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United States international Haji Wright maintained his strong scoring form with Coventry City's third goal in their commanding 5-0 victory over Sheffield Wednesday on Oct. 4. The American striker's latest finish brings his Championship tally to eight goals in just nine appearances this season, with that rising to 10 goal contributions in 11 appearances across all competitions.

Getty Images SportWright extends remarkable scoring run

The 27-year-old American showed predatory instincts to convert his opportunity, tapping home his header from point blank range as he helped secure their third consecutive league victory and extend their unbeaten run to nine matches. This has been a dominant week for for the forward, as he also scored two goals against Millwall on Oct. 1. 

AdvertisementWatch Wright's goalAmong Championship elite

Wright's eight goals in nine Championship appearances represent his best start to a league campaign since joining Coventry in August 2023. The striker's consistent performances have played a crucial role in Coventry's strong early-season form, with the club now occupying the top spot in the Championship table after nine matches. His goal contribution accounts for nearly a third of Coventry's total league goals this season, with Wright a key figure 

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Getty Images SportUSMNT next

Wright wasn't called up for the USMNT in September, but he is on the squad for the upcoming friendlies against Ecuador and Australia in October. He will have an opportunity to prove to U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino that he deserves to be on the squad when the 2026 World Cup kicks off next summer.  

Delhi Capitals’ Harry Brook pulled out of the IPL for the second season running for reasons other than injury

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Mar-2025Moeen Ali, the former England allrounder, believes the possibility of Harry Brook receiving a two-year ban from the IPL for withdrawing from the tournament for a second straight year after being signed at the auction “is not harsh”.According to the IPL’s new rules, Brook is now not eligible to play in the IPL, or be part of the auction, until IPL 2027. As things stand, the only exception the IPL has made for signed players missing a season is in the case of “an injury/medical condition, which will have to be confirmed by the [player’s] home board”.”It’s not [harsh] though, I kinda agree with it,” Moeen said on the podcast, when asked whether a two-year ban would be harsh. “A lot of people do that [withdrawing]. People have done it in the past, and then they come back in and end up getting a better financial package or whatever it is. It kinda messes up a lot of things as well at the same time.”It’s messed his team [Delhi Capitals] up, him pulling him out. Any team that loses Harry Brook is messed up a bit, and they’ve got to now rejig everything and stuff like that. Forget him for a second, if you do pull out, the rule is you get a ban, unless it’s a family reason or injury. If it’s injury, it’s different. But I think if you just pull out, then it’s… I kinda agree with it [the rules].”Delhi Capitals, who signed Brook for INR 6.25 crore (£590,000 approx.) at the mega-auction last November, were told about his withdrawal earlier this month through the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). Brook posted on social media at the time that he needed “time to recharge after the busiest period in my career to date”.Brook, who has an all-format contract with England is considered the frontrunner to be the next white-ball captain following Jos Buttler’s decision to step down from the role after England’s winless campaign at the Champions Trophy.Moeen, who will be playing for Kolkata Knight Riders at IPL 2025, felt the possibility of Brook taking over as England captain may have led him to his IPL decision. England have two big Test assignments later in the year: a five-Test series against India at home between June and August, followed by the Ashes in Australia between November and January.”It’s happened a few times before, England players have done it a few times before in the past,” Moeen said. “With him, he’s played a lot of cricket; he’s probably just thinking a little bit of a rest, there’s a big summer coming up, a big 12 months coming up.”England do play a lot though. He [Brook] plays all forms, he’s probably going to be captain of the white-ball side as well, he’s probably just giving himself a bit of a break. It’s been a tough winter, he’s probably just going to get his game in order a bit more. That’s all.”This decision puts Brook in a tight spot. While the IPL hasn’t officially sanctioned him, the new rules, put in place ahead of the 2025 season, have been drafted based on feedback from the franchises who have expressed frustration at such late withdrawals by overseas players.This is the second year in a row that Brook has pulled out before the start of an IPL season.Last March, ten days before their opening match of the season, Brook informed DC he was withdrawing from the tournament to be with his family after the death of his grandmother. The bereavement had already caused him to pull out of England’s Test tour of India in February.Adil Rashid, the England legspinner who has previously been part of the IPL with Sunrisers Hyderabad, concurred with Moeen.”That’s the rule. If they actually put that rule in place before and then this happens, you know going in that this is the rule, where you put your name and you know if you pull out – this is gonna happen,” Rashid said. “You know the consequences to it. So, I don’t think it’s harsh. If you pull out through injury or whatever it is, rules may differ or change in that way.”This has been going on for a little while, Mo been in IPL lot longer, for five-ten years a lot of people who have been selected generally have pulled out. That’s what they’re trying to stop, where a lot of people who make the team up pull out last minute, and that messes things up in term of dynamics of teams.”

A “natural winner” could be in line to become the next Leeds United manager amid “reservations” over Daniel Farke, it has been claimed.

Farke and Leeds off to a solid start in the Premier League

There were suggestions that Leeds were looking to replace Farke in the summer, despite the German reaching the 100-point mark in the Championship last season, given that he hasn’t exactly been successful in the Premier League previously.

Both times the 48-year-old led Norwich City to promotion, his side ended up finishing 20th in the top flight, which doesn’t bode well for the Whites, but they have made a solid start to the campaign, picking up four points from their opening three games.

As such, the former Norwich boss appears to be safe for the time being, but there are still some doubts over whether he is capable of leading Leeds to safety, according to reporter Alex Crook.

Farke could make move for "relentless" £20m+ CF who's "perfect for Leeds"

The Whites launching a move for a striker is “one to keep an eye on”, with Daniel Farke personally keen.

ByDominic Lund Sep 10, 2025

Speaking on talkSPORT, Crook suggested that Jose Mourinho could be in line for a sensational return to the Premier League, having recently been sacked by Fenerbahçe, which could open the door for a move to West Ham United or Elland Road. Crook said:

"Natural winner" Mourinho may be past his best

Having been sacked by Fenerbahçe after failing to win a trophy, journalist Henry Winter has now suggested the Portgueuse manager’s best days may now be behind him, with his style-of-play behind the times.

The 62-year-old has been lauded as a “natural winner” by journalist Josh Bunting in the past, which is underlined by the fact he has enjoyed a remarkably successful career, winning three Premier League titles and two Champions Leagues.

However, despite once being known as ‘The Special One’, the former Chelsea boss has been on the decline for some time, failing to win a trophy during his time with Tottenham Hotspur, before also being sacked by AS Roma.

As such, it may be wise for Leeds to avoid making a move, particularly considering there is no reason to part ways with Farke at the moment.

That is despite the fact Lee Sharpe believes Mourinho could be a perfect fit at Elland Road, saying: “Jose Mourinho at Leeds United would be absolutely classic because Leeds is a little bit of a rebel team when it comes to how they do things and Mourinho would love that.

“The fans would get onboard with him, and he would have an unbelievable relationship with the fans and would be a great club for him. It would be fantastic.”

Tottenham Hotspur are now battling Manchester United for the signing of a “fantastic” midfielder, with Thomas Frank personally keen.

Tottenham looking to sign new midfielder

It is becoming clear that Tottenham are keen to bring in a new central midfielder during the January transfer window, having identified a range of targets, with signing Athletic Bilbao’s Oihan Sancet believed to be a priority.

Target

Current club

G/A in 24/25

Conor Gallagher

Atletico Madrid

10

Oihan Sancet

Athletic Bilbao

20

Morten Hjulmand

Sporting CP

5

The need to sign a new central midfielder could be exacerbated by Yves Bissouma’s potential departure, with it recently being revealed the Mali international was offered to West Ham United twice during the January transfer window.

However, it remains to be seen whether Bissouma will leave Spurs, with Frank making it clear he still has the opportunity to force his way back into his plans, saying: “To be fair he has just started to run outside, so he is not part of the group but everything I have seen when I’ve said hello to him and every day with the players, he seems good.

“There are no hard feelings at all. Not before, not now, not at all. Train well and everyone has an opportunity.”

Tottenham expected to open talks to sign "incredible" £27m star in January

Tottenham expected to open talks to sign “incredible” £27m star in January.

ByDominic Lund Sep 21, 2025

Regardless, Tottenham have now started to identify central midfield targets ahead of the January transfer window, with TEAMtalk revealing that Brentford’s Yehor Yarmoliuk is now of interest, with Frank personally keen on a reunion.

There may be competition for Yarmoliuk’s signature, however, with Manchester United also keen on a deal, which could amount to £30m, although the Bees are insistent that a sale during the January transfer window is off the table.

Frank has also taken the time to praise his former player in the past, saying: “[Yarmolyuk] possesses a fantastic mindset and trains well every day.”

Yarmolyuk could be solid Bissouma replacement

With Bissouma’s future still up in the air, it is no surprise that Tottenham are identifying central midfielders as potential targets, and the Brentford star could be a like-for-like replacement, given his defensive capabilities.

The 21-year-old places in the 86th percentile for tackles per 90 over the past year, and the 94th percentile for blocks, when compared to other midfielders.

The Ukrainian has also established himself as a first-team regular at Brentford, making 63 appearances across the past three seasons, which suggests he could be capable of making the step-up to Spurs.

Yarmoliuk clearly has a lot of potential, and given that he is still only 21-years-old, £30m seems like a fairly reasonable fee for his services.

Real Madrid have earmarked Erling Haaland as Vincius Junior's replacement as the Spanish giants make the Manchester City star a priority target if the Brazilian leaves the club and moves to Saudi Arabia. Vinicius Jr has been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League for almost two years now. The winger has yet to agree to sign a new Los Blancos contract, with only two years left in his existing deal.

Vini Jr's future at Bernabeu under scanner

reported last month that Vinicius Junior's status at Madrid has changed since Xabi Alonso took charge of the club this summer. The manager has kept his performance under scrutiny and not shied away from benching him in a couple of games this season and has suggested the winger is not guaranteed to start in every game. While the Brazilian has rebelled against this and communicated his dislike of the situation to president Florentino Perez, he understands that the only way to turn the fortune is to bring back his old form.

His agent Frederico Pena even held a meeting with the CEO and the second in command at Madrid, Jose Angel Sanchez, to discuss his contractual situation. Although the forward has two more seasons left on his current deal, an extension was almost put in place six months ago. However, the 25-year-old's wage demands forced the club to halt the developments during the Club World Cup and his agent has been informed that the club will remain firm on their last offer.

AdvertisementGettyVini Jr linked with move to Saudi Arabia

Officials of the Saudi Pro League have been in touch with Vinicius Junior for almost two years now, and they have reportedly offered him a massive contract to lure him to the Middle East. So far, the Brazil international has not committed to the SPL officials, as he wants to continue playing for Los Blancos and build a legacy in the Spanish capital. However, if the club does not consider his wage demands, which are similar to what Kylian Mbappe earns, in the renewed contract by next summer, he might be forced to explore new opportunities, including joining Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo in the Saudi league. 

Haaland a top target for Real Madrid

According to , Madrid have already started to plan for the next summer transfer window, as they look to make some key changes in the squad, including signing a new midfielder and a centre-back. They already have their eyes on Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate, amid rumours that Antonio Rudiger could exit the club as he is yet to sign a new contract. The La Liga giants will also look to sell Vinicius Jr for a massive fee of €250million (£217m/$290.5m) if he does not put pen to paper on their new contract. In case the Brazil star does exit Santiago Bernabeu, Florentino Perez will go after Manchester City star Haaland, who continues to remain the club's priority.

Madrid have been interested in the Norwegian goal machines since his days at Borussia Dortmund. The club would go all out for Haaland, although the City star would only accept an offer if Vinicius Jr leaves as there is not way the trio of Haaland, Vinicius and Kylian Mbappe fit in Xabi Alonso's side. 

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Haaland's 10-year-long deal at Man City

At the start of the current calendar year, Haaland shocked everyone by penning a 10-year-long contract extension at Manchester City, which will keep him at Etihad Stadium until the summer of 2034. Record-setting terms were put in place, with the Norway international committing to the former Premier League champions on a long-term basis. The new deal also saw Haaland's wages being increased as the striker has been earning a reported figure of £400,000-a-week since signing the contract extension.

However, the Caughtoffisde report claims that despite Haaland's long-running contract, officials at Santiago Bernabeu feel that the striker can still be signed. Barcelona are also keen on signing the 25-year-old, as their president Joan Laporta is reportedly obsessed with the striker ever since he assumed his office at the Catalan club.

Ex-England captain stars with bat and ball at Taunton

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay01-May-2025Heather Knight staged an outstanding all-round performance to propel Somerset to a comfortable five-wicket victory over Essex in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup women’s competition at Taunton Vale.The England international claimed 3-7 with the ball and then added 45 crucial runs with the bat as the cider county ultimately made light work of chasing beneath blue skies and sunshine to register a second win in three games and send a crowd of several hundred home happy.Put into bat on a worn pitch, Essex slipped to 2-3 and 50-5 in the face of accurate seam bowling from Laura Jackson and Ellie Anderson, who took 2-12 and 2-44 respectively. Amara Carr redressed the balance with a defiant innings of 67 from 92 balls with 5 fours, only for Knight to mop up the tail with her off breaks as Essex were dismissed for an inadequate184 in 42.5 overs.Knight, Sophie Luff and Fran Wilson all contributed useful runs to carry Somerset to within sight of their target before the irrepressible Charlie Dean raised a quickfire 45 not out from 49 balls with 6 fours as Somerset won with 14.1 overs in hand.Somerset skipper Luff won the toss, inserted the opposition and looked on as her seamers made the new ball sing. Having failed to post a score in excess of 200 in their two previous matches, Essex again fell short of expectations, three of the top four failing to score as they slumped to 2-3 in the second over. Playing a loose shot, Jo Gardner hit Jackson straight to Dean at mid-wicket, while Anderson had Cordelia Griffith held at slip and then bowled Jodi Grewcock next ball to further undermine the top order.Under pressure to repair the damage, Essex captain Grace Scrivens led a partial recovery, straight-driving Anderson for an imperious four in adding 48 for the fourth wicket with Flo Miller. But England spinner Dean struck a crucial blow in the 13th over, Scrivens attempting a back-foot drive, finding Amanda-Jade Wellington at mid-off and departing for a 32-ball 27. Attempting an ill-advised pull shot against Jackson in the very next over, Miller holed out to Alex Griffiths in the deep as wickets continued to fall in clusters, Essex subsiding to 50-5.Carr and Sophia Smale launched a cautious recovery of sorts, safely negotiating the spin of Wellington and Dean to add 41 for the sixth wicket. Somerset’s bowlers continued to build pressure and Smale, having scored 10, played back to Wellington and inadvertently trod on her wicket. Luff marshalled her bowlers well and Griffiths struck in her first over, Eva Gray driving straight to Knight at silly mid-on and falling for 17, having helped add 37 with Carr.While the determined Carr continued to hold sway, there was hope for Essex. The former Western Storm player went to 50 from 73 balls and led by example as she attempted to usher the lower order towards a competitive total. But former England captain Knight accounted for the tail in quick time with her off breaks, pinning Esmae Macgregor and Kate Coppack lbw before bowling the obdurate Carr to wrap-up the innings inside the distance.Acutely aware of the need to make the new ball count, the visitors engineered an early breakthrough, Gray locating Emma Corney’s outside edge and Smale taking a regulation catch in the slips with 33 on the board. Although scoring freely remained far from straightforward, Knight and Luff brought their considerable experience to bear upon the situation, staging a reassuring alliance of 38 for the second wicket before the latter nicked behind and succumbed to Abtaha Maqsood’s spin for 24.Knight had advanced her score to 45 from 41 balls, accrued 7 fours and was threatening to take the match by the scruff of the neck when she was caught behind off the bowling of Maqsood with the score on 96 in the 18th. Fran Wilson mustered the first six of the match at the expense of Maqsood before losing off stump to Grewcock and departing for 23, a dismissal that kept Essex in the hunt.But the home side quickly regained control, Dean and Katie Jones playing positively to bring the required rate down and raise thoughts of a bonus point victory. Jones was eventually run out for 16, but Dean continued to score at a run a ball to hasten victory.

The tour consists of a 50-over warm-up match, a five-match Youth one-day series and two multi-day matches in June-July

Sreshth Shah22-May-2025Ayush Mhatre, the 17-year-old teenager who had a sparkling first-class debut with Mumbai and with Chennai Super Kings in the IPL, will captain the India Under-19 team that will travel to England for a multi-format tour in June-July 2025. Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the 14-year-old from Bihar and Rajasthan Royals opener, is also part of the 16-member squad.The tour will see India Under-19 play England Under-19 in a 50-over warm-up match, a five-match Youth one-day series and two multi-day matches. Wicketkeeper Abhigyan Kundu, from Mumbai, will be the vice-captain.Vihaan Malhotra from Punjab, who has opened the batting with Suryavanshi in the past, is also part of the squad. Others to represent India U-19 previously are wicketkeeper-batter Harvansh Pangalia of Saurashtra, Bengal seamer Yudhajit Guha, Kerala legspinner Mohamed Enaan and Punjab offspinner Anmoljeet Singh.Enaan was the highest wicket-taker (16) in the two Youth Tests against Australia U19 while Anmoljeet (nine) was second. Pangalia struck a century – 117 – in that series too.Khilan Patel, the allrounder from Gujarat who was Player of the Series in the Cooch Behar Trophy – the domestic Under-19 four-dayer tournament – on the back of his left-arm spin bowling and batting has earned a call-up too. The others in the squad are Maulyarajsinh Chavda, Rahul Kumar, RS Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Henil Patel, Pranav Raghavendra and Aditya Rana.The standby players are Naman Pushpak, D Deepesh, Vedant Trivedi, Vikalp Tiwari and wicketkeeper Alankrith Rapole. The squad was selected by the Junior Cricket Committee, which is currently led by Thilak Naidu.India Under-19s warm-up game will be played on June 24 at Loughborough University. The five-match youth ODIs will be played across Hove, Northampton and Worcester between June 27 and July 7. The first multi-day contest starts on July 15 in Beckenham and the second multi-day contest will be played at Chelmsford starting July 20.Age wise, all the players in this squad are eligible for the 2026 Under-19 World Cup scheduled to be held in Zimbabwe and Namibia early next year. Since the previous edition of the Under-19 World Cup, this will be the third engagement for the Under-19 side, having hosted Australia Under-19 at home in 2024, followed by the U-19 Asia Cup where they finished runner-up last year.India U-19 squad: Ayush Mhatre (capt), Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Vihaan Malhotra, Maulyarajsinh Chavda, Rahul Kumar, Abhigyan Kundu (vice-capt, wk), Harvansh Pangalia (wk), RS Ambrish, Kanishk Chouhan, Khilan Patel, Henil Patel, Yudhajit Guha, Pranav Raghavendra, Mohamed Enaan, Aditya Rana, Anmoljeet Singh

Barcelona have officially renewed their partnership with Spotify, extending their sponsorship through 2030 and maintaining the naming rights of Camp Nou until 2034. The deal comes just months before the stadium’s grand reopening, marking a new chapter in Barca’s long-term strategy to unite football, music and global audiences.

Barcelona lock in long-term Spotify partnership

Barcelona have officially confirmed that Spotify will remain the club’s main sponsor until 2030, strengthening a collaboration that began in 2022. The renewed deal ensures that the music streaming platform’s logo continues to appear on both the men’s and women’s first-team kits, along with the training apparel. The Catalan giants also announced that Spotify retains the naming rights of the stadium until 2034 – a key move as the iconic venue nears completion of its major renovation. The partnership renewal reaffirms the brand alignment between two of the world’s most influential global entities.

The collaboration has been credited with merging football and music culture in innovative ways, including special-edition jerseys for El Clasico matches featuring global artists. The next in line is British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, whose name will appear on Barca’s shirt for the October 26 clash.

AdvertisementAFPGlobal synergy between football and music

Barcelona described the deal as a milestone that extends beyond commercial sponsorship. The club statement read: "After three years of successful collaboration, FC Barcelona and Spotify have agreed to extend their sponsorship agreement through to 2030, which covers both the men’s and women’s football first team jerseys and the front of the training kits. The naming rights for Spotify Camp Nou remain secured until 2034, while the stadium – at the heart of the Espai Barca complex ­– continues to be transformed into a world leading sports and entertainment facility."

"Both Barca and Spotify are global brands with hundreds of millions of fans worldwide. This partnership enables both brands to expand their presence in strategic markets and create shared synergies with an international reach, connecting with new audiences and consolidating their global outlook."

"Memorable moments and actions have been created since the association between FC Barcelona and Spotify began in 2022 – both for fans and musical artists – going beyond the barriers of sports sponsorship and have made the connection between football and music reverberate around the world."

"Extending this partnership further strengthens the shared goal of exploring new ways to bring fans, football and music together, promoting unique global experiences. With the reopening of the Spotify Camp Nou on the horizon and an excellent generation of young talent, FC Barcelona and Spotify look towards the future together to shape a new and promising era for the Club and its global community."

Cultural impact and commercial success

Since its launch in 2022, the partnership has transformed into one of the sport’s most visible brand collaborations. The campaign jerseys featuring globally recognized musicians like Drake, Rosalía, and the Rolling Stones generated millions of social media impressions and record-breaking shirt sales.

The deal also helped Barca expand their digital presence in North America, Asia and Northern Europe, regions where Spotify’s influence is particularly strong. This synergy boosted both brands’ ability to engage younger audiences, creating a shared narrative between football fandom and music culture.

From a financial perspective, the renewed agreement provides a vital boost to Barcelona’s revenue streams during a period of continued rebuilding. The deal arrives as the club look to regain economic stability following years of financial strain and restructuring.

Moreover, as Espai Barca nears completion, the partnership allows the club to integrate Spotify’s digital ecosystem into the fan experience, from playlist curation in matchday events to exclusive content drops featuring players and artists.

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AFPWhat comes next for Barcelona and Spotify

The timing of the extension is strategic. With the newly renovated Spotify Camp Nou set to reopen in the near future, Barcelona are aiming to make the stadium an immersive entertainment hub – blending sport, music, and technology.

For Spotify, the continued association with one of football’s biggest clubs strengthens its position in global entertainment and live-event marketing. Fans can expect even more collaborative activations, exclusive content, and artist-linked matchday experiences.

The Blaugrana, meanwhile, return to action this weekend in the Catalan derby against Girona, eager to bounce back after a poor run of results before the international break as the countdown begins to the reopening of their revamped home.

Newcastle United are looking to mount a challenge for the upper echelons of the Premier League and could turn to a talented striker to help their case.

Newcastle set to open talks over Bruno Guimaraes extension

While bringing in new players is ultra important for Eddie Howe, retaining key assets is also something the former Bournemouth boss will be keen to perform to guarantee his side put their best foot forward in the top-flight.

With that in mind, journalist Pete O’Rourke told Football Insider that the Brazil international will hold discussions with the club about putting pen to paper on an extension.

He stated: “As I said, Guimaraes seems like he’s happy at Newcastle. We know that Newcastle are very happy with him. I would imagine there’ll be discussions potentially to be held over a new contract to see if they can keep him on Tyneside as well, but a lot will depend on how Newcastle are doing and performing.

“If they’re competing in the Champions League, I don’t see any reason why Guimaraes would push for a move away.”

Forming his supply line, Nick Woltemade is still settling in to life on Tyneside and Yoane Wissa has been ruled out through injury, leaving Howe short of options in the final third and reliant on William Osula as an alternative.

Newcastle join Chelsea in race to sign "intelligent" £30m+ UCL captain

He’s a wanted man.

ByTom Cunningham Sep 28, 2025

Alexander Isak’s departure has left a hole to fill through the middle, and supporters wouldn’t be too surprised to see another option added to the pack if Wissa continues to struggle with his fitness after signing from Brentford.

Ultimately, there is a long season to come, and the Magpies need to go with what they’ve got for now, but they are already reportedly making plans to enact a January transfer splash.

Newcastle eyeing Cruziero striker Kaio Jorge

According to Gavea News via NUFC Blog, Newcastle are plotting a move for Cruziero forward Kaio Jorge, and they could look to submit a £35 million offer for the Brazil international, even though he is said to be happy in his homeland for the time being.

West Ham United are also in the race for his signature after a return of 20 goals and six assists in 35 matches across all competitions for the former Juventus hitman.

Despite his time in Italy not going to plan, Jorge is pushing to be selected within Brazil’s World Cup squad and could be an ideal option to add firepower after the Geordies’ struggles to score regularly across the early portion of this term.

Eintracht Frankfurt saw a £30 million move for Newcastle striker Osula fall through during the summer, hinting that he may be a desirable asset to sell if he can continue producing, as it feels unlikely Howe would run with four strikers if he were to make a move for Jorge.

Either way, the Magpies retain a squad packed full of talent, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see PIF try and add to that in the near future should circumstances align.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Russell Martin will have been delighted that his side picked up their first win of the Scottish Premiership season last weekend.

The Gers had failed to win any of their opening five matches in the division, their worst start to a league campaign in 47 years, but picked up a last-gasp winner on Sunday thanks to Max Aarons.

His excellent finish, as shown in the clip above, won the match for the Ibrox giants after they found themselves drawing 1-1 heading into stoppage time.

It was Aarons’ first minutes on the pitch for Rangers since he was shown a straight red card against Club Brugge in the 6-0 loss in Belgium back in August, and what a return to action it was for the full-back.

Whilst the Bournemouth loanee was finally brought back into the fold after being an unused substitute for three successive matches, there was another player who was suffering a similar fate on the bench.

Mohamed Diomande was an unused substitute against Livingston after he was shown a straight red card in the 1-0 defeat to Genk in the Europa League at Ibrox last week.

Why Mohamed Diomande was rightfully dropped

Even taking the red card out of the equation, the Ivorian midfielder was rightfully dropped from the starting line-up for that Premiership clash because his performances in the league have not been up to scratch this season.

The left-footed star may have been punished against Livingston because of his red card in Europe, but his league form overall this season warranted him being left out of the side regardless of what happened against Genk.

Diomande had caught the eye in the Premiership last season with a return of four goals and seven assists, per Sofascore, which led to a bid from Besiktas in the summer transfer window.

The central midfielder put in impressive performances on a consistent basis, delivering quality in the final third, which is why he had interest from elsewhere.

Unfortunately, Diomande’s form since Martin came through the door at Ibrox has nosedived to the point where it was justified to leave him out on Sunday.

Appearances

36

5

Sofascore rating

7.19

6.38

Goals

4

0

Assists

7

0

Dribbled past per game

0.5x

0.6

Ground duel success rate

57%

49%

Aerial duel success rate

48%

17%

As you can see in the table above, the Ivorian lightweight has been dominated in duels on the deck and in the air in the Premiership this season, without making up for it with any goals or assists for the team.

Given his dismal start to the season in the Premiership and in the Europa League, Diomande should now be worried that the club are reportedly looking at a free agent midfielder.

Rangers considering free agent swoop

According to journalist Mark Hendry, via his Substack, Glasgow Rangers have been offered the chance to sign free agent central midfielder Pierre Ekwah after his exit from Saint-Etienne.

The former West Ham United and Sunderland midfield whiz ripped up his contract with the Ligue 2 club on deadline day at the start of September, which means that he is now free to discuss a move elsewhere and can be registered before the January window.

Transfer Focus

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

Hendry’s report adds that Ekwah has been offered to both Celtic and Rangers in a bid to find a new club after his ext from the French team, but it remains to be seen whether either of the Scottish giants are willing to take a punt on him.

The Gers are considering whether or not to make a move for the midfield star, but they were linked with a move for the Frenchman towards the end of the summer transfer window.

This suggests that the recruitment team at Ibrox and Martin are well aware of the 23-year-old and his talents, which is why they should push to get a deal done for him as a free agent in the coming days or weeks.

Why Rangers should sign Pierre Ekwah

The Ibrox giants should swoop to sign Ekwah ahead of Celtic to bolster their options in the middle of the park because he could come in as an immediate and instant upgrade on Diomande.

As aforementioned, the Rangers central midfielder’s levels have dropped off this season, which has left a gap to fill in midfield for Martin because the Ivorian was such an important player for Philippe Clement and Barry Ferguson in the 2024/25 campaign.

Ekwah’s performances in Ligue 1, one of Europe’s major leagues, last season suggest that he has the quality to come in and hit the ground running as a key player for the Gers if he is fit and ready to go.

The left-footed central midfielder left Saint-Etienne after they were relegated to Ligue 2, but his displays in their relegation campaign showed that he was good enough to play at the top level.

Tackles

57

Top 17%

Duels won

145

Top 11%

Duel success rate

57%

Top 14%

Aerial duel success rate

71%

Top 7%

Interceptions

47

Top 3%

Blocks

12

Top 6%

Ball recoveries

157

Top 8%

As you can see in the table above, the 23-year-old star was one of the most effective defensive midfielders in Ligue 1, as he ranked very highly among his positional peers in a host of statistics.

Ekwah, who former manager Tony Mowbray claimed could do “amazing” things with his feet, is a powerful and combative central midfielder who has shown that he can compete physically in a major European league, whilst Diomande has struggled badly with the physicality in the Premiership this season.

Along with his defensive attributes, the former Saint-Etienne star also completed 88% of his passes in Ligue 1 last season, per Sofascore, whilst Diomande has completed 84% of his attempted passes in the Premiership this term.

Therefore, Rangers and Martin could land an instant upgrade on the struggling Ivorian midfielder by swooping to sign a free agent star who excelled in Ligue 1 in the 2024/25 campaign.

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