Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi is a target for Turkish side Galatasaray who are reportedly willing to offer the Nigerian his preferred number 10 role, If he agrees to join The Yellow Reds.

Mikel started off as a creative midfielder but was converted to a defensive midfielder at Chelsea, since his move to Stamford Bridge in 2006.

However, he has proven with his performances for the Nigeria Under-23s at the ongoing Rio 2016 Olympics with scintillating performances in an advanced midfield role.

An associate of the player revealed to Owngoalnigeria.com that the Turks who have failed with two bids for the 29 year old, have now resorted to using other means to lure the current Chelsea second longest player in their squad.

“It’s true that Galatasaray made fresh attempt to sign him few days back, this time around they have added the sweetner of giving him the number 10 role, something he so loves but he is very happy at Chelsea” He told Owngoalnigeria.com

“Mikel is keen to play for Conte in what will be his eleventh season with the Blues, although he is yet to sign a new deal, he is still very much willing to stay at Chelsea”.

Nigeria Under-17 World Cup winning defender Ejike Ikwu will in the coming days travel to France where he will undergo trials with PSG, Owngoalnigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

The Starplus FC starlet was in Kaduna last week to meet with the agent who facilitated the trials with the French giants, and leaks gathered by Owngoalnigeria.com has it that he will in the coming days apply for a visa to France.

We gathered that, he will spend two weeks with the Under-18s of the French giants and possibly play in two test games before a decision will be reached on his potential signing.

Ikwu,17, was one of the standout players as Nigeria romped to yet another U-17 World Youth Championship title in Chile, and only recently starred for the Under-20s in their failed attempt to qualify for next year Africa Under 20 Championship following a 3-4 loss to Sudan.

He is however not eligible to sign professional terms with any club until next year February when he turns 18, the plan is for him to trial with the team now before joining them next year if he impresses the handlers.

Former Super Eagles Captain Austin Okocha and World Cup 2002 forward Barthlomew Ogbeche were the last Nigerians who dorn the colours of the Parisians.

The poster boy of the Nigeria male football Olympic team at the ongoing Rio 2016 Olympics Ogenekaro Etebo, is courting interest from Spanish La-Liga side Espanyol and Celta Vigo.

Etebo gained global recognition when he scored four goals for Nigeria in their opening group game which they won 5-4 against Japan, but Spanish based Nigerian agent Hakim Lateef said he has been on the radar of the La-Liga duo before his exploits at Rio.

” Last season before his move to CD Feirense, Espanyol contacted me via a close friend of mine over his availability but he was already in Portugal to join his present team, so the deal couldn’t work”. Hakim told Owngoalnigeria.

“Just last week when we were watching the NPFL All Stars game against Valencia, his issue came up with the same Espanyol scout but this time around even Celta Vigo were keen to know if a deal can be done.

” Have not spoken to his minders, although I have the contact of the owner of his club in Portugal, we don’t want to disturb him with transfer talks while the Olympic is on, so we wait until after it’s over, we will see by then”.

German Bundesliga side Hamburg have dropped their interest in Nigeria international Wilfred Ndidi who plays for Racing Genk in Belgium, Owngoalnigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

Hamburg along side English Premiership side Watford were hot on the chase of the 19 year old, whose goal was voted as the best goal in the Belgian league last season, but the Germans who had a six million euros bid rejected for the defender turned midfielder have pulled out of the race.

Leaks gathered by Owngoalnigeria.com, has it that a row over who is the true representative of Ndidi played a big role in Hamburg dropping their interest in the former Nigeria youth international.

Hamburg were details away from concluding his transfer before the row over agents broke out between two parties who all have valid documents as the representative of the player.

Tied to Racing Genk till 2020 after signing a contract extension last season, he has so far played all of the team games in their domestic and continental campaign in his preferred role as a central defender.

However last season, he distinguished himself in the midfield playing as a defensive midfileder where his performances earned several team of the week nominations before scooping home the goal of the year award for his strike against Club Brugge.

Arsenal forward Alex Iwobi has been ruled out of Nigeria final AFCON 2017 qualifiers against Tanzania, after suffering a thigh strain injury which could sideline him for a minimum of two weeks.

Iwobi picked up the injury during Arsenal’s opening premiership game against Liverpool which they lost 3-4 despite the Nigerian providing the assist to Theo Walcott for the opening goal of the game.

He will reportedly spend a minimum of two to four weeks on the sideline, which automatically rules him out of Nigeria final AFCON 2017 qualifiers against Tanzania scheduled to take place on the 4th of September.

The injury will rob him off the chance to meet up with newly appointed coach of the Nigeria senior national team Genort Rohr, who will handle the team for the first time against Tanzania, after agreeing to a two year deal to coach Nigeria last week.

Nigeria’s last AFCON 2017 qualifiers tie against Tanzania has little or no significance, except for the opportunity for the players to meet with the newly appointed German handler of the team, as Nigeria have been knocked out of the qualifiers following a 1-0 loss to Egypt early this year.

New manager of Chelsea Antonio Conte got his reign off to a positive start with a dramatic 2-1 win over West Ham, in his first competitive game for the Blues.

Goals from Eden Hazard who opened scoring via the spot and another from Diego Costa, after James Collins had drawn West Ham level gave Chelsea a 2-1 win in their first league game of the new English season.

However for the Nigerians at Chelsea, Aina failed to make his competitive debut as he was an unused substitute while Victor Moses, one of Chelsea’s stand out performers during their pre season games was introduced for Hazard with five minutes left to play.

Moses will reportedly stay at Chelsea this season after three consecutively loan spells away from the club, while Aina who recently extended his deal with the club is eyeing his breakythrough season at the club where he has been since the age of 11.

Nigeria’s representatives in this year’s CAF Champions League Enyimba FC of Aba are out of this year CAF Champions League, after losing 0-1 to Egyptian giants Zamalek in Cairo.

Enyimba needed a victory in Cairo ahead of their last group game against Mamelodi Sundowns, to keep alive their dreams of qualifying for the semi finals of Africa’s premier club championship.

However, a 60th minute penalty converted by Bassem Morsi after Enyimba’s captain Chinedu Udoji handled the ball in the area gave the Egyptians, the win they needed to qualify for the semi-finals.

They go through as group runners-up behind Mamelodi Sundowns who have so far won all three of their group games to finish top with a game to go.

Mamelodi Sundowns will face Enyimba in Porthacourt, where the Nigerians will be playing for pride and the inglorious record of ending the group stage without a win or a point.

Liverpool teen forward Taiwo Awoniyi is close to sealing a loan move to Dutch Eredivisie side NEC Nijmegen after the successful completion of his medical examinations with the Dutch side.

His medicals took place today, after Liverpool reached an agreement for his second consecutive loan spell away from Anfield since joining the team last summer.

” He underwent medicals with NEC Nijmegen this afternoon, everything went well and he could make his debut this weekend, he is excited about the chance he will get in the team”. A source close to the deal told Owngoalnigeria.com.

NEC Nijmegen used their relationship with Liverpool to beat every other club interested in the services of the prolific forward, who was Nigeria’s best teen forward few years ago.

A late omission from Nigeria Olympic team, he left the team camp in Atlanta to sort out his club future after he was named as an alternate player in the squad for the Rio games.

Last season, the recently turned 19 year old, scored once in 13 games for German second division side FSV Frankfurt, who were eventually relegated to the third tier of German football league at the end of the season.

Fresh reports gathered by Owngoalnigeria.com has it that, the reported £2.5m transfer fee Arsenal paid to Diamond Academy for Nigerian wonder kid Kelechi Nwakali can only be possible, if the player fulfills various clauses in the deal.

We gathered only an initial fee of around £300,000 has been paid by the Gunners for the 18 year old, with the rest payment said to be made in installments base on various performance related clauses in the deal.

For instance, a particular clause has it that Diamond Academy will be due some amount of money, if the player plays in the first team of Arsenal within a specific period with further payments also expected to be made if he plays in the UEFA Champions League as well.

Already, the fact that Arsenal have clearly stated that he will be sent on loan has ruled out any form of further payments for Diamond Academy, until at least the next two years.

Also, there’s a clause in the deal which obliges Arsenal to make further payment should Nwakali play for the Nigeria senior national team during the first two years of his contract.

This and some variables too many to be stated are part of the conditions that will make Arsenal top up his transfer fee to the widely reported £2.5m.

A cross section of players of the Nigeria Under-23s, currently campaigning at the Rio 2016 Olympics have revealed the reasons why Chelsea star Mikel Obi was given a new nickname.

Mikel has been earning rare reviews for his role in inspiring Nigeria to the semi-finals of the football event of the Rio 2016 Olympics, with the captain scoring the first goal in their 2-0 quarterfinal win over Denmark.

The players in their closest, call Mikel “Odogwu”, a name in the Nigerian dialect of Ibo which means leader due to his leadership qualities which has rubbed off on them as young players.

Another of the team player, who played in the middle alongside the Chelsea star also told Owngoalnigeria.com, that the name is their own later way of showing respect to the Chelsea star.

” The name is what we call him in our circle, it was started by Azubuike Okechukwu and the rest is history but we hardly call him that to his face”, A player in the team told Owngoalnigeria.com.

Another player said to his face, they call him “Senior Man” but off it, he is refereed to as Odogwu as they can’t call him by his name due to the respect they have for him.