Tag Futebol

Newcastle United are interested in signing a "special" attacking player once the January transfer window opens, with Eddie Howe previously admitting he is an admirer.

Newcastle transfer news

The Magpies have crawled their way towards the winter window in recent weeks, with some of the performances in the Premier League, Champions League and EFL Cup looking tired.

A busy run of fixtures looks to have caught up with Newcastle's injury-hit squad, and the poor form of Kieran Trippier is a perfect example of their current struggles.

Supporters may be desperate to see new signings come in once January arrives, giving Howe that added depth that he craves, with a host of players linked with moves to St James' Park recently.

Centre-backs are seemingly being looked at, with Sporting CP defender Goncalo Inacio constantly being tipped to join Newcastle, and players further up the pitch are also seen as targets.

In attack, VfB Stuttgart striker Serhou Guirassy is in the form of his life, scoring 17 goals in just 12 Bundesliga starts this season, and he is one individual who could come in and ease the burden on the likes of Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak.

Newcastle want Hugo Ekitike

According to a new transfer update from L'Equipe, (via OneFootball) Newcastle are keen on making a move for Paris Saint-Germain striker Hugo Ekitike in January. The Magpies face competition from Lyon, however, so it may not be easy for them to get a deal over the line.

In the past, Howe has even openly admitted that he rates the Frenchman as a player despite missing out on him in the summer of 2022, saying:

"It’s no secret that we really liked Hugo and we worked hard to try and do that deal. He’s a very talented lad and he decided to go to PSG. I have no hard feelings toward him and wish him well in the next phase of his career. I really do wish him luck."

Ekitike could be such an ideal signing for Newcastle, arriving as a squad player with plenty of potential, before eventually becoming more of a key man.

The 21-year-old will have hopefully learned from some iconic teammates, playing alongside Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar at PSG, where he has four goals and assists apiece to his name in 33 appearances.

The fact that both Wilson and Isak are injury-prone does highlight the need to sign another attacking player, and with the former now in his 30s, Ekitike could be seen as someone who could replace him in time. He has been lauded by former Reims manager Oscar Garcia in the past, who said of him:

"There is something very special about him. He’s young, and he has the quality to become a very good player. He’s a young man with a lot of quality but also a lot to improve on, but he works hard in training."

Newcastle now ready to make offer to sign "extraordinary" player

The PIF would guarantee him a big salary.

By
Henry Jackson

Dec 23, 2023

Newcastle should always be looking to plan for the future in order to keep building as a club – and Ekitike could be seen as a key part of it at St James' Park.

da luck： Arsenal are said to be very interested in signing another young South American star amid links to Fluminese midfielder Andre and Villa's Douglas Luiz.

Edu's Brazilian connections

da esport bet： Gunners sporting director Edu has already signed a host of Brazil internationals since taking the reins as Arsenal's transfer chief. Gabriel Jesus joined the club in a £50 million deal from Man City in the summer of 2022, while centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes has gone on to form a brilliant partnership with William Saliba at the heart of Mikel Arteta's defence.

Marquinhos, who is currently on loan at Ligue 1 side FC Nantes, joins Arsenal's crop from Brazil as well, with Gabriel Martinelli also standing out as another star from across the Atlantic.

Edu appears to have a real habit of attracting the most exciting players from his homeland to north London, with reports suggesting that the Arsenal employee wants to keep it going. Arteta's side are believed to view Villa midfielder and former Man City man Luiz as a top target for the midfield, while promising young star Andre is another player on Arsenal's radar.

Speaking on Arsenal's transfer policy last year, Edu explained that they're only in the middle of their project and aim to keep adding more and more quality.

"We have a plan really in place, so we are probably in the middle of our project," said Edu (via Sky).

"We need to keep improving the quality in the squad. We have to make important decisions to make our squad better every year, so we have to improve, improve and improve.

"Here we have to always think about winning. I think the club was born to win things because of the size of this club and that we have to always think about winning. Every single year we have to be better, better and better."

Indeed, Brazil appears to be a very real talent pool for Arsenal, and some news has come to light about another player who is really attracting their attention.

Arsenal very interested in signing Moscardo

According to reliable journalist and transfer expert Neil Jones, speaking to CaughtOffside this week, Arsenal are very interested in signing Gabriel Moscardo from Corinthians. It is believed they're far more keen on the midfielder than the likes of Liverpool, who themselves prefer to wait for South American talent to develop before considering them for first-team football.

"Another young Brazilian linked with a move to Merseyside is Gabriel Moscardo of Corinthians, although my information is that both Chelsea and Arsenal have shown far more interest in the 18-year-old than Liverpool have," said Jones.

“Liverpool, generally, do not sign first-team players directly from South America. Their tendency in the past has been to wait and see how a talent develops once it has moved to Europe – think of Diaz, Firmino, Fabinho, Nunez, Mac Allister and Alisson as six great examples – before making their move when the player reaches their early-mid 20s.”

Moscardo, despite being just 18, has already made 23 senior appearances in all competitions and could be a real one to watch in the future.

كشفت تقارير صحفية بريطانية عن موقف لاعبي ليفربول من تصريحات محمد صلاح النارية ضد النادي والمدرب آرني سلوت خلال الساعات الماضية.

ووفقاً لصحيفة “ديلي ميل” البريطانية فإن آرني سلوت أصبح يحظى بدعم أكبر من لاعبي ليفربول بعد تصريحات صلاح النارية، والتي كانت تهدف لزيادة الضغط على المدرب الهولندي.

ولا يزال سلوت يحظى بتقدير كبير من إدارة ليفربول كمدرب تكتيكي رغم المشاكل التي واجهها الفريق هذا الموسم.

أقرأ أيضاً.. ميرسون: محمد صلاح أسطورة.. وليفربول لم يكن ليفوز بأي لقب بدونه

وأظهرت مباراة إنتر ميلان وخطة مدرب ليفربول آرني سلوت أنه مازال قادرا على استخراج أفضل ما لدى اللاعبين، حيث حقق الريدز الفوز بهدف نظيف.

وعلى الرغم من ذلك فإن هناك شكوكا من البعض في مهارة آرني سلوت في إدارة اللاعبين، وبرزت هذه المخاوف أكثر من أي وقت مضى بعد تصريحات صلاح.

ولا يزال آرني سلوت يحظى بدعم إدارة ليفربول بما في ذلك الرئيس التنفيذي لمجموعة فينواي الرياضية مايكل إدواردز والمدير الرياضي ريتشارد هيوز.

Aston Villa have a lot of work to do before their Premier League season gets underway next month with a home tie against Newcastle United.

Several summer departures will likely take place, with Emiliano Martinez reportedly keen on a move to Manchester United, while Jacob Ramsey is attracting interest from Nottingham Forest. But, with their PSR concerns now a thing of the past, plenty of new signings could also arrive through the door soon.

In particular, some confidence-boosting attacking additions look to be a priority, particularly if Ollie Watkins ends up joining Martinez as another first-team face to have left the building.

Aston Villa considering move for £60m striker

Watkins does look to have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to who he could pick as his next club after Villa, with it being reported that Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United are all keen on adding the England international to their respective sides.

Losing Watkins would be a notable blow, but Villa could begin to repair their depleted attack by adding reported target Alejandro Garnacho to their camp from the aforementioned Red Devils, alongside raiding Enzo Maresca’s men when going after a fresh centre-forward purchase.

An update from journalist Ben Jacobs via X indicates that Villa are in the running to land hot-and-cold Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson this summer, with Villa considering his name as they hunt down some more personnel up top.

It’s revealed that Chelsea won’t be pushing the ex-Villarreal attacker out the door – despite his hit-and-miss finishing ability – but they would consider bids if some are forthcoming, with Jackson reportedly available for around the £60m mark.

Transfer Focus

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

How Jackson could be Villa's next Duran

It would be an almighty gamble on Villa’s end to splash out some significant bucks on such an inconsistent performer but there are similarities, not just in the way they arrived in the country, but in their play styles too.

Indeed, the Villans took a risk when they landed Jhon Duran for £18m back in January of 2023, only to be immediately vindicated when he became a clinical hero for Unai Emery and Co.

After all, Duran didn’t dive into the English game boasting the most mind-blowing numbers for Chicago Fire, with only eight goals coming his way from 28 appearances in the Windy City.

Yet, he instantly became a favourite in the West Midlands for his high-octane performances in attack, culminating in a huge chunk of his 20 goals for Villa coming last season when he bagged 12 strikes from just 29 outings.

Goals

7

3

Assists

0

0

Goal conversion percentage

23%

21%

Goal frequency (minutes)

89

79

Shots per game

1.6

2

Chelsea purchased Jackson for around the £32m mark in the same year the Colombian arrived in England, knowing plenty more could come from the 24-year-old in his new location, with Villa already on the receiving end of Jackson’s lethal bursts when he headed home this effort against them during his debut campaign in West London.

Indeed, Jackson fired home a promising 13 strikes in Spain before embarking on this daunting adventure with the Blues, and whilst there have been plenty of grumbles at Stamford Bridge over his wastefulness, he has shown in spells that he can be a deadly and impactful presence on his day, just as Duran has.

Amazingly, despite squandering a costly 43 big chances across his two top-flight seasons at Chelsea, Jackson does still have more strikes next to his name in the Premier League alone than Duran mustered up across his entire Villa Park stint, with 24 goals in 64 league clashes.

Despite that, there are stylistic similarities between the pair, as the numbers showcase.

Shots

3.08

4.27

Shots on target

1.38

1.93

Completed passes

12.3

16.2

Progressive passes

1.54

1.83

Shot-creating actions

2.97

2.54

Successful take-ons

0.73

0.42

Analysing the data, we get a sense that neither are particularly involved in the play in large spells, registering fewer than 20 passes per game.

Likewise, neither striker particularly grabs the ball and takes a player on, completing fewer than one dribble per 90 minutes. Crucially, they both possess the ability to play on the shoulder of the last man and have a gangly playstyle associated with their height. Duran is 6 foot 1, while Jackson is 6 foot 2.

The 24-year-old Jackson might well welcome a fresh opportunity at Villa, particularly when taking in Emery’s transformative powers that worked wonders on the likes of Marcus Rashford last season. He had experienced an equally challenging time at Manchester United before bouncing back well with the Villans, amassing a blistering four goals and six assists in claret and blue.

Moreover, it’s even clearer from the Spaniard’s track record with Duran that he could be the manager to get even more out of a scapegoated Jackson, with the Senegal international once being labelled as a “special” talent by journalist Rahman Osman.

Of course, this move might well backfire if the 24-year-old’s wasteful displays rear their ugly head once more in the West Midlands. But, much like with Duran, it feels like a shot in the dark worth taking.

Better than Ramsey: Aston Villa register interest in £40m "superstar"

Aston Villa could soon win an attacking superstar who is better than Jacob Ramsey.

ByKelan Sarson Jul 17, 2025

This season has felt like a slog for Arsenal.

It’s the third year on the bounce that Mikel Arteta’s side have fought for the Premier League, but instead of Manchester City, it’s Liverpool who, as things stand, look set to pip them to the crown.

The North Londoners haven’t been at their scintillating best for much of the campaign, but they have also been incredibly unlucky with injuries, with their two best attackers, Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz, out injured.

Worse still, a player the club released as a youngster continues to thrive at the very highest level and has already scored more goals than Saka and Havertz combined.

Havertz and Saka's seasons

So, it would be fair to say that since he moved to Arsenal for £65m in June 2023, Havterz has been a player who has split opinions among fans and pundits alike.

The German international initially joined the club as a midfield option, but halfway through last season, when he was struggling to adapt, Arteta opted to move him up and make him the team’s starting number nine, which was a decision that more than paid off.

By the end of the campaign, the former Chelsea ace had scored 14 goals and provided seven assists in 51 games, but eight of those goals and seven of those assists came in just 18 appearances up top, which is an average of a goal involvement every 1.2 games.

He hasn’t been quite as clinical this season and has received flak for it, but we’d argue that the Aachen-born marksman has been more effective than people have given him credit for, as in 34 appearances, he’s scored 15 goals and provided five assists, which comes to an average of a goal involvement every 1.7 games, and also makes him the club’s top scorer.

From one player who sometimes has as many critics as fans to one who was in simply sensational form prior to his unfortunate hamstring injury: Saka.

In just 24 appearances, totalling 1828 minutes, the Gunners’ “legend in the making,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored nine goals and provided 13 assists, which comes out to an incredible average of a goal involvement every 1.09 games, or every 83.09 minutes.

In short, Arsenal are in for a serious uphill battle if they are going to overtake Liverpool without these two in the team, which makes the club’s distant decision to release a prolific goalscorer, who has more goals than he pair combined this season, as a child even harder to take today.

The former Arsenal prospect outscoring Saka and Havertz

With a club the size of Arsenal, there will always be incredible youngsters who slip through the gaps, such as Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze and Donyell Malen.

However, we aren’t sure many teams have made the decision to release a player who would end up being as unbelievably talented as Harry Kane.

The England captain was a part of Hale End until he was around 12 years old, when then-academy manager Roy Massey decided to release him, as he didn’t believe the youngster had what was needed to make it in the game.

Now, while the club have since come to regret that decision in a big, big way, it did take about three years for Tottenham Hotspur to swoop in and pick him up after he spent a few weeks on trial with Watford, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Following a number of loans around the Football League, the Walthamstow-born star finally made it into the Lilywhites’ first team and went on to become their all-time top goalscorer, racking up an incredible haul of 280 goals and 61 assists in 435 games before securing a mega-money move to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023.

The “world-class” centre forward, as dubbed by Harry Maguire, has been just as devastating in Germany, and this season, he has already scored 29 goals and provided ten assists in just 31 appearances, totalling 2459 minutes.

That means he is not only outscoring Havertz and Saka combined, but he’s also averaging 1.25 goal involvements every game, or one every 63.05 minutes, which is utterly outrageous and the sort of output that would surely fire Arteta’s men to the title.

Appearances

31

24

34

Minutes

2459′

1828′

2776′

Goals

29

9

15

Assists

10

13

5

Goal Involvements per Match

1.25

0.91

0.58

Minutes per Goal Involvement

63.05′

83.09′

138.8′

Ultimately, hindsight is a wonderful thing, and Arsenal are blessed with a plethora of incredibly talented players of their own, but a world in which they kept hold of Kane is one that might’ve seen them win a lot more silverware.

An £85m superstar in the making: Arsenal struck gold on "incredible" dynamo

The sensational talent is already a game-changer for Arsenal.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 21, 2025

Celtic extended their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership table back to 13 points on Wednesday night with a comprehensive 6-0 win over Dundee.

The Hoops made light work of their opponents at Parkhead and are one step closer to winning the top-flight for the fourth successive season.

Jota, who rejoined the club in a move from Rennes last month, started his first match under Brendan Rodgers and ended the game with an assist to his name.

The star of the show for the Scottish giants, however, was not the Portuguese sensation. Instead, it was the team’s Belgian wizard in the middle of the park.

Arne Engels' performance against Dundee

The summer signing from Augsburg was selected alongside Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate in midfield and caught the eye with a masterful showing.

Engels kicked off the scoring for the Hoops in the 18th minute by coolly converting from the penalty spot after Auston Trusty was fouled inside the box.

The Belgian midfielder then turned provider for the fourth goal with an assist for Daizen Maeda, before he added his second of the match with a fine, albeit slightly deflected, effort from the edge of the box that sailed into the back of the net.

Engels, who completed 88% of his attempted passes and created two chances, was a crucial part of the impressive victory for Celtic with his contributions at the top end of the pitch.

Performance in Numbers

However, there was a player at the other end of the pitch who was just as important as the Belgium international on Wednesday night – Cameron Carter-Vickers.

Cameron Carter-Vickers' performance against Dundee

The USA international did not provide a goal or an assist in the 6-0 thumping and that is why his impressive performance at the heart of the defence may have gone unnoticed, or underappreciated.

Having a rock solid defence provides the attacking players with a platform to build from and the former Tottenham Hotspur titan’s defensive work provided the perfect platform.

Carter-Vickers was just as important as Engels to the performance because he was almost faultless defensively, which allowed the Belgian, alongside the likes of Maeda, Adam Idah, and Jota, to thrive in the final third.

Minutes

90

Touches

126

Pass success

96%

Tackles

2

Interceptions

4

Dribbled past

0x

Duels won

8/11

As you can see in the table above, the American man mountain was almost unbeatable at the back, winning the vast majority of his duels, and was not dribbled past a single time.

This allowed Celtic to assert dominance in the game, as he consistently won the ball back and prevented Dundee from building attacks, to then go on and score the goals that they did.

Carter-Vickers also provided reliability in possession, taking 126 touches and completing 96% (108/112) of his attempted passes, which allowed the Hoops to build out from the back without giving away any chances through sloppy passes.

Now worth less than Schlupp: Celtic should regret signing their £4m flop

Celtic have not had the best time with the summer signing from 2023.

1 ByDan Emery Feb 5, 2025

Therefore, Carter-Vickers, despite not being directly involved in any of the six goals, was just as important as Engels and Rodgers should be delighted with his showing.

The first-ever women’s Hundred draft took place on Thursday evening, with each team making between four and six picks to fill out their squads having earlier retained between two and four players from their 2022 cohort.Welsh Fire, picking first, tried to sign Sophie Devine and Danni Wyatt, only to be thwarted by Birmingham Phoenix and Southern Brave respectively, who used their Right-To-Match cards to keep hold of their players. Eventually, they made Sophia Dunkley their first pick.Each team will fill out their squad in an open-market process before the tournament starts on August 1, with two teams – London Spirit and Birmingham Phoenix – both in the market for a third and final overseas player. Here is how the squads stack up for now.