Nigeria to battle Ireland for Saints starlet Michael Obafemi

Nigeria will battle with Ireland to nail down the international future of Southampton teen striker Michael Obafemi but England also haven’t given up hope of landing the Premier League newcomer.

The 17-year-old was parachuted to stardom on Sunday for becoming the second youngest-ever debutant behind Luke Shaw for the Saints. That adulation would have sky-rocketed further had he converted a late chance of netting the winner against Tottenham.

Yet, his impact was sufficient to spark an international tug-of-war, not that the tussle hadn’t already kicked off.