Newcastle United are now said to be ahead of Aston Villa in the queue to sign a former Premier League frontman who is impressing at the World Cup. The Magpies are in need of more quality this summer after a disappointing season that saw them finish firmly in the bottom half.

Eddie Howe will be hugely frustrated by the season just gone, and he knows his bosses are not going to put up with another campaign of that nature. Fortunately for the Magpies boss, he is set to be backed in the summer transfer window, and the Toon Army should have money to spend, given the wealth of their owners and the sale of Anthony Gordon, which will appease the Profit and Sustainability overlords.

Newcastle have the edge in striker race

Matthew Childs via Reuters

According to Jeunes Footeux, Newcastle are ‘very interested’ in signing AS Monaco striker Folarin Balogun, who has been impressing so far at this summer’s World Cup, and have made contact over a potential deal. Balogun has been with Monaco since leaving Arsenal in 2023, going on to scored 24 goals in 72 league appearances to date.

The forward, described as being “a proven goalscorer at the highest level”, was born in New York before he and his mother returned to England to live. He has scored two and provided an assist in his first two World Cup games with USMNT this summer. With Christian Pulisic dealing with an injury early in the competition, Balogun has been his nation’s standout star so far.

Wayne Rooney said during a BBC Sport broadcast recently: “He has pace, he has power, this is about Balogun, his directness, his rawness and his ability to drive with the ball.”

Olivier Giroud added: “He’s doing really well, he’s scored 19 goals this year with Monaco, full of confidence, a lot of composure. He’s really available for his teammates, he’s not just standing up front, he does a lot of movement, can run in behind, he can hold the ball. He has a really good connection with Ricardo Pepi also. I’m enjoying seeing him play and I hope he will score more goals,”

Newcastle face obstacles in completing a deal

His form has perhaps played a part in Newcastle rekindling interest from April, and the report claims the Magpies have already been in touch with Monaco over a possible deal. It’s claimed Monaco won’t sell for less than £43million, or 50million euros, and that does put Newcastle in an awkward position because of the strikers they currently have at the club.

In fact, it’s claimed the Magpies would have to offload Yoane Wissa, who only joined last summer, before pressing ahead with a Balogun deal. Meanwhile, Aston Villa, who can offer Champions League football, are said to be monitoring the situation, but they have not made their move yet.

Yesterday, former UFC fighter Dustin Poirier released a statement on his Instagram after bodycam footage was released from his arrest that took place on Sunday, the 21st of June.

Before his retirement last year, Poirier was a great within the UFC realm. Stepping away to work on himself was a very brave decision to make, but clearly there is still quite a way to go for the 37-year-old.

Poirier received bail following the arrest at Atlanta Airport, giving the American time to process and think about his actions, which included many expletives and threatening to fight a member of the staff.

Since his retirement from fighting, Poirier hasn’t been completely out of a job, as he was welcomed by ESPN to become one of their fight analysts and has been training other fighters at American Top Team. It is not clear yet about whether he will continue to do this or if he will completely step away from all responsibilities at this time.

Dustin Poirier’s Statement After Arrest

He wrote: “I’m at the point where I need some help.

“Walking away from fighting hasn’t been easy on me and alcohol isn’t the answer. It has ruined my father’s life and I will not allow it to ruin mine.

The statement in question, however, has faced mixed reactions due to the lack of apology that has been given to the woman he abused and the man he threatened.

It didn’t take long for the ex-fighter to release this statement with the events clearly weighing on his mind and, despite winning 30 fights throughout his career, this next fight against alcoholism will likely be the hardest of his life.

He also shared a post on his Instagram story that showed a quote from his recent interview this month with Full Send MMA. The quote said: “Some days I’m great, some days I’m not so good. If I’m not working towards something or trying to better my family, I’m a danger to myself.”

At home in Lafayette, Louisiana, Poirier has his wife, Jolie Poirier, who he has been married to since 2009, and two children. It is clear in his statement that, at the moment, his family and his mental well-being are his top priorities.

Hopefully this once beast within the cage can make a recovery soon, as it would be a shame to see a legacy like his tainted by actions driven by alcohol.

Tottenham could be given a clear route to sign a highly productive attacking midfielder thanks to former boss José Mourinho, Spurs are on a mission to overhaul their squad this summer, with Roberto De Zerbi hoping to take the North London club back to competing for European qualification.

Back-to-back bottom half finishes finally look to have sparked the Spurs chiefs into action, and it seems there will be mass investment at Hotspur Way this summer after disappointing recent recruitment campaigns.

With Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke already snapped up, Spurs now want a holding midfielder and a winger, and there will still be more business to do after those boxes are ticked off.

The Paz route clears

Spurs have been credited with an interest in Como attacking spark Nico Paz this summer, along with a host of other clubs. The 21-year-old scored 13 and provided eight assists for Como to help them to European qualification during the season just gone, and he now finds himself at the centre of a giant transfer saga.

That’s because, with interest in Paz ramping up, Real Madrid still have the option to re-sign the Argentine for just £8.6million. According to TeamTalk, and indeed reports in Spain, Mourinho is not likely to see the 2025-26 Serie A midfielder of the season in his plans, but Los Blancos are still expected to exercise the option this summer.

Los Blancos are expected to re-sign Paz, tipped to become ‘one of the best players in the world’ by Francesco Totti, for the clause stated and then try to sell him for around £51.8miillion. That would see them net a huge profit, but the news will excite other clubs, who may now have a chance to land Paz this summer.

Messi’s Paz praise

Reuters/Maria Lysaker

Paz is already a 10-time Argentina international, and he is at the World Cup with his nation this summer, albeit he will largely be a supplementary option. Back when Paz made his debut for the World Cup winners in 2024, Lionel Messi said: “We played very well between the lines, at a high level. Now Nico Paz has made his debut, and he has a lot of quality and I hope he continues to grow. He wasn’t born when I made my debut in Primera, yes, I knew (laughs).

“He has a great head, he understands the game perfectly and I hope he continues like this. He played, he enjoyed it and I think he’ll feel comfortable in this team because he likes having the ball.”

Spurs now potentially have the option to land that talent, but they would need to work out where he fits, given they have James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall and Xavi Simons under contract. Paz’s best position is in the number 10 role, but he can also play wide.