يختتم منتخب مصر الثاني بقيادة حلمي طولان، استعداداته لبطولة كأس العرب بخوض مواجهة ودية قوية أمام نظيره الجزائري اليوم على أرضية استاد القاهرة الدولي، وذلك في إطار معسكر شهر نوفمبر الحالي.
وتأتي هذه المباراة الثانية بين المنتخبين خلال المعسكر نفسه، بعدما التقى الطرفان يوم الجمعة الماضية في استاد القاهرة، وتمكن المنتخب المصري من تحقيق الفوز بنتيجة 3-2.
وكان اتحاد الكرة قد اتفق مع نظيره الجزائري على إقامة مواجهتين وديتين خلال الفترة الجارية، ضمن برنامج التحضير للمشاركة في بطولة كأس العرب.
ويشارك منتخب مصر في البطولة ضمن المجموعة الثالثة التي تضم (الأردن والإمارات والفائز من لقاء الكويت وموريتانيا)، بينما يلعب منتخب الجزائر في المجموعة الرابعة إلى جانب (العراق والفائز من مواجهة البحرين ضد جيبوتي، والفائز من لقاء لبنان والسودان).
طالع أيضًا | موعد مباراة مصر والجزائر اليوم وديًا القناة الناقلة لمباراة مصر والجزائر اليوم
سيتم بث المواجهة الودية اليوم بين مصر والجزائر عبر قناة (ON Time Sports 2).
ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنــــا
Tom Kohler-Cadmore smashed a brilliant half-century to propel Somerset to a convincing 95-run victory over Essex Eagles at the Cooper Associates Ground and guarantee the runaway South Group leaders a place in the quarter-finals of the Vitality Blast.In scintillating form beneath the Taunton floodlights, Kohler-Cadmore staged a breathtaking innings of 90 from just 39 balls, striking eight fours and seven sixes and dominating stands of 88 and 55 with Will Smeed and Tom Abell for the second and third wickets respectively as Somerset ran up an imposing 225 for 6 after Essex had won the toss. Smeed scored 32, Sean Dickson weighed in with 28 not out and, amid the carnage, Mohammad Amir emerged as the only Essex bowler to escape punishment, the Pakistan international returning stand-out figures of 3 for 22 from four overs.Undermined by overseas bowlers Matt Henry and Riley Meredith, who claimed 4 for 21 and 2 for 22 respectively, the Essex chase came up well short as the visitors were dismissed for 130 in 14.1 overs, Noah Thain top-scoring with 38. This latest victory moves Somerset 12 points clear of nearest rivals Surrey, while Essex remain rooted to the foot of the South Group after suffering a ninth defeat in 11 games.Tom Banton looked as though he meant business, plundering three boundaries at the expense of debutant Charlie Bennett to move to 15 in quick time, only to then chip Amir to mid-on in the third over as Somerset lost their first wicket with 21 on the board. There was no loss of momentum though, Kohler-Cadmore and Smeed taking 16 off the next over, sent down by Thain, while Bennett again proved expensive when switching to the River End and Paul Walter conceded 19 off the sixth as Somerset raced to 67 for 1 by the end of the powerplay.Essex turned to spin in an attempt to stem the flow, but Kohler-Cadmore continued to trade in boundaries, smiting a brace of sixes off successive deliveries from Matt Critchley and then straight hitting Luc Benkenstein for another to raise a blistering 24-ball half century in the grand manner.The visitors did little to help themselves, Bennett dropping Smeed on 20 at deep midwicket off the bowling of Critchley as the eighth over haemorrhaged 20 runs. Smeed had contributed 32 to a stand of 88 from 44 balls when he hit Benkenstein to long-off as the home side reached halfway on 114 for 2.There was no let-up in the scoring rate, Kohler-Cadmore applying further pressure by hoisting Benkenstein for a towering six over long-off as the Essex bowling wilted in the face of heavy firepower. Kohler-Cadmore was within 10 runs of what would have been a magnificent hundred when a loss of concentration saw him hit Simon Harmer high to long-off to afford Essex overdue relief.Critchley removed Abell for 20, but there was precious little breathing space for the visitors, Dickson and Lewis Gregory picking up the cudgels in a stand of 28 from 12 balls. Dickson was still there at the end, unbeaten on 28 made from 17 balls.Required to score at 12.5 an over, Essex made a decent enough start, Walter taking Craig Overton for a six and a brace of fours in a first over that yielded 15 runs. But Meredith redressed the balance, clean bowling the swinging Michael Pepper with 28 on the board in the third.Somerset struck another blow in the next over, Ben Green taking a startling diving catch at long-on to send back Jordan Cox and give Henry a wicket on his final appearance before returning to New Zealand, while Meredith accounted for Charlie Allison. Henry then struck twice in three balls, removing Walter for 24 and Benkenstein without scoring to reduce Essex to 48 for 5, their prospects of pulling off an unlikely victory in tatters before the powerplay had even ended.Critchley was then run out by Abell’s direct hit and Lewis Goldsworthy had Robin Das held on the deep midwicket boundary with the score 81 for 7 as the home side exerted a vice-like grip on proceedings. Only Thain attempted to carry the fight to Somerset, the former England Under-19 international crashing a four and four sixes in a defiant innings of 38 off 17 balls. His dismissal – caught by Henry at long-on off the bowling of Overton – signaled the end of meaningful Essex resistance.
There is no getting away from the fact that West Ham United have not had the best of starts this season.
In fact, following their defeat at the hands of Arsenal, the club sit 19th in the Premier League, on just four points.
However, it really isn’t all doom and gloom, as Nuno Espírito Santo has already made the team far harder to break down, and there remain some incredibly talented players in the squad.
High up on that list is summer signing El Hadji Malick Diouf, and in yet more good news, it looks like West Ham are brewing their own version of the Senegalese international.
Diouf's incredible start to the season
West Ham made a few signings this year who could go on to have great careers at the club, like Mateus Fernandes and Soungoutou Magassa.
However, if you were to ask the fans who they consider to be the best addition, Diouf would surely be atop that list.
The former Slavia Prague gem cost the East Londoners around £19m, and while that seemed like a lot of money at the time for someone so young and from the Czech league, it now looks a bargain.
The Dakar-born titan is a maurading full-back in the very best way possible, someone capable of doing the defensive work when needed, but then an incredible outlet at the top of the pitch, thanks largely to his brilliant ability to fire in cross after cross.
The game against Everton was perhaps the best example of this, as while he didn’t get the assist, it was his cross that led to Jarrod Bowen’s goal, and on another night, the 20-year-old could have had a hat-trick of assists.
This might all sound a bit hyperbolic, but the dynamic full-back has been impressing plenty of people, with one analyst making the bold claim that he’s “one of the best full-backs in the league.”
In all, Diouf looks like one of the signings of the summer so far, and as if one of him wasn’t enough, West Ham appear to be brewing a homegrown version as well.
West Ham's homegrown Diouf
West Ham have a proud history of developing and promoting some of the most exciting youngsters in England, like Frank Lampard, Joe Cole and Declan Rice.
In The Pipeline
Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.
While he might not reach the levels of those three, another exciting prospect in the club’s academy at the moment is Emeka Adiele.
The 18-year-old gem has been on fire for the Hammers’ U21 side, and looks like he could become a player in the mould of Diouf.
For example, in just eight appearances, totalling 698 minutes, the dynamic youngster has scored one goal and managed to provide six assists.
That means the academy star is currently averaging a goal involvement every 1.14 games, or every 99.71 minutes, which is a simply sensational rate of return for someone who spends plenty of time at left-back.
Moreover, while the rate at which he’s producing goal involvements has increased this season, the teenage sensation has been a reliable source of output for some time now.
Last season, for example, he produced nine in 25 games, and the year before that, it was another nine in 25.
25/26
8
7
24/25
25
9
23/24
25
9
22/23
4
0
Finally, in addition to already having the end product, he also appears to possess the mentality to succeed in the senior game, with one analyst claiming that he is “full of confidence & tenacity.”
Ultimately, West Ham appear to have a superstar in the making in Diouf, but if they end up losing him in a couple of years, they also appear to have the perfect replacement in Adiele.
Nuno "raised a few eyebrows" with his "first act at West Ham" after replacing Potter
The Portuguese is tasked with turning West Ham’s fortunes around.
Harry Brook has urged England to forget the past after they began life under their new captain with an emphatic 238-run win over West Indies in Thursday’s first ODI at Edgbaston.It was close to the perfect performance, albeit one against a visiting side who were wayward enough with the ball to concede 400 for 8, and never in the hunt to chase it down. They eventually capitulated to 162 all out, with No.11 Jayden Seales top-scoring with 29 not out. But for England, there was plenty to nourish them as runs and wickets were spread around, with four half-centuries, including Brook (58) and top-scorer Jacob Bethell (82) and three wickets apiece for Saqib Mahmood and Jamie Overton as all five bowlers registered dismissals.Victory ended a run of seven straight defeats, the side’s worst run of form since 2000-01, when they lost 11 in a row. While undoubtedly a relief for Brook and head coach Brendon McCullum to start this new chapter with a victory, the captain insists the team’s previous travails must be cast from the mind, and encouragement taken from this all-round dominant performance, no matter the gulf between the two sides or how small the sample size.”It’s a new era,” Brook said. “Like I’ve said so many times, we’re trying to forget about the past, only focus on what’s ahead of us, and take one game at a time. We’ve done pretty well today so we can take that confidence going forward.”[It is a] Very good start. To get 400 after being put in and bowl them out for 162 was a pretty exceptional start from the boys. Hopefully we can top that.”Brook was particularly enamored with the tempo of England’s innings, a previous sticking point given the lack of exposure to the 50-over format for many of the squad. Ben Duckett and Jamie Smith, in his new role as opener, got the innings off to a strong start, with England 90 for 1 after the opening 10 overs, allowing them to operate at a cruising speed of 6.43 runs an over in the middle 30 overs.Brydon Carse takes the plaudits after a special take in the deep•AFP/Getty Images
That offered Bethell and Will Jacks the platform to launch in the final 10 overs, combining for 98 off 44 deliveries for the sixth wicket, taking the game well beyond West Indies’ reach. Brook credited Bethell for an approach conducive to this longer white-ball format. The 21-year old was 26 off 30 when Buttler got out in the 41st over before striking 56 off his next 22 balls.”The boys up top started beautifully and set the template for how we wanted to play and how we want to play for the rest of the series,” he said. “The tempo we batted with throughout the innings was pretty much spot on. We have a lot of depth in our batting, which gave the opportunity to Beth and Jacks to go out there and do what they did.”I think that’s the way everyone should play in ODI cricket – you’ve got a lot longer than you think. I got out with 20 overs to go and I felt like I was sat watching for about three hours. You can give yourself 10, 15 or 20 balls to get in and then you can soon catch up. “I think he (Bethell) was on about 40 from 40 balls (38 off 39) and he ended up striking at 140 or 150. That’s the type of game it is and you can catch up very quickly.”Meanwhile, West Indies head coach Daren Sammy lamented a lack of discpline from his bowlers.Shai Hope’s decision to bowl first looked sound at 12:30pm local time, with a bit of moisture in the air and the odd cloud in the sky. However, Sammy felt his side ended up chasing the game with their tactics and field placings, unable to keep a lid on matters after the opening Powerplay.”It’s good when batsmen play out of their skin, but when you know you have a plan and you’ve not really given it a chance to work, that’s the most annoying thing,” Sammy said.”Our bowlers were not discplined enough. It’s a wicket that requires you to be straight and use the square boundaries from a straight line. Our skills were not on par in any of the Powerplays. Not to start. We were chasing the game from early – 90 runs in the first 10, you always find yourself on the defensive. We were playing catch-up from then.”
Wolverhampton Wanderers are in a tight spot under Vitor Pereira and need to find a run of form, though they could now shatter their transfer record to improve their lacklustre forward line.
Wolves looking to bounce back after another Premier League defeat
Molineux isn’t somewhere that supporters would describe as a happy environment at the moment, and it remains to be seen whether Pereira can turn the tide after a fifth successive Premier League defeat against Leeds United last weekend.
Despite Ladislav Krejci’s fine opener, a quickfire trio of goals from Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Anton Stach and Noah Okafor left fans leaving their feelings known at full-time as the Old Gold verged four points away from safety.
Even at an early stage, the Old Gold are playing with fire in their hunt for top-flight survival. Crucially, they have put their trust in Pereira with a new three-year deal, albeit his contract extension doesn’t come with an added compensation threshold should they opt to part ways with the Brazilian later down the line, per The Daily Mail.
Reacting to speculation over his future, he said post-match via Match of the Day: “I am not worried about my future. I don’t need to answer because I am not worried about my future. I am worried about the results. Of course I am confident I can turn it around.”
Speculation surrounding an out-of-window Wolves move for Dele Alli has seemingly died down, not that the England international appears to be a sole solution to their problems. However, he could help to plug a noticeable creativity void left by Matheus Cunha’s departure to Manchester United.
With that in mind, they could now be about to back Pereira by pursuing an exciting attacker once the January transfer window opens.
Wolves want to meet Yeremay Hernandez release clause
According to reports in Spain, Wolves want to meet Deportivo La Coruna star Yeremay Hernandez’s £52.3 million release clause and feel confident they can seal an agreement to bring the Spain Under-21 international to the West Midlands.
Approval ratings for the Old Gold’s ownership are low among supporters, prompting club chiefs to show ambition in the market by looking to complete what would be a club record deal, exceeding Cunha’s arrival from Atletico Madrid by quite a distance.
Wolves bid for star rejected but he's now up for sale and could join in January
The Old Gold could look to pounce for his signature.
BySean Markus Clifford Sep 8, 2025
Following a return of 15 goals and five assists in 39 appearances last term, Yeremay has registered a goal inside his first six outings for Deportivo in 2025/26. He has previously been lauded for his “creative” qualities by Ben Mattinson.
Capable of playing on either flank, the 22-year-old is viewed as someone who could turn Wolves’ poor start to the campaign around. Nevertheless, it remains to be seen whether they can force a deal through in January.
AC Milan are interested in signing Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski on a free transfer, with his contract set to expire in 2026. His high salary could prove to be an obstacle, so Milan are also evaluating other options and may look to bring in a new striker in January. Lewandowski’s future is not limited to Milan, however, as he also has offers from Saudi Arabia.
Milan's interest in free agent Lewandowski
According to reports in the Spanish media, Lewandowski earns a gross salary of €33 million (£28m/$38m), a figure that would be difficult for Milan to afford. However, Spanish outlet reported that Milan sporting director Igli Tare has already held exploratory talks with Lewandowski’s agent Pini Zahavi to assess the feasibility of a summer move, while also evaluating alternative profiles.
Lewandowski’s contract with Barcelona runs until 2026, but according to Fabrizio Romano there is more than a 50 per cent chance the striker could leave as a free agent. In addition to Milan, the Poland international also has offers from Saudi Arabian clubs.
AdvertisementAFPLewandowski's numbers at Barcelona
Lewandowski joined Barcelona in the summer of 2022 from Bayern Munich. Last season, he scored 38 goals and provided seven assists, helping Barcelona win the La Liga title ahead of Real Madrid. Despite playing only six games this season, the 37-year-old has already scored four goals. However, given his age, Barcelona are looking for a replacement next summer, with Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez emerging as a target.
Modric's effect on Milan
Milan sit at the top of the Serie A table following their 2-1 win over Napoli on Sunday. After finishing eighth last season, the signing of Luka Modric has rejuvenated the squad, with Milan legend Demetrio Albertini praising the Croatian, saying Modric makes everything easier not just for himself but also for his teammates.
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gettyLewandowski's upcoming challenge
Lewandowski will look to sort out his future patiently, but for now his focus remains on helping Barcelona defend their La Liga title. The striker will aim to add to his tally when Barcelona travel to Sevilla on Sunday.
Victoria looked well-placed to push for victory but not for the first time of late they let a strong position slip
Alex Malcolm09-Mar-2025An inspirational unbeaten century from Jake Lehmann in combination with a career-best 83 from Liam Scott secured South Australia their first home Sheffield Shield final since 2016 after they chased down 300 with four wickets to spare to defeat Victoria at the Junction Oval.Lehmann and Scott shared a match-defining 148-run stand to break the back of the chase having come together at 108 for 4. Henry Hunt also made a valuable early contribution of 66 and shared a 54-run stand with Lehmann. The trio withstood some brilliant spells from Scott Boland who took two late wickets to threaten to steal the game but ultimately Victoria could not sustain enough pressure with the ball.Related
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South Australia are now guaranteed a home final while Victoria can still made the decider if they beat Western Australia next week and other results go their way despite losing four matches in a row.Lehmann described his 12th first-class century as one of the best of his career after also going past 5000 first-class runs.”I feel like anytime you get a hundred and it’s in a winning team, and fourth innings is probably the hardest time to make hundreds these days, so yes, definitely up there,” Lehmann told ESPNcricinfo post match. “But it’s just probably on the vibe of the boys and the way we’ve played our cricket, and the belief in the team that we were always going to be able to chase them if we got into that last couple hours of the day.”South Australia coach Ryan Harris was full of praise for both Lehmann and Scott after the match. He was particularly proud of Scott’s efforts after backing up his 4 for 49 on day three with the ball with a match-winning 83.”I think his niche is probably No. 6 in this current set-up,” Harris told ESPNcricinfo. “And his overs, my communication with him is he’s probably a holder and now he’s a wicket-taker. And he’s done that because of having game time and learning his role and progressing as a player and as a person, learning the game. That only comes with game time and he’s done it beautifully. So he’s a huge player now.”Victoria coach Chris Rogers was left to lament how his side had lost a fourth game in a row after they had a lead of 163 with eight wickets in hand midway through day three and also had South Australia four down with 192 runs to defend on the final day.”We’re just missing something a little bit at the moment,” Rogers told ESPNcricinfo. “I just said to the group there were moments in this game where I think if we’d been able to get the upper hand we would have won this game against the side that’s on top of the table.”We feel like all the games we’re right in the contest, but then we just can’t get over the line. And that probably is the biggest frustration, and we’ve got to keep asking ourselves those questions, why aren’t we winning those moments?”The game was poised on a knife’s edge in the morning session when South Australia slumped to 54 for 3. Fergus O’Neill struck twice in three balls, pinning South Australia captain Nathan McSweeney lbw with a brilliant delivery that nipped in off the seam before taking the outside edge of Jason Sangha two balls later with one that straightened the other way.Lehmann and Hunt steadied with a 54-run stand but it was full of nervy moments. Hunt passed 50 but could have been out twice to Todd Murphy in one over, scoring a boundary off the outside edge while an offbreak beat his inside edge and went over the stumps past keeper Sam Harper for four byes.Lehmann also nearly fell to Murphy with Harper unable to hold a challenging catch down the leg side. Lehmann gave another life when he sliced a thick edge low to Xavier Crone’s left in the gully off O’Neill.Victoria still appeared firmly in the game when Hunt holed out to deep square for 66 off Sam Elliott. But Lehmann and Scott thoroughly dominated the middle session as Victoria fell flat.Boland bowled a very loose spell by his standards post lunch. He dropped short on several occasions and conceded four boundaries in three overs. Murphy gave up two at the other end as Lehmann and Scott set the tone for what was about to follow.The pair scored 104 runs from 30 overs in the middle session and scarcely looked troubled. Scott stood tall and drove powerfully through the off side against both spin and pace.Lehmann rotated the strike superbly without taking any undue risks and sweated on anything short and wide. Victoria spread the field to try and slow the scoring rate before the second new ball was due. But in the last 15 overs of the session Scott and Lehmann picked off 51 runs, including 16 off two overs of part-time spin from Campbell Kellaway and Harry Dixon.The trend looked set to continue against the second new ball as Scott raced past his previous highest first-class score while Boland struggled to get his line right in his first two overs after tea.But his international class shone through to force a late twist in the game. With 44 to win, Scott edged Boland to slip to give the hosts life. He then extracted another edge from Harry Nielsen shortly after to leave South Australia still needing 42 with just four wickets in hand. But Lehmann and Ben Manenti held their nerve.Lehmann survived another chance on 80 when he smashed Murphy straight to short cover but Kellaway could not hold the hot offer. Thereafter he latched on anything fractionally short to guide his side home, reaching his century and winning the game with three consecutive boundaries.
تحدث بشير التابعي، نجم نادي الزمالك السابق، عن الأزمة المالية الطاحنة التي تمر بها القلعة البيضاء، مؤكدًا أن الأوضاع الحالية داخل النادي باتت معقدة للغاية وتتطلب حلولًا عاجلة لإنقاذ الفريق من الانهيار.
وقال بشير التابعي في تصريحات عبر برنامج “اللعيب” على قناة “MBC مصر”: “يبدو أن هذا هو قدرنا، فقد تحدثنا في هذا الأمر أكثر من مرة هنا، لكن لا أحد يصدق أي حديث، كرة القدم لها معطياتها، وكل شيء يظهر منذ البداية، لذلك لا يجب أن يتفاجأ أحد بما يحدث الآن”.
وتابع: “ما يحدث أمر طبيعي جدًا، وهناك ثلاثة أسباب رئيسية وراء ذلك: مجلس الإدارة واللاعبون والجهاز الفني”.
طالع أيضًا | أزمة جديدة تضرب الزمالك.. ورسالة نارية لمجلس الإدارة
وأضاف: “أولًا، المدرب يانيك فيريرا محدود الإمكانات، ولا يصلح لتدريب نادي الزمالك، مع كامل الاحترام لأي شخص يرى غير ذلك، سيقول البعض إنه على قدر الإمكانيات المالية المتاحة، ولكن حتى في هذه الحالة لا يمكن القبول بذلك”.
وأردف: “أما اللاعبون الجدد، مع كامل احترامي لهم، فهؤلاء لا يمكنهم تحمّل مسؤولية نادي الزمالك أو تحقيق البطولات في الوقت الحالي، والزمالك لن يستطيع الصبر على هذا الوضع، يقولون (على قدر الفلوس)، ولكنهم في الحقيقة لم يحصلوا على مستحقاتهم أصلًا”.
واختتم: “مجلس الإدارة مرّ عليه ثلاث سنوات حتى الآن دون أن يجد حلًا واحدًا أو يبتكر فكرة جديدة يمكن أن تنتشل النادي من الأزمة التي يعيشها حاليًا”.
Everton’s summer rebuild is picking up pace, and midfield is a clear area of focus.
With the likes of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Abdoulaye Doucouré and Ashley Young all leaving at the end of their contracts, the Blues are working to refresh their squad ahead of the new campaign.
David Moyes has been handed greater transfer flexibility under the Friedkin Group’s ownership, and while Everton will not spend extravagantly, they are being bold.
Everton manager DavidMoyesreacts
One of the names linked in recent weeks is John McGinn, who could leave Aston Villa after an impressive campaign that saw Unai Emery’s side reach the Champions League quarter-finals.
The 30-year-old Scotland international made 49 appearances in all competitions last season, tallying four goals and six assists, and remains a respected leader at the Midlands club.
On paper, McGinn offers experience, work rate, and a level of maturity that Everton’s midfield currently lacks. While he might seem like the safe choice, the club’s recruitment team appear to be targeting a player with greater quality and long-term upside.
A midfielder with a proven Premier League track record, a broader skill set, and the potential to immediately lift the technical standard at Goodison Park.
Everton targeting a midfield upgrade
According to journalist Gianni Balzarini, the club are exploring a deal for Douglas Luiz, who is expected to leave Juventus after a torrid time in Turin.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
As per Balzarini, Luiz’s agent is currently in England and “touring English clubs”, albeit with the Toffees said to be the frontrunners in the hotly-contested race:
“Everton has an advantage over other teams. There’s a feeling that the deal could be concluded soon.”
Douglas Luiz in action for Juventus.
The 26-year-old joined the Italian giants from Aston Villa in a €50m (£42m) deal last summer but failed to register a goal or assist across 27 appearances and missed 20 games due to injuries.
After failing to report for the first day of pre-season, Juventus are now prepared to offload the Brazilian for a fee in the region of €40m (£34m). Despite his underwhelming stint in Serie A, there is no doubt about Luiz’s pedigree.
Juventus midfielder Douglas Luiz.
His five-year spell in the Premier League with Villa made him one of the most highly rated central midfielders in the division – a player equally capable of controlling tempo, breaking up play, and progressing the ball up the pitch.
Statman Dave once described him as an “engine in midfield,” and his numbers back that up.
Why Luiz can bring more to Everton’s midfield
When compared with McGinn, Luiz comes out on top in almost every key metric from their respective most recent seasons in the Premier League.
According to FBref, Luiz completed passes at a higher rate (85.7% vs. 81.9%), created more shots per 90 (3.52 vs. 3.08), and registered more tackles (1.74 vs. 1.34), blocks (0.96 vs. 0.89), and defensive interventions in the middle third (0.81 vs. 0.57).
He combines technical security with defensive steel, offering balance and fluidity – qualities that Moyes’ midfield setup could sorely benefit from.
Crucially, Luiz’s best form came in the Premier League. This isn’t a case of betting on potential. At his peak, he was dictating midfield battles against some of the league’s best sides.
He also has youth on his side. At 27, he’s three years younger than McGinn and entering what should be the prime of his career, having already registered 38 goals and assists in 175 Premier League outings.
That would represent a coup for the Merseyside club, particularly in light of expected competition from elsewhere in the Premier League.
While Luiz struggled to establish himself under Igor Tudor and Thiago Motta at Juventus, the dip in form is being viewed as circumstantial rather than terminal.
Juventus’s systemic issues and tactical instability last season made it difficult for any one player to truly shine, a belief that is shared by legendary former coach, Fabio Capello:
From Everton’s perspective, this is an opportunity. Luiz is proven, hungry to re-establish himself, and potentially available at a cut-price. While McGinn would add fight and familiarity, Luiz offers control, versatility, and greater upside.
Midfield has long been a problem area for Everton. Despite Idrissa Gueye extending his contract, the club’s depth remains thin.
Luiz would bring a blend of technical precision and combativeness – the kind of profile capable of transforming the way Everton build play from the back and transition through midfield.
The dream squad Everton can build: £88m quintet & "beast" sign after Barry
A look at how Everton’s dream squad could shape up next season
1 ByJoe Nuttall Jul 10, 2025
If Everton can close a deal, they’ll not only have landed a better player than McGinn, they’ll have done so ahead of several top-flight rivals.
That would send a signal that under the Friedkin Group, Everton aren’t just surviving anymore, they’re planning to compete.
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Everton were slipping down a slope last season, headed for trouble with Sean Dyche in the dugout and Farhad Moshiri watching from above.
But David Moyes replaced Dyche, lifted the Toffees up, up, up. The relegation candidates finished 13th in the Premier League, comfortably away from the drop zone. Now, as they leave Goodison Park and step into a new home at the Hill Dickinson, with plenty to look forward to.
Thierno Barry has joined for £27m, replacing Dominic Calvert-Lewin after the striker went by the wayside at the end of his contract. Mark Travers has signed to provide competition for Jordan Pickford; Charly Alcaraz’s buy option has been triggered after his promising loan stint.
Villarreal's Thierno Barry
However, there’s been something of an exodus on the blue half of Merseyside. Departed players need to be replaced, with the midfield still a priority for Moyes and technical director Angus Kinnear.
Everton searching for midfielders
With Abdoulaye Doucoure having left at the end of his deal, Everton need new midfielders. The latest name to crop up belongs to Douglas Luiz, who, one year after leaving Aston Villa for Juventus in a £42m deal, is being touted for a return to the Premier League.
Reports from Italy claim Everton have actually tabled their opening offer for the Brazilian ace. However, their £26m bid falls below Juventus’ £35m valuation.
However, according to Football Insider, Atletico Madrid’s Conor Gallagher is also of interest to the Merseyside outfit, though he’s worth a pretty penny at £50m and is also attracting intrigue from Newcastle United.
However, given his homegrown status and style of play, which would see him dovetail right into Moyes’ system, this could be a statement signing and a half.
Why Everton want Conor Gallagher
Gallagher left Chelsea for Atletico Madrid in a deal worth £33m last summer, with Enzo Maresca having informed the versatile midfielder he would be consigned to a bit-part role if he remained at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher
Maresca’s flowing ball-playing style of football precluded Gallagher’s involvement in a prominent role, but Everton don’t need to worry about that: Moyes is rooted in his tactical principles, limited in possession but industrious and organised and direct.
An intense pressing force, Gallagher would slot right in, maybe even more complete than Luiz, the other top midfield target. Hailed as a “machine” by former Chelsea teammate Moises Caicedo, who also noted the 25-year-old “helps me a lot when we need to recover the ball”, it would be money well spent.
Luiz has struggled to adapt in Italy, only starting three Serie A games last season – albeit, this was marred by injury problems. Gallagher, meanwhile, hasn’t been a week-in, week-out starter for Diego Simeone’s Atletico, but he’s proved his worth, ranked among the top 10% of La Liga midfielders last year for ball recoveries and the top 11% for tackles won per 90, as per FBref.
And when looking at his last Premier League campaign, ranked against Luiz’s with Aston Villa, you begin to see that Everton might strike gold by signing the former Blue.
Matches (starts)
37 (37)
35 (35)
Goals
5
9
Assists
7
5
Touches*
70.4
70.1
Pass completion
92%
89%
Big chances created
11
10
Key passes*
1.4
1.5
Dribbles*
1.0
0.7
Ball recoveries*
6.0
5.3
Tackles + interceptions*
3.5
2.4
Duels (won)*
5.7 (50%)
4.2 (51%)
Gallagher is crisper in possession, with more ground-covering energy and defensive sharpness too. Luiz might have outscored him in 2023/24, but he took penalties, with four of his nine strikes above coming from the spot. All seven of Gallagher’s were from open play.
There is little question that either player would have a positive impact on Moyes’ project. Both have shared qualities that align with Moyes’ vision, with the way the Scotsman wants to play.
Douglas Luiz at the Club World Cup with Juventus.
But Gallagher might be that little bit better, and he would pack a punch that might even steer the Toffees back into the top end of the Premier League table.
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