Tottenham Hotspur have ramped up their transfer activity over the last couple of days, with owner Daniel Levy finally starting to conduct some impressive pieces of business.

Xavi Simons joined the Lilywhites in a £52m deal from RB Leipzig at the end of last week – subsequently being presented to the fans before the defeat against Bournemouth on Saturday.

Such a move adds to the additions of Mohammed Kudus, Joao Palhinha and Mathys Tel – adding further quality to Thomas Frank’s already impressive first-team squad.

With the window now just a couple of hours away from closing, it remains unclear if the board will be able to add any further additions to help the new boss in his quest for success.

However, it may not be through a lack of trying from the hierarchy, with numerous other players currently in their sights before the 7pm transfer deadline.

Spurs’ hunt to land new signings on deadline day

Reports have emerged in recent hours that Atlético Madrid midfielder Conor Gallagher is still a target for Spurs – despite the LaLiga outfit’s reluctance to sell him.

Frank’s side aren’t alone in their pursuit of the 25-year-old, with fellow Premier League side Newcastle United also monitoring the Englishman’s situation.

However, he’s not the only player in their sights, with Manchester City star Savinho still on the Lilywhites’ radar, according to TBR Football’s report prior to the deadline.

They claim that Frank’s side haven’t given up hope of landing the Brazilian attacker this summer, even after having an offer rejected, with Pep Guardiola’s side stating he’s not for sale.

It’s also been claimed that the 21-year-old has been the club’s leading target in the last few days before tonight’s deadline, but it’s unclear if another offer will be lodged for his signature – with a £70m valuation previously being mooted.

Why Spurs’ £70m target would be perfect alongside Kolo Muani

In an attempt to bolster the Spurs frontline, Frank and Levy have struck a deal with PSG over a deal to land French striker Randal Kolo Muani on a season-long loan deal.

Talks were held between the two parties over a potential switch to North London, with a breakthrough appearing in negotiations in recent hours.

A €5m (£4.3m) loan fee has been agreed between the two sides, with a deal not including an option to buy – which would make the Frenchman the fifth senior addition of the window.

He’s proven his quality in recent times, netting 10 goals in his 22 appearances on loan at Juventus last campaign – handing Frank another clinical option within the final third.

However, if the 26-year-old is to be a success in North London, he will need to be provided with ammunition within the final third – something which potential addition Savinho could provide.

When delving into his underlying stats from last season, the Brazilian posted numerous superb numbers that would provide endless opportunities for the PSG loanee in forward areas.

Savinho, who’s been labelled “incredible” by boss Guardiola, ranked in the 96th percentile for progressive carries per 90 (7.1) – with such numbers allowing him to transfer the ball into the final third in North London.

Games played

29

Goals & assists

9

Progressive carries

7.1

Shot-creating actions

5.7

Successful take-ons

2.7

Key passes made

2.4

Passes into the opposition box

2.4

Carries into the opposition box

3.8

He also produced 2.4 key passes per 90, and completed 2.7 successful take-ons per 90, which could provide Kolo Muani with a flurry of chances to hit the ground running under Frank this season.

Just because he’s able to create chances for others doesn’t mean Savinho isn’t capable of going alone – subsequently able to find the net himself – as seen by his tally of three goals last campaign.

The prospect of the duo linking up together in North London throughout 2025/26 is certainly an exciting one – subsequently topping off what has been a superb window for Spurs.

If they can replicate their aforementioned numbers together in the near future, there’s no reason why the club can’t be competitive in the Premier League and Champions League under Frank’s guidance.

Best Deadline Day deal since Kulusevski: Spurs make approach for £17m star

Tottenham are eyeing a number of different positions on a busy transfer deadline day down N17.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Sep 1, 2025

South Africa’s Dane Paterson will spend April and May playing for Middlesex in the County Championship, a move which will give him the chance to play at Lord’s and pitch his case for selection ahead of the World Test Championship final on June 11.Paterson, 35, took five-wicket hauls in both of the Tests he played in South Africa’s home summer, against Sri Lanka in Gqerbha, and against Pakistan at Centurion. He has signed a contract which covers Middlesex’s first seven Championship fixtures – including four games at Lord’s, where South Africa will face Australia in the WTC final.Across four seasons with Nottinghamshire, Paterson took 180 Championship wickets at 23.25, including seven five-wicket hauls, but the club have opted not to renew his contract. He will instead join Middlesex, and will hope to spearhead their attack after Ethan Bamber’s departure to Warwickshire over the winter.Related

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“It’s an honour to be joining Middlesex,” Paterson said. “I will do my best to give Middlesex the best chance of getting promoted back to Division One again, where the club belongs. I can’t wait to be playing at Lord’s – such a prestigious ground – and I’m just really excited about the challenge that lies ahead.”Whilst obviously I’m sad not to be returning to Trent Bridge after what has been an amazing four years, I’ll always treasure the time I’ve spent there. It quickly became a home away from home for me and I made friendships in the dressing room which I’m sure will last a lifetime.”Paterson joins Kyle Verreynne (Notts) in signing for a county ahead of the WTC final, with David Bedingham also due to back at Durham. Rassie van der Dussen revealed on Thursday that he has turned down a move.Australia’s Cameron Green (Gloucestershire) and Beau Webster (Warwickshire) will also use the Championship to prepare for the final, with many other likely participants involved in either the IPL or PSL during the April-May window.Kane Williamson is also due to play for Middlesex this year, though will not overlap with Paterson•Associated Press

Middlesex did not sign an overseas player last year due to financial constraints but Paterson is the third they have announced this month, after Kane Williamson and Josh Little. They have also brought in Zafar Gohar, the Pakistan-born spinner, as a local player thanks to his British passport, and signed Ben Geddes from Surrey as a replacement for Mark Stoneman.Alan Coleman, Middlesex’s director of cricket, said: “We are really pleased to get this signing secured as Dane is a player that will bring an enormous amount of quality to our pace attack and is someone that can make a real impact for us in the first half of the season.”He has proven throughout the four-years he spent with Nottinghamshire that he has all the attributes needed to succeed in English conditions, and he brings with him a wealth of experience, built up over many years on both the domestic and international stages.”Elsewhere, Durham have announced the signing of Brendan Doggett, the South Australia seamer who recently played for Australia A against England Lions. Doggett is only eligible for a short-term visa but is due to arrive in time to face Warwickshire on April 11 and will be at Durham for the early weeks of the 2025 season.

Veteran allrounder brings valuable experience to Trent Bridge following the loss of Alex Hales

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Feb-2025Australian allrounder Moises Henriques has joined Notts Outlaws for the 2025 Vitality Blast.Henriques, who has made 10 appearances in the competition for Surrey across two stints, the most recent coming in 2017, has been capped 44 times for his country, with the majority (24) coming in T20Is.The 38-year old brings a wealth of experience, with 282 matches in the T20 format. As Sydney Sixers captain, he has led his side to two Big Bash League titles, and is the leading appearance maker in Australia’s domestic competition, as well as being the fourth highest runscorer in its history.A stalwart of the global franchise scene, Henriques has featured in nine editions of the Indian Premier League, and played a prominent role in Sunrisers Hyderabad’s triumph in 2016. He has also won the now-defunct T20 Champions League twice with New South Wales.”I can’t wait to get over to Nottingham this season to play in the Blast,” Henriques said. “Trent Bridge is an iconic cricket ground and I’m looking forward to playing in front of their amazing crowds.”On a personal note, I’ve made some great friends over the years with both past players and staff from Notts and their values as people I’m sure represent their time there, which I can’t wait to experience.”Notts have had a lot of success over the last decade and I’ll be looking to add to that. The current squad looks extremely talented and young and hopefully with my experiences of T20 cricket around the world I can add a bit of value to the group both on and off the field.”Henriques will fill Outlaws’ second overseas spot, joining fellow Australian Daniel Sams, and is a welcome boost following the news that veteran opener Alex Hales will skip the English season to take up franchise opportunities overseas during the summer.Nottinghamshire finished bottom of the North Group in 2024, and have not made the latter stages of the T20 Blast since winning it for the second time in 2020.”Moises’s experience and quality as a player will add a huge amount to our squad, while he’ll be another leader in the group,” said head coach Peter Moores. “His reputation as a captain precedes him. He’ll provide great support for Joe (Clarke) as he continues to grow into that role.”His ability to negotiate a run chase or set a score with the bat has been well proven over the years, providing experience and stability in a new look batting line up. Crucially he’s used to playing in a winning set up, which is exactly the mentality we’re looking to build as we move forward as a team.”

Mark Clattenburg has lifted the lid on a spat he had with Jurgen Klopp that led to the former Premier League referee telling the German to 'f*ck off'. Joining Adebayo Akinfenwa for episode seven of the Beast Mode On Podcast, Clattenburg explained how Klopp had sought to blame the match official for a 3-0 defeat to Real Madrid, leading to a fiery response from the referee.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Marcelo wanted a photo, Casemiro offered his shirt

  Looking back at the aftermath of that Champions League quarter-final first leg in 2014, that ended in a heavy defeat for Dortmund, the 50-year-old says: "I remember Marcelo, the full-back from Real Madrid, asked for a picture. I've had players giving me shirts when I didn't even ask, I've had players talking to me after games, but he just wanted a picture. This was a part of me being accepted by them (elite professional footballers). They felt comfortable with me. If they see my name, Mark Clattenburg, refereeing a Champions League game, I would hope the players think: 'Thank God for that, I like that. We know he's not going to cause any problems'. I like that. So players felt comfortable with me." 

  On being gifted Casemiro's shirt, Clattenburg adds: "I remember Casemiro, at Real Madrid, I refereed him in the U-20 World Cup in Colombia playing for Brazil. Didn't speak any English. And he signed for Real Madrid and I remember seeing his name on the team sheet and thinking: 'I know that name'. When I looked at him I said: 'I remember refereeing you in the semi-final in the U-20s'. Didn't speak any English and he just looked at me, came to shake my hand when he came off the bench and I'm thinking: 'This is bizarre'. After the game he's waiting for me outside my door and he's got his shirt and he's saying: 'Thank you, thank you', in broken English, and I'm thinking: 'That was nice, respect'."

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• AFP
  

  Clattenburg tells Klopp to 'f*ck off' as pair clash in 2014

  Clattenburg also discussed a heated row he had with Klopp following that photo exchange with Marcelo, with the ex-Liverpool boss, who was Dortmund manager at the time, blaming the referee for the loss. He says: "It was the wrong time [for Marcelo to ask for a photo after the game]. Klopp's walked past, probably humped that he's got beat 3-0, but he shouldn't have the gripe about me. He should be having the gripe about his team performance, because I wasn't the architect of the defeat. 

  "As he's come past, he's said: 'That's why we got beat 3-0', and I thought: 'F*ck that, he's going to get Geordie banter back'. No, I'm not accepting that. I'm in the Bernabeu, I'm not stupid, I've got the protection of f*cking everybody around and he was on his own. I turned around and I said: 'You should be f*cking thankful you got beat 3-0, so f*ck off'. Everybody laughed. I was p*ssed off, that he had the f*cking… he thought I was the architect of him getting f*cking beat. There's right times and wrong times to speak… why did Klopp think it was f*cking acceptable to f*cking say that."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Ecstatic Cristiano Ronaldo grabbed Clattenburg's face

  Clattenburg was chosen as the referee for the European Championship final back in 2016, a matter of weeks after he was the man in the middle for Real Madrid's Champions League final meeting with Atletico Madrid. Then-head coach Zinedine Zidane steered Real to a penalty shoot-out win over their city rivals that day, with Ronaldo scoring the winning spot-kick, and the Portuguese was also victorious at EURO 2016 – Eder's goal in extra-time sealing a 1-0 victory over France in the final.

  The former Premier League referee recalls the moment he went up to collect his medal after full-time in the Stade de France, with Clattenburg having to tell Ronaldo to remove his hands from his face as he celebrated Portugal's triumph. He said: "As I was walking through [the tunnel created by Portugal players] Ronaldo grabs my face, and tries to shake it as a way of congratulations. And I'm like: 'Ronaldo, get off my face I'm on live TV', and he just laughed. [In terms of] the respect back, [Lionel] Messi didn't speak much English so it was easier to communicate with Cristiano than it was Messi but I didn't referee Messi in major finals, so it was different. I never refereed Barcelona, for example, [in finals] only in semi-finals in the Champions League, which they were successful in. If they win, the pressure's different."

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The summer of the saga is finally over, but it’s difficult to know how Newcastle United supporters will feel about it.

On deadline day, Alexander Isak joined Liverpool for a reported fee of £125m, including add-ons, which makes this a British transfer record.

The Swede has, quite publicly, been on strike all summer as he attempted to force through this move to Merseyside, skipping the Magpies’ pre-season tour of Asia and also not turning up to the PFA awards, where he was named in the team of the season.

As a result, the Geordie faithful have completely turned against Isak, making it frankly unfathomable that he would ever play for the club again, so most will be glad to see him gone, albeit their team are losing arguably the best striker in the Premier League.

The Magpies have signed two very expensive strikers to fill his void, it remains to be seen if they’ll come good, but the astronomical fees being paid by all clubs this summer has only underlined the fact that Newcastle struck gold snapping up their talisman.

Newcastle's Isak replacements

On Saturday, Newcastle announced the signing of striker Nick Woltemade, arriving from Stuttgart for an initial fee of £65m plus up to £4.3m in add-ons.

This time last year, barely anyone had heard of Woltemade, considering he’d scored just two top division goals during his time at Werder Bremen.

However, the 23-year-old really burst onto the scene at Stuttgart, netting 18 times in just 36 appearances for die Schwaben, including scoring during each round of the DFB-Pokal, breaking the deadlock against Arminia Bielefeld in May’s final, as his side won the competition for the first time since 1997.

He then further enhanced his reputation during this summer’s U21 European Championships, bagging a hat-trick during Germany’s tournament opener against Slovenia, picking up the golden boot by netting six times in total, as die Mannschaft were defeated 3-2 by England in the final in Bratislava.

Standing at 198 cms (6 ft 6 in) tall, he is nicknamed “Woltemessi” due to his perceived good touch for a big man, so it’ll be fascinating to see how he fares on Tyneside.

That is not all, though, because on deadline day, Newcastle also finally completed the signing of long-term target Yoane Wissa.

The DR Congo international himself had gone full-Isak at Brentford, refusing to play as he pushed for a move, but the two clubs agreed a fee of £55m on Monday, after bids of £25m and £40m had both been rejected earlier this summer.

Wissa leaves West London as Brentford’s all-time leading scorer in the Premier League, having been on target 49 times in all competitions for the Bees, 19 of which came in the Premier League last season, a tally only bettered by Mohamed Salah, Isak, Erling Braut Håland, Bryan Mbeumo and Chris Wood.

At 28 years old, however, £55m for Wissa, when you’ve also just signed another striker for around £70m, does seem very high, further underlining how much of a bargain Newcastle’s talisman has proved to be.

Newcastle talisman signed for a bargain fee

Back in October 2021, the Saudi Public Investment Fund completed their £305m takeover of Newcastle United and, after swiftly replacing Steve Bruce with Eddie Howe, they wanted to make a splash in the transfer market.

During that first January window, with the Toon Army very much embroiled in a relegation battle, having won just one of their first 20 fixtures, the new owners spent big to ensure Premier League survival.

Four new signings arrived for a combined £90m, namely Chris Wood, Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn and Bruno Guimarães, and the latter instantaneously became a cult hero on Tyneside.

To date, Guimarães has made 147 appearances for the Magpies, scoring 23 goals and registering 24 assists, playing an instrumental role in the team that won last season’s EFL Cup, ending the club’s 70-year wait for major domestic silverware.

The table below emphasises his importance to Newcastle.

Minutes

3,844

2nd

Goals

5

7th

Assists

8

4th

Shots

54

4th

Completed passes

1,481

3rd

Key passes

52

1st

Passes into final third

180

1st

Progress passes

271

1st

Shot-creating actions

133

1st

Big chances created

13

2nd

Tackles

83

1st

Interceptions

33

3rd

Ball recoveries

188

2nd

Touches

2,213

3rd

Avg Sofascore rating

7.22

3rd

As the table reinforces, Guimarães is pivotal to everything Newcastle achieve; ranked first by every passing metric, while also in the top two for out-of-possession statistics, tackles and ball recoveries, producing goals, assists and chance creation at the other end of the pitch too.

The £40m paid to Olympique Lyonnais to secure his signature has turned out to be a complete bargain, especially considering his current estimated transfer value is around £69m.

For comparison, new signings Woltemade and Wissa are valued at around £26m and £27.6m respectively, substantially lower than the fees Newcastle have paid.

His international teammate Casemiro is certainly a fan, stating that Guimarães has been “exceptional” at Newcastle, adding that he is a “great player who has been demonstrating this in the most difficult league in the world”.

Thus, now that Isak has finally departed Tyneside, the Brazilian midfielder is ready to step up and be Newcastle’s talisman, leading them into a Champions League campaign, with Barcelona the first visitors to St James’ Park on 18 September; what a tie that’ll be.

Imagine him & Bruno: Newcastle lodge bid for "one of the world's best DMs"

Newcastle are looking to sign one of the best midfielders on the planet to partner Bruno Guimaraes

ByWill Miller Aug 31, 2025

The Premier League is finally back, and Chelsea kick off their campaign tomorrow afternoon.

It’ll be a challenging game away to FA Cup and Community Shield winners Crystal Palace, but Enzo Maresca’s men look like they could do something really special this year.

They’ve been practically faultless in their short pre-season and the board have only made them stronger with the business they’ve conducted.

Moreover, it appears the club will only make more signings over the next two weeks, with Alejandro Garnacho set to be the next in line.

However, if reports are to be believed, the club is also targeting another international who’d be an even better pick-up.

Chelsea target better signing than Garnacho

Chelsea have been interested in Garancho for some time now, with stories first emerging on the topic back in the winter window.

Transfer Focus

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

However, the Blues have stepped up their pursuit of the Manchester United star in recent weeks, and while some fans are against the move, it now looks like he’ll be making his way to Stamford Bridge before September 1st.

However, the West Londoners don’t look like they’ll be calling it a day after that, as they’re now eyeing a move for another international, someone who’d be an even better signing than Garnacho.

At least that is according to a recent report from BolaVIP, which claims that Chelsea are very interested in Piero Hincapié.

In fact, the report has revealed that the Blues are now ready to pay around €60m for the centre-back, which is about £52m.

However, the same story also points out that while Bayer Leverkusen would be willing to let him leave, they want around €70m to do so, which is about £60m.

Even if Chelsea need to pay a little more than they’d like, they should, as Hincapié is a brilliant player and would be a better signing than Garnacho.

Why Hincapié would be a better signing than Garnacho

Now, the first thing to say is that, while some are opposed to the deal, we do not think that Garnacho to Chelsea is a bad transfer.

After all, even though he played for a truly terrible Manchester United side last season, the youngster was still able to score 11 goals and provide ten assists in 58 appearances, which is not a bad return at all.

However, there are still several reasons why Hincapié would be a better signing this summer, and the first relates to what the squad need.

As things stand, the Blues’ attack feels particularly stacked with quality across most positions, and with Xavi Simons still being linked with a move, it feels like adding even more attack-minded players isn’t a necessity.

On the other hand, the team’s defence has been made markedly weaker by Levi Colwill’s ACL injury, and while Jorrel Hato has joined the team, he’s still just 19 years old and has never played in a top-five league, so throwing him in right away feels like a recipe for disaster.

Therefore, bringing in the Leverkusen ace is a far more pressing concern, and Maresca told the press as much yesterday afternoon, when he openly admitted “we need a central defender.”

The second reason the Ecuadorian international would be the better signing relates to why he would have to start ahead of Hato: his experience.

Hincapie’s Leverkusen record
Competition	Games	G+As
Bundesliga	115	10
Europa League	26	1
Champions League	14	1
DFB-Pokal	8	0
DFL Super Cup	1	0
All Stats via Transfermarkt

For example, across his career to date, the “absolute beast,” as journalist Antonio Mango dubbed him, has made 115 appearances in the Bundesliga, 26 in the Europa League, 14 in the Champions League and eight in the DFB Pokal since moving to Europe.

He’s also no stranger to winning things, either, as he played a pivotal role in the German side’s undefeated league and cup double a couple of years ago.

Ultimately, Garnacho will likely be a good signing for Chelsea, but due to the need for a new centre-back and his immense experience, Hincapié would be a better one.

Chelsea plot Nkunku and Jackson sale before formalising deal for £50m star

The west Londoners are busy with both incomings and outgoings.

By
Emilio Galantini

Aug 15, 2025

As it is every year, the summer transfer window was a busy period for Chelsea.

In addition to selling a host of players, the Blues also added an array of incredibly exciting youngsters to Enzo Maresca’s side.

However, while most of the window was a success, fans might have been a bit underwhelmed on deadline day, as the club recalled Marc Guiu, sent Nicolas Jackson out on loan, and paid £2m to sign Facundo Buonanotte on a season-long loan.

It feels like an odd choice as there is no option to buy; he was set to join relegation battlers Leeds United before the Blues came in, and yet they’ve left him out of the Champions League squad, alongside the likes of Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi, despite him making it very clear that playing in Europe was one of his reasons for joining.

It just feels like a move that is destined to fail, and if the club’s previous five loan signings are anything to go by, it will.

5 Gonzalo Higuaín

The first name on our list takes us back to January 2019, when Maurizio Sarri needed some more firepower in his side, and Chelsea signed Gonzalo Higuaín to provide it.

The club had a buy option worth £31.3m included in the deal, as well as another option worth just £15.6m to extend the loan until June 2020.

Unfortunately, neither option was even in danger of being activated, as the Argentinian offered very little in attack.

In all, the former Juventus star made 18 appearances for the club, totalling 1,313 minutes, in which he scored just five goals against weaker opposition, such as Huddersfield, Burnley, and Watford.

4 Saúl Ñíguez

Moving into the midfield now, and on September 1st, 2021, Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea signed Saúl Ñíguez on a season-long loan for £3.4m with a £30m option to buy.

There was considerable excitement surrounding this deal, as the previous season saw him make 41 appearances for Atlético Madrid, who won La Liga.

Unfortunately, he is on this list, and that means it didn’t work out for him.

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The Spanish international would make just 23 appearances for the club, scoring one goal before he returned to Spain in the summer.

3 Denis Zakaria

Thomas Tuchel was still in charge in September 2022 and oversaw the signing of Denis Zakaria on a season-long deal with an option to buy, although it’s unclear for how much.

It didn’t really matter, though, as the “absolute machine,” as hailed by his former Servette coach Adam Owen, made even less of an impact than loan players before him.

Despite being at the club for the entire season, the Swiss international made just 11 appearances, totalling 600 minutes, in which he scored a single goal.

Even for this list, Zakaria’s loan spell was remarkably unremarkable.

2 João Félix

A player who had a little more of an impact in West London was João Félix, who first moved to Graham Potter’s Chelsea on a short-term loan in January 2023, for a fee of around £9.69m.

The Portuguese ace had a debut to remember, away to Fulham, as he was shown a straight red for a terrible tackle in the 58th minute.

The versatile international would leave West London – for the first time – with a tally of just four goals and no assists to his name in 20 appearances.

1 Jadon Sancho

Last but certainly not least, we come to the most disappointing player on this list of disappointments: Jadon Sancho.

The Manchester United player joined the Blues on a season-long deal last summer that included an obligation to buy for between £20m and £25m.

However, as you are no doubt aware, the Englishman is now plying his trade at Aston Villa, and the reason for that is that the West Londoners decided to pay a £5m fee to United this summer to avoid taking him on permanently.

Sancho’s Chelsea career

Appearances

41

Minutes

2419′

Goals

5

Assists

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.36

Minutes per Goal Involvement

161.26;

All Stats via Transfermarkt

That alone should probably tell you how successful the 25-year-old’s spell at Stamford Bridge was, as while he racked up a decent enough tally of five goals and ten assists, he did so in 41 games, with a sizable chunk coming in the Conference League.

Ultimately, Chelsea’s recent record with loan deals is not great, and while it’s unlikely to significantly impact the club, we cannot see Buonanotte having a great time in West London this season.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 4, 2025

As the transfer deadline looms, Everton are once again at the centre of speculation.

The Toffees have been among the more proactive Premier League sides this summer, with David Moyes overseeing a rebuild designed to inject both quality and long-term stability into the squad.

Jack Grealish’s high-profile switch from Manchester City dominated headlines, and he wasted little time in making his mark at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, registering two assists on his competitive debut in a 2-0 win over Brighton.

Everton backed up that performance with a comfortable 2-0 EFL Cup victory over Mansfield Town, further raising optimism among supporters.

Despite those encouraging results, Everton’s league campaign began with a setback – a narrow 1-0 defeat away at Leeds United.

That loss underlined the need for further reinforcements if the club are to mount a genuine push into the top half of the Premier League.

Everton looking to sign another English talent

Moyes has already welcomed the likes of Thierno Barry, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, and Tyler Dibling into his squad, yet midfield remains an area of focus.

With Abdoulaye Doucouré departing earlier in the summer, a vacancy exists in the heart of Everton’s team.

The Toffees have been linked with a possible reunion between Moyes and Tomas Souček, but there is also a strong suggestion that another deal could be in the works – one that could see Everton land a player reminiscent of club stalwart Gareth Barry.

Transfer Focus

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

According to Football Insider, Everton are one of several Premier League clubs weighing up a late move for Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney.

The 23-year-old has told his boyhood club that he would consider leaving if a top-flight opportunity presents itself before the window shuts. Crystal Palace and West Ham are also monitoring developments.

Hackney, described by analyst Ben Mattinson as a “special player,” has been integral to Middlesbrough’s perfect start under new manager Rob Edwards, playing every minute of their three consecutive Championship victories.

He has already contributed a goal and an assist this season, showcasing his ability to influence matches in the final third.

Why Hackney evokes memories of Gareth Barry

For Hackney, the chance to step up into the Premier League could be a natural next step in a career that has already seen him capped 13 times at England U21 level, including as part of the squad that retained the European Championship this summer.

Marketed at around £10m by Transfermarkt, the youngster would represent an affordable option compared with some of Everton’s other recent investments.

That figure is particularly notable when set against the £42m the club committed to sign winger Dibling from Southampton earlier this week – a move that underlined Moyes’ determination to secure the best emerging English talent.

For Everton fans, however, Hackney’s potential arrival carries echoes of one of the club’s most successful midfield signings of the Premier League era: Gareth Barry.

Like Barry, Hackney is a technically accomplished left-footed midfielder who thrives in dictating tempo, recycling possession, and providing a calm platform for more attacking players to flourish.

Statistically, his numbers suggest a player already capable of making the step-up.

According to FBref, he ranks favourably compared to midfielders in similar divisions to the Championship, sitting in the 99th percentile for progressive passes per 90 (9.92) and the 91st percentile for shot-creating actions (3.80) among players in leagues of Championship equivalence.

His ability to move the ball forward – whether through incisive passing or by carrying possession himself (97th percentile for progressive carries) – highlights his suitability for Moyes’ system, which increasingly relies on controlled build-up from deep.

Defensively, Hackney also contributes, sitting in the 82nd percentile for blocks (1.54 per 90), which demonstrates an ability to screen effectively and disrupt opposition attacks.

This blend of on-ball quality and off-ball responsibility is precisely what made Barry such a valuable figure during his time at Goodison Park.

Matches Played

43

Minutes Played

3,792

Goals

5

Assists

3

Progressive Carries

118

Progressive Passes

440

The contrast with Everton’s other major summer signing, Dibling, is instructive.

Whereas Dibling’s profile – marked by elite percentile rankings for dribbles attempted (5.28), fouls drawn (2.49), and dribblers tackled (61.5%) – reflects the skillset of an explosive wide player, Hackney offers a quieter but equally crucial influence.

He would provide structure and control from midfield, knitting phases of play together and giving Everton stability in possession.

This dual-pronged approach of flair on the flanks combined with composure and tempo in midfield is central to Moyes’ vision of a balanced squad.

Hackney would not only cover the void left by Doucouré’s departure but also give Everton something they have lacked in recent years: a metronomic midfielder capable of dictating rhythm against stubborn opponents.

Much like Barry did during his four-year spell at the club, Hackney could serve as the understated yet indispensable figure around whom others operate.

His consistency at Middlesbrough – 43 appearances last season, contributing five goals and three assists – shows a player with the reliability and endurance to take on such a role at the top level.

With a market value of £10m, Hackney represents both a relatively low-risk and potentially transformative addition.

His signing would also reinforce Everton’s emerging identity as a club investing in technically proficient English players who could form the core of the team for years to come.

With the window set to close on Monday, Everton must act swiftly if they are to secure Hackney’s signature ahead of their rivals.

For the player himself, the lure of the Premier League and the chance to develop under Moyes could prove decisive.

Dream Grealish repeat: Everton enter race to sign "mind-boggling" £40m star

Everton could seal a stunning Jack Grealish repeat by snapping up this exceptional ace.

ByKelan Sarson Aug 27, 2025

Leeds United still have a bit of time left to add more quality to their squad before the end of the summer transfer window at the start of September.

The Whites were reportedly leading the race to sign Leicester City attacking midfielder Bilal El Khannouss earlier this month, but they now look set to miss out on the Morocco international.

Sky Sports reports that Crystal Palace are close to agreeing a deal with the Foxes to sign the 21-year-old playmaker in a deal that could be worth up to £32m.

Why missing out on Bilal El Khannouss is a blow

The Eagles swooping in to potentially sign El Khannouss ahead of Leeds is a blow for Daniel Farke because he is an impressive young talent who could have been an exciting addition to the squad at Elland Road.

In his first season in the Premier League, the Moroccan ranked within the top 25% of attacking midfielders for chances created (42) and the top 37% for xA (3.11), per FotMob.

Per Sofascore, El Khannouss created eight ‘big chances’ in 27 starts for Leicester, despite their relegation, and could have added an extra degree of creativity to the Leeds midfield.

The Whites could, however, forget all about the Foxes sensation by swooping to sign Gabriel Sara, who was linked with a £35m move from Galatasaray earlier this month.

Why Leeds should sign Gabriel Sara

Signing the Brazilian maestro would help everyone to forget about El Khannouss because he could be an even better signing for Leeds, particularly with the new 4-3-3 system that Farke deployed against Everton.

Lining up with three central midfielders instead of a double pivot and a number ten means that Sara could make more sense as a signing, as he is a creative central midfielder, rather than an out-and-out number ten like the Leicester starlet.

The left-footed star, who delivered 13 goals and 12 assists in his last season in England with Norwich, has been in fantastic form for Galatasaray as a creative whiz in the middle of the park over the past 12 months.

Sara has created a staggering 11 chances in two matches in the Super Liga this season, per Sofascore, which is roughly a quarter as many as El Khannouss created in the entire 2024/25 campaign.

24/25 season	El Khannouss (Premier League)	Sara (Super Lig)
Appearances	32	30
Goals	2	2
Big chances created	8	12
xA	3.11	7.62
Assists	3	8
Key passes per game	1.3	2.3
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Sara was directly involved in six more goals in two fewer appearances at league level in comparison to the £32m-rated man, and created one more chance per game on average.

The Brazilian star, who scored a sublime solo goal against Leeds two seasons ago – as shown in the highlights below, has been a consistently brilliant creator for both Galatasaray and Norwich in the last few years.

Sara, who was hailed as “outstanding” by former boss David Wagner, appears more likely to make an impact in the here and now in comparison to El Khannouss, who is younger and still developing.

The 26-year-old wizard is in the prime years of his career and could arrive at Elland Road to hit the ground running as a creative maestro in the middle of the park for Farke, given his prior experience in England and his form for the Turkish giants.

Instant Calvert-Lewin upgrade: Leeds lining up move for "special" £35m star

Leeds United are reportedly eyeing up a new striker who would be an instant upgrade on Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

1

By
Dan Emery

Aug 17, 2025

Therefore, Leeds should be pushing to secure a deal for Sara now that Palace are closing in on El Khannouss, because he has the experience, the quality, and the creativity to be an even better signing for the Whites in their bid to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

England have lost nine of their ten white-ball games this year, culminating in their early exit from the Champions Trophy

Matt Roller26-Feb-20253:13

Knight: Will be tough for Buttler to hold on to captaincy

Jos Buttler has conceded that he will “consider all possibilities” about his future as England’s white-ball captain after they were eliminated from the Champions Trophy following an eight-run defeat to Afghanistan on Wednesday night. It was their ninth loss in ten white-ball matches this year.Buttler won the 2022 T20 World Cup, his first ICC tournament as captain, but England have underperformed ever since. They lost six out of nine games at the 2023 ODI World Cup, were thrashed by India in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup in 2024, and have now gone out of the Champions Trophy with one group match remaining following back-to-back defeats to Australia and Afghanistan.Related

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Matthew Mott lost his job as England’s coach after last year’s T20 World Cup and Buttler admitted that he had feared for his own job at the time. He has since captained the team on a tough tour to India, where they won only once in eight games, and appeared to concede that his time in charge was likely up in the aftermath of Wednesday night’s game.”It’s tough to say, stood here right now, and I don’t want to make any sort of emotional statements,” Buttler told . “But I think it’s fair to say that you’ve got to consider all possibilities.”I’ve enjoyed it [the captaincy]. I’ve seen lots of people say it doesn’t sit well with me, but I do enjoy it. I enjoy the challenge. Obviously, I don’t enjoy losing games of cricket and the results. And, of course, when they’re not going well, you do look at yourself in the mirror and say, ‘am I part of the problem or am I part of the solution?’ I think that’s what I’ve got to work out.”Buttler admitted at his post-match press conference that his future may not be in his own hands. “You [the press] are probably not the first people I’d discuss that with,” he said. “I’ll take a little bit of time to work out, personally, what I think is right, and obviously the guys at the top are in charge, and they’ll have their own views as well.2:16

Buttler on captaincy: Have to work up whether I’m part of the problem or solution

“I enjoy leading. Even before, when I wasn’t captain, I’d like to think of myself as a leader in the team. But results are tough, and they weigh heavy at times. Of course, you want to be leading a winning team, and we haven’t been that for a while now, so obviously that brings some difficult moments.”Harry Brook captained England in their ODI series against Australia in September and is their official vice-captain at the Champions Trophy, while Liam Livingstone (ODI) and Phil Salt (T20I) have also deputised in Buttler’s absence. After Saturday’s game against South Africa, England’s next white-ball fixtures are against West Indies in June.In Lahore, England fell just short in pursuit of the 326-run target set by Afghanistan despite Joe Root’s first ODI hundred since 2019. Buttler said that their failure to reach the target on a flat pitch was a reflection of the team’s wider struggles.”I think a confident team would’ve romped home tonight,” he said. “That’s the way sport goes sometimes. When you’ve been short of results in those 50-50 games, you probably find ways to lose as opposed to win when you’re a really confident, flying team.Buttler fell for 38 after an 83-run partnership with Joe Root•Getty Images”The last ten overs with the ball got away from us: they scored 113 runs in that phase. If we could have restricted them, that would’ve made the chase a lot easier. Joe Root played an unbelievable innings, full of class and character as usual, and we needed one of the top six to go longer with him.”Everyone is going to be very disappointed, and it is going to be raw… You’ve got to allow things like this to push you forward and drive you forward in your future – as an individual, as a team, and, as an England white-ball side, to get back to the level that we want to be at, competing in these tournaments and being here to win.”Buttler fell for 38 at a critical time in the run chase after an 83-run stand with Root, opening up an end for Afghanistan to target. He has been short of runs in 50-over cricket for some time, with 352 ODI runs at 22.00 since the start of the 2023 World Cup.”I think when I’m at my best, I’m one of the best players in the world,” he said. “I’m not performing at that level at the moment. I’ve felt in good touch, but I’m not getting the scores that I’ve been used to over time, so that’s frustrating.”