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After finishing the 2024/25 campaign on a high, Newcastle United approached the summer transfer window with excitement. But as is becoming habitual on Tyneside, there have been challenges and setbacks.

However, one of Eddie Howe’s superpowers is his ability to weather adversity and rally his club, and so in spite of missing out on Bryan Mbeumo and Joao Pedro and Mohammed Kudus and maybe Matheus Cunha too, the Magpies are beginning to take shape.

A deal with Nottingham Forest has been agreed for Anthony Elanga, worth £52m. A bid for Burnley shot-stopper James Trafford is also ongoing, and that one looks like it will end positively.

Alexander Isak, moreover, is set to remain at St. James’ Park. Even so, Howe wants a new centre-forward, with Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike confirmed to be on the radar.

However, it’s going to be a difficult deal to pull off, and an alternative option has been earmarked.

Newcastle chasing a new striker

Any interest in a centre-forward on Tyneside is laced with a measure of trepidation. Newcastle fans would love to see a new number nine welcomed to the fold, but not at the expense of Isak’s place in the team.

Luckily, PIF have no plans to sell their £200m-valued talisman. With Callum Wilson having departed St. James’ Park at the end of his contract, securing a new nine is a necessity, not a luxury.

Ekitike might be at the top of the shopping list right now, but he’s simply too expensive at £85m, a valuation Eintracht Frankfurt aren’t willing to budge on.

That’s why Newcastle are setting their sights on Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins. According to Caught Offside, the Magpies have joined the growing list of clubs – also containing Arsenal and Manchester United – who are interested in the England star.

Naturally, Villa don’t want to sell, but they have priced the 29-year-old at £50m, and if Newcastle were to table such an offer, they might just find themselves in an interesting position.

Why Newcastle want Ollie Watkins

Consistently one of the Premier League’s most dangerous forwards over the past few years, Watkins would bring experience and dynamism to a Newcastle side in need of just his profile.

Principally a central striker, Watkins’ high-energy running and ability to play through the lines have seen him deployed on the left flank in Unai Emery’s Villan system. This is perfect for Howe, who likes to shuffle his offensive pack.

The 22-year-old Ekitike scored 22 goals and assisted 12 more across all competitions last season, but he’s still an uncut gem, only really having displayed the full extent of his quality across one campaign at the highest level.

Watkins, conversely, is proven across five years in ostensibly the toughest league in the world.

24/25

38 (31)

16

8

23/24

37 (37)

19

13

22/23

37 (36)

15

6

21/22

35 (33)

11

2

20/21

37 (37)

14

5

The Three Lions star has even been described by podcaster Rohan Jivan as “one of the best centre-forwards in Europe”, with his completeness and experience at the highest level exactly what Newcastle need to one-up their previous campaign.

It’s not going to be easy, for sure, but the Toon are now shaping into one of the recognised big hitters in the Premier League, fixed at the top end of the table.

Ekitike is undoubtedly one of the biggest talents in the business, but given his extortionate pricing and indeed the chances that he might not immediately acclimatise to the English game, bagging Watkins to provide instantaneous results might be the best course of action for Howe’s ambitious plans.

Dream Scalvini alternative: Newcastle make approach for "dominant" £25m CB

Newcastle are looking to strengthen at the back this summer

1 ByJoe Nuttall Jul 9, 2025

Match details

West Indies vs Afghanistan
Gros Islet, 8.30pm local

Big picture – Battle of two unbeaten teams

With a line-up packed with power-hitters from top to bottom, West Indies have always been the prototype of a perfect T20 batting side, and it’s no different at T20 World Cup 2024. Add the incisive fast bowlers and effective spinners and they look like the team to beat.The balance of the Rovman-Powell-led team resembles the ones they had during their title-winning runs in 2012 and 2016. Samuel Badree gave them successful starts with the ball with his legspin then, a role Akeal Hosein has assumed this time with his left-arm orthodox. It may not be a mere coincidence that Daren Sammy, who captained West Indies to the title in those two editions, is at the helm as head coach now.Related

• Hazratullah Zazai replaces injured Mujeeb in Afghanistan squad

• Time for Johnson Charles to put on a show

With all Super Eight spots decided, West Indies’ clash against Afghanistan has little significance. But try telling that to the players that. “Momentum” and “pride” were the keywords in the pre-match press conference that Powell and Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott addressed.Afghanistan will have tough competition in the Super Eight round, having been clubbed alongside India, Australia and Bangladesh, and will want to carry positive vibes into it. Having enjoyed an unbeaten run thus far, neither team will want to trip up heading into the business end of the competition.

Form guide

West Indies WWWWW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Afghanistan WWWWW

In the spotlight – Rovman Powell and Rashid Khan

Among those in the current squad, only Nicholas Pooran (1914) and Brandon King (1365) have more T20I runs for West Indies than Rovman Powell (1351). Pooran (487) and King (621) also are the top scorers for them in T20Is since January 2023 with Powell (461) at third. But Powell’s strike rate of 163.47 is far superior to that of the other two, which highlights his destructive powers. However, he is yet to fire in this World Cup – 39 runs in three matches at a strike rate of 105.40. A decent hit ahead of the Super Eight will bode well for the co-hosts.Rashid Khan has six wickets in this World Cup, and all of them have come in the middle overs. In his T20I career, he has only nine wickets in eight matches against West Indies. They are one of only four teams against whom Rashid averages in the 20s. But against a line-up dominated by right-hand batters, Rashid should be licking his lips to have a perfect outing.Will Rashid Khan be effective against West Indies’ power-hitters?•ICC via Getty Images

Team news

Barring any last-minute injuries, both teams are likely to be unchanged. It could perhaps be a last chance for Johnson Charles to come good, with Shai Hope waiting in the wings.West Indies (probable): 1 Brandon King, 2 Johnson Charles, 3 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 4 Roston Chase, 5 Rovman Powell (capt), 6 Andre Russell, 7 Sherfane Rutherford, 8 Akeal Hosein, 9 Romario Shepherd, 10 Alzarri Joseph, 11 Gudakesh Motie.Afghanistan (probable): 1 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 2 Ibrahim Zadran, 3 Gulbadin Naib, 4 Azmatullah Omarzai, 5 Mohammad Nabi, 6 Najibullah Zadran, 7 Karim Janat, 8 Rashid Khan (capt), 9 Noor Ahmad, 10 Naveen-ul-Haq, 11 Fazalhaq Farooqi.

Pitch and conditions

The pitches so far in Gros Islet have been more conducive for batting than most at this World Cup, with teams scoring 180 or more in three out of four innings. At this venue, teams generally prefer to bowl first after winning the toss. In 14 T20s since the start of 2022, only twice have teams opted to bat first. But the results have been mixed: teams batting first have won six times and teams bowling first have also won six times, while two games were washed out.There’s no threat of rain on Monday but expect it to be a bit windy, as was the case in the last two games here.1:34

Bishop: Hard to name someone with Farooqi’s skillset

Stats that matter

• Since the start of 2023, West Indies’ run rate of 11.94 in the death overs (17-20) is the highest among all participating teams in this World Cup.
• Afghanistan have been the most frugal spin-bowling team at this World Cup with an economy rate of 4.88. West Indies are next-best at 5.04.
• Rahmanullah Gurbaz has a strike rate of 148.48 (49 runs off 33 balls, one dismissal) against left-arm spin at this World Cup. With West Indies having Akeal Hosein and Gudakesh Motie in their line-up, it will be an interesting match-up.
  

  Quotes

  “We start with Akeal Hosein. His strength is predominantly in the powerplay and while he does such good work in the powerplay, right as we come out the powerplay is Gudakesh Motie’s time. So it’s like Akeal Hosein passing the baton to Gudakesh Motie and it’s been very good so far. When we sat down as a selection group and picked the World Cup team, we picked both knowing the role that they would play on these Caribbean wickets.”
  “I said to them, ‘When you were a youngster and I said you were going to play against West Indies in St Lucia in a World Cup, you would have bitten someone’s hand off for that opportunity. So don’t let this opportunity pass you by just because there’s nothing on the line with regards to qualification.”

Several ICC officials have visited Pakistan to inspect arrangements and, it is understood, the PCB has received positive feedback

Danyal Rasool10-Jun-2024

The PCB has proposed a February 19 start to the Champions Trophy next year in Pakistan. ESPNcricinfo understands the PCB has pencilled the tournament to be played from February 19 to March 9, across Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore. Karachi will host three games, including the tournament opener as well as a semi-final, while Lahore plays host to seven, including the final. The other semi-final will be one of five contests to take place at Pindi Cricket Ground.Several ICC officials have visited Pakistan to inspect arrangements to host the first ICC tournament in Pakistan since the 1996 World Cup. They include security and event officials as well as chief pitch inspector Andy Atkinson, and it is understood the PCB has received positive feedback from the ICC concerning logistics and arrangement, allowing it to press ahead with its plans.The current dates, should they be finalised, mean the last third of the tournament will he held during Ramadan, just as the knockout stage of the PSL was last year. Some knockout games in Karachi saw an extremely low turnout during Ramadan. The PCB did try and accommodate for that by moving start times to a later 9pm, though with the Champions Trophy being an ODI tournament, that will not be possible. That means large parts of games will take place during the sunrise to sunset window where players observing Ramadan cannot eat or drink.As ESPNcricinfo reported earlier, every game involving India at the tournament is slated to take place in Lahore. This means one semi-final will be moved from Karachi or Rawalpindi to Lahore should India qualify for the last four. Basing India in one city is thought to have been proposed because it avoids what could be considerable logistical and security complications around their travel. Additionally, by being based in Lahore, which is close to the Wagah border crossing between the two countries, it allows Indian fans a relatively easier option to visit.As ever the main question in the run-up to the event will surround India’s participation. The Indian team has not played in Pakistan since the Asia Cup in 2008, and there has been no bilateral series between the two since a white-ball visit by Pakistan in 2012-13. When the PCB hosted the Asia Cup last year, the workaround involved deploying a hybrid model that saw the bulk of the games – including all of India’s – take place in Sri Lanka with the final, which India won, held in Colombo. The BCCI has maintained the decision to travel to Pakistan rests in the hands of the Indian government.Every side other than India involved in the upcoming Champions Trophy has travelled to Pakistan since cricket returned to the country in 2015. Pakistan will also host an ODI tri-series featuring South Africa and New Zealand before the tournament.Pakistan are the defending champions, having won the last Champions Trophy in 2017.

Arsenal have reignited discussions over signing a highly-rated previous target with Andrea Berta heavily involved in the decision, according to a report this week.

Arsenal target new forwards for Mikel Arteta this summer

The Gunners are already reliably believed to be closing in on a deal for Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that the Spain international will be Berta’s first signing of the summer.

Related Fabrizio Romano: Arsenal submit opening £1m+ offer for "exceptional" gem

The Gunners have made a bid for a Premier League youngster, who is attracting the attention of several clubs.

Posts ByDominic Lund May 13, 2025

As Mikel Arteta prepares to welcome his compatriot to N5, Berta appears set to carry on with his task of improving Arsenal’s squad across the board.

GiveMeSport recently reported that Arsenal could spend up to £300 million on seven new signings under Berta, as the 53-year-old attempts to make a splash over his debut summer at the club.

Race for Champions League qualification with 2 games remaining

Points

2. Arsenal

68

3. Newcastle United

66

4. Man City

65

5. Chelsea

63

6. Aston Villa

63

7. Nottingham Forest

62

Among the transfer chief’s top priorities is the potential acquisition of two new wingers, one for either side of Arsenal’s front three, and a goalscoring centre-forward.

Arteta is also known to value versatility in his players, leaving little surprise that Arsenal are rumoured fans of Wolves star Matheus Cunha.

The Brazilian has featured in practically every attacking role under Vitor Pereira this term, scoring a career-best 17 goals and bagging a further six assists in the top flight, and his £62.5 million release clause arguably makes him one of the snips of 2025.

However, it is widely believed that Man United are clear frontrunners to sign Cunha, and are working hard on a deal for the ex-Atletico Madrid star as they attempt to beat off competition.

News of the 25-year-old’s future has gone fairly quiet lately, though, which has led to speculation that Arsenal could hijack United’s move for Cunha.

Arsenal reignite Matheus Cunha discussions with Andrea Berta involved

According to journalist Dean Jones, writing for GiveMeSport, Arsenal have indeed “reignited” interest in Cunha.

Berta is said to be heavily involved in this call, prompting Arsenal “conversations” to “reopen” over signing Cunha, even if there are still some reservations in some sectors of the Emirates Stadium hierarchy.

Lauded for his “sensational” footballing IQ, it is clear to see why Berta remains keen on a swoop for the South American, but GMS also report that United can still be seen as pole position suitors, as Cunha is believed to be very keen on a move to Old Trafford.

The unpredictable nature of transfers these days means you cannot completely rule Arsenal out until the ink is dry on Cunha’s contract with United, so this story could be one to keep tabs on as we fast approach the first window’s opening on June 1.

Tottenham Hotspur are being handed a boost in the chase for a key transfer target also wanted by Man City, with the player said to be considering a move to north London behind-the-scenes.

Tottenham face Nottingham Forest after Europa League triumph

Under-fire Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou was given some rare breathing room after his side put in a dogged display to overcome Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final on Thursday.

Tottenham: Thierry Henry-like striker facing exit with Spurs ready to bid

The Lilywhites want to take full advantage.

By
Emilio Galantini

Apr 19, 2025

A penalty by Dominic Solanke was eventually enough to send the Lilywhites into their first Europa League semi-final since 1984, with Tottenham showcasing the much-needed mature defensive qualities which they’ve lacked all campaign.

Postecoglou’s future remains in the balance, but the Australian could still make good on his promise of always winning silverware during his second season in charge.

A tough test in Bodo/Glimt awaits Tottenham in the semis, and despite their minnow status, they cannot be taken lightly – having just knocked out Serie A giants Lazio.

“From our perspective, we’ve had a difficult season and I think there’s some reasoning behind that. It was pretty evident that when we’ve got our strongest team out there, a lot of things we’ve suffered with this year I’m sure we wouldn’t have,” said Postecoglou on Tottenham’s chances of winning the Europa League.

“The spine of our team, at times we’ve been missing Vicario, Romero, Van de Ven, Bentancur, Solanke, all of them we’ve been missing at different times this year.

“We’ve got the whole group. It’s not just them, it’s the whole group together. We know that we can be a team that’s pretty compelling against anybody. We’re in the final four now, so we’ve given ourselves a chance.”

Before their all-important battle against the Norwegians, which could make or break their season, Spurs have two tough Premier League tests in Nottingham Forest and champions elect Liverpool.

Postecoglou will be looking to maintain the positive mood around N17 after their quarter-final triumph, and hopefully not add more top flight defeats to their record after already losing 17 this term.

Hugo Larsson now considering move to Tottenham this summer

Summer transfer targets will also be keeping a keen eye on Tottenham’s end to the season, and one of them is believed to be Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Larsson.

The versatile Sweden midfielder is a mainstay for Dino Toppmoller’s side, racking up 40 appearances in all competitions, and he’s done enough to earn himself a £50 million price tag and interest from Man City (Pete O’Rourke).

However, according to GiveMeSport, the 20-year-old is also a wanted man at Spurs. As per their sources, Larsson is privately considering a move to Tottenham, so he’s fully aware of their interest, and it is claimed that Postecoglou’s side are now “increasingly confident” they can tempt him to N17 as a result.

Predominantly a defensive midfielder, the Scandinavian starlet has already drawn comparisons with Rodri, and Football Analyst Ben Mattinson believes Larsson is “one of the most exciting talents” to come out of Sweden in recent years.

However, Chelsea are also believed to be in race for Larsson, so there is plenty of competition.

India’s defeat at the MCG made 2024-25 one of their worst seasons in Test cricket

Sampath Bandarupalli30-Dec-20245 – Test defeats for India in 2024-25, equalling their record (from 1999-2000) for most losses in a season. Sachin Tendulkar and Rohit Sharma are the only India captains with five Test defeats in a season.6 – Number of innings in 2024 in which India have been dismissed for less than 160, the joint-most for them in a calendar year after 1952 and 1959.2014-15 – The last time Australia won more than one match in a Test series against India. Since then, Australia have lost four bilateral series against India 2-1.3 – Players with 40-plus scores and three or more wickets in both innings of a Test for Australia: George Giffen in the 1894 Sydney Test against England, Alan Davidson in the 1960 Brisbane Test against West Indies, and now Pat Cummins against India at the MCG. Only 14 players have pulled off this all-round feat in Test cricket.1007 – Number of balls faced by the two teams in Melbourne after the fall of the sixth wicket. This has happened just one other time since 1998 – 1066 by England and India in the 2014 Nottingham Test (complete data for fall-of-wicket is available only since 1998).