Tuesday News (includes West Ham)
Posted: 10 Sep 2024, 11:20
BBC
Manchester United are monitoring 26-year-old Crystal Palace winger Eberechi Eze and might make a move for the England forward next summer. (Manchester Evening News), external
Liverpool might also move for Eze if Egypt forward Mohamed Salah, 32, does not sign a new deal with the club. (Liverpool Echo), external
Aston Villa turned down 40 offers for Colombia forward Jhon Duran, 20, during the summer transfer window. (The Mirror), external
Chelsea are hoping to offload 21-year-old Ivory Coast forward David Datro Fofana to Greek club AEK Athens - the transfer window in Greece is open until Wednesday. (The Athletic - subscription required), external
Tensions between the owners at Chelsea may raise major question marks on the club's ability to do business in the January transfer window. (Football Insider), external
Former Chelsea and Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is set to be confirmed as the new USA manager after a meeting with US soccer chiefs. (Mail), external
Sporting and Sweden forward Viktor Gyokeres, 26, is unlikely to move in the January window despite interest from Chelsea and Arsenal as he is settled in Portugal. (Football Insider), external
Manchester United are keen to offload Brazil winger Antony on loan with Fenerbahce in pole position to sign the 24-year-old. (Sun), external
Galatasaray are interested in signing Tottenham's 31-year-old Wales defender Ben Davies before the Turkish transfer window shuts on 13 September. (Takvim, via Football Insider)
Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel tried to convince Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen, 25, to join the Blues before his summer loan switch from Napoli to Galatasaray. (Talksport), external
Former Real Madrid and Spain defender Sergio Ramos may be about to join Brazilian club Corinthians. The 38-year-old has been without a club since leaving Sevilla in the summer. (Itatiaia - in Portuguese), external
Juventus remain open to offers for 28-year-old Brazilian midfielder Arthur Melo, who wants to stay and fight for his place at the club. (Fabrizio Romano), external
Canada forward Jonathan David, 24, is in talks over a new deal with Lille but continues to be linked with a move to the Premier League. (Teamtalk), external
The salary demands of midfielder Adrien Rabiot, 29, are too high for Manchester United to sign the Frenchman, who is a free agent after leaving Juventus. (Football Insider)
Sky Paper Talk
THE SUN
Antony is pushing for a loan move away from Old Trafford and may have played his last game for Manchester United.
Manchester United chiefs are already drawing up transfer plans for next summer and want to sign four players, including Eberechi Eze, according to reports.
Flamengo have reportedly turned down the opportunity to sign free agent Anthony Martial.
Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga has revealed he spoke to Sweden team-mate Alexander Isak about a potential move to Newcastle.
Chelsea's £4bn boardroom battle could drive a wedge through the club's controversial policy on transfers.
THE TELEGRAPH
Lee Carsley is set to give Angel Gomes his first England start in Tuesday's Nations League clash against Finland at Wembley.
EVENING STANDARD
Virgil van Dijk has revealed he wants to sign a new contract to stay at Liverpool for at least the next two years.
DAILY MAIL
Neal Maupay has admitted his 'relief' at leaving Everton in his first Marseille press conference.
Mohamed Salah has 'received interest' from two of Liverpool's biggest European rivals as the saga over his Anfield contract, which ends next summer, gathers pace.
London has emerged as the frontrunner to host the inaugural finals weekend of the new Nations Championship, after unions opted to reject a lucrative approach from Qatar.
DAILY MIRROR
Lazio president Claudio Lotito has hailed Nuno Tavares, with the defender's time at Arsenal almost certainly up.
THE ATHLETIC
Chelsea have stepped up talks with AEK Athens over the sale of striker David Datro Fofana in the hope a move can be agreed before the window shuts in Greece on Wednesday.
Ui-Jo Hwang has left Nottingham Forest to join Alanyaspor in a permanent deal.
Barcelona midfielder Marc Bernal has undergone surgery after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and is expected to be out for 12 months.
THE GUARDIAN
Chelsea's civil war has led Clearlake Capital, the US private equity firm that owns a majority shareholding in the club, to consider buying out Todd Boehly or striking a deal with the billionaire that would remove his influence and keep him in little more than a ceremonial role.
THE INDEPENDENT
Former Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves has claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo's continued goalscoring form for his country proves "that Saudi football has quality".
Real Madrid forward Rodrygo has admitted that he was "upset" over not making the final 30-person shortlist for the 2024 Ballon d'Or.
Chelsea forward Sam Kerr said she will not jeopardise her future in the game by rushing her recovery from her ACL injury.
DAILY STAR
Manchester United's hopes of luring Adrien Rabiot to Old Trafford on a free transfer have received a boost.
DAILY EXPRESS
Arsenal face an anxious wait to discover the extent of Martin Odegaard's injury after their captain was taken off while on international duty.
Dejan Kulusevski has weighed in on the ongoing row within the Sweden national team by branding the conflict as "unnecessary".
Rob Holding has purged his Instagram of Crystal Palace content after being sidelined at the club.
THE TIMES
The RFU will make about 42 members of staff redundant - approximately seven per cent of its workforce - despite signing a £100m naming-rights deal for Twickenham stadium.
DAILY RECORD
Former Rangers midfielder Ryan Jack has been offered a deal to end his exile from the game, with Turkish minnows Erokspor putting an offer on the table.
Besiktas boss Gio van Bronckhorst has reportedly held talks with Rangers captain James Tavernier's agent with speculation over a move to Turkey ramping up.
Bologna are reportedly set to offer club captain Lewis Ferguson a new contract as the coveted Scotland star edges closer to a return from a serious knee injury.
Luis Palma has insisted that it is only injury that has put him down the pecking order at Celtic so far this season.
Former Rangers loanee Malik Tillman is said to be of interest to Juventus - despite only sealing a permanent switch to PSV four months ago.
Ryan Kent reportedly turned down a move to Scotland this summer - as the former Rangers star attempts to force the club into a bumper contract termination.
SCOTTISH SUN
Craig Levein has been hit with an SFA charge for his criticism of ref Iain Snedden following St Johnstone's defeat to Motherwell last month.
The Athletic
Victor Obinna interview: ‘I felt at home at West Ham, almost as if I was still in Nigeria’
By Roshane Thomas
It was in Miami that Victor Obinna first became aware of the impact his brief spell at West Ham United had on supporters.
The forward joined West Ham on a season-long loan from Inter Milan in August 2010 and scored eight goals across 32 appearances. Memorable moments included a hat-trick against Nottingham Forest and four assists in a victory against Manchester United.
Obinna has had a soft spot for the London club ever since, but it was not until a family holiday to America that he realised how popular he was.
“I remember being at a beach in Miami and this West Ham fan recognised me and said, ‘Irons’,” he tells The Athletic. “It was so funny. Then we spoke about my time at the club.
“I’m so grateful that the fans still remember me and they still say nice things. I was only there for a year but it feels like I played for the club my whole career.”
Obinna, now 37 years old, is from Nigeria. His compatriots Jay-Jay Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu, who played in the Premier League, were his idols.
Although Obinna started his career at Italian side Chievo before his spells at Inter Milan and Malaga, it was his childhood dream to play in the Premier League, something which he achieved at the age of 23.
Kanu gave Obinna advice before his switch to London, having worked with then West Ham manager Avram Grant, who was manager of Kanu at Portsmouth in the 2009-10 season.
“I watched the Premier League as a kid in Nigeria but never thought one day I’d play in England,” says Obinna. “I was at Inter Milan and I was in my last contract year. After the World Cup in 2010, West Ham approached my agent and when he asked what I thought, I immediately said yes. When I told my family they were so happy and they couldn’t wait to watch me on TV.”
In an article published by The Athletic last month, Obinna said of signing for West Ham: “I know when I arrived, fans would have thought, ‘Who is this guy?’ But I felt no pressure when I joined. I wasn’t scared. I saw it as an opportunity to prove myself in England. I had played for Inter Milan, Nigeria and in a World Cup, so I backed myself to do well.”
Obinna celebrating a goal against Stoke City in October 2010 (Ian Kington/AFP/Getty Images)
Yet Obinna had a slow start to his West Ham career. He scored three goals in his first 14 appearances and played a full match in only five of those games. The turning point was a 4-0 League Cup win against Manchester United in November 2010. Through the help of Karren Brady, the vice-chairman, members of Obinna’s family travelled from Nigeria to east London for that match. Seeing his loved ones had the desired effect.
“The moment I won’t forget is my mum and little sister seeing me play for West Ham,” he says. “It was the game where I had four assists against Manchester United and that’s one of the highlights of my career. That was my ‘I have arrived’ moment.
“My mum kept telling people, ‘That’s my son, that’s my son’. I felt so proud after. I remember my team-mates giving me a standing ovation in the dressing room. I’d like to think I proved to them that I was good enough and that I could contribute to the team.
“Then I scored the hat-trick against Nottingham Forest and all my team-mates signed the match ball, which I still have. My celebration was somersaults and I worried the manager would tell me to stop doing it. But after the game, he said there’s no reason for me to stop doing it and he wanted me to teach him how to do it!
“I felt at home at West Ham, almost as if I was still in Nigeria. The fans really supported me and, no matter what happens in my life, I will never forget them.
“The other day someone asked me why my Instagram profile picture is of me at West Ham. I said, ‘Why not?’ I wish I could’ve stayed longer. We got relegated at the end of the season and I really wanted to stay, but sadly we couldn’t reach an agreement for me to sign a new contract. Then I moved to Russia to play for Lokomotiv Moscow, but West Ham was still on my mind.”
West Ham were relegated at the end of 2010-11 with 33 points. It remains their worst points tally in the Premier League era. In 38 league games, they won seven, drew 12 and lost 19. Six forwards played for the club that season: Obinna, Demba Ba, Robbie Keane, Frederic Piquionne, Carlton Cole and Freddie Sears. It is Cole who Obinna formed the closest relationship with.
“Carlton Cole was like a big brother to me,” he says. “He went out of his way to make me feel settled. I enjoyed playing with him and we formed a good understanding on the pitch. I remember Avram Grant saying we had good chemistry after one of our training sessions.
“Me and Carlton are still in touch. He’s one of the reasons why I had a great experience at West Ham. You have to remember we had lots of strikers. Sometimes it was 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 so there was a lot of competition. But it was Carlton who I most enjoyed playing with.”
Robbie Keane, Obinna and Carlton Cole in April 2011 (Tom Dulat/Getty Images)
Though he has not watched a West Ham game in person since his departure in the summer of 2011, he still follows their results and plans to visit the London Stadium soon. “I still watch West Ham,” he says, “that’s how close I feel to the club.
“Growing up, most of my family supported Arsenal but now they love West Ham. It’s a family club and one of the most loyal fanbases I’ve ever come across. Supporters still message me now on social media.”
Since retiring from playing, Obinna now does punditry in Italy, though his main passion is coaching. He wants to help up-and-coming prospects in Nigeria and aspires to be a positive mentor like his former manager.
“It was a privilege to play under Jose Mourinho (at Inter Milan). He was ahead of his time with how he got the best out of players,” says Obinna. “You wanted to go the extra mile for him and he knew what to say to certain players. If you were injured, sometimes he wouldn’t talk to you, so it motivated you to get back on the pitch quicker.
“Then you have players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Javier Zanetti, who used to be the first at the training ground after a match, doing extras in a gym. They had already achieved a lot in their career yet were still willing to go the extra mile.
“It made me look at myself in the window, so naturally I started doing what Ibrahimovic and Zanetti were doing. My time at Inter Milan helped change my mindset and that’s the environment Mourinho created.
“He’s the best manager I’ve played under. Now I’m involved in coaching, I aspire to be as good as him. It was only one season but I learned a lot.”
Obinna is the happiest he has ever been, with his wife, Anastasija, due to give birth to their second child, and he has added appreciation for life since surviving a car accident on his way home from training while at Chievo in October 2007.
“I’ve always been religious but that moment strengthened my relationship with God,” he says. “He saved me that day and it’s something I will never forget. That incident happened in a split second.
“I thank God that his angels covered me, because if you saw how the car looked after, you wouldn’t have believed I survived that. I was still in shock after it happened. I didn’t even phone my mum straightaway. I only had a few scratches on my face and elbow. I had no internal bleeding, nothing serious. I’m grateful to still be alive.”
Sport Witness
Plan to ‘speed up talks’ to sign West Ham player before Friday deadline – Offer needs to hurry
By Naveen Ullal
Corinthians failed in their efforts to sign West Ham United’s Luizão in the summer window.
On August 21st, Globo Esporte reported the Hammers had accepted the Brazilian club’s loan offer for the 22-year-old.
The centre-back wasn’t able to secure a move to Corinthians and is still at West Ham. That may change soon if a report from UOL is to be believed.
They claim Eyüpspor are keen on signing the West Ham player before the transfer window in Turkey closes on September 13th.
Eyüpspor secured promotion to the Süper Lig last season and are working to bolster their squad before Friday’s deadline. They want to take the Brazilian on a loan deal.
At this moment in time, they haven’t yet made an official offer to West Ham. UOL add the parties involved in the deal want to ‘speed up talks’ for the defender’s transfer.
KAA Gent had also shown interest in the South American but weren’t able to complete a deal before the Belgian window closed last Friday.
Luizão hasn’t yet made an appearance for West Ham’s first team since joining them from São Paulo in January 2023. A loan move to Eyüpspor could help him enjoy minutes with a senior team in the topflight.
Eyüpspor need to quickly make an official offer to Julen Lopetegui’s side to get this deal over the line.
Ex
“Whilst West Ham have not fully made their decision on the future of John Egan however, it seems unlikely that he will now join the club,” stated Ex on The West Ham Way Patreon. “Staff within the club were undecided on whether a new centre back addition on a free transfer was the right thing to do.
Manchester United are monitoring 26-year-old Crystal Palace winger Eberechi Eze and might make a move for the England forward next summer. (Manchester Evening News), external
Liverpool might also move for Eze if Egypt forward Mohamed Salah, 32, does not sign a new deal with the club. (Liverpool Echo), external
Aston Villa turned down 40 offers for Colombia forward Jhon Duran, 20, during the summer transfer window. (The Mirror), external
Chelsea are hoping to offload 21-year-old Ivory Coast forward David Datro Fofana to Greek club AEK Athens - the transfer window in Greece is open until Wednesday. (The Athletic - subscription required), external
Tensions between the owners at Chelsea may raise major question marks on the club's ability to do business in the January transfer window. (Football Insider), external
Former Chelsea and Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino is set to be confirmed as the new USA manager after a meeting with US soccer chiefs. (Mail), external
Sporting and Sweden forward Viktor Gyokeres, 26, is unlikely to move in the January window despite interest from Chelsea and Arsenal as he is settled in Portugal. (Football Insider), external
Manchester United are keen to offload Brazil winger Antony on loan with Fenerbahce in pole position to sign the 24-year-old. (Sun), external
Galatasaray are interested in signing Tottenham's 31-year-old Wales defender Ben Davies before the Turkish transfer window shuts on 13 September. (Takvim, via Football Insider)
Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel tried to convince Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen, 25, to join the Blues before his summer loan switch from Napoli to Galatasaray. (Talksport), external
Former Real Madrid and Spain defender Sergio Ramos may be about to join Brazilian club Corinthians. The 38-year-old has been without a club since leaving Sevilla in the summer. (Itatiaia - in Portuguese), external
Juventus remain open to offers for 28-year-old Brazilian midfielder Arthur Melo, who wants to stay and fight for his place at the club. (Fabrizio Romano), external
Canada forward Jonathan David, 24, is in talks over a new deal with Lille but continues to be linked with a move to the Premier League. (Teamtalk), external
The salary demands of midfielder Adrien Rabiot, 29, are too high for Manchester United to sign the Frenchman, who is a free agent after leaving Juventus. (Football Insider)
Sky Paper Talk
THE SUN
Antony is pushing for a loan move away from Old Trafford and may have played his last game for Manchester United.
Manchester United chiefs are already drawing up transfer plans for next summer and want to sign four players, including Eberechi Eze, according to reports.
Flamengo have reportedly turned down the opportunity to sign free agent Anthony Martial.
Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga has revealed he spoke to Sweden team-mate Alexander Isak about a potential move to Newcastle.
Chelsea's £4bn boardroom battle could drive a wedge through the club's controversial policy on transfers.
THE TELEGRAPH
Lee Carsley is set to give Angel Gomes his first England start in Tuesday's Nations League clash against Finland at Wembley.
EVENING STANDARD
Virgil van Dijk has revealed he wants to sign a new contract to stay at Liverpool for at least the next two years.
DAILY MAIL
Neal Maupay has admitted his 'relief' at leaving Everton in his first Marseille press conference.
Mohamed Salah has 'received interest' from two of Liverpool's biggest European rivals as the saga over his Anfield contract, which ends next summer, gathers pace.
London has emerged as the frontrunner to host the inaugural finals weekend of the new Nations Championship, after unions opted to reject a lucrative approach from Qatar.
DAILY MIRROR
Lazio president Claudio Lotito has hailed Nuno Tavares, with the defender's time at Arsenal almost certainly up.
THE ATHLETIC
Chelsea have stepped up talks with AEK Athens over the sale of striker David Datro Fofana in the hope a move can be agreed before the window shuts in Greece on Wednesday.
Ui-Jo Hwang has left Nottingham Forest to join Alanyaspor in a permanent deal.
Barcelona midfielder Marc Bernal has undergone surgery after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and is expected to be out for 12 months.
THE GUARDIAN
Chelsea's civil war has led Clearlake Capital, the US private equity firm that owns a majority shareholding in the club, to consider buying out Todd Boehly or striking a deal with the billionaire that would remove his influence and keep him in little more than a ceremonial role.
THE INDEPENDENT
Former Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves has claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo's continued goalscoring form for his country proves "that Saudi football has quality".
Real Madrid forward Rodrygo has admitted that he was "upset" over not making the final 30-person shortlist for the 2024 Ballon d'Or.
Chelsea forward Sam Kerr said she will not jeopardise her future in the game by rushing her recovery from her ACL injury.
DAILY STAR
Manchester United's hopes of luring Adrien Rabiot to Old Trafford on a free transfer have received a boost.
DAILY EXPRESS
Arsenal face an anxious wait to discover the extent of Martin Odegaard's injury after their captain was taken off while on international duty.
Dejan Kulusevski has weighed in on the ongoing row within the Sweden national team by branding the conflict as "unnecessary".
Rob Holding has purged his Instagram of Crystal Palace content after being sidelined at the club.
THE TIMES
The RFU will make about 42 members of staff redundant - approximately seven per cent of its workforce - despite signing a £100m naming-rights deal for Twickenham stadium.
DAILY RECORD
Former Rangers midfielder Ryan Jack has been offered a deal to end his exile from the game, with Turkish minnows Erokspor putting an offer on the table.
Besiktas boss Gio van Bronckhorst has reportedly held talks with Rangers captain James Tavernier's agent with speculation over a move to Turkey ramping up.
Bologna are reportedly set to offer club captain Lewis Ferguson a new contract as the coveted Scotland star edges closer to a return from a serious knee injury.
Luis Palma has insisted that it is only injury that has put him down the pecking order at Celtic so far this season.
Former Rangers loanee Malik Tillman is said to be of interest to Juventus - despite only sealing a permanent switch to PSV four months ago.
Ryan Kent reportedly turned down a move to Scotland this summer - as the former Rangers star attempts to force the club into a bumper contract termination.
SCOTTISH SUN
Craig Levein has been hit with an SFA charge for his criticism of ref Iain Snedden following St Johnstone's defeat to Motherwell last month.
The Athletic
Victor Obinna interview: ‘I felt at home at West Ham, almost as if I was still in Nigeria’
By Roshane Thomas
It was in Miami that Victor Obinna first became aware of the impact his brief spell at West Ham United had on supporters.
The forward joined West Ham on a season-long loan from Inter Milan in August 2010 and scored eight goals across 32 appearances. Memorable moments included a hat-trick against Nottingham Forest and four assists in a victory against Manchester United.
Obinna has had a soft spot for the London club ever since, but it was not until a family holiday to America that he realised how popular he was.
“I remember being at a beach in Miami and this West Ham fan recognised me and said, ‘Irons’,” he tells The Athletic. “It was so funny. Then we spoke about my time at the club.
“I’m so grateful that the fans still remember me and they still say nice things. I was only there for a year but it feels like I played for the club my whole career.”
Obinna, now 37 years old, is from Nigeria. His compatriots Jay-Jay Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu, who played in the Premier League, were his idols.
Although Obinna started his career at Italian side Chievo before his spells at Inter Milan and Malaga, it was his childhood dream to play in the Premier League, something which he achieved at the age of 23.
Kanu gave Obinna advice before his switch to London, having worked with then West Ham manager Avram Grant, who was manager of Kanu at Portsmouth in the 2009-10 season.
“I watched the Premier League as a kid in Nigeria but never thought one day I’d play in England,” says Obinna. “I was at Inter Milan and I was in my last contract year. After the World Cup in 2010, West Ham approached my agent and when he asked what I thought, I immediately said yes. When I told my family they were so happy and they couldn’t wait to watch me on TV.”
In an article published by The Athletic last month, Obinna said of signing for West Ham: “I know when I arrived, fans would have thought, ‘Who is this guy?’ But I felt no pressure when I joined. I wasn’t scared. I saw it as an opportunity to prove myself in England. I had played for Inter Milan, Nigeria and in a World Cup, so I backed myself to do well.”
Obinna celebrating a goal against Stoke City in October 2010 (Ian Kington/AFP/Getty Images)
Yet Obinna had a slow start to his West Ham career. He scored three goals in his first 14 appearances and played a full match in only five of those games. The turning point was a 4-0 League Cup win against Manchester United in November 2010. Through the help of Karren Brady, the vice-chairman, members of Obinna’s family travelled from Nigeria to east London for that match. Seeing his loved ones had the desired effect.
“The moment I won’t forget is my mum and little sister seeing me play for West Ham,” he says. “It was the game where I had four assists against Manchester United and that’s one of the highlights of my career. That was my ‘I have arrived’ moment.
“My mum kept telling people, ‘That’s my son, that’s my son’. I felt so proud after. I remember my team-mates giving me a standing ovation in the dressing room. I’d like to think I proved to them that I was good enough and that I could contribute to the team.
“Then I scored the hat-trick against Nottingham Forest and all my team-mates signed the match ball, which I still have. My celebration was somersaults and I worried the manager would tell me to stop doing it. But after the game, he said there’s no reason for me to stop doing it and he wanted me to teach him how to do it!
“I felt at home at West Ham, almost as if I was still in Nigeria. The fans really supported me and, no matter what happens in my life, I will never forget them.
“The other day someone asked me why my Instagram profile picture is of me at West Ham. I said, ‘Why not?’ I wish I could’ve stayed longer. We got relegated at the end of the season and I really wanted to stay, but sadly we couldn’t reach an agreement for me to sign a new contract. Then I moved to Russia to play for Lokomotiv Moscow, but West Ham was still on my mind.”
West Ham were relegated at the end of 2010-11 with 33 points. It remains their worst points tally in the Premier League era. In 38 league games, they won seven, drew 12 and lost 19. Six forwards played for the club that season: Obinna, Demba Ba, Robbie Keane, Frederic Piquionne, Carlton Cole and Freddie Sears. It is Cole who Obinna formed the closest relationship with.
“Carlton Cole was like a big brother to me,” he says. “He went out of his way to make me feel settled. I enjoyed playing with him and we formed a good understanding on the pitch. I remember Avram Grant saying we had good chemistry after one of our training sessions.
“Me and Carlton are still in touch. He’s one of the reasons why I had a great experience at West Ham. You have to remember we had lots of strikers. Sometimes it was 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 so there was a lot of competition. But it was Carlton who I most enjoyed playing with.”
Robbie Keane, Obinna and Carlton Cole in April 2011 (Tom Dulat/Getty Images)
Though he has not watched a West Ham game in person since his departure in the summer of 2011, he still follows their results and plans to visit the London Stadium soon. “I still watch West Ham,” he says, “that’s how close I feel to the club.
“Growing up, most of my family supported Arsenal but now they love West Ham. It’s a family club and one of the most loyal fanbases I’ve ever come across. Supporters still message me now on social media.”
Since retiring from playing, Obinna now does punditry in Italy, though his main passion is coaching. He wants to help up-and-coming prospects in Nigeria and aspires to be a positive mentor like his former manager.
“It was a privilege to play under Jose Mourinho (at Inter Milan). He was ahead of his time with how he got the best out of players,” says Obinna. “You wanted to go the extra mile for him and he knew what to say to certain players. If you were injured, sometimes he wouldn’t talk to you, so it motivated you to get back on the pitch quicker.
“Then you have players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Javier Zanetti, who used to be the first at the training ground after a match, doing extras in a gym. They had already achieved a lot in their career yet were still willing to go the extra mile.
“It made me look at myself in the window, so naturally I started doing what Ibrahimovic and Zanetti were doing. My time at Inter Milan helped change my mindset and that’s the environment Mourinho created.
“He’s the best manager I’ve played under. Now I’m involved in coaching, I aspire to be as good as him. It was only one season but I learned a lot.”
Obinna is the happiest he has ever been, with his wife, Anastasija, due to give birth to their second child, and he has added appreciation for life since surviving a car accident on his way home from training while at Chievo in October 2007.
“I’ve always been religious but that moment strengthened my relationship with God,” he says. “He saved me that day and it’s something I will never forget. That incident happened in a split second.
“I thank God that his angels covered me, because if you saw how the car looked after, you wouldn’t have believed I survived that. I was still in shock after it happened. I didn’t even phone my mum straightaway. I only had a few scratches on my face and elbow. I had no internal bleeding, nothing serious. I’m grateful to still be alive.”
Sport Witness
Plan to ‘speed up talks’ to sign West Ham player before Friday deadline – Offer needs to hurry
By Naveen Ullal
Corinthians failed in their efforts to sign West Ham United’s Luizão in the summer window.
On August 21st, Globo Esporte reported the Hammers had accepted the Brazilian club’s loan offer for the 22-year-old.
The centre-back wasn’t able to secure a move to Corinthians and is still at West Ham. That may change soon if a report from UOL is to be believed.
They claim Eyüpspor are keen on signing the West Ham player before the transfer window in Turkey closes on September 13th.
Eyüpspor secured promotion to the Süper Lig last season and are working to bolster their squad before Friday’s deadline. They want to take the Brazilian on a loan deal.
At this moment in time, they haven’t yet made an official offer to West Ham. UOL add the parties involved in the deal want to ‘speed up talks’ for the defender’s transfer.
KAA Gent had also shown interest in the South American but weren’t able to complete a deal before the Belgian window closed last Friday.
Luizão hasn’t yet made an appearance for West Ham’s first team since joining them from São Paulo in January 2023. A loan move to Eyüpspor could help him enjoy minutes with a senior team in the topflight.
Eyüpspor need to quickly make an official offer to Julen Lopetegui’s side to get this deal over the line.
Ex
“Whilst West Ham have not fully made their decision on the future of John Egan however, it seems unlikely that he will now join the club,” stated Ex on The West Ham Way Patreon. “Staff within the club were undecided on whether a new centre back addition on a free transfer was the right thing to do.