All posts by h716a5.icu

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s (KSA) Public Investment Fund (PIF) are reportedly now ‘ready’ to sign Aaron Hickey for Newcastle United this summer.

The Lowdown: ‘Amazing’ development

Former teammate at Hearts – and now part of the coaching team for Scotland – Steven Naismith has hailed Hickey’s ‘amazing’ development since leaving the country to sign for Bologna in Italy.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-6/” title=”Newcastle news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Indeed, he played in all but two games in the Serie A this season, scoring five goals and making one assist from full-back (ninth-fewest goals in the division, finishing 13th on a very low budget.

His performances earned Hickey his first two senior caps for Scotland back in March, at the tender age of just 19.

The Latest: Newcastle ‘ready’

As per Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), the St. James’ Park faithful are now ‘ready’ to sign Hickey ‘above all’, with Arsenal and Brentford also thought to be interested in his signature.

He is likely to cost in the region of €25m (£21.3m), should he make the switch to the North East.

The Verdict: Sign

At 19 years of age, Hickey has the world at his feet, and there is no doubting his potential having already played at a high level for club and country.

He is equally as comfortable at playing at right-back and left-back, which makes him a handy option for Eddie Howe, and at six-foot tall, could perhaps even do a job as a central defender if needed.

Nonetheless, £21.3m could end up being a small price to pay if he rapidly develops over the next few years.

In other news, find out which ‘outstanding leader’ could now join the Magpies here!

Antonio Conte reportedly has his sights set on bringing Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling to Tottenham Hotspur this summer, according to The Telegraph.

The Lowdown: Sterling profiled

The 27-year-old joined the Sky Blues in a £49m move from Premier League rivals Liverpool seven years ago, and he has since gone on to make 339 appearances for his current club, scoring 131 goals and providing 95 assists during that time, as per Transfermarkt.

Despite still having just over a year remaining on his contract with Pep Guardiola’s side, the winger has been heavily linked with a move away from the Premier League champions, with the likes of Barcelona and Chelsea being named as potential suitors.

However, following a fresh update, it would now appear as though the most current interest is coming from the Lilywhites.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-latest-developments-2/” title=”Tottenham latest developments!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Spurs line up Sterling swoop

In a new article published by The Telegraph, it is claimed that Sterling is a player that Conte would ‘no doubt’ look at signing if he decides to leave City. However, it remains ‘highly questionable’ whether or not Spurs would be able to afford his wages and price tag, which is believed to have been set at around the £80m mark.

The report added that the 74-cap England international will ‘carefully weigh his options’ up whilst on holiday next month before making a return to the UK to hold ‘talks’ with City about his future, although it is thought that the attacker would aim to join a club ‘higher’ than the north London outfit.

The Verdict: Second time lucky?

Despite finding the net 17 times across all competitions this season, Sterling has slightly fallen down the pecking order under Guardiola in recent weeks behind the likes of Phil Foden, Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish, so it’s no shock to see him being rumoured with a summer exit.

The former Liverpool man, who was once dubbed a “beast” by former City centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo, has previously been associated with a switch to N17, after Spurs chairman Daniel Levy was offered the player as part of an attempted swap deal for Harry Kane just last year.

After successfully securing Champions League football for Tottenham next term, Conte is now said to be targeting between six and eight new signings to bolster his ranks ahead of the 2022/23 season, one of which is a forward who can play either centrally or out wide. If the price is right, the versatile Sterling might just be someone who comes back onto the club’s radar in the coming months.

In other news… Conte is believed to have made a major transfer decision involving this former Spurs star

Villarreal attacker Arnaut Danjuma is now on the radar of Tottenham Hotspur ahead of the summer transfer window, claims transfer insider Dean Jones.

The Lowdown: Danjuma’s season

Since making the switch from Bournemouth last year, the 25-year-old has gone on to leave an incredible impression on the Spanish top-flight. In 34 games for the La Liga outfit, the Netherlands international has netted an impressive 16 goals.

As a result of his domestic and European form – he scored six times on route to the Champions League semi-finals – a number of transfer rumours have arisen linking the winger with a move back to England.

According to a report by 90min, Fabio Paratici and co. sent a number of club officials to watch Danjuma in the first leg of Villarreal’s semi-final tie against Liverpool earlier this month.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/tottenham-newest-updates/” title=”Tottenham newest updates…” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Latest: Jones’ claim

With all this information, transfer window expert Jones believes that Danjuma is on Paratici’s summer wish list.

Speaking with GiveMeSport, he claimed:

“They’ve got Danjuma on their radar. He’s a good player, but I don’t believe that he’s going to increase the ceiling of what this Tottenham team can achieve, so I think this is one they will wait and see on.”

The Verdict: Great signing

During his stint along the south coast, Bournemouth manager Jonathan Woodgate was full of praise for the 25-year-old, asserting that he is “an exceptional player”.

Former European Golden Shoe winner Kevin Phillips has also reiterated this rhetoric, claiming that Danjuma “is a nightmare for defenders”, as “he can hurt any defence with his pace and directness”.

With Antonio Conte’s side hoping to secure a top four Premier League finish and a place in next season’s Champions League, Paratici will be eyeing the likes of Danjuma, as the Lilywhites look to bolster the quality in their squad as they plan for a busier schedule next year.

In other news: Tottenham Hotspur: Levy will be ‘delighted’ with Champions League plans

Celtic have just one game left to play this season in the SPFL before their campaign finally draws to a close.

Last night, after getting a 1-1 draw against Dundee United, the Bhoys were crowned league champions in Ange Postecoglou’s debut season in charge at Parkhead.

While the title celebrations have begun and will continue at the weekend when they take on Motherwell at Celtic Park, it seems as though things have been going on behind the scenes at Lennoxtown in terms of the upcoming summer transfer window.

What’s the news?

When asked about Celtic’s plans during the summer window in terms of recruiting new players, Postecoglou had this to say on the matter:

“The work has already started, we’re already planning and I’ve already had conversations with the club about the kind of players we want to identify and bring into the club.

“Our priority is to try to get that done early so that come pre-season, with us hopefully winning the Premiership and getting straight into the group stage, we know we’ve got a really good opportunity in pre-season to work with the group of players without the pressure of competition.

“It would be great if we could have all the new players in by that time. Sometimes these things are taken out of your hands a little bit, but our intent is to try to get our business done early.”We know what we need, we’ve already identified the areas we need to improve, so we’ve already started work on that.”

Great news for Celtic fans

Taking this into account, the fact that conversations and planning have already begun over the club’s potential summer transfer business will undoubtedly be very pleasing for a lot of Celtic fans.

After all, the club paid the price last summer when they were dumped out of the Champions League having barely signed a single player.

Looking at last summer’s transfer window, the club and Postecoglou showed how ruthless they can be when it comes to moving players in and out of the club but it came too late.

What that does mean, however, that some current figures in the squad may not necessarily be guaranteed to be at the club next term if the 56-year-old doesn’t have them in his plans.

In terms of potential incoming transfers, it’s hard to see where the Hoops may need to strengthen considering they have the best attack and defence in the league.

Although, with the Bhoys having a number of players in their ranks with deals set to expire in the summer, particularly Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers, these figures will need to have their futures sorted out in the coming months.

If they can get as many players in as they need as quickly as possible, this would put the entire squad in the best shape possible to be ready to take on their next campaign.

In other news: Fewer touches than Hart: “Scary” Celtic dud with 0 shots failed to repay Ange’s faith

Their batting is sorely lacking, but their strong suit, bowling, has not looked as good as it might have

Ian Chappell01-Jan-2023South Africa are a flawed batting team and recent comments by captain Dean Elgar regarding a dangerous Gabba pitch and lack of matches against tough opponents have tried to camouflage that.No team – no matter how good their bowling attack – can overcome a string of mediocre Test totals poorly compiled. No number of games against tough opponents is going to help a batting team that is technically deficient and limited in their shot-making ability.Also, while South Africa’s bowling attack possesses real ability, their wicket-taking capability could be drastically improved. And they are handicapped by their side’s poor batting. A team that is repeatedly provided with low scores and has to regularly be back bowling after yet another failure by their batting side finds its strength sapping and morale dropping.Related

'It's gone way better than expected' – Marco Jansen reflects on his first year as an international cricketer

South Africa have the pace bowling to succeed in Australia, but the batters need to step up

Dean Elgar: South Africa learning in the 'most ruthless and brutal way'

South Africa's bowlers may need to help themselves to have enough runs

Rabada calls for 'patience and understanding' with SA's inexperienced batting line-up

There is also the matter of captaincy. Anrich Nortje aside, the rest of the attack could have performed better in Australia with improved leadership. Elgar, like many of his fellow international leaders, is not well versed in captaincy on Australian pitches. The bowlers must first understand that producing the odd really good ball interspersed with some deliveries that can be despatched won’t win much in Australia. Bowlers have to keep producing good deliveries to talented batters and their demeanour has to alert opponents to their wicket-taking desire.I’ve often said about the great Australian fast bowler Dennis Lillee that you had to overcome his great ability first and then you had to deal with his iron will. That is how good bowlers operate. There have been times when I have felt the South Africans lacked that required iron will.It’s also worth remembering the practical words of talented Australian batter Mark Waugh: “Hit the top of off with the occasional bouncer used to work.” That age-old cricket proverb still applies.Then there are field placings for the current bowlers when considering the improvement and extra thickness of bats. It always pays to start with a packed slip cordon, as edges off the new ball continue to be a high-percentage way to rid yourself of good top-order batters. And when those players survive the early period and start to punish the bowling, a captain has to be agile in his thinking. Sending slip fielders to places like point and square leg is more likely to result in catches than giving good batters easy singles by moving men prematurely into the deep. There comes a time when a batter is well set and deep fielders have to be considered but the fielding team is already in trouble by the time that happens.If the captaincy relates to the cricket being played, it’s generally good. If, however, it doesn’t relate to the actual play, you’re right to assume it’s poor.On the subject of starting, why isn’t Nortje taking the new ball along with Kagiso Rabada? The best chance of taking wickets is at the start of a player’s innings. The most likely wicket-takers, if they are good, are the faster bowlers and it’s imperative they get the new ball. Nortje is a far better bowling proposition than an out-of-form and much slower Lungi Ngidi.Keshav Maharaj has potential as a spinner but if he’s used as a containing bowler, that’s a mistake. Most of the time a captain has to seek wickets at both ends. Bowlers are wicket-takers; otherwise they shouldn’t be in a Test side. Having a player operate as a holding bowler means his ability is diminished.Taking 20 wickets to win a Test is the hardest thing in the game but it’s also among the most rewarding. The job of batters is to score runs quickly enough to allow their bowlers the time to collect those 20 wickets.The South African batters aren’t anywhere near doing their job. However, the better South African bowlers could improve their performance if they were provided with more inspiring leadership and competitive field placings.

Blake Snell unsurprisingly had a number of teams interested in him when he entered free agency after the 2024 season. What was surprising was that none of those teams were the San Francisco Giants, who Snell played for in 2024.

“The Giants didn’t even talk to me. It was surprising—I thought they really liked me," Snell said, via Susan Slusser of the .

Snell said that he didn't even hear back from Giants manager Bob Melvin, his manager on both the San Diego Padres and Giants, despite their close relationship.

“I know Bob loves me, and I’m really close with Logan and Chappy," Snell said, via Slusser. "So I was shocked. I thought they’d come after me right away. I really liked it there. I was happy there. But they never even said anything to me.

“I texted Bob and he didn’t reply, and Bob always replies to me, so I kind of had a feeling," he added. "But it was weird, especially with all the other teams that were interested in me. … There were a lot of teams after me. I just thought it was weird the Giants weren’t one.”

Snell did have a strong season with the Giants, too, particularly during the second half of the year. The two-time Cy Young award winner posted a 1.23 ERA over his final 14 starts of the season, and also recorded a no-hitter on Aug. 2 against the Cincinnati Reds. Overall, he finished the 2024 season with a 5-3 record, 3.12 ERA and 145 strikeouts over 20 starts.

Still, the Giants opted not to pursue bringing Snell back, and he instead signed a five-year, $182 million contract with the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

Though Snell might have felt snubbed by the Giants not pursuing him, he has sounded excited about joining the Dodgers.

"It was really easy, just because me and [partner] Haeley wanted to live here," Snell said of the Dodgers in December, via ESPN's Alden Gonzalez. "It's something we've been talking about for a while. And when you look at the team, you look at what they've built, what they're doing, it's just something you want to be a part of."

Sri Lanka qualified for the Super Four round but the allrounder’s participation is now doubtful

Andrew Fidel Fernando18-Sep-2025Sri Lanka allrounder Dunith Wellalage’s father, Suranga Wellalage, died on Thursday, September 18, the same day that Dunith played in the Asia Cup Group B match against Afghanistan in Abu Dhabi.Wellalage, 22, only learned of his father’s death after the match, which Sri Lanka won by six wickets and eight balls remaining to qualify for the Super Four round of the tournament. Soon after the match ended, he left for home.This bereavement casts doubt over Wellalage’s further involvement in the Asia Cup, in which Sri Lanka have at least three more matches to play: against Bangladesh on September 20, Pakistan on September 23, and against India on September 26.Thursday’s Asia Cup match between Sri Lanka and Afghanistan was only Wellalage’s fifth T20I and his first in this tournament. He has played 31 ODIs, with his career best of 5 for 27 coming in the third ODI against India in Colombo in August 2024. He also took 5 for 40 against India in a 2023 Asia Cup match, when the tournament was played in the ODI format. He was the equal-second wicket-taker in that tournament, claiming 10 dismissals at an average of 17.90.

Tottenham Hotspur need a striker. How many times have we heard that one over the past couple of years?

Replacing Harry Kane at number nine was always going to be an onerous task, a glaring spotlight against Ange Postecoglou at the start of his tenure.

After all, no man has ever scored more goals in a Tottenham shirt than the England captain, who is also far and away the Three Lions’ record scorer, with 76 strikes from 110 matches.

Harry Kane

435

280

Jimmy Greaves

376

266

Bobby Smith

316

211

Heung-min Son

454

173

Martin Chivers

350

167

After a year, Dominic Solanke was signed for a £55m fee, but he has struggled with injuries, and is out now under Thomas Frank’s wing until December, at the earliest.

What the Lilywhites needed was for loanee Randal Kolo Muani to maintain fitness and find form as the club’s leading striker over the coming months.

However, he too has fallen victim to a cruel injury blow.

The latest on Kolo Muani's fitness

In August, Tottenham added Kolo Muani to their ranks for the duration of the 2025/26 campaign. The Paris Saint-Germain forward had fallen out of favour in the French capital and spent the second half of last season on loan with Juventus, where he scored 12 goals and impressed with dynamic and stylish forward play.

Spurs felt they had sealed a shrewd signing for the season, and perhaps they have, but the France international spent the early weeks of the term out injured, and though he’s started three of the club’s past four matches in the Premier League, he has yet to score or assist.

And he won’t anytime soon. Withdrawn at the interval against Manchester United last weekend, it has since come to light that the 26-year-old has fractured his jaw and will need to see a specialist. This will rule him out of action for six to eight weeks.

Mathys Tel scored in the draw to the Red Devils, but Frank actually has another Spurs prospect who could not only fill in at number nine but realise his potential as the club’s next Kane.

Spurs' new version of Harry Kane

Kane devastated Premier League defences for so many years before leaving Tottenham for Bayern Munich in 2023. His time in Germany has been laden with goals, and he has convinced the few detractors that he is one of the greatest forwards of his generation.

How Dane Scarlett would love to emulate his idol. The Tottenham forward has already mimicked his countryman in spending a series of terms out on loan with lower-level clubs, and he has now found a place in Frank’s first-team squad, coming off the bench as Spurs beat Copenhagen in the Champions League last week.

The 21-year-old graduated from Tottenham’s youth academy several years ago, making his senior bow under Jose Mourinho in 2021, the Portuguese coach even hailing the youngster as a “diamond” of a prospect.

He is fast and sharp-witted and a “fantastic finisher” besides, something that has been picked up by Frank this season, who then spoke of the player’s potential and his need to play games.

In a fully-fit Spurs squad, this might be somewhat difficult, but he has been handed a golden opportunity to impose himself with Kolo Muani and Solanke both out of action for the foreseeable future.

Did Scarlett not score his first senior goal for Tottenham under Postecoglou’s wing in the Europa League last term? This could be the mood-lifting gambit the club needs after a difficult, yet somewhat progressive, start to the campaign.

From an attacking standpoint, Tottenham have left plenty to be desired across the opening weeks of the season. However, by unleashing the new version of Kane in the homegrown Scarlett, they might just turn the tide and realise their potential under Frank’s wing.

Spurs flop who's been "swallowed in the PL" must be dropped for Odobert

Thomas Frank can unleash Wilson Odobert by ruthlessly dropping this Spurs flop.

2 ByDan Emery Nov 10, 2025

The torpedo bat won't be going away anytime soon based on MLB commissioner Rob Manfred's latest comments on the craze.

Baseball's specialized bats which took over the league at the start of the season are perfectly legal per the rulebook but have still stirred up controversy over their unorthodox bowling-pin bat structure.

Manfred spoke in a Q&A with the about the future of torpedo bats and explained why he thought they were "good for baseball."

"They’re absolutely good for baseball," Manfred said. "I believe that issues like the torpedo bat and the debate around it demonstrate the fact that baseball still occupies a unique place in our culture, because people get into a complete frenzy over something that’s really nothing at the end of the day.

"The bats comply with the rules. Players have actually been moving the sweet spot around in bats for years. But it just demonstrates that something about the game is more important than is captured by television ratings or revenue or any of those things, when you have the discussions and debates about it."

Fans are certainly having discussions about it this season after the New York Yankees—who were the first to debut the torpedo bat—unleashed a barrage of homers during opening weekend and went on to make MLB history in their sizzling-hot start.

Baseball bat engineers have even weighed in on the topic and explained the "fallacies" surrounding the literal impact torpedo bats are having on the game.

With every single MLB team interested in getting their hands on the torpedo bat, and with Manfred's latest positive endorsement, the bat seems like it's going to be an intriguing and potentially permanent fixture of the sport moving forward.

Tottenham Hotspur supporters have often been blessed with numerous elite-level wingers, many of whom have given the supporters memories to last a lifetime in the final third.

Heung-min Son joined the Lilywhites from Bayer Leverkusen way back in the summer of 2015, making himself a cult hero in North London – after racking up over 400 appearances in North London.

The South Korean international captained the Lilywhites last season, leading them to European glory and subsequently helping them end their near-two-decade wait for silverware.

Gareth Bale was another, scoring countless strikes off the right-hand flank, even leaving in a club-record £85m deal to join Real Madrid back in the summer of 2013.

The Welshman is arguably one of the most talented players to ever grace the Premier League, with current boss Thomas Frank no doubt wishing he had a player of his calibre at his disposal.

However, one of Bale’s compatriots has ultimately failed to reach the levels many expected, which has brought his long-term future in North London into huge question.

Brennan Johnson’s decline at Spurs in the last 12 months

Brennan Johnson has endured somewhat of a rollercoaster spell in his two years at Spurs, with many being taken by surprise by his performances in North London.

The winger originally joined in a £47.5m deal from Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2023, with many supporters raising eyebrows at the nature of the transfer fee.

His spell at the club certainly didn’t get off to the best start in 2023/24, with the 24-year-old only scoring five times in his 32 appearances during his debut year.

The early stages of 2024/25 weren’t much better for the youngster, with his dismal displays leading to unacceptable abuse from a selection of supporters on social media.

In turn, Johnson deactivated all of his accounts, allowing him to focus on his football and subsequently shutting up his doubters – ending the year on 18 goals across all competitions.

He was also responsible for the biggest goal in the Lilywhites’ recent history, as he poked home the winning goal in the Europa League triumph against Manchester United back in May.

Frank’s arrival during the same period should have handed the winger the perfect chance to build on his success, but so far, he’s endured a huge drop-off in form, with his numbers massively suffering as a result.

Johnson averaged a superb 2.2 shots per 90 in the Premier League last season, but in the first 11 outings of the new campaign, he’s only been able to post an average of 0.96 per 90.

Such a drop is a 56% decline in the space of just a matter of months, showcasing that the player is currently suffering from a huge lack of confidence in North London.

He’s also seen a significant drop in terms of his touches in the opposition box per 90, with the Welshman also unable to get himself into threatening positions on a consistent basis.

Last season, the 24-year-old averaged a total of 5.9 touches in the 18-yard box per 90, but at present, he’s only notching a total of 2.6 – a drop of around 57%.

The Spurs star who can end Johnson’s Spurs career

After Son’s departure to join LAFC in the summer window, Spurs and Frank have massively lacked the depth and quality needed on the left-hand side of the attack.

Over the last few weeks, the Dane has utilised various players in such a role to try and bridge the gap between now and the upcoming January transfer window.

Richarlison operated in such a role in the 2-2 draw with Manchester United, with the Brazilian struggling to adapt to operating in a somewhat unfamiliar position.

Johnson himself has even filled the void over the last couple of months, but like the aforementioned star, he’s been unable to nail such a role down as his own.

His performances in such an area will no doubt have contributed to his recent slump in form, with the Welshman being kicked out of his right-sided role after Mohammed Kudus’ arrival.

However, the 24-year-old could find his career in North London over the coming months, especially if winger Wilson Odobert is able to build up a strong run of starts in the first team.

The Frenchman joined the Lilywhites in a £25m deal from Burnley last summer, but has often had to bide his time for an impact in the first-team over the last 18 months.

The 20-year-old only made a total of 16 Premier League appearances for the Lilywhites last season, but still managed to net his first top-flight goal against West Ham United.

Odobert, who’s been described as “a mixture of Barcola and Aaron Lennon” by one Sky Sports analyst, also managed to net two goals during the Europa League-winning campaign, managing to provide the goods when called upon by Ange Postecoglou.

However, since Frank’s arrival during the off-season, he’s only made three starts in the Premier League, whilst also making just seven appearances off the bench.

He’s only appeared for a total of 379 league minutes to date, with the manager desperately needing to show more faith in the youngster in the months ahead.

Frank did allow Odobert the chance to shine against United on Saturday, with the Frenchman taking full advantage of the chance handed his way by the manager.

He registered an assist for Richarlison after coming on at the break to replace compatriot Randal Kolo Muani, who was replaced at the break after fracturing his jaw.

Minutes played

45

Touches

25

Passes completed

100%

Chances created

3

Dribbles completed

2

Crosses completed

2

Duels won

100%

Fouls drawn

1

Despite only featuring for 45 minutes, Odobert did manage to complete the most dribbles of any player on the pitch (2), whilst also creating the most chances (3).

He also managed to complete 100% of the passes he attempted, with such a cameo showcasing to the manager why he should he starting in North London on a regular basis.

As a result, Johnson will certainly be lucky to maintain his starting role, with the Welshman now extremely likely to drop down to the substitutes bench in the coming games.

Given his mammoth sum, the hierarchy may now look to cash in on his services in the winter to try and avoid losing a whole heap on their £47.5m investment for his signature.

Frank can end Bentancur's Spurs career by unleashing "future £100m" talent

Tottenham Hotspur have a huge talent on their hands, but his progress is being halted by Rodrigo Bentancur.

ByEthan Lamb Nov 12, 2025