Sports
Liverpool Transfers: Bryan Mbeumo, Antoine Semenyo On Club List
Mohamed Salah’s contract expires at the end of the season, club are preparing by scouting alternatives should he leave, Antoine Semenyo has scored five goals this season and Bryan Mbuemo has eight
Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo and Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo are among the players being scouted by Liverpool as they assess future targets that could play for Arne Slot.
Under the new stewardship of Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes, Liverpool’s recruitment group are working hard on assessing future talent, especially in areas of the team that may need replacements within the next 12 months.
Mohamed Salah is currently one of three top stars out of contract at the end of the season along with Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold – and, although there is no definitive indication on any of their futures yet, Liverpool are doing the prudent thing and planning for varying outcomes.
Sky Sports reports that, that may see a need to sign a new forward player and Semenyo is known to Hughes having signed him for Bournemouth from Bristol City in 2023.
The 24-year-old has improved significantly on the south coast, especially since the arrival of Andoni Iraola as head coach, scoring five times in his last 14 appearances in the Premier League last season, and he has continued in that vein this season with three goals in nine.
Mbuemo, 25, has been even more prolific with eight Premier League goals in nine, and he is understood to have been monitored by Liverpool for some time. Both players’ profiles provide similarities to Salah, particularly their ability to be dangerous anywhere across the front positions.
Sky Germany have reported Stuttgart’s 25-year-old Egypt forward Oumar Marmoush is another player being looked at by Liverpool – but sources on Merseyside have refuted that he is of any interest to the club at this time.
Head coach Slot once again gave nothing away on Friday when asked for an update on the contract situations surrounding Salah, Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk, stating that talks between the club and the trio are “ongoing”.
“For me the contract situation could become a problem if the players don’t perform as well as they do at the moment,” Slot said. “Of course, it’s not sure that, if they perform not as good anymore, it has anything to do with their contract situation.
“At the moment all three of them are in a good place, all of them perform really, really, really well and there are ongoing discussions, as Virgil said, with the people he has to talk with, and that’s not me as you know. I talk with him to him about other things.
“Let’s wait and see but all what he said is completely right in that he doesn’t exactly know what the future will be as long as he doesn’t sign the contract yet
Manchester City’s crisis snowballed as they slipped to another devastating defeat at Aston Villa.
Jhon Duran and Morgan Rogers goals meant Phil Foden’s late reply for the visitors was little consolation.
Defending champions City have dropped to sixth in the Premier League, nine points behind leaders Liverpool having played two games more, while Villa have moved above them into fifth.
It is now nine defeats in 12 games in all competitions for City, who are winless in their last eight away matches, as their season continues to spiral downwards.
Guardiola made six changes from the Manchester derby defeat last week but it made little difference during another laboured performance.
Villa, who had won just three of their previous 11 top-flight games, earned a much-needed victory, one which keeps their top-four hopes firmly alive.
They were rarely troubled, although Emi Martinez saved well from Foden in the first half, and Villa continually found ways past City’s frail backline.
The tone was set inside the first minute as City needed Stefan Ortega, in for the injured Ederson, to twice bail them out.
He brilliantly turned Pau Torres’ header on to the bar, the goalkeeper clawing the ball out from almost over the line, having already saved from Duran following Josko Gvardiol’s mistake after just 15 seconds.
Worse was to come after 16 minutes when City were sliced open by Youri Tielemans’ brilliant through-ball. He found Rogers to advance and unselfishly square for Duran to beat Ortega.
City were unable to respond until it was too late and Rogers, who spent two years at Etihad Stadium without making a senior City appearance, sealed victory for Villa with a fine low finish after 65 minutes, making Foden’s injury-time strike meaningless.
BBC
Sports
I Failed In Front of the World Four Years Ago — Lookman’s Touching Speech After Winning CAF Award
Super Eagles star, Ademola Lookman had delivered a touching speech after winning the 2024 CAF Men’s Player of the Year award.
According to him, he learned from his failure four years ago which made him a better player.
He said: “Just over four years ago I failed in front of the world. Fast forward four years, I’m the best player in Africa,” Lookman said after receiving the award.
“I want to say to the young children and people watching this: don’t let your failures weigh you down that they break your wings. Matter of fact, turn your pain into your power and continue to fight.
“Firstly. I want to thank the Almighty God for everything he has been doing in my life, and everything he has been blessing me with.
“I want to thank the president, I want to thank all my teammates- club and country. I want to thank them for all their support and love that they gave me.”
“This award today is a blessing to me, to my family, to my nation, and to be recognized as the best player in Africa. It’s something incredible and I’m extremely proud of.”
Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman, South Africa’s Ronwen Williams, and Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie emerged as some of the standout winners at the 2024 Confederation of African Football (CAF) Awards.
Lookman, who plays for Atalanta, clinched the prestigious CAF Men’s Player of the Year title, beating contenders such as Simon Adingra, Achraf Hakimi, Ronwen Williams, and Serhou Guirassy.
South African goalkeeper Ronwen Williams dominated the night, bagging both the Men’s Interclub Player of the Year and the Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year awards.
Nigeria’s Chiamaka Nnadozie, known for her stellar performances, was named Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year.
Full List of CAF Awards 2024 Winners
CAF Men’s Player of the Year: Ademola Lookman (Nigeria)
Women’s Interclub Player of the Year: Sanaa Mssoudy
Men’s Interclub Player of the Year: Ronwen Williams (South Africa)
Women’s Club of the Year: TP Mazembe
Men’s Club of the Year: Al Ahly FC
Men’s National Team of the Year: Ivory Coast
Women’s National Team of the Year: Nigeria
Men’s Young Player of the Year: Lamine Camara
Women’s Young Player of the Year: Doha El Madani
Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria)
Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Ronwen Williams (South Africa)
Women’s Coach of the Year: Lamia Boumehdi
Men’s Coach of the Year: Emerse Faé
Goal of the Year: Mabululu (Angola)
Tinubu Honors Lives Lost In Anambra, Abuja Crises Cancels All Events
EPL: Man City suffer another loss
SEE Black Market Exchange Rate: USD to NGN
Just in: Terrorists ambush military truck, kill all soldiers on board
Nigerian Dancer, Korra Obidi Attacked with acid, stabbed on stage In UK
Meet Rare Gem 16 Years Old Chiaza, CEO of ‘RUN MARKET PLACE’
-
News21 hours agoEx-Gov Yahaya Bello leaves Kuje prison after satisfying bail condition
-
News20 hours agoPrimate Ayodele releases 2025 prophecies on Tinubu, Atiku, Nnamdi Kanu, Wike, others
-
News20 hours agoThree Nigerians make Forbes 50 wealthiest Black Americans list 2024
-
News20 hours agoLocal rice price drops ahead of Christmas
-
News19 hours agoAgain, vandals target Shiroro-Katampe transmission line
-
News20 hours agoNIMC insists NIN enrolment is free, restates commitment to zero tolerance for extortion
-
Foreign20 hours agoRussia jails Ukraine resident 16 years for treason
-
News15 hours agoIbadan stampede: Prophetess Naomi, Ooni’s Ex-Wife slumps in police custody