Ashwin's haul, record lbws, and 21 decisions reviewed

Stats highlights from India’s 246-run win in Visakhapatnam

S Rajesh21-Nov-2016246 The winning margin, by runs, India’s second best in Tests against England; at Headingley in 1986, they won by 279 runs.97.3 Overs batted by England in their second innings, which is the fifth highest by any team in the fourth innings of a Test in India since 1990. The best is South Africa’s 143.1 in Delhi last year.1.62 England’s run rate in their second innings. Only once have they batted 40 or more overs and scored at a slower rate in all Tests since 1980 – against Sri Lanka at The Oval in 1998, when they scored 181 in 129.2 overs (run rate 1.39).R Ashwin went past Rangana Herath to become the highest wicket-taker in Tests in 2016•ESPNcricinfo Ltd55 Test wickets for R Ashwin in 2016, the most by any bowler. He went past Rangana Herath, who has 54 in eight Tests, compared to Ashwin’s 55 in nine.5 Ben Duckett’s average against Ashwin in this series: he has scored 15 runs from 40 balls and been dismissed three times. Overall in the series, Duckett has 18 runs from 52 balls at an average of six. In his first 13 balls against Ashwin, Duckett had scored 13 runs including three fours, but in the last 27 balls against him, Duckett has scored two runs and been dismissed three times.

Ashwin v Duckett

RunsDismissalsFirst 13 balls130Last 27 balls2310 Number of England batsmen who were out lbw in the match, England’s highest ever in a Test. There were two previous instances of nine for England – against West Indies in 1984, and against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi in 2012. There have been only three instances of more lbws for a team in a Test – two for Pakistan and one for New Zealand.21 Number of times both teams used the DRS in this Test – 12 times by England and nine by India. On six occasions the on-field umpires’ call was overturned, with each team getting it correct three times. Four of the six overturned calls were for on-field decisions made by Rod Tucker, while Kumar Dharmasena’s on-field calls were overturned twice. In the first Test the DRS came into play only nine times.1906 The last time before James Anderson’s first-ball ducks in this match that an England batsman had bagged a king pair in a Test – Ernie Hayes suffered that fate against South Africa in Cape Town in 1906.

Sunderland in talks to sign £12m+ forward, club "willing" to let him go

da luck: Sunderland are in talks over signing a striker this January, and a journalist has now dropped a key update on the terms of a deal.

Sunderland chasing a striker

da casino: Wilson Isidor missing two penalties in the closing stages of the trip to Turf Moor cost the Black Cats dearly, missing out on the chance to move into the Championship’s automatic promotion places.

The striker has since vowed to put the missed spot-kicks behind him, despite admitting it was very tough to take, saying: “I would like to apologise on my teammates, every single fans and all the person of this club for what happened.

“I feel really ashamed, but I promise you that I will come back stronger from this! See you Tuesday, HWTL.”

Regardless, Regis Le Bris remains interested in signing another striker capable of fighting for a starting spot, and one of the manager’s main targets is Westerlo’s Matija Frigan.

Long-term £4m+ Sunderland target now ready to leave current club this month

He could become a viable alternative amid increasing competition for Cannon’s signature.

ByBen Browning Jan 17, 2025

Last week, it was reported that Sunderland had agreed personal terms with the forward, meaning all that is left to do is finalising a transfer agreement with the Belgian side.

Germanijak reporter Izak Ante Sucic has provided an update about what a deal could look like, taking to X to claim that Westerlo want the Black Cats to be obligated to buy Frigan, regardless of whether they achieve their aim of promotion to the Premier League.

The Belgian Pro League side want the Championship promotion-hopefuls to stump up €15m (£12.6m) if they go up, or around half of that if they remain in the Championship. It is unclear whether Sunderland are willing to agree to a deal of that nature, but talks are currently ongoing.

Risky move for Sunderland

Signing the Croatian could be considered a risky move for the Black Cats, as it is not a cheap deal, and if he fails to make an impression in the second half of the season, it will be frustrating to be forced to make the move permanent for a fee.

If Le Bris’ side do manage to go all the way and secure promotion, forking out £13m isn’t the end of the world, given the riches that come with playing in the top tier, but it is certainly a gamble.

Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris

The question now is whether the 21-year-old is a player worth taking a risk on, considering he has scored just six goals in 21 Belgian Pro League games this season.

Having missed out on Ben Brereton Diaz and Tom Cannon, however, Sunderland are a little short of options, so Le Bris may feel signing Frigan is a risk worth taking.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has likened the youngster to Ciro Immobile, indicating that he has a lot of potential, but he will certainly need to start finding the back of the net more regularly if he does complete a move to the Stadium of Light.

Ben Stokes defends controversial declaration as England's 'chance to pounce' on Australia

Cummins admits he was ‘not surprised’ as former captains criticise overtly attacking move

Matt Roller20-Jun-2023

Ben Stokes wasn’t all down and out after a close loss•PA Photos/Getty Images

Ben Stokes defended his decision to declare England’s first innings at 393 for 8 after their two-wicket defeat to Australia in the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston.Joe Root was unbeaten on 118 and, along with Ollie Robinson, had just taken 20 runs off a single Nathan Lyon over when Stokes called his batters in on the first evening, leaving England 20 minutes to bowl against Australia’s openers.Robinson and Stuart Broad bowled two overs each, which Usman Khawaja and David Warner survived to finish the opening day on 14 for 0, with Khawaja going on to make 141 in the first innings.Stokes’ decision came under scrutiny in the media, with former England captains lining up to say they would not have declared in the same circumstances. And in the context of England’s narrow defeat late on the final evening, his declaration was questioned again.Speaking on the BBC’s Test Match Special, former England captain Michael Vaughan said he would “guarantee” that Stokes would not make the same declaration in the second Test if the circumstances arose.Related

Did England go too hard? (And is that even the right question?)

'Losing sucks' – Execution to blame for England at Edgbaston, not Bazball

England confident weary bowlers will be ready for Lord's

Headingley redemption for Cummins and co at Edgbaston

Ben Stokes 'emotionally beat up' as Pat Cummins savours epic Australia win

“Those 30 or 40 runs…” Vaughan said. “If you’d have asked Ben Stokes this morning, ‘Would you have liked Joe to have got another 30 on that day one, you’ve now got them in the bank?’ Of course [he would].”I will guarantee at Lord’s, if they bat first and they’re 393 for 8 with 20 minutes to go, I will guarantee that they’ll carry on batting… not with Joe Root 118 not out.”But at his press conference, Stokes said: “If we were in the same position? Yeah. I would like to be 398 for 6 [sic] with 20 minutes left. That would be great.”I could also turn it around and say, ‘if we didn’t declare, would we have got the excitement that we did at the end of day five?’ I’m not a hundred percent sure, but I’m not going to be looking back on this game as ‘what ifs’… the reality is, we just didn’t manage to get over the line.”Australia’s captain Pat Cummins, who hit the winning runs and took four second-innings wickets in leading Australia to victory, said he would “probably not” have declared in the same circumstances.”I wasn’t overly surprised,” Cummins said, “But the wicket felt pretty good, so I thought every run was pretty much needed in that first innings.”Stokes explained that he had sensed “an opportunity to pounce” on Khawaja and Warner, and that he would not alter his bold captaincy style simply because of the opposition and the nature of Ashes series.”I thought that was a time to pounce,” Stokes said at the presentation. “I am not going to change the way I have gone about my cricket because it is the Ashes.”Who knows? We could have got an extra 40 runs or lost two wickets in two balls. I am not a captain who gets by on what ifs.”We saw it as an opportunity to pounce on Australia and really start day two on top.”

Scotland players refuse to shake hands with Lamichhane

Lamichhane is currently out on bail, facing charges of sexual coercion

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Feb-2023Scotland’s players refused to shake hands with Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane after their three-wicket loss in Kirtipur on Friday, a silent protest to the spinner’s continued presence and participation in the ICC’s Cricket World Cup League 2 series. The team shook hands with every other Nepal player after the game, but pointedly refused to do so with Lamichhane.Lamichhane is currently out on bail, facing charges of sexual coercion. He was cleared to play in the series which also involves Namibia, after CAN (Cricket Association Nepal) lifted a suspension on the granting of his bail. The refusal to shake hands is the culmination of simmering tension among Scotland and Namibia’s players over Lamichhane’s presence. In an earlier game, Namibia’s players had chosen to fist-bump Nepal’s players – including Lamichhane – but refused to shake hands post-game.Related

Sandeep Lamichhane joins Nepal in UAE as an injury replacement

Lamichhane allowed to travel but participation in CWC League 2 tri-series subject to ICC approval

Lamichhane not included in Nepal's squad for CWC League 2 tri-series in UAE

Sandeep Lamichhane in Nepal's playing XI for tri-series opener

Sandeep Lamichhane named in Nepal squad for Scotland, Namibia tri-series

Though there is understood to be anger among the players in those two teams, their boards – Cricket Scotland and Cricket Namibia – have only issued generic statements condemning gender-based violence before the tri-series began, also acknowledging that Nepal’s selection was not their concern. The ICC has not commented publicly on his selection.Scotland decided to keep their hands down for Lamichhane, believing that this would be a more powerful statement. It is believed Lamichhane had been made aware of the protest beforehand.Lamichhane took 3 for 27 in the win, as Nepal recovered from 77 for 5 and then 177 for 6 to chase down 275 with three overs to spare. In Tuesday’s opening game against Namibia, Lamichhane took 3 for 66 in a two-wicket win.Lamichhane’s presence at the pre-series training camp drew protests from fans in the country, as well as on social media. He was arrested last October on return to Kathmandu after an arrest warrant had been issued in his name while he was at the Caribbean Premier League. He has denied the allegations in a post on Facebook. Nepal next play against Namibia on Saturday.

Mary Earps facing uphill battle to be England No.1 – but Michelle Agyemang is a Euro 2025 wildcard: Lionesses winners & losers as Sarina Wiegman's side impress and disappoint in Nations League clashes with Belgium

There was plenty to learn from the European champions' April camp, which produced two extremely contrasting results against the same opponent

Four days is a long time in football – or apparently so, given that was the time between England's 5-0 demotion of Belgium in Bristol and a dismal 3-2 defeat to the same opponent in Leuven. That second scoreline flattered the Lionesses, too, whose defending was so dreadful on Tuesday night that they were 3-0 down with less than half an hour played.

After so many positives in the Friday fixture – which produced five different goal-scorers, a comfortable clean sheet and first senior international strikes for both Keira Walsh, winning her 83rd cap, and Aggie Beever-Jones, racking up just her fourth – the rematch changed the entire reflection of this international window for England.

Having sat in pole position in their Nations League group, the Lionesses have now slipped to second and put unnecessary pressure on their final two games, which will come shortly after the club season in Europe concludes. First, they host a Portugal side that held them to a 1-1 draw in February, then they travel to Spain to take on the world champions. If they want to be in the best possible position come the 2027 Women's World Cup draw, and have a shot at actually winning the Nations League itself, positive results are vital. To get them, Sarina Wiegman's side will have to be much better than they were in Belgium, and much more like they were at home.

Fortunately, despite the doom and gloom this camp ended on, there were some real positives for the England boss to take out of these two games. Most of those, of course, came from the 5-0 victory, but there were also a couple in defeat, especially as a teenage talent boldly announced herself as a star for the future – and possibly a late contender for Wiegman's squad for this summer's European Championships.

GOAL breaks down the winners and losers from the Lionesses' April camp…

  • AFP

    LOSER: Sarina Wiegman

    Wiegman came into this camp with several key players missing. All of Lauren Hemp, Alex Greenwood and Georgia Stanway are sidelined after having knee surgeries, with the latter pair leaving England limited at left-back and in the deeper midfield roles in particular. However, that list of absentees only grew over the course of the past few days.

    On Friday, just before the first game against Belgium, the in-form Chloe Kelly had to withdraw from the squad. At the halfway point of that match, Lauren James limped off with a hamstring issue that would force her to miss Tuesday's game in Leuven. A day later, Wiegman lost star striker Alessia Russo as well, who returned to Arsenal after picking up a problem on Friday.

    It left England limited in Belgium as they succumbed to a 3-2 defeat – but the greater concern will be if any of this trio are out for longer than just a game or two. The Euros are just three months away and Wiegman will absolutely not want to be sweating on the fitness of any more key players.

  • Advertisement

  • Getty Images

    WINNER: Hannah Hampton

    It felt significant that, after starting Hannah Hampton in Friday's win over Belgium, Wiegman stuck with the Chelsea shot-stopper for the third game in a row on Tuesday. Prior to this camp, she and Mary Earps had almost equally alternated reps in between the sticks since the start of 2024, Hampton playing eight of 14 games and Earps the other six. However, that scale feels like it has slowly, and subtly, been tilting in favour of the 24-year-old and, this week, Wiegman confirmed as much.

    Asked outright by if Hampton was now her No.1 goalkeeper, Wiegman replied: "At this moment, she’s a little bit ahead. We have two world-class goalkeepers so it’s been a really hard decision. But at this moment, Hannah is a little bit ahead."

    It was a surprise to hear her say as much but also, in a way, not surprising. After all, Hampton has started to accrue more opportunities and she's regularly taken them, even if she might've hoped to have done a little better with some of the goals on Tuesday. With just three months to go until the Euros, the Chelsea star is in pole position to start for the defending champions.

  • Getty Images

    LOSER: Mary Earps

    Where does that leave Earps, then? There are just two more competitive fixtures before the Euros begins, plus any pre-tournament friendlies that the Lionesses partake in. If Hampton is to be Wiegman's No.1, one would imagine she will get the majority of the game time as July gets closer and closer. And this is the goalkeeper position we're talking about. It's not a role where Earps can just take opportunities to shine from the bench.

    That said, it'd be a real shock if the Paris Saint-Germain star doesn't get another look-in before the Euros comes around. Wiegman's comments were by no means definitive on the No.1 shirt, with Hampton just ahead in the race. "If she gets a sniff back in that goal, she'll [do] everything to keep it," Ian Wright said of Earps on , and he's right. The 32-year-old has been an incredible servant under Wiegman and has put in some cracking performances for England, with her clean sheet against the United States one very recent, and very good, example. She is going to be absolutely chomping at the bit to take whatever chances she gets – the only issue is that there might not be many left at this point.

  • Getty Images

    WINNER: Beth Mead

    When England won the Euros back in 2022, Beth Mead was the star of the show. Six goals and five assists in just six games saw her scoop up the individual accolades, both from the tournament and in the months that followed. However, going into the Lionesses' defence of that title, she finds herself in fierce competition for a place in Wiegman's starting XI.

    The wide areas in this England squad are stacked. Hemp, James, Kelly and Beever-Jones have been battling for those spots throughout the season, with Jess Park, Fran Kirby and Grace Clinton among the other names who can, and have, played there. But while Hemp and Kelly missed this camp due to injuries, and James dropped out midway through, Mead started both games and was among England's most impressive performers on each occasion.

    On Friday, the Arsenal forward linked up exceptionally well with Lucy Bronze to absolutely destroy Belgium down their left-hand side, with her unlucky to leave that game with just one assist and no goal. In Leuven, things didn't go to plan for the Lionesses in the same way, but Mead still managed to stand out as one of their better players. It all amounted to a good week in her own personal charge to be in Wiegman's line-up come that opening game at the Euros.

Super Giants look to build on momentum against Royal Challengers as Rahul returns home

Big picture: The thing with RCB…

Virat Kohli chose a good moment – their homecoming – to highlight that Royal Challengers Bangalore are part of IPL royalty. He said, outside of Chennai Super Kings (11) and Mumbai Indians (9), they are the team that has made it to the playoffs the most times (8).But the wider IPL fraternity – and indeed some of Royal Challengers’ fans – won’t find any solace in that because of the ways in which the team’s fortunes swing. They began this season by tapping Mumbai on the head and tossing them off to the side, but then they went to Kolkata and basically enabled a blasterclass from a No. 7 batter. They bowled length in the death with mid-off up. What was Shardul Thakur to do? Not score 68 off 29 balls which turned 89 for 5 to 204 for 7?Related

  • Topley out of IPL 2023 with shoulder injury, Parnell named replacement

  • Amit Mishra, 40 and looking it, brings Lucknow the warm and fuzzy

  • Krunal: 'I am in a good headspace, I have much more clarity'

These reverses, which happen as a result of mostly avoidable mistakes, make the Royal Challengers a bit of a frustrating team to follow, let alone plan for, which is what Lucknow Super Giants have to do.KL Rahul will be coming home to Bengaluru for the first time in four IPLs – and only the third time ever as an opposition player. He’s yet to win a match as a visitor to the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, and in some ways, the chances of that happening may be tied to how well he manages his overseas resources, especially now that Quinton de Kock is available and Kyle Mayers is undroppable(ish).Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli shared a big stand in RCB’s opening game•BCCI

Team news: Will de Kock and Hasaranga play?

Prior to the start of IPL 2023, Super Giants would’ve been fairly confident of their overseas combination. De Kock for firepower at the top. Nicholas Pooran and Marcus Stoinis for firepower at the death, and Mark Wood for firepower with the ball. But now that Mayers has casually thumped 139 runs in three innings at a higher strike rate (187.83) than any of the top 15 scorers in the tournament so far, there is a decision to be made. Avesh Khan is carrying an injury, and Wood missed the last game with flu.Royal Challengers were expecting Wanindu Hasaranga to arrive on April 10 – which is match day – following the conclusion of a white-ball series in New Zealand, where he picked up figures of 11-0-93-2 in three T20Is. If he is ready to start, he might even be able to lessen the burden on their death bowers because his wickets in the middle overs could mean the seamers may be left dealing with lesser batters at the end of the innings. Josh Hazlewood faces a longer stretch on the sidelines, with the Australia quick likely to be available for the April 17 game against Super Kings. Wayne Parnell has replaced the injured Reece Topley.

Toss and Impact Player Strategy

Royal Challengers Bangalore
Royal Challengers are yet to bat first in IPL 2023, and should this be when it happens, they might consider bringing in Suyash Prabhudessai and swapping him out for Mohammed Siraj later in the game.Probable bat-first XI: 1 Virat Kohli, 2 Faf du Plessis (capt), 3 Suyash Prabhudessai, 4 Glenn Maxwell, 5 Shahbaz Ahmed, 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Wanindu Hasaranga/Michael Bracewell, 8 David Willey, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Karn Sharma, 11 Akash DeepProbable bowl-first XI: 1 Virat Kohli, 2 Faf du Plessis (capt), 3 Glenn Maxwell, 4 Shahbaz Ahmed, 5 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 6 Wanindu Hasaranga/Michael Bracewell, 7 David Willey, 8 Karn Sharma, 9 Akash Deep, 10 Harshal Patel, 11 Mohammed SirajCan KL Rahul make his homecoming sweeter?•BCCI

Lucknow Super Giants
Ayush Badoni appears to have become a specialist Impact Player for Super Giants. He went out for K Gowtham in the first, came in for Avesh in the second, and went out for Amit Mishra in the third. The sequence is likely to continue.Probable bat-first XI: 1 KL Rahul (capt), 2 Kyle Mayers, 3 Quinton de Kock (wk), 4 Deepak Hooda, 5 Krunal Pandya, 6 Nicholas Pooran, 7 Ayush Badoni, 8 Romario Shepherd/Mark Wood, 9 Yash Thakur, 10 Ravi Bishnoi, 11 Jaydev UnadkatProbable bowl-first XI: 1 KL Rahul (capt), 2 Kyle Mayers, 3 Quinton de Kock (wk), 4 Deepak Hooda, 5 Krunal Pandya, 6 Nicholas Pooran, 7 Amit Mishra, 8 Romario Shepherd/Mark Wood, 9 Yash Thakur, 10 Ravi Bishnoi, 11 Jaydev Unadkat

Stats that matter: RCB death bowlers under pressure

  • Since IPL 2022, Royal Challengers have the worst economy rate (11) in the final five overs of the innings. This is primarily because the options they turn to at this stage of the game have not been able to execute their skills well enough. Siraj’s economy rate of 13.4 is the worst among everyone who has bowled at least ten overs in the death since the last IPL. Even Harshal Patel, who will become the quickest Indian bowler to 100 IPL wickets if he picks up one more over the next two innings, has struggled with this task. He has conceded ten runs an over or more in seven of his last 10 T20s.
  • If he has recovered from his illness, Super Giants may want to keep Wood away from the new ball because Kohli has hit 46 against the England quick in just 19 balls in all T20 cricket. They have plenty of other favourable match-ups, though. Krunal Pandya (79 off 80 balls, one dismissal), Jaydev Unadkat (52 off 46) and Ravi Bishnoi (23 off 23 balls). Avesh has done the best against Kohli (5 runs off ten balls and two dismissals), but it’s unclear if he’ll be able to play on Monday.
  • Glenn Maxwell vs Amit Mishra will be fun. The Australian has smashed 66 runs in 35 balls in all T20s, but in the process, the Indian has picked up his wicket five times. Maxwell has also been susceptible to left-arm spin in the IPL: his average of 22.9 is the second-lowest for anyone who has faced at least 200 balls of this kind of bowling. Someone should pass Krunal the note.
  • There has been a noticeable shift in Faf du Plessis’ batting in the powerplay this season. His strike rate of 158 from two matches is significantly higher than the 105 he managed all through 2022, when he was also dismissed in this phase of play seven times in 16 innings.

Pitch and conditions

The average first-innings IPL score in Bengaluru since 2018 is 183. In the same period, statistics suggest spinners have had a better time keeping the runs down here than the quicks (economy rate 8.1 vs 9.8). It remains the most sixer-friendly ground in the IPL, averaging 18 per match over the last five seasons.

Alexander Isak 'belongs at a higher level' as Newcastle warned star striker should consider move to Arsenal or Chelsea

Newcastle have been warned star striker Alexander Isak "belongs at a higher level" and should consider moving to Arsenal or Chelsea.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Isak playing starring role for NewcastleHas been linked with summer exitGus Poyet thinks it's time for Isak to goFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Isak has enjoyed a brilliant season for Newcastle and has lifted his first piece of silverware with the club after helping fire the Magpies to victory in the Carabao Cup. The Swede has also netted 21 goals in 30 Premier League games which has led to speculation he will be targeted by Premier League rivals such as Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea in the summer transfer window.

AdvertisementAFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Newcastle are believed to value Isak at around £120 million which would make any summer deal extremely difficult for the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea. However, Blues star Gus Poyet believes the striker should look for a summer exit as he deserves to be playing at a higher level.

WHAT POYET SAID

Poyet told : "With all due respect to Newcastle, Alexander Isak belongs at a higher level. He will be on the radar of every big club in the world, there are many opportunities for him if he wants to leave the club. I love him as a player, as he just gets on with his job and performs week in, week out for Newcastle and that’s why he has the interest of so many big sides. He can go anywhere, you look at a team like Arsenal, they will be on the lookout for a centre forward, he would be a brilliant option for them. I’m biased, of course, but I would love to see at Chelsea. I have known him since his time at Real Sociedad – his characteristics, his movement and his finishing is sublime. He is brilliant and is exactly what the club needs. You could say this about any club in world football though, as he is one of the best around."

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR ISAK

Isak's future is likely to make plenty of headlines over the summer, but in the meantime he will be hoping to secure Champions League football for Newcastle next season. The Magpies currently sit in fourth place in the table and take on Ipswich Town next on Saturday.

Agreement reached and medical booked as Newcastle close in on £9m+ sale

A “unique” Newcastle United player is now close to leaving the club in the January transfer window, with an agreement reached over his exit.

Newcastle transfer news

Magpies transfer rumours are refusing to go away as the current window nears its conclusion next Monday, with Semih Kilicosoy linked with a move to St James’ Park over the weekend. The 19-year-old Besiktas winger is a target this month, but it may depend on whether Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants to keep him or not.

While Sporting CP centre-back Ousmane Diomande has been mentioned as an option to come in and boost Eddie Howe’s defensive options, Barcelona ace Eric Garcia is being looked at as an alternative, as Newcastle look to find a long-term partner for Sven Botman.

FC Barcelona'sEricGarciacelebrates scoring their fourth goal

When it comes to January outgoings at St James’, Miguel Almiron has consistently been linked with a move away, with an agreement reportedly reached with MLS side Atlanta United.

That said, personal terms were yet to be agreed, which was acting as a potential stumbling block, but there has now been a fresh development in the saga.

Newcastle ace agrees January exit with medical booked

According to Monumental AM 1080 [via Sport Witness], an agreement has been reached to bring an end to Almiron’s Newcastle career. The 30-year-old will sign a four-year deal at Atlanta, with the transfer fee thought to be £9.6m. He will travel there at the end of the week to complete the transfer and undergo a medical.

Journalist Cesar Luis Merlo has also backed this up, saying the deal is “done”, with just a medical and an official announcement to come.

Newcastle United's MiguelAlmironbefore the match

This ultimately feels like the right decision for everyone concerned, even though Howe has shown his love for Almiron in the past, saying:

“He’s (Almiron) a unique footballer. I don’t think there’s anyone better at doing what he does – all energy, all action. I’d like to see his physical stats today because I’m sure they’d be through the roof. The quality he showed with his finish was very reminiscent of some of the goals he scored last year. It’s a great return to form for Miggy – he’s such an important player for us.”

Appearances

223

Goals

30

Assists

12

Almiron was struggling to get minutes with Newcastle this season, with Jacob Murphy often preferred on the right flank, and at 30, he isn’t getting any younger. He hasn’t registered a single goal contribution in nine Premier League appearances in 2024/25, highlighting his lack of influence and action.

The Paraguayan’s commitment and team ethic have always been impressive, but a lack of end product has too often been an issue, with the Magpies ace not possessing the elite quality in that area that Howe now needs moving forward.

Newcastle now looking to seal £16m signing of "fantastic" ace within days

The transfer could even happen within days.

ByHenry Jackson Jan 26, 2025

Almiron will be remembered fondly by Newcastle supporters on the whole, however, due to his likeable personality, and they will hope he flourishes in the MLS.

خاص | بالتفاصيل المالية.. انفراجة في مفاوضات الأهلي وكولومبوس بشأن وسام أبو علي

حسم مجلس إدارة النادي الأهلي، برئاسة محمود الخطيب، مصير المهاجم الفلسطيني وسام أبو علي، لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالقلعة الحمراء.

وتلقى وسام أبو علي، عرضًا من جانب نادي كولومبوس كرو الأمريكي، خلال الأيام الأخيرة، حيث طلب من إدارة الأهلي ضم وسام أبو علي.

اقرأ أيضًا.. مدرب سنترال الأمريكي: وسام أبو علي ليس ميسي.. وكولومبوس لن يدفع 10 ملايين دولار للاعب أحرز ركلة جزاء وعلم بطولات من مصادر خاصة أن الأهلي توصل لاتفاق مع نادي كولومبوس من أجل انتقال وسام أبو علي لصفوف الأخير خلال فترة الانتقالات الصيفية الجارية.

وجاء الاتفاق على انتقال اللاعب مقابل حصول الأهلي على 7.5 مليون دولار يتم دفعها على دفعتين، بالإضافة إلى بند نسبة إعادة البيع وإضافات.

ومن المقرر أن يتلقى الأهلي الدفعة الأولى بقيمة 5.5 مليون دولار والدفعة الثانية 2 مليون دولار في بداية العام المقبل، ونسبة إعادة البيع تصل إلى 15%، بجانب مليون ونصف المليون دولار إضافات.

Celtic now eyeing bid to sign tricky new 22 y/o forward – reliable reporter

Celtic are considering a move to sign a tricky new 22-year-old attacker, according to reliable reporter Scott Burns.

Celtic targeting January signings

The Hoops are flying high at the top of the Scottish Premiership, however, Brendan Rodgers and those behind the scenes at Celtic Park are still looking to make multiple January additions.

One of those likely to arrive at Parkhead in 2025 is former defender Kieran Tierney. The left-back is surplus to requirements at Arsenal and looks set to sign a pre-contract agreement with Celtic, who also want to seal a loan deal for the remainder of the campaign.

Talking about the rumours to Tierney, Rodgers recently said: “Yeah, we’ll always be linked with top players, and especially players that are one of us.

“Kieran was an instrumental part of a really, really successful period when I was here, and his talents then took him on to another challenge in the Premier League. So, yeah, we’ll be linked with lots of names, Kieran obviously, naturally because of his situation. But for us, we’ll only ever tell you when we sign a player, once he’s signed.”

Celtic make enquiry to sign exciting star who could be their next Tim Weah

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is seeking to improve his squad in January, so could a 21-year-old star be arriving in Glasgow on loan this month?

ByBen Gray Jan 16, 2025

Alongside Tierney, though, a brand-new attacker is also on the to-do list at Parkhead, with a whole host of names mooted as targets amid the rumours linking Luis Palma and Kyogo Furuhashi with moves away.

Brondby’s Mathias Kvistgaarden, Sarpsborg 08’s Sondre Orjasaeter and Aston Villa’s Louie Barry are some of the forwards linked with moves to Celtic.

More recently, Real Valladolid’s £8.5m-rated winger Raul Moro is another versatile forward who the Hoops appreciate, and now, a fresh name has emerged on Celtic’s radar.

Celtic have eyes on new attacking target – Scott Burns

According to Burns, writing for The Daily Record, Celtic are eyeing a move to sign BK Hacken star Zeidane Inoussa alongside interest from French side St Etienne.

The reliable reporter states that both Celtic and St Etienne have ‘scouted the Swedish under-21 star regularly in recent weeks’. Inoussa is now on the radar as Rodgers looks for another option behind Maeda, making it his priority position to bolster this month.

Left-winger

37

10

7

Left midfield

8

3

0

Right-winger

6

1

0

Centre-forward

5

3

0

The 22-year-old appears to be the latest name on Celtic’s attacker search and he has seen his Transfermarkt valuation rocket from €250,000 to a career-high €3m over the last 12 months.

He has been on the books with SM Caen in France, Valencia in Spain and both Brommapojkarna and BK Hacken in Sweden. Inoussa has caught the eye in recent years of TFA Scouted, who labelled him as a skilful and energetic attacker who can be unpredictable.

“Zeidane Inoussa is a right-footed winger who operates from the left wing but has the proficiency to operate from the right as well. He is a skillful player with energetic impact on the field. Profiles as a modern-day winger who is tricky dribbler and has unpredictability in his game.”

Game
Register
Service
Bonus