Newcastle United have done some major business this summer, and their first Premier League game of the season allowed them to see their new winger, Anthony Elanga, in black and white, but they have to wait a little longer to see some of the other signings in action.

Monday’s clash with Liverpool could allow fans the opportunity to see their new defender, Malick Thiaw, and their new midfielder, Jacob Ramsey. It’s unlikely that their loanee goalkeeper, Aaron Ramsdale, will displace Nick Pope in any of the major Premier League fixtures, but fans could see him in action once Newcastle enter the domestic cups and the Champions League.

Ahead of the clash, Liverpool’s manager, Arne Slot, spoke of the attacking threat that Newcastle poses, even without Isak, and provided an injury update that will give the Magpies a confidence boost as he revealed that Jeremie Frimpong will be unavailable for the fixture.

Behind the scenes, the board are continuing to work on improving the attack that already causes concern for the Premier League-winning manager by approaching one of last season’s Champions League finalists about one of their up-and-coming talents.

Newcastle approach Inter over promising young striker

Newcastle United have “come forward” to Inter Milan to sign striker Francesco Pio Esposito. The 20-year-old has spent the last two seasons on loan at Spezia and is yet to make his Inter debut. Atalanta are also said to have approached Inter about signing Pio Esposito, while Napoli have submitted a bid worth around £38.9 million.

These reports come from Italy, via Sports Witness, and with Napoli’s bid rejected, Howe’s side are reportedly reluctant to pursue the transfer further unless Inter change their stance. The Italians are looking to move players on in the last few weeks of the window, but they would prefer to keep Pio Esposito, seeing him as a player for the future. They are more inclined to sell Mehdi Taremi, with Fulham reportedly interested in the Iranian striker.

Why Newcastle are considering a move for "terrorising" Pio Esposito

Newcastle look to be pushing to sign Brentford’s Yoanne Wissa as a replacement for Isak, but Pio Esposito would further add to their attacking depth.

The Italy under-20s star could also serve as a replacement for Callum Wilson, who left Tyneside for West Ham when his contract expired. The 33-year-old only scored once in 22 appearances for Newcastle last season, so Pio Esposito would likely be an immediate upgrade. Last season at Spezia, the youngster scored 19 Serie B goals, making him the league’s second-highest goalscorer. He was also the only teenager in the league’s top 125 goalscorers.

Italian football expert Siavoush Fallahi had previously shared on X his thoughts about the Italian youngster.

He continued: “Strong, big guy, who’ll strike if the ball falls to him. Terrorising for defenders because they’ll keep him quiet for all game but then he’ll turn up and score, useful for the team, I love that randomness of crosses into the box randomly ending at his feet. Stuff happens around him”.

If Newcastle can change Inter’s mind on selling Pio Esposito, then they will have a very talented player on their hands. Potentially, they could approach Inter to loan Pio Esposito, so the Italian side doesn’t lose him permanently, and Newcastle have a temporary replacement for Wilson.

A massive storm flooded Estadio Akron and postponed the Chivas-Tigres clash for several hours, with the pitch left visibly underwater. Yet the drainage system worked flawlessly, restoring the field as if nothing had happened. The match ended scoreless, but the stadium’s response impressed FIFA as it readies to host four World Cup games next year.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  "The pitch was ready in record time"

  The venue’s state-of-the-art drainage system quickly cleared the water, leaving the pitch in optimal condition for play. The game eventually resumed and finished in a 0-0 draw, but the real victory belonged to the stadium’s maintenance and engineering teams.

  Chivas’ Director of Stadium Operations Ainara Zatarain shared her satisfaction afterward, revealing that FIFA inspectors were impressed with how the facility handled the extreme weather.

  “FIFA is happy with us. They were able to witness firsthand how the stadium responded to a very strong storm. The drainage worked perfectly, and the pitch was ready for play in record time," she said. 

  With four World Cup matches scheduled to be played at Estadio Akron next summer, Wednesday’s successful test under adverse conditions provided valuable reassurance for both local organizers and FIFA officials that the venue can withstand even the harshest weather challenges.

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• AFP
  

  Months in the making

  Sebastián Muñoz, Turf Manager at Estadio Akron, explained that the newly installed and highly advanced drainage system – along with months of specialized technical work – was key to keeping the surface at FIFA World Cup standards.

  “The result speaks for itself. The system extracted approximately 390 liters of water, the equivalent of four centimeters drained in a short period of time, which allowed us to keep the surface stable and playable," he said. "The soil remained very firm and the ball rolled perfectly, thanks to the materials used both in the base and on the surface, as well as the choice of Bermuda grass, a species that grows laterally and provides great firmness.”

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Working towards the World Cup

  Zatarain added that Wednesday’s storm served as the ultimate proof of the stadium’s readiness.

  “Wednesday put everything we’ve implemented at the stadium to the test, and it passed with flying colors," she said. "We drained all the water on the field in 35 minutes. FIFA was happy with us and confirmed that everything we installed is working perfectly and on schedule. They told us we’re practically ready to host the World Cup and the four world-class matches scheduled for our stadium.”

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• AFP
  

  Chivas' home ground…

  With the World Cup less than 10 months away, the Estadio Akron will be primarily used for Chivas' home matches. The club's next home match is this Saturday, when they host defending Liga MX champions Toluca. 

Both teams made 300-plus totals in their opening games, so expect another run-fest on a flat surface in Rawalpindi

Firdose Moonda24-Feb-20253:05

Australia’s batters vs SA’s bowlers – who has the upper hand?

Big picture: Expect a hard-fought contestAustralia and South Africa brushed off poor pre-tournament results to record wins in their opening matches of the Champions Trophy and they meet each other with their batters in good form. Australia may be riding slightly higher after they completed the highest successful chase in tournament history – 352 – with 15 balls to spare. South Africa’s 315 for 6 against Afghanistan resulted in victory by 107 runs and put them higher on the points table thanks to a bigger net run-rate.All that, combined with expectations of a batter-friendly pitch in Rawalpindi, means the bowling attacks can expect a tough day out after already being challenged by absences in personnel. Australia are missing more than South Africa with Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc all out of the tournament. But with Anrich Nortje and Gerald Coetzee also ruled out, South Africa had to look elsewhere for express pace. Still, they have five seamers and three spinners (if you include Aiden Markram) to choose from. Australia’s squad make-up is similar, and with Marnus Labuschagne turning his arm over, they have additional options. So the real point of difference may lie in selection and how the captains allocate overs to exert pressure on each other.Related

Inglis savours 'special' innings as Australia make winning start

Rickelton is rocking it in all three formats, one by one

South Africa 'bullish' about their chances – like Australia always are

Victory will not guarantee either team progression to the semi-finals but will leave the winner primed to top the group, so expect a contest that lives up to its billing, especially if the last one was anything to go by. In 2023, at the ODI World Cup semi-final, South Africa were restricted to an under-par total of 212 but had Australia seven down in the 48th when the winning runs were scored. That game had the tension of a low-scoring thriller. This one is likely to have the fireworks of a run fest.Whatever happens, given these two sides routinely bring out the most competitive streaks in each other, this will be one of the tournament’s showpiece matches in front of what is expected to be a sell-out crowd.Form guideAustralia: WLLLL
South Africa: WLLLL4:16

Carey: We know South Africa are a great team

In the spotlight: Nathan Ellis and Rassie van der DussenIn a match where 707 runs were scored in 97.3 overs, conceding less than six runs an over was simply outstanding. That’s what Nathan Ellis did for Australia against England, where his ten overs cost just 51 runs in a display of immense control and maturity in just his tenth ODI. Ellis is unusual in that at 5′ 9″ he isn’t as tall as we’d expect a fast bowler to be and relies on consistency and variety rather than pace to make an impact. While he may not be an outright attacking bowler, in a tournament where restricting batting sides in the middle overs has already proven to be important, how he performs in that phase could be decisive in Australia’s campaign.Part of a powerful and in-form batting order, Rassie van der Dussen has the third-best ODI batting average of all time for South Africa and is among their most consistent performers despite a recent dip, and he may have started to feel the pressure of competition for his place. His 46-ball 52 against Afghanistan was his first half-century in 11 innings. South Africa are choosing between Ryan Rickelton, Tony de Zorzi and van der Dussen for two of three top-order spots and also have Tristan Stubbs on the bench, so van der Dussen will want to do all he can to keep proving his worth.Team news: Heinrich Klassen to have fitness testAustralia don’t have reason to change things and Alex Carey suggested the XI would remain as is. They may consider a switch in their attack, and swap out one of their two left-arm quicks – Spencer Johnson and Ben Dwarshuis – for Sean Abbott.Australia: (possible): 1 Matthew Short, 2 Travis Head, 3 Steven Smith (capt), 4 Marnus Labuschagne, 5 Josh Inglis (wk), 6 Alex Carey, 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 Ben Dwarshuis, 9 Nathan Ellis, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Spencer JohnsonHeinrich Klaasen missed South Africa’s opener against Afghanistan because of an elbow niggle and will have a fitness test to assess his availability for this match. If Klaasen is fit, South Africa are likely to change their opening combination to make room for him in the middle order, which would mean leaving de Zorzi out after Rickelton made himself undroppable with his century against Afghanistan. South Africa seem content to play one specialist spinner and have the option of four quicks, which could leave Tabraiz Shamsi on the bench again.South Africa (possible): 1 Temba Bavuma (capt), 2 Ryan Rickelton, 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6 David Miller, 7 Wiaan Mulder, 8 Marco Jansen, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Lungi Ngidi4:00

Agar: Australia’s bowlers need to control middle overs better

Pitch and conditionsBefore this tournament, Rawalpindi had not hosted ODIs since April 2023, when Pakistan and New Zealand made scores of 288, 291, 336 and 337 in two matches. South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma and Carey said they expected another high-scoring encounter on what should be a flat surface. Bavuma also revealed that South Africa noted significant dew during a training session at the venue over the weekend and both he and Carey expected chasing to be easier than defending a target. The weather will be cooler than in Karachi or Lahore with a high of just 17 degrees, and there is some drizzle forecast in the afternoon which could impact the match.Stats and trivia Australia’s chase of 352 against England was their second-highest successful chase in ODIs. In that game, Josh Inglis became the fourth Australian men’s cricketer to complete a hundred in all formats, after Aaron Finch, Glenn Maxwell and David Warner. Since 2016, South Africa have batted first 12 times against Australia in ODIs and lost only two of those matches. The most recent of these defeats was the semi-final of the 2023 ODI World Cup. Travis Head has scored 62 runs off 55 balls off Kagiso Rabada in ODIs and been dismissed by him three times. Against Lungi Ngidi, however, he’s scored only 15 off 25 balls for two dismissals. Klaasen has scored 121 runs off 89 balls from Adam Zampa in ODIs and been dismissed twice by him.Quotes”We probably don’t want to chase 350 too many more times but our bowlers will learn a lot from that hit out.”
“We’re quite bullish about our chances. Even though in the [preceding] tri-series, we didn’t have all our guys, it still was an opportunity for us to get whatever intel that we can on the conditions and share that information with all the other guys who came in. Confidence is good. We’re quite optimistic about our chances and how far we can go in this competition.”

Chelsea have now made a late approach to hijack Liverpool’s move for an “incredible” player, with their Premier League rivals’ move recently stalling.

Maresca keen on more signings before the deadline

Enzo Maresca has once again been provided with plenty of funds to strengthen his squad this summer, and there could still be some more additions before the transfer deadline, with a new attacking midfielder and centre-back still of interest.

Having missed out on Xavi Simons to Tottenham Hotspur, the Blues are set to bring in Facundo Buonanotte on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion, while Maresca also remains keen on bolstering his options at the opposite end of the pitch.

When discussing the prospect of bringing in a new defender, the Italian said: “It is a priority for me. Levi is a fantastic player. What we achieved last season is because of him. He played a lot of games with me, I love him. We are going to miss him.”

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The Blues’ current backline has made a solid start to the new campaign, shipping just one goal in their first three outings, with Josh Acheampong, Tosin Adarabioyo and Trevoh Chalobah all receiving game time, but Maresca could perhaps do with bringing in a more experienced option.

According to a report from Caught Offside, Chelsea have now made an approach to hijack Liverpool’s deal for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, who has already given the green light for a move to Anfield.

However, while the Reds are leading the race for Guehi’s signature, their deal has now stalled, with a £35m offer being knocked back by the South Londoners.

Reports from elsewhere have suggested that it may take £40m to prise the England international away from Palace, with Oliver Glasner keen to retain his services until next summer, at which point the 25-year-old’s contract will expire.

"Incredible" Guehi could be exactly what Chelsea need

With Levi Colwill set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to an ACL injury, it is little wonder Maresca wants to bring in a new centre-back before the deadline, and the Palace captain could be exactly what the Blues need.

Crucially, the former Chelsea man is now vastly experienced at Premier League level, making 134 appearances in the competition, while he has also now amassed 23 caps for the Three Lions.

Glasner has also praised the Ivory Coast-born defender for his “fantastic character”, and, having also captained Palace since the beginning of the 2024-25 season, he could make a real difference both on the pitch and in the dressing room.

As such, it is exciting news that Chelsea have made a late approach for Guehi, and they will be hoping his links to the club, and the prospect of remaining in Londonn, will give them the edge over Liverpool.

Leeds United are looking to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch before the transfer window officially slams shut for another year this evening.

The Whites were reportedly looking to sign Facundo Buonanotte on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this week to add to their attacking midfield ranks, after he spent last season on loan at Leicester City.

Unfortunately, Chelsea decided to pursue a loan move for the Argentine playmaker and are now closing in on a deal to add him to their squad at Stamford Bridge.

Leeds were, of course, unable to compete with the Champions League football that Enzo Maresca’s side have on offer, and look set to miss out on Buonanotte.

Leeds have playmaker on their radar

The Championship champions are still in need of another option in the frontline after missing out on the Brighton youngster, and are reportedly looking further afield for an alternative.

Transfer Focus

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

According to LeedsLive, Krasnodar attacking midfielder Eduard Spertsyan has emerged as a potential option for Leeds United on deadline day, as they could make a last-gasp move for the star.

The report claims that the Armenia international is one of a number of playmakers on the club’s radar as they look to bolster their options in that position before the window slams shut.

It adds that Bilal El Khannouss, Dilane Bakwa, and Manor Solomon are also being looked at by the Whites, as they look at traditional number tens and natural wingers on both sides.

Daniel Farke, though, worked with Spertsyan, who was linked with an £11m move to Southampton earlier this summer, and he may be a shrewd addition to the squad.

Why Leeds should sign Eduard Spertsyan

The West Yorkshire outfit should look to pursue a deadline day deal for the Armenian star because he could be an even better option than Buonanotte as an attacking midfielder.

Spertsyan has not experienced English football before, so it would be a risk in that respect, but his form for Krasnodar suggests that he has the potential to be an incredibly exciting addition to the squad.

The 25-year-old star, who was described as an “elegant” player by U23 scout Antonio Mango, is heading into the prime years of his career and could offer a huge threat at the top end of the pitch if he can adapt to the Premier League.

Appearances

28

7

Goals

11

4

Big chances missed

5

1

Key passes per game

2.1

3.9

Big chances created

6

5

Assists

6

8

As you can see in the table above, Spertsyan has delivered 15 goals and 14 assists in his last 35 appearances in the Russian Premier League, including eight assists in seven games this season.

These statistics show that the £11m-rated star is an incredibly creative player who looks to play key passes constantly each match, whilst he can also provide a significant threat as a goalscorer.

Meanwhile, Buonanotte has produced eight goals and three assists in 58 outings in the English Premier League in the last two seasons for Leicester and Brighton combined, per Sofascore.

This suggests that Spertsyan would be an even better signing for Leeds if they can get him to translate his performances for Krasnodar over to English football this season.

It would be a risky addition, given his lack of experience in England, but his immense form in Russia suggests that it could be worth the risk as an alternative to Buonanotte, who has not delivered consistently in the final third in his career to date.

James upgrade: Leeds are in late talks to seal "remarkable" £20m signing

Leeds United are reportedly in talks to sign a star who could be an upgrade on Dan James.

1 ByDan Emery Aug 31, 2025

At Tottenham Hotspur, there’s never a dull moment. The last year has been so chaotic that you could probably divide it up into a trilogy of films.

Spurs crashed and burned in the Premier League but they were red hot in Europe, winning the Europa League.

“Season three is always better than season two”, barked Ange Postecoglou during the trophy celebrations back in London. Sadly for the craggy-faced Aussie, he didn’t last long enough to see season three.

He was killed off, not literally, by the producers, in this case Daniel Levy. The Spurs boss sacked Postecoglou and replaced him with Thomas Frank who has enjoyed and endured a rollercoaster first transfer window at the helm.

Eberechi Eze and Morgan Gibbs-White? No problem, the Lilywhites have landed one of Europe’s most exciting young playmakers in the form of Xavi Simons. Spurs also have six points from nine to start the new campaign too. Not bad indeed.

Yet, drama is never too far away when Tottenham Hotspur are involved; their Champions League squad list showcased that.

Spurs' Champions League squad list for the 2025 league phase

All the usual faces made Tottenham’s squad list for the league phase of their Champions League adventure.

New signings in the form of Simons and Mohammed Kudus made the cut but sadly for James Maddison, the club’s long-term injury absentee, there was no place.

The England international will be out for a long time and won’t be seen again until 2026 after damaging his ACL.

However, there were some notable absentees. Yves Bissouma, who was excluded from the UEFA Super Cup squad for being late by Frank, looks as though he’s set to leave the club in the not-too-distant future and his omission from the squad list only cemented that.

Also missing from the squad were Kota Takai, Radu Dragusin and Dejan Kulusevski, who joins Maddison on the treatment table currently.

The most high-profile exclusion was Mathys Tel. The Frenchman has long been seen as one of the most exciting young players in Europe. He’s only 20 and has the world at his feet, but it doesn’t look as though he’s impressed Frank a great deal.

Tel spent the back end of the 2024/25 campaign on loan in north London but only scored two goals in 13 Premier League outings. Still, that was enough to convince Levy and Co to splash out and sign the former Bayern Munich prodigy on a permanent deal.

Spurs spent £30m on the youngster and to think he won’t see a minute of Champions League football, at least during the league phase, is incredibly damning.

It remains to be seen how much action Tel sees domestically. He has only featured for a total of 19 minutes across the opening three games of the season and is alright fighting a battle to remain in Frank’s plans.

It looks like a big waste of £30m already, particularly when Spurs have a number of exciting starlets on their books.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Expand Collapse The youngsters who could end Tel's Spurs career

The Hotspur Way academy has produced a number of supremely talented players in recent years, not least Mikey Moore.

The England youth international is currently on loan at Rangers, where he started the Old Firm derby last Sunday, and will look to get a season of regular senior football under his belt.

Moore has already played 21 times for the Spurs first team, scoring once, and was notably compared to Neymar by Maddison after a European tie last campaign.

With so much hype surrounding Moore, it’s easy to forget about Will Lankshear, a forward with immense potential, someone who played a hand in 2024/25’s Europa League success.

During that run to the final, Lankshear appeared in three games, even scoring in the 3-2 defeat against Galatasaray in November 2024.

Lankshear career to date

Club/level

Games

Goals

Spurs U21

35

26

West Brom

11

0

Spurs first team

6

1

Oxford Utd

5

2

Spurs U18

5

4

Sheff Utd U18

2

0

Stats via Transfermarkt.

While he later endured a pretty awful goalless 11 games on loan at West Brom, he’s in form early on at Oxford United in the Championship.

To date, Lankshear’s loan in the second tier has been a roaring success, scoring twice in his four league outings.

This is set to be a significant campaign for the 20-year-old who has a genuine chance of making it at Spurs if he has a good campaign in 2025/26.

Richarlison’s stay in the capital has been hit and miss, absent for a number of games through injury. £65m man Dominic Solanke hasn’t always enjoyed the best of times either. He’s not played a single minute this term, courtesy of injury.

Thus, an opening could emerge for Lankshear, one that could really hammer the final nail in Tel’s coffin.

A good season, one where he regularly scores goals, will surely earn him game time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and it could come further at the expense of Tel.

Described by one scout within the game as “a Harry Kane regen”, his playstyle and stature has already garnered similarities to the club’s top scorer.

The scorer of 26 goals in 35 games at U21 for Spurs, Lilywhites reporter Alasdair Gold is another to sing his praises, giving the young attacker a glowing endorsement back in February 2024: “He’s a very talented young player, he’s got a long way to go, but he’s got a little bit of the Kane physique about him.”

High praise indeed. Tel better watch out if Lankshear continues to develop at a quick rate.

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Posts ByEthan Lamb Sep 2, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur boss Thomas Frank is now planning a key role for one previously unfancied member of the Spurs squad, according to a new report.

As the Lilywhites’ talks for Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze ramp up behind-the-scenes, alongside their separate attempt to land Man City winger Savinho, Frank has also now had a very close look at his current options.

It’s been two months since Daniel Levy appointed the Dane as Ange Postecoglou’s replacement, with Frank since overseeing a dramatic pre-season and watching on as his side capitulated against PSG in the UEFA Super Cup.

Despite surrendering a two-goal lead in the dying minutes on Wednesday night, Luis Enrique himself admitted that Spurs were the better side and perhaps deserved something from what was a thoroughly entertaining 90 minutes.

Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero handed the north Londoners a shock but well-earned 2-0 advantage, and it took very late heroics from Lee Kang-in and Gonçalo Ramos to even rescue a penalty shootout for the Champions League winners.

This is despite Frank just losing club legend Son Heung-min to LAFC and chief creator James Maddison to an ACL rupture, with star winger Dejan Kulusevski also still on the sidelines with a long-term knee injury.

This weakened Spurs side giving PSG a serious run for their money is an undoubtedly an encouraging sign for Tottenham’s new manager as he begins his first full season in charge.

“Very, very proud of the players, the team, the club, the fans,” said Frank in his post-match press conference.

“I think the players gave everything, playing against one of the best team in the world, maybe the best, at the moment, and I think we were 75, 80 minutes perfect, almost giving nothing away against, they had four players with unbelievable individual quality on the pitch. So very, very proud of them.

“It’s down to the smallest of margins in the penalty shootout. It’s like the flip of a coin. First I’d like to thank all the players that stood up and were brave and took responsibility to take a penalty.”

Thomas Frank plots "major role" for Tottenham defender Djed Spence

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, some Spurs players have already left a glowing impression on Frank behind-the-scenes, and one of them is defender Djed Spence.

The Englishman was previously an outcast under Antonio Conte and Postecoglou for a time, before Spence rose to prominence during Tottenham’s injury crisis midway through last season and battled his way into the first-team squad.

Reliable reports now claim the ex-Middlesbrough man has signed a new long-term deal, just under a year after his last extension, as a result of his amazing comeback.

Bailey, speaking to TBR Football, says Frank has been “really impressed” with Spence, who could now be set for a “major role” in the Tottenham first-team.

“Spurs are really happy with Spence and Thomas Frank has been really impressed since arriving. I am told he is one of the players who has shone since Frank’s arrival.

“I get the idea that Spence has a major, major role to play for Spurs heading into the new season.”

The 25-year-old was once heavily linked with a permanent exit after spending time out on loan at various clubs – including Rennes, Leeds United and Genoa – but he’s now poised to continue being a significant member of the Spurs squad after a stellar 2025.