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Chelsea ready to trigger Osimhen’s £111m transfer clause

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English Premier League club, Chelsea, is ready to break the bank to acquire the service of Nigerian and Napoli forward, Victor Osimhen, by triggering his €130m (£111m) release clause in the summer transfer window.

According to transfer guru, Rudy Galetti, the West Londoners are willing to meet the striker’s whopping asking price which was inserted into a new contract he signed at Napoli last December.

The 25-year-old scored 26 Serie A goals last season to ensure Napoli won her first Scudetto title in over three decades, has been the most wanted striker with several top European clubsides like Arsenal, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Bayern Munich and PSG all linked to him in the last transfer window.

But somehow, Napoli’s shrewd President Aurelio De Laurentiis was able to convince Osimhen to sign a new deal with the mammoth release clause inserted into it.

As the top clubs circled over the 2003 African Footballer of the Year, De Laurentiis had vowed that his star striker was not for sale and even if he was to leave the Italian club, it was not going to be on the cheap.

“This was already known since this summer, our negotiations over the new contract were friendly, otherwise it would not have been so long,” the hard-nosed negotiator had said when the new contract was signed.

But while many clubs have been put off by Osimhen’s release clause, Chelsea owner, Todd Boely and coach Mauricio Pochettino seem to be ready to go the full length to get the Nigerian star to replace the Blues misfiring strikers with the team currently sitting in 10th position in the EPL table.

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Ghanaian winger Fatawu out for season with ACL injury

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Ghana and Leicester City winger, Abdul Fatawu, has been ruled out of the rest of the EPL season after suffering an Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury during Ghana’s 1-1 draw with Angola in a 2025 AFCON match during the international break.

Leicester coach, Steve Cooper, who announced the news on Thursday, said the 20-year-old enterprising player suffered a “serious” knee injury which will see him out for the rest of the season.

“It’s not good, it’s a serious injury,” Cooper said ahead of his side’s home tie against Chelsea on Saturday.

“He’s had an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury that is going to rule him out for the rest of the season. It’s a real blow, first and foremost for him, being a young player and having an injury as serious as what an ACL is.

“Albeit, it can be quite common in sport and in particular football, but it’s still a serious injury. For it to happen at a young age is a blow for him and a blow for us as well.

“He’s obviously a big talent and a young player, as exciting as he can be at his age, with lots to learn.

“It’s only a pause and we will make sure, as difficult as it is at the moment for him, that he comes back being a stronger player and person, which with the mentality and character that he has, I think will be the case,” the gaffer said.

Fatawu has been a key player for the Foxes, helping them gain promotion last season and has played 11 times for them in the league during the present campaign, scoring two goals.

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SA football legend Lucas ‘Masterpieces’ Moripe passes away

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South African football legend, Lucas “Masterpieces” Moripe, has passed away at the age of 71 after a long battle with illness.

According to South African media, Moripe lit up the country’s football fields in the 1970s and became a rallying point for football in the country, especially in the apartheid era.

“Moripe, who mesmerised opponents and spectators alike during an injury ravaged career, spent his last years confined to a wheelchair after suffering a stroke, and died at his home on Tuesday at the age of 71,” one media report said.

“Moripe, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest players the country has produced by those who saw him play, was called “the god of football”’ by adoring fans during the early 1970s in a nod to his natural talents.

“He was feared by defenders and goalkeepers and his style of play was synonymous with flair, finesse and the golden era of South African football.

“In recent years Moripe was confined to a wheelchair after suffering a mild stroke that was worsened by the effects of a long-term knee injury that stopped his playing career in the late 1980s.

“Throughout his career, Moripe played for the Orlando Pirates and the Pretoria Callies, winning the respect of both teammates and supporters.

“In 2010, the Atteridgeville Super Stadium was renamed the Lucas “Masterpieces” Moripe Stadium in honor of his noteworthy achievements to South African football. Major football games are still held at this stadium, which now stands as a tribute to his legacy.

“Moripe’s career highlights include leading Pretoria Callies to victory against top clubs and earning the 1973 NPSL Player of the Year and Sportsman of the Year titles.

“He also played internationally for Caroline Hill in Hong Kong and briefly for Orlando Pirates. Persistent knee injuries ended his playing career in the late 1980s.”

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