striker

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.

After starting his career at Bournemouth, Ings was picked up by Burnley in August 2011.

He scored 21 goals in 40 Championship games to help the Clarets secure promotion and then 11 more in the Premier League, despite his team ultimately being relegated.

Ings’ displays though secured a £8million to move to Liverpool in June 2015.

That move also brought him his first England cap, but his stay at Anfield was dogged by knee injuries and after scoring four times in 25 games over three seasons he was loaned out to Southampton.

That saw him return to goalscoring form and brought a permanent move to St Mary’s Stadium in 2019-20, as well as a recall to the England squad after five years..

After bagging 46 goals in 100 games for the Saints Ings moved on to Aston Villa, where he scored 14 in 52 appearances, and then on to West Ham.

Nottingham Forest have signed Rennes striker Arnaud Kalimuendo on a five-year contract for a reported £26m.

Frenchman Kalimuendo, 23, scored 18 goals in 34 appearances last season as Rennes finished 12th in Ligue 1.

Forest had already spent about £144m on six players in the summer transfer window before making this signing.

Over the weekend, they also bought winger Omari Hutchinson from Ipswich Town for £37.5m and spent close to £30m on Manchester City midfielder James McAtee.

This came after manager Nuno Espirito Santo had questioned the club’s transfer process on Friday, feeling his squad is ill-equipped to handle a European campaign.

Forest comfortably beat Brentford 3-1 at the City Ground in their opening Premier League game of the season on Sunday.

Kalimuendo joins Botafogo striker Igor Jesus as competition and support for forward Chris Wood in Espirito Santo’s side. Brazil international Jesus, 24, was bought for a reported £10m fee in July.

Hojlund, who joined for £72m two years ago, was United’s main striker last season and scored 10 goals in 52 games.

His debut campaign brought 16 goals after his move from Italian side Atalanta.

The move to drop Hojlund has been backed by United’s leadership.

Amorim has spent £200m on a completely revamped forward line, with Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha set to fill the two number 10 slots Amorim prefers.

In addition to Mount, England international Kobbie Mainoo could also play as a false nine – while Bruno Fernandes did the job successfully in the 2024 FA Cup final.

On United’s pre-season tour of the United States, Cunha filled the number nine role – although he also tended to drop deeper.

Seventeen-year-old Chido Obi featured for the first team at the end of last season, although at his stage of his development it is thought unlikely he would be regarded as a regular stater, with his involvement is more likely as a substitute.

Hibs went into Thursday’s second leg as strong favourites given their excellent showing in Belgrade, but their two-goal lead slipped away in alarming fashion as goalkeeper Jordan Smith pushed Milan Vukotic’s long-range effort into the top corner before allowing Jovan Milosevic’s tame effort to squirm under him.

He trudged off at half-time to howls of dismay from the home supporters, but Gray believes the break came at a good time for his side.

“For large spells of the first half the shape was really good, we had the better chances and then there’s obviously a couple of mistakes,” Gray said.

“The character was certainly tested. Half-time came at a good time – I was able to calm them down and then it’s all about character.”

And they showed their character through Bowie’s inspired strike and through a string of Smith saves, who put his first-half horror show behind him admirably.

“I’m delighted for Jordan for his second-half performance,” Gray said. “He made big saves at big times.”

Gray was keen to point out that his team’s character was then tested again.

The tie looked done. Hibs were through, 3-2 up on aggregate with 30 seconds left of time added on.

That was before Partizan’s Andrej Kostic swept home in the 96th minute to force extra time.

However, unlike in Europa League qualifying against Midtjylland, there would be no heartache this time.

“The game became stretched, we lost control at times,” Gray said. “You think you’re over the line and then you have to go again for another 30 minutes.

“Now it’s all done and dusted there will be improvements to come from it, but that’s for another night.”

Life is never dull at FC Barcelona – or ‘Can Barca’ as the club and its surrounding environment is known in Spain.

Even the sleepiest off-season Sunday can suddenly erupt into the latest melodramatic controversy, with rumours, counter-rumours and abrupt U-turns a matter of course.

This summer has been no different, with Rashford’s first fortnight at the club overshadowed by a series of sagas.

The biggest of those, centred on club captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen, looked for a while as though it would even delay Rashford’s league debut.

Ter Stegen is a Barca legend with more than 400 appearances and 17 trophies under his belt. But he has recently sustained several injuries, playing only nine games last season, and the summer signing of Joan Garcia from Espanyol strongly suggests the club is ready to shove their captain aside.

Attempts to sell him, however, were thwarted when the keeper underwent surgery on a back problem – and that also had wider ramifications.

Barca are currently barred by La Liga from registering their new signings, including Rashford and Garcia, because their troubled finances do not meet La Liga’s strict guidelines.

Selling Ter Stegen would have freed up enough salary space to do so, but his surgery made a summer sale impossible. So Barca devised another plan: de-register their captain until January.

Ter Stegen, however, refused to sign the necessary paperwork, reasoning that his injury should only sideline him until November.

Barca reacted furiously, opening disciplinary proceedings against the keeper and stripping him of the captaincy.

Ter Stegen then relented, had the captaincy restored and will spend the next few months as an unregistered player in rehab before – barring poor form or injury to his replacement Garcia – most likely being sold in January.

That should open the door for Rashford and other new signings to be registered (but take nothing for granted until the paperwork is complete), meaning he’ll be available for next Saturday’s league opener against Mallorca.

That game will be played away from home… and therein lies another summer drama.

Manchester United have completed the signing of RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko in a deal worth £73.7m.

The five-year contract includes a guaranteed payment of £66.3m, with the remainder in add-ons.

The Slovenia international is United’s third major signing in attack following the arrivals of Matheus Cunha for £62.5m and Bryan Mbeumo for £65m with £6m in add-ons.

Sesko, 22, was also a target for Newcastle United but has chosen to join Ruben Amorim’s side.

“The history of Manchester United is obviously very special but what really excites me is the future,” said Sesko.

“When we discussed the project, it was clear that everything is in place for this team to continue to grow and compete for the biggest trophies again soon.

“From the moment that I arrived, I could feel the positive energy and family environment that the club has created. It is clearly the perfect place to reach my maximum level and fulfil all of my ambitions.

“I cannot wait to start learning from Ruben and connecting with my team-mates to achieve the success that we all know we are capable of together.”

Israel international Shon Weissman was expected to complete move from Spain’s Granada to Germany’s Fortuna Dusseldorf.

Bundesliga 2 side Fortuna Dusseldorf has pulled out of signing Israel striker Shon Weissman in response to fan anger about his social media posts on the Gaza war, German tabloid Bild has reported.

Fan furore erupted online on Monday when news emerged that Weissman was on the cusp of joining Dusseldorf from Spanish side Granada FC.

On Tuesday, the club tweeted: “We looked into Shon Weissman intensively, but ultimately decided not to sign him”.

The club did not reveal the reasons for the decision, but Bild reported the club reacted to fan anger about social media statements from Weissman, who was already in Dusseldorf and had completed a medical exam.

The centre forward, who has 33 Israel caps, made several social media posts after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that set off the Gaza war.

Bild reported that Weissman called for Israel to “wipe Gaza off the map” and to “drop 200 tons of bombs on it”.

The 29-year-old had also liked posts saying “there are no innocents [in Gaza], they don’t need to be warned”.

Weissman, who deleted the posts soon after making them, has since said he made a mistake and was acting in the heat of the moment.

Dusseldorf fans launched an online petition on Monday saying Weissman’s “disrespectful and discriminatory” comments are in stark contrast to the principles Fortuna “stand for and try to promote”.

Weissman has already been the subject of fan protests in Granada, a side he joined in January 2023.

Bild reported that Dusseldorf and Weissman had planned to issue an apology statement for the posts, which was to be made public after the signing was made official.

After 22 months of combat in Gaza sparked by the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas that killed 1,219 people and saw hundreds kidnapped, the Israeli army has devastated large parts of the Palestinian territory.

More than 60,933 Palestinians have been killed, according to figures from Gaza’s Ministry of Health, and humanitarian agencies have warned that the territory’s 2.4 million people are slipping into a catastrophic famine.

Germany, as it has sought to atone for the Holocaust, has long been a steadfast supporter of Israel, but concern has risen sharply over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The war has previously made an impact in professional football in Germany.

In 2023, Bundesliga side Mainz decided to sack player Anwar El Ghazi for statements made on social media about the conflict.

El Ghazi, a Dutch international with Moroccan roots, won a wrongful dismissal case in a German court against the club, who have since appealed.

Former Bayern Munich defender Noussair Mazraoui, now with Manchester United, apologised publicly after making several social media posts on the conflict, including one which called for “victory” for “our oppressed brothers in Palestine”.

German football fans are heavily involved in major decisions, from signing players to setting fixtures, due to the so-called 50+1 regulation, which requires club members to retain overall control of professional football sides.

Torquay-born Moore began his career in his home town club’s youth system before playing non-league football with Paignton Saints, Truro City and Dorchester Town.

Signing for Championship side Yeovil Town in 2013 he made over 50 appearances but was released in his second season and had a short spell with Norwegian side Viking before returning to the Conference with Forest Green Rovers.

Given another chance in the English Football League (EFL) by Championship side Ipswich Town in 2017, Moore grabbed attention with 13 goals in 22 loan appearances for Rotherham United, before moving on to League One Barnsley and then Championship Wigan Athletic.

In 2020, the then 28-year-old forward signed a three-year deal with Cardiff City in a transfer deal thought to be worth £2m, scoring 25 goals in 65 games for the Welsh club before a £5m move to fellow Championship side Bournemouth in January 2022.

Although hampered by injury at the Vitality Stadium, Moore scored the goal that secured promotion for the Cherries and he scored five times in the Premier League before returning on loan to Portman Road and helping Ipswich gain promotion to the top-flight.

Joining Sheffield United on a three-year deal in July 2024, the 6ft 5in striker scored five goals in 28 Championship appearances for the Blades last season.

An England C international, Moore – whose grandfather is from Llanrug near Bangor – made his Wales debut against Belarus in 2019.

His most recent appearance was in June’s World Cup qualifying victory over Liechtenstein, scoring the final goal for Craig Bellamy’s side in a 3-0 win at Cardiff City Stadium.

Wrexham, who have enjoyed three successive promotions from the National League to the Championship since their Hollywood takeover, begin their first second-tier campaign in 44 years at Southampton’s St Mary’s Stadium on Saturday, 9 August (12:30 BST).

Norwich City have completed the signing of striker Jovon Makama from Lincoln City for a fee of £1.2m.

The 21-year-old has joined the Championship club on a three-year contract, with an option for a further two years.

The fee is a club record for League One Lincoln, eclipsing the £750,000 they reportedly received from Bolton Wanderers for Scottish midfielder Ethan Erhahon last month.

Makama’s arrival is part of new Norwich head coach Liam Manning’s rebuild at Carrow Road following the departures of forwards Borja Sainz and Jonathan Rowe, to Porto and Marseille respectively.

Since he made his debut for the Imps aged 18, Makama has scored 15 goals in 97 appearances, but was left out of their squad for the 2-0 opening-game home win over Reading last Saturday as talks continued.

Nottingham-born Makama was originally part of the youth set-up at Derby County before he joined Lincoln in 2020, and has also had loan spells at non-league Gainsborough Trinity and Brackley Town.

Norwich begin their Championship campaign with a home fixture against Millwall on Saturday, 9 August.

United are waiting to decide their next move and there have been reports that the player would prefer to switch to Old Trafford.

United sources are adamant they could do a deal before selling players.

But it is accepted that there would have to be exits to ensure they remain compliant with the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.

And, if Sesko arrived, Hojlund would be marginalised.

If Hojlund was sold for £30m, it would effectively be a loss for United given the forward’s ‘book value’ is £43m as he is two years into the five-year contract he signed.

United have spent almost £130m this summer on Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.

Newcastle United have rejected an opening offer from Liverpool for striker Alexander Isak.

The Magpies value the Sweden international at about £150m, with the Reds’ offer falling below that figure.

There has been no confirmation as to the level of Liverpool’s bid.

Isak was left out of the Newcastle squad for their pre-season tour of Asia as he wants to explore a move away.

The bid from Liverpool has been lodged while Isak trains alone at former club Real Sociedad, amid continued uncertainty around his future.

The 25-year-old joined Newcastle in a £60m move from La Liga club Real Sociedad in 2022.

BBC Sport reported in July that Liverpool were considering a move for Isak worth up to £130m.

Newcastle have maintained he is not for sale this summer, but that has not prevented Liverpool from taking a major interest.

The Premier League champions made an approach to Newcastle last month and have now lodged an official bid.

It remains to be seen whether Liverpool will make an improved bid for Isak.

But manager Arne Slot is very keen to add the striker to his squad before the new season.

Liverpool have completed the signing Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike for an initial £69m, subject to international clearance.

The 23-year-old Frenchman has passed a medical and agreed personal terms.

Ekitike will fly out to join Liverpool’s pre-season tour of Asia later this week.

Whatever the decision on United’s striker dilemma, there can be little argument the addition of Mbeumo – alongside Cunha – strengthens their firepower.

Only Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, Newcastle’s Alexander Isak and Manchester City’s Erling Haaland scored more than his 20 Premier League goals last season.

It was, though, the first time he has reached double figures for a top-flight club, and his expected goals (xG) statistic of 12.3 – which he outperformed by 7.7 goals – is something that would be difficult to repeat.

In the past five Premier League seasons, just 14 players have overperformed their xG by five goals or more.

Sutton said: “He has done well at Brentford but playing for Manchester United is very different. With respect to Brentford, there is no great expectation there. At United, he will be expected to perform straight away.

“He has experience, he is a good finisher and his versatility is a big positive – he can play as a central striker as well as on the wing, cutting inside off the right on to his left foot.

“But he has had one very good season where his numbers were very good, so the question is whether he can repeat that.”

The Cameroon international is not being bought just for his goals, though.

Mbeumo prefers to play on the right behind a striker – with Cunha expected to feature on the left – but also has the versatility to play centrally, offering another solution to the striker problem.

He topped the list for touches per 90 minutes for players who scored more than 15 goals last season – showing his involvement in play – and ranks as one of the best ball carriers in the league, consistently with an effective end product.

He was 17th on the list of top assisters – with seven – but in expected assists he led the way in the Premier League with 9.3 xA.

Alongside Cunha’s creativity, that can only be good news for whoever is chosen to play the central striker role.

“Consistency in those forward positions is what United are striving for, because they have not had it with, say, Alejandro Garnacho or Antony,” said Sutton.

“They are maybe thinking an older, more experienced player, who is more reliable, is what they need. That’s Mbeumo – he fits into Ruben Amorim’s system and he fits the bill as proven Premier League quality too.

“Amorim wants a harmonious camp as well as a consistent performer, not someone who is a 3/10 one week and a 9/10 the next.

“That’s what Manchester United have really been lacking and the numbers Mbeumo provided could be really important. That is the part of the jigsaw they have got to really solve if they want to be challenging at the top end of the table.”

Newcastle had a £70m bid for Ekitike rejected this month, while Liverpool have shown an interest in Magpies striker Alexander Isak.

Ekitike scored 15 goals in 31 starts as Frankfurt finished third in the Bundesliga last season.

His arrival will push Liverpool’s spending past £250m this summer.

They signed Florian Wirtz for a potential British record £116m, while defenders Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong have arrived for a combined £70m.

“There is absolutely no place for racism – either in football or in society. Everyone at the club is offering their full support to Aramide and stand firmly by him.

“The New Saints are proud to support UEFA’s #NoToRacism campaign and remain committed to promoting equality, respect and inclusion both on and off the pitch.”

Englishman Oteh, who came on as a substitute in extra time, joined TNS in 2024 having played for Queens Park Rangers, Bradford City, Stevenage, Salford City, Crawley Town and Walsall.

The London-born player was visibly upset following the Shkendija defeat.

“He is in tears – that doesn’t happen for no reason,” said Harrison.

Newcastle have made a move to sign Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike.

The 23-year-old scored 15 goals and made eight assists last season as his side finished third in the Bundesliga.

Sources said Newcastle are now exploring a potential deal to sign the Frenchman, who would likely cost more than £70m.

Despite the interest in Ekitike, BBC Sport has been told Newcastle have no interest in selling last season’s top scorer Alexander Isak who has been linked with clubs across Europe including Liverpool.

Sweden striker Isak, 25, joined from Real Sociedad in 2022 for £63m, which is currently the club’s record purchase.

Ekitike only joined Frankfurt last summer after an initial loan spell from Paris St-Germain and is under contract for another four years.