Sports
Anthony Elanga Condition Update Emerges After Jose Gaya Tackle
An update has emerged over Anthony Elanga’s condition after the Newcastle United forward was stretchered off during Saturday’s pre-season friendly against Valencia.
Newcastle sealed a 2-1 win in Matthias Jaissle’s first match in charge, but the game was marred by Jose Gaya’s red card challenge on Elanga in the 35th minute.
Gaya, the 31-year-old former Spain international, was sent off after catching Elanga with a reckless late tackle.
Elanga was left in agony while his incensed teammates clashed with their Valencia counterparts.
It became clear that Elanga wouldn’t be able to continue. The Sweden international was subsequently stretchered off and replaced by Jacob Murphy. Watch the incident below:
Update Over Elanga’s Condition After Horror Tackle
Fans naturally feared the former Manchester United and Nottingham Forest winger, 24, had suffered a potentially serious injury.
Jaissle, the German coach who replaced Eddie Howe at St James’ Park this summer, also feared the worst.
“It was a shocking challenge, that’s right,” Jaissle told reporters, per The Northern Echo. “I was in fear, definitely.”
However, the former Red Bull Salzburg and Al-Ahli boss has revealed Elanga appears to have had a lucky escape.
He added: “But now I’m more relaxed because the medical department are almost showing green lights that it’s nothing serious. We are blessed. Hopefully he can be back in the next week.”
Impressive Win Amid Turbulent Summer For Newcastle
Newcastle were 1-0 down at the time of Elanga’s injury after Swiss midfielder Filip Ugrinic put Valencia ahead in the fourth minute.
But the Magpies battled back in the second half, securing an impressive 2-1 win at Mestalla Stadium thanks to a Yoane Wissa brace.
“Next week there are things we need to work on definitely,” Jaissle said. “But we did well in the camp and the friendly win.”
Newcastle have three more friendlies left to play this summer – against Everton (August 12), Bayer Leverkusen (August 15), and Strasbourg (August 16) – before their opening Premier League fixture of the campaign against Liverpool on August 23.
It’s been a turbulent summer for the north-east outfit, with key players Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon all following Howe out of St James’ Park.
While several players have arrived including Bazoumana Toure from Hoffenheim, Aladji Bamba from AS Monaco and Lukas Hornicek from Braga, their lack of Premier League experience will be a concern for Newcastle United supporters.
Likewise, Jaissle will need to hit the ground running in England’s top division, which is widely regarded as the most competitive in world football.
But an eye-catching away win over Valencia is an impressive start for the club’s new manager.
Sports
The Inside Track on Dangerous Tottenham Target
Tottenham are now being linked with a move for Villarreal striker Georges Mikautadze as Roberto De Zerbi turns his attention to his attacking line. Spurs have already amassed a record spend this summer, racking up a bill of more than £230million, and particular attention has been paid to the defence and midfield.
The likes of Jan Paul van Hecke, Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes have been snapped up, and Spurs will now concentrate on adding competition out wide, and potentially up top. De Zerbi looks to be prioritising a winger signing, while a striker signing could depend on one of Richarlison or Dominic Solanke moving on. Mikautadze has emerged as an option, and here we get you up to speed on the LaLiga frontman.
Georges Mikautadze’s career so far
Mikautadze is a Georgian international, but he was born to Georgian parents in France, and he started his career with FC Gerland, but he was quickly snatched up by Olympique Lyon. We will see Lyon again in this story, but Mikautadze actually went on to make his breakthrough to first-team football with Metz, initially graduating to Metz B and going to become a first-teamer in 2019. He scored 25 goals in 42 league games for Metz, quickly gaining a reputation as a goalscorer as a youngster, but a frustrating move to Ajax followed. Mikautadze joined for €19million and only made five league appearances, but he hadn’t lost his scoring touch, scoring 13 in 20 league games during a loan spell back at Metz, and after Metz took up an option to buy, Lyon signed him almost immediately, paying around €23million plus agreeing a 15% sell-on fee.
Mikautadze had a superb Euro 2024 campaign, finishing as joint-top scorer of the tournament, and he went on to score 12 times in 36 league appearances for Lyon.
That’s when Villarreal came forward, agreeing a deal worth up to €36million, and in his first season with the Yellow Submarine, he had an almost identical scoring record, netting 13 times in 32 league games.
|
Team |
League goal record |
|
Metz |
62 games/38 goals |
|
Seraing (loan) |
49 games/28 goals |
|
Ajax |
5 games/0 goals |
|
Lyon |
36 games/12 goals |
|
Villarreal |
32 games/13 goals |
|
Georgia national team |
34 games/23 goals |
The inside view on Mikautadze
For context, I’m a Villarreal fan, based just down the road in Valencia, and I’ve followed the club for over 15 years. I’ve been fortunate enough to have seen plenty of Mikautadze. The striker has incredible technical talent, and he is able to produce some of the most satisfying finishes you are likely to see. With both feet, too.
He loves to chip the goalkeeper whenever it’s on, and he produces superbly-placed precision finishes from inside or outside of the box. Mikautadze is one of those players who just has that something special, that something unique in the way he controls and plays the ball. It makes him hard to defend and a nightmare for goalkeepers. The Georgian international has pace aplenty, and he will win most races in behind, while he also has the tricky with the ball at his feet to face up a man and beat him.
“Intelligent, mobile, instinctive and has excellent finishing with both feet.” – Former Villarreal boss Marcelino
Those are the positives. As for the drawbacks, as a smaller forward, there are times when he has gone missing in games, particularly games with a more direct style, and now former Villarreal boss Marcelino worked with him last season to make sure he can find ways to get into games. But there was progress on that front, with Marcelino saying in February: “He’s much more involved. He has better coordination with his teammates and now he’s fluid, he’s agile of mind, he’s happy.”
There is more to come from Mikautadze, who is still only 25 and adjusting to LaLiga, and if he stays, it will be interesting to see how he adapts to playing under new boss Iñigo Pérez, who has a very different style of play to that of Marcelino’s. Equally, if Tottenham do sign him, it will be interesting to see if Mikautadze can maintain his goalscorer reputation in the Premier League.
At this stage, it remains unclear what Mikautadze’s release clause it, but you can expect Villarreal to demand around £50million or move. The Yellow Submarine have said they will sell a player this summer, as is usually the way, but they do not want to sell their star striker, especially with Ayoze Perez and Gerard Moreno not getting any younger.
Sports
Footage of Him Cheating During Round of Golf
While Donald Trump is an avid golfer, he’s also been accused of being a cheat.
Now, shock footage has emerged that appears to catch Trump red-handed when it comes to bending the rules around the golf course to his advantage.
Donald Trump’s relationship with golf dates back to attending Fordham University in 1964. It was there that the love affair began.
He’s gone on to own and develop a number of courses and plays regularly, even as president. He even released a book all about golf, sharing tips from some of the world’s top professionals and teachers on how to “think your game better, when to swing hard, and how to foster a love of the game that will transcend setbacks.”
In it, Trump writes: “For me and millions of people – men, women, young and old around the world – golf is more than a game. It is a passion.”
But while that love is not in question, Trump’s actual ability on the golf course is.
Donald Trump’s Golfing Ability Constantly Questioned
Several big sports stars, including England captain Harry Kane, UFC star Bo Nickal, and even golf legend Tiger Woods have all spoken positively of Trump’s golfing ability. However, others claim that the business mogul-turned-president regularly cheats when out on the course.
Sportswriter Rick Reilly wrote a whole book on how Trump cheats at golf. This included an anecdote, citing golfing icon Gary Player, who, when told by Trump he’d won 18 championships, replied: “I told him that if anyone beats him, he kicks them out. So, he had to win.”
It goes further than that, though, with Reilly writing: “Trump doesn’t just cheat at golf. He throws it, boots it, and moves fit. He lies about his lies. He fudges and foozles and fluffs. At Winged Foot, where Trump is a member, the caddies got so used to seeing him kick his ball back onto the fairway they came up with a nickname for him: ‘Pele’.“
Even the late US senator Lindsey Graham suggested that while some say you might outdrive Trump, “you’re not going to outdrive his caddy.” And now, footage has emerged appearing to prove Graham’s point.
The footage, that was originally posted last year but has since resurfaced on social media, shows Trump pulling up to a bunker in a buggy.
He’s flanked by two caddies, one of which is dressed in blue who, while walking, uses the natural back and forth of his arms to effortlessly drop a golf ball behind him without breaking stride. The clip is only 11 seconds long, with it not clear if Trump does then play the dropped ball, but it still appears to be pretty damning, with the president looking as if he’s about to set himself with it for his next shot.
The original post, shared in July 2025, has 2.2 million views with the caption reading: “Trump’s caddie was caught dropping a ball in the rough for him. USA taxpayers paying $20 million for a Scotland trip, so that Trump can score cheat at his golf.”
The re-shared post has already amassed a further 1.1 million views itself.
Sports
Turkish Journalist Arrested For False Jamal Musiala to Galatasaray Claim
In one of the strangest news stories of the summer, a Turkish sports journalist has reportedly been arrested for his claims involving Jamal Musiala.
The summer transfer window is often referred to as the silly season for the many wild rumours that appear, linking players to clubs in unlikely moves that never happen. Although every now and then, an unexpected deal is completed with eye-watering amounts of money involved.
One interesting rumour, for example, has seen Bayern Munich star Musiala linked with Turkish club Galatasaray. However, claims made around that potential transfer have sparked some very real legal issues for one journalist.
Jamal Musiala Transfer Rumours Lead to Arrest
According to reports in Turkey, journalist Burhan Can Terzi has been detained after claiming that German midfielder Musiala would move this summer in a transfer from Bayern to Galatasaray. His arrest was made on alleged charges of “publicly disseminating misleading information.”
Terzi, who covers football as a reporter in İstanbul, is said to have been detained in an investigation launched by İstanbul’s Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. His legal issues came after Galatasaray denied the truth of his claims.
Despite the Turkish club rubbishing the report, Terzi refused to back down and reportedly responded: “I’m putting my life on the line [for this story].” It’s said that Galatasaray have not lodged any official complaint, but fans accused him of misleading the public, with the journalist continuing to make false statements.
After those complaints from football supporters, the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation. Eye-opening footage has now emerged online, as it appears to show Terzi being led away by local police enforcement.
Turkish Journalist Arrested as Galatasaray Statement Denies Transfer Claim
Terzi is said to have made the initial report on 26 July. Galatasaray then moved to deny the report five days later. Without directly naming any journalist, they completely dismissed any claims relating to a transfer between Musiala and Galatasaray as “an attempt to create a perception aimed at discrediting our club’s transfer operations.”
A statement from the Turkish giants read:
“Due to the deliberate circulation of false and misleading reports about our club in recent days, we find it necessary to issue the following statement to inform the public that the ‘Jamal Musiala is set to transfer to Galatasaray’ reports are completely unfounded.
“It is also noteworthy that the individuals and platforms responsible for these speculations were behind similar false claims during the previous season.”
The case marks the first time the disinformation law has been applied to sports reporting.
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