The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has officially announced the appointment of Éric Sékou Chelle as the new Head Coach of the Super Eagles.

The decision followed a meeting of the NFF Technical and Development Sub-Committee held in Abuja on Thursday, January 2, 2025. During the meeting, the subcommittee recommended Chelle, a former coach of Mali’s senior national team, for the role. The recommendation was subsequently endorsed by the NFF Executive Committee on Tuesday, January 7, 2025.

Chelle's appointment takes effect immediately, with his primary objective being to secure Nigeria’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The Super Eagles will play their next set of qualifiers, Matchdays 5 and 6, in March 2025.

A former defender, Chelle earned five caps for Mali’s national team, the Aiglons, during his playing career. As a coach, he has managed clubs including GS Consolat, FC Martigues, Boulogne, and MC Oran. Chelle became Head Coach of Mali in 2022 but was relieved of his duties on June 13, 2024.

Now at the helm of Nigeria’s Super Eagles, Chelle faces the challenge of revitalizing the team and guiding them to global football's biggest stage.

Liverpool have announced that goalkeeper Marcelo Pitaluga has completed a permanent transfer back to his former club, Fluminense.

The Reds shared the news via a statement on their official website, bidding farewell to the Brazilian shotstopper, who was behind Alisson Becker and Caoimhin Kelleher in manager Arne Slot’s pecking order.

Pitaluga joined Liverpool over four years ago and was named in the senior matchday squad on seven occasions. During his time at Anfield, he also gained valuable experience through loan spells at Macclesfield FC, St. Patrick’s Athletic, and Livingston.

"Everyone at LFC wishes Marcelo the best of luck for the future," read part of the club’s statement.

The announcement follows Liverpool’s dramatic 2-2 Premier League draw with Manchester United on Sunday evening, which kept them at the top of the league table. Slot’s side currently leads the standings with 46 points from 19 matches, ahead of Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, Chelsea, and Manchester City.

As the January transfer window remains open, it will be intriguing to see whether Liverpool’s management opts to strengthen the squad further in their quest for silverware.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has come to the defense of Trent Alexander-Arnold following criticism of his performance in the 2-2 draw against Manchester United at Anfield. Van Dijk dismissed claims that transfer speculation, including reported interest from Real Madrid, has negatively affected his teammate.

Alexander-Arnold faced scrutiny after being partially at fault for Lisandro Martinez’s opening goal, with many noting he fell short of his usual high standards. The 26-year-old defender’s contract is set to expire at the end of the season, allowing him to negotiate with overseas clubs. Reports suggest Real Madrid has shown interest, but Liverpool reportedly rejected their approach.

Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane didn’t hold back in his criticism during a post-match analysis on Sky Sports. “There’s talk about him going to Real Madrid — the way he’s defending, he’s heading to Tranmere Rovers after this,” Keane quipped. “We all know how brilliant Trent is going forward, but today his defending was like schoolboy stuff.”

Tranmere Rovers responded humorously to Keane’s remarks, posting a photo of their full-back Cameron Norman on X (formerly Twitter) with the caption: “Trent to Tranmere, Roy? Nah, we’re alright, thanks.”

Former Manchester United right-back Gary Neville also weighed in, suggesting the transfer speculation could have been a distraction for Alexander-Arnold. “The timing of Real Madrid’s reported interest is unfortunate,” Neville said. “It could have unsettled him. Real Madrid is such a powerful club, and his passing and forward play today were the worst I’ve seen.”

Despite the chatter, Liverpool remains hopeful of convincing Alexander-Arnold to extend his stay, though he is eligible to leave as a free agent at the end of the campaign. Van Dijk, whose contract also ends this season, expressed confidence in his teammate’s resilience amid the ongoing transfer rumors.

“Trent has his own support system—his family and us as teammates,” Van Dijk said. “He wants to perform at his best, just like we all do. I don’t see the speculation as a distraction; the focus is always on the game.”

Liverpool will need Alexander-Arnold at his best as they face Tottenham in the League Cup semi-final first leg on Wednesday, with the team still competing on multiple fronts.

Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher has labeled the team’s 2-2 draw with Manchester United as “an opportunity lost.”

The Reds initially fought back from Lisandro Martinez’s opener, turning the game around with goals from Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah to take a 2-1 lead. However, a late strike from Amad Diallo denied Liverpool the win, marking the second consecutive season United have taken points off them at Anfield.

The draw also prevented Liverpool from extending their lead at the top of the Premier League table, leaving fans and players frustrated.

“It will feel like an opportunity lost for Liverpool,” Carragher said during his analysis on Sky Sports.

“They would have seen Arsenal’s result last night and expected to come into this game and win. There was too much confidence in the build-up, with people assuming Liverpool would blow Manchester United away. But it didn’t happen.”

The result serves as a reminder that no game in the Premier League can be taken for granted, even against familiar rivals.