Newcastle United made an excellent start to their Carabao Cup campaign on Wednesday night, beating Nottingham Forest on penalties at the City Ground.

Eddie Howe made a couple of changes to his side, but stuck with a first-choice backline, with little to no cover at his disposal due to injuries to the likes of Jamaal Lascelles and Kieran Trippier.

All summer long the Magpies have been targeting reinforcements at the back, with Marc Guehi the number one option on the club’s radar.

However, after seeing four separate bids all being rejected for the England international, Howe’s side are running out of time to secure a deal for his services with the transfer deadline just one day away.

As a result, they could explore other options, with one player emerging as a potential target for the Magpies before the window slams shut in just over 24 hours time.

Newcastle interested in signing Guehi alternative

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, Newcastle are monitoring RB Leipzig centre-back Mohamed Simakan as a potential option at the heart of the club’s defence.

The 24-year-old made 32 appearances in the Bundesliga last season, prompting interest from the Magpies alongside Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr.

With that move to the Middle East progressing, however, the Tynesiders would have to move quickly to get the deal done.

Simakan could cost the Magpies around the €45m (£38m) mark this summer, providing a cheaper alternative to Guehi, but also a better defensive option for Howe’s side.

How Simakan compares to Guehi

Whilst Guehi would undoubtedly improve the options currently at Howe’s disposal, the lack of progress on the deal will undoubtedly provide cause for concern, with the club desperately needing reinforcements in the defensive department.

His price tag was always going to increase after such an impressive Euro 2024 campaign which saw him feature in all but one game for England, but £75m is an astronomical figure for a centre-back – even in today’s market.

With Simakan available for nearly half the price, he would be an excellent addition, with the Frenchman getting the better of the Palace ace in numerous key defensive areas last season.

The “superb” talent, as described by scout Antonio Mango, excelled in possession, completing more progressive carries and progressive passes per 90 – allowing Howe to sign a ball-playing option who would fit perfectly into his philosophy of players who are able to play out from the back.

Games played

32

25

Minutes played

2138

2021

Progressive carries

1.4

0.7

Progressive passes

4.5

3

Tackles won

1.2

0.8

Blocks made

1.5

1

Interceptions

1.2

0.8

Aerials won

63%

50%

However, Simakan also dominated defensively, winning more tackles and completing more interceptions per 90 – providing that added defensive cover that the club have been desiring all window.

The French star also managed to win more of his aerial battles and complete more blocks, making him an all-round better option than Guehi for the Magpies.

Given the difference in quality and price tag, Newcastle would be far better off making a move for the Leipzig star during the closing stages of the window in an attempt to solve their defensive woes.

The money that they would save could allow them to also invest in a new right-winger, another position that the club have been targeting reinforcements in all summer.

Forget Guehi: Newcastle hold talks for "complete" CB to partner Botman

He is an alternative to Marc Guehi

ByJoe Nuttall Aug 28, 2024

Upon his appointment during the summer, Enzo Maresca was the latest manager tasked with the responsibility of taking Chelsea back towards the top end of the Premier League.

The Blues have failed to finish inside the top four in each of the last two seasons, way off the expectations held by owner Todd Boehly who has splashed out over £1.1b on new additions to try and combat the slide.

However, the Italian has made an excellent start to the new campaign, winning three out of the first five matches in the league, currently occupying fifth place.

Their only defeat came against defending champions Manchester City on the opening day, with real progress being shown in their performances since the appointment of Maresca.

He’s been aided in his attempts by one first-team member who has thrived under the guidance of the new Blues head coach.

Noni Madueke’s time at Chelsea

After joining Chelsea in a £29m deal from Dutch side PSV in January 2023, winger Noni Madueke was mainly utilised as an impact player, making just 20 starts over his first 18 months at Stamford Bridge.

However, he’s started all but one league outing so far this season, becoming a regular under Maresca and thriving as a result.

The 22-year-old has already scored three times in the Premier League, seeing him move just two goals off his tally from the entirety of last season – demonstrating the impact of his increased minutes in the first-team.

All three of his strikes in the league came in the 6-2 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers – catching the eye with his ability to get himself into the right areas whilst having the quality to find the back of the net.

Madueke subsequently received his maiden England call-up during the recent international break, a reflection of his excellent form this season, with the hope that he can cement his place in Lee Carsley’s side as he has done at Stamford Bridge.

However, despite his stellar form in recent weeks, he still earns way less than one player whose move to England has been nothing short of a disaster for both parties.

The player who earns more than Madueke

Centre-back Benoit Badiashile moved to the Blues in a £35m deal from Monaco back in the same window as Madueke, with the aim of providing added defensive solidity for the Blues.

However, he’s failed to make the desired impact since his big-money transfer, making just 29 league appearances in the near two-year spell he’s spent in West London.

The Frenchman is yet to feature in the Premier League under Maresca, with his three appearances so far this campaign coming in the EFL Cup and Conference League qualifying rounds.

Benoit Badiashile’s stats since joining Chelsea

Season

Games

Goals

Assists

2022/23

11

1

0

2023/24

22

1

1

2024/25

3

0

0

Total:

36

2

1

Stats via Transfermarkt

His form demonstrates that he’s not been worth the transfer fee, whilst also not proving value for money with his £90k-per-week wages.

Badiashile’s subsequent weekly incoming is nearly two times higher than current first-team star Madueke who still only earns £50k-per-week despite his superb recent form.

When coupling the defender’s wages with his transfer fee, he’s cost the club £44.3m up to now – a huge waste given his lack of impact at Stamford Bridge.

With the club’s PSR situation still touch and go, they cannot afford to be carrying players who are earning a living whilst making no impact on the first team.

Badiashile is just one example of that type of player, with Maresca needing to brutally part ways with the failed talent at the next available opportunity.

Related £90m wasted: Enzo must axe Chelsea dud who earns more than Palmer & Jackson

His time at the Blues has been turbulent to say the least.

Posts 1 ByEthan Lamb Sep 26, 2024

Phil Parkinson remains hopeful that Elliot Lee’s hamstring problems will not result in a long-term absence for the talismanic Wrexham midfielder.

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Lee picked up injury against BlackpoolSat out defeat away at BarnsleyManager confident problem is not seriousFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Lee has starred for the Red Dragons during their meteoric rise from the National League, with the all-action 30-year-old registering six goals in League One this season. He did, however, suffer an untimely muscle pull during a meeting with Blackpool on Boxing Day.

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Lee was able to step off the bench in a victory over Wigan on December 29, but was missing again for a 2-1 defeat at Barnsley. Wrexham have sent a key part of their plans for further medical tests, but are confident that no lasting damage has been suffered.

WHAT PARKINSON SAID

Parkinson told reporters when asked for a fitness update: “Elliot's hamstring flared up after the [Wigan] game. We've had to have that rescanned. It's not a long-term injury but that'll be touch and go for the weekend.”

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Wrexham’s head coach added on the knocks being nursed by defender Lewis Brunt and record signing striker Mo Faal: “He [Brunt] was injured, a calf strain. Mo Faal was sadly ill this morning at the hotel. It's a shame for Brunty, but I thought Tom O'Connor was brilliant today [against Barnsley]. I thought he was outstanding.”

It has been an uncomfortable start to the campaign for Tottenham Hotspur this season.

Ange Postecoglou’s side ended last year in underwhelming form after a scintillating start, and unfortunately for the fans, they started this year in the same fashion.

They currently sit in 13th place in the Premier League with just four points out of a possible 12, and the club’s home defeat to bitter rivals Arsenal on Sunday afternoon – their third in as many years – has seen the pressure mount on the manager.

In a spiky post-match interview, he reiterated his record of winning a trophy in his second season with the club. The good news for the Australian is that he’ll have the opportunity to keep that run alive tomorrow night as his side takes on Coventry City in the League Cup Third Round.

It will be interesting to see how strong a team he fields on the night, but given the need to rotate the squad, give youngsters more game time, and bench those who put in poor showings against the Gunners on Sunday, we expect the manager to look to make six changes to the side that lost last time out.

1 GK – Fraser Forster

So, starting in goal, we have our first change to the lineup as veteran shot-stopper Fraser Forster comes in for Guglielmo Vicario.

The 36-year-old Englishman hasn’t played a game for the club this season and likely won’t get many chances to either, so he’ll probably get the nod over the Italian, who didn’t exactly cover himself in glory against Arsenal either.

2 RB – Archie Gray

The right-back position brings us to the second change, and taking the place of Pedro Porro is £30m summer signing Archie Gray.

Now, the 18-year-old is still seen as a midfield prospect by many, but he spent most of last season playing on the right of a back four for Leeds United.

The Durham-born wonderkid has been touted as a “future £100m” star by analyst Ben Mattinson, and while that’s a lot of pressure, a game against Championship opposition is as good as any for his first start as a Spurs player.

3 CB – Radu Dragusin

To the left of Gray is Romanian centre-back Radu Dragusin, who comes into the side for Cristian Romero after he made a meal of marking Gabriel Magalhães for his goal on Sunday.

Dragusin didn’t get many opportunities to start games last season following his move from Genoa. Still, he played the full 90 against Newcastle United earlier this month and didn’t look too out of place, earning a 7/10 rating from Spurs journalist Alasdair Gold.

4 CB – Micky Van de Ven

Alongside the Romanian international will be Micky Van de Ven, whose lightning-quick pace makes him an invaluable player for Postecoglou’s style of play.

While he still came out on the losing side, the Dutchman was the standout defender against the Gunners last time out and was the main reason they couldn’t spring too many counterattacks when in possession.

5 LB – Destiny Udogie

Keeping his place at left-back is Destiny Udogie.

The Italian international had an incredible debut season with the club last year, and while he’s yet to reach those same heights this term, he’s still Postecoglou’s best option on the left and with Gray and Dragusin in the backline, the Australian cannot make a third change in what is a must-win game.

6 CM – Pape Matar Sarr

Moving into the midfield, Pape Matar Sarr comes back into the fold after missing out on a starting place last time out.

The Senegalese international has played in all four games this season, but, like Udogie, he hasn’t shown the same quality he did last year.

That said, a League Cup tie against second-tier opposition could provide him with the perfect opportunity to kickstart his campaign, and at 22, he could be critical to the Lilywhites’ future in midfield.

7 CM – Rodrigo Bentancur

Rodrigo Bentancur keeps his place in the team as the senior player in this midfield.

The 27-year-old Uruguayan has been hit-and-miss over the last year or so, but when he’s on it, he’s one of the club’s most influential midfielders.

Therefore, Postecoglou should be starting the 65-capped international tomorrow night.

8 CM – Lucas Bergvall

The final player to make the midfield is Lucas Bergvall, who gets his first Spurs start in place of James Maddison.

Despite being just 18 years old, the Swedish “jewel”, as talent scout Jacek Kulig described him, has a couple of years of senior football under his belt already.

For example, in just 19 first team appearances for Djurgården last season, he scored six goals and provided five assists, equating to a goal involvement on average every 1.35 games.

9 RW – Dejan Kulusevski

On the rightwing, in place of Brennan Johnson, should be Dejan Kulusevski.

Now, the Swede may well be better in central areas, but Johnson failed to offer any real threat on Sunday, and while he should be moved back into the middle for the Brentford game at the weekend, the Swede is more than capable of producing against Coventry.

10 ST – Dominic Solanke

Keeping his place up top is the £65m man, Dominic Solanke.

The former Bournemouth Marksman has failed to open his Spurs account in his first two appearances.

Still, he’s looked dangerous here and there, and Postecoglou should start him tomorrow night to give him the chance to score that all-important first goal.

Appearances

42

Goals

21

Assists

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.59

After all, once he got going for the Cherries last year, he was unstoppable and ended the campaign with 21 goals and four assists in 42 appearances across all competitions.

A fluent, unbeaten half-century from captain Dane van Niekerk saw Oval Invincibles recover from 12 for 3 to chase down 136 with two balls to spare on the opening night of the Hundred as English cricket ushered in its new 100-ball competition.The standalone women’s match launched the competition in front of a 7,395 crowd in at The Oval, with Kate Cross, Manchester Originals’ captain, admitting “we don’t know what a good score is so we thought we’d go out and give it a go” as she opted to bat first.The Originals’ total of 135 for 6 was held together by Lizelle Lee’s anchoring innings of 42 off 39 balls, with middle-order cameos from Harmanpreet Kaur and captain Cross injecting some life into the innings and dragging them up towards a defendable score.Cross struck three times in her first seven balls in the run chase, as the Invincibles slipped to 12 for 3 and then 36 for 4 as their hopes quickly faded. But van Niekerk added 73 with Marizanne Kapp to keep them in the game, profiting from two dropped catches and cashing in when the Originals’ spinners dropped short.Kapp fell for 38 to a sharp leg-side stumping by Ellie Threlkeld – though subsequent replays suggested she had taken the ball in front of the stumps – with 27 needed from 17 balls, but Villiers’ straight six off Sophie Ecclestone kept the rate in check, and van Niekerk flashed an edge for four past Threlkeld with the scores tied to seal the win.Opening salvoKapp took the new ball for the Invincibles and emulated Sussex’s James Kirtley by starting a new format of the game with a wide, spraying one down the leg side to her compatriot Lee. But after an ignominious start, Kapp found both rhythm and nip, seaming the ball to beat Lee’s outside edge twice in her first set of five balls.That was enough for van Niekerk to decide to leave her on for a second set of five balls, and the move was vindicated almost immediately, as the in-form Emma Lamb nicked her second ball through to Sarah Bryce. Umpire Tim Robinson was the only person in the ground to miss the noise as the ball passed the bat, and his not-out decision was quickly overturned via the DRS.Kate Cross was the pick of the Manchester Original attack with three early wickets•AFP/Getty Images

But with the powerplay shortened to 25 balls, the Originals decided to keep attacking. Lee dispatched Tash Farrant for consecutive boundaries to get herself up and running, before crunching Shabnim Ismail for four through point, while Georgie Boyce lashes consecutive fours off Kapp as the Invincibles conceded 31 runs in the final 15 balls of fielding restrictions.Kaur, blimeyThe Invincibles opted to use their spinners – van Niekerk and Mady Villiers – in initial 10-ball bursts from each end, and after Villiers had Boyce caught at extra cover, van Niekerk opted to keep her on for a second consecutive set of 10 balls from the Pavilion End. It proved to be a mistake: having conceded 13 from her first 15, Villiers was taken for four fours in five balls as Kaur evoked the spirit of Derby 2017 and found full flow.