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Enzo Maresca is already eyeing signings for Chelsea ahead of the summer transfer window, despite a couple of matches to go before the end of the season.

Ajax defender Jorrel Hato is the latest centre-back to be linked with a move to Stamford Bridge. The Blues missed out on Dean Huijsen, therefore, they are moving on to other targets.

While, defensively, the club can improve next term, their need for another centre-forward has seen them linked with a few names. Hugo Ekitiké has been someone on the club’s radar of late amid excellent form at Eintract Frankfurt.

Benjamin Sesko is another striker Maresca is keeping an eye on. Could this be the striker the Blues need?

The latest on Chelsea's pursuit of Benjamin Sesko

The Blues are reportedly showing plenty of interest in signing Sesko this summer, especially with his vast potential and wonderful goalscoring record.

A fee of £84m might be required if the Premier League side are serious about bringing him to England, however. Much of this will depend on whether the Blues can secure Champions League qualification or not.

The 21-year-old is one of the most exciting young forwards in the game and his form in Germany demonstrates why.

Indeed, the Slovenia international has scored 21 goals in 45 appearances for RB Leipzig throughout 2024/25 and judging by that, Sesko could be the answer to Maresca’s problems.

Goals

13

Assists

5

Shots per game

2.1

Goal conversion percentage

19%

Scoring frequency (minutes)

185

Successful dribbles per game

1.2

Via Sofascore

It’s safe to say that the offence is one of the big reasons Chelsea still have a battle on their hands to secure a top five place with Liverpool, Arsenal, Newcastle, Manchester City and Brentford all scoring more than their 63-goal haul this term.

Nicolas Jackson, sent off against Eddie Howe’s side a few weeks ago, certainly hasn’t helped their cause in recent weeks.

What Sesko's arrival would mean for Jackson

Following an impressive season at Villarreal in 2022/23, one which saw the player net 13 goals and grab five assists in all competitions, Chelsea signed Jackson for more than £30m.

Jacek Kulig described Jackson as “extraordinary” for his exploits during that campaign, but his spell at Chelsea, however, hasn’t quite been as good.

17 goals during his first season was more than respectable, but this tally has dropped to 12 during the 2024/25 campaign with pundit Tim Sherwood famously remarking that “at times he looks like someone playing in Soccer Aid who’s not a footballer.”

Should Chelsea qualify for the Champions League next season, it is evident they will need someone more influential in front of goal, as Jackson simply isn’t the answer.

He currently earns £100k-per-week, more than Sesko’s £91k-per-week, and it’s safe to say that money would be better spent on the Slovenian instead.

When compared to his peers in the Premier League this season, Jackson fails to rank in the top 40% for no-penalty goals (0.41) per 90, while also failing to break through the top 40% with regard to successful take-ons (0.73) and touches in the attacking third (14.64) per 90.

Those are hardly the statistics of a player who can fire Chelsea to glory, that’s for sure. If Maresca is serious about improving this summer, bringing in Sesko for Jackson would certainly please a vast portion of the support.

The transfer window this summer could turn out to be interesting indeed.

Better than Huijsen: Chelsea set to open talks to sign "immense" £42m star

Chelsea are keen to move on from Huijsen by targeting a Dutch defender

ByRoss Kilvington May 19, 2025

da dobrowin： Arsenal transfer chief Andrea Berta is personally keen on a high-earning centre-forward, who’d now reportedly jump at the chance to join Mikel Arteta’s side.

Arsenal two-man striker target list with Andrea Berta holding talks

da marjack bet： According to recent reports, two players currently stand out as Arsenal’s most desired striker targets – Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.

Related Arsenal seal first summer sale as "high level" player completes European move

A few more expected to follow this summer.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini May 23, 2025

Going by the on-field and off-field numbers, it is clear to see why this is the case.

Gyokeres, who’s racked up a phenomenal 53 goals in all competitions for Sporting this season, could also depart the Primeira Liga side for a fee of up to £60 million, according to Fabrizio Romano, so he’d be an arguable bargain when factoring in the 26-year-old’s record.

Viktor Gyokeres – stats by club

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Sporting CP

101

96

28

Coventry City

116

43

17

Brommapojkarna

67

25

9

FC St. Pauli

28

7

4

Swansea City

12

1

0

Brighton

8

1

1

via Transfermarkt

Meanwhile, Sesko’s current release clause stands at £67 million, and the Slovenia international actually bettered his goalscoring tally from last season (18) with 21 goals across all competitions.

While some reports in Portugal earlier this week stated that Arsenal have agreed a £59m fee to sign Gyokeres from Sporting (O Jogo), this claim appears to have jumped the gun, as Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg stated on Friday that Berta is holding serious talks over a move for Sesko.

Arsenal’s pursuit of a top goalscorer remains very much open, as Berta identifies targets who he believes would be best-suited to Arteta.

Interestingly, as per journalist Simon Phillips last week, Arteta would personally prefer Sesko, while Berta is believed to be more of a fan of Gyokeres.

What’s clear, though, is Arsenal’s glaring need for another striker. Arteta has been forced to utilise midfielder Mikel Merino as an emergency striker for most of this calendar year, following injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz.

While the latter has since returned to action, it is imperative that Arsenal don’t wait any longer to sign a 25-plus-goals-per-season forward, as they look to mount a successful Premier League title challenge.

Dušan Vlahović would "immediately" join Arsenal this summer

According to some reports, there are other centre-forwards on Berta’s shopping list, albeit further down the pecking order when compared to Sesko and Gyokeres.

Journalist Daniele Longo, writing a piece for Calciomercato, shares that Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović is one of them.

The Serbia international is entering the final 12 months of his £359,000-per-week contract at Juve, and with no sign of a renewal, it would appear that the Old Lady must be more inclined to sell him this summer, rather than lose Vlahovic for nothing in 2026.

Longo states that Vlahovic “would immediately pack his bags” and join Arsenal if given the opportunity, and Berta personally wants the ex-Fiorentina star, even if he’s less of a transfer priority.

The “starting” price of any negotiations for Vlahovic comes at around £42 million, which could be seen by some as good value, considering the “machine” has scored at least 14 total goals per season since 2020/21.

If Berta were to seriously pursue him, Arsenal’s major obstacle would undoubtedly be Vlahovic’s extortionate wages.

Manchester United have reportedly reached an agreement to sign a new forward in a similar transfer to the one that brought Paul Pogba to Old Trafford over 15 years ago.

Man Utd prepare for Europa League semi-final with Athletic Club

All of Ruben Amorim’s focus for the remainder of the season will be on the Europa League, with the Red Devils in the bottom half of the Premier League table.

A 1-0 defeat to Wolves at Old Trafford last time out included a side which had 20-year-old Tyler Fredricson and 18-year-old Harry Amass in the starting XI.

Amorim was true to his word by playing some inexperienced Red Devils youngsters from the off in the top flight as they prepare for a semi-final with La Liga side Athletic Club, looking to reach the final in Bilbao.

Following Man Utd’s Europa League quarter-final win over Lyon, Amorim said: “It’s not the best moment or the best season to put some kids to play because they need a strong base to really show what they can do, but in this moment we need to do it.

“And sometimes you have surprises. Ayden just played – and I can be honest, because we had a lot of injuries at that moment – but today I think of Ayden as my player. So when he’s ready – and of course he’s facing competition in the team to do so – he’s ready to play, so you don’t know.

“Amass did really well [against Lyon]. Chido, when he played he played quite well. It’s a difficult moment, it’s not the right moment for the kids to play, but if we have to do it we will do it.”

Top target: Man Utd pushing to sign "incredible" £313k-p/w Barcelona star

The Red Devils are willing to make a huge bid for a Barcelona player this summer.

ByDominic Lund Apr 23, 2025

The club appear to be planning for the long run with deals for Chido Obi, Ayden Heaven and Patrick Dorgu over the last 12 months, and by the looks of things, they are close to signing another talented teenager.

Man Utd reach agreement to sign forward in transfer similar to Pogba

According to reports from France, Man Utd have reached an agreement with Le Havre striker Enzo Kana-Biyik ahead of a cut-price move to Old Trafford this summer.

Le Parisen state that after ‘very advanced discussions’, Man Utd have ‘obtained the agreement of the player and his family’ to move to England. However, for the 2025/26 season, Kana-Biyik is set to be loaned out to FC Lausanne-Sport, a Swiss club also owned by INEOS.

Games

17

Goals

9

Assists

1

Kana-Biyik is a centre-forward who, like Pogba, looks set to join Man Utd from Le Havre’s academy. He appears to be a future star, with Man Utd Forever on X stating that the 18-year-old is a ‘Christopher Vivell kind of a signing’, while hailing the forward’s “composure in front of goal”, “instinctive finishing” and “technical skills”.

They missed a second frontline spinner, and lost two of their top four to injury, but the World Cup favourites always had options to cover for those gaps

George Dobell in Southampton14-Jun-2019It was England’s depth that saved them in Southampton.Some teams, hit by injuries to two of their top four, would have struggled to cope. And some teams, realising they were a spinner short, would not have had a seventh bowling option good enough to dismiss two of the top six.But so blessed are England with allrounders that both challenges were dealt with comfortably. And, for the third time in this tournament, they made light work of a dangerous opposition. Defeat here would have left England facing a real scrap to qualify for the semi-finals; victory allows them to breathe just a little easier.There was some surprise around the ground when Chris Woakes strode out at No. 3, but there probably shouldn’t have been. He’s only played one Test since making a century, after all, while his unbeaten 95 in Nottingham in 2016 remains the highest score by a No. 8 in ODI history. With England deciding to disrupt their middle order as little as possible, Woakes was given the opportunity to play his natural game with the required run-rate barely four an over. He made it look easy, but there aren’t so many No. 7s or 8s in this tournament that could have done so.WATCH on Hotstar (India only) – England’s bowling performanceEqually, Joe Root has never previously opened in ODI cricket. But he is a batsman good enough to have scored 180 as an opener in an Ashes Test, and he marshalled this run-chase with calm authority. Earlier, when England realised the ball was turning more than they had expected, he was given a rare opportunity to bowl – he had delivered just two overs in his 19 previous ODIs – and claimed important wickets. His career economy rate – 5.79 – is not so different from that of Glenn Maxwell – 5.61 – who was Australia’s fifth bowler in their most recent game. It’s a safety net few other teams can match.It was a similar story in Cardiff. Despite losing Jos Buttler to injury while batting, England were still able to go into the field with a Test-quality keeper in Jonny Bairstow. That allowed Buttler the luxury of extra recovery time without the risk of exacerbating his injury. And it is telling that of the five men in history who have made a century and claimed two wickets for England in the same ODI, two – Moeen Ali and Root – are in this squad.Chris Woakes plays a pull shot•Getty ImagesThat versatility has given England a Plan B. As recently as March, when they were bowled out for 113 in St Lucia, there were doubts about their ability to adapt to different conditions and contexts as required. Increasingly, however, they are showing they can tailor their game to most situations.But it is also allowing them to field an attack that doesn’t leave them overly reliant on spin, pace, seam, swing or cutters. With every bit of seven options to choose from, Eoin Morgan is rarely obliged to stick with a bowler enduring a bad day and is rarely short of an option that should suit the conditions. Increasingly his pair of express bowlers – Mark Wood and Jofra Archer – are emerging as the ace in his pack. Here they claimed 6 for 48 between them, giving England an attacking edge that had been the missing ingredient in this side for some time. If the backroom staff can keep them fit, they have the potential to play crucial roles in this tournament.”Today is a very good example of our strength in depth,” Morgan said afterwards. “Strength in depth is something that we’ve worked on in order to plan for situations like this.”We saw it in Sydney when Liam Plunkett went down in the first over [and Root bowled the rest of his allocation and England went on to win]. And we saw it in the Champions Trophy when Chris Woakes went down with a side strain in the first game against Bangladesh [and Root again helped bowl the extra overs].”We’re very fortunate that we have three guys who can touch 90 miles per hour – it’s a strength of ours – but we also have a very good legspinner and a very good offspinner. We have areas covered all round. And if pitches do turn later in the tournament and wickets get older, those spinners might come into it a bit more.”ALSO READ – Roy and Morgan pick up injuries, in doubt for Afghanistan gameThat depth will be tested in the coming days. While there is reasonable optimism that Morgan will soon recover from the back spasm that sidelined him here, there is less confidence in Jason Roy’s availability for the next few games. If he has sustained a hamstring tear, he may struggle to recover before the end of the group stages (England’s final qualifying match is on July 3) which could leave England with a tricky decision to make over whether to call up a substitute. Once replaced, Roy cannot be called back into the squad.Mark Wood bowls against the West Indies•Getty ImagesAdil Rashid’s fitness is a concern, too. He has been suffering with a shoulder problem for a few weeks and is clearly struggling to bowl with the same bite that has rendered him such an effective wicket-taking option in recent times. His two wickets in this tournament have come at a cost of 101.50 apiece and there had been a plan to rest him on Tuesday – England play Afghanistan on a used pitch in Manchester – with a view to allowing him further recovery time. With just 13 fit men in the squad at present, however, and the England management also keen to rest at least one of Woakes, Wood or Archer, such plans may have to be shelved.On the bright side, that may allow an opportunity for those in the squad who have yet to feature in the tournament – Liam Dawson, James Vince and Tom Curran – a chance to ease into the tournament before the knockout stages. While Root has shown he is more than capable of filling in an opening batsman, Vince will probably be given a chance at the top of the order in place of Roy. Moeen, it might also be remembered, has scored two ODI centuries as an opening batsman. This isn’t an ideal situation, but England are better equipped to cope with it than most.England did have some fortune in this match. Winning the toss in this situation – with a dank morning giving way to a beautiful afternoon – was a significant advantage, while the strokes that dismissed Chris Gayle and Andre Russell would probably have carried for six at most other grounds in England. Equally, West Indies’ injury problems are arguably every bit as severe as England’s.But two victories by more than a hundred runs have been followed by one by eight wickets with more than a hundred deliveries remaining. There is a long way to go in this tournament, but England’s depth, with bat and ball, is marking them out as one of the teams to beat.

Multan Sultans continued their dream start by handing defending champions Lahore Qalandars their third straight loss in the Pakistan Super League on Wednesday. Iftikhar Ahmed smashed 24 runs in the penultimate over, and earned Sultans a five-wicket win over defending champions Qalandars in a rematch of last season’s final.Qalandars’ much-trumpeted pace attack, led by Shaheen Shah Afridi, has now failed to defend in three successive games, as Haris Rauf continued to struggle and Zaman Khan also proving expensive (2-52).Sultans now sit pretty on top of the table with six points from three straight home wins, while Qalandars are yet to get first win under their belt.Skipper Mohammad Rizwan, who was dropped on 40 by Afridi, went on to compile this season’s top-score of 82 off 59 balls before Ifthikar charged against Zaman’s pace in the 19th over, smacking two sixes and three fours, and guided the home team to 170 for 5.Iftikhar wiped the hopes of Qalandars for its first win with a robust knock of unbeaten 34 off 11 balls after the home team needed 21 off the last two overs.The inclusion of left-arm spinner George Linde (1 for 26) of South Africa seemed to have beefed up Qalandars’ bowling in the absence of injured Rashid Khan when he bowled brilliantly in the middle overs after Qalandars posted 166 for 5, but Iftikhar’s onslaught against Zaman sealed the game.Earlier, Rassie van der Dussen (54) scored his second half-century in three games and Fakhar Zaman made 41 as they put on 94 runs for the second-wicket stand and pushed for a daunting total before Sultans pulled back despite dropping four catches.Khushdil Shah, who dropped two catches in the last game against Islamabad United, floored two more chances on Wednesday, but fast bowler Mohammad Ali (2 for 28) continued to impress with his swing and variations which restricted Qalandars in the end.

Arsenal have wasted no time in drawing up plans for the summer transfer window, looking to finally end their two-decade wait for a Premier League title.

Mikel Arteta has done a superb job of transforming the squad during his near five-year spell in charge, but more work needs to be done to take them to the summit of the division.

Viktor Gyokeres has emerged as a huge target for the upcoming window, with new sporting director Andrea Berta making an immediate impact in pursuing a move for his signature.

Given his goalscoring record, which has seen him score 86 times in his 93 outings in the last two seasons, it’s understandable that the Gunners are pursuing a striker to bolster their forward line.

Should he move to North London in the summer, he could be joined by another player who’s been a constant target, with a new update emerging on his potential move to the club.

Arsenal make contact to land £51m talent

According to Sun Sport, Arsenal’s director Berta has already been in contact with the representatives of Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi ahead of a summer move to the Emirates.

It was reported in January that a deal was on the verge of being agreed for this upcoming window, but no news has emerged since – with this the latest update on any transfer.

The Spanish international has made 29 LaLiga appearances this campaign, featuring in all but one of their league outings, showcasing his importance and quality.

The report claims that the hierarchy are still “working hard” on a deal to land the 26-year-old this summer, with the £51m release clause not thought to be an issue.

Any move for Zubimendi could provide added quality to the middle of Arteta’s side, allowing one player to return to his former best after his recent slump in form.

Why Zubimendi could decide Odegaard at Arsenal

Midfielder Martin Odegaard has been a player so often tasked with providing the goods for Arsenal in attacking areas but ultimately has struggled to deliver in recent months.

The Norwegian had a long injury layoff with an ankle issue but hasn’t been the same player since his return – leading to huge amounts of criticism in the process.

He’s also featured in more of a deeper role, taking away his best qualities with his intricate passing able to create chances for attackers within the final third.

Zubimendi, who’s a defensive midfielder, could be able to sit in front of the backline should he move in the coming months, freeing up Odegaard to go and create carnage further up the field.

The Spaniard, who’s been labelled “superb” by the Spanish Football Podcast, has excelled out of possession, having the quality to be the ball-winning talent the side have been crying out for.

He’s won 1.3 tackles per 90 to date, along with 5.4 duels won – coming out on top of the latter on 60% of the occasions he’s entered a battle with an opposition player.

Games played

29

Goals & assists

3

Pass accuracy

85%

Tackles won

1.3

Duels won

5.4

Duel success rate

60%

Dribbles completed

70%

However, he’s also got the passing ability to aid Odegaard in higher areas, registering an 85% pass completion rate, along with a 70% dribble success rate.

Whilst the club would have to fork out a pretty penny to secure his signature this summer, it’s evident that Zubimendi would be a player who could certainly increase the club’s title credentials.

As for Odegaard, he’s been an influential player in various title battles, with Arteta needing him to return to top form if they are to go one better next season – with the Sociedad star having a huge say in his fortunes if a deal is completed.

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ByAngus Sinclair Apr 6, 2025

The fast bowler developed a pelvic inflammation during the first Test

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Dec-2023South Africa fast bowler Gerald Coetzee has been ruled out of the second Test against India that starts on January 3 in Cape Town because of pelvic inflammation. South Africa have not named a replacement.Coetzee developed the inflammation during the first Test in Centurion, and his discomfort got “progressively worse while bowling” in India’s second innings, a Cricket South Africa release said. He was sent for scans on Friday, which revealed the extent of the injury. South Africa’s Test coach Conrad Shukri opted to release Coetzee from the squad “as a precautionary measure,” but there is no indication if he will be fit for the SA20, which starts on January 10.Coetzee bowled only five overs in India’s second outing on day three before leaving the field as the hosts romped to a thumping win. He did not return, and Tristan Stubbs took over fielding duties for the rest of the match.Related

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Coetzee becomes the second South Africa player to get injured in the first Test against India, with captain Temba Bavuma ruled out of the New Year’s Test with a hamstring injury. Zubayr Hamza has been called up as a batting replacement, with Stubbs also in the squad, but South Africa already have two other fast bowlers they can call on to play in Coetzee’s place. Lungi Ngidi has recovered from the ankle injury that kept him out of the T20Is against but not selected for the first Test because he was deemed not to be match fit. He was seen training during the match. Allrounder Wiaan Mulder is another option in the squad but it is likely South Africa will turn to Keshav Maharaj in what should be a more spinner-friendly surface in Cape Town.In Centurion, Coetzee was South Africa’s most expensive bowler in both innings with the ball, and picked up just one wicket.

da spicy bet： Manchester City won’t be winning the Premier League title for the fifth season in a row after yet another league defeat over the weekend, this time to high-flying Nottingham Forest.

da betobet： Pep Guardiola has never quite endured a campaign like this one, although he did make a few signings in January that could see the club return to their best next term.

Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez, Vitor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov all arrived at the Etihad, with City spending close to £190m in the process.

Combined with their current crop of young talent, the club could be set for another wonderful era with some rising stars…

Man City's best rising stars

The January signings have added some much-needed quality to a stagnant City side which could give them a boost between now and the end of the season.

Rico Lewis is certainly proving his worth at the club, making 36 appearances in all competitions this term, and he looks like the perfect replacement for Kyle Walker at right-back.

Savinho has proved his worth countless times since joining from Troyes last summer. The Brazilian has registered 11 goal contributions in what has been a solid debut campaign but still needs to take himself to the next level, adding more goals to his game.

Elsewhere, James McAtee finally looks ready to take his game on, scoring six goals in just 21 matches for the club. He may soon be replaced by 19-year-old new signing Claudio Echeverri, though, who looks like one of the hottest talents to come out of South America in recent years.

That being said, could it be the signing of Abdukodir Khusanov that goes on to become the finest youngster at the club?

Why Abdukodir Khusanov could become world-class at Man City

After a dismal few months, Guardiola knew some freshness was needed in order to give his squad a boost heading into the second half of the season.

With Manuel Akanji and John Stones suffering from injury problems, bolstering the defence was crucial. Reis is certainly someone who could become a key player for the club in the future.

In the meantime, it is Khusanov who has slotted into the City backline with ease, overcoming a rocky debut against Chelsea.

No doubt proud of his development, the 21-year-old became the first Uzbekistan-born player to feature in the Premier League, costing the club £33.5m from French side Lens.

Since that first outing against Enzo Maresca’s men, judging by his performances, he could very well turn out to be one of Guardiola’s most important signings for City.

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The centre-back had only made 31 appearances for the Ligue 1 side before City pounced and secured his signature during the transfer window, but his quality was obvious.

During the first half of the season in the French top flight, the youngster ranked in the top 1% for interceptions (2.4) and in the top 17% for aerials won (2.49) per 90 when compared to his positional peers.

Khusanov’s PL stats for Man City (Per 90)

Accurate passes

59.6

Tackles

1

Interceptions

0.6

Total duels won

2.2

Ball recoveries

4.8

Clearances

4.2

Via Sofascore

Since joining City, Khusanov has played seven times, scoring against Leyton Orient in the FA Cup and he looks the part at the heart of the club’s defence.

Writer Alex Barker wrote on X that Khusanov’s physicality is “frightening” and, despite being aged only 21 and featuring in five Premier League games, the Uzbeki international has managed to showcase his talents already.

Across these five top-flight matches, the former Lens starlet has averaged a 92% pass success rate, along with recovering 4.8 balls, making one tackle and winning 57% of his aerial duels per game for City. To put those numbers into context, William Saliba has won 61% of his aerial duels and completed 94% of his passes. Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk has succeeded with 92% of his passes and won a whopping 71% of his aerial duels.

Thus, you can clearly see that Khusanov is on the right path and has made an impressive start to life in England. Now, the next few weeks will allow him to play without too much pressure, especially as the league title will elude the club for the first time since 2020.

This could give Khusanov a chance to continually impress, which could make a huge difference to the club for the 2025/26 campaign.

There is no doubt that the 21-year-old could turn into one of the finest defenders in the world, especially if he continues his recent meteoric rise.

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Posts ByJoe Nuttall Mar 8, 2025

Since the arrival of David Moyes, Everton have been on a heavy upward trajectory, winning four of their last nine games, drawing three and only losing two.

This run includes a huge 3-2 victory over Tottenham and a blockbuster 2-2 draw with Liverpool at Goodison Park.

Moyes’ side now find themselves 16th in the Premier League after 27 games played and have managed to extend their gap from the relegation zone to 15 points, now sitting closer to the European places than the dreaded drop.

Everton are still only averaging 40% possession (2nd lowest in the Premier League) and are only taking 11 shots per game (4th fewest in the league), so whilst Moyes has done a good job bringing more goals to the side, their overarching attacking numbers haven’t massively improved.

Everton's attacking unit under David Moyes

So far this season, Everton have only scored 27 goals (the 4th fewest in the division) from 33.38 xG generated, underachieving their xG by -6.38.

Since Moyes took charge, the Toffees have scored 15 goals in their last nine games, clearly beginning to find some rhythm in the attacking third.

A large part of this turnaround is the emergence of Beto under Moyes, who has scored five Premier League goals in his last five Premier League games, becoming a vital part of the Toffees attack.

Whilst summer signing, Iliman Ndiaye has been a huge success, making 28 appearances and scoring eight goals.

Without the 24-year-old, Everton lack that creative spark and inevitability in attack, which a star they sold over five years ago definitely had.

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Everton must rue £22.5m sale

Back in 2019, Everton made the sale of a certain Ademola Lookman to RB Leipzig, selling the England U21 forward for a fee of around £22.5m.

Whilst at the time, this could have been seen as a good fee for the youngster, who had only scored four times in 48 appearances, Lookman is now tearing it up in Serie A, scoring 34 goals over the last season and a half, leading to a Ballon d’Or nomination and a new transfer valuation of around £45m according to Transfermarkt.

When you compare the metrics of Lookman’s 2018/19 season at Everton and his 2024/25 campaign so far with Atalanta, you can see how and why his value has doubled.

Indeed, his output has gone through the roof, notably now demonstrating far more clinical finishing in front of goal and he has even nearly doubled his shot-volume.

Goals

0.11

0.73

Assists

0.21

0.26

xG

0.20

0.59

xAG

0.20

0.37

Progressive Carries

4.93

5.39

Progressive Passes

3.48

2.97

Shots Total

2.02

3.84

Goals/Shot

0.05

0.18

Key Passes

1.45

2.56

Shot-Creating Actions

3.91

6.03

The only metric being analysed here that hasn’t improved is his progressive passes per 90, but much of that is due to his role in the Atlanta side, being more of an outlet to penetrate with his carrying and combining closer to the box to provide his side with output.

Lookman has been labelled “incredible” during his time in Serie A by Statman Dave on X (formerly Twitter), and Everton may rue their decision to sell him so early, with his value now having doubled, as he enters his prime years.

Moyes could unleash Bramley-Moore's very own Cahill in £30m Everton star

Everton could find their new Tim Cahill in a current star.

1 ByRoss Kilvington Mar 2, 2025

تغلب فريق مانشستر سيتي الإنجليزي، على نظيره باليرمو الإيطالي، بثلاثية دون رد، في مباراة ودية جمعت الفريقين مساء يوم السبت، وتوج بكأس أنجلو باليرميتان.

والتقى مانشستر سيتي وباليرمو على ملعب “رينزو باربيرا” في ختام الاستعدادات للموسم الجديد 2025-2026.

وشارك مانشستر سيتي في البداية بتشكيل شهد تواجد المصري عمر مرموش، إلى جانب إيرلينج هالاند.

ولاحت فرصة في البداية لمرموش لكن قطعها دفاع باليرمو، وتقدم مانشستر سيتي بهدف عن طريق هالاند في الدقيقة 26 بعد تمريرة من ريكو لويس، ليهز شباك باليرمو.

ومرر مرموش عرضية لهالاند ولعبها الأخير لزميله آيت نوري الذي سدد بقوة بعيدة عن شباك الخصم.

في الشوط الثاني أجرى بيب جوارديولا مدرب مانشستر سيتي 10 تغييرات على تشكيل الفريق، وشارك جيريمي دوكو بديلاً لـ عمر مرموش.

وأضاف تيجاني ريندرز هدف مانشستر سيتي الثاني في الدقيقة 59 من اللقاء بعد تمريرة من سافيو، ثم قام جوارديولا باستبدال هالاند في الدقيقة 60، وشارك ديفين موكاسا بديلاً له.

وعزز مانشستر سيتي تقدمه بهدف ثالث، أحرزه تيجاني ريندرز وهو ثاني أهدافه خلال اللقاء، وسجله بالدقيقة 82 بعد تمريرة من موكاسا.

انتهت المباراة بفوز مانشستر سيتي بثلاثية دون رد، ويستعد فريق جوارديولا لأولى مبارياته بالدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز يوم 16 أغسطس الجاري، بمواجهة ولفرهامبتون. أهداف مباراة مانشستر سيتي وباليرمو