Arsenal are fresh off the back of a blockbuster transfer window as they look to compete with fellow big spenders Liverpool for the Premier League title.

Andrea Berta and Mikel Arteta worked in tandem on some huge deals, with the former making quite an impression since replacing ex-sporting director Edu Gaspar in late March.

Arsenal’s confirmed summer signings

Price tag

Kepa Arrizabalaga

£5m

Martin Zubimendi

£60m

Christian Norgaard

£15m

Noni Madueke

£52m

Cristhian Mosquera

£13m

Viktor Gyokeres

£55m

Eberechi Eze

£67.5m

Piero Hincapie

Loan

The Italian oversaw a transfer spend worth over £250 million on an array of new signings across the pitch, perhaps most notably Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze, who could both prove to be absolutely vital.

It is early days, but after Arsenal’s limp 1-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield last weekend, the Gunners have already attracted criticism for their lack of ingenuity in the final third, especially away from home.

Eze and Gyokeres bagged 68 goals and 24 assists in all competitions between them last term, with the pair joining Kepa Arrizabalaga, Piero Hincapie, Cristhian Mosquera, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard and Noni Madueke as Berta’s first eight major signings as sporting director.

Berta’s deadline day capture of Hincapie was labelled a “masterstroke” as well, with Arteta now boasting two capable back-ups to William Saliba and Gabriel at the heart of his defence.

Amidst the international break, and as Arteta prepares for a crucial next game, controversial former Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor has shared a very interesting story from his time at the Emirates Stadium.

Guardiola phoned Adebayor "every morning" in talks to sign him from Arsenal

The 41-year-old, in an interview with Sky Sports this week, shared the story behind his blockbuster move from north London to Man City — which, of course, resulted in that infamous away end celebration.

Before signing for City, Adebayor was a wanted man across Europe after 62 goals and 18 assists in 142 total appearances under Arsène Wenger, with then-Barcelona boss, a much younger Pep Guardiola, ringing the player “every morning” in a bid to sign him.

The forward didn’t end up staying at City either, and instead was the target of further loathing from supporters, even joining north London rivals Tottenham after a brief stint on loan there and at Real Madrid.

Adebayor’s last club was quite recently, Togolese side AC Semassi in 2023 to be exact, but didn’t manage a single goal there before finally deciding to hang up his boots for good.

Will West Ham United’s midfield rebuild right at the end of this transfer window continue?

So far in the Premier League, the Hammers have been smashed 3-0 by Sunderland at the Stadium of Light and then 5-1 when Chelsea visited the London Stadium.

In the latter, the Irons midfield pairing of Tomáš Souček and James Ward-Prowse was completely overrun by Chelsea’s duo of Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo, both of whom scored, barely getting near them all night.

Thus, it is no surprise that Graham Potter has prioritised midfield reinforcements since that ill-fated defeat, so could another be on his way to East London?

West Ham's midfield rebuild

On Friday, West Ham signed not one but two new midfielders.

First, Mateus Fernandes arrived from Southampton for £38m before, a mere few hours later, Soungoutou Magassa joined from Monaco for a reported fee of £17m.

The latter, who won Olympic silver with France in the summer of 2024, is very highly rated, so West Ham fans should be excited about his arrival, but could his dream midfield partner soon be on his way to Stratford?

Well, according to a report by TEAMTalk, West Ham are ready to raid Rangers for Nicolas Raskin, adding that the Glasgow-based giants value their Belgian international at around £15m.

This transfer speculation has been fuelled by the news that Raskin will not be involved in Sunday’s Glasgow derby, training away from the rest of the first team, following an alleged falling out with manager Russell Martin.

Transfer Focus

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

Wolves, Burnley, Aston Villa, Brighton, Fiorentina and others are also purportedly interested in signing the Belgian, but could he soon swap Glasgow’s south side for East London?

What Nicolas Raskin would bring to West Ham

Raskin was Rangers’ Players’ Player of the Year and Fans’ Player of the Year last season, very much their standout player during an otherwise underwhelming campaign.

In total, the 24-year-old has made 104 appearances for the Glasgow giants, scoring six goals and registering 16 assists.

Thus, before a ball was kicked this season, it would’ve been unthinkable for Rangers supporters that he would not be in their lineup for key fixtures.

Well, that has been the case under Martin, with Raskin left on the bench for Champions League qualifiers against Viktoria Plzeň and Club Brugge, introduced at half time at Jan Breydelstadion on Wednesday with the team 5-0 down.

The table below documents Raskin’s importance to Rangers last season.

As the table outlines, Raskin was a key contributor for Rangers last season in every aspect, ranked first for assists, passes, tackles, ball recoveries and touches, emphasising his importance both in and out of possession.

He was even labelled a “pitbull” by journalist Bob Faesan – who noted that he is a “a box-to-box midfielder” – while John Walker has also described his performances as “utterly sensational”.

Thus, alongside Magassa, who likes to sit in front of a defence, they could form an excellent partnership. Indeed, the Frenchman is a real monster out of possession in his own right, having ranked in the 3% of European midfielders for interceptions per 90, as well as in the top 4% for tackles made, as per FBref.

Statistically similar to the aforementioned Caicedo, among his European peers, Magassa also has the benefit of being able to drag his side up the pitch, having also ranked in the top 12% for successful take-ons per 90.

Raskin has been at his best in a Rangers jersey when given the freedom to get forward and contribute in attacking areas, while also getting back and offering defensive solidity, ensuring both he and Magassa could strike a perfect balance in the centre of the park.

So, if the Belgian is on the way out at Rangers, West Ham could snap him up for a bargain fee and potentially form an exciting, new-look midfield duo.

West Ham readying bid to sign "crazy" ace who dreams of Premier League move

The Hammers have set their sights on a late deal…

By
Tom Cunningham

Aug 30, 2025

Paul Marsh returns for a second stint as the head of the players’ association at a critical time for the sport

AAP and ESPNcricinfo staff08-Apr-2025

The incoming boss of the Australian Cricketers’ Association (ACA) believes international contests are in “trouble” if scheduling continues to be dictated by T20 tournaments.Paul Marsh, who is leaving the AFL Players Association (AFLPA) to return to the ACA for a second stint, is strongly pushing for dedicated international windows to be introduced to counter franchise cricket.South Africa, who have qualified for the World Test Championship final, sent a squad to New Zealand last year without any first-choice players as it coincided with the country’s SA20 tournament.That was the most blatant example of T20 tournaments being prioritised in favour of international cricket, but the creep of franchise games has been happening since the foundation of the IPL back in 2008.Marsh recently chaired a sub-committee through the World Cricketers’ Association which proposed significant changes.”If we don’t get the scheduling sorted out in international cricket so we actually work out how international cricket will co-exist with the domestic Twenty20 competitions, then international cricket’s in trouble,” Marsh said on Tuesday after announcing he was quitting the AFLPA to return to the ACA.”So we are trying to get to windows. We are trying to get to a more structured format around how international cricket works. That’s one of the big priorities coming in, is to work with all the other countries to try to find the right solutions.”The current Future Tours Program ends in 2027, a year when Australia’s men’s team embarks on a tour of India, an away Ashes and an ODI World Cup.Australia are in a cycle when their three biggest series or tournaments fall in the same year, creating a massive 12 months every four years.”The cricket scheduling problem is not an easy one,” Marsh admitted. “It’s not like in AFL, where it’s pretty easy to put together and we’ve got complete control of it. Cricket Australia may want to have a schedule that’s a certain way, but you’ve then got to get the countries to come. So I’ll deal with that when I get started.”Marsh, the son of Australian cricket great Rod Marsh, felt it was time for a new challenge after 11 years and multiple historic player collective bargaining agreements (CBA) in the AFL.”It’s a good time, we’re a couple of years out from the next collective bargaining agreement. If I had to wait any longer, I think it’s difficult for the next person coming in,” he said. “So a variety of factors, but cricket’s in my blood.”Todd Greenberg, the new CA CEO who Marsh replaces at the ACA, said: “Paul brings a wealth of cricket experience to the role and a passion for the game and the welfare of our players.”A collaborative and productive relationship between CA and the ACA is important for the wellbeing of Australian Cricket and I’m sure this will continue well into the future.”

MatériaMais Notícias

O sistema defensivo do São Paulo pode ser uma das grandes peças-chave para o Tricolor buscar sua classificação na Copa do Brasil. Com a vantagem de um gol, marcado por Rafinha, o Tricolor enfrenta o Palmeiras nesta quinta-feira (13) no duelo de volta das quartas de final da Copa do Brasil.

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Mesmo com escalações diferentes, e até mesmo com mais alternativas, como visto contra o Bragantino, o São Paulo tem apresentado bons números defensivos. Nos últimos quatro jogos (contra Tigre, Fluminense, Palmeiras e Bragantino), o Tricolor não sofreu nenhum gol.

Para se classificar no tempo normal, o São Paulo precisa segurar um placar de 0 a 0 ou garantir a vitória no jogo de volta, que será realizado no Allianz Parque. Se o São Paulo perder por até 1 a 0 ou empatar no placar agregado, a decisão será definida nos pênaltis.

+ Veja tabela e as próximas rodadas do Brasileirão

ATUAÇÕES: Zagueiro da base se destaca em empate do São Paulo no Brasileirão

No entanto, o São Paulo apresenta bons números quando joga na casa do rival, incluindo seu desempenho defensivo. O Tricolor não sofreu gols no estádio palmeirense nos últimos dois jogos disputados lá – um pelo Campeonato Brasileiro e o mais recente pelo Campeonato Paulista. No confronto pelo Brasileirão, as equipes se enfrentaram na 32ª rodada e o jogo terminou em um empate sem gols. No campeonato estadual, também houve um empate sem gols durante a fase de grupos do torneio.

Após o empate, o técnico Dorival Júnior destacou a solidez defensiva do São Paulo. O treinador ressaltou que a sequência de jogos sem sofrer gols é resultado de um ‘trabalho coletivo’.

Para os tricolores apaixonados: produtos a partir de R$39,90 na FutFanatics!

– É um trabalho coletivo. Não adianta ter uma última linha sem sofrer gols se não tiver a participação do meio-campo e ataque. O que é importante é que o São Paulo tem lutado muito em cada partida, cada problema que surja estamos procurando soluções internas mesmo e isso tem elevado a confiança de todos. Todo mundo tem jogado, tem participado – disse.

Com exceção do jogo deste final de semana, espera-se que o São Paulo mantenha a mesma estrutura defensiva vista nos últimos jogos, com Rafael no gol. Na zaga, é muito provável que Arboleda seja escalado, especialmente porque foi poupado no jogo em Bragança. Caso Alan Franco não se recupere a tempo, Diego Costa é a opção mais provável. Nas laterais, Dorival deve manter Rafinha e Caio

كشف الإعلامي أحمد شوبير عن آخر تطورات الإصابات داخل صفوف الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي قبل انطلاق بطولة كأس السوبر المصري، مؤكدًا غياب عدد من اللاعبين الأساسيين بشكل رسمي.

ومن المقرر أن تقام بطولة كأس السوبر المصري 2025، خلال الفترة من 6 حتى 9 نوفمبر 2025، بمشاركة 4 أندية، الأهلي والزمالك وسيراميكا كليوباترا وبيراميدز.

وقال شوبير في تصريحات عبر برنامجه الإذاعي صباح اليوم الثلاثاء: “في النادي الأهلي هناك إصابات بالجملة، والأكيد أن حسين الشحات تأكد غيابه عن مباراة السوبر بنسبة 100%”.

وأضاف: “محمد شريف أيضًا تأكد غيابه عن السوبر بنسبة 100%. اللاعبان كانا من العناصر المهمة في مباراة الأهلي والزمالك الأخيرة، حيث صنع شريف الهدف الأول للشحات، بينما تسبب الشحات في ركلة الجزاء التي منحت الأهلي الفوز في اللقاء”.

طالع أيضًا | محمد الدماطي يوضح أسباب عودة سيد عبد الحفيظ وياسين منصور لـ الأهلي.. ويبرر تصريحات حسام غالي

وتابع: “كريم فؤاد سيعود إلى التدريبات غدًا، وهو أول مران له بعد تعرضه لشد عضلي أثناء فترة إعداد المنتخب الوطني، ومن المنتظر أن يكون جاهزًا تدريجيًا في الفترة المقبلة”.

كما أشار إلى حالة المدافع المغربي أشرف داري، قائلاً: “أشرف داري يحتاج إلى نحو أربعة أيام فقط للعودة إلى المشاركة، وقد يكون جاهزًا لمباراة الأهلي القادمة في دوري أبطال إفريقيا. اللاعب حظه سيء بعض الشيء بسبب تكرار الإصابات، لكنه من العناصر المهمة في الفريق”.

واختتم شوبير تصريحاته بالتأكيد على أن الجهاز الفني يتعامل بحذر مع ملف الإصابات لتجهيز اللاعبين بدنيًا بالشكل الأمثل قبل المباريات الحاسمة المقبلة.

Newcastle United have had a rough start to the Premier League season as they are one of only four winless teams and are only outside of the relegation zone on goal difference.

This season has already seen them lose their star striker to Liverpool on deadline day, although the British record transfer fee may go some way to soothe that pain, as well as seeing midfielders Joelinton and Sandro Tonali having to go off injured against Liverpool with what have now been revealed to be serious injuries.

However, in his last press conference before the international break, Eddie Howe was looking ahead to the rest of the season and the club’s return to the Champions League:

“We’re just going to try to attack the fixtures in the best way we can. I believe we are more ready than we were last time because there is more experience in the squad and we have been through more together.”

With the manager looking forward to European fixtures, the club, and by extension owners PIF, are looking forward to the January transfer window and another striker signing.

Newcastle eye Mateta as third new striker

Newcastle United are still eyeing up yet another striker in the January transfer window as they contemplate a move for Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta. The Magpies are exploring this deal despite already having signed both Brentford’s Yoane Wissa and Stuttgart’s Nick Woltemade as Isak replacements in the final days of the transfer window.

Caught Offside have reported that Palace could be willing to let the French striker go for £40 million, and Newcastle, alongside Leeds United and Aston Villa, are the most interested parties and plan to make formal offers in the New Year.

Former Newcastle United and England striker Alan Shearer has previously praised Mateta when he bagged a brace against West Ham in the 2023/24 season:

“A centre-forward masterclass, scoring two terrific goals that any striker would be proud of. What a revelation he’s been under Oliver Glasner.”

Mateta followed that performance up with another brace, this time against Newcastle in what turned out to be his only goal-scoring performance in nine attempts against the Magpies.

Newcastle's moneyball replacement of Isak

The term “moneyball” gets thrown around a lot in football, but Newcastle, in their handling of the departure of Isak, are enacting the transfer strategy in its truest form.

The initial concept of Moneyball came from Billy Beane’s management of the Oakland Athletics, where, in an off-season where major players departed the club, he tried to replace them not with another superstar but with several players who, aggregated, could reach the same level of output.

Spending the money they received from Liverpool for Isak on Wissa, Woltemade, and now potentially Mateta as well, it seems like they are trying to make up Isak’s goal contributions in the aggregate.

Goal Involvements 24/25 Season

Striker

G+A per 90

Isak

0.95

Mateta

0.54

Woltemade

0.78

Wissa

0.71

Neither of their new strikers nor Mateta on their own match Isak’s output, but they all still have individually impressive returns. All three of them together would almost certainly make up the deficit that Isak leaves behind, but the difficulty for Howe would be managing the three strikers’ desire for game time.

When England hired Thomas Tuchel, they knew they were about to steal several headlines. Not only did the former Chelsea boss become the first foreign manager to take the role since Fabio Capello, but he also instantly stood out as a manager who has achieved great things at club level.

Gareth Southgate didn’t steal those headlines and for all his experience, neither did Roy Hodgson. Tuchel, however, is a Champions League winner who entered the Three Lions’ den with Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich on a CV packed with moments to remember. Now, many believe that he could be the England manager to finally stop the world in its motion and end the men’s side’s wait for silverware.

Naturally, with such an illustrious career, Tuchel has coached some of the best players around European football. At Chelsea, he had N’Golo Kante and Thiago Silva. At PSG, it was even more absurd as he took charge of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar – arguably becoming the last manager to truly get the best out of the latter.

Neymar under Tuchel

Record

Appearances

67

Goals

51

Assists

34

His time as England manager has only continued the trend of top players. The German now has the chance to mold a golden generation into long-awaited winners in a squad which is likely to include Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Bukayo Saka at the 2026 World Cup – just to name a few.

Kane has already been full of praise for the manager too, telling reporters: “Thomas Tuchel is fantastic, he has settled in straight away. He is a pleasure to work for, he has brought the passion.”

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Not even Kane’s praise has been enough to soften Tuchel’s stance, however, as the veteran coach named a former Borussia Dortmund star as the best player he’s worked with.

Tuchel: "Outstanding" Dembele is best player I've worked with

Not Neymar, not Kane, not Saka and not even Mbappe could take the crown away from Ousmane Dembele as Tuchel listed off the best player that he’s worked with. Speaking to Sky Sports, Tuchel name-dropped Dembele and described the Frenchman as one of “the craziest natural talents” that he’s ever seen.

A year ago, that answer would have received a questionable response. Dembele looked like a player destined to fall below his potential and instead suffer a career summarised by injury struggles. But then things finally clicked.

From a struggling star, Dembele is now among the Ballon d’Or favourites after leading PSG to Champions League victory for the first time in their history.

Whilst others began to look past his ability, Tuchel always believed. He had the chance to work with the PSG star during the early days of his career at Dortmund and shaped a player who joined Barcelona for a staggering £135.5m. Now, years on and in the middle of a long-awaited Parisian romance, Dembele is finally proving Tuchel right.

Newcastle United are keen on completing the signing of an “elite” attacking player in January, but they face competition from another Premier League club.

International boss makes demand to Eddie Howe

Nick Woltemade has come in as an exciting summer signing for the Magpies, looking to help fill the void left by the departed Alexander Isak.

The striker is expected to be a key man for Newcastle alongside fellow new signing Yoane Wissa, and speaking to the media during the international break, Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann has asked for Eddie Howe to use Woltemade regularly, in order to aid his development.

“I’m happy when they play a lot of games and get a lot of minutes, that’s the most important thing for me. It’s not ideal for the German Bundesliga that the best German players are moving to England. But that’s how it is. It’s kind of normal at this period of time.

“Flo is already one of the most important players for us. Nick is, too and will be in the future. I hope Nick will play regularly at Newcastle so he can develop in the right way. If they do, then they will play a big role for us.”

While Woltemade and Wissa have added a huge amount of quality to Newcastle’s attack, it looks as though another exciting player could be a target in the near future, potentially adding to the competition for minutes.

Newcastle eyeing "elite" attacker in January

According to a new report from LaRoma24, Newcastle are interested in signing Roma attacker Artem Dovbyk in the January window. The 28-year-old is also wanted by fellow Premier League side Leeds United, however, in what could become an auction for the target man’s signature.

Dovbyk could come in as a proven player at a high level, with the Ukrainian in his peak years, having scored 11 goals for the Ukraine national side and earning a nomination in the top 30 of the Ballon d’Or rankings last year.

That international tally is more than Woltemade and Wissa have netted for Germany and DR Congo combined, with the Roma ace being lauded as both “elite” and “fantastic” by Zach Lowy.

Dovbyk is primarily a centre forward, so there is an argument to say that he isn’t needed because of Woltemade and Wissa already joining Newcastle this summer, but more depth can never be a bad thing, and the former is still a young player learning his trade.

Newcastle now plot January bid to sign £40m striker who Alan Shearer loves

He averaged a goal involvement every other game last season.

ByCallum Kemp Sep 8, 2025

The Roma striker could come straight in as a proven top-level player for the Magpies, looking to make his mark in both the Premier League and the Champions League.

Pakistan batter Usman Khan has been ruled out of the second ODI against New Zealand on Wednesday because of a hamstring injury. He sustained the injury while fielding in the opening match of the series on March 29. An MRI scan revealed that he sustained a low-grade tear, ruling him out of the Hamilton ODI.Usman made his ODI debut in the first match of the series and scored 39 off 33 balls while opening the batting. He added an 83-run partnership for the first wicket with Abdullah Shafique in Pakistan’s unsuccessful chase of 345. He has played 19 T20Is for Pakistan, having made his debut in 2024, and has batted at Nos. 3 and 4.Related

• Chapman, Abbas and Smith see off Pakistan challenge

In Usman’s absence, Pakistan have Imam-ul-Haq as the other option to open the batting with Shafique. Imam returned to the ODI squad during the Champions Trophy 2025 after Fakhar Zaman was ruled out due to an oblique injury. They also have the option of pushing Babar Azam up to open – like he did at the Champions Trophy – and play an allrounder in Khushdil Shah or Faheem Ashraf. Babar scored 78 off 83 balls in the first ODI batting at No. 3.Pakistan went down by 73 runs in the opening encounter McLean Park. It was their fifth defeat in six completed ODIs in 2025.

Manchester United are now accelerating a deal to sign a “magnificent” midfielder, who has been identified as one of their priority targets ahead of the transfer deadline, according to a report.

Man Utd looking to sign midfielder after pulling plug on Baleba

Carlos Baleba emerged as one of Ruben Amorim’s top targets in central midfield, but Man United have now pulled the plug on a deal, given that it was set to be an extremely costly operation, and Brighton & Hove Albion are very reluctant to sell.

It is a shame that Baleba now seemingly won’t be heading to Old Trafford this summer, given that the 21-year-old is at a good age to be a long-term replacement for Casemiro, and received high praise from Alan Shearer last season.

Speaking after Baleba impressed against Manchester City, Shearer said: “He was absolutely wonderful. He changed the tempo and performance on the front foot and defensively. They got the three points which they deserved.”

That said, there are still a number of other potential options on the shortlist, with INEOS believed to be particularly big fans of Adam Wharton.

Target

Current club

Potential price tag

Adam Wharton

Crystal Palace

£40m+

Eduardo Camavinga

Real Madrid

£69m

Morten Hjulmand

Sporting CP

£68m

Angelo Stiller

VfB Stuttgart

£50m

However, according to a report from Spain, a different midfielder has now emerged as Man United’s priority target ahead of the transfer deadline, namely Sevilla’s Lucien Agoume, who is set to be available for the affordable fee of €25m to €35m (£22m – £30m).

Crucially, Agoume is said to be interested in a move to the Premier League, and United are now accelerating the deal, to ensure they secure his signature before another big European club enters the race.

The 23-year-old is emerging as the ideal addition to Amorim’s midfield, as his physicality and tactical awareness mean he should be able to adapt to life in the Premier League comfortably.

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2 ByEthan Lamb Aug 21, 2025 "Magnificent" Agoume could be ideal Baleba alternative

Former Sevilla boss Enrique Sanchez Flores has hailed the central midfielder in the past, describing him as “magnificent”, and there is every indication the Cameroon-born maestro could be an ideal alternative option to Baleba.

Most notably, the Sevilla star has outperformed the Brighton youngster across a range of key defensive metrics over the course of the past year.

Average per 90

Lucien Agoume

Carlos Baleba

Tackles

2.90

2.64

Interceptions

1.83

1.62

Clearances

1.96

1.48

Aerials won

1.66

1.29

Importantly, a deal for the 13-time France U21 international also wouldn’t break the bank, at around £30m, while there were suggestions that Brighton were looking to receive £115m for Baleba.

Should Man United pursue a move for Agoume, rather than the Brighton star, they should have money left over to strengthen other areas of the squad, and Amorim may be keen to sign a new goalkeeper, with Altay Bayindir receiving widespread criticism after the Arsenal defeat.