Everton are still in the market for a new winger this summer. The Toffees have already had a busy few months in the transfer market. The signing of Jack Grealish on loan with an option to buy him from Manchester City has been the crown jewel in the window so far.

Their other main reinforcement in attack has been Thierno Barry, who signed from La Liga side Villarreal. The Toffees also brought attacking midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to the club from Premier League rivals Chelsea, with Carlos Alcaraz turning his winter loan move into a permanent deal this summer.

However, it seems that a winger is still on the list of Everton’s priorities, with new reports suggesting they will look to sign another attacker.

Everton’s latest attacking target

It seemed for a lot of August that a deal for Southampton winger Tyler Dibling was one of Everton’s main options for a new winger. They were said to be looking to get a move completed despite seeing bids rejected, although it has yet to materialise.

Transfer Focus

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

Instead, David Moyes’ side might turn their attention elsewhere. A recent report from TEAMTalk suggests that Lyon’s young Belgian winger Malick Fofana ‘remains a player of interest’ to the Toffees, having previously seen a bid rejected for him earlier in the window.

Now, the deal could be back on if the Merseysiders ‘receive encouragement from the player’s side’ that there is interest in the move.

Earlier in the summer, it was reported that Lyon could demand as much as £51m for the talented winger this summer.

Why Fofana would be a good signing

Described as a “game changer” by football scout Antonio Mango, 20-year-old forward Fofana already carries a great reputation. After establishing himself in the Lyon first team last season, he became a key player for the club.

In 41 appearances across all competitions, the winger, who was born in Aalst, Belgium, found the back of the net 11 times and assisted five times.

That included six goals and one assist in ten appearances in the Europa League.

One of his key traits is his dribbling, with Transfermarkt’s Joachim Durand, explaining that he “shines in one-on-one situations”, which the stats back up.

Last season in Ligue 1, the 20-year-old averaged 6.34 progressive carries per 90 minutes, placing him in the top 3% of forwards in the French top flight.

Goals and assists

0.51

70th

Goal-creating actions

0.62

80th

Progressive carries

6.34

97th

Carries into final third

3.32

92nd

Carries into penalty box

2.21

93rd

Perhaps if this deal gets over the line, Fofana could become Moyes’ version of Romelu Lukaku. There are certainly similarities to the Lyon star and the former Toffees striker, although not positionally, with Lukaku being a clinical number nine rather than a winger.

What a striker he was in that famous Blue shirt, too. Belgium’s all-time record goalscorer played four seasons at Goodison Park and shone in that time. Lukaku scored 87 goals and assisted 27 in 166 appearances for the club.

In his final campaign, he hit 25 Premier League goals, earning himself a move to Manchester United.

The similarities between Lukaku and Fofana may not extend as far as their positions, but there are certainly notable comparisons. Firstly, when the former Chelsea striker joined permanently for £28m back in 2014, it became a club record deal. If Everton pay Lyon the £51m they want this summer, that too would become a club record.

Comparisons can be drawn with their age, too. Lukaku was 20 years of age when he joined the Toffees on loan, and a year older when he made the move permanent. Coincidentally, Fofana is also 20, and another exciting young attacker.

It has worked in the past for Everton, signing a talented young forward from Belgium. How Moyes would surely love the Lyon star to become his own Lukaku, someone dependable in attack and a rich source of goals and assists.

£51m is a hefty fee, but Fofana could be worth every penny if he can replicate Lukaku’s impact on Merseyside.

Grealish will love him: Everton working on deal to sign £20m English star

David Moyes plans to welcome several more signings to Everton this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Aug 20, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur waved goodbye to controversial chairman Daniel Levy after 24 years last week, in a move which sent shockwaves throughout the world of football.

Levy and ENIC’s running of the club during his tenure attracted large protests from supporters, mainly due to a lack of success on the field, with the Lilywhites winning just two major trophies over the ex-chair’s two-and-a half-decade-long spell.

However, away from the pitch, there is little denying that Levy transformed Spurs into a financial powerhouse.

Tottenham are now one of the world’s highest revenue-generating clubs, according to the Deloitte Money League, with Levy overseeing the move to their state of the art new stadium and training facilities.

Real Madrid

£1.2 billion

Man City

£727 million

PSG

£700 million

Man United

£668 million

Bayern Munich

£664 million

FC Barcelona

£659.5 million

Arsenal

£621.5 million

Liverpool

£620 million

Tottenham Hotspur

£533 million

Chelsea

£474 million

via Deloitte Money League

Speaking after the “big news” of Levy’s departure, CEO Vinai Vinkatesham moved to quash rumours of a potential takeover whilst explaining what this means to the club’s overall running.

Credible reports suggest that influential footballing figures were left “stunned” by Levy’s resignation (Miguel Delaney), which was ultimately taken out of the 63-year-old’s hands.

In fact, The Times have stated that Levy was told to resign just hours before Tottenham made it official.

Saudi backers major plan for Tottenham as Levy exit kickstarts restructure

According to TEAMtalk, Levy’s departure is the first domino kickstarting what is a broad restructure of Spurs.

It is also claimed that global investors, including backers from Saudi Arabia, harbor an ambitious plan for Spurs to build a “Premier League powerhouse”, and see the club as a “prime opportunity” to do so.

While making it crystal clear that Spurs is not for sale, the Lewis family are open to minority investments that could help to inject significant capital into the club, with Saudi parties also joined by potential investors from Qatar and the USA.

A new era for Thomas Frank’s side appears to be ushering in, with insiders saying that an “air of change” is brewing within the club and Levy’s exit may not be the big off-field announcement poised to come in the near future.

In 2021, a graphic designer working for Sky Sport Germany was going to change the footballing world forever. After Jadon Sancho went his first seven matches for Manchester United following his £73m move from Borussia Dortmund without a direct goal contribution, his face was edited onto a picture of James Bond, also known as '007'. In this instance, the two zeroes represented his goals and assists, with the seven the amount of matches he had played.

Since then, '007' has become a humorous moniker bestowed online upon players who record that stat-line. Liverpool's Florian Wirtz recently hit that mark – and has even surpassed it, going nine games without a goal contribution – and now even managers aren't safe, with Ange Postecoglou under fire. The charismatic Australian has failed to win any of his first seven matches in charge of Nottingham Forest across all competitions, with defeats coming in the Premier League, Europa League and Carabao Cup. In fairness, he has at least picked up two draws, so it's not an ethical '007'.

Regardless, it's hard to fathom how Forest have got themselves into such a situation in the first place. They finished seventh in the Premier League last season to book a return to European football, and for a long while appeared headed for the Champions League. Heading into the October international break, they sit 17th in the standings, only one point outside the relegation zone.

For Postecoglou, this represents a rare misstep in his career. Wherever he's gone in the last 15 years, he's brought success (particularly in his second seasons). When he left Tottenham in June, it seemed unlikely he would get another job in England. So how has he gone from the loveable everyman to one of the worst managers in the modern history of the Premier League?

Getty Images SportTottenham sacked him for a reason

Postecoglou first arrived on British shores in 2021 when he was whisked in as the new manager of Celtic, who had failed in a long and public pursuit of Eddie Howe to replace Neil Lennon in the Parkhead dugout. This was his first job outside of Australia and Asia since 2008 when he briefly took charge of third-tier side Panachaiki in his birthplace of Greece. There was understandable scepticism when he was appointed Bhoys boss, but he quickly silenced his doubters with his persuasive charm and his team's entertaining football. It also helped that this led to Celtic emphatically winning back the Premiership title from Rangers.

After two years in Scotland, Postecoglou got a call from Tottenham, who were desperate to get the bad taste of the miserable Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho eras out of their mouth. Again, there were unbelievers to sway. His immediate task was to make the team play an expansive brand of football, with the hope this would lead to what Postecoglou himself would later describe as 'sustained success'. Spurs won eight and drew two of their first 10 games under the Aussie before they were thrashed by Chelsea, who were ironically managed by former favourite Mauricio Pochettino. From there on, the foundations of 'Ange-ball' became fragile and Postecoglou's side never quite hit those same heights from a domestic point of view, despite achieving an admirable fifth-place finish for 2023-24 when many tipped them to finish outside the European places. Postecoglou's gift of the gab won supporters over, as did the extraordinary, drug-like highs of his opening three months in the role.

Tottenham's 2024-25 season was unlike any other, be it by their own manic standards or anyone else's. They ended a 17-year wait to win a trophy with victory in the Europa League, yet simultaneously finished 17th in the Premier League. The club's board, led by the soon-to-depart Daniel Levy, released a lengthy statement to explain how they arrived at the decision to sack him soon after the campaign wrapped up.

"Following a review of performances and after significant reflection, the Club can announce that Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties," it began. The standout paragraph read: "The Board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the Club for a change to take place. Following a positive start in the 2023/24 Premier League (PL) season, we recorded 78 points from the last 66 PL games. This culminated in our worst-ever PL finish last season. At times there were extenuating circumstances – injuries and then a decision to prioritise our European campaign. Whilst winning the Europa League this season ranks as one of the Club's greatest moments, we cannot base our decision on emotions aligned to this triumph."

It was a unique situation that Spurs found themselves in, but one that was understood by most corners of the footballing world, even if it was raw to those most closely impacted. That Postecoglou goes down as a Tottenham legend and also the mastermind behind their worst-ever top flight season in terms of defeats (22) are not paradoxical thoughts.

AdvertisementAFPStrange hire for Forest

Forest's summer was far from unassuming. After nearly throwing away European qualification altogether, they were very much up for UEFA demoting FA Cup winners Crystal Palace into the Conference League to bump themselves up into the Europa League, while Morgan Gibbs-White's transfer to Tottenham was blocked by owner Evangelos Marinakis (or 'Mr Marinakis', as the England midfielder called him several times in a video announcing a new contract).

That seemed to be the end of the Forest soap opera and they were expected to enjoy another fruitful season under Nuno Espirito Santo. Then, during what was meant to be an unassuming press conference before an on-pitch battle with Palace in mid-August, the Portuguese tactician threw his future into doubt. "I always had a very good relationship with the owner – last season we were very close and spoke on a daily basis. This season it is not so well (between us) but I always believe that dialogue is important because my concern is the squad and the season we have ahead of us. Our relationship has changed and we are not as close. I think everyone at the club should be together but this is not the reality," Nuno said, lasting only a couple of weeks more in the job before being sacked in one of the strangest sagas this league that sometimes borders on soap opera has ever seen.

Postecoglou has previously spoken of clubs, and even the Australia national team, turning to him because they and the fans long for change, that there is a want to completely reverse their fortunes. This was a different case. Nuno had unanimous and unwavering support among the Forest faithful and they were angry to see him go. If Postecoglou was appointed based on the job he did at Spurs and the hope he could win the Europa League for a second season running, then that would have made sense. Instead, his close ties to fellow Greek Marinakis felt like the top reason behind the change in the dugout, even more so after it was reported they wined and dined over the summer.

At an event in July honouring Postecoglou in Greece, Marinakis said: "What I want to say about Ange is that he has spoken about Greece many times, he is proud to be Greek, and in the great success he had with Tottenham by winning the Europa League, he spoke about Greece. (He is) a man who not only does not hide his origin but is also proud of it. What he achieved, he did with a team that has not won any titles, it has had a very difficult time in recent years. In this huge success that the whole world saw, he promoted Greece. We must thank him especially for this, and we wish him well, although we are sure that he will do well as he has the ability. Wherever he goes, the successes will come."

Overnight, Forest had gone from a team used to playing defensive, conservative football to a side who wanted to play at a hundred miles an hour. Now, they're feeling the aftereffects of whiplash.

Getty Images SportBreaking the wrong Forest records

The term 'baptism of fire' doesn't do justice for the start Postecoglou's made at Forest. 'Christening by explosion' might be more appropriate. A 3-0 hammering to former rivals Arsenal started his reign, after which he vowed his side would be the one he envisaged in their following game, a trip to Championship side Swansea in the Carabao Cup. Forest lost 3-2 after being 2-1 up heading into second-half stoppage time.

Credible draws at Burnley and Real Betis followed before they lapsed back into losing habits, falling to Sunderland, Midtjylland and Newcastle with a whimper. The most recent of those defeats, 2-0 up at St James' Park, was so comprehensive that host broadcaster Sky Sports didn't, or couldn't, show a single Forest chance in their highlights package.

Postecoglou is now the first permanent Forest boss to fail to win any of his first four league games since 1960, while his start in all competitions means he has the worst opening record at the club in over 100 years. The Australian himself is now 11 Premier League matches without a win, counting his time at Spurs, and his teams have taken only 15 points from their last 23 games. What hasn't helped optics is that Tottenham are currently third in the table under new boss Thomas Frank, while Nuno earned a priceless draw at Everton with West Ham last week. The gruff 60-year-old is both the odd one out and the common denominator.

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Getty Images SportMutiny at the City Ground

The extra novelty behind Postecoglou's beginnings at Forest is he was unable to greet his new home fans until his fifth game in charge, managing twice away in the Premier League plus once in the Europa League and Carabao Cup apiece. By then, his stock was already trending downwards, but two limp performances at the City Ground cost him any last shred of goodwill coming into the job.

During the second of these defeats, a 3-2 loss to Danish minnows Midtjylland, Postecoglou was targeted by chants of 'you're getting sacked in the morning' from an angry crowd. The three goals Forest shipped were stupidly soft, conceding twice from opposition set pieces and once from their own. The worries people had over Postecoglou heading into this role were real.

In Postecoglou's first few months at Tottenham, the press hung on his every word. He's an extraordinary orator, hence why his teams have always bought into his methods, and you couldn't help but want to listen to him. That's easier when you're winning, not so much when in a rut. Down the stretch of 2024-25, Postecoglou's responses and messages when speaking to the media became grouchier and bitter. That's extended into his Forest reign without any sort of tangible result to fall back on, and already there is serious speculation of him being fired, with he himself confirming he will hold showdown talks with Marinakis.

Speaking on Sunday after the defeat at Newcastle, he reverted to the type of his defiant self. "I'm here in the Premier League at the age of 60, you reckon I lack self-belief or don’t like a fight? I've picked fights. I have. In the schoolyard, I've picked fights with people I knew would beat me up. That's the kind of person I am," he bellowed in his press conference.

"I totally understand it's part of the fanfare around the Premier League that there needs to be a manager under the spotlight. It's my turn at the moment. It's a fun game, isn't it? It's me this week. Who knows, maybe you're all right and I'm gone. Next week it will be someone else. I'm not a worrying kind of guy. I couldn't care less. If people somehow think I'm not enjoying what I'm doing at the moment, they've got no idea." Well, at least someone inside the club is enjoying the Forest experience, then.

Ashwani’s 4 for 24 was the best figures by an Indian on IPL debut, as MI extended their record against KKR at Wankhede to 10-2

Alagappan Muthu31-Mar-20251:36

Aaron: ‘Skiddy’ Ashwani quicker than batters expected

Mumbai Indians (MI) got on the IPL 2025 board in IPL 2025 with an eight-wicket victory over defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), which took their record against those opponents at Wankhede Stadium to 10-2. The win was set up by the most unlikely source: a fast bowler named Ashwani Kumar picked up the best figures by an Indian on IPL debut – 4 for 24 – to knock KKR over for 116.Debutant Ashwani’s dream dayAshwani is 23 years old. He had played only four T20s before this. Naturally, he was nervous when he was told he would be playing this game. He didn’t eat lunch. It’s possible he may never do so on any match day given how well this one went and how superstitious cricketers can be. Ashwani picked up a wicket with his first ball, and it was the opposition captain Ajinkya Rahane. Over the course of a dream day, he took down Rinku Singh and Andre Russell as well. This league does not present any higher quality of wickets.The most impressive thing about Ashwani was how hard he was to line up. He has an orthodox bowling action. His speeds were largely in the early to mid 130kph. Those are the kind of bowlers that get smashed around in the IPL. But try as they might, KKR were not able to do it.Ashwani came to prominence because of his performances in the Sher-E-Punjab T20 trophy last year, when he displayed an affinity for the death overs. Ashwani didn’t really bowl in that phase of the innings against KKR, but did show why he could find success in high-pressure situations. It was his control of length.Trent Boult struck in the first over for the 30th time in the IPL•Associated Press

Rinku tried to take him down, but one ball after using his feet and hitting him for four, he was caught on the deep-point boundary. Ashwani pulled his length back to surprise the batter. Russell tried to take him down, but one ball after clearing his front leg and smacking him through the line, he was beaten by a bouncer and then bowled by a 140kph pitched-up delivery that surprised the batter, again. Ashwani was innately aware of when to vary his lengths and was able to do so even when high-quality batters were attacking him and putting him under pressure.Boult continues romance with the first overAshwani tripling his career tally of T20 wickets – from two to six – over the course of one evening relegated everything else to the side. But he was merely exploiting a lovely platform set by two high-quality new-ball bowlers.Trent Boult once again showed off the freakish ability he has to take wickets in the first over. For the 30th time in the IPL, he provided his team with a perfect start, rearranging Sunil Narine’s stumps. From the other end, Deepak Chahar took away Quinton de Kock’s strengths – hitting balls at the stumps over square leg – by keeping his lines wide and having him caught at mid-off.KKR continued to attack, conscious that the Wankhede Stadium is a chase-friendly venue. Despite those early wickets, they indulged in eight aggressive responses in the first four overs. Some worked. Some didn’t. This is T20 cricket in the modern age. There is very little holding back. Rinku could have. He fell playing a big shot right after finding the boundary, even though KKR only had Russell and Ramandeep Singh as recognised batters with nearly half the innings left to play.3:07

Does Rohit have a technique issue?

Rickelton comes goodRyan Rickelton was beaten by each of the first four balls he faced. His first four came off an inside edge, first six off a top edge, and all of a sudden, it really did look like T20 cricket was flipping hard. A pitch that was supposed to be a belter – because of the pace and bounce on offer – was being harnessed by the fast bowlers on both sides to telling effect.But with only 117 to chase, Rickelton could bide his time, and when his opportunity came – Harshit Rana trying too hard to pick up wickets and giving away a slower-ball on the half-volley – he nailed a straight drive and never looked back. Rickelton brought up fifty with a six off Narine, and was at the other end when Suryakumar Yadav brought up victory with a six. Rohit Sharma, though, had another failure, falling for 13. The worries around his batting form continue.

Newcastle United’s summer has been a whirlwind of activity.

The Magpies made headlines with the British-record sale of Alexander Isak to Liverpool, a move that reshaped their attacking plans.

While the summer window largely focused on the Swedish international’s acrimonious exit, manager Eddie Howe has successfully strengthened in all areas of the pitch.

Strikers Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa arrived from Stuttgart and Brentford to fill the hole left in attack, and Jacob Ramsey, Malick Thiaw, Aaron Ramsdale, and Anthony Elanga all arrived to provide competition in other areas.

Newcastle were able to prise Ramsey away from Aston Villa in a very similar way to which Elliott Anderson left the club last summer.

In a bid to balance the books, Anderson was allowed to join Nottingham Forest – a move that paid off, as he earned his first England Men’s senior call-up this week, before shining on debut in the World Cup qualifier against Andorra.

These moves underscore a summer of both tactical foresight and financial management, ensuring Newcastle can remain competitive both in Europe and the Premier League.

Why Elliot Anderson was sold

Anderson, a 22-year-old talent from the North-East, had risen through Newcastle’s youth system, establishing himself as a promising attacking midfielder.

Despite his evident potential, he was sold to Forest in 2024 in a £35m deal that saw goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos move the other way for £20m.

Crucially, the transfer was sanctioned to ensure Newcastle remained Premier League Profitability and Sustainability Regulations (PSR) compliant.

Both player and club reportedly had no desire to part ways, but financial regulations and squad depth necessitated the move.

Similar to Ramsey’s arrival this summer, Anderson’s departure reflected Newcastle’s need to carefully manage resources after heavy spending following the club’s takeover.

While Anderson may have remained lower in the pecking order under Howe behind Bruno Guimarães, Sandro Tonali, and Joelinton, his career has flourished at Forest.

Last season, he made 37 league appearances, scoring twice and assisting six, catching the eye of the national selectors with a first England call-up after representing Scotland at youth levels.

His on-field output underscores his growing influence. According to FBref, he ranks in the 88th percentile for assists per 90 (0.19), 77th percentile for shot-creating actions per 90 (3.07), 89th percentile for successful take-ons per 90 (1.18), 88th percentile for tackles per 90 (3.07), and 87th percentile for clearances per 90 (2.40).

The move has also proven financially shrewd for the Midlands club. That being said, Newcastle have their own rising England star…

How Tino Livramento's market value compares to Anderson

While Anderson’s departure dominated headlines, Newcastle have enjoyed the quieter rise of a defensive asset who has arguably outshone him in value and influence.

Tino Livramento, who joined from Southampton in 2023 on an initial £32m deal, has cemented himself as a key figure in the Magpies’ backline.

The 21-year-old Chelsea academy graduate famously contained Mohamed Salah in the Carabao Cup final.

With 66 Premier League appearances for Newcastle under his belt, Livramento has proven both durable and adaptable, earning him a spot, alongside Anderson, in Thomas Tuchel’s squad. The pair both featured in Saturday’s 2-0 victory, with Livramento replacing Reece James late on.

Football analyst Jacob Whitehead has described the Newcastle man as “outstanding,” highlighting the right-back’s intelligence on the ball, defensive awareness, and ability to contribute in the attacking phase.

Livramento’s statistical output reinforces this praise.

Matches Played

37

Progressive Carries

83

Progressive Passes

158

Tackles

54

Blocks

37

Aerials Won

27

He ranks in the 88th percentile for pass completion rate at 86.1%, 87th percentile for progressive passes per 90 (5.26), and 83rd percentile for progressive carries per 90 (0.85).

His consistent performances not only provide a reliable defensive option but also support Newcastle’s attacking structure, showing he is more than just a defender.

Market Movers

The comparison between Anderson and Livramento highlights the strategic depth of Newcastle’s squad planning.

While Anderson has thrived at Forest, Livramento has quietly become one of the club’s most valuable assets, offering both immediate returns and long-term potential.

Indeed, Livramento is now deemed to be worth as much as €56m (£49m), according to Football Transfers, ensuring that is even more valuable than his compatriot, who has a market value of €52m (£45m).

Newcastle’s decision to allow him to grow within the squad ensures they are building a balanced team, blending youth development, strategic sales, and shrewd acquisitions.

In a summer where striker sagas and headline-grabbing moves often dominate coverage, Livramento’s understated rise is a reminder of the value in consistent, intelligent squad building.

Newcastle have managed to both comply with financial regulations and strengthen the squad, leaving the club well-positioned for the Premier League campaign ahead.

It's not Isak: Newcastle have already sold the "nearest" CF to Shearer

Alexander Isak is gone, but have Newcastle previously sold the next Alan Shearer?

ByWill Miller Sep 5, 2025

Purple Cap leaderboardNoor Ahmad, the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) left-arm wristspinner, continues to head the Purple Cap table, adding the wicket of Delhi Capitals (DC) captain Axar Patel to his tally to become the first bowler to get to the ten-wicket mark this season. The 4 for 18 in CSK’s first game, against Mumbai Indians (MI), remains his best so far.Mitchell Starc struck early, in the third over, in DC’s game against CSK, and that wicket has put him back at No. 2 with nine wickets from just three games. The big performance was the 5 for 35 against SRH, his career-best T20 returns.Dropping to third place is MI captain Hardik Pandya, who picked up the second five-for of the season – Starc’s was the first – against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Friday.2:26

Cricinformed: What has made Pooran such a T20 force since 2024?

Orange Cap leaderboard

He scored just 12 against MI, but it was enough for LSG’s Nicholas Pooran to stay on top of the run-scorers’ table, with 201 runs from four innings. The good work was done in the first three games – 75 from 30 balls against Delhi Capitals (DC), 70 from 26 against SRH, and 44 from 30 against Punjab Kings (PBKS).Gujarat Titans (GT) opener Sai Sudharsan is in second position after his 49 off 36 balls against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). In the earlier two games, Sudharsan had scores of 74 and 63.Mitchell Marsh got back to No. 3 after dropping off for a bit, his 60 from 31 balls against MI a top effort that played a big part in scripting LSG’s win. He now has 184 runs from four innings. There was a duck against PBKS, but Marsh scored a half-century every other time he walked out.

The mood around West Ham United at the moment is not a great one.

After finishing last season just five points above the Premier League relegation zone, there was hope from fans that the club would go big this summer.

However, while the likes of El Hadji Malick Diouf, Kyle Walker-Peters and Mads Hermansen are good players, they simply aren’t enough on their own, and as things stand, it does not look like Mateus Fernandes will be making his way to the London Stadium anytime soon.

However, it’s not all doom and gloom, as the Hammers are now being linked with an international ace who could be an upgrade on Fernandes.

West Ham target Fernandes upgrade

With Edson Alvarez now moving to Fenerbahçe on a season-long loan, the Hammers’ need for midfield reinforcements has become all the more pressing.

Transfer Focus

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

It looked like Fernandes would be the player to come in and help rejuvenate the middle of the park, but with Southampton rejecting the club’s first offer and demanding in excess of £50m, the transfer now feels dead in the water.

Fortunately, it now looks like the East Londoners are eyeing a move for another midfield talent, someone who’d be an upgrade on the Portuguese ace.

At least that is according to a recent report from Jacob Steinberg, who has revealed that West Ham are now looking at Quinten Timber.

Steinberg does not mention how much the Feyenoord captain might cost, but reports from earlier this summer claimed that an offer of around £25m could be enough to seal the deal.

While that is still a sizeable sum of money, it may well prove to be good value for the Dutch international, especially as he would be an upgrade on Fernandes.

How Timber compares to Fernandes

The first big advantage to signing Timber over Fernandes is his positional versatility.

While the Southampton star can play in a few midfield positions, the Dutchman is far more versatile and, as well as central, attacking and defensive midfield, has played off the right and left as well as in the defence.

Moreover, the Feyenoord star has far more experience than the former Sporting CP star. As well as captaining the Dutch giants, he has made 105 appearances for them, 33 for Utrecht, and won five senior caps for the Netherlands.

In contrast, the Saints gem has made just 45 appearances for the South Coast side, 35 for Estoril, ten for Sporting and is yet to win a single senior cap.

Moving on to what really matters for the fans, their output, and this is another area in which the former Ajax prospect comes out on top.

For example, in his 26 appearances last season, totalling 2054 minutes, the “extraordinary” midfielder, as dubbed by Mikel Arteta, scored six goals and provided one assist, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 3.71 games, or every 293.42 minutes.

For his efforts, the Olhão-born ace scored three goals and provided six assists in 44 appearances, totalling 3409 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 4.88 games, or every 378.77 minutes.

Finally, if you still need convincing, then taking a look under the hood, at their underlying numbers should do the trick, as the Feyenoord star comes out way ahead for most relevant metrics.

These include things like non-penalty goals plus assists, shot and goal-creating actions, key passes, passes into the final third and penalty area, tackles won and more, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Goals + Assists

0.26

0.16

Progressive Passes

4.39

4.51

Progressive Carries

1.55

2.45

Shots

2.26

1.32

Shots on Target

0.91

0.43

Passing Accuracy

82.8%

80.1%

Key Passes

1.42

1.07

Passes into the Final Third

3.42

3.04

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.03

0.86

Expected Assists

0.12

0.11

Shot-Creating Actions

3.36

2.48

Goal-Creating Actions

0.32

0.21

Tackles Won

1.55

1.47

Blocks

1.03

1.32

Successful Take-Ons

1.68

1.53

Aerial Duels Won

0.58

0.49

In other words, the 24-year-old is a midfielder who is just as comfortable creating and scoring goals as he is breaking up play.

Ultimately, Fernandes looks to be a very talented midfielder, but in every way from the price to his experience and the numbers he puts up, Timber would be the better signing for West Ham.

West Ham now launch first approach to sign Barcelona "genius" in £26m deal

He’s a wanted man…

ByTom Cunningham Aug 20, 2025

Manchester City are in a position of rude financial health, albeit Pep Guardiola has now received a record-breaking offer for one of his prize assets at the Etihad Stadium.

Erling Haaland urges Man City teammates to embrace change

The Premier League is a competition marked by eras and Manchester City are definitely going through a period of transition on that front after losing the likes of Ederson, Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan during the summer window.

New faces such as Omar Marmoush, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Rayan Cherki have entered the fold, and Erling Haaland has urged his new teammates to create their own version of history as the Citizens look to challenge Liverpool and Arsenal among others for the title.

“A lot of important people left so new people have to come in and make a difference and people that have been here for years like me have to take more responsibility.

“I have to guide the team, I have to help the new ones to come in as quick as possible, because it’s not easy to come into a new country and perform straight away. We need to help each other. We need to understand that the past is the past and we’re not the same team anymore. We have to use it in a positive way.”

While academy starlets like Stephen Mfuni may force their way into the Manchester City first-team hoping to follow the example of Rico Lewis, who recently signed a contract extension, responsibility lies on the shoulders of big-money arrivals to adapt after a summer of change.

However, recent developments suggest that alterations to Guardiola’s side may not be done there as his side respond to a surprise offer for one of their key stars.

Man City receive record-breaking Phil Foden offer

According to reports in Spain, Manchester City have received an offer worth over £112 million from Al-Nassr for Phil Foden, who may also be presented with an ‘astronomical’ contract proposal as the Saudi Pro League side look to make a statement.

Fortunately for supporters, Guardiola views the England international as an ‘untouchable’ and key part of his project, making a transfer to the Middle East for the Stockport native something that won’t be entertained by Etihad chiefs.

Related Guardiola now wants Man City to sign "fantastic" £69m star to replace Silva

Pep Guardiola personally wants him to sign…

Posts BySean Markus Clifford Sep 13, 2025

Despite the Citizens’ willingness to retain Foden, he does only have two years left on his current contract, something that will need to be clarified before other clubs begin to test the waters.

Even after a disappointing 2024/25 campaign where he still managed to claim 13 goals and seven assists in 49 appearances, Guardiola’s stance on him is emblematic of what he believes Manchester City should represent, signifying that the homegrown hero won’t be going anywhere for the time being.

Stead resigns as New Zealand white-ball coach and will take some time to consider if he wants to reapply as Test coach, with split roles an option NZC is considering

Alex Malcolm08-Apr-2025Gary Stead has stepped down as New Zealand men’s white-ball coach and will decide in the coming weeks if he wishes to reapply to lead the Test team as New Zealand Cricket (NZC) considers having split head coaches for the men’s program.Stead, 53, has been New Zealand men’s all-format coach since 2018 but his contract is set to expire in June of this year. The NZC issued a release on Tuesday where Stead confirmed he would step away from the white-ball role after leading New Zealand to the 2019 World Cup final, the 2021 T20 World Cup final and the 2024 Champions Trophy final.The news comes after Rob Walter was linked to a role with New Zealand’s team after he resigned as South Africa’s white-ball coach.Related

Stead calls time on seven-year tenure as New Zealand coach

Rob Walter linked to NZ role after quitting as SA coach

Stead will take some time over the coming weeks to decide if he wishes to reapply for the Test coaching role as advertising for the roles will commence over the next week.”I’m looking forward to getting away from touring life for a while and having a think about my future,” Stead said. “My focus has been on finishing the season strongly with a lesser experienced team.”The past six to seven months has been particularly busy with relatively non-stop cricket action since September.”I now want to evaluate my options but still feel I have coaching left in me, albeit not as head coach across all formats.”The next month will give me the opportunity to discuss the situation more with my wife, family and others.”I’ll be in a better position to know whether I want to reapply for the Test coaching position after this time of reflection.”Stead has had great success with New Zealand’s Test team leading them to the 2021 World Test Championship and the recent 3-0 series victory in India last year. He has managed his coaching duties across the three formats in recent years with the likes of his assistant Luke Ronchi taking charge for various white-ball assignments to give Stead a break.New Zealand’s chief high performance officer Bryan Stronach said Stead had earned the right to take his time with his decision and confirmed that the NZC were open to all possibilities as far as the head coaching role moving forward.”Gary’s results have been very impressive over a long period and we’re very comfortable giving him some time to collect his thoughts and mull things over,” Stronach said.”At the moment we haven’t any strong preference for either a split-coaching role or a sole appointment who covers all three formats, and we’re unlikely to be clearer on that until we see who’s putting their name forward.”