Celtic are said to be keeping tabs on a “unique” attacking player during the summer transfer window, as Brendan Rodgers looks to strengthen his forward options.
Celtic in need of Kuhn replacement
The Hoops are on the verge of losing star winger Nicolas Kuhn to Serie A side Como this summer, with the 25-year-old closing in on a move there.
While losing such a talented attacking player is clearly a setback for Celtic, ahead of the defence of their Scottish Premiership title, Rodgers has found positives to it, calling it good business for all parties.
“He’s come in and in the 18 months he’s done absolutely fantastic for us. He was aware of interest towards the end of last season and that sort of followed through. Other teams have joined in that interest over the summer and that’s why a lot of the young players come.
“It’s a wonderful, brilliant club to come to develop and improve. And you can see within a short period of time, 18 months, he’s now getting the move that he wants. He’s done brilliant for us in the 18 months and if he does end up going and signing for Como then it’s great business all round.”
It’s now a case of Celtic finding a strong replacement for Kuhn this summer, with a bid already made for Isak Jansson, and it appears they are also planning for the long haul with the pursuit of a rising young talent from Italy.
Celtic keeping tabs on Italian striker
According to a new update from SportMediaSet [via Celts Are Here], Celtic are interested in signing young Napoli striker Giuseppe Ambrosino this summer.
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The 21-year-old is seen as a strong option to bolster the Hoops’ attacking options next season, having scored five goals in Serie B on loan at Frosinone in 2024/25.
Ambrosino may still be a relatively unproven player at a high level, but his long-term ceiling is clear, having scored seven goals for Italy across three separate youth teams, as well as being hailed as “unique” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig in the past.
His agency, GG11, have facilitated around £100m worth of deals for rising talents in Italy to move to the UK in the past, representing the likes of Hamed Junior Traore to Bournemouth, Lucas Torreira to Arsenal and Tottenham duo Guglielmo Vicario and Radu Drăgușin in moves from Italian clubs.
At 21, there is so much time for Ambrosino to mature as a player, developing under the talented Rodgers, but it remains to be seen how easy it will be to get a deal over the line, even on a loan basis.
Italy Under-21s
11
2
Italy Under-20s
12
4
Italy Under-19s
8
1
The report points out that the Italian may want to continue his development in Serie A, but the hope is that the lure of joining a huge British club is too great to ignore.
“I think it is the right time to move on from this format for me and the team, especially with the World Cup coming up in less than two years”
Mohammad Isam and Daya Sagar08-Oct-2024Mahmudullah will retire from T20Is at the end of Bangladesh’s ongoing bilateral series in India. He made the announcement on Tuesday, at a press conference on the eve of the second game in Delhi. Mahmudullah, 38, said that he had informed the relevant people in Bangladesh cricket about his decision, and will continue playing ODIs.”I am retiring from T20I cricket after the last game of this series. I was pre-decided before coming here,” Mahmudullah said. “I had a chat with my family. I spoke to the coach [Chandika Hathurusinghe], captain [Najmul Hossain Shanto], chief selector [Gazi Ashraf Hossain] and the board president [Faruque Ahmed] as well. I think it is the right time to move on from this format for me and the team. Especially with the World Cup coming up in less than two years. I will concentrate on the one-day game.”Three years ago, Mahmudullah had retired from Tests during a game against Zimbabwe. His white-ball career went off the rails somewhat when he was dropped for two years from the T20I side, missing 27 matches between 2022 and 2023. He returned in T20Is with a 54 against Sri Lanka earlier this year, but had an ordinary campaign at the T20 World Cup, before falling for 1 in the first T20I against India in Gwalior.Related
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A former captain in the format, Mahmudullah will retire as the join third-most-capped T20I player in history. He has played 139 matches and two more matches will take him level with George Dockrell at 141. He is also Bangladesh’s second-highest run-scorer in the format, only behind Shakib Al Hasan. Mahmudullah has also played in the most defeats in this format, and earlier this year he became Bangladesh’s oldest player in T20Is.Mahmudullah’s T20I career will be remembered for his transformation as a big-hitter almost a decade after his debut. At the start of 2016, Hathurusinghe had given him the role of finisher. He took up the challenge, adding more aerial shots to his repertoire.”Back in 2016, there was a T20 World Cup in India. Before that, we had a training camp in Khulna. I changed my batting approach from that camp,” Mahmudullah said. “I had to bat at No. 6 or 7, so I decided to change my approach and style. It was the team’s finisher role. It was a very tricky place to bat. Not always you could finish the game. People would usually highlight the ones you didn’t finish, rather than the ones you were there for. But it is part and parcel of this game.”He raised his strike rate for the following couple of years, culminating in his best T20 knock in 2018. His unbeaten 43 off 18 balls against Sri Lanka took Bangladesh to the Nidahas Trophy final, and it was played with an umpiring controversy around, which led to then captain Shakib nearly calling off the Bangladesh innings. Despite all that – during the last over of an already tense chase – Mahmudullah held his nerve and won the match off the penultimate ball when he whipped Isuru Udana for a six.
“It is not easy to bat there in T20Is. You have to be brave. You can’t think about failure. You have to go out there, and hit the ball as hard as you can. Coach and captain has to back the batter in that position”Mahmudullah on the T20I finisher’s role
Mahmudullah called the innings a career “highlight”, and identified Bangladesh’s defeat against India in the 2016 T20 World Cup match in Bengaluru as the most “frustrating moment” in his career. He said that although Bangladesh didn’t win a major trophy during his T20I career, the team did take strides forward in the 17 years since his debut.”Definitely we didn’t win a major trophy, but I don’t agree that we don’t have any achievements,” he said. “I think if a trophy is the only benchmark then many legends wouldn’t be called legends. The situation is very different from the time I made my debut in 2007 to now. It is not just due to the [‘five Pandavas’ from the , a reference to the combination of Shakib, Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah and Mashrafe Mortaza]. Every player, coach and team management involved, have all contributed to this change in Bangladesh cricket.”Mahmudullah said that there were several players in Bangladesh who could replace him in the finisher’s role, but it was a batting position that required patience and support from the coach and captain. “Jaker Ali, Shamim [Hossain], Afif [Hossin] and Yasir Ali can be good choices at No. 6 or 7,” he said. “It is not easy to bat there in T20Is. You have to be brave. You can’t think about failure. You have to go out there, and hit the ball as hard as you can. Coach and captain has to back the batter in that position.”
Debutant Archie Bailey led the rout as Gloucestershire’s bowlers sparked a dramatic Middlesex collapse on an eventful day three at Lord’s.Bailey took 4 for 30 as the hosts crumbled from 122 for 2 to 165 all out, leaving Gloucestershire 234 to win on day four.Zafar Gohar chipped in with 2 for 22 as the home side lost their way following Sam Robson’s 50 at almost a run a ball. Wicketkeeper James Bracey took his tally to 11 catches plus a run out in the match amid the carnage.Zafar had earlier made a stylish 86 with a six and 10 fours as the visitors rallied from an overnight 154 for 5 to 309 for 9 declared, a deficit of 68.Skipper Toby Roland-Jones led the wicket quest with 5 for 79, the fifth time in the last nine innings he has taken five wickets or more.Gloucestershire began the day needing 74 to avoid the follow-on and were dealt and early blow when Roland-Jones castled Tom Price with only two added to the score.No other home bowler was able to carry the menace of their skipper and after new batter Zafar got underway with an edge through the slips for four, he and Ollie Price set about reducing the deficit.Price, on his first appearance at Lord’s looked untroubled as he moved to 76 before falling into the leg trap to give Henry Brookes his only wicket of the innings.Zafar played beautifully, mixing sound defence with controlled aggression, sweeping Josh De Caires to raise the 200 before hitting the next ball over mid-off for a one-bounce four. Pace too was summarily despatched, a short one from Brookes pulled to the midwicket fence as he moved to 50 in 108 balls.Zaman Akhter proved a great foil either side of the lunch interval before Roland-Jones returned to remove him in the first over with the new ball to complete his five-fer, though the decision looked harsh with the impact well above the knee roll.Zafar cleared the ropes in his quest for a second first-class hundred five years on from his first but came up short when he pinned in front by Higgins, at which point Gloucestershire declared nine down.Robson quickly avoided a king pair before surviving vociferous appeals for caught behind on 22, Tom Price spreading his arms more than once in a vain attempt to have his cries upheld and all fielders seemingly convinced the ball had been feathered. Robson remained unmoved as the appeals fell on deaf earsBailey immediately replaced the crestfallen Price and the youngster soon had a moment to cherish, his maiden first-class wicket, Mark Stoneman caught by Cameron Bancroft diving away to his left at second slip.A cloudburst prior to tea proved a precursor to a stormy evening for the Middlesex batters.Robson initially forged on, driving and cutting forcefully until nicking Akhter’s first ball through to Bracey immediately after completing his half-century.Max Holden was even more forceful in his quickfire 39, reverse sweeping Zafar to the boundary twice in quick succession, before falling to a catch in the deep. His dismissal sparked the slide as the hosts either couldn’t or wouldn’t reverse out of their all-out attacking mindset.Higgins chopped on before Jack Davies’ hesitation over a second run proved fatal, Bracey intercepting the throw from the deep to turn and flatten the stumps.Bracey would figure in the dismissals of Josh De Caires, Luke Hollman and Roland-Jones as the procession from to and from the pavilion gathered pace while Bailey got the prize wicket of Leus Du Ploy lbw.Zafar completed the collapse by bowling Brookes for a duck to leave the visitors favourites for a successful run chase tomorrow.
Newcastle United’s summer transfer window has not gone to plan. In fact, some would say it’s gone to the dogs.
However, we still have a month of market mayhem ahead of us, and Eddie Howe is intent on bolstering the key areas after leading the Toon back into the Champions League with a fifth-place Premier League finish last season.
The shrewd tactician also engineered an incredible triumph in the Carabao Cup, ending so many years of searching for an elusive major trophy.
Let’s not forget, Anthony Elanga has signed for a £55m fee, while Southampton shot-stopper Aaron Ramsdale is undergoing his medical ahead of a switch to Tyneside. The Three Lions man was hailed for his “phenomenal” quality when at the Emirates by ex-Arsenal legend David Seaman.
Howe and his transfer team plan to add a centre-back to the ranks ahead of the forthcoming campaign too. However, it’s a centre-forward that St. James’ Park want, especially as Alexander Isak wishes to explore a transfer to Liverpool.
But is Benjamin Sesko going to end up in black and white?
Newcastle's pursuit of Benjamin Sesko
Sesko’s has been a name which has attracted it’s measure of attention on the English scene over the past year or so. Last summer, Arsenal wanted the Slovenian striker, wanted him bad, but failed to convince Leipzig to part with their young star, albeit with a gentleman’s agreement placed that he could jump ship in one year.
But the Gunners have since signed Viktor Gyokeres, and now Newcastle are primed for a shootout with Manchester United, who have no European football on the cards after finishing 15th in the league last year.
The plain truth, of course, is that the Red Devils remain one of the biggest outfits in the world, and their success in signing Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, both of whom were chased by Newcastle and other top clubs besides, illustrates the concerns around pushing ahead for Sesko.
Of course, Newcastle must try. Sesko, 22, is one of Europe’s most sought-after strikers, having scored 39 goals and supplied eight assists across 87 matches for Leipzig, of which just 62 have come from the starting whistle.
Benjamin Sesko
He’s worth chasing, all right, but if Newcastle prove unable to get the job done, there’s another who has emerged as a candidate who might prove a fantastic signing.
Newcastle make enquiry for Sesko alternative
Newcastle have opened talks with Fulham for striker Rodrigo Muniz, making an enquiry for the Brazilian. That’s according to the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope, who also revealed that Newcastle are indeed locked in a battle with Man United, both teams having initiated contact.
Fulham's RodrigoMunizcelebrates scoring their third goal
However, the 24-year-old Muniz would be the ideal fallback, with the discussions with intermediaries leading the Toon to believe that a £40m bid could get the job done.
Newly-promoted Leeds United have also been in for Muniz this summer, but Howe will surely be confident that his team would win the battle, should their interest rise to the next level.
Why Newcastle want Rodrigo Muniz
With Isak reported to be training at his former club Real Sociedad’s facilities in Spain, there’s a growing sense that the damage is irreparable and that PIF should cash in for a record sum.
Especially given that the funds could be shrewdly redirected to a talent such as Muniz, who has been described as “one of the best strikers in the Premier League” by his Cottagers teammate Willian.
Rodrigo Muniz Premier League stats – Fulham
Joining Fulham from Flamengo in 2021, Muniz has garnered a reputation for his clinical shooting under Marco Silva’s wing, ranked among the top 3% of Premier League forwards in 2024/25 for non-penalty goals scored per 90, as per FBref.
He might not start every week, but Muniz is always improving and would bring a guaranteed goal threat to Howe’s system, something Sesko cannot promise given that he only scored 13 times in the Bundesliga last year, and would be taking the daunting leap over to the English top-flight game.
Matches (starts)
26 (18)
31 (8)
Goals
9
8
Assists
1
1
Shots (on target)*
2.8 (1.0)
1.3 (0.6)
Big chances missed
4
5
Pass completion
62%
66%
Key passes*
0.7
0.2
Dribbles*
0.2
0.2
Tackles + interceptions*
0.5
0.5
Duels (won)*
4.6 (39%)
3.7 (52%)
Perhaps he is a centre-forward whose output comes in stacks, like bursts of fire with frustrating pauses in between. But even so, there’s no denying the South American’s natural coolness in front of goal.
Indeed, he’s missed just nine big chances across his past two years in the Premier League, scoring 17 times.
Looking at Sesko in the Bundesliga across the same timeframe, the 22-year-old has missed 18 big chances, scoring 24 goals.
Benjamin Sesko 2024-25 stats (timeless)
Not much to separate them, then. But Sesko is unrefined, yet to tap into those tubes of potential and direct them all to a nucleus which has yet to fully form.
How many times have we seen an exciting talent arrive in England only to fall by the wayside? Instead, Newcastle could sign a player who has proven themselves in the division and would be joining a team with bucketloads of creative flair.
Of course, given the sheer depth of financial recoupment that would come from Isak’s sale to Liverpool, there is no reason why Howe could not welcome both stars to St. James’ Park this summer.
Muniz is tough and tenacious, with his physical style leading pundit Alan Shearer to say he’s “horrible to play against.” Newcastle need a bit of that, marrying into the high technical quality of Anthony Gordon, Bruno Guimaraes and the like.
This clinical striker would add a dimension to Howe’s project, no doubt, and while Sesko’s potential is exciting to think about, there’s every chance he would take a while to get up to speed on English soil, should he even reach his lofty potential at all.
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And breathe. It’s finally happened. Manchester United have reached a breakthrough with Brentford for the transfer of Bryan Mbeumo, who will join Old Trafford in a deal worth up to £71m.
Of course, the Cameroon winger hasn’t signed yet, with his medical slated for this weekend. But this is a significant step forward, ending the interminable negotiating with Premier League rivals Brentford for their star man.
United have bagged Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers for £62.5m; Ruben Amorim is redefining his frontline, but more is needed to spark a much-needed resurgence after finishing 15th in the top flight and losing the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.
In any case, the Red Devils have stepped in the right direction, but more is certainly needed.
The latest Man Utd transfer news
United have secured their offensive flanks, but they still need to sign a striker, with Rasmus Hojlund flattering to deceive last season, scoring just four times in the Premier League.
However, with Christian Eriksen having left at the end of his contract, United also need to improve their midfield, and while a wealth of names, such as Atalanta’s Ederson, have been bandied about, Amorim appears to have centred on a talent who could make a lasting impact.
As per Calcio Mercato Javier Guerra has reached a verbal agreement with Man United as he leans toward an exit from Valencia.
The clubs are still negotiating the details, but this is a promising update indeed.
Valencia midfielder Javi Guerra.
Further outfits from Spain and England have made enquiries, while AC Milan failed with a move in June. The 22-year-old is valued at £26m, but could be a shrewd long-term investment.
What Javier Guerra would bring to Man Utd
Guerra is, thus far, a one-club man, having graduated from Valencia’s Mestalla reserve side to complete 89 senior appearances for the first team, scoring eight goals and providing four assists.
Regarded by talent scout Jacek Kulig to be a deep-lying playmaker with a tactical style akin to Xabi Alonso, Guerra would instil composure, ball-playing intelligence and clear vision to Amorim’s set-up, making it easier to put emphasis on transitional play and ferry the ball forward to the likes of Bruno Fernandes.
Valencia's JaviGuerrain action with Atletico Madrid's Samuel Lino
He would, in this way, prove a seamless replacement for Eriksen, all the while packaging the United system with his own brand, having actually been hailed as a “phenomenal young talent” by journalist Zach Lowy.
Indeed, Guerra ranked among the top 15% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues last term for shots taken, the top 17% for successful take-ons and the top 18% for ball recoveries per 90, as per FBref.
The Spaniard’s blooming roundedness even suggests that he could be the next version of his legendary countryman Rodri, only this time playing on Manchester’s red side.
To claim that Guerra would emulate his fellow Spaniard Rodri from the off in the Premier League would be a fool’s game, to be sure. Pep Guardiola’s Ballon d’Or winner joined Man City from Atletico Madrid in a club-record deal worth £63m back in July 2019, when he was 23 years old.
Rodri was further in his development than Guerra at that stage, but the similarities are there, even if the Valencia star is more of a pass-focused player than he is, with the City sensation encapsulating every facet of the midfield game to a preternatural level.
Rodri Pep Guardiola Manchester CityRodri Pep Guardiola Manchester City
The 29-year-old has won the whole gamut with Pep Guardiola at Man City, and he won the 2024 European Championship with his nation too.
If United can forge their own version of the modern great in Guerra, Amorim’s vision truly could have lift-off in the coming months and years.
It would be redundant to contrast and compare Guerra with the current iteration of Rodri, who is both vastly superior and missed the majority of the 2024/25 campaign through injury.
So, instead, let’s have a look at Guerra’s La Liga statistics from the recent term against Rodri’s from his final year in his homeland. Though the latter maintained a higher level, there’s plenty of promise to be taken from the collation.
Matches (starts)
36 (31)
34 (32)
Goals
3
3
Assists
3
1
Touches*
49.8
69.8
Pass completion
80%
91%
Big chances created
6
2
Key passes*
0.6
0.5
Dribbles*
0.8
0.6
Ball recoveries*
5.9
9.2
Tackles + interceptions*
2.0
4.2
Duels won*
3.5
7.1
As you can see, Rodri was by far the more combative and commanding midfield general, with his energy and tenacity seen through his rate of defensive contributions and ball recoveries.
But Guerra has put in a terrific campaign on his own merits.
It’s also worth noting that Guerra has been competing in an imperilled Valencia side, who looked doomed and headed for the second tier across the opening half of the season before a resurgence after a wintry 7-1 defeat to Barcelona in January sparked new fluency and focus.
The victory that followed that hammering, by the by, was crafted by Guerra, who scored and assisted in a 2-1 win over Celta Vigo.
Certainly, Guerra is showing himself at a younger age to have a bit more creative flair about him than Rodri, who marshalled so confidently an organised Atletico Madrid side.
To set the expectation that he would reach Rodri’s lofty level would be the instant undoing of this talented young midfielder. But can Amorim not fashion his own version, one not expected to reach his compatriots’ level, but instead offer his technical qualities to Man United and improve them?
Manchester United manager RubenAmorim
Signing a rising star with a point to prove is exactly the kind of move Amorim needs to make, and it’s one which might establish foundations for a much-needed revival.
He's more important than Mbeumo: Man Utd to make bid for £30m "machine"
Manchester United’s dealings in the transfer window have shown no signs of slowing down in recent days.
Legspinner released from tour squad to manage workload ahead of busy rest of winter
ESPNcricinfo staff11-Nov-2024Jafer Chohan, the Yorkshire legspinner, is to return home from England’s white-ball tour of the Caribbean before he has had a chance to make his international debut, with the team management choosing instead to manage his workload ahead of the forthcoming Lions tour of South Africa.Chohan, 22, made history last month when he became the first graduate of the South Asian Cricket Academy (SACA) to be named in an England squad. Launched in 2021 by Dr Tom Brown, the academy aimed to remedy the under-representation of British South Asian players in the professional game, with Chohan’s opportunity with Yorkshire arising after he had been released by Middlesex as a 17-year-old in 2019.Chohan will not, however, be making the step-up to England international status just yet. Instead, he will fly home on Monday, with the rest of the squad relocating from Barbados to St Lucia, having last night taken a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20I series, following a comfortable seven-wicket win.In addition to the Lions tour, which takes place from November 20 to December 14 and will be Andrew Flintoff’s first outing as head coach, Chohan is also due to play for Sydney Sixers in the Big Bash League, with that tournament commencing on December 15.Related
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His release from England’s white-ball squad is a reflection of the T20I team’s current success, as well as the wealth of spin options already available to Jos Buttler and Marcus Trescothick, the interim head coach.In addition to Adil Rashid, Chohan’s mentor at Yorkshire, with whom he has been working in the nets for the past fortnight, England also have Rehan Ahmed waiting in the wings as a back-up legspinner, plus Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Dan Mousley and Will Jacks in the current starting XI.Nevertheless, his fast-tracking into the England set-up remains a notable achievement, given the distance he has come since 2022, when he was playing National Counties cricket for Berkshire.”SACA helped me a hell of a lot,” he told ESPNcricinfo in the wake of his call-up. “I felt like my game was in a pretty good place, but there’s no real way in, once I got out of the system. It was really tough to think, ‘Okay, I want to become a pro cricketer, how can I actually do it?’ And SACA provided that opportunity for me.”
Ruben Amorim has been told to drop a Manchester United player after his "absolutely useless" performances this season.
Amorim urged to drop Man Utd manCriticises his "useless" performancesReplacement signed this summerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Former Chelsea star Craig Burley believes head coach Amorim "can't play" goalkeeper Altay Bayindir again this season after a shaky start to the campaign. The ex-midfielder also laid into Bayindir's United team-mate Andre Onana for being a big let-down since joining from Inter Milan for just over £47 million ($63.5m).
AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT BURLEY SAID
He told ESPN, via ESPN: "Altay Bayindir, they can’t play him. He might be okay at shot-stopping, which is what goalkeepers are paid for, but he’s absolutely useless at dealing with balls in from set-pieces.
"[Onana] is another player who’s gone to Manchester United and got worse. He cost a lot of money but he wasn’t able to marshal a back four. I thought Onana would be the real deal, it looked that way in Italy. I thought he might have a Peter Schmeichel-esque aura about him and boss about players but it hasn’t happened. If this new, youngish lad comes in and starts flapping about all over the place, it’s going to be a mess."
THE BIGGER PICTURE
United recognised the need for a new keeper when they signed Senne Lammens from Antwerp on transfer deadline day. Some believe this is a "panic buy" and Burley thinks the 23-year-old has a huge task on his hands.
He added, "This new lad [Lammens] needs to be able to marshal a back four, make saves and have an authority and make a statement at set-pieces. That’s what every team is going to do against United now, they’re going to launch balls into the box and the goalkeeper needs to be able to deal with it. He’s either going to sink or swim. We don’t really know how he’s going to handle this scenario."
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GettyWHAT NEXT?
All eyes will be on who will start in goal for United when they face bitter rivals Manchester City as the Premier League returns next weekend. Will Amorim stick with Bayindir, trust the more experienced Onana, or give Lammens his first taste of English football?
Newcastle United is in desperate need of some fresh blood in the centre-forward department.
Not only are the Toon having to come to terms with Alexander Isak’s anticipated exit from St James’ Park, they are also light on their feet up top owing to Callum Wilson leaving the Premier League club behind this summer for a fresh chance at West Ham United.
With Isak also soon to be potentially out of the picture, that would leave the Magpies with just 21-year-old William Osula as an option to lead the line.
Therefore, it’s make-or-break territory for Eddie Howe’s side this month heading into September’s looming deadline, as they frantically look around now for striker recruits to boost the mood on Tyneside.
Newcastle United's AlexanderIsakcelebrates scoring their first goal
Newcastle confident about signing £50m star
Thankfully, the rumour mill has been going into overdrive linking the Premier League outfit with a whole host of exciting striker options.
Indeed, reports have even suggested that hot-and-cold Chelsea attacker Nicolas Jackson is on the Toon agenda, alongside the top-flight side eyeing up in-demand Porto forward Samu Aghehowa, with the likes of Aston Villa also keen.
FC Porto's SamuOmorodioncelebrates scoring their first goal
However, away from this growing list of names, a report by the Daily Mail has stated that Newcastle remain confident about sealing a deal for long-term target Yoane Wissa.
The Toon will look to line up a move for the wantaway Brentford striker when Liverpool return with a new bid for Isak, having had an eye-watering £110m move turned away already. It’s stated that a mammoth £150m bid could get the pricey move up and running instead.
Yoane Wissa
To add more fuel to the fire, it’s also stated that a move for Wissa to finally come to Tyneside would be back on the cards if Brentford can seal their own replacement, with £50m perhaps the magic amount here to see the Bees part ways with their star man.
This is a far more likely move than the waiting game surrounding Benjamin Sesko, with Wissa’s potential arrival on the scene also gifting Howe and Co. a dream Wilson upgrade after the declining 33-year-old veteran departed for East London.
How Wissa is a dream Wilson upgrade
Whilst Wilson’s playing days at the Toon had worryingly begun to fizzle out last season, Wissa was continuing to be a man possessed in front of goal for Brentford.
Last campaign, Wissa – who has been dubbed “incredible” in the past by ex-Bees boss Thomas Frank – would help himself to a devastating 20 goals in all competitions. On the contrary, his ageing counterpart would fail to muster up a single Premier League effort from 18 outings, as he sank more and more into the background as an unwanted member of Howe’s squad.
Wissa’s numbers for Brentford by season
Season
Games played
Goals scored
Assists
24/25
39
20
5
23/24
36
12
4
22/23
40
7
3
21/22
34
10
1
Sourced by Transfermarkt
Wilson might well be experiencing a depressing decline in performances, but the same can not be said for his Congolese counterpart, with that aforementioned 20-goal haul last season the sturdiest amount of strikes the 28-year-old has powered home across his four-season stint at Brentford.
The more experienced Wilson does have the added stature of 88 Premier League goals next to his name, with Wissa lagging behind on 45 strikes, but it’s unlikely that amount will increase too much for the Hammers, with the 33-year-old a regular in the treatment room when still situated at St James’ Park.
Staggeringly, the ex-AFC Bournemouth forward was missing from 57 games across the last two seasons through injury, meaning his once-notorious impact substitute billing took a beating. On the contrary, Wissa missed just six across the same period.
However, unlike Wilson, who had to frequently rely on scraps on Tyneside, the “remarkable” £50m striker – as he was further lauded by football journalist Zach Lowy – will surely be Howe’s main man in a post-Isak reality.
Yoane Wissa celebrates for Brentford
With Anthony Elanga also by his side, it will be a thrilling new dawn ahead for Newcastle in attack, as Wilson is likely to be quickly forgotten about, too, if Wissa is heroically leading the line.
Isak clone: Newcastle are in talks to sign £60m Premier League "monster"
Newcastle United are reportedly in talks to sign a striker who could be an Alexander Isak clone.
خسر نادي ريال مدريد أمام نظيره أتلتيكو مدريد اليوم السبت بخمسة أهداف مقابل هدفين، وذلك لحساب منافسات بطولة الدوري الإسباني للدرجة الأولى.
وتعتبر هذه أولى مباريات ريال مدريد خلال هذا الموسم التي يخسرها في كافة المسابقات، والتي تشمل بطولة الدوري الإسباني ودوري أبطال أوروبا.
وارتقى أتلتيكو مدريد إلى المركز الرابع في ترتيب الدوري الإسباني، بعدما بات لدى الروخي بلانكوس 12 نقطة.
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وأشارت الصحفية الموثوقة المقربة من ريال مدريد، آرانشا روديجيز، إلى أن ريال مدريد تلقى ضربة موجعة بين صفوفه بإصابة كل من داني كارفاخال وإيدير ميليتاو خلال لقاء اليوم.
وأضافت رودريجيز، أن كارفاخال يعاني من ألم على مستوى عضلة باطن القدم اليمنى، حيث أصيب خلال لقاء الديربي.
وخرج كارفاخال في شوط المباراة الثاني وحل بدلًا منه إدواردو كامافينجا، حيث استكمل مدرب ريال مدريد، تشابي ألونسو، المباراة براؤول أسينسيو كظهير أيمن.
كما أكدت رودريجيز، أن إيدير ميليتاو مصاب هو الآخر ويعاني من كدمة في كاحل قدمه اليسرى.
ميليتاو أصيب خلال شوط اللقاء الأول، بعد احتكاك مع مهاجم أتلتيكو مدريد، سورلوث، وتحامل بعد ذلك ليكمل المباراة، قبل أن يخرج بعد نهاية الشوط ويحل بدلًا منه أسينسيو.
وسوف يخضع ميليتاو وكذلك كارفاخال لفحوصات طبية غدًا الأحد لتحديد مدى خطورة الإصابة ومدة الغياب.