the times | Saturday September 12 2020 2GS 7
The United States forward Alex
Morgan is expected to join Tottenham
Hotspur women on a short-term deal
until the end of the year. She will make
her return to playing in the Women’s
Super League only months after giving
birth to her first child.
Morgan, 31, will join her Orlando
Pride team-mates Shelina Zadorsky
and Alanna Kennedy on loan at
Tottenham, and four fellow US
women’s internationals in the WSL
after Sam Mewis and Rose Lavelle
joined Manchester City, and Christen
Press and Tobin Heath joined
Manchester United.
England fans may remember
Morgan from her tea-sipping celebra-
tion after scoring in the 2-1 victory over
England in the semi-final of last year’s
Women’s World Cup. She later
explained the celebration was partly
dedicated to the British Game ofMolly HudsonUnited sign 600-goal
teenage striker
McNeill from CityManchester
United have
signed 17-year-
old striker
Charlie McNeill,
who has scored
more than 600
goals at youth
level, from
Manchester City.
McNeill, right,
a United fan who
left their
academy to joinCity as a
youngster, has
passed a medical
and signed a
professional
contract at Old
Trafford.
The fee for the
England youth
international has
been settled at
£750,000 with
up to £1 million in
add-ons.Bruce brought in
three new faces to
his squad this weekMorgan poised to join Spurs
four months after giving birth
Thrones star Sophie Turner, whose
Instagram posts use the catchphrase
“and that’s the tea” while she sips from
a cup, but many on social media
perceived the celebration as arrogant.
She remained at a high fitness level
despite her pregnancy, training until
shortly before the birth of her daughter,
Charlie, on May 7 and resuming indi-
vidual training afterwards.
Morgan is one of the most recognis-
able names in world football, a two-
times World Cup winner and 2012
Olympic gold medallist. Her husband,
Servando Carrasco, plays for Fort
Lauderdale CF in the US.
The National Women’s Soccer
League in America has proposed a Fall
Series tournament consisting of four
matches until October 17, but the lack
of a regular season has led to many
players moving to Europe. Tottenham,
who are in their second season as a
professional outfit, will be hoping to
break into the top three and qualify for
the Champions League.MANCHESTER CITY FC/GETTY IMAGESSaudi takeover
‘dead’ as Bruce
stays positive
Martin Hardy
Northern Sports CorrespondentSteve Bruce has acknowledged that the
potential takeover of Newcastle by the
Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund
looks “dead in the water”.
Despite the failed Saudi takeover,
Bruce has signed the Bournemouth
duo Ryan Fraser and Callum Wilson as
well as Jamal Lewis from Norwich
Newcastle and the Premier League
have had some angry exchanges this
week over the failed £340 million sale
of the club to the Amanda Staveley-led
consortium.
Mike Ashley, the club’s owner, had
suggested there was the possibility of
legal action over what he called the
Premier League’s rejection of the deal,
an allegation denied by Richard
Masters, the league’s chief executive.
Bruce had a meal with Ashley and
the Newcastle players on Wednesday
evening and was surprisingly
complimentary of the way the
owner has “flexed his muscles” in
this transfer window.
The Newcastle head coach
was also keen to draw a line
under the Saudi takeover.
“It hasn’t happened so
let’s forget about take-
overs and move on,” he
said. “We’ve all said it
would have been won-
derful for the club.
“The owner thought it would take
Newcastle to a different level because
of the people involved but it looks like
it’s dead in the water, so my job now is to
focus on the squad and the team and
move on.
“Everybody looked at it and thought,
‘Well, if this happens, does it lift New-
castle straight away into the realms of a
Manchester City, shall we say, or a
Chelsea?’ That’s what the owner is dis-
appointed in, that it hasn’t gone
through for everybody concerned. It’sgone away, now we have to say, ‘Right,
OK let’s get on with our business.’ ”
On his relationship with Ashley,
Bruce added: “I don’t have everyday
dealings with him, he’s got so much
going on in his life, but I think the
owner just wanted to come and meet
his new players. He comes up once in a
while and takes everyone out for
dinner, and it was good to see him.
“In certain transfers, he’s had to flex
his muscles a little bit, which was good
to see. When he flew in the other day, it
was good to see him. He still is
interested.
“I’ve met Mike three or four times in
the past 12 months and I get on with
him fine.
“That’s vitally important too. I think
it’s vitally important you work closely
with either the CEO or the
owner. He’s been open and
transparent about trying to
help, and of course when a
manager needs help,
it’s in the transfer
market.”
Newcastle com-
pleted the sign-
ings of Fraser, 26,
Wilson, 28, and
Lewis, 22, this
week, before
their opening
fixture away to
West Ham United
tonight.
“It’s lifted every-
body and given
everybody a spring in
their step,” Bruce
said. “To bring
proven Premier
League players into
the squad can only help
and we’re stronger than
we were when I arrived.”W