The future of Manchester City Nigerian forward Kelechi Iheanacho might be decided sooner than later, as Owngoalnigeria.com exclusively gathered that German Bundesliga side Hoffenheim have been granted permission to speak with the forward.

Iheanacho doesn’t fit into the playing style of manager Pep Guardiola despite his high goal conversion rate, with the manager preferring other payers ahead of the Nigerian in attack.

Guardiola has frozen him out of the first team set up since the start of the year. A move which has alerted top clubs in Europe who are keen to have the forward who has been told he is free to leave.

As exclusively reported by this portal, Hoffenheim are one of the numerous clubs chasing his signature this summer, and reports sourced by our transfer expert Daniel Martins has it that they have been granted permission to speak with the forward.

To that effect Hoffenheim’s sporting director Alexander Rosen will meet with the forward before the end of this month to reel out the plans the club has for him.

However Manchester City have made it clear that the 20 year old forward will only leave on loan or an outright sale with a buy back clause included in any deal they will agree for his permanent transfer.

Daniel Martins

Leicester City linked Nigerian forward Oghenekaro Etebo is also courting interest from teams in France with Lyon, Marseille, Montepellier and Lens eyeing a summer swoop for the CD Feirense forward.

Etebo was offered to Premier League champions Leicester City by a scout close to the national team of Nigeria, and the club have been monitoring his progress in view of a move in the summer.

However in addition to competition from Turkish side Fenerbahce, four clubs from France have also joined the hunt for the 21 year old who has two goals from 21 games in the Portuguese League this season.

‎
The clubs were all present in Portugal to scout Etebo during CD Feirense league game against FC Porto. Scouts from Lyon and Lens were spotted again during his club’s game last weekend against Maritimo.

His Portuguese side CD Feirense have maintained that the forward will be allowed to leave the club, only if a bid that matches their valuation of the Nigeria senior international is made.

Daniel Martins

Spanish La-Liga outfit Villarreal have agreed a deal in principle with Diamond Academy FC for the signing of Nigeria youth international Samuel Chukwueze.

As exclusively reported by this football portal two months ago, Chukwueze spent time training with the La-Liga outfit, but before returning back to Nigeria a deal was reached for his signing.

The failed Arsenal and FC Porto target will be unveiled as a Villarreal player once he turns 18 on the 22nd of March, Owngoalnigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

Nicknamed Nigerian Robben due to similarities in his style of play and that of Dutch winger Arjen Robben, he was one of the stars of the Nigeria U-17 team that won the last U-17zl World Youth Championship.

He will join his ex Nigeria U-17 teammate Jack Ipalibo at the La-Liga side ‎, and they both will star for the junior team before making the step up to the main team based on performances.

Already Ipalibo has enhanced his chances of progressing through the ranks this season with strong displays for the‎ U-18s since joining them in the summer.

Daniel Martins

Former Arsenal forward Kanu Nwankwo says Chelsea flying wingback Victor Moses deserves to win the next CAF Africa Footballer of the year award due to his performances for Chelsea this season.

Victor Moses has been ever present for Chelsea who are on course to win the double this season, as they currently lead the English Premier League with less than four games to go, and they are also through to the FA Cup final.

Kanu believes Moses has performed way above any other player from Africa this season, hence deserve to be rewarded with the award which is currently held by Algerian Leicester City forward Riyad Mahrez.

Former Arsenal striker and two times Africa Footballer of the Year, Nwankwo Kanu feels no African footballer is worth the 2017 CAF award other than Chelsea star-man, Victor Moses.

“Moses has proved critics wrong. It is now left for CAF to do their rating. As for me, he deserves the 2017 CAF award. Although the season is still on and no one can tell what future will be.

“The likes of Aubamayang and Sadio Mane are dangerous to compete with but I still have a strong belief in the Nigeria forward.

“Despite playing out of position at Chelsea, he finds it easy to break opponents’ defence with ease and if he keeps this fitness alive I see him becoming the next African footballer of the year,” Kanu was quoted as saying by Sports Village Square.

Ade Emmanuel

‎FC Midtjylland of Denmark Nigerian forward Paul Onuachu has reacted to reports that he is closely being watched by the coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr.

Onuachu is having his best season as a professional footballer since moving to Europe at the age of 18, with 13 league goals to his name from 30 games this season.

His form as exclusively reported by this portal caught the attention of coach of the Super Eagles Rohr, who pencilled him down for future invitation to the senior national team of Nigeria.

“ To hear that the Manager is watching me gives me another reason to knock on. I have to prove that I’m worth taking out. I hope they call someday”, he said.

“ Maybe they will wait for a change of club. So I have to convince them that one can take a player from Denmark, because the league is physically strong and good.

“ It will be great to play for the national team. It will be so nice to play for that team.”

“ Nigeria is a football country with lots of good players in Europe, also in big clubs. “

“Wearing the green shirt will be one of the biggest moments for me.”

Michael James

According to reports gathered by Owngoalnigeria.com editorial team, only four new players will be in the Super Eagles list for the camp in France.

Gernot Rohr, the coach of the Nigerian team have decided to stick with most of the players he has worked with in the past for the camp in France, which is meant to prepare the team for their upcoming AFCON 2019 Qualifiers against South Africa.

To that effect only four new players have been called up by the coach, with two of them coming from teams in the Nigeria Professional Football League, while the remaining two are from European teams.

Alhassan Ibrahim of Akwa United and Sikiru Olatubosun of MFM FC are the players called up from the local scene for the first time‎, while Kingsley Ehizibue from PEC Zwolle and Eupen Henry Onyekuru completes the list.

Mikel Agu of FC Porto,but presently on loan to Vitoria Setubal is also seriously under consideration by Rohr, and stands an outside chance of making the team for the camp in France.

‎Osas Mahawi

‎Scottish champions Celtic pulled out of a move for the top scorer in the Nigeria Professional Football League Stephen Odey after contact revealed he belongs to an individual not his present club MFM FC.

19 year old Odey has taken the league by storm this season, with 14 goals in the first stanza of the league. A form which made an agent proposed him to the Scottish champions.

Celtic offered to have him on trial, but where later informed that the player’s right is with an individual and not MFM FC, which made the club back out of even the trial option as FIFA has outlawed third party ownership of players.

Although he has been with MFM FC for three years, former chairman of the club Godwin Enakhena confirmed that the forward is not a bonafide player of the team, as he belongs to an agent.

Presently on trial with Danish‎ side FC Midtjylland, the forward future transfer will no doubt trigger controversy if he passes trial with the Danish team, where two Nigerians Rilwan Hassan and Paul Onuachu current ply their trade.
Ade Emmanuel

‎Owngoalnigeria.com can exclusively reveal that one of the players under consideration to be called up to the camp of Nigeria when it opens in France is Dutch-Nigerian forward Kingsley Ehizibue.

Ehizibue has represented Netherlands at youth level, but the 21 year old PEC Zwolle forward has agreed to switch allegiance to Nigeria, just like his fellow Dutch-Nigerian counterpart Tyronne Ebuehi.

They both share same agent, and coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria Gernot Rohr succeeded in convincing the winger, who can also play as a full back to switch allegiance to Nigeria.

He almost made the Nigeria squad for the friendly game against Senegal in London, and the subsequent training camp in London following the cancellation of a proposed friendly with Burkina Faso.

Rohr views the enterprising winger as a player who will help booster the forward options at his disposal at the moment, especially in the area of building young players for the future.

Osas Mahawi

The bonafide agent of captain of the Super Eagles John Obi Mikel has rubbished reports that his client, who recently underwent successful surgery will be back in training in one week.

As exclusively reported by this football portal, Mikel underwent successful surgery last week to cure a long standing issue of hernia and muscle ‎, which could see him miss the AFCON 2019 Qualifiers against Nigeria.

However reports came out yesterday that the Tianjin Teda captain, who spent ten and half years at Chelsea will return back to training in a week time, a report which his agent says is wide off the mark.

” Mikel is still in London, he starts rehabilitation in two weeks time. How can you even believe that somebody who was operated upon will return to training after a week?, he asked Owngoalnigeria.com correspondent.

” Chelsea offered him their facilities for his rehabilitation but he is looking for a quiet place, hence his choice of going to Dubai or Qatar for his rehabilitation, but he will still do some at Chelsea.
” He is eager to get back to the playing pitch, he has not suffered any long term injury in the past, so you can understand why been out of football for this long is seriously troubling him, but he will return stronger and better”.
Osas Mahawi

FC Porto won’t be offering Nigerian midfielder Mustapha Buba a contract after the midfielder failed to convince the technical crew of the team during trials.

Buba spent one month with the team, but the 18 year old didn’t do enough to bag a deal with the Portuguese giants, and has left the club for another team in Portugal.

” Buba has been told he won’t be offered a deal, he did well in his first training but subsequently his level dropped. Porto have better options at the moment, so they let him leave”, Daniel Martins told Owngoalnigeria.com.

” I heard he is testing with another team in Portugal, but for now I don’t have full details. Here’s hoping he bags a deal to kick start his career, he is a bright prospect but Porto was too steep for him as a start”.
Daniel Martins