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After making a solid start to their first season back in the Premier League, Leeds United are reportedly ready to ramp up their January move to sign a Serie A attacker.

Leeds' 2026 transfer plans

Daniel Farke couldn’t have made his desire for attacking signings much clearer during the summer if he tried. The German watched on as Leeds tried and failed to sign the likes of Facundo Buonanotte and was forced to settle for the likes of Noah Okafor and Dominic Calvert-Lewin instead. So far, however, he has used the cards he has been dealt to form a side capable of Premier League survival.

The Whites sit 15th in the top-flight and four points above the dropzone. There’s still a long way to go – 31 games to be exact – but there’s no denying that Farke’s side have made a solid start and only suffered defeat against Tottenham Hotspur last time out thanks to two deflected efforts.

The January transfer window could also help solve Leeds’ attacking problems to make up for their summer struggles. The likes of Chris Wood have already reportedly been eyed in what would be a significant return and others could follow.

Alongside the Nottingham Forest striker, those at Elland Road have also reportedly set their sights on a Serie A attacker, who would add some much-needed creative spark.

Leeds exploring Lorenzo Pellegrini deal

According to Football Insider, Leeds are now exploring a deal to sign Lorenzo Pellegrini in January and are ready to ramp up their pursuit of AS Roma’s attacking midfielder.

The Italian has less than 12 months remaining on his current contract and will be free to negotiate a pre-contract deal with interested clubs in January – handing Leeds quite the opportunity. The Yorkshire club could wait until the summer to land a free deal for his services or tempt Roma into a cut-price deal as they look to cash in before it’s too late.

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By
Dan Emery

Oct 7, 2025

Whatever they decide to do, though, Leeds will have to act quick. Given his contract situation, they’re unlikely to be the only club interested in Pellegrini’s signature.

Roma boss Gian Piero Gasperini may also be keen to keep hold of the 29-year-old after telling reporters last month: “Pellegrini strikes the ball very well and has excellent timing on his runs, but this doesn’t necessarily have to be all he does. He must play as a midfielder and create chances as he did today.”

Considering the likely interest in his signature, there’s no doubt that Leeds would be securing quite the coup by signing Pellegrini in 2026.

Thomas Frank needs consistency at Tottenham Hotspur, having blown hot and cold in the months since replacing Ange Postecoglou in the dugout.

Postecoglou won the Europa League last season, but he was dismissed from his duties – some would call it Daniel Levy’s final act – and a new era has been ushered in, with Frank making a series of signings and reworking the Spurs set-up.

Room for one more? The Londoners’ attacking efforts have left something to be desired this season, and with so much on the line this term, ENIC Group have a dream of signing Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth during the January transfer window.

The latest on Spurs' interest in Semenyo

Bournemouth supposedly rejected an offer from Tottenham for Semenyo’s signature during the off-season. But the Lilywhites are back in the running, ready to contest Liverpool and Manchester City for the Ghana winger’s services, with his £65m release clause going live in January.

It’s going to be difficult, luring the 25-year-old to north London next month. While all the pointers suggest Semenyo will leave the Vitality Stadium, he has a range of elite outfits to pick from, and Liverpool and City often get their way in the transfer market.

But Tottenham do need a talismanic force on the left flank. After all, Heung-min Son left for Los Angeles after lifting the Europa League trophy, and his presence and influence have been keenly missed.

Patience, though, is so often a virtue in football, and while Spurs don’t have a frontline firing on all cylinders right now, Frank leads a number of players who could become real stars down the line.

And there’s one in particular who has fired himself into form over the past week, with his market value a reflection of just how talented he is.

The Spurs star who's overtaken Semenyo

This summer, Tottenham completed a series of signings, and when we look back on that window, we might view Xavi Simons as being the pick of the bunch. The Netherlands star, 21 years old, moved from RB Leipzig for about £51m in August, having been pursued by Chelsea.

He hadn’t hit the ground running this season – far from it – but Simons is starting to grow into his skin, and his silky, combative style of play suggests he could have been perfect for the Mauricio Pochettino era.

Yes, Simons’ natural playmaking qualities make him a tailor-made fit for that thrilling chapter of the previous decade. He has been flagged for a lack of physicality amid early-season struggles, but Simons is beginning to put those to rest, settling into life in London.

This is a show-stopper of a midfielder, boasting something special, something different to his teammates. When Frank gets his squad playing to his tune from a creative vantage, you can bet that Simons will be smack-bang in the middle of the success.

Already he ranks among the top 8% of positional peers in the Premier League this season for passes attempted and ball recoveries, as well as the top 3% for ball recoveries per 90 (data via FBref).

And he’s beginning to showcase an aptitude for the defensive side of the game, working hard in recovery and getting stuck in when against the ball.

Minutes played

90′

90′

Goals

1

1

Assists

1

0

Touches

60

70

Shots (on target)

4 (2)

3 (1)

Accurate passes

36/43 (84%)

35/41 (85%)

Chances created

1

0

Dribbles

0/0

1/4

Recoveries

7

2

Tackles won

0/1

1/2

Ground duels won

4/7

6/16

Hailed by statistician Statman Dave for his ability to create “magic” on the ball, Simons suffered a tough start to his Tottenham career, but he has shown flashes of elite quality throughout the campaign, and now, with two goals from as many games, there’s a sense that the Dutchman could be about to kick on.

Could we be set to return to the halycon days of Poch’s reign? Tottenham didn’t win a trophy then, but the football was good, envied, and Simons looks like he could be an architect of such a revival of creativity and sharpness in the final third.

He has just started to earn some recognition, having already proven himself on the financial front, with CIES Football Observatory suggesting his value has already skyrocketed to £95m since his summer move, above Semenyo’s maximum market value of £67m.

Semenyo would be a terrific addition, and there’s no question that offensive signings will be made in 2026, but Tottenham fans must remember that their club have signed one of the most exciting playmakers in the business, and after seeing his market value skyrocket, he’s only going to keep getting better.

Frank's answer to Declan Rice: Spurs have found a "future £100m" superstar

Tottenham’s long-term vision is among the most ambitious in all of Europe.

ByAngus Sinclair 4 days ago

The Red Sox sent shockwaves across the league when they sent homegrown star Rafael Devers to the San Francisco Giants in a blockbuster trade over the weekend. Less surprisingly, when the Red Sox made their first public comments about the deal in a Zoom call Monday night, they doubled down on it.

Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow tried to explain the franchise's motive behind the trade, which came way out of left field despite Devers's previous grievances with being asked to switch positions this season.

During the Zoom call, Breslow dropped a rather bold line about the state of the Red Sox after Devers's exit: "I do think there's a real chance that at the end of the season, we're looking back and we've won more games than we otherwise would've."

Here is that quote in more context.

It's clear that Breslow and the rest of the Red Sox organization believe the trade was made in the club's best interest, severing ties with a top-15 hitter who they thought wasn't worth the money or the headaches.

Whether the deal works out well for them remains to be seen—for now, fans couldn't help cracking a few jokes at the Red Sox's expense. Fans immediately drew parallels between Breslow's comments and what Dallas Mavericks GM Nico Harrison said after trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this year.

Wolves have now been heavily linked with making former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag their next boss, following the recent sacking of Vitor Pereira.

Wanderers are on the lookout for their next manager, with Pereira relieved of his duties after last Saturday’s 3-0 defeat away to Fulham in the Premier League proving to be the final straw.

A host of names have been mentioned, including former Wolves striker Robbie Keane and Middlesbrough manager Rob Edwards, and the latter hasn’t exactly ruled out the idea of taking charge at Molineux.

“I can understand it with my links to the club but my full focus is on this job here, which is a brilliant job, and trying to turn things around for a really big game against Leicester. It’s hard for me to comment on speculation and anything other than Middlesbrough. We’ve done a decent job so far, and all I care about is trying to win tomorrow.”

Now, Ten Hag’s name has also been thrown into the hat, with a new update suggesting that he is among the front-runners to be Pereira’s successor at Wolves.

Wolves make contact with Ten Hag's agent

According to Algemeen Daglblad [via Sport Witness], Wolves made contact with Ten Hag’s agent on Monday over potentially taking charge of the Premier League club.

It is claimed that the Dutchman is “seeking revenge”, seemingly in terms of rebuilding his reputation, following doomed spells at both United and Bayer Leverkusen but he has several other options at unnamed clubs.

Ten Hag is certainly a manager whose stock has fallen significantly since he guided Ajax into the semi-finals of the Champions League back in 2019, due to struggling in his last two jobs.

For that reason, there is a risk in Wolves appointing him, with some supporters understandably worried that he is on the wane as a manager, rather than on the way up like Edwards.

Bayer Leverkusen

3

1.33

Man Utd

128

1.84

Ajax

215

2.34

Utrecht

111

1.74

FC Bayern II

72

2.14

Go Ahead Eagles

39

1.72

Then again, the 4-3-2-1-playing and Eredivisie-winning former Ajax boss is a talented manager, with Steve McClaren even likening him to Sir Alex Ferguson, in terms of his attention to detail.

“The only other one I would have seen do that? That would have been the gaffer [Ferguson]. His great strength lies not just in his attention to detail and organisation. He has a clear philosophy of how he wants to play football; the environment he wants to create. The player progression programme was a key part of Twente. He has done that at Ajax too, for each player from the academy to the first team.”

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BySean Markus Clifford Nov 4, 2025

Ultimately, the decision lies with the Wolves board, but Ten Hag does feel like a risky choice at this point in his career, despite the praise and success that have come his way in the past.

Better than O'Neil: Wolves looking to hire "insanely talented" English boss

Could Daniel Farke be the next Premier League manager in line to face the sack?

While Leeds United have picked up a promising three wins so far in the Premier League, fans of the Elland Road giants will also feel that there’s been a lot of other games this season where their side have been outplayed, with their 3-0 defeat at the hands of Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday falling into this category.

The Seagulls tallied up 14 shots on Lucas Perri’s goal compared to Leeds’ weak five on Bart Verbruggen’s largely untested net, as Fabian Hurzeler’s confident hosts never looked in danger of slipping up throughout their comfortable 90 minutes.

Farke will surely have to ring the changes for Leeds’ next Premier League clash away at Nottingham Forest to try and lift his side to bounce back, and to also save his skin, with Brenden Aaronson at risk of dropping out despite scoring a week prior.

Aaronson's poor performance vs Brighton

Aaronson wanted to kick on in the Whites’ first team picture away at the Amex, having been an exhilarating watch throughout Leeds’ 2-1 home win against West Ham United, with his bundled-in opener after three minutes nearly upstaged by an insane solo strike sailing in.

Yet, the Jekyll and Hyde American was way off it on the South Coast to add to Leeds fans’ frustrations surrounding his inconsistent performances.

Come the close of the match on Saturday, Aaronson failed to complete one single successful dribble from two attempts, failed to hit a single meaningful shot at the home side’s goal, and also only won a weak three duels from the ten he attempted.

It’s night and day from his high-octane showing against Nuno Espirito Santo’s men, where he was 100% successful with all his dribbles, on top of winning a hefty eight duels.

Patience must be extremely thin; therefore, when it comes to Farke choosing to pick Aaronson week in week out, knowing that an unbelievable display is often followed up by the number 11 putting in a disastrous no-show.

But, Aaronson is not the only underperformer in the German’s bad books.

Farke must drop 4/10 Leeds star

Brighton ran the Leeds defence ragged all afternoon long, as Jayden Bogle continually failed to lay a glove on the rampaging Diego Gomez, who would finish the one-sided match with two Premier League goals next to his name.

Joe Rodon also looked way below his usual standards, but the Welshman definitely has enough credit in his bank this season alone to demand he’s still in the first team frame, having popped up with two goals from the back.

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

81

Accurate passes

73/78 (94%)

Tackles won

0

Interceptions

0

Clearances

3

Blocked shots

0

Ball recoveries

6

Total duels won

1/3

On the contrary, his centre-back partner on the South Coast in Jaka Bijol, is yet to establish himself as a fan’s favourite, and he certainly won’t have endeared himself to the hardened West Yorkshire masses with his ropey showing against Hurzeler’s runaway hosts.

Indeed, away from spraying the ball about with some assurance, the brand-new Leeds’ number 15 struggled to contain the likes of Danny Welbeck throughout, leading to just one duel being won.

On top of that, Bijol would also fail to go in for a single tackle, leading Brighton to find it easy when carving open the away side’s frail defence at will.

Moreover, the former Udinese man very much lacked the pace and determination to track back when Yankuba Minteh and the aforementioned Gomez ran riot, with Pascal Struijk perhaps the better-suited centre-back option for this showdown.

Leeds fans had been crying out for their £15m summer recruit to start more games, but after his 4/10 afternoon against Brighton – which is the low score that was handed to him post-match by Leeds Live’s Isaac Johnson – he will surely be dropped back down to the bench, for the Dutchman to return to the XI.

Farke will pray that the changes that are made spur his team on to a rare away win against Nottingham Forest next, with a loss at the City Ground only pulling Leeds even closer to the relegation zone.

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MatériaMais Notícias

O Boca Juniors eliminou o Palmeiras nos pênaltis, nesta quinta-feira (5), e garantiu vaga na final da Libertadores. Após empate no tempo normal em 1 a 1, com gols de Cavani e Piquerez, a decisão foi para os pênaltis, que favoreceram os argentinos, que marcaram quatro vezes contra apenas duas dos brasileiros. Raphael Veiga e Gustavo Gómez perderam para o Verdão, já Cavani perdeu para os Xeneizes.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasPalmeiras afasta zebra e goleia o Barcelona de Guayaquil na estreia da Libertadores FemininaPalmeiras05/10/2023PalmeirasQual é a maior goleada da história do Palmeiras?Palmeiras05/10/2023PalmeirasBares do Allianz Parque fazem campanha antirracista pré-Palmeiras x Boca: ‘Pele preta, manto verde!’Palmeiras05/10/2023

+ Veja tabela da Libertadores-2023 clicando aqui

Com a vitória nos pênaltis, o Boca enfrenta o Fluminense na final da Liberta, que acontece no dia 4 de novembro, no Maracanã.

+ Você quer trabalhar no seu clube do coração? Matricule-se no curso Gestor de Futebol e entenda como!

CINCO LANCES QUE MARCARAM O DUELO

> CERA SEM FIM! O jogo não tinha dois minutos e o goleiro Romero, do Boca Juniors, já demorava uma eternidade para repor a bola. Assim como qualquer bola parada era motivo para pausar a partida e seu ritmo. A torcida desanimava no mesmo passo.

> CAVANI DESENCANTA! Enquanto o Palmeiras tinha enorme dificuldade para chegar perto da área do Boca, o time argentino aproveitava o nervosismo adversário para crescer. E deu certo. Numa dessas escapadas, Merentiel se livrou de Gómez e cruzou na medida para Cavani, que estava em jejum, abrir o placar.

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> CRIAS MUDAM O JOGO! Logo na volta do intervalo, Abel Ferreira fez o que toda a torcida pedia e colocou a molecada para jogar. Endrick e Kevin entraram nos lugares de Artur e Marcos Rocha. O efeito foi imediato e com 15 minutos o Verdão jogou mais do que todo o primeiro tempo.

> UM A MAIS E EMPATE! O Palmeiras estava muito melhor no jogo e ficou ainda mais quando Rojo foi expulso pelo segundo amarelo. Em um “ataque contra defesa”, Piquerez armou um chute de fora da área e Romero aceitou. 1 a 1 na semifinal.

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> VEIGA E GÓMEZ PERDEM PÊNALTI! Dois dos principais jogadores do Palmeiras nos últimos tempos foram os responsáveis por desperdiçar as cobranças de pênaltis do time. Já o Boca, que perdeu com Cavani, fez os outros quatro e venceu a decisão.

PRIMEIRO TEMPO

Apesar da enorme festa da torcida antes de o jogo começar, o Palmeiras desde o apito inicial deu sinais de que não estava embalado e de fato não evoluiu na primeira etapa. O lado esquerdo ficou “cego” e o direito não se entendeu no ataque nem na defesa. E foi por ali que Merentiel superou Gómez e cruzou na medida para Cavani desencantar. Dali em diante, bateu o desespero no Alviverde, que não soube o que fazer e ainda foi presa fácil para a catimba dos argentinos. O time foi para o vestiário sob pedidos de “raça” das arquibancadas.

SEGUNDO TEMPO

Com a entrada de Kevin e Endrick nos lugares de Marcos Rocha e Artur, o Palmeiras melhorou demais e proporcionou um “ataque contra defesa” na segunda etapa. A expulsão de Rojo também ajudou, e logo em seguida Piquerez conseguiu empatar com um gol de fora da área. Mais crias entraram no decorrer da etapa final e a superioridade foi aumentando, mas a bola batia em tudo o que era possível e não entrava. Além disso, a arbitragem deu apenas cinco minutos de acréscimos mesmo com toda a cera argentina. Com o empate, a decisão foi para os pênaltis.

OS PÊNALTIS

O Boca começou perdendo com o desperdício de Cavani, defendido por Weverton. No entanto, o Palmeiras não aproveitou a oportunidade de sair na frente e perdeu com Veiga, que foi seguido por um erro de Gómez, em péssima cobrança. Já os argentinos não perderam mais nenhum e fecharam as penalidades com 4 a 2. Kevin e Piquerez salvaram a safra para os palmeirenses.

O QUE VEM POR AÍ

Eliminado, o Palmeiras perde a chance de disputar sua sétima final de Libertadores e agora foca nos compromissos do Brasileirão, último campeonato que resta no ano. Neste domingo (8), o Verdão recebe o Santos, na Arena Barueri, às 16h (de Brasília). Atualmente, a equipe de Abel Ferreira é a quarta colocada com 44 pontos, oito atrás do líder Botafogo.

FICHA TÉCNICA
PALMEIRAS 1 (2) x (4) 1 BOCA JUNIORS
Local: Allianz Parque, em São Paulo (SP)
Data e hora: 5/10/2023, às 21h30 (de Brasília)
Árbitro: Andres Matonte (URU)
Assistentes: Nicolas Taran (URU) e Martin Soppi (URU)
VAR: Leodan Gonzalez (URU)
Público e renda: 40.398 torcedores/R$ 4.974.909,22
Cartões amarelos: Luis Guilherme, Raphael Veiga, Gustavo Gómez e Rony (PAL) Romero, Figal, Equi Fernández e Pol Fernández (BOC)
Cartões vermelhos: Rojo, aos 21’/2ºT (BOC)
Gols: Cavani (22’/1ºT) (0-1), Piquerez (27’/2ºT) (1-1)

PÊNALTIS

BOCA JUNIORS: Cavani (perdeu), Valdez Rojas (marcou), Valentini (marcou), Figal (marcou), Pol Fernández (marcou)
PALMEIRAS: Raphael Veiga (perdeu), Gustavo Gómez (perdeu), Kevin (marcou), Piquerez (marcou)

BOCA JUNIORS: Romero; Advíncula, Figal, Rojo e Fabra (Saracchi, aos 36’/2ºT); Pol Fernández, Medina, Equi Fernández e Barco (Valentini, aos 22’/2ºT); Merentiel (Valdez Rojas, aos 9’/2ºT) e Cavani. Técnico: Jorge Almirón.

PALMEIRAS: Weverton; Marcos Rocha (Kevin, no intervalo), Gustavo Gómez, Murilo e Piquerez; Zé Rafael (Fabinho, aos 32’/2ºT), Gabriel Menino (Flaco López, aos 22’/2ºT) e Raphael Veiga; Mayke (Luis Guilherme, aos 32’/2ºT), Artur (Endrick, no intervalo) e Rony. Técnico: Abel Ferreira.

Tudo sobre

Boca JuniorsLibertadoresPalmeiras

Making his first move as sporting director, Ross Wilson and Newcastle United have now reportedly agreed a deal to sign a young defender ahead of rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Eddie Howe backs "great" Ross Wilson appointment

With the focus now firmly back on domestic football after the conclusion of the October international break, Eddie Howe has had his say on Wilson’s Newcastle arrival.

The former Bournemouth boss, who has worked with both Dan Ashworth and Paul Mitchell at the club, has now backed the new sporting director ahead of the Magpies’ trip to face Brighton & Hove Albion this weekend.

The former Nottingham Forest man arrives to calm the storm in Newcastle’s transfer department, which endured the most chaotic summer window. Whether that means reinforcements for Howe remains to be seen.

Having broken their transfer record to welcome Nick Woltemade and replace one of the world’s best strikers in Alexander Isak, PIF certainly proved that they’re willing to spend without PSR issues in the way and that has reportedly seen Wilson spring into action from the off.

Newcastle agree deal to sign Kenchington

According to Craig Hope of the Daily Mail, Newcastle have now agreed a deal to sign Josh Kenchington from Barnsley in Wilson’s first move as sporting director. The England U15 centre-back also had interest from Tottenham Hotspur, but is seemingly set to make the move to Tyneside in the near future.

Likened to Manchester City star and multiple-time Premier League winner John Stones by Hope, Kenchington now has the chance to follow in the England international’s footsteps from Barnsley to the top flight.

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Comfortable on the ball and already over 6ft, there is understandable excitement around the young defender’s arrival. Those at St James’ Park aren’t afraid to hand young players opportunities when they’re ready, either, with the likes of Lewis Miley already benefitting from that.

Although he is unlikely to be in and around Howe’s first-team for a few years yet, Kenchington is certainly one to watch at youth level. If he proves to be anywhere near as talented as England star Stones, then Newcastle will have an undeniable gem on their hands. As first moves go, Wilson may have just pulled off an inevitable bargain.

Former Rangers manager Ally McCoist feels the club’s new owners, staff and Russell Martin “underestimated” the size of the task at Ibrox before the head coach was sacked.

Martin lasted just four months in charge and paid the price for a poor start after Sunday’s 1-1 William Hill Premiership draw with Falkirk.

Rangers only won five out of 17 games under Martin with their sole league victory coming courtesy of a stoppage-time winner at Livingston. A Champions League exit was followed by defeats in their opening two Europa League games against Genk and Sturm Graz.

Martin was appointed soon after an American consortium secured a majority stake in Rangers but the new-look board now face another major decision.

McCoist: 49ers and old Gers staff made fatal error

McCoist said on TalkSPORT: “We’re sitting eighth in the table and we have a negative goal difference so there’s no surprise at all.

“I think probably the new owners and certainly the old management staff probably underestimated the size of the job.

“There’s a lot of people maybe just look a little bit at Scottish football and say ‘Celtic and Rangers will win their games and that’s it finished because that’s what they do’. But football is a lot more difficult than that.

“I just think that aligned to really poor, really poor business in the transfer market in terms of recruitment.

“It’s easy to blame the manager and that’s where the buck stops, we all know that’s what happens, but the players have got to take some of the responsibility as well. Some of the defending…

“The goals Rangers lost in midweek (against Sturm Graz) were incredible.

Kris Boyd slams "embarrassing" thing Martin had Rangers do in Sturm Graz defeat

It was another night to forget.

ByTom Cunningham Oct 3, 2025

“Rangers look like wee boys. Falkirk out-ran Rangers, they out-fought Rangers and that can happen occasionally but it’s been happening on a regular basis. It’s not good enough.

“The away games. They’ve been to St Mirren, Motherwell, Falkirk, Livingston. It’s not as if they have been to Celtic, Hearts, Hibs, Aberdeen. These are games you are expected to win.”

Boyd: Thelwell's transfer business not good enough

Another former Rangers striker, Kris Boyd, expanded on McCoist’s main point and believes questions will be asked of the likes of sporting director Kevin Thelwell.

“Scotland’s a difficult place to play football,” Boyd told Sky Sports News.

“There’s a lot of people, especially down south, that think it’s easy, it’s not that good. And sometimes the football isn’t that good, you can’t get away from that.

“But it’s a difficult place to play because both clubs in this city demand that you win. Both can’t win at the same time and when you’re not winning, you come under huge scrutiny.

“And that’s where Rangers are at right now because not only Russell Martin hasn’t delivered. There’s a lot of people within the football club failing to deliver in their duty right now as well, and the focus will turn on them.”

Boyd added: “There’s fingerprints from other people over some of the signings that have arrived at Rangers.

“When you think of (Youssef) Chermiti, for £9million, you’ve got to be looking for more. You’ve got to be looking for somebody that’s going to come in and start and have an impact. You’re more or less looking for the finished article, not a project.

“Rangers recruitment, they’ve tried to hit the jackpot with every single signing, bringing them in, giving them an opportunity to try and move them on for bigger money.

“You need to have a core at this football club that allows you to build from within, and that has been lost.”

Newcastle United have finally clawed their way out of a mentally taxing summer transfer window that put a dampener on last season’s stunning successes under Eddie Howe’s wing.

Well, it certainly felt that way for much of the market, but the truth is that United have pieced together a talented squad despite the noise from Alexander Isak and, indeed, the last-gasp sale of the Sweden striker to Liverpool for a record-breaking £125m fee.

Now that the distractions of the transfer window are out of the way, Newcastle can work toward restoring their fluency and fizz, that special something that allowed Howe to engineer title triumph in the Carabao Cup and qualification in the Champions League.

For United have toiled thus far, claiming two points from three games in the Premier League and lacking their usual bite in the final third. Saturday’s goalless draw at Leeds United typified that fact, especially in the absence of the suspended Anthony Gordon (and, of course, Isak).

New strikers, anyone?

Newcastle's new strikers

On deadline day, Newcastle signed Yoane Wissa from Brentford for £50m. It had been in the works for a while, and the DR Congo international got his wish at the eleventh hour, bringing plenty of prolific Premier League experience to Howe’s squad.

The 28-year-old scored 19 league goals last season and will be expected to provide a reliable focal point at the front of Howe’s system, especially when flanked with so much robust creative quality.

But in Nick Woltemade, 23, the Magpies have what might be defined a more fitting and long-term Isak heir, the German having arrived from Stuttgart in a club-record £69m package, hailed by the likes of talent scout Jacek Kulig hailing him for his “unique profile”, standing at 6 foot 6 and yet with such deftness and skill on the ball.

Looking at how the two strikers compare, it’s clear that Newcastle have done shrewd work in replacing Isak with two contrasting profiles, each carrying strengths fit for a club of United’s stature.

Matches (starts)

35 (34)

28 (17)

Goals

19

12

Assists

4

2

Shots (on target)*

2.6 (1.2)

1.8 (0.9)

Big chances missed

17

11

Pass completion

79%

72%

Big chances created

3

8

Key passes*

0.8

1.3

Dribbles*

0.4

1.1

Ball recoveries*

2.3

1.9

Tackles + interceptions*

0.8

0.5

Duels (won)*

3.4

4.4

However, neither will likely establish themselves as the standout from the off, not when Anthony Gordon knows that it is his time to step up now that Isak has left for pastures new.

Newcastle hit gold on Anthony Gordon

Gordon might not be in the good books right now, having served one match of a three-game suspension after challenging Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk with his studs up, but he’s one of Newcastle’s best players.

In fact, now that Isak has been sold and as the new boys settle in, he might consider himself to be Howe’s attacking talisman, having proven himself to be one of the deadliest in the Premier League already on Tyneside.

Hailed as a “relentless machine” by journalist Sripad, Gordon notched 22 goal involvements across the 2023/24 Premier League season, winning the club’s Player of the Year for his labours.

Indeed, Liverpool looked to sign the Three Lions winger last summer, and again this year, with recent reports on the matter suggesting that he had been valued in the ballpark of £100m.

Such is Gordon’s quality, with his price tag stretching above that of Wissa and Woltemade, talented players both, but perhaps not on his level.

Ultimately, Gordon is an imperfect forward, but one with so much quality and potential yet reached. He’s already worth a pretty penny, but his commitment to the cause cannot be questioned, and he might now be the cream of Howe’s attacking crop.

Worth more than Wissa & Woltemade: Newcastle hit gold on "exceptional" star

Following the signings of Yoane Wissa for £55m and Nick Woltemade for £69m, it’s proof that Newcastle struck gold signing an “exceptional” £40m star.

2 Sep 2, 2025

Despite already spending big this summer, Manchester City are now reportedly set to hold talks in an attempt to seal one last blockbuster move for Pep Guardiola.

Man City targeting late transfer flurry

After starting the transfer window so strongly with the arrivals of Rayan Cherki, Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Ait-Nouri, it looked as though Manchester City had commenced and ended their summer business in clinical fashion early on. Since then, however, Savinho and Ederson have thrown unexpected spanners into the works which could force the Citizens to land at least one more blockbuster move.

Both players missed City’s opening day thrashing of Wolverhampton Wanderers through ill-timed injuries as rumours continue to emerge over their futures. Whether they make swift recoveries in the event of a late summer switch will certainly be interesting to see, however, with Tottenham Hotspur chasing Savinho and Galatasaray already in talks to sign Ederson.

In the event that Ederson does depart, which looks likely at this stage, Guardiola could reportedly welcome Senne Lammens before the end of the month. Although the Citizens initially had their sights set on Gianluigi Donnarumma, reports have since emerged that any deal to sign the Italian has become difficult due to Paris Saint-Germain’s £22m asking price.

As a result, City have reportedly turned their attention towards Lammens and hijacking Manchester United’s move to sign the Royal Antwerp shot-stopper.

Meanwhile, when it comes to potentially replacing Savinho, those at the Etihad have shifted their focus towards what would be one of the headline deals of the summer in the closing stages of the window.

Man City set to hold talks to sign Rodrygo

According to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, Manchester City are now set to hold talks to sign Rodrygo from Real Madrid, with the Brazilian’s representatives already on their way to commence discussions. Madrid reportedly value the winger at around £87m, but are open to letting him leave before the end of the month.

Another Reijnders: Man City have made £86m superstar their main target

Manchester City have now made this £86m superstar their main summer target.

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Kelan Sarson

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Reportedly going head-to-head with Liverpool in the race to sign Rodrygo, City will have their eye on revenge on the Reds after watching on as Florian Wirtz chose Anfield over the Etihad earlier this summer.

What’s more, if City are looking to replace Savinho, then doing so with a star of Rodrygo’s calibre would certainly send a statement of intent around the Premier League. Dubbed “special” by former Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti, the 24-year-old is arguably one of the best wingers in the world.

Rodrygo	Real Madrid stats
Appearances	270
Goals	68
Assists	51

In one swoop, City could have the potential to form one of the Premier League’s most deadly partnerships between Erling Haaland and Rodrygo – one which could see them restore their English crown just one year after conceding it to Liverpool.