Category Uncategorized

Liverpool continue to pursue a move for Crystal Palace and England star Adam Wharton, with talks now reportedly taking place over a move to Anfield.

The 21-year-old has emerged as one of the most promising young players in the country, bringing so much maturity in the middle of the park for Palace.

The £100m-rated Wharton also started for England in their 2-0 win away to Albania on Sunday, which could be the first start of many for the Three Lions in the coming years, having been hailed by former Palace teammate Eberechi Eze.

“He’s an incredible player to play with. Playing with him at Palace, I’ve got used to seeing the way he plays and understanding him. He’s very calm, composed, and a joy to play with. For someone so young, he’s very mature and very wise. When you speak to him, it feels like you’re speaking to someone older than you, that’s the type of person he is. He’s an incredible player.”

Liverpool have been linked with signing Wharton for months now, but he stayed put in the summer, and now an encouraging fresh update has dropped.

Liverpool in talks to sign Adam Wharton

According to a new update from DaveOCKop, Liverpool are “holding initial talks” over the signing of Wharton in 2026, as they ramp up their interest in him.

It is stated that this is a move that is “likely for the summer of 2026 rather than in the January window”, with Palace understandably keen on keeping hold of one of their most prized assets until at least the end of this season.

Wharton stands out as an exceptional option for Liverpool, with the youngster already such an impressive performer for Palace, playing with maturity beyond his years.

He is an unruffled presence with the ability to not only dictate games at his own pace from his deep-lying midfield role, but also put out fires, showing good positional sense and making importantly-timed tackles.

Granted, Wharton wouldn’t arrive at Liverpool on the cheap, especially as he is a young English player, but he could be worth every penny over time, becoming a fulcrum of the Reds’ midfield after already beating them twice this season in the Community Shield and Premier League.

New Trent: Liverpool star is "one of the most underrated players in England"

Slot could find a shrewd solution to Liverpool’s problems in this talent.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 17, 2025

With some doubts persisting over Alexis Mac Allister’s long-term future at Anfield, the England star could be a great choice to come in alongside Ryan Gravenberch, although it would still be far better to sign him and also keep hold of the Argentine World Cup winner.

Liverpool willing to sell first-team star to fund Adam Wharton move

Ashwin finishes his Test career with the joint-most number of Player-of-the-Series awards in Tests

Omkar Mankame18-Dec-2024#1
West Indies in India, 2011-12
After taking 13 wickets in India’s victories in the first two Tests, R Ashwin showcased his all-round brilliance at the Wankhede Stadium with a century and a nine-wicket match haul. With India needing two runs to win and two wickets in hand, Ashwin managed a single before being run out on the final delivery of the series, leading to the rare instance of a match being drawn with the scores level.Related

R Ashwin: the great problem-solver who played cricket for cricket's sake

Only murmurs in the building: Gabba shrouded in mystery before Ashwin bombshell

'My last day' – Ashwin announces retirement from international cricket

'A GOAT retires' – The cricket world reacts to R Ashwin's retirement

#2
New Zealand in India, 2012
New Zealand’s batting lineup, featuring Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum, had no answer to Ashwin’s spin. He finished the Hyderabad Test with 12 for 85, his first ten-wicket haul in Tests, and followed it up with another six wickets in Bengaluru as India won 2-0.#3
Australia in India, 2012-13
After a poor home series against England, Ashwin finished as the highest wicket-taker in the series against Australia, with 29 wickets at 20.10, starring in India’s first 4-0 series series win in Tests. In the opening Test in Chennai, his hometown, he set the tone with a match haul of 12 for 198. Ashwin took two more five-wicket hauls in the remainder of the series and often bowled with the new ball, something that would become a staple at home for the rest of his career.Promoted to No. 6, Ashwin scored two centuries on the 2016 tour of the West Indies•Associated Press#4
India in Sri Lanka, 2015
Ashwin’s first series award away came in a tough series in which India had to turn over a 0-1 deficit. He became the first Indian spinner to take 20 or more wickets in an away series containing three or fewer Tests. In the first Test, he claimed his maiden 10-wicket haul outside India, and his seven wickets in the second Test secured India’s 278-run victory. He dismissed Kumar Sangakkara four times in four innings in what was the batter’s final Test series.#5
South Africa in India, 2015-16
In India’s sixth Test series win since his debut, Ashwin picked up his fifth Player-of-the-Series award, going level with Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag. His haul of 31 wickets in the series remains the second-highest by an Indian bowler in seven or fewer innings, after Harbhajan Singh’s 32 wickets against Australia in 2000-01. On raging turners, Ashwin tormented South Africa’s batters, dismissing Dean Elgar four times and AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla and Faf du Plessis twice each as India won 3-0.#6
India in West Indies, 2016
Promoted to No. 6 in the first three Tests for India to play five specialist bowlers, Ashwin scored centuries in Antigua and St Lucia. With the ball, he took 7 for 83 in the second innings in Antigua and backed it up with 5 for 52 in the first innings in Jamaica. Having won Player-of-the-Match awards in both India’s victories in the four-match series, Ashwin was the obvious choice for Player of the series.#7
New Zealand in India, 2016-17
A series haul of 27 wickets, including a career-best match haul of 13 for 140 in the third Test in Indore, propelled Ashwin back to the top of the ICC Test rankings for bowlers. His series haul is the second-highest by any Indian bowler in a three-Test series, again behind Harbhajan Singh’s 32 wickets. Ashwin had opened the series with a 10-wicket haul in Kanpur and continued to hold it over New Zealand’s batters as India won 3-0.Ashwin took 32 wickets against England in 2021, but his favourite moment of the series was his hundred at Chepauk•BCCI#8
England in India, 2020-21

In another stellar series with both ball and bat, Ashwin scored a century at Chepauk, his first Test ton in almost five years, and finished with 32 wickets from four Test matches. He went past 400 wickets in the series, becoming the fastest to get there in terms of balls bowled (21,242). He also made headlines during the series by speaking against criticism of spin-friendly pitches, saying it was no different from pitches that assisted seam on the first day.#9
New Zealand in India, 2021-22
Continuing his dominance over New Zealand at home, Ashwin provided crucial lower-order contributions in the first Test in Kanpur while taking six wickets. He took 4 for 8 and 4 for 34 in Mumbai to seal India’s 1-0 win.#10
Australia in India, 2022-23
After being outbowled by Ravindra Jadeja and Nathan Lyon in the 2017 home Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Ashwin topped the wicket charts six years later and shared the Player-of-the-Series award with Jadeja, who took 22 wickets. After taking eight wickets in Kanpur, Ashwin bowled a memorable over on day one in Delhi, dismissing both Marnus Labuschagne and Steven Smith with outstanding deliveries. He showed he was in top form by even managing a five-for on a flat Ahmedabad track in the fourth Test. India’s 2-1 series win was their fourth straight over Australia.#11
Bangladesh in India, 2024
With India in trouble at 144 for 6 on day one in Chennai, Ashwin scored a fluent century, his first in three years and his second on his home ground. He went on to take 6 for 88 in the second innings, making it the fourth time in his career he had scored a hundred and taken a five-for in the same Test. He added five more wickets to his series tally in Kanpur as India romped to a 2-0 win.

The Blue Jays host the Dodgers in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night, with a shot at taking down the reigning champions and winning their first title since 1993.

While this year’s Blue Jays have had their fair share of “team of destiny” moments already in the postseason, the challenge of the Dodgers is simply on a different level. Los Angeles sports a lineup that can go bat-for-bat with Toronto, and a pitching staff the likes of which the Jays have not yet faced in the postseason.

Taking the mound for the Dodgers in Game 1 is two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell, who so far this postseason has pitched 21 innings and given up just six hits and two runs while striking out 28. Will the Blue Jays be able to break through against Snell? Or will the lefty continue his dominant run with another great start on the road?

Below we take a look at how some of Toronto’s best bats match up against Snell.

All stats come with the help of StatHead.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is in the midst of one of the greatest postseason runs we have ever seen from a hitter, and looking worth every dollar of the $500 million contract extension he signed back in April. Vladdy is slashing an absolutely absurd .442/.510/.930 so far this postseason, with six home runs, 11 runs scored and 12 RBIs. He has struck out just three times.

The Blue Jays will need Guerrero to keep up his hot streak if they are going to take the title, but the slugger will have his work cut out for him against Snell on Friday night. Guerrero is just 2-for-9 in his career against Snell, with three walks and no strikeouts. He has not produced a hit against Snell since the 2020 season.

Obviously we are working with small sample sizes here, and it’s possible that Guerrero’s current hot streak is more indicative than any stats on previous plate appearances vs. Snell could be, but it’s worth noting that Toronto’s best hitter will be facing his toughest competition yet on the mound.

George Springer

He replaced Edward Moore for Western Province in South Africa’s first-class competition

Firdose Moonda04-Oct-2025Western Province opening batter Joshua van Heerden has become the first like-for-like injury replacement under a new trial for substitutes in cricket. Van Heerden replaced Edward Moore in a provincial four-day game against Lions at Newlands in the second round of the CSA’s first-class competition. Moore suffered a tear to his left adductor (inner thigh muscle) while fielding on the second day.The trial, which is also being conducted in Australia’s Sheffield Shield and India’s Duleep Trophy and Ranji Trophy, is part of an ICC initiative seeking a solution for teams that lose players to serious injury during a match.Like Australia, South Africa will consider both internal and external injuries (India are only looking at external injuries for now) and have a strict protocol for determining when a player can be replaced. If the injury is internal, such as a muscle tear, which was the case with Moore, the player is required to go for an Ultrasound and/or an MRI scan. The report is then sent to CSA’s chief medical officer Dr Hashendra Ramjee and CSA’s cricket operations manager Obakeng Sepeng who study the results and determine if the injury is serious enough to allow for replacement. They then contact the match referee to confirm the decision. If the injury is external, such as a visible dislocation or broken bone, the match referee can make the decision on a substitute in consultation with Dr Ramjee and Sepeng.Related

• BCCI introduces 'serious injury replacement substitute' rule

• CA to trial injury subs with tactical twist in Sheffield Shield

The injured player can only be replaced provided he has been ruled out of the match in its entirety. He will then be required to satisfy a “stand-down period of seven days”, as stated in CSA’s updated playing conditions before returning to play. In Australia’s case, substitutions are only allowed until stumps on the second day and the injured player is mandated a 12-day non-playing period. Like Australia and India, South Africa are only trialling the system in multi-day cricket for now.The differences in protocol stem from the ways in which different countries want to trial the system. They will all report back to the ICC, which could then come up with regulations for like-for-like substitutions in the international game. Currently, substitutions in international cricket are only allowed for concussion.

Tottenham Hotspur’s preferred price to sign AFC Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo has been revealed, with manager Thomas Frank a big fan.

Despite both Mathys Tel and Richarlison getting on the scoresheet against Manchester United in Tottenham’s final match before the international break, journalist Henry Winter has made it clear he believes Frank needs to sign a new centre-forward.

Richarlison is Spurs’ top scorer in the Premier League this term, having netted four goals, but the Brazilian has been inconsistent throughout his time in north London, as pointed out by Ben Foster, who questioned his work ethic earlier this season.

Foster said: “He’s a very, very good player. He’s a Brazilian international, for God’s sake. He’s a world-class player, right? But I just think sometimes he goes, ‘Right, I’ve probably done enough for a little while now. Now I’ll settle down.”

With Jamie O’Hara also singling Tel out for criticism earlier in the campaign, Frank may be keen to bring in a more consistent goalscorer in the near future, and the north Londoners are very much in the race for a Premier League star.

Tottenham's preferred price to sign Bournemouth star Semenyo

According to a report from Spain, Tottenham are one of four Premier League clubs willing to pay €60m (£53m) for Bournemouth star Semenyo, in light of the impressive start the forward has made to the season.

Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool are also willing to spend big to get a deal for the Ghanaian over the line, but the Cherries should be in a strong position to demand a big fee, considering he is contracted until 2030.

Spurs have requested updates on the 25-year-old’s performances, deciding to target him because they are keen to bring in an elite-level forward who is capable of playing both out wide and through the middle.

Bournemouth’s Ryan Christie might have something to say about his teammate leaving, given that the Scot recently made it clear just how highly he rates the former Bristol City man, describing him as “scary good.”

The 32-time Ghana international has been one of the Premier League’s breakout stars this season, having already amassed nine goal contributions, and he is currently sitting pretty right near the top of the goalscoring charts in joint-third place.

2025-26 Premier League top scorers

Number of goals

Erling Haaland

14

Igor Thiago

8

Danny Welbeck

6

Jean-Philippe Mateta

6

Antoine Semenyo

6

Frank is also a big fan of the winger, who is capable of operating on both flanks, saying last season: “Semenyo can play wherever he wants to play. He’s a fantastic player. I think he’s been the best individual player for Bournemouth this season.”

Amid doubts over a number of Tottenham’s attacking players, Semenyo could be the ideal addition to Frank’s squad, and a £53m fee seems reasonable, given the level of his performances this season.

Barcelona's stance on selling Ferran Torres as Tottenham make £57m bid Barcelona chiefs debating selling Ferran Torres as Tottenham make £57m bid

Spurs have submitted an official offer for a new forward, having struggled in front of goal at times this season.

ByDominic Lund Nov 16, 2025

The hosts were stuck on their own surface, posting 109 for 7 which was overhauled with 17 balls to spare

ECB Media24-Aug-2025

Birmingham Phoenix 113 for 3 (Duckett 49*, Clarke 40) beat Manchester Originals 109 for 7 (Klaasen 34, Livingstone 2-11) by seven wicketsBirmingham Phoenix produced a polished display to thrash Manchester Originals by seven wickets at Emirates Old Trafford and move up to fourth in the table.The Phoenix have struggled for consistency in the tournament, and their defeat to Welsh Fire on Friday evening ended any hope of qualifying for the knockout phase, but a disciplined performance in the field and a clinical partnership of 72 from 45 balls between Ben Duckett (49 not out from 38) and Joe Clarke (40 from 21) delivered a consolation victory.Set just 110 to win, Will Smeed nicked off to Sonny Baker for 13 but it was plain sailing thereafter, Clarke announcing his arrival with three consecutive boundaries off his Nottinghamshire teammate Josh Tongue before dispatching Ish Sodhi for a slog-swept six.Duckett had been more circumspect but came to the party by taking 14 off Sodhi’s second set and the Phoenix wasted no time in racing to their target, Tongue’s dismissals of Clarke and Liam Livingstone only delaying the inevitable as victory was secured with 17 balls to spare.Earlier, the Originals had made a positive start after winning the toss and electing to bat. Phil Salt (31 from 20) hit Adam Milne for a six and a four in the second set, and belted two maximums off Trent Boult in the third, but Liam Patterson-White got the breakthrough when he clean bowled Ben McKinney for 2 with an arm ball and the hosts badly lost their way when Salt followed, caught at long-on by Duckett off Jacob Bethell.Jos Buttler came and went for 5, trapped lbw by the excellent Livingstone (2 for 11), and wickets continued to fall at regular intervals, with Heinrich Klaasen (34 from 35) unable to fully unleash his range of shots on a slow surface that played into the hands of the Phoenix spinners.The South African was eventually caught in the deep off Chris Wood (2-11) in the penultimate set and the Originals could only muster 109-7, ultimately slipping to a fifth defeat in seven, bottom of the table on net run rate, as their formidable batting line-up again failed to fire.Clarke, named the Meerkat Match Hero, said: “I feel in good rhythm and have good confidence, so it was nice to contribute to a win.”The pitch had been used a few times so it was slightly on the slower side. I felt like once the seamers were on I could inject pace into it and it helped having Ben at the other end who could knock it around and run hard.On the partnership with Duckett, he added: “We wanted to stick to our strengths. He’s a very good player of spin, he hits gas really well, and it was about limiting dot balls. We’ve played cricket together for a long, long time, so it’s nice to be out there in the middle with him.”

Southampton were hit with a hammer blow on Saturday when they conceded in the 97th minute to lose to Millwall at The Den in their last Championship game of the month.

After fighting to make it 2-2 through Fin Azaz, the Saints defence fell asleep at a crucial moment to allow Tristan Crama to sneak in unmarked at the back post to score the winner.

It was a brutal way to lose a game of football, but it was also the first loss of Tonda Eckert’s time in interim charge, after four wins in his first four games in the dugout.

The latest on Tonda Eckert's future at Southampton

Football Insider recently reported that the German tactician is in the driving seat to land the role on a permanent basis, thanks to winning his first four matches in the Championship.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

The outlet claimed that the former U21s boss is the leading candidate to take the job from Sport Republic, ahead of more experienced managers who have been on the shortlist, including, but not limited to, Russell Martin.

However, Football Insider added that Eckert will still be given more time before a final decision is made, and that a permanent appointment is not imminent at this moment in time.

With this in mind, there is still time for Southampton to look elsewhere for their next manager, which is why they should push to hire Brendan Rodgers, who was linked with the role shortly after Will Still’s departure.

Why Southampton should hire Brendan Rodgers

Sport Republic, as they will, need to consider the short and long-term consequences with their next managerial appointment, because there are two elements at play.

In the short term, they need a manager, whether that is Eckert or someone else, who can guide the team up the table and into promotion contention to get back to the Premier League.

However, in the long term, the Saints need a boss who can then guide them to safety in the top-flight, because Martin was unable to do that after winning promotion with the club, which illustrates the importance of hiring a manager who can achieve both tasks.

Rodgers, once described as “world-class” by Gabby Agbonlahor, is a highly experienced Premier League manager who knows what it takes to be successful at that level, having managed Leicester, Liverpool, and Swansea in the top-flight.

22/23 (Leicester)

28

19

21/22 (Leicester)

38

8th

20/21 (Leicester)

38

5th

19/20 (Leicester)

38

5th

18/19 (Leicester)

10

9th

15/16 (Liverpool)

8

10th

14/15 (Liverpool)

38

6th

13/14 (Liverpool)

38

2nd

12/13 (Liverpool)

38

7th

11/12 (Swansea)

38

11th

As you can see in the table above, the only season that Rodgers did not have his team competing for a top-half finish was when he was sacked with ten matches to go in the 2022/23 campaign.

His overall history in the division suggests that he has the managerial chops to keep the Saints in the Premier League if they earn promotion, whilst Eckert has no previous experience at that level and would go in as a novice in that respect, just as Martin did.

Meanwhile, Rodgers is also coming off a second stint with Celtic in Scotland, where, as shown in the graphic above, he won four trophies in two full seasons in Glasgow.

The Northern Irish boss won four Premiership titles in four full seasons with the Hoops over two spells with the club, per Transfermarkt, which shows that the experienced manager also knows how to coach a team to win matches on a consistent basis.

That is further backed up by the fact that he won the Championship play-offs to win promotion to the Premier League with Swansea in the 2010/11 campaign, before finishing 11th in the top-flight with the Welsh outfit.

Rodgers is, therefore, a manager who has a proven track record of being able to achieve what Southampton need in the short and long-term, whilst Eckert has made a strong start to life in the Championship but does not have a proven record, with no top-flight experience.

"Really great coach" in pole position to be named permanent Southampton manager

The Saints are now edging closer to appointing a permanent manager.

BySean Markus Clifford Nov 28, 2025

This is why Sport Republic should push to appoint Rodgers as their new permanent manager, if the former Hoops boss is willing to make the move, because he could be a big upgrade on Eckert with his reputation and proven coaching ability.

Leeds United have now reportedly sent scouts to watch a standout European winger, who’s also attracted the interest of Manchester United.

Farke prepared for "top class" Liverpool

When the fixtures were released, this would been a week that many Leeds fans dreaded. By the end of this weekend, the Whites will have faced Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool in consecutive games in the most difficult run of games they’ve had so far this season. But what began as a nightmare may yet leave Leeds in dreamland.

Daniel Farke’s side were minutes away from securing a point from behind at the Etihad against Man City and then eased past Chelsea in shocking fashion on Wednesday. Now, they have the chance to compile the misery on a frail Liverpool side at Elland Road – making it six points from a possible nine.

It’s the greatest opportunity that Leeds will get to beat the Premier League champions, but Farke was quick to point out that Liverpool are still a “top class” side in his pre-match press conference.

Those in Yorkshire may have to get used to competing against the top six on and off the pitch, having also reportedly joined the race to sign Manchester United target Nilson Angulo.

Leeds join race to sign Nilson Angulo

According to TeamTalk, Leeds have now joined the race to sign Angulo after their scouts were spotted watching the Anderlecht winger in action. The Whites are joined by United, Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford in what is set to be a frantic Premier League battle.

Related Leeds star was looking "bang average" this season, now he's undroppable

This Leeds star has shone in their last two games

Posts ByJoe Nuttall Dec 5, 2025

Dubbed one of Europe’s standout wingers by TeamTalk, the interest in Angulo should come as no surprise. The 22-year-old has taken his game to new levels in Belgium this season and looks destined for English football.

As scout Jacek Kulig pointed out, it was a “fantastic” start from Angulo this season and a start which has since seen him take his total to four goals and eight assists in all competitions.

It would be a major coup if Leeds managed to fend off competition from their rivals and sign the talented winger.

Leeds now prioritising £35m move to sign South American defender ahead of Juventus

Monaco midfielder Paul Pogba gave a passionate speech to the home fans after his side earned a narrow 1-0 win over reigning Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain. The former Manchester United and Juventus star finally made his return to competitive football this month, having joined Monaco on a free transfer in the summer. Now back in the action, Pogba is already displaying what he can bring to his new club.

Pogba makes rallying call

Monaco took all three points against PSG on Saturday to blow the Ligue 1 title race wide open. The hosts edged out a narrow victory, despite playing with ten men for the closing stages of the game, thanks to Takumi Minamino's winner. The Japanese international fired Aleksandr Golovin's cross into the bottom corner from just inside the penalty area to put Monaco in the lead with just 22 minutes of normal time remaining.

Monaco then had to stay strong and show remarkable character to cling on to a precious victory over PSG when Thilo Kehrer was given his marching orders with ten minutes left on the clock. The German was shown a straight red card for a poor challenge on Ibrahim Mbaye.

Pogba was brought on in the 86th minute, adding an old head to a side desperate to see off a barrage of PSG attacks. The Frenchman helped close the game out and, having made his home debut for the side, made a speech to the fans after the game.

He said: “Today is an important day. Today we won, but the next match is what matters. We are already working to achieve that. We keep moving forward together. We never give up. Thank you.”

AdvertisementWatch the clipLigue 1 title race opens up

The victory for Monaco ensured that the top six sides in the French top division are separated by just eight points. Pogba’s team moved to sixth in the table on 23 points, trailing Stade Rennais by just one point in the spot above them.

The story is far more interesting higher up in the table though, with RC Lens becoming the new leaders following their 2-1 victory over Angers on Sunday. Lens are one point above PSG, who have 30 points from 14 games.

Marseille are chasing the top two clubs and Roberto De Zerbi’s men will be gutted to have blown a chance to go top on Saturday. Despite goals from Igor Paixao and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg putting the Italian coach’s team ahead against Toulouse, the visitors scored a 92nd-minute equaliser to steal a point away from their southern France neighbours.

Lille sit amongst the rest in fourth, three points clear of Monaco, but five points off the top. They earned a late, narrow 1-0 victory away to Le Havre on Sunday, even with ten men after Ayyoub Bouaddi’s red card.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

AFPPogba influence to grow

Pogba could have a chance to make his first start for his new club next Friday. Monaco travel to Stade Brestois looking to keep applying pressure to those above them in Ligue 1.

Everton have found goals hard to come by from their strikers under David Moyes this season, and they could now be set to target a clinical forward in January.

After a run of frustrating results, the Toffees knew that their clash against Fulham came with added pressure to claim three points in front of an expectant home crowd at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

The Cottagers had their fair share of chances, though Everton prevailed comfortably against Marco Silva’s men courtesy of goals from Idrissa Gana Gueye and Michael Keane.

Speaking post-match, Moyes made it clear that his side are keen to become more clinical to improve their Premier League position as they seek to add high-calibre stars similar to Jack Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall as part of their long-term strategy.

“We don’t want to lose what we’ve had – desire, heart, commitment – but I think we had to try to find a way of getting a little bit better at certain things, and I think we have to build. Look, I trust the owners will help us in all the windows as we go forward and we’ll try to make things better as we go along.

“We need to get people believing in Everton like we do, like the supporters here do, and what we want us to be in the future. To do that we need to keep picking up the wins and attracting top players like Kiernan and Jack Grealish and players of that ilk. We need to keep attracting that level of players to come to the club.”

Still, their profligacy in the final third is a concern. Beto has netted just twice this campaign, while £27 million summer signing Thierno Barry has yet to score since arriving on Merseyside.

There is a feeling that Everton could be further up the table than their current mid-table predicament with a little more luck in front of goal, and they may now have identified a potent answer to their scoring problem.

Everton eyeing move for FC Midtjylland striker Franculino Dju

According to Football Insider, Everton are keen on FC Midtjylland striker Franculino Dju after his haul of 18 goals this term for the impressive Danish outfit.

Adding further context, Toffees officials were present to watch the Guinea-Bissau international against Celtic last week, where he expertly beat Kasper Schmeichel with a curled strike to seal a 3-1 victory for the hosts in the Europa League league phase, where they sit at the summit.

Everton’s strikers in comparison with Franculino

Beto

2 goals in 13 appearances

Thierno Barry

No goals in 13 appearances

Franculino

18 goals in 25 appearances

Clearly, there is a vast difference between Franculino and both of Everton’s current forwards when it comes to the sole measure of goals. Iliman Ndiaye leads the way for the Toffees with four strikes this season, though the fact that Michael Keane is their joint-second top scorer tells a story in itself.

Intriguingly, Moyes is reportedly keen to offload Beto in January and Barry may not be far behind him if his poor form continues, creating room for new reinforcements in mid-season.

Everton have also entered the race for a renowned European forward

Undoubtedly, the Toffees’ boss has made comments on Everton’s ambition at a telling time, and Franculino could well be an excellent solution amid his return of 51 goals in 98 appearances for his current employers.