Whilst Manchester United’s summer clear-out has taken time to get going, reports are now indicating that they’re finally set to sell one of their unwanted stars this month.
Latest Man Utd exit news
The Red Devils have enjoyed a solid summer on the incomings front, but the same can’t be said for their business going the other way. As things stand, they are yet to outright sell a single player despite all their efforts and despite coming off the back of their worst-ever Premier League season. Several players have found themselves on Ruben Amorim’s unwanted list, but INEOS have so far failed to shift all of those.
It’s a list that includes Alejandro Garnacho and Jadon Sancho, who desperately need moves this month. Whilst reports have remained positive regarding a deal for Chelsea to sign Garnacho, showing Sancho the door has proved to be a far more complicated task than expected.
Amorim has had his own say on Manchester United’s unwanted players, telling reporters: “I think again, I know that it is not a good thing to have players in this situation, but it’s clear they want to play in a different club, and that is clear.
“So we try to arrange everything for both parts to be happy, so I have to try to imagine to have the training with the guys that I think are going to be the future and the other guys are training and preparing for the next chapter.”
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With that said, although it remains to be seen whether Sancho lowers his demands to secure an AS Roma move, there is at least some positive news regarding another likely exit at Old Trafford.
Napoli now "advancing" Rasmus Hojlund deal
According to Fabrizio Romano, Napoli are now “advancing” talks to sign Rasmus Hojlund from Manchester United this month after holding positive talks with the Danish forward. United have reportedly been informed about the talks and are ready to get a deal over the line if an agreement is reached between Hojlund and the Italian giants.
Despite reports suggesting that Hojlund wants to stay put at Manchester United, the arrival of Benjamin Sesko has ultimately cost him his place in Amorim’s side and a sale has, therefore, always seemed likely.
After arriving under Erik ten Hag for an eye-watering £72m in 2023, Hojlund will undoubtedly go down as an Old Trafford flop, with just 26 goals in 96 games very much highlighting his struggles.
Leeds United have less than a week to prepare for their opening game of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign against Everton at Elland Road next Monday.
Despite how close the first game is, head coach Daniel Farke is not satisfied with the work that has been done on the attacking areas in the summer transfer window.
The former Norwich City boss clearly wants to bring in more attackers to bolster his options at the top end of the pitch before the deadline at the start of September.
Football Insider reported in May that the Whites are not planning to build their attack around Joel Piroe, despite the fact that he won the Golden Boot in the Championship with 19 goals.
Joel Piroe
Leeds are in the market, as Farke confirmed, to bring in reinforcements in the final third, and a new centre-forward to compete with the Dutch marksman is on the agenda.
The Championship champions will be hoping that they can find their next successful Premier League number nine, following in the footsteps of the likes of Mark Viduka and Tony Yeboah.
Leeds United's all-time top scorers in the Premier League
The Whites have not been in the top-flight for a couple of years since they were relegated under Sam Allardyce at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.
From that run of three successive seasons in the Premier League, following their promotion under Marcelo Bielsa in 2020, only one player managed to break into the club’s top ten goalscorers in the history of the division – Rodrigo.
The Spaniard scored 26 goals in 88 matches in three seasons in West Yorkshire after his move from Valencia in the summer of 2020, outscoring Raphinha in that period in the club’s history.
Leeds United’s all-time Premier League top scorers
Player
Appearances
Goals
Mark Viduka
130
59
Harry Kewell
181
45
Rod Wallace
178
42
Alan Smith
172
38
Lee Bowyer
203
38
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink
69
34
Brian Deane
138
32
Ian Harte
213
28
Rodrigo
88
26
Tony Yeboah
47
24
Via StatMuse
As you can see in the table above, no player has scored more Premier League goals for Leeds than Viduka, who was a battering ram up front for the Whites during his time in West Yorkshire.
The Australian centre-forward mixed physical and technical qualities to be an outstanding number nine for the Whites, as Guardian writer Rob Smyth once noted that he had an “interesting mix of styles” due to his strength and ability on the ball.
Leeds are now being linked with a potential move for a player who could arrive at Elland Road with a similar style of play to the legendary striker.
Leeds have growing interest in Championship star
According to TEAMtalk, Leeds United are one of the teams with a growing interest in a deal for Norwich City centre-forward Josh Sargent before the end of the summer transfer window.
The report claims that both the Whites and Burnley are keen to snap up the USA international, who would like to remain in England, to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch.
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Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
It adds that the 25-year-old number nine has already turned down the chance to sign for Wolfsburg after the German club agreed a £21m deal with the Canaries, which shows the kind of money that it will take to do a deal.
TEAMtalk reveals that Farke is a big fan of the American striker, whom he signed for Norwich from Werder Bremen in 2021, and would like to reunite with him this summer.
JoshSargentof the U.S. reacts
However, the outlet claims that Leeds and Burnley are not currently willing to pay the asking price for the Championship star, and it remains to be seen where this transfer saga will go next.
Why Leeds should sign Josh Sargent
The natural reaction to this news from supporters may not be the most positive, given that Sargent struggled in the Premier League when he last played there in the 2021/22 campaign. However, he was a 21-year-old playing in England for the first time in a team that got relegated from the division, and the majority of his appearances for Norwich came on the right wing, rather than as a centre-forward.
Since their relegation to the Championship, and Teemu Pukki’s exit from Carrow Road, the USA international has had the chance to establish himself in his favoured position, as a striker, and caught the eye with his excellent performances.
Sargent won Norwich’s Player of the Season award last season, thanks to the goals and assists shown in the video above, and has scored 32 Championship goals since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, as per Sofascore.
That is why supporters should not be put off by a haul of two goals in 26 matches in the Premier League in difficult circumstances over three years ago, as his form since then shows that he has the potential to be Viduka 2.0 for Leeds.
Norwich City'sJoshSargentcelebrates scoring their first goal
This is not to say that Sargent is guaranteed to score goals as frequently as Viduka did for the Whites, given his exceptional record, but he has the all-round game and finishing capabilities to be Farke’s own version of the striker.
24/25 Championship
Josh Sargent
Percentile rank vs STs
xG
13.32
Top 5%
Goals
15
Top 3%
Shots on target
30
Top 9%
xA
3.17
Top 8%
Assists
5
Top 8%
Successful dribbles
16
Top 20%
Duel success rate
42.6%
Top 16%
Aerial duel success rate
35.6%
Top 36%
Stats via FotMob
As you can see in the table above, the £21m-rated forward has developed into a talismanic figure for the Canaries in the number nine position, ranking highly among his positional peers in a host of metrics in and out of possession.
Sargent, who Tony Pulis described as “relentless”, has the physical qualities to win duels on the deck and in the air to be a target man for his side, much like Viduka was for Leeds, whilst also being a prolific scorer and creator in front of goal.
These statistics suggest that the potential is there for him to be a Viduka-esque figure up front for Leeds because he is a technically secure target man who finishes chances clinically and creates for others.
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It is now down for Sargent, if the Whites strike a deal for him, to show that he can translate that to the Premier League when played in his preferred position at that level.
Nathan McAndrew took 5 for 38, including Matt Renshaw for 21, as South Australia claimed a 129-run win over Queensland at Allan Border Field
AAP23-Oct-2024South Australia 314 (Hunt 136, McInerney 51, Whitney 5-57) and 352 for 9 dec (Carey 123*, McSweeney 72) beat Queensland opener Matt Renshaw did himself no favours in his bid to push for the vacancy at the top of Australia’s Test batting order, dismissed cheaply on the final day of the Sheffield Shield clash with South Australia.Already an outsider for the India series after being overlooked for Australia A, Renshaw had begun the summer with scores of 6, 15 and 2 and needed a big total on the final day of the Shield match at Allan Border Field, won by the visitors by 129 runs after wicketkeeper Alex Carey and Nathan McAndrew starred.There appeared little need for Renshaw to play at McAndrew’s delivery wide of off stump, but he mistimed his cover drive and edged the ball straight to Carey after compiling 21 runs.Bulls skipper Marnus Labuschagne said Renshaw’s failures had not helped his Test cause, but added that all was not lost.”I certainly think it counts against him. If other guys are making runs and it is going to be a tight call, it is always going to work like that,” Labuschagne said.”That doesn’t mean he can’t bat well in the next two [Shield[ games and maybe change people’s opinions or views.”Test opener Usman Khawaja (39) joined Renshaw in the pavilion, also edging to Carey without kicking on as Queensland chased 359 for victory.Labuschagne (10) and Ben McDermott (0) were dismissed either side of lunch as the hosts stumbled to 79 for 4.Jack Clayton fought hard to make 91•Getty ImagesDebutant Lachlan Hearne (44) and Jack Clayton (91) got the Bulls back into it with a 106-run stand for the fifth wicket.Wicketkeeper Jimmy Peirson (10) was unlucky to be given out caught behind to a lifter from speedster McAndrew as South Australia turned the screws to bundle Queensland out for 229.McAndrew completed a stellar match after taking three wickets in the first innings and making a vital 46 in the second dig.Carey was named player of the match. His first-innings 42 followed by an unbeaten 123 stamped his class, and the Test gloveman snared 10 catches, including seven in the second innings.”He has been excellent for us since coming back from his Test duties,” South Australia captain Nathan McSweeney said.”Last week he scored a 90 and a hundred for us as well. The way he plays and the runs he makes are match-winning.”It is never easy coming up here to Queensland and winning. This game has been good for our team morale. After having a couple of tough years, hopefully it is the start of a good year for us.”
Before the end of the 2024/25 campaign, Liverpool had gone three transfer windows having spent nominally.
Indeed, last August’s £12.5m purchase of Federico Chiesa was the only Anfield addition since Jurgen Klopp’s ambitious midfield rebuild in 2023.
So while rivals may be frustrated at the Merseysiders’ spenging spree, they may want to check themselves after letting Arne Slot waltz into the Premier League and get his hands on the title with scarcely any investment, not 12 months after Klopp vacated his throne.
To think that these remarkable Reds have already reached a higher level than their domestic peers is frightening, for Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong have strengthened the defensive flanks, Florian Wirtz has arrived for a British-record £116m fee.
And let’s not forget Giorgi Mamardashvili, who replaces Caoimhin Kelleher between the sticks after a £29m fee was agreed last summer.
However, for all this productive restructuring, there may be plenty more yet to come.
Liverpool's new-look frontline
Mohamed Salah certainly pulled his weight for Liverpool last season, practically dragging Slot’s side to the Premier League title that he promised after a disappointing end to 2023/24.
But he’s now 33, and will need greater support. With Darwin Nunez, Chiesa and Diogo Jota all rumoured to be leaving Anfield this summer, a few more incomings could go down a treat, especially as Luis Diaz is also being chased by Barcelona and Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.
Already, Wirtz’s arrival opens up a whole new world of possibilities as far as the attacking line-up is confirmed, and that’s without even considering the addition of an out-and-out striker.
WirtzWhere Wirtz could feature for Liverpool
Liverpool, to be sure, have spent a lot already this summer, but sales and careful planning has led the outfit to an enviable position that may yet see them break the bank once again.
And we all know who we’d like up top.
Liverpool pushing for elite striker
According to transfer insider Graeme Bailey, Liverpool are still pushing for Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, who is supposedly unavailable after the Magpies qualified for the Champions League, thus pricing him at £200m.
But in spite of such claims, Liverpool’s interest persists. There have even been claims in the previous week suggesting the Sweden international wants to leave St. James’ Park as the Merseysiders ramp up the gas, although it feels unlikely that he would hand in an official transfer request.
Speaking to Rousing the Kop, Bailey said: “Liverpool are not being deterred, we’re not sure quite why that is, but they seem to think there’s a chink of light there.”
Why Liverpool should sign Alexander Isak
Given the technicalities of a prospective bid for Isak, and indeed the finances involved, Newcastle’s stance, yada yada, FSG would be forgiven for focusing their attention elsewhere.
Liverpool, after all, have stocked up with some incredible signings already this summer.
Newcastle United's AlexanderIsakcelebrates scoring their first goal
But Isak is a special player, hailed by analyst Raj Chohan last season as being “the best striker in the world” and an “unstoppable talent” in the words of writer Adam Keys. Some would refute that initial claim, but then who can deny that the 25-year-old’s completeness in the final third makes him one of the most dangerous players out there?
Liverpool certainly know how it feels to come unstuck against the shifty forward, whose intelligence and movements saw him score in the Carabao Cup final in March, winning the Magpies some silver at Slot’s expense.
Across 42 matches in 2024/25, he scored 27 goals and laid on six assists. Newcastle are a fantastic team, but you get the sense that haul could swell under Slot’s management at Liverpool. With the likes of Wirtz and Salah creating for him, surely anything’s possible?
Salah, while renowned for being one of the deadliest strikers of his generation, is also an incredible playmaker, having assisted 88 goals across 301 Premier League fixtures. He racked up 18 assists from last season alone.
And then Wirtz will bring a more focused brand of creativity to the Liverpool fold. The German, still only 22, was hailed as a “genius” by his former Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso for his intelligence and eagle vision.
As per FBref, he ranked among the top 9% of attacking midfielders and wingers last year for assists, the top 7% for shot-creating actions and progressive passes, and the top 2% for passes attempted per 90, underscoring that point.
Adding him to a team already blessed with supreme creative production must be a daunting thought for opponents, especially when throwing Isak into the equation.
1.
Liverpool
112
2.
Chelsea
93
3.
Arsenal
91
3=
Man City
91
5.
Aston Villa
90
Injuries aside, it’s hard to imagine the Newcastle sensation flopping. His roundedness and ability to drop deep, influence and then carve through defences with blistering speed, measured strides, makes him a unique adversary, and one who has yet to taste Slot’s tactical guidance.
While Liverpool would have to break a bank still shattered after Wirtz’s arrival, there are few – if any – forwards who would be more fitting than Isak, who is proven in the Premier League and endowed with the phyiscal and tactical properties that are perfect for a place at the front of the Anfield ship.
He only missed 18 big chances in the Premier League last term, as per Sofascore, scoring 23 times, and with such deadly finishing and a balanced style, it’s time for Liverpool to move the requisite pieces and shake the division by testing Newcastle’s resolve.
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Hampshire 298 and 88 for 2 (Middleton 58, Gubbins 24*, Mousley 1-0) lead Warwickshire 254 (Bethell 69, Mousley 57, Barker 6-74) by 132 runs Keith Barker reminded Warwickshire’s fans of the skills they lost in 2018 as he bowled Hampshire into control on the second day of their Vitality County Championship match at Edgbaston.Barker’s left-arm swing earned him 14 hauls of five wickets or more as a Warwickshire player. He bagged his ninth for Hampshire with 6 for 74 to give them the upper hand in a gripping contest in the Birmingham sunshineIn reply to 298, Warwickshire were dismissed for 254 by Barker and Kyle Abbott (3 for 64) despite impressive resistance from young batters Jake Bethell and Dan Mousley.A lead of 44 is handy in conditions which have given the seamers some encouragement and Hampshire built on it in the final session to reach 88 for 2 as Fletcha Middleton struck his second half-century of the match.After Warwickshire resumed on 51 for 2, the ground echoed to perhaps the earliest ever cry of ‘get on with it’ when, at 11.01am, a long delay ensued while the ball was inspected and then changed. Barker wielded the replacement to spectacular effect with a burst of 3 for 17 in 25 balls. He trapped Danny Briggs lbw, had Sam Hain superbly caught by Ben Brown, standing up, and hit Ed Barnard’s off-stump.From 83 for 5, Mousley and Bethell applied themselves diligently. Destructive batters in the Blast (Bethell smashed 50 from 15 balls last week – this time he scored just two from his first 15), they showed they also have the technique to dig in against good bowling. They added 74 in 22 overs before Mousley was lured into driving away from his body at Barker and edged behind.Michael Burgess joined Bethell to add 64 in 21 overs before Barker returned to strike twice more. Bethell edged a big drive to first slip where James Vince accepted that catch and another two overs later when Chris Woakes edged a footwork-free waft.Craig Miles smote three quick fours but then played down the wrong line to Abbott. Mohammad Abbas finally collected a deserved wicket when Burgess chopped on.With the evening session to enlarge their lead, Hampshire began badly when Toby Albert edged Olly Hannon-Dalby’s second ball to slip, but then advanced meticulously. Middleton continued his good form from the first innings to reach a 60-ball half-century and Nick Gubbins (24 not out in over two hours) unfurled an innings of low entertainment for the spectators but high value to his team as the advantage ticked upwards.Middleton edged Mousley behind 14 balls before the close and though Hampshire are well on top, Warwickshire are very much still in the game. This intriguing match may have a fascinating second half in wait for those spectators, particularly those who are connoisseurs of threes. With a very long boundary on the Pershore Road side of the ground, this has been a veritable festival of threes – there have been 15 already.
Leeds United will re-enter the Premier League relieved that they won’t have to sell a load of their stars like last summer.
Indeed, there was a mass exodus away from West Yorkshire after the Whites’ heartbreaking playoff final defeat in the Championship, resulting in Archie Gray, Crysencio Summerville, and Georginio Rutter all upping and leaving for the luxuries of a new top-flight team.
These notable departures thankfully didn’t derail Daniel Farke’s men on their way to lifting the second-tier title. Still, Leeds could be about to finally land an exciting Rutter replacement this summer.
After all, since the Frenchman’s farewell, Leeds have had to make do with some lacklustre performers in the number ten role.
Leeds in the race to sign Championship star
Farke won’t feel too confident in relying on Brenden Aaronson to come good in the Premier League, considering the American attacker has struggled at the daunting level before, scoring one goal and registering only three assists during the doomed 2022/23 campaign.
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Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Therefore, it’s no shock to see Leeds be linked with this entertaining number ten, with The Irish Sun now reporting that the newly promoted side have joined the intense race to snap up Middlesbrough ace Finn Azaz.
AFC Bournemouth and Crystal Palace are also named as interested onlookers, meaning Leeds’ quest to win the Irishman’s services could be tough.
But, if Farke and Co. are serious about improving their already electric attacking output ahead of Premier League football returning to Elland Road, winning the £20m-rated midfielder’s services will be deemed a top priority, particularly if he is capable of being the figure to finally fill Rutter’s void.
Why Azaz can finally replace Rutter
It might well be bizarre to say that Leeds still feel a need to replace Rutter, considering the Whites stormed to the second-tier title with 95 goals bagged.
But, whilst Aaronson would chip in with a respectable tally of nine strikes and two assists on the way to promotion being resoundingly won, the 24-year-old blows far too hot and cold compared to the regular brilliance of the ex-Whites number 24.
Rutter, despite promotion falling to the wayside towards the close of the disappointing 2023/24 season, would still manage to collect a mammoth eight goals and 16 assists in league action.
Staggeringly, Azaz would only find himself one short of eclipsing this hefty total this campaign just gone for Michael Carrick’s own failed promotion hopefuls.
Azaz’s ability to drive forward and carve teams open from the number ten spot for Boro is eerily similar to the much-loved 23-year-old during his Elland Road prime.
The hope will just be that the 6-foot-1 star can make the transition to the Premier League look smooth, but having never been given a fair opportunity at his former employers Aston Villa, he will be chomping at the bit to succeed if he’s given the call by Farke’s men.
Games played
45
45
Goals scored
12
6
Assists
11
15
Shots*
2.7
2.7
Touches*
48.7
46.6
Accurate passes*
23.3 (74%)
15.1 (69%)
Key passes*
2.0
1.9
Big chances missed
5
17
Big chances created
10
22
Looking at the table above, the similarities just keep stacking up, with Farke more prepared to take a risk on his potential new £20m buy in the knowledge that Rutter moved up and acclimatised to his new surroundings swimmingly, with eight goal contributions next to his name from 28 Premier League appearances in 2024/25.
The Boro star is the “whole package” – as he’s been labelled by his current boss Carrick – and could well feel he’s now outgrown the Championship. Indeed, a sparkling 11 goals and ten assists also came his way in league action during the 2023/24 campaign, alongside nearly matching Rutter at the Riverside Stadium recently.
Therefore, ahead of their Premier League voyage taking off, taking a risk on EFL superstar Azaz to come good might well see the West Yorkshire titans win themselves Rutter 2.0.
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Manchester United find themselves 14th in the Premier League table after their 1-1 draw with Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday.
The Red Devils needed a stoppage-time equaliser from Rasmus Hojlund to avoid a 16th defeat in the top-flight this season, in what has been a significantly below-par campaign for the club.
INEOS and Ruben Amorim must work together to ensure that the recruitment work this summer is spot on, as there have been too many missteps in recent years, including the signing of Mason Mount in the summer of 2023.
Why Mason Mount has been a flop for Manchester United
The England international signed for the Red Devils from Chelsea for a reported fee of £55m ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, and has had a rough time in Manchester so far.
Rasmus Hojlund and Mason Mount
Since the start of last season, Mount has missed a whopping 50 matches through calf and hamstring injuries, which have heavily disrupted his time at Old Trafford.
When available, however, the English attacking midfielder has not done enough to justify the money spent on his services, with a return of one goal and one assist in 39 appearances in all competitions.
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This has led to his market value, as per Transfermarkt, plummeting to just £24m, which shows that he has been a flop for Manchester United so far because the midfielder has not delivered goals or assists, or consistent availability, and is now worth significantly less than the fee they paid for him.
Mount is not the only player from that batch of recruitment in 2023 who has not been good enough, though, as Andre Onana should be ruthlessly ditched by INEOS this summer.
Why Man Utd should sell Andre Onana
Manchester United reportedly paid £47.2m to sign the Cameroon international from Ajax in the summer of 2023, and his value has plummeted in the two years since then.
It was recently reported that the club would consider offers of at least £20m for Onana, which means that he could be sold for even less than Mount is currently worth (£24m).
As you can see in the highlights above, Onana most recently had a night to forget against Lyon with two mistakes in the Europa League, which led to him being dropped against Newcastle United in the Premier League.
That came directly after former United midfielder Nemanja Matic dubbed him “one of the worst goalkeepers in Man United’s history” after being asked about Onana’s claim that his team were better than Lyon.
Whilst the Red Devils eventually won the tie over two legs, the Cameroon international’s personal performances did not do much to dismiss Matic’s harsh claim.
Appearances
44
43
Goals conceded
73
59
Errors leading to shots
3
1
Errors leading to goals
3
5
Penalties committed
1
0
As you can see in the table above, making errors is not a new issue for Onana because the shot-stopper has been error-prone throughout his two seasons in Manchester to date.
Manchester United'sAndreOnanaduring the warm up before the match
He has not been a reliable, safe, pair of hands between the sticks, due to these errors in the Premier League, the Champions League, and the Europa League, and that is why INEOS must ruthlessly cash in on him this summer.
United should look to move Onana on, whether that is for a fee of £20m or another figure, and then attempt to recruit a replacement who can be relied upon week-in-week-out at the top level, without Amorim having to be concerned about his goalkeeper making calamitous errors consistently.
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We’re less than one month away from the end of the 2024/25 campaign, a year of shifting emotions for those of an Everton persuasion.
The Toffees started off dismally, losing their opening four fixtures of the season under Sean Dyche’s wing and lacking any semblance of spirit or invention. When The Friedkin Group took over and ended the interminable pursuit of new ownership, they (re)appointed David Moyes in January.
Now, hope has been restored. Everton are 13th in the Premier League with just a few matches to go, relegation fears long in the past.
However, with as many as 15 senior players departing this summer, there’s plenty of work to be done, and who can argue that strengthening the frontline ahead of the move to Bramley Moore isn’t the priority?
Everton ready to sign new forward
The Toffees are rightly in the market for a new forward this summer, particularly given Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s struggles and the fact that his contract expires in a few months time.
So, who could head to the new stadium and join Moyes’ revolution?
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Well, according to GIVEMESPORT, Moyes has decided to earmark Tottenham Hotspur’s Richarlison, with the Brazilian identified as the ‘dream’ target.
Richarlison, of course, spent four seasons at Goodison Park before transferring to Spurs in a £60m deal back in 2022, but it hasn’t worked out and both parties appear ready to cut their losses.
The 28-year-old wouldn’t come cheap, however, priced at no less than £40m, given Tottenham face a sell-to-buy scenario this summer.
Amid those claims, it’s stated that Everton are seriously weighing up a summer offer.
Why Everton should re-sign Richarlison
Richarlison is a versatile forward with a fiery personality that he uses to his advantage more often than not. It’s all come down like a house of cards at Tottenham, but that’s not to say he’s been poor, rebounding from a tough first season to provide a comparative clinical edge.
Former Everton forward Richarlison
If Moyes can get him firing, it would be sure to dynamise Everton’s frontline. Currently, Iliman Ndiaye carries quite a weight on his shoulders, recognised as a “relentless forward” by data analyst Ben Mattinson, who “could be at least a squad player in every Prem team.”
Having scored nine times across all competitions since signing for Everton from Marseille in a £15m deal, Ndiaye has been one of the brightest sparks, with his silky movements and sharpness in the danger area making him a dangerous presence against any opponent.
However, Richarlison at his best could be the new cream of the crop, having already proved himself a £60m player as a Blue in the past.
Although his debut campaign in the capital didn’t go to plan, Richarlison has returned to prolific form in the two terms spent under Ange Postecoglou. If Moyes can solve the forward’s injury problems, there’s no question that he could usurp Ndiaye and take the tag of Everton’s best player next season.
24/25
Tottenham
12 (3)
4
1
23/24
Tottenham
28 (18)
11
4
22/23
Tottenham
27 (12)
1
4
21/22
Everton
30 (28)
10
5
20/21
Everton
34 (33)
7
3
19/20
Everton
36 (36)
13
3
18/19
Everton
35 (32)
13
1
17/18
Watford
38 (32)
5
4
The stats are on his side. As per FBref, Richarlison ranks among the top 8% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 11% for assists, the top 19% for progressive carries, the top 14% for tackles and the top 2% for clearances per 90.
With a firmly embedded goalscoring quality, a raw athleticism and a tried-and-tested past on Merseyside, Richarlison could be a “constant nuisance for defenders” under Moyes’ wing, as he has been described before by Postecoglou.
Of course, there’s nothing to say that the two mavericks couldn’t work in conjunction at Everton next year, Ndiaye charging down the left flank while Richarlison looks to add to his 53 goals for the Merseyside outfit.
If the Tottenham man can reach his highest level, there’s no question he could be Moyes’ standout star.
He won't start again: TFG must finally axe Everton's new Phil Neville
Recent results have shown Everton need a sweep of fresh faces in the transfer market this summer.
“It’s going to take them [the team] a long time to get over this because it just takes so much out of you,” say former players who’ve been through the emotional wringer before
Firdose Moonda30-Jun-20240:53
Markram: ‘For the time being it just hurts a lot’
It didn’t even take half an hour after South Africa lost the T20 World Cup final for the first genuinely funny inside joke to be made.”Now we don’t have a trophy or a cabinet,” Mandy Wiener, one of the country’s best-known news journalists, posted on X.June 29 was exactly a month since South Africans went to the polls for the country’s seventh democratic elections, and the first one in which the African National Congress did not win an outright majority. The make-up of the new government has captured national attention and continued to do so this weekend.Related
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Magic moments – Bumrah, Klaasen and SKY go flash, bam, alakazam
“It’s a done deal,” was the front-page headline on the and that wasn’t someone prematurely going to press with the cricket result. It was about what the future parliament will look like.Just underneath was a photograph from the Wanderers fan park, of a supporter on his knees, his national flag dragging behind him like a discarded cape, his head resting in his interlaced hands and a look of disbelief in his eyes. Around him, some of the 5,000 people that made their way to the country’s premier cricket ground, were standing in beanies, down jackets and even sleeping bags. They braved the Highveld cold in the hope that they would witness history being made in Bridgetown. They did, just not the kind they will want to remember.South Africa have not won a cricket World Cup, despite an unbeaten run through the tournament and an almighty fight for most of the match that mattered most. Of course, there will be what-ifs that can be what-iffed over forever. Should Quinton de Kock have played the shot he did when a fielder was put at fine leg for exactly that? Should Heinrich Klaasen have used his feet when he reached for the wide delivery that he ended up nicking? Was the boundary rope where it should have been when Suryakumar Yadav took the wonder catch that ended David Miller’s innings and South Africa’s dream? And none of those things matter. It’s over. No one can go back. Nothing can be undone or redone.The South Africa players wait for the presentation ceremony after the final•CREIMASOnce the whirlwind of emotions passes, the real question is how, not if, South Africa will move forward because they have no choice but to find a way. And in the immediate aftermath, minutes after the game, an emotionally exhausted but excellently articulated analysis by former coach Russell Domingo, former captain Hashim Amla and former allrounder Chris Morris signposted the way in three clear paths: sit with the sadness, deal with the dips and look for the light.”It’s going to take them a long time to get over this because it just takes so much out of you,” Domingo, who was South Africa’s coach during the 2015 World Cup semi-final (another nerve-wracking affair) and now coaches the Lions domestic team, said on SuperSport. “You’ve given everything for two or three years leading to this event and one or two things just don’t fall into place, so to get back up and step into the arena again is going to be a challenge and there might be a little bit of a drop-off in terms of intensity. They’ll get there eventually, but it might take a little bit of time.”Domingo knows what he is talking about because he lived it. South Africa did not play any cricket for 103 days between the semi-final in March 2015 and a July tour of Bangladesh. There, they won a T20I series 2-nil but lost the ODIs 2-1 before a washed-out Test series. The real downer came later that year when they toured India and lost a four-Test series 3-nil – their first away series defeat in nine years. It began a slump that saw them drop as low as seventh on the Test rankings and become the first team to bow out of the 2019 World Cup, which was their worst tournament showing in their history.
“You’ve given everything for two or three years leading to this event and one or two things just don’t fall into place, so to get back up and step into the arena again is going to be a challenge and there might be a little bit of a drop-off in terms of intensity. They’ll get there eventually.”Former SA coach Russell Domingo
This time, they have less time but more resources. There are 39 days between the T20 World Cup final and the Test series in the West Indies, where they are under a different coach and have a significant proportion of different personnel. With the continued separation of red and white ball set-ups, they can treat that series as completely unrelated to this tournament, even though it’s the same place. Their next limited-overs assignment is three T20Is in the West Indies followed by a white-ball series in Ireland, which starts in late September, and the focus will be on 50-over cricket, with the 2025 Champions Trophy in mind. While no substitute for a World Cup, the Champions Trophy can, at the least, be used as preparation for the home World Cup, in 2027, which is already being built up as “the one”.Although South Africans should probably have a conversation with themselves about creating cricketing expectations, Amla believes there’s reasons to be hopeful for 2027 and beyond. “I feel quietly optimistic of what’s to come, [with this team] having gone past the hurdle of a semi-final,” he said. “Guys like [Tristan] Stubbs, [Aiden] Markram and the exposure they’ve had with IPLs, with our SA20, with our domestic system – we’re seeing these youngsters come in and they’re straight into the game, whereas maybe before it took a little bit longer to get into international cricket.They’re getting into it very quickly and we’re seeing the performances coming.”Amla assessed South Africa’s pipeline as strong and producing players of quality who can stand up in high-pressure situations. This team has already proven him right, with wins in six out of seven close matches and a dominant showing in the semi-final, where they have historically stumbled. While there is space for the argument that South Africa should have won the final when they needed 26 runs from 24 balls with six wickets in hand and that not doing so was a choke, there should be equal room to recognise how outstandingly well Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh bowled at the end, and how spectacular Suryakumar’s catch was. That’s just sport.While Rohit Sharma spoke of destiny, Amla has always taken the pragmatic approach to something as variable as luck. “Nobody deserves anything in this game. That’s one of Hash’s famous throwaway quotes,” Domingo said. “And he’s spot on. You’ve got to earn it. And you’ve got to make sure you do the right things.”But now, to the one player who may feel differently: David Miller.David Miller was inconsolable as the South Africans saw another dream go bust•Getty ImagesFourteen years ago, Miller made his debut in the West Indies and already had a reputation for big-hitting and natural flare. Until the 2023 ODI World Cup semi-final, where he scored a hundred in a losing cause, he was regarded as a player who had not quite lived up to his potential at international level. After that innings he said he felt “a bit hollow”, and since then has taken it on himself to shoulder more responsibility. As South Africa’s most-capped player at this World Cup, that makes sense. It was Miller who was caught on the boundary on the final over, aiming for the six that could have turned the tide. The expression on his face afterwards told a story of someone who felt they had let their team and themselves down, and who may not get another chance to put that right. Miller is 35 now and, though he has not indicated his career is over, another World Cup may be a bridge too far and he could join generations of others who were never able to win a World Cup.”For a guy like Dave, that’ll hurt,” Morris said. “Dave’s such a good dude. He’s a team man. He’s been a flipping stalwart for South African cricket. And as Russ [Domingo] said, you think someone from the top would look down and go, ‘It’s your turn to win something.'”But none of Domingo, Amla, Morris and perhaps none of South Africa held on to that though for too long. This is a country with too many real problems to dwell on the disappointment of a World Cup defeat for too long. Instead, the television trio acknowledged the fitting end to Virat Kohli and Rohit’s T20I careers, the immense comeback of Rishabh Pant from a near-death experience and the redemption of Hardik Pandya. “Everybody’s got a backstory. All the heroes have got a backstory,” Amla said. “We know what adversity they had to get over to achieve the success they have. And South Africa have a very big backstory. This is another blockbuster in the backstory. We’ve had to wait for the final and now we have to wait for a trophy. The final has come now; the trophy’s coming next.”But the best news for South Africans, is that cabinet is expected to be finalised this week. And life goes on.
The spitting image of the former South Africa wristspinner in how she bowls, Sonawane comes from humble roots in small-town Maharashtra
Annesha Ghosh26-May-2022″I know what they’ll say. ‘Her action is so unusual, just like Paul Adams.'”Uncapped Indian bowler Maya Sonawane was speculating about what the cricketing world at large would think about her when they saw her play in the Women’s T20 Challenge. Sure enough, when she came on to bowl for Velocity in the 11th over on her debut in the three-team tournament on Tuesday, the reactions that emerged on social media were almost exactly as she predicted.The impossible-looking contortions of her body when she delivers are invariably the first thing that catches the eye about the 23-year-old. Like it did former Australia player and commentator Lisa Sthalekar’s during Sonawane’s debut game. “My body is in so much pain watching her bowl,” Sthalekar tweeted during the match, in which Sonawane went for 19 runs in two wicketless overs. “Whilst it is unique and unique can sometimes be gold, can it be sustained at a top level for years?””Many people have told me there isn’t anyone with a similar action in women’s cricket, but I don’t see it as something extraordinary or detrimental,” says Sonawane, who considers Rashid Khan and Shane Warne her idols.”I didn’t know who Paul Adams was, what he looked like, whom he played for, until I made it to the Maharashtra senior team,” she says. It was then, at 15, fresh off a chart-topping wicket haul at the national Under-19 competition, that she first heard she was different from most wristspinners, but that there was a precedent in international cricket for the way she bowled.”One of our senior bowlers, Snehal Pradhan, walked up to me and said, ‘Maya, do you know who you bowl like?’ I said, ‘No, .’ She then showed me a picture or video of Paul Adams, and I said. ‘ same ‘ [We are identical. How can this be?] she remembers saying.Shivil Kaushik, a male left-arm wristpinner who bowls with an action like Adams’, evoked a similar social-media reception, including from Adams himself, when he first arrived on the scene, at the IPL in 2016. Unlike both those men, Sonawane is a right-armer, which makes her something of a first of her kind.”[The action] has always felt natural to me. That’s how I have bowled ever since I first decided to try bowling from the popping crease and not run in from a distance to deliver the ball,” she says. Back then, barely ten, Sonawane didn’t know what a spinner was, or a pace bowler. “I didn’t know what legspin or offspin was,” she says. “All I knew was, some people bowl from a distance, some from closer to the crease. One day, I felt like bowling from closer and my action turned out to be what it is now.”
“If I continue working hard and doing well, who knows, I might get to play for India. And then if some other bowler comes along with a similar action, people might start saying, ‘She bowls like Maya'”
The captain of the senior Maharashtra side Sonawane made it to was India opener Smriti Mandhana, who also led them in the recently concluded Senior Women’s T20 League, where Sonawane made a mark with two four-fors in eight innings and placed fourth on the wicket-takers’ table in Maharashtra’s run to a runners-up finish.Ahead of the Women’s T20 Challenge, in which Mandhana is leading defending champions Trailblazers, she spoke about the strides Sonawane has made. “She has a good wrong’un and a legbreak. And the best thing is now she knows which will go which way. I think two years back that [knowledge] was missing.”Deepti Sharma, Velocity’s captain, believes a bowler like Sonawane can add an edge to an attack. “She has a lot of variations. Her control over her lines and lengths are very good, which makes her somebody who’s ready to take on challenges and bowl the kind of deliveries a captain may require her to in a situation.”Sonawane rubbed shoulders with both Mandhana and Deepti at a preparatory camp in Bengaluru in August last year, where she made it to the ranks of the probables for the multi-format tour of Australia after winning the 2021 One-Day Challenger Trophy with India A. She counts being selected for that camp as one of the highlights of her career.”Jhulan [Goswami] and Mitthu [Mithali Raj] , and Ramesh [Powar] sir spoke affectionately in that camp and motivated me to do well,” says Sonawane. “I couldn’t make it to the squad for the Australia series but gained a lot of confidence by interacting with the India players and all the support staff. And Mitthu even gave me a pair of gloves and said, ‘Do well.'”A similar gesture from Mandhana a few years earlier also left a strong imprint. “We were playing a domestic tournament in Baroda and Smriti di was our captain for Maharashtra. She said if I took three or more wickets, she’d give me shoes. I ended up taking four or five in that game and she gifted me a pair and encouraged me to do even better.”Sonawane comes from a family of humble means in the town of Sinnar, some 30km from Nashik in Maharashtra, where she currently trains. “My father and older brother do low-paying jobs that require a lot of hard work,” she says. “So it’s not like it has been easy for me to carry on with my cricket, but I am grateful to be continuing.”Like her Velocity and former Maharashtra team-mate Kiran Navgire, Sonawane says she has benefited from the goodwill of several well-meaning people. One of them was the local corporator in Sinnar, whose backyard was the first place where she played cricket.Sonawane with the Senior Women’s One-Day Challenger trophy in December last year, after her side, India A, won the title•Maya Sonawane”I was eight or nine when I came upon a house when I was out playing in the evening after school,” Sonawane remembers. “There, he [the corporator] was playing cricket with his daughter on a pitch he had built for her. I was so enchanted by the sight of the girl playing cricket that I stayed there for two hours straight, collecting any balls that came my way and throwing them back.”As Sonawane became a familiar face, the corporator asked her to join them properly. “That was where it all started for me,” she says. “My older brother found out that I used to go there and had started playing. He told my parents about all that I had been doing and asked them to encourage me to play cricket.”Sonawane first trialled for the Nashik District Cricket Association (NDCA) team at 11. She started training under Shivaji Jadhav, her first coach, who was part of the NDCA set-up. Her brother regularly helped with her training too. In the inter-district competition in 2013-14, she turned in an impressive performance, which paved the way for a call-up to the Under-19 Maharashtra side. She didn’t get a game that season but was the leading wicket-taker in the tournament the following year, with 23 dismissals in nine matches, which helped her break into the senior squad.”Everything I have been able to do in cricket, becoming the highest wicket-taker in the U-23 domestics or being on a hat-trick in three consecutive overs for West Zone U-19s in 2018-19 – they have all happened because of the way I bowl, how I bowl,” she says.”I am grateful to my coaches, Pradeep Ingle and the late Avinash Agarkar sir, for their guidance. Pradeep sir is one of those who has always backed me against changing my action.”Velocity coach Devika Palshikar too is among those who think the action, tortuous though it may look, is not something Sonawane needs to alter. “I saw her eight years back, when I took my first West Zone ZCA (Zonal Cricket Academy) camp. That time, when she was 14, she was just the same,” said Palshikar. “Many coaches tried to change her action, but that’s her natural thing. She’s still doing that and there is no injury, so we don’t need to change that.”She’s very much comfortable with that and doing well for her state. There will be stress on her back and shoulder, but I would say she’s lucky that till today she hasn’t got any injuries as such.”Asked how she would like to be best described as an unorthodox wristspinner, Sonawane smiles and says, “Maybe for now you can say, ‘Maya bowls like Maya.’ If I continue working hard and doing well, who knows, I might get to play for India with this action. And then if some other bowler comes along with a similar action, people might start saying, ‘She bowls like Maya.'”