Whilst they have since secured several reinforcements, Leeds United reportedly made an approach to sign an attacking addition who has scored in the Europa League earlier this summer.

Farke: Leeds not "ready for Premier League level"

Like Sunderland, Leeds have returned to the Premier League with plenty of intent. The Whites instantly turned towards the transfer window this summer, welcoming the likes of Sean Longstaff, Jaka Bijol, Lucas Perri and four others in an attempt to build a side ready to avoid instant relegation.

That task will be easier said than done, however, and Daniel Farke has already admitted that his frontline is still short on Premier League quality following a friendly draw against Villarreal.

When it comes to attacking additions, it’s been a frustrating summer for those at Elland Road thus far. The likes of Beto and Rodrigo Muniz have threatened to steal the headlines, but deals for the two impressive forwards are unlikely at this stage. Meanwhile, Leeds and the 49ers also made an early approach to sign a former Premier League winger.

Leeds approached Moussa Djenepo

As reported by Africa Foot, Leeds approached Moussa Djenepo earlier this summer as they looked to swoop in and sign the Standard Liege winger, who earns around £18,000-a-week.

Ultimately, however, that approach proved unsuccessful and the former Southampton man remained a Standard Liege player. Whether that changes as the Whites become more desperate to bolster their attack will be interesting to see, but it’s then that they’ll potentially have to compete against clubs in Saudi Arabia and Iran for Djenepo’s signature.

Djenepo would certainly tick the box for Premier League experience, having previously enjoyed a four-year spell at Southampton and has even impressed on the Europa League stage with Standard Liege in the past – scoring three goals in five games.

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As things stand, however, the 27-year-old is seemingly set to go down as a missed target at Elland Road, as Farke and the 49ers aim to transform Leeds’ attack into one of Premier League quality.

أعلن دونالد ترامب رئيس الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية أنه مستعد لاتخاذ قرار مهم قبل انطلاق منافسات كأس العالم لكرة القدم 2026 في الصيف القادم.

ونشرت صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية أن دونالد ترامب رئيس الولايات المتحدة أعلن أنه على استعداد لنقل مباريات كأس العالم 2026 المقرر إقامتها في مدن يعتبرها غير آمنة إلى أماكن أخرى إذا لزم الأمر.

وقال ترامب للصحفيين في البيت الأبيض: “كأس العالم سيكون آمنًا، إذا وجدت أنها غير آمنة في مدن معينة، فسنقوم بنقل المباريات لمدن أخرى”.

وندد رئيس الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية بشكل خاص بإحصائيات الجرائم في مدينة شيكاغو الأمريكية التي لا تستضيف كأس العالم.

أقرأ أيضاً.. صورة | الكشف عن 3 تمائم لـ كأس العالم 2026

وأضاف ترامب: “إذا شعرنا أن مدينة ما ستكون غير آمنة ولو قليلاً لاستضافة كأس العالم أو دورة الألعاب الأوليمبية التي ستقام في لوس انجلوس عام 2028، خاصة كأس العالم نظراً لانتشار البطولة في عدد من المدن، فإننا لن نسمح بإقامة المباريات هناك بل سننقلها”.

وتشمل المدن التي تستضيف بطولة كأس العالم وتعد معاقل للحزب الديمقراطي في الولايات المتحدة مثل لوس أنجلوس “8 مباريات مجدولة”، وسان فرانسيسكو “6 مباريات” وسياتل “6 مباريات”.

ونشرت إدارة ترامب الحرس الوطني هذا العام للحفاظ على النظام في بعض المدن التي يديريها الحزب الديمقراطي، مثل لوس أنجلوس على الرغم من اعتراضات السلطات المحلية.

وتستضيف الولايات المتحدة كأس العالم 2026 في الفترة من 11 يونيو إلى 19 يوليو بالاشتراك مع المكسيك وكندا، وقد عين ترامب نفسه رئيساً لفريق عمل البيت الأبيض المعني بكأس العالم.

Ipswich Town have now made a breakthrough after agreeing a deal to sign a player Kieran McKenna rates highly, as per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Ipswich Town rejected by Hayden Hackney

The Tractor Boys rounded off their pre-season with a 3-0 win over Auxerre on Saturday, as McKenna prepares his side for a Championship opener against Birmingham City on Friday evening. However, despite a positive display against the Ligue 1 side, Ipswich were handed a transfer blow over the weekend.

A deal worth a total package of £20m was agreed for Middlesbrough’s Hayden Hackney in recent days, however, the midfielder has now turned down a move to Portman Road.

In the week, Boro manager Rob Edwards admitted that it was a win-win situation for those at the Riverside, and it looks as if Ipswich will miss out on their marquee target.

“The ball, so to speak, is in H’s court now, and that’s where we stand. I think it’s a win-win, and I’m happy to reassure fans of that and to be calm about the situation. If H stays here, he’s a brilliant player and he’s ours which is great. If he’s not, there will be funds available.”

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However, Ipswich and McKenna have been working on alternative midfield targets alongside Hackney, with 2024/25 loanee Jens Cajuste of interest once again.

Ipswich made an offer to Napoli in recent days to re-sign Cajuste, and there has now been a breakthrough in those talks.

Ipswich Town reach agreement to sign Jens Cajuste

Romano took to X on Saturday afternoon to share a development regarding the Tractor Boys’ pursuit of Cajuste. He revealed an agreement has been reached in a deal worth more than £8m when you factor in a loan fee and the option or mandatory purchase clause next summer.

Cajuste, primarily a holding midfielder, made 33 appearances in all competitions for Ipswich last season, scoring one goal and providing a single assist.

The Sweden international couldn’t prevent the club’s relegation, however, he impressed McKenna, who called Cajuste “quality”.

“He’s been one of the top performers this season and to do that in a team that’s found it a big challenge, with some injury issues that he’s been carrying, and in a new league and new country – I think it’s testament to his quality. He’s a player that we like a lot, but he’s a Napoli player. Any conversations won’t take place until the end of the season.”

Shoaib Bashir takes CWC Young Player; Sophie Ecclestone and Ryana MacDonald-Gay also among winners

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Nov-2024Gus Atkinson has been awarded the Bob Willis Trophy for England’s Player of the Year after a debut Test summer in which he collected 34 wickets as well as scoring his maiden hundred.Atkinson collected the award, voted for by members of the Cricket Writers’ Club, at the Kia Oval on Tuesday. The annual awards ceremony also saw Shoaib Bashir named NV Play Young Player of the Year, the latest winner of the CWC award dating back to 1950.Sophie Ecclestone won the JM Finn Women’s Cricket Award, while Ryana MacDonald-Gay was voted Emerging Cricketer. Liam Dawson, last month named the Professional Cricketers’ Association men’s player of the year, claimed the County Championship prize.”I was just hoping to make my England Test debut, and to have the summer that I’ve had, it’s a huge honour and to get this award at the end of it tops it off,” Atkinson said.”My debut, obviously taking 12 wickets was very special, and playing in Jimmy Anderson’s last Test was a big honour. Probably my favourite moment was that century against Sri Lanka.”Bashir has gone from virtual unknown to England’s first-choice spinner in the last 12 months, claiming three Test five-fors – including a match-winning haul in the second Test against West Indies at Trent Bridge. He picked up the prestigious CWC award for players under the age of 21 at the start of the summer.”Two years ago, I didn’t have a county,” Bashir said. “It’s been really special. With a lot of hard work, I’m thankful to be playing for my country. Long may it continue.”It was very special, first time I’d played at Trent Bridge. For me to take that last wicket and seal the deal to make it 2-0 in the series, it was one of the highlights of my season.”Other winners of the CWC awards included England Physical Disability opening batter Brendon Parr, who was presented with the Lord’s Taverners charity’s Disability Cricketer of the Year award.James Anderson and the cast of Tailenders took the Peter Smith Award for outstanding presentation of cricket to the public, and the Derek Hodgson Cricket Book of the year was won by David Kynaston and Harry Ricketts for.Cricket Writers’ Club chair Dean Wilson said: “Huge congratulations to all our award winners, reflecting another terrific year of cricket for all members of the media to cover.”At a time of unprecedented change in the game on and off the field, there are precious few opportunities to pause and reflect and honour the efforts of those who bring so much joy.”Whether it is the skill and guile of Sophie Ecclestone and Shoaib Bashir, or the excellence of Gus Atkinson or Brendon Parr, there has been much to admire. Long may that continue.”

Holden questioned both tactical and lineup decisions by Pochettino, pointing to the Tim Ream and Tristan Blackmon pairing

Holden questioned several of Pochettino's decisionsDidn't understand the thought process on defenseSays U.S. must get a win against a top opponent Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowWHAT HAPPENED?

Following a 2-0 loss to South Korea on Saturday night, the USMNT are now winless in their last seven matches against non-North American top-25 opponents, being outscored 17-3 in that span. It is a worrying sign for former U.S. star Stu Holden, who says manager Mauricio Pochettino needs to find a rhythm with the team ahead of the World Cup.

"This is the national team 10 months away from the World Cup," Holden said on the "State of the Union" podcast. "If you're going to experiment and you have different partnerships, some of that is expected. But tactically, the discipline, the way the U.S. looks in and out of shape, it's more concerning for me than it is encouraging from what I saw in this game."

Holden pointed to numerous tactical decisions by Pochettino, including the manager's call to start Tristan Blackmon in his first U.S. game, which led to issues against Son Heung-Min and the South Korea attack.

"Let's be honest, Tristan Blackmon was pretty underwhelming," Holden said. "I was interested in trying to figure out what Pochettino was really asking of him. Especially when the U.S. were in possession, he was squeezing very tight. And then even defensively, when the U.S. were in their own half defending, he was playing very aggressively. And that's actually what led to that first goal by South Korea."

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Blackmon wasn't the only player who had issues for the U.S. Holden called out other tactical flaws, saying, "We had no pressure on the ball, and the lines were disconnected."

Despite the loss, Pochettino stressed that the USMNT have improved, evidenced by bettering South Korea in both shots taken and possession. Yet the team was shut out.

"The fact is, again, we didn't score a goal. Again, we didn't beat a top-25 opponent, which we haven't done since the 2022 World Cup," Holden said. "And once again, we're left with more questions than answers." 

Holden suggested that Pochettino consider a five-man backline and start another centerback with Chris Richards and Tim Ream, which could create more freedom for the attack.

"It alleviates a little bit of defensive pressure on [Christian] Pulisic and [Tim] Weah, from [Diego] Luna, from whoever is on the forward part of the field," Holden said. "I just think Pochettino now has to start transitioning his head to start thinking 'We can't beat top opponents, we need to stop conceding goals against top opponents.'

"To go far in the World Cup, you need to start beating top opponents. We can't do it in the formation that we have. He's even said it himself, that this is the last window for experimentation… Formation may indeed be a part of the problem."

WHAT HOLDEN SAID

Josh Sargent made the start at striker against South Korea, but struggled before being subbed off for Folarin Balogun in the second half. Holden said the way the U.S. are being set up in attack doesn't allow the team to get the best out of Championship's leading striker.

"He is a guy who thrives off crosses in the box – we don't cross the ball," Holden said. "Josh Sargent, his average position was deeper than Diego Luna… It's just this hodgepodge in the middle, and there's no width. There's nothing dynamic in the way they were creating."

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WHAT NEXT FOR THE USMNT?

The U.S. will now look to regroup when they face Japan on Tuesday in Columbus, Ohio.

Aston Villa have now made an enquiry to sign a £60 million star who scored in a win at Villa Park during the 2023/24 season, according to a recent report.

Rumours of Aston Villa exit for Ollie Watkins

Aston Villa made the hard decision to let Jhon Duran leave Villa Park in January, as they prioritised keeping Ollie Watkins over the Colombian international. Six months later and the Villans could now have a battle on their hands to keep hold of the England international.

That is because Watkins is attracting strong interest from teams in the Premier League. Earlier this week, Caught Offside reported that Manchester United are considering a move to sign Watkins, as the forward is being described as a “key target” for Ruben Amorim. Meanwhile, it’s also been reported that Arsenal are also in the race to sign Watkins and have opened talks over a possible transfer.

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Newcastle United are another team who have identified Watkins as a possible transfer target this summer, as well as Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike. The Villans would ideally like to keep hold of their striker this summer, but it’s also been reported that the Midlands side have placed a £60 million price tag on the 29-year-old’s head.

Villa have already been linked with a move for Semih Kilicsoy of Besiktas, but there is now a new forward on their list, and he is already well known to the Premier League.

Aston Villa make enquiry to sign £60m striker Jackson

According to journalist Nabil Djellit, Aston Villa and Monchi have submitted an enquiry to Chelsea over signing striker Nicolas Jackson.

Djellit reports that the door is open for Jackson to leave Stamford Bridge in this transfer window, with a decision being made on his future after the Club World Cup final on Sunday evening. He claims that Jackson could leave Chelsea for a fee of £60 million and has been the subject of an enquiry not only from Villa but also from Manchester United, who are searching for a new striker.

Napoli are also a team interested in the Premier League striker, as they look to provide competition and backup to Romelu Lukaku now they are back playing in the Champions League. Jackson is under contract at Chelsea until 2033, but given the arrivals of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro, his time at Stamford Bridge could now be coming to an end.

Apps

30

Starts

28

Goals

10

xG

12.34

Shots per game

2.5

Goal conversion

13%

Big chances missed

19

Assists

5

xAG

1.92

Big chances created

6

Key passes

0.9

The 24-year-old has taken to life in English football very well, as he’s scored 24 goals in 65 league games and 30 goals for Chelsea in 81 games in all competitions. In fact, he is a player Villa do know well, as the forward scored at Villa Park in an FA Cup fourth-round replay during the 2023/24 season.

Jackson started all but two games in the Premier League last season when available, but recent ill-discipline issues in the Premier League and Club World Cup could spell the end of his time working with Enzo Maresca.

It’s almost time for Chelsea to return to action.

The Blues will very much undergo a truncated pre-season schedule, having won the Club World Cup on 13 July, surprisingly defeating Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in the final in New Jersey.

Thus, Enzo Maresca’s team will have just two pre-season fixtures before their Premier League opener, welcoming Bayer Leverkusen to Stamford Bridge on Friday night, before taking on AC Milan in West London on Sunday.

Before then, will the Blues continue to make more signings?

Chelsea's search for even more attacking talent

Fair to say, Maresca has plenty of attacking options at his disposal.

Estêvão Willian, Jamie Gittens, João Pedro, and Liam Delap have all already arrived this summer, but the Blues are far from done yet, with potentially two new forwards on their way.

First, as reported by James Olley of ESPN, Chelsea are close to signing Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig for a reported fee of €50m (around £44m), with the Dutchman eager to make the move.

Meantime, as reported by Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are still pursuing Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho, adding that “no talks” have begun just yet, but the Argentine is “keen” on the move.

Elsewhere, Romano notes that the transfer is “not expected to be imminent” but that Garanacho is prioritising a move to Chelsea, with the Blues focussing on outgoings for now.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Garnacho was told to find a new club by manager Rúben Amorim back in May. Currently part of Man United’s infamous ‘bomb squad’, not with the first-team squad in the US, rather left behind at Carrington, alongside fellow outcasts Jadon Sancho, Antony, and Tyrell Malacia.

Just a few weeks ago, it was reported that Man United valued Garnacho at £70m. Still, now that it’s public knowledge he has been cast aside, James Ducker of The Telegraph believes he is available for £40m, with Chelsea in pole position to snap him up.

What Alejandro Garnacho would bring to Chelsea

At the start of the window, Jacob Steinberg of the Guardian reported that Chelsea are ‘priori­tising the addition’ of a right-footed left-winger, with Garnacho very much their top target for this role.

​​​​​His performances for Manchester United have certainly caught the eye, with Statman Dave labelling him one of the two “brightest young talents on the planet” as recently as October, alongside Lamine Yamal, which is high praise indeed.

Elsewhere, Kurosh Moghtader of Total Football Analysis labels him a ‘reliable attacking outlet’ who still has ‘room for improvement’, with Andy Mitten of The Athletic believing his ‘work rate’ and finishing have both got better in recent times.

When looking to compare Garnacho to a former Chelsea player of the not-too-distant past, he is stylistically most similar to Joe Cole.

Like Garnacho, Cole arrived from a Premier League rival as a 22-year-old back in 2003, namely West Ham United, having come through the Hammers’ academy, and made quite an impact during his seven seasons at Stamford Bridge.

In Chelsea blue, Cole made 282 appearances, scoring 39 goals and registering 47 assists, winning three Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and the EFL Cup.

At his best, Tom Mason of The Guardian believes Cole was ‘breathtaking’, praising his ‘creativity, flair, technical ability and vision’, adding that he was ‘always willing to receive a pass and take on the responsibility’.

Meantime, Sam Wallace of the Independent heralds his ‘silky touch’, noting that his best years came under José Mourinho when deployed as a left-winger in a ‘clearly defined’ role.

Well, in Maresca’s current set-up, Garnacho, who was hailed as “electric” by Statman Dave, could certainly thrive in a similar way.

So, let’s assess how Cole at West Ham and Garnacho at Manchester United compare to one another.

Appearances

184

144

Minutes

13,250

8,359

Goals

18

26

Assists

9

22

International caps

10

8

As the table documents, when comparing Garnacho of the present day to Cole just before his move to Chelsea, the Englishman was more experienced, but the Argentine had produced a greater output in terms of goals and assists.

Cole arrived in the summer of 2003 as part of Roman Abramovich’s first spending spree, alongside Claude Makélélé, Hernán Crespo, Adrian Mutu, Juan Sebastián Verón, Scott Parker, Glen Johnson, Alexey Smertin, Geremi, Wayne Bridge, Damien Duff, and many, many others.

Well, 22 years on, Chelsea are adopting a similar approach in the transfer market, and all available evidence suggests that Garnacho could thrive in a similar way.

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Stand-in captain hopes the young team will grow in confidence after notching a win in challenging conditions in Mirpur

Firdose Moonda24-Oct-2024

Kagiso Rabada took six wickets in the third innings for a match haul of 9 for 72•AFP/Getty Images

Ten years and six tours is how long South Africa have waited for a Test win in the subcontinent, which is something none of their current squad have experienced until now. Only five members of the playing XI in Mirpur have featured in a Test match in the subcontinent before and though eight of the 15-man squad have toured Asia, no one was part of the South African team that last enjoyed success on the continent, in Galle in 2014.The long period between victories was marred by massive losses and breaking the drought is what stand-in captain Aiden Markram hopes could be the start of something new. “It’s special. We’re a pretty young, slightly inexperienced group, so to come to the subcontinent and get a win is great for us and the environment,” Markam said at the post-match press conference. “This win does a lot for us and gives us a taste of what playing cricket in the subcontinent is like, and it excites us for the challenges that we possibly face here.”It also may spark some memories of a time, not that long ago, when South Africa were superior in the subcontinent. Between 2007 and 2014, they played 15 Tests in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and the UAE and lost only three, racking up series wins over everyone except India, against whom they drew twice. In the same period, Australia won just one out of 15 Tests in the subcontinent and England won three out of 16. Apart from India and Sri Lanka, South Africa were, by far, the most successful team in Asia over that period of time.Related

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That ended in 2015, when South Africa were outspun 3-0 in India in a series which started a significant slide. After their win in Galle in 2014, South Africa played 14 more Tests in the subcontinent before this one, and lost ten. Six of those defeats were in India but they were also blanked 2-0 by Sri Lanka in 2018 and Pakistan in 2021.All those occasions were marked by how poorly South Africa played against all kinds of spin, from the left-arm spin of Noman Ali, Ravindra Jadeja and Rangana Herath to the offspin of R Ashwin and the legspin of Yasir Shah. In Bangladesh too, spin proved the biggest threat as South Africa lost five of their top six to Taijul Islam in the first innings and at 108 for 6, looked like only gaining a marginal advantage. It was thanks to Kyle Verreynne and his second Test hundred that South Africa took a healthy, and ultimately match-winning lead.Verryenne called the innings the “best” of his Test career, because it came in “the toughest conditions I have played under.” He cited the heat and humidity as one of the challenges and facing “long periods of spin bowling,” as the other.Of the 144 balls delivered to Verreynne, 115 were from spinners, which amounts to 80%. The work Verreynne has done on the sweep shot was evident as ESPNcricnfo’s ball-by-ball data recorded that he scored almost half his runs, 49, with sweeps – conventional, reverse and slog – and maintained a strong scoring rate too.Kyle Verreynne is all smiles after getting to his second Test century•AFP/Getty Images

Overall, Verreynne struck at 79.16, and against Taijul, he was particularly aggressive with 49 runs off 53 balls.”Kyle sweeps really well, swept for a lot of his innings and he ended up doing well,” Markram said. “So it’s nice to see the guys backing those sorts of strengths. He’s a good player of spin and for him to score a hundred in his first Test match in the subcontinent is a really special feat.”While Verreynne traveled with the South African squad to Pakistan in 2021, he only made his debut later that year in West Indies. He competed with Heinrich Klaasen for the role of South Africa’s first-choice wicket-keeper but Klaasen’s Test retirement in January has meant Verreynne has the opportunity to make the spot his own. “He’s had a bit of backing now from the management, and he just looks really comfortable now in the environment,” Markram said.Having Verreynne’s spot fairly secure ramps up competition with reserve keeper Ryan Rickelton, who has gone six Tests with a top score of 42. If regular captain Temba Bavuma recovers from an elbow niggle in time to play the second Test, one of Rickelton or Matthew Breetzke will have to make way and both could end up sitting out if South Africa opt for a fifth frontline bowler.They went into the Mirpur game with a four-man attack and there were times in Bangladesh’s second innings when it seemed lacking. Still, they’ll be heartened by the way their champion quick Kagiso Rabada, who combined well with Wiaan Mulder in the first innings and then took a six-for in the second, registered his best figures in the subcontinent.Rabada’s wicket-taking ability is second to none, literally, as was documented when he became the only bowler to take 300 Test wickets in under 12,000 deliveries, and doing it in the subcontinent only makes him stand out more. On a surface with good bounce, Rabada’s hard lengths made him difficult to get away and dangerous and Markram hailed him as a “superstar.”Having Rabada fresh and firing also vindicates CSA’s decision to rest him between August and now, and leave him out of white-ball series in the UAE, and it shows how the two national coaches are working together. Test coach Shukri Conrad and white-ball coach Rob Walter jointly plan selections so that each of them has the best players available when it matters most.For the next two-and-a-half months Test cricket is the focus and Rabada, and to an extent Markram, who was released from the UAE early, have been allowed to focus on that.South Africa, despite limited Test matches in the calendar, remain in the running for the World Test Championship final but they cannot afford many (or any) slip-ups. They have five matches left to play – one next week in Chattogram, and four at home. They must win at least four to give themselves a chance to make the final in this cycle and this victory has shown them they can do that.It has also given them confidence ahead of their return to the subcontinent next year to begin the next cycle with two Tests against each of Pakistan and India, where even tougher challenges await.”The biggest thing we take from it is the belief and the confidence that we actually can do well here as a team,” Markam said. “I believe that’s where a lot of the game is played, from a confidence and belief and a mental side of things. It will help the team a lot as far as moving forward and seeing if we can put back-to-back performances together goes.”

Newcastle United have agreed a deal to bring a former Liverpool player to St James’ Park alongside their move for ex-PSG defender Malick Thiaw.

Howe bemoans PSR restrictions as PIF ramp up business

It has been a hugely disappointing summer for the Magpies, who have missed out on key targets such as Bryan Mbeumo and James Trafford, not to mention having the Alexander Isak saga hovering over them like a bad smell.

PSR is restricting the amount that Newcastle can spend in the current transfer window, and speaking after his side’s 2-0 defeat at home to Atletico Madrid on Saturday, Newcastle manager Eddie Howe admitted that it is a frustrating period at the club.

Business is picking up however, with Keith Downie reporting on Monday that AC Milan defender Malick Thiaw is on Tyneside to complete a medical and sign for the Magpies.

PIF have agreed a roughly £35m deal for the Germany international, who broke through at European Champions PSG before moving to the Italian capital, but he’s not the only new face at Darsley Park this week as the board ramp up their summer plans.

Newcastle set to sign former Liverpool player

Fabrizio Romano reported this weekend that former Liverpool teenager Isaac Moran, who is a free agent after leaving the Reds in June, is set to sign a Newcastle contract.

The move has now been confirmed by the Magpies with the youngster on Tyneside already, and while this isn’t the shiny, big-money signing fans may have been hoping for, Academy Director Steve Harper is delighted: “Isaac joins us with a strong pedigree and a maturity beyond his years.

“The leadership qualities he has displayed to date speak volumes about his character, and we’re excited to help him continue developing both as a player and a person.“

Romano claims the 16-year-old could be a future starter for Newcastle, and at a time where PSR is restricting business, growing top homegrown talents is an important strategy.

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Now, it’s a case of the Magpies kicking on and doing some more pressing business between now and the end of the summer window, whether that’s persuading Isak to stay put, or bringing in a couple of top-quality replacements to lead the line moving forward.

After so much good work in recent years, it would be disheartening to see it all go to waste and Howe’s side take a step backwards in 2025/26, so the club must add to their midfield and forward ranks in the coming weeks.

The India batter has looked good in his two innings this series but will want a few more runs to show for it

Alagappan Muthu13-Dec-20245:07

Gill: We should consider this as a three-match series from now

It didn’t take long for the memories to come flooding back for Shubman Gill. People forget he played a big part at the Gabba in 2021.Only 21 years old, playing his third Test match, he walked out into perhaps the most intimidating stage Australia had to offer – their captain Tim Paine had made a point to remind them of that when they were able to salvage a draw in Sydney earlier – and looked like he belonged.Gill at his best is comes with a volume warning, because when he hits the ball, it just reverberates around the ground. Sometimes you feel like you could pick out his shots with your eyes closed because the connection is so crisp.Early in India’s chase of 329, he hit Mitchell Starc off the back foot all along the ground through cover and on commentary former England cricketer Isa Guha exclaimed, “Crunched! Sound off the bat. Shubman Gill. Wow!” It is unmissable. The 91 he made at the top of the order set India up for the miracle that followed.”Definitely very nostalgic when I came here,” Gill said on the eve of this year’s Gabba Test against Australia. “The whole team was coming and just walking to the stadium again after 2021 win, felt very nostalgic.”Related

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Apart from that natural gift, he seems very well attuned to the vagaries of batting. He understands how things can go wrong and spends ages in the nets trying to fix them. He also understands how things can go right. Former India coach Ravi Shastri recently spoke about how Gill had gone up to Rishabh Pant at tea on the final day of the 2021 Gabba Test and pointed out that Australia might resort to Marnus Labuschagne’s legspin to tide them through to the second new ball and that was a time to cash in. (Labuschagne bowled only one over though)Gill was shaping to be an important weapon for India on this tour, but he injured himself while training and had to miss the first Test at Perth and his return in Adelaide came with a pink-ball handicap. Gill looked good in the first innings making 31 runs, 20 of them through boundaries, and then he missed a straight ball and got lbw.”When you are out there one of the challenges is can you play the game how you want to play the game irrespective of what’s happening on the other end or what’s happening on the scorecard and I think I faltered in the first innings around because of that,” Gill said, “Because what happened on the other end I kind of took that on me.”There was a period where I didn’t get to face, maybe I faced one ball in like four overs and then the next ball that I faced I kind of missed a straight ball, a fuller ball [and was lbw]. But these are the challenges that you face while playing a Test match, you might not get the strike for three or four overs, you might get the strike less or you might face like 18 balls on the trot.”1:52

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Looking good but not going on is part of why Gill’s Test average is at 36.45 after 30 Tests. He has crossed 20 in 33 of his 57 innings. So he’s good at getting starts but converting them is a problem. More than half of those 33 innings have ended before he could bring up fifty.In Adelaide, he pointed to the mitigating factor. “Just the dynamics of a pink-ball Test,” Gill said, “We don’t play [it] as much, and just playing at night, it is a little bit harder to gauge the seam position and the hand position at which the ball is released, so it is a bit more difficult to look as a batsman.”Sometimes when you feel like you’ve got the flow going, you start to push things. Playing on the up. On 29 off 27 against England in Chennai 2021, Gill thrust his hands out at Jofra Archer the next ball and was caught at mid-on. He’d hit five boundaries in that short stay, he thought there was one more for the taking. Reaching outside the line of his body. On 36 off 54 in Cape Town in 2024, he got sucked in by Nandre Burger’s left-arm angle and handed a catch to gully. Gill’s stillness at the crease – which is usually a strength because it keeps his head level and really helps him out when he plays his back foot shots – worked against him here.Australia will test him like that too. And in a million other ways. “I think the intensity at which the games are played here, especially Test matches is one of the most difficult things,” Gill said, “To be able to maintain that intensity throughout the course of five days is what makes touring Australia so difficult, and I think more than anything it is the mental intensity and the mental fitness that is required here in Australia, especially here [at the Gabba].”It will be fascinating to see how he comes through an examination like that.