Newcastle United are ready to pay £55m to sign a Premier League star ahead of both PSG and Tottenham Hotspur.
Newcastle’s transfer window going from bad to worse after Sesko snub
The Magpies have so far had a transfer window to forget, missing out on numerous targets to bolster Eddie Howe’s side ahead of their Champions League return.
PIF have tried and failed to bring Joao Pedro, Liam Delap, Bryan Mbeumo, James Trafford and Hugo Ekitike to Newcastle, with Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City all beating them to deals.
New Gordon & Isak: Newcastle in talks for "special" £70m Sesko alternative
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1 ByAngus Sinclair Aug 6, 2025
Now, it looks as if those at Old Trafford are about to pip them to a transfer for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, with both clubs making offers. Sesko wants to move to Man Utd instead of Newcastle, despite the Magpies having a €85m proposal accepted by the Bundesliga side.
Time is ticking ahead of the opening Premier League weekend and the transfer deadline on September 1, with Anthony Elanga the only real marquee signing to shout about at St James’ Park.
Now, it looks as if they are willing to make a move for another target who is also wanted by numerous clubs.
Newcastle ‘ready’ to pay £55m for Zabarnyi
According to reports in France, Newcastle are now willing to hijack PSG’s move to sign Bournemouth star Illia Zabarnyi.
The Cherries have been holding out for €70m but are reportedly willing to accept PSG’s offer of a €60m fee, should they also include €3m in add-ons, which takes the total package to £55m.
However, the report adds that Newcastle are ‘ready to immediately meet’ Bournemouth’s demand, if they get wind that Zabarnyi is willing to make the move to St James’ Park. Tottenham have also been linked and are in the same position as Newcastle.
Those at the Parc des Princes are still expecting to sign the Ukraine international, but it appears as if PIF are ready to complete a hijack of their own after experiencing multiple transfer blows in recent weeks.
Virgil van Dijk
Liverpool
Manuel Akanji
Man City
Levi Colwill
Chelsea
Jonathan Tah
Bayern Munich
Maxence Lacroix
Crystal Palace
As can be seen, Zabarnyi has been compared to numerous high-profile defenders after starring on the south coast for Bournemouth, including Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk.
Still just 22 years of age, Zabarnyi could partner Sven Botman in the long run at St James’ Park, but it looks as if any attempted deal would be tough to complete given PSG’s optimism.
Newcastle United have held talks with a “brilliant” Premier League player over a move to the club this summer, according to a fresh claim from journalist Sacha Tavolieri.
Newcastle pushing to sign Wissa and Sesko
The Magpies are battling hard to keep hold of Alexander Isak, amid serious interest from Liverpool, with a £110m bid already rejected by them.
If the worst-case scenario does happen and Newcastle end up losing Isak, it is imperative that at least one fantastic striker comes in to replace him, if not two, and Yoanne Wissa and Benjamin Sesko appear to be the leading options to come in.
It has been reported that the Magpies are leading the race to sign Brentford ace Wissa, who enjoyed a superb season in the Premier League in 2024/25, scoring 19 goals in 35 appearances.
As for RB Leipzig star Sesko, it looks as though he is going to have to pick between Newcastle and Manchester United, with the pair both viewing him as a top option to lead the line. Eddie Howe will hope that the 22-year-old sees the lure of Champions League football at St James’ Park too great to turn down.
Newcastle in talks with "brilliant" Premier League defender
Writing on X, Tavolieri claimed that Newcastle have made contact with Chelsea centre-back Axel Disasi over a summer move, seeing him as an option alongside Wissa.
There is so much focus on Newcastle’s attack currently, but it is also vital that a new centre-back comes in, in order to add youth to an ageing back-line.
Disasi could be ideal for Howe, having proven himself in the Premier League after making 44 appearances in the competition, as well as being lauded by Jamie Carragher in 2024.
“I can’t remember a better defensive performance this season, certainly from a central defender. Coming away to Manchester City, playing against the best striker in the world. He was brilliant. He was the man of the match, I don’t think I said it on air but he was the best player on the pitch. That was the type of performance you’d see from centre-backs from about 15-20 years ago.”
At 27 years of age, Disasi is six years younger than both Fabian Schar and Dan Burn, and is at a great point in his career, so there is no reason why he couldn’t come straight in as a starter for Newcastle.
Star chooses Newcastle over Man Utd as PIF drop formal record breaking bid
The Magpies have reportedly received some good news on the transfer front.
ByTom Cunningham Aug 2, 2025
Granted, his time at Chelsea hasn’t gone perfectly, having been loaned out to Aston Villa last season, but he should be viewed as a strong option for the Magpies, making this one to watch.
In a few weeks, Arsenal will begin the 2025/26 Premier League campaign, and their eyes will be riveted on the prize.
Having fallen short in each of the past three seasons, the Gunners know that this is a big one, with Mikel Arteta’s side having gone five years without silverware.
But the improvements have been vast, these recent years. A lack of trophies aside, this has been an incredible resurgence for a giant who had been cast to the wayside before.
Arsenal manager MikelArteta
There’s a strong case for Arsenal’s unfortunate injury record across the 2024/25 term to have impeded them in their pursuit of glory, but Arteta has revised the issues and made some impactful summer signings to take his squad to the next level.
And the months of work have now been crowned by the addition of Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres.
Why Arsenal signed Viktor Gyokeres
Technically, Gyokeres isn’t yet an official Arsenal player, but the centre-forward has been the subject of an agreed £64m deal that will see him stand as Arteta’s chief goal-getter over the coming years.
The Sweden international scored 97 goals and added 28 assists across 102 matches for Sporting, winning the Liga Portugal in both of his seasons at the club.
Aged 27, he’s in the prime of his career, described by former Coventry City coach Adi Viveash as being a “physical machine”. He has what it takes to become one of the leading Premier League strikers of his era, rivalling the best over the coming years.
1)
Viktor Gyokeres
33
39
2)
Kylian Mbappe
34
31
3)
Mohamed Salah
38
29
4)
Robert Lewandowski
34
27
5)
Victor Osimhen
30
26
5=
Harry Kane
31
26
There’s no question that Gyokeres will be a fantastic signing for Arsenal, but there remains that slight uncertainty, for he has yet to ply his trade in the Premier League.
However, Arsenal are lining up another star who could prove to be an even better signing – and that’s not to Gyokeres’ discredit.
Arsenal agree fee for Premier League star
According to Football Transfers, Arsenal are confident that they will complete the signing of Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze this summer, having agreed to pay his £68m release clause through a series of manageable instalments.
Eze scored the winning goal as Palace won the FA Cup final against Manchester City last season, and has been expected to leave for a new challenge, having already agreed personal terms with the Gunners.
The £100k-per-week talent has also attracted interest from Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, but it’s Arteta’s side who are set to enjoy his qualities next season and beyond, should the finer details of the transfer go through without a hitch.
What Eberechi Eze would bring to Arsenal
Like Gyokeres, Eze is 27, and would provide the Gunners with maturity and completeness of development. The Three Lions star’s 2024/25 season proved to the world that he has what it takes to become a star member of one of Europe’s elite outfits.
Pundit Rio Ferdinand hailed his “unique” style of play back in March, going on to claim he could “play for one of the top teams” in the world.
A dribble-happy attacking midfielder, Eze’s low centre of gravity, immense core strength and skilled passing game make him a difficult opponent indeed, with so many different ways to hurt his opponents.
Typically used as a left-sided midfielder by Oliver Glasner over the past 18 months, Eze completed 82% of his passes in the Premier League last term, as per Sofascore, while averaging two dribbles, 1.7 key passes and 4.8 successful duels per game, underscoring his roundedness.
Attacking midfield
74
25
11
Left winger
52
9
7
Central midfield
25
6
3
Right winger
3
0
0
His ability to shift, seamlessly, between the left flank and a more central attacking position bespeaks his sharpness and intelligence. Eze, in this regard, could plug two holes for Arteta, with both Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli linked with moves away this summer.
While Eze has become more potent over the past few years, he remains a robust physical profile who could dynamise the club’s overall attacking build-up.
As per FBref, he ranked last season among the top 11% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe for shot-creating actions, the top 10% for successful take-ons and the top 14% for ball recoveries per 90.
There’s no question that Gyokeres would bring to Arsenal a newfound degree of goalscoring quality, but there’s also no doubt that Eze has a skill set so impressive that he could come to nail down a starting berth on the left flank and emerge as one of Arteta’s most trusted lieutenants.
Sporting CP's ViktorGyokeresreacts
Will Arsenal’s soon-to-be-sealed striker hit the ground running in England’s top flight? Will he manage to retain that same level of destructive brilliance in tougher conditions, against steelier defenders?
These are the questions, and we shall soon find out. In any case, Eze has built himself up over a number of years in Europe’s highest-quality division, and, of course, with Gyokeres as a target man in the middle, both could enjoy the fruits of each other’s labours.
In Gyokeres, Arsenal will secure the centre-forward they have desired over the past several years. However, Eze might prove to be the better signing, all things considered.
His higher fee reflects that, and so does the consistency for Palace in the Premier League over the past five years, even leading analyst Ben Mattinson to call him a “superstar”.
Worth more than Isak & Gyokeres: Arsenal struck gold on "world-class" star
Arsenal have a bigger talent than all of the high-profile names floating about due to this summer’s transfer window.
Glasgow Rangers head coach Russell Martin still has plenty to think about before the summer transfer window officially slams shut at the start of next month.
RangersReview recently reported that Jefte is closing in on a move to Brazilian side Palmeiras for a fee of £6m, just 12 months on from his £800k transfer from Fluminense.
This means that the Light Blues are poised to make a significant profit on the 21-year-old left-back, who started 30 of the club’s 38 matches in the Scottish Premiership during the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore.
It also means, though, that Rangers will be light in the left-back department, as Ridvan Yilmaz has not featured in any of the club’s matchday squads this season.
Rangers hopeful of signing new left-back
This means that Max Aarons, a right-footed left-back, will be the only senior left-back option available, given Yilmaz’s exclusion from the team, once Jefte’s move is completed.
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Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Rangers have been linked with a loan interest in Brentford left-back Jayden Meghoma, and Russell Martin is hopeful that a deal can be done for the defender.
The Gers head coach said: “So Jay (Meghoma) is a player we know from Southampton, spent a year with us as a young boy, training every day, understands the work, top talent, plays for England at all the youth levels.”
“Brentford signed him for a lot of money for a teenager, and he went on loan last year and to the Championship did really well, so he’s a player we know and like. Hopefully, at some point, he’ll be a Rangers player and you’ll know that when he is.”
What Jayden Meghoma can bring to Rangers
The 19-year-old defender, who was signed for £10m by the Bees last year, could be a dream for Djeidi Gassama down the left flank with the way that he likes to bomb forward.
Since signing from Sheffield Wednesday, Gassama has been a hit with the Gers supporters. The 21-year-old forward has scored four goals in six matches in all competitions, per Sofascore, to prove himself to be a big threat at the top end of the pitch.
Instead of having a right-footed player in Aarons failing to provide much support on the overlap, the Frenchman will surely love to have a naturally left-footed, attack-minded, full-back in Meghoma to support him.
xAG
0.09
Top 27%
Assists
0.12
Top 21%
Shot-creating actions (defensive action)
0.12
Top 5%
Goal-creating actions
0.35
Top 6%
Percentage of dribblers tackled
76.9%
Top 8%
As you can see in the table above, Meghoma showed signs of promise as an attacking force on loan at Preston North End in the Championship last term, ranking highly in creating chances for his teammates.
Interestingly, he ranked highly for tackling dribblers and creating shots for his team through defensive actions. This suggests that he excels at winning the ball back on the flank and then playing the ball forward to start moves that end up with shots at goal.
Gassama could, therefore, benefit from having the aggressive full-back behind him because his pace on the counter-attack could make the most of the attacks that the teenage defender has the potential to create.
Meghoma, who was described as “fast” and “tricky” by Paul Heckingbottom, could also be a shrewd addition to the team because he worked with Martin during their time together at Southampton, which means that he already knows how the manager works and wants to play.
Lionel Messi names the top fans between Celtic and Rangers, calls them "the best"
The Argentine icon has played at both Parkhead and Ibrox.
ByCharlie Smith Aug 15, 2025
The England U19 international could use that experience to hit the ground running as a replacement for Jefte at Ibrox, whilst also having the potential to be a dream for Gassama down the left flank.
أعلن نادي برشلونة، في بيان رسمي منذ قليل، إصابة نجم الفريق لامين يامال بعد أيام قليلة من عودته إلى الملاعب من جديد، حيث تعرض لضربة جديدة قبل فترة التوقف الدولي.
وعانى لامين يامال من إصابة في منطقة العانة، والتي أجبرته على الغياب عن الملاعب لمدة 3 أسابيع قبل عودته من جديد يوم الأحد الماضي ضد ريال سوسيداد.
وشارك الإسباني في مباراة برشلونة وريال سوسيداد كبديل وصنع هدف الفوز الذي منح فريقه الصدارة، قبل أن يخوض لقاء باريس سان جيرمان بالكامل في دوري أبطال أوروبا.
اقرأ أيضًا.. فليك يقدم وعدًا لجماهير برشلونة بعد السقوط أمام باريس سان جيرمان
وقال برشلونة في بيانه الرسمي: “عادت آلام العانة التي عانى منها لامين يامال، بعد مباراة باريس سان جيرمان، سيغيب عن مباراة إشبيلية، ومن المتوقع أن يتعافى خلال أسبوعين إلى 3 أسابيع”.
هذا الأمر يعني عدم إمكانية انضمام لامين يامال إلى معسكر منتخب إسبانيا، حيث أعلن المدرب لويس دي لا فوينتي ظهر اليوم قائمته التي تواجد بها نجم برشلونة.
Yuri Alberto quebrou o jejum de gols pelo Corinthians. O centroavante não marcava há nove jogos e vivia sua maior seca de gols pelo Timão, e saiu do banco para sacramentar o empate por 1 a 1 com o Fortaleza, pela 5ª rodada do Brasileirão.
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansYuri Alberto quebra jejum, Corinthians busca empate com o Fortaleza e deixa o Z4 do BrasileirãoCorinthians08/05/2023CorinthiansLuxemburgo justifica Du Queiroz fora dos relacionados do Corinthians contra o Fortaleza: ‘Já está vendido’Corinthians08/05/2023BotafogoBotafogo divulga primeira parcial de ingressos emitidos para o confronto com o CorinthiansBotafogo08/05/2023
+ ATUAÇÕES: Yuri Alberto entra no segundo tempo e impede derrota do Corinthians para o Fortaleza
Após o jogo, o centroavante agradeceu a Deus, seus companheiros e a família por ter voltado a marcar.
– Gol muito importante. Primeiramente, quero agradecer a Deus. Fazia nove jogos que eu estava lutando, lutando para buscar esse gol, mas infelizmente não estava saindo. Só agradecer a Ele e a meu companheiros que têm me ajudado, além da minha família, que tem me dado esse suporte – iniciou o camisa 9 ao Premiere.
+ Todos os jogos do Brasileirão você encontra no Prime Video. Assine já e acompanhe o seu time do coração!
Yuri admitiu que vinha desanimado durante o período sem gols, se mostrou contente com sua atuação na derrota por 2 a 1 diante do Independiente del Valle, disse não ter entendido a substituição de Luxa no jogo pela Libertadores e valorizou o ponto conquistado contra o Leão do Pici, que tirou o clube alvinegro do Z4 do Brasileirão.
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– Contra o Del Valle eu fiquei muito feliz comigo mesmo, minhas atitudes foram diferentes. Eu estava desanimado durante os jogos, recebendo poucas bolas, mas contra o Del Valle eu estava diferente. Infelizmente, saí no segundo tempo, no início, não entendi, mas a decisão é do professor. Hoje ele me colocou, pude ajudar a equipe, esse empate foi muito importante
Antes do duelo contra o Leão do Pici, o técnico Vanderlei Luxemburgo teve uma conversa individual com Yuri Alberto e decidiu deixá-lo no banco para tentar diminuir a pressão e recuperar a confiança do camisa 9.
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+ Veja tabela e a situação do Timão no Brasileirão
O centroavante pode ser opção no duelo de quinta-feira (11), contra o Botafogo, líder do Brasileirão.
Temba Bavuma and Tristan Stubbs eased to Test centuries in the first two sessions, making South Africa’s lead gargantuan, before the quicks snapped up five Sri Lanka wickets. Having utterly dominated the match since lunch on day two, South Africa finished the third day only five wickets short of going 1-0 up in a vital World Test Championship series. Sri Lanka are 413 runs adrift, on a surface on which the bounce can no longer be fully trusted.The late Sri Lanka wickets produced some drama, but it was the 249-run partnership – which equalled a record for the fourth wicket at this ground – that was the centerpiece of Friday’s action. Stubbs and Bavuma had laid the groundwork for their centuries in the morning, negotiating some occasionally testing early overs.It was clear that by then, however, the Kingsmead pitch had lost much of the nip it had had in the first few sessions of this match. South Africa raised their tempo in the second session, going at 4.81 runs an over in the afternoon.The Sri Lanka quicks were down on pace on day three, as perhaps could be expected of an attack that was closing in on 150 overs for the match. They did, eventually manage to dismiss Stubbs and Bavuma late in the second session. But by that stage, South Africa’s lead had ballooned to more than 500. When they declared at tea, only five wickets down, they had set Sri Lanka 516 to win.It was the two South Africa batters’ hundreds, however, that most enthused the crowd at Kingsmead, and the more dramatic of the trips to triple figures was Bavuma’s. He had appeared tentative in the 90s, with Sri Lanka raising lbw appeals against him, and forcing plays and misses as well.Kagiso Rabada struck in his first spell•AFP/Getty Images
Bavuma getting to his third century provided the most dramatic moment of the day. Batting on 98, he had got low to lap sweep Prabath Jayasuriya, and was hit on the pad. The umpire turned down the lbw appeal as the batters ran three.But having removed his helmet to celebrate, he was made to wait a little longer, when Sri Lanka reviewed the decision. Thankfully for Bavuma, real-time snicko had caught the very slight deflection off his glove into pad, and as soon as this was shown on the big screen, Bavuma swung his bat in the air, and the crowd acknowledged him, even before the final “not out” decision came. This was only his third career ton, but his second as captain.Stubbs got to his second Test hundred in more straightforward fashion. He had spent only 14 balls in the 90s, before working Asitha Fernando through midwicket for a couple to complete the milestone. Stubbs was given lbw in the next over, off Lahiru Kumara, but he reviewed and the ball was found to have struck him outside the line of off. In the first session, he had also been dropped for 33 off Vishwa Fernando, by Angelo Mathews, who spilled a chance low to his left at slip.Although conditions had eased, Bavuma and Stubbs batting out the entire first session was nevertheless extraordinary, given 19 wickets had fallen the previous day. Both were cautious to start with, as Kumara went short at the batters, and Jayasuriya flighted the ball, searching for early dismissals.Stubbs, typically, was stronger down the ground, while Bavuma was more adept at hitting square, often using his feet to the spinner, and occasionally playing the hard, flat sweep in addition to the dinky one past the keeper. Aside from that one chance off Stubbs, both batters appeared largely in control, though there were occasional lbw shouts – none of which was especially close.Marco Jansen finished day three with nine wickets in the match•Associated Press
In the final session, South Africa’s quicks were rampant again, and Sri Lanka’s batters continued to be indisciplined, even as the light waned and the opposition was still running hot. Sri Lanka also managed to burn all three of their reviews, with Pathum Nissanka and Angelo Mathews reviewing lbw decisions that were more or less plumb, before Kamindu Mendis reviewed after providing a feather edge to the wicketkeeper.When confirmed out, it was Kamindu’s first twin failure in his nine Tests so far, having fallen for 13 in the first innings, and 10 in this one.South Africa’s taller quicks got more out of the surface than Sri Lanka’s seamers had earlier in the day, though Mathews’ lbw in particular was down to low bounce – the ball shooting through into his pads, although he had expected it to bounce up to perhaps waist height. That was off the bowling of Marco Jansen, who now has nine wickets in the match.But it was Kagiso Rabada who had made the first breakthrough, having Dimuth Karunaratne caught at third slip, as the opening batter drove on the up at a ball well outside off stump in the fifth over of the innings. Rabada also took the last wicket of the day – that of nightwatcher Jayasuriya, who fell to a spectacular reflex catch by short leg Tony de Zorzi.
Tottenham Hotspur may have fallen to a defeat in the UEFA Super Cup final against PSG last night, but it still highlights the superb work done during the off-season.
The outing was Thomas Frank’s first competitive game in charge of the Lilywhites, handing him the perfect opportunity to analyse the players currently at his disposal for the season ahead.
As a result, he will likely already have a good idea who he will want to start when he leads his side into the Premier League, with their opener against Burnley just two days away.
However, it will also showcase the areas he will want to improve, with the Dane likely to be disappointed with his side’s collapse during the closing stages of the contest.
It was so nearly a night to remember for Spurs in Italy, but it proved a step too far – with the Parisians’ quality ultimately shining through in key moments.
How things played out in Spurs’ Super Cup final defeat
Spurs looked almost certain to claim victory over the Ligue 1 at one stage, after getting themselves into a two-goal lead just three minutes into the second half.
A tap-in from centre-back Micky Van de Ven and a back-post header from newly appointed captain Cristian Romero put the Lilywhites just 40 minutes away from a well-deserved triumph.
However, nightmares from the previous managerial tenure once again reared their head, after the side somehow managed to throw away their excellent early work against the Champions League winners.
Kang-in Lee and Gonçalo Ramos both scored in the final ten minutes to send the game to penalties, with goalscorer Van de Ven and substitute Mathys Tel both missing their spot kicks.
Nuno Mendes scored the decisive spot-kick, helping the French outfit to in yet another piece of silverware during the tenure of manager Luis Enrique.
However, despite the late collapse, Frank will certainly still have reasons to be positive, potentially allowing the club to forget about one of their transfer targets.
The player who could allow Frank to forget about Gibbs-White
Morgan Gibbs-White is a player who was firmly on Spurs’ radar earlier this summer, even agreeing a deal to land the £60m star from Nottingham Forest.
However, a deal fell through after the Englishman signed a new deal at the City Ground, subsequently putting a dent on the Lilywhites’ transfer dealings this window.
He could’ve made his competitive debut for the side last night had he made his move, but the hierarchy have been tasked with the job of landing alternative targets before the transfer deadline.
Such a task may prove to be difficult for the club, but they may not need to worry, especially after the performance of Mohammed Kudus during last night’s defeat.
The Ghanaian made his first competitive start for Frank’s side, making an immediate impact after his £55m switch from London rivals West Ham United earlier this summer.
He featured for 79 minutes before being controversially replaced by Tel, who ended up missing the decisive spot kick during the eventual shootout.
However, despite his withdrawal, he managed to create three chances for his teammates, completing 83% of the passes he attempted during his spell on the field.
Mohammed Kudus’ stats for Spurs against PSG
Statistics (per 90)
Tally
Minutes played
79
Touches
35
Chances created
3
Passes completed
83%
Crosses completed
100%
Dribble success rate
67%
Fouls won
2
Stats via FotMob
He also provided a constant threat within the final third, completing 100% of his crosses and achieving a 67% dribble success rate – arguably being the most threatening option in the final third.
As a result of his performance, he was handed a 7/10 match rating by Football London journalist Matt Verri, with Bobby Manzi labelling him as “terrific”.
His £55m transfer fee already now looks to be a bargain, having the tools to thrive in the Premier League under Frank’s guidance in the coming months.
Should he continue on his current trajectory, he could allow the manager and the fanbase to forget about missing out on Gibbs-White ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
Dream Maddison replacement: Spurs chasing incredible £30m Eze alternative
Tottenham Hotspur appear to be eyeing up another Premier League star instead of Eberechi Eze.
Tim Southee takes two on final Test outing as New Zealand wrap up consolation win
Alan Gardner16-Dec-2024 • Updated on 17-Dec-2024England produced their second ignominious collapse of the match as New Zealand marked Tim Southee’s Test retirement by equalling their biggest Test victory by the margin of runs. Jacob Bethell and Joe Root put on a century stand but the innings unravelled in a flurry of shots thereafter, New Zealand barely detained beyond lunch on day four.With Ben Stokes opting not to bat after injuring his hamstring, New Zealand only needed to take seven wickets to seal a crushing win. Mitchell Santner pocketed four of them, while Southee dismissed England’s top-scorer, Bethell, to finish with 2 for 34 on his final outing. He led New Zealand from the field at Seddon Park, his home ground, to bring down the curtain on a storied Test career – England’s rapid demise meaning extra time to toast his departure.It continued New Zealand’s remarkable recent record in Hamilton, where they have won eight of their last 10 Tests going back to 2012, and put a stop to a run of four consecutive home defeats stretching back to Australia’s visit in February.England had already claimed the series – their first in New Zealand since 2007-08, when Southee made his debut – but ended a bumpy 12 months in Tests on a low note. Defeat by 423 runs was only their second-heaviest this year, after a similar thrashing in Rajkot, and meant they ended 2024 with a record of P17 W9 L8.The performances of Bethell at No. 3 were a bright spot throughout, and he added a third half-century in as many Tests. His partnership with Root suggested England were keen to make New Zealand work hard for the win, but both were dismissed before lunch and there was scant resistance from the rest of the batting order beyond Gus Atkinson thumping eight boundaries in 43 off 41. The wicket of Ollie Pope, bowled by Matt Henry while attempting to reverse-ramp in the fourth over after lunch, suggested they had little appetite to hang around.England had resumed in the morning on 18 for 2, notionally chasing 658 to win. If that was an unlikely target, then so too was batting out two days for a draw – but Root and Bethell made positive progress, bringing up a 50 partnership inside the first nine overs.Both rode their luck at times. Root was badly dropped at second slip by Tom Latham off Southee when he had made 20, while Bethell chopped Henry past his stumps attempting to drive. Will O’Rourke gave Bethell, in particular, a torrid time from round the wicket, pushing his pace up to 153kph/93mph in his second spell.After setting off at a run a ball, Bethell slowed down as he approached a 60-ball fifty. He brought up the mark with a single off Santner, who was then repeatedly picked off by Root to raise his own half-century a few overs later, their partnership reaching 100 at the same time.But it was Santner who made the breakthrough, Root missing the ball as he looked to sweep to be trapped in front. It was given not out by Ahsan Raza, but New Zealand’s review was shown to be an astute one, with the ball dipping under the bat before straightening down the line of middle and off stumps.O’Rourke then bagged the reward his bowling had deserved when he dismissed Harry Brook cheaply for the second time in the match. Brook, who made a golden duck in the first innings, had attempted to charge his fourth ball and then was dispatched by his sixth, a snorting short delivery that he could only fend to slip.Ollie Pope was struck on the arm in the same over as he ducked into a bouncer, but Bethell continued to attack, taking three fours off O’Rourke in the space of five balls. However, having earlier smacked Southee’s first ball of the day over the head of mid-on for four, he fell trying to repeat the trick in the retiring seamer’s second spell, as he sliced a drive out to Glenn Phillips at deep backward point.The fall of the fifth wicket brought Atkinson to the crease, with Stokes still in his training kit, and he hit four of his first nine balls for four to hint at England’s mindset going into lunch. He resumed in the same vein, hitting Santner for 6-4-4 the over before Pope’s ugly swipe, before eventually trying one slog too many. Santner then wrapped up the innings in the space of five balls as New Zealand matched their margin of victory over Sri Lanka at Christchurch in 2018.
USWNT coach Emma Hayes’ side will play a pair of friendlies against Italy to close the year, U.S. Soccer announced Monday. The first match is set for Nov. 28 in Orlando, while the second will take place in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Dec. 1. The USWNT will play three friendlies in October – two against Portugal, and one against New Zealand.
Italy will present challenge
Italy is coming off an inspirational run at the 2025 UEFA Women’s Euros where they fell to eventual champions England in the semifinal, but not before holding a 1-0 lead deep into second half stoppage time before England equalized.
Italy would eventually fall on a last-minute goal in overtime. Italy had last reached the semifinals of the tournament in 1997. The USWNT and Italy last met in 2011.
AdvertisementHayes looking forward to matches
“As we prepare for World Cup qualifying at the end of 2026, we want to play teams from all parts of the world with different styles and different strengths, so getting to play Italy, one of Europe’s up-and-coming teams, will be a great way to end the year,” Hayes said in a statement. “This has been a very productive year for our team, learning about each other while embracing our philosophies and standards, so we’re looking forward to two more games against a quality team to continue to grow.”
Getty ImagesUSWNT return to Florida
The USWNT hasn't played a competitive fixture in Florida since 2023, when they faced China in Ft. Lauderdale. Trinity Rodman, Lindsey Heaps and Sophia Wilson scored the goals in that match.
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Rodman could return
The USWNT will drop the roster for the fixtures later this fall. Barring injury, the matches could mark a welcome return for a fully-fit Trinity Rodman, who has regularly featured for the Washington Spirit this season after missing USWNT matches with persistent back pain.