Author: Chronicle Editor

Manchester United have agreed to sell Daley Blind to Ajax for a fee that could eventually rise to £18.5m. Blind, 28, joined United from Ajax for £13.8m in 2014, when fellow Dutchman Louis van Gaal was in charge. Able to play in defence or midfield, Blind was a regular under Van Gaal – but his appearances have reduced since Jose Mourinho arrived at Old Trafford. He did play in both the 2016 FA Cup final and the following year’s Europa League final victory over Ajax. It is understood the Dutch club will pay an initial £14m to re-sign Blind on…

Chelsea have signed midfielder Jorginho from Napoli for a fee believed to be around £57m, he follows manager Maurizio Sarri from the Serie A club to Stamford Bridge. He who becomes Chelsea’s first signing of the summer has signed a five-year contract and will wear the no.5 shirt. “I am absolutely ecstatic to be here at Chelsea. It is not easy to become part of such a big team so I am very, very happy. “I am excited to play in such an intense league, for a team that gives everything to play and win,” he said. Club director Marina…

Jorginho is believed to have completed his Chelsea medical in London ahead of a potential £57m move from Napoli, some reports say. Chelsea and Napoli have agreed a deal which features an initial £50m fee with £7m in bonuses. The midfielder will join the Blues same day former Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri was unveiled after signing a three-year deal. Premier League champions Manchester City were initial favourites to sign Jorginho wasn’t keen on Manchester. READ: Maurizio Sarri appointed new Chelsea head coach Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis on Wednesday revealed Jorginho was ready to snub City after lengthy negotiations because…

Scores of people, including a mother and child are missing and properties worth billions of naira destroyed after a massive flood ravaged parts of Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital, and its environs on Friday. The flood followed about two hours of torrential rain. The Nation reported that many residents were sacked from their homes and shops when their apartments were invaded by the flood. Household items, goods and other valuables were destroyed. READ: #EkitiDecides2018: INEC Card reader rejects PDP candidate Olusola Eleka In Omolasho and Kuto, major commercial areas of Abeokuta, goods and structures worth millions of naira were swept…

Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Professor Olusola Eleka has not been able to vote as polling opened in Ekiti today. The Nation tweeted that INEC’s card reader failed to read Olusola’s PVC and that of his wife. “It is only the PDP candidate’s PVC that was not read by the card reader in his unit. Everyone else has been verified so far and voting ongoing”, The Nation said. “There is no assurance that another card reader would be brought. No use of incidence form. READ: #EkitiDecides2018: Accreditation, voting ongoing as electorate decide “Meanwhile, a large turnout of voters…

Chelsea have appointed former Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri as the new Chelsea head coach. He succeeds Antonio Conte who was officially sacked on Friday. Sarri joins Stamford Bridge following a successful three-year spell at Serie A side Napoli. During his time there, the Italian, who is 59, revitalised the fortunes of the club and returned them to the Champions League while playing a scintillating brand of expansive, attacking football. In his three years at the helm, Napoli recorded two second-place finishes in their domestic league, including last season when they achieved a record points total for a runner-up, and one…

The people of Ekiti state have begun accreditation and voting as they seek to vote their candidates for the governorship election scheduled to replace the incumbent Ayodele Fayose whose tenure ends in November. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security operatives as well as other stakeholders, including national and internationals observers have began work in Ekiti to oversee the election. Officials, equipment and election materials arrived at the Registration Area Centres in all LGAs, in preparation for the opening of all Polling Units at 8am. Electorate are going to the polls to decide the fate of the state for…

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will meet with former President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta on Saturday to seek advice on how to achieve victory in the 2019 polls and beat incumbent Muhammadu Buhari. The national chairman of PDP, Uche Secondus, made this known in Abeokuta while addressing journalists after a meeting between the executive members of the party in Ogun and the PDP NWC. The Chairman who described Obasanjo as a “warrior” who had fought many battles, explained that the consultation had become necessary to get direction from the former president and tap from…

Liverpool have signed Switzerland forward Xherdan Shaqiri from Stoke City on a five-year deal, after triggering his £13m release clause. The 26-year-old was Stoke’s top scorer last season with eight goals as they were relegated from the Premier League. ????#XS23 pic.twitter.com/HhnFVBAoJy— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 13, 2018 He joined the Potters from Inter Milan in August 2015 for a club record fee of £12m. Shaqiri scored against Serbia at the World Cup as Switzerland reached the last 16, where they lost to Sweden. In June, he was reported as saying he wanted to leave Stoke and sign for a Premier…

South African Kevin Anderson won the second-longest match in Wimbledon history by outlasting American John Isner to reach the men’s final. They slugged it out on Centre Court for six hours and 35 minutes before the eighth seed came through 7-6 (8-6) 6-7 (5-7) 6-7 (9-11) 6-4 26-24. The final set alone lasted for two hours and 50 minutes. Anderson, 32, will face either Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s final. The match duration beats the 2012 third-round epic at Wimbledon between Marin Cilic and Sam Querrey – which lasted five hours and 31 minutes – and also smashed…