Newcastle United are now ready to battle Real Madrid and Barcelona in the race to sign a teenage sensation who’s been compared to Kevin de Bruyne, according to recent reports.

The Magpies are looking to bounce back off the pitch following a disastrous start to their Premier League campaign. Eddie Howe’s side have won just three of their opening 11 games and their 3-1 defeat at the hands of Brentford was their most damning yet.

For the first time during his time at the club, Howe is under pressure to turn things around and admitted there is “no excuse” for how his side performed in West London last weekend.

The international break comes at a good time for those at St James’ Park, but they must use it well to find a solution for their current problems. In the space of six months, they’ve gone from a top four side to the bottom half of the Premier League in dismal fashion.

With the January transfer window now less than two months away, the solutions could also come courtesy of the market. Newcastle endured the most chaotic summer possible before eventually landing on record signing Nick Woltemade and the now-injured Yoane Wissa, but a smoother winter window could result in some much-needed improvement.

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To that end, new sporting director Ross Wilson has already reportedly identified targets such as Everton’s James Garner and now a young midfield sensation who’s attracting the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Newcastle ready to join Kees Smit race

As reported by the Daily Mail’s Craig Hope, Newcastle are now ready to join the race to sign Kees Smit alongside some of Europe’s biggest clubs. Some in the Netherlands are expecting the 19-year-old to leave AZ Alkmaar next summer and his £20m value could see those at St James’ Park land an undeniable bargain.

Whilst Smit has been compared to De Bruyne by those in his home country, Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman recently likened him to Barcelona’s impressive star, Pedri – saying: “He has the awareness to receive in tight spaces and move the ball forward. That is something we value.

“The resemblance people see (with Pedri) is in how he positions himself and his decision-making under pressure. Big clubs follow players with these characteristics. That is normal. What is important is that he continues developing where he is, playing regularly.”

Como scout Ben Mattinson also went as far as to describe Smit as “aggressive” and dubbed him a “duel monster” back in March. The fact is, the more that the midfielder features, the better he looks and he now looks destined for a big move as a result.

Newcastle must regret signing £100k-p/w flop who's cost £3.2m per game

Manchester United hold “concrete interest” in signing Scott McTominay, with the midfielder also being targeted by Barcelona, and Napoli’s stance on sanctioning a move has now been revealed.

Man United have set out to sign a new central midfielder in 2026, and Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson has now emerged as a major target, having registered their interest in signing the England international earlier this week.

With Anderson becoming as an important player for both club and country, however, it is likely to take a huge bid to get a deal over the line, and Forest are set to hold out for a fee of around £100m – £120m.

It remains to be seen whether the Red Devils would be willing to smash their existing transfer record to sign the 23-year-old, but if INEOS deem the deal to be too expensive, there could be a much more affordable alternative option.

Man Utd now hold "concrete interest" in Scott McTominay

Indeed, Anderson is not the only British midfielder being targeted by Man United, with a Caught Offside source revealing they hold “concrete interest” in signing Napoli star McTominay, with the Scot really kicking on since leaving Old Trafford.

It could take a bid of at least €50m (£44m) to tempt the Italian club into a sale, although it is also feasible they will be unwilling to sanction a departure at all, having not even set an asking price, given the midfielder’s importance to Antonio Conte’s side.

The 28-year-old is happy at the Italian club, meaning it is unlikely he will agitate for a move, but there is certainly no shortage of top clubs lining up to get a deal done, with Barcelona, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United also being named as potential suitors.

Lauded as “sensational” by broadcaster David Tanner, the Scotland international has taken his career to the next level since making the move to the Serie A, playing a major role in Napoli winning the 2024-25 league title.

The Lancaster-born midfielder had the most prolific season of his career in front of goal, finding the back of the net 12 times in 34 games, while also providing six assists, and the United academy graduate already has two Champions League goals to his name this season.

That said, it could perhaps be viewed as a step backwards to re-sign their former player, given that he never managed to reach similar heights during his time at Old Trafford, regularly receiving criticism for his performances.

As such, Ruben Amorim may be better off focusing on alternative targets, and there is certainly no shortage of exciting options, with the likes of Anderson, Carlos Baleba, Javi Guerra and Alex Scott all on the shortlist.

How much Man Utd are ready to spend on Carlos Baleba with talks now open Related How much Man Utd are ready to spend on Carlos Baleba with new talks now open

What a signing he could be for the Red Devils.

Posts ByHenry Jackson Nov 4, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

Diretor financeiro do Corinthians, Rozallah Santoro comentou sobre a atual situação das finanças do clube. Segundo o profissional, a equipe paulista não tem fluxo de caixa suficiente para arcar com seus pagamentos mensais e assumiu que se a instituição fosse uma empresa, já teria falido.

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Ainda de acordo com Rozallah, o Timão precisa de, no mínimo, três gestões para acertar as contas do clube, que foram sucateadas nos últimos anos.

➡️ Tudo sobre o Timão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Corinthians

– Em qualquer empresa que não tivesse isenção tributária que um clube tem, nosso arcabouço ou as regras que a gente tem para operar, qualquer empresa do mercado teria falido. É uma foto falimentar. Ou seja, é pior do que a pior crise – afirmou Rozallah, em entrevista ao uol.

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➡️ ANÁLISE: Três problemas do Corinthians e três possíveis soluções para fugir da crise

O problema financeiro afeta diretamente o rendimento do time em campo. Segundo apuração do Lance!, a escassez de caixa, que faz com que o clube não possa realizar pagamentos à vista, dificulta a chegada de jogadores badalados no mercado de transferências.

As contratações anunciadas nesta janela, como o zagueiro Félix Torres e o meio-campista Rodrigo Garro, serão quitadas de maneira parcelada, assim como Pedro Raul, sétimo reforço do Corinthians para 2024.

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Este foi o método que a nova gestão do clube encontrou para encorpar o elenco do time, que passou por grande reformulação após o término da última temporada.

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CorinthiansFutebol NacionalMercado

أشاد جياني إنفانتينو رئيس الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا” بالأسطورة الأرجنتينية ليونيل ميسي نجم إنتر ميامي، وأنه يعتبره قدوة حسنة ومحترمة في الولايات المتحدة.

وقال إنفانتينو في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة”Tribuna” العالمية : “أبطال العالم الحاليون هم أول ممثلين لاتحاد كرة القدم في أمريكا الجنوبية وتأهلوا لكأس العالم المقبلة”.

وأضاف: “هم بلا شك يحلمون بالفوز بالنجمة الرابعة، ليس من السهل الحفاظ على هذا المستوى العالي، وقد نجحت الأرجنتين في ذلك، تهانيا للجميع وللفريق بأكمله والمدرب ليونيل سكالوني ورئيس الاتحاد الأرجنتيني تشيكي تابيا”.

أقرأ أيضاً.. لابورتا يحسم موقف برشلونة من استعادة ليونيل ميسي

وحول ليونيل ميسي، قال إنفانتينو: “أتطلع لرؤية ميسي يلعب في كأس العالم السادسة له، هذا حدث غير مسبوق، يؤكد فقط على الطابع التاريخي لكأس العالم العام المقبل”.

وختم: “لقد لعب نجوم كرة القدم مثل ميسي دوراً حاسماً في تطوير رياضتنا في الولايات المتحدة، ميسي قدوة حسنة ومحترمة في بلد تتابع فيه كرة القدم الأمريكية والبيسبول وكرة السلة بتفاني كبير، إنه سفير حقيقي يواصل تحطيم الأرقام القياسية في الدوري الأمريكي”.

Leicestershire close in on victory that would sign off their Division Two title triumph in style

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay26-Sep-2025Northamptonshire 189 and 120 for 5 (Keogh 42, Trevaskis 3-31) need a further 381 runs to beat Leicestershire 429 and 260 for 5 dec (Patel 76, Cox 51*, Budinger 50)Liam Trevaskis and Chris Wright sliced through Northamptonshire’s top order as Leicestershire closed in on a victory that would sign off their Rothesay County Championship Division Two title triumph in style.The Foxes, already confirmed as champions last week, declared and set Northamptonshire an improbable 501 to win at Wantage Road following Rishi Patel’s 76 and an unbeaten 30-ball half-century by Ben Cox.Left-arm spinner Trevaskis took three wickets, with seamer Wright – playing his final game prior to retirement – capturing the other two to reduce the home side to 120 for 5 before bad light halted play.Northamptonshire’s Rob Keogh top-scored with 42, passing 10,000 runs across all formats in the process, but his side’s slim hopes of staving off defeat largely rest on Saif Zaib, unbeaten on 20 at stumps.Leicestershire resumed with an overall lead of 326 and eight wickets in hand, but they were initially stifled by a tight spell from George Scrimshaw, who found some movement in both directions.However, it was a straight delivery from the seamer that removed Lewis Hill, leg-before for 38 and Patel then took command, punching a series of boundaries and bringing up his half-century with a straight drive off Stuart van der Merwe.Van der Merwe was also slog-swept for six by the Foxes opener, but there was success for his fellow rookie Nirvan Ramesh when Stephen Eskinazi reverse-swept the off-spinner and deflected onto his stumps.Although Patel’s hopes of another century to back up his 114 against Kent last week were dashed shortly before lunch when he nicked Zaib behind, the champions chose to bat on into the afternoon session.Yet Cox’s lightning half-century ensured that the innings continued for only five more overs – enough time for Leicestershire to pile up another 53 runs and extend their advantage to exactly 500.Cox bludgeoned the vast majority of those, scooping Scrimshaw for six and then flicking Ben Whitehouse over square leg and out of the ground before a booming four over the bowler’s head signalled both his 50 and the declaration.Logan van Beek and Wright gave away very little at the start of Northamptonshire’s second innings, with the ball rolling across the boundary rope just once during the first 11 attritional overs.Wright, bringing down the curtain on a 22-year professional career, dismissed both openers as Arush Buchake was caught behind pushing at a ball that left him before Lewis McManus drove straight to gully.Having edged Wright to the third boundary to reach his career landmark, Keogh gained a life soon afterwards when he nudged Josh Hull through the slips for four more, but settled down as he and James Sales steered their side to tea.The partnership progressed to 67, but Keogh’s good fortune ran out soon after the restart as he aimed an ambitious drive at Trevaskis and this time Patel safely pouched the chance at slip.Sales departed in the left-armer’s next over, caught behind off a bottom edge and Trevaskis then trapped Justin Broad lbw in a prolonged spell – partly enforced by the darkening clouds which restricted Leicestershire to slower bowling.Patel came on to deliver a single over of leg-breaks before the deteriorating light brought an end to proceedings, with Leicestershire needing five more wickets to wrap up victory on the final day of the season.

It will be a while before Shohei Ohtani is pitching in a major league game again.

On Thursday, Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told Jim Rome that Ohtani's recovery from Tommy John surgery is ongoing. While he gave a lot of positive updates, there was a negative tossed in at the end.

Roberts told Rome that Ohtani had thrown another bullpen session and looked good.

"So, he looked great," Roberts said. "It's just easy velocity and this guy, he's a unicorn, I mean he is physical, he's big. He's throw his fastball, four-seam, two-seamer and his split. And he's kind of easy 92, 93."

L.A.'s manager then updated what's next.

"I know he's got another light bullpen today, he's got a full one Saturday and hopefully soon Romey he's going to start facing some hitters," Roberts said.

Then he dropped the bomb. "Time of return, we're still a couple of months away."

Roberts did add that he does expect Ohtani to pitch for the Dodgers this season.

Even without his work on the mound, Ohtani has been contributing this season. The reigning National League MVP is hitting .288 with six home runs and eight RBIs. He carries an on-base percentage of .380 and an OPS of .930.

New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns grew up as a Mets fan in Manhattan, and after a seven-year stint as general manager of the Milwaukee Brewers, returned to his hometown to run his childhood club.

As was made clear on his recent appearance on , Stearns doesn't need to prove his Mets bona fides, but New York fans who have been following the team since at least the 1990s will love what he had to say about the team's current run against their NL East division rivals.

Ahead of Monday's series opener against the Philadelphia Phillies, Stearns was asked whether he felt like the team was "waiting for the other shoe to drop" when the Mets played their more successful rivals as a fan.

His response couldn't have been better.

"So I was never waiting for the other shoe to drop," Stearns said. "I was really excited to go to Shea [Stadium] and boo John Rocker."

In 2000, Rocker—the Atlanta Braves' hotheaded closer—was public enemy No. 1 in Queens after going on an often racist and homophobic rant against the Mets and the city of New York in an infamous interview with 's Jeff Pearlman. He was suspended by commissioner Bud Selig to begin the season, and his performance began to dip on the mound when he rejoined the team that May. The Braves sent Rocker down to the minor leagues after he threatened Pearlman before a June game. He was traded to Cleveland in 2001 and out of the MLB after the '03 season.

Other players, like Rocker's former teammate Chipper Jones, plagued the Mets for years, but even 25 years later it is hard to match the animosity that New Yorkers have for a lefty reliever with 88 career saves to his name.

كشفت تقارير صحفية موثوقة عن موقف ليفربول من إقالة المدرب آرني سلوت، وقد تم تحديد اسم مرشح مفاجئ لخلافته في تدريب الفريق.

وتعرض ليفربول لهزيمة بثلاثية نظيفة أمام نوتينجهام فورست في ملعب آنفيلد، قبل الخسارة أمام آيندهوفن في أنفيلد في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ووفقاً لـ”TEAM TALK” فإن أنجي بوستيكوجلو مدرب توتنهام ونوتينجهام فورست السابق يحظى بإعجاب كبير من مجلس إدارة ليفربول.

اقرأ أيضاً.. “ما حدث لا يغتفر”.. تطورات إقالة سلوت من تدريب ليفربول

وينظر إلى أنجي بوستيكوجلو أنه الشخص المناسب لتدريب ليفربول، على الرغم من الصعوبات الواضحة التي واجهها في نوتينجهام فورست قبل أن تتم إقالته في بداية هذا الموسم.

ولم تخفف إقالة أنجي بوستيكوجلو من تدريب نوتينجهام فورست من إعجاب ليفربول به، ولا يزال الطريق طويلاً قبل أن يصبح الرجل المسؤول في ملعب أنفيلد بدلاً من آرني سلوت الذي يتلقى دعم إدارة الريدز في الوقت الحالي.

Leeds United are now plotting a January transfer swoop for an “outstanding” striker, who just scored in the Champions League this week.

Leeds eyeing new striker amid Dominic Calvert-Lewin's struggles

On paper, it was a savvy move to bring in Dominic Calvert-Lewin on a free transfer, given that the former Everton man has plenty of experience in the Premier League, but he is yet to pull up any trees since completing a move to Elland Road.

The centre-forward has scored just one goal in 11 matches in all competitions, failing to find the back of the net in his last seven outings, and Lukas Nmecha has recently emerged as the first-choice striker, scoring the opening goal in the 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa last time out.

With Daniel Farke clearly doubtful that Joel Piroe is capable of replicating his form from last season, having predominantly limited the Dutchman to appearances as a substitute, the manager may need to bring in a new striker in the January transfer window, and a new target has been identified.

That is according to a report from TEAMtalk, which states Leeds are now plotting a January bid for Union Saint-Gilloise striker Promise David, who could be available for a relatively low fee, with the Belgian club willing to listen to offers of around £17.5m.

At the moment, David is viewed as a back-up option if the Whites are unable to bring in their other targets, with AZ Alkmaar’s Troy Parrott and Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Garcia also of interest, and Farke is personally keen on bringing in the Spaniard.

There may also be fierce competition for the Union Saint-Gilloise star’s signature, with West Ham United believed to be leading the race, while Wolverhampton Wanderers are said to be plotting a rival bid.

"Outstanding" David impressing in the Champions League

Lauded as “outstanding” by scout Jacek Kulig courtesy of his performances in the 2024-25 campaign, the striker has gone on to make a name for himself in the Champions League this season, scoring two goals in Europe’s elite competition.

Most recently, the 24-year-old scored the only goal of the game as his side prevailed as 1-0 winners away at Galatasaray, finding the back of the net for the ninth time this season across all competitions.

Promise David’s goalscoring record

Appearances

Goals

Jupiler Pro League

13

6

Champions League

5

2

Croky Cup

1

1

As such, the Canadian clearly has the quality to help fire Leeds to safety, and £17.5m could be a bargain fee for a striker who has proven that he can deliver in the Champions League.

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That said, it remains to be seen whether David would be interested in a move to Elland Road, given that Leeds are now looking like real relegation contenders, having lost five of their last six matches in the Premier League.

Qarabag's youth team have been fined just over £4,000 by UEFA after a supporter was found to have racially abused a Chelsea player during an academy match in Azerbaijan. Shortly after Blues striker Sol Gordon opening the scoring at Azersun Stadium in Baku earlier this month, the 17-year-old was allegedly subjected to monkey gestures. Now, Qarabag have been punished off the back of what transpired in this UEFA Youth League encounter.

Chelsea strongly condemn unsavoury incident

Despite Chelsea's Under-19 side going on to win the game 5-0, the contest was marred by Gordon being discriminated against by those in the crowd. 

At the time, the Blues said in a statement: "We are aware of an incident during today's UEFA Youth League match in Azerbaijan in which, after scoring, a number of our players were subjected to racist abuse from an individual in the crowd. Racism and all forms of discriminatory behaviour are completely unacceptable and have no place in football or indeed in society. We strongly condemn the actions of the individual responsible. Our players have the full support of everyone at the club, and we have raised the incident immediately with the UEFA match delegate and home club: We expect this matter to be investigated fully under UEFA's disciplinary procedures. We are proud of the way our players and staff responded to the incident on the pitch, swiftly reporting it to the referee, and commend those for dealing with the matter professionally and appropriately in line with UEFA protocols."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportQarabag apologise before getting fined

Soon after Chelsea's statement, Qarabag responded with their own. They vowed to investigate the matter and said this incident does not reflect the club's values. 

They added: "We are sorry about this incident. It does not reflect the values of our club. We will investigate it thoroughly."

Now, European football's governing body, UEFA, has slapped them with a £4,379 fine, with Qarabag's youth team having to play a match behind closed doors following "racist and/or discriminatory behaviour of its supporters" – though that punishment is suspended for a year.

A statement from UEFA reads: "The CEDB has decided: To fine Qarabağ FK Youth €5,000 and to order Qarabağ FK Youth to play its next one (1) UEFA competition match as host club behind closed doors, for the racist and/or discriminatory behaviour of its supporters. Said match behind closed doors is suspended during a probationary period of one (1) year, starting from the date of the present decision."

Atletico Madrid punished for racism

On a similar note, Atletico Madrid have been fined £26,256 by UEFA after their fans reportedly made monkey gestures and noises, along with Nazi salutes, towards Arsenal's players in their 4-0 home win at Emirates Stadium in October. The club has also been hit with a suspended sanction of a ban on travelling supporters for "racist and discriminatory behaviour". Despite the severity of the charges, the one-match ban on ticket sales for an away game has been suspended for a probationary period of one year.

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next for Chelsea?

Aside from the aforementioned matter, Chelsea return to Premier League action on Sunday when they host London rivals and league leaders Arsenal in a huge clash at the top of the table on Sunday. The Blues sit six points behind the Gunners, and a win at Stamford Bridge could catapult them into the title race. But a loss could put pay to those hopes and give Mikel Arteta's team a huge boost in their bid to win their first league title since 2004.

Following Chelsea's 3-0 Champions League win over Barcelona in midweek, head coach Enzo Maresca said: "I’ve told the players, next 48 hours, completely switch off. Have a rest. Recover the energy. Because [on] Sunday we have Arsenal. My message after the game was just: recover the energy. That, in this moment, is the most important thing. Then, on Friday, we start to think about Arsenal. We need to keep the momentum because it’s very nice – and it’s much easier to recover energy when you win games."