أصبح المغرب أول منتخب إفريقي يحسم تأهله لمنافسات كأس العالم 2026، بعد الفوز بخماسية نظيفة على النيجر في إطار تصفيات أفريقيا المؤهلة لمونديال 2026.
ونجح ياسين بونو حارس مرمى الهلال السعودي، في أن يقود منتخب بلاده بنجاح، وقد بذل جهداً كبيراً طوال التسعين دقيقة لينهي المباراة بشباك نظيفة، للمرة الـ 4 من أصل 6 مباريات في التصفيات.
وقدم ياسين بونو أداء رائعًا في مونديال قطر 2022، وقاد منتخب بلاده لاحتلال المركز الرابع في البطولة، وتألق أيضاً في كأس العالم للأندية الأخيرة مدافعاً عن ألوان الهلال السعودي.
أقرأ أيضاً.. فيديو | المغرب أول المتأهلين إلى كأس العالم 2026 بخماسية أمام النيجر
وذكرت صحيفة “أوليه” الأرجنتينية أن ياسين بونو يمثل للمغاربة ما يمثله ديبو مارتينيز حارس مرمى نادي أستون فيلا للأرجنتينيين.
Yassine Bounou sobre Armani: “Estoy muy contento por él. Fue decisivo en los últimos partidos” 🧤🔴⚪
El arquero de Marruecos, reconocido fanático de River, opinó sobre la actualidad del Pulpo, que fue clave en las últimas series por penales del equipo 🥅🧤
وفي تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “أوليه” عن ياسين بونو بعد التأهل والأداء القوي الذي قدمه منتخب المغرب، حيث رد على سؤال حول توقعاته وأهدافه لكأس العالم القادمة: “في الحقيقة نحن متحمسون، كأس العالم أهم حدث لجميع اللاعبين لذا نحن سعداء للغاية”.
ورد بونو على سؤال يتعلق بالأسطورة الأرجنتينية ليونيل ميسي الذي تصدر أغلفة الصحف العالمية لخوضه آخر مباراة رسمية له مع الأرجنتين ضد فنزويلا على أرضه: “لا أجد كلمات تصف كل ما قدمه ميسي في كرة القدم”.
وأكمل عن نجم إنتر ميامي :”بالنسبة لي كان شرفاً عظيماً أن أتمكن من مواجهة ميسي عن قرب وأن أستمتع باللعب ضده وأن أتحمل كل هذا، لذا تهانينا”.
Celtic players are slowly starting to filter back in for pre-season, and they could be joined by yet another new addition sooner rather than later, according to reports.
Celtic's transfer state of play with pre-season already underway
Several Celtic stars were spotted being put through their paces at Lennoxtown earlier this week, and it is anticipated that the bulk of the main group will join before long, but who could accompany them from elsewhere over the coming weeks?
Kieran Tierney, Ross Doohan and Benjamin Nygren have already been announced. Fulham youngster Callum Osmand is set to follow the trio to Celtic and has already been spotted at their training base before being officially confirmed as a new asset.
With Greg Taylor out of contract and set to depart, Djurgarden left-back Keita Kosugi is the latest name on the Bhoys’ radar as they plot a replacement for the Scotland international.
Despite some swift moves to bolster their pool of talent, Chris Sutton believes Celtic should be doing more in the transfer market with the Champions League qualifiers around the corner.
He explained: “Unless Celtic are going to start paying silly money, I’d imagine they may have to wait, perhaps even until the end of the window, for some of the key targets.
Celtic in talks to sell international defender for 7-figure loss
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“But it still feels a little lacking to me at this precise point of proceedings and, at the very least, Rodgers will surely want the majority in his squad for the start of the domestic season.”
Managers will never be content with that they’ve got, there will always be an appetite for as many useful options as possible to offer cover across the pitch.
Either way, Sutton’s wish could now have been granted as Celtic are now on the brink of bringing in a talented central defender.
Celtic set to land Hayato Inamura with medical scheduled
According to Sponichi, Celtic are set to land defender Hayato Inamura from Albirex Niigata, and he will travel to Europe to undergo a medical before signing on the dotted line at Parkhead.
The 23-year-old took on his final fixture in current club colours against Machida Zelvia this weekend, and is set to become the ninth Japanese player to join the Hoops once his move is ratified.
Hayato Inamura’s record at Albirex Niigata
Appearances
35
Goals
1
Assists
2
Predominantly a central defender, Inamura is also capable of featuring at left-back and has two years left on his current deal at the Denka Big Swan Stadium. He is considered an impressive talent back home, evidenced by the fact he shares an agent with two of Japan’s top stars in Europe – £20m Arsenal man Takehiro Tomiyasu and Mainz star Kaishū Sano.
Enjoying a productive J League campaign, the Tokyo-born man has won 63 duels and 75% of his tackles and would likely arrive in Glasgow for a nominal fee, although the specifics on that front haven’t yet been confirmed.
Either way, Celtic appear primed to venture back into a market that has been a happy hunting ground in recent years, so there is every chance Inamura will become a shrewd addition with plenty of potential to develop.
Pitches in the USA and the Caribbean may not always be conducive to 200-plus totals
Nagraj Gollapudi05-Jun-20242:04
Ponting: World Cup important for cricket to grow in the USA
Having been “spoiled” by a glut of record-breaking 200-plus totals in IPL 2024, teams and batters will need to “lower expectations” in the T20 World Cup 2024. This advice comes from former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who felt that pitches in the West Indies – co-hosting the 20-team World Cup with the USA – are likely to “slow down” towards the latter half when the Super Eights and knockout matches will be played.Ponting’s comments come days after Sri Lanka were bowled out for 77, their lowest T20I total, in their defeat to South Africa in New York. They were flattened by the South African pace battery, led by Anrich Nortje’s career-best 4 for 7. There were 127 dot balls in the entire match, the most at a men’s T20 World Cup game.Related
Klaasen on New York pitch: Batters need to suck it up
Nortje: Don't need 20 sixes to make an entertaining game
Ponting: You want 'natural winners' like Warner at World Cups
South Africa also survived a tense phase in the chase and took 16.4 overs to complete the six-wicket win. It was the first T20I at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, cricket’s first modular venue, and the first impressions were of it being not being T20-friendly. But Nortje had disagreed, saying “you don’t need 20 sixes” for an entertaining game. Heinrich Klaasen, who anchored the chase, felt batters needed a blend of Test and ODI skills “to get over the line” with the ball moving and bouncing inconsistently off a drop-in pitch.Ricky Ponting: “240 was a total you were aiming to get in the IPL. It’s probably not going to be that for the first part of the tournament in New York”•Saikat Das/BCCI
Ponting, speaking to ESPNcricinfo on Tuesday, highlighted another contributing factor. “Being a day game, the ball swung and seamed a little bit. So batsmen will have to keep that in mind, how they start their innings and maybe just lower expectations on scores. 240 was sort of a score that you were aiming to get in the IPL. It’s probably not going to be that for the first part of the tournament here in New York. So that sets a whole lot of different challenges.”The ICC knew that building a cricket stadium from scratch in New York would be ambitious. They hired the head curator of the Adelaide Oval, Damian Hough, to prepare and fit four drop-in pitches at the venue along with six drop-in pitches at a separate nearby facility in Cantiague Park. The new ground was barely a couple of weeks complete when it hosted its first match, a warm-up between India and Bangladesh on June 1.During the US leg of the T20 World Cup, eight of the 16 matches, including the marquee India versus Pakistan contest on June 9, are scheduled to take place in New York. All of them are day games. India play three of their four group matches in New York starting with the one against Ireland on Wednesday.Ponting, who arrived in New York this week from Australia and is part of the ICC’s commentary panel, believed that expectations needed to be tempered especially considering it wasn’t that long ago that a different high-profile T20 tournament was throwing up scores in excess of 250.”I’ve heard Damian Hough quoted post the first game here in New York about his whole vision for this wicket was to try and even up the contest between bat and ball,” Ponting said. “And certainly, there’s no hiding the fact in the first game [between SL and SA] it was probably just a little bit swayed in the bowler’s favour. But the other thing we have to be a little bit mindful of is we have probably all been a little bit spoiled of watching the run fests in the IPL over the last couple of months where we had probably the extreme opposite.”India captain Rohit Sharma echoed similar sentiments at the media briefing on Tuesday.”Certainly, it doesn’t look like a place where you can score easily,” he said. “So, we’ve got to be a little mindful of that and see what best we can do. We are all coming off playing an IPL where a lot of runs were scored. So, it’s important to have that balance, understand what is required here. It’s certainly not going to be an IPL kind of scores here. We are very mindful of that. And we just need to assess as quickly as possible and then bring your game into the picture.”As head coach at Delhi Capitals, Ponting was “almost embarassed” after eventual champions Kolkata Knight Riders scored 272 against his side in April. In a chat with The Cricket Monthly soon after, Ponting said a score of 300, which he once felt was impossible, was now in play mainly because of the impact player rule in IPL.”I actually think on the back of the 50-over World Cup [in India last year], the wickets through this last IPL were just outstanding,” he said. “And the grounds are obviously not getting any bigger and these modern-day players are becoming very adept at power-hitting and going from ball one and carrying it on. So as this tournament progresses, we will see the wickets get a whole lot better here. But we also got to keep in mind what the curator’s trying to do here. He is trying to even up the contest. So the teams are just going to have to adapt and adjust and play accordingly.”‘Wickets in Caribbean could slow down toward back end’While he is confident that teams would be able to score over 200 as the T20 World Cup carries on, Ponting felt the pitches in the West Indies are likely to become slow towards the business end of the tournament.”The Caribbean in itself is a little bit of the unknown as to what the wickets are going be like there,” he said. “I know that having Shai Hope in my team at the Delhi Capitals, he was talking about how they hadn’t had any cricket on most of those [nine] venues in the Caribbean for a few months. It was all about trying to prepare the wickets and get the wickets as good as they can be.”In previous years, certainly in CPL competitions as well, the wickets have been quite low and quite slow and aided spin. They will try to get away from that. I have got a feeling that the wickets will probably start really good in the Caribbean, and they might start to slow down towards the back end of the tournament, but we will have to wait and see there.”
Right, Andrea Berta, what have you got for us? Arsenal fans will hope that once the transfer window ends, a striker has signed on the dotted line.
There aren’t many dead certainties in football or sport in general, but the addition of a new centre-forward would undoubtedly boost Mikel Arteta’s hopes of winning silverware next season.
Truth be told, the record of the club’s strikers was not awful in 2024/25. Kai Havertz was on for a 20-goal season if he didn’t sustain a hamstring injury over the winter and Mikel Merino, for all the discussion surrounding him, had a terrific end to the campaign.
The Spaniard notably scored against Real Madrid and once all was said and done, finished the season with six goals in 12 games as a striker. It wasn’t a flash in the pan either as he netted for Spain during the recent set of international fixtures.
That said, they cannot rely on those two again heading into 2025/26.
Arsenal's hunt for a new striker
So, what’s the latest? Well, talks were opened to sign RB Leipzig forward Benjamin Sesko a few weeks ago and it’s reported that Arsenal are indeed still pushing to sign the Slovenian powerhouse this summer.
Sky German’s Florian Plettenburg revealed last week that there remains a ‘positive’ feeling around the deal, but there is no agreement in place yet. A sticking point continues to be the price tag with Leipzig looking for something between £68m and £85m.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
As a result, Arsenal are continuing to do work on Viktor Gyokeres, with the Swede now very much keen on signing for the Gunners amid interest from Manchester United. The latest on that deal is that the Sporting striker is reportedly now ‘dreaming’ of heading to the Emirates Stadium this summer.
But, what if there was a better option than both? Well, that player would well be out there over the forthcoming months.
Indeed, according to one GOAL transfer correspondent, Arsenal are one of the teams to have held talks over signing Napoli’s Victor Osimhen this summer.
The Nigerian is attracting plenty of interest with Galatasaray, Juventus, PSG, Chelsea, Manchester United, Milan and Real Madrid said to have had contact with the forward.
Galatasaray's VictorOsimhenreacts
Osimhen was valued at over £100m last summer but Napoli struggled to find a suitor and as a result, he spent the campaign on loan at Galatasaray.
Now, his value has fallen to around £63m which would be a more attractive price than Sesko’s valuation, in particular.
But, who would be the better signing?
How Osimhen compares to Sesko and Gyokeres
Sesko is very much a raw talent. While he bagged 21 goals in all competitions throughout 2024/25, only 13 of those came in Bundesliga action. For someone who could cost over £80m, you could argue that Arsenal may well end up overpaying here.
RB Leipzig's BenjaminSeskocelebrates their second goal scored by Lukas Klostermann
However, you cannot argue with his skill set. He’s tall, he’s quick, he’s physical and he’s already been described as the “new Erling Haaland” by scout Jacek Kulig.
As for Gyokeres, well, you’re probably going to get goals. There are not very many players on the planet capable of scoring at the rate he’s been scoring at over the last few years.
Since trading Coventry for Lisbon, the Sweden international has been on fire at Sporting. He scored 54 goals in 52 games this season, adding to the 43 in 50 he netted throughout 2023/24. He’s a rampant goal machine, that is evident. However, there is a lingering question: can he do it in a top five league? There are some doubters.
Osimhen, on the other hand, has proven over a number of years now that he can perform at the highest level of the game. He’s a ready-made option and there’s a reason most of the top clubs in Europe are looking at him.
Like Gyokeres, Osimhen was playing in a lower quality league this season – the top-flight of Turkey – but he was incredibly destructive. The 26-year-old scored 26 goals in 30 league matches and added another 11 in as many games in cup competitions.
It follows the trend of Osimhen scoring a bucket load of goals wherever he goes. It was at Lille where the “monster” forward, as he’s been described by analyst Ben Mattinson, first became something of a household name.
Goal tallies: Osimhen vs Gyokeres since 2020
Season
Osimhen
Gyokeres
2020/21
10
5
2021/22
18
18
2022/23
31
22
2023/24
17
43
2024/25
37
54
Stats via Transfermarkt.
The Nigeria international scored 18 in 38 for Les Dogues and in a Napoli shirt, has 76 in 133 outings, an average of 19 per season.
For some, it might be crucial to learn that 65 of those goals have come in Serie A, where he notably led Napoli to the title in 2022/23, becoming a cult hero in the process.
An immense physical presence, the aforementioned Mattinson has also labelled him as a “beast in the air”, highlighting his ability to “hold up play”.
In contrast, that’s an area where Gyokeres perhaps struggles more with Mattinson indicating that the Swede has a “heavy first touch” and “doesn’t anticipate contact or shield the ball well.” Those are red flags in his eyes and as a result, it does indicate that Osimhen could be the better option.
He’s an animal in front of goal, has clever movement like Gyokeres and can offer something else in the build-up play too. That final factor could well be decisive for Arteta who enjoys a forward who isn’t just a one-trick pony.
Big Havertz upgrade: Arsenal held talks on Wednesday to sign £67m "monster"
The prolific marksman would be a massive hit at Arsenal.
Attention is already turning to the new 2025/26 Premier League season, with promoted sides Leeds United, Burnley and Sunderland looking to buck the recent trend and avoid relegation at the first time of asking.
Liverpool, under Arne Slot, will be the defending champions, whereas Pep Guardiola is leading a Manchester City rebuild. Arsenal and Mikel Arteta will finally be hoping that this is their year, while Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to improve on their terrible domestic campaigns last time around.
Grok, the AI tool on X, relayed by Birmingham World, has already predicted the 2025/26 Premier League table, looking at how many points each team will collect, including their goal difference.
AI 2025/26 Premier League table in pictures:
AI Premier League table 2025/26
Rank
Team
Games
Points
GD
1
Liverpool
38
88
+42
2
Arsenal
38
80
+30
3
Man City
38
78
+28
4
Newcastle
38
72
+22
5
Chelsea
38
68
+18
6
Aston Villa
38
65
+12
7
Nottingham Forest
38
62
+10
8
Tottenham
38
60
+8
9
Brighton
38
58
+6
10
Fulham
38
55
+4
11
Man Utd
38
54
+2
12
Everton
38
52
0
13
West Ham
38
50
-2
14
Bournemouth
38
48
-5
15
Brentford
38
46
-8
16
Leeds Utd
38
42
-12
17
Crystal Palace
38
40
-15
18
Wolves
38
38
-20
19
Burnley
38
34
-25
20
Sunderland
38
30
-30
The next 10 Ballon d'Or winners predicted by AI
Who could win the Ballon d’Or across the next ten years?
Starting the countdown at the bottom of the table, AI thinks Championship playoff winners Sunderland will finish in 20th place.
They believe Regis Le Bris’ side will accumulate 30 points, though, 18 more than Southampton, who were 20th in 24/25.
19 19th: Burnley (34 points, -25 GD)
Another newly promoted side, Burnley are believed to be the next side to go down. Scott Parker worked wonders at Turf Moor in his first campaign, conceding just 16 goals in 46 games and ending on 100 points.
However, potentially losing some of those defensive stars, including goalkeeper James Trafford, could see the Clarets struggle.
18 18th: Wolves (38 points, -20 GD)
Wolves have been flirting with the bottom three in the 23/24 and 24/25 seasons, and AI thinks 25/26 is the year they are going down.
After losing Matheus Cunha to Man Utd, the Old Gold will need to replace their top scorer and could struggle under Vitor Pereira.
17 17th: Crystal Palace (40 points, -15 GD)
Crystal Palace manager OliverGlasnerapplauds fans after the match
Just avoiding the drop are the 24/25 FA Cup winners Crystal Palace. AI claims that the fixture congestion from Europe could see them struggle in the Premier League.
Another problem for the Eagles is player sales, with the likes of Eberechi Eze, Marc Guehi and Jean-Philippe Mateta all being linked with moves away from Selhurst Park.
16 16th: Leeds United (42 points, -12 GD)
Leeds United manager DanielFarkecelebrates after the match
AI feels that Leeds United, the Championship title winners, could buck the trend and avoid relegation by finishing on 42 points.
If they do, the Whites, who won the second tier title in stoppage time on the final day, will be the first side since the 2022/23 season to get promoted and remain in the Premier League.
15 15th: Brentford (46 points, -8 GD)
Brentford managerThomasFrankbefore the matc
Despite a top 10 finish in 24/25, Brentford are next on the list, with AI believing Bryan Mbeumo’s potential departure could result in a drop-off for Thomas Frank’s side.
Mbeumo scored 20 of the Bees’ 66 goals last season but could be on his way to Man Utd, which may see them slide down the table.
14 14th: Bournemouth (48 points, -5 GD)
Another side who finished in the top 10 last season, Bournemouth, could also be in line to lose some of their star players.
Already selling Dean Huijsen to Real Madrid, Milos Kerkez and Antoine Semenyo are also in demand, with AI feeling that any sales will negatively impact the Cherries.
13 13th: West Ham (50 points, -2 GD)
West Ham United manager GrahamPotter
One side that AI feels will slightly improve from 24/25 is West Ham, who finished 14th in the previous campaign on 43 points.
Graham Potter is preparing for his first full season in charge at the London Stadium and will be looking to make his mark in the transfer window.
12 12th: Everton (52 points, 0 GD)
Everton manager DavidMoyesbefore the match
Another team AI think will finish one place higher than 24/25 is Everton. David Moyes came in and steadied the ship for the Toffees and will be leading them at their new stadium in 25/26.
It is added that keeping hold of star defender Jarrad Branthwaite and adding depth to the side is key, though.
11 11th: Manchester United (54 points, +2 GD)
Manchester United manager RubenAmorimbefore the match
Things couldn’t have gone much worse for Man Utd in 24/25, so AI does have them finishing higher but still in the bottom half with 54 points.
‘Integrating new signings and addressing defensive frailties’ under Ruben Amorim in a 3-4-3 system could still see the Red Devils struggle, ending 12 points and four places better off.
As results on the pitch continue to encapsulate their struggles even after the Premier League season has concluded, Manchester United have reportedly already set their sights on some key upgrades.
Man Utd defeated by ASEAN All-Stars
Whilst other clubs have taken a much-needed rest following a frantic Premier League season, Manchester United are currently in Asia on a post-season tour. But even outside of Europe, they haven’t been able to escape their problems. Just one week after suffering defeat in the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur, the Red Devils were humiliated by ASEAN All-Stars earlier this week to only add to their misery.
In a game which featured several mainstays, including Andre Onana, Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes and Rasmus Hojlund, Manchester United’s Asian fans would have been expecting Ruben Amorim’s side to get back to winning ways, albeit only in a friendly.
What they received instead, however, is the experience that many around Old Trafford have become accustomed to. And like those at Old Trafford, they reacted by booing the defeat that they were witnessing – boos that Amorim has since admitted his side need to hear.
The Manchester United boss told reporters after yet another defeat: “I’m always guilty of the performance of the team, no matter what. Since I’ve been here from the first day, I am guilty. The boos from the fans is something that we need, maybe. Because every game we lost in the Premier League, they [fans] were always there [supporting].
Gordon Strachan tells Man Utd to sign £30m star who'd be better than Osimhen
Gordon Strachan was speaking to Football FanCast this week.
ByMatt Dawson May 29, 2025
“It’s like the way of playing, if they see that it’s not working, they will change the way they behave. But I felt when we finished and walked away, the supporters were with us. But, again, let’s wait for the next season.”
The defeat once again highlighted just how desperately Manchester United need to get things right this summer, perhaps starting with a signing that Sir Jim Ratcliffe is reportedly not giving up on.
Man Utd set to hold more Joan Garcia talks
According to Caught Offside, Manchester United are now set to hold new talks to sign Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia in the coming days, with Ratcliffe failing to give up on the deal despite interest from Barcelona, who are the current favorites to get a deal done. Reports from Spain have even claimed that Garcia has even chosen Barcelona, but Man Utd are looking to hiajck a move.
The interest of the Red Devils comes as little surprise, given they had discussions for the keeper last month. Garcia, with a release clause worth just €25m (£21m), ticks the box for the type of bargain that United must target this summer as they look to replace Onana.
League stats 24/25 (via FBref)
Joan Garcia
Andre Onana
Starts
38
34
Clean Sheets
8
9
Saves P90
3.68
2.59
Save Percentage
75.5%
68.9%
If there are any concerns that Garcia wouldn’t be a major upgrade on Onana, then the numbers should put those concerns to bed in an instant. The Spaniard has enjoyed an excellent season at Espanyol and has been praised by Ben Mattinson since the very start, with the analyst dubbing him “dominant” back in August.
For just £21m, the deal makes perfect sense for Manchester United if they want to end their goalkeeper struggles once and for all in the coming months.
Everton are planning for a busy summer, with The Friedkin Group willing to back David Moyes as he whips his side into shape.
The Scottish manager has been brilliant since replacing Sean Dyche in the dugout, but there’s only so much he can do without investment across numerous positions, angling the Toffees toward a state of confidence and coherence, capable of competing at the upper end of the Premier League.
There’s no question the Merseysiders need more goals as they step into the Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium, and Moyes appears to have found his man already, with Everton joining the race for a Serie A striker.
Everton join race for new striker
It’s no secret that Everton are in need of a new centre-forward, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin approaching the end of his current contract, while Chelsea loanee Armando Broja is likely to return to his parent club.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
With that in mind, Caught Offside report that Everton have joined the hotly-contested race for Valentin Castellanos, a 26-year-old striker plying his trade for Lazio.
The reliable goalscorer would be allowed to leave if Lazio received a fee of around £30m, although in truth, suitors may well be put off by such demands.
Lazio's Valentin Castellanos celebrates
In any case, Everton know they have their work cut out with this one: Nottingham Forest, West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers are all eager to make their move this summer.
What Castellanos would bring to Everton
Castellanos, a two-cap Argentina international, played out the early years of his career in his homeland before transferring to the MLS in 2018, where he would remain in the Big Apple with New York City F.C. until moving on loan to Girona in 2022.
A prolific season in Spain led to a permanent move to Lazio, and after scoring just four Serie A goals last season, Castellanos has now posted 14 across 39 appearances this term, supplying eight assists.
There’s an athletic grace to his football that would certainly add a dimension to Moyes’ attack, contrasting with the powerful strides of Beto and Calvert-Lewin’s target man style, should the veteran forward renew his contract.
As per FBref, Castellanos ranks among the top 9% of centre-forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shots taken, the top 12% for goal-creating actions and the top 20% for progressive carries per 90, praised for his “extraordinary” technical ability by Lazio boss Marco Baroni.
The nine’s performances in the Europa League this year have also led the data-driven platform to compare him to Richarlison, Everton’s former talisman who left for Tottenham Hotspur in a £60m deal back in 2022.
It’s difficult to analyse the Brazilian’s performances from this term, for his availability has been limited due to injury, but Richarlison did enjoy heightened success under Ange Postecoglou’s wing last year, with his energy, versatility and snapping bite making for an intriguing option.
League Stats – Castellanos vs Richarlison
Stats (* per game)
Castellanos (24/25)
Richarlison (23/24)
Matches (starts)
28 (27)
28 (18)
Goals
10
11
Assists
3
4
Shots (on target)*
3.6 (1.4)
2.2 (0.9)
Big chances missed
13
7
Pass completion
70%
71%
Key passes*
1.0
0.6
Dribbles*
0.6
0.4
Duels won*
4.8
2.9
Stats via Sofascore
It’s an option Castellanos could provide for Moyes to have an even greater effect.
Richarlison’s tenacity and ability to add a direct threat while using his movements and physicality to upset defenders differentiates him from the rabble of forwards across the continent. Fitness setbacks have been his nemesis in recent years, but his underlying talent level remains strong.
However, while Everton might be interested in completing a deal, it doesn’t make sense to take a backwards step when every aspect of the club is currently angled forward, to a new beginning.
Richarlison injured for Tottenham
Castellanos could be the man to lead Everton over the coming years, bearing Richarlison’s prolific quality and multi-facetedness.
Though the Argentine could perhaps be a bit more clinical with his shooting, there’s enough about his overall game that Moyes would delight in working with him, adding a layer to an Everton team firmly rooted in structure and solidity and purposeful pragmaticism.
Everton managerDavidMoyescelebrates after the match
After renewed promise since the harsh winter of Dyche’s final days abated, Everton have got an appetite for a new level of success.
Showing intent and bringing players such as Castellanos into the fold, instead of returning for a former star in Richarlison, who has flattered to deceive since leaving, is surely the way forward.
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Everton are ready to make a series of signings for David Moyes this summer.
Former Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Paul Robinson has shared his verdict as Spurs reportedly close in on the appointment of a 52-year-old, with the ex-England international expressing his delight for chairman Daniel Levy.
Tottenham ponder new manager after 20 Premier League defeats
The Lilywhites set a dismal record over the weekend, surpassing their previous number of total Premier League defeats in a single season.
Tottenham: £4m-per-year manager enters pole position to replace Postecoglou
The Australian could still leave Spurs if they win the Europa League.
1 ByEmilio Galantini May 10, 2025
Ange Postecoglou’s side have now lost 20 league games this term, following a 2-0 home defeat to FA Cup finalists Crystal Palace, and this torrid number is quite simply inexcusable for a ‘big six’ club.
Tottenham’s final Premier League fixtures
Date
Aston Villa (away)
May 16th
Brighton (home)
May 25th
Spurs also find themselves 17th in the table with no wins from their last five. The terrible form of relegated trio Ipswich Town, Leicester City and Southampton has seemingly rescued them from flirting with a drop to the Championship, which makes for seriously grim reading from Postecoglou’s perspective.
Some reports suggest Postecoglou is set to leave Tottenham this summer, even if the Australian ends their 17-year wait for a trophy and qualifies for the Champions League by winning the Europa League final.
A host of tacticians have been tipped to potentially replace Postecoglou, with Andoni Iraola (Bournemouth), Marco Silva (Fulham), Oliver Glasner (Crystal Palace), Thomas Frank (Brentford), Scott Parker (Burnley), Jürgen Klopp (Head of Global, Red Bull), Niko Kovač (Borussia Dortmund) and Edin Terzić (free agent) all on Tottenham’s rumoured managerial shortlist, according to reports in the last month.
In the meantime, while none of these possible appointments appear close, one hire which is becoming more anticipated by the week is the return of ex-managing director Fabio Paratici.
The Italian’s worldwide ban by FIFA is due to end on June 30th, and this has prompted many reports linking him with a return to N17.
Corriere della Sera recently stated that Paratici will re-join Tottenham after talks with AC Milan broke down, and some media outlets closer to home claim that Marseille boss Roberto De Zerbi has been recommended to Spurs by the 52-year-old already.
Robinson thrilled by potential Paratici return to Tottenham
Speaking to Tottenham News, ex-Spurs keeper Robinson has shared exactly why he believes Paratici’s potentially imminent comeback is a welcome boost for the north Londoners.
“His recruitment has been excellent,” said the pundit, who regularly features on Sky Sports.
“Listen, he’s had an official ban, but I think his fingerprints have been all over a lot of Tottenham signings. You can’t work in an official capacity, but there’s nobody saying you can’t ring your mate up and make a phone call and recommend him a player.
Fabio Paratici attends Tottenham Hotpsur's away clash in the Premier League against Crystal Palace.
“Anyone can do that. You look at the signings that he’s had, you look at Kulusevski, Bentancur, Romero, Vicario. The signings that he’s brought to the club have been a success.
“I think from the outside looking in, it’s somebody that Daniel Levy trusts. So if he comes back in an official capacity, I think that’ll be a good thing for the club if he can work with whatever manager’s in charge next season and get the recruitment right for the style of play that the manager wants to achieve.
“It’s vitally important, as we’ve seen this season with Ange, you have to have a set of players that fit the system that the manager wants to play, or else it’s not going to work.”
Well, at least we’ll all have those magical two nights against Real Madrid, eh? For Arsenal, it just wasn’t meant to be this season.
While some may argue that the Gunners have taken two steps back, ultimately losing the league title to Liverpool, currently 17 points behind where they were at this stage in 2023/24, progress has been made.
If anything, this campaign has shown why Mikel Arteta is such a special coach. With several key players out injured for large parts of the term, he took Arsenal to the semi-finals of the Champions League. That deserves shouting about.
Some individual magic from Declan Rice may have been relied upon in the semi-finals but they truly dominated the best team in the competition’s history; Real Madrid.
PSG, however? They were a bridge too far. It wasn’t as if Arsenal played poorly though. They will be left to bemoan Gianluigi Donnarumma’s heroics as the titanic Italian put in two Ballon d’Or-worthy performances across the tie.
There were those saves from Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard last week in the first leg and then there were those remarkable stops to deny Martin Odegaard early on in Paris on Wednesday and a sprawling save to keep out Bukayo Saka’s curling effort in the second half.
As Odegaard said after the game, it was a clash decided in both boxes. The simple fact was that PSG were better in those areas.
That said, Arsenal need to start seeing more from their captain if they are to revive their fortunes next season.
What's going wrong for Martin Odegaard
Ever since Odegaard was a 15-year-old coming through in Norway at Stromsgodset, handed a senior debut at a ridiculously young age, it’s clear how much talent he possesses.
Things didn’t work out at Madrid for the creative playmaker but in north London he has found a home for himself. Up until now, he has thrived.
In 2022/23, Odegaard scored as many as 15 goals, all of which came in the Premier League. No midfielder scored more goals than he in the league that year. In 2023/24, he wasn’t quite as prolific but he still scored eight in the league and 11 in all competitions.
This term, despite providing 11 assists, the Norway international has only found the net on five occasions. Given Arsenal’s general lack of firepower and crucially, a lack of a fit centre-forward, that has proven decisive.
So, what’s gone wrong? Well, ever since he sustained an ankle injury in the embryonic stages of this season, he’s not looked quite right. It took the midfielder a few months to recover and arguably, he’s still feeling the impacts of that now.
He’s never been a vicious ball striker, but he’s lacking so much power, not just in his shooting but his overall play. He looks lightweight, scared to take on a player, worried to challenge for the ball. His passing range is also off. Compared to last season, Odegaard is having 0.40 fewer shots per 90 minutes, making 0.56 fewer key passes per 90 and producing 1.56 fewer shot-creating actions per 90.
The first two metrics aren’t disastrous drop-offs, but it does indicate that the skipper is playing at a poorer level than he is used to.
So, what’s the solution? Well, they have a ready-made one in Ethan Nwaneri. They could also go out into the transfer market to replace him but that seems unlikely.
Perhaps there’s another option lying in wait.
Arsenal's unlikely Odegaard replacement
The summer window of 2022/23 was a memorable one for Arsenal. Arteta wanted to surround himself with winners and familiar faces, notably bringing in Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
Jesus’ instant impact was staggering, scoring five times in his first eight Premier League outings. Sadly, since then, it hasn’t quite happened for him in an Arsenal shirt, notably ruled out for a lengthy period of time with an ACL injury in January.
It’s not really happened for the two other major signings for that window, either. Zinchenko could reportedly leave in the summer while Fabio Vieira is currently out on loan at Porto.
Vieira has flattered to deceive during his time at the Emirates. A midfielder cut from a similar cloth as Odegaard, lean yet creative, we certainly haven’t seen the best of him in red and white.
He did register six assists in his debut campaign following that £34m move but scored just twice, including a stunning effort against Brentford. Last term wasn’t much better either, scoring once and laying on four assists. He only played in 11 league games.
So, it was hardly a surprise that with Nwaneri coming through the ranks, he was sent out on loan.
Vieira headed back to his boyhood club Porto where, to give him his credit, we have seen an improvement. While the Portuguese midfielder’s numbers still aren’t mindblowing, the 24-year-old has found the net on five occasions and provided the same number of assists in 37 outings.
During a run of fixtures back in March, Vieira managed to score three goals and provide one assist across four outings, lending credence to Arsenal content creator Harvey Diamonds’ claim that he’d “hit some incredible form.”
While it’s unlikely that the young playmaker finds a route back into the Arsenal team, he’s got plenty of eye-catching qualities that would make him a strong replacement for Odegaard.
Odegaard vs Vieira in 24/25 (league stats)
Metric (* = per game)
Odegaard
Vieira
Goals
2
4
Assists
7
4
Big chances created
12
10
Crosses *
0.6
1.6
Successful long balls *
1.3
2.1
Key passes *
2.1
1.6
Successful dribbles *
0.9
0.4
Ground duels won *
2.4
3.5
Times fouled *
0.9
1.6
Stats via Sofascore.
Ironically celebrated as a player “who’s made for Champions League nights” by data analyst Ben Mattinson, Vieira brings a certain level of passing that, truth be told, few on the continent possess. Why do you think Arsenal signed him in the first place?
Compared to players in the 14 leagues most similar to the Portuguese top-flight, he ranks in the top 6% of midfielders for assists per 90 minutes across the last year, the best 12% for key passes and the top 3% for passes into the penalty area.
While he is yet to show much in the Premier League, he’s still young enough to improve and he possesses the qualities to unlock doors. That’s something Arsenal have really lacked at times across 2024/25.
Perhaps a Vieira revival could be on the cards?
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Liverpool have won the Premier League less than one year after Jurgen Klopp bowed out, almost nine years of leadership, leading the larger-than-life German to intimate his decision to call it a day.
He built Anfield back up from the disrepair it had slumped into. Klopp’s Liverpool wasn’t built in a day but it will stand strong for many years to come, with Arne Slot proving that by taking the blueprint and winning the Premier League in his first season at the helm.
Mohamed Salah celebrates Liverpool's Premier League triumph
The Dutch tactician is a genius, but he’s dovetailed into Klopp’s hothouse and has taken this special team to another level, Liverpool now crowned top-flight champions for a record-equalling 20th time, perching alongside Manchester United.
One of Klopp’s final and most significant hurrahs was the success in repackaging a flagging midfield and turning it back into a robust machine.
They’ve all played important roles, but who can say that Alexis Mac Allister hasn’t been the pick of the bunch? He was the centrepiece as Tottenham Hotspur were defeated on Sunday evening, for sure.
Alexis Mac Allister's performance vs Spurs
Dominic Solanke powered a header past Alisson after just 12 minutes, silencing Anfield’s raucous atmosphere and threatening to spoil the party.
Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister, Alisson Becker and Darwin Nunez
But Liverpool returned like a tidal wave, scoring three goals before the break and two more after the hour mark. Mac Allister’s was the pick of the bunch, thundering home to restore his team’s lead after Luis Diaz had restored parity eight minutes earlier.
The Argentine put in a performance for the ages, underscored his trophy-winning credentials and status as one of the finest midfielders in the world.
Player ratings courtesy of Sofascore
Blending combativeness with a cultured foot, Spurs simply didn’t have the answer and were overwhelmed in the centre, something which proved fatal as Mohamed Salah and co were then able to swarm and pick at the shaky backline.
Alexis Mac Allister’s Performance vs Tottenham
Match Stats
#
Minutes played
83′
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots (on target)
3 (2)
Accurate passes
35/40 (88%)
Key passes
2
Tackles + interceptions
7
Clearances
1
Duels won
7/11
Stats via Sofascore
The former Brighton man has earned his flowers, no doubt about that. However, he wasn’t the only one to produce the goods when Liverpool needed it, with Cody Gakpo’s display confirming, were it not known already, that he is undroppable over on the left flank.
Cody Gakpo is now undroppable after title win
Gakpo has been frustrated by injury over the past few months, but he’s come on leaps and bounds under the wing of Slot this season and effectively sealed the title-winning victory over Tottenham when making it 3-1 before half-time.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
BBC Sport’s Pat Nevin hailed Gakpo for his “twinkle toes,” collecting from the corner and moving into a pocket with fleet feet, capitalising on some shoddy defending before unleashing a pinpoint finish to Guglielmo Vicario’s right.
The 25-year-old’s cool finish was emblematic of his campaign, an icy figure down the left flank whose goalscoring knack and industrious approach to his football suggests he has nailed down the berth and should not be moved.
Liverpool's Cody Gakpo wins the Premier League
There’s a case to be made that Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez should both be sold this summer, with Diaz working so seamlessly as a roving focal frontman.
It allows Salah to maximise his output and it has paid dividends for Gakpo, whose positional readjustment this season, almost exclusively playing off the left, having been dotted all about last year, has seen him clinch 17 goals and six assists in all competitions this season.
The Dutchman isn’t just a poacher either. His goals come in various forms, and he gets stuck in defensively too, having won six of his eight duels against Tottenham while chipping in with two tackles and two interceptions apiece, as per Sofascore. As a result, he was awarded with an 8/10 match rating by the Liverpool Echo.
Plenty has been made of Liverpool’s projected transfer plans, and while fans would like a new wideman to enrich these formidable ranks, Gakpo, a Premier League champion, has proved that he’s a fixed feature in Slot’s starting line-up.
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