Fifties from Reeza Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen helped the hosts set a target that proved to be beyond Sri Lanka’s reach

The Report by Andrew Fidel Fernando22-Mar-2019

Rassie van der Dussen goes for a pull•Getty Images

Reeza Hendricks and Rassie van der Dussen produced a scintillating second-wicket century stand, upon which was founded yet another comfortable South Africa win. The hosts took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match T20I series with this 16-run victory in Pretoria, but don’t let that margin fool you. Sri Lanka never seemed to have the measure of their target of 181.Sri Lanka’s No. 8 batsman Isuru Udana produced another magnificent show of lower-order hitting, walloping six sixes and eight fours in his unbeaten 48-ball 84. But even when he arrived at the crease, the required run rate was almost 12 an over. He managed to get Sri Lanka only within sight of the target, without ever really threatening it. Nevertheless, Udana has perhaps batted his way into a World Cup berth, having been good with the bat right throughout these South Africa limited-overs series.But it was really the 116-run stand between Hendricks and van der Dussen that was the centrepiece of South Africa’s victory. The partnership began with a boundary – van der Dussen crashing the last ball of the second over through the covers. Despite a quiet Powerplay, the stand blossomed between overs seven and 14 – South Africa travelling at over ten an over through that period. Thisara Perera, in particular, came in for punishment – van der Dussen clobbering a six over midwicket in his first over, before repeating the treatment twice in his second – an over that went for 19 runs in all.While van der Dussen was clearing the rope, though, Hendricks was lacing wayward balls through the infield, prospering through the covers in particular, where he hit four of his nine boundaries, but also through backward point and midwicket, where he hit the other five. Several of those boundaries came off genuinely good balls – Hendricks using his wrists to manufacture powerful strokes.Hendricks brought up his half-century off the 38th delivery he faced, cutting a Kamindu Mendis slow left-arm delivery powerfully behind point for four. Van der Dussen got to the milestone next over, off the 34th ball, and just when it started looking like the pair were setting South Africa up for a truly gargantuan score, Lasith Malinga injected himself into the attack, and had Hendricks hole out to mid-off, with a slower ball. He was out for 65 off 49 balls.Van der Dussen hit one more four, swatting Udana through midwicket on the 16th over, bowled by Udana. But he was himself out not long after when he ran at Akila Dananjaya, yorked himself and was bowled.The death overs for South Africa were largely handled by Duminy. David Miller was present at the other end, but struggled against Sri Lanka’s slower balls, and wound up only with a run-a-ball nine. Duminy, meanwhile, was industrious right throughout his innings, socking Udana over cover for four off the eighth delivery he faced, before hitting one more four and two sixes in his 17-ball 33 not out.In response, Sri Lanka were more or less pathetic in the first 14 overs, surrendering seven wickets and allowing the required run rate to climb over 14 an over. Avishka Fernando and Kusal Mendis both departed in the first over of the chase – Dale Steyn rushing Avishka with his pace before grazing Kusal’s off stump with an outswinger.At one stage, Chris Morris was even on a hat-trick, having had Niroshan Dickwella caught at mid-on before nicking Kamindu Mendis off the first ball. But Morris wasn’t the only South Africa bowler who was threatening the Sri Lanka batsmen. Dwaine Pretorius took 1 for 22, while Tabraiz Shamsi claimed 2 for 16 from his four overs. Opening bowlers Steyn and Morris had wreaked the most damage though, taking a combined five wickets.Udana’s outstanding lower-order hitting helped narrow the gap, but Sri Lanka’s top order was once again been unable to resist the South Africa bowlers – even those from a depleted attack. The next-best score after Udana’s was Thisara’s 22 as no batsman appeared capable of attacking for a significant length of time.

Jurgen Klopp humorously said he doesn't like James Maddison due to an incident in the 2018/19 Premier League title race.

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• Maddison could not stop Kompany's famous goal
• Liverpool failed to win title with 97 points
• Only lost one game all season

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Maddison was part of the Leicester side which lost 1-0 to Manchester City in the penultimate game of that season, Vincent Kompany's late stunner at the Etihad providing crucial as the Cityzens pipped Liverpool to the crown. The Reds finished with an astonishing points total of 97 but were still left one short of Pep Guardiola's side.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Klopp believes one of the key reasons behind Kompany's title-winning strike was Maddison's failure to close down the Belgian centre-back. The German coach claims Brendan Rodgers should have taken off the "tired" England international, who joined Tottenham in a big-money million deal last summer.

• WHAT KLOPP SAID

  Klopp told Redmen TV: "The moment when Vincent Kompany touched the ball there, I am really happy I didn't get a stroke in that moment as that's how it must feel. I remember exactly how I was lying on the sofa watching and thinking 'Maddison block him, close him down'. Since then I don't like Maddison. I was angry with Brendan [Rodgers] that day because he should have taken him off, he was tired. Leicester played really good first half, after that they should have scored. It's just a personal thing, I have no problem with him, but when I see him it's… and now I saw him again last weekend."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Liverpool's points tally of 97 in 2018/19 is the fourth-highest in Premier League history and yet they somehow still did not win the title. The Reds suffered just one defeat that season, a 2-1 loss at the Etihad which ultimately proved fatal.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has heaped praise on midfielder Jorginho after the Italian signed a new contract.

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32-year-old extended stay until 2025Has been a key player at Arsenal this seasonLabelled a leader on the pitchWHAT HAPPENED?

The Arsenal head coach has given a glowing review to former Chelsea man Jorginho days after he signed a contract extension at the club. Arteta's midfield general reportedly turned down a move back to Serie A this summer to remain in North London and is hoping to cap off a positive campaign with the Premier League title.

AdvertisementWHAT MIKEL ARTETA SAID

Speaking to club media, the Spaniard said: "He’s someone who makes everybody better – that’s his main quality. He’s still hungry, he wants to win, he wants to win with us, he's happy here and his family is happy here, so for us it was a really easy decision.

"He is a very important player for all the coaches because his game understanding and the way he communicates and coaches people is excellent. When he needs to be at it and serious and drive people with him he does it, and when it needs fun and a relaxing atmosphere, he is one of the best. It's a good combination."

(C)Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

It takes something special to give Manchester City a run for their money but Arteta has assembled a squad capable of challenging for the top honours and Jorginho has been a huge part of that. The Champions League winner has made 23 Premier League appearances this term and has patrolled the pitch to perfection, helping the Gunners maintain the best defensive record in the league.

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(C)GettyImagesWHAT NEXT FOR JORGINHO AND ARSENAL

Jorginho will be hoping to turn a good week into a great one when Arsenal travel to Manchester United for their penultimate game of the season. A win will keep them on top of the table until City play their game in hand against Tottenham on Tuesday night.

أعلن منتخب فرنسا في بيان رسمي، منذ قليل، استبعاد لاعب آخر من ريال مدريد، من القائمة المستدعاة لخوض مباريات التوقف الدولي لشهر سبتمبر، بسبب الإصابة.

ويستعد منتخب فرنسا لخوض مباراتين هذا الشهر، وذلك أمام إيطاليا وبلجيكا في دوري الأمم الأوروبية، يومي الجمعة والإثنين المقبلين.

وسبق أن أعلن منتخب فرنسا، يوم الإثنين، استبعاد لاعب ريال مدريد فيرلاند ميندي من المباريات الدولية لشهر سبتمبر بسبب الإصابة (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

ولكن يبدو أن المصائب لا تأتي فُرادى بالنسبة لـ ريال مدريد، حيث أعلن منتخب فرنسا إصابة جديدة لأحد لاعبيه وهو أوريلين تشواميني.

وأفاد منتخب فرنسا، في بيان رسمي، أن تشواميني يعاني من إصابة في القدم اليسرى، وتم استبداله بـ ماتيو جندوزي.

Newcastle United are close to agreeing a loan deal to sign a long-term target in January, according to a fresh report that has emerged this week.

Sandro Tonali replacements

After being found guilty of breaching several betting rules, Sandro Tonali has been banned from playing football for ten months, meaning that the club will have to cope without having him available until he stages his return to domestic action. With Bruno Guimaraes being the only other natural defensive midfielder that Eddie Howe has – and even he is better further forward – PIF will know that they need to enter the market to find a suitable successor, and there is one player in particular who has continued to be linked ever since the summer.

Newcastle eyeing move to sign "quality" £40m+ star for Howe

It could solve a current problem…

ByTom Cunningham Dec 6, 2023

Manchester City’s Kalvin Phillips has fallen significantly low down in the pecking order having made zero starts and just four substitute appearances this season in the Premier League (WhoScored – Phillips statistics), and his potential availability has alerted club chiefs around the league.

The Magpies reportedly entered talks regarding a deal for the 28-year-old back in October, and with it since having also been revealed that he would be open to joining the club for the rest of the season, England’s international could soon be putting pen to paper at St. James’ Park if the following update is to be believed.

Newcastle set to sign Phillips

According to NUFC Blog, Newcastle are close to signing Phillips on loan, with an agreement between the two parties almost finalised ahead of January.

“Newcastle United are close to securing the signing of Man City midfielder Kalvin Phillips. We’re told it’s now ‘a case of when not if’ regarding his proposed move to St James’ Park, with a loan deal all but agreed ahead of the January transfer window.”

Phillips can still be a "Rolls Royce" for Howe

While Phillips hasn’t been a regular feature under Pep Guardiola since joining Man City, he still currently ranks in the 99th percentile for pass completion and the 95th percentile for clearances per 90 when he does get the chance to play, highlighting his composure on the ball alongside his ability to get rid of the danger (FBRef – Phillips statistics).

The Leeds-born talent also has the versatility to operate as a centre-back as well as in three roles in the midfield, so his ability to provide cover in positions outside of his own should any unexpected injuries occur would make him a wonderful option to have in the building considering the Magpies' issues this term (Transfermarkt – Phillips statistics).

As dubbed by journalist Josh Bunting, Howe’s target is like a “Rolls Royce” because he’s more than capable of putting in a marauding box-to-box performance when called upon, and this is a quality that he could be able to showcase more should he put pen to paper on Tyneside.

Finally, Phillips shares the same representative, CAA Stellar, as Nick Pope, Javier Manquillo and Elliot Anderson (Newcastle agents), so this existing connection that his management already have to the club could give the board a small advantage in getting this deal across the line in January.

Big Picture

If the whole series had gone the way the fourth ODI panned out, Pakistan wouldn’t quite have minded, even if the scoreline had been the 4-0 it currently is in favour of Australia. For the first time in the series, the purpose of Pakistan playing their bench strength finally bore fruit with Abid Ali scoring 112 on debut; no one has managed more for Pakistan in their first game. The reserve wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan scored his second hundred in three games, making a strong case for a ticket to England on the strength of his batting alone. Yes, somewhat impossibly, Pakistan ended up seven runs short of a win, but for the first time in the series, coach Mickey Arthur can claim with some credibility there is a bigger picture to be taken into account.

Imad, team fined for slow over-rate

Pakistan were docked ten percent of their match fees for a slow over-rate in the fourth ODI in Dubai. Imad Wasim, standing in as captain for the injured Shoaib Malik, was fined 20 percent as is customary. The ICC announced the match referee Jeff Crowe had imposed the punishment as Pakistan bowled the final over after the time set for the innings had lapsed.
“Imad pleaded guilty to the offence after the end of the match and accepted the proposed sanction, so there was no need for a formal hearing,” the ICC said. Pakistan lost the game by six runs.

Abid Ali’s nerveless hundred sees him rocket up the pecking order, guaranteed to start more than just the final game of the series. A whitewash, however, is no great preparation for anything, and with Pakistan’s ODI record against the teams they face at the World Cup especially abject over the past 15 months, they will be desperate for a victory to close out this series. The chase, though ultimately botched, will give Pakistan confidence they can compete with Australia. But for that, they continue to search for consistency in the top order, with the performances in the fourth ODI very much the exception rather than the rule.Australia can’t put a foot wrong right now. The improbable win in Dubai was their seventh in a row, and, lest we get too caught up in the players Pakistan have benched, take some time to ponder how much further this Australian side can be strengthened. Pat Cummins played just one of four ODIs, with Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Steven Smith and David Warner all likely inclusions to the World Cup squad. Without all that glamour, they swept aside Pakistan in the first three games, before demonstrating their steel to grind out a hard win in the fourth. This is the highest level at which Australia have played ODI cricket since they won the 2015 World Cup, and they could not have chosen the timing of their purple patch better.

Form guide

Australia WWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Pakistan LLLLL

In the spotlight

It is an undeniable fact Pakistan will leave out from the World Cup squad a number of bowlers other sides would cherish. Two of those most likely competing for one place are Usman Shinwari and Junaid Khan. Shinwari was Pakistan’s best bowler in the third ODI before tailing off in the fourth – somewhat the story of his blossoming career so far. Junaid was more probing in the fourth game than in the third, but the pair needs to show more evidence of consistent quality to earn a place in the most hotly competitive portion of the squad. World Cups define careers, particularly in Pakistan cricket, and should the pair take to the field in the final game, both left-arm pacers will have that extra bit of motivation to push their case. In the short term, that should boost Pakistan’s chances of coming away without a whitewash.Junaid Khan struck in his first over•AFP

The numbers look flashy for most Australians this series, but one whom they arguably short-change has been Nathan Lyon. The offspinner has managed one wicket in each of the four games while going at five an over, except in the second ODI. But those who watched him bowl will be surprised he hasn’t been more successful. The ball has spun for him more than his legspinning counterpart Adam Zampa, and Lyon has looked likely on a number of occasions without the results to show for it. The wickets he’s taken for his side have all been important batsman at crucial moments, but time is running out for him to impress the selectors enough for a World Cup berth.

Team news

Pakistan may persist with the same side that gave Australia their sternest test of the series, depending on whether Shoaib Malik is fit again to take over the reins. In that case, Umar Akmal, who has struggled to make a persuasive case, would miss out.Pakistan (possible): 1 Imam-ul-Haq/Shan Masood, 2 Abid Ali, 3 Haris Sohail, 4 Shoaib Malik (capt) 5 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 6 Saad Ali, 7 Imad Wasim, 8 Yasir Shah, 9 Usman Shinwari, 10 Junaid Khan, 11 Mohammad Hasnain/Mohammad AmirAustralia have kept their tinkering to a minimum particularly when it comes to the batting order. It is unlikely that changes will happen in the final game, though the fast bowlers could see the usual shuffling.Australia (possible): 1 Usman Khawaja, 2 Aaron Finch (capt), 3 Peter Handscomb, 4 Shaun Marsh, 5 Marcus Stoinis, 6 Glenn Maxwell, 7 Alex Carey (wk), 8 Nathan Coulter-Nile, 9 Kane Richardson, 10 Nathan Lyon, 11 Adam Zampa

Pitch and conditions

The Dubai pitch appeared to have something in it for the slow bowlers as well as the batsmen, though is still far too slow to be conducive to the most enjoyable one-day cricket. Weather will not be a factor, however, as the series takes its bow.

Stats and trivia

• Since the start of 2018, Pakistan’s record against teams that play the 2019 World Cup reads four wins, 16 losses. One of those wins came in the final over against Afghanistan at the Asia Cup last year.
• Australia’s win in the fourth ODI was just the fourth time in the format’s history a side had defended a total despite two opposition batsmen scoring centuries.

Arsenal begin their hunt for a record-extending 15th FA Cup victory as they prepare to face Liverpool this evening.

Mikel Arteta won't be resting on his laurels as he aims to secure his second trophy as manager of the club – four years after winning the same competition against Chelsea.

Over the previous few weeks, however, the Gunners have suffered two defeats in the Premier League, and they have only won one fixture since a 4-3 victory over Luton Town at the start of December.

This signifies that despite the club sitting fourth in the table and just five points behind the Anfield side, Arteta needs to bolster his squad in the January transfer window.

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They have naturally been linked with a few names so far, yet it is a potential swoop for a current Premier League midfielder which could be one of his most important moves.

Arsenal transfer news – Amadou Onana

It is no secret that Arteta is after some midfield reinforcements – either this month or in the summer – and according to a report from TEAMtalk earlier this week, Arsenal have shown interest in Everton gem Amadou Onana ahead of making a swoop for the player.

Indeed, the report indicates that the Gunners have in fact made an approach for the Belgian as they look to add some more talent into their midfield area.

The club have been linked with a move for Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz in recent months following his impressive start to the season for the Midlands outfit, scoring seven times as Unai Emery’s side have lit up the top flight.

It appears as though Arteta is looking to move on to other targets, with Onana now being targeted.

Any prospective move could come at a huge cost, however, as the Goodison Park outfit are reportedly valuing the midfielder between £70m-£90m and this could prove to be a big stumbling block for Arsenal.

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During the summer, the Spaniard splashed out a club record £105m transfer fee to lure Declan Rice from West Ham United and despite the lavish sum, he is certainly shown his worth.

This suggests that a move for Onana could perhaps allow Arteta to replicate his Rice masterclass and sign another midfielder from a fellow Premier League side and give them a platform to continue their development.

Declan Rice’s Arsenal statistics

The Englishman swiftly emerged as one of the most gifted midfielders in the country during his spell at West Ham, progressing from the academy to club captain within just a few years.

He eventually made 245 appearances for the Irons since making his debut during the 2016/17 campaign, and he departed as a hero, leading the club to their first major trophy since the 1980 FA Cup by winning the Europa Conference League in June 2023.

He had been admired by a host of clubs, yet it was a move across London to Arsenal which was the logical option, and he hasn’t disappointed during his first six months at the Emirates.

Indeed, the midfielder currently ranks second among the squad for accurate passes per game in the top flight (62.8) along with ranking second for tackles (2.1) and first for interceptions (1.5), indicating that he has been a positive influence in the Arsenal side, especially from a defensive viewpoint.

The 24-year-old can also contribute in an attacking sense too, as he has scored some vital goals this season.

His first goal for the Gunners came against Manchester United in a thrilling 3-1 victory in September, while the former West Ham starlet netted a wonderful last-minute header against Luton to claim all three points, and he has adapted well to Arteta’s methods and demands.

Onana is in a similar mould to the Arsenal midfielder and there is no doubt he could settle in well at the club should he make a move to the Gunners in the near future.

Amadou Onana’s season in numbers

Frank Lampard may have struggled in his role as Everton manager, but his signing of Onana was among one of his finest pieces of transfer business.

The 22-year-old cost the club £33m from French side Lille in August 2022 and he enjoyed a decent first season for the Toffees, making 35 appearances across all competitions and scoring once.

This has given him a platform to become one of Everton’s best performers this season under Sean Dyche.

His displays this term have seen him garner praise from a wide range of sources. Under 23 scout Antonio Mango was one such admirer, saying: “He’s such a physical specimen, he has all attributes to become a real Midfield Powerhouse.”

Talent scout Jacek Kulig went even further in his praise for the talented Belgian, claiming he was a “complete package” following another excellent performance for the Toffees last month.

Across the whole Everton squad in the top flight this season, Onana ranks first for accurate passes per game (32.7) while also ranking third for big chances created (four) and third for tackles per game (2.6) which demonstrates how effective he is in various performance metrics.

He is without doubt, one of Dyche’s most important players this season, and he could thrive at the heart of the Arsenal midfield, enabling the likes of Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz to utilise their attacking abilities.

The Belgian’s defensive acumen sees him rank in the top 5% in Europe’s big five leagues for aerial duels won per 90 (2.47) along with ranking in the top 25% for tackles won per 90 (2.47) and if there is one player Arteta should target this month, it must be Onana.

Much will depend on how much the Spaniard has to spend in the current transfer window, and he may have to move on some deadwood in order to raise the required funds to sign the Everton gem.

Rice has proved that £105m can go a long way and with the Toffees wanting around £90m for their star man, Arteta could repeat his stroke of genius by luring Onana to the Emirates in the summer.

MatériaMais Notícias

Principal jogador do Brasiliense desde a temporada 2020, o atacante Zé Love foi um dos responsáveis pelo título do Jacaré na Copa Verde nesta última quarta-feira (24), quando a equipe passou pelo Remo em dois jogos e venceu o torneio na disputa de pênaltis. De acordo com o jogador, esse troféu ficará marcado em sua vitoriosa carreira.

RelacionadasFluminenseMandatário do Fluminense confia na parceria entre Roger e Marcão: ‘Manterá esse trabalho digno’Fluminense26/02/2021Fora de CampoGlobo define data para Galvão voltar a narrar, mas aguarda vacinaçãoFora de Campo26/02/2021FlamengoRogério Ceni e três jogadores representam o Flamengo na premiação ‘Bola de Prata’Flamengo26/02/2021

– Esse título da Copa Verde tem um peso muito grande para todos aqui no grupo. Para mim foi muito especial. Estou muito feliz por ter ajudado o Brasiliense a conquistar a competição, que é muito importante. Trabalhamos muito para que isso fosse possível. O grupo está de parabéns pela luta e entrega durante a disputa – disse o atacante.

Ainda de acordo com Zé Love, sua fase tem sido muito especial e ele espera seguir contribuindo para que a equipe atinja os seus objetivos e chegue a um patamar cada vez mais alto no futebol brasileiro.

– Estou passando por uma fase iluminada e agradeço a todos por isso. Todos estão me dando muita confiança durante o dia a dia e isso tem feito a diferença. Vou lutar muito para manter esse ritmo forte até o fim de 2021 – completou.

Who's hot, who's not? GOAL ranks all 29 teams across Major League Soccer

The 2024 MLS field is more open than ever. There's no clear front-runner in the race for the MLS Supporters' Shield, and no clear favorite to take home silverware at the end of the campaign.

Reigning MLS Cup champions Columbus Crew are flying high in continental competition, but their league form is suffering as a result. Elsewhere, 2023 Supporters' Shield winners FC Cincinnati are soaring, while Inter Miami look better than ever with Lionel Messi Luis Suarez leading the way in a tight Eastern Conference.

Then there's the contenders who are unexpectedly creeping up on the frontrunners: the New York Red Bulls, Real Salt Lake, Minnesota United and the Vancouver Whitecaps, all of whom have had blistering starts to the season.

With 13 Matchdays complete, which club leads the pack, and who is falling short of expectations? GOAL presents the latest MLS Power Rankings…

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• 29New England Revolution ↔️

  Things just continue to get worse and worse each week for the Reves. It appears that they've lost Dylan Borreo to a serious injury, and they sit bottom of MLS with just seven points from 11 games.

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• 28Chicago Fire ⬇️

  Frank Klopas is so, so overwhelmed with the Fire at the moment. They're a disaster all over the pitch and are winless in five, with just two victories on the season.

• 27Portland Timbers ⬇️

  Portland are … well, not doing so well. Phil Neville's squad is nearing free-fall, with the club winless in nine-straight matches. They continue to leak goals, despite their attack being rather consistent at the other end of the field.

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• 26Sporting Kansas City ⬇️

  Sporting are in horrendous form at the moment, and two recent losses against Real Salt Lake and the Houston Dynamo have only added to the pain. Their last win came on March 30.

Newcastle United got their Premier League season back on track with a 3-0 home win over ten-man Fulham last game, responding to two humbling defeats back-to-back against Everton and Tottenham.

Lewis Miley became the club's youngest ever top-flight goalscorer in the convincing win over Marco Silva's Cottagers, whilst Miguel Almiron and Dan Burn also got in on the act in the second 45 minutes to hand Eddie Howe's Magpies the victory.

Picking up the deserved three points was dampened somewhat by first-teamers Fabian Schar and Joelinton limping off the St James' Park turf with injuries however, adding more numbers to the ever-growing list of players out with knocks for the Magpies.

The transfer window rolling around next month is perfectly timed therefore for the Toon to add fresh blood to the depleted group, with the club rumoured to be in for this talent from abroad.

Newcastle United transfers latest – Benjamin Rollheiser chase

Portuguese outlet O Jogo are reporting that Howe's side will have to show more drive in their pursuit for Estudiantes winger Benjamin Rollheiser to land the exciting forward, with Benfica now leading the way to win the South American winger's services.

The Premier League giants have been long-time admirers of Rollheiser so won't roll over easily for the Portuguese club to just swoop in, with The Sun reporting back in August via Alan Nixon that the 23-year-old winger was on the Magpies' shopping list in the summer.

If Newcastle are successful in signing the dynamic Argentinian figure, Almiron could be fearing about his immediate first-team future on Tyneside with Rollheiser arguably an upgrade on the Paraguayan midfielder who has become a Newcastle stalwart.

How Benjamin Rollheiser compares to Miguel Almiron

Described as being a "decisive" footballer by his Estudiantes manager Eduardo Dominguez earlier this year – even comparing his golden winger to Lionel Messi outlandishly – Rollheiser constantly steps up to the mark when his South American club need him to.

The 23-year-old's 2023 has been very fruitful, contributing to 20 goals in total in all competitions as his side went all the way in the Copa Argentina to lift the coveted trophy.

Whereas, Almiron's role in the Newcastle team this season in particular has been less than impactful in truth.

Newcastle's £21m man – which was a club record fee back in 2019 – did help himself to 11 goals last season, but only has three strikes in the top flight next to his name this season which suggests his powers are slightly diminishing.

Rollheiser would excel in a fast-paced attack at St James' Park over Almiron, adding a new freshness to the attacking areas at the club that could catch top-flight defences off-guard.

Comparing the two players via FBRef, the 23-year-old Argentinian attacker comes out on top in many of the key areas you want a winger to excel.

Daring and adventurous as seen in his ability to pull off audacious skills, 5 foot 9 Rollheiser also loves constantly bombing forward for Estudiantes with energy and trickery in abundance – completing 2.89 successful take-ons per 90 minutes over the last year as a full-throttle forward, compared to Almiron's more shy approach foraying forward which sees him complete a poor 1.02.

Moreover, Rollheiser's clinical edge trumps Almiron with the 23-year-old attempting 3.25 shots per 90 contrasted with the Newcastle man coming in at a lesser 2.33.

Only 11 appearances off making it to a landmark of 200 games in a Magpies shirt, it would be a bitter pill to swallow for Howe to gradually phase Almiron out of his first team.

But, for Newcastle to reach that next level and compete with the elite clubs, they will have to make significant upgrades in certain areas of the pitch with Rollheiser a signing they should continue to pursue to enhance the first team at St James' Park.