Serie A outfit Fiorentina are set to part ways with Italian head coach Stefano Pioli after their defeat to Lecce. The Viola are currently navigating profiles who could be potential replacements for Pioli and are assessing the financial impact of removing their head coach.
Everton have made a noticeable step forward in the early stages of the 2025/26 season.
Under David Moyes, the team has shown more cohesion, tempo, and tactical clarity than in recent campaigns.
They currently sit eighth in the Premier League with three wins and eleven points, having also picked up victories against Wolves and Brighton, while suffering narrow defeats to Leeds and Liverpool.
The improvement is clear, yet one area that remains a concern is Everton’s attacking output.
Despite the team showing better structure, their forwards have struggled to consistently convert opportunities into goals.
Moyes’ side has been effective in linking midfield to attack, but the finishing touch has often been missing.
This leaves room for a player capable of creating, unlocking defences, and elevating teammates to make a difference in front of goal.
The spotlight has primarily fallen on Thierno Barry and Beto, Everton’s two principal options at the No. 9 position.
Both have their strengths, but neither has yet stamped themselves as the first-choice striker capable of leading the line consistently.
That is where one of Everton’s best players comes into the conversation, ahead of Saturday’s meeting with Manchester City.
Beto and Barry's continued struggles at Everton
Barry, the French U21 international, arrived at Everton in the summer for £27.6m from Villarreal, bringing a profile similar to that of Dušan Vlahović or Ollie Watkins, as noted by FBref.
At 6ft 5in, he possesses a commanding aerial presence, winning nearly two-thirds of the duels contested in the penalty area last season and ranking in the 87th percentile for aerials won (3.84 per 90).
Barry is also adept at carrying the ball forward and stretching defensive lines, ranking in the 74th percentile for progressive carries (1.70 per 90) and the 62nd percentile for successful take-ons (0.77 per 90).
Despite these promising metrics, Barry has yet to make a significant impact in the Premier League.
Against Crystal Palace, for instance, he played 19 touches, completing only four of eight passes, registering no shots, and losing possession ten times, as per Sofascore.
While Moyes has cautioned that Barry needs time to adapt to the rigours of the Premier League, the sense remains that Everton require more immediate returns from their striking options.
Beto, meanwhile, is alternating with Barry in the forward role, showing glimpses of promise but failing to assert himself as the consistent focal point of attack.
Everton’s system demands a striker who can both finish and facilitate; however, both Barry and Beto have, at times, been inconsistent in contributing the decisive final action.
The rotation between them means neither has yet fully settled, and the team’s attacking rhythm has suffered as a result.
This scenario highlights the need for a complementary presence in midfield or wide areas, someone capable of linking play and providing the incisive passes that could allow Barry or Beto to flourish.
How Moyes can get Beto & Barry firing
Illiman Ndiaye, the 25-year-old French midfielder signed from Marseille, has the potential to be that catalyst.
His skill set is ideally suited to Everton’s current configuration: he can operate from the right wing or as a No. 10, carrying the ball, creating overloads, and providing decisive passes into the penalty area.
Ndiaye has already shown glimpses of his technical ability, composure under pressure, and intelligent movement.
He excels in transitioning defence to attack and ranks highly in progressive carries, progressive passes, and successful take-ons per 90 minutes.
His ability to break lines, maintain possession under pressure, and combine effectively with creative teammates could provide the service both Barry and Beto have been missing.
Matches Played
7
Goals
3
Assists
1
Progressive Carries
16
Progressive Passes
10
Described by Ben Mattinson as a “creator of chaos,” One of Ndiaye’s defining qualities is versatility.
Moyes has recently deployed him on the right flank, where he can drift inside to create space for overlapping full-backs, although he should be shifted into the No. 10 role, orchestrating attacks behind whichever striker starts.
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Putting greater onus on his talents in a central role is crucial, particularly with Jack Grealish unavailable for Everton’s upcoming trip to the Etihad.
In his absence, Ndiaye can offer the creative spark necessary to maintain attacking fluidity, with the likes of Dwight McNeil or Tyler Dibling able to vie for Grealish’s vacant berth down the left.
Beyond statistics, Ndiaye brings energy and tactical intelligence, allowing Everton to press effectively and recover possession quickly, maintaining the high-intensity style Moyes demands.
His combination of technical ability and physical dynamism ensures that he can influence games even when the forwards are struggling for confidence.
For Moyes, integrating Ndiaye successfully could address Everton’s ongoing attacking inconsistencies.
If the Frenchman can link up effectively with Barry or Beto, it could unlock the finishing threat that has so far been sporadic.
Ndiaye’s ability to combine creativity, energy, and positional intelligence may prove the difference in converting strong performances into consistent wins.
Moyes can finally ditch Beto & Barry for Everton's "prolific" 19-year-old
Barry and Beto battle for Everton’s No.9 role, but 19-year-old could be the long-term solution
ByWill Miller Oct 17, 2025
The loss to Liverpool has certainly made things more complicated, but Arsenal still have a great chance to win the Premier League this season.
Moreover, despite the narrative some in the media are seemingly desperate to spin, Mikel Arteta’s side were just as good as the defending champions, and were it not for a freak free-kick, would be level on points with them.
That said, while the Gunners were defensively excellent against the Reds, they were a little underwhelming in attack, although Viktor Gyokeres didn’t really get the service he needed to make an impact.
Fortunately, the team will only grow more familiar with his fame in the coming weeks and months, and if his form over the last few seasons is anything to go by, he should be scoring for fun in no time at all.
With that said, Arsenal may well have been able to save the £68m they spent on him had they not sold a youngster a few windows ago.
While there were several problems Arsenal had to contend with last season, from chance creation to a never-ending list of injuries, one of the big ones was simply putting the ball in the back of the net.
So, if you were Andrea Berta and you wanted to help solve that problem, you’d probably go out and sign the most prolific player in the world last year, which is precisely what he did.
From January 1 to December 31, 2024, Gyokeres scored a staggering 36 goals in the league alone, more than any other player in any other top-flight league around the world.
Perhaps even more impressive than that, though, is the fact that the Swedish “powerhouse,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, scored a staggering 54 goals and provided 13 assists across 52 appearances last season.
In other words, the 27-year-old international averaged 1.28 goal involvements every game, which is nothing short of miraculous.
In all, it’s not his build-up play nor his passing ability that caused Arsenal to splash the cash on Gyokeres; it was his unreal ability to wallop the ball in the back of the net.
Yet, while his transfer will probably work out, it might not have been necessary had Arteta and Co shown faith in a former youngster at the club.
For all the talents that have made it into the first team over recent years, such as Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skell and Bukayo Saka, Arsenal have let their fair share of young stars leave.
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The likes of Donyell Malen and Eberechi Eze were let go as youngsters, but in this instance, we are talking about Mika Biereth.
The Danish poacher joined the club’s youth setup from Fulham in the summer of 2021 and, within a few years, had been out on several loans, the most successful of which was at Sturm Graz, who he was sold to for around £4m in the summer of 2024.
To say the 22-year-old hit the ground running upon making the permanent move would be a massive understatement, as in the first half of this season, he ended up scoring 14 goals and providing five assists in 25 appearances.
Such an awe-inspiring start to the campaign was more than enough to convince AS Monaco to spend just north of £10m on him in the winter window.
Despite now playing in a top-five league for the first time, the “outrageous” talent, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, thrived on the French Riviera, scoring 13 goals and providing three assists in 19 appearances, totalling 1366 minutes.
In other words, the free-scoring forward, whom Arteta sold for a pittance, scored 27 goals and provided eight assists in just 44 appearances, totalling 3337 minutes last season.
|
Biereth in 24/25 |
|
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
44 |
|
Minutes |
3337′ |
|
Goals |
27 |
|
Assists |
8 |
|
Goals Involvements per Mat |
0.79 |
|
Minutes per Goal Involvement |
95.34′ |
|
All Stats via Transfermarkt |
|
That comes out to a monstrous average of a goal involvement every 1.25 games, or every 95.34 minutes across the 24/25 campaign.
Now, we are not claiming that Biereth would be as good a striker for the Gunners as Gyokeres could end up being this summer, but it’s clear that they probably would have been better off keeping him around.
After all, his output last season was undeniably Gyokeres-esque.
Berta must axe "clunky and indecisive" Arsenal dud who earns more than Eze
It’s time for Mikel Arteta and Arsenal to move on from the big-earner.
1
By
Jack Salveson Holmes
Sep 2, 2025
Declan Rice has revealed he was inundated with messages from some icons of the game after his free-kick heroics for Arsenal against Real Madrid in the Champions League last season. The midfielder scored two outrageous goals from set-pieces in the quarter-final first leg at Emirates Stadium, inspiring a famous 3-0 victory that set up a comfortable 5-1 aggregate win for the Gunners.
Manchester United have now joined the race for an England international, who Thomas Tuchel was left impressed by against Andorra.
Man Utd remain keen on new midfielder
Ruben Amorim was able to make a number of improvements to his squad during the summer transfer window, but one position he failed to strengthen was central midfield, despite well-documented interest in Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba.
It is clear Amorim isn’t overly convinced by Kobbie Mainoo, which could exacerbate the need to bring in a new central midfielder, with the 20-year-old featuring for just 45 minutes in the Premier League so far this season.
Amid a lack of game time, there were suggestions that Mainoo was considering a move late in the transfer window, so if Amorim doesn’t give the Englishman regular minutes before January, it seems feasible that he could push for a move this winter.
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Given a lack of game time, the youngster hasn’t been called up by England for the current international break, and the Red Devils have now set their sights on signing a different Three Lions midfielder.
That is according to former Red Devils scout Mick Brown, who revealed that Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson is now of interest to United, in an interview with Football Insider.
Brown said: “Man United have been looking at Anderson,
“He’s done a tremendous job at Nottingham Forest and then he’s come into the England side and turned in a man-of-the-match performance. United see him as exactly the type of midfielder they would like to bring in.
“He gets up and down the park, he’s confident and secure in possession of the ball, and he’s not afraid to put in a tackle which is something they need.”
"Phenomenal" Anderson catching the eye for England
On what was his England debut against Andorra last week, the 22-year-old made a fantastic first impression, with Tuchel saying: “Very good, very, very good. He was a bit nervous this week but then did good, and we said let’s try it, and he did it. That was the test and I think he passed the test.”
The central midfielder has also been singled out for praise by international teammate Reece James in the past, with the Chelsea defender describing him as a “phenomenal” player, who should have received a call-up sooner.
Not only that, but the Forest star has made a fantastic start to the new Premier League campaign, averaging a 7.15 WhoScored match rating in the opening three games, which is the highest figure in the squad.
Statistic
Average per 90 (past year)
Assists
0.19 (88th percentile)
Successful take-ons
1.18 (89th percentile)
Tackles
3.07 (88th percentile)
Clearances
2.40 (87th percentile)
Aerials won
1.89 (89th percentile)
As such, Man United should undoubtedly make a move for the £40k-a-week midfielder if he is available, but it could be difficult to tempt Forest into a sale.
La Liga president Javier Tebas has accused the Premier League of inflating the players' salaries and transfer fees. According to the 63-year-old, this affects the global market and other leagues including the Spanish top flight as well as he stressed the importance of "sustainability" across Europe's leagues.
Premier League punching above their weight?
The 2025 summer window saw around 12,000 international transfers, and the spending, as per FIFA, was a whopping $9.7 billion. This was 50% more than last season, with Premier League clubs alone spending $3.19 billion on high profile such as Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, who all joined Liverpool, and new Manchester United forward Benjamin Sesko. This was more than the cumulative figure of Spain ($666m), Italy ($950m), France ($730m) and Germany ($980m), prompting Tebas to warning of a destructive outcome if such spending continues.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportTebas explains his point with an example
While speaking at the third edition of the Expansion & Marca Business Sport Forum, he said: "We always compare ourselves to the Premier League, but we should see how we are doing compared to the Bundesliga. I want to point out how the Premier League's numbers are not correct. The turnover of La Liga and the Bundesliga is very similar; we're around €4 billion in revenue. The Premier League earns not double, but 1.8 million more, but we're going to say double. The logical thing is that if La Liga spends €700 million, the Premier League would spend €1.4 billion. But in the last seven seasons, the Premier League has always spent much more than double, which is what it should have. This year, it should have spent €1.4 billion, but it spent €4 billion. Where do those €2.5 billion come from? Losses. What happens? Inflation. If you pay more than you should have spent, you'll lose. Your turnover, what happens? If someone pays much more, it inflates salaries and affects us all because the market today is global."
He also touched on the UK government's interventions, referring to the establishment of an independent regulator, adding: "Today, the Premier League is being intervened by the government because they are worried about what is happening to English football. Last year, it lost €1.2 billion; La Liga isn't going to lose money, nor is the Bundesliga. I no longer talk about Italy and France because they are much worse off. We always go to the Premier League, but I am careful about the state of the Premier League, which has reached the point of being invested in by the government. Companies are competitive and economically sustainable. What we are doing in Spanish football is very important."
Tebas approached UEFA
Tebas wants to curb the Premier League's spending, and to get it incorporated, he has approached UEFA multiple times.
"The rules need to be made much more uniform because they're different," he said. "What's allowed in the Premier League isn't allowed in Spain, and UEFA should take an interventionist stance there. We've had a few meetings with UEFA, and we'll see if we continue along those lines, which is what everyone wants, including many Premier League teams."
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AFPLa Liga more like Bundesliga than Premier League
La Liga introduced their economic control over the teams in 2013, after being inspired by UEFA's Financial Fair Play model. The president says comparisons to the Premier League are not helpful, preferring to put La Liga on a par with the Bundesliga instead.
أعلن البلجيكي يانيك فيريرا، المدير الفني لنادي الزمالك، تشكيل الفريق الرسمي لمواجهة غزل المحلة، في المباراة التي تقام بينهما اليوم السبت، ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.
ويلتقي الزمالك مع غزل المحلة، في إطار مواجهات الجولة العاشرة من عمر مواجهات بطولة الدوري المصري، ذلك على ملعب ستاد هيئة قناة السويس.
ويسعي فريق الزمالك من خلال لقاء غزل المحلة، إلي العودة من جديد إلي طريق الانتصارات بعد تعادل وخسارة في الجولتين الأخيرتين أمام الجونة والأهلي على الترتيب.
ويحتل فريق نادي الزمالك، المركز الثاني في جدول ترتيب الدوري المصري، برصيد 17 نقطة، إذ في 5 مباريات وتعادل في 2 وخسر في مواجهتان.
طالع | بدلاء الزمالك أمام غزل المحلة في الدوري
ويشهد تشكيل الزمالك، تغييرات عديدة، حيث يظهر أحمد ربيع في خط الوسط لأول مرة منذ انضمامه من البنك الأهلي في الانتقالات الصيفية، ويتواجد في الهجوم اللاعب البرازيلي حوان الفينا بيزيرا مع الثنائي أحمد شريف وعمرو ناصر. تشكيل الزمالك اليوم أمام غزل المحلة في الدوري المصري
حراسة المرمي: محمد صبحي.
خط الدفاع: محمود بنتايج، حسام عبد المجيد، محمد إسماعيل وعمر جابر.
خط الوسط: أحمد ربيع، أحمد حمدي وناصر ماهر.
خط الهجوم: أحمد شريف، خوان بيزيرا وعمرو ناصر.
Everton are now reportedly leading the race to sign a Champions League-level winger who will be allowed to leave his current club this summer.
After confirming the arrival of Mark Travers from Bournemouth, Everton still have unfinished business in the summer transfer window. Ahead of their first season at The Hill Dickinson Stadium, the current transfer window reflects an opportunity for The Friedkin Group to make an impressive statement and set David Moyes up with a squad capable of more than just survival.
After Travers, Thierno Barry and the permanent arrival of Carlos Alcaraz, the Toffees still have plenty of work to do and that work could be done to reinforce their midfield.
Having lost Abdoulaye Doucoure following the end of his contract at the end of last season, Moyes is arguably lacking a physical presence at the heart of his midfield. But that’s where a familiar face in Tomas Soucek could arrive. The Czech Republic ace thrived under Moyes at West Ham and is now reportedly set to be the subject of an imminent £12m bid from Everton.
|
Tomas Soucek under David Moyes |
Record (via Transfermarkt) |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
207 |
|
Goals |
32 |
|
Assists |
11 |
It should come as no surprise that Soucek is now keen to reunite with Moyes after such a successful spell together the first time around. And for just £12m, Everton wouldn’t exactly be breaking the bank.
That said, Soucek isn’t their only reported target in midfield. The likes of Jacob Ramsey have also been mentioned in recent headlines, as Aston Villa continue to struggle on the PSR front. Like Soucek, the England midfielder would be an excellent addition.
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The same can be said for a La Liga winger, as the Toffees aim to send a transfer statement.
According to reports in Spain, Everton are now leading the race to sign Samuel Lino from Atletico Madrid this summer. The winger is reportedly free to leave the Champions League side and several sides have enquired about his availability as a result. Whether Everton are among those sides remains to be seen, however.
|
League stats 24/25 (via FBref) |
Samuel Lino |
Jack Harrison |
|---|---|---|
|
Starts |
21 |
24 |
|
Goals |
3 |
1 |
|
Assists |
4 |
0 |
|
Successful Take-ons |
27 |
24 |
Previously described as “interesting” by scout Jacek Kulig, Lino would be an instant upgrade on Jack Harrison, who has been linked with a permanent move to Everton this summer.
The Atletico Madrid man was involved in more goals in fewer games last season, whilst also enjoying more take-on success. In every key department, Lino should be preferred over the Leeds United man.
At 25 years old, Lino should be at the peak of his powers if he discovers his most clinical form. Reportedly in pole position, Everton should kick on and sign a player who has Champions League experience and outperformed other targets last season.
Glasgow Rangers are in the market to improve their options on the flanks in the coming days, as Russell Martin looks to make further additions to his squad.
The Light Blues are set to sign Tottenham Hotspur youngster Mikey Moore on a season-long loan to provide Djeidi Gassama with competition on the left flank.
Rangers are also reportedly in talks with Go Ahead Eagles over a potential deal to sign Finland international forward Oliver Antman, who could provide an excellent option on the other wing.
The 23-year-old star delivered an eye-catching return of 17 assists in all competitions during the 2024/25 campaign, and could provide a huge threat as a creative force for the Scottish Premiership giants.
Rangers in talks to sign left-footed forward
As well as seemingly closing in on deals for both Moore and Antman, the 49ers are not done there as they want another winger to compete for a place in Martin’s team.
Transfer Focus
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According to The Sun, as relayed by Ibrox News, the 49ers remain in Rangers talks with Premier League side Crystal Palace over a possible deal for forward Jesurun Rak-Sakyi.
The report claims that the left-footed wing wizard has interest from around the globe this summer, but currently ‘favours’ a move to Ibrox to work with Martin.
It adds that the Eagles are demanding a fee of £10m to allow him to leave on a permanent basis, with Rangers in talks to sign the winger on an initial loan deal.
Why Rangers should sign Rak-Sakyi and Antman
The Light Blues appear to be targeting deals for both Rak-Sakyi and Antman, despite the fact that they both predominantly play on the right wing, and that should come as good news to supporters.
Signing both players would be the right move for the Gers to make because they do not currently have any senior, recognised, right wing options to call upon, and they will need two players to spread the workload across a potentially 50 or 60-game season.
They could be an amazing right-wing rotation for Rangers and Martin because they are both incredibly gifted forwards who have the potential to make an impact in the final third, albeit in different ways.
Whilst Antman, as aforementioned, is an exceptional creative talent who can provide his teammates with plenty of chances to score, Rak-Sakyi is more of a goalscoring winger, as partially evidenced by his 15-goal haul for Charlton in the 2022/23 campaign.
Appearances
35
32
Goals
7
6
Goals per 90
0.4
0.2
Assists
2
15
Assists per 90
0.1
0.6
Big chances created
3
16
As you can see in the table above, Rak-Sakyi averaged twice as many goals as Antman per 90 at league level last season, whilst the Finland international was significantly more creative.
This suggests that they offer different qualities on the wing, providing Martin with ways to change up his side, whilst the statistics also suggest that there could be a way for the manager to get them to play together.
Antman, for example, has played as a central midfielder, a centre-forward, and as an attacking midfielder in his career, which suggests that he is also comfortable operating in the middle of the park, if not in his natural position out wide on the right.
This means that the Finnish star and Rak-Sakyi, who was described as “devastating” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, could play together in the same starting XI, as the former could play in the middle with the Palace ace out on the flank.
That could be an effective combination for the Light Blues to use because Antman’s creativity, coupled with Rak-Sakyi’s goalscoring quality, could lead to them being a deadly duo on the pitch in Glasgow next season.
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Therefore, they could be an amazing set of signings for Rangers to make this summer, both because of their potential to play together, as well as the depth that they would provide Martin on the right wing.
He played four Tests between 1964 and 1967 and was the first Pakistan batter to score a century on Test debut
ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-2024
Billy Ibadulla was the first Pakistan player to score a hundred on Test debut•PA Photos/Getty Images
Former Pakistan allrounder Billy Ibadulla died on Friday at the age of 88. He had a short, but notable international career, playing only four Tests for Pakistan between 1964 and 1967, but became the first from his country to score a hundred on Test debut.Ibadulla made his Test debut against Australia in Karachi in 1964, one of six Test debutants in that game as Pakistan regenerated after their early years of success. Ibadulla had been drafted into the side at the insistence of the captain Hanif Mohammad and he immediately repaid that faith, with 166 in the first innings.He was part of a 249-run opening partnership with fellow debutant, and wicketkeeper, Abdul Kadir. It remains the highest partnership between two debutants for any wicket in Test cricket, and was a national record for the first wicket until Aamer Sohail and Ijaz Ahmed broke it in 1997.He would only go on to play three more Tests though, instead building a fine career with Warwickshire. He was one of the first Pakistanis to play county cricket (AH Kardar had played for Warwickshire for three seasons when Pakistan were not a full member and Khan Mohammad played one game for Somerset), after being overlooked for Pakistan selection for the 1954 tour to England. Unhappy, he came to England to forge a career as a professional cricketer and did so successfully, playing for nearly 18 seasons.That included key roles in two limited-overs cup titles in three years; he took 3-25 and scored 28 in Warwickshire’s four-wicket win in the 1968 final.After he finished at the county, he became a coach at a school in the UK, a sign of things to come. Soon after he moved to New Zealand to play for Otago (and some games for Tasmania in Australia) as well as do some coaching, He played a key role in the early development of Glenn Turner, one of New Zealand’s greatest batters.He ended with a prolific first-class career, scoring 17,078 runs at 27.28 and picking up 462 wickets at 30.96. Of his 417 first-class outings, 377 were for Warwickshire, for whom he played for more than a decade.”He was a special cricketer, one of the greatest, and we had lots of fun times together,” Warwickshire president Dennis Amiss, who played alongside Ibadulla at the club, wrote in a tribute to his former team-mate. “He could be really naughty at times, lots of mickey taking and he gave as good as he got. We loved him at Warwickshire.”In 64 List A matches, Ibadulla scored 829 runs and took 84 wickets. He also stood as an umpire in 20 first-class matches and 12 List A games. He also ran a private coaching clinic in New Zealand.His son, Kassem Ibadulla, also played 31 first-class games and 19 List A games for Gloucestershire and Otago.