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Owner Jorge Mas wants to extend Messi, says he 'would fully expect' the Argentine on the roster for stadium opening in 2026

As expected, Inter Miami confirmed Friday that manager Tata Martino is leaving the club, with the 62-year-old Argentine citing "personal reasons" for his departure.

“It has been an honor to work at such a special club, and to lead such a special team," Martino said at a news conference, alongside managing owner Jorge Mas and president of football operations Rail Sanllehi. "I’ve enjoyed my stay at Inter Miami and will treasure the memories made and relationships forged here for the rest of my life. I depart with nothing but gratitude for my time here and would like to offer sincere thanks to everyone that made it possible.

"For strictly personal reasons, I have to leave Inter. I can’t come back next year, I need to be in Rosario."

The news comes weeks after Miami, the 2024 Supporters' Shield winners and No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, crashed out of the postseason in the opening round, falling to Atlanta United.

The club is embarking on a journey to find their next manager, while preparing for 2025 and the years beyond. While they did not confirm reports that Miami is set to hire Javier Mascherano, Lionel Messi's former Argentina and Barcelona teammate, as Martino's replacement, Mas and Sanllehi spoke about what the future of the club looks like, the status of Messi's contract, and ambitions for the organization.

Getty Images SportMartino out, Mascherano in?

With Martino departing, multiple reports surfaced Friday that Mascherano is set to become the club's next coach, with ESPN reporting the two sides are in contract negotiations. The 40-year-old most recently led the Argentina U23 team at the Paris Olympics, where they were heavy favorites for the event. However, they took second place in the Group Stage, and exited the tournament in the quarterfinals after a feisty 1-0 loss to Thierry Henry's France.

Mas said that Messi has a key role in the hire, and that hiring a coach with an MLS resume is not necessarily a prerequisite.

"Experience in MLS would be good, but I don't think it's the principal criteria. I think it's more about how you manage the roster with unlimited potential," Mas said. "I spoke to Leo on Saturday after he and Tata spoke. I asked him what is important to you and what is important to get the best of our roster. How do we improve? Leo shared with me his thoughts, not dissimilar to what I explained.

"Without a doubt a familiarity with Leo and the other stars is an advantage in every aspect. I want Leo to feel comfortable with the new trainer and coach. We went out and spearheaded that. Leo gave me what I asked him, which is input. But that was his involvement and engagement with me."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMessi to extend?

Messi's contract, meanwhile, is set to expire at the end of 2025, but the two parties do hold an option to extend his deal in South Beach. In an ideal world, the are hoping to keep him past 2025, as they open their new soccer-specific stadium Miami Freedom Park the following year.

“Leo and I will sit and discuss the future. As I’ve said before and I will repeat now, I would fully expect for the opening for our new stadium in Miami in 2026, after a trophy laden 2025 season, that Leo Messi will be our No. 10,” Mas said.

In 2025, Miami will have a chance at multiple trophies, including the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, Leagues Cup, MLS Supporters' Shield and the MLS Cup.

"He's an amazing leader within this building, and that is a tribute to him as a player," Mas said. "As I've said before: he's a competitive beast who wants to win. And that's a trademark that he shares with his owners."

AFPMiami going global?

Expectations are elevated for Miami in 2025, following what team president described was a "disappointing exit" from the postseason. Not only does that include trophies, but includes the footprint of the franchise as a global team.

“We didn’t create this club just to exist. We created this club to establish excellence and to compete at the sport’s highest levels – not only in North America or in the hemisphere but worldwide,” Mas said. “And we have a great opportunity next summer at the Club World Cup, which is a beautiful challenge.”

The Club World Cup isn't their only ambition, though. Mas hopes to have Messi represent the in the Copa Libertadores.

“I would love to see Inter Miami in the Copa Libertadores, because we aspire to play against the best clubs in South America,” Mas said. “There’s also a very selfish part of me: it’s the only competition that Lionel Messi hasn’t played in."

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Getty ImagesWhat next?

The club is heading into 2025 with ambition, on and off the touchline. However, they will need to revamp their roster and figure out how to adjust without a few key components in the squad.

Star winger Paraguayan winger Diego Gomez is expected to leave the club in January, with Premier League side Brighton set to bolster their attack with his signature. Luis Suarez, 2024 MLS MVP nominee and starting striker, is out of contract and the club is currently in negotiations with the Uruguayan about a potential renewal.

"Suarez has been an amazing addition to our team, what he’s done this year was spectacular," Mas said of the 37-year-old. "Jordi Alba, in my personal opinion, had the best season a left back ever had in the history of this league. We’re going to continue having the best team we can, there are no budget limitations, we will bring the best players we can from anywhere in the world."

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe will be hoping he can secure a marquee signing or two before the end of the summer transfer window.

So far, only Lewis Hall, Odysseas Vlachodimos and William Osula have signed for a transfer fee, with John Ruddy and Lloyd Kelly joining for nothing.

Could this be about to change, however, as the Magpies were watching a player in action over the weekend who could transform their attack…

Newcastle United have scouted Euro 2024 star

According to reports in Turkey (via Sport Witness), Newcastle have closely followed Baris Yilmaz over the previous few weeks with regard to potentially making a move for the winger.

The Turkish Süper Lig season started last Friday, as Galatasaray secured a 2-1 win over Hatayspor to begin their title defence with three points. The Magpies sent scouts to monitor Yilmaz during the display, where he was utilised on the left wing.

Last month, it was claimed that a fee of around €30m (£25m) would be needed if a club wished to prise Yilmaz away from Turkey.

No European football this season is a major blow for Howe, but by signing Yilmaz, it won't be long before the club returns to continental competition.

Baris Yilmaz’s 2023/24 season in numbers

The Turkish winger enjoyed a productive campaign for Galatasaray during 2023/24. Across a total of 55 appearances in all competitions, the 24-year-old scored seven times while grabbing 12 assists.

These 19 goal involvements meant he registered a goal contribution once every 2.8 games, not bad at all and this could get even better next season, especially if he is playing with Swedish sensation Alexander Isak.

Goals

6

Assists

6

Big chances created

10

Shots per game

1.6

Key passes per game

1.2

Successful dribbles per game

1.8

Total duels won per game

6.4

Among his teammates, Yilmaz ranked fifth in the squad for goals and assists in the top flight (12), while also ranking fifth for shots per match (1.6), fourth for big chances created (10) and first for successful dribbles per game (1.8).

Those two latter statistics would allow him to make Isak even more unplayable than he already is. Yilmaz regularly creates chances for his teammates, which could see the striker find the back of the net more often, while his dribbling ability could get the Turk into dangerous positions in the final third.

The only attacker to register more than ten big chances in the Premier League last term for Newcastle was Anthony Gordon, which suggests another player with the ability to unlock opposition defences is required.

The winger – who played in all of Turkey’s games at Euro 2024 – has been praised by former Turkish international Selcuk Inan, who said: "I think Baris Alper Yılmaz can play very comfortably for many teams in the Premier League at the moment. He’s a very special player.”

A solid endorsement indeed. Isak scored 25 goals in just 40 matches last season. Adding someone like Yilmaz to the Newcastle squad could see this tally rise next term, without a shadow of a doubt.

For just £25m, Howe could secure himself a wonderful bargain.

A dream for Guehi: Newcastle could land "incredible" Trippier replacement

The talent would allow the Magpies to forget about one current first-team member.

ByEthan Lamb Aug 9, 2024

Representatives from the Guyana and the Barbados cricket boards failed to show up at the virtual AGM

Nagraj Gollapudi28-Mar-2021In a dramatic turn of events, the Cricket West Indies (CWI) board elections have been adjourned till April 11 after representatives from the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) failed to show up for the virtual annual general meeting. CWI subsequently said that the AGM had to be postponed as per the constitution due to the “lack of a quorum”.For quorum, at least nine out of 12 voters had to be present, but with the GCB and BCA representatives not showing up, the CWI had to call off the election. In a media release on Sunday, CWI said representatives from the rest of the four territorial boards – the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA), Leeward Islands Cricket Board (LICB), Trinidad & Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB), Windwards Islands Cricket Board (WICB) – were present.”The meeting therefore could not proceed to business as the CWI Articles of Association stipulate that nine (9) representatives of the Full Members need to be present in person to constitute a quorum,” the CWI statement said. “Despite having previously authorized their representatives to attend, when the roll was called there were no representatives present from the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) nor the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA).”Related

Ricky Skerritt set to be elected for second term as Cricket West Indies president

'Pandemic forced us to do more with even less' – CWI president Skerritt

The Articles of Association provide that if there is no quorum within 30 minutes from the time appointed for the meeting (in this case, 10am Eastern Caribbean time), it shall stand adjourned to the next business day or to such other time and place as the Board of Directors may determine, and that at the adjourned meeting no other business may be transacted.Attempts to reach the representatives from the BCA and GCB were unsuccessful, with the meeting eventually getting adjourned at 10.50am.Sunday’s elections were meant to elect the president and the vice-president with two candidates in fray. Incumbent Ricky Skerritt and his deputy Kishore Shallow were contesting for a second two-year term against the pair of Anand Sanasie and Calvin Hope. Incidentally, Sanasie is the GCB secretary while Hope is the BCA vice-president, and both boards had nominated the pair for the CWI board elections.ESPNcricinfo understands that both Sanasie and Hope were not present at the AGM but later Hope attended the emergency CWI meeting where the decision to postpone the elections was taken. It is understood that Hope opposed the new date of the elections, too, but was outvoted. Each of the six territorial boards have two votes each, which can be cast by two representatives nominated by each of these boards.Both Skerrit and Shallow were nominated by the TTCB and the LICB. The pair also had support of WICB, where Shallow is board president.As per the CWI constitution, the voting process is normally a show of hands unless any of the board members wants a secret ballot. It is understood that the CWI corporate secretary had created an electronic version of a ballot, as this was the first time the elections were being held virtually. In 2019, Skerritt had defeated Dave Cameron, who had been the president for six years, through a secret ballot with an 8-4 margin.Why did Sanasie and Hope not turn up?
Skerritt and Shallow received a boost on Sunday when, along with the TTCB and the WICB, the JCA’s vice-president Donovan Bennett said that his board would be backing the pair. Incidentally, in the 2019 election the JCA had nominated Cameron.According to Bennett, the JCA’s choice to back Skerritt was “unanimous” as he was impressive during his presentation of his manifesto recently. “When he made his presentation to the [JCA] board, we were surprised as to what he had achieved, it was a lot more than what we had expected taking into consideration the amount of time he had and restrictions that had impeded a lot of stuff that he wanted to do and so based on that, we thought that he deserved another term in office,” Bennett told the .The fate of the CWI elections carried a lot of importance for Sanasie because the GCB polls were also scheduled for March 29. However, it could not be confirmed if that was the key reason for the no-show.

Glasgow Rangers have already played two matches in the 2024/25 campaign and it seems as though supporters may have to be patient with Philippe Clement.

The Belgian boss has attempted to overhaul the playing squad, with several players moving on and arriving at Ibrox, but it has largely been the same players from last season playing in the first two matches.

Connor Barron, who arrived from Aberdeen, is the only player who was not at the club last season who has started in the first two games against Hearts and Dynamo Kyiv.

Jefte did come off the bench at half-time on Tuesday night, though, and Wolfsburg loanee Vaclav Cerny came on to assist Cyriel Dessers' last-gasp equaliser in the Champions League qualifier.

There is still plenty of time left before the summer transfer window slams shut at the end of this month, though, and this means that Rangers could yet make further additions to replace some of their current underperformers.

One player who must be replaced and dropped from the starting XI before the end of the window is attacking midfielder Tom Lawrence, who continues to underwhelm.

Tom Lawrence's struggles in a Rangers shirt

The Welsh whiz is not a terrible player who is of no use to Clement, as he could provide a decent option to bring off the bench, but he has not done enough to suggest that he should be starting games on a regular basis.

Attacking midfielders Ianis Hagi and Alex Lowry have reportedly been told that they are free to move on from Glasgow this summer, and fellow number ten Todd Cantwell has handed in two transfer requests.

This has left Lawrence as the only senior attacking midfield option for Clement to call upon, which was a concern ahead of these recent matches due to his lack of form last term.

Appearances

23

Goals

2

Minutes per goal

589

Assists

3

Big chances created

4

Key passes per game

1.1

As you can see in the table above, the former Derby County player rarely made an impact at the top end of the pitch, with five direct goal contributions in 23 appearances.

He scored one goal every 589 minutes in the Scottish Premiership for Rangers and that did not suggest that the club should rely upon him as a regular starter this season.

Lawrence has blanked in the first two games of this term, starting against both Hearts and Dynamo Kyiv, with zero goals and zero assists for the team, including just one chance created in 90 minutes in the league on Saturday.

At the age of 30, there may not be much – if any – development left for the Wales international to go through, which means that he may not improve his lacklustre returns in front of goal.

Therefore, Rangers must dip into the market to sign one of their reported transfer targets in order for Clement to drop Lawrence from the team.

Rangers keen on Premier League midfielder

It was recently reported by TEAMtalk that the Light Blues have identified Manchester United central midfielder Hannibal Mejbri as a potential target this summer.

The outlet claimed that the Scottish giants have already been in contact with the Premier League side to discuss a possible swoop for the Tunisia international.

It was stated that the Gers, in an ideal world, would like to bring the 21-year-old star in on an initial season-long loan with an option to make it permanent next summer.

However, Manchester United would prefer to cash in on the academy graduate on a permanent basis, rather than sanctioning a temporary exit from Old Trafford.

TEAMtalk claimed that the two teams have, though, held positive talks over a potential deal for the Tunisian prospect, which suggests that it may not be an impossible transfer for the club to pull off.

The report added that the Red Devils would be looking for a fee within the region of £7m for Hannibal and it remains to be seen whether or not the Gers would be willing to pay that kind of price for his services.

Nils Koppen and Clement must work hard to see if they can get a deal over the line for the midfielder, whether it is on loan or a permanent basis, as he could come in and replace Lawrence.

Why Rangers should sign Hannibal

The French-born starlet endured a difficult 2023/24 campaign, with just 11 league appearances for United and Sevilla combined, but that should not deter Rangers.

Prior to last season, Hannibal had emerged as an incredibly promising young talent thanks to his form at academy level for United and on loan at Birmingham in the English Championship.

Firstly, the 21-year-old whiz had produced six goals and 17 assists in 41 games for the Red Devils at U23 level, which showed that he is a midfielder who likes to get forward to make things happen at the top end of the pitch.

Hannibal was then given the chance to go out and play regular first-team minutes for Birmingham in the Championship and caught the eye with his performances in the middle of the park, leading to manager John Eustace dubbing him "phenomenal".

Assists

0.23

Top 7%

Expected Assisted Goals

0.18

Top 10%

Shot-creating actions

3.14

Top 24%

Key passes

1.62

Top 18%

Crosses into penalty area

0.28

Top 19%

As you can see in the table above, the Tunisian maestro stood out among his positional peers in the division in a host of creative metrics in the second tier.

He produced five assists and created six 'big chances' in 21 starts for Birmingham, whilst Lawrence has managed three assists and four 'big chances' created in his last 24 league games for Rangers since the start of last season.

At the age of 21, Hannibal would also arrive at Ibrox with plenty of time left ahead of him to develop and improve, and the same cannot be said for the Welsh dud.

As bad as Souttar: Clement must bin 2/10 Rangers man after Kyiv no-show

The Light Blues attacker endured a frustrating evening in the Champions League.

ByDan Emery Aug 7, 2024

Therefore, Clement could ditch Lawrence from the starting XI and bring the United youngster in due to his potential to offer more creativity in the number ten role, whilst also having the scope to improve further.

Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise may face punishment from UEFA after he was spotted violating a rule during the game against Paris Saint-Germain.

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Olise spotted throwing shin guards awayWinger was told to wear them by fourth officialBayern star violated IFAB rulesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Frenchman was introduced as a second-half substitute as his side ran out 1-0 winners against PSG in Munich on Tuesday. Before he was allowed on, the fourth official noticed Olise was not wearing shin guards and told him to put some on. Olise eventually put them on, but threw them away before he entered the field.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE EXPLANATION

The International Football Association Board's (IFAB) regulations dictate that all players must wear shin guards, meaning that the 22-year-old broke the rules and could be punished by UEFA.

While there have been concerns about player safety as modern shin guards are viewed by many as too small to offer proper protection, IFAB does not regulate the size.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Bayern were 1-0 up when Olise made his appearance and the win puts the German giants in 13th place with nine points. Vincent Kompany's team are only a point outside of the top eight, though, with three games left.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR OLISE?

While the ex-Crystal Palace star will awaits news on his potential punishment, he will continue preparing for the the Bundesliga leaders' headline showdown against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.

Jake Ball, Luke Fletcher share four wickets before late recovery from eighth-wicket pair

ECB Reporters' Network08-Apr-2021Against an opponent without a win in this competition in 27 attempts. Durham might have fancied themselves to get their LV= Insurance County Championship season off to a positive start but they will feel the opening day here was one of wasted opportunities as wickets were lost at key moments, before a fightback of sorts from eighth-wicket pair Bryson Carse and Ben Raine.Asked to bat first on a typical green-tinged early-season pitch, they recovered well from a stuttering start against a Nottinghamshire seam attack that looked potent even with overseas signing Dane Paterson not yet match fit after a long-term injury.The returning Scott Borthwick’s second county debut ended in a four-ball duck but Alex Lees and David Bedingham each made half-centuries and Jack Burnham was well placed to match them if not do better. Yet none was able to progress.”I think after being five for two to be still batting at the end of the day we would take that,” Bedingham said. “On the other hand we were also 144 for three at one stage, so you could look at the day in two ways. But in saying that it is early season and the ball was nipping around a bit so although we might not take the score after being five for two we can be happy and I think that last partnership between Brydon and Ben at the end made it just about our day.”Having them at eight and nine is great because they can both bat higher and if they can push us towards 300 in the morning we will feel in a good position.”The swift demise of Borthwick, surprised by a Jake Ball yorker that trapped him leg before, followed that of opener Mike Jones in the same over, the fifth of the innings.Jones, who also failed to score, edged to third slip, where Haseeb Hameed held the catch at the second attempt, and Borthwick’s dismissal left Durham 5 for 2. Ball’s inclusion was something of a surprise given he had not played any warm-up matches after his involvement with England in India but 2 for 10 from his six-over new-ball spell was ample justification.Otherwise, it was Durham’s morning until the last over, after Nottinghamshire had successfully lobbied to squeeze in an extra one before lunch. Bedingham, who had taken his opportunities efficiently in a 76-ball fifty, faced a decent ball from Luke Fletcher but seemed momentarily indecisive as he edged to wicketkeeper Tom Moores, ending an 88-run partnership for the third wicket.Durham needed to graft after lunch, but Lees cashed in on a rare loose over from Ball with three boundaries to complete an 118-ball fifty that looked like a strong platform. Soon afterwards, however, he was wastefully run out as the non-striker, beaten by Joe Clarke’s pin-point throw to the bowler’s end after new partner Burnham had attempted a chancey second run to deep backward square off Lyndon James.Burnham survived to reach 42 at tea but perished in the first over of the final session, caught behind on the leg side as he flicked at a delivery from Fletcher, after which Ned Eckersley and Stuart Poynter fell in quick succession, the latter a deserved wicket for a tidy display from medium pace allrounder James.It was left to Carse and Raine to survive 16 overs against the second new ball and they have added 45 so far, dragging back some of Nottinghamshire’s advantage.”It’s a good cricket wicket compared with what you often see at this time of year and I thought we bowled really well to keep them to this score,” Ball said. “We got wickets at important moments. The one just before lunch made it our session and the run-out of Alex Lees was a big one for us because he was playing really well and looked settled. You could see it gave us a lift and we got two or three more wickets soon afterwards.”From my point of view, although I got through three sets of hand-warmers it was that cold in the wind, it was good to have the red ball in hand and get into a bit of rhythm. I have not had much cricket lately but I felt in good shape going into the match and it was good to get out there playing.”

GOAL attempts the impossible by ranking the finest footballers of the past 25 yeas based on talent, trophies, impact and longevity…

Brace yourself, reader. Take a moment to prepare for what's coming. Because you're about to get very riled up.

GOAL has put together its list of the 25 greatest players of the 21st century so far – and there's zero doubt that a number of the rankings are going to annoy the hell out of you. You'll be even more upset when you realise that some of your favourite players have been excluded. Seriously, there are Ballon d'Or winners that haven't even made the cut!

So, sit down, take a breath and trawl through our rage-inducing selections, which are based on talent, trophies, longevity and impact… Oh, and don't forget, you can vent your fury in the comments section!

Getty25Kevin De Bruyne

A fully-fit and firing Kevin De Bruyne is a joy to behold, a wonderfully elegant footballer capable of pulling off passes that others can't even see – which helps explain why he's won the Premier League's Playmaker of the Year award on three occasions. The brilliant Belgian would have claimed even more had it not been regularly hindered by injury, but De Bruyne's CV is as impressive as his unstoppable mix of intensity and innovation. He has six Premier League titles to his name and been named in the Team of the Year five times.

Success at international level has thus far eluded De Bruyne and the other members of Belgium's 'Golden Generation', but his reputation as "The Godfather of attacking midfielders", as Joe Cole once put it, remains firmly intact.

AdvertisementGetty 24Wayne Rooney

When a 16-year-old Wayne Rooney ended Arsenal's 30-match unbeaten run with a stunning strike for Everton at Goodison Park on October 19, 2002, Arsene Wenger proclaimed the already fully-formed forward "the biggest English talent" he'd seen during his time in charge of the Gunners. Sir Alex Ferguson was just as smitten and signed the Scouse street-footballer for Manchester United just two years later for £25 million – which proved an absolute bargain.

Rooney won 16 trophies at Old Trafford, including five English titles and a Champions League, and went on to become United's record goal-scorer (208). Of course, when it comes to Rooney, there's always the nagging feeling that he could have achieved even more had he looked after himself better – he looked like a potential all-time great at Euro 2004 – but he was one of the most complete forwards of the modern era, as underlined by the fact that he ranks second for goals and fourth for assists in the all-time Premier League standings.

Getty23Kaka

When Carlo Ancelotti saw Kaka for the first time, he wasn't convinced. The Brazilian looked far too prim and proper; he reminded him of a clean-cut university student. "But then he stepped onto the field," the Italian wrote in his autobiography, "and the heavens opened!" Kaka really was a divine footballer, blessed with a celestial elegance and the quintessential deceptive turn of pace that made it look as if he were gliding rather than running by opponents.

The fresh-faced attacking midfielder helped AC Milan win the Scudetto in his first season at Milan, scored 104 goals in total for the Rossoneri and was unstoppable during the 2006-07 Champions League triumph. Kaka may have struggled for form and fitness after moving to Real Madrid in 2009 but, as Andrea Pirlo once said of his former team-mate, "For two or three seasons, he was the best player in the world."

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AFP22Kylian Mbappe

At the time of writing, Kylian Mbappe is in crisis – and arguably for the first time in his career. Indeed, what makes the Frenchman's current struggles at Real Madrid so surprising is that Mbappe has been almost incessantly brilliant since bursting onto the scene at Monaco. Paris Saint-Germain’s all-time leading goal-scorer has already smashed a number of records in Ligue 1, the Champions League and, most impressively of all, the World Cup. This is a fearsome forward who provoked comparisons with Pele by scoring in the biggest game in football while still only a teenager.

At the last World Cup in Qatar, meanwhile, he became only the second player in tournament history to score a hat-trick in the final. Safe to say, then, that it shouldn't take too long for Mbappe to get back to his brilliant best and, given he’s still only 25, it’s inevitable that further records will fall in the future.

Everton kickstarted their 2024/25 Premier League season at home to Brighton and Hove Albion over the weekend, falling to a 3-0 defeat in a difficult afternoon for Sean Dyche’s side.

Despite a flurry of transfer activity at Goodison Park during the off-season, the loss has highlighted the need for more incomings on Merseyside to allow the club to clear any relegation threat this season.

Once again, the Toffees suffered a similar fate as to the season prior, looking toothless in front of goal and struggling to create the opportunities needed to find the back of the net.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin struggled once more, only managing 20 touches in his 76-minute display, failing to register a single effort on goal with the club needing to invest in a new centre-forward if they are to progress from last season.

Numerous different talents have been touted with a move to Goodison, but the club could turn to one target to provide that added cutting edge.

Everton's search for a striker

Everton’s hunt for a new striker has hit a standstill in recent weeks despite the huge interest in various different options at the top end of the pitch.

In recent days, Arsenal ace Eddie Nketiah has once again been linked with a move to Goodison, with Football Insider claiming that they could offer a loan move with an obligation to buy, but it’s unclear whether Mikel Arteta’s side would entertain such a deal for the Englishman.

As a result, they should perhaps turn their attention to Roma striker Tammy Abraham, after previously registering interest in a move for the 26-year-old.

The former Chelsea ace, who earns a reported £95k-per-week as per Capology, missed the vast majority of last season through injury but made a decent return to action before the end of the 2023/24 campaign.

He would be an excellent option for Dyche’s side, potentially displacing Calvert-Lewin from his starting role whilst also providing an upgrade on the Arsenal ace.

Why Abraham would be a better option than Nketiah

Whilst it appears as though Nketiah would be the club’s main target for the centre-forward role, it’s evident that Abraham would be a better option for Everton.

They’re two very different types of striker, with the Arsenal ace a player who likes to play on the shoulder of the final defender, whereas Roma’s talisman is more frequently utilised as a target man.

As evident from last season, Dyche’s side play a route one system – averaging the most accurate long balls in the Premier League – with Abraham the man who would be better suited to the club’s current system.

The 26-year-old “monster”, as he admitted he became under Jose Mourinho, may have scored fewer games due to his injury spell on the sideline, but he did manage to win more aerials per 90, whilst also averaging a higher win percentage.

Games played

8

27

Minutes played

240

1073

Goals scored

1

8

Successful dribbles

0.75

0.67

Dispossessed

0.75

1.51

Aerial duels success

55%

47%

Aerials won

2.3

2

The former Chelsea man also completed more dribbles per 90 whilst losing on fewer occasions – giving Everton the option to play a more possession-based system, with Abraham having the ability to play on the shoulder if needed.

With just over a week remaining in the transfer window, Everton need to act quickly if they are to secure a deal for a new talisman to take the club to the next level.

With options such as Abraham and Nketiah still on the table, the Roma ace would undoubtedly be the better option and potentially a cheaper alternative to the Arsenal talent, while also helping to firmly keep Calvert-Lewin on his toes.

Everton could repeat their Iwobi masterclass in move for "remarkable" star

Sean Dyche will be desperate to land a couple of new signings between now and the end of the month

ByRoss Kilvington Aug 19, 2024

Sangakkara’s advice for India’s T20 World Cup hopefuls is to “focus on the IPL”

Sruthi Ravindranath11-Apr-20215:34

Sangakkara: ‘Everyone has individual strengths that are valued, we try to meld that into a good unit’

While Rajasthan Royals’ new captain Sanju Samson believes their batting order will see “a bit more stability” in IPL 2021, their team director Kumar Sangakkara, however, wants the team to keep its options open before finalising the first-choice pair at the top of the order, where they tried five different combinations last season.The Royals had the likes of Jos Buttler, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Steven Smith taking turns to open for them last season, before settling on the pair of Ben Stokes and Robin Uthappa for their last five matches. Samson is hopeful of bringing about a change this time around, as he acknowledged the importance of giving the opening pair time to settle.Related

Samson: 'You're a captain when you're fielding, not when you're batting'

What India's T20 WC hopefuls need to do in the IPL

Rajasthan Royals' flexibility offers chance at redemption

Samson named Rajasthan Royals captain for IPL 2021

“Sanga and I will try to give the best combination for our team,” Samson said during a virtual press conference. “From my point of view, I feel it’s important to give an individual or a pair of opening partners enough time in the tournament, so I think a bit of stability will be seen this time in the tournament. I think the rest will depend upon how we go.””I think it’s a decision we’ll undertake with the full buying of the players involved and we look to finalise later on today before we go for training,” Sangakkara said. “We want to keep our options open. The most important things is that players are communicated clearly as to what their roles are and get them to commit to it.”An area of concern for the Royals as they enter the season is the lack of experience in their Indian pace-bowling contingent. The likes of Jaydev Unadkat and Varun Aaron were expensive last season, Kartik Tyagi and their two news buys – Chetan Sakariya and Kuldip Yadav – are a tad inexperienced to shoulder the responsibility. To work around this, their new foreign recruit Chris Morris will be expected to carry most of the load, especially in the absence of Jofra Archer, who was not only the leader of the attack but also their most consistent performer last season.”It’s a big blow for us. I think Jofra is an absolutely vital part of our make up,” Sangakkara said. “Not to have him unfortunately is the reality of it and we have to plan around it. We have contingencies. We understand it’s a difficult time for Jofra. He’s played through a full series against India for England through pain and did excellently well. We’re hoping at some point he’ll be able to join us and play some part in our IPL [campaign].”I think inexperience sometimes work for you and again inexperience could mean the opposition has not seen them either. But fast bowling, especially in the IPL, is not an easy task. I’m confident our fast bowlers will step up. We have Kartik Tyagi who did very well lasts season in patches and various phases of the game. This time we have new additions in Kuldip Yadav and Chetan Sakariya. So I think it’s about keeping them focused on what their job is really and get them trained and prepared to execute all the different deliveries and scenarios and match plans for the opposition. But at the same time concentrate in giving them confidence about their own strengths.”Sangakkara’s advice for T20 world Cup hopefuls: ‘Focus on the IPL’With the T20 World Cup less than five months away, Sangakkara feels India hopefuls Samson and Rahul Tewatia need to focus on their performances in the IPL to book their spot for the tournament. Samson’s heroics at the IPL last season earned him a place in the India side for the T20Is against Australia, but he made just 48 runs in three games on the tour and was then left out for the series against England. Tewatia was called up for the England T20Is but he did not get a game.Sangakkara had some advice for the two, who, according to him, have got “great cricketing sense”, on how to deal with the pressure and expectations.”I think the pressure is always there,” Sangakkara said. “You can try and forget about it but the reality is that expectations is always there. You have various coping mechanism and techniques to deal with them. It’s important to have those grand ambitions of regularly playing international cricket. I think Sanju and Rahul are absolutely capable of being regulars, not just that but great outstanding performers on the international stage. They’ve got amazing ability, great cricketing sense and both of them over the years have progressed. Sanju has been a young batting superstar for quite a while on the Indian scene and is always talked about.”I think the real key is the process to get to the ambition, take it match by match in the IPL, and keep your focus on the IPL. Each game you play each innings and that’s how you break that process down. It is important that both of them have the freedom and trust of the team to express themselves – to be Sanju Samson and Rahul Tewatia.”

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has congratulated Saudi Arabia on being awarded the 2034 World Cup.

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Saudi Arabia bag the rights to host 2034 WCFA voted in favour of the Middle East nationFerdinand expresses delight at bid outcomeFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Saudi Arabia has officially been named the host nation for the 2034 FIFA World Cup following an extraordinary congress held by FIFA. The process involved voting for two simultaneous decisions: the multi-nation hosting of the 2030 World Cup by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco (with initial matches in South America) and Saudi Arabia's unopposed bid for the 2034 edition.

AdvertisementWHAT DID FERDINAND SAY?

Following the announcement, Ferdinand took to social media to applaud Saudi Arabia for their successful bid. The former England international wrote: "Congratulations to Saudi Arabia for achieving the bid to host the 2034 World Cup! This is a football-loving nation & I’m sure my friends in Saudi would have been celebrating last night #Saudi34".

DID YOU KNOW?

The Football Association (FA) of England and the German FA (DFB) voted in favour of both proposals, while Norway’s football federation abstained from voting altogether. The 2026 World Cup, scheduled to take place in North America, will precede the tournaments in Europe, Africa, and South America in 2030, and Saudi Arabia in 2034.

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Saudi Arabia’s hosting bid aligns with the country’s broader ambitions to position itself as a global sporting hub, having already hosted high-profile events in football, boxing and Formula 1. As well as Ferdinand, his ex-Manchester United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo has also backed Saudi Arabia to make the 2034 World Cup the best-ever edition of the competition.