed control” of Inter after the non-repayment of a “three-year loan to Inter Milan’s holding companies that matured on 21 May 2024 with a total balance due of approximately 395 million euros ($428 million)”.
Chinese conglomerate Suning have relinquished control of Inter to Oaktree three days after the team were officially crowned Italian champions for the 20th time.
Suning borrowed 275 million euros at over 12 percent interest three years ago to pay staff and players as the Covid-19 pandemic ravaged the finances of clubs across Europe, putting up their controlling stake in the club as collateral.
“Oaktree is dedicated to achieving the best outcome for the long-term prosperity of Inter Milan, with an initial focus on operational and financial stability for the Club and its stakeholders,” Oaktree continued.
Inter became a powerful force at home and abroad after Suning acquired the club in 2016, with seven trophies including two Serie A titles and two European finals.
Simone Inzaghi’s team cruised to this year’s championship, winning the Scudetto with five matches remaining by beating AC Milan in a thrilling local derby.
Oaktree, which manages $192 billion in assets, said they are “committed to working closely with Inter Milan’s current management team, partners, the league and governing bodies to ensure the Club is positioned for success on and off the pitch”.
Inter ended up in the hands of Oaktree in a manner similar to the way another US fund, Elliott Management, took control of their local rivals Milan in 2018.
Elliott became Milan’s owners when Chinese businessman Li Yonghong was unable to repay a loan he had taken out when he bought the club from the late Silvio Berlusconi’s Fininvest the previous year.
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