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An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in signing Goncalo Ramos in the summer transfer window.

What’s the talk?

Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie has revealed that the Magpies are keen on the Benfica centre-forward and that he is one of a number of options on their list.

He told GIVEMESPORT: “The word that we were getting last week was that Ramos was another one that they’d looked at on the list, kind of similar to the lad Benjamin Šeško, who’s going to RB Leipzig, who Manchester United looked at as well.

“I think there’s such a small pool of players available at the moment and multiple clubs are looking at them, that clubs are very sort of unsure.

“They don’t want any information getting out there because you don’t want to alert other clubs that are down the line with someone.”

Just imagine him & Allan Saint-Maximin

Newcastle could land the player Saint-Maximin has been asking for the club to sign by snapping up a deal to bring Ramos to St. James’ Park in the coming weeks.

The Magpies winger said in an interview last season that he could reach up to 15 assists in a season with a player capable of finishing the chances that he creates. He topped the charts for the Toon last term with 49 key passes in 35 games.

In Ramos, Dan Ashworth may be able to test the Frenchman’s theory by signing a player who has shown that he has the potential to be an elite goalscorer.

The dynamo, who could leave Benfica for a fee in the region of £35m, has been dubbed “prolific” by scout Jacek Kulig and that is backed up by his form so far this season.

He has racked up five goals and three assists in five Liga Portugal and Champions League matches this season, after scoring eight times in 36 outings in those competitions last term.

This comes after he caught the eye for Benfica at youth level. In 54 games for academy sides, Ramos scored 27 times and set up nine.

The 21-year-old has also been superb for Portugal’s U21s and U19s with 23 goals in 33 caps for his country at those age levels.

These statistics show that the potential is there for Ramos to be the finisher that Saint-Maximin believes he needs to play alongside.

Therefore, they could end up being a dream duo on Tyneside by combining for goals on a regular basis in the Premier League, if the Benfica man can adapt to English football and the Frenchman can live up to his word.

Mohammad Isam, ESPNcricinfo’s Bangladesh correspondent, picks his all-time Bangladesh World Cup XI

Picked by Mohammad Isam21-Feb-2019Bangladesh have had several standout individual performers in World Cup matches, starting with Minhajul Abedin and Khaled Mahmud, who won Player-of-the-Match awards in the 1999 tournament, against Scotland and Pakistan respectively. Six others have also been Player of the Match – Mohammad Ashraful and Imrul Kayes twice each.ESPNcricinfo LtdMohammad Rafique, Shakib Al Hasan and Rubel Hossain have performed strongly in crucial games. Mashrafe Mortaza nips Habibul Bashar as captain in my XI, having taken the team to the knockouts of the tournament for the first time, in 2015.Vote for your Bangladesh all-time World Cup XI here

From Curran’s courage to Malan’s misses, here’s who made the grade for England this summer … and who didn’t

George Dobell12-Sep-20185:45

#PoliteEnquiries: Which problems have England actually solved?

8James Anderson (24 wickets at 18.12)
In conditions almost ideal for him, Anderson was a danger throughout. While he (and Stuart Broad) may have squandered the new ball in Nottingham, he was close to unplayable at Lord’s and might have had several more wickets – including that of Virat Kohli on at least two occasions – had England’s slip catching been better. Kohli eluded him in the end, but not before he had drawn a remarkable 44 false shots out of India’s finest batsman.Sam Curran (272 runs at 38.85 and 11 wickets at 23.54)
A couple of vital contributions with the bat were the highlight of Curran’s series. England were 87 for 7 at Edgbaston before Curran made a run-a-ball 63 to take the game away from India. Bearing in mind the margin of victory – 31 – and the next highest score in the innings – 28 – and you can see why he won the Player of the Match award. It was a similar story at Southampton, where he again top-scored with a more measured 76 and followed it with 46 in the second innings. While his relatively sedate pace sometimes limited his effectiveness with the ball, such was his ability to generate swing that he still produced some memorably magnificent deliveries: the inswinger to trap Murali Vijay at Edgbaston and the one that held its line to bowl KL Rahul at The Oval standing out. Kohli rated him as a key difference between the sides and he was named Player of the Series.Chris Woakes (149 runs at 74.50 and 8 wickets at 20.87)
A maiden Test century at Lord’s was the highlight of another injury-blighted series for Woakes. The low point was probably being bounced out in both innings in Nottingham, but he claimed the wicket of Kohli in both the Tests in which he played and proved that, in English conditions, he remains a potent force.Moeen Ali (119 runs at 29.75 and 12 at 21)
Told at the start of the summer he would only be considered as a second spinner in future, Moeen returned to the side with nine wickets – and a Player-of-the-Match performance – in the Southampton Test and, by the end of the match, was also batting at No. 3. Gaining lovely drift and dip, Moeen comprehensively out-bowled Ravi Ashwin in Southampton – Root reckoned Moeen had never bowled better – and enjoyed the footmarks created by India’s seamers going round the wicket to England’s left-handers. A half-century at The Oval – albeit one containing a vast amount of playing and missing – left him favourite to retain the No. 3 position in Sri Lanka.7Jos Buttler (349 runs at 38.77)
A maiden Test century in Nottinghamshire was complemented by half-centuries in Southampton and at The Oval as Buttler continued to improve as a Test batsman. Better shot selection and increased composure at the crease were the key developments, with Buttler showing a welcome ability to bat with the tail as the context of the match required. Did a sound enough job as keeper when Bairstow was injured, too.Ben Stokes, Keaton Jennings and Sam Curran•Getty Images6.5Ben Stokes (200 runs at 25; 14 wickets at 29.14)

A series in which Stokes chipped in rather than starred. Hampered by a knee injury in Southampton and absent at Lord’s due to his court appearance in Bristol, he nevertheless put that off-field distraction to one side with a match-clinching spell at Edgbaston, then batted with great restraint and maturity in Nottingham and Southampton. Not helped by the requirement to fulfil the role of “enforcer”; a role which doesn’t make the most of his abilities as a swing bowler.6Joe Root (319 runs at 35.44)

By Root’s high standards, this was – as a batsman, at least – a disappointing series. While he could claim some poor fortune – he was run out twice and, at Lord’s, trapped in front by one that scuttled along the pitch – he also over-balanced towards the off-side twice and played a horrid shot at Trent Bridge. He eventually admitted he felt more settled at No. 4 and made a polished century – his first of the year – in his final innings of the summer.Stuart Broad (16 wickets at 29.68)
A decent enough series including some spells – notably at Lord’s – for which Broad won less reward than he might. Bearing in mind the conditions, though, perhaps his returns were slightly underwhelming. Batted with impressive composure at The Oval but, had it not been for that spell at Lord’s and Woakes’ injury, he could have come under pressure for his place.5.5Alastair Cook (327 runs at 36.33)

It was, until The Oval, a disappointing series. Going into that final Test, Cook averaged just 15.57 and, in announcing his retirement from international cricket, admitted he had lost “the edge” required to prosper at this level. In that final game, though, with the pressure lifted from his shoulders, he produced an encore that reminded the many admiring on-lookers of the fine player he had once been. Until KL Rahul’s final innings, no other opener managed a half-century in the series. He took 13 catches, too, the most by any England outfielder in a series.5Adil Rashid (119 runs at 19.83 and 10 wickets at 30.90)

England’s preponderance of allrounders and the seam-friendly conditions in which the series was played allowed Rashid to be used as something of a luxury player. He neither batted or bowled at Lord’s, he finished wicketless in Southampton (where Moeen took nine) and he wasn’t required at The Oval until every other option had been explored, repeated and then explored again. He did okay when required – he helped polish off the tail at Edgbaston, twice dismissed Kohli and made a vital intervention or two at The Oval – but whether England can afford such luxury or such a bowler in an attack including just one spinner remains to be seen.Jonny Bairstow (230 runs at 25.55)

Started well – with 70 in Birmingham and 93 at Lord’s – but faded badly. Perhaps hampered by a finger broken while keeping in Nottingham, Bairstow was dismissed for three ducks – two of them golden – in four innings at one stage, with his tendency to push at the ball exploited by India’s excellent seam attack. He may also have been unsettled by talk of taking the gloves from him – Buttler kept in Southampton with both the captain and coach suggesting there were no guarantees about who kept in future – but, most of all, he looked a little too high in the batting order at No. 4 or No. 5.4Ollie Pope (54 runs at 18.00)
Thrust into an unfamiliar role and given only three innings, Pope could justifiably feel a little ill-used by England’s selectors. Having impressed in batting at No. 6 for Surrey, 20-year-old Pope had never come into bat before the 20th over of a first-class innings before his Test debut. Required to bat No. 4 for England, however, he was routinely in before the 10th over and was exposed when playing a horrid stroke in the second innings in Nottingham. He wasn’t alone there, though, and could feel unfortunate to be discarded so soon. Especially as one of those dismissals was a catch down the leg-side.1.33Keaton Jennings (163 runs at 18.11)
To have played a five-Test series and not passed 42 underlines both the faith England showed in Jennings and how tough conditions were for opening batsmen. Twice he was bowled leaving the ball – including, crucially, in his final innings of the series – and he was removed from the slips after missing a couple of relatively straightforward chances. His end-of-series average was the fifth-lowest in history for England openers playing five or more matches in a series. His rating reflects – incredible though it sounds – his batting average against deliveries that would have hit the stumps from seamers during the series.1Dawid Malan (28 runs at 14)
Dropped after the first Test at Edgbaston, in which he was unable to improve a record of reaching 30 only once in his previous 10 Test innings. He also dropped three catches in the slips in that Edgbaston Test, including Kohli twice in the first innings.

Newcastle United’s transfer window thus far has been fairly underwhelming, but Eddie Howe does have a couple of weeks left to thrash out a couple of high-quality signings which could steer the club back into Europe.

The Magpies have been showing interest in Chelsea winger Noni Madueke recently, as Howe aims to bolster his attacking options.

The youngster has impressed since joining in January 2023, scoring nine goals and grabbing three assists in just 46 matches.

With the Blues signing Pedro Neto however, it looks as though the Englishman may be allowed to leave.

He isn’t the only winger Newcastle are tracking. Could Howe land an even better player than Madueke by signing another Premier League winger?

Newcastle keen on signing former Man Utd starlet

According to Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, Newcastle have added Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga to their shortlist of potential attacking targets.

O’Rourke, while speaking on the Inside Track podcast, stated that the Magpies have opened discussions over multiple deals which could see the former Man United gem make the trip north in the coming weeks.

He certainly has experience in the Premier League and would give Howe much-needed quality on the right flank.

Could he be a better option than Madueke, however? Both starred for their respective sides last season.

Anthony Elanga’s season in numbers

The Swede made his debut for the Old Trafford side during the 2020/21 campaign, going on to make a total of 55 appearances in all competitions for the club.

It was time for a change of scenery last summer, hence the move to Forest, where the 22-year-old really came out of his shell.

In the Premier League, Elanga started 25 matches out of 36, scoring five times while chipping in with nine assists. This worked out as a goal contribution once every 2.5 matches.

Madueke, on the other hand, averaged a goal involvement every 3.2 games for Chelsea in the league last term.

Not only that, but Elanga also averaged a greater shot-on-target percentage last term (40.7% vs 38.7%), generated more shot-creating actions (70 vs 51), took more touches in the opposition penalty area (122 vs 77) and registered more progressive carries (98 vs 76) in the Premier League, albeit in more minutes on the field.

Madueke may well be playing at a bigger club but it's Elanga who has proven himself to be a more consistent outlet since moving away from Man United.

Further boasting "frightening speed" – something he was praised for by Journalist Laurie Whitwell during his days at United – this trait could be a key asset to Howe during the 2024/25 campaign.

Anthony Gordon has shone on the left flank for the Magpies, but now a quality right-winger is required which could help the club return to Europe.

Injuries may have given Howe some breathing space, but a second consecutive season without continental football won't be tolerated on Tyneside, that’s for sure.

Newcastle chase dream Isak partner who could be an "£80m or £100m player"

They have linked up in the professional careers already

By
Joe Nuttall

Aug 10, 2024

Chelsea are meticulously planning for a 7,000-mile round trip to Kazakhstan in -11 degrees weather for their Conference League clash with Astana.

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• Chelsea gearing up to travel to Kazakhstan
• Testing conditions await them in Almaty
• Maresca likely to rotate heavily for ECL clash

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, typically serves as the venue for Astana FC's home matches. However, due to ongoing renovations at their primary stadium, the game against Chelsea has been relocated 1,200 kilometres south to Almaty. The new location and its sub-zero conditions, ranging between -6 and -11 degrees Celsius, add another layer of difficulty for the Premier League side.

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  To optimize their travel plans, Chelsea have received special permission from UEFA to conduct their pre-match press conference and training session in Surrey. This adjustment eliminates the need for pre-match events to take place in the host country, allowing Enzo Maresca's team to focus on their preparations before embarking on the arduous journey.

• WHAT MARESCA SAID

  Maresca has been proactive in managing his squad amid the packed fixture schedule. Following Chelsea's impressive 4-2 win over Tottenham on Sunday, Maresca gave the players a much-needed day off on Monday. The Italian is expected to rotate his squad heavily for Thursday’s game, maintaining his pattern of making significant changes between matches.

  "Some of them will be here and some of them will fly with us. More or less, we try to manage in the same way we have done before today," he said.

  "We have many young players, 17 players with us, and the rest will be here with us. Eight hours is not a normal time for a game, you know, but we have to go there, we have to play, try our best and thinking also about the next game."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Chelsea’s trip to Almaty will involve an eight-hour direct chartered flight. The route has been carefully planned to avoid airspace over conflict zones, including Russia, Ukraine, and the Middle East. Despite the significant time difference – Kazakhstan being five hours ahead of the UK – the team plans to stick to their home time zone. The match, set for 8:30 p.m. local time, will be treated as a 3:30 p.m. kickoff for the players to minimize disruption to their routines.

Chelsea insiders have refused to rule out the possibility of Todd Boehly signing a £162,000-per-week star as well as Samu Omorodion, coming after the club reached an agreement with Atletico Madrid over Conor Gallagher's sale.

Conor Gallagher agrees terms to join Atletico Madrid

The west Londoners actually shook hands on a fee with Atletico last week, but it was Gallagher holding up the deal, as he decided whether to accept the La Liga side's advances and leave boyhood club Chelsea.

Boehly now working to sell "the future of Chelsea" after £21m signing

The west Londoners have offered him out across Europe.

1

By
Emilio Galantini

Aug 3, 2024

It was never a foregone conclusion that the 24-year-old, who was a mainstay under Mauricio Pochettino last season, would leave Stamford Bridge easily. Aston Villa had a club-record bid for Gallagher accepted in June, but the England international opted to stay, and could've chosen to reject Diego Simeone as well.

However, over the weekend, news broke that Gallagher agreed terms with Atletico Madrid on a five-year contract, with the former Crystal Palace loanee rejecting enquiries from two clubs in the Premier League top six to make the move to Spain.

"Conor Gallagher is flying to Madrid today after agreeing terms with Atletico Madrid on a five-year contract," said journalist Ben Jacobs on Monday.

"Chelsea have given him permission to travel and undergo a medical after clubs agreed a €40m fee. Both #CFC and Atletico had given Gallagher until the end of the weekend to make a decision.

"Understand two other top six clubs made enquiries in the last few days, but Gallagher wanted to either move to Atleti or extend at Chelsea. 2+1 extension remained on the table. With only one year left, Chelsea intent on resolving Gallagher’s future this window."

Reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano backs Gallagher is set to sign for Atletico, while it is also believed that a player of theirs could well be heading the other way. After Chelsea had a bid rejected for Omorodion earlier in the window, Romano claims they're closing in on a £35 million deal for the striker.

Chelsea had been in talks with Napoli over Victor Osimhen since last week, but the move for Omorodion may not actually have an impact on it.

Chelsea could sign Osimhen as well as Omorodion

According to a report in The Telegraph and by journalist Matt Law, Chelsea insiders have refused to rule out signing Osimhen alongside Omorodion before deadline day on August 30 – which is fairly promising news for Enzo Maresca.

The £162,000-per-week striker has been one of Serie A's most prolific scorers since joining from Lille in 2020, and the Blues are attempting to strike a deal which would see Romelu Lukaku head the other way and sign for Antonio Conte.

Chelsea want Osimhen on an initial loan deal, believing they can carry three strikers into next season if Nicolas Jackson plays more out wide. This move could impact their search for a right-winger, though, if they do decide Jackson can feature on the wing so they can get Osimhen through the door.

Sporting CP's form has suddenly dipped after Ruben Amorim left them for Manchester United last month.

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• Amorim left Sporting CP in November
• Lost three games in a row since
• Fans demand sacking of Pereira

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Amorim, who joined the Portuguese giants in 2020, parted company in November as he replaced Erik ten Hag at Manchester United. Sporting CP had a dream start to the 2024-25 campaign under Amorim and were on an eight-match winning streak by the time he left. Joao Pereira replaced him at the helm and guided the team to a 6-0 win over Amarante in his first game, but things have gone south since then as they have now lost three matches in a row.

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  Sporting's 1-0 loss to Moreirense on Thursday marked their third consecutive loss across all competitions. This is the first time since the 2019-20 season that the Liga Portugal club have embarked on such a streak – they lost to PSV Eindhoven first in the Champions League, followed by back-to-back defeats against Famalicao and Rio Ave in the league at the time.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Pereira has been in charge of Sporting for less than a month and has managed just four matches. However, according to , fans have already grown impatient and travelling supporters on Thursday waved white handkerchiefs in the stands demanding the sacking of the 40-year-old.

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• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR SPORTING CP?

  The Lions will aim to get back to winning ways on Tuesday as they take on Club Brugge in the Champions League, with pressure increasingly growing on Amorim's successor.

Manchester United have reportedly made contact with a new midfield target with his club prepared to sell.

Ratcliffe and Ashworth’s first summer at Man Utd

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Dan Ashworth are into their first summer transfer window at Old Trafford as co-owner and sporting director, and it has been a productive one so far.

A number of players have departed the Red Devils, whereas deals for Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro from Bologna and Lille respectively have been secured.

Zirkzee and Yoro could be joined by further first-team additions before the deadline, whereas the club look set to bolster their academy ranks with the signing of teenage forward Chido Obi Martin after he departed Arsenal.

Senior targets include Bayern Munich duo Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt in deals that would strengthen Erik ten Hag's right-back and centre-back ranks.

Meanwhile, a new midfielder is also wanted at Old Trafford before the end of the month, with Paris Saint-Germain’s Manuel Ugarte arguably the most heavily linked target in the middle of the pitch.

He's like Rodri: Man Utd looking at £34m "box-crasher" to replace Casemiro

Manchester United looking for their answer to Rodri

By
Connor Holden

Aug 5, 2024

However, there were internal talks held over a move for Burnley’s Sander Berge, and it looks as if Ratcliffe and Ashworth have stepped up their interest in recent days, with an approach made to the target.

Man Utd make contact with Berge

According to The Athletic, Man Utd, and by extension Ashworth, have now made contact with Berge’s camp, with the Burnley man a surprise option for the Red Devils.

It is claimed that Burnley are prepared to sell Berge after spending £12m on his services last year, with the Norway international standing at 6 foot 5.

Despite his tall frame, Berge is extremely quick and hit a top speed of 35.90km/h, the 10th fastest of all top-flight players last season. He made 40 appearances in all competitions under Vincent Kompany in 2023/24 but couldn’t help Burnley avoid the drop back to the Championship.

However, he did come in for praise from Kompany back in December, with the former Burnley boss saying: “Sander obviously had a year of Premier League experience already and he’s an international. He’s shown he can play at this level.

“His performance at Arsenal was outstanding, against Crystal Palace and West Ham but the progress of the team is lined up with his progress as well, which is completely normal. That’s why you go into the transfer window, to hopefully make the team better.”

With Storm Darragh bringing winds of up to 90mph across the UK, how have the Premier League and EFL been impacted?

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• Merseyside derby postponed
• Winds of 90mph across UK
• Clubs provide updates

• EVERTON VS LIVERPOOL

  Status: Postponed

  The Merseyside derby – the final one to be played at Goodison Park – was postponed on safety grounds.

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• ASTON VILLA VS SOUTHAMPTON

  Status: Going ahead

  The fixture in Birmingham will proceed as planned, with Southampton making the journey to the Midlands.

• BRENTFORD VS NEWCASTLE UNITED

  Status: Going ahead

  Brentford's game at home to Newcastle will go ahead.

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• CRYSTAL PALACE VS MANCHESTER CITY

  Status: Going ahead

  Pep Guardiola's side will get the chance to make it two wins in two after travelling to London.

Manchester United are reliant on player sales to form a January transfer budget for Ruben Amorim, with Antony an 'obvious' candidate to be sold.

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• Man Utd struggling to find transfer funds for Amorim
• Could make sales in January as they need new players
• Antony 'most obvious' choice to be sold

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Manchester United spent over £180 million (€216m/$228.6m) on players in the summer having acquired Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro, Manuel Ugarte, Joshua Zirkzee and Noussair Mazraoui. This spending spree came after a rather disappointing 2023-24 season as INEOS looked to give Erik ten Hag more firepower. However, after an abysmal start to the season, the Red Devils sacked the Dutchman and have now brought in Amorim.

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  Amorim's appointment has seen calls for greater investments to support the Portuguese coach, but their summer spending has left them short on any transfer budget for January. As such, the Red Devils are now looking to make sales this winter to bring in funds for their new head coach.

• Getty Images
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  As per , Antony would be the 'most obvious' candidate to be sold this winter. The Brazilian has not performed well since his mega-money move to Old Trafford in 2022, and Amorim has been trying to reshape him into a wing-back. However, if United can find a buyer ready to pay enough, an exit seems to be the most likely scenario. They would likely have to take a loss on the £82m (€98.5m/$104m) investment they paid to sign him from Ajax.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR ANTONY?

  Having played against Bodo/Glimt as a right-wing-back, Antony was not terrible but did not have as much influence as Amorim would have been hoping. He is unlikely to start when Everton head to Old Trafford on Sunday.