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MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras novamente abriu vantagem na liderança do Campeonato Brasileiro. Na noite desta quarta-feira (29), o Verdão bateu o América-MG, no Allianz Parque, por 2 a 0. E como mais cedo o Flamengo foi derrotado em casa para o Atlético-MG, a equipe alviverde se isolou no topo da tabela. Paulistas e cariocas iniciaram a rodada empatados em pontos, mas com o Palestra liderando por ter mais saldo de gols, o que é o segundo critério de desempate.

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Os palmeirenses dominaram a partida desde o primeiro minuto, quando Endrick abriu o placar. O segundo gol foi marcado ainda na etapa inicial, com o zagueiro Eder, do Coelho, empurrando contra o próprio patrimônio. Já no fim da partida, o argentino Flaco López, que havia saído do banco de reservas, marcou o terceiro e o quarto gol da equipe verde e branca.

➡️ Tudo sobre o Verdão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Palmeiras

Com o triunfo, o Palmeiras chega a 66 pontos na classificação do Brasileirão, seguido do Botafogo, Atlético-MG e Flamengo, ambos com 63.

O Verdão depende somente de si para conquistar o título e tem mais dois jogos até o término da competição. O primeiro, neste domingo (3), contra o Fluminense, na arena palmeirense, e o segundo, na próxima quarta-feira (6), contra o Cruzeiro, no Mineirão, em Belo Horizonte.

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CINCO PONTOS QUE MARCARAM A PARTIDA

> MAS JÁ?! Logo no primeiro lance da partida, com dois minutos, o Palmeiras abriu o placar com o garoto Endrick marcando pela décima vez no Brasileirão. Veiga cobrou falta, a zaga americana afastou, e a joia alviverde ajeitou para emendar um lindo chute no canto esquerdo.

> DANÇA, ENDRINHO, DANÇA! Na comemoração, teve dancinha da revelação palmeirense com o zagueiro Murilo, que é um dos melhores amigos do jovem, de 17 anos, no elenco palmeirense.

> POXA, RONY 🙁 O atacante não era titular desde o dia 19 de outubro e recebeu uma chance nesta partida, já que, por conta da ausência do lateral-direito Mayke, suspenso por acúmulo de cartões, o técnico Abel Ferreira voltou a usar linha de quatro no sistema defensivo. O camisa 10 palmeirense, no entanto, precisou ser substituído com 11 minutos, sentindo o antebraço. O problema aconteceu após uma dividida com o goleiro Jori, onde não houve sequer marcação de falta. Teve revisão, através do VAR, que não viu lance passível de cartão vermelho para o atleta americano.

> O QUE É ISSO, ÉDER, MEU GAROTO?! Quando o zagueiro do próprio time resolve jogar contra, aí fica difícil. Mais um lance que começou com Raphael Veiga levantando para área. Dessa vez, Eder, do Coelho, tentou evitar que a bola chegasse em Murilo, que fechava na pequena área, e acabou mandando contra o próprio patrimônio.

> INACREDITÁVEL, BRENO LOPES: ele poderia ter ampliado a vantagem palmeirense no segundo tempo, quando recebeu um belo passo de Endrick e arrancou sozinho, de frente para o gol. Mas, cara a cara com o goleiro Jori, o atacante isolou o chute.

COMO FOI O PRIMEIRO TEMPO

Primeiro tempo de domínio único e exclusivo do Palmeiras, que logo no primeiro minuto abriu o placar com o garoto Endrick, que aproveitou uma sobra na entrada da área, após falta que Raphael Veiga levantou na área, dominou de forma impecável e acertou um chute melhor ainda, no canto esquerdo do goleiro americano.

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E o Verdão seguiu em cima do Coelho. Artur (quatro vezes, Murilo, Piquerez, Richard Ríos e Zé Rafael arriscaram, mas faltavam capricharem um pouco nas finalizações, que na maioria das vezes foram para fora. Em algumas oportunidades pararam no goleiro Jori, mas sem levar muito perigo.

Tanto que o segundo gol palmeirense foi marcado por um jogador do América-MG. Aos 39 minutos, Raphael Veiga cobrou falta pelo lado esquerdo, levantando na grande área, e Éder, ao tentar afastar, cortou contra o próprio patrimônio.

E O SEGUNDO TEMPO?

Menos intenso, mas ainda controlando o jogo, o Palmeiras cadenciou na maior parte do tempo. A equipe alviverde não empilhou chances como havia feito na etapa inicial, mas, ainda sim, teve grandes oportunidades para ampliar. A maior delas foi quando Breno Lopes recebeu lindo passe de Endrick, saiu na cara do gol, mas isolou. E quando a partida parecia terminar mesmo 2 a 0 para o Verdão, Flaco López entrou no lugar de Endrick e deixou a sua marca duas vezes, aos 42 e 46 minutos da etapa final.

+ CONFIRA MAIS DETALHES SOBRE A PARTIDA

O QUE VEM POR AÍ

Palmeiras e América-MG voltam a campo neste fim de semana. Enquanto o Verdão recebe o Fluminense, novamente no Allianz Parque, para colocar uma mão na taça. Já o Coelho, novamente cumpre tabela. Desta vez, os mineiros vão enfrentar o Bahia, na Arena Independência, em Belo Horizonte. O clube baiano briga para não repetir o caminho dos americanos e serem rebaixados para a Série B.

PALMEIRAS 4 X 0 AMÉRICA-MG
CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO – 36ª RODADA

Data e horário:29 de novembro de 2023, às 21h (de Brasília)
Local:Allianz Parque, São Paulo (SP)
Árbitro:Wilton Pereira Sampaio
Assistentes: Leone Carvalho Rocha e Lehi Sousa Silva
Árbitro de vídeo:Rodolpho Toski Marques
Público e renda:29.717 pessoas | R$ 2.694.055,09
Cartões amarelos:Naves e Richard Ríos (Palmeiras); Júlio e Eder (América-MG)
Cartões vermelhos:

GOLS: 1-0 Endrick (2’/1T); 2-0 Éder (contra) (39’/1T); 3-0 Flaco López (42’/2T); 4-0 Flaco López (46’/2T)

PALMEIRAS
Weverton; Marcos Rocha, Murilo, Naves e Piquerez; Zé Rafael (Jaílson, 35’/2T), Richard Ríos (Fabinho, 26’/2T) e Raphael Veiga; Endrick (Flaco López, 35’/2T), Rony (Artur, 11’/2T) e Breno Lopes (Jhon Jhon, 26’/2T). Técnico: Abel Ferreira.

AMÉRICA-MG
Jori; Rodriguinho, Danilo Avelar, Júlio (Iago Maidana, 32’/2T), Eder e Marlon; Lucas Kal, Emmanuel Martínez (Martín Benítez, 32’/2T0 e Juninho; Felipe Azevedo (Everaldo, intervalo) e Gonzalo Mastriani (Alê, intervalo). Técnico: Diogo Giacomini.

There was a feeling that the stars had aligned for Mitchell Starc, playing his 100th Test with the pink ball he has so often dominated with, but few could have imagined the carnage that unfolded on the third day at Sabina Park as he claimed three wickets in his first over and the quickest five-wicket haul in Test history including his 400th.Yet that was not the end of it. Scott Boland claimed a hat-trick, removing Justin Greaves, Shamar Joseph and Jomel Warrican, leaving West Indies 26 for 9 and in danger of equaling the lowest-ever Test total – made by New Zealand against England in 1955. They edged past it courtesy of a Sam Konstas misfield in the gully, but only by one run when Starc ended the Text next ball to finish with a career-best 6 for 9. West Indies were all out in 14.3 overs.Related

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Starc’s incredible performance propelled Australia to a 176-run victory and a 3-0 series margin after they had set West Indies 204 for victory in another match dominated by the quick bowlers. Alzarri Joseph, with a career-best 5 for 27, and Shamar shared nine wickets as Australia’s last four wickets fell for 22 runs but that was nothing compared to what followed.Starc produced one of the great opening overs. He removed John Campbell first ball, the fourth time in his career he had struck with the opening delivery of an innings, when the left-handed edged a perfect outswinger to substitute wicketkeeper Josh Inglis, who was standing in for the concussed Alex Carey.Four balls later, Kevlon Anderson shouldered arms as the ball swung back to strike his shin in front of middle stump, yet he reviewed the plumbest of lbws. Next delivery, another one arched back between Brandon King’s bat and pad to demolish the stumps. It was the sixth time in Test history that a team had been 0 for 3.Mitchell Starc completed his five-wicket haul in just 15 balls, the fastest in Tests•AFP/Getty Images

Mikyle Louis survived the hat-trick ball at the start of Starc’s second over, but fittingly his 400th wicket came with another trademark inswinger as he trapped Louis lbw, becoming the fourth Australian bowler to the landmark after Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Nathan Lyon.The extraordinary scenes continued when, two balls later, Starc added Shai Hope lbw to bring up a five-wicket haul in just 15 deliveries, the fastest from the start of an innings – beating the previous record of jointly held by Ernie Toshack, Stuart Broad and Scott Boland by four deliveries.Starc’s monopoly ended when Josh Hazlewood had Roston Chase caught behind to leave West Indies on a scarcely believable 11 for 6. In the eighth over, Greaves became the first batter into double figures as he and Alzarri managed to reach the tea interval, which at one stage had been in doubt.Australia pose after blanking West Indies 3-0•AFP/Getty Images

After the interval, Boland got into the act as Greaves edged to slip and Shamar was lbw via the DRS. Then, with the hat-trick delivery, he speared one through Warrican. Few would have bet against four-in-four, but Starc ended with the honour of wrapping up one of the wildest passages of play imaginable.The ball had dominated from the very start of the day when Cameron Green shouldered arms to one from Shamar, which shaped back to cannon into off stump. Green had played superbly the previous evening to give Australia a cushion for the fourth innings, although in the end they didn’t come close to needing it.Shamar took his series tally to 22 wickets at 14.95, the most for a West Indies bowler against Australia since Courtney Walsh in 1999, but not long later, there was only one quick bowler being talked about.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo voltou a demonstrar indignação com a conduta da arbitragem em uma partida pelo Brasileirão. Expulso aos 22 minutos do primeiro tempo do confronto com o Corinthians, o lateral-esquerdo Marçal não escondeu sua bronca. Enquanto saía do gramado do Estádio Neo Química Arena, o camisa 21 direcionou-se para uma das câmeras do canal Premiere e gritou:

RelacionadasBotafogoBotafogo sela acordo definitivo com empresa para comercialização de placas publicitárias em jogos da equipeBotafogo22/09/2023

– Isso é roubo! Isso é roubo! Isso aqui que é roubo, Abel!’ – disse o lateral, fazendo referência à reclamação do técnico português do Palmeiras.

+ Condição especial para matrícula no curso Gestor de Futebol, aprovado por Dante, Petković, Léo Moura e outros craques. Saiba mais!

O lateral deu uma “solada” no corintiano Pedro e recebeu cartão amarelo minutos antes. Porém o árbitro  Paulo César Zanovelli da Silva (Fifa-MG) foi alertado pelo VAR e revisou a imagem. Em seguida, o juiz puxou o cartão vermelho.

Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad have been shortlisted to host the 16 remaining IPL 2025 matches if the tournament resumes in May after being suspended on Friday. ESPNcricinfo has learned that the IPL chose the three southern Indian cities as part of a likely plan in case it gets the nod from the Indian government to resume the tournament.On Friday, the BCCI suspended the IPL for a week because of the cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan over the past few days. It could not be confirmed if the BCCI has decided on a cut-off date to decide whether to resume the IPL if it were to take place in May.Despite the proactive step in keeping the three venues ready, the BCCI officials acknowledged the difficulty of resuming the IPL quickly in the current environment. Franchise officials were informally informed of this on Friday, and several team officials ESPNcricinfo spoke to indicated that the remainder of the season could be played later in the year.Among the most significant challenges for the BCCI when it comes to a May resumption is to get the overseas players to return. Immediately after the suspension was announced, teams started disbanding, and players started to get on the next available flights to their respective destinations. A majority of the overseas players are expected to leave India by the end of Saturday.The PBKS vs DC game in Dharamsala was called off after only 10.1 overs•Associated Press

While the franchises remain optimistic that most overseas players would return if the tournament were to resume later in May, they admitted there would be no guarantees if the window extended beyond May 25, when the IPL 2025 final was scheduled to be played in Kolkata. That’s because of the bilateral commitments for several players, as well as the World Test Championship (WTC) final between Australia and South Africa, starting on June 11 at Lord’s.A total of 57 matches had been completed in IPL 2025, and the 58th was underway on May 8 between Punjab Kings (PBKS) and Delhi Capitals (DC) in Dharamsala, which was called off after 10.1 overs of play. The IPL has not yet taken a call on whether that match would be replayed.There are 12 league matches remaining, and then the four playoffs. Originally, Hyderabad was meant to host the first qualifier and the eliminator, with Kolkata hosting the second qualifier and the final.

Fulham are now plotting an incredible raid to sign an “unbelievable” player, who is now one of their leading targets as we approach the climax of the summer transfer window.

Cottagers planning multiple new signings before deadline day

Marco Silva’s side have been extremely quiet in the transfer window up to this point, but Gary Neville has suggested they do not need any new signings to compete, off the back of an impressive showing in the 1-1 draw against Manchester United.

Neville said: “I thought Fulham were really good, really organised. I know that there’s a lot of talk at Fulham about the fact they’ve not made signings and there’s a little bit of despair. When a club doesn’t make signings everyone feels a little bit sort of downbeat about it.”

“But I looked at the Fulham team and I saw the Fulham bench, I thought: Fulham are okay, Fulham have got a good team already, they’ve got a good bench.”

Keeping hold of Rodrigo Muniz was arguably the most important piece of business the Cottagers have done this summer, but it would be a bonus if Silva was able to make a couple of additions to his squad before the rapidly approaching deadline.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Fulham are looking to make three new signings, and they are plotting an incredible raid on Premier League rivals Man United for Kobbie Mainoo, who has found it difficult to force his way into Ruben Amorim’s plans.

Fulham in talks for £43m star with 6 G/A already this season, he's open to the move

The Cottagers are in discussions to sign a new forward.

By
Dominic Lund

Aug 21, 2025

Mainoo could be given the go-ahead to leave this summer, having failed to play a single minute of Premier League football so far, but there is likely to be widespread interest in his services, which could be prohibitive for the west Londoners.

Not only that, but a potential £70m price tag has previously been touted, which may be why the 20-year-old is being considered as a loan signing by the Cottagers.

Fulham move could be ideal for "unbelievable" Mainoo

At 20-years-old, the Man United youngster needs to be receiving regular game time, but minutes have been hard to come by under Amorim, who clearly doesn’t favour the Englishman.

As such, a loan move to Craven Cottage could be ideal for the 10-time England international, who needs to be playing most weeks if he is to stand a chance of being called up to the World Cup squad next summer.

Declan Rice is certainly a big fan of his compatriot, with the Arsenal midfielder lauding him as “unbelievable” in the past, and the central midfielder already has plenty of first-team experience, having made 72 appearances for Man United, scoring seven goals.

Having only signed Benjamin Lecomte, Fulham have been extremely reluctant to spend money this summer, indicating loan deals may be more appealing, and Mainoo could be a fantastic signing.

Leeds United supporters have not been accustomed to goal-filled matches involving their beloved side since promotion to the Premier League.

Indeed, Daniel Farke’s Whites are yet to score a goal from open play in league action, with their only strike to date being Lukas Nmecha’s penalty, which won a tight affair versus Everton.

Since then, it’s been many a spurned opportunity from the West Yorkshire outfit, with the free transfer addition of Dominic Calvert-Lewin not even boosting their early-season output.

Leeds might not be so frustrated in this department right now if they had managed to win a deal for Harry Wilson on deadline day, with the Welshman never arriving at Elland Road in the end from Fulham, despite serious efforts to bring him in at the final hour.

Why Leeds failed to sign Harry Wilson

Ultimately, the top-flight newcomers left themselves with too much to do as the clock ticked down, with Fulham deciding last-minute to keep their entertaining attacker around.

Why? Well, the story is a source of frustration as far as Leeds are concerned. They initially met Fulham’s quoted asking price a few days before deadline, but with the Cottagers focused on incomings, the Londoners ended up wanting to re-negotiate a move on the final day of the window.

The Whites did return with an improved offer and while that bid was accepted, resulting in a deal sheet being submitted to get the move signed off, Fulham ultimately decided that they did not want to sell the player, communicating to the hierarchy at Elland Road that a deal was off just minutes before the 7pm deadline.

It was a bitter blow for the Yorkshire side, but it’s understandable that Marco Silva’s men wanted to keep him, knowing full well what he’s capable of at the peak of his powers.

Indeed, the “incredible” number eight – as he was once lauded by Jurgen Klopp – is capable of stunning moments like the one above, culminating in Wilson tallying up 26 goal contributions in total for Fulham in the Premier League.

With a further 30 goal contributions coming his way in the Championship for Silva’s men, Leeds might well have thought they’d struck gold by tempting Wilson to Elland Road, with the Wrexham-born forward also offering depth down either the left or right wing for Farke, amid some gaps in the German’s squad.

However, it just wasn’t to be, as Farke now has to rely on the likes of Wilfried Gnonto and Daniel James until January.

Leeds did once have a tantalising winger in a similar mould to Wilson, though.

Leeds struck gold with their original Harry Wilson

Farke should hopefully have enough at his disposal to get the goals eventually flowing, with Calvert-Lewin boasting 57 Premier League goals at Everton when performing at full capacity.

He would love to have Crysencio Summerville back for selection if he could; however, notably having managed to get the very best out of the electric Dutchman during his first up-and-down season at the helm.

Arguably, his previous dynamite output in the Championship for Leeds puts him on the same pedestal Wilson once found himself on at Fulham in the second tier.

A bumper 28-goal contributions fell into his lap come the end of a breakout 2023/24 season, which somehow saw the Whites slip up in their bid to return to the Premier League in a jittery playoff final.

Still, Summerville would find his own avenue up to the top-flight with West Ham United, as Leeds were powerless to a £25m bid coming their way, in the wake of promotion failing to be secured.

Games played

89

Goals scored

25

Assists

13

Original fee

£1.3m

Fee sold for

£25m

Percentage increase

1823%

Leeds could let themselves be eaten up with regret here, considering Summerville is now strutting his stuff in London – not too far away from Wilson’s Fulham – with two assists next to his name already this campaign.

But, the table above reinforces the idea that Leeds struck gold on the Feyenoord-born attacker when they did, with Summerville purchased for just £1.3m four years ago.

Taking into account the £25m he was sold for, that is a wild 1823% increase between the two prices, with Leeds then putting their riches to good use to construct a promotion-winning team.

While they may be stunted in the here and now with no Summerville-style figure, with the Dutchman also adaptable like Wilson to play down either flank, time is still on Leeds’ side to beat the drop.

The likes of Noah Okafor, who did end up through the door this summer, could well turn into Leeds’ new, impactful Summerville-like presence down the line, with all hope not lost just yet at Elland Road.

Leeds already preparing January offer to sign £40m Calvert-Lewin upgrade

Leeds United are already preparing a formal offer to sign a star who would replace Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

1 ByDan Emery Sep 8, 2025

In another world, James Trafford would be making an emotional and triumphant return on Saturday to Manchester City with Burnley as the Clarets' shot-stopping extraordinaire. But instead he will be watching his former side take on City from the bench, watching the recently crowned Yashin trophy winner Gianluigi Donnarumma keep goal instead.

Trafford was one of the hottest properties in the goalkeeping market after his record-breaking season with Burnley last year, conceding just 16 goals in the Championship and boasting a save percentage of 85 percent. He looked destined to move to Newcastle United and the Magpies would have been a fine destination for him, offering him Champions League football for the first time. But City, who he left for Burnley in 2023 without making a first team appearance, had placed a matching clause in the terms of his contract and it allowed them to equal Newcastle's bid and take Trafford back to the Etihad Stadium.

It was a surprise move but there was a certain logic to it from Trafford's point of view as Ederson was winding down his long spell at City with one year left on his contract and the No. 1 spot was up for grabs. But the Brazilian fast-tracked his exit to join Fenerbahce towards the end of the transfer window and City jumped at the opportunity to sign Donnarumma.

Now Trafford is competing with arguably the top goalkeeper in the world, who has been performing at the highest level for the last decade but is only 26. And after starting the first three Premier League games of the season, Trafford is now confined to the bench for league and European games, with games in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup likely to be his only source of minutes unless Donnarumma gets injured or his form dramatically declines.

With Trafford likely regretting his decision to return to City and reports emerging already of him seeking a loan move in January, GOAL takes a look at other transfer decisions which quickly backfired from the point of view of the player…

• Getty
  

  Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid to Barcelona, 2019)

  Antoine Griezmann made a real song and dance of his choice to resist the temptation of a move to Barcelona from Atletico Madrid in 2018, following in the footsteps of Lebron James and making a documentary called 'The Decision' in which he weighed up the pros and cons of joining Lionel Messi at the Camp Nou. He opted to stay at Atletico and signed a new contract. And that was where the matter should have ended.

  But after all that, Griezmann signed for Barca anyway just one year later, infuriating Atletico directors and supporters who thought the Frenchman had committed his entire career to them. Barca, meanwhile, were already suspicious of a player who had let them down a year before. Griezmann was weighed down by his €120m (£104m/$140m) transfer fee and flopped at Barca, struggling to combine with Messi and Luis Suarez. 

  In his first season he scored only nine La Liga goals, his worst tally in eight years and which remains the fourth worst of his career. The departure of Suarez only made things worse as the Uruguayan inspired Atletico to win the title. Griezmann returned to Atletico after two miserable years in which he won zero league titles and Barca were humiliated in the Champions League.

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• Getty
  

  Alvaro Morata (Juventus to Real Madrid, 2016)

  The Spanish striker's career had taken off at Juventus after leaving Real Madrid in 2014. He had scored his share of crucial goals, including to take the Old Lady to the Champions League final at Madrid's expense and to win the Coppa Italia final. But Real had inserted a buy-back clause in the terms of his transfer and they exercised it in 2016. 

  It must have been hard for Morata to resist the lure of returning to his boyhood club but a quick look at the world class quality in their attack, which included Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema in their prime, should have told him that he was rarely going to be a starter back at the Santiago Bernabeu.

  So it proved and although Madrid won La Liga and the Champions League and Morata scored 18 goals, he was never a regular player for Zinedine Zidane's side, starting 14 league games and just once in Europe. He left Madrid after just one season to join Chelsea, a move which turned out to be an even bigger disaster. He is now back in Italy at Como, the seventh club and 10th separate spell in a career where he never settled anywhere for more than two years.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Kalvin Phillips (Leeds United to Man City, 2022)

  Kalvin Phillips' transfer to City in the summer of 2022 made sense at the time, as the midfielder had honed his playing style at Leeds United under Marcelo Bielsa, one of Pep Guardiola's coaching mentors, and played a key role in England's run to the final of the European Championship a year earlier.

  But Phillips got off to a difficult start at the Etihad as he injured his shoulder in a friendly against Barcelona and needed to have surgery. Guardiola then questioned Phillips' lifestyle by accusing him of returning from the 2022 World Cup overweight and kept leaving him out of the starting line up, including when he rotated the rest of his squad for the FA Cup semi-final against Sheffield United.

  Not even a three-match suspension for Rodri in the first half of the following campaign could help Phillips stake a claim for a regular role, and he left City for loan spells at West Ham and Ipswich Town having made just six starts in all competitions, three of which City went on to lose. Phillips' stock had been so badly damaged that there were no takers for him last summer, leaving him no choice but to return to City. He made a surprise return to action against Huddersfield Town in the Carabao Cup this week.

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  Paul Gascoigne (Newcastle to Tottenham, 1988)

  Paul Gascoigne may have had many magical moments at Tottenham but his decision to move to Spurs over Manchester United is one of the great what-ifs in football. Gazza had given Sir Alex Ferguson his word and was all set to move to the Red Devils from boyhood club Newcastle but changed his mind and went to Spurs instead after they agreed to buy a car for his dad and a sunbed for his sister. 

  Gazza's career was famously destroyed by his alcoholism – plus some nasty injuries – and the popular perception is that Ferguson, who put an end to United's drinking culture when he took charge, would have straightened him out. The legendary manager later revealed that not signing Gascoigne was his biggest regret. "I think if we'd have got him, he would have had a great career, I really do. I'm not saying he didn't have a good career but he would have had a better career with us," he said in 2021.

  Gascoigne, however, disputes that. He told the Rest is Football podcast: "People always say it would have been different if I'd signed for Man United, he would have kept us under control. Well, Eric Cantona two-footed someone in the neck in the stands, Wayne Rooney went with a granny and Ryan Giggs went with his brother's wife. So, I might have fitted in."

Quite often, it is impossible to read too much into pre-season but, if Everton manager David Moyes has learnt one thing, it is that he requires more attacking difference makers.

Across seven pre-season friendlies, the Toffees won only once, beating EFL League One outfit Port Vale, scoring just six goals across these fixtures, most notably defeated 1-0 by Roma on Saturday, which somewhat damped the grand-opener of Hill Dickinson Stadium.

So, ahead of their Premier League opener, taking on newly-promoted Leeds United at Elland Road on Monday night, Moyes has already brought in some attacking reinforcements, but now has his sights set on even more.

Everton's need for goals and creativity

So far this summer, Everton have added striker Thierno Barry, arriving from Villarreal for a reported fee of £27m, and attacking midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who has joined from Chelsea for £25m, the pair having scored 11 and five goals for their former clubs respectively last season.

The signing all Evertonians are excited the most about, though, is the arrival of Jack Grealish, who has moved to Merseyside on a season-long loan from Manchester City, while there is an option to make the deal permanent for £50m.

Should that clause be activated, he would break Everton’s transfer record, currently held by Gylfi Sigurðsson.

So, given the huge sums of money involved, with Grealish currently earning £300k-per-week in wages too, albeit Man City will surely be subsidising a huge proportion of that, could the acquisition of a young talent prove to be the better signing?

Well, as reported by TEAMtalk, Everton are interested in signing Tyrique George from Chelsea, with alternatives to Southampton’s Tyler Dibling being considered on the right flank, having seen multiple bids rejected for the £50m teenager.

As for George, the report adds that RB Leipzig are also ‘keen’, while Chelsea are open to a sale at ‘the right price’, with the Blues’ teenager’s estimated transfer market value around £15m, as per Football Transfers.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

So, could he soon swap Stamford Bridge for Bramley-Moore Dock?

What Evertonians could expect from Tyrique George

George has been on Chelsea’s books since the age of eight, making his senior debut for the Blues a year ago against Servette in the Conference League play-off round, racking up 26 senior appearances across all competitions throughout the campaign.

He scored his first goal for the club against Legia Warszawa in April, opening his Premier League account at Craven Cottage against West London rivals Fulham a few days later, before also netting against Espérance Sportive de Tunis during Chelsea’s victorious Club World Cup campaign throughout the summer.

These performances saw him named Chelsea’s Academy Player of the Season for 2025, a prestigious accolade previously awarded to Dominic Solanke, Fikayo Tomori, Mason Mount, Reece James, Conor Gallagher, Billy Gilmour, Lewis Hall and other high-profile stars since its inception a decade ago.

Ben Mattinson was certainly impressed, labelling him a “monster”, believing there is “not enough hype” about how good he is, while then-teammate Noni Madueke asserted that George’s “talent is through the roof”, adding that he is “quick and skilful” and possesses “everything to be a fantastic winger”.

So, let’s analyse his statistics in last season’s Conference League, the competition in which the vast majority of his minutes came.

Minutes

765

5th

Goals

1

12th

Assists

2

5th

Expected assists

2.9

2nd

Shots

22

2nd

Key passes

14

2nd

Shot-creating actions

30

2nd

Big chances created

4

2nd

Attempted take-ons

25

2nd

Successful take-ons

14

2nd

Progressive carries

38

1st

Carries into the box

27

1st

Average SofaScore ranking

7.08

9th

As the table outlines, George was a key attacking contributor for Chelsea in the Conference League last season, ranking especially highly when it came to dribbling metrics, namely progressive carries, carries into the opposition’s penalty area and take-ons.

Thus, it is clear that George is an immensely talented teenager, one that could be available for a bargain price, given Chelsea’s constant desire to buy more and more attackers, currently chasing Alejandro Garnacho and Xavi Simons.

Everton could therefore be the team who benefit, potentially signing George at a bargain price, one that’ll prove to be their best signing of the summer in the medium to long term, even better than the arrival of Grealish.

The teenager is a player on the up and, in the right environment, could thrive, so is exactly the profile of player the Toffees need to be targeting, low cost and opportunistic, if they’re going to get back to challenging for major honours and European qualification.

Grealish, on the other hand, is a major risk, having contributed very little at Manchester City across the last two seasons, seeing a miserly 715 minutes of action in the Premier League last season, starting just seven times, scoring a solitary league goal.

Thus, while 29-year-old Grealish could have an impact in the immediate future, Everton are aiming to compete in the long-term under new owners, the Friedkins, and George, a decade his junior, could star at Bramley-Moore Dock for many seasons to come.

Better move than Grealish: Everton looking to sign "unstoppable" £17m CF

As Everton look to bolster their forward options, with Jack Grealish potentially on his way, the Toffees could also sign an “unstoppable” £17m striker

ByBen Gray Aug 11, 2025

Left-arm spinner was reported by umpires during one-off appearance at Taunton in September

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Nov-2024

Shakib Al Hasan, the Bangladesh allrounder, has been asked to undergo analysis of his bowling action by the England and Wales Cricket Board, after being reported by the umpires during his one-off appearance for Surrey in this season’s County Championship.Shakib, 37, claimed nine wickets for Surrey in a thrilling Championship clash with Somerset at Taunton in September, his first appearance in the competition since a brief stint with Worcestershire in 2010-11.As a left-arm spinner, he had agreed to a short-term deal to shore up Surrey’s resources for their title push, at a time when eight players were absent on England duty, including both of their frontline spinners, Will Jacks and Dan Lawrence.Related

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Despite his immediate impact, Shakib was not able to prevent Somerset from sealing a remarkable 111-run victory that briefly held up Surrey’s march towards their third Championship title in a row.He bowled more than 63 overs in the fixture, and though he was not no-balled at any stage for throwing, it has now emerged that the on-field umpires, Steve O’Shaughnessy and David Millns, subsequently deemed his bowling action to be suspect.He is not suspended from playing, but ESPNcricinfo understands that negotiations are ongoing for Shakib to undergo further tests in an approved location, with the expectation that this will occur within the next couple of weeks.It is thought to be the first time that Shakib’s bowling action has come under any scrutiny, in a career that has spanned two decades, and featured a total of 712 wickets across 447 international matches, including 246 in 71 Tests.Shakib’s international career is currently in limbo, following protests that accompanied his withdrawal, on security grounds, from Bangladesh’s Test squad to face South Africa at Mirpur last month. He had previously served as an MP for the longstanding Awami League-led government, which was toppled amid student protests in July.

Liverpool are preparing to defend their Premier League title, and while Arne Slot will be emboldened by the ambitious signings made thus far, their divisional rivals are growing in strength, packaging their teams with fresh parts.

But the Merseysiders set the standard with the £100m signing of Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, a deal which may yet rise to £116m with add-ons.

It’s a fool’s game to name a prediction for the Premier League Player of the Year before the campaign’s even kicked off (but here we go anyway), and Wirtz hasn’t even played competitively in the English game yet, but he’s got to be among the frontrunners, and rightly so.

The attacking midfielder’s peerless creativity established him as a superstar in Germany, and he will hold the key to unlocking defences and charging Slot’s goalscoring endeavours.

In many respects, football is secondary at Anfield after the tragic passing of Diogo Jota, yet before too long, Richard Hughes’ focus will turn back to the transfer market with the 2025/26 campaign only weeks away – and Darwin Nunez expected to leave Liverpool for a new chapter.

The latest on Liverpool's striker search

The Athletic have confirmed that Liverpool are prioritising the acquisition of a new central striker as we head into the next phase of the summer transfer window.

Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak remains the dreamy top target, but signing him will be no easy feat, rated at £200m by his employers, who have no wish to sell.

However, the Magpies are looking to close a deal for Hugo Ekitike, another high on Liverpool’s list, which could spark a series of variables that might just play to Anfield’s favour. However, this is conjectural right now.

In any case, Liverpool need to replace Nunez, who only scored seven times last term and is heading toward the exit, something both parties are open to. Even with an elite playmaker in Wirtz joining the club, it’s felt the 25-year-old has had ample chances to prove himself.

With Napoli and Al Hilal both keen on the Uruguayan, the former already coming close but to be thwarted by financial differences, it’s only a matter of time before a move progresses for Nunez.

And when that happens, FSG are primed to sign a new out-and-out frontman.

Liverpool make contact for new striker

According to Liverpool reporter Matt Thielen, Liverpool have been in contact with Samu Aghehowa’s agents as they search for a new striker this summer.

The Reds aren’t the only ones scanning the market for a new striker to have centred on Aghehowa, however, with Aston Villa and Newcastle United both having shown an interest in recent weeks.

The 21-year-old could also prove to be cost-efficient. While he has an £82.5m release clause in his contract, Samu could be sold for considerably less at £63m.

Why Liverpool want Samu Aghehowa

In 2024, Aghehowa looked set for a transfer from Atletico Madrid to Chelsea, before the move collapsed and Porto swooped in.

The Blues’ frustrations proved to be the Portuguese outfit’s gain, for they have enjoyed the prolific qualities of a thriving young striker who has been hailed for his “elite potential” by analyst Ben Mattinson after scoring 27 goals and adding three assists across 45 matches in all competitions last term, notably dispatching a cool brace against Manchester United in the Europa League.

The Spanish striker has proved himself to be a deadly marksman, but he’s also a crisp and progressive distributor, ranked among the top 4% of strikers across divisions similar to the Liga Portugal last year for pass completion and the top 6% for through balls per 90, as per FBref.

In this regard, Slot could sign a new centre-forward with the goalscoring instinct and indeed technical awareness to operate within the ranged tactical parameters the Dutch coach likes to enforce.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

And it’s a tactical quirk which could find an ideal partner in Wirtz, whose ball-playing qualities and silky movement would allow the striker to find space with consistency and strike on goal. Or, conversely, ‘Samu’ could use his capacity to drop deep and play surgical balls into the box to keep defenders guessing, letting his 22-year-old teammate sidle into space.

Hailed as a “monster in the making” with a “complete profile” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Aghehowa has the potential to throw down with the finest number nines that the game has to offer, but he’s not there yet.

However, his still-in-development skill set could actually be the perfect thing for Wirtz, with the two attacking players combining and growing in accordance with their partnership, learning all about the idiosyncrasies of each other’s games.

Looking at his clinical edge and ability to maximise a goalscoring opportunity (only hitting the target at an average of 1.1 times per league match last season) the Spanish forward could be elevated to the next level by Wirtz.

The German, after all, has been described as a “genius” of a creator by former Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso, with his flowing river of chances sure to raise the 6 foot 4 powerhouse’s output.

Given that, were Aghehowa to sign, this could be Liverpool’s definitive offensive duo for an age, it makes sense that Hughes would have a vested interest.

Newcastle appear to be closing in on a deal for Ekitike, and the line over on Tyneside is Isak’s staying put; the 25-year-old will work in tandem with his younger French teammate.

Liverpool will, of course, remain attentive to Isak’s situation. Still, FSG’s ambitions only run so far, and it seems unlikely that a figure in the ballpark of £200m would be green-lit after such steep expenditure already.

With this Porto phenom going from strength to strength, Slot and co could forget about all that and focus on a man who looks perfect for this high-flying project.

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By
Angus Sinclair

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