West Ham United have now opened talks with a “tactically astute” manager, who could replace Graham Potter.

Potter under pressure after Crystal Palace defeat

It has been far from the ideal start to the Premier League season for West Ham, with Potter’s side currently sitting in the relegation zone, after losing four of their opening five games, and the manager is now under significant pressure.

Following the 2-1 loss at home against Crystal Palace on Saturday, there have been widespread reports suggesting the 50-year-old could be replaced as manager, after admitting he was disappointed with his side’s performance against the Eagles.

Potter said: “It’s this level and at the moment it’s not enough and we have to face up to that.

“We have to do more, we have to work harder, we have to find a solution to it. We have to be more stable defensively and offensively and find more ways to look stronger as a team. That’s where the work is now.”

West Ham hold talks with title-winning ex-Tottenham manager to replace Potter

The Englishman’s future is very uncertain after a poor start to 25/26.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Sep 20, 2025

Even prior to the defeat against Palace, the board were weighing up potential replacements for Potter, with Slaven Bilic and Nuno Espirito Santo named among the targets, and a new report has revealed that another manager is also being targeted.

According to a report from The Boot Room, West Ham have held talks with former Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Gary O’Neil this week, as they begin to prepare for life after Potter.

The report, which was released before Saturday’s game, states the Hammers’ hierarchy were planning to sack their current manager if they lost against Crystal Palace, which suggests it may be a matter of time before he departs.

Explaining the situation further, transfer expert Graeme Bailey adds: “West Ham are talking to other managers, and this tells us in recent history this is really bad news for Potter.

“It happened with Lopetegui and Moyes before him. Hammers’ sources are not pushing back; they can’t, as people know it is happening. It’s going to take some effort for Potter to remain in charge of the club.”

O'Neil would be risky appointment for West Ham

It is starting to look like the Hammers need to part ways with Potter, given that the manager has averaged just 0.92 points per match since his arrival, but there are doubts over whether O’Neil would be a savvy replacement.

The 42-year-old is still relatively inexperienced, having managed AFC Bournemouth for less than one full season, while he was also dismissed by Wolves last December, at which point the Old Gold were four points from safety.

The former Bournemouth boss has received some praise from a fellow manager, with Eddie Howe branding him “tactically astute”, but he would be a risky appointment, at a time when West Ham securing Premier League safety is paramount.

As such, Nuno may be a better appointment, having led Nottingham Forest to Europe last season, so it is promising news that West Ham are also in for the 51-year-old.

Shubman Gill hailed Gujarat Titans’ bowling riches after the win over Sunrisers Hyderabad

ESPNcricinfo staff02-May-20252:11

‘Prasidh is from the Hazlewood school of fast bowling’

With 19 wickets, Prasidh Krishna has already matched his best tally in an IPL season. This year, it’s taken him just ten matches to match his entire haul for 2022. No surprise that the Gujarat Titans (GT) fast bowler feels this is his best IPL campaign yet.”I think my control over the length has been good and all the work that we’ve been putting in as a team and everybody around has been supportive enough for me to get to where I am now. And yeah, I’m enjoying the way the ball is coming out of the hand,” Prasidh said on the broadcast after GT beat Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) on Friday to get to No. 2 on the IPL 2025 points table.Against SRH, Prasidh returned 2 for 19 from his four overs, while the best economy rate among other bowlers, who bowled two overs or more, was 8.25 [Mohammed Siraj]. He has, in fact, been economical all along, going at 7.48 so far, his best in a season.Related

Out or not out? Shubman Gill's run out sparks debate

Powerplay malfunction puts SRH on the brink

“My preparation would start firstly by getting control over what I want to do, get back into the practice, get back in the nets, do exactly what I would do against somebody that I’d be facing in a particular game and then from there, get on game day, look at what the pitch is like,” Prasidh said. “If you’re bowling second, make sure you watch every single ball of the 20 overs somebody else bowls, take all that you can from them.”And I have a lot of people around me that have played a tremendous amount of cricket. So just have a chat with them, try and make sure you hit the right areas and take it from there.”GT captain Shubman Gill said it was good to be spoilt for choice when it came to their bowling attack. They used seven bowlers on Friday, although R Sai Kishore only bowled because Ishant Sharma went off the field injured while bowling the 20th over, as GT registered a 38-run win.The match also saw Gerald Coetzee debut for the team after recovering from an injury, and he returned 1 for 36.”Everyone is chipping in be it Sai, Prasidh, Rashid [Khan], Siraj, Ishi [Ishant], even Coetzee in this game,” Gill said. “It’s always nice to have many options when you are bowling especially when you’re defending on these type of grounds.”

While it’s always tricky to determine who has ‘won’ the transfer window, Arsenal certainly have a strong shout this year.

New Sporting Director Andrea Berta has been transformational since his arrival, overseeing eight additions to Mikel Arteta’s squad over the last few months.

Moreover, while a number of those players have been signed to bolster the squad, others could be real game-changers for the starting lineup, like Eberechi Eze.

The Englishman is an unbelievably exciting signing for the Premier League hopefuls, although they did sell their own version of him not too long ago.

Eze's return to Arsenal

Signing a player of Eze’s quality is hugely exciting and would have been enough to delight the Arsenal fanbase regardless of the nature of the deal.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.

However, the fact that it looked like the club had cooled their interest in him weeks prior, only to suddenly reenter the conversation in the 11th hour and steal (rescue) him from Tottenham Hotspur, was enough of a story to send the fans into delirium.

It’s easy to see why Arteta was reportedly so keen to bring the 27-year-old to the Emirates this summer as well, as not only is he a creative force, but he also knows exactly where the goal is.

Despite playing for a mid-table side last season, the Greenwich-born “magician,” as dubbed by Micah Richards, was an output machine, scoring 14 goals and providing 11 assists in 43 appearances, totalling 3303 minutes.

In other words, the versatile game-changer, who can play in the middle of the park or out wide, averaged a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes – just imagine what he’ll do with better players around him.

Moreover, it’s not just the hijacking of his move to Spurs or the quality he’ll add to the side that makes this transfer so special; there is the human side, which is the fact that the club released him as a 13-year-old and has finally made his way back.

In short, Eze’s move to Arsenal is one of the best of the summer, even though the club sold someone who could’ve been described as their version of the Englishman not too long ago.

Arsenal's former Eze

It would be fair to say that fans were left quite disappointed by Edu Gaspar’s final summer transfer window at Arsenal, as he only oversaw five signings, two of which were the loan deals for Raheem Sterling and Neto.

However, while he failed on the incoming front, he did do reasonably well regarding outgoings, as he saw Eddie Nketiah move to Crystal Palace for £30m, Aaron Ramsdale join Southampton for up to £25m, and Emile Smith Rowe move to Fulham for up to £34m.

The latter was undoubtedly the one most fans were sad to see go, as even though the money was good for someone who had fallen out of Arteta’s plans, there was a belief he could be something special.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the former fan favourite is the player who could have been described as the Gunners’ own Eze.

The first reason stems from the positions he’d play under Arteta.

Position

Games

Goals

Assists

Attacking Midfield

102

19

15

Left Midfield

45

15

3

Central Midfield

41

8

5

Right Midfield

12

4

1

Left Winger

3

0

0

Centre-Forward

2

0

0

Right Winger

1

0

0

While he now almost exclusively plays as an attacking midfielder for the Cottagers, he would spend plenty of time in other areas of the pitch at the Emirates.

For example, across his time with the Gunners, the “phenomenal” talent, as dubbed by one analyst, made 54 appearances in attacking midfield, 25 in left-midfield, ten in central midfield, three at left-wing, three in right-midfield, and he even played up top on two occasions.

It wasn’t just where he played that made him similar to the former Palace man, though, but how he played, and still does to an extent.

Even though he wore the number ten in North London – another similarity to the club’s new star – the Croydon-born gem was far more of a ball-carrier than someone who’d play pinpoint passes like traditional tens. In the words of his manager while on loan at Huddersfield, Danny Cowley, he was “like Dennis Bergkamp but with pace.”

For example, in the 20/21 season, his best at Arsenal, the 25-year-old ranked in the top 9% of Premier League midfielders for progressive carries and the top 14% for carries into the penalty area per 90, per FBref.

Finally, in addition to the similarities in their game, both players have featured for the national team and progressed through the Gunners’ legendary Hale End academy.

Ultimately, while they have finally signed the real thing, for some time, Smith Rowe was Arsenal’s own Eze.

Arsenal sold homegrown Gyokeres for £4m, now he's one of the best in Europe

Arsenal had a promising talent in their ranks who could have been their own homegrown Gyokeres.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 3, 2025

كشفت تقارير صحفية، عن تحقيق محمد صلاح، نجم الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ليفربول، رقمًا مميزًا في دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويعاني قائد منتخب مصر من انتقادات شديدة هذا الموسم من قبل الصحافة الإنجليزية وجمهور ليفربول بسبب تراجع أدائه في المباريات الأخيرة، حيث لم يسجل إلا هدفين في الدوري الإنجليزي أحدهما من ضربة جزاء.

وخسر ليفربول على يد مانشستر يونايتد مساء أمس الأحد، في قمة منافسات الجولة الثامنة من بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي على ملعب “الأنفيلد” بهدفين لهدف.

وتمثل تلك الهزيمة الرابعة على التوالي لـ ليفربول، بعد السقوط أمام كل من كريستال بالاس، جالطة سراي وتشيلسي.

ويواجه ليفربول نظيره آينتراخت فرانكفورت الألماني، مساء اليوم، الأربعاء في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة ومكة المكرمة.

اقرأ أيضًا | أسطورة ليفربول عن تراجع محمد صلاح: نسيت أنه يلعب في بعض المباريات

ووفقًا لبيانات جديدة صادرة من دوري أبطال أوروبا، ونقلتها صحيفة “ديلي ميل” البريطانية، فإن محمد صلاح دخل قائمة أسرع 10 لاعبين في المسابقة هذا الموسم.

يتم قياس السرعة القصوى للاعبين من خلال GPS ويشارك الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم التصنيفات لأكثر اللاعبين سرعة في جميع أنحاء القارة.

وتواجد محمد صلاح في المركز العاشر بعد أن سجل سرعة قصوى بلغت 34.3 كيلومتر في الساعة.

1) لويس أوبيندا، يوفنتوس – 36.2 كم/ساعة

2) بيير إيمريك أوباميانغ، مرسيليا – 35.8 كم/ساعة

3) جيريمي فريمبونج، ليفربول – 35.6 كم/ساعة

4) كريم أديمي، بوروسيا دورتموند – 35.4 كم/ساعة

5) راؤول بيلانوفا، أتالانتا – 35 كم/ساعة

5) برادلي باركولا، باريس سان جيرمان – 35 كم/ساعة

7) بيدرو نيتو، تشيلسي – 34.9 كم/ساعة

8) جيد سبنس، توتنهام – 34.5 كم/ساعة

9) نونو مينديز، باريس سان جيرمان – 34.4 كم/ساعة

10) محمد صلاح، ليفربول – 34.3 كم/ساعة

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras deu sequência na manhã deste sábado (12), na Academia de Futebol, à preparação para a partida contra o Cruzeiro, que acontece nesta segunda-feira (14), às 19h, no Allianz Parque, pela 19ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. O clube aproveitou o dia para também homenagear um de seus ídolos do elenco atual: o atacante Rony, que completou 200 jogos com a camisa alviverde.

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+ Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

No campo, os jogadores aprimoraram quesitos técnicos e táticos como transições, construções de jogadas, movimentações específicas, entre outros fundamentos. Na parte final, alguns atletas aperfeiçoaram ainda finalizações.

+ Copo Stanley a partir de R$120,00. Bebida gelada nos 90′ de jogo do Verdão!

O atacante Rony recebeu das mãos da presidente Leila Pereira uma placa e uma camisa em alusão aos 200 duelos do camisa 10 alviverde, marca alcançada contra o Atlético-MG, na quarta-feira (9), pela Libertadores. Leila valorizou a entrega do Rústico em campo e seus feitos como, por exemplo, ser o maior artilheiro do clube na história da competição continental, com 20 gols.

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Emocionado, Rony agradeceu a homenagem e, em entrevista para a TV oficial do clube, falou de sua trajetória como um filme.

– Obrigado pelo carinho. É emocionante relembrar todos os momentos e tudo pelo que já passei. É até difícil de falar porque há alguns anos, antes mesmo de chegar ao clube, passei por muita coisa e passa um filme na cabeça. Quem diria eu hoje estar aqui… Quero ser lembrado como aquela pessoa que fez de tudo para conquistar títulos para o Palmeiras e como aquele jogador que honrou a camisa do Palmeiras. E isso para mim não tem preço – declarou o Rústico antes de completar:

+ Abel Ferreira recebe homenagem do Palmeiras por marca de 200 jogos

– Olhar essa frase da placa com a palavra ídolo é uma honra muito grande. Essa marca representa todo o meu esforço, toda a minha dedicação. É até difícil de falar, é algo que me emociona, porque é uma trajetória de muita luta, de muitos sacrifícios. Como todos sabem, eu procuro sempre estar bem fisicamente e mentalmente para dar a minha vida em todos os jogos pelo clube. Me sinto um cara muito abençoado por Deus e só tenho a agradecer a todos do clube – afirmou.

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Rony tem 200 jogos pelo Palmeiras, sendo 168 como titular, com 58 gols e 22 assistências. É o jogador com mais finais disputadas na história do Alviverde, com 12, ao lado de Weverton, Gustavo Gómez e Raphael Veiga. Neste século, é o quarto maior artilheiro do clube, atrás de Willian Bigode, com 66 bolas na rede.

O Verdão volta a treinar neste domingo (13), às 10h. O Alviverde é o atual quarto colocado do torneio nacional com 31 pontos. O Palmeiras só foi derrotado quatro vezes nos últimos 41 jogos de Campeonato Brasileiro (somando 23 vitórias e 14 empates).

Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta is ready to seriously push the boat out in an attempt to tie down star defender William Saliba, amid threatening interest from Real Madrid.

Arsenal facing William Saliba threat from Real Madrid

Saliba started his first game back from an ankle injury in their 1-1 draw with fellow Premier League title contenders Man City last Sunday, relegating in-form summer signing Cristhian Mosquera back to the bench.

While the Frenchman failed to pick up Erling Haaland’s run on the counter-attack, resulting in City’s superstar striker opening the scoring, Mikel Arteta was happy to welcome his star defender back, and Saliba’s presence was still imperative on the whole.

Arsenal 1-1 Man City – most tackles made

Number

Jurrien Timber

7

William Saliba

4

Jeremy Doku

4

Riccardo Calafiori

3

Declan Rice

2

via WhoScored

Saliba and Gabriel’s exceptional partnership, often touted as the best central defensive pairing in Europe, has been vital to the Gunners’ trophy challenges since 2022.

Largely thanks to their presence, Arsenal have conceded fewer league goals than any other side in the top flight in each of the last two seasons, with only Man City’s treble-winners and a resilient Newcastle team managing a lower number of strikes against them by the end of 2022/2023.

Saliba has established himself as one of Europe’s most commanding and assured centre-backs in that time, which has attracted serious admiration from the Bernabeu.

According to El Desmarque recently, Arsenal are only in a position to demand around £70 million from Real for Saliba next summer, as the 24-year-old has just over two years remaining on his current contract.

With Saliba’s deal expiring in 2027, Berta is currently attempting to negotiate an extension, but it is believed that talks to tie down the France international are taking some time amid a reported delay (Football Insider).

That being said, Arsenal are determined to ward off Xabi Alonso whilst ensuring Saliba is with them for many years to come.

Andrea Berta to push Arsenal limits with huge William Saliba offer

As per reporter Dean Jones, speaking to TEAMtalk, Berta is ready to push Arsenal’s limits with a huge contract offer for Saliba.

The potential deal would see Arteta’s pivotal defender become their highest earner on around £300,000-per-week — earning even more than Kai Havertz (£280k), Gabriel Jesus (£265k), Martin Odegaard (£240k), Declan Rice (£240k) and summer signing Viktor Gyokeres (£200k).

Arsenal see Saliba as one of the best defenders in world football, with Jones reporting they want him to commit at all costs.

The former Saint-Étienne star is arguably an irreplaceable force at the heart of Arteta’s backline, even if Mosquera did a pretty good job when Saliba was out.

Why Arsenal must tie down William Saliba

Crucially, Saliba is more than just a defender — he’s a leader.

His partnership with Gabriel has become the strongest in England, and his presence has allowed Arsenal to play the high defensive line that underpins their entire tactical approach. Without him, the system arguably doesn’t work the same way.

Securing his future is about more than money or contract clauses — it’s about signalling to the rest of Europe just how serious Arteta’s side are about becoming the continent’s most elite club.

If Arsenal want to continue challenging Liverpool and Man City whilst competing in the Champions League, they cannot risk losing their defensive lynchpin.

Saliba is the type of player you build dynasties around, and the Gunners have worked too hard to reach this point only to let one of their crown jewels leave for a meagre cost.

Marcus Rashford is reportedly facing a £15 million ($20m) bill as construction of his dream home becomes a nightmare. The Manchester United outcast, who is currently on loan at Barcelona, has been working on a project in Cheshire since 2020. The piece of land in question was purchased for £2.25 million, but progress on site has been slow and costs continue to rise.

Slow progress: Rashford's mansion nowhere near finished

Five years into that project and the grand mansion that Rashford had planned is nowhere near completion. The 27-year-old is, according to “investigating” why the former golf course and clubhouse looks nothing like what it should by this stage. It is claimed that work ground to a halt at one point “amid a rumoured dispute over money”.

Rashford is said to have “instructed his finance team to find out what has gone wrong” and discover when the build could be completed if no more issues are encountered. The England international wanted to make the former nine-hole golf course his “forever home”, but is going to have to dig deep in order to make that possible.

AdvertisementGrand plans: What Rashford's mansion will include

A source told : “Marcus has spent millions on it already but faces spending millions more. There was a dispute in the summer. Work has recently started again but there’s slow progress. It’s all about the money. Marcus fears the house isn’t ever going to be worth anywhere near what he’s put into it. But he’s between a rock and a hard place as he can’t just stop and leave it. He just wants to get it finished.”

Lavish plans were supposed to include five bedrooms, an indoor swimming pool, personal gym and chill-out area. There would also be a separate apartment in the grounds, landscaped gardens and welfare areas for local wildlife. The project has, however, been hit by floods and rising costs, leading to the original blueprints being changed.

Neighbour frustration: Slow progress causing problems

Neighbours are just as frustrated as Rashford is, with one telling of being visited by a man “acting on behalf of Rashford and his family”: “He said he deals with land disputes. There’s a dispute about how much money they’ve paid out. He was asking us questions about the contractors. I told him what I knew and what I’d seen. He told me how much they had spent — it’s in the millions.”

The neighbour added: “His house is right where it’s boggy. We have a cellar and up until 2014 it was dry as a bone but now we have a pump to keep the water out because the water table is so high. So you can imagine next door going two floors down. It’s non-stop pumping out.

“The amount of heavy machines on there has been unbelievable. But there’s no sign of a finished article. No one knows what’s going to happen to it. There are all sorts of rumours but I’ve never even seen Rashford here. The costs involved are staggering, even for someone on £350,000 a week.

“We never objected to the planning. We did complain to the site manager once because you get lots of weeds. Then when the weeds seed they blow towards us. One particular weed is poisonous to our horses – ragwort.”

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GettyFuture plans: Permanent transfer option for Rashford

It is being claimed that merely managing the land will cost Rashford £1m a year. A spokesperson for the Barcelona loanee has denied that the project faces any issues, with Ben Smith – the MD of Noble Projects, the company building the house – telling : “We have a long record of undertaking multiple successful, prestige projects for a diverse range of clients. We are a highly professional business and we always respect the confidentiality of our clients. As such, we do not discuss publicly the details of any projects. We can advise that we have no concerns over the quality of our work or other such matters on any of our sites. We are proud to deliver exceptional work levels and we continue to do so.”

Rashford is unable to oversee events as much as he would like after leaving boyhood club United in the summer for a spell at La Liga giants Barcelona – with his loan agreement in Catalonia including the option for a permanent transfer to be completed in 2026.

Manchester United and Sir Jim Ratcliffe now look likely to pip Barcelona to the signing of an exciting young midfielder, as they look to build towards the future.

Lammens set for Man Utd debut

The Red Devils return to action on Saturday lunchtime, making the trip to a Brentford side who many have tipped to be in a relegation fight this season.

While United have again flattered to deceive of late, their victory at home to Chelsea last weekend has given them a real chance of stringing together three Premier League wins in a row, should they get the better of the Bees on Saturday and then Sunderland at Old Trafford this weekend.

In terms of team selection away to Brentford, it looks as though recent signing Senne Lammens will make his debut for the Red Devils, with reliable journalist Samuel Luckhurst saying he will be preferred to Altay Bayindir between the sticks.

United supporters will be hoping that the 23-year-old proves to be the solution in goal for Ruben Amorim, following the doomed spell of Andre Onana, as they look to find their first elite goalkeeper since David De Gea. Now, an exciting United transfer update has emerged.

Man Utd set to sign teenage midfielder ahead of Barcelona

According to a fresh update from Africa Foot, Manchester United and Ratcliffe are “very close” to completing the signing of Bsport Academie teenager Mouhamed Dabo.

The 17-year-old has been on trial with the Red Devils in recent weeks, and it now looks as though they have done enough to beat Barcelona to his signature after impressing United officials at Carrington.

At just 17 years of age, Dabo isn’t exactly a household name yet, especially as he isn’t plying his trade in Europe, but the idea of United signing any young player also liked by Barcelona is encouraging.

For too long, they have focused too much on the present instead of building for the future, and snapping up the brightest teenagers in the game is the right approach to take, as well as signing top-quality proven players at the same time.

Dabo, captain of Senegal’s U17 side, is a midfielder with so much promise, and United need to be looking at the middle of the park as a key area of focus, having too often looked imbalanced there in recent years.

£70m Man Utd star unconvinced by Amorim talks and ready to leave in January

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Granted, the Senegalese wouldn’t arrive as a starter from the off, but if he reaches his potential, he could be the man to eventually excel in front of the defence, with United coaches already impressed with his “clean tackling, vision, composure, ball control, leadership, relentless work, progressive passing, and pace control.”

Nemanja Matic has opened up on his turbulent spell at Roma, accusing the club of breaking promises and lacking respect. The former Chelsea and Manchester United midfielder revealed he felt “constantly on trial” despite committing to the Giallorossi for Jose Mourinho and the fans. Now at Sassuolo, Matic reflects on the decisions that shaped his recent two-year journey across Europe.

• Matic lifts the lid on Roma frustrations

  The Serbian international, now playing for Sassuolo, has candidly reflected on his single season at Roma in 2022-23. The midfielder, who joined Roma from Manchester United after five years at Old Trafford, claimed he was drawn to the capital club due to Mourinho and the promise of an ambitious project. Despite turning down longer offers elsewhere, Matic says Roma only offered him a one-year contract and subsequently failed to honour agreements regarding an automatic extension based on performance.

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• (C)Getty Images
  

  'Constantly on trial' – the midfielder’s grievances

  Speaking to , Matic expressed frustration with what he described as a lack of respect from Roma’s management after being lured to join the club by coach Jose Mourinho. 

  He said: "When I chose Roma and left Manchester United, I accepted a one-year contract even though I had other teams. When the offer came, I wasn't willing to accept because they'd only offered me a one-year contract. Then I spoke to Mourinho, and in the end I chose Roma for him and for the fans. They told me we'd sign a contract extension in January, but at that point, no one showed up.

  "In my opinion, I played well at Roma. I was told I'd get an automatic renewal if I played at least 50 per cent of the games, but that wasn't the agreement we made the previous summer. I felt like I was constantly on trial, under scrutiny. I deserved respect. At that point, I spoke to the club, saying I'd give my all until the end of the season, but that at the end of the season we'd part ways. 

  "I wasn't the problem, but the people who had promised me things they didn't keep. I lacked stability, although I didn't lack the love of the fans, who respected me more than the club. Before today, I'd never wanted to talk about it, but three years later I can say it, also because the directors who were there then are no longer there. I don't want to say they were unfair, but I think I deserved more respect."

• Matic's Roma record

  Matic, now 37, ended up making 50 appearances for the Italian side. Despite starting all 13 of the Europa League matches for which he was available, he was in the starting XI just 16 times in Serie A, with a further 19 appearances coming as a substitute. He then left to join Rennes in France but ended up at Lyon a few months later. After a season-and-a-half with the French side, he moved back to Italy to join Sassuolo in a free transfer. 

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Rapid moves across Europe post-Roma

  Matic says the flurry of short-term moves were influenced by family considerations and the desire for consistent playing time, adding: "I left Rennes because there wasn’t an international school for my children, and joined Lyon before moving to Sassuolo." 

  Now settled at Sassuolo, Matic continues to perform in Serie A at 37, demonstrating high professionalism despite past setbacks. He has started all of their matches since he joined and wore the captain's armband in the recent 1-0 win against Hellas Verona.

Everton’s summer has been one of bold investment.

After losing several senior players, including Ashley Young, Abdoulaye Doucoure, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, the club moved swiftly in the market.

Thierno Barry arrived from Villarreal, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall from Chelsea, Tyler Dibling from Southampton, and, most eye-catchingly, Jack Grealish from Manchester City.

The start to the season has been encouraging. Everton lost their opening fixture 1-0 away at a raucous Elland Road but responded with a 2-0 home win over Brighton.

That momentum carried into a thrilling 3-2 victory at Molineux, giving supporters cautious optimism. Yet amid this excitement, Everton’s left-back situation remains one of the more pressing concerns.

For years, the position was locked down by club legend Leighton Baines, whose attacking instincts, set-piece expertise, and sheer consistency made him a fan favourite and one of the best full-backs in Premier League history.

Baines played 420 games for the Toffees, scoring 39 goals and assisting 64 more, becoming the first defender to reach 50 Premier League assists.

Now an assistant coach under David Moyes, Baines still casts a long shadow over the role he perfected.

Everton’s recent struggles in the position, however, have made his legacy all the more glaring.

Everton's issues at Left-Back

Everton’s problems at left-back were laid bare on opening day when James Garner, a natural midfielder, was forced to fill in against Leeds.

He performed admirably, even scoring against Brighton in the following game when deployed there again, but his inclusion underscored the lack of natural options.

Vitaliy Mykolenko remains the first-choice left-back, but his availability is a constant question mark.

Since joining Everton, the Ukrainian has missed 23 matches through injury, disrupting any rhythm in the back line.

His return for the full 90 minutes against Wolves was a welcome sight, but the recurring fitness issues mean the club cannot rely on him as a season-long solution.

The uncertainty at left-back has been a consistent issue since Baines retired, and it is little surprise Everton turned to the transfer market in search of an answer.

Their £8m move for one of Europe’s most promising young full-backs could prove decisive in addressing this long-standing problem.

Adam Aznou could be the next Baines

Everton’s decision to sign Adam Aznou from Bayern Munich was not just a short-term fix but a long-term investment in a player who has the potential to redefine their left side.

At 19, the Moroccan international has already built a reputation as one of the brightest defensive talents in Europe.

A product of Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, he moved to Bayern in 2022, featuring in both the Champions League and Club World Cup, albeit for just 29 minutes combined.

The second half of last season saw him gain valuable senior experience on loan at Real Valladolid.

Despite the club finishing bottom of La Liga, Aznou shone individually, ranking second for dribbles completed among defenders with at least 500 minutes played, as per BBC Sport

Bayern board member Max Eberl openly admitted regret at losing him, underlining just how highly rated he remains in Germany.

Analyst Ben Mattinson has already described Aznou as having “huge potential,” a statement that captures the excitement surrounding the teenager’s arrival. Mattinson has also tipped him to be the heir to Baines under Moyes.

His statistical profile backs that up.

The full-back sits in the 98th percentile for successful take-ons per 90 (1.91), the 91st percentile for tackles per 90 (2.82), and the 99th percentile for blocks per 90 (2.51).

These numbers illustrate not only his willingness to carry the ball forward but also his capacity to defend aggressively and positionally.

Though Everton supporters will need to be patient – he has yet to make a matchday squad on Merseyside – the club views him as a player capable of becoming their next Baines: dependable at the back, adventurous going forward, and a fan favourite in waiting.

Crucially, his development could be accelerated by the calibre of teammates around him, particularly Everton’s marquee signing of the summer – Grealish.

The England international arrived from Manchester City after Thomas Tuchel warned him that he needs regular minutes to secure his place at the World Cup.

He has begun the season brilliantly, registering four assists in three games, and looks every bit the creative force Everton needed on the left flank.

His ability to drift inside, carry the ball at speed, and thread through passes makes him the perfect partner for an overlapping full-back.

If Aznou can integrate into the side, his overlapping runs and willingness to push high up the pitch could dovetail perfectly with Grealish’s inside-left positioning.

For now, Aznou remains very much in the pipeline.

He will need time, patience, and careful integration, but the tools are all there for him to succeed.

Everton have a "match-winner" who's Moyes' new Pienaar & it's not Grealish

David Moyes could have this next Steven Pienaar now at Everton in this fantastic £22m star.

By
Kelan Sarson

Sep 5, 2025