Aston Villa sent scouts to watch a 19-year-old midfielder in action last week, according to a recent report. The Villans’ poor run of form continued over the weekend, as they were beaten 3-0 by Chelsea, making it eight games in all competitions without a win. Three defeats in their last four Premier League games have seen Unai Emery’s side fall down the table, and given their expectations, it could mean they are in for a busy January.
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Emery will be keen to stop this poor run of form as soon as possible, but with the January transfer window on the horizon, he will have his eye on one or two additions to freshen up his team. One player Villa may now be interested in signing is Milos Kerkez from AFC Bournemouth.
The left-back has been an impressive performer for the Cherries and could now be open to a move away from the club, as they value the defender at £40 million. Kerkez is not short of interest, as Manchester United, Liverpool, and Villa are all interested in securing his services. As well as looking at Kerkez, Villa have also made an enquiry over the signing of Malik Tillman from PSV Eindhoven.
The USA international has made a fantastic start to this season, and already there have been several enquiries made over a possible winter transfer. The transfer news doesn’t stop there for Villa, as club scouts have been in place to watch a young midfielder in the last week.
Villa scouts watch 19 y/o being tracked by nearly 30 clubs
According to journalist Alan Nixon, relayed by Inside Futbol, Aston Villa sent scouts to watch Reims midfielder Valentin Atangana in action. The 19-year-old has been at Reims for his entire career, playing for their under-17s, under-19s and B team before moving into the first team in July 2023.
Atangana played 15 times for the French side last season in Ligue 1, following seven appearances in the league during the 2022/23 campaign. Despite the midfielder not scoring for Reims or registering an assist, he has been catching the eye of teams across Europe with his performances.
The report states that Villa had scouts in place last week to watch Atangana, but they were not the only English club tracking the young player, as Tottenham, Brentford, Liverpool, Everton and Manchester United also had scouts in attendance at the game.
Valentin Atangana’s Reims 2024/25 Ligue 1 stats
Apps
13
Minutes per game
85
Shots per game
0.8
Touches
48.8
Key passes per game
0.4
Accurate passes per game
31.9 (90%)
Interceptions per game
1.2
Tackles per game
1.9
They were joined by Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund, who also had representatives present, as no fewer than 26 teams have been tracking the teenager.
Atangana is under contract at the French side until 2027, meaning as 2025 closes in, some of these teams could look to test Reims’ resolve. Signing Atangana would add another midfielder option to Emery’s team, and his youthful, energetic style could be ideal for the Premier League side as they try to get back on top.
West Bromwich Albion are now eyeing up a potential bargain deal to strengthen their ranks in January, it has been claimed, as they look to bolster their frontline before the second half of the season.
West Brom struggling for wins in the Championship
Carlos Corberan’s side are struggling somewhat in the early stages of the Championship season, with the Baggies unable to stop drawing games.
The Baggies have lost the fewest games in the division, having been beaten just twice, but their 10 draws are also a league-high, one more than relegation threatened Preston North End and Queens Park Rangers.
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As a result, they sit just outside the playoff spots in the Championship and are already 10 points adrift of early leaders Sheffield United, with another stint in the playoffs their most likely route to potential success this season at this stage.
One of their biggest problems has been finding the back of the net regularly, with their 19 goals scored the fewest in the top half of the Championship, though they do boast the third-best defensive record too.
Of those 19 goals, star striker Josh Maja has 10, while only two other players have managed more than a single goal for the Baggies this season across all competitions, and only five players have even managed to make it onto the scoresheet.
West Brom’s top goalscorers 2024-25
Josh Maja
10
Karlan Grant
4
Alex Mowatt
3
Jayson Molumby
1
Mason Holgate
1
Now, West Brom could be set to address this issue in January, with reports linking them with a surprise swoop.
West Brom monitoring Sevilla forward
That comes as reports from Spain claim that West Brom are one of two Championship sides monitoring former Leicester striker Kelechi Iheanacho ahead of a potential winter move.
Iheanacho only arrived in Seville over the summer but has endured a tough start to life in the south of Spain, starting just four La Liga games, though he has scored three times in the Copa del Rey.
An FA Cup winner during his time at Leicester City, the 28-year-old has already reportedly been deemed surplus to requirements in Andalusia, with his high wages not deemed value for money given his lack of game time.
Appearances
219
Goals
47
Assists
26
Minutes per goal/assist
120
Now, a fresh report has suggested that both the Baggies and Championship rivals Watford are “closely monitoring the situation” and they are both keen “to sign him in the winter, either on loan or as a free agent.”
Dubbed “very talented” by Brendan Rodgers during the pair’s time together at Leicester, Iheanacho’s career has taken a dip since, with the Nigerian forward scoring just six times for the Foxes last season before moving to Spain.
Leicester striker Kelechi Iheanacho.
He found the net against the Baggies in both the 2017/18 season and the 2020/21 campaign, helping them on their way to relegation from the Premier League on both occasions, but now could find himself trying to push them back towards the Premier League should he arrive at the club in January. Could he be the man to help Corberan’s side back to winning ways?
Exciting times in the Premier League. For Newcastle United, plenty to look forward to. Two wins in succession before the November international break restored the feel-good factor, and now it’s time to build.
Eddie Howe’s side have weathered plenty of adversity over the past year but are now in a wonderful position to ruffle some feathers at the front of the division once again, hosting West Ham United on Monday night.
The 14th-placed Hammers have toiled through the 2024/25 campaign, clearly not subscribing to Julen Lopetegui’s tactical brand, and Newcastle know that victory at St. James’ Park will lift them into sixth – and just two points behind Manchester City in second.
Exciting times indeed. Of course, Newcastle will need to ensure that they defeat West Ham, who are desperate to turn their season around and will be looking to exploit the hosts’ injury issues.
Newcastle's injury list
He’s not actually injured, but Dan Burn will be sidelined for this crucial fixture, for the 6 foot 6 defender has accumulated five yellow cards and has received a one-match suspension.
Emil Krafth’s untimely injury means he can’t step in alongside Fabian Schar, and though Sven Botman is approaching the end of his rehabilitation after an ACL injury sustained at the start of the year, he is not ready to return. As such, expect the dependable Lloyd Kelly to take the left side of the central defence.
That aside, though, the Toon have a healthy and dynamic crop of players and will determined to exacerbate their opponents’ troubles.
23/24
Premier League (A)
2-2 draw
23/24
Premier League (H)
4-3 win
22/23
Premier League (H)
1-1 draw
22/23
Premier League (A)
5-1 win
21/22
Premier League (H)
4-2 loss
21/22
Premier League (A)
1-1 draw
Jarrod Bowen will likely be the architect of any good fortune that the visitors have, however, and it’s imperative that he is subdued, for he will be hungrily eyeing a potential chink that Burn’s absence might present.
Newcastle must stop Jarrod Bowen
West Ham are there for the taking, with Mohammed Kudus and Edson Alvarez both suspended. Forward Niclas Füllkrug will be assessed as his anonymity in England stretches on, but Bowen is fit and will relish the chance to stir an upset on Tyneside.
Having posted 20 goals in all competitions for David Moyes’ struggling outfit last year, Bowen further reinforced his claim as one of the Premier League’s star forwards, but he’s not been at his best thus far in 2024/25, albeit notching three goals and two assists from 11 league games.
Of course, the England star is “unplayable” on his day, as Thomas Frank candidly admitted after he scored a hat-trick against Brentford last year, and it’s a skill set that Newcastle wanted within their ranks.
This summer, the Magpies held a vested interest in Bowen, but the east Londoners put intrigue to bed by stamping a £100m price tag on their superstar. Given that he’d signed a new long-term deal in 2023, the ball was firmly in their court.
Sources such as TEAMtalk have latterly revealed that Howe is still set on signing the 27-year-old and is targeting a blockbuster deal at the end of the season.
In any case, the home support won’t want him to enjoy a successful audition at St. James’ Park tonight. With defensive issues, Newcastle might have a tough time containing him, and that’s why Joelinton should be unleashed on the right flank in a fresh approach to securing victory.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Why Joelinton must start out of position
Anthony Gordon is a tremendous winger but he’s quite clearly more effective on the left flank than the right. Against Nottingham Forest two weeks ago, the former Everton prospect toiled out of position before enjoying a rejuvenation in his natural role, placing three key passes, as per Sofascore.
Joelinton has struck a neat partnership with the box-to-box Joe Willock in recent weeks, but his protean quality lends itself to a wealth of deployments, and he must be unleashed at right wing against the Hammers – especially since Howe clearly doesn’t favour Miguel Almiron or Jacob Murphy all that much.
Reporter Dominic Scurr claimed that the hulking Brazilian was “the key” in the turnaround victory at the City Ground, not just scoring but notably winning ten duels and making three tackles as he overwhelmed Nuno Espirito Santo’s hitherto high-flying team.
“He’s like gold dust because you know wherever you put him he’ll do a good job,” Howe gushed post match. His tactical flexibility makes for a singular weapon that must be utilised once again against West Ham, and given his all-encompassing sheen that works well on the right, he may well prove to be a worthy tool to outperform his right-winged adversary Bowen.
After all, just look at the underlying data. As per FBref, the 28-year-old Brazilian ranks among the top 3% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 16% for progressive carries, the top 14% for tackles and the top 11% for aerial duels won per 90.
A veritable machine, Joelinton truly is a special player and can bring so much to Howe’s many-faceted system when at his best.
Bowen is of course going to be one of the biggest dangers this evening, but Joelinton has proved that he too can make a marked difference when shifted into a more unnatural role on the right wing, which in turn might enhance the fluency of Gordon on the alternate side and Alexander Isak as the killer in the middle. Bring it on.
Frontrunners: Newcastle want to sign £17m star to finally replace Anderson
Newcastle eyeing move for Algerian sensation in January…
Lee Carsley was named as England’s interim manager in August following Gareth Southgate’s decision to step down after eight years at the helm.
With Southgate having guided the Three Lions to two European Championship finals in 2021 and 2024, Carsley knew he was stepping into big shoes. Thus far, however, his short reign has been a resounding success.
Naming much-changed squads featuring a number of young stars he previously managed for England’s U21 and U20 sides, Carsley’s England first beat the Republic of Ireland 2-0 in the Nations League, recording their first win on Irish soil since 1985. That victory was followed up by another impressive 2-0 Nations League win over Finland.
The two results, and more specifically, the brave, exciting style of play Carsley’s England displayed (something Southgate’s England were widely criticised for not doing), have led fans and pundits alike to call for the former Derby County and Everton man to be given the job full-time.
By his own admission, Carsley himself is up for the challenge. “I am up for it. I think I am up for it,” the 50-year-old told the press shortly after England’s win over Finland. “I think I’m very grounded. The most important thing about this job is the football for me, making sure we create a good environment for the players to perform in.”
Right now, Carsley might be doing and saying all the right things to see him named as Southgate’s permanent successor. Nothing, however, is written in stone just yet. In fact, there are plenty of reasons he still might not get the job, even if he does fit the mould.
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By
Stephan Georgiou
Jul 16, 2024
1
Lack of experience
England gig would be Carsley's first senior role
Carsley, for all his free-flowing football and experience of tournament success with England’s youth sides, arguably lacks that know-how at the top level. For a team aching for major silverware, would his appointment represent a risk? It stands to reason that the FA could be thinking in this way.
Despite his years working within the FA, Carsley’s time in top-level football is rather limited. Other than holding the fort for a number of Championship clubs, his coaching career to this point may suggest the demands of being in charge of the nation’s best may be better suited to someone else.
Whether the FA would factor this into their decision-making remains to be seen, but it would depend on how much importance the powers that be weigh on his existing international experience.
Lee Carsley coaching career history
Club
Years
Role
Coventry City
2012-2013
Caretaker Manager
Sheffield United
2013
Assistant Manager
Brentford U21
2014-2015
Manager
Brentford
2015
Caretaker Manager
Brentford
2015
Assistant Manager
England U19
2016
Assistant Manager
Man City U18
2016-2017
Manager
Birmingham City U21
2017
Manager
Birmingham City
2017
Caretaker Manager
Birmingham City
2017-2018
Assistant Manager
England U21
2018-2020
Assistant Manager
England U20
2020-2021
Manager
England U21
2021-2024
Manager
England
2024-present
Caretaker Manager
2
60 years of hurt
Desperation for success could lead to pragmatic appointment
While he may have faced heavy criticism for his style of play and questionable tactics during his reign as England boss, Southgate did a fantastic job.
He took the Three Lions back to heights not seen since the days of Alf Ramsey, firmly establishing England as an international force to be reckoned with, even if it wasn’t always pretty to watch.
What Southgate was unable to do, however, was get England over the line and win an international tournament.
Whoever is appointed as his successor will be expected to do that – and quickly, so as not to waste the abundance of world-class talent in the current squad, with some players, such as Harry Kane and Kyle Walker, entering their twilight years.
Instead, it’s not unlikely the FA would prefer someone with winning credentials at the top level, whether domestically or internationally, to finally help England lift a major trophy.
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England’s squad is still young enough to compete well at the next World Cup.
3
By
Matt Dawson
Jul 17, 2024
3
The FA is open to a foreign successor
FA could seek ruthless appointment by looking further afield
Since England started appointing managers way back in 1946, there have only been two that aren’t English.
First, there was the late Sven-Goran Eriksson, who took charge of the Three Lions between 2001 and 2006. Fabio Capello, who managed England between 2008 and 2012, is the most recent non-English boss.
Eriksson’s reign was underwhelming but by no means a failure, with the Swede guiding England to three consecutive major tournament quarter-finals – and a shootout away from the semis on two occasions.
Meanwhile, Capello’s time in charge, despite boasting the highest win percentage of any English manager in history (excluding Sam Allardyce), was considered a disaster.
At the 2010 World Cup, his side crashed out in the last 16 at the hands of Germany, albeit in controversial circumstances. The following two years were then marred with controversy after controversy, with Capello often being heavily critical of his squad, players moaning about his ruthless tactics, and the Italian failing to learn English, despite promising to do so when he was first appointed.
It all ended in tears, with Capello quitting on the spot after the FA decided to strip John Terry of his England captaincy after he was accused, and later found guilty of, racially abusing QPR defender Anton Ferdinand.
Since Capello, the Three Lions’ last three permanent bosses – Roy Hodgson, Allardyce, and Southgate – have all been English.
After Southgate stepped down, however, the Football Association hinted that they may be ready to try the foreign route once again.
According to The Guardian’s Matt Hughes, in early August, the FA gave “formal approval for the appointment of a foreign manager” to replace Southgate. Hughes wrote that the decision was made at the request of FA chief executive Mark Bullingham, with all nine of his fellow board members endorsing the request without putting it to a vote.
This open mind could spell bad news to Carsley’s hopes, even if he played internationally for Ireland himself.
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By
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Jul 17, 2024
4
There's a lot of candidates
Crowded field could be bad news for Carsley
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.
Despite being widely seen as a poisoned chalice, there is still an enormous number of candidates to replace Southgate as England boss.
Among them are some of Carsley’s fellow English-born managerial peers – Eddie Howe, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard to name but a few. The former two, both of whom boast more experience than Carsley in the dugout, are among the frontrunners for the job.
Then there are the international candidates. BBC Sport named the likes of Jurgen Klopp (who is now heading upstairs at Red Bull Group) and Thomas Tuchel as potential next England managers earlier in the summer, while Pep Guardiola, who is entering the final year of his contract at Manchester City, was also mentioned as another possible candidate.
Klopp, Tuchel, and Guardiola all tick the FA’s two hypothetical “next England boss” boxes. They are all foreign and have won trophies at the highest level. So who will it be? Right now, nobody knows.
One thing is for sure, however. Carsley will be England manager for the Three Lions’ next two Nations League fixtures against Greece and Finland on 10th and 13th October.
Continue to impress, and he will no doubt give the powers that be some serious food for thought about whether he could take the job full-time. But with the FA having made it no secret that Carsley was only to step in while its “recruitment process for a new permanent head coach continues”, it may not be a major surprise if he didn’t land the job, no matter how appealing his football may be.
Eliminado na Copa do Brasil, a maior prioridade do Cruzeiro no momento é definir a situação de Leonardo Jardim no comando da equipe. Nesta segunda-feira (15), o comandante irá selar seu destino. A tendência é que ele deixe o cargo.
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O técnico irá se reunir com a diretoria para decidir se permanece no cargo para 2026, se muda de posição, ou se deixará Belo Horizonte. A reunião foi confirmada tanto pelo professor, quanto por Pedro Junio, vice-presidente da Raposa.
– O que ficou definido é a gente ter uma conversa depois da Copa do Brasil, então é provável que vamos ter uma conversa amanhã, bem franca, verdadeira, como sempre foi. Jardim é um cara muito correto, um treinador espetacular, então amanhã devemos ter uma definição e comunicaremos – explicou.
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– A gente espera que ele fique, mas a decisão tem que ser em conjunto, bom para ambas as partes. A gente sabe dos desejos de ambas as partes, mas o nosso planejamento já começou. O 2026 do Cruzeiro não será planejado a partir de amanhã, já está sendo planejado a alguns meses. Nosso planejamento não muda nada com a permanência ou não do Jardim, que friso mais uma vez, vamos sentar amanhã para sacramentar a permanência ou não – disse Pedro Junio.
Leonardo Jardim não quis falar sobre seu futuro no Cruzeiro
Em sua coletiva de imprensa, Leonardo Jardim também não quis comentar sobre seu futuro e destacou o encontro que terá nesta segunda-feira. Recentemente, ele vinha sendo perguntado sobre o tema com muita frequência.
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– Hoje é um dia de luto, muita tristeza para família cruzeirense. Não é o dia de bater esse papo. Amanhã iremos falar sobre tudo o que acontecerá sobre meu futuro – revelou o técnico.
Contatado em fevereiro deste ano, Leonardo Jardim tem contrato com o Cruzeiro até o fim de 2026. Entretanto, a diretoria celeste não pretende dificultar sua saída, uma vez que Pedro Lourenço criou vínculos com o profissional.
No comando do Cruzeiro, o técnico colocou o Cabuloso no ‘pódio’ do Campeonato Brasileiro e recolocou a equipe na Libertadores. Ao todo, ele somou em 2025 55 partidas disputadas, com 25 vitórias, 18 empates e 12 derrotas.
Very quietly, India vs New Zealand has become a classic little rivalry. It fits the biggest stages and produces some heart-stopping moments. Martin Guptill’s throw to run MS Dhoni out. Ross Taylor’s pull to seal the title. Rohit Sharma producing the best batting ever seen in a Super Over. Having bubbled away for a while – especially this year when two of their last three T20Is have ended up as ties – this is where it’s all going to blow up.Related
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What do Pakistan's wins mean for the rest of Group 2?
Both teams come into this game knowing they haven’t been good enough. However, those early losses will also have provided valuable lessons. Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson will now know what to guard against to ensure the best chance of victory. For India, that’s making sure they don’t lose early wickets. It’s no easy task when Trent Boult is among the opposition, but, surviving the powerplay with minimal losses usually means they are set up to do maximum damage later on.New Zealand’s focus will be on the other end of the innings. The experiments with their batting order – Daryl Mitchell as opener, James Neesham at No. 4 – didn’t take against Pakistan and while that was another sign of their willingness to drop pre-set plans and do what the conditions dictate to win a match – it robbed them of a bit of stability. They did not have a recognised finisher at the crease when the death overs came around and they paid the price for it.
Form guide
(Last five completed matches, most recent first)India: LLLWW New Zealand: LWLWL
In the spotlight
Hardik Pandya has started bowling in the nets again. And while it was only a 20-minute session, it has the potential to be game-changing for India’s prospects at this World Cup. Having their star allrounder back means they have more options, which in turn allows the captain to ration overs from his best bowlers better. Jasprit Bumrah, for example, can be used exclusively at the death. Varun Chakravarthy can bowl his mystery spin in the powerplay. The entire bowling plan changes if Hardik is in the mix.India and New Zealand have plenty of recent history with each other•AFP
Devon Conway has enjoyed a stellar start to his career. He uprooted his life in South Africa and bet it all on New Zealand and the upshot of that was a world title within his first year of international cricket. He’s now on the hunt for another, and his ability to cope with most kinds of bowling mark him out as a key figure in this batting line-up.
Team news
India tend not to be a team that makes too many changes, but they may yet be tempted to include Shardul Thakur, who has been in electric form ever since the tour of England, in place of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has been off-colour.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 KL Rahul, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Shardul Thakur/Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Mohammed Shami, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Jasprit BumrahMartin Guptill did not field in New Zealand’s last game after sustaining a blow to his left toe, but he has turned up well in training and is expected to make the XI. Adam Milne, who is now available for selection, may be a contender to take Tim Southee’s spot in the XINew Zealand (probable): 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Daryl Mitchell, 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Devon Conway, 5 Glenn Phillips, 6 James Neesham, 7 Tim Seifert (wk), 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Tim Southee/Adam Milne, 10 Ish Sodhi, 11 Trent Boult
Pitch and conditions
Teams batting second have won 14 of the 18 T20s played in Dubai this year. So don’t be surprised if the captain winning the toss tomorrow immediately opts to bowl.
Stats and trivia
Rohit Sharma has been dismissed thrice each by Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Mitchell Santner in T20s.
Mohammed Shami has dismissed Kane Williamson four times in T20s, giving away 49 runs in 37 balls.
Until 2016, New Zealand had never lost a T20I to India. Since then, they’ve lost 8 of 11.
Bayern Munich are ready to enter the race to sign Kobbie Mainoo from Manchester United amid an ongoing contract stand-off.
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Mainoo's wage demands yet to be metBayern interested in midfielderEngland star wants £200k p/wFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Per , Bayern are interested in signing Mainoo from United this month. The midfielder's future at Old Trafford is up in the air, as he is hoping to earn a new contract worth £200,000-per-week, a huge upgrade on his current £20,000-per-week deal. Mainoo would represent pure PSR profit for the Red Devils, as he is an academy product, and Chelsea are currently reported to be leading the race.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Bayern are said to be long-term admirers of Mainoo, who has won 10 England caps and made 53 senior appearances for the club. His contract runs until 2027. United are currently unwilling to match the midfielder's demands, throwing his future into doubt. United manager Ruben Amorim has already demanded more from him.
DID YOU KNOW?
Bayern are top of the Bundesliga at present while United are 13th in the Premier League. A move to Munich would see him link up with both Harry Kane and Eric Dier.
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United play Southampton on Thursday, while Bayern are next in action on Wednesday against Hoffenheim.
Ipswich Town have been transformed under the unbelievable reign of Kieran McKenna to date, with the ex-Manchester United coach taking the Tractor Boys all the way up to the Premier League after joining in League One.
The club have also reaped the rewards when it comes to finances in the top flight, making a number of signings in the Premier League. But who is Ipswich Town’s highest earner? Here at FootballFanCast, we’ve ranked every Tractor Boys player in terms of their wages for the 2024/25 season, according to Capology.
Disclaimer: Only the club and the players themselves truly know their wages, so take each of these figures as you will.
1
Kalvin Phillips
£150,000
£7,800,000
2
Axel Tuanzebe
£40,000
£2,080,000
=3
Jens Cajuste
£35,000
£1,820,000
=3
Dara O’Shea
£35,000
£1,820,000
=3
Arijanet Muric
£35,000
£1,820,000
=6
Sam Morsy
£30,000
£1,560,000
=6
Ben Johnson
£30,000
£1,560,000
8
George Hirst
£27,500
£1,430,000
=9
Jacob Greaves
£25,000
£1,300,000
=9
Leif Davis
£25,000
£1,300,000
=9
Sammie Szmodics
£25,000
£1,300,000
=9
Chiedozie Ogbene
£25,000
£1,300,000
=9
Jack Clarke
£25,000
£1,300,000
=14
Liam Delap
£20,000
£1,040,000
=14
Christian Walton
£20,000
£1,040,000
=16
Conor Townsend
£15,000
£780,000
=16
Conor Chaplin
£15,000
£780,000
=16
Julio Enciso
£15,000
£780,000
=19
Massimo Luongo
£10,000
£520,000
=19
Jack Taylor
£10,000
£520,000
=19
Wes Burns
£10,000
£520,000
22
Cameron Burgess
£8,000
£416,000
23
Luke Woolfenden
£7,500
£390,000
=24
Nathan Broadhead
£6,000
£312,000
=24
Omari Hutchinson
£6,000
£312,000
26
Cieran Slicker
£3,000
£156,000
Here's a detailed look at Ipswich Town's top 10 earners… 10 Leif Davis £25,000 per week
Five Ipswich Town players pick up a yearly salary of £1.3m per season, including star left-back Leif Davis.
Signed from Leeds United when the club were in League One, Davis has gone from strength to strength under McKenna and signed his latest contract in 2024.
9 Jacob Greaves £25,000 per week
Also on the same salary is centre-back Jacob Greaves, who Ipswich signed from Hull City after they won promotion to the Premier League.
Greaves signed a five-year deal at Portman Road and has been a regular at the back for the club.
8 George Hirst £27,500 per week
Forward George Hirst initially joined Ipswich Town on loan in January 2023, and after helping the club into the Championship, made his move from Leicester City a permanent one.
Since then, Hirst has impressed in the second and top tiers and is under contract until 2027.
7 Sam Morsy £30,000 per week
Club captain Sam Morsy has been with Ipswich Town since 2021 and has played a key role in taking the club from League One to the Premier League.
The Egyptian hasn’t looked back since leaving Middlesbrough and was rewarded with a new two-year deal in 2024.
6 Ben Johnson £30,000 per week
Ipswich Town were able to offer Ben Johnson a four-year contract on just over £1.5m per season after he left West Ham as a free agent in 2024.
The versatile defender has been in and out of McKenna’s starting line ups after making more than 100 senior appearances for the Hammers.
5 Arijanet Muric £35,000 per week
After Burnley and Ipswich swapped divisions in 2024, goalkeeper Arijanet Muric remained in the Premier League with the Tractor Boys.
The Kosovo international signed a four-year deal at Portman Road on £35,000 per week but has already made numerous errors under McKenna.
4 Dara O’Shea £35,000 per week
Another summer signing on the same wage is defender Dara O’Shea, with the Irishman arriving from West Brom in an initial £12m transfer.
A centre-back who can also play as a right-back, O’Shea is under contract until 2029.
3 Jens Cajuste £35,000 per week
Jens Cajuste was another who made the move to Portman Road in 2024, joining on loan from Italian giants Napoli.
A Sweden international, Cajuste picks up £1.82m a year and Ipswich also have an option to make a deal permanent at the end of the season.
2 Axel Tuanzebe £40,000 per week
Axel Tuanzebe
After struggling to make an impact at Manchester United and following various loan spells, Ipswich Town signed Axel Tuanzebe on a free transfer in 2023.
The defender impressed and helped the Tractor Boys win promotion to the top flight, which resulted in his contract being extended by a further 12 months.
1 Kalvin Phillips £150,000 per week
The current top earner at Ipswich Town is loanee Kalvin Phillips, who was arguably the Tractor Boys’ biggest signing of the summer.
Signed from Manchester City for the 2024/25 campaign, the holding midfielder picks up just under £8m a year, although there is no option to buy in a loan deal.
All 26 players who were part of the 25-day prepratory camp have been named in the squad
ESPNcricinfo staff21-Jun-2021
Pakistan Women will be playing international cricket after nearly four months•Getty Images
The PCB has announced a 26-member squad for the women’s white-ball tour of the West Indies, from which the line-ups for the senior Pakistan Women team and the A team will be selected. Experienced batter Javeria Khan continues to lead the senior side, while spinner Rameen Shamim and wicketkeeper-batter Sidra Nawaz will captain the A sides for the one-dayers and T20s respectively.The senior side will play West Indies in three T20Is and five ODIs, and the shadow side will play West Indies A in three one-day matches and three T20s. All 26 players will be available for selection for all 14 matches, the PCB explained. The tour runs from June 30 to July 18. All matches will be played at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.Pakistan Women’s tour of West Indies schedule
June 30: 1st T20I and A teams’ T20
July 2: 2nd T20I and A teams’ T20
July 4: 3rd T20I and A teams’ T20
July 7: 1st ODI
July 9: 2nd ODI
July 10: 1st A teams’ one-dayer
July 12: 3rd ODI
July 13: 2nd A teams’ one-dayer
July 15: 4th ODI
July 16: 3rd A teams’ one-dayer
July 18: 5th ODI
“The Caribbean tour presents a phenomenal opportunity to our core group of cricketers to showcase their performances and further cement places for the 2021-22 season, which promises to be an exciting one for women’s cricket,” Urooj Mumtaz, the chairperson of the national women’s selection committee, said. “These 26 players have been involved in all our high-performance camps over the past nine months and have put in the hard yards under the national coaching staff led by David Hemp. The group has prepared with high intensity and purpose.”Mumtaz added that the limited-overs games for the A side would be an opportunity for the second string of players to “stake a claim in the national side as exceptional performances will be rewarded by players getting bumped up” to the senior side. “I am hopeful that there will be quality cricket on display as we aim to further improve our world standing and continue to push to become top contenders on the world stage,” she said.As part of the team’s preparation for the upcoming assignments, including the 50-over World Cup qualifiers in Sri Lanka in December, the same 26-member contingent had a 25-day preparatory camp in Multan from May 29, before moving to Karachi on June 9 when the temperatures soared in Multan.The PCB said in a statement that the 26 players and support staff had arrived in Lahore on Monday morning and would take pre-departure Covid-19 tests in the afternoon. The touring party will leave for Antigua via London in the wee hours of June 23, and be tested twice in five days thereafter, and then serve a four-day quarantine (room isolation) before beginning training.Pakistan Women have been out of action since their aborted tour of Zimbabwe in February where they won the first ODI before the remainder of the series was called off. Before that, the team had toured South Africa where they lost the ODI series 3-0 and won the third and final T20I to deny the hosts another series sweep.Pakistan Women squad: Javeria Khan, Rameen Shamim, Sidra Nawaz, Aliya Riaz, Aiman Anwar, Anam Amin, Ayesha Naseem, Ayesha Zafar, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Iram Javed, Jaweria Rauf, Kainat Imtiaz, Kaynat Hafeez, Maham Tariq, Muneeba Ali Siddiqui (wk), Nahida Khan, Najiha Alvi (wk), Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Nida Dar, Omaima Sohail, Saba Nazir, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Syeda Aroob Shah.
Newcastle United could look to make a £17 million move for an international forward alongside centre-back target Marc Guehi.
The Magpies get their Premier League season underway on Saturday as they welcome Southampton to St. James’ Park. The aim of Eddie Howe and co will be to compete for a place back in Europe’s top league.
The preparation for the new campaign has been rather quiet as the club has had to abide by financial fair play rules, which has meant Newcastle have had to be careful with what money they spend. But despite resources being rather tight, the club appears to be ready to pay big for Guehi.
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ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 26, 2024 Newcastle United are confident in agreeing Marc Guehi deal
Newcastle seem keen on adding to their defensive options this summer, as the club are still without Jamal Lascelles and Sven Botman. Therefore, it has come to light that Crystal Palace’s Guehi is a top target of theirs.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the Magpies are now increasingly confident that they can get a deal completed for the central defender. Romano adds that a new proposal has been sent to the London side, and negotiations are continuing between the two clubs, but importantly, he suggests Newcastle believe their latest bid will get the job done.
This is a big factor, as the Premier League side has already seen three bids rejected for the defender, who shone in Euro 2024 for England. The club’s third offer is said to be a figure of £55 million, which could rise to £60 million depending on add-ons.
However, Palace chairman Steve Parish has come out recently and stated that no club has met the player’s valuation. Parish told Sky Sports News: “Nobody has got to the valuation yet. If you want a superstar player, you need to pay superstar money.
Apps
6
Tackles per 90
0.5
Interceptions per 90
0.3
Fouls per 90
0.8
Clearances per 90
2
Blocks per 90
1
Average passes per 90
74.5
Pass success rate
93.5%
Stats as per Whoscored
"It's not near the point where we have to make a decision. We love having him and would love to keep him. If someone else wants to have him, they need to make it really difficult for us. He's a generational talent."
Newcastle will hope they can wrap that deal up as soon as possible, but as well as signing Guehi, it appears their business might not stop there, as the Magpies could then turn to a forward.
Newcastle United could make a bid for Federico Chiesa
According to TuttoJuve.com, Newcastle United could make a move to sign Federico Chiesa from Juventus. The report states that the Magpies could have money available for the remainder of this window should Miguel Almiron leave the club.
It goes on to add that the Premier League side could offer €20 million (£17 million) to sign Chiesa and pay him a yearly salary of €7 million (£6 million).
Federico Chiesa in Italy training
The winger has been with the Italian side since October 2020 but joined the club on a permanent basis in July 2022, when he signed from fellow Serie A side Fiorentina. The 26-year-old has been a big hit for Juventus, scoring eight times and recording eight assists in 30 league games in his first campaign.
The Italy international's last season was just as productive, as he scored nine times in 33 Serie A games, but the winger has also had injury problems during his time in Turin, and it now appears as though he could be on his way out of the club.