Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler has urged the club to sign Ollie Watkins instead of splashing out on Newcastle striker Alexander Isak.

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Fowler wants Liverpool to move on from IsakReds told to sign Watkins from Villa insteadArne Slot expected to try and buy new strikerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

Fowler admitted that the newly-crowned English champions will need to raid the transfer market this summer for a new number nine as they look to replace Darwin Nunez. While Liverpool have been linked with a move for Newcastle United's star forward Isak, the club legend wants the Reds to shift their focus to Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins instead of the Swedish striker.

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Speaking to , the former Liverpool striker said: "It’s a difficult one because as a supporter, you want them to sign every player under the sun!. If you’re not signing players, you risk potentially going backwards. Maybe [Darwin] Nunez will be a name on a few teams’ lists because he hasn’t played the amount of games he’d want to, so you assume Liverpool will try to bring a No 9.

"The problem is clubs know that they are potentially on the lookout for a No 9, so the prices will become silly. If you look at [Alexander] Isak, he’s going to be £100m plus easily. He’s a wonderful player, but Liverpool may not want to pay that, and they’ll look around. You could look at Ollie Watkins. He doesn’t really fit the model in terms of what Liverpool want, given his age [29 years old], but I’d go and get him for a couple of years because he’s a tremendous player and established and experienced in the Premier League."

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Watkins, too, has been linked with a move away from Villa Park in the summer, with top clubs like Arsenal reportedly keen on signing the English striker. With his game time slowly reducing under Unai Emery, the player is reportedly frustrated and could consider leaving the Villans ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.

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The newly-crowned English champions are all set to visit Stamford Bridge on Sunday as they take on Chelsea in the Premier League.

Chelsea returned to winning ways on Monday night, coming from behind to beat West Ham United 2-1 in a close-fought encounter at Stamford Bridge.

Jarrod Bowen put Graham Potter’s side ahead on his return to West London before goals from Pedro Neto and an own goal from Aaron Wan-Bissaka secured all three points for the Blues.

The victory puts Enzo Maresca’s side back into the Premier League’s top four, edging them closer to a return to Champions League football should they maintain the same position between now and the end of the season.

With just 14 games to go, it looks as though the Italian will have to extract the most out of the current crop of players, especially after the closure of the transfer window after the full-time whistle last night.

It was a busy day behind the scenes in the Bridge, with real hope that the boss has made the right decisions, subsequently improving their chances of securing a top-four spot come the end of May.

Chelsea’s dealings on transfer deadline day

It may have been a busy day at the Bridge yesterday, but most of the action came in the form of departures, with youngster Mathis Amougou the only player entering the door to bolster Maresca’s side.

However, numerous players completed moves away from the club, with Ben Chilwell joining fellow top-flight side Crystal Palace on loan until the end of the campaign – but the deal doesn’t include any option to buy upon its completion.

Carney Chukwuemeka departed on loan to join Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund, but unlike a deal for Chilwell, it does include an option to buy should they want to trigger it in the coming months.

João Félix was the third player to leave on a temporary basis, linking up with AC Milan, just six months after returning to the club on a permanent basis, with Conor Gallagher moving in the opposite direction.

However, the lack of investment may be a mistake, especially considering the performance of one player during the victory against their London rivals last night.

The player who proved why Chelsea had to spend in January

Maresca opted to start winger Jadon Sancho off the left wing during the win against the Hammers at Stamford Bridge, but the 24-year-old produced a performance to forget despite claiming all three points.

The Englishman was starting his second consecutive match after being recalled to the starting lineup against Manchester City last weekend but was unable to show why the Italian made the right call in sticking with him.

Sancho only featured for a total of 52 minutes during the victory, an indication of how little impact he made during his time on the pitch at the Bridge.

He was subsequently replaced by Neto, the man who netted the first goal, undoubtedly compounding the Englishman’s misery after failing to impress himself.

The attacker only managed a total of 20 touches, completing just eight passes in the process and losing possession seven times – looking wasteful with the ball at his feet upon the rare occasion it fell his way.

Sancho also failed to find a teammate with any of his three attempted crosses, only registering two efforts on goal, but failed to direct any of his shots on target – looking as wasteful in front of goal as he did when finding a teammate.

As a result of his showing in the capital last night, he was handed a measly 5/10 match rating by journalist Bobby Vincent – further highlighting how little impact he had during the crucial win.

Given his display, the decision not to go after a new winger in the January window now looks to be a mistake, with the Blues potentially missing out by not strengthening Maresca’s options in that area.

They had been linked Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho and Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel but while the former stayed at Old Trafford, the latter headed on loan to Spurs.

If the Italian does want any more new attackers, he will have to wait until the opening of the summer transfer window, with their chances of securing automatic qualification for the Champions League potentially hanging in the balance.

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وجه محمود حسن تريزيجيه المنضم حديثًا إلى صفوف الأهلي، رسالة إلى نادي الريان القطري، بعد انتهاء رحلة تواجده في الفريق بنهاية الموسم.

وكان الأهلي قد أعلن عن التعاقد مع تريزيجيه في شهر يناير الماضي، لمدة 5 سنوات تبدأ من يونيو المقبل.

وخسر تريزيجيه لقب كأس أمير قطر مع الريان بعد الهزيمة أمام الغرافة بنتيجة 2-1، في ختام مشواره مع الفريق.

حقيقة مفاوضات الأهلي مع رونالدو.. وخلافات حسام غالي داخل مجلس الإدارة

ونشر تريزيجيه عبر حسابه الرسمي على موقع التواصل الاجتماعي “إنستجرام”: “أتوجه بخالص الشكر والتقدير إلى نادي الريان القطري، على كل الدعم والمحبة التي غمرتموني بها خلال الفترة الماضية”.

واختتم: “كان لي الشرف الكبير أن أكون جزءًا من هذا الفريق العريق شكرًا أهل قطر الكرام على حسن الضيافة”.

ومن المقرر أن يتواجد تريزيجيه مع الأهلي في بطولة كأس العالم للأندية والتي تقام بالولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، بمشاركة 32 فريقًا من حول العالم، خلال الفترة من 14 يونيو 2025 إلى 13 يوليو 2025.

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What a rise to the top it has been for Manchester United starlet Kobbie Mainoo. Although he is out injured at the moment, the Stockport-born midfield sensation has become a key player for his boyhood club so far, under both Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim.

He has already made an impressive number of first-team appearances in that famous Red shirt. Mainoo has featured 60 times for United so far, scoring six goals and grabbing two assists from midfield in that time.

The 19-year-old rose to superstardom last season when he made his first Premier League start against Everton and completely ran the show in midfield.

Mainoo’s debut vs Everton

There have been few midfielders players, particularly ones aged just 18, who have made a bigger impression than Mainoo on their first Premier League start. He was thrust into the United midfield after months out injured, and just two appearances for the academy to regain full fitness.

United fan, analyst, and host of The Overlap: The Breakdown, H, summed up the Englishman’s performance that day. He described the youngster as “elegant” and “relaxed”, calling it a “seriously good performance” on his full debut.

The youngster was so composed that day, showing his impressive ability to carry through the opposition’s press and how hard he worked off the ball. It was an eye-catching and dominant showing from someone who was, in reality, quite inexperienced.

The stats on Sofascore from Mainoo’s full debut show just how well he played. The United number 37 had 61 touches of the ball, completing 83% of his passes. Off the ball, he won an impressive five from eight duels.

Sadly, given his injury, Amorim will not have the option of calling upon Mainoo for United’s trip to Goodison Park this weekend. However, he could make the bold decision of starting another exciting young midfielder who could have a similar rise to the top in a United shirt.

The academy midfielder who could start vs. Everton

Amorim had to call upon several young academy stars last weekend against Tottenham Hotspur, due to United’s injury crisis. Only one of those, Chido Obi, got the chance to feature, but there were several exciting talents on the bench.

One of those youngsters was Sekou Kone. The 19-year-old Malian midfielder joined the club over the summer, in a deal that was reportedly worth £1m. United beat Premier League rivals Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers to the signing.

So far, Kone has not had much of a chance to showcase his ability. Injuries have affected him this term, meaning he has played just six times for the Red Devils academy. However, he is clearly rated highly enough for Amorim to include him on the bench last weekend.

Kone really made waves at the under-17 World Cup for Mali at the end of 2023. He helped his side to a third-place finish, beating Argentina in the third-place playoff match. His stats from the game were extraordinary. As per Sofascore, he won 15 out of 20 duels, created three chances, and registered an assist.

Stat

Number

Touches

62

Pass accuracy

83%

Passes completed

34/41

Duels won

15/20

Tackles won

6/7

Long balls completed

6/6

Dribbles completed

5/6

Chances created

3

Assists

1

With that in mind, it is perhaps unsurprising that football scout Antonio Mango thinks Kone could “be a beast”. He ran the midfield in the under-17 World Cup, and perhaps he deserves the chance against Everton, to show what he can do in senior football.

One man who Kone could replace in the middle of the park is Casemiro. The experienced Brazilian made his first start of 2025 against Spurs but struggled to impose himself on the game, with the opposition coasting around him at times.

He received a 4/10 post-match rating from The Manchester Evening News’ Samuel Luckhurst. The United writer said the former Real Madrid star looked “constantly off the pace” against the Lilywhites.

Perhaps taking a punt on Kone is a risk worth taking for Amorim. Casemiro struggled and seems destined to leave the club, with reports at the end of January hinting at a move away from Old Trafford.

The Malian would be an investment to the future, and Goodison Park seems to be the place talented young midfielders break into the United first-team. Perhaps Kone could become the second coming of Mainoo in that sense.

The old firm of Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam did the job on the night, after Shaheen Afridi and Co had applied the squeeze on New Zealand

Andrew Fidel Fernando09-Nov-20223:19

Mumtaz: Mohammad Haris a free spirit who has been backed by the team

Pakistan, who lost to Zimbabwe earlier in the tournament, who limped into the semis thanks only to Netherland’s unlikely win over South Africa, have stormed into the final of the 2022 Men’s T20 World Cup, having executed a near-perfect game.So much that is great about this Pakistan team fell into place in this game. Shaheen Afridi got his first-over wicket, trapping Finn Allen in front with a vicious inswinger third ball. Their seamers locked down the back end of the innings, conceding just 53 runs off the last six overs (this is something they’ve done well right through the tournament).Then, having restricted New Zealand – who struggled to find boundaries – to 152 for 4, their openers returned to dazzling form. Having been dropped in the first over, Babar Azam struck 53 off 42 balls, whipping quicks through square leg, thumping spinners down the ground. Mohammad Rizwan was even more impressive, hitting 57 off 43 as the pair put on 105 for the first wicket.There was a slight stutter towards the end, as Pakistan lost their openers, and slowed down a touch. But Babar and Rizwan had foolproofed the chase. They got there with five balls to spare.Mohammad Rizwan gave New Zealand the charge•Getty Images

Pakistan dominate the death
At 99 for 3 at the end of the 14th over, New Zealand’ weren’t exactly flying, but given the firepower in their middle order, they could have had a score in excess of 160 in their sights. Pakistan’s quicks mixed up their pace, bowled expertly to their fields, and were backed up beautifully in the field, where Pakistan excelled this evening. New Zealand could muster only three fours in the last six overs, relying instead on hard-run twos, Daryl Mitchell taking the lead on those.Rizwan and Babar take New Zealand’s quicks downTrent Boult could have had Babar in the first over, when the batter nicked his first ball. But a diving Devon Conway could only get the webbing of his gloves to the chance, and couldn’t make it stick.In Boult’s next over, Pakistan’s openers kicked the innings up into the high gear at which it would stay for the duration of their stand. Babar crashed Boult through point, before Rizwan glanced him fine, then thumped him square on the offside as well, the pair taking 15 off that over. Off Tim Southee’s second over, they took 15 again, Rizwan slamming him twice through midwicket, before Babar cracked him through backward square leg.The spinners provided New Zealand a little control, but the pair negotiated that period smartly, rarely failing to find the boundary off the bad balls. By the end of the 12th, the required rate was just 6.37.Williamson and Mitchell provide a sliver of hope
If there was one period New Zealand can claim to have been on top, it was likely overs 11 to 14 of their own innings. They’d been 59 for 3 at the halfway stage, desperately needing to get a move on. Mitchell hit two fours off the 11th over, bowled by Shadab Khan. In the 13th over, Williamson hit the innings’ first six, smoking Mohammad Wasim over deep square leg, before Mitchell launched Shadab into the sightscreen in the 14th. All up, they scored 40 runs in those four overs. They did not match that rate of scoring after that period.Haris eases Pakistani nerves
There was a slowdown after Babar and Rizwan were parted, and a slight unease when Rizwan was out at the end of the 17th over, leaving Pakistan with 21 to get off 18 balls. Mohammad Haris put Pakistan back on the smooth road to victory next over, however. He backed away and drilled a Lockie Ferguson yorker wide of mid-off for four, before sitting back to hook him into the stands next ball. He was out before the winning run came, but he’d made the game safe.

While the likes of London rivals Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur were being chucked out of the FA Cup this weekend, Arsenal were out in Dubai for some warm-weather training and much-needed rest.

However, the only reason the North Londoners are out in the Middle East is that they failed to get past Manchester United in the last round of the competition.

What makes that all the more frustrating is that Mikel Arteta’s side were arguably the better side on the day, creating four big chances to the visitors’ two, but poor finishing from Kai Havertz and a dire penalty from Martin Odegaard cost them.

The former has come in for a lot of stick in recent months, and there was perhaps an admission from the club that they need more attacking reinforcements when they reportedly made an unsuccessful bid for Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins late last month.

Arteta ultimately ended up with no new players, and to make matters worse, one of their former youth prospects is continuing to excel on the continent and is outperforming Havertz and Watkins in the process.

Why Arsenal need an attacker

It was no secret that heading into the transfer window, the one area of the pitch Arsenal desperately needed to strengthen was attack.

That need was only made more acute with Bukayo Saka’s hamstring injury just after Christmas and again when Gabriel Jesus suffered an ACL injury against United in the FA Cup midway through last month.

However, injuries are not the only reason fans and pundits have been calling out for the Gunners to sign some new attackers, as Leandro Trossard has just 11 goal involvements to his name in 36 games this season, Gabriel Martinelli had as many in 35 games before his Hamstring injury, and Raheem Sterling has just three in 18 games.

Saka

24

9

13

Havertz

34

15

5

Martinelli

35

7

4

Trossard

36

5

6

Jesus

27

7

2

Nwaneri

23

7

0

In fact, the only player to hit double figures for goals thus far is Havertz, who has found the back of the net 15 times and provided five assists in 34 games, while Saka remains the overall leader for goal involvements, with 22 in 24 games.

This all helps to explain the club’s reported bid for Watkins, as prior to suffering his own minor injury, the former Exeter City star had racked up a brilliant haul of 11 goals and nine assists in 33 games this season.

Yet, as impressive as the Englishman has been this year, he’s being outperformed by one of Arsenal’s former youth players who left the club years ago.

The former Arsenal prospect outperforming Havertz and Watkins

Thanks to Arsenal having such a brilliant academy in Hale End, quite a number of the club’s former youth players are enjoying stellar campaigns this season.

From Mika Biereth at AS Monaco to Donyell Malen, who just joined Aston Villa, there are a number of attacking players who Arteta would probably love to have in his current squad, but in this case, the player outperforming both Havertz and Watkins is Michael Olise.

Before appearing on people’s radar at Reading, moving and making a name for himself with Crystal Palace and securing a mega-money move to Bayern Munich, the Hammersmith-born dynamo spent a brief period in the Gunners’ academy set-up before leaving as a boy on a free transfer.

Appearances

31

Minutes

1959′

Goals

10

Assists

12

Goal Involvements per Match

0.70

Minutes per Goal Involvement

89.04′

Since moving to Germany, the 23-year-old “wizard,” as dubbed by writer Muhammad Butt, has been nothing short of spectacular and has more than justified the sizable £50m outlay FC Hollywood made on him.

For example, in 31 appearances so far, totalling 1959 minutes, he has scored ten goals and provided 12 assists for the Bavarian behemoths.

Not only is that two more goal involvements than both Havertz and Watkins managed, but it also works out to a brilliant average of one every 1.40 games, or every 89.04 minutes – talk about being a game-changer.

Ultimately, it’s hard to blame Arsenal for missing out on the incredible talent when he left the club so young, but even so, we can’t help but imagine how much more dangerous Arteta’s team could be with a player like Olise in it.

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Manchester United are now eyeing a surprise move for a “sensational” former Manchester City player, who is seen as an ideal target, according to a report.

Ruben Amorim planning major overhaul

Given his side’s extremely disappointing season, Ruben Amorim is planning a major overhaul of his squad this summer, with the manager searching for a deep-lying midfielder, centre-back, wing-back and striker.

Liam Delap has been identified as a major target to strengthen the attack, while Barcelona’s Alejandro Balde could be brought in to bolster Amorim’s options at wing-back, despite the arrival of Patrick Dorgu in January.

A new centre-back has been deemed a necessity due to the recent injury setback Lisandro Martinez has suffered, having been ruled out for the rest of the season with an ACL injury suffered in the recent 2-0 Premier League defeat against Crystal Palace.

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There are also indications Amorim could look at bringing in a versatile full-back in the summer, with reports from Spain revealing the United boss is keen on signing Al-Hilal’s Joao Cancelo, who is viewed as the ideal option to strengthen the right-back area.

The former Man City man has impressed since moving to the Saudi Pro League, meaning a move back to a top European club could now be on the cards, with the likes of AC Milan and Aston Villa also being named as potential suitors.

That said, the £247k-per-week full-back is contracted until the summer of 2027, so Al-Hilal will be in a strong negotiating position.

Cancelo was "sensational" for United's rivals

Should the 30-year-old be willing to move to the rivals of his former club, he could be an excellent addition to Amorim’s squad, considering the level of his performances during his previous stint in the Premier League.

Ex-teammate Phil Foden lauded the Portuguese defender during his time at the Etihad Stadium, saying: “Joao is one of the best if not the best attacking full backs in world football right now, he is always adding goals and assists.

“If one of the attackers is having an off day we need someone coming up with the goals and assists and he is always there in the big moments in the big games. We know he has got that quality in front of goal and he is sensational.”

The full-back has continued to display his attacking prowess, as well as his defensive ability, since signing for Al-Hilal, ranking highly across a number of key metrics over the past year.

Statistic

Average per 90

Successful take-ons

2.23 (99th percentile)

Progressive carries

3.04 (87th percentile)

Interceptions

1.69 (94th percentile)

Tackles

2.5 (79th percentile)

Cancelo’s ability going forward suggests he would be a fantastic signing for United, given that Amorim plays a system utilising wing-backs, but his affiliation to their rivals could prove to be a stumbling block.

The French titleholders have wonderful width and devastating dribblers, but the evolution of their midfield has been key to their transformation

There were just five minutes remaining at Santiago Bernabeu when Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey stupidly shoved Real Madrid counterpart Dani Ceballos to the ground right in front of referee Francoiz Letexier. A yellow card was the only possible outcome, and Declan Rice was rightly furious with his team-mate for getting himself suspended so needlessly for the first leg of the Champions League semi-finals.

Partey, who was immense in the comprehensive last-eight elimination of Madrid, would have been important no matter the opposition in the last four, but he's going to be all the more conspicuous by his absence at the Emirates on Tuesday because the Gunners are going up against Paris Saint-Germain, who boast the best midfield in this year's competition – any by some distance too.

• Getty Images
  

  From big-game bottlers to great entertainers

  Kylian Mbappe's decision to move to Madrid last summer was a major blow for PSG, particularly from a financial perspective. Losing one of the most valuable players in the world on a free transfer was an undeniable disaster for the club's Qatari owners.

  However, Luis Enrique repeatedly insisted that, on a purely sporting level, PSG could become a stronger, more balanced team without their talismanic forward, who accounted for 35 percent of the 124 goals they scored last season.

  The Spanish coach has been proven correct. Despite losing Mbappe, PSG have once again reached the semi-finals of the Champions League – and while playing better football than ever before. Indeed, the state-sponsored, superstar-obsessed club that most neutrals used to revel in seeing come up with new and exciting ways to get themselves knocked out of Europe have now become the purists' favourites – not least because of their wondrous use of width and the impressive amount of devastating dribblers they've managed to cram into their starting line-up.

  However, while the wondrous wing play of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia & Co. has rightly drawn plenty of praise from across the footballing world, their majestic midfield is arguably just as deserving of attention – particularly as its evolution has been utterly integral to PSG's transformation into one of the most likeable sides in European football.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  'We lost almost every single duel'

  When PSG and Arsenal met at the Emirates earlier this season, the visitors didn't look anything like potential Champions League winners. The game was as good as over by the break, in fact, after goals Bukayo Saka added to Kai Havertz's opener, and Luis Enrique was left lamenting his side's complete inability to put the Gunners under any real pressure whatsoever.

  "Tonight, we were far away from the standards you need in this kind of match," the Spaniard told UEFA's official website. "I think we lost almost every single duel we contested."

  However, as former Arsenal winger Theo Walcott pointed out after the 2-1 win over Madrid at the Bernabeu, PSG are no longer anything like the side they were at the start of the season: "PSG hadn't really clicked then," the ex-England international told , "but they have now."

  And it was a win over another English side that proved the turning point in their 2024-25 campaign.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  'Something changed' during City win

  It's funny to think about it now but PSG were on the verge of an embarrassingly early Champions League exit when they hosted Manchester City on January 22. Had they lost at home to the 2023 winners, there would have been no way back for the runaway Ligue 1 leaders, as they'd only amassed seven points from their first six fixtures in the league phase, and PSG were 2-0 down after 53 minutes at Parc des Princes.

  However, as Luis Enrique said, "something changed" in and around the club that night. PSG's new crop of exciting young players proved not only their quality but also their mettle as they went about ridding the club of its reputation for bottling big games.

  The introduction of a revitalised Ousmane Dembele off the bench was key in that regard, while fellow winger Bradley Barcola also played a pivotal role in the fightback. However, as Pep Guardiola admitted afterwards, it was Vitinha, Joao Neves and Fabian Ruiz that really decided the game, as PSG's midfield trio ran rings around Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic.

  “They were better in the duels," the Catalan coach said. "And we could not cope with it as they were so fast. Everything happened in the middle and they had more players there. We could not control them defensively and that was the point: to defend we have to play and we could not keep the ball, or make an extra pass."

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  Relentless pressing

  Liverpool and Aston Villa found it just as difficult to retain possession against PSG in the knockout rounds, and although both Premier League teams fared better in their respective home legs, they still couldn't find a way past the Parisians.

  The primary problem is dealing with PSG's pressing. As Luis Enrique has proudly pointed out, whenever the ball is lost, his players never stop trying to win it back. To illustrate the point, seven players have won possession more than 68 times in this season's Champions League, and five of them play for PSG: Achraf Hakimi, Joao Neves, Vitinha, Nuno Mendes and Willian Pacho. Unsurprisingly, Neves and Vitinha rank joint-first among midfielders, alongside Joshua Kimmich.

  Neves has also won more tackles than any other player (31), while only Bayern Munich's Kimmich has completed more passes than Vitinha, whom Luis Enrique is now touting as the best No.6 in the world – and with some degree of justification.

Newcastle United have agreed a four-and-a-half year deal to sign an exciting young Turkish player, according to a big update from journalist Yagiz Sabuncuoglu.

Newcastle transfer news

The Magpies have reportedly been given the opportunity to sign AC Milan winger Samuel Chukwueze before the end of the January transfer window. They need funds to help their finances and the Magpies are in the mix to snap him up, along with the likes of Tottenham, Everton and Crystal Palace.

Lille attacking midfielder Hakon Arnar Haraldsson is another player who has been linked with a switch to Newcastle in the near future, even being compared to Luka Modric, such is his talent. The 21-year-old has scored once in the Champions League this season, also finding the net twice in Ligue 1.

While RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko has been mentioned as an option for the Magpies, especially if Alexander Isak moves on any time soon, while Wolves attacking ace Matheus Cunha is seen as an alternative choice to add to Eddie Howe’s attack. He has been a standout player in the Premier League since August, scoring 10 goals.

As is the case with Chukwueze, a separate report has claimed that the Serie A giants could also offer winger Noah Okafor to Newcastle, once again as a way of making much-needed money. The Swiss ace has been limited to only one start in the Champions League this season, so the idea of a fresh challenge could appeal to him.

Newcastle have agreed to sign young attacker

According to Sabuncuoglu on X, Newcastle have “signed” Baran Yildiz on a permanent four-and-a-half year deal, with the 18-year-old currently playing for Genclerbirligi in Turkey, as Paul Mitchell and his team work their magic scouring the market for lesser known talents.

A fee has been agreed between the two clubs after talks this week, with Sport Witness going into more depth about the situation, saying that it may not be easy for the player to gain a work permit. That could lead to him being loaned back to his current club for the time being.

Newcastle supporters can be forgiven for not knowing much at all about Yildiz, given his tender years and the fact that he isn’t playing in one of Europe’s top five leagues currently.

The teenager is clearly seen as one for the future by the Magpies, rather than a player who is going to come straight in and boost Howe’s side’s chances of securing a top-four finish in the Premier League this season.

Yildiz is yet to play at senior level, highlighting his lack of experience, but he has scored seven goals in 27 appearances for Genclerbirligi’s academy, and has the potential to grow into a force over time.

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Newcastle fans will understandably demand to see bigger names come in, too, whether that be in the current or summer window, but signing exciting youth talent is also vitally important for the future of the club. That has been the case with the likes of Lewis Hall, Garang Kuol and Yankuba Minteh in recent years, with the latter joining Brighton for big profit while the former shines week in week out for the Magpies.

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Se a escolha do novo treinador parece certa, afinal as coisas estão encaminhadas com Maurício Souza, o Vasco agora se vê com o tempo necessário para dar dedicação total a um assunto tratado como prioridade na Colina: a renovação de contrato do volante Andrey Santos.

+ Andrey na lista: veja os valores das multas rescisórias de 27 joias do futebol brasileiro

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A joia da Colina, que disputa o Torneio Internacional pela Seleção Brasileira sub-20, vem sendo observado por olheiros de pelo menos três gigantes europeus em Cariacica (ES): Barcelona, Manchester City e Ajax. Conforme o LANCE! apurou, a notícia deixou os dirigentes vascaínos em alerta.

Andrey tem contrato com o Vasco até o dia 1º de agosto de 2023, por isso o clima em São Januário é de incerteza, e o clube resolveu antecipar as tratativas para prorrogá-lo.

Segundo pessoas da cúpula cruz-maltina, após acertar as bases salarias, há divergências quanto à duração do vínculo e o valor da multa rescisória com o estafe do camisa 16, agenciado por duas empresas: Bertolucci Assessoria e Propaganda, do empresário Giuliano Bertolucci, e pela Gold Player Sports Assessoria, dos empresários Fábio Menezes e Flávio Chaves.

Nos bastidores, o Vasco recebeu a resposta de que o estafe de Andrey prefere esperar pela entrada da 777 Partners, futura gestora do futebol, para dar sequência às negociações. O L! não conseguiu contato com Bertolucci, Menezes e Chaves até a publicação desta reportagem para comentar a informação.

Andrey é o jogador mais jovem a jogar pelo Vasco no Século 21. Estreou com 16 anos e 9 meses, no dia 6 de março de 2021. Na ocasião, entrou aos 40 minutos do segundo tempo da derrota para o Volta Redonda por 1 a 0, pelo Campeonato Carioca. Ao todo fez 13 jogos pelo time profissional, sendo titular nas últimas oito partidas.

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