Newcastle United's star defender Dan Burn is all set to voice the Genie in an Aladdin pantomime running over the Christmas period. Burn will make his debut in the world of entertainment, although he himself will not feature on the stage. Instead, his voice will be pre-recorded, considering the Magpies' busy schedule in December in the Premier League.
Newcastle United ended a long wait for an away win in the Premier League this season with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Everton at the Hill Dickinson on Saturday.
Eddie Howe will have been delighted with how clinical his team were in the final third, as Malick Thiaw scored twice, either side of goals from Nick Woltemade and Lewis Miley.
Woltemade has now scored five goals in the Premier League this season since his £69m move from Stuttgart during the summer transfer window, after he replaced Alexander Isak.
The Germany international’s impressive form has not been great news for everyone at St. James’ Park, though, because it has meant that opportunities for other forwards in the squad have been limited.
Woltemade is the guaranteed first-choice number nine for the Magpies, as evidenced by ten starts in ten Premier League outings, and that has left another player to consider their future at the club.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
According to German outlet BILD, via Newcastle World, Newcastle United centre-forward William Osula ‘wants to leave’ St. James’ Park in the January transfer window in search of regular first-team football.
The report claims that Eintracht Frankfurt, who were keen on him in the summer, remain interested in a potential deal to snap him up from the Magpies ahead of the second half of the campaign.
Newcastle World notes that Frankfurt came close to signing the Dane on a permanent deal for £30m in the summer before they pursued a loan move at the last minute, which led to a breakdown in negotiations.
It adds that a similar transfer fee to that £30m offer could see a transfer done in January, and PIF must now move to cash in on the forward in the German side are willing to put that kind of money on the table again.
Osula, who is currently out with an ankle injury, is clearly a talented prospect who could become a key player for the Magpies in the future. He has scored three goals in just 370 minutes this season, per Sofascore, including a goal against Liverpool in the Premier League.
At 22, the Danish marksman has the majority of his career left ahead of him to develop and improve, but it is a question of when and where his development will happen, because he needs to be playing games in order to progress.
Woltemade is only a year older than Osula and Newcastle have Yoane Wissa to come back from injury, which means that there is no visible short-term route to him being a first-choice option for Howe.
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Where Osula would rank in Newcastle’s record sales |
|
|---|---|
|
Player |
Fee |
|
Alexander Isak |
£125m |
|
Andy Carroll |
£35m |
|
Elliot Anderson |
£35m |
|
Yankuba Minteh |
£30m |
|
Moussa Sissoko |
£30m |
|
Ayoze Perez |
£30m |
|
Will Osula |
£30m (rumoured) |
|
Gini Wijnaldum |
£25m |
|
Allan Saint-Maximin |
£23m |
|
Aleksandar Mitrovic |
£22m |
|
Fees via Football FanCast |
|
As you can see in the table above, selling the 22-year-old to Frankfurt, or any other team, for £30m in January would make the youngster one of the most expensive sales in the club’s history, with only three players having been sold for more.
Osula was once described by former teammate Curtis Davies as being like “a poor man’s Haaland” with his physicality in the number nine role, and you saw a glimpse of that with the way he bundled his way through to score against Liverpool.
However, it does not appear as though he will get the time on the pitch that is needed for him to realise his potential at Newcastle, because of Woltemade and Wissa, which may be why he now wants to leave the club in January.
PIF and Howe should not step in his way because selling him for a potential fee of £30m could be the best possible outcome for all parties involved. Osula would get to go and pursue regular football and find a new home, whilst the Magpies would have funds available to bolster their squad in other areas.
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Therefore, PIF should axe the Danish striker when the January transfer window opens for business, should Frankfurt make a significant offer for his services, as it may be the right decision for the club and the player.
Liverpool are plotting ways to get their Premier League season back on track and could now be set to make a surprise move to bring an exciting forward to Anfield.
Arne Slot looks to evade Liverpool pressure after recent results
It goes without saying that Arne Slot has been under pressure at Liverpool in recent weeks, and reports have even began to link Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique with the Anfield hotseat as scrutiny follows the Dutchman.
Nevertheless, football statistician Josh Williams told BBC Radio Merseyside that he doesn’t believe the former Feyenoord manager should be relieved of his duties, stating that the issues he has faced this season can be internally fixed.
He said: “I wouldn’t sack Arne Slot if it can be helped because whoever replaces him will have the same top-heavy, unbalanced squad. There are two playable centre-halfs and no right-backs as it stands and a dwindling star down the right side in Mohamed Salah.
“You can’t really drop him without it being a massive story. Even if it is a coaching issue that can be solved behind the scenes, whoever replaces him has a game every three days now.”
In the cold light of day, Liverpool’s transfer spend of over £400 million in the summer wasn’t bad on paper, with some high-profile stars arriving following their Premier League triumph last term.
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Nevertheless, the Reds have really struggled to generate momentum since the early part of the campaign, which has put them in a position where the January window and beyond have become more important than anyone would’ve liked them to be.
With that in mind, Liverpool could now turn to an unexpected source to bolster their attack as Slot looks for answers within his tactical framework.
Liverpool make enquiry for Everton attacker Iliman Ndiaye
Antoine Semenyo is said to be one of Liverpool’s key targets for January but he’s not the only Premier League winger on their radar.
According to Foot Mercato, Liverpool have made an enquiry for Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye, and he is also on the radar of Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur after an excellent start to the campaign.
The Senegal international has made 15 appearances across all competitions this term, registering four goals and an assist in total and his versatility is said to appeal to the three clubs who have emerged as suitors.
Lauded by Toffees journalist Patrick Boyland as “one of the best in the league in his position”, Ndiaye is said to be worth in and around the £70 million bracket, likely meaning he would be someone Liverpool need to pay a premium for if they are serious about seeinh him cross Merseyside.
Any move would see a fair deal of controversy unfold, given Liverpool haven’t signed a player directly from Everton since Abel Xavier in 2002. Still, the 25-year-old is someone who is worth the risk as Slot looks to find new solutions in the final third.
South Africa coach says, “the only context I ever intended it to be was that we wanted India to spend a lot of time in the field”
Firdose Moonda06-Dec-2025South Africa coach Shukri Conrad has clarified that he did not intend “to cause any malice,” when he said his team wanted to make India “grovel” during the Guwahati Test.Speaking to the media for the first time since he made that statement, Conrad stopped short of an apology but indicated he regretted his choice of words as South Africa worked their way to a 2-0 Test sweep.”On reflection, it was never my intention to cause any malice or not be humble about anything. I could have chosen a better word because it left it open for people to put their own context to it,” Conrad said after South Africa’s 2-1 ODI series loss in Visakhapatnam. “The only context I ever intended it to be was that we wanted India to spend a lot of time in the field and make it really tough for them. I’ve got to be careful what word I use here now because context could be attached to that as well.”Related
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Conrad had made the comment after the fourth day’s play of the second Test, when South Africa batted deep into their second innings and set India a target of 549. When asked why they didn’t declare earlier, Conrad had said: “We wanted the Indians to spend as much time on their feet out in the field, we wanted them to really grovel, to steal a phrase, bat them completely out the game, and then say to them, ‘come and survive on the last day and an hour this evening.'”South Africa won the match on day five to hand India their heaviest home defeat and complete a first series win in India in 25 years. But Conrad’s use of the word “grovel,” which was heavily loaded because it was used by Tony Greig when referring to the West Indies team in 1976, spoilt some of South Africa’s victory. Conrad was criticised by former Indian and South African players, including Sunil Gavaskar and visiting commentator Dale Steyn.Conrad made no public comment since then but Test and ODI captain Temba Bavuma twice fielded questions about the use of the word. On both occasions, Bavuma said it was an issue for Conrad to address. Meanwhile, Conrad was in communication with a “network of people that I trust, family back home, and people on our staff,” and concluded he had done some damage, which he needed to repair.”It’s really a pity. Maybe what it did do was spice up the ODI series, and especially with India winning that now, the T20 series becomes even more so,” Conrad said. “The unfortunate thing is, with all the noise that that word caused, I still think it’s a perfectly good English word, but I just left it open to too many interpretations. What it did was take away the gloss of what was a really special win for our Test team. It’s unfortunate, but there was definitely no malice intended.”In his nearly three years as Test coach and almost six months as all-format coach, Conrad has emerged as a popular, witty figure who does not mince his words. Notably, he asked his team to “show-off more” a few months ago as they put out strong performances on the world stage, but has based his philosophy on the opposite of that and expects humility from everyone including himself.”Being humble is a cornerstone of our Test team and all our teams for that matter,” he said. “It’s unfortunate that the noise and the talk became around the coach. People shouldn’t really even know who the coach is. It should be about the players. That’s the unfortunate bit, and I’d like to think that it’s going to be put to bed now.”ESPNcricinfo understands Cricket South Africa was not amused by Conrad’s use of the word “grovel,” not least because they maintain a strong relationship with Indian cricket, but left it up to him to decide if or when he wanted to address the issue. CSA has made no comment or statement about the coach’s choice of language.
Jake Weatherald believes maturing as a player and a cricketer has helped put him on the cusp of a Test debut he feared may never come.An aggressive left-hander, Weatherald has been picked in Australia’s 15-man squad for the first Ashes Test in Perth following a stunning career revival in Tasmania.Darwin-raised, Weatherald’s first-class career started brightly in South Australia, before a form slump and mental health challenges ended in him being dropped from the Sheffield Shield team.Related
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But having scored 1391 runs at 53.5 from his past 15 first-class games since his move to Tasmania, the 31-year-old is a chance to open the batting for Australia this summer.”Playing for Australia’s the hardest thing to do in Australian sport,” Weatherald said in Hobart on Friday. “It was always a goal that felt maybe a little bit out of reach at times.”But at the same time, I probably got comfortable with myself to know that if I did the right things, at the right time, and I took my opportunities, then I’d be ready to go. It is a pinch-yourself moment.”As a kid in Australia, you grow up wanting to play professional sport; representing Australia in cricket is the highest honour, and something that I’ve aspired to my whole career.”If selectors decide to go with Weatherald, he will partner with Usman Khawaja at the top. Khawaja raised eyebrows last week when he firmly backed in his Queensland team-mate Matt Renshaw to earn an Australian recall.But Weatherald, who was getting coffee with mates when George Bailey rang with the good news, laughed off the comments, with Khawaja fully behind the newest member of the Australian squad. Khawaja joined in the fun with a “Who this?” reply to a clip of Weatherald’s interview with the .”He didn’t have me in four days ago,” Weatherald joked when asked about Khawaja now backing him to play. “You get the backing of someone like that who’s played so much first-class cricket, so much Test cricket.Jake Weatherald had been a stand out in domestic cricket•Getty Images
“He’s made so many hundreds for Australia and is such a respected cricketer within our community. I’d be really excited to partner up with him at some point.”Speaking to Fox Cricket on Thursday, Khawaja said: “He’s been knocking the door down. I’ve played a lot of cricket against him…he’s a terrific player. Conditions last year were pretty hard at Shield cricket, and he was a standout.”Weatherald’s hopes of getting into the XI could hinge on allrounder Cameron Green being able to bowl enough overs in the next Shield game for Western Australia. Labuschagne will almost certainly be back after finding form following his axing for the three Tests in the West Indies.Green batted at No.3 in the Caribbean, but could shuffle down to No.6 to accommodate Labuschagne, as well as Weatherald as an opener, if he is able to justify his position as a genuine allrounder.But Labuschagne opening, as he did unsuccessfully in the World Test Championship final, also remains an option for selectors.Green is the only member of Australia’s squad aged under 30, leading to ‘Dad’s Army’ jibes from the English. But Weatherald is confident he is only in contention for Australia because of how he has matured as a cricketer.”People laugh about it, talking about the old team that we have,” Weatherald said. “But the same time, I think that’s the biggest blessing is we’ve all matured as cricketers.Jake Weatherald’s career was transformed last season with over 900 Shield runs•Getty Images
“We’ve got to a point in our careers where we understand our games and how to handle the media, how to handle the pressures of playing first-class cricket. Hopefully that keeps me in good stead.”When the squad was announced, Bailey spoke about Weatherald’s positive approach with the bat, something the selectors have been looking for since David Warner’s retirement, but while Weatherald will bring his natural game to Test cricket he is also willing to adapt.”I think the way I operate is probably around that [being positive],” he said. “But at the same time, I’m not too preconceived about what I want to do. I feel adaptable. I don’t feel like a one-gear player. I feel like I can do different things.”If that means I have to lock in and bat a day and score 50 runs, that’s the best thing for the team and the conditions, that’s what I’ll do. But at the same time, if the opportunity is there, I’ll definitely take it.”Weatherald, who reflected on the 2005 Ashes as “his first fond memory of cricket”, is also confident of being able to deal with everything Ashes cricket will throw at him.”I think so, in terms of my mindset,” he said. “I think I’m pretty understanding of what I need to do to get ready as a cricketer but also how to deal with the pressure that comes out. I’ve never been a part of it. I’ve only been from the outside looking in. I’m sure the pressures and things that will come will be intense. But at the same time, I just see it as a great opportunity to be a part of it. And whatever happens, happens. It’s just going to be a cool thing to be a part of.”You know, the media, the Barmy Army, all that sort of stuff is going to be a pretty incredible experience.”
Cheteshwar Pujara also questioned India’s approach and shot selection on the turning Kolkata pitch
ESPNcricinfo staff17-Nov-2025
A dejected Ravindra Jadeja walks back for 18•AFP/Getty Images
India are going through a period of transition in Test cricket, but Cheteshwar Pujara will not accept it as an excuse for losing a Test at home.After India lost their first Test to South Africa, collapsing to 93 all out in the final innings, Pujara questioned the India batters’ approach on a pitch that had uneven bounce and turn from day one, but also said the batters were not the only ones to be blamed.”I don’t buy this that India are losing at home because of transition. I can’t digest that,” Pujara said on JioStar after India lost by 30 runs in Kolkata. “If you lose in England or Australia because of transition, it could be acceptable. But this team has the talent and potential. You look at the first-class record of all the players – Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Shubman Gill… Washy [Washington Sundar] batted at No. 3 in this game – all their records are so good. Still if you lose at home that means something is wrong.Related
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“If you had played the same match on a good wicket, there were much better chances of [India] winning. How do you define Test cricket? On what kind of a wicket are your chances better of winning? On such tracks, your chances decrease and the opposition is at par with you. There’s so much talent in India, even an India A side could beat South Africa. So if you say this loss is because of transition, it’s not acceptable.”After the match, where 189 was the best innings total and only one half-century was scored largely due to the sharp turn, up-and-down bounce and rough patches that made batting a challenge, India head coach Gautam Gambhir had clarified that it was “exactly the pitch we were looking for”.Even though India have often preferred rank turners to gain their home advantage, their choice of such a track in the wake of the 3-0 whitewash to New Zealand at home last year and now this loss – their fourth in the last six home Tests – has raised questions.4:55
Philander: ‘On that surface 123 was like 350-400’
“You can’t just blame the batters on this kind of a wicket because firstly if you want to play on such wickets, your preparation has to be different,” Pujara said. “Gauti said they asked for this kind of a wicket but it wasn’t easy to bat on. Look at the stats of both teams – only one batter scored a fifty so it shows it wasn’t a good wicket.”If you want to play on such tracks, your batters have to be prepared accordingly and it didn’t look like they were prepared. On such wickets, you have to play different kind of shots, like rely more on sweeps, play a little positive, try to move the scoreboard. But there was an expectation that this wicket would be a bit decent, it would have some turn, and you can bat well and score runs. But this wicket wasn’t like that. If the Indian team wants such turning wickets where the ball turns from ball one, then the batters’ approach will have to be different.”That 3-0 last year had cost India a place in the WTC final and this defeat to South Africa has seen them slip to fourth position on the current WTC table, behind Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka.The second and final Test of the series begins on November 22 in Guwahati. After this series, India’s next WTC series will be two matches in Sri Lanka in August next year. India’s next home series is more than a year away from now, when they host Australia for five Tests in January-February 2027.
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