It has not been easy for Everton to find a suitable replacement for Anthony Gordon. The former Toffees star was once the jewel in the crown on the Blue side of Merseyside, but after forcing through a move to Newcastle United in January 2023 for £45m, he burnt the bridges he’d built.

However, Gordon’s time at Goodison Park was a fruitful one, where he showed great promise before his move to the North East. He scored seven times and assisted eight in 78 appearances for his boyhood club, after properly breaking into the first team in 2019/20.

It took the Toffees a while to find a marquee replacement on the left wing, but in Jack Grealish, they may have landed on the perfect player.

Grealish’s stunning start at Everton

After falling out of favour at Manchester City in the last 12 months or so, it was time for Grealish to depart the club for pastures anew. His start to life at the Hill Dickinson Stadium has been simply exceptional.

The England international has only made four appearances in that famous Blue shirt, but you can already see the sort of impact he will have on the club. He’s assisted four goals already, with two each in Premier League games against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brighton and Hove Albion.

Grealish played a huge part in the first competitive goal at the Toffees’ new stadium, when he set up Iliman Ndiaye to score against the Seagulls. It was a smart piece of skill from the new Everton number 18, who managed to create space for himself and whip in a pinpoint cross.

The reaction to Grealish’s start as an Everton player has been nothing but positive. Manager David Moyes said the forward is “he’s better than I thought he was”, highlighting the real impact Grealish has made already.

It is fair to say that the England international is finally proving to be the perfect replacement for Gordon after over two years. Yet, the Toffees may have sold someone long before, who is playing like both forwards.

Alex Iwobi is now shining away from Everton

So, with Gordon now plying his trade up in the North East, and Grealish enjoying his new lease of life on Merseyside, it seems like that issue is in the past. Yet, Toffees fans may look back on a player who could have slotted into their attack and wish they’d kept him.

Described as a “world-class” operator with the ball at his feet by Statman Dave, Alex Iwobi, once of Everton, is now thriving in West London for Fulham. The versatile attacker has shone under Marco Silva, just as he once did in that famous Blue shirt.

In total, the Nigerian international played 140 times for Everton, operating on both wings and as a number ten. He contributed to nine goals and 17 assists, with his final campaign on Merseyside yielding ten Premier League goal involvements.

Since his £22m move to Craven Cottage in 2023, the versatile attacker has played 81 times for the club. In that time, he’s bagged 15 goals and assisted nine, and produced an impressive 15 goals and assists last season.

The former Arsenal academy star was putting up similar numbers to Grealish and Gordon in 2024/25, while operating in that left channel, with the latter duo noted to be statistically similar players to him in the Premier League, as per FBref.

For example, Iwobi averaged 6.44 progressive passes each game. In comparison, Grealish averaged 6.5 progressive passes and Gordon far less, with just 3.63 per 90 minutes. There are several other standout numbers, too.

Goals and assists

0.45

0.25

0.41

Progressive passes

6.44

6.5

3.63

Goal-creating actions

0.48

0.25

0.44

Carries into final third

3.17

2.88

3.3

Ball recoveries

4.23

3.25

3.59

Last term’s efforts were certainly impressive from Iwobi, who has seemingly gone from strength to strength after his move back to London. It seems like, with those stats, the former Arsenal academy star could have been a key player under Moyes.

Although life at the Hill Dickinson Stadium is good for the moment, perhaps Toffees fans wish they had never lost a talent like Iwobi, who could have been a vital part of the side.

Silva sold "world-class" Everton star, now he's worth more than Grealish

Everton must rue letting this top star go, who is now worth more than new Toffees ace Jack Grealish.

ByKelan Sarson Sep 2, 2025

Barcelona’s decision to recall Diego Kochen, bringing him in as backup to Wojciech Szczęsny after No. 2 Joan García’s injury, prompted U.S. Soccer to make a late change to its FIFA U20 World Cup roster. The Blaugrana are also without Marc-André ter Stegen, who is dealing with a long-term injury. Brøndby’s Gavin Beavers has been called in as his replacement.

Missing major international opportunity

The 19-year-old Kochen, who has been developing with Barcelona's youth system since 2018, had initially been released by the Spanish giants to participate in the prestigious youth tournament. However, with the Catalan club facing an injury crisis at goalkeeper, it had no choice but the bring in its No. 3 keeper.

This represents a setback for Kochen, who would have been the presumed starter for the American side after establishing himself as one of the top goalkeeper prospects in the U.S. youth system.

AdvertisementFIFA regulations permit replacement

The switch was made possible through FIFA's tournament regulations, which specifically allow for player replacements when clubs withdraw previously granted releases. U.S. Soccer confirmed that while Kochen had initially received clearance to participate, FIFA approved the emergency roster change after Barcelona's recall decision.

Beavers recently made his first league appearance for Brøndby after previously playing for Real Salt Lake. The 20-year-old has made 40 league appearances between USL, MLS NEXT Pro, MLS and the Superliga. 

Updated U.S. roster

GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Gavin Beavers, 12-Adam Beaudry, 21-Duran Ferree

DEFENDERS (7): 2-Reed Baker-Whiting, 18-Luca Bombino, 5-Noah Cobb, 16-Ethan Kohler, 3-Nolan Norris, 17-Francis Westfield, 4-Joshua Wynder

MIDFIELDERS (6): 19-Matthew Corcoran, 8-Benjamin Cremaschi, 14-Taha Habroune, 6-Brooklyn Raines, 15-Pedro Soma, 10-Niko Tsakiris

FORWARDS (5): 11-Luke Brennan, 7-Cole Campbell, 20-Zavier Gozo, 13-Peyton Miller, 9-Marcos Zambrano

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AFPImmediate challenge for adjusted squad

The U.S. open the 2025 U20 World Cup on Monday against New Caledonia, followed by matches against tournament favorites France on Oct. 2 and South Africa on Oct. 5. All three Group E matches will be played at Estadio El Teniente in Rancagua, Chile.

أصدر الاتحاد الإنجليزي لكرة القدم قرارًا ضد الإيطالي إنزو ماريسكا، المدير الفني لفريق تشيلسي بشأن سلوكه في مباراته أمام ليفربول بالدوري الإنجليزي.

وحقق تشيلسي فوزًا قاتلًا على ليفربول في الدقائق الأخيرة بالمباراة التي جمعتهما ضمن منافسات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “بريميرليج”.

واستضاف ملعب “ستامفورد بريدج” مباراة ليفربول وتشيلسي، في قمة منافسات الجولة السابعة من الدوري الإنجليزي، موسم 2025/26.

وشارك محمد صلاح في مباراة ليفربول وتشيلسي بأكملها، ولكنه لم يتمكن من ترك بصمته، وهو ما جعله يتعرض للكثير من الانتقادات، خاصة مع تراجع مستواه ذلك الموسم.

اقرأ أيضًا | سكالوني: لاعب ريال مدريد ليس له مكان أساسي في تشكيل الأرجنتين

وحصل ماريسكا على بطاقة حمراء عقب تسجيل تشيلسي هدف الفوز على ليفربول في الدقيقة 95 عن طريق اللاعب إستيفاو.

وكشف نادي تشيلسي أنه تم إيقاف إنزو ماريسكا لمدة مباراة واحدة بسبب حصوله على البطاقة الحمراء أمام ليفربول مع غرامة مالية تصل قدرها إلى 8000 جنيه إسترليني.

بعد هدف ستيفاو القاتل في مرمى ليفربول، جرى ماريسكا على خط التماس واحتفل بشكل مبالغ فيه وهذا ما رآه الاتحاد الإنجليزي بأنه تصرف غير لائق.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) fast bowler Mayank Yadav is set to miss the first half of IPL 2025. ESPNcricinfo has learned that Mayank is recovering from a lumbar stress injury and has just resumed bowling at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru, where he has been undergoing rehab after getting injured following his India debut in the T20I series against Bangladesh last October.There is no firm date set by the BCCI for Mayank’s return yet, but if he meets all the fitness parameters alongside increasing his bowling workload, he could feature in the latter half of the IPL.Mayank’s unavailability in the first half of the tournament is a setback for LSG, who had retained him for INR 11 crore ($1.31 million approx.) ahead of the mega auction. It was an astronomical leap monetarily for Mayank who had been bought for INR 20 lakh ahead of the 2024 season as an uncapped fast bowler.Mayank commanded such a huge salary primarily because of his ability to bowl at breakneck speeds, crossing 150kph-plus consistently, which earned him back-to-back Player-of-the-Match awards in his first two matches in the IPL. Encouraged by his potential talent, the national selectors added Mayank to the pool of quicks given fast-bowling contracts.Related

• Zaheer wants to get Mayank Yadav to a place where he can 'play longer without breaks'

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Mayank’s time in IPL 2024 was limited to just four matches due to a lingering side strain in the last two matches he played. During rehab, Mayank picked a separate injury which delayed his comeback but he eventually played the Bangladesh T20Is. However, he picked up another injury immediately after which forced him to return to rehab. While the BCCI has not officially shared details on Mayank’s injury, it is understood that Mayank has a stress-related injury in his lower back on the left-hand side.In February, former India fast bowler Zaheer Khan, who has taken over as LSG’s team director, said that the franchise was working closely with the BCCI’s medical team to chart a roadmap for Mayank’s return. However, Zaheer stressed he would only want a totally fit Mayank back in the saddle. “As much as we are keen on having him [play IPL 2025], we want him 150% fit not just 100% fit so we’ll do everything possible to get him there,” he had said.LSG are set to play their first match of the season against Delhi Capitals on March 24 in Visakhapatnam, under new captain Rishabh Pant.

Nottingham Forest cruised to an opening-day win in the Premier League as Keith Andrews’ Brentford were brushed aside with ease.

New Tricky Trees recruit Dan Ndoye got on the scoresheet to the delight of his adoring City Ground masses, on top of Chris Wood asserting his dominance in the forward positions once more by firing home a brace in the 3-1 victory.

Amazingly, Nuno Espirito Santo still has Omari Hutchinson and James McAtee to add to the first team picture, with both new signings not ready to feature against the Bees, after joining Nuno’s ranks in quick succession just before this opening clash.

These two flashy buys don’t signal the end of Forest’s summer business, however, with more new signings looking to be completed before the month is out.

Nottingham Forest in talks to sign £30m star

Europa League football might well be triumphantly on the menu for the Tricky Trees this campaign, but this season will see Forest try to push into those coveted Champions League spaces.

Forest’s ambitious late dealings in the transfer market could make these bold dreams a reality, with Douglas Luiz reportedly close to linking up with McAtee and Co. from Juventus, having once stood out in the Premier League with Aston Villa as an exciting midfield presence.

Rumours are also circulating that Forest are in talks to sign Rico Lewis from Manchester City, with Caught Offside reporting – despite Nuno’s men having a recent £30m approach pushed back – that talks are still ongoing between the two sides over striking up a potential deal.

While McAtee’s name has dominated a lot of the conversation at the City Ground in recent days, adding Lewis could be an even more exciting capture than securing the skilful midfielder’s services, with the 20-year-old arguably more well-versed as to what it takes to be a success at such a daunting level.

Why signing Lewis could be more exciting than McAtee

Of course, a signing in the attacking positions will always catch the eye more than a defensive addition, particularly when it involves the amount of promise McAtee has in his locker.

Indeed, from just 34 appearances at the Etihad, McAtee has left a lasting impact on the City masses watching on, with a vibrant seven goals next to his name. On top of that, he has six goals and three assists in the Premier League alone, boosted by a standout two-season loan stint at Sheffield United.

However, while it’s undeniable that the 22-year-old will likely go on to be a success away from feeding on minimal scraps at Pep Guardiola’s men, Lewis has what it takes to be an instant, shining part of Nuno’s first team over one for the future, considering he has been in and around the Spaniard’s first team plans more regularly over the years.

Amazingly, despite only being 20 years of age, the City number 82 already has 59 Premier League appearances under his belt, meaning he won’t be taken aback by the bright lights of the City Ground if he were to shortly relocate to Nottingham.

He isn’t just an honourary member of the youth team that has been shoved into the senior scene for the sake of it, however, with an impressive return of three goals and three assists also coming his way, which included him linking up with Erling Haaland just this weekend to get City up and running in their 4-0 demolition job of Wolverhampton Wanderers.

With Nuno already possessing Morgan Gibbs-White, too, on top of having plentiful options down the wings where McAtee can also play, such as Ndoye, there is no guarantee that McAtee would instantly come into his starting XI.

Whereas, Lewis – who has been dubbed “special” in the past by football statistician Statman Dave – would have no qualms about trying to take Ola Aina’s starting spot from him, having had to compete with some top talents already over his time in Manchester.

Capable of also lining up as a defensive midfielder if needed, this feels as if it would be yet another exciting addition by Forest, with both the former Blades midfielder and Lewis adding sparks of quality that could propel Forest even further up the top-flight standings.

Deal close: Nottingham Forest in advanced talks to sign Celtic "sensation"

The youngster has already captained his national team.

By
Callum Kemp

Aug 17, 2025

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Birmingham City spent their brief time in League One building a Championship-quality squad, but now that they have secured promotion, they are investing further to ensure they can look upwards rather than over their shoulder.

The club have spent big on Japan centre forward Kyōgo Furuhashi, who has arrived from Stade Rennais in a deal that could reach £10.3 million. This has made the former Celtic star the third most expensive player to ever join the club.

Due to these new signings, the Blues have had to shift a number of players, including Romelle Donovan, Ayumu Yokoyama and Alfie May, and they aren’t finished just yet.

Birmingham City make 50% profit as Bielik moves on

Football League World have reported that Birmingham City centre-back Krystian Bielik will complete a transfer to West Bromwich Albion “in the next 24 hours”. Bielik had served as club captain from last season, and manager Chris Davis had previously described him as “a really important player, a good captain and a good leader”.

Birmingham will make 50% profit on the transfer as they will receive upwards of £1 million for Bielik after only paying Derby County £500,000 in 2023. A number of clubs were reportedly interested in signing Bielik, including south-coast Championship side Portsmouth, but he is reportedly settled in the Midlands, and the less-than-7-mile swap from St Andrews to the Hawthorns was the easiest option.

Ryan Mason was eager to sign Bielik, given West Brom’s centre-back situation. Torbjørn Heggem is on the brink of completing a £10 million switch to Serie A side Bologna, and Kyle Bartley has called time on his career following 232 appearances for the Baggies.

The emotional challenges that come with Birmingham's ambition

Bielik was a favourite among fans and was praised for his loyalty in not only staying with the club following relegation to League One on the final day of the 2023/24 season but also taking over as captain and ensuring that they secured promotion back to the Championship.

The player was clearly settled at Birmingham as his new club seems to have been decided primarily over West Brom’s short distance to his current home. Fans have taken to social media to express their sadness at Bielik’s departure.

While it seems all parties are saddened by Bielik’s departure, it is a clear example of the cost of the club’s ambition. After a rocky first season under new ownership, Birmingham City now seem to be on an upward trajectory. They were promoted to the Championship after heavy investment, so much so that their gross transfer spend was higher than all of the other clubs in League One combined.

With figures like serial winner Tom Brady at the forefront of the new Birmingham leadership, the club clearly has Premier League ambitions, and the cost of that will be players like Bielik, who are well regarded among the fans and happy at the club, having to move on as the team outgrows them.

GOAL US writers debate if Dembele deserved the Ballon d'Or and who could be the first American to win the award

So, the Ballon d'Or is sorted. Ousmane Dembele is the winner. The stats make for good reading: 53 games, 53 goal contributions. He won Ligue 1 and the Champions League. PSG made it to the Club World Cup final – and probably should have won the thing. His victory has drummed up a little controversy, though. 

There are some, in some corners of the internet, who believe that 18-year-old Lamine Yamal should have claimed it. Those of a Premier League persuasion have vouched for Mo Salah. And more broadly, there's a changing attitude. The Ballon d'Or, once a constant back-and-forth barometer to judge the relative greatness between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, used to be the pinnacle of soccer debate. 

Now, it's lost a little shine. Each year it provided some extra ammo for the truthers. These days, the Ballon d'Or is basically a yearly MVP. Still, it means , and in a soccer landscape starved of individual awards, the Ballon d'Or stands out.

GOAL US writers debate who should have won the award and if an American can ever claim it in the latest edition of… The Rondo. 

• Was Dembele a deserving winner?

  Tom Hindle: No. It really should have been Mo Salah. How do you break the Premier League single season goal contribution record, carry your team to a title, and not get the full acknowledgement for it? A lack of Champions League success certainly hurt him, but it was otherwise a season for the books. The reality for Dembele is that Ligue 1 is far too easy. 

  Alex Labidou: Yes. He helped PSG finally win the Champions League, along with their usual dose of Ligue 1 and French Cup success. Ballon d’Or winners usually see their cases boosted by success in a major tournament, and Dembele is no different. Also, it isn’t said enough, but the Frenchman helped Luis Enrique implement a newer style of football, in which PSG combined elements from his success at Barcelona, while also instituting a hard-pressing style typically seen by German sides.

  Ryan Tolmich: It's not a layup, but it was probably the right call. Dembele was one of the few candidates who had the right mix of everything required for the award. While it could have gone to one of those other candidates, that Champions League trophy clearly took him over the top. That made Demebele both a deserved winner and a feel-good underdog story, which is something that this award has had little of once the Messi-Ronaldo dominance ended in recent years.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Who should feel most aggrieved by the results?

  TH: Salah, but the absence of Virgil Van Dijk from the top 10 is also baffling. 

  AL: For the first time in years, it seems as if all of the categories and their winners were correct. If one had to nitpick, it would be Viktor Gyokeres winning the Gerard Muller award over someone such as Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe. Yes, Gyokeres had more goals overall, but the Portuguese league – where he did the majority of his scoring – isn’t as challenging as the Premier League and La Liga. The European Golden Boot, for example, takes league coefficients into consideration. But overall, these awards were spot on.

  RT: Salah made as a good a case as anyone this year. In terms of individual achievement, few can go toe-to-toe with the Egyptian, who, at times, singlehandedly carried Liverpool's title charge. That's not to discount guys such as Dembele or Raphinha, another legitimate candidate, but Salah could have been rewarded for his heroics at Anfield.

• getty
  

  Way-too-early prediction for next year?

  TH: Yamal is perhaps the obvious shout here, but he may yet struggle with inconsistency – remember, he's 18. So, a word for Kylian Mbappe, who has been excellent thus far. Voters also tend to be skewed by the World Cup, and if France go far, then it might be his to lose. 

  AL: Yamal came so close to winning it this year that he almost seems destined to lift the Ballon d’Or next year. All he needs is a club trophy and a good showing at next year’s World Cup.

  RT: With this award being so tournament-dependent, it'll likely be someone who shines in both the Champions League and the World Cup, with the latter taking precedent if no one checks both boxes. Who can do both? Yamal with Spain and Barcelona, Mbappe with France and Real Madrid, Harry Kane with Bayern Munich and England or Raphinha with Brazil and Barcelona, to name a few. Given his continued growth, we'll lean Yamal, crazily enough – although the teenager will really need to show out in that tournament setting to get the nod.

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• Getty Images
  

  Does the Ballon d'Or still matter?

  TH: These days? There's zero value. It's a bit of a popularity contest that doesn't really tell us much about the relative quality of footballers. Vitinha in third? Pedri outside the top 10? Victor Gyokeres 14th? Vinicius Jr, despite having a remarkably poor season, gets a nomination? Silly. 

  AL: It matters, as it’s a reward for a season’s effort. Yes, they don't always get the winner right – remember Robert Lewandowski’s infamous snub a few years ago, sigh. And it would be great if the award came after the European club season, for example, as opposed to the weird split between seasons and international play. But overall, it's still something fans and observers appreciate and respect.

  RT: Minimally? It's a decent way to remember years and eras, but it doesn't always capture the entire picture. Is it an award recognizing the best player of that season or the best player in the world? Even the voters themselves have often flip-flopped between the two, which are drastically different. Because of that, it's hard to quantify, even if it does, at the very least, recognize a great player just about every time.