The West Indies captain said to move up the rankings from ninth to third in a year was “tremendous work”

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jun-2024

David Rudder performs the anthem ‘Rally Round the West Indies’ before the start of the game•ICC via Getty Images

West Indies’ T20 World Cup 2024 campaign came to an end with defeat to South Africa in Antigua on Sunday, but their captain Rovman Powell was full of praise for the progress they made as a team in the year leading up to the competition.”I think when you look on a large scale, we haven’t won the World Cup. We aren’t in the semi-finals. [But] I think the cricket we have played in the last 12 months or so is commendable,” Powell said in the post-match presentation ceremony. “Credit has to be given to the team. If you can take a year to move from number 9 to number 3 in the world, that’s tremendous work.”Related

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“We haven’t won the World Cup, but there was a lot of improvement. There’s a lot of buzz around the Caribbean again about West Indies cricket. We have done some very good things over the last 12 months.”Now is where the work starts. It’s for us to continue to work as a group, still be tight, and hopefully, just hopefully, we can continue to climb the rankings and make the Caribbean people proud,” Powell said.Powell also acknowledged the support they received on and off the field during a home World Cup, and said that it is a sign of the team headed in the right direction.”That has been fantastic. For all the venues that we have played, for all the social media likes and stuff that people have given us, we as a team really appreciate it,” he said.”It’s good to see that some buzz is back in the Caribbean for cricket, because we know how long that has died down. Now people are rallying around the West Indies as they do. Now, when we hear the anthem play, as players we feel something. I think that is heading in the right direction.”West Indies fans show their support in North Sound•Associated Press

Powell: ‘A batting performance we will try and forget’After being put in to bat in a virtual knockout game by South Africa, West Indies unravelled against spin in Antigua. They could only make 135, but they then had South Africa at 15 for 2 after two overs when rain set in. With the target revised to 124 in 17 overs, West Indies kept chipping away, especially with Roston Chase dismissing David Miller and the set Tristan Stubbs in consecutive overs.But in the end, Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada sealed a three-wicket win for South Africa, with five balls to spare.”I think credit has to be given to the boys. I think they fight to the very end,” Powell said.”As a batting group, this is one batting performance we’ll try our best to forget. I think we didn’t bat well in the middle overs especially,” he said. “I think obviously you see both teams bat on the wicket. Obviously it wasn’t an easy wicket, especially to get started.”I think [in] the middle overs, we lost wickets in clusters. The first time in this competition we have lost wickets in clusters. That always breaks the back of a batting team.””I think it was a commendable bowling effort. 130 [135] at the halfway mark, we said we’re just going to give it our all,” Powell said. “Whatever happens, happens. Credit has to be given to the guys at the halfway mark. They believed, even though it was only 135.”

It’s the start of a new era for Rangers.

On Thursday, Russell Martin was unveiled as the Ibrox club’s 20th permanent manager, appointed 102 days after Philippe Clement was sacked in February.

At his introductory press conference, Martin vowed to “prove people wrong”, acknowledging he is under pressure to deliver a winning team instantaneously, so could the signing of a “world-class” new centre-forward aid Rangers’ cause?

Rangers looking to bolster their attacking option

As previously reported by Tom Victor of the Daily Mirror, Rangers are hoping to sign Jamie Vardy on a free transfer this summer, claiming that the England international is ‘weighing up’ an offer from the Glasgow giants.

Vardy has spent the last 13 seasons with Leicester City, with whom he won the Premier League, the FA Cup and a Community Shield, scoring exactly 200 goals in 500 appearances for the Foxes, very aesthetically pleasing round numbers.

Now a free agent, countless clubs, including Sheffield Wednesday, Como, Wrexham and New York Red Bulls have all been touted as potential suitors, but could Martin convince his compatriot to make the move north of the border?

Should he do, it could be a Morelos-like move for Rangers.

How Vardy could replicate Morelos at Rangers

During six seasons at Rangers, Alfredo Morelos scored 124 goals in light blue, with the Colombian, almost unquestionably, the club’s best striker since suffering liquidation in 2012.

Of these goals, 29 came in UEFA competition, meaning Morelos is Rangers’ all-time record scorer in Europe, smashing the record previously held by Ally McCoist, one that had stood since 1997.

But is Morelos really Rangers’ best centre-forward of the modern era? Let’s find out.

Selected Rangers strikers 2016-present
Players	Tenure	Games	Goals	Mins per goal
Igamane	2024-present	46	16	166
Dessers	2023-preesent	109	51	134
Danilo	2023-present	48	12	165
Morelos	2017-23	269	124	152
Roofe	2020-24	102	38	127
Čolak	2022-23	39	18	123
Sakala	2021-23	92	24	199
Defoe	2018-22	74	32	100
All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt

As the table outlines, no Rangers striker in the post-promotion era has come anywhere close to the 124 goals Morelos managed, even if Jermain Defoe, Kemar Roofe, Antonio Čolak and current forward Cyriel Dessers do actually boast better minutes per goal ratios, helped by their smaller sample sizes.

So, could Vardy be the club’s best centre-forward since el Buffalo? Well, let’s assess his statistics this season to answer that question.

Jamie Vardy 2024/25 Premier League statistics
Statistics	Vardy	PL rank
Goals	9	26th
Expected goals	11.2	14th
Shots	56	40th
Shots on target	23	33rd
Shots on target %	41.1%	48th
All statistics courtesy of FBref.com

As the table shows, Vardy’s Premier League statistics this season do not immediately leap off the page, but it is worth considering that he was playing in a generally hopeless Leicester side, who won just six matches all season and were relegated.

Thus, the fact that Vardy still ranked 14th for expected goals and only 25 players managed to score more goals than him is impressive.

Writer Henry Winter believes Vardy is still a “world-class finisher”, while Leicester City manager Ruud van Nistelrooy, who knows a thing or two about scoring goals, believes “he is still producing”, describing his captain as a “leader”.

Also worth noting that, the previous campaign in the EFL Championship, Vardy netted 20 times across all competitions.

This underlines the fact he would be able to produce for Rangers given that, according to Global Football Rankings, England’s second-tier is the 11th strongest league in the world, while the Scottish Premiership is ranked at 43rd.

Thus, if the Gers can convince Vardy to move to Ibrox, possibly using the allure of potential Champions League football, he would surely be an excellent addition.

After all, this is a goal machine we’re talking about here, someone who bagged 145 Premier League goals.

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Surrey skipper’s fine knock in vain as Sussex prevail in fighting performance

ECB Reporters Network07-Jun-2024 Sussex 213 for 7 (Alsop 68, Hughes 65, Curran 3-23) beat Surrey 177 for 7 (Pope 99*, McAndrew 3-32) by 36 runs Sussex Sharks handed Surrey their first defeat in this season’s Vitality Blast with an impressive 36-run success at the Kia Oval.Tom Alsop’s 36-ball 68 and 65 off 42 deliveries by left-hander Daniel Hughes helped power Sussex to 213 for 7 after they had been put in – their biggest score in the format against Surrey.Skipper Ollie Pope led Surrey’s response with an unbeaten 99 in a total of 177 for 7, but Sussex bowled with more discipline on a used pitch. Their spinners sent down eight overs and both Archie Lenham and James Coles picked up important wickets while Australian seamer Nathan McAndrew took 3 for 32.It was an excellent performance by Sussex, whose decision to shunt Alsop down from three to six in their order paid off handsomely.He added 47 in four overs with Hughes when the Australian fell for 65 in the 12th over to a well-judged running catch by Jason Roy.But Alsop maintained Sussex’s momentum with McAndrew as they thrashed 68 in six overs for the sixth wicket.Alsop passed 50 in T20 for only the eighth time in his career as all of the Surrey seamers struggled with the exception of Tom Curran, who finished with 3 for 23 despite conceding 17 off his final over.Hughes helped himself to four boundaries in one over from Gus Atkinson while at the start of the innings Coles, promoted to No3, had taken Jordan Clark for three successive fours before walking across his stumps to Clark’s leg-stump yorker.It was one of three wickets Sussex lost in the powerplay, but they were still progressing at more than ten an over and even when Curran picked up John Simpson in the eighth over to leave them 68 for 4 they kept on swinging.Hughes played proper shots on both sides of the wicket in a controlled display while the outstanding Alsop hit eight fours and three sixes, the second of which – a pull from outside off stump off Gus Atkinson – took the left-hander to a 25-ball fifty.McAndrew’s cameo at the end of 29 from 15 propelled Sussex past 200 and the question then was whether their varied attack could blunt Surrey’s quality batting unit.Both openers had gone inside four overs. Ollie Robinson’s nip-backer was too good for Laurie Evans and Dan Lawrence was well caught by the diving Fynn Hudson-Prentice at deep third off a thick outside edge.Roy and Pope rebuilt in a stand of 73 but Sussex were more disciplined with the ball as Coles, 20, and 19-year-old Lenham prevented Surrey from accelerating.The required rate had climbed to 15 an over when Roy, starved of the strike, holed out to long-on off Lenham in the 13th over. The leg-spinner was then taken for three sixes off the next four balls, but he’d made a crucial breakthrough.Smith briefly threatened before toe-ending a drive to wide long-on and 77 off the final five overs proved beyond even Pope’s capabilities, although he did have the consolation of reaching his maiden century in the final over, from 60 balls with ten four and three sixes. Sussex, though, thoroughly deserved their second win from three games.

To say Thomas Frank has a massive job on his hands at Tottenham Hotspur next season would be a massive understatement.

The former Brentford boss will have to dramatically improve the club’s Premier League performances while also remaining competitive in the domestic cups and the Champions League.

The best and arguably only way Daniel Levy and Co can help him achieve this is by signing a number of genuinely top-drawer players this summer.

One such player that has been linked with the club in recent days is Mohammed Kudus, although recent reports have also touted an even better option for a move to N17.

Spurs target massive Kudus upgrade

Interestingly, Kudus has been linked with a move to Tottenham for some time now, with the first reports citing interest from the North Londoners emerging back in the summer of 2022 and then again in March 2023, only for West Ham United to swoop in and secure his services for around £38m in August.

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However, even though the 24-year-old is now playing for a London rival, it appears that Spurs are still interested.

In fact, according to stories from earlier today, the Lilywhites have remained just as keen on the former Ajax gem, and with the Hammers needing to address PSR concerns, he could be available for around £60m.

However, there’s another player who has been heavily linked with a move to N17 before, who could finally move this summer and might just be the better option: Eberechi Eze.

According to a recent report from transfers expert Fabrizio Romano, as relayed by GIVEMESPORT, Spurs have maintained their strong interest in the Crystal Palace star.

While no contact has been made over the talented international, Romano has revealed that he was placed on the North Londoners’ list of targets following discussions between the club’s higher-ups and Frank, suggesting he’s someone the manager would want at the club and has given the green light to being signed.

In terms of the former QPR star’s potential cost, it has been widely reported for some time now that he has a release clause worth around £68m in his current contract.

It would be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but Eze would be more than worth it and a better signing than Kudus.

Why Eze would be a better signing than Kudus

So, with goals and assists ultimately being what matters most for attacking players, it makes sense to start by looking at the pairs’ raw output from this season, and when doing that, the superiority of Eze starts to become immediately apparent.

For example, in just 43 appearances, totalling 3,303 minutes, the 27-year-old “magician,” as dubbed by pundit Micah Richards, scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists, which comes out to a brilliant average of a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes.

In stark contrast, the Hammers ace was only able to score five goals and provide four assists in 35 appearances, totalling 2721 minutes this year, which comes out to a far less impressive average of a goal involvement every 3.88 games, or every 302.33 minutes.

On top of scoring more goals generally, the Palace star has also shown himself capable of scoring massive goals in massive moments, like the FA Cup semi-final and final this season.

Unfortunately for the Ghanaian star, the incredibly one-sided nature of this comparison only worsens for him when we take a look under the hood at their underlying numbers.

Eze vs Kudus

Statistics

Eze

Kudus

Non-Penalty Expected G+As

0.53

0.35

Non-Penalty G+As

0.52

0.28

Progressive Passes

3.37

2.74

Progressive Carries

2.40

3.40

Key Passes

2.01

1.08

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.35

1.01

Passes into the Final Third

1.70

1.60

Shot-Creating Actions

4.69

3.72

Goal-Creating Actions

0.35

0.35

Successful Take-On %

48.6%

44.2%

Tackles

1.35

1.32

Ball Recoveries

5.07

4.79

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 League Season

For example, in practically every relevant metric, the England international comes out way ahead, including things like non-penalty expected goals plus assists, shot-creating actions, and key passes, suggesting that his vastly superior output is no fluke at all.

Interestingly, the Greenwhich-born star also makes more tackles and completes more ball recoveries per 90, which shows that he is more than capable of chipping in and helping with the defensive side of the game when needed.

Ultimately, while Kudus is a talented player and would be a good signing for Spurs, Eze is a brilliant player and would be a sensational addition to Frank’s squad this summer.

Therefore, even if he costs more money, Levy and Co should be doing all they can to sign the Eagles star before someone beats them to him.

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Sunderland and sporting director Kristjaan Speakman have been in talks about multiple overseas signings in recent days.

Sunderland transfer rumours after Enzo Le Fee deal

The Black Cats are yet to make a major mark in the transfer window so far following promotion to the Premier League, with Enzo Le Fee’s loan move becoming permanent the only piece of incoming business.

Le Fee has penned a four-year deal and has cost around £20m after helping the club win promotion at Wembley. In regards to outgoings, Sunderland have lost playoff hero Tommy Watson and star midfielder Jobe Bellingham, with the pair joining Brighton and Borussia Dortmund respectively.

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There have been a number of reported targets at The Stadium of Light, though, as Regis Le Bris prepares his side for a Premier League opener at home to West Ham United on August 16.

Leeds United midfielder Sam Greenwood is a player of interest to Sunderland, as is Sassuolo striker Armand Lauriente.

Celtic centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers also has admirers from the Black Cats, and by the looks of things, Speakman has been making moves for targets outside of England in recent days.

Speakman confirms transfer talks with Sunderland targets

As reported by The Northern Echo, Speakman confirmed that he has personally been in three different countries this week to talk with targets and their agents.

Although he won’t say what players he has spoken with, The Northern Echo’s Scott Wilson name-checked Ukrainian striker Vladyslav Vanat, Monaco defender Wilfried Singo and Lauriente as targets for Sunderland.

Vanat is currently at the U21 European Championships after scoring 21 goals and registering nine assists for Dynamo Kyiv in all competitions last season.

The 23-year-old could be one that Speakman held talks with, but by the looks of things, transfer business could soon ramp up on Wearside following this update from the Sunderland chief.

كشفت تقارير صحفية بريطانية عن توصل مانشستر يونايتد لاتفاق على رحيل أحد لاعبيه، على الرغم من إغلاق سوق الانتقالات الصيفية في إنجلترا.

وبحسب “ديلي ميل” البريطانية، فقد توصل مانشستر يونايتد لاتفاق على صفقة إعارة حارس المرمى أندريه أونانا إلى طرابزون سبور التركي.

وكان مستقبل أونانا في أولد ترافورد محل شك طوال الصيف بعد موسم مخيب للآمال العام الماضي.

ومع ذلك، فقد ظهر أن الحارس الكاميروني يرغب في البقاء مع مانشستر يونايتد والمنافسة على مركزه في الفريق بعد انضمام سين لامين مقابل 21.7 مليون جنيه إسترليني في اليوم الأخير من سوق الانتقالات.

اقرأ أيضًا.. بعد كونيا.. ضربة جديدة موجعة لـ مانشستر يونايتد في التوقف الدولي

وتستمر سوق الانتقالات مفتوحة في تركيا، ولذلك قد يكون أندريه أونانا جاهزًا للانتقال إلى طرابزون سبور التركي الذي اتفق مع يونايتد على إعارة الكاميروني لموسم واحد.

ويجري الحارس الدولي الكاميروني محادثات بشأن الشروط الشخصية قبل السفر للخضوع للفحوصات الطبية.

وكان مانشستر يونايتد قد بدأ موسمه الحالي بشكل متواضع، وخرج الفريق من منافسات كأس الرابطة بعد الهزيمة ضد جريمسبي تاون بركلات الجزاء الترجيحية.

Jonny Bairstow has admitted that spending six months on the road had “taken its toll” on him this year, speaking publicly for the first time since losing his place in England’s Test team.Bairstow reiterated his desire to continue playing for England, but conceded that playing all three international formats and the IPL last winter had forced him to make “sacrifices”. He said that he had enjoyed taking “a much-needed break” since returning home from the T20 World Cup, before the start of the Hundred.”It was a much-needed break, to be honest with you,” Bairstow told the BBC after Welsh Fire’s eight-wicket win over Manchester Originals at Old Trafford on Thursday night. “It was nice to spend a bit of time at home, get away from cricket, do normal things, catch up with the family – and not slip over,” referring to the leg injury which threatened his career two years ago.Bairstow was the only England player involved in all four of the 50-over World Cup, the Test series in India, the IPL and the T20 World Cup. He hit one brilliant hundred at the IPL for Punjab Kings but otherwise struggled for form across those trips: he made two 50s in nine innings at the 50-over World Cup, failed to reach 40 in the Test series, and had a mixed time at the T20 World Cup.”I had the best part of seven months away from home since January. I had five nights at home in my own bed until three weeks ago,” Bairstow said. “That’s the scheduling of the game. That’s being lucky enough to be a part of all three formats and that’s the thing you have to sacrifice, time at home.Related

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“At the same time, when you are away for that period of time, it takes its toll… those are the sacrifices that you make, so to have a bit of home time and to have a special little period was pretty awesome.”Bairstow was dropped from England’s Test squad to play West Indies, alongside Ben Foakes, with Jamie Smith preferred as their wicketkeeper-batter. “Jonny just needs to get back to what he was a couple of years ago,” Rob Key, England’s managing director, said when announcing the squad. “Generally, his form – in all formats – has just been going slightly in the wrong direction.”But Bairstow made clear he wants to force his way back in. Asked by Michael Vaughan if he wants to return to the Test team, Bairstow replied: “Well, you don’t need to ask me that, do you? I think you know me well enough, and you’ve known me for long enough to know that all I want to do is play for England, and that’s end of.”He also was asked if he felt he had a point to prove heading into the Hundred, having belted 18 off 10 balls on Thursday night, but played it down. “Not really,” Bairstow said. “I’ve been around long enough. It’s a case of just playing some cricket, scoring some runs and winning the game.”

In what would be a major boost for their transfer plans, Newcastle United are now reportedly confident of landing a bargain deal to sign an £85m star this summer.

Losing out in the race for Bryan Mbeumo and then Joao Pedro, Newcastle have struggled to land their top targets even after qualifying for the Champions League last season and now they must go back to the drawing board. The money is there for PIF to spend, as highlighted in offers for Anthony Elanga as well as Pedro, but it looks as though whoever arrives will not be Eddie Howe’s top choice.

That’s not to say there is no plan B, however. Since Pedro’s decision to join Chelsea, Newcastle have been linked with moves for the likes of Samu Aghehowa whilst fresh reports have emerged that they’re set to return with another bid for Elanga.

Signing both attacking reinforcements would quickly make their Pedro and Mbuemo failures an afterthought while handing Howe the attacking depth that he has needed for some time.

Starts

31

23

Goals

6

19

Assists

11

3

Expected Goals

4.5

14.1

The partnership that Aghehowa and Elanga could form alongside Alexander Isak is a mouth-watering prospect for those at St James’ Park, who could see their side pick up where they left off after reaching the Champions League and winning the Carabao Cup last season.

Having already seen their first bid rejected for Elanga, the big question will be whether Nottingham Forest will change their stance. After qualifying for Europe themselves last season, the Tricky Trees are in no position to sell their best players and could deal Newcastle an instant blow as a result.

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If that does prove to be the case, then the Magpies will be forced to turn towards their third-choice option.

Newcastle confident of landing cut-price Kudus deal

According to Pete O’Rourke of Football Insider, PIF and Newcastle are confident of landing a cut-price deal to sign Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United this summer. The Hammers reportedly need to sell their winger in the coming months, which should see his price-tag drop from his £85m release clause towards a far more affordable price.

Leaving Newcastle to take full advantage, Kudus represents an excellent Elanga alternative – especially if he rediscovered his most clinical form at St James’ Park following a tough season in London.

Starts

31

31

Goals

6

5

Assists

11

3

Successful Take-ons

25

92

Key Passes

50

31

Although Elanga outperformed Kudus on the output front last season, Kudus still stood out at times in a struggling West Ham side and his direct take-on success would provide Newcastle with a unique ball-carrier next season.

Even as the Hammers stuttered, manager Graham Potter was full of praise for his winger, telling reporters in March: “Speaking personally, he’s been great with us in terms of how he’s worked every day, fantastic. He has built his fitness up, built his condition up to the point where he can sustain things a lot better now.”

South Africa bring in uncapped Migael Pretorius in his place for the two-Test series

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jul-2024

Young tearaway Gerald Coetzee has three Test caps to his name•Getty Images

Fast bowler Gerald Coetzee has been ruled out of South Africa’s upcoming Test series against West Indies because of a side strain, which he picked up during the USA’s T20 franchise league, Major League Cricket (MLC). Migael Pretorius, uncapped at Test level but with the experience of 64 first-class games to his credit, comes in as Coetzee’s replacement.Coetzee, playing for Texas Super Kings, returned home to undergo assessments on his injured left side by South Africa’s medical team. Cricket South Africa confirmed on Thursday that he was not passed fit to play the Test series, which begins on August 7.Pretorius was last named in a South Africa squad in March 2021, for a T20I series against Pakistan, but he didn’t get a cap. He also got a national call-up in December 2020 for a Test series in Sri Lanka, but then injured his shoulder and could not debut.In 64 first-class games, Pretorius, 29, has 188 wickets at 27.50. He is currently the leading wicket-taker for Somerset in this season’s English County Championship, with 23 wickets, albeit at an average of 39.43.South Africa kick off the Test series in Port-of-Spain, before moving to Providence for the second Test. Three T20Is follow, from August 24 to 28.Updated South Africa Test squadTemba Bavuma (capt), David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Nandre Burger, Tony de Zorzi, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Dane Paterson, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton, Kyle Verreynne, Migael Pretorius.

In a fresh transfer twist, The Friedkin Group are now reportedly working on a deal which would see Everton sign a £25m South American star with the help of AS Roma.

Calvert-Lewin confirms Everton exit

With contracts officially coming to an end around the Premier League, it’s no surprise that Everton’s transfer business has instantly shown signs of life. The Toffees are reportedly set to sign the impressive Thierno Barry and have also set their sights on a return for former loanee Jack Harrison in two deals that would reinforce their attack following Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s departure.

The forward confirmed his departure after failing to sign a new contract in Merseyside, taking to social media to say: “The choice to move on was not simply about me, it was a decision with my family and we spent a long time considering together. We believe it’s the right moment to seek a new challenge and continue growing, but that doesn’t lessen the bond I’ll always have with Everton.

“I’m deeply proud of what we’ve shared, fighting for this club when it mattered most, scoring big goals in crucial moments, wearing the shirt with commitment and pride. My hope is that I leave with your respect, knowing I always sought to uphold the values of this great club.”

Friedkin have, of course, already reacted to that news by agreeing a deal to sign Barry, but they may not be done there on the transfer front. Reports are now suggesting that the American owners want to put their Roma links to sign a £25m defender for Everton.

Friedkin now working on Wesley deal

As reported by Gianluca Di Marzio, Friedkin are now working on a move to sign Wesley in a deal that would see the Flamengo defender join Everton and then head straight out on loan to Roma. The Italian club are already reportedly working on a deal for the €30m (£26m) right-back, but it’s the Toffees who could benefit in the long run.

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Friedkin own majority stakes in both clubs and are seemingly looking to hand David Moyes and his side a major boost using that ownership. Whether the American owners can pull off a complicated deal remains to be seen, however. On Wesley’s end, there’s no doubt that Everton would be getting a talented player.

A player who has had his critics, as South American football expert Nathan Joyes explained in December, Wesley is still just 21 years old and his “pacey” speed could quickly help him transform into a Premier League star.