Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres has not been named in Graham Potter’s first Sweden squad, but Liverpool’s Alexander Isak has been included.
Gyokeres is set to have further tests this week amid fears he sustained a hamstring injury during the Gunners’ Premier League win at Burnley on Saturday.
The 27-year-old missed Arsenal’s Champions League win against Slavia Prague on Tuesday.
Isak, who has not played for the Reds since 22 October because of a groin problem, has been selected for the World Cup qualifiers against Switzerland (15 November) and Slovenia (18 November).
Tottenham midfielder Lucas Bergvall, who is recovering from concussion, and Newcastle winger Anthony Elanga are among the England-based players named by former Brighton, Chelsea and West Ham boss Potter.
It was only the shadow of brilliant Real keeper Thibaut Courtois that threatened to stop Liverpool getting what they merited, with a stunning individual performance that revived memories of how he defied them when Jurgen Klopp’s team lost the 2022 Champions League final in Paris.
The Belgian made a string of magnificent saves, including four from Dominik Szoboszlai and a remarkable reflex stop from Virgil van Dijk’s header, before even he was powerless to stop Mac Allister’s header from the Hungarian’s free-kick.
Liverpool’s narrow victory margin does not touch the sides of their domination from first whistle to last, these crucial three points pushing them into sixth place in the Champions League table, a standing that will put them in the last 16 without the need to resort to a play-off if maintained.
Szoboszlai and Mac Allister ruled midfield, while Florian Wirtz provided some of the subtle touches that made his name at Bayer Leverkusen. Hugo Ekitike was a constant menace.
Liverpool were, unlike so often this season, rock solid at the back as Kylian Mbappe was marginalised, delivering a dreadful, error-strewn display. Vinicius had been beaten by Bradley long before the end.
If it was a miserable night for Alexander-Arnold, it was not much better for Jude Bellingham, offered the Anfield stage to deliver a reminder of his class before England head coach Thomas Tuchel names his squad to face Serbia and Albania after excluding him last time.
He provided one moment of danger in the first half when he forced Giorgi Mamardashvili to save with his legs, but was otherwise anonymous as Real failed to establish any sort of stranglehold.
Bellingham conceded the free-kick in a dangerous position that led to Mac Allister’s goal, offering little as Real tried to force their way back into contention, although he was not alone there.
He offered words of sympathy to Alexander-Arnold: “Obviously, it is one of those things in football. The fans booing isn’t a reflection of how they feel about him.
“I think it is more to give their team the edge and throw him off a little bit. I am sure they’re appreciative of what he has done for the club.”
Alexander-Arnold, once an Anfield idol, probably could not wait to get back to his new Madrid home, while life for Liverpool suddenly looks much brighter ahead of Sunday’s meeting with Manchester City at Etihad Stadium.
The 28-year-old German recorded his 300th victory on hard courts with a comfortable victory over Musetti.
He played the key points well and made no mistake when serving out for the match after breaking the Italian fourth seed in the 11th game of the second set.
Since losing to Sinner at the Australian Open, Zverev has gone on to reach just two more finals, winning on clay in Munich in April and losing on the grass in Stuttgart in June.
That is in stark contrast to Sinner’s record, with the Italian world number two becoming the first man since Novak Djokovic in 2015-16 to appear in eight finals in successive seasons.
Sinner extended his winning streak on indoor hard courts to 20 matches and took his unbeaten record to 12 wins against Australian third seed De Minaur as he claimed a fourth consecutive straight-set victory at the ATP 500 tournament.
He was broken twice – once in each set – but battled his way through what he described as a “physical” encounter.
“I am happy how I handled it,” said the 2023 Vienna Open champion, who is aiming to secure a fourth title of the season after wins at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and China Open.
“I was a break up in the second and he broke me back. I tried to stay strong mentally so I am very happy about today’s performance and obviously to be in another final.”
Elsewhere, 19-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca reached the first ATP 500 final of his career with a 7-6 (7-4) 7-5 victory over unseeded Spanish player Jaume Munar at the Swiss Indoors in Basel.
He will play another Spaniard – Alejandro Davidovich Fokina – in the final after the eighth seed’s opponent Frenchman Ugo Humbert retired while trailing 7-6 (7-4) 3-1 in their semi-final.
Arne Slot has no hair left to lose but the man celebrating his 47th birthday might have been left feeling a few years older as his Liverpool team put him through the wringer again.
In the end, however, Liverpool were able to make it many happy returns for their head coach – but not before another dose of late drama that has characterised their winning start to this season.
The old cliche that 2-0 is the most dangerous lead in football is being given new meaning by Liverpool, who have lost this advantage twice in the Premier League this season – to Bournemouth and Newcastle United – and did so again against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
On each occasion, however, Liverpool have pulled back from the brink to win.
Such is the sheer force of will in Slot’s side, as well as the power of Anfield on Champions League nights, that there was almost an inevitability about Virgil van Dijk’s towering header deep into stoppage time that enabled Liverpool to open their Champions League with victory.
The Dutchman’s 93rd-minute winner was the fourth goal Liverpool have scored in the 90th minute or later across all competitions this season, with six of their eight second-half goals this season being scored from the 88th minute onwards.
Slot was able to celebrate wildly in his technical area once more, as he has done as Liverpool have won all their games this season in the last 10 minutes and into stoppage time, but even in triumph he must wish that Liverpool would not leave him and their fans knee-deep in chewed fingernails before they can celebrate.
Even Liverpool, for all their attacking prowess, will not be able to perform this trick every time. Their carelessness will be a concern for Slot, even if they have shown five times this season that they have what it takes to pull themselves out of trouble.
“A game like this should not have gone to a late winner,” Slot said.
“I understand that’s the story of this game and the last five games, but for me it is a different game than the ones we played before. We had so many great attacks today where we could have scored the third goal.”
The world tennis No 1 beat Bublik in the round of 16, losing just three games and reversing a shock loss to the Kazakh in June.
Published On 2 Sep 20252 Sep 2025
Defending champion Jannik Sinner said he enjoyed the vibe of playing under the Arthur Ashe Stadium lights after he continued his hardcourt Grand Slam run by hammering 23rd seed Alexander Bublik to make the US Open quarterfinals.
The Italian tennis player came into the match on Labour Day, seeking his 25th straight major match win on his preferred surface, and never looked in danger against a tricky rival, bolting out of the blocks to win 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 on his night session debut this year.
“It’s always special to go on Ashe to play,” Sinner said after the match on Monday.
“Night matches, they’re a bit different because there’s a bit more attention, I feel. It’s a different vibe, also, around the court. It’s very loud. It’s also different to play.
“It was the first time for me this year. It was nice. You have the good and the bad if you play in the evening. It’s very special, and you feel very privileged to step onto court in the night on the biggest court we have.”
A mere 81 minutes after the clash began, Sinner was back in the locker room after gaining revenge for a shock defeat by Bublik on June 20, in the Halle Open final – his only loss to a player not named Carlos Alcaraz this year.
“We know each other well. We’ve had some tough battles this year, so we know each other a bit better,” the top-seeded Sinner said.
“He had a tough match last time [against Tommy Paul], finishing late. He didn’t serve as well as he does. I broke him in every set, and it gave me the confidence to play well.”
A double break helped Sinner build a 4-0 lead before Bublik could even get on the board, and the dominant 24-year-old chased down a drop shot to fire home a deep backhand winner that wrapped up the opening set with another break.
Bublik’s attempts to disrupt Sinner’s rhythm with more drop shots proved futile, but it was his service errors that left him trailing by two sets, before Sinner wheeled away to his eighth straight grand slam quarterfinal.
Up next is a meeting with compatriot Lorenzo Musetti. Sinner said it would be a great occasion for Italian tennis.
“It’s great to see. Italian tennis is in great form. We have so many players and different game styles,” he said.
“Lorenzo is one of the biggest talents we have in our sport. I’m looking forward to this one. From an Italian point of view, it’s great to have for sure one Italian player in the semis.
“I know that there are a lot of Italian players in the crowd. It makes everything special.”
Sinner, right, after beating Bublik in the fourth round of the US Open [Robert Deutsch/Imagn Images via Reuters]
ALEXNDER ISAK has broken his silence following his blockbuster move to Liverpool.
The Sweden international completed a deadline-day move to the Reds from Newcastle United to become the most expensive player in Premier League history.
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Alexander Isak has completed a blockbuster move to Liverpool from Newcastle UnitedCredit: PA
Liverpool have shelled out a Premier League record £130MILLION to sign the 25-year-old.
Former Real Sociedad ace Isak went on strike in order to force through his move to Anfield and has yet to play this season.
And he’s champing at the bit to get started for the Reds following his successful self-imposed exile.
When asked what drew him to Anfield, he told the Kop club’s official website: “It’s a mixture of what the club is building.
“But what they’re building on top of what the club already is.
“The history of the club,” Isak told Liverpoolfc.com, when asked why Anfield is the place for him.
“Me getting the chance to be a part of this, I want to create history. I want to win trophies.
“That’s ultimately the biggest motivation for me and I feel like this is the perfect place for me to grow even further and to take my game to the next level and help the team as well.
“I feel like this is the next step for me in my career. I’m super-happy that I’ve been given this chance and I’m very motivated to do something well with it.”
Kop chief Arne Slot has handed Isak the historic No.9 shirt, which has previously been worn by club legends Ian Rush, Robbie Fowler and Fernando Torres.
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He blasted: “I’ve kept quiet for a long time while others have spoken. That silence has allowed people to push their own version of events, even though they know it doesn’t reflect what was really said and agreed behind closed doors.
“The reality is that promises were made and the club has known my position for a long time.
“To now act as if these issues are only emerging is misleading.
“When promises are broken and trust is lost, the relationship can’t continue.
“That’s where things are for me right now – and why change is in the best interests of everyone, not just myself.”
Toon chiefs’ stance was that the Swedish international, 25, is not for sale – although a £150m figure would reportedly have been enough to convince the Saudi owners to part with him.
The club hit back: “We are disappointed to have been alerted to a social media post by Alexander Isak.
How Liverpool’s genius ‘sucker’ trick defied Newcastle’s heroic pack-hunters
“We are clear in response that Alex remains under contract and that no commitment has ever been made by a club official that Alex can leave Newcastle United this summer.
“Alex remains part of our family and will be welcomed back when he is ready to rejoin his team-mates.”
If they don’t, the Magpies still hold hope of getting Isak to agree to a new contract with a release clause kicking in next summer.
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Isak to Liverpool transfer saga timeline
JANUARY: First links to Liverpool emerge
FEBRUARY: £150million record fee mooted
MARCH: Isak denies Newcastle contract talk
APRIL: Eddie Howe hails Isak as “very professional.”
MAY: Howe insists Isak will not be sold
Last match in Newcastle shirt
JUNE: Transfer links to Liverpool heat up
JULY: Flies with Newcastle for Austria training camp
Left out of Celtic friendly
Liverpool hijack Toon’s Hugo Ekitike deal after making Isak enquiry
Doesn’t travel for pre-season tour of Singapore and South Korea, citing injury
AUGUST: Training by himself at Newcastle
Liverpool have £110m bid rejected
Isak stops training and goes on strike
Moves out of his apartment
Releases angry statement blasting ‘trust has been lost’
Newcastle respond by insisting he won’t be sold unless it benefits club
However, a further boost for the champions – who have also signed Toon target Hugo Ekitike this summer – is that The Telegraph claim Newcastle are set to accept a £130m bid even if they are unable to sign another striker.
Howe said: “I don’t know. I’m not party to any talks going on.”
When pressed on whether Isak would be allowed to play for the club again if a move did not materialise, the manager added: “Yes, from my side I’ve said it all along. While he’s still contracted to us that has to be the way.”
In Isak’s absence, Newcastle have started the season with two 0-0 draws either side of the dramatic 3-2 defeat to Liverpool.
Trusting her natural ability, and the work she is doing with coach Wim Fissette to further improve, has also been the key to Swiatek turning around her season.
After a slump by her lofty standards at the start of the year, the former long-time world number one started the final major of the season as most people’s pick for the trophy.
The recently crowned Wimbledon champion, who won the US Open in 2022, underlined her credentials on the American hard courts with victory at the Cincinnati Open.
Swiatek was far from her best against 29th seed Kalinskaya, with a low serve percentage particularly damaging, and her relief was demonstrated by an animated celebration.
“I’m happy that I came back, kept being positive and figured it out,” Swiatek added.
In the other night-session match, Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia made light work of Greece’s Maria Sakkari after the pair took to court at 11:15pm local time.
Haddad Maia, seeded 18th, moved fast to wrap up a 6-1 6-2 victory, booking a last-16 match with Wimbledon runner-up Amanda Anisimova.
Woltemade, Eddie Howe’s fifth recruit this summer and who will wear the No27 shirt, said: “I’m really happy to be at this amazing club. From the first contact, I felt like the club really wanted me and had big plans for me.
“It’s a big step in my life to leave Germany but everybody has welcomed me so well and it already feels like family.
“I have a really good feeling from speaking to the head coach that this is the right place for me to find my best level.
“I know the stadium from watching games on television – it looks amazing and I know the atmosphere is crazy. I’m really excited to play and start scoring goals here.”
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe added: “We’re delighted to get Nick’s signing over the line so quickly. He fits the profile for exactly what we have been looking to add to our attacking options.
“He’s strong in a lot of areas – he has great technical ability and has proven himself to be a real threat in one of Europe’s top leagues – but he’s also still at an age where he has plenty of room to develop and grow here.
“Nick is a great character too and we’re really pleased to welcome him to the group.”
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Woltemade, who has penned a contract until 2031, is not believed to have been registered in time to face Leeds today but could make his debut against Wolves in a fortnight.
The two-time capped German international was top scorer at this summer’s U21 Euros with six goals but suffered defeat in the final to England – who had new team-mate Tino Livramento in their line-up.
Fans stunned at size of Newcastle’s Isak replacement Nick Woltemade as he dwarfs over Liverpool star
He makes the big-money move to the North East after just one season with Stuttgart, having joined them from Werder Bremen on a free transfer just 12 months ago.
He scored 17 goals in all competitions last term, including a crucial goal in the DFB-Pokal final – which Stuttgart went on to win.
Woltemade could watch Toon in action at Elland Road today before linking up with the Germany squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Slovakia and Northern Ireland.
Meanwhile, we revealed Liverpool are expected to make a record bid for Isak in the coming days after club chiefs sanctioned a £130m bid for the 25-year-old.
Newcastle have already rejected one offer worth £110m and are refusing to sell unless they get a replacement
Isak, who is refusing to play for Newcastle and training alone, reiterated his desire to leave this week to Toon’s Saudi chiefs.
Now he will be praying that Howe can get Wissa or Strand Larsen over the line to finally secure his departure.
Alexander Isak has been named in the Sweden squad despite not playing any football this season as he pushes to leave Newcastle.
Isak is among the 24 players named by Sweden boss Jon Dahl Tomasson for World Cup qualifiers against Slovenia and Kosovo next month.
The 25-year-old is training away from his Newcastle team-mates after making clear he wants to join Liverpool despite having three years left on his contract.
Fellow striker Viktor Gyokeres, who scored his first two goals for Arsenal at the weekend, is also included in Tomasson’s squad.
The Sweden coach said: “I am very happy that Alexander Isak wants to be in the squad, he is a huge player.
“The situation he is in is not perfect and he has not trained with the team. But he is a player who can decide matches and he wants to be part of our squad. The World Cup is important for Alexander Isak.”
Liverpool have yet to make a fresh bid for Isak since an offer of £110m was rejected at the start of this month.
Isak has since released a statement on social media accusing Newcastle of breaking a promise to allow him to leave this summer.
The Magpies have denied making such a commitment and continue to insist Isak is not for sale.
Fearnley’s progress has been so rapid over the past 15 months, it can be easy to forget how inexperienced he remains at the highest level.
Little over a year ago, the former US college student was ranked outside of the world’s leading 500 players.
Since then he has soared up the rankings – cracking the top 50 in June – after a stunning introduction to the ATP Tour.
Fearnley has a habit of drawing high-profile names early in the Grand Slams and has already played on some of the iconic courts in the game.
But in recent months his form has been compromised by a nervous tension which is particularly damaging to his serve.
Asked how he can solve the issue, Fearnley said: “I’m not too sure. I guess it’s helpful to know that even hitting all those double faults I can win the match – that’s a positive more than anything.
“There are good days and bad days, but in recent matches the doubles faults have been an issue.
“I’ll be playing Zverev next on another big court – a high-stakes, high-tense environment and I think putting myself in those situations will help.”
With Fearnley and Bautista Agut not taking to the court until after 8pm local time, a long night looking inevitable when the British number three finally secured a 62-minute opener.
When Fearnley used greater variety in the second and third sets – to move the world number 47 around – it reaped rewards.
Fearnley closed in on a relatively sharpish straight-setter when he broke serve early in the third – only for more double faults to help 37-year-old Bautista Agut extend the contest.
But he reset admirably in the fourth set, landing more first serves and limiting the double faults, to get over the line.
Surviving the first round meant Fearnley has now completed a full set of victories at the four Grand Slam tournaments.
“It was an extremely tough match, I knew Roberto would make me go right to the end,” said Fearnley, who wrapped up victory about 11:15pm local time.
But Newcastle will still rue not pressing home their advantage with a full complement of players when the game was goalless.
Set-plays were wasted. The hosts were screaming out for a poacher to get on the end of teasing crosses that were gratefully claimed by Alisson. On the one occasion a delivery from Harvey Barnes picked out the head of Gordon, the forward failed to hit the target.
Digging deeper, Newcastle have had 26 shots in their opening two league games of the season, but Howe’s side have managed just six efforts on target and two goals.
Although Osula got on the scoresheet on Monday night, the 22-year-old is still developing and has never started a Premier League game for the club.
However, if Newcastle do not reach a breakthrough in the transfer market in the coming days, the Dane could yet line up against Leeds United on Saturday after bids were turned down for Wolves star Jorgen Strand Larsen and Brentford striker Yoane Wissa.
It was certainly not lost on Howe that one of the best strikers in the world is still on Newcastle’s books – and how the hosts could have used the Isak of old.
“The quality of Alex would have made a difference in the team,” Howe said. “I don’t think there’s any denying that. But, that said, the team has functioned really well.
“The performance of the players and the team in the two games doesn’t happen without every part of the team functioning well. You can’t carry anyone in this division against any opponent. Yes, we needed to score in that first half when we were on top. Goals change games, but we’re just dealing with what we have.”
Howe said he was “not party to the talks that were happening” after suggestions that Jamie Reuben, the club’s owner, had held face-to-face discussions with Isak while chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan is also in town.
But, one way or the other, a resolution to this saga is finally imminent, with the window closing on 1 September.
FOOTBALL isn’t just about goals and trophies — it’s about people.
After all, clubs don’t make anything, don’t manufacture anything; all our assets are people.
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Newcastle’s Alexander Isak situation is similar to what happened at West Ham a few years agoCredit: Getty
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West Ham had to go through the same with Dimitri PayetCredit: Getty
Dealing with people is a key part of my job as West Ham CEO. And dealing with a wantaway player is one of the toughest jobs in football.
We had our own Alexander Isak moment at West Ham in 2017 when Dimitri Payet wanted out… and the whole club felt it.
One day he just packed his bags, went to the airport and took a flight to Marseille.
That was despite the fact we told him we did not want him to leave, expected him to honour his contract and had done no deal with Olympique de Marseille for him to be transferred there.
We loved him, our supporters loved him, but he didn’t love us back and that’s hard to take.
The fans were heartbroken, the dressing room unsettled and every training session turned into a circus.
That’s the reality when a star man downs tools. The ripple effect is huge.
The press were camped outside, questions wouldn’t stop and the tension was obvious.
I look at Newcastle’s situation with Isak and genuinely sympathise. He’s a top striker, adored by the Toon Army, but once a player has his head turned, it changes everything.
Suddenly, the focus isn’t on football any more — it’s on one man’s future.
Alexander Isak is biggest name in Newcastle but his strike is a slap in the face to the biggest man in the north east
The hard truth is you can’t make an unhappy player happy. But that doesn’t mean you roll over.
The club has to stay strong, because it’s bigger than any one player. Fans rightly expect loyalty, but as club executives, we have to protect the value of the asset and the pride in the badge.
With Payet, we stood firm. We made sure West Ham got the right deal. It hurt at the time, but the club came out stronger.
Newcastle will be thinking the same way. They will fight to keep Isak if they can, but if the moment comes where he has to go, they’ll make sure it’s on their terms — not his.
That’s exactly how it should be. Players come and go. Clubs don’t. That’s the heartbeat we’re all here to protect.
Isak has not been an isolated case — but the dynamics don’t change much. Remember Pierre van Hooijdonk refusing to play at Nottingham Forest?
Isak to Liverpool transfer saga timeline
JANUARY: First links to Liverpool emerge
FEBRUARY: £150million record fee mooted
MARCH: Isak denies Newcastle contract talk
APRIL: Eddie Howe hails Isak as “very professional.”
MAY: Howe insists Isak will not be sold
Last match in Newcastle shirt
JUNE: Transfer links to Liverpool heat up
JULY: Flies with Newcastle for Austria training camp
Left out of Celtic friendly
Liverpool hijack Toon’s Hugo Ekitike deal after making Isak enquiry
Doesn’t travel for pre-season tour of Singapore and South Korea, citing injury
AUGUST: Training by himself at Newcastle
Liverpool have £110m bid rejected
Isak stops training and goes on strike
Moves out of his apartment
Releases angry statement blasting ‘trust has been lost’
Newcastle respond by insisting he won’t be sold unless it benefits club
For a CEO, the challenge is balancing three things: the expectations, hopes and dreams of the supporters, the manager’s needs, and the dignity of the badge.
It’s not about forcing anyone to stay against their will. Unhappy players rarely, if ever, perform at their peak.
But it’s also not about rolling over at the first sign of discontent. The club’s interests must come first.
That means securing fair value, protecting the integrity of the squad and making sure supporters know their loyalty is matched in the boardroom.
In Payet’s case, we stood firm until the right solution came and the player moved. The lesson was that while football is very emotional, decisions must be rational.
Players come and go but, West Ham, like every great club, remains. That’s what we protect every single day.
Newcastle have been a football club for 144 years. And they will be around a lot longer than any one footballer.
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Isak was among those players celebrating in a jubilant huddle as the Champions League anthem played out at St James’ 76 days ago.
Newcastle had just secured their place at Europe’s top table and it felt like the club had real momentum going into the summer.
However, this has proved a frustrating window for Newcastle, who have missed out on Benjamin Sesko, Hugo Ekitike, Joao Pedro and James Trafford.
Then there is the Isak situation.
It fell to William Osula to play up front on Friday and Anthony Gordon, who is a winger by trade, is set to follow suit against Atletico Madrid on Saturday.
Yet Isak’s absence, and a lack of signings, has not completely soured the mood on Tyneside.
Saturday’s friendly is a sell-out and, despite this game against Espanyol taking place less than 24 hours beforehand, there were still 30,782 fans present.
They already have an eye on what is to come.
“Is this the way to Barcelona?” supporters in the Gallowgate chanted. “Bayern Munich? Lazio? Roma? The Champions League awaits for me.”
The noises from Newcastle themselves do not suggest Isak has no future at the club – should a move elsewhere fail to materialise.
The expectation is the 25-year-old will return to training with his team-mates from next week.
“He is still our player,” said manager Eddie Howe.
“He’s contracted to us. We, to a degree, control what is next for him.
“I would love to believe all possibilities are still available to us. My wish is that he stays, but that’s not in my full control.
“My wish is that he stays and we see him playing again next year.”
That’s the club’s stance – but the supporters may feel a little differently.
Isak has rightly been idolised for his goals, but his desire to leave is a frustration for some.
“We’ve just had an amazing season, in which we won our first trophy in 70 years, and he helped us win that,” said Lee Johnson from the Newcastle podcast True Faith.
“The hope was that this summer would have been a transformation for ourselves but it seems to be turning into a bit of a nightmare now.”
Former Newcastle defender Steve Howey added: “He’s at a club who absolutely adore him. He’ll be on unbelievable money, they’ve won something and they’re in the Champions League – it would have to be some club to want to leave for.
“He has been looked after very well by Newcastle, has three years left on his contract and we’re open to giving him a pay rise, but for him to have his head turned is just disappointing at this stage.
“You have to agree with the fans’ frustration because you have the nucleus of a very good team.”
“[Isak] is still our player. He’s contracted to us,” he added.
“We, to a degree, control what is next for him. I would love to believe all possibilities are still available to us. My wish is that he stays, but that’s not in my full control.
“We have not received a formal offer for Alex, from any club.”
Isak scored 27 goals in 42 appearances in all competitions for Newcastle last season.
Howe’s side lost their third match of pre-season on Wednesday with a 1-0 defeat by a K-League XI.
They face fellow Premier League outfit Tottenham at Seoul World Cup Stadium on Sunday.
We don’t necessarily need to come up with a wildcard formation that crams all the new signings into the same team.
If all goes well Liverpool will play over 60 games next season, meaning they will need a regularly rotating front line to keep legs fresh and opponents guessing.
Ekitike as a £69m cover option probably doesn’t sound very appealing, but he will arguably be the second-best player in four separate positions for Liverpool – although Szoboszlai, rivalling Wirtz, might say otherwise.
When you consider injuries, the need to rotate for twice-weekly football, and Slot’s tactical adaptations to the opposition, Ekitike could easily tot up over 30 starts in all competitions even if he wasn’t technically considered to be in the club’s best XI.
Not that managers of elite clubs tend to think in terms of ‘best XIs’ anymore – schedules are too busy and injuries too common for that.
In fact, what fans assume to be their team’s best XI rarely actually play together, as many Liverpool supporters know all too well.
The most mind-blowing example of this phenomenon was first highlighted by Duncan Alexander,, external who pointed out that the supposedly-iconic Liverpool XI under Klopp – the one that started the Champions League final – had never played together before that game and never played together after it.
So, how do you solve the riddle? How do you get all of Liverpool’s new signings into the same team? Answer: you don’t.
Watch Heidi Alexander “guarantees” electric vehicle costs will be lowered
The government will make it cheaper to buy an electric car (EV) to get more drivers to make the switch, the Transport Secretary has said.
However Heidi Alexander, nor the Department for Transport would not explicitly confirm reports in the Telegraph that the government will offer drivers thousands of pounds in grants to cut the price of buying an EV.
It was announced on Sunday that people without driveways will be able to have charge points fitted using “cross-pavement gullies” paid for with £25m allocated to councils.
The Conservatives welcomed the investment but accused the government of “forcing families” into “expensive electric vehicles before the country was ready”.
Alexander told Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: “We are going to be making some announcements later this week on how we make it more affordable for people to buy an electric vehicle.
When pushed on whether this would come in the form of hundreds of millions of pounds in EV grants, as reports suggested, Alexander refused to say.
“I can guarantee to your viewers that we will be making it cheaper for those who do want to make the switch to an electric vehicle, ” she added.
The Department for Transport would not comment further.
It comes after Alexander told the Telegraph the high cost of electric vehicles was making people wary, saying “It was right that the government thinks in the round about what we can do to tackle both of the issues, on charging and on the upfront cost of purchase.”
Richard Fuller MP, shadow chief Secretary to the Treasury, accused Labour of “forcing families into more expensive electric vehicles before the country is ready.”
Alexander said she did not have an electric vehicle herself, adding that she lived in a terraced house without a driveway.
“I don’t have an electric car… like millions of people in this country – I bought a new car about six years ago, I’m thinking about the next car that I will purchase and it will definitely be an electric vehicle,” she said.
The average price of a new EV in the UK is nearly double the cost of a typical petrol car at £22,000.
However some electric cars made by Chinese brands are beginning to enter the UK market at as little as £18,000.
Around a fifth of new cars sold during the first half of the year were electric, according to the latest figures from the UK motor trade association the SMMT.
However, sales remain well below the mandated targets manufacturers have been set, ahead of the ban on selling new petrol and diesel cars in 2030.
In April, Alexander announced manufacturers would have more flexibility on annual targets and face lower fines to allow them to manage the impact of trade tariffs from the US.
Access to charging points are believed to be one reason holding back sales.
On Sunday, Alexander said larger EV charging hubs would be signposted from major A-roads to help drivers plug in more easily, it said.
President of the AA Edmund King said moves like this were “vital” to create confidence in the transition to EVs.
