Rangers are closing in on the appointment of a new manager, after face to face talks with Ibrox chiefs on Friday.

The Gers manager search has taken one twist after another with several names being thrown into the hat, from Danny Rohl to Sean Dyche, but none have been more prevalent than Steven Gerrard.

Rangers have already started making transfer plans for their new manager, with Pierce Charles expected to be the first major target in January, while there is also the risk of losing key players.

Indeed, for all the fan excitment for what the likes of Nicolas Raskin could do under a legendary midfielder like Gerrard, it appears he could be off in January even despite the departure of Russell Martin, who had found a way to stall the Belgium star’s career.

Indeed, Besiktas are planning a January approach for Raskin, in what could be one of Rangers’ most expensive sales of all time and Gerrard’s first blow after landing the job.

Gerrard "close to a total agreement" with Rangers

According to Ben Jacobs and Alex Crook, the former Premiership winner is on the verge of returning to Glasgow.

“Understand Rangers are now close to a total agreement with Steven Gerrard to return to Ibrox,” Jacobs posted on Twitter.

“Gerrard held positive face-to-face talks with chairman Andrew Cavanagh and vice-chairman Paraag Marathe in London on Thursday.”

Present at those talks would have also been Gerrard’s Wasserman agency, who represent superstars like Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde, valued at well over £100m by Transfermarkt, and Ballon d’Or candidate Denzel Dumfries.

The former Gers and Aston Villa boss had hinted in a recent interview with Rio Ferdinand that he is ready to return to management: “I’d love another go at some point. I want to change a few things and improve a few things and come back fresh, with a few different people around myself.

“I’d love another couple of challenges doing this and that’s what I’m working on in the background at the moment. A few different ideas, a few different people around me.

“Now I’m enjoying family time and doing a lot of things that I haven’t been able to do. But there’s a part of me that still feels that there’s a bit of unfinished business in terms of wanting to go in and face another couple of exciting challenges.”

Rangers' most expensive sales of all time

Who left Ibrox for the most money?

ByRoss Kilvington Oct 9, 2025

Kevin Thomson believes Gerrard will be taking the job at “a good time” if a deal can be struck for the once England captain to return to Ibrox.

“I do think it’s a good time to take the job,” the former Gers midfielder told Sky Sports. “There’s no doubt they’ve underachieved, they’ve had a couple of difficult moments in Europe as well.

“But they’ve still got a (Premier Sports Cup) semi-final coming up, the Scottish Cup’s still to come. Obviously Hearts have made a wonderful start. Celtic have made an indifferent start, albeit they’re above Rangers, so I think a new manager would think that they’ve got plenty of time.

“Only seven games played domestically, another 30-odd to go, so it’s not as if you’re coming in and it’s already a foregone conclusion that they’re not going to win the league.

“It’ll be a tough ask, no doubt, but I think if you’ve got that belief that you think you can change the squad and get more out of the current players and start to get the team winning, I think it’s an exciting job for anyone.”

أعلن الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم “كاف”، بشكل رسمي اليوم الجمعة، موعد إقامة حفل الإعلان عن جوائز الأفضل في القارة الإفريقية لعام 2025.

وكان “كاف” قد أعلن عن القوائم المختصرة عن اللاعبين والمدربين والمنتخبات وكذلك الأندية المرشحين لحصد جائزة الأفضل في القارة الإفريقية.

وكشف “كاف” عبر حسابه الرسمي على “إكس”، أن موعد حفل الإعلان عن الأفضل في إفريقيا، سيكون يوم الأربعاء 19 نوفمبر 2025.

وأشار الاتحاد الإفريقي لكرة القدم إلي أن الحفل سيقام في مدينة الرباط في المغرب.

طالع | رسميًا | المرشحون لجائزة أفضل لاعب في إفريقيا 2025.. محمد صلاح ومنافسة من الدوري المصري

وينافس على جائزة أفضل لاعب في إفريقيا، محمد صلاح نجم ليفربول الإنجليزي والمنتخب المصري، كما يتواجد إمام عاشور مع إبراهيم عادل من مصر للمنافسة على أفضل لاعب داخل القارة.

وفي جائزة أفضل حارس مرمي في إفريقيا، يتواجد أحمد الشناوي حارس بيراميدز، ونادي بيراميدز ينافس على لقب أفضل نادي وكذلك منتخب مصر مرشح للمنافسة على أفضل منتخب في القارة السمراء، يتواجد حسام حسن أيضًا في المنافسة على جائزة أفضل منتخب.

يذكر، أن الفائز بجائزة أفضل لاعب في إفريقيا العام الماضي 2024، هو اللاعب النيجيري أديمولا لوكمان.

🗓 19 November
📍 Rabat, Morocco

Where Africa’s best take the spotlight. The countdown to #CAFAwards2025 starts now! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/awhNN1Y1sK

— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) November 7, 2025

They needed less than half an hour on the fourth morning to take the last four Bangladesh wickets

Madushka Balasuriya28-Jun-2025

Prabath Jayasuriya picked up his 12th Test match five-wicket haul•Associated Press

Sri Lanka needed just 28 minutes on the fourth morning to pick up the final four Bangladesh wickets, and with it wrap up a win by an innings and 78 runs. It was Sri Lanka’s ninth innings-victory over Bangladesh, which gave them the series 1-0 and also some crucial World Test Championship points.Prabath Jayasuriya did the bulk of the damage – with some handy assists from wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis, who had been off the field the previous day nursing a sore shoulder – picking up figures of 5 for 56, his 12th five-wicket haul in Tests.It took just three deliveries into his first over of the day for Jayasuriya to take Litton Das’ edge on the forward defence, with Kusal holding on to a sharp chance. Then in his next over, he had Nayeem Hasan attempting to drive one tossed up on off, only for it to dip and rip past him. Nayeem, who had slid his back foot out of the crease in the process, was unable to get back before Kusal flicked the bails off.Jayasuriya completed his five-for pouching a return catch to his right, as Taijul Islam got a leading edge looking to work one through midwicket. Tharindu Ratnayake got in on the act then, trapping Ebadot Hossain in front of middle the very next over, as Bangladesh folded 34 balls into the morning session.Related

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It was Jayasuriya’s best against Bangladesh, a welcome return for Sri Lanka’s lead spinner who had gone wicketless in the first innings, and struck just once in Galle.In total, nine wickets fell in the innings to spin, with Tharindu and Dhananjaya de Silva sharing two apiece to go with Jayasuriya’s five. Bangladesh though will no doubt feel this was a game they lost control of in the first innings itself, when a sub-par batting effort – followed by some loose bowling – allowed Sri Lanka to take a commanding grip of proceedings.While the spinners wrapped things up for the hosts, it was Pathum Nissanka that was named Player of the Match for his match-winning 158 off 254 deliveries. Nissanka also clinched the Player of the Series award following his 187 in the first Test.

MatériaMais Notícias

A 30ª rodada da Série B começou nesta quinta-feira (28) e contou com duas vitórias por 1 a 0. Pegando o elevador e ainda sonhando com o acesso, o Mirassol venceu o CRB e ultrapassou o time alagoano na tabela. Já na outra ponta da classificação, o Londrina mostrou que ainda tem forças para sair da zona de rebaixamento ao bater o Sampaio Corrêa.

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MIRASSOL X CRB

Mesmo com 39% de posse de bola, o time paulista cumpriu seu dever de casa e venceu o clube de Maceió. Apesar de ficar pouco com a bola, o Leão da Alta teve mais finalizações, 18 a 7. O gol do Mirassol saiu em uma falta lateral aos 35 minutos do primeiro tempo, quando Guilherme Biro aproveitou cruzamento de Danielzinho para dar a vitória para a equipe paulista. Com o resultado, Mirassol pula para a nona colocação, com 46 pontos, uma posição e um ponto à frente do CRB.

+ Veja a tabela e os próximos jogos da Série B

LONDRINA X SAMPAIO CORRÊA

O desesperado Londrina encarou o Sampaio Corrêa, no Estádio do Café, no Paraná. E depois de sete jogos sem vencer e em penúltimo na tabela, o Tubarão voltou ao caminho das vitórias, o que pode trazer esperança para a torcida. O gol da vitória saiu aos 19 minutos do primeiro tempo, com Paulinho Moccelin. Apesar do triunfo, a situação do Londrina é delicada. O clube está a seis pontos do Avaí, primeiro clube fora da zona de rebaixamento. O time do Maranhão perdeu sua invencibilidade de 10 jogos e segue estagnado na 13ª colocação.

+ Garanta a sua vaga no curso que formou craques como Pet, Dante e Léo Moura! Cupom: LANCE1000

Nesta sexta-feira, mais dois jogos movimentam a Série B. O Sport viaja até Florianópolis para encarar o Avaí, às 19h (Brasília). Na sequência, às 21h30, o líder Vitória recebe a Tombense no Barradão.

Big picture: The break-up of the holy trinity

Seven teams have their names etched on the IPL trophy. One of them doesn’t exist anymore. Two weren’t part of the league when it began.Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Punjab Kings (PBKS) have been IPL ever-presents. They’ve made four finals between them, but neither has won the title.RCB and PBKS have instead come to be grouped with Delhi Capitals (DC), another trophy-less OG franchise, into what social media refers to as the IPL’s Holy Trinity. There’s a certain amount of derision in the nickname, but it’s acquired a softer, warmer feel over the years, with even fans of the three teams using it with a sense of irony and solidarity with their fellow sufferers.On Tuesday night, the trinity won’t be a trinity anymore. One of RCB and PBKS will have finally won the IPL, on their 18th attempt. The other… well, you wouldn’t want to be in that camp.Related

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• Power, stance and backlift: how Iyer took his ball-striking to new heights

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• Nine players, nine plays – heroes of RCB's run to the IPL 2025 final

For a PBKS fan, it would be another pre-season reset – they’ve had too many to keep count of – coming to nothing, and an anticlimactic finish to a campaign full of ingredients that would make for a rollicking sports film: a coach who went out of his way to bring in a captain with a point to prove, the two of them creating a space for a group of uncapped, unheralded local players to grow into starring roles, bringing hope to a team that had till then only known misery.For an RCB fan, it would be a fourth defeat in a fourth final, and all the promise of a new way – a team that finally found the perfect balance between bat and ball, between top-order flash and batting depth, between superstars and support cast – coming to the same old end.It would be, above all, another bitter blow for Virat Kohli, who has put together another season of insatiable run-scoring – a record eighth with 500-plus runs – at the tail-end of a monumental 12 months that have included T20 World Cup and Champions Trophy triumphs on the one hand and a bittersweet Test retirement on the other. Destiny, surely, cannot be planning an 18th trophy-less IPL season for the man with 18 on his back?2:03

De Villiers: I hope Virat lifts the trophy

Two teams, then, are tantalisingly close to finding the fulfillment that has eluded them for 17 years, but one will fall at the last step of the journey. Seldom has an IPL final promised so much joy and so much heartbreak all at once.

In the spotlight: Rajat Patidar and Yuzvendra Chahal

Rajat Patidar‘s winning six in Qualifier 1 against PBKS was a symbolic moment for RCB, because their batting approach through IPL 2025 has mirrored that of the captain who took over at the start of the season. He set the tone early on too, with Player-of-the-Match performances that helped RCB beat Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at Chepauk for the first time in 17 years and Mumbai Indians in Mumbai for the first time in ten years. His returns have tailed off since, though, and his numbers for the season – 286 runs at an average of 23.83 and a strike rate of 142.28 – don’t quite capture his impact. The dip won’t faze him though; he’ll come out playing his shots, and that’s just how RCB might need to bat against a powerhouse PBKS line-up in Ahmedabad, which has been one of the highest-scoring venues this year.Yuzvendra Chahal has won the IPL once, technically, having played one match for MI when they won the title in 2013. He won’t feel like he’s won it, though: he’s been in two previous finals, with RCB and Rajasthan Royals (RR), and lost both of them. On Tuesday he’ll be up against RCB, with whom he played for eight seasons. A hand injury kept him out of PBKS’ defeat to RCB in Qualifier 1, but he made match-winning contributions against his two other old teams either side of that. In Chahal’s last game before the injury break, his middle-overs craft helped slow RR down after a rollicking start to a chase of 220 – PBKS eventually won by 10 runs. Then, on his comeback, he took the big wicket of Suryakumar Yadav in Qualifier 2 against MI. Chahal has already hurt RCB once this season, taking 2 for 11 in a low-scoring, rain-shortened contest in Bengaluru; can he do it again in the biggest match of the season?2:46

Iyer vs Hazlewood the match-up to watch out?

Team news and likely XIIs: Will David play?

The one major injury doubt ahead of the final surrounds Tim David, who missed RCB’s last two games with a hamstring injury. If he’s fit, he is likely to come straight back into their line-up at the expense of Liam Livingstone.Royal Challengers Bengaluru (probable): 1 Phil Salt, 2 Virat Kohli, 3 Mayank Agarwal, 4 Rajat Patidar (capt), 5 Liam Livingstone/Tim David, 6 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 7 Romario Shepherd, 8 Krunal Pandya, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Yash Dayal, 11 Josh Hazlewood, 12 Suyash Sharma.Two days after winning Qualifier 2 against MI at the same ground, PBKS are likely to stick to the same combination. Chahal played against MI and bowled his full quota, but PBKS bowling coach James Hopes revealed after the game that he had been at less than full fitness. If Chahal’s hand doesn’t allow him to play the final, PBKS could either go with just one spinner or bring in Harpreet Brar.Punjab Kings (probable): 1 Priyansh Arya, 2 Prabhsimran Singh, 3 Josh Inglis (wk), 4 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 5 Nehal Wadhera, 6 Shashank Singh, 7 Marcus Stoinis, 8 Azmatullah Omarzai, 9 Vijaykumar Vyshak, 10 Kyle Jamieson, 11 Arshdeep Singh, 12 Yuzvendra Chahal/Harpreet Brar.

The big question

1:39

Is Arshdeep’s form a concern for PBKS?

Pitch and conditions: Final has a reserve day

The Narendra Modi Stadium has been the highest-scoring of the regular venues this IPL, with the teams batting first passing 200 seven times in eight innings – they scored 196 in the other innings – and going on past 220 four times. The team batting first has won six of the eight matches, but the team winning the toss has tended to chase – possibly because of the difficulty of assessing totals in high-scoring conditions – doing so seven times in eight games.PBKS have played twice here this season and won both times. They played their first match of the season here and scored 243 for 5 in a tone-setting performance, and returned for Qualifier 2, where they shrugged off a dispiriting defeat to RCB in Qualifier 1 by chasing down a target of 204 with an over to spare against MI.RCB come into the contest having beaten PBKS twice in three meetings, but they will be disadvantaged by not having played in Ahmedabad yet this season.The pitch for the final will be a mixed-soil (red and black) surface in the middle of the square – this is where PBKS opened their season with a win over Gujarat Titans (GT).A two-hour spell of unseasonal rain delayed the start of Qualifier 2. There is a chance of rain again on the day of the final, but a low one according to forecasts. A reserve day is in place should the final not be completed on Tuesday.2:43

Cricinformed – Hazlewood, the all-phase tormentor

Key stats and tactical pointers: The Hazlewood threat

Josh Hazlewood (21 wickets) needs to take a five-for to wrest the Purple Cap away from Prasidh Krishna. While that may not happen, Hazlewood could yet play a key role in shaping the final. He’s already taken six wickets in three games against PBKS this season, and dismissed Josh Inglis and Shreyas Iyer twice each. His T20 record against Iyer is phenomenal: 11 runs conceded in 22 balls, and four wickets.Suyash Sharma has had a marked preference for bowling to right-hand batters (average of 31.57, economy rate of 7.80) over left-hand batters (193.00, 9.81) during IPL 2025, and the contrast is even more exaggerated against PBKS (five wickets at 7.40 and an economy rate of 5.84 against RHBs; no wickets and an economy rate of 7.09 against LHBs). It’s no coincidence that Nehal Wadhera, the only left-hand batter in PBKS’ middle order, hit Suyash for 21 in 12 balls during PBKS’ only victory over RCB this season. He fell for low scores in the other two meetings, across which Suyash took a combined 5 for 43 in seven overs.While Kohli has freed up his general approach to T20 batting, he still shows a tendency to slow down in the middle overs – particularly the period immediately after the powerplay. Of the 28 batters to have faced at least 50 balls in overs 7-10 in IPL 2025, Kohli’s strike rate of 109.61 is the third-lowest, just above those of Ajinkya Rahane (102.97) and KL Rahul (107.31). If Kohli survives the powerplay, his partners at the crease during the early middle overs, and PBKS’ choice of bowlers in that period, could be crucial to the flow of the game.Patidar can destroy spin on his day, but he goes into the final with fairly quiet records against Harpreet Brar (18 balls, 21 runs, one dismissal) and Yuzvendra Chahal (27 balls, 40 runs, two dismissals).2:02

Aaron: Kohli-Salt ‘the backbone of RCB batting’

Quotes

“I think till now I have no idea about Tim David. Doctors are there, and we will get to know this evening.”
“All I can say is that I went back to my room and slept. And then I came here. So I have got no news about him.”

The tour kicks off their quest to qualify for the Women’s ODI World Cup for the first time in their history

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jun-2025Zimbabwe will begin their quest to qualify for the Women’s ODI World Cup for the first time in their history when they tour New Zealand for a white-ball series in February-March 2026.The three ODIs on the tour, scheduled for March 5, 8 and 11 in Dunedin, will be Zimbabwe’s debut in the ICC Women’s Championship, the primary pathway for World Cup qualification. Zimbabwe’s inclusion has expanded the Women’s Championship from 10 to 11 teams. The 2025-29 cycle, the fourth edition of the competition, will determine qualification for the 2029 World Cup.During the 2025-29 cycle, Zimbabwe are scheduled to play four three-match ODI series at home – against South Africa, West Indies, Sri Lanka and Ireland – and four overseas – in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, apart from the one in New Zealand.Related

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This will be the first time Zimbabwe face New Zealand in Women’s ODIs. Zimbabwe have played ODIs against six teams so far, of whom three – Bangladesh, Ireland and Pakistan – are Full Members.Before the three ODIs, Zimbabwe will also face New Zealand in three T20Is on February 25, February 27 and March 1 in Hamilton. These matches will also be Zimbabwe’s first against New Zealand in Women’s T20Is.”It is a proud and exciting moment for us as Zimbabwe Women prepare to compete at the highest level of the global game,” Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) managing director Givemore Makoni said. “This is not only a testament to how far our women’s cricket has come, but also a strong endorsement of our vision and investment in developing the women’s game.”With Zimbabwe’s inclusion, the Women’s Championship features 11 of the 12 Full Members of the ICC, with one notable exception in Afghanistan – whose fledgling women’s cricket program was cut short when the Taliban took control of the country’s administration in August 2021.

Could it be understandable that Newcastle United have lost some of their fluency and sharpness after a summer of such steep upheaval?

Understandable, sure, but it’s Eddie Howe’s job to find a solution and restore United to a level of competency that will see them challenge for silverware and qualify for European competition once again.

Eight matches into the Premier League season, the Magpies languish in 14th place, though it’s early days yet, and we need only flick back to the previous season of this gripping Toon show to note that Newcastle found form across the wintry months and set themselves up for their trophy-winning success.

While losing Alexander Isak to Liverpool was a bitter pill to swallow, Nick Woltemade has started his Tyneside career in fine fettle indeed, bagging five goals across his first eight matches in all competitions.

The German striker stands beneath a high ceiling, but not all of his attacking peers have caught the eye thus far, with Anthony Elanga yet to hit his stride following his big-money arrival this summer.

Elanga's start to life at Newcastle

Newcastle have work to do this season, and Elanga is a representation of that. Having joined St. James’ Park from Nottingham Forest for £55m this summer, the 23-year-old arrived with a weight of expectation.

The Manchester United academy graduate made a name for himself at the City Ground, merging his blistering pace with a natural ease on the ball and creativity.

He has yet to register a goal contribution for Newcastle, but Elanga ranks among the top 11% of positional peers across Europe for assists per 90, as per FBref, which emphasises the calibre of player yet untapped under Howe’s wing.

Matches (starts)

38 (31)

8 (4)

Goals

6

0

Assists

11

0

Touches*

32.0

24.4

Shots (on target)*

1.2 (0.6)

0.4 (0.1)

Pass completion

78%

77%

Key passes*

1.3

0.6

Dribbles*

0.7

0.3

Recoveries*

2.3

0.9

Tackles + interceptions*

0.7

0.3

Duels won*

3.0

1.9

The data pool is shallow, no doubt about that. And there is plenty of time for the Sweden international to click into gear and start performing at the top of his game this term, but there’s no question that improvements are needed.

Howe has been admirable in his defence of the summer recruit, but he will tacitly harbour frustrations over his start to life in Newcastle, and will be working tirelessly toward unlocking latent qualities that have not yet surfaced.

A bedding-in period is understandable, and it’s worth remembering. Elanga could quite easily be scapegoated for the club’s current struggles, but there’s another, more senior member of Howe’s team whose displays this term have left much to be desired.

New technical director Ross Wilson will be keeping a close eye on the winger, in any case, with a preliminary list of wide forwards no doubt considered ahead of the next year of transfer markets.

And, unlike Elanga, time might be running out for this mainstay.

Newcastle must upgrade on Howe favourite

Newcastle have had a strong spine throughout the span of Howe’s tenure, but that has started to flake away this year. Isak has gone, and now, Joelinton may well have entered the final stretch of his career in England’s north east.

A lack of creativity has been the bane of Newcastle’s season so far, and while more is expected from Elanga, Joelinton has struggled to perform in his central midfield berth, and the time may be approaching for the Brazilian to close the door on this journey, with United blogger Thomas Hammond even suggesting it’s the “start of the end” for the 29-year-old, who has been “honking” for some time.

Newcastle World branded Joelinton with a 4/10 match rating after the defeat on the south coast against Brighton, hooked at half-time after a weak display, with Sofascore recording that he failed to create a chance or even attempt a dribble, also ceding possession and allowing Georginio Rutter through on goal.

He might be one of Newcastle’s most recognisable stars, a staple of the Howe era, but all good things come to an end, and there’s a sense that an upgrade could be struck in the centre of the park.

1

Bruno Guimaraes

164

2

Fabian Schar

160

3

Dan Burn

159

4

Jacob Murphy

145

5

Joelinton

139

As Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali’s central partnership continues to blossom, so does Joelinton’s importance under the St. James’ Park lights diminish.

His six Premier League starts this year have left much to be desired, and there’s no question that a more overtly creative midfielder could be a welcome addition in the coming months, nestling into the frontal point of the engine room, buttressed and supplied by the elegant deeper midfielders.

With Jacob Ramsey returning to full fitness, it would not be a huge surprise to see the 6 foot 3 powerhouse start from the bench on more than a few occasions across the coming months. FBref show that he ranks only among the top 48% of midfielders for shot-creating actions and the top 67% for progressive passes per 90.

Joelinton’s incredible resurgence in the Premier League will see him remembered as a hero for many years to come at Newcastle. The Carabao Cup champion and Champions League competitor has embodied the spirit of Howe’s reign.

But Newcastle are evolving, and his usage may well have dried up as we enter this new era. Elanga has time to turn things around, but Joelinton’s best days likely lie behind him.

Howe can make Woltemade even better by unleashing Newcastle's "unsung hero"

Eddie Howe could now be tempted to unleash this Newcastle United unsung hero.

1 ByKelan Sarson Oct 21, 2025

Chelsea have now opened talks to sign a “powerful” new forward who’s scored 15 goals this season, joining the likes of Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain in the race for his signature.

Blues open talks to sign new forward amid resurgent form

After a slow start to the campaign, there were a few questions asked about Enzo Maresca’s position as manager, but the Italian’s side have since returned to form, winning their last three matches on the spin in all competitions.

Most recently, the Blues picked up a 3-0 victory on the road against Nottingham Forest, which cost Ange Postecoglou his job, and Pedro Neto put in a very impressive display, chipping in with a goal and an assist, while also completing three dribbles.

Alejandro Garnacho’s performance, on the other hand, wasn’t quite as eye-catching, with the 21-year-old still yet to get off the mark in front of goal since arriving from Manchester United, and Jamie Gittens hasn’t exactly hit the ground running either.

The former Borussia Dortmund man is without a goal or an assist in his opening eight games this season, with the Englishman’s form likely to be a concern for Maresca.

That’s the risk clubs take when they decide to sign up-and-coming talents, rather than ready-made top players, and it is certainly a questionable approach from the west Londoners, who have the capabilities to attract some of the best wingers in the world.

However, according to a report from TEAMtalk, Chelsea have joined the race for a new youngster, having opened agent talks over a deal for Vasco da Gama starlet Rayan Vitor, who certainly isn’t short of potential suitors.

Barcelona, PSG, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal are also named as interested parties, with the 19-year-old emerging as one of the best young talents to come out of Brazil in recent times, but a deal would be relatively expensive.

The teenager has a £35m release clause in his contract, although the Blues may be able to hash out a deal for closer to the £26m – £29m mark.

Chelsea now in pole position to sign £80m "key target" ahead of PSG and Liverpool

The Blues are looking to complete a statement deal.

BySean Markus Clifford Oct 18, 2025 "Powerful" Vitor could be a future star

Jamie Carragher has previously made it clear exactly what he thinks of Chelsea’s recruitment policy, saying: “The club hides behind a prolonged transitional period that keeps being extended, focusing on signing the same type of young players in every transfer window.”

In truth, the young Brazilian would probably fall into that category, but that’s not to say he wouldn’t be a long-term success at Stamford Bridge, having shown signs he could go on to become a future star.

The Vasco da Gama star has 15 goals to his name in 2025, and he has received plaudits from scout Ben Mattinson.

That said, having signed Garnacho, Gittens and Estevao in recent times, it would be a questionable decision to bring in yet another young winger, and signing a centre-back should be a priority, given that Maresca is light on options at the back.

If Arsenal are going to achieve what they want to achieve this season, their success is seemingly going to be built on a foundation of 2-0 wins.

Mikel Arteta’s team have enjoyed back-to-back victories by that scoreline this week, beating Olympiacos in the Champions League on Wednesday, before downing West Ham on Saturday, with Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka the scorers.

The Hammers did not muster a single shot on target, ending the afternoon with a miserly xG of just 0.49, while the Gunners have now conceded just three goals in ten matches across all competitions; Dominik Szoboszlai, Erling Braut Håland and Nick Woltemade the only men to find the target against them to date.

Thus, Arteta’s team remain watertight at the back, but will be hoping for a little bit more at the other end of the pitch, so will their new centre-forward click into gear, and did they actually sell a home-grown version who has been starring in Europe since departing?

Viktor Gyökeres' mixed start to life at Arsenal

Fair to say, after arriving from Sporting Clube de Portugal for around £62m, Viktor Gyökeres did so with sky-high expectations.

Despite Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus’ array of qualities, Arsenal have not had a truly reliable goalscorer since the departure of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in January 2022, and Gyökeres’ tally of 97 goals in 102 games for Sporting speaks for itself.

Last month, at the Ballon d’Or ceremony, the Swedish international was awarded the Gerd Müller Trophy, given to the highest-scoring striker in European football, but he doesn’t quite look like a world beater just yet in red and white.

His statistics below underline his mixed start to life in North London.

As the table documents, in nine appearances, Gyökeres does have three goals to his name, but it could be more.

Viktor Gyökeres’ Arsenal statistics
Statistics	Gyökeres
Appearances	9
Minutes	733
Goals	3
Assists	Zero
Shots	18
Shots on target	7
Big chances missed	7
Expected goals	3.94
Chances created	6
Big chances created	Zero
Expected assists	0.5
Touches per 90	27.15
% of touches in box	26%
Average SofaScore rating	6.57
Stats via Squawka and SofaScore

His expected goals figure is almost four, while he has so far missed seven Opta-defined big chances across the Premier League and Champions League.

The numbers also show that the striker is offering almost nothing from a creation point of view, mustering just 27 touches per 90, of which more than a quarter come in the opposition’s penalty area.

Patience is required; Gyökeres is taking time to adapt to his new teammates, who are likewise still adapting to him.

However, did the Gunners sell their own home-grown Gyökeres for just £4m, a player who has been absolutely on fire since leaving?

Arsenal's home-grown Viktor Gyökeres

Back in 2021, Arsenal poached an 18-year-old by the name of Mika Biereth from Fulham, an event that would’ve passed most Gooners by, considering he never made a single first-team appearance for the club.

However, he was prolific in Premier League 2, scoring 11 times in 21 games, subsequently loaned out to RKC Waalwijk and then Motherwell, certainly catching the eye during his very brief spell at Fir Park, bagging six goals in 14 Premiership outings for the Steelmen.

His loan in North Lanarkshire was abruptly cut short, allowing him to move to Sturm Graz, first on loan and then permanently for £4m, really making his name in Austria.

Biereth scored 23 times in just 47 appearances for die Schwoazn, averaging a goal every 156 minutes, helping them win a domestic double, as well as bagging three goals in four outings in the Conference League, before netting against Girona and Lille in the Champions League too. As the forward self-proclaimed in one interview, “like Haaland, all I really care about is scoring goals”. He’s like Gyokeres in that regard too.

Thus, back in January, Monaco moved quickly to sign the now 22-year-old for a reported fee of €15m (around £13m).

This quickly looked like a very shrewd investment because, in Ligue 1 last season, Biereth scored 13 times in just 16 appearances, including bagging hat-tricks against Auxerre, Nantes and Reims, firing les Monégasques to a third-place finish.

As a result of this form, Football Transfers estimate that the Danish international’s current market value is now around £23m, representing a 464% increase on what Arsenal sold him for.

The Gunners did pocket around £1m via a sell-on clause when the striker swapped Sturm Graz for the Principality, but could have earned so much more had they given Biereth a chance.

Admittedly, he has only scored once so far this season, on target during a 5-2 victory over Metz at Stade Louis II last month, so only time will tell if he was just a one-season wonder, or if this is a brief blip.

Nevertheless, given that Gyökeres is yet to be firing on all cylinders, perhaps Biereth would have been a more effective option to spearhead this Arsenal attack.

Not Saka or Rice: 8/10 monster is now looking like Arsenal's best player

Arsenal’s title bid continued with a routine win over West Ham United on Saturday afternoon

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By
Robbie Walls

Oct 4, 2025

Everton are among a host of clubs to have sent scouts to watch a specific team in action in the Champions League, with a “world-class” player named as a potential target.

Everton lining up new strikers for January

The Blues have been a little goal-shy in the Premier League so far this season, with Beto struggling to be a consistent source of end product, so a new striker could be needed in 2026.

Ivan Toney has been linked with a move to Everton in the January transfer window, with the 29-year-old potentially seeing it as a good way of forcing himself into England’s World Cup squad, rather than being more unseen in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ahli.

It has been claimed that the former Brentford man would prefer to move to the Blues than join West Ham, acting as a boost, and he is also keen on working with David Moyes, which can only be a good thing for the Merseysiders.

It remains to be seen if a move for Toney comes to fruition in January, but if not, another striker needs to come in next summer, and a world-renowned attacking player has now been mentioned as an option.

Everton spotted watching "world-class" star

According to a new update from Sabah [via Sport Witness], Everton had scouts present for Galatasaray’s Champions League clash with Bodo/Glimt in midweek, with striker Victor Osimhen among the players being watched by the Blues, scoring twice on the night.

It is claimed that Napoli, Roma, Wolves and VfB Stuttgart also had representatives there, with Baris Alper Yilmaz and Yunus Akgun the other players mentioned as possible targets.

While it isn’t concrete that Everton’s scouts were there specifically to keep an eye on Osimhen, his brace would have forced them to take notice, and the idea of him in a Blues shirt is a mouthwatering prospect, given his status as one of the most devastating strikers in the world on his day.

The Nigerian has been a goal machine wherever he has been in recent years, most notably scoring 76 goals in 133 appearances for Napoli and helping them win the Serie A title, and now netting 42 times in just 49 outings for Galatasaray.

At 26 years of age, he is still at a great point in his career, with journalist Buchi Laba calling him “world-class” and Mario Lemina also heaping praise on his teammate.

Related Everton now serious about signing £22m-a-year star who wants to work with Moyes

The Toffees could land a major upgrade on Beto.

Posts ByTom Cunningham Oct 23, 2025

Osimhen would be an even more exciting signing than Jack Grealish for Everton, having the ability to take the Blues up a level single-handedly, but whether they can lure him to England remains to be seen.