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It might still be early in the season, but Arsenal are looking like a scary proposition at the moment.

Mikel Arteta’s side are flying atop the Premier League table and remain unbeaten in the Champions League with three wins from three.

While not every win has been emphatic, Tuesday night’s demolition of Atlético Madrid certainly was, as to a man, the Gunners were exceptional.

Moreover, while he didn’t produce a goal involvement, Bukayo Saka was once again a major threat, and in even more encouraging signs, another of the starters is starting to show shades of the talisman in his own game.

Saka's start to the season

Last season was a strange one for Saka and Arsenal as a whole. Although he missed almost four months of football due to a hamstring injury and subsequent surgery, the Hale End phenomenon still racked up a brilliant haul of 12 goals and 14 assists in 37 games for the side.

Saka 24/25
Appearances	37
Minutes	2619′
Goals	12
Assists	14
Goal Involvements per Match	0.70
Minutes per Goal Involvement	100.73′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

It was also clear that, towards the end of the campaign, he was still lacking that match fitness and sharpness that helps make him such a world-class talent.

Fortunately, even though he was still lacking that at the start of this season, he still managed to open his account with a well-taken goal at home to Leeds United on matchday two.

However, as if he hadn’t already dealt with enough bad luck over the last year or so, he also suffered another hamstring injury in that game.

This resulted in him spending another few weeks on the sideline before returning to the fray in the second half against Manchester City last month.

This setback has undoubtedly led to him being a bit rusty over the last few weeks, but even so, his immense talent has seen him remain the most dangerous attacker in Arteta’s side.

Moreover, he’s started to look somewhere close to his best again over the last week or so, and the difference has been crystal clear, as while he didn’t score or assist a goal against Fulham on Saturday, he was a huge threat, racking up an expected assists figure of 0.55 and playing seven key passes.

And then, while he wasn’t quite as influential on Tuesday, he still looked like the Gunners’ most realistic route to goal for much of the first 45, with former professional turned pundit Paul Merson claiming he had the Spanish side “on toast” at points.

In all, despite still not being at his peak, Saka is undoubtedly Arsenal’s most important player and talisman, so it’s pretty exciting to see another player start to show shades of his game in their own.

The Arsenal star emulating Saka

You really could take your pick when it came to standout performers for Arsenal on Tuesday.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Declan Rice was on point once again with his deliveries, Viktor Gyokeres nabbed a brace, and Gabriel Magalhães did what he does best.

However, the starter who once again exhibited some Saka-esque qualities in his game was Myles Lewis-Skelly.

The young Englishman was handed his third start of the season, and he more than repaid Arteta, but what in his game showed shades of his fellow Hale Ender?

Well, perhaps the most important is his ability to pull opposition players towards him, and then skip past them with ease to set up a promising attacking situation for the team.

This is exactly what he did for the second goal on the night, when he took five players out of the game with an incredible run from the middle of the park before setting up Gabriel Martinelli.

However, there are more similarities between the two academy gems than just that.

For example, while you can’t describe either one as towering or particularly imposing, both of them are fighters, far stronger than they look and capable of being a little bit nasty in the most complimentary of ways.

Furthermore, the 19-year-old is also technically brilliant, as in addition to his close control, he has a wand of a left foot, which has seen him chalk up a few assists since his debut.

With all that in mind, it’s not hard to see why one analyst described the youngster as one of the best talents “in world football” on Tuesday night.

Ultimately, there is still some way to go for Lewis-Skelly before he reaches his prime, but as things stand, he’s already an outrageous talent and shares more than a few traits with Saka.

9/10 star who had his "best game in an Arsenal shirt" is becoming like Rice

The game-changing monster is starting to look like another Declan Rice for Arsenal and Mikel Arteta.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Oct 22, 2025

يستعد فريق مانشستر سيتي، بقيادة المدرب بيب جوارديولا، لخوض مباراة جديدة في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، وذلك يوم السبت المقبل بعد فوزه الصعب الثلاثاء.

وخاض مانشستر سيتي مباراته في الجولة الرابعة عشر من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، موسم 2025/26، ضد خصمه فريق فولهام على ملعب “كرافن كوتيج”.

وتمكن مانشستر سيتي من تحقيق فوز بشق الأنفس على فولهام بخمسة أهداف مقابل 4 أهداف، ليواصل ضغطه على آرسنال في جدول الدوري الإنجليزي (لمطالعة التفاصيل كاملة من هنا). موعد مباراة مانشستر سيتي القادمة بعد الفوز على فولهام في الدوري الإنجليزي

يخوض مانشستر سيتي مباراته في الجولة الخامسة عشر من الدوري الإنجليزي يوم السبت المقبل ضد سندرلاند، على ملعب “الاتحاد” في تمام الساعة 5 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، 6 بتوقيت السعودية.

Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy was left to rue missed chances after his team lost 2-1 to Hearts at Parkhead in the Scottish Premiership in his first game in the dugout.

Speaking after the match, in the clip below, the French boss blamed a lack of ruthlessness in front of goal and a lack of combination play in the final third after a bright first-half showing.

With the January transfer window just around the corner, the former MLS boss may already be thinking about the areas of his squad that he wants to improve ahead of the second half of the season.

Celtic plotting move to sign Premier League player

In fact, the Scottish Premiership champions are already looking at a possible move for a player who could be a dream first signing for Nancy at Parkhead.

Transfer Focus

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

According to Football Insider, Celtic are plotting a move to sign Manchester City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega to be their long-term replacement for Kasper Schmeichel.

The report claims that the Hoops are looking at the £90k-per-week shot-stopper because he could be available with his contract expiring at the end of the season, which could make him an option in January for a cut-price fee or on a free next summer.

It adds that the Scottish giants are in the process of identifying a replacement for Schmeichel because the 38-year-old veteran’s deal is also due to expire next year.

Football Insider states that there are also immediate concerns about the Dane’s current performance levels, which is why Ortega could be a dream first signing for Nancy.

Why Celtic should sign Stefan Ortega in January

Instead of waiting to sign him on a free transfer in the summer, Celtic should push to land the Manchester City outcast on a cut-price deal in January, as he is currently behind both Gianluigi Donnarumma and James Trafford in the pecking order at The Etihad.

As Football Insider outlined, Schmeichel’s performance level has not been particularly high for the Hoops this season. Per FotMob, the experienced stopper has conceded 1.34 more goals than expected in the Premiership and 0.50 more than expected in the Europa League.

This suggests that the Denmark international has not been up to scratch as a shot-stopper in domestic or European action for Celtic, which is why signing the City goalkeeper immediately could be a shrewd move.

Ortega, who once left Guardiola on the floor with a save against Tottenham Hotspur, may only be a third-choice option in England, but he is playing for serial Premier League winners and has proven his quality in the English top-flight in seasons gone by.

Whilst Schmeichel has struggled as a shot-stopper for Celtic this season, the German star has largely been an excellent shot-stopper in the Premier League and the Bundesliga in the past five years.

25/26 (Premier League)

0

N/A

24/25 (Premier League)

13

-0.7

23/24 (Premier League)

7

+2.0

22/23 (Premier League)

3

+3.1

21/22 (Bundesliga)

33

+4.8

20/21 (Bundesliga)

34

+3.1

As you can see in the table above, the 33-year-old has conceded 12.3 fewer goals than expected across his top-flight career to date, which is an exceptional statistic that highlights how impressive his shot-stopping is.

Ortega, who was hailed as an “exceptional goalkeeper”, has shown that he can be a reliable shot-stopper at the top level, whilst journalist Pete O’Rourke noted that he is “very effective” with the ball and would “fit” the style that Nancy wants to implement at Parkhead.

His ability on the ball, which is a prerequisite to playing in goal in a Guardiola side, means that he will suit a team like Celtic, who are expected to dominate possession and play out from the back, making him a good stylistic fit for the club.

Ortega, though, also has, as evidenced by his statistics in Germany and England, the shot-stopping quality on top of that to ensure that the Hoops do not concede cheap goals with the few shots that they do give away.

Worse than Maeda: Nancy must drop Celtic flop who lost the ball 23 times

Celtic manager Wilfried Nancy must drop this flop who was even worse than Daizen Maeda against Hearts.

ByDan Emery Dec 8, 2025

Therefore, the board must back Nancy by making a move for Ortega in January, instead of the summer, because a player of his quality could immediately improve the team and improve their chances of enjoying a successful end to the 2025/26 campaign, making him a dream first signing.

Fabrizio Romano says that Arsenal are eyeing up a potential “bargain” move for one player in a strikingly similar move to one of Mikel Arteta’s current stars.

Arsenal host Brentford in the Premier League after Chelsea draw

The Gunners’ remarkable unbeaten run in all competitions, which stretches all the way back to August, continued with a hard-fought 1-1 draw away to Chelsea on Sunday.

Arsenal are now 17 games without a loss since tasting their only defeat of the campaign against Liverpool at Anfield, and given their plethora of attacking injuries already this season, it is testament to the north Londoners’ incredible solidity.

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 1-1 Man City

Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal

Newcastle 1-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 2-0 Olympiacos

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

Fulham 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-0 Atlético Madrid

Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Burnley 0-2 Arsenal

Slavia Prague 0-3 Arsenal

Sunderland 2-2 Arsenal

Arsenal 4-1 Tottenham

Arsenal 3-1 Bayern Munich

Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal

Arsenal recovered from conceding Trevoh Chalobah’s near-post header shortly after halftime, with Mikel Merino leveling proceedings just before the hour mark when he nodded home Bukayo Saka’s excellent delivery.

The Spanish midfielder, who’s excelled in a makeshift striker role, continues his very impressive calendar year and is now up to 20 goals in 2025.

However, despite playing almost an hour with ten men, Enzo Maresca’s Blues defended resolutely, limiting Arsenal to just eight shots – their lowest total in any Premier League fixture this season.

Arsenal were also without both of their first-choice centre-backs, William Saliba and Gabriel, for only the second time in their last 162 matches.

Saliba suffered a training ground injury in the build up to Chelsea, meaning Arteta was forced to partner summer signings Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie for the first time in west London.

Arteta blown away by "silky" £26m star, requests Arsenal sign him in January

The Arsenal manager has now personally requested the signing of a new forward.

ByDominic Lund Dec 1, 2025

Unfortunately for Arteta, Saliba remains an injury doubt for their clash against Brentford on Wednesday, but the manager says he is just days away from returning in better news.

Arsenal are seeking to extend their perfect six-game winning streak across all competitions at the Emirates, against a Bees side who are seriously struggling for away form with just one win on the road all season.

Away from the pitch, sporting director Andrea Berta continues plans to bolster Arteta’s squad.

Arsenal eyeing 'bargain' move for Elche midfielder Rodrigo Mendoza

Elche midfielder Rodrigo Mendoza, who’s already been compared to Sergio Busquets and Pedri, is seriously interesting Berta and co as a potential rising star in La Liga.

The 20-year-old is widely reported to be a target for Arsenal, and Romano has shared his own update on the matter — confirming their links.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Romano says that Berta is eyeing a ‘bargain’ Arsenal move for Mendoza, and it would represent a pretty similar deal to Mosquera.

The latter has justified every penny of his £13 million transfer fee from Valencia so far, with Mendoza coming as another potentially unmissable opportunity considering his £17.5 million release clause.

Mendoza helped Elche secure promotion back to La Liga last term and has impressed with 11 appearances and two goals in all competitions so far this term.

Arteta is believed to be personally keen on the player too, so this could be one to watch for 2026.

أصبح جياني إنفانتينو رئيس الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا” في موقف حرج، مبديًا استعداده للاستجابة لضغوط سياسية من الرئيس الأمريكي دونالد ترامب، بشأن كأس العالم 2026.

وتستضيف الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية، المكسيك، وكندا، منافسات كأس العالم 2026، في الصيف المقبل.

وظهر إنفانتينو إلى جانب ترامب في البيت الأبيض، وألمح لاستعداده للاستجابة لمطالب ترامب، التي لها أبعاد سياسية بصورة واضحة.

وكان من المفترض أن يعلن عن نظام تأشيرات جديد للجماهير، خلال مؤتمر، واستغل ترامب الأمر لمهاجمة مدن تابعة لإدارات ديمقراطية مثل سياتل وبوسطن وسان فرانسيسكو.

وأشار ترامب المعروف بانتمائه للحزب الجمهوري والذي يعد في خلاف واضح مع الديمقراطيين، إلى إمكانية حرمان تلك المدن من استضافة المباريات في كأس العالم.

ترامب ألمح سابقًا إلى أنه قد يتدخل لسحب مباريات من سياتل وبوسطن وسان فرانسيسكو، ومن المتوقع أن يصطدم مع عمدة نيويورك المنتخب حديثًا، زهران ممداني الاشتراكي الديمقراطي.

وتحدث ترامب بوضوح إنه سيطلب من إنفانتينو نقل أي مباراة من مدينة لا تُقدِّر الحدث أو يراها غير آمنة، وأكد رئيس فيفا أن الأمن هو الأولوية الأولى.

وأشار ترامب، في وجود وزيرة الأمن الداخلي كريستي نويم، إلى إنفانتينو وهو يرد: “إذا اعتقدنا بوجود أي مشكلة، فسأطلب من جياني نقلها إلى مدينة أخرى، لدينا العديد من المدن التي ترغب في ذلك، أولًا، وسنقوم بذلك بأمان تام”.

وأضاف: “لذا، إذا اعتقدنا بوجود مشكلة في سياتل حيث يوجد عمدة ليبرالي/شيوعي للغاية، فسأقول بالتأكيد أكثر من مجرد ليبرالي، شاهدتها خلال عطلة نهاية الأسبوع، يا إلهي، هذا مشهد رائع آخر لدينا هناك، لكن إذا اعتقدنا بوجود مشكلة، فسننتقل يا جياني؟”.

وواصل الرئيس الأمريكي: “لا أعتقد أنه يمكنك تحمل هذه المشكلة، لكننا سننقل الحدث إلى مكان يكون فيه موضع تقدير وآمن”.

وقد وضعت هذه التعليقات إنفانتينو في موقف حرج، فبدلاً من الحدث عن التكاليف على المدن الأمريكية الإحدى عشرة المُضيفة للبطولة، وقرب موعد قرعة كأس العالم وضيق الجدول الزمني، أبدى رئيس الفيفا استعدادًا للخضوع لرغبات ترامب.

اقرأ أيضًا | بسبب “الكلاب”.. مطالبات بسحب تنظيم كأس العالم 2030 من المغرب

ورد إنفانتينو: “السلامة والأمن هما الأولوية القصوى لكأس عالم ناجحة، نرى اليوم ثقة الناس في الولايات المتحدة من خلال رؤيتنا للتذاكر ومبيعاتها، فقد بعنا أرقامًا قياسية من التذاكر، ما يقرب من مليوني تذكرة بالفعل، هذا لأن الناس يعلمون أنهم سيأتون إلى هنا وسيختبرون كأس عالم آمنة ومُستقرة”.

وأضاف: “إنها مسؤولية الحكومة، ومسؤولية الوزيرة نويم، ومسؤولية الجميع، من الواضح أننا سنُناقش الأمر، ونعمل معًا، ولدينا فريق عمل مُخصص لهذا الأمر، ويجب أن نضمن لجميع المُشجعين القادمين من الخارج والمتواجدين هنا، أن يُشاركوا في احتفالية اتحاد الرياضة، وهذا لا يتحقق إلا بسلامة تامة”.

وصرحت نيوم: “نتواصل مع جميع رؤساء البلديات هؤلاء بشأن مسؤولياتهم، إنهم يدركون أن سلامة وأمن هذه الفعاليات مسؤوليتهم الأولى، وسنكون حاضرين، فالرئيس حاضر دائمًا للحفاظ على سلامة الأمريكيين، لكنه يحرص أيضًا على أن يدرك الناس مسؤولياتهم وأنهم مستعدون لاستضافة هذه الفعاليات والقيام بذلك بطريقة آمنة”.

وبحسب ما ورد في صحيفة “ذا صن” البريطانية، وضعت هذه الخطوة إنفانتينو في خلاف مع نائبه الكندي فيكتور مانتاجلياني، وستُثير قلقًا بالغًا.

وسبق وصرح في أوائل أكتوبر: “إنها بطولة الفيفا، من اختصاص الفيفا، والفيفا هي من تتخذ هذه القرارات، مع كل الاحترام لقادة العالم الحاليين، كرة القدم أكبر منهم، وستصمد كرة القدم في وجه نظامهم وحكومتهم وشعاراتهم”.

Bryan Mbeumo has revealed his stance on a potential Cameroon national team call-up for the African Cup of Nations in December as the winger is determined to avoid the club vs country row. The AFCON 2025 kicks off in the last week of December, while the players are expected to link up with their respective national teams two weeks before the competition commences.

Mbeumo off to a stellar start at United

Mbeumo enjoyed a stellar campaign with Brentford in the 2024-25 season as he scored 20 league goals and provided eight assists in 38 matches and emerged as the Premier League's fourth-highest goalscorer. His impressive form for the Bees caught United boss Ruben Amorim's eye as the Portuguese coach splashed a whopping £65 million ($87m) to secure the winger's signing. Amorim identified the Cameroonian as a key part of his squad overhaul after overseeing a nightmare debut campaign at Old Trafford. 

The 26-year-old has so far had an impressive outing in his maiden season with the Red Devils as he has scored four goals and contributed with an assist in 10 league matches. Last month, Mbeumo recorded three goals and one assist, playing a pivotal role in United’s turnaround after a sluggish start to the season. His all-action displays reflected both his maturity and tactical intelligence under Amorim, who has given the 26-year-old the freedom to attack from the right-hand side while drifting into central positions. It also helped him bag the Premier League Player of the Month for October. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMbeumo wants to avoid club vs country row over AFCON participation

Mbeumo is expected to receive a national team call-up next month as Cameroon are all set to take part in the AFCON 2025. The tournament starts on December 21 and according to FIFA’s international competition regulations, clubs must release players two weeks before the start of major tournaments to allow for preparation. United are scheduled to face Wolves on December 8, the day Cameroon are expected to begin their preparations. 

reports that the Red Devils will urge the Cameroon Football Association, led by legendary striker Samuel Eto’o, to allow Mbeumo to stay in England for the club's crucial fixtures against Bournemouth and Aston Villa on December 13 and 21 respectively. 

The report adds that Mbeumo is very clear about his stance on this potential conflict, as he is determined not to upset either his employers or his country and wants a clear agreement between all parties in the coming weeks.

Amorim's stance on AFCON issue

Other than Mbeumo, United will also miss key first team figures like Noussair Mazraoui and Amad, who are expected to represent Morocco and Ivory Coast respectively, at the continental competition. Speaking about missing three of their star players in December, United boss Amorim said: "We will have time to suffer. We are going to struggle a little bit, but we already knew it's going to be an opportunity. When I watch the training, there are players that should be playing, but it's hard with one game to take some players from the team, because they are doing well also during the training in games. So other players are going to have the opportunity to help us. They are understanding the way we want to play, so if we are improving on that, the change of characteristics is not going to change the idea or the momentum of the team. But let's use Amad and Bryan in these games and we will see in general."

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Getty Images SportUnited aim to get back to winning ways

After a brilliant run of form in October, where they won three games in a row, something United had failed to achieve earlier in the Amorim era, their form somewhat took a dip as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Forest last weekend. Despite the draw, United have moved up to the eighth position in the Premier League table, courtesy of collecting 10 points in their last four games. They will now aim to get back to winning ways on Saturday as they travel to north London to face Tottenham. 

Newcastle United can now boast three wins on the trot in all competitions at their beloved home patch of St James’ Park, having left it very late to secure a Premier League win yesterday against Marco Silva’s Fulham.

The Magpies brushed aside Jose Mourinho’s Benfica with ease 3-0 in the Champions League in mid-week, but on their return to the bread and butter of top-flight action, it would take a crucial strike by club captain Bruno Guimaraes right at the death to clinch a slim 2-1 win over the determined visitors from West London.

Having also been the hero who secured the Toon a 2-0 victory over Ange Postecoglou’s Nottingham Forest earlier in the month, it’s clear that the number 39 is now an undroppable part of Howe’s first-team set-up.

Why Bruno Guimaraes is undroppable

With Sandro Tonali sitting out another game, Howe would have known that he was relying on Guimaraes to be a bright spark from the centre of the park once more.

The energetic Brazilian was just that for the Tyneside giants, with his third Premier League goal of the season already seeing him pounce on a spill by Bernd Leno to send the majority of St James’ Park into raptures.

Away from the Brazilian coming up clutch again, the ever-reliable Toon captain also amassed four key passes as he attempted to get the teammates around him onto the scoresheet as well, with eight duels also won, showing off the 27-year-old’s tenacious approach in battling away for his side.

Having not missed a single Premier League game last season, and with this electric start to this campaign already under his belt, it’s surely obvious now that Guimaraes is a deserved staple of Howe’s lineups.

Guimaraes isn’t alone, arguably, in being an untouchable member of his manager’s XI, though, with this consistent top performer now making a compelling argument to be considered in the same conversations as the much-loved midfielder.

The Newcastle star who is as undroppable as Guimaraes

As was stated above, Newcastle didn’t have the smoothest ride out there against Silva’s away side.

Thankfully, Guimaraes bailed the Toon out with that vital 89th-minute effort, but if it wasn’t for Jacob Murphy’s sharp accuracy in front of goal after just 18 minutes, as well, a win could have easily slipped out of Howe and Co.’s grasp.

While Guimaraes would go on to steal all the plaudits in the second 45 minutes, his 30-year-old teammate also made sure Fulham knew he wasn’t messing about in the first half, with three shots on target in total, nearly seeing Murphy pick up more than one goal to put the contest beyond doubt.

The Toon veteran would be substituted off on the 61st minute mark as he visibly tired, but his electric first-half display alone surely means he’s a shoo-in for a start again when the Tyneside outfit travel to a troubled West Ham United side at the start of November in Premier League, having also been branded as a player that “every squad needs” by journalist Andy Sixsmith for his unwavering commitment to the club during the 2-1 win.

Minutes played

63

61

Goals scored

0

1

Assists

1

0

Touches

31

37

Accurate passes

10/15 (67%)

14/18 (78%)

Key passes

1

0

Big chances created

1

0

Successful dribbles

0

1/2

Total duels won

0/1

3/5

The table above backs up Sixsmith’s glowing words, with Murphy content at being given limited minutes, knowing he can create an opening or thunder home a goal at a moment’s notice, with just 68 touches accumulated over Newcastle’s last two games, resulting in an assist and a goal falling into his lap.

Rivals for his spot in the team in the form of Anthony Elanga don’t have the same sort of blistering numbers to hand, with the out-of-sorts Swede still yet to get off the mark for his new side after a mammoth £55m summer move.

With the dependable winger noted as being deep in the “form of his life” at the final whistle by Newcastle-based blog Mouth of the Tyne, alongside the Athletic’s Chris Waugh stating that he keeps “producing big moments”, there looks to be little wriggle room in the main XI for the likes of Elanga and Harvey Barnes, as Murphy now appears to be one of Howe’s main men next to the assured South American.

Forget Elanga & Barnes: Howe must now unleash Newcastle's "unsung hero"

Newcastle need to get back to winning ways in the Premier League as Fulham travel to SJP.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 25, 2025

It’s the start of a new era for Newcastle United at boardroom level.

Last week, Ross Wilson was appointed as the club’s new sporting director.

They’ll be hoping he sticks around in the role, having succeeded Paul Mitchell, who held the position for only a year, while Dan Ashworth only held the post for two years, before being placed on extended gardening leave prior to his ill-fated five-month stint at Manchester United.

Wilson himself has previously been a sporting director at Huddersfield, Southampton, Rangers and, most recently, Nottingham Forest, spending two seasons in the East Midlands before now heading to Tyneside.

Under Saudi ownership, Newcastle are certainly one of the most ambitious clubs around, so Wilson is likely to oversee plenty of high-profile deals, but which current squad members will need to be phased out in the coming year or so?

Newcastle's squad transition under PIF

Since the Saudi takeover in 2021, a lot of the Newcastle squad have remained virtual ever-presents.

Eddie Howe has been in charge of 183 matches to date, with 12 players featuring in at least 100 of them, nine of which are currently at the club.

Sean Longstaff, Miguel Almirón and Alexander Isak are the only trio of exceptions, and the latter’s record-breaking departure could signal the start of a new era.

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Using the £125m yielded from the no longer very popular Swede’s sale, the Magpies spent around £256m last summer, recruiting five new senior players on a permanent basis.

Yoane Wissa and Jacob Ramsey are yet to make much of an impact due to injury, but Anthony Elanga and Malick Thiaw have established themselves as part of the first-choice lineup, while Nick Woltemade has made quite the early impression, scoring four goals already.

So, while players such as Bruno Guimarães, Fabian Schär, Dan Burn, Jacob Murphy, Joelinton, Anthony Gordon and Nick Pope have been stalwarts of the Newcastle team for around four years, players are going to have to be eased out, and for one in particular, he could be on borrowed time.

Newcastle's ageing star set to be phased out

Kieran Trippier will always go down in history as Newcastle’s first signing of the Saudi era, arriving in January 2022 for around £12m.

With previous club Atlético Madrid, he’d won the La Liga title the season before and was first-choice for England at the time, thereby representing a major coup for a side in the Premier League relegation zone at the time.

Well, to date, he has made 132 appearances for the Magpies, starting all eight Champions League fixtures they’ve had, as well as both EFL Cup Finals, donning the armband during the defeat to Manchester United at Wembley.

So far this season, Trippier has also started five of seven Premier League fixtures, but was left on the bench against Bournemouth, before coming on towards the end against Arsenal after Tino Livramento was stretchered off with a knee ligament issue.

Considering he’s set to be sidelined for around eight weeks, Trippier will be required to deputise for now, but there’s already started to be a changing of the guard in terms of Newcastle full-backs, with Livramento earning three England caps, while Lewis Hall’s performances on the opposite side are catching the eye too.

Writer Scott Wilson labelled Trippier Newcastle’s “talisman” shortly after his arrival but, now 35 years old, his importance is starting to be diminished.

So, let’s compare the England international’s statistics from last season to the year before.

Appearances

28

25

Minutes

2,240

1,308

All statistics below are on a per-90 basis:

Chances created

2.6

1.6

Big chances created

0.52

0.14

Crosses

2.5

1

Take-on success %

73%

50%

Interceptions

1

0.9

Ball Recoveries

6.6

4.7

Tackles

2

1.5

Ground duel success %

53%

56%

Touches

98

98

Average SofaScore rating

7.31

6.94

As the table outlines, by pretty much every metric included, Trippier’s numbers worsened last season compared to the year before.

His chance creation numbers drastically decreased, as did his out-of-possession statistics, including ball recoveries and tackles.

This is a clear sign of a player in decline, which is to be expected given the player’s age, but with Trippier in the final year of his contract, one of Wilson’s biggest challenges will be finding a replacement who has not only his quality but also his leadership skills.

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MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras segue sem conseguir contratar um reforço nesta janela de transferências. Apesar de ter um alvo definido, o Verdão continua com sérias dificuldades para entregar para Abel Ferreira o “camisa 5” tão esperado desde a saída de Danilo. Aníbal Moreno é o principal nome na lista alviverde, mas os entraves junto ao Racing-ARG vão além das condições financeiras. Prazo e Libertadores estão no caminho dos palmeirenses.

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+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

Segundo apurou a reportagem, o Palmeiras ainda não fez uma nova oferta depois das duas recusadas na última semana. A mais recente delas foi de 7,5 milhões de dólares (R$ 36 milhões). O clube argentino avisou que faria negócio por 10 milhões de dólares livres de impostos (R$ 48 milhões), algo que o Verdão não pretende pagar. No entanto, nenhuma outra condição de negócio foi apresentada até aqui.

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O Verdão até conta com um importante aliado nas conversas, que é o próprio Aníbal Moreno. O volante tem o desejo de buscar novos ares nesta janela de transferências e gostou do projeto palmeirense. Ele, inclusive, já teria comunicado ao Racing-ARG a sua vontade de prosseguir com a oferta do do clube brasileiro. No entanto, os argentinos seguem firmes com as negativas e não deve ceder ao atleta.

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Além da questão financeira, que o Alviverde parece não ter poder para negociar nos termos exigidos, o Racing não quer perder aquele que talvez seja o seu principal jogador. Assim como o Palmeiras, o time hermano vem tendo dificuldades para se reforçar na janela e provavelmente não conseguiria repor a saída de Moreno no mesmo nível. O Racing disputa as oitavas de final da Libertadores contra o Atlético Nacional-COL e acredita que pode seguir longe na competição, por isso quer manter a equipe forte.

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Outro aspecto que pesa nessas conversas e vale para ambos os lados é o prazo. Os times que estão na Libertadores têm até o dia 29 de julho para inscreverem jogadores na próxima fase do torneio. Cada agremiação pode substituir até cinco jogadores na lista de 50 nomes que foram inscritos para a fase de grupos. Caso o reforço não chegue antes deste sábado (29), a inscrição somente poderá ser feita para as quartas de final. Vale lembrar que a janela brasileira fecha no dia 2 de agosto, depois do prazo dado pelo Conmebol.

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Tanto pelo lado do Palmeiras quanto pelo lado do Racing, a impressão é de que a negociação dificilmente sairá dentro das condições apresentadas até aqui. O Verdão não pretende gastar muito mais do que já foi oferecido, enquanto os argentinos não abrem mão dos termos exigidos e de contar com o jogador. Com menos de cinco dias para o prazo de inscrição na Libertadores, o acordo está cada vez mais distante.

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Wendel, do Zenit-RUS, foi outro alvo cogitado pelo Alviverde, mas os valores apresentados afastaram qualquer chance de negociação. Pessoas que estiveram próximas das conversas afirmaram que o “pacote” somando transferência, salários e luvas sairia na casa dos R$ 150 milhões. O Flamengo agora está mais próximo de fechar com o meio-campista.

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke will be hoping for more additions to the playing squad before the end of the summer transfer window next week.

Lukas Nmecha, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Noah Okafor have been added to the group to bolster his options in the final third, but the former Norwich City manager wants more.

Earlier this month, the boss said: “There is no doubt we need reinforcements, especially in the offence. Dominic can’t be the only step. We are on a good path, prepared for the first games and I hope when the transfer window is over we have a squad who is capable of fighting because we have one clear target – to stay in this league.”

It is hard to blame Farke for having that stance when you consider that the West Yorkshire outfit have only scored two goals in their first three competitive games: a penalty and a Jayden Bogle goal against Championship side Sheffield Wednesday.

Another winger, on top of the signing of Okafor from AC Milan, is on the agenda and it will be interesting to see who they go for before next Monday’s deadline.

One player who has been linked with a move to Elland Road before the end of the window is Tottenham Hotspur forward Manor Solomon, who spent last season on loan in West Yorkshire.

Manor Solomon's impact at Leeds last season

The 26-year-old attacker spent the season on loan to help the Whites win the Championship and earn promotion back to the Premier League at the second time of asking.

Wilfried Gnonto and Dan James were already in the building as wide options for Farke to call upon on the left and the right flanks, but he was able to break into the team and establish himself as a key player for the German boss.

Solomon went on to start 30 of his 39 appearances in the Championship, per Sofascore, on the club’s way to hitting a staggering 100 points in the second tier last term.

xG

8.14

Top 8%

Goals

10

Top 6%

Shots on target

25

Top 12%

xA

10.30

Top 1%

Chances created

67

Top 5%

Assists

12

Top 3%

As you can see in the table above, the Israel international made a huge impact in the final third in those 39 appearances, scoring or creating 22 goals in 30 starts.

These statistics show that he performed consistently in front of goal to win vital points for the Whites with goals and assists that changed and won games in the Championship.

Whilst the club may yet look to bring him back before the deadline, the Whites are reportedly looking at another player who could be the new Solomon at Elland Road.

Leeds eyeing move for Nottingham Forest winger

Former Manchester United and Blackburn Rovers chief scout Mick Brown has revealed that the 49ers are eyeing a last-gasp move for Nottingham Forest forward Jota Silva.

Speaking to Football Insider, Brown said: “I hear Leeds are interested in signing Jota Silva. They need new wingers, and he is one of the names on their list of targets.

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“When he’s been involved for Forest, he looks busy and bright, always looking to make things happen and not afraid to get on the ball. He likes to get at people and he’s capable of producing in the final third as well.

“He’s a bit of a maverick, and those types of players are always welcome at Leeds. Forest have signed a number of wide players, and spent a significant amount of money on him, so I hear he is questioning where he fits in.”

It was reported by O’Jogo earlier this summer that Sporting were hoping to land him for a fee of around £10m including add-ons, and it remains to be seen if Leeds are prepared to pay that kind of money for his services.

Why Leeds should sign Jota Silva

Leeds should swoop to sign Jota Silva from the Tricky Trees because he could be a more affordable option on the flank, given that Solomon reportedly has a price tag of £20m over his head.

The Whites save £10m and land their next Solomon by signing the Portuguese star, as another winger who has become surplus to requirements at a Premier League side, just as was the case with the Israel international last summer.

Jota Silva only started five of his 31 appearances in the Premier League for Forest last season, per Sofascore, but showed glimpses of the kind of quality that he has the potential to provide on a regular basis at that level.

The 26-year-old ace scored three goals and created eight ‘big chances’ for his teammates in 891 minutes of action, which shows that he was an effective contributor in the final third despite limited minutes on the pitch.

Jota Silva’s form for Vitoria in Portugal in the 2023/24 campaign, before his move to England, shows that he can deliver consistent quality on the flank when starting regularly.

Appearances

33

xG

7.99

Goals

11

Big chances created

8

Key passes per game

1.0

Assists

5

Dribbles completed per game

1.3

As you can see in the table above, the Portugal international caught the eye with 19 goals and ‘big chances’ created in the top division in his country.

These statistics show that he can be an efficient finisher who also looks to create chances for his teammates on a regular basis at the top level, when playing week-in-week-out, which is why he could be an exciting signing for Leeds.

The versatile forward, who can play on the right or the left as a winger, could be the new Solomon at Elland Road by arriving from a Premier League team to light up the flanks in West Yorkshire with his quality in the final third.

Given the difference in price between the two players, Jota Silva may even be a better option than signing Solomon permanently because he has shown that he can deliver in the English top-flight as recently as last season.

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