MLS playoffs should be dramatic, with superstars such as Messi, Son and Thomas Muller headlining, but other contenders to watch
So, MLS playoffs are here. Welcome to the postseason, where the true chaos unfolds. You've heard of all of this "MLS after dark" stuff? This is where it's on display for everyone to see.
Who are the faves here?
Obviously, Inter Miami will come up in conversation, especially given the presence of that Lionel Messi guy. But they're not alone. The Philadelphia Union were excellent value for their Supporters' Shield win, and can't be counted out. FC Cincinnati, too, are in with a shout – especially given the presence of Kevin Denkey and the balance of their side.
Thomas Muller has energized the Vancouver Whitecaps. And LAFC will like their chances with Son Heung-Min on their side. No one can say with any real conviction that they know who will win this thing.
And it is in that spirit that GOAL US writers break down MLS postseason in the latest edition of… The Rondo.
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Who will win MLS Cup?
Tom Hindle: It's been written here so many times that it will not be Inter Miami. They are flawed. They aren't the side we all think they are. They have weaknesses at a number of key positions. But they also have this guy called Messi. So, yeah, Miami are the favorites. But a word for expansion side San Diego FC, who could well coast through an easier West and set themselves up for a one-off looking pretty fresh.
Alex Labidou: FC Cincinnati. It's understood this is the San Antonio Spurs-like answer, and many fans would much rather see MLS’s version of the Miami Heat – Messi and Inter Miami – prevail. But the Herons have very concerning holes on their roster. This is a team that can’t defend counterattacks and needs Messi to basically get a brace every night in the playoffs to guarantee success. FC Cincinnati have quietly been building to this success over the past three seasons. Evander is one of the top five players in MLS, Kevin Denkey is flying under the radar with an impressive first season and Miles Robinson is playing at his best. Cincy have what it takes to win this year.
Ryan Tolmich: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. There's no way they fool us a third time, right? Despite all of their faults, and there are plenty, the stars seem to be aligning for Inter Miami, particularly after Messi's season-closing performance. If he's going to be in that type of form, the rest of the league is in trouble. The question is whether the defense can hold up. But if they can concede one or two goals a game, the Herons have a chance to finally make that run.
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Who is on upset alert?
TH: The beauty of MLS playoffs is that unless it's a one versus eight situation – hello, Miami – then upsets aren't really a thing. it might get interesting for LAFC. Going forward, they are immense with Son leading the line. But Austin will be awkward. Keep an eye.
AL: As tempting as it is to say Miami, common sense suggests they’ll at least get through to the semifinals. Let’s go with Minnesota United, who have the unwelcome task of facing Brian Schmetzer’s Seattle Sounders. Yes, picking a fifth seed over a four is a bit of a cop out, but the top two seeds appear to be insulated against a major upset. The Loons, at times, have looked like MLS’s best team. But their overall inconsistency in attack has resulted in them not finishing higher. Schmetzer is a battle-tested manager who lives for elimination game, and the playoffs overall. With Jordan Morris healthy again, it gives the Sounders just enough to see their way to the semis.
RT: Don't know if it's quite "upset alert" but sorry San Diego FC. While your expansion story is very cool, things are about to change. Maybe it isn't in the first round for the Western Conference regular season leaders. But at some point, they do run into star power. That will likely be too much for them. Still, the club should be thrilled with this season regardless of how the traditionally chaotic postseason goes.
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Which playoff manager is on the hotseat?
TH: Is anyone, seriously? It's tough to say. No one likes losing in these sorts of situations, and pretty much any coach who underperforms at this point could be in trouble. Miami's Javier Mascherano is the obvious one, especially given the fact that he's basically just Messi's mate.
AL: Mascherano has the most pressure, but his close ties with Messi mean he’s probably got another season in him – especially with the team going younger next year. As for the hottest seat, let’s go with Phil Neville. During his two-year tenure at Portland, it has been difficult to determine what the Timbers are. They were higher up on the table midseason, and despite being one of MLS’s best defensive sides, are painfully inconsistent. Last year they were embarrassed by the Whitecaps in the play-in. If the Timbers lose in that phase or don’t hold their own in the first round, Portland fans would be right to wonder about the future.
RT: None, in truth. It has become easier to be a playoff team, yes. But ultimately, that's the goal in MLS, isn't it? Maybe an unbelievable Miami crash-out could lead to questions about Mascherano, but they're a team in between eras. Same for LAFC – but we know that Steve Cherundolo is on his way out the door already. The postseason is a mix of clubs that achieved what they expected and big teams with extenuating circumstances. Because of that, the seats aren't that hot.
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Who will make a deeper run: Messi, Muller or Son?
TH: Messi, if only because Miami win it all – although they might have to beat either Vancouver or LAFC in the final.
AL: This is a tough one. Let’s go with Muller. This has been a fundamental season for Vancouver, a team that had one of the lowest franchise values in MLS and a market that was fearful of relocation. Now, they’ve got a top-four record in the league with the former Bayern Munich superstar. For all of the criticism MLS gets about the regular season not mattering, this is the positive of the league’s structure: contenders can emerge from anywhere. It would not be surprising if Vancouver represent the Western Conference in MLS Cup.
RT: Messi because he's Messi. Of the three, Muller might have the best team, while Son has the best running mate, Denis Bouanga. But is that enough to make up for the fact that Miami have the Argentine star? All three could, and probably will, go on runs. But having now done this twice, Messi and and Miami know what to expect – and the man himself seems determined not to let this team fail again.
Tottenham Hotspur has been the home to numerous top-level talents over recent years, with the hierarchy nailing the club’s recruitment strategy.
Big money has undoubtedly been splashed to improve their squad as of late, but many of their additions have been worthwhile and have improved the options already in North London.
Eyebrows were raised when Brennan Johnson joined the Lilywhites, with the board forking out £47.5m to secure his services from fellow Premier League side Nottingham Forest.
His early days were tricky to say the least, leading to abuse from sections of the fanbase, but he’s endured a magnificent rise that saw him end last season as the club’s top-scorer, even netting the winner in the Europa League final.
At just 24, he has bags of time to build on his impressive start to life in North London, potentially following in the footsteps of one of his compatriots at the club.
Gareth Bale’s time at Tottenham Hotspur
Winger Gareth Bale will go down as one of Spurs’ best-ever players after his impact during his time in the first team, starring for the Lilywhites on two separate occasions.
The Welsh international originally featured at left-back, before his hat-trick against Inter Milan in the Champions League catapulted him into a forward role – one that would change his career trajectory massively.
He registered 71 goals during his two stints in North London, with 26 of his efforts coming in the 2012/13 season, leading to his eventual £85m move to European giants Real Madrid.
However, he returned in the 2020/21 campaign on loan from the LaLiga side, scoring 16 times in his 34 appearances – being one of three players to register double figures that campaign.
The Welshman became renowned for his ability to cut inside onto his stronger left foot, often creating a moment of magic that allowed supporters to get off their seats.
Current boss Thomas Frank must wish he had a player of his quality currently at his disposal, potentially having just that had former chairman Daniel Levy kept hold of one talent.
The former Spurs player who could’ve been Frank’s own Bale
As previously mentioned, Spurs have shifted their attention to recruiting younger talents in recent months – a strategy that allows the club to have players to make an immediate and long-term impact in North London.
Ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, the Lilywhites first-team squad currently has an average age of 25.1 – the fourth youngest in the division – with Frank able to develop the players into the side he desires.
Their starting eleven against Bournemouth last weekend contained just one player over the age of 29, which hugely highlights the current recruitment operation in North London.
Such a focus has been evident in the past, when the hierarchy decided to fork out £25m for the signature of 18-year-old Ryan Sessegnon from Fulham back in 2019.
Despite his tender age, he racked up over 100 appearances for the Cottagers, scoring 25 times, leading to his big-money move to North London – similar to that of Bale from Southampton in 2007.
Both possessed a similar style of play, subsequently able to operate in any position down the left-hand side or even able to feature in any attacking position on the opposite flank.
Such a move generated huge excitement within the fanbase, but it’s safe to say that the move was slightly unsuccessful, with injuries massively plaguing his time at the club.
Games played
16
Goals & assists
6
Pass accuracy
82%
Chances created
1.9
Cross success
31%
Successful dribbles
1.3
Tackles won
2.1
Duels won
7.3
Sessegnon, who was labelled an “incredible” talent by Jacek Kulig, only made 57 appearances over a five-year spell at the Lilywhites, with numerous hamstring issues preventing him from making an impact.
The 25-year-old racked up three goals during such a time period, but was let go at the end of his contract in 2024, rejoining former side Fulham on a free transfer last summer.
Whilst there’s no denying he didn’t possess the same talent as Bale, his playstyle was similar to that of the Lilywhites legend – but ultimately struggled to demonstrate that on a regular basis.
It’s a shame such a move failed to work out, but Frank missed out on the opportunity to try and work with the Englishman, with Sessegnon forever remaining a case of what could’ve been in North London.
Sold for £28m: Levy hit gold axing Spurs flop now worth less than Bissouma
Tottenham Hotspur made the right call by allowing one player to leave the club in recent years.
Arsenal came into their clash with Nottingham Forest on Saturday with narrative bursting at the seams.
Ange Postecoglou had recently been appointed as the Forest boss and considering his past association with Spurs, there were a few pre-game jitters that he’d return to English football and upset Mikel Arteta’s side.
It’s safe to say the Spaniard made sure that was never a scenario this weekend, even with key men missing through injury.
Arsenal’s starting XI did not include the likes of William Saliba and Bukayo Saka who were absent through injury while Martin Odegaard limped off early in proceedings with a shoulder injury.
That mattered not for the north Londoners who defeated Ange and Co 3-0 courtesy of a double from Martin Zubimendi and a third goal in four matches from Viktor Gyokeres.
In defence, Arsenal’s backline barely gave the visitors a sniff but in the final third, they were relentless, largely thanks to their new signings.
How Arsenal's new signings fared against Nottingham Forest
Last season, the Gunners were hamstrung by injuries, particularly to the forward line.
Saka missed large parts of the campaign, as did Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, which meant they had to play with Mikel Merino up top.
Coincidentally, Arsenal came into this game without that trio again; they also came into the encounter without star centre back Saliba.
Arsenal's WilliamSalibareacts
In years gone by, absences such as those have hindered Arteta’s side, but they didn’t on Saturday.
At the back, Cristhian Mosquera put in a phenomenal performance and at £13m, he looks like one of the biggest bargain signings in the Premier League this summer.
At Anfield two weeks ago, the Spaniard was forced into the game early on due to Saliba’s injury and his first test in English football was an impressive one, even if they lost 1-0 to Liverpool.
A fortnight later, Mosquera was part of a backline that kept a well-earned clean sheet. He looked like the best defender on that pitch, notably making a last-man tackle in the second half that Saliba would have been proud of.
Mosquera is quick, he’s aggressive, he’s composed and above all, he’s a battler. Against Forest, he barely put a foot wrong, ultimately winning three of his four duels.
In the middle of the park, fellow Spaniard and fellow new signing Zubimendi was superb. His rocket of a finish opened the scoring and then he rounded off a brilliant victory by scoring just the third header of his senior career, leaping high to head home Leandro Trossard’s cross.
Gyokeres also caught the eye. The Swede has attracted criticism in the early weeks of the season but there is one simple fact; he’s a goalscorer. After Arsenal beat Forest, no player had scored more goals in the top flight this season.
His supply line was perhaps the best it’s been all season, and that was thanks to a duo who were evoking memories of Saka and Emile Smith Rowe. You know how the song goes.
Arsenal's new Saka and Smith Rowe
When Arteta became Arsenal manager it wasn’t a straightforward adaptation period. This was his first job as a head coach, after all.
Yet, in Saka and Smith Rowe, he found a set of new heroes who would carry the opening phase of his project at the Emirates Stadium.
While the latter may have moved on, hampered by injuries before joining Fulham, Saka has gone to new heights.
He’s now one of the best wingers in the world, and certainly one of the most creative. No player created more goalscoring opportunities per 90 minutes in the division than Saka last season.
So, when he picked up an injury in the win over Leeds last month, panic set in. Just how would Arsenal cope?
Well, courtesy of the controversial £55m summer signing, Noni Madueke, they have found a player capable of emulating Saka’s best qualities.
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Against Liverpool, the former Chelsea man looked like Arsenal’s most vibrant forward and the same could be said for his display against Forest this weekend.
Madueke may not have scored or assisted, but having found the net on England duty last week, he came into this encounter full of confidence. It certainly showed.
The 23-year-old was utterly relentless down the right flank, embarrassing Morato every time he was faced with a one-on-one situation.
Madueke attempted a whopping eight dribbles during the game, completing five, and showed his ability to create too. Like Saka, the England international was a constant livewire, beating his man for fun and also creating goalscoring chances, providing five key passes during the game.
For several seasons now, Arteta has been crying out for someone capable of producing genuine quality as backup to Saka and they have now found that man.
He’s electric and looks set to explode having traded the blue side of London for the red side.
Madueke vs Forest
Minutes played
78
Shots
0
Successful dribbles
5/8
Touches
65
Accurate passes
22/31
Key passes
5
Accurate crosses
4
Duels won
10
Tackles
3
Stats via Sofascore.
While Madueke didn’t leave the game with a goal or assist, Eberechi Eze did on his first start for the club.
Given the nod over Gabriel Martinelli, the £60m summer arrival repaid his manager’s faith with a cracking display down the left flank. Eze skipped past players regularly and like Madueke, was a constant threat.
In Eze and Madueke, they have two players who look as though they could be Arsenal’s new Saka and Smith Rowe. They were certainly as fun as the club’s Hale End poster boys.
It was the former Palace man who supplied Gyokeres with his strike. Eze burst in behind and got on the end of a brilliant lofted ball from Riccardo Calafiori.
Decisive with his actions, the 27-year-old didn’t need to bring the ball down. Instead, he played a first-time ball across the box for Gyokeres to fire home from close range.
Once upon a time it was Saka and Smith Rowe running the show in attack. Saka will still do that for a while to come, but Eze and Madueke have proven that there is life elsewhere, that Arsenal now have the depth required to really push for major honours in 2025/26.
Not Zubi & Madueke: Arsenal star looks like 'one of the PL's best signings'
Arsenal claimed their third win of the Premier League season against Ange Postecoglou’s Nottingham Forest.
The captain Ashleigh Gardner chipped in with 52 as Giants chased down 144 with 12 balls remaining
Srinidhi Ramanujam16-Feb-20253:53
Mithali Raj impressed with Priya Mishra’s talent
Gujarat Giants were inspired by Priya Mishra’s three-wicket haul and captain Ashleigh Gardner’s breezy 52 to post a comprehensive six-wicket win over UP Warriorz in their second home game of the WPL 2025. Giants were a much-improved outfit with the ball and on the field, and followed it up with a clinical batting effort where the likes of Harleen Deol and Deandra Dottin also chipped in, to chase down a modest 144 in Vadodara with 12 balls remaining.With the injured Alyssa Healy not available and Chamari Athapaththu making way for Alana King, Warriorz lacked power up front. New captain Deepti Sharma’s 39 and Sophie Ecclestone’s excellent bowling performance went in vain as Giants bounced back from the opening-day loss against Royal Challengers Bengaluru to get off the mark early in the tournament.Related
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Gardner hits second fifty as Giants captainGardner carried on from where she left off, scoring yet another crucial fifty to lift Giants from 2 for 2. After her unbeaten 79 in the opener against RCB, Gardner came in to bat as early as the second over after Giants lost Beth Mooney and D Hemalatha early. She got going by scoring back-to-back fours off the debutant fast bowling-allrounder Kranti Goud in the third over.She was particularly brutal against Saima Thakor, who conceded 20 runs in the fifth over. Two of the three sixes of the over were hit by Gardner, one over long-on and another over deep midwicket. She used her feet well to charge down the ground when necessary and converted full tosses into fours or sixes. With Laura Wolvaardt, she stitched a crucial 55-run stand for the third wicket.She brought up her fifty off 28 balls, with a humongous six over deep square leg off Alana King after flicking away the previous ball to deep backward square leg for four. Overall, she hit five fours and three sixes.With 131 runs in two matches at an impressive strike rate of 195.52, Gardner is the leading run-scorer of the tournament as of now.Dottin’s all-round performanceAfter Tahlia McGrath dismissed Gardner in the 12th over, Giants needed 58 off 49 balls. But Dottin came in and swung her bat straightaway over midwicket to collect her first six, off King. Putting her power game to use, she punished McGrath for two more fours in the next over and released pressure off Giants.The dew factor and a few dropped catches didn’t help Warriorz either as Deol also played the role of anchor to keep the chase at a healthy run-rate. Deol made an unbeaten 34 off 30 balls while Dottin hit a quickfire 33 that included three fours and two sixes.Earlier, with the ball, Dottin struck in the second over, dismissing Kiran Navgire with an inswinger and then knocked off Uma Chetry with a short ball in the tenth over when Warriorz were just trying to steady the ship after a few early wickets.Ashleigh Gardner smacked a fifty off 28 balls•WPL
Mishra’s momentum-changing overWarriorz were 73 for 3 after 10 overs, and with McGrath and Grace Harris yet to come, they would have hoped for a lift-off. But Mishra landed a big blow by removing both the Australians in the span of three deliveries. For McGrath, she bowled a googly that skidded on in line of middle and off and scrapped past the batter’s inside edge and hit the pad first, and then off the bat and onto the pads. McGrath reviewed the lbw decision but it was struck down.A ball later, Mishra bowled another googly, a flighted delivery on off, and Harris went for a big slog across the line only to be beaten on the inside edge as the ball crashed onto the stumps. Mishra let out a loud roar after producing a statement performance.Warriorz struggle with the batAfter being asked to bat, Warriorz decided to open with Kiran Navgire and Vrinda Dinesh, who had suffered a shoulder injury last season after playing four matches. But neither of them made an impact with Dottin and Gardner striking inside the powerplay.Uma Chetry, at No.3, also toiled to middle a lot of deliveries but utilised her strong bottom hand to smash four boundaries in her 27-ball 24. With Deepti at the other end, the duo produced a 51-run partnership to rescue Warriorz from early jitters. Deepti, who had hit an unbeaten 88 against Giants last year while batting at No.4 the only other time before Sunday, was the positive of the lot and smashed 39 off 27. She used her trademark sweep shots to good effect and also kept the scorecard ticking in the middle overs with pull shots and punches off the backfoot. Eventually, Deepti was also dismissed by Mishra in the 15th over.Despite the late flourish at the end of the innings thanks to Thakor and King, Warriorz finished with an under-par total.The Ecclestone vs Wolvaardt battleWolvaardt was keen to charge down the track and disrupt the bowlers early into the chase but was challenged by Ecclestone. Though the scorecard might not offer a glimpse into the battle, Warriorz were briefly in the game, thanks to Ecclestone. After the England left-arm spinner picked up her first wicket off the second over, she was given another over in the powerplay.Wolvaardt shimmied down and smashed one down the ground for four after missing Ecclestone’s first ball of the fourth over. Four dot balls followed. Eventually, Wolvaardt fell to Ecclestone for 22 off 24 balls. In a moment of indecision that left her neither playing forward nor back, she was beaten on pace in the ninth over. Overall, Wolvaardt scored six runs off Ecclestone’s ten balls with only three scoring shots in it.Ecclestone finished with figures of 2 for 16 but that wasn’t enough for Warriorz.
Estão definidos os times que vão disputar as quartas de final da Copa do Brasil: Flamengo, São Paulo, Bahia, Palmeiras, Corinthians, Athletico, América-MG e Grêmio. Os confrontos da próxima fase serão definidos por sorteio, que será realizado na próxima terça-feira, a partir das 13h, na sede da CBF, no Rio.
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Os jogos de ida das quartas de final serão disputados nos dias 5 e 6 de julho, enquanto os de volta serão na semana seguinte, nos dias 12 e 13.
Quanto vale a classificação para as quartas de final da Copa do Brasil?
Resposta: R$ 4,3 milhões. Esta é a quantia que os times classificados recebem apenas por avançarem às quartas de final. Sem contar, claro, as premiações pelas fases anteriores.
+ CONFIRA A TABELA DA COPA DO BRASIL
Premiação de cada fase da Copa do Brasil 2023:
1ª fase:R$ 1,4 milhão (grupo I), R$ 1,25 milhão (grupo II) e R$ 750 mil (grupo III) 2ª fase:R$ 1,7 milhão (grupo I), R$ 1,4 milhão (grupo II) e R$ 900 mil (grupo III) 3ª fase:R$ 2,1 milhões Oitavas de final:R$ 3,3 milhões Quartas de final:R$ 4,3 milhões Semifinal:R$ 9 milhões Vice-campeão:R$ 30 milhões Campeão:R$ 70 milhões
Alisha Lehmann has scored her first goal for Como Women, allowing her iconic fishing celebration to be broken out. The Swiss took on a new challenge in Italy over the summer after severing ties with Serie A champions Juventus. She is up and running with her new employers, with the tricky forward all smiles after opening her account with a slightly fortuitous strike.
New challenge: Why Lehmann left Turin
Lehmann is embracing the project in Como on and off the field, as they look to break down barriers. She has been helping to do that throughout her career after becoming one of the most recognisable players in the women’s game.
AdvertisementWatch Lehmann score first Como goalSwiss star hoping for more regular game time
She was able to savour tangible success with Juve last season, as they secured a domestic double, but was never a guaranteed starter for the Turin giants. More regular game time will be enjoyed with Como.
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Slice of luck for Lehmann in Como goal
Lehmann has been making an immediate impact in new surroundings, with her latest outing seeing her hit the back of the net. Said effort was aided by a considerable deflection, which took the ball away from the goalkeeper.
Newcastle United always knew this summer would involve a lot of higher-up teams battling it out for Alexander Isak’s services.
Isak’s 23-goal heroics in Premier League action just weren’t going to go unnoticed, with Liverpool targeting the lethal Swede intensely this off-season, subsequently, only to fail in their advances.
Isak
The Magpies aren’t out of the woods just yet, however, when it comes to rich teams sniffing around for their star-man, with a move now allegedly on the table for Isak to move out to the Saudi Pro League for an eye-watering £200m.
Newcastle have asserted back that the ex-Real Sociedad goal machine isn’t for sale under any circumstances, but they will surely have some strikers up their sleeves anyway this summer to try and improve their forward line even more, just in case the unthinkable occurs.
Newcastle line up swoop for £78m attacker
Already, the Magpies have forked out an extortionate £55m to land Anthony Elanga to enhance their personnel down the wings.
This spending could continue with a striker now being obtained, with reports suggesting that Newcastle are looking at Victor Osimhen as one viable option, alongside another lethal finisher from the Bundesliga – away from earlier interest in Hugo Ekitike – who would cost Eddie Howe’s Toon a mighty £78m.
This is, of course, RB Leipzig hero Benjamin Sesko.
RB Leipzig's BenjaminSeskocelebrates their second goal scored by Lukas Klostermann
That’s according to talkSPORT’s Alex Crook who recently stated that Newcastle might well rekindle their interest in the Slovenian machine very soon, having been dealt blow after blow with other centre-forward targets.
It’s stated that Howe has admired Sesko for some time now, with a move finally getting over the line for the 22-year-old striker to move to Tyneside, representing a better deal than landing James Trafford in between the sticks, who looks to now be Manchester City-bound.
James Trafford
Why signing Sesko would be a better signing than Trafford
Trafford is yet another unfortunate transfer saga that has gone wrong for the Toon, with it being well-known since last summer that the Magpies were keen on the England U21 international as their future number one goalkeeper.
However, he looks set to return to boyhood employers Man City over making that expected next step to St James’ Park, but Newcastle won’t want to be up in arms about this for too long, considering they do have a dependable top-flight keeper already at the club in Nick Pope.
Whilst Trafford is the talk of the town back at Burnley for his unbelievable 29 clean sheets in Championship action last season, he has struggled in the top division previously, with a worrying 62 goals leaked across the 23/24 season with the Clarets.
On the contrary, Pope has always looked at ease with the same pressures on his back, as seen in his bumper 73 clean sheets at the elite level from 221 outings, with more pressing captures like Sesko’s now surely prioritised over seeking out improvements in net.
Newcastle’s strikers last season – G/A numbers
Player
Games played
Goals scored
Assists
Minutes played
Alexander Isak
42
27
6
3319
Callum Wilson
22
1
0
474
William Osula
19
2
2
456
Sourced by Transfermarkt
The table above really does hammer home why Newcastle are going all out to try and win some potent strikers this summer, with Isak leading the line on his own for most of the campaign, as Callum Wilson and William Osula only chipped in with a meagre three strikes in reserve.
With Wilson now off the Toon books, there is only the ex-Sheffield United youngster at Howe’s disposal away from the in-demand Swede, which is where Sesko might well come to the rescue.
Amazingly, Sesko – who has also been on Arsenal’s radar – would only find himself five short of Isak’s tally for Leipzig last campaign when registering a blistering 21 strikes, taking his overall count in Germany to a ridiculous 39 goals from 87 clashes.
One branded a “monster” by football journalist Eduardo Hagn for his ice-cold ability to fire home chance after chance, it does feel as if this is a splurge Newcastle can justify, especially if it goes down to the wire surrounding Isak’s future on Tyneside.
RB Leipzig's BenjaminSeskobefore taking a penalty
On the contrary, losing out on Trafford is unlikely to keep the Toon up at night for very long.
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Newcastle need to complement Alexander Isak with a new striker this summer.
Lancashire live to fight another day after challengers fall at penultimate hurdle
ECB Reporters Network20-Sep-2024Surrey’s third successive Vitality County Championship title was confirmed when Lancashire took just 32 minutes and 7.1 overs on the fourth morning to complete their 168-run victory over Somerset at Emirates Old Trafford.Resuming on 204 for 6, Somerset were dismissed for 224 with Luke Wells taking two of the wickets to finish with 4 for 36 and Anderson Phillip the other two to finish with 3 for 81.The result ends Somerset’s hopes of a breakthrough County Championship title, and is their second disappointment in the space of a week. On Saturday, their defence of their Vitality Blast title ended in defeat in the final against Gloucestershire, although they still have one last shot at silverware with the Metro Bank One-Day Cup final against Glamorgan looming at the weekend.”If you don’t believe you can win a game, there’s no point turning up,” Jason Kerr, Somerset’s head coach, said. “We thought there was a chance today but obviously it hasn’t turned out that way.””I take a huge amount from this season,” Kerr added. “Every county wants to be in a position in which you are competing to win trophies and there’s also been young players emerging. There’ll be a huge number of positives but it’s probably slightly early to be in a position where we can reflect on it all.”I think we’ve progressed massively since last year. We finished seventh last year and this year we’ve been more disjointed with our overseas signings and the continuity of the side’s been different as well but I think we’ve grown massively.”Somerset lost a wicket to the first ball of the day when Lewis Gregory was deceived by Wells’ googly and bowled for a golden duck.Next over, Lancashire enjoyed more success when Craig Overton was leg before wicket to Anderson Phillip for 4 and after pulling Wells for two fours, Brett Randell was bowled for 9 when trying to repeat the feat. The game ended and Surrey’s title was confirmed when James Rew was bowled off an inside edge by Phillip for 31Collectors of statistical oddities might wish to note that this is the first match in the history of the County Championship in which 21 wickets have fallen on the first day and the game has lasted until the fourth morning without weather interruption.Despite their win, Lancashire are still favourites to be relegated. Keaton Jennings’ side will be playing Division Two cricket next season regardless of the result of their game against Worcestershire if Nottinghamshire take ten points from their final match at home to Warwickshire, who would also need five points from that game.”It’s been a really good game of cricket,” Jennings said. “A good surface, two teams competing over the course of four days. It’s been good fun.”I’m really chuffed the lads have put in what I think is our best team performance over the course of this campaign. It’s really pleasing. It’s down to guys putting their hands up. Luke Wells getting 130 and putting in a performance that the team required to try and get us into a winning position and then taking poles this morning.”Guys chipped in with the new ball; Anderson, Bails, Will, Baldy. The bowlers had to take 20 wickets to win the game and they’ve done that. It’s been an entertaining three and a bit days, so it just shows you cricket at Old Trafford has been really good.”It’s awesome what the guys have produced over the last three days. I thought both sides were under par first innings, it wasn’t a 140 surface. I also didn’t think it was a 400 surface either which we got.”All in all, both sides competed and made errors to let each other back into the game. We could have disintegrated, but didn’t. We continued to fight like we have over the whole campaign. The guys have tried really hard, they just haven’t quite got it right like we did this game.”
Liverpool defied expectations when winning the Premier League last season, but now that they have been crowned champions and are strengthening in the summer transfer market, the wider lens on Arne Slot’s project will be heightened.
To put it another way, Liverpool have returned to the top of English football but must now prove they can defend their title while challenging for the bigger prizes across other fronts.
Mohamed Salah will no doubt have his eyes on the Champions League, while defeat to Newcastle United in March’s Carabao Cup final will fuel the desire to conquer one of England’s domestic tournaments, for sure.
With Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz already bagged and more yet to come, there are so many reasons to be excited for Liverpool fans right now, even if a number of first-teamers potentially face exits before the 2025/26 season arrives.
Most notably, Ibrahima Konate has rejected Liverpool’s latest contract offer, while Luis Diaz, 28, continues to be at the centre of exit rumours. If the Colombian winger is sold, sporting director Richard Hughes has worked with Slot to determine that Anthony Gordon is the perfect replacement.
Why Liverpool could sign Anthony Gordon
It almost feels like Gordon is fated to play in a Liverpool shirt at some stage of his career. Last summer, the Reds were interested in completing a deal, but for Newcastle’s success in avoiding financial breaches through less damaging means.
Anthony Gordon
Liverpool are well stocked on the left flank, but if Diaz is sold – Bayern Munich are the latest club to express an interest in the 28-year-old – a move could be revisited for the man who left the Anfield academy when he was just 11 years old.
Recent reports suggest Liverpool would need to cough up around £75m for the Three Lions star, but, aged 24, this could be a worthwhile investment for a tenacious and electric forward.
Such a move, as stated, hinges on Diaz leaving, and the same could be said at number nine, for Darwin Nunez has failed to bring it together under Slot’s wing and is heading for the door.
Alas, Nunez is set to leave. Napoli are set for crunch talks with Liverpool over the Uruguayan striker, paving the way for a superstar to head down the opposite direction.
Liverpool launch bid for striker
According to French journalist Sebastien Vidal, Liverpool have launched an official bid Napoli’s way for Victor Osimhen, who is back from a season-long loan with Galatasaray and expected to leave the club this summer.
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Despite Osimhen being one of the best strikers in the world, he fell out with the Serie A side, and there is no route back. The Italian champions, despite their stance, are unwilling to budge on their £64m valuation.
Well, in that case, Liverpool have offered Nunez and Federico Chiesa, both of whom are coveted by the Neapolitans, as makeweights, additionally putting £17m into the package.
Manchester United, Gala and Saudi Arabian clubs also linger in the race.
Why Liverpool should sign Victor Osimhen
We all know that FSG’s dream target is Alexander Isak, who was actually declared “the best striker in the world” last season by analyst Raj Chohan, but the Sweden star is understood to have been valued at £200m, an extortionate fee.
Newcastle United's AlexanderIsakcelebrates scoring their first goal
Osimhen, 26, would be a fantastic alternative, having proven himself across a number of years as being one of the most prolific marksmen on the continent and a trophy winner besides.
For sure, he probably didn’t envisage a season in the Turkish Super Lig this time 12 months ago, but the Nigeria international made the most of his season, scoring 37 goals across 41 outings, winning the league title and maintaining comparative prolificness across the span of his career.
Praised for his “world-class” finishing ability by Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley, Osimhen would certainly prove an upgrade on Nunez, and indeed could be the perfect Isak alternative, for he is athletic and mobile too.
Victor Osimhen – Career Stats by Club
Club
Apps
Goals
Assists
Napoli
133
76
18
Galatasaray
41
37
8
Lille
38
18
6
Charleroi
36
20
4
Wolfsburg
16
0
0
Stats via Transfermarkt
Of course, Osimhen no doubt misses that almost telepathic connection with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia at Napoli, the Georgian winger leaving Italy to sign for Paris Saint-Germain for £59m in January, but he could find a dance partner of a similar style in Gordon.
The pacy winger called himself a “nightmare for anyone” he comes up against last summer on England duty, having also averaged 1.1 dribbles and 4.4 successful duels per Premier League match last term, as per Sofascore.
With six goals and five assists to his name across the recent league term, there’s no question Gordon regressed after his incredible 2023/24 campaign, notching 26 top-flight goal contributions and earning Newcastle’s Player of the Year award.
One year ago, Dieter Hamann even went as far as to claim that Gordon would be the better pick for the Reds than Kvaratskhelia, directing praise toward the Englishman’s tried-and-tested record in England’s top flight; many talented players have struggled to adapt to the pace and physicality of the British game before.
He said, “It’s very hard to pick between Gordon and Kvaratskhelia. I don’t think there’s an awful lot between the players.”
Osimhen built quite the reputation with the silky winger, and we might be having a different conversation had Liverpool furthered their interest in the Georgian back in January, before he moved to Paris.
Alas, that door has closed. But no matter. If a dynamic and powerful centre-forward in Osimhen can be paired with a rising star in Gordon, Slot may well have the dream strikeforce to lead Liverpool to glory for many years to come.
Slot's answer to Mane: Liverpool chasing "monster" £70m Premier League star
Liverpool have set their sights on another attacking star this summer.
After losing both Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri to both Manchester clubs, Wolverhampton Wanderers have now reportedly turned their attention towards potential incomings and one Premier League rival.
Wolves lose Ait-Nouri and Cunha
Whilst losing Cunha always seemed inevitable due to his £63m release clause, Wolves may not have had the same feeling of inevitability about Ait-Nouri’s future. One swift move from Manchester City soon changed things, however, and now the Midlands club are set to enter next season without arguably their most important players.
Despite being picked apart, however, those in the Midlands still have reason to be positive. Having sold Cunha for his £63m release clause and Ait-Nouri for a reported £36m, Wolves now have money to spend on incomings of their own ahead of Vitor Pereira’s first full season in charge at the club.
As a result, the rumours have already been coming thick and fast. Top of Wolves’ wishlist should be finding replacements for both Ait-Nouri and Cunha before perhaps addressing other areas in need of upgrading.
To that end, names such as Barcelona’s Gerard Martin and Nice forward Evann Guessand have threatened to steal the headlines in recent weeks in two moves that would solve Wolves’ problem.
Nice's Evann Guessand.
The latter enjoyed a particularly impressive season in France, scoring 13 goals and creating another 10 in all competitions for Nice. Doing enough to earn the interest of Wolves, the Ivory Coast forward could yet be on his way to the Premier League.
Meanwhile, those at Molineux have also reportedly turned their attention towards signing a reinforcement slightly closer to home and one who already knows all about the Premier League.
Wolves plotting Yegor Yarmolyuk move
As reported by Caught Offside, Wolverhampton Wanderers are now plotting a move to sign Yegor Yarmolyuk from Brentford this summer. Like the Midlands club, the Bees could lose two crucial figures this summer in manager Thomas Frank, who looks destined for Tottenham Hotspur, and Manchester United-linked Bryan Mbeumo. They are, therefore, keen to keep hold of Yarmolyuk.
Every player has their price, however, and the West London club reportedly value their young midfielder at just €30m (£25m) in what should be an affordable price for a Wolves side fresh from big-money sales.
The Midlands club aren’t alone in pursuit of the 21-year-old, though, with Frank reportedly eyeing the chance to bring him to Tottenham and Leeds United also interested.
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It should, of course, come as little surprise that Spurs have already set their sights on the Brentford midfielder and Fank’s influence could yet deal Wolves a frustrating blow.
The Spurs-bound manager was full of praise for Yarmolyuk last season, telling reporters: “He possesses a fantastic mindset and trains well every day. If you train well consistently and are one of the best in practice, you will eventually make your way to the starting lineup, and I hope he establishes himself there.”