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Newcastle United starlet Lewis Miley is enjoying a run of starts in the side in a new role at right-back after injuries to Tino Livramento and Kieran Trippier had kept them out.

The two natural full-backs were available for the clash with Crystal Palace last weekend, but Eddie Howe decided to keep Miley in the side as the starter at right-back.

He rewarded his manager’s faith in him with an assist to Bruno Guimaraes for the opening goal in the 2-0 win over the Eagles, hooking the ball back across goal for the Brazilian to convert from close range.

The 19-year-old’s quality performances out of position at such a young age suggest that he has an incredibly bright future at St. James’ Park, if he can continue to develop and improve whilst remaining at the club.

Newcastle considering bid for new star

Whilst Miley is an incredibly exciting young talent, for the aforementioned reasons, the Magpies could add an even bigger talent to their squad this month.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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According to Somos Fanaticos, Newcastle United have joined a host of clubs in being interested in a deal to sign Santos left-back Souza in the January transfer window, with Spurs, Chelsea, and Manchester City also said to be keen on him.

The report claims that the Magpies view the teenage full-back as a potential ‘market opportunity’, as he could be available for less money now than he would be in a future window.

It adds that Newcastle have become an ‘active’ contender to sign him and are one of many European teams ‘intensifying their enquiries’. In other words, the Toon have already asked for information about what it may take to conclude a deal.

Somos Fanaticos reveals that Santos want a fee in the region of £17m to part ways with the youngster, who has an £87m release clause in his contract, per The Athletic.

Why Souza could be a bigger talent than Miley

There is no doubt that Miley is a big and exciting talent for Newcastle, given his emergence in the side at right-back as a 19-year-old in recent weeks, but Souza could be an even bigger talent for Eddie Howe to work with if PIF can get a deal over the line for him.

The Brazilian defender started 19 league games in the Brasileiro in 2025, per Sofascore, whilst Miley has only started ten games in the Premier League since the summer of 2024, with nine this term and one last season.

Souza, who is the same age as the Newcastle talent, is a natural left-back and has shown real quality with his performances for Santos to date, hence why so many top English clubs are looking to secure his signature in the coming weeks.

The £17m-rated star, who was described as “an absolute gem” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has shown that he can provide quality in and out of possession as a left-back who can bomb up and down the flank to impact matches at both ends of the pitch.

As impressive as Miley’s performances have been since being moved to right-back by Howe, Souza’s displays for Santos suggest that he could be an even more impressive young performer at St. James’ Park.

Stats

Souza (2025 Brasileiro)

Miley (25/26 PL)

Appearances

24

16

Goals

1

1

Big chances created

4

2

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.7

1.8

Clearances per game

2.3

1.0

Duels won per game

4.1

3.2

Dribbles completed per game

1.0

0.6

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Brazilian star’s defensive numbers are superior to Miley’s across the board, which suggests that he would offer more to the team as an out-and-out defender who can cut out attacks and prevent his man from troubling Nick Pope or Aaron Ramsdale in goal.

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He also created four ‘big chances’, twice as many as Miley has created this season in the Premier League, and could offer more of a threat at the top end of the pitch as a creative talent.

Per Sofascore, Souza did not make a single error that led to a shot or a goal for the opposition in the 2025 Brasileiro. However, the Newcastle youngster has already made two errors that have led to shots in the Premier League and two errors that have led to shots or goals in the League Cup.

This suggests that the Santos youngster could be far more reliable in possession when playing out from the back, as he is nowhere near as susceptible to making key errors with his passes.

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Therefore, PIF could bring Howe an even bigger teenage talent than Miley by winning the race to sign the 19-year-old left-back before the end of the January transfer window.

Tottenham Hotspur failed to beat Sunderland on Sunday evening and thus failed to secure a winning start to 2026 on home turf. There were positives to take, but this was a continuation of the struggles down N17 that have plagued the club for some time now.

The draw at Brentford on New Year’s Day was dire. Tottenham drew 0-0 in what was undoubtedly one of the most uninspiring contests of the campaign, and it was crucial that improvements were made here.

But the boos chorused across N17 at full-time, with Thomas Frank and his system still leaving much to be desired.

Spurs' performance vs Sunderland

In the first half, Tottenham played with an intensity and hunger to score. They came swinging out of the blocks, pressing and battling. But this juice ran out after the interval, and Sunderland put paid to the hosts through Brian Brobbey’s thumping finish after 80 minutes, cancelling out Ben Davies’ goal and securing a point on the road.

In the second half, Spurs only created an xG total of 0.28, underscoring an ongoing creative issue.

While Frank’s side moved toward higher ground here, it wasn’t a fantastic display, and a trip to Bournemouth in the Premier League before an FA Cup clash with Aston Villa must bear dividends for a club at a low ebb.

The forwards need to do more. Mohammed Kudus trudged off injured after only 15 minutes had been played, and that’s sure to be a significant worry for a side in desperate need of the Ghanaian’s pace and energy down the flank.

But more is needed from Kudus’ attacking peers, and there was one in particular who must be dropped after another uninspiring display.

Frank's Spurs forward may be dropped

Tottenham need to do better with their playmaking, and that is the crux of Frank’s struggle this season, perceived as an overly pragmatic manager whose philosophy is at odds with Spurs’ own: To Dare Is To Do.

But he needs more from his forwards, and it was another poor day at the office for Richarlison, who was criticised by podcaster Jonny Blain for looking like he was “running with weights in his boots” against the Black Cats.

The 28-year-old has been Tottenham’s main man at number nine this season, and while he’s posted eight goals from 29 matches in all competitions, too often he has drifted through matches.

This wasn’t one of those days, but Richarlison proved ineffective in the final third, and given the lack of creativity buzzing about Frank’s outfit, a more reliable marksman is needed, for sure.

Richarlison vs Sunderland

Match Stats

#

Minutes played

90′

Goals

0

xG

0.21

Assists

0

Touches

35

Shots (on target)

3 (1)

Accurate passes

10/12 (83%)

Chances created

0

Crosses

0/2

Dribbles

1/2

Duels won

6/17

Data via Sofascore

Richarlison ended up losing 11 duels and lacked synergy throughout the contest, with football.london acknowledging his heavy but fruitless involvement. He was given a 5/10 match rating.

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Richarlison ended up with fewer touches than the goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario (44), who was relatively quiet throughout the clash, only making two saves in total.

It is not the centre-forward’s job to be involved in the thick of the action, minute by minute, but Richarlison is expected to make things happen in the final third, and given that he was wasteful when placed in front of goal while failing to create a chance for his attacking teammates, it was one to forget for the Brazilian.

Signing a striker is sure to be a priority for the Lilywhites in 2026, and even if Richarlison keeps his place for the latter half of the campaign (with Dominic Solanke plagued by injuries), an upgrade must be found as soon as possible.

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Ajinkya Rahane, the only centurion so far in what has been a tough series for the batsmen, had to fight memories of his last Test in Delhi – his debut when he played two nervous shots to get out for 7 and 1. He was subsequently dropped for India’s next two Tests. Since then he travelled the world for 17 Tests without a single absolute failure of a series.Just when it looked this series – ironically at home – might be his first big failure in long-form cricket, Rahane came up with a century to rescue India from 139 for 6.”It is a very special hundred for me because I made my debut in Delhi against Australia,” Rahane said. “So I had a few things in my mind. Those memories against Australia. I was pretty determined to bat well as I knew that I was batting really well in the series. But it was important to spend time in the middle and later on look for a big innings. So really happy for the hundred but especially for the partnerships, which I got with [R] Ashwin, Virat [Kohli] and [Ravindra] Jadeja. That took us to 330.”Discounting the one day’s play that was possible in Bangalore, this pitch provided the most even contest between bat and ball, which made Rahane’s contribution extra special because a below-par total could have given South Africa a whiff at a consolation win. However, it wasn’t that easy a surface.”Shot making was not easy but once you are set, you decide that you are not going to get out,” Rahane said. “It was difficult for bowlers to get batsmen out. Saw that our bowlers bowled good discipline and patience. For bowlers, it is important to show patience and bowl in right areas but as a batsman, I feel spending time in the middle, taking my time, playing normal cricket, rather than play attacking shots. Not easy for shot making, not difficult as well.”Rahane said he gave himself more time in the middle before venturing out to play his shots. “First two Test matches, I was looking to play shots initially and that’s why I got out,” he said. “I knew I was batting well in the series. Spending time, during a net session. Talking to Sanjay Bangar and Ravi [Shastri], they said you have just got to take your time initially, play one ball at a time, if you are 25 to 30 your instincts will take over. I mean when I was batting I just wanted to stay blank, just play one ball at a time. Build a partnership with the batsman [at the other end]. I feel really special that I batted with Ashwin and got my hundred.”Ashwin and Jadeja have been key to India’s success in the series, and not just with the ball. India’s lower order has been a source of major frustration for South Africa. In the first innings in Nagpur, India last four wickets added 90 runs; and in the second, the last three gave India 45 runs. “That’s a good sign, when you know your lower order is batting really well,” Rahane said. “If guys at 8, 9, 10, 11 can contribute then opposition’s morale goes down. Batting with Ashwin was really important. Communication was just play normal cricket. Ashwin can bat as he has got two hundreds. Important to build a partnership.”This is not the first time Rahane has stitched together important runs with the tail. India’s last Test win outside Asia, at Lord’s, was built around a similar hundred in testing conditions. “When we were 139 for 6, I was recollecting those memories as even at Lord’s we were 142 for 7 [sic, 145 for 7],” Rahane said. “Same situation. I was just thinking to just communicate with other batsmen and back my instincts.”When Ashwin came in, I just told him that if the ball is there to be hit, I will go after and back my instincts. I think the response from him was crucial. He was really positive from his end. He said you can bat whatever you like and however you like. Playing here was really special and those memories from Lord’s innings came handy here.”

Tim Nielsen is ready to get down to business with the Australia squad © Getty Images

Australia’s new coach, Tim Nielsen, has outlined his plans for a pre-season bonding trip before next summer. Although the controversial military-style boot camp that Australia tried out last year has been put on the backburner, Nielsen hopes a four-day gathering in August will focus the team ahead of a hectic 18 months.Cricket Australia’s 25-man squad will meet on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast in August, where the players will be put through physical fitness work and Nielsen will outline his goals. It will be his first chance to address the whole group since taking over from John Buchanan after the team’s World Cup triumph.”It will be a different set-up, a chance just to get everyone back together in that we have had a long break from play,” Nielsen told the . “We will try and get our thoughts focused on where we are going to go over the next little while.”Nielsen’s first competitive engagement as the coach will be the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa in September. That starts a frantic period for Australia, who host Sri Lanka and India this summer and are expected to play 20 Tests in 2008.

Scorecard

Martin Nurse on his way to 35 during Barbados’s win over Anguilla © The Nation

St. Vincent cantered to a five-wicket win over United States Virgin Islands and booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Stanford 20/20 tournament. Kenroy Martin took three wickets and scored an unbeaten 21 as St. Vincent reached their target with five overs to spare.Earlier, Martin and Nixon McLean, the former West Indies fast bowler, combined to dismiss Virgin Islands for a disappointing 92, sharing six wickets between them. McLean struck early, dismissing Terrance Webbe in the second ball of the match. Most of the batsmen succumbed while attempting big hits, and Martin exploited this by varying his pace regularly. Former Leeward Islands batsman Clifford Walwyn was the top scorer for the Virgin Islands, scoring 40 off 33 balls. Virgin Islands sensed an opportunity for a win with St. Vincent at 69 for 5, but Kissinger McLean and Martin guided the team through to the target with a 27-run stand.
ScorecardBarbados got off to a good start in their first match in the Stanford 20/20 tournament, with a 38-run win over Anguilla. The Barbados attack, loaded with four internationals, never allowed the opposition to get near the required run-rate, wrapping up Anguilla for 103. Pedro Collins got the early breakthroughs and finished with three wickets for 13 runs off four overs. Barbados batted first and finished with 141 for 6, with contributions from Martin Nurse (35) and Jason Haynes (38).

Certain Indian players are reportedly unhappy with the terms of the central contracts offered by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, and could put off signing them until a clause relating to personal endorsements is removed.According to a report in , the players do not want to disclose their personal endorsement and sponsorship details to the board. The BCCI has inserted a clause in the contracts which requires them to do so, and most players are said to be unwillingly to go along.SK Nair, the board secretary, said that the contracts had been mailed to the cricketers, but the general opinion is that they would sign only once the clause pertaining to personal endorsements was removed. There were other areas of conflict too, but none as serious as this.Some players were said to be unhappy about squad members being paid only 50 percent of what those on the field would be. They had asked for 70 percent, but the board had insisted that the bench-strength would only be paid half as much. The players had also asked for 20 to be offered central contracts. So far, the BCCI have only considered 17, though they haven’t ruled out the possibility of more players being added to the list.Sourav Ganguly, the Indian captain, didn’t attend the meeting which was held to discuss the awarding of the central contracts last Sunday. It’s believed that Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble, who were central to the initial negotiations, also declined to attend.The Khaleej Times suggests that Nair was among those not inclined to offer a grade A contract to Kumble, but Syed Kirmani, the chairman of the selection panel, pushed it through after Jagmohan Dalmiya also insisted that Kumble be rewarded for his services to the game in India.

Michael Vaughan: under fire from the media© Getty Images

"England contrived to achieve the near-impossible yesterday by producing a collective batting performance inferior to the derided effort of two days earlier," wrote Richard Hobson in . "Embarrassingly, a floodlit game was completed more than three hours ahead of schedule, before twilight had the chance to kick in, defeat stemming from hot-headed shot selection and lack of gumption. James Franklin, the left-arm seam bowler, could not have found victims much easier to snare when he was playing for Rishton in the Lancashire League a few weeks ago."John Westerby, also in , summed the situation up by saying: "While England have played musical chairs with their batting line-up recently in an attempt to create harmony among their top order, the only noises emanating from that end of the orchestra at the moment are bum notes."In the , Derek Pringle also put the blame on England’s clueless batsmen: "Most of them were toying with disaster with their gung-ho approach in challenging conditions." He continued, "the shot-a-ball culture prevailing among England’s top order appears to treat every pitch as a belter and every bowler as a dobber in a misguided quest to score 250-plus, irrespective of conditions."At one stage wickets seemed to be falling every seven runs, which meant spectators were treated to endless replays of Eminem’s Lose Yourself a strident ditty that contains the lyric: `You only get one shot, so don’t miss your chance.’ It was prescient too. Most of England’s batsmen did only have one shot – an awful one."As usual, didn’t hold back. "One-day quicket!" read the headline, under which John Etheridge was just as scathing. "England produced another shocking performance yesterday that plunges the whole future of this one-day team into doubt," he decreed. "Maybe the thief who pillaged their dressing room also stole England’s batting brains as well as a complete set of coaching manuals.It is almost impossible to comprehend — but this was an even worse display than their inept effort against West Indies at Trent Bridge on Sunday.""Frankly, that was rubbish!" ran the . "This woeful defeat extended Vaughan’s record of England losing every one-day international in which they have batted first, and winning in every run chase, since he took over 20 games ago," Mike Walters pointed out. "Just as they had shot their bolt far too early against the Windies at Trent Bridge, England were a busted flush inside the first 20 overs."So what can be done now? Well, Mark Nicholas, writing in the , had an idea. "Three consecutive World Cup failures are an embarrassment to a country which plays so much of the limited-overs stuff in its own first-class structure," he said. "Specialists must be chosen and used in the position which led to their choice. If England put the successful, confident and better-balanced Test team on the park at Headingley tomorrow, would they fare better than the one in their place? Yes, quite probably, is the answer." He’s got a point.

India will not risk easing up when they play Kenya in their first match of the World Cup Super Six under the Newlands lights here on Friday.The Indians remember only too well the shock 70-run defeat against the unfancied Africans when they batted second under lights during a triangular series match in Port Elizabeth last season.”We’re preparing exactly the same way we have for our other games. It’s an important match,” coach John Wright said today.India go into the Super Six phase trailing the Kenyans, who carry forward 10 points from the first round after their win by forfeit against New Zealand and their surprise victory over Sri Lanka in Nairobi.India take eight points into the next round, which places them third behind unbeaten Australia (12) and Kenya.Kenya’s win against India in Port Elizabeth was something of an anomaly as it was sandwiched between a 10-wicket trouncing of the Kenyans five days earlier, when the Africans were bowled out for 90, and a 186-run win a week later.It was enough, though, to provide Wright with ammunition when he warns his players of complacency after the emotional high of their triumph against Pakistan last Saturday.The Indians had a two-day break following the Pakistan match but were back in full work mode at the nets at Newlands today.”It’s a very big opportunity,” he said of India’s chance to reach the semi-finals. “But we have to guard against complacency. The players have to be hungry to win their next match and they must respect the opposition.”Kenya, meanwhile, confirmed the fears of neutrals that they could be on the wrong end of some one-sided matches in the Super Six when they lost by 142 runs in their final Group B match against the West Indies in Kimberley on Tuesday.The Kenyans travelled to Cape Town today and will only have one full session in the nets on tomorrow morning.If the Africans are to be a threat to an in-form Indian team they will probably need to bat first and post a reasonable total, then try to put the Indians under pressure.Opening batsmen Ravindu Shah and Kennedy Otieno both made half-centuries in the upset in Port Elizabeth and will need to get their side off to a good start, while classy batsman Steve Tikolo, the Kenyan captain, will be seeking to find better form than he has so far shown in the tournament.Wright said he was not concerned about any possible changes in conditions under floodlights. “Whether we bat first or second, we have the batting to do the job,” he said.Meanwhile, the Indians were relieved to learn that opener Virender Sehwag had not fractured the index finger of his right hand after being injured during fielding practice today.The swelling, however, persists and team official Amrit Mathur said a decision on whether Sehwag will play on Kenya will be taken on Friday morning.Teams (from):India: Sourav Ganguly (captain), Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, Dinesh Mongia, Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Anil Kumble, Harhajan Singh, Parthiv Patel, Ajit Agarkar, Sanjay BangarKenya: Steve Tikolo (captain), Maurice Odumbe, Ravindu Shah, Asif Karim, Alpesh Vadher, Hitesh Modi, Joseph Angara, Collins Obuya, David Obuya, Kennedy Otieno, Thomas Odoyo, Martin Suji, Tony Suji, Peter Ongondo, Brijal Patel

Jeremy Snape and Jack Russell revived Gloucestershire’s second innings atBristol today in the low-scoring CricInfo Championship Division Two game withWarwickshire.The pair came together with Gloucestershire on 100-5 in the 45th over andwith a lead of only 41. But by the premature close they had taken the score to 157-5, with Snape on 42 and Russell on 15, and put the game back in the balance.Bad light and rain wiped 35 overs off the day’s play, with 27 of them lost in the last session.Alan Richardson, Dougie Brown and Neil Smith claimed a wicket apiece in themorning as Gloucestershire lost Dominic Hewson (11), Kim Barnett(21) and Matt Windows (14) in reaching 85-3.Warwickshire’s victory hopes were raised further when Mark Alleyne and ChrisTaylor were then removed in successive overs after the interval.Alleyne cut a Brown delivery to Mark Wagh at third man, to fall for ten, thenTaylor gave a legside catch to wicket-keeper Keith Piper off Richardson for33.Warwickshire had to do without seamer Melvyn Betts in the afternoon sessiondue to illness and the rest of their attack were frustrated by Snape and thetypically obdurate Russell.The scoring rate was only just above two an over, but Snape and Russellbriefly broke the stranglehold with a boundary apiece off Vasbert Drakes inthe 56th over.Snape took two more boundaries off Richardson in one of the three-and-a-half overs possible, the second of which brought up the half-century stand.Richardson finished with 2-40 from 20.3 overs, while Brown has 2-17 from 15 overs. Off-the-field, Gloucestershire have been dealt another injury blow ahead of next Saturday’s Benson & Hedges Cup final with Surrey at Lord’s with news that vice-captain Tim Hancock broke a bone in his right hand during fielding practice.Hancock has not been selected for Gloucestershire’s last three Championship matches, but he is a key member of the one-day team and has no chance of being fit for the Lord’s showpiece.Gloucestershire are also expected to be without pace bowlers Mike Smith (groin) and Jon Lewis (back) for the game due to injury.

Despite being cruelly denied a first title in 24 years when for so long it seemed like the Premier League trophy was destined to be heading for Anfield, last season was still a roaring success for Liverpool.

The Reds’ only requirement was to qualify for the Champions League – which they managed with three games to spare – and while missing out on a majestic return to their perch was a crushing disappointment given how close they had come to being crowned champions, Liverpool could still look forward to a long-awaited return to Europe’s elite club competition after five years in the wilderness.

Of course, Reds fans had every reason to be excited. The club prides itself on its European pedigree, and for the vast majority of supporters, memories of Istanbul – where they won their fifth European title in 2005 – are still joyously fresh.

Since the golden years of the 1970s and 1980s, Liverpool have had an obsession with the competition. The domestic title has proved elusive for nearly a quarter of a century, which means that the definition of success for the Reds is dependent entirely on whether or not they are in Europe.

In the period between 2009 and 2014 – when Liverpool were absent from the Champions League – the club won the League Cup and reached both the FA Cup final and the semi-finals of the Europa League. Not bad for a team which was going through some of its most troubling times, but the fact that the dark cloud engulfing Anfield only really dissipated last season with qualification to the Champions League – which, it must be remembered, came during an ultimately trophyless campaign for the Reds – shows that dreams of Europe on Merseyside still rule.

And yet, much has changed in the Champions League since 2009.

The days when the old Big Four of Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Arsenal would consistently reach the latter stages of the tournament are over. Since its zenith in the mid-2000s, the Premier League has been in rapid decline as the Spanish La Liga and the German Bundesliga have emerged as the strongest leagues in world football in terms of quality. Chelsea are now the only English team capable of progressing far into the competition, and even then, they are still considered underdogs compared to the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

This sobering reality has hit Liverpool hard this season. Their back-to-back deafeats against Real Madrid in the group stage highlights the contrasting recent fortunes of both clubs.

Just five years ago, a relatively weak Reds side thrashed the Spanish giants 5-0 on aggregate to progess to the quarter-finals of the Champions League. In the present day, Real are the most dominant side on the planet, having won their tenth European title in May, while Liverpool are battling it out with FC Basle and Ludogorets Razgrad to even make it out of the group.

Their difficulties in Europe are also having an adverse effect on their domestic campaign as the Reds have already lost five league games, one fewer than they managed during the whole of last season. This raises a difficult question that many Liverpool fans are likely to have asked themselves already: why even bother with the Champions League?

Many attributed the Reds’ unexpected title charge last year to their lack of European football, which gave Brendan Rodgers’ side more time to rest and prepare for league matches than their rivals competing on the continent. However, now that Liverpool have qualified for Europe, they seem to have no chance of winning neither the Premier League nor the Champions League.

Surely sacrificing one for the sake of having a shot at success in the other makes sense, and given that the Champions League contains a greater amount of superior sides than the Premier League, should the latter not be a priority for the Reds?

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Liverpool may yet qualify from their group and improve on their dismal start to the season, but already it is beginning to look like a case of the grass being greener for the Anfield club. For the executives, board members, chairmen and owners of European football’s top sides, qualification to the financially lucrative Champions League will always remain a top priority. But for the fans who demand actual, tangible, trophy-shaped success above all else, it is hard to see the appeal of the competition if a select number of teams are the only one realistically capable of winning it.

The Reds have a talented, ambitious manager who may one day build a squad which is strong enough to emerge as serious competitors for Europe’s ultimate prize. However, that day is a long way off.

What do you think? Follow me on Twitter @GruffuddOwen