Barcelona have made significant progress over the last few seasons under the leadership of the new management, led by Joan Laporta, despite coming into a club that was well corrupted by economic and financial limitations.

Now, as they look forward to the new 2023/2024 season up ahead, it is a good chance to look back at one of the most important aspects of Laporta’s tenure thus far; his recruitment of free agents that have helped stabilize the club in important areas when spending too many funds was not an option.

In total, with the two new free transfers added to the count, Barcelona have managed to recruit 13 free agents over the last 3 years since the 2020/2021 season.

Eric Garcia (Manchester City)

The young central defender came from Manchester City as a free transfer and has since found moments within the club where he has held solid importance, under Ronald Koeman in particular, and also periods of not much importance, as he has been going through this season under Xavi Hernandez.

Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)

Despite having arrived as a promising player given his massive experience and proven quality, the player’s time at the club was unfortunately cut short due to various health-related issues.

Memphis Depay (Olympique Lyon)

The Dutchman arrived as one of the most prized possessions of France’s Ligue 1, but despite an exciting first season at the club, he was not able to live up to the massive expectations piled up on his shoulders.

Luuk De Jong (Sevilla)

Another Dutchman who arrived to much dismay initially amongst fans, but courtesy of his various late winners and equalizers as a super sub, managed to forever become a fan favorite among the Camp Nou faithful.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal)

Tension at Arsenal and internal problems forced the player to be on bad terms with his former club, but hopping onto the Catalan ship the moment the chance presented itself on deadline day would end up being a free transfer that provided benefits to both Barcelona and Aubameyang himself.

Adama Traore (Wolverhampton Wanderers)

Known for his rapid pace and insane levels of acceleration, the former La Masia player came for a year-long loan that would end up being a good deal for La Blaugrana, providing them a new kind of option on the wings besides just having to rely on Ousmane Dembele, despite the Catalans not having triggered his buy option.

Dani Alves (Free agent)

A Barcelona legend in his own right, the return of the Brazilian was met with massive uncertainty given his mature age, yet his dedication to the club and commitment to the cause under Xavi Hernandez allowed him to be a great asset both on the field and off it.

Franck Kessie (AC Milan)

The AC Milan midfielder was one of the most well-renowned talents in Serie A before his move to Barcelona, and while he has not been bad by any means during his time in Spain, the player is surely playing less minutes than he would have originally had hoped for at the club.

Andreas Christensen (Chelsea)

The Danish defender has become one of the mainstays under the tutelage of Xavi Hernandez and for good reason. His ability on the ball as well as his understanding of the game have made him an immense part of Xavi’s Barcelona.

Marcos Alonso (Chelsea)

The former Chelsea man arrived on a free transfer after the termination of his contract with Chelsea alongside Andreas Christensen who left the London-based club as a free agent, and while the Dane has become undisputable under Xavi, the Spanish defender has also been able to provide much-appreciated depth.

Hector Bellerin (Arsenal)

Having arrived on a one-year deal following the termination of his contract at Arsenal, the Spaniard was more or less a signing for the short term, and albeit not extraordinary, his time in the city of his birth was not all too bad before moving on to his next club in Sporting CP.

Ilkay Gundogan (Manchester City)

One of the most in-form stars in Europe at the moment of signing, treble-winner with Manchester City and captain of the English side as well, bringing Ilkay Gundogan on a free transfer could turn out to be a masterful operation done right.

Inigo Martinez (Athletic Bilbao)

The most recent of acquisitions to be made official, the former Athletic Bilbao defender brings along with him proven quality and bundles of experience, particularly in the Spanish first division.

[barcanewsnetwork]

Tottenham are reportedly considering testing the resolve of Inter Milan by making a move for midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu as a potential replacement for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

New Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou is keen to strengthen all areas of his squad ahead of the start of the new season, with defence and midfield particular areas of concern for the Australian.

James Maddison has arrived from Leicester to add some creativity in Tottenham’s engine room but there have been strong rumours circulating that Postecoglou is happy to allow Hojbjerg to move on this summer.

The Dane was one of the club’s best performers in a woeful campaign last time around but there are suggestions that his play is too slow for what the former Celtic boss wants from his holding midfielder.

That has led to talk of a move for other targets and that list includes Turkey international Calhanoglu.

The 29-year-old has excelled since his switch from cross-City rivals AC Milan 18 months ago. However, no player at the San Siro is considered ‘non-transferable’ this summer due to the club’s economic predicament.

Calhanoglu’s flexibility makes him an attractive proposition, given that he can play in a variety of midfield positions.

The report from InterLive.it states that Postecolgou’s men could tempt the Nerazzurri by submitting an offer of €35m (£30m) for the player.

Several clubs chasing Inter midfielder

Spurs are not alone in their admiration for the midfielder though, with Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea all linked in the past.

However, the report goes on to say that, as things stand, Inter have no plans to sell the player and will only do so if a ‘shock proposal arrives’.

That could well be on the horizon though, if Spurs opt to cash in on Hojbjerg – especially given that Rodrigo Bentancur is unlikely to be fit for the start of the new campaign.

The absence of the latter is, however, likely to give Yves Bissouma a chance to show what he can do in pre-season after failing to shine in his debut campaign for the club.

[teamtalk]

There has been so much talk of late about the Ministerial appointments that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is about to make. Given the fast-paced style of governance that he has adopted so far, it is expected that he would not waste time in coming up with a list of cabinet Ministers. The 1999 Constitution vests the President with Executive powers under Section 5(1)(a) and in other parts of that basic document to hire and also fire, if need be, persons who would assist him in the discharge of his functions as President, Commander in Chief. The Nigerian President is in fact in a position to dispense as many as 5, 000 patronages, the powers vested in his office and person are that enormous, and expansive. But of all appointments, the composition of the Federal Executive Council of the Federation is critical as seen in Sections 144(5) and 147 of the 1999 Constitution. In Section 147 (3), the Constitution says expressly that Ministerial appointments “shall be in conformity with the provisions of section 14(3) of this Constitution: Provided that in giving effect to the provisions aforesaid the President shall appoint at least one Minister from each state, who shall be an indigene of such state”.

Thus, every state is entitled to have at least one Minister in the Federal cabinet and this probably explains why there has been so much hustling and jostling by a band of aspirational office seekers, sycophants and rent-seeking characters who have been pushing and shoving to get a Ministerial appointment. It is so bad that some emergency civil society groups, obviously sponsored, have been quite vocal in making specific recommendations. Some outrightly shameless ones have gone on media platforms to recommend themselves to the President openly. I have also seen a statement by persons purporting to be defending the interest of the indigenous people of the Federal Capital Territory insisting that an indigene of the FCT must be made a Minister quoting Section 299 of the Constitution. Individuals and media platforms have also announced their own choices, including partisan lobby for some former Governors who probably need a Ministerial appointment at the centre to remain relevant, not to mention the large crowd of party stalwarts, henchmen, and supporters who believe that they or their children or associates must be compensated with Federal appointments.

Every Nigerian politician seeking an elective position invariably chalks up IOUs, for which other persons expect to be compensated with appointments, contracts or access. It is the reason why government appointments are more or less, “job for the boys”. In the last dispensation, one Governor appointed over 400 aides. A certain Special Adviser was put in charge of groundnut oil! In the present administration, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas has already announced the appointment of 33 Legislative aides. Is Dr. Abbas such an “invalid” that he needs up to 33 aides? President Tinubu certainly has many IOUs to settle, but he must not do that with appointments into the Federal cabinet. Every person that he seeks to appoint must be competent, capable and fit for purpose. He may strike a balance between technocrats and politicians, but even in doing so, nobody should show up on that list simply because they know the right people or out of a sense of entitlement. Tinubu’s Ministers must not be persons who are ready to genuflect to get a title simply because they are out of job. Nigeria is in need of renaissance, a complete overhaul. We cannot achieve that objective with a cabinet of average persons. It is still too early to forget what Nigeria went through in the past eight years under President Buhari. Most of the Ministers who served under him were great unknowns. They stayed in office for eight years, sleep-walked through office, and on top of that they were decorated with national honours! The few ones who made an effort got noticed of course simply because it is always easy to stand out in an ocean of mediocrity. No other Federal cabinet was that lacklustre since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999.

Tinubu cannot afford to go in that direction. He must give direction from the front, not from the rear. The quality of his appointees would enable us to know the actual quality of his own mind. Usually, it is part of the process that Governors and party leaders in the various states would nominate persons to the President to appoint as Ministers. Tinubu must be suspicious of such recommendations. What we have seen is that state party chieftains and Governors usually send to Abuja, persons who they do not believe would have the capacity to challenge their authority back home. It is easier for an average character to make it to the nomination list than a person of great ability and substance. This is why the President must screen his own nominees thoroughly before submitting their names for consideration. Nobody should be made a Minister who does not have demonstrable ability. The Federal cabinet cannot be a forum for the gathering of the tribes, or party agents, boys and girls who would be too willing to do the President’s bidding. They must be men and women who can tell the President what is right, not yes-men, not one of those clowns in the corridors of power who will kneel down at every opportunity for the President or crawl on all fours before him, as was once reported.

President Tinubu must send the right signal by departing from the old mode of nominating persons for Ministerial appointments. When he sends the names of his nominees to the Senate for screening in line with Section 147(6), he should attach the exact portfolios for which a particular nominee is being considered. Till date, the screening of Ministerial nominees has been a complete charade. Questions that are posed to the persons being screened may have no bearing whatsoever with the portfolio that would be assigned to them eventually. This creates room for a resort to inane and jejune questions such as who is the Governor of your state? as if the nominee is expected not to know the name of his state Governor. Or something like sing the national anthem, or recite the national pledge. This must stop, otherwise these Nigerian Senators would start asking such questions as what is your favourite food? Or have you renewed your birth certificate? Yes. Now that the Federal Government wants Nigerians to renew the proof of ownership of their vehicles every year, we may soon get to a ridiculous point where both birth and marriage certificates may have to be renewed annually so government can gain more revenue! For Ministerial appointments, nominees must be engaged in specific areas, to determine their knowledge level and expertise, and their policy plans with well-thought-out timelines, and key performance indicators. Nobody should insult our intelligence with the kind of hollow ritual that Ministerial screenings have become.

The Senate must not abdicate responsibility. It took the Israelites 40 years to get to the promised land. Nigeria cannot continue to beat about the bush. The Senate must not clear anybody for clearing sake. It must look out for nation-builders, and change-agents who can add value to the growth and development process. The screening must be thorough and meaningful. The Senate must not rely on the wisdom of its own members alone, it must seek the services of subject-area experts who can help prepare relevant questions. In the past, some Ministerial nominees who had served in the National Assembly or as state Governors were asked to simply bow and go. This must not be the case this time around. We don’t want Ministerial nominees bowing like ostriches. The whole idea of our recommendation is to allow all Nigerians to watch the process on live TV, and express opinions. Whoever is not good enough should be rejected by the Senate.

As he prepares to announce his list of Ministers, President Tinubu should pay attention not just to Federal Character, in selecting the best and the brightest, he must ensure inclusion, equity, and gender justice. He must look beyond party affiliations and select only those who can serve with distinction, across party lines, locally and from among the rich human resource that Nigeria has in the diaspora. He must include young persons, and also persons living with disability who are often discriminated against most unfairly in this country. The size of the cabinet is another issue. The Constitution already prescribes that all the 36 states must be represented, and if you add the FCT as is being canvassed, that gives us a total of 37 Ministers. But is it compulsory that a Minister must head a Ministry? Is it possible to tweak the designations in such a way that some Ministers can be Minister in charge of Departments and Agencies and still be Cabinet members? It is something that can be given some thought. The objective is to have a compact, effective team, and reduce the cost of governance. The Tinubu administration in this regard would have to visit the Oronsaye Report. Nigeria’s Federal Government is over-bloated. It needs to be trimmed down to cut away fat, wastages and leakages, and thereby reduce cost. Tinubu has shown so far that he can summon the courage to take hard decisions. This is one more hard decision that he needs to take for the people’s benefit. At the sub-national level, state houses of assembly must discourage Governors seeking to appoint hundreds of aides.

Not everyone can be appointed a Minister. Those who would eventually make the final list must see the opportunity to serve their country at the Ministerial level as a major recognition and must then devote themselves strictly to serving Nigeria. They must not end up as Ministers looking out only for narrow, ethnic and geographical interest. The other day, I was shocked to listen to an elder statesman berating the Minister from his home state for failing to divert Federal Government projects to his state. It is not for nothing that the cabinet is tagged “Executive Council of the Federation” and nowhere in the Oaths of Office/Allegiance is it stated that a government official shall use his or her office to pursue parochial interests. When the government is formed, the Ministers should be able to have access to the President, not just at Council meetings but whenever they need to engage with him. It is strange to hear that in more recent years, some Ministers did not have access to the President. Some of them probably never met him one-on-one. Nigeria cannot afford to have Ministers who would go to Abuja to sleep on the job, and warm the chair. It would be Tinubu’s responsibility to keep everyone on their toes and set specific, measurable targets for performance.

The times have indeed changed indicating how policy shifts can affect the people’s mood and habits and the environment in which we live. Following the removal of fuel subsidy and the harmonization of the foreign exchange regime, Nigerians have been compelled to make radical changes in how they live. Has anyone noticed the sharp reduction in the number of vehicles on Lagos roads and the disappearance of traffic gridlock in some parts of the city? With fuel now selling between N488 -N570 per litre across the country, it takes some people on the average up to N40, 000 or more to fill their vehicle’s fuel tanks. Within the same period that the cost of fuel has increased, electricity has also become very expensive, even if the electricity companies are still threatening to hike their tariffs. Inflation is as high as 22.41%, and would most certainly continue to rise.

Vehicle owners have learnt to choose their travels within the city carefully, gone are those days when it was fashionable to drive here and there. We are all going through a season of serious adjustment. In many homes, light is switched on only when it is needed to check the meter from going haywire. And yet in this same country, once upon a time, you could switch on all the lights in your apartment, and even leave those lights on when not at home. Nobody can afford to do that anymore. The street as they say in popular lingo is not smiling. Salaries have not been increased, the price of everything including tomato and onions has gone up, a loaf of bread, which used to be a common man’s favourite is now an expensive item on the family menu. Last week was the annual Eid-el-adha, the festival of sacrifice. Very few families could afford to buy and slaughter rams. A moderate-size ram was about N175, 000- that used to be the price of a very big cow. To buy a cow now, these days, you’d need close to N500, 000.

In those days, around the Eid-el-Kabir festival, it was possible to see young children going to the field with the rams that their parents had bought for the occasion. There was something called ram fight: an exciting game whereby rams are set against each other to head butt one another. The rams had names and there was a prize for the champion ram. It wasn’t all fun, some rams that went up against a tough challenger could simply slump and die. I didn’t see any young men fighting with rams in open fields this year. No parent would even have allowed anybody to gamble with a ram of N175, 000. It was generally a very moderate celebration around town except in Ijebu Ode where the usual post-Ileya Ojude Oba was held as is the tradition, three days after the festival. The Ojude Oba lived up to its reputation as a cavalcade of colour, music, dance, and memorable advertisement of the richness of Yoruba culture and artistry. I noticed though that many of the persons that I know who used to stay behind in Ijebu-Ode for days after the festival, quickly rushed back to Lagos.

One of them confessed that the times have truly changed. His landlord had just served notice that the rent in the building where he lives would go up by 200% by January 2024, due to the rising cost of building materials, and the depreciation of the Naira. He rushed back to Lagos to engage the landlord wondering how the landlord of a house built more than two decades ago can possibly complain about the high cost of building materials. The man told my friend that we are now in the era of market forces, and that rent is also subject to the forces of demand and supply. We have been on that matter since last week!

Fiery Napoli forward Victor Osimhen has paid a visit to the residence of billionaire business-cum-banking, Tony Elumelu.

Upon his arrival in Lagos, the Nigeria international who emerged as one of Europe’s leading marksmen in the 2022-23 campaign after netting a league-high 26 goals in 32 Serie A games during Napoli’s surge to the title visited his primary school in the Oregun area of Ikeja where he met with the head teacher who convinced his late father to allow him play football.

Osimhen, who lived in Olusosun, a small neighborhood near Oregun also visited his hood and was greeted by a large crowd that almost mobbed him.

As he continued to relive precious childhood moments, the Super Eagles striker also made time out to enjoy himself with some associates including entertainers.

Still on a tour of the metropolitan city, Osimhen made his way to the Elumele where he was received by the Chairman, United Bank for Africa Plc, and his wife, Awele Vivian Elumelu.

He bowed his head as a sign of respect as he shook hands with Elumelu who was very much pleased to receive him.

Osimhen also presented his jersey to the stylish 60-year-old Elumelu who expressed immense pride in him.

Captioning shared photos with the Napoli superstar, Elumelu tweeted: “We’re all proud of you Victor @victorosimhen9! #SerieATopScorer #Scudetto #TOEWay.”

Eagle-eyed tennis fans would’ve spotted Iga Swiatek’s mismatched kit as she kicked off her Wimbledon campaign on Monday.

The world No.1 came through in straight sets against Zhu Lin on Court One as she bids to win her fifth grand slam title following a hat-trick of victories at the French Open and her triumph last year in the US. Swiatek's latest victory comes off the back of a new deal off the court as well.

In March, Swiatek signed a money-spinning contract with Swiss brand On Running - the shoe company associated with Roger Federer - after a four-year association with Asics. She announced: "I’m thrilled to announce I am the first female tennis athlete at On. I’m happy the On team believes in me as an athlete and a person. We plan to grow, develop and make an impact together. Big thanks to my team for this amazing achievement in business."

However, the Polish star was spotted still wearing her former sponsor’s Gel Resolution 9 footwear on court almost four months later as she got her trophy tilt underway in SW19 with a 6-1, 6-3 win over her Chinese opponent to book her spot in round two. Wimbledon men's champion Novak Djokovic also wore Asics shoes but has a separate clothing deal with Lacoste.

Swiatek does not have the best pedigree on grass, having never made it past the fourth round, but signs are positive that this will be the year she has a proper crack at winning the title. Zhu - ranked 34th in the world - was no match for her, with a routine victory only slightly delayed by a rain shower that saw the roof closed. 

The all white dress code is a big tradition at the All England Club in SW19 but a recent rule change now permits athletes to wear different colour underwear. The shift has been welcomed by players.

Heather Watson told Sky News: "When Wimbledon announced about the undershorts I was so happy because it makes such a difference. I speak openly about my period, I don't think it's a taboo subject and I would love for people to talk about it more.

"Last year I went on the pill to stop myself bleeding because I knew I had to wear white undershorts and I didn't want any embarrassment. We're running around sweating, doing the splits on court. This year I knew my period was going to be during Wimbledon again so I'm very happy I won't have to do the same thing as last year."

[mirror]

And there shouldn't have been. Wimbledon, especially the Centre Court to Djokovic is what Roland Garros is to Rafael Nadal. Although, one may never, or rarely see the Spaniard in such a mood whilst a delay in play. Djokovic, despite only an exhibition match to show as his preparation for the Grand Slam post his record win in French Open last last month, cruised his way through the to Round 2 of Wimbledon as he beat Argentina's Pedro Cachin 6-3, 6-3, 7-6(4).

With the win, Djokovic matched Nadal's monumental feat at the Roland Garros, leaving him only behind Roger Federer now. It was the 18th time Djokovic scripted a round-one win at the SW19, same as Nadal did in French Open. Only Federer at the Australian (21) and US Open (19), and Djokovic himself at the RG (19) have appeared in more singles Majors main draws without ever losing in the opening Round than Djokovic in Wimbledon.

It was also his 29th straight win at the Slam, having never lost a match since 2017 when he had retired from his quarterfinal tie with an elbow injury. It is now the fourth-longest winning streak in men's singles at the SW19 in Open Era after Bjorn Borg (41 wins between 1976 and 1981), Federer (40 wins between 2003 and 2008) and Pete Sampras (31 wins between 1997 and 2001). It’s been 2,183 days, to be precise.

The win also added to Djokovic's staggering streak of 40 straight victories at Centre Court, still the most by any player in the Open Era at the venue. The next-best streak belong to Federer and Helen Wills Moody, who had both won 32 matches in a row on Centre Court. Federer's streak was between 2003 and 2008 and Wills Moody's was from 1927 to 1938.

[Hindustan Time]

Two grand footballing institutions have forged quite the connection over the years.

Contemporary behemoths Chelsea and the historically significant AC Milan have enjoyed the talents of some of the game's all-time greats, some of whom have suited up in both west London and Italy's fashion capital.

While far from an all-timer, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who promised so much before a serious Achilles injury suffered in 2019 tamed his lofty trajectory, will be the latest to suit up for both clubs after he completed a £15m move to the Rossoneri.

Here's a list of all the players to play for Chelsea and Milan.

Players who have played for both Chelsea and AC Milan

Al Nassr have completed the signing of Inter midfielder Marcelo Brozovic on a three-year contract.

The 30-year-old is the latest high-profile player to move to the riches of the Middle East, where he'll link up with Cristiano Ronaldo.

A number of Premier League players have already departed for Saudi Arabia - Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy and N'Golo Kante headlining a mass exodus from Chelsea - while the league's biggest acquisition is perhaps Karim Benzema - he's joined champions Al Ittihad after opting to end an illustrious trophy-laden stint at Real Madrid.

90min revealed that Brozovic had been courted by Barcelona as they looked to replace Sergio Busquets in the anchor role, but the Croatian has been lured to Saudi Arabia on a big-money contract.

"When it comes to a player, many factors take over," Inter CEO Beppe Marotta told Sky Italia about a potential exit for Brozovic earlier in the week. "Clearly the economic one is the most important one.

"The situation is not closed and is not defined. Who decides is the player himself. We are not obligated to give him up. The biggest problem is the contractual relationship between him and the new club.

"If there is a solution we will close the issue, otherwise we will take him off the market."

Inter had been willing to part ways with Brozovic in a bid to raise money this summer, and further outgoings are expected at San Siro in a bid to balance the club's books.

Lautaro Martinez has been interesting Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester United, while goalkeeper Andre Onana is of particular interest to the latter amid continued uncertainty over the future of David de Gea.

The Nerazzurri are at least hopeful of concluding a deal for Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku, but their outgoings will need to significantly outweigh any incomings in a bid to be compliant with FFP rules.

Al Nassr have also made an attempt to sign Crystal Palace talisman Wilfried Zaha, who is now out of contract, in addition to moving for Hakim Ziyech - his move is on hold though after issues arose in his medical, leading the Saudi side to change the terms of their original offer.

[90mins]