Manchester City are looking to sign an “incredible” £100 million playmaker this summer, according to Sky Sports.

Man City planning for new era as spending spree set to continue

No one would have predicted a team of City’s stature would have only the FA Cup to play for come this stage of the season. Given that disappointment, this summer is expected to follow in the same suit as January as Pep Guardiola freshens up an ageing squad.

Man City tracking "world-class" keeper who will cost £5m more than Ederson

City are keeping a close eye on a player who they believe is the perfect signing for Guardiola.

ByBrett Worthington Mar 24, 2025

There is expected to be a change between the sticks, as current first-choice keeper Ederson will enter the final year of his contract this summer, and it is believed he could be set for a move to Saudi Arabia. The Brazilian was heavily linked with a move to the Middle East last summer, but this time a deal could go through.

In terms of replacements, Porto’s Diogo Costa has been mentioned as a top target, but he is not the only option, as according to The Sun, City are interested in signing Lucas Chevalier from Lille. He is a player that the Premier League champions have kept their eye on throughout the season and have made more regular checks in recent months. However, they are not alone in their interest, as rivals Manchester United are also keeping an eye on the Frenchman.

Man City want to sign "incredible" Wirtz who is valued at £100m

As well as looking at freshening things up in goal, Pep also wants to improve his attack, with Kevin De Bruyne likely to leave. According to Sky Sports’ Florian Plettenberg, Man City now want to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen this summer.

Plettenberg states that as well as City looking to strike a deal this summer, Bayern Munich are also keen on a transfer, as they look to weaken a direct opponent. However, Leverkusen are not willing to see Wirtz leave without a fight, as they have offered the Germany international a new contract until 2028, which also includes a release clause for the summer of 2026.

The Bundesliga champions expect Wirtz, who has been dubbed “incredible” by Joe Cole in the past, to make a decision very soon. If Wirtz decides he wants to leave Leverkusen and talks start to take place over a transfer, Leverkusen may look to demand a fee between €120-130 million fixed plus bonuses, which is roughly £100-108 million.

Apps

25

Starts

20

Goals

9

Shots per game

2.6

Chance conversion

14%

Assists

11

Touches per game

72.7

Key passes per game

1.9

The 21-year-old was exceptional for Leverkusen last season as they won the Bundesliga and reached the Europa League final. Despite the fact they look to miss out on the league and have already been knocked out of Europe, Wirtz has been instrumental once again this time around, scoring nine goals and registering 11 assists in 25 league games. De Bruyne’s likely exit from the Etihad Stadium means Wirtz could be seen as the ideal replacement for the Belgian this summer.

تحدث مجدي عبد الغني، نجم الأهلي السابق، عن مشاركة الأحمر في كأس العالم للأندية 2025، قبل أن يودع من دور المجموعات.

وقال مجدي عبد الغني، عبر قناة “إم بي سي مصر 2”: “الأهلي بدأ البطولة بشكل غير جيد أمام إنتر ميامي، وأضاع فوزًا مهمًّا كان من الممكن أن يمنحه دفعة قوية إلى الأمام، كما قيل إن ظروف المعسكر لم تكن منضبطة بالشكل الكافي ولم يسبق للأهلي أن أضاع هذا الكم من الفرص؛ فدائمًا ما كان يحقق الفوز بعد الدقيقة 90”.

طالع.. بسبب كأس العالم للأندية.. الأهلي يُعلن عن نبأ سار لجماهيره في أمريكا وكندا

وواصل: “طوال تاريخه، كانت غرفة الملابس في الأهلي مليئة بالمحبة بين الجميع، لكن هذا الكم من الفرص الضائعة له أسبابه وقد تكرر الأمر أمام بورتو أيضًا، لذا لا بد من إصلاح الأوضاع داخل غرفة الملابس”.

وأردف: “أما بالنسبة للدوري، فلا يوجد فريق قادر على منافسة الأهلي؛ لأنه يمتلك أقوى فريق من حيث الإمكانيات، ويتميز بالاستقرار والانضباط في الدوري المصري أما باقي الفرق، فإن صفقاتها ستكون ضعيفة بقدر ميزانياتها، فالمادة هي أساس كرة القدم”.

واستطرد: “ما هذا العبث في أن يذهب جميع اللاعبين إلى فريق واحد؟! هذا نوع من الفُجر، أنا أعلم أن هناك (كوكو) و(توتو) و(لولو)، و(الكوكو) تعني العمولة، و(التوتو) هو أن يأخذ العمولة كلها”.

وأتم :”الهلال شرّف الأمة العربية بأسرها، ولا ينبغي لأحد أن يقلل من إنجازه بحجة أنه يمتلك 8 محترفين، فالأهلي أيضًا لعب بـ 7 محترفين، وكان يمكنه أن يلعب بـ 11، الهلال تفوق على فرق تفوقه في القيمة السوقية”.

Notts allrounder continues stellar form as batters flunk on “blameless pitch”

ECB Reporters Network25-Jun-2023Brett Hutton claimed a five-wicket haul as Nottinghamshire took control on the opening day of the LV= Insurance County Championship match with Somerset at Taunton.The hosts could post only 163 all out after winning the toss on a bright morning, Tom Kohler-Cadmore top-scoring with just 38 and Kasey Aldridge contributing 35. Hutton’s 5 for 34 and Matt Carter’s 3 for 43 did most of the damage for an accurate Notts attack.In reply, the visitors slipped to 105 for 4 on a seemingly blameless pitch, but opener Ben Slater’s unbeaten 67 saw them to 145 for 4 at the close, just 18 behind.With the sun shining brightly for most of the day, it was strange that 14 wickets should fall. Inability to post meaningful first-innings totals has been a long-standing problem for Somerset, and again there was a fragility about their top order as Hutton maintained an exemplary line and length from the Marcus Trescothick Pavilion End.Sean Dickson and George Bartlett were both dismissed shouldering arms to the experienced seamer; the former bowled for 1 and the latter leg before for 13 to a ball that nipped back. Sandwiched in between was the wicket of Tom Lammonby, who edged Hutton to first slip having made 24.From 48 for 3, Tom Abell and Kohler-Cadmore added 40 in positive style before the introduction of Carter’s offspin from the River End. With the first ball of his second over, he had Abell caught at slip, driving, for 19. Kohler-Cadmore looked strong through the off-side, producing some sweet drives and depositing Carter over long-off for six. By lunch, he had helped Somerset to 106 for 4.The afternoon session began disastrously for the home side as, with only four runs added, they lost first James Rew, caught at short leg off bat and pad to give Carter his second wicket and Kohler-Cadmore lbw to Dane Paterson, having faced 53 balls and hit four fours and a six.There was no way back from 110 for 6, despite the valiant efforts of Aldridge, who reverse-swept Carter for six and struck five fours. He quickly ran out of partners as Craig Overton edged Hutton into the slips where Carter’s left hand scooped the ball up for Joe Clarke to complete the catch.Hutton returned after an opening spell of 3 for 27 from eight overs to mop up the tail, bowling Matt Henry and having the advancing Aldridge caught behind. His wickets were largely the result of keeping the ball on the spot and taking advantage of batting errors.Somerset had been bowled out in just 48.1 overs and it looked like a well below par total in the conditions. Henry struck an early blow in the Notts’ reply by beating Haseeb Hameed’s defensive push and bowling him for a duck. By tea, the visitors had reached 23 for 1. Soon Slater and Matthew Montgomery were building confidently on that total under increasingly clear skies.They had put together a stand of 71 in 23 overs, with few alarms, when Montgomery, on 33, got an inside edge onto his leg off Aldridge and was powerless to prevent the ball rolling back onto his stumps.Slater edged Aldridge just short of wicketkeeper Rew and Somerset’s fightback continued when 19-year-old off-spinner Shoaib Bashir, making his first Championship appearance at the Cooper Associates County Ground, pinned Clarke lbw on the back foot for 12 to make it 94 for 3.Slater went to fifty off 104 balls before Henry struck another blow for Somerset with the total on 105, Lyndon James edging to Abell at first slip and departing for the second duck of the innings. But Steve Mullaney hit a six and two fours off a Bashir over as Notts regained some momentum before the close.Before the start of play, the teams lined up for a minute’s applause in memory of 19-year-old local club cricketer Barnaby Webber, who lost his life in the Nottingham stabbings earlier this month. Signed shirts from both counties were laid on the pitch at the toss and then presented to his mother, father and brother as tokens of support.

The Three Lions will tackle a pair of June fixtures as part of their second camp under Gareth Southgate's permanent successor

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

The never-ending 2024-25 season has spilled over into June's round of international fixtures, right on the eve of the revamped Club World Cup. It's all the football all the time, to loosely paraphrase David Mitchell.

Some of you may have even forgotten that England are back in action this week, with the Three Lions facing Andorra in Barcelona (for some strange reason) in a qualifier for the 2026 World Cup, before returning home to face Senegal in a friendly at Nottingham Forest's City Ground. This is only Thomas Tuchel's second window in charge of England and there is relatively limited time for him to get to know his players further before the finals.

The big winners from the March internationals were the unlikely duo of Dan Burn and Myles Lewis-Skelly, while solidified favourites Harry Kane and Declan Rice showed why they are still two core members of the team moving forward, so who else needs to prove their worth to the boss? GOAL runs through seven players with everything to play for…

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Cole Palmer

  Bar the (ever-increasing) danger of a serious injury in the modern game, there isn't any other conceivable reason to believe Cole Palmer won't be on the plane to North America next summer. The real question is in regards to his role – will he be a starter or first off the bench?

  Midway through 2024-25, Palmer's Chelsea performances had been so fantastic over an 18-month stretch that it seemed he would be shoehorned into any Three Lions line up possible, even with Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham playing in similar areas of the pitch to him. There was talk he alone stood as the Premier League's best player altogether.

  But the ice-cold sensation has cooled off since, notably and infamously scoring only three times and adding three assists in the league in 2025. He has also been accused of only being able to thrive in transition, with the limits of his game racing to the surface when trying to break down low or mid-blocks. Nevertheless, Palmer still has credit in the bank at international level having scored in last year's Euro 2024 final, though after missing Tuchel's first camp through injury, he's playing catch-up against his positional rivals.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Trent Alexander-Arnold

  Another player who was forced to miss the March internationals is Trent Alexander-Arnold, now officially of Real Madrid and who will likely have one eye on the Club World Cup with his new team later this month. He can't let his eye wander in an England shirt any longer, however.

  Believe it or not, Euro 2024 was Alexander-Arnold's first major international tournament where he played major minutes, having scarcely featured at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups while he missed Euro 2020 with injury. Even then, he largely played in midfield in a doomed experiment that was abandoned after the group stage. Despite his obvious quality and stacked CV of achievements at the highest level, he's only earned 33 caps at senior level.

  Alexander-Arnold has largely been an afterthought in the international setup, and he's going to have to wrestle the right-back spot off of Tuchel's old Chelsea favourite Reece James if he's to feature as a starter at a World Cup for the first time.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Dean Henderson

  Prior to every tournament for the last eight years, the English public have questioned Jordan Pickford's credentials as the Three Lions' starting goalkeeper, and each time he has come back swinging. Even now, with 75 caps under his belt and season-upon-season of impressive showings at Everton, there are still naysayers to his ability and influence.

  Once more, there have been murmurs that Pickford is facing trial under new manager Tuchel to prove he should keep the No.1 shirt. If he at any point falters, then Dean Henderson would be the top contender to step in. Having jumped around from club to club all career, the 28-year-old is now settled at Crystal Palace and was a primary reason why they won this season's FA Cup.

  Henderson, like Pickford, is a bit mad between the sticks and shares that same northern charisma. The difference between them might only be their shot-stopping abilities, and the Eagles goalkeeper will be eager to take his chance should it arise over the next week.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Anthony Gordon

  This time last year, the Three Lions faithful were pleading with Gareth Southgate to let Anthony Gordon spread his wings down England's left flank, with a stale team in need of pace and runners. Fast-forward 12 months and the wide-man's place in the squad is not quite as secure, nor is there a clamour for him to play a starring role.

  Gordon is still one of the most electric wingers eligible to represent the country, though he's coming off a fairly underwhelming season on a personal level in spite of Newcastle's successful campaign, which ended with Carabao Cup glory without the suspended Scouser and qualification to the Champions League. He also had his thunder stolen a little by Harvey Barnes, whose return of nine goals and five assists was superior to Gordon's six of each.

  With Eberechi Eze in the form of his life and Noni Madueke putting in some quality displays for Chelsea on the left, Gordon is facing a battle to merely stay relevant in Tuchel's thinking. He can't hide behind the annoyances of foul-baiting and runs down dead ends any longer.

Former players weigh in on the controversial dismissal at The Oval

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Jun-20231:37

Was Cameron Green’s grab out or not?

Shubman Gill’s dismissal in India’s second innings of the World Test Championship final sparked debate over whether the catch taken by Cameron Green at gully was clean or not.It was a spectacular effort from the 6’7″ Green once again. He had taken a high one-handed blinder with his right hand in India’s first innings to dismiss Ajinkya Rahane, and here he had to dive low to his left and pluck the ball milliseconds before it hit the turf. Replays though suggested it was a close call.Both Gill and his opening partner Rohit Sharma had seen the edge dying on its way to the cordon, so they waited, bringing the TV umpire into play. Previously, contentious catches referred to the TV umpire used to come with a soft signal – out or not out – from the on-field umpires, and there needed to be conclusive evidence to overturn the on-field decision. The ICC has only just scrapped the soft-signal rule, and this was the first instance of a TV umpire adjudicating a contentious catch on his own. In this case the TV umpire Richard Kettleborough saw enough from the visuals to suggest Green had got his fingers under the ball.Rohit didn’t agree though. He seemed to mouth an audible “No” as the “Out” flashed on the big screen at The Oval. Gill, also, put out a tweet after the day’s play, using emojis that suggested he did not believe it was a clean catch. The replays on the broadcast lost a frame between Green catching with his fingers underneath the ball as he fell to the grass and then throwing it up in celebration. Did the ball in that frame – as he rolled his hand over – touch the turf? There seemed to be no conclusive evidence to say either way, and both of ESPNcricinfo’s Match Day experts – Sanjay Manjrekar and Brad Haddin – were of the opinion the right decision had been made.”When you see it real time, it is very important thing to see and something I have advocated to a lot of people about when there is a review for a low catch that goes upstairs to the TV umpire, they get a lot of angles and the frozen image is something that sets the cat among the pigeons,” Manjrekar said. “The viewers see the frozen image and see the leather touching the turf … in real time, it looked like a pretty brilliant catch, just a nice motion. If you ask me if that was a catch, I’d say, yes, brilliant catch.”Haddin said: “I thought it was a clean catch and Green got his fingers underneath the ball. I like it at real time because if you slow it down too much and look at different frames, it can create a lot of doubt. In this case, he had his fingers under the ball and it was a clean catch.”The catch that Cameron Green took to dismiss Shubman Gill•Getty Images

Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting also agreed with the interpretation that it was a fair catch. “When I saw it live, I knew it had carried to him on the full, but I wasn’t sure what the action was after that from all replays we have seen,” he told the ICC. “I actually think some part of the ball did touch the ground and it is the interpretation of the umpire that as long as the fielder has complete control of the ball before the ball hits the ground then it is out. That must have been what the umpires’ interpretation was and I think that is exactly what happened. It carried probably six or eight inches off the ground then there was another action after that.”Former India allrounder and coach Ravi Shastri, speaking after the day’s play, said two fingers under the ball often means the ball has touched the ground but, in this case, he could certainly see why the umpire when with the out decision. “If I saw what I saw there as the third umpire, it’s very difficult to say that the ball hit the ground, because you could see the two fingers under it,” Shastri told Star Sports. “I’ve always believed when it comes up with two fingers, the chances of the ball touching the ground are much more as opposed to three fingers, where the three fingers come under the ball. So what I can see of Cameron Green there, there are two fingers. So it’s a tough one, but you go down the umpire’s route, he has to be convinced that the ball has touched the ground.”And let’s not forget, he has got giant fingers, he’s a big fellow, and you can see the angle of the fingers, it’s under the ball. You’ve got the thumb on top, the fingers are wrapped around the ball. Richard Kettleborough, I can see where he’s coming from.”Former Australia opener and coach Justin Langer, on the same segment on Star Sports, agreed with Shastri’s assessment. “Richard Kettleborough is a world-class umpire, and what he goes on, he had to probably give it out. The other thing that I always find interesting is the initial reaction of the fielder. Cameron Green got underneath it and was convinced he had caught it. Often if there’s any doubt, you can see it in the body language of the fielder.”Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh and former India batter Virender Sehwag both said the replays viewed by the third umpire were inconclusive, and giving the batter out based on those visuals was incorrect. “Inconclusive evidence. When in doubt, it’s not out,” Sehwag tweeted, while Harbhajan told PTI: “The replay was inconclusive. They should have zoomed in on his fingers closely before taking the call. It could cost India dearly in the run chase.”That was the last action before the tea interval on the fourth day, with the players leaving the field to boos from the largely Indian crowd. Gill fell for 18 off 19 with his team 41 for 1 in 7.1 overs in a chase of 444.

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo demonstra um bom retrospecto em disputas de pênaltis recentes. Na noite da última quarta-feira (10), garantiu sua classificação para a semifinal da Copa Sul-Americana após eliminar o Ceará, na Arena Castelão, justamente nas cobranças máximas.

RelacionadasSão PauloVÍDEO: Rogério Ceni destaca a importância do São Paulo e do futebol em sua vidaSão Paulo11/08/2022São PauloSão Paulo anuncia parceria com Observatório da Discriminação Racial no FutebolSão Paulo11/08/2022São PauloCom classificação ante o Ceará, São Paulo se torna recordista brasileiro em semifinais de Sul-AmericanaSão Paulo11/08/2022

Galeria
>ATUAÇÕES: Patrick cumpre papel de herói e coloca o São Paulo na semifinal da Sul-Americana

Tabela
> Veja tabela da Copa Sul-Americana e simule os próximos jogos

Luciano foi um dos responsáveis por bater um dos pênaltis que classificou o Tricolor para a próxima etapa do continental. Porém, um fator se destacou em meio a tudo isso: a força mental da equipe.

A equipe de Rogério Ceni já acumulaquatro vitórias seguidas nesse tipo de desempate – todas elas com a participação dos goleiros. O camisa 11 destacou que os seus companheiros de equipe estavam todos bem treinados.

De acordo com Luciano, era uma preparação que estava sendo pensada com antecedência. O São Paulo já estava cogitando a necessidade de resolver a partida nas penalidades.

-A gente treinou ontem. Estava todo mundo bem concentrado, e nosso goleiro ajudou também – destacou o atacante.

Trazendo o defensor à tona, Felipe Alves foi uma importante peça para o resultado da equipe. O goleiro apareceu para defender a primeira cobrança, deGuilherme Castilho. O Tricolor ganhou a série por 4 a 3, após perder por 2 a 1 no tempo normal.

Desde 2018, o São Paulo não foi derrotado em nenhuma decisão que precisou ser resolvida desta forma. E como dito antes, os goleiros foram fatores essenciais para esta marca ser mantida.

Porém, agora o foco da equipe volta para o Campeonato Brasileiro. No domingo (14), o Tricolor encontra o Red Bull Bragantino em casa, às 16h. A situação do time preocupa. Atualmente, ocupa a 11ª colocação da tabela, com 26 pontos somados. Além disso, não vence na competição há seis partidas.

Luciano se manifestou a respeito. De acordo com ele, a equipe ainda planeja brigar pelos três campeonatos que está viva.

– Vamos curtir hoje, e amanhã voltar a pensar no Campeonato Brasileiro. O treinador está sabendo dar chance para todos. A gente vai brigar nas três competições – concluiu.

It is fair to say, Everton have not been renowned within the Premier League for being the best at recruitment over the last decade.

Huge fees have been paid for players such as Yannick Bolasie, Morgan Schneiderlin, Davy Klaassen, Cenk Tosun, Yerry Mina, André Gomes, Jean-Philippe Gbamin, Moise Kean, Allan, and many, many more, with the vast majority, if not all of those, offering very little return on investment.

However, the Toffees did have a genuinely top-class Premier League full-back on their hands, whom they decided to let go for just £2m.

That’s proven to be one of the Blues’ biggest mistakes in the market given their options on the right and left side of defence now.

How Everton's full-backs are performing in 2024/25

Last Saturday night’s 1-1 draw with Wolves at Molineux, in which Jack Harrison was on target, extended Everton’s unbeaten streak to eight Premier League games, with David Moyes propelling them away from danger and up to 15th.

Nevertheless, as the Toffees prepare to move into their brand-new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock in August, they have a poor squad, with former England midfielder Karen Carney telling the Guardian she believes the club’s ‘long-term strategy’ should remain under scrutiny.

This lack of quality certainly extends to the full-back positions where, as outlined by Patrick Boyland of the Athletic, Moyes has a selection of imperfect options, so let’s assess these players.

Everton’s current full-back options
Players	Age	Contract expiry	Games in 24/25
Mykolenko	25	2026	28
Young	39	2025	29
Patterson	23	2027	8
Coleman	36	2025	4
All data via Transfermarkt

As the table shows, two of Everton’s full-backs are both in their mid-to-late 30s and out of contract this season, with both Nathan Patterson and Séamus Coleman making very few appearances this season due to injuries.

This has left Ashley Young, who’ll celebrate his 40th birthday in July, and Vitaliy Mykolenko as the first-choice options, even though Boyland of the Athletic described the Ukrainian as ‘limited’ and ‘unspectacular’, hence why Jake O’Brien, a centre-back by trade, has been deployed on the right in recent weeks.

Mykolenko’s lack of forward threat is in complete contrast to another left-back, on Everton’s books until quite recently, now considered one of the best in the Premier League.

Ex-Everton full-back now thriving in the top-flight

Antonee Robinson joined Everton’s academy at the age of 11, making 27 appearances at U21 level for the Toffees, but never handed his first-team debut, loaned out to both Bolton Wanderers and then Wigan Athletic, before joining the Latics permanently in 2019 for a reported fee of only £2m.

The left-back made 65 appearances for Wigan across two seasons, catching the attention of Serie A giants AC Milan, seemingly set to make a £6m move to San Siro in January 2020, especially considering he travelled to Italy for a medical.

However, speaking on Ben Foster’s podcast, Robinson revealed that the move fell through because, during his medical, it was discovered that he was having ectopic heartbeats.

That prevents him from playing in Serie A, given that the Italian authorities are ‘very stringent’ when it comes to heart health, following the high-profile and tragic deaths of both Davide Astori and Piermario Morosini.

Instead, six months later, he moved to Fulham for £2m, paying his release clause following Wigan’s relegation, while Everton attempted to re-sign him, intending to then sell him straight away to make a quick profit, which Robinson himself said he “wasn’t having that”.

Now 27, the full-back has made 180 appearances for the Cottagers, featuring in each of their last 60 Premier League fixtures, starting all but one of these matches.

Robinson’s performances have been earning rave reviews, with Jeff Rueter and Andy Jones of the Athletic labelling him the ‘best left-back in the Premier League’, while David O’Brien of BBC Sport describes his displays as ‘outstanding’.

Meantime, Dom Smith of the Evening Standard notes that he has been ‘brilliant’, with Fadumo Olow of Sky Sports praising his ‘speed, defensive resilience, and attacking contribution’.

So, let’s take a look at his statistics this season.

Robinson 24/25 Premier League statistics
Statistics	Robinson	PL rank
Appearances	28	=6th
Minutes	2,449	15th
Assists	10	=2nd
Assists – xA	+6.2	1st
Crosses into the area	25	1st
Progressive carries	94	13th
Attempted passes	1,657	10th
Tackles	71	10th
Interceptions	47	3rd
All statistics courtesy of FBref.com

The most eye-catching of the statistics in the table above is the fact Robinson has ten Premier League assists to his name, only Mohamed Salah has more, which is not bad for a full-back.

This has also seen Robinson earn international recognition, named United States men’s national team player of the year for 2024, having won his 50th cap for the USA against Jamaica in November, very much the undisputed first-choice for Mauricio Pochettino ahead of a World Cup on home soil.

Football Transfers believe Robinson’s current value to be around £31m, which for context, is a higher valuation than anyone in the current Everton squad, even Beto and Jarrad Branthwaite and higher than £29m-rated Richarlison, a man sold by Everton for £60m.

Meanwhile, amidst interest from Liverpool, Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider reports Fulham would only be willing to sell for around £50m.

Thus, Everton must regret letting the American slip through the net, both when they initially sold him and then when they made a seemingly half-hearted attempt to bring him back to Merseyside.

He earns more than Ndiaye: Everton must axe Thelwell's "disaster" signing

The Everton board surely can’t wait to see the back of this miserable signing.

By
Angus Sinclair

Mar 12, 2025

كشف الهولندي لويس فان جال، المدير الفني السابق لمنتخب هولندا، عن احتمالية عودته للتدريب مرة أخرى بعد شفائه من مرض السرطان.

وفي حديث أجراه خلال ظهوره في برنامج “هومبرتو”، تحدث عن معاناته مع مرض السرطان وابتعاده عن الملاعب وسبب عدم تفضيله لتدريب الأندية خلال الفترة الماضية.

وقال مدرب برشلونة الأسبق في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية: ” لم أعد أشعر بالقلق بشأن المرض، أخضع للفحص كل بضعة أشهر والأمور تسير على ما يرام، أصبحت أكثر لياقة الآن”.

وأكمل: “على الرغم من مرضي، تلقيت العديد من العروض لتدريب أندية خلال العامين الماضيين، لن أدرب أي نادي لأني لا أشعر بالرغبة في العمل يوميًا”.

اقرأ أيضًا | موقف جالطة سراي من التعاقد مع تير شتيجن في انتقالات الصيف

وأضاف: “أنت مدرب للمنتخب الوطني 8 مرات في السنة، ولكن من يرغب في مدرب يبلغ من العمر 73 عامًا ومصاب بسرطان البروستاتا؟ ربما كوراساو أو ما شابه”.

وأردف: “لن أوافق على تدريب منتخبات صغيرة، أي أنني لن أفعل ذلك إلا مع دول مثل إنجلترا وألمانيا”.

وعن معاناته مع مرض سرطان البروستاتا أتم: “قبل عامين خضعت لعدة عمليات جراحية، كان كل شيء يسير بشكل خاطئ، كنت أعاني من مشاكل في التبرز والحفاضات، كان شيئًا سيئًا للغاية لأنني شخص نظيف”.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s livid outgoing boss at Al-Nassr, Majed Jaman Al-Sorour, has vowed to sue the club after his "inappropriate" dismissal.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Al-Nassr have sacked their CEOVows to take legal action against clubRonaldo is also yet to commit to an extensionFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Majed Al-Sorour has announced plans to pursue legal action against the Saudi Pro League club after being sacked from his role as CEO at the start of the week. The controversy comes as Al-Nassr also grapple with the ongoing speculation surrounding Ronaldo's future.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Al-Sorour’s rise in Saudi sports leadership includes key positions at major institutions. He also served as the CEO of Saudi Golf and played a significant role in the country’s efforts to promote the sport globally. Additionally, he was appointed to Newcastle United’s board of directors in May 2022, following the club’s acquisition by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF). His time on the board was short-lived, ending in December 2022. In January 2025, Al-Sorour took over as chief executive of Al-Nassr, becoming responsible for overseeing one of the Saudi Pro League’s most high-profile clubs.

WHAT AL-SOROUR SAID

Al-Sorour's removal stems from allegations that he publicly shared inaccurate information regarding the club on social media, which Al-Nassr’s board said was intended to mislead the public.

“Today my services were terminated in a manner that I consider unprofessional, inappropriate and unacceptable,” he said in a statement. “Therefore, a litigation process will begin between me and the management that runs our club.”

Al-Nassr also released a statement, which read: "With reference to what was observed in the tweet attributed to Mr. Majed Mohammed Al-Sorour (via the X platform on June 12, 2025), it contained incorrect information and was an attempt to influence public opinion without relying on documented facts. Accordingly, the Board of Directors of Al-Nassr Club Company would like to clarify the following:

“Reports were received from external and internal parties regarding some of the practices carried out by the CEO. Pursuant to this, the Board of Directors unanimously issued a decision to freeze the powers of CEO Majid bin Mohammed Al-Sarour on May 8, 2025, and to investigate the veracity of the reports.

“The CEO was officially notified, fully aware of the details, and signed a declaration and pledge regarding the suspension of his powers until the completion of these investigations. He also signed a declaration and pledge of confidentiality not to disclose any information related to the company. The CEO (during the investigation period) violated his contractual obligations by posting a tweet from his personal account, damaging the company's reputation on social media platforms. After the Board took all necessary legal measures and granted the CEO the right to defend himself and have his statements heard, the Board of Directors unanimously decided to terminate the contract of the CEO of Al-Nassr Club Company.

“The Board affirms that the CEO has not presented any comprehensive strategic or operational plan since assuming his position in January 2025 that reflects the requirements or aspirations of the current phase. He has also failed to demonstrate sufficient engagement with a number of priority issues, despite his full administrative empowerment and the approval of all his proposals without exception. Al-Nassr Club Company reiterates its commitment to operating in accordance with relevant regulations and the highest standards of governance.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?

Amid this executive fallout, Al-Nassr’s biggest concern remains the uncertain future of Ronaldo. As per , a source close to the PIF told that efforts to retain the Portuguese were active but difficult.

"There are difficult negotiations underway to convince Ronaldo to stay and (continue) to play," the source said. "The main option was a transfer to Al Hilal, with the opportunity to play in the Club World Cup."

Despite the rumours, Ronaldo is currently enjoying time off after a demanding campaign. He will return for pre-season training in July as Al-Nassr prepare for the 2025–26 campaign, if he agrees to sign an extension.

Released from Ashes duty, England quick scores maiden List A fifty before claiming two wickets

ECB Reporters Network07-Jul-2023

Central Sparks celebrate a wicket•PA Images via Getty Images

Issy Wong starred with bat and ball as Central Sparks beat hosts South East Stars by 21 runs at Woodbridge Road.Wong, released from England Ashes duty for the fixture, made her maiden list-A half-century, sharing a stand of 102 with Charis Pavely for the seventh wicket, the youngster finishing 57 not out in only her second game at this level. Their heroics carried Sparks to 246 for 8 despite Stars’ England all-rounder Alice Davidson-Richards returning 3 for 46.Maddie Blinkhorn-Jones led the run chase with a magnificent 77 while Davidson-Richards made 48, but Sparks’ bowlers had the final say, Katie George taking 3 for 30, Georgia Davis 3 for 52 and Wong 2 for 37 as Stars were bowled out for 225 with 15 balls left.Eve Jones, Sparks’ leading batter in the competition, was soon out caught behind off Ryana MacDonald-Gay, the first of three catches for wicketkeeper Kira Chathli. In-form Abbey Freeborn also nicked MacDonald-Gay behind, and with Davidson-Richards striking two further blows Sparks stumbled to 61 for 4.George holed out soon afterwards only for a no-ball to be called for a waist-high full toss and the batter made good of the reprieve with three stylish fours in her 31, raising a 50-partnerhip with opener Bethan Ellis who swept to good effect.The pair fell in the space of seven balls, George pinned lbw on the back foot by Dani Gregory, while Ellis (42) played one sweep too many against Stars’ skipper Bryony Smith.At 121 for 6 Sparks needed just that – a spark and in fact found two as Pavely and Wong hit the reset button.Pavely, showing great maturity, played a straight drive back past Gregory before pulling the same bowler to the fence at square leg. Wong played second fiddle for a while before unable to contain her attacking intent any longer – she sent one six into the scoreboard and another clean out the ground as Sparks posted a challenging total.Inspired by her batting exploits, Wong should have had an early wicket when finding the edge of Chathli’s bat, but wicketkeeper Freeborn could only parry the chance away to her right. Wong’s response was to take the fielder’s out of the equation and uproot Chathli’s off-stump.The England quick soon appealed again for a catch behind against Stars’ skipper Bryony Smith, not answered in the affirmative, but from the very next ball Ami Campbell plucked one out of the sky at wide mid-off to send the home skipper packing for a duck.Alexa Stonehouse (29) briefly threatened only to fall to a catch on the fence by George and Jones pulled off another blinder at slip as Jemima Spence came and went, Davis the successful bowler on both occasions.Paige Scholfield with two centuries and more than 300 runs in the tournament was another not to last long, bowled through the gate by Australian all-rounder Erin Burns and at 94 for 5 Stars’ hopes looked slim.Davidson-Richards and Blinkhorn-Jones dug in, surviving several vociferous appeals to punish the odd bad ball when it came to raise a 50-partnership and bring the runs required under 100.The impressive George returned to remove both Davidson-Richards, caught in the deep and Kalea Moore, but Blinkhorn-Jones stood firm, twice dispatching the returning Wong to the fence as she raced to 50.Macdonald-Gay proved a good foil in a stand of 51 to leave the game in the balance, but she was bowled by Davis and when Blinkhorn-Jones holed out at cover the game was up.