Pep must now bench Grealish & unleash "relentless" Man City star instead

With 11 games to go this season, Manchester City face a real fight to get into next season’s Champions League.

Having beaten Tottenham last time out, Erling Braut Håland the only scorer in North London, Pep Guardiola’s team sit fourth, but six clubs, down to Aston Villa in tenth, are five points or fewer behind.

Next up, on Saturday lunchtime, the Sky Blues will face the side one place and one point above them, namely Nottingham Forest, and if the Citizens are going to collect three points at the City Ground, it might be time for Guardiola to unleash his relentless attacking star.

Jack Grealish's continued underwhelming form

Jack Grealish started last weekend’s FA Cup victory over Plymouth Argyle, but has not started a Premier League fixture since before Christmas, and his statistics underline why.

Manchester City's Jack Grealish

Sam Lee of the Athletic has described his performances this season as ‘underwhelming’, caveating that by adding his campaign has been ‘hampered by injuries’.

Nevertheless, it’s now 448 days, and counting, since the 29-year-old’s most recent Premier League goal, having scored twice so far this season, converting a penalty during the 8-0 demolition of Salford, also on target in defeat at Paris Saint-Germain, both in January.

In total, Grealish has scored just 16 goals in 151 appearances for the Sky Blues, an underwhelming return for someone who cost £100m, at the time a British transfer record.

Grealish has himself admitted this has been the “most difficult year of my life”, with Richard Jolly of the Independent believing he is ‘wasting his talent’, while Oliver Kay in the Athletic labels him ‘beyond disappointing’.

Chalkboard

So, instead of starting Grealish, Guardiola should include Man City’s more recent big-money arrival in attack on Saturday.

Manchester City's perfect Grealish replacement

Manchester City signed Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt for a reported fee of £63m in January, but the Egyptian striker has already, in only eight appearances for the club, started to prove his worth.

The 26-year-old scored the first-ever senior hat-trick of his career against Newcastle last month, after which strike partner Håland labelled him “something special” and “a fantastic player”.

Prior to his move to Manchester, Marmoush had been on fire for Frankfurt this season, scoring 20 goals in just 26 appearances, averaging a goal every 103 minutes, leading to analyst Ben Mattinson describing him as “relentless”.

So, let’s see how his numbers compare to Grealish.

Jack Grealish vs Omar Marmoush 2024/25 comparison

Statistics

Jack Grealish

Omar Marmoush

Appearances

26

34

Minutes

1,319

2,630

Goals

2

23

Assists

5

14

Goals – xG

-0.8

+7.7

Shots on target per 90

1.92

4.31

Shots on target %

30.8%

44.8%

Take on success %

52%

42.9%

Shot-creating actions per 90

5.9

5.21

Touches per 90

64.56

41.73

Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt and FBref.com

Unsurprisingly, Marmoush comes out on top for most attacking metrics, albeit Grealish ranks higher for creative statistics per 90, namely take-on success percentage, touches per 90 and shot-creating actions per 90.

Nevertheless, the Egyptian is far superior in terms of shots, shot accuracy, assists and goals, with Marmoush massively overperforming his xG this season, racking up a figure of +7.7; for comparison, the player in the Premier League this season with the highest figure is Chris Wood on +7.4, who he’ll be facing on Saturday.

So, up against a Forest team who rank fourth in the Premier League this season for both goals conceded and xG allowed, as well as second for clean sheets, goals will not be easy to come by, hence why Guardiola must start his superstar new attacker.

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Tombense bate Criciúma e diminui distância para o G-4

MatériaMais Notícias

No estádio Soares de Azevedo, o Tombense venceu o Criciúma por 1 a 0, nesta sexta-feira, pela 19ª rodada da Série B do Brasileiro. Com o resultado, o time encostou no G-4 da competição nacional. Ciel fez o gol do triunfo.

– VEJA A TABELA DA SÉRIE B

CLASSIFICAÇÃO

Com o triunfo, o Carcará alcançou os 28 pontos, cinco a menos que o Grêmio, primeiro do G-4. Enquanto isso, o Tigre é o 10º, com 24 pontos.

CALENDÁRIO

Na próxima rodada, a Tombense encara o Operário-PR, fora de casa. O Criciúma encara o CSA, em casa.

CRICIÚMA MELHOR

Mesmo na condição de visitante, o Criciúma foi melhor e teve boas oportunidades de marcar um gol. A primeira chance veio com Zé Marcos, que assustou Felipe Garcia na cabeçada.

QUASE GOL CONTRA

O zagueiro Joseph tentou cortar a bola que viria para Caio Dantas e quase jogou contra o próprio gol da Tombense.

GOL DO CARCARÁ

Nos minutos finais, a Tombense encontrou o seu gol através de Ciel. No bate e rebate da grande área, o atacante empurrou para dentro da rede, 1 a 0.

PRESSÃO DO CRICIÚMA

Nos primeiros 10 minutos, o Tigre se lançou no campo de ataque e chegou perto de marcar em três oportunidades. Na melhor delas, o goleiro Felipe Garcia salvou na finalização de Thiago Alagoano.

FELIPE GARCIA

O goleiro da Tombense era a grande sensação da partida, já que ele segurava a pressão do Criciúma. Aos 33, Marcos Serrato soltou o pé de fora da área e parou no arqueiro.

GOL ANULADO

Nos minutos finais, o Criciúma balançou a rede, mas a arbitragem viu falta de Lohan em Felipe Garcia e anulou o tento.

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'Let's go!' – Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Jr celebrates as his team Alverca win promotion to Portugal's top flight after 21-year absence

Vinicius Jr has celebrated on social media after his team Alverca won promotion from the Portuguese second tier.

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Vinicius celebrates Alverca's promotionClub up to Primeira LigaBrazilian has stake in clubFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Brazilian has a majority stake in the club, that secured its spot in the top flight with a 2-1 win over Portimonense on Friday. He celebrated with a post on his Instagram story.

AdvertisementWHAT VINICIUS JR SAID

Vinicius posted "vamooos!" on his Instagram story with an image of the squad designed to celebrate the promotion.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Vinicius has held a majority stake in Alverca since February 2025 and now part owns a club that will be competing with the likes of Sporting, Benfica and Porto next season. The team are back in the top flight for the first time in 21 years.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR VINICIUS JR?

VInicius and Real Madrid still have two more matches to play this season, against Sevilla and Real Sociedad in La Liga, before this summer's Club World Cup.

Signed by Klopp: Liverpool hit gold on “world-class” star worth 4900% more

Next month, Liverpool have the opportunity to retain their Carabao Cup trophy, with Arne Slot’s rip-roaring start to life in the dugout taking him to Wembley, where Newcastle United await.

What to say about Liverpool’s campaign? It’s been brilliant, with Slot inheriting a talented team from Jurgen Klopp but keeping the quality intact, advancing it and bettering it.

There are strong title-lifting hopes for both the Premier League and the Champions League, but clinching a domestic cup would be a nice tone-setter for the final phase.

Liverpool managerArneSlotbefore the match

Liverpool have a team plenty strong enough to get the job done, win the trophy in succession. Last season, to be fair, Klopp had to make do with a depleted crop – but the youngsters pulled through.

Liverpool's best youngsters

Klopp’s Kids. Liverpool’s iconic German gaffer was confirmed to be stepping down from his long-time position, but through a strong influx of youth, there was hope for the future.

Conor Bradley and Jarell Quansah had established themselves in the first team and retain such positions to date, joining the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott as regulars.

Conor Bradley and Jarell Quansah.

But it was the younger, less experienced members of Anfield’s wider brood that saw Liverpool conquer Chelsea’s ‘billion-pound bottle-jobs’, as pundit Gary Neville so scathingly put it.

James McConnell, Bobby Clark and Jayden Danns were brought on in the later stages. Trey Nyoni, then 16, sat in the stands in what showcased the potential of that young midfielder.

Injury-hit Liverpool endured, proved they have a new-found academy strength that can rival even Cobham’s imperious rate of production.

However, Liverpool’s brightest star wasn’t even in the matchday squad that day, for he was sidelined along with many more senior teammates.

In fact, the young man in question hasn’t returned to Liverpool action since, one year later. That’s because Ben Doak has been competing in the Championship on loan with Middlesborough, exhibiting his elite-class potential.

Ben Doak's 24/25 season in numbers

Doak, 19, featured five times for Klopp’s Liverpool last season, making exciting headway before a cruel injury ruled him out from December 2023 until the end of the campaign.

Ben Doak for Liverpool

His goalscoring Boro teammate, Tommy Conway, has praised him for his uncanny ability to “cause carnage on the pitch.” Goals and assists are great, but Doak is young and has ample time to build up his potency.

But the raw underlying data bespeaks stardom. As per Sofascore, Doak has started 21 Championship matches this season, scoring three goals and registering seven assists.

Market Movers

He’s also crisp, completing 84% of his passes, making almost two key passes (1.9) every game. Mohamed Salah, for context, averages 2.2 for Liverpool this term.

Compare his Championship metrics with those of Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo in the Premier League this season and you see that he’s got something special to bring to the table, something worth Slot’s time.

Goals scored

0.53

0.51

0.15

Assists

0.20

0.11

0.35

Shots taken

2.76

4.11

1.37

Shot-creating actions

3.94

4.29

4.15

Pass completion

76%

84.1%

84%

Progressive passes

2.82

4.17

2.83

Progressive carries

2.50

3.67

6.78

Successful take-ons

1.64

1.86

1.77

He’s a real player, this young Scotland star. See the table. See Doak’s ball-carrying threat, his creativity and the artful insinuations that they carry.

To think that Liverpool snapped Celtic’s youth player up for just £600k – a compensation fee for the then-16-year-old – only underscores the success, with Klopp leaving the Merseyside outfit in a far better condition than the dilapidation he walked into back in 2015.

Ben Doak's soaring market value

Doak has been in fine fettle this term, praised curiously as a ‘whirlwind dervish’ by BBC Sport writer Tom English.

Senior reporters such as The Telegraph’s Chris Bascombe had “rejected a £15m bid from Crystal Palace” in January, holding out for a £30m figure for the wideman.

With Ipswich Town going one better – literally – and offering £16m, £1m more than the Eagles, Liverpool chiefs surely recognised that they have a banker on their hands. Former Scotland manager Craig Levein has claimed: “this kid could be a world-class player.”

This whole ordeal was met with dismay by many of a Liverpool persuasion. Doak has been tearing it up in the second tier and could become a major player in Liverpool’s first team over the coming years – especially when considering his right-sided placement would be perfect to compensate for the ostensibly outgoing Salah, out of contract at the end of the season.

Slot could make good use of his skills, but given that Doak is already worth so much more than the nominal fee paid for his services, it’s hard to argue that Liverpool haven’t already hit the jackpot on the player.

Ben Doak

To be sure, Doak’s stock could rise higher and higher over the coming campaigns, but his financial skyrocket to at least £30m already marks a 4900% increase from that one-time £600k payment.

Energy, combativeness and dynamic ability sit within a vibrant skill set that has already tempted two Premier League outfits into making their moves – Liverpool must consider their options carefully, but given the need for strengthening across a number of areas this summer, surely Doak’s inclusion in Slot’s second season would only be a good thing?

Whether FSG decide to bite the bullet and cash in on their top talent this summer, or indeed allow him to graduate from the fringes and into the first-team ascendancy, remains to be seen.

But whichever way you look at it, Liverpool have hit the jackpot on this profitable and powerful winger, whose name will only gain steam over the coming years.

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Minor abdominal injury to Ferguson depletes New Zealand further for tri-series

A minor abdominal injury to fast bowler Lockie Ferguson has depleted New Zealand further in the ongoing T20I tri-series, involving Pakistan and Bangladesh. The hosts are already without allrounders Daryl Mitchell, who has been sidelined from the entire tri-series with a fractured finger, and Mitchell Santner, who will join the squad on Sunday after his paternity break.Given Ferguson’s history of injuries – he had also been ruled out of last year’s T20 World Cup with a calf tear – New Zealand will have to manage him carefully in the lead-up to this year’s T20 World Cup. Head coach Gary Stead has said that there’s a chance that Ferguson too might miss the entire tri-series.Related

  • Mitchell in doubt for T20 World Cup with fractured finger

  • Ferguson ruled out of 2021 T20 World Cup with calf tear

“Lockie has a little ab injury at the moment. We’re just managing just that and the most important thing is we get to the start of the World Cup and Lockie is ready to go,” Stead said. “He’s a very, very important cog in our bowling line-up. Unfortunately for him, he missed last year’s World Cup with the injury he had then. I mean we are mindful of it and we want to make sure that he’s right and ready for those early games in the World Cup.”There is that chance [of him missing the entire tri-series]. We will just see how he responds to treatment over the next few days.”New Zealand’s other priority is to get Adam Milne fully fit ahead of the global tournament. Milne, who is also injury-prone, is working his way back from a persistent Achilles injury that forced him to miss the Hundred earlier this year. His last competitive game was in March when he made his IPL debut for Chennai Super Kings.On Saturday, New Zealand picked Blair Tickner ahead of Milne.”It’s the first time I’ve had eyes live on Milne at the nets and he looked really good,” Stead said. “We’re pleased with what we are seeing there and again he is coming off a reasonably extensive injury break as well, so just managing him and making sure he’s right will be the most important thing for us in these four games.”Daryl Mitchell’s presence would lend balance to New Zealand’s XI•Getty Images

Mitchell hopes to be fit for T20 World Cup
Mitchell, who was hit on the little finger of his right hand while batting in the nets on Friday, is hopeful of recovering in time for New Zealand’s World Cup opener against Australia at the SCG on October 22.”Obviously, not ideal timing but we’ve got some good news around where the fracture is in the hand and the time frame to be ready for the first game in Australia in a couple of weeks’ time,” Mitchell told Spark Sport on the sidelines of New Zealand’s tri-series opener against Pakistan on Saturday. “We’ll do everything we can to try and be ready and fingers crossed that I’ll be good to go.Dane Cleaver, Kane Williamson’s cousin, who had hit 83 against India A in a one-dayer in Chennai last month, has been named as Mitchell’s replacement for the tri-series. Cleaver will also be the back-up wicketkeeper to Conway although Finn Allen has also occasionally done the job for his domestic side Wellington Firebirds.

'They look 28!' – Liverpool favourite believes Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah can 'easily' play for two more years but warns club must think about the future

An ex-Liverpool star has issued a warning to Liverpool despite praising the renewal of contracts for Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah.

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  • Ex-Liverpool star pleased with duo's deals
  • Believes they can play for two more years
  • Has word of warning for the club
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  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    Former favourite Vladimir Smicer insists it is great news that the pair, who "look 28", will remain at Anfield for two more years, but has also stressed the need for the Reds to look to the future.

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    WHAT SMICER SAID

    Smicer told Tuttomercatoweb: "They are not very young but they show their consistency. Every time they play you can see that the team benefits from their presence on the pitch. And they are really consistent. The important thing is that they are physically intact. Salah looks like he is 28 years old. Liverpool obviously have to think about the future, but starting again by building the team around them I think is a great choice."

  • THE BIGGER PICTURE

    Keeping Van Dijk and Salah at the club allows Liverpool to retain some consistency heading into next season, with Trent Alexander-Arnold considered likely to depart for Real Madrid. Salah is the league's top scorer with 27 goals, while Van Dijk has been one of the stars of their imminent Premier League title win.

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    WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

    Liverpool could win the Premier League this weekend, if they win at Leicester and Arsenal lose to Ipswich. If not, they will have the chance to seal the deal the following weekend when they host Tottenham.

رومانو: "الإعلان قريب".. فليك يوافق على تمديد عقده مع برشلونة

اقترب نادي برشلونة من الإعلان الرسمي عن تمديد عقد مدربه الألماني هانز فليك، بعد التوصل لاتفاق نهائي على جميع التفاصيل بين الطرفين، بحسب ما كشفه الصحفي الموثوق فابريزيو رومانو.

فليك، الذي تولى تدريب برشلونة في مايو 2024 خلفًا لأسطورة النادي، تشافي هيرنانديز، وافق على تمديد عقده حتى يونيو 2027، بعد شعور إدارة برشلونة بالرضا عن العمل الذي قدمه خلال الموسم الأول له في “كامب نو”.

رومانو أوضح أن كل البنود تم الاتفاق عليها، وتمت الموافقة بالفعل من الطرفين، على أن يتم التوقيع الرسمي خلال شهر مايو الجاري، مع إعلان رسمي متوقع قريبًا من النادي الكتالوني.

اقرأ أيضًا.. موندو تكشف تفاصيل اقتراب رافينها من تمديد عقده مع برشلونة

وخاض فليك موسمًا مميزًا مع برشلونة، قاد فيه الفريق لاستعادة توازنه محليًا، كما أظهر بصماته الفنية على أداء اللاعبين، لا سيما العناصر الشابة الذين منحهم الفرصة بشكل منتظم.

المدرب الألماني يحظى بدعم كامل من إدارة النادي، التي ترى فيه قائدًا مناسبًا لمشروع إعادة بناء برشلونة، خاصة مع تزايد الثقة في قدرته على المنافسة على البطولات الكبرى الموسم المقبل.

بهذا التمديد، يغلق برشلونة الباب أمام أي تكهنات حول مستقبل الجهاز الفني، ويؤكد استمرار المشروع الفني بقيادة فليك، الذي بات على موعد مع مرحلة جديدة في مسيرته مع العملاق الكتالوني.

Dream first Pereira signing: Wolves could land "exquisite" Larsen upgrade

Wolverhampton Wanderers fans will hope the Vitor Pereira bubble doesn’t burst heading into January, as ex-Old Gold boss Nuno Espirito Santo prepares to bring his high-flying Nottingham Forest troops to Molineux next in Premier League action.

Before that fixture gets underway on the 6th, however, there will be plenty of eyes on the transfer window swinging back open, with fears growing in the air that a higher up poacher could win Matheus Cunha at some stage across the hectic month.

On the contrary, Pereira picking up two wins and a draw from his opening three games in charge might well mean the Brazilian star isn’t tempted by a move away.

On top of having to stay alert regarding outgoings, Wolves will also be looking to add in some players this January to maintain positive spirits around Molineux.

Wolves' search for a striker

As reported late last week, Wolves are looking to sign Borussia Mönchengladbach star Tim Kleindienst when the window reopens in order to boost their attacking ranks even more.

The suggestion is that the Old Gold have asked for more information on the explosive German, who is also on the radar of Everton as they too search for more goals to aid their ongoing battle against the drop.

Now capped by his nation at a senior level after showing off his deadliness in front of goal in the Bundesliga, it remains to be seen whether the breakout 29-year-old could make a name for himself in a similar manner in England.

If the £39k-per-week striker enters the English game with this same goalscoring prowess coursing through his veins, he would be a big upgrade on Nordic attacker Jorgen Strand Larsen, who has impressed those at Wolves this season with his own promising displays up top.

What Kleindienst would offer Wolves

Coming in at a towering 6 foot 4 frame – which is identical to Larsen’s own imposing build – Kleindienst can boast that he has more goals next to his name playing in Germany this season than the Wolves number nine has managed to tally up.

In total, the Gladbach ace has fired home a stunning nine strikes in the Bundesliga, whilst also picking up four assists, with Larsen just coming up short in contrast with seven goals and two assists himself.

Always just finding himself in the right place at the right time to power home a strike, it’s been a remarkable rise for Kleindienst, who had been playing in the lower depths of German football most of his playing days before Gladbach swooped in.

Everywhere he has been to date, Kleindienst has proven himself to largely be a goal machine, with anticipation in the air that he could be prolific for Wolves all the same if a big move was to occur.

Competition played in

Games played

Goals scored

Bundesliga

74

23

2. Bundesliga

140

67

3. Liga

35

13

Sourced by Transfermarkt

As can be seen looking at the table above, the in-demand 29-year-old has been a success at every step he has played at in his native country, with 103 career goals tallied up across Germany’s top three divisions.

Whilst Larsen has been a success at points this season for the Old Gold, he only boasts one goal from his last six league games, with Kleindienst – who is an “exquisite one-touch player”, according to The Athletic’s Seb Stafford-Bloor – perhaps the better option as a lofty centre-forward if a move can be reached.

Tim Kleindienst

Wolves majorly gambled on Hwang Hee-chan to work when snapping him up from RB Leipzig, and that move has worked for the most part with two goals coming his way under Pereira’s short stint so far.

Everyone at Molineux would be hoping Kleindienst can be a success story too, in what would be a dream first signing for Pereira, with his crucial contributions potentially seeing the Old Gold rise up the league and away from any relegation danger.

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Leeds readying bid for "versatile" £8m ace club may have no choice to sell

Currently embroiled in a fierce race to win automatic promotion to the Premier League, Leeds United are reportedly readying a bid to sign a Championship midfielder who is worth as much as £8m.

Leeds transfer news

Those at Elland Road certainly don’t need to be informed just how important the transfer window can be. Just six months ago, they found themselves ripped apart by Premier League interest which saw Archie Gray, Georginio Rutter and Crysencio Summerville all depart. It was then that they had no choice but to welcome reinforcements of their own in the form of Ao Tanaka, Jayden Bogle, Largie Ramazanai and a number of others.

Not looking back since, the Whites are once again on course for promotion and should be among the favourites to return to the Premier League at just the second time of asking under Daniel Farke.

That’s not to say further arrivals are unlikely in this month’s transfer window, however, with names such as Burnley winger Mike Tresor and former Everton defender Ben Godfrey already mentioned in the early stages and another target now stealing the headlines.

According to Leeds United News, Leeds are now ready to submit their first bid to sign Ben Sheaf from Coventry City, who reportedly value their midfielder at a hefty £8m this month.

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It’s certainly worth testing Coventry’s resolve on that price tag though, given how they need to use this month and potentially the summer transfer window to balance the books and could, therefore, be left with no choice but to sell Sheaf.

As for the midfielder, himself, the prospect of swapping the Sky Blues for a move to Elland Road may be a difficult one to resist even as club captain given Coventry’s current struggles and Leeds’ pursuit of promotion. Whether that temptation is enough to seal a winter move remains to be seen, however.

"Versatile" Sheaf could take Leeds to promotion

A leader during his time at Coventry, Sheaf has earned the chance to take a side of Leeds’ calibre to the Premier League, but the Whites must first endure successful negotiations with the Sky Blues, who will not want to lose one of their key men so early into Frank Lampard’s tenure.

At 26 years old, the move would also be coming at an ideal time for Sheaf as he steps into his best years as a midfielder and potentially partners the likes of Ethan Ampadu and Tanaka at the heart of Farke’s side gunning for the title.

It’s a rise that former Doncaster Rovers manager Darren Moore saw coming almost five years ago, telling reporters as relayed by The Coventry Telegraph in 2020: “He is a versatile player, equally as comfortable in defence as he is in midfield.

“He’s a lovely footballer. He plays well off either foot, he’s a good technician. He’s got good size and structure and he moves well. He’s got a good eye for a pass and is an intelligent footballer. Those are the types of players that we want to sign here going forward.”

£50,000-a-week Everton player now in active talks over £16.5m January exit

A £50,000-a-week Everton player is now believed to be pushing to leave the club during the January transfer window, having grown frustrated with his time on Merseyside.

Everton manager latest

The Blues had a weekend off after their Premier League clash at home to Liverpool was postponed due to bad weather, in what would have been the final meeting between the two rivals at Goodison Park. The hope is that Everton having a breather could allow them to recharge ahead of a busy festive period, in what is a crucial run of fixtures for Sean Dyche, as he continues to battle to save his job. While he is safe for the time being, it hasn’t stopped other managers being linked with replacing him.

Everton manager Sean Dyche

The Blues are reported to have contacted former Porto boss Sergio Conceicao about coming in at Goodison, but it is claimed that he would prefer to take charge at West Ham instead, with Julen Lopetegui currently under huge pressure at the London Stadium.

Meanwhile, a reunion with David Moyes at Everton doesn’t appear to have been ruled out, with the Scot also seen as an option to come in and take charge for the second time. It is a move that could be met with a mix of positivity and negativity among the fanbase, with some rating him highly after a great first spell there, but others wanting a younger, more attack-minded manager brought in.

Everton player pushing for January exit

On the transfer front, a fresh claim from Tuttomercatoweb [via Sport Witness] states that Everton striker Beto wants to leave the club in January, due to his lack of playing time this season. Serie A side Torino are looking to get a deal over the line – one that could cost as much as £16.5m – with a loan move with an option to buy being mooted.

Roma are also mentioned as potential suitors, but it is Torino who are holding talks already with Beto and his agents.

Beto has been a hugely disappointing signing for Everton since arriving last year, scoring just seven goals in 48 appearances, not producing the level of ruthlessness that was expected of him in the final third when he joined.

For that reason, it makes sense to sanction his exit in January, assuming Dominic Calvert-Lewin stays put, amid doubts over his own future at Goodison. Losing both strikers would make no sense, even if replacements came in, not allowing them time to get used to their new surroundings at a crucial point in the season.

Granted, Everton are in no rush to sell Beto, considering he is contracted at the club until the summer of 2027, but he hasn’t shown anywhere near enough consistent quality in a Blues shirt.

Appearances

9

Stats

1

Minutes played

181

Goals

1

Assists

0

Dribbles per game

0.4

Key passes per game

0.0

Pass completion rate

47.6%

Should the right offer come along, Everton have to consider accepting it, receiving good money for a failed signing and keeping Calvert-Lewin until next summer before making a decision on him at that point.

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