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U.S. Soccer icons Tim Howard and Landon Donovan have each pointed to a clear shift in the USMNT's temperament – a willingness to scrap, defend one another, and press relentlessly – crediting Mauricio Pochettino’s influence for hardening the squad’s identity. Howard said that fighting edge first emerged during the Gold Cup and has since been reinforced by the return of key senior players.

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  Howard identifies Gold Cup as turning point

  Howard pointed to last summer's Gold Cup as the catalyst for the team's improved attitude. The former goalkeeper observed that despite missing several star players during that tournament, the squad demonstrated exceptional determination and work ethic that has since permeated throughout the entire player pool.

  “I have no questions about this team, this group,” Howard said on the Unfiltered Soccer podcast. “And I say that because we say a lot of fight in the Gold Cup, so we’re like, okay, well that group will fight and scrap. The big boys came in, the Chris Richards and Pulisic and all these guys, they showed me a hell of a fight last camp, and then we see it again this camp.

  “So I think this group as a whole is again humming and they’re clicking, and they’re together. And again, you and I have been brutally honest when we say like look, this is an educated guess or this is something we know.

  Howard emphasized that the players who participated in the Gold Cup established a standard of competitiveness that impressed Pochettino, creating a foundation for the team's current identity.

  “My educated guess is that the Gold Cup team set a standard that Poch liked and maybe he lit that fire,” Howard explained. “And I tend to think he probably, once he had everybody in, probably said, ‘Hey, this is what I want to see. I’ve seen this from these guys; I need to see it from you.' Again, that’s an educated guess on my part.”

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• Donovan credits Pochettino's psychological approach

  Donovan, another former USMNT star, expressed admiration for how Pochettino has handled the psychological aspects of managing the national team. Donovan acknowledged that the summer period had been particularly challenging for the program, with criticism directed at players who opted out of the Gold Cup and questions about team commitment dominating headlines. The former attacker praised Pochettino's ability to navigate these difficulties and create a unified team culture.

  “Let’s take a second to like, let’s really give a lot of credit now to Pochettino for just the mental side of how he’s played this whole thing,” Donovan said. “Cause it was ugly in the summer, Tim, there was some real stuff flying. And I think he’s masterfully put this together, pieced it together. Now, was it intentional? I have to assume yes but maybe he kind of lucked into some of it.

  “But I think it was intentional, and now the team, it doesn’t matter who shows up and plays, dude. They get after it, pressing and running and fighting, and it’s fun to watch. I’m like, as a fan, I’m loving it.”

• Team's transformation reflects Pochettino's success

  The fighting spirit displayed in recent matches suggests Pochettino has successfully addressed one of the most persistent criticisms of the USMNT prior to his arrival. 

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  Consistent mentality creates foundation

  With the 2026 World Cup now just months away, the establishment of a consistent competitive mentality provides Pochettino with a solid foundation to keep building momentum toward the summer tournament. 

The offspinner will start his season by captaining New South Wales for the first time in what will just be the second occasion he has led in his first-class career

Andrew McGlashan01-Oct-20250:52

What Will Jacks offers the England Ashes squad

Nathan Lyon has endorsed the value of always playing a spinner in Australian conditions amid a growing sense that England may opt to go without a frontline option at stages during the upcoming Ashes.While it falls into the category of unsurprising assessments from Lyon, as he himself remarked, it will nevertheless provide one of the interesting dynamics in the build-up to the first Test next month when England ponder the balance of their side having selected allrounder Will Jacks, who last played Test cricket in 2022, as the back-up to offspinner Shoaib Bashir.”You’re asking the spinner if they want to pick a spinner,” Lyon said with a smile. “For me, yeah, you’re picking a spinner in every side. Variation, it changes the whole tempo of the game. I think spinners can play a very effective role out here if their skill sets suit.”Related

• Wildcard Jacks pick for Ashes is England's latest Bazball call

• CA to trial injury subs with tactical twist in Sheffield Shield

• Khawaja to begin Ashes preparation in opening Shield game

One of the factors England will be considering is how visiting spinners have so often struggled in Australia: since Lyon’s debut, those from overseas have averaged 62.09 compared to Lyon’s 31.08. However, the last time England were successful down under, in 2010-11, Graeme Swann played a vital role in a four-man attack”I grew up here. I understand and built my craft around playing on wickets that don’t spin,” Lyon said. “So, I’ve had to find a way to firstly survive but also create chances and build pressure along the way, and it’s something that I thoroughly enjoy doing, and I’ll keep doing that.”There is a little twist to Lyon’s current situation, though, in that he was left out of Australia’s most recent Test in Jamaica when they opted for an all-pace attack in the day-night encounter with a pink Dukes ball. They finished the game by skittling West Indies for 27 with Lyon’s replacement, Scott Boland, taking a hat-trick.It is a scenario highly unlikely to play out in Australia, as the selectors have already indicated, and while Lyon acknowledges the end result justified the move, he was adamant he could have played a role.”Disappointed that I wasn’t a part of that, but I understood the reasons behind it and at the end of the day, you look at it now, it’s a pretty good call and brave call,” Lyon said. “But if I’m going to miss a Test for anyone, it’s going to be Scott Boland, that’s for sure. I’m only disappointed because I believe my skill set can play a role in any conditions around the world and I kind of feel like I’ve proven that to be effective.”Nathan Lyon will start his season as New South Wales captain•Getty Images

Lyon, who sits on 562 Test wickets, one short of equaling Glenn McGrath’s haul as the second-most for Australia, will begin his Ashes preparations by captaining New South Wales for the first time against Western Australia in Perth having been named as Jack Edwards’ understudy while the allrounder is with Australia A in India. It is one of three Shield appearances Lyon expects to make before the first Test.It will be just the second first-class match Lyon has ever captained in, having previously done it once in the Sheffield Shield for South Australia in 2012, while he also captained a Prime Minister’s XI against England in 2018.”It’s a massive honour to captain the state that you were born in and obviously dreamt of playing cricket for,” he said. “So to get that call the other day was pretty humbling. I’ve never had any ambitions to captain any teams, especially professional teams. But Greg Mail [NSW chief performance officer] has come up to me and asked me whether I’d do it, and that he wanted me to do it… so it’s a short stint but I’m pretty happy with that.”Alongside Edwards, New South Wales are missing six other potential Shield players between Australia’s T20I side in New Zealand and the A team in India, but the side to face Western Australia will include Sam Konstas as he heads into a vital month in his bid to retain a place in the Test side.Konstas enters the season having scored 188 runs in the two four-day Australia A matches, including a century, but the selectors have long stated that it will be the first three Shield matches that prove key to their decisions.When Lyon was asked what he expected of Konstas over the next few weeks, he said “runs”, but also stressed that he was a player still developing his game.”Obviously he had a pretty successful tour over there [in India], but it’s great to have him back on the Shield side,” Lyon said. “He’s learning the craft, as we’re all learning. Some of us are a lot further on in our journey as professional cricketers, but they’re learning their craft. Not just him, but everyone around Australia. They’ve got to learn their style and be brave enough to back that and have faith in it.”

Seamer Sami got his maiden five-wicket haul after Zadran’s patient 95 and Nabi’s blazing 62* took Afghanistan to 293

Mohammad Isam14-Oct-2025Afghanistan completed their decimation of Bangladesh, wrapping up a 3-0 ODI series win with a 200-run win in the third game in Abu Dhabi. After managing to put up 293 for 9, they shot out Bangladesh for just 93. Afghanistan’s ODI series win comes by the same margin as Bangladesh’s in the T20Is.After Ibrahim Zadran and Mohammad Nabi bookended Afghanistan’s batting effort with excellent half-centuries, seamer Bilal Sami took his maiden five-wicket haul. But much of the rout came about once again due to Rashid Khan, who took three wickets in his first three overs.Bangladesh’s batters capitulated ad nauseum. They hardly any impact on the contest throughout the series, thus continuing the trend in the third game. The procession started with Mohammad Naim struggled for 23 balls before Azmatullah Omarzai had him caught at slip for 7.Leading up to his dismissal, it was only one-way traffic of runs from the other end. Bangladesh looked like they could get out of some early trouble leaning on Saif Hassan. He didn’t disappoint, scoring heavily in the powerplay with a couple of sixes and a four.However, Najmul Hossain Shanto continued his poor form in ODIs when Sami had him bowled off an inside edge. Saif tried to get Bangladesh out of trouble, but hardly had the strike.Then, as it has often happened, it was the Rashid show. Towhid Hridoy fell on his first ball, unable to read the rapid googly. In the next over, it was Saif who missed the googly by a whisker, the ball sneaking through his bat and pad. He finished as the top-scorer with 43 off 54 balls with two fours and three sixes.Ibrahim Zadran fell for 95•Afghanistan Cricket Board

Sami then took his first wicket by getting Mehidy Hasan Miraz caught behind for 6, before Shamim Hossain got run-out next ball. Nurul Hasan had played the Sami delivery towards point, where Nangeyalia Kharote caught Shamim fidgeting out of his crease.Rashid took his third wicket in as many overs when he had Nurul lbw in the 21st over. Bangladesh’s procession continued when Sami added his third by having Tanvir Islam caught-and-bowled in his next over. Rishad became Sami’s fourth victim when he top-edged him to mid-on. Sami took his fifth when Hasan Mahmud holed out in the 28th over.Afghanistan had earlier set themselves up nicely for a big total. Zadran and Rahmanullah Gurbaz sped away to add 99 runs for the first wicket. Gurbaz was, as usual, the enforcer, striking five fours and a scrumptious six in his knock of 42. Zadran wasn’t going to hang back, though, after his sedate 95 in the previous game. He reached his fifty shortly after Gurbaz got out, before adding another 74 runs for the second wicket with Sediqullah Atal.The pair gave Afghanistan the perfect launching pad at 173 for 1 in the 32nd over, but Saif upended their plans at that stage. The part-time offspinner took three wickets in four overs, as Afghanistan lost four wickets for 15 runs in the space of 25 balls.Omarzai struck three fours to keep them afloat, but Afghanistan kept slipping, until they reached 249 for 9 in 48 overs. Nabi was batting at 24 off 25 balls at that stage, but no sooner had Nahid Rana left the ground suddenly after bowling two legal balls in the 49th over that Nabi sprung into action.He struck Mehidy Hasan Miraz, who stepped up to complete Rana’s over, for three sixes in four balls, before pasting Mahmud for a six and three fours in a 19-run last over. Afghanistan picked up 44 runs in the last two overs to upend Bangladesh’s recovery with the ball.

Mason Greenwood has credited Roberto De Zerbi for his and Marseille's strong performances in Ligue 1 this season. The former Brighton head coach has been in charge at the club from southern France since the start of last season and is once again showing why he is considered one of the brightest tactical minds in Europe, with Greenwood delighted to be learning from the Italian.

• Marseille chasing Lens and PSG

  Until this weekend, Marseille had looked most likely to upset the Paris Saint-Germain apple cart and were mounting a strong title challenge in the French top flight. Monaco sprung a shock win over the Parisians on Saturday and have opened the title race up for others to take advantage of Luis Enrique’s team’s slip-ups.

  Marseille will be frustrated to have thrown away two points late on against Toulouse at home on Saturday. Igor Paixao and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg had put the visitors ahead in response to Emersonn’s opener for the visitors. However, Santiago Hidalgo shocked the French giants with a 92nd-minute equaliser to steal a point.

  Despite the minor setback, Marseille remain in contention to lift the Ligue 1 title for the first time since 2010. The club have won the division ten times, but with just one trophy in almost 34 years, De Zerbi and his squad will be determined to restore Marseille to the top of French football.

  The Italian’s team are just two points off the summit and are hot on the tails of Lens, in first place, and PSG. Greenwood is currently top scorer in the division with ten goals and believes that his team can win the crown.

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  De Zerbi praised by Greenwood

  Speaking to , Greenwood said: “I’m in a really good place thanks to the coach and my teammates.

  “I feel good and I hope to improve, to win more awards this season. Roberto De Zerbi? He’s the brains of the team, the architect of our game. He helps me understand football much better, he helps me improve every day.”

• Recruitment pays off for Marseille

  Greenwood added that Marseille's summer recruitment drive has put them in a much better position to fight for silverware. “We’ve signed quite a few players, very, very strong players,” he said. “We’ve improved in certain areas. I feel like we’re a bit more of a team this season; we’re all on the same wavelength, you can see it. We’re [third] and I hope we can keep fighting to be number one.”

  The club have added a whole host of key players, with varying levels of experience. In forward areas, Paixao and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have already earned their side points on their own, with the latter starring for the French side in the Champions League with a brace against Newcastle. The former Arsenal star has shown glimmers of the levels he once possessed back in France after a spell in the Middle East.

  In midfield, Arthur Vermeer, Matt O’Riley and Angel Gomes have bolstered De Zerbi’s creative options in the middle of the park. Meanwhile, Benjamin Pavard, Nayef Aguerd and Facundo Medina have all strengthened the Marseille backline with heaps of experience.

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  PSG remain favourites for Ligue 1

  PSG are still heavy favourites for the Ligue 1 title and cannot be written off as the likely champions of France. The Parisians have had a mixed start to their domestic season, but possess quality that few others in the division can match and have the squad depth to match.

  Marseille have been performing well under De Zerbi and also have a strong squad, but will need to remain at their absolute best if they are to kick on and truly maintain a title challenge. The next test of such a challenge comes on Friday when they have to travel north to take on Lille, behind them by just three points, in a chance to really demonstrate whether they have the acumen to mount a serious run to become champions.

For 15 edge-of-your-seat innings, the Mariners and Tigers played a dramatic, thrilling postseason contest in Game 5 of the American League Division Series that ultimately ended in Seattle joy and Detroit heartbreak. And for the impartial fan, this was baseball heaven. There was excellent pitching, clutch hitting, peak drama and even first-class umpiring.

Over the course of 15 innings, 472 total pitches and nearly five hours of game time, home-plate umpire Alan Porter was nearly perfect. Porter correctly called 219 of 228 balls and strikes, a highly-impressive accuracy rate of 96%, according to Umpire Scorecards.

And while Porter wasn't perfect—some may point to his called strike against Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford, or in the Tigers' case, the ruled hit-by-pitch of Mariners outfielder Victor Robles, a somewhat controversial call that went against Detroit's favor.

But overall, this was an outstanding performance by an MLB umpire on the game's biggest stage at a time when umpires are under the microscope seemingly more than ever.

A round of applause for Alan Porter please.

Williamson, who is recovering from a groin injury, was not considered for the ODI series and will focus on preparing for the Test series

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Nov-2025Matt Henry is set to return to action for New Zealand’s the upcoming three-match ODI series against West Indies, starting November 16 at the Hagley Oval.Henry, who missed the final two ODIs against England due to a calf strain, has been undergoing a “planned conditioning and rehabilitation block” to prepare for the ODI series, as well as the subsequent three-Test series in December.Blair Tickner, who was an injury replacement for Kyle Jamieson for the England series, has also retained his spot despite Jamieson’s return to action. Tickner took eight wickets in two matches against England.Related

• Batting in focus for deflated West Indies as they come up against red-hot New Zealand

• 'Boult-ish' Foulkes is adding breadth to New Zealand's pace depth

The pace bowling group also includes Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes and Nathan Smith, while captain Mitchell Santner, Michael Bracewell, and Rachin Ravindra will handle spin duties.Several players remain unavailable due to injury, including Mohammad Abbas (ribs), Finn Allen (foot), Lockie Ferguson (hamstring), Adam Milne (ankle), Will O’Rourke (back), Glenn Phillips (groin), and Ben Sears (hamstring). The NZC stated in a release that Kane Williamson, who is recovering from a groin injury, has not been considered for the ODI series and will focus on preparing for the Test series, which begins on December 2.Blair Tickner was impressive against England•Getty Images

“Matt is a vital member of this group and the senior leader of our pace attack, so it’ll be great to have him back for both the ODIs and Tests,” New Zealand head coach Rob Walter said of Henry. “He will be fresh and fit after a good rest, and we know he will be raring to go ahead of what promises to be a big five weeks with both the white and red ball.”Walter also praised Tickner’s recent form, saying, “Ticks was outstanding against England, and we’re pleased to keep rewarding players who step up when called upon.”Looking ahead to the West Indies challenge, Walter said: “They’re always a dangerous side, with players who can turn a game in an instant. It’s an important series for us as we continue to develop and grow in the format.”The New Zealand squad will gather in Christchurch on November 14. The team will be keen to extend their streak of ten consecutive home ODI series wins, following last month’s 3-0 clean sweep over England.Meanwhile, the ongoing five-match T20I series between New Zealand and West Indies is currently tied 1-1 after two games.

New Zealand squad for West Indies ODI

Mitchell Santner (capt), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Tom Latham (wk), Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Will Young

India’s selectors are due to pick the squads for the white-ball tour of Australia on Saturday

Yash Jha03-Oct-2025India’s selection panel, which includes RP Singh and Pragyan Ojha for the first time, is meeting on Saturday to pick the squads for the ODI and T20I tour of Australia beginning on October 19. It is likely to mark the return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who are retired from T20Is and Tests and haven’t represented India since the Champions Trophy victory in March.The tour begins with three ODIs on October 19, 23 and 25, followed by five T20Is between October 29 and November 8. Here are some of the key questions ahead of the selection.

Should the all-format players get a break?

After a rare break following the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England, India have a packed calendar, with the Asia Cup followed by the ongoing two-Test series versus West Indies, and the first ODI in Australia scheduled five days after the end of the second Test. Less than a week after the fifth T20I in Australia, India host South Africa for a two-Test series followed by three ODIs and five T20Is.Three players appear to be certainties in all three formats: Shubman Gill, Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav. Given the workloads, the quick turnarounds between formats, and the fact that the next major ODI tournament is the World Cup in 2027, India might consider resting these players for the ODIs in Australia. If they are picked for the 50-overs games, they could be released midway through the T20I series to prepare for the Tests against South Africa.If Gill were to be rested for the ODIs, Yashasvi Jaiswal – who was withdrawn from the Champions Trophy squad after being named in the provisional squad – should be his replacement. He could also join Abhishek Sharma at the top in the T20Is.Will Jasprit Bumrah get a break?•Associated PressWhile Kuldeep does not have a like-for-like replacement, India might have to reconfigure the spin-heavy squads they picked for the ODI Champions Trophy and the T20 Asia Cup to suit Australian conditions.

Who’s in for Hardik Pandya?

Hardik Pandya missed the Asia Cup final with a left quadriceps injury and there are doubts over his availability for the tour of Australia too. Nitish Kumar Reddy is an option to join Shivam Dube as the seam-bowling allrounder in the T20I squad.The replacement for Hardik in ODIs is an interesting question: Dube played the last of his four ODIs in Sri Lanka last year, while Reddy is yet to feature in the format. The 2027 ODI World Cup is in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. India will want to explore their options for seam-bowling allrounders as back-up for Hardik, and Australia might be the right place to get started.

Who are the specialist quicks?

Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana are Nos. 1 and 2 in the line behind Bumrah – both were part of India’s squads at the Asia Cup as well as the Champions Trophy. But who is the third specialist fast bowler should Bumrah be rested in either, or both, formats in Australia?Mohammed Siraj could be in line for an ODI comeback, having last played in Sri Lanka over a year ago. Prasidh Krishna is an option too, should India prefer his hit-the-deck style as a middle-overs enforcer. Prasidh – the Purple Cap winner at IPL 2025 – is the likely third seamer in the T20I squad if Bumrah is rested.Will Tilak Varma make it to the ODI squad?•AFP/Getty Images

Spin allrounders: who and how many?

India’s most recent ODI and T20I squads have featured several spin allrounders: Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Washington Sundar were at the Champions Trophy, while Axar played the Asia Cup where Washington, along with Riyan Parag, was a standby.A similar number of spin allrounders is unlikely given the conditions: it’s hard to see India picking both Jadeja and Axar in an ODI in Australia, and the series could be a good opportunity to blood some seam-bowling allrounders instead.Parag featured in both white-ball teams last year, and had scores of 67 and 58 in two List A games for India A against Australia A this week. Tilak Varma – who scored 94 in the second of those matches after his Asia Cup final heroics – could also be a contender for the ODI squad.

No Pant – who’s back-up wicketkeeper in the ODI squad?

Rishabh Pant is unlikely to make it to the squads for Australia as he is still recovering from the fractured foot he suffered in England. While he hasn’t played a T20I since August 2024, Pant was India’s back-up wicketkeeper to KL Rahul at the Champions Trophy.Sanju Samson’s last ODI was in December 2023 in South Africa, where he batted No. 3 and scored his maiden hundred. Jitesh Sharma and Dhruv Jurel are the other wicketkeepers to feature in India’s recent T20I squads, but neither has compelling List A credentials.

Juventus manager Luciano Spalletti has delivered a scathing assessment of his side’s performance following their 2-0 victory against Pafos in the Champions League, labelling parts of their first-half display as "embarrassing". The Italian tactician lamented that his players missed "easy balls" and struggled defensively, necessitating a tactical reshuffle involving Weston McKennie to shore up a fragile backline.

• Juventus seal vital Champions League victory

  While three points in the Champions League usually calls for celebration, the mood in the Juventus camp was decidedly sombre following their latest European outing against the Cypriot side. Despite securing a victory that keeps their slim hopes of a top-eight finish alive in the league phase, the Bianconeri were far from convincing, leaving their manager fuming at the technical poverty and defensive fragility on display.
  Spalletti refused to sugarcoat the evening's events during his post-match media duties, making it clear that while the result was necessary, the method of achieving it fell well below the standards required at the elite level of European football.

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  Juventus did 'the bare minimum', says Spalletti

  The primary source of Spalletti’s ire was a disjointed first-half performance where Juventus seemed unable to string passes together or control the tempo of the game. For a coach who prides himself on fluid, possession-based football, seeing his side struggle with the basics was a bitter pill to swallow.

  Speaking to after the whistle, Spalletti offered a brutally honest verdict on the initial 45 minutes, saying: "It was fundamental to win and with victories, things are put right. I am not happy and neither are the lads, we could and should have done more. We did the bare minimum, in the first half there were also embarrassing situations. Then after the goal, we had more tranquillity."

• Defensive headaches

  Beyond the general malaise, Spalletti pinpointed specific tactical deficiencies that left his side exposed. The injury crisis in defence forced the manager into uncomfortable compromises, most notably the deployment of Weston McKennie in a defensive role and the shifting of Pierre Kalulu.

  The balance of the backline was a major concern, with Pafos finding it far too easy to create goalscoring opportunities on the counter-attack. Spalletti’s analysis of his full-backs was particularly telling, highlighting the trade-off between offensive output and defensive solidity.

  "Difficulty defending? It is true, we must also recover a right centre-back to let Kalulu play full-back and not McKennie," Spalletti explained.

  He reserved specific criticism for the defensive vulnerabilities on the flanks, noting that while Andrea Cambiaso offers a threat going forward, he can become a liability when facing dynamic wingers.

  "Also Cambiaso is very offensive and struggles against players who cut inside," the manager added. "We conceded too much and exploited our qualities little, missing easy balls. For the moment it is like this, we take the second half."

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  What's next?

  The victory provides breathing space, but it has not solved the underlying problems. Spalletti’s public undressing of the team’s performance serves as a warning shot: this level of play will not suffice in the knockout stages against stronger opposition.

  They are now 17th in the Champions League table, leaving them on track to advance as an unseeded team for the knockout play-off draw. However, with just three points separating them from the top eight, Spalletti will hope to get maximum points from their last two games of the round to ensure they go straight into the last-16.

  First of all, however, they will aim to crawl back up the Serie A table as Spalletti's seventh-placed team visit a Bologna side sitting fifth and with just one defeat in their last 15 matches in all competitions. AC Milan and Napoli are currently eight points clear of Spalletti's Bianconeri at the top of the table.

Everton are now reportedly keeping close tabs on a Premier League gem who’s been compared to Aston Villa’s Jadon Sancho.

Everton ready to pounce in Zirkzee race

Everton’s January transfer window may well centre around Premier League talent. The Toffees already enjoyed great success in the summer when they welcomed out-of-favour stars Jack Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. Now, The Friedkin Group could look to repeat that act of genius.

Despite the fact that Thierno Barry finally scored his first goal for the club against Nottingham Forest last time out, it seems as though those in Merseyside still intend to target an attacking reinforcement.

Reports have even gone as far as to claim that they’re ready to pounce in the race to sign Joshua Zirkzee from Manchester United in January. The forward has fallen down the pecking order since the arrivals of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko, but could have his season saved by the Toffees.

Zirkzee may have struggled at Old Trafford, but Grealish and Dewsbury-Hall are living proof that a move to Merseyside can quickly revive a career.

Patrick Boyland heaps praise on "brilliant" Everton star who gave Barry first goal

The Toffees made it back-to-back wins.

By
Tom Cunningham

6 days ago

Even if Barry now kicks on, David Moyes could do with that extra attacking addition, given that Beto is yet to show signs that he’ll become a viable goalscoring option for Everton.

That’s not to say Zirkzee is their only target, however. Alongside the Man United forward, the Toffees have also reportedly set their sights on signing Chelsea’s young, versatile winger, Tyrique George.

Like Zirkzee, the youngster has fallen out of favour at Stamford Bridge and is now looking to leave Chelsea when the winter window swings open in less than a month.

Everton keeping close tabs on Tyrique George

According to TeamTalk, Everton are now eyeing a move to sign George and have joined Leeds United in the early race to secure the 19-year-old’s signature.

Compared to Sancho by Italian media, George wouldn’t be the first struggling Chelsea star to find life at Everton. His former teammate, Dewsbury-Hall has undeniably thrived since arriving in Merseyside.

Ultimately, fresh faces have forced George down the pecking order in West London, but Enzo Maresca was certainly impressed by the teenager last season.

The Chelsea boss told reporters after George’s display against Man United in May: “Very good. Very good. Brave. He was a threat in behind. Not easy for him because on the other side you have Maguire, you have Lindelof, you have Shaw.

“He was fighting against important defenders. But again, we tried to find a solution with a player from the academy. Overall I think also he had the penalty moment, so he works quite good.”

Whether it’s Everton or Leeds, both would benefit from George’s arrival in the January transfer window and the striker himself desperately needs senior minutes if he is to kick on.