After dropping out of the race to sign Hugo Ekitike, Newcastle United have reportedly turned their focus towards improving their backline with the addition of a Premier League rival.
Newcastle drop out of Ekitike race
In the end it seemed to be a choice of either opening the door for Liverpool to make their move for Alexander Isak or miss out on Ekitike for Newcastle, who swiftly chose to prioritise their Swedish star. As per Fabrizio Romano, the Magpies have now walked away from any potential deal to sign the Eintracht Frankfurt forward, allowing Liverpool to advance.
It’s a frustratingly familiar story for those at St James’ Park this summer. Despite doing well to welcome Anthony Elanga and with James Trafford likely on his way, Eddie Howe has been forced to watch on as the likes of Joao Pedro and now Ekitike head elsewhere. Back to square one on the transfer front, Newcastle must now assess their options.
With pre-season underway and around one month to go until the Premier League is back, there are a number of options that Newcastle could turn towards after missing out on Ekitike, but Yoane Wissa remains the standout name.
The Brentford forward scored 19 Premier League goals last season – more than Ekitike managed in the Bundesliga – and is certainly ready for a big move away from West London.
He remains one to watch, and the same can be said for another Premier League rival as Newcastle look to welcome further fresh faces before the end of August.
Newcastle pushing to sign Disasi
According to Caught Offside, Newcastle are now pushing to sign Axel Disasi from Chelsea after opening negotiations with those at Stamford Bridge. There is reportedly some belief that the Magpies could land a deal for just €30m (£26m), which would be a cut-price from the Blues’ €35m (£30m) valuation.
Newcastle now plotting shock £50m move to sign "brilliant" South American
This would be one of the most unexpected moves of the summer.
ByTom Cunningham Jul 17, 2025
Although the Frenchman’s move hasn’t gone exactly to plan at Chelsea, he could quickly rediscover his best form with a summer switch to St James’ Park. It’s there that the 6’3 defender could act as instant competition for Sven Botman and Fabian Schar, before eventually replacing the ageing latter.
Minutes
854
412
2,934
Progressive Passes P90
3.37
1.52
3.62
Tackles Won P90
0.95
1.96
0.64
Ball Recoveries P90
3.16
3.04
4.11
Finally gaining some much-needed game time on loan at Aston Villa last season, Disasi impressed at times and began to live up to the praise of U23 scout Antonio Mango, who previously described the defender as “brilliant”.
If Newcastle can land a deal worth just £26m too, then they should consider that an impressive bargain for a defender who should be at the peak of his powers at 27 years old.
A combination of bad light and heavy rain meant only 35 overs were possible on the opening day of the second Test between India and Bangladesh in Kanpur, in which Bangladesh scored 107 for 3.The toss itself was delayed by an hour because of a wet outfield caused by overnight rain. When the toss finally happened, the coin fell in India’s favour. Under overcast skies, Rohit Sharma had no hesitation in opting to bowl first – the first time India had done so in a home Test since 2015.Rohit expected his three seamers – India fielded an unchanged XI – to exploit the conditions. He said the pitch was a little soft and had a bit more grass than the usual Kanpur surface. Bangladesh read the conditions completely differently. Not only did they want to bat first but also picked three spinners.Jasprit Bumrah got the ball to move both ways and bowled three maidens to start with, but could not take a wicket. Mohammed Siraj did not find any success either as Shadman Islam and Zakir Hasan survived the opening spells. Zakir, in fact, could not open his account despite facing 20 balls in that period.Things changed when Akash Deep was introduced in the ninth over. With his third ball, he had Zakir walking at him and edging it towards gully, where Yashasvi Jaiswal went low to his right and pouched it with both hands. The TV umpire was consulted about the fairness of the catch. He had only one good angle but it was enough for him to deduce that the ball went straight into Jaiswal’s hands.A few overs later, Akash Deep struck again. Continuing from around the wicket, he got one to beat Shadman’s inside edge and hit him on the pad. The on-field umpire denied the huge lbw appeal – it looked like the ball, at best, would have clipped leg stump. India opted for a review and, to everyone’s surprise, the projection showed the ball hitting a good chunk of the leg stump.Shanto came out with a positive mindset and picked up a few streaky boundaries off the outer half of the bat. Mominul, too, had begun tentatively but grew in confidence as the innings progressed. He picked up a four each off Akash Deep and Siraj via the ramp before driving Bumrah through the covers.As the last over before lunch was in progress, it started to drizzle which delayed the second session by 15 minutes. When play resumed, R Ashwin did not take long to get one go with the arm from around the wicket and beat Shanto’s inside edge to trap him lbw for 31. It ended the 51-run stand for the third wicket.Mominul and Mushfiqur Rahim had a few nervy moments after that. Akash Deep got Mushfiqur’s outside edge but it went for four through the gap between third slip and gully. Three overs later, Mominul went after a full delivery from Bumrah, only to edge it over the cordon for another boundary.That was also the last over before it became too dark to continue. Soon, it started pouring down, forcing the umpires to call off play just before 3pm local time.
Payne, Matt Taylor share six wickets before Bancroft, Hammond romp in simple chase
Alan Gardner14-Sep-2024
Matt Taylor claimed three early wickets to rock Somerset•Getty Images
Gloucestershire claimed their maiden T20 title, and West Country bragging rights into the bargain, as they crushed defending champions Somerset in a one-sided Blast final at Edgbaston. An eight-wicket margin of victory, sealed by Ollie Price’s six over long-on with 30 balls to spare, told the story as Gloucestershire marched to their first piece of silverware since 2015.It was a night of many heroes for Gloucestershire. Miles Hammond’s unbeaten 58 from 41 led them home, having put on a raucous century stand with Cameron Bancroft, after the bowlers had blown Somerset away. David Payne, Gloucestershire’s stalwart attack leader, capped a remarkable campaign with 3 for 27 to take his tally to 33 and equal Alfonso Thomas’ longstanding record for an English T20 season. Matt Taylor, with 29 wickets himself, was the catalyst as he picked off three of Somerset’s top four on the way to figures of 3 for 18.For the second Finals Day running, all four teams came from the South Group. Gloucestershire arrived as the underdogs, having squeaked through in fourth place on net run-rate – but after seeing off Birmingham Bears on their own patch in the quarter-final, they returned to Edgbaston to demolish Sussex in the second semi, then took apart their cider country rivals with another inspired bowling performance. Somerset’s bid to become the first team to successfully defend the Blast title fell at the final hurdle, hopes of a domestic treble brusquely shelved in the process.Gloucestershire’s success was made all the more poignant by the presence of club president, David “Syd” Lawrence, the former England fast bowler who was diagnosed earlier this year with motor neurone disease. It was also a rousing performance from a county who have had their struggles, facing financial insecurity and battling in the wrong half of Division Two in the County Championship. But Mark Alleyne, in his first season back as head coach, has steered a side featuring eight homegrown players to a memorable T20 success.Chasing the dream Somerset’s wicket-taking prowess was behind their 2023 victory, when they defended 145 in the final against Essex. But they were even lighter on runs this time around and could not conjure the early breakthroughs required to jangle Gloucestershire nerves.Bancroft drove his third ball, from Craig Overton, through the covers, launched the same bowler over long-on in the third over and then ramped Josh Davey all the way for six at the start of the fourth. Lewis Gregory, whose half-century carried the fight as one of only three Somerset players to reach double-figures, brought himself into the attack for the final over of the powerplay and was promptly dispatched for three boundaries as Gloucestershire raced to 49 for 0.Gloucestershire had twice beaten Somerset when chasing during the group stage but both of those games were helter-skelter affairs. This was clinical, though not entirely business-like, as Hammond channelled the mood in the Hollies Stand by belting Jake Ball and Roelof van der Merwe for sixes to speed Gloucestershire towards their target.Bancroft struck van der Merwe for back-to-back fours to raise a 39-ball half-century, before Hammond went to the mark from 36 balls in the following over, clouting Ben Green over long-on for another serene six. No team had ever won the T20 final by a ten-wicket margin and Somerset saved themselves from that ignominy by dismissing Bancroft and James Bracey. But the result was already in the post.Taylor-made start for Gloucs Somerset were looking not only to make history by winning back-to-back T20 titles, but become the first team since Worcestershire in 2018 to lift the trophy after coming through the first semi-final. Having been inserted, Somerset got off to a decent start – certainly better than the 7 for 3 after 2.1 overs they managed earlier in the day – as Payne’s first two overs cost 19, only to come unstuck against Gloucestershire’s other left-armer.Matt Taylor is less heralded than Payne but barely less effective, and he struck three times in his first two overs. His first ball induced a slash to backward point from Will Smeed, before a clever change of pace saw Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who had hit Payne for two sixes in the previous over, miscue high into the off side. When James Rew, in the third T20 knock of his professional career, punched uppishly to the diving Bancroft at short cover, Taylor had startling figures of 3 for 7.Three down at the end of the powerplay, things got worse for Somerset. Sean Dickson had been their matchwinner in the semi – and top-scored in both games at last year’s Finals Day – but departed for a golden duck this time around, missing a reverse-sweep at Ollie Price’s second delivery. Somerset were 42 for 4 and up against it.Gregory can’t soothe Somerset Payne In the absence of Dickson, Gregory stepped into the firefighter role. He and Tom Abell ticked over initially, taking the score to 63 for 4 at halfway, before the captain began to play some shots in an attempt to give Somerset something defendable. The left-arm spin of Tom Smith was targeted, Gregory clubbing six straight back down the ground before lofting the next ball over extra cover. Abell was less successful taking the aerial route, however, as he drove Tom Price down the throat of long-on to end a stand worth 44.Gregory continued to carry a threat, again clearing the ropes off Smith before a swivel-pull off Tom Price took Somerset’s innings into three figures. But the return of Payne to bowl the 16th over tipped the scales in Gloucestershire’s direction again – two consecutive slower deliveries accounting for Ben Green and Craig Overton leaving the defending champions up the River Rea without a paddle at 105 for 7. In the process, Payne overtook Hampshire’s Chris Wood as the most-prolific seamer in the history of English domestic T20.Gregory lost another partner when van der Merwe sent a flying edge straight into Bracey’s outstretched right glove, but raised a fighting fifty off 33 balls with a nudge for one off Matt Taylor. He was dropped at the start of the 19th, Ben Charlesworth unable to cling on to a diving effort running in from the cover boundary, but became Payne’s third wicket four ball later when he picked out long-off.
أثار بيب جوارديولا، المدير الفني لفريق مانشستر سيتي، تعجب الجميع بعد تصرفه الغريب في مباراة يوم الأحد ضد نظيره آرسنال، في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.
واستضاف ملعب “الإمارات” مباراة آرسنال ومانشستر سيتي في الجولة الخامسة من الدوري الإنجليزي، موسم 2025/26.
وانتهت المباراة بالتعادل الإيجابي بين الفريقين بهدف لمثله، حيث تقدم إيرلينج هالاند بهدف في الدقيقة التاسعة من الشوط الأول، قبل أن يتعادل آرسنال بهدف قاتل في الدقيقة 93 عن طريق جابرييل مارتينيلي.
اقرأ أيضًا.. جوارديولا يفجر مفاجأة بشأن سبب استبدال هالاند في مباراة مانشستر سيتي وآرسنال
وتسبب جوارديولا في إثارة حيرة الجميع بتصرفه قبل دقائق قليلة من تسجيل هدف التعادل لصالح آرسنال في الوقت القاتل.
وشوهد جوارديولا وهو يتبادل حديث قصير مع الحكم الرابع لمباراة آرسنال ومانشستر سيتي، قبل إعلان الوقت المحتسب بدلًا من الضائع للشوط الثاني.
وبعدما انتهى جوارديولا من حديثه مع الحكم الرابع، قام بتقبيله قبل أن يذهب الأخير بعيدًا، ولم تمر لحظات قبل إعلان 7 دقائق كوقت محتسب بدلَا من الضائع، ثم جاء الهدف القاتل في الدقيقة الثالثة.
وليس من المعروف سر تصرف جوارديولا مع الحكم الرابع أو محتوى الحديث الذي دار بينهما، ولم يسُئل عن الأمر في تصريحاته بعد المباراة.
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Celtic won their fourth game in five pre-season matches on Saturday when they put Premier League side Newcastle United to the sword at Parkhead.
The Hoops ran out 4-0 winners against the Magpies in front of their supporters, thanks to goals from Arne Engels, Johnny Kenny, Hyun-jun Yang, and Liam Scales.
Brendan Rodgers will surely be delighted with the way that pre-season is going for his team, given this impressive result, but there are still more gears for the Hoops to find as they continue to improve their squad with new signings.
Their most recent signing was announced on the morning of the clash with Newcastle, as the club confirmed the arrival of Shin Yamada on a permanent deal from Kawasaki Frontale.
The Japanese centre-forward got the chance to say hello to the supporters at Parkhead on Saturday, but he did not sign in time to be involved on the pitch.
It will now be interesting to see what kind of role the 25-year-old striker plays at Celtic next season, because he has arrived in Glasgow off the back of a frustrating campaign in his home country.
Why Celtic need to revive Shin Yamada
Speaking to the club’s official website as part of the announcement, Rodgers said: “He (Yamada) is a strong player who can score goals and create goals for others and I think he is someone who can definitely add an important dimension to our forward line.”
This suggests that the Northern Irish head coach believes that the Japanese number nine has the quality to make a big impact in the Scottish Premiership for the Hoops next term, despite his form in 2025.
In the 2025 J1 League campaign, Yamada scored two goals in 21 appearances for Kawasaki Frontale, whilst he also only provided one assist for his teammates and created 0.4 chances per game on average.
That does not mean that he is not likely to offer any quality in the final third for Celtic, though, because his form in the 2024 campaign was sensational.
Appearances
38
21
Goals
19
2
Minutes per goal
107
573
Big chances missed
14
8
Key passes per game
0.7
0.4
Assists
3
1
As you can see in the table above, Yamada scored a whopping 19 goals in 38 league games in 2024 before his decline in form in the first half of this year.
If Celtic can revive the striker and get him back to his best at the top end of the pitch, Rodgers could have a lethal and prolific centre-forward on his hands.
The Hoops are also in the market to add more quality to their options out wide, and they are reportedly pursuing a deal for a star who could help Yamada to get back to his goalscoring best.
Celtic in talks to sign new winger
According to the Daily Record, Celtic remain interested in a move to bring Royal Antwerp forward Michel-Ange Balikwisha to Parkhead before the end of the summer transfer window.
The report claims that talks over a deal to sign the Belgian attacker have been ‘ongoing’, as Rodgers looks to bolster his options on the flanks after Jota’s injury and Nicolas Kuhn’s move to Como.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
It adds that Royal Antwerp boss Stef Wils has revealed that it is “possible” that the 24-year-old will complete a transfer away from the club ‘soon’, opening the door to a move to Parkhead.
The Daily Record adds that Balikwisha, who is reportedly valued at £5m, has been a long-term transfer target for the Hoops, and they are in talks to finally get a deal over the line.
Michel-Ange Balikwisha for Royal Antwerp.
It also reveals that Royal Antwerp are keen to cash in on the Belgian winger this summer because his current contract with the club is due to expire at the end of next season.
Why Yamada would love Balikwisha
Yamada could be one player who would be happy to see the Scottish Premiership champions secure a transfer for the Pro League attacker this summer, because the flanker could be perfect for the striker.
As aforementioned, the Japanese marksman needs to improve his form in front of goal after a frustrating year so far, and he will need wingers who can create high-quality chances for him in order to do that.
Balikwisha missed 29 matches with muscle injuries during the 2024/25 campaign, which limited his game time, but the 24-year-old talent still caught the eye with some impressive performances.
The Belgian whiz was described as a “creative” talent by analyst Will Glavin and his underlying numbers in the Pro League last season support that claim, as he scored four goals and provided three assists in 12 starts for Royal Antwerp.
xA
0.22
Top 33%
Assists
0.31
Top 22%
Successful passes
34.99
Top 15%
Chances created
1.99
Top 29%
Touches
60.61
Top 24%
Penalties won
0.08
Top 7%
As you can see in the table above, Balikwisha ranked highly among his positional peers in the Pro League in a host of key possession-based and creative metrics.
These statistics suggest that he has the potential to be a highly influential performer for Rodgers as a creative threat on the left flank if he can stay fit and start regularly, as he is able to create high-quality chances on a regular basis for his teammates.
That is also why Balikwisha could help to revive Yamada next season because he has the creative quality to provide the striker with enough opportunities for him to get back on the goal trail.
Whilst it will still be down to the Japanese striker to finish those chances, by the law of average, the more chances that are created for the forward the more likely he is to start scoring goals on a regular basis again.
He'll send Idah to the bench: Celtic lining up swoop for £7m "goal machine"
Celtic are eyeing up a deal for a striker who would send Adam Idah to the bench.
ByDan Emery Jul 18, 2025
Therefore, Yamada will surely be hoping that these talks with Antwerp lead to Celtic doing a deal with the Belgian side for Balikwisha, because he could be the perfect winger to play alongside him at Parkhead next season.
Trapdoor opens on visitors after crushing defeat at Chester-le-Street
ECB Reporters Network12-Sep-2024Durham’s Matthew Potts took a career-best nine for 68 to help his side complete their innings and 63-run thrashing of Lancashire in the Vitality County Championship match at The Riverside.Resuming on 155 for four and needing another 190 runs to avoid their their fourth innings defeat of the season, Lancashire lost their last six wickets in less than a session and were bowled out for 282. The only shred of comfort for the visitors was offered by 20-year-old Matty Hurst, who made 67, his second fifty of the match and fifth half-century of the season.At one stage of his devastating spell from the Lumley End, Potts was on a hat-trick but he had to settle for three wickets in four balls when Tom Bailey nicked his second delivery to first slip Scott Borthwick.The Durham spearhead, who hadn’t featured in the Championship since June due to his England commitments, finished his first spell on this final morning with figures of 10-1-30-5 and ended the game when he had Anderson Phillip leg before wicket to complete a match return of 12 for 126.”That feels really good,” Potts said afterwards. “It was great to come back and deliver for the boys at the end of the season. I felt that was only right that we turned up to do the job.”Scott Borthwick told me after my sixth over that it was time to put my feet on ice but I got a wicket and he said: “Okay, I’ll leave you on,” and I said “Good luck taking me off,” but after my tenth over I was absolutely goosed. I’d thrown everything I could at them.”I took the second new ball and threw the old one as far as I could off the field. It’s a disgusting thing, I’ve got it in my pocket and it looks as though I’ve been throwing it for my dogs for the past hour.”Durham take 24 points from the game, effectively ending any lingering fears of relegation, whereas Lancashire take one point, a return which keeps them in ninth place in Division One and deepens their anxieties that they will be playing in the second tier next April.”Ours is a very quiet changing room at the moment,” Keaton Jennings, Lancashire’s captain, said. “The players are hurting. It’s tough to take, you don’t want to turn up every week and get spanked around, it’s not why we spent months and months working in the winter.”We now have to make sure we turn up next week. We have two really big games ahead of us and it could come down to eight days of cricket.”Lancashire’s collapse began with the ninth ball of the morning when George Balderson was leg before wicket to Potts for 16 but it really moved into top gear about half an hour later when Venkatesh Iyer played on to the Durham fast bowler and Tom Hartley immediately lost his off stump when not attempting a stroke.Bailey prevented the hat-trick but nicked his second ball from Potts to Borthwick to leave yet another Lancashire innings in tatters on 195 for eight.Hurst and Anderson Philip delayed Durham for a few overs but Borthwick’s bowlers were not to be denied. Having made a fine 67 off 125 balls, Hurst hooked Potts to long leg where Callum Parkinson took an excellent tumbling catch a few inches from the boundary rope.After an entertaining last-wicket stand of 61 in 12 overs between Anderson Philip and Tom Aspinwall, the game ended when Potts was recalled and dismissed Phillip for 41. Aspinwall finished unbeaten on 26.The bad news for Durham supporters ahead of their final two Championship games is that Potts will now join England’s squad for the one-day internationals and will not be available to the county for the rest of the season.
Newcastle United have endured a tough start to the summer transfer window, but the intent to bolster Eddie Howe’s first-team squad is very much there.
In fact, an actual breakthrough has been found in recent days, with Nottingham Forest’s Anthony Elanga finally here-we-goed after more than a year of fruitless efforts to bring him over to St. James’ Park.
The electric-paced winger is set to sign for £55m, having played a vital role in driving Nuno Espirito Santo’s Forest into Europe, notching 32 goal involvements across his two seasons at the City Ground.
Bringing in such a profile is good news indeed, but Newcastle are still hoping to sign a central striker, having missed out on Joao Pedro after the Brazilian opted to sign for Chelsea in a £60m deal.
Why Newcastle want a striker
Newcastle are confident that they will fend off interest in Alexander Isak, but even so, rumours of the Sweden striker’s potential departure aren’t going to go away over the coming weeks.
Liverpool, namely, are proving a thorn in Newcastle’s transfer committees’ side, but PIF are believed to have priced their talisman at £200m, and they are under no obligation to sell after United repinned their Champions League badge.
Still, with Callum Wilson having left Tyneside at the end of his contract, Howe wants competition. Pedro was supposed to provide more depth, but he’s now off the cards.
Thus, Newcastle have been linked once again with Dominic Calvert-Lewin. According to talkSPORT, the former Everton star has held talks with United as he looks for a new club, but this perhaps isn’t the move fans are hoping for.
Everton's DominicCalvert-Lewincelebrates scoring their first goal
‘DCL’, as he is known, has quite the shoddy injury record, and he only scored three times across 26 Premier League outings last season, missing 16 big chances, as per Sofascore.
He would be a cost-efficient signing, to be sure, but the Magpies are aiming high this summer and they have their sights on a far more exciting striker.
Newcastle line up Calvert-Lewin alternative
Newcastle have shown they are willing to spend the big bucks for a new number nine to complement Isak, and that’s why Fabrizio Romano has confirmed Howe’s interest in Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike.
Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike
The 23-year-old has attracted a wealth of interest over the past few months, but RMC Sport have now revealed that Newcastle are among the teams showing the greatest curiosity in the Frenchman.
Saudi duo Al-Qadsiah and especially Al-Hilal – who are believed to be readying an offer – are also keen, but suitors have thus far been kept at bay by the Bundesliga outfit’s €100m (£85m) valuation of their player, who is a great talent but an unpolished one at that.
What Hugo Ekitike would bring to Newcastle
Newcastle have one of the best strikers in world football, and thus some would consider interest in Ekitike as superfluous, but he’s a rising talent of the highest calibre, and came close to joining back in 2022 after a £33m deal with Reims was agreed, but for the player to pull the plug on proceedings.
And whoever said that having options was a bad thing? Newcastle will only reach the next level in their impressive development with an excess of options capable of pushing for a place at the top of the Premier League while competing across the campaign’s tournamental offshoots too.
If the finances check out – and the conjecture read from the past few months suggests that it’s not outside the realm of possibility for the Toon – then Ekitike is the forward to go for.
For sure, he’s miles better than Calvert-Lewin, who offers flimsy assurances of his ability to stay fit, let alone productive.
Hugo Ekitke vs Dominic Calvert-lewin (24/25)
Stats (per 90)
Ekitike
DCL
Goals scored
0.53
0.17
Assists
0.28
0.06
Shots taken
4.00
2.80
Shot-creating actions
3.55
1.45
Touches (att pen)
6.88
4.92
Progressive passes
1.86
1.12
Progressive carries
3.27
1.29
Successful take-ons
1.83
0.56
Ball recoveries
3.06
1.96
Aerial duels won
1.83
4.75
Tackles + interceptions
0.81
0.90
All data via FBref
Moreover, Ekitike is nearly five years his junior, with so much scope for growth. He might not have anywhere near the same aerial ability as his English counterpart, but he’s far more energetic, creative and effective in the majority of critical moments.
Newcastle completed 705 crosses in the Premier League last term, as per FBref, the sixth-highest tally in the division. There is a ring to United’s long-standing interest in Calvert-Lewin, but is it enough to suggest he deserves a place over Ekitike, someone who can elevate the frontline to a truly exceptional standard?
Everton's DominicCalvert-Lewincelebrates scoring their first goal
Ultimately, it will prove a matter of financial variables. And Ekitike’s decision with such a vast range of interest in his services will be crucial too.
But if it does check out, and Frankfurt are inclined to reduce their extortionate asking price at some point in the transfer window, Newcastle could hit the jackpot in signing him.
After all, he has the making of a complete player, with his athleticism and high-speed running leading journalist Graeme Bailey to dub him “the next Mbappe”.
And anyway, he might not have such an eye-catching aerial record as Calvert-Lewin, but the 6 foot 2 Ekitike did win 4.2 duels per Premier League game in 2024/25, as per Sofascore, winning a respectable 46% of his aerial battles.
The Premier League striker did average higher, but he only came out on top 51% of the time, so the difference isn’t exactly glaring, and is something that Howe will coach Ekitike on improving and, anyway, shouldn’t hold much sway in the grand scheme of the manager’s reckoning.
With Newcastle preparing for the new campaign as Carabao Cup champions and Champions League competitors, they have the sway to potentially pull off such a deal.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Furthermore, their historic efforts to sign the France star could work in Howe’s favour, thus ending the interest in Calvert-Lewin.
Dream Scalvini alternative: Newcastle make approach for "dominant" £25m CB
Newcastle are looking to strengthen at the back this summer
Everton are now reportedly prioritising a deal to sign a Premier League gem as part of The Friedkin Group’s impressive plan to splash as much as £150m this summer.
Friekdin planning £150m spending spree
The Toffees have already seen a glimpse of Friedkin’s spending when they secured deals for Thierno Barry, Mark Travers and Carlos Alcaraz. But they may just be getting started.
As Everton enter a new era at The Hill Dickinson Stadium, the new owners are reportedly keen to make a statement with a spending spree that will hit the £150m-mark this summer and several targets have already entered their radar as a result.
After recently welcoming Barry and Travers, Everton have reportedly made their first offer to sign Douglas Luiz on loan with an obligation to buy from Juventus. The Brazilian endured a nightmare first season in Turin and now desperately needs a return to the Premier League just one year on from leaving Aston Villa.
It would be quite the move from Everton if they managed to win the race for the midfielder’s signature, especially after losing Abdoulaye Doucoure at the end of last season. Luiz, meanwhile, would undoubtedly be keen to get back to his best at long last.
Luiz isn’t the only name who’s threatened to steal the headlines as of late, however. The Toffees have also reportedly set their sights on West Ham United’s Tomas Soucek and Manchester City’s Jack Grealish.
Like Luiz, the latter needs a fresh start this summer if he is to get back to his best. But even as a serial winner at The Etihad, it’s actually Grealish’s City teammate who sits top of Everton’s shortlist of targets.
Everton now prioritising McAtee move
As reported by The Independent’s Miguel Delaney, Everton are now prioritising a move to sign James McAtee as part of their £150m spending spree this summer. The midfielder was often left frustrated at Manchester City last summer, as Pep Guardiola opted for other options even as his side faced some of their worst form of his incredibly successful tenure.
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He’s on the move this summer.
ByTom Cunningham Jul 18, 2025
Now, in search of the game time that he requires, McAtee is likely to be on the move. And it’s not just Everton who are interested. The talented midfielder has also attracted the interest of Entracht Frankfurt and others from around European football, handing the Toffees a difficult battle to land his signature.
Previous reports have suggested that the 22-year-old will be available for just £25m, but whether competition for his arrival increases that price remains to be seen.
Praised for a “fantastic” start to 2025 by scout Jacek Kulig, McAtee could yet find himself in new surroundings by the time that the year comes to an end and the new season is well underway.
Aston Villa’s 2024/25 season ended in disappointment. Unai Emery’s side failed to qualify for the Champions League after a final-day defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford. It certainly seems like that, and another summer of PSR struggles has really affected their transfer plans for the next few months.
Indeed, they will seemingly not be signing the likes of Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio, or Axel Disasi, who were on loan at Villa Park last term. The trio have now returned to their parent clubs and seem unlikely to sign for Villa on a permanent deal.
The transfer goings-on in the West Midlands might frustrate Villa supporters. Despite a couple of early deals, a dip into the loan market could be back on the cards.
Villa’s new loan target
Emery’s side have already made two new additions this summer. One of those is Yasin Ozcan, a 19-year-old Turkish defender who joins the club after signing a pre-contract over the winter. Young Dutch striker Zepiqueno Redmond also signed for the club for free after his contract expired at Feyenoord.
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Now, the Villans could turn their attention to a former player, Douglas Luiz. According to a report from Sportmediaset via Tuttomercato, the Midlands side are ‘interested’ in bringing the Brazilian back to his former club from Juventus.
However, it could be a tricky deal to negotiate. Luiz, who has only been a Juve player for just over a year, is only wanted on loan by his former club, with Villa having made contact as they ‘proposed’ a potential temporary switch.
Douglas Luiz at the Club World Cup with Juventus.
However, that is ‘a solution that does not satisfy the economic needs’ of the Old Lady, with it yet to be seen whether a compromise can be met.
Why Luiz would be a good signing
It has not really been the season Luiz may have hoped for in Turin. He did not really play the weight of games he may have expected, and it was a turbulent year for Juve as a side, with Thiago Motta losing his job halfway through the campaign.
Douglas Luiz in action for Juventus.
In total, Luiz played just 27 times in the centre of the park for the Italian giants. That includes one game in the Club World Cup. Frustratingly, the Brazil international managed just 877 minutes, the equivalent of 9.7 full 90-minute games.
Yet, Villa fans will know the sort of quality that the Rio de Janeiro-born midfielder will bring to the club. He played 204 times in that famous Claret and Blue shirt, scoring 22 goals and grabbing 24 assists. It is moments of quality like this impressive trivela assist for Ollie Watkins in his final season at the club that he could bring back to the midfield.
That interest comes amid question marks over what the future holds for Villa midfielder John McGinn. Their captain has reportedly been of interest to Everton of late, as per BBC Sport, although Emery ‘is in no mood to part’ ways with McGinn this summer.
He was a crucial part of the Villans’ midfield last season, playing 49 games in all competitions, scoring and assisting ten goals in that time. That included a thunderbolt of a strike against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League at Villa Park.
Yet, whilst the Scotland international is capable of those major moments, and is a hard-working member of the Villa midfield, signing Luiz, an “engine” in midfield according to Statman Dave, could certainly be seen as an upgrade.
The stats on FBref from each player’s most recent season for Villa suggest that Luiz is a better option in midfield. For example, in 2023/24, he averaged 5.05 progressive passes and 5.53 ball recoveries per 90 minutes compared to 4.17 progressive passes and 4.05 ball recoveries each game for McGinn.
He also represents a greater goal threat and creative outlet than his former teammate, as his goals and assists average can attest to.
Goals and assists
0.42
0.2
Progressive passes
5.05
4.17
Key passes
1.59
1.26
Tackles and interceptions
2.43
1.9
Ball recoveries
5.53
4.05
Progressive carries
1.8
1.3
Luiz, who is on £138k-per-week at Juve, according to reports, is a superb all-round midfielder. In many ways, he is better than McGinn, and, as the stats show, would be a huge upgrade on the Villans’ captain.
Bringing him back to Villa Park for the 2025/26 season would be a bold move by Emery’s side, but there is no doubt about the quality he will bring to the centre of the park.
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West Ham United really struggled to get going last season in the Premier League, even after Graham Potter took on the reins.
The Hammers did manage to bow out of their unmemorable 2024/25 campaign in the top flight with back-to-back away victories at Manchester United and Ipswich Town. Still, the ex-Chelsea manager will have his work cut out for him to turn his fortunes around, with those two away-day wins making up a large chunk of his meagre five wins as Irons boss.
He will hope he’s given adequate time to leave his mark on the Hammers set-up, having only lasted a rash 31 games in the Stamford Bridge hot seat, with the likes of Kyle Walker-Peters already entering the building this summer, marking the start of West Ham’s makeover.
Up next, the Hammers could welcome in some attacking additions, with one target already in mind who might well be the top-flight club’s second coming of Jarrod Bowen.
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Of course, the Hammers are likely to be on the hunt now for an immediate Mohammed Kudus replacement, after the one-time fan favourite in East London defected over to enemy lines to join Tottenham Hotspur for £55m.
James McAtee might well be the replacement for Kudus that West Ham have up their sleeve, alongside Potter and Co. also reportedly showing interest in the services of Shakhtar Donetsk ace Georgiy Sudakov as their net widens out to Ukraine.
Manchester City'sJamesMcAteecelebrates after the match
A new, up-and-coming centre-forward might also be on their agenda – even after Potter’s recent comments played down the importance of bringing in fresh talent up top – with West Ham-oriented website Claret and Hugh relaying information that the Hammers are reportedly considering an offer for breakout Wycombe Wanderers star Richard Kone.
Already this summer, Kone has been subject to a £6m bid from Luton Town, on top of interest coming from Brentford, Celtic, and Crystal Palace, but it’s West Ham who now allegedly lead the charge for the former non-league attacker.
Bowen’s G/A record before West Ham
Club
Games played
Goals scored
Assists
Hull City
131
54
14
Hereford Town
8
1
1
Sourced by Transfermarkt
Bowen also once found himself in the non-league scene with Hereford Town, before going on to solidify himself as a Premier League-worthy talent in the EFL with Hull City, as Kone now braces himself for that next gigantic step in his own career after a whirlwind campaign with the Chairboys.
Why Kone can be West Ham's next Bowen
Nobody at the London Stadium would have anticipated how vital Bowen would eventually become to the West Ham cause when he first joined the camp for £22m back in 2020.
There was a lot of excitement in the air that he would be a success story, though, having fired home a clinical 54 strikes for the Tigers in the demanding Championship, but even Bowen wouldn’t have anticipated that after 238 clashes in East London, he would be captaining the side after amassing an astounding 125 goals and assists in total for his Premier League employers.
Bowen has even become a regular on the international stage for England, with Kone surely harbouring his own dreams of representing the Ivory Coast if a move to West Ham comes to fruition, off the back of a potent season leading the line for Wycombe.
Having still been on the books of non-league outfit Athletic Newham last year, it’s a remarkable rise Kone has undergone in such a short space of time, with Bowen acclimatising to the EFL equally well when jumping ship from Hereford to Hull.
Kone’s league numbers for Wycombe (24/25)
Stat – per 90 mins*
Kone
Games played
41
Goals scored
18
Assists
3
Goal conversion %
18%
Touches*
34.0
Accurate passes*
11.1 (65%)
Total duels won*
5.9
Stats by Sofascore
As can be seen looking at the table above, the Ivorian excels when being utilised as a poacher, with his venomous 18 league strikes coming about from just 34 touches of the ball on average per League One affair.
Bowen might well be whipping in many a cross in for Kone to latch onto, therefore, with the 22-year-old’s prowess in the air – which saw him win an impressive 5.9 duels on average in League One – also making him a suitable fit for the Premier League’s intense nature.
Labelled as a striker who “has got everything” by Wycombe great Joe Jacobson, it wouldn’t be the wildest shout to expect Kone to grow even more confident if East London came calling, mirroring Bowen’s sharp ascent in the process.
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