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Eddie Howe has some problems to fix at Newcastle United. Ah, but he has solved issues before, smoothing out the creases in his system each year he has been on Tyneside.

Last season, Howe led Newcastle to the Carabao Cup title, their first major domestic honour since 1955. The Magpies have also flown back into the Champions League after finishing fifth in the Premier League.

Important days are ahead. Newcastle currently sit 15th in the Premier League with one win from six attempts. The season, it’s worth underlining, has only just begun, and the Magpies took a time to click into gear during the 2024/25 campaign, mounting a phenomenal run of winter form that carried them through to the finish.

Howe is trusted to bring it all together, with the difficulties of the summer transfer window, defined by Alexander Isak’s deadline-day move to Liverpool for a record-breaking £125m fee, seeping into the season.

However, among the brightest sparks on Tyneside right now is Nick Woltemade, who replaced Isak in August and has kicked off his career in black and white strongly.

Nick Woltemade's start to life in Newcastle

When Woltemade first touched down in Newcastle, he was stepping into big boots. Isak, after all, is widely regarded as one of the best strikers in Europe, with his 27-goal haul last season a testament to that.

But the German, signed from Stuttgart for a club-record £69m fee, has shown promise across these early weeks. Scoring the winner on his debut against Wolves and again against Arsenal on Sunday.

An intelligent and technically gifted number nine, Woltemade has not the same snappy, electric athleticism as Isak, but he is deft on the ball and adept in link-up phases. He’s a towering presence besides, and a clean finisher of the ball.

With Yoane Wissa sidelined with a knee injury, the 23-year-old has pounced on the opportunity to lay down his claim for the starting spot at the front of the ship, even picking up Newcastle’s Player of the Month for September.

Newcastle’s four-goal tally across six Premier League appearances so far this season puts them right at the bottom of the pile, alongside Aston Villa and Wolves.

At the corresponding stage last year, they had scored eight goals, and the fact that that was a middling return in any case perhaps highlights the task Howe has in the final third.

Leeds

12th

5.9

Wolves

20th

5.5

Newcastle

15th

5.2

Aston Villa

16th

4.8

Burnley

18th

4.5

Woltemade, regardless, has been a great signing. His ceiling is high. Moreover, Wissa has yet to touch grass in black and white.

Newcastle's shrewdest summer signing

Central defence was an area in need of shoring up as Newcastle stepped into the summer transfer window, but it wasn’t until August that Howe claimed his quarry, welcoming Malick Thiaw over from Italy.

Thiaw, 24, joined from AC Milan in a deal worth £35m, and while his technical quality and strong defensive skillset have long suggested there is a place for him in the Premier League, an injury record that leaves plenty to be desired came attached as a caveat.

But he’s looking well worth the money, so far. Thiaw, let’s not forget, has long been regarded as a top talent, and over the past year, he ranks among the top 7% of centre-backs across Europe for pass completion and the top 18% for progressive passes played per 90, as per FBref.

The last-minute defeat against Arsenal at the weekend stung, all right, but Thiaw’s performance was a positive, with the Chronicle Live awarding the German with an 8/10 match rating post-game.

Thiaw, after all, stood his ground against arguably the best team in the Premier League, with Sofascore recording that he made eight clearances and won five duels across the afternoon.

Alongside Sven Botman, Howe may well feel he has a new central defensive partnership to guide Newcastle through the next chapter, fit to last and with the capacity to challenge for the biggest prizes, against the biggest hitters that the Premier League and Europe can offer.

At a fee of just £35m, this may well prove to be a steal for Newcastle. Thiaw has always been among the most talented centre-halves of his age bracket, merely impeded across the past several years by regular trips to the infirmary.

Still, the early signs are promising in the Premier League. Thiaw has been hailed as a “monster in the air” by journalist Martino Puccio, and with Fabian Schar and Dan Burn and Jamal Lascelles all vying for starting berths of their own, Howe has the means to enforce healthy rotation across the season as Newcastle look to stay competitive across four fronts.

While Woltemade has started on the right track as he looks to smoothly replace Isak, it’s not outrageous to say that he is not, and that plenty of work over a number of years must be completed before the lanky goalscorer reaches the same level of fluency and snap as his predecessor at St. James’ Park.

However, it’s also fair to say that Thiaw boasts more completeness than Newcastle’s defensive crop, Botman notwithstanding, and that, for about half the price of the unpolished striker, he might prove to be the pick of the bunch when assessing Newcastle’s summer transfer window at a later date.

Newcastle's "true legend" looks like he's on borrowed time under Howe

Newcastle’s modern “legend” may well be phased out before too long.

ByWill Miller Sep 29, 2025

Chelsea made a surprisingly sloppy start to their Women's Champions League campaign on Wednesday night, dropping two points away to a Twente side that featured just one senior international in its starting line-up. The Blues are expected to be one of the main contenders for the trophy this season but they didn't look like it here, as Sonia Bompastor's much-changed team was made to work, and work hard, for a 1-1 draw in the Netherlands.

While the English champions showed seven alterations from their goalless draw with Manchester United on Friday night, this was still a star-studded XI that Chelsea put out, but it was one that lacked cohesion and chemistry in a rather disjointed display. Twente were out from the get-go to take advantage, too, creating the better chances in the early stages only to be denied by great defending from Ellie Carpenter on two occasions in particular.

That said, the Blues had their opportunities, too. Maika Hamano fired a big one over the bar and Guro Reiten had another well blocked before the impressive Alyssa Thompson thought she'd broken the deadlock just after the break, only for the offside flag to go up for an infringement earlier in the move. It was not long after that that Twente punished Chelsea for their surprising lack of ruthlessness, as a great run from Jill Roord caught the visitors out and ended with Danique van Ginkel curling home a beautiful opener.

Fortunately for Bompastor's side, there was still plenty of time to respond and they had the chance to do so from the penalty spot, with Sandy Baltimore able to level things up after Reiten was fouled. But the Blues couldn't find that crucial second, with teenage debutante Chloe Sarwie going closest to doing so from the edge of the box as the English giants began their European campaign with an underwhelming 1-1 draw.

GOAL rates Chelsea's players from De Grolsch Veste…

• Getty
  

  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Livia Peng (6/10):

  Had very little to do except pick the ball out the back of her net on her Chelsea debut. Didn't look fazed.

  Ellie Carpenter (7/10):

  So often popped up in the right place at the right time with key defensive interventions and combined really positively with Thompson going forward.

  Millie Bright (7/10):

  Mopped up nicely at the back, won plenty of her duels and kept possession well.

  Veerle Buurman (6/10):

  Did very little wrong on her return to the Netherlands. A little sloppier on the ball than her centre-back partner but stood up tall in her individual battles.

  Sandy Baltimore (6/10):

  Lacked her usual electricity at times but made a massive intervention at the back post to stop what looked to be a certain Twente goal and converted her penalty with conviction to salvage a point.

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• Getty
  

  Midfield

  Oriane Jean-Francois (5/10):

  A decent overall display, but she had to do a better job tracking Roord for Twente's opener.

  Sjoeke Nusken (6/10):

  Worked hard, pressed well and made some good runs from deep before having to go off with a head injury.

  Maika Hamano (5/10):

  Couldn't quite provide her usual spark. Had a great chance to break the deadlock in the first half, too, but blazed over.

• Getty
  

  Attack

  Alyssa Thompson (7/10):

  A surprise to see her subbed off on the hour with the scores still goalless, as she had looked the most likely to create a match-winning moment. Combined brilliantly with Carpenter and created a number of chances with her excellent final ball. 

  Aggie Beever-Jones (5/10):

  Didn't get tons of service, though was surprisingly wasteful with what she received given she has started the season in such electric form.

  Guro Reiten (6/10):

  Had some good moments, including her run into the box which won the penalty, and was very close to scoring in the first half but for a great block.

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• Getty
  

  Subs & Manager

  Erin Cuthbert (6/10):

  Injected energy into midfield and did her fair share of defensive work, too.

  Wieke Kaptein (5/10):

  Worked hard off the ball and showed some nice touches in and around the box, though couldn't quite make the mark in attack that she'd have liked.

  Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (6/10):

  Did well to take the baton from Thompson and ensure Chelsea's threat didn't wane down the right, even if she couldn't quite match the American's impact.

  Sam Kerr (N/A):

  Brought real presence to the top of the pitch and was extremely lively in the box, just didn't quite get that chance to win it.

  Chloe Sarwie (N/A):

  The 16-year-old enjoyed a special moment in the latter stages when she was introduced for her Chelsea debut.

  Sonia Bompastor (5/10):

  Rotated her team a surprising amount at this early point in this season and it came back to bite her, in the form of a disjointed performance that lacked cutting edge.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has shared an update on talismanic star Cole Palmer ahead of their Premier League return against Brentford.

The west Londoners were dealt multiple injury blows in the last week, with news that Liam Delap will be out until December after suffering a hamstring injury in Chelsea’s derby win over Fulham.

Whilst the summer signing didn’t require surgery and will immediately begin rehab on the problem, Delap is expected to miss some big games in the run-up to winter — including a Champions League clash against Bayern Munich, their face-off against Liverpool and Chelsea’s trip to Tottenham.

Brentford (H) – Premier League

Bayern Munich (A) – Champions League

Man United (A) – Premier League

Lincoln City (A) – EFL Cup

Brighton (H) – Premier League

Benfica (H) – Champions League

Liverpool (H) – Premier League

Nottingham Forest (A) – Premier League

Ajax (H) – Champions League

Sunderland (H) – Premier League

Tottenham (A) – Premier League

Qarabag (H) – Champions League

Alongside Delap, fellow summer arrival Dario Essugo has undergone surgery on a thigh problem he sustained during the international break with Portugal’s Under-21s, leaving Maresca one-man lighter in midfield.

The 20-year-old is now set to wait for his Premier League debut after making three appearances at the Club World Cup, joining Delap on the treatment table for an extensive period, and supporters have been very keen to find out the condition of star man Palmer.

The England international was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s latest Three Lions squad for their wins over Andorra and Serbia, with Palmer nursing a groin problem since Chelsea’s 5-1 win away to West Ham.

The 23-year-old injured his groin in the warm-up and was subsequently replaced in the line-up by Brazilian teenager Estevao, missing their rampant London Stadium win and their victory over Fulham.

Reliable sources indicate that Maresca has merely been cautious with Palmer, and Telegraph journalist Matt Law suggested this week that the ex-Man City sensation could return against Brentford on Saturday.

Now, Maresca has provided an update in his latest press conference ahead of Brentford.

Enzo Maresca provides Cole Palmer injury update ahead of Chelsea vs Brentford

Speaking to the media, Chelsea’s boss says that Palmer is touch-and-go for Brentford, with the forward subject to a late training session this afternoon which will determine whether he is ready for their trip to the G-tech Community Stadium.

BlueCo’s best signing since the 2022 takeover has been worth every penny of the £42.5 million they paid City for Palmer on summer deadline day in 2023.

Palmer is an absolutely vital figurehead, racking up 43 goals and 29 assists in nearly 100 appearances, and there is even a belief that Chelsea can be too reliant on him at times.

Last season, Palmer was yet again their chief creator, finishing the campaign with more shots at goal and key passes per 90 on average than any other Chelsea player in the Premier League (WhoScored).

If not against Brentford, Palmer doesn’t sound too far away from full fitness, and Maresca will be hoping he can at least be fit for their opening Champions League game against Bayern Munich on Tuesday.

MatériaMais Notícias

As duas derrotas consecutivas do Palmeiras para Bahia e Botafogo, pelo Brasileirão, acabaram sendo o estopim para gerar protestos por parte da Mancha Verde, principal organizada do clube. Os torcedores se reuniram em frente à sede da Crefisa, empresa da presidente, para se manifestarem pedindo reforços para o elenco e ironizando a compra do avião que servirá ao Verdão como transporte.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasCinco motivos que fazem o jogo contra o Bolívar valer muito para o PalmeirasPalmeiras29/06/2023PalmeirasLeila Pereira diz estar aberta para acordo do Palmeiras com gestora do estádio: ‘Faço tudo o que posso’Palmeiras29/06/2023PalmeirasPalmeiras busca melhor campanha geral para garantir Allianz Parque na semi da Libertadores; entendaPalmeiras29/06/2023

+ Veja tabela e classificação da Libertadores-2023 clicando aqui

O protesto deixou claro que a organizada está “fechada” com o elenco e Abel Ferreira, como diz uma das faixas estendidas no local. O foco da manifestação foi a cobrança por reforços, tanto é que outra faixa colocada pelos torcedores tinha escrito “Cadê as contratações?”. Além dessas, estiveram lá “Qualifique o elenco”, “Time ganha jogo, elenco ganha títulos” e “Cumpra as suas promessas”.

+ IMPERDÍVEL! Transmissão ao vivo dos jogos do Verdão na Liberta por apenas R$1,00!

+ Até 50% OFF em produtos do Verdão para os torcedores fanáticos!

Mas o protesto não ficou apenas nas faixas. A organizada levou sua bateria para o local e começou a entoar músicas como a tradicional “Ô, Ô, Ô, queremos jogador” e outras que fizeram referência e ironizaram a compra do avião por parte da empresa aérea de Leila Pereira, que será utilizado prioritariamente pelo Palmeiras.

continua após a publicidade

– “Olha quem chegou, é o avião, o volante do porco”
– “Tá de tiração , vendeu o Scarpa e comprou o avião”
– “P*** que pariu, na próxima contrata um navio”

Vale lembrar que o Palmeiras contratou apenas dois jogadores para a atual temporada: Artur, que veio do Bragantino, e Richard Ríos, que veio do Guarani. Ambos chegaram apenas após a disputa do estadual, por volta de abril. O volante “camisa 5” pedido por Abel Ferreira desde a saída de Danilo, para o Nottingham Forest-ING, ainda não foi contratado. Leila Pereira, na terça-feira (27), durante evento da entrega de seu avião, afirmou que o clube está em busca de reforços para o meio do ano, mas avisou que não fará loucuras.

continua após a publicidade

!ELENCO GANHA TÍTULO! ????????

Torcedores do Palmeiras protestam em frente a sede da Crefisa, pela falta de reforços para o elenco, e criticam a compra do avião, feita pela presidente do clube paulista, Leila Pereira. pic.twitter.com/C9HPOPXRtb

— Lance! (@lancenet) June 29, 2023

Ingressos caros

A organizada também aproveitou o protesto para reclamar sobre o preço dos ingressos para assistir aos jogos no Allianz Parque cantando “P*** que pariu, é o ingresso mais caro do Brasil”. Para a partida desta quinta-feira (29), contra o Bolívar-BOL, pela Libertadores, o bilhete mais barato custa R$ 180 e o mais caro R$ 360. Os valores praticados são os mesmos de domingo (25), na derrota para o Botafogo, pelo Brasileirão. A Mancha alega que diminuir o preço das entradas era uma promessa de campanha da presidente.

+ Palmeiras x Bolívar: onde assistir, prováveis times e desfalques

Confira a nota oficial divulgada pela organizada:

“Civilizadamente, na manhã desta quinta-feira, protestamos pedindo reforços para o elenco e contra o valor absurdo dos ingressos cobrados pelo Palmeiras.

A cobrança por reforços vem desde o final do ano passado. Ainda na comemoração do Brasileirão 2022, o presidente Jorge e o vice Fezinho alertaram o vice-presidente do clube Paulo Buosi sobre a necessidade de reposição das saídas de Scarpa e Danilo, além de reforços na defesa e de um reserva para o Veiga. As cobranças seguiram na Copinha e no início do Paulistão.

Agora, às vésperas da abertura da janela de transferências, intensificamos as cobranças, devido ao afunilamento das competições e ao risco iminente de lesões, como a sofrida pelo volante Zé Rafael.

Reiteramos que estamos fechados com o elenco atual e com o técnico Abel Ferreira. Nossa cobrança vem ao encontro do que já foi dito pelo técnico Abel Ferreira (necessidade de reposição) e visa qualificar ainda mais o elenco, não desmerecendo quem dele já faz parte.

Isto posto, vamos ao Allianz Parque hoje à noite para apoiar incondicionalmente nossa equipe, rumo a mais uma vitória.

#AvantiPalestra

Diretoria Mancha Alvi Verde”

Head and bowlers will not feature while Carey, Konstas, Webster and Marsh are fully available prior to Sri Lanka tour

Alex Malcolm07-Jan-2025Steven Smith is set to play three BBL games prior to the Sri Lanka tour while Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja will only be allowed to play one, as part of individual plans worked out with Cricket Australia’s high-performance team. Travis Head and Australia’s bowlers, meanwhile, are all set to rest before heading overseas.While Smith, Labuschagne and Khawaja will be restricted in their appearances, Alex Carey, Sam Konstas, Beau Webster, Mitchell Marsh and Jhye Richardson have all been cleared to play in the remainder of the BBL.Head, along with Scott Boland, Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc will not play any part in the BBL season despite all being contracted.Australia are likely to announce a 16-man touring party for two Tests in Sri Lanka in the coming days and the squad is set to depart for the UAE for a pre-tour camp on January 19 or 20 meaning none of the touring party will be available for the BBL finals series which runs from January 21-27.Related

What did victory over India tell us about Australia's present and future?

Cummins likely to miss Sri Lanka tour but no end in sight for captaincy

Marsh set for BBL return after losing Test place

It remains to be seen whether all of the squad members from the Sydney Test against India are taken to Sri Lanka, with Josh Inglis, Peter Handscomb, Todd Murphy and Matthew Kuhnemann all coming into the mix. Glenn Maxwell is also a chance to head to Sri Lanka but with Australia already securing a spot in the World Test Championship, the need for his subcontinental experience has diminished and there is a chance the selectors might look towards the 2027 tour of India with how they shape the squad.Smith will miss Sydney Sixers clash with Melbourne Stars at the MCG on Thursday but is set to be available to play against Perth Scorches at the SCG on Saturday, with Marsh and Richardson also set to feature after they were included in Scorchers squad to face Renegades at home on Tuesday night.Smith will then be available to play against Adelaide Strikers on January 15 and Sydney Thunder on January 17, where Konstas will also play. Despite the fifth Test finishing a few days ago, Konstas is set to play for Thunder against Hobart Hurricanes in Sydney tomorrow night and in Thunder’s last four games.Khawaja and Labuschagne will only be made available for Brisbane Heat’s home clash with Hurricanes on January 16 after having 10 days off. They will not be made available for Heat’s last clash in Melbourne against Renegades on January 18 given they will likely head overseas the next day.Curiously, Carey has been made available for Adelaide Strikers’ last three matches, including a match in Perth on January 18. Webster is supposedly available for Stars on January 19 at this stage. It is understood that those players could make a staggered departure to the UAE in order to play in those BBL games if required.Head is contracted to Strikers but spoke of his need for a rest in the immediate aftermath of the Sydney Test and will not play any of those matches. Head also has an IPL contract and looks set for a near non-stop touring schedule from Sri Lanka onwards with trips to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy, India for the IPL, England for the WTC final and the Caribbean for three Tests and some white-ball matches set to keep him on the road until July.Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins are staring at a similar schedule in the face although Cummins is likely to miss both Sri Lanka Tests for the birth of his second child while Hazlewood might be ruled out due to a calf injury.Lyon has been rested from the BBL despite a very light workload during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. But at 37, having had a major calf injury in 2023, he is being managed ahead of two Tests in Galle where he looks likely to be Australia’s most relied-upon bowler.CA’s high-performance team and the BBL have long been discussing the availability of the Test stars during this short window between the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and the Sri Lanka tour, with the BBL keen to have all players available for as many games as possible while the national selectors, coaches and medical staff were very keen to have as many of their stars rest during this precious window without international cricket. CA’s head of National Teams Ben Oliver said the decision on each player’s BBL availability had been made based on each individual program.”A five-Test match series is gruelling, and this was amplified by the intensity of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy,” Oliver said. “The players and staff deserve great credit for their preparation and management which has enabled sustained performance through what is a full international schedule.”We have worked with each player to form individualised plans which will best support recovery from the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and preparation for upcoming international commitments including the tour of Sri Lanka and ICC Champions Trophy. Wherever possible, this includes players representing their clubs in the ongoing BBL season over the coming fortnight.”BBL general manager Alistair Dobson was pleased to get some of the Test stars playing in the competition over the next fortnight.”We are delighted to have number of Australian Test players entering the competition from tonight off the back of their historic Border-Gavaskar Trophy victory, and thank them for their commitment to the BBL,” Dobson said.

في وقت يترقب فيه جمهور الأهلي هوية المدير الفني الجديد، برز اسم البرتغالي روي فيتوريا كأقوى المرشحين لقيادة الفريق في المرحلة المقبلة، وسط مفاوضات لم تُحسم بعد وصراع بدأ يتسع بدخول نادٍ سعودي كبير على الخط.

ورغم الأنباء التي تحدثت عن رغبة فيتوريا في الحصول على فترة راحة بعد تجربته الأخيرة باليونان، إلا أن المؤشرات تكشف عن انفتاح المدرب على الاستماع للعروض الجادة، خاصة من جانب الأهلي الذي يتمسك به.

اقرأ أيضًا | ميدو يدافع عن شيكابالا: الإرهاب الإعلامي انتقل من الأهلي إلى الزمالك.. ورسالة للخطيب

وعلم بطولات أن البرتغالي روي فيتوريا يُعد الخيار المفضل لدى النادي الأهلي لتولي القيادة الفنية في المرحلة المقبلة، حيث لا تزال إدارة النادي متمسكة بخدماته وأيضًا هو يرى أن الأهلي هو خياره المناسب للعودة إلى التدريب.

المفاوضات بين الأهلي وفيتوريا لم تصل بعد إلى مرحلة الأرقام النهائية الخاصة بالراتب، لكن العرض المنتظر سيكون ضخمًا ماليًا، في وقت لم يمنح فيه المدرب النادي ردًا قاطعًا حتى الآن.

كما دخل نادي الاتحاد السعودي مؤخرًا على خط المفاوضات مع فيتوريا، بعدما أبدى اهتمامًا بالتعاقد معه ووضعه ضمن قائمة الأسماء المرشحة لتدريب الفريق، وهو ما ساهم في تأجيل حسم الاتفاق.

أما عن موقف فيتوريا من العودة السريعة للتدريب بعد تجربته الأخيرة في اليونان، فكانت فكرته الأولى الحصول على فترة راحة، غير أن الأمر ليس قرارًا نهائيًا، إذ يعتمد بشكل كبير على طبيعة المشروع المقدم له وهو ما فعله من قبل مع باناثينايكوس اليوناني.

Kagiso Rabada said he didn’t have his 300th Test wicket on his mind when the first Test against Bangladesh started on Monday, but was “really surprised at how the wicket played out” – 16 wickets fell on the day – and once the ball started seaming, he knew he was in business.”We thought it was going to turn, and not really nip, but with the new ball, there was a bit of movement,” Rabada said after the day’s play. “Not really much swing, but off the wicket, there was quite a bit of seam movement.”To be fair, that’s actually how it played in the nets. Generally, what you get in the nets is what you’ll get similarly in the middle. It’s turning for the spinners and seaming for the seamers too. We found that quite surprising. We don’t prepare the pitches, but that’s what was prepared, and it’s as simple as that.”Related

• Verreynne on his 114: 'Definitely the best and most rewarding innings of my career'

• Taijul's light shines bright even as Shakib shadow looms large

• Taijul Islam's five-for headlines 16-wicket opening day

Wiaan Mulder started things off with a burst of three wickets, preying on the Bangladesh top-order batters’ expansive strokes. Rabada got among the wickets in his second spell at around the hour-mark, and also reached a special milestone – his 300th Test wicket, and he became the fastest to the landmark in all these years of Test cricket, beating Waqar Younis’ 24-year-old record.Before he bowled a ball, however, Rabada was worried about how South Africa were going to force the issue, having been asked to bowl first at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, a ground with a reputation of producing raging turners. But between them, Mulder and Rabada had the home side at 45 for 5 in the 20th over.When Mushfiqur Rahim became the fourth batter to fall, Rabada had his landmark wicket. And it was a special delivery that did it, swinging enough and nipping in slightly to take out both the off and middle stumps.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“When I came on to bowl this morning, I wasn’t really thinking about that final wicket,” Rabada said. “I was more focused on how we were going to win this Test, especially after losing the toss and bowling first. But when it happened, it was just a relief. Everyone plays for milestones, but it was a relief. The way my team-mates support me, we support each other, and that felt really good.”It’s a special moment. As for the record, I didn’t know about it, but I guess it motivates me to do even better.”Rabada became the sixth South Africa bowler to 300 Test wickets after Dale Steyn (439), Shaun Pollock (421), Makhaya Ntini (390), Allan Donald (330) and Morne Morkel (309).The early damage, however, had been done by Mulder, who picked up the first three wickets to leave Bangladesh at 21 for 3.”He bowled unbelievably. He’s looked good ever since our camp back in South Africa. Credit to him – he’s worked really hard, and it shows,” Rabada said. “He didn’t really have to adjust much because he’s been bowling like this since the camp. I’m not surprised by the reward he got this morning. He was phenomenal, and I’m really happy for him.”South Africa, responding to Bangladesh’s 106 all out, ended the day on 140 for 6, with Taijul Islam picking up five wickets. So spin after seam. To the inevitable question about whether this type of pitch was good for Test cricket, Rabada smiled before choosing the diplomatic route.”I think there needs to be a balance in Test cricket. You want a fair contest between bat and ball. That’s the type of wicket you want,” he said. “You could argue that a bowling unit hasn’t bowled well or a batting unit hasn’t performed, and that’s the balance you’re always trying to weigh.”But with 16 wickets on day one, I’d say it’s leaning towards the bowlers. Test cricket should offer a fair contest between bat and ball, where bowlers get something if they bowl well, and batters can score if they apply themselves.”

It was just over two years ago that Liverpool ended their pursuit of a certain Jude Bellingham, with reports at the time indicating that the potential cost of signing the Englishman – set to be over £100m – had proven too much of an obstacle to any deal.

Perhaps there was more to the story there, however, as mere months later, the Reds launched a mammoth £111m bid for the signing of Brighton’s Moises Caicedo, albeit with the Ecuadorian ultimately opting to join rivals Chelsea instead.

Despite Jurgen Klopp’s prior claims that he had no interest in making such costly moves – something he later rowed back on – that pursuit of Caicedo indicated that, for the right player, the Anfield hierarchy are willing to splash the cash.

Indeed, the recent £116m signing of Florian Wirtz is the perfect case in point, with a quiet two years on the transfer front having come to an end in statement fashion.

If prior high profile deals are anything to go by – namely the £75m capture of Virgil van Dijk and the £67m move for Alisson – the Reds rarely get it wrong when they do spend big, with it set to be a worrying prospect for the rest of the division if Wirtz does swiftly sparkle on Merseyside.

With the German genius likely to be the centre-piece of a new era at Anfield, now is the time for Richard Hughes and co to build the perfect attack around him.

Latest on Liverpool's search for a striker

Darwin Nunez looks destined for Napoli. Last season’s false nine, Luiz Diaz, is the subject of intense interest from Bayern Munich. If those exits are green-lit, the Premier League champions will surely need to dip into the market once again.

Of course, Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak appears to be the dream target, yet with that deal out of the equation, Arne Slot may well have to settle for the next best thing. Perhaps even the next Isak, if you will.

Well, recent reports from Spain would suggest that Liverpool and Hughes are doing just that, with the claim made that the Reds are accelerating a move for Eintracht Frankfurt star, Hugo Ekitike.

Transfer Focus

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

The suggestion is that the Merseysiders are ‘willing to enter the bidding’ for the 23-year-old, albeit with Chelsea and Manchester United also showing a ‘strong interest’ in the in-demand Frenchman.

Valued at €100m (£85m), the former Paris Saint-Germain man certainly wouldn’t come cheap, although while the race is said to be ‘wide open’, it is claimed that Liverpool are ready to make the ‘first move’.

Forking out for a fee close to the prior club-record addition – including add-ons – of Nunez may have a few supporters fearing the worst, although all the signs point to Ekitike proving a real hit, not least alongside Wirtz.

Why Ekitike would be the dream striker for Wirtz

While Wirtz enjoyed another stellar individual campaign last time out, having chalked up 31 goals and assists in all competitions, it was the year prior where Bayer Leverkusen had truly enjoyed the fruits of his labour.

The German outfit memorably enjoyed an unbeaten domestic season, alongside reaching the Europa League final, with the 22-year-old registering 38 goal involvements from just 49 appearances.

The figurehead of Xabi Alonso’s devastating attack, Wirtz was no doubt aided by the array of talent around him, namely Nigerian striker Victor Boniface. The 24-year-old scored 21 times in 2023/24, 14 of which came in just 23 Bundesliga games.

Florian Wirtz – Top teammates
Player	Games together	Joint-goal participation
Patrick Schick	120	20
Amine Adli	101	11
Moussa Diaby	94	10
Alejandro Grimaldo	91	10
Victor Boniface	51	9
Jeremie Frimpong	150	8
Robert Andrich	120	7
Jonas Hoffman	53	5
Exequiel Palacios	109	4
Stats via Transfermarkt

In all, in just 51 games together, Wirtz and Boniface have combined for nine goals, with the former having only achieved more joint goal contributions with four other players, albeit from almost double the number of games.

As noted by the official Bundesliga website during that double-winning campaign, Boniface’s arrival had ‘arguably unlocked the full potential of the Germany international’s offensive ability’, with the pair ‘forming a special chemistry in the final third’.

Such a combination could well be replicated if young Ekitike is brought into the fold at Liverpool, with the former France U21 international noted as a statistically similar player to Boniface, among those in their position in the Bundesliga, as per FBref.

That likeness is particularly seen in the threat they pose in the final third, with Ekitike ranking in the top 5% for shots per 90, as well as in the top 6% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90. Boniface, meanwhile, ranks in the top 3% and the top 8% for those same two metrics, respectively.

Such a single-minded streak doesn’t necessarily mean a selfish streak, however, with the Frankfurt man notably creating 12 ‘big chances’ in the German top-flight last term, as per Sofascore. His Leverkusen counterpart, meanwhile, registered eight ‘big chances’ during that stunning 2023/24 season.

Both towering focal points when leading the line, Ekitike can replicate Boniface’s impact as the man for Wirtz to work around, with the one-time Reims starlet able to combine beautifully with the German amid his talent in possession, having ranked in the top 8% in the Bundesliga for pass completion.

Hailed as the “perfect centre-forward” by TNT Sport pundit Owen Hargreaves, the £85m marksman could also prove to be the ‘perfect’ striker for Wirtz at Liverpool…

Luis Diaz upgrade: Liverpool in the race for "world-class" £85m talent

Liverpool might need to replace Luis Diaz in the summer transfer window.

By
Angus Sinclair

Jul 12, 2025

If there is one club you can guarantee to be busy during the summer, it’s Chelsea.

Even without the Club World Cup to entertain the fans, you can usually rest assured that the Blues will make good use of the transfer window, and so far this year, they certainly have.

For example, just a couple of days ago, the Conference League champions secured the services of the incredibly exciting Joao Pedro from Brighton & Hove Albion for a sizable fee of £60m.

Moreover, before the club even left for the United States, they had signed a trio of exciting young talents in Dario Essugo, Mamadou Sarr and Liam Delap, and now, if reports are to be believed, they are keen to sign an attacker even more exciting than the former Ipswich Town star.

Chelsea target young talents

Like they have in years past, Chelsea appear to be focused on bringing more up-and-coming gems this summer, which helps explain the links to Alejandro Garnacho and Jamie Gittens.

Transfer Focus

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

The former could cost the club around £60m, and while Manchester United endured a terrible campaign last season, he didn’t, managing to rack up a tally of 11 goals and ten assists in 58 games.

Gittens, on the other hand, will cost the Blues around £55m, and unlike the Argentine international, this deal is practically sealed and could be announced at any time.

Yet, the West Londoners are still not done there, as they’ve now been linked with another promising youngster who might just be more exciting than Delap: Gonzalo García.

At least that’s according to a recent report from Spain, which claims Chelsea are the club most interested in the Real Madrid star.

In fact, the report claims that the Blues are now preparing to submit an offer worth around €40m – £34m – for the young attacker, and as things stand, the Spanish giants are not ruling out selling him.

It could be a complicated and ultimately rather expensive transfer to get over the line, but García has shown enough to suggest he could be a star one day, and therefore a more exciting signing than Delap.

Why García would be a more exciting signing than Delap

Firstly, it’s worth noting that Delap is already an exciting signing, and one that Chelsea were wise to secure.

After all, in his first full Premier League campaign last season, the former Ipswich ace was able to rack up a tally of 12 goals and two assists in 37 appearances, which is nothing to sniff at.

Moreover, he has already opened his account with the Blues, scoring one goal and providing one assist in four appearances at the Club World Cup.

However, it’s actually the proceedings at the competition that give us our first indication that García could end up being the more exciting signing this summer.

We say this, as even though he had barely played a game for the first team prior to the Club World Cup, the young Spaniard has been nothing short of sensational in the States.

For example, in just four appearances, totalling 293 minutes, he has scored three goals and provided one assist, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 73.25 minutes, and they haven’t been meaningless either, as he netted the winner against Juventus earlier this week.

However, we probably shouldn’t be surprised that the “incredible” youngster, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is so effective in front of goal, as he was a monster for Real Madrid Castilla last season.

García’s 24/25
Appearances	36
Minutes	3184′
Goals	25
Assists	4
Goal Involvements per Match	0.80
Minutes per Goal Involvement	109.79′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

In 36 appearances, totalling 3184 minutes, the 21-year-old, who respected analyst Ben Mattinson claims “scores goals for fun,” put the ball in the back of the net 25 times and provided four assists, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.24 games, or every 109.79 minutes.

On top of everything, the Madrid-born gem is also more than capable of playing out wide or as a centre-forward, and therefore is quite comfortable dribbling with the ball at his feet and creating chances for himself.

Ultimately, Delap is a brilliant addition to Chelsea’s squad, but from everything we’ve seen of him this summer and his output from last season, García looks like he’d be an even more exciting signing.

Premier League club close to finalising deal for "world-class" Chelsea player

There’s been a key update out of Stamford Bridge.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jul 3, 2025

Shoaib Bashir claims two wickets in first outing of five-match loan deal

ECB Reporters Network07-Jun-2024

Shoaib Bashir struck on his debut for Worcestershire•Getty Images

Northamptonshire 169 for 4 (Zaib 44, Raza 42, Bashir 2-38) beat Worcestershire 163 for 9 (Roderick 39, Zaib 3-20) by six runs Northamptonshire all-rounder Saif Zaib starred in front of the TV cameras, plundering an unbeaten 44 off just 21 balls and bagging three wickets for 20 runs as the Steelbacks won out by just six runs against over Worcestershire Rapids in a Vitality Blast thriller at Wantage Road.Zaib smashed six fours and two sixes, to propel Steelbacks to 169 for four, sharing an unbeaten stand of 79 in six overs with Sikandar Raza (42*) to help his side recover from a mini collapse.England off-spinner Shoaib Bashir, playing the first of five T20 loan games for Worcestershire, took two for 38.In the chase, the visitors slumped to 120 for eight in the 16th over before an extraordinary cameo from Gareth Roderick almost won the game. Blasting 39 off just 22 balls (1×4, 3×6), his highest T20 score, Roderick took the game to the wire with Worcestershire needing 11 off the final six balls. But Raphy Weatherall, bowling a brilliant final over, held his nerve, conceding just four runs and ending Roderick’s resistance.Amidst action, Steelbacks captain and former England all-rounder David Willey took his 300th career T20 wicket.Earlier Matthew Breetzke (26) struck Bashir for back-to-back sixes in the second over, the first into the board room bar in the Spencer Pavilion. Ricardo Vasconcelos (28) too was soon into the action, taking consecutive boundaries off Adam Finch.Nathan Smith pegged things back with five dot balls, but Vasconcelos found the ropes twice in the sixth over off former teammate Tom Taylor, including a ramp over the keeper’s head as the Steelbacks finished the powerplay on 47 without loss.After that solid start, Northamptonshire lost three wickets for 14 runs in 17 balls, stuttering to 63 for three.First Vasconcelos missed an attempted pull against Hayden Walsh and was bowled. Next Breetzke (26) looked to continue his six-hitting spree against Bashir, getting one away to take the Steelbacks past 50, before picking out deep midwicket. Finally Bashir grabbed a second wicket when he had Willey caught at long-off.Ravi Bopara (18) fought back, powering Walsh through cover before miscuing a strike down the ground off Finch, Taylor taking a running catch.That brought Zaib and Raza together in a blaze of boundaries. Raza muscled Brett D’Oliveira twice over deep midwicket. Particularly strong on the drive, Zaib powered Bashir and Taylor through cover and reverse swept Bashir for four.The twentieth over from Smith proved most costly. Zaib smashed two sixes and with Raza top-edging another, the Rapids conceded 21.Zaib struck quickly when Worcestershire batted, removing D’Oliveira in the third over as he hit straight to mid-off.Ed Pollock top edged Willey for four and then crunched him through the covers before he swung and missed and was bowled. Two balls later Ben Sanderson had Matthew Waite caught behind as Worcestershire finished the powerplay on a precarious 39 for three.Ethan Brookes (24) and Adam Hose steadied the ship, putting on 38 in just over four overs before Brookes was pinned lbw when Bopara bowled a knuckleball.Adam Hose posed a big threat, hitting a four and six off left-arm spinner Freddie Heldreich’s first over, before smiting a huge six off a free hit from Bopara. It took a world-class effort from Raza to remove Hose with a brilliant diving boundary catch when the batter smashed Zaib down the ground.Zaib then bowled Taylor off his pads before Heldreich (2-22) had Smith caught by a diving Sanderson and bowled Walsh later in the over. If it all seemed over, no-one told Roderick though, setting up that final over thriller.