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Lionel Messi acknowledged that Inter Miami’s defensive lapses proved costly in their 2024 MLS first-round playoff loss to Atlanta United. Reflecting on that setback, the Miami superstar said the team has made progress under first-year head coach Javier Mascherano, as Miami opened the 2025 MLS playoffs with victory over Nashville SC.

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  'We must be better'

  Messi said the issues that impacted Miami in last year’s upset loss to Atlanta were tied to an "irregular" defense.

  "There were moments where the team competed at a very high level, but it's also true that we were irregular, defensively, where we conceded a lot of goals, and that's something we still are lacking," he told Apple TV on Wednesday. "We must be better in that area if we really want to win the MLS Cup."

  The Herons shipped six goals across the two-game series against Atlanta, only scoring four.

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• Growth shown

  Miami showed defensive improvement against Nashville at home in game 1 last week at Chase Stadium, but they did concede a goal to Hany Mukhtar in the dying minutes. Messi noted that improvement, saying, "I think this season, like last year, we've grown a lot."

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  Adjusting to MLS playoffs

  Unlike Europe, where Messi spent 19 years, the MLS Cup isn't decided by league play. The playoffs determine the champion. Messi admitted he's getting used to that reality, which is otherwise common across American sports. 

  "I think the playoffs are a completely different competition, where the games are different," he said. "The teams are much more careful and attentive to every detail as with any given situation you can be knocked out. But obviously we're prepared to fight and try to win it, what we all want."

  In four MLS postseason appearances, Messi has three goals and two assists. 

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  All eyes on MLS Cup

  Messi says Miami have what it takes to win MLS Cup.

  "Yes, obviously yes, we can. It's not going to be easy," he said. "We have the experience from last year when we finished first in the regular season and then got knocked out in the first round."

Thierry Henry has named an “outstanding” Liverpool star as the signing of the summer, having been left very impressed with his performances so far this season.

Arsenal close gap to Liverpool after dramatic victory at Newcastle

Back in August, the Reds sent out a statement by picking up a dramatic 3-2 victory at Newcastle United, with teenager Rio Ngumoha scoring a stoppage-time winner, and Arsenal managed to win in similar style on Sunday.

With a little over five minutes to play, the Gunners were trailing against Eddie Howe’s side, but Mikel Merino and Gabriel were the saviours, and a late double ensured Mikel Arteta’s side closed the gap at the top of the Premier League table to just two points.

Speaking after the match, Gary Neville was under no illusions as to just how seismic the north Londoners’ victory could be, with the former Manchester United man insisting that Liverpool and Arsenal are the only teams that stand a chance of winning the league.

Arteta’s side may be starting to believe this is the season they can go all the way, having recruited well in the summer transfer window, strengthening the spine of the team by bringing in the likes of Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyokeres, Cristhian Mosquera and Martin Zubimendi.

However, Henry has since made it clear that one of Liverpool’s new additions has caught his eye to a greater extent in the early stages of the campaign.

As relayed by WalkOn, when asked which new Premier League arrival he’s been most impressed by, the Frenchman said: “It’s Ekitike. People will say it’s an obvious one, but credit is due – nobody thought he was going to arrive and perform like that.”

"Outstanding" Ekitike could play pivotal role in title race

Hugo Ekitike will be very frustrated that he ruled himself out of contention for Liverpool’s defeat at Crystal Palace, after being shown a second yellow card for taking his shirt off during his celebration against Southampton.

However, the Frenchman has otherwise made a near-perfect start to life at Anfield, chipping in with five goals and one assist in all competitions.

It is not the first time Henry has singled out his compatriot for high praise, with the Arsenal legend describing the former Eintracht Frankfurt man as “outstanding” back in August, and the start he’s made to life at Anfield suggests he could play a pivotal role in the title race.

As such, Arne Slot will no doubt be pleased to have Ekitike back available for selection, despite criticising the “stupid” celebration against Southampton.

Featuring stamps from El Salvador, Costa Rica, Mexico and more, Jess Carter’s passport looks more like one belonging to a gap-year student than an England international as of late. Throw in all the flying that comes with playing your club football in the United States, for Gotham FC, and the two-time European champion must have more air miles than she knows what to do with. “I feel like you get used to it and then all of a sudden you don't,” Carter tells GOAL of all the travelling, just days before boarding her umpteenth flight of the year to report for Lionesses duty. “Everything you've then learned about how to manage yourself kind of goes out the window when you end up being on the west coast for 12 days.”

It's one of many new things the 27-year-old has had to adapt to since making the switch from Chelsea to Gotham in the summer of 2024. Be it the emphasis in American sports of winning in the play-offs rather than coming out on top in the regular season, the incredible top-to-bottom parity the NWSL has in comparison to England’s Women’s Super League or the misalignment of the U.S. and European seasons, and how that impacts her on some of the Lionesses’ camps, there are a lot of differences between what Carter is experiencing now and what she had been exclusively exposed to before.

But as she talks through each of those factors with a huge smile on her face, it’s clear that the England defender has taken it all in her stride. “I think it’s the happiest I’ve been in football in a long time,” she admits, even if, having been part of the Lionesses’ two European Championship triumphs and their run to the Women’s World Cup final in between, she misses how big a deal the women’s game is back home, compared to in the U.S.

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  'Women's football deserves to be on a higher pedestal in the U.S.'

  It's a point Carter makes right towards the end of her chat with GOAL, when delving into the off-pitch experiences she’s had in her 15 months or so Stateside. Talk of enjoying the beaches on the west coast, the variety of cuisines across the country and the NFL has gone by when the England star is asked if there is anything she misses about the country she calls home. “I wouldn't say I miss home,” she responds. “I do really love it here. Of course, I miss my family and my close friends that are in the UK still.”

  There is then barely a pause before Carter delves into a particular difference between the two countries that she has observed. “I do think there's still a long way for the women's game to go in the U.S,” she says. “It's not at the level that it needs to be yet, from off the pitch stuff, not even just the football. It's away from that. I could walk around here wearing a Gotham top and people still don't know who Gotham are. Women's football deserves to be on a higher pedestal than what it is here in the U.S.”

  There are cultural reasons that play a part in those differences, ones Carter notes herself. After all, women’s football “has many other sports to be competing with” in the U.S, whereas in England “football is the biggest sport”. But there’s clearly still a desire from Carter to play her part in growing the game even further in a country that has incredible history in it.

  Indeed, for almost 23 years, the 90,185 attendance for the 1999 Women's World Cup final at the Rose Bowl, in Los Angeles, stood as a world-record for the women's game and the U.S – a four-time world champion – has spawned some of the biggest names the sport has ever known, be it Mia Hamm, Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan or any of its current crop, such as Trinity Rodman. Throw in the massive off-pitch impact those USWNT stars have had and the country is a monumental player in the sport – it just has a stature within its own borders that can still grow. 

  “I do miss how big women's football is in the UK, but I definitely think the U.S. has the ability to get to that level,” Carter adds.

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• Role model

  It’s part of the reason she was keen to get involved with e.l.f. Beauty, too, despite describing herself as “not really a make-up girlie”.

  “Once I saw the brief and I saw what they wanted to do, I think I felt like I couldn't say no to it, because I think that it gave me an opportunity to just show who I am. It was a really authentic piece,” she explains. “The fact that they wanted to work with me, someone who doesn't really wear make-up, shows that they wanted to be authentic. Rather than it being all about image it’s about showing who you are and being a really good representation for younger people that may look like me, which I didn't have growing up.”

  Partaking in different initiatives with Gotham that engage with and encourage young girls at local teams is another area where Carter is trying to do her bit for the game as a whole, with it no surprise how passionate she is to see the sport grow given what she has experienced back home in England.

  As part of a Lionesses team which has become the pride of a nation, she’s seen attendances skyrocket, interest go through the roof and, as a consequence, the desire among young girls to try and emulate their heroes grow with it.

  “I never really thought about being a role model,” she says. “I was just kicking a ball around and it gradually happened. The more I speak to people and I see more young girls that say that I'm their role model, I think that's a pretty incredible thing to be able to just show exactly who I am and that being okay and good enough for the little girls to see that they can be what they want to be, really.”

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  Straight back to work

  That passion to help take the game forward in the U.S. also clearly comes from how much Carter is enjoying her time there, so much so that she flew back to Gotham, based in New York and New Jersey, straight after England’s Euro 2025 triumph, missing a chunk of the Lionesses’ celebrations. “The girls were like, 'Why are you here? Why are you not in England celebrating?'” she recalls with a laugh. “I think that's a really nice thing that they wanted me to go.

  “To be honest, I didn't feel comfortable missing out on another game. I feel like we were under-performing a little bit at Gotham and I wanted to be back to try and help get those points. I love being here, I love playing for Gotham and I'm really happy here.”

  Carter has more than played her part in helping the team get back on track, too, with Gotham losing just twice since the Euros ended. “I think everyone feels like we're doing better but there's still a lot of things that we need to improve on if we want to be successful in the play-offs,” she says. “We're just taking each day as it comes and trying to work hard in training to fix those things that we want to improve on.”

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  Serial winner

  It's a response that serves as a reminder of the six years Carter spent at Chelsea before moving to Gotham, because it is exactly the sort of thing that someone obsessed with winning would say. The 27-year-old lifted no fewer than 11 trophies before calling time on that chapter of her career, including five successive league titles, and the mentality that was required to be part of that winning machine has absolutely stuck with her. It's never more evident than when GOAL asks if it has sunk in that Carter is now a two-time European champion, after helping England defend their Euro 2022 title in Switzerland in July. “No, not really,” is her honest answer.

  “I feel like I've just kind of got back into football and just got on with things. I think that maybe through playing with Chelsea – I don't know if it's a good or bad thing – I just learned it's like, 'Okay, great that you won, but now it's [what's] next. You've just got to go again and go again'. I guess that is what I learned from, luckily, being a bit of a serial winner at Chelsea, that kind of mentality. But Gotham is also teaching me to enjoy those celebrations, to enjoy those moments. They're great moments to have. I'm trying to do a little bit of both.”

  Carter has already had a chance to do so after Gotham clinched the CONCACAF W Champions Cup back in May, beating Tigres in the final: “You have to start to create that winning mentality but to do that, you've got to win a trophy in the first place, in order to learn what you've got to do to be successful. I think that's a really good start to see what we have achieved, but also to see what we need to continue doing and improve on in order to be more successful going forward.”

Ahead of the Premier League’s return this weekend, Newcastle United supporters are once again excited about the future. Let’s put it this way, it’s a long time since the dreary Alexander Isak saga played out in the north east.

The Magpies enjoyed back-to-back victories prior to the international break, hammering Royale Union Saint-Gilloise 4-0 in Brussels in the Champions League, before beating Nottingham Forest 2-0 at St James’ last Sunday; Bruno Guimarães and Nick Woltemade the scorers.

Next up, Eddie Howe’s team take on Brighton & Hove Albion in Sussex on Saturday, before a certain José Mourinho will bring his Benfica team to Tyneside the following Tuesday.

The Magpies undeniably boast a strong squad, but would this team be even better had they kept hold of talent who’s now giving the skipper, Bruno Guimarães, a run for his money?

Bruno Guimarães' importance to Newcastle

In the Saudi ownership-era, Newcastle United have really had two marquee players.

One is better known on Tyneside as he who must not be named, after he went on strike over the summer to force through a move to Liverpool.

Thus, the actions of Isak has only served to increase the love Geordies have for Guimarães.

Since arriving from Olympique Lyonnais for around £34m in January 2022, the Brazilian has accumulated 163 appearances in black and white stripes, scoring 24 goals and registering 27 assists.

He has been instrumental in Newcastle twice qualifying for the Champions League, as well as winning last season’s EFL Cup, their first major domestic trophy for 70 years.

Speaking on BBC 5 Live, Nigel Reo-Coker asserts that, alongside Sandro Tonalo and Joelinton, Newcastle currently boast the best midfield trio in the Premier League, with Guimarães very much central to that.

However, would this department of Howe’s team be even more formidable had they not been forced to sell a homegrown star?

When Newcastle were forced to sell their new Gazza

Back in the summer of 2024, Premier League clubs in danger of breaching PSR found a loophole involving trading players at massively inflated fees between themselves.

Chelsea, Aston Villa, Everton, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle were all involved in such moves, but the Magpies may have proved to be the biggest victims in the long run.

They were forced to sell Yankuba Minteh to Brighton for just £30m, while a swap, of sorts, was agreed with Forest.

They paid £20m for goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos, who played just 45 minutes for the club, while Elliot Anderson moved to the East Midlands for £35m.

Considering the Greek goalkeeper proved to be a burden more than anything else, currently on loan at Sevilla, essentially, Anderson was sold to Forest for just £15m, which now appears to be an absolute bargain.

His form at the City Ground led to Martin Keown describing him as a “nailed-on” starter for England at next summer’s World Cup, with Peter Crouch adding that he is a “far better player than he is given credit for”.

Anderson has started each of England’s last three matches, set to continue that streak in Latvia on Tuesday, having also started all 33 of Forest’s Premier League and Europa League fixtures since early December.

This underlines how he has become one of the first names on the team sheet for Nuno Espírito Santo and now Ange Postecoglou, as well as Thomas Tuchel, but how did his stats compare to those of Guimarães last season?

As the table documents, Anderson and Guimarães’ statistics in the Premier League last season were actually very similar across the board.

While the Brazilian scored more goals and boasts better passing numbers, the England international comes out on top for the majority of out-of-possession statistics, including duels, tackles, clearances and ball recoveries.

His form has seen an exponential increase in his valuation, with Football Transfers estimating that his current market value is around £47m, more than three times the £15m Forest paid for him.

Born in Whitley Bay, Anderson could have been Newcastle’s next Geordie sensation, had he not been sold, compared to another by Craig Hope who, speaking on talkSPORT, asserted that “there’s something of Paul Gascoigne about him”.

Gazza himself came through Newcastle’s academy before being sold to Tottenham in 1988, and is widely regarded as one of the most talented English players of all time, a key figure as the Three Lions reached the semi-finals of both Italia ’90 and Euro ’96.

Given his form for both club and country, Anderson could do something similar in North America next summer and, considering the 22-year-old’s rapid development, Newcastle must regret selling him, because just imagine how good they would be with both him and Guimarães bossing the middle of the park.

Before Dan Burn: Newcastle "leader" is the first player Wilson must ditch

This Newcastle United star, who was once called a leader by Alan Shearer, is now on borrowed time on Tyneside.

By
Kelan Sarson

Oct 13, 2025

USMNT and Club América winger Alejandro Zendejas has recovered from the muscle injury he sustained during the October international window while on duty with the United States. The setback sidelined him for three league matches, but after returning to full training this week, he’s ready to feature in Saturday’s season finale against Toluca.

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  América get leading star back

  The 27-year-old winger, who missed several weeks with a muscle injury sustained on USMNT duty in October, has recovered fully and could feature as América fine-tune ahead of the playoffs. Head coach André Jardine is likely to manage his minutes carefully to prevent another setback after his earlier recurrence against Cruz Azul, when he was forced off just 18 minutes into his return.

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  Violante still not ready

  Meanwhile, Isaías Violante is almost certainly ruled out until the playoffs as he continues recovering from a muscle injury. The 21-year-old hasn’t featured since América’s 3–0 win over Santos on Matchday 12, and he’s still training separately from the group.

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  Henry and Zúñiga close to returning

  Captain Henry Martín remains sidelined, having not featured since Matchday 8 against Chivas. The striker has managed just three appearances this season in what’s been one of the most challenging stretches of his career due to injuries. José Zúñiga, meanwhile, returned to light training on Tuesday after missing four games with a similar issue, but he’s still unlikely to be available against Toluca.

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  What comes next?

  The matchup against Toluca at the Nemesio Diez this weekend will serve as a valuable test, as Jardine aims to have his squad in top form heading into the postseason.

New York Yankees starter Gerrit Cole has historically struggled to pitch to Boston Red Sox star third baseman Rafael Devers, and in Saturday's 7-1 loss to Boston, Cole did everything in his power to pitch to Devers.

In the first at-bat, Cole threw four pitches to Devers, all inside, with the fourth pitch of the at-bat hitting Devers. In the second at-bat for Devers in the third inning, Cole elected to intentionally walk Devers with one out and nobody on.

In a game that the Red Sox won handily, Boston manager Alex Cora ripped Cole in the aftermath of the victory for hitting Devers in the first inning.

"I wasn't surprised at all [about the intentional walk] because in the first at-bat I felt that [Cole] hit [Devers] on purpose," Cora said after the game. "He doesn't want to face him. That's the bottom line. He told us with the intentional walk that in the first at-bat he hit him. He hit him. … We took exception to that."

With 13 games remaining in the regular season, the Red Sox are four games out of the second wild-card spot in the American League playoff race. While it will be difficult to make up that ground, the Red Sox are still more than happy to play spoiler to the Yankees in their hopes of capturing the AL East crown.

The Yankees still hold a 2.5 game lead over the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East.

In stark contrast to this time last month, the mood around Chelsea at the moment is a good one.

Enzo Maresca has overseen three wins on the bounce, including an incredible result at home to defending Premier League champions Liverpool.

However, while the team has generally been performing well, there are a few players who continue to underwhelm.

One of those is undoubtedly Alejandro Garnacho, and therefore he should be dropped for someone previously compared to a young Callum Hudson Odoi.

Garnacho's slow start to life at Chelsea

It would be fair to say that the signing of Garnacho was not universally welcomed by the Chelsea support.

After all, while he’s an undeniably talented footballer, he doesn’t have the best of reputations and left Manchester United on poor terms.

Unfortunately, while there have been glimpses of the talent who racked up 21 goal involvements for a terrible Red Devils side last season, they have been nothing more than that, glimpses.

Overall, the Argentine international has been somewhat disappointing, as in his six appearances thus far, totalling 273 minutes, he has produced a grand total of zero goals and zero assists.

Worse yet, while some of the games have been against top opposition, he also failed to turn up in the EFL Cup game against Lincoln City and offered very little against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

In fact, he was so underwhelming against the Tricky Trees, that he was taken off at half-time with a combined expected goal and assist figure of just 0.01, no key passes, just seven accurate passes, zero shots and a match rating of 3/10 from the Standard’s Dom Smith, who wrote that he ‘ran down blind alleys and failed to produce anything dangerous.

In short, Garnacho is showing no sign of improving, and therefore, Maresca should take him out of the team for the game against Ajax.

The player who should replace Garnacho

Two names might stand out as potential replacements for Garancho against Ajax: Jamie Gittens and Estevao.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, the former has arguably been just as disappointing so far this season, and the latter is primarily a right-sided player and deserves another start in his favoured position.

Therefore, Maresca should do what he did against Benfica and bring Tyrique George in from the start, but instead of playing him up top, put him out on the left.

Now, it would be fair to say that the young Englishman hasn’t exactly blown anyone away this year, but it’s equally true that he has shown more in his limited minutes than the former United star.

For example, he was the one who saved the club from a massively embarrassing defeat to Lincoln by scoring and assisting a goal.

On top of that, he has also simply looked more engaged and threatening in games, which could be down to him being an academy graduate or him having a better attitude.

Moreover, despite being just 18 years old at the start of last season, the academy gem, who respected analyst Ben Mattinson once described as a “young Hudson-Odoi,” was able to amass a tally of three goal involvements in 12 Conference League appearances.

Finally, while Ajax are not going to be pushovers, they are also going to be one of the easier Champions League opponents the West Londoners face this season, so it makes sense to give youth players a run-out in these fixtures.

Ultimately, George might not end up being a better player than Garnacho, but at the moment, he is offering far more, and therefore, MarEsca should start him against the Dutch giants.

Chelsea have a "joke of a footballer" and he's now just "like Cole Palmer"

The Chelsea star is becoming as crucial to Enzo Maresca’s side as Cole Palmer.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Oct 21, 2025

The Portugal U16 women’s national team experienced the surprise of a lifetime as they came face-to-face with Cristiano Ronaldo and the senior men’s squad during a special visit to training. The young players were left speechless as they stood only steps away from their idols, witnessing the global icons up close in a heart-warming moment that instantly went viral.

• Portugal U16 Women's team meet Ronaldo and Co.

  The Portugal U16 girls’ team were invited to watch the senior men’s national team train during the current international camp. The session quickly turned unforgettable when Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha and the rest of the senior squad made their way over to greet the young players. The girls, visibly stunned as the stars approached, reacted with wide-eyed smiles, nervous laughter and complete disbelief as they met the players they had grown up admiring.

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  Ronaldo closing in on his final year with Portugal

  For the U16 girls, meeting Ronaldo was particularly emotional, given the forward’s status as the country’s greatest sporting icon and the inspiration behind countless youth careers across Portugal. The entire event was captured on camera, showing the young team freezing in awe before gradually breaking into excitement as each senior player greeted them.

  The timing of the encounter also adds significance, as Ronaldo is nearing the final chapter of his legendary international journey. The 40-year-old has publicly stated he expects the 2026 World Cup to be his sixth and final tournament, marking an extraordinary milestone no other male footballer has reached. Despite his age, he remains a key figure in Portugal’s squad and continues to score at an elite level, proving he still has much to offer in the national colours.

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  Ronaldo meeting to serve as motivation for the future

  Beyond his on-field achievements, Ronaldo has spoken openly in recent interviews about preparing for life after football. He admitted that retirement is “soon,” saying he expects to step away from the sport within one or two years and focus more on his family, hobbies, and business ventures. His perspective reflects how long he has lived in football’s spotlight and how meeting young players today represents passing the torch to the next generation.

  For the U16 girls’ team, the experience is likely to serve as long-lasting motivation as they continue their national-team development. They now return to their training camp with newfound inspiration and a firsthand glimpse of the professionalism, charisma and humility that define Portugal’s biggest stars.

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• Portugal prepare for WC26 qualifier with Ireland

  For Ronaldo and the senior squad, focus now shifts back to sealing qualification for the 2026 World Cup. Portugal need a win on Friday against Ireland to qualify, and the veteran icon is determined to make his final tournament one to remember. As retirement moves closer, Ronaldo’s influence off the pitch becomes just as meaningful, and interactions like this show the lasting legacy he hopes to leave behind.

With former New York Yankees slugger Juan Soto heading to Queens, the Yankees have plenty of work to do to fill that giant hole in the lineup ahead of the 2025 season. Chicago Cubs outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger has been connected to the Bronx Bombers as a logical target, but according to Jon Heyman of the , there are major hurdles overcome for New York and Chicago to reach a deal.

Bellinger is set to make $27.5 million in 2025 and $25 million in 2026, although he has an opt-out available after the '25 season. The Yankees want the Cubs to eat part of the salary, something that Chicago is unwilling to do, Heyman reports.

The report comes less than a week after Heyman's colleague Joel Sherman reported that the Cubs hope to deal either Bellinger or Seiya Suzuki. Sherman cited New York as an ideal fit for Bellinger, a power-hitting lefty with positional versatility at spots of need for the Yankees. Cubs president Jed Hoyer said that he expects Suzuki to remain with the franchise on Wednesday, putting increased attention on Bellinger's trade prospects.

Bellinger hit .266/.325/.426 in '24, his second year with Chicago after starting his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He hit 18 home runs and drove in 78 runs, posting a 2.2 WAR on the season.

As a Dodger, Bellinger made a pair of All-Star Games (2017, '19) and took home the 2019 NL MVP award, as well as the 2017 NL Rookie of the Year award and 2018 NLCS MVP. He helped the Dodgers win the World Series in the shortened 2020 season.

Bellinger had three disappointing individual seasons from '20 to '22 to end his Dodgers stint, but experienced a nice career resurgence in Chicago, winning NL Comeback Player of the Year in '23. He is set to turn 30 years old in July.

Don’t say it too loudly, but things might be turning around for West Ham United.

Nuno Espírito Santo made changes to his team ahead of the Newcastle United game at the weekend, and lo and behold, came away with all three points.

Moreover, it wasn’t a smash-and-grab; the East Londoners actually played well, with one player in particular doing spectacularly.

In fact, with the proper support around him, that starter could become a leading figure for West Ham and their biggest star since Mohammed Kudus.

Why West Ham were right to sell Kudus

Now, it should be noted that one significant issue with selling Kudus in the summer was that he went to Tottenham Hotspur.

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Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, while doing business with rivals is never ideal, deciding to move the former Ajax star on for £55m was still the correct decision from the club.

After all, while he had a stellar first season in Claret and Blue, he was anonymous at best last year.

For example, in 35 appearances across all competitions last season, totalling 2721 minutes, the Accra-dud mustered up a dismal return of five goals and four assists.

In other words, he managed a dire average of a goal involvement every 3.88 games, or one every 302.33 minutes.

For comparison’s sake, Jarrod Bowen scored 14 goals and provided ten assists in 36 games, totalling 3148 minutes.

That comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.5 games, or every 131.16 minutes.

Therefore, while he was capable of some magic moments, Kudus was not consistent enough to justify his place in the team, especially not when someone offers over £50m for him.

Anyway, in addition to Bowe, West Ham appear to have another superstar in the making on their hands this season.

West Ham's future star

It would be fair to say that, at the moment, West Ham’s biggest star is Bowen, but over the coming years, that title could shift to Freddie Potts.

Now, it is still so early on in the midfielder’s Hammers career, but there is a real sense around the fanbase that he could be something special.

Moreover, although he has just one competitive start for the club, he has plenty of experience with other sides, having made 38 appearances for Portsmouth and 43 for Wycombe Wanderers.

However, while his experiences in the Championship and League One help bolster his CV, it was really his performance against Newcastle that has excited the Hammers faithful.

It was a game in which the academy graduate put in a quintessential all-action midfield display.

From helping break down attacks to kickstarting them himself, the Englishman was near enough faultless in the middle of the park and totally vindicated the fans who have been calling for him to start for some time.

He would even have got himself a goal if he had worn one size smaller boots.

After the match, one analyst described the Barking-born star as possessing a “similar aura to Rice when he first came through” and as being blessed with a “supreme confidence” on and off the ball.

It certainly sounds like hyperbole, but it’s rather difficult to argue against such statements.

Ultimately, it’s still early in Potts’ career, but as things stand, he looks like he could become West Ham’s biggest star since Kudus.

West Ham 'sound out' £30m striker with Fullkrug 'determined' to leave in January

The Irons are making plans to replace him.

By
Emilio Galantini

Nov 6, 2025