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Arsenal Muscle Manchester United As Gunners Potentially Seal Striker Transfer

Arsenal’s hopes of a deadline day deal could depend on Mathys Tel.

The Bayern Munich forward appears to be their last option to get a deal done before the window shuts. Bayern are open to allowing the French starlet to leave but would prefer a permanent deal or a loan with an obligation to buy.

Manchester United want a pure loan and remain interested if that becomes available. It appears to be Tel or bust at this stage for Arsenal unless a late offer comes in. But Arsenal are still talking with Mikel Arteta, always reluctant to invest time and money in a player to get nothing back at the end, so would like a loan to lead to something.

Arsenal have plans in the summer and Tel could affect that but also need a boost now despite their 5-1 win over Manchester City. They have looked at other options in this window but a move for a short-term centre forward has yet to come off.

Tel, 19, has already turned down Tottenham who agreed a £50million move and he is thought to favour a loan deal unless the right long-term option comes up. Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund issued an update regarding the France under-21 international on Saturday, with Tel having been left out of their squad to face Holstein Kiel in the Bundesliga.

“We’re talking a lot with him,” Freund said. “A lot’s been going on with the young lad in the past few days. He’s only 19. We decided together with him yesterday that there’s a lot on his mind, so it makes no sense for him to be involved today.

“That was discussed very openly with him. But that doesn’t mean anything. There’s a lot going on right now. Lots of clubs are interested in Mathys. He just needs to think about things today and tomorrow.”

Fellow Bayern chief Max Eberl revealed that Tel had initially planned to fight for his place under Vincent Kompany, who handed him a rare start last week in the Champions League. “Mathys decided at the time [in December] that he wanted to stay, that he wanted to assert himself. Now Mathys comes along and says that he can imagine doing something,” Eberl explained.

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Gusau, Elegbeleye to attend Special workshop on football and education integration

Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye, the Chairman of the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), will be delivering a presentation at an event that seeks to strengthen the integration of football and education in the country.

Alhaji Ibrahim Gusau, the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is also billed to attend the event as the special guest of honour.

In attendance also will be the Ambassador of Hungary to Nigeria, His Excellency, László Szabó.

Organised by Hungary-based V Agency, the event will hold in Abuja on Monday, February 11 at Abuja Continental Hotel, Wazobia Hall.

In the invitation letter to Elegbeleye, the Chief Executive Officer of V Agency, Alexandra Végh, noted that “the purpose of this event is to strengthen the integration of football and education in Nigeria,with a particular focus on scouting advancements.

“We aim to highlight the transformative role of technology in scouting, including the use of advanced scouting software, video editing techniques, AI, and analytics courses”, Végh added.

The event, she went on, will explore how these tools, alongside the assessment of players’ physical attributes, can redefine professional scouting.

The event will also showcase V Agency’s contributions to fostering sports and educational partnerships in Nigeria while creating opportunities for collaboration with key stakeholders, including football clubs, academies, schools, and industry professionals.

Some of such stakeholders include officials and clubs of the Nigeria National League (NNL), Nationwide League One (NLO), football academies, and educational institutions.

During the event, Végh will offer insights into V Agency’s project in Nigeria. The event will provide opportunities for network with key figures in the football and education sectors.

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Man City condemn racist, misogynistic abuse directed at Bunny Shaw

Manchester City has expressed outrage after striker Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw was subjected to racist and misogynistic abuse following their Women’s Super League loss to Arsenal on Sunday.

The club confirmed that the offensive content has been reported to the relevant authorities, with an investigation underway. In a show of dignity and strength, Shaw, 28, chose not to share the hateful messages publicly to avoid giving the perpetrators any attention.

In a statement, Manchester City emphasized their zero-tolerance stance on discrimination:

“Discrimination of any kind, either in stadiums or online, will not be tolerated and has absolutely no place inside or outside the game.”

They reiterated their full support for Shaw, describing the treatment she received as “disgusting.”

The Jamaican international recently marked her 100th appearance for Manchester City in Sunday’s 4-3 defeat to Arsenal. Shaw boasts an impressive record of 86 goals for the club and has been named their Player of the Year for two consecutive seasons.

This incident underscores the continued fight against discrimination in football, with clubs, players, and authorities remaining united in efforts to eradicate abuse from the sport.

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Super Eagles set for crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe

“The little things stuck with me” – Super Eagles star credits his Father for Christmas charity act

The Super Eagles of Nigeria will face the Amavubi of Rwanda on Friday, March 21, in a crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying encounter. The match is scheduled to take place at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali.

Following this, Nigeria will host the Warriors of Zimbabwe five days later at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.

The official announcement of these fixtures was made via the Super Eagles’ X handle on Tuesday.

Nigeria’s World Cup qualification campaign has been underwhelming so far, with three draws and one defeat from four matches. The team currently sits fifth in Group C with three points, trailing joint leaders Benin Republic, South Africa, and Rwanda by four points.

These upcoming matches will be crucial for the three-time African champions as they seek to revive their chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

A victory in Kigali and a strong performance at home in Uyo could be pivotal to their hopes.