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Ange Postecoglou has confirmed that a £60 million Tottenham Hotspur star will miss tomorrow's trip to Newcastle United alongside Dominic Solanke.

Newcastle United v Spurs – match preview

The north Londoners sealed their first win of the new Premier League campaign with a thumping 4-0 victory at home to Everton, with Yves Bissouma, Cristian Romero and Son Heung-min's brace rounding off the routine three points at home.

Pundit slams "disappointing" £35m Tottenham regular who Levy should've sold

He’s apparently been “underwhelming”.

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By
Emilio Galantini

Aug 31, 2024

That follows their disappointing 1-1 draw with Leicester City on the opening weekend, so Postecoglou will have been thrilled to get right back on track as the Australian looks ahead to another potential three points at St. James' Park.

However, Newcastle will be no easy customers, and go into their clash with Spurs on an identical run of form – having drawn one and won one of their opening two Premier League matches of the campaign.

Eddie Howe, speaking ahead of Tottenham's visit to the north-east, praised their attractive style under Postecoglou and insisted they recruited well during the summer transfer window.

"Tottenham have been very good," said Howe on Spurs.

"They continue to be a team I like to watch, a very attractive style, fluid. They have recruited well and signed some really talented players. They were good last year, but I think they will be even better this year. I think we always have entertaining games against them. For us, we need to make sure we get on top of the details."

Tottenham sealed a deal for the "predatory" Solanke during the summer transfer window, while also completing moves for English sensation Archie Gray, winger Wilson Odobert from Burnley, and Timo Werner on a season-long loan from RB Leipzig.

Unfortunately for Postecoglou, his star striker signing in Solanke picked up an ankle problem away to Leicester City, sidelining him for the win over Everton.

Richarlison out for weeks after Tottenham training injury

Solanke will not be available for their trip to Newcastle either, and there is more bad news, with £60 million striker Richarlison also unavailable.

According to Postecoglou, speaking in a pre-match press conference, Richarlison will be out for weeks after picking up an injury in Tottenham training.

"Dom is close, but we're going to be a bit cautious with him," said Postecoglou.

"We've got a big programme post the international break, so he'll miss out on Sunday. The only other one we got midweek is Richarlison, who unfortunately picked up an injury in training, so he'll probably miss the next few weeks."

There is some good news, though, with midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur passed fit and ready to play after being knocked unconscious during a clash of heads at the King Power a fortnight ago.

"Rodrigo is all good, he's passed all the protocols we need to, and more importantly he feels really good and the medical team are really comfortable with him being available for Sunday."

With just one day to go until the transfer window slams shut, Aston Villa are reportedly plotting to end their summer as it started by pursuing an impressive reinforcement.

Aston Villa transfer news

The Villans have undoubtedly been among the winners in the summer transfer window, welcoming the likes of Ian Maatsen and Amadou Onana, who eased any blow caused by Douglas Luiz's departure to Juventus. Heading into their first appearance in the modern Champions League, those in the Midlands have built Unai Emery a squad which could yet be at the centre of some shocking upsets.

Now in the final stages of a busy window, Villa may not be done there with arrivals, especially on the attacking front.

He's like Salah: Aston Villa chasing late move for Joao Felix upgrade

Unai Emery may have some more transfer business to conduct between now and the Friday evening deadline

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By
Ross Kilvington

Aug 29, 2024

According to Football Insider, Aston Villa are plotting a late hijack to sign Tammy Abraham from AS Roma if Jhon Duran leaves before the window closes. The forward reportedly prefers a return to Villa Park, where he spent the 2018/19 season on loan, despite reportedly closing in on a move to AC Milan.

Villa aren't the only club interested either, with West Ham United also reportedly in negotiations with Roma over a deal for the England international throughout the summer, only to so far miss out on his signature. As the window closes, Abraham will undoubtedly be one to keep an eye on.

"Incredible" Abraham would complete Aston Villa attack

As if Ollie Watkins isn't a dangerous enough option in his own right, signing Abraham would complete Emery's frontline once and for all, particularly if it's in the absence of Duran. The Roma forward has been there and done it in the Premier League and at Villa Park, making a return something that certainly makes sense on paper this summer.

It was during a clinical season at Villa Park that Abraham set course for a starting place at Chelsea, where he earned significant praise from then-manager Frank Lampard.

Lampard previously told Sky Sports: "It's the work ethic behind the scenes that gets him in such good nick. He's not just an incredible handful for defenders – he's running them, he's holding the ball up, he's controlling it, he's got good feet – he's also getting his goals, which is brilliant for him. I trusted in Tammy at the start of the season. I felt it was his time to come back to Chelsea."

Of course, Milan's pursuit of Abraham's signature makes any deal that much more difficult to chase, but Villa would be wise to at least attempt a headline-stealing hijack for the forward this week.

Three Saudi Pro League clubs have shown interest in signing Marcus Rashford, with INEOS prepared to let him leave in January.

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• Saudi clubs eyeing move for Rashford
• INEOS ready to let the striker leave
• Al-Ahli could offload Firmino to sign Rashford

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Rashford is all set to exit Old Trafford in the January transfer window after he revealed in a bombshell interview earlier this week that he is ready to accept a new challenge in his career. United co-owners INEOS group are also reportedly prepared to offload the striker in January.

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  Amid speculation about the England international's exit, reports that three Saudi Pro League clubs, Al-Ahli, Al-Ittihad and Al-Qadsiah, have shown concrete interest in the player. Al-Ahli are being considered favourites to land the striker, although they have to sell or de-register one of their current overseas stars before they can sign the Red Devils outcast.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Al-Ahli, who signed Roberto Firmino from Liverpool in the summer of 2023, are reportedly planning to sell the Brazilian striker in the upcoming January transfer window amid interest from Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce and Saudi side Al-Tauwoun.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER UNITED?

  Ruben Amorim's side will be back in action this Sunday when they take on Bournemouth in a Premier League tie at Old Trafford.

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.

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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

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  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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  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.

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  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.