Rangers could finally be closing in on a new manager and the 49ers have now reportedly set a new timeline in their pursuit of Shanghai Port boss Kevin Muscat.

Rohl drops out of Rangers manager race

It’s been a chaotic international break for those at Ibrox. They’ve watched on as the likes of Kevin Thelwell and the rest of the board have attempted to replace Russell Martin, who they made the shortest-serving manager in the club’s history after sacking him just 123 days in.

It looked as though it could be Steven Gerrard – he was certainly their leading candidate – before the Liverpool legend handed them the most frustrating rejection. And he’s not been the only one to withdraw from contention. As reported by Ben Jacobs, former Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl has also dropped out of the race to become the next Rangers manager.

It’s the second time that the 36-year-old has been up for the Ibrox job and the second time that the 49ers will be looking elsewhere. Whether they’ll regret not pushing for his signature will be the big question in the coming weeks.

Rohl’s decision has very much left the door wide open for other candidates. The likes of Graham Potter and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have been mentioned in the last week, for example, and may yet receive their chance.

That said, the current favourite to take the job remains Muscat and with the Gers set to return to action this weekend, the Gers have reportedly taken a key step towards his arrival.

Rangers set Muscat timeline

According to Football Insider, the 49ers now want to strike an agreement with Muscat in the next 48 hours. There is reportedly growing confidence at Rangers that the 52-year-old will be the next man to take the reins and talks are advancing, even though it will mean convincing him to take a pay cut.

However, it remains to be seen just when Muscat will take charge. As things stand, he’s still got four Chinese Super League games to play at Shanghai Port, who sit top of the tree and two points clear.

"Brilliant" former assistant to Hansi Flick wants to be Rangers manager – report

He’s eager to get going…

ByTom Cunningham Oct 15, 2025

On course to win silverware and end an era in style, the Rangers manager candidate may not be keen to take the reins until the current Chinese season ends in mid-November.

If that does prove to be the case, then Rangers will have to appoint an interim until Muscat is available next month, with Neil McCann thought to be the likely option. Given where they find themselves in the Scottish Premiership – 11 points behind shock leaders Hearts – more disruption is the last thing that the Gers need.

Nonetheless, Muscat remains the favourite and most likely to take the job now that Rohl has removed himself from contention. After failing to get the job ahead of Philippe Clement in 2023, the former Rangers player could now finally get his chance to step into the Ibrox dugout.

Vinicius Junior told Xabi Alonso he would 'leave' Real Madrid in his furious reaction to his substitution during the Clasico win over Barcelona on Sunday evening. The Brazilian winger was visibly frustrated at being withdrawn when there was potentially still plenty still to play for and made his feelings known by storming straight down the tunnel to the dressing rooms.

• Vini Jr left angry by substitution

  Venting his fury after being removed with 72 minutes played, Vinicius allegedly pointed out that he has often started and not finished games this season. Alonso has opted to replace the Brazilian before the end in seven of his 10 starts across La Liga and the Champions League so far in 2025-26. Clearly very angry that it had happened again, especially when Los Blancos only had a slender one-goal lead and could have done with another to make things more comfortable, the winger directed his anger at Alonso as he walked from the pitch. As it was, 2-1 was enough to secure all three points, but Vini Jr couldn't bear to sit on the bench and just watch.

  "Always me," he is believed to have said, before adding that it would be better for everyone if he wasn't left to stew on his feelings. "I'm leaving the team, it's better if I leave, I'm leaving," the player said, before taking off back inside. Eventually, he returned and was involved in the furious post-match confrontations centred around Barcelona's Lamine Yamal.

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• Getty
  

  Real Madrid star defends his behaviour

  In an effort to explain why he had acted as he did, Vinicius addressed supporters with comments made afterwards.

  "I have a message to all Madridistas, especially those who came to Bernabeu and supported us passionately," he said. "This is how the Clasico is; there are many things happening on and off the pitch. We try to maintain balance, but that's not always possible. We didn't want to offend anyone, neither the young players nor the fans. We know that when we step onto the pitch, we have to play our role, and that's how it was today. Hala Madrid."

• Alonso refused to be critical

  Alonso showed understanding as he reflected on what happened when Vinicius Jr. was taken off, also suggesting that the under fire Brazilian wasn't the only player disappointed with not being allowed the chance to complete the match.

  "The only thing Vinicius was missing was a goal," he told reporters. "It's true that he came off the pitch when he was feeling best and I could have waited a bit to replace him, but I understood that we needed fresh players to maintain control. Vinicius wanted to stay on because he was feeling good.

  "Franco [Mastantuono] wanted to carry on playing too. He said to me, 'Are you taking me off?' And I said, 'Yes'. Something similar happened with Vini. He wasn't very happy, but neither was Franco. It happens to everyone, but I'm very happy with Vinicius's performance. The schedule is demanding and we have to keep going."

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• Getty Images
  

  Persistent Vini Jr transfer links fuelled

  Although his utterance of the words "leaving the team" may have been in reference to not wanting to sit on the bench and risk his visible anger manifesting into something even more serious and regrettable, it won't fail to fuel transfer speculation that has persisted for the past year or more. It is becoming increasingly clear to fans and onlookers that Vinicius and Alonso are regularly clashing, with the player's understandable ego and determination to ultimately be the main man not clicking with a coach who likes to rotate as much as possible to compete simultaneously in multiple settings.

  There are very few places the Brazilian could go and still command the same level of prestige and salary. The riches of Paris Saint-Germain no longer feels an option given the way that Luis Enrique has completely overhauled the culture of the squad, casting out egos in favour of team players. The only truly viable alternative from a financial point of view is the Saudi Pro League, which could see Vinicius leaving European football – still very much viewed as the pinnacle of the sport despite the undeniable ambition of the oil rich Gulf nation to change the status quo – before even hitting his peak.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Sampaio Corrêa encerrou um jejum de 11 jogos sem vencer na Série B do Brasileiro. A Bolívia Querida venceu a Chapecoense no último sábado por 2 a 0, no estádio Castelão, em São Luís, em jogo da 28ª rodada da competição. O meia Neto Paraíba, autor de um dos gols, comemorou o resultado e revelou que a fase já incomodava o grupo.

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– Sensação única essa vitória. A gente estava precisando demais. Acabamos com esse jejum que já nos incomodava. Nunca deixamos de trabalhar, de se entregar por essa camisa, mas os três pontos não estavam vindo. Ganhar diante da nossa torcida é ainda mais especial. Vamos buscar o quanto antes sair da situação que nos encontramos – comentou Neto Paraíba.

Além de superar a Chapecoense, o camisa 21 também teve um motivo extra para vibrar ao balançar as redes. Neto Paraíba vai ser pai outra vez e aproveitou para homenagear a esposa na comemoração. Ele já tem um filho chamado Miguel José, de sete anos.

+ Já pensou em ser um gestor de futebol? Participe da nossa Masterclass com Felipe Ximenes e descubra oportunidades

– Estava já buscando o gol há algum tempo. Graças a Deus saiu com uma vitória. É uma sensação única homenagear mais um filho ou filha que está chegando também. Vou ser pai outra vez e esse momento está sendo bem especial para a minha família – finalizou o meia, que chegou ao segundo gol na Série B do Brasileiro.

England cap back-to-back 3-0 series wins for Harry Brook’s first assignments as limited-overs captain

Vithushan Ehantharajah10-Jun-2025England completed their white-ball rout of West Indies at the Utilita Bowl on Tuesday, underlining their dominance by securing a 37-run victory in the third T20I.Capping off back-to-back 3-0 series wins for Harry Brook’s first assignments as limited-overs captain – England’s first in T20Is since 2021, against Sri Lanka – was a vast margin that began with a mammoth 248 for 3, having been put in to bat by Shai Hope. Ben Duckett’s 84, which began alongside 60 from Jamie Smith – a maiden half-century in the format – set the platform with 120 inside nine overs.With the help of a series of cameos, including an eye-catching 36 not out from Jacob Bethell, England were able to post their second-highest score in the format, and highest at home.In reply, West Indies embarked on an unconvincing pursuit of a record chase. Hope’s presumption at the toss that this pitch would stay consistent throughout did bear out to a point. His side registered 14 sixes to England’s 15, four of them from West Indies’ former T20 captain Rovman Powell, who hit his tenth fifty-plus score with a 45-ball 79 not out.With West Indies reaching 211 for 8, a new aggregate record for a T20I in England was set. The match also put England 19-18 in front on the historical head-to-head between the two sides, the first time they have led that metric.ESPNcricinfo LtdDuckett, the multi-format starDuckett’s third T20I half-century, off 20 deliveries, gave him the neat record of the fourth-fastest by an Englishman. A handy gong for a player who might rank as one of England’s best multi-format openers.That is not too grand a statement. If anything, maybe the “one of” qualifier can be dropped. Duckett’s reliability across codes since re-establishing himself in all three formats is remarkable. This year alone – upon returning to the shortest format in India – he has been a banker, offering varying degrees of intent. Though he did miss out on ticking each century box in the space of ten innings – a sequence beginning with 165 against Australia in the Champions Trophy, along with last month’s Test 140 against Zimbabwe – this new career-best T20I score underlined the calibre of batter he has become.Six deliveries into the match, a reverse-slap-shot over the covers off Akeal Hosein set the tone. The No. 2 T20I bowler in the world did not earn that ranking by doubting himself in the powerplay. But in the very next over, the left-arm spinner, having shifted his field to put two square out of the ring to cope with Duckett’s orthodox and reverse sweeps, was unpicking those plans as the left-hand batter adjusted to strike down the ground and either side of the man out at square leg. That included a remarkable strike for six behind square off a delivery seemingly too full and wide of off stump to be worked in that direction with any malice, never mind over the sponge.Hosein is not the first quality operator to be undone by Duckett’s invention or clarity, and he likely won’t be the last this summer. And in keeping with filling his team-mates with confidence, the 30-year old has clearly helped Smith settle in his new role as a limited-overs opener, with Smith pocketing maiden half-centuries in both formats in the last seven days.Jamie Smith notched his maiden T20I half-century•PA Photos/Getty ImagesGreen shoots of ruthlessness?There was a stage in Eoin Morgan’s captaincy when his England teams had developed such a ruthless streak that he could afford to rest himself from time to time. The biggest flex of this confidence came when he sat out a T20I series decider against South Africa in 2017. Amid a flurry of criticism, England won pretty comfortably. As deep as England’s talent was – Alex Hales replaced Morgan in that XI – the machine had learned to win in a variety of situations. Even without their skipper.It’ll take some time for England to rediscover that, well, arrogance or even re-establish that reputation as an imposing white-ball force. But those seeds that flourished during that 2015-19 cycle were sown early by doing as England did here tonight. With cold, calculating talk from their skipper – “we want to start nailing teams down into the ground” – as he revealed an unchanged team, followed by an equally merciless performance.In truth, England did not need to be as good as they were to beat this iteration of West Indies. That they ensured they were, right to the very end, suggests they are on the right track. Not necessarily towards world domination, but to making winning second nature.Rovman Powell fought to the end with an unbeaten 79 from 45 balls•PA Photos/Getty ImagesWest Indies need quick turnaroundHas there been a more demoralising 48 hours in West Indian cricket? A series defeat confirmed with a game to spare on Sunday, followed by a one-sided defeat in Southampton that bookended this England tour with eye-watering defeats, after a 238-run pasting in the first ODI.It was in between these defeats, on Monday, that Nicholas Pooran announced a shock retirement. One of the game’s leading lights, and a great hope of Caribbean cricket, calling time at the age of 29. A tour that began with the caveat that some of West Indies’ missing stars would be back soon enough has ended with the brightest seemingly gone for good.Even if West Indies had bested England comprehensively, Pooran’s loss would have felt just as bleak ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup. But off the back of these three defeats, it is clear the once kings of this format are losing their domain. The last fortnight has shown West Indies are no longer a progressive T20 outfit. That they out-sixed England 35 to 32 while being dominated highlights a shift in how this format is played.Given the World Cup is only eight months away, starting again is probably not the way to go. But with Pooran no longer around to paper over the cracks, a quick fix is needed.

أعلن نادي ريال مدريد منذ لحظات، عن تعرض لاعبه للإصابة، وذلك قبل عدة ساعات من قمة الجولة الرابعة من مرحلة الدوري في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا أمام ليفربول يوم غدًا الثلاثاء.

ليفربول سوف يستضيف نظيره ريال مدريد يوم غدًا الثلاثاء على ملعب أنفيلد، حيث يسعى الريدز إلى تحقيق الانتصار على الفريق الملكي واستغلال عامل الأرض والجمهور.

وفي الجهة الأخرى يسعى ريال مدريد إلى الانتصار على ليفربول واستغلال الحالة الرائعة التي يمر بها الفريق الملكي خلال الفترة الأخيرة.

اقرأ أيضًا .. محمد صلاح على موعد مع التاريخ قبل مباراة ليفربول وريال مدريد

وأكد ريال مدريد في بيان رسمي، أن جناح الفريق الشاب ، فرانكو ماستانتونو، قد تعرض للإصابة خلال تدريبات الفريق خلال الأيام الماضية.

وأشار ريال مدريد في البيان، أن ماستانتونو يعاني من آلام في العانة، بالتالي من المتوقع أن يغيب عن الملاعب لعدة أسابيع دون الكشف عن مدة الغياب.

وفي سياق متصل، ذكرت الموثوقة آرانشا رودريجيز، أن ماستانتونو مصاب في الفخد ولا تزال مدة غيابه غير معروفة.

وبذلك، انضم ماستانتونو إلى قائمة المصابين في ريال مدريد والتي تضم كلًا من أنطونيو روديجير، بجانب ديفيد ألابا وداني كارفاخال.

Chelsea are working to back Enzo Maresca with the signing of a centre-back in the January transfer window, and they’ve reportedly reached out to the representatives of a Premier League star this week.

Chelsea's defensive shortage laid bare after summer failure

Maresca went public with his desire to bring in a top defender during the summer, coming after Chelsea failed with a move for Dean Huijsen and Levi Colwill was sidelined for the majority of 2025/2026.

Despite looking at their options, Chelsea couldn’t find the right profile to come in and bolster Maresca’s backline (Simon Phillips), and BlueCo are now paying the price.

Chelsea were the summer’s second-biggest spenders behind Liverpool, according to the BBC, but despite their large investment in recruitment, they failed to address key areas defensively with Maresca left extremely short.

The Premier League’s biggest summer spenders
Team	Spent	Received	Net Spend
Liverpool	£415,000,000	£187,000,000	£228,000,000
Chelsea	£285,000,000	£288,000,000	-£3,000,000
Arsenal	£255,000,000	£9,000,000	£246,000,000
Newcastle	£250,000,000	£152,000,000	£98,000,000
Man Utd	£216,000,000	£68,000,000	£148,000,000
Nottm Forest	£205,000,000	£107,000,000	£98,000,000
Tottenham	£181,000,000	£36,000,000	£145,000,000
Sunderland	£162,000,000	£44,000,000	£118,000,000
Man City	£152,000,000	£53,000,000	£99,000,000
West Ham	£124,000,000	£55,000,000	£69,000,000
via BBC

Tosin Adarabioyo, Wesley Fofana and Colwill all missed Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Benfica in the Champions League through injury, and with Trevoh Chalobah suspended for their crunch Premier League clash against Liverpool this weekend, Maresca has just three options to choose from.

Fofana and Tosin won’t return until after the October international break, with the former undergoing concussion protocol and the latter nursing a calf problem.

This leaves Maresca with Josh Acheampong, Jorrel Hato and Benoit Badiashile as his only central defensive choices, so it is likely the Italian will go for a pairing of Hato and Badiashile for Liverpool’s visit to Stamford Bridge.

Hato is regarded by Chelsea as more of a left-back to support Marc Cucurella (Ben Jacobs), while Badiashile is himself only just coming back from a long-term injury — having made a first start in three months against Benfica on Tuesday night.

It is a dire situation, and one which will undoubtedly frustrate Maresca behind-the-scenes after he was clear that the club need more central defensive options.

According to reports, Chelsea and Maresca are in agreement that the signing of a centre-back should be prioritised for January, with the west Londoners now at work on finding the right profile (Pete O’Rourke).

Chelsea hold talks with Marc Guehi ahead of potential January deal

Now, as per journalist Simon Phillips, Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi is being discussed as an option for January.

The England international, who was on the verge of joining Liverpool in a summer deadline day move, could leave for a very cheap fee mid-season or for free next summer, and Chelsea are thinking about luring Guehi away from Selhurst as soon as the next window.

Phillips reports that Chelsea have reached out to Guehi’s camp for discussions this week as they make centre-back enquiries, and Palace would rather sell in January than lose him for nothing later in 2026.

The “sensational” defender, who left Cobham for Palace in 2021, would be the perfect solution to Chelsea’s defensive crisis.

January could be too soon for Marc Guehi's Palace exit

Guehi has established himself as an England regular and Premier League stalwart during his time at Palace, and he could be one of the snips of 2026 as his contract ticks down towards expiry at the end of this season.

However, it is very debatable whether Oliver Glasner would be happy with chairman Steve Parish selling his star defender midway through the campaign, and this would certainly threaten to cause a stir considering just how crucial Guehi is to Palace.

The Eagles are currently on an 18-game unbeaten run and Glasner really won’t be keen on losing a player who’s so vital to his set-up, unless Palace manage to source a quality replacement.

Reports in the summer even suggested that Glasner threatened to leave Palace if Guehi was sold to Liverpool, with the transfer later called off, but this has since been denied by the tactician.

Martin Odegaard has revealed the remarkable technique he is employing as he bids to speed up his comeback from injury. The Arsenal skipper suffered a shoulder injury against Leeds earlier in the season, which he re-aggravated in the home win over Nottingham Forest. However, it's a knee problem sustained against West Ham that has ruled Odegaard out since the start of October.

Getty Images SportOdegaard suffered an MCL injury against West Ham

Odegaard lasted just 30 minutes of the 2-0 win over West Ham at the start of October and isn't expected to return to action until after the November international break. The Arsenal skipper suffered an MCL injury in his left knee following a collision with Hammers winger Crysencio Summerville. In the process, Odegaard unwittingly made history as he became the first player to be withdrawn before half-time in three successive English top-flight fixtures.

On the injury at the time, head coach Mikel Arteta said: "We haven't had him since the start of the season for one reason or the other. The shoulder twice and then this injury. We'll have to wait and see the extent of that injury, and we'll find solutions, but obviously he's our captain and is a player that gives us a completely different dimension with the things that he can do, especially in attacking."

Ahead of the Gunners' recent Champions League win over Atletico Madrid, Odegaard lifted the lid on how his recovery is going as he targets a return to action. "The rehab is going well. I had a few days off after the West Ham game, because I couldn’t do much work and had to rest my knee anyway, so I went to Norway," Odegaard penned in his captain's notes for the pre-match programme.

"But I’ve been back for a week now and working every day to keep my fitness up as well as trying to heal the injury, so it’s busy days at the moment. It's hard work and long days in recovery, but that’s what you want and I feel like it’s going well so far."

Advertisement'Nice to feel that progression'

The Gunners skipper has since revealed the remarkable technique he has deployed in order to speed up his recovery. "It’s going well and I’m progressing a lot," Odegaard started.

"I’ve started moving around more and I’ve been running on the anti-gravity machine this week. It’s hard work, but nice to feel that progression – it gives you more motivation."

Arsenal have a number of anti-gravity treadmills in their medical and rehab centre at their London Colney training centre. Anti-gravity treadmills use a pressurised air chamber to uniformly reduce gravitational load and body weight in precise 1% increments and enables patients to move pain free, restoring and building muscle strength, range of motion, balance, function, and fitness in the process.

Getty Images SportOdegaard targeting North London Derby

Odegaard will be targeting the North London Derby as a potential return date following his knee injury. Arsenal face Burnley, Slavia Prague and Sunderland before the final international break of the year next month.

And Arsenal make a testing return to domestic duties following the international break as they face rivals Tottenham before a testing Champions League tie with Bavarian powerhouse Bayern Munich.

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Arsenal made history on Wednesday

Arsenal have been nigh-on unstoppable this season having failed to win only two matches in all competitions this season as they lost 1-0 to Liverpool and drew 1-1 with Manchester City in September. And their 2-0 EFL Cup win over Brighton saw the Gunners make history.

Indeed, their 2-0 victory over Brighton meant they became the first English top-flight team in history to play all six games in a month, and win them all without conceding a single goal as Arsenal extended their winning run to eight games.

Victory over the Seagulls set up a fifth round EFL Cup meeting with fellow Premier League rivals Crystal Palace, who Arsenal beat 1-0 on home turf earlier this month courtesy of a first half Eberechi Eze strike.

Elland Road has been home to many Leeds United greats over the years.

Even when the Whites weren’t competing in the Premier League, there were a handful of top stars always entertaining the West Yorkshire masses, with names such as Luciano Becchio and Pablo Hernandez sticking out, among many others.

Of course, the current crop is beloved in their own right, having just lifted the Championship title on a mammoth points haul of 100 points.

But, they have some catching up to do in the daunting environment of the Premier League to be seen in the same glowing light as some past top-flight icons at Leeds, with Lucas Radebe still viewed as an all-time hero, twenty years on from his final outing for the club.

Radebe's heroics at Leeds

Costing just £250k to obtain in 1994 from South African side Kaizer Chiefs, not many would have anticipated that many years down the line, Radebe would end up being Leeds’ formidable captain in the Champions League against the likes of AC Milan.

Still, despite a slow beginning to life at Elland Road, which saw him make just 12 appearances for the club during his debut season, the no-nonsense number 5 would eventually leave a lasting mark on the Leeds faithful, with Radebe going on to be affectionately known as “The Chief” for his warrior-like showings.

Starting his really early playing days as a goalkeeper, Radebe would ultimately find his calling in England as a tough and bruising centre-back figure, with ex-Leeds teammate Nigel Martyn referring to him as a “fierce competitor” when glowingly recalling his career in 2021.

Further lauded as an “absolute legend” by Martyn, the 70-time South Africa international’s vital importance to the Leeds cause is clear to see when looking back on his long-standing stay at the club, with 260 appearances picked up by Radebe across ten seasons, even seeing the Whites get near to Champions League glory at the turn of the millennium.

Unfortunately, persistent knee problems would see his minutes deplete by the close of those ten long campaigns, but with Radebe recently being unveiled as a new club ambassador, it’s clear he’s still held in high regard to this very day.

Amazingly, Daniel Farke could well have a Radebe-type player on his hands right now.

Farke's own Radebe-type star

Since Radebe hung up his boots, there haven’t been an overflowing amount of standout number fives who have pulled on that famous number, with Ben White one notable name, among transfer misfires such as Robin Koch and Giuseppe Bellusci.

Instead, it could well be Leeds’ current number 6 that embodies Radebe most closely in Joe Rodon, with the Welshman very much a full-blooded presence for Farke and Co, in the same vein as the South African before him.

He has even used his aerial expertise this season to power home a header versus AFC Bournemouth at the end of September, with the Swansea-born “warrior” – as he has been labelled by his manager – only one goal shy of Radebe’s goal count.

But, it’s his overall numbers in a defensive sense that put him even more on the same pedestal as the feared former number 5, with Rodon routinely putting his body on the line and coming up clutch in crunch moments to ensure his side isn’t breached at will.

Rodon league numbers for Leeds

Stat (* = per game)

23/24

24/25

25/26

Games played

43

46

7

Goals scored

0

1

1

Assists

0

0

0

Touches*

83.7

92.2

61.3

Accurate passes*

66.0 (91%)

75.1 (92%)

43.7 (91%)

Ball recoveries*

4.2

4.0

2.3

Clearances*

4.5

5.0

6.6

Total duels won*

4.7

4.3

5.1

Clean sheets

17

25

2

Stats by Sofascore

Rodon has undoubtedly become as crucial for Farke as Radebe was for the litany of managers he worked alongside at Elland Road, with the 27-year-old collecting a mightily impressive 44 clean sheets across three seasons of league action.

Yet, he hasn’t always had it his own way at Leeds, with the disappointment of promotion falling through at the close of the 2023/24 season meaning he could have walked away from West Yorkshire for good, having only been at the club on loan.

He opted to join permanently for £10m instead and in the words of journalist Isaac Johnson, he has since gone on to be in the debate as Farke’s “most important player.”

It will now be up to the resilient defender to steer his side to immediate Premier League safety, with the potential very much there for him to be known as a top-flight great, much like Radebe is forever immortalised as.

Related Leeds have signed "explosive" ace who looks like a new Raphinha-type player

Leeds fans might finally get their dream Raphinha replacement

Posts ByJoe Nuttall Oct 12, 2025

Newcastle United are always on the lookout for exciting talent to bolster their ranks and could now be set to press ahead in their pursuit of a star loved by Lionel Messi.

Newcastle appoint Ross Wilson as Director of Football

After the international break is over, the Magpies face a trip to face Brighton & Hove Albion on the South Coast as the Premier League gets back underway following a two-week hiatus.

On the news front, Ross Wilson’s appointment as Newcastle’s new Director of Football has signalled another interesting move from PIF as they look to assemble a side capable of competing with the elite of the English game.

Opening up on conversations he has held with Eddie Howe, he told Sky Sports: “This is such a special club, and I fully understand the passion, ambition and expectations of our incredible supporters, as well as the ambition and desire of our ownership to keep developing and building an even stronger Newcastle United.

“My conversations with ownership have been extremely positive, and I’ve also been in regular contact with Eddie Howe and David Hopkinson. The trust, cohesion and alignment we’re building already feels strong, and we believe that being united as a team will be so important as we continue to move the club forward together.”

Looking to make an early mark, Wilson could look to bring Brentford striker Igor Thiago to Newcastle after his impressive early showings at the Bees this season. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen if Keith Andrews will cooperate after losing Yoane Wissa to the Magpies.

With his feet now under the table, Wilson is now eyeing an exciting winger who could soon be on his way to Tyneside if recent developments are to evolve.

Newcastle keen on Spain international Ansu Fati

According to reports in Spain, Newcastle are keen to sign Spain international Ansu Fati, who is on loan at AS Monaco from parent club Barcelona.

Scoring six times in his first five matches at the Ligue 1 outfit, he could be captured permanently by Les Monégasques for around £9.5 million in the summer. Meanwhile, Barcelona have the chance to buy him back for a fee in the region of £24.5 million.

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Crystal Palace and Everton are also keen on his services and it is easy to see why, given he has already created five chances this term in the French top-flight, per Fotmob.

Praised by Lionel Messi for his rise to prominence, Fati may have had to take the long way around after falling out of favour at Barcelona, but he now seems to have rediscovered his mojo and appears well on his way to stardom.

Newcastle are on a similar upward trajectory, creating a merging of paths that could be positive for everyone at St James’ Park.

Newcastle United still have just one win to their name in the early Premier League standings.

Yet, that doesn’t tell the full tale of the Magpies’ wobbly start to the season, with Eddie Howe’s men also only losing one game, as the Toon had to settle for another draw on the road against AFC Bournemouth.

In truth, with just four shots registered on the South Coast, the visitors to the South Coast were somewhat lucky to come away from the drab affair with a 0-0 draw still intact, as several of Howe’s first team struggled to get going against the Cherries.

The main Newcastle underperformers vs Bournemouth

While Arsenal and Manchester City would offer up plenty of entertainment on Sunday, it’s fair to say the encounter between Bournemouth and Newcastle was a little lacking on the action front, on the contrary.

Indeed, Nick Woltemade didn’t exactly boost the Toon as they attempted to play on the front foot, with the 6-foot-6 attacker failing to register a single on-target effort at the home side’s goal, before he was hauled off the Vitality Stadium turf with just six minutes remaining.

Another of Newcastle’s new signings, Malick Thiaw, also failed to put in a convincing display, as seen in the German centre-back winning just 50% of his duels, alongside being a very fortunate individual that he wasn’t dismissed with ten minutes left on the clock when clashing with a Cherries shirt, after already picking up a yellow card.

Lewis Miley also failed to grasp his first-team opportunity as Howe made many changes from Newcastle’s Thursday night defeat to Barcelona, but one of Miley’s teammates in the middle put in an even more uninspiring display than the promising 19-year-old, to now find himself on borrowed time under his manager.

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At least with both Miley and Thiaw, they should have plenty more to give to the Newcastle cause going forward, with the teenage sensation previously showing he belongs in the senior picture, while Thiaw did register four interceptions (per Sofascore) against Andoni Iraola’s men when not finding himself tangled in contentious moments on the pitch.

The same level of patience won’t be extended to Joe Willock, however, with the 26-year-old’s below-par showing on Sunday only strengthening why Howe hasn’t been picking him for some time now.

Minutes played

62

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

32

Accurate passes

12/15 (80%)

Key passes

0

Total duels won

6/11

Last season saw the forgotten ex-Arsenal midfielder only make 11 Premier League starts, with Willock drafted into the XI against Bournemouth owing to some rusty legs after Champions League action.

Based on his passive display, though, Willock will be lucky to reach the same amount of starts he was afforded last season across the remainder of this campaign, with the one-time breath of fresh air at St James’ Park – who once managed eight league goals in just one season – struggling to even trump Nick Pope in terms of touches of the ball.

Indeed, Willock would only go on to amass a lacklustre 32 touches of the ball next to Pope’s weightier 42 (per Sofascore), while also only being able to accurately complete 12 passes all afternoon. In stark contrast, Sandro Tonali, who is a guaranteed starter week in week out centrally, would trudge off the pitch at the end with 49 accurate passes in tow.

It’s a no-brainer, therefore, for Howe to just reinstate both Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes to their usual positions next to Tonali when Arsenal come to town next in league action, with Willock no doubt looking out of his depth if he were handed a surprise second consecutive start against his former employers.

With Howe stating at the final whistle that his team were somewhat careless on the ball, it’s clear that the declining 26-year-old needs to be replaced instantly for the test of Mikel Arteta’s Gunners, having also been handed a low 4/10 rating post-match by journalist Lee Ryder, who noted that Willock looked “miles off it.”

There will be a tinge of sadness at the end of the Magpies right now, considering Willock does have a hefty 18 goals and eight assists up his sleeve on Tyneside from 148 total clashes.

But, it does appear as if the number 28 is staring the end of his Newcastle career straight in the face now, with Howe certainly less keen to hand him significant minutes moving forward after his no-show on the South Coast.

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