Diego signs for Wolfsburg

Swede Lars Lagerback has turned down an offer to continue as Nigeria coach, the national football federation (NFF) confirmed on Friday.

NFF president Aminu Maigari said that Lagerback told him he did not wish to continue in his post despite being offered a four-year deal, with Samson Siasia being lined up as a replacement.

Lagerback told me he could not continue as the coach of the Super Eagles because he feared that he might not be able to pen a four-year deal that would keep him in Nigeria for that long, Maigari told sports daily Soccer Star.

He thanked the NFF for the opportunity given him to take the eagles to the World Cup. He said the experience was worth it and that he would always remember Nigeria and her good people.

Maigari added that Lagerb…

What the papers say

Leicester’s James Maddison and Harvey Barnes, who have both been valued at around £40million, could stay in the Premier League while Leicester move down to the Championship.

Tottenham and Newcastle are both reportedly interested in the pair with a bidding battle to ensue over their signatures, The Sun says.

Tottenham’s have another competitor in the fight to sign former Barcelona and Spain manager Luis Enrique as Serie A Champions Napoli are interested in the 53-year-old, according to the Guardian.

The Daily Mail said Juventus were looking the most likely to sign Chelsea’s Christian Pulisic for a reported estimated transfer fee of around £20m.

Social media round-up

Arsenal are facing stiff competition

— talkSPORT (@…

Nantes hotshot Issa Cissokho has moved to confirm reports linking him with a summer switch to Marseille.

The 28-year-old footballer has seen his stock rise a great deal since joining the Canaries and has lately been the subject of interest from OM.

The French giants are searching for a new right-back as Rod Fanni looks set to quit Stade Velodrome at the end of the current campaign and they seem to have made the Nantes star their primary target.

Cissokho has admitted he is flattered by the reported interest from OM, while suggesting he is likely to leave the Canaries next summer.

“It s flattering that a club like OM is interested in me,” the Senegalese confessed to Radio Monte Carlo.

“I hope to finish the season with Nantes, but it is true t…

Quique Sanchez Flores is desperate for three points against AFC Bournemouth on Saturday to boost Watford s unlikely push for Europe.

Watford have lost five of their last nine Premier League matches but remain just five points behind fifth-placed Manchester United with 12 games to play.

The reverse fixture in October at the Vitality Stadium finished 1-1, meaning the teams head into their 100th meeting in league competition tied on 35 victories apiece.

With Bournemouth having lost just one of their last seven away games in the top flight, Flores expects a difficult battle with Eddie Howe s side as he looks to guide Watford further up the table.

We try to carry on with the same dynamic we have had since the beginning of the season, the Watford coach sa…

Cristiano Ronaldo is a player who really needs to play insisted Portugal head coach Fernando Santos, who appeared to criticise Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Ronaldo scored for the ninth time in seven Portugal appearances as the Selecao eased past Qatar 3-0 in Saturday s international friendly.

The all-time leading men s international scorer with 112, Ronaldo started and played 45 minutes after he was benched by United boss Solskjaer in the Premier League last week.

Ronaldo – who has scored against a record 46 nations for Portugal – was rested as Solskjaer opted to start Edinson Cavani before introducing the Portuguese superstar for the final 33 minutes in a disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Everton.

After Portugal s routine win, Sant…

Borussia Dortmund new boy Jude Bellingham has been called up to the England Under-21 squad for the first time at the age of 17.

Bellingham left boyhood club Birmingham City for Dortmund at the end of the 2019-20 Championship season in a reported initial €23million (£21m) transfer.

The midfielder is yet to play a competitive match for BVB but has now been promoted from the U17 national team set-up.

Bellingham is the youngest player in an England U21 squad named for matches against Kosovo and Austria that also features Bukayo Saka and Josh Dasilva, both similarly stepping up to this level for the first time.

Arsenal s Saka is eligible to play for Nigeria but has been included by Aidy Boothroyd despite missing out on a senior Three Lions group which did…

Pep Guardiola confirmed Mikel Arteta will travel with Manchester City to Newcastle United but would not discuss whether his assistant might be a target for Arsenal.

Arteta was linked with former club Arsenal when Arsene Wenger departed in 2018, before Unai Emery was appointed head coach.

But Emery was sacked on Friday following a run of seven matches without a win in all competitions, again prompting talk of Arteta returning to London.

Guardiola would only affirm the Spaniard remains a member of his staff for the trip to Tyneside when he faced the media on Friday.

He is in the squad, he travels to Newcastle. Guardiola said of his fellow Spaniard.

Asked about the possibility of Arsenal making an approach for the 37-year-old, the City boss said: I…

Barcelona s Sergi Roberto believes there is no need to burn everything despite his team slipping to a 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid in El Clasico.

Karim Benzema and Federico Valverde struck in the first half on Sunday to give hosts Madrid a two-goal lead at the break, but Ferran Torres pulled one back with seven minutes left to give Barcelona hopes of a comeback.

However, Rodrygo secured all three points for the hosts when he fired home from the spot to leapfrog Madrid above Barca to the summit of LaLiga and round off a difficult week for the Blaugrana, whose Champions League hopes hang by a thread following Wednesday s 3-3 draw with Inter.

Despite the disappointing loss, Roberto remained positive over Barcelona s prospects this season and called for his team-mates t…

Market: Levante win

Odds: 19/20 @

Desperate to make up some ground in the play-off chase, Levante will welcome Andorra to the Estadi Ciutat de Valencia on Wednesday evening.

Starting with the hosts, managing to make a crucial return to winning ways over the weekend, Levante know the importance of claiming some crucial stability. Eventually clinching a 1-0 victory at home against Sporting Gijon, some in Felipe Minambres’ camp could still be dreaming of the chance to mount a late play-off chase. Losing just a pair of their previous 11 appearances across all competitions a run that stems back to December 6th the Frogs should be smelling the chance to make a real statement of intent here. Pencilled in as a standout contender on Wednesday evening, Levante should be…

Mark Milligan said the Socceroos will target winning the Asian Cup on home soil after the progress made under Ange Postecoglou.

Melbourne Victory captain Milligan has been a key member of the national team set-up under his former club coach, starting at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil before succumbing to a hamstring strain.

The Socceroos finished bottom of their group and came home winless from the tournament, but were able to hold their heads high after producing competitive performances against Chile and the Netherlands.

In January, Australia will host the Asian Cup, a competition they reached the final of in 2011 under Holger Osieck.

And with the popular, progressive Postecoglou at the helm, Milligan said the team should be aiming to go one step further …