Celtic and Brendan Rodgers still have plenty of work to do in the market before the summer transfer window officially slams shut at the start of September.

When asked about what the Hoops need to do, Rodgers said: “I think it’s bringing goals to the squad. Especially when you score four goals, it seems like you’re okay. But we lost an important player in Kyogo [Furuhashi] in January. He brought us a lot of goals. We lost Nicolas Kuhn. He brought us a lot of goals. Matt O’Riley even last summer.

“So even though we scored a lot of goals last season, we still want more. And our ambition is to have more. So I think all across the front areas, we have to be active in order to give us that depth we need.”

This suggests that the Scottish Premiership champions will be looking to add more attacking players to their squad, which is backed up by their reported interest in Go Ahead Eagles forward Jakob Breum.

However, the Hoops should also be looking for reinforcements in the middle of the park in the coming weeks, as they look a little light in the number six department.

Why Celtic need to sign another number six

Callum McGregor, the captain, is currently the only player in the squad who you would describe as a natural number six, a tempo-setter who can sit at the base of the midfield to dictate play and screen in front of the back four.

Reo Hatate, Arne Engels, Luke McCowan, and Paulo Bernardo are the manager’s other options in the middle of the park, and they are all more traditional number eight or number ten types, who want to be all-action and pushing forward to get involved in attacks on a regular basis during games.

McGregor is the player who sets the standards, as the captain, and really drives the style of play for Rodgers with his fantastic ability to be a metronome in midfield.

Pass accuracy

94%

1st

Passes attempted per game

80

1st

Passes made per game

74

1st

Least possessions lost per game

6.9

1st

Accurate long passes per game

1.4

2nd

As you can see in the table above, no midfielder in the squad is as effective or efficient as a passer than the former Scotland international, which is why he is the starting number six for Celtic.

However, there is no depth behind the 32-year-old star in that position, which is why it should come as good news that the Hoops are looking at another option for that role.

Celtic eyeing up Premier League starlet

According to TEAMtalk, Rodgers is ‘planning’ a raid to sign Liverpool central midfielder Stefan Bajcetic to bolster his Celtic squad before the end of the summer window.

The report claims that the Spanish youngster has emerged as a target for the Scottish Premiership champions, who are looking for more reinforcements in the coming weeks.

Transfer Focus

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It adds that Liverpool, who won the Premier League last season, are willing to sanction an exit for the 20-year-old talent, and that they would be willing to explore a loan with an option to make it permanent next summer.

However, TEAMtalk explains that the potential valuation of that permanent option could make it a difficult deal for Celtic to do, as they do not want to go overboard on their budget, which makes this a difficult deal for them to get over the line.

If the Hoops are able to reach an agreement with Arne Slot’s side to bring Bajcetic to Parkhead, though, they could have a McGregor clone on their hands.

Why Celtic should sign Stefan Bajcetic

The 20-year-old starlet could come in as the perfect understudy to the Celtic captain as a natural number six who can step in and play when the Scottish ace needs a rest, with a view to him eventually taking over as the starter in the future.

At the age of 20, Bajcetic is 12 years younger than McGregor and could be the future for the Hoops, as a young player with plenty of time left ahead of him to grow and develop, whilst the skipper is in the latter stages of his career.

In terms of how he would fit in from a stylistic perspective, the Liverpool youngster would also be an ideal signing because he was the most comparable player to McGregor, statistically, in the Champions League last season, as per FBref.

The chart above backs that up, as they appear to excel in similar areas of the game in and out of possession, as Bajcetic caught the eye whilst on loan at RB Salzburg in the first half of the season.

During his time in the Austrian Bundesliga, the Liverpool youngster showcased his potential as a number six who can dictate games as a passer, whilst also being strong out of possession.

Passes made

41.55

Top 19%

Pass accuracy

81.8%

Top 27%

Accurate long passes

3.08

Top 17%

Tackles made

1.91

Top 16%

Duels won

8.37

Top 7%

Duel success rate

62%

Top 1%

As you can see in the table above, he ranked highly among midfielders in areas of the game that a number six needs to excel at, in terms of setting the tempo with passes and winning his duels in front of the back four.

As you would expect at the age of 20, Bajcetic is not the finished article, as shown by his pass accuracy of 81.8%, compared to McGregor’s 94% in the Premiership, but he has time on his hands to develop.

Journalist Leanne Prescott once claimed that it was “staggering” how in control Liverpool looked with the Spaniard at the base of their midfield, which further backs up the belief that he could come in as the perfect understudy to the Celtic captain.

Giakoumakis repeat: Celtic are in "talks" to sign "exciting" £7m forward

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Bajcetic is a McGregor clone in the making with his qualities in and out of possession in the number six position, which is why he could be a fantastic addition to the squad this summer.

Kylian Mbappe has endorsed Ousmane Dembele's bid to win the Ballon d’Or after his sensational Paris Saint-Germain displays saw him billed a favourite.

Mbappe backed Dembele for the 2025 Ballon d’OrGot 35 goals and 16 assists in PSG’s historic seasonCeremony takes place on September 22 in ParisFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Real Madrid forward Mbappe has officially endorsed his France team-mate Dembele for the 2025 Ballon d'Or. Speaking to French broadcaster , Mbappe unequivocally stated that the PSG forward deserves to win football's most coveted individual prize and dismissed the chances of rival contender Lamine Yamal with a tongue-in-cheek comment.

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Mbappe's high-profile backing adds significant weight to Dembele's candidacy ahead of the award ceremony on September 22. The PSG star is considered a frontrunner after a phenomenal 2024-25 season in which he led his club to a first ever Champions League success as well as the Ligue 1 and Coupe de France titles. His main competition is widely seen to be Barcelona's Yamal, making Mbappe's comments a clear statement of support for his compatriot in a tight race. 

Dembele registered 35 goals and 16 assists in all competitions for PSG last season. He is one of nine players from the Champions League-winning side to be included in the 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d'Or.

WHAT MBAPPE SAID

Speaking on whether Dembele deserves the award, Mbappe said: "Does he deserve it? For me, yes. I hope he wins it. I supported him from the start. I also hope that Achraf [Hakimi] will be well ranked, it would be good for the defenders, he had a historic season." 

When asked about Yamal, Mbappe joked: "Well, no, he’s a Barcelona player. But he’s a very good player."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE & DEMBELE?

All eyes will be on the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris for the Ballon d'Or ceremony on September 22. In the immediate future, Mbappe is preparing for France's World Cup qualifier against Iceland on Tuesday. Dembele, however, will play no part after sustaining a hamstring injury in the win over Ukraine on Friday. The injury could reportedly sideline the PSG star for several weeks, meaning his focus will be on recovery rather than international duty.

The alleged incident happened during the 2023 ODI World Cup, for which he has been suspended for two days and will be “terminated immediately” after; Phil Simmons takes over his role

Mohammad Isam15-Oct-2024

Chandika Hathurusinghe (right) with Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto•Getty Images

Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe has been sacked by the BCB for the alleged “assault” of a player during the 2023 ODI World Cup. He has been suspended for 48 hours in lieu of a notice period, and he is to be “terminated immediately” after that period. He was also served a show-cause notice by the board.The BCB also announced the appointment of Phil Simmons, the former Zimbabwe, Ireland, West Indies and Afghanistan head coach, as Bangladesh’s interim head coach until the Champions Trophy in February 2025.”Hathurusinghe has two counts of misconduct,” BCB president Faruque Ahmed said at a press conference in Dhaka on Tuesday. “First is about an assault on a player. Secondly, he took too many leaves, more than what was in his contract.”The suspension-cum-sacking is because of an incident at the 2023 World Cup when, during a match against New Zealand in Chennai, Hathurusinghe allegedly hit a player during one of the drinks breaks. ESPNcricinfo has learned that the player had had a slightly delayed reaction to the drinks break – he had been tasked with taking drinks out to his batters in the middle – prompting Hathurusinghe’s reaction. Apparent eyewitnesses reported the incident to the BCB’s higher-ups in Kolkata two weeks later, but it went unaddressed.Ahmed also said that Hathurusinghe was guilty of misconduct as a BCB employee because of all the extra leave he took. ESPNcricinfo understands that Hathurusinghe’s contract with the BCB capped his leave at 45 days per year, but he took 112 days in 2023 and 59 days till date in 2024.The BCB’s chief executive Nizamuddin Chowdhury handed over a letter to Hathurusinghe, informing him of the decision, at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, hours before Ahmed’s media announcement.”There were couple of incidents about the current coach which, for me as a former player, were quite painful,” Ahmed told the media. “As it doesn’t set a good example for the Bangladesh team, we have served him with a show-cause notice and suspension from duty as head coach today. His suspension is for a 48-hour notice period, which we are not bound to give him. But we did it out of courtesy as he is an international figure. We have suspended him, and with immediate effect afterwards he will be terminated.”There was a misconduct with a player, and misconduct as an employee. He also spent more than three months [on leave], that is also a large part of his misconduct. He informed us in a scattered way, in one or two emails, that he has to go home. It can’t be for more than three months. Even as a board president, I cannot do what I want. I am guided by some rules. It is the norm. So there was a serious breach in that regard.”BCB not naming player involved in incident: ‘The victim is not very comfortable about it’Ahmed would not name the player involved in the alleged assault incident. “It was a sad incident for the particular player. I am not defending anyone, anything might happen in the heat of the moment, but you cannot hit a player. It is not on. This is the right punishment. It should have happened some time ago,” he said.”The victim is not very comfortable about it. I will not mention his name. We will only talk about the misconduct. This incident shouldn’t have happened.”Ahmed said he had read about the incident before he became the BCB chief, and he started an investigation after being elected to the post in August.”I investigated myself. I spoke to the victim. I spoke to the eyewitnesses,” Ahmed said. “Both of their versions are already in the report. [The incident] was mentioned in a previous report.”I remember feeling really disappointed when I read about the incident last year. I felt something should have be been done about it at the time. The ICC is quite strong about racism and abuse. They would be more serious about assault.”Hathurusinghe returned for his second stint as Bangladesh coach in February 2023. In August this year, shortly after Ahmed was appointed as board president, he had said that Hathurusinghe should no longer continue as Bangladesh’s head coach. Ahmed said Hathurusinghe’s sacking had nothing to do with “personal reasons” though.”When I spoke about Hathurusinghe previously [before being elected BCB president], I spoke as a former player who was assessing a coach. I said at the time that he doesn’t have much more to give to Bangladesh. My decision today isn’t influenced by personal reasons.Under Hathurusinghe, Bangladesh produced underwhelming performances during last year’s ODI World Cup and this year’s T20 World Cup. His biggest achievement in this stint was Bangladesh’s 2-0 Test series win against Pakistan in August. It was their maiden win in Pakistan, and first overseas Test series win in 15 years. However, following that, in India, they lost 2-0 in the Tests and 3-0 in the T20Is which included a 133-run thrashing in the third match.Simmons appointed after BCB speaks to ‘a number of coaches’Ahmed expressed satisfaction at Simmons being appointed interim head coach. He said that they got a coach with a good track record, who has worked in several countries and with several franchises. He said that Simmons will be the head coach from the home Test series that starts against South Africa starting next week, running up till the Champions Trophy in February 2025. In this period, Bangladesh will also play an ODI series against Afghanistan and tour the West Indies for an all-format gig.”We have appointed Phil Simmons for the interim period. His initial contract is up to the Champions Trophy. He was head coach in different countries. He has a very good track record. He has worked with many franchises, including tournaments like the Pakistan Super League and Major League Cricket.”He has had a healthy career as a coach. We spoke to a number of coaches, and we got a really hard-working guy.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O volante Richard Ríos foi apresentado oficialmente pelo Palmeirasnesta sexta-feira (14), na Academia de Futebol. O colombiano, novo dono da camisa 27, falou sobre o apoio recebido pela torcida palmeirense desde a negociação e também projetou o seu futuro no clube.

> Por Liga, Leila sobe ainda mais tom contra Flamengo: ‘Se acha que o futebol brasileiro é pequeno, que vá jogar na Europa’

– Desde que eu cheguei, a família palmeirense me acolheu de uma forma muito importante para mim. Receber os comentários, mensagens e ligações é muito gratificante. Eu só entro em campo para fazer o meu trabalho, o meu melhor. Eu sempre quero evoluir, e é isso que vou fazer aqui- disse o volante.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasPalmeiras ‘muda a chave’ de novo e vai completar quatro competições diferentes em dez diasPalmeiras13/04/2023PalmeirasMaratona de jogos pesa, e Palmeiras começa o Brasileirão com suporte da basePalmeiras13/04/2023PalmeirasPor Liga, Leila sobe ainda mais tom contra Flamengo: ‘Se acha que o futebol brasileiro é pequeno, que vá jogar na Europa’Palmeiras14/04/2023

-Eu venho aqui sem pressão pelo técnico. A pressão vem de você estar nesse clube tão gigante. Eu venho fazer o meu trabalho, dar o meu melhor, que é o que o treinador fala todos os dias para o time. Dê o seu melhor, que o resto vem consequentemente. Então venho aqui dar o meu melhor, o que eu puder fazer para ajudar o clube a ganhar mais títulos.

Richard Ríos foi anunciado no último dia 28 de março, sendo o primeiro reforço do Palmeiras na temporada. O volante, que já disputou dois jogos, também comentou sobre a expectativa de ser o substituto de Danilo, vendido ao Nottingham Forest no início do ano.

– Respeito e admiro a carreira do Danilo, mas eu vim para fazer a minha. Se ele me colocar de camisa oito, vou dar o meu melhor e o meu máximo – afirmou.

>Maratona de jogos pesa, e Palmeiras começa o Brasileirão com suporte da base

O volante colombiano foi destaque nesta temporada do Paulistão pelo Guarani, chamando atenção especialmente pela sua versatilidade. Além disso, marcou dois gols, deu uma assistência e foi um dos líderes do competição em desarmes e passes-chave (que geraram chance clara de gol). Em sua apresentação, Richard Ríos afirmou que pode jogar em qualquer posição no meio-campo.

– Para mim é gratificante trabalhar com um treinador como o Abel. Não sei se você assistiu os jogos do Paulista. Até onde o Guarani chegou, fui um dos jogadores que mais desarme fez. Eu posso jogar em qualquer posição que o treinador me colocar – concluiu.

O jogador de 22 anos tem contrato com o Palmeiras válido até dezembro de 2025 e opção de prorrogação por mais uma temporada. Ríos se junta a Atuesta como o segundo jogador colombiano do elenco do Verdão, e o décimo da história do clube.

Nottingham Forest are now “preparing to submit” an offer for an “elusive” forward “in the near future”, journalist Yakup Cinar has revealed.

Forest looking to sign Elanga replacement

It will be very difficult to find a replacement for Anthony Elanga, given that the Sweden international was one of the driving forces behind Forest’s unexpected push for Europe last season, amassing 17 goal contributions in the Premier League.

However, a number of exciting options have been identified, with transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealing the Tricky Trees and owner Evangelos Marinkais have now made their first move for Bologna’s Dan Ndoye, who has already given a move to the City Ground the green light.

However, with Serie A champions Napoli also in the race for Ndoye, it could be difficult to get a deal over the line, and Marinakis and the Reds are also planning to make a move for an alternative option.

That is according to Cinar, who recently revealed: “West Ham and Aston Villa wanted Baris Alper Yilmaz at half-time (January). I also recently met with his manager, Tuncay Maldan. Nottingham Forest are preparing to submit a €25-30m offer to Galatasaray for Baris Alper Yilmaz in the near future.”

With an offer of £22m – £26m set to be launched soon, it is clear that Forest retain a strong interest in the forward, but it remains to be seen whether Galatasaray are tempted by a bid in that ballpark, having previously been keen to hold out for £30m.

Nottingham Forest learn £50m target could be tempted by Europa League place

The Tricky Trees could have an opportunity to land a new star…

BySean Markus Clifford Jul 19, 2025 "Elusive" Yilmaz impressing in the Turkish Super Lig

It is little wonder the Tricky Trees are planning to launch a move for the winger, given that he has been a regular source of goals and assists for Galatasaray for quite some time, and the 2024-25 campaign was the 25-year-old’s most impressive to date.

Competition

Appearances

Goals

Assists

2022-23

25

4

2

2023-24

37

6

7

2024-25

32

12

3

The Turkey international also scored in the Europa League last season, and that experience could be useful for Forest, given that they are set to embark on a European campaign of their own next season.

Not only that, but the attacker has given one of the Premier League’s top defenders a tough time in the past, with Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk saying: “Baris Alper Yilmaz was running constantly. He was running elusive. It was difficult for every defender. He made it very hard for us. He couldn’t score a goal though. If we were to describe him in any way, he is a really important player.”

As such, Yilmaz could now be ready to test himself in England, and given that he is able to play on both wings, the Galatasaray star could be an ideal replacement for Elanga.

Cristiano Ronaldo was less than impressed when a star-struck fan rushed over to take a selfie with him at Portugal's team hotel.

• Ronaldo shoved fan away
• His entrance was met by screams of 'Cristiano!'
• Portugal face Armenia in World Cup qualifier at 17:00 BST

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ronaldo shoved the fan away as security intervened to stop the man, who had rushed over to take a selfie with the Portugal superstar on his arrival, with footage of the incident going viral on social media. The sight of the 40-year-old was met with screams of 'Cristiano!' from other supporters. According to O Jogo, Ronaldo wasn't happy with the situation and told the fan to "get out of here." Portugal face Armenia in their World Cup qualification fixture at 17:00 BST, with Ronaldo starting through the centre for Roberto Martinez's side.

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• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  While such interactions are unfortunately likely to be commonplace for a global star the size of Ronaldo, he will have been disappointed by how the fan was allowed to get to close up to him as he attempted to get in the zone ahead of the fixture with his national team. Security were slow to react to the situation, meaning Ronaldo ended up taking matters into his own hands by shoving the intrusive fan away.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Ronaldo will make his 222nd appearance for Portugal against Armenia, having scored 138 goals for his nation. The Al-Nassr captain and former Real Madrid and Manchester United icon will hope to compete at what is surely to be his last World Cup at the age of 41 next summer.

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• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?

  Ronaldo will hope to shine for his nation as they face Armenia and Hungary over the international break with the aim of securing qualification for the World Cup next summer. Should the Portuguese and Argentina star and long-time rival Lionel Messi both appear in the tournament, the pair would both break an all-time record by becoming the first ever players to compete in six World Cups. The pair are known as two of the greatest of all time for a reason.

Leeds United have less than two weeks to prepare for their opening game of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign against Everton at Elland Road.

It will be the club’s first top-flight match in more than two years, since their 4-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in West Yorkshire under the management of Sam Allardyce at the end of the 2022/23 season.

Daniel Farke will now be hoping to be more Marcelo Bielsa than Sam Allardyce or Javi Gracia, as the German head coach attempts to guide the team to safety.

The Whites boss will want more options to pick from at the top end of the pitch, though, as Lukas Nmecha is currently the only attacking player who has been added to the squad during the summer transfer window.

As you can see in the quotes above, Farke has made it clear that the club need to bring in more attackers, including a replacement for Manor Solomon.

The Championship champions should also be on the lookout for a marquee number nine addition, as it remains to be seen whether or not Joel Piroe has what it takes to make the step up.

Leeds have doubts over Joel Piroe's Premier League ability

Back in May, Football Insider reported that Leeds would not build their Premier League attack around the Dutchman, because they have doubts over his suitability for the top-flight.

The outlet stated that the Whites were not planning for the former Swansea marksman to be their first-choice number nine for the 2025/26 campaign, because of their doubts.

This may seem like an odd stance for the club to take after Piroe won the Golden Boot with 19 goals in the Championship for Leeds last season, but it is one that makes sense.

The Whites won the league with 100 points and were utterly dominant in the second tier, which meant that they were able to carry a striker like Piroe, who does not offer much to the team from a physical perspective.

In the Premier League, however, his lack of mobility and strength could cause problems as a starting number nine, as Leeds will be fighting against relegation rather than dominating matches.

Joel Piroe vs Championship forwards

24/25 season

Per 90

Percentile rank

Duels won

2.24

Bottom 3%

Duel success rate

26.9%

Bottom 10.6%

Aerial duels won

0.9

Bottom 12.9%

Aerial duel success rate

21.4%

Bottom 17.6%

Fouls committed

0.7

Bottom 7.1%

Fouls won

0.44

Bottom 9.4%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, Piroe was far too weak in duels with opposition players and ranked incredibly lowly among his positional peers in a host of physical metrics.

Leeds pushing to sign Serie A striker

Piroe’s lack of physicality, in terms of both speed and strength, may be why the Championship champions are reportedly eyeing up a new centre-forward.

Transfer Focus

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

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According to journalist Sebastien Vidal, Leeds United are “pushing” to complete a deal to sign Montenegro international Nikola Krstovic from Italian side Lecce.

The reporter claims that the 25-year-old marksman has been given the “green light” to pursue a move away from the Serie A outfit this summer, which has opened the door to a potential transfer to Elland Road.

Vidal adds that the former Red Star Belgrade marksman is “high” on Farke’s wishlist of attacking reinforcements, with the club now pushing to get a deal done for the striker.

Earlier this summer, it was reported that Lecce value the centre-forward at a fee of around £26m, although it remains to be seen how much Leeds are willing to pay for his services.

Why Leeds should sign Nikola Krstovic

The Whites should sign the Serie A number nine because he would come in as a big upgrade on Joel Piroe for Farke ahead of the Premier League curtain-raiser against Everton.

Unlike the current Leeds forward, Krstovic has already proven his quality in one of Europe’s major leagues with his performances for Lecce over the past two seasons, proving that he can score goals at an impressive rate.

The £26m-rated striker scored 11 goals and provided five assists in 37 appearances in the Serie A during the 2024/25 campaign, which is a very respectable return for a player in a team that battled relegation, and successfully, it is worth noting.

Krstovic’s contributions at the top end of the pitch helped Lecce to finish 17th in the division, three points above the bottom three, which shows that he can step up and deliver crucial goals to help a team in a relegation battle.

Along with his potential to be an excellent goalscorer for Leeds, having scored 21 goals in the last two seasons, the Serie A star would also come in as a big upgrade on Piroe from a physical perspective.

Nikola Krstovic vs Serie A forwards

24/25 season

Per 90

Percentile rank

Duels won

5.31

Top 38%

Duel success rate

40.6%

Bottom 46%

Aerial duels won

2.76

Top 29%

Aerial duel success rate

41.4%

Top 50%

Fouls committed

1.67

Top 39%

Fouls won

1.61

Top 33%

Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, the Lecce centre-forward ranked above average in most of the physical metrics that Piroe ranked among the worst in the Championship for.

Krstovic, who was hailed as “integral” by former boss Roberto D’Aversa, is a strong number nine who can hold his own in duels, on and off the ball, to provide his team with a strong outlet up front.

This means that he would be far more useful to Farke as a starter in the Premier League, as Leeds are likely to be battling the drop and will need a striker who can provide relief by winning fouls and duels, which is not Piroe’s strong suit.

Therefore, Krstovic could be an ideal signing for the Whites to come in as a proven goalscorer and physical presence in the number ninerole ahead of Piroe.

Related The new Rutter: Leeds submit bid to sign "fascinating" £22.5m star

Leeds United have reportedly submitted a bid to sign a star who could be their new Georginio Rutter.

Posts ByDan Emery Aug 4, 2025

Close – New Zealand 348 (Williamson 93, Phillips 58*, Carse 4-64, Bashir 4-69) and 155 for 6 (Mitchell 31*, Smith 1*) lead England 499 (Brook 171, Stokes 80, Pope 77, Henry 4-84) by four runsFor a man who answers – as modestly as one can – to the nickname “Wizard”, Chris Woakes’ overseas record has become such a millstone that, in December last year, the man himself all but conceded his days as a touring Test cricketer were over, when he was omitted from England’s trip to India.But the retirements of Stuart Broad and James Anderson, and England’s insistence that their remodelled Test attack still needs a wise old head to lead it, have redefined his role within the squad. On the third day at Christchurch, he delivered the spell that justified that faith; three top-drawer wickets in New Zealand’s second innings, including the priceless scalp of a well-set Kane Williamson, that have put England within sight of victory in the first Test.Woakes dovetailed superbly with Brydon Carse, the newest addition to that seam attack, who utilised his heavy ball and unstinting energy to bomb his way to three wickets of his own, including Rachin Ravindra to his first ball of the evening session, and Glenn Phillips in the day’s closing moments.After two days of even toil, England had secured a day of outright dominance. It was set in motion by their belligerent batting in an overcast morning session, in which Harry Brook’s mighty 171 underpinned a total of 499 in 103 overs, and Ben Stokes made a hard-hitting 80, his highest score since the 2023 Ashes. Some free-wheeling hitting from an allrounder-stacked tail then put the seal on their innings, with Gus Atkinson and Carse clattering a total of 81 runs from 60 balls between them.Duly emboldened by a lead of 151, Woakes carried that attacking mindset into the field, serving up a performance that evoked his series-turning displays in the 2023 Ashes. He had gone wicketless across 20 overs in the first innings, reiterating those doubts in the process, but this time found an extra degree of nip from a fractionally fuller length, to finish the day with figures of 3 for 39 in 13 overs – already his third-best figures in 41 overseas innings.Woakes’ first breakthrough came with his ninth delivery of the innings. Tom Latham had been New Zealand’s most fluent performer on the opening day with a quickfire 47, but this time he played fractionally across the line to a wobble-seam delivery that straightened into his edge and looped to Brook at second slip for 1.Carse, bursting with energy once more, then struck in his first over as Devon Conway scuffed a pull to mid-on, where Atkinson stooped to gather a brilliant reaction catch, inches from the turf.Brydon Carse claimed the key wicket of Devon Conway•Joe Allison/Getty Images

Williamson and Rachin Ravindra confirmed that the pitch was still perfectly playable in reaching tea unscathed in a third-wicket stand of 39, with Williamson notching his 9,000th run in the process. But that serenity was shattered when Carse returned for the second over after the break, with no slips in situ and a clear intention to play on the batter’s ego. Ravindra duly went for broke first-ball, and Jacob Bethell backpedalled well at deep square leg to snap the trap shut.At 64 for 3, New Zealand were in desperate need of a partnership, and in Williamson and Daryl Mitchell – their outstanding performer on the 2022 tour of England – they found two wise heads who drew the sting from the situation, and set about nudging their team back towards the lead. But Woakes’ second spell cracked that resolve wide open.The signs that he’d found his rhythm were plain when Williamson, fresh from making his second fifty in a Test for the tenth occasion in his career, was forced into a brace of awkward fences past gully, and in his next over he produced the killer blow – a superb inducker that started on a tight off-stump line and kept coming back into Williamson’s pads, leaving him blowing his cheeks in exasperation as he called for the futile review.One ball later, Woakes was on a hat-trick – mobbed by his ecstatic team-mates in the process – as the out-of-form Tom Blundell was undone by the opposite delivery, one that nipped half a bat’s width away, and grazed the thinnest of edges through to the keeper. Glenn Phillips kept the hat-trick delivery out, and subsequently managed to erase the remaining deficit, but he couldn’t hold out to the close. Carse went wide on the crease, hit the pitch hard once more to find nip back off the seam, and umpire Rod Tucker’s onfield lbw verdict was upheld on umpire’s call.It continued a remarkable turnaround from England, who had been on the ropes at 71 for 4 early in their first innings, but scarcely took a backwards step after resuming on 319 for 5 in the morning session, a deficit of 29. Brook and Stokes both emerged with belligerence, determined that they would not be caught cold under the morning cloud cover, as had been the case in their stuttering start to the innings, with Brook becoming only the third England batter after Wally Hammond and Joe Root to pass 150 twice in New Zealand.And yet, having survived four drops on the second day, Brook was gifted a fifth life on 147. Phillips – who had handed him his first reprieve on 18 before grabbing a screamer to dislodge Ollie Pope – made a mess of another relatively straightforward catch that bounced out of his grasp at gully.Harry Brook flashes one away behind square•Joe Allison/Getty Images

The new ball was Brook’s cue to take his innings into overdrive, particularly against Tim Southee, whom he launched onto the pavilion roof with one especially contemptuous swipe. Just when it seemed there was no respite in prospect, Brook nibbled tamely outside off at Matt Henry, and snicked off to Blundell behind the stumps. He left the stage with an overseas Test average of 89.40, and exactly 500 runs at 100.00 in New Zealand alone.Woakes would save his impact for the ball, as Southee found his edge for 1 with a trademark outswinger that Latham – the spiller of three chances on day two – scooped up low at second slip. But England have brought some rare batting depth to this Test, and Atkinson – a centurion against Sri Lanka in the summer – and Carse each came out swinging from the get-go.Atkinson brought up England’s 400 with a swivelled pull for six over square leg off Henry, en route to 48 from 36 balls, but the shot of the day was Carse’s outrageous, wristy lap over deep fine leg for the second of his three sixes. He was left unbeaten on 33 from 24 when Shoaib Bashir become Henry’s fourth of the innings, although he had been dropped off his sixth ball by Phillips in the over after lunch – the eighth lapse of New Zealand’s fielding effort, and the third by Phillips alone. For all the dominance that England had exerted by the close, it wasn’t hard to spot where the tide had turned.

Newcastle United have had a torrid time in the transfer market this summer, missing out on a number of major targets, and many have gone to other Premier League clubs.

Their latest transfer failure, Benjamin Sesko, who was unveiled this weekend as the newest Manchester United player. Eddie Howe has received some wins, however, with the signings of Anthony Elanga and Aaron Ramsdale, and looks to be on the cusp of another big signing with AC Milan defender Malick Thiaw.

The missed transfers that will sting the most for Newcastle will be Ekitike and Sesko, as their main striker, Alexander Isak, wants to move to Liverpool, and either of those two players could have suited as his replacements. The club is still on the hunt for a new striker to come in before Isak becomes too much of a problem, or they miss out on the massive cash injection that Liverpool are offering.

Newcastle turn to other targets after Samu approach

On his YouTube channel, Craig Hope of The Daily Mail provided several updates on Newcastle’s search for a striker. Hope believes that Newcastle are “planning for the eventuality of Alexander Isak going” and he covered updates on some of his potential replacements.

Newcastle’s hunt for a striker has recently led them to explore the idea of the young Porto striker “Samu” Omorodion Aghehowa. The 21-year-old registered 21 league goal involvements last season, and Porto value him at “around £80 million”, says Hope

Porto’s asking price is deemed too high for Newcastle, and so they are “not actively pursuing” Samu at present despite making a recent approach.

Their current first choice target is instead Brentford’s Yoane Wissa. Hope also mentioned that if Dango Ouattara moves from Bournemouth to Brentford, then “Wissa will come to Newcastle” and that he has “absolutely no doubt about that”.

If, however, the Wissa deal doesn’t come to fruition, then “a Larsen, a Jackson, a Watkins, a Muniz or another name we haven’t heard of” will be the next striker target.

Lots of moving pieces for Newcastle

Newcastle’s hunt for a striker doesn’t exist in a vacuum and is unequivocally dependent on a number of other factors. The first factor is that without the desire from both Liverpool and Isak for the two parties to unite, there would not be as much pressure to sign a high-profile striker this summer. With Callum Wilson moving on a free transfer to West Ham, they would likely have had to bring in someone, but not necessarily someone who could compete with Isak’s quality.

The second factor is how many of their target’s clubs are in similar predicaments. Brentford seem to be accepting at this point that Wissa may leave this summer; however, like Newcastle with Isak, they want his replacement lined up beforehand so that they don’t leave themselves exposed.

Newcastle faces the same problem with their pursuit of Ollie Watkins as Villa will likely want to reinforce their attack before letting their main striker go, especially since Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio’s loan spells were not made permanent.

Unless these club issues are resolved, it will become more and more likely that the striker Newcastle signs will be this “name we haven’t heard of”.

تقدم منتخب مصر بالهدف الأول أمام نظيره نيوزيلندا، في المباراة المقامة بين المنتخبين، الآن، ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس العالم للشباب تحت 20 عامًا.

ويلتقي منتخب مصر مع نيوزيلندا، في الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات لبطولة كأس العالم للشباب المقامة في تشيلي.

طالع | تشكيل منتخب مصر للشباب أمام نيوزيلندا في كأس العالم

وسجل هدف مصر الأول، أحمد خالد كباكا، في الدقيقة 5 من عمر الشوط الأول للمباراة، بتسديدة قوية من داخل منطقة الجزاء، بعد تمريرة من محمد عبد الله، ليمنح التقدم للفراعنة. هدف مصر الأول أمام نيوزيلندا في كأس العالم للشباب.. أحمد خالد كباكا

⚽️🔥 بداية قوية لمنتخب مصر#كأس_العالم_تحت_20_سنة pic.twitter.com/m9plPVc5tJ — beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS) September 30, 2025

وكان منتخب مصر استهل مشواره في بطولة كأس العالم، بالخسارة أمام اليابان بهدفين دون رد، في المباراة التي أقيمت السبت الماضي.

ويتواجد منتخب مصر في المجموعة الأولى لبطولة كأس العالم تحت 20 عامًا، بجانب منتخبات تشيلي ونيوزيلندا واليابان.