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West Ham United, with Mohammed Kudus on international duty with Ghana at AFCON and Jarrod Bowen sidelined through injury, have suddenly been left short on attacking options this month. Despite their need for attacking reinforcements, however, reports suggest that the Hammers could suffer a transfer blow at the hands of Premier League rivals Manchester United.

West Ham transfer news

Even if Kudus and Bowen were available, it would come as no shock if West Ham focused on offensive players in the January transfer market. Barring the aforementioned duo, David Moyes has just Danny Ings and Michail Antonio to choose from when it comes to leading the line. And Ings' record doesn't exactly make for pretty reading, leading to links over a West Ham exit this month amid reported interest from Wolverhampton Wanderers. Meanwhile, Antonio's recent injury history has made for a frustrating watch, with the forward out with a knee issue since November.

The London club were perhaps hoping to solve their attacking problem with the arrival of a Bundesliga star. According to earlier reports, West Ham were in ongoing talks to sign Serhou Guirassy from Stuttgart and were stepping things up. Now, however, they could lose out to a Premier League rival. As per Pete O'Rourke of Football Insider, Manchester United could hijack West Ham's deal to sign Guirassy amid plans to make their move for the forward currently at AFCON.

Guirassy, of course, has a £15m release clause, which has seen the likes of AC Milan, United and West Ham all swarm in an attempt to land his signature. With such competition, it seems increasingly likely that Moyes will miss out on the Stuttgart star and face a battle to find the attacking depth that his side so desperately needs this month.

West Ham need to win race for "machine" Guirassy

If West Ham want to secure a permanent place in the Premier League's top six, then welcoming a striker capable of hitting 15-plus goals is crucial. A move to sign Guirassy would be ticking that box too, and it could allow Bowen to move out wide to form a deadly front three of Kudus, Bowen and the Bundesliga star. Guirassy's stats paint the picture of a player at the top of his game, with 19 goals in 16 games placing him among Germany's best in the current campaign. Opta Franz's post on X earlier this season summed up the forward's electric form:

It could speak volumes about just how far West Ham have come if they managed to beat Manchester United and AC Milan to Guirassy's signature either this month or during the summer transfer window. But as things stand, it looks likely that the Red Devils could hijack the Hammers' move in what may deal Moyes a frustrating blow courtesy of his former club.

Eric Garcia confirmed he’s in talks with Barcelona over a contract renewal while hinting he could be a future captain at the Spanish club.

• Garcia's contract ends in 2026
• Contract renewal talks have begun
• Defender talks about potential Barcelona captaincy

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Garcia’s current contract with Barcelona expires in June 2026, which could leave him free to negotiate a move next season. To avoid that scenario, the club have already opened discussions to secure his future with an extension running until 2029. In a recent interview, Garcia confirmed the talks, revealing that Barcelona officials have initiated negotiations with his agent to finalise a long-term deal.

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• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Barcelona brought in Garcia on a free transfer from Manchester City in 2021 after his contract expired. He spent two seasons at Camp Nou before moving on loan to Girona, seeking more game time after falling out of favour under then-coach Xavi. The defender also wanted regular minutes to stay sharp for the 2024 Paris Olympics. On his return to Barcelona, Garcia’s versatility quickly impressed new coach Hansi Flick. The German tactician deployed him in multiple roles, including at right-back to provide cover for the injured Jules Kounde.

• WHAT GARCIA SAID

  Speaking about the renewal, Garcia said: “Everything will be discussed soon. We've started talking about a renewal.”

  When asked about potential captaincy in the future he said: “Captain? Who knows if I could be a candidate for captaincy in the future.”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR GARCIA AND BARCELONA?

  Barcelona and Garcia will look to finalise the extension swiftly, allowing them to fully focus on the season ahead and the defense of their La Liga title reclaimed from Real Madrid last year.

A versatile young attacker is seen as one of the most "concrete" potential Tottenham signings this month as chairman Daniel Levy and co ready an offer.

Spurs want three new January signings

According to recent reports, Spurs are chasing up to three major new additions in January – a centre-back, midfielder and winger to bolster Ange Postecoglou's options.

Tottenham in discussions to sign "fascinating" player alongside Dragusin

The Romanian isn’t the only player who Spurs are chasing this month.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jan 4, 2024

The north Londoners have suffered from a major lack of depth at the heart of Postecoglou's defence in particular, with both Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero being absent for large periods since early November.

Tottenham's first choice centre-back pairing have often been replaced by makeshift duo Emerson Royal and Ben Davies. Spurs' record is pretty dire when they're both selected to marshal the back line, prompting Levy and technical director Johan Lange to make January moves as the window opens.

Indeed, Spurs are attempting to sign Genoa star Radu Dragusin, and it's widely reported that talks are advancing after they agreed personal terms with the defender (Fabrizio Romano).

Elsewhere, Postecoglou is reportedly keen on a new midfield engine and wide man as well, and one player who's been heavily linked is Ajax sensation Stanis Idumbo. The attacking midfielder is a target for Spurs, and rumour has it Idumbo would actually come straight into Postecoglou's first team (Kevin Sauvage).

Tottenham "putting together" proposal for Idumbo

CBS Sports reporter Ben Jacobs has shared an update on the matter this week. Speaking to Last Word on Spurs, he says Tottenham are "putting together a proposal" to sign Idumbo and he is a very concrete potential signing for Postecoglou – but they face stiff competition from Sevilla.

“I think Muzambo is the most concrete because Spurs are putting together a proposal but there is competition from Sevilla, and the feeling talking to sources is that Sevilla may be a bit more aggressive and that they may be ahead in that race at the moment,” Jacobs said.

“There might be a sale in January, or it might be a pre-agreement because I think he becomes a free agent in June anyway. I think that Muzambo is actually going to turn into a formal proposal, whereas I think Itakura is just being looked at.”

The Belgian is seen as a player of huge promise, with Malmo video scout Elijah Michiels already raving over his versatility, ball control and creativity.

Led by a new captain, South Africa could hand out at least two new caps; India likely to pick Dhawan over Rahul

The Preview by Karthik Krishnaswamy17-Sep-20199:14

Agarkar: Don’t want Pant to curb instinctive game

Big Picture

India’s home season was supposed to begin in Dharamsala, but rain ensured it did not. Our preview for the first T20I, therefore, could serve just as well as a preview to the second one in Mohali.If you’re looking for the TL;DR version, here goes.

WATCH on ESPN+

India v South Africa is available in the US on Hotstar and ESPN+. Subscribe to ESPN+ and tune into the three T20s and three Tests.
Wednesday, Sep 18, 9.20 am ET on ESPN+: India v SA, 2nd T20, Mohali
Sunday, Sep 22, 9.20 am ET on ESPN+: India v SA, 3rd T20, Bengaluru

South Africa, looking to rebuild after a terrible ODI World Cup, have an entirely new-look squad – four of their players are uncapped in T20Is and two are yet to play any international cricket – led by a new captain, Quinton de Kock.India, meanwhile, seem to be stepping away from their old, ODI-influenced T20I template, with their selections pointing towards a desire for increased batting depth. The wristspin twins, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, have as a result given way – temporarily at least – to a plethora of spin-bowling allrounders.For both teams, the series gains extra significance with a T20 World Cup coming up in just over a year’s time.That World Cup will be played in Australia, and if any Indian ground can simulate Australian T20 conditions, it is Mohali. The resemblance isn’t as much to do with the pitch, which is usually true and flat rather than fast and bouncy, as with the vast outfield, which gives bowlers a little more leeway and adds a bit more of a tactical dimension to matches, with sixes a slightly scarcer commodity than usual.

In the spotlight

Hardik Pandya has batted 61 times in 66 matches for Mumbai Indians, but only 24 times in 38 T20Is. How have India underutilised his hitting skills to this extent? The answer, perhaps, is that they have for far too long batted too conservatively at the start of their innings, and as a result not allowed him enough time in the middle. Will their new emphasis on batting depth also free up the top order to take more risks?He didn’t have the greatest of World Cups, and he’s slipped away from the spotlight in the months since while the world has raved about Jasprit Bumrah and Jofra Archer. It might surprise you to learn that Kagiso Rabada is younger than both of them. He’ll want to begin this new international season, and this new era in South African cricket, with a bang, and remind the world that this other incredibly gifted young fast bowler is still around.Associated Press

Team news

Who will partner Rohit Sharma at the top of the order for India – Shikhar Dhawan or KL Rahul? From their practice session on Tuesday, it appeared that Dhawan might win that race.India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Shikhar Dhawan/KL Rahul, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Manish Pandey/Shreyas Iyer, 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Krunal Pandya, 8 Ravindra Jadeja, 9 Washington Sundar/Rahul Chahar, 10 Deepak Chahar, 11 Navdeep SainiTemba Bavuma, Anrich Nortje, and the two spin-bowling allrounders, Bjorn Fortuin and George Linde, are yet to make their T20I debuts. At least two of them might do so on Wednesday.South Africa (probable): 1 Quinton de Kock (capt & wk), 2 Reeza Hendricks, 3 Rassie van der Dussen, 4 Temba Bavuma, 5 David Miller, 6 Andile Phehlukwayo, 7 Dwaine Pretorius, 8 Bjorn Fortuin/George Linde, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Junior Dala/Anrich Nortje, 11 Tabraiz Shamsi

Pitch and conditions

Mohali is expected to be warm and dry on Wednesday, with no rain forecast. The pitch usually produces evenly balanced T20 contests, with seven matches in the 2019 IPL season giving us an average first-innings total of 171, and the chasing team winning five times.

Stats and trivia

• Virat Kohli’s average of 28.83 against South Africa is his second-poorest against any T20I opponent. He’s done worse only against Ireland, against whom he’s scored nine runs in two innings at 4.50.
• David Miller has scored 730 runs in 29 T20 matches in Mohali, at an average of 45.62 and a strike rate of 150.51. Only Shaun Marsh has scored more T20 runs at the venue.

Quotes

“They’re both good players in their own right. It’s always going to be a good competition. They like being very positive in the way they play their cricket, and it could a great thing to watch.”

Antony was welcomed back to Spain with a huge reception from the Real Betis fans on Monday night after completing his move from Manchester United.

• Antony joins Betis from Man Utd 
• Completed the move on deadline day
• Fans swarmed the Brazilian's car in the city

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Real Betis fans gave a rousing reception to Antony in the city of Seville on Monday night, after the Brazilian completed a last-gasp move from Manchester United on deadline day. Antony's future remained in limbo throughout the summer, with the La Liga side unable to meet United's valuation. But the player and the fans will be absolutely ecstatic for the stint to continue.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Antony spent the latter half of the 2024-25 season on loan at the Benito Villamarin, scoring nine goals in 26 games across all competitions as Manuel Pellegrini's men earned a runners-up medal in the Conference League and a sixth-place finish to qualify for this season's Europa League. With Betis remaining hopeful of signing the former Ajax wonderkid, and no other teams showing serious interest, the Red Devils decided to sell Antony for a cut-price €25 million (£22m/$29m) fee. He joins Los Verdiblancos on a five-year deal, until 2030.

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR ANTONY?

  The left-footed winger will be keen to revive his career at Betis and earn a spot in Brazil's squad for the 2026 World Cup. He will be expected to feature in his first game in the 2025-26 season on September 14, against newly-promoted Levante. 

Chennai Super Kings are expected to host Mumbai Indians on March 23

Nagraj Gollapudi15-Feb-2025Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the opening match of IPL 2025. ESPNcricinfo has learned the season opener will be played at Eden Gardens on March 22 and the IPL final will be played on May 25.While the IPL is yet to release the schedule, it is learned that last season’s finalists Sunrisers Hyderabad will begin their campaign at home against Rajasthan Royals on the afternoon of March 23. Later that Sunday evening, Chennai Super Kings are likely to host Mumbai Indians at Chepauk.The 10-team league is set to start 12 days after the Champions Trophy final on March 9 and will be played at 12 venues – the ten traditional homes of the franchises as well as Guwahati (second venue for RR) and Dharamsala (second venue for Punjab Kings).Related

• Samson undergoes finger surgery, expected to be fit in time for IPL 2025

• Rajat Patidar appointed new RCB captain for IPL 2025

The opening fixture will feature two teams led by new captains. While RCB recently appointed Rajat Patidar as their captain, KKR are yet to announce the successor to Shreyas Iyer, who led them to the title in 2024. RCB had finished fourth in the league last year, following a streak of six defeats with six wins to make it to the playoffs where they lost the Eliminator. KKR have been dominant against RCB in Kolkata, winning eight of their 12 matches at Eden Gardens.PBKS, who have a new captain and coach in Shreyas and Ricky Ponting, will play three of their home matches in Dharamsala – one more than the usual two they play each season at the picturesque venue in Himachal Pradesh. Their remaining four home matches will be at Mullanpur in Punjab.

Their position at the top of the points table hasn’t hidden their batting problems, and without a turnaround, things could get tougher as the league progresses

Sruthi Ravindranath in Bengaluru22-Apr-20193:13

I will never question what Dhoni does in the back end – CSK coach Fleming

On the eve of the game against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Sunday, MS Dhoni walked to the nets an hour after his team had begun training. He was seen practising his big hits – mostly against spinners – and smashing the ball all around the park. The 50-odd fans, who had come to catch a glimpse of the teams before the big day, cheered almost every time the ball was dispatched. Back spasms had kept Dhoni out of Super Kings’ previous match – against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Tuesday – in which they had been consigned to a heavy defeat, and his availability against Royal Challengers was not confirmed.On Sunday, in front of a full house, those rehearsals paid off. Dhoni turned up, brought out the fireworks and single-handedly almost took Super Kings to a win. He had barely any support from the rest of the batsmen in Super Kings’ chase of 162. Having walked in to bat in the sixth over, with the score at 28 for 4, Dhoni shared a 55-run stand with Ambati Rayudu for the fifth wicket, the highest for the side. Where the rest of the line-up struggled to score at a run-a-ball, Dhoni slammed 12 boundaries in total – four of them coming in 20th over.Super Kings’ form and consistency over the years can intimidate any T20 side. However, the team that has previously had several in-form batsmen and a number of finishers, this season have only one consistent performer – their captain Dhoni. Their dependence on him has exposed a gaping hole in batting the line-up, evident in the three losses this season.Super Kings’ approach to a chase has rather become a convention. One batsman assumes the role of an anchor, whose chief role is strike-rotation, especially in the event of an early collapse. The other batsmen play around this anchor. Often this season, Dhoni has been pushed to play that role. Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav and Suresh Raina – who all have the reputation of being match-winners – have one-odd good score each. While Super Kings have somehow gotten over the line in the first few games this season, the inconsistent form of the other batsmen could land them in a rather dicey situation towards the end of the league stage.Dhoni is the team’s highest run-getter (314 runs at an average of 104.66) this season and has five 30-plus scores batting at No. 4 or lower. He’s 11th on the list of highest run-getters this season and the next best Super Kings batsman is Raina, at No. 27, with 207 runs in 10 innings. These numbers should give some indication about the side’s batting struggles.Super Kings’ two matches against Rajasthan Royals again illustrate Dhoni’s impact. Batting first on a dewy night in Chennai, Dhoni produced a vintage innings to save the team from an embarrassing collapse. His unbeaten 75 took Super Kings from 88 for 4 in the 14th over to 175 for 5, and the innings included hard-run, risky ones and twos, and a big flourish at the end with four sixes in the last over, including three off the final three balls of the innings.In the away fixture, Super Kings were chasing but their innings followed a similar script. They were 24 for 4 after the Powerplay, with another 128 needed off 14 overs. Dhoni scored no boundaries off the first nine balls he faced before launching into a counter-attack. Rayudu imbibed some of that aggression in the pair’s 95-run partnership and Dhoni’s 43-ball 58 was crucial to a dramatic last-ball win.Do these trends and numbers indicate that the Super Kings’ line-up is overdependent on Dhoni?”We’ve got a really talented batting order, which has been consistent throughout the years,” coach Stephen Fleming said after the one-run defeat to Royal Challengers. “On paper, you can see the strength but we’ve not been able to string partnerships or individual scores this year. What we’re bordering on is being a little reckless, trying to find that form. We were being a little bit reckless, and that just comes from guys trying to find form and do the job. But what’s happening is we’re relying too heavily on Dhoni and Rayudu to patch things up and we won’t win the competition if that continues.”We’re happy to be crossing the line, but we’d like to see some form creeping back into the top order.”Super Kings did not have these struggles last year, when they found different match-winners with the bat. Rayudu and Watson enjoyed top form, making 602 and 555 runs respectively, while Raina had four half-centuries, and struck a crucial 24-ball 32 in the final. This year, the side’s bowling unit, especially spinners, seem to have found top gear, but the top order is yet to find its feet ten games into the tournament. Could the sluggish home pitches, which have been forcing them to play more cautiously, be one of the reasons affecting them?”It can, and we’ve been very conscious of that,” Fleming said. “We played on Chennai tracks which were difficult to find form on. It was tough to keep the momentum. So, we train well on the grounds that we’ve gone to, to see if they’re faster or more friendly batting conditions. But it’s just getting a little bit of form back. You can’t try too hard, so it’s very hard to try and deliver messages when on the one hand the game, we’ve got to be positive and aggressive and take calculated risks.”Maybe we’re just missing the 1% in between, so we’re looking to hit our way into form rather than just work our way into form, and we’re getting great examples from Dhoni and those partnerships in the middle, but it’s taking a little bit of time to sink in. So we’ll go back to Chennai and it’s going to be a grind, but if that’s what it’s going to take, then we have to grit our teeth and do it.”

GOAL looks at the best players from the Gold Cup, which culminated in Mexico's 10th trophy after beating USMNT in final

The 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup was one for the books. Mexico were crowned champions for the second straight edition, defeating the U.S. men's national team 2-1 in the final and capping the final competitive tournament for the region ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Edson Alvarez, Raul Jimenez, and Luis Malagon were all terrific for s their trio of reliable veterans helped Mexico lift the trophy for the 10th time. They weren't the only top performers, though. For the U.S., defender Chris Richards had a fantastic tournament and was arguably the best center-back throughout the Gold Cup.

Panama's Ismael Diaz was named the top scorer of the competition, earning the Golden Boot and making a name for himself among CONCACAF's attackers. Who else stood out in this year's tournament?

GOAL US looks at the top 10 performers, including a few new breakout stars.

Stream Gold Cup games live on fuboFind the best deals

• Getty Images Sport
  

  10Olger Escobar: Guatemala

  Named Young Player of the competition, Escobar, who plays his club soccer with CF Montreal in Canada, had a breakout tournament for Guatemala. The midfielder scored twice, including the lone goal for against the USMNT in the semifinals.

  In his first real taste of competitive CONCACAF soccer, the 18-year-old performed brilliantly. Upon his return to CF MTL, it will be of no surprise if he pushes for a regular spot in the XI – and potentially be looked at by some of the heavy-hitters within the league for a transfer.

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  9Malik Tillman: USMNT

  Tillman had a real breakout tournament, his best performance to date for the national team. The PSV midfielder, who is reportedly on the verge of signing for Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen, scored three goals for the USMNT, adding two assists. His performance was among the most promising takeaways for coach Mauricio Pochettino.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  8Ismael Diaz: Panama

  The top scorer of the competition, Diaz put on a thrilling performance for Panama, even though they were eliminated in the quarterfinals. The 28-year-old striker, who plays his club soccer for C.D. Universidad Católica del Ecuador, had six goals in four matches to secure the Golden Boot award.

  Diaz scored a hat-trick against Jamaica in a 4-1 victory in the group stage, and scored again in their 1-1 quarterfinal draw against Honduras – they were eliminated in a penalty shootout.

  In the shootout, Diaz found the back of the net on his attempt. A true breakout performance for the forward.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  7Keylor Navas: Costa Rica

  Navas, 38, likely played in his final Gold Cup, but the Real Madrid legend put on a show. The goalkeeper was heroic throughout the group stage, coming up big in a scoreless draw against Mexico, making four saves. In the knockout round, Navas and Costa Rica took on the USMNT, and he had the best goalkeeping performance of the competition in an eventual 2-2 draw that went to a penalty shootout.

  Navas made two saves in regulation and thwarted a regulation PK attempt from Tillman, sending the match to spot kicks. In the shootout, he came up with a clutch save against a John Tolkin attempt.

  Costa Rica and Navas can hold their heads high knowing they were the only team in the Gold Cup to not lose to either finalist, the USMNT and Mexico.

A majority of India’s players sport one these days. Can you identify them from their beards?

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Aug-2017

David Moyes has come into the Everton hot-seat and been just the breath of fresh air needed to pull the Toffees away from relegation danger, with a draw to Wolverhampton Wanderers last time out signalling his side’s eighth straight game in the Premier League without defeat.

Whilst many faces in the Everton camp looked dejected and lost towards the end of Sean Dyche’s troubled tenure, a large portion of the Blues first team personnel now look rejuvenated under the Scotsman’s newer methods, with Beto one star very much benefitting from the inspired managerial switch-up having now scored six top-flight strikes.

But, a renewed belief is coursing throughout the team at this moment in time, with a defensive star really sticking out as another figure who has taken to the return of Moyes.

Jake O'Brien's improvements under Moyes at Everton

Whilst the Toffees weren’t exactly leaking goals for fun under the dogged managerial style of Dyche, some of the defenders at Goodison Park have shown signs of improvement already under the ex-West Ham United boss.

That is definitely the case for Jake O’Brien, with the young Irishman a regular on the bench under the previous regime, only to now be a solid first-team option.

The former Olympique Lyonnais defender even grabbed his first-ever Toffees goal on the road at Brentford to finish a sterling February on the best possible note, with that month also seeing him star against Manchester United with five duels being won, on top of a clean sheet being collected at home to Leicester City.

Therefore, it looks now as if Everton have a fantastic long-term candidate to be their right-back, with both Ashley Young and Seamus Coleman towards the end of their careers, compared to the ever-improving O’Brien who has a valuation of £13m according to Transfermarkt.

Amazingly, the breakout star at the back is now worth more than a former Toffees star who was sold for a big fee to a Premier League rival back in 2022.

The Everton "machine" now worth less than O'Brien

Everton have sold on a number of players over recent years for high fees, with Amadou Onana’s name sticking out from last summer’s bumper transfer window, having won the Merseysiders £50m when he moved onto pasture new with Aston Villa.

This isn’t the only time Villa and the Toffees have had a healthy working relationship, however, with former owner Farhad Moshiri losing French full-back Lucas Digne to the Villans in January of 2022, costing the West Midlands side £25m in the process.

The Frenchman was a beloved figure when he was strutting his stuff at Goodison, with Digne going on to notch up six goals and 20 assists across 127 appearances, before inevitably breaking hearts when a move to Villa came calling.

Whilst the 31-year-old has taken to his new challenge at Villa Park well, Everton definitely hit gold selling the ex-Barcelona “machine” – as he was once lauded by football journalist Ty Bracey – when they did.

Why? Well, his steep £25m valuation has taken a hit the more his Villans career goes on.

Whilst Digne has continued to be an exciting option down the left flank with four goals and 14 assists tallied up, his valuation has slipped all the way down to a lesser £10m as per Transfermarkt, representing a £15m decrease.

He has also looked shaky at points this season for Unai Emery’s men in Premier League action, with only two clean sheets coming his way from 28 encounters a worrying statistic to chew over.

Whilst Digne is still remembered as a stellar defender throughout his time on Merseyside, Everton did cash in at the best possible time with hindsight firmly on their side, as Moyes goes about picking up more and more positive results at Goodison with his revitalised troops.

Rooney 2.0: Everton could soon unleash "incredible" 17-year-old Beto rival

Everton fans will be excited about the potential of this youngster.

By
Kelan Sarson

Mar 9, 2025