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A lot has been said in recent weeks about Liverpool offloading Luis Diaz this summer.

With hindsight on side, Arne Slot and Co would now have kept a tighter grip on their Colombian attacker, with the South American winger already up to 11 goals and six assists donning a new shade of red at Bayern Munich.

Back at Anfield, both Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak remain goalless in Premier League action, on the contrary.

Still, he isn’t the only sale this summer that will be plaguing the stuttering reigning champions with Jarell Quansah now in the good books of England manager Thomas Tuchel, after leaving Merseyside behind for his own German challenge.

Why letting go of Quansah was a mistake

The bumper summer transfer window also saw Trent Alexander-Arnold leave Liverpool behind for a major move to Real Madrid, with the Reds suffering in the right-back department ever since.

At the time of writing, Conor Bradley is the only fit and available natural right-back option for Slot, with the Northern Irishman arguably struggling last time out against Manchester City, as Jeremy Doku stole the show with a masterclass down Bradley’s right flank, with a mammoth seven successful dribbles completed.

To further add to the underperforming outfit’s woes, Jeremie Frimpong has failed to settle in properly with injuries galore. If Liverpool could turn back time, therefore, they would surely look to keep Quansah around for longer to boost their depleted numbers, even if he was largely a bit-part player when still situated in England.

He has seized his chance at Bayer Leverkusen, though, despite making just 55 senior appearances for the Reds over several years, with a calm and collected 90% pass accuracy averaged across eight Bundesliga games to date, on top of two goals being put away in all competitions.

This drastic upward trajectory has even resulted in the aforementioned Tuchel stating that he is a “tiny bit ahead” of Trent in the England senior set-up, with a first Three Lions cap coming his way earlier in the month versus Albania.

It remains to be seen what role Quansah has in the upcoming World Cup, but he isn’t the only former Liverpool starlet shining bright away from their once-boyhood club, with Slot and Co very much dropping the ball, again, when ditching a homegrown version of Ryan Gravenberch for just £15m.

Liverpool lost a homegrown Gravenberch for just £15m

While Liverpool has fallen off the horse multiple times this season, the Dutchman has largely been consistent with his classy displays from the middle of the park.

Indeed, the former Ajax boy wonder turned guaranteed Liverpool starter has even been labelled as “one of the best” in the world in his position by Reds-based writer DAVEOCKOP this season, with four goal contributions next to his name in Premier League action, also coupled with an eagerness to get stuck in, as seen in 4.9 duels being won on average.

In stark contrast, a waning Alexis Mac Allister has no goals to shout about, winning just a weak 2.5 duels per game as Gravenberch has often had to do double the work this season to make up for his below-par teammate.

If only the short on confidence side had Tyler Morton to fall back on in the holding midfield positions to partner their star-man, instead of having to rely on the lethargic number ten.

The former Anfield prodigy is now living up to his billing of being a “complete midfielder” on the books of Lyon – as he was once labelled by Como scout Ben Mattinson – to be viewed in the same light as Gravenberch.

Morton vs Gravenberch – last 365 days

Stat – per 90 mins

Morton

Gravenberch

Attempted passes

57.02

53.84

Pass completion %

82.7%

88.9%

Progressive passes

4.90

5.10

Progressive carries

1.79

1.92

Shot-creating actions

2.33

2.34

Tackles

1.79

1.97

Interceptions

0.70

1.64

Blocks

0.70

0.75

Clearances

1.56

1.52

Stats by FBref

FBref even suggests that the midfield pairing are alike, and the numbers above do not lie, with Morton even surpassing his counterpart over the last year in terms of attempted passes made per 90 minutes, as an assured presence centrally.

He isn’t a million miles off the heavily lauded Gravenberch either when looking at the head-to-head defensive numbers, with the 23-year-old managing to stand out in such a way, even as his Ligue 1 employers loiter in seventh spot in the current league standings, to further ramp up their similarities.

Further hailed as a “beautiful” talent to watch with this sublime assist in November by journalist Bence Bocsak, it must be a sickening pill to swallow on Liverpool’s end that they let a Gravenberch-type asset go for only £15m.

At least with Quansah, they managed to drain Leverkusen of £35m, but in the case of Morton, they sold up way too prematurely and way too cheaply, as the 23-year-old now aims to mature into a consistent Gravenberch-style midfielder in France.

Related Semenyo upgrade: Liverpool prepare £88m bid for "best player in the world"

Liverpool are getting ready to sign an out-and-out winger after selling Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair Nov 18, 2025

Henry and Nathan Smith dismantled Zimbabwe before Conway and Young completed a perfect day for the visitors

Firdose Moonda30-Jul-2025New Zealand 92 for 0 (Conway 51*, Young 41*) trail Zimbabwe 149 (Ervine 39, Henry 6-39, Smith 3-20) by 57 runsMatt Henry’s 6 for 39 scythed through Zimbabwe, who were bowled out for their lowest total in seven innings and second-lowest in 2025, and their lead has already been reduced to just 57 runs by the end of the first day. New Zealand wiped off 92 of the 149 runs in the 26 overs they faced and hold the advantage in all departments. Their batting was solid and bowling was incisive where Zimbabwe’s has not been throughout their last few home Tests.Henry took wickets with the new and old ball, with full and short deliveries, and followed up perfectly from finishing as the leading wicket-taker in the T20I tri-series. He was well supported by Nathan Smith, who picked up 3 for 20 in his third Test. Those figures do justice to bowlers that had the batters completely confounded with subtle changes in line and length.Related

• Zimbabwe Cricket receives US$ 50,000 sponsorship to support domestic teams

• Brendan Taylor's ban ends, added to second Test squad against NZ

• Latham out of first Test against Zimbabwe, Santner to stand in as NZ captain

According to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data, Zimbabwe edged 22 deliveries in total, and had a control percentage of just 68.8%. Only two Zimbabwe batters, Craig Ervine and Tafadzwa Tsiga, got past 30 and both were dropped before they had reached 20. They also shared in Zimbabwe’s best partnership: a sixth-wicket stand of 54. New Zealand have already surpassed that with their opening pair.New Zealand’s threat was apparent from the outset as they found the edge six times in the first three overs, which ended with the opening wicket. Brian Bennett – who inside-edged the first ball of the match, then edged one just out of the reach from short leg and then got four as another edge went between gully and the cordon – stayed back to a slightly fuller ball from Henry and this time, the edge flew to Will Young at third slip. Ben Curran, his opening partner, went the same way but only after Henry had changed angles to go around the wicket in his fourth over.Sean Williams was fortunate not to run out Nick Welch when he got off the mark with a single that chanced Mitchell Santner’s arm, but could not find any fortune against Smith. He tried to steer past third and inside-edged onto his stumps to leave Zimbabwe in a mess at 31 for 3 after the first hour.Nathan Smith took three wickets and offered good support to Matt Henry•Zimbabwe Cricket

Welch and captain Craig Ervine used up deliveries and time but did not get many runs for most of the second hour. It took Ervine 23 balls to get off the mark, and he did it with a push past mid-off off Will O’Rourke.Santner, captaining in place of the injured Tom Latham, brought himself on in the 20th over and the introduction of spin allowed Welch to get comfortable. He swept both Santner and Michael Bracewell, who he also reverse-swept for three boundaries in nine balls to get Zimbabwe over 50. But his fun only lasted until Henry was brought back. Welch edged the second ball of the fast bowler’s second spell to second slip to send Zimbabwe to lunch on 67 for 4.Henry completed his over after the break with the wicket of Sikandar Raza, who tried to take on the short ball but gloved it high for Tom Blundell to take a simple catch. Henry could have had Tsiga in his next over but the edge fell short. Tsiga got his own back when he flicked Henry off his pads for four and then drove Smith down the ground to show his range.Ervine was on 18 when he offered Smith a return catch but it hit him on the boot. Nine overs later, Tsiga could have been O’Rourke’s first of the match when he cut him to gully but Devon Conway put it down. Ervine brought up the 50-run stand with a well-timed punch down the ground for four.The pair looked like taking Zimbabwe to tea without further damage but it was not to be. Ervine was given out lbw when he missed a flick off Smith, though the ball seemed to be sliding down leg. With no DRS in place, he could not review. Tsiga was also out lbw, when he was beaten on the inside edge and hit on the back leg in what seemed a better decision. At tea, Zimbabwe were 138 for 7.Devon Conway and Will Young gave Zimbabwe a solid start•Zimbabwe Cricket

Henry took his fifth with a snorter, short and aimed at Newman Nyamhuri’s head. He ducked and the ball took the shoulder of his bat and was caught, again, by Young. Vincent Masekesa was run out after his partner Blessing Muzarabani did not respond to his call for a single and he had to make his way back to the striker’s end. Muzarabani only lasted into the next over, when he got a leading edge off Henry and was caught by Santner at cover to give Henry his sixth. Zimbabwe were bowled out inside 61 overs.If they gave the impression run-scoring was difficult, New Zealand swiftly dispelled the notion. They raced to 40 without loss in the first ten overs when Young hit a short, wide Muzarabani ball for four and Conway took three boundaries off Tanaka Chivanga’s fourth over: a cut, a drive and a pull.Zimbabwe had their best chance when Nyamhuri, in his second over, appealed for lbw against Young when he hit him on the boot with a yorker but it was given not out.New Zealand brought up their 50 off Nyamhuri when Conway cut him for four in the 14th over. Nyamhuri continued to cause problems for New Zealand and hit Conway on the knee – too high for lbw, but enough to cause some pain. Conway continued and reached his half-century off 83 balls with a single of Raza in the penultimate over of the day. Young is nine runs away from his and with the pitch showing few signs of bother and Zimbabwe already using the spinners, both will eye going bigger on the second day.

Chicago Fire midfielder Brian Gutierrez is a target for Liga MX club Chivas de Guadalajara, sources tell GOAL. The interest follows Gutierrez’s acquisition of a Mexican passport, which could open the door for a potential switch from the U.S. men’s national team to Mexico. Gutierrez is coming off a breakout campaign where he had nine goals and six assists.

• Major League Soccer
  

  Chivas' interest

  Chivas de Guadalajara are expected to make an official approach soon, sources tell GOAL. No formal offer or transfer fee has been discussed, but contact between the clubs is anticipated in the near future.

  The interest comes shortly after Gutierrez obtained his Mexican passport. Chivas traditionally sign only Mexican players, though they have shown more flexibility in recent years – most notably by signing Mexican-American forward Cade Cowell, who has represented the U.S. at senior level.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  International future

  Gutierrez’s new passport could also impact his international career. Sources tell GOAL that the Mexican federation has reached out to gauge his interest in a potential switch to

  While no decision was made ahead of the November international break – the final one of 2025 – Mexico are expected to hold training camps in preparation for the 2026 World Cup, providing further opportunities for players to make a push for a World Cup spot.

  Gutierrez has represented the U.S. at multiple youth levels and earned two senior caps earlier this year after joining the USMNT’s January camp. He was later named to Mauricio Pochettino’s preliminary Gold Cup roster but has not featured for the national team since.

• Homegrown star

  A native of Berwyn, Illinois, he joined the Fire academy in 2015 and signed a Homegrown contract in 2020. Since then, he has made 149 MLS appearances across all competitions and helped Chicago end its playoff drought this season with a trip to the postseason.

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• Major League Soccer
  

  What comes next?

  Chicago’s campaign ended in the MLS Playoffs following a two-game series defeat to top-seeded Philadelphia Union. The Fire had advanced past the Wild Card round with a 3-1 victory over Orlando City – their first postseason win since 2009.

  With the season concluded, attention now turns to Gutierrez’s future amid growing interest from abroad.

If he decides to stay on, will he be getting in the way of the team’s growth?

Nagraj Gollapudi24-May-20251:26

Bangar: If I was Dhoni I would say ‘enough’

It is a question that has been asked of him repeatedly since he retired from international cricket. With that handsome and enigmatic smile, MS Dhoni has always responded, in his own idiosyncratic way: you will have to wait till next season. So, as Chennai Super Kings wind up a forgettable IPL, where they finished last for the first time, the question will once again gather momentum: is time finally up for Dhoni?What if, though, we tweak that query? If Dhoni decides to continue, will he not be getting in the way of CSK’s future growth?No athlete is bigger than the sport they play, but in the case of Dhoni and CSK, the former has acquired godlike status due to what he has achieved for the franchise from the time he was made captain in 2008. He has been central to all their success – five IPL titles, numerous playoffs, and innumerable games where he rescued them from utterly rubbish positions. The franchise has relied on him on the field and off it. No decision is taken without his counsel and his word is final, and that is how it has been virtually throughout Dhoni’s 18-year relationship with CSK, one that is familial more than anything else.Related

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• CSK face a tricky situation with Dhoni the batter

Dhoni has already said that he will review his future based on how his body feels closer to the 2026 season. That has been his parting line after the final match of every season for the last five years. By the time the next IPL rolls around, he will be 44 years old. If fit – as he has largely shown he is again this season – he will conceivably be as sharp as ever behind the wickets. His captaincy skills remain strong. But can Dhoni, the batter, walk into the best CSK XI?Early this season, against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, he came in at No. 9 in a 50-run defeat. In CSK’s next match, another chase, against Rajasthan Royals, he came in at No. 7, when the match was in the balance, but made a stuttering 11-ball 16 in a six-run defeat. Early in May, in another live chase, against RCB again, Dhoni said he took the blame for CSK’s two-run defeat, admitting he failed to step on the accelerator when he came in, in the 17th over, when 42 runs were needed.MS Dhoni: a past master at leaving things till the end•AFP/Getty ImagesAfter the defeat against Royals, CSK head coach Stephen Fleming said Dhoni decided his entry points based on the match situation, but that he could not bat too many overs anymore, following his knee surgery after the 2023 IPL. But with Dhoni’s weakness against spin well known, opposition teams keep at least an over of spin in the bag for when he comes out.In the 2024 IPL, Dhoni consciously came in late to bat, his sole intent being to wallop the ball: among batters who made at least 100 runs in that tournament, Dhoni’s strike rate of 220.54 was the second highest. In 2023, hobbling on a dodgy knee, he lifted first the Player of the final, Ravindra Jadeja, and then his fifth IPL title as CSK captain. In terms of runs scored by Super Kings batters in the last two seasons (2024 and up to May 24 this year), Dhoni is fifth on the list, with 357 runs in 24 innings at an average of over 32, a strike rate of nearly 164, and 25 sixes, which is the second highest for the team. The legend of is built on such stuff.However, to fit Dhoni in the side, Super Kings are forced to play one specialist batter fewer – who could be good against spin, or who could float in the order. So far they have seen that as a fair gamble.There is no doubt Dhoni will have dealt internally, within the CSK management, with the question of when to retire more than once. Perhaps he thinks a major part of his responsibility in this regard is to get the timing right: when he is confident the transition will be smooth. However, transitions rarely are.Despite his cult status, Dhoni has maintained it is not about the individual, it is about what is good for CSK. Ahead of the 2022 mega auction, he said it was important to build a core group that would stay together for the next ten years or so. There has been another mega auction since then, last November, and Dhoni remains part of the core group four seasons on from that 2022 auction.Knee be damned: Dhoni gets a load of his main man, Ravindra Jadeja, after the 2023 final•BCCIDhoni’s Super Kings stuck to their template regardless of how a season ended, and more often than not, it was successful. At the last mega auction, CSK decided again to pick a number of players who were close to the end of their careers, including some who had seemingly plateaued. Most of those players are likely to be released soon. There is increasingly talk about the franchise moving in a new direction, by intending to retain and invest in younger talent. But the longer Dhoni sticks around, the harder it could get for them to do this.Among Dhoni’s strengths as a leader was knowing when to pass the baton. He did that with Virat Kohli in 2014 in Test cricket, then in white-ball cricket in 2017, and he identified Ruturaj Gaikwad for the Super Kings job. One of Dhoni’s other strengths is not extending his stay. If he seems to have stuck around at CSK to the point of overstaying, it is perhaps due to a sense of obligationPerhaps it is not just the sense that he needs to oversee a smooth transition that has stopped him from going. Perhaps it is the emotional bonds he has built with the franchise and CSK fans, which have taken deep root. After a fairy-tale title-winning run in 2021, Super Kings owner N Srinivasan said: “There’s no CSK without Dhoni and no Dhoni without CSK.” Srinivasan is no longer actively involved in the running of the franchise. Does Dhoni think he cannot leave until he thinks Gaikwad is completely secure in his leadership role?There has been no other player who has been indispensable to his franchise the way Dhoni has been. CSK fans probably refuse to think of life after him. But even his most die-hard devotees might probably now admit, in private at least, that the time has come for a new beginning. Or do they still believe in their beloved ?

Everton are keen to bring in some fresh blood during the January window and could now be lining up a multi-layered deal to acquire a former star at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Everton left frustrated after heavy defeat against Newcastle United

Despite holding home advantage, Everton were beaten convincingly by Newcastle United at Goodison Park on Saturday and will feel a sense of frustration at their poor defensive display, a rarity under the stewardship of David Moyes.

After a joyous victory away at Manchester United on Monday, despite having ten men for much of the affair, the Toffees failed to show the same resilience against Eddie Howe’s men and paid the price under the lights at their new stadium.

Speaking post-match, the Scot had no excuses for his side being unable to trouble the Geordies and made it clear that their European experience was a factor that helped shape a difficult night for the hosts.

He said: “We were beaten by a far better team. We go again, you move on but Newcastle were much better than us. You can see the experience they are gaining from playing in European games. They were just much more powerful than us all night.”

Even with a decent start to the Premier League campaign under their belt, Everton are building for January and could target FC Midtjylland forward Franculino Dju to try and arrest Thierno Barry’s goal drought since arriving on Merseyside.

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

The Toffees have spotted a low-cost opportunity.

ByHenry Jackson Nov 22, 2025

Celtic’s Daizen Maeda is also a wanted man and may be attainable, though they could also be willing to strengthen further back on the left-hand side if recent developments were to come to fruition.

Everton could look to re-sign Antonee Robinson

According to Alan Nixon on Patreon, Everton are keen to re-sign Fulham captain Antonee Robinson and believe £25m could be enough to secure his signature in January.

Armed with several formulas to potentially complete a deal, Vitaly Mykolenko has been mentioned as a potential swap option, with the Toffees unlikely to meet the Cottagers’ £40m valuation of the United States international.

Lauded by Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley last season as being “one of the best left-backs in the world”, Robinson has made just four appearances for Fulham this term and has struggled with knee problems, which have seen him miss six Premier League matches in a row as he looks to get back to fitness.

Having come through the youth system at Everton before joining Wigan Athletic and then going on to move to West London, he is acutely aware of the club’s culture and would be a seamless fit, though it remains to be seen if the Blues can push a deal over the line.

Tottenham have been handed a pitiful Dominic Solanke injury update as a new potential timeline emerges for his return to action.

Dominic Solanke's injury woes as Spurs left short up front

Solanke’s second season at Tottenham has descended into a frustrating saga of persistent ankle problems that have restricted the club-record signing to just three substitute appearances spanning a meagre 49 minutes.

The Englishman has not featured since a 12-minute cameo against Man City in August, with a recurring ankle issue that initially disrupted pre-season now transforming into an agonizing absence exceeding four months.

What Thomas Frank initially described as a small ankle issue requiring ‘minor surgery’ in late September has mysteriously evolved into one of the Premier League’s most perplexing injury situations.

Solanke underwent what was deemed a straightforward procedure in October, sparking optimism that his return was fairly imminent.

However, over two months later, the England international appears no closer to rejoining Frank’s depleted squad despite sporadic updates suggesting he was “weeks away” or “making progress” in training.

Thomas Frank confirms injured Tottenham star won't be back for a "long time"

The timeline is unclear.

ByEmilio Galantini 3 days ago

The striker’s prolonged absence triggered UEFA regulations permitting Tottenham to temporarily replace him in their Champions League squad with summer signing Mathys Tel, who was originally left out of their 22-man league phase list.

Frank admitted that he would have selected Tel had he anticipated Solanke’s extended rehab, but supporters are increasingly demanding more clarity in regard to the striker’s actual condition.

Questions revolve around why a supposedly minor procedure has morphed into such a protracted recovery.

The forward himself refused to establish a definitive return timeline during a recent interview, acknowledging his frustration whilst expressing eagerness to work under Frank.

Solanke’s unavailability has placed enormous pressure on PSG loanee Randal Kolo Muani and Richarlison, who spent most of last term out injured himself, while Tel and youngsters come as inexperienced alternatives.

This has led to suggestions that Spurs could sign a new centre-forward in January, with Frank stating last week that Solanke “is not close to rejoining the squad”.

That said, he did downplay fears that the striker would be out long-term in his post-match press conference on Tuesday when responding to questions about why they replaced him with Mathys Tel in their Champions League squad.

Asked if Solanke has suffered a setback, Frank insisted: “No, it was just an opportunity to get Tel in, which is nice to have that opportunity. And we can change back if we want to do that.”

Tottenham handeda pitiful Dominic Solanke injury update

Despite those words from Frank, reliable Lilywhites insider Paul O’Keefe has suggested that the 28-year-old could be out until as far down the line as February, with Spurs handed a pretty grim estimation on his potential return.

This means that Solanke could be in line to miss crucial games against the likes of Liverpool, Sunderland, Aston Villa, West Ham, Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt, Man City and potentially Man United — depending on how far into February it is.

The England international finished 24/25 as Spurs’ second-top scorer with 16 goals across 45 appearances in all competitions, trailing only Brennan Johnson.

Nine of those came in the Premier League, including a brace at home to Aston Villa and a strike away to Man United at Old Trafford.

Crucially, Solanke delivered pivotal moments during Tottenham’s Europa League triumph — including a nerveless penalty in the quarter-final second leg against Eintracht Frankfurt and the opening goal in their semi-final victory over Bodo/Glimt.

His energy, physical presence and ability to lead the line are a sore miss for Frank, with a reliable focal point conspicuously absent this campaign.

The Lilywhites need him back for crucial fixtures both domestically and in Europe past the new year, with Kolo Muani and Richarlison tasked to undertake huge responsibility as things stand, unless Spurs decide to enter the market.

Ryan Mason is certainly feeling the pressure of being an EFL manager on his shoulders right now at West Bromwich Albion.

Three wins from his opening four games in the Championship as the Baggies’ new head coach helped to lift some early tension, but with seven defeats now next to West Brom’s name in the competitive league, he isn’t looking at ease in the Hawthorns hot seat.

It could have been so different for the West Midlands outfit last time out on the road to top-of-the-table Coventry City, though, as a Aune Heggebo brace saw the visitors race into an unlikely 2-0 lead.

Yet, a red card to Jayson Molumby would ultimately aid the free-flowing Sky Blues, as a 3-2 victory was eventually secured.

Mason will hope he can guide his underperforming team out of this sticky patch and that no knee-jerk decisions happen from the powers that be, with lots of contracts set to expire down the line, which he could have a say over.

Contract issues at West Brom

A number of contracts are set to expire at the Hawthorns next summer, with Mason hopeful he will still be manager for the foreseeable future, regardless of his side underperforming as of late in 17th spot in the second tier.

Josh Maja is one notable name that catches the eye when running through those whose contracts are in play until June 2026, with the injury-prone attacker only starting four games this season, having had to now settle for fewer minutes up against the aforementioned Heggebo.

Only one goal has come the £17k-per-week striker’s way from those limited starts, too, next to the Norwegian’s heftier tally of four, with his injury issues another factor to consider as to whether West Brom will hand him an extended deal or not.

Karlan Grant will also be worrying about his future up until the mid-point of next year, with zero goals or assists next to his name this season, while Daryl Dike will surely be sensing that the end of his injury-plagued Baggies career is in sight next year when his deal ceases to be, as the American remains unsurprisingly sidelined still.

He also takes home a whopping £25k-per-week salary, despite his long-standing injury troubles.

However, he isn’t the only high earner that could soon be taken off the Baggies wage bill, as this Hawthorns veteran – who earns more than first team personnel Heggebo and Mikey Johnston – potentially waves goodbye to the Championship club shortly.

The West Brom high earner who could soon be axed

During West Brom’s slump in form, former Celtic winger Johnston has still been a regular scorer of some sweet strikes, such as the one that was hammered home back in October.

Amazingly, though, when looking at West Brom’s wage costs, Jed Wallace comes in as earning more than the standout duo, having also banked £25k-per-week this season, like Dike, as per Capology, even when consistently finding himself out of Mason’s starting XI.

Once upon a time, though, in the West Midlands, Wallace was seen as a constant source of creativity down the flanks, with six goals and eight assists picked up during his debut season at the club seeing his former boss Steve Bruce hail him as a “massive asset” to have around the place.

Unfortunately for the ex-Millwall forward, he isn’t producing those same electric numbers now, though, with only two goals coming his way across his last 40 outings in the demanding Championship.

Heggebo managed to put away that same amount just from the tie at the CBS Arena, yet, the former Brann striker only takes home a £15k-per-week pay packet.

Moreover, Johnston, who terrorised Coventry during the first half with two assists, also falls behind with a £12.5-per-week salary.

Therefore, although Isaac Price has been complimentary of his fellow Baggies midfielder this season by stating that he “leads the dressing room”, and he has had past moments of magic, Wallace could soon be shoved to the exit door when his contract expires this coming June – alongside the likes of Dike and Grant – off the back of his performances continuing to dip.

Forget Price: £3m “lion” is West Brom’s best signing since Corberan left

West Bromwich Albion could now have stumbled upon their best signing since Carlos Corberan left in this £3m battler.

By
Kelan Sarson

Oct 30, 2025

It would be fair to say that this season is going about as well as any Arsenal fan could’ve hoped for back in the summer.

Mikel Arteta’s side are three for three in the Champions League without conceding a goal and currently sit atop the Premier League, seven points ahead of defending champions Liverpool.

However, the North Londoners have to shift their focus from the major competitions ahead of their League Cup clash against Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday night.

The Gunners must do better in the domestic cups this season, but even so, Arteta should look to replace Declan Rice in the lineup with another international star.

Changes Arteta should make to the team

While this isn’t a game Arteta should take lightly, it is nowhere near as important as the league, and therefore, with the squad he has at his disposal, he should be looking to make some changes.

Chalkboard

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

Starting in goal, Kepa Arrizabalaga should be given another start, and to ensure William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães are given a rest, Cristhian Mosquera and Piero Hincapie should start together for the first time.

Likewise, Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber are in need of a rest, and in their place, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ben White should come back into the side.

At the base of midfield, Martin Zubimendi should be replaced by fellow summer signing Christian Nørgaard, and while there is an argument to also rest Eberechi Eze, it might be good for him to stay in the team following his goal on the weekend.

Moreover, by keeping the former Crystal Palace star in the lineup, Arteta can start Ethan Nwaneri on the right in place of Bukayo Saka, who was reportedly unwell against the Eagles, and therefore shouldn’t be anywhere near the team on Wednesday.

Finally, injuries once again leave the manager with few options when it comes to changing the striker and left-wing setup.

For example, while it would be great to hand Viktor Gyokeres a rest, the fact that Gabriel Martinelli is now out means he’s unlikely to get one.

This is because Leandro Trossard will now have to stay out wide instead of starting down the middle.

With all that said, there is one more regular starter who should be replaced: Rice.

The Arsenal star who should replace Rice

Like many of the other stars in the team, Arteta simply must drop Rice to the bench for the game against Brighton on Wednesday for a couple of reasons.

First of all, he just needs a rest as he’s already played 937 minutes of football for Arsenal this season, and he came off with a slight knock on the weekend.

Second, his importance to the side is massive, as on top of everything he does in open play, his deliveries are also one of the main reasons the team have been so utterly incredible at set-pieces.

With that said, who should come in to replace him?

Well, with Norgaad replacing Zubimendi and Eze potentially keeping his place in the team, the most obvious and best option would be Mikel Merino.

The Spanish international might be just a step below the former West Ham United captain, but he remains a top-level midfielder and someone who is capable of impacting the game in all phases of play.

For example, FBref ranks him in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for aerial duels won, the top 2% for non-penalty goals and touches in the opposition’s penalty area, the top 11% for through ball and more, all per 90.

Moreover, he has also transformed into a lean, mean goalscoring machine for club and country this year.

Since the start of 2025, he has scored nine goals and provided three assists for the Gunners.

On top of that, the 6 foot 2 titan has scored eight goals and provided one assist for Spain this year, which is a run of form that has seen his manager, Luis de la Fuente, claim he is “on the same level as Pedri and Rodri.”

Ultimately, Merino has proven himself to be an excellent player in most areas of the pitch, and therefore, he should be the one to come in for Rice against Brighton.

Arteta's £120k-p/w "wild horse" looks like this season's Timber at Arsenal

Just like Timber, the international monster is having an incredible season at Arsenal this year.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Oct 28, 2025

Wayward for most parts, Tongue conjured two beauties in a spell that encapsulates his England career

Matt Roller31-Jul-20251:48

What will be a good score for India?

Josh Tongue could only laugh. He was Pollockesque at The Oval but more Jackson than Shaun, bowling like a man flinging paint at a blank canvas only to discover that he had painted a masterpiece. It is hard to recall a more scattergun performance from an England seamer, but twice in 12 balls, Tongue shocked everyone – not least himself – by hitting the bullseye.His figures – 2 for 47 in 13 overs – entirely masked the story. Left out for the third and fourth Tests, he was utterly wild in his first over of this one, pushing one ball so far outside off stump that it was called wide and spraying two so far down the leg side that they cost five each. He struggled with the landing area, but needed more than sawdust to solve this problem.It was briefly reminiscent of the spell that George Scrimshaw, Tongue’s old Worcestershire team-mate, bowled on England debut against Ireland two years ago, in which his first two overs cost 35 runs and featured six front-foot no-balls. If Tongue kept his foot behind the line then his lack of control was just as alarming, to the point of evoking sympathy.Related

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A change of ends made no impact. After five overs from the Vauxhall End before lunch, and the subsequent rain delay, Tongue charged in from the Pavilion End and sprayed his first ball down the leg side. Then, from nowhere, came his first unplayable ball: angling towards B Sai Sudharsan’s off stump from around the wicket, then nipping away to take the outside edge.Yet, the wicket appeared to have no effect on what followed. His next over to Karun Nair was wayward, and his first two balls to Ravindra Jadeja went for eight runs: the first was flung down the leg side past the blameless Jamie Smith, the second – short and wide outside off, in a seismic overcorrection – was uppercut over the slip cordon for four.Then came the second jaffa, a surprise straight ball after two sprayed either side of the wicket. It was the same line as the ball that dismissed Sai Sudharsan, but around two metres shorter, and took the shoulder of the bat. Jadeja could hardly believe his luck as Smith took another simple catch, and Tongue grinned then burst out laughing as he celebrated with Zak Crawley.Josh Tongue bowled to the left, he bowled to the right, but in between also picked up two wickets•Getty ImagesIt was an extreme encapsulation of Tongue’s England career. A compilation of his 25 Test wickets could give you the impression that he was the world’s best bowler: a swinging yorker to clean up David Warner and bouncing Steven Smith out two summers ago, then knocking back KL Rahul’s middle stump and ripping Jadeja’s glove off in Birmingham.There has been plenty of bad mixed in with the good. At this early stage in his career, he is the only England bowler in history with more than 25 Test wickets coupled with an economy rate above four. But therein lies the Tongue Paradox: his bad balls can make his good ones even better, such is the element of surprise.”It actually makes it very challenging when someone bowls like Josh did today,” Ryan ten Doeschate, India’s assistant coach, said. “He’s a very good bowler and when you don’t know what’s coming down as a batter, and he’s bowled a couple of absolute jaffas in there, and got two big wickets, it does make it tough.”Josh Tongue had an opening day of two halves•Getty ImagesThere were shades of Steve Harmison, with two balls of the version seen in the Caribbean in early 2004 but several more that evoked the start of the 2006-07 Ashes. Stuart Broad, Tongue’s two-time England team-mate, suggested that his issues were the result of a technical issue that had developed during his time out of the side.”When you’ve played the first two Test matches and come out of the side, you might lose your stride pattern, lose your rhythm,” Broad said on . “His great positive is he takes wickets and gets good players out… but he bowled some deliveries today that showed there’s some technical things going on that he needs to be able to fix during a Test match.”Tongue’s efforts were the logical extreme of an England selection policy that sees players picked for what they can do at their best, without worrying about what they are like at their worst. It is an unapologetically optimistic strategy, one that recognises Tongue not as a great bowler, but as a bowler of great balls.It is a ploy that can produce extreme results, but one that recognises a fundamental truth of Test cricket. For all its demands of mental and physical resilience, it is ultimately about moments: creating at least 20 wicket-taking chances is a prerequisite for winning, no matter what comes in between them.

Norwich City have appointed former Rangers boss Philippe Clement as the club’s head coach, and the new boss has revealed a message of ambition from majority shareholder Mark Attanasio.

Clement – sacked by Rangers in February – has signed a contract through to the summer of 2029 and will be joined at Carrow Road by coach Stephan Van Der Heyden.

The Belgian replaces Liam Manning, who left Carrow Road ahead of the international break with the Canaries second bottom of the Sky Bet Championship, having lost all of their home matches so far this season.

Norwich were reported to have spoken to both ex-Wolves boss Gary O’Neil, who had a spell as a player with the Canaries, as well as former Sweden and Blackburn manager Jon Dahl Tomasson, before settling on Clement.

Although the Belgian’s time at Ibrox ended following a disappointing run – with Rangers well adrift of rivals Celtic in the league – Clement did win the 2024 Premier Sports Cup and had previously guided Club Brugge to their domestic title twice before a spell at Monaco.

Clement excited by Norwich ambition

His reign in Glasgow was marred by issues with ownership and recruitment – the Rangers board are still unter intense scrutiny after their failed summer revamp of the playing squad and appointment of Russell Martin – but Clement has revealed he is excited by what Attanasio and Co have in store in Norfolk.

“I’m really excited by this story and opportunity. I’ve known of this club for a long time and, whilst we are not in a good moment at this time, we are excited to work together with the players and staff to turn things around,” Clement said on the Norwich club website, revealing the board’s ambition convinced him to join.

Clement’s first game in charge will be away at Birmingham on Saturday.

Norwich sporting director Ben Knapper added: “Philippe is an incredibly experienced and prominent head coach, with clear values and beliefs that align with ours.

“We now have an incredible amount of work ahead of us to ensure we improve performances and results and we will do everything possible to ensure Philippe has our full backing and support.”