Gareth Bale‘s desire not to uproot his family could see him make the shock move of signing for Madrid-based Getafe. Angel Torres, the club’s president said on Wednesday. ‘I spoke with the player’s agent this morning. He has been offered to us. We will consider it. I am going to have to speak to the technical staff.’
Sportsmail reported that Bale had various offers to continue playing. Some of those offers give him a route back home to Wales but the 32-year-old is keen to stay in Spain until the November World Cup. Bales leaves Real Madrid at the end of June. Getafe are Madrid’s third club behind the big two although last season they were beaten in the table by Rayo Vallcano.
The route from Real Madrid to Getafe is less often taken although last season they had Real Madrid striker Borja Mayoral on loan.
Bale wouldn’t have far to travel if he did join Getafe. The club’s stadium is about a 30 minute drive from the Santiago Bernabeu, and about 20 minutes from where the Welshman lives in a £6.5m mansion with his family in the La Finca neighbourhood.
His golf club – the members-only Ciudad Grupo Santander – is also nearby, allowing him to continue his passion.
He has embraced the culture of the country, with his kids happy at school in Madrid and Bale himself enjoying the chance to attend golf events.
Barcelona have identified Gerard Moreno as an alternative
Barcelona have reportedly identified Villarreal forward Gerard Moreno as an alternative option to Robert Lewandowski, if they fail to land the Poland striker from Bayern Munich.
Lewandowski has made it clear that his time with the Bundesliga giants is over and that he wants a fresh start. But should Bayern hold firm and keep their star striker, who has a year left on his contract there, Xavi could be forced to turn elsewhere.
According to Sport, it is Villarreal and Moreno where he will go if the move for No 1 target Lewandowski falls through. The Spanish publication claim Moreno has a €100m (£85m) release clause in his Villarreal contract but last season’s Champions League semi-finalists may consider an offer in the region of €40m (£34m).
The 30-year-old Moreno, a Spain international, scored 13 goals in 26 appearances for Villarreal last season. Sport also reports that Atletico Madrid also hold an interest in Moreno, with Diego Simeone considering him as a possible replacement for Luis Suarez.
But it is Lewandowski who Barcelona are going all out for and the 33-year-old has made a public plea for Bayern to let him go.
Bayern Munich have made a second attempt to sign Sadio Mane but have once again seen their efforts robustly dismissed by Liverpool.
The perennial German champions are determined to sign land Mane, who was such a huge figure for Liverpool last season, and an initial offer of £25m was rejected at the weekend.
Bayern have returned with a new figure, which amounts to £30million including add-ons, but that is of no interest to Liverpool. It’s thought the requirements for those add-ons to be triggered include Bayern lifting the Champions League and Mane winning the Ballon d’Or in the next three seasons – both of which have been deemed unlikely by Liverpool.
Liverpool want closer to £42.5m for 30-year-old Mane which they will put towards a replacement.
Mane has 12 months left to run on his current deal and has hinted that his future lies elsewhere.
In a press conference last week, the forward let slip that he would leave Anfield to appease fans in his homeland.
‘I respect the fans and team but 60 to 70 per cent of Senegalese want me to leave Liverpool? I’ll do what they want,’ Mane added, before later insisting it was all a bit of humour.
Modric (right) has signed a one-year extension till 2023
Real Madrid will look to defend their LaLiga and Champions League crowns next season with Luka Modric as the heart of their midfield after it was announced that he has signed a new contract.
The 36-year-old has penned a new one-year extension at the Santiago Bernabeu – keeping him in the Spanish capital until June 30, 2023.
The Croatia international will now be plying his trade for the Spanish giants for an 11th-straight season as his enduring quality continues to shine.
Despite his advancing years, Modric continues to play a starring role for Los Blancos – making 45 appearances in all competitions this campaign, providing 12 assists and scoring three goals.
Real’s No 10 has enjoyed a trophy-laden spell in the Spanish capital, having won 15 major trophies in 10 seasons at the club – including five Champions League triumphs.
Along with five Champions League titles, Modric has also won three LaLiga titles, one Copa del Rey, four Spanish Super Cups, three European Super Cups and four Club World Cups at Madrid.
Liverpool have targeted Darwin Nunez to be the new striker to light up Anfield and are prepared to smash their transfer record to sign him. The Uruguay international is one of the rising stars in world football and is also wanted by Atletico Madrid and Manchester United but Liverpool are determined to sign Nunez with a deal that could reach as much as £85million.
Julian Ward, Liverpool’s new sporting director, has been in discussions with Benfica and it is understood that Nunez is keen to move to Merseyside. If Liverpool can complete the transfer, it would be a massive statement of intent. Many had wondered what the future would hold for Liverpool in terms of their attack, given that Sadio Mane is now certain to leave this summer with Bayern Munich ready to replace Robert Lewandowski with the Senegalese forward.
Nunez, who can play on the left as well as through the middle, scored six goals in the Champions League last season, two of which came in the quarter-finals against Liverpool and he made a significant impression on Jurgen Klopp.
The potential signing of Nunez would go down as the most expensive Liverpool have ever made, eclipsing the £75m it cost to sign Virgil van Dijk from Southampton in January 2018.
Anthony Joshua's rematch against Oleksandr Usyk is likely to be held on 20 August
Anthony Joshua’s rematch against Oleksandr Usyk is likely to be held on 20 August in the Middle East. Ukrainian Usyk beat Joshua on points last year to claim the WBO, IBF and WBA (Super) titles.
A date of 23 July was pencilled in for the rematch but Usyk’s promoter Oleksandr Krasyuk said they have been told to prepare for the later date.
Saudi Arabia is expected to host the rematch despite concerns about the country’s human rights record. Joshua, 32, has fought in Saudi Arabia once before when he beat Andy Ruiz Jr in their rematch in 2019.
It is the second time the highly anticipated rematch between Usyk and Joshua has been delayed.
After Usyk dominated the first encounter against the Briton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last September, Joshua immediately activated his rematch clause and had hoped to fight again in May.
But Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Usyk’s decision to remain at home to help the war effort forced organisers to delay the bout.
Usyk, 35, left Ukraine in March to begin training while Joshua has spent his time away from the ring attempting to reorganise his coaching set-up as he looks to regain the belts.
American coach Robert Garcia has been hired with Joshua expected to adopt a more aggressive approach for the rematch.
Ghana international, Jordan Ayew, has signed a one year contract extension with Crystal Palace, the club has announced.
The 30 year old is one of 4 players from the club to have had their contracts extended until 2023. Crystal Palace chairman, Steve Parish, in reacting to the deals said, “Each of them played an enormous role in the progress we’ve all enjoyed in the last year, and we very much expect similar contributions for the season ahead.”
Ayew has been with Palace since 2018/2019, and finished as the clubs top scorer and player of the year the following season.
The former Swansea City man was ever present in Patrick Vieira’s side during the 2021/2022 season, making 31 appearances in the Premier League.
Thomas Partey has changed his name to Yakubu after converting to Islam following his recent marriage to Moroccan Sara Bella. However, despite the name change, the midfielder will still be referred to Partey when playing for Arsenal. In addition, the 28-year-old will keep Thomas as the name on the back of his shirt when in action.
‘I have a girl I love, I know my side chicks will leave me but it’s no problem,’ he joked in an Instagram video posted by Ghanaian journalist Nana Aba Anamoah, as quoted by Pulse. ‘I grew up with Muslims so at the end of the day it’s the same thing. I’m already married and my Muslim name is Yakubu.’
Raised as a Christian in east Ghana, Partey told his national media in March that he had become a Muslim due to Bella.
In mid-March a picture of him in London with a Sheikh circulated on social media as the pair held the Quran – the scripture of Islam.
And devoting himself further to Islam, Partey has now taken on the name Yakubu after tying the knot to Bella.
Partey featured just 26 times for Arsenal in all competitions last season as injury and suspension curtailed any further part.
Meanwhile, Thomas Partey says the team gave its all to secure champions league football at the end of the 2021/2022 English Premier League season but it just wasn’t meant to be.
Mikel Arteta’s side was hopeful of returning to Champions League football for the first time in 6 years but the north London side finished fifth on the league table, just two points behind rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Speaking with Joy Sports, the midfielder said despite missing out on their target, they still need to keep pushing until they achieve it in the season to come.
“I have lots of hope in them, they did their best and everybody fought till the end and at the end, it’s football it does happen. We qualified for the World Cup without the Africa Cup and at the end, you’ll never know what will happen. So we have to be grateful, keep working and whatever we want to achieve, we will,” he said.
“To say personal achievements, I have to be able to go further. I don’t know what can happen in the season so I go match by match, day by day and in the end whatever will happen, I’m grateful, I’m happy and I’ll keep on pushing until everything is okay.”
The Black Stars vice-captain also picked the Gunners’ game against Manchester City to be his best game of the season at the Emirates.
“For me winning is the most important. It’s important to play well and have dominance in the game but in the end, if you don’t win, you don’t feel happy personally. They were the best team at that moment and we were able to play them at that level,” he added.
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has declared as void parcels of lands at the Achimota Forest and the Ramsar Site, Sakumono, contained in an alleged will of the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie. He has subsequently directed Lands and Forestry Commission to take the appropriate actions in that regard.
A statement signed by the Minister and issued in Accra yesterday said preliminary inquiries revealed that there were no records of ownership at the Lands Commission by Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie.
The alleged will by the late Chief Executive Officer of the Forestry Commission, popularly called Sir John, is a subject matter of litigation in the court.
“That said, given the totality of the circumstances of the said allegations, I, as Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, have directed the Lands and Forestry Commissions to deem any ownership of lands, both in the Achimota Forest and the Sakumono Ramsar Site by the late Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie as void and are to take the appropriate actions accordingly,” he said.
In the statement, which has been reproduced at our centre pages today, the Minister explained why the bequeathing of the said lands will not pass any title to the beneficiaries in the alleged will.
The former General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, has been the subject of public discussion since a document purporting to be his last will emerged on social media.
Dr Akinwumi Adesina ( left), President of the African Development Bank Group and Mr Ken Ofori Atta (2nd from left),Finance Minister and other guests at the ceremony.
President Akufo-Addo interacting with President Filipe Jacinto Nyusi (2nd from left), Mozambique after the opening session
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has called on African leaders to deal with the canker of tax evasion and illegitimate commercial transactions by multi nationals, which account for over US$50 billion of illicit flows from the continent annually.
“We must also deal with “tax-dodging” and illegitimate commercial transactions by multinationals, which account for sixty percent (60%) of the eighty-eight billion dollars (US$88 billion) of illicit financial flows from the continent annually and other relationships which inhibit our development,” he said.
The Ghanaian President was speaking at the opening of a 4-day annual general meeting of the African Development Bank (AfDB), currently ongoing in the capital, Accra.
African Risk Premium
According to the President, the time has come for the continent to move towards an economic model which serves its interests, not others. He said that profits from resources of Africa had benefitted foreign creditors for too long, while the continent suffered abusive borrowing costs on the international capital markets.
He said that there was no basis for Africa’s economies being saddled with a so-called “African Risk Premium” which translates into higher spreads than for European and American counterparts.
His argument was on the basis that it was the resources of Africa that were the catalysts for the economic advancement of Western nations, adding that “it is time we worked to address the structural barriers to our development.”
Sense of urgency
Speaking about the AfDB, President Akufo-Addo said that the combined effects of the debt situation, rising interest rates and cost of living were resulting in severe macroeconomic and financial instability.
He observed that what was clear was that the resulting damage could not be cured so easily with the limited fiscal tools at Africa’s disposal and national policy adjustments.
Therefore, he reiterated his call for an elevated role for the AfDB, but this time, asked for a sense of urgency due to the mutual enlightened awareness.
Sustained Transformation
The AfDB has an active portfolio of some $61 billion in more than 142,000 locations. This record, President Akufo-Addo asserted, places the bank in a position to drive sustained transformation in Africa.
In that spirit, he was happy to learn that the AfDB Board had approved funding for the $1.5 billion Africa Emergency Food Production Plan to support countries to produce food rapidly, while delivering climate-resilient agricultural technologies to 20 million farmers and thus leveraging this facility over eight times.
President Akufo-Addo was encouraged to hear that the ‘right noises’ were being made towards establishing an African Financial Stability Mechanism to protect its economies from future shocks.
He further stated that the irony that Africa had a history riddled with economic shocks, but were the only continent in the world without financial buffers, had to be urgently remedied.
“I am persuaded that the African Financial Stability Mechanism will provide such protective cover for our economies, thus enabling us to counter effects of future pandemics amongst others,” he remarked.
Clean Energy
Meanwhile, President Akufo-Addo wants the bank to empower Africa to seek justice in the journey to clean energy in a manner that optimises the exploitation of its abundant natural resources.
He said the design and focus of a just energy transition facility was timely, as they offered material support for powering and lighting up Africa, and still meet the targets of climate.
He encouraged the people to light-up and power Africa to enable her feed herself, integrate and industrialise and also ensure that the prioritised climate actions were consistent with the current challenges and aspirations as a continent.
The AfDB Meeting
The meeting, being held on the theme “Achieving climate resilience and just energy transition in Africa” had the President of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi, the President of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan, bank governors and finance ministers of countries on the continent gracing the opening yesterday.
Participants from 52 African countries have, from yesterday, being sharing the climate change and energy transition challenges their countries faced and discussing policy responses to collectively tackle them.
The discussions for the meeting will also focus on how to boost funding for climate adaptation as well as Africa’s need for increased investment and other forms of financing to accelerate climate adaptation efforts.
AfDB President
The President of AfDB, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, in an address, said the bank needed greater resources to deliver more projects in the country and deliver lower concessional lending rates to countries.
He, therefore, stressed the need for the African Development Fund to use its accumulated equity of US$25 billion to leverage US$33 billion from the capital markets to support projects on the continents.
He highlighted some of the projects financed by the bank in Ghana, including the expansion of the Kotoka International Airport and the four-tier Pokuase Road Interchange in Accra.
“Ghana used the funds very well. Monies that were used to do a three-tier interchange were stretched and used to do a four-tier interchange; that is what you do.
“At the AfDB, we deliver great value for money,” he said and commended President Akufo-Addo and the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta for the prudent management of funds from AfDB.
