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One of the most dramatic final stories of the summer transfer window was undoubtedly Nicolas Jackson and his exit from Chelsea.

The Senegal striker, who was heavily linked with a move away for weeks after Enzo Maresca brought in Joao Pedro and Liam Delap, was initially on the verge of signing for Bayern Munich in a record loan deal, which included an ‘option’ to buy, with just days to go before the deadline.

Joao Pedro

Noni Madueke

Jamie Gittens

João Félix

Jorrel Hato

Djordje Petrovic

Liam Delap

Lesley Ugochukwu

Dario Essugo

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall

Mamadou Sarr

Renato Veiga

Estevao

Armando Broja

Kendry Paez

Carney Chukwuemeka

Alejandro Garnacho

Mathis Amougou

Basir Humphreys

Kepa Arrizabalaga

Marcus Bettinelli

Christopher Nkunku

Nicolas Jackson (obligation to buy in 2026)

Alfie Gilchrist

Lucas Bergstrom

Ben Chilwell

However, Delap’s potentially serious hamstring injury, sustained during their 2-0 victory over west London rivals Fulham, put a dramatic halt to the move and Chelsea planned to recall Jackson — despite the forward already landing in Munich to undergo the formalities of his transfer.

It was a very messy situation, and one which will have left Jackson, not to mention his representatives, fuming behind-the-scenes.

Luckily for the 24-year-old, Bayern managed to renegotiate their deal and convinced Chelsea to let him join Vincent Kompany’s side after all, with BlueCo instead opting to recall Marc Guiu from his loan spell at Sunderland.

It is mind-boggling how one injury could cause such a huge ripple effect, but in the process, Chelsea managed to secure better terms for Jackson’s departure.

Bayern paid the highest ever loan fee recorded for Jackson at around £14 million, which was part of their first agreement, but to sway Chelsea into letting the African leave, the Bundesliga champions agreed to turn their ‘option to buy’ at the end of his temporary spell into an ‘obligation to buy’.

This means Allianz Arena sporting directors Christoph Freund and Max Eberl are almost guaranteed to trigger Jackson’s £56 million clause to sign him permanently next summer, and if you include the loan fee, Chelsea stand to earn a total of around £70 million from this whirlwind of a transfer.

How Nicolas Jackson could still return to Chelsea

However, the key phrase is ‘almost guaranteed’, as explained by journalist Simon Phillips, via his Substack.

An imperative condition of Jackson’s obligation to buy clause has now emerged, with Bayern only forced to activate it if the former Villarreal striker makes a certain number of appearances in Germany this season, among other things.

Jackson scored 13 goals and six assists in 37 appearances for Chelsea last term, including a strike in their Conference League final win over Real Betis, but managed just one goal in the Premier League since the turn of 2025.

He was also sent off in the Club World Cup against Flamengo, and from this point onward, not to mention Chelsea’s deals for Delap and Pedro, Jackson’s exit started to gain traction.

Jasprit Bumrah, India’s stand-in captain, expressed disappointment at not being able to have a crack at Australia on what he described as “the spiciest wicket of the series” in Sydney.Bumrah didn’t bowl in India’s defence of 162 following back spasms that flared up during play on Saturday. Bumrah went for precautionary scans and didn’t return to take the field for the remainder of the Test. He finished the series with 32 wickets in nine innings at 13.06, to be named Player of the Series.”It’s a little frustrating, but sometimes you’ve got to respect your body, you can’t fight your body,” Bumrah told Isa Guha on the official broadcast after the game. “It’s a little disappointing in the end because I probably missed out on the spiciest wicket of the series, but that’s the way it is. Sometimes, you have to accept it and move forward.”Related

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Bumrah revealed that he had gone off on the second day after he “felt a little discomfort, [and] wanted to check it out what’s happening in the first innings when I came back from my second spell”.In Bumrah’s absence, Prasidh Krishna, playing his first Test on tour, and Mohammed Siraj helped polish off Australia’s lower order to secure a slender four-run lead. In the second innings, they managed to pick up four wickets but fell short in the end.”The chat was about belief, the other bowlers stepped up in the first innings,” Bumrah said when asked about their plans in their small defence. “With one bowler short, the others had to take extra responsibility. This morning, the chat was about having belief, and that we are good enough and if we create enough pressure, we will be able to do some damage.”Reflecting on the tour on the whole, Bumrah said there were a lot of learnings for the younger group to take back, especially in handling different situations under pressure.As many as 15 of the 17 players in the squad got opportunities in the series. India handed a Test cap to Harshit Rana, while Prasidh returned to play a Test after nearly a year after Akash Deep’s injury. Siraj featured in all five Tests, while Yashasvi Jaiswal, who began the series with a century in Perth, was among the standout batters along with KL Rahul.”So, a lot of ifs and buts, because the whole series was well fought, and today as well we were in game; it was not like it was totally one-sided,” Bumrah said. “This is how Test cricket goes; in the nervy moments, whichever team holds their nerve for the longest and sticks together and tries to find a way out of that will win the series.”I think it was a well-fought series, a lot of learnings for us and experience that our players have gained who’ve come here for the first time. Being in the game for longer, creating pressure, sometimes absorbing pressure when wickets are difficult, sometimes playing to the situation.”Sometimes all these learnings are important. Young players come up and they score runs, have success through a certain way, but in Test cricket you have to sometimes adapt to the situation, make your game work in a different manner as well. These learnings will help us in the future.”They’ve gained a lot of experience; they’ll only go from strength to strength from here. Australia is not the easiest place to play cricket, but we’ve shown we have a lot of talent in our group, it’s all about adapting and learning new things about your game. I’m sure a lot of youngsters are keen, obviously they are disappointed we weren’t able to win the series, but they want to take the learning forward.”Jasprit Bumrah and Gautam Gambhir hatch a plan•Getty Images

Bumrah did ‘everything possible’, says Gambhir

Speaking at the press conference after the series, India head coach Gautam Gambhir summed up Bumrah’s performance both as bowling spearhead and a leader in the group as “absolutely outstanding”.”I think he’s led the attack really well. He’s bowled a lot of overs. And whenever he’s come on to bowl, he’s done a fabulous job,” Gambhir said. “He’s taken wickets. He’s done everything possible he could from his side. But then he’s been helped a lot from the other end as well.”He’s been helped by Mohammed Siraj. He’s been helped by some of the young boys as well, like Harshit Rana in the first two Test matches, Akash Deep… Ultimately, yes, you will always see the wickets and runs. But yeah, there has been a lot of other contributions as well. But from Jasprit Bumrah’s point of view, he had a phenomenal series.”

Wolverhampton Wanderers are set to make an offer for a “sensational” forward, who is also on the radar of Real Madrid and Barcelona, according to reports.

Wolves looking to sign new forwards

In light of Matheus Cunha’s departure, Wolves have been able to splash the cash on new forwards this summer, having already secured the signature of Fer Lopez, and they are now closing in on a deal for another winger.

Such is the Colombia international’s level of interest in moving to Molineux, he is reportedly willing to take a pay cut to get a deal over the line, and with Fabrizio Romano giving his trademark ‘here we go’, the move could be wrapped up soon.

However, Wolves aren’t done there, as they are also set to make an offer for another winger, namely Real Betis’ Pablo Garcia, according to a report from Estadio Deportivo (via Sport Witness).

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The Old Gold are set to make an official offer in the coming days…

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The Old Gold have been closely monitoring Garcia in recent weeks, and they are now determined to secure his signature, with Real Betis’ €30m (£26m) asking price deemed to be a non-issue.

The 19-year-old has particularly impressed at the U19 Euros, recently netting four goals in Spain’s 6-5 victory over Germany, and his performances haven’t gone unnoticed, with reports from elsewhere revealing that Real Madrid and Barcelona have also expressed an interest.

"Sensational" Garcia could be exciting signing for Wolves

It would be a real statement of intent if Vitor Pereira’s side were able to secure the teenager’s signature, given his performances at the U19 Euros, with scout/analyst Jacek Kulig lauding the youngster for a “sensational” display against Germany.

The Sevilla-born winger was regularly among the goals at youth level last season, picking up five goals and four assists in 25 games for Real Betis reserves, while also providing four goal contributions in as many games in the UEFA Youth League.

As such, while Garcia’s first-team experience is very limited, there are clear signs the starlet could go on to be a top player, so he could be a real coup for Wolves this summer.

Three River Plate players were sent off during their fiery clash against Real Madrid U-18 side in a quarter-final clash at the Youth Club World Cup. The Argentine club ended the game with eight players on the pitch as three of their youth stars were given their marching orders for violent challenges. Madrid won the clash 2-0 and qualified for the last-four as a result.

Real Madrid U-18 beat River PlateThree players sent off in fiery clashMadrid youth side reached Youth Club World Cup semi-finalFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Gonzalo Pereyra was the first River Plate star to see the red card for kicking Ruben López in the face in the 35th minute, following an aerial challenge. Cirilo Pereyra was then shown his second yellow card of the match in the second half, before Emiliano Quevado was sent off in the 79th minute for a rough challenge on Yeremaiah Ramos, according to .

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The Spanish side won the game 2-0 courtesy of goals from Mateo Garrido and Bryan Bugarin. The win at Cordoba helped them to reach the last-four stage, where they join Barcelona, Palmeiras and Racing Club. 

DID YOU KNOW?

The 16th edition of the Youth Club World Cup is being hosted in Spain this year, with 12 clubs from Spain, Brazil, Argentina, Portugal and Italy competing against each other. 

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The senior Real Madrid side will be back in action after the international break on September 13 as they face Real Sociedad in La Liga.

Chelsea are currently in negotiations over signing another player after completing deals for Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens, with BlueCo showing zero sign of slowing down after an already exciting start to the summer.

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The Blues are set for another entertaining window.

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Emilio Galantini

Jul 2, 2025

Enzo Maresca is set to welcome both Pedro and Gittens in a double-deal worth north of £110 million.

Chelsea were given the green-light to seal switches for the highly-rated attacking duo when their fourth total offer for Gittens was accepted, with the club set to pay £55 million for the Englishman’s services, while Pedro is set to arrive for another £55m, which could rise to £60m with add-ons.

With Liam Delap, Pedro and Gittens summing up Chelsea’s major transfer dealings thus far, they could soon be followed by West Ham winger Mohammed Kudus.

The Ghanaian is also attracting reliably reported interest from Tottenham, who’ve opened talks with both Kudus and the Hammers (Fabrizio Romano), but according to journalist Simon Phillips, Chelsea are by no means out of the race.

Chelsea in talks for Mohammed Kudus as "next top target"

Recent reports suggest that Chelsea are suitors for Kudus, and West Ham would apparently prefer he joins the Blues over Spurs given their tense business relationship (GOAL).

The Hammers and Tottenham haven’t agreed any deals at all since Scott Parker’s switch to Hotspur Way in 2011, with Phillips now reporting that Chelsea are directly rivalling Thomas Frank’s side in pursuit of the 24-year-old.

Chelsea are apparently in talks for Kudus and pushing to get a deal done, with the ex-Ajax sensation also keen on a move to Stamford Bridge, though his eagerness to quit West Ham means he’s just as open to Tottenham.

“Chelsea are working to try and sign Mohammed Kudus right now! But they may have to be quick due to Tottenham advancing on the deal. Newcastle are also keen as well as clubs in Saudi,” said Phillips, via his Substack.

“Chelsea are absolutely working on Kudus right now – and it may not even depend on selling players first. This is because other clubs are working to try and bring Kudus in, and Chelsea have identified him as their next top target for attack. Chelsea and West Ham are currently in talks for Kudus, but as said, Spurs are also advancing.

“On the player side, we’ve heard that he wants Chelsea but is also content to go to Spurs. He is just keen to move after not seeing eye to eye with Graham Potter, and sees Chelsea as his ideal move.

“The Blues have wanted Kudus since he was at Ajax and will keep pushing to try and agree a deal to bring him this window.”

West Ham are reportedly prepared to accept a £60 million bid for the wantaway winger (The Guardian), which would take Chelsea’s spending this window to around £200 million.

Only Man City’s Jeremy Doku completed more successful take-ons per 90 than Kudus in the Premier League last season on average (WhoScored), and this was despite an overall lack of form when compared to his exceptional debut campaign at the London Stadium.

Kudus’ directness, pace and strength on the ball is clear, but Chelsea will be eager not to overspend, after already seeing a £50 million offer rejected for him (Simon Phillips).

They could apparently offer up players in a separate ‘unofficial swap deal’ to sweeten talks with West Ham, as per Phillips again, so this is definitely one to keep an eye on in the coming days.

Chelsea are planning to overhaul a key area of Enzo Maresca’s squad this summer, with BlueCo looking to sell two players and potentially open new talks for an elite-level star.

Chelsea continue transfer planning after botched CWC deals

In high-profile fashion, Chelsea missed out on a couple of anticipated deals before the pre-Club World Cup transfer deadline at 7pm on Tuesday.

Chelsea are in ongoing talks with Neymar-like forward – Sky journalist

The west Londoners are still working beyond the Club World Cup transfer deadline.

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While Chelsea do have the arrival of Liam Delap to celebrate, with the English sensation set to bolster Maresca’s forward options for the CWC, the Blues couldn’t quite get Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens or AC Milan’s Mike Maignan over the line.

The former was a top target for Maresca in the wide area, and Chelsea did their utmost to make it happen – lodging three different offers in the build up to Tuesday’s deadline, only for Dortmund to reject them all and demand more money (Florian Plettenberg).

Chelsea’s best performers in the Premier League last season	Average match rating
Cole Palmer	7.33
Moises Caicedo	7.02
Enzo Fernández	6.95
Nicolas Jackson	6.88
Noni Madueke	6.82
via WhoScored

Chelsea went as high as £47 million in their bid to sign Gittens, but it was no use, with the west Londoners deciding to walk away from talks once it was clear a deal could not be done in time.

Their attempts to sign Maignan were equally frustrating.

Milan wanted around £25 million to sell the France international, who’s about to enter the final year of his contract and won’t sign a new one, but Chelsea were only willing to pay up to £13 million, meaning no agreement could be found (The Athletic).

Given the 29-year-old’s pedigree as, arguably, one of the world’s finest keepers and France’s undisputed number one, there is frustration among Chelsea supporters that they didn’t stump up the cash for a player who would’ve undoubtedly been an upgrade on their current crop.

Maignan was also known to be very keen on a move to Chelsea, and for just £25m, the shot-stopper could’ve been a serious bargain.

However, their transfer plans are continuing into the summer, with reliable journalist Simon Phillips suggesting that a move for Maignan certainly isn’t off the cards.

Chelsea could hold new Mike Maignan talks next week

The Blues want to sell both Robert Sanchez and Djordje Petrovic, with Chelsea reportedly valuing the latter at around £21 million. Sanchez joined the club for around £25 million from Brighton, and you’d Chelsea would want to recuperate a large portion of that fee.

With the £46 million duo up for sale, one source has told Phillips that Chelsea could even reopen talks for Maignan as early as next week.

“They held talks with Milan, Maignan wants the move, and Chelsea actually believed they were about to sign him with a fee agreement close,” said Phillips, via his Substack.

“AC Milan moved the goalposts on the fee in the final stages and that was enough for Chelsea to back out, for now.

“However, they are likely to go back for Maignan. I know initially we heard yesterday that they wouldn’t be going back for him at all. But after further digging by our sources last night, we’ve heard that Chelsea are now likely to revisit this deal later in the summer window. One source even suggests they could go back in for talks as soon as next week.

“Chelsea don’t want to be pushed over in negotiations so some of this is about sending messages as well as not appearing desperate to land a new goalkeeper.

“And that is because they want to sell both Djordje Petrovic and Robert Sanchez this summer. Obviously this needs suitors and those suitors to pay the valuations to make this happen, but this is their intentions.”

Called “one of the best” keepers in world football by Alisson, the Liverpool star also heralded Maignan’s “quick” burst of pace off the line, and a truly quality number one could be one of the final missing pieces of Maresca’s jigsaw.

Tottenham Hotspur have kickstarted their transfer plans after announcing Thomas Frank as their new manager to replace Ange Postecoglou.

Spurs went public with their decision to appoint the 51-year-old on Thursday evening after days of talks, with Frank swapping the Gtech Community Stadium for north London in what is his most high-profile job to date.

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Spurs apparently agreed a deal for him in January.

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Frank is tasked with maintaining the momentum garnered from Spurs’ historic night in Bilbao last month, when Postecoglou guided the club to their first major trophy in 17 years with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Man United in the Europa League final.

Now that the Dane is confirmed as Tottenham’s choice to succeed Postecoglou, it is believed the tactician is already starting to have a say in the Lilywhites’ transfer activity ahead of his first full season in charge of a Premier League ‘big six’ side.

Son Heung-min

7.00

James Maddison

6.98

Pedro Porro

6.95

Dominic Solanke

6.84

Dejan Kulusevski

6.83

via WhoScored

Frank has personally recommended Eberechi Eze to the Spurs hierarchy, according to GiveMeSport, and Sky Sports shared on Friday that they could inflict more misery on United by hijacking their move for Bryan Mbeumo.

The Brentford star was a key member of Frank’s squad last season, racking up 20 goals and nine assists in all competitions, and Sky claim that Mbeumo has suddenly become more intrigued by the prospect of a London move after his manager’s arrival at Tottenham.

Initial talks have also been held with Frank’s former side, so this move could now be one to watch.

The Cameroon international would be a stellar addition for Frank, and Tottenham are rumoured to be targeting a new winger to accompany Mathys Tel.

Frank wants to keep Tel at Spurs, according to TEAMtalk this week, with the Frenchman’s loan deal from Bayern Munich including a £45 million option to buy. Chairman Daniel Levy wants to negotiate a lower price tag after a mixed first six months at the club (Sport Bild), and Bayern’s sporting director, Max Eberl, has now confirmed they’re currently in discussions.

Max Eberl confirms Tottenham talks over Mathys Tel

Speaking publicly, via Abendzeitung München and Sport Witness, Eberl admitted that talks are ongoing with Tottenham over Tel’s transfer.

“Mathys was at Tottenham for six months. He wanted to play in the U21 European championship with France, and we allowed him to,” he said.

“We’re talking to Tottenham, that’s no secret. We’ll see how that pans out.”

The 20-year-old scored three goals and notched one assist during his first 20 games as a Tottenham player, but former Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann is on record tipping Tel for a very bright future.

“He could become one of the best strikers one day. I have the vision that he can score 40 goals one day. But I would be happy with 10 goals in his first season,” Nagelsmann told reporters in 2022.

“He’s a young, talented player. He can play in multiple positions: as a centre-forward and on the wings. He’s very quick and strong with his body. He can hold up the ball well with his back to the goal.”

Liverpool have a “growing interest” in completing the signing of a “crazy” talent who has already held contract negotiations with Real Madrid, leaving the Spanish club trying to speed things up.

Liverpool rivlary with Madrid continues over Huijsen deal

The Reds have almost become renowned for being relatively frugal in the transfer market under owners FGS, with both Jurgen Klopp and Arne Slot often tasked with working their magic with a smaller squad than some of their rivals.

This summer is reportedly going to be one of the busiest in years at Liverpool, however, with Slot set to be handed lots of funds for new signings, as they seek to replace Madrid-bound Trent Alexander-Arnold for starters, with a deal for Jeremie Frimpong nearing completion.

Reds captain Virgil van Dijk has put an element of pressure on owners FSG, saying he expects lots of money to be spent in the coming weeks and months.

The man who could have become the skipper’s successor looks to be following Alexander-Arnold to Madrid however, with the Spaniards pulling ahead in the race for Dean Huijsen. Indeed, Florentino Perez’s side have approached Bournemouth over a £50m deal and are discussing personal terms with the young defender.

Madrid are now leading the race for the Cherries star ahead of the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool, and after seemingly missing out to their European rivals again, Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes have turned their attentions further up the pitch.

Liverpool have "growing interest" in Messi-like youngster

According to a fresh report from Sport [via Sport Witness], Liverpool have a “growing interest” in River Plate midfielder Franco Mastantuono, who has a £38m release clause in his current deal.

The 17-year-old is considered one of Argentina’s brightest young talents, with Manchester United and Madrid also interested in signing him. In fact, Madrid even agreed a contract with the player last year, and while a deal didn’t go through then, they are now hurriedly speeding up their interest in fear of missing out to the Reds.

Mastantuono looks like an incredible prospect, so Liverpool should be doing all they can to beat United and Madrid to his signature in the summer window.

At just 17, the Argentine has already racked up 59 appearances for River Plate, bagging 16 goal contributions in that time (nine goals and seven assists), and analyst Ben Mattinson has called his talent “crazy”, also saying he is a “leader”.

Meanwhile, FIFA have even compared him to Lionel Messi, which is the ultimate praise: “He has a different, special aesthetic. The stretched, slender, elegant body. He receives with his foot and the game options seem to multiply. From right to left. With the inside edge or the instep. With the toe or the outside of the boot. Franco Mastantuono, the new promise -figure- of River Plate, 17 years old, has the complete repertoire.”

An attacking midfielder by trade, Mastantuono could arrive at Liverpool as a squad player to begin with, but given the heights he is reaching in his homeland, he could end up becoming a superstar at Anfield.

Bramley Moore looms large for those of an Everton persuasion. In fact, David Moyes will lead his troops out just twice more before hallowed Goodison Park will be consigned to history.

Time was when Everton would fail to mark this new era with impactful activity on the transfer front, in the planning room. But this is an exciting new project on Merseyside and Moyes is back to front it.

While the Scottish tactician will expect powers to bring in a wealth of fresh quality this summer, he will of course need to part with a few of the rusted-over parts of the Toffees make-up.

And he won’t be afraid to do it.

Why Moyes will get rid of Everton's deadwood

Everton have no less than 15 players reaching the conclusion of their contracts this summer – some are out on loan or indeed are reaching the end of their loan stints at Goodison Park.

Abdoulaye Doucoure, for example, is expected to leave. Sure, he scored the winning goal at the City Ground last weekend, but the 32-year-old isn’t popping up with such moments with the frequency to justify his £130k-per-week salary, the loftiest at the club.

Moyes isn’t afraid to cut ties with his higher-profile stars, something he’s going to need to enact with another member of the squad, a player shaping up to be the 61-year-old’s next version of James Beattie.

Beattie spent two-and-a-half seasons under Moyes’ management at Everton, signed from Southampton for £6m in January 2005 after rejecting a move to Aston Villa.

Beattie was a talented centre-forward, hard to handle and powerful in the final third. He likely didn’t make too many friends with opposing defenders. He also didn’t make a friend out of Moyes, it would appear…

Across 85 appearances for the Merseysiders, Beattie only managed to score 15 goals, interestingly with 11 of them posted across the 2005/06 season before he provided a woeful product on his final term as a Toffee.

A five-cap England international, Beattie moved on to Sheffield United in 2007, the Blades breaking their transfer record and paying £4m for a player who had fallen by the wayside at Everton.

In fact, Moyes and his number nine had come to blows on numerous occasions, having to discipline his man after a headbutt on William Gallas in 2005 and Beattie later suggesting Everton didn’t treat him with respect while he played there.

His talent and focal presence got him far, but Moyes showed that he’s willing to make a tough decision for his team, and he’s going to have to make a similar one in the weeks ahead, with Everton needing to part ways with their new version of Beattie.

Moyes' new James Beattie

While he’s served at the club for a long time, Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s best days appear to be long past, with The Athletic’s Paddy Boyland noting he has been “struggling” through the 2024/25 season.

Out of contract at the end of the season, Calvert-Lewin – who the Toffees signed from Sheffield United in 2016 – has toiled through what looks to be his final campaign as an Everton player, with a cruel injury picked up in January stunting any budding rebirth hinted at after Moyes’ return.

Still out of action, the 27-year-old surely needs to be axed this summer, with his inconsistencies and past successes suggesting that he is in a similar boat to Beattie way back when, albeit the older man being actively shoved out to sign for the Blades.

24/25

22

3

6.11 (-3.11)

23/24

32

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12.93 (-5.93)

22/23

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5.84 (-3.84)

Though DCL doesn’t share Beattie’s supposedly volatile temperment, he has been chained down by injuries and consequent issues, with his wasteful finishing and heavy wage rubber-stamping the expected decision to cut ties.

Calvert-Lewin has given Goodison Park so many fond memories. In his pomp, the long-discarded England international was among the most dangerous strikers in the Premier League, leading talent scout Jacek Kulig to remark in 2020 that “Carlo Ancelotti created a monster.”

But the truth is Calvert-Lewin’s finest days are behind him, at least in Evertonian Blue. With Beto looking like twice the player he was since Moyes came along and funding being handed ahead of the summer window, parting with the striker is sure to be the right decision.

Moyes proved before, with Beattie, that he’s not afraid to make a cut for the greater good of the team, and he must maintain this approach now.

He won't start again: Everton's £40k-p/w star looks finished under Moyes

Everton are undergoing a series of changes with David Moyes back at the wheel.

ByAngus Sinclair Apr 15, 2025

With the WPL auction, and before that retention day, coming up, some of these cricketers are likely to create interest following their World Cup performances

S Sudarshanan04-Nov-2025

Nadine de Klerk was at her absolute best in the league-phase win over India•ICC/Getty Images

Nadine de KlerkA pace-bowling allrounder who can nail the yorkers and whack more than just a few at the death? Yes, please! De Klerk is one of those whose stocks would have risen big time ahead of the WPL auction. In Indian conditions, she put up quite a show with the bat – against India, no less – rescuing South Africa from a seemingly impossible situation in a chase in the league stage. Her strike rate of 131.64 in the World Cup was second only to Richa Ghosh’s 133.52 (minimum 20 balls faced). She also picked up nine wickets, the third-most for South Africa. That she can keep her calm at the death was evident in the final, where she gave away just six singles bowling the 50th. She was with Mumbai Indians (MI) in WPL 2025 but did not get a single game. If they retain her, it will be tough not to give her a spot in the XI?Amanjot Kaur made big contributions at crucial moments at the World Cup•Getty ImagesAmanjot KaurThe start of WPL 2025 and the recent World Cup was similar for Amanjot – she was returning from a stress fracture of the back earlier this year, for MI, and she was out with niggle for two months before the World Cup. Both the competitions ended with her team winning the trophy. The World Cup would have given a massive boost to MI, who can now retain her as the Indian seam-bowling allrounder ahead of Pooja Vastrakar, who has had a long injury layoff. Amanjot has shown she could be the second seamer, she can float in the batting order, and that she is a gun fielder is no secret.Annabel Sutherland emerged from a brief run of low scores•ICC/Getty ImagesAnnabel Sutherland and Marizanne KappEven though Australia were knocked out in the semi-final, Sutherland had a memorable World Cup, outshining the likes of Ellyse Perry and Tahlia McGrath. Only Deepti Sharma (22) had more wickets than Sutherland’s 17 in the competition. Her death-over exploits often helped Australia rein opponents in.Related

WPL 2026: Harmanpreet, Mandhana, Rodrigues among players retained; Healy, Lanning released

Team of the tournament: Mandhana, Wolvaardt, Gardner, Ecclestone and…?

Her Delhi Capitals (DC) team-mate Kapp had a relatively sedate World Cup, where she finished with 12 wickets but went wicketless in four of the nine outings including the final. Her five-wicket haul against England in the semi-final proved she still has it in her to deliver when the stakes are high.In WPL 2025, Sutherland was the third-highest wicket-taker for DC with nine wickets, one more than Kapp’s eight. This is why DC could face a tricky choice if they have to retain one of them. Both of them have shown at the World Cup that they can rescue their teams from tricky situations with the bat, too. Whoever finds themselves in the auction is likely to trigger a bidding war.N Shree Charani was the point of difference in the games against Australia•BCCIN Shree CharaniShe played only two games for DC in WPL 2025 but that was enough for India to get her into the World Cup squad. Her ability to vary her pace, get some drift as well as enough bite from the surface makes her stand out from some of the other left-arm spinners. That made India prefer her over the more experienced Radha Yadav, and she delivered with 14 wickets, the second-most for them. She was the best bowler on show in both of India’s matches against Australia, and a prime reason why the defending champions were kept to a lower-than-par total in the semi-final. If she is not retained by DC, expect her to make a splash at the auction.Laura Wolvaardt raised her game to a higher level at the World Cup•ICC/Getty ImagesLaura WolvaardtFor three World Cups in a row, across ODIs and T20Is, Wolvaardt has topped the run chart. In this tournament, her evolution and growth were visible. She opened up scoring areas that she hadn’t accessed before, batted at a higher gear and hit seven of her 18 ODI sixes in the last four weeks. No one doubts Wolvaardt’s ability to score runs even in T20 cricket. The fact she features in our list is because she played only three matches in WPL 2025, where her team Gujarat Giants (GG) used five opening combinations in nine matches. If GG do not retain her – but why wouldn’t they? – there are a few teams who could do with a versatile batter, and leader, like Wolvaardt.