Molde of Norway forward Leke James says there is no truth in reports linking him with a move to Tunisian side Esperance in the January transfer window.

Leke was widely reported to have agreed a deal that will put him in the bracket of the highest earning foreign players in the League but he has debunked the report.

The 28 year old Molde forward who finished 2019 with 24 goals in 38 games told Owngoalnigeria.com that he woke up to the news without having any knowledge of how it started.

He said not at any time was he contacted by the management of anybody from the camp of the Tunisian giants over a move to the club in the January transfer window “ I woke up this morning with my phone blowing up to the news that I am joining Esperance and I totally have no idea about it”, he said.

“ I was never in contact with anybody from the team so I have no idea how the story made it way to the press. It’s not true”.

Molde of Norway forward Leke James has agreed to join Tunisian side Esperance from Norwegian side Molde according to several news sources in Norway.

Largely viewed as one of the most prolific forward in Norway, the 28 year old was rumored to be heading to a club in Germany before the shock decision to move to Esperance of Tunisia.

Reports has it that he will be among the highest earning foreign player in the league making it unable for him to snub the offer of trading Europe for North Africa. He ended 2019 with 24 goals in 38 games.

The forward will sign a two year deal with the Tunisian giants to bring to an end his romance with Norway, where he has played almost all of his career since moving to Europe. He only had an 18 months spell in China.

A regular for Molde in the ongoing Europa League he is expected in Tunisia next week to formally put pen to paper on the deal after a routine medical.

Lagos based football academy Giant Brila have set a new transfer record for non league football in Nigeria after splashing 15 million Naira on Nigeria U20 top striker Chukwubuikem Ikwuemesi, Owngoalnigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

The forward has emerged as the hottest prospect in the Nigeria U20 camp after forcing his way into the team as a trialist from Anambra based academy side Olive Charles.

Coach of the Nigerian team Ladan Bosso gave Ikwumesi the chance to stake a claim in his squad after talks with a youth coach called Mourinho. He met the coach in Anambra during his time with FC Ifeanyi Ubah.

Rated as the brightest prospect in the Nigerian U20 team of 2020, Giant Brila agreed a deal with his academy in Anambra reportedly worth 15 million naira plus a sell on clause.

Bosso who was unaware of the deal got to find out when the list of clubs was attached to the names of the players he submitted in his final 20 man list for the WAFU tournament in Benin Republic.

Owngoalnigeria.com learnt that he called his contact in Anambra to ask how the boy is now a player of Giant Brila only to be told that he has been sold already.

“ Bosso doesn’t care much about players team. He rates players base on what they do on the pitch but he knows the owner of Ikwuemesi and he was trying to look out for him only to find out that he has been sold already for around 15 million naira”, a source told Owngoalnigeria.com.

“ I also understand that there is a sell on clause in the deal but it’s none of our business. We need the team to do well and book a place in the U20 Cup of Nations. That’s what matters most”.

Ex England U17 international Noni Madueke says he is open to the idea of representing Nigeria at senior level as talks over a switch of allegiance to Nigeria gather pace.

18 year old Madueke has taken the Dutch league by storm this season with four goals and three assists in ten league games for PSV Eindhoven after rising from the youth ranks of the team to the main team.

“I am only 18 so I have got to be open to everything. If I had a closed mindset I would not be where I am now so for sure I am open to both.

“We just have to see in the future what is best.”

Comfortable as an attacking midfielder or an inverted winger coming in from the right he has already spoken with coach of the Nigerian team Gernot Rohr about the process of switching allegiance to Nigeria.

Real name Chukwunonso Tristian Madueke he will require approval from FIFA to switch to Nigeria as he has represented England at U17 level in a competitive game but he isn’t keen on waiting for his chance with the senior team.

Coach of promotion chasing Spanish side Almeria has predicted that Nigerian striker Sadiq Umar will score 16 goals this season as he has finally settled down in the team.

Sadiq was signed from Serbian side Partizan Belgrade in the summer where he ended last season with 17 goals and 17 assists. In Serbia this season he scored six goals in ten league games before moving to Almeria.

With three goals to his name, coach Jose Gomes the coach of Almeria says he will score 16 goals like the striker he replaced in the team Darwin Nunez as he started to be a huge threat in games.

“ I saw him stronger against Oviedo. Forceful in duels, very confident and daring. I need you to mark what I will say today that he will help us with 16 goals this season”, the coach said.

The 23 year old however failed to add to his goal tally yesterday as they slump to a 0-1 loss at home to Mallorca and missed out on a chance to move up to third position on the table.

Head coach of LaLiga side Villarreal Unai Emery says Nigeria international Samuel Chukwueze has what it takes to score more goals for the team.

Emery while reacting to Chukwueze’s winner in the 75th minute of their 1-0 Europa League win over Sivasspor said the 21 year old Nigerian will certainly pick up his range in front of goal.

In ten League games he has scored just once and yesterday’s goal was his first goal in the Europa League bringing his season tally to two goals in 14 games this season but Emery isn’t bothered.

“ It’s a process that requires patience. He is learning on improving other areas of his game. Now he has added goals and the hope is for this to be the first of many to come because he has it in him to score goals”, the coach said.

“ When I came here they were some aspect of his game that requires work with his willingness to work and learn something new that has now improved. He will get more minutes and improve further”.

Henry Onyekuru is set for a third loan spell in Turkey according to his representative William D’avila in an interview sourced by Owngoalnigeria.com.

Onyekuru only returned to Monaco in the summer after a loan spell with Galatasary in the second half of last season in what was his second loan stint with the Turkish giants.

Despite starting life under new manager Niko Kovac with impressive performances in pre season and the early games of the season he has fallen out of favour and has been told he can leave the team in January.

Since returning he has only played in four Ligue 1 games with just one assist to his name so far. His poor form made the coach to leave him out of the matchday squad the past one month.

According to his agent, he will definitely leave Monaco in another loan spell with Turkey the surest destination with as many as three Turkish teams keen on signing him.

D’avila said aside Galatasary he has interest from two other Istanbul based teams with many speculating Istanbul Başakşehir and Fenerbahçe as the two other teams interested in the 23 year old.

Since joining Monaco two seasons ago from Everton after a successful loan spell in Turkey with Galatasary he has played a total of 8 Ligue 1 games with no goals to his name yet.

One player who has so far forced his way into the plans of coach of the Nigeria U20 team Ladan Bosso is Nasarawa United midfielder Mohammed Abdullah.

Abdullah was spotted by the coach during a test game against his team with the midfielder excelling in the middle of the pitch despite his team suffering a 2-4 loss.

Lanky, stylish and mobile, the GBS Academy of Jos midfielder is comfortable as a deep lying playmaker in a midfield three or as a central midfielder due to his ability to move from box to box.

While renowned for his aggression with and without the ball, Abdullah’s passing range and awareness came to the fore in the holding midfield role he occupied against the team he has been appointed as one of the captains for the WAFU tournament.

With more time and space on the ball, he was able to pick out teammates over greater distances than he would normally do. However, his quality in build-up is visible even when he plays on the outside of a three.

He loves to drive inside laterally or diagonally from left to right with the ball at feet. In doing so he causes problems for the opposition, who must quickly pass marking duties on from player to player as he moves across the field. These moves regularly open up space behind the opponent’s midfield line which can be exploited with penetrating passes.

Abdullah moves extremely well to open up penetrative passes for himself and others. On top of that, he is constantly looking for ways to connect with teammates through quick one-touch passes and combinations.

And when his team don’t have possession, he becomes a dogged defender. Aggressive and hard-working, he relishes closing down opponents and is unafraid to tackle. His mobility helps him to cover ground quickly, pressing and recovering his position if he is beaten. He reads his opponent’s pass and moves to intercept before starting a counter-attack for his own team.

If the Nigerian team succeed at the tournament in Benin Republic it will most be down to how the Nasarawa United man acquit himself during the course of the tournament.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

22 year old Nigerian forward Tosin Aiyegun is in line for a shock move to French Ligue 1 side Lyon in the January transfer window, Owngoalnigeria.comunderstands.

Aiyegun is among the options the Ligue 1 side will scout extensively as they prepare for the potential exit of Memphis Depay who has been linked with a move away with a year left on his contract.

It is believed that Lyon will be open to selling Depay in January and have already started plans to search for his replacement with Aiyegun who has 8 goals in 25 games since his move to FC Zurich among options in their list.

The forward came to the fore when coach of the Nigerian team Gernot Rohr tipped him for a call up to the team after impressing in a Europa League Qualifiers game for Latvian side Ventspils.

After scoring a total of 35 goals in 89 games in Latvia he moved to FC Zurich for around €250,000 and he will cost in the region of €1 million for any team wishing to price him away from the Swiss side.

Coach of the Nigeria U20 team Ladan Bosso has picked the three players who will play the role of captain and vice captain for the team at the WAFU U20 Championship in Benin Republic.

Nigeria will compete at the tournament which serves as qualifiers for the Africa U20 Cup of Nations with the first two teams qualifying for the tournament which will take place in Mauritania.

The Ladan Bosso led boys will depart Nigeria on Friday ahead of their first group game on Sunday against Côte d’Ivoire before taking on Ghana in their tier group game.

Bosso picked Abia Warrior goalkeeper Chibueze Lambert as the main captain of the team even though John Amah will be first choice Goalkeeper for the tournament, Owngoalnigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

Mike Zaruma of Plateau United is the first assistant captain and he will wear the armband for most of the games with Mohammed Abdullah his deputy on the pitch.