VICTOR OSIMHEN of Napoli has signed a new contract that will take him through to 2026. The much-coveted Nigerian striker, who netted 26 goals as his club won their first scudetto since 1990 in 2022-23, has been the subject of considerable interest from abroad. Still only 24, Osimhen has scored eight goals this season but has suffered from injuries. Osimhen will be part of the Nigeria squad that takes part in the Africa Cup of Nations in January, so Napoli, whose season has been disappointing, will be without their key man. He has won 28 caps and scored 20 goals for his country.

Arsenal slipped up at home to West Ham and blew the chance of returning to the top of the Premier League table. The Gunners were beaten 2-0 with a goal in each half by the Hammers. Needless to say, there a VAR controversy surrounding the visitors’ first goal. Arsenal dominated the game, carving out 30 shots on goal and enjoying 74% of the possession, but West Ham took their chance and scored in the 13^th minute through Soucek and with a 55^th minute header by Mavropanos. It could have been even worse, but goalkeeper David Raya saved a penalty from Said Benrahma. Arsenal are two points behind leaders Liverpool. West Ham, in sixth, didn’t apologise for their defensive performance. “If you remember, Arsenal used to make a living out it,” said manager David Moyes.

The lack of understanding of football by politicians has been highlighted once more by leaked papers that reveal Sir Tony Blair’s enthusiasm for a possible relocation of Wimbledon FC to Belfast in the late 1990s. Blair, who was Prime Minister at the time, felt a move to Northern Ireland would be a “significant breakthrough”. While he may have been thinking of the possible PR gains it would bring, Wimbledon were a poorly supported club and would have surely struggled to win over the Belfast population, even if they had changed their name to Belfast United. The city has a number of clubs with strong roots, such as Cliftonville, Linfield, Crusaders and Glentoran. Furthermore, what would such a relocation have done for Wimbledon and its fans?

Jenni Hermoso of Spain has been named the Guardian newspaper’s footballer of the year for 2023, the fourth time in six years that a women has won the award. The much-travelled 33 year-old, who plays for Mexican club Pachuca, was a member of Spain’s World Cup winning team. She missed a penalty in the final against England, but it was an incident during the trophy presentation that sparked off the most news from the competition’s climax. Spanish Football Federation president, Luis Rubiales, planted a kiss on Hermoso’s lips, and in the aftermath, this became a symbol of the sexism and misogyny that often prevails in attitudes towards women’s football.