Victor Osimhen will decide on a move to Serie A side Napoli on Tuesday after Lille accept a fee of around €80 million as his transfer fee from the Italian side, Owngoalnigeria.com understands.

Osimhen has asked for more time before committing himself to the move following interest from three other teams including one from English Premier League champions Liverpool.

The bid from Liverpool arrived three days ago and it is around same amount like that of what Napoli are willing to offer but Lille are keen on doing business with the Italians due to several financial clauses which will be financially beneficial to them.

Lille will be due several bonus if the Osimhen agrees to the move and proved himself at the club. The clauses were not contain in the bid submitted by Liverpool but playing in England is something that appeals to Victor Osimhen a lot.

Since returning to France , Osimhen hasn’t joined the rest of his teammates in pre season training ahead of the start of next season but all that could change by tommorow if he decides against a move to Napoli.

Daniel Martins

Coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr has never hidden his desire to have Augsburg defender Felix Uduokhai in the senior national team of Nigeria.

Rohr is a big fan of the German U23 defender right from his days at Wolfsburg and the coach has severally sounded out the defender who has impressed this season at Augsburg where he was initially sent on loan.

His loan was converted to a permanent deal after impressing and that has further encouraged Rohr to push for him to switch allegiance to Nigeria with the coach confirming that he expects the defender to make up his mind after his involvement with the German U23 at the Olympics.

Uduokhai has however spoken about his proud Nigerian roots when he called former Nigeria youth international Taiwo Awoniyi to check on his health after the Nigerian was stretchered off following a collison where in action for Mainz 05 against Augsburg.

While speaking with Colin Udoh of ESPN , Awoniyi revelaed that the German youth international called him on phone and during their conversation he spoke about himself as a Nigerian.

“He (Uduokhai) sent me a message to get well soon and also the entire team sent me an apology and wished me quick recovery,” Awoniyi said.

“He told me also that we’re like family and it’s just unfortunate. He said he hopes I’m fine and well, and told me he is also a Nigerian like me — and I told him I was aware and that we are okay.”

Osas Mahawi 

Former Nasarawa United striker Kadiri Attah will in the coming days pen a five year deal with Belgium side Club Brugge, Owngoalnigeria.com understands.

As reported by this portal , the champions of Belgium made a one million euros bid for the Ostersunds striker and reports indicate that the Swedish side have accepted the bid for the 20 year old who only joined them last year.

A medical has been scheduled for this week and barring a last minute collapse he will be unveiled sometimes around next week with the Belgium side eager to wrap up the deal in order for him to join them for pre season training.

His signing is seen by many as a step taken in order to cushion the effect of the departure of another Nigerian in Emmanuel Dennis Bonaventure who is set to depart the club before the close of the transfer window.

Dennis has made it clear via his agent that his desire is to take his trade outside of Belgium and Club Brugge are not in anyway opposed to his departure as a gentleman agreement was agreed last summer that he will be allowed to leave the team this summer.

Daniel Martins

The senior international future of Arsenal’s teen star Bukayo Saka has been in the news since the 18 year old made his breakthrough in the first team of the club two seasons ago.

A youth international for England but he qualify to represent Nigeria through his father who is from the West African country and the Nigeria Football Federation ( NFF) have wasted no time in sounding him out.

President of the NFF, Amaju Pinnick who is a fan of Arsenal set the ball rolling by speaking with Saka last year but was told by the parents and representatives of the left footed teen star that a decision will be made when he sorts out his club future.

Saka penned an extension to his deal at Arsenal last week and he celebrated it with a goal yesterday as Arsenal secured a 2-0 win away at Wolverhampton Wanderers in the English Premier League. The goal was his first in the competition.

After the game, the official twitter handle of the senior national team of England posted a message of congratulations to Saka over his first English Premier League goal. The move can be viewed of a sign that they are aware of his exploits this season particularly since the restart.

Victor Osimhen is few details away from becoming the most expensive African player with Lille agreeing a transfer fee of €80 million with Napoli for his services, Owngoalnigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

The agreement was reached yesterday night after a week long discussion between Lille and Napoli with Osimhen agreeing to join the Serie A side despite a late bid from Liverpool.

Osimhen was impressed with the way he was treated by coach of Napoli Gennaro Gattuso during his visit to Naples last week and that made him to accept a move to the team this summer, a year after joining Lille.

His deal will see Lille received €40 million as part payment now and the rest of the agreed sum will be paid over the next two years , Owngoalnigeria.com gathered from sources close to the parties involved in the deal.

It means his transfer fee is now more than that of Nicolas Pepe who moved from same Lille to Arsenal for £72 million last summer. Osimhen’s deal in pounds is around £75 million making him the most expensive African player.

President of Lille Gerrard Lopez hint at the deal happening while speaking on the future of Osimhen to the media in France after the return of the Nigerian from Naples , where he had a tour of the club’s facility.

” We have received several offers for our player, we exchanged opinions and I told him the most suitable club for him at this stage of his career”, he said.

” We get along really well with Osimhen and I recommend the club to him base on his style of play, the coach he would work with and career progression he wants for himself”.

He went a step further by suggesting why Gennaro Gattuso is best for the Nigerian to have as a coach at this stage of his career ” Gattuso’s team is just below Juventus or Barcelona. I think they are on same level as Atletico Madrid. If Osimhen were to go to Napoli he will become their superstar. He has the strength to perform under pressure and I believe that having a city like Naples on your feet must be something unique in the life of a footballer”, he concluded.

Daniel Martins

LOSC Lille has announced the capture of 19 year old, Usman Simbakoli who joins them from fellow French Ligue 1 side, Angers, Owngoalnigeria reports.

Highly rated Simbakoli, 19 is a centre forward whose roots are traceable to Nigeria and Central African Republic even though he was born in France. His signing is viewed by many as a sign that Lille are already resigned to losing their Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen.

The free scoring striker made his mark for youth team of Angers last season with 16 goals to his name from 19 games. A form that alerted Lille and will potentially prompt an international tussle for his senior international future between Nigeria and France if he repeats same in Ligue 1. He has not been capped at any level by both countries.

The signing of Simbakoli was announced on the Twitter handle of the Ligue 1 side with the future of Osimhen hanging in the balance with the 21 year old Nigerian few details from agreeing a deal with Serie A side Napoli.

Osimhen who netted 16 goals in all competitions last season spent large part of the concluding week in Naples where he held talks with Napoli over a transfer which will make him the most expensive Nigerian with a sum of around €70 million speculated as his transfer fee.

Godwin N

Former Lazio and Atalanta striker, Stephen Ayodele Makinwa has told Napoli’s prime target Victor Osimhen that he should not worry about racism in Naples, as he evaluates the Partonepei’s bid to lure him to the San Paolo.

With Nigeria’s Victor Osimhen increasingly nearing on a move to Italian side, Napoli, sources close to the player say he is worried about the notoriety of the European nation as a hotbed for racism.

However, ex Nigeria international, Stephen Makinwa who spent nine years in the Italian Serie A has told close friends of Osimhen that the young striker should not worry about racism in Naples.

Makinwa said “I heard he was worried about racism issues then I spoke with the person who reported it to me that Naples is the last place in the world where you can come across this type of phenomenon”.

Recently, football has been championing the fight against racism as it fully gave its voice to the anti racism movement tagged BlackLivesMatterMovement. Osimhen and his representatives re reviewing Napoli’s offer with both clubs set to resume talks on transfer values.

Godwin N

Spanish Laliga side Atletico Madrid have reportedly made a cheeky bid for Nigeria international Samuel Chukwueze per reports in the Spanish media.

Report has it that coach of Atletico Madrid Diego Simeone has approved a bid of around €50 million for the Nigerian who fits the project he is trying to build at the Madrid club.

However according to one of Chukwueze’s representative Villarreal won’t settle for anything other than his full buyout clause of a €100 million stated in his deal following the extension he signed last summer .

“ No idea where the report came from but any bid short of what is in his contract as buyout fee won’t be accepted by Villarreal. Moreso as they are in a strong position to play in next season UEFA Champions League. That much I know”.

Serbian giants Partizan Belgrade have turned down an initial bid from French Ligue 1 side Monaco for the services of their Nigerian forward Sadiq Umar.

Monaco according to reports in the media in Serbia had a bid of €8 million with an extra €2 million incentive base on some variables rejected by the Serbian side who are reputedly holding on for €15 million.

Presently both team are separated by €3 million in their valuation of the 23 year old , although owngoalnigeria.com understand that Partizan want €10 million as initial payment.

For now Monaco are firmly in pole position to sign the forward who ended the season with 17 goals and 17 assists. The other French team interested in his services Lille are waiting to conclude the deal for Victor Osimhen who is close to sealing a switch to Napoli.

The lanky forward has however made it clear that he want to leave the team this summer despite joining on a permanent deal in January, six months after arriving on loan from Roma.

Daniel Martins 

Nigeria international Henry Onyekuru has ended his second loan spell with Turkish side Galatasaray following the decision of the club not to extend his deal till the end of the season.

Onyekuru’s loan deal expired yesterday and despite having the option of extending it till the end of the season for the remaining seven games , Galatasaray decided to send him back to Monaco.

It has been an uneventful year for the Nigerian at Monaco and that made him to push for a loan to Galatasaray where he had a very successful loan spell last season while on loan from Everton.

Unlike last time out, Onyekuru struggled to match same height like his spell last season scoring just once in ten league games. The only goal he scored in 16 games.

His not too impressive form made the team to opt against extending his deal beyond the 30th of June opening the door for him to return to Monaco. He will be hoping to impress coach Alberto Moreno when pre season training resumes.

Ade Emmanuel