Jamie Carragher has taken aim at Thierno Barry and another Everton star, following the 1-1 draw against Sunderland on Monday night.

David Moyes made a very positive start after returning to Merseyside, and signed off at Goodison Park on a high note by defeating Southampton 2-0, but his side have failed to really kick on this season, having collected just 12 points from ten Premier League games.

As things stand, the Toffees aren’t in any imminent danger of suffering relegation, given that they remain five points clear of the bottom three, but there are some signs they could be drawn into a battle for survival.

Perhaps most concerningly, summer signing Barry hasn’t hit the ground running at striker, failing to score in the opening ten top-flight matches, and the Frenchman’s performance against the Black Cats left a lot to be desired.

The 23-year-old was hooked before the hour mark after missing one big chance and touching the ball just 19 times, squandering the majority of the passes he attempted.

Carragher takes aim at Barry after Sunderland

Speaking on Sky Sports, Carragher has now claimed that Moyes needs to sign a new centre-forward in the summer transfer window, given that Barry and Beto aren’t up to the required standard.

The former Liverpool defender said: “Everton need to find a striker, what they’ve got right now is not good enough, and that reason alone could mean that between now and the end of the season they are looking over their shoulders in terms of staying in the Premier League.

“So, they’ve got new owners – obviously a lot better than what they’ve had before, but that is the one glaring position that Everton need to fill in January. They have to find somebody.”

It would be somewhat surprising Barry was even given nearly an hour against Sunderland, but his back-up option has also struggled to get on the scoresheet on a regular basis ever since his arrival at Everton, with the Guinnea-Bissau international bagging 17 goals in 83 games.

Beto’s goalscoring form

PL appearances

Goals

2023-24

30

3

2024-25

30

8

2025-26

10

1

Indeed, the 27-year-old has found it difficult to get to grips with life in the Premier League, and Carragher is correct in his assessment that Everton should pursue a new striker in the January transfer window.

Interestingly, the Toffees have now emerged as potential suitors for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic, with it being revealed a shock cut-price deal for the Serbian could be a possibility.

Iliman Ndiaye moving to centre-forward may also be an option, with the winger showing a keen eye for goal this season, finding the back of the net four times in ten Premier League outings.

Everton also eyeing Nicolas Jackson alongside Dusan Vlahovic Everton now eyeing Nicolas Jackson as Bayern Munich maintain £70m stance

The German giants have made their choice.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 1, 2025

The center midfielder, who was a mainstay for the USMNT during the 2022 World Cup, is in danger of missing out on the 2026 tournament on home soil. Could a new manager at Atalanta change his fortunes?

On Aug. 26, Yunus Musah made it clear that he had big plans for the 2025-26 season at AC Milan.

"The nearest goals and achievement for me are winning trophies here at Milan," he told ESPN. "This season we have the possibility to win three trophies [Serie A, Coppa Italia, Italian Supercoppa]. I'd love to win all three of them. And also then go to the national team and win more trophies as well."

That all sounded good. There was confidence, gusto, the idea that Musah believed that all of those things were possible Milan and the USMNT. A week later, he was holding up an Atalanta shirt, grinning, after agreeing to a year-long loan to Milan's direct rivals. Just over two months after that, he is out of the U.S. squad after barely playing for his new club. 

It is impossible to speculate on the minutea here. But some things are true. The first is that Musah has played just under 300 minutes of football this season. He has also played for two different club managers and is about to play for a third after Atalanta sacked Ivan Juric on Monday. And, according to insights offered by U.S. manager Mauricio Pochettino, it is playing time, not injury, that has seen him dropped from the U.S. squad. Piece it all together, and this looks like a footballer who made one of those rare, truly poor decisions in his career. His move may have come late, but the destination was also frightfully ill-judged, with Musah now stuck in a spot where he is unlikely to play more, and without a steady parent club to return to. 

• Getty Images
  

  Allegri didn't rate him

  The state of tension between Musah and Allegri was perhaps a bit overblown. But the eye test certainly didn't help. There were, in fact, two significant incidents in the game between Milan and Lecce that suggested that something was up. The first came in the second half, when the American was on the ground after being on the receiving end of a hefty challenge. Allegri didn't "kick" him, per se, but there was, to be sure, contact between the manager's foot and Musah's body. 

  Later in the game, Allegri berated him for trying to take a throw in quickly with his side leading 2-0 in stoppage time. Musah dropped the ball and looked away without even looking at his coach. It must be acknowledged here that managers and players are allowed to disagree. Allegri, too, isn't exactly the most fun guy. He is a strict disciplinarian who plays intense, testy football. He was famously denied a job in the Premier League when he outlined his playing style: "I don't have one." 

  Allegri also made it abundantly clear to Milan's hierarchy that he wanted a center midfielder who could offer a little more control in his side. The solution? Veteran Frenchman Adrien Rabiot, one of Allegri's favorites at Juventus, and a regular for Didier Deschamps in the French National Team. The reality was that Musah was always going to be a bit frozen out. 

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  Decision to join Atalanta

  And so it proved. Things accelerated rapidly on Musah's move. There had been some scattered talk for a few weeks that his long term future might not lie with the , but the pace at which his loan move was tracked through was remarkable. All of the reporting all summer suggested that Musah was set to be an important player for Milan. But then, on Aug. 27 – less than a week before the transfer deadline – Serie A transfer guru Matteo Moretto reported that a move to Atalanta was gaining traction. The club was reportedly prepared to pay €25 million for his services. Eventually, the two sides agreed on a loan with a club option to buy. 

  But it was an odd call, all said. There were, admittedly, some things to like about playing for Atalanta. They needed a little midfield depth. They play attacking football. They are in the Champions League this season. There seemed to be plenty of minutes to go around, then. 

  Tactically, too, the fit was intriguing. Atalanta play a 3-4-2-1, with two disciplined, defensive center midfielders and proper runners on the wing. Musah, at his best, is an energetic, box-to-box No. 8. But he can also play on the right or left. He even admitted, after playing well in a 4-3-3 for the USMNT, that he could play on the wing if needed.

  "It's more of a position where you're supposed to be that guy that takes the risks, you're supposed to be that guy that takes on a man and creates [scoring] chances," Musah said. "So ultimately, when the coach tells you to play free, then it gives you even more of a chance to do those things."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Needing a position

  Musah's versatility, in a way, cannot be questioned. But it might have also held him back a bit. In Milan in the 2023-24 campaign, he played nine different positions. But 42 percent of his minutes came in central midfield, where he was genuinely excellent for spells. The rest? Well, there was some time spent out wide, a bit as a defensive midfielder, and even as a right winger. But the point was, largely, he was a center mid doing center mid things. 

  The year after, Milan changed managers, and thereby removed the role that Musah had excelled in. Under Paolo Fonseca, he operated mostly as a right attacking midfielder. The Portuguese did not set up in a system that offered his preferred position. And even if he finished the campaign with 1,600 minutes under his belt and 19 Serie A starts, Musah didn't quite offer a sense of specialization that he needed. 

  And Atalanta have, in a way, capitalized on that. Musah has perhaps a similar problem to Weston McKennie in that he can do a little bit of everything – but is caught in a system that doesn't truly excel in his greatest area. 

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• AFP
  

  A nightmare of a start to the season

  The result is a limited role. It was always, perhaps, going to be tough to crack the XI. In Ederson and veteran midfielder Mario Pasalic – a similar profile of player to Musah – they have two established center midfielders. Davide Zappacosta is a mainstay out wide. Raoul Bellanova has impressed on the other wing. Musah isn't a good fit in either of the No. 10 positions. 

  So, yes, the tactical fit is an awkward one. But what is perhaps even more surprising is just how few minutes he might get. Ederson is a star midfielder who plays nearly every minute. But Pasalic is aging. Zappacosta, too, could do with a rest here and there. Rotational minutes may not be ideal, but even they should still be attainable – especially for a player of Musah's potential. Instead, Musah has played just six times in Serie A, totaling 145 minutes. His one start came not for Atalanta, but Milan – where he played all 90 minutes against Lecce. He has only played five of Atalanta's last 10 games, despite being fit and available for all of them. 

  His performances, meanwhile, have been agreeable. It is admittedly hard to make much of an impact when minutes are sparse. But Musah assisted in the Champions League, and his efforts when on the pitch cannot be questioned. His dribbling and ball-carrying stats are as strong as ever, too.

The Yankees' busy trade deadline continues.

New York is trading for Rockies reliever Jake Bird in exchange for second baseman prospect Roc Riggio and left-handed prospect Ben Shields, Jeff Passan of reports.

The right-hander heads to the Yankees after spending the first three and a half years of his career in Colorado. This season, Bird is 4-1 with a 4.73 ERA and 62 strikeouts over 53.1 innings. He notably had a 2.48 ERA at home compared to a 7.40 ERA on the road this season.

This marks the latest move for the Yankees, who added more help to bullpen earlier on Thursday by trading for David Bednar from the Pirates. On Wednesday, they brought in White Sox outfielder Austin Slater for Gage Ziehl, and traded for Ryan McMahon last week.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been sent home by Portugal following his red card against the Republic of Ireland on Thursday. Ronaldo received his marching orders on the hour mark, his first dismissal of his international career, having elbowed Ireland defender Dara O'Shea, as the Selecao crashed to a surprise 2-0 defeat at the Aviva Stadium. Portugal remain top of World Cup qualifying Group F despite the loss.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Ireland claimed huge win over Portugal

  However, the Selecao's progression to the 2026 World Cup isn't quite so cut and dry following Thursday's reverse. Troy Parrott bagged a first half brace for the Boys In Green as Ireland made it back-to-back wins to give their play-off hopes a much-needed shot in the arm.

  Ireland now face Hungary, who sit one point above Heimir Hallgrimsson's side, on Sunday afternoon needing to win in order to leapfrog the Magyars into second place. Hungary may yet finish first if they win and Portugal lose to Armenia, though even without Ronaldo, that seems unlikely.

  The 40-year-old won't be hanging around to watch Portugal's game at the Estadio do Dragao in Porto on Sunday afternoon after the experienced striker was 'released from the national team' according to Portuguese publication . Ronaldo had put in a sluggish performance up until his dismissal in what proved a frustrating evening for the Portugal captain.

  Before the game, Ronaldo had promised to be a 'good boy' upon his return to Ireland, stating: "I really like the fans here. The support they give to their national team is lovely.

  "For me, it's a pleasure to play here again, I hope they don't boo me too much tomorrow – I swear that I'm going to try to be a good boy."

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• 'There's no violence'

  Ronaldo's red card was met with disbelief by the experienced striker, who turned to sarcastically applaud the home crowd before trudging towards the tunnel. And the Al-Nassr hitman had to be held back by former Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho after the Portuguese hero appeared to mouth 'well done' in the direction of the Irish dugout.

  Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez came to the defence of Ronaldo after Thursday's defeat and argued that the captain's outburst was not 'violent'. "Of course, we spoke I think it's difficult for a player like Cristiano, who's in the box. And today he had two defenders constantly in physical contact," Martinez said.

  "There's no violence. He tries to push the defender away and he was unlucky that the VAR… the angle of the images [makes it look] worse than what happened. It's Ronaldo's first red card for the national team, it's incredible."

  A straight red card on the international stage tends to carry a two-match ban, which means Ronaldo may miss Portugal's World Cup opener if they to get the job done against Armenia and avoid needing to jet stateside next summer via the play-offs.

• AFP
  

  'He knows he made a mistake'

  Manchester United captain and Ronaldo's Portugal team-mate Bruno Fernandes has admitted that the frontman made a mistake but that his dismissal made things more difficult in Ireland last week. Fernandes, who sat out the game against Ireland owing to a ban of his own, said: "That happens in football, a moment where Cris had a reaction that cost him dearly.

  "Something he didn't want to do, but it ended up happening. He knows he made a mistake and unfortunately couldn't help us, but it doesn't change the fact that we were already behind in the game.

  "It made things a little more difficult, because we were playing with 10 men and didn't have a player who could score a goal at any moment."

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• Portugal expected to breeze past Armenia

  Portugal are still expected to finish top of Group F on Sunday as they gear up to take on Armenia on home turf. Armenia have lost four of their five World Cup qualifiers, including a resounding 5-0 loss to Martinez's men at the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium back in September.

  Ronaldo scored twice in that resounding victory, while Joao Felix – twice – and Joao Cancelo also got on the scoresheet earlier in the year.

Since leaving Tottenham Hotspur in search of trophies back in 2013, Harry Kane, who has been named as one of the best strikers in the world, has continued his remarkable record in front of goal, having found the back of the net a whopping 108 times in 113 games for Bayern Munich.

Harry Kane’s goal return by season

Appearances (all competitions)

Goals

2023-24

45

44

2024-25

51

41

2025-26

17

23

Not only has the 32-year-old established himself as Bayern’s talisman, but he has also remained a consistent source of goals for England at international level, most recently scoring a brace in the Three Lions’ final World Cup qualifier in Albania.

Thomas Tuchel’s side have secured qualification for the 2026 World Cup in style, having won every single game in Group K without conceding a goal, and fans will be dreaming of football finally ‘coming home’, after two heartbreaking losses in finals of the Euros.

With one of the world’s best strikers leading the line, England certainly have a chance, and the captain recently surpassed a record set by three-time World Cup-winner Pele.

Harry Kane moves ahead of Pele for international goals

Indeed, courtesy of the brace against Albania, Kane has now moved ahead of Pele for international goals, while also going 25 clear of nearest-rival Wayne Rooney at the top of the Three Lions’ all-time goalscoring charts.

As such, it will come as no surprise that Thomas Frank has previously made it clear he wants to re-sign the former Tottenham star, saying: “He is an unbelievable player who did fantastic for Spurs and is doing fantastic for Bayern. Top player. I think there’s a lot of Tottenham fans, including myself, who would like to see Kane back.”

Frank’s comments came after learning about a clause in the Bayern Munich star’s contract, which means he will be available for just £54m in January, while Spurs also have a first option to sign the centre-forward, should they decide to open talks with the German club.

Kane is in the form of his life at Bayern, and will have aspirations of winning the Champions League this season, so it may be difficult to tempt him to return to N17, but if Tottenham were able to do so, he would undoubtedly be a fantastic signing, and could go on to break the Premier League goal record too.

Where does Harry Kane rank in the 2026 Ballon d'Or Power Rankings? Ballon d'Or 2026 Power Rankings

Who will be lifting the individual honour in 2026?

ByCharlie Smith Nov 6, 2025

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots kept their playoffs hopes alive by pulling off a narrow one-run victory over Barbados Royals, who have been knocked out of the race in CPL 2025. Captain Jason Holder played a starring role, not only anchoring Patriots’ innings with an unbeaten fifty but also delivering a match-winning final over with the ball, in which he defended 13 runs.Patriots sit fifth on the points table with eight points and all their matches done. Guyana Amazon Warriors are fourth with eight points and if they win either of their next two matches, they will secure the last playoffs spot, with St Lucia Kings, Trinbago Knight Riders and Antigua and Barbuda Falcons already through.While there were handy contributions from several players, Holder’s all-round performance was the key to Patriots’ success. His 53 not out guided them to 150 for 7, with Patriots recovering from 62 for 4 at the end of ten overs. This was after Mohammad Rizwan’s 39 off 36 helped Patriots get off to a modest start. Holder, along with Navin Bidaisee (30 off 23), accelerated in the latter stages as the pair added 74 runs off 46 balls for the sixth wicket, including 34 runs off the last three overs.Holder’s leadership was also evident in the bowling attack, where he claimed two crucial wickets in the death. His most dramatic contribution came in the final over, with Royals needing 14 runs to win. Rassie van der Dussen started the over with a six over long-on to bring the equation down to eight off five. Holder kept his composure and, with the equation down to two needed off the last ball, bowled a perfect yorker to trap Daniel Sams lbw, sealing a thrilling victory for Patriots.Earlier, Royals had made a strong start, with opener Brandon King (29 off 22) laying a good foundation for the chase. They raced to 44 for 1 by the end of powerplay. However, the middle overs proved costly as the top order struggled to accelerate. Patriots’ bowlers capitalised, with Waqar Salamkheil striking first with the wicket of King and Naseem Shah removing Kadeem Alleyne in the eighth over. Quinton de Kock was caught and bowled by Bidaisee in the following over and despite a dropped catch from Rizwan, Royals’ chase started to lose momentum.Van der Dussen fought valiantly, keeping Royals in the hunt with a quickfire 37 off 27 balls, but it wasn’t enough in the end. For Patriots, Salamkheil and Bidaisee also picked up two wickets apiece.

The retiring Tim Southee’s Test career, in numbers

Sampath Bandarupalli17-Dec-2024391 – Wickets for Tim Southee in his 107-Test career. He signs off as the second-highest wicket-taker for New Zealand, next only to Richard Hadlee’s 431.15 – Southee’s five-wicket hauls in Tests, the third-highest for New Zealand, behind Hadlee (36) and Daniel Vettori (20).234 – Wickets for Southee in home Tests, the most on New Zealand soil. Hadlee (201) is the only other bowler with 200-plus Test wickets in New Zealand.ESPNcricinfo Ltd5 – Bowlers with more wickets in Test cricket than Southee’s 391 since his debut in March 2008. Only two of these are quick bowlers: James Anderson (635) and Stuart Broad (600).47 – Test wins for Southee, the most for a New Zealand player. Ross Taylor, Tom Latham and Kane Williamson follow him with 44 wins each.His 107 Test appearances place him in fourth place for New Zealand, behind Vettori (112), Taylor (112) and Stephen Fleming (111).280 – Wickets for Southee across the 63 Tests he played between August 2012 and November 2021. He averaged 25.45 and struck once every 53.3 balls in this period. Only R Ashwin (388 wickets at 23.69 and a strike rate of 51.7) picked up more wickets in that period than Southee with an average below 26 and a strike rate of under 55.ESPNcricinfo Ltd98 – Sixes hit by Southee in his Test career, which is a tie for the fourth-highest. He finished with the same number as Chris Gayle and only behind Ben Stokes (133), Brendon McCullum (107) and Adam Gilchrist (100).His 98 sixes are by far the most for any player while batting at No. 8 or lower.He hit nine sixes in his debut Test against England, which is the highest by any batter on Test debut.82.68 – Southee’s batting strike rate in Test cricket is the third-best for any batter with 2000-plus runs (where balls-faced data is available). Only Harry Brook (88.37) and Ben Duckett (85.88) have better strike rates.29 – Balls Southee needed for his half-century in his debut Test, against England in Napier in 2008. It is the fastest-recorded fifty by a batter in his debut Test, bettering Desmond Haynes’ record, off 38 balls.Two players since then have made quicker half-centuries on debut than Haynes – Luke Ronchi and Jacob Bethell, both off 37 deliveries – but no-one has come close to Southee’s mark.

Surenkumar makes fighting fifty in rain-affected run-chase at Edgbaston Community Ground

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay07-Sep-2025Essex secured some belated joy from their disappointing Metro Bank Women’s One-Day Cup campaign with a 31-run (DLS) victory over Warwickshire at the Edgbaston Community Sports Ground.Put in, the visitors totalled 235 for seven from 32 overs either side of a long rainstorm which arrived in the 13th over. Jo Gardner top-scored with 47 (34 balls) while Bears captain Georgia Davis took four for 35.Facing a revised DLS target of 232 from 32 overs, Warwickshire mustered only 204 for eight in murky light despite an accomplished maiden half-century from 18-year-old Amu Surenkumar (56, 54). Her team-mates were unpicked by an attack led by Abtaha Maqsood (three for 34) and Esmae MacGregor (three for 38) as Essex recorded only their second win in 12 50-over games this season.On a gloomy morning at Portland Road, Essex got off to a flier as opening batters Ariana Dowse (36, 44) and Grace Scrivens added 67 from 61 balls before falling in successive overs just before the rain. Scrivens chipped Phoebe Brett to mid off before Dowse nicked a waft at Davis to wicketkeeper Nat Wraith.After a lengthy interruption, Essex resumed with only 32 overs now at their disposal and again lost wickets in consecutive overs. Sophia Smale lifted Hannah Baker to long off and Fiona Miller missed a sweep and was lbw to Davis.Jodi Grewcock (39, 34) and Gardner restored some momentum with a stand of 69 in 49 balls before Davis hit Grewcock’s middle stump through an attempted cut. Six balls later, Warwickshire’s captain was at long off to take a catch sent up by Gardner off Surenkumar who repaid her skipper in the next over by catching Eva Gray at long off to supply Davis’ fourth wicket.Essex needed some late impetus and Sophie Munro (36, 19) and Amara Carr (17, 12) provided it with a punchy unbroken stand of 55 from the last 29 balls.Warwickshire’s reply began briskly with a stand of 40 in six overs between Meg Austin and Bethan Ellis but they both fell, bowled and lbw respectively, to lovely, flighted deliveries by Maqsood. Munro quickly followed up with the big wicket of Davina Perrin who chopped to backward point.Surenkumar and Abbey Freeborn added 52 in 50 balls before the latter walked across her stumps to sweep MacGregor who hit the exposed timber. Much depended on Surenkumar who hit a six and five fours on her way to a run-a-ball half-century but when she swung Maqsood to deep mid-wicket, Warwickshire’s lower order needed to find 73 from 44 balls. The departure of Issy Wong, who lifted Munro to long leg, left Essex to ease home to a rare victory.

Chelsea midfielder Roméo Lavia and his injury hell has continued into this season, with the Belgian hauled off after just six minutes against Qarabağ in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Lavia, who was spotted launching a water bottle in frustration moments after being substituted in Azerbaijan, was forced to sit out 226 days last term through injury, and managed just over half an hour throughout the entirety of 2023/2024 after his near-£60 million move from Southampton.

Qarabağ 2-2 Chelsea – best players

Match Rating

Estevao

8.2

Alejandro Garnacho

7.5

Leandro Andrade

7.4

Matheus Silva

7.0

Marko Jankovic

7.0

via WhoScored

The stats surrounding his absences make for very grim reading, and what’s more, Lavia has never even completed a full 90 minutes for the west Londoners.

The 21-year-old was once Southampton’s “shining star” and a player to get “very excited” about, according to journalist Sam Tighe in 2023, but injuries have plagued Lavia ever since he signed on the dotted line at Stamford Bridge.

On his day, and when available, Lavia is a phenomenal alternative to the likes of Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernández in Chelsea’s midfield, with Enzo Maresca effusive in his praise for the ex-Man City academy star.

However, his consistent lack of availability is a major cause for concern, and supporters are beginning to speculate whether the Blues could decide to pull the plug and sell him next year.

Now, journalist Graeme Bailey has provided an update.

Chelsea tipped to move for Adam Wharton amid Roméo Lavia injury

Speaking to the Chelsea Chronicle, Bailey tips them to potentially enter the race for Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton next year, albeit not in January, or other big-name midfielders like Real Madrid duo Aurelien Tchouameni or Eduardo Camavinga.

However, he emphasises that Chelsea were already planning to sign a new midfielder before Lavia’s latest injury, so it isn’t exactly a reactionary decision, and the club remain huge fans of their 2023 signing.

Wharton, in particular, would be an intriguing option for BlueCo.

The 21-year-old earned a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the last Euros after his stellar 2024 form, but he was forced to sit out most of last season after needing groin surgery.

Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham were among the clubs scouting Wharton at Blackburn Rovers before Palace ultimately took the plunge (The Guardian), with reports now suggesting that the Eagles value Wharton at an eye-watering £100 million.

Unless Wharton rediscovers his 23/24 prowess, Palace are very unlikely to get a fee of that magnitude, even if he is still considered by some as one of England’s brightest midfield prospects right now.

Aston Villa have recently submitted an offer for Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Garcia, and the Spanish club’s stance on sanctioning a departure has now been revealed.

Villa have stepped up their pursuit of a new centre-forward with Ollie Watkins failing to reach his usual lofty standards in the Premier League this season, netting just one goal and receiving criticism from former Arsenal striker Ian Wright back in September.

Wright said: “As a player, I think that he should be doing more for what he’s capable of doing.

“He’s a channel runner, gets in the box, he gets on the end of things. I think he could be a lot sharper with his finishing, and I thought that’s what he’d be working on.”

Fortunately, the Villans have managed to find goals from other sources, which have propelled them up the table in recent weeks, rising to sixth after a dominant 4-0 rout of AFC Bournemouth in their final match before the international break.

That said, Watkins’ poor form is likely to still be a concern for Unai Emery, and the manager has seemingly decided to bring in another striker capable of challenging for the Englishman’s place in the starting XI.

Aston Villa submit offer for Gonzalo Garcia

According to a report from Spain, Aston Villa have offered €20m (£18m) offer for Real Madrid forward Garcia, and they are looking to finalise a deal as quickly as possible, given that the Spaniard’s value could plausibly rise as the season goes on.

Sunderland and Wolverhampton Wanderers have lodged bids of their own, so there will be competition for the 21-year-old’s signature, but a deal could be there to be done, as the Spanish club view cashing-in as an ‘attractive financial opportunity.’

As one of the first clubs to make contact with Madrid, Villa should be well-placed to get a deal done, not least because their main rivals seem to be newly-promoted Sunderland and a Wolves side at serious risk of relegation.

Hopefully, it will only be a matter of time before Watkins starts scoring again, but the 29-year-old having some healthy competition could kick him into gear, and there are signs the Real Madrid starlet could push for a starting spot.

Lauded as a “goal machine” in the media, the youngster performed remarkably well at youth level in the 2024-25 campaign, netting 26 goals in 37 games for RM Castilla, before going on to impress considerably at the Club World Cup, netting four goals for the senior side.

That said, it would be a risk to sign Garcia, given that he is yet to prove himself in the Madrid first team over a sustained period, and 21-year-old FC Porto striker Samu Aghehowa, who scored 19 league goals last season, could be an interesting alternative option.

Aston Villa fighting to sign Samu Aghehowa Aston Villa fighting to sign Samu Aghehowa amid interest from Tottenham and Arsenal

Recent reports have indicated that Aston Villa would be keen on signing Porto forward Samu Aghehowa.

ByJames O'Reilly Nov 5, 2025