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Saturday, 31 December 2016

Chelsea boss Conte: Chinese financial muscle a threat

Antonio Conte does not want to believe that a Chinese club made a £257million offer for Cristiano Ronaldobecause he feels it would be morally wrong.

Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes revealed his client could have gone to China and earned almost £100m-a-year, but instead chose to stay at Real Madrid.

Chelsea have banked £60m from Chinese club Shanghai SIPG for Oscar, while Carlos Tevez has moved to Shanghai Shenhua on a deal worth over £512,000-a-week.

Asked about the Ronaldo bid, Chelsea head coach Conte said: “I think it's an incredible story. We are talking about a lot, lot, lot of money. I don't want to trust in this.

“I don't want to believe in this. Because, I think, we are talking about an amount of money which is not right.

“I saw the last contract, the last contract with Carlos Tevez. I think we are talking about a lot of money. This type of offer is incredible and it's very difficult for the players to say ‘no’.

“But I must be honest, I think it's not right. It's not right, this. Because you must have respect for the money and then if there are these offers, this type of offer... but I don't agree, I don't agree with this situation.”

Friday, 23 December 2016

Rodriguez to Chelsea Speculation Grows

The latest additions to the speculation, relating to the 25-year-old Real Madrid attacking midfielder come from two sources.

The first source, Goal.com is of the inference that Real Madrid have decided to part-company with Rodriguez and that the player is being offered to Premier League clubs.

The second piece, coming from the Colombian news vehicle El Tiempo, implies that with the Spanish season now in its winter break, the Colombian is set to spend Christmas in Colombia and that he is set to secure a visa allowing him to travel to the UK to discuss a possible move.

Furthermore, the first source we quoted is also championing the suggestion that Rodriguez would prefer a move to Chelsea Football Club.

As is the norm, we`ll endeavour to keep more than a passing eye on this particular torrent of speculation, it could prove quite interesting.

SIMPLE TIPS FOR A STRESS-FREE HOLIDAY AT THE MOVIES

NOT EVERYONE WANTS to—or can—spend the holidays next to a fire or gorging on fowl and carbs. Some people see holidays as a chance to catch up on movies and gorge on popcorn and Starburst.

Luckily for those folks, there are a lot of good movies in theaters right now—and even more ways to see them. But going to the movies can be stressful. There are lines, jockeying for good seats, and the high prices of concessions to worry about with every trip to the multiplex.

With that in mind, we wanted to give you a few pointers for how to have the best day at the movies possible. Here are seven simple things you can do to make your movie marathon go smoothly.

Plan Ahead
Whether you’re sneaking out solo, or coercing your parents to see the new Alain pamolekun movie it’s important that you have a game plan. Look at movie times, decide on your film(s) early, and make sure appropriate departure and arrival times are set.

Get Tickets Online
There are service fees involved, yes, but ordering tickets from Fandango or MovieTickets.com is the easiest way to make sure you get in to the show you want. Also, many theaters offer assigned seating, so you can find out if you’re going to be able to have optimal seating before you even decide to walk out the door.

Make Concession Concessions
Popcorn and sodas at multiplexes can be expensive. Hit up a drug store, bodega, or Target to grab a few snacks before heading to the theater. Your wallet will thank you, and if you stock up on healthy options, your body will too.

Go on Off Days
Lots of folks hit the movies on Christmas Day. Avoid them by going on New Year’s Day, or one of the other days in between the holidays. Seeing Passengers on a Tuesday afternoon is a much safer bet than trying to see it Christmas night.

Always Consider Matinees
Speaking of afternoons, don’t be afraid of matinees. They’re often cheaper—and easier to get into.

Give Indies a Chance
Is the Rogue One screening sold out? Don’t lose heart. There are a lot of great smaller movies in theaters right now. Might we suggest La La Land or Fences? You might be able to catch Loving or Moonlight as well.

When in Doubt, Go Art House
If you’re heading to the multiplex, you’re likely going to encounter large groups with kids. If a quieter, more low-key experience is more your speed, hit up a small independent theater. department of Fine art Obafemi Awolowo University will be if help here...

Wednesday, 21 December 2016

Olufunke Agagu said ‘Support the physically-challenged

Wife of former Governor of Ondo State, Mrs. Olufunke Agagu, has urged government at all levels to prioritise the welfare of people living with disabilities.

Mrs. Agagu spoke at this year’s International Day for Persons with Disabilities, whose theme was “Achieving 17 Goals for the Future We Want: Sustainable Development “, held in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

She lamented that governments do much talking without acting on promises made to persons living with disability.

Mrs. Agagu, who is the founder of Handicapped Education Foundation (HANDEF), also said despite several enlightenment programmes, the disabled are not seen as part of the society.

She noted that in the history of Nigeria, none of the disabled persons has vied for elective positions.

She said: “We are also disabled in one way or the other, but theirs are just physical and we should help to give them recognition and enablement.

“We talk much in Nigeria without any action.  What is the attitude of commercial vehicles to the disabled people? Have we accepted them as part of us?

“It is time society moved away from violence against them and focused attention on the welfare of people living with disabilities in our communities.”

She, however, urged the people living with disabilities not to see their challenges as the end of their lives but as an opportunity to discover themselves.

Mrs. Agagu urged the physically-challenged persons to discover and develop themselves so that people around them will not be looking down on them any longer.

“Stop looking down on yourselves so that you can become somebody in life. Parents should encourage them by giving them the necessary support so that they can develop their innate abilities.

“We will introduce more vocational trainings for people living with disabilities in the HANDEF Centre here in Akure.  Anybody who wants to learn skills such as traditional hairdressing, shoe making, barbing and so on, should take advantage of the programmes.

Wednesday, 14 December 2016

My Instagram video

https://www.instagram.com/p/BN6GNM1gnHL/
It's a worded poetic work of kc pwesh
Watch, like and follow

Sunday, 6 November 2016

Zlatan on his two records broken after brace for Man United at Swansea

After failing to score in six successive league games, Zlatan
Ibrahimovic returned to goal scoring ways with a brace for
Manchester United at Swansea.
After Paul Pogba had fired Manchester United into the lead
with an excellent strike, Zlatan Ibrahimovic bagged a brace
to end his goal scoring drought.
A number of Manchester United fans had begun to wonder if
Zlatan was all he is cracked up to be, but his aura returned
against one of the worst defences in the Premier League.
"Then I will look through all my records"
The only downside on Zlatan's display was a late booking
that will keep him out of Manchester United's next game: At
home to Arsenal.
After the Swansea win, as is standard, Zlatan celebrated with
an interview to his app Zlatan Unplugged.
The super Swedish striker discussed two of the records he
has broken and also hailed the victory, see the full Q&A
below.
Zlatan Unplugged "Then I will look through all my
records"
The match against Swansea ended 3-1 which means three
points for your United. What do you think of the win?
Zlatan: We did a good match from beginning to end.
After several goalless matches, tonight you broke the dry
spell. Tell us about your goal and what it felt like to finally
get the ball in the net again!
Zlatan: The first was a shot from distance. The second
goal, I got almost free and could place it.
Your goals mean that you once again get in the history
books. You scored your 400th club goal, in addition it was
the 25,000th goal in Premier League history. What do you
think of your new records?
Zlatan: It's nothing I think about right now, but after the
career, then I will look through all my records.

SWANSEA WIN THE PERFECT MATCH FOR MAN UNITED

Perhaps this was not quite the perfect match
for Manchester United as we did allow
Swansea City to score while a clean sheet
would have been a great boost for our
defenders, but it was nothing more than a
consolation for the home side.
In many ways, though, this was just what Jose
Mourinho and the Red Devils need as we head
into the latest international break. Zlatan
Ibrahimovic put his recent troubles in front of
goal well behind him with a first half double
that will have restored any confidence lost in
recent weeks.
The other player who needed a boost was our
world record transfer from Juventus and so the
stunning third goal scored by Paul Pogba was
just what the doctor ordered today.
To be perfectly honest, there was not a great
deal of opposition from the Swans who gave us
all the time and space we could have wished
for, but you can only beat what is in front of
you as they say. United have played well and
dominated games without getting the rewards
and a lot of the problems on the pitch seem to
have stemmed from a lack of confidence.
Now everyone at the club can feel a lot better
over the next two weeks and come back ready
for the next EPL game, which is a tough one at
home to Arsenal. Another bonus for United
was that the Gunners were held to a
disappointing draw by Tottenham so was this
almost a perfect day?

serving now chapter 1

Planning was half the fun. Matthew and his hot
daughter, Janette, spent weeks over the summer,
plotting the scenario. They wanted a naturally
sexy, impressionable girl, similar to Janette in
appearance, who was eager to learn and could be
trained.
Once Janette's senior high school semester began,
she spent weeks looking without luck, even at
other schools. She went to baseball and soccer
games, extracurricular club meetings, dances,
skateboard parks, and malls. Nothing. Sure, she
found a number of possibilities, but none of them
fulfilled the criteria. That is, no one had the
potential to be as hot as she was.
Finally, a new girl transferred in from a different
city and didn't know anyone locally. Unworldly and
awkward, she was shy and insecure, which were all
good for Janette and her father. Another benefit:
the new girl's clothes, hair and makeup were all
awful. But Janette saw through the girl's
appearance and realized the potential. The two of
them were similar in shape and coloring, which
Matthew, her father, had specified.
Next to Janette, beneath the tacky unflattering
clothing, beneath the rat's nest of tangled, dirty
hair, beneath the cheap makeup, Angelina was the
hottest, most sensuous girl Janette had seen - only
Angie didn't know it yet. Nor did anyone else. Her
dated hairstyle obscured thick, straight, jet-black
hair. The over-heavy makeup covered a perfect
olive complexion. Unflattering, dorky clothing
covered her exciting 5' 6" frame, two inches less
than Janette.
Inexperienced, Angie lived a dull life all the way on
the other side of town with Justine, a single parent,
who worked long hours at a distant school as a
Spanish teacher during the day and taught English
as a second language in adult ed at night. Justine
was practically an absentee mother. And when she
was around, she wasn't any better. Poor parenting
skills. Angie couldn't stand Justine, for being such a
neglectful, irresponsible mother. A bad mother
who failed to show up on time, was forever
forgetful, broke promises, etc.
But Angie had at least inherited her hot looks
directly from her sensuous 34-year-old mother.
When the well-dressed, rich, smart and very pretty
Janette befriended Angie, her cool new friend -
and her handsome, sexy father - were exactly what
the naive girl needed. And the shapely, moldable
new arrival was exactly what father and daughter
wanted.
Janette promptly invited Angela to sit at her table
during lunch and quickly "adopted" the friendless
newbie, giving advice, answering a slew of
questions, and extracting useful information. Angie
was smart, grateful and malleable. At 18, both
were seniors, but Janette had way more life
experience and was self-assured, qualities that
gave her authority and control over the more
passive Angie. The two began spending most of
their free time at school together. At the end of
their first week, they were already going places
together: the mall, cafés, the park.
For the next two weeks, Janette did a total
makeover for her friend, making changes every
day. Angie went with Janette to her hair salon,
where the sophisticated, confident girl treated the
insecure, trusting one to a style and cut so the
newcomer's hair matched Janette's: short, straight
and tomboy-short, like a young Winona, Halle,
Natalie or Demi's pixie cut. Janette gave Angie
good makeup, instructed her in how to apply it
and began reworking her wardrobe. Since Janette
was a B+ student, she helped her protégé with
homework, reports and prepping for exams. Angie
was reborn.
Janette had remade the girl in her own image,
accentuating the girl's lovely hair, skin and hot
body. Angie began spending time after school at
Matt and Janette's house, which was large and
luxurious compared to Justine's confining,
functional apartment in a mediocre and remote
neighborhood. When Matt first met Angie, he was
immediately excited and thought for one strange,
fleeting moment that she was Janette's younger
sister. Janette could immediately tell how much
her father was attracted to her new sidekick. And it
was obvious that Angie was suggestible, pliable.
For example, when she asked Janette about a
boyfriend or boyfriends, Janette was dismissive,
expressing her boredom with and disdain for
naïve young boys. Soon, Angie was verbally
echoing Janette's stated preference for older men,
men of the world such as. . . Matt.
When Matt learned that Angie's mother, Justine,
had to moonlight to make extra money, and taught
adult ed at night, he and Janette began inviting
Angie to stay for dinner. He drove her home
several times, to the opposite side of town. That
lengthy round-trip, full of red lights, was anything
but convenient. But the girl had been so tired that
she twisted to the side in the passenger seat, her
legs up against the door, and lay her head on
Matt's thigh. Her full, short skirt immediately slid
down her thighs, revealing the toned young flesh.
Matt lifted the material so all of it lay above the
girl's waist, exposing her tiny panties. They looked
just like Janette's. His daughter had groomed the
new addition well: the taut panties were sheer and
her mons was shaved, revealing a succulent pair of
thick lips. Matt smiled. Janette was nothing if not
thorough.
The next day, with Matt's prompting, Janette asked
Angie if she'd like to sleep over some nights and
Angie responded enthusiastically. Janette
suggested that Matt to call Angie's mother, Justine,
to ask permission. So he called, explaining his
background, impressive job, and that, despite the
absence of Janette's mother, who lived on the
other side of the country, his daughter was doing
very well in school and was delighted to have a
new best friend in Angie.
Even Justine's voice sounded sexy on the phone.
She complimented Janette's influence on Angie's
appearance, grades and friendship. "It's a relief
that Angie has such a great friend in Janette,
especially because we're new arrivals and because
I work such long hours." The appreciative mother
also asked the usual parental questions: "Will
there be supervision?" "Would it be any trouble?"
And "If she misbehaves, please send her back
home immediately."
"Oh no," Matt said. "If she gets out of line, I'll deal
with her in the same way as I do Janette. Strictly."
"Ok," Justine said slowly, whose own upbringing
had been very strict. And she'd been extremely
strict with Angie. But she was afraid to ask for
details. She hoped that Matt's cryptic response
meant he would be severe, since Angie was a
stuck-up, resentful, disrespectful brat who
deserved to be subdued and made respectful.
Having Justine's permission - and gratitude - for
her daughter's sleepovers, Matt sat down in the
living room with the two girls. He explained the
rules of the house: hard work at school and
serious studying at home, with commensurate
rewards in the form of clothing, music, gear,
restaurants, trips, concerts, fun weekends, and so
on. Violations of the rules would be dealt with
promptly in the form of punishment.
He warned Angie, "If any of your grades go down,
or if you misbehave in any way, you will definitely
be punished. And I don't mean with a time-out or a
spanking. Spankings are only for children. And I
have authorization from your mother to deal with
you promptly and strictly, as I already do with
Janette. Do you understand?" Angie nodded
tentatively.
"How does your mother punish you?" Angie
squirmed in her seat. "Does she strike you?" Angie
nodded, incredibly embarrassed. "With her
hands?" Angie shook her head, too mortified to
speak. "Does she use a hairbrush?" The girl was in
an agony of humiliation and refused to answer.
Matt nodded to his daughter. Janette stood and
lightly slapped Angie's cheeks. "Daddy asked you a
question."
"With. . . with a strap," Angie blurted. Janette
glanced at Matt, both delighted that the girl had
experienced corporal punishment.
"Where did these. . . sessions take place, and what
was your mother wearing?
Angie swallowed. "They happened all around the
place. She would strip down to her bra and panties
because she would sweat from the exertion of
binding and punishing me.
"Let's make sure you understand. Janette, get up
and stand in front of me." His daughter complied,
facing him, legs spread wide, her ass in front of
Angie. "Raise your skirt." Janette lifted her skirt to
her waist and tucked the front and rear fabric into
her belt. Father and daughter heard a small intake
of breath as Angie saw the red marks at the top of
Janette's thighs.
"Take off your panties." Janette drew them down
and off, again widened her stance and leaned
forward, resting each of her hands on one of Matt'
shoulders, thrusting her ass toward her best
friend. Angie shifted on the couch, ogling the
stripes covering Janette's ass. She'd seen Janette
nude in the girl's showers at school, but this was
different and strange.
"Get up and come here," Matt ordered.
Obediently, Angie apprehensively walked over to
them. Matt grabbed one of Angie's hands and
placed it on one of Janette's welted ass cheeks,
moving Angie's hand around the hot flesh. Janette
moaned quietly. "Those hurt because Janette was
punished only last night. Feel her thighs as well.
Angie's hand drifted down, her fingers skimming
through Janette's butt crack till they caressed the
weals on her friend's young thighs.
"They're beautiful," Angie whispered.
"Will you accept this kind of discipline if I deem
that you deserve it?" Angie nodded, too stunned
and excited to be capable of speech. "Have you
ever been punished with anything other than a
strap?"
"Yes Sir. . . ." Matt waited for details. Reluctantly,
the girl added, "My mother has stripped me, tied
me and punished me with. . . with floggings." Matt
and Janette exchanged a glance for a fraction of a
second. This was interesting news. He stared at
Angie, demanding more. "And since my dad wasn't
around, I was also disciplined by my brother. So I
accept your authority."
"Your brother?"
"Yes, he's really cute and is very close with my
mother. They even look the same. But he's very
strict."
"What happened after your mother and brother
finished your discipline?" No answer. "Did they
ever give you pleasure? Did they ever make you
take care of them?"
Angie said, "Yes, my brother would usually use a. .
." She faltered and stopped. "I mean, he would
make me kneel. . ." She changed her mind, bolted
from the living room and ran upstairs to her
bedroom.
Matt smiled at his daughter, delighted about the
new information. So Angie was not a total stranger
to B&D, or to servicing older men. "Good. Then
we're done here." Janette lowered her skirt. As she
left the room, Matt began planning a demo for
Angie.

Bayern Munich held by Hoffenheim, Aubameyang nets four for Dortmund

Bayern Munich and Hoffenheim both extended their
unbeaten starts to the season to 10 games as they shared
the spoils in a 1-1 draw at the Allianz Arena.
Kerem Demirbay gave a confident Hoffenheim the lead in
the 16th minute, but a Steven Zuber own goal brought the
hosts level before half-time.
Bayern hit the post twice in a stronger second-half showing
from the record champions, but Hoffenheim held on for a
valuable point.
Borussia Dortmund heaped more misery on struggling
Hamburg with a 5-2 win that saw Pierre-Emerick
Aubameyang return from a club-imposed suspension
emphatically with four goals.
It took him only three minutes to make his mark on the
game, turning in one of his easiest goals of the season after
Rene Adler had only parried Emre Mor's effort. He doubled
Dortmund's lead midway through the first half when he
benefited once again from Mor's pass -- this time an
intentional assist -- to score another easy goal as Adler was
taken out of the equation by the Turkish midfielder's pass.
Aubameyang completed his hat trick four minutes later and
his fourth followed soon after half-time, with Christian
Pulisic this time the provider after some more poor
defending in the Hamburg rearguard was punished
ruthlessly.
Nicolai Muller gave Hamburg something to smile about,
ending a 717-minute scoring drought for the northern
Germany side with a goal which reduced the deficit to three.
Aubameyang turned provider to tee up Ousmane Dembele
to restore Dortmund's four-goal lead with 15 minutes left.
Bayer Leverkusen made it two Bundesliga wins in a row,
although they were made to sweat for a 3-2 victory over
struggling Darmstadt.
Hakan Calhanoglu gave Leverkusen a deserved lead in the
32nd minute but the visitors levelled early in the second half
with Antonio Colak volleying in Marcel Heller's cross.
Julian Brandt headed Leverkusen back in front 10 minutes
into the second half before Charles Aranguiz gave Roger
Schmidt's men a two-goal advantage with a powerful shot
into the top right-hand corner.
Mario Vrancic made things interesting with Darmstadt's
second goal five minutes from time, but Leverkusen held on
to edge closer to the top six.
Wolfsburg picked up their first win in the Bundesliga since
August to move out of the bottom three as they beat
Freiburg 3-0.
Mario Gomez headed in Ricardo Rodriguez's cross before
the break and the Germany international added his second
in the 53rd minute, providing a cool finish in a one-on-one
situation.
Rodriguez made sure of the points with a penalty in the 86th
minute, helping Wolfsburg pick up their first win since the
opening day of the campaign.
Eintracht Frankfurt closed the gap on sixth-placed Cologne
with a 1-0 win at the Waldstadion.
Mijat Gacinovic scored the only goal of the game after just
five minutes, with the Eagles closer to adding a second than
the Goats were to scoring an equaliser.
Two late goals earned Augsburg a 2-0 victory in a Bavarian
derby against Ingolstadt, who ended the game with 10 men
and still without a win all season.

Gareth Bale strikes double for Real Madrid, Celta Vigo beat Valencia

Gareth Bale scored two first-half goals as Real Madrid
dispatched minnows Leganes 3-0, recording their first clean
sheet in 11 matches.
Bale struck his sixth and seventh goals of the season in the
last seven minutes of the first half, with Alvaro Morata
adding the third in the second period as Zinedine Zidane's
side went five points clear at the top of LaLiga.
Real's fourth straight league win was never in doubt once
Bale had tapped home his second goal in first-half stoppage
time, and Real comfortably saw the game out to extend their
unbeaten home league run to six matches.
Celta Vigo came from behind to beat Valencia 2-1 at
Balaidos as the visitors slid further towards the drop zone.
Dani Parejo's penalty had put Valencia ahead after 33
minutes, but Facundo Roncaglia levelled just before the
break and John Guidetti headed in the winner with 14
minutes remaining.
The result sees Celta move up to eighth, but Valencia are
just one point above the drop zone with 10 points from 11
matches.
Espanyol were held to a 0-0 draw at home to Athletic Bilbao
in the afternoon's other game.

Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic misses Arsenal clash

Manchester United will be without striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic
against Arsenal at Old Trafford on Nov. 19 after the Swede
was booked in their win at Swansea City on Sunday.
Ibrahimovic picked up his fifth yellow card of the season for
a 76th-minute foul on Leroy Fer, meaning he is suspended
for the visit of Arsene Wenger's team after the international
break.
That means he will be out of United's starting lineup for the
first time in the Premier League after featuring in all 11
games so far.
Discussing his fifth yellow card of the season, Ibrahimovic
told BBC Sport: "I thought we played rough in England? I
play rough and I got a yellow card. What was it for? I don't
know. Maybe I was too tired to hear why the referee gave it."
It was the only blot an impressive afternoon for the United
striker, who struck twice to help his team surge into a 3-0
lead by the 33rd minute.
The 35-year-old's goals ended a six-game barren run in the
Premier League - - with his previous strike in the
competition having come in the 2-1 home defeat against
Manchester City on Sept. 10.
His first goal was a driven effort and his second came when
he evaded Angel Rangel and clipping the ball in and he
marked his success with a karate kick celebration.

Chelsea reportedly interested in re-signing Thorgan Hazard

After a stupendous performance by Edin Hazard against
Everton on the weekend, the Blues are now looking to make
an approach for the younger sibling, Thorgan Hazard as
well. Reports in the British ( Express) and German media
(German Journalist Philip Harmeling) have now revealed
that Chelsea coach, Antonio Conte has identified the
younger Hazard as the top target this January window.
Thorgan, an earlier Chelsea player was loaned out to
Borussia Monchengladbach in 2014. And the 23-year old's
impressive form persuaded the German club to make the
deal permanent in February 2015.
However, it has now been revealed that in order for
Chelsea to persuade the youngster to rejoin the club, they
will have to fork out a fee ranging around £16-£18million.
The news of this was made public by a series of tweet by
German Journalist Philip Harmeling, stating, "Chelsea has
approached #BMG for Hazard and his buy-out clause. The
price is fixed around €18-20M (£16-£18m) but none of BMG
and Hazard are interested. Chelsea has made Hazard a
priority for the next transfer window in January but looks
like they have a lot to do to convince Hazard to leave."
Nevertheless, one wonders whether the club would be
willing to fork out such a sum for a former player.
Thorgan's impressive form has already caught the attention
of other top tier clubs across Europe and it will be
interesting to see whether this deal develops in the recent
future.

Rival fans explain it is the lack of Champions League football that has made Chelsea and Liverpool so good this season

Liverpool and Chelsea were in electric form this
weekend with the two teams claiming massive
victories to fire themselves to the top of the table.
Chelsea and Eden Hazard beat Everton 5-0 at
Stamford Bridge on Saturday before Liverpool and
Philippe Coutinho did their best to overshadow that
performance with a 6-1 mauling of Watford at Anfield.
It leaves Liverpool top of the table for the first time
this season, and the first time since May 2014 with
Chelsea in second after being knocked off their perch
by the Reds.
In a weekend where previous league leaders
Manchester City and Arsenal dropped points at home,
it leaves supporters wondering whether Liverpool
and Chelsea will be the ones battling it out for the
Premier League title.
However, it's just one weekend and some football
fans think they know exactly why Liverpool and
Chelsea blew teams away.
And it has nothing to do with the wealth of quality
each team possesses.

Thursday, 1 September 2016

David Luiz completes shock return to Chelsea from PSG for £34m

Chelsea's summer-long pursuit of defensive reinforcements prompted an
outlay close to £60m on transfer deadline day, with the eye-catching
return of David Luiz from Paris Saint-Germain complementing Marcos
Alonso's arrival from Fiorentina.
Antonio Conte, exasperated at seeing
interest in players such as Napoli's Kalidou
Koulibaly and Alessio Romagnoli of Milan
rejected, gave the green light to the return
of David Luiz for £34m, with further fees
due in future, after it emerged the Brazil
international had become unsettled at PSG. The centre-half was
expecting to find himself demoted behind his compatriots Marquinhos
and Thiago Silva at Parc des Princes and, two years after departing for
France in a deal potentially worth £50m, he made clear his desire to
return to London.
The 29-year-old has signed a three-year contract at Stamford Bridge,
where he claimed the FA Cup, Champions League and Europa League
during a three-and-a-half-year spell under the stewardships of Carlo
Ancelotti, André Villas-Boas, Roberto Di Matteo, Rafael Benítez and
José Mourinho.
There had initially been reluctance among some members of the
hierarchy at Chelsea to bring David Luiz back to the club, with PSG
sounded out over Marquinhos and a possible loan move for Aymen
Abdennour at Valencia also explored, but Conte, so desperate to add to
his options and frustrated in the Italian market, eventually expressed a
willingness to restore the Brazilian to the ranks. That prompted a formal
approach to PSG.
The centre-half has always been a favourite with the Chelsea owner,
Roman Abramovich, and played 143 times for the club in that first spell.
Chelsea received encouragement from the player this week and,
eventually, from the Parisian club, after an offer worth £30m had been
knocked back. The player's agent, Kia Joorabchian, has worked closely
with Chelsea in the past on other deals – not least over Ramires, Alex,
Kenedy, Oscar and Matt Miazga – in partnership with Giuliano
Bertolucci – with agreement eventually reached with PSG for the
improved fee late on Wednesday afternoon.
There is an acceptance David Luiz's defending can be erratic at times but
his performance, despite carrying an injury, in the 2012 Champions
League final against Bayern Munich has marked him out as a significant
figure in Chelsea's recent past, with his reputation not damaged by his
eagerness to celebrate scoring against Chelsea for PSG in the Champions
League in 2015 . He is experienced, knows the Premier League and his
presence would allow Conte to explore the possibility of playing three
centre-halves, a system he utilised at Juventus and with Italy. The
Brazilian's charisma and influence off the pitch have been missed over
the past two years.
Alonso, a left-back, has signed a five-year contract after Chelsea reached
agreement with Fiorentina over a £23m move for the former Bolton
Wanderers and Sunderland defender. The Italian's arrival takes Chelsea's
spending on left-backs to around £57m since Ashley Cole departed in the
summer of 2014, albeit with some of that money recouped when Filipe
Luís returned to Atlético Madrid.
"I'm very happy: it's a step up in my career and I think this is the perfect
place for me to continue developing," Alonso said. "It's time for me to
win some titles. It was an easy decision to make when I heard the club
were interested. My family and close friends know Chelsea is the club I
have dreamed about playing for, so I'm really excited about the challenge
and I'm looking forward to working with my new team-mates."
Chelsea, who rejected an inquiry for Milan
as to the availability of Cesc Fàbregas, have
also continued to clear players from the
fringes of the club, with Juan Cuadrado
completing a return to Juventus, where he
spent last season, on a three-year loan with
an option to buy. The intricacies of the deal
will effectively see the Colombia forward join for an annual fee of €5m
(£4.25m) with Juve having the option to buy him permanently but also
obliged to complete a deal for €25m, minus the loan fees already paid, if
certain clauses are triggered by appearances. A further fee of €4m would
be applicable dependent on the club's success with Cuadrado in their
ranks.
Christian Atsu has joined Newcastle, Jake Clarke-Salter and Charlie
Colkett have moved to Bristol Rovers, Islam Feruz to Royal Mouscron,
Cristian Cuevas to Sint-Truidense, Miazga to Vitesse Arnhem and
Kenneth Omeruo has moved to Alanyaspor, all on season-long loan
moves. It takes the number of players to have left on loan this summer to

Premier League spending hit £1.165 billion after deadline day - Deloitte

Deals on transfer deadline day took Premier League
spending to a record £1.165 billion ($1.53bn), according to a
BBC report using figures from Deloitte.
Wednesday saw a number of switches made before the
close of the transfer window, with Chelsea among the big
spenders with their re-signing of defender David Luiz from
Paris Saint-Germain for a reported £35 million ($46.02m).
Chelsea also signed left-back Marcos Alonso from Fiorentina
in a deal reportedly worth £23m ($30.24m), while Tottenham
Hotspur completed a late move for Moussa Sissoko from
Newcastle United for £30m ($39.44m).
PL #DeadlineDay spending: £150m+
PL summer spending: A record £1.165bn
Wow... https://t.co/arLlAPAD0C pic.twitter.com/OgXzKQ5BJI
- BBC Sport (@BBCSport) September 1, 2016
Premier League champions Leicester City, meanwhile,
brought in Algeria striker Islam Slimani from Sporting
Lisbon, with sources close to the club telling ESPN FC that
the fee for the 28-year-old was €35 million, which would be
a club record for the Foxes.
The moves saw Premier League sides spend more than
£155m ($203.76m) on deadline day, adding to the £1bn
($1.3bn) spent already -- with 13 teams breaking their
transfer records -- which made it a fourth successive
summer that a new record has been set for top-flight
spending in England.
In 2015, the Premier League announced a 70 percent
increase in the value of its British television rights for the
2016-19 seasons with Sky and BT paying a combined
£5.136bn ($7.8bn) to show games.
That agreement has swelled the money available for clubs to
spend, with Manchester United's signing of Paul Pogba from
Juventus for £89.3m ($117.41m) setting a new world-record.
"As has been the case for a number of years now, the
increases in broadcast revenue, with the 2016-17 season
being the first of the new broadcast deal cycle, is the
principal driver of this spending power," Dan Jones, a
partner at financial analyst Deloitte, said.

Sam Allardyce: an emblem of England’s footballing nuclear disarmament Marina Hyde

A s Theresa May has been at pains to stress: Allardyce means
Allardyce. There will be no backsliding, no attempts to weasel out of
the full implications of the Football Association's decision, however
unhappy or depressed with it some people may be. The FA clearly
signalled its intentions with Big Sam's appointment to the big job, and
his predictable tendency to lump along with the status quo must be
delivered upon. Indeed, following the naming of his first squad for
Sunday's World Cup qualifier against Slovakia, that task appears to
already be well under way. Wayne Rooney remains captain, in the No10
role. Furthermore, both Rooney and Allardyce – and the kindly
Manchester United boss, José Mourinho, – believe United's Marcus
Rashford will be much happier in the Under-21s.
These days, we know that any England
manager is essentially managing decline.
That was clear with the appointment of Roy
Hodgson over Harry Redknapp. With Harry,
there would have been hope. Totally
misplaced hope – but hope nonetheless.
And we can't be doing with hope as far as
the England football team are concerned. As the John Cleese character in
Clockwise so rightly observes: "It's not the despair … I can stand the
despair. It's the hope."
There was no such baggage with Roy. It made perfect sense that he had
previously managed Switzerland, a nation with whom we would do well
to accept footballing parity. The Hodgson appointment, I reflected at the
time, was a timely acceptance that England belonged in the twilight
home of international football (we had long belonged in the twilight
home of international politics). We'd had a good innings, but it was high
time to have a rug tucked round our knees and settle down to a nice game
of draughts with Switzerland.
If appointing Hodgson was the equivalent of voluntarily giving up our
seat on the UN security council on the basis that we obviously hadn't
been a world power for yonks, Allardyce seemed to be the perfect
continuity successor. The Big Sam appointment was the equivalent of
saying: "Yes, we finally accept that we wouldn't be allowed to use our
nuclear weapons unless the Americans ordered us to, and that is why we
are unilaterally disarming." I had a lot of time for it.
Unfortunately, there seems to be some raging against the dying of the
light in the more obscure reaches of the Wembley executive suite. This
time last year, we learned that 100 FA staff were to lose their jobs in a
restructuring and reprioritising exercise. The FA chief executive, Martin
Glenn, spoke of "the ultimate ambition of resourcing our elite England
teams to give them the best chance of success at tournaments". Strong
words, and almost decipherable.
Perhaps more flesh has now been put on their bones by Allardyce, who
used his press conference this week to reveal the existence of an
intriguing-sounding FA department. Its job: sourcing foreign players
who might be eligible to play for England. "We have a department to
look at the whole situation," he declared, "in all areas for every [age
range] international team." All the other sports do it, he said, and all the
other countries. "We all know the shortage of English players in the
Premier League," Allardyce observed. "I think it is only 31%. If those
don't play on a regular basis and there is another option then, surely, if
we are going to win something and that player is of the calibre to force
his way into the side, we give him an opportunity."
Aha. Having tried the foreign manager approach, we will be now trialling
the foreign player approach. At some level, you have to admire the front
of the FA, which has spent years whingeing about the problem of the
shortage of English players in the Premier League. Still, if you can't beat
'em, join 'em.
Even so, I can't help thinking there could be
no more auto-satirical department at this
stage of Britain's post-imperial journey
than one dedicated to confecting
Englishmen. Ironywise, it ranks alongside
Nigel Farage's solution to the problem of
Britain not having any qualified trade negotiators to handle Brexit. "I'm
told we haven't got the skills," Nigel conceded. " So let's headhunt them.
Let's get them from Singapore, from Asia …" Or, you know … Europe?
They've got loads there.
Whether they've got any talented youngsters who'd rather play for us
than some other European country is unclear – perhaps, like Adnan
Januzaj, they'd rather play for Belgium or even Kosovo. It's almost as if
people no longer take as gospel the words of cuddly old Cecil Rhodes:
"Remember that you are an Englishman, and have consequently won first
prize in the lottery of life." Remember that you are an Englishman, and
will consequently go out in the last 16. You might want to try Iceland or
something instead.
Anyway, Big Sam is pretty sure that it won't matter so much when the
pretend English chap propels us to triumph. "It's a very difficult, very
delicate subject. I'll have to see if I actually do it one day how it's
perceived across the nation. If the player goes out and scores the winner,
will it be quite that bad?"
Answers to the FA's department of international outreach, please.

Tottenham gazump Everton and land Moussa Sissoko for £30m

Moussa Sissoko became a £30m Tottenham Hotspur player late on
Wednesday night after Newcastle United's long game of brinksmanship
concluded with an audacious hijacking of Everton's bid to sign the
France midfielder.
On Tuesday evening Newcastle believed that, with Mike Ashley, the
club's owner, holding out for at least £30m, Sissoko would be going
nowhere but 24 hours later the player had signed a five-year contract at
White Hart Lane.
It left Everton, who, after meeting the
asking price, believed a deal was all but
rubber-stamped, furious and Rafael
Benítez's Championship side holding a
£31m profit from a transfer window in
which they signed 12 players.
Although Benítez would ideally have retained the 27-year-old former
Toulouse midfielder, who cost Newcastle only £1.8m, to bolster his
team's attempt to win promotion back to the Premier League at the first
attempt, he accepted Sissoko did not want to play second-tier football.
A price of £35m was set for a midfielder who sometimes underperformed
as Newcastle were relegated but impressed for France at Euro 2016.
Although Real Madrid, Internazionale, Juventus, Borussia Dortmund,
Spurs, Everton, Crystal Palace and West Bromwich expressed interest, no
one offered more than £15m until Wednesday.
Even then, Spurs initially only raised their bid marginally, to £16m and
then £18m. On international duty with France, Sissoko had been given
permission to leave Clairefontaine to fly to London at 9am but as the
hours passed and the impasse continued it seemed he would be going
nowhere after all.
Then, as afternoon turned to evening,
Everton dramatically upped their offer,
meeting the £30m valuation. A medical was
booked and a private jet hired to transport
the midfielder to Merseyside only for
consternation to be provoked at Goodison
Park when Sissoko, who had always hankered after Champions League
football, failed to board the flight.
Jolted into action by the realisation that Newcastle had failed to blink
first and they were in real danger of missing out on a key transfer target,
Spurs equalled Everton's offer. All that remained was for the midfielder
to inform the latter club he would not be joining them after all, pass a
medical and, on the brink of 11pm, pose for pictures in a Tottenham
shirt.

Carlo Ancelotti predicts Premier League, La Liga, Ligue 1 and Serie A champions and Golden Boot winners

Carlo Ancelotti has managed in all the top leagues across
Europe and the Italian took some time off his busy
schedule to predict who will win La Liga, Premier League,
Ligue 1 and Serie A and who will be the top scorer in each
of those leagues.
This year's La Liga title race promises to go down to the
wire with both Real Madrid and Barcelona looking very
strong. Speaking to Rai productions, Ancelotti analysed
Europe's major leagues and gave his predictions.
"In Spain, it is going to be difficult, but I think after several
years of not winning it, Real Madrid will return to win
the league and Cristiano will end as the top scorer."
Real Madrid last won the league in 2011/12 season under
Jose Mourinho, and have since then fallen short of their
great rivals Barcelona and Atletico Madrid in the title race.
However, Ancelotti has backed his former club to outsmart
Barcelona and Atletico in the title race.
In Serie A, unsurprisingly, Ancelotti chose Juventus as
favourites to claim an incredible 6th straight Scudetto title.
Although the Turin giants have lost Pogba to Manchester
United this summer, they have strenghtened their squad
considerably with the arrival of players like Gonzalo
Higuain, Miralem Pjanic and Dani Alves. Ancelotti picked
Higuain to live up to his prize tag and finish as Serie A's
top scorer.
Ligue 1, he picked Paris Saint Germain to blow away the
competition like last season. The Ligue 1 champs might
have lost to Monaco before the international break, but the
Italian believes that PSG have too much quality in their
squad to miss out on the Ligue 1 title. He also picked
Cavani to win the Golden boot in France. The Uruguayan
has been in woeful form at the start of the season, but
Ancelotti expects him to soon rediscover his goalscoring
form.
Ancelotti seemed hesitant to put his neck out and predict a
winner in the Premier League, but he eventually went for
Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, although he believed
Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be top scorer. Both the
Manchester sides along with Chelsea have got off to perfect
starts winning 3 out of 3 and it will indeed be interesting to
see who comes out on top in the Premier League this
season.

Wednesday, 31 August 2016

Leicester to sign Adrien Silva after meeting release clause

Leicester City have agreed to meet Adrien Silva's £38.5
million release clause at Sporting Lisbon, sources close to
the club have told ESPN FC.
Leicester have been chasing Silva, 27, and his Sporting
teammate Islam Slimani as they look to bring the duo to the
club before the close of the transfer window.
Sources told ESPN FC earlier on Wednesday that the Premier
League champions had agreed a deal for Algeria striker
Slimani and now they are on the verge of landing Portugal
midfielder Silva.
Silva claimed earlier this week that he was hoping to make
the move to Leicester, only for Sporting to release a
statement saying they expected the midfielder to stay in
Lisbon.
Silva, who helped Portugal win Euro 2016, only signed a new
deal at Sporting in February, which included a release clause
of £38.5m.
The release clause was the sticking point in negotiations with
Leicester reluctant to meet it, but Sporting have refused to
budge and the Premier Leauge side have now been forced
to pay the fee to land the midfielder.

Manchester City's Samir Nasri joins Sevilla on season- long loan

Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri has completed a
season-long loan move to La Liga side Sevilla.
Nasri, 29, was linked with a move to Turkish side Besiktas
but opted for Sevilla and the chance to play Champions
League football.
.@SamNasri19 has joined @SevillaFC on a season-long loan -
good luck in La Liga, Samir!https://t.co/9NgFKEUM8k
pic.twitter.com/PX0jSuHjgP
- Manchester City (@ManCity) August 31, 2016
Nasri missed all of City's preseason after returning to
training overweight and did not feature in City's first four
games of this campaign.
He was ruled out for six months after having surgery on a
groin tendon injury, which meant he was dropped out of
Manuel Pellegrini's Champions League squad on their run to
the semifinals.
The former Marseille player joined City for £25 million from
Arsenal in August 2011 and won two Premier League titles as
well as collecting two League Cup and one FA Cup winners'
medal.

Manchester City's Sergio Aguero gets extended deadline on charge - sources

The Football Association has given Manchester City striker
Sergio Aguero an extra 24 hours in which to respond to a
charge of violent conduct after his apparent elbow on West
Ham defender Winston Reid, sources have told ESPN FC.
Aguero faces a three-match ban if found guilty of elbowing
Reid in City's victory on Sunday and would miss the
Manchester derby at Old Trafford on Sept. 10.
He has now been given until 6 p.m. BST on Thursday to
respond to the charge and would automatically receive a
three-match ban if he chooses not to contest it.
The incident, which happened in the 76th minute as Aguero
challenged Reid from a long clearance, was not punished by
referee Andre Marriner, who said in his match report that he
had not seen it.
A three game ban would mean Aguero sitting out the
Premier League clash with Bournemouth at the Etihad
Stadium on Sept. 17 and the EFL Cup third-round clash with
Swansea City in addition to the derby.
However, he would be eligible for the Champions League
clash with Borussia Monchengladbach, which follows the
game against United.
Aguero picked up a calf injury in the victory over West Ham
and was substituted in the 88th minute, He has since
withdrawn from Argentina's World Cup qualifiers against
Uruguay and Venezuela

AC Milan in pursuit of an unwilling Cesc Fabregas

AC Milan are keen to sign Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas
from Chelsea after reports surfaced that he had fallen into
disfavour with manager Antonio Conte. He was initially
viewed as a possible replacement for Paul Pogba at
Juventus and also linked to the two Spanish giants, Real
Madrid and Barcelona. However, it's the Milanese club who
seem to be most interested in him.
After a disappointing outing last season, Fabregas may
have been looking forward to a brand new regime under
Conte but things haven't quite worked out that way.
Circumstances suggest the midfielder has failed to make a
positive impression on the Italian. He has not started any
of Chelsea's three Premier League games and came on
only as a substitute in the 78th minute for their second
league game against Watford where he made an assist for
the winning goal.
Despite rumours of a falling out between Conte and the
former Barcelona midfielder, Fabregas seems ready to
work on his form and relationship with the manager. In an
Instagram post earlier this week, Fabregas made his plans
painfully clear, "Contrary to what has been written, the
manager and I have a good relationship and he has NEVER
told me that I can leave."
Contrary to what has been written, the manager and I have
a good relationship and he has NEVER told me that I can
leave. He said that he counts on me, as I count on him. I
will continue to fight for this club until the very end and
when called upon I will always give my very best. I'm fully
committed to @chelseafc and my only goal is to help them
win more trophies. #ChelseaFC
A photo posted by Cesc Fàbregas (@cescf4bregas) on Aug...
It seems like he has no qualms with staying on the
sidelines until he is called upon to contribute to the team.
Fabregas, who helped Chelsea win the Capital One League
Cup and the Premier League title in his first season there,
spoke like a true-blue team player in his post. The Chelsea
manager seems to be on the same page.
In a recent interview, Conte said, "Cesc is Chelsea's player,
and I'm happy about him, with his attitude and behaviour
… That can happen that Fabregas is not in the starting XI,
but it can happen for all the players. It's important to see
always the right attitude. Because we must fight this season
and it's important to stay together in every situation."
In spite of the apparent understanding reached between
Conte and Fabregas, AC Milan is even willing to sign the
Chelsea midfielder on loan. After obtaining the services of
Mario Pasalic, a Croatian midfielder on loan for the entire
season, the Italian club enquired about Fabregas whose
wages they are more than willing to pay. Fabregas is
currently on a £10 million per year deal at the London club.

Chelsea transfer news: David Luiz set for medical ahead of shocking return

Brazilian centre-back David Luiz has arrived in London
ahead of a return to Chelsea. The 29-year-old will have is
medical at 6pm BST according to Sky Sports' Jim White. If
the reports are to be believed Chelsea will be paying a total
of £32 Million for Luiz. The London will play £30 Million
upfront with further £2 Million as add-ons
Reports broke out on Tuesday that Chelsea have decided to
bring back their former centre-back David Luiz just after
two years of his exit. The Brazilian defender was sold to
Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain for a massive fee of £50
Million ( This fee was a world-record fee for a defender)
when Chelsea was under Jose Mourinho.
Also read: Deadline Day Live Transfer Blog: EPL, La Liga
and Rest of Europe Follow deadline day live with all the
latest transfers and rumours right here!
Now Chelsea's new manager Antonio Conte has decided to
bring back Luiz in order to further strengthen his defence
and also his squad. The London club already have John
Terry, Gary Cahill, Kurt Zouma and Matt Miazga as centre
back options in the squad. However, with Kurt Zouma out
till the new year, Miazga having little experience and the
pair of Chaill and Terry moving towards the wrong side of
the 30s, Antonio Conte desperately wanted to strengthen at
the back.
The Italian manager was in search of a centre back
throughout the summer but was not able to sign any.
Chelsea's bids for AC Milan's Alessio Romagnoli and
Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly was rejected by the respective
clubs. Antonio Conte had also tried getting a defender on
loan but failed in it too.
Reports say that the Blues had enquired about the
availability of Luiz' PSG teammate Marquinhos last week
but the French club turned down their approach for the
player. Hence the Premier League giants are forced to turn
to their former defender David Luiz and get a deal done
before the end of the transfer window.
Chelsea were quick in their negotiations with the French
supergiants and also the player himself was interested in
returning to his former club, so the discussions among the
three parties were fast. The London club is expected to
complete all the procedures and announce the signing of
the Brazilian before the transfer window shuts.
David Luiz was criticised for conceding a penalty against AS
Monaco last week in the Ligue 1 and was dubbed of by PSG
manager Unai Emery. Thiago Silva and Marquinhos might
be the Spanish manager's preferred centre-back pairing for
this season and Luiz may have to spend a lot of time on the
bench. A return to Chelsea might be a way to reignite the
29-year old's career and he could play a role for Antonio
Conte's side this season.

DONE DEAL: Alonso switches Fiorentina for Chelsea berth

The 25-year-old uncapped Spaniard moves to the Premier
League for the third time in his career.
He played for Bolton 46 times from 2010 to 2013 before
moving to Fiorentina and had a loan spell at Sunderland a
year later.
"It's a step up in my career and I think this is the perfect
place for me to continue developing. It's time for me to win
some titles.
'It was an easy decision for me to make when I heard the
club were interested in signing me.
"My family and close friends know Chelsea is the club I have
dreamed about playing for so I'm really excited about the
challenge and I'm looking forward to working with my new
team-mates."

Tips to keep your penis clean, sweet and healthy.

As a man, keeping your penis healthy
and sweet is important. Your sexual
organs are very valuable and must be
cared for.

1. A clean penis is very important so
wash your penis with warm water at
least twice a day. Clean the scrotum
and under the penis shaft gently and
scrub your scrotal sack too.

2. Leaving too much hair around the
penis is not cool. During sex,the hair
can cause cuts on the vaginal organs and condom. Also, hair around
the base of the penis can be breeding ground for boils and cause bad
odour so shave or keep it short and clean.

3. Don't pamper the penis too much,
As soon as you notice an infection,
boil, rashes, please get help
immediately.

4. Many guys wear one boxer for a
whole week or even a month but for
health reasons pls change your
boxers everyday. Dirty boxer may give
your penis a permanent bad smell
and a bad taste.

5. Guys what you eat affects the taste
of your semen or penile juice. Avoid
too much garlic, onion, alcohol,coffee
and spicy foods. Eat fruits that are
high in natural sugar like oranges
apples, mangoes and please take
honey too. They all make your sperm
taste good to feed the egg for a
healthy baby.

6. A woman's face may need makeup
but not your penis. Avoid using
powder around the penis. If you do,
especially after shaving, you might
have to deal with serious irritations.
The penis doesn't need perfume to
smell good so don't spray perfume
around your penis.

NB: For those who are not
circumcised, that is, the "kotib)tor
guys", in your case, please pull
back the the foreskin and wash
underneath with warm water
everyday.

Always remember, a clean penis is
mightier than Goliath's sword..
Thanks for reading but Ladies, please
share to your male Friends, brothers,
Fiancé & Husbands &....

Guys, please forward this to all your
male friends to promote a healthy
penis life among men.

Chelsea have bid accepted for international star wanted by Antonio Conte - medical imminent

Chelsea have had a bid of €25million accepted for
Internazionale midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, according to
Squawka.
It is unclear if the Blues will pay the full amount or if they
will offer midfielder Cesc Fabregas as part of the deal.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Chelsea offered the
Spaniard and cash to secure the services of the 23-year-old.
Juventus are also interested in the Croatian international
who is yet to agree personal terms with the Blues.
If the transfer goes through, Brozovic will become Antonio
Conte's fourth summer signing at Chelsea after striker
Michy Batshuayi, midfielder N'Golo Kante and goalkeeper
Eduardo.
And the Blues could announce two signings on deadline
day having also reached an agreement with Fiorentina for
the transfer of left back Marcos Alonso.

Extensive scouting leads Chelsea to a defender who cannot defend: David Luiz!

Diego Costa has admitted he wanted out of Chelsea this
summer and fancied a return to Madrid. That'll please
everyone. He probably went on to say he is happy under
Conte, what a fine manager he is and how he is doing
everything to curb his temper. These interviews are all
lies, aren't they? Costa has seen off the "challenge" of Loic
Remy. The French striker has joined Palace on loan to
spend the rest of the season feeding off Benteke's knock
downs. He will get to know Wilf Zaha quite well too, as
Spurs ended their interest in the wideman. Chelsea have
been searching high and low for a new defender to add to
their ranks and appear to have settled on one they already
know cannot defend for toffee. David Luiz is thought to be
heading back to the Kings Road in a £32m deal.
Hull have gone transfer crazy. I repeat, Hull have gone
transfer crazy. They have thrown out a club record fee for
Ryan Mason, brought in Cardiff goalkeeper David Marshall
and who would bet against them bringing in Ballotelli and
Wilshere? Well, I would actually but hopefully you get my
point. They also believed they had Derby's Jeff Hendricks
but they are about to be gazumped by, no not Sunderland,
but Burnley! Hendricks will be able to thread the ball
through to Patrick Bamford who is set to join on loan. Hull
will now try and persuade Bournemouth's Max Gradel to
trade in a relegation battle for a European charge.
Clearly nobody at Everton briefed Koeman that there are
some right good young defenders at Barnsley. Stones and
Holgate both hail from the land of the Tykes, but Ronald
has missed the boat on Alfie Mawson who is off to Swansea
for £5m. Apparently he is the next John Stones. A lot of
time was spent on working out who he is the next version
of, clearly.
The domino effect of that is Spurs will hold on to Son. He
was likely to head back to Germany, but will now renew the
rental contract on his pad in London.
It's almost as if Arsene has lost faith in his youth policy.
First Chambers, then Wilshere. Now the brilliant Serge
Gnabry is on his way out, and quite probably for good.
The winger is likely to sign for Werder Bremen in the next
24 hours which is thought to be paving a way to a move to
Bayern next season. Wilshere looks like he is also off to
Italy with AC Milan and Roma supposedly battling it to have
him injured for six months of a year long loan.
Sahko has standards. And playing football for
WBA or Stoke does not meet those standards,
and who can blame him? Kloppo is keen to
get the French centre back off the training
ground for now, and the big man was not too
keen on a relegation battle. Dutch defender
Bruno Martins Indi has lower standards. He
will be joining Mark Hughes on loan shortly.
Poor Leicester must be very confused. Slimani
was in tears at the end of his last game at
Sporting, suggesting he was saying goodbye. Adrien Silva
went one step further, basically telling everyone he was off
to the English champions. Now Sporting are saying neither
are leaving. What is actually happening? Who knows, but
it will certainly give those folks on Sky Sports something to
talk very loudly about on Wednesday. Sporting must
literally be spending all day rejecting bids from English
clubs. West Brom, rather than looking at the array of
attacking talent at the Portuguese club, tried their luck with
William Carvalho, the solid defensive midfielder. Sporting
barely bothered to finish emailing "no chance" before
pressing send.
I think we can all agree Joe Hart with a Torino scarf
confirms he has gone there. Out of sight, out of mind and
all that.
Bastian Schweinsteiger might be making a late bid for
nicest guy in football. Jettisoned by Jose, Bastian has been
spending his newly found spare time saying he wants "to
help United reach their goals" and he "has no problem with
Mourinho" and that he "finds the reserve team squad very
welcoming." Ok, he didn't say the last one.
Sunderland will be fuming at how far ahead Hull have got
in their race to sign available players. They are so angry
they have started letting players leave the club without
noticing they are not signing replacements. Jermain Lens
has slipped off quietly, heading to Fenerbache.
Spurs don't get mentioned too often, but twice this
morning! They have launched an "audacious" attempt to
bring in Isco from Real Madrid. Isco or Zaha, hey? A clear
recruitment strategy in place at the Lane.
Something non-transfer for a moment. Aguero has been
handed a three match ban for letting Winston Reid's throat
collide with his elbow at the weekend. This is not good
news for Fantasy Football players. Someone far fewer FFL
players have in their teams is Mangala. He is heading back
to Porto on loan.
Watford were rather busy yesterday. On one end of the
desperation scale they re-signed defender Marriapa who
was without a club, for fairly obvious ability related
reasons. Right at the other end of the scale they picked up
Kenedy on loan from Chelsea. For a team already
struggling to integrate 39 new faces into the squad, what
harm will three more do, hey?

Is a move to Chelsea on? David Luiz’s mum posts a cryptic message on Instagram

As Chelsea fans wake up on Wednesday morning, they'll all
be asking the same question.
Is David Luiz returning to Stamford Bridge from PSG?
The rumour came out of left-field on Tuesday night, with
reports that the Blues could re-sign the Brazilian for 32
million pounds.
Overnight, David Luiz's mum has posted a cryptic message
on Instagram which has suggested that her boy is indeed set
to return to Chelsea.
Luiz's mum quotes scripture
It's well known that David Luiz is hugely religious, and so is
his mother, Regina Célia Marinho.
Mama Luiz has taken to social media on Tuesday night to tell
her followers the following:
The Lord himself will be in front of you and will be with
you; he will never leave you, he will never abandon you.
Do not be afraid! Do not be discouraged! (Deuteronomy
31: 8)
God is a faithful son and he'll always with you! Rest in
the Lord as he will! We are together @davidluiz_4! Bjkas
in the heart your family!
So what does this mean?
It seems obvious that Luiz's mum is trying to give her son a
boost as he faces a big decision to either stay at PSG or
move to Chelsea.
What will happen?
We'll soon find out…

France demands an end to TTIP talks

France's trade minister has increased the pressure on the proposed EU-
US trade deal by calling for the talks to be called off.
Matthias Fekl, the French minister for foreign trade, tweeted that his
government demanded negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and
Investment Partnership (TTIP) should cease.
François Hollande, the French president, also raised doubts about TTIP
and said France would not support a deal this year.
In a speech to French ambassadors, Hollande said: "The negotiations are
bogged down, positions have not been respected, it's clearly unbalanced."
He said he would withhold support from any agreement reached before
the end of Barack Obama's presidency in January.
France has been sceptical about TTIP from the start and has threatened to
block the deal, arguing the US has offered little in return for concessions
made by Europe. All 28 EU member states and the European parliament
will have to ratify TTIP before it comes into force.
Fekl's statement follows similarly gloomy
comments from the German economy
minister, Sigmar Gabriel. He said on
Sunday: "The negotiations with the United
States have de facto failed, even though
nobody is really admitting it."
Gabriel's views were at odds with public comments by the German
chancellor, Angela Merkel, who said last month that the proposed US-EU
deal was "absolutely in Europe's interest".
However, Gabriel, who leads Germany's centre-left Social Democratic
party and is vice-chancellor in Merkel's coalition government, said: "We
mustn't submit to the American proposals."
Gabriel said on Sunday that in 14 rounds of talks on the transatlantic
pact, the two sides have not agreed on a single common item out of the
27 chapters being discussed. His spokesman blamed lack of movement
by the US and said Gabriel had concluded there would not be a deal this
year.
The US and the EU have been negotiating TTIP for three years to forge a
free trade zone covering half the world economy. Both had sought to
conclude talks this year, but differences remain.
However, a spokesman for the US trade representative, Michael Froman,
said talks had not stalled. He told Germany's Der Spiegel: "Negotiations
are in fact making steady progress."

Bayern begin as they mean to go on but Schalke are in a sticky patch

H ermann Hesse was born in Baden-Württemberg, the future ground
zero for German football hipsters, and even though he didn't leave
behind any explicit musings on the game, he 110% understood the
pressing need of setting your stall out early doors. "A magic dwells in
each beginning, protecting us, telling us how to live," he wrote in Steps,
his most famous poem, in 1941.
After much anguished ruminating about the threat from the Premier
League moneybags, the suffocating dominance of Bayern Munich and
proliferation of no-name-no-fans teams, the Bundesliga was firmly
banking on the enchantment of the new (season), too, at the weekend.
Tim Bendzko, a world-famous singer/
songwriter in one of the 210 countries
broadcasting the opening game at the
Allianz Arena live on Friday night, was
singing the national anthem for novelty
effect. Instead of hapless former northern
powerhouse Hamburger SV (5-0 losers in
Fröttmaning a year ago), the league had cleverly cast hapless former
northern powerhouse Werder Bremen to provide much more resistance
against the champions this time around.
And Bayern Munich, perhaps themselves bored with constantly winning
the league under the freakishly brilliant Pep Guardiola, have kindly
installed the much-more-easy-going Carlo Ancelotti, to give the
opposition a bit of a chance. Carletto's way, history books have shown,
tends to lead to the Champions League but relatively rarely to league
titles.
The illusion of the new soon revealed itself as such, however, as Viktor
Skripnik's Green and Whites were destroyed 6-0 with frightening ease.
As an advertisement for the competition, the result did not exactly send
the desired message, even if Werder Bremen was briefly trending in the
US on Twitter. The league president, Reinhard Rauball, professed
himself "shocked" by the docility of the visitors in the non-contest, and
Skripnik admitted that his team had made him feel like "the arse of the
world". Him and his coaches had been "embarrassed" on the bench, the
Ukrainian admitted.
Two competitive defeats (in the cup and the league) into the season, the
46-year-old has already been forced to employ some hefty endgame
rhetoric. The home game against Augsburg after the international break
will be "a final" he claimed. For him personally, it might well be.
The distinct lack of originality scoreline-
wise aside, Bayern's stroll to the top of the
table at least fed into the media narrative in
Bavaria. Relieved from the "shackles of
Guardiola", TV pundit/frustrated coach
Mehmet Scholl explained, Bayern's players
have rediscovered the joy of attacking
football, without all those pesky, minute instructions.
There is an element of truth in that, of course, but a less self-serving, less
reactionary analysis would probably uncover that the much-vaunted
freedom in Bayern's game is largely the function of more space ahead of
them, which is being found at the expense of ceding possession in spells.
Werder in any case were not in the slightest bit able to put the tweaked
system to the test.
The next day at Frankfurt, it was business as usual for Schalke too. The
Royal Blues have a new coach in Markus Weinzierl, a new sporting
director in Christian Heidel and a bunch of interesting new signings. But
on the whole, it was a startling case of deja vu, all over again.
Süddeutsche Zeitung's long-suffering S04 correspondent Philipp Selldorf
had flashbacks to a litany of mishaps and accidents past as "the familiar
weirdness" of the visitors' passivity in the opening 20 minutes allowed
Eintracht's Alex Meier to give his side the lead. Schalke did wake up to
create some decent chances towards the end of the match, when the
Chelsea-loanee Michael Hector was sent off for the second time in as
many games, but the hopes of a fresh start dissipated into the hot August
air and left Schalke in a sticky patch. They will host Bayern next.
The new and possibly improved Borussia Dortmund, meanwhile, showed
that the pre-season hype has some justification, a slight wobble against
Mainz 05 notwithstanding. Two goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
saw the Gabon international (almost) keep pace with the hat-trick hero
Robert Lewandowski, and by and large Thomas Tuchel was pleased with
the progress shown.
Narrow-minded fears of a "loss of identity", as expressed by some ultras,
seem as unfounded as concerns about the time it might take for the team
to gel in the wake of all the changes. With players such Ousmane
Dembélé and André Schürrle up front, Dortmund are certainly fast
enough to catch Bayern at the top. Only their endurance (and solidity at
the back) is still in question.
So far so fairly expected, you might say, but matchday one did offer
some shiny, genuine newness in other quarters. At the Borussia Park, for
example, Gladbach v Leverkusen didn't just live up to its fourth-v-third-
from-last-season billing but exceeded expectations with a surprising
punchline: the Foals' superb counterattacking and impressive depth
suggested that they might be better placed than Roger Schmidt's hard-
pressing Werkself to make an assault on the duopoly at the top.
Goals from André Hahn and Lars Stindl helped to overcome the visitors
in a high-quality game that showcased just how far German club football
has come in recent years.
Similarly enjoyable, albeit on a slightly
lower plane technically, was Hoffenheim's
2-2 draw with RB Leipzig on Sunday. Few
people would have watched it live on
German TV – a self-deprecating fan banner
greeting "the four viewers on Sky" might
not have been too far off the truth – but the
game between the billionaire-sponsored
village club and the Red Bull-owned newcomers was entertaining enough
despite being rather deficient in terms of historical resonance or, if you
will, authenticity. "We showed that we can enrich the league," the RB
coach Ralph Hasenhüttl said after the successful debut in the top flight.
No pun intended, to be sure.
The Bundesliga's most disliked club did not just win a point yesterday,
they also struck a small blow for the league as a whole by signing the
Nottingham Forest winger Oliver Burke from underneath the noses of a
host of Premier League clubs, some of whom had frantically upped their
wage offers as news of the 19-year-old's medical broke, according to
Kicker. Late transfer-window raids were supposed to go the other way
this summer.
Leipzig's arrival as a super-charged force in waiting cannot possibly
mark the beginning of the Bundesliga's financial fightback against the all
powerful English, not even the beginning of the beginning. But maybe
the envy/horror their inevitable ascent to the top is bound to generate can
at least temporarily end overblown worries that the league has lost its
capacity to surprise and excite in middle-age. Matchday one already
showed there will be enough going on here, both familiar and new, to
keep the attention.
Results: Bayern 6-0 Bremen; Frankfurt 1-0 Schalke; Augsburg 0-2
Wolfsburg; HSV 1-1 Ingolstadt; Dortmund 2-1 Mainz; Gladbach 2-1
Leverkusen; Hertha 2-1 Freiburg; Hoffenheim 2-2 Leipzig.

Joe Hart heads for Torino but is not the first to seek Italian renaissance

A t least somebody loves Joe Hart. Whereas he was frozen out of
Manchester City at a speed that would surprise even gelato
manufacturers, the England international was met by rapturous
crowds on his arrival in Turin on Tuesday. The new Torino goalkeeper
wore sunglasses that Marcello Mastroianni would have been proud of and
posed, perhaps inadvisedly, with a T-shirt celebrating the club's Granata
Ultras. Welcome to Serie A, Joe.
In choosing to join Torino Hart becomes part of a select, if not always
successful, group. The 34th British player to sign for an Italian club since
the second world war, Hart follows in the footsteps of not just John
Charles but also Jay Bothroyd. While David Platt made his reputation in
Serie A, Des Walker almost contrived to blow it. And for every cult hero
– a Trevor Francis or Paul Ince – there is at least one who has left with a
good riddance. And yes, that includes Paul Gascoigne, described by one
Italian journalist as "one of the worst buys since the war".
Before making the decision to move Hart
consulted his friend and former City team-
mate Micah Richards. The Aston Villa
defender spent a season at Fiorentina two
years ago and loved it. "He asked me about
Italy and I told him it's probably the best
country you can go to," Richards told the Guardian. "It was one of the
best experiences in my life. Obviously I got to live in Florence, an
amazing city, but the people were really welcoming, really nice, and
made me feel right at home."
One of the biggest things Hart will have to contend with, says Richards,
is the change in footballing culture. "It's a lot different to England," he
says. "It is much more tactical – everyone knows their jobs. In Italy they
will always play an older player who has more experience than a younger
one who wants to express themselves. Every day in training you work on
tactics, you work on shape. On the other hand it's not so physical. It
helped my game, though. I like to get up and down but they helped me to
know when to hold my position."
The former England international Tony Dorigo, who played for Torino in
the 1997-98 season, knows better than most what Hart is getting into. He
says it is not just the culture on the pitch that Hart will have to adjust to.
"It's really intense, extremely intense, it's absolutely crazy," he says. "I
remember once when we lost a match at home and the following day the
fans stormed the training ground. We had to fly somewhere else to train
and then stay there for the entire week. The fans give you great power
when they get behind you, but you feel the pressure all the time."
Dorigo, now a pundit for BT Sport's Serie A coverage, believes that Hart
will be busy in his new role. Although Torino competed in the Europa
League last season they finished a disappointing 12th in Serie A. This
summer the manager, Giampero Ventura, left to replace Antonio Conte
as the Italy coach, with Sinisa Mijhailovic replacing him. "It looks as if
they will end up getting rid of three of their four best defenders this
summer," says Dorigo. "So Hart will get plenty of work. Torino are a
club that have to change a lot. They get good players but they have to sell
them too."
Torino's association with British football runs longer than most, dating
back to the 1960s and the signing of Joe Baker and Denis Law. Two of
the most promising forwards in Britain, Baker and Law were also only 21
years old. The pair acquired a reputation as young men about town.
Constantly followed by paparazzi, Baker famously assaulted one then, on
another fateful night, crashed his Aston Martin into a statue of Garibaldi.
He and Law survived the crash but their careers in Italy were soon over.
John Foot, in his history of Italian football, Calcio, describes the careers
of British footballers that went a similar way, from Jimmy Greaves to
Gascoigne. Greaves had gone to Italy only because of England's
maximum wage and, as soon as the rule was overturned, felt homesick.
Gazza, meanwhile, was known not only for his drinking and tendency
towards injury but also for his bad manners, notoriously answering one
journalist's question with a big burp.
The problem, as Foot sees it, was with the fact that such high standards
had been set by British football's first great export, John Charles. The
Gentle Giant who played for Juventus for six years from 1957-63 is still
remembered fondly in Turin.
"John Charles remains the model against which all foreign players – and
especially British players – have been measured," says Foot. "He was an
exemplary figure on the field and off the field where he was known for
being modest, generous and 'good'. No other British player has come
close." Foot adds a coda, observing that another well-mannered export
also left a good impression. "My advice to British players in Italy is
don't get drunk. It's bad publicity and conforms to stereotypes. One
person who was quite good there was David Beckham."
But Hart is part of a mini-revival of Britons looking for an Italian job.
Ashley Cole, Nathaniel Chalobah and Richards have played in Serie A in
the past three seasons and, at the time of writing, Ravel Morrison
remains on Lazio's books. For Richards this trend will continue. "It's not
that people don't want to go away," he says. "But you're in your comfort
zone in the Premier League. But now that more Champions League
places are going to be guaranteed [from 2018-19] I think loads of players
will want to give it a go."
Dorigo, meanwhile, has one final piece of advice for England's number
one as he embarks on a new chapter in his career. "Move to Moncalieri,"
he says. "It's a beautiful village 10 miles outside the city. And when you
wake up, the first things you see are the Alps."

Nigerian rapists escape punishment using money, influence – and marriage

W hen 14-year-old Amina got married last year, the occasion was
solemn. Rather than the flamboyance that often characterises
Nigerian nuptials this was a subdued affair, attended only by a few
family members and close friends.
The bride and groom knew each other, but they had not been in a
relationship. Rather Amina, not her real name, was marrying one of three
men who had gang-raped her in her village when she was 13 years old.
Usaini Ja'afar and his accomplices had confessed to the crime under
interrogation by the Hisbah board, a religious police force responsible for
the enforcement of Sharia law in the northern Nigerian state of Kano. He
pleaded for forgiveness and offered to marry Amina so as to escape
punishment.
Amina's father agreed and the men were allowed to walk free.
"I decided to temper justice with mercy," said Amina's father,
explaining his decision not to press charges against the men who
assaulted his daughter. "I allowed him to marry the girl because our
consultations with our Malams [Islamic clerics] showed that there is
nothing wrong about that."
Salahuddeen Armayau, who heads the Hisbah board, said the wedding
had taken place last year, adding that the board had approved of the union
because "the boy said he was willing to clear his mess, and even the
victim's father gave his blessing".
The marriage, which has been condemned by human rights activists, is
just one example of how rapists are escaping justice in northern
Nigeria's commercial capital. In a state where more than 100 cases of
rape are reported each month, only a handful suspects are ever
prosecuted.
Authorities say the majority of rape allegations are settled before they
ever reach court. Sometimes the accused get off by asking respected
members of the community to testify on their behalf; sometimes they
offer the family money in return for dropping the charges; sometimes
they marry their victims.
Even if charges are pressed, it can be hard to prosecute rape offences.
"Some of the victims are shy of speaking publicly about their ordeal in
the hands of their rapists for fear of being stigmatised," said Agafi
Kunduli, a prominent Nigerian human rights activist.
"The police cannot prosecute without witnesses and this is one major
reason why many rapists walk free."
Police officers have even been accused of demanding bribes from women
before arresting rape suspects.
"Some victims do not trust the police," said an officer in Abuja who once
worked in Kano. "We cannot blame them because even policemen are
also involved in this," he said, referring to the fact that a number of Kano
police officers have themselves been accused of rape.
In 2014, a police officer and four others were arrested for allegedly gang-
raping a 17-year- old at gunpoint. Last year, another officer was alleged
to have raped a seven-year-old girl at police quarters in Kano. Neither
officer has yet been prosecuted.
Even in the case of rape and murder, offenders often avoid jail sentences.
Murder victims include a 22-year-old pregnant woman who died after
being gang-raped in her home early this year, and a newlywed woman
who was killed by at least one rapist in Sha'iskawa village, north of Kano
state. No one has yet been prosecuted in either case.
Until last year, the maximum sentence for rape in Kano was two years,
with the option of paying a fine instead. After an outcry, the government
introduced a minimum sentence of 14 years life sentence in late 2015.
There is no crime of rape under Sharia law, which runs parallel to the
criminal justice system in Kano, but having sex outside of marriage
carries a sentence of death by stoning if the defendant is married or 100
lashes if they are not. In practice, however, the sentence is seldom
enforced.
Women's rights activists have called on authorities to do more to protect
women and girls from sexual violence, and to ensure that rapists face
justice. They say marriage should not be used as a way to escape justice.
"We just have to keep encouraging victims to speak," said Kunduli. "No
rapist should be allowed to go scot-free, even when he decides to marry
the victim."
Human rights lawyer, Eno Edet, said that the legal requirements to
proving sexual assault needed rethinking, as they did not take into
account the particular sensitivities involved in reporting rape.
"Law makers should sit down, speak to victims, and put themselves in
their shoes," said Edet, who has worked with a number of women who
have been sexually assaulted. "The police should take their work
seriously because rape changes lives.

Donald Trump confirms trip to Mexico for talks with President Peña Nieto

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has confirmed that he
will travel to Mexico on Wednesday to meet with President Enrique Peña
Nieto in Mexico City.
Moments before taking the stage for a rally in Everett, Washington, just
north of Seattle, Trump tweeted that he had "accepted the invitation of
President Enrique Peña Nieto, of Mexico, and look very much forward to
meeting him tomorrow".
The meeting will happen hours before Trump is scheduled to deliver a
major address on immigration in Phoenix, Arizona, in which he will aim
to clarify his increasingly murky stance on the issue.
It was confirmed by the official Twitter account for the Mexican
presidency, which tweeted:
Translated, the tweet says that Trump "has accepted the invitation and
will meet privately tomorrow with the president".
Peña Nieto – who has previously compared Trump to Hitler and
Mussolini – said via Twitter that he had invited both presidential
candidates to Mexico "to discuss bilateral relations", adding: "I believe
in dialogue to promote the interests of Mexico in the world and to protect
Mexicans wherever they are."
The Trump campaign did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
However, Josh Green, a reporter for Bloomberg News, said Trump would
be accompanied on the trip by former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani
and Alabama senator Jeff Sessions.
Trump, who launched his campaign in 2015
with the announcement that immigrants
from Mexico were "bringing rapists" , had
been scheduled to appear at fundraisers in
California on Wednesday morning, before
delivering his immigration address in
Phoenix at 6pm local time (9pm ET).
The trip to Mexico City to meet with Peña Nieto – who has previously
invited Trump to debate him in Mexico – will likely occur somewhere in
the middle of the day.
The proposal was first broached with the US embassy in Mexico City
earlier this week, a fast-tracking of an international visit by an American
presidential candidate that is typically planned over the course of weeks.
In recent days, Trump has been increasingly vague on his position about
the legal status of the 11 million illegal immigrants currently in the US.
During the Republican primary, Trump appealed to the conservative base
by calling for a "deportation force" to remove all undocumented aliens
from the country.
However, on a recent trip to Iowa, Trump said the policy issue was driven
by the media. "In recent days, the media – as it usually does – has missed
the whole point on immigration. All the media wants to talk about is the
11 million or more people here illegally," he said at a fundraiser for
Republican senator Joni Ernst.
In front of a crowd in Everett on Tuesday evening, Trump made no
mention of his upcoming diplomatic mission, focusing instead on
campaign favorites, including a rambling story in rhyming couplets about
an ungrateful and poisonous snake, intended as an allegory about Muslim
refugees to the US.
Also notably absent from the speech was perhaps Trump's most essential
motif: the wall he proposes to build along the US-Mexico border.
Trump's approval ratings among Latino voters are historically bad, and
his relationship with Peña Nieto's government is even worse. Trump has
long pledged to force Mexico to pay for the 2,000-mile (3,220km) border
wall, a suggestion the Mexican president responded to coldly.
"No way," Peña Nieto told CNN earlier this year.
Peña Nieto has fallen on hard political times in recent months. The latest
polls put his approval rating at just 23%, according to Mexico News
Daily, as the president has been hit by personal scandals, as well as
allegations of human rights abuses by police officers. Protests by
teachers opposed to his educational reforms have led to widespread
unrest and several deaths.
It is hard to see how inviting Trump to meet him would help Peña Nieto
domestically, as Trump is, unsurprisingly, considerably less popular in
Mexico than the president. In March, city legislators passed a non-legally
binding bill to ban Trump from Mexico's capital.
Peña Nieto's predecessor, former president Vincente Fox, has been
considerably more vocal in speaking out against the Republican nominee,
calling Trump's ideas "racist" and saying "I declare: I'm not going to
pay for that fucking wall."
A spokesperson for Democratic candidate
Hillary Clinton said the focus should
remain on Trump's immigration speech in
Arizona. Jennifer Palmieri,
communications director for Hillary for
America, said: "From the first days of his
campaign, Donald Trump has painted
Mexicans as 'rapists' and criminals and has promised to deport 16
million people, including children and US citizens. He has said we should
force Mexico to pay for his giant border wall. He has said we should ban
remittances to families in Mexico if Mexico doesn't pay up.
"What ultimately matters is what Donald Trump says to voters in
Arizona, not Mexico, and whether he remains committed to the splitting
up of families and deportation of millions."
Launching his presidential bid last year, Trump claimed "the US has
become a dumping ground for everyone else's problems", pointing the
finger at Mexico.
"They're sending us not the right people," he said. "They're sending
people that have lots of problems and they're bringing their problems.
"They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists, and
some I assume are good people but I speak to border guards and they tell
us what we are getting."