Newcastle United have bounced back from Alexander Isak’s troubling departure this summer with ease.

Banking Eddie Howe’s Toon an eye-watering £125m when ditching Tyneside for Liverpool, it’s clear that Isak wasn’t cut out for the pressures of such an expensive move straight away, with only one goal coming his way at Anfield to date.

On the contrary, Nick Woltemade – who entered the building in a last-ditch summer move for £69m – has looked ready-made for the pressures of being Newcastle’s main marksman from minute one of his arrival, with the goalscoring prowess he became known for in the Bundesliga immediately following him to English shores.

Woltemade's fantastic start at Newcastle

Often, it takes a goalscoring machine from a European league plenty of time to settle into their groove when getting used to what is expected of them in the Premier League.

In Woltemade’s case, however, the goals have just continued to flow, with the 6-foot-6 menace joining Howe’s ranks off the back of a blistering 17-goal season on the books of Stuttgart.

In total, Woltemade already has five goals next to his name from just ten Newcastle appearances, with journalist Zach Lowy’s previous billing of the Bremen-born striker as being a “ridiculous” finisher of chances clear for all to see at St James’ Park.

Indeed, the 23-year-old’s four-goal tally in the Premier League alone means his goalscoring frequency in the daunting division sits at every 120 minutes, as the number 27 goes about trying to immortalise himself in the Newcastle hall-of-fame as one of their most devastatingly effective centre-forwards.

It will, of course, take a superhuman effort from Woltemade to ever reach Alan Shearer’s venomous levels in front of goal, with a record-breaking 260 Premier League strikes next to the Magpies icon’s name.

But, he could be on his way to becoming even more clinical if he lines up with this Newcastle assist king more often, with the pair ready to cause widespread havoc together to push their side further up the early league standings.

The Newcastle star who can make Woltemade even better

It’s safe to say that the Germany international is blessed with who he has around him in the attacking positions on Tyneside, with Anthony Gordon capable of bursting into life at a moment’s notice as one of Howe’s many livewires down the left wing, having accumulated 24 assists to date at Newcastle.

Yet, despite this impressive track record, it’s actually Jacob Murphy who might well be the attacking teammate that can take Woltemade to new heights, despite often being thought of as an under-the-radar “unsung hero” at the Premier League giants, according to journalist Scott Wilson.

Games played

10

Minutes played

752

Goals scored

1

Assists

3

It’s clear from taking one glance at the table above that Murphy is the sort of presence that excels when he’s made to feed off scraps, with just 752 minutes of action handed to him this season, resulting in the 30-year-old attacker still being able to pick up a standout four goal contributions.

He would even get the ball rolling for his team last time out against Fulham when he finished under pressure to seal a one-goal lead, with more starts surely coming his way, having been labelled as being “in the form of his life” after his lively afternoon against the Cottagers by Newcastle-based blog Mouth of the Tyne.

But, away from his assured nature to fire this fierce effort past Bernd Leno last time out, it’s also his ability to be an effective partner for a lethal striker that will be music to Woltemade’s ears as he attempts to become even deadlier in England.

A large portion of Isak’s 62 goals in Newcastle black and white would come about off the back of a Murphy assist – 11 to be exact – with the German, therefore, hopeful of reaching this tally, and even eclipsing it, knowing he has the “outstanding” number 23, as he was once labelled by ex-Toon forward Craig Bellamy, next to him supplying him with chances galore.

With Anthony Elanga also in reserve, Woltemade should not find it tricky whatsoever in his bid to become the next Shearer-shaped talisman, having already scored four in his first six league games for the Magpies.

For comparison, Shearer’s start to 1996/97 saw him score three times from his first six top-flight appearances for the Tynesiders – albeit while then reaching seven from just his first ten league outings.

Woltemade is then on the right track, with a new fan favourite having emerged at St James’.

Move over Woltemade: Howe has unearthed a new “game-changer” at Newcastle

Newcastle United have unearthed a new game-changer, and it’s not Nick Woltemade.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 26, 2025

The team want to get accustomed to conditions at a venue where they play two big games

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Aug-20253:47

Chopra: India would want to go a step further in the home World Cup

India Women will launch their World Cup preparation with a skill-based week-long conditioning camp in Visakhapatnam starting August 25.The venue for the camp is strategic, given only Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana and Sneh Rana among the squad members have the experience of having played at the ACA-VDCA Stadium previously, in 2014.India are slated to play two big matches in Visakhapatnam: against South Africa (October 9) and Australia (October 12).India’s lack of experience at certain venues, like Visakhapatnam, Guwahati and Indore, has been a big talking point in the lead-up to their campaign.Navi Mumbai’s inclusion as Bengaluru’s replacement is seen as a welcome step, given the players’ familiarity with the venue, having played there regularly over the past three-four years in front of packed houses, both in international cricket as well in the Women’s Premier League.Originally scheduled to take place entirely in Bengaluru, the training sessions had to be relocated after the Karnataka State Cricket Association failed to secure police clearance for hosting matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.All members of the World Cup squad, along with the reserves and the India A team selected for warm-up fixtures, are expected to participate.The camp will culminate with two intra-squad day-night practice matches, before the team flies out to New Chandigarh for the ODI series against Australia starting September 16.After the Australia series, the Indian team will arrive in Bengaluru to play two World Cup warm-ups, against England (September 25) and New Zealand (September 27) before flying out to Guwahati for their opening fixture against Sri Lanka on September 30.

Tottenham Hotspur are now reportedly willing to launch a £70m offer to sign Rodrygo from Real Madrid after the Spanish giants weakened their sale stance ahead of 2026.

The Lilywhites are looking to make a statement move next year in a new era without Daniel Levy. They already stole headlines when they won the race to sign Xavi Simons in the summer, but signing one of Real Madrid’s attacking stars would take Thomas Frank’s side to a whole new level.

Tottenham informed of Everton's Ndiaye stance as club-record price named

The Lilywhites are looking for an attacking boost.

1

By
Tom Cunningham

Nov 9, 2025

Whether they’ll be in a position to convince Rodrygo to join is difficult to say, however. Whilst Tottenham sit as high as fifth and only four points off second place Manchester City, they’re also on a run of just one win in their last four games in all competitions. Life under Frank has simply shown promise but featured inconsistency.

Saturday’s frantic 2-2 draw against Manchester United summed things up. Spurs were toothless and then ruthless as they came from behind to lead 2-1 in the 91st minute only for Matthijs de Ligt to equalise for the Red Devils in the last minute.

The international break comes at a good time after such a dramatic game, but things don’t get any easier for those in North London. Up next, Spurs are set to square off against Arsenal in the North London derby. The Gunners haven’t lost since August and just conceded for the first time in over 13 hours against Sunderland.

Up against the best defence in the league, if not the world, questions will be asked about the star power in Tottenham’s frontline. They’ll already likely be without summer arrival Randal Kolo Muani through injury in a frustrating blow despite his goalscoring woes, and will be forced to turn to Richarlison to get their frontline firing on all cylinders.

It’s a problem that needs addressing in 2026 and one that Rodrygo could certainly help solve.

Tottenham now willing to launch £70m Rodrygo offer

According to reports in Spain, Tottenham are now willing to launch an offer to sign Rodrygo worth as much as €80m (£70m) in 2026. The Brazilian has struggled for game time under Xabi Alonso and could yet seek a move away ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Meanwhile, Florentino Pérez and co. are now reviewing the winger’s future and are more likely to accept a big-money offer for a player who is becoming less motivated sat on their bench week in, week out.

Alonso’s trash would instantly become Frank’s treasure. Rodrygo would transform Tottenham’s attack as a multiple-time Champions League winner and as one of the best wingers in world football. The Brazilian is also a player who has received incredibly high praise and comparisons with Real Madrid legend Raul – that’s the level that he’s at.

At £70m, everything points towards a player that Tottenham should go all out to sign when the January transfer window swings open.

Spurs flop who's been "swallowed by PL" must be dropped for Odobert

Nottinghamshire captain wary of looking too far ahead as they aim to depose three-time defending champions Surrey

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay23-Sep-2025The stage is set for one of the most memorable ends to a Rothesay County Championship season with the battle for the Division One title and relegation places still very much alive heading into the final round this week.Nottinghamshire put themselves in pole position to win their first title in 15 years after snatching a 20-run win over three-time reigning champions Surrey last week. It was a contest to highlight the very best of the Rothesay County Championship and leaves Notts needing a maximum of 10 points to be crowned champions when they host Warwickshire at Trent Bridge starting Wednesday.With excitement building in the east Midlands after their success at the Kia Oval, Notts captain Haseeb Hameed has warned they will still need to produce “four more days of quality cricket”.Related

• Tongue prevails in thriller to put Nottinghamshire on cusp of title

• Moores hails 'box office' Tongue as Notts close in on title

• Somerset handed points deduction for 'below average' pitch

• Rahul Chahar joins Surrey for final Championship match of the season

“We have to go into the game with that mindset and focus because Warwickshire are a really good team,” Hameed told ecb.co.uk. “I think you can see that across the whole County Championship this season – anyone can beat anyone. It has been a really tight and tough year and that’s probably why it’s so close at the bottom as well.”There are no easy wins in this division and we go into the final round knowing we have to play four more days of quality cricket.”Surrey have been the county to catch for the past four seasons as they have set the bar high for the chasing pack. They will draw on that culture of success as they look to become the first county, since the great Surrey side of the 1950s, to win four titles in a row when they travel to Hampshire.Rory Burns’ team know that anything other than a win will probably not be enough while Hampshire, who could welcome back talisman Liam Dawson from England duty, have plenty to play for themselves as one of five counties that head into the final round looking to avoid relegation.The south-coast club are just two points above Durham, who sit inside the relegation zone on 140 points, but the northern-most county do have their fate in their own hands as make the journey down the A1 to a Yorkshire team who need 10 points to be assured of staying up.Sussex and Essex both have 150 points and know avoiding defeat in their final-round matches against already-relegated Worcestershire and third-placed Somerset respectively would be enough to retain their place in the top tier.It sets the scene for an intriguing final round at both ends of the table and Hameed admits he’d have it no other way.”At the start of the season the goal of every team would be to put themselves in the position we’re in heading into the final round,” he said. “It’s a great position to be in, but there’s work still to be done and that’s the focus. There is going to be a bit of noise around and there will be some excitement I’m sure across the four days with everything that is going on at the top of the bottom of the division.”We just have to be ready to go on Wednesday morning and focus on doing what we’ve done in the 13 matches so far.”Hameed is not letting himself think about becoming a title-winning captain, after reviving his career since moving to Notts from Lancashire ahead of the 2020 season. The 28-year-old, who has 10 Test caps, scored 1235 runs when he helped Notts win promotion from Division Two in 2022 and could surpass that mark this week as this season’s second-leading runscorer.”I just want to lead from the front and do my job. I’ve been here five or six years now and it feels like home and I’ve enjoyed my cricket,” said Hameed, who also highlighted the influence of his opening partner Ben Slater, who could pass 1000 runs for the season this week.”It’s been great establishing an opening partnership with Slats. He’s had a great season and has loads of experience which is so important. But I come back to it – the whole team knows we have to focus on our job because Warwickshire are a quality team. I’d love to see a good crowd at Trent Bridge and hopefully we can make it a week to remember.”In Division Two, Leicestershire will head into the final round knowing the title – and a return to Division One for the first time in 22 years – is already assured. The Foxes’ star allrounder Rehan Ahmed, who has struck five Championship centuries in a breakout summer with the bat, was not born when they were last in the top-flight.Leicestershire make the short trip to Northamptonshire to round out their season while Glamorgan, who under head coach Richard Dawson have secured their place in Division One for the first time since 2004, will host Lancashire at Sophia Gardens.Kent welcome Derbyshire to the Spitfire Ground in Canterbury while Middlesex host Gloucestershire at Lord’s.

West Ham could oversee a host of exits when the winter window reopens for business, including some pretty noteworthy names.

January is set to be vital for Nuno Espirito Santo and co, with reports suggesting that chairman David Sullivan and the board are prepared to back their new manager to the hilt.

The Hammers have just been given some real encouragement they can avoid a dreaded drop to the Championship, having secured back-to-back home wins for the first time since October last year whilst scoring six goals in their last two games.

Sunderland 3-0 West Ham

West Ham 1-5 Chelsea

Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham

West Ham 0-3 Tottenham

West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace

Everton 1-1 West Ham

Arsenal 2-0 West Ham

West Ham 0-2 Brentford

Leeds 2-1 West Ham

West Ham 3-1 Newcastle

West Ham 3-2 Burnley

West Ham’s crucial wins over Newcastle and Burnley at the London Stadium have relieved some major pressure on Nuno, with the January window set to hand him another potential lifeline amid reports that the club are looking to sign a new defender and striker at the very least.

Nuno has also been given “confirmation” that West Ham will have money to spend mid-season (Sky Sports), and ExWHUemployee has backed this up recently whilst confirming that the club are scouting heavily in Belgium.

That being said, incomings are not the only item on West Ham’s agenda at the turn of the year.

After being axed from the squad, pretty much immediately after Nuno replaced Graham Potter, midfielder James Ward-Prowse is now resigned to leaving in January, despite being a vice-captain and first-team regular at the start of 2025/2026.

The 30-year-old, who is just one free-kick goal away from equalling David Beckham’s all-time Premier League record of 18, is not in Nuno’s long-term plans.

Meanwhile, The Times recently reported that Lucas Paqueta is keen to leave West Ham in the winter, with Fabrizio Romano also stating in his GiveMeSport newsletter that an exit for the Brazil international isn’t ruled out in the slightest.

Now, as per a report from El Intransigente, midfielder Guido Rodriguez could follow them out the door.

Guido Rodriguez wants to leave West Ham in January

The Argentine, signed on a free deal from Real Betis last year, is another who’s suffered from Nuno’s axe — having managed just 19 minutes of action since the tactician’s arrival.

He was largely a bench player under Potter as well, and El Intransigente reports that Rodriguez is looking to leave West Ham as he aims to battle his way into Argentina’s squad for the 2026 World Cup.

River Plate boss Marcelo Gallardo also “dreams” of signing Rodriguez and could offer him a route out of London, but he isn’t alone, as Real Betis, Espanyol and Club América are also actively targeting the 31-year-old World Cup winner whose contract expires at the end of the season.

West Ham could be forced to sell him on the cheap in January because of this, but considering they signed him on a Bosman deal in 2024, any fee received for Rodriguez would go down as pure profit through the lens of PSR.

Selling him is a real no-brainer, and Sullivan will be particularly keen to get his £75,000-per-week wages off the books to free up space for a potential striker.

As well as Rodriguez, Ward-Prowse and Paqueta, it is believed that Niclas Fullkrug has told West Ham he wants a January transfer, so they’ll need to replace the German.

UAE bring in fast bowler Muhammad Jawadullah for first match of double-header day

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Sep-2025

Toss Oman opt to bowl vs UAEOman captain Jatinder Singh won the toss and chose to bowl against UAE, as both teams seek their first points in the Asia Cup 2025.Oman made three changes to the XI that lost to Pakistan earlier in the tournament, with allrounders Wasim Ali and Aryan Bisht and left-arm seamer Jiten Ramanandi coming in for Mohammad Nadeem, Sufyan Mehmood and Zikria Islam.UAE made one change from the XI that lost to India earlier in the tournament, benching left-arm spinner Simranjeet Singh for fast bowler Muhammad Jawadullah.This is the first double-header game of the Asia Cup, played in conditions where the heat rises up to 36 degree celsius.UAE: Muhammad Waseem (c), Muhammad Zohaib, Asif Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Rahul Chopra (wk), Dhruv Parashar, Haider Ali, Muhammad Rohid, Harshit Kaushik, Muhammad Jawad, Junaid SiddiqueOman: Jatinder Singh (c), Aamir Kaleem, Hammad Mirza, Vinayak Shukla (wk), Wasim Ali, Hassnain Shah, Shah Faisal, Aryan Bisht, Shakeel Ahmad, Samay Shrivastava, Jitenkumar Ramanandi