The Minnesota Twins are the odds-on favorites to win the AL Central with a -115 payout:
Minnesota Twins -115 Detroit Tigers +350 Cleveland Guardians +350 Kansas City Royals +850 Chicago White Sox +4000
The AL Central was the only division in 2023 to have just one team finish with a winning record.
Minnesota won the division with a total of 87 wins — the only division winner to tally fewer than 90. The second-place Tigers finished with a .481 win percentage and 78 wins.
The AL Central is expected to remain one of the less competitive divisions in 2024. The Twins should stay in the driver’s seat with strong pitching and a mix of veteran and young talent. If Royce Lewis, Carlos Correa and — stop me if you’ve heard this before — Byron Buxton can remain healthy, the Twins should waltz into the division title once again.
Carlos Correa had 18 home runs and 65 RBIs for the Twins last season :: Adam Hunger/AP
That’s too big of an “if” for me to tie up bankroll, though, so I’ll be fading the Twins for the division title at this payout.
The Tigers and Guardians offer +350 odds.
Cleveland is a speedy team with no power. The Guardians hit the fewest home runs in 2023 (124) while stealing the fifth-most bases (151). Unfortunately, that formula is unlikely to work unless you have an elite starting rotation. That being said, the Guardians have a lot of pitching potential with a staff anchored by Shane Bieber. Cleveland has won the division four of the last eight seasons, with the most recent title coming in 2022.
Detroit will need Spencer Torkelson to take another step forward and a few other players to exceed expectations to be able to nab the title. The last time Detroit won the AL Central was in 2014.
The Royals boast one of the top hitters in the game in Bobby Witt Jr., who is a power threat and a menace on the bases. If Sal Perez can put together another solid season and Vinnie Pasquantino can give us an entire season, Kansas City could surprise. The Royals stole the third-most bases (163) while hitting the fifth-fewest home runs (163) in 2023. Still, that was more stolen bases and nearly 40 more round-trippers than the Guardians. With pitcher Cole Ragans showing the potential to be a verifiable ace, I’m willing to place my bets on the Royals to surprise for a +750 payout.
Finally, the White Sox own +4000 odds after opening as the favorites in both 2022 and ’23. Still boasting Luis Robert, Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease, there is enough talent there to pull a lotto ticket if you’re inclined.
It didn’t take Virat Kohli long. After B Sai Sudharsan, the Gujarat Titans (GT) opener, won it back from Kohli on Friday, Kohli snatched it right back when he scored 62 in 33 balls for RCB against CSK at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Not much between them, though, Kohli is on 505 runs from 11 innings, while Sai Sudharsan is one run behind, from one fewer innings.The line-up below them remains unchanged: Suryakumar Yadav (Mumbai Indians, 475 runs), Jos Buttler (GT, 470 runs), Shubman Gill (GT, 465 runs), Yashasvi Jaiswal (Rajasthan Royals, 439 runs) and Nicholas Pooran (Lucknow Super Giants, 404 runs).Now, while Kohli is the top run-getter, RCB’s next most prolific run-scorer is Devdutt Padikkal with just 247 runs, down at No. 26.
Purple Cap table
Josh Hazlewood didn’t play the game against CSK, and that means he remains one wicket behind table-topper Prasidh Krishna of GT. Prasidh has 19 wickets from ten games, while Hazlewood has 18 from ten.Khaleel Ahmed’s wicketless – and very expensive – outing meant he remained at 14 wickets for the season, but his team-mate Noor Ahmad got back on level terms with MI’s Trent Boult at 16 wickets to be joint-third. Krunal Pandya picked up one wicket for RCB against CSK, and that took him to 14, the same as Khaleel as well as GT’s Mohammed Siraj and Delhi Capitals’ Mitchell Starc.You can also take a look at what ESPNcricinfo MVP table looks like at this stage.Here are some other IPL 2025 tables.
A luta do Botafogo para se manter firme no Brasileirão passa por revigorar seu fôlego até mesmo diante dos percalços. Mesmo diante da grave lesão que tirará Rafael dos gramados por um prazo de seis meses, a equipe alvinegra deve voltar suas atenções para substitutos jovens.
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O Glorioso recorre a duas opções das categorias inferiores para acirrarem a concorrência com Di Plácido. O desafio é fazer com que ambos mostrem suas qualidades gradualmente e consigam progredir em campo.
Um deles esteve na atividade comandada pelo interino Cláudio Caçapa, no CT Lonier, terça-feira (4). Atualmente na equipe sub-23, Walisson está com 21 anos mas chama atenção por sua vivência. O jovem foi cedido pelo RB Bragantino e ainda passou pela base do Athletic, de Minas Gerais, antes de desembarcar no Rio de Janeiro. Após ter um início promissor sob o comando de Lúcio Flávio, lidou com uma fratura em um de seus braços, mas se recuperou após ser submetido a uma cirurgia.
Ryan, de 20 anos, também vem ganhando chance de mostrar seu valor nos treinos após ter desembarcado no Alvinegro no ano passado. O jovem, que foi contratado junto à Chapecoense, tem no currículo duas partidas como profissional na equipe catarinense. Porém, a ideia ao chegar no Botafogo era de que ele fosse lapidado.
Como a diretoria alvinegra só conta inicialmente com Di Plácido para o setor (Daniel Borges foi cedido do América-MG), o caminho do Glorioso deve passar também pela renovação no setor. Em um momento que exige cada vez mais pique para o líder do Brasileirão, cabe à equipe não titubear.
SRH handed an IPL debut to Sri Lankan spin allrounder Kamindu Mendis
ESPNcricinfo staff03-Apr-2025Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) captain Pat Cummins won the toss and chose to bowl against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens.In an early indication that spin could be a factor tonight, KKR made one change: Moeen Ali replaced Spencer Johnson. Moeen took 2 for 23 on a spinning surface in Guwahati in his only IPL 2025 appearance. For SRH, Sri Lanka’s Kamindu Mendis made his IPL debut, replacing Wiaan Mulder in the bowl-first XI while Travis Head was on the Impact Player bench.Cummins said SRH were outplayed by KKR in last season’s final and he wanted to change that. He also said the team spoke “a bit” about their batting issues in their previous two games but feels they are at their best when aggressive. He said the boys are not worried too much about it.Ajinkya Rahane said he was “really happy” with the pitch, and wanted to bowl first too. He said he hoped it would suit his spinners and will need to assess conditions quickly.SRH’s decision to bowl was interesting, since they have been a team who like to post a big total and then attempt to defend it.Both KKR and SRH have only one win from their first three games, with both those wins coming against Rajasthan Royals.KKR bat-first XI: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Venkatesh Iyer, 3 Ajinkya Rahane (capt), 4 Rinku Singh, 5 Angkrish Raghuvanshi, 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Sunil Narine, 8 Andre Russell, 9 Ramandeep Singh, 10 Harshit Rana, 11 Varun ChakravarthySRH bowl-first XI: 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Ishan Kishan, 3 Nitish Reddy, 4 Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 5 Aniket Verma, 6 Kamindu Mendis, 7 Simarjeet Singh, 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Mohammed Shami, 11 Zeeshan Ansari
Brendon McCullum begins his tenure in charge of England’s white-ball teams with T20I and ODI series in India ahead of the Champions Trophy in Pakistan. On the first pod of 2025, Alan Gardner was joined by Matt Roller and Vithushan Ehantharajah to discuss how McCullum might overhaul their fortunes. Topics include reinvigorating Jos Buttler, bringing back Joe Root and a focus on pace in the seam attack.
Last year, Arsenal finished second in the Premier League for the third successive season, but who can deny that Mikel Arteta’s burgeoning side have gotten better and better since the start of his reign?
Injuries ruined what could have been the year for the Gunners, but Arteta and new Emirates technical director Andrea Berta have come together and devised a summer plan, which is angled toward trophy-winning success in 2025/26.
Arsenal'sGabrielJesuscelebrates scoring their first goal
A host of signings have been welcomed to north London over the past two months, but it’s the latest which is the most exciting, the most emphatic.
Maybe, having signed Viktor Gyokeres, Arsenal have what they need to crown the Arteta era.
Why Arsenal signed Viktor Gyokeres
Arsenal have needed a reliable frontman for some time, one who will provide a confident stream of goals across the campaign.
And in Gyokeres, they have their man. Having bagged 97 goals and 28 assists besides over just two years with Sporting Lisbon, it’s inconceivable that the 27-year-old won’t bring a degree of prolificness beyond that of the Gunners’ current crop.
Despite interest from elsewhere – namely from Manchester United – Arsenal have agreed a deal worth £64m for the Swede, who will finalise his big-money move this weekend.
Many supporters, no doubt, would have liked to have signed Alexander Isak from Newcastle United. The Sweden striker, Gyokeres’ countryman, has informed his club that he wishes to explore a move away, with Liverpool leading the race for his signature.
Arsenal might not sign Isak, but they have one of the game’s most clinical strikers all the same. And anyway, with Bukayo Saka fully fit and raring to take the division by storm next year, the soon-to-be No. 14 is in safe hands.
In fact, it is Saka who stands above these other players. Arsenal have hit the jackpot on their homegrown hero, who is undoubtedly the cream of the crop.
The Arsenal star worth more than Isak & Gyokeres
Saka, 23, is one of the Premier League’s leading players. Pundit Karen Carney has said that “it’s scary how good he will be in three or four years”, and she’s right.
He’s the real deal, all right, and he’s already proven himself to be a game-changing player of the highest standard. After breaking out of the famed Hale End academy, he has made 263 senior appearances for Arsenal, scoring 70 goals and providing 71 assists.
You felt this throughout the 2024/25 campaign, with Saka sidelined for a significant stretch after Christmas that ultimately proved detrimental in the quest for silverware.
Bukayo Saka – Premier League Career by Season
Position
Apps
Goals
Assists
24/25
25
6
11
23/24
35
16
12
22/23
38
14
12
21/22
38
11
7
20/21
32
5
4
19/20
26
1
5
18/19
1
0
0
Stats via Transfermarkt
But he is, of course, fit again, and will play an instrumental role for club and country next season, challenging for the biggest prizes in red before donning that white shirt and fighting for gold over the pond with Thomas Tuchel’s England.
There’s indeed a case to be made that he is one of the most valuable players in the game, worldwide. This is actually backed up by the numbers, with one site penning him down above two aforementioned names.
Well, according to the renowned research centre CIES Football Observatory, the £98m-rated Saka is valued higher than both Isak and Gyokeres.
Newcastle’s centre-forward is only marginally behind the Three Lions sensation at £97m, while Gyokeres falls some way below at £68m, and this is reflected in the sealed deal for the number nine in north London.
Isak, of course, has a price tag of £130m as Newcastle prepare for his potential, but Saka, too, would demand an astronomical amount if any suitors approached Arsenal.
It bears testament to Saka’s inborn ability, his work-rate and indeed Arteta’s shrewd coaching that he has reached this level. He has many levels yet to go, but at this stage already, he is undoubtedly “world-class”, as has been said by pundit Rio Ferdinand.
Arsenal might have a prolific marksman in Gyokeres, and Isak may have been labelled “the best striker in the Premier League” last season by Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher, but Saka is something special, something different.
Market Movers
Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?
As long as he remains the nucleus of this thrilling Gunners project, glory days will surely rain down on the Emirates Stadium once again.
Bigger talent than Simons: Arsenal lining up "world-class" £87m talent
Arsenal are hoping to follow the signing of Viktor Gyokeres with more attacking quality.
Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has admitted that he wants to add more players to his attacking arsenal before the end of the summer transfer window.
Speaking after the 1-0 win over St Mirren, the Hoops boss said: “It’s just about improving. There’s areas that we want to improve in the forward line. That’s something that we hope we can do over these remaining weeks.”
The Scottish Premiership champions kicked off their defence of the title with a win, thanks to a late goal from Luke McCowan, but it was far from an assured performance.
Celtic manager BrendanRodgersbefore the match
There were some underwhelming performances from a number of Celtic players across the park on Sunday, and one of those flops was Hyun-jun Yang.
Why Celtic need to sign a new right winger
After selling Nicolas Kuhn to Como, the South Korean forward appears to be the first-choice right-wing option for the Hoops, and he does not look ready for that responsibility.
Yang is a very capable and useful squad player for Celtic to have, as evidenced by his return of six goals and six assists in 34 appearances in all competitions last term.
The 23-year-old forward has not shown that he can deliver outstanding quality on a consistent basis, though, and failed to register a single shot, completed dribble, or chance created in almost an hour against St Mirren.
Yang did not take his opportunity to show that he can be the replacement for Kuhn, which is why the club should be pushing to bring in a new right winger to allow Rodgers to ditch the South Korea international from the starting XI.
Calcio Mercato recently reported that Celtic are interested in an ambitious loan swoop for Liverpool outcast Federico Chiesa, alongside Premier League side Fulham.
Why Celtic should sign Federico Chiesa
The Italy international, who is reportedly on £150k-per-week wages at Anfield, would come in as a big upgrade on Yang and allow the manager to drop the current Hoops forward down to the bench.
Chiesa, who was described as a “top-level player” by commentator Seb Hutchinson, only made 14 appearances in all competitions for Liverpool last season, starting once in the Premier League, which means that it is difficult to judge him on his time in England.
Liverpool's FedericoChiesaand Alexis Mac Allister
The 27-year-old star’s form for Juventus in the 2023/24 campaign, prior to his move to Anfield, though, suggests that he could be a terrific player for Rodgers to call upon.
23/24 Serie A
Federico Chiesa
Percentile rank vs wingers
xG
6.43
Top 32%
Goals
9
Top 23%
Shots on target
27
Top 14%
xA
5.58
Top 3%
Chances created
54
Top 3%
Crosses completed
40
Top 3%
Assists
2
Top 38%
Stats via FotMob
As you can see in the table above, Chiesa caught the eye as both a goalscorer and a creative threat across 33 outings in the Serie A for the Old Lady that term.
The Italian forward scored more goals (nine) in one of Europe’s major leagues than Yang has managed in over two years at Celtic in all competitions (seven), which speaks to the gap in quality between the two right-sided attackers when it comes to scoring goals.
Chiesa, who scored 32 goals during his time at Juventus, could thrive if given regular game time as a loan signing for the Scottish giants, after a year of riding the bench for Liverpool.
The Italy international thrived as a regular for the Old Lady in the 2023/24 campaign and could get back to his best, providing a regular threat as a scorer and a creator of goals, by coming in to replace Yang as a starter at Parkhead.
Federico Chiesa in action for Liverpool
It is not an easy deal for Celtic to do, though, as he is a full international who has proven himself in one of the best leagues in Europe, in Italy, so is likely to have plenty of suitors, including the aforementioned Fulham.
If the Scottish giants can find a way to agree a deal with Liverpool and convince Chiesa to make the move, though, then Rodgers can ruthlessly ditch Yang from the starting XI.
Twenty-year-old Disha Biswas, who is too yet to make her Bangladesh debut, was also selected
Mohammad Isam18-Sep-2024
Fahima Khatun was among those recalled to the side•BCB
Bangladesh have dropped experienced allrounder Rumana Ahmed for the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 in one of five changes to the squad that had played in the Asia Cup in July. But there was a first call-up for uncapped top-order batter Taj Nehar.Also among those selected, there was a recall for Sobhana Mostary, Shathi Rani, Fahima Khatun and Disha Biswas. Twenty-year-old allrounder Biswas, who had played in the Under-19 T20 World Cup in January-February 2023, was also picked for the senior T20 World Cup last year, although she is yet to make her Bangladesh debut.Fahima, the experienced 32-year-old legspinner, has played 84 T20Is so far, 20 of which have come across the five T20 World Cups since 2014. However, she had lost her place in the squad recently when she struggled against India and Australia at home. After missing out on the Asia Cup, Fahima took six wickets in as many matches in the Women’s National Cricket League (NCL) T20 competition.Bangladesh squad for Women’s T20 World Cup 2024•ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Meanwhile, opening batter Rani, whose five T20Is came last year, was the NCL’s leading run-scorer with 284 runs at a strike rate of 151.06. However, Rumana, a veteran of 87 T20Is, missed out after scoring just 55 runs in three innings at the NCL. Middle-order batter Mostary also had a tough time against India and Australia, and neither did she perform in the NCL, where she managed 103 runs in five innings. Mostary is also yet to score a fifty in 38 T20Is, but chief selector Sajjad Ahmed put her selection due to a lack of options at No. 3.”She is a prospect. However, she hasn’t performed up to the mark,” Sajjad said. “We don’t really have a lot of options at No 3. We tried Ishma Tanjim, but she didn’t perform well, and she couldn’t do much in the NCL. That’s why we had to go to Sobhana Mostary.”Apart from Rumana, the four others left out of the T20 World Cup are Rubya Haider, Shorifa Khatun, Sabikun Nahar and Ishma Tanjim. Sajjad said that despite an experience of 87 T20Is, they replaced Rumana with Nehar, as the former hasn’t batted in an aggressive manner of late.”We selected Rumana in the Asia Cup, where, unfortunately, she didn’t perform,” he said. “She is a middle-order bat who isn’t batting the way that is needed in T20s.”Bangladesh start their 2024 T20 World Cup campaign against Scotland in the first of the double-header fixtures on October 3, the opening day of the tournament.Bangladesh squad for Women’s T20 World Cup 2024Nigar Sultana (capt), Nahida Akter, Murshida Khatun, Shorna Akter, Ritu Moni, Sobhana Mostary, Rabeya Khan, Sultana Khatun, Fahima Khatun, Marufa Akter, Jahanara Alam, Dilara Akter, Taj Nehar, Shathi Rani, Disha Biswas In: Sobhana Mostary, Fahima Khatun, Taj Nehar, Shathi Rani and Disha Biswas Out: Rumana Ahmed, Rubya Haider, Shorifa Khatun, Sabikun Nahar and Ishma Tanjim
We are now a month into the summer transfer window and Arsenal’s elusive striker doesn’t appear to be forthcoming just yet.
Coming into the ongoing market, Andrea Berta and Co knew, above all else, that new forwards needed to be brought into the club.
Well, Mikel Arteta has certainly issued his rallying call with reports suggesting that the Spaniard now wants his new centre-forward signed by the time Arsenal jet off to Singapore for their pre-season tour on July 19th.
So, no pressure Berta, it’s over to you.
The latest on Arsenal's hunt for a new striker
Without necessarily too many announcements, this has been a busy window for the Gunners with midfielders Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard both set to be announced before too long.
The north Londoners have raided Chelsea again to bring in Kepa Arrizabalaga in a £5m deal but they may not stop there. Noni Madueke, one of the Blues’ wingers, has reportedly agreed personal terms with Arsenal ahead of a prospective move.
Noni Madueke for Chelsea
Now, the Gunners are preparing club-to-club talks this week. It’s certainly an interesting one, but it’s not the priority; signing a striker is.
Much of the chatter this summer has been dominated by Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres. Well, the latest on the Gyokeres saga is that Arsenal may have made a breakthrough in proceedings.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
That’s according to a number of sources including David Ornstein, who reports this weekend that the Swedish attacker now “wants to join” Arsenal and Arteta is pushing for a swift conclusion to the deal.
Ornstein reveals that a deal has moved into an advanced stage and discussions will now continue regarding a transfer fee.
Vikor Gyokeres at Sporting Club.
Portuguese outlet Mais Futebol suggests that a ‘deal is expected to close this Sunday’ worth around €80m (£70m), while reporting that he ‘will join Arsenal’ in the next few days once the remaining details are finalised.
Personal terms on a five-year contract have also been agreed, as per journalist Ben Jacobs.
Why Arsenal must prioritise Gyokeres over anyone else
In the last 24 hours, talk of Madueke moving to Arsenal has been rife among the fanbase.
While it’s true that Arsenal need to discover a backup for Bukayo Saka after his enormous workload finally saw his hamstring give way last year, there are obvious concerns surrounding the Chelsea winger.
The first is that supporters are tired of raiding Stamford Bridge for Chelsea’s hand-me-downs. They have already brought in Kepa this summer but this would be the eighth occasion in the last ten years where someone has traded the blue of London for the red of London.
Petr Cech
£10m
David Luiz
£8m
Willian
Free
Jorginho
£11m
Kai Havertz
£65m
Raheem Sterling
Loan
Kepa Arrizabalaga
£5m
Madueke is a player with plenty of potential. He scored a Premier League hat-trick in 2024/25, You don’t do that if you aren’t a talented player.
In total, the England international ended last campaign with 11 goals in 41 appearances before jetting off to America for the Club World Cup. Inconsistenty is there, of course it is, he’s still only 23, but considering Arsenal have been linked with wingers such as Real Madrid’s Rodrygo and Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon, this feels underwhelming.
You sense that it’s the order of the deals Arsenal are completing here. No one can disagree that Arteta needs a Saka backup and should the Gunners conclude deals for a striker, a winger of Rodrygo’s calibre and also further their interest by concluding a move for Eberechi Eze, no one would bat an eyelid at Madueke’s arrival.
Thus, it perhaps represents one of Arsenal’s least exciting moves this summer. It’s certainly less exciting than Gyokeres, let’s put it that way.
Just casting your eye at the Swede’s remarkable goal tally over the last two years tells you all you need to know. He’s a “monster” in the words of journalist Alex Turk, crashing home 54 goals in 52 games last term.
For a team lacking goals, he feels like the ideal signing. Remarkably, no player in Arsenal red and white scored more than nine goals in the Premier League throughout 2024/25. That’s the first time the Gunners have swept through a league season without a player hitting double figures since 1923/24, over 100 years ago.
Arteta’s side had to ride the wave of injuries, sure, but it speaks volumes. Arsenal have to sign a striker and Gyokeres, Europe’s leading marksman last campaign, would perhaps be the club’s most captivating acquisition since Declan Rice moved from West Ham United for a club-record £105m.
Gyokeres isn’t just a goalscorer either. Unlike Kai Havertz, he’s capable of running the channels and he’s one of the quickest and most powerful centre-forwards around.
For an Arsenal team that lacks pace in transition after turning the ball over, this should help enormously.
During his time in the Championship at Coventry City, Opta Analyst noted that ‘Mark Robins’ side thrived in the chaos of transition’ during the 2022/23 campaign. That was largely thanks to Gyokeres who, as the focal point of the attack, helped the Sky Blues to become the most direct team in the entire division.
With Gyokeres up top, Opta revealed that Coventry registered 123 ‘direct attacks’. The next best was Sunderland who registered just 77 in comparison. Arsenal are one of the best at hounding the opposition and you best believe that if they won the ball back, their forward line would now totally transform with the Sweden international leading the line instead of Havertz.
So, the Swede would undoubtedly add more goals to this Arsenal team, but the overall threat of Arteta’s other forward players should also improve if they are to attack with more pace and power.
This would be a game-changing signing over at the Emirates.
The dream squad Arsenal could build: £235m stars & "the new Haaland" sign
Here’s what the Arsenal squad could look like at the end of the summer.
Newcastle United have now tabled an offer for a “superb” international forward, with a reply given in the last 24 hours.
The Magpies had a frustrating summer in 2024, with both Eddie Howe and Paul Mitchell reportedly left disappointed by the lack of funds available.
Howe has spoken far more positively about how the current transfer window may pan out at St James’ Park, however, discussing the “different mindset” within the club.
Newcastle United manager EddieHowebefore the match
Newcastle have reportedly opened talks with Brighton striker Joao Pedro over a summer switch to St James’ Park, and now there has been a fresh development.
Newcastle submit offer for Joao Pedro, reply received
According to The Telegraph‘s Luke Edwards, Newcastle have launched an offer of around £50m for Pedro, as well as moves for Anthony Elanga and James Trafford.
The 3-cap Brazilian is seen as a strong option to provide added firepower to Howe’s attack this summer, having proven himself in the Premier League last season, but The Times have since revealed Newcastle’s bid for Pedo has been rejected.
Joao Pedro celebrates for Brighton & Hove Albion.
Pedro would be a brilliant signing for Newcastle if they up their bid, bringing something different to the attack to Alexander Isak, in terms of dropping deep and linking with the midfield.
The 23-year-old has an impressive tally of 30 goals in 70 appearances for Brighton, as well as chipping in with 10 assists, and he should only grow as a footballer by being surrounded by top-quality players.
Pedro’s quality hasn’t been lost on Newcastle legend Alan Shearer, with the Englishman lauding aspects of his game during one performance last season.
“This for me is a brilliant centre-forward goal. The way he follows it up and he is expecting the rebound to get there. He reacts before anyone else does and then he gets his reward. His hold-up play was superb at times when he had to keep hold of the ball and bring his team-mates into play.”
It remains to be seen if Newcastle will manage to complete the signing of Pedro this summer – Brighton are understandably desperate to keep hold of him – but he is the calibre of player that the club need to bring in.
He'd be a dream for Elanga: Newcastle open talks to sign "magical" £60m ace
Eddie Howe is looking to bolster Newcastle’s frontline this summer.
ByAngus Sinclair Jun 27, 2025
With Champions League football back at St James’ in 2025/26, some elite additions are required in Howe’s squad, and it promises to be an exciting few months in the transfer market.