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They might still be in the relegation zone, but things are starting to look up for West Ham United this season.

Following their draw away to Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday afternoon, Nuno Espírito Santo’s side have lost just one of their last six games.

The Portuguese manager has made the East Londoners far harder to play against and is getting more out of players, such as Callum Wilson.

The Englishman is starting to look like his old self, but if reports are to be believed, West Ham could soon sign an upgrade.

West Ham target Wilson upgrade

While the Hammers have most certainly improved over the last couple of months, it’s clear that they still need reinforcements in the January window, and so it’s not been a surprise to see them linked with a host of talented players.

Transfer Focus

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

For example, Chelsea’s Axel Disasi has once again been touted for a move to the London Stadium, as has Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Jose Sa.

Yet, as good a signing as those two would be, neither one could be described as an upgrade on Wilson, unlike Joaquín Panichelli.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, West Ham are one of a few Premier League clubs interested in the Argentine striker.

Alongside the East Londoners, the report has revealed that Chelsea and Aston Villa have set their sights on the RC Strasbourg star.

A potential price for the 23-year-old is not mentioned in the report, but given that his £28k-per-week contract runs until 2030, he’s unlikely to come cheap.

With that said, West Ham should still do what they can to sign Panichelli, even if his arrival would be bad news for Wilson.

How Panichelli compares to Wilson

Now, it should be said that, as things stand, Wilson is doing an excellent job for West Ham.

However, football is a brutal game, and if the Irons can find themselves a better striker in the winter window, they should sign them.

So, with that said, is Panichelli a better forward than the Englishman?

Well, when it comes down to their output, the most important metric of all for forward, the answer is resounding yes.

For example, so far this season, the Argentine, whom U23 scout Antonio Mango has dubbed “one of the most in-form Strikers in Europe,” has scored ten goals in 19 appearances.

Appearances

19

13

Goals

10

4

Assists

0

1

Goal Involvements per Match

0.52

0.38

That means that the former Deportivo Alavés star is averaging a goal involvement every 1.9 games.

In contrast, the former Newcastle United ace has scored four goals and provided one assist in 13 appearances this season, resulting in a goal involvement every 2.6 games.

Another area in which the Córdoba-born gem clearly has a significant advantage over the Irons ace is age.

The once-capped international only turned 23 in October, whereas the Coventry-born poacher is 33 and set to turn 34 in February.

Now, this may not be an issue at the moment, but it does mean Nuno cannot build a team around the Englishman, which isn’t the case for the “clinical” Strasbourg striker, as dubbed by Mango.

Ultimately, while Wilson shouldn’t be moved on, West Ham should sign Panichelli next month to rival him for game time and then eventually surpass him to become the club’s starting number nine.

West Ham already have a Paqueta replacement who's 'like Kevin De Bruyne'

Nuno already has his Paqueta replacement in a hugely exciting West Ham star.

ByJack Salveson Holmes 3 days ago

Lionel Messi helped to inspire Inter Miami to a historic MLS Cup triumph, but the Argentine GOAT was not really in a party mood when wild post-match celebrations were taken in. Club co-owner Sir David Beckham formed part of those, as he led a conga line, but Messi – who has enhanced his status as the most decorated player of all-time – looked like he would rather be anywhere else in the world.

• Historic win: Inter Miami land MLS Cup in 2025

  The Herons have savoured MLS Cup glory for the first time, with impressive progress being made over the course of five years since becoming another expansion franchise in 2020. Acquiring eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi in 2023 represented a notable coup for the club.

  He helped them to Leagues Cup success a matter of weeks after arriving in South Florida, before claiming the Supporters’ Shield in record-breaking style last season. Inter Miami have now landed the ultimate prize, with Vancouver being seen off in the 2025 MLS Cup final.

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• Watch Messi forced to join Beckham's conga line

• How many trophies has Messi won?

  The contest took place at Chase Stadium, as the Herons prepare to bid farewell to that venue and move into a new purpose-built home for 2026. They delivered the perfect send-off when overcoming Thomas Muller and the Whitecaps.

  Messi was not among the goals in a 3-1 win over Vancouver, but delivered Golden Boot-winning exploits during the regular season – finding the target on 43 occasions across all competitions.

  The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain playmaker now has 47 major titles to his name. He was full of smiles after hoisting the MLS Cup aloft as captain of Inter Miami. Beckham was on hand – alongside wife Victoria – to join in with those celebrations.

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  Back for more: Messi under contract through 2028

  The party carried on long after confetti had been cleared from the field, with Inter Miami’s squad getting the chance to let their hair down alongside friends and family. Beckham was front and centre again, with the Manchester United and England legend leading players in a conga as drinks flowed.

  Messi was dragged into that performance, seemingly against his wishes. The evergreen 38-year-old looked less than impressed at being forced to parade alongside Sergio Busquets and Rodrigo De Paul.

  While not really being in the party spirit, Messi will be back for more with Inter Miami next season. He has committed to a new three-year contract that will take him through 2028. The all-time great also has a World Cup title defence with Argentina on his agenda, with the expectation being that he will form part of the Albiceleste’s plans for the major tournament that is heading to the United States, Canada and Mexico next summer.

Highlights from round four of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025-26

Shashank Kishore02-Dec-2025

Hardik returns from injury in style

Returning to competitive cricket for the first time since injuring (left quadricep) himself ahead of the Asia Cup final in September, Hardik Pandya struck an unbeaten 77 off 42 balls to power Baroda home in a tall chase of 223 against Punjab.Hardik put together a crucial third-wicket partnership of 101 with Shivalik Sharma, who was tactically retired out on 47 off 32. This allowed Jitesh Sharma, Baroda’s new recruit, to join Hardik with the side needing 30 off 15 balls. Baroda needed just nine more balls to seal victory.Hardik’s batting performance somewhat made up for his underwhelming returns with the ball. He finished with figures of 4-0-52-1, with much of his early damage caused by Punjab captain Abhishek Sharma who waltzed to an 18-ball 50, before being dismissed off the following delivery.Punjab’s innings went into overdrive courtesy Anmolpreet Singh (69 off 32) and Naman Dhir (39 off 28). Yet, they found the target easily razed down in the end, with Baroda winning by seven wickets.Both sides have two wins in as many matches in Group C, which is currently led by Gujarat, who have three wins in four matches.

Shaw’s rapid 66 trumps Suryavanshi ton

After scores of 14, 13 and 5 in his first three knocks, Bihar’s Vaibhav Suryavanshi, set to be India’s opener at next month’s Under-19 World Cup, made heads turn with an unbeaten 61-ball 108. In the process, he became the youngest player (14 years) to hit a ton in the tournament.Vaibhav Suryavanshi became the youngest batter to score a century in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy•PTI

Suryavanshi hit seven fours and seven sixes in Bihar’s 176 for 3. Suryavanshi’s three centuries are the joint-most by an Indian in 2025, along with Abhishek Sharma. Ayush Mhatre and Ishan Kishan have two hundreds each.Suryavanshi’s knock, however, wasn’t enough in the face of an opening onslaught from Maharashtra captain Prithvi Shaw. Hoping to attract the attention of IPL franchises after going unsold for IPL 2025, Shaw laid the foundation of Maharashtra’s chase with a 30-ball 66 at the top of the order. Maharashtra eventually got home by three wickets in hand with one over to spare.This was Maharashtra’s second win in four games, while Bihar continued to remain winless.

Sarfaraz slams maiden ton as Mumbai remain unbeaten

Sarfaraz Khan slammed his maiden T20 century, an unbeaten 47-ball 100, in Mumbai’s 98-run win over Assam. This was their fourth win, which puts them at the top of Group A.The other contributions in Mumbai’s 220 for 4 were Ajinkya Rahane, who made a 33-ball 42 opening the innings; Ayush Mhatre made 21, fresh off two consecutive centuries; the end of the innings also received a finishing kick courtesy Sairaj Patil, who slammed an unbeaten 9-ball 25. In response, Assam were bundled out for 120; Riyan Parag, the captain, bagged a two-ball duck. Shardul Thakur, the Mumbai captain, picked 5 for 23

Padikkal century crushes TN

Devdutt Padikkal struck his fourth T20 century – an unbeaten 46-ball 102 – as Karnataka bounced back from two back-to-back losses to trounce Tamil Nadu by 145 runs. This is their second win in four matches that keeps their chances of making the Super Fours alive.Sent in to bat, Karnataka raced to a 69-run opening stand between Mayank Agarwal and BR Sharath (53 off 23), before Padikkal took centrestage. He hit 10 fours and six sixes in his innings. The in-form R Smaran, who has made quite an impression so far this season, made 46 not out. TN captain Varun Chakravarthy conceded 47 off four wicketless overs.TN’s chase never got going; they were eventually bowled out for 100 in 14.2 overs with N Jagadeesan’s 21 being the top score. B Sai Sudharsan managed just 8. Karnataka’s legspinning duo of Shreyas Gopal and Pravin Dubey picked up three wickets apiece.Related

• Shaw, Akash Deep, Venkatesh Iyer have a lot at stake

• Urvil Patel: Being at CSK has made me believe in myself more than ever

• Abhishek enters record books with 12-ball fifty in Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy

• Ishan Kishan slams 50-ball 113* in comprehensive Jharkhand win

The result puts TN in the bottom half of Group D, with their domestic season going from bad to worse. After finishing the first half of the Ranji season winless and going through a coaching reshuffle for the white-ball leg, they’ve now managed just one win in four matches and are in danger of not progressing beyond the group stages.

Bishnoi, Tendulkar make an impression

Released by Lucknow Super Giants ahead of IPL 2026, Ravi Bishnoi offered a timely reminder of his quality with a three-for in Gujarat’s emphatic win over Puducherry. The result – their third in four games – keeps Gujarat well-placed for a Super Four berth. Bishnoi now has six wickets in four outings, at an economy of 7.62.File photo: Ravi Bishnoi goes through his bowling drills•PTI

Choosing to bowl first, Gujarat skittled Puducherry for just 83 in 13.1 overs before cantering to the target in nine overs. Opener Aarya Desai sealed the chase with an unbeaten 53 off 30 balls. The defeat was Puducherry’s second in four matches.Freshly traded to LSG, Arjun Tendulkar starred in Goa’s impressive win over a formidable Madhya Pradesh side. Tendulkar returned figures of 3 for 36, including the late wicket of Venkatesh Iyer for 5 to restrict MP to 170 for 6.Goa then cruised through the chase, sealing victory with seven wickets in hand and nine balls to spare. Abhinav Tejrana’s brisk 55 off 33 and Suyash Prabhudessai’s composed, unbeaten 75 off 50 ensured there were no hiccups along the way.Both MP and Goa have two wins in four games in Group B.

WI captain saw their improved performance in Delhi after being forced to follow as a positive sign

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Oct-20253:56

What made Campbell and Hope stand out?

Roston Chase saw encouraging signs in West Indies’ performance against India in Delhi, despite the visitors losing by seven wickets.Shai Hope and John Campbell made centuries, the first two for West Indies in 2025. The team also batted 80-plus overs in both innings after failing to get to that mark all year, improvements that meant more coming against a strong Indian bowling outfit that included Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja.”Yeah, I think this is the kind of fight that I wanted to see from us, from matches before”, Chase said at the post-match press conference. “So, I think this is a stepping stone, a building step for us to go forward and improve as a Test-playing nation. This is a performance that I think will give us the confidence and boost us in terms of that belief that we can do it against proper Test-playing nations.Related

Centuries and time at the crease ease West Indies' crisis

India complete 2-0 sweep in Gill's first series win

“I just want to see the guys continue in this vein and don’t let us go back to those ways. Even if it’s for us to lose, we have to lose in a good way. In a positive way, where we can have a lot of positives coming out of the game.”West Indies came to India without two of their best fast bowlers, Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph, who were both laid low by injuries. Ultimately, it wasn’t the bowling that let them down though. Chase understood that his side needed to improve their batting to get their first points in this new cycle of the World Test Championship.”I think where we could improve mainly is our batting,” Chase said. “I think that’s what let us down for the last two series. I think we have a good bowling attack, we had a few injuries. I just think that once we can put good first-inning totals on the board, we will be able to fight for some wins in the Test Championship.”John Campbell and Shai Hope put on West Indies’ highest partnership of the 2025 so far•AFP/Getty ImagesBut this process is complicated by the way the West Indies cricket system currently functions.”When a lot of our players come into the international level, they play like 20 first-class games, 15 first-class games,” Chase said. “While other teams, when guys come into international cricket, they have like 80 first-class games, 100 first-class games.”Domestic competitions help batters learn how to score big runs and replicate the process over an extended period of time. West Indies, though, are having to manufacture success without that essential ingredient. This is part of why they have had one-off wins, against Australia in Brisbane and against Pakistan in Multan, but are struggling for consistency.”So for us, it’s always learning on the job,” Chase said. “So if a guy can get a little longer run [playing Test matches] so that he can adjust and adapt to this level and see what it takes for him to improve and to be consistent at this level, I think that’s good. And I just think that the fight that we showed in this last game will, as I said, give us that belief and that confidence to know that we have what it takes to perform at this level.”One bright spot for West Indies on this tour of India was the allrounder Justin Greaves, who finished the series with an unbeaten 50 from No. 7 and showed good skill in combating India’s spinners.”Yeah, well, actually, if we had batted first, he [Greaves] would have batted at No. 6,” Chase. “But obviously him being the allrounder, bowling allrounder, bowling many [14 out of 134.2] overs first, we just wanted to give him some rest. So we just put him at No. 7. But yeah, I think he’s a capable batsman. I know him for a long period and I personally think his batting is better than his bowling.”West Indies’ next Test match is in December against New Zealand. Chase accepted the first year of this WTC cycle has been hard on his team but hoped for better returns in 2026.”And I think that we had a chat and this first year in the cycle, we always know it was going to be tough with opposition like Australia, India and then we go to New Zealand. But I think that once we learn from what we’ve done in those series and take it into the next year where we have guys like Sri Lanka and Pakistan, guys that we are closer to in the rankings, I think that we can be more competitive against those once we learn from these games.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Fernando Diniz deve promover uma novidade na equipe titular do Fluminense para o duelo contra o Colo-Colo, do Chile, válido pela segunda rodada da fase de grupos da Copa Libertadores. Durante a preparação para o confronto, o técnico realizou testes na equipe e existe a possibilidade do volante Martinelli iniciar a partida no Maracanã como zagueiro.

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➡️ Tudo sobre o Tricolor agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Fluminense

Com isso, o jogador deve ocupar a vaga de Thiago Santos, que vai para o banco de reservas, e formar a dupla de zaga com Felipe Melo. Lima, por sua vez, assume uma posição no meio-campo.

No entanto, essa não será a primeira vez que Diniz promove uma mudança de posicionamento de seus jogadores no clube. Contratado como volante em março do ano passado, Thiago Santos passou a atuar como zagueiro sob o comando do treinador e teve seu vínculo renovado com o Flu até o fim de 2025.

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Outro jogador que experimentou essa transição foi André. Formado como meia nas categorias de base, o jogador já atuou como defensor em diversas ocasiões. Inclusive, desempenhou o papel em parte do duelo contra o Boca, na final da Libertadores.

O treinador também foi responsável por transformar Caio Henrique em lateral-esquerdo. Meia-atacante de origem, o jogador migrou de posição sob comando de Diniz em 2019 e se tornou titular absoluto do Fluminense. Caio Paulista, atualmente no Palmeiras, também foi passou por transformação semelhante no Tricolor das Laranjeiras.

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PROVÁVEL ESCALAÇÃO DO FLUMINENSE

Após empatar em 1 a 1 com o Allianza Lima, no Peru, o Fluminense terá novidades para o duelo contra o Colo-Colo. Recuperados de lesão, Paulo Henrique Ganso e Germnán Cano estão à disposição de Diniz e devem iniciar o duelo.

Para dar maior qualidade e fluídez à saída de bola, Martinelli deve ocupar a vaga de Thiago Santos e forma a dupla de de zaga ao lado de Felipe Melo.

Portanto, a provável escalação do Fluminense tem: Fábio; Samuel Xavier, Felipe Melo, Martinelli, Marcelo; André, Lima, Ganso; Marquinhos, Arias, Cano.

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Fernando DinizFluminenseFutebol NacionalLibertadoresMartinelli

Owners of the three franchises confirm they will continue working with the PCB for next ten years

Danyal Rasool25-Nov-2025

The owners of Quetta Gladiators, Karachi Kings and Islamabad United have all confirmed they will renew their ownership for ten further years. The announcements follow previous public statements from Lahore Qalandars and Peshawar Zalmi also officially confirming their renewed ownership.It means the five franchises the PSL began with have signed deals to continue with the same owners. Shortly after United went public, Multan Sultans owner Ali Tareen announced he would not be extending his ownership of the franchise.Each franchise was widely expected to renew. Kings, who were initially the most valuable franchise in 2016, officially saw the smallest percentage growth in their annual franchise fee, representing what were perceived as particularly beneficial terms. They were valued at PKR 440 million (approx US$1.57m) in 2016 and about 790 million (approx US$2.8m) in the most recent valuation.Related

Multan Sultans owner decides not to renew ownership of PSL franchise

With incumbent owners retaining franchise rights, they are required to pay the old value plus 25% of the new valuation, meaning Kings’ annual franchise fee comes to around PKR 640 million (approx US$2.3m). That means their market value has dipped below that of Lahore Qalandars and Multan Sultans, and is only higher than Quetta Gladiators.”A decade ago, we made a promise to help bring cricket back to Pakistan,” Kings owner, Salman Iqbal, tweeted. “Today, I am proud to announce that we have officially renewed Karachi Kings’ franchise rights for the next 10 years! This isn’t just a renewal; it’s a recommitment to the vision that built the HBL PSL.”Quetta and Islamabad have joined them. Gladiators are understood to have the lowest market value but the largest growth in their value. Their annual fee in 2016 was about PKR 187 million (approx US$660,000). With their market value going up to approximately PKR 690 million (approx US$2.45m), retention means the owners will have to pay in the region of PKR 360 million (approx US$1.28m) per year.United, too, have pipped Kings in market value, which is estimated at about PKR 860 million (approx US$3.06m). This is up from PKR 255 million (approx US$910,000) at the advent of the PSL, requiring owner Ali Naqvi to pay about PKR 470 million (approx US$1.67m).Two new teams will be added ahead of the next season of the PSL, which is set to be held between March and May 2026. With Sultans’ ownership group declining to retain, the PSL has to find an ownership solution for three teams before the draft for the 11th edition can get underway.

Liverpool fans have flooded Mohamed Salah’s first social media post since his explosive interview in which he accused the Reds of throwing him under the bus during what has become a testing season for everybody at Anfield. The Egyptian also claims that his relationship with Arne Slot has broken down. Supporters have urged him not to make things “personal” and risk tarnishing his legacy.

• Salah rocked the Liverpool boat after being benched

  Salah, who has earned legend status across eight memorable seasons with Liverpool, felt the need to speak out in public after being left on the bench for a dramatic 3-3 draw at Leeds. That fixture was the third in a row that the 33-year-old winger has found himself named among the substitutes.

  The two-time Premier League title winner has claimed that certain people are trying to force him out of Anfield, a matter of months after committing to a two-year contract extension. He has also suggested that his past achievements – which include 250 goals for the Reds – should make him an almost guaranteed starter, regardless of collective struggles for form.

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  Salah left out of Liverpool's squad for Inter clash

  Many have been quick to condemn his comments, with the boat being rocked at a time in which Liverpool are looking to steer a course towards calmer waters. He has been left out of Arne Slot’s plans for a Champions League clash with Serie A giants Inter at San Siro on Tuesday.

  Salah did train alongside the rest of his team-mates before they headed to Italy, but it remains to be seen whether he will pull on a famous red shirt again – with Africa Cup of Nations duty fast approaching. He will head off with his country following a meeting with Brighton on Saturday.

• Fans urge outspoken Salah to apologise

  Salah is being urged to eat a healthy portion of humble pie and build bridges with those that he has antagonised on and off the field at Liverpool. @carpbedlam has said on social media: “You ruined it Mo, time to apologise mate. Liverpool and it's real fans will forgive you this one.” On a similar note, @PresidentofTW added: “Come back to your senses, apologize to the coach, and trust that Slot will be kind enough to bring you back to the team and put you on the bench again.”

  @ATexels said when advising Salah on what should happen next: “Legend at the club, but you are making this look like Isak leaving Newcastle. Please don’t make this personal.” @Lermbda has pointed out that there was “no need for that Mo”, but @W1LLSLive believes there could still be a way back. He said: “Training alone proves he still has the mentality for the club.”

  They were all responding to a post from Salah which shows him hitting the gym at Liverpool’s training centre. He has little company there, with Slot’s side in Milan ahead of a return to European action.

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• What Slot said in response to Salah's comments

  When asked about Salah’s comments at his pre-match press conference, Slot told reporters: “I am a firm believer that there is always a possibility to return for a player. But that is not… I can leave it with that I think.” He added when pressed further on whether the Egyptian superstar will represent the club again: “I have no clue. I cannot answer that question at this point in time.”

  Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson has stated his hope that Salah will not be phased out. The South American said of his absent team-mate: “I don’t think anything but I hope he plays again for the club.”

  Salah, who previously struggled in English football at Chelsea, joined Liverpool from Roma in the summer of 2017. He has taken in 420 appearances for the club, helping them to domestic and continental honours.

  His new contract is due to run until 2027, taking him to a decade of service on the red half of Merseyside, but serious questions are now being asked of whether said deal will be honoured. Slot is also seeing his future become the subject of intense debate, with the Dutch tactician overseeing just one win from Liverpool’s last six games in all competitions.

St James’ Park proved to be a fortress once more for Newcastle United on Saturday evening when Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City travelled to Tyneside.

This season so far in the Premier League, the Magpies are yet to win away from home, with three draws and defeats depressingly next to their name. At home, though, it’s a much different story, with four league wins collected with confidence, which now includes a 2-1 triumph over the Citizens.

Harvey Barnes was the difference maker on the day with two well-taken efforts under pressure, with this being the first time Newcastle have got the better of their opponents from Manchester since a slim 1-0 success in the EFL Cup back in 2023.

On that day, it was Alexander Isak who would break the deadlock, and while the sting of his departure to Liverpool was certainly felt in the immediate aftermath of his exit, Eddie Howe’s Toon aren’t dwelling too much on him no longer being around now, with the 47-year-old boss no doubt pleased with the attacking display on show from Barnes and many others.

How Newcastle downed Manchester City

Howe was beaming from ear to ear at the full-time whistle, as he finally got a career win over Guardiola in league action.

He would also be over the moon for the aforementioned Barnes, with the 27-year-old winger repaying his manager’s faith in him when being handed a fifth Premier League start of the season, as his first effort was stylishly placed home, before the vital second goal was somehow bundled into the back of the net.

Nick Woltemade would have felt aggrieved that he couldn’t get on the scoresheet, though, with four efforts passing him by. Still, with four Premier League efforts next to his name this season, away from drawing blanks up against Gianluigi Donnarumma, he has filled the void left behind by Isak expertly.

Both Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes also stood out during the 2-1 victory, as Guimaraes assisted Barnes’ first breakaway strike, while his Italian teammate won six duels and three tackles as a combative counterpart.

Yet, there was one star who stood out throughout who could now be labelled boldly as Howe’s next Isak, even with Woltemade at his disposal, for how influential he’s become in such a short space of time.

Howe's new Isak-esque figure

Of course, while the £125m sale is now struggling to settle at Anfield, he was a consistent top performer on Tyneside when he was still donning the famous black and white stripes.

Indeed, a deadly 62 strikes were tallied up by the lethal Scandinavian during his 102-game stay at St James’ Park, with Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher even hailing him as the “best striker in the Premier League” off the back of such potent form.

He immediately hit the ground running in England, too, with two goals from his first three league appearances for the Toon, with Malick Thiaw also making the transition from European football to English shores look easy, making him a strong candidate to be considered Howe’s next most influential player, much like Isak was.

With an 86% pass accuracy averaged across his eight Premier League games to date, and a commanding 4.6 duels won on average, some have even hailed the German as a “top five centre-back in the league this season”, with Isak also in the same esteemed conversations as a top five forward in the division.

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

36

Accurate passes

20/25 (80%)

Tackles won

1/1

Last man tackles

1

Interceptions

1

Clearances

7

Blocked shots

1

Ball recoveries

6

Total duels won

2/4

Thiaw has only enhanced his reputation for being an influential member of Howe’s first team with his commanding showing against Guardiola’s visitors, with 14-goal hero Erling Haaland completely negated by the former AC Milan defender, who restricted him to just 23 touches of the ball and two shots on target.

NUFCBlog hailed the performance as “outstanding” against “the best striker on the planet” as Thiaw even impressively stood his ground one-on-one with the frightening Norwegian early in the second half, before a last-ditch intervention saw a chance go rarely astray for the number nine.

On top of that moment of ice-cold maturity, Thiaw would also bow out from the 2-1 win with seven clearances and six ball recoveries amassed, as City found it very difficult all night long to break down the Toon’s resilient back line.

The hope will just be that Thiaw gets better with more time in the Premier League, like Isak, who transformed into a £125m-calibre beast.

Although this time around, Howe will also pray he doesn’t have to give up the 6-foot-4 defender to the likes of Liverpool or any other suitor, as Thiaw becomes the manager’s most crucial player.

Last season, that was reserved for Isak. This season, it’s reserved for their new towering centre-half.

9/10 Newcastle duo look even more important than Bruno G & Tonali

These two players stood out in Newcastle’s 2-1 win over Man City

ByJoe Nuttall Nov 23, 2025

كسر نيكو ويليامز، نجم نادي أتلتيك بلباو، صمته وتحدث بالتفصيل عن الأسباب التي جعلته يرفض الانتقال إلى صفوف برشلونة خلال صيف العام الحالي.

برشلونة سعى للتعاقد مع نيكو ويليامز خلال فترة الميركاتو الصيفي الأخير، بكل ما أوتي من قوة، قبل أن يجدد الجناح الأيسر عقده مع بلباو ويرفض عقد البارسا في نهاية المطاف.

وأدى رفض ويليامز التوقيع مع برشلونة إلى وجود غضب كبير من قبل جماهير البلوجرانا، حيث قاموا بالتصفير عليه خلال لقاء البارسا الأخير مع بلباو هذا الأسبوع بالدوري الإسباني.

واعترف ويليامز في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو”، أن حبه الكبير لبلباو هو ما جعله يرفض التوقيع مع برشلونة.

وقال ويليامز: “أتلتيك بلباو يعني لي كل شيء، لقد نضجت هنا كشخص وكلاعب ولقد علمني تمثيل هذا النادي وهذه المدينة قيمة العمل الجاد والتواضع والانتماء للعائلة، جميعنا نعلم أن أتلتيك فريد من نوعه في العالم، كما يقول شعاره”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. سبب استبعاد برشلونة وريال مدريد التعاقد مع ويليان إستيفاو

وعن رفض برشلونة: “لطالما وضعت مشاعري في المقام الأول واتبعت قلبي، أنا شخص محب للعائلة وقريب من أهلي، وهنا في بلباو لدي عائلتي وأحبائي الذين أستشيرهم في كل خطوة أخطوها في حياتي، أحب الاستماع إلى أخي؛ فهو دائمًا يقدم لي نصائح قيمة، والآن أن أتمكن من الاستمتاع باللعب معًا أنا وهو في دوري أبطال أوروبا، وهو حلم تحقق”.

وناقش ويليامز فرص منتخب إسبانيا في الفوز بكأس العالم، حيث أوضح: “لدينا ثقة كبيرة في أداء الفريق ونحن جميعًا متحدون خلف ما يطلبه منا المدرب، وسنستعد لكأس العالم بأفضل ما يمكن لكننا لا نحب مقارنة أنفسنا بأحد”.

وواصل: ”هناك العديد من الفرق القادرة على الفوز بكأس العالم، ومن الجيد أن يذكر اسمنا كأحد المرشحين، لكننا نعلم أن استطلاعات الرأي لا تجعلك تفوز بكأس العالم وأن الفوز بها يجب أن يكون في الملعب”.

وعن حياته الخاصة استكمل ويليامز: “أفعل ما يفعله أي فتى في مثل سني تقريبًا، أحب اللعب مع أصدقائي والتنزه، والخروج لتناول العشاء مع صديقتي كلما أمكن”.

وأثنى ويليامز بشدة على قدرات زميله في منتخب إسبانيا ونجم برشلونة، لامين يامال، حيث اختتم: “لديه موهبة مذهلة ويثبتها كل يوم، لكنه يعلم أنني بمثابة والده (يضحك)”.

This time last week, Chelsea looked like they would be the ones to rival Arsenal for the Premier League title.

Unfortunately, a humbling loss away to Leeds United, quickly followed by a drab one-all draw away to Bournemouth, has put such ideas to bed, for now anyway.

While Enzo Maresca’s squad is undeniably talented, some areas could be improved upon, such as the number nine position.

Fortunately, Chelsea are now being linked with someone who could do just that, someone who could be an upgrade on Liam Delap.

Chelsea target Delap upgrade

The transfer window is now less than a month away from reopening, and in a surprise to absolutely nobody, Chelsea are already being linked with a host of players.

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For example, the Blues have been one of a number of sides linked with Nottingham Forest’s Murillo.

Likewise, RB Leipzig’s incredibly exciting Castello Lukeba has been touted for a £53m move to Stamford Bridge.

However, while the two defenders would certainly bolster Maresca’s squad, neither one could or would displace Delap or Joao Pedro up top, unlike Joaquín Panichelli.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Chelsea are one of a few Premier League clubs interested in the RC Strasbourg striker.

Alongside the West Londoners, the report has revealed that West Ham United and Aston Villa have set their sights on the Argentine striker.

The report does not reveal how much the £28k-per-week star might cost, but considering his contract runs until the summer of 2030, he’s unlikely to be cheap.

Even so, Chelsea should do what they can to sign Panichelli, as he could be the striker to really take them forward, even if that’s bad news for Delap.

How Panichelli compares to Delap

Now it might sound simplistic, and that’s because it is, but the first and most important metric to compare when looking at two strikers is output.

Unfortunately for Delap, this is an area that Panichelli has him beat, and comfortably at that.

For example, so far this season, the Argentine, whom U23 scout Antonio Mango has dubbed “one of the most in-form Strikers in Europe,” has scored ten goals in 19 appearances, totalling 1367 minutes.

In other words, the Córdoba-born gem is averaging a goal involvement every 1.9 games, or every 136.7 minutes.

In stark contrast, the Blues’ summer signing has scored just a single goal in 11 appearances, totalling 453 minutes.

Panichelli vs Delap in 25/26

Player

Panichelli

Delap

Appearances

19

11

Minutes

1367′

453′

Goals

10

1

Assists

0

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.52

0.09

Minutes per Goal Involvement

136.7′

453

All Stats via Transfermarkt

The next advantage that the former Deportivo Alavés star has over the Englishman is the fact that he seems to be less injury-prone.

For example, while he did suffer a significant ACL injury in the 23/24 season, which kept him out for 24 games, he only missed one game in the entirety of last season, and so far this year, he’s missed just one.

On the other hand, the former Ipswich Town star suffered a knee injury that kept him out for 18 games in 23/24

Furthermore, so far this year, he has already missed 12 matches due to a hamstring problem, and now his current shoulder injury.

Finally, the Winchester-born ace doesn’t even have the advantage of being significantly younger and therefore possessing a higher ceiling, as he’s currently 22 years old and the Strasbourg star only turned 23 two months ago.

Ultimately, Panichelli is clearly a more dangerous forward and, on top of that, seems to be injured less often. Therefore, Chelsea should do what they can to sign him in 2026, even if that spells the end of Delap’s time at Stamford Bridge.

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Posts 1 ByJack Salveson Holmes 3 days ago