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The granddaughter of Arsenal icon Ian Wright and daughter of former Chelsea player Shaun Wright-Phillips, 10-year-old Raphaelle, has been banned from a local football tournament. This has seen her father fume on social media platform X.
According to The Sun, Raphaelle has inked a youth contract with Arsenal, where her grandfather is a legend. The young girl also plays regularly with her friends in a team supported by her father.
Notably, these have become reasons why she would not be allowed to compete in a tournament. Wright-Phillips shared responses from the organizers on social media, with one pointing out that she played for a team that was “made up of predominantly academy players." Another raised concerns about her "Arsenal pre-academy connection."
The decision to ban his daughter from the upcoming competition was met with anger by the former Chelsea attacker, who stated on social media (via The Sun):
“So today, I was told my daughter Raphaella is NOT allowed to play with her friends in local girls tournament or any general participation because she is effectively 'too good'. She is 10 years old! She simply wants to play football with her friends.
"There should not be an ability restriction. Players in general will have all kinds of skill levels, and it's my view any 'stronger players' should not be punished for this."
He added:
“There will naturally be all variations of ability in all walks of life, and it's important for everyone to be competitive and set bars to improve one another. Very disappointed to hear this BuryOfficial and MarlowFC.”
Arsenal lead the chase for Everton midfielder amid Chelsea interest
Arsenal have emerged as frontrunners in the pursuit of Everton's Amadou Onana, who has become highly rated by clubs in the Premier League. The 22-year-old has attracted some interest from Chelsea. But reports from Nieuwsblad Sport (via The Chelsea Chronicle) suggest the Gunners have now made the first move to sign him.
Despite the Blues' involvement in the race, Onana reportedly prefers a move to the Emirates Stadium, according to another report from TeamTALK. However, this might not really impact Chelsea, considering they have a rather well-stocked midfield.
Stamford Bridge invested heavily in central midfielders in 2023, bringing in Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo for nearly £200 million combined.
This will reduce the urgency to sign Amadou Onana for the Blues. For the Gunners, it will certainly provide them with reduced competition as interest in the 22-year-old's services continues to escalate.
