No stopping Yobo’s Fener switch

Joseph Yobo’s agent, John Ola Shittu, has dismissed a report that the defender has walked away from Turkish giants Fenerbahce.

He said there is no truth in the media report that Yobo has called off the deal to see him become a Fenerbahce player on a permanent basis after two seasons on loan from English Premier League side Everton.

"Well, all I can say is that the deal has not been called off by Fenerbahce, Everton or Yobo. The deal is very much alive and will be resolved soon," disclosed Shittu, who manages several top-profile players including Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi and Chinedu Obasi of Schalke 04. 

Arsenal get tough on Van Persie

Arsenal are ready to make Robin van Persie stay at the club until the January transfer window.

There is a growing feeling at the Emirates that the club needs to make a stand after the loss of several key players.

Refusing to sell Van Persie now would send a strong message to fans that the Londoners have had enough.

Manchester City, Manchester United and Juventus all want the Dutchman, but are unwilling to pay anything near the £30m Arsenal are demanding for their skipper. United’s bid is understood to have been less than £10m.

If Arsenal keep him for the first half of the season they know they could still command a decent fee in January when clubs could be desperate to land a top striker.

Chelsea makes a final £9M bid for Victor Moses

Chelsea have made a new bid for Wigan Athletic attacker Victor Moses.

Chelsea have lodged a new bid for Wigan striker Victor Moses that could be worth up to £9million.

Wigan have rejected three lower offers, which have also included taking Josh McEachran or Romelu Lukaku on loan from Chelsea.

Moses, 21, has one year left on his contract and is valued at more than £10m by chairman Dave Whelan, who is interested only in a cash deal.

It is understood the two clubs are close to reaching an agreement, with Chelsea prepared to pay £6m up front and another £3m in performance-related add-ons.

Nightmarish start for Chinedu Obasi

Schalke manager Huub Stevens has revealed that Chinedu Obasi has suffered an injury and will be back in a few weeks.

Schalke’s 2011/2012 campaign was rather impressive as compared to their previous one.

They finished 3rd in the league and secured a place in the group stages of UEFA Champions League.

The Schalke manager confirmed that Chinedu Obasi has still not recovered fully from the operation he had on his shin

He also revealed that the Nigeria international was carrying a tendon injury towards the end of the season and he played through the pain barrier to help his team qualify for the UEFA Champions League.

The manager insists that the former Hoffenheim man will return to action in a few weeks though.

“He'll be out for a few weeks after the operation on his shin. He also had a tear in his tendon which meant that he was often playing through the pain barrier in order to help the team. In the next few days and weeks he'll undergo a rehabilitation program,” he is quoted as saying in an interview.

Ajax to decide on Okwuosa

Ajax Cape Town coach Maarten Stekelenburg is set to make a decision on James Okwuosa following a week-long trial for the defender.

The 21-year-old only arrived in the Mother City on Friday, but 24 hours later he was in an Urban Warriors shirt playing against Manchester United at the Cape Town Stadium.

The Enugu Rangers player was afforded the last quarter of the pre-season friendly match in which to impress, and he did not disappoint after putting in an competent display.

"(Okwuosa) is with us this week and will play another friendly for us," Stekelenburg told The Sowetan.

"He has a lot of good attributes and we are hopeful that we may be able to sign him if we feel he suits us.

"But we also have a central defender coming from Cameroon this week and we will look at him also."

Okwuosa, however, is supremely confident of his chances of landing a full-time deal, saying: "I strongly believe that I will have my contract by (next) Monday at the latest. My manager is talking with them and we are confident of things here."

A move to Cape Town now looks a necessity for the player after he was suspended by Rangers for attending the trial, which they say was organised without their permission and which they view as an "act of sabotage and anti-club activity".