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New York Times
2 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Newcastle's Alexander Isak dilemma: Does it make sense to sell him as they try to sign Hugo Ekitike?
Newcastle United have a conundrum on their hands. On Monday, The Athletic reported that they were working on a deal worth around €75million to sign Eintracht Frankfurt forward Hugo Ekitike. The insistence was that they wanted to have both Ekitike and star striker Alexander Isak as options for next season. Advertisement By Tuesday, The Athletic reported Liverpool had made an approach to sign Isak. While no formal offer has been submitted, they have communicated their interest in doing a deal with Newcastle in the region of £120m. Amid this all, Isak's preference is unknown. If Isak does want to move, then having a player in the squad who wants out is never a good idea. If he is happy to stay, that would alleviate the pressure on any sale. But this all leaves Newcastle with a dilemma. Do they try to keep Isak and sign Ekitike too, fulfilling their original plan? Do they keep Isak knowing there is a risk other clubs — including Liverpool — could try and take Ekitike ahead of them? Do they sell Isak in order to try and push through Ekitike and fund any other business they want to do this summer? The Athletic's reporters were asked whether it could make sense for Newcastle to sell Isak and sign Ekitike and analysed across a few different categories: on the pitch, financially, in terms of perception and availability-wise. Here, Thom Harris, Chris Weatherspoon, Jacob Whitehead and Anantaajith Raghuraman give their answers. Isak is a one-of-a-kind centre-forward; tall and powerful, technically gifted and elegant on the ball, but still able to pack a punch with his driving runs and ability to strike through the ball on both feet. He's also Premier League proven, with 44 goals across his last two campaigns. Ekitike does not bring such a guarantee, but in terms of profile — the way he operates in his No 9 role — there are few closer stylistic matches in world football. The Frenchman, almost three years Isak's junior, aged 23, is similarly effective when it comes to carrying the ball, despite his slender 6ft 3in (190cm) frame. He spearheaded Europe's most effective counter-attacking team last season — no team generated more expected goals (xG) from fast breaks than Eintracht Frankfurt — with his long-strided, mazy dribbles and quick decision-making at speed. Advertisement As we can see from the visualisation below, illustrating where both strikers received their passes last season, both are comfortable dropping into deeper positions and drifting out wide where they can pick up possession and take on their man. Ekitike attempted more take-ons and carried the ball even further than Isak last year; in that regard, Newcastle won't be downgrading too much if both deals were to go through. Ekitike also chooses his moments well to charge into goal-scoring positions, bundling home eight goals from inside the six-yard box last season, as many as Isak. His link-up around the penalty area is sharp too, with the following lay-off for Mario Gotze against Werder Bremen last November illustrating his alert box movement, as well as his presence of mind to pivot and play the ball in the heat of the moment, holding the defender off with ease. Stylistically, then, Newcastle's interest in Ekitike makes sense, particularly if he is to come in as an Isak replacement. His play style should translate to a team that embraces quick transitions and instinctive football in the final third, while his defensive application gels with Eddie Howe's philosophy without the ball. That said, he is not yet the finished product, and his arrival would not come without risk. Ekitike's shot selection can often be poor, a young player who can easily get carried away after gliding past a defender or two. His tall frame sometimes makes it difficult for him to adjust and wrap his body around shots, no stranger to a tame effort on goal while struggling to dig the ball out from under his feet. Despite a healthy tally of 15 Bundesliga goals last season, the quality of chances that fell his way (xG) suggests that the average striker should have scored 6.6 goals more. Ekitike is a a tremendously exciting player and his intriguing blend of height, power and agility on the ball fills an Isak-sized hole, on paper. But given his relative inexperience in top-flight football and a few finishing issues to iron out, it may take a few years for him to reach the brutal goal-scoring legacy that the Swede would leave behind. Thom Harris As detailed earlier this week by The Athletic, any financial problems for Newcastle under their current ownership are rule-based rather than cash-based. It's worth, therefore, assessing what the sale of Isak might do for the club's profitability and sustainability (PSR) position. Isak arrived on Tyneside three years ago and still has three years to run on a six-year contract. After including estimations of agent fees and the applicable transfer levy, his current book value at Newcastle stands at roughly £34m. Advertisement Selling him for £120m — or more — would bank Newcastle a huge amount of profit, even while not all the fee would flow their way. Real Sociedad are owed 10 per cent of any profit Newcastle make on Isak; based on a £120m fee, the Spanish club would receive around £6m. That would still leave Newcastle with a whopping estimated profit on Isak of £79.8m. From a PSR perspective, it would provide a huge boost to their headroom. With sales booked immediately while purchases are spread over the length of player contracts, the impact on club financials would be stark. Say they followed up the sale of Isak by purchasing Ekitike on a five-year deal for £75m. The amortisation costs on the latter, even after assorted fees on top of what went to Frankfurt, would only be around £16.4m annually. In other words, in 2025-26, the sale of Isak and purchase of Ekitike for the fees mooted here would result in a positive impact on Newcastle's bottom line of around £63.4m. Compared to 2024-25, the positive movement would be even higher, as there'd be roughly £11.2m in amortisation costs saved on Isak too, equating to a £74.6m positive swing between last season's finances and this. That ignores wages, of course, but losing Isak from the wage bill and replacing him with Ekitike might not have much, if any, financial impact when it comes to salaries. What's more, that £74.6m in positive movements this season would free up Newcastle to bolster their squad elsewhere. They could, in effect and assuming all else remains equal (it won't, of course), add £74.6m more in costs to 2025-26 and arrive back at the same profit or loss figure as last season. Unlike in any effective Isak/Ekitike swap, further signings would mean Newcastle buying in someone new without shipping out someone similarly remunerated. Using up that £74.6m would have to incorporate the wages of any new signings, so it wouldn't be the case that they could utilise it all on transfer fees (£74.6m in annual amortisation would equate to well over £300m in fees if spread over five years). But even a thought exercise taking that into account shows the possibilities made available by sanctioning a big sale. Advertisement You can cut it any number of hypothetical ways, but say Newcastle wanted to go out and buy two £55m players and pay them £200,000 a week on five-year deals. After including extra fees and employment costs, each would cost them £24.5m annually, or £49m combined. Even after our hypothetical Isak sale, Ekitike signing and the arrival of those two players, the difference in Newcastle's bottom line between last season and 2025-26 would be a positive £25m or so. This is a buffer which could go towards helping in 2026-27, when they'll need to keep amortising those new fees and paying new wages without a repeat of the Isak sale. In other words, it would be a huge boost for them financially. Chris Weatherspoon At what cost? Newcastle clearly love Ekitike, who they have attempted to sign on two previous occasions, and who is coveted by a host of Europe's elite clubs. He is 23 years old, highly creative, and has the capacity to physically dominate. But if the price of that deal includes selling Isak to Liverpool, any fan goodwill evaporates. You throw Ekitike into a difficult situation, in a new league — Bundesliga strikers have not historically adapted quickly to English football — and ask him to instantly reproduce Isak's production. Ekitike may well be a success, but he is not proven, whereas Isak undoubtedly is — with 54 Premier League goals since joining three years ago, he is Newcastle's best forward since Alan Shearer. Now, figures at Newcastle are still insistent that Isak is not for sale, and that their plan is for Ekitike to play alongside Isak in the future. There are no indications that a sale needs to be countenanced, or that they will even enter negotiations with Liverpool. They still hope to ink him to a new deal. Unless Isak agitates for a move, this may go no further. But to play at the top of the transfer market, you have to play with high odds — Newcastle are now in that space. Jacob Whitehead Isak has had only one long-term injury over the course of his career, but has had to deal with niggling issues across the past few seasons. As the graph below shows, he missed 107 days (and 18 matches for club and country) during the 2022-23 season due to a thigh injury, according to Transfermarkt. He has dealt with three groin injuries across the last two seasons, in addition to a broken toe and a hamstring issue in 2024-25. In contrast, Ekitike has had only one major injury — a hamstring issue that sidelined him for 69 days in 2021-22 and forced him to miss 14 matches. The caveat with the 23-year-old is that his playing load has been lower than Isak's. Ekitike has crossed 1,500 league minutes only once in his career — in 2024-25 — compared to Isak's six seasons in which he has played that many minutes. Anantaajith Raghuraman
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Revealed: England international among group of SIX players put up for sale by Man City as Pep Guardiola eyes summer clearout
Manchester City are willing to part ways defender John Stones after adding the England international to a list of potential sales. According to The Athletic, Stones is one of six players who could be on the way out of the Etihad Stadium, either on loan or permanent deals. Ilkay Gundogan, Nico O'Reilly, Mateo Kovacic, Claudio Echeverri and Oscar Bobb complete the list, although the latter is believed to be unlikely to leave having missed the entirety of last season through injury. Should a sale materialise, Stones' possible departure would mark the end of a nine-year stint at the club. He has made 277 appearances so far for Pep Guardiola 's side, scoring 19 goals. However, injuries limited him last season to just 11 Premier League games, with foot and hamstring issues flaring up. In January, City signed another defender in Abdukodir Khusanov from Lens, providing competition for Stones. Gundogan, another long-term City player up for sale, has previously said that he is happy to stay in Manchester. During the Club World Cup, the German international said: 'I have one more year left on my contract and I'm very happy here – I think everybody knows that. 'I am enjoying my football. I still believe I have several years in me at the highest level by taking good care of myself.'
New York Times
3 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
MLB All-Star Game 2025 live updates: Today's rosters, batting order and our predictions
Hello baseball fans and welcome to The Athletic's live coverage of the 2025 MLB All-Star Game! Baseball's brightest stars are once again gearing up for the midsummer classic with both the American League and National League starting lineups featuring a blend of familiar faces and budding young stars. We'll be taking you through all the action tonight before, during and after the game with some help from our own all-star roster of MLB writers here at The Athletic , including several on the ground in Atlanta! So stick with us right here all night long as baseball's best share the field!
New York Times
4 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Make your picks for the best men's college basketball players, coaches and teams of the last 25 years
All week, The Athletic is looking back at the last quarter century of men's college basketball to rank the best players, coaches, teams and games. It's naturally an imperfect exercise, perhaps more in this sport than any other. How do you compare the phenomenon of a one-and-done star against four seasons of sustained success? How do you weigh Final Four runs against conference championships? How do you measure teams from the early aughts against today's game — two different eras when it comes to roster building? Advertisement We want to ask you those questions as well. In the survey below, you'll have the opportunity to pick your No. 1 player, coach and team, as well as a top five in each category. We're also curious: For you, what was the most memorable game of the quarter-century? (You can see our top 25 games Friday.) In case you missed it, here are our top 25 players and coaches. Happy debating! (Photos: Ethan Miller, Craig Jones / Getty Images)
New York Times
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper and NBA's next big thing highlight Vegas Summer League notes
The Bounce Newsletter | This is The Athletic's daily NBA newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Bounce directly in your inbox. Happy 35th birthday to Damian Lillard! The last couple of months haven't been great for the nine-time All-Star, but he still has more years left in his Hall of Fame career. Here's a fun video of four ridiculous game-winning buzzer-beaters from him. Get better soon, Dame, and happy birthday! Everything to know about summer league Bouncers, I have returned from the first weekend of Las Vegas Summer League, and let me tell you: It remains a spectacular experience. The city of Vegas is alive with NBA energy, the actual basketball is weird and there's a pizza stand that sells four items: pepperoni pizza, cheese pizza, an acai bowl and ranch dressing. And yes, John Hollinger bought the worst combination imaginable. I've got a lot of notes and impressions from the Vegas action, but for today, let's go over the lottery picks we saw (and didn't see) with an updated assessment/overreaction to those selections. (To be clear, yes the term 'assessment' is a bit sarcastic … don't get too upset just yet): My goodness! Maybe this is why some of these rookies have been kept out of games. Another Sixers star sidelined by surgery 🩼 Operation time. Paul George recently had a successful knee surgery and will be re-evaluated before training camp. Will Philly sign someone to make up for this? 🏀 Sweaty path. Before being drafted by the Timberwolves, Beringer used old-school workouts to reach the NBA. 'It was a hot-ass gym.' Advertisement 🏀 He's here. You'll never guess who LeBron James was in Vegas to watch at Summer League. Yes, it was his son, Bronny James – good guess. 💰 Get paid. The Pelicans gave Herb Jones a new contract extension: three years, $68 million. 💸 Staying put. The Cavaliers are keeping their front office together. Koby Altman is signed through 2030. 🎧 Tuning in. The latest edition of 'NBA Daily' discusses whether a former No. 1 overall pick should win Most Improved Player honors. The story of the greatest players in NBA history. In 100 riveting profiles, top basketball writers justify their selections and uncover the history of the NBA in the process. The story of the greatest players in NBA history. It's official: Blazers nailed Yang Hansen gamble Last month, when the Trail Blazers shocked the basketball world by taking projected second-round pick Yang Hansen with the 16th overall pick, we all wondered if they'd lost their minds. Yes, he had the cool distinction of being called the 'Chinese Nikola Jokić,' but we also remember when Nemanja Nedović was called the 'Serbian Derrick Rose.' Sometimes, those nicknames don't mean anything for unknown prospects. It's like a stuffed crust pizza: It sounds great, but you're likely to be disappointed by the actual results. The 20-year-old Hansen had a really promising – albeit short – career in the Chinese Basketball Association, averaging 16.6 points, 10.5 rebounds and three assists last season, but the level of competition made for an uncertain transition to the NBA. The tape on him looked fun, but NBA talent can expose a lot of those highlights as nothing more than great trailers for bad movies. After his first pass of summer league, I was intrigued. Ten seconds into his first game, Hansen dropped a bounce pass dime to a cutting Sidy Cissoko for the dunk: The Thomas & Mack crowd wasn't full, but it buzzed until that moment and grew into a frenzy every time Hansen had the ball. A couple minutes later, he whipped a one-handed hook pass just over the outreached mitt of Isaiah Mobley to DJ Carton for a layup, and everybody's eyebrows were raised: Hansen's overall stats through two summer league appearances are solid. In 24.8 minutes per game, he's averaging 10 points, 4.5 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and four turnovers. He's made 46.7 percent of his overall attempts, hit 83.3 percent of his free throws and shot 1-of-5 from deep. That lone made 3 was banked in from the right wing. Advertisement The numbers are almost irrelevant, though. Hansen is a galvanizing force on the floor. His perimeter defense leaves a lot to be desired, but his timing and instincts around the rim are already quite impressive. His feel for the game at 20 years old is mind-blowing. The Jokić comparisons are unreasonable because the three-time NBA MVP is one of the best players we've ever seen. However, Hansen shares similar qualities, and it goes beyond passing ability. His physicality will be the key to his success. His touch and control of the ball are tough to deal with because he's also so strong and physical. Jokić is mostly allowed to physically push defenders around and be the bully on the court. If Hansen is allowed similar liberties, he's going to dominate his opponent on offense. It's rare that summer league will change your mind about a player because the games don't actually have bearing on long-term NBA potential, but Hansen intrigued me almost immediately. The Blazers clearly knew what they were doing by selecting him so early. WNBA votes on some league superlatives Remember when we did our NBA anonymous players poll? Do you recall Tyrese Haliburton's peers (13 of them, at least) calling him overrated and motivating him to nearly lead the Pacers to an NBA championship? Well, the WNBA staff has conducted an anonymous players poll, with new topics being unveiled each day this week. I wanted to examine the first two questions. I love elitism and trash talk in basketball, so they're right up my alley. Make sure you're checking out the series all week long: Best player in the WNBA? This one was particularly gratifying for me because my favorite player was named the best by her peers. While I would have guessed A'ja Wilson would win this vote, Lynx forward Napheesa Collier barely boxed out the three-time WNBA MVP for the honor. Collier got 47.2 percent of the vote, while Wilson took home 41.6 percent. Breanna Stewart garnered 5.5 percent as two other players received one vote apiece. Advertisement Collier doesn't quite have the success of Wilson yet, but she nearly led her team to the title last season, is the best defensive player in the league and could be working on her first career MVP. Biggest trash talker? Even though the G.O.A.T. Diana Taurasi has retired, we still have someone from the Mercury winning this category. Alyssa Thomas ran away with it, garnering 39.3 percent of the vote. Lynx guard Courtney Williams (15.1 percent) and Sun guard Marina Mabrey (12.1 percent) came in second and third, respectively. Surprisingly, Caitlin Clark didn't get more than one vote here. My favorite quote from the players about Thomas: 'Everyone knows AT talks s—. I don't even guard her, and she talks s— to me.' Streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
