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Newcastle United have had a helter-skelter of a summer transfer window, and Eddie Howe’s side haven’t reached the end of the tunnel just yet.

Of course, the frenetic nature of this window doesn’t necessarily mean it’s been a poor one for the Magpies, even though a slew of transfer targets have slipped through Toon fingers, namely at centre-forward.

And so we have the Alexander Isak conundrum. Will the Sweden striker play in black and white two weeks from now?

If Newcastle stick to their guns and resist the player and Liverpool’s attempts, his threats of maintaining his self-ostracisation might seem somewhat shallow, for the 25-year-old would surely not jeopardise his career in such a manner, with Champions League football looming and a World Cup campaign looming on the horizon across the pond.

However, keeping Isak at St. James’ Park comes with the huge caveat that there is no telling what version – if any – will front Howe’s ship over the coming year.

That’s why sealing a move for Yoane Wissa is so important.

The latest on Yoane Wissa to Newcastle

Wissa was one of the most prolific forwards in the Premier League last season, scoring 19 goals across the term. Bryan Mbeumo often took the plaudits under Thomas Frank’s wing, but the DR Congo striker was every bit as effective.

Frank, now manager at Tottenham Hotspur, wants to sign Wissa before the closure of the transfer window, thus putting another spanner in the works for Howe.

Luckily, the 28-year-old is determined to sign for Newcastle this summer, having removed all Brentford affiliation from his social media footprint as he looks to seal his move to England’s North East.

A deal for Wissa has always been a separate entity when considering the fight to keep Isak on Tyneside.

That’s why – while Newcastle are prepared to keep their star striker at the club – plans are still being explored for a potential successor.

Newcastle consider rejoining transfer battle

According to TEAMtalk, Newcastle are willing to forgo their interest in Nicolas Jackson if it means Aston Villa secure the Senegalese’s services, because then they could re-enter the race for Ollie Watkins.

Villa have been hindered by the trammels of PSR this summer, but the public stance at Villa Park is that their 29-year-old talisman is going nowhere, even if they land Jackson from Chelsea.

However, this hasn’t stopped Newcastle from preparing to register their interest once again, though it would seem that Aston Villa are sticking to their £50m valuation.

Why Newcastle should sign Ollie Watkins

Despite the late advance of Tottenham, Wissa continues to keep his sights on Newcastle’s first team, and at some stage, Brentford are sure to ease their resistance.

Whatever happens, Newcastle must also put their focus into signing Watkins, for he would do a half-decent job at stepping in for Isak.

Described as “one of the best 9s in the world” by Statman Dave, Watkins has proven time and time again his expertise as a Premier League frontman, and that could remain so with a one-way trip to Tyneside at this later stage of his career, leading the line as Isak’s replacement, should that come to pass.

He has a good record against Newcastle: five goals and three assists across ten matches. Watkins blanked, however, last weekend.

Even so, it wouldn’t hurt to take from the Premier League a striker rich in potency when pitted against United, and fronting their team with him.

Last season, Watkins wasn’t at his best, but he still managed to finish the league campaign with a return of 16 goals and eight assists.

A willing runner behind defences and a combative forward with a wide breadth of ways to hurt opponents, Watkins would be the cream of a new crop of attacking talent at Newcastle, for sure.

While Wissa and Watkins could cohabit within Howe’s Newcastle frontline, it’s hardly controversial to suggest that the former might outrank the other. The Villan star has proven himself and then some in the world’s toughest league, and he’s also got more variation to his attacking game than the Brentford sharpshooter.

Indeed, as per FBref’s data, Watkins ranks among the top 3% of strikers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists and the top 19% for progressive carries per 90.

Quite the player. And he’s something of a star on the big stage too, boasting some pretty impressive individual records against the English top flight’s legacy ‘big six’.

As Howe looks to mastermind the latest success in his growing list of triumphs as Newcastle manager, there’s every chance that Watkins at the spearhead would allow Newcastle to reprise their place in the Champions League at the end of the season while competing for further slices of silverware, having gotten a taste for the big prizes during last season’s Carabao Cup final victory over Liverpool.

Would Watkins definitively prove to be an upgrade on Wissa? It would appear so. He’s got more about him, and even after a ‘poor’ campaign in the Premier League last year, the Three Lions star still managed to trail Wissa in his pomp by just three goals.

Newcastle have a problem in Alexander Isak. He has divorced himself from the Newcastle squad and appears willing to stay in isolation.

But with Watkins added to the fold, United would have what they need to attack the season. He’d certainly be an upgrade on Wissa, but given the two forwards would be competing alongside each other, that doesn’t really matter, does it?

Superior to Wissa & Watkins: The "next Gyokeres" is Newcastle's new target

Newcastle could sign the new Viktor Gyokeres before the deadline.

ByMatt Dawson Aug 21, 2025

The Queensland government has confirmed its plans for the Olympic stadium with cricket having a key stake in the outcome

Andrew McGlashan25-Mar-2025The Gabba will be demolished after the 2032 Olympic Games, and cricket will move to a new 60,000-seater stadium in the Victoria Park area of Brisbane, which will be built for the Olympics.Queensland’s premier David Crisafulli announced the latest plans for Olympic infrastructure on Tuesday, with cricket a pivotal figure in the outcome, having been impacted by the uncertainty over what the state would do after going through various proposals since being awarded the Olympics in 2021.When Cricket Australia announced its seven-year international venue allocation in 2024, the Gabba was only guaranteed international cricket until next summer’s men’s Ashes amid the wrangling over whether the ground would be redeveloped or replaced.Related

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Is this the end for the Gabba?

“This decision gives us certainty about venues and scheduling which in turn allows us to ensure Brisbane hosts the very best possible international and domestic cricket,” CA said in a statement. “We strongly advocated building a stadium in Victoria Park together with Queensland Cricket, the AFL and Brisbane Lions, and cricket will play a major role in ensuring this significant investment delivers long-term benefits for cricket fans and the people of Queensland.”On behalf of the cricket community we want to thank the Queensland Government for seizing this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to give the fans, the city and the state the stadium they deserve.”Cricket is returning to the Olympics for the 2028 edition in Los Angeles having only previously featured in 1900. Should it be retained for 2032, it is earmarked for Mackay’s Great Barrier Reef Arena as well as the Gabba in what would shape as the ground’s final matches before it is knocked down.”Wouldn’t it be amazing to see the Australian cricket team win gold at an Olympic final? The Gabba’s swansong,” Crisafulli said at an event in Brisbane.The Gabba was initially set to be demolished and rebuilt for A$2.7 billion under the Labor government for the 2032 Games before that was scrapped amid a backlash over rising costs. It was then set for a $600 million facelift under Labor before those plans were also abandoned under the new government.

“We now stand at the starting line as Queensland prepares to unveil a signature stadium that will be known the world over”Queensland Cricket chief executive Terry Svenson

“The Gabba is at its end of life,” Crisafulli said. “It hasn’t been well maintained, and we do need a stadium to host this great show, and there is an opportunity for legacy play.”It became a choice between spending billions on temporary facilities and temporary stands that delivered no legacy, or securing the future of AFL [and] cricket at a new home.”Queensland Cricket welcomed the latest plans with the new stadium providing clarity over the future.”The Gabba has been wonderful venue for cricket for many years and has provided fans and players with countless memories – however the challenges the stadium faces are well documented, and we need to look to the future,” chief executive Terry Svenson said. “There is now the opportunity for Queensland to attract the world’s best cricket events, such as ICC events, men’s and women’s Ashes Series, the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series between Australia and India, as well has hosting the BBL and WBBL in a new purpose-built stadium.An artist impression of Brisbane Stadium in Victoria Park for the 2032 Olympics•Queensland Government”Thirty years ago this week, the Gabba was in the very early stages of its major redevelopment as the historic Sheffield Shield Final was being played, with many ensuing highlights following in the past three decades.”Today’s decision gives us certainty after many years without clarity. We now stand at the starting line as Queensland prepares to unveil a signature stadium that will be known the world over.”The Gabba hosted its first Test in 1931 and has staged 67 men’s matches alongside two women’s Tests with the most recent being the rain-affected draw in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.It became the traditional starting point for Australian Test summers although that had changed in recent seasons with Perth staging the opening game as it will against England in 2025-26. The Brisbane Test is the second of the series and will be a day-night encounter.While it remains uncertain what international cricket the Gabba will host after next summer, it will likely stage at least white-ball matches and could still hold Test cricket again before being consigned to rubble.There is likely to be another new international venue in Australia prior to 2032 with Hobart’s proposed stadium, which will include a roof, set to be ready by 2029 as part of Tasmania gaining an AFL team.

Tottenham Hotspur are once again at the heart of transfer market drama.

Having endured a turbulent summer in which they controversially parted ways with Ange Postecoglou and installed Brentford’s Thomas Frank in the dugout, Spurs have wasted little time making bold moves in their squad rebuild.

The north London club have begun the new Premier League season strongly under their new manager, winning 3-0 at home to Burnley and stunning Manchester City 2-0 at the Etihad.

Such results have helped to steady nerves after a 2024/25 league campaign that saw Spurs finish a lowly 17th, even if their Europa League triumph over Manchester United provided a route back into the Champions League.

The summer window has been characterised by major departures and equally significant arrivals.

Fan favourite Son Heung-min, a figure synonymous with Spurs over the past decade, departed for LAFC, while James Maddison suffered a devastating ACL injury in pre-season against Newcastle, ruling him out for the entire campaign.

These developments left a creative void in the side.

Tottenham did move quickly to secure Mohamed Kudus from West Ham for £60m, but the sense prevails that further reinforcements are required, particularly after deals for both Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze fell through in frustrating circumstances.

Spurs hunting for Eze alternative

Their attempts to land young talents with star potential have been well-documented.

Spurs had a bid of €70m rejected for Como’s Nico Paz, a player Real Madrid still retain a buy-back clause for, and saw Arsenal hijack their move for Eze.

An ambitious attempt to prise Savinho from Manchester City was also rebuffed, with City holding out for £70m.

Transfer Focus

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

It now appears that their answer could come from France, where an exciting young player has been described by data analyst Ben Mattinson as “ridiculous” in terms of his potential.

According to Football Insider, Spurs are looking at sealing a move for Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche, with a bid worth £47.5m expected to be accepted. It's important to state that the Lilywhites are yet to bid, but they now know the price they'll have to go to in order to complete a deal.

The 23-year-old Frenchman, who operates primarily from the right wing but has shown the versatility to play across midfield and attack, has quickly emerged as a viable alternative to Savinho.

Why Akliouche could be Spurs’ solution

His lower price point compared to Savinho or Paz makes him an appealing option for Spurs, particularly given the club’s wider squad-building needs.

Akliouche broke into Monaco’s first team in 2021 and has been a consistent performer over the past two seasons.

Across his Ligue 1 career, he has contributed 13 goals and 14 assists, while last term alone he made 32 appearances, including ten in the Champions League.

His rise has not gone unnoticed at international level either, earning six caps for France and scoring once.

Akliouche represents a balanced investment: a player young enough to grow with the team but experienced enough in top-flight European competition to make an immediate impact.

His potential signing has been framed as Tottenham’s alternative to Paz, another highly-touted youngster tipped for stardom.

Tottenham’s decision to turn to Akliouche reflects both necessity and opportunity.

With Maddison sidelined for the entire season, the club cannot afford to enter a Champions League campaign short of creativity.

The collapse of their moves for Paz, Eze and Gibbs-White have heightened the urgency, while the ongoing pressure from fans has only increased the demand for statement signings.

Comparisons between Akliouche and Nico Paz are inevitable, given the parallel interest Spurs have shown in both players.

Matches Played

35

32

Starts

30

27

Goal

6

5

Assists

8

10

Progressive Carries

77

127

Progressive Passes

163

273

Statistically, they occupy similar creative roles, though their profiles contain subtle differences that make Akliouche potentially a stronger fit under Frank.

Akliouche stands out for his blend of creative passing and ball progression. According to FBref, he ranks in the 86th percentile compared to positionally similar players in Europe’s top five leagues for assists per 90 (0.30), showing his ability to provide for teammates consistently.

His 71st percentile ranking for shot-creating actions per 90 (4.25) underlines his direct involvement in chance creation, while his 89th percentile for progressive passes (6.15 per 90) and 79th percentile for progressive carries (4.58 per 90) highlight an ability to break lines with both his passing and his dribbling.

His defensive contributions should not be overlooked either, ranking in the 92nd percentile for interceptions per 90 (0.74), making him more well-rounded than many of his attacking midfield contemporaries.

Paz, by contrast, brings a more direct attacking profile. At 20, the Argentine is already showing signs of stardom, ranking in the 97th percentile for total shots per 90 (3.68) and 86th percentile for shot-creating actions (4.95).

His dribbling ability is reflected in his 85th percentile for successful take-ons (2.34 per 90), making him a more goal-oriented option than Akliouche.

However, Tottenham’s failed pursuit of Paz has left them looking for a player who combines creativity with maturity, someone able to step into the Champions League spotlight immediately.

That balance is why Akliouche’s candidacy is so compelling. Unlike Savinho, whose £70m valuation was deemed excessive, Akliouche’s £47.5m fee represents relative value in today’s market.

More importantly, his statistical profile suggests he could provide much-needed creativity following Maddison’s injury, while also offering tactical flexibility across midfield and attack.

He may not yet carry the global recognition of Paz or Savinho, but his combination of technical quality, versatility, and productivity makes him a signing that could reshape Spurs’ midfield dynamic.

If the deal is finalised, Tottenham would not only have secured their replacement for Maddison in the short term, but also potentially acquired a cornerstone for the club’s next era under Frank.

Richarlison will love him: Spurs confident of signing £60m star this week

Richarlison could grow in confidence if Spurs sign a £60m winger.

2 ByWill Miller Aug 25, 2025

Head’s innings of 140 was scored at a strike-rate of 99.29 and flattened India by the time they came out to bat in the final session

Deivarayan Muthu07-Dec-2024
A whirlwind century from hometown hero Travis Head blew India’s attack away and thrilled the Adelaide crowd on day two of the pink-ball Test. Head’s 140 off 141 balls swelled Australia’s first-innings lead to 157, leaving India facing a challenging final two hours under the floodlights. The visitors fell further behind when they lost half their side during that period when the pink ball was at its most potent. At stumps, India were 128 for 5, still 29 runs behind.Head had walked out to generous applause from his home crowd and into a bit of trouble in the middle after Jasprit Bumrah had taken out both Nathan McSweeney and Steven Smith in a space of 13 balls. While McSweeney nicked a Bumrah special behind to Rishabh Pant, after managing to add just one to his overnight tally of 38, Steven Smith was caught down the leg side for 2.After the floodlights had blacked out twice on the opening day, Australia’s batting threatened to black out on the second afternoon. Head, however, had other ideas and torched the innings with his no-holds-barred approach. He played and missed four of his first nine balls, but that certainly didn’t stop him from playing his shots. He stayed true to his method of staying leg-side of the ball and cracking it away into the shorter pockets of the ground square on the off side.He also cleared the longer straight boundary when he crashed R Ashwin over mid-off and then over his head for sixes, including a 110-metre monster hit over the sightscreen.Head scored his first fifty off 63 balls and took only 48 more balls to convert it into a hundred. He celebrated the landmark by rocking his bat like a baby in tribute to his family’s new arrival, with his wife and newborn among a 51,642-strong home crowd. A hug from fellow South Australian Alex Carey was also part of the revelry.Indian fans would be sick of the sight of Head by now. Since 2023, he has hit 1052 runs in 19 innings against India across formats at an average of 61.9 with three centuries, including tons in the previous cycle of the WTC final and 2023 ODI World Cup final.ESPNcricinfo LtdHead had set to work on Saturday by adding 65 with Marnus Labuschagne and then 74 with Carey. Labuschagne’s innings was as fluent as Head’s but it was one that he needed to work his way back into form after having managed just 123 runs in his last ten Test innings, of which 90 came in one knock against New Zealand, before the Adelaide Test. Having been afforded some fairly comfortable leaves on the first evening, India’s seamers made Labuschagne play a lot more on the second afternoon. Whenever they erred too straight or into his pads, Labuschagne picked them away with compact drives and flicks.Labuschagne got to his fifty off 114 balls and celebrated it by taking the erratic Harshit Rana for three fours in four balls. After having late-cut the taller, quicker Rana with ease, Labuschagne was caught at gully when he tried a similar shot off the shorter, slower pace of Nitish Kumar Reddy.Head was more brutal on Rana, hitting him for 41 off 29 balls. It didn’t really matter what came down at Head. Short. Full. On the stumps. Outside off stump. Everything was dispatched.Mohammed Siraj, though, gave India some control and backed Bumrah up. He picked up his first wicket in the game when he extracted extra bounce and coaxed an outside edge from Carey.R Ashwin’s only wicket was Mitchell Marsh but that was down to some good fortune. After shaping to defend a non-turning offbreak from Ashwin, Marsh walked off even before umpire Richard Illingworth raised his finger and didn’t even contemplate a review. There was nothing on Snicko, with replays also indicating that the ball had missed the outside edge.Head attacked the second new ball as well, whipping Bumrah for a brace of fours. He then picked Siraj up for an imperious six over square leg in the next over, but Siraj struck back the next ball to york Head. Siraj released his pent-up emotions and gave Head a send-off that didn’t go too well with him or his beloved Adelaide crowd.The boos rang out but Siraj proceeded to dismiss Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland soon after tea to wrap up Australia for 337. Bumrah, who had gone down with some discomfort, which prompted medical attention, four balls into his spell with the second new ball, recovered to knock Cummins over.Related

Siraj vs Head: The send-off that turned Adelaide Oval into the Colosseum

Travis Head and India's bowlers – the one-sided love story continues

As it happened – Cummins bags five to make it 1-1

Cummins then took centerstage with the ball and cramped KL Rahul with a lifter for 7 off 10 balls. Just before stumps, he hit the top of Rohit Sharma’s off stump with an absolute peach.Rohit had a shaky stay, having been struck on the helmet by his first ball from Starc. He was then bowled next ball, but a no-ball reprieved him. Cummins did Rohit in just before the close of play, with no error in the placing of his heel.It was Boland who had prised out Virat Kohli by pushing a length ball on a fourth-stump line and drawing an outside edge from him. Boland had earlier struck with his first ball to dislodge Yashasvi Jaiswal for 24 off 31 balls. He has seamlessly slotted into the bowling attack and could pose an interesting selection question for the Brisbane Test though Josh Hazlewood is hopeful of returning to action for that fixture.Starc not striking with the pink new ball in his first spell might be an aberration, but he came back with the older one to storm through the defences of Gill with a hooping inswinger that also seamed in late.Pant, however, continued to do Pant things. Despite the rush of wickets, he charged out of the crease and manufactured swinging room to smash his first ball over mid-off for four. He then unfurled the reverse pull and the falling scoop to counter Australia’s quicks briefly. He remained unbeaten on 28 off 25 balls.India will need more of this from Pant – and more support from Reddy – if they are to somehow pull off another heist in Australia.

Harry Kane has responded to Michael Owen’s claim that he was “nuts” to pull his kids out of school and go trophy-chasing at Bayern Munich.

• Severed ties with Spurs in summer of 2023
• Became Bundesliga title winner in 2025
• Has defended choice to leave Premier League

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Having failed to break his much-publicised silverware duck at Tottenham – with final heartache also being endured at major tournaments with England – Kane took the decision to leave north London and head for Germany in the summer of 2023.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Said switch has been questioned by former Liverpool and Three Lions striker Owen, as he told the podcast: “Harry Kane is just lethal; he's a brilliant finisher. I disagreed with him going to Germany; I was outspoken about that. I still think he was nuts. You're on the verge of being the all-time Premier League goal scorer, you've got kids that are all in school. I mean, I just couldn't see it. I don't see it.

  “If you're that desperate to win something, then do another year and then go. It's like if you go up and move to Celtic and win the league, you win every year, but there's no great achievement in that. A great achievement would have been being the top goal scorer ever in the Premier League. That would have been unbelievable, and he could have won things along the way.”

• WHAT KANE SAID

  Kane admits to being aware of those comments, but has said in response to them: “I heard it. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I've spent a bit of time with him but don't know him well. Obviously, he is a Premier League great and an England great as well, so I'll respect him as a person, but ultimately as he will know, everyone's career is different – everyone's decisions and motivations are different.

  “I know he was insinuating I went just for the trophy, but it was to be at the highest level for as long as possible, and I'm really happy in that sense of playing big games, title runs, big Champions League matches, Club World Cup quarter-final.

  “I feel I'm improving as a player, I'm pushing my limits as a player in terms of goalscoring. It's hard not to hear things these days, but the decisions are best for me and I'm really happy that I made that decision and very happy at Bayern Munich now.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Kane collected his first major honour when becoming a Bundesliga title winner in 2024-25. He has savoured a German Super Cup win since then, taking his tally of goals for Bayern to 91 through 100 appearances. He remains 47 efforts short of Shearer’s record-setting haul of 260 in the Premier League, with a possible return to English football being speculated on alongside a shock switch to La Liga giants Barcelona.

South African opening batter Tazmin Brits will play the T20 World Cup for something much bigger than the game; she will play for her mom.Zeldine is a fixture on the sidelines of South Africa’s games and was due to travel to the tournament to support her daughter, but will not make the trip as she is currently receiving treatment for breast cancer.”My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer just two weeks ago, so it continues,” Brits told ESPNcricinfo’s Powerplay podcast. “Struggle never ends. But now I know how to handle it. And now I know that you’ve got to keep moving. If you stand still, the world will swallow you in. You’ve got to keep moving.”Related

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• Powerplay podcast: Tazmin Brits opens up about battles on and off the field

• Powerplay podcast: Ultimate allrounders – juggling cricket and motherhood

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Her mother’s illness comes on the back of difficult times for Brits, who lost her father to Covid-19 in March 2021 and was seriously injured in a car accident in 2011, after which she contemplated taking her own life. At the time, Brits was a javelin thrower, set for the 2012 London Olympic Games, but the crash left her with a broken pelvis, burst bladder and dislocated hip.She was told it would take a year to walk normally again, but was running after seven months, and while she worked jobs as a waitress and at a grocery store, with the support of her family, Brits managed to return to the thing that “feeds my soul” – sport.At first, Brits tried to make a comeback in javelin and played cricket socially until she realised she was pretty good at it. Then, she made the switch.”Let’s be honest, cricket and sports are fun, but it’s more fun when you win,” she said. “When I was playing cricket and scoring the runs, and I could see that I’m actually capable of doing this and that I can make a career out of it, I enjoyed it.”I think that automatically made me change my whole entire mindset. If I was still playing sports and not getting anywhere, I think it would have been a difficult situation to get out of at the end of the day.”