All posts by h79snht.top

Chelsea are in ongoing negotiations over the signing of an “incredible” forward, and it is believed winger Jadon Sancho could now be used as leverage to make a deal happen for the player.

Chelsea targeting new winger for Enzo Maresca this summer

A new winger is believed to be one of BlueCo’s main transfer priorities this summer.

Related £200k-a-week Chelsea ace could now join De Zerbi with sale real possibility

It would be a big decision.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Apr 29, 2025

This year, there will be two separate windows for Chelsea to conduct transfer business, with one open from June 1st to June 10th. This will allow them to sign players before their Club World Cup campaign, which is seen as important by many, given the prize money available.

Chelsea’s final four Premier League fixtures

Date

Liverpool (home)

May 4th

Newcastle (away)

May 11th

Man United (home)

May 16th

Nottingham Forest (away)

May 25th

Chelsea could obtain a £97 million windfall by winning all of their group stage games and the tournament itself, based on various factors, so it is clear to see why Stamford Bridge officials won’t be taking their participation lightly.

It could be very lucrative indeed for Enzo Maresca’s side, prompting reports that the west Londoners will be active when the pre-CWC transfer window opens.

One of the key items on their agenda is bringing in an exciting new wide player (Simon Phillips), with uncertainty surrounding the long-term futures of Mykhailo Mudryk, Noni Madueke and Sancho.

Mudryk is currently serving an on-field ban after testing positive for banned substances, while there are suggestions Chelsea are open to selling Madueke as Eddie Howe’s Newcastle and Aston Villa consider deals.

Chelsea are obliged to sign Sancho on a permanent deal from Man United, after triggering his £25 million clause, with the Blues now guaranteed to finish above 15th in the table.

Chelsea could still opt out of this by paying a £5 million penalty to United, but it now appears they could hatch a different plan for Sancho, involving top target and Borussia Dortmund sensation Jamie Gittens.

Chelsea could offer Jadon Sancho in "separate" swap deal for Jamie Gittens

Chelsea opened talks to sign Gittens earlier this week, as per Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, and now TEAMtalk have shared another update.

The outlet claims Chelsea are in “active talks” to sign Gittens, and preferably want a deal for the Englishman finalised before the CWC commences. While Gittens is valued at around £35 million, they have ways to bring the overall cost down.

Dortmund loanee Carney Chukwuemeka is also valued at £35m, and could head the other way permanently to cancel out the fee needed for Gittens. However, so soon after triggering his £25m clause, TT write that Chelsea could offer Sancho in a separate deal for Gittens as well.

While both transfers would be apart from one another on paper, this is essentially a swap deal, just not in the traditional sense, and it is a further example of just how common player-trading is becoming in the market now – as clubs seek to navigate their way around PSR.

Gittens has been a mainstay for Dortmund this term, despite his very young age, with the 20-year-old scoring 12 goals and assisting five others across 45 appearances in all competitions.

He could well be worth all of this effort, with ex-Dortmund boss Nuri Sahin describing him as an “incredible” one-v-one attacker.

Tottenham Hotspur are in contact with a former Bayern Munich boss to potentially replace under-pressure head coach Ange Postecoglou, according to reports, with the clock seemingly ticking on his stay in N17.

Tottenham likely to part ways with Ange Postecoglou

The prospect of Postecoglou’s departure from north London is gaining more and more traction.

Related Jamie O'Hara thrilled by "brilliant" new manager Tottenham could appoint

He’s got credentials.

Posts 2 ByEmilio Galantini Apr 24, 2025

This week, The Telegraph reported that Tottenham could relieve Postecoglou of his duties, regardless of whether the Lilywhites end their 17-year wait for a major trophy by winning the Europa League.

Tottenham’s next five Premier League fixtures

Date

Liverpool (away)

April 27th

West Ham (away)

May 3rd

Crystal Palace (home)

May 10th

Aston Villa (away)

May 18th

Brighton (home)

May 25th

Even an historic night in Bilbao may not be enough to save the Australian, with Spurs on course for their worst ever Premier League season to date. They’re just one loss away from equalling their record for most defeats in a single domestic season, and it is highly likely Postecoglou is bestowed with that dismal record as champions elect, Liverpool, await them next at Anfield.

The 59-year-old has faced an uphill battle all season long, having lost a plethora of key players to injury for extended periods on a consistent basis, but 16th in the table is arguably still nowhere near good enough – even when factoring in their serious bad luck.

Attention is already turning to who could succeed Postecoglou, and there is no shortage of candidates linked to the potentially vacant role.

Mauricio Pochettino would privately love a return to Tottenham, according to reports, while the likes of Andoni Iraola (Bournemouth), Marco Silva (Fulham), Oliver Glasner (Crystal Palace), Thomas Frank (Brentford) and Scott Parker (Burnley) have all been linked recently.

Now, a new name in the form of ex-Croatia captain and former Bayern Munich head coach Niko Kovač has emerged as a managerial target.

Tottenham make contact with Borussia Dortmund boss Niko Kovač

The 53-year-old was appointed by Borussia Dortmund on an 18-month deal to replace the sacked Nuri Şahin, and he’s since done a solid job, as Kovac attempts to spearhead European qualification after a previously disappointing campaign for the Bundesliga heavyweights.

The tactician, who’s previously won a German title with Bayern and two German cups – one with the Bavarians and one at Eintracht Frankfurt – has now turned heads at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

According to newspaper Bild, via Sport Witness, Tottenham have made contact with Kovac, via an intermediary but not directly with the club, as chairman Daniel Levy casts his net to Europe in search of a new head coach.

Spurs are said to view him as a good fit due to his intense and aggressive style of play, but as things stand, he doesn’t have an interest in leaving Dortmund. If this stance changes, Kovac’s reputation as a true leader appears to be exactly what Tottenham are crying out for.

“He [Kovac] has experience, he was a very good player and was the captain of the Croatia national team,” said Bayern legend Lothar Matthäus.

“He has charisma, he has passion, he knows about football. He was a leader as a player and is showing this as a coach too.”

Birmingham City did not fancy sticking it out in League One for the foreseeable as Chris Davies’ Blues soared to the third-tier title in some style.

Amazingly, the West Midlands giants have now set a new EFL points record at the very top of the League One tree, with a mighty 111 points accumulated across the memorable campaign coming about off the back of a very impressive 34 victories.

Jay Stansfield, of course, has had a big part to play in Birmingham’s unbelievable success story, with the ex-Fulham man hopeful he can keep his potent exploits coming in the Championship next season.

Stansfield's key role in Birmingham's promotion

It would have been a major letdown if Stansfield was anything but spectacular for Davies’ men with Birmingham splashing significant wads of cash to lure him to the fallen giants.

A fee around the £15m mark doesn’t look too steep now, though, considering the 22-year-old has helped himself to a hefty 24 goals in all competitions this campaign from 46 total contests, with 19 of those strikes coming in the league as Birmingham romped home to the title.

Stansfield does have Championship experience already on his side as Davies and Co navigate the step-up too, with 12 goals already tallied up in the difficult division from 45 clashes, meaning the clinical number 28 shouldn’t suddenly lose his Midas touch in front of goal.

But, Birmingham will know their firepower needs to be improved somewhat – away from just relying on Stansfield’s magic – so they can compete with the top dogs in their path, with a statement move already reportedly on the cards to bring back a former Blues forward who is arguably even better than the standout 22-year-old.

Birmingham interested in move for "terrific" attacker

There is also Alfie May waiting in the wings for a shot at second-tier glory, with the experienced EFL head chipping in with 16 league goals of his own for Davies’ men.

But, Birmingham would not turn down the opportunity to bring back former gem Che Adams if they could – away from the star power they already possess – with Football Insider recently revealing that a ‘blockbuster switch’ was being worked on to try and tempt the current Torino striker back to his familiar St. Andrew’s surroundings.

After all, the Scotland international has proven himself to be a reliable source of goals playing in Turin since a summer switch from Southampton, with the 28-year-old not fazed by the bright lights of the Serie A at all when collecting ten goals from 35 appearances.

Transfer Focus

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

Expand Collapse

Yet, whilst it’s clearly impressive that the “terrific” attacker – as he’s been labelled by pundit Ally McCoist recently – has acclimatised to Italian life well, Birmingham will be pushing ahead to make this deal a reality based off his reputation for being a goal machine in the EFL, particularly in the punishing division Davies’ men are reentering into.

Adams’ G/A record in the Championship by season

Season

Club played for

Games

Goals

Assists

23/24

Southampton

40

15

4

18/19

Birmingham

46

22

5

17/18

Birmingham

30

5

2

16/17

Birmingham

40

7

6

Sourced by Transfermarkt

Adams has, after all, collected 34 of his 49 career Championship goals when donning Birmingham blue, with the 28-year-old’s 15-goal heroics during the 2023/24 season enough to help then manager Russell Martin clinch promotion with Southampton.

Stansfield has some catching up to do in this department, with the Blues hotshot only on that aforementioned tally of 12 strikes at the difficult level, but his game could be elevated to the next level lining up next to the Torino number 18.

This will be a fascinating transfer tale to watch unfold, with Birmingham capable of flexing their muscles once more if a move is reached to re-sign their lethal former number nine ahead of a new Championship adventure.

Related Wagner means business: Sky journalist drops exciting Birmingham transfer plan

The Blues are not messing around…

Posts ByTom Cunningham May 1, 2025

Chelsea have now identified an “exceptional” defender as a priority summer target after holding internal talks, according to a report.

Blues planning to sign two defenders this summer

The Blues still have everything to play for as the Premier League season approaches its conclusion, with the final-day trip to Nottingham Forest set to be crucial in the race for the top five, given that Nuno’s side, Aston Villa and Manchester City are breathing down their necks.

Barring the 2-0 loss at Newcastle United, Enzo Maresca’s side have performed well during the run-in, and the manager has been pleased with the progress Levi Colwill has made, despite admitting he may need to bring in more experienced players this summer.

When questioned about the prospect of adding experience to his squad this summer, much like Jurgen Klopp did by signing Virgil van Dijk and Alisson for Liverpool, Maresca said: “For sure, if you want to close the gap with these kind of clubs then, you have to do things.”

As such, a range of centre-back targets have been identified ahead of the summer, and it is clear the manager is looking to blend youth and experience.

Player

Current club

Potential cost

Mario Gila

Lazio

£25m

Axel Tape

PSG

£0

Ben Nelson

Leicester City

Unknown

Marc Guehi

Crystal Palace

£60m

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Chelsea are also stepping up their pursuit of Ajax’s Jorrel Hato, with the defender now considered a priority target following internal discussions about their summer transfer plans.

There is a feeling that a fee of £37.8m – £42m could be enough to get a deal done, so a move for Hato would not break the bank, and he is now rapidly moving up the Blues’ shortlist.

The likes of Liverpool, AC Milan and Arsenal could provide competition for the 19-year-old’s signature, but the west Londoners are looking to move swiftly to ensure they remain in the lead.

Hato could be "exceptional" signing for the Blues

The report states that Chelsea are looking to bring in two centre-backs this summer, and it is little wonder the youngster is now one of their favoured options, given the level of some of his performances for Ajax since breaking into the team at a young age.

Football scout Ben Mattinson has been left particularly impressed by the teenager in the past, stating on X: “Hato is an exceptional athlete for his age whilst being a technical player who can carry through the lines.”

Related Chelsea looking to sign "composed" defender who Maresca thinks is "perfect"

The Blues have set their sights on a centre-back, with Enzo Maresca believed to be a keen admirer.

Posts 1 ByDominic Lund May 18, 2025

Not only that, but the Rotterdam-born defender is an assured passer of the ball, which could make him a good fit for Maresca, ranking in the top 1% for his pass-completion rate per 90 over the past year, when compared to other full-backs.

Indeed, Hato is capable of playing at left-back, having featured there predominantly during the 2024-25 campaign, but he has also featured at centre-back throughout his career, and his versatility would be an added bonus for the Blues.

Arsenal have asked about signing an “important” Real Madrid player amid their reliably reported talks for Brazil international Rodrygo, but negotiations over the latter are proving far from straightforward.

Rodrygo to Arsenal talks stall due to wage demands

As reported by Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, a very reliable source when it comes to transfer news, Arsenal have been in discussions with all parties over a summer deal for the 24-year-old.

Related Arsenal offer "game-changer" a five-year contract worth nearly £30m to join

The north Londoners are moving ahead with ambitious summer plans.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini May 28, 2025

Rodrygo bagged 13 goals and 10 assists over 50 total appearances under Carlo Ancelotti during 2024/2025, but his future at the Bernabeu is far from certain amid Arsenal’s serious interest.

Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports)

Money on new signings

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

It’s been reported that the South American is dissatisfied with his role in the squad, as he wants to be used in his preferred role on the left-hand-side rather than on the right, which is where he’s been forced to play due to the presence of Vinícius Jr and Kylian Mbappé (Ben Jacobs).

Sensing an opportunity, sporting director Andrea Berta commenced work to potentially tempt Rodrygo with a north London move, amid the club’s serious pursuit of a new winger who could provide further cutting edge in the final third.

However, since beginning talks, the transfer has hit a snag due to Rodrygo’s salary demands, prompting Berta to look at alternatives like Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma.

The Japan international isn’t Berta’s only different option for the wide area, though, with another Real Madrid star under consideration at the Emirates.

Arsenal ask about conditions for Arda Guler deal

That man is Turkish attacking midfielder Arda Guler, who started Real’s last six La Liga games of the season and gradually became a more imperative player for Ancelotti during the latter stages of 24/25.

The 20-year-old bagged five goals and nine assists in 42 total appearances by the end of Ancelotti’s final campaign in charge, with the Italian branding him an “important” player in the squad.

Ancelotti also tipped the versatile forward to have a big future at the Bernabeu, leaving little surprise he’s on Berta’s shortlist of attacking targets for Arsenal.

That is according to journalist Graeme Bailey, who reports for The Boot Room that Arsenal have asked about the conditions of a deal for Guler. Whether they’ve approached Real themselves or the player’s agents isn’t exactly stated, but it is believed Los Blancos won’t sell him under “any circumstances” this summer.

Other forwards attracting Berta’s attention come in the form of Nico Williams, Rafael Leao, Jamie Gittens, Alejandro Garnacho, Ademola Lookman, Bryan Mbeumo and Mohammed Kudus, as per TBR, with Arsenal seemingly in hot pursuit of a star new wide player.

Sunderland have had some of the Premier League’s most iconic strikers down the years, but one man in particular has been praised as one of the best talents of his era.

No one at the Stadium of Light will forget the name Tommy Watson in a hurry regardless of how his move to Brighton pans out, but as the dust settles on a memorable campaign and that stunning late win at Wembley, the Black Cats must now turn their attentions to building a squad capable of surviving football’s toughest task.

Sunderland's promotion season in pictures

Regis Le Bris’ side were the lowest scorers in the Championship’s top six, with 58 goals to their name in 46 games, as Wilson Isidor (13) and Eliezer Mayenda (10) were their only players to score more than five league goals.

And it’s fair to say this is a club who have lived off the backs of great number nines down the years, with the likes of Jermain Defoe, Kevin Phillips and Niall Quinn all thriving on Wearside.

Sunderland’s top ten Premier League goalscorers

Goals

1. Kevin Phillips

61

2. Jermain Defoe

34

3. Niall Quinn

29

4. Kenwyne Jones

26

5. Darren Bent

24

6. Steven Fletcher

23

7. Adam Johnson

19

8. Stéphane Sessègnon

17

9. Fabio Borini

14

10. Kieran Richardson

14

Many of the club’s most iconic moments have come from their front men, from Darren Bent’s famous ‘beach ball goal’ against Liverpool to Fabio Borini’s incredible late effort to sink Alan Pardew’s Newcastle.

But while no one comes close to “Super Kev” Phillips from a statistical standpoint, few would argue that Defoe is right up there alongside him as one of the most talented players to ever put on the red and white shirt, and England legend David Platt once revealed he may be even better than that.

Platt: Defoe was as good as Michael Owen and Luis Figo

Speaking about his time as Defoe’s manager in the England Under-21 set-up, Platt, who earned 62 caps for the Three Lions himself, once revealed a 19 year-old Defoe was one of the greatest talents he had ever seen.

Defoe scored 163 Premier League goals in total, placing him inside the division’s top ten and behind only six other Englishmen – Alan Shearer, Harry Kane, Wayne Rooney, Andrew Cole, Frank Lampard and Robbie Fowler.

While his longest spell in England’s top flight came with Tottenham Hotspur, some of his most iconic moments were produced in a Sunderland shirt, most notably that stunning strike against Newcastle at the Stadium of Light, and fans will also never forget his relationship with Bradley Lowery.

Defoe’s love for the club hasn’t waned either, as the 42 year-old was spotted at Wembley celebrating their promotion, also praising Le Bris for the impactful substitutions of Patrick Roberts and Watson: “We spoke before about the manager not panicking, and the substitution, Patrick Roberts came on and done his thing.”

Related Sunderland lining up centre-back signing who Van Dijk said is "outstanding"

He could be perfect for Regis Le Bris.

Posts ByHenry Jackson Jun 3, 2025

It’s hard to imagine the likes of Isidor and Mayenda will be able to replicate the Englishman’s stunning influence in the North East, but the young Spaniard’s equalising goal against Sheffield United was certainly a good start.

Aston Villa are in a position where they may need to sell players to meet the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules and there is plenty of contention surrounding their situation from fans, pundits and journalists alike.

Aston Villa's PSR situation and who may leave the club this summer

In short, Aston Villa are one of the Premier League’s most at-risk clubs with PSR heading towards the deadline on June 30th. Per The Athletic’s projection, they can only lose £15 million in 2024/25 to remain within regulatory boundaries.

Unai Emery’s men have recorded a pre-tax loss of £206.2 million in the last two years, which is the highest deficit across the top-flight in that time and leaves the Birmingham-based outfit in danger of punishment.

Big money sales such as Jhon Duran leaving for Al Nassr and Leon Bailey’s anticipated move to Saudi Arabian outfit Neom SC have left hope that the Villans can evade any form of penalty.

However, they are teetering on the brink and their failure to qualify for Champions League football ended up being a massive setback, especially when Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio’s expensive loan deals formed part of their bid to secure a place despite already treading water in their efforts to balance the books.

There have been suggestions that Aston Villa could sell stakes in their women’s team to make ends meet, an option that remains active following a failed bill to cancel that practice after Chelsea flipped £90 million in losses to a £128 million profit in 2024.

Related Aston Villa now seriously interested in signing "aggressive" 13-goal rival

He could be on the move.

Posts ByTom Cunningham Jun 5, 2025

Losing a maximum of £105 million over three rolling years is the limit for Premier League clubs in order to comply. Still, not everyone is happy at the rules that their clubs have to abide by to evade sanctions.

Journalist fumes at Aston Villa PSR latest

Taking to social media platform X, iNews correspondent Mark Douglas vented his frustration at Aston Villa’s need to sell and made the point that Newcastle United have suffered a similar fate in their efforts to progress as a club.

Admittedly, PSR has become a controversial topic among football fans for a number of reasons, with some feeling that the traditional ‘Big Six’ clubs are protected more than others due to the ease in making ‘pure profit’ sales or by filing via subsidiaries of their PLC’s entity.

Regulation is critical to promote fairness, though there are clear elements in the current system that leave a lot to be desired. Aston Villa find themselves in a frustrating situation and will need to meticulously ensure they don’t fall foul of the authorities.

Others will argue their wage to revenue ratio is a problem, brought on by decisions such as paying £227,500 of Marcus Rashford’s salary weekly during his stay. Either way, the rise of PSR over the last few years has become a contentious issue and continues to limit the progression of those attempting to challenge the traditional order.

Fabrizio Romano has shared an update on Arsenal and their plans to sign a new striker, amid their widely reported talks for RB Leipzig starlet Benjamin Sesko.

Arsenal hold talks over signing Benjamin Sesko

Near the end of May, it became evident through reliable media sources that Sesko had emerged as Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta’s prime striker target.

Related David Ornstein: Arsenal consider deal for player as "done and signed"

Gunners chiefs are extremely confident.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Jun 11, 2025

Arsenal entered “concrete” negotiations with Leipzig over a deal for the Slovenia international, who’s fresh off the back of a productive campaign where he scored 21 goals and six assists in all competitions.

Since then, talks have been ongoing and advancing cautiously (Fabrizio Romano), with reliable journalist Ben Jacobs sharing that the major sticking point in this potential transfer is Leipzig’s financial demands.

According to his information, Arsenal want to strike a deal for Sesko at around £60 million, whereas Leipzig want to sell for nearer £70 million.

“They have discussed whether or not there is flexibility beneath the variable release clause, set at the moment around €80 million,” said Jacobs on The Football Terrace last week.

“That’s why that one’s taking time, because Arsenal want to do Sesko for €70 million, or within that ballpark.”

Sesko is also attracting interest from Saudi Arabia, even if his priority is to stay in Europe (The Telegraph), but so far, no middle ground appears to have been found on the final price, despite some reports that the 22-year-old has already agreed personal terms.

If they cannot reach an agreement with Leipzig over Sesko, Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres apparently remains on their radar as an alternative.

Viktor Gyokeres on Arsenal list if Benjamin Sesko talks fail

That is according to Romano, who reports in his GiveMeSport newsletter that Gyokeres is on Arsenal’s target list in case talks for Sesko fall through.

“It’s an open race for Gyokeres,” said Romano.

“He remains on Arsenal list in case Sesko deal doesn’t happen, Man United have called his agents again over the weekend.”

The “underrated” and “exciting” 26-year-old bagged an incredible 54 goals and 13 assists last season, spearheading Sporting to their first domestic double win in 20 years, but it is worth noting that he might not be much cheaper than Sesko.

Sporting president Frederico Varandas poured cold water over reports that Gyokeres and the club have an agreement that he can leave for £59 million this summer, telling the Portuguese press that he will indeed cost more.

“I can guarantee that Viktor Gyokeres will not leave for 60m euros plus 10m euros because I never promised that,” Varandas said.

“To this day Sporting has not had an offer for Gyokeres – neither today nor last season.”

While this comes as a statement which Arsenal need to be aware of, Varandas does guarantee that Gyokeres will leave for less than his £84 million release clause.

“One of the agent’s biggest concerns was whether we would demand the termination clause,” said Varandas.

“He wanted to guarantee certain things. And what was agreed? That Sporting would not demand a release clause now. For one reason: he was going to be 27 years old, and no player leaves Portugal at 27 for 100m euros or 90m euros.”

Only once before has a bowler bowled four maiden overs in a men’s T20I, Saad Bin Zafar of Canada, but never at the World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jun-2024

New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson has become the second bowler in T20Is and the first at a men’s T20 World Cup to bowl four maiden overs in a spell.On Monday, he finished with magical figures of 4-4-0-3 against Papua New Guinea in New Zealand’s last group-stage match in the T20 World Cup 2024. It’s also New Zealand’s last match in the tournament, as they were knocked out following losses to Afghanistan and West Indies.The only other bowler to have achieved the feat is Canada’s Saad Bin Zafar, who finished with 4-4-0-2 against Panama in a T20 World Cup Americas Region Qualifier match in Coolidge in 2021.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Coming on to bowl in the fifth over after New Zealand opted to field in Tarouba after a rain delay, Ferguson had PNG captain Assad Vala caught at first slip off the very first ball he bowled. He kept the new batter, Sese Bau, quiet for the rest of the over, and came back in the seventh over to do the same, bowling six dots to Bau.He returned to bowl the 12th over and struck on the second ball, pinning Charles Amini in front for 17 with a length ball that stayed low – it was given not out, but was confirmed to be hitting the stumps after a review. Ferguson then got his third and final wicket off the second ball of his last over, the 14th of the innings, getting Chad Soper to edge one on to his stumps for 1. PNG got two runs off that over but those were leg-byes.”Obviously a tough wicket to bat on, so nice from my point of view to get on a wicket like that,” Ferguson, the Player of the Match, said on the official broadcast after the game. “There was some swing, which was nice today too.”The match started after a spell of rain, following which New Zealand restricted PNG to 78 in 19.4 overs.

Newcastle United will be looking to recruit well this summer to give themselves the best chance of a strong 2025/26 campaign. The Magpies will be in the Champions League once again and will no doubt be hoping to turn themselves into top-four regulars in the Premier League.

One area in which Eddie Howe’s side might look to improve this summer is at centre-back. Just like they were in 2024, Newcastle have been linked with Marc Guehi, but Football Insider report they will face competition from Arsenal.

Either way, Howe seems intent on strengthening the existing centre-back options, which include the likes of Dan Burn and Fabian Schar. Another target has recently come to fruition, for whom the Magpies could make a move.

Newcastle's latest centre-back target

It will be fascinating to see, not only whether Newcastle are successful in their pursuit of Guehi, but also whether he is the only centre-back who will sign this summer. They have certainly been linked with multiple players, and could make a move for another Premier League defender.

Transfer Focus

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

Expand Collapse

According to a report from 3 Added Minutes, the North East giants have opened talks to sign Brighton and Hove Albion defender Jan Paul van Hecke.

The report from Charlie Haffenden explains that Newcastle have ‘initiated talks with the player’s representatives’ ahead of a potential summer move.

Those at St James’ Park have ‘been keeping tabs on van Hecke’ this summer, but could still face competition from newly-crowned Premier League champions Liverpool.

As for a price, it was reported by Sussex World that the Dutchman ‘has a transfer guide price’ of at least £60m, but it could well be more.

Why Van Hecke would be a good signing

At 25 years of age, Van Hecke is rapidly becoming one of the most exciting centre-backs in the Premier League. This is perhaps highlighted best by the fact that he is a full international with the Netherlands.

Last season on the South Coast for Brighton, Van Hecke played a crucial role. He featured 34 times in the Premier League, missing three games due to a couple of separate, small injury issues and another with suspension.

As well as grabbing a goal and assist last term, he helped Fabian Hurzeler’s side keep eight clean sheets in the Premier League, featuring for all but one of those games across all 90 minutes. He is a pivotal figure at the back and could perhaps now be considered the leader of the backline at the AMEX Stadium.

If the Magpies were to sign Van Hecke this summer, he could act as a direct replacement, and an upgrade, for Blyth-born centre-back Burn. The England international is a well-loved figure at St James’ Park, but is now 33 years of age.

With that being said, the defender, who also moved to St James’ Park from Brighton, played in 37 games in the Premier League last season. He also scored a pivotal second goal in the Carabao Cup final.

However, to preserve his future in a Magpies shirt, and add an upgrade at the back ahead of the Champions League and top four push, signing Van Hecke would certainly be a smart move. He was described as an “outstanding” player by Pete Davey, a Newcastle content creator.

Indeed, that is a word that can be used to describe Van Hecke’s underlying stats on FBref, which are far better than Burn’s. The Dutchman is a superb progressive passer, which is his standout attribute.

Last season in the Premier League, he averaged 6.93 progressive passes and 3.98 ball recoveries per 90 minutes. In comparison, Newcastle’s number 33 averaged 2.03 progressive passes and 2.78 ball recoveries each game.

Van Hecke and Burn key stats compared

Stat (per 90)

Van Hecke

Burn

Progressive passes

6.93

2.03

Passes into final third

6.87

1.35

Blocks

1.12

0.97

Tackles and interceptions

2.1

1.78

Ball recoveries

3.98

2.78

Stats from FBref

As the numbers showcase, Van Hecke would be a huge upgrade on Burn for a number of reasons. Not only is he a sensational passer of the ball, but defensively, he has very few weaknesses, particularly with the way he reads the game.

Burn is an icon of Newcastle United, but is not getting any younger, and the chance to improve their defence by signing Van Hecke might be too good to pass up for Howe.

Related Schar upgrade: Newcastle among favourites to sign "unbelievable" £40m star

Newcastle will be looking to improve their defence this summer

Posts ByRoss Kilvington Jun 16, 2025