Eddie Howe will have serious reservations about one star player after what he did against Brentford on Sunday afternoon.
Newcastle United were facing the Bees in the Premier League and fell to a 3-1 defeat at the Gtech Stadium, a result which was a gutting blow for the Tynesiders.
Harvey Barnes had given the Magpies the lead in the first half, before goals from Kevin Schade and an Igor Thiago brace condemned them to defeat. The afternoon was made even worse with Dan Burn being sent off in the 73rd minute, but he wasn’t the only defender who failed to cover himself in glory on the trip to London.
Sven Botman Under Fire At Newcastle
While Nick Pope and Dan Burn were two of the players who attracted headlines for having bad days at the office, Sven Botman didn’t exactly do himself any favours against Brentford either.
The 25-year-old played 90 minutes of the match against Keith Andrews’ side but really struggled to get a grip of the Bees’ front line in a contest that Newcastle lost complete control of. Botman may have had a pass accuracy of 91 per cent and completed 10 clearances, but his lack of awareness and aerial dominance was a cause for concern.
As well as being caught napping, the central defender won just on of five aerial duels which played straight into Brentford’s hands as they looked to utilise set pieces to garner an advantage.
Of course Andrews’ side are one of the best when it comes to using long throws to unsettle an opponent, but if Newcastle are serious about qualifying for the Champions League next term, they need to find a way of seeing out these sorts of fixtures.
As a result, Howe faces a decision on the £113,000 a week defender, with Fabian Schar and Jamaal Lascelles left on the bench at the Gtech Community Stadium. Newcastle’s woes on the road have been a theme this season, but defensive errors have also played their part and Botman needs to take accountability for his share of that.
Manchester United have been dealt a major blow in their pursuit of Real Madrid star Aurelien Tchouameni after he agreed a contract extension at the Bernabeu, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Red Devils have been pushing to upgrade their midfield options this summer after Casemiro departed at the end of his contract, while Manuel Ugarte has suffered a serious knee injury at the World Cup, leaving Michael Carrick short of options in the middle of the park.
A deal for Ederson has already been agreed with Atalanta, while United also agreed a £50m deal with Chelsea for Andrey Santos on Wednesday afternoon, adding two new faces to the squad. But they now look set to miss out on another top target after Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes.
Tottenham Hotspur are having a dream summer transfer window so far, and they’re ready to go all in to get another deal over the line, according to reports in Spain.
The north London side have completed six deals already for manager Roberto De Zerbi as they plan a major overhaul following two consecutive 17th-placed finishes in the Premier League, with Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi, Martin Dubravka, Jan Paul van Hecke, Mateus Fernandes, and Sandro Tonali all arriving.
But the club are not done there and are now looking to add a new forward to their squad, with one name in particular seen as the dream target.
Tottenham Ready to Go All Out for Kroupi
It’s been reported that Spurs are looking to complete a deal to bolster their forward line with Bournemouth sensation Eli Junior Kroupi this summer, with a £75m bid being prepared to try and tempt the Cherries.
Bournemouth are adamant they will not sell the Frenchman, who has been described as ‘world-class’, but that has not deterred De Zerbi’s side, as they look to make a real splash in the market to get back towards the top end of the table.
Tottenham are not the only team showing an interest in the record-breaking 20-year-old, who managed 13 Premier League goals last season, with Barcelona and champions Arsenal also keen.
However, it’s reported that Tottenham are ready to go ‘all out’ to get a deal over the line, with De Zerbi understood to be thrilled at the prospect of having him as part of his squad for the upcoming campaign. The Italian is urging club bosses to accelerate their interest, as he looks to add a top striker to the project.
Bournemouth, however, have not budged on their stance, and with no release clause in his contract, it will take an astronomical offer to convince them to change their position.
Fees correct prior to summer 2026
All 10 found — excellent!
Kroupi Would Be Huge Statement for Spurs
AFC Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi celebratesvia Reuters
Kroupi’s performances in the Premier League last season have made him one of the most sought-after attacking talents in the market this summer, and it’s no surprise Bournemouth don’t want to lose him.
Double European champions PSG are also said to be in the running to get him in, with an £87m offer reportedly in the works. But Spurs would be willing to watch that, and if they can beat the French side to a signing for a top young forward, that would be a huge statement.
De Zerbi has made his demands clear, and the club have shown they are not afraid to splash the cash this summer, so this is one to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.
As with every World Cup, there has been plenty of controversy about the referees. Even before the tournament began, headlines were made as Somali official Omar Artan was controversially denied entry to the US, while more drama has since happened on the pitch.
English referees Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor will be glad to have largely stayed out of headlines so far this summer. They have perhaps been helped by the fact that they are banned from officiating games for one World Cup national team.
Why Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor Can’t Referee Two World Cup Teams
That game will see him take charge of his seventh World Cup match, more than any other Englishman but his options to oversee more games after that become quite limited. This is because all English referees, including Taylor, are not allowed to oversee games involving their own country, England (for obvious reasons), as well as Argentina matches.
As explained by The Athletic, Taylor was actually under consideration for the World Cup final at Qatar 2022 after an impressive tournament, but was unable to do so when Argentina advanced to meet France. This is due to political reasons, largely relating to the 1982 Falklands War between the United Kingdom and Argentina.
The conflict – which lasted 74 days and ended with an Argentine surrender as the islands were returned to British control – saw 649 members of the Argentine military, 255 members of the British military, and three Falkland Islanders all killed. Despite decades passing since the war, the subject is still contentious in Argentina, with current president Javier Milei strongly reaffirming his belief in Argentine sovereignty over the territories.
Michael Oliver and Anthony Taylor Unlikely to Referee 2026 World Cup Final
Due to the FIFA rules for referee selection, both Englishmen Oliver and Taylor are unlikely to be selected to cover the 2026 World Cup final. They will only be considered if Norway (who play England in Saturday’s last-eight tie) or Switzerland (who play Argentina) advance to the tournament decider.
As well as not being able to take charge of games involving Argentina or England, the duo – as is the case with all referees at the World Cup – are not to officiate matches in their own nation’s pathway. As such, it seems unlikely that Oliver and Taylor will be selected to oversee either semi-final if Argentina or England get that far.
This is because they can’t take charge of the semi-final involving either one or both Argentina and England, while the other semi-final would have a team on the path to potentially meet the Three Lions in the final, which would compromise their status as a neutral party.
As the rules mean they can’t work on games which have direct implications for their own nationalities, Oliver and Taylor were not considered to officiate other matches in England’s Group L earlier in the tournament, including games between Croatia, Ghana and Panama, their group opponents.
