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Chelsea’s approach to recruitment has long revolved around stacking their squad with some of the brightest young prospects in world football.

In the past few years, they have paid significant sums to secure teenagers such as Estevão, Kendry Páez and Mamadou Sarr.

This summer alone, they have added some of the most exciting youth prospects in Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund, Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United and Jorrel Hato from Ajax.

The logic is simple: bring in rising stars before their price goes up and commit them to long contracts, typically seven years or more.

By doing so, Chelsea not only protect themselves against paying premiums later – as they did with Enzo Fernández’s £107m transfer in 2023 – but also keep themselves compliant with Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) by spreading transfer fees across the length of those deals.

The result is the youngest squad in the Premier League, with an average age of just 23 years and five months.

Not all of these gambles work out, however. A number of players have grown frustrated at limited minutes and moved on.

This summer alone saw exits for Renato Veiga, Carney Chukwuemeka, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Christopher Nkunku.

And in previous years, Chelsea have made high-profile misjudgements by letting go of talents like Mohamed Salah, Kevin De Bruyne, Declan Rice and Romelu Lukaku too early.

Yet there are also success stories that show the model can deliver.

Nowhere is that clearer than with Cole Palmer.

Cole Palmer's stunning Chelsea stint so far

When Chelsea paid Manchester City £40m for Palmer in 2023, the deal was met with scepticism.

Could a player who had mostly been used sparingly by Pep Guardiola truly justify such a fee?

Two years on, the answer is an emphatic yes. Palmer is now the beating heart of Enzo Maresca’s side and widely regarded as the club’s most important player.

Since his arrival, Palmer’s market value has soared from €32m (£28m) to €120m (£110m), as per Transfermarkt.

He was central to Chelsea’s resurgence last season, guiding them to a fourth-place finish, a UEFA Conference League triumph and a Club World Cup title.

His influence was decisive in both finals, scoring twice against PSG in the Club World Cup and picking up man of the match awards in each.

Palmer’s output has been remarkable: 45 goals and 29 assists in his first 100 appearances for the club.

Beyond numbers, his creativity and ability to dictate games in the final third have been transformative.

It is no surprise he won the PFA Young Player of the Season award, or that he broke into the England team in 2023, scoring in the Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain.

Statistically, Palmer excels across multiple areas.

Matches Played

37

Goals

15

Assists

8

Progressive Carries

120

Progressive Passes

214

Source: FBref

His 2024/25 season included 37 appearances with 23 goal involvements, averaging 6.03 progressive passes per 90 and 5.70 shot-creating actions.

He is not just scoring and assisting, but consistently advancing Chelsea’s play in possession.

For all the criticism of the club’s scattergun transfer policy, Palmer stands as proof that sometimes they get it spectacularly right.

How Jamal Musiala compares to Palmer

For every Palmer success story, there is a cautionary tale.

Jamal Musiala’s departure is one Chelsea fans continue to regret.

Having been part of the Blues’ youth system, he left for Bayern Munich in 2019 for just €200k (£175k).

Today his market value is estimated at €140m (£130m), and he is widely considered among the best attacking midfielders in world football.

At Bayern, Musiala has blossomed into a superstar.

In 207 matches, he has scored 64 goals and provided 39 assists, while also cementing his place in the German national team with 40 caps and eight goals.

Former England youth teammate Jude Bellingham once roomed with him, and Musiala’s decision to represent Germany over England has only heightened the sense of loss.

Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes summed it up simply: Musiala is “one of the best number 10s in the world.” The statistics underline his world-class profile.

In 2024/25, he managed 14 goal involvements in 25 Bundesliga matches, with 1.55 shots on target per 90 and an outstanding 45.6% accuracy, as per FBref.

He edges Palmer in dribbling influence too, recording 39.6 carries per 90 compared to Palmer’s 33.0.

While Palmer is the superior progressive passer (6.03 per 90 to Musiala’s 5.35), Musiala’s ability to destabilise defenders with his direct running offers a complementary, if different, threat.

The irony is stark: Chelsea now pay premiums to secure players like Palmer, while having allowed Musiala to leave for a fraction of his current worth.

Injuries have unfortunately stalled his 2025/26 campaign – a broken leg at the Club World Cup means he will miss large portions of the season – but his trajectory remains upwards.

The Palmer-Musiala contrast highlights the dual nature of Chelsea’s youth model.

They are capable of landing gems that transform the team, but just as easily let diamonds slip through their fingers.

Maresca must drop Chelsea dud who was as bad as Chalobah vs Bayern

Chelsea lost to Bayern Munich in their first Champions League game of the season.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 18, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo venceu o Bragantino por 2 a 0 neste sábado (15), no Estádio Nilton Santos, em jogo válido pela 15ª rodada do Brasileirão. Eduardo e Di Plácido foram os autores dos gols do Glorioso, que teve grande atuação coletiva. Com este resultado, o Botafogo alcança os 39 pontos na tabela de classificação e segue mais líder do que nunca no campeonato. Veja as notas do Lance!.

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+ Veja como foi a partida no tempo real do Lance!

Glasgow Rangers return to action in the Scottish Premiership after the first international break of the season as they welcome Hearts to Ibrox this afternoon.

The Gers, amazingly, are still searching for their first league win of the campaign after four draws in their first four games under Russell Martin last month.

Rangers were held to a 0-0 draw by Celtic in their last match before the break at Ibrox, and Martin should be focused on getting more service to Bojan Miovski this time out.

Why Rangers need to create more for Bojan Miovski

The Scottish giants signed the Macedonia international from Girona last month to bolster their options in the number nine position, but he did not get the chances to showcase his finishing skills against the Hoops.

Miovski ended the match with zero ‘big chances’, 13 touches, and zero shots on target, per Sofascore, which shows that they did not get the ball to him in dangerous positions enough.

The left-footed forward, as shown in the graphic below, scored 32 goals in the Premiership during his two seasons with Aberdeen before his move to Girona in the summer of 2023. This means that he is a proven scorer who knows how to find the back of the net on a regular basis in the division.

It is, therefore, down to Martin to create a system and a starting line-up that gets the best out of the forward, which did not happen in the draw with Celtic last time out.

In order to help Miovski to thrive against Hearts, the Rangers head coach must not start with the wing pairing of Mikey Moore and Djeidi Gassama again.

The mistake Martin made for Rangers against Celtic

Martin made a mistake against Celtic by deploying Moore on the left wing and shifting Gassama out to the right against Kieran Tierney, which meant that he was unable to get at Anthony Ralston filling in at right-back for the away side.

Moore, per Transfermarkt, has scored more goals as an attacking midfielder or striker, 17 in 15 games, than he has as a left winger, four in 18, in his career to date, which suggests that he is at his best in a central position.

Gassama, meanwhile, started the season with four goals in eight appearances on the left wing before being moved to the right against Celtic for the first time, per Transfermarkt, and these two calls both backfired for the Ibrox side.

Minutes

72

82

Shots

2

0

Shots on target

0

0

Key passes

0

1

Big chances created

0

0

Dribbles completed

1/3

1/3

Possession lost

15x

10x

As you can see in the table above, the wing pairing ended the game with zero shots on target, one key pass, and zero ‘big chances’ created, whilst they also combined for two out of six dribbles completed.

The Daily Record handed both players 6/10 player ratings for their performances, which seems generous based on their statistics, and noted that Gassama did not look comfortable having to go down the line instead of cutting in.

Both players did not appear to be in positions that got the best out of them, as evidenced by their performances and how they have both performed in other roles at Rangers and elsewhere, and this had a knock-on effect on Miovski.

Because the two wide players were so ineffective for Rangers, the Macedonia international did not get any chances of note to test Kasper Schmeichel, which heavily contributed to the rather drab 0-0 draw that was served up by the two teams.

To correct his mistake, Martin should move Gassama back to his favoured position on the right and unleash Oliver Antman, who is a natural right winger, on the right wing to provide Miovski with the service that he needs.

The former Aberdeen marksman’s record at Premiership level suggests that he will score goals for the Gers if he gets chances, but he seems unlikely to get them if Moore and Gassama play together again in those roles.

Rangers must regret losing the "Mbappe of Scottish football" for nothing

Rangers had a star who was described as the Kylian Mbappe of Scottish football, then lost him for nothing.

ByDan Emery Sep 11, 2025

West Bromwich Albion fans will hope their team is about to enter a very successful Championship campaign with promotion potentially awaiting them at the end.

The Baggies have experienced a lot of near misses in recent years, as the agony of the playoff lottery regularly struck them down, with a hope that the West Midlands side can finally return to the Premier League now, courtesy of Ryan Mason taking the second tier by storm as an unproven manager.

West Brom’s gamble on Carlos Corberan coming good did pay off, after he began his managerial adventure in England as a second in command at Leeds United.

Therefore, Mason might well be just what West Brom need to push back into the top-flight – after arriving from Tottenham Hotspur – with plenty of signings also still on the cards before September’s deadline to surely help him out.

West Brom weigh up move for PL youngster

West Brom have been relatively busy this summer so far with three new signings joining the building already, which includes ex-Liverpool centre-back Nat Phillips moving to the Hawthorns in an impressive deal, on top of £4.7m being forked out on Brann goal machine Aune Heggebo.

The large amount splashed out on the promising Nordic attacker could mean the Baggies are shopping around for some bargains between now and the start of September, with Harry Toffolo reportedly on their shopping list as a shrewd, free agent acquisition.

Unfortunately for Mason and Co., it looks as if the ex-Forest full-back will be joining MLS outfit Charlotte FC instead, which only adds to the recent misery of Mikey Moore choosing to join Rangers on loan, over a reunion with his ex-Spurs coach in the Championship.

However, the Baggies can bounce back from this move going awry by picking up another promising Premier League youngster on loan in the form of Brighton and Hove Albion right-back Charlie Tasker.

Having scored in a recent friendly for the Seagulls, the time could be right for Tasker to spread his wings and develop elsewhere out on loan, with reports suggesting that West Brom are keen on landing the 19-year-old.

Birmingham Live journalist Charlie Haffenden has even suggested that a loan bid could be set to occur, with Tasker ready for a formative stint away from home with the best possible partner in Tom Fellows by his side.

Why Tasker is perfect for Fellows

Scanning Mason’s squad right now immediately tells you that there are issues in the right-back department.

Darnell Furlong is the only recognised right-back option in his entire camp, with Tasker ready to push the 29-year-old for a starting spot, to link up with Fellows to devastating effect.

After all, Furlong is just fresh off a weak season by his standards, donning Baggies blue and white, having collected just one goal in Championship action across the entire 2024/25 campaign. To put that into context, the ex-Queens Park Rangers man fired home a far heftier five league goals when at the peak of his powers during the 2023/24 season.

Therefore, the smart move by Mason could be to bring in a fresh and exciting option on the right to keep Furlong on his toes, with Tasker the perfect loan addition to make, when assessing the table below.

Tasker’s numbers for Brighton by position
Position played	Games played	Goals scored	Assists
RB	30	4	2
CB	24	0	0
RM	5	1	1
Sourced by Transfermarkt

Indeed, across 59 appearances on the South Coast to date, the teenager has stood out as a forward-thinking option on the right flank, with eight goal contributions tallied up from those appearances for the Seagulls U18s and U21s.

This could gift West Brom even more of a spark down their dangerous right-hand side, with Fellows once a rising youngster – just like Tasker – before exploding into life in the senior scene at his boyhood club.

Fellows has never looked back since entering the first team picture in 2023, as seen in his mammoth four goals and 14 assists in Championship action last campaign.

Tasker could well mature a lot quicker having a player of such blistering quality next to him, with Fellows ready to take his game to the next level, too, partnered next to such an attack-minded defender.

Lauded as a “huge talent” for the future by his agent in Ned Ozkasim, on top of also being dubbed as having the mindset to play in the Premier League by Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler, this could well be Tasker’s breakout moment, as he attempts to make a name for himself amid West Brom’s promotion push.

Nicolas Otamendi has confirmed his retirement from international football and says a decision on his club career will be made soon.

• Otamendi to retire after 2026 World Cup
• Venezuela was his last home game
• Denies River Plate return rumours

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Argentina defender Otamendi confirmed in an interview that his time with the national team will end after the World Cup, with the recent qualifying match against Venezuela being his last official match in his homeland. This follows team-mate Lionel Messi’s suggestion that he may retire after the tournament, saying that he has played his last ever qualifier. 

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• WHAT OTAMENDI SAID?

  “I said it was going to be my last official match in Argentina, with our fans , my family would be there… The truth is that they are a key part of me. We are going through a wonderful stage, and the fact that they get to enjoy this moment makes me very happy."  he said on "The World Cup would be my last competition with the national team."

  The veteran is aiming to go out with another World Cup crown, adding: "When you wake up from a dream, you want to dream again, and we Argentines are ambitious . We're going to compete, but always with humility, our feet on the ground, knowing that it's something difficult but not impossible."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The 37-year-old's contract at Benfica expires at the end of the season and it has been suggested he could bow out of the game altogether, though there have been reports of a move back to Argentina for a spell with River Plate, which he denied. 

  "I have a one-year contract with Benfica , and after the World Cup I'll see what I'll do," he said. "I've never spoken to [River coach Marcelo Gallardo], I've never had the opportunity to speak to him."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR OTAMENDI?

  Otamendi will look to end his Argentina career on a high by winning the 2026 World Cup held in Canada, USA and Mexico. 

What started as a rather miserable summer with the sacking of Ange Postecoglou has turned into what could be a brilliant one for Tottenham Hotspur.

Thomas Frank has a massive task ahead of him both domestically and on the continent next season, but Daniel Levy and Co appear intent on giving him what he needs.

After making the required signing of another young prospect in Japanese defender Kota Takai, the North Londoners made the massive £55m purchase of Mohammed Kudus.

The former West Ham United star is undoubtedly going to add something special to Frank’s attack, and now the club appear likely to land another Premier League star who’d be his dream ten.

Tottenham Hotspur target Premier League stars

In an understandable bid to improve their terrible domestic form ahead of next season, Spurs have seemingly made a concrete effort to target players who did exceptionally well in the Premier League last season.

Transfer Focus

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

One of those is Yoane Wissa, who, according to reports, could be available for around £50m.

That might sound like a lot for a 28-year-old Brentford player, but with 20 goals and five assists to his name in 39 appearances last season, he’d be more than worth the outlay.

That said, being a centre-forward, he is obviously not the target who could be Kudus’ dream ten; that tag goes to Morgan Gibbs-White.

Yes, in what is now turning into the latest transfer saga involving the North Londoners, a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Spurs have maintained their desire to sign the Nottingham Forest star.

The Italian journalist has claimed that, despite the Tricky Trees threatening legal action following the Lilywhites’ activation of the Englishman’s £60m release clause, the club remain confident that they will get their man.

That’s undoubtedly due to the player’s desire to make a move happen, with journalist Graeme Bailey also reporting that Gibbs-White has told Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis that he wishes to sign for Spurs. That’s despite interest from Manchester City.

Indeed, earlier in the window, it was reported that the Citizens have been working on a deal to sign the creative midfielder this summer and had allegedly already agreed on personal terms. Yet, they have preferred other options up to this point, namely new signing Rayan Cherki.

This deal would represent a serious financial commitment from the Europa League champions, but given Gibbs-White’s form last season, it’d be one worth making, especially as he’d be a dream ten for Kudus.

Why Gibbs-White would be a dream ten for Kudus

While there are several reasons why Gibbs-White would be a dream number ten for Kudus, one of the most crucial is simply his output.

For example, in just 34 appearances last season, totalling 2824 minutes, the “exceptional” midfielder, as dubbed by Pep Guardiola, scored seven goals and provided ten assists.

That means he averaged a goal involvement every other game, or one every 166.11 minutes, which is made all the more impressive by the fact that Forest only scored 58 goals in the league.

Gibbs-White’s 24/25 in the PL
Appearances	34
Minutes	2824
Goals	7
Assists	10
Goal Involvements per Match	0.5
Minutes per Goal Involvement	166.11′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

Just imagine then how many goals and assists the former Irons star could amass playing alongside someone that creative and effective.

Moreover, when we take a look at the 25-year-old’s underlying numbers, we can see some of the ways in which he could get the ball up to his potential future teammate.

For example, FBref ranked him in the top 8% of attacking midfielders and wingers for passes into the final third in the Premier League last season, and the top 9% for through balls, per 90, demonstrating exactly why some analysts believe that he is a “monster” in transitional phases of play.

Finally, it’s easy to overlook the simple fact that the Stafford-born ace is already proven in the league, so there should be little need for a bedding-in period, and therefore, he could start providing chances for the Ghanaian international from day one.

Ultimately, it will be an expensive deal, but Spurs look to be onto a winner with Gibbs-White, especially in tandem with Kudus.

Gibbs-White will love him: Spurs huge admirers of £80m Premier League star

Tottenham Hotspur’s huge transfer window has shown no signs of slowing down in recent days.

By
Ethan Lamb

Jul 14, 2025

Leeds United have a huge task on their hands in the 2025/26 Premier League season. They will be looking to defy the odds and survive relegation from the English top flight, which is not something the last six promoted clubs from the past two seasons have managed.

The Whites, who were centurions with their points tally in the Championship last season, will be relying on the quality already in the squad, coming from the likes of Ethan Ampadu. However, they have also been busy in the transfer market, too, with Jaka Bijol the headline signing so far.

Yet, the Yorkshire outfit do not seem to be done just yet, when it comes to incomings. Reports in the last couple of days suggest they are set to strengthen in midfield.

Leeds' latest midfield target

Daniel Farke’s side have already got Newcastle United midfielder Sean Longstaff in their sights. The Guardian have recently reported that a £12m deal, including add-ons, is a real possibility, with personal terms easy to agree.

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 Magpies’ academy graduate is not the only midfielder Leeds are targeting.

German news outlet Bild are reporting that they are ‘very interested’ in signing Hoffenheim midfielder Anton Stach.

The Bundesliga side are said to be reluctant to sell but ‘willing to discuss a suitable offer’ if Leeds submit one. However, they are standing firm on their price.

Hoffenheim are demanding at least £17m from the Whites to do a deal, explaining that they need to ‘dig deep into their pockets’ to sign him.

Why Stach would be a good signing

Stach would bring to Leeds two crucial things you need to help survive in the Premier League. They are experience, which he has plenty of, being 26 years of age, and physicality. Given that he stands at 6 foot 4, it is safe to assume he can handle the physical nature of the league.

As for the experience aspect, the German midfielder is a key part of the Hoffenheim side. He made 39 appearances last season, with six of those coming in the Europa League. That included a group stage appearance against Tottenham Hotspur, a game in which he scored.

One of the interesting things about Stach is his versatility. Whilst he is a midfielder by trade, described as an “anchor” by football scout Antonio Mango, the 26-year-old can also slot in at centre-back. Last term for Hoffenheim, he played as a defensive midfielder 26 times and at the heart of his side’s defence on 13 occasions.

That is similar to one of Leeds’ most important players, Ampadu. The Welshman is also a versatile footballer and played a similar role to Stach last term. He slotted in at centre-back 16 times and the base of the midfield 13.

The value of having a player with this profile in your squad was highlighted by Farke back in December. He described Ampadu as “my most important player”, showing just how crucial he is to the side. For Leeds to have two players of that profile would surely serve them well.

Indeed, not only are they similar in this sense, but Stach and Ampadu have similar numbers on FBref. Both are progressive players, with the German averaging 5.3 progressive passes each game compared to the Leeds star’s 4.17 progressive passes per 90 minutes.

On top of that, look at the similarity between their ball recovery numbers. Stach averages 5.96 per game compared to Ampadu’s 5.08. They are neck and neck.

Progressive passes

5.3

4.17

Tackles and interceptions

3.9

2.83

Blocks

1.64

1.02

Progressive carries

1.15

1.02

Ball recoveries

5.96

5.08

Aerial duels won

1.85

2.4

If Leeds get this deal over the line, Stach could switch to Elland Road and become, in many ways, the second coming of their number four, Amapdu. Farke has made it clear that this profile is important, so having two players with that versatility would be a huge benefit.

For just £17m, a deal for this “fantastic” player, as Mango called him, could be one of the bargains of the summer.

Their new Klich: Leeds considering move for PL star after internal talks

Leeds United are reportedly considering a deal to sign a star who could be their next Mateusz Klich.

ByDan Emery Jul 9, 2025

Sunderland are looking to build a squad capable of thriving in the top-flight and have now entered the race to sign a striker who excelled last season, according to a report.

Sunderland begin exciting summer of recruitment

Enzo Le Fee and Habib Diarra have been brought in at the Stadium of Light from Roma and Strasbourg, respectively, with the former becoming the Black Cats’ first addition of the window after a fine loan spell last season.

However, another brilliant piece of news for Sunderland is that Florent Ghisolfi has now arrived as their new Director of Football in the North East, and BBC radio’s Simon Pryde believes his remit will be solely focused on recruitment with Kristjaan Speakman handling external matters.

He stated: “I think Ghisolfi will be on recruitment. His umbrella will be over player recruitment and the first team squad. Speakman has a wide brief at the moment and this will allow him to focus because the structures in the Premier League are vastly different than those in the EFL.”

He added: “Ghisolfi has plenty of experience. (He was) assistant manager at Lorient for two years. (As a football director) he’s been at Lens, and he’s been at Nice, so he has a glowing reputation within football as a director.”

With that in mind, who could arrive to bolster the ranks? Reports suggest Lorient star Arthur Avom Ebong could be next to join Sunderland and discussions are an advanced stage between all parties over a £4 million deal.

Sunderland’s first five Premier League fixtures

West Ham United (H)

Stadium of Light

Burnley (A)

Turf Moor

Brentford (H)

Stadium of Light

Crystal Palace (A)

Selhurst Park

Aston Villa (H)

Stadium of Light

Now, the Black Cats are reportedly in the hat to sign a striker who showed a clinical edge in front of goal last term that hasn’t gone unnoticed.

Sunderland position themselves to sign Luis Suarez

For the avoidance of doubt despite a name that will attract attention, Sunderland have entered the race to sign Almeria forward Luis Suarez this summer alongside Sporting Clube de Portugal, according to reports in Spain via Sport Witness.

The Colombia international registered 31 goals and eight assists in 43 matches across all competitions, though his side failed to gain promotion to the top-flight of Spanish football in the end.

Sunderland plotting bargain swoop to sign "great" Premier League midfielder

The Black Cats could land an excellent deal.

ByTom Cunningham Jun 30, 2025

Notably, Sunderland and Ghisolfi are willing to pay the £21.5 million fee needed to tempt Suarez to England, while Sporting feel that figure is excessive.

However, they have doubts the Santa Marta-born man would favour a switch to the Stadium of Light as he is being lined up in Lisbon as a replacement for Viktor Gyokeres.

Talks have taken place with ‘several’ clubs regarding his future, though the Black Cats’ interest in the 27-year-old is said to be fresh, so it remains to be seen how this one pans out as Regis Le Bris looks to bolster his side’s chances of remaining in the Premier League.

Birmingham romp home in chase after spinners strangle Derbyshire batting effort

ECB Reporters Network16-Jun-2024Birmingham Bears picked up a second win in three days to keep their place among the North Group contenders with a seven-wicket Vitality Blast victory over Derbyshire Falcons at the Incora County Ground.On a used pitch that yielded runs only reluctantly, the visitors restricted Derbyshire to 133 for 7, left-arm spinner Danny Briggs taking 2 for 23 with David Lloyd scoring 50 and Brooke Guest an unbeaten 38. Richard Gleeson took two wickets in the powerplay but it was the Bears spinners largely responsible for tying down Falcons.Derbyshire’s spinners threatened to do a similar job but Dan Mousley and Sam Hain (43) showed considerable patience and eventually reaped the rewards, their 93-run partnership across 13.3 overs effectively winning the match, Mousley closing it out with his seventh four with seven balls to spare.Having opted to bat first, Derbyshire suffered a setback when the in-form Aneurin Donald fell for just 2 but seemed to be heading for a satisfactory start until Gleeson removed Cam Fletcher and Wayne Madsen in the space of three balls in the last over of the powerplay to give Bears an early advantage.A boundary apiece from Guest and Lloyd off Jake Lintott’s opening over hinted at acceleration but Falcons’ progress was unspectacular at 65 for 3 from 10. Lloyd drove a soaring straight six off Lintott and repeated the blow against Briggs to complete a 36-ball half-century but was then caught aiming to clear the midwicket boundary.Samit Patel perished cheaply, pouched at backward point when he skied one from Briggs as the competition’s all-time leading wicket-taker on 229 dismissed his closest rival. At 103 for 5 from 16, Derbyshire had been properly strangled by Bears’ spinners. Mousley’s offspin was wicketless but conceded only 16 in his allocation.Ross Whiteley lifted Chris Woakes into the car park on the leg side but once the ball had been found Woakes promptly bowled him with a full delivery off an inside edge. The over cost 13 runs but was one of only three across the innings to yield a tally in double figures and, after Zak Chappell was run out in the last over, 133 looked too little.Daryn Dupavillon, the South African quick, angled one in to bowl Rob Yates with his fourth delivery. Mousley picked up three quick boundaries but Alex Davies, having uppercut Dupavillon for four and lifted Pat Brown for an audacious six on the leg side was caught at midwicket as Brown exacted instant revenge. Mousley slog-swept Madsen for six and the Bears were 50 for 2 from six.Patel and fellow spinner Mitch Wagstaff applied the brakes, conceding just 29 in six overs bowling in tandem, but with 55 needed after 12 overs, and eight wickets in hand, the Bears were still favourites, more so after Mousley and Hain plundered 21 from the next two before Mousley swept Patel to go to fifty from 42 balls.The requirement was down to six from 17 balls by the time Brown bowled Hain after a 42-ball innings containing only one boundary. Mousley cut Chappell for his seventh four to complete the win.

A huge summer awaits for Everton.

As outlined by Rob Tanner of The Athletic, the Toffees currently have ten first-team players out of contract, which is more than any other Premier League club, including Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Idrissa Gana Gueye and captain Séamus Coleman, to name but a few.

So, as they move into their brand-new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, there’s going to be plenty of work for David Moyes and the back room staff to do in the transfer window, but could a current member of the squad step up and come to the fore?

The latest on Abdoulaye Doucouré's Everton future

As was widely reported this week, Abdoulaye Doucouré will leave Everton this summer as a free agent, following the expiration of his contract, stating that he is “sad to leave” and that he “will be forever a Blue”.

After scoring the winner at Nottingham Forest last month, the Mali international mimed answering the phone and signing a contract, overtly stating his desire to stay, but his five-year association with the Toffees will come to an end, with Sunday’s trip to Newcastle set to be his 166th and final appearance for the club.

Given that Doucouré has started 31 of Everton’s 37 Premier League matches to date this season, one of the five he missed being due to a red card picked up after full time of the Merseyside derby celebrations, he will be a tough man to replace.

But do the Toffees already have a young star coming through ready to do just that?

Everton's next midfield stalwart

Cast your mind back to last summer when, as outlined by Gabriele Marcotti of ESPN, certain Premier League clubs, namely Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, Chelsea, Aston Villa and Everton, were swapping players on the cusp of the 30 June deadline, thereby avoiding breaching Profit and Sustainability Rules.

One such deal saw Villa sign Lewis Dobbin for a reported £10m from Everton, while Tim Iroegbunam went in the opposite direction, costing the Toffees a reported £9m.

The majority of the players involved in these conspicuous deals had no impact at the club they joined, as the table below outlines.

Selected Premier League transfers pre-30 June 2024
Players	Club joined	Appearances 24/25
Lewis Dobbin*	Aston Villa	Zero
Omari Kellyman	Chelsea	Zero
Odysseas Vlachodimos	Newcastle	1
Samuel Iling-Junior*	Aston Villa	Zero
Enzo Barrenechea*	Aston Villa	Zero
*spent the season out on loan
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt

Iroegbunam, in truth, made only 21 appearances for Everton this season, totalling a mere 676 minutes, so could feature on this list for sure, but this was largely due to a foot injury suffered against Newcastle in October, keeping him on the sidelines until February, having started each of the Blues’ first four matches of the campaign beforehand.

His only start under Moyes came when Arsenal visited Goodison in April, but the 21-year-old is highly-rated, with Steven Gerrard, when he was at Aston Villa, saying that Iroegbunam possesses “all the attributes to be a top Premier League player” in the future.

Meantime, Jacob Tanswell of The Athletic praised the youngster’s ‘sharp counter-pressing’, while Jacek Kulig of Football Talent Scout outlined how he ‘regularly roams forward in attack’, while boasting ‘defensive awareness, speed and tackling ability’, making him an excellent all-round midfielder.

These all sound like similar characteristics to Doucouré, so let’s assess how the duo compare.

Abdoulaye Doucouré vs Tim Iroegbunam comparison
Statistics	Doucouré 24/25	Iroegbunam 23/24 & 24/25
Appearances	32	27
Minutes	2,563	722
Goals	3	Zero
Assists	2	1
All statistics below are per 90
Shots	1.09	0.61
Completed passes	26	20
Pass completion %	80.2%	77.9%
Interceptions	0.3	0.9
Clearances	0.6	0.6
% of ground duels won	53%	50%
% of aerial duels won	37%	50%
Tackles	1.5	1.6
% of dribblers tackled	32.6%	56.3%
Ball recoveries	5	8
Touches	41	43
Average Sofascore Rating	6.77	6.55
Note: Statistics are Premier League only
Statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt, FBref.com and SofaScore

Of course, Iroegbunam’s lack of Premier League minutes does mean only a small sample size can be analysed, but his statistics are still impressive.

The table outlines that Doucouré is more of a goal threat, but that Iroegbunam is a better out-of-possession midfielder, boasting superior numbers when it comes to ball recoveries, interceptions, clearances, tackles and aerial duels.

These are all qualities Moyes would look for in a midfield player and, while Patrick Boyland of the Athletic believes Iroegbunam is still ‘adapting’ to a new style of play, the stats suggest he could become a key figure for the Toffees next season.

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By
Ethan Lamb

May 22, 2025