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West Ham United have come forward to sign an “outstanding” striker, who is now likely to leave his club in the summer transfer window, according to a report.

Hammers set sights on striker after Forest defeat

Graham Potter would have been hoping the 2-0 victory over Manchester United would give his side the platform to have a strong end to the Premier League season, but his side fell to yet another defeat on Sunday afternoon, with Nottingham Forest prevailing 2-1 at the London Stadium.

Jarrod Bowen, who has been one of the only bright sparks for the Hammers this season, was once again on the scoresheet, netting his 12th Premier League goal of the campaign, with the England international featuring as a striker.

Bowen’s output this season indicates he could be capable of remaining the first-choice centre-forward in the 2025-26 campaign, rather than moving back out wide, with Potter currently short on options in that area of the pitch.

However, with Michail Antonio now 35-years-old and Niclas Fullkrug failing to make an impact in his debut Premier League campaign, it could be wise to bring in another striker this summer, and a forward with top-level experience has now entered the frame.

According to a report from Italy (via Sport Witness), West Ham have now come forward to sign AS Roma striker Tammy Abraham, who is set to leave the Italian side permanently this summer, upon returning from his loan with AC Milan.

A deal will not be easy, however, with Abraham setting his sights on a move to a ‘top-tier club’, despite his recent struggles, and there are doubts over whether he would be tempted by a move to the London Stadium.

Related West Ham now racing to sign £84m striker who's been "blowing teams away"

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Posts ByDominic Lund May 18, 2025 "Outstanding" Abraham could reignite career at West Ham

In truth, the 27-year-old is unlikely to be in a position to be too picky about his next club, given that he has hardly set the world alight in the Serie A this season, picking up just three goals and five assists throughout the campaign.

The Englishman could get his career back on track by moving back to his native country, however, and a move to the London Stadium could be a good fit for all parties, with Potter currently lacking options in the striker department.

Despite his recent struggles, the “outstanding” former Chelsea man also has a lot of experience at the top level, having made 22 appearances in the Champions League, winning the competition during his time with the Blues.

As such, Abraham, who cost AS Roma £34m back in 2021, could be a solid signing for West Ham this summer, should he be willing to change his stance and move to a club of the Hammers’ stature.

While the mood around the club is still rather jubilant following their incredible win over Real Madrid in the Champions League this time last week, one thing remains true about Arsenal: they don’t score enough goals.

To give them credit, Mikel Arteta’s side have scored more goals than most teams in the Premier League, but that’s still not enough when the club are desperate to lift the title following what now looks like it’ll be three seasons of finishing in second place.

For example, the Gunners have put the ball in the back of the net 57 times in the league this year, which is only the fourth most, behind Tottenham Hotspur with 60, Manchester City with 62 and Liverpool, who have already scored a brilliant 74 goals so far.

Now, one of the most obvious ways to address this problem in the summer is to sign a new striker to lead the line, and while that’ll likely help, it could be just as important to add more quality wingers to the squad, although whoever they sign is unlikely to be worth anywhere near as much as one of Arteta’s key men.

The wingers Arsenal could sign

So, when it comes to wide reinforcements, there is one name that has followed Arsenal from last summer’s transfer window to this one: Nico Williams.

The Spanish international winger is one of the most exciting wingers in Europe at present, and while there will undoubtedly be plenty of competition for his signature, he does seem to be gettable thanks to a £52m release clause in his current contract.

It’s certainly a lot of money to spend on a 22-year-old, but it’d be worth it, as just this season alone, the Pamplona-born “level-raiser,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, has scored ten goals and provided seven assists in 41 appearances.

However, it’s not just youngsters that the North Londoners could sign this summer, as recent reports have also touted Bayern Munich’s Kingsley Coman for a £39m move to the Emirates.

Now, the Frenchman hasn’t had as good of a season this year, only racking up ten goal involvements in 35 appearances, but he would bring with him an abundance of top-level experience.

For example, since making his debut for Paris Saint Germain over a decade ago, the Paris-born winger has won two league titles in France, two in Italy with Juventus and eight in Germany with Bayern Munich, where he has also scored the winning goal in a Champions League final.

In short, both players would be good additions to Arsenal’s squad this summer, but neither one would be even nearly as much as one of the team’s star players.

The Arsenal star worth millions more than Williams & Coman

While they haven’t been as productive as in seasons past, Arsenal do have a few talented wingers in their squad, such as Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, but when it comes to being a true leader within the team, only one attacker comes to mind: Bukayo Saka.

The Hale Ender is unquestionably the best player in Arteta’s squad, as not only has he worn the captain’s armband on occasion, but he’s also the most productive player in the entire team this year, with 24 goal improvements even though he missed over three months of action following hamstring surgery.

So, with all that said, it should come as no surprise that Transfermarkt currently values the 23-year-old at a whopping €150m, which is about £128m, or £76m more than Williams would cost and £89m more than Coman may cost.

That is an enormous difference in the three wingers’ valuations, but when you compare their output from this season, it’s hard to argue that it’s not fair.

For example, the Bilbao star has produced his 17 goal involvements in 41 appearances, totalling 2859 minutes, which comes out to an average of one every 2.41 games or every 168.17 minutes.

The Bayern dynamo has produced his ten goal involvements in 35 appearances, totalling 1597 minutes, which comes out to an average of one every 3.5 games or every 159.7.

Last but most certainly not least, the Gunners’ “future legend,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored his ten goals and provided his 14 assists in just 28 appearances, totalling 1998 minutes.

That means the 43-capped Englishman is averaging a goal involvement every 1.16 games or every 83.25, which simply has to be considered world-class.

Ultimately, signing Coman or Williams would help improve Arsenal’s squad, but it seems far-fetched to imagine either one ever reaching a valuation on par with Saka’s.

Huge upgrade on Merino: Berta wants Arsenal to sign £55m "goal machine"

Given that Mikel Merino is playing the makeshift centre-forward, Arsenal are in the market for a striker, so do they lead the race for a goal machine?

1

By
Ben Gray

Apr 13, 2025

They haven’t been in action since April, and have rested some players for the Australia T20Is, but Shamsi backs them to hit the ground running

Firdose Moonda28-Aug-2023A colder-than-normal winter in South Africa was accompanied by a quieter-than-normal cricket schedule which saw both the national men’s and women’s side out of action for several months. This week, with spring on the horizon, they’re back.The women, who have not played since reaching the T20 World Cup final in February, are in Pakistan for their first tour to that country while the men, who have been on a break since early April, take on Australia at home.It’s the start of an important period for both sides: a rebuilding phase for the women, who have lost senior players to retirement and a rebirth for the men’s team, after they finished last summer on a high under new support staff and now stack up for the ODI World Cup. In the months they’ve been inactive as national teams, some of their players have plied their trade in leagues around the world while others have balanced between taking a break and attending training camps and now, they say they’re ready to begin again.Even though South Africa’s international stocks are no longer as high as they once were – the men are ranked fifth in T20Is and sixth in ODIs – with ICC events every year, they have their eyes on at least one of the big prizes. And this time, they believe they are building the depth required for major tournament success and will start by testing that against the team who have historically pushed all their buttons: Australia.Related

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South Africa are resting key personnel from the curtain-raising T20Is. None of Kagiso Rabada, Quinton de Kock, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Heinrich Klaasen or Wayne Parnell will play in the three-match series, with Dewald Brevis, Donovan Ferreira and Matthew Breetzke in line for debuts. Given that those three have already made their names on the T20 franchise circuit, Tabraiz Shamsi was bullish when asked if they were going into the next series as second best.”Why would the South African cricket team be underdogs against anybody?” Shamsi replied. “Look at the quality in our change room, look at the quality of players we have and even though we’ve rested a few senior players, the guys who have come in are not weak links. Absolutely not. No matter who the opposition is, no matter how good they are, we respect them but we are not underdogs against any team in the world.”Assuming South Africa are going in undercooked is not entirely incorrect, especially against the backdrop of what their opposition have been doing. While South Africa were out of action, Australia (albeit not all the members of the T20I squad) were involved in one of the most intense English summers in recent memory. They competed in the World Test Championship final, and beat India, and then retained the Ashes with a 2-2 draw. While Shamsi would never discount the advantage of regular, competitive cricket, he pointed out that it does not always mean better preparation.”There’re pros and cons as we can see with the Australians, who have been playing a lot of cricket,” he said. “They’ve got a number of guys with injury concerns where we don’t necessarily have that sort of problem.”Pat Cummins, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc and, most recently, Glenn Maxwell will all miss the T20Is with varying degrees of injuries while South Africa boast a fully fit and firing group that has been “put through our paces”, as Shamsi put it.”We’ve been working very hard,” he said. “Honestly, these dark circles under the eyes, they are not natural. We are well prepared.”Though it was hard to tell through a Zoom screen (yes, that’s still a thing), Shamsi did not look particularly tired, but cut a lean figure as a testament to the training he has been doing. He has also had some recent game time in the Lanka Premier League, where he finished as the joint third-highest wicket-taker in conditions which he hopes could mirror those at the World Cup in India.Tabraiz Shamsi made a splash in the Lanka Premier League with his left-arm wristspin•SLC”It was really nice to go to Sri Lanka and play a little bit in the subcontinent,” he said. “In terms of being game-ready, it definitely helps that I have played quite a lot of games in the last month.”What that means for his role in the national side remains to be seen. Though Shamsi had established himself as the premier spinner in the white-ball side throughout 2021 and 2022, he lost ground to Keshav Maharaj more recently, But Maharaj ruptured his Achilles in March and was expected to be out for the rest of the year. He has made a quicker-than-expected recovery and has been included in the squad along with Shamsi and Bjorn Fortuin. It is expected that only two of the three will make it to the World Cup, though Shamsi does not have any certainty on it just yet.”I’m not too sure,” he said. “We are going to see what happens with the make-up of the squad. But I just want to say, it’s a massive effort that Keshav has put in with his recovery. It normally takes about eight or nine months to recover from something like that. So that’s a huge credit to him and the medical staff that has helped him to recover. We are looking forward to having him back on the park and doing the magic that he does.”A call on whether Maharaj plays in the second and third T20I will be taken later this week, with the ODI series a priority. Though the T20Is are clearly experimental at this stage, Shamsi still described playing in them as a “responsibility” and said the results matter. “We don’t want to think too far ahead and look at the World Cup because we have eight international games ahead of that. I’m sure people won’t be happy if we lose eight games in a row,” he joked.Especially not against Australia.”Any opportunity you get to play, if it goes well for you, there’re a lot of positives you can take from it and even if a game or two doesn’t go your way, you learn from it,” he said. “You pick up on points and mistakes that you’ve made so that you can ensure that come the big, crunch games in the World Cup, you don’t repeat the mistakes. Australians like to play hard and so do we. It’s going to be spicy, it’s going to be exciting and that’s the way we like to play our cricket as well.”

And what is the record for the most overs bowled by a player on debut in his first Test innings?

Steven Lynch30-Nov-2021Bangladesh’s top three were all out for 14 in the Chattogram Test. Was this the highest identical score by the first three batters? asked Azweer from India

The trio of 14s by Shadman Islam, Saif Hassan and Nazmul Hossain against Pakistan in Chattogram last week was the highest such coincidence of scores in a Test. In the 1985 Ashes at Edgbaston, Andrew Hilditch, Graeme Wood and Kepler Wessels were all out for 10 in Australia’s second innings.In all international formats, the highest identical score by the top three is 17, by AB de Villiers, Boeta Dippenaar and Jacques Kallis for South Africa in an ODI against West Indies in Port-of-Spain in 2005.The most identical scores in a Test innings (excluding ducks) is six instances of 2. The first of those was by Australia against South Africa in Durban in 1949-50; India had six scores of 1 against West Indies in Ahmedabad in 1983-84.The highest identical score made by three batters in the same innings (not specifically the top three in the order) is 50, by Easton McMorris, Willie Rodriguez and Wes Hall for West Indies against India in Port-of-Spain in 1961-62. This was equalled by Ross Taylor, Corey Anderson and Tim Southee for New Zealand against Pakistan in Sharjah in 2014-15. In ODIs it’s 64, by Tamim Iqbal, Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah for Bangladesh against West Indies in Chattogram earlier this year.In the first Test against India, Tom Latham was stumped by a substitute. Has this ever happened in a Test before? asked Alan Richards from England

Tom Latham was stumped in Kanpur by Srikar Bharat, after Wriddhiman Saha went off with a stiff neck. Latham is the third man to suffer this unusual fate in a Test. The first was the South African Sibley “Tip” Snooke, in the second Test against England in Durban in 1909-10. He was stumped by Neville Tufnell, who was deputising for Herbert Strudwick, who had been hit in the face: “I had a blow just over the eye,” Strudwick wrote. “A ball from [George] Thompson pitched on the leg stump and got straight up!” Tufnell hadn’t played a Test at the time, but he did make his debut in the final match of the tour, in Cape Town, keeping wicket even though Strudwick also played.The second instance came in Lahore in 1964-65, when Bevan Congdon of New Zealand deputised for the unwell Artie Dick against Pakistan, and stumped the left-arm spinner Pervez Sajjad off what turned out to be the last ball of the match. New Zealand’s captain, John Reid, had kept earlier in the same innings, and taken two catches behind the stumps himself. The successful bowler, Barry Sinclair, was turning his arm over for the only time in his 21 Tests, and recalled: “They didn’t bounce a lot.”Who has taken most wickets for England in the Ashes? Is Jimmy Anderson likely to go top in the coming series? asked Michael Roberts from England

Ian Botham leads the way for England in Tests against Australia with 148 wickets, although strictly speaking only 128 of those came in Ashes matches (he played four against Australia in which the urn was not at stake, in 1979-80 and 1980). The lower figure is more likely to fall in the coming series to Stuart Broad, who currently has 118 wickets against Australia in Tests; Jimmy Anderson has 104.In all, 21 bowlers have so far taken 100 or more wickets in Ashes Tests; Shane Warne leads the way with 195. The most likely addition to this list from the upcoming Ashes series is Nathan Lyon, who currently has 85. For the list, which includes all Tests between England and Australia, click here.Stuart Broad needs 11 more wickets to go past Ian Botham’s 128 against Australia in Ashes Tests•Getty ImagesHave New Zealand ever won a Test match in India? I can’t recall one! asked Ahson Atif from India

Before the current series got underway, New Zealand had played 34 Test matches in India. Of those, they had lost 16 (including the last six) and also drawn 16. That leaves the two matches New Zealand have won: by 167 runs in Nagpur in 1969-70 (only their third Test victory away from home, after two in South Africa in 1961-62), and by 136 runs in Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1988-89, with Richard Hadlee taking ten wickets.I noticed that Sri Lanka’s Suraj Randiv bowled 73 overs in the first innings of his Test debut. Was this the most by a bowler in his first match? asked Arquam Siddique from India

The Sri Lanka offspinner Suraj Randiv toiled through 73 overs in the first innings of his debut Test, against India in Colombo in July 2010. He finished with 2 for 222, which is the most runs conceded by a bowler in an innings on debut (next comes Australia’s Jason Krejza, with 8 for 215 against India in Nagpur in 2008-09), but one debutant did send down more overs. In his first Test, in the Ashes at Old Trafford in 1964, the England seamer Tom Cartwright delivered no fewer than 77 overs, including 43 on the first day alone. He finished with 2 for 118, and 32 maidens, many of them bowled to Australia’s captain Bob Simpson, who made 311 in nearly 11 hours. Cartwright told his biographer Stephen Chalke: “I was going for under two an over, so I never felt under any pressure. In fact, I rather enjoyed it… It was just a long grind.”Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Aaron Boone has responded to the harsh assessments levied on his team by two former New York Yankees veterans.

On Fox's pregame show before Saturday night's Speedway Classic, the panel discussed the Yankees' recent struggles. Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez were harsh in their assessments of the current roster and its manager. They didn't hold back.

"They make way too many mistakes," Jeter said. “And you can’t get away with making that number of mistakes against great teams. It just doesn’t happen. They had baserunning mistakes today—you saw [Trent Grisham] getting thrown out at home plate. You can’t continue to do it. You have to clean it up."

Rodriguez similarly said the team makes too many mistakes and there don't seem to be consequences for them.

"If any one of us made a mistake, we would be sitting our butt right on the bench," Rodriguez said. "I see mistake after mistake, and there’s no consequences."

When asked about those comments, Boone accepted the criticism and said it comes with the territory of being the team's manager.

"Look, we’re the Yankees," Boone said. "When we lose games, if it’s in and around a mistake, that criticism is fair game. At the end of the day, we have all the pieces to be a really good team. That’s on me and all of us to get the most out of that."

He did say he disagreed with Rodriguez's characterization of there being no accountability, but that there were no excuses, and results are all that matter.

Perhaps making things worse, Boone and Jeter were teammates on the 2003 Yankees team that lost the World Series to the then-Florida Marlins. After Boone was injured in the offseason, the Yankees traded for Rodriguez to take his third base spot, and Boone was released soon after. So, yeah, there's some history here between the three men.

The Yankees made significant additions to their bullpen at the MLB trade deadline, but if the team continues to make simple mistakes, it won't matter.

MatériaMais Notícias

Cuiabano se despediu do Botafogo em publicação nas redes sociais na noite deste domingo (14). O lateral-esquerdo de 22 anos foi negociado com o Nottingham Forest, da Inglaterra, e irá se apresentar no início de 2026 para a primeira experiência na Europa.

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➡️ Botafogo e São Paulo mantêm contato por negociações importantes

— Um ano de muita luta, amor por essa camisa e um sentimento que essa história não acaba aqui. Obrigado por tudo, Botafogo e torcida do Glorioso — escreveu Cuiabano.

O jogador foi comprado pelo Nottingham Forest ainda no meio do ano e, em seguida, emprestado ao Botafogo para a sequência da temporada. Ele chegou a se apresentar ao clube inglês, mas voltou ao Rio de Janeiro menos de uma semana depois.

continua após a publicidadeBotafogo ainda tenta Cuiabano por mais seis meses

A diretoria alvinegra não desistiu de contar com o jogador para, pelo menos, o primeiro semestre de 2026. Há a expectativa de renovação do vínculo de empréstimo, o que só aconteceria após a apresentação do camisa 6 e período de avaliação junto à comissão técnica comandada por Sean Dyche.

Contratado pelo Botafogo no início de 2024 após destaque no Grêmio, Cuiabano disputou 77 jogos com a camisa alvinegra, marcou dez gols e deu sete assistências em sua passagem. Agora, o elenco de Davide Ancelotti conta com Alex Telles e o experiente Fernando Marçal para o setor.

continua após a publicidade

➡️ Tudo sobre o Fogão agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso novo canal Lance! Botafogo

➡️ Botafogo abre conversas pela contratação de Cristian Medina, do Estudiantes

Tudo sobre

BotafogoCuiabanoDavide AncelottiNottingham Forest

It does now appear that Daniel Farke’s days as Leeds United manager are very much numbered.

This isn’t exactly the biggest shock in the world, considering the Whites have now lost five of their last six Premier League games, with the Aston Villa loss sending them into that dreaded bottom three.

Reports are indicating that the German’s sacking looks inevitable amid doubts over whether he is the correct long-term man at Elland Road, albeit with a succession plan seemingly not yet in place.

Unfortunately, Farke looks as if he will fall victim to a fate that even the great Marcelo Bielsa had to come to terms with in the Premier League.

Not even a colossal 81 wins in charge could save the revered Argentine from the sack in the end, with far less sadness on display when Jesse Marsch was given his marching orders after the South American, when looking at his up-and-down stint in West Yorkshire.

Marc Roca's Leeds woes under Marsch

The new Canada boss would only muster up a weak 11 wins from the pressurised dug-out, in contrast, but that isn’t to say it was all doom and gloom while he occupied the hot seat.

Indeed, Marsch would steer the Whites to safety during the 2021/22 season after picking up the pieces from Bielsa, with a memorable away win at Liverpool even on his resume.

Still, a fair few of the signings the American signed off on during his brief stay in England were extremely hit-and-miss, including the one-season wonder of Marc Roca.

Initially, the Spaniard stood out as a rock-solid option in defensive midfield, with Leeds’ unbeaten start to the 2022/23 season seeing Roca win a high 15 duels in wins over Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea.

Yet, much like Luis Sinisterra, who showed flashes of his excellence at Leeds with five Premier League goals put away, Roca’s efforts ultimately meant nothing, as Leeds succumbed to relegation during his only season at the club.

Pundit Adrian Durham would even state, during his brief time in West Yorkshire, that he wasn’t sure if Roca had the calibre to be a “Premier League footballer”. By the end of the campaign, he was merely a bit-part player, too, despite such early promise.

Leeds will hope history isn’t repeating itself now with this promising summer acquisition, who has gone off the boil somewhat in recent weeks.

Leeds' next Roca in the making

To make matters worse for the Whites, Roca would end up returning to home comforts in La Liga smoothly, having looked far more impressive back at Real Betis.

Chalkboard

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

Indeed, as per FBref, he currently ranks in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for assists per 90, as well as in the top 10% for interceptions and the top 17% for tackles, showcasing an all-around quality that was sorely lacking at Elland Road.

Much like the Betis number 21, Anton Stach was a notable midfield purchase this summer from Europe, with £17.4m splashed out on the German, after he had collected a weighty five goals and 16 assists in the Bundesliga for the likes of Hoffenheim.

He has packed his shooting boots for England, too, with this outrageous free-kick against Wolves earlier in the season making him a fan’s favourite amongst Leeds supporters packed into Molineux.

During the same game, he also picked up an assist, while winning a combined eight tackles and duels.

Yet, since that standout performance against the bottom-of-the-table Old Gold, Stach has failed to consistently deliver, with his form out of sorts against Nottingham Forest at the start of the month, which culminated in the German completing zero successful dribbles and losing possession a high 15 times.

Games played

6

Games started

4

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Accurate passes

153/187

Total duels won

22/40

Looking at the table above, Stach has only won 22 of his following 40 duels since his man-of-match-worthy display in the West Midlands, with Farke even pushing him down to the bench on occasion, which is a fate Roca became very much used to during the latter stages of his hot-and-cold Leeds stint.

Farke has even openly come out and said that Stach needs to “step up” amid a concern that his performances have gone downhill, with relegation staring Leeds in the face, even with glimpses of promise here and there from the ex-Hoffenheim star.

The under-pressure German will hope Stach listens to his words and gets back to his best shortly.

If he doesn’t, and he fades into the background like Roca, relegation looks to be on the cards, as the walls begin to be “slowly closing in” on the ex-Norwich City manager, as per the Athletic’s Beren Cross.

Leeds star is becoming Elland Road's biggest liability since Berardi

Leeds United could now have their biggest liability since the days of Gaetano Berardi in this underperforming flop.

1 ByKelan Sarson Nov 25, 2025

This season is shaping up very nicely for Chelsea at the moment.

Enzo Maresca’s side are second in the Premier League and have the chance to cut Arsenal’s lead to just three points on Sunday.

Then in Europe, they sent a warning out to the rest of the sides in the Champions League with their thumping 3-0 win over Barcelona, a game in which Estevao shone once again.

Maresca and Co will have a chance to make Chelsea’s season even better once the transfer window reopens in just over a month, not just by signing players, but by selling one who once looked like Estevao when he was a youngster.

Estevao's sensational start to life at Chelsea

The expectations placed upon Estevao have been monumental for quite some time now, to the point that respected analyst Ben Mattinson labelled him a “future Ballon d’Or winner” months before Chelsea even signed him.

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

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Since then, the hype surrounding him has only grown, thanks in large part to his fine form in Brazil, where he produced 17 goal involvements in 37 games last season.

Even so, few would have expected the start to this season he has had.

The youngster is not only playing a decent number of minutes, but he’s chipping in with important goals and has already shown a hugely impressive ability to get the fans on their feet.

So far, the 18-year-old has scored five goals and provided one assist for the Blues in 17 appearances, totalling 740 minutes.

That comes out to an excellent average of a goal involvement every 2.83 games, or every 123.33 minutes, which would be commendable for a seasoned veteran, let alone a teenager.

The Franca-born wonderkid has been so effective this year that fans and pundits have actually spoken about him being a particular threat to league-leading Arsenal ahead of Sunday’s game.

However, while Chelsea should be delighted with their new wonderkid, they also need to find a way to sell one of their biggest duds, who once looked like Estevao when he was first breaking through.

The Chelsea flop who needs to be sold

Chelsea have become quite good at moving on players they don’t want in recent years, but even then, a couple remain in the bomb squad who are proving tricky to sell, like Raheem Sterling.

The former Manchester City star joined the club in 2022, and while he’s had moments for the club in which he’s looked excellent, they’ve only ever been that, moments.

Moreover, while his tally of 19 goals and 15 assists in 81 games isn’t terrible, he’s never really put together a string of impressive performances, which is why he was allowed to join Arsenal on loan last year.

Unfortunately, that move only made the situation worse, as he ended up scoring just a single goal and providing five assists in 28 games for the Gunners, and was labelled a “passenger” by journalist Charles Watts.

Since returning to Stamford Bridge, the 30-year-old has been left to train separately from the first team, and with a weekly wage of £325k, that is far from ideal.

It is a serious shame that things have not worked out for the former England international, as before his move south, he was one of the best players in the league.

For example, during his time at the Etihad, he scored 131 goals and provided 86 assists in 339 appearances and won four league titles.

He was even a brilliant player for Liverpool, making his debut in the 11/12 season, but making his name in the 13/14 season, when, like Estevao now, he was just 18 years old.

In that season, the Kingston-born phenom managed to rack up an incredible tally of ten goals and seven assists in 38 appearances, totalling 2535 minutes, which is an average of a goal involvement every 2.23 games, or every 149.11 minutes.

Sterling (13/14) and Estevao (25/26) at 18

Player

Sterling

Estevao

Appearances

38

17

Minutes

2535′

740′

Goals

10

5

Assists

7

1

Goal Involvements per Match

0.44

0.35

Minutes per Goal Involvement

149.11′

123.33′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

It wasn’t just the goals, though, as, like the Brazilian, he was a serious threat with the ball at his feet, thanks in part to his speed and close control.

Ultimately, Sterling will go down as a legend of the Premier League, but for the sake of all parties, Chelsea need to sell him in January, even if they barely get anything.

Related The original Estevao: Chelsea lead race to sign "best player in the world"

Chelsea could sign the original Estevao for a mega-money fee.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 28, 2025

Arsenal dropped further off the Women's Super League title-chasing pace after being held to a goalless draw by Tottenham in the north London derby. The Gunners, who are without a win through their last three games in all competitions, find themselves stuck in fourth place – nine points adrift of leaders Manchester City – after Alessia Russo and Co posted a blank against stubborn Spurs on Sunday.

The home side started brightly, in front of a lively atmosphere, with Tottenham aware of the need to burst out of the blocks in a bid to end their sorry recent record against their arch-rivals. Arsenal’s defence held firm, though, and Renee Slegers’ side slowly grew into the game.

United States star Emily Fox saw a tame effort saved on the 15-minute mark, before Kyra Cooney-Cross curled an ambitious strike inches past the post seven minutes later. England star Russo fired a difficult volley wide of the target with 10 minutes of the first-half remaining, while Stina Blackstenius saw a poor header and low drive from a tight angle easily kept out before the interval was reached.

The first chance of the second 45 also fell to the Swedish striker, but she fired high over the crossbar from eight yards out when leaning back and getting her effort all wrong. Substitute Olivia Smith will feel that she should have done better with a sight of goal on the hour as she drilled straight at Lize Kop before Mariona Caldentey lashed high over the top with her left foot 10 minutes from time as the contest began to fizzle out.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from Brisbane Road..

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Daphne van Domselaar (6/10):

  Did what was required of her on a relatively quiet afternoon – making one early save – with the odd risk being taken in possession when closed quickly by Tottenham forwards.

  Emily Fox (6/10):

  Fired in Arsenal’s first effort of note, which set the tone from that point. Happy to sit and allow others to flood forward, with Spurs being forced deeper into their shell.

  Lotte Wubben-Moy (6/10):

  Never looked flustered and kept Spurs at arm’s length. Does not dive into challenges, forcing opponents to take an extra touch. Kept a clean sheet on her 100th WSL appearance.

  Steph Catley (6/10):

  Shaken up after taking a blow to the head during the first-half, which left her requiring treatment. Played through any pain and was rarely troubled by the Tottenham attack.

  Katie McCabe (5/10):

  Sloppy in possession, doing little to aid Arsenal’s cause when it came to building attacks. Was booked and it came as little surprise when she was hooked at the interval.

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  Midfield

  Kyra Cooney-Cross (6/10):

  Drove the Gunners forward with positive intent. Set-piece delivery from deep caused Spurs problems at times and came as close as anybody to a goal when curling narrowly wide.

  Mariona Caldentey (6/10):

  Surprisingly quiet in the opening exchanges, seeing few touches, but her influence grew as the game wore on. Tried to drive Arsenal through midfield, but lacked any end product.

  Caitlin Foord (5/10):

  Despite Arsenal seeing a lot of the ball, she was rarely involved in their most promising moves. Formed part of a second-half shuffling of the Arsenal pack.

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  Attack

  Alessia Russo (6/10):

  Arsenal’s record when fielding her and Blackstenius is impressive, but the Lionesses striker is better leading the line. Had a couple of half chances while being starved of service.

  Beth Mead (6/10):

  Replaced at half-time. Provided a couple of dangerous deliveries and was always looking to tee up team-mates. Took a terrible free-kick moments before the interval.

  Stina Blackstenius (5/10):

  Found space hard to come by early on. Saw a tame header and shot from a tight angle easily saved. Fired over when well placed early in the second half before being hauled off.

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  Subs & Manager

  Olivia Smith (7/10):

  Strong in the tackle and willing to race forward. Made an immediate impression and posed a threat on the right throughout the second 45 – with one clear sight of goal being passed up.

  Taylor Hinds (5/10):

  Did not have much to do defensively, which may have impacted her concentration. Did not offer much of an improvement on McCabe.

  Frida Maanum (6/10):

  One bright burst into the penalty area troubled Tottenham, but her cross-shot was ultimately cut out before it could reach Russo.

  Chloe Kelly (N/A):

  Thrown on for the final three minutes.

  Renee Slegers (6/10):

  Did her best to mix things up with second-half changes, but was unable to find that attacking spark. Needs a win to raise morale in the Gunners camp.

Manchester United are now willing to outbid Real Madrid to win the race for Tijuana wonderkid Gilberto Mora, who starred at the recent U20 World Cup.

It was recently revealed that Ruben Amorim is putting a heavy emphasis on bringing young players through the ranks, having introduced a number of academy stars to first-team training, with 18-year-old winger Shea Lacey particularly catching the eye.

Amorim plans to rebuild the link between the academy and the senior squad, and Lacey is one of the main youngsters who could push for a place in the match-day squad before the season comes to a close.

Bringing players through the academy has always been a part of United’s DNA, and their current manager has made it clear he wants to continue that tradition, saying: “We want to maintain it. The past of Manchester United is built on kids.

“I don’t want to be the guy that breaks that.”

The Red Devils have also set out to sign impressive up-and-coming talents from elsewhere, with it recently emerging they are in concrete talks to sign AIK Fotboll striker Kevin Filling, and they are now looking to sign another young attacker.

Man Utd willing to outbid Real Madrid for Mora

That is according to a report from Spain, which states Man United are willing to put a lot of money on the table to win the race for Tijuana attacking midfielder Mora, following his impressive performances at the recent U20 World Cup.

Such is United’s level of interest, they are willing to raise the price to a point where Madrid would be forced to back out of the race, but there could be competition for his signature, with Paris Saint-Germain also prepared to spend big.

In order to win the race, the Red Devils are aware they will need to move swiftly, with a deal expected to amount to €4.5m (£4m).

The 17-year-old certainly caught the eye at the U20 World Cup, receiving plaudits from scout Jacek Kulig courtesy of his performances in the group stage.

Not only that, but the teenager has already gained a plethora of experience for Tijuna at first-team level, having made 44 appearances for the Mexican side, during which time he’s amassed seven goals and two assists.

Mora is yet to prove himself in a major league, but his performances for both club and country have been extremely impressive, and it would be a real statement if Man United were able to beat Real Madrid to his signature.

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Posts ByDominic Lund Oct 29, 2025