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Having already reached a verbal agreement to sign Botafogo trio Igor Jesus, Cuiabano and Jair Cunha, Nottingham Forest are now reportedly ready to take the next step in their move to sign a 20-goal forward this summer.

Nottingham Forest reach agreement to sign Jesus

Whilst both Cuibana and Cunha are impressive in their own rights, Jesus is the name that stands out the most. The talented forward is a Brazilian international and joins after showcasing his goalscoring prowess in Brazil – netting seven and creating another one in 24 games throughout the current campaign. With Chris Wood not getting any younger, the arrival of the 24-year-old couldn’t be coming at a better time.

Spending for the first time this summer, owner Evangelos Marinakis clearly means business. The Greek businessman will, like everyone else at the City Ground, will be desperate to see a repeat of the season just gone when August arrives.

Nottingham Forest came within touching distance of Champions League qualification, before being forced to settle for the Europa Conference League. Set for a European tour nonetheless, Nuno Espirito Santo and his side will be hoping to cause even greater shocks next season.

Nottingham Forest on verge of signing "one of the most exciting strikers"

The Tricky Trees could make a significant series of moves…

BySean Markus Clifford Jun 2, 2025

Whether those in the Midlands prove to be one-hit-wonders or push on next season is the big question. Already, the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White have been linked with moves away to Manchester City in what would be a damaging departure for Forest.

As stars head for the exit door, however, further arrivals could yet join Jesus, Cunha and Cuiabano at the City Ground to strengthen Espirito Santo’s squad.

Nottingham Forest readying next step in Wissa move

According to The Athletic, Nottingham Forest are now readying their next step to sign Yoane Wissa from Brentford this summer. Those at the City Ground were interested in the forward in January, but were quickly put off by his £40m valuation. Now, six months later, it looks as though they’re set to go again in pursuit of the impressive striker.

Negotiations are unlikely to be easier this time around, though. Brentford are already likely to lose Bryan Mbeumo this summer amid interest from Manchester United and there’s no denying that losing Wissa on top of their main talisman would deal Thomas Frank the biggest blow of his time in the Premier League.

After scoring 20 goals in all competitions throughout the campaign, Forest’s interest in Wissa should of course come as little surprise. Frank is well aware of the quality that his forward, who has become a superstar in his homeland with 31 caps for DR Congo, possesses.

The Brentford boss was full praise for both Wissa and Mbeumo back in April, telling reporters: “It’s a duo, of course, him and Wissa. Wissa is fantastic. He has scored actually more open-play goals than Brian still. But Brian is the penalty taker, unbelievable at penalties, assists, work ethic, an unbelievable player.”

Chelsea have now held internal talks over a move for a “world-class” star after a surprise recent development, according to a report.

Blues' Champions League pursuit back on track

The Blues’ form has been shaky since the turn of the year, but they are now back on track in their pursuit of qualification for next season’s Champions League after defeating Liverpool 3-1 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon.

Cole Palmer was back among the goals, netting a stoppage-time penalty to seal his side’s victory, which solidifies them in fifth place with just three games left to play.

As such, the west Londoners should be in a strong position to attract some top players this summer, and they are once again looking at bolstering their forward options, with signing a new winger on the agenda.

Chelsea hold talks with Ajax chief as BlueCo step up move to sign £42m star

It could be another busy summer for the Blues.

ByTom Cunningham May 3, 2025

Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman and Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens are among the main targets in wide areas, and there is also a feeling that Enzo Maresca could look at strengthening through the middle, despite having Palmer at his disposal.

That is according to a report from The Boot Room, which states Chelsea are now holding internal talks over a move for Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne, who is set to exit the Etihad Stadium on a free transfer this summer.

De Bruyne is very much the one that got away for the Blues, but he could now be in line for a return to Stamford Bridge. There is some surprise in Manchester that the Belgian is now open to remaining in the Premier League or Europe, as City had expected him to depart for Saudi Arabia or the USA.

The likes of Arsenal and Aston Villa could provide competition for his signature, while there also remains a possibility he makes the move to the MLS, with Chicago Fire now said to be in advanced talks.

Chelsea’s upcoming Premier League fixtures

Date

Newcastle United (a)

May 11th

Manchester United (h)

May 16th

Nottingham Forest (a)

May 25th

"World-class" De Bruyne still impressing at City

In many ways, it is a surprise that Man City are willing to let the 33-year-old leave on a free transfer this summer, given that he is still impressing, despite his age, most recently bagging a crucial goal in his side’s 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

During his time with Chelsea, the £400k-per-week maestro never really managed to stand out, but he has been a revelation at the Etihad Stadium, amassing a stunning 72 goals and 121 assists in 285 Premier League appearances for the Blues.

Former footballer Paul McVeigh has also lavished the Belgium international with praise recently, describing him as “world-class” and “one of the greatest midfielders ever to play the game.”

As such, while there will be some concern about De Bruyne’s age, there are plenty of signs he could still have a lot left to give at Premier League level, and City’s loss could be Chelsea’s gain.

Aston Villa will have to go for broke when they welcome PSG to Villa Park in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

The Premier League side trails 3-1 after the first leg and, given how dominant the French side has been this season, it will be an extremely tall order for Unai Emery to mastermind a 3-0 win which will secure progress into the last four.

The club take on Southampton in the top flight this weekend. However, Emery will likely make a change or two, especially considering how important the second leg is.

Morgan Rogers shone against the Ligue 1 outfit, but the manager should rest him up ahead of the second leg.

How Morgan Rogers performed against PSG

Despite the 3-1 loss to the current French champions, Rogers was one of Villa’s shining lights. The Englishman opened the scoring after 35 minutes at the Parc des Princes with a nice little finish inside the box to give the away side a confidence boost.

Elsewhere, Rogers also created a big chance, made one key pass, attempted four dribbles – succeeding with one – and was fouled twice during his time on the pitch.

Southampton have already been relegated from the top flight after a dismal season. With this in mind, Emery must ruthlessly ditch Rogers from his starting XI in order to unleash a player who hasn’t had many chances to shine since joining the club from Borussia Dortmund in January.

Donyell Malen, however, scored in their last two league outings, against Brighton and Nottingham Forest respectively, indicating that he deserves another chance this weekend.

Why Donyell Malen must start against Southampton

The Netherlands international wasn’t included in Villa’s Champions League squad for the knockout rounds, hence why it makes perfect sense to bring him back into the starting XI this weekend.

Across nine league matches, Malen has scored twice, while having a 22% goal conversion percentage and has even missed two big chances, suggesting he might have had another goal or two with more accurate finishing.

Donyell Malen’s statistics this season (league only)

Metric

Bundesliga

Premier League

Goals

2

3

Assists

0

0

Big chances created

0

1

Shots on target per game

0.8

0.4

Goal conversion percentage

22%

16%

Via Sofascore

During his spell in the Bundesliga, Malen received high praise from his former teammate Mario Götze, who said: “Donyell is extremely fast and very dangerous. If he has a chance, it’s usually a goal, too.”

In the first half of the season for Dortmund, Malen scored five goals for the German side, including one against Real Madrid in the group stages of the Champions League.

Hardly the most prolific tally in the world, yet when compared to his positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues, Malen currently ranks in the top 1% for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.64) and in the top 9% for total shots per 90 (3.47) over the previous 365 days.

These statistics make him the perfect choice for Emery against the Saints. Not only will it give Rogers a rest ahead of the second leg, but unleashing Malen will give him the chance to score for the third Premier League game in a row.

Therefore, the Spanish must axe the England international from the starting XI for his own good, rather than for performance-related reasons, to bring the January addition in.

Related Emery struck gold on Aston Villa star worth more than Doue & Kvaratskhelia

Aston Villa made a brilliant investment with this player

Posts ByJoe Nuttall Apr 11, 2025

And who has the highest individual ODI score against England?

Steven Lynch04-Mar-2025Was Ibrahim Zadran’s 177 the other day the highest score against England in an ODI? asked Muhammad Sarfaraz from Pakistan

There have been only three individual innings against England in one-day internationals higher than Ibrahim Zadran’s sparkling 177 in Lahore last week.Joint top, with 189 not out, are Viv Richards (for West Indies at Old Trafford in 1984), and Martin Guptill (for New Zealand in Southampton in 2013). Another New Zealander, Ross Taylor, hit 181 not out against England in Dunedin in 2018.Zadran’s innings was the highest individual score in ODIs for Afghanistan, beating his own 162 against Sri Lanka in Pallekele in 2022, and easily their highest against England, which previously was Rahmanullah Gurbaz’s 80 in Delhi during the World Cup in 2023 . It was also the highest individual score in the Champions Trophy, beating Ben Duckett’s 165 for England against Australia in Lahore four days previously.Josh Hazlewood has a big percentage of his Test wickets caught behind. Is he the leader by that yardstick? asked Jared Marshall from Australia

You’re right that Australia’s Josh Hazlewood seems to pick up a lot of caught-behind dismissals in Tests: of his 279 wickets so far, 90 have been caught by the wicketkeeper. That’s 32.25% of his victims, the highest percentage for anyone with more than 100 Test wickets: next, with 31.70% (39 of 123 wickets) comes Ewen Chatfield of New Zealand. Third at the moment is India’s Mohammed Siraj at 31% (31 of exactly 100 Test wickets so far).If we lower the requirement to 50 Test wickets then Pakistan’s Wahab Riaz comes out on top at 40.96% (34 of his 83 wickets), just ahead of Chris Tremlett of England at 39.62% (21 of 53).Adil Rashid took four wickets in five balls in an ODI in 2018-19 without taking a hat-trick – has anyone else done this? asked Jamie Campbell from England

The England legspinner Adil Rashid achieved this unusual feat in St George’s(Grenada) in 2019 . It transformed the match: West Indies had started the 48th over needing 32 with four wickets left and Rashid nursing figures of 1 for 83. After the first ball was hit for two, the rest of the over went WW0WW: West Indies were all out for 389, and England had won by 29 runs.Rashid finished with 5 for 85, still the most expensive five-for in ODIs. He’s the only player to take four wickets in five balls in an ODI without a hat-trick: the four-in-fives of Saqlain Mushtaq (Pakistan vs Zimbabwe in Peshawar in 1996) and Dane van Niekerk (South Africa Women vs West Indies Women in Basseterre, St Kitts, in 2013) both did feature a hat-trick.Lasith Malinga of Sri Lanka uniquely took four wickets in four balls against South Africa in Providence (Guyana) during the 2007 World Cup.In Grenada in 2019, four of Adil Rashid’s wickets came in his last five balls, but did not feature a hat-trick•Associated PressI noticed that in Barbados in 1983, West Indies needed just one run to win in their second innings, and it came from a no-ball. Are there any other instances where all the runs in a successful fourth-innings chase were extras? asked Chris Goddard from England

The match you’re talking about was the fourth Test against India in Bridgetown in 1983: West Indies needed one to win, and the visitors’ wicketkeeper, Syed Kirmani, was entrusted with the ball for the first time in a Test. Almost immediately he sent down a no-ball, and the match was over. Kirmani had two more bowling spells in his 88-Test career, and even took a wicket – of Azeem Hafeez of Pakistan in Nagpur a few months later.There’s only one other Test in which all the runs in a successful chase came from extras. In Mirpur in 2010 , India needed two to beat Bangladesh: the second ball of the innings, from Shakib Al Hasan, kept low, was missed by batter Virender Sehwag and wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim, and scooted away for two byes to end the game.This is not quite the same question, but there are 19 completed innings in Tests in which the highest contribution came from extras. The highest total involved is England’s 339 against West Indies in Kingston in 2004, which included 60 extras.Abid Ali scored 225 in a total of 346 in a domestic match in Pakistan recently. Was this the lowest completed total to include a double-century? asked Ishaq Siddiqui from Pakistan

The former Pakistan Test batter Abid Ali carried his bat for 225 in Sui Northern Gas Pipelines’ total of 346 against Eshaal in a President’s Trophy match in Karachi last week. Rather surprisingly perhaps, this is quite a long way from the record for a completed innings: Namibia’s 282 all out against Kenya in an Intercontinental Cup match in Sharjah in 2008 included 230 from Gerrie Snyman (the next-highest score was 13).The only lower first-class innings to contain a double-century was Oxford University’s 280 for 1 (Micky Walford 201 not out) to beat MCC at Lord’s in 1938. The Test record for a completed innings is India’s 329 against Sri Lanka in Galle in 2008, when Virender Sehwag carried his bat for 201.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Mohit Sharma had kept at it, behind the scenes, and made sure he was ready for his moment when it came, ready to make it his

Karthik Krishnaswamy14-Apr-20230:52

Tewatia: ‘Mohit has been working really hard in the last two years’

There’s been a retro flavour to IPL 2023. MS Dhoni is smacking it at a 200-plus strike rate. Amit Mishra, Piyush Chawla and Karn Sharma are taking wickets and reminding the world that no team is complete without a chubby legspinner.Thursday night in Mohali was yet another retro night. Gujarat Titans were fresh off a shock defeat in which one of their young quicks, Yash Dayal, had been hit for five successive sixes in a dramatic final over. They took Dayal out of the firing line for this game against Punjab Kings, and replaced him with a 34-year-old, whose last season as an IPL regular was in 2018. He’d played one game in 2019, one in 2020, and nothing since.Mohit Sharma. Purple Cap winner in 2014. World Cup semi-finalist in 2015. He had disappeared from our TV screens for years and years, and he was back now.Related

Mohit Sharma: 'I feel it is important to have pressure. It always teaches you something'

Rahane, Chawla, Mishra and others with surprise comebacks at IPL 2023

Gill and Tewatia show their class as Titans return to winning ways

He was back, and from a spectator’s distance he seemed to be the same bowler he has always been. He was doing the same things he’s always done, and he was doing them well.Mohali served up an interesting pitch for this game – Titans captain Hardik Pandya suggested afterwards that it was a hard pitch where the new ball came on to the bat beautifully, but so hard that it quickly roughened up and softened up the ball. This meant that by the time Mohit came on, in the 11th over of Punjab’s innings, the ball was in just the sort of shape to behave a little unpredictably off the pitch.Mohit is a natural at maximising that sort of unpredictability. He hits an awkward, bail-trimming length – too short to drive on the up, not short enough to pull. And he’s always been adept at hitting that length while shuffling through his variations – on pace, either with the seam upright or scrambled, or off pace, delivered either as an offcutter or out of the back of the hand.

Everything about his comeback screamed pragmatism. At this time last year, Mohit was travelling around the IPL with Titans as a net bowler. Mohit had gone unsold at the auction, and he’d jumped at the chance to train and work on his bowling when Titans coach Ashish Nehra had offered him the net-bowler role

On a pitch that’s a little bit two-paced, or when he’s armed with an old ball that’s gone a little soft, Mohit can be extremely hard to hit.Punjab discovered this on Thursday, and it was a gradual realisation rather than a sudden jolt of knowledge, a realisation that dawned over a succession of dot balls and half-timed singles to deep fielders. By the time he was finished, with figures of 4-0-18-2 next to his name, their innings had stalled and stultified.Mohit dismissed Jitesh Sharma in his first over, the ball straightening ever so slightly from that in-between length to brush the outside edge of an attempted back-foot punch. Sam Curran joined Bhanuka Rajapaksa at the crease, and Punjab had a left-left pair at the crease all the way until Mohit’s final over.Mohit took his second wicket in that final over, the 19th of the innings, hitting the pitch hard with an offcutter-bouncer and daring Curran to hit against the angle, against the deviation, and towards the longer leg-side boundary. Curran took on the shot, and picked out deep midwicket. This was the perfect Mohit wicket, full of skill and smart playing of percentages.

“If you have to upgrade your cricket or better it in any way, you need competitive practice. I felt, what am I going to do sitting at home? I was here and doing competitive practice instead, I kept myself involved in cricket, and I think it was a good time for me”Mohit Sharma, on spending IPL 2022 as a net bowler with Gujarat Titans

The right-handed Shahrukh Khan walked out to the crease, and this was immediately followed by what may have been the day’s first sighting of Mohit’s most famous party trick, the back-of-the-hand slower ball.This is the ball that made Mohit’s name, a dipping topspinner that emerges with the seam miraculously upright. It’s a more spectacular variation than his offcutter, and comes out of his hand with a far bigger drop in speed, but on this day, he shelved it for most of his spell because he was bowling mostly to left-hand batters and wanted to use the variation that deviates away from them. Another illustration of the smart, pragmatic cricketer Mohit is.Everything about his comeback screamed pragmatism. At this time last year, Mohit was travelling around the IPL with Titans as a net bowler. Mohit had gone unsold at the auction, and he’d jumped at the chance to train and work on his bowling when Titans coach Ashish Nehra had offered him the net-bowler role.Mohit Sharma, in his comeback game in the IPL, returned 2 for 18•BCCI”I had had a back surgery, and a lot of people weren’t sure if I had played enough domestic cricket [to be signed at the auction],” Mohit said when he was interviewed by between innings. “I got a call from Ashu , saying I should be with the team, and if someone gets injured I’d get a chance.”Obviously, if you have to upgrade your cricket or better it in any way, you need competitive practice. I felt, what am I going to do sitting at home? I was here and doing competitive practice instead, I kept myself involved in cricket, and I think it was a good time for me.”You may think that a cricketer of Mohit’s experience and stature might balk at being a net bowler, but he didn’t see it that way.”It’s not a bad thing to be a net bowler,” he said. “You get very good exposure, you get to play alongside good players, and if you don’t do competitive practice, your cricket won’t evolve.”Mohit Sharma. He had all but disappeared from our TV screens for years and years, but he’d never really gone away. He’d kept at it, behind the scenes, and made sure he was ready for his moment when it came, ready to make it his.

“I’d see myself anywhere in the top four, probably more comfortable up-top for the time being,” he says

Firdose Moonda31-Mar-2021A long, long time ago, in the age BC (Before Coronavirus), South Africa played an ODI series. And won. Really.In March 2020, they swept Australia 3-0 at home, prompting suggestion of a tide being turned, that came to nothing. Just consult the results and boardroom shenanigans of the last few months as proof.But a long, long time before that, in the age of, let’s call it BB (before Mark Boucher took over as national men’s coach), Aiden Markram played an ODI. South Africa won that one too but by then they had lost so many others that they registered their worst performance at a World Cup and returned home disgraced.Markram scored 34 in that match but hasn’t played a white-ball international since, losing ground through injury and the other players’ form. Understandably now that we are entering the age NN (New Normal), in preparation for three white-ball World Cups in as many years, he said being part of a limited-overs group felt “a bit foreign” because he wasn’t banking on being part of South Africa’s squad.Related

Temba Bavuma era begins with sights on 2023 World Cup

SA's IPL-bound players will be allowed to leave Pakistan series early

“I wasn’t expecting it at all. I understand my white-ball game for the Proteas hasn’t been where I would have liked it to be. In general you never expect selection but more so in this case for myself,” Markram said.Though Markram’s domestic record is outstanding – he averages 63.04 in 22 matches for the Titans and has scored seven centuries – he has not been able to translate that to international level. In 26 ODIs, his average is 27.95 and he has not brought up one three-figures score. On one hand, that may be because he was burdened with the stand-in captaincy two matches into his ODI career in a series against India (which South Africa went on to lose 1-5); on the other, he has been shifted around the top four with little indication of if or where he may settle permanently.The series against Pakistan is an opportunity to change the latter, even though South Africa have a bottleneck of top-order players in the squad. Incumbent openers Quinton de Kock and Janneman Malan are likely to start the series, but when de Kock leaves for the IPL after the second match, Markram may get a chance to open, which he will gladly take.”The few discussions I’ve had with the coach and Temba (Bavuma) are to try to be quite versatile. I’d see myself anywhere in the top four, probably more comfortable up-top for the time being,” Markram said. “I’d still like to get to know numbers three and four a little bit more but certainly something I am open to doing. As a player, you’d be happy to take any spot that’s available in the team.”Markram acknowledged that there is a pecking order which includes captain Bavuma, who has also laid claim to a position in the top four, and allrounder Jon-Jon Smuts. “I still need to do a lot,” Markram said. “It’s just been about getting back to the game plans I used when things were going well for me, albeit at franchise cricket. It’s just about addressing plans from a mental side of things. I don’t think technically too much changes.”But there is much else about South Africa’s set-up that has changed. Since Markram last played ODIs, South Africa have moved from a Faf du Plessis captaincy through a de Kock one and now, to Bavuma. In that, Markram was overlooked for a leadership role he is thought to be destined for, not least because he took South Africa’s Under-19 team to World Cup glory in 2014.Markram may still get the job in future but until the 2023 World Cup, he is happy to be a foot soldier in Bavuma’s army and is impressed by what the new captain has offered so far. “He has been brilliant this week in guiding the brand of cricket he would like the Proteas to play,” Markram said.To date, South Africa’s new style of play has not been revealed but Markram indicated it will be built on meticulous plans. “Temba will be doing a lot of planning before a game so that when we are in the game he has got options to fall back on. Quinny (de Kock) is quite a free-spirited person and quite a free-spirited captain and was able to develop plans as they go. I’m not saying Temba can’t do that but his preparation might be different to Quinny,” Markram said. “We’ve got a couple of years to build on something and hopefully when 2023 comes, each player knows his role under the brand of cricket Temba wants.”And so South Africa enter the age of operation 2023, in a bid to become more of the team they were when they beat Australia BC and to finally get their hands on a WC. That’s World Cup, by the way.

Nottingham Forest chiefs privately want owner Evangelos Marinakis to replace Ange Postecoglou with a “master” tactician, with the latter relieved of his duties immediately after their 3-0 defeat to Chelsea.

Ange Postecoglou sacked by Nottingham Forest after Chelsea loss

Goals from Josh Acheampong, Pedro Neto and Reece James cemented Postecoglou’s title as the shortest reigning manager in Premier League history, but his departure has been inevitable for quite some time.

Forest failed to win a single game during the Australian’s brief 39-day tenure in charge, with reports over the international break suggesting that Marinakis and co performed due-diligence on a host of potential replacements.

Ange Postecoglou’s tenure at Nottingham Forest	Competition
Arsenal 3-0 Forest	Premier League
Swansea 3-2 Forest	Carabao Cup
Burnley 1-1 Forest	Premier League
Real Betis 2-2 Forest	Europa League
Forest 0-1 Sunderland	Premier League
Forest 2-3 FC Midtjylland	Europa League
Newcastle 2-0 Forest	Premier League
Forest 0-3 Chelsea	Premier League

Postecoglou also broke a 100-year record at the City Ground, making the worst start out of any new Forest boss in a century, forcing Marinakis to call time on the former Tottenham boss after a nightmare stint.

In his final pre-match press conference, the 60-year-old went down swinging, perhaps realising that a loss to Chelsea this afternoon would spell the end.

Marinakis had apparently made up his mind about sacking Postecoglou before their clash with Chelsea had even finished, with the Greek billionaire even seen storming out of his seat (talkSPORT).

Postecoglou was informed of the decision just moments after the full-time whistle blew (talkSPORT), and he then said goodbye to his Forest players in the dressing room before the club officially announced his departure.

Now, attention turns to who could replace Postecoglou in the hot seat.

A succession of managers have been linked within the past fortnight — including Sean Dyche, Oliver Glasner, Steve Cooper and Rafael Benitez — but it is Fulham boss Marco Silva who’s seriously admired by the Forest hierarchy.

Nottingham Forest chiefs want Marinakis to replace Postecoglou with Marco Silva

According to the BBC, internal figures at the club have identified Silva as their “preferred option” to succeed Postecoglou.

The 48-year-old, who reportedly has an £8 million release clause in his contract, is poised to become a free agent at the end of this season, and it’s believed that Silva is likely to leave Craven Cottage in 2026 after rather public spats with the owners about their transfer activity.

However, it’ll be much more difficult to prise him out of West London immediately, as Forest are mindful of the compensation fees due if they decide to try and appoint Silva right now.

Marinakis has only just paid off Nuno, and will also have to compensate Postecoglou now that Forest have parted company with him too — meaning the club aren’t overly keen on shelling out yet more money for a new manager.

The Tricky Trees have studied alternatives to Silva amid the difficulties surrounding his appointment, but if Marinakis does decide to invest the cash, it is clear that he’s a very ideal candidate.

The former Everton and Hull City boss has worked wonders at Fulham on a shoe-string budget since guiding them back to the Premier League at the first time of asking in 2022.

They briefly contended for Europe last season as well, despite their meagre transfer spend compared to rivals, and Silva has been lavished with praise as a “master” tactician by players who’ve worked with him.

Newcastle United are now reportedly preparing a move to sign an impressive striker in 2026, who has outscored Nick Woltemade so far this season.

Howe "hugely frustrated" by Tottenham draw

It may now be three Premier League games without defeat for Newcastle, but Eddie Howe couldn’t hide his frustration after Tottenham Hotspur rescued a late draw on Tuesday evening. It could have capped off the beginning of their resurgence following wins over Manchester City and Everton, but ultimately highlighted their frailties instead.

Speaking to reporters at full-time, Howe said: “I think we’re hugely frustrated with ourselves really. That was a game where we had to work really hard for the first goal. I thought we were the dominant team and knocking on the door all through the first half.

“The goal came when it came and I felt then we were in a strong position having been relatively comfortable defensively to then concede the two goals in the way that we did, in the manner that we did. It’s hugely disappointing because we pride ourselves on being better than that defensively.

“Technically, second half, I don’t think we were particularly good, especially when we were leading. When you’re leading and you’ve got the advantage, one or two really quality passes in different moments can make the difference and we went the other way.”

Fewer passes than Ramsdale: Howe must drop 6/10 Newcastle star after Spurs

Newcastle United were denied another Premier League win by Tottenham Hotspur last night.

ByEthan Lamb Dec 3, 2025

The Magpies don’t have long to lick their wounds, however. Up next, they play host to Burnley in their third game in the space of a week. Victory there would represent another step in the right direction in a hectic festive period.

As each game comes, Yoane Wissa also edges closer and closer to a comeback. The DR Congo forward opted out of playing in the Africa Cup of Nations to reward Newcastle for their patience, but that may not be enough to prevent those at St James’ Park from reinforcing their frontline in January.

Newcastle preparing Igor Thiago move

While the Magpies are intent on bolstering their youth ranks, notably joining the likes of Arsenal, Spurs and Chelsea in the race for Cardiff’s Dylan Lawlor, they are also very much thinking about the present.

Indeed, according to Caught Offside, Newcastle are now preparing a move to sign Igor Thiago from Brentford in January after completing their scouting mission.

The impressive forward has scored 11 goals in 13 Premier League games this season – a number that only Erling Haaland has bettered – and could now seal a well-earned move when the January transfer window arrives.

Minutes

1,101

965

Goals

11

5

Assists

0

1

Expected Goals

8.5

4.5

Whilst there’s no denying that record signing Woltemade has made a fantastic start at Newcastle, Thiago has been on another level. The Brentford star has stepped up to replace Bryan Mbeumo, but could now complete a similar move in another blow for Keith Andrews.

The young manager has been full of praise for his forward this season, telling reporters last weekend: “He is a dream to work with. As a person, his hunger and appetite to get better is impressive.

“He is having a fantastic season, it doesn’t take a genius to see that. The numbers will tell you that, the performances he produces consistently well, how well he has integrated into the way they are playing and with individuals.”

Better than Anderson: £70m "monster" is now open to joining Newcastle

Manchester United have been known to make numerous big-money additions over the years, but many of which have fallen way below the levels expected of them by the fanbase.

Antony has arguably been their biggest disaster during the last five years, with the Brazilian unable to match the pressures brought by his £86m transfer fee.

The 25-year-old was able to rack up a total of 96 appearances for the Red Devils over a two-and-a-half-year period, only scoring on 12 occasions – with only five of which coming in the Premier League.

As a result of his lack of impact at Old Trafford, he was subsequently shipped off to Real Betis for just £21m last summer – resulting in the hierarchy taking a £65m loss on his signature.

However, it appears as though INEOS have failed to learn from previous mistakes in the market, as seen by their big-money transfer to land one player during the summer window.

How Benjamin Sesko compares to other PL strikers in 2025/26

After a dismal 2024/25, Ruben Amorim’s men were handed a significant chance of redemption this campaign after the hierarchy handed the manager £200m worth of funds to utilise in the market.

Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha were just two of the additions made by the hierarchy in an attempt to bolster the options available in the final third of the pitch.

Both have made an immediate impact to life at Old Trafford, already scoring a combined six goals between them – subsequently sitting in seventh place going into the third international break of the season.

The former of the duo even won the division’s Player of the Month award, further showcasing how impressive he’s been since his own big-money switch to join the Red Devils.

However, Benjamin Sesko has struggled to match the pair in such an aspect, with the Slovenian international unable to produce the goods as yet after his £74m switch from RB Leipzig.

The 22-year-old was tasked with the responsibility of spearheading the frontline, but his tally of just two goals in his 11 league appearances showcases his inability to impress in England’s top-flight.

He’s only managed to complete 64% of the passes he’s attempted to date, with such a tally ranking him within the bottom 10% of all players in the division at present.

Sesko’s lack of passing ability has often restricted Amorim’s side from reaching the next level, often struggling to provide the focal point and target man they have craved.

Other figures, such as 0.2 successful dribbles per 90 and 3.6 touches in the opposition box per 90, further demonstrate his lack of positive impact in attacking areas – undoubtedly contributing to his measly goal tally.

Both tallies rank him in the 25th percentile of other attackers in the division, meaning 75% of players in the same position have produced better numbers in the same department.

Forget Sesko: This is INEOS' biggest waste of money

United’s inability to land any top-level attackers has been apparent over the last couple of seasons, with Amorim unable to get the best out of the options at his disposal in 2024/25.

Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund were the two centre-forwards on the books prior to the 40-year-old’s arrival, but neither failed to nail down the number nine position as their own.

The latter of the duo subsequently left during the recent transfer window to make room for the big-money addition of Sesko – but it appears that he could also suffer the same fate.

At just 22, he has plenty of time of turnaround his fortunes around at the Theatre of Dreams, but he will certainly need to find some form amid his recent lack of impact.

However, he’s not alone in struggling at present, with midfielder Manuel Ugarte another player who could be on borrowed time after his own disappointing spell in England.

The Uruguayan joined the Red Devils in the summer of 2024 from PSG for a reported £42m, but such a transfer now looks to be one of INEOS’ worst signings in recent years.

His transfer generated huge excitement within the fanbase, but he’s failed to deliver, as seen by his recent drop down Amorim’s pecking order in 2025/26.

Ugarte now finds himself behind 33-year-old Casemiro in the United squad, with the former PSG star often an unreliable figure and unable to produce the goods when called upon.

His latest showing off the bench against Spurs highlights his recent decline at Old Trafford, as the side conceded two goals after being brought on to replace the aforementioned Brazilian.

The 24-year-old’s underlying stats from this season further showcase his dismal performances in and out of possession, with his pass accuracy of 84% – which ranks him in the 33rd percentile of midfielders in the league.

Ugarte has also created just 0.3 chances per 90 and achieved an expected assist tally of just 0.01 per 90 – the lowest in the United squad.

On that evidence, it was no surprise that one United content creator suggested that he looked “so anxious” on the ball and was “frightened to death of passing forwards”.

Manuel Ugarte – PL stats (25/26)
Statistics (per 90)	Tally
Games played	9
Minutes played	301
Chances created	0.3
Expected assists	0.01
Interceptions made	0.7
Tackles made	2.1
Pass accuracy	84%
Dribbled past	1.4
Stats via FotMob

The latter of his two aforementioned stats also ranks him in the 5th percentile of any midfielder in the Premier League – showcasing his lack of skill in possession.

However, he was mainly brought to the club for his ability to break up the play, but that part of his game has also been satisfactory at best over the last few months.

Ugarte has only made 0.7 interceptions per 90 and has only completed 2.1 tackles per game – which further highlights the decline he’s enduring since Amorim’s arrival.

There’s little disputing that Sesko has struggled to make an impact of late, but it’s to be expected from such a young talent who has made a leap of faith to further his career in a completely new country.

As for Ugarte, he’s already had over a year to adapt to the demands of the Premier League, but ultimately, it’s evident that he’s no longer a player who should be a key member of the first-team squad.

£50m for his signature has been nothing short of a waste of money, with INEOS desperately needing to remember such a deal during the upcoming January window.

Perfect for Sesko: Man Utd open talks to sign £100m star in club-record move

Manchester United are set to make a mammoth offer for one talent in the January transfer window.

By
Ethan Lamb

Nov 11, 2025

Middlesbrough aren’t just looking at a move for Steven Gerrard, with a Championship title-winning manager also on the Riverside radar.

Gerrard among top Middlesbrough targets to replace Edwards

Boro’s search for a new manager is now officially underway after Rob Edwards’ move to Wolves was confirmed on Wednesday. Taking to social media, Edwards released a statement, saying:

Adi Viveash remains in interim charge for the time being and oversaw the club’s 2-1 win at home to Birmingham City prior to the international break, a victory which saw Boro return to the Championship automatic promotion spots.

A top two finish in 2026 will be the ask of Edwards’ permanent successor and there have already been named linked with the Riverside vacancy.

Gerrard is one who has been heavily mooted with a move to Middlesbrough in what would be his first taste as a manager in the Championship.

Out of work since January when he left Saudi Arabia and Al-Ettifaq, Gerrard is rated by Steve Gibson and is thought to find the idea of a move to the Riverside appealing.

Journalist Graeme Bailey said: “Gerrard is well liked by Boro, he has an impressive CV and would be a significant coup to land him, but it is not certain if they could put together the package to persuade him to move to the North East.”

Middlesbrough also eyeing Tony Mowbray return

According to Bailey and The Rousing Kop, Middlesbrough are also eyeing up former manager Tony Mowbray as an alternative to Gerrard.

As well as Mowbray, Alex Neil, Paul Heckingbottom, Raphael Wicky, Gary O’Neil, Robbie Keane and Mark Robins are also named as potential candidates to come in on a permanent basis.

Mowbray, who has six wins against Middlesbrough as a manager, spent three years in charge of Boro between 2010-2013 but failed to guide the club back to the Premier League.

Games

153

Wins

61

Draws

37

Losses

55

Points per game

1.44

Players used

66

The 61-year-old is currently out of work, with his most recent spell in the dugout coming at West Brom, where he was labelled “exceptional” by Baggies’ sporting director Andrew Nestor.

He won the Championship title during his first stint as Baggies boss back in 2008 and has even been linked with a short-term role at Southampton in recent weeks, so Mowbray’s return to the Riverside could be one to keep an eye on.