Tottenham Hotspur once had a talent hailed as “the new Diego Maradona”, who Jamie Carragher said was “like watching Pirlo”, due to the way in which he flourished in a deep-lying playmaker role.

Lack of creativity cost Tottenham against Bournemouth

Tottenham spent large parts of the summer transfer window chasing a new attacking midfielder, pursuing Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze before eventually getting a deal for Xavi Simons over the line.

However, the Dutchman, who has picked up a combined 20 assists over the last two Bundesliga seasons, wasn’t available for selection against AFC Bournemouth last time out, and Spurs created very few opportunities.

The Lilywhites were missing a player capable of taking the game by the scruff of the neck and creating something out of nothing, with Son Heung-min departing for LAFC in the summer, while Harry Kane has, of course, been a big miss ever since leaving two years ago.

During his time in north London, Kane received regular plaudits from the media, with some of the highest praise coming from David Ginola, who once said: “The new playmaker at Spurs is Harry Kane. He is like the new Diego Maradona now. Long passes, short passes, he has it all.”

Carragher was also left very impressed with the England captain’s ability to drop deep and create chances.

First refusal clause means Spurs can re-sign Kane

Tottenham are well-known to have a first refusal clause, which means they would hold an advantage in a future race for the 32-year-old, given that Bayern Munich would be forced to sell the striker to his former club if they matched another accepted offer.

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Former Liverpool man Dietmar Hamann has also suggested this season could be the centre-forward’s last in Germany, saying: “I think Harry Kane has a clause that allows him to leave for a certain amount next summer. I believe the reason Bayern Munich wanted to bring Nick Woltemade in this summer was because many within the club think Kane wants to go back to England after the World Cup.”

Signing a player in their early thirties would normally be a gamble, but Kane is showing no signs of slowing down, having maintained a fantastic goal and assist record at Bayern ever since his arrival, making a flying start to the new campaign.

Kane at Bayern

Bundesliga appearances

Goal contributions

2023-24

32

44

2024-25

31

36

Everton have got themselves up and running over the past couple of matches in the Premier League, having won at their new home against Brighton & Hove Albion before securing a win on the road against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Integral in both victories was new loan recruit Jack Grealish, assisting twice and then twice again. Everton are looking to make real headway under David Moyes’ wing this season, challenging high up the table, away from the relegation dog fight.

A range of exciting signings have been made, Grealish so far proving the cherry on the cake, but Moyes appears keen to land another midfielder before the window slams shut.

Everton still searching for midfielder

Having emerged as a top target at Everton since Moyes replaced Sean Dyche in January, it looks like the pursuit of West Ham United midfielder Tomas Soucek is going down to the wire.

However, Graham Potter might want to keep him on the books for depth, and so the Toffees may want to make a lunge for an alternative.

And perhaps that could be Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo. The 20-year-old wants to leave Old Trafford on loan before the deadline, and Everton have been credited with an interest over the past few weeks.

Man United have informed their academy product that he is expected to stay and fight for his place over the coming campaign, but much could change at the eleventh hour of the transfer window.

Newcastle United have also shown interest in signing the Red Devil, but Everton might feel that Mainoo could best foster his clear talent at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Why Everton must sign Mainoo

Mainoo might be out of favour at Man United, but he has been described as a “generational” talent by journalist Andy Dunn and as a future “£100m-plus footballer” by United writer Alex Turk.

Why? He’s already played 74 times for the senior side, scoring seven goals (including a crucial strike in the 2024 FA Cup final against Manchester City).

Even if Everton only manage to land him on a loan deal, they should consider opting for Mainoo ahead of Soucek, even though the Czech Republic international has a wealth of experience in Moyes’ former Hammers system.

Mainoo struggled last year, but he showcased remarkable quality when breaking onto the scene in 2023/24, and given his strength when carrying the ball forward and technical quality, he could add that physical shine that Moyes covets while adding some flair to the side too.

He’s less of a goalscoring threat than Soucek, but more active in the duel, more energetic and more fluid with his passing.

Indeed, even though he endured a tough campaign, Mainoo ranks among the top 11% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

Having watched Grealish hit the ground running as a loanee from Manchester, Everton might want to sign Mainoo in the coming hours, adding some youthful exuberance and plenty of technical quality besides.

Beto upgrade: Everton battling PL rivals to sign “unstoppable” £17m gem

Everton could continue their summer spending spree with another centre-forward addition to replace Beto

By
Will Miller

Aug 30, 2025

Ian Bishop says Sai Kishore has a chance to lead GT’s spin attack this season

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Apr-20252:14

Amabti Rayudu recalls his time with Sai Kishore

Former India batter Ambati Rayudu thinks Gujarat Titans (GT) left-arm spinner R Sai Kishore is “as good as anybody” who is part of the India team at the moment. Sai Kishore is currently GT’s second-highest wicket-taker and also the second-highest wicket-taker among all spinners in IPL 2025, with eight strikes in four matches at an economy rate of 7.06. His overall T20 economy rate of 5.98 after 74 matches is even more impressive.”This guy has always improved day in and day out. He used to work much harder than many people in the nets,” Rayudu said on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show, having spent time with Sai Kishore when they were part of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) during IPL 2020 and 2021. Sai Kishore didn’t get a game for CSK and then moved to GT in 2022, when he made his IPL debut. Ahead of the IPL 2025 mega auction, GT used their RTM (Right to Match) card on Sai Kishore and bought him back.”He used to be the first to start, and the last to go out,” Rayudu said. “And he used to bowl to every batsman, [and] ask them for feedback [regarding] what his lengths were. He was constantly learning. That’s the greatest aspect, and now you see his control in terms of length. And he also bowls differently to each batsman. He doesn’t bowl the same ball. A lot of bowlers that we see are so comfortable bowling one length or one line. He is not that kind of bowler; he can adjust accordingly.”Related

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Against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday, Sai Kishore bagged 2 for 24 in four overs. That included the wickets of spin-hitters Heinrich Klaasen and Nitish Kumar. Rayudu was particularly impressed with how Sai Kishore outsmarted Klaasen.”The way he celebrated Klaasen’s wicket today; he rarely celebrates. I know why he celebrated – because he planned for that,” Rayudu said. “He bowled over the stumps to Klaasen so that he could take the ball away from his arc. And then he came around, and he knew Klaasen would go for his pick-up shot. So he bowled that quicker one. So I think he planned for it; he plans a lot.”Sai Kishore has played three T20Is for India, as part of a second-string side, at the Asian Games in October 2023. Since then, he hasn’t represented India in any format.”He is quite the guy not to get into the Indian side,” Rayudu said. “I think, going forward, it will be great if he gets into the Indian side because he is as good as anybody who is playing in the Indian team now.”Ian Bishop, meanwhile, recalled an interview with Sai Kishore, where the spinner spoke of the adjustments he had to make when GT were playing Mumbai Indians earlier this season.”SKY [Suryakumar Yadav] was sweeping it. I asked, ‘What did you do differently today?’ And he said, ‘Today, I had to bowl more defensively because the ball wasn’t gripping as much’,” Bishop said. “So he was around the wicket to the left-hand batters, [angling] across.”The guy has played only ten [14] games [in the IPL], and this is the first year that he’s going to be one of the leaders of the spin-bowling attack because it’s always been Jaddu and those guys at CSK, and Noor Ahmad and Rashid [Khan] at GT. But now, he has a chance to be a leader.”

Northants 143 (Keogh 64, Singh 4-35) and 107 for 7 (Bartlett 54*, Dudgeon 4-32) need 153 runs to beat Kent 231 (Muyeye 72, Leaning 40, Weatherall 3-32) and 171 (Evison 52, Compton 36, Weatherall 3-38) Keith Dudgeon had originally planned on joining Kent for the 2024 season before NOC issues ruled that out. A year on, he finds himself at the club as one of two replacements, alongside Pakistan Test seamer Kashif Ali, to cover for Wes Agar through to May, who was prescribed rest following the end of the Australian summer.Even moonlighting for Agar owed a lot to a referral from a high-profile figure within the English game. Joe Root, having spent time with Dudgeon during an SA20 stint with Paarl Royals, thought he had the skills to succeed in county cricket. His overall record was impressive enough, with 226 red ball wickets at 26.31. With Kent searching for bowlers, Root recommended Dudgeon to England teammate Zak Crawley, who passed it on,The lesson to learn after just two days of the 2025 season is that networking works. Because whatever thoughts there might have been that the 29-year-old South African is an afterthought overseas, the record was set straight on Saturday evening at Wantage Road.The broad-shouldered seamer took Kent to victory’s door against Northamptonshire with a late spell of three wickets in nine deliveries that leaves his new side needing just three more wickets on day three for victory in their Division Two opener. An uncapped Protea he may be, but this was a top-quality fare.That day two saw 20 wickets across three innings tells an accurate story of a crapshoot of an opening fixture on a spicy pitch that would have done plenty without the plethora of batting errors. But Dudgeon’s late burst – which might have been four wickets in 11 balls, and a first five-wicket haul for the club, had a vociferous LBW appeal against Justin Broad been given – was a gut punch to Northamptonshire.At 54 for 2 in pursuit of 260, they looked to have stumbled across some calm amid the chaos of the last two days. Now, closing on 107 for 7, they rest knowing defeat awaits them on Sunday, with only George Bartlett’s unbeaten 54 to hold on to. Bartlett’s presence should be considered a blessing given he was shelled on 17 by Bell-Drummond at third slip.”We’ve had a struggle this year with the Kookaburra (balls) back home, and slower seam conditions at my home ground, Boland Park,” Dudgeon said of South African seamers over their domestic summer. His seven wickets for Boland came at 55.28. Just 20 overs with a Dukes in April have already reaped five at 13.00.”I’m well aware that they’re not all like this,” he added, referring to the surface and conditions, having clocked a few heavy scores around the country. “I know the hard work is only coming, so we need to stay humble.”He need not worry, because humility has a way of finding this modern iteration of Kent, even when they are in the ascendancy. They needed just 40 minutes to wrap up Northamptonshire’s first innings, with Jaskaran Singh doubling his two dismissals from the night before to finish with career-best figures of 4 for 35. But having worked hard to establish a lead of 88, the visiting attack were back in action after the tea break, with 29 overs remaining in the day’s play.What happened in between was down to a super-sized version of the first day’s mistakes. A collapse of 5 for 33 in their first innings was “bettered” by a rather inexplicable 7 for 49 in the second, of which four – all caught through attacking shots – should have been avoided.The first of those was a tame bunt to cover by Crawley, this time for 31 after losing two stumps for just one 24 hours earlier. That it set up the cascade was no fault of Crawley’s; England’s erratic opener had compiled nicely up to that point, dovetailing with Ben Compton to take the opening stand to 66 just after lunch.Jaskaran Singh struck in the first innings before Keith Dudgeon make the key inroads in the second•Getty Images

But when a Broad length delivery sat up, deserving to be smoked through the off side, Crawley snatched at the chance, gifting a simple catch to Saif Zaib at cover. An over later, Zaib was in more or less the exact same patch of field – this time fielding at midwicket – as Bell-Drummond flicked to him for a three-ball nought, and was immediately followed back to the pavilion by Tawanda Muyeye.The reaction to Muyeye’s dismissal for a golden duck said it all, though it was as much down to seeing off a batter who peeled off a composed 72 on day one as the quality of delivery from Raphael Weatherall. An inswinging yorker pinne the right-hander’s front pad on its way towards to the base of leg stump.Yet again, it was Weatherall’s introduction that ripped the guts out of Kent’s line-up. Jack Leaning survived the hat-trick ball, but the former England U19 quick eventually picked up his third, ripping out Compton’s off stump to cap a resolute stay at 101 minutes.Weatherall’s 3 for 38, combined with the first day’s career-best effort of 32 not only doubled his overall first-class tally. To have gone two days in a row showcased the important technical changes made over the winter following a stress fracture of his lower back.Aged 20, his pace – 81/82mph according to analysts at Wantage Road – and ability to hammer the same length to right- and left-handers (including from around the wicket to the latter, which did for Compton) is a huge upside. The energy provided was harnessed beyond his own spell to allow Northants a route back through the seven-wicket flurry spanning 16.3 overs.The problem, however, was despite Kent’s missteps, their lead had made it to 203. With Joey Evison the designated fourth emergency service since moving to Canterbury in 2022, another rescue act was cooking. A gutsy 52 – his 10th first-class half-century for the club – dragged Kent to 171. Evison was the last to fall attempting his first shot in anger, failing to clear Zaib on the fence at deep midwicket.Undoubtedly the crucial part of that late resistance was an eight-wicket partnership of 36 with Dudgeon, which meant Northamptonshire’s target for victory would require them to register the highest innings of the match. Considering that stand was greater than anything the hosts mustered in their first innings, it was clear who were in the ascendancy going into the tea interval.Those odds shrunk at the end of the second over of the evening session. Ricardo Vasconcelos decided to leave a good length ball from Dudgeon, delivered tight to the stumps from over the wicket, despite the fact the right-armer has been consistently moving the ball in to the left-hander, and lost his off stump.It was the first of three bad leaves. The third – Broad wearing one on the pad from Gilchrist – closed out the day’s play. The second, however, was a work of art from Grant Stewart.James Sales had judged the line of the Italian seamer’s delivery to be wide of off stump out of the hand. A wicked deviation sent it back towards its intended target, kissing the middle-and-off bail gently enough that even standing umpire Rob Bailey had to double-take when Sales calmly strode off.Stewart had already seen off home skipper Luke Procter. And when Rob Keogh, Northamptonshire’s first innings top-scorer with a 64 that only ended this morning, became the second of three catches to be pouched by Leaning at second slip, all in Dudgeon’s late spell, all reasonable hope was lost.

Michael Owen has raised doubts over England’s ability to go all the way at the 2026 World Cup under Thomas Tuchel, warning that age, declining form, and testing conditions could hinder their chances. The former Liverpool striker expressed concern that several key players, including Harry Kane, may be past their best by next summer, while questioning whether the squad is improving.

• England enter new Tuchel era

  England have enjoyed a strong run in major tournaments in recent years, reaching two finals and a semi-final since 2018. However, following Gareth Southgate’s departure after Euro 2024, Tuchel has now taken charge. Owen believes that with several players ageing and others struggling for form, England could face a tougher challenge than before.

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  Owen warns Tuchel about his ageing Three Lions squad

  Speaking to , Owen cautioned: “Star players such as Kane are getting older — he’s not going to be getting any better. While world-class players such as Kyle Walker will no longer be there. Even players like Foden are not at the top of their game compared to what they were a year or two ago. Defensively, I worry too. We used to have a lot of good defenders. Now I’m thinking who’s going to play left-back? Who’s going to play centre-half? John Stones isn’t getting any younger.”

  He added: “I think we were probably better a year or two ago. But a lot changes in football. It might turn into a big year for us, but no, I wouldn’t be confident about us winning the World Cup at this stage. We’re knocking on the door – finals, semi-finals – we’re a top footballing nation, but I think other nations may be better suited to the conditions this time.”

• England warmed about 'baking hot' conditions

  Owen also went on to warn England fans that the conditions in the United States, Mexico and Canada may not be suitable to Three Lions stars: “There’s a lot going against us at the moment. A World Cup in America and Mexico at that time of year is going to be absolutely baking hot. The conditions won’t be to our advantage at all. I’m not sure our team’s getting better at the moment. You could argue it’s slightly getting worse.

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  Tuchel working on improving squad ahead of 2026 World Cup

  Tuchel’s immediate priority will be ensuring England’s younger core — including Phil Foden, Jude Bellingham, and Bukayo Saka — step up to replace ageing stars like Kane and Stones. The German coach is expected to experiment with new tactical setups in upcoming friendlies to build chemistry before qualifying resumes. England’s preparations for 2026 will be closely watched, as fans hope this generation can finally turn promise into a major trophy.

Arsenal youth coach David Horseman has been handed a UEFA ban for an 'insulting' offence. Horseman, who recently joined the Gunners from Manchester United's youth team, was found guilty of insulting the opposition during Arsenal Under-19's UEFA Youth League clash against Athletic Club on September 16. The English side suffered a 3-1 loss away from home.

UEFA suspend Arsenal youth coach

Horseman, who took charge of the Arsenal U19 side earlier in September, has been handed a suspension by UEFA for "Insulting players or others present" during a UEFA Youth League clash between the Gunners and Athletic Club.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportHorseman joined Arsenal from Man Utd

Less than three months after serving the Manchester United U21 side as their assistant coach, Horseman moved to north London to take charge of the Arsenal U19 team. He was hoping to sit on the bench for the club's upcoming clash against Olympiacos on Wednesday, only to find himself suspended by UEFA.

Arsenal thrashed by Athletic Club

Athletic Club comfortably clinched the clash at home as they beat the Gunners 3-1, courtesy of a brace from Manex Lozano Carmona and a penalty converted by Elijah Gift. Brando Bailey-Joseph scored the only goal for the visitors.

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AFPHectic week ahead for senior team

After picking all three points against Newcastle in a closely fought encounter in the Premier League last weekend, Mikel Arteta's side are now gearing up to face Olympiacos in the Champions League on Wednesday before hosting West Ham in a league clash on Saturday.

انتقد أحمد شوبير، الإعلامي بقناة النادي الأهلي، تصريحات وتصرفات إسلام شكري رئيس قطاع الناشئين بنادي بيراميدز، بعد أزمة فريق الشباب أمام الأهلي التي ألغيت مساء الإثنين، بعد احتجاج من مسؤولي بيراميدز على احتساب ركلة جزاء لصالح المارد الأحمر.

وشهدت مباراة الأهلي وبيراميدز في بطولة الجمهورية، حالة من الجدل بعد اعتراض مسؤولو نادي بيراميدز على احتساب الحكم ركلة جزاء لصالح الأهلي، وتم إلغاء اللقاء.

طالع | بيراميدز يوضح تفاصيل أزمة مباراة فريق الشباب أمام الأهلي

وقال شوبير خلال تصريحات عبر قناة الأهلي لبرنامج “حارس الأهلي”: “مباراة الأهلي وبيراميدز للناشئين، بعد ثلاث دقائق، الحكم أعطى ضربة جزاء للنادي الأهلي، بصرف النظر عن صحتها من عدمها، في مباراة الناشئين لا يوجد فار، دكة بيراميدز دخلت الملعب، ودكة النادي الأهلي ليس لها علاقة”.

وأضاف: “الكابتن وليد سليمان ليس له علاقة بالأمر لا من قريب ولا من بعيد، كل الناس اللي دخلت كلها خاصة بنادي بيراميدز”.

وتابع: “الكابتن إسلام شكري قال إن كابتن وليد سليمان دخل معي، اعترضنا على الحكم، أنا أقول له مين يعترض على الحكم يا كابتن إسلام؟ الكابتن وليد سليمان هيدخل يعترض على الحكم وهو حسب ركلة جزاء لمصلحة فريقة؟ (يعني إزاي؟ الأمر عامل إزاي؟)”.

وواصل: “لاعبو بيراميدز لم يكن لديهم أي مشكلة في استكمال المباراة، حتى الإداريين، الحكم قام بطرد كابتن إسلام شكري، وقال له: “اتفضل يا كابتن بره”، فقال له: “لا، أنا مش طالع””.

وزاد شوبير: “شكري رفض تماماً الخروج، هي كل القصة رفض تام للخروج، وكأننا بنلعب في دورة رمضانية مثلاً، أو بنلعب في مباراة في الشارع، طبعاً هذا أمر لا يليق”.

واستطرد: “الحكم انتظر الوقت المسموح وأطلق صافرة نهاية المباراة، والأهلي عمل إثبات حالة، لكن الحقيقة وأنا أتحدث اليوم مع أحد المسؤولين في نادي بيراميدز قال: “بنرفض تماماً هذا الأمر، إحنا الحمد لله بنكون شعبية، وأمورنا بقت أفضل وأحسن، الحمد لله الناس شافت إن نادي بيراميدز ماشي بشكل جيد، ولن نسمح لأحد – أياً كان – إنه يبوّظ لنا الصورة اللي إحنا فيها”.

وأتم شوبير: “المسؤول في بيراميدز قال نحن نعيش أزهى عصورنا، وحصلنا على بطولة إفريقيا والسوبر الإفريقي، لا نريد أي شيء يعكر لنا هذا الشكل، بالطبع الأمور هتخضع لتحقيقات، ثم في النهاية تكون هناك قرارات رادعة بإذن الله”.

MatériaMais Notícias

Em uma discussão que viralizou nas redes sociais com um torcedor do Corinthians, Lyarah Vojnovic, mulher do volante Maycon, alegou que 98% do elenco corintiano está com salários atrasados e disse que seu marido está “louco para sair do clube”.

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+ VÍDEO: Luan é agredido por torcedores do Corinthians em motel

– Bom, vocês gostam de falar de salário, né? O Corinthians está perfeito com isso, 98% do elenco com salário atrasado e que isso também não interfere em nada – respondeu Lyarah a um torcedor corintianos nas redes sociais.

+ Renove o seu estoque de camisas do Timão com o cupom LANCEFUT 10% OFF

Como informou o Lance! no sábado (1), o Corinthians teve problemas para fechar as folhas de pagamentos nos últimos meses, especialmente em maio, mas zerou as pendências com o elenco e inclusive antecipou o pagamento na CLT referente ao mês de julho. 

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A diretoria alvinegra priorizou quitar os atrasados com o elenco antes de pagar as dívidas ao Argentinos Juniors, ao atacante Mauro Boselli e também ao empresário Eduardo Bou Daye.

Após concluir as vendas de Mantuan e Pedro ao Zenit, da Rússia, o fluxo de caixa possibilitou à diretoria corintiana quitar as três pendências citadas acima na sexta-feira (30). O clube aguarda os documentos da Fifa para poder inscrever Matías Rojas e outros possíveis reforços.

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+ Timão avança? Veja datas de todos os confrontos das quartas de final da Copa do Brasil

Após a derrota para o Cuiabá, Alessandro Nunes, gerente de futebol corintiano, disse que alguns jogadores possuem pendências em relação a direitos de imagem.

– Todos eles possuem situações mais regulares, talvez uma situação ou outra pendente mas nada que a gente possa equacionar em um futuro muito em breve – disse Alessandro na zona mista da Neo Química Arena após o jogo contra o Dourado.

While the goals weren’t overflowing at St James’ Park on Saturday, Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United did at least pick up a much-needed 1-0 win in Premier League action over lowly Wolverhampton Wanderers to finally get a victory on the board.

Before this confidence-boosting victory on home soil, the Magpies only had a point next to their name in league action, as they feared what a post-Alexander Isak reality would look like.

Now, however, with Nick Woltemade leading the line, the near future looks far more rosy, as the former Stuttgart goal machine scored on his debut to secure a slender victory over Vitor Pereira’s visitors.

Woltemade's dream debut

With Howe revealing before the Wolves clash that Yoane Wissa was going to be absent due to a knee injury, the pressure was severely ramped up on the new £69m striker to deliver some instant goods as the Toon’s fresh centre-forward option.

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He didn’t disappoint either on his first outing at St James’ Park, with the clinical number 27 finding himself in the perfect position to head home a Jacob Murphy deep into the first 45 minutes, which did see Wolves have a few openings.

Thankfully, after Woltemade headed past Sam Johnstone, the tight game swung in favour of the hosts.

More goals should soon come the 6-foot-6 attacker’s way, too, considering he was purchased for that lavish amount, off the back of him powering home a lethal 18 strikes from just 36 contests wearing Stuttgart white.

However, while the Toon masses are undoubtedly enthused by the potential of Woltemade, they look to be less overjoyed by the presence of Harvey Barnes in the first-team ranks as one of the German’s attacking partners, if his out-of-sorts showing against the Old Gold is anything to go by.

Unlike Murphy on the right wing, who assisted Woltemade’s game-clinching goal, Barnes would fail to deliver a single accurate cross all night to the head of the towering striker.

To add insult to injury, the ex-Leicester City attacker would also go the entire contest without testing Johnstone with an on-target effort.

With Anthony Elanga waiting in the wings, it does appear that Barnes might be on borrowed time as Howe’s dependable left-wing option, with Newcastle now left to rue the departure of an enigmatic forward, who could have been a dream partner for Woltemade to bounce off of, over relying on the 27-year-old.

Newcastle must rue selling "breathtaking" Barnes upgrade

Barnes has shown glimpses of his immense quality donning Newcastle black and white, away from a slow start this season.

In particular, last campaign saw the former Foxes hero pick up nine goals and four assists in league action.

But, the alarm bells will be ringing now surrounding the Burnley-born forward, with a poor injury record also weighing heavily next to his tally of no goals and no assists from his opening four league clashes this time around.

In an ideal reality, Newcastle would love to have a “breathtaking” Allan Saint-Maximin back in their ranks, as he was once labelled by former Magpies boss Steve Bruce, as a Barnes upgrade, with the slick Frenchman always consistently entertaining the St James’ Park masses when situated on Tyneside.

Lauded as a “special” talent by Jamie Carragher when at the peak of his powers in England, Saint-Maximin would always have a piece of magic up his sleeve, even when Newcastle found themselves in the doldrums.

In total, the brand-new Club America number 97 would tally up 13 goals and 21 assists for Howe and Co. before moving on to Al Ahli in 2023.

On the contrary, while Barnes does boast one more Toon strike, he only has eight assists next to his name, with Saint-Maximin’s trickery, matched with his eye for an assist, potentially music to the ears of the lofty German if he were still lining up for Howe’s side today.

With two goals already tallied up at Club America from just one league start in Mexico, meaning he’s further started the season in better form than a low-key Barnes, it’s clear to see that Newcastle prematurely got rid of their “rare” talent – as he was once dubbed by Paul Robinson – particularly with Woltemade now in through the door.

ASM’s league numbers for Newcastle

Stat

Saint-Maximin

Games played

111

Goals scored

12

Assists

19

Big chances created

29

Stats from Sofascore

At the time, however, cashing in Saint-Maximin for £30m might have been viewed as a smart move.

But, with the silky Frenchman previously creating big chances for fun in the Premier League, Woltemade could well have even more excellent service to depend on if Saint-Maximin were still at the Magpies, over Barnes failing to spark into life.

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Birmingham City have found their return to Championship life to be comfortable so far.

Unlike fellow promoted new side Wrexham, who have already been made well aware of the jump-up in quality, Chris Davies’ Blues look ready for the challenge ahead of the 46-game marathon, having recently fought back dramatically to win 2-1 at Blackburn Rovers.

Having also just been acknowledged at the PFA Awards with seven members of the Birmingham first team squad in League One Team of the Year, everything appears to be rosy currently at St. Andrew’s.

That’s the case even after rumours linking the Blues to an audacious move for Aleksandar Mitrovic were rubbished, with the temporary thought of Mitrovic leading the line for another Championship side a terrifying prospect.

Birmingham's rumoured interest in Mitrovic

There may well have been some weight behind Birmingham plotting a stunning move for the ex-Fulham attacker, considering they have forked out a notable £10m on Kyogo Furuhashi’s services in recent times.

However, landing the Serbian would have undoubtedly been the signing of the summer from the Blues’ perspective – away from the former Celtic man’s arrival on to the scene – when you assess his unbelievable goalscoring exploits in the EFL’s elite division previously.

In total, Mitrovic has managed to bag an insane 83 strikes from just 126 career appearances in the competitive league, with 43 of those coming during just one Championship season.

Of course, it wasn’t just Birmingham taking a look at Mitrovic in isolation, unfortunately, with Leeds United and Sunderland also named as other parties keen on snapping up the imposing centre-forward.

The Al-Hilal attacker wouldn’t be joining the Blues camp on a cheap deal, either, with reports suggesting that he had a £26m price-tag above his head, before you even factor in his wild £414k-per-week salary in the Saudi Pro League, as per Capology.

Therefore, it’s safe to assume – despite Journalist Alex Crook hinting on talkSPORT (17:55, 17th August) that it could have been a possibility – that Mitrovic leaving the luxuries of the Middle East behind for St. Andrew’s was always going to be far-fetched to pull off.

Transfer Focus

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However, going back in for this former target does seem more realistic and a perfect way to get over this ambitious switch not happening.

Birmingham can forget Mitrovic by signing £13m star

For half of Mitrovic’s extortionate valuation, Birmingham could set their sights on this alternative figure up top instead, with Che Adams – who is worth £13m according to Football Transfers – tipped for a return to St Andrew’s.

As was reported earlier this month, the Championship newcomers still hold some interest in bringing their former striker back to the West Midlands, having been in the race for his signature earlier in the transfer window.

While he might not boast a 43-goal season at the unforgiving level, the Scotsman certainly knows how to find the back of the net with some venom in the EFL’s top league to be seen as an adequate move to go after, instead of landing a more expensive Mitrovic.

Indeed, Adams has managed to register a healthy 49 Championship strikes across his well-travelled career to date, with his last season at the punishing level seeing him bag a career-best 17 goals as his then employers Southampton soared up to the Premier League.

This will surely pique Birmingham’s interest as they try to make the best possible moves to ensure back-to-back promotions occur, with the 29-year-old proving himself to be a reliable goal machine wherever he’s been across his playing days so far. Indeed, ex-Torino manager Paolo Vanoli hailed him as “perfect” for the Serie A side’s system when powering home ten strikes from 39 clashes in Italy.

Rather than Mitrovic ditching the Saudi Pro League for a chance back in England, therefore, it could soon be Adams tempted by a second chance at glory with his ex-side.

In an ideal world, Birmingham might well have shown more purpose as they attempted to bring Mitrovic into the building on a statement deal.

But, any potential lost move for the ex-Championship menace irking Birmingham will be swept under the carpet if Adams joins Davies’ camp last minute, especially if he powers home more crucial second-tier strikes to add another promotion up to the Premier League on his resume.

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What a signing this could be.

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