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Leeds United have now reportedly made the decision to allow an “impressive” player to leave the club when the January transfer window arrives.

Farke provides Leeds injury updates before Bournemouth

The Whites face a tough assignment in the Premier League on Saturday afternoon, hosting a Bournemouth side who have impressed greatly so far this season.

Speaking ahead of the game, Leeds manager Daniel Farke provided a “mixed” injury update, with Jayden Bogle’s return to full training a clear positive.

“Overall in terms of injuries, some mixed news. So with Jayden [Bogle] good news, he is back in team training. It was nothing too serious, just a bruise was a bit sore and painful in the first few days. But since yesterday [he is] back in team training so he will be available if nothing major happens.

“Some good news with Daniel James, so progress with his rehab. Yesterday was the first time he joined us in team training and he has a chance to be involved depending on how his body reacts right now to the load of training, so we will take a late decision with him.

“Some bad news with Willy Gnonto, he won’t make it. So still some problems with his calf, he is not back in team training so he will definitely also miss the match. I hope to have him back in team training next week.”

Farke will likely know his starting lineup for Saturday’s match, but it looks like one squad player may not be at the club for too much longer.

Leeds expected to sell Meslier in January

According to a new update from TEAMtalk, Leeds will look to sell goalkeeper Illan Meslier in January, having fallen out of favour between the sticks under Farke. Serie A giants Inter Milan are said to be “leading the race” to snap him up.

It is claimed that the Whites “would accept a modest fee, potentially just covering the remainder of his contract, to avoid losing him for free next summer”.

Selling Meslier, who was once worth £50m, in January makes perfect sense, considering he has dropped down the pecking order at Leeds, clearly no longer being seen as a key man, following too many errors last season.

It feels like the right time for a new challenge for all parties, even though the Frenchman is a talented player who is still young for a ‘keeper, with Farke praising him earlier this year.

“He is focused every day, pretty settled and concentrated. It’s what you have to do in a side that dominate many games. Sometimes he has to be there with a first save after 60 minutes, pretty switched on. Compliments to his good work, played a major part, many clean sheets, number of clean sheets, pretty impressive.”

He can steal #9 from DCL: Leeds star looks like the best since Archie Gray

Leeds might have another gem on their hands to rival Dominic Calvert-Lewin…

ByJoe Nuttall Sep 26, 2025

Meslier can still go on to enjoy a good career, but his aforementioned mistakes last season have seen Leeds supporters lose faith in him, and his time at Elland Road has simply reached its natural conclusion.

This is also the third time Silva has secured the post uncontested, while the rest of his team has also been re-elected without contest

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Mar-2025

SLC president Shammi Silva speaks to the media•AFP/Getty Images

Shammi Silva has been elected president of Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) for a fourth consecutive term. He will hold the position for a two-year period from 2025-2027.This is also the third time Silva has secured the post uncontested, while the rest of his team has also been re-elected without contest.Jayantha Dharmadasa and Ravin Wickramaratne have been re-elected to the post of vice-president, while Sujeewa Godaliyadda, Chryshantha Kapuwatte and Lasantha Wickremasinghe remain as treasurer, assistant secretary and assistant treasurer, respectively.Only secretary Mohan de Silva, who resigned in November 2023, does not return. His post has been taken up by Bandula Dissanayake, the only new face in the executive committee. Kapuwatta had been acting Secretary since de Silva’s resignation.The end of Silva’s term in 2027 will mark eight years in charge, an eventuality made possible by a recent change in Sri Lanka’s sports law that allowed for officials to hold posts for up to two consecutive four-year terms.The most notable facet of this year’s election is that it’s the first one to be held since last December’s change to SLC’s constitution which saw the voting body reduced from 147 down to 60.

Jorge Jesus has explained why he decided to leave Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench during Al-Nassr's Saudi King Cup of Champions round of 32 clash with Jeddah on Tuesday. In Ronaldo's absence, his compatriot Joao Felix starred for Al-Nassr as the Saudi giants beat Jeddah 4-0. Felix contributed with a goal and an assist to continue his dream start to life in Saudi Arabia.

• Getty
  

  Felix shines in Ronaldo's absence

  It seems Felix has finally revived his career and recovered his long-lost form since moving to Saudi Arabia from Chelsea in the summer, as he has already scored seven goals across all competitions for Al-Nassr and provided two assists. On Tuesday, Felix spearheaded Al-Nassr's attack in their thumping win over Jeddah with two more goal contributions.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Ronaldo left on the bench

  Ronaldo has four goals to his name in the 2025-26 campaign to date and was fresh from scoring a brace in Al-Nassr's 5-1 win over Al-Riyadh last Saturday. Despite his impressive form, Jesus opted not to use the 40-year-old in the cup clash as he remained rooted to the bench.

• Jesus explains Ronaldo's absence

  Speaking to reporters after the match, the Al-Nassr boss said: "I was looking to maintain his fitness and prepare for the upcoming matches in the Saudi Pro League."

  Jesus also spoke highly of his team's dominating gameplay, as he added: "Jeddah was good at times, but no team can confront Al-Nassr's attack."

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• Getty
  

  Ronaldo ready for Al-Ittihad clash

  After a well-earned rest, Ronaldo will likely feature in Jorge Jesus' starting lineup again in a crucial Saudi Pro League encounter against reigning champions Al-Ittihad on Saturday. Al-Nassr are top of the table ahead of Al-Ittihad on goal difference after three games.

Steven Smith produced another blistering BBL innings before Hayden Kerr and Sean Abbott kept their cool at the death as Sydney Sixers completed a nerve-jangling chase that has almost ended Adelaide Strikers’ slim finals prospects.Chasing 183 at the Adelaide Oval, Smith’s red-hot form continued with a rapid half-century but his dismissal sparked a collapse. Sixers slumped to 92 for 5, but they rallied through their batting depth.They still needed 16 off the last seven deliveries before Kerr smashed a tossed up delivery from legspinner Lloyd Pope over the rope. He then hit quick Henry Thornton for a boundary off the second ball of the final over before Abbott hit the winning run off the penultimate delivery.Sixers moved to the top of the ladder, while Strikers need a miracle to progress into the finals.

Smith dominates early, Kerr steps up late

All eyes were on Smith after his blistering ton against Perth Scorchers in his BBL return. With three centuries in his last seven BBL matches, he clearly enjoys letting his hair down for Sixers, who he captained to the title in the competition’s first season.Smith’s unbelievable BBL record continued with 52 off 31 balls and he started with a third ball six after launching quick Brendan Doggett over the legside. He smashed four sixes with the loud whack coming off the bat music to the ears of the Sixers.Smith’s best shot might have been a back-foot smoke off Thornton that sped to the boundary like a tracer bullet. He scored 34 of the 47 runs in the powerplay before shifting gears with the field spread around.But Smith’s dismissal to Jamie Overton just before drinks triggered a collapse with Jordan Silk falling later in the 10th over lbw after an unsuccessful review. Skipper Moises Henriques, who had called for the review, then was adjudged lbw to spinner Lloyd Pope, but he was livid with the decision having inside edged onto his pads.Sixers slumped to 92 for 5 before Ben Dwarshuis and Lachlan Shaw produced a brisk half-century partnership. They were unable to see Sixers home but Kerr stepped against Strikers, once again, having memorably lifted them home in the Challenger final of BBL 11.His six off Pope – who was brought on in a gamble by skipper Matthew Short – was perhaps the game-changing moment. Overton finishes season on a highStrikers’ season appeared in ruins under an avalanche from Smith, who reached his half-century off just 27 balls. But Overton had other ideas in his last BBL match before linking up with his England teammates for the white-ball tour of India,He entered the attack just before drinks and produced a thick edge off Smith that flew to short third. Overton then trapped Silk lbw later in a game-changing over.Strikers were not able to get over the line, but Overton can be well pleased with his season. The firebrand has become a fan favourite for Strikers but a villain for opposition supporters to be of the characters of this BBL season.Lloyd Pope celebrates a wicket•Getty Images

Chohan unleashed, Shaw sparkles in field

Sixers, in trademark style, were a well oiled machine in the first 10 overs after electing to bowl. Henriques brilliantly rang the changes as he rotated his four quicks during the powerplay.He then threw the ball to offspinner Todd Murphy, who claimed D’Arcy Short and Alex Carey in – curiously – his only over of the innings.Jafer Chohan, the Yorkshire legspinner, finally made his BBL debut after being a surprise selection in the draft. He varied his speeds nicely and finished with 0-30 from 4 overs.Sixers weren’t quite as slick after drinks, with their quicks unable to execute. For the second straight game, Abbott struggled badly at the death to cap a forgettable performance.But 22-year-old Shaw did provide some cheer in the field. In just his fourth BBL game, Shaw produced an outstanding piece of fielding on the legside rope where he acrobatically flicked the ball back into play to prevent a boundary.Shaw, who is normally a wicketkeeper, produced another spectacular effort in the outfield after a diving catch – having misjudged initially – amid very windy conditions to dismiss Alex Ross.

Strikers recover well after top-order collapse

In Strikers’ last match, they flayed Brisbane Heat and racked up the second highest score in BBL history. Matthew Short starred with a belligerent century, but he was confronted by a surface that wasn’t as rock hard and he walked to the crease without opening partner Chris Lynn, who suffered a hamstring injury in that match.Short looked to continue where he left off with a boundary straight down the ground off Jack Edwards, who earlier in the day was named the new Australia A captain.But Short could not replicate the shot, merely hitting Edwards straight up in the air in the first of three reckless dismissals.Carey missed out on the run glut against Heat and he appeared keen to make up for it with three early boundaries. But Carey fell tamely after the powerplay, picking out deep midwicket two balls after D’Arcy Short was clean bowled by Murphy having failed to execute a reverse sweep.It was left to Ross and Ollie Pope, who made their move after taking the power surge in the 12th over.Ross nailed several drives through the offside, but Pope was more fluent and reached his half-century off 35 balls before Overton provided a late flurry in the death overs.Harry Manenti hit a six in his debut to complete an impressive Strikers recovery. Manenti, who has represented Italy in international cricket, was presented his cap by his brother Ben – a Sixers squad member.

MatériaMais Notícias

O atacante Kevin, do sub-20 do Palmeiras, foi convocado pelo técnico Ramon Menezes para representar a Seleção Brasileira na Copa do Mundo da categoria, nesta sexta-feira (28). O jogador agradeceu pela oportunidade e afirmou estar vivendo um ‘sonho de criança’ com a convocação.

> Palmeiras pode ter pela primeira vez formação de ataque idealizada para 2023

– Vestir a camisa significa o resultado de toda sua dedicação, trabalho e esforço que vc esta realizando um sonho de criança. A diferença de atuar pelo clube é saber que pelo clube que alcançamos essas conquistas de representar a seleção brasileira, por isso devemos sempre estarmos atuando bem pelos nossos clubes – disse Kevin.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasSeleção BrasileiraSeleção Brasileira: Ramon explica conversa com clubes para liberação de atletas e projeta Mundial Sub-20Seleção Brasileira28/04/2023PalmeirasPalmeiras tem quatro convocados pela Seleção Brasileira para o Mundial sub-20Palmeiras28/04/2023PalmeirasApós hat-trick pelo Palmeiras, Amanda Gutierres foca no clássico contra o São Paulo no Brasileirão FemininoPalmeiras28/04/2023

Neste sábado (29), diante do Athletico pelo Brasileirão sub-20, o atacante completa 100 jogos com a camisa do Palmeiras, sendo o atleta mais velho e com mais jogos pela categoria. Kevin também destacou a confiança de Ramon Menezes, reafirmando o desejo pelo título mundial.

– Me senti muito mais confiante e mais solto pra fazer as coisas que o professor Ramon pedia e também saber as características que eu tenho que posso ajudar no jogo. É um orgulho enorme ser convocado pra uma competição desse tamanho. Fico muito feliz pela confiam que o professor mostrou em mim e quero recompensar em campo. Principalmente com o título – concluiu.

> Palmeiras cobra valor milionário de receitas do Allianz Parque que não foram repassadas ao clube

Em conversas com o empresário Paulo Pitombeira, o Palmeiras negocia a compra de mais 20% ou 30% dos direitos econômicos do atacante Kevin. Atual dono de 60% do atleta, o Alviverde viu a convocação como uma oportunidade de vitrine equer ter uma porcentagem maior do jogador visando uma possível venda futura.

Vale ressaltar que os outros 40% são repartidos entre a família do atacante e o Desportivo Brasil. Justamente a parte que hoje pertence ao clube da cidade de Porto Feliz está sendo negociada com o Verdão.

Big Picture

Australia have played like world champions, England have played like a team that has only just come together and are trying to figure out their next style of one-day cricket. Which is exactly the position of both sides.What will (or at least should) frustrate Harry Brook and Marcus Trescothick – stand-in captain and coach – is that England have had their opportunity in both games: at Trent Bridge they were 213 for 2 in the 33rd over before falling away to Australia’s collection of spinners and at Headingley they had the visitors 161 for 6 and 221 for 9 before Alex Carey swung the momentum.Related

• Could more crushing ODI failure be just what England need?

• Carey takes his chance to silence hostile Headingley

In both matches, Australia have found key performances from potentially unlikely sources, firstly with Marnus Labuschagne’s three wickets then Carey’s superb 74 off 67 balls from an opening that only presented itself due to Josh Inglis’ injury.With Australia struck down by illness ahead of Trent Bridge, it always felt as though that was going to prove a big missed opportunity for England and so it proved as Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Glenn Maxwell returned at Headingley and combined to take 7 for 119. With an eye to the future, Aaron Hardie’s performance was also significant with 2 for 26.England have some of the building blocks to make their attempts at rejuvenation a success. Ben Duckett is in excellent form, Jamie Smith is a high-class batter whatever colour ball he is facing, Brydon Carse could yet replicate the Liam Plunkett role – even if Carse says it’s never been spoken about – Adil Rashid remains world-class (although replacing him is a concern) and there is a collection of quicks with genuine pace.However, at the moment they seem unable to quite find their groove, especially with the bat, with Brook’s comments about not caring whether batters are caught attempting to clear the boundary not yet carrying the weight of when Eoin Morgan backed his team’s ultra-aggressive mantra in 2015. There is time yet for the rebuild to come together; Chester-le-Street would be a good place to start to at least ensure this series remains undecided for a few more days.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)
England LLLWL
Australia WWWWW4:07

The Huddle: Smith recalls his battle with Archer in Ashes 2019

In the spotlight: Phil Salt and Steven Smith

Phil Salt appears to have the task of playing the ultra-aggressive opener but he hasn’t looked entirely convincing in the first two matches. At Trent Bridge he seemed somewhat perplexed when bowled as he gave himself room against Ben Dwarshuis then at Headingley he was given a working over by Josh Hazlewood. He survived a review for a caught behind and was dropped at slip as he flayed at Hazlewood’s relentless short-of-a-length line around off stump before edging through to Carey. He will, no doubt, be fully backed to continue in the same vein but Australia’s quick bowlers are not easy to smash off their lengths.Back home, Steven Smith is at the centre of the key debate in Australian men’s cricket – or at least as much as these things raise attention during the September football final season – about where he will bat when India arrive for the Test series. For now he’s been at No. 3 and 4 in this series and would no doubt like a decent score. He looked in good touch in the opening game before offering a return catch to Liam Livingstone then was beaten by a superb delivery from Matthew Potts at Headingley. There is a good chance of a second rematch with Jofra Archer which always makes for compelling viewing.

Team news: Archer in line for return, Australia hopeful illness has passed

Archer would appear likely to slot back in having been given his expected rest at Headingley. Who he replaces will be interesting: Olly Stone bowled with good pace in Leeds, Potts was excellent and Carse adds some batting depth at No. 8. England felt potentially a seamer light in the last game, but without a true pace-bowling allrounder it’s hard to squeeze another option in.England: (possible) 1 Ben Duckett, 2 Phil Salt, 3 Will Jacks, 4 Harry Brook (capt), 5 Jamie Smith (wk), 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Jacob Bethell, 8 Brydon Carse, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Matthew PottsBen Dwarshuis has flown home after picking up a pectoral injury which restricted him to just four overs on debut in Nottingham. However, other than that Australia are hopeful of having a full squad to select from for the first time in the series. If Inglis is fit it creates an interesting call to make after Carey’s success in the last match. Inglis could play as a specialist batter, but there isn’t room for that, either, unless there’s some rotation. The north of England in September may require an extra pace-bowling option with Cameron Green and Sean Abbott available.Australia: (possible) 1 Travis Head, 2 Matthew Short, 3 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 4 Steven Smith, 5 Marnus Labuschagne, 6 Alex Carey (wk), 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 Aaron Hardie, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Adam Zampa

Pitch and conditions

Teams were forced to train indoors on Monday but the forecast for game day is a little better, albeit with the chance of showers. To say it will be mild might be stretching things. Overhead conditions could assist the bowlers although pitches at Chester-le-Street are usually pretty good for batting in one-day cricket.

Stats and trivia

• Starc needs one more wicket to move into fourth spot alone in Australia’s ODI tally. He equalled Mitchell Johnson on 239 during the previous game.
• England have two ODI centuries in the XI which played at Trent Bridge – one apiece for Duckett and Salt – while Australia had 28.
• England have a 3-1 winning record at Chester-le-Street against Australia. In 2018, Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh struck centuries but England comfortably chased 311 as Jason Roy made 101 off 83 balls. Only three players from that game will likely appear this time: Carey, Travis Head and Adil Rashid

Quotes

“There have been big changes, new batters, new bowlers. It will take time. It will always take time when it is a rebuilding process. We have got every base covered in terms of bowling, batting, keeping. Everything is there for us.”
Adil Rashid on England’s new era“There’s been a big emphasis on being flexible, being adaptable, there’s so many players who have cemented their spots – Travis at the top, Mitch [Marsh] through the middle then you’ve got Smith, Labuschagne – so it’s just about filling the roles as they pop up, whether it’s with the bat or ball, just being adaptable, jump up and down the order, and be able to contribute wherever possible.”

As Great Britain is represented in the Olympics, Scotland and England players could join forces in Los Angeles

Matt Roller13-Aug-2024

Cricket will return to the Olympics in 2028•Frederic J Brown/AFP/Getty Images

The ECB and Cricket Scotland have opened talks about plans to field men’s and women’s Team GB cricket teams at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.Cricket will return to the Olympics for the first time since 1900 after its inclusion was ratified late last year. Details are yet to be confirmed but the ICC has proposed six-team T20 tournaments for both the women’s and men’s competitions, which are both expected to last around a week and will likely be played consecutively rather than simultaneously.Related

ICC proposes six-team T20 events for both men and women at 2028 Olympics

MLC, Knight Riders team up for 10,000-seat stadium near Los Angeles

Qualification details are also yet to be confirmed but the ICC’s T20I rankings will be used in some capacity. Most countries will compete in their usual guise but if England qualify then they will play as Great Britain, in line with the rest of the Olympics. It opens up the possibility of some Scottish players competing, such as Brandon McMullen or Sarah and Kathryn Bryce.The ECB and Cricket Scotland have held preliminary discussions about working together on proposed Team GB cricket teams. Cricket Scotland are pushing for active involvement in their running and are keen to contribute players and staff, but the ECB will be the teams’ nominated governing body.”With the Los Angeles Olympics four years away, it’s very early stages, but we’re talking to Team GB and Cricket Scotland about the next steps we need to take,” an ECB spokesperson told ESPNcricinfo.”Once again Great Britain’s Olympians have captured the national imagination with their exploits in Paris this year, and we look forward to working together to compete when cricket returns to the Olympic stage in 2028.”Along with England and Wales hosting Women’s and Men’s [T20] World Cups in 2026 and 2030, it’s another great opportunity to grow the game and inspire more people to develop a love for cricket.”Andy Anson, the chief executive of the British Olympic Association, said on Monday: “We’ve got good experience in golf, in rugby and in women’s football, of how the Four Nations [England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland] can come together and nominate one country to be the main governing body and work with the other countries. So I think cricket will be the same.”Anson, who is also Lancashire’s chairman, added: “The ECB will be at the centre of that. They’ll have to work with Cricket Scotland to make sure that happens properly. We will help them sign agreements to come together and create a single national governing body, as we have done in those other sports. We are working very closely with the ECB to make them become the fully fledged National Olympic Committee member.”Team GB is officially the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Olympic Team, and athletes from Northern Ireland can choose to compete for either Team GB or Ireland. But since cricket is organised on an all-Ireland basis, leading Northern Irish cricketers such as Mark Adair and Paul Stirling are highly unlikely to nominate themselves for Team GB.The venue for the cricket events at the 2028 Olympics is yet to be confirmed. Los Angeles Knight Riders and Major League Cricket have plans to build a stadium in Great Park in Irvine, while the Oakland Coliseum has also been mooted as an option.West Indies’ potential involvement also raises some complications, though there is recent precedent from the 2022 Commonwealth Games. West Indies’ T20I ranking ensured they qualified for the women’s cricket event, and they were represented by Barbados as the winners of the most recent edition of the Women’s T20 Blaze.Involvement in the Olympics – which will take place in the second half of July – will add to an incredibly busy 2028 summer for England’s men, which is already due to feature six Tests and white-ball tours from Australia and India.

Newcastle United are “keeping a close eye” on a Premier League star this summer amid rival interest from Everton, with the player expected to leave his current club.

Newcastle pushing for attacking signings

The Magpies felt overly reliant on the goals of Alexander Isak at times last season, highlighting the need to bring in attacking reinforcements before the start of the 2025/26 campaign.

Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga has been mentioned as an eye-catching option, with the former Manchester United youngster impressing at the City Ground last term, helping them seal a surprise return to European football.

Meanwhile, Celtic wide man Nicolas Kuhn is considered an alternative option to the Swede, should Newcastle miss out on him. The Hoops star bagged 13 goals and nine assists for the Scottish giants last season, but it also heavily linked with RB Leipzig.

Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic has also been linked with a summer move to the Magpies, although the Serb would surely only come in if Isak departs, which is something many supporters will be dreading. Liverpool’s interest isn’t completely going away, but an enormous fee would be needed to prise him away.

Newcastle monitoring Premier League winner

Speaking to Football Insider, former scout Mick Brown claimed that Newcastle are “keeping a close eye” on Manchester City ace Jack Grealish.

“Newcastle are still keeping a close eye on Jack Grealish. There’s been a lot of talk about Everton, but I think they’re still very much in the mix. Of course, they’re not the only club interested because everybody knows about Jack’s qualities and what he can bring to the side when he’s at his best. The thing is for Newcastle, they have a lot of areas of the team where they want to improve.

“I don’t think Grealish is at the top of their list of priorities, but that’s a risk because somebody else might jump in quickly and get it done. If the opportunity comes up they’re going to be one of the clubs in for him. For now, they’ll look elsewhere but from what I hear they’re keeping a close eye on the situation. His main aim is playing regular football, he’d like to play in the Champions League but if he’s not going to be starting I expect him to look elswhere. It’s an interesting one to watch, that’s for sure.”

Grealish may have enjoyed a trophy-laden spell at City after joining for £100m on £300k-a-week from Aston Villa in 2021, but there is a feeling that he underperformed there, and that he needs to get his career back on track.

The Englishman turns 30 this year, so signing him would be a gamble by Newcastle, but he has the natural talent and maverick style to be a hit for a few years at St James’ Park.

A better buy than Rashford: Newcastle ready bid to sign "special" £50m star

Newcastle United might be about to land a better attacking talent than Marcus Rashford by successfully signing this star.

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Jun 23, 2025

Grealish may relish being given more attacking freedom by Eddie Howe, compared to arguably the more tactically rigid Pep Guardiola, and he has registered four assists against the Magpies in the past, never losing to them in seven appearances.

It could make more sense to signing a younger wide option instead, considering the City man may simply have peaked as a player at this point, but it is easy to see him enjoying a new challenge, having been called a “good leader” by Guardiola in the past.

Newcastle United are battling a host of clubs for the signing of a “world-class” Premier League player this summer, according to a new transfer claim.

Newcastle narrowing down attacking targets

The Magpies felt too reliant on the goals of Alexander Isak at times last season, so it’s no great surprise to see a plethora of attacking stars linked with summer moves to St James’ Park.

Bournemouth winger Justin Kluivert has been lined up as an alternative to Bryan Mbeumo, should the Brentford ace join United or Spurs instead, with the Cherries star scoring a hat-trick away to Newcastle in a shock 4-1 win there last season.

The Magpies are also believed to have increased their efforts to complete the signing of Brighton striker Joao Pedro, as they look to add depth in central attacking areas ahead of their return to the Champions League in 2025/26.

When it comes to young, long-term options for Newcastle, RB Leipzig wide man Antonio Nusa has emerged as a target for Eddie Howe’s side, with the 20-year-old already bagging 12 goal contributions (five goals and seven assists) in 36 appearances for the Bundesliga outfit. Now, another attacker has been backed to be a potential addition at St James’.

Newcastle battling to sign "world-class" ace

According to a new update from Caught Offside, Newcastle are in the race to sign Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford this summer.

The 27-year-old may be surplus to requirements at Old Trafford, having been loaned out to Aston Villa last season, and the Magpies are battling to snap him up. Villa themselves are keen on a permanent move, while Tottenham, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Inter Milan and Saudi Pro League clubs are all mentioned as possible suitors, too.

Rashford has reached a key point in his career, in terms of making sure he isn’t on a permanent decline and overcoming what has been a disappointing year or two at United.

The Englishman is clearly a massive talent who is capable of match-winning brilliance, though, which is why Luke Shaw has had this to say about his club and international teammate in the past: “He is in a really good way at the moment. Extremely confident, very positive. He is world-class, and he can be one of the best players in the world if he keeps going.”

Newcastle have first hand experience of what a menace Rashford can be to play against, with the forward scoring five goals against them, four of which have come in the Premier League.

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Granted, there would be some risk involved if the Magpies took a punt on him, considering he hasn’t looked like the player of old in recent years, and he would be on big wages, but he could explode with a new challenge, needing to move away from United.

Wolverhampton Wanderers will head into the summer transfer window full of confidence that they can secure a top-half finish in the Premier League next season.

Much will depend on Vitor Pereira’s budget, however. Will he be allowed to spend big in order to carry on the momentum gained over the last few months?

There will certainly be a few sales when the window opens as he begins to build his squad.

The key question for the Molineux faithful: Will Matheus Cunha be at the club on the opening day of 2025/26?

Why Matheus Cunha is a wanted man this summer

If it wasn’t for Cunha’s output in the final third this season, Wolves may arguably have been in real danger of relegation.

The Brazilian has been in remarkable form, scoring 15 times in the top flight while chipping in with six assists in the process.

Not only does this account for 41% of the club’s total goals in the league, but he also ranks ninth in the Premier League for goals and assists.

Despite this, Cunha has clashed with supporters on social media following a post he put up on his Instagram.

He even confessed that he wishes to leave in order to challenge for trophies, and if a big offer comes in, the forward may depart.

The forward currently earns £90k-per-week in the Midlands and, should he leave, this would help free up a big chunk of the wage budget for Pereira.

It does look likely he will move on from Wolves. But there is one player the manager should be actively trying to sell, especially considering he is earning more than the club’s talisman at the moment – Goncalo Guedes.

Why Goncalo Guedes must follow Cunha out the door

£35m signing Guedes was given a second chance at the club after returning from a loan spell last summer, but he hasn’t exactly taken the opportunity.

Across 31 games, he has registered ten goal contributions – five goals and five assists – but only two goals have come in the top flight.

He started in the 2-0 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion, but was subbed off after 59 minutes.

Goncalo Guedes’ stats in the PL this season

Goals

2

Assists

4

Shots per game

0.8

Key passes per game

0.4

Big chances created

2

Successful dribbles per game

0.2

Via Sofascore

During the game, he missed a big chance – notably firing a close-range effort over the far – failed to register a shot on target, failed with his only dribble attempt and won just a solitary duel against the Seagulls.

Due to his lethargic display, Guedes was given a match rating of just 5/10 by Birmingham World with journalist Charlie Haffenden noting that he ‘wasted two big chances in the opening ten minutes’ and was ‘not too involved afterwards’ which just about sums up his time at Molineux.

It’s safe to say that if this was an audition to secure his future at the club, he failed.

The Portuguese forward currently earns the same weekly wage as Cunha which given how differently the pair have performed this season, it is a rather remarkable fact.

Rank

Player

Wage per week

Wage per year

=1

Goncalo Guedes

£90,000

£4,680,000

=1

Pablo Sarabia

£90,000

£4,680,000

=1

Matheus Cunha

£90,000

£4,680,000

4

Nelson Semedo

£80,000

£4,160,000

5

Hee-chan Hwang

£70,000

£3,640,000

With two years left on his current contract, this summer would be the ideal time for Pereira to cash in on the underperforming forward.

If so, he will be able to free up a big part of the wage bill in the process.

Related Wolves flop is now a Ballon d'Or contender and a bigger name than Cunha

Wolverhampton Wanderers must surely rue losing this talent who is now arguably better than Matheus Cunha.

Posts 1 ByKelan Sarson May 12, 2025