Adam Idah’s Celtic journey came to an end on deadline day when he completed a permanent move to EFL Championship side Swansea City, just 12 months after his transfer to Parkhead.

Swansea have agreed a deal worth up to £7m to sign the centre-forward from the Hoops, who agreed a deal worth up to £9.5m, and a guaranteed £8.5m, to sign him from Norwich last summer.

As you can see in the graphic above, Celtic signed Idah after he enjoyed a fruitful loan spell at Parkhead at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, scoring the winning the SFA Cup final as part of that.

The Irish forward joining on a permanent basis, though, led to Brendan Rodgers making the call to part ways with Hyeon-gyu Oh in the summer of 2024.

Hyeon-gyu Oh's Celtic career in numbers

Celtic paid a fee of £2.5m to sign the South Korean centre-forward from Suwon Bluewings in January 2023, during Ange Postecoglou’s spell in charge of the club.

The South Korea international scored seven goals in 21 matches under the Australian head coach in the second half of that campaign, in just 592 minutes of football, which included four goals in five matches during the top-six split in the Scottish Premiership, per Transfermarkt.

Oh scored five goals in 26 appearances for the club in his only full season with the Scottish giants, averaging a goal every 145 minutes, as per Transfermarkt.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

Despite Oh’s relatively impressive minute-to-goal ratio in his 18 months at Celtic, Rodgers opted to sign Idah permanently and sold the striker to Belgian side Genk for a fee of £2.3m, which has turned out to be a shocker of a decision.

Hyeon-gyu Oh's value has soared since leaving Celtic

The 24-year-old star’s transfer value has increased significantly since he left the Scottish giants for a fee of just £2.3m, thanks to his performances for Genk.

Oh scored nine goals and provided two assists in 684 minutes of league football for the Belgian side in the 2024/25 campaign, outperforming his xG of 6.95, per Sofascore.

xG

1.03

Top 1%

xG on target

1.31

Top 1%

Shots on target

3.10

Top 1%

Goals

1.33

Top 1%

xA

0.18

Top 9%

Assists

0.30

Top 5%

As you can see in the table above, he was among the best goalscorers, if not the best, in the Pro League last term, whilst also excelling as a creative threat at the top end of the pitch.

His impressive form for Genk led to interest from Stuttgart after they sold Nick Woltemade to Newcastle United. It was reported that the German side were closing in on a £24m deal for the striker, before they backed out of a move because of concerns over an old ACL injury.

Whilst the transfer did not get done on deadline day, with the timing possibly influencing their decision to avoid the injury risk, it did show the value that Oh currently has in the market – £24m.

This means that the South Korean forward is currently worth £21.7m more than the £2.3m that Celtic sold him to Genk for last summer. Meanwhile, Idah, whose arrival pushed him out of Glasgow, went from an £8.5m to a £7m player based on his transfers within the last 12 months.

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Therefore, Rodgers and Celtic had a howler in the striker position by signing Idah for big money instead of committing to developing Oh, who is now a highly-valued and prolific striker, based on his sublime statistics for Genk.

عاد المدرب الإسباني رافائيل بينيتيز بطل دوري أبطال أوروبا مع ليفربول لتولي مسؤولية تدريب فريق جديد في أوروبا.

وحسبما أُعلن، فإن  رافائيل بينيتيز قد عاد إلى الملاعب بتوقيع عقد جديد مع نادي باناثينايكوس أحد أعرق الأندية اليونانية.

Panathinaikos welcomes Rafa Benítez as the club’s new head coach.
This is the start of a new era. ☘️#PAOFC #Panathinaikos pic.twitter.com/hgkRPDGYVH — Panathinaikos F.C. (@paofc_) October 24, 2025

وتعد هذه هي التجربة الرابعة عشرة لمدرب ريال مدريد وليفربول السابق على رأس الجهاز الفني، وسيضيف بينيتز لفريقه الجديد الكثير من الخبرة والهيبة.

وينهي رافائيل بينيتيز بذلك فترة من الغياب عن التدريب استمرت لـ 19 شهراً منذ إقالته من تدريب سيلتا فيجو الإسباني.

أقرأ أيضاً.. لاعب مانشستر سيتي: كنت قريباً من الاعتزال لهذا السبب

ويملك بينيتيز سجلا حافلا بالألقاب بما في ذلك دوري أبطال أوروبا ولقبين دوري إسباني مع فالنسيا، وأمامه تحدي لإعادة باناثينايكوس لصدارة الدوري اليوناني.

وكان بينيتيز قد رحل عن سيلتا فيجو في مارس 2024 ودرس عدة عروض قبل ان يختار مشروع أحد عمالقة الدوري اليوناني الممتاز.

وتمنح مسيرة رافائيل بينيتيز الكبيرة مع الأندية التي دربها مثل ليفربول وريال مدريد وإنتر ميلان وتشيلسي المصداقية اللازمة لقيادة مشروع إعادة بناء الفريق اليوناني وتحقيق طموحاته الأوروبية.

Ethan Bamber adds four wickets to his first innings five-for to take match figures of 9 for 107

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay03-May-2025Warwickshire survived a fine 90 from England star Joe Root to set up a target of 185 in order to secure victory in their Rothesay County Championship clash with Yorkshire at Headingley.Yorkshire were bowled out for 232 in their second innings late on day two, with visiting new-ball seamer Ethan Bamber adding four wickets to his five in the first innings, completing impressive match figures of 9 for 107.Warwickshire then closed on 15 without loss from three overs of their run chase.The day started with the Bears, replying to a first-innings 205, advancing from 161 for six overnight to 253 all out, with Australian Test all-rounder Beau Webster completing a superb 85 off 86 balls on debut.He helped secure a lead of 48 but was the last visiting wicket to fall, caught trying to attack against New Zealand quick Ben Sears, who finished with four wickets.Ed Barnard removed Root for one in the first innings, though the chances of that happening again were realistically slim. But Warwickshire’s bowlers chipped away at the wickets when they started bowling again 35 minutes before lunch.They built early pressure. Bamber bowled locum opener Dom Bess in the third over, leaving the score at 9 for 1.And, either side of lunch, that was the first of seven successive maidens bowled by him and new-ball partner Olly Hannon-Dalby, who hails from down the road in Halifax.James Wharton was run out at the non-striker’s end during the early stages of the afternoon following a mix-up with opener Adam Lyth, who then went on to share a third-wicket 71 with Root from 19 for 2.Both look assured, though Lyth’s effort was curtailed 10 runs short of a fifty when he edged behind off the back foot to Ed Barnard’s seam, leaving the hosts at 90 for 3 in the 28th over.The ICC’s No. 1 and No. 2 ranked Test batters, Root and Harry Brook, then shared 53 for the fourth wicket, though the latter’s stay was too brief for Yorkshire’s liking. He fell lbw for 20, playing around a full ball from seamer Michael Booth shortly before tea, where the hosts reached at 152 for 4 with a lead of 104.Jonny Bairstow top-edged a pull at Bamber behind on six, with wicketkeeper Kai Smith taking a smart running catch, before George Hill edged Barnard to second slip. And when Jordan Thompson miscued to cover as Barnard struck for a third time, Yorkshire were 190 for 7 in the 60th over, leading by 142.All the while, Root looked commanding at the crease in his 100th first-class innings for the county, hitting 13 fours in 131 balls. He reached his fifty off 64 balls, and one driven boundary straight of mid-off against Webster was particularly memorable. However, he missed out on a century when he top-edged a pull to backward point off Bamber to make it 219 for 8.Dan Mousley was the catcher, and the same combination did for Sears soon after before Ben Coad was bowled by Booth for 28, giving Warwickshire a short period of batting to navigate before close.With the bat in the first innings, Webster was excellent before lunch in getting the Bears up to and just beyond 250.A tall and imposing figure at the crease, he mixed power with invention in moving from 32 overnight to reach his fifty off 54 balls and give his new county a decent lead and a batting bonus point.He scooped Coad for six and muscled expensive compatriot seamer Jordan Buckingham, also on debut for Yorkshire, through the off-side for a trio of boundaries to help the Bears into the lead.He dominated a 74-run partnership for the eighth wicket with keeper Smith before pulling Sears to midwicket to end the innings. Smith contributed 19.Sears and Hill claimed two wickets apiece, three of them caught behind by Bairstow.

Puthur, who made an impressive debut this season, has had bone stress reactions in both shins

ESPNcricinfo staff01-May-2025

Raghu Sharma joins the main squad at his base price of INR 30 lakh•Mumbai Indians

Mumbai Indians’ (MI) left-arm wristspinner Vignesh Puthur has been ruled out of IPL 2025 with bone stress reactions in both his shins. The franchise has signed uncapped legspinner Raghu Sharma as Puthur’s replacement.Puthur had a memorable debut earlier this season, picking up three wickets against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). In all, he took six wickets in five games at an economy rate of 9.08.”Vignesh will continue to be with the team to focus on his recovery and rehabilitation with the Mumbai Indians medical and S&C team,” the franchise said in a statement.Related

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Raghu, 32, was part of MI’s net bowlers and joins the main squad at his base price of INR 30 lakh. Just like Puthur, this will be a maiden IPL stint for him.He has represented Punjab and Puducherry in domestic cricket over the years. In 11 first-class matches, he has 57 wickets at an average of 19.59. He has 14 wickets in nine List A games and three in three T20s.MI had a slow start to the tournament with one win from their five games. Since then, they have stacked five wins in a row and are currently third on the points table with 12 points from ten games.

Karachi Kings clinched a thrilling final-over victory in a dramatic finish at the Gaddafi Stadium against arch-rivals Lahore Qalandars in their PSL 2025 game on Sunday. In a game that finished past midnight after a 90-minute rain delay, Kings, who had been behind in the chase almost throughout, scored the last 48 runs in 16 balls after a clutch onslaught at the death from Irfan Khan. In doing so, they leapfrogged Islamabad United to go up to second on the table, leaving Qalandars vulnerable to yet another round-robin knockout.Much of the chase was an exercise in improbability, though Kings did all the right things. Needing 168 in 15 overs with one fewer powerplay over thanks to the unexpected rain that descended upon the Lahore evening, David Warner took down the normally miserly Asif Afridi’s second over, plundering 20 off it. Significantly, he would end up bowling just one more, a sequence of events that ended up with medium pacer Daryl Mitchell needing to send down the final over.Tim Seifert took on Shaheen Shah Afridi, too, but with the baseline asking rate over 11, any passage of play where Qalandars could sneak a couple of tight overs in swung the contest wildly in their favour. As a result, despite Kings smashing 52 in the first four, when Qalandars did bowl three that yielded 23, and a few overs later another three which allowed just 22, the required rate ballooned to 16. The task was made even more unlikely by the important wickets the home side picked up; the top five had all been sent on their way, Irfan and Mohammad Nabi the final roadblocks to a certain Qalandars triumph.And yet, that roadblock proved insurmountable. Irfan began the comeback by going after Qalandars captain Shaheen with three sixes in an over before Nabi helped him bleed a further 20 runs out of Haris Rauf to suddenly bring the equation down to seven in a final over Mitchell had to bowl. Irfan, by now in the zone, lashed the third of those deliveries over long-off for six.When, nearly five hours earlier, Qalandars had been inserted in what was assumed to be a full game, they begun so forebodingly that when the rain came in the eighth over, Kings would likely have accepted the point a washout would give them. Mohammad Naeem struggled at the start of this tournament, but Qalandars have stuck by him, a faith he has gradually begun to repay. His languid excellence was in delightful evidence towards the tail-end of the powerplay, taking over the role of chief power hitter from Fakhar Zaman. Nabi, the most economical spinner in the tournament, saw 15 come off the fifth over, before Hasan Ali was dispatched for another 22 as Qalandars surged to 69 off six, a wristy flick off the final delivery that flew over midwicket for six bringing up a 22-ball 50.The end of the fielding restrictions made little impact on Naeem as another 13 were extracted from Nabi’s second, but a game-turning moment was around the corner. Aamer Jamal drew Naeem into holing out at long-on with the heavens immediately opening up thereafter. When play did resume after a prolonged delay, Qalandars initially picked up where they left off thanks to Fakhar hitting his stride and a handy cameo from Abdullah Shafique.But Abbas Afridi and Mir Hamza were dragging Kings back into the contest. The pair picked up three wickets inside seven balls in the 11th and 12th overs, with Shafique, Mitchell and Sam Billings all sent packing. A couple of overs later, Abbas produced another over that jabbed Qalandars twice; this time, Sikandar Raza and Fakhar – having just crossed 50 – were taken out of the contest before the death in a passage of play that saw four more wickets fall in seven balls.As a consequence, the last five produced a relatively modest 44 compared to what Naeem appeared to have promised the other side of the rain break. And, as Irfan showed them a couple of hours later, failing to cash in at the death can be a deadly error in T20 contests.

Leeds United could make a move for a “relentless” striker “in future windows”, with manager Daniel Farke thought to be personally keen.

Farke keen on striker with jury still out on Calvert-Lewin

Farke is likely to be happy with the start his side have made to the Premier League campaign, having collected four points from their opening three matches, most recently earning a hard-fought draw against Newcastle United at Elland Road.

However, the Whites were less impressive in the EFL Cup, being dumped out of the competition at the second round stage by a youthful Sheffield Wednesday side, with summer signing Dominic Calvert-Lewin making a disastrous debut.

The former Everton striker squandered a whopping four big chances at Hillsborough, while also missing the crucial penalty in the shootout, which resulted in a SofaScore match rating of just 5.3, the lowest of any player.

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As a result, the jury is very much still out on Calvert-Lewin, and Joel Piroe didn’t exactly fare much better, recording a pass-completion rate of just 53% against Wednesday, resulting in a 5.4 match rating.

Consequently, according to Graeme Bailey, the Whites could make a make for another striker, with the transfer expert revealing Norwich City’s Josh Sargent is still of interest, saying: “Leeds should have just done Sargent and [Emi] Buendia. To be honest, they still might, if Farke is still around!

“It was crazy he stayed in the end. He is very good. He has honestly improved so much in terms of hold up play.

“Even with Nmecha and Calvert-Lewin now there, he is perfect for Leeds longer-term. One to keep an eye on in future windows.”

Leeds’ interest appears to stem from Farke, given that a future move hinges on the German remaining at Elland Road, which suggests the manager is personally an admirer of the centre-forward.

"Relentless" Sargent off to a flying start in the Championship

The Whites were interested in bringing in Sargent during the summer transfer window, at which point it was revealed he was valued at around the £21m mark, but the American’s stock may well have risen since then, having made a fantastic start to the campaign.

The 25-year-old has already scored five goals in just four Championship games, which places him at the very top of the goal-scoring charts in the second tier.

The USA international has also received plaudits for his work-rate from Tony Pulis, who said: “He is one player out of the Championship you look at that stands out – he would certainly suit me as a manager because of his attitude and his determination – I think it’s relentless. He gives every effort to help his football club in every game they play.”

Calvert-Lewin still has plenty of time to put things right after a slow start, but if the Englishman is unable to find his feet at Elland Road, a January move for Sargent would make sense.

Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres were signed for a combined £185 million ($247m), becoming two of the most controversial transfer stories of the summer, but the pair flopped spectacularly when it mattered most for their country after they failed to hit the target during a damaging 2-0 defeat by Switzerland. The defeat leaves Sweden’s World Cup hopes hanging by a thread.

World Cup hopes fade for Sweden

Sweden's star strikers both played the full 90 minutes, but failed to test Swiss goalkeeper Viktor Johansson during the World Cup qualifier. Isak hit the crossbar with an early shot and later set up a clear chance for Lucas Bergvall, which was also missed. The performance leaves Sweden at the bottom of Group B with only one point from three games and has further dampened their hopes of qualifying for the next summer’s World Cup.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesBlockbuster summer transfers

Isak’s move concluded a lengthy summer transfer saga which saw the striker pull out all the stops to leave Newcastle. He notably missed the club's pre-season and opening Premier League fixtures due to his efforts to secure a move, even training alone at one point. Isak subsequently accused the Magpies of "broken promises" regarding his future, a claim the club denies. Newcastle had rejected an initial £110m ($146.7) bid from Liverpool, but eventually accepted the increased offer. Gyokeres joined Arsenal in a deal worth £60 million ($80.1m) after Sporting's president had adopted a hard stance on his departure, criticising Gyokeres' behaviour to force the move. 

Gyokeres joined Arsenal after two prolific seasons, scoring an impressive 97 goals in 102 appearances across all competitions and winning back-to-back Primeira Liga titles. However, the initial months of his Arsenal career have failed to hit those heights, seeing him score three goals in 10 appearances across all competitions. 

Isak slammed over fight for fitness

When asked about Isak’s conduct during the transfer process, former Liverpool, West Ham and Everton midfielder Don Hutchison told onlinecasino.com: "There’s no doubt (that he’s been unprofessional). Alexander Isak should have been more professional over the summer, and he’s paying for it now. He should have seen the bigger picture. Walking away from the training camp was poor in the first place, and then when he came back to Newcastle, he should have thought two things. One, he was either going to go to Liverpool or stay at Newcastle. So either way, he needed to be match fit. He shouldn’t have been selfish and trained with Newcastle even if he knew he would force himself out. If the move didn’t happen, he’d then be match fit for Newcastle. It was unprofessional and naive not just to down tools, but to sacrifice his match fitness for whoever he was going to play for. I think he’s been managed and advised really badly by his agent all summer. It comes down to the player, ultimately. He’s under contract with Newcastle, he owes them fitness and professionalism. Bigger picture, if you end up at Liverpool you have to hit the ground running. Now he’s playing catch-up and it’s because of how he behaved."

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Getty Images SportUphill battle for World Cup berth

So, will we see Isak and Gyokeres at next summer’s tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico? It’s looking tricky, but not impossible. Winning all their matches would be a good start, to give themselves a chance of finishing in the top two of their group, but their best hope is to progress via the playoff berth which they earned courtesy of winning their Nations League group.

Sweden have three more World Cup qualifiers to play, against Kosovo, Switzerland, and Slovenia. While it is unlikely they can catch the Swiss, who have won their three qualifiers thus far, second-placed Kosovo have just four points, meaning the fixture between the pair could be termed as a six-pointer. Sweden desperately need to win that fixture, and will be boosted by the fact it will take place on home soil, in Gothenburg. 

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) stormed into Qualifier 1 of IPL 2025 as stand-in captain Jitesh Sharma’s 85 not out off 33 balls helped them pull off the third-highest successful chase in the tournament’s history.Rishabh Pant’s unbeaten 118 off 61 balls had powered Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to 227 for 3, but RCB chased it down with eight balls and six wickets to spare. They will now face table-toppers Punjab Kings (PBKS) in New Chandigarh on Thursday.Related

• IPL playoffs: How the four teams stack up

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• Pant: LSG haven't played '40 overs of good cricket' all season

Kohli, Salt set the platform

Virat Kohli and Phil Salt gave RCB a start of 61 in 5.4 overs. Salt began the first over with a four; Kohli ended it with a four. Salt began the second over with a four; Kohli ended it with four fours. After four overs, RCB had raced to 50 for no loss. Akash Singh broke through with Salt’s wicket, but Kohli carried on. He chipped Shahbaz Ahmed over his head for a four before hitting Akash on the up through the covers to raise his fifty off 27 balls.

O’Rourke strikes back

Having conceded 22 in his first over, Will O’Rourke returned to bowl the eighth over of the innings. Rajat Patidar, who was in as Impact Player once again, picked him over deep square-leg for a six. Two balls later, Kohli hit him over extra cover for four. But O’Rourke had the last laugh as Patidar slashed his fifth ball straight to Abdul Samad at backward point. Off the next, he had Liam Livingstone lbw with a full delivery. Kohli fell soon after his fifty, slicing Avesh Khan to long-off. With RCB still needing 105 from 8.4 overs, ESPNcricinfo’s Forecaster gave them a 21.07% chance of winning.2:02

‘A riled-up Kohli is bad news for the opposition’

Jitesh takes charge

Jitesh started with a boundary off the first ball, but Akash conceded only seven in the 13th over to increase RCB’s troubles – they needed 89 from seven. Mayank Agarwal had got off to a brisk start and was on 27 off 15 at that point. But Jitesh decided to take matters into his own hands and hit O’Rourke for a six and a four in a 17-run over.When Shahbaz came on for the 15th over, Jitesh took him apart. He hit him for two fours and a six before Agarwal ended the over with a boundary off his own. That over went for 21 and tilted the balance in RCB’s favour. Now they needed only 51 from five overs.Jitesh hit two more fours off Avesh in the next before having a slice of luck. With 39 required from four overs, he tried a reverse sweep off Digvesh Rathi only to be caught at backward point. It was a low catch and the on-field umpires wanted the TV umpire to have a look. But even before that, the TV umpire found Rathi’s back foot touching the return crease. Jitesh heaved the free hit that followed over deep midwicket to bring up his fifty off 22 balls. It was his first-ever IPL fifty.The drama didn’t end there. As Rathi ran in for the last ball of the over, he aborted and broke the stumps at the non-striker’s end. Jitesh was out of his crease at that point. However, the TV umpire ruled it not out, saying Rathi had completed his “delivery stride” before effecting the run out. In the meantime, Pant had withdrawn the appeal.With 28 required from the last three overs, Jitesh smashed O’Rourke for two fours and two sixes and then completed the formalities with a slog-swept six off Ayush Badoni in the penultimate over.2:04

Moody: Jitesh’s 85* the innings of this season

RCB’s strange strategy

Earlier, RCB opted to bowl after winning the toss but their decision not to bowl Bhuvneshwar Kumar until the fifth over was baffling, especially after Nuwan Thushara had found swing in the opening over and had shattered Matthew Breetzke’s off stump with an awayswinging, low full toss in the third. This was the first time since 2015 that Bhuvneshwar did not share the new ball in an IPL game. By the time he came on, the swing had died.

Pant at his destructive best

Batting at No. 3, Pant played a scintillating knock that featured 11 fours, eight sixes and every Pant idiosyncrasy, including a one-handed six, a sideways tumble after failing to reach a wide delivery, and a frontflip to celebrate his hundred.He attacked straightaway. In the fourth over, he hit Yash Dayal for a six and two fours to move to 19 off just eight. That this was already his third-highest score of the season said all you needed to know about his form.1:15

Moody: Wouldn’t have thought Pant was in a form slump

In the seventh over, with no swing on offer, Bhuvneshwar tried a short ball. Pant duly pulled him over deep midwicket for a six. On the next delivery, Livingstone’s misfield at deep square-leg gifted him another boundary. Shortly after that, Pant brought up his fifty, off 29 balls.Mitchell Marsh, who was on 33 off 23 after ten overs, also joined in. Off his next eight balls, he smashed 20. He and Pant added 152 off 78 balls, a stand Bhuvneshwar broke by having Marsh caught behind in the 16th over.Pant was unstoppable, though. He brought up his hundred with a Pant shot and followed it up with a Pant celebration. It was a full and wide delivery from Bhuvneshwar. Pant reached out and scythed it over extra cover for four. By the time he completed the shot, his front leg was in the air, beyond parallel to the ground, the toe pointing towards deep midwicket. After regaining the balance, he looked up, removed his helmet and gloves, and did the flip. The LSG dugout stood up to applaud, as did the home crowd.Jitesh erred in the over distribution. Krunal Pandya, who bowled the second over of the innings, sent down just one more and finished with 2-0-14-0, while Romario Shepherd leaked 51 from his four. By the end of the day, however, he had more than made up for it.

In what could end in a major blow for rivals Manchester United, Liverpool are now reportedly keeping tabs on a transfer target that Ruben Amorim is desperate to sign.

Slot defends Wirtz andLiverpool spending

Despite getting off to a solid start in their Premier League title defence, Arne Slot has been forced to defend big-money signing Florian Wirtz. The German is taking longer than some expected to find his feet at Anfield and the patience of those in the Premier League is far thinner than those in the Bundesliga.

However, the Liverpool boss was quick to remind reporters that the former Bayer Leverkusen star isn’t the only one to struggle when it comes to goals and assists.

Aside from the frustrating criticism, it’s good news for Liverpool that their results have remained the same even without Wirtz at his best. It begs the question of just how ruthless they’ll be once he’s up to speed in England’s top flight.

Slot also defended Liverpool’s spending as a whole, arguing that his side also generated impressive funds through player sales. He told reporters: “No club never sells and only buys. We didn’t have a big squad last season and [this summer] we did sell and bring players in. That is such an exception in English football.”

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Those sales may yet allow those at Anfield to spend once more in 2026, and that should concern Manchester United amid reports that Liverpool are eyeing one of their “key” targets next year.

Liverpool keeping tabs on Baleba

As reported by TeamTalk’s Dean Jones, Liverpool are now keeping tabs on Carlos Baleba, who remains a “key” Man United target and someone that Amorim is desperate to sign next summer. The Red Devils were, of course, priced out of a move by Brighton & Hove Albion this summer, but Liverpool are unlikely to face issues meeting the midfielder’s likely £100m price tag.

Jones told TeamTalk: “Manchester United were the first club to make a move for Baleba in the summer and they still see him as a key target for their long-term rebuild under Amorim.

“There was intent behind that approach, wanting to show the player and club how serious they are. But the concern is that Liverpool’s admiration could turn into something more concrete.

“They’ve already shown this year they’re not afraid to splash out big money on the right player, and if they decided to push for Baleba, United would suddenly find themselves in an unwanted situation. No one wants to go head-to-head with Liverpool – on or off the pitch.”

A move for the Brighton star would also make a lot of sense for Liverpool. Now that Slot operates with a double pivot at the heart of midfield, there’s not many Premier League partnerships that would be able to outperform Ryan Gravenberch and Baleba.

For all the scrutiny on Newcastle United’s inconsistent attack, their defensive organisation has been the team’s saving grace.

Eddie Howe’s side may not have been firing at the other end, but their solidity at the back has provided a foundation to build from.

Heading into their meeting with Arsenal, Newcastle had conceded the lowest expected goals against (xGA) in the Premier League at just 2.5. Compare that with their efforts in offence and the difference is stark.

Lowest Expected Goals (xG) – 2025/26

Burnley

4.5

Aston Villa

5.0

West Ham

5.0

Newcastle United

5.2

Wolves

5.6

Source: Fotmob

That xGA record slipped slightly after the defeat to Mikel Arteta’s side, but they still sit second in that particular metric – underlining the strength of their structure without the ball.

Across their opening fixtures, the Magpies have conceded only five goals, keeping four clean sheets. Only Liverpool and Arsenal have managed to score against them in the league play.

A big part of that early-season resilience has been the work of Tino Livramento, who added balance with his pace and anticipation on the flank.

His injury against Arsenal, which looked serious, could prove damaging to Howe’s plans.

Yet it also highlighted the broader point: Newcastle are in the process of rejuvenating their defensive line.

The partnership of Dan Burn and Fabian Schär has been a reliable one, but with Champions League football and a congested schedule, rotation is no longer optional.

Howe has made it clear that everyone must be ready to slot in seamlessly and that process is beginning to accelerate as one fantastic servant edges towards the twilight of his career.

How Fabian Schär became Newcastle's defensive heartbeat

When Newcastle signed Schär from Deportivo La Coruña in 2018 for just £3m, few predicted he would go on to become one of the club’s most consistent performers of the modern era.

Now into his sixth season, the 33-year-old has amassed 235 appearances, scoring 21 goals and contributing 10 assists – remarkable numbers for a centre-half and a reminder of his set-piece threat.

What sets Schär apart is his technical ability.

Described as a “true legend of the club” by one Newcastle content creator earlier this year, he is most notably comfortable receiving the ball under pressure. The Swiss defender can step out of the backline, carry into midfield, and fire incisive passes through the lines.

Under Howe, that skill has been essential in moving Newcastle away from being a purely reactive side to one that can build attacks from deep.

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He also brings invaluable experience. With 86 international caps for Switzerland before his retirement last year, Schär has featured at World Cups and European Championships, developing into a leader by example rather than volume.

Supporters regard him as one of the best value-for-money signings in the club’s history.

Yet even leaders decline. At 33, Schär has become more vulnerable to injuries, missing recent fixtures due to concussion protocols after a heavy knock against Barcelona in the Champions League.

Subtle lapses – slower reactions to second balls, occasional mistimed challenges – have also crept in.

While his passing remains assured, there is a growing sense that Newcastle must prepare for a future where he is no longer the constant at the heart of their back four.

Newcastle's future leader ready to replace Schar

If Schär represents the present, new signing Malick Thiaw may well be the future.

Signed from AC Milan in the summer for £30m, the Germany international arrived with a reputation as one of Europe’s most technically capable young centre-backs.

At 24 years old, he already had 85 senior appearances for Milan and experience in the Champions League – proof that he can handle high-pressure environments.

Thiaw’s qualities are exactly what Howe seeks in a modern defender.

He is calm in possession, able to turn away from pressure, and plays progressive passes that cut through midfield lines.

Malick Thiaw – 2024/25

Matches Played

22

Tackles

24

Blocks

14

Interceptions

15

Aerial Duels Won

49

Source: FBref

His statistical profile backs this up: with a 93.2% pass completion rate, ranking him in the 95th percentile among his positional peers across Europe, he rarely concedes possession cheaply.

He also averages nearly five progressive passes per 90 minutes, placing him in the 85th percentile – evidence of his willingness to play forward rather than sideways.

His performance against Arsenal offered a glimpse of his potential. Thiaw won four of six aerial duels, cleared the ball eight times, and crucially, was not dribbled past once.

In possession, he completed 20 of his 23 passes, showing the kind of poise that makes him such a natural fit for Howe’s tactical approach.

Defensively, he read danger well, stepping out to intercept once and shepherding Arsenal’s attackers away from goal with his positioning.

Stylistically, Thiaw has drawn comparisons with Ibrahima Konaté and Micky van de Ven – defenders who blend physical dominance with technical assurance.

Newcastle fans already see the potential for Thiaw to form a long-term partnership with Sven Botman, one that could anchor the club’s backline for the next five years.

Of course, the summer arrival still needs to adapt fully to the pace and intensity of the Premier League, but the early signs are encouraging.

With Champions League fixtures demanding rotation, Howe may soon face a decision that seemed unthinkable only a year ago.

Phasing out one of the club’s most reliable veterans in favour of a player who looks ready to lead Newcastle’s defence into a new era.

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Posts ByWill Miller Sep 29, 2025