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It was a case of what might have been for Bangladesh who declared with 37 overs left

Madushka Balasuriya21-Jun-2025

Taijul Islam got Angelo Mathews out in his last Test innings•AFP/Getty Images

Sri Lanka batted out 32 overs in the final session and ensured that the first Test in Galle ended in a draw. But it wasn’t a result without minor jeopardy, as Sri Lanka lost four wickets on the way before Dhananjaya de Silva and Kamindu Mendis shut shop for good.The teams shook hands with five overs left to play in the day, with the pair having played out 53 balls in their partnership. But reflection later on might leave Bangladesh with the one hanging question – could they have declared sooner?Dhananjaya and Kamindu had come together after Sri Lanka had lost both Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal in quick succession, both to the excellent Taijul Islam, who ended with figures of 3 for 23.But despite Taijul and Nayeem Hasan’s best efforts, it was clear the remaining six wickets would not fall before the 37 overs were up. But what if Bangladesh had a further 13 overs to play?Najmul Hossain Shanto celebrates his hundred•AFP/Getty Images

Valid question, but one we may never get an answer to. As things panned out, Bangladesh added 48 runs in 11 overs in the post-lunch session after a roughly two-and-a-half hour rain delay. Sri Lanka were set a target of 296 off 37 overs – at a required rate of eight an over – if they wanted to steal an unlikely win.Those 37 overs might have been more, but the primary goal of Bangladesh continuing to bat after the rain break seemed to be for Najmul Hossain Shanto getting to his second century of the game – it was the third instance of a Bangladesh batter scoring two centuries in the same Test, and the second time Shanto had accomplished the feat.It took 50 deliveries after the restart for Shanto to get to the milestone, during which Bangladesh had scored just 19 runs and lost the wickets of Litton Das and Jaker Ali – both succumbing to the growing turn on offer, and frustration with defensive lines down leg. In the next 16 balls, though, Bangladesh ransacked 28 – including a trio of sixes from Shanto down the ground off the spinners.That those runs had come as the pitch had begun to take some pretty extravagant turn, likely down to the moisture trapped under the covers, made them even more impressive. But it also served to bring into more critical light the pace at which Bangladesh had proceeded at the start of the day.Bangladesh led by 247 when rain forced a break•AFP/Getty Images

In the hour and a bit in the morning session before the rains came, Bangladesh had seemed content to plod along at a session run rate of just 3.15. Conventional wisdom would have indicated the need for a minimum of two sessions to bowl Sri Lanka out, and with Bangladesh no doubt wanting a lead in excess of 300, a run rate of five or more seemed to be the call of the day. But with Sri Lanka also happy to set defensive fields, Bangladesh – who have had a very lean period in Tests of late – had no desire to put valuable World Test Championship points at risk.In hindsight, maybe even with a lead of 247 – which is what they had by the break – the early declaration might have still been the correct option. There were 50 overs in total to play at that point, and there’s little doubt Bangladesh would have liked every one of those available to them.Taijul and Nayeem certainly would have, with both utilising the now stricken Galle surface much better than their Sri Lanka counterparts. Taijul in particular was proving a handful, threatening both edges – as highlighted by the wickets of Mathews and Chandimal. The former was caught bat-pad following an arm-ball that took the inside edge and popped up to silly point; the latter had one rip past his forward defence and peg back off stump.Earlier, he had seen Lahiru Udara advancing and dragged one shorter to zip it past the edge and have him stumped. Nayeem, meanwhile, had Nissanka playing early to one, and chipping it to short midwicket.There’s no way to say for sure how exactly the game would have panned out if the declaration had come sooner, but Taijul and Nayeem, more than most, would have loved to have found out.

In what could see them finally get one over on Real Madrid, Liverpool could yet hijack the Spanish giants’ move to sign an England international when 2026 arrives.

Slot slams "stupid" Ekitike red card

Away from potential incomings, it was one of Liverpool’s summer signings who stole the headlines for the wrong reasons against Southampton. After emerging from the bench, Hugo Ekitike was perfectly placed to score another late winner for Liverpool as they edged past the Saints in the Carabao Cup.

For a brief moment, the Frenchman was the hero of the hour. And then he continued his celebration by replicating Lionel Messi’s famous shirt celebration to receive his second yellow card and subsequent red card in the 86th minute. It’s a moment that he won’t be forgetting anytime soon and one that Arne Slot slammed in his post-match reaction.

The Dutchman told reporters: “I told him if you score in a Champions League final in the 87th minute after outplaying three players and hitting it into the top corner I can maybe understand that you are like ‘this is all about me’.

“I’m old-fashioned, I’m 47 and old and I haven’t played at this level but I did score a few goals and if I had scored a goal like this I would have turned around and walked up to Federico Chiesa and said this goal is all about you, not about me. “So needless, not smart, you call it stupid, I call it stupid as well.”

"Really difficult" – £150k-p/w Liverpool star admits he wasn't at "level" Slot wanted

The player is feeling much better now.

ByCharlie Smith Sep 24, 2025

It’s fair to say that the manager didn’t hold back when sharing his true feelings, but that’s the type of mistake that cannot happen at Europe’s top clubs. It’s the type of mentality that attracts players in the first place and the type that is now reportedly tempting a Real Madrid target.

Jarrad Branthwaite tempted by Liverpool move

As reported by Caught Offside, Jarrad Branthwaite is now tempted by a move to Liverpool and Manchester United, which could yet see him reject the chance to join Real Madrid in 2026. The Spanish club have admired the England defender from afar, but could see any potential move hijacked by Premier League opposition.

Speaking about Branthwaite’s desire to join a big club, Caught Offside’s Mark Brus wrote: “Everton have sometimes had to sell their star names to bigger clubs, though they’ll obviously hope to be able to keep Branthwaite for as long as possible. As per my sources, though, it’s well established that the talented young Englishman has the desire to play for a top club.”

Brus also claimed that Man United are expected to submit an offer worth as much as £60m to sign Branthwaite in 2026. Whether Everton deem that worthy of selling their star man or Liverpool decide to match that price is the big question.

It would certainly steal the headlines if one of the Toffees’ most important players jumped ship to Anfield.

Bernardo Silva has revealed that he knows "exactly" where he will play next summer with his Manchester City contract expiring in less than a year. The Portuguese midfielder last signed a renewal in 2023 and has often been linked with a departure in the past few years. Silva is now expected to call curtains on his illustrious City career, following other legends who departed in the past year.

Silva into the final year of his Man City contract

Silva has long been linked with a move away from City but remains a key player under Pep Guardiola. With his deal expiring at the end of the season, though, it seems the anticipated transfer is set to go through next summer. After being named the captain following the departure of Kevin De Bruyne, Silva is focused on putting the club "back where it belongs" before revealing his decision over his future.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportSilva is clear about his Man City future

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Silva said: "I know exactly what I'm going to do but it's not the time to talk about it. It's time to focus on City to try to do my best to put the club back where it belongs. In regard to my contract, I'm really focused on doing a proper season with Man City and being as well as possible to perform and to bring back the team and the club to the level where it deserves to be in the world."

New era at the Etihad Stadium

Silva is now the senior-most player in the City squad in terms of games played for the club, followed by John Stones and Phil Foden. The 2023 Champions League winners have officially kick-started a new era at the club, following the exits of icons like Kevin De Bruyne, Ederson, Kyle Walker, and Ilkay Gundogan. It is expected that he will not put pen to paper on a new deal next summer as the Cityzens continue to invest in youth. 

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Getty Images SportBenfica return on the cards?

"Yes, I can confirm that a contract is waiting for Bernardo Silva. And I really want to bring him in in January," said Benfica presidential candidate Joao Noronha Lopes earlier this month. Silva began his career at Benfica, whom he joined as an eight-year-old in 2002, and could mark an emotional return to the club 11 years after leaving. On the other hand, Serie A giants Juventus have also been reported to hold interest in acquiring the 31-year-old on a free transfer next summer. 

Bojan Miovski made his debut for Glasgow Rangers on Sunday in a 0-0 draw in the first Old Firm clash of the Scottish Premiership season at Ibrox.

The Macedonia international, who recently signed on a permanent deal from Girona, made some intelligent runs and used his body well to win a few crucial fouls to relieve pressure for his side.

Russell Martin’s next task is to build a team that can consistently create chances for the left-footed attacker, who did not get a ‘big chance’ in front of goal against Celtic.

Rangers make offer for Premier League forward

The Ibrox giants are looking to bolster their options out wide to provide the former Aberdeen marksman with more support before the end of the window.

Transfer Focus

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

According to Sky Sports reporter Anthony Joseph, Glasgow Rangers have made an official offer to sign Crystal Palace forward Jesurun Rak-Sakyi.

The journalist claims that the Light Blues and Celtic have both made last-gasp attempts to bring the English youngster up to Scotland on loan for the season.

Joseph adds that Leicester City and Lyon are also keen on signing the left-footed attacker, but it remains to be seen what Palace’s plans for him are on deadline day.

Why Rangers should sign Jesurun Rak-Sakyi

The Gers must push as hard as possible to seal a last-minute loan deal for Rak-Sakyi ahead of their rivals because he could be a huge threat at the top end of the pitch alongside Miovski.

Rangers have already found their new prolific scorer, hopefully, by signing the Macedonian star who scored 32 goals in two Premiership seasons during his time with Aberdeen, per Transfermarkt.

In Rak-Sakyi, the Gers could have a winger with the potential to provide a huge goal threat alongside Miovski, potentially taking some of the attention away from the centre-forward because the opposition defence will have to be wary of the threat that he poses.

The 22-year-old can score and create goals by cutting in on his left foot from the right flank, which could attract centre-backs to step out to close down his possible shot.

That could create space for Miovski, who showed glimpses of his intelligent runs on Sunday, to slip in behind off the last line if Rak-Sakyi is able to pick him out.

Appearances

43

34

Starts

40

22

Goals

15

7

Minutes per goal

233

248

Big chances created

5

3

Key passes per game

1.3

0.9

Assists

8

2

As you can see in the table above, the English dynamo can score and create goals at a decent rate, with 22 goals and ten assists in his last two full seasons in England.

These statistics show that Rak-Sakyi, who was described as “devastating” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, could cause plenty of problems for opposition defenders with his goal threat and his creativity.

This is why he could form an exciting partnership with Miovski at the top end of the pitch, because Rangers could have two players who have the quality to consistently be a threat in the final third, particularly with their goalscoring attributes.

With Djeidi Gassama, who has already scored four goals this season, on the left wing, Martin could have a prolific front three on his hands if they all gel and perform to their potential.

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Tottenham Hotspur are now progressing towards a spectacular deal to sign an “extraordinary forward”, and a swift breakthrough on personal terms is likely.

Tottenham vying to sign new winger

In many ways, it has been a difficult summer for Tottenham, having missed out on Eberechi Eze and Morgan Gibbs-White, leaving Daniel Levy with a lot of work to do before the transfer deadline, which is in less than one week’s time.

As we enter the final stages of the transfer window, Spurs appear to have three main targets on their transfer shortlist, all of whom enjoyed impressive 2024/25 campaigns.

Target

Current club

League G/A in 24/25

Rodrygo

Real Madrid

12

Maghnes Akliouche

AS Monaco

15

Savinho

Manchester City

11

However, it has proven to be difficult to get any deal over the line, with Real Madrid demanding around £86m for the Brazilian winger, while some Spurs chiefs are pessimistic about their chances of tempting Manchester City into a sale.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, however, a deal for Savinho is very much still on the cards, with talks now progressing, and Tottenham thundering towards what would be a spectacular signing.

The Lilywhites are in active talks over a deal for the 21-year-old, and Man City are now lining up a replacement, which suggests Pep Guardiola’s side will be willing to cash-in on the young winger before the September 1st deadline.

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Spurs are looking to move ahead of their Premier League rivals in the race for a “pure baller.”

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Crucially, the starlet is keen on a move to north London, in order to become a key part of Thomas Frank’s project, which means a swift breakthrough on personal terms is now likely, although not yet agreed.

With discussions over a £70m+ deal progressing, it is now looking more likely the Brazil international will move to N17 before the deadline, which could be a major boost for Frank…

Savinho could be "extraordinary" signing for Spurs

Guardiola has previously made it clear he doesn’t want to see the winger leave, saying: “I am only concerned right now that Savinho will be with us for the rest of the season and hopefully many years, because of the potential he has at 21. He has to improve in final positions but he is an extraordinary player.”

It is true that the former Girona man is still raw, and his end product could be a lot better, having scored just one Premier League goal up to this point, but an assist tally of ten in his debut campaign at the Etihad Stadium is very impressive.

Tottenham desperately need to bolster their attacking options, and Savinho is the most exciting option on the shortlist, given that he is still only 21-years-old, and he has already proven himself in the Premier League, so it is exciting news that a deal is now looking more likely.

Chelsea have stepped up their pursuit of one player who’s now effectively ruled out every other destination this summer, according to reliable journalist David Ornstein.

The Blues are expected to be very busy in terms of both incomings and outgoings before the transfer deadline on September 1.

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

Enzo Maresca has already watched Kepa Arrizabalaga, Basir Humphreys, Noni Madueke, Marcus Bettinelli, Mathis Amougou, Djordje Petrovic, João Félix, Armando Broja, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Lesley Ugochukwu leave Stamford Bridge this summer, raising nearly £220 million transfer fees.

This has allowed Chelsea to balance out the squad and make room for key new additions, with UEFA pressuring the west Londoners to produce a ‘positive transfer balance’, or face an inability to register summer signings for next season’s Champions League.

With more also expected to depart, Chelsea are currently in talks to seal a few further incomings as BlueCo give Maresca their full backing.

Chelsea have been linked with RB Leipzig sensation Xavi Simons for a while now, and it looks like things are seriously heating up.

Maresca’s side are advanced in their talks and The Netherlands international has removed Leipzig from his Instagram bio – a clear indicator that his move to London is gaining traction with Chelsea reliably believed to be far down the line in negotiations.

Some reports even suggest that Chelsea have reached a “total agreement” for Simons and only the final details are to be ironed out, but this is yet to be backed up by the wider media.

Simons isn’t the only player who’s dropped hints about a potential move to Chelsea on Instagram, either, with Man United winger Alejandro Garnacho deploying similar social media tactics.

The Argentine boldly liked a post from Fabrizio Romano linking him with a switch to London, which is again seen as a clear suggestion that he wants to join them.

Tottenham and Aston Villa have been named as alternative landing spots for Garnacho who’s determined to leave Old Trafford, but according to Ornstein, Chelsea face zero threat from either of them.

Alejandro Garnacho rules out every other club but Chelsea

The reporter, in an update on X, states that Garnacho only wants Chelsea ‘or nothing’.

For The Athletic, Ornstein writes that talks are ‘now advanced’ for the 22-year-old, who’s effectively ruled out all other options but a switch to Cobham.

In a further boost for Chelsea, United have been forced to drop their previous asking price of £70 million to around £50 million, as per the BBC, so Maresca could see the exciting winger join his squad in a cut-price deal.

Garnacho’s public Red Devils fallout could be cause for concern over his attitude, but The Telegraph report that Chelsea are satisfied with his personality after conducting extensive background checks.

Sheffield Wednesday have now suffered “another blow” regarding the future of a current player, according to an update from reliable journalist Joe Crann.

Grim summer for Sheffield Wednesday continues

This is a dark period in Owls history, with the club’s finances in dire straits and supporters desperately hoping to see Dejphon Chansiri sell the club.

Both Wednesday players and other club employees have seen long delays in their wages being paid in recent months, while Danny Rohl’s future as manager is very much up in the air.

Meanwhile, key players have now departed, including attacking heroes Josh Windass and Michael Smith – their contracts were both terminated – with nothing but negatives on show heading into the new Championship season.

Big changes have to happen at Wednesday as soon as possible, in terms of the ownership and finances, or it is difficult to see anything other than an extremely difficult 2025/26 season ahead of them.

"Great" Sheffield Wednesday player set to leave

Now, according to The Star‘s Crann on X, Sheffield Wednesday defender Akin Famewo is set to be the next player to leave the club this summer, with a move to Hull City edging closer:

“Akin Famewo is in talks with Hull City, and could be their player in the next couple of days. Another blow, although not an unexpected one, for SWFC this summer.”

These setbacks must be so hard to take for Owls fans, and while Famewo may not be an indispensable figure, he has still been a good servant at the back, being lauded by Crann in the past.

Famewo was a part of Wednesday’s squad that reached the Championship back in 2022/23, following a memorable run in the League One playoffs, – he started 15 league matches – and the 26-year-old’s defensive ability will be a miss.

The fact that Hull want to sign him shows that he is valued by other second-tier clubs, and he could prove to be a shrewd signing for them for a number of years. The question at the moment now seems to be, which Owls player will leave next?

Cook believes that Root can go on to surpass Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time tally

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Oct-2024Joe Root has become England’s top run-scorer in Test cricket, overtaking Alastair Cook when he reached 71 with a straight drive for four on the third morning of their first Test against Pakistan.Root acknowledged the landmark with a wave of his hand – and then his bat – to England’s players and coaching staff, who stood to applaud him on the dressing-room balcony at the Multan International Cricket Stadium. He started this tour 70 runs behind Cook’s career aggregate of 12,472, and went clear of him by driving Aamer Jamal down the ground.Last month, Root surpassed Cook’s record for the most Test centuries by an Englishman with twin hundreds against Sri Lanka at Lord’s. He has now drawn clear of Cook for total runs, too, and has moved into fifth on the list of all-time leading run-scorers in Test cricket. He was more than 800 runs behind Rahul Dravid, in fourth, when he overtook Cook.Root went past Cook’s tally of 33 Test centuries with twin tons at Lord’s•AFP/Getty Images

Root is still more than 3,000 runs behind Sachin Tendulkar’s world record, but Cook believes he has every chance of breaking it. “I can see him overhauling Sachin Tendulkar’s record,” Cook told the BBC. “When I retired, I thought there was every chance that my record will be broken. I thought only the effects of captaincy and the hunger that takes out of you would stop him. I think the fact that Ben Stokes has taken over the captaincy has helped Root.”You could say Sachin is still the favourite, but [only] just. He’s been so lucky with injuries. All great players who played for a long time have been lucky with injuries. You just never know what’s around the corner, but it has to be something like it that could stop him. But I don’t see that happening for Root to lose that hunger and ability to keep driving himself forward for the next couple of years.”The only slight hurdle in his way will be the Ashes series – there is always something happening around the series. It’s in 14 months’ time and there’s always a story about the damage that happens or doesn’t happen around every Ashes series. I’d give Sachin 51% and Root 49%. But I would be betting on Root to do it.”Related

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Speaking ahead of the first Test, Root had played down the significance of the record. “The only reason it’s on my mind is because people keep asking me about it, to be honest,” he said. “I see myself playing Test cricket for a lot longer. It’s not like I’m going to get to a certain mark or a number and say, ‘Right, I’m done now.’ I just want to keep enjoying the game, keep playing.”With Ben Duckett unable to open the batting on the second evening in Multan and Ollie Pope deputising for him, Root was batting a spot higher than usual at No. 3. Having walked out to bat in the second over of England’s innings, Root combined with Zak Crawley and Duckett – who recovered overnight and came in at No. 4 – for century partnerships, as England chipped away at the deficit.Root made steady progress on the third morning, reaching 50 for the 99th time in his Test career when inside-edging Naseem Shah through square leg on the stroke of the drinks break. On 65, he survived an lbw shout when struck on the pad by Aamer Jamal, which Pakistan reviewed unsuccessfully; four balls later, he secured the England record.

Ryan Mason currently has his West Bromwich Albion troops out at a pre-season camp in Austria ahead of the new Championship campaign getting underway next month.

A behind-closed-doors friendly match will take place between the Baggies and Dynamo Kyiv this coming Friday to officially get the second-tier side’s pre-season up and running, with Mason perhaps selecting brand-new £4.7m buy Aune Heggebo from the get-go to see what he’s made of in attack.

Mikey Johnston will also be linking up with the pre-season camp shortly, although this isn’t the planned-out route the ex-Celtic winger would have envisaged for himself this summer, as a move to Brazilian giants Flamengo, unfortunately, collapsed at the final hour.

The lowdown on Johnston's failed move to Flamengo

It was a deal that suddenly arrived from left field, but it had been reported that Johnston was going to move out to South America for a fee around the £5m region.

It’s stated that a move fell through – according to reports from Brazil – over concerns emerging over the Republic of Ireland international’s long-term availability fitness-wise, with Johnston prone to significant time out of the Baggies side through injury.

This will have come as a devastating blow to Johnston, considering it was rumoured that the 26-year-old was in line to earn a whopping £1.2m a year at his new Rio De Janeiro home, as opposed to banking £650k a year at the Hawthorns.

It remains to be seen whether the 5-foot-9 winger will be content with staying put at the Championship side after such an ordeal, with the potential loss of Johnston obviously hurting Mason and Co. after he fired home a promising three strikes in league action last season, even as West Brom’s promotion push fell to the wayside.

However, not all hope will be lost if Johnston does move on to another suitor down the line, especially if Mason can flex his past Tottenham Hotspur connections to land this rising North London talent to replace the outgoing Irishman.

Mason's dream Johnston replacement

West Brom has been a hotbed for some exciting, young talent from the Premier League in the not-so-distant past, with Romelu Lukaku once calling the Hawthorns his temporary sanctuary on loan away from parent side Chelsea.

Mikey Moore could be the next future star that gets his senior career up and running in style in the West Midlands, with reports last month speculating that the 17-year-old Spurs prodigy is being looked at by the new Baggies boss, having worked with the teenage sensation when coaching at the Premier League side.

He has already made a splash in the senior side at Thomas Frank’s men, with this sublime solo strike in Europa League action kickstarting his men’s career at Spurs, but he will be desperate for more long-standing first-team opportunities if a move to the Hawthorns is finalised.

Moore might well be ready to take over from Johnston down the left wing if given the chance to do so, with the 17-year-old’s main skills resting on his ability to play across a wide array of attacking positions – away from his blistering powers of picking up goals and assists for fun – including down the ex-Celtic man’s trusty left-hand side.

Moore’s career G/A record by position

Position played

Games played

Goals scored

Assists

LW

18

4

6

AM

8

6

4

CF

7

11

4

RW

6

1

0

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Indeed, when looking at the above table, it’s clear that Moore can shine all across the attacking positions. But, his preferred position does look to be on the left wing, with a stunning four goals and six assists coming his way here from 18 outings in the English capital.

Therefore, any gaping hole left behind by Johnston down the line could be effectively filled in by the “future superstar”, as he’s been referred to by football analyst Ben Mattinson previously.

After all, he has also been donned as “fearless” by Spurs teammate James Maddison recently, meaning he could take to the pressures of being one of West Brom’s main options here in his stride, with the troubling issue of Johnston wanting to move on resolved by this promising loan capture.

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Despite losing sporting director Paul Mitchell, Newcastle United are pushing on with their summer transfer plans and could now sign one of their top targets for £65m when the window swings open.

Paul Mitchell to depart Newcastle

After just one season at the club, Mitchell has made the decision to leave St James’ Park and hand Newcastle the job of finding a new sporting director this summer. In truth, Mitchell never truly made his mark in Tyneside and always had a tough job on his hands after replacing Dan Ashworth, only to enter a club desperately looking to comply with PSR regulations.

The sporting director released a statement after his departure was confirmed, saying: “I’d like to thank everyone at Newcastle United for their support over the last year, including Eddie Howe, Becky Langley, the players, staff, owners and fans. It has been an honour to be part of the club and to work with some incredible people.

“I’m leaving at a time that is right for me and the club, particularly with Darren Eales – someone who I have worked so closely with in my career – moving on soon. The club is in great hands on and off the pitch, and is in a fantastic position to continue building. I’d like to wish everyone connected with Newcastle United a bright and successful future.”

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ByAngus Sinclair May 30, 2025

Off the pitch, the Magpies will suddenly be an intriguing side to watch this summer as they look towards the market not just for fresh arrivals for Eddie Howe’s squad, but also a new name behind the scenes.

With Champions League qualification only boosting their spending power ahead of the window too, whoever comes in to replace Mitchell could have quite the job on their hands. Their first move, no matter the new name, may even be to sign a Premier League rival for a hefty price.

Newcastle could now sign Kudus for £65m

According to Football Insider, Newcastle could now sign Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United for £65m this summer, with the London club ready to sell one the Magpies’ top targets for a hefty fee in the coming months. However, it is a fee that his £20m less than the attacker’s release clause, which should come as a boost to PIF.

It’s a deal that PIF have already explored and one that certainly seems feasible following the Hammers’ disastrous season. As Kudus eyes bigger and better things, those at St James’ Park could spend big to come swooping in.

Despite enduring a frustrating season in a poor West Ham side, Kudus has still found himself at the centre of Graham Potter’s praise. The 50-year-old manager told reporters at the end of March: “I think Mo has had probably a season that, from his perspective, would be a little bit disappointing, not because of his lack of effort or anything like that, but sometimes these things happen.

“Speaking personally, he’s been great with us in terms of how he’s worked every day, fantastic. He has built his fitness up, built his condition up to the point where he can sustain things a lot better now.”

Having reportedly explored a deal to sign the winger, whether Newcastle decide that Kudus’ £65m valuation is worth pursuing will be the big question when the transfer window opens.