Chelsea made the ideal striker signing in Alvaro Morata instead of Romelu Lukaku, according to former Manchester Uniteddefender Danny Higginbotham. The Belgium international was targeted by both clubs this summer and initially looked set for a move to Stamford Bridge before choosing Old Trafford instead.
Lukaku has since shone for United, scoring three goals in his opening three Premier League games for the Red Devils.
Higginbotham, who started his career with United before going to represent the likes of Southampton and Stoke in the Premier League, believes he is a far better fit for Jose Mourinho’s side than Antonio Conte’s.
Lukaku has made a fine start to life at Old Trafford (Picture: Getty)
Writing in his column for The Sun, Higginbotham explained that Lukaku joining Chelsea would have meant a major overhaul of Conte’s tactics that won the title last term, while Morata is a more like-for-like replacement for Diego Costa.
‘Great players go to great clubs – but it does not always necessarily mean they will be a great success. They need to fit the team’s system,’ the former defender said.
‘When Romelu Lukaku was clearly leaving Everton, it was suggested Chelsea were interested.
‘But that move made no sense because they would have had to completely change their style of play.
‘Diego Costa occupied the centre-half and dropped deep, creating space in behind for Pedro, Hazard or Willian, or the wing-backs getting round the back.
‘Lukaku plays on the shoulder of the last defender and pushes defences back.
‘It would have been an utter change of identity for Chelsea. If it ain’t broke and all that . . . and they had won the title after all.
Former Arsenal midfielder, Paul Merson has backed Taiwo Awoniyi to play a crucial role in Nottingham Forest’s relegation fight. The Nigeria international has scored four goals in his last two Premier League games for Nottingham. Awoniyi scored a brace in Steve Cooper’s side 2-2 draw against Chelsea at the Stamford Bridge last weekend. Nottingham Forest currently sit in 16th position on the table, three points away from relegation zone. “For Forest to go 2-1 down and draw 2-2, it’s a massive, massive point,” Merson told Skysports. “Awoniyi, who scored the two goals, was a threat. He held the ball up well. I saw him the other week playing away from home and he was taken off, he didn’t do well. “Now he (Awoniyi) looks a handful, he’s holding it up and playing it simple and scored two goals. They were simple. “With him playing like that with a couple of games left, I’d be quite shocked if Forest went down from here. To come back with that away record is very, very good.”
Italian agent Oscar Damiani says he does not expect Victor Osimhen to leave Napoli in the Summer. According to Damiani, it would be difficult for any club to meet up with Napoli’s asking price for the Nigerian. Osimhen has been in shining form for the Partenopei this season courting the interest of the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain. On the back of his spectacular performances, Napoli president, Aurelio De Laurentiis slammed a €150m price tag on the striker. Damian however, claimed no club would be willing to pay such an exorbitant fee for the 24-year-old. “There is no club in the world that can really offer this money (€150million) to Napoli. I’m sure Osimhen will stay another year in blue and will continue to be a point of reference for the club,” Damiani said as per Napoli Magazine. Osimhen has scored 28 goals in 36 appearances across all competitions for Luciano Spalletti’s side this season.
......by Ikechukwu Kenneth *#FIFA WORLD CUP* *#RUSSIA 2018* Happy Vladimir, as Aleksandr Golovin Putin a man of the match performance in opening Match. Valdimir Putin The Fifa 2018 world cup kicked off in scintillating style, Thursday, as 22 year old CSKA Moscow midfielder, Aleksandr Golovin, ran the show in the middle of the park, leading the resurgent Russian team to a five-nil romp over Saudi Arabia, in Luzhniski. The mundial had opened up to much funfare, with British pop icon Robbie Williams and Russian sweetheart Aida Garifullina- who won the 2013 Operalia competition- headlining the opening ceremony. Although Nigerian afro pop sensation, Wizkid, was rumoured to be amongst the star cast performers on show at the Russian 2018 opening ceremony, it was a certain 22 year old Russian Sensation that shone the brightest. Aleksandr Golovin. The Middle East nation, Saudi Arabia, started...
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