Newcastle United are coming off the back of a 4-0 loss to Manchester City, where the Magpies managed just three shots in the entire game, generating 0.48 xG and holding 38% possession.

As good as Alexander Isak has been this season, this game highlighted Newcastle’s lack of threat when he is effectively kept quiet throughout the game, with Anthony Gordon and Jacob Murphy then struggling to have their impact.

Eddie Howe’s side could have used something different in attack, especially to threaten City more on the break from both flanks, but they may have got rid of the perfect man for that in the summer.

Yankuba Minteh's season in numbers

Newcastle sold Yankuba Minteh to Brighton and Hive Albion in the summer in order to comply with PSR regulations, with the Gambian starlet never actually making an appearance for the Tynesiders.

The 20-year-old – who joined Brighton for a fee of around £30m – has made 23 appearances for the Seagulls this season, scoring five goals, providing three assists and totalling 1,169 minutes played.

With his rapid pace, ability to hurt teams in transition and also his knack for arriving in dangerous areas, whether that’s off the dribble or by running in behind, Minteh is a constant threat, and one that Newcastle could use on their right side.

But Newcastle may have already made an even bigger mistake, selling another star who could’ve helped their attacking issues when Isak is struggling, who is now one of the Premier League’s top scorers.

Newcastle's bigger mistake than Minteh

Chris Wood left Newcastle in the 2023/24 season, initially joining Nottingham Forest on a loan deal, with an obligation to buy depending on certain conditions, which cost in the region of £15m.

Where Are They Now

Wood – who had only scored five goals in 39 games for the Magpies – has since made 69 appearances after joining Forest, scoring 34 goals, providing three assists and totalling 4,639 minutes.

The 31-year-old is the third-highest scorer in the Premier League this season with his 18 goals scored, firing Forest into third place after 25 games played.

It’s this level of clinical finisher that could help Newcastle when Isak isn’t firing, and could even be used alongside him to give Howe another option.

Player

Goals

Assists

Chris Wood

18

2

Yankuba Minteh

5

3

Elliot Anderson

1

5

Allan Saint-Maximin

3

4

Ayoze Perez

13

2

Joselu

10

2

Aleksandar Mitrovic

20

3

Mikel Merino

4

1

Ivan Toney

15

4

Newcastle have sold a number of players who could have contributed over the past five or six seasons, with different striker profiles to contrast with Isak, more direct and pacey wingers in comparison to Jacob Murphy and creative attacking midfielders such as Elliot Anderson, who could have added some key carrying quality to the side.

Wood has been described as a “throwback” striker by former Tottenham and West Ham boss, Harry Redknapp, converting his chances at a brilliant rate, tussling with defenders in the penalty box and getting his job done for the team.

Whilst it’s easy to look back now and say selling Wood was a huge mistake, the numbers speak for themselves, and having both Isak and Wood in the same squad could have been enough to fire the Magpies into another top-four finish, regaining Champions League football.

As bad as Trippier: Newcastle could drop 3/10 star who looked "petrified"

Newcastle were thrashed at the Etihad in a third PL loss in four matches.

ByAngus Sinclair Feb 15, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur bolstered their defence during the final days of the transfer window, hijacking a move to sign defender Kevin Danso from French side Lens.

It looked as though he was set to join Wolverhampton Wanderers, but it is Spurs who have secured his signature on an initial loan deal, which includes an option to buy in the summer for a fee of around £21m.

Ange Postecoglou moved onto defensive targets due to his current injury crisis at the back coupled with a series of poor performances that only stopped with their win over Brentford on Sunday afternoon.

That said, Danso wasn’t the only player to arrive in the last couple of days of the window…

How Tottenham signed Mathys Tel on deadline day

Last week, Spurs were keen on signing the Bayern Munich forward in a bid to bolster their squad ahead of the final few weeks of the season.

According to Sky Germany – as per Sky Sports – the two clubs had agreed on a deal worth £50m for the transfer of the Frenchman, but he initially turned a move to the club down.

This was certainly a big blow for the club, especially as they aim to improve on their recent poor form and a big signing like Tel would have given Spurs a major boost.

Fortunately, in dramatic circumstances on transfer deadline day, the French teenager reversed his decision and decided to sign for the Lilywhites on loan after a personal phone call with Postecoglou.

Nevertheless, despite their poor form, the manager has plenty of players who can cause chaos in the final third alongside Tel. Indeed, one of them is worth even more than the Bayern centre-forward…

Worth more than Tel: Ange has struck gold on Spurs star

Brennan Johnson joined Spurs on deadline day in 2023, moving from Nottingham Forest in a deal worth £47.5m. He had scored eight times for the club the previous season as they remained in the top flight, and it looked like Johnson would be a good signing for Spurs.

Five goals and ten assists in the top flight for a more than promising return for the right-winger in his first season at his new club, even being hailed by pundits and media alike, including Palace podcast HLTCO, who said:

“Johnson is such an exciting player to watch. He’s got frightening pace and directness; constantly looking to make something happen, it must be an absolute nightmare to defend against him.”

Goals

0

7

Assists

1

2

Big chances created

1

3

Shots per game

1.3

2.1

Successful dribbles per game

0.8

0.7

Key passes per game

0.1

0.7

He has certainly improved this season – notably scoring seven goals in seven consecutive games. Not only does the Welshman now already have 12 goals to his name across all competitions, but the 23-year-old has also recorded three assists for Spurs.

The winger has also created three big chances in the top flight while succeeding with 56% of his dribble attempts.

Such performances for Spurs have seen his market value rise since making the move to London. According to the CIES Football Observatory, Johnson is currently valued at €80m (£66.5m), which is proof of just how much the player has improved at Spurs.

Not only that, but they have also hit gold on the winger, who coincidentally is worth millions more than Tel.

Saved by Sarr: 6/10 Spurs dud just showed why Spurs need to spend millions

Tottenham Hotspur claimed their first Premier League win since December against Brentford.

ByEthan Lamb Feb 2, 2025

Celtic are well on course for another successful season, but Brendan Rodgers may have food for thought following latest developments on one of his key men.

Celtic move on after mixed January transfer window

During the January transfer window, Celtic managed to bring in club hero Jota alongside Jeffrey Schlupp to bolster their left-hand side heading into the second half of the campaign.

However, the main frustration for the Bhoys in the mid-season window became their inability to replace Kyogo Furuhashi following an extensive search for a new striker. Notably, fans have been left feeling ire at the board for failing to replace an iconic club figure, even if the review process led to faith in the talent from within as opposed to panicking in the final hours of market activity.

Adam Idah and Johnny Kenny remain in attack for the Hoops, while Daizen Maeda is more than capable of plugging the gaps centrally when needed at Parkhead. Nevertheless, the position appears light on first glance after failed Celtic attempts to land Kelechi Iheanacho and Mathias Kvistgaarden.

Despite their failure to boost options across the final third, the reigning champions turned in a convincing 6-0 victory over Dundee in midweek and appear odds-on to record a fourth successive Scottish Premiership title. The lure of Champions League football is also on the table, with a mouthwatering two-legged playoff tie against Bayern Munich to come on Europe’s biggest stage.

Sold by Ange: Celtic must rue selling "brilliant" ace who's outscoring Idah

Following Kyōgo Furuhashi’s sale, Adam Idah is the only senior striker in the Celtic squad, so they must rue selling a “brilliant’ centre-forward.

1 ByBen Gray Feb 6, 2025

Nevertheless, Rodgers may have a problem on his hands long-term in another area of the field following recent reports that have put the future of one star in jeapordy.

Greg Taylor reportedly agrees Celtic exit

According to Sportnet, Greg Taylor has agreed terms to leave Celtic for Dinamo Zagreb on a pre-contract that will kick in this summer after his contract at Parkhead expires.

Creating intrigue, the Croatian champions did have the option to trigger a release clause to make his move happen now, but have opted not to and his exit after six years at the club is now scheduled to take place later on this year.

Greg Taylor’s statistics at Celtic

Appearances

205

Goals

9

Assists

32

The £15k p/w ace has long been a talking point among supporters amid uncertainty over his future that has kicked up a notch since the beginning of the season. Alex Valle came in during that period and made a notable impression before departing for Como, but there has been little clarity surrounding Celtic’s left-back situation other than the impending arrival of Kieran Tierney.

Previously labelled ‘a joy’ by Rodgers, who has implored the full-back to stay on several occasions, it may now be the case that he brings the curtain down on an illustrious time in Glasgow’s east end that has yielded ten trophies.

Over the next few months, his and Celtic’s mission will be to finish the campaign with a bang as they eye another domestic treble coupled with giving themselves a fighting chance against Bayern Munich over the next couple of weeks.

Plays of the day from the third match of the ODI tri-series, between Australia and South Africa at Providence

Firdose Moonda07-Jun-2016Technology not needed and not usedAustralia had the opportunity to make first use of the Decision Review System when Josh Hazlewood had an appeal against Hashim Amla in the first over. Hazlewood delivered a full fourth ball of the over, which moved in as the others had, and struck the opener in front of leg stump. Umpire Joel Wilson probably thought it was going down leg and gave it not out. Had he thought it was clipping and given it out, he would have been just as correct. Replays showed that a major chunk of the ball would have gone on to hit leg stump and that Wilson’s on-field call – whatever it was – would have stood. Luckily for Amla it was not out. Luckily for Australia, they did not ask for the review.Technology needed and used Four overs later, Hazlewood was asking questions around the pads with a full length. He got one to curl into Quinton de Kock, who missed the flick and subsequently ran a leg bye. Umpire Wilson gave it as runs, even as Hazlewood appealed. Steven Smith decided to ask for the third umpire to have another look. Several replays revealed two noises but with no evidence of an inside edge, they seemed to come from the ball hitting the front pad and then the back one. Ball tracking showed it would have gone on to hit the stumps. Still, the evidence was scant and the South African dressing room thought so as they crowded around to peer at a television screen. When Wilson’s call was overturned, all of them, including coach Russell Domingo, demonstrated their disbelief but de Kock had to go.Technology not needed but used South Africa were in early trouble and their top-scorer from the opening match, Rilee Rossouw, was given out to a Nathan Lyon delivery by Umpire Richard Illingworth. Rossouw called for a review even though he looked out, with the ball straightening and striking him in front of off stump as he pushed forward and missed. The tracker revealed he was as out and Illingworth was vindicated.Forget technology – out is out In the second over of the chase, another batsman’s pads were rapped. Wayne Parnell, making his return after 11 months out of the national team, delivered a full, straight ball that jagged back and hit David Warner in front of leg. It was given out and Warner decided it would stay out. He walked off without even considering the review – which would likely have been umpire’s call – to give South Africa an early breakthrough, setting the tone for the rest of the innings.Beginner’s (bad) luck In his first appearance for South Africa, chinaman bowler Tabraiz Shamsi got the biggest endorsement a new player could ask for when AB de Villiers decided to review his first appeal. Shamsi believed the second ball he bowled, to Aaron Finch – a flat, ripping legbreak which pitched outside off and struck him in front of off – would have gone on to hit the stumps and de Villiers agreed. The ball was turning so much that initially it seemed it would miss leg stump, but replays showed the ball to be clipping. It was South Africa’s most convincing review of the game, even though it was unsuccessful. Beginner’s good luck Shamsi did not have to wait long to get his first wicket. Three balls later, Shamsi delivered another leg break, around middle stump, to Glenn Maxwell and it seemed to be missing leg but Umpire Wilson did not think so. He sent Maxwell on his way and Shamsi into celebration. A review would only have spoilt his mood as replays showed the ball was missing leg stump.

Plays of the day from the second ODI between Pakistan and West Indies in Sharjah

Nikhil Kalro02-Oct-2016The awful reviewIn the fifth over of Pakistan’s innings, Jason Holder got a full delivery to jag back into Azhar Ali, who played around his front pad and was struck right in front of middle and off stump. The umpire raised the finger almost instantaneously, but Azhar was not convinced. After a chat with opening partner Sharjeel Khan, Azhar used Pakistan’s only review. At that moment, it didn’t seem to matter to him that the new DRS rules give the bowlers a higher margin. Hawk-eye indicated even the previous lbw protocol was sufficient to uphold the umpire’s decision. Sharjeel was as much to blame as Azhar.Traffic holds up playShoaib Malik’s swift footwork to the pitch of Sulieman Benn’s loopy deliveries helped him plunder five sixes. In the 27th over, Malik danced down thrice, got underneath the flight each time and heaved him for three successive sixes, the last of which cleared the ground over the midwicket boundary. The ball ended its journey in the middle of a road outside the stadium. An eager spectator hopped over the walls, crossed the road and was made to wait for a break in an unrelenting flow of cars. Play resumed a few minutes later.Heated exchanges and humidityIn the 27th over of Pakistan’s innings, Shoaib Malik poked a ball back to the bowler Sulieman Benn. As Benn was returning, non-striker Babar Azam lost his composure – presumably for something that was said earlier – and muttered under his breath, but loud enough for the bowler to hear. Benn retorted with words and a shrug of the shoulder, but Azam went back to being like most batsmen: ignoring the bowler. The next three balls were hit for three sixes.Then in the second innings, Mohammad Amir was at the receiving end as umpire Shozab Raza seemed displeased his behaviour. Amir wore a disbelieving expression on his face, and captain Azhar Ali was forced to intervene and mediate between both parties.Reverse-cup woesPakistan’s strengths helped them to the ODI series win, but their weaknesses were in the spotlight too, their catching in particular. Darren Bravo skied a slog-sweep to Azhar at cover in the 21st over. Reverse-cup attempt. Dropped.In the 33rd over, Marlon Samuels heaved Imad Wasim to deep midwicket. Mohammad Rizwan made the ground. Reverse-cup attempt. Dropped and parried for six. Pakistan dropped six catches. “Not acceptable,” said Azhar at the post-match presentation. Fortunately for Pakistan, their batting + bowling > fielding.

Crystal Palace have made a bid worth just over £10 million to sign a “complete package” player, according to a recent report.

Crystal Palace transfer news

The Eagles have already been productive in this January transfer window, signing Romain Esse from Championship side Millwall, as they look to continue their charge up the Premier League table and move further away from the relegation zone.

Crystal Palace have struck gold on Eagles star who's worth more than Esse

Crystal Palace have a player who could help Romain Esse.

By
Connor Holden

Jan 23, 2025

There is just over a week remaining in this January transfer window, and the South Londoners have their eye on at least one more addition. It’s been reported that Palace have submitted an opening offer worth £13 million to sign El Hadji Malick Diouf from Slavia Prague, but this bid is short of what the Czech side wants, as they value the player at £17 million.

As well as looking at players who can improve their squad, Palace could also face the prospect of losing a key player, as it’s been reported that Manchester United are interested in signing left-back Tyrick Mitchell.

The defender is out of contract at Selhurst Park in the summer, and United are said to have made an enquiry over signing Mitchell. ESPN’s Rob Dawson has claimed that the Red Devils would try to do a deal for the defender this month rather than wait until the summer, but they are not alone in the pursuit, as Atlético Madrid and AC Milan are also interested in Mitchell.

Crystal Palace submit £10m+ bid to sign "complete package" ace

The Eagles will be hoping they can end this transfer window in a positive manner and sign a new player, and according to Gune Bakis relayed by Sport Witness, they plan to do just that, as Palace have made a €12m (£10.09m) bid to sign Batista Mendy from Trabzonspor.

Mendy has been a long-term target for the Premier League side, as Palace wanted to sign the midfielder during the summer transfer window. The interest hasn’t disappeared, and now they have tabled an offer to try and bring the defensive midfielder to Selhurst Park this month.

But Palace face stiff competition, as Ligue 1 side Rennes have also made an offer for Mendy, with their bid being worth €13 million. It is being claimed that Mendy is more interested in a move to France than England, as Rennes continues talks with Trabzonspor. But Rennes and Palace will both have to improve their offers if they are to sign the midfielder, as Trabzonspor want €15 million for the player, which is roughly £12 million.

Batista Mendy’s 24/25 Süper Lig stats
Apps	18
Starts	17
Minutes per game	87
Assists	2
Big chances created	1
Key passes	0.6
Interceptions per game	0.8
Tackles per game	1.2
Balls recovered per 90	4.7
Clearances per 90	1.7

Mendy, who has been dubbed a “complete package” in the media, would add more steel to Palace’s midfield and could be a perfect replacement for Adam Wharton, who remains on the sidelines through injury. As well as being a defensive midfielder by trade, Mendy also has the ability to drop into the centre of defence if needed, meaning he would be another viable option in that area of the pitch for Oliver Glasner if he needed cover.

The January transfer window officially closed for business on Monday of last week and Leeds United did not make a single first-team addition to their squad.

Despite their rivals making moves to bolster their squads, notably Sheffield United’s swoops for Tom Cannon and Ben Brereton Diaz and Sunderland’s move for Enzo Le Fee, the Whites opted against any winter deals.

The West Yorkshire outfit are currently competing for promotion to the Premier League and they are sat at the top of the Championship table as it stands, hoping that the squad from the first half of the season can remain consistent and push them over the line.

Daniel Farke’s men beat Coventry City 2-0 in their last league matches, which included Joel Piroe taking his tally for the season to 13 goals in the second tier.

The Dutch forward was, however, rested for the 2-0 defeat to Millwall in the FA Cup, as Mateo Joseph led the line for the Whites and failed to take his opportunity to impress.

Football FanCast published an article imploring Farke to instantly drop the Spaniard after the match, which was another blow to his chances of being a regular starter for Leeds.

Mateo Joseph's form this season

The Spain U21 international started the 2024/25 campaign as the first-choice number nine ahead of Piroe in the Championship, but failed to make sure that he retained his place in the side.

Joseph started the first eight matches of the season, in the second tier, and only scored one goal, which was a close-range finish in the 2-0 win over Hull City at Elland Road.

The young marksman, simply, did not offer enough of a threat in the final third and was eventually replaced by Piroe, who, as aforementioned, has racked up 13 goals in the Championship this season.

At the age of 21, Joseph still has plenty of time left to develop and improve as a player in the years to come, but the Whites will hope that he can add more consistency to his performances at the top end of the pitch as soon as possible, with promotion on the line this season.

Appearances (starts)

30 (11)

xG

4.95

Goals

3

Big chances created

4

Assists

3

As you can see in the table above, the Leeds striker has not made the most of the high-quality opportunities that his teammates have created for him this season, as he has underperformed his xG by roughly two goals.

The 21-year-old gem has, however, created four ‘big chances’ in 11 starts, which shows that he does offer a decent amount of creativity as a centre-forward, but it is his finishing that, clearly, still needs a lot of work before he can be a regular starter in the Championship for Farke.

Minutes played

90

Accurate passes

9/17 (53%)

Shots

0

Key passes

0

Crosses

0

Duels won

2/5

Possession lost

12x

Fouls

1

Interceptions

0

Tackles

1

Dribbled past

2

Despite Joseph’s struggles this season, the Spanish attacker has still managed to outscore a player who Leeds sold for a huge amount of money last year.

Leeds hit the jackpot selling £20m star

Back in February of last year, Premier League side Bournemouth agreed a fee of £20m to sign Colombia international Luis Sinisterra from the Whites ahead of the summer transfer window.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

Leeds had snapped the forward up from Dutch club Feyenoord in the summer of 2022, for a reported fee of £21m, as Jesse Marsch brought him in to bolster his attack for the 2022/23 campaign.

Unfortunately, the young winger missed a whopping 16 games through injury, suffering muscle, ankle, and foot issues throughout the Premier League season.

Appearances

19

xG

3.73

Goals

5

Big chances created

0

Assists

0

As you can see in the table above, Sinisterra did offer a decent goal threat in the matches that he was available for but failed to offer anything in the way of creativity.

Leeds opted to send him out on loan to Bournemouth for the 2023/24 campaign after they were relegated to the Championship, and he went on to score two goals and provide two assists in 20 Premier League games for the Cherries.

He did enough to earn a £20m move to the Vitality Stadium and it currently looks as though the Whites hit the jackpot by cashing in on him for that amount of money.

How Luis Sinisterra's 24/25 season has gone so far

The 25-year-old forward officially completed his move to Bournemouth last summer and this has been his first season as a permanent player at the club.

Unfortunately, his injury issues have continued to plague him. The Colombian attacker is currently sidelined with a hamstring issue that has kept him out of action since October, causing him to miss 18 matches and counting.

This suggests that the Whites played a blinder by recouping £20m for the winger because the injury issues that disrupted his time at Elland Road have continued to cause him issues on the south coast.

His performances in the Premier League, when fit, this season also do not suggest that the £20m spent on his services has been good value for money for the Cherries so far.

Appearances

8

xG

1.12

Goals

1

Key passes per game

1.1

Assists

1

As you can see in the table above, Sinisterra has offered a decent, but not outstanding, at the top end of the pitch for Bournemouth in the top-flight when available this season.

The Colombia international has, therefore, scored two fewer league goals and registered two fewer assists than Joseph in the league, albeit at different levels, this term.

Sinisterra has not offered enough, in terms of quality in the final third or availability to be selected, to justify the money spent to secure his services last summer, which suggests that Leeds hit the jackpot by cashing in on him for a fee of £20m.

The West Yorkshire outfit will, now, be hoping that the Bournemouth flop does not go on to prove them massively wrong, and that Joseph can improve his output in the final third as he gains more first-team experience.

Fewer touches than Darlow: Leeds must axe 3/10 dud after Millwall nightmare

Leeds United crashed out of the FA Cup.

ByMatt Dawson Feb 8, 2025

Three glaring dropped catches off the bowling of Lasith Malinga were pivotal as Sri Lanka’s “pathetic” fielding cost them a semi-final place

Andrew McGlashan in Cardiff12-Jun-2017Lasith Malinga was stretching between almost every delivery of his final over. His body can’t do what it used to. And there would be no miracle. Sarfraz Ahmed angled a short-of-a-length delivery, at not much above medium pace, fine of third man and started sprinting off in a random direction with a celebratory run to rival Imran Tahir.We might not see Malinga in a global competition again. It could have been such a different story.This may have been the most exciting match of the Champions Trophy, but it was also the lowest quality barring the burst between Mohammad Amir and Junaid Khan which dissected Sri Lanka’s middle order. In many ways it was astonishing they got themselves into a position to be considered favourites.They scrambled to 236 but when Fakhar Zaman burst to a 33-ball fifty it looked to have broken the game. Somehow, though, Sri Lanka claimed seven wickets for 88 with, basically, a three-man bowling attack although Thisara Perera chipped in with the scalp of Mohammad Hafeez. However, Perera’s key part in the afternoon was still to come.One-by-one Pakistan’s top order offered a helping hand, though Suranga Lakmal and Nuwan Pradeep were once again impressive with their perseverance. But with the flying start provided by Fakhar, Angelo Mathews had to throw his lot in with his main bowlers. Pradeep was done by the 37th over, Lakmal by the 42nd.Fielding first, as they did against South Africa and India, it is easier to absorb the weaker bowlers because a captain knows they’ll have a chance to chase whatever is set. It worked against India in record-breaking fashion. But defending a low total the attack was thin beyond the main three. Mathews insisted there was no other option, needing the extra batting cover even though it was Dhananjaya de Silva who had only arrived 48 hours ago.Everything had to go their way in the field. It needed a faultless display. Instead a familiar foe reared its head.Malinga returned to the attack for the 39th over. The stand between Sarfraz and Amir had reduced Pakistan’s requirement to 44. The balls remaining wasn’t even an issue. It was bowl them out or lose the game.Malinga loosened himself up – as much as he could – with a bouncer. The next delivery was an attempted slower-ball yorker which drifted down the leg side. Then he followed it with another slower one, straighter this time, and Sarfraz was early on his shot. The ball spooned, almost in slow motion, towards mid-on. Pakistan were going to be eight down; Sri Lanka favourites again. Except Thisara thought he was catching a bar of soap. And it ended up on the shower floor.To a man, Sri Lanka had their hands on their heads. Mathews, who later termed Sri Lanka’s fielding “shambolic” wore a look of thunder. But that wasn’t the end of it; it hadn’t even been the start.Seekkuge Prasanna’s reprieve of Sarfraz Ahmed was the toughest of three chances put down off Lasith Malinga•Getty ImagesIn the opening over of the chase, Azhar Ali cut firmly to Danushka Gunathilaka at point – a man who has taken blinding catches in that position – but the chance went down. It was simple, but not as simple as Thisara’s.”It was unfortunate that we dropped his catches today, he would have been a different bowler, but still he came out and gave his heart out, and he is a champion bowler for us,” Mathews said.Malinga, whose own drop of Faf du Plessis at The Oval was another crucial moment, had been able to stew at mid-on after Thisara’s blunder, often with his arms crossed as though he had no intention of fielding a delivery but his next over was of Keystone Cops proportions.It began with another slower bouncer which Sarfraz hooked in the air towards deep square. The fielder, substitute Seekugge Prasanna had to run it and dive forward for the catch. The ball hit his hands and then the ground. It was the toughest of the catches put down, but Sri Lanka needed a moment of inspiration and it had passed them by again.Next delivery, Amir pushed the ball into the covers where it slipped through the legs of the fielder. Two balls later, Amir is then beaten, it bounces before reaching wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella who couldn’t get a glove on it, the ball ricocheting off his leg to fine leg for four byes.But the over wasn’t done there. The next delivery was prodded to short cover and, again, was let through for a run. The final ball was blocked. There was a loud cheer. It sounded as though it was from the Pakistan contingent for a solid shot, but it may have been from the Sri Lankans for the fact the ball was picked up without drama.”The boys have worked extremely hard,” Mathews said. “Today we dropped three catches, but there has been a genuine effort from the boys and from the support staff, and we’ve expressed a lot about our fielding, we’ve talked about it a lot, and we put a lot of energy on our fielding. So, there has been a genuine effort on fielding.”Four overs later, the game was done. The stuffing knocked out of Sri Lanka by 15 minutes of mayhem in an error-strewn match. In years gone by, even the 11 runs that Malinga had to play with when he started his final over may have been enough for something special. This time, though, Sarfraz comfortably picked off what was needed then charged off in celebration. No one was catching him. Least of all the Sri Lankans.

Former Liverpool man Jermaine Pennant has now revealed who he believes could be brought in to replace a £34m star this summer, in an exclusive interview with Football FanCast.

Van Dijk, Salah and Alexander-Arnold contract update

Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold are all out of contract at the end of the campaign, which will leave Arne Slot with some gaping holes in his squad if the trio fail to agree new deals before the summer.

Speaking on The Overlap, Daniel Geey has recently provided an update on the contract situation, and it is not good news for fans, with the sports lawyer stating he believes Salah is the most likely to leave out of the three (via Rousing The Kop).

“I am a terrible betting man, but if I were to go, I would go with Van Dijk. I think Trent is 50/50. I think Salah is more likely to go,”

There is no shortage of interest in the Egyptian, with clubs from the Saudi Pro League thought to be particularly keen, meaning the Reds have been forced to start assessing potential replacements for the summer transfer window. Now, a former player has revealed who he thinks Slot could sign if Salah departs.

Liverpool determined to go all out for "impressive" star at Slot's request

He knows Slot well…

1 ByTom Cunningham Feb 18, 2025

Jermaine Pennant was speaking exclusively to Football FanCast on behalf of NewBettingSites.uk.

When asked whether there is anyone in England who could replace Salah, Pennant said: “Semenyo for Bournemouth, he’s looked exciting but he likes to play off the left, but I think he could play off the right as well.

“Mbeumo is a good option, but when you’re talking about other players rather than Mo Salah, it’s hard to put anyone up near him. Whoever we get, it’s just not going to be the same.

“So will we see someone from the Premier League? Probably not, I think they’ll go abroad to find a replacement.

“Their recruitment is usually spot on. I’m sure as we speak Liverpool are looking for some sort of replacement.”

Adeyemi and Kubo among Liverpool targets

The 32-year-old has been a revelation ever since arriving at Anfield for a relatively low fee of £34m, and he has played a key role in Slot’s side’s push for the Premier League title this season, amassing a staggering 23 goals and 14 assists.

As such, while it is good news Liverpool are being proactive in the transfer market by looking at potential replacements, their number one priority should be to tie the forward down to a new contract.

Pennant indicates a move for a player from abroad is the most likely scenario, should the Merseyside club be unable to agree new terms, and they have been linked with some exciting options.

Borussia Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi and Real Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo are among the players to be linked with a move to Anfield in the event Salah departs, but it will of course be extremely difficult for either player to replicate what Salah has done for the club.

This season has not gone to plan for Arsenal at all.

Mikel Arteta’s side may be second in the Premier League, but they sit six points off Liverpool, who have a game in hand, were knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester United and look set to go out of the League Cup at the hands of Newcastle United.

While injuries have certainly played their part in the club’s lacklustre form, poor finishing has arguably been just as much of a problem, especially in the domestic cup competitions.

So, recent reports linking the club to an incredibly exciting young attacker is undoubtedly good news, especially when the player in question has won comparisons to Nicolas Anelka in the past.

Arsenal's hunt for a new forward

The big news breaking this afternoon concerns Ollie Watkins. The Aston Villa forward notably scored against the Gunners a couple of weekends ago and he could now be on the move to the Emirates Stadium.

The Daily Mail’s Sami Mokbel claims that a move has been launched to seal a move for the Villa striker late in the window and that they are pushing to clinch his signature. That said, an initial offer has been rejected.

He’s not the only forward player on Arsenal’s radar in the remaining days of the window…

Indeed, according to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, Arsenal are one of several clubs that intermediaries of Mathys Tel have approached.

Bailey has revealed that, alongside the Gunners, Manchester United and North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur have been contacted since the 19-year-old prodigy decided he wanted to leave Bayern Munich before the window slams shut next month.

The report names a long list of other European clubs who have also been contacted and made aware of the situation, including Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan and Napoli but does not mention how much the youngster might cost.

However, stories from earlier this week claimed that an offer in the region of £40m could be enough to get him out of Baveria, and while that is a lot of money for a teenager, his immense potential could render it value for money down the line for Arsenal, especially as he’s already been compared to Anelka.

Why Tel could be Anelka 2.0

So, it’s certainly a bold claim to make, but it’s worth examining how Tel could be Arsenal’s next Anelka and where the comparison came from in the first place.

Well, in this instance, it has stemmed from respected football analyst Ben Mattinson, who just a few days ago described the youngster as a “deadly finisher with the leadership/personality to deliver in big moments” and that it was this combined with the fat he could play as a nine or inside forward that “reminds me of Anelka.”

Now, while he didn’t stay at Arsenal for as long as many fans would have liked, that does sound an awful lot like the French goalscorer, who also moved to N5 as a teenager, joining Arsène Wenger’s continental revolution at just 17 years old for £500k in February 1997.

He didn’t play much football in his first six months at Highbury, but by the end of his first full season, in the 97/98 campaign, he had racked up a brilliant haul of nine goals and seven assists in 40 games, and when he left the club for Real Madrid in the summer of 1999 for a whopping £31.5m, he did so with a record of 28 goals and 14 assists in 90 games for the club.

It might seem like a lot to expect Tel to match his compatriot’s impact at the club if he were to complete his own winter move this year, but on top of the raw ability Mattinson said he has, he’s also got the underlying numbers to suggest that is possible.

Tel’s FBref scout report
Statistics	Per 90	Percentile
Goal-Creating Actions	0.88	Top 3%
Successful Take-On %	55.6%	Top 3%
Pass Completion %	83.3%	Top 4%
Crosses into the Penalty Area	0.62	Top 8%
Assists	0.35	Top 10%
Shots on Target	1.32	Top 13%
Successful Take-Ons	1.32	Top 13%
Total Shots	3.17	Top 15%
All Stats via FBref for the last 365 days

For example, FBref, which compares players in similar positions in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and the Europa League, places the Bayern “machine,” as dubbed by Mattinson, in the top 3% of attacking midfielders and wingers for goal-creating actions and successful take-on percentage, the top 6% for pass completion percentage, the top 8% for crosses into the penalty area, the top 10% for assists and more, all per 90.

When you add that to that fact that he was able to score ten goals and provide six assists in just 41 appearances, totalling 1406 minutes, for FC Hollywood last season, it starts to become much easier to understand the comparisons to the former French superstar.

Ultimately, Arsenal require attacking reinforcements this month, and while it is a lot of money to spend on a teenager, they should do all they can to sign Tel, as he might just be their new Anelka.

Big upgrade on Havertz: Arsenal offered late deal to sign lethal £46m star

The clinical striker would make Arsenal far more dangerous.

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By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jan 29, 2025