There is one story that has been dominating the Newcastle United headlines throughout the summer transfer window, and it is showing no signs of stopping.

Will Alexander Isak remain at St. James’ Park or is he going to complete a British record transfer to Premier League champions Liverpool before September’s deadline?

The Athletic’s David Ornstein revealed that Newcastle turned down an offer from Liverpool on Friday, and that the Sweden international did not accept the club’s proposal to sign a new contract with a release clause that activates next summer.

Daily Mail’s Craig Hope then added that the offer from the Reds was worth around £110m, which fell well short of the club’s valuation of £150m.

As you can see in the post above, Eddie Howe is leaving the situation down to the people above him at the club, but he would like to see Isak back in his squad.

Why selling Alexander Isak would be a big blow for Newcastle

It does not take a genius to work out that the Swedish centre-forward is an incredibly important player for the English head coach heading into the 2025/26 campaign.

Only Mohamed Salah (29) scored more goals than Isak (23) in the Premier League last season, as the Newcastle man outscored Erling Haaland (22), Cole Palmer (15), Ollie Watkins (16), and Bryan Mbeumo (20), among others.

This shows that the former Borussia Dortmund marksman is one of the best goalscorers in the top-flight, and potentially the best number nine in the division, given that Salah is a right-sided attacker.

Isak also scored 21 goals in 30 Premier League matches in the 2023/24 campaign for the Magpies, which shows that his form last season was not just a flash in the pan. He is a consistent performer who has proven that he can score goals in the league at an exceptional rate.

xG

20.42

Top 4%

Goals

23

Top 1%

Shots on target

46

Top 4%

xA

3.60

Top 4%

Assists

6

Top 6%

Successful dribbles

42

Top 6%

Touches in the opposition’s box

211

Top 1%

As you can see in the table above, the 25-year-old sensation is not just a prolific goalscorer, he is also excellent for the Magpies in their build-up play with his ability as a dribbler and as a creator.

Isak is the total package as a Premier League number nine, hence why Newcastle want a British record fee of £150m from Liverpool to tempt them into cashing in on him.

This is why losing him would be such a big blow for Howe and his team this summer, although it would provide them with funds to bring in new additions.

Newcastle in talks to sign Premier League forward

According to The Boot Room, Newcastle United are eyeing up a number of potential forward signings to ease the possible blow of losing Isak before the end of the window.

The report claims that the Magpies are in talks to sign Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig, but they would also like another striker alongside the Slovenia international.

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It states that the Premier League side are also in talks over a possible deal to sign Senegal international Nicolas Jackson from rivals Chelsea.

Newcastle are pursuing a deal to bring the Blues number nine over to Tyneside in the coming weeks, and he is viewed as an option to come in alongside Sesko, not instead of him, should Isak depart.

Jackson reportedly has a £60m price tag over his head at Stamford Bridge, though it remains to be seen whether or not the Magpies are willing to pay that to snap him up this summer.

Why Nicolas Jackson could be an underrated signing for Newcastle

Supporters may look at the Chelsea striker and see that he scored ten goals from 12.34 xG in the Premier League last season, and be underwhelmed by this potential signing.

The 24-year-old marksman could be an underrated signing for the Magpies, though, because he has the potential to be an Isak clone at St. James’ Park, as outlandish as that may seem right now.

As per FBref, Isak is the most similar player, statistically, to Jackson in the Men’s Top 5 Leagues and European competitions over the last 365 days.

As you can see in the chart above, they are similar in a lot of ways, particularly at getting into high-quality goalscoring positions and creating chances for their teammates.

Like Newcastle’s £150m-rated superstar, Jackson is a well-rounded centre-forward who offers quality in build-up as a dribbler and a creative presence, but he has yet to show the brutal efficiency that Isak has in front of goal as a finisher.

xG

12.34

Top 16%

Goals

10

Top 28%

xA

1.92

Top 22%

Assists

5

Top 10%

Successful dribbles

18

Top 20%

Touches in the opposition’s box

153

Top 14%

As you can see in the table above, the Chelsea forward ranks highly among his positional peers in the division at creating chances, beating opposition players with dribbles, and getting touches in the box.

Jackson, who was described as a “monster” of a striker by John Obi Mikel, has a similar play style to Isak, as they are both strikers who want to get involved in the game beyond just scoring goals.

But, of course, the Newcastle man is significantly better at scoring goals at this moment in time, as evidenced by his return of 13 more league goals than Jackson last term.

If Howe can work with the Senegalese forward to improve his finishing and his composure in front of goal, the Magpies could end up with an incredibly underrated signing by bringing the Chelsea man in as a potential Isak clone due to his all-round game and what he offers as a striker.

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Whilst Newcastle and their supporters will not want to lose Isak to Liverpool in the coming weeks, signing Sesko and Jackson as a pair could soften the blow somewhat.

Tottenham Hotspur have opened talks to sign Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze, as widely reported, and Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has a price in mind.

Fabrizio Romano was among the reliable media outlets to confirm Spurs’ negotiations for Eze in a separate deal to their pursuit of Man City winger Savinho, with supporters now poised for a potentially exciting end to the transfer window.

“Understand Tottenham are also back in talks for Eberechi Eze in separate deal from Savinho,” wrote Romano on X.

“Spurs trying again for Eze while they work on Savinho, following Maddison injury and Son exit. Eze keen but deal depends on Palace as release clause expired.”

Interestingly, other reliable media sources differ with Romano about Eze’s £68 million release clause.

According to both talkSPORT and Standard Sport, the buy-out currently remains active and won’t expire until this Friday – potentially giving Levy and co a window of opportunity to trigger it and make Eze a Spurs player.

In a further bit of good news for Thomas Frank, who is in dire need of another creative attacking player after James Maddison’s ACL rupture, Eze is reportedly becoming open to joining Tottenham before the transfer deadline on September 1.

It is important to note that Frank’s side face stiff competition from north London rivals Arsenal, who have been in pursuit of the 27-year-old for well over a month after holding consistent talks with his representatives (Fabrizio Romano).

However, Arsenal currently have to make sales first (The Telegraph), and that may be stopping them from making a formal bid for Eze.

Their hesitancy could hand Spurs an advantage in the race for Eze, especially considering Levy and technical director Johan Lange were ready to splash £60 million on Nottingham Forest’s number 10, Morgan Gibbs-White, over a month ago.

The price Tottenham want to pay for Eberechi Eze

According to reliable journalist Ben Jacobs, Tottenham have a minimum valuation for the England international and an ideal price they’re willing to pay, as Levy looks to strike a deal quickly.

Taking to X, Jacobs reports that Levy wants to pay a similar fee to their deal for winger Mohammed Kudus – around £55 million.

That being said, Palace have been clear in their demands to sell their star attacking asset.

Given Tottenham’s glaring need for another forward option, after losing Son Heung-min to LAFC, Maddison to injury and being forced to deal with Dejan Kulusevski’s continued absence, it is imperative that Levy pulls no punches here.

Eze appears set to cost a similar price to what they were more than prepared to pay for Gibbs-White, so the Lilywhites clearly have the necessary funds to meet Palace’s valuation.

He’d be worth every penny, too, having averaged more shots, key passes and successful take-ons per 90 than any other Palace player in the Premier League last term – all whilst racking up 14 goals and a further 11 assists in all competitions.

Eze can also play on the left-wing when required, and you can make a serious case that he’s exactly who Frank is crying out for.

Tilak jumped a whopping 69 places after his back-to-back centuries in South Africa

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Nov-2024India allrounder Hardik Pandya is back on top of the T20I allrounders list in the ICC rankings, while Tilak Varma has broken into the top 10 among batters for the first time.Hardik displaced England’s Liam Livingstone at the top and also overtook Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee after he picked up two wickets and scored 18, 39 not out and 2 in the T20Is against South Africa. His top performance was his spell of 1 for 8 that included a maiden in three overs in the fourth T20I in Johannesburg. The last time Hardik rose to the top of the allrounders list was just a few months ago, after India won the T20 World Cup in June also by beating South Africa.Tilak, the Player of the Series in the recent bilaterals, shot up 69 places among the batters after his consecutive and unbeaten centuries that followed scores of 20 and 33 in the first two T20Is. He is now placed third, after Travis Head and Phil Salt, and closely followed by his captain Suryakumar Yadav. Sanju Samson, the other batter with two hundreds in the series, went up 17 places to 22nd, as he also bagged two ducks between the two centuries. Among bowlers, left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh moved to ninth after gaining three spots with the help of eight wickets against South Africa. Arshdeep was the top-wicket taker in the series among fast bowlers and bagged three-fors in the last two games.Adam Zampa, who picked up six wickets against Pakistan, was among the biggest gainers among the bowlers, reaching third spot after rising five places, just behind Adil Rashid and Wanindu Hasaranga. His team-mate Nathan Ellis shot up a significant 15 spots to reach 11th rank, after he finished the three T20Is against Pakistan with four wickets, including figures of 3 for 9 in the opening match that was truncated by rain.For South Africa, Tristan Stubbs climbed three places to move to 23rd whereas Heinrich Klaasen jumped six places but remained out of top 50, at 59th.After the 1-1 T20I series between Sri Lanka and New Zealand, Kusal Mendis rose to joint 12th spot after going up three places. After they won the ODIs 2-0, Maheesh Theekshana went up six places to be placed sixth, that pushed Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj one spot down each, to seventh and eighth respectively.

Manchester United have now opened talks to swap Alejandro Garnacho for “one of the best strikers in Europe”, according to journalist Miguel Delaney.

Garnacho almost certain to leave Man Utd

Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has recently revealed that Garnacho is almost certain to seal a move away from Old Trafford this summer, and there is a chance he could move to one of Man United’s Premier League rivals.

Romano said: “Don’t forget about the situation of Alejandro Garnacho, who remains a player appreciated by Chelsea. He remains a case to watch in this summer transfer window because Garnacho will leave Man Utd for sure. Chelsea are following the situation closely.”

It is no surprise that Ruben Amorim seemingly has no qualms about sanctioning a departure, given that the Argentinian hasn’t exactly endeared himself to fans as of late, with Mark Goldbridge left fuming after the United ace was pictured in an Aston Villa shirt.

Villa have also been named as potential suitors for the forward, who is enticed by the prospect of working under Unai Emery, but there has now been a suggestion that Amorim’s side could get him off the books in a different way.

In a report for The Independent, Delaney has now revealed that Man United have spoken to Villa about swapping Garnacho for Ollie Watkins, with INEOS trying to orchestrate slightly more unorthodox deals, in an effort to get around PSR issues.

Watkins is now attracting strong interest from the Red Devils, given that the striker is a proven Premier League goalscorer, and there is a belief they could get a deal done for around £40m – £45m.

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RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko is also on the shortlist, but a deal for the Slovenian may be more expensive, with a £78m fee being touted.

Watkins among the "best strikers in Europe"

Emery is likely to have little desire to lose the England international this summer, having lauded him as “one of the best strikers in Europe” in the past – a description which is certainly backed up by his performances for Villa over the past few years.

The 29-year-old has scored a minimum of 15 Premier League goals in his last three seasons, and having a reliable goalscorer in the squad would be a real boost for Amorim, given that the manager has been unable to depend on Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee.

The only concern over the signing of Watkins is likely to be his age, given that the Englishman is seven years Sesko’s senior, so United have a big decision to make before the season starts.

Regardless of whether Garnacho is included in a swap deal, it is important United get the 21-year-old off the books this summer, with his Villa shirt stunt showing he has little interest in remaining at Old Trafford.

Manchester United have now hatched a plan to sign an “exceptional” £120m star in a swap deal for Jadon Sancho, with Ruben Amorim pushing INEOS to get a deal done, according to a report.

Man Utd still keen to strengthen in several areas

With their Premier League opener against Arsenal a matter of days away, Man United still remain keen on strengthening in several key areas, and Gary Neville believes his former side’s most important task will be to bring in a new goalkeeper.

Neville is relatively encouraged by the additions Amorim has made up to this point, but added: “If they get a goalkeeper, I think that they could get into the top six, but a lot of things have to go on.”

Paris Saint-Germain’s Gianluigi Donnarumma has recently entered the frame as one of the Red Devils’ main targets, but it remains to be seen whether they are able to sign the Italian, given that they are now planning to break the bank on a midfielder…

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Indeed, Man United are expected to make a huge bid for Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba, but they have also hatched a plan to secure the central midfielder’s signature in a different way.

That is according to a report from The Independent, which states Man United would be willing to use Sancho as a makeweight in negotiations with Brighton, although it is deemed unlikely that the Seagulls will be tempted by a deal of that nature.

Instead, owner Tony Bloom is holding out for the huge sum of £120m, and INEOS are now actively trying to figure out a way of orchestrating the deal, amid pressure from Amorim.

The United boss is said to be pushing for the club’s hierarchy to bring in Baleba, with the manager keen on a new midfielder to fit the team together, and the Brighton star has the best profile of any player on the shortlist.

"Exceptional" Baleba very keen on Old Trafford move

With the defensive midfielder thought to be very keen on joining Amorim’s side, the move could be a formality if United are able to agree a suitable fee with Brighton, although they are driving a very hard bargain with the £120m asking price.

That said, there are some signs the Cameroon international could be worth the huge outlay, having performed extremely well on some key defensive metrics over the past year compared to other midfielders.

Statistic

Average per 90

Interceptions

1.56 (90th percentile)

Blocks

1.59 (85th percentile)

Tackles

2.67 (79th percentile)

Lauded as “exceptional” by scout Ben Mattinson, the 21-year-old is also Premier League proven, which is crucial, given that previous signings, such as Rasmus Hojlund, have failed to adapt to life in England after joining for huge transfer fees.

It seems unlikely that a swap deal for Sancho will be possible, but it is exciting news that Amorim is pushing to get a deal for Baleba over the line.

أعرب حسين الشحات، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، عن سعادته بالفوز على الزمالك بهدفين مقابل هدف ضمن منافسات الدوري.

وقدم الشحات، أداء قويًا أمام الزمالك، بعد نزوله بديلًا حيث سجل الهدف الأول، وحصل على ركلة جزاء والتي فاز من خلالها الأهلي.

وقال الشحات في تصريحات بعد المباراة: “رغم تقدم الزمالك في البداية من ركلة جزاء، إلا أننا استعدنا توازننا سريعًا، وقدمنا أداءً قويًا خاصة في الشوط الثاني الذي شهد سيطرتنا وتسجيل هدف التعادل ثم هدف الفوز، كما سنحت لنا فرصا كانت كفيلة بزيادة النتيجة”.

طالع.. عماد النحاس: الأهلي قدم أفضل مبارياته أمام الزمالك.. والكل يريد أن يقود الفريق

وعن تتويجه بجائزة رجل المباراة، أوضح: “أنا سعيد بها، لكن في الحقيقة جميع اللاعبين يستحقونها، سواء الأساسيون أو البدلاء، لأنهم قدموا مباراة كبيرة هذه هي شخصية الأهلي واللاعبين الكبار الذين يظهرون دائمًا في المباريات الصعبة”.

وواصل: “اللاعبون الكبار كان لهم دور مهم قبل القمة، وأشكر ياسر إبراهيم الذي حرص على جمع اللاعبين قبل أيام من المباراة، تعاهدنا وقتها على الفوز وإسعاد جماهير الأهلي، والحمد لله نجحنا في ذلك”.

واستطرد: “كنت أتوقع التسجيل قبل المباراة، وأفراد أسرتي دعموني وتوقعوا تألقي، لذلك أهدي لهم هذا الهدف والفوز”.

وأتم: “الفوز في القمة يمنحنا دفعة كبيرة للمباريات المقبلة وأغلقنا صفحة الزمالك، وهدفنا الآن هو مواصلة الانتصارات والعودة إلى صدارة الدوري بدعم جماهيرنا”.

MatériaMais Notícias

A partida entre Botafogo e Corinthians será realizada em novo horário. Válido pela quinta rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro, o confronto, previsto para esta quinta-feira, no Nilton Santos, iniciará às 19h30.

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O “ajuste de tabela” foi solicitado pela CBF. Originalmente, a partida seria realizada a partir das 19h.

Todos os jogos do Brasileirão você encontra na Prime Video. Assine e veja os jogos do seu time de coração!

Líder do Brasileirão, o Glorioso tenta seguir com 100% de aproveitamento na competição nacional. O Corinthians ainda se esmera por uma reação no Brasileiro.

South Africa could muster only 124, and England blazed past that total in just 11.3 overs

S Sudarshanan30-Nov-2024

Charlie Dean took three wickets in her spell•Gallo Images/Getty Images

A powerful bowling performance in Centurion helped England register their fourth clean sweep in a T20I series, with a thumping victory against South Africa on Saturday.England’s bowlers were led by Charlie Dean as they restricted the hosts to 124. Lauren Filer and Lauren Bell took three wickets in the first four overs before Dean struck twice. South Africa were reduced to 45 for 5 inside eight overs and limped to an under-par total.England’s openers Danni Wyatt-Hodge and Maia Bouchier attacked from the start in the chase. Wyatt-Hodge brought up her second successive half-century to hand South Africa a thrashing. It was only the second time that South Africa had been whitewashed at home in women’s T20Is.Related

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It did not help South Africa that they were without captain Laura Wolvaardt, who was ruled out due to illness. They also rested their other regular opener Tazmin Brits and their leading spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba.Filer and Bell deliver early blowsEngland got the perfect start after opting to bowl. Filer struck with the second ball of the match to dismiss Anneke Bosch. Aiming for an inswinging yorker, Filer delivered a low full toss at 121.1kph to Bosch, who swiped across the line and was bowled. From the other end, Bell also struck with her second ball, bouncing out Faye Tunnicliffe for 1.Annerie Dercksen, batting at No. 3, played her shots on the flat pitch in Centurion. She hit Filer for successive boundaries before scoring two more off Bell in the fourth over. But while trying to flick a full ball angling down leg, she got a leading edge to mid-on and South Africa slowed down further after her dismissal.Dean creates pressure and reaps rewardsOne of Dean’s biggest strengths – her ability to stay calm under pressure – was on display in Centurion. She was struck for three fours by Sune Luus – inside-out over cover, an edge through slips, and a pull behind square – but bounced back by getting her to miscue one to cover. South Africa were 42 for 4 after six overs.That became 45 for 5 when Dean had Chloe Tryon, South Africa’s stand-in captain, chipping to cover again in her next over. She then dismissed the dangerous Nadine de Klerk at the death to finish with figures of 3 for 26. Despite going for 12 in her opening over, Dean bowled 14 dots in her four-over spell spread across the three phases.Lauren Bell picked up an early wicket for England•Gallo Images/Getty Images

Shangase, de Klerk help South Africa recoverSouth Africa were in trouble when Tryon became the fifth batter to fall by the eighth over. The aim for Nondumiso Shangase and de Klerk was to deny England further openings and consolidate. Shangase eventually ended the boundary drought after five overs.She scored a couple of fours through the backward square-leg region, pulling when Freya Kemp strayed with her line and length. De Klerk then attacked the disciplined Dean by charging and hitting her over cover. Shangase gave Kemp the charge again to bring up the 50-run partnership with de Klerk.Shangase’s dismissal, however, came at a bad time for South Africa and slowed them down. She looked to turn one to the leg side but the ball deflected off her pad to wicketkeeper Amy Jones, who whipped the bails off before Shangase could ground her foot. De Klerk also fell a couple of overs later and South Africa’s innings ended with a whimper.England ace the chaseDespite their early exit from the T20 World Cup earlier this year, England captain Heather Knight insisted they would continue to back their aggressive approach. Their batters have focussed on attacking more in the powerplay and they did so again in Centurion. Following scores of 42 and 48 respectively in the first two games, England scored 61 in the powerplay this time.Bouchier took the initiative first, targeting Eliz-Mari Marx in the third over of the chase that cost South Africa 20. She hit five fours and a six, and Wyatt-Hodge was on only 12 off 13 when Bouchier fell. The experienced opener then scored 41 off her next 18 balls – hitting Tumi Sekhukhune and Luus for successive boundaries. She also tonked Shangase for a six and a four before lofting Tryon over cover to bring up her fifty and complete England’s victory.

Johnny Cardoso and Julian Alvarez have been left out of Atletico Madrid's squad to face Liverpool in their Champions League opener. Alvarez has been a mainstay in Diego Simeone's side since completing his move to the Spanish club from Manchester City in 2024, and has two goal contributions to his name from four appearances so far this season.

Simeone names 22-man squad for Liverpool clash

Atletico Madrid have officially released the 22-man squad Simeone has chosen to travel to Merseyside to face reigning Premier League champions Liverpool in their Champions League opener. Alvarez and Cardoso are the most notable absentees, but Thiago Almada, Jose Maria Gimenez, and Alex Baena have also been omitted from the squad.

AdvertisementGettyAlvarez picked up injury against Villarreal

Alvarez started Atletico's latest La Liga fixture against Villarreal but was substituted at half-time after suffering a knee injury. The Argentina international has yet to recover from the knock and will miss the European clash against the Reds. While Alvarez missed half of the Villarreal game, he did provide the assist for Pablo Barrios' early goal as Simeone's side picked up a comfortable 2-0 win.

Getty ImagesWhy is Cardoso unable to play?

United States men's national team star Cardoso, who joined Atletico from fellow La Liga club Real Betis for a fee of $35 million (£25.7m) in the summer, reportedly sustained a sprain during the club's training session on Monday and will not travel to the UK for Champions League duty.

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Getty ImagesAnfield to Mallorca: Quick turnaround for Atletico

After facing Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday, Simeone's Atletico side will only have four days to prepare for their next La Liga outing away at Real Mallorca on Sunday. Atletico are down in 11th in the table after winning just one of their first four games.

Wayne Rooney has explained how son Kai faced added "pressure" in Manchester United's academy when playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo Jr.

• Teenage hopefuls following in famous footsteps
• Attract more attention than others of the same age
• Difficult for them to escape the added attention

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo made a stunning return to Old Trafford in the summer of 2021. His eldest son has followed the Portuguese GOAT around the world, spending time in youth systems at Real Madrid, Juventus, United and Al-Nassr.

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• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ronaldo Jr got the chance to work with other famous offspring when linking up with the Red Devils. Kai Rooney formed part of the same age group, as did Michael Carrick’s son Jacey. They brought more eyes to games that would usually have sailed under the radar.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Manchester United’s all-time leading goalscorer admits as much, with Wayne seeing his first born have to cope with even more attention as attendance numbers for games featuring a collection of teenage hopefuls surged.

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  WHAT ROONEY SAID

  Speaking on podcast, the Red Devils icon said of the challenge facing those that come from a professional football family: "There's a bit more pressure on them as well.

  "Kai and [when Cristiano] Ronaldo came back, Ronaldo's lads and Michael Carrick's lad were all on the same team.

  "You go and watch and then all of a sudden there's like 10 times the amount of people that's normally there, all around the pitch watching, so there's a lot more pressure because they're coming to watch the three kids to see how they play and stuff. They've got to be ready."