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Leeds United reportedly submitted a late offer in an attempt to sign Aston Villa attacking midfielder Emiliano Buendia at the end of the summer transfer window, only to be blocked by their Premier League rivals.

The Argentina international scored 24 goals and provided 41 assists in 121 matches for Norwich under Daniel Farke, per Transfermarkt, and the German was looking for a reunion with him at Elland Road.

Unfortunately, Villa decided to keep hold of the 28-year-old star, which turned out to be a brilliant decision. Per Sofascore, Buendia has delivered five goals and three assists in all competitions for the Villans this season, recently scoring the winner against Arsenal.

Whilst the former Norwich star is now out of their reach, due to his fantastic form for Villa, the Whites could land their own version of him next month.

Leeds eyeing move for Champions League forward

The January transfer window is only a matter of weeks away from opening for business, and the West Yorkshire outfit have their eye on a potential target to add more quality to their squad.

Transfer Focus

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

According to TEAMtalk, Leeds United are one of a number of clubs lining up a move to sign Bodo/Glimt star Jens Petter Hauge in the winter window.

The report claims that Crystal Palace, Brentford, Leeds, and Brighton are all interested in signing the former AC Milan attacking midfielder, as they look to bolster their respective squads ahead of the second half of the season.

It adds that the Whites were keen on signing the Norwegian talent back in 2020, before his move to Milan, and they are looking to finally snap him up, five years later.

TEAMtalk, however, does not reveal how much money Bodo/Glimt are set to demand from any of the interested Premier League teams, should offers come in for his services.

Why Leeds should sign Jens Petter Hauge

Leeds should test the Norwegian side’s resolve with an offer for Hauge when the January transfer window opens for business, because he has the quality to be Farke’s new Buendia.

Like the Villa star, the attacking midfielder is a versatile playmaker who can play on the left, through the middle, or off the right to provide goals and assists on a regular basis.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig once described him as a “sensational” player who had lost his way, and the 26-year-old star is seemingly back to his ‘sensational’ ways in Norway.

Since returning to Bodo/Glimt in January 2024, Hauge has been in impressive form that suggests that he could be an exciting addition to Farke’s squad ahead of the second half of the 2025/26 campaign.

The Norway international, who has been the most prolific dribbler in the competition, has scored three goals in six matches in the Champions League this season, after delivering four assists in two Champions League qualifiers, per Transfermarkt.

Since his return to Bodo/Glimt, Hauge has produced 24 goals and 22 assists in 93 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt, which shows that he has provided goals and assists on a regular basis from attacking midfield positions.

2025 Eliteserien	Hauge
Appearances	28
Goals	8
Minutes per goal	279
Key passes per game	2.1
Big chances created	8
Assists	4
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Leeds transfer target ended the 2025 Eliteserien campaign with 16 goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in 28 outings for Bodo/Glimt.

This shows that, like Buendia, Hauge is another right-footed attacking midfielder who can provide quality in the final third as both a scorer and a creator in equal measure, which makes him an incredibly valuable player.

Of course, he is unproven in the Premier League and it remains to be seen whether or not he can translate his current performances over to English football, but a return of three goals in six Champions League matches, including a goal against Borussia Dortmund this week, shows that he can perform at a high level.

This suggests that Hauge is a player who is worth taking a gamble on in the January transfer window in an attempt to add more quality to the side at the top end of the pitch.

A Viduka repeat: Leeds open initial talks to sign midfield "machine"

Leeds United are eyeing up a player from Scotland who could be their next Mark Viduka-type signing.

By
Dan Emery

5 days ago

Leeds were unable to sign Buendia from Villa in the summer to reunite him with Farke, but the German head coach may see shades of the Argentine magician in this Bodo/Glimt star.

San Diego Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. has been on an absolute tear to start the 2025 MLB season. Not only is he hitting for power, but Tatis has also displayed an impressive ability to avoid striking out.

Through 21 games this season, Tatis has 12 strikeouts and is slashing .358/.436/.691 with eight home runs, 16 RBIs and seven stolen bases.

When asked about his improvements at the plate between last season and this year, Tatis nodded to a conversation he had with his father, former MLB player Fernando Tatis Sr., this winter. That conversation, Tatis told MLB insider Buster Olney, altered his approach to hitting as a whole and made him appreciate the difference between a reactive approach at the plate versus a more predictive one.

"My dad asked me if I was a good hitter. I told him, 'Yeah.' And he told me, 'No,'" Tatis said, via the podcast with Olney. When he asked his father why he wasn't a good hitter, his dad simply said, "Because you never hit .300 consistently."

Tatis Jr. admitted that conversation opened his eyes a bit, and added that his father encouraged him to try to become more consistent. While he is striving to maintain the aspects of his game that make him an elite talent, he's also aiming to improve at becoming better at the combination of reacting to what a pitcher throws him and predicting what he might throw next.

So far, the results have been plain to see. There's hardly a hitter in all of MLB that's been more versatile and dynamic as Tatis in 2025.

Injury-hit Rockets fail to fire as best team in tournament history extend their dominant run

Matt Roller31-Aug-2025

Nathan Sowter roars in celebration after dismissing Joe Root•Matt Lewis/ECB via Getty Images

In this world nothing can be certain, except death, taxes, and Oval Invincibles winning the men’s Hundred. They have topped the group stage to qualify directly for the Lord’s final for three consecutive seasons, and each night has ended with Sam Billings lifting the golden ‘H’ trophy. After two tight finals, this was a demolition job.The Invincibles have relied on continuity as their greatest strength, and three of their usual suspects performed when it mattered: Will Jacks and Jordan Cox added 87 off 55 balls to underpin their total of 168, and the livewire Nathan Sowter derailed the chase with three wickets in his first seven balls. All three have been with them since inception; so too Billings and coach Tom Moody.They joined a select handful of teams to pull off a ‘three-peat’ in short-form leagues, and achieved it without breaking a sweat. If they have not quite lived up to their moniker, then Invincibles’ record across the last three seasons is still remarkable: 21 wins, one tie and only five defeats. In a format designed for unpredictability, they have become a winning machine.In fact, the Invincibles may have been too successful for their own good. The ECB are lining up a squad “reset” next year – in the style of the IPL’s mega-auction – as new investors arrive in the Hundred. It is designed to uphold the ‘any given Sunday’ philosophy at short-form cricket’s core; on any given Sunday in the men’s Hundred, however, the Invincibles are usually winning.Sam Billings parades the trophy after Oval Invincibles’ third Men’s Hundred title•Matt Lewis/ECB via Getty Images

Sowter’s starring momentThe Invincibles’ core is built around England players with international experience, with a single exception. Sowter, a journeyman legspinner, wondered if his professional career was over when Middlesex released him three years ago but has become an unlikely linchpin in the Invincibles attack, and saved his best performance of the season for the biggest stage.The Rockets were 35 for 0 after 30 balls when Sowter came into the attack, with Tom Banton and Joe Root struggling for fluency. Ten balls later, they were 38 for 3: Root holed out to long-on, Rehan Ahmed missed a straight one to depart for second-ball duck, and Banton picked out long-off. Sowter celebrated each wicket with a huge roar, and added an excellent catch at deep backward square leg to his night’s work.Adam Zampa had flown in from Australia specifically for the final – a 20,000-mile round-trip for 20 balls – and finished with typically frugal figures of 1 for 21. But despite the wicket of David Willey, brilliantly stumped by Billings, he was ultimately upstaged by his legspin partner.Jacks, Cox lay foundationsJacks made a statement off the very first ball of the final, crunching Willey through mid-off for four, then slashed the third through the off-side ring to become the first man to score 1,000 runs for the Invincibles. His opening partner Tawanda Muyeye fell after three early boundaries, but his dismissal brought in the tournament’s leading run-scorer in Cox at No. 3.Cox has been in stunning form this month and was soon up and running with two rasping cuts. Jacks had a life on 28, plinking a full toss to midwicket which was deemed a no-ball on height, and was quick to make use of it, reverse-sweeping Rehan for four before launching him into the upper tier of the Grandstand.Cox belted Rehan for six more before toe-ending him behind, but Jacks sensed his chance to put his foot down. He eventually fell for 72 off 41 after another flurry of boundaries and while the Invincibles were uncharacteristically quiet at the death, adding 25 off the last 20, that only served to underline the quality of Jacks and Cox’s strokeplay.Will Jacks produced the defining innings of the final•Matt Lewis/ECB via Getty Images

Rockets misfortuneIs there a plague on the city of Nottingham? Andy Flower’s side have had no luck with injuries. With Adam Hose, Tom Alsop and Max Holden already out, they lost two seamers in the 24 hours before the final: first Sam Cook, who broke a thumb when Dan Lawrence smacked one back at him in the Eliminator; then Lockie Ferguson, whose hamstring went in the warm-ups.Dillon Pennington was called upon to make his debut at 20 minutes’ notice and he struck with his first ball, smiling wryly as Muyeye edged a short, wide one behind. His figures of 1 for 23 from 20 were the Rockets’ best, but their bad luck was not over: George Linde could not complete his allocation after damaging a digit while attempting a return catch off Cox.Marcus Stoinis did his best to keep the chase alive, belting five sixes in his innings of 64 off 38 balls, but the asking rate soared out of the Rockets’ control. They nominally needed 27 to win off the final ball, and Invincibles got their celebratory moment when Saqib Mahmood trapped him lbw to clinch their third straight title.

Glasgow Rangers’ success in the transfer market has been limited in recent years, with few players arriving at Ibrox going on to make a genuine long-term impression at the club.

This has stemmed from Gers managers such as Michael Beale and Giovanni van Bronckhorst being given free rein over the budget. Van Bronckhorst may have sold Calvin Bassey and Nathan Patterson for club-record fees just months apart, but these are the only two success stories in recent years.

Rangers' most expensive signings of all time

The Gers now have new owners in the 49ers Enterprises.

ByCharlie Smith Sep 5, 2025

With this in mind, here is a look at the record transfer sales in Rangers’ history.

10 Joe Aribo Rangers to Southampton (£6m)

Steven Gerrard signed Joe Aribo for just £300k due to cross-border transfer rules – and this would turn into a bargain.

He played 49 games in his first season, registering 17 goal contributions in the process, before winning his first trophy for the club in the 2020/21 campaign.

The Light Blues won their 55th league title – their first for a decade – by going undefeated that season, with Aribo shining in Gerrard’s system. Six goals and four assists in 26 league games proved crucial for the club as he shone alongside Alfredo Morelos, Ryan Kent and Ianis Hagi.

His final season saw Aribo coming close to achieving immortality. The Nigerian netted the opener in the Europa League final, sparking rapturous scenes in Seville, but the Gers eventually lost the game on penalties.

Shortly after, he moved to Southampton for a fee of £6m, which could yet rise to £10m.

9 Tore Andre Flo Rangers to Sunderland (£6.75m)

As of 2024, Tore Andre Flo remains the club’s most expensive signing, costing £12m in November 2000. He scored on his debut against Celtic before netting another 12 goals before the end of the season.

The 2001/02 campaign saw Flo at his best, netting 25 goals in all competitions and living up to the massive fee.

His future looked bright, yet when Sunderland came in with a £6.75m bid in August 2002, Alex McLeish accepted the offer, and he was off to the Premier League.

8 Barry Ferguson Rangers to Blackburn (£7.5m)

Barry Ferguson can lay claim to being one of the most successful captains in the club’s history, helping the side win a treble during the 2002/03 campaign along with winning a handful of other honours, plus captaining the team to the 2008 UEFA Cup final.

Not just one of the best players at Rangers, Ferguson was arguably one of the finest midfielders in the UK at his peak. His form during that treble-winning season saw Blackburn Rovers make a £7.5m bid, which was duly accepted by the club amid financial issues at Ibrox.

18 months later, Ferguson was back at Rangers, where he went on to enjoy another four and a half years, winning another six major honours before leaving for good in 2009.

7 Carlos Cuellar Rangers to Aston Villa (£7.8m)

Walter Smith had plenty of work to do during his first summer transfer window in his second spell at Ibrox. Indeed, he made a total of 13 signings in the summer of 2007.

Carlos Cuellar was among them, having impressed Smith and his backroom team during a UEFA Cup clash just months prior.

The Spaniard was a figure of consistency at Ibrox, playing 61 games in a campaign which saw Rangers win both domestic cups and reach the UEFA Cup final. His form clearly impressed clubs down south and there was no doubt that his future was away from Glasgow.

Before the 2008/09 season, Cuellar joined Aston Villa for a fee of around £7.8m, raking in a serious profit for Smith in the process.

6 Jean-Alain Boumsong Rangers to Newcastle (£8m)

Midway through the 2003/04 season, Alex McLeish announced that Rangers had signed in-demand defender Jean-Alain Boumsong on a pre-contract deal, beating the likes of Arsenal and Inter to his signature.

It was a statement of intent and the Frenchman wasted no time in settling in, making 26 appearances during the first half of the season for the Gers.

However, his form was already attracting interest. Graeme Souness wanted him at Newcastle and an £8m offer was far too good to turn down, especially considering he didn’t cost a penny.

His form nosedived in England, failing to live up to the hype generated upon his arrival.

5 Giovanni van Bronckhorst Rangers to Arsenal (£8.5m)

Dick Advocaat’s Dutch revolution at Ibrox began in 1998 as he signed numerous players from his homeland to bolster his team, including a young Giovanni van Bronckhorst.

Across the next three seasons, the Dutchman would win five domestic trophies while going on to score three goals in the 2000/01 Champions League group stages, boosting his reputation in the process.

In the summer of 2001, Arsène Wenger came calling, securing the defender for a fee of around £8.5m, which was then a club-record sale for the Light Blues.

4 Alan Hutton Rangers to Tottenham (£9m)

Alan Hutton emerged through the academy to become a regular in the senior side under Alex McLeish, but it was Walter Smith who took him to the next level.

An attack-minded right-back, Hutton was given free rein on the right side of defence under the veteran manager. He registered five assists during the first half of the 2007/08 season as Rangers looked to resume their domestic dominance.

However, English Premier League clubs were showing keen interest by January, and it was Spurs who eventually got their man, luring Hutton south for a fee of £9m, which broke the club’s record for its highest sale.

3 Hamza Igamane Rangers to Lille (£10.4m)

Hamza Igamane was the major Rangers departure in 2025, and he joined French side Lille just days after refusing to come on for Rangers as a second half substitute against St Mirren.

The forward, who cost the Gers around £1.7m in 2024, was becoming a fan favourite prior to his departure, with his late winner at Celtic Park arguably his most iconic goal in a Rangers shirt. Still, those at Ibrox made a huge profit on the Moroccan forward.

2 Nathan Patterson Rangers to Everton (£11.5m)

Nathan Patterson looked like the heir apparent to Hutton. Both Scottish right-backs who loved going forward at every opportunity, the difference was that Hutton was given plenty of chances, whereas Patterson had to wait in the wings for James Tavernier to be injured or rested for his opportunity.

The youngster made his debut in January 2020 before going on to play just 27 times for the club. When Everton began to show interest with a £11.5m bid (potentially more including add-ons), it was an offer the Gers simply couldn’t turn down.

So far, his time down south hasn’t exactly gone to plan, with injuries disrupting his progress. If he can get fit and back into the starting XI, Patterson will have a chance to live up to his potential.

1 Calvin Bassey Rangers to Ajax (£19.6m)

Like Aribo, Calvin Bassey was signed for peanuts due to cross-border transfer rules. Originally brought in as a talented prospect, the Nigerian made just 15 appearances in all competitions in his first season.

The 2021/22 campaign turned out a lot differently. An injury crisis in defence meant Bassey was partnered alongside Connor Goldson at the heart of defence, making a total of 50 appearances for the club, winning the Scottish Cup and helping the team reach the Europa League final.

Due to his performances, it didn’t take long for clubs to show interest, with Ajax looking most likely to sign him.

Indeed, an initial fee of £19.6m was agreed between the two clubs and the transfer was the highest sale in the Light Blues’ history as Van Bronckhorst made a wonderful profit on the defender.

Since then, Bassey spent a year in the Netherlands before making a move to Fulham, where he is now impressing in the Premier League.

تحدث أحمد بلحاج، لاعب سيراميكا كليوباترا عن تسجيله هدفين في مباراة بيراميدز، التي أقيمت اليوم في كأس السوبر المصري.

وحقق سيراميكا كليوباترا، الفوز بهدفين مقابل هدف، على بيراميدز في مباراة تحديد المركز الثالث في كأس السوبر.

طالع.. فيديو | بانينكا رائعة.. أحمد بلحاج يسجل هدف سيراميكا كليوباترا الأول أمام بيراميدز

وقال بلحاج عبر قناة “أون سبورت”: “أشكر زملائي لأن بدونهم لم أكن سأحرز الهدفين، وسعيد بالمركز الثالث رغم أننا كنا نستهدف اللقب”.

وتابع: “علي ماهر منذ أن تولى المسؤولية قال هدفنا المربع الذهبي في الدوري لنشارك في إفريقيا، وإن شاء الله نستمر في الدوري بشكل جيد”.

واختتم عن ركلة جزاء البانينكا أمام بيراميدز: “لم أشعر بالخوف وحتى في مباراة الأهلي لو كانت هناك ركلة جزاء كنت سأنفذها بنفس الشكل”.

Find out about the draft order, prices, retention picks and player availability issues

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jun-2025When will the draft take place?It all happens on Thursday, June 19. The WBBL draft will take place first, starting at 4pm AEST, followed straight after by the BBL draft.What order do the teams pick in?This was determined by a weighted lottery in April, based on last season’s finishing positions. In the WBBL, Sydney Sixers came out with pick No. 1 and Brisbane Heat last with pick No. 8. In the BBL, Brisbane Heat will have first pick and Sydney Thunder the eighth one.Related

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Big Bash drafts moved earlier in bid to secure best overseas players

There are four rounds in all. Round one involves Platinum players only; round two Platinum and Gold; round three Gold and Silver; and round four Silver and Bronze.The third round (gold and silver) of each draft goes in reverse order.The round one WBBL order reads: 1 Sydney Sixers, 2 Adelaide Strikers, 3 Melbourne Stars, 4 Perth Scorchers, 5 Hobart Hurricanes, 6 Sydney Thunder, 7 Melbourne Renegades, 8 Brisbane Heat.The round one BBL order reads: 1 Brisbane Heat, 2 Adelaide Strikers, 3 Melbourne Renegades, 4 Perth Scorchers, 5 Hobart Hurricanes, 6 Sydney Sixers, 7 Melbourne Stars, 8 Sydney Thunder.There has been one trade of picks in the BBL draft with Thunder and Scorchers swapping picks in the second and third rounds.Cricket AustraliaEach team will need to draft a minimum of two overseas players on top of their pre-signed names, meaning they can pass in only one round. The new mechanism was introduced last season to allow clubs in both competitions to sign one player before the draft and on multi-year deals if they wish. All the clubs have already taken advantage of this option.During the draft itself, the clubs will need to nominate which round their pre-signed overseas players are allocated to, based on the value of their contract. While many of them will be Platinum – the highest paid – that won’t be the case for all. Melbourne Renegades, for example, confirmed that Tim Seifert was not a Platinum pick last year ahead of the draft. In the WBBL, Brisbane Heat allrounder Nadine de Klerk was also on a lower band.Clubs can sign a fourth overseas player during the draft if they want, but they would be considered a replacement player. A maximum of three can be fielded in an XI.Replacement players can also be signed after the draft but have to come from those who have nominated, unless the tournament technical committee approves them under special circumstances.Who all are the pre-signed players?Here’s the full list of pre-signed players:Adelaide Strikers: Laura Wolvaardt, Jamie Overton
Brisbane Heat: Nadine de Klerk, Colin Munro
Hobart Hurricanes: TBC, Chris Jordan
Melbourne Renegades: Hayley Matthews, Tim Seifert
Melbourne Stars: Marizanne Kapp, Tom Curran
Perth Scorchers: Sophie Devine, Finn Allen
Sydney Sixers: Amelia Kerr, Babar Azam
Sydney Thunder: Chamari Athapaththu, Sam BillingsShaheen Shah Afridi has put his name in the BBL draft•Associated PressWho are some notable overseas players nominated for the draft?The Pakistan quartet of Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Haris Rauf and Mohammad Rizwan have nominated for the BBL draft.Jofra Archer, James Anderson, Zak Crawley, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Alex Hales, Dawid Malan, Jason Roy and Reece Topley from England, Lockie Ferguson, Tim Southee and Kane Williamson (for three games only) from New Zealand, Sri Lanka’s Kusal Perera, West Indies’ Shamar Joseph and Bangladesh’s Mustafizur Rahman other notable BBL nominees.In the WBBL, the Indian pair of Shikha Pandey, Yastika Bhatia and Jemimah Rodrigues have nominated, alongside Deandra Dottin of West Indies and Fatima Sana of Pakistan.England’s Lauren Bell, Sophie Ecclestone, Heather Knight, Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Sophia Dunkley, Tammy Beaumont, Sarah Glenn, Alice Capsey, Maia Bouchier and Bess Heath are part of the list too, as are the South African pair of Shabnim Ismail and Chloe Tryon.The drafts for the upcoming BBL and WBBL seasons have been brought forward to June to provide clubs more certainty about player selection. According to a CA statement, over 600 overseas players have registered interest for the BBL and WBBL.So how much are the players paid?There are four price bands. These figures are in Australian dollars.WBBL salariesPlatinum: $110,000 (depending on availability)Gold: $90,000Silver: $65,000Bronze: up to $40,000BBL salariesPlatinum: $360,000-$420,000 (depending on availability)Gold: $300,000Silver: $200,000Bronze: up to $100,000Can players be retained by their previous team?Yes, each club gets one retention pick. The basic example of a player who can be retained is one who played for the club the previous season. But there are other ways players qualify for retention. If they were signed last year but did not play, they can be retained this year. When a club confirms which round their pre-signed player places into, that classes as their pick in that round and therefore they can’t use their retention pick in that round.When do the competitions take place?The WBBL is set to run from late October to early December and the BBL from mid-December to late January. The exact fixtures are likely to be released in July. Both competitions are 40-game regular seasons, the same as last season.Is there a clash with any other league?The WBBL will follow the women’s ODI World Cup and is unlikely to be as affected by bilateral international cricket as it was last season.The BBL faces its usual headwinds from rival T20 leagues (SA20 and ILT20) and international cricket. There is a new predicament with the ILT20 moving from late January-early February to December 2 to January 4 and the SA20 moving forward to start on December 26 and finish on January 26, which will directly overlap with the BBL.How will that affect the player availability?Despite the initial fear about what that might do to overseas availability, there is some optimism from BBL boss Alistair Dobson that it could be a better outcome than previous years because players will not be making a mass exodus late in the BBL and rather some ILT20 players might be available for the latter stages of the BBL plus finals which coincides with when Australia’s Test players will be fully available post the Ashes, with no international cricket scheduled in January.”I guess so,” Dobson told ESPNCricinfo. “We probably focus more on our teams and our players and who wants to come and play in the Big Bash. And we understand from players, they still love coming to the BBL. It’s a bucket list for a lot of them. We keep a close eye on the window and availability of players, but ultimately, our job’s to make sure our comp is as attractive as possible.”

Everton timidly exited the Carabao Cup after a 2-0 defeat by Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux.

There’s been an overarching feeling of progressiveness since David Moyes returned to the club in January, but the Merseysiders reverted to their former type against Wolves.

There has been a collective drive at Everton to attack domestic cup competitions, and so this one will sting for the Toffees, with Wolves having started the Premier League season off dismally, losing all five of their opening fixtures.

It was an uncharacteristically shoddy defensive performance from the away side, and James Tarkowski was at the epicentre.

James Tarkowski let Moyes down at Molineux

Tarkowski has been a pillar of strength for Everton since joining from Burnley on a free transfer in 2022, but the skipper endured a tough showing last night.

Moyes, it must be said, wasn’t best pleased with the performance. But then, the weakened team the Scotsman put out were always going to be up against it.

While it wasn’t a terrible showing from the 32-year-old, he lost both of his ground duels, as per Sofascore, and ceded possession 12 times, seemingly hesitant to engage with the hulking Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen.

The return of Jarrad Branthwaite from injury cannot come soon enough, and unless Tarkowski recovers his aggressive, solid nature in central defence, it may be Michael Keane – one of the better performers against the Old Gold – who keeps his starting spot.

However, while Everton flattered to deceive in defence, they were toothless in attack, and Dwight McNeil was among the worst performers. It’s quite likely the 25-year-old will be making a swift return to the bench.

Dwight McNeil has already lost his starting spot

McNeil battled against injury for much of the 2024/25 campaign, with his absence for most of the start of this new Moyes era especially frustrating given his emphatic form under Sean Dyche’s wing at the start of the 2024/25 campaign.

He offers a potent threat when firing on all cylinders, but none of the playmaker’s vim and vigour was on display against a spirited Wolves side, and Moyes hooked him before the hour mark.

Given that McNeil has sat as an unused substitute across four of Everton’s five Premier League matches so far this season, he will be concerned about his playing time going forward, with Jack Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye both in inspired form down the flanks.

McNeil’s PL record at Everton

Season

Apps

Goals (assists)

25/26

1

0 (0)

24/25

21

4 (8)

23/24

35

3 (6)

22/23

36

7 (3)

Data via Transfermarkt

Statistician Tactically Matt put in no uncertain terms after the Englishman was hooked before the hour mark, saying, “Dwight McNeil has been a difficult watch for a while now.”

Chris Beesley of the Liverpool Echo branded McNeil with a 5/10 match score and drew attention to the fact that the overload of addition to the attacking midfield will have left the former Burnley man frustrated, having blown a good chance to stake his claim.

He completed only eight passes across the evening at a success rate of 62%, and that having failed to create a chance or complete a cross.

Moreover, McNeil lost four of his five duels, drifting out to the left to try and collect the ball and funnel it on through to the danger area – to no avail.

Moyes is almost certainly going to take the player’s starting place away from him, and it’s going to take a big effort for McNeil to make his way back into the ascendancy at Everton.

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Posts ByWill Miller Sep 23, 2025

Welcome to Wrexham showed the pain and glory of British lower league football to the world but it would never have existed without Sunderland Till I Die. Rob McElhenney watched the documentary on the recommendation of his actor friend Humphrey Ker and was immediately hooked. After finishing the series he instantly decided he wanted to invest in a lower league club and soon his ambitious project with Ryan Reynolds was born.

But while shows a small, humble club on the rise amidst a lavish takeover, portrays a gigantic club in freefall. Midfielder Darron Gibson threatens to hit a fan during a drunken argument. Jack Rodwell is refusing calls to leave as his £70,000-per-week salary is bankrupting them. 

Coach Chris Coleman is openly criticised by one of his players and is then subjected to a tirade by a furious fan. Why is the fan so angry? The club have just been relegated to League One for the first time in their history, having been in the Premier League for the previous 10 years.

Sunderland’s long-suffering fans are put through the mill in each episode and their visible pain makes for compelling viewing. Enough to attract an American actor who had no previous interest in the sport to buy his own club.

Sunderland stayed trapped in the third tier of English football for three years and were a laughing stock for fans across the nation. But now they are back in the top flight and no one is laughing anymore. And on Saturday, they will have a crisis-stricken Manchester United in their crosshairs…

Getty Images SportBucking the trend

In the last two seasons, all six of the teams promoted to the Premier League have gone straight back down, but Sunderland are intent on making their long-awaited return to the big time last. 

They have won three and drawn two of their six games, only losing to Burnley. They are fifth in the Premier League and have the highest points total at this stage of the season for a promoted side in the last 13 years. 

Sunderland buck the trend in other ways, too. They have the youngest owner in English football in 28-year-old Kyril Louis-Dreyfus, a French billionaire who bought the club in 2021 when they were in the doldrums of the third tier and had just endured the worst season in their history. 

Sunderland were valued at around £40m ($53m) at the time of the takeover. By contrast, INEOS chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe paid £1.25bn to purchase a 27.7 percent stake in United in 2024.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportHomegrown success

Although Louis-Dreyfus was born into a billionaire family and his father used to own Marseille, he is no sugar daddy. While he oversaw a revamp of the training ground and improvements to the Stadium of Light after the Premier League return, he did not lavishly fund their resurgence. 

Sunderland had the 14th-highest wage bill in the Championship last year and the youngest squad, with an average age of 22. They finished fourth in the table, and although they were a massive 24 points behind winners Leeds, they took down favourites Sheffield United, flush with cash from Premier League parachute payments, in a thrilling play-off final. The promotion owed a lot to homegrown players, an area Louis-Dreyfus and sporting director Kristjaan Speakman were keen to grow when they assumed their roles in the 2020-21 season. 

In a fitting summary of how the club have returned to being a club that is admired, the decisive goal was scored by academy graduate Tom Watson. The winger, though, had already been sold to Brighton for £10m, an indication of how quickly the club moves on. Fellow academy players Dan Neil – last year’s captain – plus 18-year-old midfielder Chris Rigg and goalkeeper Anthony Patterson also played big roles in the promotion campaign.

Getty Images SportStarting from scratch

And yet, instead of patting the local-boys-turned-good on the back, the club signed new players to compete with them. Dutch goalkeeper Robin Roefs has usurped Patterson as No.1 and played a pivotal role in the recent 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest, making six saves. Neil had the captain’s armband swiped off him by new signing Granit Xhaka and has only made one appearance, as a substitute, this season.

"It is a new season and we start from scratch with a new squad," is how coach Regis Le Bris explained the club’s ruthless approach. "At the same time, it is life for every player on the pitch. They have to accept that, to face the challenge of the Premier League, you have to first accept the challenge for your own position. 

"If you take it positively, you are in the right mood. So far, it is really easy with every player. They have time to digest the new set-up. The competition is getting harder for all positions. Every player in the squad knows that it is important to have the best team possible to be competitive in the Premier League."

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Getty Smart selling, shrewd buying

A total of 17 players left in the summer while 15 arrived as the club splashed out £167.1m, giving them the ninth-highest transfer spend in the league and the fifth-highest net spend.

They were able to finance some of the deals thanks to some clever sales worth a total of £44m, chief among them Jobe Bellingham’s sale to Borussia Dortmund for a club record fee of £27m, potentially rising to £32m. Jack Clark,e’s sale to Ipswich last year brought in £15m.

The rest of the signings were funded by the massive windfall from Premier League promotion, worth a minimum of £200m in television money and commercial revenue according to the . It is a gamble in one sense, but so far it is paying off. There is a logic to Sunderland’s recruitment model, too, which, according to , is dictated by a mixture of advanced data analytics and 'naked eye' scouting. 

In addition to sporting director Speakman, the club hired former footballer Florent Ghisolfi as director of football, having worked in similar roles at Roma, Lens and Nice. He helped recruit star summer signing Enzo Le Fee from Roma this summer, while his knowledge of the French market helped them land Nordi Mukiele from Paris Saint-Germain and Habib Diarra from Strasbourg.

In recent years, Leeds United have seen a whole host of exciting, raw gems from the Thorp Arch academy structure explode into life in the senior set-up.

While he has gone on to have an up-and-down career since exiting the Whites, Kalvin Phillips’ name has to be mentioned when looking back at academy starlets coming good at Elland Road, with the Leeds-born midfielder going on to collect 14 goals and 13 assists in the first-team picture at his boyhood side. Safe to say, Marcelo Bielsa turned him into an elite talent.

Archie Gray is also another glaring example of the conveyor belt approach in West Yorkshire working wonders.

Daniel Farke and Co only had the adaptable teenager in the first team ranks for one season before he was poached by a Premier League outfit.

Gray's insane rise at Leeds

Despite having such a long-standing reputation for giving up-and-coming youngsters first-team minutes when ready, no homegrown starlets were present on Farke’s bench for the recent trip to Fulham.

Gray was also nowhere to be found in the Tottenham Hotspur lineup, either, against West Ham United later that Saturday, with a major concern now that the 19-year-old could be Phillips 2.0; another expensive failure in the Premier League when leaving the comforts of West Yorkshire behind.

With hindsight now firmly on side, Gray might well have been better placed to stay put at Leeds for the foreseeable, instead of sealing a £30m move to North London.

Still, those at Leeds no doubt loved every minute of the teenage sensation’s career in the first-team mix at Leeds, even if promotion failed to be secured, with the England U21 regular turning quickly into a starter week in, week out for Farke.

Indeed, Gray left having tallied up 52 appearances in the first-team ranks from just one season, with the 6-foot-2 wonderkid’s ability to line up as a central midfielder or as a full-back, making him a dependable figure, even at such a young age.

Losing the versatility of Gray, therefore, would have hurt Leeds as much as both Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter vacating the building did, with the teenager even being lauded as “elite” from his very early days in West Yorkshire by the iconic Bielsa.

Still, losing Gray for that aforementioned £30m won’t hurt too much anymore as Leeds now find themselves in the same division as their ex-academy product.

Yet, they wouldn’t say no to having a fresh version of the 19-year-old, with another academy sensation now aiming to make the grade required to break into the senior ranks very soon.

The next version of Archie Gray at Leeds

Amazingly, while their former number 22 is no longer around, there is still a lingering Gray family connection at Elland Road.

Indeed, Harry Gray – who is the brother of the £30m star – is now being tipped to reach some incredible heights in West Yorkshire, having already netted four goals in Premier League 2 action this season.

Staggeringly, this isn’t the only narrative that “runs in the family” – as analyst Ben Mattinson has quipped – with Charlie Cresswell’s sibling in Alfie Cresswell making similar waves in the U21 set-up, with a route up to the first-team not looking like the most daring next step for the 18-year-old already.

With two goals next to his name in Premier League 2 action, many looking in might well anticipate that Cresswell is a player who regularly lines up in the forward areas.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

However, when assessing the various positions he can slot into, the argument that he could be the next Gray-style talent undoubtedly strengthens.

CB

26

0 + 3

DM

18

5 + 1

RB

6

0 + 1

CM

2

0

RM

1

0

Looking at the table above, Cresswell has routinely switched between playing in the middle of the park and as a right-back for the U18s and U21s.

Coincidentally, those are the two main positions Gray used to fill under Farke’s tutelage, with Gray even taking on a centre-back role at Spurs on occasion, like the 18-year-old’s main preference.

Therefore, the hope will be that Cresswell can go on to be a similarly standout success story like the Spurs number 14, as the next generation at Leeds aim to make significant strides to be remembered like Phillips and others before them.

Leeds messed up selling James & Gnonto upgrade who'd solve Farke's big issues

A star sold by Leeds United last year would solve the club’s current attacking problems as an upgrade on Dan James and Wilfried Gnonto.

1 ByDan Emery Sep 15, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

A CPI da Manipulação de Resultados foi instalada na semana passada. Prestes a ter novo encontro para apurar as diretrizes da investigação, os integrantes da comissão vêm gradativamente anunciando os requerimentos para as pessoas a serem ouvidas. Além dos acusados de fazer parte do esquema de apostas, estão entre os requisitados presidente da CBF, Ednaldo Rodrigues, dirigentes de Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense e Goiás, o árbitro Anderson Daronco e o jogador Gabriel Menino, do Palmeiras estão entre os requisitados até o momento.

Também foram chamados os suspeitos representantes ligados às casas de apostas. AoL!, os representantes do Instituto Brasileiro de Jogo Responsável e da Associação Nacional de Jogos e Loterias manifestaram-se favoráveis à regulamentação para o setor e repudiaram a manipulação de resultados (clique aqui e veja os detalhes).

+ Todos os jogos do Brasileirão você encontra no Prime Video. Assine já e acompanhe o seu time do coração!

O LANCE! traz abaixo os nomes que serão convocados pela Comissão Parlamentar de Inquérito. Felipe Carreras é relator e autor do requerimento para a abertura da comissão que terá como presidente o deputado Júlio Arcoverde (PP-PI). André Figueiredo (PDT-CE), Daniel Agrobom (PL-GO) e Ricardo Silva (PSD-SP) foram designados vice-presidentes. Os integrantes da comissão também solicitaram documentos do MP-GO referentes à Operação Penalidade Máxima.

Suspeitos de fazerem parte do esquema de manipulação de resultados:

Eduardo Bauermann (Santos)
Gabriel Tota (Ypiranga-RS)
Paulo Miranda (Náutico)
Igor Cariús (Sport)
Matheus Gomes (sem clube)
Fernando Neto (São Bernardo)
Kevin Lomónaco (Bragantino)
Victor Ramos (Chapecoense)

Demais chamados:

– Fernando Cesconetto – promotor do Ministério Público de Goiás

– Hugo Jorge Bravo – presidente do Vila Nova (na condição de testemunha)

– Leonardo Davi Penna de Moraes Cordeiro (Sócios Bet365

– André Rizek – jornalista (na condição de testemunha)

– Rodrigo Alves, presidente da Associação Brasileira de Apostas Esportivas (ABAESP)

– André Gelfi, diretor-presidente do Instituto Brasileiro do Jogo Responsável

– Cyro Terra Peres – procurador-geral do MP-GO

– Flávio Dino – ministro da Justiça e Segurança Pública

– Ednaldo Rodrigues – presidente da CBF

– Salmo Valentim – presidente da Associação Nacional dos Árbitros de Futebol (ANAF)

– Wilson Seneme – presidente da Comissão de Arbitragem da CBF

– Henrique de Oliveira Moreira, Edson Antônio Lenzi Filho e Thiago Heitor Presser ( Socio PayBrokers IP)

– Ernildo Junior Farias – sócio-proprietário da Pixbet

– Marcelo Paz – presidente do Fortaleza

– Alessandro Pires Barcellos – presidente do Internacional

– Glenn Stenger – presidente do Coritiba

– Fábio Pizzamiglio – presidente do Juventude

Ex-integrantes do Iranduba suspensos por fortes indícios de manipulação de resultados no Campeonato Amazonense:

– Gecivagner Araújo Sena

– Juan Inacio Felippe

– Leonardo Oliveira Rito

– Guilherme Cavalcante Felix

– Amilton Belarmino

– Fabio Henrique

– Maycon Soares Nascimento

– Leandro Soares

– Taison Luis Neto

– Gabriel Santos Silva

– Thiago Morais Bento

– Etevaldo de Jesus

– Alan da Silva Moraes

– Matheus da Silva

– Francisco Antonio

– Francinildo Pinheiro

– Celso da Conceição

– Kayck Augusto

– Athos Darling Augusto

– Cristiano da Silva

– João Victor dos Santos

– Ednailzon Rosenha – presidente da Federação Amazonense de Futebol (FAF)

– Kleber Joquebidis dos Santos – ex-treinador do Iranduba

Outros chamados:

– Durcesio Mello – presidente do Botafogo

– Alessandro Dresch – presidente do Cuiabá

– Marquinho Chedid – presidente do Red Bull Bragantino

– Júlio Heerdt – Presidente do Avaí

– João Paulo Silva – presidente do Ceará

– Alencar da Silveira Júnior – presidente do América-MG

– Rodolfo Landim – presidente do Flamengo

– Mário Bittencourt – presidente do Fluminense

– Wesley Cardia, CEO da Associação Nacional de Jogos e Loterias (ANJL)

– Paulo Rogério Pinheiro – presidente do Goiás

– Julio Casares – presidente do São Paulo

– Andrés Rueda – presidente do Santos

– Sun Chunyang e Xizhangpeng Hao (Sócios Sports-Bet )

– Fernando Neto, jogador do são Bernardo citado na Operação Penalidade Máxima

– Matheus Gomes (sem clube)

– Anderson Daronco – árbitro

– Andreas Krannich, diretor-Eeecutivo da Sportradar Integrity Services

– Gabriel Menino – jogador do Palmeiras – teve seu pedido retirado pelo deputado Luciano Vieira (PL-RJ)

– Controladoria-Geral da União (CGU) e do Conselho de Controle de Atividades Financeiras (COAF) no assessoramento dos Parlamentares desta CPI

– Tom Mace, vice-presidente sênior da empresa de análise e dados – Sportradar

– Leone Barros Costa Junior, ex-jogador do Barbalha

– Thiago Chambó e Bruno Lopes, além de outros acusados de aliciar jogadores e financiar esquema de aposta

– Roberto Carvalho Brasil Fernandes, da OAB

– Ricardo Santos Perassoli

– Richard Coelho – ex-jogador do Cruzeiro e hoje no Ceará

– Nino Paraíba

– Camila Silva da Motta, esposa e parceira de Bruno Lopes no esquema de manipulação de apostas

– Alex Rice, da empresa Stats Perform

– Maurício Portela, da empresa Live Mode

– Luiz Taveira, empresário de jogador

– Wadih Damous – Secretário Nacional do Consumidor

– Robson Barreirinhas – Secretário da Receita Federal

– Assessor Especial do Ministério da Fazenda, José Francisco Manssur

– Roberto Campos Neto – presidente do Banco Central

– Ana Moser – ministra do Esporte

– Mauro Carmélio Júnior – presidente da Federação Cearense de Futebol (FCF)

– Francisco Novelletto Neto – ex-presidente da Federação Gaúcha de Futebol (FGF)

– Rubens Lopes – presidente da Federação de Futebol do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FERJ)

– Evandro Carvalho – presidente da Federação Pernambucana de Futebol (FPF)

– Jorge Dias – presidente da Majorsports

– Adriano Guilherme de Aro Ferreira – presidente da Federação Mineira de Futebol (FMF)

– Reinaldo Carneiro Bastos – presidente da Federação Paulista de Futebol (FPF)

– Leila Pinheiro – presidente do Palmeiras

– Ronei Freitas – presidente da Federação Goiana de Futebol (FGF)

– Thiago Lima – CEO da ZenetPay

– Duilio Monteiro Alves – presidente do Corinthians

– Jorge Salgado – presidente do Vasco

– Darwin Filho – CEO do Esportes da Sorte

–  João Studart – CEO da NSX Group Betnacional

– Juan Matías Mendez, representante da empresa Sportradar na América Latina

–  Sergio Santos Rodrigues – presidente do Cruzeiro 

– Guilherme Bellitani – presidente do Bahia

–  Adson Batista – presidente do Atlético-GO

* Atualizada em 23/05/2023, às 20h18

ENTENDA O CASO

A investigação sobre suspeita de manipulação de resultados teve início em novembro do ano passado. O mandatário do Vila Nova, Jorge Hugo Bravo, descobriu que jogadores do clube vinham sendo aliciados por um grupo de apostadores antes da partida contra o Sport pela Série B. O dirigente juntou provas da tentativa de manipulação e procurou os promotores que combatem o crime organizado no estado.

Oficial da Polícia Militar, Jorge Hugo Bravo descobriu que o atleta Marcos Vinícius Alves Barreira, apelidado de Romário, tinha sido aliciado. Como o jogador não foi escalado, tentou induzir algum companheiro de time a levar um cartão vermelho ou cometer um pênalti no seu lugar. O valor combinado, segundo depoimento de Romário, era de R$ 150 mil, com uma “entrada” de R$ 10 mil, conforme vídeo de seu depoimento divulgado no programa dominical “Fantástico”, da Rede Globo. Entre os vídeos,há ameaças de um integrante do esquema ao zagueiro Eduardo Bauermann, do Santos.

A investigação apontou que houve manipulações em jogos das Séries A e B do Brasileirão de 2022 e em partidas de Estaduais. O grupo pagava para que jogadores fizessem determinadas ações, como receber cartões amarelo e vermelho ou cometer pênaltis. Em paralelo, os integrantes apostavam em sites do ramo que esses lances ocorreriam durante os jogos e conseguiam lucros.

Há estimativas de que o grupo “investiu” R$ 8430,00 e somou ganhos de R$ 730.616,00. O MP-GO continuará a apurar o caso e não descarta que ocorreram manipulações de resultados em outros jogos de futebol. A Operação Penalidade Máxima está em sua segunda fase.