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تحدث أيمن أشرف لاعب الأهلي ومنتخب مصر السابق، عن أداء محمد شريف مهاجم الأهلي مع منتخب مصر الثاني في بطولة كأس العرب. 

وكان منتخب مصر تعادل في الجولة الماضية مع منتخب الكويت بهدف لكل فريق، في الجولة الاولى من دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس العرب. 

طالع.. أحمد حسن يوضح حقيقة استبعاد محمد شريف من منتخب مصر بعد اعتراضه

وقال أيمن أشرف في تصريحات على قناة “إم بي سي مصر2”: “زاملت محمد شريف في النادي الأهلي ومنتخب مصر، الفترة الأخيرة يتعرض لهجوم شديد من بعض الجماهير، هذا ليس مبررًا أن يتراجع مستواه”.

وأضاف: “محمد شريف بعيد عن مستواه منذ فترة ويحتاج إلى أن يراجع نفسه ويعود محمد شريف الذي نعرفه، أوقات يكون واقف خطأ داخل منطقة الجزاء، كان دائمًا تمركزاته صحيحة جدًا داخل منطقة الجزاء”. 

وتابع: “يوجد بعض الفرص التي يهدرها محمد شريف بشكل غريب، ولكن شريف إمكانياته كبيرة جدًا”.

Manchester United are in transition, but after a 2024/25 campaign that must be buried and forgotten, Ruben Amorim has succeeded in endowing his squad with more zest and zeal than was previously on display.

Amorim’s United have a perfectly respectable Premier League record so far this season. Seventh in the standings, the five-match unbeaten streak has eased the pressure and placed the side in a promising position, only four points behind second-place Manchester City.

Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha have played crucial parts in achieving this. INEOS have revamped the Red Devils’ frontline, and now there is far more togetherness and understanding when on the attack.

But, as United look to wedge their way back into the Champions League and then compete for that silver cup after so many years, Amorim may fancy a higher breed of player, and it would indeed appear that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co are aiming for the stars.

Man Utd eyeing marquee signing

Manchester United are one of the biggest clubs in the world, but for too long they have struggled to match that reputation with sustained success on the field.

While the Theatre of Dreams crop have edged back onto the once-trodden path, it seems INEOS are interested in a marquee addition to balance against the shrewd summer signings. Someone like Cristiano Ronaldo, perhaps?

Not an easy task, replicating that one-time signing under Sir Alex Ferguson, which proved to be one of the best in the history of the game, with CR7 of course now recognised as one of the finest and most accomplished footballers in history.

But United should be aiming to sign one of the game’s superstars, a game-changer whose quality differs from everyone else under Amorim’s wing.

Maybe that’s why Man United are interested in striking a deal for Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior, whose future in the Spanish capital has been a hot topic for several years at this stage.

Vinicius Jr, 25, is reported by Spanish sources to be considering a shock departure from Real Madrid, given that he no longer feels like the protagonist next to Kylian Mbappe.

United are on red alert, and are even understood to have prepared a £200m offer to lure him away from the Santiago Bernabeu.

Chelsea are also long-term admirers, and so INEOS and Jason Wilcox would need to act speedily to get this one over the line.

What Vinicius Junior would offer Man Utd

Vinicius Jr is widely recognised as one of the most talented forwards of his generation. Having joined Real Madrid from Flamengo for just south of £39m in 2018, the Brazilian has scored 111 goals and supplied 87 assists across 338 senior outings, notably winning two Champions League and three La Liga titles.

A big-game player and with so many different ways to hurt his opponents, the £353k-per-week talent has been embroiled in something of a tumultuous year at Real Madrid, and it’s starting to look increasingly likely that he will not see out the duration of his prime in the iconic white shirt.

Mercurial, dynamic and always dangerous, Vinicius Jr is blessed with such frightening speed and control when on the ball, such creativity when zipping up and down the left flank.

Hailed as a “legend in the making” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Vinicius Jr could reach that potential by completing a reversal of Ronaldo’s record-breaking transfer to Spain way back when, taking his world-class reputation and hitting new heights in a different league.

The 2024 Ballon d’Or runner-up’s volatile nature at times is also part of what makes him special. He is a natural-born competitor, and he hates losing. Perhaps Man United need such a player, someone with the aura and determination of Ronaldo.

There have been several flare-ups in Spain this season for the South American star. He has been somewhat at odds with new manager Xabi Alonso, and he has blanked across his past four La Liga matches, albeit still having scored five goals and provided four assists across 12 matches.

But there’s no denying Mbappe has taken on the focal role, and it is for this reason that Vini might want to leave, moving to United and earning greater tactical freedom to play across the frontline and in a role that would see him designated as the club’s superstar.

Left winger

284

86

73

Centre-forward

60

29

15

Right winger

14

3

2

Attacking midfield

2

1

0

Ronaldo proved he could do it over several years in the Premier League, but then he transcended expectations when moving to Real Madrid and becoming their main man.

The Portuguese legend scored 145 goals for United across two spells, winning the Ballon d’Or – the first of five – in 2008 and claiming three Premier League titles and the first of many Champions League trophies across that glittering first stint, led by Sir Alex.

Vinicius Jr has enjoyed illustrious success in Spain and is accepted by all as one of the game’s finest. But could it be that he too needs to enjoy the talismanic handle to hit his finest form? In this, he could find that United offer the perfect platform for him to slide into, tackling a project that needs plenty of work but is showing the signs of a corner turned.

Under Amorim’s guidance at Old Trafford, he could achieve this, emulating his Los Blancos idol in leaving Real Madrid after sustained success and forging a new path.

The respective situations are hardly identical, but there are undoubtedly similarities, and Vincius Jr has the power and personality to hit the jackpot in England and lead the Man United resurgence, combining with Mbeumo and Cunha and Benjamin Sesko to restore United to their one-time power as a behemoth of the British and European game.

Forget Bruno and De Ligt: Man Utd "monster" is looking like a new captain

This Manchester United star is now looking like captain material for Ruben Amorim this season.

ByDan Emery Nov 17, 2025

As far as Arne Slot’s Liverpool are concerned, there hasn’t been much to write home about this season.

It’s been difficult, for a great number of reasons, and the Reds have slumped to five defeats from six matches in the Premier League. They say it’s too early to make such calls at this stage of the campaign, but Liverpool simply cannot be considered as title contenders unless something significant shifts in the coming weeks and months.

Physicality and control. Two central tenets of any Premier League midfield worth their salt, and especially so for Liverpool. However, Slot’s side have lacked both in equally concerning measure for much of the term so far.

And with that in mind, we can’t help but recall the days of Gini Wijnaldum in the middle of the park, for the Dutchman is very much missed right now.

Why Gini Wijnaldum left Liverpool

Wijnaldum has plied his trade away from Anfield for four years now, and it’s perhaps fair to say that Liverpool have not replaced his profile in the years since. The 35-year-old was very distinctive in his style for the Reds.

Liverpool signed Wijnaldum from Newcastle United in 2016 after their relegation from the Premier League. Wijnaldum was among the standout Magpies that year.

He was an attacking midfielder and had put four past Norwich City early in the campaign, a bright flicker in a dark year on Tyneside. However, Jurgen Klopp fashioned the Dutchman into an industrious, press-resistent central midfielder, part of an energetic centre that charged Liverpool’s glittering success of the past decade.

Though Wijnaldum didn’t score often for the Merseysiders, he came up trumps on a few occasions, alright, and scribed his name into the record books when bagging a brace off the bench on that night against Barcelona.

So cool and composed and calm on the ball, Gini was the metronome in the middle. To think that he played in advanced roles with consistency during his days with Newcastle and PSV Eindhoven before that is a marker of Klopp’s tactical brain, successfully reshaping into something that produced fewer show-stopping moments but contributed more greatly to the Liverpool project.

Liverpool miss him, for sure, but there’s a member of Slot’s squad who is beginning to show signs of the Netherlands man’s former qualities.

Liverpool's new version of Wijnaldum

Slot’s own ‘version’ of Wijnaldum might not be stylistically the same, but he’s playing a versatile and yet singular role for the Anfield side this season.

Enter Dominik Szoboszlai, the shining light of Liverpool’s dreary campaign so far.

The Hungarian has been hailed by reporter Lewis Steele as being Liverpool’s “player of the season” so far. Admittedly, the bar isn’t high, but Szoboszlai ranks highly across the whole of Europe in regard to individual efforts, having matured into a leader as well as a tireless source of energy and a technically proficient technician.

To say that he’s come on leaps and bounds would be quite the understatement, and this with Liverpool struggling to muster any kind of form.

Klopp oversaw the £60m signing of RB Leipzig’s talented playmaker in 2023, beating Newcastle to his signature. Szoboszlai has ebbed and flowed in a Liverpool shirt, criticised at times for his lack of end product. At the end of Klopp’s reign, Szoboszlai fell out to the fringes, starting only one of the final six Premier League fixtures of the term, and was hooked at half-time during a miserable home defeat to Crystal Palace before that.

Since Slot has taken to the dugout, Szoboszlai’s role has changed some, and that has become crystal clear this season, for he has never been more involved, never more entrusted with a starring role in the side, hailed as a “proper leader” and Liverpool’s star man by content creator Jonathan Morley.

Szoboszlai is a player whose skill and tenacity out of possession, his intelligence and vision and ability to do the right thing at the right time, make him a unique and priceless part of a system. Wijnaldum-esque, perhaps.

Gini was, after all, lauded as being “irreplaceable” for Liverpool by correspondent Richard Jolly. He wasn’t a vocal leader on the field, but the former Netherlands international provided a calming presence, redefined once he settled in on Merseyside and then became a central part of one of the glittering outfits of their age.

Liverpool may not be at the races this season, but there’s a long road still ahead, and with Szoboszlai shaping into an all-action midfielder of the highest class, Slot’s own version of Wijnaldum, there will be hope that the rest of these talented players can recover their levels and match Szoboszlai’s commitment and desire.

His free-kick against Arsenal, sealing victory against Mikel Arteta’s title challengers toward the start of the season, his Man of the Match performances on a number of occasions already, Szoboszlai is the real deal, alright, and when Liverpool do return to form, he might just reach even loftier levels under Slot’s wing.

Szoboszlai has been Liverpool’s standout player this season, and though this has been tempered by the otherwise miserable performances, solace can be found in the knowledge that Slot has unearthed the club’s latest superstar.

FSG sold an "incredible" Liverpool talent & it's a bigger mistake than Diaz

Liverpool are already starting to regret this £15m sale.

By
Angus Sinclair

Nov 14, 2025

كشف محمد أبو العلا طبيب منتخب مصر الأول لكرة القدم عن التشخيص المبدئي لثلاثي منتخب مصر، حمدي فتحي وأحمد سيد زيزو وصلاح محسن.

وكان منتخب مصر قد تعرض للهزيمة بالأمس أمام منتخب أوزبكستان وديًا، بهدفين دون رد، على هامش استعدادات الفراعنة لبطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا. 

طالع.. طريقة WM تعود للواجهة.. سر ارتباك منتخب مصر أمام أوزبكستان والخسارة بثنائية

وقال أبو العلا في تصريحات للمركز الإعلامي لاتحاد الكرة: “إصابة حمدي فتحي في عضلات الساق، بينما يعاني أحمد سيد زيزو من إصابة في الأوتار المحيطة بالركبة، ويعاني صلاح محسن من إصابة في العضلة الخلفية”.

ويشارك منتخب مصر في دورة ودية، على هامش معسكره في الإمارات رفقة منتخبات إيران وأوزبكستان وكاب فيردي. 

وسيلاقي منتخب مصر في مباراته المقبلة نظيره منتخب كاب فيردي، في مباراة تحديد المركزيث الثالث والرابع في الدورة الودية بالإمارات. 

يذكر أن منتخب كاب فيردي قد خسر في مباراته أمام منتخب إيران بركلات الترجيح، ليضرب موعدًا مع منتخب مصر. 

Former German legends Dietmar Hamann and Oliver Kahn have criticised the inclusion of Said El Mala in Julian Nagelsmann’s Germany squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifying matches. Kahn argued that players should not be selected based on just two or three good performances, while Hamann felt that Nagelsmann should have waited until March next year to give El Mala his first opportunity with the national team.

• El Mala's selection to the German national team

  Germany sit joint top of their World Cup qualification group alongside Slovakia and are on the verge of securing automatic qualification for the 2026 tournament. Wins against Luxembourg and Slovakia in their upcoming fixtures would seal their place at the World Cup. Coach Nagelsmann’s latest squad announcement marked the return of key players Leroy Sane and Malick Thiaw, both of whom have been recalled after a lengthy absence. The big surprise in the squad was the inclusion of youngster El Mala, who has impressed with his recent club performances. 

  Nagelsmann commented on the selection, saying he wants El Mala to express his carefree nature. The coach emphasised his preference for giving young players opportunities to represent the national team, stating: “Said should get the chance to show his carefreeness and easygoingness with us. We have an eye on our U21 players and always want to give them the chance to feature for the senior national team.”

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  Hamann's criticism

  However, former German midfielder Hamann criticised the selection of El Mala, saying that Nagelsmann should have waited until spring as there is already too much hype surrounding the youngster. He said on : “For me, the nomination comes too early. I would have waited until spring; he could still have been nominated then. There's a lot of hype surrounding the lad right now anyway.

  “You could have invited El Mala at any time if he continued playing like this. That's why it's too early for me.”

  Hamann also felt that El Mala was fortunate, recalling that during his playing days, footballers with fewer than 50 Bundesliga appearances were not even considered for selection. He said: “In my day, the national coach wouldn't even look at players with fewer than 50 Bundesliga appearances. After 70 or 80 games, you might find yourself on his radar.”

• El Mala's great start to the season

  El Mala has earned widespread praise for his impressive performances this season, scoring four goals and providing one assist in nine games, despite starting only twice, helping Koln rise to seventh in the table. Operating as a right winger in Lukas Kwasniok’s 3-4-3 system, El Mala combines quick feet, sharp decision-making, and excellent vision to create constant danger in the final third. His pace and agility make him extremely difficult to defend against in one-on-one situations, while his ability to shift lanes quickly despite his height adds unpredictability. 

  Additionally, his explosive acceleration makes him a key weapon in Koln’s high-pressing system. However, Koln sporting director Thomas Kessler looked to temper the growing hype around the youngster, saying: “His first appearances were very promising. However, it shouldn't be forgotten that the match against Dortmund at the weekend was only his second start in the Bundesliga. Expectations in Cologne can be immense.”

  German and Bayern legend Kahn echoed Kessler’s sentiments, saying that players should not be selected for the national team based on just a few good performances. He remarked: “I'm not a big fan of bringing in the guys right away after they've played two or three good games."

  He added: "But the coach also has a responsibility with such young players. And we all know: Julian Nagelsmann is very experimental. Sometimes even impulsive. Meaning: he observes a player who he'd like to see play, without considering the potential consequences. (…) Right now, the national team needs to focus on finding the team that you feel has a chance at the upcoming World Cup."

  However, the former goalkeeper took a more lenient stance than Hamann, acknowledging that national team coaches often want to assess how players adapt and perform within the group. He explained: “On the other hand, you also have to understand that a national coach wants to see and feel the guys – how they perform in training and how they function in the group. Therefore, I can understand the nomination.”

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  Germany's world cup qualification challenge

  Nagelsmann will hope that El Mala can make a positive impact when Germany face Luxembourg and Slovakia, helping the team secure automatic qualification for the World Cup and, in the process, justify his selection.

تحدد موعد انطلاق معسكر منتخب مصر الأول، خلال فترة التوقف الدولي المقبلة، ضمن استعداداته قبل المشاركة ببطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا.

وتنطلق بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا يوم 21 ديسمبر المقبل وتنتهي في 18 يناير من عام 2026 في المغرب.

طالع.. خاص | موعد إعلان منتخب مصر عن قائمة معسكر نوفمبر

وعلم بطولات، أن معسكر منتخب مصر ينطلق يوم 10 نوفمبر الجاري، في الإمارات استعدادًا للدورة الودية.

ومن المقرر أن يلعب منتخب مصر في بطولة ودية بالإمارات تضم منتخبات الرأس الأخضر وإيران وأوزبكستان.

ويتواجد منتخب مصر على رأس المجموعة الثانية في بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا، رفقة جنوب إفريقيا وأنجولا وزيمبابوي.

وتلعب منافسات بطولة كأس السوبر المصري، في الإمارات بمشاركة أندية الأهلي والزمالك وبيراميدز وسيراميكا كليوباترا، حيث تقام لقاءات نصف النهائي اليوم، على أن يلعب النهائي يوم الأحد 9 نوفمبر.

Leeds United play host to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League at Elland Road on Saturday in their last match before the international break.

Their clash with Spurs means that there will be a reunion for Daniel Farke and some of the players with former Leeds loanee Djed Spence, who has emerged as a regular starter at full-back for Thomas Frank.

The England international spent the first half of the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Elland Road from the Premier League side, but it did not quite work out for him in West Yorkshire.

Why it did not work out for Djed Spence at Leeds

After playing just seven matches in the Championship, Leeds opted to send him back to Spurs in the January transfer window and Farke suggested that his professionalism played a part in that decision.

When asked about why Spence’s loan was cut short, Farke said: “Listen, in the summer we came here in order to create and to bring new values and to create a new culture within the club and when we speak about a player if he’s on here on a permanent or a loan deal, we have expectations and these expectations are in several topics important.

“Obviously it’s important, the potential and the quality of the player but also it’s professionalism, it’s discipline, it’s workload on and off the pitch and also the soft skills, so also if he’s positive and committed, good for the group and engaged with these topics, paint then more or less a picture.”

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Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Whilst Spence’s professionalism may have been one of the reasons behind why the loan did not work out, the form of Archie Gray at right-back and Junior Firpo at left-back also played a major role because it meant that the loanee could not break into the XI.

Now, there is a player in the current Leeds squad who is in a similar situation and is in danger of becoming Farke’s next Spence at Elland Road.

The Leeds player who is in danger of becoming the next Djed Spence

The Championship champions agreed a deal worth up to £10m to sign James Justin from Leicester City in the summer transfer window to add quality to their full-back department.

Up to £10m on a 27-year-old back-up full-back may not have been the best allocation of funds, given that the Whites did not sign any right-wingers or number tens to bolster their attack in the window.

Speaking on talkSPORT, presenter Jeff Stelling said: “James Justin has been a very good player, good enough to win England caps, but he’s struggled for form in the last couple of seasons, I think it’s fair to say.”

He added: “I think they need to bring a Jack Grealish type figure in, someone who you know, the fans can really get excited about.

“And however well Justin does, the fans are not going to get excited about signing a full-back.”

The comment from Stelling about the defender’s struggles was interesting. Justin made two errors that led to goals as Leicester were relegated from the Premier League last season, per Sofascore, which shows that Leeds were not signing a player who was in great form or full of confidence.

Bournemouth

0

N/A

Wolves

12

0

Fulham

0

N/A

Newcastle

10

0

As you can see in the table above, the English full-back has only played 22 minutes of football since being signed for an initial fee of £8m from the Foxes.

Gabriel Gudmundsson and Jayden Bogle appear to have the full-back positions locked down, as Gray and Firpo did when Spence was at the club, and Justin is in real danger of struggling for minutes throughout the campaign unless injuries present him with an opportunity.

This is why the former Leicester man may follow the same path that Spence and Isaac Schmidt, who left to join Werder Bremen on loan this summer, followed as back-up full-back options under Farke.

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ByKelan Sarson Oct 2, 2025

Justin will be hoping that he can get a chance to impress and nail down a place in the starting XI by producing quality performances, to avoid getting to January and having to make a decision about his game time, as Spence and Leeds had to do in 2024.

It’s been a pretty good start to the season for Arsenal so far this year.

Mikel Arteta’s side may have lost to Liverpool before the international break, but they did so due to a freak free-kick.

Moreover, they’ve won their other three Premier League games without conceding a goal and came out 2-0 winners from their Champions League opener last night.

Moreover, the team was seriously strengthened over the summer, with stars like Eberechi Eze coming in, although he ended up costing more than three other stars of the squad did combined.

Eze's start to life at Arsenal

While his £67.5m price tag means he is still some distance away from being Arsenal’s most expensive signing, there was still an expectation that Eze would be able to make a quick impact at the club this season.

After all, he’s Premier League proven and racked up a brilliant tally of 14 goals and 11 assists in 43 games for Crystal Palace last season.

Unfortunately, although he did a couple of good things on his debut away to Liverpool, he was only given 20 minutes of action; therefore, it’s hard to take anything from that game.

However, he was handed his first start on the weekend, and considering he received an 8/10 match rating from Sam Tabuteau, it would be fair to say he made quite the impression.

His standout contribution came when he provided a brilliant assist for Viktor Gyokeres in the first minute of the second half, but he did so much more than that.

For example, he completed three dribbles, was accurate in 100% of his long balls, won two fouls and was generally a threat and positive outlet whenever he had the ball at his feet.

He wasn’t quite able to replicate this in Bilbao, though, as even though he didn’t put in a bad performance, he did struggle to have as much of an impact on the game.

In fact, in his 71 minutes of action, the Greenwich-born ace amassed a paltry combined expected goals and assist figure of 0.14, didn’t take a single shot on target and failed to create a big chance.

In short, we’ve seen what Eze can do at his best in the game against Forest, but we’ve also seen how starting out wide can sometimes cause him to fade out of games.

Arteta will be hoping to see more of the former for the price the Englishman cost, although the price of players doesn’t always reflect their ability, as a trio of Arsenal stars somehow cost the club less than Eze combined.

The Arsenal trio who cost less than Eze

Arsenal have made more than their fair share of bargain signings over the years, from Gabriel Martinelli to David Raya and even arguably Jurrien Timber.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, in this instance, we are talking about the defensive trio of William Saliba, who cost around £27m, Gabriel Maghalese, who cost £23m and Cristhian Mosquera, who cost just £13m.

In other words, the Gunners formed one of the best centre-back pairings in world football and signed an incredibly exciting prospect for a combined price of just £63m.

Let’s start with Saliba and Gabriel, as even though the North Londoners team is full of important players, an argument could be made that they are the most important.

They’ve now played 118 games together, winning 77 of them, drawing 18, losing 23 and averaging 2.11 points per game.

Appearances

118

Minutes

9819′

Wins

77

Draws

18

Losses

23

Points per Game

2.11

Goals Conceded

113

Moreover, the outrageously impressive pairing has only conceded 113 goals in that time, and it feels like they could let in even fewer this season.

Moving on to the young Spaniard, and while it is early, he’s already shown enough to convince some fans that he is going to be a superstar.

For example, in the game against Bilbao, the defensive “monster,” as dubbed by one analyst, made six clearances, took 93 touches, made one tackle and was accurate in 75 of 79 passes.

Moreover, FBref already rank him in the top 7% of centre-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for ball recoveries, meaning he can be relied upon to put out fires.

Ultimately, Arsenal have managed to sign two of the best defenders in the world and one of the most exciting up-and-coming defenders for less than Eze’s transfer fee, which is business that should be applauded.

Fewer touches than Raya: Arteta must drop 4/10 Arsenal star after Bilbao

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Newcastle United are in the race to hijack Bayern Munich’s transfer for a £22.5m attacker in the final days of the transfer window.

Newcastle working to sign forwards with Isak still on strike

Following a Premier League defeat to Liverpool, Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak remains on strike as he looks to push through a move to Anfield.

Despite the intervention of chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Isak still wants to sign for the Reds, with Newcastle holding out for £150m after rejecting an opening offer worth £110m.

A PIF delegation, along with co-owner Jamie Reuben, met Isak at his home on Monday before the 3-2 loss to Liverpool, however, there wasn’t much progress in regards to getting the forward back involved with the first-team squad.

PIF and those behind the scenes at St James’ Park now need to bring in attackers of their own before agreeing to sell Isak in a record deal, with Wolves’ Jorgen Strand Larsen a top target for the Magpies.

Newcastle have now had two offers turned down for the Norwegian, and elsewhere Brentford’s Yoane Wissa has also been heavily linked with a transfer.

Strand Larsen and Wissa aren’t the only two Premier League targets for Newcastle, though, in what promises to be a chaotic end to the transfer window on Tyneside.

Newcastle in race for Bayern target Nicolas Jackson

Newcastle are in the race to sign Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea despite a loan bid having been received for the striker from Bayern Munich, according to the PA news agency.

The 24-year-old, who cost the Blues £22.5m from Villarreal, has been told he can leave Stamford Bridge before Monday. The Blues favour a permanent transfer ahead of next week’s deadline, but the only bid so far has come from the Bundesliga champions for a season-long arrangement.

Newcastle want a resolution to Isak’s future before moving for Jackson, who does not have a future at Chelsea following the arrivals of strikers Joao Pedro from Brighton and Liam Delap from Ipswich.

Chelsea need to offload Jackson and Christopher Nkunku in order to move forward with moves for RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons – who favours a move to west London – and Manchester United’s unwanted winger Alejandro Garnacho.

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Jackson has been the Blues’ main striker for the last two seasons but endured an almost five-month goal drought in the league between December and May last season. However, he has scored two goals against the Magpies in the past, both in Premier League wins for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

With attackers desperately needed at St James’ Park before Monday, Jackson looks like one to watch for Newcastle.

U.S. international Max Arfsten has reportedly extended his contract with MLS side Columbus Crew, ending speculation over the near future for the wingback. Arfsten was linked with a move away from Columbus, with Middlesbrough reportedly being the most interested club. Now the Crew secure a player whose stock is rising under USMNT coach Mauricio Pochettino.

Getty ImagesStaying in Ohio

An invaluable member of the Crew, Arfsten has also become a rising player in the USMNT setup. He received his first cap under Pochettino in January and played in 12 matches overall in 2025. 

The Crew reportedly ensured that they'll retain a homegrown player who has a good chance of making next year's World Cup roster. Arfsten is also in the midst of another banner year for the club, having four goals and six assists in 26 games.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportA growing trend

The U.S. Gold Cup roster featured 15 MLS players, reflecting a growing trend of U.S. internationals choosing to extend their futures in the league or return after stints abroad. 

Goalkeeper Matt Turner rejoined the New England Revolution on loan, while Paxten Aaronson signed with the Colorado Rapids after a season at Utrecht. Homegrown talents such as Matt Freese and now Max Arfsten have also opted for new deals with their MLS clubs instead of testing the waters in Europe.

Growing USMNT influence

According to U.S. Soccer Players, there are 86 players with at least one U.S. cap in MLS. 

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USA TodayBig matches ahead for the Crew

The Crew, uncharacteristically, find themselves scrapping to stay in the playoff chase after being one of the Eastern Conference's perennial contenders under manager Wilfried Nancy. They sit eighth in the conference and have a pivotal match against No. 9 team, the Chicago Fire, on Saturday.