Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca and BlueCo are gearing up for what could be an intriguing January transfer window, as one player reportedly eyes the Stamford Bridge exit door.

The west Londoners could be genuine Premier League title contenders, and their 3-0 statement win over Barcelona in midweek absolutely supports that theory.

Chelsea’s triumphant Champions League victory against the La Liga champions was the perfect way to prepare for their blockbuster face-off at home to Arsenal, and victory would see them close the gap to just three points.

However, a few players may not be along for the ride this season.

Chelsea are reportedly preparing for potential departures in January, as several current squad members seek routes out of London.

Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi remain the most problematic situations. Both players have been completely frozen out by Maresca, training separately from the first team in what has been dubbed the club’s “bomb squad.”

Sterling, who earns £325,000-per-week, and Disasi have been denied access to standard first-team facilities this term and will be desperate for January moves to resurrect their careers.

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Enzo Maresca’s side are in dreamland right now.

ByEmilio Galantini Nov 26, 2025

Sterling’s substantial wages and Disasi’s apparent lack of suitors complicate matters significantly, but Maresca has confirmed that the latter has actually been assisting young players and helping with the ‘second team’.

There is also the matter of second-string goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen.

Jorgensen has emerged as the highest-profile exit candidate among active squad members. The Danish goalkeeper is reportedly considering a January departure after finding himself firmly behind Robert Sanchez in the pecking order.

Jorgensen wants regular playing time to secure his spot in Denmark’s 2026 World Cup squad, with national team bosses making clear he needs consistent minutes.

However, Chelsea are reluctant to sanction a loan, and any departure would need to be permanent.

Filip Jorgensen wants to leave Chelsea as clubs make contact

That is according to journalist Simon Phillips, who reports via his Substack that Jorgensen wants to leave Chelsea and clubs are now starting to make contact.

The 23-year-old, who’s started just one Premier League game, one Champions League and two Carabao Cup matches, finds himself stuck behind Sanchez and a move could be the best solution for all parties.

Promising young shot-stopper Mike Penders is also due back from his loan at Strasbourg in 2026, acting as a ready-made replacement for Jorgensen, and there are reports that Chelsea have reopened talks with AC Milan’s Mike Maignan.

If the latter were to arrive, Jorgensen’s game time would be even more limited, so it is hard to envisage a future where the Dane is playing regularly enough in a Blues shirt.

كشف محمد الصباحي الحكم الدولي السابق، مدى صحة ركلة جزاء الجيش الملكي التي تم احتسابها أمام الأهلي، في دوري أبطال إفريقيا. 

وتعادل الأهلي مع الجيش الملكي بهدف لكل فريق، في المباراة التي جمعت بينهما ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية من دور المجموعات من بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا. 

طالع.. مدرب الجيش الملكي: واجهنا أحد أفضل أندية العالم.. وكنا نستحق الفوز على الأهلي

وقال محمد الصباحي عبر قناة “أون سبورت”: “ركلة جزاء الجيش الملكي المغربي غير صحيحة، مدافع الأهلي يده كانت في وضعها الطبيعي، والكرة أتت في صدره وبعد ذلك في يده التي كانت في وضع مبرر”.

وأضاف: “المباراة كانت كبيرة وتحتاج إلى حكم كبير، خبرات الحكم الليبي قليلة بعض الشيء، كان مخضوضًا أثناء البروتوكول”.

ويقع الأهلي في المجموعة الثانية في دوري أبطال إفريقيا رفقة أندية الجيش الملكي وشبيبة القبائل الجزائري ويانج أفريكانز التنزاني. 

Adil Rashid four-for ensures New Zealand fall well short in chase of 237

Vithushan Ehantharajah20-Oct-2025

Phil Salt and Harry Brook combined to blow New Zealand out of the water in the second T20I, as England sealed a dominant 65-run win in Christchurch to take an insurmountable 1-0 lead in this three-match series.Both Salt (85 off 56 balls) and Brook (78 off 35) were independently brutal but came together in devastating fashion with a partnership of 129 from just 69 deliveries. England’s 236 for 4 was a new record T20I score at Hagley Oval, comfortably bumping off the previous best of 208 with 10 balls still to go in their innings. New Zealand were eventually dismissed for 171 with two overs to spare.Mitchell Santner’s decision to bowl first upon winning the toss was a case of rinse-and-repeat; both teams opting for the same XIs after Saturday’s washout in the first T20I. Unfortunately for the Black Caps skipper, this was a truer surface than the one which saw England scrape to 153 for 6.Drier with more pace, Santner’s bowlers were up against it from the off, with all six used posting double-figure economy rates. They were not helped by two dropped catches that would have given them a more realistic target.The one that mattered more gave Brook a life on 40, after he had successfully overturned a caught behind decision on 22. The visiting captain was at his destructive best, with 54 runs through boundaries, including five sixes, two of which were carted out of the ground. Despite Kyle Jamieson accounting for both Brook and then Salt in the space of three deliveries, Tom Banton’s unbeaten 29 from 12 added the record-busting cherry on top.Brydon Carse’s twin strikes in the second over clipped the Kiwis’ wings in pursuit of 237. And though Tim Seiffert and Mark Chapman restarted the chase with an engaging stand of 69, their respective demises to the spin duo of Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson all but confirmed the result.Santner did his utmost to inject some late jeopardy with a breezy 36 off 15, before falling to Rashid’s final delivery, the legspinner finishing a solid evening’s work with 4 for 32. Luke Wood then had the honour of capping off victory in the 18th over with two dismissals in four deliveries, with New Zealand losing all 10 wickets to catches.Salt in cruise modeThis new iteration of Salt is developing a knack of cashing in after missing out. His career-best 141 not out against South Africa in September came two days after a first-ball duck. And with as many days since 3 off 4 in the first T20I at Hagley Oval, he looked on course for a fifth century in the format.No doubt Salt will feel he missed out in a different way, falling for 85 when he was caught on the long-off sponge, 15 short of three figures with as many balls of the innings remaining. Once again he spearheaded a record total a month after leading the breaching of 300.He upheld his first-over responsibility by putting Matt Henry’s second ball on to the grass bank at midwicket, then whipping behind square leg along the floor once Henry had corrected. By the time Jos Buttler faced his second ball, Salt had already struck 20 from nine.That was as dominant as Salt was in his stands. Once Buttler was dismissed for 4, he adopted a secondary role during his work with Bethell (scoring 19 of their 44 together) and Brook (46 of their 129). Hardly a passenger but more than happy to cede the driving.Perhaps the best example of his continued intent was his dismissal, attempting a second six (and 13th boundary) two balls after Brook had holed out at deep midwicket. He now has more T20I runs than Jason Roy, despite 22 fewer innings, moving up to sixth for England run-scorers in the format, with a strike rate of 168.12 that is at least 16 ahead of any of those in the top 10.Brook does as he says”We’ve got such a strong batting line-up, we can keep going,” Brook said after a second coin toss of the series had gone against him on this tour. The response came after the England captain seemed nonplussed with being asked to set a total.And how. Arriving in the eighth over, Brook, a straight-talker, got straight down to business. He raced to 19 off six, courtesy of three successive boundaries off Santner, with two sixes – the first into the crowd, the second over the roof at midwicket – sandwiching a craftily ramped four.A second six beyond the confines of this boutique ground allowed him to knock two singles for a 22-ball half-century – his fifth overall in T20Is and first as captain.He celebrated with 21 off the returning Kyle Jamieson in the following over. Earlier, he had provided 14 of the 20 picked off from Jimmy Neesham’s one-and-only over.Both were examples of constantly putting bowlers under pressure, already a well-worn mantra in his six months at the helm. That knack of leading by example is not only why he was handed the keys to the white-ball job but instilled as Test vice-captain ahead of this winter’s Ashes.Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson successfully tied New Zealand down•Joe Allison/Getty Images

Dawson shows nousThat both teams opted for two spinners owed more to trending towards 2026’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka. While New Zealand’s returned 1 for 77 from seven overs, England’s bagged 6 for 70 in eight.The fact both wanted to bowl first showed there was a collective misreading of conditions. And as the lights took over for the second half, the pitch did begin to grip. It was, in more ways than one, a great toss to lose.There is not much more to be said of Rashid, his status as one of England’s most-valuable white-ball cricketers set in stone long before becoming the first visiting bowler to take four or more in a T20I at this venue. But it was Dawson who laid down his credentials to partner the leggie for next year’s global tournament.The left-arm spinner’s wiliness was on show in his first three overs, manipulating his angles to remove Mark Chapman and then the dangerous Michael Bracewell. It took until Dawson’s 16th delivery for New Zealand to find a boundary off him – Jimmy Neesham smearing a four to midwicket – and even then, heading into his final over, the Hampshire allrounder had an impressive 2 for 15 by his name.Twenty-three conceded off a scatty fourth messed up those figures. Two sixes from Santner were responsible the untidy finish, triggering five wides as Dawson bunged a full toss down the leg side in an attempt to hide the ball from the home skipper’s arc. Nevertheless, Santner’s 0 for 41 earlier in the piece highlighted just how impressive England’s own southpaw twirler had been.NZ drop the ballFor all England’s enterprise with the bat, there was unnecessary generosity from their hosts. You do not usually associate slack fielding with New Zealand, but two drops tilted this match against them significantly in Christchurch.Tim Seifert was responsible for missing the first and tougher chance. Jacob Duffy, having pulled out of the previous delivery as Jacob Bethell gave himself room to the leg side, dug one in short with a bit of cut. Bethell, on 7, went for his pull shot, only to top-edge high towards short third.Seifert had tracked it well, but was done by the stiff north-west breeze, ending up on his back, palming the ball just before he hit the deck. Though Bethell “only” managed 17 more before being dismissed with the last ball of the sixth over, his back-to-back sixes off Bracewell lifted England’s powerplay score to 68 for 2.That it was the highest at this ground was a sign of things to come, but that, too, could have been avoided. At the start of the 13th over, Matt Henry returned and was greeted with a lofted straight heave from Brook. Somehow, Neesham, having just bowled an over that cost 20, botched a straightforward catch at long-on allowing Brook a life.They did not have to count the cost of dropping Sam Curran twice on Saturday, the allrounder’s 49 not out hustling England to a respectable total of 153 before the rain intervened. Here, the price of the combined errors was 55 – a figure New Zealand only made up for in their innings with the final ball of the powerplay.

As Shubman Gill fronted the press pack in Perth, with the picturesque Swan River behind him, several locals passing by looked on curiously as if they could not quite pinpoint exactly who he was.Gill, clearly, does not yet quite have the global stature of Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma. But that should soon change, with him holding the top leadership posts for India in Tests and ODIs. As the new poster boy of Indian cricket, Gill and his counterpart Mitchell Marsh are plastered on the marketing signs around the city to promote the ODI series opener between Australia and India at Optus Stadium.It represents a transition for India as they start building towards the 2027 World Cup, a tournament where they will hope to end a 16-year wait for the title.Gill, 26, has cut a relaxed figure so far on tour, appearing undaunted about stepping into the hot seat and following in the footsteps of Rohit and Kohli. He is perhaps encouraged by the successful start to his Test reign but, unlike in that format, there is the added intrigue of him now captaining these larger-than-life cricketers he grew up idolising.Related

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“These are the kind of players I used to idolise when I was growing up. The kind of hunger that they had used to inspire me,” Gill told reporters. “It is a big honour for me to be able to lead such legends of the game. I am sure there would be so many moments in this series where I would be able to learn from them.”If I get in a difficult position, I wouldn’t shy away from taking advice from them.”With Rohit remaining in the team despite being stripped of the captaincy, there has been innuendo over how seamlessly the leadership baton will be passed on. However, Gill said he has already leaned on Rohit’s experience.”The narrative that goes on outside is different. There’s nothing like that between us – things are just as they were before, ” Gill said of his relationship with Rohit. “He is very helpful. And whatever he has learned from his experience, or if I think I need some help, I ask him what he would have done in a particular situation.”I like to know everyone’s thoughts and then decide as per my understanding of the game. In that respect, I have a great equation with both Virat and Rohit . Whenever I have a doubt, I go to them and take their suggestion, advice, and they also don’t hesitate in sharing [their knowledge].”Shubman Gill addresses the press in Perth•AFP/Getty Images

The three-match ODI series in Australia will be the first glimpse of what type of style and combination Gill wants for his team. What has been seemingly answered, having scored five tons from 13 innings since taking charge in the Test format, is that Gill is a cricketer who thrives with the added responsibility.His Test average has risen noticeably, though that might be difficult to replicate in ODI cricket given his average currently stands at 59 from 55 matches.”I like it when I have the additional responsibility. The pressure brings out my best,” he said. “I enjoy that responsibility, though I feel when I go out to bat, I take the best decision when I think as a batsman and do not think too much about being a captain and thinking like one.”When I do that, then I put myself under extra pressure. As a batsman, I think what the team needs the most at that moment. So I try to take decisions as Shubman Gill the batsman rather than taking that additional responsibility of scoring all the runs or finishing the match.”While the ODI series is likely to be a celebration of Kohli and Rohit, as they bid farewell to a country where they have had countless battles, Gill is set to emerge into prominence in Australia where he is unlikely to fly under the radar again.”Definitely, very exciting,” he said about his debut as ODI captain. “It’s very big shoes for me to carry the legacy that Virat and Rohit have left.”How they converse and what kind of communication or messaging they had with the players is something that helped me get the best out of myself. That’s the kind of captain I would want to be, where all my players feel very secure in the job they have to do.”

Enhance your Football Manager 2026 squad with top free agents

Are you aiming to enhance your squad in Football Manager 2026 without the need to spend millions? Free agents, who are quality players out of contract and available for a free transfer, present an excellent opportunity to strengthen your team while adhering to a tight budget.  

At the beginning of the game (July 7, 2025), numerous seasoned athletes and overlooked talents are available, providing significant value for clubs of all sizes.

Below, GOAL provides a list of the top free agents in FM 2026, categorized by position: Goalkeepers, Defenders, Midfielders, and Forwards. 

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Best goalkeepers as free agents in FM26

  Name	Age	Position	Nationality
  Fraser Forster	37	GK	England
  Vicente Guaita	38	GK	Spain
  Darren Randolph	38	GK	Ireland
  Hirotsubu Nakabayashi	39	GK	Japan
  Alessio Cragno	31	GK	Italy
  Manuel Riemann	37	GK	Germany

  This group of free-agent goalkeepers offers clubs a mix of experience, leadership and reliability. Fraser Forster and Vicente Guaita bring years of Premier League and La Liga consistency, making them ideal short-term stabilizers between the posts. Darren Randolph adds veteran depth, while Hirotsugu Nakabayashi provides a disciplined, technically clean option with experience from the J-League. Alessio Cragno remains an agile, modern keeper with strong shot-stopping ability, and Manuel Riemann offers a commanding presence and excellent distribution. Together, they form a dependable pool for clubs needing immediate reinforcement. 

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Best defenders as free agents in FM26

  The defender free-agent market features a varied set of players capable of strengthening any back line. Takehiro Tomiyasu is a versatile option comfortable across multiple roles in defence, while Rui Mario and Hugo Mallo offer experience and stability on the flanks.   

  Juan Bernat and Sergio Reguilón are attack-minded left-backs with top-level pedigree in European competitions. Mohammed Abdel Shafy contributes reliability and tactical discipline, and Iván Marcano brings leadership and aerial strength at centre-back. These defenders provide both depth and quality for teams aiming to tighten up at the back. 

  Name	Age	Position	Nationality
  Takehiro Tomiyasu	27	DR / DC / DL	Japan
  Rui Mário	31	DC	Portugal
  Hugo Mallo	34	DR / WBR	Spain
  Juan Bernat	32	DL / WBL	Spain
  Mohammed Abdel Shafy	40	DL / WBL	Egypt
  Iván Marcano	38	DC	Spain
  Sergio Reguilón	29	DL / WBL	Spain

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Best midfielders as free agents in FM26

  The available free-agent midfielders offer creativity, control and experience in equal measure. Damián Díaz remains a technically gifted playmaker capable of unlocking defences, while Rafinha provides versatility and composure in possession. Fernandinho adds elite leadership and defensive intelligence, making him a strong anchor for any midfield. 

  Oriol Romeu brings ball-winning ability and distribution, and Giacomo Bonaventura offers tactical intelligence and goal threat from midfield. Hakim Ziyech delivers flair, chance creation and set-piece quality, while Fernando brings balance and positional discipline. This group can elevate midfield quality immediately.

  Name	Age	Position	Nationality
  Damián Díaz	39	AM / CM	Ecuador / Argentina
  Rafinha	32	MC / AMC / AMR	Brazil / Spain
  Fernandinho	40	DM / MC	Brazil
  Oriol Romeu	34	DM / MC	Spain
  Giacomo Bonaventura	36	MC / AMC / AML	Italy
  Hakim Ziyech	32	AMR / AMC / AML	Morocco / Netherlands
  Fernando	38	DM / MC	Brazil

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Best forwards as free agents in FM26

  The forward free-agent group is headlined by several proven goal scorers and dynamic attacking profiles. Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne bring creativity, mobility and a wealth of experience from their Napoli days. Diego Costa and Radamel Falcao offer physicality, aggression and natural finishing instinct – perfect for clubs needing a traditional penalty-box threat. 

  Gerard Deulofeu adds pace, dribbling and versatility across the front line, while Vincent Aboubakar provides strength, hold-up play and a track record of scoring on big stages. It's a diverse pool capable of elevating any attack. All for free!

  Name	Age	Position	Nationality
  Dries Mertens	38	AM / ST	Belgium
  Diego Costa	37	ST	Spain / Brazil
  Lorenzo Insigne	34	AML / AMR / ST	Italy
  Radamel Falcao	39	ST	Colombia
  Silvio Romero	37	ST	Argentina
  Gerard Deulofeu	31	AMR / AML / ST	Spain
  Vincent Aboubakar	33	ST	Cameroon

No. 14 lives on in Pittsburgh.

Not long after wide receiver George Pickens was traded to the Dallas Cowboys, the Pittsburgh Steelers have given his jersey number to running back Kenneth Gainwell, whom they acquired this past offseason.

Initially, Gainwell had grabbed No. 21, with wide receiver Montana Lemonious-Craig, signed Tuesday, wearing No. 14.

But just one day later, the duo have swapped, as pointed out by s Dale Lolley.

As for why, one can only assume it had something to do with Gainwell's connection to No. 14, which he wore during his four seasons in Philadelphia. His taking it also means wide receiver DK Metcalf, who wore No. 14 with the Seattle Seahawks, won't be wearing it, either.

Pickens was still with the team when Metcalf signed, so the latter opted to wear No. 4 rather than 14. But considering Gainwell's get, it seems like it will be staying that way.

Miami Marlins pitcher Cal Quantrill pitched the 116th immaculate inning in the history of Major League Baseball on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Rays.

For those unaware, an immaculate inning is, well, immaculate. A pitcher steps to the mound to start an inning, strikes out the first batter he faces on three pitches, then does it again and does it again.

One inning. Three batters. Three strikes each. Nine pitches total. Back to the bench to wait for the next inning.

While the feat might sound common, or at least not especially rare given that we’ve seen 116 of them in the history of baseball, mathematically, the immaculate inning is a feat more rare than a perfect game, even though there have been just 23 perfect games in the history of the sport.

MLB analyst Ryan Spaeder provided a good breakdown of the math. When accounting for the rarity of an immaculate inning, you need to divide by the total number of innings played in baseball history, rather than the number of games. A bigger denominator gives you a smaller fraction. See below.

By the numbers, you could say that immaculate innings are nearly twice as rare as a perfect game. Put another way, while there are more games that feature an immaculate inning than games that feature perfect games, innings are far less likely to be immaculate than games are likely to be perfect.

That said, in the modern age of dynamic flamethrowers and three true outcomes, immaculate innings have gotten more common in recent years—we’ve seen at least one thrown every season since 2006, and 2022 featured an impressive seven immaculate innings.

Still, it’s a rare display of pitching dominance and should be celebrated as such. Also, it’s a fun excuse to blog about math.

Ibrahima Konate has probably received more flak than any other Liverpool player this season, and understandably so, but he’s hardly the only member of Arne Slot’s squad who has been flattering to deceive.

Mohamed Salah is horribly out of sorts on the right flank; record signings Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak have both yet to produce even a portion of the world-class quality FSG paid for; even the skipper, Virgil van Dijk, has lacked his usual indomitability, with his leadership being questioned too.

It’s all gone a bit wrong for Slot and his team this season, so fragile and brittle, so susceptible to the physical side of the game.

The midfield have been limp and toothless, and after two campaigns of undeniable brilliance, Alexis Mac Allister looks a shadow of his finest self, and fans are questioning why.

Why Mac Allister is struggling for Liverpool

Mac Allister is a seasoned part of this Liverpool team now. A leader and among Slot’s most trusted lieutenants, he was instrumental in last season’s title-winning success, the perfect counterpoint to Ryan Gravenberch in his deep-lying berth.

But the 26-year-old has fallen off a proverbial cliff since the summer, almost unrecognisable in the middle of the park. Mac Allister looks sapped, leggy. This dynamic, creative, though-tackling midfielder has been relegated to the realm of the mundane, with one content creator even suggesting the Argentine looks like “looks like Fabinho’s season”.

This isn’t good, of course, and Slot may need to start turning toward some left-field solutions. Repetition without results is the first sign of madness – right? – so the Dutch head coach surely needs to rewire his engine room if things do not change for the better over the coming weeks.

Liverpool wouldn’t want to part with the South American star, who has been so impressive since joining from Brighton in 2023, but Slot may find that he has a central midfielder tearing away from the academy who might actually come to take Mac Allister’s spot for him.

He’s even been likened to former Manchester United superstar Paul Pogba.

The Liverpool teen who could replace Mac Allister

Pogba, who made his long-anticipated return to competitive football with AS Monaco last weekend, was once one of the most famous faces in the Premier League, having re-joined Manchester United from Juventus for a world-record £89m fee in 2016.

The Frenchman’s career has been one of ups and downs, but he undoubtedly boasts obscene amounts of natural ability, and in this, Liverpool are beginning to get excited given the likeness shared with Trey Nyoni.

Nyoni is only 18, but already he has featured eight times for Liverpool’s first team, making the bench on five separate occasions in the Premier League this season.

His long, limber frame and ability to use his physicality to tussle with stockier opponents are reminiscent of Pogba back in his earlier days, and the surpassing technical quality that has seen him ascend from academy level to the major stage is further evidence that Liverpool have got a gem on their hands.

Praised for his “simply exceptional” range of passing by journalist Lewis Bower, Nyoni is raw and unpolished but boasts such a staggering reservoir of natural gifts that he will surely reach the top of the game with care and focus on raising his physicality.

Analyst Ben Mattinson remarked last year that there is “so much resemblance” between the Les Bleus superstar and Nyoni’s own physical profile, and this could see him cement a starting berth at Liverpool in the coming years.

Given that he would be jockeying with Mac Allister for a berth, sporting director Richard Hughes may shimmy a few cogs around so that Nyoni’s rise coincides with the potential bumper sale of Liverpool’s midfield general.

In any case, this is a youngster with the potential to succeed at Liverpool, perhaps adding a flavour of Pogba’s powerful brilliance to Slot’s team down the line.

Semenyo alternative: Liverpool preparing £177m bid to sign their new Diaz

Liverpool are gearing up to open their purse once again this winter.

4

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Angus Sinclair

Nov 24, 2025

Eddie Howe has now reportedly told Newcastle United to go and sign a Serie A midfielder who Tyneside scouts have already watched in action.

Eddie Howe delivers Nick Pope verdict after Marseille mistake

It’s been one step forward and two steps back for Newcastle this season. The Magpies defeated Manchester City in an excellent display last weekend, before picking up where they left off to take the lead against Marseille. It looked as though they were finally back on track. But that’s when it all fell apart.

Nick Pope’s moment of madness allowed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to equalise from wide, before the former Arsenal man was at it again to score what proved to be the eventual winner for the French hosts.

It’s not the first time that Pope has come under fire in a Newcastle shirt this season, but Howe decided to back his shot-stopper in his post-match interview, saying: “I think it’s a concern when we concede goals, regardless of who’s at fault. I think we have to look at everything with a balanced head.

“He (Pope) saved us many times. He made some really good saves against Manchester City just two days ago. That’s the life of a goalkeeper. But I’ll certainly back him.”

With Aaron Ramsdale waiting in the wings, however, it remains to be seen just how many more chances Pope will receive. Up next, Newcastle travel to the Hill Dickinson stadium for the first time to face an Everton side who just defeated Manchester United at Old Trafford.

It’s a game that the Magpies will be desperate to win to at least make it back-to-back victories in the Premier League. Alas, it’s also one that may expose their lack of depth in midfield once again.

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ByKelan Sarson Nov 27, 2025

It’s a fairly open secret that Howe’s targeting reinforcements in that area ahead of 2026 and reports are now claiming that he’s told the club to go and sign Serie A star Manu Kone.

Howe tells Newcastle to sign Manu Kone

According to Tuttomercatoweb, Howe has now told Newcastle to sign Kone after sending his scouts to watch the impressive AS Roma midfielder.

The midfielder would instantly add depth to the Magpies’ midfield, but Roma have already reportedly dealt those at St James’ Park a frustrating blow in pursuit of his signature. Unsurprisingly, Roma are keen to keep hold of Kone and have told Newcastle that he is not for sale in 2026.

Whether Newcastle test the waters despite Roma’s stance is the big question. Kone would certainly be worth the chase. The Frenchman was dubbed “composed” by Como scout Ben Mattinson ahead of arriving in Serie A in the summer and could yet be on his way to the Premier League.

As bad as Pope: Howe must drop 4/10 Newcastle dud who made just 14 passes

تحدث مدحت عبد الهادي، لاعب الزمالك السابق، عن رأيه في أداء الأبيض تحت قيادة أحمد عبد الرؤوف المدير الفني.

وقال مدحت عبد الهادي، عبر قناة “MBC مصر 2”: “أحمد عبد الرؤوف غير مقنع بالنسبة لي، والزمالك يحتاج إلى مدير فني أجنبي”.

طالع.. محامي رمضان صبحي: عقوبة إيقافه 4 سنوات من المحكمة الرياضية لن تخفض

وتابع: “عبد الرؤوف نجح في فترته المؤقتة، لكنه غير قادر على إدارة فريق كبير مثل الزمالك في بطولة إفريقيا والمباريات المقبلة لا نريد أن نظلم، لأن في النهاية المظلومين هم جماهير الزمالك”.

وأكمل: “أما عن إيقاف رمضان صبحي بسبب المنشطات، فقبل أن تكون هذه ثقافة اللاعب، يجب أن تكون ثقافة الجهاز الفني أو الطبي المسؤول عن اللاعبين، وبالأخص الطاقم الطبي بالكامل”.

وأتم: “الجهاز الطبي عليه وعي كبير جدًا بالنسبة للاعبين، فاللاعب ليس ملك نفسه”.