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Alan Shearer makes a prediction about Isak’s future amidst Arsenal’s interest
(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Alan Shearer is a legendary figure at Newcastle United and remains closely connected with the club, having once been their most influential player. His commitment to Newcastle’s continued success is clear, and he has spoken out about the importance of retaining key talent at St James’ Park.

The Magpies enjoyed a significant milestone this season by winning the Carabao Cup, ending a near century-long wait for silverware. Over the past few seasons, they have steadily constructed one of the most competitive squads in the Premier League and have shown a consistent reluctance to part ways with their star players.

Isak a Key Part of Newcastle’s Project

With strong financial backing, Newcastle United are not under pressure to sell and have made it a priority to keep hold of their most valuable assets. Among those is Alexander Isak, a forward widely regarded as one of the best strikers in world football.

Arsenal are reportedly interested in bringing Isak to the Emirates, but he is not currently available for transfer. While no player is ever truly untouchable in football, Newcastle’s position is clear. The club is not placing Isak on the market, and they intend to keep him for the foreseeable future.

Shearer Confident Star Striker Will Stay

Alan Shearer has expressed strong confidence that Isak will remain at the club. Speaking on The Rest is Football, Shearer stated:

“Got to keep him and they will, I’m pretty certain of that. Because of their success this year, because they’ve got Champions League football, all of those things. There’s not a worry in my mind that he’s going anywhere. He’ll be a Newcastle player next season because he’s a very, very, very good player.”

Shearer’s remarks reflect the general sentiment around the club that Isak is central to their ambitions both domestically and in Europe. His performance levels, combined with the club’s upward trajectory, make a transfer unlikely at this stage.

Isak’s quality is beyond question, and while he would be a major asset to Arsenal, any move to bring him to North London would face considerable resistance. It is clear that Newcastle are intent on holding on to one of their most prized players.

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This article first appeared on Just Arsenal and was syndicated with permission.

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Alonso Martinez's hat trick lifts NYCFC past FC Dallas
Soccer

Alonso Martinez's hat trick lifts NYCFC past FC Dallas

Alonso Martinez scored three goals, including the match-winner in the 84th minute, as New York City FC outlasted FC Dallas 4-3 in on Friday in a wild interconference match at Frisco, Texas. Martinez's deciding goal came when Nicolas Fernandez Mercau fed the streaking NYCFC forward with a perfect pass that Martinez corralled on the dead run. He steadied the ball, moved it to his right foot while pulling Dallas goalkeeper Maarten Paes far off his line and kicked the ball into the open net. New York City FC (11-8-5, 38 points) completed a four-game road trip with seven of a possible 12 points. Logan Farrington scored twice for FC Dallas (6-11-7, 25 points), who have won just once in their past seven matches (1-5-1). The visitors struck first as Jonathan Shore headed home a pass at the near post on an 11th-minute corner kick by Maxi Moralez. The Toros bounced back quickly with two goals in a span of two minutes to tie and then take the lead. First, Petar Musa turned around a pass from Patrickson Delgado and beat New York City goalkeeper Matt Freese low to the left corner, knotting the match 1-1 in the 15th minute. Ramiro also got an assist on the scoring play Two minutes later, Ramiro found Farrington at the back edge of the New York defense with a pass from near midfield. Farrington had to do little before ripping it past Freese and into the net for a 2-1 Dallas lead. New York responded as Martinez produced the equalizer in the 22nd minute. Moralez threaded a perfect pass to Martinez, who was on the run and split two Dallas defenders near the edge of the 6-yard box before easily pushing the ball past Paes. Farrington made the most of nine minutes of added time at the end of the first half as he was in the right place at the right time to pounce on a rebound and score to give the Toros a 3-2 edge after a wild first half. Martinez wasted little time after the break tying the game, scoring in the 46th minute off an assist from Hannes Wolf to make it 3-3. Aiden O'Neill also had an assist for the pass that started the play.

Why Yankees' trade for All-Star 3B is disappointing
MLB

Why Yankees' trade for All-Star 3B is disappointing

The New York Yankees’ first move ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline falls a bit flat. They traded two prospects most fans have never heard of to acquire Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon, a lackluster move that indicates New York is throwing in the towel on the 2025 season. McMahon is an upgrade — but only a slight one. Yankees GM Brian Cashman replaced a .147 hitter in Oswald Peraza with a .217 hitter in McMahon, who also happens to lead the National League in strikeouts (127). But really, New York just added another Anthony Volpe — one of the biggest problems in the Bombers’ lineup — to the left side of their infield. The two infielders’ 2025 stats tell virtually the same sad tale: McMahon: .217/.314/.403, 16 home runs Volpe: .214/.286/.400, 13 home runs The Yankees should have risked a top prospect or two for Arizona Diamondbacks power-hitting third baseman Eugenio Suarez. A 2026 free agent, Suarez is a rental, but with his .252/.325/.593 slash line, 33 home runs and MLB-leading 86 RBI, he’d be a huge upgrade at third base, rather than a slight one. Instead, the Yankees opted for a player who they’ll have control over until 2028 and cost them almost nothing to acquire. Apparently, they believe McMahon will prove valuable in the long run, based on his advanced analytics. After all, he’s been crushing the ball in 2025, averaging a 94 mph exit velocity. However, his ability to hit the ball hard doesn’t mean he’s just been unlucky this year, as his xBA is just .232 — not too far below his .240 career actual batting average. Compare that to another guy who’s known for hitting the ball hard in Yankees first baseman Ben Rice, who is hitting just .232 but has an xBA of .289. It doesn’t matter how hard McMahon hits the ball if he tends to hit it directly at a fielder. There’s still a week until the trade deadline, but don’t expect the Yankees to make any truly splashy moves. Suarez was the better choice to fix New York’s third base issues, and their pivot to McMahon was disappointing.

Why as many as 100 NFL players are facing fines and potential suspension
NFL

Why as many as 100 NFL players are facing fines and potential suspension

There is not a bigger sporting event in North America than the Super Bowl, and tickets are only getting more expensive every year. There is also a ridiculous secondary market for tickets where seats sell for well above the original face value. It is usually fans or ticket resellers going for a quick profit. But as was reported on Friday, sometimes it can be players in the NFL looking to make a profit. According to multiple reports, including the Associated Press and ESPN, more than 100 players are facing fines and potential suspensions for selling their allotment of tickets to this year's Super Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs for above face value. Players are reportedly facing fines of one-and-a-half times the face value they originally paid for the tickets, while they are also prevented from purchasing tickets to the Super Bowl for the next seasons. The Associated Press obtained a memo from the NFL detailing the violation and investigation. That memo was as follows: “Our initial investigation has determined that a number of NFL players and coaches, employed by several NFL Clubs, sold Super Bowl tickets for more than the ticket’s face value in violation of the Policy. This long-standing League Policy, which is specifically incorporated into the Collective Bargaining Agreement, prohibits League or Club employees, including players, from selling NFL game tickets acquired from their employer for more than the ticket’s face value or for an amount greater than the employee originally paid for the ticket, whichever is less. We are in the process of completing our investigation into this matter, but the investigation has revealed that club employees and players sold their tickets to a small number of ‘bundlers’ who were working with a ticket reseller to sell the Super Bowl tickets above face value.” If players are not willing to pay the fine, they could be facing suspension from the league. It seems unlikely that any of the players — none of whom have been named, or their teams — would refuse to pay such a fine. It's also one of those moments where you can say, professional athletes — they're still normal people trying to make a quick buck. The most logical answer here is perhaps some of the players caught up in this are younger players who have not yet struck it rich on a big contract or perhaps even practice squad players who are not making top dollar.

NFL

Go Inside Raiders Training Camp & What I Saw Today?

HENDERSON, Nev.—Day three of the Las Vegas Raiders' 2025 NFL Training Camp is officially in the books, and from inside camp, I saw plenty of things to tell you about. As your Las Vegas Raiders Beat Writer On SI, I will share what stood out to me. Please note that I will be commenting on any specific information that could harm the Raiders strategically, should their opponents process it. Additionally, please remember that the game of football is played with pads, and until Monday at 8:30 AM PT the Raiders are not in pads. For that reason, I will, in some cases, speak very generally. The Offense It is going to be fascinating to see how Chip Kelly, the Raiders' offensive coordinator, works this offense. He is an offensive genius, and that is already showing up in camp. · While I can’t and won’t share schematic details, many of the things Raider Nation has been bemoaning for the entirety of my six years covering this team are being addressed. · Certainly, a lack of pads would hasten one to tap the brakes, but early indications are that this is going to be an offense the Silver and Black faithful are going to love. · I spent significant time today with the offensive line. True offensive lineman Thayer Munford’s footwork, to me, was the best I have ever seen from the proud Buckeye. In several drills, he moved fluidly to his right and left. · Interestingly, he has played well for a young player, but it is evident he has worked diligently on that part of his game. · I shared with you last year that the Raiders liked UDFA Will Putnam. While I still think he is destined for the practice squad on a team that is loaded with offensive linemen, he is improving, appears to be in terrific shape, and is demonstrating that he may not be ready to make the 53-man roster in 2025; however, he is well on his way. · Sticking with the offensive line, I want to talk about rookie OT Charles Grant. · The youngster is an absolute sponge. He is swimming right now, in my opinion, as he makes the major leap to the National Football League, but his willingness to learn and take corrections from coaches and teammates will go a long way for the young man. · You want FAT players. Faithful, Available, and Teachable, and that is Grant. · Alex Bachman, the second-year WR, keeps doing things that show up on film. He is explosive, and his effort is impressive. · There is a spot to be won at WR on this roster, and Bachman is doing everything he can to get seen. · Multiples today, and in the offseason, he has made his presence known. Remember that young man. · Today’s ones on the OL were LT Kolton Miller, LG Dylan Parham, C Jackson Powers-Johnson, RG Alex Cappa, and RT Delmar DJ Glaze. · I wouldn’t read anything into that other than the LG battle is going to be intense, and they are experimenting and competing. · I know that RB Raheem Mostert is incredibly talented. However, he appears to be back and healthy, and today, he demonstrated his balance, which was nothing short of stunning. · His athleticism is impressive, and his balance is not reflective of a man who is injured. While I am not a doctor, his balance looked impossible, even if he was healthy, let alone if he wasn’t. · He was nearly parallel to the ground and with one hand pushed his body up like a one armed push up, regained balance and never stopped moving forward. · WOWZA. Until I learn differently, there is a block S under that jersey. · That is an easy opinion to have without pads on, but all we can judge is what we saw today, and he looked great. · Every single day, RB Ashton Jeanty does something to show off the athleticism that made him the best RB in the 2025 NFL Draft. · He made a jump cut today for a long TD that simply left the defender in his wake, trying to tackle the wind. · He is a back that runs aggressively behind his pads, something that usually doesn’t show up in shorts. Monday can’t get here soon enough to see that side of his game. · Sincere McCormick and Zamir White are firmly locked in a battle for RB3, and both had nice practices today. · McCormick broke off a long TD and continues to run angry. · Don’t construe that to be criticism of White, it isn’t. He also had a great run, and both men competing is what Pete Carroll craves, and it is what he got. · That competition is making both of those young men better, and the Raiders for sure. · While there is ZERO QB competition to anyone here at practice, that doesn’t mean that Aidan O’Connell is digressing. He isn’t. · Today, he showed off a quick release, and one that up to this point I had never seen him use. · He didn’t and hasn’t played as well as Geno Smith, but the young man is getting better, and the gap between him and Cam Miller is wider than the gap between him and Geno Smith. There is NO comparison between the Boilermaker and Smith. · O’Connell missed a terrific touchdown opportunity, but on the very next play, in the red zone, he flashed his quick release like an old west gunfighter for a quick strike touchdown in which he threw an absolute strike in a very tight window. · It is throws like that that make it easy to say we haven’t seen enough to rule him out as a QB1 in this league, and it was passes like the previous one that makes us declare we haven’t seen enough to say he is. · O’Connell is a terrific young man with a ton of talent; he now has to find consistency. Don’t bet against him; people did Geno Smith. · That touchdown pass was to TE Carter Runyon, who made a terrific bang-bang play. · I reported on Wednesday that the Raiders will consider keeping four tight ends. I am not predicting that they do it, but they are considering it, and Chip Kelly loves the weapons in that room. · Without revealing anything schematic, I can tell you that the Raiders' tight ends are very active, and Geno Smith and Brock Bowers have already established a special bond. · TE Ian Thomas is like the Energizer Bunny. He is just a steady force. He keeps making plays and is very disciplined. · I mentioned on Wednesday that Qadir Ismail, the young TE, survived the field like a QB. I was informed by his father, the legendary “Missile,” Qadry “The Missile” Ismail, that he indeed did play QB in his recent past. · QB Cam Miller isn’t NFL-ready yet. But you can see it. The young man is swimming in the NFL and should be, like most rookies. · You can also see what Tom Brady liked about him. · Raiders GM John Spytek told reporter Dan Pompei of The Athletic after the draft that, "He (Brady) liked the way (Miller) threw it, his technique, throwing from the ground up and his motion." · Under pressure today, it was nice to see QB Geno Smith wait until the last second and then scramble for a TD. · Geno is not the same QB many remember from his youth. · He now uses his athleticism as a weapon, and not as a crutch like many young men, blessed with his talent, do. · That type of discipline can only come with patience and maturity, which is why people have to be patient with young QBs. · Collin Johnson, the young WR, and Darnay Holmes, the veteran CB, were battling today. It was fascinating to watch the competition at all levels of the team that Pete Carroll is building. · Carroll wants a culture of competition, and while it is early, it is developing. The Defense · Maxx Crosby is the best defender in the NFL, and at Raiders practice, he is the best player. On any side of the ball. · He anticipated the snap today on play, and was in the backfield before the OL even moved. · He nearly had another interception. · While I am not ashamed to admit my bias, is it bias if it is true? I think not. · Remember that there are officials at practice, and he spends the entire day running up and down the field wreaking havoc. · His nickname is the Condor, but it should be the destroyer. · A name I have not talked about before is JT Woods, the safety. Today, his effort was evident every time he got on the field. · I don’t think he can make the 53-man roster, but the 2nd year player out of Baylor flashed the skills that get young men on the practice squad, and the effort is what eventually earns them spots. · Pete Carroll told us today that Jamal Adams is a WILL LB. His speed is awe-inspiring. · I asked Carroll if he saw his role as primarily as a pass rusher, and he doesn’t. With that speed, he is going to let him compete as a three-down backer. · It is no secret that I like LB Amari Gainer. Today, watching him move laterally and vertically was the most comfortable I have seen him. · What else I like about the young man is that he is grabbing reps on defense and special teams. · Gainer is hungry to make the roster, and he is trying to put a ton of film out there for John Spytek and Pete Carroll to see, so he can’t be ignored. · Lonnie Johnson, the perennial special teams star and Raiders free agent, made his presence felt in a big way today at camp. · He has played well since arriving in the desert, but today, with a monster pass rush, QB Geno Smith made his only bad pass, and Johnson turned on the jets, accelerated, picked off the pass, and was off to the races. · If that man can be more than a special teams star, the Raiders are in terrific shape at S. · LB Devin White and CB Sam Webb were celebrating today after a big play. What stood out to me is what I call the “Pete Carroll Syndrome.” · Carroll is instilling in these players that they PLAY a game. They PLAY a game. They need to find their first love and start having fun. · Players having fun play fast and have more success. · Watching White and Webb was like watching a group of young men playing in the backyard at Grandma’s on Thanksgiving afternoon. · Pete Carroll’s enthusiasm is catching on, and while it was a good play, it was not the type of play that would have been celebrated like it was in my previous five seasons covering the Silver and Black, under any coach. · These men are having fun, and that says something. · Adam Butler, the talented DT, is having a terrific camp. As both a leader and a player, Butler is a disruptive force that looks to be playing like a man on a mission. · Patrick Graham and Rob Leonard love Butler, and he has done nothing but reward their loyalty to him. · I am very excited to see him on Monday with pads on. · I have seen Butler as a leader in the past, but this offseason, he has developed that into almost an assistant coach role. He is taking the young guys under his wing and there is nobody better to learn from than him. · Speaking of impressive men, Tyree Wilson is playing like the youngster we saw in college. · Hearkening back to the second half of 2023, Patrick Graham is using him inside and outside, and he is fluid, athletic, and having fun. · His athleticism, size, and physique should be illegal, but he has the perfect defensive end body, and his effort and heart are showing up. · Today, while being held, he pressured Geno Smith on more than one occasion, and spent most of the day in the Raiders' backfield. · Sure, the OL had no pads, and that is a legitimate point, but Tyree is on a mission, and Monday, for that young man, can’t come soon enough. · Many times since John Spytek signed CB Eric Stokes, I have told you that if he can back to being healthy, he can be the superstar he was as a rookie. · He sure looks it. He made more than one play today, but he is playing at a terrific pace and level right now. · He is a ball hawk, and it is evident. · If Jakorian Bennett remains healthy, and Stoke is back to 100%, the one perceived weakest part of the team could shut the mouths of many doubters. The Intangibles · The offense had two penalties today, and the defense had three. That is nearly insignificant when you consider it was the third day of practice. That was impressive to me. We'd appreciate it if you would follow us on X @HondoCarpenter and IG @HondoSr , and let’s talk about the Silver and Black’s training camp.

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