November 13th: Weekly Football News Catch Up: Alex Iwobi To Sign New Contract; European Club Line Up To Sign Osimhen; Mourinho Sacks A Player From His Squad; Others

Everton Eager To Extend Alex Iwobi’s Contract.

Frank Lampard, the manager of Everton, is reportedly keen to get Alex Iwobi to sign a new deal with the team.

Iwobi’s present deal with the Toffees is set to run out in 2024.

However, the Merseyside club is eager to sign a new deal with the midfielder and has begun negotiations with his agents.

It is rumoured that the club wants to sign a five-year contract with the midfielder.

Frank Lampard speaking on Iwobi said, “He’s one of our important players and we want to keep him,” Lampard told reporters.

“He wants to stay, Everton is a great club with good history and fan base and we hope this (new contract) is done quickly.”

In 14 league games this season for Everton, the 26-year-old has one goal and six assists.

Ballon d’Or: “Ronaldo Is Yet To Congratulate Me” – Benzema.

Karim Benzema of Real Madrid has stated that Manchester United’s striker Cristiano Ronaldo has not yet congratulated him on winning the 2022 Ballon d’Or.

Ronaldo and Benzema were teammates at Real Madrid before the Portuguese Striker left for Juventus.

The France international recently beat Sadio Mane of Bayern Munich and Kevin de Bruyne of Manchester City to claim this year’s Ballon d’Or.

When asked by Telefoot if Ronaldo had congratulated him on winning the Ballon d’Or, Benzema responded, “No, not yet.”

He added, “I always believed in myself, I knew that at some point or another, with my qualities and my ambitions, I could win it.

“That’s why the last four years, I pushed, pushed again to get that trophy.”

Jurgen Klopp Handed Match Ban Following His Outburst At A Referee.

The Football Association has reportedly handed Jurgen Klopp, the manager of Liverpool, a one-match ban.

The FA had appealed against the decision to only fine Klopp for arguing with a referee, and it was granted.

The German was first penalised £30,000 by an independent regulatory panel after he approached referee Anthony Taylor during their encounter against Manchester City in October.

An independent appeal panel has now barred Klopp from the sidelines after the FA deemed the punishment to be too lenient.

Klopp will now miss their upcoming home matchup with Southampton.

The FA released a statement which partly read, “An independent Appeal Board has allowed the FA’s appeal against an Independent Regulatory Commission’s sanction in relation to the recent case involving Jurgen Klopp.

“As a result, the Liverpool FC manager has been suspended from the touchline for one match with immediate effect, fined £30,000 and warned as to his future conduct.”

With 19 points, Liverpool is currently occupying the eighth spot on the Premier League table.

Their last match before the World Cup will be against Southampton at Anfield.

European Clubs On The Line To Sign Super Eagles Victor Osimhen.

Super Eagles Striker, Victor Osimhen is currently on the top list of European clubs with Real Madrid and Manchester United reportedly looking to acquire the forward.

Erik Ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, has suggested Osimhen of Napoli as a potential Cristiano Ronaldo successor.

Given that the Portugal captain may depart Old Trafford in January, the Dutch manager has already begun making plans for life without him.

Due to a lack of attacking options, Ten Hag, who joined the Red Devils from Ajax over the summer, wanted to keep Ronaldo.

But since the veteran’s performances this season have fallen short of expectations, the Dutch coach now needs another striker.

Regardless of whether he departs or stays, United is committed to finding a new centre forward, and Osimhen is reportedly very high on the Red’s list, according to The Evening News.

Also, it was reported that Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti begged Florentino Perez to do everything possible to sign Victor Osimhen from Napoli in January.

After failing to sign Kylian Mbappe this summer, Ancelotti returned to the Bernabeu last year with plans to strengthen his attack.

According to the Spanish news agency Sport, Ancelotti is now forced to name Osimhen as a priority purchase in the winter transfer window due to Karim Benzema’s current injury troubles.

The Nigerian striker has been in outstanding form for Napoli, scoring nine goals in 13 games across all competitions to help Luciano Spalletti’s team go undefeated for a 14-game stretch and to top the Serie A table.

Liverpool FC Owners Reportedly Looking For Buyers For The Club.

Fenway Sports Group is believed to be open to selling Liverpool FC in its entirety as they step up their efforts to bring significant new investment to the club.

The American owners have been Anfield’s keepers since October 2010, however, they are currently looking for potential buyers.

According to a story from The Athletic on Monday, two big US banks, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, were reportedly chosen to help with the process as FSG explored their options after watching Liverpool FC’s worth soar over their 12-year leadership.

Tom Hicks and George Gillett sold the club to the American business in October 2010 for £300 million, but Forbes, a prestigious American business publication, now claims the club is worth £3.6 billion.

FSG claims to be “fully committed” to the Reds’ continued success under Jurgen Klopp in a statement released to the ECHO on Monday, but they also acknowledge that they are open to the idea of receiving extra funding from other sources.

The statement reads: “There have been a number of recent changes of ownership and rumours of changes in ownership at EPL clubs and inevitably we are asked regularly about Fenway Sports Group’s ownership in Liverpool.

“FSG has frequently received expressions of interest from third parties seeking to become shareholders in Liverpool. FSG has said before that under the right terms and conditions we would consider new shareholders if it was in the best interests of Liverpool as a club.

“FSG remains fully committed to the success of Liverpool, both on and off the pitch.”

Mourinho Sacks His Player From Roma.

Jose Mourinho, the manager of Roma, has revealed that following Wednesday’s draw against Sassuolo, he told one of his players to find a new club.

In the 80th minute, Tammy Abraham scored his first Serie A goal since September to put the visitors ahead.

However, five minutes later, Sassuolo equalized, ensuring that the points were split.

After the match, Mourinho said, “I am sorry that the efforts of the team were betrayed by the attitude of one unprofessional player.

“An unprofessional attitude that is not fair to his teammates, that is what disappoints me. A point away from home is still not a negative result. I’m happy with the general attitude of my squad.

Mourinho also refused to reveal the name of the player. He said, “I won’t tell you. I had 16 players on the field tonight and I liked the attitude of 15 of them. In January, he needs to find himself another club.”