Manchester United’s under-fire midfielder Paul Pogba is a summer transfer target for Real Madrid, according to recent reports.
Pogba was recently dropped by Jose Mourinho with his form slightly waning, and The Sun write that Real are monitoring his situation closely.
Reports state that after missing out on their man in 2016, Real are ready to submit an ‘audacious bid’ at the end of the season in order to bring him to Spain.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/16/real-madrid-ready-to-swoop-for-pogba/

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has praised Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah for their displays following his side’s 5-0 demolition of Porto.

Sadio Mane’s hat-trick and lone efforts from Salah and Roberto Firmino gave the Merseyside outfit a first-leg advantage in their round of 16 clash with the Portuguese top-flight club.

The Senegal international ended his five-game goal drought and the German tactician is relieved the 25-year-old has found his scoring boots again.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/15/liverpools-jurgen-klopp-hails-sadio-mane-mohamed-salah-after-porto-rout/

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Tinubu, Wednesday expressed concern that the party was losing the goodwill that heralded it to victory in 2015.

Speaking at a meeting with the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, and members of the National Working Committee (NWC), Tinubu said the reason for some of the challenges the party might have faced was due to its inexperience in governance.

According to him, “We worked hard for victory. We have never governed before, but we won the confidence of Nigerians to govern. We have a creed to really serve the country; change and reform the country.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/15/apc-losing-goodwill-tinubu-tells-oyegun-party-leaders/

Arsene Wenger has criticised the rule that prevents Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from featuring for Arsenal in this year’s Europa League, but believes believes Danny Welbeck is ready to seize his chance as the central striker in Thursday’s clash with Ostersunds.

Despite making a £55 million move from Borussia Dortmund in January, Aubameyang cannot feature for the Gunners in the Europa League because his old team have dropped down into the competition as a result of a third-place finish in their Champions League group.

And though Henrikh Mkhitaryan can play due to Manchester United advancing to the Champions League knockout stages, the Gunners boss slammed the rule, declaring universal support for its removal.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/14/pierre-emerick-aubameyang-ineligibility-for-europa-league-doesnt-make-sense-arsene-wenger/

The Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, has said he would support his son-in-law, Uche Nwosu, to emerge as his successor in 2019 if he decides to contest despite massive opposition.
Nwosu, Okorocha’s Chief of Staff, is married to the governor’s first daughter, Ulomma.
The position of Okorocha was contained in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemeodo, on Monday.
Onwuemeodo said Okorocha stated his position when he met with leaders of the All Progressives Congress from Owerri Municipal Council.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/13/ill-support-my-son-in-laws-to-succeed-me-in-2019-gov-okorocha/

Arsenal legend, Liam Brady, has admitted the club “made a mistake” in releasing Harry Kane, when he was just nine years old.

Kane went on to join the Gunners’ arch-rivals Spurs and is now considered one of the best strikers in the world.

He scored the winner as Tottenham won the North London derby at Wembley on Saturday.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/12/arsenal-admit-allowing-kane-leave-was-a-mistake/

Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has said Nigeria would be doomed if President Mohammed Buhari is given a second term in office, alleging that Buhari himself is being governed by a cabal in power.

He made the remarks and many others while being interviewed in a national Television Broadcast, on Saturday.

According to a press statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Idowu Adelusi, Fayose explained why he chose hunters to assist his state on menace of herdsmen: “The constitution of Nigeria is no longer working. Let me come to the level of incidents happening around. In the conception of that constitution, it does not really want the governor of Ekiti to have control over security apparatus to help his people.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/12/2019-nigeria-is-doomed-if-president-buhari-gets-second-term-governor-fayose/

Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, has claimed that Kevin De Bruyne can break the duopoly held by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Guardiola believes the Belgian midfielder can win the Ballon d’Or, if he can help City win the Champions League.

De Bruyne produced another masterclass in their 5-1 win over Leicester City on Saturday, laying on three assists as the leaders continued their relentless march towards the Premier League title.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/12/champions-league-guardiola-backs-de-bruyne-to-break-messi-ronaldo-duopoly/

Manchester United manager, Jose Mourinho has revealed that forward, Alexis Sanchez is better than team-mates, Romelu Lukaku, Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford.

Mourinho believes Sanchez has a major advantage over Lukaku and the rest of his United attacking teammates due to his experience in the Champions League.

Sanchez is eligible to help United in the Champions League as the Red Devils look forward to battle Sevilla in the first leg of their last-16 tie later this month.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/11/epl-mourinho-gives-reasons-sanchez-is-better-than-lukaku-martial-others/

Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has warned that unless members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) reconcile their differences, it would be difficult for the party to win any election in Rivers State in the 2019 elections.

This came as Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, called on Rivers politicians and political office holders to always place the state first in all their dealings.

The duo spoke yesterday during a thanksgiving service in honour of elected APC National and State Assembly Members in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/11/without-reconciliation-apc-cant-win-rivers-saraki/

A quick start to the second half paved the way for Everton to see off Crystal Palace 3-1 in Saturday afternoon’s Premier League clash at Goodison Park.
The Toffees lacked any real inspiration in the opening 45 minutes, but Gylfi Sigurdsson and Oumar Niasse found a way through within six minutes of the restart.
Everton added to their tally when Tom Davies found the back of the net for his first goal of the campaign and, despite Luka Milivojevic pulling one back from the spot for the visitors, it proved to be a comfortable afternoon for the home side in the end.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/10/epl-everton-see-off-palace/

Stoke manager Paul Lambert believes Xherdan Shaqiri has the appetite to help the club fight off relegation.

Stoke currently sit 18th in the Premier League table with 12 games to go with the majority of Lambert’s squad having never experienced a battle to beat the drop.

Shaqiri, 26, won five successive league titles with Basel and Bayern Munich at the start of his career, while he was also on the bench for Bayern at Wembley when they won the Champions League in 2013.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/10/xherdan-shaqiri-hungry-to-help-keep-stoke-up-paul-lambert/

Jose Mourinho says he and Paul Pogba are in agreement that the club’s record signing is best deployed as a midfielder.

Mourinho believes it would be difficult to find any midfielders with the potential of Pogba – despite having left him out of the team last weekend.

Pogba only came on for the last 25 minutes of last Saturday’s 2-0 defeat of Huddersfield, and there has been discussion this week about the Frenchman’s best position.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/09/paul-pogba-a-box-to-box-midfielder-jose-mourinho/

Juventus midfielder Sami Khedira believes Tottenham star Harry Kane is the “most complete striker” ahead of team-mate Gonzalo Higuain and Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski.

Kane has dazzled this season, the two-time reigning Premier League Golden Boot winner already scoring 22 goals in 2017-18.

The 24-year-old England international has netted 31 goals in all competitions this term and Khedira heaped praise on the Spurs talisman ahead of next week’s Champions League last-16 tie.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/09/harry-kane-better-than-robert-lewandowski-gonzalo-higuain-sami-khedira/

Liverpool winger, Mohammed Salah, has said he is happy at the club and is not looking to leave for Real Madrid.

Salah has enjoyed an impressive debut campaign for the Reds, scoring 28 goals in 34 appearances.

His stunning form has led to speculations that the LaLiga champions would make a move for the Egypt international.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/08/salah-speaks-on-leaving-liverpool-for-real-madrid/

Sen. Suleiman Hunkuyi, (APC/Kaduna North), declared on Thursday that Governor Ahmed El-Rufai has not been fair to Kaduna State, and vowed to “do everything possible” to vote him out in 2019.

“The battle line has been drawn; we must vote out El-Rufa’i in 2019 general elections,” the senator said in Kaduna, at a ceremony to formally unveil a forum tagged: “APC Aspirants Forum”.

Hunkuyi, who said that he might contest the Kaduna governorship seat in 2019 ”, stated that the forum was to “check and neutralise the power of incumbency”.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/08/2019-senator-hunkuyi-vows-to-oust-governor-el-rufai/

A former Governor of Anambra State, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife, has said that former President Olusegun Obasanjo, was right to issue a statement asking President Muhammadu Buhari not to pursue a second term next year.

Ezeife who also served as Senior Special Assistant (Political) to Obasanjo, told Daily Trust that there was no way Buhari will win the election in 2019.

“I respect Olusegun Obasanjo. I think God gives him wisdom in the area of politics. Whatever he does, he seems to succeed in politics.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/08/2019-buhari-should-listen-to-obasanjo-he-will-not-win-ezeife/

Super Eagles skipper Mikel Obi and teammate Alex Iwobi have reacted to the new Super Eagles World Cup kit designed by sportswear company, Nike.

In a YouTube video, the duo of Leicester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi also showered praises on their new jerseys unveiled in London on Wednesday.

The video captured Mikel as saying “this is Nigerian. I see the players going crazy for this one”, with Iheanacho, at the sight of the jerseys shown to them, adding that it was beautiful.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/08/super-eagles-get-world-cup-kit-mikel-iwobi-others-react/

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has decried what it described as the Presidency’s mockery of a former spokesman of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh who is currently standing trial at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

On the insistence of the trial judge to have the ailing Metuh brought to court or be sent to prison, the ex party spokesman was driven to the court premises in an ambulance and taken to the court room in a stretcher.

Reacting to the condition in which Metuh was brought to court, a presidential aide, Lauretta Onochie had described the scenario as a “Nollywood act”, implying that Metuh feigned his pitiable condition.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/07/pdp-decries-presidencys-mockery-of-metuh/

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has called for public backing from the Stamford Bridge hierarchy to put an end to growing speculation about his future as manager.
The Italian won the Premier League title in 2016-17 in his first year in England but there have been persistent rumours about his job being under threat this season due to the Blues’ indifferent form.

Conte has repeatedly expressed his desire to honour the remaining 18 months of his contract and now wants a public vote of confidence from his employers.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/05/conte-wants-chelsea-vote-of-confidence/

Liverpool Manager Jurgen Klopp on Sunday mocked referee Jon Moss and his officials after Harry Kane’s controversial last-gasp penalty kick gave Tottenham a dramatic 2-2 draw.

Klopp was furious that his side’s chances of a vital victory over their top-four rivals were wiped out in an incident-packed finale at Anfield.

After Victor Wanyama equalised for Tottenham with 10 minutes left to cancel out Mohamed Salah’s early opener, Moss and his linesmen took centre stage.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/05/klopp-attacks-referee-as-kanes-late-penalty-hurts-liverpool/

Morocco’s prolific scorer Ayoub el Kaabi was crowned “Total Man of the Tournament”, just like his country pocketed $1.25 million prize as the curtains fell on the 2018 African Nations Championship in Casablanca.
El Kaabi scored his ninth goal as Morocco became the first hosts to triumph by thrashing 10-man Nigeria 4-0 Sunday in a Casablanca downpour.
With Nigeria in disarray and the final long over as a contest, the previously little known striker completed his record-extending goal haul by firing into the net from close range.
Zakaria Hadraf put the home team ahead at Stade Mohammed V on the stroke of half-time and added the match-clinching third goal midway through the second half.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/05/morocco-pocket-1-25m-el-kaabi-named-man-of-tournament/

The Nigeria Intervention Movement, known as the Third Political Force in Nigeria, has applauded former Military President Ibrahim Babangida’s endorsement of its agenda to recruit, groom and position credible fresh breed successor leaders for the 2019 elections.

Babangida, in an initial statement that has generated controversy, said President Muhammadu Buhari should leave the stage in 2019 for a new generation “digital” leadership to take the country out of its current political quagmire.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/05/2019-nim-applauds-babangidas-endorsement-of-younger-successor-for-buhari/

Sergio Ramos believes this season has been one of Real Madrid’s worst as they have done a lot wrong to fall so far behind Barcelona in La Liga after dropping more points on Saturday.

Despite taking the lead twice against Levante, Madrid were held to a 2-2 draw at the Estadi Ciutat de Valencia and, if Barca beat Espanyol Sunday, Zinedine Zidane’s men will be 21 points behind their rivals.

Ramos, who became the first defender in La Liga history to score in 14 consecutive seasons with his opener, said his team had continually let good positions slip.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/04/ramos-bemoans-real-madrids-worst-year/

Neymar scored his 18th Ligue 1 goal as Paris St Germain extended their lead to 11 points with a 3-0 win at Lille on Saturday.
The Brazilian striker fired home with a superb free kick after Yuri Berchiche had opened the scoring on the stroke of halftime.
Giovani Lo Celso sealed a straightforward victory in the closing stages.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/04/neymar-on-target-as-psg-extend-ligue-1-lead-to-11-points/

Jose Mourinho has confirmed Marouane Fellaini has had surgery after sustaining a knee injury but does not believe the midfielder will miss the rest of the season.

The Belgian midfielder picked up the injury in the 2-0 midweek loss to Tottenham.

Mourinho had not detailed the exact nature of the injury, but had previously suggested it was not a season-ending one.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/03/manchester-uniteds-marouane-fellaini-undergoes-knee-surgery/

Governor Henry Seriake Dickson, on Thursday led a high powered delegation of Ijaw leaders to former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan to deliberate on the All Progressives Congress Committee on Restructuring.

Jonathan, the Governor and the top Ijaw leaders called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress to be sincere with the implementation of the recommendations of the party’s committee led by Governor Nasir El Rufai of Kaduna State.

The former President and the group said that a holistic and sincere implementation of the recommendations of the report on restructuring would encourage inter ethnic harmony and development in the country.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/02/jonathan-dickson-top-ijaw-leaders-tell-apc-be-sincere-with-your-proposed-restructuring/

Former Manchester United captain, Gary Neville, has said he sees Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger resigning at the end of the season.

The Sky Sports’ pundit also believes the signing of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang last week, shows Wenger is losing control at the club.

Aubameyang’s move to Arsenal was fairly simple in comparison to other deals, with no rival clubs trying to swoop for their man. According to Neville, that doesn’t happen without good reason.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/02/arsene-wenger-will-resign-as-arsenal-manager-after-this-season-gary-neville/

Anthony Joshua is undergoing rigorous anti-doping testing to KO Joseph Parker’s baseless “king of steroids” slur, according to The Sun.

The Kiwi WBO champion casually threw out the controversial jab in a bid to speed up the big-fight negotiations and he retracted it and apologised swiftly after.

AJ revealed at the first press conference that he spends around £30,000 per fight getting tests by the UK anti-doping authority, as well as WADA.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/02/anthony-joshua-tested-three-times-in-five-days/

Prominent Nigerians have been listed to launch a political movement, Third Force, propelled by the Nigeria Intervention Movement, in February.
This was revealed in a statement by the Deputy Director General of NIM, Mallam Naseer Kura.
Among the prominent Nigerians slated to speak at the launch are Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka; a former Military Governor, Colonel Abubakar Umar Dangiwa; a former Secretary Genral of the Commonwealth of Nations, Chief Emeka Anyaoku; and a former Minister of Finance, Mallam Adamu Ciroma.
Others include renowned Economist and Founder of Lagos Business School, Prof. Pat Utomi; former Minister of Defence, General Alani Akinriade; former Governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke; and Hajia Najatu Mohammed.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/01/soyinka-anyaoku-tunde-bakare-others-to-launch-third-force-group-gets-coordinators/

Manchester City are now 15 points clear at the top of the Premier League, following a comfortable 3-0 victory over West Brom on Wednesday night.

Fernandinho opened scoring for Pep Guardiola’s men in the 19th minute, before Kevin De Bruyne made it 2-0 after the break. Sergio Aguero rounded off scoring with a minute left.

Their rivals Manchester United were unable to maintain the 12-point gap, after they lost 2-0 to Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/01/premier-league-man-city-go-15-points-clear-spurs-shock-manchester-united/

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Wednesday dismissed the report of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on restructuring as “a ruse and fresh attempt to beguile Nigerians with another round of lies, empty proposals and hollow promises, ahead of 2019 elections, just as it did in 2015.”

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement issued in Abuja also said the report was another calculated ploy by the failed President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to divert public attention from the woes of a worsening economy, unrelenting killings, corruption and the endless litany of afflictions occasioned by their almost three years of dysfunctional governance.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/01/31/apcs-report-on-restructuring-a-deception-pdp/