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Surrey 193 for 7 (Evans 62*, Pope 53, Stewart 3-27) beat Kent 151 for 9 (Crawley 46, Santner 3-28) by 42 runsSurrey have thrashed the Kent Spitfires by 42 runs in the Vitality Blast at Canterbury.Surrey posted 193 for 7, Ollie Pope giving them a platform with 53 before Laurie Evans assaulted the death overs, making an unbeaten 62 from just 26 balls.England’s Zak Crawley hit 45 but the Spitfires crashed from 109 for 2 to 118 for 8, losing six wickets in a cataclysmic 17-ball spell. Mitchell Santner took 3 for 28 and Kent eventually closed on 151 for nine. Grant Stewart had Kent’s best bowling figures with 3-27.Surrey openers Pope and Dom Sibley put on 83 for the first wicket, after being put in. The former dominated the strike, reaching 50 with a swept single off Matt Parkinson and hitting one six off Joe Denly over the retirement flats on the Old Dover Road.The partnership wasn’t broken till the 10th over, when Pope chipped Parkinson to Denly at cover, but Kent then put the brakes on: Jason Roy was stifled and eventually holed out to Parkinson, getting caught on the boundary by Tom Rogers for four off ten balls.Sibley went for 36, trying to ramp Stewart but hitting him straight to Parkinson at sort third man and Sam Curran went in the same over, driving limply to Denly for one.Leaning missed a difficult chance to catch Evans off Stewart when he was on 15 and although the assault looked set to begin with five overs left when Santner dumped Wes Agar back over his head for six, he was out for 13 two balls later when he tried to repeat the trick and skied Agar to Rogers just inside the rope.Surrey were only on 128 for 5 after 16 overs, but Evans hit Rogers for 29 in the 17th. He reached his 50 from 20 balls, in the 19th over, before Ollie Sykes went for 15, run out by Leaning chasing a second. Chris Jordan then holed out to Stewart and was caught by Rogers for a duck.The chase got off to a bad start when Daniel Bell-Drummond was run out for two by a direct hit from Curran in the second over. Tawanda Muyeye made 26 from 20 balls but he swiped Santner to Sibley on the cow corner boundary.While Crawley and Denly were at the crease, however, Kent looked a decent bet, until a catastrophic spell saw them lose three wickets in three balls.At the end of the 13th Santner got Denly for 28, caught by Jordan at long off and Rogers for a golden duck, to a horrific shot that looped straight to Curran at midwicket. Crawley was then run out chasing a second off the first ball of the 14th and Sam Billings went in the same over, hitting Smith straight to Jordan.Over 4,537 were in the Spitfire Ground but the atmosphere had been killed stone dead, well before Stewart was out for two, hitting Curran to Roy at long off. Curran then had Leaning caught by Sibley four and Wes Agar was run out by Jordan for five off his own bowling.This left last-wicket duo Fred Klaassen and Parkinson with impossible task of hitting 49 off Jordan Clark’s final over.

Wolves manager Vitor Pereira explained why he clashed with the home fans at Molineux after his side went down 3-2 against Burnley on Sunday. This was Wolves' seventh defeat in their last nine Premier League matches as they continue to struggle at the bottom of the league table with just two points. Wolves are also the only club in all of England's top four divisions yet to win a game this season.

Wolves still searching for first win

Burnley took a two-goal lead within the first 30 minutes of the match as Zian Flemming scored a spectacular brace. The home team, however, bounced back before the halftime whistle with a couple of goals from Jorgen Strand Larsen and Marshall Munetsi. They fought hard in the second half and at one point, it seemed that they would walk away with at least a point, but Lyle Foster's 95th-minute strike broke Wolves' hearts as the Clarets claimed all three points from the away fixture. 

With seven losses and two draws in their first nine Premier League games, Pereira's side are still rooted to the bottom of the table, six points behind 17th-placed Fulham. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportPereira explains clash with home fans

Following Foster's last-gasp winner, the crowd at Molineux started to boo the team. Pereira was also greeted by 'sacked in the morning chants', which prompted the Portuguese coach to angrily confront the home supporters, with staff members stepping in to hold him back.

At his post-match press conference, Pereira addressed the incident as he said: "We understand the frustration of the people and supporters but what I must say, if we fight united with them, we can win games and compete and achieve our targets – without them, it is impossible. If we win two or three games in a row, things will change. Two months ago they sang my name, because together with the work we did last season, we are competing in the Premier League and not Championship. Now they sing my name to sack me. If I was a supporter, I would feel proud of my team because they worked and showed the spirit, mentality and ambition to win the game, even losing 2-0 [after 30 minutes]."

He added: "If you fight for 90 minutes to win a game and in the last minute when the other team was trying to get a draw, wasting time to finish the game, defending in a low block to defend the result, even if we draw it was not fair. We deserved the three points but it's football. I feel proud of my players because they showed in a very difficult moment, the mentality, the team spirit, the organisation to try until the last minute to win the game."

Pereira not worried about his future

Despite the fan uproar, the 57-year-old remains confident of holding on to his position, as he added: "I'm not worried. It's not about me. It's about the club, the team and the players. My work is to help them to come again mentally strong for the next battle. Sometimes we have very difficult moments in our life that we have to suffer. What I saw in the dressing room was a team suffering. They did everything to get more from this game. 

"What I said to them was today is a day we need to suffer but tomorrow we need to rise again ready for a fight. This is the mentality of this group. They deserve more than what we are getting in this league. I believe a win can change everything and feel today was the day but in the end, it was not. We must be ready to fight again and need our supporters again."

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(C)Getty ImagesCrucial week ahead

Pereira signed a new three-year contract at Wolves only a month ago but former Manchester United scout Mick Brown claimed that a decision on the coach's future might be taken during the November international break and that the next few games will determine whether he will stay at the club.

Wolves are due back in action at home to Chelsea in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, before focus shifts to a must-win game away at Fulham in the Premier League three days later.

Blaze fail to close out run chase as Bears sneak a share of the spoils

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay30-May-2025

The Blaze 160 for 4 (K Bryce 60*, Elwiss 52) tied with Bears 160 for 8 (Pavely 46, Gordon 2-26)The Blaze and Bears Women shared the points after opening their Vitality Blast season with a tie at Trent Bridge.Charis Pavely, who hit a career-best 46, shared a 75-run partnership with Katie George as Bears Women finished on 160 for 8 from 20 overs.Kathryn Bryce, who top-scored with 60 not out after being dropped on 5, and Georgia Elwiss looked to have set the home side, who were the final 20-over champions in the regional women’s professional game, on course to open with a victory.But, needing nine off the last over, bowled by England seamer Issy Wong, they were able to manage only eight, crucially losing Sarah Bryce, who had hit 27 from 18 balls, to a slower ball off the penultimate delivery.Bears opted to bat and clocked up a respectable 45 in the powerplay, losing two wickets as Abbey Freeborn was beaten by Maddy Green’s pinpoint throw as she chanced a leg-side single off Grace Ballinger, who had Davina Perrin caught at extra cover and should have had a second wicket when Sterre Kalis was dropped at square cover on nought.More casualties swiftly followed as the dangerous Wong was well taken at extra cover off Elwiss and Kalis was bowled by Kirstie Gordon in a stump-exposing attempted sweep.But from 61 for 4, the Pavely-George partnership gave the innings much-needed substance, England Under-19 allrounder Pavely surviving an early chance on 4 to lead the way as the fifth-wicket pair added 75 from 55 balls, hitting five fours and a sweetly-timed six over midwicket off Elwiss before she was bowled by Gordon, sweeping.Explosive Aussie batter Laura Harris clubbed Elwiss for another six but was caught at short fine leg without adding to it, Amu Surenkumar was bowled by Kathryn Bryce and George was run out off the last ball as Bears set The Blaze 161 to win.Marie Kelly, bowled by seamer Surenkumar, fell in the third over of the chase, but The Blaze were 43 from six overs without further loss and were well placed at 71 for 1 at the halfway stage, although only after Kathryn Bryce had ridden her luck on 5 and 13 as chances off Wong and Hannah Baker went down, the first a straightforward one at gully.They were proving increasingly costly as the experienced second-wicket pair began to accelerate, the frustration for Bears compounded as Elwiss had an escape on 45 before completing a ninth career half-century in this format from 36 balls. The partnership moved into three figures in the same over.Elwiss was bowled going down the track to Pavely’s left-arm spin. Joined in the middle by sister Sarah, Kathryn Bryce completed her fifty from 44 balls, but with 26 still needed from 18 balls, a tight finish was in the offing.It came down to nine off the last over and four off four balls after Sarah Bryce had picked off a fourth boundary in 17 balls but with two needed from two Bryce miscued to be caught at mid-off and Green was run out going for a second off the last ball, leaving the match tied.

Chelsea have made a transfer breakthrough after agreeing a deal to sign a new “diamond” attacking player for manager Enzo Maresca.

Chelsea hijacked by Tottenham for Xavi Simons

It has been a busy transfer window for the Blues so far in regards to both incomings and outgoings, with BlueCo currently spending more than £250m.

That figure could increase even further as well, with those at Stamford Bridge looking to make more attacking additions before Monday’s transfer deadline.

One player who won’t be making the move to Chelsea, though, is Xavi Simons. It looked as if the Netherlands international was on course to sign for Maresca’s side for large parts of the summer, however, rivals Tottenham have come in and secured the attacker’s services from RB Leipzig.

Spurs are paying more than £50m to sign Simons from under the noses of Chelsea and has been given a five-year deal contract in north London.

However, despite missing out on Simons, the Blues have had more luck when it comes to another long-term attacking target.

Chelsea agree £40m Garnacho deal with Man Utd

That’s because Chelsea have agreed a fee with Manchester United for the signing of Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho.

Chelsea will pay a £40million fixed fee for the 21-year-old, as per the PA news agency, with United retaining a 10 per cent sell-on fee clause. The deal represents Man Utd’s fourth-largest sale after the transfers of Cristiano Ronaldo, Romelu Lukaku and Angel Di Maria, and is the largest fee received for a graduate from the Red Devils’ academy.

The Blues initially offered a fee of £25million for a player who has scored 26 goals in 144 games for United, two of which actually came at Stamford Bridge in 2024. Garnacho will follow Marcus Rashford out of the Red Devils door to become the second member of United’s so-called ‘bomb squad’ of unwanted players to secure a move away from Old Trafford.

Chelsea have already signed Jamie Gittens, Liam Delap, Joao Pedro and Estevao Willian in a revamp of their attack this summer, and Garnacho is likely to compete with Gittens on the left wing.

Enzo Maresca calling £60m star with Chelsea ready to triple his salary

The Blues boss is personally contacting him.

By
Emilio Galantini

Aug 28, 2025

The deal for Garnacho, called a “diamond” by Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout, comes as Christopher Nkunku closes in on a move from Chelsea to AC Milan in a deal understood to be worth around £36million.

After what has been a busy summer transfer window already, Leeds United have officially welcomed their next new addition. The Whites have already signed eight players this summer, including two new attackers in Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Lukas Nmecha, who scored on his debut against Everton.

Now, Daniel Farke’s side added their third forward. It was reported a few days ago that Leeds are close to agreeing a deal to sign Noah Okafor from AC Milan. The Switzerland international will now join the club from the Italian giants for a reported fee of £17m.

With just ten days or so left of the window, it may seem that Leeds’ business will finish at Okafor, but they may yet make another signing.

Leeds' next signing after Okafor

Leeds’ recruitment this summer has been smart, bringing in a couple of free transfers and not paying over £20m for a player.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Bilal El Khannouss, a player strongly linked with the club, would have exceeded that with his reported £32m fee, but the Leicester City star is also being lined up by Crystal Palace.

Instead, a report from Simon Jones at the Daily Mail suggests that Leeds are looking at pursuing a deal for another Foxes star, versatile full-back James Justin. The Whites are said to be ‘assessing a move’ for the 27-year-old who has just one year left on his contract at the King Power Stadium.

However, the Yorkshire side are not the only Premier League club in for Justin this summer, with Everton also considering a late move for the defender. As for how much the deal would cost, it was reported earlier in the window that Justin could be available for a cut-price fee of just £6m.

Why Justin would be a good signing for Leeds

Despite struggling with major injury issues at times during his career, England international Justin would bring a plethora of experience to a Leeds side looking to stay in the Premier League.

Last season was not easy for Leicester, with the Foxes suffering from yet another top-flight relegation. He played all but two games in the Premier League, chipping in with two goals, including a stunner against Arsenal, and two assists, showing his attacking output from full-back.

In the top flight, he has regularly chipped in with goal contributions, with last season’s four the best of his career.

The stats show just how strongly he has performed in the Premier League. His all-round contributions have always been consistent, and at his best, he averaged 1.2 key passes per game in 2019/20, and 4.2 tackles and interceptions in the same season.

2019/20

1.2

4.2

2020/21

0.9

4

2021/22

0.8

3.5

2022/23

0.5

2.5

2024/25

0.4

3.2

If Leeds acquire Justin this summer, he could well be the dream signing for Okafor. The Switzerland star has struggled for consistency, spending the second half of last season on loan at Napoli, but barely featuring, making just four appearances.

Yet, at his very best, the attacker can be lethal. In the 2021/22 campaign for former club RB Salzburg, he scored 14 goals and assisted 11 in 34 appearances. That season, he operated as a striker more often than not, but also featured off the left.

Well, Justin has proven he can be a consistent chance creator in the Premier League. If he can start getting those chances flowing for Okafor, then the forward could explode in the Premier League.

Each player’s versatility is also key. Leeds’ prospective new attacker can play on either flank, just as Justin can. This offers interesting tactical flexibility for Farke; he can perhaps switch his winger and full-back pairing at will to build their relationship on the pitch, whilst maximising the strengths of other players on the pitch.

A strong creative option and a “colossal” defender, according to Statman Dave, Justin could be an excellent addition for Leeds. With the versatility and creativity he offers in the final third, this could make him a dream signing for Okafor. At just £6m, this seems to be a steal for Leeds.

Better than Nmecha: Leeds now competing to sign "powerful" new striker

Leeds United are reportedly competing to sign a striker who could be even better than Lukas Nmecha.

1 ByDan Emery Aug 20, 2025

Their run-scoring methods haven’t worked on this tour and part of that is due to the variety in the Indian bowling attack

Alagappan Muthu11-Feb-2025

Big picture: Variety the spice of both life and ODI bowling attacksJos Buttler, all though this ODI series, has been conscious of doing well for longer but also of playing watchable cricket. He picked up Rohit Sharma’s 72-ball hundred as an example of how that is a virtue worth striving for; that being “dynamic” and “aggressive” is how the game needs to be played in the modern day.Rohit, having suffered months where nothing went right – maybe a ball rolling off his forward defensive and onto his stumps at the start of the season should’ve been a clue – looked up and saw four fast bowlers coming at him on a slow and low pitch and all four of them were virtually the same. Mark Wood had a little more pace. Saqib Mahmood swings it a bit but essentially they were all tall guys operating in the 130-140 kph in conditions that were never going to help them.England, meanwhile, had to score their runs against a mystery spinner who had already run through them in the T20I leg of the tour. Varun Chakravarthy, on ODI debut, picked up a wicket in his second over. They had to navigate two very different left-arm spinners. Axar Patel doesn’t rely on turn. He round-arms it in looking for lbw and bowled. Ravindra Jadeja doesn’t distinguish between edges of the bat like that. He hunts both of them. Variety like that matters in ODI cricket. India have it, to the extent that Rohit doesn’t really see too much wrong with where his team is at.Everyone feels the need to play attacking cricket, and that’s not just now. One of the greatest ODIs ever played – the 438 game – took place even as the world had barely realised T20 was a thing and reiterated just the unmitigated thrill of run-scoring. Three-hundred playing three-hundred is boring but four-hundred playing four-hundred is edge of the seat. England made 500 seem gettable – twice – and that’s the dream they’re still chasing. Maybe they could put just as much attention into finding a bowling attack that isn’t so samey.Form guideIndia WWLLT (last five completed ODIs, most recent first)
England LLLWLIn the spotlight: Harshit Rana and Jos ButtlerHarshit Rana hated missing out on an international cap. He needed to be consoled when that kept happening, by his father, by his coach. Now though he’s an all-format player – Test, ODI and T20I debuts happening all in the space of four months – and with the Champions Trophy on the horizon his star might rise even higher. India are valuing his knack of picking up wickets over his tendency to leak runs and that is a trade-off worth pursuing, especially if it gives them a leg up in the middle overs.Harshit Rana, on ODI debut, picked up some big wickets•AFP/Getty Images

In Cuttack, at 219 for 3 in the 39th over, England were actually doing well, until their captain’s attempt to clear mid-off didn’t happen. Buttler could well have been playing that sequence in his mind when he said, “we are making steps again in the right direction but not the perfect, complete performance with the bat.” Had that shot gone for four, which it has hundreds of times before, things could’ve been different. Buttler needs for them to be different. The last 50-over ICC event that took place in the subcontinent didn’t go so well for him or England.Team news: India to bring back Kuldeep?When they named their squad for these ODIs, India had hoped to see if Jasprit Bumrah might be able to play this third one, following his back injury in the New Year’s Test against Australia in Sydney. That has turned out to be wishful thinking and it appears the way they front up now might be the way they front up in the Champions Trophy too, without their premier fast bowler. A different, but perhaps just as important member of their bowling attack, might be making his way back to the XI though. It was strange that Kuldeep Yadav was rested in the first place when he had played just two competitive matches since the middle of October 2024India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Harshit Rana, 11 Mohammed ShamiIt is a dead rubber so England might not push to bring back some of the players they rested in the last game, unless they are fit and able, in which case they could really use them considering Paul Collingwood and Marcus Trescothick had to volunteer for sub fielder duties. Tom Banton might be in line for an ODI recall, but given he usually does his best work at the top of the order, what does it mean for the rest of the line-up?England: 1 Ben Duckett, 2 Phil Salt (wk), 3 Tom Banton, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Jos Buttler (capt), 7 Liam Livingstone, 8 Brydon Carse, 9 Saqib Mahmood/Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Mark WoodPitch and conditions: Win toss, win match?A hot, humid day is forecast for the game in Ahmedabad. Both England and India are painfully aware that the best chance of winning a white-ball game there is to chase.Stats and trivia: Twin peaks waiting for India’s stars Rohit needs 13 runs to score 11,000 in ODIs. On Sunday, he went past Rahul Dravid into the top 10 run-getters in the format’s history Virat Kohli needs 89 runs to get to 14,000 in ODIs. Only Kumar Sangakkara and Sachin Tendulkar have ever got to that peak. England and India have both won the same number of matches since the end of the last ODI World Cup – 4 – just that England have also lost as many matches (9) as India have played in that same time.Quotes”We want to keep getting better as well. Nothing specific we want to work on but overall we want to keep getting better as a player and team. That is what we want to do. As long as guys are clear about what they are supposed to do, if they keep doing that not much to think about.”

Three-year deal for former Surrey and England captain in first major coaching role

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Dec-2024Adam Hollioake, Surrey’s legendary former captain, has been named as Kent’s new head coach, on a three-year deal that will keep him at Canterbury at least until the end of the 2027 season.He will take over from Matt Walker, who stepped down in September after eight years in the role, with Kent having suffered relegation from Division One of the County Championship, as well as finishing bottom of the South Group of the Vitality Blast.Hollioake, 53, has had limited coaching experience since retiring from playing in 2007, but forged his reputation as an inspirational leader during his time at Surrey, whom he guided to seven trophies, including three County Championships, between 1996 and 2003.He played four Tests for England between 1997 and 1998, as well as 35 ODIs in which his temporary role as captain resulted in a famous tournament victory in Sharjah in 1997-98. His tactical acumen is widely regarded to have been ahead of its time, and he was considered to lead England into the 1999 World Cup, in which he also played.Hollioake’s career was marred by tragedy, when his brother Ben was killed in a car-crash in March 2002, and he drifted away from cricket after retirement. After moving to live in Queensland in 2004, he set up a property company but was soon forced to declare bankruptcy and subsequently forged a brief career as a cage-fighter.Having coached Hong Kong at the 2000 ACC Trophy, he returned to cricket in 2017 as head coach of Boost Defenders in Afghanistan’s Shpageeza Cricket League, a role that he chose to stay on in even after a fatal bomb blast outside the ground in Kabul where his team were playing.This will be Hollioake’s first major head coach role, but he served as an assistant coach at Surrey in 2024, having previously worked as a batting coach for Pakistan, Queensland, and England Lions. He had been lined up by his former Surrey team-mate Graham Thorpe to join the England coaching set-up during the 2021-22 Ashes, but was ruled out after a close contact tested positive for Covid.”I’m honoured to be appointed as the head coach of Kent,” Hollioake said. “It’s an amazing chance for me to work with a great squad of players and to be involved with a county with such a rich history of success.”County Cricket is something that I hold extremely close to my heart, and this is an opportunity that I could not turn down.”Kent’s director of cricket, Simon Cook, said: “Adam has shown throughout his playing and coaching career that he has outstanding leadership qualities and a winning mentality, something that was instrumental in our decision to move in a new direction following our robust and thorough search for a new men’s head coach.”We welcome Adam into the Kent Cricket family and look forward to his leadership of our men’s side going into the new season.”

A mixed start to Newcastle United’s pre-season fixtures.

First, the Magpies demolished Carlisle United 4-0 in a behind-closed-doors friendly, with the now-departed Sean Longstaff breaking the deadlock, before Joelinton, Jacob Murphy and youngster Ben Parkinson were all on target.

However, on Saturday, with over 10,000 Geordies in attendance in Glasgow, Eddie Howe’s side were embarrassingly battered 4-0 by Celtic at Parkhead, with Nick Pope responsible for an absolute howler, gifting the Hoops their second.

Next up, the Toon Army will take on Arsenal at the Singapore National Stadium on Sunday, but will they have a new signing to get excited about before then?

Newcastle United's latest transfer news

So far this summer, Newcastle have signed Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest for a reported fee of £55m, making him the club’s second-most expensive signing of all-time, behind fellow-Swede Alexander Isak.

Meantime, they’ve seen a £25m bid rejected for Brentford striker Yoane Wissa, although the DR Congo international has left the Bees’ pre-season training camp in Portugal, and it is widely expected this deal will be finalised in the end.

While Wissa would be an excellent addition, representing a major upgrade on the released Callum Wilson, are Newcastle also turning their attention back to their top target?

Well, as reported by Chris Waugh of the Athletic, Newcastle ‘remain interested’ in signing Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guéhi, noting that internal discussions during recruitment meetings have been held.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Fair to say, Newcastle hold a long-standing interest in the England international, having had four bids rejected for Guéhi last summer, the highest of which was £60m, with Palace owner Steve Parish telling BBC Sport back then that it would require “superstar money” for the Eagles to consider selling their captain.

Guéhi is purportedly valued at £70m by the South London side, so should Newcastle push the boat out to bring him to Tyneside?

How Marc Guéhi would improve Newcastle

Howe will be looking to bolster his centre-back options this summer, ahead of a very busy schedule, given that his side have qualified for the Champions League.

The table below underlines his limited options in that position last season.

As the table outlines, due to Sven Botman’s injury issues, Dan Burn and Fabin Schär started the vast majority of Newcastle’s 48 fixtures last season in league and cup, something that’ll surely not be possible again with, at a minimum, eight Champions League ties thrown into the mix.

Should Guéhi arrive, he would certainly become first-choice in that spot, given that then-England manager Gareth Southgate described his performances at last summer’s Euros as “exceptional”, while former teammate Josef Buršík, now of Club Brugge, labelled him an “absolute tank”.

Meantime, Nathan Jackson of Total Football Analysis outlines how he has the potential to become the best centre-back in the Premier League, with Elias Burke of the Athletic praising his ability to complete ‘ambitious’ forward passes, due to his top-class quality on the ball, citing Roy Hodgson, who asserted that he is a future England captain.

So, let’s see how he compares to Burn, the man he’d surely be usurping in the Newcastle pecking order.

As the table outlines, Guéhi comes out on top for the vast majority of defensive metrics included; it is little surprise that Burn boasts better numbers when it comes to aerial duels!

This is exactly why Guéhi would be such a key signing for Newcastle, as he would represent a massive upgrade in a position of need.

Wissa, on the other hand, while an excellent player, not so much.

The Magpies already have Isak, who Graham Ruthven of Total Soccer Show asserts is one of the best four centre-forwards on the planet, alongside Erling Braut Håland, Harry Kane and Robert Lewandowski.

Of course, an Isak back-up is necessary, but this is why they signed William Osula last summer, a player who Beth Limb of Breaking the Lines believes has a ‘bright future ahead’, praising his ‘strong physical profile’ and ‘wonderful burst of acceleration’.

So, while Wissa will be a useful squad addition, Guéhi would represent a transformational first-team starter, hence why Newcastle should go all out to secure his signature.

Better fit than Ekitike: Newcastle lead race to sign £44m Wissa alternative

Newcastle eye highly-rated French forward after losing out on Ekitike

By
Will Miller

Jul 22, 2025

Celtic’s busy summer transfer activity continues, but a fair few more signings will be required before they commence their Scottish Premiership title defence against St Mirren in just three weeks’ time.

On Friday, it was confirmed that Nicolas Kühn had joined Como for a reported fee of £16.4m, one of the biggest sales in the club’s history.

Following the departure of Kyōgo Furuhashi in January, that is an enormous number of goals that have been taken out of Brendan Rodgers’ team in 2025, hence why they are in the market for attacking reinforcements.

Celtic's search for a striker

Few players in Celtic’s modern history are as universally beloved as Shunsuke Nakamura, who played for the club between 2005 and 2009.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

This is largely due to the fact that, as noted by content creator Jack Kenmare, the Japanese international is considered to be amongst the best free-kick takers of all-time.

During the 2006/07 season, Nakamura scored free-kicks home and away against Manchester United in the Champions League, including the only goal of a famous 1-0 win at Parkhead, before his free-kick at Rugby Park against Kilmarnock, coming in stoppage time no less, secured the title later in the campaign.

So now, could Celtic be about to land a brand-new dead-ball specialist?

Well, according to a report by Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, Celtic are attempting to sign Giuseppe Ambrosino on a season-long loan from Napoli, alongside another more proven forward.

The 21-year-old has been with Napoli since the age of ten, but is yet to make a senior appearance for I Partenopei, loaned out to Como, Cittadella, Catanzaro and most recently Frosinone, scoring five goals as I Giallazzurri finished 15th in Serie B.

Thus, a move to Celtic would be a big step-up for Ambrosino, but he could prove to be a useful addition.

Why Celtic supporters should be excited about Giuseppe Ambrosino

As the table below outlines, Ambrosino – who has been dubbed a “free-kick specialist” by journalist Graeme McGarry – has not pulled up any trees at any of his various loan clubs, but has impressed while representing Italy’s youth teams at major tournaments.

As noted in the table, Ambrosino was a key figure in the Italy side that reached the U20 World Cup Final in Argentina last year, starting six of the seven matches, scoring against the Dominican Republic in Mendoza, as gli Azzurrini were defeated 1-0 by Uruguay in the final at Estadio Único.

Then, just last month, he represented Italy at the under-21 European Championships, featuring in all four matches, scoring a stupendous, trademark free-kick to force extra time, as his side were ultimately eliminated at the quarter-final stage by Germany in Dunajská Streda.

These performances have yielded plenty of praise, with Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout impressed by his “finishing, movement and work-rate”, labelling him “versatile” and “unique” forward.

So, while very little is known about Ambrosino, he is clearly a player of immense talent.

When the aforementioned Nakamura joined Celtic in 2005, arriving from Serie A side Reggina, he was very much an unknown too, but would depart a bona fide cult hero, a status that he retains to this day.

So, as the Hoops look to shop in Italy again, Ambrosino could become only the fifth Italian to represent the Celts, after Rolando Ugolini, Paolo Di Canio, Enrico Annoni and Massimo Donati.

Whether or not his career will take off in Glasgow remains to be seen, but who doesn’t love a free-kick specialist?

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1

By
Ben Gray

Jul 11, 2025

It has not been the easiest summer transfer window for Newcastle United. Eddie Howe’s side have constantly seen their first-choice targets across the pitch turn them down, or they have lost out to other clubs. Bryan Mbeumo’s proposed move to Manchester United is a prime example of that.

Well, the Magpies have lined up a deal for former Man United academy star Anthony Elanga as an alternative to the Brentford winger, with the Nottingham Forest man set for a medical before a proposed £55m move.

At the other end of the pitch, Atalanta defender Giorgio Scalvini is a clear target for the Tynesiders. However, the Italian is not the only defender Howe’s side are lining up this summer.

Newcastle’s new defensive target

It remains to be seen just how realistic a deal to sign Scalvini is for Newcastle this season. The Magpies were reportedly engaging in discussions with Atalanta over the weekend, as per reports.

Well, another centre-back that the North East giants are pursuing is Chelsea’s French international defender Axel Disasi. According to a report from RMC Sport, Newcastle are one of a few sides who ‘have begun talks’ for the former AS Monaco star.

They are thought to be ‘interested in the international’s profile’, and could look to do a deal in the region of £25m, the fee Chelsea want from the move.

However, they are not the only club in the race, with Spanish outfit Villareal the one side ‘particularly persistent’ ahead of the deal.

Why Disasi would be a good signing

The 2024/25 campaign was by no means an easy one for 27-year-old Disasi. He fell out of favour under Enzo Maresca at Chelsea and departed the club on a six-month loan deal in January, joining Aston Villa temporarily.

The centre-back, who was a part of France’s 2022 World Cup squad, made 27 appearances across all competitions for the Blues and the Villans last term. However, with just 852 Premier League minutes under his belt for both sides, he surely did not play the number of games he may have wanted.

Yet, the Frenchman did impress at Villa Park, despite the lack of football he played last term. Villans boss Unai Emery said in March that Disasi was a player “growing in confidence” the more he played. That came after a Player of the Match performance against Brentford away from home.

As football talent scout Jacek Kulig once said, he is a “dominant” player when at his best.

The Chelsea defender could be the perfect alternative to Scalvini, who also didn’t play in 2024/25. However, that was due to injury, with the 21-year-old first recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, before picking up a shoulder injury which essentially ended his season.

So, last season, the Italy star made just eight appearances. However, in 2023/24, a season in which Atalanta won the Europa League, Scalvini played 44 games. In the final, he played 45 minutes against a Bayer Leverkusen side who had, until that clash, gone invincible. He helped keep a clean sheet and steer his side to a 3-0 win.

With little football for both players last season, it is perhaps tough for the Magpies to judge who is best to sign. However, stats on FBref from the 2023/24 season can be used to help make a better call, with Disasi’s numbers stacking up well against his Italian counterpart.

For example, the Chelsea number two, who will surely leave Stamford Bridge this summer, averaged 3.9 progressive passes and 3.55 clearances per 90 minutes. In comparison, the Atalanta star averaged 4.1 progressive passes and 2.51 progressive passes each game.

Progressive passes

3.9

4.1

Progressive carries

1.05

1.06

Tackles

1.15

1.87

Clearances

3.5

2.51

Ball recoveries

5.23

5.76

Aerial duel win rate

69.9%

66.7%

Whilst there is no doubt that Scalvini would be a good addition for the Magpies, his injury record is a worry, and Disasi could prove to be the dream alternative. The 27-year-old brings experience, progression from the back and good reading of the game, as stats like ball recoveries show.

For just £25m, this could be the dream addition for Newcastle this summer, to enhance the quality they have at the back.

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