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This will be the third franchise in the IPL for either player, and comes after Super Giants traded Romario Shepherd to Mumbai Indians

Nagraj Gollapudi22-Nov-2023

Avesh Khan is in the India squad for the T20I series against Australia•BCCI

Fast bowler Avesh Khan is set to make a move to Rajasthan Royals from Lucknow Super Giants, who will acquire top-order batter Devdutt Padikkal in a straight trade swap ahead of IPL 2024. ESPNcricinfo has learned that the franchises and players agreed on the trade in the past week with the BCCI set to put a stamp on the swap this week.Avesh, who is part of the India squad for the T20I series against Australia starting Thursday, was bought by Super Giants in the mega auction in 2022 for INR 10 crore (US$ 1.2 million approx.). Royals, meanwhile paid INR 7.75 crore (US$ 945,000 approx.) for Padikkal. Both the players were retained by the respective franchises this year.Despite bright starts to their IPL careers, both players had a lean time of it in 2023.Related

Royals boast big Indian names, but lack of allrounders could prove costly

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Super Giants trade Romario Shepherd to Mumbai Indians

IPL 2024 auction scheduled for December 19 in Dubai

It was especially disappointing for Padikkal, who, despite playing every match for his team in 2022 (17) and 11 games in 2023, struggled to fulfil the top-order role Royals had assigned to him. In 28 matches in these two seasons, Padikkal scored 637 runs at an average of 23.59 and a strike rate of 125.88 with just three half-centuries. Overall, Padikkal has scored 2768 runs in 92 IPL games at 33.34 with 17 fifties and three centuries striking at 133.52.Super Giants will be the third franchise for Padikkal, who started his IPL journey with his hometown franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore where he spent two seasons (2020 and 21).For Avesh, too, Royals will be the third franchise after he debuted at Delhi Capitals: in 2021, he was the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament with 24 wickets at 18.75. After Capitals released him ahead of the mega auction, Super Giants bid fiercely to buy Avesh in a four-way bidding war. He finished the 2022 season as Super Giants’ highest wicket-taker, helping them make the playoffs in their inaugural IPL season.However, on the slow and underprepared pitches in Lucknow, Avesh struggled in 2023. Failing to finish his full quota of four overs in five of the nine games he played, Avesh finished the 2023 season with just eight wickets at 35.37, going at an economy of 9.75.Avesh, who turns 27 in December, will be hungry to reclaim his confidence at Royals, whose Indian fast-bowling pack includes Prasidh Krishna, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Sen, Sandeep Sharma and KM Asif.”Avesh has proved his mettle in recent years to be one of the top Indian pacers in the country,” Kumar Sangakkara, Royals’ director of cricket, said in a statement. “He has the ability to both swing and seam the ball, and is an effective asset at both the start of the innings and towards the end. He has a lot of variations in his armour which will be extremely valuable in the different conditions that we play in across the country. He will prove to be a valuable addition to our pace-bowling department and we are looking forward to having him contribute to the team’s successes.”This is only the second trade ahead of the 2024 season so far after Super Giants traded Romario Shepherd to Mumbai Indians earlier this month. IPL has set a November 26 deadline for the franchises to announce their retention lists. The player auction for the 2024 season will take place in Dubai on December 19.

David Bedingham passed 1000 runs for the season before Ben Raine and Vishwa Fernando ran through Leicestershire’s top-order to leave them in a perilous position on Day 2 of their LV = Insurance County Championship game at Seat Unique RiversideDurham pushed the tempo early looking to secure maximum batting points and declare with Storm Agnes threatening to ruin prospects of play in the afternoon and, after resuming on 409 for 5, Bedingham moved to 1000 first-class runs for the season.He then went to 150 in the game with a six and an all-run four as Durham looked to accelerate towards a declaration.Jonathan Bushnell and Paul Coughlin were out slogging as Durham declared on 457 for 8, before Raine and Fernando took over with the ball.Raine dismissed the top four in the hour before lunch, Fernando picking up his first two wickets for Durham before rain arrived at 1.45pm, before play was eventually called for the day at 3.40pm.Durham continued their championship celebrations on day two with Bedingham steering them to a position of great strength with glorious shots as he raced to his milestones.Bushnell tried to follow suit but skied Hull to Sam Evans at cover for 19 before Tom Scriven cleaned up Bedingham for an outstanding 156 as Leicestershire picked up their second bowling point.Paul Coughlin and Raine saw Durham to maximum batting points for the eighth time this season before Coughlin’s wicket brought the declaration, leaving Leicestershire just over an hour to bat before lunch.They made a slow but steady start until Ben Raine got into his groove, removing Rishi Patel’s off stump, before bowling Sam Evans, pinning Umar Amin and Louis Kimber lbw first ball in the same over in a remarkable spell of bowling as the clouds and lights came into play.Leicestershire returned after lunch to grey clouds and full lights illuminating the ground as the hosts zoned in on the stumps.Fernando picked up his maiden wicket in Durham colours as Harry Swindells chopped on to the Sri Lankan international to leave Leicestershire in real trouble at 74 for 5. He then picked up Lewis Hill lbw three balls later for 25 as the wickets continued to tumble.Scriven and Ben Cox started to show signs of a mini partnership, flashing shots away to the boundary as they attempted to drag Leicestershire out of a hole that seemed to only get deeper with every passing ball.The rain that threatened to wipe out most of the afternoon started to arrive at 1.45pm and the umpires took the players from the field five minutes later, not to return for the remainder of the day.

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As semifinais da Libertadores se aproximam e o Flamengo já tem a programação para o jogo de ida contra o Vélez Sarsfield (ARG), na próxima quarta-feira, definida. A delegação rubro-negra embarca para Buenos Aires às 17h de segunda-feira, e, na véspera da partida, fará uma última atividade na Casa Amarilla, o CT do Boca Juniors.

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A partida entre Vélez Sarsfield e Flamengo, no José Almafitani, será às 21h30. O Rubro-Negro retorna ao Rio de Janeiro imediatamente após a partida, desembarcando na cidade nas primeiras horas de quinta.

Antes disso, contudo, o time de Dorival Júnior enfrenta o Botafogo neste domingo, no Estádio Nilton Santos, pela Série A do Brasileirão.

O atual elenco do Flamengo já trabalhou no CT do Bocas Júniors em abril de 2021, justamente antes do jogo contra o Vélez Sarsfield, pela fase de grupos da Copa Libertadores. Na época sob o comando de Rogério Ceni, a equipe venceu a partida por 3 a 2 no José Almafitani.

Real Madrid are in talks over a potential move for Ajax wonderkid Abdellah Ouazane.

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• Real Madrid eyeing a move for Ouazane
• Teenager was standout star in the African U-17 Cup
• Many other teams have been monitoring him

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to a report by , the 16-year-old has been on Real’s radar for quite some time, with many other teams monitoring his progress. Los Blancos are in contact with his representatives, and he might soon sign for their youth team or Castilla side after his contract at Ajax comes to an end on June 30.

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  Ouazane, who played for the Netherlands U-15 team, currently represents the Morocco U-17 side and was named the best player of the African U-17 Cup. He operates mostly as an attacking midfielder and has a knack for scoring goals.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The Amsterdam native debuted for the U-17 national team in October 2024 and has scored four goals in 13 appearances so far.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

  While Madrid work on the signing of the youth star, Xabi Alonso and his team will soon be participating in the Club World Cup, which starts on June 14. They will play their first match against Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal on June 18.

An “excellent” midfielder is now increasingly likely to join Tottenham Hotspur this summer, having put in some impressive performances in recent weeks, according to a report.

Bissouma set to be replaced as Spurs plan for the long-term

Yves Bissouma has received regular game time ever since arriving from Brighton & Hove Albion ahead of the 2022-23 campaign, but the midfielder has started to play a less crucial role this season, often being utilised as a substitute or left on the bench.

As such, there have been reports suggesting Ange Postecoglou is ready to cash-in on the former Brighton man this summer, which means the manager will need to bring in a replacement, and a number of targets have been identified.

Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, who is valued at around £66m, is one of the names on the list, alongside Real Betis’ Johnny Cardoso, with reports from February revealing Spurs are leading the race for the American’s signature due to a clause that allows them first option on the midfielder.

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Spurs are now showing interest in a striker, who’s also being targeted by Arsenal, according to Florian Plettenberg.

ByDominic Lund Mar 4, 2025

GiveMeSport have now dropped a new update on Tottenham’s pursuit of Cardoso, reporting the Lilywhites are now increasingly likely to trigger the midfielder’s £21m clause to bring him to north London this summer.

Positive talks were held with Betis back in August, and the 23-year-old has continued to impress since then, most recently catching the eye with a solid performance against Real Madrid in La Liga last weekend.

In light of the central midfielder’s impressive display, Spurs are now confident forking out £21m would be a savvy investment, but they are continuing to analyse whether he would be a good fit.

The defensive midfielder could be brought in as a direct replacement for Bissouma, with Postecoglou deciding this summer could be the right time to cash-in on the Mali international.

"Excellent" Cardoso impressing in La Liga

The Betis star put in a solid performance against Real Madrid last time out, scoring the opening goal in his side’s 2-1 triumph, but as pointed out by freelance scout Ben Mattinson, he tends to sit in deeper areas and flourishes defensively.

This assessment is corroborated by the fact the USA international has performed extremely well on several key defensive metrics over the past year, which suggests he could be a real upgrade on Bissouma.

Statistic per 90

Johnny Cardoso

Yves Bissouma

Interceptions

2.03 (99th percentile)

1.32 (76th percentile)

Blocks

1.37 (69th percentile)

0.64 (5th percentile)

Clearances

2.49 (94th percentile)

2.31 (88th percentile)

Aerials won

1.57 (84th percentile)

0.60 (32nd percentile)

Tackles

2.53 (76th percentile)

3.16 (91st percentile)

It was a savvy move for Tottenham to negotiate a £21m release clause for Cardoso, which seems to be way below his value, judging by how he’s performed in La Liga, and if he continues to impress they should undoubtedly stump up the £21m this summer.

Arsenal have been named as surprise contenders to sign a striker who’s weighing up the possibility of terminating his deal, with Mikel Arteta’s side believed to be positioning themselves to tempt him with a north London move.

Arsenal preparing for crucial Premier League clash with West Ham

With news that defender Takehiro Tomiyasu will join Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus in being out for the rest of this season, after undergoing surgery on his right knee to fix a persistent injury, Arteta’s options are growing thinner by the week.

Arsenal can now sign star striker for just £33m after rejected January bid

They attempted a deal in the winter.

2 ByEmilio Galantini Feb 19, 2025

There is still hope for the Gunners to pip Liverpool in the Premier League title race, though, with Liverpool dropping points again in a 2-2 draw away to Aston Villa on Wednesday evening.

Arsenal can close the gap to five points with victory at home to West Ham on Saturday, and it is likely Arteta will go with the same attacking line-up which eventually beat Leicester City 2-0 at the King Power in dramatic late fashion.

West Ham (home)

February 22nd

Nottingham Forest (away)

February 26th

Man United (away)

March 9th

Chelsea (home)

March 16th

Fulham (home)

April 1st

Mikel Merino was brought on as an emergency striker to bag a last-gasp brace in the final ten minutes against Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side, but it is unclear whether Arteta will start with the Spaniard up top against West Ham.

Their clash with the Hammers comes as yet another crucial 90 minutes for Arsenal in their quest to win a first domestic league crown in 21 years, and their lack of options, particularly in the forward area, has attracted criticism towards the Gunners’ recruitment policy.

Arsenal made a low-ball offer for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins in the January window, which was rejected out of hand by Unai Emery’s men, with the north Londoners eventually opting not to pursue a deal, despite Villa’s willingness to negotiate at a fee of £60 million (David Ornstein).

As such, they will have to wait until this summer to bring in a world-class centre-forward. Arteta did hint at the possibility of signing a free agent for Arsenal recently, but the names available wouldn’t do much to upgrade the squad’s attacking choices.

Roberto Firmino thinking about terminating Al-Ahli deal with Arsenal interested

Now, a very left-field potential target has emerged in the form of former Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino. The South American, who starred under Jürgen Klopp with 111 goals in 362 appearances for the Reds before departing, could depart current club Al-Ahli in unceremonious fashion.

As per a Spanish media source, Firmino is thinking about terminating his Al-Ahli contract, with Arsenal opening the door for him and in position to potentially entice him with a switch back to England.

The 33-year-old earns a staggering £302,000-per-week in the Middle East, which would make him Arsenal’s highest earner, and it is likely he’d need to settle for a lesser wage if he were to agree a transfer to the Emirates.

Despite scoring 10 goals and assisting five others across all competitions for the Pro League side this season, Al-Ahli decided to leave him out of their league squad list in favour of new arrival Galeno – plunging Firmino’s long-term future into doubt.

Florian Wirtz has reached an agreement to join Bayern Munich this summer, but the transfer to the Bundesliga champions is not yet guaranteed.

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• Wirtz reaches agreement with Bayern
• Leverkusen reluctant to sell to rivals
• Playmaker doesn't want City or Madrid

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  This season has long been expected to be Wirtz's last in a Leverkusen jersey due to the 22-year-old's fantastic form for club and country which as attracted interest from the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester City as well as Bavarian giants. The Germany international confirmed he is ready to leave his current club in the next transfer window in order to get out of his "comfort zone".

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  According to , Wirtz and Bayern are in total agreement and the former Koln youth academy player has no intention of accepting an offer from City or Madrid – despite Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso being linked to the latter after confirming his imminent exit. However, Leverkusen would rather not sell to their direct rivals and talks between the two clubs have not yet begun, with Bayern reportedly prepared to pay €125 million (£106m/$142m) to land him.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Wirtz's contract at Leverkusen runs until 2027 and although the player would rather move this summer, he could end up staying put for another season in order to leave for a cheaper fee in the summer of 2026.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WIRTZ?

  Wirtz has 16 goals and 13 assists to his name this season with Leverkusen and will hope to improve on that record when they face Borussia Dortmund this weekend.

The return of David Moyes to Everton was met with great fanfare after the Scottish manager replaced Sean Dyche at the helm for the remainder of the final season at Goodison Park.

People often say that players and managers should avoid going back to a place where they have already been successful, at risk of tainting the legacy set the first time, but it has been a terrific start to his second spell.

The Toffees have won two of his three Premier League matches in charge so far, beating Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 and Brighton & Hove Albion 1-0, after losing 1-0 to Aston Villa in his first game.

Moyes has got the players going and helped them to move seven points clear of the relegation zone, as they look to move well clear of the battle to avoid dropping down to the Championship at the end of the season.

Despite a strong start to his second spell at Goodison, the former Manchester United and West Ham boss is still looking to bolster his squad before the end of the January transfer window.

The deadline is next week and the Toffees are reportedly looking to bring in a forward who could be their next Romelu Lukaku…

Romelu Lukaku's Everton career

The Belgium international initially joined the club on loan from Chelsea for the 2013/14 campaign and was an instant hit on Merseyside, with a return of 15 goals and seven assists in 31 Premier League matches.

Lukaku came in as a player with top-flight experience, having played for West Brom on loan the previous season, and hit the ground running as a reliable outlet at the top end of the pitch.

The Belgian marksman’s sublime form on loan convinced the Toffees to splash a club-record fee of £28m to sign him permanently from Chelsea in the summer of 2014, which turned out to be a fantastic piece of business.

Lukaku’s Everton career
Season	Appearances	Goals	Assists
13/14	34	16	7
14/15	48	20	7
15/16	46	25	6
16/17	39	26	7
Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, Lukaku went on to score 20 or more goals in all three of his seasons as a permanent Everton player after his £28m switch from Stamford Bridge, which shows that the club certainly got their money’s worth for him.

The Toffees then made a gigantic profit on the powerful centre-forward when Manchester United signed him for a reported fee of £75m in the summer of 2017, after his 26-goal haul in the 2016/17 campaign.

Everton could, now, repeat the masterclass they played with Lukaku by swooping for another loan striker from a Premier League side this month.

Everton keen on Premier League forward

According to The Athletic, in a piece written by David Ornstein, Everton are one of a number of clubs interested in a late move for Brighton centre-forward Evan Ferguson.

The report claims that the Toffees are keen on a deal for the Ireland international and are lining up a swoop to bring him to Goodison Park on loan for the next four months or so.

It states that Brighton are open to sending the 20-year-old number nine out on a temporary deal if a move suits all parties, but it remains to be seen where they would be willing to send him.

The Athletic adds that West Ham United and Bournemouth, who are dealing with injuries to their own strikers, are among the other teams in the race to land the Brighton academy graduate before next week’s deadline.

It also reveals that there are clubs from Germany interested in Ferguson but that a move to the Premier League is the most likely scenario at this moment in time, which could come as a boost for the Toffees, although they still have to fend off interest from the Hammers and the Cherries.

Transfer Focus

Everton are in need of a striker after Dominic Calvert-Lewin pulled up with a suspected hamstring injury against Brighton last time out, which is why they should push to get this move over the line.

Why Everton should sign Evan Ferguson

Like the Belgian forward, Ferguson cuts an imposing figure, at 6 foot, at the top end of the pitch and could provide the team with a presence in the number nine position.

It is the 20-year-old attacker’s finishing qualities, however, that could see him emerge as Lukaku 2.0 at Goodison Park, because he has proven himself to be lethal inside the box at Premier League level.

Injuries have hampered his attempts to become a regular starter at Brighton, as he has missed 24 games through injury since the start of last season, but the potential is there for him to be a star if Everton can bring him in and keep the youngster fit.

One of Lukaku’s biggest strengths during his time as a permanent player at Goodison was his lethal nature in front of goal. He scored 53 goals from 49.16 xG across three Premier League seasons after his £28m move, which illustrates how ruthless he was for the club.

Ferguson, who was hailed as “phenomenal” by teammate James Milner, has shown similar qualities in his limited game time for Brighton in recent seasons, which suggests that he has the potential to be a star for the Toffees if it all comes together.

Premier League career
Evan Ferguson	xG	Goals	Differential
22/23	5.67	6	+0.33
23/24	3.97	6	+2.03
24/25	0.66	1	+0.34
Total	10.29	13	+2.71
Stats via UnderStat

As you can see in the table above, Ferguson has consistently outperformed his xG in the Premier League with the Seagulls and appears to have the quality in front of goal to make the most of any high-quality opportunities that come his way.

Calvert-Lewin has scored three goals from 6.11 xG in the Premier League this season and this suggests that the Irishman could come in to offer more than the Englishman in the finishing department.

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Everton are showing interest in a striker who is shining in Scotland

By
Ross Kilvington

Jan 28, 2025

Therefore, Everton should push to sign the Brighton youngster on loan for the second half of the season, in the hope of repeating their Lukaku masterclass.

Newcastle United’s air of imperiousness dissipated last weekend, with Bournemouth running riot at St. James’ Park and emerging as 4-1 victors.

Sometimes you just have to hold your hands up. Anyway, the Magpies had sailed through the festive period and boasted a nine-match winning streak before the Cherries came to town.

It’s all relative. Newcastle have bounded into the top four and also dismantled Arsenal at the Emirates to take a commanding two-goal lead back to Tyneside in the Carabao Cup semi-final.

Alexander Isak was nullified by Andoni Iraola’s defence, but it was bound to happen at some point. He’s been utterly breathtaking over the past few months.

The importance of Alexander Isak at Newcastle

When Newcastle paid a club record fee of £63m to bag Isak’s signature, there was a general sense of awe in Tyneside. It was a significant sum, yes, but Isak had the capacity to become one of the finest marksmen in the business.

He might have suffered injury problems across his English career, but Isak has simply got better and better under Howe’s wing and is now regarded as “the best striker in the Premier League” – by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher, at least.

Experience over the past few years has fostered in the United fanbase a sense of belonging, a sense of determination among top Premier League and European outfits. The start of the 2024/25 campaign did not reflect the overarching vision, to be sure, but Isak has stepped up over the past few months and scored at an absurd rate.

Alexander Isak – Premier League Stats by Season
Season	Apps (starts)	Goals	Assists
24/25	20 (20)	15	5
23/24	30 (27)	21	2
22/23	22 (17)	10	1
Stats via Sofascore

He’s reminded everyone that he’s one of the deadliest, silkiest and most stylish forwards in the game, endowed with ferocious striking skills but also link-up play and intelligence beyond merely the realm of the goalscorer.

It’s only natural that Europe’s elite outfits should be lining up to secure the Swede’s prized signature, with Arsenal in particular known to have a vested interest.

Newcastle will hope that they can tie Isak down to a bumper new deal at St. James’ Park, but if they fail, sporting director Paul Mitchell is already doing the groundwork to sign a successor.

Newcastle lining up Isak heir

Eddie Howe has assembled one of the Premier League’s standout squads over the past three years, shaping a middling team into one of potential at the summit of the European and domestic game.

Isak’s sale is not something that the Toon want to consider, but if it did occur this year or next, figures as high as £150m have been floated about.

As such, Newcastle would have the means to go after a first-class replacement, and Viktor Gyokeres is the man at the top of the shopping list.

As per Football Transfers, United have actually held fresh talks for the free-scoring Sporting Lisbon striker as they continue to sweat over Isak’s future.

Gyokeres, Isak’s teammate with Sweden, has a €100m (about £85m) release clause in his contract but it’s understood that the defending Liga Portugal champions would be willing to negotiate a lower fee at the end of the season.

What Viktor Gyokeres would bring to Newcastle

Callum Wilson is out of contract at the end of the season, but Gyokeres would not agree to a date with Tyneside to play second fiddle to Isak.

And indeed, why would he? The 26-year-old has been in devastating form since joining Sporting Lisbon in 2023, leaving Coventry City for £17m.

Last year, Reporter Harry de Cosemo called him “one of the most feared forwards in Europe” and it’s clear to see why, with the sharpshooter’s pace, power and potency in front of goal all coming together to put him in some rather lofty conversations.

Sporting won the Portuguese top flight last season and Gyokeres was crucial, posting 43 goals and 15 assists across 50 matches in all competitions. When comparing his Liga Portugal stats to Isak’s (in the Premier League) this season, it’s very easy to see why he is held in such high regard and why Howe wants him leading the line, should Isak depart.

Alexander Isak vs Viktor Gyokeres (League Stats 2024/25)
Match Stats*	Isak	Gyokeres
Matches (starts)	20 (20)	18 (17)
Goals	15	22
Assists	5	2
Shots (on target)*	3.0 (1.4)	4.4 (2.2)
Big chances missed	10	11
Pass completion	76%	73%
Key passes*	1.7	1.9
Dribbles*	1.6	1.9
Total duels won*	3.2	5.8
Stats via Sofascore

Of course, you’d think that Isak would succeed in raising his level if plying his art in Portugal, an ostensibly inferior league in terms of overall quality, but it still points toward an exciting future for Gyokeres, should he move to Newcastle.

Not just a clinical striker, he’s creative, combative and mobile, bearing all the traits that would be needed to slot right into a dynamic and energetic Newcastle side.

Moreover, he’s proved that he can do it on the biggest stage and against the biggest opponents, notching an incredible hat-trick in November as Ruben Amorim’s ex-side defeated Manchester City in the Champions League.

Hailed as a “powerhouse” of a number nine by data analyst Ben Mattinson, Gyokeres has everything going for him, and while Newcastle would no doubt have to tussle with some big names to sign him up, he might be tempted by his countryman’s success in Howe’s system and look to emulate him.

Newcastle eyeing up £30m star who would be devastating with Isak & Gordon

Newcastle are aiming to add attacking reinforcements this month, so could the Magpies look north of the boarder to bring in an outstanding new winger?

By
Ben Gray

Jan 20, 2025

A misfiring frontline might not be the crux of Tottenham Hotspur’s mounting problems, but Ange Postecoglou will be sure to recognise the pressing need for something more up top.

Defensively, Spurs are in a bit of a rut, not least because Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are spending a second successive winter sidelined with injuries.

If the right opportunity comes along during the January transfer window, Tottenham will be sure to pounce. Well, a talented striker might just be up for grabs.

Spurs eyeing new centre-forward

As per The Independent’s Miguel Delaney, Tottenham and Everton are set to join Fulham in the race for Evan Ferguson this winter, with Brighton & Hove Albion’s talented striker available on loan.

Ferguson, valued as high as £100m last summer, has struggled for game time this term due to the success of Joao Pedro and Danny Welbeck. Aged 20, he’s got so much room for growth and already boasts a stunning ball-striking ability.

Tottenham aren’t the only team in for Ferguson’s touted signature, however, with Chelsea considering a move of their own. Daniel Levy needs to act quickly and with conviction.

What Evan Ferguson would bring to Spurs

Signing Ferguson on loan might be a move that benefits all parties, should Tottenham accelerate their interest over the coming weeks.

He’s only started two Premier League matches this season, scoring one goal, but is endowed with strength and speed and has been hailed as “one of the most exciting strikers” around by content creator Ryan Adsett.

Transfer Focus

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

Let’s not forget, Ferguson has already demonstrated his capabilities in the top flight, notching six goals from 15 starts as a teenager last year, only missing four big chances, as per Sofascore.

The 6-foot centre-forward might even shape into one of English football’s most potent forces, with his style of play even drawing comparisons to one Harry Kane.

Former Premier League striker John Aldridge has even said that Ferguson could become “an Irish version of Harry Kane” and that he reminds him of the Three Lions captain “in so many ways.”

Premier League All-time Top Scorers
#	Player	Apps	Goals	Strike rate
1	Alan Shearer	441	260	0.59
2	Harry Kane	320	213	0.67
3	Wayne Rooney	491	208	0.42
4	Andy Cole	414	187	0.45
5	Sergio Aguero	275	184	0.67
Source: Premier League

Tottenham’s record scorer with 280 goals from 435 appearances as a senior Lilywhite, Kane is a modern great, one of the finest Premier League strikers in history, so Ferguson could do worse than draw comparisons with the Tottenham legend.

Kane, 31, may be tearing it up in the German Bundesliga but his standing in the English game remains firmly intact. He’s one of the very best to do it, and so perhaps it’s not all that surprising that Ferguson has actually admitted that he idolises the goal machine.

Given that Alan Shearer, another iconic marksman, has praised Ferguson for having the full package, it’s quite clear that Tottenham could be on to something if they were to complete the signing this winter.

Former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi once said that Ferguson’s “improvement has been incredible” after his transition from the Irish game to the Premier League, and he still has so much left to offer.

His raw striking ability certainly offers shades of a young Kane; Spurs must welcome him to the fold and allow him to join a free-scoring team that perhaps needs something to complement and tussle with Dominic Solanke at number nine.

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By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jan 1, 2025