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Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham has fired an ominous warning to his England team-mate Marcus Rashford, saying he’s back to his best physical condition and relishing playing in El Clasico. Real lead Barcelona by two points at the top of La Liga ahead of the hotly-anticipated clash at the Bernabeu, with more than just bragging rights at stake.

Stop-start season so far for Bellingham

Bellingham has battled with injury at Real Madrid while navigating a strained relationship with England boss Thomas Tuchel in recent months. A summer shoulder surgery meant Bellingham missed the start of the season in Spain, making only a few substitute appearances early on. He has recently found form, scoring his first Champions League goal of the season in a victory against Juventus. His situation with England became fraught following controversial comments by Tuchel in June, who described some of Bellingham's on-field antics as "repulsive," later apologizing. Tensions escalated in October when Tuchel omitted Bellingham from the squad for World Cup qualifiers, citing Bellingham's lack of match rhythm. But the former Borussia Dortmund star can put all those worries behind him with a positive performance againstdeadly rivals Barcelona. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportImportance of El Clasico

Ahead of the match, Bellingham said: “It's probably one of the biggest matches in the world. As a kid, I watched them all; I grew up following them. I've played in a few of them. I've had some great moments and some tougher ones, but it's an incredible match to play, especially at home, and I'm really looking forward to it. "In England, everyone recognises that this is one of the biggest matches in the world. There are big classics and derbies there, but even there, everyone is aware of what  this match means. Because of the level we've seen over the years, the pressure, the demands, the quality of the players, and the level of play at stake every time. I grew up there, but that doesn't change my perspective: on the contrary, I respect it even more. So yes, it's important that we get the win."

Bellingham firing on all cylinders

Bellingham is feeling positive about his fitness after early-season struggles, he said: "I feel very good and happy. Finally back on the pitch. In the last few games before the break, and then against Getafe and Juve, I started to feel better, closer to my best form. I'm strong and positive, probably in the best physical condition I've been in a long time. I'm ready to contribute and give whatever it takes for the team to win and continue the momentum they'd already created while I was away. I hope I can continue playing well, enjoying ourselves, and winning." He added: "A very important part is managing the match, the moment, emotions, and certain details that make all the difference. Last year, when we found ourselves behind in some matches, it affected us too much, and we let the game slip away. Now it's about staying mentally stable throughout the 90 minutes. Tactically, we know how they play and how we want to play. So the key is managing the rest well: the nerves, the pressure, the atmosphere… which will be huge. It's these details that can make the difference."

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AFPAll eyes on the Bernabeu

A blockbuster El Clasico awaits and Barcelona hold the psychological edge, having won all four of last season's encounters between the two bitter rivals, including a resounding 4-0 league victory on Real Madrid’s turf. Madrid will be without defenders Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba for the game in the Spanish capital but know that star striker Kylian Mbappe has been in sensational form, scoring 10 times in just nine LaLiga games so far in 2025-26. Barcelona, despite an injury crisis which has impacted key stars including Robert Lewandowski, Dani Olmo, Joan Garcia, Gavi and Raphinha, have excelled under Hansi Flick, demonstrating a robust, high-scoring attack. Get ready for a high-stakes battle that could significantly impact the title race.

As they look to get back to winning ways in the Premier League against Nottingham Forest this weekend, one Newcastle United star has received impressive praise from a club legend.

Howe previews "big" Nottingham Forest clash

So far, it’s been a good week for Eddie Howe and Newcastle. The Magpies netted four in a convincing victory against Union Saint-Gilloise in the Champions League and must now take that goalscoring form into the Premier League having so far scored just six goals in six league games.

Howe didn’t shy away from the importance of Nottingham Forest’s visit, either, whilst also taking the time to praise Ange Postecoglou as the Australian aims to turn things around following a tough start in the Midlands.

The Newcastle boss also confirmed the extent of Tino Livramento’s injury. Whilst the fullback thankfully avoided an ACL tear, he will miss the next eight weeks on the sidelines.

Howe told reporters: “He went to see a specialist, the scan initially looked better than we thought it was. The specialist confirmed it is an 8-week injury, which is a blow for us with the number of games we have in that period. It is a ligament injury and it will take time to recover.”

Newcastle now preparing to launch £60m+ offer to sign "underrated" midfielder

The Magpies could spend big again…

ByTom Cunningham Oct 3, 2025

Although he’ll be without Livramento, there are still positives for the Newcastle boss ahead of this weekend. Nick Woltemade continued his strong start against USG by netting on his Champions League debut and another star player also enjoyed his best performance to earn praise from Alan Shearer.

Shearer blown away by "unbelievable" Elanga trait

Full of praise for Newcastle after they eased past USG, Shearer revealed that he’s been blown away by Elanga’s pace. The former Nottingham Forest star picked up the Man of the Match award after picking up an assist and running his UCL opponents ragged with his electric speed.

The Newcastle legend revealed his shock at just how quick Elanga looked in midweek, saying on The Rest Is Football podcast: “He’s rapid, isn’t he? I mean, oh my God, he’s like incredibly quick. It’s unbelievable how quick he is.”

It’s not the first time that the Swede’s speed has been on full show, either. Just last season, Elanga clocked the third-quickest run time and was only behind Matheus Nunes and Micky van de Ven.

In what has been an excellent week for Newcastle’s summer signing, he’d love nothing more than to cap things off by scoring his first goal for the club against his former side this weekend. A place on the scoresheet would truly get him up and running at St James’ Park.

In an attempt to bolster the attacking midfield department, Tottenham Hotspur completed the signing of talented youngster Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig.

The hierarchy forked out a staggering £52m for his signature, a figure that made him the fourth-highest addition in their history – being one of five players to join the club for £50m or more.

At just 22, he’s seen as an immediate and long-term solution to the issue in such an area, already showcasing his quality in his first handful of Premier League appearances.

Simons has already notched an assist for the Lilywhites, teeing up Pape Matar Sarr from a set piece in the 3-0 triumph against local rivals West Ham United.

However, a deal for the youngster may not have been completed, especially if they had agreed another deal for a player who was previously on their radar.

Eberechi Eze’s proposed move to Spurs this summer

After missing out on Morgan Gibbs-White, Spurs turned their attention to fellow English star Eberechi Eze in an attempt to improve the options at Thomas Frank’s disposal in forward areas.

At one stage, a deal appeared extremely likely to be completed, with the player himself in advanced talks over a switch to join the Lilywhites and move across the capital from Crystal Palace.

However, despite a £60m fee being mooted, a deal would rapidly crumble in front of the supporters’ very eyes – with such a failure undoubtedly being a disappointment given the previous failures.

Eze would instead make a move to join Spurs’ North London rivals Arsenal in a deal totalling £67.5m including add-ons – further adding pain to the fans after missing out on his signature.

The Englishman’s announcement video with the Gunners threw shade on his failed move to join Frank’s side, claiming that he always wanted to join the Arsenal after previously playing for them as a youngster.

However, alongside the deal to land Simons instead, the club already have another talent on their books who could emulate the former Palace star’s success in the Premier League.

The Spurs star who’d be their very own Eze

Spurs’ academy setup has allowed for numerous top-level talents to emerge over the last couple of years – potentially saving them millions of pounds in the years ahead.

Mikey Moore was a player who took advantage of the injury crisis last campaign, subsequently making 19 appearances for the first-team across all competitions.

The teenager even scored his first senior goal in the Europa League victory over Elfsborg, showcasing the talent and potential he possesses to become a key member of the squad in the years ahead.

He’s not alone in having huge potential in North London, with midfielder George Abbott another star who could become a key man under Frank during his tenure.

The 20-year-old joined the club at the age of just seven, spending a decade at youth level before penning his first senior contract with his boyhood club at 17.

Abbott enjoyed his first taste of senior action last campaign, racking up 44 appearances on loan at League Two outfit Notts County – scoring six and registering seven assists.

Such performances led to one County analyst dubbing the youngster as “incredible” – even winning the EFL’s Goal of the Season for his effort against Accrington Stanley.

He would return to North London for pre-season, even starring in some of the fitness tests conducted by the first-team – further showcasing his remarkable talents despite his tender age.

Abbott is currently spending the 2025/26 season on loan at League One side Wycombe Wanderers, even scoring his first goal of the season against Northampton Town on Saturday afternoon.

Games played

44

Goals & assists

13

Pass accuracy

87%

Chances created

1.2

Fouls won

1.3

Tackles won

1.6

Interceptions made

1.7

Recoveries made

5.2

Such a stint is similar to Eze, with the now Arsenal talent previously spending time on loan at the same club before making a name for himself in England’s top-flight.

There’s no denying that Abbott has a long way to go before reaching such levels, but the comparisons are there for all to see, with the midfielder needing to continue on his current development path.

If he can continue starring like he has done in recent years, the sky will be the limit for the 20-year-old talent, potentially having a key role to play in Frank’s potential success.

Should he get to the levels of Eze, it would once again highlight the impact of the club’s academy setup – with Abbott the next in a long line of stars to emerge out of the youth setup.

He's outperforming Kudus: Spurs' star was offloaded by Postecoglou for £0

Tottenham Hotspur may have made a mistake in allowing one former talent to depart the club for free.

ByEthan Lamb Sep 22, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

O Santos está no top 10 das maiores torcidas do Brasil. De acordo com o censo do Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE), o Peixe tem 4,57 milhões de torcedores espalhados pelo país e ocupa a 8ª posição no ranking, ao lado do Internacional.

+ Até 70% OFF em produtos do Peixe para os torcedores fanáticos!

Apesar da boa posição no ranking, o clube do litoral paulista apresenta uma grande diferença para seus rivais do estado.

+ Ângelo rumo à Europa: veja as 35 maiores vendas do futebol brasileiro

O mais próximo do Alvinegro Praiano é o Palmeiras, que ocupa a 4ª posição e esbanja 15,37 milhões de torcedores; acima dele está o São Paulo, que possui 17,03 milhões de adeptos e, na segunda posição da lista, o Corinthians figura com 32,20 milhões de fãs.

O número de torcedores do Peixe apresentou uma queda em comparação com a estimativa de 2021. Na pesquisa anterior do IBGE, o Santos tinha 6,4 milhões de torcedores, ocupando a mesma posição que está agora.

Confira o ranking completo das maiores do Brasil:

1 – Flamengo: 45,28 milhões
2 – Corinthians: 32,20 milhões
3 – São Paulo: 17,03 milhões
4 – Palmeiras: 15,37 milhões
5 – Vasco: 8,72 milhões
6 – Grêmio: 6,64 milhões
7 – Cruzeiro: 6,44 milhões
8 – Internacional: 4,57 milhões
9 – Santos: 4,57 milhões
10 – Atlético-MG: 4,36 milhões
11 – Bahia: 3,53 milhões
12 – Botafogo: 2,70 milhões
13 – Fortaleza: 2,70 milhões
14 – Sport: 2,49 milhões
15 – Fluminense: 2,28 milhões
16 – Paysandu: 1,86 milhão
17 – Ceará: 1,66 milhão
18 – Vitória: 1,45 milhão
19 – Seleção Brasileira: 1,45 milhão
20 – Santa Cruz: 1,24 milhão

Doggett signs for his fourth BBL club on a two-year deal while Jewell is set to leave Hurricanes on the final day of the player movement window

Tristan Lavalette05-Feb-2025Melbourne Renegades have further bolstered their pace stocks after landing free agent Brendan Doggett, while the club’s shake-up is set to continue with Hobart Hurricanes’ title-winning opener Caleb Jewell poised to sign with them before the BBL’s new player movement window ends on Thursday.Doggett, who was part of Australia’s squad during part of the recent India Test series, has played the past two seasons with Adelaide Strikers, but only claimed three wickets in six matches in BBL 14. He had previously played four seasons with Sydney Thunder after having started his career at Brisbane Heat.His signing comes on the back of Renegades securing left-arm quick Jason Behrendorff on a three-year deal after Perth Scorchers were not able to guarantee him a contract.Related

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“Brendan is an exciting addition to our squad, he’s a skilful fast bowler with ability to execute under pressure and take important wickets,” Renegades general manager James Rosengarten said. “We believe Brendan will play an important role for us. To pair him up with Tom [Rogers], Jason, Adam [Zampa] and Will [Sutherland], we believe we have a powerful bowling unit that boasts variety and the very highest-end talent.”After missing out on the finals for the fifth time in the past six seasons, Renegades have also looked at shoring up their top-order batting. ESPNcricinfo understands that Jewell is set to be released from his Hurricanes contract and take up a deal with Renegades. He played a key role in Hurricanes’ championship campaign, complementing breakout opener Mitchell Owen in an anchoring role.Owen extended his contract with Hurricanes through to BBL 17, while free agent Tim David is expected to re-sign after significant interest from Melbourne Stars. Hurricanes, however, are believed to not have offered a contract to legspinner Peter Hatzoglou. He only took one wicket from six matches this season, but was relatively economical and did play through their finals campaign.ESPNcricinfo understands left-arm seam-bowling allrounder Hayden Kerr is set to re-sign with Sydney Sixers on a two-year deal having had considerable interest from several teams, including Stars.Kerr started his BBL career with Sixers in 2019-20 and has been a mainstay of the side since his breakout in BBL 11, highlighted by clubbing 98 not out as an opener against Strikers in the Challenger final. He took nine wickets from ten matches this season.Free agent D’Arcy Short is expected to re-sign with Strikers, but the club is believed to be still weighing up their batting options. The veteran averaged 23.50 with a strike rate of 135 from nine matches in various roles in Strikers’ batting-order.Caleb Jewell is set to leave Hurricanes for Renegades•Getty ImagesMeanwhile, left-arm quick Joel Paris has returned to Scorchers, his original BBL club, after signing a one-year deal. Paris was Scorchers’ primary target to replace Behrendorff and he will rejoin the club he played for from BBL 5 through to BBL 10. He finished the latest BBL season strongly and helped Stars make an unlikely finals appearance.”We identified the need for another new-ball bowler and saw this as a great opportunity to bring Joel back to Perth,” Scorchers high-performance boss Kade Harvey said. “Joel had a strong BBL14 season for the Stars, bowling a lot of his overs during the powerplay. We also like having a left-arm pace bowler in the squad.”He’s an excellent leader and has been an enormous contributor for WA over many years, so we’re looking forward to having him throughout the whole summer.”Scorchers’ former captain Mitchell Marsh is still out of contract but appears likely to remain with the team despite interest from both Melbourne clubs.In another development, Stars general manager Blair Crouch has stood down after four seasons in the role. Stars appear set to reshape the general manager role to remove the cricket high-performance and list-management element from the job having hired former Australia fast bowler Clint McKay as T20 high-performance manager last year.

GOAL US unpacks the main weekend storylines from the Premier League, La Liga and other top competitions in The Euro XI

Can we jump to conclusions? Are the pieces just perfectly in place for most of Europe's top leagues? 

Liverpool played Everton – the definition of a trap game. But they saw them off, late pressure notwithstanding. Man City and Arsenal then did the Reds an almighty favor by playing out a 1-1 draw in which either manager could have set up a team to win, but neither looked like they really wanted to.

Liverpool are five points clear and not playing well (yet). Further down the table – yes, down – Man United won their game against Chelsea and then tried really hard to lose it. In Germany, Bayern Munich are scoring for fun. And even if PSG-Marseille is postponed until Monday because of heavy rain, there's no doubt that the Parisians will walk it.

Of course, much can change here. Liverpool could start losing. Arsenal could decide they want to win. City could win 20 in a row and no one would bat an eyelid. Until then, though, we're left admiring from afar. But that might not be such a bad thing.

GOAL US presents The Euro XI, with 11 key observations from the weekend.

AFP1Mikel Arteta never changes

Why, Mikel, would you go out and spend big on Victor Gyokeres, Ebere Eze and Noni Madueke, if you aren't going to make the most of them? Arsenal's summer transfer business, from the outside, seemed a state of attacking intent. Here was a manager who loved his defensive structure, taking the handbrake off a little.

The Gunners could be expansive, maybe even just a little bit fun. But when it came to the big game, Arteta went right back into his shell. The Spaniard deployed seven (!) defensive players against a weakened Man City at home, and relied on a late moment of magic from Gabriel Martinelli to salvage a 1-1 draw.

Was this tragedy? No. But one point could have been three, if Arteta had just been a little more brave.

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport2Pep Guardiola bunkers in

Man City are in a precarious spot. They are still rebuilding and tweaking, Pep Guardiola fiddling with a team rather than fine-tuning it. And you could see a side still a little uncertain of itself Sunday afternoon.

City went up 1-0 early thanks to a lovely goal from Erling Haaland. Guardiola's side of old would twist the knife, make it four or five. Instead, Guardiola shrunk and bunkered in. To be fair, it almost worked, but City were frighteningly conservative.

And even if Arsenal weren't exactly full of attacking inspiration, they could have few complaints about the draw. But something weird is happening: Pep is playing scared.

Getty3Erling Haaland is keeping Man City alive

It is a good thing, then, that Guardiola has a super Norwegian space robot demon to play up front. Haaland wasn't exactly last year, but he was miles off the player that smashed the Premier League goalscoring record in his debut season. Now, it seems, he is determined to restructure his game a little.

Haaland's whole vibe for a long time is that he was very good at one thing: sticking the ball in the net. Everything else was low priority. But this year, he's changed it up. Haaland is carrying Man City not only by scoring – he has six in five games – but also by affecting the game everywhere else.

Haaland passes. Haaland defends. Haaland now does a bit of everything. And without him, City would be in a far worse place.

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Getty Images Sport4Liverpool keep playing with fire

It's rather funny that the most likely team to win the Premier League are doing it while looking reasonably poor for long stretches. Liverpool were excellent for 30 minutes in the Merseyside derby. They scored two very nicely crafted goals, and might have had a third if Mo Salah's whipped shot not gone inches wide of the top corner.

After that, though, they closed into their shell, and let Everton play. They were, in the end, outrun, outworked and perhaps slightly fortunate to come away with three points against their rivals. It's an odd situation, all said.

Liverpool probably have too much attacking talent to lose in a shootout. But they do a pretty poor job of controlling games from ahead. At some point someone is going to punish them. The question is, who? 

Alejandro Garnacho’s Manchester United career is set to come to an end very soon, and the Red Devils have now reached an agreement over the exit of another out of form attacker.

Garnacho set to kickstart Man Utd summer sales

The future of Garnacho has been a talking point throughout the summer transfer window, with the Argentine more likely to leave after failing to fully impress Ruben Amorim.

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It looks as though the winger is close to sealing a move to Premier League rivals Chelsea, with journalist Fabrizio Romano among those reporting that a deal is in place for the Blues to bring him to Stamford Bridge.

Garnacho may not be the only United player to depart between now and the end of deadline day, however, with Marcus Rashford already joining Barcelona on loan earlier in the window.

Now, a fresh update suggests that a different player will now be plying his trade away from United this season, with his exit seemingly edging closer all the time.

AC Milan reach £5m loan agreement for Hojlund

According to Gazzetta dello Sport [via Sport Witness], Manchester United have reached an agreement with AC Milan over a loan move for Ramus Hojlund. His agent, Kees Voos, has “sensed” that his client’s minutes would become limited after the arrival of Benjamin Sesko.

The clubs have now agreed a €6m (£5m) loan fee, which could be made into a permanent deal for around €30m (£26m) next summer. If it isn’t, INEOS will only recoup a tiny fraction of the £72m they shelled out on the Dane.

Hojlund has ultimately been a big disappointment in a United shirt, having arrived with such a big reputation, despite Amorim praising him earlier this summer.

“We need goals. But the way he’s linking the play in this moment, the way he’s fighting for the balls, sometimes we are pressed, we can kick the ball, and he’s connecting the ball. That is so important for us to play better. So he’s doing a very good job.”

Hojlund has only scored 26 goals in 95 appearances for United, which is a poor return given the money spent on him, and it does make sense to loan him out for a season, potentially allowing him to regain some confidence.

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Whether Milan take up the offer for a permanent move remains to be seen, but the 22-year-old has arguably had long enough to prove his worth for the Red Devils, and Sesko will hopefully be a significant upgrade on him.

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Leeds United have now advanced talks to sign a £17m star who’s “one of the best in Europe” in his position, and they are tempted to trigger his release clause, according to a report.

Leeds in no rush to sign new goalkeeper

With Illan Meslier making a catalogue of errors last season, you may expect those at Elland Road will be eager to bring in a new goalkeeper, but Sky Sports News reporters Zinny Boswell and Keith Downie have revealed the Championship title-winners are prioritising other positions.

“Leeds United are in no rush to sign a goalkeeper as they assess potential targets. They have a long list of options, which includes Lyon’s Lucas Perri and Torino’s Vanja Milinkovic-Savic.

“A goalkeeper would not need the same amount of time to settle in to Daniel Farke’s system, which is why the club are prioritising outfield players earlier in the window.”

Leeds submit £12m bid to sign "unbelievable" player, personal terms agreed

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1 ByDominic Lund Jul 8, 2025

However, with a deal for Gabriel Gudmundsson over the line, the Whites now appear to have turned their attention towards bringing in a replacement for Meslier, with talks to sign a new goalkeeper recently progressing.

That is according to a report from Italy, which states Leeds are now tempted to pay the release clause in Milinkovic-Savic’s contract, which amounts to slightly over €20m (£17m) for clubs outside the Serie A.

The clause is available until the end of the month, so there is no urgent need for the newly-promoted side to make a move, but they will be wary of rival interest in the goalkeeper, with Serie A winners Napoli also being named as potential suitors.

Talks have advanced recently, but Daniel Farke’s side are still unsure whether they should cough up the £17m, and the situation should be monitored closely over the next few days.

Milnkovic-Savic among the "best" goalkeepers in Europe

Torino president Urbano Cairo holds the Serbian in very high regard, saying: “Milinkovic-Savic has a release clause in his contract, but these are things that can be changed. He’s a great goalkeeper, one of the best in Europe, and has improved so much.”

It is clear to see why the 28-year-old is so highly-rated too, having performed extremely well across a number of key statistics for goalkeepers over the past year.

Statistic

Average per 90

Save percentage

77.5% (93rd percentile)

Goals against

1.14 (75th percentile)

Save % (penalties)

57.1% (91st percentile)

Touches

46.95 (98th percentile)

As shown, the Spain-born goalkeeper is particularly impressive at stopping penalties, having made a number of key saves during his time with Torino in the Serie A.

Milinkovic-Savic could be a fantastic signing for Leeds, who certainly need to bring in a new goalkeeper this summer, given that Meslier may not be trusted by Farke, having been dropped for the promotion run-in during the climax of the 2024-25 season.

Newcastle United have been put through the wringer this summer, having missed out on key attacking targets in Liam Delap, Bryan Mbeumo, Joao Pedro and now Hugo Ekitike.

However, context is important, and in the latter’s case, Liverpool have moved ahead with a bumper deal after Eddie Howe and co stood firm on their stance that Alexander Isak is not for sale.

Ekitike, valued at €100m (£85m), has handed in a transfer request at Eintracht Frankfurt as he edges closer to Anfield. Thus, Newcastle have turned their attention to Brentford’s Yoane Wissa.

However, the Magpies may be foiled once again with that one.

Newcastle lining up Ekitike alternatives

On Friday afternoon, Manchester United finally achieved a breakthrough in their long pursuit of Bryan Mbeumo, with a £71m fee agreed between the Premier League clubs.

This transfer may run counter to Newcastle’s ambitions regarding Wissa, for the Bees have already lost Thomas Frank and their captain Christian Norgaard, and thus will be loath to part with their central striker too.

Thus, Newcastle need – once again – an alternative.

Well, according to Sport BILD, Howe has lined up Napoli’s Victor Osimhen as an ambitious alternative, with the free-scoring marksman said to be one of the players who is on the Magpies’ ‘radar’.

While the £64m-rated Osimhen is the centre of talks between Napoli and Galatasaray, with whom he spent the 2024/25 season on loan, the allure of the Premier League could work in the Toon’s favour.

Why Newcastle want Victor Osimhen

Osimhen is one of the most feared and famous centre-forwards currently competing in Europe. The end of an unhappy marriage with Napoli led to his loan move to Galatasaray in the Turkish Super Lig, but who can say he hasn’t made good use of the cards dealt?

The prolific star’s meaty haul does suggest that he’s got every bit the clinical nature of Isak, with Statman Dave even commenting that he’s “the best striker on the market” right now.

With Isak’s long-term future a debatable thing, there’s a chance that Osimhen could prove to be not just a fitting replacement but an incredible upgrade. Indeed, his goalscoring consistency can be viewed across a number of years and a number of countries.

24/25 – Galatasaray

41

37

8

23/24 – Napoli

32

17

4

22/23 – Napoli

39

31

5

21/22 – Napoli

32

18

6

20/21 – Napoli

30

10

3

A title winner who is more than just a goalscoring focal point, Osimhen could be the perfect man to add another layer to this incredible Newcastle side.

Isak, a world-class striker, scored 27 goals across 42 matches last season. Osimhen, meanwhile, bagged 37 times over 41 games. Though the Nigerian competed in a division of inferior quality to the Premier League, he scored six goals across seven matches in the Europa League, including a brace in a 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur.

Moreover, Isak’s six Champions League outings in 2023/24 yielded just the one goal, and no assists either. Conversely, Osimhen’s prolificness in the European theatre is underscored further by his record of nine goals and an assist across 17 Champions League fixtures.

And Osimhen could even emulate his positional peer in regard to movement and intelligence. As per FBref, he ranked among the top 4% of strikers across Europe last season for shot-creating actions and the top 18% for progressive carries per 90.

Ultimately, Newcastle have scored a winner by keeping hold of Isak, and in Osimhen, they could land a new number nine to challenge him for that first-choice spot, certainly proving an upgrade on the young Ekitike.

He’s Lewis Miley 2.0: Newcastle agree terms to sign "exciting" sensation

Newcastle are looking to strengthen for the present and the future

ByJoe Nuttall Jul 17, 2025

It must be said: Liverpool are perhaps enjoying a better summer transfer window than they ever did under Jurgen Klopp.

FSG’s incisiveness gives us all the material we need to surmise their Anfield ambitions over the coming years. Though afflicted by the departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who left for Real Madrid on a free transfer, Jeremie Frimpong has joined from Bayer Leverkusen in a £29.5m deal to jockey with Conor Bradley for the right-back berth.

And with Milos Kerkez on the cusp of replacing Andy Robertson, 31, who is being targeted by Atletico Madrid as he enters the last year of his contract, Arne Slot’s new-look defensive flanks could be solidified for many exciting years to come.

The Premier League champions should also see Florian Wirtz follow Frimpong from Leverkusen to sign for the Reds in what could rise to a British-record £116m fee (£100m will be paid upfront and a further £16m is possible through add-ons).

The elite playmaker allegedly rejected interest from Bayern Munich and Manchester City to join Liverpool, with his medical set for this week.

Liverpool have turned a corner, all right, now acting like the behemoth they are. However, such signings are fantastic, but Liverpool’s priority perhaps remains at number nine, with a new centre-forward needed to ease Mohamed Salah’s talismanic burden.

Why Liverpool need a new striker

Three years ago (almost to the day), Liverpool signed Darwin Nunez from Benfica in an initial £64m deal. It could have reached a club-record £85m fee, but that never happened, largely because of the Uruguayan’s stop-start performances.

Now, he’s going to be sold, with suitors in the Saudi Pro League and mounting interest in Serie A, Napoli and AC Milan both keen on completing a deal.

He needs to go, and Salah needs help. The Egyptian has just turned 33 and the balance of output must be spread across Slot’s frontline next year, lest he be overwhelmed by responsibility once again.

Looking at the forwards’ respective hauls across the 2024/25 season, it’s interesting that Nunez and Diogo Jota, the two recognised central strikers, languished near the bottom, better only than the rarely-played Federico Chiesa.

The expectation is that Nunez will be sold, but he will be sold as a Premier League champion, having also registered four goal involvements en route to lifting the Carabao Cup in 2023/24 too.

Salah needs a new dance partner, and there so happens to be one on FSG’s radar.

Liverpool remain in race for new striker

As per Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Liverpool remain in the race for Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike alongside Chelsea, though Manchester United are ramping up their efforts for the striker, with club-to-club talks having begun last week.

This shows that Liverpool will need to accelerate their own interest, but likely, they will struggle to do so until Nunez has been offloaded. Crucially, this will need to happen soon, although Plettenberg’s earlier report on the matter claims the French forward is aware of Anfield’s plan.

However, with Frankfurt obstinately holding onto their €100m (£85m) valuation, it remains to be seen whether Liverpool or indeed anyone will pay up, with Chelsea already sounding out alternatives.

This is followed by transfer insider Graeme Bailey’s claim that the Merseyside outfit can be considered frontrunners after holding talks, and that the player’s entourage have informed interested parties that he might actually be available for a cheaper figure than Frankfurt want.

Why Liverpool should sign Ekitike

Ekitike is only 22, but he’s already proved himself capable of approaching world-class level, with analyst Ben Mattinson even declaring him as “one of the best strikers out there” in March.

This has been ratified by the data: not only did Ekitike finish the campaign with 22 goals and 12 assists across all competitions, but he also wrapped it up ranked among the top 4% of strikers across Europe’s top five leagues last year for shot-creating actions, the top 4% for progressive carries and successful take-ons, and the top 19% for ball recoveries per 90, as per FBref.

He’s come a long way already, only scoring four times and making 33 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain before being loaned out and then sold, having signed the Reims prospect for €35m (£30m) in July 2022.

Perhaps the Eagles want too much, but that’s up to sporting director Richard Hughes to engineer a more agreeable package for one of the most talented frontmen out there.

His elegance and underlying data suggest he could not only help Salah maintain his high level of performance but also become Slot’s very own version of the Premier League all-timer.

In 2017, when Liverpool purchased Salah from Roma in a deal worth £34m, few expected him to become a superstar under Jurgen Klopp, having previously failed to make it work with Chelsea, scoring twice over 19 games before being offloaded to Italy.

Now, he’s a legend, having scored 245 goals and provided 113 assists across 401 trophy-filled fixtures as a Liverpool sensation.

Salah is chiefly a deadly marksman, but he’s also something of an underrated playmaker. Of course, all know of his impressive creativity, but perhaps not so much his highest-station calibre in that regard, among conversations with some all-timers in the ball-playing department.

But it’s not just the way these two will play together (although that’s a tantalising thought), but indeed Ekitike could prove to be Liverpool’s next version of the Egyptian King, albeit in a different attacking position.

As we have discussed, Ekitike is enjoying new prolific heights but this stands atop the wide foundations of an expansive skill set, with all the facets no doubt gleaned by Liverpool’s renowned data-driven team.

The same was true for Salah, who enjoyed his time in Italy, earning praise for his goalscoring, but was far more even in that earlier iteration.

As you can see, he was consistent in his playmaking, dribbling and crispness in retaining possession, also chipping in with a lively amount of defensive work, also winning a fair amount of duels on a game-by-game basis.

And you could even draw upon the right winger’s 16 big chances missed on that final campaign in Rome, scoring 15 times. Ekitike actually mirrored that in the German top division last season, 15 goals, 16 big chances squandered.

His constant drive forward, electric and connective with those around him, project the style of a complete forward, something Liverpool typically like at number nine and, of course, a style which Salah has used to wreak havoc on the Premier League for so many years.

Liverpool saw something that others didn’t and welcomed Salah as he was getting going. Now they are basking in the glory of it, have been for many years.

By following this well-beaten internal path, they might just hit the jackpot once again, landing an “incredible” new attacking asset, as Ekitike has been called by teammate Rasmus Kristensen.

Salah’s is a story of merciless predation on hapless Premier League and European defences. His greatness is carved into the division and Liverpool’s most fundamental history; have a conversation about the best of the best, and he shall be named.

Ekitike’s got a long way to go, but he too has weathered the storm of a tough start to life at one of the continent’s superpowers, and having taken a so-called step down to find his feet, is now ready to move to the Premier League and become one of the best of the best.

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