All posts by h716a5.icu

Both teams happy to decide final on the field as shortened contest beats the weather

ESPNcricinfo staff and ECB Reporters Network23-Sep-2024After a first-day washout in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup final at Trent Bridge, Glamorgan managed to beat both Somerset and the weather to regain the title that they last won in 2021, in a competition that was pragmatically reduced from 50-overs-a-side to 20 to maximise the prospect of a result.It was, as Sam Northeast, Glamorgan’s matchwinning batter, said: “the right thing to do in the circumstances”. That sentiment was echoed by Somerset’s captain, Sean Dickson, who insisted his over-riding emotion was one of pride even as his team saw a third title slip through their fingers in the space of a week, after their loss in the T20 Blast final at Edgbaston and Surrey’s County Championship triumph on Friday.”We hadn’t played any Twenty20 for a while so it was strange coming into a 20-over contest,” Northeast told the ECB Reporters Network, after top-scoring for his team with 63 not out from 49 balls. “We didn’t even know we were going to get a game at all, so the change from 50 to 20 overs, about 40 minutes before, meant we had to adapt as best as possible.”In the event, it started to rain just as we were coming off, so somebody was clearly looking down on us. I’m glad they did make the change. It was the right thing to do in the circumstances, to get the game on.”Somerset had made the early running after winning the toss and choosing to bowl, with Alfie Ogborne, their 21-year-old left-armer seamer, claiming two wickets in his first over. However, the team’s inexperience was exposed at key moments of the contest, particularly while Northeast, Billy Root and Timm van der Gugten were accelerating through the back-end of their innings to add 115 in the final ten overs.”We didn’t really know what a good score was,” Northeast said. “So from my point of view it was just about building partnerships, getting a bit of a platform and trying to accelerate once we had a feel for the pitch.”At one point we thought 160 might be okay but that little innings from Timm van der Gugten at the end gave us what we thought was a pretty good score, one that we knew would be competitive. Timm hit the ball really cleanly and Billy Root through the middle too, and the way Will Smale got us off to a bit of a flyer meant we had something to build on.”With Somerset choosing to back the players that had carried them through to the final, it meant they were missing 11 players who had featured in this year’s Men’s Hundred, which had run concurrent with the group stages. Their most experienced player on the day was England’s left-armer spinner, Jack Leach, but between the damp conditions and the List A regulation fields that limited the number of out-fielders through the middle overs, he did not get a bowl.”As a county, we’ve ended up winning nothing when we would have liked to finish with at least one or two trophies,” Dickson said. “But the bottom line is that we have just competed for three trophies and we are really proud as a squad that we have been able to do that.”In this competition, we have resisted the temptation to bring back guys that we lost to the Hundred, so I’m hugely proud that this squad in particular made it all the way to the final.”And we were much happier today to be able to go out and try to win on the field, rather than have had a total washout and shared the trophy. No one wants to share a trophy, everyone wants a bash at trying to be a winner.”We were fine playing it as a T20. We just wanted to get a game on, as did they. We had a discussion with the umpires, the match ref and the ECB ref that was there so we were all on board.”We could analyse all day where the game was won and lost but I think they obviously bowled better than us. With the fresh pitch, it definitely offered something with the new ball up top.”Our bowlers were slipping and sliding all over the place, which was unfortunate, but that’s what you get for choosing to bowl first and we just have to take our medicine and move forward.”

West Bromwich Albion are now in a transfer race with Middlesbrough to sign an experienced defender on a free transfer, according to a recent report.

West Brom chasing multiple transfer targets

It’s been a steady start to the transfer window for the Baggies and new manager Ryan Mason, as they have brought in three new players so far. Defenders George Campbell and Nat Phillips have arrived from Montreal and Liverpool respectively, as well as Aune Heggebo to reinforce the front line.

Dream Johnston upgrade: West Brom submit surprise offer for £1.1m star

West Bromwich Albion could think outside of the box when pursuing a Mikey Johnston upgrade.

2 ByKelan Sarson Jul 16, 2025

The Championship side are looking to remain active however, and have their eye on adding more attacking talent. It was reported earlier this month that West Brom are among the teams interested in signing Mikey Moore on loan from Tottenham Hotspur. The youngster featured for the Premier League side last season but could be set for a spell away given the change in the dugout.

And Moore is not the only attacker Mason has his eye on, as the Express & Star recently revealed that Jesurun Rak-Sakyi is also wanted by West Brom and could be available for around £10 million, as he looks set for a move away from Crystal Palace. However, the Baggies face a tough battle, as rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers are also keen on the exciting winger.

West Brom in race with Middlesbrough to sign Jamal Lewis

Despite already adding defensive reinforcements this summer, Mason appears keen for more options at the back. According to The Belfast Telegraph, West Brom are interested in signing Jamal Lewis on a free transfer.

The left-back was released by Newcastle United in the summer after a tough spell at St James’ Park, where he made just 31 Premier League appearances in three seasons. His availability on a free transfer has now alerted the Baggies but also Middlesbrough and Norwich City, who are keen on the defender.

The 27-year-old, who has earned 39 caps for Northern Ireland, spent the first half of last season on loan at Brazilian side São Paulo, but it was an experience that didn’t go to plan, as he appeared just six times. Lewis returned to Newcastle and didn’t feature in a single game for the remainder of the season.

Apps

100

Minutes played

8289

Goals

0

Assists

6

Despite his struggles at Newcastle since Eddie Howe arrived, the Englishman has been full of praise for Lewis, dubbing him an “incredible athlete” in the past. Howe said: “Jamal, we hope, can stay fit and show us what he’s capable of.

“I believe in him as a player, but he’s just had really bad luck. He’s got a lot to offer physically; we’ve certainly seen that in pre-season – an incredible athlete. He needs consistency of training at the moment – and hopefully he can get that.”

Interestingly, the Baggies have already dealt with his agency, PLG, this summer, as the group also represent Phillips, as well as current star Jayson Molumby, perhaps smoothing negotiations considering Lewis is a free agent.

Striker appears ready for the upcoming rivalry clash against Chivas

Jonathan dos Santos missed Tuesday’s sessionAllan Saint-Maximin could start against ChivasAmérica trained without their internationalsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

Henry Martín looks to be finding light at the end of the tunnel after a frustrating stretch of injuries – from Achilles issues last season to recurring muscle problems and, most recently, a knee setback. The América captain has endured the toughest run of his career, limited to just 20 appearances and two goals so far in 2025. But signs point to the No. 9 being ready for Saturday’s Clásico Nacional against Chivas.

The 32-year-old returned to full training Tuesday, a key step for a striker who has scored 97 goals for América since arriving in 2018. He also played in his club's friendly against D.C. United on Sunday – a 3-1 loss. 

@soyalexorellana

Henry Martín apunta al Clásico este fin de semana contra Chivas El capitán sigue realizando algunos trabajos por separado de sus compañeros pero entrenó al parejo este martes No deberían existir contratiempos 🔥 #clubamerica #clubamerica🦅💛💙 #LigaMX #chivas #henrymartin

♬ sonido original – Alex Orellana

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Las Águilas head into the clásico sitting second in Liga MX with 17 points, while Chivas languish near the bottom on just four. Still, history shows the Clásico rarely follows form – often, the bigger the gap between the clubs, the likelier the upset.

At Tuesday’s session in Mexico City, several regulars were missing. In addition to internationals Luis Ángel Malagón, Erick Sánchez, Brian Rodríguez, Rodrigo Aguirre, Sebastián Cáceres, and Alejandro Zendejas, veteran midfielder Jonathan dos Santos was absent for a routine medical check. Club sources stressed Dos Santos' availability for Saturday isn’t in doubt. Jardine expects to have all of his call-ups back by Thursday to rejoin the squad ahead of the match against Chivas. 

Getty Images SportDID YOU KNOW?

One of the biggest storylines could be French winger Allan Saint-Maximin. Fresh off scoring two goals in two substitute appearances, he earned a start against D.C. United Sunday and may well feature again from the opening whistle against Chivas.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR CLUB AMÉRICA?

The 262nd edition of the Clásico Nacional between América and Chivas, set for this Saturday, could mark a historic milestone in Mexican football’s biggest rivalry.

América enter the match with the chance to record their 100th victory over their archrivals. The all-time head-to-head currently stands at 99 wins for Las Águilas, 80 for Chivas, and 82 draws across official competitions.

Franchise keeps Nicholas Pooran as top retention at INR 21 crore and does not retain KL Rahul

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Oct-20241:16

Steyn: ‘Another team will welcome KL Rahul with open arms’

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) wanted to hold on to “players who have a mindset to win” and those that “put the team before their personal goals and aspirations”, franchise owner Sanjiv Goenka said after announcing the team’s retention list ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction.LSG let go of KL Rahul, who had captained the team for the three seasons since it came into existence in 2022, following their seventh-place finish in IPL 2024. Rahul will go into the mega auction, where he is expected to be one of the biggest draws.LSG retained Nicholas Pooran for INR 21 crore, the second most expensive player retained – level with RCB’s Virat Kohli and behind only SRH’s Heinrich Klaasen (INR 23 crore) – along with Ravi Bishnoi (INR 11 crore), Mayank Yadav (INR 11 crore), Mohsin Khan (INR 4 crore) and Ayush Badoni (INR 11 crore).Related

How Mumbai Indians kept their Fab Four for INR 75 crore

IPL 2025 retentions: Pant, Rahul head to auction; Russell retained by KKR

IPL 2025 – MI retain their big four; Klaasen retained for INR 23 crore

Pooran was an “automatic choice” as the team’s top retention and the decision to keep him took “two minutes”, Goenka said. “We had a very simple mindset to go in with players who have a mindset to win, who put the team before their personal goals and aspirations,” he added. “And we wanted to retain as much core as possible within our available purse. We had a strong bowling unit, that’s why we went with three bowlers [Bishnoi, Mayank and Mohsin] from the previous season and all Indians. Pooran was a no-brainer. Ayush has done well for us at No. 6 and No. 7.”While Rahul was LSG’s top-scorer in IPL 2024 with 520 runs at a strike rate of 136, Pooran’s 499 runs came at a strike rate of 178.Mayank made his IPL debut in 2024 but played only four matches before he was ruled out by injury. He made a strong impression in that time with his 150kph speeds and picked up two Player-of-the-Match awards.Mohsin and Bishnoi picked up only ten wickets apiece in IPL 2024, while Badoni scored only 235 runs in the lower-middle order. But with Mohsin only 26 years old, and Bishnoi and Badoni both 24, LSG view them as long-term prospects.With five players retained, including two uncapped players, at a total cost of INR 51 crore, LSG have INR 69 crore remaining to spend at the mega auction. They have one right-to-match option to use if they want to buy back one of their capped players.

Former Birmingham City winger Jermaine Pennant has backed the Blues to make a “clever signing” after the club registered their interest in a deal earlier this month.

Chris Davies and Co have been hard at work this summer, improving the squad with fresh faces in order to mount an Ipswich-esque charge on back to back promotions.

The Blues romped to the League One title last season and have added several exciting signings to a squad already brimming with quality, with former Celtic superstar Kyogo Furuhashi the pick of the bunch while the return of Demarai Gray will get fans off their seats.

Birmingham signings: in pictures

Perhaps the one area still in need of reinforcements is the number nine department, with Tyler Roberts not an out and out striker and Kyogo more of a versatile forward who floats between roles, leaving Jay Stansfield with a lot of responsibility to stay fit and firing.

Indeed, earlier this month reports revealed the Blues are moving to rectify that situation with an approach for Leicester legend Jamie Vardy, who is a free agent after his contract with the Foxes expired earlier this summer.

Pennant backs Blues to sign Vardy

Speaking to Football FanCast on behalf of Adventure Gamers, former Birmingham winger Pennant backed a move for Vardy due to the experience and goal threat he could provide off the bench.

Vardy’s goalscoring record and longevity is indeed remarkable, racking up 244 career goals for club and country, including nine in the top flight last season despite Leicester’s perilous form.

At his peak, the 38 year-old’s tireless running in behind was bordering on unstoppable, leading Arsene Wenger to try and sign him for Arsenal after being pipped to the Premier League title by the Vardy-led Foxes.

“I offered him a lot of money at the time,” Wenger said back in 2021. “Leicester had just won the championship at the time in 2016, and they absolutely did not want to lose him and offered him a longer contract with approximately the same money if not more.

Leicester

500

200

Fleetwood

40

34

England

26

7

Halifax Town

4

3

“He is always in the game. He doesn’t look like he mentally gets out of the game and the great strikers are like that. It means he will score at some stage. Even when he misses a chance he stays in the game.”

Vardy’s record in the Championship suggests he would have no problem adapting to a new role at St Andrews either, scoring or assisting 54 times in 98 appearances in the competition.

Sunderland are believed to be looking to sign an “elite” attacking player during the summer transfer window ahead of rivals Leeds United.

Sunderland agree Alderete fee

It has been a relentless summer for the Black Cats in the market, with Regis Le Bris adding a huge amount of depth to his squad ahead of their return to the Premier League.

The latest addition for Sunderland looks likely to be Getafe defender Omar Alderete, with a £10m deal reportedly agreed to sign the 28-year-old. The Paraguayan started 34 La Liga matches last season, proving to be a key man, winning an average of three aerial duels per game.

Black Cats supporters will certainly be hoping that the club’s summer business still isn’t done there, however, with Sevilla centre-back Loic Bade also strongly linked with a move to Stadium of Light in recent days.

Now, a new name has been thrown into the mix for Sunderland, as they look to bring in additional quality at the other end of the pitch ahead of their Premier League opener at home to West Ham on Saturday.

Sunderland make contact to sign Leeds striker target

According to Il Messaggero [via Sport Witness], Sunderland have made an approach for Roma forward Artem Dovbyk ahead of fellow promoted side Leeds United.

The 28-year-old is wanted by both promoted Premier League clubs, and West Ham, with his current club demanding over £23m for his signature this summer, with the Black Cats making an enquiry.

Dovbyk is an experienced attacker who could add much-needed firepower to Sunderland’s squad, having scored 17 goals in 45 appearances for Roma, not to mention 11 in 36 caps for Ukraine.

The attacking ace is right in his peak years, so it wouldn’t be a case of the Black Cats signing a youngster who is still maturing, and journalist Zach Lowy has described him as an “elite” player.

“Victor Osimhen is going to be the most pursued center forward this summer but I don’t think Artem Dovbyk will be too far behind. He’s approaching the prime of his career as a CF and has proven to be not just a fantastic finisher, but an elite target man with link-up ability too.”

If Sunderland were able to beat Leeds and West Ham to Dovbyk’s signature, it would feel like an added bonus, especially in terms of getting the better of one of the other promoted sides from last season, as they have already done with midfielders Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki.

Sunderland are "very hot" in pursuit of "elite" £30m Europa League winner

It’s a potential big boost for Regis Le Bris.

ByHenry Jackson Aug 11, 2025

Plenty of goal threat is needed if Le Bris’ men are to stand a good chance of avoiding a return to the Championship, and Dovbyk could be a strong addition to aid that issue.

India will face Bangladesh in the final in Dubai on Sunday

PTI06-Dec-2024Vaibhav Suryavanshi starred with a second successive half-century as India stormed into the Under-19 Asia Cup final with a comprehensive seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in Sharjah on Friday.The 13-year-old, who became the youngest cricketer ever to be bought at an IPL auction last month, smashed five sixes and six fours for his 36-ball 67 as India chased down a target of 174 with as many as 170 balls to spare.India will face Bangladesh in the final at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday.Related

Bihar's Suryavanshi becomes youngest IPL player at just 13

Bangladesh defeated Pakistan by seven wickets, completing a chase of 117 in 22.1 overs in the first semi-final in Dubai.Opting to bat, Sri Lanka could only manage 173 in 46.2 overs despite a valiant effort from Lakvin Abeysinghe (69 off 110) and Sharujan Shanmuganathan (42 off 78).Their innings struggled to gain momentum but Indian bowlers were in full control with Chetan Sharma (3 for 34), Kiran Chormale (2 for 32), and Ayush Mhatre (2 for 37) wreaking havoc in the middle overs.Ayush Mhatre’s 34 off 28 laid a solid foundation for the chase as he put on a stand of 91 with Suryavanshi for the opening wicket.The young left-hander from Bihar troubled the Sri Lankan bowlers from the beginning as he started with consecutive sixes and a boundary off Sigera, who ended up giving away 31 runs in his opening over.Mhatre too played his strokes at the other end as the duo raced to 87 for no loss in eight overs before Vihas Thewmika gave Sri Lanka their first breakthrough by removing the batter.But Suryavanshi kept the run rate ticking despite losing his opening partner, forging another crucial association with C Andre Siddharth (22).He didn’t stop there, taking the attack to the bowlers with his aggressive strokes, including scoring two sixes off Aayan Khan. Captain Mohamed Amaan (25 not out) and KP Karthikeya (11 not out) then completed the chase.

Roy Keane has claimed that he has "no sympathy" for Nottingham Forest managers after Evangelos Marinakis hired ex-Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou to replace Nuno Espirito Santo. A breakdown in relations with the club owner led to Nuno's exit from the City Ground on Tuesday morning and hours later, Postecoglou's appointment was confirmed.

Keane has "no sympathy" for Forest managersGave his verdict on MarinakisPostecoglou replaces Nuno as new bossFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Nuno also had a falling out with Forest's global head of football, Edu, who was acquired by Marinakis from Arsenal in the summer to oversee football operations across his multi-club ownership group. The ex-Wolves and Tottenham manager replaced Steve Cooper at City Ground in December 2023 and won 28 of his 73 games at the helm. He secured survival at the end of his first season before claiming a seventh-place finish in the Premier League and European qualification last term.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Manchester United legend and pundit Roy Keane, who also took in a spell at Forest in his playing days, has shared his verdict on the club's managerial saga, claiming he has "no sympathy" for the coaches who work at the City Ground under an owner like Marinakis.

WHAT KEANE SAID

Speaking on , Keane said: "Not surprised. Why should we be surprised at what happens at Nottingham Forest? I think we know what the owner is like there, no surprises, and I have no sympathy for any manager that goes to Nottingham Forest. You're going to be under pressure with the owner there, so I certainly wasn't surprised when they moved him [Nuno] on. It's tough."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR POSTECOGLOU?

Postecoglou's first game in charge of Forest will be a difficult trip to north London as they face Arsenal on Saturday at Emirates Stadium.

Nitish Kumar Reddy happy to have already proven his doubters wrong with the bat, but he wants to fill the allrounder’s role better for India

Alagappan Muthu29-Dec-20243:31

Reddy revels in ‘two-three years of hard work’ paying off

Finding ways to defy expectations is something that has brought Nitish Kumar Reddy joy on this tour. He was a relative unknown when he was picked, having played only 21 first-class matches with his best work coming in T20 cricket. Now he has a century at the MCG.”I haven’t given a thought like that, but I know some people doubted me,” the 21-year-old allrounder said at the end of day four. “Like such a youngster who played IPL, who came here, and he can’t perform in such a big series, and I know a lot of people talk about that. I just want to make them feel wrong about what they have said about me, and that’s what I’m doing, I want to make people know that I’m here to give my 100% for Indian team.”Reddy also looked back to the end of day three when, in front of more than 80,000 fans and his team watching from the dugout, he hit Scott Boland down the ground for four to bring up his hundred. He also expressed his thanks to the No. 11 batter Mohammed Siraj for helping him get there by getting through the last three balls of the previous over from Pat Cummins.Related

Nitish Reddy cleared to join SRH squad after recovering from side strain

India, and Bumrah, fall short in compelling push for perfection

'Bahubali' NKR is a box-office hit at the MCG

Nitish Kumar Reddy's MCG century – in numbers

Lyon, Boland frustrate India after Bumrah rips through middle-order

“It was such a grateful moment for me, I’ve been watching Virat [Kohli] since childhood and making him as my idol, and grown up, now finally I played with him, he scored a hundred when I was in non-strike [in Perth], I felt so happy, and I scored a hundred when he appreciated me, he came to me and said that you really played well, you get the team back in the game, I felt so happy for that, I always dreamed about this moment, and finally when he talked with me that’s the best moment for me.”And yeah, I don’t know, the crowd went crazy after Siraj’s last ball defence, even my century was not that loud I guess, but I really loved the way Siraj came and approached three balls and I should thank him for making my 100.”Reddy’s strokeplay – particularly down the ground – has been eye-catching but he’s done other little things that have garnered attention as well, like how he tried to negate Australia’s most disciplined bowler by stepping out of his crease.”I would say Boland is a more consistent bowler, and I just want to change his line and length so that it will be easy for me when he is bowling,” Reddy said. “I don’t have to be on my crease, so I can move on a little bit forward and I can adjust to the bowler, that’s what I tried and it’s been working.”Mohammed Siraj did his little bit to help Nitish Kumar Reddy to his hundred•Associated PressHaving arrived in Australia with the India A side in early November, winning his first Test cap in Perth, and top-scoring for India in four innings, it’s been a brilliant start to Reddy’s batting career but he’s conscious that he’s not done enough with his second skill. Reddy has picked up three wickets from four Tests at an average of 49 and economy rate of 4.22.”My expectations [at the start of the tour] was to be a pure allrounder, and I know still I need to work a little bit more on my bowling, I’m still not happy with the way I’m bowling, and I hope that I come back strong in bowling, and I want to fulfil that allrounder slot in the coming days.”I can see my last three years, two years, how hard I have been working on my batting and bowling, obviously fitness is main for me as an allrounder, and I kept pushing myself. After my first IPL season, I realised what I have to improve on my batting, and when I got the off phase [time off], I have worked a lot on my batting and that’s what working now. As I mentioned, it’s not about the one month and two months, but I have done the work from the last two to three years to come here.”

Newcastle United suffered a late defeat to Liverpool on Monday as Rio Ngumoha scored on his debut to make it 3-2. However, the loss of that point is only the second biggest problem to come out of the game for Eddie Howe.

VIP Tickets

Secure your matchday experience with Seat Unique.

See at Seat Unique

It looks certain that four of Monday’s starting 11 will be unavailable for their next Premier League fixture against Leeds on Saturday, as Anthony Gordon was sent off for a late challenge on Virgil Van Dijk and is currently facing a three-game suspension.

The other three absences are all injuries, with Fabian Schar having to be taken off due to a concussion. He is the most likely of the four to be available for the Leeds match, but that will depend on his recovery over the coming days.

The bigger injuries were suffered by midfield duo Sandro Tonali and Joelinton. Tonali had to be removed due to an apparent shoulder injury, and Joelinton followed ten minutes later with a muslce problem.

Post-match, Howe was asked about both injuries and said it “doesn’t look good” and “they both look threatening for us in the sense they could be out for a while”. Due to this, Newcastle are considering drastic action in the transfer market and bringing in a replacement midfielder in the final few days of the window.

Newcastle one of six Premier League teams considering Gallagher

Newcastle are considering signing Atlético Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher as a replacement for the injured Tonali and Joelinton. Graeme Bailey of TBR Football spoke about a number of teams showing interest in Gallagher but told fans “don’t rule out Newcastle” and “keep an eye on Newcastle”.

Gallagher appears to have been on Newcastle’s radar prior to this week but their interest has intensified following the injuries. How much Atlético would want for the 25-year-old is currently unknown, but they paid £33 million for him last summer.

On the personal side of things, Gallagher is reportedly on just over £150,000 a week, and Newcastle have a working relationship with his agency, Elite Management Agency, as they also represent centre-back Dan Burn.

Gallagher is receiving interest from multiple clubs hoping to bring him back to the Premier League before the transfer window ends – Newcastle and Everton currently look the most likely to make a move, but West Ham, Crystal Palace, Tottenham and Manchester United are all also considering the England midfielder.

Gallagher can ease long term depth concerns

While several clubs are interested in signing Gallagher, they’re all looking to replace slightly different midfielders. It speaks to his versatility that the six different clubs see him as a potential solution to their problems.

Manchester United and Tottenham are considering Gallagher as a typical defensive midfielder, with Tottenham considering him if Yves Bissouma moves on. Last season, he was in the top 15% of players for defensive recoveries and tackle success rate, making him more than capable of breaking up play and supporting the defence.

Crystal Palace may be looking at Gallagher as a replacement for Eberechi Eze following his move to Arsenal, in which case, he would be a far more attacking signing. During his season on loan at Crystal Palace, Gallagher registered 13 goal involvements in 39 games, demonstrating his attacking acumen when properly utilised.

Newcastle’s typical midfield of Joelinton, Tonali and Bruno Guimarães are all players who can perform both defensively and offensively. With various suitors wanting Gallagher for both of these attributes, it makes him the perfect replacement if it turns out that both injuries are long-term, also providing depth behind all three when the trio are fit and firing.