Nigeria Content Online

Super Eagles defender Taye Taiwo is close to completing a switch
from French champions Olympique Marseille to Atletico Madrid, according to the
BBC.

The Nigerian left-back, who has been tipped to move away from
Marseille in search of first team football, after he lost his place in the
Marseille side when Argentina international Gabriel Heinze was shifted from
centre half to full back towards the end of last season, is expected to
finalise the deal on Wednesday.

The news arrived hours after Marseille’s president Jean-Claude
Dassier was quoted in The Daily Mail saying that Taiwo will remain with the
club till the end of the season regardless of whether he decides to renew his
contract, which runs out at the end of the season, with the Frenchside.

But the BBC in its report said the Nigerian is on the verge of
joining the Europa League champions who had earlier had a £4.2 million bidfor
Taiwo rejected by Marseille.

Close to completion

According to the player’s agent Michael Coker, only minor
details between both clubs need to be sorted out.

“I’m presently in Madrid now and everything is almost done,”
Coker told the BBC on Tuesday.

“I have been in a long meeting with the club director [Jesus
Pitarch], and they are excited knowing everything is almost sorted out.

“We had little challenges at some point but right now everything
is back on track with the player and clubs involved.”

The 25-year-old joined Olympique Marseille from Nigerian side
Lobi Stars in 2004 and was a regular at the club until last season.

He won the French double with Marseille last season.

Liverpool and Tottenham were also interested in Taiwo and last
week he declared his desire to join the London based Tottenham to boost his
chances of regular first team football.

Success story

Atletico Madrid, who goes by the nickname Los Colchoneros or The
Mattress Makers due to their first team stripes being the same colors as
old-fashioned mattresses, is one of the most successful clubs in Spain, having
won both the league and cup on nine occasions, including a double in 1996.

The club also won the old European Cup Winners Cup in 1962, and in May this
year ended their 48-year wait for continental honours by defeating Fulham 2-1
in the Europa League final in Hamburg.