All posts by h716a5.icu

Lalit Rajbanshi, who missed the Top End T20 series in Australia, is also back in the side

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Sep-2025Nepal have recalled allrounder Mohammad Aadil Alam and middle-order batter Sundeep Jora for the historic three-match T20I series against West Indies in the UAE later this month. This will be Nepal’s first bilateral series against a Full Member.Alam last played for Nepal in August 2022, and Jora in June 2024. Rohit Paudel will lead the squad, which was announced last week; Dipendra Singh Airee will be his deputy. The bowling attack will revolve around legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane. Left-arm spinner Lalit Rajbanshi, who missed the Top End T20 series in Australia last month, is also back in the side.”We are confident and positive,” Paudel said. “The last two years of exposure playing against Test nations has also brought good experience, and the team is balanced with the presence of Jora and Aadil Alam.”Related

Five uncapped players in Akeal Hosein-led WI squad

In April 2024, West Indies A had toured Nepal for a five-match T20 series, which they won 3-2. For the upcoming series, West Indies have included five uncapped players in their squad, and will be led by Akeal Hosein.The series starts on September 27, with all three games to be played in Sharjah. After that, Nepal will head to Oman for the Asia and East-Asia Pacific Qualifier for the 2026 T20 World Cup.Nepal squad for West Indies T20IsRohit Paudel (capt), Dipendra Singh Airee (vice-capt), Aasif Sheikh (wk), Sandeep Lamichhane, Kushal Bhurtel, Lokesh Bam, Kushal Malla, Mohammad Adil Alam, Aarif Sheikh, Sundeep Jora, Karan KC, Nandan Yadav, Gulsan Jha, Lalit Rajbanshi, Sompal Kami, Shahab Alam

Manchester United have now made a U-turn and made contact with Casemiro’s agent over a new contract, and the midfielder’s stance on signing a new deal has been revealed.

Kobbie Mainoo has been unable to get a look-in as of late, with Ruben Amorim predominantly opting to give the former Real Madrid man the nod in central midfield, alongside Bruno Fernandes, who has been utilised in a deeper role this season.

Consequently, it is now looking increasingly likely that Mainoo will depart in the January transfer window, with the youngster potentially in line to follow Scott McTominay to Napoli, despite the fact Amorim wants to keep hold of him.

With the central midfielder’s place in the World Cup squad at stake, it is understandable that he is looking to receive more game time ahead of the summer, but Amorim is in a tricky position, given that Casemiro has been indispensable this term.

Recently, the 33-year-old has even been compared to United icon Nemanja Vidic, and it has subsequently emerged that he could be rewarded with a new contract as a result of his fine form, despite widespread reports suggesting United have been hesitant to offer him fresh terms.

Casemiro's stance on signing new contract at Man Utd revealed

According to a report from United In Focus, Man United have now performed a U-turn and contacted the midfielder’s agent about a contract extension, with transfer expert Graeme Bailey revealing Amorim’s stance on one of his star players signing a new deal.

Bailey said: “I’m told Amorim would be open to him staying, and if Casemiro is ready to take a drop in salary and work with United on a deal, it is not inconceivable that he stays.”

Not only is the manager open to keeping hold of the veteran midfielder, but the player himself is also personally receptive to the idea of remaining at Old Trafford, and positive talks have already been held.

The ex-Real Madrid star has certainly turned a corner since Jamie Carragher infamously told him he was finished at the top level and to move to Saudi Arabia or the MLS.

Indeed, the 80-time Brazil international has only missed one Premier League match this season, which was due to suspension, amassing three goals and one assist in his opening ten matches.

Of course, the five-time Champions League winner is more well-known for his stellar defensive attributes, and his ability to win back possession has been on display regularly over the past year, averaging 4.09 tackles per 90, which places the maestro in the top 1% of midfielders.

Consequently, it would make sense to offer Casemiro a new deal, but it would have to be at reduced wages, given his age, with the central midfielder currently the highest-earning player in the squad.

Man Utd's highest earners have been named and ranked Weekly wages: Manchester United FC 2025/26 highest-paid players

We at Football FanCast have gathered all the information on exactly how much the wages of each player is at Manchester United.

ByLuke Randall Sep 4, 2025

The New York Yankees are hosting the Seattle Mariners this week giving fans in the Bronx a chance to see a true slugger up close in MLB's home run leader Cal Raleigh. The Mariners catcher has a career-high 35 home runs and we're still a few games away from the All-Star break.

He also has a distinctive nickname, "Big Dumper," which YES Network's Michael Kay had to tell the viewers about during Tuesday's broadcast. With Raleigh reaching first on a fielder's choice in the top of the first inning, Kay explained the situation in detail to Paul O'Neil while the production team got a good look at the subject of the discussion.

"They gave him the nickname Big Dumper because he has a pretty large posterior," said Kay. "And he did not like it. His former teammate Jarred Kelenic said he hated it. Hated it. Said just wait, he'll come around. Then they're making T-shirts about it. Then he did come around."

"We're getting a close-up!" O'Neil then exclaimed as the camera focused on Raleigh's backside.

"I don't know if we need that guys. Goodness," Kay continued. "In Seattle they sell No. 29 jerseys with the name Big Dumper on the back."

And if you have any other questions about Cal Raleigh's butt, the Yankees and Mariners play on Prime Video on Wednesday and MLB Network on Thursday.

Newcastle United’s Carabao Cup campaign continues. Eddie Howe’s fine record against Tottenham Hotspur continues. The sense that the Magpies are gearing up for yet another glittering chapter in this incredible story grows stronger.

A pair of headers got the job done against Thomas Frank’s Spurs, courtesy of centre-back Fabian Schar and new striker Nick Woltemade, who arrived from Stuttgart for a club-record £69m fee in August, replacing Alexander Isak.

The German striker faced his detractors upon that high-profile and much-scrutinised move to the Premier League, but he’s passing each test with flying colours, and he proved his worth once again with a strong performance in the cup.

Nick Woltemade continues to impress

Woltemade, 23, has scored six goals from just 11 matches in a Newcastle shirt. That’s quite the return for a raw, up-and-coming forward trying their hand in a new country for the first time.

Premier League

6

482′

4

Champions League

3

86′

1

Carabao Cup

2

92′

1

But he’s been immense, and his confident header against Tottenham, latching onto Joe Willock’s cross, underscored the quality and potential still to come.

Woltemade has drawn all the plaudits, with onlookers singing his praises once again as he helped his team advance to the quarter-finals. Yet again, he proved he’s more than just a goalscorer, creating two chances and winning four duels (as per Sofascore).

However, he wasn’t the best player on the pitch, and that’s a testament to the outfit Howe has crafted.

Indeed, there’s one man in particular who is starting to look like one of the very best in the business.

Newcastle's "absolute joke" outplayed Woltemade

Newcastle are defined by their recruitment, and while you could pick any number of Howe signings as jackpot additions, none stand taller than Sandro Tonali, whose rise has been well-documented over the past year, and yet he still shocks onlookers with his quality.

After a tough maiden year in England, the Italy international has grown into his skin and is now one of the Premier League’s best players. He simply has so many dimensions to choose from, and was praised to no end for his Man of the Match performance.

Described as an “absolute joke” who “just keeps getting better and better” by journalist Andy Sixsmith, there’s a feeling across Tyneside that the 26-year-old could be the key to shattering expectations this term, and he took Newcastle that step closer with a controlled performance against the Lilywhites.

Schar opened the scoring in the first half, but it was Tonali’s inch-perfect delivery that found the Swiss’s head. This is a man of many talents, who won both of his tackles and made seven ball recoveries besides.

But most impressive of all is that the 92-touch Tonali lost the ball only three times on the evening. He was sitting in the centre of the park, and yet he was almost untouchable as he orchestrated and engineered.

The Shields Gazette were blown away by the tireless performance, hailing Tonali’s 9/10 display and drawing attention to his energy and quality. In a sentence: he was peerless in the middle of the park.

Tonali just continues to be so effortlessly good. His football is a work of art, but he’s tenacious and gripping too, absolutely a completely-shaped midfielder.

Woltemade might be the goal-getter, and someone like Bruno Guimaraes the stylish leader, but Tonali is the metronome, making everyone tick.

Not just Joelinton: Newcastle's "true legend" may now be on borrowed time

Newcastle may well part ways with this Howe mainstay at the end of the campaign.

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 29, 2025

Manchester City's Ruben Dias has thrown a warning shot at title rivals Arsenal after the defender's side romped to victory over Liverpool on Sunday. City tore through a feeble Liverpool defence to win 3-0 and go within four points of the league leaders, who dropped two precious points away to Sunderland following Brian Brobbey's late equaliser at the Stadium of Light.

City thrash Liverpool to send statement

City announced their intentions to wrestle back their Premier League crown in their demolition of the Reds. Erling Haaland, Nico Gonzalez, and Jeremy Doku were on the scoresheet for the hosts as they ran away with a comfortable win over their title rivals. Arne Slot’s side were disappointing and have offered little indication that they can get back into the race with their opponents and Arsenal.

The defeat of Liverpool sent a statement to Arsenal and the rest of the Premier League that Pep Guardiola’s men are back hunting the top spot in the division. Prior to last season’s collapse, City had won the previous four titles and developed a habit of racking up silverware. Now back in the groove of winning, they threaten to spoil Arsenal’s hopes yet again.

Speaking after the game, Dias insisted that few teams can match the level of City and suggested that they are back to their ruthless best. With Haaland scoring more than a goal a game, few can write off City from clawing back the slim advantage Mikel Arteta’s team have at the top of the tree.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportDias sends message

Speaking to Sky Sports, Dias said: “Obviously very happy for him [Pep Guardiola on his 1000th game as a manager]. We live for games like this. There is no higher level than this kind of level. Everyone did a great game. We need to push all of us. Everyone, myself, we need to push everyone.”

The defender praised the performance of Doku and the work rate of Haaland throughout the game, drawing comparisons between their displays and the great City sides of years gone by.

“I remember before I came to this club and watching this club, these were the details that made them win so much,” he said. “Differences of everyone ready to show up and ready to sacrifice for the guy next to him. This is not new, this has been going on for a while now. We have been talking about a rebuild since last season.”

City have added to their squad with a flurry of recruitments, but Dias insists that the level of quality has not declined with their arrival. This is in stark contrast to Liverpool, who after a record-breaking summer of recruitment, have seemingly regressed on the pitch.

“Yes, of course, there are new faces because of the ones that left, but that quality stays the same, and we keep on pushing. It is still early in the season, feet on the ground,” Dias added.

Arsenal set the standard

Arsenal have been the standout team in the Premier League so far this campaign. The Gunners have had an impregnable defence this season, conceding just five goals in all competitions, and had appeared most likely to mount a runaway lead.

Yet, with a disappointing draw against the Black Cats allowing City to move within touching distance, the pressure will inevitably begin to grow around the Emirates. The challenges will keep coming for Arteta’s men too, with fixtures against Tottenham Hotspur, Bayern Munich and Chelsea to come after the international break.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportMagpies to steal City gold?

City will have their own challenges to deal with once they return from the break. A trip to St. James’ Park to take on Eddie Howe’s Newcastle will prove a difficult fixture for Guardiola to navigate. The Magpies have not been at their best this campaign, but they are always capable of upsetting the bigger teams.

Home games against Bayer Leverkusen and Leeds United follow as Dias and his team can continue their impressive winning run. The Gunners will need to take maximum points from their upcoming games if they want to keep City at arm's length.

Laura Wolvaardt’s 56* helped Brave chase their highest target of the season to book their place in the final

ECB Media23-Aug-2025Southern Brave 126 for 2 (Wolvaardt 56*, Wong 2-34) beat London Spirit 125 for 8 (Griffith 44, Villiers 3-38) by eight wicketsSouthern Brave made it seven wins in a row in this year’s The Hundred women’s competition with a resounding victory over London Spirit at Lord’s, underscored by a superb partnership of 95 between Maia Bouchier and the stylish South African superstar, Laura Wolvaardt.The result, achieved with six balls to spare, leaves the Spirit hanging on in their quest to break into the final top three. After an uneven performance with the bat – only Cordelia Griffith, Charli Knott and Georgia Redmayne managed double figures – followed by a luckless run in the field, they will have to win their final match against the Invincibles on Monday and hope that other results go their way.The Brave are a brilliantly well-drilled unit. In Lauren Bell they have one of the standout seamers of the tournament who was excellent again here, removing Kira Chathli in her opening set and going for just 18 across her 20. Mady Villiers provided control and potency with her off-breaks, picking up three more wickets; and with the bat they rarely miss.While Bouchier impressed, eventually holing out for 43 from 34 balls, Wolvaardt was irresistible. Coming together after the early dismissal of Danni Wyatt-Hodge, given out leg-before on review to a beauty from Issy Wong, Wolvaardt opened her account with a brace of boundaries driven down the ground, before a stunning cover drive took her into double figures.A subsequent no-look slap off Wong that went for six over midwicket, carrying 74 metres, should have been the standout shot, but that honour fell to her extraordinary one-handed six over long-on. That shot brought up her thousandth run in the history of The Hundred, Wolvaardt becoming just the fourth player to do so, and the first overseas star. Her fifty came up off 31 balls, and she was still there at the death, ensuring that the mighty Brave continued their unbeaten streak.They will now, irrespective of results elsewhere, be guaranteed to finish top of the group going into the knockouts later this week. Rock bottom last year, top this; it’s been an extraordinary turnaround for the Brave.Wolvaardt’s class was recognised with the Meerkat Match Hero award: “I’m so happy that we were able to get the win. It was a nice wicket to bat on, so we did well to restrict them to that total. On a good wicket we wanted to get ahead of the game early. We knew they had a load of world-class spinners in their attack, so we wanted to get off to a fast start. I really enjoy batting with Bouch, we rotated well, and we were both able to find the boundaries as well.”Our bowlers have been absolutely amazing all tournament. The way that Belly and Tilly [Corteen-Coleman] have set the tone up front has been awesome.”

Marcus Rashford has been told that he can steal Lamine Yamal’s crown as Barcelona’s best player, with the England international proving during a loan spell in Catalunya that he remains a “fantastic player”. Dwight Yorke expects the Manchester United outcast to create his own “legacy” with La Liga giants, much like Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho and Xavi once did.

Lost spark: Why Rashford finds himself at Barcelona

Rashford is a long way from occupying that talent pool at present, but has enjoyed a productive start to his spell with Barcelona. He showed signs of rekindling a lost spark during a loan stint at Aston Villa last season.

With no slate being wiped clean at Old Trafford in the summer of 2025, the 28-year-old was forced to find another new challenge. He stepped out of his comfort zone when doing that, with the decision taken to join Yamal, Robert Lewandowski and Pedri in Spanish football.

AdvertisementGettyJust like Messi: Rashford tipped to eclipse Yamal & emulate icons

Rashford has registered six goals and eight assists through 16 appearances for Barca, with the expectation being that a purchase option will be triggered in his loan agreement. Once a permanent transfer is completed, Yorke believes that Rashford will go from strength to strength.

The 1999 Treble winner has told of the United academy graduate potentially rising above teenage wonderkid Yamal at Camp Nou: “I'm surprised they haven't already paid that £35 million ($46m), as he’s a really good player.

“I think it’s great for Rashford. I’ve defended him. There’s a whole saga around him and after some people questioned his role at United, credit to him for doing well at Barcelona. I think he became very unhappy at United, it’s as simple as that. It doesn’t matter who you are. If you’re in an unhappy place, how can you perform? He’s gone over to Barcelona, he’s enjoying his football again, he’s in a happy place, and we see the impact on his performances.

“He’s not become a fantastic player at Barcelona. He is a fantastic player. He has always been a fantastic player. But if you’re unhappy, you’re not going to perform. I don’t think he has covered himself in glory either, but man for man there was no player more talented than Rashford in the United ranks. Now we’ve got a happy Rashford playing the way he can, he’s showing at Barcelona that the rest is history, and now he has some big boots to fill.

“Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho, Xavi and Andres Iniesta, these are the types of guys that came before him like Romario and those types of players. I don’t think Rashford is quite in that bracket yet but he can create his own legacy in the Barcelona shirt.

“Apart from Lamine Yamal, he’s not going to have much competition in this team. He's now got a chance to believe: 'I can be the number one player here', even ahead of Yamal. Yamal is still in that development stage. Rashford is at his peak right now as a player and he is that good. He can be that good but he must want to have it."

Transfer poser: Man Utd already made a mistake with McTominay

United could be wondering whether selling Rashford is the best option, having seen him thrive outside of Manchester. The likes of Antony and Alejandro Garnacho have done likewise, while Scott McTominay is now a Serie A title winner at Napoli.

There has been talk of the Red Devils trying to bring the Scotland international back, with Yorke saying on that topic: “You know they would have to pay some serious money to go and get him back. It would be difficult to admit they made a mistake, but having said that, he would relish the fact he’s now being backed by the club if they did go back in for him.

“He wouldn’t answer the problem of not having a number six though. They’d probably get him playing even further up the park which would only make things more confusing. That’s why he wouldn’t come back. In hindsight, like with all these things, he could have been in a top position at United one day but it’s never that easy.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportSpend again: Amorim & Man Utd still searching for consistency

Ruben Amorim will be looking for the United board to spend again in January, with the Red Devils still searching for consistency. They have positioned themselves back in the Premier League top-four race this season, but questions continue to be asked of whether defensive and attacking reinforcements are required in order for former glories to be fully recaptured.

The New York Mets will miss the 2025 MLB playoffs. A few months ago, that seemed impossible.

Nevertheless, New York lost to the Miami Marlins 4–0 on Sunday, eliminating them from postseason contention on the regular season’s final day. Francisco Lindor grounded into a double play in the top of the ninth to end the game. The team has a payroll of approximately $323 million and won't be playing in October.

After Lindor's season-ending groundout, Mets broadcasters Gary Cohen, Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez lamented the collapse they had watched over the past few months.

"And the Mets' agonizing, three-and-a-half-month, slow-motion collapse is complete," Cohen said. "It is unfathomable that this collection of talent winds up outside of an expanded playoff system. After having the best record in baseball for the first two and a half months of the season, everything goes wrong over the last three-and-a-half months, and the Mets find themselves on the outside looking in."

"Players about as stunned as the fans," Darling said. "I think a lot of the players felt as though this day would never come, that they'd be able to turn it on at some point and not have to endure this. But they weren't able to do that."

"This has got to be so heartbreaking, disappointing for the players, but they didn't get it done," Hernandez said.

New York's loss means Cincinnati has made the postseason. The Reds lost to the Brewers 4–2 on Sunday and finished with the same 83-79 record as the Mets but hold the tiebreaker. That means had New York won on Sunday or Saturday, Cincinnati would be out and the Mets would be in.

New York had MLB's best record on June 12 at 45–24. After that, they went 38–55.

Juan Soto And His Massive Contract Weren't Enough

The Mets spent lavishly over the offseason, most notably inking Juan Soto to a 15-year, $765 million contract. They also re-signed Pete Alonso to a two-year, $54 million deal that paid him $30 million this season and brought back Sean Manaea on a three-year, $75 million deal.

It didn't matter.

Soto had an excellent season, slashing .263/.396/.525 with a career-high 43 home runs, 105 RBIs and 38 stolen bases. His wRC+ of 157 ranked fifth in baseball, and he generated 5.8 fWAR, which ranks 11th. His raw hitting numbers were down from 2024, but he didn't get to play 81 games with a friendly short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium.

In the end, Soto was a star, but the rest of the roster wasn't up to the task.

It will be a long offseason in Queens.

Sussex pay price for a lack of acceleration, though local seagull steals the show, and banana

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay 24-Aug-2025Yorkshire, the outstanding team in Group B of the Metro Bank One Day Cup, made sure of qualification for the climax of the competition with their sixth win in seven games. The Sussex Sharks, meanwhile, with one game remaining, cannot progress.A second wicket stand of 196 in 33 overs between Imam-ul-Haq and James Wharton provided the foundation of Yorkshire’s ultimately comfortable win, with 14 balls to spare. Imam continued his outstanding form with 106 from 105 deliveries, with ten fours and three sixes, while Wharton struck a List A best 85 from 103 balls.But the pair’s failure to accelerate put Yorkshire under some pressure when they lost both batsmen in successive overs, followed by the quick dismissal of Finlay Bean. That meant they needed 58 off seven overs, and 51 off six, before some late hitting by Matt Revis and George Hill saw them over the line.The Sussex innings was one of two halves, in which they scored 97 in the first 25 overs and 187 in the second as Matt Milnes took seven wickets for 38 runs, Yorkshire’s third-best bowling figures in List A cricket and their best since 1997. Milnes also took a hat-trick and almost managed a second.Sussex have had a number of batting collapses in this year’s competition and here they managed two, losing three wickets for six runs in 12 balls early in their innings and then three in three balls to Milnes towards the end.Between these low points, however, they staged a remarkable recovery, led by Oli Carter, whose 94 from 79 deliveries was , and it required some late hitting by his best score in List A. The first building blocks of the Sussex fightback were put down by Charlie Tear (35) and John Simpson (65) who came together at 24 for three and put on a patient 60 from 15 overs.But it was the partnership between Simpson and Carter, who added 79 for the fifth wicket in 12 overs, which transformed the match before a depth charge from Danny Lamb, who thumped 53 from 45 deliveries, gave his side a challenging total.Carter reached his fifty from 55 balls when he pulled Hill for the second of his five sixes (there were also seven fours) and it was then that he accelerated, judging length very well and scampering his runs when he failed to find the boundary.He was out in the 45th over, caught as he attempted to ramp Milnes. Jack Carson lifted his first ball to long-on and then Archie Lenham was lbw to give Milnes his hat-trick. But the bowler almost had three in three when he dismissed Tom Haines and Tom Clark with successive deliveries and then saw Hudson-Prentice scoop his first delivery just short of midwicket.Shortly after this, a Sussex-supporting seagull descended on Milnes, who was fielding at long leg, and robbed him of his banana.

Newcastle United have a tough run of fixtures to contend with for the rest of November, before the bumper Christmas schedule weighs heavily on the calendar.

Indeed, the up-and-down Magpies have a tricky home clash with Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City up next, as Eddie Howe no doubt worries already as to how his porous defence will deal with a free-flowing Erling Haaland.

Then, it’s back-to-back away fixtures at Marseille and Everton in the Champions League and Premier League, with Howe, presumably, under even more intense pressure if he fails to pick up a win or two across this stretch of contests.

Far too many players Howe has relied on over the years have failed to deliver the goods across recent matches, with many of those underperformers also falling into the high earners bracket at St James’ Park.

Assessing Newcastle's current wage bill

Newcastle’s highest earner currently continues to lead by example for the most part in club captain Bruno Guimaraes.

Understandably, during losses on the road against West Ham United and Brentford, the Brazilian wasn’t at his liveliest.

But, the £160k-per-week “talisman” – as he has been recently labelled by Michael Carrick – does still have three goals next to his name this season, when bailing his topsy-turvy side out of some sticky situations, which included this wonderfully taken strike breaking the deadlock against Nottingham Forest last month in a much-needed 2-0 win.

The same adoration isn’t being extended to Joelinton and Anthony Gordon – who both take home a hefty £150k-per-week pay packet – with the pair notably struggling in league action this season. Neither player has scored a single goal or registered an assist from a combined 16 Premier League outings.

Thankfully, Nick Woltemade has lived up to his club-record £69m price tag, and his high £132.5k-per-week wage, on the contrary, with four league goals already next to his name.

There will be some grumbles about Anthony Elanga’s £55m fee and £100k-per-week wage, though, with the ex-Manchester United attacker dubbed a “massive overpay” by analyst Raj Chohan, with the Swede yet to show off his exhilarating best on the wings. He remains goalless so far on Tyneside.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The likes of Elanga and Gordon are not the only players being hounded.

A "legendary" star must be ditched by Newcastle

Elanga will also surely have the benefit of patience on his side, with the 23-year-old only 17 games down for his new employers. In time, the hope will be that the expensive £55m purchase does come good.

Whereas, in the case of Joe Willock, the peak of his Newcastle career looks to be very firmly behind him now, with his drop-off in form on Tyneside a very concerning tale.

Towards the start of his Newcastle playing days, Willock perform the role of a bright spark in front of goal from the midfield ranks expertly, much like Guimaraes now provides Howe and Co.

Staggeringly, he scored in seven straight Premier League matches during his initial loan spell from Arsenal during the 2020/21 season, as Willock lived up to Mikel Arteta’s words of being a “special” talent.

Ex-Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell even went as far as to state that Willock had achieved “legendary stats” at St James’ Park with this unbelievable goalscoring run, further hailing the number 28 as “god-like” to the Tyneside masses.

Games played

133

Goals scored

10

Assists

9

Transfer fee

£25m

Wage per week

£80k-per-week

Willock has, arguably, become a victim of his own successes at Newcastle, with the former Arsenal midfielder only managing to cough up two more goals across 133 games, away from exploding onto the scene with a breakneck eight goals during his first 14 outings.

The Athletic’s Chris Waugh has simply labelled the 26-year-old as a major “disappointment” over the past couple of seasons, with only 100 minutes of Premier League action handed his way this campaign, really bringing into view his lavish £80k-per-week wage.

Wildly, that means summer arrival Malick Thiaw earns less than Willock, despite being an ever-present part of Howe’s defensive unit in the Premier League so far this season, with the German only banking a £70k-per-week salary.

It’s far from the most uplifting story seeing the decline of Willock in real time, but if Howe is to turn around his side’s fortunes right now, he will have to consider shelving the EFL Cup-winning midfielder for good very soon, alongside other previous regulars who have now fallen off the horse.

Everton enter race to sign £88m South American "machine" with Newcastle

The Toffees need a creative spark.

1 ByTom Cunningham Nov 16, 2025