Wander Thoughts

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Osimhen signed on loan with Galatasaray from Napoli over the summer, without a purchase option included.

The Turkish giants served as a last hope for the player who had disagreements with the Napoli management and abandoned negotiations with Chelsea and Saudi Arabia due to contract disputes.

His move to Galatasaray was welcomed enthusiastically by the club's fans, who then expressed concern that the Nigerian player would leave the team before his contract expired six months in.

Galatasaray's technical director, Okan Buruk, also confirmed that there was a stipulation in Osimhen's loan transfer from Napoli that allows the player to join one of their several prospective suitors during the January transfer window.

"The agreement does have conditions, but that doesn't matter; he said he will stay. There is a provision about transfers in January. This provision includes multiple details," Buruk said in November 2024.

The crucial factor is the player. The player who makes the decision. That’s why Osimhen says he will remain here. He stated the same when he first arrived.

Nigerian international and Galatasaray striker expressed his commitment to the team, stating he plans to stay despite previous talks of a possible transfer in January, as he spoke with journalists after netting a brace against Tottenham in November 2024.

He will not leave the team in January; he is committed to Galatasaray until the end of the season. As for any discussions regarding his future after that, they know him best, and if they make an approach, he's open to talks.

In fact, Premier League powerhouses Manchester United and Arsenal made efforts to secure the player from Napoli, but Osimhen apparently declined the offers, adhering to his commitment to Galatasaray to complete his loan agreement.

According to the English sports news outlet Football Italia, the 26-year-old reportedly refused an offer from Manchester United when the club attempted to release him from his loan agreement at Galatasaray during the January transfer period.

Meanwhile, Arsenal also entered the bidding for the Nigerian, as they needed a highly skilled striker to drive their Premier League team forward.

Prior to the opening of the January transfer window, the player reaffirmed his position, as reported by Nigerian radio personality Buchi Laba, who is close to the player.

“To put it simply: Victor Osimhen turned down every offer in January 2025 to remain at Galatasaray for the entire season,” the journalist wrote.

“Yes, there is definitely genuine interest, but the plan has always been to complete the full season with Galatasaray and win titles with the team.”

According to a report from the Italian publication La Repubblica, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis lost his temper in response to Osimhen's rejection, saying, "Then let him stay where he is. Tell Galatasaray to take Osimhen."

mean while, Napoli have turned down a $73.5 million offer from Galatasaray, as the Turkish league leaders aim to sign the player on a permanent basis. Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis stated that the striker will only be sold for his full $85 million buyout clause.

The January window in England has now closed, eliminating the possibility of a Premier League transfer until at least the summer. It remains uncertain whether Osimhen will be open to staying in Turkey permanently at the end of his loan, having already fulfilled his first obligation by staying, and now facing the challenge of winning trophies by the end of the season.

Galatasaray are currently undefeated in the Turkish Super Lig, boasting 57 points and a six-point advantage over Fenerbahce, which is in second place.

They will also face Dutch team AZ Alkmaar in the playoffs of the UEFA Europa League.

So far, Osimhen has propelled his team's title aspirations with 12 goals and four assists in 16 league matches, and has also contributed five goals and one assist in six Europa League matches.

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Cristiano Ronaldo is fourth on the list of the top appearance-makers in football history, but he could potentially advance to the top spot before choosing to retire from his illustrious career.

As of his fortieth birthday, Ronaldo has played 1,265 matches in his career, the vast majority of them for clubs Real Madrid (438), Manchester United (346) and the Portuguese national team (217). In fact, he has played over a hundred more games than his long-time rival Lionel Messi.

Here are the only three players in the history of football who have made more appearances than Cristiano Ronaldo.

3. Paul Bastock – 1,284+ appearances

One person who is hardly a well-known player, Bastock is the textbook example of a journeyman in the lower leagues.

The goalkeeper began his career at Coventry City in the mid-1980s, as a part of the 1987 Sky Blues that won the FA Youth Cup. This team defeated a Southampton Under-18s side that included Alan Shearer and Matt Le Tissier en route to lifting the trophy.

Contrary to his opponents, he never reached the pinnacle of success, but went on to represent more than 20 different clubs in the lower divisions of the English football league system over a career spanning nearly 35 years.

It was not until 2023, when he was in his fifties, that Bastock finally retired at National League club Boston United, while also serving as assistant manager to Norwich City legend Ian Culverhouse.

2. Fabio - Over 1,345 appearances

No, not Rafael's duplicate. That one, a former teammate of Ronaldo's at Manchester United, retired last year after 295 appearances for club and country.

He was born 10 years before the other Fabio, but still manages to make a living from the game. He started his career at Uniao Bandeirante as far back as 1997.

He has spent his entire career in Brazil, with nearly all his appearances (955!) for Cruzeiro, having played for the club in a remarkable 16-year period between 2005 and 2021.

You might have assumed that he would've retired when he left Cruzeiro in his forties, but then he joined their top-flight rivals, Fluminense – where he's now added almost another 200 games to his total.

The 44-year-old finally obtained the Copa Libertadores in 2023, commencing in the final against Boca Juniors, and last year he made a further 59 appearances in all tournaments.

Even for a goalkeeper which has an absolutely outrageous level of longevity.

1. Peter Shilton – 1,396 appearances

Another player, who surpasses Ronaldo in outfield appearances.

Astonishingly, Shilts made his debut for the Foxes ahead of the 1966 World Cup, and functioned as a reserve for Wimbledon, Coventry City, and West Ham in the Premier League, although he did not participate in a single match for any of these teams.

He eventually made his final appearances in a football career with Leyton Orient in the third division back in the 1996-97 season, when he was 48 years old - a brief tenure that made him the first (and still only) player to play over a thousand games in the Football League.

He is England's most-capped player of all time having played 125 games, and played over 300 games for Leicester City who are his hometown club, also over 200 for Nottingham Forest, Derby County and Southampton and more than 100 for Stoke City.

Ronaldo is now 130 appearances behind and it's not far-fetched to assume he could one day surpass Shilton's record.

He'd have to play for at least two more full seasons at Al Nassr, but considering his goal of scoring 1000 goals and a new contract being rumored, we wouldn't rule out the possibility of that happening.

Meanwhile, Fabio is preparing for another season as Fluminense's top goalkeeper - which is to say the experienced English goalkeeper might even find himself demoting to third choice in the coming years.

Warriors vice-captain Marshall Munetsi established a new reference point for Zimbabwean players after moving to Wolverhampton Wanderers, an English Premiership team, on deadline day for a fee estimated to be around €20 million, surpassing all previous transfer records for Zimbabwean players abroad.

Munetsi, who dominated transfer headlines on deadline day, is now the most expensive Zimbabwean player, surpassing Tino Kadewere's €15 million record when he joined French Ligue 1 side Lyon from second-tier club Le Havre in 2020.

Zimbabwe captain Marvelous Nakamba was also involved in a mult-million-dollar transfer when he joined Aston Villa from modest Belgian club Club Brugge for a deal valued around $17 million a few years ago.

Mac Motheo Mokotso Munetsi has now surpassed that record.

Munetsi was summoned to a medical session yesterday after the two clubs had negotiated a transfer deal, which will reunite him with former teammate Emmanuel Agbadou at Wolverhampton Wanderers, who was also transferred for a similar €20 million amount.

The player's new valuation, however, indicates a considerable change in his market worth, having been estimated at approximately €5m only two years ago by the reputable Transfermarkt football website.

Munetsi has become the main transfer target for Wolves on deadline day as Vítor Pereira's team focuses on strengthening their midfield following a challenging performance in the current English Premier League season.

Warriors also have Tawanda Chirewa returning to the club after he was sent on loan to Derby County.

Chirewa, an attacking midfielder who has been a regular part of the Warriors team coached by Michael Nees, has been sent on loan to Derby County from Wolverhampton Wanderers for the 2024-25 season.

Derby County terminated the loan early due to injuries, and Chirewa returned to Wolves in January 2025.

Another player of Zimbabwean descent, striker Leon Chiwome, is also registered with the Wanderers.

But it is Munetsi's arrival at Molineux that contributes to the number of Warriors in the English Premiership, considered the world's top league currently.

Wolves climbed out of the bottom three over the weekend following their 2-0 win over Aston Villa.

Munetsi was supposed to replace midfielder Mario Lemina, who was also supposed to join after agreeing to a $2.8 million transfer to the Turkish club Galatasaray.

The Gabonese international started the current season as Wolves' team captain and had just been recognized as Supporters' Player of the Season for the 2023/24 season.

However, the pressure of being the captain became too much for Lemina at Molineux. His performances which initially improved then declined, and supporters witnessed some emotional reactions from the 31-year-old, which ultimately culminated in the scuffle with Jarrod Bowen that led to him losing the captaincy.

Munetsi is being considered the top candidate to replace him, but he comes at a cost of roughly 10 times the amount Hamouche was reportedly earning for playing in the national team.

Munetsi's career path has been quite remarkable, which could result in a Premier League appearance, all within just five and a half years since transitioning to European football.

He has consistently performed at Stade de Reims, where he secured a contract extension up to 2026, before his initial deal was set to expire in 2024.

In addition to becoming a well-known figure in the top division of the French football league, the midfielder has made a significant impact in Europe, ranking among the top performers in several categories in the top five leagues on the continent.

He has consistently performed for the French club, both as a midfielder and occasionally as a defender.

FBref ranked Munetsi in the top six percent of midfielders in Europe for his aerials won per 90 minutes, with an average of 2.10.

The report also compares Munetsi to four current Premier League players statistically, comparable to Tomas Soucek, Joelinton, Ryan Yates, and Mikel Merino.

Munetsi joined Stade de Reims from the renowned South African Premier League outfit Orlando Pirates in 2019 and has since become a consistent member of the squad.

He has participated in 21 games across all competitions this season.

Munetsi began his football career at Ali Sundowns Alumni School in Mabvuku.

He was later educated under the care of the Harare-based Friendly Academy.

Locally, he made his mark with the now-cancelled Blue Rangers in the home league when he was still a teenager.

He then made his breakthrough when he signed with South African club FC Cape Town in 2015, and the following year was signed by former African champions Orlando Pirates, who initially loaned him to fellow PSL side, Baroka.

His major achievement in Europe came in 2019 when he transferred to Stade de Reims from Pirates.

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Famed English rock band Black Sabbath have announced their last-ever live performance, scheduled for July 5 at Villa Park in their hometown of Birmingham.

The event will feature the band's most iconic lineup – frontman Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, and drummer Bill Ward – performing live together for the first time in more than 20 years.

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The final live show, titled "Back To The Beginning", was announced at the home of Aston Villa by Iommi and Sharon Osbourne, who is the wife and manager of the legendary frontman.

Ozzy issued a statement saying: "It's my time to return to my roots... time for me to give back to the place where I was born. How fortunate I am to have the opportunity to do it with the help of the people I cherish. Birmingham is the authentic hometown of heavy metal music. Birmingham will forever hold a special place in my heart."

Osbourne, 76, has dealt with various health issues including Parkinson's disease recently. He had largely withdrawn from touring after performing at the 2022 Commonwealth Games closing ceremony.

Regarding his desire to return to the stage:

I'm approaching this one day at a time, and if I can perform again, I will. Yet, it feels rather like bidding an eternal farewell to the most cherished relationship of my life.

Tickets for the 'Back To The Beginning' event will go on sale this coming Friday, February 14. The organizers have announced that proceeds from the event will be divided and donated to the Cure Parkinson's organization, Birmingham Children's Hospital and Acorns Children's Hospice.

• Mikel Arteta stated that England's safeguarding regulations necessitate Ethan Nwaneri to utilize a separate dressing room from his Arsenal teammates on match days
• Nwankwendi has made his mark in Arsenal's first team this season, with the 17-year-old netting his eighth goal of the campaign in Saturday's 6-2 win over Manchester City
• The attacking midfielder has quickly risen through the ranks of Arsenal, demonstrating remarkable skill and maturity beyond his age.

Due to Premier League safeguarding regulations, Arsenal's young attacking midfielder Ethan Nwaneri must use a separate changing room from his teammates.

As a result, Nwaneri prepares to play matches in a separate changing room from his Arsenal teammates.

I'm sorry, I don't have any information about Ethan Nwaneri's age.

Nwaneri was born on March 21, 2007, making him 17 years old as of today. He is an English professional soccer player who plays as a right flank or forward midfielder for Arsenal in the English Premier League.

There are other players under the age of 18 who play soccer for Arsenal.

Arsenal's youth development program has fostered a number of exceptionally skilled players under the age of 18 who have made a substantial impact on the team.

Among those notable individuals is Myles Lewis-Skelly. Born on September 26, 2007, this dynamic midfielder is particularly noteworthy for his versatility and refined technical skills. On February 2, 2025, he marked his first goal for the club with a 5–1 victory over Manchester City.

Mikel Arteta has revealed why 15-year-old Josh Nwaneri was banned from Arsenal's dressing room.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta stated that 17-year-old Nwaneri is prohibited from utilizing the first-team dressing room due to his youth. Premier League safeguarding regulations dictate that players must be 18 years of age or older to access such facilities.

"There's a connection and a rapport between Lewis and Nwaneri when they're together, naturally and seamlessly sharing their ideas," said Arteta.

I assume it must be particularly significant for them because, at this moment, they are still in separate dressing rooms at the training facility.

It is unbelievable that Ethan can still be in our dressing room, so he must get dressed somewhere else on match day.

I think it's fortunate for them that somebody close to him has such trust, confidence, and a strong bond, according to SPORTBible.

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The attacking midfielder has rapidly progressed through the ranks of the team at Arsenal, displaying exceptional talent and maturity that is surpassing his age.

On November 23, 2024, he scored his first Premier League goal in a 3–0 win over Nottingham Forest, making him the ninth-youngest goalscorer in the league's history at 17 years old.

On January 29, 2025, Nwaneri scored his first UEFA Champions League goal, notching a 2-1 victory away from home against Girona and showcasing his potential on the European level.

On 2 February 2025, he scored a stoppage-time goal in a 5 to 1 victory over Manchester City, highlighting his ability to make decisive moments

Advanced computing system foresees English football league champion.

A supercomputer had earlier forecasted that both Arsenal and Liverpool would win the Premier League title.

Liverpool effortlessly overpowered Bournemouth, whereas Arsenal narrowly secured a victory in order to prevent their position from deteriorating further

• Manchester United is experiencing their most disappointing season in the Premier League, and the situation may deteriorate further.
• They have been struggling to find consistency in scoring goals and missed the opportunity to strengthen their attack during the January transfer window, despite Marcus Rashford's departure.
• Manchester United's major signings in January included Patric Dorgu and teenager Ayden Heaven

Manchester United was unable to make significant signings on the final day of the recently closed January transfer window.

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Fans were anticipating a replacement for Rashford, but that is not happening, and they will have to work with what they have for the rest of the season.

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Manchester United's top forward players, Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, have met with difficulties this season. Hojlund has failed to score a goal in 13 games and Zirkzee has only managed one goal in 16.

With Rashford absent since mid-December, the squad has been facing difficulties in securing wins, particularly at home, which threatens to leave them in a precarious position now.

Yesterday's disappointing loss at home to Crystal Palace meant the Manchester United team has gone an unlucky nine Premier League matches without scoring. As a result, they occupy 13th place in the league table with 29 points from 24 matches.

Ayden Heaven and Patrick Dorgu arrived during the January window. According to the Manchester Evening News, the club was unable to sign a striker due to financial constraints.

The club has acknowledged they faced a threat of violating the Premier League's rules regarding net spending and sustainability standards, which would restrict their ability to make a significant player acquisition.

Additionally, those at the top of the club's leadership were concerned about making a temporary signing that could be seen as an act of desperation. Manchester United have scored 28 goals in 24 matches this season in the league.

Manchester United were reportedly interested in Bayern Munich's 17-year-old Mathys Tel and Chelsea's Christopher Nkunku, but neither signing materialized.

Amorim's message to Rashford

Manchester United's coach left Rashford out of the team for the first time on December 15 and subsequently never included him again.

The Portuguese strategist, appointed in November, maintained that Rashford had to "want it".

"He needs this opportunity badly. He's part of the team, he's with us, and he's ready to play if I choose him," Amorim stated via Sky Sports.

The former Sporting CP manager allegedly stated that the English player will not be playing for the club again as long as he is the manager.

He recently said he would rather play his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach than a player who doesn't give his all.

Rashford signed a five-year contract in 2023 but is expected to depart the club in the forthcoming summer transfer period.

McCarthy's message to Rashford

Additionally, former Manchester United manager Benni McCarthy reportedly sent a message to Rashford after he completed his transfer to Aston Villa.

The legendary figure Bafana Bafana has been associated with the vacant Harambee Stars position.