Bahia x América-MG: onde assistir ao vivo, horário, desfalques e escalações do jogo pelo Brasileirão

MatériaMais Notícias

OBahia recebe o Américaneste domingo (6), às 18h30 (horário de Brasília), pela 18ª rodada doCampeonato Brasileiro. O confronto é de extrema importância para a parte debaixo da tabela, já que o Esquadrão de Aço ocupa a 17ª colocação, com 15 pontos, e o Coelho a 19ª, com 10 pontos e uma partida a menos.

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+ Pedro viaja com elenco do Flamengo para encarar o Cuiabá pelo Brasileirão

A equipe baiana não sabe o que é vencer há oito partidas e vem de empate sem gols contra o São Paulo, no Morumbi. Já o time mineiro foi goleado em casa na última rodada, em derrota por 4 a 1 para o Palmeiras, e empatou em 1 a 1 com o Red Bull Bragantino no meio de semana, em jogo válido pelas oitavas de final da Copa Sul-Americana, também na Arena do Horto.

+ Confira a classificação atualizada e a tabela completa do Brasileirão

Velhos problemas e capitão de volta

O Bahia segue com os desfalques de Kayky, Biel e Danilo Fernandes, que vêm se recuperando de lesão. Por outro lado, o zagueiro e capitão Kanu está de volta ao time após cumprir suspensão na última partida.

Departamento médico cheio

O América tem uma série de problemas para o confronto deste domingo. O lateral-esquerdo Danilo Avelar (lesão na coxa direita), o zagueiro Ricardo Silva (lesão no joelho direito) e os atacantes Adyson (cirurgia no tornozelo direito), Aloísio (lesão na coxa) e Dadá Belmonte (pubalgia) estão fora do jogo.

+ Brasileirão: dicas e odds para apostar na 18ª rodada

BAHIA X AMÉRICA-MG-BRASILEIRÃO – 18ª RODADA

Local:Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador (BA)
Data e hora:domingo, 6 de agosto de 2023, às 18h30 (horário de Brasília)
Árbitro:Matheus Delgado Candancan (SP)
Assistentes:Danilo Ricardo Simon Manis (Fifa-SP) e Daniel Luis Marques (SP)
Árbitro de vídeo:Rodrigo Guarizo Ferreira do Amaral (VAR Fifa-SP)
Onde assistir:Premiere (para todo o Brasil); tempo real no Lance!

BAHIA (Técnico: Renato Paiva)
Marcos Felipe, Gilberto, Gabriel Xavier, Kanu (Vitor Hugo) e Matheus Bahia; Acevedo, Rezende, Cauly, Thaciano; Ademir e Vinicius Mingotti (Everaldo).

Desfalques:Kayky, Biel e Danilo Fernandes (lesionados)
Pendurados:Nicolás Acevedo, Yago Felipe, Matheus Bahia e Gabriel Xavier.

AMÉRICA-MG (Técnico: Vagner Mancini)
Mateus Pasinato, Daniel Borges, Iago Maidana, Éder e Vichiatto; Alê, Martínez e Benítez; Mastriani, Pedrinho e Paulinho Bóia.

Desfalques:Danilo Avelar. Ricardo Silva, Adyson, Aloísio e Dadá Belmonte(lesionados).
Pendurados:Alê, Renato Marques, Martin Benítez, Paulinho Bóia e Juninho.

Revealed: Jude Bellingham asked to be left out of latest England squad after surprise exclusion by Thomas Tuchel

Jude Bellingham had asked to be left out of the England squad ahead of their upcoming international matches. Thomas Tuchel announced his 24-member Three Lions squad for the World Cup qualifiers on Friday but left out star midfielder Bellingham, who had come back early from his shoulder injury and featured for Real Madrid in their last couple of games.

  • Bellingham & Grealish left out of Tuchel's squad

    Bellingham was supposed to remain sidelined until the end of October after he underwent surgery on his shoulder in August. However, the midfielder returned to action ahead of schedule and featured for the club in their last two La Liga clashes against Espanyol and Atletico Madrid. But once Tuchel announced the latest England squad on Friday, Bellingham's name was missing alongside Jack Grealish, who has returned to form since moving to Everton on loan from Manchester City. Arsenal star Bukayo Saka, on the other hand, returned to the Three Lions' roster. 

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    Bellingham asked to be left out

    Now, reports that it was Bellingham who had asked Tuchel to leave him out of the squad for the qualifiers against Wales and Latvia later this month. The report adds that while Bellingham featured against Atletico and played in the Madrid derby last weekend, he felt some discomfort and realised that he is not 100 per cent match fit yet. As a result, he requested Tuchel not to include him in his team for the October games. 

  • Bellingham to undergo "mini pre-season"

    Marca also claims that Bellingham will work on his recovery in Madrid during the international break and do a "mini pre-season" under Xabi Alonso during those two weeks. The England camp understands Bellingham's situation and have given their green signal to stay with Los Blancos as they felt that forcing the player could prove to “counter-productive”.

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    England's upcoming fixtures

    Tuchel’s men will play a friendly against neighbours Wales on October 9, with that contest taking place at Wembley Stadium. The two sides last met at the 2022 World Cup, with England emerging victorious in the last seven meetings between a couple of old adversaries – with Wales’ last success coming back in 1984. England will then head to Latvia for their latest World Cup qualifier on October 14.

Is Michael Olise the next Ballon d'Or winner? Bayern Munich winger has 'no limits' as legend tells him to follow Ousmane Dembele example

Another Frenchman could lift the Ballon d'Or by following the Ousmane Dembele blueprint. Indeed, according to Bayern Munich legend Lothar Matthaus, Michael Olise has the potential to become the first Ballon d'Or winner from Die Roten after 45 years. The 23-year-old has been exceptional since arriving from Crystal Palace in 2024 and is reportedly set to be offered a new deal.

Olise, Bayern's new hero in town

Bayern legend Mathhaus has no qualms that Olise can emulate Dembele by winning the Ballon d'Or next year. Since arriving from Palace in a move worth £52 million (€60m/$70m), Olise has been among the best attackers in the world. He was nominated in the top 30 for the 2025 Ballon d'Or, where he deserved to finish much higher than 30th position. 

His numbers for the Bavarian giants have been staggering. Including the Club World Cup, the Frenchman has seven goals and five assists in twelve competitive matches. Overall, he has already been involved in 50 goals in 62 matches for Bayern (24 goals, 26 assists).

AdvertisementAFPMatthaus wants Olise to take a leaf out of Dembele's book

Matthaus spoke highly of Olise in an interview with . "He has everything an outstanding footballer needs. I see no limits for him. And the example of Ousmane Dembele shows that a winger can become a world-class footballer," said the 64-year-old. "It always depends on the success of the team, especially in the Champions League – but yes, I believe Olise can [win the Ballon d'Or]."

Premier League waiting for Olise's return?

At the end of August, speculation arose about Olise's long-term future. The 23-year-old is said to have an exit clause in his contract that could allow him to return to the Premier League as early as next summer, preferably to Liverpool as Mohamed Salah's successor. Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain have been linked, too.

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Getty Images SportBayern set to reward Olise with new deal

That is why Die Roten are keen to secure an early contract extension with Olise in the near future. He is currently under contract with the club until 2029. According to information from , there is already internal discussion at Munich about keeping Olise beyond that date. It is even conceivable that talks about this could begin during the course of this season. However, no contact has yet been made with Olise and his agent.

Kudus upgrade: West Ham told to pay £40m for star who is "majestic viewing"

West Ham United have now made three senior signings this summer, but many more are required.

On Saturday, the Hammers announced the signing of veteran England international striker Callum Wilson, arriving on a free transfer after departing Newcastle.

He joins full-backs El Hadji Malick Diouf and Kyle Walker-Peters as the Hammers’ new recruits so far this summer.

However, given that Mohammed Kudus has been sold and Łukasz Fabiański, Kurt Zouma, Vladimír Coufal, Aaron Cresswell, Danny Ings, and Michail Antonio have all been released, Graham Potter will need many more signings if he is to avoid a repeat of last year’s miserable campaign.

So, are the Irons about to spend big to bring in an attacking midfielder who makes for “majestic viewing”?

West Ham targeting reinforcements

Fair to say, West Ham supporters were not very pleased with the sale of Kudus, joining fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur for a reported fee of £55m.

Mohammed Kudus celebrates for West Ham

Not many have made this controversial move across London in recent decades, as the table documents.

Players moving from West Ham to Tottenham (21st century)

Players

Year

Mohammed Kudus

2025

Scott Parker

2011

Jimmy Walker

2009

Jermain Defoe

2004

Michael Carrick

2004

Frédéric Kanouté

2003

Information courtesy of FBref.com

As the Irons search for a Kudus replacement, according to the printed edition of The Sun (03/08/2025), as relayed by West Ham Zone, West Ham United have been told by Shakhtar Donetsk to pay £40m if they want to sign target Georgiy Sudakov.

Sébastien Vidal of Weekend Sports reported a few weeks ago that West Ham “have opened initial talks”, stating the club wanted to finalise the move as soon as possible, but this has not come to fruition so far.

Nevertheless, he could still become the third Ukrainian to call East London home, after Serhii Rebrov and Andriy Yarmolenko.

What Heorhiy Sudakov would bring to West Ham

Sudakov, who is 22 years old, has made 142 senior appearances for Shakhtar Donetsk since his senior debut five years ago, accumulating 35 goals and 24 assists.

This includes scoring Champions League goals against Barcelona, BSC Young Boys and Stade Brestois while, already this season, he has featured in all four of the Miners’ Europa League qualifiers, dumping out Ilves and Beşiktaş, now set to face Panathinaikos in the third qualifying round, with the first leg taking place in Athens on Thursday.

Andy Jones of the Athletic describes him as a ‘technically gifted…versatile midfielder’, adding that he is one of the ‘most exciting prospects’ and ‘brightest young talents’ that Eastern Europe has to offer.

Meantime, Shakhtar Donetsk sporting director Serhiy Palkin stated in April that his star man “will definitely move to a top European club this summer”, with António Mango labelling him “well-rounded” and “creative”, making him “majestic viewing”.

Georgiy Sudakov for Shakhtar Donetsk.

But the question still remains; how does he compare to the outgoing Kudus?

Let’s find out.

Georgiy Sudakov vs Mohammed Kudus 2024/25 comparison

Statistics

Sudakov

Kudus

Appearances

37

35

Minutes

3,081

2,721

Goals

15

5

Assists

6

4

Shots on target %

31.8%

27.6%

Take-on success %

58.8%

44.2%

Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt and FBref.com

First and foremost, worth stating up front that Sudakov was playing at a lower level last season, with Global Football Rankings believing that the Ukrainian Premier League to be the 51st strongest league in the world, albeit he did also impress at Champions League level.

Nevertheless, that caveat aside, Sudakov did score more goals and provide more assists than Kudus last season, posting more impressive underlying statistics too.

Heorhiy Sudakov for Shakhtar

The Ghanian, for all his talent, was not very productive throughout the 2024/25 campaign, albeit he may point to West Ham’s general lack of attacking quality and cutting edge, which did not make his life easy.

Even so, should Sudakov swap Ukraine for the London Stadium, he could turn out to be even better than Kudus.

West Ham make approach for 25 y/o ace who stunned Cole Palmer last season

He could be a shrewd signing by the Hammers.

By
Henry Jackson

Aug 1, 2025

BCB terminates Hathurusinghe's contract as Bangladesh head coach

He was suspended on Tuesday for assaulting a Bangladesh cricketer and taking more leaves than mentioned in his contract

Mohammad Isam17-Oct-2024Two days after suspending Chandika Hathurusinghe, the BCB has terminated him as Bangladesh’s head coach. The sacking came on the grounds of misconduct and breach of employment terms.BCB president Faruque Ahmed said on Tuesday that Hathurusinghe assaulted a Bangladesh cricketer and took more leaves than mentioned in his contract. The board had served him a show-cause notice, seeking an explanation on the two counts of misconduct. Hathurusinghe responded on the following day, which prompted an emergency board meeting to review the situation on Thursday.”After considering all factors, the board deemed Hathurusinghe’s explanation unsatisfactory and unacceptable and found his action consistent with misconduct and dereliction of duty,” a BCB release said. “His termination comes into immediate effect.”This ends Hathurusinghe’s second stint as Bangladesh coach, even though his contract was till January 2023. This stint included the milestone Test series win in Pakistan recently. However, the two World Cup campaigns, the ODI one in 2023 and the T20 one in 2024 were underwhelming.Phil Simmons has already been appointed the next head coach till the Champions Trophy in February 2025.

مواعيد مباريات منتخب مصر للشباب في بطولة كأس العالم تحت 20 عامًا

يستهل منتخب مصر للشباب تحت 20 عامًا مبارياته في بطولة كأس العالم، المقرر إقامتها في تشيلي، غدًا السبت، بمواجهة اليابان.

ويشارك منتخب مصر في البطولة، التي تقام خلال الفترة من 27 سبتمبر حتى 20 أكتوبر المقبل.

ويتواجد منتخب مصر في المجموعة الأولى من بطولة كأس العالم للشباب بجانب منتخبات تشيلي واليابان ونيوزيلندا.

ومن المقرر أن يلتقي منتخب مصر في أولى مبارياته مساء غد السبت مع اليابان، في الجولة الأولى من منافسات المجموعة الأولى في كأس العالم.

طالع | حكم مباراة مصر واليابان في كأس العالم للشباب تحت 20 عامًا مواعيد مباريات منتخب مصر للشباب في كأس العالم تحت 20 عامًا

الجولة الأولي: مصر ضد اليابان، السبت 27 سبتمبر، في تمام الساعة 11 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

الجولة الثانية: مصر ضد نيوزيلندا، يوم الثلاثاء 30 سبتمبر، في تمام الساعة 11 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية.

الجولة الثالثة: مصر ضد تشيلي، يوم السبت 4 أكتوبر، في تمام الساعة 2 صباحًا بتوقيت مصر والسعودية. مجموعات كأس العالم للشباب بمشاركة منتخب مصر تحت 20 عامًا

المجموعة الأولى: تشيلي، مصر، اليابان، نيوزيلندا

المجموعة الثانية: جمهورية كوريا، بنما، باراغواي، أوكرانيا

المجموعة الثالثة: البرازيل، المكسيك، المغرب، إسبانيا

المجموعة الرابعة: الأرجنتين، أستراليا، كوبا، إيطاليا

المجموعة الخامسة: فرنسا، كاليدونيا الجديدة، جنوب أفريقيا، الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية

المجموعة السادسة: كولومبيا، نيجيريا، النرويج، المملكة العربية السعودية

Huge Rothwell upgrade: Leeds make enquiry to sign "phenomenal" £30m star

Leeds United have officially confirmed that central midfielder Joe Rothwell and left winger Manor Solomon have moved on from the club at the end of their respective loan deals.

They both spent the 2024/25 campaign on loan at Elland Road and contributed to the team winning the Championship title, earning promotion to the Premier League in the process.

Rothwell will not be returning to West Yorkshire on a permanent deal, though, as Rangers have reportedly agreed a deal with Bournemouth to sign the midfielder on a permanent basis.

The central midfielder played 36 times in the Championship for Leeds last term, and the club are reportedly eyeing up a midfield replacement who would come in as an upgrade for Daniel Farke.

Leeds eyeing Serie A midfielder

The Whites have set their sights on a former Premier League star who could come in and be an upgrade on Rothwell in the middle of the park next season.

According to Tutto Mercato Web, Leeds United are one of the teams pursuing in a deal to sign Juventus central midfielder Douglas Luiz this summer.

Transfer Focus

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

The report claims that there are several Premier League sides keen on a swoop for the former Aston Villa man, but the Whites are the only team to have made an official enquiry at this moment in time.

Juventus are said to be exploring their options as they look to shed some wages during the summer transfer window, and a loan with an obligation to buy appears to be on the cards for Luiz.

Douglas Luiz in action for Juventus.

The Brazil international is reportedly valued at £30m by the Italian giants, though, and it remains to be seen whether or not Leeds are willing to pay that price, even in an initial loan with an obligation for next summer.

Why Luiz would be a Rothwell upgrade for Leeds

Described as “one of the best [midfielders] in the world” by Sky Italia, if the Championship champions can get a deal over the line for the Brazilian midfielder, then they could land a big upgrade on what they had with Rothwell, who has yet to prove himself at Premier League level.

Both players played in the English top-flight, for Bournemouth and Aston Villa respectively, in the 2023/24 campaign and it was night and day between their performances.

Douglas Luiz for Juventus.

Luiz, who was hailed as “phenomenal” by pundit Lee Hendrie, showcased his quality at the very top level for the Villans that term, and that earned him a move to Juventus in the summer of 2024.

The 27-year-old talent only started three of his 19 appearances in the Serie A last season, though, and that appears to have opened the door for Leeds to improve their squad.

Appearances

11

35

Sofascore rating

6.55

7.27

Goals

0

9

Assists

0

5

Tackles + interceptions per game

0.9

2.4

Duels won per game

1.5

4.1

As you can see in the table above, there is no debate over who the better Premier League central midfielder is between Rothwell and Luiz, as the Brazilian offers far more to the team in possession and defensively.

That is why Rothwell was loaned out to Southampton in the Championship for the second half of the season, before joining Leeds on loan in the summer, and why Luiz ended up at Juventus.

He is a proven Premier League performer who has the ability to hit the ground running at Elland Road as a star who has been there and done it at that level.

Therefore, Leeds could significantly improve their squad and provide the likes of Ethan Ampadu and Ao Tanaka with real competition for their places in the XI by signing the Old Lady midfielder on loan for next season.

He'd be the next Chris Wood: Leeds pushing to sign £21m star after Bornauw

Leeds United are set to sign Sebastiaan Bornauw, and are also pushing to land a new striker.

ByDan Emery Jul 1, 2025

Shakib, Rishad and Mustafizur take Bangladesh one step closer to Super Eight

Thanks to this result, Sri Lanka are out of contention to qualify from Group D

Ashish Pant13-Jun-20241:52

Rapid Fire Review: Rishad changed the course of the game

Bangladesh made a big stride towards securing a Super Eights berth at the T20 World Cup 2024 with a confident 25-run win over Netherlands in the first international fixture in Kingstown in close to a decade.It was a welcome return to form for Shakib Al Hasan, who scored his first fifty in 20 T20I innings to shepherd Bangladesh to 159 for 5. Netherlands made a good fist of the chase, moving to 111 for 3 in the 15th over. But legspinner Rishad Hossain struck three times in four balls spread across two overs to change the course of the game.Related

Shakib has arrived at the T20 World Cup, finally

Shakib: 'Happy with the way I contributed, it wasn't an easy wicket'

With Shakib and Mustafizur Rahman tightening the screws alongside Rishad, Netherlands fell in a heap, losing 4 for 6 in the space of 16 balls. They still had an outside chance with 36 needed off the last two overs, but Mustafizur Rahman’s cutters proved too much to handle in the 19th over. He kept slanting the ball across, and the batters kept swishing and missing. He conceded just three runs in that over, having given away just one in the 17th, and Netherlands were eventually restricted to 134 for 8.Bangladesh fly away despite Dutt’s strikes With the Bangladesh top order studded with left-handers, Netherlands brought Aryan Dutt in for his first game of the tournament and he immediately repaid their faith. Introduced in the second over, he removed the Bangladesh captain with his second ball. It was an innocuous length ball outside off, which Najmul Hossain Shanto reverse-swept straight to first slip.Dutt struck again in his next over, with a lot of help from Sybrand Engelbrecht. Litton Das eyed a slog-sweep only to get a top-edge well in front of square. But Engelbrecht, stationed behind square, sprinted to his left , put out a full-length dive and picked up a screamer inches off the turf.Despite the early losses, Bangladesh continued to score at a fair clip. Tanzid Hasan struck Vivian Kingma for two fours and a six in the third over before Shakib picked another four off Paul van Meekeren in the fifth. Shakib then laid into Logan van Beek in the sixth over, smashing him for four fours to take Bangladesh to 54 for 2, comfortably their highest powerplay score of the tournament.1:42

Maharoof: Shakib was prepared for Netherlands’ short-ball tactics

The middle-overs squeezeNetherlands weren’t backing down, though. Captain Scott Edwards rung in the changes and the bowlers made sure to stick to their lengths. According to ESPNcricinfo’s logs, Netherlands only veered into the full lengths four times in 10 overs from the seventh to the 16th, and Bangladesh’s scoring rate dropped. The pressure told on Tanzid, who mistimed a pull to deep backward square leg in the ninth over, while Towhid Hridoy had his leg stump flattened by Tim Pringle in the 13th. Bangladesh managed only 58 runs in the middle ten overs with five fours and a six, and lost two wickets.Shakib the glue as Bangladesh end stronglyThe last time Shakib scored a fifty in T20Is was in October 2022 against Pakistan. At the T20 World Cup, he hadn’t breached the half-century mark since 2016. But on this crucial day, Bangladesh’s stalwart stood tall.He scored his first seven runs at a run-a-ball, and picked up his once he got the hang of the surface. And even when the runs dried up in the middle phase, he kept rotating strike without panicking. He reached his fifty off 38 balls and hit de Leede for back-to-back fours in the final over to finish unbeaten on 64 off 46 balls, his innings studded with nine fours.There were important contributions from Mahmudullah (25 off 21) and Jaker Ali (14* off seven) as Bangladesh collected 47 runs off the last four overs.Bas de Leede is stumped off Rishad Hossain•ICC/Getty Images

Bangladesh keep chipping awayWith 349 runs in nine innings, Michael Levitt came into this tournament as Netherlands’ highest run-scorer in T20Is since the start of 2024. However, he’s had a dismal start to his T20 World Cup with scores of 1 and 0 against Nepal and South Africa. He seemed to change the tide against Bangladesh when he drove Mustafizur through the covers in the first over. Then, when he smashed Taskin Ahmed over the roof at deep midwicket, it seemed his campaign was back on track.But Levitt’s joy was short-lived. In the fifth over, he top-edged a cut off Taskin to Hridoy at point. In the next over, Max O’Dowd smashed a length ball straight back to Tanzim Hasan, and Netherlands ended the powerplay at 36 for 2.Vikramjit Singh hit Shakib for back-to-back sixes in the seventh over and slog-swept Rishad over deep midwicket in the ninth. His sprightly 16-ball knock was cut short when he was stumped, walking past a tossed-up delivery from Mahmudullah. But at 69 for 3 in the tenth over, Netherlands were still in with a chance.Rishad triple-strike gives Bangladesh the WNetherlands seemed to be giving Bangladesh a proper fight when Engelbrecht and Edwards were at the crease. The duo ran superbly and got the boundaries at regular intervals during a 31-ball stand of 42 for the fourth wicket.When Rishad was brought on to bowl the 15th over, Netherlands required 56 off 36. The legspinner’s first two overs had gone for 19 and he knew this over could decide the match. It did, in Bangladesh’s favour.With his fourth ball, he got Engelbrecht to top-edge a legbreak straight up, with Tanzim taking the catch at point. Two balls later, he had de Leede stumped with a ball that spun sharply past his outside edge. Mustafizur then got into the act by taking out Edwards, and when Rishad sent back Logan van Beek at the start of the 18th over, the game was as good as done.Dutt struck a six off Rishad later in that over, but he and Pringle had no answers to Mustafizur’s cutters in the 19th. Eventually, Netherlands fell well short of their target. The result does not knock them out of contention, nor does it give Bangladesh a sure-shot place in the Super Eight. It has, however, knocked Sri Lanka out, and given Bangladesh an excellent chance of advancing from Group D.

"Spectacular" Real Madrid star now main Newcastle target in £150m+ spree

After securing Champions League football on the final day, Newcastle United have now reportedly made signing one Real Madrid star one of their main targets in a £150m+ spending spree this summer.

Newcastle secure Champions League qualification

They didn’t do it the easy way, but after Aston Villa suffered defeat against Manchester United, Newcastle had their Champions League qualification secured despite failing to beat Everton. Ending the campaign with a Carabao Cup to their name alongside a place among Europe’s elite, it’s fair to say that Eddie Howe enjoyed his best season yet at St James’ Park.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Howe shared his delight at his side’s Champions League qualification, saying: “It feels great, the achievement is huge.

“Naturally, when you lose the game there’s a feeling of disappointment, but I think we have to override that with [the fact that] over the 38 games, we deserved to qualify for the competition. It’s a huge moment for the club.

“I think the experience we had there the first time will help us no end, I think. We felt we grew through the competition, so I think we are stronger. I think we are better prepared both physically and mentally for the competition ahead. We suffered a bad injury crisis [last] season as well, so lessons need to be learned from that and hopefully, if they can be, we can be successful.”

Newcastle can find the next Ben Arfa by signing "astonishing" £14m magician

As Newcastle United look to strengthen their squad this summer, could they sign an “astonishing” magician reminiscent of Hatem Ben Arfa?

1

By
Ben Gray

May 25, 2025

With their place in Europe’s top competition crucially comes the opportunity to unleash the riches of their ownership, and Newcastle look set to take full advantage this summer. Reports have already mentioned the likes of Jamie Gittens and now fresh rumours have emerged regarding a Real Madrid star in what would be some statement by the Magpies and PIF.

Newcastle shortlist Rodrygo among main targets

According to reports in Spain, Newcastle and PIF have now shortlisted Rodrygo as one of their main summer targets. The Real Madrid winger will reportedly be allowed to leave the Spanish club for around €80m (£75m) and those at St James’ Park want to make him a big part of a €200m (£167m) summer spending spree.

The rumours have been circling about the Brazilian’s Madrid future for some time following a frustrating season at the Bernabeu. Whether he finds his best form again under new manager Xabi Alonso and whether he’s even given the chance to do so are the big questions, but the former Bayer Leverkusen boss has already had his say.

Speaking at his unveiling, Alonso told reporters when asked about Rodrygo: “Rodrygo is a Real Madrid player, and I will speak with everyone who is part of Real Madrid. Rodrygo is a spectacular player—and we will need him. He deserves it, and so do we.”

Newcastle’s spending power could see them push on despite Alonso’s words, however, in a major summer statement. As impressive as Jacob Murphy has been for Howe’s side on the right-hand side in the last year, Rodrygo would instantly add that extra star power.

Chelsea open talks with club over signing £46m star after Arsenal decision

Chelsea chiefs have opened club-to-club talks with officials over signing a “fantastic” player, following a transfer decision from Arsenal which will have an impact on the race for his signature.

Chelsea transfer plans amid tight Champions League race

The race for a place in the top five is set to go down to the Premier League final day, making Chelsea’s crunch clash with rivals Nottingham Forest their most important game of the season.

New target: Chelsea now hatch plan to sign "powerful" PSG defender for £0

The Blues are aiming to sign a Paris Saint-Germain player on a free transfer this summer.

ByDominic Lund May 18, 2025

Five teams – namely Newcastle, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Man City and Forest – are involved in the airtight battle to confirm a place in next season’s Champions League draw, with the result of this intense race also set to have a crucial impact on BlueCo’s transfer plans for next season.

Enzo Maresca recently admitted in a press conference that qualification for Europe’s most prestigious competition will have a knock-on effect when it comes to their recruitment plans, and Chelsea wish to be ambitious in the market yet again.

As per journalist Simon Phillips, Chelsea have some “big plans” they’re already working on and wish to bring in a number of new players. The plan within Stamford Bridge is to ideally seal a couple of their most desired signings before the Club World Cup begins, and they’ll have a short window to do so.

A special edition window will be open from June 1 to June 10, allowing Chelsea to register new arrivals before the CWC takes place, leaving little wonder we’re seeing reports of the Blues getting busy early doors.

Chelsea reportedly made Dean Huijsen an offer to join them from Bournemouth, but with the 20-year-old now off to Real Madrid, attention now turns to alternative defensive targets. One of them, according to multiple sources, is Ajax starlet Jorrel Hato.

Chelsea open talks with Ajax over signing Jorrel Hato

The Netherlands international has featured at left-back throughout the 2024/2025 campaign for Ajax. However, before Francesco Farioli utilised him in a different position, the highly-rated teenager was predominantly a centre-back.

Ajax Amsterdam's JorrelHatocelebrates after the match

Todd Boehly is allegedly keen on Chelsea signing versatile players who can cover multiple areas (Simon Phillips), so Hato would fit the bill in that respect, and come in as a significant central defensive upgrade as well as an alternative to Marc Cucurella.

A deal for him would apparently cost somewhere in the region of £46 million, so in terms of cost, the defender could be an astute option.

That is according to CaughtOffside, who also boldly state that Chelsea have opened talks with Ajax officials over signing Hato.

Ajax defender Jorrel Hato.

While Hato is on Liverpool’s list of targets as well, they’re currently prioritising a deal for Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez, and Arsenal have decided to cool their interest in the player after Myles Lewis-Skelly’s excellent breakthrough campaign.

This call from the Gunners, not to mention Liverpool’s chase for Kerkez, could free up a Chelsea run at signing Hato, with CaughtOffside describing Maresca’s side as the favourites to strike a deal.

Myles Lewis-Skelly for Arsenal

Hato is held in very high esteem by those within the beautiful game, with Jordan Henderson lavishing praise on the Dutchman as a tireless worker.

“It’s crazy how young he is, but obviously how mature he looks when he’s on the pitch and also off the pitch,” Henderson said.

“He’s a very mature person, works hard, fantastic player, and yeah, he has a bright future ahead of him, I’m sure. I think he just needs to continue to do what he’s he’s been doing.”