The Reds agree deal to sign Keita In 2018

Liverpool have agreed to sign Guinean midfielder Naby Keita from RB Leipzig in a club-record deal next year, according to British media reports on Monday. Several news outlets, including the BBC and the Times, said Liverpool have agreed to pay a £48 million ($62 million, 51.9 million euros) release clause to sign the 22-year-old. They will reportedly pay an undisclosed premium as well. Keita was reported to have undergone a medical at Liverpool’s Melwood training base on Monday. He will officially join the club on July 1, 2018. AFP have asked Liverpool for confirmation.

Liverpool’s previous transfer record was the £35 million they paid Newcastle United to sign Andy Carroll in January 2011. An athletic box-to-box midfielder, Keita has been a longstanding target for Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. He began his career with Horoya in his home city of Conakry and spent a season at French second-tier side Istres before joining Red Bull Salzburg in 2014. Salzburg sold him to their German sister club RB Leipzig in June last year. Klopp has signed Egyptian winger Mohamed Salah, Scottish left-back Andy Robertson and English striker Dominic Solanke during the current transfer window. Liverpool’s 4-0 win over Arsenal on Sunday left them second in the Premier League table, two points below Manchester United.

THE BLUES HAS AGREE £35MILLION FEE TO SIGN ALEX OXLADE-CHAMBERLAIN

The Blues have agreed a fee for the midfielder, who is expected to undergo a medical and join up before the transfer window closes on Thursday night Chelsea are closing in on the signing of Arsenal's Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as the clubs agree a fee of £35million for his transfer to Stamford Bridge. The England international will now begin talks over a new five year contract with Chelsea before making the switch across London to join up with the Premier League champions. Pending a medical at St George's Park, the 24-year-old is expected to become Chelsea's fifth first-team signing of the summer after the club previously brought in Willy Caballero, Antonio Rudiger, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Alvaro Morata. Chelsea are keen on strengthening their English core after fielding no players from the country in the last two fixtures. Oxlade-Chamberlain's move has allowed Chelsea to release Jeremie Boga, who has renewed his contract but gone on a season-long loan to Birmingham City. Arsenal had offered a new contract to Oxlade-Chamberlain but he rejected all his club's offers with only one-year remaining on his current deal. Arsene Wenger's side have decided to cash in on the midfielder, rather than lose him for free next summer.

Oxlade-Chamberlain could be the first of several big names to arrive at Chelsea with the club also in talks with Leicester City's Danny Drinkwater. Ashley Cole was the last player to move from Arsenal to Stamford Bridge over 11 years ago.

FGN declares Friday, Monday public holidays

The Federal Government has declared Friday, Sept. 1 and Monday, Sept. 4 as Public Holidays to mark the Eid-el-Kabir celebration. ‎ The Minister of Interior, retired Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau‎, made the statement on behalf of the Federal Government on Monday in Abuja. Dr Rufai Attahiru, overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary in the ministry signed the statement in Abuja on Monday. The minister urged Muslim faithful and all Nigerians to use the occasion to pray for peace, unity, prosperity and the stability of the country’s democracy. ‎ Dambazau called on Nigerians to join hands with the government of President Muhammadu Buhari, in its determination to build a peaceful and harmonious country.‎ ‎ He assured Nigerians of safety in all parts of the country, emphasising that security agencies had been directed to maintain peace and protect lives and property during and after the celebration. Danbazau condemned in strong terms, the prevalence of hate speeches in the country and warned that the Federal Government would henceforth deal with perpetrators according to the law. He stressed that government would continue to foster peaceful coexistence, national cohesion and stability in its march toward actualising the full potential of Nigeria. ‎ The minister wished all Nigerians a most rewarding and Happy Eid-el-Kabir celebration.‎

Afrobasket championship 2017: D’Tigress crown champions

Nigeria’s female basketball team D’Tigress are champions of Africa for the third time after defeating Senegal in the final of the Afrobasket championship. D’Tigress who were unbeaten throughout the tournament defeated Senegal 65 to 48 at the Palais des Sports Salamatou Maiga, Mali on Sunday. The game was a repeat of the 2005 final when Nigeria defeated the Lionesses 64-57 for their second African title.

D’Tigress had also defeated Senegal in their last group stage game. Owing to their incredible form and winning streak, D’Tigress are now among the teams to watch out for in Spain at the world championship in 2018.

Some Reasons Why Your Visa Application May Not Be Approve

The process for applying for a visa is very exhausting and rigorous. Hence, it will leave a sour taste in the mouth after serious planning, submitting and been interviewed for a visa, you end up being denied. As such, if you are about to make your visa application, then you should look out for these signs shared by Jumia Travel to further prepare you against a visa rejection. You cannot clearly explain the source (s) of your funds The majority of embassies will assume that applicants are seeking permanent entry into their country until you prove them otherwise. And one way to prove them otherwise is to present evidence that you have strong economic reasons to return to your country following your stay. What other way to do this than your bank statement? Hence, ensure that your cash inflow and outflow are credible. They do not want to give visas to criminals. Your visa agent cannot answer basic visa questions If your visa agent promises to deliver to you a visa without asking you basic questions that only you have answers to, you should feel very uncomfortable about that application. It may most likely be rejected. You have a record visa denials If you have a record of refusals from a particular embassy, they will know that you arguably are desperate to leave your country. If you have been refused once at any embassy, they have the record. Hence, do not submit any visa application without consulting reliable visa businesses for advice. The more you are rejected, the more your visa application will be denied and vice-versa. You apply for the visa category There are different visa categories and, for every visa you are applying for it must correspond with your lifestyle. If it does not support the category of visa you are applying for, that is a strong signal, which you address before even submitting your application or else you will suffer the embarrassment of a rejection. You have an uneasy feeling about an answer If you have answered a question on your application but you don't feel comfortable about the answer you have provided, then you need to take steps back and peruse your responses again. The reason is that, you will unconsciously communicate your uneasy feelings to your interviewer while answering that question; particularly if they seem interested in that particular answer.

IPOB Leader Dare FGN Saying Anybody Trying To Arrest Me Will Die

Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), on Sunday said anybody trying to arrest him will die. He said this in reaction to the call of the Federal Government that his bail should be revoked. Speaking at Boys Technical College (BTC), Aba, Abia State, Kanu paid tribute to those reportedly killed at National High School by security agencies. He said the quest for Biafra was unstoppable, adding that the call is a “message from heaven.” He also insisted that the Anambra gubernatorial election will be boycotted except a referendum which the group has been clamouring is conducted. “Where we are is Biafra Land. Aba is the spiritual capital of Biafra land. We started in Aba in 2015 at CKC (Christ the King Catholic Cathedral),” Kanu said. “That day, heaven authenticated our move that IPOB will restore Biafra and that’s what we’ve come to do. We died in Aba, at National High School. “They shot and killed us in other places in Biafra land when they were protesting for my release. As our people rest in the grave, we’ll never rest until Biafra is restored. I don’t care what they say in Abuja. I don’t give a damn what they say in Lagos. “I’m a Biafran and we are going to crumble the zoo. Some idiots who are not educated said that they’ll arrest me, and I ask them to come. I’m in Biafra land. If any of them leaves Biafra land alive know that this is not IPOB. Tell them that’s what I said. “Tell Buhari that I’m in Aba and any person who comes to arrest Nnamdi Kanu in Biafra land will die here. I’ll never go on exile I assure you. “Some people talk about restructuring, are we doing restructuring of Nigeria now? Are we doing fiscal federalism? Are we doing devolution? What we want is Biafra! “Forget all the nonsense they write about us. We are not slowing down and no man born of a woman can stop us. “They thought we are joking and God gave us a simple message that no one can stop us. The movement to restore Biafra is unstoppable. “The message of heaven is what I bring to you. Don’t be afraid. The plans of our enemies are not going to be actualised. The enemies are planning, but we are formidable. “We are going to boycott Anambra state election. After Anambra 2017, in 2019, there’ll be no elections in Biafra land. Signed and sealed. My message is that there’ll not be election in Biafra land ever again until they give us date for referendum.” Meanwhile, the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) has advised President Muhammadu Buhari against re-arresting the leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, over his violation of his bail conditions, warning that doing that would “set Nigeria in flames.” The IYC, under the leadership of Eric Omare, also criticised the presidency for its poor handling of the quit notice given to Igbos in the North by Arewa youths. The group claimed things would have taken an entirely different twist if the threat had emanated from another tribe. “It is the height of nepotism and sectionalism for the Buhari administration to treat the Arewa youth leaders who committed a serious offense bordering on a threat to national security with kid gloves while the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, is being threatened with arrest and several Niger Delta activists are languishing in detention,” the IYC said. The IYC urged President Buhari to release Niger Delta youth activists who were arrested for making comments on social media, an offense far less grievous than the threat issued by the Arewa youths. “While the Arewa youths are enjoying state dinners, Niger Delta youth activists, such as Ezekiel Daniel, Alex Odogu, ex-militant leader Bonny Gawei, and several others, are in underground detention cells. Ezekiel Daniel has been in DSS detention for more than a year for a mere Facebook comment. This is sad and unacceptable. The IYC condemns this institutionalisation of double standards in national affairs by the Buhari administration in the strongest terms,” the group said. The IYC insisted that the presidency has lost moral rights to re-arrest Mr. Kanu or any other agitator in the southern part of Nigeria until Arewa youths are fully reprimanded and there is no threat to lives in any part of the country. “We wish to state clearly that the Buhari administration has lost the justification to threaten to re-arrest Mr. Nnamdi Kanu or any other agitator in the southern part of Nigeria. Nigerians ought to be treated equally irrespective of their place of origin or ethnic background. We also strongly advise against the planned revocation of the bail and arrest of the leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu. Arresting Nnamdi Kanu would set Nigeria in flames,” the group concluded.

Floyd Mayweather outclassed Conor McGregor with a 10th-round stoppage

Floyd Mayweather outclassed Conor McGregor with a 10th-round stoppage on Saturday to win their money-spinning superfight and clinch his 50th straight victory. Former welterweight boxing champion Mayweather, who had emerged from a two-year retirement to take on the Irish mixed martial arts star, took his time to get going before dominating from the fourth round. The end came with a tired McGregor doubled over on the ropes as Mayweather landed two hard left hooks, prompting referee Robert Byrd to intervene and declare a technical knockout. It was an explosive finale to their much-hyped contest at the T-Mobile Arena which proved surprisingly competitive in the early rounds as McGregor managed to land a string of scoring punches. But once Mayweather began to find his range and McGregor wearied rapidly, there was only going to be one winner. The 40-year-old American scored at will after the fourth round, snapping back McGregor’s head with a series of stinging blows. McGregor somehow survived an onslaught in the seventh round when a right counter from Mayweather staggered him badly. Finally, McGregor’s resistance broke in the 10th when a Mayweather right sent him lurching across the ring.

A hard left put him on the ropes and another hook saw him bent over and helpless, prompting the stoppage. The fight had followed a largely expected script but McGregor, in his first ever boxing appearance, by no means embarrassed himself. Mayweather will now head into what he says is a permanent retirement with a perfect 50-0 record, one better than heavyweight legend Rocky Marciano. The American is also expected to be around $200 million wealthier, taking his career earnings to around $1 billion. McGregor, who was an unemployed former plumber four years ago before emerging as one of the biggest stars of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, is expected to earn around $100 million.

Soldier Shot Dead a 10-year-old boy during demolition of the Owerri Main Market causes pandemonium

There was pandemonium in Owerri, the Imo State capital, on Saturday, when a 10-year-old boy, Somtochukwu Ibeanusi, was allegedly shot dead by military men from the 34 Artillery Brigade. The soldiers were deployed to maintain law and order during the forceful demolition of the Owerri Main Market, popularly known as Eke -Ukwu Owerri, by the state government. Many others were hospitalised owing to injuries sustained when the soldiers allegedly open fire as youths protested against the demolition of the market. The father of the deceased, Isaiah Ibeanusi, said the military men shot his son at the back of his head and that he died instantly. Ibeanusi, who addressed journalists, said the tragic incident occurred while he was trying to remove his goods during the demolition exercise, which was supervised by the army, police, Department of State Services, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and Air Force. He said, “While I was trying to remove my goods from the shop, I was alerted that my son had been shot by the Army. “I quickly rushed to the scene but my son was already dead. He was shot in the back of his head. The soldiers that shot the bullet did not care, they quickly moved on.” An eyewitness identified only as Chika, who claimed to have witnessed the shootings, said several others, including an old man and a youth leader, Leonard Ebubeagu, were injured during the raid while many goods were destroyed. President General of the Owerri Community Assembly, Felix Ngoka, faulted Governor Rochas Okorocha for approving the demolition of the market because of a subsisting injunction restraining him from carrying out the exercise. When our correspondents visited the scene on Saturday, the road leading to the market was barricaded by security men. A journalist, Chinonso Alozie, was attacked by the security officials and his gadgets seized.

The Army Public Relations Officer, 34 Artillery Brigade, Haruna Tarwai, denied the allegation, claiming that his men neither killed nor manhandled anybody. Tarwai said his men were only deployed in the scene to protect officers demolishing the market.

Ousmane Dembele has finally sign for barcelona

Barcelona have announced the signing of Ousmane Dembélé from Borussia Dortmund for an initial €105m (£97m), plus a potential €42m (£38m) in add-ons. The 20-year-old forward has agreed a five-year contract with a €400m buyout clause, and will wear the No11 shirt vacated by Neymar. Fleet-footed winger Ousmane Dembele has finally been granted his dream move to Barcelona as Borussia Dortmund pocket a massive transfer fee for the precocious French talent. Having forced Dortmund’s hand by going on strike and refusing to train, the German club were left with little choice but to suspend the temperamental 20-year-old and eventually sell him to the Spanish giants. The 105 million euros ($125 million) set to be forked out by Barcelona, not including potential add-ons, on Friday dwarfs the 15m euros Dortmund paid Rennes for Dembele in July 2016. The high-profile move on a five-year deal means Dembele will fill the boots of his idol, Neymar, as Barcelona look to bolster their attack after the Brazilian’s record move to Paris Saint-Germain. Dembele joined Rennes’ academy when he was 13 and having made his first team debut in November 2015, his silky skills combined with sudden bursts of pace and lethal crosses quickly dazzled defences. Barely into his teenage years at the time, Dembele said his inspirations were Lionel Messi and Neymar – the former will be his new team-mate and the latter is the man he is replacing. “They’re great players. I try to follow their games and copy what they do in training,” said a youthful Dembele while still at Rennes. The 2015/16 season saw Dembele make his breakthrough, scoring 12 times in 26 games for Rennes in the French league and setting up five goals. – Ronaldo comparison – In March 2016, he scored a hat-trick in the derby against Nantes in a 4-1 win just a couple months shy of his 18th birthday. The French club’s then sports director Mikael Silvestre compared Dembele to Cristiano Ronaldo. “I saw Cristiano Ronaldo arrive at the same age at Manchester United and Ousmane has the same characteristics which remind me of young Cristiano,” said Silvestre. “A talent like Dembele doesn’t come along every season. You are lucky if you have one every 10 years.” Dortmund beat off reported interest from Barcelona, Manchester United and Bayern Munich to sign Dembele.

The Frenchman announced his arrival with an audacious goal on Dortmund’s tour of China, before the 2016/17 season, when the then 19-year-old made a mockery of the United defence to fire home in a 3-0 win. Despite the trauma of the April bomb attack on the Dortmund team bus, Dembele kept his composure to score when the Champions League quarter-final first leg was replayed a day later, resulting in a 3-2 defeat to Monaco. Arguably his best and most important goal for Dortmund was his left-footed strike to seal a 3-2 victory at Bayern Munich in the semi-finals of the German Cup. In May’s final in Berlin, he gave Dortmund an early lead before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored a second in a 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt as Dembele claimed the only title of his career so far. Dortmund were able to hang onto Aubameyang, who attracted a reported offer of 80m euros from China’s Tianjin Quanjian after scoring 31 league goals last season to dethrone Robert Lewandowski as the Bundesliga’s top scorer. But despite having a contract until 2021, Borussia were effectively powerless to dampen Dembele’s dreams once Barcelona came calling.

Dembele set to join Barcelona for £150m

Barcelona have agreed a deal to sign Ousmane Dembele from Borussia Dortmund following talks in Monaco, according to sources. Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu is understood to have concluded talks on a five-year contract for the forward on the Mediterranean coast on Thursday. Barcelona are unlikely to confirm the deal until it is signed but Sky Sports News have been told the move is agreed in principle and could be worth as much as £150m. Dembele has been a primary target for the Catalan side this summer, along with Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho, as Barcelona look to bring in reinforcements following Neymar's £198m move to Paris Saint-Germain. Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc said last week Dortmund would not wait until the last few days of the transfer window for a deal to be agreed, insisting the 20-year-old would be staying at the club if their asking price was not met. Dembele joined Dortmund from French Ligue 1 club Rennes last summer. He scored six goals and contributed 13 assists in 32 Bundesliga matches during his first season at the Westfalenstadion. The collapse of Barcelona's approach for Philippe Coutinho then prompted the Catalans to step up their chase for Dembele in recent days. Liverpool refused to negotiate for their star playmaker, who like Dembele declined to commit his future to the club once speculation began. But with the news that Dortmund's young star will be moving, Liverpool fans can breathe a sigh of relief as Coutinho looks set to remain at Anfield.

Dembele appeared a total of 50 times for BVB, scoring 10 goals in all competitions. The last few weeks have been fraught with tension at the club, however, with the star picking up an internal suspension and facing fierce criticism for his conduct during the transfer saga. He now becomes Barca's fourth signing of the current window, after Marlon, Paulinho and Gerard Deulofeu.

Ronaldo wins UEFA Player of the Year

Cristiano Ronaldo has been named as the UEFA Player of the Year after he helped Real Madrid win the Champions League for a second successive time last season. Ronaldo was shortlisted along with Gianluigi Buffon and Lionel Messi for the award, which was created in 2011. It was presented to the Portugal international at the Champions League group stage draw on Thursday. Ronaldo's outstanding performances helped Los Blancos to become the first club to retain the Champions League trophy. He scored five goals in the quarterfinal victory over Bayern Munich, with a hat trick in the second leg at the Bernabeu. Another treble followed in the first leg of the semifinal against Atletico Madrid, and two more goals came in the final success over Juventus. Barcelona's Messi scored 54 goals for his club, but they had only the Spanish Super Cup and the Copa del Rey to show for their efforts. Buffon, 39, was the losing goalkeeper as Madrid beat Juventus in the Champions League final in Cardiff, but helped his club to an Italian Double. The shortlist was selected using votes collected from the 80 coaches of teams in the group stage of either the Champions League or Europa League and 55 journalists put forward by the European Sports Media (ESM) group. In addition to Ronaldo's honour, Lieke Martens was named UEFA Women's Player of the Year after leading the Netherlands to the 2017 Women's Euro title this summer on home soil. The 24-year-old Martens, who plays her club football at Barcelona, scored three goals and was named player of the tournament at the Euro. "This is so amazing," she said upon receiving the award. "It's a big honour. I'm really proud, but I couldn't achieve this without my teammates. I'm speechless!" Francesco Totti was the recipient of the President's Award, which recognises outstanding achievements, professional excellence and exemplary personal qualities. The Roma legend, who spent his entire career at the Rome club before retiring at the conclusion of last season, became the third Italian to be given the honour, joining AC Milan legends Gianni Rivera and Paolo Maldini. "I am honoured -- wearing a single shirt my entire career was my dream, and I managed to do it," he said.

Uefa champion league draw

Champions League holders Real Madrid will face Borussia Dortmund and Tottenham in a difficult group following the draw ceremony in Monaco on Thursday. Barcelona did not get an easy pass, either, as they were drawn against Juventus, Olympiakos and Sporting CP in Group D. Aside from Spurs, English teams received slightly easier draws, with Chelsea's matchup with Atletico Madrid among the more challenging matchups, while Liverpool will face Sevilla. Manchester United will face Benfica, FC Basel and CSKA Moscow in Group A, while Manchester City get Shakhtar Donetsk, Napoli and Feyenoord in Group F. Teams were drawn into eight groups of four. Clubs from the same national association -- as well as Russian and Ukrainian clubs -- could not be drawn together. The first group games will be played on Sept. 12-13. Group A: Benfica, Manchester United, FC Basel, CSKA Moscow. Group B: Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Anderlecht, Celtic Group C: Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, Roma, FK Qarabag Group D: Juventus, Barcelona, Olympiakos, Sporting CP Group E: Spartak Moscow, Sevilla, Liverpool, NK Maribor Group F: Shakhtar Donetsk, Manchester City, Napoli, Feyenoord Group G: Monaco, FC Porto, Besiktas, RB Leipzig Group H: Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Tottenham, APOEL Nicosia

Dortmund finished top of their group above Madrid last year, but new coach Peter Bosz still said Real were the most difficult challenge his side could have been drawn against in Group H. "Real Madrid are the first team that could defend the Champions League title," he said after the draw. "I also saw their [recent Super Cup] matches against Barcelona, and I have to say: That is the absolute top level in football right now. "For me, it'll be the first time at the Bernabeu, though for most BVB fans it will be a well-known feeling. Against Tottenham, a very strong team, I already played successfully with Feyenoord. And Nicosia rounds off an overall tough group. We're accepting the challenge." Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke told Sky Germany that the club would look to the experience of finishing at the top of an equally tough group in 2012, when BVB went unbeaten against Real Madrid, Ajax and Manchester City before reaching the final. "No doubt about it. This is the most difficult group," he said. "But we've had that in 2012. We got through a group with Real and Manchester City. Heroes are born in those groups. Sure, we always get Real, and we played Tottenham in Europa League. But we can't pick the teams." Real Madrid director Emilio Butragueno shrugged off the notion that his club were the favourites to advance, saying "we'll have to be at our best in order to qualify." "There're a lot of teams that start today with that [favourites] tag," he said. "We're the champions from the last two seasons, we have a great team and a winning spirit. But this competition takes you to the limit in all aspects. "It depends on a lot of factors and we must think about making it through the group stage. Hopefully we're in the draw for the last 16 as winners of our group." Tottenham will go up against their former stars Gareth Bale and Luka Modric when they host Real Madrid at Wembley this year, and Spurs forward Harry Kane called the matchups "a good draw." "You expect to play the best in Europe in the Champions League, and it's exciting for us. We look forward to these games," Kane said. "You want to test yourself against the best, and Real Madrid are the best at the moment. "It will be interesting to see where we're at and a great test for us against Borussia Dortmund and APOEL as well. I remember the game against Real Madrid at the Lane in 2011. I'm sure Wembley will be packed for the matches, and we can't wait to get started."

Wesley Hoedt Join Southampton

Southampton signed Netherlands defender Wesley Hoedt from Lazio for a reported £15 million (16.4 million euros, $19 million) on Tuesday. Hoedt agreed a five-year deal with the Premier League club and will arrive at St Mary’s as a potential replacement for his compatriot Virgil van Dijk. Van Dijk is a target for Liverpool and Chelsea, but Saints insists he will not be sold, even though the central defender has still not joined first-team training under new manager Mauricio Pellegrino. Hoedt began his career at AZ Alkmaar in his home country before moving to Lazio in 2015.

The 23-year-old, who made his senior international debut earlier this year, can’t wait to get started in the Premier League. “I’m really happy to be here. I think Southampton is a really big club, so it’s a good next step for me to come here and to play in the Premier League and try to help the best I can,” Hoedt told Saints’ website. Hoedt is Southampton’s third signing since last season after the arrivals of midfielder Mario Lemina and defender Jan Bednarek.

Liverpool agreed to sell Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona

Barcelona have an agreement in principle to sign Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool for a base fee of €90 million (£81.6m) with bonuses that could bring the deal to €120m (£108.8m), sources close to the Catalan club told ESPN Deportes' Jordi Blanco. A delegation from Barcelona headed up by chief executive Oscar Grau travelled to Liverpool on Monday night to finalise the negotiation. The Brazilian midfielder told Liverpool earlier in the day that he wanted to leave and join Barcelona, sources close to the player have told ESPN Brasil. Liverpool reportedly rejected a an €80m (£72m) offer from Barcelona last month, while manager Jurgen Klopp said last week that the Catalan side can "save their energy" in their pursuit of Coutinho. But ESPN Brasil's sources said the deal was set to go through after the player spoke to Klopp about his desire to leave. The move is Barcelona's first since the club earned €222m by selling Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain this week. The move is being led by Coutinho's agents Kia Joorabchian and Sam Kohansal, who also hope to negotiate a move for Paulinho to join Barca from Guangzhou Evergrande in the coming days.

Earlier, former Liverpool captain and manager Graeme Souness said the Premier League club would struggle to keep hold of Coutinho as it is hard for a player to turn down Barcelona. "I don't think you can [keep him]," Souness told Sky Sports, which reported on Monday that Coutinho wanted to leave Liverpool. "The chance to play for a team that would suit his style of play, I don't think he can say no to it, as hard as that is for Liverpool to accept. "Ultimately if he wants to go he will go, as much as the club won't want him to. He's on a contract but if the big players want to go these days then they get their own way." Fellow former Liverpool captain Jamie Carragher says his old club may be able to hang on to Coutinho for now, but face a battle in keeping him away from Barca further down the line. "I don't think he will go. But he will want to go and wear that shirt," he told Sky Sports. "Who wouldn't want to go? It's Barcelona. "I'm sure whether it's this summer or next summer Philippe Coutinho will want to wear that shirt and go to Barcelona. There's nothing wrong with it. That's football."

MAN UTD. BATTLE REAL MADRID FOR SUPER CUP

Their Premier League campaign may kick-off on Sunday but Manchester United's season properly begins on Tuesday. The Red Devils face Real Madrid in a glamour tie as they compete for the UEFA Super Cup in Skopje, Macedonia. Jose Mourinho and his Old Trafford stars where seen carried on a shuttle bus from Manchester airport to their actual aircraft on Monday morning. The annual clash between the winners of the Europa League and Champions League pits Jose Mourinho’s men against Zinedine Zidane’s side at the 33,460-capacity Philip II Arena. United new boy Nemanja Matic is in contention for a starting place having impressed in the first half of their 2-1 win over Sampdoria last Wednesday.

Fellow summer signings Victor Lindelof and Romelu Lukaku are also in line to make their competitive debuts. Defensive duo Eric Bailly and Phil Jones are suspended but Mourinho otherwise has no absences to overcome, besides the long-term injured players Marcos Rojo, Luke Shaw and Ashley Young. Bailly took to Instagram on Monday inside their plane to post a selfie with Antonio Valencia, Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial with the caption: 'Macedonia, here we come!' Upon landing in Skojpe, Mourinho will hold a press conference before taking his squad for training. Speaking after their win over Sampdoria, the Portuguese manager said: 'Pre-season was good. I’m never tired to repeat how well organised it was. 'Everybody played, we tried many different things and didn’t care about the results – we cared about our evolution. On top of it, we had small injuries but not big ones so everybody is ready. 'Now it's the serious stuff with the Super Cup and the first Premier League match.' This is the second time in a few weeks that United and Real will have gone head-to-head with the former triumphing on penalties during their pre-season encounter in America.

SAD!!! ABOUT 11 SOULS DROWN IN JIGAWA RIVER

The Police Command in Jigawa said no fewer than eleven persons had drowned in various rivers in the state in the last one month. A statement issued by the spokesman of the command, SP Abdu Jinjiri, in Dutse on Tuesday described the number of people drowned within such period as “outrageous”. “The police has decried the outrageous number of people drowned in rivers in the state in the last one month. “No fewer than eleven of such incidents were recorded in some parts of the state. “The Jigawa police command has expressed serious concern over the spate of drowning in the state, as no fewer than eleven of such ugly incidents were recorded in places such as Ringim, Guri, Kiyawa, Dutse, involving children and adults alike within the last one month. “It is the sincere advice of this command that people who are not conversant with swimming should desist from bathing or fishing in any pond or river,” Jinjiri said. He also urged parents and guardians to monitor their children or wards sent on errands so as to reduce the disturbing incidents of drowning to the barest minimum.

NEYMAR JR BECOME PSG PLAYER

The Ligue 1 giants have more than doubled the previous mark for a transfer set by Paul Pogba and Manchester United as they welcome the Brazilian. Paris Saint-Germain have smashed the world transfer record by completing the €222 million signing of Neymar from Barcelona on a five-year contract. The Brazilian had been continually linked with a move away from Camp Nou over the summer, and had declined to clarify his own future as the PSG rumours grew stronger. And after weeks of denials, mixed messages and reports, he has finally been confirmed as the Ligue 1 club's latest signing on Thursday night. "Paris Saint-Germain are very pleased to announce the arrival of Neymar Jr," the Parisiens said in a statement on their official website "The Brazilian attacker signed a five-year contract in the presence of club and player representatives. Neymar Jr is now tied to the club of the capital until June 30, 2022." Earlier on Thursday, La Liga attempted to derail the deal by refusing to accept the €222m payment from Neymar's lawyer, but his representatives paid direct to Barcelona instead. In the late afternoon Barcelona confirmed they had accepted the bid and a transfer of a player they bought four years ago looked certain. The fee, equivalent to Neymar's buyout clause, shatters the existing record of €105m, set last year by Paul Pogba. PSG's new star went for over double the price paid out by Manchester United for the ex-Juventus midfielder, setting a new precedent in world football. Neymar emerged as a teenage wonderkid at Santos, winning the Copa Libertadores in 2011 before switching Brazil for Catalunya.

After moving to Camp Nou in 2013 the Brazilian hit 105 goals in 186 games for Barca, forming part of the formidable MSN forward line alongside Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi. Having gone trophyless in his debut season Neymar celebrated the treble in 2014-15, adding a further Liga and two Copa del Rey trophies in the following two campaigns as well as a host of other team and individual titles.

Police Arrests Over 40 kidnappers

The Nigeria Police Force said it had arrested 40 suspects in connection with Kidnapping and armed robbery in Rijana area of Kaduna State. The suspects are : Ali Bello, the leader of the gang, Guma Shehu, a vicious and notorious criminal, Daniel Iwobi, Bashir Haruna, Aminu Mohammed,Buba Takuti, Egwuonu Ogiri, Abba Aliyu and Abdullahi Adamu among others. The Force Spokesman, CSP Jimoh Moshood who disclosed this at a news conference on Thursday in Rijana , said some of the suspects had been identified by their victims. He said that items recovered from them include: 10 double barrel guns, two single barrel guns, 30 live cartridges, 10 9mm ammunition and assorted cell phones. Others are: wrist watches, jewelries, two magazines, 10 locally made Sub-Machine Guns, three AK 47 rifles, five laptop computers, three Ipads and one revolver pistol . Moshood said that in the process of arresting the suspects, the police were able to locate their camp and equally rescue some of their victims. “Most of these suspects we are parading today were arrested during the act,” he said. The spokesman said that the suspects belonged to different groups that operated at different locations on the Kaduna- Abuja highway. The spokesman said the suspects have made confessional statements to the police on the various roles each of them played in the commission of the crime along the route. The spokesman said the suspects would be arraigned in court on completion of investigation. He said that the police would continue to build on the current successes to ensure that the last kidnapper was removed from the Kaduna-Abuja highway. He enjoined members of the communities to always avail police with vital information to provide security for them, adding that the operation would be sustained to curtail crime across the country. Moshood said that the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, had commended members of the community for their support. A resident of the community, Mr Labaran Abu, who spoke to newsmen, called for the sustenance of the operation along the Kaduna-Abuja highway. Abu said that the community would have some respite with the coming of the security personnel to the area. He said that members of the community were ready to give police all the necessary information for provision of security. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Force had on July 25 begun ‘Operation Absolute Sanity’ on Abuja-Kaduna Highway. The team include: Police Mobile Force, Counter Terrorism Squad, Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Intelligence Response Team, Special Tactical Squad, Force Intelligence Branch and Police Helicopters. The operations is to complement the on-going Joint Police/Military operations on ground before now. The police had also on July 31 arrested 31 suspects at Katari area along the Kaduna-Abuja road.