Nigeria international forward Henry Onyekuru is making the best use of his time on loan to Galatasary in Turkey from Monaco with yet another goal in their 3-0 win over Istanbul Basaksehir.

Onyekuru got his loan spell from Monaco with a brace in his first game against Gaziantep to mark what was his first set of goals since the start of the season after failing to score in the eight games he played at Monaco.

It is his third loan spell with the Turkish side and in his stint he helped them lift the league title and it played a part in his permanent transfer to Monaco from Everton.

At Monaco he has failed to nail a spot in the team with three different managers all keen to see the Nigeria out of the door as he didn’t fit into their plans. It has also affected his international career with the senior national team of Nigeria.

Liverpool forward Sadio Mane has picked Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi in his dream team consisting of players he hasn’t played with in his career.

The Senegalese forward wasted no time in naming Ndidi when he was asked to pick his dream midfielder, something which came as a surprise to the host of the interview.

“ Ndidi for me. He has the ability to screen the defence and give the attack confidence to mount pressure. He is one player who has improved over the course of the season and years”, Mane said.

His choice of Ndidi over Thomas Partey of Arsenal and Ghana will no doubt reignite the debate about who is the best African defensive midfielder between the duo although many tip Partey ahead of Ndidi.

Ndidi on his part has grown into one of the most respected midfielders in the English Premier League particularly the last two seasons under Brendan Rodgers.

Captain of the senior national team of Nigeria Ahmed Musa is few details away from joining English Premier League side West Brom after undergoing a routine medical earlier today.

Musa arrived in England yesterday night and had his medicals today ahead of joining up with the rest of the team on what many believe will be a short term deal till the end of the season.

Coach of West Brom Sam Allardyce is hoping the Nigerian will bring his wealth of experience as they continue the fight to beat the drop to the English Championship.

Owngoalnigeria.com gathered that the deal was made possible by his agent Tony Harris who is back working with Musa after the pair parted ways in 2018. He will likely be unveiled in the coming days if all goes as planned.

His move will go through despite the close of the January transfer window yesterday as he is a free agent following his decision to mutually terminate his deal with Saudi Arabia side Al Nassr.

Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka has lifted the lid on how his family reacted to his decision to commit his international future to England ahead of Nigeria.

Saka made his senior national team debut for England with Nigeria keen on having him switch allegiance despite representing England at several youth level as he is eligible for the West African nation through his father.

According to the Arsenal teen star his father was keen on him to play for Nigeria but didn’t try to influence his decision but when he picked England, it left him disappointed.

“ I think we all knew it will come down to when I will have to make a decision on my international future. We discussed it while I was playing for the youth team of England and my father always see me as a future Super Eagles”, Saka said in an interview with Arsenal legend Ian Wright.

“ My father and extended family back in Nigeria wanted me to play for Nigeria. I could tell that even my father has same dream but didn’t try to influence me. I guess he was obviously disappointed when I pick England but happy that it’s what I want”.

Nigeria international midfielder Ramon Azeez won’t be joining fellow La Liga side Elche on loan from Granada, Owngoalnigeria.com understands.

Azeez was in talks with Elche over a loan move as he seeks for more game time which he isn’t getting at Granada where he has demanded for a transfer before the end of the January window.

The move to Elche was close to happening according to several sources but it has now fallen through and he is in talks with two struggling second division teams in Sabadell and Cartagena.

Advanced talks have been held and the race to sign him on a six months loan deal is now between Sabadell placed 20th and Cartagena who are 21st on the 22 team second division table.

An announcement is imminent from any of the above mentioned teams as they seek to bolster their squad in their bid to escape relegation before the close of the transfer window later tonight.

President of the Nigeria Football Federation Amaju Pinnick says Reading of England midfielder Ovie Ejaria is eligible to represent Nigeria following a successful switch of allegiance application from England.

Pinnick was reacting to reports that eight players have been cleared to play for Nigeria and he confirmed that for now only Ejaria is free to play for Nigeria at senior level.

Ejaria trained with the Nigeria U17 team of 2013 but had to leave the camp before the final list for the tournament was released. He later played and helped England U20 lift the World Cup four years ago.

Ovie Ejaria has been cleared by FIFA to play for us (Nigeria), that I can confirm to you, I’m not aware of the others,” Pinnick told The PUNCH.

“We won’t beg anybody to play for us. If you want to play for the Super Eagles, you have to write to the federation informing them of your intention. We will look at your statistics and decide if the player has what it takes to play for our national team or not,” Pinnick added.

“If you get the nod, then you know that you are going to fight for a place in the team. If the others have applied to play for us, no problem, their letters will get to my table.”

Now at Reading on a permanent deal after failing to nail down a spot at Liverpool. He will help solve the creative midfielder void in the Super Eagles which has remained an area of concern for coach Gernot Rohr.

Coach of English Premier League side Crystal Palace Roy Hodgson believe Ebere Eze will in the coming years play for the senior national team of England.

Eze is eligible to play for Nigeria and even trained with the team in 2017 during one of their training camp in London but he is currently part of Aidy Boothroyd’s England Under-21 squad, although he missed the recent games in November with an injury.

Nigeria approached him in 2019 to have him switch allegiance but despite meeting with the president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) twice in England, Eze stuck with his choice of playing for England for now.

When Hodgson was in charge of the national team, he had to convince Jack Grealish to pick the Three Lions over the Republic of Ireland and the Aston Villa captain has forced his way into Gareth Southgate’s plans ahead of the Euro’s later this year.

And with Eze now in a similar situation, the Palace manager said: “I would like to think that like Jack Grealish before him, whom I found myself in a situation of needing to speak to, to try to persuade him he was good enough to play for England and that he should perhaps give it a chance, I would certainly say the same to Eberechi Eze if I was in that sort of situation.

“Is he ready at the moment? I wouldn’t think so. I think there are so many players in his position and of his type, it would be very bold of me to suggest he could go in front of them.

“He is a member of the under-21 side and I would like to think and hope he keeps his position there and that he keeps
improving and keeps in the eye line of Gareth Southgate and the other England coaches while he is working there.

“And at the same time of course his performances are monitored in the Premier League, but I’m more than happy with the progress he is making and the difference he has made as a player to our team.

“I think he will need a bit more of that before we start trying to raise him up even higher because already he has taken quite a big step.”

Legendary Germany and Bayern Munich shots stopper Manuel Neuer says he will do his best to ensure that teen prospect Jamal Musiala plays for the Germany team ahead of England and Nigeria.

Musiala has caught the eyes this season with impressive performances for Bayern Munich at the age of 17. Although he is presently playing for England at U20 level he is eligible for Nigeria and Germany.

He played for Germany at U16 level before making the switch to England at other youth levels. Neuer who knows all about the teen sensation and his rise to the first team reckons he will add something different to the German national team.

“I would recommend talking to him and trying to get him to play for Germany,” Neuer – captain for club and country – told Bundesliga.com after helping Bayern to a 4-1 win over Hoffenheim on Matchday 19.

“He’s a very talented and good player who we need in our team, and who can play at the highest level.”

Coach of the senior national team of Germany Joachim Low later confirmed in a separate interview that he will hand a call up Musiala in March when international football returns.

Löw has told BILD am Sonntag he is trying to convince the 17-year-old midfielder that his international future lies with the four-time world champions, rather than the Three Lions.

“He’s an exceptional talent, who is highly valued by Germany and Bayern,” commented the Germany boss after attending Bayern’s 4-1 win over Hoffenheim, echoing the views of goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

“I think he knows one way or another that I want to nominate him,” he continued. “The ball’s in his court – it’s his decision.”