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Eddie Howe will hope his up-and-down Newcastle United side can now go on a winning run in the Premier League.

Indeed, the Toon have recently collected two straight victories in the punishing division against Burnley and Crystal Palace, with the 2-0 win over the Eagles labelled as a “victory for willpower” by journalist Luke Edwards, as the Magpies had to keep grinding away to clinch three points.

Still, this season has seen Newcastle’s Jekyll and Hyde tendencies come to the forefront regularly, as Howe hunts down some January reinforcements to ensure his team continues to look up the standings, as opposed to down.

Newcastle make £52m star a top target

Amazingly, Newcastle’s clean sheet against Palace was the first time the Toon had kept a clean sheet in 12 games, as Howe potentially looks to add in some more defensive bodies to his camp this month.

The leaky Magpies have been regularly linked with a move for rising Toulouse star Dayann Methalie in the left-back spot, while further rumours have also tipped them to make an £8m swoop for versatile Celta Vigo defender Óscar Mingueza.

Moreover, Newcastle’s ongoing interest in AZ Alkmaar midfield sensation Kees Smit shows no signs of dying down, with The Athletic stating that the Dutchman has now been made a top target for Howe and Co.

The report does further clarify that a bid for Smit, who is valued around the £52m mark, will likely depend on Joe Willock departing the building in January, as Newcastle also go about offloading some personnel across the chaotic month.

With Howe working his magic this season on the likes of Lewis Miley, Newcastle will see this as an opportunity to land another very exciting talent for the future, with the 19-year-old potentially going down as the Magpies’ next Elliot Anderson.

How Smit could become Newcastle's next Anderson

Newcastle very much dropped the ball when they lost Anderson for a measly £35m in July of 2024.

The full-blooded Englishman is now a £100m-rated performer for Nottingham Forest, and is on the extensive shopping list of Manchester City this month.

With a jaw-dropping 8.3 ball recoveries this season per Premier League contest, on top of winning 7.7 duels per game, Anderson would completely transform their midfield ranks, which are in dire need of some reinvention, owing to Sandro Tonali and Joelinton consistently falling short of their best.

Smit’s league numbers for AZ

Stat (* = per 90 mins)

24/25

25/26

Games played

18

14

Goals scored

0

2

Assists

0

2

Touches*

38.8

62.7

Accurate passes*

23.3 (85%)

42.7 (89%)

Key passes*

1.3

1.8

Big chances created

3

3

Ball recoveries*

3.3

5.7

Total duels won*

2.9

3.3

Stats by Sofascore

It doesn’t look feasible, unfortunately, that Anderson will be dramatically returning to St James’ Park anytime soon, with Smit perhaps considered the next best thing, based on the table above.

While he does fall short of Anderson in his own ball recovery numbers and duels won tally, it’s clear that the 19-year-old has come on leaps and bounds in such a short space of time in the Eredivisie, as he potentially explodes into life even more in the Premier League, with most of his numbers improving this season for AZ, after a breakout offering during the 2024/25 campaign.

He will be very much a work in progress, but Anderson didn’t sensationally become an £100m-level talent over-night, as Newcastle are all too aware, with Smit’s ability to fire home a blistering rocket such as this strike for the Netherlands U20s further backing up claims that he is a “superb” asset for his age, as he was labelled by a Premier League scout via TeamTALK.

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Newcastle will also feel less reliant on Bruno Guimaraes to deliver the goods if Smit can put away some audacious strikes for Howe’s men, with the teenager already dubbed a “difference maker” for his Dutch outfit by analyst and content creator Spencer Mossman.

Landing Smit and turning him into a top-flight-ready performer will finally soften the ongoing blow of Anderson leaving St James’ Park prematurely, with the Forest number eight getting ready for another next big step with Pep Guardiola’s men, away from embarking on a surprising reunion on Tyneside.

Snapping up the much-talked-about Dutchman will also see Howe refresh his ranks for the better, as 2026 goes down as being a potentially positive year for his inconsistent side.

Related Bad for Miley: Newcastle could see £8m bid accepted to sign "complete" star

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Posts ByAngus Sinclair

It says something of Mikel Arteta’s insatiable hunger for success that he hopes Arsenal will ring a few changes in the January transfer window, despite the remarkable progress that his side have made this season.

The Premier League table-toppers spent a bucketload last summer, Arteta and the club’s new technical director Andrea Berta having added to an elite crop after three years of finishing second in gruelling title battles.

However, Viktor Gyokeres has flattered to deceive at number nine, while £67m recruit Eberechi Eze has only impressed in flashes.

More sharpness is needed from the Gunners, with Manchester City (and Aston Villa) breathing down their neck.

Arsenal could sign Champions League forward

Manchester City have Erling Haaland as their striker. He has scored 19 times in the Premier League this season, eight more than Igor Thiago behind him. Arsenal’s top scorer is Leandro Trossard with five goals.

Arsenal are in a fantastic position, and Arteta cannot allow any slip-ups this season. With this in mind (and with Man City on the verge of signing Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth), it might be worth using the winter window to the Londoners’ advantage.

Arteta has already confirmed the Emirates side are “actively looking” at potential deals this month, so perhaps they should consider AC Milan’s Rafael Leao, a long-term target who is riding the crest of a wave in Italy.

Last month, it was made known that Arsenal had made the Portugal international a top target ahead of 2026, though any deal will fall into the ballpark of £75m.

Electric-paced and versatile, Leao has recently reinvented himself as a prolific number nine, and he could help dynamise the Gunners frontline, said to even be keen on a move to north London if the opportunity arose.

Why Leao would be an upgrade on Gyokeres

Long have Arsenal been linked with Leao, whose efforts in Italy over the past several years have established him as “one of the best left wingers in the world”, as has been asserted by analyst Ben Mattinson.

Rafael Leao – AC Milan Career

Season

Apps

Goals + Assists

25/26

13

7 + 1

24/25

50

12 + 13

23/24

47

15 + 14

22/23

48

16 + 15

21/22

42

14 + 12

20/21

40

7 + 6

19/20

33

6 + 2

Data via Transfermarkt

But he’s developed under Massimiliano Allegri this season, placed in a central striking berth. This has led to seven goals and an assist from only 13 matches in all competitions, with the manager saying that his talisman “has genius” in his play, and that his predatory instincts in the final third make him an interesting central option.

Leao is still a physical and athletic force, ranking among the top 5% of strikers in Serie A this season for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref.

Arsenal have Gyokeres at the spearhead, but the Swedish striker has left much to be desired since moving to the club from Sporting Lisbon, losing 66% of his duels and 79% of his dribbles in the Premier League, as per Sofascore.

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Former Milan coach Stefano Pioli once remarked that Leao is like “the early Thierry Henry”, starting his career out wide before drifting into a focal goalscoring role, one which has paid dividends this season.

Henry, of course, is one of the greatest players in Premier League history, and probably the most iconic Arsenal star of all time. His fleet-footed running and incredible close control married up with deadly finishing that led Arsene Wenger to riches.

If Arsenal and Arteta can land even half the player in Leao, then there’s plenty of reason for fans to get excited.

For now, we wait for any developments in Arsenal’s January transfer plans, but the interest in this snappy star is genuine, and he would surely be interested in moving to north London and becoming a leading man for one of the most exciting projects in Europe.

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Chelsea have now identified an “incredible” manager as their top target to replace Enzo Maresca, after parting ways with the Italian on New Year’s Day.

Blues searching for new manager after Maresca exit

Following Maresca’s departure, BlueCo aren’t planning to waste any time when it comes to appointing a new manager, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, who said: “Chelsea will appoint a new manager very soon, not gonna take weeks or a long time. The club is now working on it.

“Liam Rosenior, highly rated internally after an excellent job at Strasbourg, is among the contenders.

“Decision to be made in days, won’t take long.”

The Blues have got a busy month ahead, with eight more fixtures penciled in before the end of January, starting with a difficult trip to the Etihad Stadium to take on Manchester City on Sunday.

As such, they could do with appointing a new manager quickly, and Rosenior may be an exciting option, given the job the Englishman has done at Strasbourg, leading the French side to the Europa Conference League last season.

However, the 41-year-old isn’t the first choice option, according to a report from Spain, which states Chelsea have now identified Gareth Southgate as their top target to replace Maresca, with the search for a new manager already underway.

The former England boss is the leading candidate for the role, with the board particularly impressed by the job he did with the Three Lions, during which time he displayed an ability to handle pressure from the media.

Not only that, but Southgate’s ability to develop young players is also valued, with the 55-year-old clearly ticking a lot of boxes for BlueCo.

Related Chelsea could finally sack Maresca & hire "one of the best coaches ever"

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Posts ByKelan Sarson "Incredible" Southgate could be risky appointment for Chelsea

The Englishman has received praise for the job he did with the Three Lions, with Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman saying: “What he has done for English football is just really incredible. Of course, they made the final again, they made the final at the last Euros too. I think he can be very, very proud of himself. I think England is very proud of him and me as a Dutchie, I’m very proud of him too.”

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Indeed, Southgate led England to two European Championships finals, but they ultimately failed to get over the line, despite having home advantage against Italy back in 2021.

Moreover, the former Middlesbrough boss’s experience at club level is limited, having not managed any team other than England since leaving the Riverside Stadium back in 2009.

Having suffered relegation with Boro, the ex-England manager would be a risky appointment for Chelsea, and they could probably do a lot better, given that Champions League football is on offer at Stamford Bridge.

	Glenn McGrath made a one-off Twenty20 comeback for New South Wales in 2007-08 but he says he won’t be turning up in county cricket © Getty Images

Glenn McGrath’s successful return to cricket in the Indian Premier League (IPL) has reportedly prompted a bold bid from Surrey to lure him onto the county scene. However, McGrath says he has no intention of extending his comeback beyond the IPL and he is keen to return home when the tournament finishes in a fortnight.McGrath, 38, retired from international and state cricket at the end of last year’s World Cup but the Indian Twenty20 competition tempted him to return and in his first ten matches for the Delhi Daredevils he has grabbed nine wickets at 27.44. The reported that Surrey had offered him a three-week stint but McGrath said he was not interested.”They must be desperate,” McGrath told the paper. “Playing in the IPL has been a great experience, but it has only confirmed the reasons why I retired. There’s no way I want to play county.”I’ve been really happy with the way I’ve bowled, I think it has surprised a few people. However, I’m really looking forward to getting home to [wife] Jane and the kids. I’m missing them.”

Gundappa Vishwanath is the Brijesh Patel faction’s candidate for the post of president © International Cricket Council

With one day left to go for the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) elections – the first in almost a decade – the level of activity has reached fever pitch. Brijesh Patel, the incumbent, is feeling the heat from the group led by Srikanta Datta Narasimharaja Wadiyar. With the industrialist Vijay Mallya entering the fray with his big money and persuasive charisma, few are willing to call this result.The elections have been preceded by acrimonious mudslinging from pretty much all parties and so deep is the mutual hostility that the entire election process – 20 posts will be decided – has been handed to the Registrar of Societies.For the longest time the Patel faction did not reply in kind to the allegations of financial improprieties, autocratic style of functioning and other charges that the Wadiyar faction has laid firmly at Brijesh’s feet. But recently he has begun to respond, attempting to refute the charges, and even threatening legal action for defamation.In all the mudslinging, though, there’s one person on whose face no mud will stick. GR Vishwanath, standing for the post of president, is one of India’s greatest-ever batsmen and has maintained a spotless record off the field since his retirement.The Patel faction is looking to bank on this goodwill. “Vishy is the man to head a cricket association. He has all the qualifications. He’s been the captain of India and Karnataka, a gentleman cricketer,” Brijesh told Cricinfo recently. “Apart from that, he’s been part of this whole programme of developing cricket in the areas. As a cricketer, he has played in each and every town of Karnataka. He’s travelled by train, bus, whatever it took. He got the crowds in in these remote towns. He’s been a senior vice-president for the last two terms. What next? We want to elevate him to the president’s post.”Wadiyar, though, has other ideas. “I have not been very happy with the way this association has functioned. The KSCA is sitting on public money,” he said. “Therefore, you owe some responsibility to the public in general and specifically to the members whom you are answerable to. You have to be very transparent. I intend to bring transparency in the functioning of the KSCA.” Wadiyar is talking of radical steps like video-taping all management committee meetings of the KSCA and making these available to the public, should he win.If Wadiyar is against a heavyweight in Vishwanath, Brijesh appears to have it a touch easier, squaring off for the post of secretary with G Kasturirangan. “Contesting against me is Mr Kasturirangan, who is 75-plus. We have done our work. I think the cricketing fraternity appreciates the kind of work we’ve done and the facilities given to them,” said Brijesh.Cricket administrators are sitting ducks for all kinds of criticism. It’s a largely thankless job and yet the profile has grown to be so high that it’s attracting some candidates who would never have considered entering state cricket politics a decade ago.What’s more, holding a position at the state level opens doors for an entry into the Board of Control for Cricket in India, and this is what most covet. So much so that Sharad Pawar, the BCCI president, had to call a press conference and insist that he had no stake in what was an “internal matter of the KSCA.””The president said it right. People in the board are trying to take advantage of our elections here,” said Brijesh. “Pressures will be there and people want to get into the cricket board because of the exposure they get. It’s the most popular sport and there’s visibility.”The entry of Mallya throws up some serious concern for the Brijesh Patel group, although they do not concede as much. While Mallya cannot contest for a post himself, he can be nominated to a committee of the KSCA through Select Cricket Club, run by AV Jayaparakash, the umpire, of which Mallya recently became president. “Vijay Mallya will be a representative of theSelect CC. I have no qualms or problems working with anyone,” said Wadiyar. “I have certain principles on which I work, and anyone who works with me on those principles will be most welcome. I will never refuse any help or assistance given by anyone interested in promoting cricket.”A split panel is a distinct possibility, and Wadiyar does not rule out any sort of compromise. The scion of the Mysore royal family, and a former MP, Wadiyar said, “If and when we do get into power and they [the opposition] make a suggestion, we will surely be open to accepting them if they are valid and have substance. After all, I am a politician, basically. I always took the suggestions of everyone. You should not forget that politics makes for strange bedfellows.”

Simon Katich needs to rotate strike much more, according to former opener Geoff Marsh © Getty Images

Geoff Marsh, the former Australian opener, feels that for Simon Katich to remain in the one-day team and play the sheet-anchor role, he must rotate the strike and build partnerships.”He’s got to get his confidence back as he can play all the shots and strike the ball nicely,” Marsh told the , a Melbourne-based daily. “At the end of the day, he just has to perform. That’s the nature of the beast at that level.”In the last 10 one-day matches, Katich has an average of 39.11 with only one fifty – scored against South Africa in the epic encounter at the Wanderers when South Africa chased 434 for a series victory.”When you’ve got players of the nature of [Matthew] Hayden and Phil Jaques breathing down your neck, it’s hard work. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Simon Katich or whoever in that role, when you’re getting pressure from outside it’s always going to be a talking point. He knows these guys are right on his heel.”The Champions Trophy will be the first time that Katich will play one-day cricket in India. Apart from two games against Bangladesh, he has had no ODI exposure in the subcontinent.

Cameron White will captain Victoria against the World XI in a warm-up to the Super Series © Getty Images

The World XI will play a practice match against Victoria at the Junction Oval on October 2 as a warm up before the ICC Super Series which begins on October 5 in Melbourne.Victoria have announced a full strength team with several players returning from the Australia A tour of Pakistan and county duties in England.”For our group to be able to test their skills against the best in the world is indeed a rare opportunity,” Greg Shipperd, the Victoria coach, was quoted as saying according to a media release. “The players have indicated a real keenness for the contest and we hope that all supporters come and share the experience on what will be a day to remember.”The warm-up game will also mark the debut of Rob Quiney whose first task as a batsman for Victoria will be to face the likes of Shoaib Akhtar, Shaun Pollock, Andrew Flintoff, Muttiah Muralitharan and Daniel Vettori.Team:
1 Cameron White (capt), 2 Adam Crosthwaite, 3 Gerard Denton, 4 Shane Harwood, 5 Brad Hodge, 6 David Hussey, 7 Nick Jewell, 8 Michael Klinger, 9 Michael Lewis, 10 Jonathan Moss, 11 Rob Quiney, 12 Tim Welsford

Chris Read: Shaken – but stirred into action to help Notts to promotion© Getty Images

Armed robbers broke into the Nottinghamshire home of Chris Read and stole his car on Sunday. Read, the England and Nottinghamshire wicketkeeper, was staying with his fiancée and family at his home in the Mapperley area of Nottingham when the robbers burst in.The victims were shaken but unharmed in the robbery, and Read was able to play for Notts as they gained promotion against Somerset on Wednesday.In a statement, 26-year-old Read said: “This was a very harrowing incident for all of us and I’m just thankful we came through it unscathed. We now want to put this behind us as soon as possible and get on with our lives.”Police would like to speak to anyone who saw a blue Ford Focus – which might have been Read’s stolen vehicle – travelling on the Mapperley Plains Road on Sunday after 0330 BST.

Sri Lanka have announced that the country’s main cricket academy is to be named after Muttiah Muralitharan. Normally, retired and venerable players are given the honour of having roads, stands, stadiums or institutions named after them. But Muralitharan, Sri Lanka’s highest wicket-taker, has been deemed worthy enough to be an exception to this unwritten rule.The symbolic importance of this can be gauged from the fact the announcement was made not by a board official, but by prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe himself.

Western Australia selectors will give Damien Martyn until the coin toss to prove his fitness for tomorrow’s Pura Cup cricket match against Tasmania at the WACA.Martyn threw a scare into the WA and Australian camps when he injured his thigh during his 108-run innings in WA’s five wicket loss to the Tigers in their one-day clash on Wednesday.The Warriors shielded Martyn from the media today but Australia’s chairman of selectors Trevor Hohns said he had received an update this morning and the newswas not as bad as first thought.”They (Warriors’ medical staff) think it is just a bit of muscle tiredness from overuse,” he said.Should Martyn’s injury fail to respond, the spotlight would fall on team-mate Simon Katich with the first Test against New Zealand less than a fortnight away.Katich has had a poor start to the domestic summer but he is now entrenched as the next-in-line, a role Martyn filled for two years before cementing his position at the expense of Warriors team-mate Justin Langer on the Ashes tour.Langer fought his way back for the final Test and should retain his place ahead of Michael Slater at the top of the order after a fighting century at The Oval.But both would be hoping for some runs this week as several of the nation’s leading batsmen have embarked on run feasts to start the Australian summer.One such player is Tigers captain Ricky Ponting who followed back-to-back centuries in the Pura Cup match with NSW with a classy 102 here on Wednesdaynight.But in addition to Ponting, regulars Mark Waugh and Matthew Hayden have been amongst the runs while Test hopefuls Brad Hodge, Greg Blewett, Martin Loveand Jamie Cox are all in good touch.Ponting said the Tigers had taken plenty of confidence from Wednesday night’s game and hoped to build on their solid four-day form against NSW.”We played well in our last four-day game, to get two points down in Sydney was a pretty good effort against a strong NSW side,” he said.”So we’ll go into the game fairly confident.”Warriors captain Adam Gilchrist said it was too early to sound the alarm bells after following losses to Queensland in both forms of the game as well as the loss to the Tigers.But he admitted it was time the much vaunted batting line-up began to deliver.”I think we’ve got to, as individuals, assess whether you’ve given yourself the best chance to play well enough,” he said.”I think we’ve all prepared well enough but when we’ve got into the game we probably haven’t executed what we’d talked about as well as we should have.”Teams:Western Australia (from): Adam Gilchrist(c), Justin Langer, Murray Goodwin, Mike Hussey, Simon Katich, Damien Martyn, Marcus North, Ryan Campbell, ScottMeuleman, Brad Williams, Jo Angel, Sean Cary, Gavin Swan.Tasmania (from): Ricky Ponting (c), Jamie Cox, Graeme Cunningham, Michael Dighton, Sean Clingeleffer, Dene Hills, Adam Polkinghorne, Josh Marquet, DanielMarsh, David Saker, Shane Watson, Damien Wright, Shaun Young, Andrew Downton, Brad Thomas.