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Wayne Rooney has compared Harry Kane’s “incredible evolution” into England’s GOAT with the development that Cristiano Ronaldo once enjoyed at Manchester United. Kane is already his country’s all-time leading goalscorer and appears set to smash records on the appearance front as well. If he could win an international trophy, then it would be difficult to argue against him being the greatest.

England's GOAT: Will Kane pass Moore, Charlton & Beckham?

At 32 years of age, the former Tottenham striker is showing no sign of slowing down. Remarkable numbers are being posted at Bayern Munich, with the target being found there on 108 occasions through 113 appearances. He has also broken his trophy duck by becoming a Bundesliga title winner.

On the international stage, Kane remains the talismanic captain of England. He is rarely rested, with few alternative No.9 options breathing down his neck, and has helped the Three Lions secure qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

He has reached 78 goals for his nation and boasts 112 caps. Kane needs to reach 126 in order to pass legendary former goalkeeper Peter Shilton. Another shot at major glory will be taken in next summer – having suffered defeat in back-to-back European Championship finals – with the plan being to emulate Bobby Moore when it comes to claiming the most prestigious of prizes.

AdvertisementGettyRooney explains why Kane is England's greatest

Explaining why Kane will pass Moore, Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan, Bryan Robson, Paul Gascoigne, David Beckham, Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer on the GOAT front, ex-England captain Rooney told : “Just the goals he has scored and his performances. He will go on and get the caps record as well, you would imagine – the caps he is on.

“I just think how he has evolved as a player is incredible. He reminds me of Cristiano when we were at United and he was younger. Sometimes he’s at a mad angle and he’s shooting and you’re like ‘what are you doing shooting?’ You might say ‘pass it’ but it doesn’t bother him, he’ll try it again and keep going – right and left foot. I think he’s, for me, the best England player. The numbers he is getting are incredible.”

Kane or Shearer? Carragher sees only one winner

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher agreed with that assessment, suggesting that Kane still does not get the recognition that his stunning exploits deserve. The former England defender said: “I absolutely love him. I think he is a little bit underrated. There was always that thing about trophies.

“Shearer was always the centre-forward of the Premier League when it started – for six or seven years, Shearer was the guy and he was England’s guy, most goals in the Premier League. I think if you asked most people up and down the country: Shearer of Kane? I think the majority would go with Shearer.

“I’ve always been Kane. Shearer was amazing but I don’t know what you can say against Kane. He has gone to Bayern Munich and he is like Ronaldo and Messi level. He’s going to get more goals and caps than Lineker, Shearer, Jimmy Greaves, Rooney. What hasn’t the lad done? What can you throw at him?”

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GettyWorld Cup win: Kane looking to lead England to glory

One-time England striker Jermain Defoe, who also graced the books at Spurs, has previously told GOAL when asked if Kane will go down as England’s greatest: “I think if he wins something, you have to put him in the conversation. Of course there have been others that are iconic figures and legends in terms of caps – Beckham, Ashley Cole, all the great players. But to be England’s leading goalscorer, that’s a special achievement. If you go on to win a major tournament and have the most caps, of course you have to put him in the conversation.”

Kane has spoken of his admiration for Rooney, with inspiration being taken from the Manchester United great and fellow frontman that he took England’s all-time goal record from. Rooney was unable to win anything during the Three Lions’ so-called ‘Golden Generation’, but Kane has an opportunity to grab himself a gold medal before hanging up his boots.

Liverpool look more and more unlikely by the game that they will retain the Premier League title.

Of course, collecting the top-flight trophy two seasons on the trot is a difficult feat even when you’re all guns blazing.

But, it’s definitely made more tricky when you assess how quickly the wheels are falling off Arne Slot’s title defence right now.

The Reds are already up to five defeats in league action this season, with newly promoted Sunderland only on two losses, in stark contrast.

Slot was also significantly backed in the summer, with the summer transfer business at Anfield no doubt catching the eye, when you consider a jaw-dropping £415m was splashed out by the Merseyside giants.

The likes of Alexander Isak and Milos Kerkez have really struggled to get going, having cost a substantial £165m alone to get through the door.

But, there is one high-profile name that is in very real danger of becoming Slot’s own Naby Keita. Yes, things really do look that bad at the moment.

The numbers behind Keita's Liverpool disaster

When Keita arrived at Anfield in 2018, there was a lot of fanfare surrounding his high-profile signing.

After all, Jurgen Klopp boldly announcde that the Guinean was the “best player in the league” in the Bundesliga when leaving behind RB Leipzig for a shot in England for a whopping a whopping £48m.

In Klopp’s defence, Keita had collected 16 goals and assists combined across all competitions for Leipzig during his swansong campaign and the former Reds number 8 did score some beautifully taken goals during his stint on Merseyside, as can be seen watching the entertaining highlight reel above.

But, with all the hype that had surrounded the capture at the time, it would have been Keita’s constant in-and-out presence in the treatment room that would have irritated Liverpool fans the most, with a staggering 122 games missed through injury for club and country across his five seasons in England.

In the end, he was let go at the expiry of his contract with Werder Bremen, with just 11 goals and seven assists to shout about.

Slot will pray he doesn’t have another Keita-like situation unfolding right now as Liverpool struggle for consistency, with another mega-money signing at risk of fading into the background.

Liverpool's Naby Keita repeat

The failed signing of Keita still stands as Liverpool’s eighth most expensive signing of all time.

Thankfully, above the hot-and-cold 30-year-old’s name in the rankings are the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai, Alisson, and Virgil Van Dijk, who are all figures Slot knows he can rely on.

Unfortunately, the same is yet to be applied to Florian Wirtz, who comes in as the Reds’ second most expensive capture at an astronomical £115m fee.

The German’s arrival from Bayer Leverkusen met with the same Keita-level hysteria, having been dubbed a “generational” talent by sports media professional Christian Nyari just last season.

With 57 goals and 65 assists under his belt for Leverkusen, it can be rationalised as to why Liverpool blew such a large chunk of their budget on Wirtz instantly coming good.

Indeed, Reds journalist Bence Boscak pleaded in the summer that Slot and Co needed to land his signature “whatever” the price may be.

Games played

16

Minutes played

1119 mins

Goals scored

0

Assists

3

Yet, much like they found out with Keita, blistering form in the Bundesliga doesn’t necessarily mean they will instantly hit the ground running on English shores, with Wirtz still yet to collect a single goal or assist in Premier League action.

Wirtz was particularly ineffective last time out as Liverpool were reminded of how far they’ve fallen in such a short space of time against Manchester City, with an unmemorable 39 touches of the ball seeing the German fail to amass one single key pass.

It’s even clearer from the graphic above how much the number 7 has been “struggling” – as journalist Mark Ogden has noted – in his new surroundings, with both his take-on success percentage rate and duels being won per ninety minutes success rate taking a significant hit.

Analyst Darnish Iqbal has even branded the deal as a “disaster”, with it not being a stretch to state that it is Liverpool’s biggest disappointment in the transfer window since Keita joined way back in 2018. Perhaps the Reds should avoid the Bundesliga for now?

Wirtz, hopefully, won’t fall victim to Keita’s same fate in leaving for cheap though, with glimmers of his quality here and there – as seen in the playmaker amassing five key passes against Real Madrid – meaning Liverpool will hold onto him for the time being, praying he hits his Leverkusen heights on a consistent basis down the line.

Not Wirtz or Isak: Liverpool's "nervous wreck" at risk of becoming Nunez 2.0

Liverpool have fallen by the wayside under Arne Slot’s leadership this season.

ByAngus Sinclair Nov 12, 2025

A seam-friendly pitch in Bengaluru backfired on India last year, but injuries to West Indies’ frontline quicks may contribute to a substantial covering of grass on the Ahmedabad surface

Karthik Krishnaswamy and Nagraj Gollapudi30-Sep-20252:10

Chopra: ‘I hope India don’t prepare rank turners’ against West Indies

India could play the first Test of their two-match series against West Indies on one of the greenest home pitches of recent seasons. Two days out from the first Test in Ahmedabad, the pitch had a lush, even covering of grass, and while some of it may get trimmed by the time the match begins, ESPNcricinfo understands 4-5mm could still remain.The primary reason for this grass cover is the composition of the soil. The square at the Narendra Modi Stadium has both red- and black-soil pitches. The pitch for this Test match is a red-soil strip. Red-soil pitches tend to offer excellent bounce and carry when held together by grass. Without this binding, however, they have the tendency to crumble rapidly into dustbowls – the pitch India played New Zealand on in Mumbai last year, where spinners took 34 of the 38 wickets that fell to bowlers, is the most recent example of this phenomenon.Another reason for the pitch looking as green as it did on Tuesday is the rainy weather Ahmedabad has experienced in the last few days, with the pitch under covers through most of Sunday and Monday. It was mostly clear on Tuesday, though, allowing both West Indies and India to train without interruption. There is rain forecast on day one of the Test, but the weather is expected to clear thereafter.Related

• From invincibles to uncertain: India begin home season with everything to prove yet again

• Gill: India won't be 'looking for any easy options' against West Indies

• Agarkar: We don't want a repeat of New Zealand Test series

• FAQ: All you need to know about the India vs West Indies Test series

• The weight of the maroon cap: West Indies face test of identity in India

In recent years, India have tended to play their home Tests on square turners in the pursuit of World Test Championship (WTC) points, with wins (12 points) worth three times as much as draws (four points). But these sharply turning pitches run the risk of narrowing the gap between India’s spin attack – which has been the best in the world for over a decade – and that of the visiting team. This was one of the factors that contributed to New Zealand’s unexpected and unprecedented 3-0 whitewash of India in India last year.India are looking to avoid any repeat of this, against a West Indies team that won a Test match against Pakistan on a square turner in Multan in January.No choice is without trade-offs, though, and seaming conditions weaponise both teams’ pace attacks. Last year’s series against New Zealand began in seam-friendly conditions in Bengaluru, where India were bowled out for 46 after choosing to bat first – their then captain Rohit Sharma later suggested he may have misread the conditions.If West Indies had their original squad to choose from, they could have picked the potent pace trio of Jayden Seales, Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph and gone toe-to-toe with India. They have, however, lost both Josephs to injury in the lead-up to the first Test. This leaves them with substantially depleted pace resources, with Seales and the allrounder Justin Greaves joined by Anderson Phillip – who has a bowling average of 72.50 after three Tests – and the uncapped pair of Johann Layne and Jediah Blades.India were bowled out for 46 in the first innings of the first Test against New Zealand in Bengaluru last year•BCCIThe weakening of West Indies’ seam attack may well contribute to more grass being left on the surface than it otherwise may have been. India will also be looking to put the visitors’ batting under pressure: West Indies were bowled out for 27 by Australia’s four-man seam attack in their most recent Test match, a day-night game in Jamaica.Apart from Bengaluru last year, the last time India played a home Test in genuinely seaming conditions was in Kolkata in 2017, when fast bowlers took 32 of the 35 wickets that fell during a tense, rain-affected draw against Sri Lanka. That pitch was partly the outcome of weather, and partly India’s wish to have their fast bowlers play on helpful pitches in the lead-up to a tour of South Africa in early 2018.Motera has a surprisingly rich history of pace-dominated Test matches. In the very first Test at the venue, in 1983, the quicks took 34 out of 38 bowlers’ wickets (including a nine-wicket haul for Kapil Dev in the third innings) as West Indies beat India by 138 runs. Wisden’s description of the conditions makes for interesting reading: “a lot of grass had been left on the hurriedly prepared pitch in the vain hope of holding it together”. Vain hope, indeed, because it quickly disintegrated into a surface offering deadly uneven bounce.9:01

Chopra: At home against West Indies ‘should be a relatively easier series for India in this WTC’

In 1996, Javagal Srinath took a match-winning fourth-innings six-for against South Africa on another uneven pitch, though this was a dry, underprepared surface equally conducive to spin.South Africa were the visitors once more in 2008, and this time the conditions worked in their favour. As Wisden put it: “A hot summer in Ahmedabad meant that grass had to be left on the pitch to bind the surface; the curator, former Test cricketer Dhiraj Parsana, insisted he could not remove it without taking the top off. He held his ground, and India won a toss they might have been better off losing. They chose to bat.”Dale Steyn, Makhaya Ntini and Morne Morkel ran through India, who were bowled out for 76 in just 20 overs. South Africa went on to win by an innings.Another Motera Test, another green or greenish surface. What kind of storyline will it bring us this time?

With the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo duopoly now disappearing into the rearview mirror, the battle for the Ballon d'Or hasn't felt so open for the best part of 20 years, with countless players beginning the campaign believing they have a chance of claiming the most prestigious individual prize football has to offer. Ousmane Dembele emerged from a career plagued with inconsistencies to win the Golden Ball in 2025, and he is among a crowded field of contenders as the 2026 race gets going.

Dembele largely secured the award off the back of his performances in helping Paris Saint-Germain win their first European Cup, and the Champions League is yet again likely to have a big say on the Ballon d'Or battle this time around. However, it's also a World Cup year, so there is a chance that the eventual winner doesn't emerge until the summer in North America.

Don't forget, too, that there is the Africa Cup of Nations running from late December and into January, meaning there could be some players who don't only shine for their clubs but also impress at major tournaments over the course of the campaign.

The Ballon d'Or race is a marathon not a sprint, and it's worth bearing in mind that Dembele didn't emerge as a potential victor until midway through the 2024-25 campaign. However, with the European season fully up and running, so too are GOAL's Power Rankings, as we track the likeliest winners of the Golden Ball over the coming weeks and months:

• AFP
  

  10Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain) ↔️

  Widely regarded as the best right-back in the world, Hakimi placed sixth in the 2025 Ballon d'Or voting after a season in which he contributed as much to the PSG attack as he did to ensure they remained solid at the back. One of the leaders within Luis Enrique's squad, the Moroccan's performances will again have a large bearing on the French champions' fortunes at home and on the continent.

  Hakimi had made a decent start to the season before suffering an ankle injury in late October, and what places him so high in our rankings is the potential for him to shine on the international stage. Morocco reached the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup and have the strongest squad among the African qualifiers for 2026, meaning another deep run isn't beyond the realms of possibility. Before that, the Atlas Lions are the favourites to triumph on home soil at AFCON, with Hakimi – the newly-crowned African Footballer of the Year – set to be the face of the tournament if can prove his fitness ahead of kick-off.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  9Estevao (Chelsea) 🆕

  This might feel a little 'pie in the sky', but there is definitely a logic behind Estevao emerging as a Ballon d'Or contender over the course of the campaign. The teenager has quickly become a fan favourite at Stamford Bridge following a series of eye-catching performances, and he announced himself to the European audience with his superb strike in Chelsea's Champions League win over Barcelona.

  There is a world where Estevao becomes the Blues' main attacking outlet by the end of the season, while the evidence of the past few international breaks suggests that it will be he rather than Vinicius Jr that Brazil will be looking to for inspiration as they aim to win a sixth World Cup during the summer. That might be a lot to ask of an 18-year-old, but Estevao has shown so far that he is up to the task.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  8Luis Diaz (Bayern Munich) 🆕

  Liverpool fans might be forgiven for wondering whether their season might not be in such turmoil had Luis Diaz not been sold over the summer. The versatile forward played an important role in the Reds' title triumph of 2024-25, but his desire for a new challenge led to the Anfield outfit accepting a €75 million (£65.5m/$88m) bid from Bayern Munich for the Colombia international.

  Diaz hasn't looked back since, having struck up a fine understanding with Harry Kane and the rest of his Bayern team-mates. Some of his strikes in the Bundesliga have been stunning, while his double to beat PSG in the Champions League was the kind of match-winning display that catches Ballon d'Or voters' eyes, even if his subsequent red card means he won't be seen again in the competition until January at the earliest.

  Factor in Diaz will be playing at his first World Cup this summer, and he has all the makings of a Golden Ball contender.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  7Michael Olise (Bayern Munich) 🆕

  Anyone who predicted that Michael Olise would struggle to make the step up from Crystal Palace to Bayern Munich has been sorely mistaken, with the wideman having strung together a year or so of fantastic performances for the Bundesliga champions. Equally capable of scoring as he is creating goals for others, the 23-year-old has grown into one of the most fearsome forward players in the German top flight while also making his mark on the Champions League.

  Olise's club performances have also helped him lock down a starting spot despite intense competition for places in the France line-up. As such, he could be one of the stars of the upcoming World Cup for one of the favourites to lift the trophy.

Questions for India’s selectors to ponder, as they sit down this weekend to pick the squads for the England ODIs and the Champions Trophy

Nagraj Gollapudi17-Jan-2025
Will Bumrah play the Champions Trophy?
There has been no update on Jasprit Bumrah’s fitness ever since he did not come out to bowl, reportedly because of back spasms, on the final day of the Sydney Test. There has also been no word on whether Bumrah has visited the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, where the BCCI’s medical wing is located. So the intrigue continues about what injury, if any, Bumrah suffered during the Sydney Test, which forced him off the ground to have scans after lunch on the second day.Related

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India play their first match in the Champions Trophy on February 20, against Bangladesh in Dubai, followed by Pakistan on February 23 and New Zealand on March 2. The semi-finals are on March 4 and 5 followed by the final on March 9. The key question for the selectors is, if the injury is not serious, how long does Bumrah need to rest before he’s match-ready? Of course if the injury is of real concern, then the selectors will play it safe and not consider Bumrah for selection. It is likely that Bumrah will be named in the 15 with an asterisk against his name, with the idea to allow him the chance to play at least one of the three ODIs against England to test his fitness levels.Is Shami ready for ODIs?
Last week Mohammed Shami was named in India’s squad for the five-match T20I series against England, which starts on January 22. It ends a testing and stressful wait stretching nearly 14 months for Shami, whose last international was the ODI World Cup final on November 19, 2023. Shami was the highest wicket-taker in that tournament and one of the key match-winners in India’s run to the final. Soon after, he underwent an ankle surgery and his ankle healed, but his return was repeatedly delayed by fluid building up and causing swelling his right knee.Shami was recently declared fit by the NCA and played three matches in the domestic 50-overs tournament, the Vijay Hazare Trophy, representing Bengal. Shami bowled a total of 26 overs across those games, including his full quota of 10 in the pre-quarterfinals. Before that, Shami also played nine matches in the domestic T20 competition, the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. So it seems Shami is set to make his ODI return against England, and he can use the series to sharpen up his match fitness before the Champions Trophy. He will be needed to spearhead the attack if Bumrah is not good to go.Kuldeep Yadav has not played since having a hernia surgery around October last year•ICC/Getty ImagesIs Kuldeep ready to return?
Along with Bumrah and Shami, Kuldeep Yadav played a key role in India going through to the 2023 World Cup final undefeated in the league phase. In the home Test series against England in early 2024, Kuldeep impressed once again, becoming the fastest Indian to 50 Test wickets. It seemed like he was moving towards taking over the lead-spinner’s role in the format. However, his progress has been stalled by a hernia surgery; he has not played any competitive cricket since the first Test against New Zealand in October. Eyebrows have been raised about the timing of that surgery – about why it was not done soon after the T20 World Cup but so close to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. It is understood Kuldeep’s rehab is going smooth at the NCA, but there is no clarity on whether he will be fit to play the England ODIs, which he will need as a platform to establish match-fitness ahead of the Champions Trophy.Does Jaiswal find a spot?
Yashasvi Jaiswal was international cricket’s second-highest run-maker across formats in 2024: in 37 innings (23 matches), Jaiswal scored 1771 runs at an average of 52.08. Jaiswal scored 161 in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, an innings that helped craft India’s only win in the series. Bold and clever in his strokeplay, Jaiswal has put new-ball bowlers under pressure across the longest and shortest formats, but he is still to debut in ODIs. With the hugely successful alliance of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill at the top – they are among the leading opening pairs in ODIs – do India need another opener in the 15 for the Champions Trophy? Given the opening slots belong to specialists, Jaiswal, who became the youngest man to hit a double-century in List A cricket in 2019, could still be seen as a back-up option.Does KL Rahul trump Rishabh Pant on form?•Getty ImagesWho are the two wicketkeepers?
Based on current form and impact at the 2023 World Cup, KL Rahul should be the primary keeper at the Champions Trophy. With the bat, too, Rahul played a significant role in the middle-order in the World Cup, especially on pitches where spinners dominated, using his skills to manoeuvre the ball into gaps. Among the other contenders are Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson and Dhruv Jurel, who is yet to debut in the format.Pant was India’s regular wicketkeeper from the 2019 World Cup up until he was sidelined by his car accident in December 2022. His protracted absence created the opportunity for Rahul. While Pant kept wicket in one game in the previous ODI series India played – in Sri Lanka last August – Rahul once again was the primary choice. The one point in Pant’s favour is he is a left-hand batter, which is an option the selectors and head coach Gautam Gambhir could be interested in.Seam or spin-bowling allrounder?
Among the squads so far announced for the Champions Trophy, several teams have stacked their sides with allrounders. India, too, are likely to be tempted to take that approach with the objective of creating batting depth. You’d expect two if not all three of Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel to feature in the squad. In addition, there are several other options who can contribute a few overs with the ball while floating in the batting order: Nitish Kumar Reddy (yet to debut in ODIs), Riyan Parag, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube. Reddy and Tilak are part of the T20I series against England but Parag is still in rehab having undergone a shoulder surgery last year. One caveat is this latter group of players’ body of work is small, so the selectors could be wary of blooding them at an ICC event.

Everton are reportedly exploring a move to sign James Ward-Prowse, who has been frozen out at West Ham United ever since the arrival of Nuno Espirito Santo.

The Toffees are making a habit of offering transfer lifelines, having welcomed Jack Grealish on loan from Manchester City in the summer and since been linked with Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee.

Their decision to sign Grealish on loan in the summer has so far gone as well as they could have wished. The Premier League winner has been back to his very best form for the most part and is likely to play a crucial part in the outcome of Everton’s season.

Full of praise for his summer arrival, Everton boss David Moyes recently told talkSPORT: “Jack’s been really good. He’s helped us maintain the ball more, we’re up on numbers in terms of possession.

“His goals have been huge, I’m sort of driving home to him that it’s good being an assist maker but it’s even better being a goalscorer. He’s given us a real strength in how he plays.

“He and Iliman Ndiaye have played really, really well and probably changed the way we are, we wanted to evolve and become better and both those players give us that opportunity.

Everton hatch striker plan as Moyes moves for star with 18 goals this season

The Toffees’ strikers have struggled to convert and they now have a clinical star in their sights.

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Nov 9, 2025

“He’s an incredible character, loves his football, watches and listens, which a lot of the modern players don’t so much, but Jack loves his football and Tuchel’s got a really difficult job [picking the squad].”

With Zirkzee already linked with a similar move from Man United and now Ward-Prowse emerging as a target, 2026 could be all about the revival of impressive players in Merseyside.

Everton now exploring Ward-Prowse move

As reported by TeamTalk’s Dean Jones, Everton are now exploring a move to sign Ward-Prowse in January. The midfielder has been given the cold shoulder by Nuno ever since the manager arrived at West Ham and is now almost “certain” to move on from the London club.

A reunion with Moyes could, therefore, be on the cards. Ward-Prowse played 51 games under the Scot during their time together at West Ham, scoring seven goals and assisting another 11 in an impressive run. Now frozen out in London, his former manager could hand him a much-needed lifeline.

It’s easy to forget the quality that the former Southampton star can offer these days, but it’s worth remembering that Ward-Prowse is only one free-kick goal away from equalling David Beckham’s Premier League record of 18 direct goals. That’s the unique quality that he could offer Everton, who would suddenly take their set-pieces to a whole new level.

Moyes knows all about Ward-Prowse’s specialty, having been full of praise for the midfielder at West Ham – telling reporters in 2023: “We could have scored four or five from corner kicks.

“We’ve been a decent side from set pieces, maybe without the word “specialist”, but I think we’ve got a specialist now in Ward-Prowse. He’s contributing to us and our results at the moment.”

Joshua Zirkzee now a priority target for Everton as Arsenal refuse Gabriel Jesus sale

Manchester United have now submitted a £24m opening bid for a “powerful” midfielder, who has been compared to Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton.

Man Utd stepping up new midfielder pursuit

Man United could smash their transfer record to get a new midfielder through the door, having set out to bolster their options in the engine room in 2026, and Wharton has been identified as one of their top targets, even though the Eagles are set to hold out for over £100m.

The Red Devils are confident they’ll be able to sign the Englishman, and it is little wonder they are so keen, given the level of some of his performances so far this season.

However, given that the move would be on the expensive side, it remains to be seen whether a deal will be possible, and some cheaper alternative targets have now been identified.

According to a report from Sport Time (via Sport Witness), Man United have now submitted an opening offer of €28m (£24m) for Olympiacos’ Christos Mouzakitis, who has started to attract interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Real Madrid have also made a slightly higher bid, but the Greek club aren’t in a rush to sanction a departure, and they are hoping to receive €40m (£35m) for the midfielder’s services in the January transfer window.

Olympiacos aren’t even willing to listen to proposals of less than €30m (£26m), so if a January deal is going to transpire, Ruben Amorim’s side will have to increase their offer.

"Powerful" Mouzakitis could be low-cost Wharton alternative

The advantage of signing Wharton is that he is already proven in the Premier League, but over £100m is a huge amount to pay for any player, and the Olympiacos star could be an interesting alternative option.

In fact, the 18-year-old has been directly compared to the Crystal Palace star by scout Ben Mattinson, who said: “Mouzakitis is a highly technical #8. As a profile if I was to compare him to someone, I’d say Adam Wharton and Granit Xhaka.”

“He’s that type of left footed #8 who’s tenacious off the ball, incredibly crisp passing through the lines, powerful ball striker, good weight of pass…”

Man Utd submit £26m offer for former Premier League striker

United have tabled a bid for a new centre-forward, who has been in impressive form this season.

ByDominic Lund Dec 3, 2025

The starlet, who has made five Champions League appearances this season, also has a keen eye for creating chances, averaging 0.47 assists per 90 over the past year, which places him in the 99th percentile compared to other midfielders.

As such, the seven-time Greek international could be an exciting long-term addition to Amorim’s squad, but Man United should also bring in a midfielder who has more experience at the top level, with Mouzakitis yet to prove himself in one of Europe’s major leagues.

Everton have now been told that they’ll have to pay a record price to sign an attacking reinforcement, who’s also in the sights of German giants Bayern Munich.

Everton plotting attacking additions

Whilst Thierno Barry certainly did his job against Manchester United, his run for a first Everton goal only continued. The fact that the Toffees were down to 10 men didn’t help his chase for that vital goal, but questions about continuing to arrive as to whether David Moyes should look to January for key reinforcements in the striker’s position.

Ahead of the winter window, several names have already been linked with a move to the Hill Dickinson Stadium, including Troy Parrott. The Republic of Ireland striker has been in sensational form for club and country this season and grabbed Everton’s attention by scoring five goals in two games to help Ireland into the World Cup playoffs earlier this month.

The former Tottenham Hotspur youngster would be an excellent addition, but so would Celtic’s Daizen Maeda. The Japan international reportedly wants to leave the Scottish club and could do so for as little as £15m in January – allowing Everton to land a bargain deal.

At his best, Maeda scored 33 goals in all competitions for Celtic last season, before struggling to replicate that in an inconsistent side in the current campaign.

So, Everton certainly have options if they do want to add competition to Barry and Beto this winter. So much so that they may not even need to turn towards Parrott or Maeda. Instead, they could sign Franculino Dju from Midtjylland.

Everton told to pay record fee to sign Franculino Dju

According to Danish outlet Tipsbladet, as relayed by Sport Witness, Everton have been told to pay €35m (£31m) to sign Franculino in January, which would break Midtjylland’s transfer record.

Everton line up January move for England international who Alan Shearer called "world class"

The Toffees have spotted a low-cost opportunity.

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Joined by Bayern Munich and Manchester United in pursuit of the forward, it remains to be seen whether the Toffees are willing to pay such a price to secure his signature after sending scouts to watch him recently.

The Friedkin Group certainly weren’t afraid of splashing the cash in the summer, having made Tyler Dibling their second most-expensive ever signing at £42m and spent £27m on Barry’s arrival.

Dubbed “unstoppable” by scout Jacek Kulig earlier this month, Franculino is well worth the chase for Everton. The 21-year-old has recently taken his total to 19 games in 28 games for the season and that clinical form makes him someone to watch ahead of January.

Everton ready to replace £120,000-a-week star with key January signing

A new update has emerged regarding Manchester City’s pursuit of Real Madrid’s Champions League-winning attacking midfielder Arda Guler, with Pep Guardiola’s stance made clear.

The Turk is arguably one of the most talented and exciting young attackers in Europe currently, gradually becoming more of a key man for La Liga giants Madrid.

Guler has started 10 league games so far this season, scoring three goals and bagging five assists, while Madrid legend Toni Kroos has lauded him, also discussing comparisons between the pair.

“But I don’t believe in comparisons. Arda is also a different type of player than me. His best position is much more attacking than mine, so it’s not about me succeeding him at all. But I’m generally pleased because he’s a good lad. I’ve played alongside him.

“He has a really delicate touch, which he’s already used very effectively for Real this season. That’s why I hope he continues to get consistent playing time, because that’s the only way to improve. Then I’m sure he can make his mark at Real for many years to come.”

At 20 years of age, Guler has an enormous amount of potential, and while Madrid are no doubt hesitant to allow him to leave, it looks as though he remains on City’s radar.

Guardiola wants Man City offer for Guler increased

According to a report from Spain, Manchester City are readying an offer of £88m for Guler, but that won’t be accepted by Madrid, who will demand more for his signature.

Guardiola has asked ‘whether it’s feasible to increase the offer’, though, no doubt considering him a player who he values greatly, as he looks to snap up some of the biggest young talents in the game.

The idea of Guler in a City shirt is a mouthwatering prospect, with the Turkey star someone who could fit perfectly into Guardiola’s style of play, with his technical ability right up there with the best in Europe.

Like Phil Foden, he possesses an effortless class with his left foot, being capable of drifting in off the right flank or adopting a No.10 role, while Madrid manager Xabi Alonso has lauded him.

“With his quality, he’s a mix between Ozil and Guti. Guti had that vision and finesse to link play or operate closer to goal, and with Mesut I enjoyed football so much. Arda has that something special – that natural talent you can’t teach.”

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For now, it looks as though Madrid are going to be stubborn in allowing Guler to leave the club, but City and Guardiola should continue to pursue him as a top target, given his world-class long-term potential.

Man City leading race for Rodrygo with Real Madrid future now in major doubt

Pakistan brought in Hussain Talat and Faheem Ashraf for Hasan Nawaz and Khushdil Shah

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Sep-2025Toss India captain Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and chose to field in the Asia Cup Super Fours match against Pakistan keeping in mind the dew in Dubai. He said there was a lot of dew around when India trained on the eve of the match.India went back to their first-choice XI, bringing back Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy. Out went Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh, who played against Oman once India had ensured their qualification for the Super Fours stage. As expected, Axar Patel was fit for the match after he went off the field with a blow to the head during the game against Oman.Pakistan, who had chosen to bat first in historically bowl-first conditions in their group game against India last Sunday, were looking to correct themselves had they won the toss, but didn’t get the opportunity to make that choice. Pakistan made two changes themselves, bringing in Hussain Talat and Faheem Ashraf for Hasan Nawaz and Khushdil Shah. That meant Haris Rauf stayed in the XI. Both Talat and Ashraf are seam-bowling allrounders.The captains didn’t shake hands with each other or match referee Andy Pycroft at the toss.Pakistan: 1 Sahibzada Farhan, 2 Saim Ayub, 3 Fakhar Zaman, 4 Salman Agha (capt), 5 Mohammad Haris (wk), 6 Hussain Talat, 7 Faheem Ashraf, 8 Mohammad Nawaz, 9 Shaheen Shah Afridi, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Abrar Ahmed.India: 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Tilak Varma, 5 Sanju Samson (wk), 6 Shivam Dube, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Axar Patel, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Varun Chakravarthy.