تتواصل الأنباء حول اهتمام النادي الأهلي بالتعاقد مع المدرب البرتغالي المخضرم، فرناندو سانتوس، لتولي منصب المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم.

ويأتي ذلك في ظل سعي الأهلي للتعاقد مع مدرب صاحب خبرة بعد رحيل الإسباني خوسيه ريبيرو، ومواصلة البحث عن قيادة قادرة على إعادة الفريق إلى منصات التتويج القارية والمحلية.

اقرأ أيضًا.. خاص | بعد اهتمام الأهلي.. موقف مارك أوفرمارس من الرحيل عن أنتويرب البلجيكي

وأكد أونوفري كوستا، مدير الإعلام للبرتغالي فرناندو سانتوس، في تصريحات خاصة لـ بطولات أنه كان هناك بالفعل اجتماعًا عبر “زووم” بين الطرفين، لكنه لم يوضح أي تفاصيل إضافية حول المفاوضات.

وتابع كوستا: “سانتوس يكن كل التقدير والاحترام للنادي الأهلي، ويعتبره واحدًا من أكبر الأندية في العالم”.

وقال كوستا: “قرار المدرب بشأن خطوته المقبلة سيكون على أسس محددة وعوامل كثيرة”.

وبالتالي، يظل اسم فرناندو سانتوس مرتبطًا بالعديد من التكهنات حول الأهلي، وسط ترقب جماهيري واسع لأي أخبار رسمية قد تظهر في الفترة المقبلة.

Southampton are looking to bounce back to the Premier League and could be set to pounce for a talented star if they lose one of their higher-profile assets this summer, according to a report.

Southampton look to build with Kamaldeen Sulemana funds

With the window underway at St Mary’s Stadium, Southampton have sold Kamaldeen Sulemana to Atalanta for £18 million as they begin to clear the decks ahead of returning to competitive action.

Will Still’s men have also inserted a sell-on clause in the agreement, which will see the Ghana international link up with Ivan Juric after the pair worked together last season.

Joshua Quarshie has come in from Hoffenheim and there will be more signings to come at Saints, with FC Köln striker Damion Downs reported to be on their list.

Previewing how his potential arrival could unfold, German journalist Constantin Eckner has pleaded for caution as the United States international continues to develop.

He stated: “He’s still an up-and-comer with little experience but has developed into an interesting striker. He’s more of a project rather than a finished product.”

Same agent as Downes: Southampton in "advanced" deal talks for "top" star

Southampton are now moving closer to signing a new striker this summer.

By
Brett Worthington

Jun 30, 2025

Bobby Clark is reportedly keen on a move to Southampton after being left out of RB Salzburg’s squad for the Club World Cup, and he has all the hallmarks of a smart acquisition that could add some fresh legs in the engine room.

On the other hand, any fee for Downs would likely sit just below £7 million, which would represent good value for money after his return of 11 goals and six assists last campaign.

Making tracks, Southampton could now swoop for a reliable stopper between the sticks who has proven pedigree in the EFL Championship.

Southampton enter race to sign Anthony Patterson from Sunderland

According to Football Insider in conversation with former scout Mick Brown, Southampton are in contention to sign Anthony Patterson from Sunderland as a potential replacement for Aaron Ramsdale.

He explained: “Patterson is a top young goalkeeper and he’s got a good reputation. I personally still have some doubts about him, and it looks like Sunderland might share those.”

He added: “I’m told Southampton are one of the clubs looking at him because they expect Ramsdale to leave. He’s got a release clause in his contract and clubs have been looking at him.”

Labelled “excellent” by Simon Moore, the Black Cats seemingly do hold conerns over Patterson as they close in on Djordje Petrovic, making first-team minutes difficult to come by at Sunderland, who are worried by his lack of top level experience.

Brown made it clear the ball will be in his court, but Southampton will hope they can convince Patterson to make the move south if Aaron Ramsdale indeed does leave the club for a new challenge.

Scotland have called up right-arm quick Charlie Cassell and medium pacer Jasper Davidson for their first-ever bilateral men’s T20I series against Australia this September in Edinburgh. The 15 players who played the men’s T20 World Cup in June make up the rest of the squad, which will be captained by Richie Berrington.Cassell made a sensational start to his international career, taking 7 for 21 – the best ODI haul on debut – against Oman in the Cricket World Cup League 2 in July. He’s played two ODIs for Scotland so far and was also recently part of three matches in the One-Day Cup for Somerset.Davidson also made his ODI debut in the CWC League 2, against Oman, and took four wickets in that game.”After coming into the squad at CWCL2 and doing so well, it’ll be great for Jasper and Charlie to have the experience of what it’s like playing against the best, in front of a fairly large crowd,” Doug Watson, Scotland’s head coach, said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity to play one of the best teams in the world, and I’m pretty sure that our players won’t need any motivating for this series. It’s a great opportunity for them to share the field with world-class players. They’re wanting to put in some huge performances and compete, and really push this Australia team.”The goal for us is to win this series. The first game is really important – if we can win that, it’ll set up the next two matches. The whole week will be brilliant for the squad, staff, supporters, and all of Scotland.”It will be Australia’s first tour of Scotland in 11 years. The sides will meet just three months after their T20 World Cup 2024 game in St Lucia, where Australia won a close match by five wickets. The games will be played at The Grange on September 4, 6 and 7.

Scotland T20I squad vs Australia

Richie Berrington (capt), Charlie Cassell, Matthew Cross, Brad Currie, Jasper Davidson, Chris Greaves, Ollie Hairs, Jack Jarvis, Michael Jones, Michael Leask, Brandon McMullen, George Munsey, Safyaan Sharif, Chris Sole, Charlie Tear, Mark Watt, Brad Wheal

West Bromwich Albion are now underway in pre-season with a 1-1 draw against Dynamo Kyiv ending their Austrian training camp.

Whilst a lot of eyes have centred on the Baggies splashing out £4.7m on new striker recruit Aune Heggebo, it was fellow fresh signing Nathaniel Phillips who scored the only West Brom goal against their Ukrainian opponents.

They’re far from done when it comes to transfer activity, however, as a new defender edges ever closer to joining the ranks to link up with Phillips, as well as gossip surrounding an interesting face now being tipped to be on Mason’s growing shopping list.

West Brom add new star to shopping list

You wouldn’t blame the Baggies if they were to add more and more new players to their squad this summer, having seen the likes of Grady Diangana, John Swift, and Semi Ajayi all depart the Hawthorns in quick succession.

To fill the void left behind by Ajayi, West Brom look to be closing in on the defensive purchase of George Campbell from MLS outfit Montreal, with the fee to bring him in to England around the £1m region.

Spurs youngster Mikey Moore is also on the radar, with Football Insider reporting earlier in the summer that both Birmingham City and Albion were planning to make a loan move.

Alternatives could be sought, namely in the form of Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, with the Crystal Palace winger a proven performer at Championship level, something was seen in his Sheffield United exploits last season.

A new update over the weekend from the Express and Star has revealed that the £10m-rated winger is on Mason and Co’s agenda, but it will be a tough battle to win, as local rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers are also alleged to be sniffing around.

Why Rak-Sakyi would be even more exciting than Moore

Winning the services of Rak-Sakyi would arguably be an even more exciting pick-up than Moore, with the 22-year-old immediately ready to hit the ground running in a bid to push the Baggies up the Championship standings.

Of course, Moore’s moment in the EFL spotlight will inevitably come soon, with Spurs needing to see what their 17-year-old wonderkid is like away from the comfortable isolation of North London.

But, if it was a toss-up now between adding the teenager to their camp or Rak-Sakyi, it does feel like a no-brainer to go after the two-time England U21 international over risking it with Moore, especially when you see how much of an impact he had for the Blades last season, competing near the top of the second tier table.

Games played

34

Games started

22

Average minutes per game

51

Goals scored

7

Assists

2

Big chances missed

6

Big chances created

3

Amazingly, despite only averaging 51 minutes per Championship clash, Rak-Sakyi ended his fine 24/25 season in the league with seven goals and two assists next to his name.

Therefore, he could go on to be an invaluable member of Mason’s camp if a deal was struck, with Rak-Sakyi also capable of playing all across the forward positions.

Indeed, a sublime 26 goals and 12 assists have come his way from 38 career clashes down the opposing channel that has been depleted by Diangana’s exit.

Moore can boast similarly steep numbers playing in the youth teams at Spurs, with a stunning 19 goals next to his name from 24 U18 clashes, but it might well be deemed a step too far for the 17-year-old to be a shining light for a Championship team gunning for promotion.

At the time of writing, Moore only has one senior strike to shout about. Whereas, the “wonderful” Rak-Sakyi – as he’s been glowingly labelled by U23 scout Antonio Mango – has 32 EFL goal contributions and counting from 80 outings in League One and above.

Mason might well fancy taking a punt on Moore when you consider his ex-Spurs connections but if West Brom want a dazzling talent who can get spectators out of their seats from minute one of his arrival – instead of waiting around for a wide-eyed starlet to get settled – they should persist with Rak-Sakyi’s signature.

West Brom could repeat their Maja magic by signing EFL star for £0

West Bromwich Albion could be about to replicate their Josh Maja magic by snapping up a free agent.

ByKelan Sarson Jul 10, 2025

أعلن نادي مانشستر سيتي لكرة القدم، في بيان رسمي منذ قليل، توقيع أحد لاعبي الفريق الأول على عقد جديد لمدة خمس سنوات، حسبما نُشر عبر الموقع الرسمي للسكاي بلو.

ويستعد مانشستر سيتي لخوض مباراة الديربي ضد نظيره مانشستر يونايتد، يوم الأحد المقبل على ملعب “الاتحاد” في قمة منافسات الجولة الرابعة من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وأصدر مانشستر سيتي بيانًا رسميًا للإعلان عن توقيع ريكو لويس على عقد جديد لمدة خمس سنوات، حيث سيظل بمقتضاه في ملعب “الاتحاد” حتى صيف 2030.

كان ريكو لويس قد انضم إلى أكاديمية مانشستر سيتي في الثامنة من عمره، وتدرج في الفئات السنية المختلفة للنادي قبل أن ينضم إلى الفريق الأول في موسم 2022/23.

وشارك ريكو لويس في 97 مباراة مع الفريق الأول في مانشستر سيتي، وسجل 5 أهداف، حيث أعرب عن سعادته الجمة بعد توقيعه على العقد الجديد اليوم.

اقرأ أيضًا | المباريات التي سيغيب عنها عمر مرموش مع مانشستر سيتي بعد إصابته.. مواجهتان ناريتان

وقال ريكو لويس: “مانشستر سيتي يعني لي كل شيء، ومن ثم فإن حصولي على فرصة توقيع هذا العقد الجديد لحظة مميزة جدًا لي ولعائلتي، ما زلت أتطور وأتحسن كلاعب، أعلم أن فرصة مواصلة العمل مع جوارديولا وجهازه الفني وفريقنا الرائع ستساعدني على مواصلة التطور”.

وأضاف: “قضيت وقتًا طويلًا في هذا النادي، مانشستر سيتي يعني لي كل شيء، لذلك فإن البقاء لفترة أطول يجعلني سعيدًا للغاية، تمثيل ذلك النادي كل يوم يُعد شرفًا وامتيازًا لي”.

وواصل: “سأبذل قصارى جهدي لمساعدتنا على تحقيق المزيد من النجاح هذا الموسم وما بعده، ومع فريقنا العالمي، أنا متحمس للغاية لما يحمله المستقبل للنادي”.

Warwickshire strike early but captain’s innings keeps rivals at bay

ECB Reporters Network09-Sep-2024

Club captain Brett D’Oliveira struck his fourth successive half-century since returning from injury to inspire another Worcestershire recovery on the opening day of the Vitality County Championship derby with Warwickshire at Visit Worcestershire New Road.D’Oliveira had come to the wicket just over a week ago with Worcestershire 10 for 4 on the opening morning versus Essex at Chelmsford and his 68 helped his side rally to 266 all out on their way to a 43-run success. That followed his 97 during the home win over Kent and for good measure he hit another 51 in the second innings against Essex.Here, his side were struggling at 67 for 4 in testing conditions when he walked out to the middle and was again the cornerstone of a fightback with the top score of 76.D’Oliveira received excellent support from Adam Hose, fit again Matthew Waite and Logan van Beek in partnerships of 49, 76 and 43.He had missed the entire Metro Bank One-Day Cup campaign whilst having extensive rehab to a shoulder problem which has troubled him for the past year. But the treatment seems to have paid handsome dividends for the 32-year-old who has been in prime form since the Championship programme recommenced.Waite also made his mark with a fluent half-century on his return to action after nearly two months on the sidelines with a side strain.Oliver Hannon-Dalby, the leading wicket-taker in Division One, added three more scalps to take his tally for the season to 46 and again bowled impressively.Worcestershire gave a Championship debut to young Academy pace bowler Jack Home who last week signed a three-year contract after taking 16 wickets in five games in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.Warwickshire made one change from the side which had defeated Kent with spinner Danny Briggs replacing Jacob Bethell.Warwickshire skipper Alex Davies put the home side into bat on a wicket where the bounce was variable, particularly when bowling from the New Road End, and Hannon-Dalby made the first breakthrough when Jake Libby pushed forward to a delivery which nipped away and was caught behind.Kashif Ali, who had scored two centuries in the corresponding game at Edgbaston, provided keeper Michael Burgess with another catch off former Worcestershire allrounder Ed BarnardGareth Roderick had his middle stump knocked back by Michael Rae and then Ethan Brookes, promoted to No. 4, was lbw to Hannon-Dalby on his return to the attack with a delivery which swung back in. Hose and D’Oliveira battled through to lunch at 77 for 4 from 30 overs.D’Oliveira pulled Rushworth for four to bring up the 100 in 39.3 overs. The fifth wicket pair extended their partnership to 49 but Hose, having battled for nearly two hours for 33, drove at Barnard and was pouched at second slipWaite was full of positive intent from the start and collected four boundaries at Barnard’s expense in two overs.He was the dominate figure in a half-century partnership with D’Oliveira and completed his own fifty from 71 balls with nine fours.The afternoon session produced 111 runs from 34 overs for the loss of one wicket. But Waite added only one more run before he was lbw to Rae after he switched ends to end a stand of 76.D’Oliveira reached another excellent half century from 115 balls when he late cut Briggs for his seventh boundary. He found another staunch ally in van Beek in adding 43 for the seventh wicket but on 76 was finally caught low down at first slip by Yates off Will Rhodes.The second new ball accounted for van Beek with a third scalp for Hannon-Dalby thanks to Yates again showing a safe pair of hands, this time at second slip.But Home, who hit Barnard for the first six of the game backward of square, and Tom Taylor earned Worcestershire a precious batting point before the close during an unbroken stand of 52.

England Lions 324 and 122 for 3 (Yates 57*) beat Sri Lanka 139 and 306 (Madushka 77, Dhananjaya 66, Mathews 51) by seven wicketsRob Yates anchored England Lions with a 68-ball half-century, as Sri Lanka’s tourists slipped to a seven-wicket defeat in their first-class warm-up at Worcester.Chasing a modest 122 for victory after bowling Sri Lanka out for 309 on the third afternoon, the Lions had resumed with victory in sight on 47 for 2 overnight, and needed just 19.5 overs to seal the deal on the final morning.Yates, who had reached the close on 17 not out, added 40 more runs at the top of the order, with Sri Lanka’s only success in the curtailed day’s play coming when Hamza Shaikh, England’s Under-19 captain, was pinned lbw for 16 by Milan Rathnayake.However, James Rew, another recent mainstay of the Under-19 set-up, joined Yates in an unbroken 53-run stand for the fourth wicket, finishing on 23 not out from 41 balls as he picked off the winning single off Dhananjaya de Silva.Sri Lanka now head to Emirates Old Trafford, where the first Test against England gets underway on Wednesday.

Chelsea are mounting a serious push to sign a “mature” player who’s also a wanted man at Liverpool, with Enzo Maresca looking to shore up a key area of the squad which could be central to a major overhaul.

Maresca’s side are currently in the midst of an intriguing Club World Cup campaign after a long campaign, and they’ll face-off against Portuguese heavyweights Benfica in the last 16 after luckily avoiding Bayern Munich in the next round.

Player left "very surprised" by Chelsea decision with five-man sale possible

The west Londoners have U-turned over giving him a chance under Maresca.

1

By
Emilio Galantini

Jun 25, 2025

The CWC is a controversial talking point given the clubs taking part will have precious little rest before the start of preparations for next season, but Chelsea are reportedly determined to win the tournament, especially with the significant prize money on offer for the victors.

They’ve already pocketed £8.8 million in performance-related prize money after winning two of their opening three games, and if they get past Benfica, Chelsea will receive another £10.1 million (Standard Sport) – taking their total windfall from the CWC to nearly £20 million, plus their participation fee.

This kind of cash could do wonders to assist Chelsea’s recruitment drive whilst helping them comfortably avoid the PSR threshold, with Maresca reportedly keen to sign a new centre-back alongside wingers and a striker.

Their backline could look very different by the commencement of 2025/2026 in particular, as journalist Graeme Bailey recently reported. It is apparently very possible Trevoh Chalobah, Tosin Adarabioyo, Benoit Badiashile, Axel Disasi and Renato Veiga could all be sold before deadline day, with Chelsea having their eyes on firmly on Ajax defensive starlet Jorrel Hato, among others.

The versatile centre-back/left-back could upgrade the heart of Maresca’s defence whilst providing adept cover for Marc Cucurella, and he could be available for just £40 million.

Chelsea have held talks with Ajax over signing Hato, according to journalist Simon Phillips, and they’re still very much in pursuit of his signature.

Chelsea "pushing" to sign Jorrel Hato

As per Bailey, speaking to TBR Football in an update, both Arsenal and Liverpool are big fans of the Netherlands international, and Arteta’s side have been following him since his early teens.

However, Chelsea are “pushing hard” for Hato, so it could be the west Londoners who reign supreme in the race for his signature.

“We know that Chelsea are pushing hard to sign Hato and Liverpool still really like him. But I think Arsenal would be annoyed if they didn’t get Hato considering how much work they’ve been putting in,” said Bailey.

“Arsenal have been chasing Hato since he was around 14 or 15 years old, so I think there is a bit of confidence there. They want to sell Zinchenko to make room for Hato and then we still expect Kiwior to go as well.

“There will be plenty of room in that squad for Hato who is able to play a variety of roles.”

England international and ex-Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson knows his Ajax teammate very well, calling Hato “very mature” for his age and tipping him for a bright future.

“It’s crazy how young he is, but obviously how mature he looks when he’s on the pitch and also off the pitch,” he told Ajax’s official website, via the Liverpool Echo.

“He’s a very mature person. Works hard. Fantastic player. And yeah, he has a bright future ahead of him, I’m sure.”

It is no secret that being an elite footballer pays incredibly well, with the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s net worth being above £500m following their outstanding long-lasting careers.

Those at the very top have incredible wealth, and one way professional footballers spend their money is on some of the best luxury cars around.

Seen as a prized possession, many may wonder what the world’s best drive and how expensive some of their cars are worth. Here are 10 of the most expensive cars owned by footballers around the world.

Lionel Messi

Ferrari 335 S Spider Scaglietti

£25m

Cristiano Ronaldo

Bugatti La Voiture Noire

£12m

Erling Haaland

Mercedes AMG One

£2.7m

Neymar

Lamborghini Veneno

£2.5m

Karim Benzema

Bugatti Veyron Pur Sang

£1.56m

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Ferrari Monza SP2

£1.4m

Samuel Eto’o

Aston Martin One-77

£1.3m

Son Heung-min

Ferrari LaFerrari

£1.2m

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Ferrari LaFerrari

£1.2m

Kevin De Bruyne

McLaren P1

£1.15m

The most expensive cars owned by footballers in detail: 10 Kevin De Bruyne McLaren P1 – £1.15m

A Manchester City legend, Kevin De Bruyne recently departed the Etihad after a hugely successful 10-year stay. Before leaving, De Bruyne was picking up a whopping £400,000-a-week with the Sky Blues, so it shouldn’t come as no surprise that he owns a car worth more than £1m.

According to reports, the attacking midfielder has a McLaren P1 which has a valuation of £1.15m. One of the best sports cars around, the P1 has a total of 903 horsepower and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in under three seconds.

9 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Ferrari LaFerrari – £1.2m

Only 499 Ferrari LaFerrari’s have been made, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is one of two known footballers to be an owner of the £1.2m supercar.

The former Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal and Chelsea striker is known for his lavish lifestyles and that is shown in his car collection with the Ferrari LaFerrari dubbed the ‘most powerful street-legal supercar the Italian manufacturer has produced’.

8 Son Heung-min Ferrari LaFerrari – £1.2m

As well as Aubameyang, Tottenham icon Son Heung-min also owns a Ferrari LaFerrari, although he ditched the iconic red version for black.

The South Korean superstar was told by Spurs that ‘he could not own a red one due to their rivalry with Arsenal’, with the supercar reaching a top speed of 227mph and boasting a 6.3-litre V12 engine.

7 Samuel Eto’o Aston Martin One-77 – £1.3m

Former Barcelona and Inter Milan star Samuel Eto’o retired back in 2019, however, he still made enough during his playing days to splash out on an Aston Martin One-77.

Worth £1.3m, three-time Champions League winner Eto’o is the proud owner of the supercar, which is rarer than the Ferrari LaFerrari, with only 77 units ever made back in 2012.

6 Zlatan Ibrahimovic Ferrari Monza SP2 – £1.4m

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was an extraordinary player in his prime, and his lavish lifestyle saw him purchase a Ferrari Monza SP2 for his 38th birthday back in 2019.

It set the former Swedish striker back £1.4m, with only 499 being made in the world. The value of the rare supercar is now thought to be worth £2m, so Ibrahimovic could make a tidy profit if he cashes in.

5 Karim Benzema Bugatti Veyron Pur Sang – £1.56m

French forward Karim Benzema is currently earning a whopping £830,000-a-week in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ittihad after joining in 2023, and he has quite a collection of luxury cars.

His most valuable and fastest vehicle is the Bugatti Veyron Pur Sang, with only five ever made in the world. Chrome painted and a body made up of polished aluminium and black carbon fibre, it is thought to be worth more than £1.5m.

4 Neymar Lamborghini Veneno – £2.5m

Neymar’s net worth is thought to be around £280m, so it’s no shock that he can afford a £2.5m Lamborghini Veneno, one of just 13 to have been produced.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star’s supercar is powered by a 6.5L V12 engine and is capable of reaching a top speed of 221 mph.

In total, Neymar’s car collection is thought to be worth a combined £11m, which includes an Aston Martin Vulcan and Maserati MC12.

3 Erling Haaland Mercedes AMG One – £2.7m

A goalscoring machine for Manchester City, Erling Haaland’s new Etihad contract sees him pick up £525,000-a-week, which works out at over £27m-a-year.

His rare Mercedes AMG One is worth £2.7m, just over five weeks’ worth of wages, and can reach a top speed of just under 220mph. There are only 275 Mercedes AMG One’s around, and Haaland can call himself one of the lucky owners.

2 Cristiano Ronaldo Bugatti La Voiture Noire – £12m

Earning a staggering £172m-a-year in Saudi Arabia, Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly the owner of the only Bugatti La Voiture Noire ever made.

Worth £12m, the Bugatti La Voiture Noire was produced in 2019 and is described as ‘the rarest and most exclusive of all modern Bugattis’.

In total, Ronaldo’s car collection is thought to be worth around £19m, a figure which works out at around six weeks’ wages with Al-Nassr.

1 Lionel Messi Ferrari 335 S Spider Scaglietti – £25m

Top of the charts, allegedly, is Lionel Messi and his Ferrari 335 S Spider Scaglietti. It is claimed that Messi actually outbid his rival Ronaldo for the classic Ferrari at a cost of £25m.

Only four Ferrari 335 S Spider Scaglietti’s were made in the 1950s, and it is seen as a must have vintage car, powered by a 4.0L V12 engine and able to reach a top speed of 186 mph.

The bidding started at around £17m and ended on £25m, with Messi thought to be the winner of the auction in Paris back in 2016.

Newcastle United are beginning to motor this summer and could now be in the running to sign one of Europe’s most prolific marksmen, according to a report.

Newcastle United look to follow up Anthony Elanga's arrival

Eddie Howe has taken a measured approach this window and had to bide his time in the hunt for a big-money signing to follow Antonio Cordero’s arrival in the North East.

However, Anthony Elanga is now officially a Newcastle player after joining on a long-term deal from Nottingham Forest in a transfer said to be worth around £55 million.

Signalling his intention to hit the ground running at St James’ Park, he stated: “I’m ready to put on this black and white top to really fight for this team and give everything for the passionate fanbase that lives and breathes football.

“I had an amazing two years at Nottingham Forest, they really helped me to become the player I am today, but I’m really happy to be here now. The club won a trophy last season and are building something unique, something special that I really want to be part of.”

Eintracht Frankfurt star Hugo Ekitike is also on Newcastle’s radar and could represent a statement piece of business at the club. Meanwhile, Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins could be a left-field solution to strengthen their forward line.

Related A new Tonali: Newcastle likely to see £34m bid accepted for "monster" CM

Newcastle have been offered the chance to sign a former Premier League star this summer

Posts ByRoss Kilvington Jul 13, 2025

Missing out on Joao Pedro to Chelsea will have come as a body blow in the North East. However, with Champions League football on the table, there is far more in the way of optimism than pessimism on Tyneside.

Now, Newcastle are said to have been contacted over the availability of another exciting marksman who could answer the call to fill one of their striking berths.

Newcastle contacted by Benjamin Sesko's agent

According to TBR, Newcastle have been contacted over RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko’s availability by his agent, and Liverpool, Chelsea, and Manchester United are also being kept in the loop regarding his future.

Arsenal had been heavily linked with a swoop for the Slovenia international earlier this summer, but it looks as if Viktor Gyokeres will move to the Emirates Stadium instead, and there are indications from Sesko’s camp of a willingness to move to England.

Hugo Ekitike in senior football

Benjamin Sesko in senior football

Appearances – 150

Appearances – 251

Goals – 50

Goals – 106

Sesko, who has an asking price of £78m, could now be eager to try his hand at the English top-flight and is on the market after missing out on a move to the Gunners, but the scenario of him staying in Germany for another season hasn’t been discounted.

Should Newcastle accelerate their hunt for a new striker, being able to bring in someone who has claimed a wealth of senior experience despite only being 22 years of age would be a statement of intent ahead of their return to the Champions League.