Tag Futebol

Just when Chelsea were seemingly building serious momentum, wait, what happened?

When the Blues took a fourth-minute lead through Alejandro Garnacho against Sunderland, they appeared set to cruise to a nice routine victory at 3 o’clock on a Saturday.

However, Wilson Isidor equalised for the Black Cats soon after and then, right at the death, with the home side pushing for a winner of their own, Chemsdine Talbi snatched victory, sparking wild celebrations from the Mackems who had traveled to West London.

Chelsea did end the afternoon with 16 shots to Sunderland’s ten, but forced Robin Roefs into just two saves, while Robert Sánchez made six, hence why the newly-promoted outfit ended the game with a higher xG figure: 0.97-1.16.

Before this, Enzo Maresca’s team had won four on the spin, demolishing Ajax 5-1 in the Champions League, while also beating both Liverpool and Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.

Now, though, question marks will be raised against the manager, so, with a fierce London derby against Tottenham to come next Saturday, which player should Maresca cast aside following his display during this defeat?

João Pedro's start to life at Chelsea

Back in the summer, after arriving mid-way through the Club World Cup from Brighton, straight into action having been on a Brazilian beach, João Pedro was being heralded as a revelation.

He scored twice on debut against former side Fluminense in the semi-finals, before also netting during the final demolition over Paris Saint-Germain a few days later.

However, since serious football has returned, he’s not lived up to these admittedly astronomical high standards.

Pedro has scored only twice this season, on target against both West Ham and Fulham back in August, thereby enduring something of a goal drought, which is not ideal given that Liam Delap is sidelined long-term.

Also not helping Pedro’s cause is the fact that, on Wednesday night, he missed the annihilation of Ajax, suspended, having been sent off in stoppage time against Benfica, and the team put in a free-flowing, free-scoring display in his absence.

Per Sofascore, during Sunday’s defeat to Sunderland, in 85 minutes on the field, he touched the ball just 30 times, lost possession on nine occasions, was flagged offside twice, and mustered zero shots, replaced by Tyrique George towards the end, a change Chelsea supporters may have wished to see sooner.

However, his place in the starting lineup may actually not be under that much threat, given that his primary competition for minutes may have actually been even worse.

The Chelsea youngster who should be dropped

It may still only be October, but Marc Guiu has already endured a weird season.

The teenage Spaniard began the campaign on loan at Sunderland, making just three appearances for the club, scoring against Huddersfield in the Carabao Cup, before being abruptly recalled following the aforementioned injury sustained by Delap.

Upon his return to West London, he did not feature in any of their first six fixtures, making the recall seem a bit pointless, but he then changed the game off the bench against Nottingham Forest last weekend, providing a much-needed focal point.

Guiu was then rewarded with a start against Ajax in mid-week and repaid the manager’s faith, breaking the deadlock in that one, thereby starting against his, briefly, former club this weekend too, a first-ever Premier League start.

However, as the table below documents, safe to say he did not make Sunderland supporters rue what could have been.

Marc Guiu’s stats vs Sunderland

Stats

Guiu

Match rank

Shots on target

1

8th

Shots off target

1

6th

xG

0.22

4th

Accurate passes

2

30th

Duels contested

3

23rd

Duels won

Zero

30th

Possession lost

6

17th

Touches

10

26th

SofaScore rating

6

30th

Stats via SofaScore

As the table documents, Guiu won zero duels, completed just two passes, and touched the ball only ten times, the same number as the man who replaced him in the 76th minute, namely Jamie Gittens.

Bobby Vincent of Football London awarded him a 4/10, noting that he ‘got very little change’ out of Dan Ballard, while Sam Tabuteau of the Evening Standard added that he ‘struggled to get into the game’ and lacked ‘finesse’, believing the game was a ‘reminder of his inexperience’, both of which are pretty polite ways of phrasing it, we would suggest.

Thus, the Barcelona wonderkid may not be the answer to Chelsea’s centre-forward conundrum after all.

With games against Spurs, Barcelona and Arsenal to come in November, Maresca will surely favour alternative options, especially for those tougher assignments.

Related Not just George: Maresca must start Chelsea teen who's "similar to Palmer"

Enzo Maresca must start this exciting Chelsea youngster more regularly, who is being compared to Cole Palmer.

Posts ByKelan Sarson Oct 25, 2025

The season only kicked off a month and a half ago, but it’s already been full of twists and turns for Arsenal.

For example, after winning their opening two Premier League games, Mikel Arteta’s side then lost away to Liverpool, after which many fans and pundits alike began to write off the team’s title credentials.

However, fast-forward to today, and the Gunners find themselves atop the table and with two wins from two in the Champions League.

EPL

West Ham (H)

2-0 (W)

UCL

Olympiacos (H)

2-0 (W)

EPL

Newcastle (H)

2-1 (W)

EFL Cup

Port Vale (A)

2-0 (W)

EPL

Man City (H)

1-1 (D)

UCL

Bilbao (A)

2-0 (W)

EPL

Forest (H)

3-0 (W)

Yet, while things are going brilliantly from a performance and results perspective, the North Londoners continue to be ravaged by injury, including club captain Martin Odegaard.

Fortunately, Arteta now has a few options when it comes to replacing him, one of which could be starting a star player in an entirely new position.

Arsenal's injury problems

For a period this season, it felt as if Arsenal were unable to complete a game without losing a player to injury, and while things are no longer that bad, the situation is far from ideal.

Jesus

Knee

Havertz

Knee

Madueke

Knee

Hincapie

Groin

Odegaard

MCL

For example, while the likes of William Saliba, Ben White and Christian Norgaard are fit again, and Declan Rice looks ready to play for England this week, Arteta is set to be without five first-team players when the international break comes to an end.

The most prolonged absence remains Gabriel Jesus, and while he has taken pictures of himself back on the grass, the manager confirmed that it would be “many, many months” before he plays regular minutes for the first team again.

What makes the Brazilian’s absence so much more of a problem is the fact that Kai Havertz is also out following the surgery he had on his knee back in late August, meaning there is no natural competition for Viktor Gyokeres at the moment.

The attacking woes don’t stop there, though, as Noni Madueke is expected to remain out of contention for at least another month or so after suffering a knee injury in the home game against Manchester City last month.

The former Chelsea player is yet to score or assist a goal in red and white, but his performances this season have been brilliant, and he added a blistering directness that has sometimes been missing from the team.

Another summer signing currently sidelined is Piero Hincapie, who is out with a groin injury, and while his absence is a blow, it’s hard to determine how much of an impact he’ll have this season, considering he’s played just six minutes thus far.

Finally, arguably the most impactful injury of them all is Odegaard’s, as before being forced off with what has now been confirmed as an MCL injury, the Norwegian was starting to look like the creative force he was a couple of years ago.

Fortunately, Arteta does have a few ways he can address the captain’s absence, and perhaps one worth trying is starting his best player in a new position.

The Arsenal star who could replace Odegaard

So, the way Arteta is likely to solve the problem of Odegaard being out injured is by starting Eberechi Eze in the attacking midfield position.

Chalkboard

While this is a perfectly logical solution, and one that many will be calling for, it does create one issue: a weaker left-wing position, as neither Leandro Trossard nor Gabriel Martinelli has excelled when starting for a long time.

Therefore, a way to keep the left-hand side strong is to do something entirely new and try playing Arsenal’s most important player in a central location: Bukayo Saka.

Now, before the pitchforks and torches come out, this isn’t an example of moving the Englishman to a less important position to accommodate someone else; if anything, moving him to the middle of the pitch would allow him to have a far greater influence on the game.

Described as one of the club’s “very best players,” by podcaster Adam Keys, the Hale Ender has shown time and time again that he has the technical and mental skills to play a more central role.

He’s an excellent striker of the ball, can see a pass that few others in the team can, has spent the last three years being double and triple-teamed by defenders, and, while he’s not the fastest, he has incredible agility in the way he moves around the pitch.

Moreover, with 100 goal involvements in 200 league games, the 24-year-old has the output to be measured against the best number tens in the game.

Finally, in addition to the eye test and his record, the North Londoners’ “legend in the making,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has the underlying numbers to prove he’d be a goal-scoring chance-creating machine in central areas.

According to FBref, he ranked in the top 1% of wingers and attacking midfielders in the Premier League last season for non-penalty expected goals plus assists, key passes, shot-creating actions, goal-creating actions, and more, all per 90.

Goals + Assists

0.83

Top 1%

npxG + xAG

0.71

Top 1%

xA: Expected Assists

0.41

Top 1%

Key Passes

3.02

Top 1%

Shot-Creating Actions

6.09

Top 1%

Goal-Creating Actions

1.20

Top 1%

GCA (Live-ball Pass)

0.73

Top 1%

GCA (Dead-ball Pass)

0.26

Top 1%

Assists

0.52

Top 2%

xAG: Exp. Assisted Goals

0.40

Top 2%

SCA (Shot)

0.52

Top 3%

Touches (Att Pen)

8.43

Top 3%

Progressive Passes Rec

13.27

Top 4%

Crosses

6.09

Top 4%

SCA (Dead-ball Pass)

1.04

Top 5%

Touches (Att 3rd)

37.22

Top 6%

Shots Total

3.44

Top 8%

Crosses into Penalty Area

0.62

Top 8%

SCA (Live-ball Pass)

3.70

Top 8%

SCA (Take-On)

0.62

Top 8%

Shots on Target

1.15

Top 11%

GCA (Take-On)

0.10

Top 11%

Penalty Kicks Made

0.05

Top 12%

Carries into Penalty Area

2.65

Top 12%

Ultimately, it would be a left-field decision, but Saka is a genuinely world-class player, and perhaps Odegaard’s injury will be the perfect opportunity for Arteta to see how he fares in the middle of the park, where he can have a more significant impact on the game.

Berta holds new Arsenal contract talks with big-name duo after Raya, Saka and Timber

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ByEmilio Galantini Oct 9, 2025

Argentina captain Lionel Messi provided two assists in the 6-0 win over Puerto Rico, reaching 60 total to surpass Neymar (58) and Landon Donovan (58) as the top assist-maker in men’s international football history. Messi is also just two assists away from 400 in his professional career. Argentina wrapped up their U.S. tour with another dominant performance in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

Getty Images SportMessi still found ways to make history

Argentina’s opponent – Puerto Rico – posed little threat in Miami, and Messi found yet another way to make history. The Albiceleste captain didn’t score in the 6-0 victory at Chase Stadium but set up goals for Alexis Mac Allister and Lautaro Martínez, both of whom finished with braces. Gonzalo Montiel and an own goal from Steven Echevarria completed the rout.

While Messi is arguably the greatest scorer in the sport's history, he's also a fantastic playmaker as evidenced by his career tally. His first assist for the national team came over 19 years ago during his World Cup debut in 2006. Argentina beat Serbia and Montenegro 6-0 in that encounter. 

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'I like to score'

Mac Allister isn't known for his scoring, as Tuesday night's brace was his fifth and sixth goals scored for the national team after 41 caps. He revealed his teammates were ribbing him for potentially notching his first career hat trick against Puerto Rico.

 “The guys were joking at halftime, asking if I was going to score three goals. I’ve never done that, but I’m not desperate either,” said Mac Allister after the match. “I like to score, but what matters is helping the team win and keep building confidence.”

Getty Images Sport'It’s always special with this shirt'

Martínez, meanwhile, expressed his happiness after scoring again during the final stretch of preparation for the 2026 World Cup. 

“I’m happy to score; it’s always special with this shirt,” said the Inter striker. “A lot of young players made their debuts, we played well, and physically I feel great. I’m very happy with this moment.”

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next?

Messi will now rejoin Inter Miami as they prepare to visit Nashville SC this Saturday in MLS action.

A bombshell report reveals Barcelona's own technical experts rated Camp Nou constructors Limak as the worst option for the job. Club management overruled the 'non-binding' report, prioritising a deadline that has since been missed, with significant delays now hitting the iconic stadium's reopening and contractual penalties going unenforced.

Barca's own experts rated Limak's bid as the worst

Barcelona awarded the €960 million (£832m/$1.12 billion) Camp Nou renovation contract to Turkish construction firm Limak despite the company receiving the lowest score in a technical evaluation conducted by the club's own expert team, according to a bombshell report from . The team of engineers, architects, and financiers rated Limak's bid below 50 out of 100, placing it last behind consortiums led by Ferrovial and FCC. The report cited Limak's inability to justify its proposed construction schedule and its requirement of around €200 million in initial financing, compared to just €12 million requested by its competitors.

AdvertisementAFPManagement overruled 'non-binding' technical report

Despite the damning assessment from their internal experts, Barcelona's Espai Barça management, led by director Joan Sentelles, dismissed the report as "consultative and non-binding." Two days after the technical team's evaluation, a final binding report prepared by Sentelles and Technical Office Director Lluis Moya declared Limak the winner. The club has officially insisted that "the opinion that prevails and is legally binding is the assessment issued by the senior manager." This decision caused significant internal strife, leading to the resignation of Jordi Llaurado, the board director in charge of Espai Barca, who felt the process lacked transparency.

'Impossible' deadline proves the decisive factor

The key reason for overriding the technical advice was Limak's aggressive timeline. The Turkish firm was the only bidder to guarantee a return to a partially reopened Camp Nou by November 2024, a deadline that competing firms, with extensive stadium-building experience, described to the club as "impossible." The final report acknowledged that the tight timeframe was the primary "factor that influenced the contractors' assessments." However, as of October 13, 2025, the project is already 317 days behind schedule, with the partial return now not expected until mid-November 2025 and the final completion pushed back to the 2027-28 season, validating the initial fears of Limak's competitors.

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Club not enforcing penalty clauses despite significant delays

The contract between Barcelona and Limak contains specific financial penalties for each day of delay. However, the club has so far failed to execute these sanctions. Club officials have attributed the delays to external factors, such as a lack of materials. This contradicts a clause in the contract, which explicitly states that "any delay due to a lack or delay in the supply of materials" is the contractor's responsibility and not grounds for an extension. The contract also stipulates that unilateral termination is possible if penalties exceed 10% of the total budget – around €96m.

MatériaMais Notícias

Vai começar a disputa das quartas de final da Copa do Brasil! Nesta terça-feira (4), Bahia e Grêmio tem a responsabilidade de iniciar os trabalhos na Arena Fonte Nova, ás 21h (de Brasília), quase que em um ‘déjà vu’ do último fim de semana.

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+ Confira a tabela completa da Copa do Brasil

Pelo Brasileirão, as equipes se enfrentaram no mesmo palco, em duelo do Campeonato Brasileiro, onde a representação gaúcha levou a melhor por 2 a 1. O resultado, além de ‘travar’ a possibilidade dos baianos se afastarem da zona de rebaixamento, mantiveram o clube de Porto Alegre na vice-liderança da competição.

O contexto do embate desta semana pode ser diferente, mas a tendência é que os times utilizados no fim de semana não sofram muitas alterações para o duelo desta terça.

Isso porque tanto Renato Paiva como Renato Portaluppi optaram pela utilização de escalações com o que consideram ter de melhores em seus elencos no embate pelo Brasileirão. Algo que conta como ‘benefício’, também, pelo fato de ambos não terem a necessidade de se equilibrarem, além dos torneios nacionais, em calendários continentais como Libertadores e Sul-Americana.

BAHIA x GRÊMIO

Data e hora: 4 de julho de 2023, às 21h (de Brasília)
Estádio: Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador (BA)
Árbitro: Ramon Abatti Abel (SC)
Assistentes: Bruno Boschilia (PR) e Marcelo Carvalho Van Gasse (SP)
VAR: Rodolpho Toski Marques (PR)
Onde assistir: SporTV e Premiere. O LANCE! acompanha o duelo em tempo real

BAHIA (Técnico: Renato Paiva)

Marcos Felipe; Kanu, Vitor Hugo e Rezende; Cicinho, Acevedo, Cauly e Ryan; Ademir, Kayky e Everaldo.

Desfalques: Danilo Fernandes, David Duarte, Biel e Jacaré (lesão); Yago Felipe e Matheus Bahia (transição); Mingotti e Thaciano (jogaram o torneio por Operário e Grêmio em 2023, respectivamente).

GRÊMIO (Técnico: Renato Portaluppi)

Gabriel Grando; Bruno Uvini, Bruno Alves e Kannemann; João Pedro, Villasanti, Carballo e Reinaldo; Bitello, Cristaldo e Suárez.

Desfalques: Geromel, Jhonata Robert e Pepê (lesão)

New Zealand strode to 255 for 9 in their 37 overs, with a 112-run second wicket stand between Rachin Ravindra and Mark Chapman the bedrock of that innings. And then Sri Lanka’s top order crashed and burned again. They were 4 for 22 inside the first five overs, their hopes of levelling the series almost completely dashed.Kamindu Mendis attempted to revive the innings, but his 64 was not nearly enough to revive this innings. Sri Lanka slipped to a 113-run defeat, having also lost heavily to New Zealand in the first ODI. New Zealand take the series despite being significantly depleted by absences and injuries. Sri Lanka are essentially at full strength, but the failure of their top five continues to dog them, even in a rain-reduced match such as this.New Zealand had some stutters too. They were modest at the death, as Maheesh Theekshana in particular was effective, taking a hat-trick across his last two overs, as New Zealand mustered no more than 63 in the last 10 overs, losing five wickets in that period. But they did not stumble so spectacularly as to undo the work of the Ravindra-Chapman stand. They had contributions through the middle, with Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, and Mitchell Santner chipping in.Maheesh Theekshana became the seventh Sri Lanka bowler to bag an ODI hat-trick•Getty Images

And then they had their confident seam bowlers, who imposed themselves even with the older ball. Will O’Rourke took 3 for 31, Jacob Duffy 2 for 30, while Matt Henry and Nathan Smith claimed a wicket apiece. The only semblance of a partnership had been between Kamindu and Janith Liyanage, as the pair put on 57 together for the fifth wicket. Outside of that, New Zealand were picking their way through the batting order, and ultimately had them all out inside 31 overs.Sri Lanka’s required rate was 6.92 right from the beginning. Although this seems a monumental challenge, the pitch was good to bat on, and with rain having delayed the start of play by two-and-a-half hours, a damp ball was also proving a challenge for some bowlers. But Sri Lanka needed a strong start to put some wind in the sails of this chase, and what they got instead was a collapse.Pathum Nissanka holed out to mid-off in the second over, badly miscuing a lofted drive against Duffy. Kusal Mendis then edged behind in Duffy’s next over, before Avishka Fernando slapped a ball from Henry straight to point immediately after. Captain Charith Asalanka’s horrendous judging of a run extended Sri Lanka’s nosedive. He’d blocked one towards Mitchell Santner at mid-off and called his partner through. Santner swooped in the ball, hit the stumps with an under-arm throw, and caught Asalanka metres short. Kamindu had been out in very similar fashion, taking on the same fielder, only on Sunday.Captain vs captain: Mitchell Santner ran out Charith Asalanka•Getty Images

At Asalanka’s dismissal, Sri Lanka still had 234 runs to get off 194 deliveries, and only two specialist batters and two allrounders left to do it with. They didn’t get especially far.Contrast this to New Zealand’s top order, who put their team in a powerful position inside the first 22 overs, with Ravindra stroking 79 off 63 and Chapman hitting 62 off 52.What was most impressive about their stand was how comfortable both batters made brisk run-scoring appear. Ravindra was strong through the offside as usual, but found plenty of runs to leg, using the sweep and the pick-up shot off the pads to especially good effect.Chapman meanwhile, was decidedly stronger on the legside, scoring 46 off his 63 runs in that direction. He hit two sixes – one top edged over the keeper, and another over midwicket off a short ball from Eshan Malinga to bring up his fifty off 44 balls as well as the century partnership. Ravindra had also got to his half-century with a six – down the ground off Hasaranga. He took 43 balls to get there.Rachin Ravindra and Mark Chapman added 112 runs off 91 balls for the second wicket•AFP/Getty Images

Earlier, Asitha Fernando had bowled Will Young with an outstanding jagging delivery, but neither Ravindra or Chapman were tested for long by Sri Lanka’s seamers. In fact, it was the spinners that introduced even a little discomfort – between them, Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga took six wickets.Sri Lanka fielded well, and induced errors at a greater rate in the back half of the innings. Asalanka pulled off an excellent diving catch at short cover to get rid of Ravindra, and Theekshana’s hat-trick featured some tumbling catches in the deep from Chamindu Wickramasinghe and Kamindu.But even in the field, New Zealand outdid them. Their ground fielding was spectacular again, and the catch of the day belonged to Nathan Smith, who bounded along the deep-third boundary, threw himself off his feet and got his outstretched right arm to a ball that might otherwise have landed over the boundary to dismiss Malinga.

Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze has both Arsenal and Tottenham hot on his heels during the final three weeks of this summer window, with the England international holding a preferred destination between the pair.

Eze was, by some distance, Oliver Glasner’s standout attacking force last campaign, racking up 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions, and Palace still face the very real threat of losing their talismanic number 10 before the transfer deadline on September 1.

The 27-year-old’s £68 million release clause (including bonuses) was thought to expire on August 1, but new information from the last few days has now revealed that the clause actually remains active until this Friday.

Arsenal were also once the main contenders to sign Eze, with some reports even suggesting they’ve reached an agreement on financial terms, but it appears sporting director Andrea Berta won’t have a free run after all.

The Gunners have been in constant dialogue with Eze’s representatives since early July, but they’ve stalled on making a formal bid for him thus far – allowing north London rivals Tottenham a chance to swoop in and open talks with Palace (Fabrizio Romano).

Spurs were after Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White as their top attacking target, but despite booking a medical for the 25-year-old and being ready to trigger his £60m release clause this time last month, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side blocked the move, threatened legal action and convinced him to sign a new deal.

This has prompted them to turn to Eze, with Arsenal and Spurs now poised to battle for the former QPR star’s services.

Eze averaged more shots at goal, key passes and successful take-ons per 90 than any other Palace player last season, and given Liverpool are now closing in on a deal for Marc Guehi, the Eagles would be severely weakened if they lose their star creator too.

The presence of his active release clause theoretically means one of Arsenal or Tottenham could swoop in to trigger it at any moment, and this remains a possibility over the next three days until it expires.

Eberechi Eze's "first preference" between Arsenal and Tottenham

If both clubs are prepared to pay £68 million, the result of this transfer race could come down to who Eze would rather join.

According to The Independent’s Miguel Delaney, Eze does have a “first preference” between Arsenal and Tottenham.

The reliable journalist has revealed that the club he’d rather join is Arsenal, but that isn’t to completely discount Thomas Frank’s side, as Eze remains open to potentially signing for them as well.

Given Mikel Arteta currently has captain Martin Odegaard and newly tied-down youngster Ethan Nwaneri at his disposal for the number 10 role, Spurs are arguably in more desperate need of Eze.

Frank missed out on Gibbs-White and James Maddison has just succumbed to an ACL rupture which will rule him out for most of the season, so Arsenal could compound real misery on their rivals by beating them to Eze’s signature.

On the dawn of their Premier League meeting to open their respective seasons, Manchester United and Arsenal have reportedly set their sights on the same impressive target.

Amorim: "Smart" Sesko "ready" for Man Utd debut

It’s a big weekend for Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United side. They’ve had investment this summer and excuses are running out for any potential disastrous form.

Man Utd set sights on Baleba alternative who scored stunner at Old Trafford

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BySean Markus Clifford Aug 16, 2025

Whilst there’s still work to do in the transfer market, the arrivals of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko should hand the Red Devils more than enough firepower to battle their way back into the top six this season. And that could start in statement fashion against Arsenal.

If Amorim wants to see exactly where his side are at in the early days of the season, then Arsenal’s visit will certainly be welcomed. The Portuguese manager may waste no time before turning towards his fresh forwards either, having told reporters that Sesko is “ready”, despite only arriving one week ago.

On the transfer front, however, Manchester United seem far from done. After failing to negotiate a way past Brighton & Hove Albion’s £100m price tag for Carlos Baleba, those at Old Trafford could yet turn towards the likes of Angelo Stiller or others, whilst a Champions League winner is now also on their radar.

Man Utd eyeing Lee Kang-in move

According to Caught Offside, Manchester United are now eyeing a move to sign Lee Kang-in from Paris Saint-Germain this summer. The winger is free to leave amid competition for places in France and has already reportedly had direct contact from Arsenal.

In a fresh transfer battle ahead of their Premier League tie, United may already find themselves behind but, based on this summer, that may not be a problem.

Despite not having much to offer in terms of European football or a thriving project this summer, the Red Devils have still managed to lure the likes of Sesko away from rivals such as Arsenal and Newcastle United. Now, they could do the same with Lee.

Described as “brilliant” by scout Jacek Kulig in the 2022/23 campaign, and a “joy to watch”, Lee sent a timely reminder of his quality for PSG in their recent Super Cup victory over Tottenham Hotspur – scoring an excellent goal to get the Champions League holders back in the contest late on.

Now, it appears the South Korean could well leave with Gianluigi Donnarumma, as he “seriously” considers an exit before the summer deadline.

Newcastle United are preparing for a significant shake-up in their forward line.

As uncertainty continues to surround Alexander Isak’s future, the club’s recruitment team have been working behind the scenes to line up a replacement.

The player they’ve identified won’t command the same fee as Isak, nor is he yet a household name in English football.

But what he does offer is an athletic profile and goal-scoring instinct that aligns with Eddie Howe’s system and, crucially, with Newcastle’s newest attacking addition: Anthony Elanga.

Big-money striker on the horizon for Newcastle

According to reports from Italy, Benjamin Šeško has agreed to personal terms with Newcastle on a contract that would keep him at the club until 2030.

The report reads that ‘Sesko has an agreement in principle’ at St James’ Park, but the club are now focused on reaching an agreement with RB Leipzig, where Šeško is under contract until 2029.

Newcastle have admired Šeško for some time, and it’s easy to see why their interest has reignited, even if he is valued at around £60m.

The 22-year-old striker enjoyed a successful season at Leipzig, scoring 21 goals in 45 appearances across all competitions, including 13 in the Bundesliga.

Benjamin Šeško – Goals 2024/25

Bundesliga

13

DFB-Pokal

4

UEFA Champions League

4

This return is all the more impressive when you consider Leipzig’s underwhelming campaign: a seventh-place finish domestically and an early Champions League exit.

Why Elanga and Sesko makes sense

Elanga’s arrival from Nottingham Forest has already added a new dimension to Newcastle’s attacking patterns, scoring in their clash with Arsenal on Sunday.

Well, at Forest, Elanga found chemistry with Chris Wood.

While the Kiwi striker offered a traditional physical presence, it was his understanding of Elanga’s timing and delivery that allowed the pair to combine effectively.

“He’s so good at taking out his opposite number and then finding me,” Wood said. “We’ve developed a great partnership; he anticipates my movements and I his.”

Newcastle now appear to be betting on a similar dynamic – only this time, with a more mobile and higher-ceiling version of Wood.

At 194cm tall, Šeško offers a commanding physical presence, but his game is more than just height and strength.

He possesses impressive acceleration and mobility for his size, a rare combination that has drawn comparisons to Erling Haaland.

Compared to Isak, Šeško trails in some attacking metrics. He recorded 18 goal involvements to Isak’s 29, with non-penalty expected goals of 8.4 to Isak’s 17.2.

According to data from FBref, his shot on target percentage (43.9%) actually slightly edges out Isak’s (43.2%), while his per-90 metrics for touches (36.2 vs. Isak’s 35.7) and shots on target (1.10 vs. 1.34) show he is consistently involved in forward play.

Šeško’s style complements Elanga’s perfectly. With his aerial dominance and ability to make sharp near-post runs, he becomes a natural target for Elanga’s whipped deliveries.

Last season, the Sweden international quietly posted some of the most creative numbers in the Premier League: 11 assists, with per-90 metrics placing him in the 94th percentile for both assists (0.40) and crosses (6.66), and the 93rd percentile for corners (3.09).

Šeško’s physicality means he can pin defenders and create space for Elanga to operate in wide areas, much like Wood did at Forest, but with more pace and finesse.

That pairing has the potential to be devastating. Elanga thrives when he has a clear reference point to aim for, a striker who knows how to time his movement and get across defenders.

Šeško, for all his physical gifts, has also shown sharp spatial awareness in the box.

His knack for finding space between centre-backs was a constant theme in his Bundesliga goals, and if he can build rapport with Elanga, Newcastle could unlock a new attacking avenue.

Under Howe, whose team press high and look to create quick attacking moments, Šeško’s physical tools and directness could be better leveraged.

What’s also enticing for Newcastle is the long-term potential. Still just 22, the Slovenian is younger than Isak.

His statistical profile is promising, but not yet polished, meaning Newcastle have the chance to mould him into a true Premier League forward.

With the striker reportedly ready to take the next step in his career, a Premier League move feels timely.

For now, the negotiations continue. But should Newcastle seal the deal, they won’t just be replacing Isak. In Šeško and Elanga, they could be assembling a modern-day duo with real chemistry – one that could trouble even the Premier League’s strongest defences.

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Posts ByBen Gray Jul 28, 2025

Birmingham City’s summer business is already showing the rest of the Championship that they’re set to cause a storm next season.

Phil Neumann is the only confirmed arrival at this point, but statement deals for both Demarai Gray and Tommy Doyle to enter the building look set to be completed very soon, with the midfield pairing boasting a bumper 251 combined Premier League appearances.

On top of that, yet another bold switch looks near to being completed too, with another arrival actually costing Birmingham nothing, as an exciting free agent edges ever closer to a St. Andrew’s move.

Birmingham closing in on deal for exciting free agent

The latest on a move for Gray is that he’s agreed on personal terms with the club and is due to have a medical on Monday before a deal is officially announced.

While he is set to arrive on a free transfer, his former employers, Saudi club Ettifaq retain a 20% sell-on clause. Yet, Gray isn’t the only exciting addition set to arrive in the forthcoming days.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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Indeed, as per an update from journalist Mike McGrath via his X account, Birmingham are closing in on landing former Queens Park Rangers ace Bright Osayi-Samuel’s signature on a free transfer.

It had been originally speculated by Football Insider that Chris Davies and Co. had just held talks about picking up the EFL-experienced 27-year-old after his Fenerbahce deal had expired. Now, it appears now that the move has accelerated to the point where he could soon be unveiled as another ambitious Blues signing.

Why Osayi-Samuel could be a better signing than Gray

It could be argued that landing Osayi-Samuel is a better signing than the newly promoted outfit being reunited with Gray with the Nigerian only plying his trade in the Championship a matter of seasons ago at Loftus Road, compared to the Jamaican international’s long exodus from the EFL’s elite league.

Moreover, Osayi-Samuel has continued to perform to the peak of his powers in Turkey, even with his contract now up in Istanbul, whilst Gray notably struggled when calling the Saudi Pro League home.

Osayi-Samuel even lined up for Jose Mourinho’s titans in the Europa League last season, but it will be his previous heroics in the Championship for QPR that will have caught the West Midlands side’s eye even more.

Birmingham fans might well know what the 27-year-old is capable of already if they cast their mind back a few years when he scored a “blistering” solo strike – in the words of Mark Warburton.

Showcasing his devastating speed – he put away the chance above for QPR all the way back in 2019 against the Blues, with that standout effort just one of 13 strikes he registered in the second tier.

Gray, on the other hand, has a lesser eight strikes next to his name from 72 clashes in the challenging division, with Osayi-Samuel also bettering his 29-year-old counterpart with 12 assists in Championship action, next to the Birmingham-born winger’s meagre output of just three.

Away from their Championship numbers alone, the new Birmingham target has also shown no signs of visible rust across his 178 appearances for Fenerbahce, with a bumper seven goals and 15 assists coming his way, whilst Gray only picked up a disastrous one goal contribution all of last season for All-Ettifaq, away from only managing a weaker nine goals and assists in total.

Osayi-Samuel’s numbers by position at QPR

Position played

Games played

Goals scored

Assists

RM

57

7

5

RW

22

5

5

LW

11

1

0

LM

11

0

0

CF

6

0

1

AM

5

0

1

RB

1

0

0

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Osayi-Samuel would also be a far smarter addition than Gray when you consider his all-around versatility for the cause, with the ex-Hoops man more than capable of causing defences problems down Gray’s preferred right flank, whilst also offering a valuable body across many other areas of the pitch which even stretches out to being a makeshift striker.

This will come in handy as Birmingham attempt to be in and around the promotion positions, knowing full well that the stacked Championship fixture list might bring about damaging injuries.

Therefore, the “outstanding” free agent, as he was also labelled by Warburton, could prove himself to be a very shrewd purchase, away from Birmingham excessively splashing the cash.

Of course, Gray would likely come in and do a job, but the purchase of Osayi-Samuel might well just slide under the radar for the time being, when he could be even better in the long run than the homegrown talent’s return.

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Posts ByKelan Sarson Jun 29, 2025