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O técnico Abel Ferreira não comandará o Palmeiras nos dois próximos jogos do Verdão. O treinador está suspenso e não poderá estar com o restante da delegação nos jogos contra o Athletico-PR, pelo Campeonato Brasileiro, e São Paulo, pelas quartas de final da Copa do Brasil. Com isso, Abel só voltará à beira do gramado no duelo diante do Flamengo, no próximo sábado (8), no Allianz Parque, pelo Brasileirão.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasPalmeiras ‘sobra’ entre os brasileiros na fase de grupos da Libertadores nos últimos seis anosPalmeiras30/06/2023PalmeirasPalmeiras se reapresenta, e Weverton comemora recorde atingido na LibertadoresPalmeiras30/06/2023PalmeirasQue contratação! Em três meses de Palmeiras, Artur quase iguala número de gols feitos em 2022Palmeiras30/06/2023

+ Abel Ferreira deixa aberta a possibilidade de poupar titulares do Palmeiras contra o Athletico-PR

Na partida contra o Furacão, neste domingo (2), o técnico irá cumprir a punição de um jogo de suspensão determinada pelo STJD pelo episódio em que Abel tomou o celular da mão de um repórter na zona mista do Mineirão após o empate com o Atlético-MG. O Palmeiras não deve recorrer da decisão.

Diante do Tricolor, na próxima quarta-feira (5), Abel Ferreira terá que cumprir suspensão devido à expulsão no jogo contra o Fortaleza, na Arena Fonte Nova, em Salvador, nas oitavas de final. Na ocasião, o treinador português havia recebido cartão amarelo no primeiro tempo por ter reclamado dos critérios da arbitragem, e na segunda etapa levou vermelho direto. A súmula alegou que Abel teria proferido xingamentos ao árbitro Savio Pereira Sampaio.

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Com as advertências recebidas contra o Leão do Pici, o técnico chegou a50 cartões desde que assumiu o comando do Palestra, em 2020. Ao total, Abel Ferreira soma 44 cartões amarelos e oito vermelhos, o que equivale a aproximadamente um cartão a cada quatro partidas (cerca de 26%) em que comandou a equipe alviverde.

+ Palmeiras ‘sobra’ entre os brasileiros na fase de grupos da Libertadores nos últimos seis anos

O auxiliar João Martins deve comandar o Palmeiras nos dois jogos em que o português cumprirá suspensão. Nas 20 partidas em que substituiu Abel, o Verdão somou 12 vitórias, sete empates e somente uma derrota.

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Abel FerreiraPalmeiras

Manchester City star Erling Haaland revealed a crippling fear as he opened up on dealing with grief. Haaland had to bid goodbye to dear ones in the last few years, including his agent Mino Raiola and a close family friend Ivar Eggja, who passed away in September at 59. Eggja was the best man at Alf-Inge Haaland’s wedding and was fondly referred to as “uncle” by the City star.

• Haaland opens up on crippling fear

  The City goal machine had to deal with a lot of grief in the past few years, as he lost his grandparents, agent and a close family friend. Haaland was particularly grief-stricken after family friend Ivar Eggja passed away aged 59 last month. 

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  'What happens the day I die'

  In an intense interview, Haaland told : "It’s a bit scary when you lie alone in bed before you go to sleep and think: 'What happens the day I die? Are you going to heaven? Are you going to hell? Where are you going?'"

• Haaland opened up on losing 'chief fixer uncle'

  The City forward lovingly called Eggjar his "uncle", who was also the best man in Alf-Inge Haaland's wedding. While speaking about his death, the Norwegian said: "How am I going to process it? It’s difficult. It’s sad that he’s no longer here. He would have been here today and teased me. We teased him all the time. I will miss him for the rest of my life, says the Manchester City star. I spoke to him just before he died. He said: Go out and smash everything on the pitch”. He wanted me to live my best life, even without him. It’s important to think about. He didn’t want me to lie down and be sad."

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  Haaland's bright start to new season

  Haaland is off to a bright start in the 2025-26 campaign as he has already scored nine goals in seven appearances across all competitions. He will be next seen in action in the Champions League against AS Monaco on Wednesday.

Gaikwad suffered an elbow injury while batting in the last game against Royals

Deivarayan Muthu04-Apr-20255:46

Rayudu on home fans rooting for CSK wickets: Only Dhoni can address it

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Ruturaj Gaikwad is a doubtful starter for their home game against Delhi Captals (DC) at Chepauk on Saturday. MS Dhoni is likely to take over captaincy if Gaikwad doesn’t recover in time.Gaikwad had suffered a blow on his unprotected elbow against Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Guwahati last Sunday after stepping out to Tushar Deshpande and missing the ball in the second over in CSK’s unsuccessful chase of 183.”Yeah, we’re hoping he [Gaikwad] is going to try and have a bat today for training,” Mike Hussey, CSK’s batting coach, said at his press conference on the eve of the match against DC. “And, yeah, it [elbow] is still a little bit sore, but it’s improving every day. So, we’re very hopeful that he’ll be fine for tomorrow.Related

Upbeat Delhi Capitals aim for a hat-trick as CSK fret over Gaikwad injury

CSK face a tricky situation with Dhoni the batter

Rayudu: Chepauk's Dhoni fixation can be 'quite daunting' for others

'Quick timing, great hands' – Hayden on Dhoni's wicketkeeping

“I don’t think we’ve actually thought about that [captaincy] too much. Well, I haven’t thought about it too much. I’m sure Stephen Fleming [CSK head coach] and Rutu have thought about that. But we’ve got some young guy coming through. He’s behind the stumps. Maybe he can do a good job. I’m not sure. He’s got a bit of experience in the role, so maybe he could do it. But I’m not exactly sure, to be honest.”After being struck on the forearm last weekend, Gaikwad received some treatment on the field and continued to bat, scoring his second half-century in three matches this season. On Friday, Gaikwad only had a light workout for about ten minutes, taking throwdowns outside the nets. If he isn’t available to play, CSK will have to find a new top-order batter as well.Devon Conway, who was among the first group of batters to bat the nets on Friday, might be frontrunner to come in for Gaikwad and perhaps open with Rahul Tripathi, with Rachin Ravindra dropping down to No. 3. That may force CSK to leave out Jamie Overton and bring in an Indian fast bowler in Anshul Kamboj.Dhoni, 43, is functioning at reduced capacity, with Fleming saying his knees don’t allow him to bat too long. He has been CSK captain since their inception in 2008, barring the two years they were suspended and a few matches in 2022 when they tried handing over the reins to Ravindra Jadeja and it didn’t work out. Dhoni last led the team in the IPL final in 2023. CSK won that game, adding a fifth IPL title to their collection. But when the new season began, they had appointed Gaikwad as captain. CSK finished fifth in 2024, and missed the playoffs on net run rate.Andhra’s Shaik Rasheed, Tamil Nadu’s C Andre Siddarth and Delhi’s Vansh Bedi are the reserve Indian batters in the CSK squad, but all three are uncapped in the IPL.Mumbai teenager Ayush Mhatre, who recently broke Yashasvi Jaiswal’s record for the youngest batter to hit a 150-plus score in List A cricket, has joined CSK’s camp as a support player. It is understood that Mhatre’s presence in the camp is unrelated to Gaikwad’s injury or any other potential injury concerns.

With less than a week to go until the transfer window slams shut, it would be fair to say Chelsea have had another brilliant summer.

The board have more than backed Enzo Maresca with several quality additions all over the pitch.

In attack, the likes of Joao Pedro, Jamie Gittens and Liam Delap should help solve the side’s finishing issues from last season, and in defence, Jorrel Hato looks like a future star.

The West Londoners aren’t done there, though, as they continue to close in on Alejandro Garnacho, although if reports are to be believed, they’re now looking to sign another youngster who’d be a big upgrade.

Chelsea target Garnacho upgrade

Chelsea have been involved with several transfer sagas this summer, from Gittens to Xavi Simons, but the one concerning Garnacho has felt like it has dragged on the longest.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The Blues were first linked with the Manchester United ace back in the winter window, but things have really developed over the last few weeks or so.

While there remains a disagreement on the final price between the two clubs, the player has made it crystal clear that he only wants a move to Stamford Bridge, and it now feels like a matter of when, not if, he gets it.

Yet, even so, the West Londoners now appear intent on making another attacking addition to the team in someone who’d be an upgrade on Garnacho.

At least that is according to a recent report from Spanish publication Sport, which claims Chelsea are interested in Fermin Lopez.

In fact, the report goes further, revealing that the Blues have already submitted a bid worth around £50m for the player.

Moreover, another report from Mundo Deportivo has now claimed that the West Londoners have given the player 48 hours to decide if he wants to move to Stamford Bridge.

While that’s a lot of money to spend on a youngster, Lopez would be worth it for Chelsea, especially as he’d be an upgrade on Garnacho.

How Lopez compares to Garnacho

So, when comparing two positionally versatile attackers, it makes sense to start with their raw output, as, at the end of the day, they’ll be judged by the number of goals and assists they chalk up.

Unfortunately for Garnacho, when we do this, it’s Lopez who comes out looking far more impressive.

For example, in his 46 appearances for Barcelona last season, totalling just 2039 minutes, the young Spaniard scored eight goals and provided ten assists.

That means he managed to average a goal involvement every 2.55 games, or every 113.27 minutes, which is undeniably impressive for someone his age.

For his efforts, the United ace scored 11 goals and provided ten assists, but did so in 58 appearances, totalling 3568 minutes.

That translates to a far less impressive average of a goal involvement every 2.76 games, or more crucially, every 169.90 minutes.

The one-sided nature of this comparison only continues when we take a look under the hood, at their underlying numbers.

When doing this, the “creative” Barça star, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, emerges as the top performer in most relevant metrics.

These include actual and expected non-penalty goals, progressive carries, key passes, shot- and goal-creating actions, tackles won, and more, all per 90.

In other words, these statistics paint a picture of a player who is a genuine goal threat, an accomplished creator, and more than willing to contribute to the defensive work.

Ultimately, while Garnacho could still be a massive success at Chelsea, it appears that Lopez is the superior player, and by some margin at that.

Better deal than Lopez: Ornstein expects £50m "diamond" will join Chelsea

As Chelsea make a move to sign Fermín López from Barcelona, will the Blues also snap up a “diamond” attacker for £50m who is an even bigger talent?

By
Ben Gray

Aug 27, 2025

Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong voiced his dissatisfaction with the plan to host their upcoming La Liga fixture against Villarreal in the United States. The Dutch midfielder believes that it is unfair to make the players travel so far for a match in order to boost the commercial profile of Spanish clubs and La Liga.

UEFA's approval for the fixtures

UEFA has given the Spanish and Italian football federations the green light to stage league matches abroad this season, with Barcelona and Villarreal to meet in Miami, Florida while AC Milan and Como will play each other in Australia. While the move is seen as a groundbreaking step towards further globalising football, it has also sparked widespread dissatisfaction. Milan midfielder Adrien Rabiot has already expressed his disappointment over the decision and De Jong has followed suit.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesDe Jong's dissatisfaction

Barcelona midfielder Frenkie De Jong expressed his dissatisfaction with the prospect of playing in Miami, saying: "I don't like us going there, and I don't agree with it. It's not fair for the competition and I don't think it's right for the players given the long flight."

"For the clubs, it's about expanding their brand globally. That's probably what it's all about. We always complain about the match schedule and the excessive travel.

"The clubs are going to get paid for this, but I don't agree with playing a league game in Miami. I understand that other clubs don't agree."

Koeman's strong opinion on the Miami game

Former Barcelona defender and current Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman also criticised the idea of playing the match abroad, arguing that it wouldn’t be fair to Villarreal since there would likely be more Barcelona fans in Miami, even though the match is officially designated as Villarreal’s home game.

"It doesn't make any sense," he said. "It's ridiculous. Frenkie gives a good explanation. It's not fair. Villarreal-Barcelona is always a difficult away game for Barca, and now they're playing it on a neutral ground. There are more Barcelona fans in the stands than Villarreal fans. So it's not fair either." 

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Getty Images SportWhat happens next?

With clubs like Barcelona and Milan boasting a global audience, such initiatives could help further expand their international reach and brand value. However, the stars of the game will be hoping that clubs find a balance between commercial interests and player welfare in the future.

Celtic left it late to bring in Kelechi Iheanacho on a free transfer and could be set to dip into the unattached market once again for another centre-forward.

Kelechi Iheanacho excited to work with Brendan Rodgers at Celtic

In a deal that has triggered plenty of discussion among Celtic supporters, Kelechi Iheanacho is now in the building at Parkhead and may well be in the frame to make his Scottish Premiership debut against Kilmarnock on Sunday.

Speaking to official club sources, the Nigeria forward signalled his excitement at being able to work with Brendan Rodgers again following their successful time together while at Leicester City.

He explained: “He’s been massively important in my career. He looked after me when I was in Leicester and gave me the opportunity to show my talent and help the team to win trophies.

“He’s a great manager and a great person. He’s got a good personality as well so I’m happy to play for him again. I’m happy to be a Celtic player and to play for this great club.”

Of course, Iheanacho’s unsuccessful loan spell at Middlesbrough has put the cat among the pigeons for some, given he netted once in 15 appearances while at the Sky Bet Championship outfit.

Nevertheless, his exploits in the Premier League at Manchester City and the Foxes illustrate what he is capable of, albeit Sevilla fans never got to see the best of him either before he was released to complete a move to Glasgow.

With Celtic short on options through the middle, recent developments suggest they could now enter the free agent market once again to bring in a renowned striker.

Celtic favourites to sign free agent Michail Antonio

According to a report from Claret & Hugh, Celtic are ‘favourites’ to sign former West Ham United striker Michail Antonio, who is a free agent after leaving the London Stadium under freedom of contract.

The Jamaica international, who shares the same agent as summer signing Jahmai Simpson-Pusey, has been using the Hammers’ facilities to keep himself fit over the last few months and his Premier League record speaks for itself; 68 goals and 38 assists in 268 matches.

Celtic may have their biggest talent since Doak in "lightning" 19-year-old

While Ben Doak continues to shine away from Celtic, the Hoops could have their own rising star to enjoy

By
Robbie Walls

Sep 9, 2025

Failed moves for David Datro Fofana and Kasper Dolberg late in the window have left the door ajar for another striking arrival at Celtic, though anyone signed wouldn’t be able to take part in their Europa League campaign.

At 35 years of age, Antonio is someone that is definitely in the twilight of his career, even if he is still capable of performing at a high level if granted the platform.

Despite their interest in a deal, it would be harsh if Brendan Rodgers were to block opportunities for Johnny Kenny and Shin Yamada to claim more minutes, which may be a consideration that will need evaluation before the Bhoys make a decision on whether to move for the veteran forward.

A 25-ball unbeaten 57 from Andre Russell from No. 5 helped Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) score 95 off their last seven overs and set Rajasthan Royals (RR) 207 to win at Eden Gardens.RR’s spinners were effective but could not contain the KKR batters. Akash Madhwal was taken down, and Russell denied Maheesh Theekshana a good finish.Russell was promoted with 7.2 overs to go and he started slow – 2 off nine balls – but he then went on a tear when the pace bowlers returned at the death. He hit two fours and two sixes off his next six balls.Theekshana’s spin returned in the 18th over with changing speeds and lengths, none of it made any difference as Russell smacked a hat-trick of sixes from cow corner to long-off.Jofra Archer was hit for boundaries off full and short balls. He created a chance but Riyan Parag put it down at long-off. Madhwal started the final over of the innings with three wides before Rinku Singh took over with a four and two sixes to finish on a high.The day started with Sunil Narine and Rahmanullah Gurbaz stepping leg side quite often. Narine got a full toss and picked up a six thanks to it but was then bowled as Yudhvir Singh hit good length and took pace off. Yudhvir was taken down for 15 in his next over despite finding a top edge off Gurbaz’s slog.Ajinkya Rahane played arguably the shot of the day when he drove Madhwal over his head for six, he then flicked behind square to pick up four more.Gurbaz went across the stumps too and tried to manufacture shots. It led to a couple of miscues but earned him two fours and a six in the 56-run powerplay.Theekshana dismissed Gurbaz slog sweeping in the eighth over. The spinners decided to take the pace off completely as KKR scored only 30 runs between overs six and ten.Raghuvanshi was getting a boundary an over but Rahane slowed down against spin. He made 11 off his last 14 balls after being on 19 off 10. Parag bowled three on the trot and dismissed his opposite number with a side-arm under-cutter at 76ks at which point Russell was promoted.

Celtic supporters have been lucky enough to enjoy plenty of top-quality centre-forwards in recent years.

Henrik Larsson will forever remain the gold standard, given that he scored 242 goals in 313 appearances for the club between 1997 and 2004, winning eight major honours, firing them to the UEFA Cup Final of 2003 and picking up the European Golden Shoe in 2001.

In more recent times, Odsonne Édouard, Moussa Dembélé and Kyōgo Furuhashi have all racked up plenty of goals and trophies as Celtic’s centre-forward.

Supporters may argue they do not have a striker of the requisite quality right now, although that opinion could soon be changing, while a player you’ve probably completely forgotten ever played for Celtic is tearing it up in one of the world’s strongest leagues.

Kelechi Iheanacho's start to life at Celtic

Fair to say, not a lot was expected of Kelechi Iheanacho when he arrived at Celtic, considering he joined after the transfer window had closed as an archetypal panic buy.

Well, so far, the Nigerian international is proving the doubters wrong, converting a stoppage time penalty to snatch victory at Kilmarnock on debut, before breaking the deadlock during Wednesday night’s Europa League draw with Crvena zvezda in Belgrade.

During his time at Leicester City, Iheanacho was known as a “deadly finisher”, his best campaign coming in 2020/21, scoring 19 goals in all competitions, four of which came in the FA Cup, a key figure as the Foxes won that competition for the first time ever.

Since then though, he’s not managed more than eight goals in a single campaign, scoring zero times in La Liga during his brief time at Sevilla, hence why los Nervionenses jumped at the chance to cut ties with him.

Nevertheless, reunited with Brendan Rodgers, his manager in the East Midlands of course, Iheanacho looks revitalised and reinvigorated, back to his clinical best in front of goal.

Nevertheless, there is a forward, who made almost no impact at all at Celtic, who actually has more goals to his name at this early stage of the season.

Forgotten Celtic flop on fire in the Bundesliga

We all have that one player who, when they first burst onto the scene, you are certain they’re going to be a future Ballon d’Or winner one day.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

Well, for many in Scotland, that player was Oliver Burke.

Back in 2016, having made just 31 appearances for Nottingham Forest, Burke was sold to recently promoted RB Leipzig for £13m, a then-record for a Scottish player, but fair to say he never lived up to this hype.

The table below documents the still only 28-year-old’s manic career so far.

​​​​​​​

Bradford City

2

Zero

Nottingham Forest

31

6

RB Leipzig

26

1

West Bromwich Albion

24

1

Celtic

19

4

Deportivo Alavés

32

1

Sheffield United

36

2

Millwall

31

4

Werder Bremen

46

8

Birmingham City

23

Zero

Union Berlin

5

3

As the table outlines, Burke has played for 12 different clubs in four different countries, yet to score double figures in terms of goals for any of them, which is honestly mind-blowing, with the four he managed during a six-month loan spell at Celtic Park from West Brom in 2019 among his higher tallies.

In hoops, he bagged a brace during his Premiership debut against St Mirren, before also netting during home wins over Hibernian and Motherwell, often deployed as a centre-forward by Neil Lennon, who succeeded Rodgers during this period.

This summer, having previously played for RB Leipzig and Werder Bremen, Burke returned to Germany, joining Union Berlin, and perhaps he could finally fulfil his potential at Stadion An der Alten Försterei.

On Sunday, during die Eisernen’s crazy 4-3 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt at Waldstadion, Burke scored a 24-minute hat-trick, becoming the first Scotsman to ever bag a treble in the Bundesliga – and bettering Iheanacho’s own 2025/26 tally in the process.

Speaking on Sky Sports News, Andy Brassell labelled them “ice-cold finishes”, noting that Union Berlin are playing to Burke’s strengths, which is utilising his pace in-behind, given that he has always been lightning quick.

Burke has remained such an enigma throughout his career; his raw and physical attributes are seemingly what ensures that clubs keep signing him, but as far back as his Leipzig days there were concerns over his tactical awareness, with then manager Ralph Hasenhüttl comparing him to an “empty hard drive” who had a lot to learn.

The most recent of Burke’s 13 Scotland caps came against Israel in Netanya back in November 2020 but, if he continues to score Bundesliga hat-tricks, Steve Clarke will have to pay attention.

Who knows, he could have been an even better emergency centre-forward option for Celtic than Iheanacho will prove to be.

100% dribbles: "Fearless" Celtic star was even better than Iheanacho

Celtic drew 1-1 with Crvena zvezda in the Europa League, Kelechi Iheanacho scoring in Belgrade, but a “fearless” attacker was even more impressive.

ByBen Gray Sep 25, 2025

Newcastle United have not started the season with their trademark fluency and snap in transition, but it would be remiss to suggest that Eddie Howe’s side have lost their way.

Indeed, Newcastle have started slowly, staggered by the din of the Alexander Isak saga, with the Sweden striker having scored 27 goals last season, leading the club back into the Champions League and scoring what proved to be the winning goal at Wembley against Liverpool.

It was a cruel blow, especially after PIF had fought so hard to keep the rebel forward at St. James’ Park, but ultimately, he was intractable in his desire to leave for Anfield, and United banked a British record £125m fee.

An old adage says that no player is ever bigger than the club, and this is doubly true on Tyneside, with the sum of Howe’s team always greater than its individual parts.

They may not be firing on all cylinders yet, but there’s no question that it will come together.

Howe's new-look Newcastle frontline

Newcastle replaced Isak with Nick Woltemade, signing the 23-year-old German from Stuttgart in a club-record £69m deal. The rangy forward scored the winner on his debut against Wolves, but faced a sterner task on the south coast against Bournemouth last time out, albeit offering encouragement in the stalemate.

He’s rivalled against Yoane Wissa, who joined from Brentford on deadline day but has yet to make his debut as he recovers from a knee injury which will not require surgery.

That makes up number nine, but Newcastle needed more than just goalscorers, having finally ended an interminable search for a right-sided forward upon landing Nottingham Forest’s Anthony Elanga.

One of the fastest players in the Premier League, Elanga hasn’t quite hit his stride in black and white, but offers an exciting dimension to Howe’s outfit.

Whether Elanga was worth the £55m paid to the Tricky Trees remains to be seen, but Newcastle have signed a Prem-proven player, something they sought to do a couple of years before.

Indeed, Raphinha is certainly one who got away, having just contested Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele in the bid for the Men’s Ballon d’Or.

When Newcastle missed out on Raphinha

Newcastle have kept four clean sheets from five Premier League matches so far this season, with the basis of Howe’s tactics as deeply-rooted as ever.

Now, he needs to overlay that foundation with attacking flair once again. Isak would have helped with that, sure, but Raphinha would have too, and based on his extraordinary form with Barcelona, it’s a shame Newcastle didn’t push to land his signature in 2023.

Having registered their interest in Barcelona’s man in 2023, Howe and PIF were hoping to take advantage of the La Liga giants’ financial problems, having even made a £60m verbal offer in May 2023, feeling out the chances of a big-money bid when the transfer gates swung open.

Barcelona had swiped Leeds United’s talisman from both Arsenal and Chelsea the year before, with the Londoners engaged in a transfer tussle for one of the Premier League’s most underrated wide forwards.

His first few years in Spain were somewhat middling, but Hansi Flick changed everything for the Brazil international, whose potency proved instrumental in the fight to win La Liga last season.

The 28-year-old scored 34 goals and assisted 25 more across all competitions, with his manager even remarking in October 2024 that he had “never had a player like him”.

Al Hilal from the Saudi Pro League have since been sniffing around, interested in completing a £87m deal for the Brazilian. Barcelona are not quite so cash-strapped as in recent years, but they remain beset with monetary issues.

It’s a shame that Newcastle didn’t strike while the iron was hot. Raphinha outperformed every single player in Europe last season, from a prolific perspective, at least, and so it’s not hard to understand why he was higher in the Ballon d’Or standings than stars such as Chelsea’s Cole Palmer and Liverpool playmaker Florian Wirtz.

Raphinha

34 (25)

59

Mohamed Salah

34 (23)

57

Harry Kane

38 (13)

51

Ousmane Dembele

33 (15)

48

Kylian Mbappe

42 (4)

46

Just imagine Raphinha plying his craft down the Newcastle right; picture the kind of attacking combinations Howe could have spun together, weaving with Isak and Anthony Gordon and co a web of offensive skill that would have proved too much for most every opponent the Magpies came up against.

The £276k-per-week talent proved himself in the Premier League while at Leeds, and he’s only gone from strength to strength since.

Neither Wirtz nor Palmer, it’s worth observing, reached the top 20 for goal involvements last season. Wirtz hasn’t got going in the English game yet, but both are considered among the finest players not just in the Premier League but across all of Europe. Raphinha, on recent form, at least, is a cut above.

Even in England, at Elland Road, the La Blaugrana man was described as a “magician” of a player by his erstwhile teammate Dan James.

Raphinha has grown into a superstar, one who owes a debt of development to Hansi Flick. But there’s no reason that Howe couldn’t have shaped him into one of the world’s best himself, with Raphinha indeed hailed last season as being “the best player in the world” by Statman Dave across the 2024/25 campaign.

Given Howe’s expertise on the interpersonal front and his sharp, raise-the-bar coaching, it’s hard to envisage Raphinha falling by the wayside in some parallel version of events.

Who knows, maybe it would have been the tonic that United needed during their injury-riddled 2023/24 campaign, and perhaps it would have provided the boost the club needed to take things one step further last term, not just winning the Carabao Cup and returning to Europe but achieving something even greater.

We’ll never know how it would have panned out, but Newcastle have kicked on regardless, and having absorbed the damage of a turbulent summer transfer window, are ready to write another illustrious chapter into their history.

Howe must axe "one of the best" at Newcastle – he's already got a successor

Star’s shot-stopping vs new signing’s distribution fuels Newcastle latest debate

ByWill Miller Sep 23, 2025

Rayan has emerged as one of the most promising talents in Brazilian football and his performances haven't gone unnoticed by some of the Premier League's heavy hitters. Tottenham have now emerged as the favourites to sign the teenage forward, who has also attracted interest from Chelsea, Liverpool and Aston Villa. However, it's Spurs who are the frontrunners for the 19-year-old.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Rayan continuing to shine for Vasco

  Rayan has established himself as a key man for Brazilian giants Vasco da Gama having recently bagged a brace in a 4-3 victory over Vitoria. The talented teen has now scored nine league goals this season and has been tipped to make his senior Brazil debut before long.

  Vasco are reluctant to lose their prized asset but are aware of significant interest from top European sides looking to bolster their frontline. Chelsea and Liverpool have previously been linked with a move for Rayan but a recent report now suggests that Tottenham are the favourites to sign the versatile forward.

  The Brazilian side believe Rayan will leave before the end of the year and according to Portuguese publication O Dia, will demand €30m (£26m) in order to come to the negotiating table. However, it's also reported that Vasco will accept €20m up front with a further €5m in add-ons.

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• Spurs would face competition for Rayan

  Tottenham have since emerged as frontrunners to sign Rayan from Vasco and are believed to be willing to offer the full €30m up front in order to secure his services. The north London side have been monitoring the for months now and sent scouts to watch the 19-year-old earlier this year.

  Spurs, though, would face competition from a number of Premier League rivals for Rayan, with Aston Villa among those keeping tabs on the forward. Barcelona, Zenit, Chelsea and Nottingham Forest have also been credited with an interest in the forward.

  In a fresh twist, Vasco are also believed to be keen on extending Rayan's current contract in a bid to raise his €40m (£35m) release clause and strengthen their hold on the talented Brazilian. Journalist Jorge Nicola has reported that Vasco president Pedrinho is working to tie the player down to a new deal.

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  Spurs announced cash injection on Thursday

  Tottenham have money to spend in the New Year after the club injected £100m of capital into the club. Majority shareholders, the Lewis Family, are prepared to back the north London side financially as they look to witness long-term success on the field.

  "We are pleased to announce that our majority shareholder, the Lewis family trust, has, through ENIC Sports & Development Holdings Ltd (“ENIC”), injected £100 million of new capital into the Club," a statement read on Tottenham's official website on Thursday.

  "This equity injection will further strengthen the Club’s financial position and equip the Club’s leadership team with additional resources to continue the focus on driving long-term sporting success. This additional capital is part of the Lewis family’s ongoing commitment to the Club and its future."

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• 'The Lewis family are also ambitious for the future'

  On the cash injection, non-executive chairman Peter Charrington said: "As I stated a few weeks ago, our focus is on stability and empowering the management team to deliver on the Club’s ambitions. I know the Lewis family are also ambitious for the future.

  "Today’s capital commitment reflects that ambition and I would like to thank them for their ongoing support. We will continue to do all we can to ensure that Vinai and his team are supported in the best way possible to take this Club forward."

  The injection comes after a third prospective buyer confirmed no intention to bid for the Premier League side. An American consortium led by former DJ Brooklyn Earick had previously made an informal expression of interest to buy Tottenham, which was "unequivocally rejected" by the Spurs board.

  Spurs currently sit third in the Premier League, two points behind rivals Arsenal, after their 2-1 win over Leeds prior to the international break. Spurs return to domestic duties as they welcome Aston Villa next weekend.