Germany's Joshua Kimmich lauded Cristiano Ronaldo's career consistency before going head-to-head with 40-year-old superstar this week.
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Everton have undergone an incredible transformation since David Moyes was placed at the wheel, driving up the Premier League table, away from the danger zone and toward the comfy security of mid-table.
But Moyes isn’t going to stop there. He won the Conference League with West Ham United, remember, led the Hammers through three successive campaigns on the continent.
But Merseyside is his home, Everton his club, and he wants to get them back on their perch, having struggled to impress for so long.
With The Friedkin Group replacing Farhad Moshiri at the head of the table, Moyes has been told he will have money to spend this summer, with Kevin Thelwell also exiting his role as Director of Football at the end of the term, succeeded by Leeds United’s Angus Kinnear.
Thelwell has helped to guide Everton through a turbulent period, and though he had his ups and downs, he can leave with his head held high after a promising final transfer window in 2024.
Everton emerged from the 2023/24 campaign bruised but not broken. Financial breaches had allowed PSR to clamp down on Merseyside and extract eight hard-earned points from Sean Dyche’s squad, but this wasn’t enough to send them spinning to the second tier.
Thus, spending was always going to be difficult, but the sales of Amadou Onana, Ben Godfrey and homegrown Lewis Dobbin generated finances in the £70m ballpark, allowing for several deals that needed to hit the mark.
Jake O’Brien has come into his own at right-back since Moyes took to the helm, while Orel Mangala was excellent before cruelly seeing his season ended prematurely in January due to injury. He’s a loanee, but Everton have the option to sign him permanently.
Jesper Lindstrom hasn’t been brilliant on the right flank, yet to score, but at least he’s only on loan – and has provided something of a steady and industrious outlet.
Then there’s Iliman Ndiaye, signed from Marseille for £15m. Pure magic on the alternate wing, notching eight goals from 28 matches across all competitions. He’s played 24 times in the Premier League in the Toffees, but three of his six strikes came in the five appearances under Moyes’ leadership.
Thelwell did his best and fans have been receptive to his efforts, thankful for them. However, that’s not to say he invariably hit the mark when shopping, with Everton still needing to get rid of his worst signing despite the flop last kicking a ball for the Blues in 2023.
Everton have missed the mark on more than a few occasions in the 12 years since Moyes left for Manchester United, picked as Sir Alex Ferguson’s heir.
While he hasn’t been the most costly blunder, Neal Maupay’s got to be down at the nadir, certainly one of Thelwell’s biggest misfires during his time at the decision table.
After several decent Premier League campaigns in Brighton, Frank Lampard’s Everton moved to sign Maupay for a £15m fee, but his time at the club quickly devolved into a nightmare.
Maupay bagged just the one goal across 32 appearances in all competitions for Everton. Notorious for his reputation as a wind-up merchant, the French striker endured his most pitiful spell by the banks of the River Mersey.
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Neal Maupay: Premier League Stats by Season |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Club |
Apps |
Goals |
Assists |
|
2023/24* |
Brentford |
31 |
6 |
3 |
|
2023/24* |
Everton |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
2022/23 |
Everton |
27 |
1 |
0 |
|
2021/22 |
Brighton |
32 |
8 |
2 |
|
2020/21 |
Brighton |
33 |
8 |
2 |
|
2019/20 |
Brighton |
37 |
10 |
3 |
|
Stats via Transfermarkt |
||||
His revival at Brentford further frustrated the Everton fanbase, but not nearly as much as his remarks last year: “Whenever I’m having a bad day, I just check the Everton score and smile.” A brazen thing to say given he’s still on the books.
With four goals and four assists apiece in Ligue 1 this season, starting only 12 matches under Roberto De Zerbi, Maupay is enjoying something of a renaissance – but that doesn’t mean he’s got a future on Merseyside.
Earning around £48k per week, the 28-year-old Everton player is still earning more than Ndiaye (£45k-per-week), emphasising the woe that cannot be shaken from this deal-that-shouldn’t-have-been.
While Marseille are likely to be covering a portion – if not all – of his salary – it still represents a hefty pack packet that was agreed upon when Everton initially welcomed him to the club with high hopes that he would become their abiding talisman.
Marseille have the option to keep Maupay at the Stade Vélodrome for about £3m, which would be decent business if Everton succeed in recouping at least something for one of their most infamous modern players.
Perhaps Thelwell orchestrated one last piece of good business in the Frenchman’s loan package. Without question, though, Maupay’s signing was a “disaster” – a sentiment shared by journalist Paul Brown – and those of an Everton persuasion just want him off the books.
Outscoring Beto: Everton must rue selling star now better than Richarlison
Everton could do with this former “menace” in their ranks this season.
By
Angus Sinclair
Mar 7, 2025
Ruben Amorim told Alejandro Garnacho to "pray" that he can find a new club in a public dressing down in front of the entire Manchester United squad.
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Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim may be busy trying to save his side’s faltering season, but he will also have one eye on potential summer transfer activity at Old Trafford.
Summing up an inconsistent run of form under Amorim, Manchester United salvaged a late point at Goodison Park on Saturday lunchtime despite finding themselves victims of a two-goal deficit against David Moyes’ in-form outfit.
Beto and Abdoulaye Docoure appeared to have put the Red Devils on the verge of another demoralising defeat, but a late free-kick from Bruno Fernandes was followed up by an inch-perfect Manuel Ugarte strike to guarantee a share of the spoils.
Nevertheless, a common theme was present in the Merseyside sunshine. United’s disconnect within the backline was exposed ruthlessly, while a lack of firepower from the likes of Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee threatened to consign the visitors to another damaging loss.
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Man Utd’s lack of firepower in attack across all competitions |
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Rasmus Hojlund |
Appearances – 33 |
Goals – 7 |
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Joshua Zirkzee |
Appearances – 38 |
Goals – 5 |
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Chido Obi-Martin |
Appearances – 2 |
Goals – 0 |
On this occasion, two key vessels in the engine room stepped up to save the Red Devils from further frustration. Either way, they sit 15th in the Premier League standings and will look to the Europa League and FA Cup to provide some solace in a campaign that is petering out.
Come the summer, funds need to be raised for Amorim to breed fresh ideas. Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS helped to bring Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven to Old Trafford in January, but they will want to maximise profit to enact a full rebuild ahead of 2025/26.
Marcus Rashford became Manchester United’s main January window casualty after a fallout with Amorim led the England international to join Aston Villa on loan for the remainder of the campaign. He has since kicked on at Villa Park, lodging two assists in the Villans’ dramatic 2-1 victory over Chelsea on Saturday evening.
Looking ahead to the summer, reports in Spain indicate Bayern Munich want to sign Rashford for £40 million and their sporting director Christoph Freund is said to be heavily involved in negotiations to land the Three Lions attacker, with the German giants going ‘all in’ for the player still on the books of Man Utd.
Labelled ‘fantastic’ by Jamie Redknapp after his exploits against Chelsea, the £300,000-a-week man is at a career crossroads given his age and has raised his market value owing to a series of impressive cameos since pitching up in the West Midlands.
Thriving off the left flank, Rashford created three chances at home to Enzo Maresca’s stuttering Blues and recorded a pass completion rate of 94% alongside five touches in the opposition penalty area.
Clearly enjoying his football in the midst of a difficult first half of the campaign at his boyhood club, his recent form may pave the way for Manchester United to cash in on his services for a premium should appropriate interest arise for the talented forward.
Attempting to strike up a bidding war would be the best course of action for the Red Devils, with long-overdue investment in the first team needed to propel the club back to a position where they can challenge for trophies on a regular basis.
Rahul’s absence further complicates matters for India, who also didn’t pick Shreyas Iyer for the remaining three Tests
ESPNcricinfo staff12-Feb-2024India have been dealt a blow in the lead-up to the Rajkot Test against England, with KL Rahul ruled out of contention due to a sore knee. Devdutt Padikkal, Rahul’s Karnataka team-mate, has been called in as a replacement.Rahul had earlier missed the second Test in Visakhapatnam due to a quadricep injury, and was included in the squad for the last thee Tests only subject to fitness. *A BCCI release on Monday evening said he “has reached 90 per cent of match fitness” and that “he will continue his recovery process at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru to be completely match-fit for the fourth and fifth Test.”Already light on batting experience with Virat Kohli missing due to personal reasons, Rahul’s absence further complicates matters for India, who also didn’t pick Shreyas Iyer for the remaining three Tests.Related
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Iyer left out for remaining three Tests vs Eng; Kohli unavailable
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That aside, it isn’t confirmed yet whether Ravindra Jadeja has recovered from the hamstring injury he had suffered during the first Test in Hyderabad. Jadeja is in the squad to play the third Test, which will take place on his home ground, but his participation is pending fitness clearance.Meanwhile, this is a maiden Test call-up for Padikkal, who is expected to link up with the squad on Tuesday from Chennai, where he struck 151 and 36 against Tamil Nadu in the fifth round of the Ranji Trophy fixture that finished on Monday.Padikkal, the 23-year-old left-hand batter, has so far aggregated 556 runs in six innings at an average of 92.66 this Ranji season. He has scored three centuries, with a highest of 193 in the season opener against Punjab. Prior to his most-recent Ranji outing, Padikkal impressed with scores of 65, 21 and 105 for India A against the touring England Lions in Ahmedabad. The century in the second unofficial Test was part of a massive first-innings batting effort that helped set up an innings victory.He was also part of the shadow tour to South Africa with India A in December, where he had an opportunity to train alongside India’s Test regulars prior to an intra-squad fixture.So far in this Ranji season, Devdutt Padikkal has 556 runs at an average of 92.66•PTI
“South Africa was a great experience for me, in terms of having the chance to train with the seniors,” he had told ESPNcricinfo last month. “Being in and around them, playing that level of bowling prepares you well for the Ranji season. I looked at it as an opportunity to get volumes in, in terms of my batting. I’m grateful for that experience.”Having started off as an opener, Padikkal has slowly transitioned into a predominantly top-order role that requires him to bat at No. 3 – and at times even at No. 4 – for Karnataka. With Mayank Agarwal and R Samarth opening the innings for his state side, Padikkal has established himself lower down. This change of role is something he has learnt to embrace after a middling IPL 2023 for Rajasthan Royals. The tipping point, he said, was his trade to Lucknow Super Giants, where he’ll be playing under none other than Rahul.”I don’t look at it in terms of just being an opener anymore,” he had said. “I’m enjoying my opportunities, wherever they may be. Each position you bat in offers a different challenge. I’m trying to learn new things, [and] adapt to situations. It helps me grow as a cricketer, [and] helps me understand the game a lot more – not just in terms of my batting but [also] how the game works across different phases.”Overall, Padikkal has solid first-class credentials, having averaged 44.54 across 31 matches. He has played two T20Is for India, both of which came against Sri Lanka in July 2021.In Visakhapatnam, India handed a Test debut to Rajat Patidar. Sarfaraz Khan is the other uncapped batter in the mix along with Padikkal. Jadeja’s potential unavailability could well pave way for another Test debutant in Rajkot. It’s also likely India could still pick one of Sarfaraz and Padikkal even if Jadeja is available and they play their usual three spinners and two quicks.India have two full days of training leading into Rajkot, with the series locked at 1-1.India’s squad for the third Test: Rohit Sharma (capt), Jasprit Bumrah (vice-capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wk), KS Bharat (wk), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Devdutt Padikkal.GMT 1450 hrs This story was updated with information from a BCCI press release
Dani Olmo's agent has addressed rumours that Manchester City want to sign the midfielder from Barcelona for £60m.
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Contact has been made with Manchester United as West Ham chiefs eye up a late January move, with co-chair David Sullivan and manager Graham Potter tipped to oversee a busy end to the window in east London.
The Hammers are in active pursuit of a new striker, following long-term injuries to Niclas Füllkrug and Michail Antonio, but a fresh centre-forward option isn’t their only potential incoming before the deadline.
West Ham make late January contact to sign ex-Liverpool star on loan
The Irons are chasing late signings.
1
By
Emilio Galantini
Jan 30, 2025
West Ham had a bid rejected for PSV Eindhoven star Ricardo Pepi (Fabrizio Romano), and could yet go back in with an improved winter bid (Rik Elfrink). The USA international, who’s bagged 18 goals already in all competitions this season, would be a stellar capture for Potter – but if they fail with another approach, it is widely believed that Brighton starlet Evan Ferguson is another primary target.
“The news has emerged last night that Ferguson’s move to Bayer Leverkusen may have fallen through due to Al Nassr choosing to sign Jhon Duran over their forward Victor Boniface,” said club insider ExWHUemployee on Thursday.
“If the club get this confirmed and are confident that his injuries are not long-term, then further negotiations with the hope of completing before Monday’s deadline will occur.
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West Ham’s next five Premier League fixtures |
Date |
|---|---|
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Chelsea (away) |
February 3rd |
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Brentford (home) |
February 15th |
|
Arsenal (away) |
February 22nd |
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Leicester City (home) |
February 27th |
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Newcastle United (home) |
March 10th |
“West Ham are prepared to include an option or obligation to buy in the loan deal to try and get the deal over the line. Talks are continuing with Ferguson, they are going positively as the club tries to work towards a deal.”
Ferguson’s possible move to the London Stadium is looking well and truly on, as Sullivan seeks to back Potter with a centre-forward who can fill in for both Fullkrug and Antonio.
However, it is also believed that West Ham are targeting another centre-back before the deadline, with Brighton’s Adam Webster among West Ham’s defender targets for this window.
Now, the 30-year-old has been joined by United’s Victor Lindelof.
According to journalist Graeme Bailey, writing for United in Focus, West Ham have contacted United over signing Lindelof in January – with the £120,000-per-week Swede out of contract this summer and potentially available for a cut-price fee.
The 70-cap international appears out of Ruben Amorim’s long-term plans, motivating the Irons to test United’s resolve with an enquiry and gauge whether a mid-season deal for Lindelof is possible.
However, Bailey reports that the former Benfica star has no interest in joining West Ham, and has made that clear to his representatives.
Given Lindelof’s torrid injury record lately, not to mention the fact he’s now entered the twilight phase of his career, you could make a case that this is arguably for the best – and there could be better options out there for Potter.
The rest of the team is in Kolkata, and Shakib will rejoin them on October 27 ahead of their next game
Mohammad Isam25-Oct-2023Shakib Al Hasan, Bangladesh’s captain at the World Cup, has travelled to Dhaka to train with his mentor Nazmul Abedeen Faheem even as the rest of the team arrived in Kolkata ahead of their matches in the city against Netherlands on October 28 and Pakistan on October 31.Shakib arrived in Dhaka on Wednesday afternoon, a day after Bangladesh’s 149-run loss to South Africa in Mumbai, and went straight to the Shere Bangla National Stadium to work with Abedeen. The session lasted three hours with Shakib mainly taking throwdowns in the nets.”He arrived today. We will be training for three days,” Faheem told ESPNcricinfo. “Today, tomorrow and day after, and then he will return to Kolkata. We worked on his batting today.”Related
A Mumbai mauling for the Tigers
Dear World Cup, please be more exciting, please?
Shakib has struggled with the bat at the World Cup, scoring just 56 runs in four innings. He has taken six wickets too. All this, as Bangladesh have lost four out of their five games so far and sit at the bottom of the points table.”Shakib probably feels comfortable working this way,” Faheem said. “I am not sure what we are going to do next – I will take each session as he wants.”As such, the Bangladesh team has its roster of coaches travelling during the World Cup. Khaled Mahmud is the team director, there’s head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe, technical advisor S Sriram, and Nic Pothas, Rangana Herath, Allan Donald, Shane McDermott and Faisal Hossain all in various roles.Leaving a World Cup campaign to go train with a personal coach in another (home, in this case) country is uncommon. Temba Bavuma, South Africa’s captain, had earlier left the team during the World Cup warm-up games to go back home and then rejoined the team, but that was because of “a personal situation,” as head coach Rob Walter put it.Shakib had previously left the 2019 IPL when his team Sunrisers Hyderabad left him out of the XI for four weeks. He hopped back to Dhaka to train with prominent local coach Mohammad Salahuddin. On that occasion, he chose to focus on the upcoming ODI World Cup in England and Wales, where he scored 606 runs took nine wickets.Shakib is scheduled to return to Kolkata on October 27, a day before the Netherlands game.
Jude Bellingham is being urged to undergo surgery this summer, with the Real Madrid superstar still clearly struggling with a shoulder problem.
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Bermuda kept themselves in the chase, but two collapses at different times washed away their hopes
ESPNcricinfo staff08-Oct-2023Canada 132 for 4 (Dhaliwal 45, Kirton 26, Sabir 2-34) beat Bermuda 93 (Fray 30, Leverock 23, Sana 3-4, Gordon 3-6, Dutta 2-16) by 39 runsCanada have booked a place in the T20 World Cup for the first time after beating Bermuda by 39 runs in the final game of the Americas Region qualifier to secure a spot in the 2024 edition.It was a straight shootout between Canada and Bermuda to determine who made it to the T20 World Cup co-hosted by USA and West Indies next year. Batting first in the rain-reduced 18-overs-a-side contest, Canada posted 132 for 4 with Navneet Dhaliwal leading the way with 45 off 38.Canada lost opener and their highest run-scorer of the tournament Aaron Johnson in the fifth over but Dhaliwal held one end up. He added a 39-run third-wicket stand with Harsh Thaker before both batters fell off successive deliveries.While Derrick Brangman sent back Thaker off the final ball of the 15th over, Dhaliwal fell first ball of the next to give Bermuda an opening. But Nicholas Kirton slammed 26 off 10 balls, which included two sixes and two fours to give Canada a strong finish. They smashed 37 in the final three overs including 20 off the final to reach 132 for 4.In reply, Thaker had opener Tre Manders caught in his first over, but Kamau Leverock and Terryn Fray kept the chase on track. They added 50 for the second wicket off 44 balls before a collapse washed away Bermuda’s hopes.From 52 for 1, Bermuda slipped to 63 for 4 in the space of 11 balls with Nikhil Dutta picking two key wickets. Allan Douglas kept Bermuda’s hopes alive, but once he fell for a 13-ball 22, another collapse ensued which saw them lose their last six wickets for just eight runs in 3.3 overs.Kaleem Sana, turned out to be the pick of the bowlers as Bermuda were bowled out for 93 in 16.5 overs. Sana was named Player of the Match for his figures of 3.5-1-4-3.