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There was controversy and confusion during Pakistan A’s win over India A in the Asia Cup Rising Stars on November 16, when a relay catch between India A fielders Nehal Wadhera and Naman Dhir was given not out by the third umpire.Pakistan A opener Maaz Sadaqat took on India A spinner Suyash Sharma at the start of the 10th over of the chase, looking to clear the cow corner boundary. Wadhera ran to his right from deep midwicket and caught the ball, but, before momentum took him over the boundary rope, lobbed it towards Dhir, who was running back from long-on.The third umpire deemed the catch not legal, because of the interpretation of the new ICC rules about fielders making contact with the ball after jumping from outside the boundary.The new rule, which has been in effect since June this year, states that if a fielder jumps from beyond the rope and makes contact with the ball, he then has to first land back within the field of play for it to be out.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

In the case of the Wadhera-Dhir catch, Wadhera clearly caught the ball and released it while still within the field of play. Even though his foot was in the air over the rope, it was still considered within the field of play according to the rules, as he had not grounded his foot beyond the rope.He tossed the ball to Dhir and then stepped over the boundary rope and outside the field of play. It should not have mattered that he landed outside the rope as he was not in contact with the ball after going beyond the rope. It also should not have mattered that he was outside the rope when Dhir took the catch. So even by the new rules, the catch should have been given out.ESPNcricinfo checked with two experienced international umpires and both confirmed the decision taken was a misinterpretation of the laws by the third umpire to rule this not out.So Wadhera and Dhir were unlucky to have their catch disallowed. Subsequently, the umpires also incorrectly ruled it a dot ball, and not a six.Sadaqat, who was batting on 56 at the time, finished unbeaten on 79 as Pakistan A chased the target of 137 in the 13.2 overs.

This has been a whirlwind four days for Liverpool Football Club.

The problems engulfing Arne Slot and his side are no secret; they’re well-documented, but things have only got worse in recent days.

The pressure on Slot has never been greater. That 3-3 draw with Leeds was rough, but Mo Salah’s post-game comments lit a fire that’s been burning away since Saturday.

Liverpool chose to drop him from the squad and who knows whether we’ll see the great Egyptian in the famous red shirt again.

Salah posted a picture of himself in the gym as the rest of his teammates prepared in Milan for their Champions League clash with Inter.

Slot’s side, however, were resilient, they showed an improved attitude and it got them over the line on Tuesday night. They kept things tight to seal a late 1-0 win inside the San Siro.

How Slot's tweaks improved Liverpool

With Salah absent from the squad, Federico Chiesa out with illness and Cody Gakpo missing through injury, it meant that Slot decided to operate with a diamond formation.

Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak operated as the two central strikers with Alexis Mac Allister behind and while the forward line was still largely non-existent, the defence was hugely improved.

As Slot said a few days ago, Ibou Konate has been a “little too much at the crime scene” this season, referring to his mistake-riddled performances.

Well, the Frenchman and indeed club captain, Virgil van Dijk, looked back to their best against Inter. They did so against two menacing centre-forwards in the shape of Marcus Thuram and Lisandro Martinez.

The Liverpool centre-backs reduced the two strikers to just one shot on target. Konate and Van Dijk also won seven of their 11 duels, competing on average 92.5% of their passes.

The midfield three in front of them got through plenty of work to aid the defensive cause. As a consequence, Curtis Jones, Ryan Gravenberch and match winner Dominik Szoboszlai look undroppable.

Add Florian Wirtz into the equation at the weekend too, and you would sense that the German is tailor-made for a diamond formation at the front of the midfield.

That being said, not everyone in red did their duties well. Some might say Liverpool’s big-money summer signing is as much a problem as Salah right now.

Liverpool's big problem after Inter

While Salah has been excluded from the squad, Slot needs to find a way to get more goals from his side.

Starting Isak and Ekitike together is a start but there is one huge problem; the Swede hasn’t been good enough.

His fellow striker has been one of Liverpool’s most impressive players this term, bagging eight goals in all competitions. In many senses, he looks like the £100m plus addition, not Isak.

We can no longer make any excuses for the £125m man. Of course, with no pre-season, he needed several weeks to get up to speed but we are now in December, he should be at full fitness, playing like a man who cost more money than any English club has ever spent on a single player.

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Two goals later and he looks like one of the biggest flops in football history. There is still time for the former Newcastle United attacker to come good but judging by his display in Italy this week, it won’t be anytime soon.

Once again, Isak lacked the energy and desire to press hard from the front. He also lacked the ability to link the play and most vital of all, he didn’t have any goal threat.

Isak vs Inter Milan

Minutes played

68

Touches

25

Accurate passes

10/11 (91%)

Shots

1

Shots on target

0

Successful dribbles

0/1

Key passes

0

Successful crosses

0/1

Duels won

3/7

Stats via Sofascore.

Liverpool World’s Will Rooney handed the record buy a 5/10 rating, noting that he ‘faded’ as the first 45 minutes wore on, bemoaning the fact that the club are still ‘failing to make the most of his attributes’.

That bit may be true, but he’s not doing enough himself either. He registered fewer touches than Alisson (45) and also only completed ten passes against Inter.

While you don’t always need your centre forward to have too many touches to impact a game – Erling Haaland is the prime example of that – they need a higher degree of influence from Isak now.

If Salah is going to leave Merseyside behind then they’ll need someone to step up as soon as possible. Sadly, Isak doesn’t look capable of doing that.

It’s likely Slot will keep the same formation he operated with on Tuesday when Liverpool face Brighton in the league at the weekend but that team shouldn’t include Isak. Perhaps it’s time to give Chiesa a run in the team.

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Arne Slot has only a tenuous grasp on his position in the Liverpool dugout.

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Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is personally driving a move for Murillo, with Nottingham Forest’s stance on sanctioning a departure now being revealed.

The Blues have been solid from a defensive point of view in recent weeks, keeping clean sheets in their last three Premier League matches, most recently defeating Burnley 2-0 at Turf moor, with Tosin Adarabioyo and Trevoh Chalobah impressing at the heart of defence.

Adarabioyo particularly caught the eye, receiving a SofaScore match rating of 8.6, the highest of any player, courtesy of making six tackles, winning ten of the 12 duels he contested, while also completing a whopping 102 passes, including seven long balls.

Being assured in possession of the ball is an important attribute for any player in a Maresca system, and the manager is now keen on another centre-back who could be an ideal fit in the Italian’s backline…

Maresca now driving Chelsea move for Murillo

According to a report from Caught Offside, Maresca has now personally identified Nottingham Forest defender Murillo as a key defensive target, but it could take a huge offer to get a deal over the line, with the Tricky Trees looking to hold out for up to €90m (£79m).

Forest are hesitant to cash-in on one of their key players, but they could be tempted to sanction a departure if a huge offer is submitted, with some other huge clubs also showing an interest in the centre-back, namely Barcelona and Arsenal.

The Chelsea manager is said to be a fan of ball-playing defenders capable of creating chances from deep, which means the Brazilian could be the perfect fit in his backline, and he recently put in a fantastic display as Forest secured a shock 3-0 win at Anfield.

Liverpool’s struggles continued on Saturday, with Arne Slot’s side falling to a shock defeat against a side that had made a slow start to the season, and Murillo displayed his attacking prowess by opening the scoring just after the half-an-hour mark.

It was a solid all-round performance from the one-time Brazil international, winning five of the six duels he contested, creating one big chance, and making 19 defensive actions, the highest number of any player.

It wasn’t the first time the 23-year-old has put in a top performance against the Reds, receiving high praise after impressing against Slot’s men earlier this year.

As such, Chelsea should undoubtedly pursue a move for Murillo, and it is promising news that Nottingham Forest could now be willing to sanction a departure for the right price.

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Following another evening of wasted chances, Everton have reportedly joined the race to sign Dusan Vlahovic from Juventus, who have set a bargain price for their striker.

David Moyes was once again left frustrated after being held to a 1-1 draw by Sunderland in a game that saw Thierno Barry spurn a clear-cut opportunity to win the game. In the forward’s third start, expectations were high that he could finally kickstart his Everton career.

When the ball arrived at the far post, it looked as though the £27m man was destined to open his account in Merseyside, only for his attempt to find the stands rather than the back of the net. For the umpteenth time this season, the Toffees simply couldn’t find the missing piece to an impressive attacking move.

Moyes didn’t shy away from mentioning the missed chances at full-time either, and will be getting more and more frustrated with his current striker situation.

What really summed up Everton’s striker problem was the performance of Beto when he came from the bench. Whilst Barry was guilty of missing his chance, his replacement simply struggled to get himself into the game.

It’s something that The Friedkin Group must address if they are to push Everton into the top half of the Premier League. Several names have already been mentioned who could solve Moyes’ problem in the January transfer window, but it remains to be seen whether they’ll arrive.

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Among those mentioned includes Ivan Toney, who will likely need a move back into Europe from Al-Ahli if he is to get into Thomas Tuchel’s England World Cup squad. But he’s not the only name on the list, with Vlahovic’s new bargain price suddenly making him an interesting option.

Everton enter race to sign Dusan Vlahovic

According to TEAMtalk, Everton have now entered the race to sign Dusan Vlahovic, who is now available for as little as €20m (£18m) in January if he fails to sign a new contract at Juventus.

The Serbian striker has been linked with a move away from the Italian club for some time, but could now get his chance to move on courtesy of the Premier League in 2026. Everton, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and West Ham United are also in the race to secure his signature in a bargain move.

League stats 25/26	Vlahovic	Beto	Barry
Minutes	499	597	308
Goals	3	1	0
Assists	0	0	0
Expected Goals	3.2	3.9	1

If the Toffees want a clinical striker then Vlahovic could be their man. The forward has scored three goals in just 499 minutes of action so far this season – the same as three goals in around 5.5 full games.

Described as “strong” by former Juventus boss Igor Tudor, Vlahovic has also matched his expected goals so far this season, whilst Beto has fallen far behind what he is expected to have scored by this stage. Simply put, Everton would be landing themselves a major upgrade.

Everton also eyeing Nicolas Jackson move

Glasgow Rangers underwent a squad overhaul during the summer transfer window after a change in ownership and a change in the coaching department with Russell Martin’s arrival.

Kevin Thelwell also joined as the team’s new sporting director and the former Everton chief was given plenty of money to play with to bolster the squad ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Unfortunately, as shown in the graphic above, that ended with Martin winning five of his 17 matches in charge of the Ibrox giants before being relieved of his duties last month.

Thelwell’s attacking signings, in particular, have to be placed under the microscope as he signed Youssef Chermiti from his former club for a fee of £8m, the most money spent on a Rangers signing since Tore Andre Flo for £12m in 2000.

So far, the Portugal U21 international has only scored one goal in all competitions for the Light Blues, which shows that they have not received value for money on that £8m yet.

Chermiti was brought in after the club sold centre-forward Hamza Igamane to Lille for a fee of £10.4m, and it is fair to say that they have not replaced him very well on current evidence.

Where Hamza Igamane ranks in the most expensive Rangers sales

The Morocco international only went for a fee of £10.4m because of a reported release clause in his contract, which would have been in place before Thelwell took over as sporting director, which means that he cannot be blamed for that situation.

Igamane ended his only season with the Ibrox giants with a return of 16 goals and three assists in 49 appearances in all competitions, which included 12 goals in 33 outings in the Scottish Premiership, per Transfermarkt.

The 23-year-old attacker also showcased his quality in the biggest matches, scoring the winner against Celtic in the clip above and scoring four goals in the Europa League.

As you can see in the table above, the Morocco international does still rank as the third-most expensive sale in the club’s history, behind Nathan Patterson and Calvin Bassey, but the release clause possibly stopped him from climbing higher up that list.

His departure has been a big loss for the Gers, on top of that, as Chermiti and fellow summer signing Bojan Miovski have combined for two Premiership goals after coming in to replace him and Cyriel Dessers.

Whilst Igamane was a big loss in the summer, there is a Rangers star attracting interest whose departure from Ibrox would be an even bigger loss for Danny Rohl.

Rangers star attracting interest ahead of January

Journalist Pete O’Rourke has revealed that there are clubs circling around Light Blues central midfielder Nicolas Raskin ahead of the January transfer window.

O’Rourke told Football Insider: “There was interest in Raskin in the summer window from a number of clubs in the Premier League and across Europe as well. There is still interest in the Belgium international and that’s not going to go away.

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“I’m sure clubs are keeping tabs on the situation at Rangers. I don’t think Rangers ideally would want to lose him midway through the season. It would have to be a big, big fee for Rangers to even consider selling him, that’s what I think it would take for them to let him go in January.”

Football Insider adds that the Belgium international is ‘tempted’ by the prospect of a move to the Premier League in January, amid interest from Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur.

However, as O’Rourke outlined in those comments, it would take a significant fee for the Scottish giants to consider parting ways with the midfield star, whose contract expires at the end of next season.

Why Rangers must keep hold of Nicolas Raskin

The Light Blues must resist any attempts to prise the Belgian star away from Ibrox in January because losing him would be an even bigger blow than it was to sell Igamane in the summer.

Of course, the Morocco international’s goals were important and his absence has been felt, mainly because of Chermiti and Miovski’s struggles, but he mainly impacted games in possession with his attacking play.

Raskin, however, is an exceptional box-to-box midfielder who can influence matches with his play in and out of possession, which means that he is even more important than Igamane to the overall structure of the side.

The 24-year-old star, who scored against Dundee in the Premiership before the international break, produced four goals and ten assists in the Premiership during the 2024/25 campaign, whilst also winning 57% of his duels, per Sofascore.

In the current campaign, the midfielder has delivered one goal and two assists along with 6.7 duels won per game at a success rate of 54%, per Sofascore, which shows that he is impacting matches at both ends.

FotMob rating

7.50

3rd

Chances created

17

2nd

Assists

2

Joint-1st

Goals involvements

3

2nd

Passes completed per 90

52.3

6th

Tackles won

20

2nd

Interceptions

7

Joint-3rd

As you can see in the table above, the Belgium international ranks highly among his teammates in a host of key metrics both in and out of possession in the league this season.

In fact, Raskin ranks within the top 11% of midfielders in the division for duels won (60) and the top 18% for tackles won (20) in the Premiership this season, which shows that he has been a standout defensively both by Rangers and Premiership standards.

The former Standard Liege ace, who was once dubbed “sensational” by former teammate Scott Arfield, is clearly crucial to what the Gers do at both ends of the pitch, with his contributions offensively and defensively.

That is why losing him would be an even bigger blow than when they lost Igamane in the summer, as the Moroccan forward only won 39% of his defensive duels and made 23 tackles over the entire season in the Premiership last term, per FotMob.

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Therefore, even if a ‘big’ offer comes over the desk in the January window, the club should look to keep hold of him until they have the summer window to take their time to replace the midfield star.

Former Arsenal star Nicolas Pepe has used a Dragon Ball Z analogy to explain the GOAT battle that continues to rage between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. The Portuguese superstar is considered to be Vegeta to Messi’s Goku, with Pepe claiming that the eight-time Ballon d’Or-winning Argentine “slaps everyone” when it comes to the greatest of all-time debate.

• GOAT debate: Messi & Ronaldo battle for No.1 spot

  Discussion regarding who can rightly call themselves the best to ever do it has rumbled on for over 20 years. Ronaldo and Messi have spent two decades at the very top of their chosen profession, claiming 13 Golden Balls and countless entries in the record books between them.

  Messi, who has enhanced his standing as the most decorated player in history with an MLS Cup triumph at Inter Miami – taking him to 47 major honours – is a World Cup winner and the man held up by many as the finest performer of this, or any other generation.

  Others have sided with Ronaldo, with the Al-Nassr icon – who has previously turned out for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus – still going strong at 40 years of age as he continues to prove what can be achieved through relentless hard work.

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  Messi vs Ronaldo: Dragon Ball Z analogy

  Ronaldo, who is giving no thought to retirement just yet, has happily billed himself as the GOAT. He is set to grace another World Cup next summer, with Messi also expected to take part at that event as Argentina seek to defend their global crown in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

  Pepe could also make that tournament with the Ivory Coast and has added his voice to the long-running GOAT debate. The 30-year-old forward, who is now on the books of Spanish side Villarreal, has told of why CR7 talks too much to be considered the greatest: “Cristiano Ronaldo does a lot of interviews, and he talks a lot about Messi, and that's how you see that he (Ronaldo) is number two.

  “You know Dragon Ball Z? Vegeta always talked like that (about Goku), and who never talked: Goku. Ronaldo has the same frustration that Messi is always ahead of him.

  “In the Messi or Ronaldo debate, I say Messi, if you only look at football properly, forget the stats, all that, Messi is insane. There is no human on earth that can look Messi in the eyes(play like Messi). There won't be another Messi.”

• Super powers: Pepe explains why Messi 'slaps everyone'

  Pepe, who spent four years tied to Premier League giants Arsenal between 2019 and 2023, added on why he will always pick South American flair over Portuguese passion: “As a footballer? Messi slaps everyone, he's an otherworldly being, and we'll never see a player like him again. In discussions about Messi and Ronaldo, I say Messi.

  “When you talk about statistics and what each player does, there are those who might say Ronaldo, but if you're following football closely because the experts and everyone in the field, in fact, say Messi.

  "Forget the statistics, forget who jumps high, who shoots powerfully, just focus on the football itself! Messi is a crazy thing. Neymar at the peak of his form looks directly into Cristiano's eyes (meaning on the same level), forget about the statistics.”

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  Samba superstar: Why Neymar does not run Messi close

  Brazilian superstar Neymar – who remains the most expensive player in history after joining Paris Saint-Germain for €222 million (£194m/$258m) in 2017 – has run Messi and Ronaldo close at times over the course of his career, but has never been able to land a Ballon d’Or and seen unfortunate injuries limit his powers.

  Quizzed on whether Brazil’s all-time leading scorer occupies the same talent pool as Messi, with his game all about entertaining with quick feet and clever flicks, Pepe said: “No, no, he doesn't look into Messi's eyes, Messi gives him two slaps on the face.”

  Messi has committed to a contract at Inter Miami through 2028, which will take him beyond his 40th birthday, while Ronaldo is working on a new two-year deal at Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr and is being tipped to play on towards more international tournaments with Portugal – having already earned 226 caps and scored 143 goals for his country.

Things haven't been easy for Manchester United as of late. The Red Devils went into Sunday's clash with West Ham having lost three of their last four games in all competitions, a run that has seen them fall well behind the pace in the Women's Super League title race and weakened their incredibly strong position in the Champions League, ahead of two very tough final games in the league phase, starting with the hosting of eight-time winners Lyon on Wednesday. The return of Phallon Tullis-Joyce, then, could not have been better timed.

It is no coincidence that in three games without the United States international, since she suffered a fractured eye socket at the start of November, United conceded nine goals. Compare that to the team's first 14 games of the season, prior to her absence, when they conceded just seven times. That's no slight on Safia Middleton-Patel, the young academy product who took her place for those three games and impressed at times, particularly given her inexperience. But to expect her to perform to Tullis-Joyce's level at this stage of her career would've been unfair, especially considering she has played limited minutes with those in the defence in front of her, too.

Now, though, the 29-year-old is back, giving United a much-needed boost ahead of a huge end to 2025. Tullis-Joyce wasn't at her busiest as the Red Devils got a necessary win at home to West Ham on Sunday, against a side second-from-bottom in the WSL standings. But she may be over the next week or so as United bid to sign off for the winter break in a successful manner, with qualification for the Champions League knockout stages a huge part of that.

• Getty Images
  

  Welcome return

  While Tullis-Joyce didn't have a lot to do on Sunday, bar picking the ball out of the back of her net after Shekiera Martinez's remarkable overhead kick, her presence did feel impactful. The Hammers registered just 14 shot-creating actions in the game, the lowest by any of United's opponents since a 4-1 win over Everton back in mid-October, and had an expected goals statistic of 0.6, also the lowest United have allowed since victory over the Toffees. 

  With Tullis-Joyce back between the sticks, it felt like there was more familiarity and, as such, assuredness in the United defence. Those in front of the goalkeeper did an excellent job of stifling the lively Martinez and limiting West Ham, and the shot-stopper herself did what was necessary when called upon. It wasn't a headline-grabbing return but that also felt important, as the American adapts to wearing a mask as she continues to recover from her injury.

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  Promising young prospect

  Again, none of that should reflect as criticism of Middleton-Patel, the 21-year-old who deputised for Tullis-Joyce during her three-game absence. It said a lot about the Wales international, in fact, that head coach Marc Skinner chose her over Kayla Rendell, who has the actual No.1 shirt on the United books, made 134 senior appearances during her six years with Southampton and has won England call-ups in recent times.

  Middleton-Patel's performance against Paris Saint-Germain, just her second-ever appearance for the Red Devils, was particularly impressive, with her not daunted by the Old Trafford stage of the magnitude of playing in such an important Champions League fixture. Skinner called her "excellent" after that 2-1 win, noting how well she had "acquitted herself and come into the team" under the circumstances.

• Getty Images
  

  Lacking familiarity

  But it's never easy when a team has to change goalkeepers, especially moving from one with quite a lot of experience to one with much less, and that would become apparent over the course of the next couple of games. Middleton-Patel endured some tough moments in the losses to Manchester City and Wolfsburg, games which will hopefully prove to be valuable learning curves as her career evolves rather than anything else.

  United's defence as a unit was guilty of costly errors, too, something unlikely to have been helped by the absence of the reliability and familiarity of Tullis-Joyce. Combine that with the changes already needed at the back due to an injury to central defender Millie Turner, whose time on the sidelines has had a double impact on the spine of the team because it is holding midfielder Dominique Janssen that has filled her spot, and United have not looked like their usually solid selves in recent weeks.

  Those struggles have only served to highlight the lack of depth in this squad, caused only by the club's own inactivity in the window, and the fatigue that small squad is feeling harder as it competes in the Champions League proper for the first time.

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  Match-winner

  Tullis-Joyce's return certainly can't resolve the latter issues, with Skinner again making sure to emphasise that he needs signings in the January window after Sunday's win, but she does have the match-winning qualities to bail out defenders when they make mistakes or produce the sort of world-class save that few shot-stoppers can, to earn her side points almost single-handedly in moments.

  In the WSL and Champions League proper this term, the expected goals against statistic calculates that Tullis-Joyce should have conceded 11.9 goals, but she has only picked the ball out of the back of her net on seven occasions. That makes for an incredibly impressive positive differential of 4.9 goals prevented across her 11 appearances.

Desire Doue, who bagged a brace for Paris Saint-Germain in their historic Champions League final victory over Inter, has collected his Golden Boy award for 2025. Tuttosport announced the winners of their prestigious prizes in November. England’s teenage striker Michelle Agyemang, who helped the Lionesses to European Championship glory, has landed the Golden Girl gong.

Golden Boy: Previous winners of U21 award

Golden Boy honours have been bestowed upon the best player under the age of 21 since 2003, with notable former winners including Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney, Paul Pogba, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, Pedri, Jude Bellingham and Lamine Yamal.

Doue has now added his name to that list, with the 20-year-old winger enjoying a memorable 2024-25 campaign. He took in 61 appearances for PSG last season, scoring 16 goals, and helped them to three major trophies.

After winning the Ligue 1 title and Coupe de France, the French giants made history when claiming the Champions League crown for the first time. Doue helped them to surge over that line in a 5-0 demolition of Serie A heavyweights Inter.

AdvertisementDoue dominates: PSG star tops 2025 poll

Doue is the fourth Frenchman to receive the award after Pogba, Mbappe and Anthony Martial. He collected 450 points out of a possible 500 in the 2025 vote, with rival contenders being left trailing in his wake.

Tuttosport handed over the Golden Boy award at a glittering ceremony in Turin. Nasser Al-Khelaifi was voted best president and Luis Campos best football executive, as PSG dominated proceedings.

Doue said of landing a top prize: “I am filled with a feeling of great pride and happiness. The teamwork has paid off, because it is thanks to this that Paris Saint-Germain has achieved its greatest goals this year, enjoying the best season in its history. It is the result of a collective effort.

“I am very happy to receive this award, which recognises the trophies won with the team and my positive contribution during important matches. I'm thinking first and foremost of my family. Then, of course, my team-mates, the coach, the staff, the managers and everyone who works for the club, with a special thought for our President, Nasser Al Khelaifi, who believed in me and brought me to Paris Saint-Germain. Without them, I wouldn't have been able to win the Golden Boy award.”

PSG proud of efforts in 2024-25 campaign

Al Khelaifi went on to say: “We've had a fantastic season and, as a club, we've reached an important milestone that crowns the work we've done over the last two or three years. It's the best season in the club's history, but even more important than the results is the way we achieved them. We're very proud of our approach and our victory. I think that was the most important thing for us: the way we won and transformed the club.

“We are very proud to be where we are today because it has been a difficult journey, but we are continuing on the same path without changing things. Our philosophy must be to win collectively, as a group, by developing our young players, thanks especially to the best manager in the world, Luis Enrique. We want to have the best players in the world, our young players, develop our youth teams and in this way guarantee the future of the club, not just today's results, which are certainly important, but also and above all the future of the club. That's why I really appreciate this recognition. It rewards my work and that of the club.”

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GettyGolden Girl: Lionesses star Agyemang lands prestigious prize

On the Golden Girl front, the top prize went to England star Agyemang. She scored two crucial goals for the Lionesses as they successfully defended their European Championship crown in 2025 – being named young player of the tournament in that event.

The 19-year-old, who has been taking in a second loan spell at Brighton from WSL giants Arsenal, is set to miss the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign after suffering knee ligament damage – with a long road to recovery currently being worked down.

The summer of 2023 was a landmark period for Arsenal. It signalled the arrival of a certain Declan Rice no less.

The midfielder arrived in a club-record £105m move. The Gunners had beaten Manchester City to his services, thus securing the talents of one of England’s finest players of his generation.

Since he moved across London from West Ham to Islington, there has still been a feeling that Arsenal have missed a player of the calibre of a certain Granit Xhaka.

Over the last year, in particular, Rice has eradicated memories of the Swiss warrior but their Arsenal stories are woven together.

The year Rice arrived, Xhaka left and in perhaps peculiar circumstances. The veteran had just enjoyed the finest individual campaign of his time at the Emirates Stadium, scoring nine goals in all competitions.

No longer was he the defensive midfielder that a great Arsene Wenger once signed. He was now a goalscoring number 8.

After departing, Xhaka enjoyed a fabulous time under Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, where he won the Bundesliga but he’s now back in England and proving to be one of the signings of the summer.

How Xhaka inspired Sunderland to a draw with Arsenal

Over the last few years the newly promoted teams have been swept aside without so much as a noise. To put it frankly, they’ve been terrible.

However, Sunderland are bucking that trend. Ahead of Sunday’s fixtures in the Premier League, they sat fourth in the table and a large reason for that has been the performances of Xhaka.

The Switzerland midfielder signed for the Mackems in a £17m deal back in the summer and was swiftly made club captain. His displays since then have been admirable.

Sky Sports analyst and Sunderland supporter Dougie Critchley went as far as to say he is the “best player” he’s ever seen in the famous red and white strips after his goal against Everton last week.

While Xhaka did not find the net against Arsenal on Saturday, it was another fine display from Sunderland’s tempo-setting midfielder.

Xhaka is a warrior, a leader of men and he demonstrated that by completing 90% of his passes, winning four of his five ground duels and completing seven clearances this weekend.

Minutes played

90

Touches

57

Accurate passes

35/39 (90%)

Key passes

0

Shots

0

Fouled

1x

Tackles won

2

Interceptions

1

Clearances

7

Recoveries

1

Ground duels won

4/5

Aerial duels won

1/1

Dan Ballard and Brian Brobbey made the headlines but Xhaka issued Arsenal a timely reminder of his qualities.

Up against Rice and Martin Zubimendi, Arsenal’s midfield pairing exudes similar qualities but they aren’t the only men in Mikel Arteta’s ranks who bring a Xhaka-like presence to the squad.

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Arsenal's Granit Xhaka of 2025

The date is 28th October 2019. Unai Emery has chosen to substitute club captain, Xhaka. The response from Arsenal supporters inside the Emirates Stadium was remarkable.

He was booed and jeered as he left the field, which sparked an eyebrow-raising reaction from the Swiss. He cupped his ear, asked for more and then chucked the captain’s armband on the floor.

It was not a surprise to see that he was stripped of the captaincy just ten days later.

Speaking about the incident back in 2023, Xhaka labelled the situation as a “nightmare”. “The passports were out. I was done with Arsenal”, he said.

He ultimately stayed and enjoyed a remarkable change in fortunes under Arteta. The Spaniard turned him into a more forward-thinking midfield and after a hellish first few years in London, enjoyed a fabulous 2022/23 season, in particular.

That was the year Xhaka scored nine times and provided seven assists in all competitions.

The 33-year-old was still a vocal presence on the pitch and while he didn’t possess the armband, he still felt like a captain on the pitch. In the present day, the same could be said of defender Gabriel Magalhaes.

While the Brazilian hasn’t fallen out with supporters since moving from Lille in a £27m move, their Arsenal careers certainly have parallels.

Gabriel headed to London as an exciting talent but he was still incredibly raw. He showcased that during his first few years in English football.

The centre-back was rash and truth be told, a bit error-prone. Rio Ferdinand was particularly scathing of the defender back in 2022.

It was an incident that led to a DM exchange between Gabriel and Ferdinand and since that moment, he has gone from strength to strength.

Like Xhaka in his early days at Arsenal, the big Brazil international was a bit of an accident waiting to happen but they both enjoyed remarkable comebacks.

In the words of Jamie Carragher, Gabriel is now “the most influential player in the Premier League” this season and is in with a real shout of winning the PFA Player of the Year award if the Gunners win the league.

The defender has been a colossal presence in the heart of Arteta’s backline, a true “monster” as per pundit Troy Deeney. He’s a giant at the back, composed with the ball at his feet and has made a rather ridiculous impact from set-pieces.

So far this season, Gabriel has scored two goals and supplied three assists. Since joining in 2020, no centre-back in Europe’s top five leagues has scored more goals than him (22).

Like Xhaka, he’s also now one of the strongest commanders of men in the squad. He’s captained Arsenal on several occasions now and to quote Carragher once more, he is “the leader” in Arteta’s backline.

A midfielder he may not be, but he is certainly like Xhaka in plenty of ways. From being riddled with mistakes to becoming a cult hero at the Emirates, the parallels are certainly there.

Tottenham have now been told what it’s going to take to strike a January deal for Al-Ahli striker Ivan Toney, following the player’s alleged talks with former boss Thomas Frank.

Spurs’ immediate need for a new centre-forward might dwindle in the eyes of some once Dominic Solanke returns to full fitness, with Randal Kolo Muani also steadily getting up to speed after spending most of this season out injured.

Kolo Muani notched an impressive assist against FC Copenhagen in Spurs’ last outing, but missed glorious chances to double the home side’s lead, much to the bewilderment of Xavi Simons, who put the ball on a plate for the Frenchman twice.

However, while Kolo Muani earned Frank’s praise for his overall display at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, it is important to remember that the 27-year-old is only on a dry loan and there is no guarantee he stays beyond 2025/2026.

Meanwhile, Richarlison has been heavily criticised for his form lately, and his abject penalty miss against Copenhagen, immediately after taking the ball off Dane Scarlett, best sums up the Brazilian’s woes right now.

According to some reports, with his contract expiring in 2027, Richarlison could well leave Tottenham in January and there are suggestions that he would jump at the chance to re-join Everton.

However, any transfer for the 28-year-old may well hinge on Spurs finding a winter replacement.

Depending on developments surrounding Richarlison and the long-term future of Kolo Muani, Tottenham could suddenly find themselves needing a new number nine after all.

Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, Toney is being linked as one of their many potential options alongside the likes of Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović.

Vlahovic’s deal expires at the end of this season and Tottenham have reportedly spoken to his representatives about a move, while Frank is believed to have reached out to Toney personally.

The former Brentford star, who scored 20 Premier League goals during his best campaign under Frank, has scored for fun in Saudi Arabia with 41 goals in just 59 total appearances.

However, ever since his switch to the Gulf, Toney has largely been excluded from the Three Lions squad, bar one call-up earlier this year for games against Andorra and Senegal.

The 29-year-old will be eager to challenge for a place in Thomas Tuchel’s plans, but he may have to consider a return to England for this to be possible.

Tottenham told Ivan Toney deal conditions after Frank talks

According to TEAMtalk, Frank has indeed held ‘direct talks’ with Toney about a possible move to Tottenham in the new year.

The Saudi Pro League side, who are still unbeaten this season, lie eight points behind table-toppers Al-Nassr and could be very reluctant to part company with their star striker.

However, they would entertain talks on a few key conditions.

Al-Ahli value Toney at around £30 million for a permanent January deal, but suitors are said to be ‘baulking’ at this asking price, while the player himself faces a hefty tax bill if he departs Saudi for good just under two years after arriving, meaning a loan to buy is the most likely solution.

Making this option an obligation could apparently sweeten the deal and obtain Al-Ahli’s green light, with Tottenham now ‘leading the race’ to sign Toney ahead of the window’s reopening.

Appearances

59

Goals

41

Assists

8

Bookings

7

Red cards

0

Minutes played

4,796

The Lilywhites apparently view him as the ‘ideal’ solution to potentially replace Richarlison, and Frank’s strong relationship with Toney hands Tottenham a secret weapon to beat off competition for his signature.

The Spurs boss has made no secret of his admiration for Toney, though, once branding him the ‘number two’ striker in England.