Everton struck gold on "world-class" star who could eclipse the Lukaku sale

To this day, Everton’s £75m sale of Romelu Lukaku to Manchester United remains the biggest in their history.

Comfortably, the Belgian sits in that top spot, even eight years later and just under a month before Neymar joined Paris Saint-Germain and changed the landscape of the transfer market irrevocably.

He was brilliant for Everton, still having played more games for the Toffees than for any other club across his wandering European career.

Lukaku: Stats in England

Club

Apps

Goals

Assists

Everton

166

87

27

Man Utd

96

42

12

Chelsea

59

15

2

West Brom

38

17

4

Stats via Transfermarkt

Everton have made many profitable sales since, selling Amadou Onana and Richarlison for hefty fees, to name a couple, but David Moyes will want to retain his prized players in this current Premier League climate, with the early readings from the current campaign suggesting his side have the capacity to reach heights long unscaled.

The most valuable players in the Everton squad

Everton have spent too long competing against the threat of relegation, and Moyes is intent on changing that. Indeed, four games into the 2025/26 season, the Scot has picked up seven points from 12, and Everton sit sixth in the standings.

They have a squad of new potential and possibilities. Iliman Ndiaye joined from Marseille for just £15m last summer, and yet he looks a top player indeed, the club’s top scorer last term and showing more quality over the opening weeks of the campaign. Perhaps he stands a chance of emulating Lukaku in the final third?

Jarrad Branthwaite has not yet kicked a ball this term due to injury, but has been courted by the Premier League’s top outfits in the past and has been priced at £75m, a fee which would level him with Lukaku.

And how could we forget Jack Grealish? A loanee he may be, the £100m Manchester City man has enjoyed an electric start to his stint on Merseyside, and after claiming August’s Player of the Month, fans clamour for a permanent deal down the line, although it may cost in the region of £40m-£50m to get it done.

However, Everton have another talent who actually has the potential to match Grealish’s one-time price tag, and that would see him topple Lukaku as the record holder.

Everton's new "world-class talent"

Maybe it would be unfair to speak of Tyler Dibling’s potential for a record sale at this nascent stage of his Everton career. After all, Moyes will hope that the English playmaker remains at the Hill Dickinson Stadium for many years to come.

Hailed as a “world-class talent” by Southampton youth coach Andy Goldie, Dibling is an exciting player indeed, endowed with a strong athletic style and silky dribbling skills, jinking his way past defenders and into the danger area.

Dibling stood out at Southampton last season, and Everton were tenacious in their bid to sign him, winning the tussle and paying a £42m fee.

He only registered seven goal involvements last year, but the 19-year-old’s potential is undeniable, with Saints sources revealing Dibling was valued at a whopping £100m by his former club as interest intensified last year.

Perhaps unrealistic, but at least it stood as a marker of the kid’s potential, so robust and at ease in the top flight despite Southampton’s woes. Indeed, he played more minutes than any other teenager in the Premier League last term, ranking impressively when compared to his younger peers.

His fleet-footedness has seen him play regularly on the right flank, but Dibling also has a skill from the centre, taking on his man and creating and weaving into space. Is it any wonder he’s already been compared to Grealish and Wayne Rooney since trading the south coast for the north west?

The options are many, and Moyes will crack the best method to see the player rise to the fore and perhaps creep closer toward Southampton’s lofty valuation from last season.

Dibling is the real deal, all right, and may well become a Premier League superstar over the coming years. Moyes will want to keep onto the speedy teenager, but if the day comes when Everton cash in, they will receive a paycheck surpassing even that one-time agreement to part with Lukaku.

Now worth more than Grealish: Everton must regret selling "phenomenal" star

Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Aston Villa brought into sharp focus Everton’s lack of quality strikers, so they must regret selling this phenomenal striker.

By
Ben Gray

Sep 14, 2025

Man Utd are in the title race! Ex-Red Devils coach believes Ruben Amorim could lead charge for Premier League top spot after beating Liverpool

Manchester United could surprise everyone by mounting a Premier League title challenge this season, according to Rene Meulensteen, who was part of Sir Alex Ferguson's staff during six dominant years between 2007 and 2013. Ruben Amorim's side have put together back-to-back league wins for the first time under the Portuguese and have enjoyed statement victories over Chelsea and Liverpool in recent weeks.

  • Why Man Utd can't be ruled out of race

    Meulensteen was speaking to , who offer the latest online casinos, and said that the margins in the Premier League are so fine, a bit of momentum for his former club, combined with injuries potentially affecting the likes of Arsenal, could alter how everything pans out.

    "There will be little twists and turns around the corner. If Arsenal lose maybe one or two players and maybe they lose one or two games, everything changes," the Dutchman said.

    "That could easily happen in a run-in. So I still think Arsenal, Man City, and Liverpool are going to be fighting for the Premier League and we can't rule out Man Utd if they go on this run we are hoping for. It could be three wins in a row and suddenly the whole momentum shifts into a positive power."

    "Then suddenly it could be wide open because they're only two points off Liverpool despite how the season has started," Meulensteen added.

  • Advertisement

  • Getty/GOAL

    'Project 150' at Man Utd

    Winning the Premier League this season would be ahead of schedule for United, who are undergoing a major rebuild on the pitch following a disastrous season in 2024-25. A rebuild behind the scenes has already taken place since Sir Jim Ratcliffe acquired his minority stake and control of sporting decisions, with chief executive Omar Berrada outlining to staff in 2024 the idea of 'Project 150'.

    The United hierarchy are targeting Premier League glory by 2028, the year which will mark the club's 150th anniversary, since the foundation of Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878. In recent days, Ratcliffe has publicly thrown his support by Amorim, despite the external pressure that had been mounting on the head coach, insisting the former Sporting CP boss will be given the patience of three years to get it right. It suggests that if United are to make good on achieving the objectives set out in 'Project 150', which also includes winning the Women's Super League for the first time, Amorim will still be around.

  • Amorim: Prepare every game like it's a final

    Amorim said in August that his team is not ready for an open title challenge, calling on "small" positive changes and improvements to get them to the point of becoming a genuine challenger by the time 2027-28 rolls around. But the philosophy he preached at that time, treating every game like a one-off final, could also lend itself to building momentum and ultimately launching a challenge under the radar.

    "Success is to win titles and we don't know if we are going to achieve that, we are not in the moment where we can say that we are clearly fighting for the league. We just need to make small steps," he explained. "Small steps means to prepare every game like it is a final. For us, it is a final, we have that pressure in this club. In the end, I don't know what is going to be success. It depends the way you are seeing the team.

    "We just want to be really competitive, trying to dominate games, trying to score goals, not to get fans bored to see our games! So we have small things – if we put check, check, check, in the end it is going to be better. That is the most important thing. I think everyone knows that we have a goal, not for this season, but in three years to win the Premier League. We are going to get these steps done to reach that goal but, of course, in this club, every week the narrative is going to be different. So we need to be prepared for that, block the noise, do the job and try to win games."

  • ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

  • Getty Images Sport

    The chance to build momentum

    Momentum is the key behind whether United can, or cannot, challenges the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool this season. Consistency has been almost impossible to come by during Amorim's reign to date, hence why The United Strand has been allowed to become a thing, but back-to-back Premier League win for the first time since May 2024 is at least a big step in the right direction.

    This is where not competing in Europe this season, and early Carabao Cup elimination, might actually be a blessing disguise. While rivals are stretched across multiple competitions right now, United have no other distractions outside the Premier League this side of Christmas. It's a single game each week for the foreseeable future, starting with the visit of Brighton on Saturday and then a trip to Nottingham Forest as November begins.

Football x F1 crossover: Chelsea captain Reece James opens up on friendship with Formula 1 icon Lewis Hamilton

Chelsea captain Reece James has shed light on an unlikely yet heartwarming friendship with Formula 1 icon Lewis Hamilton. The Chelsea club captain often finds his way to the best seats in the house on an F1 matchday if there are no football commitments, and his friendship with the racing star is no coincidence. It is a relationship which has been built over respect, shared struggles, and an unrelenting pursuit of greatness in two respective sports.

  • Hamilton’s touching tribute after Chelsea’s CWC triumph

    The bond between the Chelsea defender and Hamilton became public following one of James’ proudest moments in a blue shirt. After Chelsea’s emphatic 3–0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the FIFA Club World Cup final, a result that crowned them world champions, Hamilton took to Instagram to post a deeply personal message celebrating James' success. 

    He wrote: "Through it all, you kept your head up and kept pushing! Proud of you, brother.”

    Recently, speaking in an interview with , James revealed how the two stars came to know each other and how their relationship evolved beyond mere admiration.

    "We're reasonably close," he said. "He's probably the greatest F1 driver to have lived. I know we play different sports, but there are many similarities. He tries to help me where he can, when I'm going through difficult spells, because he has been at a high level for longer, and he's been through more."

  • Advertisement

  • AFP

    Persistent injury troubles for James

    Unfortunately for the Chelsea skipper, fitness woes have become an all-too-familiar part of his story. James was forced to withdraw from the England camp once again earlier in October after an issue emerged during Chelsea’s thrilling 2-1 win over Liverpool. To protect his long-term health, the decision was made to pull him out of international duty, allowing Manchester City’s rising talent O’Reilly to earn his first senior call-up in his place. At 25, James has already spent significant stretches of his career sidelined after suffering nine separate hamstring injuries, which have seen him miss over 400 days of football. The 2023–24 campaign was particularly brutal, with hamstring surgery forcing him to miss over 40 games for club and country.

  • Is James better than TAA?

    Despite making his England debut back in 2020, James has amassed just 21 caps. It is a tally far lower than expected for someone of his calibre. Injuries have played their part, but the fierce competition for the right-back spot in Thomas Tuchel’s squad has also been unrelenting. With established stars like Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, and Trent Alexander-Arnold all vying for the same position, every setback was a hammer blow to his chances. However, Pat Nevin has argued that if he had remained fit, the full-back would have been worth in gold. 

    "If Reece James was fit, he'd be worth £150 million," he said. "He's just stupidly good. He is that brilliant. There's nobody like him. And honestly, I put him above Trent Alexander-Arnold. At his best, fully fit, he was unbeatable. His quality going forward was staggering. He looked like a man playing with boys most of the time. But it's back to the injury thing. Had he been fully fit for the last couple of years he would be England’s definite fullback, 100%. I'm not even concerned. England are quite strong in that position, but 100 % it’s him. On top of that, he would be worth fortunes.

    "Every club in the world would want him, but Chelsea wouldn't sell him. Why would they? Because they'd be the best of the best," he said. "The problem you've got now is the injuries. Nobody's going to pay that money for him. However good he is, if he's only going to play 10, 15 games and don't just look at last season, you've got to look at the last three or four. You've to look at them all. And it's nothing against him."

  • ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

  • AFP

    James is back among the goals

    After the international break, James returned to action for Chelsea in a commanding 3–0 win over Nottingham Forest. He was among the scorers and will start again against Sunderland this Saturday.

Weekly wages: Tottenham Hotspur FC 2025/26 highest-paid players

Tottenham Hotspur have established themselves as one of the country’s ‘big six’ clubs over the last decade and finally ended their trophy drought by lifting the Europa League in 2025.

They remain one of the league’s biggest sides, and they do have the wage bill to put them at the top end of the league. Although it may not quite be as astronomical as some of their competitors, Spurs do still fork out a whopping £132,860,000 per year to their players.

Now, with the 2025/26 season underway, we have taken a look into which players at Tottenham are now earning the most in what is a new-look Spurs. All earnings are based on reports via Capology.

Disclaimer: Only the club and the players themselves truly know their wages, so take each of these figures as you will.

Rank

Player

Gross pay per week

Gross pay per year

=1

Xavi Simons

£195,000

£10,140,000

=1

Cristian Romero

£195,000

£10,140,000

3

James Maddison

£170,000

£8,840,000

=4

Mohammed Kudus

£150,000

£7,800,000

=4

Randal Kolo Muani

£150,000

£7,800,000

6

Dominic Solanke

£140,000

£7,280,000

7

Joao Palhinha

£135,000

£7,020,000

8

Dejan Kulusevski

£110,000

£5,720,000

9

Brennan Johnson

£100,000

£5,200,000

=10

Richarlison

£90,000

£4,680,000

=10

Micky van de Ven

£90,000

£4,680,000

=12

Pedro Porro

£85,000

£4,420,000

=12

Radu Dragusin

£85,000

£4,420,000

13

Ben Davies

£80,000

£4,160,000

=14

Guglielmo Vicario

£75,000

£3,900,000

=14

Rodrigo Bentancur

£75,000

£3,900,000

=14

Destiny Udogie

£75,000

£3,900,000

=14

Archie Gray

£75,000

£3,900,000

18

Pape Sarr

£70,000

£3,640,000

19

Kevin Danso

£65,000

£3,380,000

20

Lucas Bergvall

£60,000

£3,120,000

=21

Yves Bissouma

£55,000

£2,860,000

=21

Mathys Tel

£55,000

£2,860,000

=23

Djed Spence

£40,000

£2,080,000

=23

Wilson Odobert

£40,000

£2,080,000

25

Antonin Kinsky

£30,000

£1,560,000

=26

Brandon Austin

£15,000

£780,000

=26

Dane Scarlett

£15,000

£780,000

Here's a look at the top 10 highest earners at Tottenham:

10

Richarlison

£90,000 per week

Tottenham’s once club-record signing, Richarlison comes in with a fairly modest weekly wage – considering the £60m needed to sign him. However, he remains another player who has struggled to live up to the huge cost of bringing him to north London.

His current deal expires in 2027.

9

Brennan Johnson

£100,000 per week

Brennan Johnson was the Europa League hero after his goal against Manchester United in the final, and his contract is worth £5.2m per season.

The Welshman’s deal expires in 2028.

8

Dejan Kulusevski

£110,000 per week

Dejan Kulusevski’s stay in north London was made permanent following an 18-month loan deal from Juventus. His £110,000 per week wage, however, suggests he is a key member of the first-team squad.

His contract runs until 2028.

7

Joao Palhinha

£135,000 per week

Joao Palhinha was one of many who made the move to Tottenham following the arrival of Thomas Frank.

The former Fulham midfielder returned to the Premier League with Spurs on a season-long loan from Bayern Munich, and there is the option to make a move permanent in 2026.

6

Dominic Solanke

£140,000 per week

Spurs won the race to sign Dominic Solanke in 2024, with the striker signing from Bournemouth in a club record deal worth up to £65m.

Under contract until 2030, Solanke picks up £7.28m per season in north London.

5

Randal Kolo Muani

£150,000 per week

Arriving in 2025 to provide competition to Solanke was Randal Kolo Muani. The Frenchman made the move to England on a season-long loan from Champions League winners PSG after impressing in a temporary move with Juventus.

Kolo Muani is in line to collect just under £8m in wages with Spurs.

4

Mohammed Kudus

£150,000 per week

Also on £150,000 per week is Mohammed Kudus, however, the winger is a permanent Spurs player after his controvesial transfer from rivals.

Costing £55m, Kudus signed a six-year deal until 2031.

3

James Maddison

£170,000 per week

James Maddison joined Spurs from Leicester City in 2023 and instantly became a top earner at the club.

Unfortunately for the Englishman, he has had his injury issues in north London, but still picks up just under £9m per season.

2

Cristian Romero

£195,000 per week

Tottenham will feel they spent their money wisely when bringing in Cristian Romero, and after helping Spurs lift the Europa League, the Argentine signed a new improved deal.

He was being linked with a move to Real Madrid, however, Romero instead extended his stay in north London until 2029.

1

Xavi Simons

£195,000 per week

As well as Romero, Xavi Simons also collects £195,000 per week following his big-money move from RB Leipzig.

The Dutch attacking midfielder cost more than £50m, with Tottenham hijacking Chelsea’s move for Simons after having their move for Eberechi Eze hijacked by Arsenal.

Romano reveals what Marinakis will do at Nottingham Forest over the break

Nottingham Forest have failed to arrest their slump in form and Fabrizio Romano has now revealed the steps Evangelos Marinakis will take over the international break at the City Ground.

Nottingham Forest suffer defeat at Newcastle United

Ange Postecoglou has found himself in a frustrating position since taking over from Nuno Espirito Santo and now has the unwanted record of going seven matches without a win in charge.

Newcastle United away was always a tough encounter to walk into after a 3-2 defeat at home to FC Midtjylland in the Europa League, and goals from Bruno Guimaraes and Nick Woltemade condemned the Tricky Trees to another defeat under the former Celtic boss.

Post-match, Postecoglou refused to back down despite growing speculation that he could be set for a swift exit, stating: “If people want to make an assessment of me after three and a half weeks in which I’ve had six or seven games, there’s nothing I can do about that.

“But at the same time, there’s nothing wrong with things being tough. That’s okay. I’ll say it a million times, I did have an option. I could have been sitting on the couch watching the game today and not be in the middle of it. I’d rather be, much rather be… I love a fight. So it’s a fight, so it’s a struggle – so what? That’s okay.”

Evangelos Marinakis won’t hesitate to relieve Postecoglou of his duties if results don’t improve, as he has already shown this term with Nuno, albeit you get the impression that the international break has come at a good time for all parties.

Murillo repeat: Nottingham Forest now eyeing 2026 move to sign Brazil int'l

The Midlands club are already thinking about reinforcements.

By
Tom Cunningham

Oct 6, 2025

With the pause in the Premier League season now upon supporters, they have gained some insight on the direction Nottingham Forest’s owner could take amid their questionable run of results.

Marinakis plans crisis talks with Ange

Writing in his letter for GIVEMESPORT, Romano confirmed Marinakis will look to clarify why Nottingham Forest aren’t claiming results since Postecoglou’s appointment in the East Midlands.

He explained: “Marinakis wants to clarify with Ange and understand why this is not working. So for sure there will be discussions about his impact at the club.”

Ange Postecoglou’s Nottingham Forest results

Arsenal 3-0 Nottingham Forest

Swansea City 3-2 Nottingham Forest

Burnley 1-1 Nottingham Forest

Real Betis 2-2 Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest 0-1 Sunderland

Nottingham Forest 2-3 FC Midtjylland

Newcastle United 2-0 Nottingham Forest

Ultimately, Postecoglou hasn’t been able to find a winning formula since taking over at the Tricky Trees, which is a major cause for concern amid their poor start to the season.

However, his spells at Celtic and Tottenham Hotspur illustrate that sometimes, hardship comes before success is found. The 60-year-old has won six trophies since 2022, potentially offering scope for a little more leeway to get things right.

One thing is for certain, he must deliver sooner rather than later, otherwise Marinakis will be left with no choice but to pull the trigger and hire a replacement.

Xabi Alonso told he 'has to take action' to stop Vinicius Jr's 'unacceptable and egocentric' behaviour as ex-coach slams Real Madrid star's Clasico dramatics

Former Atletico Madrid star Gabi has blasted Vinicius Junior's Clasico antics as "unacceptable and egocentric," telling Xabi Alonso he "has to take action" against the Real Madrid star. The criticism follows Vinicius storming down the tunnel after being substituted against Barcelona, reportedly saying he will leave the Spanish side as he walked down the tunnel.

  • Vinicius causes a storm in the Clasico

    Vinicius has faced heavy criticism for his explosive reaction to being substituted in the 72nd minute of Sunday's 2-1 win against Barcelona. Alonso withdrew the Brazilian to replace him with compatriot Rodrygo. In response, Vinicius stormed off the pitch, reportedly shouting: "Always me… I'm leaving the team, it's better if I leave, I'm leaving," towards the bench.

    He proceeded directly down the tunnel, only to return to the bench several minutes later. He was subsequently booked after the final whistle for his involvement in a post-match confrontation centred around Barcelona's Lamine Yamal.

    Former Real Zaragoza coach and Atletico Madrid captain did not hold back in his assessment of the Brazilian's theatrics, insisting the responsibility to manage the star lies firmly with the coach.

    "He tests everyone around him every day. For me, it was to be expected; the one who has to take action is the coach," Gabi said on .

    "What I detest most in a footballer is the theatrics and grand gestures, being put to the test in public… Whatever you want behind closed doors, no problem."

  • Advertisement

  • Gabi condemns 'egocentric' apology

    The former coach also outlined how he would have managed the immediate fallout, criticising Vinicius's subsequent actions, which included a public apology that conspicuously omitted his manager.

    "What would I have done after the Clasico? After the match, you have to talk to him," Gabi said. "You can't just let it go and have him issue a statement and not apologise to the coach. It's unacceptable and egocentric."

    Gabi extended his criticism beyond the single incident, suggesting a pattern of behaviour and referencing Vinicius's high-profile anti-racism campaign, which he implied the player was using inappropriately.

    "It's a combination of things. You get carried away and do things that, in my opinion, are inappropriate," Gabi said. "You judge teammates, the coach, a whole country, saying we're all racist… what the hell is going on? This isn't the path for me. It's very difficult to know how to win; you get carried away and do things that aren't right."

    He concluded: "No one can think they are above the team. Any player who feels superior has a problem… Unless you're Messi, who won games single-handedly."

  • Real Madrid opt against punishing Brazilian

    Despite Gabi's call for action, Madrid will not formally punish or suspend Vinicius for the outburst, reports. The club maintain that disciplinary matters remain internal and a spokesperson declined to comment. However, the report adds the relationship between Alonso and Vinicius has been "affected" by the incident and the pair were expected to hold face-to-face talks upon the squad's return to training.

    At the executive level, reports the hierarchy is "fully supportive" of Alonso's decision-making. The coach, who returned to the Bernabeu this summer after a successful spell at Bayer Leverkusen, is free to make technical decisions as he sees fit.

  • ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

  • Alonso addresses Vinicius Jr issue

    Publicly, Xabi Alonso refused to criticise the winger in his post-match press conference, instead contextualising the substitution as a normal part of management.

    "The only thing Vinicius was missing was a goal," Alonso told reporters. "It's true that he came off the pitch when he was feeling best and I could have waited a bit to replace him, but I understood that we needed fresh players to maintain control. Vinicius wanted to stay on because he was feeling good.

    "Franco [Mastantuono] wanted to carry on playing too. He said to me, 'Are you taking me off?' And I said, 'Yes'. Something similar happened with Vini. He wasn't very happy, but neither was Franco. It happens to everyone, but I'm very happy with Vinicius's performance. The schedule is demanding and we have to keep going.”

VIDEO: Erling Haaland goes undercover! Man City star transforms into Joker for Halloween and stuns unsuspecting fans

He's used to terrifying defences but on Friday Manchester City striker Erling Haaland completed his transformation into the Joker for Halloween to scare unsuspecting fans. The Norwegian goal machine donned the famous purple suit, face paint and green hair to torment residents in Manchester given opposition backlines a brief reprieve before returning to action this weekend.

  • Getty Images Sport

    Haaland has been tormenting backlines this season

    Haaland is the Premier League's top scorer this season having struck 11 times in his opening nine appearances. The City goal machine is expected to land the Golden Boot this season having missed out on the accolade to Liverpool star Mohamed Salah last term.

    The 25-year-old still scored 22 league goals for Pep Guardiola's side but was restricted to just 31 starts in England's top tier owing to injury. Salah, meanwhile, enjoyed a campaign to remember as he scored 29 goals and laid on an additional 18 assists as the Reds secured the Premier League title in Arne Slot's debut season at the Anfield helm.

    Haaland, who blanked for only the second Premier League game this season against Aston Villa at the weekend, missed the midweek EFL Cup win over Swansea due to injury sustained in the 1-0 defeat to Villa but is expected to return for City's welcome of Bournemouth on Sunday. And having been held by one Villan last time out, Haaland took to the streets as Batman's adversary this week to scare the wits out of supporters.

  • Advertisement

  • Watch the full video below

  • From striker to YouTuber

    Haaland only recently started his official YouTube channel and his first video – 'Day in the Life of a pro footballer: Erling Haaland' – has amassed a little under 6m views. At the time of writing, the second video – 'I Went Undercover as the Joker in the Streets of Manchester' – has already been viewed 50k times despite only going live earlier this evening.

    Including YouTube shorts, the channel itself has 11m views, while 43% of their audience watched the first episode on TV.

    Despite only a handful of videos, Haaland's official channel has gained 640k new subs and nearly 900,000 watch time hours.

  • ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

  • Getty Images Sport

    Marmoush and Cherki return a boost

    City responded well to their disappointing 1-0 loss to Aston Villa last week with a 3-1 win over Swansea in the EFL Cup as Omar Marmoush and Rayan Cherki both made goalscoring returns to the starting XI.

    The pair arrived in January and June, respectively, but have endured recent stints on the sidelines due to injury. Guardiola will hope the return of the pair will ease the burden on Haaland, who has scored 64.7% of City's 17 league goals this season.

"Could ruin him" – Nicky Butt warns "incredible" manager not to take Man Utd job

Nicky Butt has warned a manager who Gary Neville called “incredible” not to take the Manchester United job, saying “it could ruin him.”

Respite for Amorim after Sunderland victory

The 2-0 victory over newly-promoted Sunderland prior to the international break provided Ruben Amorim with a little respite, but there will be much tougher tests to come in the coming weeks, with a daunting trip to Anfield this Sunday up first.

There has been plenty of speculation about Amorim’s future already this season, with Jamie Carragher suggesting the writing may already be on the wall, given that the 40-year-old simply isn’t a good fit for Man United.

Carragher said: “What he did at Sporting Lisbon was fantastic. But bringing a manager like that in with the system he plays I don’t think ever suited a club like Manchester United with the traditions at Manchester United.

“We are just waiting for the inevitable, unfortunately, because you don’t want people to lose their jobs. But this [Amorim’s time in charge] has to end as quickly as possible.”

It appears as though Sir Jim Ratcliffe is very committed to the Amorim project, however, having recently insisted he wants to give the Portuguese coach three years to prove himself.

That said, if there is not a major improvement in performances and results, it is very difficult to envisage the United boss lasting that long, and the rumour mill about potential replacements is already in full swing.

Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, Paddy McGuinness recently asked Paul Scholes and Butt whether they’d like to see Ole Gunnar Solskjaer return to Old Trafford, but the latter was emphatic in his response, stating his former teammate shouldn’t consider the move.

The former Man United midfielder said: “The hard thing for Ole would be, if you come back the second time – it could ruin him. It won’t because of his legacy at the football club, but you could bring prime Sir Alex or Jose in at the minute and they wouldn’t be able to do anything with that squad. So for me, I hope it wouldn’t happen.”

Appointing "incredible" Ole would be step backwards

It is undeniable that Ole is one of the Red Devils’ best managers post Sir Alex Ferguson, with the Norwegian leading them to a second-placed finish in the 2020-21 campaign, but it would be a step backwards to bring him back to Old Trafford.

Vivell's a fan: Man Utd devise plan to sign "elite" £40m midfielder with Wharton

The Red Devils are very keen on bringing in a new midfielder.

By
Dominic Lund

Oct 14, 2025

United sacked the 52-year-old back in November 2021, after failing to win a trophy in nearly three years as manager, and he has since failed to make an impact at Besiktas, with the Turkish club dismissing the former striker back in August.

As such, despite being lauded as “incredible” by Neville for the job he did at Man United last time around, Ole shouldn’t be considered as a replacement for Amorim, who rakes in £6.5m-per-year.

Report: Dodgers Making Free Agency Pitch to Juan Soto On Tuesday

The Los Angeles Dodgers are the newest team to throw their hat in the Juan Soto sweepstakes.

Soto, the crown jewel of the MLB offseason, already met with the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and New York Mets. Soto's Yankees, who he helped lift to a World Series appearance last season, were thought to be next on his schedule with speculation that both parties met on Monday, Nov. 18.

Mark Feinsand reported that the Dodgers would meet with Soto this week, as early as Tuesday, Nov. 19. ESPN's Alden González then confirmed Soto and the Dodgers were set to meet on Tuesday.

Feinsand mentioned that Soto is expected to command a deal north of $500 million and possibly even higher than $600 million depending on the contract's length.

The large elephant in the room is Shohei Ohtani's 10-year, $700 million deal that the Dodgers executed last offseason. Ohtani's contract deferred $680 million in salary for a decade. He'll make $2 million per year through 2034 and then $68 million each year in the following 10 years. That's a large chunk of change.

L.A. won the World Series over Soto and the Yankees, now they look to reload with the biggest fish on the market yet again.

Although Soto landing with the Dodgers is a wild outcome, there's some free agents you just have to go for when they're available. Soto is a player you have to court, especially if you're the Dodgers with a star-studded, competitive roster and enticing free-agent market.

Colton Cowser's Painful Strikeout Hurts Even More After Orioles' Narrow Loss to Royals

The Baltimore Orioles were bounced from the 2024 MLB postseason in the wild-card round in a narrow 2-1 defeat against the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday.

There's one moment the team, and Colton Cowser in particular, will surely look back on in agony.

After Seth Lugo loaded the bases and was relieved by Angel Zerpa, Cowser stepped into the batter's box in a crucial spot during the bottom of the fifth inning. With one out and the bases full, Cowser was hit by a pitch right on the hand, but it was ruled a strikeout because he swung at the pitch.

It was undoubtedly one of the most painful strikeouts of the 2024 season, and it couldn't have come at a more dire point in the game.

Had Cowser not swung at the pitch that clipped his hands, he would have been awarded first base and the go-ahead run would've come across the plate. Instead, he was called out on strikes for the third time in three at-bats.

Adley Rutschman was up next and grounded out to shortstop to end the inning, leaving all three runners stranded.

The Orioles did not score again in the game, as their season came to an unfortunate end with just one run scored throughout the entirety of their brief stay in the postseason.

Game
Register
Service
Bonus