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New York Times
a day ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Newcastle's summer is unravelling – can they rescue it? Plus: Why Sesko is stuck at Leipzig
The Athletic FC is The Athletic's daily football (or soccer, if you prefer) newsletter. Sign up to receive it directly to your inbox. Hello! Newcastle United had the summer window mapped out perfectly. But putting tanks on the lawn of Europe's elite isn't so simple. On the way: 😰 Newcastle's recruitment torment 🇩🇪 Vancouver eyeing Thomas Muller 🙏 Will anybody sign Benjamin Sesko? 🏏 The Premier League cricketer Aaron Ramsdale is a demonstrably decent Premier League goalkeeper. He has also been relegated from the division with three clubs, most recently at Southampton last season. Which is objectively funny in light of Newcastle United stepping up to sign him on loan. Newcastle aren't going down next season, don't get me wrong, but their beeline towards a relegation specialist is a metaphor for the transfer window they are suffering; not far short of the transfer window from hell. Advertisement Given their way, Newcastle's choice of 'keeper would have been James Trafford from Burnley but Trafford has opted to join Manchester City, even though game time at the Etihad is likely to be in short supply initially. This is how it has gone for Newcastle all summer: offers followed by knockbacks followed by grim reflection on their lack of pulling power. Target Trafford, get Ramsdale. C'est la vie. They have one major purchase on the board — Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest for £52million ($70m) — but that's it. In principle, Newcastle should be a draw. They'll play in the Champions League in 2025-26 (the carrot so many prospective signings want) and the Carabao Cup they won in February paints them as a team on the up. Thanks to their Saudi Arabian owners, they have serious underlying wealth. And yet, player after player keeps turning them down: Trafford, Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Hugo Ekitike, Dean Huijsen, Bryan Mbeumo. According to head coach Eddie Howe, they are losing 'control' of their prized asset, Alexander Isak. They're an example of how tricky it is, despite the best of intentions, to muscle in on the Premier League's top table. Newcastle feel they belong in that circle — but does anybody else? In May, and out of the blue, Newcastle parted company with their former sporting director, Paul Mitchell. He had been in the role for less than 12 months. The message from the club was that their summer transfers would be unaffected (they were bound to say that) but it's plain to all that their plans aren't falling into place — nor have they appointed Mitchell's successor. Undoubtedly, their targets have been ambitious. Newcastle need Champions League-standard footballers and, as a consequence, are rivalling top-end teams for those signatures but factors are working against them. Advertisement Part of the problem might be geography. It's no secret that certain parts of the United Kingdom appeal more to players, London in particular. The Premier League's profit and sustainability rules have also curtailed their spending. But plainly, they are struggling to sell their vision. In an ideal world, that future would involve rebuilding their stadium and bringing a rather ordinary training ground up to state-of-the-art status. Neither of those proposals are moving forward at speed but given the clout of Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), which controls Newcastle, it is reasonable to think that both might come to fruition. Newcastle's competitive insurgency is pretty convincing — if only Europe's elite would buy into it. Howe can see the woods for the trees. 'We're not deluded,' he told reporters this week. 'We know we need to bring players in. It's been a challenging transfer window.' From here, the process is one of damage limitation. It's hard to see how Newcastle exit the window with a glow of satisfaction. And in the context of disrupting the Premier League's status quo, their toil reflects a harsh reality. 🎧 On cue, our podcast gang got into Newcastle's transfer torment yesterday. Howe wants to keep Isak, but is the striker really going to cost £250m? Listen on Apple and Spotify The spate of transfers involving centre-forwards must make Benjamin Sesko feel like his time is coming. Conversely, the range of viable destinations for him has been reduced by the increasing number of clubs who have already completed their search for a striker. Arsenal were an option until they signed Viktor Gyokeres and you wonder if Sesko might regret hardballing them. It seemed inevitable, as a 22-year-old striker with plenty of talent, that he would move on from RB Leipzig before the 2025-26 season began but with August almost upon us, he's waiting for the market to bite. There ought to be a rush for him because the data shows how on-point his finishing has been (illustrated in the shot map, below). Across the previous two seasons, he scored nine goals more than the stats predicted. Naturally, however, such ball-striking ability comes at a price. Newcastle fancy him, but as a solution if Isak bails out on them. This morning's DealSheet reveals that Manchester United have held talks about buying Sesko but it's rather tentative and in the meantime, they're keeping tabs on Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins. The cogs don't half creak at Old Trafford. Sesko seeks an elite club. Leipzig, for their part, want up to £80m for him, and if they cash in on Xavi Simons — Chelsea are circling on a deal that could net £60m — there will be less pressure to sell. If this wasn't the summer as Newcastle envisaged it, the same can be said for Slovenia's finest. Unreal! Newcastle player Sean Longstaff taking a wicket today for Tynemouth CC ☝️ — Cricket Shouts 🏏 (@crickshouts) July 5, 2025 Picture the scene. The NBA season is finished, so LeBron James, with time to kill, goes out into the sticks and engages in a bit of minor league baseball with his local team. What better way to spend a sunny afternoon? OK, Sean Longstaff, Leeds United's recent signing, is no LeBron James but that's essentially what happened this month. Longstaff has a passion for cricket and, with a transfer from Newcastle to Leeds pending, he kept himself busy by turning out for Tynemouth, a cricket club on England's north-east coast. Advertisement Better than that, he was caught on camera taking a wicket (above) and when it came to Leeds unveiling him, they indulged his second love by shoehorning a cricket ball into their promotional photos. What they'd make of any resulting injuries is another matter, but let's not rain on his parade.
Daily Tribune
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Tribune
Late Odegaard penalty extends Arsenal pre-season run
Martin Odegaard's spotkick in the 84th minute extended Arsenal's pre-season winning run in Singapore after they beat fellow English Premier League side Newcastle 3-2 at the National Stadium in Singapore yesterday evening. In an entertaining match played out in front of more than 38,700 fans, it was Newcastle who took the early advantage after scoring with their first attack in the sixth minute. New signing Anthony Elanga enjoyed his perfect start in the black and white by blasting the ball into the bottom right corner after meeting a cross from Sandro Tonali. But Arsenal overcame a shaky start, regaining their rhythm and control of the game. Mikel Merino drew level for the Gunners with a clinical strike in the 33rd minute from Kai Havertz's flick. They then found themselves ahead two minutes later when Alex Murphy fumbled the ball into his own net.
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Late Odegaard penalty extends Arsenal pre-season run
SINGAPORE: Martin Odegaard's spot-kick in the 84th minute extended Arsenal's pre-season winning run in Singapore after they beat fellow English Premier League side Newcastle 3-2 at the National Stadium in Singapore on Sunday evening. In an entertaining match played out in front of more than 38,700 fans, it was Newcastle who took the early advantage after scoring with their first attack in the sixth minute. New signing Anthony Elanga enjoyed his perfect start in the black and white by blasting the ball into the bottom right corner after meeting a cross from Sandro Tonali. But Arsenal overcame a shaky start, regaining their rhythm and control of the game. Mikel Merino drew level for the Gunners with a clinical strike in the 33rd minute from Kai Havertz's flick. They then found themselves ahead two minutes later when Alex Murphy fumbled the ball into his own net. The Magpies almost conceded a third after the restart in the 57th minute, but had keeper Nick Pope to thank after he stopped a shot from a bicycle kick by Bukayo Saka. Against the run of play, substitute Jacob Murphy levelled for Newcastle a minute later after his shot from outside the box sneaked past David Raya at his near post. With the match seemingly headed for a draw, it was 15-year-old Max Dowman's deep run into the box, where he was clipped by Joelinton, that proved to be the game-changer. Odegaard then made no mistake from the spot kick to give Arsenal their second win after their earlier 1-0 victory over AC Milan.--AFP
Qatar Tribune
2 days ago
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Gyokeres presented by Arsenal ahead of friendly win over Newcastle
SingaporecTypeface:> New signing Viktor Gyokeres watched on as Arsenal beat Newcastle 3-2 in their pre-season meeting in Singapore. The 27-year-old striker completed his move from Sporting Lisbon to the Gunners on Saturday and was presented to fans at the National Stadium before kick-off on Sunday. One of Newcastle's new recruits made his impact on the pitch almost instantly as Anthony Elanga fired the Magpies ahead on his first start for the team after slicing home from Sandro Tonali's low cross. However, the Gunners struck twice in quick succession when Mikel Merino tucked home into the bottom corner and two minutes later Alex Murphy turned the ball into his own net. (PA Media/dpa)
New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Arsenal 3 Newcastle 2: Elanga impresses, Osula stands in for Isak (again), Botman concern
Newcastle United's winless start to pre-season continued with a defeat against Arsenal at the Singapore National Stadium. However, Eddie Howe's side delivered a far more encouraging display than during last weekend's 4-0 loss at Celtic, even though Alexander Isak remains absent. In East Asia, Anthony Elanga made the perfect start to his full debut, rounding off an excellent Newcastle move. The winger's finish was a bit of a mishit, but he still directed Sandro Tonali's low cross onto the right-hand post and in. Advertisement Newcastle were then punished by two Arsenal goals in quick succession from the 33rd minute, with former Newcastle midfielder Mikel Merino equalising with a well-placed shot, before Alex Murphy inadvertently lashed a dangerous cross into his own net. Howe made nine half-time changes, with only Will Osula and Nick Pope continuing, and in the 58th minute, Jacob Murphy equalised with a left-footed shot from 25 yards. Mikel Arteta's second-half substitutions improved Arsenal and 15-year-old Max Dowman, who caused immeasurable problems down Newcastle's left, was pushed in the box by Joelinton in the 83rd minute. Martin Odegaard dispatched the penalty to secure victory. Chris Waugh, who is in Singapore, and George Caulkin analyse the key talking points. On July 11, the third-most expensive signing in Newcastle's history was explaining his decision to move to Tyneside. 'The club won a trophy and are building something unique, something special that I really want to be part of,' Elanga said, fresh from his £52million ($69.9m) transfer from Nottingham Forest. Those words almost feel as if they belong to a different era. In a difficult summer, the past fortnight has been particularly brutal, but the winger's first start did at least provide a reminder of a contextual sort. Newcastle have suffered some high-profile rejections; they might be reeling from the Isak situation, but not everybody wants out and Howe has some good players at his disposal. They are cup-winners with the Champions League to look forward to. Perhaps it is a case of one step forward and another couple back, but bringing in a right-sided reinforcement has been a priority for Howe since he joined. Elanga scored six minutes into his full debut, putting the finishing touches to a lovely sweeping move which showcased some Newcastle quality. Kieran Trippier spotted Tonali's run, the Italian's cross was like a laser beam, and although Elanga's shot was miscued, he was stretching backwards after ghosting into space. It was promising. Anthony Elanga. :zap:️ — Newcastle United (@NUFC) July 27, 2025 The Sweden international lasted 45 minutes before being replaced by Murphy, one of last season's great success stories. Murphy also scored, curling in a shot from long range. Suddenly, Howe has some options — in this position, anyway. George Caulkin Isak is not here — and, as far as Howe (and the club's board) is concerned, he is still not for sale, either. The Sweden striker's non-appearance on the pre-season tour — due to injury according to the club, but The Athletic has reported his preference not to travel — has and will continue to dominate the news cycle. As if to rub it in that Newcastle have yet to bring in a striker and their star players is not even in East Asia (and will not be joining them in South Korea, Howe confirmed), Arsenal paraded their new £55m centre-forward signing, Viktor Gyokeres, before kick-off in Singapore. But an absence presents an opportunity. Osula has played the most minutes of any Newcastle player in pre-season — and by some distance. The 21-year-old started at Celtic and lasted 76 minutes, while he played for the opening 73 against Arsenal. Largely, that is out of necessity. Aside from Sean Neave, the 18-year-old academy graduate, Howe does not have another out-and-out striker on tour. As things stand, Newcastle are heading into the campaign with a striker who has a solitary Premier League goal to his name as their first-choice centre-forward. Advertisement Osula has just about all of the attributes to become a top-level striker — he is tall, quick and has two good feet — but is still learning his craft. A willing runner, in and out of possession, he does stretch opposition defences with his constant desire to try and get in behind. The Dane was unfortunate not to score during the second half when Murphy whipped in a delicious cross and Osula, who had timed his run well, powered a header beyond the far post. Howe described Osula's performance as 'much better' than against Celtic, before claiming that the striker 'had to be ready' in case he was required to start the opening league game against Aston Villa on August 16. Even before the Isak situation unfolded, Newcastle's need for another striker was acute (following Callum Wilson's exit). Now that requirement borders upon the desperate. As Howe conceded, 'We're not deluded.' Yoane Wissa would be a good addition from Brentford, given his pedigree and versatility, but that is proving to be yet another frustratingly complicated (and potentially expensive) deal. RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko is a dream target, but that would be an even trickier (and more costly) transfer to pull off. Howe wants Newcastle to end this window stronger than they start it, but they are looking worryingly weak up top (not to mention the other areas which have yet to be augmented). Chris Waugh Botman had only been introduced at the break, coming on as a left-sided centre-back after Howe tweaked his system, with Newcastle switching to a three-man defence. But he then went off in the 70th minute, gesturing towards his groin. Howe was typically vague in his assessment of the injury, although his answer was hardly encouraging. 'He came off and said his groin was a bit tight,' Howe said. 'So fingers crossed he's OK.' For a player who has managed only 21 Premier League starts across the past two seasons, the sight of Botman being withdrawn was concerning. Mercifully, at least it is not another knee injury. But with a centre-back yet to be signed (alongside a goalkeeper, striker or midfielder), Newcastle cannot afford for Botman to be sidelined. The immediate soundings from those close to Botman — speaking anonymously to protect relationships — was that it was precautionary and nothing serious. Only time will tell for certain. Chris Waugh
