Belgian side Gent have swelled up the Nigerian contingent at the club with the signing of young Nigerian forward Samuel Kalu from Slovakian side AS Trencin.

Known for his pace and dribbling abilities, he was plucked from Jos based GBS Academy, a team that reportedly has a working relationship with Slovak side AS Trencin.

Kalu made his first team debut for the Slovak side last season where he played 13 games and found the back of the net three times in the league aside his goal in the Cup.

This season he has been ever present for the team with 19 appearances in the league and three in the cup with two goals to his name.

18 year old Kalu joins the team on a three and a half year deal, teaming up with the other Nigerians at the club namely Moses Simon, William Troost-Ekong, Anderson Esiti and Rabiu Ibrahim.

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has given his backing to Alex Iwobi to continue in the number 10 role for Arsenal ahead of regular man Mesut Ozil.

Henry while praising the contribution of the 20 year old Nigerian in the game against Crystal Palace, where he played in the midfield says Iwobi suits the team better than Ozil when it comes to playing teams with a defensive set up.

The Gunners legend who handled the Nigeria during his brief stint as coach of the Arsenal youth team, urged manager Arsene Wenger to keep Iwobi in the midfield instead of shifting him to the flanks once Ozil is available.

” Iwobi is better off in the middle for Arsenal when they come up against teams who are defensively minded like we saw against Crystal Palace”, Henry said on TV.

” Wenger must have seen it, and hopefully he will be picked ahead of Ozil in such games. He moves the ball quicker and faster leaving opposition defenders in their wake. He belongs to the middle”.

The Sporting Director of Austrian side Austria Wien has confirmed that they are in talks with teams in England and Turkey who are interested in Nigerian forward Olarenwaju Kayode.

Austria Wien are reportedly willing to see him move abroad than join local rival Austria Vienna, who are also interested in the forward and his teammate Tarkan Serbest.

Kayode is a reported target of English Premier League side Stoke City, but Austria Wien’s director Franz Wohlfahrt refused to name the teams in England and Turkey interested in the 23 year old.

” We have had inquiries from teams in England and Turkey for Olarenwaju Kayode. But so far no offer has met our expectations. I do not believe a move will happen soon”, he said.

The former Nigeria youth international has been in fine form in front of goal for the Europa League campaigners with 14 goals to his name this season in all competitions.

He is contracted to Austria Wien till the summer of 2019, and he is valued at 2 millon euros by the club he joined from Israeli side Maccabi Netanya 18 months ago.

Italian giants Inter Milan are reportedly one of the numerous teams watching Nigerian teen forward David Okereke who plays for Serie B side Spezia.

However a bid is not expected to be imminent as the Nerazzurri will decide about his potential signing in the summer.

Nicknamed “Sadiq Umar II” by fans of Spezia due to the fact that he passed through same route before arriving at the team like former forward Sadiq Umar, who is now at Bologna after a short stint at Roma.

FCInterNews.it claims the future of the speedy forward lies away from the Serie B side due to his rise in the last 12 months with the team, where he made 11 senior appearances in the first half of the season.

Plucked from Football Academy Abuja (FAA) Okereke is still waiting for his first senior goal in the league but he has found the back of the net in the Coppa Italia, where his strike knocked out giants Udinese.

Chelsea midfielder Jon Obi Mikel has agreed a deal in principle to join Valencia, ending a ten-year spell in west London, but his La Liga move hinges on the future of West Ham striker Simone Zaza.

The Nigerian international, who boasts 78 caps with the Super Eagles, has found himself frozen out by new Blues boss Antonio Conte as league-leading Chelsea evolved their style under the Italian coach.

And after failing to make a single Premier League appearance this season, Mikel has agreed the outline details of a move to Mestalla after meeting with Valencia’s sporting director, Jesus Garcia Pitarch, in London.

However, the crisis-hit Spaniards must now make a big decision as Financial Fair Play restrictions mean that they won’t be able to afford to sign both Mikel and top target Simone Zaza this month.

Mikel, meanwhile, is also being chased by Ligue 1 side Olympique de Marseille and clubs from the Chinese Super League but is understood to prefer a La Liga move.

The 29-year-old joined Chelsea in 2006 in a protracted and controversial transfer, having initially signed a deal with Manchester United. The Blues ended up paying United £12million for the midfielder, plus £4million to Norwegian side Lyn Oslo.

Courtesy: Independent.

Martin Keown has hailed Alex Iwobi for his efforts in the central attacking-midfield position in Arsenal‘s win over Crystal Palace and wonders if Arsene Wenger has stumbled upon his best team.

While Iwobi’s name on the team-sheet wasn’t a surprise on Sunday ahead of the Premier League encounter at the Emirates Stadium the role the 20-year-old took up – just behind Olivier Giroud – did come as a slight shock.
However the Nigerian international put on a terrific showing in this unconventional position and scored the Gunners’ second goal in the comfortable victory against Sam Allardyce’s team.

Iwobi’s performance earned praise from Arsenal supporters as well as club legend Keown, who believes the youngster was excellent in the centre.
The retired centre-back also feels that the entire dynamic of the team was brilliant and wonders that – although without Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla – Wenger might have found his best available team.
Keown said on BBC Sport: “Is this turning into Arsenal’s best team? There’s a really good balance in the team, sometimes the best players don’t make the best team.
“Iwobi has played excellently in that central role, and Xhaka and Elneny have an excellent balance in the middle of midfield.”

Courtesy: Squakwa

Former Manchester City forward Michael Owen says the confidence of young Nigerian forward Kelechi Iheanacho has taken a big hit under manager Pep Guardiola.

Iheanacho was handed a rare start by the manager in their 2-1 win over Burnley but had to substitute the 20 year old, a minute after the restart following a red card to Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho.

Owen believes Iheanacho is not same player he was under former manager Manuel Pelligrini, who gave him his breakthrough at the Etihad.

” Iheanacho isn’t the same player he was once. His confidence has taken a hit, I think he plays with lot of pressure as he is unsure what could happen next unlike when Pelligrini was in charge,” Owen said.

” He is surrounded by players he knows have the trust of the manager unlike during Pelligrini’s reign where he has the trust of the manager and knows it, he has regressed under Guardiola. He is under pressure”.

Premier League legend turned TV pundit Jamie Carragher has urged manager of Arsenal Arsene Wenger to allow contract rebel Mesut Ozil leave the club, and hand his role to Alex Iwobi.

Ozil is in the final 18 months of his contract and talks over an extension appears to have stalled due to variations in what he is demanding and what Arsenal are offering.

Iwobi dazzled in Ozil’s role against Crystal Palace with the German missing out due to a chest infection, and Carragher who has in the past criticize Ozil’s laid back attitude in games believes Iwobi’s style best suite the Gunners.

” Ozil has quality but he is certainly not properly suited to Arsenal’s swift style of play. His contract stand off is the perfect opportunity to cut ties with him like have always said, I don’t think Arsenal will miss him unlike Alexis Sanchez”, Owen said.

” That is what have been saying, Iwobi proved me right with his performance against Crystal Palace, Arsenal should let Ozil go”.

The Sporting Director of BK Hacken has confirmed that forgotten Nigerian forward John Owoeri will depart the club this January after finishing as top scorer in the top flight league in Sweden.

Former Nigeria youth international Omeruo enjoyed a good spell in front of goal for the Swedish side scoring 17 goals to emerge as top scorer in the league.

The former Heartland,Feyernoord and Ismaily forward joined Hacken last year for a nominal fee from fellow Swedish side Atvidaberg.

Hacken Sporting director Sonny Karlsson in an interview with Fotbollskanalen picked up by Owngoalnigeria.com online editor confirmed that the 29 year old has offers from China and teams in the MLS.

” Some clubs have shown interest in John Owoeri, which is expected after his feat as top scorer in the league but nothing is concrete for now, but we expect him to leave”,he said.

Dutch top division side Vitesse Arnhem have confirmed that Nigerian striker Abiola Dauda is free to leave the team after failing to impress in the first half of the season.

Dauda was omitted from the club’s squad to their mid season camp in Spain, which is meant to prepare the team for the second half of the season.

” He (Dauda) is free to leave”, says the spokesman of the club in a statement on the official website of the team.

The Nigerian Swede spent the second half of last season on loan to Scottish side Heart before returning to the club he joined in 2014.

He is third choice striker at the club behind Ricky Van Wolfswinkel and Chinese forward Zhang Yuning. Despite starting life at the club with a hattrick in his first game for the team in 2014 against Excelsior, he has failed to build on his early success.