Nigerian professional footballer who currently plays as a striker for Spanish Liga F club FC Barcelona, Asisat Oshoala, has been enlisted for the 2023 Ballon d’Or Award.

Naija News reports that the organiser of the award, France Football confirmed this on its official Twitter handle on Friday.

Before now, the 28-year-old Super Falcons forward got nominated in the Socrates Award category, which recognises outstanding solidarity actions carried out by football champions.

Oshoala is one of five individuals shortlisted for the award, which was established last year and named after the legendary Brazilian footballer Socrates.

Joining Oshoala as nominees in the category are Vinicius Jnr (Brazil/Real Madrid), Antonio Rudiger (Germany/Real Madrid), Marcus Rashford (England/Manchester United), and Alex Morgan (USA/San Diego Wave).

The nomination acknowledges Oshoala’s remarkable contributions to her community through the creation of the Oshoala Academy. The academy aims to provide its beneficiaries with high-quality football training and life skills education. It also empowers young women through sports, transforming them into community role models and ambassadors for the skills they acquire.

The announcement further stated that the nominees in other categories, including men’s, women’s, Yachine Trophy, and Kopa Trophy, will be revealed on September 6.

Naija News reports that Oshoala is currently in Australia with the Super Falcons, Nigeria’s national women’s football team, as they train for the upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cup, which New Zealand and Australia will host.

The Super Falcons are placed in Group B and will face Australia, Canada, and the Republic of Ireland during the group stages of the tournament.

Former Chelsea captain John Terry announced his return to the academy of the Premier League club just less than a month after his stint with Leicester City, where he was the assistant manager.

The 42-year-old former England skipper returned to Chelsea in a coaching consultancy role in 2022 before joining Dean Smith's coaching staff at Leicester in April this year.

Terry's contract at Leicester was not renewed following the side's relegation from the English top flight.

"I'm delighted to be back Home working in the academy and continuing my role at the club," Terry, who started his coaching career in 2018 as an assistant manager at Aston Villa, said in an Instagram post.

The former defender and five-time Premier League champion won every major trophy during his 19-year stint at Stamford Bridge, making him Chelsea's most successful captain.

[Reuters]

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Following the recent capture of Mason Mount, Manchester United's focus appears to have shifted toward the signing of a new striker and a new goalkeeper, with Erik ten Hag seemingly intent on strengthening the spine of his time this summer.

With a £50m bid for Atalanta marksman, Rasmus Hojlund believed to be in the works, United are also currently in negotiations with Inter Milan to try and strike a deal for Cameroonian stopper, Andre Onana, having seemingly made an offer of around €50m (£43m) for the 27-year-old.

With doubts remaining over the future of long-serving number one, David De Gea, it would appear that Onana is being lined up to replace the experienced Spaniard in the sticks, having previously worked under Ten Hag at Ajax.

Having been part of the Inter side that reached the Champions League final last season, the 6 foot 3 ace has particularly impressed due to his quality on the ball, having been branded "exceptional" in that regard by Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola ahead of that European showpiece.

That ball-playing brilliance is evidenced by the fact that the towering gem ranks in the top 11% among his European peers for touches made as a sign of just how comfortable he is in possession, with De Gea, by contrast, ranking in just the bottom 30% in that regard.

The introduction of the Serie A star to Ten Hag's side would then allow the Red Devils to begin to properly play out from the back next term, with club legend Paul Scholes previously stating that De Gea "makes the whole team nervous" when attempting to use his feet.

Onana will, however, need players ahead of him who are also comfortable in possession, hence why the signing of Monaco's Axel Disasi - who is a reported target for the Premier League outfit this summer - could prove to be a perfect fit at the heart of the defence.

How good is Axel Disasi?

The 6 foot 3 centre-back could represent a big upgrade on club captain, Harry Maguire in Ten Hag's defensive ranks, with the latter man having been branded "a walking disaster" by journalist Samuel Luckhurst in recent times, having also been restricted to just eight league starts last term.

The 30-year-old Englishman - who has been linked with a move away from the Theatre of Dreams - has looked rather uncomfortable when attempting to play out of late, notably turning into trouble in the grim Europa League defeat to Sevilla earlier this year.

Disasi, however, should have no such trouble in that regard, with the impressive "hidden gem" - as lauded by talent scout Jacek Kulig - ranking in the top 4% among those in his position in Europe's top five leagues for both progressive passes and progressive carries, showcasing his willingness to initiate attacks from deep.

That is in stark contrast to Maguire's record across the last 365 days, as per FBref, with the former Leicester City man ranking in just the bottom 47% for progressive passes and only in the top 19% for progressive carries, having looked ill-suited at times to a more progressive style of play.

Disasi would also offer a benefit to both Onana and United as a whole due to his ability to sniff out danger, showcased by the fact that the Frenchman ranks in the top 14% for interceptions made, while Maguire ranks in just the top 38% for that same metric.

That would suggest that the signing of the 25-year-old - who has been valued at around €50m (£43m) - could be a perfect solution for Ten Hag ahead of next season, helping to hasten the transition towards a more free-flowing style of play.

[footballfancast]

Former Manchester United and Netherlands goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar is in intensive care after suffering bleeding around his brain, Dutch club Ajax have announced.

Van der Sar, 52, won the Premier League four times during his time at United, as well as the Champions League in 2008, which he also lifted while at Ajax.

After retirement, Van der Sar, who also enjoyed a spell at Fulham before signing for United, returned to Ajax where he took up the role of chief executive in 2016, from which he decided to stand down at the end of last season.

“On Friday, Edwin van der Sar has had a bleeding around his brain. He’s currently in hospital in the intensive care unit and is in a stable condition,” Ajax said in a statement on Twitter.

“Once there is more concrete information, an update will follow. Everyone at Ajax wishes Edwin a speedy recovery. We’re thinking of you.”

Although no further details were given by Ajax, it has been reported Van der Sar was admitted to hospital while away in Croatia after suffering a cerebral haemorrhage.

Following a disappointing season for Ajax, the club finishing third in the Eredivisie and missing out on Champions League qualification, Van der Sar announced he would be stepping down from his role after almost 11 years on the club’s board.

“I feel the need to take some distance, to get some rest, and to do other things,” he said on Twitter at the end of May.

“It doesn’t feel good to take decisions about the future of this wonderful club in the coming period. That is why I have decided to resign.”

United offered Van der Sar the club’s best wishes.

“Sending all our love and strength to you, Edwin,” a post on the club’s Twitter feed read.

[telegraph]

Kylian Mbappe has been linked with a move away from Paris Saint-Germain this summer, with Real Madrid his likely destination.

Kylian Mbappe will be a free agent next summer, and Paris Saint-Germain could look to cash in on him this year to avoid losing him on a free transfer next year. A report from Sky Sports claims that the French club fear that the 24-year-old has already agreed to join Real Madrid in a Bosman move in the 2024 summer transfer window.

Mbappe has recently revealed that he does not wish to leave the French outfit this summer, and he will see out his contract at the club. But Paris Saint-Germain will be desperate for him to sign an extension with them so that they do not lose him on a free transfer.

Alternatively, they will look to cash in on the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner, considering the precarious situation they find themselves in. So it will be interesting to see if they can convince the player to sign a new deal with them with a nominal release clause.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid certainly need someone like him to lead their attack, especially after the departure of Karim Benzema. Mbappe is one of the best players in the world, and he scored 41 goals across all competitions last season.

He is versatile enough to play anywhere across the front three and could transform the Real Madrid attack next year. The player has been linked with clubs like Arsenal and Liverpool as well. But it would be highly surprising if he decided to join them.

A move to Real Madrid will appeal to him more than any other club, and the player was heavily linked with the Spanish giants before he signed his last contract with PSG. Mbappe will be hoping to take the next step in his career and fight for major trophies with Real Madrid.

The Spanish giants have a phenomenal record in the Champions League, and the French international will want to win that competition soon. Despite spending massive sums of money in recent seasons the Champions League trophy has proven to be elusive for Paris Saint-Germain.

So Mbappe might feel that a move to Real Madrid could finally help him secure the european crown. Signing a player of his quality on a free transfer could prove to be an absolute masterstroke from the Spanish giants, and it will be interesting to see how the situation unfolds.

[thehardtackle]

Arsenal's summer transfer window is in full swing now with Granit Xhaka becoming the second senior player to depart permanently in the past week.

With Pablo Mari's £5.9million move to Serie A outfit Monza being completed last Saturday as the international transfer window officially opened, five days later brought about confirmation that the Switzerland international had completed a switch to Bayer Leverkusen thus earning the Gunners a £21.5million windfall.

As reported by football.london, more first-team players are expected to leave the Emirates Stadium between now and deadline day at the beginning of September with the club open to selling Thomas Partey, Nuno Tavares, Runar Alex Runarsson, Auston Trusty and Folarin Balogun.

Meanwhile, in terms of additions, Arsenal have agreements in place for Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber to push their spending over the £200million mark - having already completed the signing of Kai Havertz for £65million from London rivals Chelsea - and there could be one or two more following suit.

Having said that, the north London outfit have to be wary of not exceeding the limit of 17 non-homegrown players. This has previously been a problem as in the 2020/21 season Mesut Ozil and Sokratis Papastathopoulos missed out on both Premier League and Europa League squads.

Of course, with the Gunners competing in the Champions League next season and their hopes of toppling Manchester City in the title race, they'll have to ensure they adhere to both UEFA and Premier League rules when it comes to submitting the two squads lists after the summer transfer window closes.

With regard to the Premier League, Arsenal cannot name more than 17 non-homegrown players. The departures of Mari and Xhaka means as things currently stand, Gabriel Magalhaes, Mohamed Elneny, Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira, Jorginho, Jakub Kiwior, Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey, Kieran Tierney, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Leandro Trossard, Matt Turner, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Havertz, Runarsson, Cedric Soares, Nuno Tavares, Trusty, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Nicolas Pepe all fall into this particular category

Over the limit by three, that number (20) will have to drop over the next couple of months - especially in order for Timber to be registered - but it would appear that Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar have the situation under control with the pair expected to oversee a number of non-homegrown player sales.

As for the Champions League, UEFA states: 'No club may have more than 25 players on List A during the season. As a minimum, eight places are reserved exclusively for "locally trained players" and no club may have more than four "association-trained players" listed in these eight places on List A. List A must specify the players who qualify as being "locally trained", as well as whether they are "club-trained" or "association-trained".

Arsenal no longer have to consider Mari and Xhaka following the double departure but because Marquinhos, despite being born after January 2002, is only eligible for List A as an overseas player due to not being at the club 'for any uninterrupted period of two years, or a total of three consecutive years' they are currently over the limit by four (21).

Once again, that number is expected to drop in the coming months when taking into consideration the players whom the Gunners are open to selling but it's important those deals are completed one way or another otherwise there will be a registration issue for Arteta to face.

[Football.London]

Everton are pushing to broker their first addition to the senior squad for more than 10 months after agreeing the double sale of two academy graduates.

The club have sanctioned the sales of striker Ellis Simms to Coventry and 17-year-old academy prospect Ishe Samuels-Smith, who will join Chelsea for around £4m.

i understands that Everton will bank an initial £3.5m for Simms in a deal that will feature staggered payments and could be worth up to £8m eventually.

The 22-year-old spent the second half of last season back at Goodison Park after Everton failed to make any additions in January and scored a memorable late equaliser at Chelsea in a crucial 2-2 draw.

But he is surplus to requirements and, in a summer where Everton know they need to sell to spend substantially, the sale could be crucial.

The Toffees are still wrestling with Financial Fair Play issues and the cost of the new stadium project, with the club in advanced talks over investment from New York-based private equity firm MSP Sports Capital.

Sources close to the deal told i that there remains “no timeline” on when that could be concluded, pointing out the “very complex” nature of the investment.

“There are a lot of moving parts in the deal and it is not just a case of pressing the button and then it’s done,” a source told i.

They added that the group remained hopeful it would be done soon, having already provided an interim loan to help stadium construction in advance of the investment deal being concluded.

Everton director of football Kevin Thelwell has made a number of enquiries and the club are hopeful of securing a first incoming deal since September 2022, having gone through the whole of January without bringing anyone in.

The club returned for pre-season training on Thursday, with former England international Dele Alli noticeably the first to return for fitness tests ahead of his latest new start.

Sean Dyche will hold talks with Alli but with Everton required to pay £10m if he plays another seven games for the club, he would need to convince the manager quickly that he was over his recent travails.

Dyche has prioritised new forward additions, putting a premium on pace and power for his new recruits, with the scouting team reluctant to take risks on players with patchy fitness records.

They have been scouring the loan and free agent market and have an active interest in Lyon’s former Celtic forward Moussa Dembele.

They are also keen on Leeds United’s Italy striker Wilfried Gnoto, although there is a reluctance to sell at Elland Road. A fee of around £40m would surely require further outgoings at Goodison Park, where Amadou Onana could also be sold to raise funds.

The Belgium midfielder has interest from Chelsea and has been linked with Newcastle United.

Meanwhile, i understands that there has been no move for Almeria forward El Bilal Toure, despite reports in Spain that a £34.3m bid has been launched for the Mali international.

Almeria managing director Mohamed El Assy name-checked Everton in an interview this week as one club who had made an offer for Toure but sources at Goodison Park say that is not correct.

[inews]