Having scored six goals from seven shots on target, Welbeck is on track to surpass the career-best 10 top-flight goals he scored last season.
Several different strikers have played second fiddle to Harry Kane in recent years, but none are currently enjoying the kind of purple patch Welbeck is.
“If you look at the forward options in Tuchel’s last squad there aren’t many obvious stand-ins for Harry Kane,” Alan Shearer told BBC Sport.
“Anthony Gordon, Jarrod Bowen, Bukayo Saka aren’t going to fill that role and Ollie Watkins hasn’t been firing for Aston Villa, so any English striker scoring goals in the Premier League is going to be talked about.
“It’s seven years since Welbeck’s last cap and he’s 35 this month but Tuchel isn’t worried about the future. His only focus is the six weeks of the World Cup so there’s no reason why Welbeck couldn’t be involved if he keeps scoring and stays injury free.”
Injuries have disrupted much of Welbeck’s career and arguably prevented him from adding to his 42 England caps, but he now founds himself in the beneficial position of being able to contribute goals on the pitch and leadership off it.
“I’m loving it here at Brighton, I’ve been very important, integral, on and off the pitch,” added Welbeck.
“I’m enjoying the senior role as well, I know how important it was for me as a youngster coming through having senior members you can speak to, come to for advice, it helped me massively.
“It’s come full circle now, I’m there to pass on advice to youngsters and help those around me. It’s been pretty seamless slipping into this role.”
Welbeck recently told BBC Radio 5 Live that “the door is always open” with England.
He added: “I know that if I’m called upon then I’d love to do the job, but honestly it doesn’t come into my thinking at the moment. I’m just focused on Brighton, winning games and picking up points.”
While Welbeck has played down his chances, Onuoha, who has played against Welbeck in the past, believes he knows Tuchel will be interested in him.
“You almost talk about him like he has never played for England before. He has done that job before,” Onuoha said.
“With the profile he has, he could definitely suit Tuchel’s style as such. For someone to be in that form, he knows he is going to be part of the conversation.”
Teenage striker Michelle Agyemang has been backed to to find the strength to reach her potential “without a doubt” despite rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
The 19-year-old will miss the rest of the season after suffering the injury as the Lionesses beat Australia 3-0 in Tuesday’s friendly.
Agyemang was as a surprise inclusion in Sarina Wiegman’s squad for Euro 2025 in the summer, but scored crucial goals in both the quarter-finals and semi-finals as they successfully defended their European title.
The Arsenal forward started this season well on loan at Brighton, whose manager Dario Vidosic said on Friday: “It’s not just us that are heartbroken but the whole nation, seeing her go down in that game, I think we all held our breath.
“There are no words, it’s a tough one. I spoke to her today and she said she is OK, she feels good.
“She is a very switched-on kid so her mind is already set on it (recovery), that’s the impressive thing about her that maybe not everyone gets to see.
“It’s a chance to improve. We’ll keep her engaged and learning, if not physically. We can still keep her mind growing and learning as a young player.
“She still has a lot of potential that we were seeing each week, she was growing through the experience of playing and coming up against tough opponents.
“Now we’ll find another means to do that off the pitch. We’ll help her mentally so that when she comes back it will be like she hasn’t missed a beat.”
Having suffered two ACL injuries herself during her playing career, Arsenal manager Renee Slegers knows what Agyemang is going through.
“It’s a very sad time,” she added. “When these moments happen it’s horrible because you know that it will keep them away from the game for a long time.
“Michelle has been doing so well, she was in a really good place. The timing of this isn’t great, although it’s never a good time.
“But Michelle is very strong, she’s young, she will have the strength to come back and we’ll do everything we can to support her.”
Despite its listing as a “risky” product, the FSA told BBC Sport there has been an increase in the popularity of raw milk because “people believe it has health benefits” – though it says there is little credible scientific evidence to support that.
The farm at which Haaland was filmed buying milk wrote on Facebook that its product had been “rather in demand” since the episode was posted, staff had been “frazzled”, and it hoped to “buy a new dairy cow very soon” so orders could be met more quickly.
Former City academy nutritionist Dan Richardson told BBC Sport he would always look for the “safest approach possible” so as “not to compromise on the safety of food”.
He said: “The challenge with raw milk is that you can get some companies who do a good job in reducing the risk factor to bacteria, and I am sure Haaland will be using the premium quality available out there.
“A nutritionist is not going to allow him to buy raw milk that has a high risk of contamination. When people begin to copy these dietary habits, it can become unsafe as people will go out and buy the cheapest and most accessible version that may carry the food-borne illnesses.”
Asked if he felt the trend of drinking raw milk would gain momentum, Richardson said: “Unfortunately, I can see it happening.”
For Haaland, drinking raw milk is part of an unconventional off-field routine that also includes red-light therapy and adding maple syrup to his coffee.
Richardson added: “Young athletes need to remember that getting the right amount of carbohydrates, hitting the protein intake and eating three regular meals with snacks is a better approach than jumping towards trends.
“Some athletes will try to find a quick fix by replicating a role model rather than doing the mundane stuff really well.
England manager Sarina Wiegman is “not very positive” about the injury to forward Michelle Agyemang, who was carried off on a stretcher with what appeared to be a knee injury during England’s 3-0 win against Australia.
Agyemang, 19, went down with an off-the-ball injury just 13 minutes after being brought on as a second-half substitute before being replaced by Chloe Kelly and left Pride Park on crutches.
In her post-match news conference in Derby, Wiegman said she had not yet received any information on the injury but expressed concern.
“Of course it was an awful moment, it doesn’t look good,” she said. “We don’t know yet but I’m not very positive about what I’ve seen.”
Former Arsenal defender Jen Beattie said Wiegman’s comments to the media were not a good sign.
“Sarina’s comments said a lot because the manager will always be the first person that gets a little nod from the medical team. I think her whole demeanour spoke volumes,” Beattie said on BBC Radio 5 Live.
“I don’t want to speculate I just hope she’s OK.”
Agyemang, who is currently on loan at Brighton from Arsenal, played a key role for the Lionesses in their Euro 2025 triumph.
Goals from the bench in the quarter-final against Sweden and in the semi-final against Italy forced extra time and gave England a platform for victory.
Her exploits in Switzerland led to her being nominated for the Kopa trophy, an award given to world’s best under-21 female footballer.
She has featured in five of Brighton’s six Women’s Super League games this season, starting each of those matches.
Ex-Premier League striker Jamie Cureton tells Monday Night Club on his desire to still play football aged 50, after scoring his debut goal for Kings Park Rangers meaning he has scored in the top-10 tiers of English football.
The Bayern Munich star is likely to start England’s match in Riga against Latvia on Tuesday night where he will be hoping to add to his superb run of 18 goals from his past 10 matches.
A minor injury meant Kane was not involved in England’s 3-0 win over Wales on Thursday night with Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins – the only other out-and-out striker in the squad – deputising.
But during the match Watkins collided with the post and has subsequently been ruled out of the Latvia fixture through injury.
England fans are once again going through who the striker options behind captain Kane and the answer does not appear obvious.
Remarkably, only seven English players you would class as an out-and-out striker have appeared in the Premier League this season – with Chelsea’s Liam Delap the only one of the seven under the age of 26.
The other six are Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Eddie Nketiah, Dominic Solanke, Watkins, Danny Welbeck and Callum Wilson.
England’s lack of options in the centre-forward position was even noted by Under-21s manager Lee Carsley, who said on Monday: “We need more centre forwards, we need more orthodox number nines which are capable of scoring goals. We really value that position.”
“I think it is in fashion to play your centre forwards out wide or to play them withdrawn. I think it is something that we need to be aware of, the poacher and the goalscorer and the player that plays on the shoulder and the focal point is something that I value.”
While England’s senior team’s boss Thomas Tuchel has a selection headache all over the field – due to an abundance of options – who he picks as Kane’s deputy for the World Cup is a different problem for a very different reason.
With England just a win away from qualifying for the summer’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, the race to be Kane’s back-up is very much on.
BBC Sport has selected five options who between them have 25 England goals compared to Kane’s record 74.
Of course, injury could definitively intervene in the destination of the Golden Boot, but there are two reasons why Haaland is such a strong favourite for the award so early.
First, the number of goals he has already scored – and, just as importantly, the number and quality of chances he is getting. And second, the slow start his usual rivals for the prize have made.
A player’s expected goals number (xG) signifies how many goals a Premier League player has historically scored from the number and quality of chances he has had.
It is not a number randomly picked by statistics boffins, but by Premier League history.
And if we look at players’ xG in the Premier League so far this season from normal play, the Norway forward is getting so many more good opportunities to score than anyone else.
Indeed, even if Haaland were no better at finishing chances than anyone else in the league, he would still have scored more than twice as many goals as everyone else.
It is very hard to pinpoint a player’s true value.
The bottom line, like anything, is what someone is willing to pay.
So Woltemade is worth what Newcastle paid for him: £69m.
One of the only reference points publicly available in football to assess valuations is the comprehensive database of website Transfermarkt, which provides transfer data for BBC Sport.
Now there is a catch in this case. Woltemade’s last valuation €30m (£26.1m) was at the start of June.
What happened next? He had a breakout few months.
His last Transfermarkt valuation came a day after winning his first senior cap with Germany.
He then spearheaded Germany’s front line at the Under-21 Euros, winning the Golden Boot and being named in the team of the tournament.
Undoubtedly that would add to his value, but would those exploits add £43m?
Among other players to feature in England’s win over Germany at the Euros, Nottingham Forest signed Omari Hutchinson and James McAtee for a combined £67.5m, while Bayer Leverkusen signed Jarell Quansah for £35m from Liverpool.
Woltemade was the seventh most expensive arrival to the Premier League in the summer.
But of the 26 most expensive new signings by top-flight clubs, Woltemade’s valuation was the lowest on Transfermarkt.
The same website values striker Nicolas Jackson, signed by Bayern on loan from Chelsea, at €50m (£43.5m). Bayern signed Jackson for a £14.3m loan fee with a conditional obligation to buy for £56.2m.
Wissa, 29, who was signed by Newcastle from Brentford in August, joined Eddie Howe’s side for £55m and has a €32m (£27.8m) valuation on the site.
It is thought the injury was caused when he collided with a concrete wall, but the club has not confirmed this.
Fletcher retired from football at the age of 25 after crashing into concrete advertising hoardings during a National League South game for Bath City.
The now 26-year-old was placed in a coma after emergency surgery and did not play for 10 months. He has since taken a role in the brain health department within the Professional Footballers’ Association to advocate for enhanced player safety in football grounds.
“This was an entirely preventable situation,” Fletcher told BBC Breakfast.
“It brought a lot of emotions flooding back for me but my overriding emotion was frustration that the calls for change haven’t been listened to by the FA.
“I’m afraid this will not be the last [death] if action isn’t taken.”
The Football Association said it will carry out an immediate safety review of perimeter walls at football grounds in the National League system following Vigar’s death.
“This will include looking at ways we can assist National League system clubs to identify and implement additional measures at their stadiums that they determine will help to mitigate any potential safety risks,” its statement said.
However, Fletcher said there must be urgent action.
“I think it’s too little, too late,” said Fletcher.
“I think if you asked Billy’s family they would say, is it going to bring their son back?
“It’s something that needs to happen urgently because there are hundreds of football matches being played across the country at all levels where this kind of incident could occur again.
“It’s billed as a freak accident [but] it’s an accident waiting to happen, quite frankly.”
When Morgan Rogers handed Ollie Watkins the ball, the Holte End chanted the striker’s name.
Seconds after his weak penalty was saved by Bologna’s Lukasz Skorupski, Watkins’ name was again chanted in support.
The England striker is enduring a 10-game goal drought for club and country at a time when Villa need him at his sharpest, despite Thursday’s Europa League win.
His nine games without scoring in the club shirt is the joint longest he has gone without a goal in his Villa career, having previously had nine-game dry spells in 2020-21 and 2022-23.
His second-half spot kick was the ideal chance to end that but the scuffed strike lacked confidence and allowed Skorupski to save with his legs.
Watkins has now failed to score three of his last five penalties for Villa, including missing in the Champions League against Celtic last season.
It allowed boss Unai Emery to relax after victory and assert with confidence that Watkins will end his drought.
“He didn’t score, okay, it doesn’t matter, the goal is coming through the work he did today,” Emery said.
“I am happy because he played doing his task. He worked, this is the most important.
“He pressed, he was getting in duels, he got chances, he got a penalty, he missed but the most important [thing] is how he played in 30 minutes doing his task and he did a fantastic job.
“He has to feel after each match like I am feeling now, be happy because he did his work. He has to feel the same and if he is scoring he is going to feel better.
“The most important thing is how he is working in his tasks for the team. Today he played a good match, not enough because he didn’t score but he played good. This is the first step.”
Watkins’ struggles can be charted back to the second half of last season when he scored just four times in Villa’s final 19 games.
This season he has missed all five of his big chances, has managed just 40 touches in the opposition’s box across his nine appearances and is averaging less than one shot on target per game.
Chichester City FC and former Arsenal striker Billy Vigar has died after sustaining a “significant brain injury”.
Vigar, 21 and from Worthing, was injured during a game at Wingate and Finchley on Saturday in the Isthmian League Premier Division.
It is thought the injury was caused when he collided with a concrete wall, but the club has not confirmed this.
Vigar’s family said on Thursday they were “devastated that this has happened while he was playing the sport he loved”.
“After sustaining a significant brain injury last Saturday, Billy Vigar was put into an induced coma,” the family said.
“On Tuesday, he needed an operation to aid any chances of recovery. Although this helped, the injury proved too much for him and he passed away on Thursday morning.
“The responses to the original update show how much Billy was loved and thought of within the sport.”
Vigar was a graduate of the Arsenal academy, and also had spells at Derby County, Hastings FC and Eastbourne Borough.
CHELSEA forward Marc Guiu has been named as eligible for the EFL Cup thanks to a little-known rule change.
The teenager spent a short-lived spell with Sunderland on loan earlier this season but was recalled before the transfer deadline.
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Enzo Maresca did not include Marc Guiu in his EFL Cup squadCredit: Reuters
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The Spaniard is eligible to play thanks to a little-known rule changeCredit: Getty
He scored for the Black Cats in their EFL Cup exit to Huddersfield while with the club, an appearance that was believed to have made him ineligible for future EFL cup games this season.
However, a rule change for the 2025/26 season changed the laws to allow a player to turn out for two different clubs in the same campaign.
But Chelsea themselves were reportedly not aware that the Spaniard was able to play in their cup match with Lincoln City on Tuesday, and he has been left out of the squad.
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He obtained a Jamaican passport but has not completed the requisite change of association form as he was not ready to commit to the Caribbean nation.
That frustrated Jamaica coach Steve McClaren and Tuchel has now dismissed the idea of an England return.
“I have not spoken to him until now. I have not spoken to him or his camp,” the Three Lions boss told a news conference.
“My understanding was that he tries to play for Jamaica so we didn’t give it another thought. He was not in the mix at the moment and he is not in our thoughts for our team.”
McClaren wanted to include Greenwood in his squad for their World Cup qualifiers against Bermuda and Trinidad and Tobago, but then reported “he’s not going to commit at this time to anybody”.
On Greenwood’s international future, the former England boss added: “He [Greenwood] is taking his time over that, so it’s a little bit disappointing. We probably have to be more patient.
“But we will keep the contact, we will keep pursuing him because I know from my conversations with Mason and his family that he loves Jamaica, respects Jamaica.
“He wants to concentrate on club football and not commit to an international team at the present moment. We have to respect that, however much we’ve worked hard to get him here for these camps. So, who knows in the future.”
Moments later, the 38-year-old was involved in an altercation with a Sounders staff member and was held back by team-mate Oscar Ustari before appearing to spit in the coach’s direction.
“I feel bad about what happened, and I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to acknowledge it and apologise to everyone who felt hurt by what I did,” added Suarez.
Speculation has circulated about the extent of any punishment he may face but Suarez added he wants to aid Inter Miami’s push to make the MLS Cup play-offs.
“We know there’s still a lot of the season ahead, and we’re going to work together to achieve the successes that this club and all of its fans deserve,” he wrote.
Suarez is no stranger to controversy.
The former Barcelona and Atletico Madrid striker has been involved in several controversial incidents during his career.
In 2011 when at Liverpool, Suarez was given an eight-match ban after being found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United full-back Patrice Evra.
He also served bans for three separate biting incidents when playing for Ajax, Liverpool and Uruguay.
Earlier in the window, the DR Congo international removed all association with the club from his Instagram account.
Wissa told the club website: “I’m really happy to be here and to sign for one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League.
“I’m very, very excited to put on the black and white shirt. I’ve got dreams, I’ve got faith, and now I will do my best to make it all happen. I can’t wait to get started.”
Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe added: “Yoane is a player who we have admired for some time and we’re delighted to have him on board.
“He brings proven Premier League quality, demonstrated not only by his goalscoring output but also the crucial work he does for the team.
“Yoane will excite our supporters and complement our style of play – he has pace, power and an excellent work rate. He immediately makes us stronger.”
Wissa joined Brentford in 2021 and went on to score 49 goals in 149 appearances for the club.
He is the second striker signed by Newcastle in recent days, after they also brought in club-record signing Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart on a six-year contract.
Wissa is the sixth senior summer arrival at Newcastle, following Woltemade, goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, winger Anthony Elanga, midfielder Jacob Ramsey and centre-back Malick Thiaw.
He is set to move to Tottenham on transfer deadline day after personal terms were agreed with Thomas Frank’s side.
Kolo Muani spent last season on loan at Juventus, scoring eight goals in 16 Serie A games.
The former Nantes and Eintracht Frankfurt forward joined PSG in September 2023 and has won two Ligue 1 titles.
Kolo Muani also has 31 senior caps for France, scoring in the 2022 World Cup semi-final victory over Morocco and playing in the final defeat by Argentina.
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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TRANSFER NEWS LIVE – KEEP UP WITH ALL THE LATEST FROM A BUSY SUMMER WINDOW
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.
Miovski scored 44 goals in 98 appearances for Aberdeen in a two-year spell before being sold to Girona last August.
He signed a four-year contract with the La Liga club, but he made only 16 starts and six substitute appearances, scoring four goals, last season for the side who finished 16th in the Spanish top flight.
The striker, capped 31 times for his country, came off after 43 minutes of their opening 3-1 defeat by Rayo Vallecano and was not in their squad for the 5-0 thrashing by Villarreal that followed.
Rangers were looking for forward additions after selling Hamza Igamane to Lille this week and Martin said: “His movement, intelligence and ability to score goals make him a real asset.
“He knows all about the Scottish Premiership and has a strong track record of performing and contributing in the league, so I am excited to welcome him to our squad.”
Sporting director Kevin Thelwell revealed Miovski had been “tracked closely” by Rangers, has “proven himself as a consistent goalscorer” and that his “knowledge of the Scottish Premiership is a huge advantage”.
Kai Havertz has undergone surgery on his kneeCredit: Getty
SunSport understands that Havertz has shared his time between London Colney and his native Germany, being assessed by doctors to determine the severity of the issue.
And the Gunners have since decided to take precautionary measures with Havertz going under the knife for the second time in six months.
A club statement read: “Further to sustaining a knee injury after our recent game against Manchester United on 17 August, subsequent assessments and specialist reviews with Kai confirmed that surgery would be required.
“Today, Kai underwent a successful minor surgical procedure.
“He will shortly begin his recovery and rehabilitation programme, with everyone fully focused on supporting Kai to ensure he is back to full fitness as soon as possible.”
Havertz had a hamstring operation back in February that saw him only return for the final two games of last term, but this minor procedure is not expected to keep him out for a similar period.
It now leaves boss Mikel Arteta relying on summer signing Viktor Gyokeres to lead the line without any back-up for at least the next few weeks.
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Mikel Arteta now has just one available strikerCredit: Getty
Gabriel Jesus – Arsenal’s third-choice No.9 – is also still on the recovery table, expected to return towards the end of 2025 after an ACL reconstruction in January.
However, Arsenal are confident that they have the squad to deal with the absence, hijacking Tottenham’s £68m deal for Eberechi Eze last week 24 hours after Havertz’s injury news.
Arteta gives update on Saka and Odegaard after Arsenal stars suffer injuries
Arteta does have options – playing midfielder Mikel Merino and winger Leandro Trossard down the middle for large parts of last season.
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.
