Lionel Messi sent a special message to ex-Barcelona team-mate Ousmane Dembele to congratulate him on winning the Ballon d'Or this year. Dembele edged out Blaugrana sensation Lamine Yamal to grab the Golden Ball. The French winger experienced the best season of his career in the 2024-25 campaign as he inspired Paris Saint-Germain to a historic treble.
The plot has thickened in the Newcastle United and Alexander Isak saga. The Swedish striker released a statement on Tuesday night, reaffirming his desire to leave the club, saying, “when promises are broken and trust is lost, the relationship can’t continue.” It is easy to see that he is still set on a move away from St James’ Park.
Of course, the Magpies will need to decide soon whether or not to sell their star striker. With less than two weeks left of the transfer window, any deal to leave the club will have to move quickly so Newcastle have time to sign a replacement.
They are constantly linked with new centre-forwards, and could make a move for someone in the coming days.
The Magpies have been linked with numerous centre-forwards over the past few weeks and months. Wolves striker Jorgen Strand-Larsen and Brentford’s Yoane Wissa have been touted as two of the leading potential targets.
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Yet, a clear option has seemingly emerged, with Football Insider reporting that Paris Saint-Germain and Portugal striker Goncalo Ramos “is keen to make that move” to St James’ Park this summer.
The North East giants have “been watching him” in action for the Champions League winners, in case a move should materialise.
Indeed, the fact that the former Benfica star is so interested in the move is surely a huge positive for Eddie Howe. This is a deal that could happen in the coming months, “if it all adds up” for Newcastle.
Reports earlier in the window suggest PSG could ask for £56m to sanction a deal this summer.
Despite limited opportunities for 24-year-old Ramos under Luis Enrique in the French capital, he impressed when he did break into the side. Described as a “future star” by Statman Dave, Ramos has certainly shown glimpses of just how deadly he can be.
Last season, the Portugal international, who scored a World Cup hat-trick in 2022, played 46 games and 1812 minutes, the equivalent of 20 full games. In that time, he managed to bag 19 goals and assist a further six.
His impact was felt in PSG’s first game of the 2025/26 campaign, too. Ramos scored a late equaliser against Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Super Cup, one of just four touches he had in open play, showing how clinical he can be in front of goal.
Well, the word clinical could certainly be used to describe Isak. He was exceptional for Newcastle last season, finding the back of the net on 23 occasions in just 34 Premier League games, assisting six goals on top of that.
There was certainly a case to be made that he was the best centre-forward in the top flight last term, a sentiment Jamie Carragher seemed to share. Last December, he called him the “best striker in the Premier League right now”.
With the sheer number of goals that he scored, it is easy to see why.
If Ramos moves to St James’ Park, Howe would love him to turn into the second coming of Isak. Even in the way they each took the headed goals above, bursting past a defender late on to head home, you can see the instinct they possess in front of goal.
There are stats to suggest the players are very similar, too. For example, Ramos averaged 0.85 goals and 0.51 goal-creating actions per 90 minutes last season. In comparison, the Newcastle striker averaged 0.75 goals and 0.46 goal-creating actions each game.
|
Ramos & Isak compared |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat (per 90) |
Ramos |
Isak |
|
Goals |
0.85 |
0.75 |
|
Expected goals |
1.15xG |
0.66xG |
|
Goals per shot |
0.15 |
0.2 |
|
Shot-creating actions |
2.54 |
3.01 |
|
Goal-creating actions |
0.51 |
0.46 |
|
Stats from FBref |
||
Whilst £69m is a huge investment to make, especially so late in the window, Newcastle will need to replace Isak if he leaves. There is evidence to suggest that Ramos would be the perfect candidate to do that.
Given his goalscoring rate and some of the underlying statistics, he could be Newcastle’s dream Isak replacement. At the very least, signing a player who wants to represent the club is a huge pull for the Magpies.
Their new Isak: Newcastle pushing really hard to sign "sensational" £60m CF
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Carlo Ancelotti has admitted that how former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich viewed Jose Mourinho played a key role in his Chelsea sacking. The Italian coach, who won the Premier League and FA Cup double in his first season, said the Russian billionaire measured his success against Mourinho, and their Champions League clash with Inter Milan proved decisive in his eventual departure from Stamford Bridge.
The Gunners had to endure some nervy moments as they beat Olympiacos and made it two wins from two to start their Champions League campaign
Martin Odegaard showed Arsenal what they had been missing as he returned to the starting XI and inspired them to a second successive Champions League victory, with goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka seeing them to a 2-0 win against Olympiacos.
The Gunners skipper was at his sparkling best at times, especially in the first half, and it was his pass to Victor Gyokeres that led to Martinelli opening the scoring when he tapped in from close range after the Swedish striker's effort had come back off the post.
Arsenal then wasted several chances to extend their lead and had to endure a few nervy moments late on before Saka came off the bench to finish the game off, drilling a finish between Olympiacos keeper Kostas Tzolakis' legs after being picked out by Odegaard.
GOAL rates Arsenal's players from Emirates Stadium…
Tottenham Hotspur have been given a late-summer transfer boost as Daniel Levy and the Lilywhites recruitment team scramble for reinforcements.
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Spurs want to sign a centre-back, playmaker and a new winger (Sky Sports), but bringing in all three is perhaps unlikely at this stage of the window and with such little time remaining.
The north Londoners have found it notoriously difficult already, having seen high-profile blockbuster deals for the likes of Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze fail in dramatic fashion.
After weeks of talks, Spurs have also got nowhere with their bid for Savinho, as Man City make it crystal clear that the Brazil international is not for sale.
It remains to be seen who they target as an alternative to the 21-year-old, but it is evident who has become their top playmaker target during this final stretch.
According to numerous sources, RB Leipzig playmaker Xavi Simons is in London right now, with both Chelsea and Tottenham pursuing a deal for the highly-rated Netherlands international.
The 22-year-old is valued at around £60 million, which is a similar price that Spurs were once prepared to pay for Eze and Gibbs-White. With there being precious few available playmakers who could truly make a difference for Thomas Frank, Simons has emerged as their potential saving grace.
He racked up 11 goals and eight assists over 33 appearances in all competitions for Leipzig last term, and Arsenal legend Ian Wright believes that Simons is an “unbelievable” player.
Tottenham have now submitted a near-£60m bid for Simons, according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, with journalist Graeme Bailey also sharing the player’s stance on joining Frank’s side.
As per the reporter, it is believed that Simons is ready to join Tottenham, who’ve held talks with his representatives, after Chelsea began stalling their deal – with the attacking midfielder growing impatient.
The west Londoners have been in talks for weeks, but there are complications with player sales.
They also haven’t found a full agreement with Leipzig in all of that time, and that has allowed Spurs to move in to hijack their negotiations. Right now, Simons is happy to stop pausing on a move and sign for Tottenham instead, despite already agreeing personal terms with Chelsea.
This flurry of promising developments, including Levy’s offer, means that they could be on the verge of finally signing their desired number 10. However, as we’ve seen with Tottenham, no supporter should celebrate until the ink is dry.
“I think he’s going to have a really good career at the highest level,” said Bayern Munich sporting director, Christoph Freund.
“He has everything, mentality, character and is just an exceptional player.”
Tottenham Hotspur will return to the Champions League for the first time in three years, qualifying for the competition despite ending the previous campaign in a measly 17th place.
Their Europa League triumph at the end of the 2024/25 season secured automatic qualification to Europe’s most prestigious club competition – with Thomas Frank the man to lead the Lilywhites into clashes against numerous elite-level outfits.
A trip to current defending champions PSG, with the new boss wanting to achieve revenge after falling to a defeat against Luis Enrique’s side in the Super Cup final back in August.
However, the 51-year-old will also be hoping to go one better than Mauricio Pochettino, with the Argentine leading the club to the final of the Champions League back in 2018/19 – before suffering a defeat to Premier League rivals Liverpool.
With the competition getting underway in less than two weeks’ time, Frank has had to select his 22-man squad – leading to eyebrows being raised around a couple of his selections.
Despite joining Spurs in a £29m transfer from Bayern Munich this summer, attacker Mathys Tel may find himself on the way out of the club in the not-too-distant future.
The Frenchman made 20 appearances on loan with the Lilywhites last season, subsequently making his transfer permanent during the off-season, adding depth into Frank’s final third.
However, he’s only featured for a total of 19 minutes in the Premier League this campaign, before being left out of the club’s Champions League squad for the group stage.
Such a decision has been the talking point of the fanbase over recent days, leading to questions over his long-term future at the club, with Frank evidently preferring other options in North London.
As a result, his time with the Lilywhites could come to a premature end, but he may not be the only one, with the board also needing to offload another talent in the coming weeks.
A change of management brings about fresh chances and opportunities for players to stake their claim for a first-team place and resurrect their flailing careers.
Djed Spence is arguably one of the biggest success stories after being signed during the Antonio Conte reign, even though the manager himself was known to not want the player.
However, after looking certain to leave, the injury crisis last season gave him a chance to impress, with the 25-year-old now a full England international after receiving a call-up from Thomas Tuchel.
Despite the success stories, other players don’t endure the same fate, as seen with Yves Bissouma, with the Malian international now certain to depart the club in the coming weeks.
The 29-year-old has sadly regressed over the last year, so much so that former pro Adam Alfi described him as a “pub league player”. He still made 44 appearances across all competitions last season, but he’s yet to feature in any competitive outing since Frank took the reins during the off-season.
The Dane stated that the midfielder had been left out of his squad for the Super Cup final clash with PSG due to disciplinary issues, subsequently being left out of every other matchday squad.
Bissouma’s misery has been compounded over recent days, as he’s also been left out of the Champions League squad, just like Tel, leading to rumours over a potential exit from the Lilywhites.
He’s been touted with moves to Turkey and Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, potentially securing a permanent transfer away from North London, with their windows still open throughout September.
With just a year left on his current contract, the hierarchy desperately need to facilitate a move for the midfielder as soon as possible to avoid losing him for nothing just a couple of years after paying £35m for his signature.
|
Yves Bissouma – PL stats (2024/25) |
|
|---|---|
|
Statistics (per 90) |
Tally |
|
Games played |
28 |
|
Goals & assists |
2 |
|
Pass accuracy |
89% |
|
Tackles won |
2.1 |
|
% of tackles won |
63% |
|
Duels won |
5.2 |
|
Interceptions made |
1.2 |
|
Recoveries made |
5.4 |
|
Stats via FotMob |
|
It’s clear Frank is trying to install the right attitude into his squad, something which Bissouma has constantly failed to adhere to – as seen by his recent disciplinary record.
As a result, his spell at the club now appears all but over, with Tel potentially joining him in leaving the club after his own omission from the European squad for the 2025/26 season.
Spurs have struck gold on "world-class" star who's worth more than Simons
Tottenham Hotspur have showcased their excellent work in the transfer market over recent years.
By
Ethan Lamb
Sep 4, 2025
Former AC Milan and Juventus coach Fabio Capello believes that while Napoli midfielders Kevin De Bruyne and Scott McTominay are both top players with excellent qualities, their skill sets differ and could potentially overlap, leading to an imbalance in the squad. The Serie A champions sit joint-top of the table and picked up a first Champions League win of the season last week, but some doubts over the gelling of the squad remain.
Everton battled well at Anfield on Saturday, but – unfortunately – the unbelievable quality of Arne Slot’s Reds in attacking positions would be the Toffees’ undoing in the Merseyside Derby.
Hugo Ekitike – who cost a bumper £79m to sign – would gift his new Premier League employers a two-goal cushion in the first half with a calm finish under pressure, with Ryan Gravenberch also opening the scoring in style with a first-time finish that beat the usually formidable Jordan Pickford.
Idrissa Gueye would try to get David Moyes’ men back into the contest with a late long-range effort, but the damage had already been done at a rain-soaked Anfield.
Iliman Ndiaye would set up the 35-year-old for that consolation strike, with the former Marseille attacker standing out once more, even if his Toffees side were largely second best in the overall clash.
Indeed, while the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Beto faded into the background versus the Reds, Ndiaye was a vibrant livewire throughout for Moyes’ underdogs.
Staggeringly, away from assisting Gueye’s second-half effort, the gung-ho 25-year-old would also come away from his 86 minutes on the pitch with a mighty 14 ground duels won, on top of a blistering nine successful dribbles being completed that constantly kept the hosts on their toes.
Unfortunately, despite his constant willingness to get stuck in and be involved, Ndiaye would fail to join Gueye in catching Alisson out, despite having two Premier League strikes next to his name heading into the fierce contest.
With 13 strikes now in total for the Toffees, it’s clear that the 25-year-old was the original trickster down the flanks, before Jack Grealish’s emergence onto the scene.
Yet, Grealish and Ndiaye might not be the only slick wingers Moyes has at his disposal shortly, with a homegrown version of the Senegal international amazingly being brewed in the U21 picture.
Ndiaye will know all too well the trials and tribulations of the men’s game, having once been a rising youngster at Boreham Wood, before embarking on a formative adventure at Sheffield United that eventually led him to Everton.
Justin Clarke will hope he can make similar waves in the first team in the near future, having also been thrust into the spotlight from a very early age, considering he made his senior debut for ex-employers AFC Wimbledon at just 15 years of age.
That record-breaking debut for the Dons would clearly catch Everton’s eye, leading to Clarke swapping South West London for the daunting environment of Merseyside last year, with the early signs pointing in the direction that the teenage sensation could be Ndiaye 2.0 if everything goes to plan.
The U21s breakout star has now even penned a senior deal at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, with Clarke also already powering home 14 strikes for both the U18s and U21s from just 25 appearances, which is one more effort than Ndiaye has managed to put away in the men’s ranks.
|
Clarke’s career numbers by position |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Position |
Games |
Goals + Assists |
|
RW |
9 |
4 + 2 |
|
LW |
7 |
3 + 0 |
|
CF |
3 |
6 + 0 |
|
LM |
1 |
0 |
|
Sourced by Transfermarkt |
||
The similarities don’t end here between the hotly tipped Englishman and his Senegalese counterpart, however, with Clarke also showing off an adaptability that Ndiaye is well-known for when looking at the table above.
Amazingly, from just three career appearances as an out-and-out centre-forward, Clarke has a lethal six goals next to his name. Ndiaye isn’t quite at the same level of clinical finishing himself, but he does have 22 goal contributions to shout about from 42 career appearances up top.
But, while he does have this versatile edge up his sleeve, Clarke is also well-equipped to cause full-backs problems with mazey darts forward, much like the ex-Blades attacker, with one surge into the area in Premier League 2 action recently seeing him tee up fellow starlet Braiden Graham for a goal.
Once branded as a “fantastic” talent for the future by former Dons boss Johnnie Jackson, it will be intriguing to see if Clarke can reach Ndiaye’s insane heights down the line, knowing that he is in the same esteemed academy set-up that one produced the likes of Wayne Rooney.
As bad as Beto: Moyes must finally ditch 6/10 Everton man after Anfield
David Moyes must now ponder whether this Everton star is worth keeping in the starting XI.
By
Kelan Sarson
Sep 20, 2025
Former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini reportedly believes he could be in contention to replace Ruben Amorim at Manchester United if the Portuguese coach is sacked. The 60-year-old Italian, who led City to their first Premier League title in 2012, is said to have told friends he would be open to a return to English football amid growing pressure on Amorim.
The sight of former Manchester United players instantly hitting the ground running away from Old Trafford has become a common theme of recent years, escaping the extreme pressure that comes with the Red Devils and becoming revived in new surroundings.
Such a trend has been particularly obvious in recent weeks, with Marcus Rashford marking his return to English football with a stunning brace against Newcastle United, clinching a 2-1 win for loan side, Barcelona.
Rasmus Hojlund, meanwhile, scored on his first start for Napoli against Fiorentina, while even Andre Onana has found his groove on loan at Trabzonspor, producing a Man of the Match display on debut, before even providing an assist last time out.
Those 2025 summer departures look to be paying off at present, with that trio no doubt hoping to emulate the success of a certain Scott McTominay, following the Scotland star’s breakout 2024/25 campaign in Naples.
A man who had strayed into super-sub territory during an impactful final season in Manchester, the 28-year-old is now front and centre for the Serie A side, having ended last term as the league’s MVP.
With a return of 14 goals and seven assists in 41 games for the Italian giants, the United academy graduate has won the hearts and minds of the Napoli faithful, while his efforts have been duly recognised…
Scott McTominay and the Ballon d’Or didn’t appear to go together when considering his time back at United, with the 6 foot 4 midfielder something of a marmite figure for both fans and pundits alike.
Beloved by a string of managers, but also described as “not good enough” by the likes of Roy Keane, the Lancaster-born warrior was never the main man at United, restricted to a role in the supporting cast.
Now under Antonio Conte’s tutelage, ‘McTomadonna’ has deservedly stolen the limelight over the past 12 months or so, with that impact seeing him nestled among the 30 nominees for the famed Ballon d’Or award.
As revealed on Monday evening, while Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele may have claimed the crown, McTominay finished in a more than respectable 18th position among that stellar list of names.
For context, the United academy graduate finished ahead of the likes of Jude Bellingham (23rd), Declan Rice (27th) and Virgil van Dijk (28th), while also ranking higher than the man who ripped Ruben Amorim’s side to shreds in the Manchester derby – Erling Haaland (26th).
At a time when Amorim and co are crying out for midfield depth, the decision to part ways with McTominay looks to be coming back to bite them.
That being said, the midfielder was at least given more than enough time to prove himself at Old Trafford – 255 games to be precise – with the same certainly not true of another academy product, Alvaro Carreras.
Much of the focus during Amorim’s time at the helm has been on the dynamic of the midfield pairing, amid the summer pursuit of Carlos Baleba, yet the problems at wing-back have almost been overlooked.
As explored following the 2-1 win over Chelsea on Saturday, the over-reliance on Patrick Dorgu to be the main man at left wing-back is of particular concern, with the young Dane seemingly the only viable, senior option in the first-team squad right now.
Oh how Amorim likely wishes that his predecessor Erik ten Hag hadn’t turned his nose up at the aforementioned Carreras – formerly referred to as Alvaro Fernandez at United – with the 22-year-old Spaniard now blossoming away at Real Madrid.
|
Dorgu vs Carreras |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat (per 90) |
Dorgu |
Carreras |
|
Non-penalty goals |
0.05 |
0.00 |
|
Assists |
0.05 |
0.13 |
|
Pass completion |
78% |
84.4% |
|
Passes attempted |
42.31 |
65.20 |
|
Progressive passes |
3.08 |
6.73 |
|
Progressive carries |
3.59 |
2.47 |
|
Successful take-ons |
0.56 |
1.40 |
|
Tackles |
2.65 |
1.47 |
|
Interceptions |
0.75 |
1.67 |
|
Aerial duels won |
1.66 |
0.80 |
|
Stats via FBref |
||
The attack-minded left-back had initially been plucked from Los Blancos back in the summer of 2020, part of a trio of Spanish-based imports including Alejandro Garnacho from Atletico Madrid and right-back Marc Jurado from Barcelona.
Unlike hero turned villain Garnacho, Carreras was never actually afforded an opportunity at senior level in a competitive game, despite having notably shone on loan at Preston North End during the 2022/23 campaign, winning the club’s Young Player of the Year award.
As journalist Samuel Luckhurst has noted with regard to Radek Vitek’s temporary move to Bristol City this summer, young players whom United loan to the Championship are typically those who are viewed as having a role to play back in the first-team later down the line.
Unfortunately for Carreras, even an extended injury crisis at left-back didn’t alter his fortunes, with 2023/24 proving particularly frustrating on his part.
With both Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw missing almost the entirety of the season, United brought in Sergio Reguilon on loan initially, while also deploying the likes of Diogo Dalot, Victor Lindelof and even Sofyan Amrabat as makeshift options instead.
Despite being recalled from a loan spell at Granada in January 2024, with Ten Hag and co cutting short Reguilon’s own loan, Carreras was then shipped off again to Benfica, on a deal that included an option to make the move permanent.
As it proved, the Primeira Liga side saw enough in those six months to fork out the initial £5m fee, rising to £7.5m in add-ons, with the young full-back enjoying a remarkable 2024/25 season subsequently, after racking up nine goals and assists in 52 games in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.
Such form didn’t go unnoticed, and despite United possessing the chance to utilise their buyback clause of around £17m, the defender was ultimately snapped up by his former side, joining Madrid on a €50m (£42m) deal this summer.
United raked in £8m as a result of that switch due to a 20% sell-on clause, although with Carreras now already a firm fixture of Xabi Alonso’s side, starting all six games this season, the failure to integrate him into the first-team continues to sting.
Indeed, such is his talent, ex-Preston boss Ryan Lowe has even made the comparison between the ex-Spain U21 international and his new Madrid teammate, Trent Alexander-Arnold, having told the Athletic earlier this year:
Alexander-Arnold may not be the most popular name in Manchester – nor now in Liverpool, for that matter – but his exploits at Anfield are hard to ignore. 92 assists in 354 games for the Merseysiders, among a plethora of major honours, speaks to his unique, rare quality.
At a time then when Amorim’s system places so much reliance on the left wing-back, in particular, to provide a creative threat, having a Trent-esque figure like Carreras on board would no doubt have been perfect.
Dorgu, at just 20 himself, still has plenty of time to develop. Yet dishing out £30m on his signature in January, while selling Carreras for just an initial £5m, doesn’t reflect well on anyone back at Old Trafford.
Homegrown Mbeumo: 18-year-old Man Utd star is an "ideal Amorim wing-back"
Manchester United still have some elite youth potential waiting to break onto the scene.
By
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