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Everton responded well at the weekend, clawing back to draw against Arsenal after losing the Merseyside derby at Anfield, a result which ended David Moyes’ nine-game unbeaten run in the Premier League.

Things have changed at Goodison Park, which is preparing for its emotional swansong not in the throes of a relegation battle but instead playing with a freedom that has come from Moyes’ return to the dugout and the consequent tactical and mental improvements.

However, Everton’s owners, The Friedkin Group, know that a range of signings are needed this summer, and with Dominic Calvert-Lewin and loanee Armando Broja both set to leave in a few months, bagging a striker has got to be the first port of call.

Everton join race for coveted striker

It’s an ambitious one, but TEAMtalk have revealed that Everton have joined the race for Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap, with neighbours Liverpool also keen, along with many more top-flight sides.

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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.

Indeed, both the Toffees – and Brighton and Hove Albion – are said to have gathered ‘updated information’ on the youngster in recent days, with the two clubs keeping ‘close tabs’ on his situation.

Delap has been one of the Premier League’s breakout stars this season despite his team’s woes. That plays into the forward’s suitors’ favour, though, for his £40m release clause activates upon the Tractor Boys’ relegation.

And Ipswich will be relegated. Valiant fight, but the gulf in quality between England’s top two tiers continues to yawn wider, and now a team like Everton could strengthen further at their rival’s expense by stocking up with a young striker, 22, who’s demonstrated his high-ceilinged potential superbly this year.

Why Everton want Liam Delap

Tussling with such high-profile competition, you’d be forgiven for taking the news that Everton are interested in Delap with a pinch of salt.

Ipswich have played well in the Premier League this season, competitive after back-to-back promotions, but it has proved a step too far for Kieran McKenna’s men, whose defeat at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday has stretched the gap from safety to 12 points.

Delap, of course, got his name on the scoresheet in that 2-1 loss, and it was a fine goal at that. The 6 foot 1 striker is powerful and athletic, ranking among the top 17% of positional peers across Europe over the past year for progressive carries and the top 12% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

Is it any surprise that the Manchester City youth product has been described as a “wrecking ball” by Sky Sports’ Lewis Jones? These talents highlight exactly why the Toffees should make a concerted push for his signature, especially since FBref have suggested that Moise Kean is among his most tactically similar players.

Kean flopped hard during his stint on Merseyside but has built himself back up in Italy, thriving for Fiorentina. He’s scored 22 goals and provided five assists for La Viola this season, also hailed for his “remarkable” hold-up play by Serie A reporter Marco Messina.

Matches (starts)

28 (27)

30 (29)

Goals

17

12

Assists

3

2

Shots (on target)*

3.1 (1.4)

2.0 (1.0)

Big chances missed

14

10

Pass completion

72%

62%

Big chances created

4

3

Dribbles*

1.4

1.2

Duels won*

4.8

4.7

Above, you can see Kean and Delap’s statistics across respective league campaigns this year. Both rank similarly across clinical, ball-carrying and duelling metrics.

It’s also important to note that Delap is competing within the Premier League, an ostensibly tougher division, for imperilled Ipswich, whereas Kean’s Fiorentina are eighth, fighting for European qualification.

Delap boasts a profile that seems perfect for Moyes’ dynamic but gritty system, and if TFG manage to pull this off, it might just go down as one of the biggest coups in Everton’s modern history.

Everton struck gold on “constant threat” who’s worth more than Longstaff

Everton made a good investment with the signing

ByJoe Nuttall Apr 7, 2025

Lance Morris and Xavier Bartlett are set for debuts in Melbourne while West Indies hope to ride the wave of Test glory

Alex Malcolm01-Feb-20241:09

Finch: You can start to future proof the Australia team

It has been a week of celebration in Melbourne for both West Indies and Australia. The smiles on the faces of the West Indies team after their Test heroics on Sunday in Brisbane will last for a long time. And despite being on the losing end of an epic, Australia have also had cause to celebrate.On Tuesday night every member of the winning World Test Championship and ODI World Cup teams, bar David Warner and Marcus Stoinis, gathered at the Eureka Tower Skydeck, with the players receiving commemorative rings. They doubled down on Wednesday at the Australian Cricket Awards where Mitchell Marsh was the toast of the night, winning the Allan Border Medal as Australia’s best international player over the last 12 months.Related

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But while Marsh was flying back to Perth on Thursday morning, a young fresh-faced Australian squad gathered for an optional training session at the MCG ahead of the first ODI since that World Cup triumph and scarcely a player skipped the session.Both sides are missing some big names for a variety of reasons, but the series looms as a very early fact-finding mission for the 2027 World Cup, while Australia also have the 2025 Champions Trophy in sight.

Australia’s youth get their chance

The post-Warner era begins for Australia in ODI cricket, but Australia’s selectors have also rested Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood from the World Cup-winning team while Stoinis is playing franchise cricket after discussions with selectors about a desire to give youngsters some opportunities.Australia are set to field one of their most inexperienced attacks in quite some time with two debutants likely to play at the MCG in Lance Morris and Xavier Bartlett, while allrounder Will Sutherland may well get a chance at some stage later in the series.Hard-hitting allrounders Matt Short and Aaron Hardie are set to play in their first ODIs on home soil while Cameron Green comes back into the XI after being squeezed out during the World Cup.Jake Fraser-McGurk, Will Sutherland, Xavier Bartlett and Matt Short ahead of the ODI series against West Indies•Getty ImagesDeveloping some lower middle-order batting depth in ODI cricket is a key part of the selectors planning for this series with Short and Hardie, who open and bat No. 3 in BBL cricket, set to be trialled down the list in the opening match at least. The selectors’ reasoning is that they have enough knowledge of what those two are capable of at the top of the order in domestic cricket and would like to give them some time in the tougher middle-order roles at international level, given they do not get a chance to bat there at the level below.While Short would prefer to open, as he has done with great success for Adelaide Strikers in the BBL and Victoria in the 50-over Marsh Cup competition, he understands that there is potentially a chance to grasp a permanent place in the middle-order.”I do feel more confident at the top of the order but any opportunity you get playing for your country, whether it be through the middle or at the top, I guess that’s the challenge,” Short said. “If the spot is there to be taken, if that’s the only way in, you just have to take that opportunity and try and do as best you can and sort of wait your turn.”

Likely Australia XI

1 Travis Head, 2 Josh Inglis, 3 Cameron Green, 4 Steven Smith (capt), 5 Marnus Labuschagne, 6 Matt Short, 7 Aaron Hardie, 8 Sean Abbott, 9 Xavier Bartlett, 10 Adam Zampa, 11 Lance Morris

Short has spoken to Stoinis about the transition from being a BBL and one-day opener to becoming a middle-order finisher at international level.”He’s been in a similar boat,” Short said. “He was really dominant at the top of the order throughout the BBL and probably didn’t quite have the spot available for him at the international level. So he’s sort of changed his game a little bit, obviously batting through the middle and finishing innings. I spoke to him a little bit just on that role change and starting with the field out. But I think it’s still having that same positive mindset.”Australia are also set to trial Josh Inglis at the top of the order in ODI cricket for just the second time in his career, having been an important middle-order contributor in the World Cup after replacing Alex Carey. Inglis has contracted Covid in the lead-up to Friday’s series opener at the MCG but was still able to train on Thursday and is expected to play, with some precautions taken in terms of his interaction with team-mates as was the case with Green during the Brisbane Test.Shai Hope and Steven Smith will captain the ODI series•Getty ImagesIt means there is likely no spot for exciting young batter Jake Fraser-McGurk in the series opener, but he will get the chance to play during the three matches, and it did not go unnoticed during the pre-series photo opportunity that he was wearing the No. 23 on his back, the same number worn by two of Australia’s great showmen, Shane Warne and Michael Clarke.If history is any guide, Australia’s XI on Friday could form the backbone of the side at the 2027 World Cup. Australia’s first ODI XI after the 2019 World Cup featured six of the XI who played in the 2023 final, with Marnus Labuschagne debuting in that game. But Travis Head, Marsh and Maxwell were all left out of that 2020 side on form before being matchwinners in the World Cup three years later.

West Indies look to build depth

Kavem Hodge could get the chance to bring his Test form into the ODIs•Getty ImagesWest Indies’ journey to 2027 has already begun with an excellent 2-1 series win over England at home in December. The ignominy of missing qualification for the 2023 World Cup is disappearing in the rearview mirror. Given the qualification for 2027 will likely be done on world rankings, the match-by-match pressure of the ODI Super League has been relieved, however, there is a need to be consistent.Coach Daren Sammy reiterated his captain Shai Hope’s statement that West Indies are trying to build some squad depth.”It’s about giving exposure, getting a core of guys,” Sammy said. “What I’m really happy about is the competition for places. And it’s competition from performance, not the lack thereof. If you give somebody an opportunity to play in your spot, sometimes you might not get it back. As you saw through the Test match, seven guys who have not played [performed].”Sammy was hopeful his ODI squad could be inspired by the deeds of the Test team. From the side that beat England last December, Brandon King and Sherfane Rutherford have been released to play franchise T20 cricket while Shimron Hetmyer has been dropped. It opens the door for three batters to make a name for themselves.Kavem Hodge performed exceptionally in the Brisbane Test and could win an ODI recall having played three matches in 2023. Justin Greaves also showed promise in the Tests and could play his first one-dayer since 2022 while Grenadian top-order batter Teddy Bishop and Guyanese wicketkeeper-batter Tevin Imlach could make their ODI debuts.Sammy urged his inexperienced group to follow the lead of the Test side and adapt quickly to the style of cricket required in Australian conditions.”I’m looking at the MCG there, you got to adjust,” Sammy said. “Unlike most grounds where the square boundaries are short, Australia poses that challenge with big square boundaries. It means the ball will be more back of a length, shorter than fuller. So the ability to adjust and that’s the brand. Understanding what’s required. Everybody is clear about their roles.”Ever since I came in myself, and Shai, we’ve always tried to be clear with what’s required to help us with matches. To me adaptability here in Australia is key. The Test team did it. [It’s the] first ODI series in 2024 for us, we’ve got to come here and be adaptable in these conditions.”

The squads

Australia: Steven Smith (capt), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Lance Morris, Matt Short, Will Sutherland, Adam ZampaWest Indies: Shai Hope (capt), Alzarri Joseph, Alick Athanaze, Teddy Bishop, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Tevin Imlach, Gudakesh Motie, Kjorn Ottley, Romario Shepherd, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr.

Dour application and discipline from MP’s top four kept Siddarth Kaul and co. at bay

Daya Sagar07-Jun-2022The first four overs of the day were all maidens. The first 11 yielded just 14 and not a single boundary. By the time a four was struck in the 30th over, the score had swelled to a grand total of 56 for no loss.In era of T20 cricket, the way Madhya Pradesh went about their batting would probably be classified as “super-slow”. The KSCA stadium in Alur is hosting three quarter finals of the Ranji Trophy, and while they just can’t stop scoring at Mumbai-Uttarakhand, Karnataka-Uttar Pradesh is just producing wickets by the bucketful. Over on the corner ground, there are no such events worth talking about between Punjab and Madhya Pradesh.For the Punjab bowlers, the lack of wickets was not down to lack of effort, but for their opposition, the slow run rate was a clear sign of game awareness and a considered strategy. One that helped them push ahead in the contest in the closing stages of the second day.For Punjab, the experienced new-ball pair of Siddarth Kaul and Baltej Singh started well after their batters had put together 219. There was a generous cloud cover and a breeze blowing cross-field, and Kaul and Baltej kept bowling in a good channel outside off, varying their lengths ever so slightly, to keep Yash Dubey and Himanshu Mantri quiet. A wicket looked imminent at all times. Punjab would have to wait till the 33rd over for their breakthrough, though, as Dubey fell to an injudicious slog-sweep against Mayank Markande.That was half of all the success Punjab would have as a bowling side on the day, with Madhya Pradesh finishing the day at 238, with a handy lead of 19. With eight wickets in hand and three whole days to play, they have the perfect opportunity to put this match beyond the reach of Punjab. While Madhya Pradesh managed a century, an 89 and a pair of round 20s on the day, the manner in which they scored these runs were a throwback to the best traditions of red-ball batting. They left as many balls as possible while it was new, and scored at a fairer clip once the bowlers had tired and the ball had softened. For Chandrakant Pandit’s wards, this was the perfect game-plan given the conditions and the match situation.The right-handed Dubey faced 89 balls for his 20 and didn’t hit a single boundary. He left so many deliveries outside off that it drove the Punjab bowlers to offering some loose balls, which his left-handed partner Mantri pounced on. Mantri was the more enterprising of the two, striking Vinay Choudhary for a couple of sixes in the first session. However, it was only after tea that he exhibited a wider repertoire of cuts, drives, flicks and inside out shots. His 89 was his first half-century in first-class cricket, and he would have been disappointed with his mode of dismissal, when in sight of a century, stumped off Markande.Their best batter of the day was No.3 Shubham Sharma, though, who struck nine fours and a six in a 211-ball 102 which oozed both control and discipline. Shubham had only three centuries in his first eight years since his debut in 2013, but this year he has already struck his third hundred in five innings. Like his predecessors, Shubham wasn’t ‘excessively slow’ in his approach and took full toll of all scoring opportunities at his disposal. Against the quicker bowlers, he was happy to respond with cuts, drives, back-foot punches, pulls and flicks, but used his feet well against the spinners.He was lucky too, with a couple of edges falling short of fielders when he tried to take the attack to the spinners. As they say, fortune favours the brave. Or in the case of the Madhya Pradesh batters on Tuesday, it smiled on the traditional and the disciplined.

Frank Worrell came to the West Indies captaincy late and died young but left an indelible mark on the game

Paul Edwards30-Jun-2020Some cricketers change the games in which they play. In the early 1960s, Frank Worrell changed the game everybody played. It took him 15 matches to do it although some would say that simply walking out to toss up with Richie Benaud before the famous tied Test at Brisbane was enough. And that fine historian Hilary Beckles argues that his appointment as the first black West Indies skipper was the “grand historic moment”. George Headley led the team against England at Bridgetown in 1948 but Worrell had been made captain with tenure. Thousands of people across the Caribbean wondered what he would make of the job.Weaker men would have been weighed down by the expectation but the 36-year-old Worrell had both long experience in the game and a natural capacity for leadership. He fully understood that the significance of that Australian summer extended far beyond five games of Test cricket, albeit the 60-61 series, which Australia won 2-1, is still seen as one of the finest ever played. “Had Frank failed on that tour it would have set back West Indies cricket, and especially the black cricketer, by twenty years”, wrote his opposing skipper, Richie Benaud. As it turned out Worrell triumphed so spectacularly that when a note was placed in the on the eve of the team’s departure stating West Indies would be driving round the city the following day on their way to a civic reception, over half a million people turned up to bid them farewell. There was tickertape and there were tears. Every subsequent series between Australia and West Indies has been played for the Frank Worrell Trophy.Worrell’s team won eight of their next ten Tests under his leadership. It might be suggested that a team containing Conrad Hunte, Rohan Kanhai, Garry Sobers, Wes Hall and Lance Gibbs would have done quite well with anyone in charge but that would be to underestimate West Indies’ previous capacity to splinter into island cliques. Worrell would have none of that and, as so often with him, there were incidents which transcended the to-and-fro of each series. India were beaten 5-0 in the Caribbean but when Nari Contractor ducked into a short ball from Charlie Griffiths in the game against Barbados, Worrell was the first to give the blood that helped save the batsman’s life.ALSO READ: Odd Men In – George CoxBarely a year after that home series Worrell led West Indies in England in what would be his farewell to top-level international cricket. Test matches in that era were sometimes rather dull affairs, characterised by attritional batting and cautious captaincy. Yet as in Australia, West Indies sought to attack whenever they could and their 3-1 series victory was welcomed. “No more popular side has ever toured in the old country,” said the team’s scorer, George Duckworth, whose memory stretched back over 40 years to his playing days with Lancashire and England. And the series again produced one classic when the Lord’s Test was drawn with England needing six runs to win but having only one wicket in hand.Film survives of the final day of that game and participants recall how Worrell was almost the only man on the ground who retained his composure. Indeed, it was said his leadership was so undemonstrative that those watching his teams play could not tell who was captain. Perhaps so – few skippers have been less given to flamboyant gestures – yet it is also true that no member of a team captained by Worrell had any doubt who was in charge. He rarely sought to suppress the natural volatility of players like Kanhai and Hall but he always sought to harness it. For every rule there was a reason.Jack Fingleton’s book had described the game at the Gabba in the detail it deserved. Now Alan Ross’s accorded comparable honour to the drama in St John’s Wood. Ross also considered the next three Tests before ending with his own tribute to the tourists: “No one applauds in the Press Box, but if words can carry feelings as well as facts, then Worrell’s West Indians, back now in their Caribbean islands, must know of them. Images, after all, mean more than statistics and with these they were lavish. Enriching the common idiom of the game, they restored to it not only spontaneity, but style.”

Having disposed forever of the argument that a black man might not be worthy to lead the countries of the West Indies in unity, he seemed set for other honours, both in international cricket and in the wider political ferment of Caribbean politics

Worrell retired from Test cricket immediately after the England tour and played only ten more first-class matches. He was 39 and had long known that his powers were declining. It was nearly 20 years since he had shared in two first-class stands of over 500, the first with John Goddard, the second with Clyde Walcott. Those stands for Barbados against Trinidad were followed by a first Test cap in 1948. Some glorious seasons followed, summers at home and abroad in which West Indian cricket was dominated by Worrell, Weekes and Walcott, by the spin bowling of Sonny Ramadhin and Alf Valentine, by the first flowering of Sobers and Kanhai.There seems little dispute that Worrell was a cricketer of world class during many of those post-war seasons. Yet each of the game’s eras produces players worthy of such an accolade and the back pages of the newspapers make much of their exploits. Worrell, rather by contrast, did things in the last years of his career which attracted the interests of the news editors and political columnists. As ever, cricket became a lens through which social change could be assessed. Writing for in May 1967, CLR James moved with typical ease from Worrell’s cricketing achievements to a wider impact.”Worrell made the tremendous decision to restore to Tests the spirit of the game he had learnt in Barbados… Having rapidly created his instrument, Worrell initiated a regeneration. Benaud, the Australian captain, met him halfway and the result was the most exciting Test series in living memory.”He has shown the West Indian mastery of what Western civilisation had to teach. His wide experience, reputation, his audacity of perspective and the years which seemed to stretch before him fitted him to be one of those destined to help the West Indies to make their own West Indian way.”Yes, . James was writing an obituary for a dear friend who had died of leukaemia less than two months earlier at the brutally early age of 42. In the months after the England tour Worrell had been showered with honours, some from the West Indies, others from the English league clubs he had represented when not required for a tour. He was knighted in the 1964 New Year’s honours list and had become Warden of Irvine Hall at the University of the West Indies, as well as being appointed to the Jamaican Senate. Counterfactuals are pretty tedious exercises but historians still ponder the contribution Worrell might have made to public life in the Caribbean and beyond had he been granted a full lifespan. Having disposed forever of the argument that a black man might not be worthy to lead the countries of the West Indies in unity, he seemed set for other honours, both in international cricket and in the wider political ferment of Caribbean politics.West Indies team manager Gerry Gomez and captain Frank Worrell are cheered by a huge crowd in a parade through the streets of Melbourne•Getty ImagesWorrell was also the first sportsman to be honoured with a memorial service at Westminster Abbey and EW Swanton gave the address before a congregation of 1500 that included the great, the good and the humble. “He was essentially a bringer together by the sincerity and friendliness of his personality,” Swanton said. “In the television age men famous in the world of games have a formidable influence and strange figures are sometimes magnified into heroes. Frank Worrell was the absolute antithesis of the strident and bumptious… He was a federalist, nearest whose heart was the unity of the West Indian peoples in all their diversity… Under the subtle knack of his personality, differences of colour and island prejudices seemed to melt away.”Over fifty years later one does not have to search hard for tributes and memorials to Frank Worrell. Banknotes and stamps have featured his image; sports centres, streets and halls of residence have been named in his memory. A monument to Worrell, Weekes and Walcott, all three of whom were knighted, can be found surrounded by tropical flora in the park opposite the 3Ws Oval at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill campus in Barbados. Both Worrell and Walcott are buried in the grounds of the campus on a hill overlooking the square.And next week West Indian cricketers will begin another Test series against England. It cannot be called a tour since it appears Jason Holder’s players will be visiting just two cricket grounds and one airport. And it is probably overstraining the metaphor to describe them as Frank Worrell’s grandchildren; too much has changed in fifty years. But were they to be reminded of their former leader’s contribution, Holder’s cricketers might be honoured to be thought of in such terms. The great West Indian teams that followed Worrell certainly knew what they owed him but so did some people in the Caribbean who would never pick up a bat. And Beckles links that historic appointment in 1960 to both nation-building and anticolonialism:”The cricket hero… became a demigod, a role model, placed socially above community, and invested with popular expectations that suggest iconographic worship and idealisation. Frank Worrell was the epitome of it all: graceful, sincere, smart, mature, sound, visionary, morally correct and successful – all the things that a young nation state should be. Within this paradigm, Worrell was the symbol of nationalist pride, anticolonial achievement, and sociopsychological liberation. He represented West Indians at home and abroad as a statesman and ambassador.”Worrell, himself, might be a little amazed by all that. Humility often goes with greatness. Yet his was a black life that mattered, not simply for its own sake, as all do, but for the impact he made on thousands of other black lives in the Caribbean. Revolutions are rarely so gentle.

أعلن الألماني هانز فليك، المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة قائمة فريقه لمواجهة آينتراخت فرانكفورت ضمن منافسات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويستضيف ملعب “كامب نو” مباراة برشلونة وآينتراخت فرانكفورت، في إطار منافسات الجولة السادسة من مرحلة الدوري لبطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويمتلك برشلونة 7 نقاط محتلًا المركز الثامن عشر في ترتيب جدول دوري أبطال أوروبا، في حين أن آينتراخت فرانكفورت لديه 4 نقاط في المركز الـ 28.

ويسعى برشلونة إلى تحقيق الفوز في مباراة اليوم بعدما تعثر في الجولة الأخيرة وخسارته أمام تشيلسي بثلاثة أهداف دون رد على ملعب “ستامفورد بريدج”.

وشهدت القائمة عودة مارك تير شتيجن لأول مرة هذا الموسم، بيما ما زال رونالدو أراوخو غائبًا عن الفريق لمعاناته من ظروف نفسية. قائمة برشلونة أمام آينتراخت فرانكفورت في دوري أبطال أوروبا

في حراسة المرمى: تير شتيجن – خوان جارسيا – فوتشيك تشيزني.

في خط الدفاع: بالدي – إيريك جارسيا – اندرياس كريستنسن – باو كوبارسي – جيرارد مارتن – جول كوندي – خوفري.

في خط الوسط: فرينكي دي يونج – فيرمين لوبيز – بيدري – كاسادو – بيرنال – درو فرنانديز.

في خط الهجوم: لامين يامال – روبرت ليفاندوفسكي – فيران توريس – ماركوس راشفورد – رافينها – روني باردجي.

📋 𝗦𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗗 𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗧 #BarçaEintracht pic.twitter.com/MzWC67Bys6 — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) December 9, 2025

Chelsea have built a squad full of brilliant players over the last few years, with the likes of Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo and Marc Cucurella all being genuinely world-class.

However, it would also be fair to say that, so far, their summer signings have not exactly hit the ground running.

In particular, Jamie Gittens has failed to live up to the expectations people had of him after his impressive campaign with Borussia Dortmund last year, during which he recorded 17 goal involvements.

So, it’s not a surprise to see reports linking Chelsea with an exceptionally exciting winger who could end up being a significant upgrade on the Englishman.

Chelsea target Gittens upgrade

With the transfer window less than a month away from reopening, Chelsea have once again been linked with a plethora of brilliant players.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

For example, while there has been plenty of talk about Emmanuel Emegha, the Blues have also been linked with his free-scoring teammate, Joaquín Panichelli.

On top of that, the West Londoners have also been one of several sides linked with Nottingham Forest’s imposing Murillo.

However, while both players would improve Maresca’s squad, because of where they play, neither could be described as an upgrade on Gittens, unlike Yan Diamonde.

Yes, according to a recent report from Spain, Chelsea are one of a handful of top teams interested in signing the Ivorian winger.

In fact, the report goes further than that, revealing that the Blues’ board are convinced about the 19-year-old wonderkid and see him fitting into the team perfectly.

However, on top of having to get ahead of the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City, the Pensionsers would also have to stump up a lot of money to secure the player.

According to the report, RB Leipzig would want up to €100m to sell their star asset, which is about £87m, but even so, Diomande looks like a player Chelsea should go all out for, especially as he’d be a significant Gittens upgrade.

How Diomande compares Gittens

Now, while Diomande is someone who can play on both flanks and has actually spent a little more time on the right recently, he is seen as a left-sided player.

Therefore, were he to join Chelsea next month, one of his main rivals for game time would be Gittens, but who is the better player?

Well, when it comes to raw output, which is fundamentally the most crucial metric of all, it’s not even close.

For example, in 15 first-team appearances this season, totalling just 951 minutes, the Ivorian star has scored seven goals and provided four assists.

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.36 games, or every 86.45 minutes, which is a rate of return that lends credence to journalist Bence Bocsák’s claim that he is a “generational talent.”

Appearances

15

18

Minutes

951′

830′

Goals

7

1

Assists

4

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.73

0.27

Minutes per Goal Involvement

86.45

138.33′

In stark contrast, the Englishman has scored a single goal and provided five assists in 18 appearances this season, totalling 830 minutes.

That comes out to a pretty underwhelming average of a goal involvement every three games, or every 138.33 minutes.

Moreover, a caveat about the Reading-born ace’s age cannot be made, as the Leipzig star is just 19 and already running games in attack.

On top of having the better output, the Abidjan-born superstar in the making also has some brilliant underlying numbers to his name.

For example, FBref ranks him in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons, the top 2% for progressive carries, the top 10% for shot-creating actions and more, all per 90.

Finally, while the competition is less fierce, it is impressive that the Ivorian monster has already won four senior caps for his country, compared to none for the Englishman.

Ultimately, Gittens may well come good, but at the same time, Diomande is massively outperforming him and looks like someone Chelsea should break the bank on.

Fewer touches than Sanchez & 70% duels lost: Chelsea flop must be dropped

It was another night to forget for Chelsea, especially for one starter who Enzo Maresca must now drop.

ByJack Salveson Holmes 5 days ago

The Los Angeles Dodgers got annihilated by the Chicago Cubs on Saturday by a score of 16-0. The loss, their seventh in the last nine games, was the franchise's most lopsided defeat in 60 years and puts them at 10-7 on the season after their high-flying 8-0 start.

In an effort to not unnecessarily exhaust his bullpen with his team already down 11 runs, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts called on shortstop Miguel Rojas to pitch the game's final two innings. The 36-year-old allowed five runs on seven hits—and also had some fun for himself while on the bump.

Over his 33 pitches thrown, Rojas hilariously mimicked his L.A. teammates' pitching deliveries, copying the windups of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Clayton Kershaw, and Roki Sasaki.

Here's a look:

That's one way to make a loss like that less painful.

Without much time to recover from the ugly defeat, L.A. will once again take on the Cubs from Dodger Stadium on Sunday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EST and will air on ESPN.

Ruben Amorim has put some credit in the bank in recent weeks, having overseen an upturn in performances and results at the Manchester United helm.

But the Red Devils’ three-match winning run in the Premier League was halted on Saturday’s draw against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground. It was a creditable result, even if the performance left plenty to be desired.

Negativity has hung over Old Trafford like a brooding cloud for far too long, but Amorim will sense the first signs of a shift, with his side not only more fluent as a unit but demonstrably stronger from a mental standpoint too.

While impactful additions like Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo have helped refashion the outfit’s attack, they have been joined by a number of players, finding form after such bleak and low-ebb efforts last year.

Amorim's resurgent Man Utd stars

Cunha and Mbeumo are difference-makers, but no one has personified Manchester United’s budding resurgence under Amorim quite like Amad Diallo.

Amad salvaged a draw in that 2-2 battle at Forest last weekend, with that late volley salvaging a result and easing his own frustrations at being beaten by Morgan Gibbs-White in the air after the break. There it was that Casemiro’s first-half goal was cancelled out.

The Ivorian is a nifty little playmaker, with quick feet and an eye for goal that requires only a glance back at the weekend for proof, that strike very much pressed firmly in fans’ minds.

But his reshaped role as a wing-back has come at the expense of attacking freedom. Amad is not a natural defender, but neither is he a lost cause when against the ball. He works well on the flank of that line, adding to a defence that still searches for its final form.

But it’s getting there. Harry Maguire did not play against the Tricky Trees, but he has proven himself to be an important player this term. Likewise, Matthjis de Ligt is starting to come into his own after previously toiling through his first campaign in England.

And Casemiro’s strike to open the scoring underscored once again his own revival. Jamie Carragher’s acerbic comments have fallen flat, with the Brazilian now something of a linchpin in the centre for a side that has proven unable to find answers in the engine room.

But there’s an even bigger turnaround taking place at the Theatre of Dreams. Yes, one of United’s longest-serving stars appears to have found his finest form in some time.

Struggling Man Utd star is now undroppable

Manchester United have been through a lot over the past 12 years. Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement was always going to knock Old Trafford out of kilter, but no one expected the club to have fallen from their perch as they have.

A trophy-winning identity has been maintained throughout, but inconsistencies have been rife, and too many frustrating players have been signed, unable to find the form that their skillsets demand.

Chief among these cases would be that of Luke Shaw, who has come a long way in a short amount of time this year.

Not only enjoying a prolonged run of fitness, the England international is performing resolutely in a left-sided centre back berth, and that after playing as if he “didn’t want to tackle anyone” toward the start of the campaign, as was said by Roy Keane, who also declared the defender has been “getting away with murder for years”.

Undoubtedly, Shaw has been put through a career-long wringer in terms of fitness levels. He left Southampton and joined Man United for a fee in excess of £30m in 2014, and after more than 11 years of service, the 30-year-old has 297 games chalked off.

Many times, he has languished in the infirmary, never quite able to build up that natural athleticism and energy and technical ability to a point of recognition as one of the best left-backs in the world.

But, having started each of his side’s ten Premier League matches so far this season, there’s reason to be excited as Shaw continues to make headway. He is sharp and aware and robust in his defensive duties.

Match Stats

#

Minutes played

90′

Goals conceded

2

Touches

85

Accurate passes

65/74 (88%)

Possession lost

9x

Dribbles

1/1

Recoveries

1

Tackles

2/2

Interceptions

3

Clearances

1

Ground duels

4/5

Aerial duels

3/4

The point gained at Forest proved this. In isolation, it was a frustrating performance, not quite slick enough and disappointing to have conceded twice after the interval, having worked hard to take the advantage into the break.

But we are not talking in isolation here. United played with heart and understanding, and Shaw was at the centre of this, building upon months of work. The Manchester Evening News noted he ‘will play himself back into the England squad’ with a continuation of these performances.

Keane would be the first to rejoice at Shaw’s rejuvenation. There has been no vendetta against the experienced ace, but rather, a deep disappointment relating to the club’s struggles to kick on. Shaw has been at the epicentre of this, too often injured and too often out of sorts. But no longer. This is a player who has rediscovered his self-belief and the joy of wearing the United badge.

This Saturday’s clash against Tottenham Hotspur – in London – will mark the perfect chance to enter the November international break with a real sense of progress. Amorim, undoubtedly, will field Shaw in his starting line-up, with the defender’s composure and ease on the ball now blended with renewed defensive iron. He is undroppable at this moment in time.

As the early-season form at Man United will attest, there is a long road to walk before the Red Devils and Shaw can look back and nod at efforts well expended.

Silverware is needed, and stability in contention at the top of the table. Whether United will do it is anyone’s guess, but so far, so good.

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Manchester United made it three successive wins in the Premier League at the weekend when they beat Brighton & Hove Albion 4-2 at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Bryan Mbeumo was, arguably, the star of the show with his two impressive goals for the Red Devils, taking his tally for the season to five goals since his move from Brentford.

The Cameroon international was not the only United star who caught the eye with an excellent display for Ruben Amorim in the win over the Seagulls, though.

Experienced central midfielder Casemiro impressed with his performance in the middle of the park, although his goal was rather fortunate with the deflection off Ayari.

The Brazil international provided a goal and an assist, whilst winning four of his six ground duels (Sofascore), in the 4-2 win for United, which shows that he was effective in and out of possession.

Despite producing an eye-catching display for the Premier League giants alongside Bruno Fernandes in midfield, Manchester United may be starting to think about what life will look like after Casemiro.

Why Man Utd need a replacement for Casemiro

The Brazilian midfielder will be 34 when his contract at Old Trafford expires at the end of the season, and it remains to be seen whether or not the club will exercise their option to extend it by a further year.

This means that they may be looking at who will take his place in midfield alongside Bruno in the mid-to-long-term. Kobbie Mainoo, though, may not be that player, for reasons outlined by Amorim.

As shown in the comments above, the Portuguese head coach views the England international as an alternative to Bruno, rather than as a defensive option to take Casemiro’s spot.

That leaves Manuel Ugarte as the only natural replacement within the current first-team squad. That is a concern because his performances for the club last season left far too much to be desired.

Ugarte, as shown in the statistics above, was among the worst midfielders in the division in a host of key possession-based metrics, which shows that he does not offer enough on the ball.

Casemiro has had a turbulent time at Old Trafford, as shown in the graphic below, but his recent performance against Brighton shows that he can still offer quality in and out of possession.

With Amorim’s view of Mainoo and Ugarte’s lack of quality, Manchester United may have to look elsewhere to find a replacement for the former Real Madrid star.

Man Utd preparing offer for Premier League midfielder

The Red Devils appear to have identified that as an issue in the squad, as they are reportedly looking to sign a new midfielder in the next window.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

According to TuttoJuve, Manchester United are one of the clubs interested in a deal to sign Chelsea’s versatile midfielder Andrey Santos in the January transfer window.

The report claims that the Premier League giants and Juventus are both keen on a move for the Brazil international, as they look to bolster their midfields ahead of the second half of the campaign.

TuttoJuve adds that both clubs are preparing to make offers to sign the 21-year-old starlet, which suggests that they are both serious about a deal for his services.

Al-Qadsiah had an offer of around £60m (£59.5m) turned down for the midfielder last month. This suggests that United and Juventus will need to be in or above that ballpark if they want to snap him up in January.

Why Man Utd should sign Andrey Santos

The Red Devils should be pushing to beat Juventus to Santos’ signature in the January transfer window, even if it costs north of £60m, because he could be the perfect long-term replacement for Casemiro.

He has only started two of his seven appearances in the Premier League for Chelsea this season, with Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, two midfielders who cost over £100m each, ahead of him. This means that he has not had too much of an opportunity to shine for the Blues.

His performances whilst on loan at Strasbourg in Ligue 1 last season, though, suggest that he has the quality in and out of possession to be a dream signing for United to replace Casemiro in the defensive midfield role in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system.

Santos, including the stunning strike in the clip above, scored 11 goals and provided four assists in all competitions for Strasbourg in the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, which shows that he can make a big impact in possession from a central midfield position.

Analyst Ben Mattinson described the Brazilian star as a “duel monster” who “has everything you want in a CM”, and his statistics in Ligue 1 last season back up that claim, as he was influential all over the pitch.

As you can see in the table above, Santos excelled in virtually every aspect of the game, as a scorer, a passer, an assister, a dribbler, a duel winner, a tackler, a blocker. He did it all for Strasbourg.

These statistics suggest that the 21-year-old star has all the qualities that Amorim would want from his defensive and combative midfield player next to Bruno, because he has the defensive and duel-winning skills to screen the defence, whilst still being good enough to make an impact in possession.

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Therefore, he could take the best qualities of Ugarte and Mainoo and combine them to be a complete star for United in the middle of the park as Casmeiro’s long-term replacement, as he is 12 years younger than his international teammate.

While success hasn’t always followed, West Ham United have had some genuine world-beaters represent the club over the years.

For example, the likes of Bobby Moore and Geoff Hurst are more than just club legends; they are true icons of the English game.

Then, in the modern day, while he’s not quite matched their achievements, Jarrod Bowen is in with a real chance of being the club’s greatest ever Premier League player.

However, there is another man who might have an equal shout for that title: Dimitri Payet.

The Frenchman was utterly incredible during his time with the club, and in great news, Nuno Espírito Santo has someone in his current squad with shades of the midfielder in his game.

Payet's West Ham career

West Ham signed Payet from Marseille for a fee of around £10.7m, and while the move received little media attention at the time, it would soon be looked at as one of the best deals that summer.

It didn’t take long at all for the mercurial midfielder to make his mark, as on his debut, against Arsenal, he provided an assist for Cheikhou Kouyaté from a well-taken free-kick.

From that point onwards, the Saint-Pierre-born genius would continue to turn up for the Hammers, and by the end of the season, he had racked up a brilliant haul of 12 goals and 15 assists in 38 games, totalling 3223 minutes.

Unsurprisingly, such an incredible debut campaign for the club saw him named the Premier League Player of the Year at the 2016 London Football Awards, shortlisted for the PFA Players’ Player of the Year and named West Ham United Player of the Year.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and after telling the club he didn’t want to play for them anymore, he left for £25m in January.

Appearances

60

Minutes

4981′

Goals

15

Assists

22

Points per Game

1.52

It’s hard to overstate how brilliant Payet was to watch at West Ham, and while there isn’t anyone just like him in the current squad, there is someone with shades of him in their game.

West Ham's star with shades of Payet

Now, there are a number of players in this current West Ham side who could go on to do great things at the club, as Bowen already has.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, when it comes to someone who has shades of Payet in their game, it’s hard to look past Crysencio Summerville and the potential he has.

It’s important to say the word potential, as it would be crazy to suggest that the former Leeds United star has reached the levels the Frenchman did at the club.

However, that is not the point, as this isn’t a comparison to say he will be as good as the 38-year-old; it’s to point out the elements of his game that feel Payet-esque.

One such element is his brilliant ability with the ball at his feet, specifically when it comes to dribbling and beating opponents.

This was on full display in his Man of the Match-winning display against Everton on Monday night, as the Dutchman was able to complete three of five dribbles, which was the most of anyone on the pitch, including Jack Grealish.

More than that, he utilises this ball-carrying ability to create numerous chances for his teammates, whether through winning fouls or outmanoeuvring opponents.

SCA (Fouls Drawn)

0.52

Top 1%

Fouls Drawn

2.58

Top 3%

Penalty Kicks Won

0.10

Top 4%

Pass Completion % (Medium)

88.1%

Top 5%

SCA (Take-On)

0.72

Top 7%

GCA (Fouls Drawn)

0.10

Top 8%

For example, FBref ranks him in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for shot-creating actions coming from fouls won, the top 4% for penalties won, the top 7% for shot-creating actions coming from take-ons and more, all per 90.

Finally, while his output hasn’t been ideal since his move to East London, there is undoubtedly a star waiting to come out in the “unstoppable” game-changer, as dubbed by Statman Dave.

This was on show in his final campaign with Leeds, when he racked up 21 goals and ten assists in 49 games and won the Championship Player of the Year.

Ultimately, Summerville isn’t as talented as Payet, but with his ability on the ball and dynamism, there are certainly shades of the Frenchman in his game.

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