Peter Crouch turned heads when the ex-Liverpool man turned up as a mascot for a non-league team after losing his Fantasy Football league.
Crouch last in Fantasy Football leagueEx-Liverpool man told to do a forfeitActs as mascot for non-league sideFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The ex-England international finished bottom of his fantasy football league with That Peter Crouch Podcast hosts, Chris Stark and Steve Sidwell. As a punishment, the 6ft 7in star walked out as a mascot for Farnham Town before their Southern League Premier Division South game against Sholing on Saturday.
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The popular former Stoke City ace took part in pre-match player meet and greets, was part of a half-time show, and ate dinner with the other mascots. And best of all, the 44-year-old wore a Farnham kit to blend in with the Surrey outfit, to the delight of many at Memorial Ground. Incidentally, the game ended in in a 2-2 draw.
WHAT CROUCH SAID
Alongside a clip of him walking onto the pitch before kick-off, Crouch tweeted: "Having the best day at Farnham Town today as mascot."
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WHAT NEXT?
Crouch's actions went viral on social media, with many praising the big man. Some may wonder if the retired footballer will be attending any more Farnham games this season, as they try to secure promotion from the seventh tier of English football.
Marco Jansen is the big gainer this week, rising in both the Test bowlers’ and allrounders’ tables after his Durban starrer
ESPNcricinfo staff04-Dec-2024Harry Brook’s 171 in the first innings of England’s win over New Zealand in Christchurch has taken him up two spots to No. 2 on the ICC Test batters’ table, and with No. 1 Joe Root scoring 0 and 23 not out in the same game, the gap between the two has come down to just 41 rating points.With Brook emerging as Root’s closest challenger, and the Australia vs India Border-Gavaskar Trophy series taking a long break between Tests one and two, Yashasvi Jaiswal, who had risen to No. 2 after his 161 in India’s Perth Test win, has dropped to No. 4, Brook’s earlier position. Kane Williamson stays in third spot after scoring 93 and 61 in Christchurch.Over in Durban, South Africa beat Sri Lanka by 233 runs in the first Test – after bowling them out for 42 in the first innings – and the heroes of that win have made gains within the top ten.ESPNcricinfo LtdTemba Bavuma scored 70 and 113 in that Test, and that gave him a 14-spot boost and a place in the top ten at No. 10. Marco Jansen was the Player of the Match in Durban for his returns of 7 for 13 and 4 for 73, and that made him move up 19 positions on the bowlers’ table to ninth, and also took him up to second place – behind Ravindra Jadeja – on the allrounders’ table.Full rankings tables
Click here for the full team rankings
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For South Africa, Tristan Stubbs, who scored 122 in the second innings against Sri Lanka, also rose 29 spots to No. 42 among batters.It wasn’t all bad for Sri Lanka, with Kamindu Mendis moving up two spots among batters despite a poor show in Durban. He scored 13 in the first innings (the only Sri Lanka batter to get into double-digits) and 10 in the second, but it was still enough for him to jump past Steven Smith and Saud Shakeel to seventh place. Dinesh Chandimal, meanwhile, rose two places to 17th as a result of his second-innings 83.
Leeds United manager Daniel Farke has made no secret of the fact that he would like to see the club bring in more attackers before the end of the summer transfer window.
At the time of writing, Lukas Nmecha is the only attacker signed by the Whites so far, having joined on a free transfer from Wolfsburg early on in the window.
The Championship champions have still yet to replace Manor Solomon, who returned to Spurs at the end of his loan spell last season, with a new winger to bolster the squad.
However, Farke is reportedly on course to land a new option to pick from in the centre-forward position, in the form of free agent Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
The Athletic’s David Ornstein reports that the former England international is set to undergo a medical before completing a switch to Elland Road.
It currently remains to be seen whether or not he will be signed in time to make his debut against his former club at Elland Road in the Premier League on Monday.
What Dominic Calvert-Lewin could bring to Leeds
Above all else, Calvert-Lewin is a proven Premier League striker who has been there and done it in the division over a number of years at Everton.
The 28-year-old star scored 71 goals in 273 matches in all competitions during his time with the Toffees, as per Transfermarkt, and will bring experience that Farke does not currently have in that position with Nmecha and Joel Piroe.
Even when he is not at his best from a technical perspective, the 6 foot 2 marksman will also provide a physical presence in the number nine position for Leeds. As per Sofascore, the forward won 3.3 aerial duels per game at a success rate of 51% in the top-flight last term, which shows that he can hold his own against towering defenders.
However, there may be some understandable concerns about his goalscoring record over the last four seasons or so, as he has been far from prolific of late.
24/25
26
3
23/24
32
7
22/23
17
2
21/22
17
5
20/21
33
16
19/20
36
13
18/19
35
6
17/18
32
4
16/17
11
1
As you can see in the table above, Calvert-Lewin has not hit double figures for goals in the Premier League since the 2020/21 campaign, when fans were not allowed in grounds, and only scored three times last season.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin in action for Everton.
This suggests that Leeds will need plenty of creativity in their side to ensure that enough chances are created to boost the English striker’s output, and a fresh report suggests that they could be on course to add a big creative threat.
Leeds have held talks to sign Championship star
According to CaughtOffside, Leeds United have already held talks with the representatives of Leicester City attacking midfielder Bilal El Khannouss.
The report claims that the Whites have already offered contract terms to the Morocco international, with a £50k-per-week deal waiting for him at Elland Road if he opts to make the move.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
It adds that the number ten has a £24.5m release clause in his contract with the Championship side, and that the West Yorkshire outfit are willing to pay it to snap him up this summer.
CaughtOffside reveals, though, that Newcastle United, RB Leipzig, and Borussia Dortmund are also interested in the 21-year-old playmaker, which means that it will not be an easy deal for Leeds to get over the line.
It is now down to the Championship champions to convince El Khannouss that a move to Elland Road is the best next step for him, and this report suggests that is exactly what they are trying to do at this moment in time.
Why Calvert-Lewin would love El Khannouss
Signing the Leicester playmaker shortly after agreeing a deal to sign Calvert-Lewin on a free transfer could make a lot of sense, because they have the potential to strike up a partnership for the Whites in the upcoming season.
El Khannouss is an attacking midfielder who plays behind the striker, as a number ten in Farke’s 4-2-3-1 system, and this means that he would be directly behind the former Everton man and tasked with supplying him with chances to score.
Leicester City's BilalElKhannoussin action
As aforementioned, Calvert-Lewin has not been in the best of form in front of goal in recent seasons, which means that it is imperative that the Whites supply him with plenty of opportunities to get him back on the goal trail and back to his best.
El Khannouss may have been relegated from the Premier League with the Foxes in the 2024/25 campaign, but he was still able to showcase his quality at the top end of the pitch.
The 21-year-old talent delivered three goals and five assists in all competitions for Leicester, per Sofascore, but his underlying numbers in the Premier League were even more eye-catching.
xAG
0.19
Top 46%
Assists
0.12
Bottom 35%
Passes attempted
43.85
Top 15%
Progressive passes
5.28
Top 14%
Passes into the final third
3.67
Top 10%
Key passes
1.73
Top 37%
Through balls
0.45
Top 16%
As you can see in the table above, El Khannouss ranked highly among his positional peers in a host of creative metrics in the top-flight, but was not rewarded with the assists that his excellent play deserved.
These statistics show that the Moroccan youngster is an attacking midfielder who likes to find his teammates in dangerous positions in the final third, with progressive passes, key passes, and through balls to cut open opposition defences on a regular basis.
Leicester City's BilalElKhannoussin action with Crystal Palace's Chris Richards
His creative prowess was on display for Leicester in their opening game of the Championship season against Sheffield Wednesday, as he recorded two assists and created three ‘big chances’ in a 2-1 win for his side, per Sofascore.
The £24.5m-rated talent would be a dream for Calvert-Lewin, therefore, because he has the creativity, the passing quality, and the Premier League experience to be a dream number ten for the striker to play ahead of.
Mark Viduka 2.0: Leeds have growing interest in "relentless" £21m star
Leeds United have a growing interest in a star who could be Mark Viduka 2.0 at Elland Road.
ByDan Emery Aug 13, 2025
Whilst it will then be down to the forward to make the most of those chances, the former Everton man will be delighted to have a player who can consistently tee him up for shots at goal.
Paris Saint-Germain director Luis Campos has revealed that Neymar was given a shock farewell back in the summer of 2023 by the head coach Luis Enrique. The Parisians were set to embark on a new project under the Spaniard, which would focus on utilising youth prospects rather spend lumpsums on star players.
What did Luis Enrique say to Neymar?
Enrique was appointed as the new PSG manager in 2023 and a month later, Neymar was sold to Saudi Pro League giants Al-Hilal for €90 million. The Brazilian, who had joined PSG back in 2017 from Barcelona, was handed a harsh farewell by Enrique himself, who said at that time that it’s good that he is leaving. Campos said to : "Luis Enrique was the first to tell Neymar: 'It's good that you're leaving.' He told him face to face. Because he thinks about football differently, playing as a team, playing whoever was the best in training during the week."
AdvertisementAFPNeymar failed to win Champions League with PSG
The Brazilian won five Ligue 1 titles across his six-year stay in the French capital but despite the presence of him, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi, PSG were unable to win the Champions League until after all three were gone. In their first year without any of the star trio, Enrique guided the club to European success as well as a clean sweep of domestic trophies.
New era under Enrique and Campos
After their maiden Champions League title – won with a record 5-0 victory over Inter in the final – PSG are hopeful of maintaining their domestic and continental dominance after taking a new direction with their transfer strategy.
Joining the club in 2022, Campos has spearheaded the change in strategy. He said recently: "We're going to protect PSG. We always want to play well and win matches. With this policy, everyone understands that the coach doesn't give priority based on a player's status or background. It's not your background that will make you a starter at PSG. That's our policy."
He added: "We have a lot more direct play today. We need to get height, a player comfortable on the ball. We need more solutions and variables. The star is the club, it's the whole squad. That's what we put in place with the agreement of the management. We don't rule out recruiting a star, but it's up to them to adapt to the PSG machine. We're helping Luis impose this philosophy."
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Getty Images SportWhere is Neymar now?
Neymar is currently playing for his childhood club Santos in the Brasileirao. However, despite being fit enough, he wasn’t named in Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil squad for the September international break.
Tottenham players have been assigned small three-digit numbers, which are printed on the back of their shirts. The numbers are unique to each player and they have been sporting them since 2023. After finishing 17th in the Premier League in a dismal 2024-25 campaign, Spurs have made a strong start to the new season, sitting third in the table after five matches.
Spurs players wearing unique three-digit numbers
Every Spurs player has been given a unique three-digit number, which is printed just below the collar on the back of their shirts (except summer signing Kota Takai, who has yet to be assigned one). The players have been carrying those numbers on their shirts since their 2-1 win over Crystal Palace in 2023.
AdvertisementAFPWhy Tottenham stars have small numbers on their back
The small three-digit numbers on the back of the players' shirts are called "legacy numbers". The numbers are assigned once they make their competitive debuts for the Premier League side. Tottenham started the initiative to commemorate the contributions of every player who has represented the club.
Simons & Kolo Muani latest to be assigned legacy numbers
New signings Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani were the latest Spurs stars to be assigned the "legacy numbers". While Simons was given 898 on his debut in their recent win over West Ham, Kolo Muani got 899 when making his bow in their Champions League clash against Villarreal.
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Getty Images SportUp next for Spurs: Doncaster then Wolves
After a thrilling 2-2 draw against Brighton at the weekend, Thomas Frank's Spurs side will now turn their attention to a clash with Doncaster in the Carabao Cup third round. Tottenham are due back in Premier League action at home to Wolves three days later.
Oval Invincibles and Birmingham Phoenix will be first teams for sale on January 30
Nagraj Gollapudi27-Jan-2025The Hundred’s sales process is approaching completion, with the ECB inviting prospective investors in the eight franchises to submit final bids over the next two weeks, starting with two teams – Oval Invincibles and Birmingham Phoenix – as soon as Thursday (January 30).On Sunday, the ECB shared the formula for the final round of bids with the group of investors who were shortlisted by the eight host venues for 49% stakes in their franchise. A live, virtual auction process will be held for the franchises where more than two investors remain in the process. For those where only two parties remain, both will submit sealed bids.ESPNcricinfo has learned that two-time men’s Hundred winners Invincibles and Phoenix will be the first two franchises to go on sale, as part of the ECB’s third and final round of the bidding process. As per the schedule, the final round of bidding will be conducted online between January 30 and February 10.It is understood that the Invincibles and Phoenix bids will be held at separate times, but both on the same day. London Spirit and Welsh Fire will be put up for bidding on Friday (January 31). Manchester Originals, Northern Superchargers and Trent Rockets are slated for Monday, February 3, while Southern Brave are listed as the last franchise up for bidding, on February 10.How will the winning bid be decided?In its latest communication to the shortlisted investors, the ECB is understood to have said it was “revising” the approach in the final round to pick the winning bid for franchises where there are more than two investors in the fray. In such a case, a live auction will be conducted to pick the winner.The investors will make incremental bids online, but, importantly, the starting bid, the ECB said, will be above the “agreed” floor price or reserve price. The winning bidder will emerge once the rival investors drop out. For franchises with only two investors on the shortlist, each will need to make a sealed bid with the winner determined based on the highest entry value.Successful bidders at this final stage will enter into a period of exclusivity with their respective host venue. Both parties will negotiate long-form agreements with the ECB, a process which is likely to take several weeks. Even if deals are completed before the Hundred starts in August, the 2025 season is expected to be a transitional year with no changes to team names or kits, for example.The ECB added that the roster for the sale of the teams was sequenced in such a manner that both the investor and the host county were best placed to land their “preferred partner”.Manchester United co-owner eyes London SpiritLondon Spirit, the defending champions in the women’s Hundred, are expected to emerge as the most valuable franchise in the process. Their home ground is Lord’s and their host club is MCC, who have stated their intention to remain majority shareholders in the franchise after their members voted to accept a 51% stake late last year.ESPNcricinfo understands that Lancer Capital, owned by Manchester United co-owner Avram Glazer, is on the shortlist for a stake in the Spirit. Glazer made his first successful foray in the T20 franchise circuit when he bought Desert Vipers in the UAE-based ILT20 in 2021, having previously missed out on an IPL franchise when the league expanded.Glazer will be vying for a 49% stake in Spirit with Sanjiv Goenka’s RPSG Group, which owns Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL, and a consortium of global tech giants including the chief executives of Google and Microsoft. Cain International, who have also been linked with a bid for a stake in the Spirit, were contacted for comment.ESPNcricinfo has also learned that Capri Global Holdings, an India-based non-banking financial company, is on the shortlist for Welsh Fire. The company owns Sharjah Warriorz in ILT20 and the UP Warriorz in the WPL. Meanwhile, Chennai Super Kings, who had originally shown interest in the process, have since opted out.The ECB hopes to raise a minimum of £350 million from the sale process, which will be split between all 18 first-class counties, MCC and the recreational game. Richard Gould, the ECB’s chief executive, said last month: “The aim is to raise significant investment that’s going into the game. My hope is this will recapitalise the county game for the next 20-25 years.”
Rangers supporters have certainly enjoyed their Europa League nights in recent seasons and, well, their side appear destined to return to their favourite competition.
On a truly disastrous Tuesday night at Ibrox, the Light Blues were demolished by Club Brugge in the first leg of their Champions League play-off, three down inside 20 minutes, before Danilo’s goal from close range shortly after the interval reduced the deficit, but could not spark a full-scale comeback.
The Brazilian was leading the line due to an injury suffered by Cyriel Dessers, while Hamza Igamane was only deemed fit enough to come off the bench on the hour mark, given that he’s still recovering from an injury of his own.
Nevertheless, both Dessers and Igamane have been strongly linked with moves away throughout the summer, the Light Blues rejecting a bid from Lille for the latter as recently as earlier this week, so perhaps Russell Martin will need to strengthen his attack.
Rangers' need for attacking firepower
Danilo’s consolation goal against Club Brugge was, remarkably, his first in a Rangers shirt since the demolition of Celtic all the way back on 2 January.
In total, since arriving from Feyenoord for around £6m two summers ago, the Brazilian has scored just 13 goals in 56 outings for the club, sitting out a whopping 58 matches due to various injury problems.
Appearances
56
Starts
24
Apps of 15 mins or fewer
11
Matches not in the squad
58
Matches an unused sub
11
Goals
13
European goals
2
Minutes per goal
185
Assists
10
Thus, should Dessers and Igamane both be sold, Rangers cannot rely on Danilo, both in terms of quality but also his availability.
Thus, according to reports, via the Sun, Rangers are interested in signing young Villarreal striker Karl Etta Eyong.
Reports in Spain claim that Swansea City have had a loan offer rejected, while Leeds United and Levante, as well as Rangers, are also interested in signing the 21-year-old.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
The Glasgow giants have already signed ten new players this summer, so could the centre-forward be the latest name added to that list?
What Karl Etta Eyong would bring to Rangers
Born in Cameroon, Etta Eyong began his senior career at Cádiz, primarily representing their B team, featuring only twice for the senior side, before swapping one Yellow Submarine for another last summer.
Well, fair to say, he caught the eye playing for Villarreal B in the Spanish third-tier, scoring 17 goals in 30 Primera Federación appearances, thereby the division’s second-highest scorer, behind only Club World Cup star Gonzalo García of Real Madrid.
As a result, he was rewarded with his senior debut in April before, in only his second substitute outing in La Liga, heading home a last-gasp winner against Girona at Montilivi that was key to his side securing Champions League qualification.
Now, following the sale of Thierno Barry, the 21-year-old started a La Liga match for the very first time last Friday night, again breaking the deadlock with a header as Villarreal beat newly-promoted Real Oviedo 2-0 at Estadio de la Cerámica.
Thus, he has been labelled both an “exciting talent” and a “physical beast”, with writer Kai Watson describing him as a “powerful penalty box striker”, impressed by his “determination” and “anticipation” in the penalty area.
As all Spanish clubs continue to tighten the purse strings, in an attempt to comply with La Liga’s Draconian squad cost limit regulations, Villarreal would surely be open to selling the youngster, whose estimated transfer value is around £5.6m.
Signing Etta Eyong would of course be a risk, as he’s certainly not proven himself consistently at a high level, but he could turn out to be an absolute bargain in the long run.
Hamza Igamane, for example, arrived from Botola Pro side AS Far 12 months ago for just £1.7m, and could now be sold for around £15m, which is exactly the type of recruitment Rangers need to be targeting if they’re going to compete with Celtic financially.
Danilo is offering very little as Rangers’ centre-forward, that we know. He’s the third choice centre-forward without any injuries, so if Etta Eyong did arrive and thrive in Glasgow, it would surely only be bad news for him.
Not Djiga: Rangers must axe star who "looks like he's hasn't kicked a ball"
As Rangers’ Champions League hopes went up in flames, beaten 3-1 by Club Brugge, a summer signing “looks like he’s hasn’t kicked a ball before”.
The summer transfer window has been a turbulent one for Newcastle United.
Having worked tirelessly to strengthen multiple areas of the squad, the Magpies remain under pressure to solve their most glaring issue: the centre-forward position.
After a protracted saga with Alexander Isak, Newcastle have found themselves scrambling for solutions.
The opening two fixtures highlighted the depth of this crisis. Despite playing well against Aston Villa and Liverpool, Newcastle lacked a clinical edge.
The situation was made worse when makeshift striker Anthony Gordon was sent off against the Reds, leaving 22-year-old William Osula as the only recognised forward.
For a club intent on challenging at the top end of the Premier League, such frailty up front was unsustainable. That urgency forced Newcastle’s hand.
Out of nowhere, a £69m deal was struck with Stuttgart for Nick Woltemade, the towering 23-year-old who had impressed in the Bundesliga and at the European U21 Championships.
Bayern Munich had bids rejected for the forward earlier in the summer, but conversations with Eddie Howe convinced him that his future lay on Tyneside.
Now in a race against time to complete his medical and join the squad for Saturday’s clash with Leeds, Woltemade has the potential to be transformative.
Yet Newcastle’s ambitions do not stop with the German international.
Reports in Italy suggest the club tested the waters for one of Europe’s most decorated strikers – though the answer was swift and emphatic.
Newcastle make move for top-level striker
According to Calcio Mercato, Newcastle made an audacious approach to the camp of Lautaro Martínez, Inter Milan’s talismanic striker.
Inter Milan'sLautaroMartinez applauds their fans
The response, however, was one of firm rejection. Alejandro Camaño, the Argentine’s agent, did not return the Magpies’ call – a clear indication that Martínez’s focus remains solely on the Nerazzurri.
The refusal is hardly surprising.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Martínez is not only Inter’s captain but also he is a player adored by supporters and widely considered indispensable.
Podcaster Angelo Valdes recently described him as “the best No. 9 in the world,” a sentiment shared by many who have watched his rise since arriving in Serie A.
The timing of Newcastle’s approach is also telling.
Inter are still recovering from a bruising campaign in which they lost the Serie A title to Antonio Conte’s Napoli on the final day and fell to a humbling 5-0 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final.
Letting go of their most consistent goal threat was never a realistic proposition, particularly given his contract security and market value of around €95 (£90m) million.
Strong interest remains in Wolves’ Jørgen Strand Larsen and Brentford’s Yoane Wissa, though both clubs have shut the door firmly this summer.
In that context, the dream of pairing Woltemade with Martínez might have seemed appealing – but in reality, it was always a step too far.
Why Woltemade would have thrived with Lautaro
While the Argentine international may be out of reach, Newcastle’s recruitment of Woltemade still provides intriguing possibilities.
Standing at 1.98m, the German forward offers a physical presence that contrasts with Martínez’s dynamism and low centre of gravity.
Both, however, are effective in their own right, and a comparison of their output last season reveals the distinct qualities they could bring to a top-level side.
Matches Played
31
28
Goals
12
12
Assists
3
2
Progressive Carries
34
31
Progressive Passes
68
62
Martínez’s pedigree is undisputed. At 28, he boasts 70 international caps for Argentina, with a World Cup winner’s medal from Qatar 2022.
Across 336 appearances for Inter Milan, he has delivered 154 goals and 51 assists – a record that speaks volumes about his consistency.
Statistically, Martínez excels in areas beyond pure goalscoring.
Lautaro-Martinez
He averaged 2.39 progressive passes per 90 and 2.70 shot-creating actions, while his defensive contribution – 1.05 tackles per 90 – illustrates his work rate out of possession.
He is not the archetypal penalty-box poacher but a complete forward capable of linking play and setting the tone with his pressing. By contrast, Woltemade is still carving out his identity.
His 12 goals in 28 Bundesliga appearances for Stuttgart last season marked a breakthrough, and his performances at the U21 European Championships confirmed him as one of Germany’s most promising attacking talents.
His statistical profile highlights his potential versatility: 1.72 progressive carries per 90, 2.89 progressive passes, and an eye-catching 4.38 shot-creating actions.
His 50% shot-on-target rate was also superior to Martínez’s, suggesting efficiency when chances came his way. The differences extend to physicality and style.
Where Martínez relies on sharp movement and explosive bursts in the box, Woltemade thrives on aerial duels, hold-up play, and the ability to bring others into the game.
At nearly two metres tall, he offers a target-man option that Newcastle have lacked, particularly useful when matches become attritional.
His weakness, however, lies in defensive contribution – registering just 0.56 tackles per 90 compared to Martínez’s 1.05.
For Howe, this presents both challenges and opportunities.
Integrating a young striker into the Premier League is no easy task, but Woltemade’s profile complements Newcastle’s existing attacking talent.
Newcastle duo Harvey Barnes and Jacob Murphy
Should Isak depart – as appears inevitable – a partnership between Woltemade and another dynamic forward could provide the balance required to keep Newcastle competitive domestically and in Europe.
What this episode ultimately reveals is Newcastle’s growing ambition. Contacting the representative of one of the world’s premier strikers may have ended in rejection, but it signals intent.
Coupled with the acquisition of Woltemade, alongside earlier arrivals such as Jacob Ramsey, Malick Thiaw, Aaron Ramsdale, and Anthony Elanga, the Magpies are determined to push forward despite setbacks.
Bruno will love him: Newcastle open talks to sign "£100m-plus footballer"
Newcastle could make an ambitious late move, much to the benefit of Bruno Guimaraes.
GOAL reviews the major takeaways from Americans playing in Europe, including Pulisic's continued dominance
There’s no slowing Christian Pulisic right now, and we’re running out of superlatives for the American star. Simply put, he’s a man in form.
Pulisic was once again the headliner in this weekend's slate of Americans Abroad, as the AC Milan star added a goal and an assist to his recent tally. With that, he's up to four goals and two assists in just four Serie A matches. Make no mistake about it: the U.S. men's national team star has been the league's best player to start this 2025-26 season.
He wasn't the only one with an assist this weekend, which turned out to be a fairly productive one for the USMNT stars in Europe. Gladbach's Joe Scally put on a show in the weekend's most chaotic game. Patrick Agyemang added another helper to his tally, too. And then there was Brenden Aaronson, who set up a goal, too, to silence some of the critics over in Leeds.
With USMNT camp looming, several Americans stepped up as the European season really gets into full swing heading into October.
GOAL looks at the major takeaways from this weekend's Americans Abroad.
AFPPulisic steals the show
Sunday was a statement game for Milan. Riding a strong start to the season, Milan had a date with Napoli, another Serie A contender. Win and maybe the world would believe and Milan was for real. Lose? Well, same old Milan.
In those types of games, it's vital that a team's best player steps up. That happened on Sunday, as Pulisic led from the front by playing his part in both goals.
The first was a picture-perfect assist just three minutes in.. It came after he broke free on the left-hand side, showing off his pace to drive the ball forward. Then came the pass, a ball right across the goal line to Alexis Saelemaekers that left little more than a tap-in.
Pulisic then got a goal of his own before the first half was over, netting his fourth goal in just three games. It proved vital. A second-half red card to Pervis Estupinan also handed Napoli a penalty but, despite the man disadvantage, Milan held onto the 2-1 lead after Kevin De Bruyne buried that spot kick with 30 minutes remaining in the match.
So, does this mean Milan is for real? Quite possibly. Pulisic, himself, appeared to allude to higher expectations for the club.
"It sends a message for sure,” Pulisic told CBS Sports Golazo after the result. “That we’re a good team, we’re a strong team, you know we can score goals, but we can defend like this. And we have a good spirit and I think it shows a lot for sure.”
As long as Pulisic is in this form, the answer is probably "yes." Right now, Milan have Serie A's most undefendable player. Pulisic proved that again on Sunday.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportScally's big attacking day
The questions about Joe Scally are almost universally on the attacking side of the ball. One performance doesn't answer those questions, of course, but the right back showed he can be a factor on that end of the pitch Saturday.
Scally provided two assists in Borussia Monchengladbach's 6-4 loss to Eintracht Frankfurt in what was surely the weekend's craziest game. While Gladbach were, in general, horrific defensively, Scally made some uncharacteristic contributions on the attacking end, setting up Gladbach's first and last goals from a right wingback position.
With the U.S. switching to a similar five-at-the-back look last camp, Scally's place seems far from guaranteed. He isn't traditionally an attacking presence. There are also options like Alex Freeman, Max Arfsten and even Tim Weah or Yunus Musah that can fill roles in those wide spots. Scally has a fight to earn a World Cup spot, even with his own versatility.
Those assists help.
Getty Images SportAn assist for Agyemang
In truth, a bulk of the credit goes to Ben Brereton Diaz. It was his touch and long-range finish that made the goal what it was, earning Derby County a 1-1 draw with Wrexham. But Patrick Agyemang's part in it has to be acknowledged, too, as he provided an assist that offered a good glimpse into what he can offer for his new club.
Agyemang's assist was a flicked on header, one that put Brereton Diaz through. From there, the Chilean international did the rest. Yet, it was Agyemang's play that helped Brereton Diaz make something out of nothing. That, at his core, is what the American forward can do: make things happen from nowhere due to his unique combination of physical and mental skillsets.
After making the big move to the Championship this summer, Agyemang is just getting started. This was his first start and just his third appearance but, in those three appearances, he's already provided two assists. Despite lacking fitness and sharpness, Agyemang is finding a way to impact games, which is a good sign for a player that will experience a crazy learning curve in his first season abroad.
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AFPRichards and Palace stand tall again
Over the last year or so, Liverpool have generally ran rampant through the Premier League. Few teams have given them problems. After this weekend, though, there's no arguing that Chris Richards and Crystal Palace are the biggest thorn in Arne Slot's side.
After already toppling in the Community Shield, Palace took it to Liverpool again, netting a late winner to earn a 2-1 win. Richards, again, was generally solid, although his inability to clear did lead to Liverpool's goal. Outside of that, though, the Palace defense was near perfect, effectively silencing stars Mohammed Salah and Alexander Isak throughout the game.
It continues Palace's insane run of form. The club has not lost a competitive match since April, claiming two trophies since while pushing all the way up to third to start this new Premier League season. In total, the run extends 18 games in all competitions. The continuing rise of Richards has played a big part in that, as the defender continues to impress alongside fellow stalwarts Marc Guehi and Maxence Lacroix in defense.
Defensively sound and talented enough in attack to scare even top sides like Liverpool, Palace are one of the Premier League's most dangerous teams.
Rashid Khan and Nicholas Pooran set to move teams to align with other global franchise ties
Matt Roller19-Feb-2025The Hundred’s incoming investors are already wielding their influence on the tournament, with several teams using a revamped recruitment system to sign players who represent their new partners’ other overseas franchises.The new ‘direct signing’ model allows each team to sign two players – one men’s, one women’s – among their retentions before next month’s draft. New joint-venture agreements are still being thrashed out but ESPNcricinfo has learned that several teams are already leaning on their partners’ global networks to recruit talent for the Hundred’s ‘transitional’ 2025 season.Rashid Khan has agreed a deal with double-defending champions Oval Invincibles, having played for their new co-owners Reliance’s teams in the ILT20, SA20 and MLC. Manchester Originals have been discussing a short-term deal for Nicholas Pooran, who plays for their new joint-venture partners RPSG Group’s IPL franchise, Lucknow Super Giants.Southern Brave, where the GMR Group are taking over, are working on a deal to bring in Faf du Plessis, who they signed in November for the IPL franchise they co-own, Delhi Capitals. Elsewhere, Welsh Fire are in talks with Steven Smith – who plays for new partners Washington Freedom in MLC – and hope to finalise his signing before Sunday’s deadline.Steven Smith is in talks with Welsh Fire•Major League CricketRashid and Pooran’s deals are particularly notable because they played for other Hundred teams last year: Trent Rockets and Northern Superchargers respectively. Rashid was the first pick at the Hundred’s inaugural draft back in 2019 and has been retained ever since, but is instead moving to The Oval.”The point of the direct signings was to attract high-end, better-quality overseas stars and I can only see it as a positive,” Daryl Mitchell, the chief executive of the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) told ESPNcricinfo. “There will be regulations in place, but there are always going to be relationships in cricket – long-standing ones in some cases.”Mitchell said it was “par for the course” for players to extend their links with global franchises, though he encouraged the ECB to pay close attention. “The way that players move has been going on in cricket for a long time. There are always relationships that are already established between directors of cricket, list managers or coaches with certain agents and certain players.”Related
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The ECB has raised top men’s salaries from £125,000 to £200,000 for 2025 to ensure that the Hundred can compete with MLC and the CPL (which overlaps) for talent. The PCA criticised incremental increases to lower salary as showing a “lack of respect” for domestic players in December and are pushing for further increases when new owners are fully ensconced in 2026.The moves represent the latest step in a gradual shift towards a global contracting network in the T20 franchise world, though others will play against teams affiliated to their own IPL franchise. Trent Boult, who has played for several Reliance teams, has signed for Birmingham Phoenix, while David Miller, Pooran’s LSG team-mate, is set to join Northern Superchargers.The same dynamic is not yet affecting English players, who cannot move directly from one team to another without relying on the uncertainty of the draft. But the ECB have previously told prospective investors that they may be able to lock in England players on multi-year contracts in future years, meaning some could move teams based on their associations with IPL franchises.
“There is an obvious opportunity for collaboration.”Manchester Originals chair James Sheridan on their new partnership with Lucknow Super Giants
Players have represented franchises across multiple leagues ever since Kolkata Knight Riders made the unprecedented move to buy the Trinidad and Tobago CPL team a decade ago. But the trend has accelerated in recent years, especially after the 2023 launches of both the ILT20 and SA20, where IPL owners are heavily represented.”If you take a very long-term worldview, maybe, at some point, it wouldn’t be crazy to see some kind of roll-up of these teams and a combination of these tournaments,” James Sheridan, who chairs Manchester Originals, said last week. “That would need tectonic plates to shift quite a lot. But it wouldn’t surprise me if, in 10 years’ time, we are looking at something like that.”Sheridan suggested that the Originals, the Super Giants and Lancashire will create “joint development activities” in the years to come, but cautioned: “Contracting isn’t as straightforward as people might think in franchise cricket. You’ve got auctions, you’ve got drafts… But there is an obvious opportunity for collaboration.”Insiders believe that the Hundred teams whose new owners do not have links to other franchises overseas will face challenges when recruiting in future as a result. This applies particularly to Rockets – who have signed Marcus Stoinis after losing Rashid – and Phoenix, with the pull of Lord’s playing in London Spirit’s favour under their new Silicon Valley co-owners.The Hundred’s eight franchises are valued at nearly £1 billion between them•Getty Images for ECBKane Williamson was announced as the Spirit’s new men’s captain this week, and his deal also covers a stint with Middlesex, who are MCC’s tenants at Lord’s. Some host counties are keen for closer alignment in personnel with their Hundred teams, both in domestic and overseas players, which Mitchell believes has already started to happen.”The reality is that over the last four or five years, there are probably elements of county players aligning with Hundred teams,” Mitchell said. Is that likely to continue? I’d have thought so. The host counties are potentially going to be in control of the budgets of both the county and the Hundred teams as well.”Mitchell said the PCA’s priority is to ensure that players retain confidence that Hundred squads will be picked on merit. “Over the next 12-18 months, it’s about making sure there are guard-rails in place to make sure players are picked on performance and that everyone’s got a fair shot of getting an opportunity.”The ECB will retain overall control of the Hundred but is forming a new committee with representation from each franchise, which will discuss issues like recruitment. There is a growing expectation that the draft could be tweaked or revamped after this season, with an open-market system and an auction both raised as potential alternatives.The influence of new owners in recruitment has largely been confirmed to the men’s Hundred so far, with the women’s franchise circuit still in a nascent phase. Amelia Kerr (Manchester Originals) and Laura Wolvaardt (Southern Brave) were both confirmed as direct signings last month, with the Originals also retaining Beth Mooney.