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It is fair to say, Everton have not been renowned within the Premier League for being the best at recruitment over the last decade.

Huge fees have been paid for players such as Yannick Bolasie, Morgan Schneiderlin, Davy Klaassen, Cenk Tosun, Yerry Mina, André Gomes, Jean-Philippe Gbamin, Moise Kean, Allan, and many, many more, with the vast majority, if not all of those, offering very little return on investment.

However, the Toffees did have a genuinely top-class Premier League full-back on their hands, whom they decided to let go for just £2m.

That’s proven to be one of the Blues’ biggest mistakes in the market given their options on the right and left side of defence now.

How Everton's full-backs are performing in 2024/25

Last Saturday night’s 1-1 draw with Wolves at Molineux, in which Jack Harrison was on target, extended Everton’s unbeaten streak to eight Premier League games, with David Moyes propelling them away from danger and up to 15th.

Nevertheless, as the Toffees prepare to move into their brand-new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock in August, they have a poor squad, with former England midfielder Karen Carney telling the Guardian she believes the club’s ‘long-term strategy’ should remain under scrutiny.

This lack of quality certainly extends to the full-back positions where, as outlined by Patrick Boyland of the Athletic, Moyes has a selection of imperfect options, so let’s assess these players.

Mykolenko

25

2026

28

Young

39

2025

29

Patterson

23

2027

8

Coleman

36

2025

4

As the table shows, two of Everton’s full-backs are both in their mid-to-late 30s and out of contract this season, with both Nathan Patterson and Séamus Coleman making very few appearances this season due to injuries.

This has left Ashley Young, who’ll celebrate his 40th birthday in July, and Vitaliy Mykolenko as the first-choice options, even though Boyland of the Athletic described the Ukrainian as ‘limited’ and ‘unspectacular’, hence why Jake O’Brien, a centre-back by trade, has been deployed on the right in recent weeks.

Mykolenko’s lack of forward threat is in complete contrast to another left-back, on Everton’s books until quite recently, now considered one of the best in the Premier League.

Ex-Everton full-back now thriving in the top-flight

Antonee Robinson joined Everton’s academy at the age of 11, making 27 appearances at U21 level for the Toffees, but never handed his first-team debut, loaned out to both Bolton Wanderers and then Wigan Athletic, before joining the Latics permanently in 2019 for a reported fee of only £2m.

The left-back made 65 appearances for Wigan across two seasons, catching the attention of Serie A giants AC Milan, seemingly set to make a £6m move to San Siro in January 2020, especially considering he travelled to Italy for a medical.

However, speaking on Ben Foster’s podcast, Robinson revealed that the move fell through because, during his medical, it was discovered that he was having ectopic heartbeats.

That prevents him from playing in Serie A, given that the Italian authorities are ‘very stringent’ when it comes to heart health, following the high-profile and tragic deaths of both Davide Astori and Piermario Morosini.

Instead, six months later, he moved to Fulham for £2m, paying his release clause following Wigan’s relegation, while Everton attempted to re-sign him, intending to then sell him straight away to make a quick profit, which Robinson himself said he “wasn’t having that”.

Now 27, the full-back has made 180 appearances for the Cottagers, featuring in each of their last 60 Premier League fixtures, starting all but one of these matches.

Robinson’s performances have been earning rave reviews, with Jeff Rueter and Andy Jones of the Athletic labelling him the ‘best left-back in the Premier League’, while David O’Brien of BBC Sport describes his displays as ‘outstanding’.

Meantime, Dom Smith of the Evening Standard notes that he has been ‘brilliant’, with Fadumo Olow of Sky Sports praising his ‘speed, defensive resilience, and attacking contribution’.

So, let’s take a look at his statistics this season.

Appearances

28

=6th

Minutes

2,449

15th

Assists

10

=2nd

Assists – xA

+6.2

1st

Crosses into the area

25

1st

Progressive carries

94

13th

Attempted passes

1,657

10th

Tackles

71

10th

Interceptions

47

3rd

The most eye-catching of the statistics in the table above is the fact Robinson has ten Premier League assists to his name, only Mohamed Salah has more, which is not bad for a full-back.

This has also seen Robinson earn international recognition, named United States men’s national team player of the year for 2024, having won his 50th cap for the USA against Jamaica in November, very much the undisputed first-choice for Mauricio Pochettino ahead of a World Cup on home soil.

Football Transfers believe Robinson’s current value to be around £31m, which for context, is a higher valuation than anyone in the current Everton squad, even Beto and Jarrad Branthwaite and higher than £29m-rated Richarlison, a man sold by Everton for £60m.

Meanwhile, amidst interest from Liverpool, Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider reports Fulham would only be willing to sell for around £50m.

Thus, Everton must regret letting the American slip through the net, both when they initially sold him and then when they made a seemingly half-hearted attempt to bring him back to Merseyside.

He earns more than Ndiaye: Everton must axe Thelwell's "disaster" signing

The Everton board surely can’t wait to see the back of this miserable signing.

ByAngus Sinclair Mar 12, 2025

Juventus have made a key decision on Dusan Vlahovic's future at the club amidst manager Igor Tudor's praise for the striker.

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Vlahovic's contract ends in summer of 2026Igor Tudor heaps praise on Serbian strikerNumerous clubs interested in Vlahovic dealFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to a report by Fabrizio Romano, Serbian striker Vlahovic is expected to part ways with Juventus this summer. His contract runs until 2026, but no negotiations have take place regarding an extension. Amidst this, Juve manager Igor Tudor heaped praise on the striker (via The Straits Times) following his performance against Udinese on Sunday, where he scored his side’s second goal in a 2-0 victory.

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Vlahovic joined the Serie A side back in 2022 and has scored 56 goals and delivered 14 assists in 141 appearances. Numerous clubs are interested in him. As per a report by , Paris Saint-Germain began keeping track of the Serbian earlier this year, and are looking at him as a potential replacement for Randal Kolo Muani. Premier League clubs including Arsenal and Manchester United are also monitoring him, while Tottenham may also end up in the running to sign him.

WHAT IGOR TUDOR SAID

Tudor lauded Vlahovic for his efforts against Udinese. He said via "Vlahovic had a great impact, played with heart, and proved his value. He sacrificed for the team and played a good game."

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Vlahohic started his football career at Partizan Belgrade. In 2016, he became their youngest professional, debutant, and goal-scorer. He also became the youngest player to feature in the fiery Partizan Belgrade vs Red Star Belgrade derby during the same year.

Puttick (batting) and Bradburn (fielding) join an all-international coaching setup with the Pakistan men’s side

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Mar-2023The PCB is set to hire former South Africa internationals Morne Morkel and Andrew Puttick as bowling and batting coach, respectively, of the Pakistan men’s team. The board has also agreed to bring Mickey Arthur on as a consultant while he continues as head coach of Derbyshire.The coaching group is designed in such a way that Arthur will play the role of team director remotely. He was also assigned to form the coaching panel that consists of all overseas personnel. Former Pakistan fielding coach Grant Bradburn will be the head coach while Cliffe Deacon (physiotherapist) and Dri­kus Saaiman (strength and conditioning) will continue with their jobs.Morkel will formally join the side after his IPL commitment as bowling coach at Lucknow Super Giants. He has previously been with the Namibia coaching staff during the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia and is presently bowling coach with Durban’s Super Giants in the SA20 League. He also had a stint with the New Zealand women’s team during the T20 World Cup in South Africa.Puttick, 42, will join the Pakistan squad next month. His only international appearance was for South Africa in 2005 and has since worked within South Africa as a batting consultant. He recently had a stint with the South Africa women’s team as batting coach in the T20 World Cup. He was previously assistant coach during South Africa A’s 2019 tour of India and was involved with the emerging side. He finished his domestic career with over 18000 domestic runs playing for Western Province and Cape Cobras.Grant Bradburn was previously worked with the men’s side•Peter Della PennaBradburn, the former New Zealand allrounder, had been in the Pakistan system for over three years before resigning in 2021. He first worked as the national men’s side’s fielding coach, since September 2018, before taking over the new role at the HPC. In May 2020 when the National Academy was revamped, he quit the job 18 months before his contracted expired during Ramiz Raja’s tenure as board chief.With the full-time coaching staff will be on location, Arthur will work remotely in a special arrangement with the PCB. Details have emerged that he will visit Lahore next month and will return before the ODI World Cup in a preparation camp. He won’t be traveling with the Pakistan team to Sri Lanka nor for any bilateral series. He will fulfil his full-time commitment with Derbyshire in England, a job he does not want to leave.Pakistan were without a full-time coaching staff since the contracts of Saqlain Mushtaq and Shaun Tait were not renewed. Since then, Pakistan have played just the T20I series against Afghanistan, that they lost 2-1 with an interim coaching setup. Pakistan are set to host New Zealand for five T20Is and five ODIs starting April 14.

Steve Parish and Crystal Palace have now set their sights on a new 41-year-old target to replace Dougie Freedman, according to Sky Sports.

Crystal Palace begin search to replace Freedman

It was announced on Monday evening that Freedman would be leaving his role as Palace’s sporting director to take up a role overseas, which is believed to be in Saudi Arabia. The Scot has held that role since 2017, during which he worked across all areas of football for the first team and the academy.

Fulham (FA Cup)

A

Southampton

A

Brighton

H

Man City

A

Newcastle

A

Freedman was at the heart of the club’s recent success in the transfer window, with him being a part of the team that brought the likes of Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze, Marc Guehi, Adam Wharton, and Dean Henderson to the club. But his time at Selhurst Park is now over, and the club’s search for his replacement has already begun, with it being reported on Tuesday that Parish is eyeing up a move to bring Iain Moody back to the club.

Crystal Palace to make controversial move as Parish eyes Freedman successor

The Eagles could be about to bring a former employee to the club as a replacement for Dougie Freedman.

ByBrett Worthington Mar 18, 2025

This could be seen as a controversial decision, should a deal go though, as Moody was sporting director at Palace for 11 months between 2013 and 2014 before he resigned after he allegedly sent racist, homophobic, and sexist text messages to Malky Mackay, who he had worked with at Cardiff City before moving to Palace.

Crystal Palace set sights on new 41 y/o to replace Freedman

But the Eagles and Parish are keeping their options open, and according to Sky Sports, Crystal Palace are also interested in Middlesbrough’s Kieran Scott to replace Freedman.

Sky Sports states that as well as Scott being of interest to Palace, they are also interested in Moody and Brentford’s Lee Dykes. Scott is currently working as Boro’s head of football and has been since September 2021. The 41-year-old has been at the heart of Middlesbrough’s change in recruitment and has been the driving force behind their general transformation in recent years.

Interest in Scott comes as the Eagles are currently keeping an eye on a few Boro players ahead of the summer transfer window. Midfielder Hayden Hackney is a player that Palace are very much interested in and are now considering making a move to sign him. Meanwhile, Rav van den Berg is a player who has emerged on their radar in recent weeks, and winger Ben Doak, who is on loan from Liverpool, has also caught the eye of the South Londoners.

Scott has proven to be a smart operator when it comes to transfers, as he helped Boro sign players like Morgan Rogers and Emmanuel Latte Lath, who were a success at the Riverside Stadium and then have gone on to leave, making the club a lot of money in terms of transfer money. Palace may like him to be able to do a similar job should he arrive at Selhurst Park, making this one to watch.

The fast bowler was reportedly contacted by a man who had lost money by betting and wanted inside information

PTI and ESPNcricinfo staff19-Apr-2023India fast bowler Mohammed Siraj has reported a “corrupt approach” to BCCI’s Anti Corruption Unit (ACU) from a man who wanted inside information after losing a lot of money while betting. Siraj was approached during the ODI series between India and Australia in March, just before IPL 2023 began, and promptly reported the matter to ACU officials.”It wasn’t a bookie who approached Siraj. It is a driver from Hyderabad who is addicted to betting on matches,” a senior BCCI source told PTI. “He had lost huge money, and approached Siraj for inside information.”Siraj reported the approach immediately. The law enforcement authorities have nabbed the man. More details are being awaited.”Ever since S Sreesanth, Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila – all Rajasthan Royals bowlers at the time – were arrested on charges of spot-fixing, and former CSK official Gurunath Meiyappan was arrested for links to betting in May 2013, the BCCI has stepped up its anti-corruption drive.There is a mandatory ACU workshop for players, and there are sanctions for those who fail to report a corrupt approach. Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan was suspended in 2019 because he didn’t report a corrupt approach during a tri-series in early 2018, as well as during his IPL stint later that year.

USMNT hopeful Alex Freeman faces a Premier League transfer poser, with the Orlando City defender attracting interest from across Europe.

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Full-back included in senior USMNT squadLinked with teams heading to Premier LeagueIs also attracting interest from Serie AFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

At just 20 years of age, and having been included in Mauricio Pochettino’s latest United States squad, Freeman continues to see his stock soar. It is considered to be only a matter of time before the Baltimore native bids farewell to his homeland and MLS. Such a move could be agreed in 2025.

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Freeman’s potential has been registering on recruitment radars in England for a while, with the buccaneering full-back’s potential holding obvious appeal. He is considered to be ready for another step up in class.

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According to , Freeman is wanted by clubs that are heading to the Premier League ahead of the 2025-26 campaign – which narrows that list down to Leeds, Burnley and Sunderland.

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Clubs still in the Championship are also said to be keen, but they face competition for Freeman’s signature from Italy. Parma have reportedly put a €2 million opening bid on the table, with that approach now being mulled over.

Leeds United reporter Joe Donnohue has shared an injury update on Wilfried Gnonto and how it could impact Brenden Aaronson ahead of the Championship run-in.

Leeds prepare for Championship run-in as Gnonto picks up injury

The Whites and Daniel Farke are preparing to make their Championship return this weekend following the international break with an Elland Road clash against Swansea City on Saturday lunchtime.

In a three-way battle for two automatic promotion spots with Sheffield United and Burnley, Leeds currently sit top of the pile on goal difference and two points clear of Burnley.

Leeds (80 pts)

Sheffield United (80 pts)

Burnley (78 pts)

Swansea City

Coventry City (h)

Bristol City (h)

Luton Town (a)

Oxford United (a)

Coventry City (a)

Middlesbrough (a)

Millwall (h)

Derby County (a)

Preston North End (h)

Plymouth Argyle (a)

Norwich City (h)

Oxford United (a)

Cardiff City (h)

Watford (a)

Stoke City (h)

Burnley (a)

Sheffield United (h)

Bristol City (h)

Stoke City (a)

QPR (a)

Plymouth Argyle (a)

Blackburn Rovers (h)

Millwall (h)

Leeds were held to a 2-2 draw last time out against QPR in what was an afternoon to forget for Aaronson. The attacking midfielder, who has been a regular starter under Farke, made a costly error for the opening goal and was replaced by Gnonto at half-time.

Gnonto impressed and helped Leeds get a point at Loftus Road, however, the Italian has since picked up an injury while representing his nation’s U21 side.

Gnonto injury update and what it means for Aaronson

Sharing an update for The Yorkshire Evening Post, Donnohue said that Leeds have confirmed Gnonto’s premature return to Yorkshire as a result of the ankle injury he picked up against the Netherlands last Friday.

The Whites are planning to properly assess Gnonto in the coming days and an official update will be shared later this week, with Farke facing the media on Thursday.

Donnohue adds that it ‘is expected Aaronson will continue in the No. 10 role for the foreseeable future, especially if Gnonto requires a period of rehabilitation from this latest knock’.

This may not be the news Leeds fans will be wanting to hear, especially as Donnohue mentions a number of supporters are hoping Gnonto will start in the No. 10 position between now and the end of the campaign, with Aaronson registering zero goals and one assist in 15 games in 2025.

Leeds now preparing move for £10m Farke favourite if they seal promotion

Leeds have set their sights on a player who wants to play in the Premier League.

ByBrett Worthington Mar 24, 2025

However, Gnonto has previous when it comes to ankle issues, missing six games in 2023 shortly after Leeds were relegated from the Premier League. Anything similar to that timeframe and the Italian won’t play much of a part in the run-in, so Farke’s comments later this week after Leeds’ assessment could be crucial.

This is now the fourth Knight Riders franchise to be represented by Russell and Narine

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jun-2023Kolkata Knight Riders stars Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Lockie Ferguson and Jason Roy have signed up with Los Angeles Knight Riders (LAKR) for the inaugural season of the MLC. Adam Zampa, Martin Guptill and Rilee Rossouw are the other high-profile international players signed by LAKR.The LAKR squad also has Unmukt Chand, USA’s Jaskaran Malhotra and Ali Khan. Malhotra is one of four men to hit six sixes in an over in international cricket, and the trio – alongside others – was picked up by the franchise at a draft in March.Last month, Roy had agreed to a termination of his ECB incremental contract to pursue cricket in the USA’s MLC competition this summer. He had also been a replacement player in IPL 2023 for KKR.Related

Narine to lead LA Knight Riders, Simmons named head coach

Du Plessis, Conway, Santner, Rayudu reunite with coach Fleming at Texas Super Kings

MI New York unveil Rashid, Boult and Rabada in star-studded MLC squad

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Finch first overseas signing at MLC draft, named San Francisco Unicorns captain

Russell and Narine continue their long-standing relationship with Knight Riders. Apart from KKR and now LAKR, they also represent Trinbago Knight Riders in the CPL and Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in the ILT20.”We have assembled a strong and talented team for the debut season of MLC, who can compete at the highest level and bring joy to cricket fans around the world,” Knight Riders CEO Venky Mysore said in a statement. “The Knight Riders group is poised to make a significant contribution to the growth of cricket in the United States and to bring our unique brand of cricket to new audiences around the world.”The LAKR squad also features Ali Sheikh USA), Bhaskar Yadram (West Indies), Corne Dry (South Africa), Nitish Kumar (Canada), Saif Badar (Pakistan) and Shadley Van Schalkwyk (South Africa).The MLC 2023 will be a six-team event scheduled from July 13 to 30 at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas, Texas.

Dean Huijsen is excited for a "dream" clash with Cristiano Ronaldo after Spain beat France to set up a Nations League final against Portugal.

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Dean Huijsen calls Ronaldo a childhood idolDefender had a stunning goal ruled outJoked with ref: 'You can't disallow that!'Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Ex-Bournemouth defender Huijsen delivered a standout performance in Spain’s wild 5-4 Nations League semi-final win over France. The 20-year-old defender even found the net with a stunning strike, but the goal was later ruled out for a narrow offside. La Roja’s win sets up a blockbuster final clash with Portugal, with Ronaldo leading the charge for the Selecao.

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Despite conceding four goals, Spain’s defense showed resilience, and Huijsen’s performance stood out. Having recently moved from Bournemouth to Real Madrid, where he will play under new coach Xabi Alonso, the young centre-back is building momentum in both club and international football. His potential battle with Ronaldo adds a personal and emotional dimension to the final, especially for a player who grew up watching the Portuguese legend.

WHAT HUIJSEN SAID

Huijsen was asked on about the prospect of facing the Al-Nassr hero in the final, replying: "For me he is one of the best in history, for every child, for every young person who plays against Cristiano Ronaldo it is like a dream to play against him. Let's see if I can stop him."
Reflecting on his disallowed goal, he recounted a light-hearted exchange with the referee: "At half-time, I joked with the referee and said… damn, you can't rule out a goal like that! He told me it was a close offside. Shame." 

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The Spanish defender will now prepare to face Portugal in the Nations League final on Sunday. All eyes will be on his duel with Ronaldo in what could be a defining moment for the young defender’s international career. With Alonso set to guide him at Madrid, this summer could mark the beginning of a major breakthrough.

Reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has shared a “really important” update on Aston Villa and their chances of signing Marcus Rashford permanently this summer, with the England international currently enjoying a new lease of life under Unai Emery.

Marcus Rashford praised since joining Aston Villa

After being left out in the cold by Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford, the 27-year-old opted to pursue a different club in January.

Aston Villa now considering hijacking AC Milan deal to sign £33m star

Aston Villa are now looking at joining the transfer race to sign a Premier League player.

ByBrett Worthington Mar 25, 2025

Rashford was linked with a Man United exit for months, before Villa eventually took the bait and signed him on loan with an option to buy for around £40 million – a move which NSWE and Monchi will be overjoyed with.

Since putting pen to paper on a temporary move to the Midlands, Rashford has worked his way back into the England fold with four assists from nine appearances in all competitions and some truly impactful performances.

Player

Average match rating

Youri Tielemans

7.05

Marcus Rashford

6.96

Morgan Rogers

6.83

Tyrone Mings

6.80

Marco Asensio

6.79

“The Holte End have a new hero,” said Sky pundit Jamie Redknapp after Rashford’s excellent substitute appearance in a 2-1 win over Chelsea.

“That sub made all the difference. He was fantastic. Rashford came on, he gave energy, enthusiasm, everything we want to see from him. The running, the desire… he was excellent. He gave them that impetus to put Chelsea on the back foot.

“Right now, he looks like he is loving every second of it. He’s involved, he’s showing enthusiasm – all the things that were thrown at him at Man Utd, he is now doing the opposite. And he’s got sweat on his face and he’s not jogging around like ‘I don’t want to be here’. He looks like he wants to be in that claret and blue shirt.”

His impressive form means Villa could even face competition from the likes of Bayern Munich for Rashford’s signature this summer, even if Emery’s side possess an option to trigger his buy clause.

Fabrizio Romano shares "really important" Marcus Rashford update

Now, speaking on GiveMeSport’s Market Madness, respected reporter Romano has shared an update on Villa’s plans to sign Rashford permanently.

He claims that Villa’s finances will be “really important” in determining whether they’ll trigger the £40m buy option, but in any case, the journalist expects him to remain beyond 2024/25.

“Aston Villa are very happy with Marcus Rashford in general,” said Romano.

“So I don’t think, in any case, if they decided to trigger the £40m option clause, I don’t think they would do that just to sell the player again.

“So in that case, I see Marcus Rashford staying at Aston Villa and having the opportunity to make something long-term with the club. What I can say about Marcus Rashford is that it’s going to be really important to understand financially what happens for Aston Villa.

“So now they’re obviously really focused on the quarter-finals of the Champions League, and to see what happens in the Premier League table from now to the end of the season. That’s going to be obviously really important, and then we will have to see financially.”