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Osimhen Holds Out On Extending Napoli Deal
Contract extension talks between Nigerian international, Victor Osimhen and Napoli FC of Italy are focusing on the fine details of remuneration.
Biztellers gathered that while Osimhen is holding out for an annual salary of €7 million, while the Serie A champions are looking for a way to recoup the outlay by inserting a hefty €200m release clause in the new deal, according reliable media sources in Italy.
Recall that the Nigeria international helped the Partenopei win their first Serie A title in 33 years, in the process emerging as th top scorer in Italy’s topflight with 26 goals in 32 games in 2022/23.
This scintalting performance has attracted interests from to European clubs, including but not limited to Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Liverpool, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspurs and Bayern Munich.
According to Get Italy Football News, “A solution for the issue could be that Napoli will go close to meeting the wage demand of about €7m and will add a release clause of around €200m in his deal.
“Shared image rights could also bring the parties close. Work is already going on in the right direction for this, with both parties trying to close a deal as quickly as possible.”
The Nigerian’s representative, Roberto Calenda, is widely reported by Italian press as having held a second meeting with the club’s representatives in this regard.
“There is still a lot of gap between the club’s offer and what the player demands, but Napoli know that they can’t lose more assets after the exits of Cristiano Guintoli, Luciano Spalletti and Kim Min-Jae,” Calenda said.
Biztellers reports that Osimhen remains PSG’s main target if Kylian Mbappe moves to another club this summer.
Real Madrid has not hidden their interest in the France international striker.
The 24-year-old Frenchman was set for a switch to Real Madrid last year, only to snub Carlo Ancelotti’s side and agree a new two-year deal at the Parc des Princes with the option of an additional 12 months.
The French champions were rattled when they got a letter from Mbappe confirming that he would not take up the option to extend his contract until 2025, the club’s immediate reaction being that the player has to renew or leave during this transfer winder.
However, despite declining to activate the 12-month extension in his existing contract that would have tied him to PSG till 2025, Mbappe has insisted that he wants to stay put in Paris for the 2023/24 season.
He maintained that he would decide his future next summer.
Football buffs are of the opinion that the parties in Napoli are looking at and eavesdropping on the Mbappe-PSG conversation wth keen interest in reaching terms of their own contract.
Recall that Osimhen joined Napoli from Lille in 2020 in a deal worth €75m. He has scored 50 goals in 83 Serie A matches adding seven in 11 Champions League appearances.
His current contract at the Stadio Maradona expires in June 2025.
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Music Icon Quincy Jones Passes Away At 91
Quincy Jones, the legendary music producer, composer, and cultural icon whose career spanned over seven decades, has passed away at the age of 91.
Jones died peacefully on Sunday night at his Bel Air home, surrounded by family, according to his publicist, Arnold Robinson.
“Tonight, with full but broken hearts, we must share the news of our father and brother Quincy Jones’ passing,” his family said in a statement. “And although this is an incredible loss for our family, we celebrate the great life that he lived and know there will never be another like him.”
Renowned for his unmatched versatility, Jones collaborated with some of the greatest musical talents of the 20th and 21st centuries, including Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, and Will Smith. He played an integral role in producing Jackson’s groundbreaking albums Off the Wall, Thriller, and Bad, which catapulted the pop star to global superstardom and earned Jones worldwide acclaim.
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Born in Chicago in 1933, Jones’ journey into music began early. His childhood introduction came from a neighbor’s piano playing and his mother’s singing. After moving to Washington state following his parents’ divorce, he honed his skills in his high school band and began playing with a young Ray Charles in Seattle’s vibrant club scene.
Jones’ career took off in New York, where he played trumpet in Elvis Presley’s early TV performances and worked with bebop legends like Charlie Parker and Miles Davis. By 1958, he was working with Frank Sinatra, arranging for the singer’s band at the request of Princess Grace Kelly. Their partnership flourished, spanning several projects including Sinatra’s final album LA Is My Lady in 1984.
Throughout the 1960s and 70s, Jones’ talents extended into film and television scores, composing music for films such as The Italian Job, In the Heat of the Night, and the acclaimed The Color Purple, for which he earned three Oscar nominations. He also scored hit TV shows including The Bill Cosby Show and Roots.
In 1985, Jones produced and co-conducted the charity anthem “We Are the World” alongside Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, raising millions for Ethiopian famine relief. Despite personal and professional challenges—including surviving a near-fatal brain aneurysm in 1974—Jones’s career continued to thrive.
Jones’ influence wasn’t limited to music. In 1990, he founded Quincy Jones Entertainment, the company behind the popular sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which launched the career of Will Smith. His media ventures also included the creation of Qwest TV, an on-demand music streaming service, and the magazine Vibe, which celebrated Black music and culture.
Over his career, Jones earned 80 Grammy nominations, winning 28—making him one of the most decorated artists in the award’s history. Tributes poured in following news of his death. Actor Michael Caine, who shared Jones’ birthdate, called him “a wonderful and unique human being.” Music artists such as LL Cool J expressed gratitude, saying, “You were a father and example at a time when I truly needed one. Music would not be music without you.”
Jones is survived by his seven children, leaving behind an indelible legacy that will resonate through generations to come. His life’s work transformed music, television, and culture, proving that there truly was no limit to what Quincy Jones could accomplish.
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Prayers Won’t Build Roads, Fund Children’s Education – Jesse Jagz To Nigerians
Singer and rapper Jesse Jagz has called on Nigerians to rethink their approach to religion.
Jagz suggested that African traditional religious gods have become ineffective, attributing this to the excessive alcohol given to them during rituals, which, according to him, has made them obese, diabetic, and unable to aid their worshipers.
Speaking on the ‘Big Talk’ podcast, the rapper also criticized followers of foreign religions for relying solely on prayer and expecting miracles without putting in the necessary effort. He stressed that prayers alone cannot provide essential social services or infrastructure.
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“When you go to a shrine and you see the priest pouring gin on the gods, Google how much a bottle of gin was in slavery. 40 slaves.
“Our gods are drunk on alcohol and meat. They are obese and diabetic.
“They can’t help us do anything. Prayers do not build roads or buy books for children. We have forgotten humanity,” he said.
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Presidents Invite Me To Dinner Wherever I Go – Davido Boasts
Renowned Nigerian singer, David Adeleke, known by his stage name Davido, has stated that he receives special treatment globally due to his celebrity status.
The Afrobeats sensation mentioned that he is frequently invited to presidential dinners in nearly every country he visits, with the exception of the United States and the United Kingdom.
In a recent interview with Kiss Fresh London, Davido confidently shared that his fanbase includes influential figures such as the World Bank president, presidents of powerful nations, and other notable personalities.
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“Every country we go to, the President invites us for dinner except London [United Kingdom] and the United States of America.
“It’s beautiful to see. I mean, leaving my country, Nigeria, and people welcoming me like the president in other countries, shows how well Nigeria is doing around the world in terms of music and cultural impacts,” he said.
Davido has expressed that he feels most respected in Africa, which is why he cherishes his African tours more than those in Europe and America, even though the latter bring him greater financial rewards.
He shared that his Jamaican collaborator, YG Marley, was astonished by the immense admiration from fans when he visited Nigeria for the video shoot of their joint hit, ‘Awuke.’