da wazamba： It seems like Newcastle United’s pursuit of Benjamin Sesko has hit yet another stumbling block. The Magpies are looking to sign the striker, and have gone head-to-head with Premier League rivals Manchester United. After already losing out on Bryan Mbeumo to the Red Devils, it seems Sesko is next.

da premier bet： New reports from David Ornstein on Wednesday morning suggest Ruben Amorim’s side are ‘closing in’ on signing the Slovenian forward. That is despite RB Leipzig accepting a bid of £74m up front, plus add-ons, from Eddie Howe’s Newcastle, with the player wanting to move to Manchester instead.

Thus, Newcastle must turn their attention to a new striker. If recent reports are to be believed, they are targeting someone who outscored Sesko last season.

Newcastle’s next striker target

Losing out on signing Sesko is a huge blow for the Magpies. He is yet another target who has rejected them, with Joao Pedro, Matheus Cunha, Mbeumo and Liam Delap some of the attackers who have gone elsewhere.

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However, they will be hoping to win the race for Brentford striker Yoane Wissa. According to a recent report from TEAMtalk, the 28-year-old ‘is a top alternative’ for the North Eastern outfit, if and when they miss out on signing Sesko, which seems inevitable at this stage.

However, a move for Wissa is something that could progress quickly for Howe’s side. Wissa’s ‘agent is now speaking’ to Newcastle, suggesting that the move is accelerating.

The Bees could ask for as much as £50m this summer if they are to part ways with another of their star attackers.

Why Wissa would be a good signing

It was a fantastic campaign for Wissa in the 2024/25 season. He was a key player for a Brentford side that was flying high under Thomas Frank, and enjoyed his most successful Premier League campaign.

In 35 Premier League appearances for the DR Congo international, he bagged 19 goals and assisted a further five. That exceeded the number of goals Sesko bagged last term, with the 22-year-old Slovenian star finding the back of the net 13 times in the Bundesliga.

One of the standout things about the “exceptional” Wissa, as Frank once called him, is the improvement year-on-year. His first two Premier League seasons saw him score seven times, before he scored 12 in the 2023/24 campaign and, of course, his 19 strikes last term.

The former FC Lorient star would also arguably be a better signing than another reported target, Nicolas Jackson. St James’ Park has been ‘touted’ as a destination for the Chelsea attacker should he leave this summer. He has been offered to Newcastle, according to talkSPORT, with Man United another possible destination, as are Italian giants AC Milan.

Across all competitions, the Senegal striker failed to outscore Wissa last term. He played 37 games for Chelsea, scoring 13 goals in that time, including ten goals in 30 Premier League appearances.

He started quickly, with nine goals in his first 15 games, but struggled to go on a consistent run of form after that.

However, it is not just the pure goal numbers that suggest Wissa is a better striker than Jackson. The stats on FBref go a long way to backing up the theory, and make for excellent reading in the Brentford striker’s favour.

For example, 28-year-old Wissa averaged 0.59 goals and 0.46 goals per shot on target per 90 minutes. In contrast, Chelsea star Jackson averaged just 0.4 goals and 0.29 goals per shot on target each game.

Wissa and Jackson key stats compared

Stat (per 90)

Wissa

Jackson

Goals

0.59

0.4

Goals per shot on target

0.46

0.29

Expected goals

0.57xG

0.5xG

Progressive passes

2.07

1.54

Ball recoveries

2.5

1.94

Stats from FBref

Of course, the £50m fee needed to sign Wissa is a big investment for the Magpies. However, they were willing to invest a hefty £74m fee into Sesko, and signing someone who is proven in the Premier League seems an excellent piece of business.

He is a big upgrade on Jackson, according to the numbers, both from a goalscoring perspective and off the ball. This could be a fantastic deal for Newcastle.

Related New Gordon & Isak: Newcastle in talks for "special" £70m Sesko alternative

Newcastle may have to sell Alexander Isak in the transfer market this month.

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da realsbet： Fabrizio Romano reports that Newcastle United have made fresh contact with a club over the signing of a new striker this summer.

Newcastle see Wissa bid rejected

da bet7k： The Magpies remain adamant that Alexander Isak is going nowhere before the end of the transfer window, but that hasn’t stopped them from pursuing others strikers, following the exit of Callum Wilson.

Wissa has been one of Newcastle’s leading transfer targets in recent months, but earlier this week, they saw a £35m bid for the 28-year-old rejected by Brentford, with a deal potentially rising to £40m.

The west Londoners are holding out for nearer £60m for their striker, not wanting to lose him on the cheap after selling Bryan Mbeumo to Manchester United, but it remains to be seen if the Magpies will be willing to pay that much for him.

Should Wissa become unattainable for Newcastle, it is vital that alternatives are looked at, especially as Isak still isn’t certain to stay at the club. Now, a promising update has dropped regarding another potential signing.

Newcastle make contact to sign Nicolas Jackson

Writing on X, Romano claimed that Newcastle have made fresh efforts to sign Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson this summer, making a call to the Blues in the past few days.

Jackson isn’t necessarily the Premier League’s most ruthless attacking player, but he would have plenty to offer Newcastle, and more importantly, unlike Brentford, Chelsea are planning to sell the player.

Nicolas Jackson’s key club career stats

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Chelsea

81

30

12

Villarreal

48

13

6

Villarreal B

27

7

8

CD Mirandes

17

1

1

In fact, former Liverpool and England striker Peter Crouch believes he is an underrated player who merits more “respect” than he is given currently.

“I think he has been unbelievable. I looked at the stats from last year, and if you take penalties out of it, he’s ahead of Mo Salah. There’s only [Erling] Haaland that’s above him. So many technical players with ability, and that have scored a lot of goals – he’s right up there [with them]. He probably needs a little bit more respect.”

At 24, Jackson is a younger alternative to Wissa, giving him more time to improve further, and while only one of them is needed if Isak stays, bringing in both could be ideal if the Swede ends up moving to Liverpool late in the window.

da blaze casino： Tottenham Hotspur have spoken to a Premier League club as Daniel Levy and co weigh up an “ambitious” late signing, according to a former Spurs employee.

da apostebet： Thomas Frank was gifted a major boost with the signing of playmaker Xavi Simons from RB Leipzig, who joins Spurs in a deal worth £52 million after putting pen to paper on a potential seven-year contract.

An agreement with Leipzig was reached “overnight” (Fabrizio Romano), with a medical taking place on Thursday as the north Londoners dished out a hijack of their own on Chelsea – just over a week after Eberechi Eze was stolen from them by Arsenal.

Simons’ arrival does wonders to combat the losses of James Maddison, who’ll miss most of 25/26 after rupturing his ACL, and Dejan Kulusevski, who remains out for some time with a knee problem.

While Simons is over the line, reports have suggested that Tottenham may not be done in the attacker market just yet, as they’ve been after a winger too.

Spurs’ talks for Savinho, despite Levy’s best efforts, ended up going nowhere – with the Brazilian very likely to stay at Man City barring a dramatic late twist as the Lilywhites turn their attentions to alternative targets.

Son Heung-min’s departure to LAFC earlier this month has left Tottenham short out wide, and one man who could fill the void left by his exit is Aston Villa star Morgan Rogers.

While the England international, valued at £80 million by Villa, is naturally a CAM, he can be deployed on both the left and right-hand side – featuring a lot in those areas under Unai Emery last term.

Rogers bagged 14 goals and 16 assists in all competitions across 24/25, and signing the 23-year-old with Simons would be a major statement of intent.

Tottenham have spoken to Aston Villa about signing Morgan Rogers

According to Tottenham’s former scout, Mick Brown, the north Londoners have spoken to Villa about signing Rogers, in what would be an “ambitious” move from the club.

Some credible reports have stated that Frank would even ideally like two new playmakers rather than one (Gary Jacobs), and Rogers would certainly fit this bill too, but the odds of a deal are growing slimmer by the minute with deadline day on Monday.

da betcris： With each passing season, or even each passing game, what it means to be Manchester United appears to be drifting away.

da bet nacional： No longer a winning machine, the soul of the club has also been somewhat lost of late, amid the relentless redundancies that have been rolled out by the INEOS regime – all to help fund another collection of expensive player incomings.

On the pitch, Ruben Amorim’s persistence with his 3-4-2-1 system appears at odds with the great teams of the past, having slipped so far from the gung-ho, edge-of-your-seat style which was synonymous with Sir Alex Ferguson – and those before him.

A microcosm of the modern game, United’s most damning act has been the repeated selling of the family silver, with academy graduates the major victims in recent years.

Only last summer, the Red Devils shipped Scott McTominay off to Napoli amid the desire to bring in Manuel Ugarte in his place. One of that duo is now a Ballon d’Or nominee…

As for this summer, Alejandro Garnacho has been allowed to join the Chelsea circus, while fellow FA Cup final hero Kobbie Mainoo has been tipped to follow him out the exit door, amid his lack of regular game time.

A player whom Gary Neville suggested the club should be “building [the team] around”, Mainoo simply can’t be allowed to leave. Instead, a new addition is needed to help revive him.

Latest on Man Utd's midfield search

“Now I’m a Baleba…”

The songs had already been written; scarves were no doubt being sold. Alas, unless a drastic change occurs, United won’t be forking out the required £100m plus fee for Brighton and Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba, despite identifying the Cameroonian as a leading target.

With the Seagulls holding firm on their desire to keep hold of their 21-year-old sensation, Amorim’s search for an athletic number eight will have to shift its focus, with the centre of the park in particular need of reinforcement, amid the continued reliance on an ageing Casemiro.

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With that in mind, Caught Offside have reported that United are showing an interest in signing Atletico Madrid midfielder, Conor Gallagher, with the England international seemingly in line for a return to the Premier League.

As per the report, the 25-year-old is available heading into the final days of the window, with the LaLiga outfit slapping a £45m asking price on his head. That would ensure that an offer in that region would likely be accepted.

Unsurprisingly, Amorim and co aren’t alone in their interest, as Tottenham Hotspur are said to be the club who are ‘leading the race’ right now. The Lilywhites are even said to be ready to make a bid.

Why Conor Gallagher could be perfect for Mainoo

The key crux of the issue right now for young Mainoo is that Amorim has outlined that he views the 20-year-old as a competitor, rather than a partner, for Bruno Fernandes in central midfield, thus ensuring his route to game time is severely blocked.

That said, United’s chief creator may well still be better suited to a number ten berth, thus perhaps opening the door for Mainoo to nail down the number eight role instead, having previously thrived in a deeper position during his breakout 2023/24 season.

While last term was a tale of injuries and frustration, it’s easy to forget just what a revelation the Englishman was the year prior, having kicked things off with a Man of the Match display on his first Premier League start at Everton in November 2023.

A meteoric rise over the next few months saw the then-teenager net that Wembley winner, prior to starting every knockout game during England’s surge to the Euro 2024 final – having even started the showpiece defeat to Spain.

A “generational” talent, in the view of teammate Rasmus Hojlund, Mainoo possesses that unerring ability to simply breeze past opponents, with his poise and power having even led Anthony Elanga to describe him as having “similar attributes to Paul Pogba”.

Man Utd’s most valuable graduates

Player

Value

Marcus Rashford

£42m

Scott McTominay

£42m

Kobbie Mainoo

£42m

Alejandro Garnacho

£38m

Anthony Elanga

£36m

Mason Greenwood

£34m

Alvaro Carreras

£30m

Dwight McNeil

£21m

Dean Henderson

£17m

Angel Gomes

£17m

via Transfermarkt

Pogba’s time at United is enough for a 10,000-word piece on its own, but where the Frenchman truly shone was on the international stage, partnering a certain N’Golo Kante as Les Bleus claimed World Cup glory in 2018.

Like the mercurial Pogba, Mainoo is in need of that athletic workhorse alongside him – particularly so in this 3-4-2-1 system.

Enter, Gallagher.

Previously described as being like “Kante with goals” by talkSPORT pundit Tony Cascarino – having also been likened to his ex-Chelsea colleague by Thomas Tuchel – the Atleti star would represent the perfect foil for Mainoo in the engine room.

A pressing “monster” – as per Tom Dutton – the £45m man notably ranked in the top 4% of Champions League midfielders for interceptions per 90 last season, as per FBref, having been a relentless presence in Diego Simeone’s setup.

Also ranking in the top 1% for passes between 15 and 30 yards, the one-time Crystal Palace loanee plays a simple but effective game, ensuring he could win back possession, before picking out the likes of Mainoo ahead of him.

That’s not to say he’s simply the archetypal ‘piano carrier’, however, with Gallagher also offering a real threat in his own right in attack, having registered six goals and assists in LaLiga last term. His pass accuracy rate of 87%, as per Sofascore, is also nothing to be sniffed at.

There might be more technically proficient players on the market, but few boast such impressive physical traits, with the Cobham graduate perhaps representing the athletic solution that Amorim has been searching for all summer.

If a deal can be struck in the dying embers, it could well be just what is needed to get the best out of Mainoo again. Should Amorim fail to revive United’s golden boy, on his head be it…

da mrbet： Manchester United are now preparing a £50m+ bid for an “unbelievable” star, who is keen on a move to Old Trafford, and they are frontrunners in the race for his signature.

Man Utd's midfield called into question by Scholes

da betsson： After a very disappointing start to the new campaign, Man United legend Paul Scholes has questioned the decision to deploy Bruno Fernandes in an unfavoured position, saying: “There’s too much indecision in the midfield area, you think of Casemiro. He’s been a brilliant player, but we know his deficiencies, don’t we?”

“Fernandes [and Casemiro], they’re the two he’s [Amorim] going with, and Fernandes for me, he’s someone who fills in as a midfielder, he might get away with it for one, two or three games. He’s not got the discipline to be a central midfield player.”

Given that Fernandes has been one of United’s best players for quite some time, chipping in with 19 Premier League goal contributions last season, there is a feeling the 30-year-old is being shoehorned into the starting XI.

However, despite scraping a 3-2 victory against Burnley, Ruben Amorim’s play-style clearly isn’t working, meaning the 40-year-old may need to bring in a central midfielder who is better suited to his system in January.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Man United are now preparing a £50m+ bid for Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, who is eager to embark on a new challenge at an elite club, meaning he is keen on a move to Old Trafford.

United have identified Wharton as a key target for the January transfer window, having also expressed interest in the summer, but Oliver Glasner blocked an exit, given that Eberechi Eze and Marc Guehi were also attracting widespread interest.

The 21-year-old has been identified as a long-term replacement for Casemiro, but there could be competition for his signature, with Chelsea said to be frontrunners alongside the Red Devils.

"Unbelievable" Wharton could be ideal signing for Amorim

Man United need to bring in a midfielder suited to Amorim’s style of play, and the Palace star fits the bill in that regard, having flourished under Glasner’s 3-4-2-1 system.

Guehi has been left particularly impressed by his teammate’s ability in possession, claiming the Englishman is “unbelievable” on the ball last season, but that is far from his only strength, as detailed by former WhoScored contributor Ben McAleer.

The fact Wharton is strong at winning back possession means he could be a solid long-term heir to Casemiro, but the Brazilian may still have plenty left to give, given the level of some of his performances over the past year.

Statistic

Average per 90

Tackles

4.14 (99th percentile)

Clearances

2.77 (94th percentile)

Blocks

2.37 (99th percentile)

Aerials won

2.18 (94th percentile)

da supremo： Ryder Cup star Ludvig Aberg has revealed he grew up idolising an England great, who he “wanted to be like” back when he was playing.

da cassino online： Aberg burst onto the scene at the 2023 Ryder Cup, only three months after deciding to turn professional as a golfer, and the 25-year-old is now gearing up for the 2025 edition of the prestigious tournament, having established himself as a top player.

The Swede is now 14th in the world rankings, off the back of two PGA Tour wins, securing victories at the RSM Classic in November 2023, before going on to win the Genesis Invitational in February 2025.

The Team Europe member has clearly found his calling in golf, but he has revealed that football is another one of his passions, and he continues to regularly play the sport with his friends whenever he gets the chance.

Aberg said: “Football was actually my first pick for a long time. I still adore playing whenever I’m home, I still play with my buddies and I still watch a lot of football. But it was probably right around I was 15 when I first started playing golf a lot more.

“When I moved to high school, that’s when I stopped playing football. I missed it, it’s a cool sport, I still watch Liverpool as much as I can.”

The golf sensation is indeed a huge Liverpool fan, and he named one of the club’s greatest ever players as his idol growing up.

Aberg and McIlroy will need to put aside football rivalries at Ryder Cup

Rory McIlroy might have something to say about his teammate supporting Liverpool, given that he has previously revealed he was a Manchester United fan growing up, with the Northern Irishman idolising a different England legend – Wayne Rooney.

Football rivalries didn’t come between the teammates last time around, however, with Luke Donald captaining Europe to victory, and they will be hoping to make it two wins in a row when the 2025 edition starts on September 25th.

It is no surprise that Aberg named Gerrard as his hero growing up, given that the Liverpool legend won nearly everything there was to win at club level, while also proving himself as a big-game player, memorably scoring a last-minute screamer in the last minute of the 2006 FA Cup final.

Aberg will be hoping he can be just as influential later this month, and McIlroy certainly believes he has what it takes, saying after the 2023 edition: “He was absolutely incredible in the Ryder Cup. I keep saying to everyone, ‘I’m glad he’s European.’ I’m glad he’s on my team.”

da bet sport： Sheffield United have made a terrible start to the Championship campaign and may now be about to enact a seismic managerial change at Bramall Lane.

Sheffield United on end of rout at Ipswich Town

da luck： Truthfully, the Blades were hammered against Ipswich Town on Friday night, and pressure on Ruben Selles has reached fever pitch after a 5-0 scoreline at Portman Road.

Prolonging their hapless start to the campaign, Sheffield United are now on a run of six straight defeats, scoring only one goal during that time and shipping 14 times, painting a bleak picture at both ends of the pitch.

Clearly, any thought of positive synergy between Selles and his players is far from reality at this moment in time, though he has maintained that he will continue to try and turn things around at Bramall Lane.

He stated in his post-match press conference: “It doesn’t matter what I believe (about my future), but I will keep working until the last moment. I have to take the pain and analyse what we want for the next game to try to beat the next opponent.”

Controversially, Danny Rohl was briefly linked with the Sheffield United job before reports were shot down, something that would’ve made for interesting reading amid his recent stint in charge at rivals Sheffield Wednesday.

From the outside looking in, change is necessary before the campaign begins to provoke grave possibilities for the Blades, who find themselves a sizeable margin adrift of the playoff places even at an early stage.

With supporters holding out for a hero, they may now be set to find out the identity of their potential new manager, with Selles on the brink.

Sheffield United make stunning Chris Wilder approach

According to Sheffield Star journalist Danny Hall on X, Sheffield United have approached Chris Wilder over returning to the club for a third time as patience wears thin following their run of defeats under Selles.

Separately, the Blades are also looking to change things around upstairs by installing a football representative in a technical role, or perhaps even a director of football to help steady the ship.

Wilder, who has 384 wins across his managerial career, including 140 at Sheffield United, has been out of work since being dismissed at Bramall Lane during the summer following a near miss in last term’s playoff final defeat to Sunderland.

Incredibly, he could now be drafted back into the dugout for a third spell in charge, with his best achievements being earning promotion to the Championship in 2016/17, taking the Blades to the Premier League two years later and finishing in the top-half circa 2019/20.

Becoming an immensely popular figure among supporters, Sheffield United could be set to enact a change that nobody saw coming given the recent history between all parties mentioned.

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