Tag Futebol

da pinnacle： It was an interminable weight for that trophy-winning feeling, if you’re one of a Tottenham Hotspur persuasion, but Ange Postecoglou’s side wiped the slate clean when defeating Manchester United in the Europa League final earlier in May.

da premier bet： Currently, it’s all a little uncertain. Postecoglou’s manager is in an imperilled position, with Daniel Levy’s judgement soon to become clear on that front.

Who could dispute Tottenham’s woes on Premier League soil, with so much going wrong for Ange’s 17th-placed side? It’s clear that action must be taken over the next few months to ensure success on the continent doesn’t turn out to be a mere flash in the pan.

Sergio Reguilon, Fraser Forster and Alfie Whiteman will all leave imminently, when their contracts expire, and Timo Werner’s two-year loan spell in London is over.

There’s much to consider. Let’s have a look at the major states of play.

The latest on Spurs' transfer targets

With European hero Cristian Romero being linked with a move to Atletico Madrid, Tottenham may need to sign a centre-back this summer.

The windfall from qualifying for the Champions League is huge, and Tottenham are in a good position to strengthen. If Romero stays, focus will be pinned on midfield and the wide forward positions.

Balancing out the club’s attacking quality is important, especially as Heung-min Son, 32, is expected to play fewer minutes across the 2025/25 campaign.

Furthermore, Dejan Kulusevski is currently sidelined after undergoing surgery on his right patella, and will be out for several months at the least. This, of course, means the Sweden star’s pre-season preparations will be disrupted.

Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze would be a brilliant signing, with rumours of a bid being prepared, but he has a £68m release clause inserted in his contract, and Levy may well want to turn his attention to another England international to help the Lilywhites make gains over the coming years.

Spurs discuss statement signing

According to GIVEMESPORT, Tottenham chairman Levy has held an internal meeting as the club draw up concrete plans for the looming market.

Eze and Manchester City star Jack Grealish have both been discussed, though Grealish might be the more feasible option from a financial standpoint.

Though the £300k-per-week Citizen would represent a tough deal to complete, Levy is committed to capitalising on the jubilation of winning a trophy down N17, and the 29-year-old, valued at an affordable £43m, might just fit the bill.

What Jack Grealish would bring to Spurs

Grealish might have been ostracised by Pep Guardiola as he prepares to bow out from life at the Etihad Stadium, but he’s still one of the most talented Englishmen in the game, hailed by pundit Rio Ferdinand for being “almost unplayable” when on his A-game.

Moving to Tottenham might just give him a new lease of life. Grealish joined Man City from Aston Villa for a British-record £100m fee in August 2021 after a talismanic career with his boyhood club, since going on to win the treble and much more under Pep Guardiola’s wing.

Across 157 matches, Grealish has scored 17 goals and supplied 23 assists, though he only started seven matches in the Premier League this term and surely needs to leave Manchester.

Tottenham need some more attacking impetus in midfield. Kulusevski has been the standout this season, posting ten goals and 11 assists from 50 matches. The 25-year-old has been praised by The Athletic for being ‘the linchpin of Postecoglou’s team.’

But Grealish could enhance the fluency, promote ball-carrying and -playing principles that the club’s Australian coach relies upon.

As per FBref, the English star ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers this season for pass completion and progressive carries, the top 12% for progressive passes and the top 8% for shot-creating actions per 90.

Such metrics have drawn him against Kulusevski as one of the Tottenham man’s most statistically similar players, suggesting he could dovetail right into the Londoners’ system.

There’s no denying, though, that Grealish has lost some of the original silk from his Villa days, when he was described as a “magician” by former Three Lions star Ashley Cole. Looking at his metrics from his final Premier League campaign in the Midlands against Kulusevski’s from this season, you see that Postecoglou could sign himself a new ‘linchpin’ to add depth and dynamism to the ranks.

Jack Grealish 20/21 vs Dejan Kulusevski 24/25 (PL)

Stats (* per game)

Grealish

Kulusevski

Matches (starts)

26 (24)

32 (27)

Goals

6

7

Assists

10

4

Touches*

60.8

44.5

Accurate passes*

31.9 (83%)

20.0 (81%)

Big chances created

14

9

Key passes*

3.2

2.1

Dribbles*

2.5

1.2

Tackles + interceptions*

1.7

1.8

Duels won*

8.9

4.1

Stats via Sofascore

Whether we will ever again see this one-time version of Grealish, who was indeed unplayable at times as he bamboozled defenders and picked out teammates with stylish, pinpoint passes, remains to be seen, but there’s no question Ange employs a freer, more expansive style than Guardiola, who revolutionised the way possession-based football is conducted but perhaps limits players like Grealish, pidgeonholing them into set roles.

Postecoglou could almost let Grealish run autonomously, take the leash off. Given that he likes to play between central attacking midfield and in a role on the left flank, there’s a good chance he’d be a fantastic stylistic fit too, easing Son’s burden as rumours of Richarlison’s summer sale persist.

There would, of course, be an element of risk to this transfer, and Levy would not facilitate a move without reducing Grealish’s staggering £300k-per-week salary, but it could be a somewhat shrewd deal for a player who has fallen from their perch as one of the country’s finest.

But he could yet bounce back, joining a Tottenham project that perhaps is only just getting going.

Related Left for £0: Spurs' "waste of money" is now outscoring Delap & Nkunku

One former Tottenham Hotspur player has taken his career to new heights after leaving the club.

Posts ByEthan Lamb May 31, 2025

Also: were Eoin Morgan’s seven sixes with no fours against South Africa a record in T20Is?

Steven Lynch25-Feb-2020In the last T20I against South Africa, Eoin Morgan hit seven sixes but no fours. Was this a record? asked Richard Hall from England
Eoin Morgan’s match-winning burst against South Africa in Centurion earlier this month was actually the third innings in all men’s internationals (note that the number of fours hit by Jimmy Sinclair in the Cape Town Test of 1902 is not known) – but the first for a Test-playing country – to contain seven sixes but no fours.The other two instances both came in T20 matches between Associate member teams last year. In July, Norman Vanua of Papua New Guinea thrashed 47 from 12 balls, including seven sixes, against Vanuatu in Apia (Samoa), then the following month Razmal Shigiwal of Austria belted seven sixes (but no fours) in his 53 against Luxembourg in Ilfov (Romania).The Test record was also set in 2019: Umesh Yadav’s 31 for India against South Africa in Ranchi in October contained five sixes but no fours.Is Kyle Jamieson the tallest man ever to play for New Zealand? asked Greg Willis from New Zealand
The Auckland fast bowler Kyle Jamieson, who made a stunning debut in Wellington, dismissing Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli in his first four overs, does seem to be the tallest man to play a Test for New Zealand. He is reportedly 203cm tall – that’s six foot eight inches – which is a centimetre more than Peter Fulton, a batsman who rejoiced in the nickname “Two-Metre Peter”. Fulton’s finest hour was scoring 136 and 101 – his only two Test centuries – against England in Auckland in 2012-13. Some sources, however, suggest that fast bowler Kerry Walmsley, who played three Tests for New Zealand between 1995 and 2000, is also 6ft 8in.As well as taking a wicket with his first ball in international cricket, Khizar Hayat of Malaysia took a second wicket before conceding his first run. Was this unique? asked Derek Rouse from England
The Peshawar-born seamer Khizar Hayat had a dream start to his representative career: in an official T20I for Malaysia against Hong Kong in Kuala Lumpur last week, he dismissed Kinchit Shah with his first ball, and Scott McKechnie with his fourth, before conceding a run: he finished with 5 for 4 in his two overs as Malaysia won a rain-affected match.Eight other men are known to have started by taking two international wickets before conceding a run – including Hayat’s Malaysian team-mate, slow left-armer Anwar Rahman, who actually struck with his first two deliveries, against the Maldives in Kuala Lumpur in June 2019. One which I happened to see was the England seamer Richard Johnson, in his first over in a Test, against Zimbabwe in Chester-Le-Street in 2003. The others are the Australians Tom Horan (the only other one in a Test) and Trevor Laughlin, Martin van Jaarsveld of South Africa, Sri Lanka’s Dhammika Prasad, and the Dutchmen Bernard Loots and Daan van Bunge (thanks to Andrew Samson for his help with this one). But pride of place has to go to the Nepal offspinner Anjali Chand, who marked her official T20 international debut last December with 6 for 0, including a hat-trick, against the Maldives in Pokhara (Nepal).US-born Jehan Mubarak played 12 Tests, 40 ODIs and 16 T20Is for Sri Lanka between 2002 and 2015•AFPPakistan have played eight Tests in Wellington and have never lost one. Is this the most at any foreign venue by a visiting team? asked Harshit Goyal from the United States
Pakistan’s eight Tests without defeat at the Basin Reserve – they have won three times there – comes in second on this particular list: Sri Lanka have played nine Tests at the Harare Sports Club in Zimbabwe without defeat, winning five. South Africa have also played seven Tests in Wellington without ever losing, while England are undefeated in seven in Delhi. England have also never lost in six Tests in Kanpur, while India have drawn all six of their Tests in Georgetown; New Zealand have won five out of six at Bulawayo’s Queens Club, with one draw.Have any cricketers born in the USA played for England? asked Divyesh Patel from England
Only two players born in the USA have appeared in Tests so far, and neither of them did so for England. The first was Kenneth “Bam Bam” Weekes, who was born in Boston, Massachusetts: he played only twice for West Indies, but did score 137 in his second match, against England at The Oval in 1939, in the last Test before WWII. The other was Jehan Mubarak, who played 13 Tests for Sri Lanka between 2002 and 2015: he was born in Washington DC in 1981, while his father was working there as a scientist.There might soon be an addition to the list: the West Indian legspinner Hayden Walsh was born in the US Virgin Islands. He played nine white-ball internationals for the USA last year, before making his West Indies debut against Afghanistan in Lucknow in November.Use our feedback form or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Derbyshire have signed Daryn Dupavillon, the South African seamer, as an overseas player for the majority of the 2024 season. Dupavillon effectively replaces Mohammad Amir, whose international recall will limit him to six appearances for the county in the T20 Blast.Dupavillon is expected to join Derbyshire in time for their County Championship fixture against Sussex, which starts on May 3, following his commitments with the Dolphins franchise in South African domestic cricket. The club say he will be available across formats until the penultimate Championship fixture of the season in mid-September.He joins Blair Tickner, the New Zealand international, as one of two overseas fast bowlers in the Derbyshire squad for the first three months of the season. Tickner will feature in the Championship and the first eight Blast group games, before Amir replaces him after the T20 World Cup.Amir blindsided Derbyshire last month when he reversed his international retirement, three-and-a-half years after his most recent appearance for Pakistan. He was initially due to play for Derbyshire as an overseas player but had been exploring the possibility of becoming a local player through his marriage.Related

• Amir comes out of retirement for T20 World Cup

• Tickner joins Derbyshire for first part of 2024 season

“We felt we needed one more fast bowler to be part of our attack, particularly in red-ball cricket, and Daryn is an experienced option who will bring real pace and skill into the fold,” Mickey Arthur, Derbyshire’s head of cricket, said. “I’m delighted to welcome a player of Daryn’s quality, he is highly regarded in the South African game and has experience in international and franchise cricket. He will be a real asset for us in all forms of the game.”We have a very strong squad for the coming season, with Blair Tickner being here for the first half of the campaign, Daryn coming in from May and we’re keen to have Mohammad Amir for the second half of the Vitality Blast, after the T20 World Cup.”This will be Dupavillon’s first stint in county cricket. He said: “I’m really excited to be joining Derbyshire, I’m not sure there’s a cricketer around who would not want to work with a coach like Mickey Arthur, and the opportunity to play in England is one I want to make the most of.”Mickey has spoken to me about the ambition he has for the club and there’s some real quality in the squad, so I’m looking forward to getting started and helping to put some positive results on the board.”Derbyshire’s season had a false start last week, with a four-day wash-out at home to Gloucestershire. They will hope the weather allows them to get on the pitch in the second round of games from Friday, when they play Glamorgan in Cardiff.

The story of the fast bowler’s arrest and subsequent life ban to now, when the ban has been reduced to seven years

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Aug-2019Sreesanth reacts after the Supreme Court set aside the life ban in March 2019•Getty ImagesMay 16, 2013
Sreesanth – along with Rajasthan Royals team-mates Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan – is arrested by Delhi Police for fraud and cheating in IPL 2013. The three were allegedly promised money ranging from US$36,000 to 109,000 for each fix. Eleven bookies are arrested too. The BCCI suspends the three players, pending enquiry. A few days later, the Royals franchise suspends their contracts.June 10, 2013
Sreesanth and Chavan are granted bail by a trial court in Delhi, with the judge stating that Delhi Police had not produced enough evidence to charge players under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), a special law passed by the Maharashtra state government in 1999 to tackle organised crime and terrorism, with stricter provisions relating to bail and admissibility of confessions compared to the Indian Penal Code. On the same day, Ravi Sawani, then chief of the BCCI’s anti-corruption unit, submits his interim report on the spot-fixing allegations against the players.July 30, 2013
Sreesanth, Chavan and Chandila are among 39 people named as accused in a 6000-page chargesheet filed by Delhi Police in the IPL spot-fixing case. The trial court issues notices to Sreesanth and Chavan in response to Delhi Police’s plea to cancel their bail.September 12, 2013
Following the submission of Sawani’s final report on the spot-fixing allegations in the IPL, the BCCI summons Sreesanth, Chavan and three others (Harmeet Singh, Siddharth Trivedi and Amit Singh) for a disciplinary committee hearing. The following day, Sreesanth and Chavan are handed life bans by the BCCI for their involvement in the scandal.July 25, 2015
A Delhi trial court drops charges against Sreesanth, Chavan and Chandila in the matter. However, the decision has no bearing on the life bans imposed by the BCCI. Anurag Thakur, BCCI secretary at the time, says the penalties imposed by the board would not be lifted.January 25, 2017
The BCCI denies Sreesanth permission to play in Scotland, after the fast bowler asks for a no-objection certificate to turn out for Glenrothes CC. In February, Sreesanth files a writ petition in Kerala High Court challenging his ban.August 7, 2017
Kerala High Court orders the BCCI to lift the life ban on Sreesanth, observing that the board’s refusal to do so is a “violation of natural justice”.September 19, 2017
The BCCI challenges the Kerala High Court judgement, asking whether the writ court could “sit in appeal” and “alter the quantum of penalty imposed” against the findings of the board’s disciplinary committee. A month later, a division bench of the Kerala court negates the judgement issued in August and rules that the BCCI ban cannot be overturned or reduced.March 15, 2019
The Supreme Court of India sets aside the life ban on Sreesanth and asks the board to “reconsider” and “revisit” the length of any fresh ban, “preferably” within three months. The court rules that while the BCCI did not violate any principles of natural justice in determining the sanction, it did not “advert to the aggravating and mitigating factors” as listed under its code.August 20, 2019
BCCI Ombudsman Justice (retd) DK Jain reduces Sreesanth’s ban to seven years, with the sanction period set to end in September 2020. Jain states that he had found a “few mitigating circumstances” under the BCCI’s code as pointed out by Sreesanth, such as no record against the player by the BCCI regarding his erratic behaviour, and “no allegation that he did not cooperate in the inquiry”.

Kolkata Knight Riders have brought in Phil Salt as a replacement for Jason Roy for IPL 2024 after Roy pulled out citing “personal reasons”. Having remained unsold in the latest auction after representing Delhi Capitals last year, this will be Salt’s second season in the IPL. He was acquired by KKR at his reserve auction price of INR 1.5 crore (approx $181,000).Salt’s most recent T20I appearances came in December 2023 in the Caribbean, where he recorded scores of 40, 25, 109 not out, 119 and 38, topping the run-scoring charts with his 331 runs, at a strike rate of 185.95. Unfortunately for him, the two centuries came on December 16 and 19, the latter the date of the auction. With Roy opting out, though, he became an option for KKR.His 48-ball century in the fourth T20I in the West Indies is the joint-fastest in the format for England, and Salt now has a stellar T20 record, with 5308 runs from 221 innings at a strike rate of 153.41 and an average of 25.89. And he has played around the world, too, including in the BBL, the Caribbean Premier League, the Pakistan Super League, and in leagues in Sri Lanka, the UAE and South Africa.Roy, for his part, hasn’t had a regular run at the IPL despite his reputation as a short-format champion, even though he has been around a bit, playing for the now-defunct Gujarat Lions in 2017, Delhi Daredevils (now Capitals) in 2018, and subsequently for Sunrisers Hyderabad and KKR.This, though, isn’t the first time he has opted out of the IPL. He had withdrawn in 2020 (Capitals) for personal reasons and then in 2022 (Gujarat Titans) when he took an “indefinite break” from the game.The swap doesn’t change the overseas/Indian balance of the KKR line-up. Salt becomes an option for the opening slot along with Rahmanullah Gurbaz, with Sherfane Rutherford the other specialist overseas batter in the mix. That aside, they have old regulars Andre Russell and Sunil Narine, as well as quick bowlers Mitchell Starc and Dushmantha Chameera, who had earlier replaced Gus Atkinson, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, the fingerspinner.Shreyas Iyer is the designated captain of the side, which will play its IPL 2024 opener on the second day of the tournament, March 23, against Sunrisers at home in Kolkata’s Eden Gardens.

With a performance that helped secure a battling three-wicket win, England saw another piece of the jigsaw fall into place

George Dobell at Trent Bridge18-May-2019Perhaps this was the game where the final pieces of England’s World Cup jigsaw fell into place. First there was Mark Wood proving his form and fitness. Then Tom Curran demonstrated his all-round value and Joe Denly enjoyed a much-improved performance.It all combined to ensure England held their nerve to secure this series with a match to play. It is now 20 run-chases in a row in which England are undefeated at home.With no candidates ruling themselves out, England’s selectors have been left with some delightfully tough decisions to make. But it seems, right now, as if that final decision may be made between David Willey, who offers left-arm variation and the possibility of swinging the new ball, and Denly, who offers cover in a variety of areas and can be relied upon to be a low-maintenance, high-quality substitute fielder. The emergence of new-ball alternatives, in Wood and Jofra Archer alongside the established Chris Woakes, may not bode well for Willey. The squad is announced on Tuesday morning.But perhaps the most pleasing aspect of the victory at Trent Bridge, from an England perspective, was the contribution of Ben Stokes.Rumours of Stokes’ recent decline could easily be exaggerated. While it is true he had not, until Friday night, produced an especially eye-catching performance in ODI cricket since the Bristol incident in 2017, his numbers really aren’t too bad. He is actually averaging 49.63 with the bat – albeit at a strike rate of 83.23 – in ODI cricket since the start of 2018.And while his bowling has been a bit anonymous – he has not taken an ODI wicket in seven matches in England since his return – you could make a strong case to suggest Stokes’ big problem of late has simply been a lack of opportunity. He bats behind the likes of Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow, after all, with Joe Root, Jos Buttler and Eoin Morgan also eating up chunks of the 50-overs available.The first-choice England bowling attack, meanwhile, may well only see Stokes used as a sixth bowler. Only once in his last 18 ODIs has he been required to bowl his full allocation of 10 overs and in his last four games he has not bowled more than four overs. That previous statistic about not claiming a wicket in England since 2017 bad, but it actually amounts to just 28 overs. He had bowled his full allocation of 10 overs only once in 11 ODIs before Bristol.Ben Stokes’ body language said it all•Getty ImagesStill, he hasn’t dominated quite in the way we were coming to expect. He had, for example, made two centuries in the six innings he played before night, with a career strike rate of 98.74. He also had a bowling average of 38.20 with an economy rate of 6.12. Since Bristol (SB, as it may come to be known) his bowling average is 62.10 and his economy-rate is 6.21.The suspicion remains that Stokes is so keen to make-up for his irresponsibility in Bristol that he has taken on just a little bit too much responsibility since. So where his batting once seemed gloriously uncomplicated, there is now more knowledge of the consequences of failure; an irony in a team that prides itself on a fearlessness that was largely inherited from Stokes. As Moeen Ali put it recently: “The difference is that his batting has become careful now whereas before it was carefree. I think he feels like he’s let us down a little bit and he’s trying to make it up.”For that reason, giving Stokes the role of middle-order finisher – a position where every innings’ importance can be magnified – may not be especially helpful. But it’s the only place available. And while there’s no guarantee that Stokes will ever completely recapture the he once enjoyed – like Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones after the mid-70s – the signs on Friday night were that, given the opportunity, he could still do the job.Make no mistake: this was not a perfect performance. Had Pakistan’s fielding been better – even barely competent, might have done it – England could have been in real trouble. But with their outfielding ragged, their catching fallible and their captain apparently not knowing the updated Laws of the game, England found a way to win. Good, confident teams do that.There is now only one proper match to go – Sunday’s ODI in Leeds – before the World Cup. The warm-up games will involve up to 15 players a side, do not carry List A status and may well, as a result, lack intensity (even if Australia are the opponents in one of them). As a result, England are likely to field something close to a full-strength batting side on Sunday. That definitely includes Stokes and it can only be good news for England that he goes into the tournament having recovered some form and confidence.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has ruled out returning to the Eredivisie when he rounds off his illustrious career.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Van Dijk signs new Liverpool dealTouches on life after the RedsRules out Eredivisie returnFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Netherlands international Van Dijk began his career at Groningen in the Dutch top-flight but the 33-year-old, who has spent seven years at Liverpool, made it clear he will not be returning to that league before he hangs up his boots.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT VAN DIJK SAID

He told Voetbal International: "I am very clear about that: I will not return to the Netherlands. I started here, and that was very important to me. I am very clear that I do not want to return to the Eredivisie. I am quite proud of my career so far and I think that finishing in the Eredivisie is not an option."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Van Dijk signed a new two-year deal to extend his stay at Anfield until the summer of 2027, ending speculation about a possible Liverpool exit. After starring at Celtic, Southampton, and the Reds, it seems the big defender is focusing on playing at the highest level for as long as he can, rather than returning to the Eredivisie. It remains to be seen what he will do next when his contract with the Merseyside outfit expires, though.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Van Dijk, who played a vital role in Liverpool's Premier League title triumph this season, could represent his country against Malta in their next 2026 World Cup qualifier on Tuesday, before heading off on his summer break.

David Moyes has been nothing short of a revelation since returning to the Everton dugout in January after nearly 12 years away, with Saturday’s salvaged draw against West Ham United making it eight games unbeaten in the Premier League.

14th in the standings, relegation fears feel a long time ago, the Toffees now looking to create a base from which future successes can be achieved.

West Ham, with whom Moyes lifted the Conference League in 2022/23, changed their fortunes at the pit of the Premier League with the Scotsman in place, and The Friedkin Group will no doubt harbour early excitement that a similar rise can be achieved on Merseyside, at Bramley Moore.

Moyes has reportedly been informed he will hold the keys to the transfer chest this summer, and while there are certainly areas already in need of investment this summer, Everton already boast several stars threatening to make plenty of noise in higher spheres in the top-flight over the coming years.

Everton's most valuable players under David Moyes

Everton’s market business while controlled by Farhad Moshiri left plenty to be desired, with relegation concerns seemingly an every-year issue in recent times.

But while TFG, Moyes and incoming Director of Football Angus Kinnear herald a new era at Bramley Moore, there are of course some stars who stand out above the rest and could remain important parts of the second Moyes era.

Jarrad Branthwaite stands out chief among them.

Everton rejected a series of offers from Manchester United for their prized defender, staying firm on their £75m valuation. Top clubs will be sure to return in the future, a marker of the young Lion’s potential.

Further up the field, Iliman Ndiaye is the cream of last summer’s recruitment, joining from Marseille for £15m and scoring eight goals from 28 matches this season, including three in a row to help Moyes toward his brilliant start.

Were suitors to emerge this year, you’d bank on the Blues fielding enquiries with a far higher financial floor, if at all.

The goals may have dried up for Beto over the past few weeks, but his upswung form since January has reminded the Everton faithful of the thrill of having a powerful and prolific goalscorer.

That £26m fee paid to Udinese in August 2023 is beginning to become more understandable, with potential interest this summer likely to be turned away without some willingness to enter that ballpark.

Though he’s not properly on the books yet, Moyes might just have struck gold with another rising star, one who was picked to be a part of the fledgling project by the man himself and may become one of the most valuable members.

Moyes can strike gold with Everton's rising star

Remarkably, Moyes has transformed Everton since replacing the resigned Sean Dyche three months ago with nominal spending in the winter window, instead polishing and re-energising his existing options.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?Override

Alcaraz had had previous experience in the Premier League with Southampton in 2022/23, suffering relegation but demonstrating his budding ability after scoring four goals and laying on two assists across 13 starting appearances.

But since making his mark with a goal and assist apiece against Crystal Palace in early February, the 22-year-old has proved he is a more complete player, bringing a combative streak to match his natural danger in attacking situations.

As per Sofascore, he’s completed 60% of his dribbles, averaged 3.6 successful duels and 1.6 key passes per game while also completing 83% of his passes.

Described as a “special talent” by journalist Antonio Mango, Alcaraz’s tactical flexibility was one of the major selling points when he was welcomed in January, initially brought in on loan from Brazilian Serie A side Flamengo, with a mandatory £12m purchase clause active at the end of the campaign.

It’s early days yet, but tying him down with such a small price tag might prove to be a bona fide bargain down the line. While still at Southampton, Alcaraz moved on loan to Juventus for the second half of the 2023/24 term, with an option to sign him for £40m.

This didn’t come to fruition, but it still stands as a yardstick for the South American’s potential, something that may even be realised in the conditions created at Everton since Moyes’ arrival.

Central midfield

74

10

5

Attacking midfield

19

4

2

Right winger

14

4

2

Centre-forward

10

2

2

Defensive midfield

9

1

0

Left winger

7

1

2

Right-back

1

0

0

His versatility is a massive plus. Alcaraz enjoyed success against the Irons on Saturday, creating three key passes, making three tackles and winning nine duels, as per Sofascore, compensating for continued injury absences as Jesper Lindstrom dropped to the bench.

Owing to his technical quality and invariably tenacious approach, the Argentina talent may still be a loanee but he’s proving the £12m investment may well be worth it, in fact proving to be a shrewd deal indeed in the future.

If he can put in the hard work, Alcaraz may even become more valuable than the lion’s share of Everton’s standout players, eclipsing the worth of those such as Beto.

Alvarez might have missed a gilt-edged chance in the closing stages against West Ham, but his performances since joining from Brazil have suggested he has what it takes to become a high-class midfielder in the Premier League.

The Liverpool Echo’s Chris Beesley still felt it was just to hand him a healthy 7/10 match score, praising the ‘glimpses of quality’ that bespeak a potential future in some high-level conversations.

Juventus have already been interested in snapping him up for a £40m figure, and if he continues to show his skills as he has been doing, getting him down as a permanent part of this fast-changing Everton squad seems like a no-brainer.

More clinical than DCL: Everton now in huge race for "fantastic" £17m gem

He’s a man in-demand…

ByTom Cunningham Mar 16, 2025

Amad Diallo believes that, after coming through some testing times at Manchester United, he can become "one of the best in the world".

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Winger joined Red Devils in 2021
• Had to be patient waiting for breakthrough
• Boasts full support of fans & Amorim

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Time is still on the Ivory Coast international’s side when it comes to realising that dream, as he will turn 23 this summer. His character and ability have already faced plenty of challenges en route to reaching this stage of his career.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Amad, who joined United in 2021, initially found it difficult to make a breakthrough at Old Trafford – leading to loan spells at Rangers and Sunderland being taken in. Even after impressing there, injuries and a lack of trust from a succession of coaches continued to hold him back.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The tricky winger has, however, enjoyed a productive 2024-25 campaign after earning favour under Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim – with 41 appearances being taken in ahead of the Europa League final on Wednesday.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT AMAD DIALLO SAID

  Amad has told the of remaining patient as Ten Hag and Co overlooked him: “I need the game time to show I can play for this club. In that moment, I was a little bit frustrated because you can understand sometimes maybe you deserve to play and you don't play. You have a little bit of frustration. But I think now it's because the manager believes in me. He believes in my potential. I'm trying to repay his confidence every time I'm on the pitch.

  “Honestly, Erik helped me a lot. He was giving me a lot of advice, even when I wasn't playing. He was telling me to train very hard every time. That's the most important thing when a manager keeps telling you to train hard, even if you don't play. So I kept training very hard, very hard. I think this season, at the beginning, I was playing a lot with him. I want to thank him again for the opportunity he gave me and I want to wish him all the best.”

  He added on his hopes for the future, with there still plenty of potential to be unlocked in his game: “I believe in my potential. I believe I can be one of the best in the world. I just have to give my best every game. That's it. But I think I believe in my potential."

Former club captain retires from first-class and List A cricket to join coaching staff

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Dec-2023

Steven Croft will continue to play T20 for Lancashire•Getty Images

Former Lancashire captain Steven Croft has signed a T20-only playing deal for 2024 and will move on to the club’s coaching staff full time.Croft, 39, will embark on a 21st season as a player while continuing his transition into a coaching career, having been part of the staff for last season’s One-Day Cup.He has also officially retired first-class and List A cricket, bringing down the curtain on a red-ball career that included hitting the runs to secure Lancashire the County Championship title in 2011. In 212 first-class matches, Croft scored almost 10,000 runs, while adding another 4800 in one-day cricket.”This is something that has been an ambition of mine for a while, when I started to think about my post playing career, and I am delighted to have the opportunity to start my coaching career with Lancashire – a club which has given me and my family so much over the last 20 years,” Croft said.”The timing feels right to call time on playing first-class and List A cricket, especially with the number of talented players we have in contention for places, but I will also be ready and looking forward to helping the team in T20 cricket again next season.”I have some amazing memories from my playing career – topped by winning the County Championship in 2011 – and it was an honour to captain the Red Rose for a couple of seasons too.”Croft, club captain between 2016 and 2018, also led Lancashire to the T20 Blast title in 2015 and most recently helped the club to Finals Day in 2022. He has scored more than 5000 runs in the format, to go with 78 wickets.Lancashire director of cricket performance, Mark Chilton, said: “Steven has been a wonderful servant to Lancashire Cricket for over 20 years now and we are delighted that will continue, albeit in a different capacity, as he moves into a coaching role with the club.”This is something that Steven has been working towards for a while and he has coached with our Academy and age group players in recent years before joining the coaching staff during this summer’s Metro Bank One-Day Cup.”He will also continue to be available in T20 cricket next season and I know that he will be keen to continue contributing towards wins as a player.”