Multicampeão pelo Corinthians, Tite também acumulou derrotas, algumas delas especialmente doloridas, como a eliminação para o Grêmio na Copa do Brasil de 2013. A partida foi marcada pelo pênalti decisivo que foi desperdiçado pelo atacante Alexandre Pato, que tentou uma cavadinha, mas acabou praticamente recuando a bola para o goleiro Dida.
continua após a publicidade
+ Saiba quais os atletas da base que mais integram os profissionais do Corinthians com Vítor Pereira
O ex-treinador corintiano, que atualmente comanda a Seleção Brasileira, revelou que ficou muito irritado com Pato na ocasião.
– Eu não consigo. Fiquei muito p***. Foi uma das poucas vezes. O atleta pode errar de diferentes formas, mas foi uma das vezes que eu… mas mantendo a consciência, tudo que eu disse a ele eu diria agora. Falei no sentido de refletir para que fosse um melhor profissional. Desde que não fizesse mais aquilo – disse o técnico em entrevista ao podcast ‘Podpah’.
+ Veja a tabela do Brasileirão e simule os próximos jogos
Tite demonstrou incômodo mesmo relembrando o momento quase nove anos depois.
Há um ano, o meia Douglas, que foi titular naquela partida, relatou que alguns jogadores queriam agredir Alexandre Pato no vestiário depois da eliminação, pois, além do pênalti perdido, o jogador disse em entrevista pós-jogo que treinava as cobranças daquela maneira.
Douglas conta que o goleiro Danilo Fernandes, reserva do Timão na ocasião, foi um dos mais exaltados, já que treinava pênaltis com Pato e dizia que o atleta não realizava as cobranças daquela maneira no dia a dia.
– Queriam matar ele. O Danilo (Fernandes) treinava pênalti com ele, ele batia pênalti, chapada forte. Aí no jogo ele cava. Já tinha trabalhado com o Dida e falou que treinava assim. O Danilo (Fernandes) cegou. Todo mundo queria bater nele. Era para ter deixado, um soquinho. Só um, assim – relatou o ex-camisa 10 corintiano em entrevista ao canal do YouTube do jornalista Duda Garbi.
Em carta aberta assinada por Alexandre Pato no site ‘The Players Triburne’, no início deste ano, o atleta negou que os companheiros de time à época tenham querido o agredir, mas relembrou que torcedores foram até o CT Joaquim Grava nos dias seguintes hostilizá-lo.
– Os torcedores queriam me bater, me matar. Passei a andar de carro blindado em São Paulo, com seguranças armados e bombas de gás lacrimogêneo. Os torcedores invadiram o CT com pedaços de pau e facas. Isso é uma loucura, algo assustador. Isso não deve ter lugar no futebol de jeito nenhum – contou Pato.
Corinthians e Grêmio empataram em 0 a 0 o jogo de ida das quartas de final da Copa do Brasil daquele ano, em São Paulo. A volta foi decidida em Porto Alegre, com novo empate sem gols, levando a decisão para os pênaltis.
The hosts batted out one and half days in Cox’s Bazar to keep the series level
Mohammad Isam02-Dec-2022Zakir Hasan played the most significant innings of his career as his 173 single-handedly took Bangladesh A to draw their unofficial Test against India A in Cox’s Bazar.For 10 hours split over two days, the left-handed Zakir thwarted a bowling attack that had shot out the home side for 112 on the first day of this game.And by the time he fell, there were only four overs left to bowl on the final evening and Bangladesh A’s No. 10 and 11, Rejaur Rahman Raja and Khaled Ahmed, took them through to safety.Zakir made his 173 with 16 fours and three sixes, having faced 402 balls. The bulk of these runs came during his 148-run partnership for the second wicket with Najmul Hossain Shanto who made 77. Shanto struck ten fours in his 187-ball stay.The two left-handers came together in the middle of the third day and were separated only on the fourth morning when Mukesh Kumar trapped Shanto lbw. Mominul Haque (17) and captain Mohammad Mithun (10) put up little resistance but Jaker Ali (16) stuck around for an hour and 44 minutes to give Zakir company.When Jaker fell to Sarfaraz Khan, left-arm spinner Saurabh Kumar got into the act, taking the next four wickets. He removed Mosaddek Hossain and Taijul Islam for ducks, both caught behind, before clean bowling Zakir and having Nayeem Hasan lbw for five. Raja and Khaled defended the remaining 14 balls to ensure the draw.Saurabh ended with match figures of 9 for 86 as Bangladesh A came back quite well to draw the game.
بدأ نادي النصر التحرك رسميًا لحسم مستقبل نجمه، كريستيانو رونالدو، بتجهيز خطة شاملة سيتم تقديمها للنجم المخضرم خلال الفترة المقبلة، في محاولة لتمديد عقده لموسم إضافي على الأقل.
وكشف الصحفي الإيطالي فابريزيو رومانو، عبر حسابه على منصة “X”، أن النصر يخطط لإجراء تغييرات في الفريق، من أجل إقناع كريستيانو بالبقاء وتجديد عقده مع النادي.
اقرأ أيضًا.. فوت ميركاتو: عرض سعودي قد يعيد تشافي إلى التدريب
وتسعى إدارة النصر لنيل الضوء الأخضر من رونالدو قبل تفعيل مشروعها الجديد، الذي يتضمن تعزيزات فنية بارزة وتعديلات على التشكيل الأساسي للموسم المقبل، بما يتوافق مع طموحات البرتغالي.
🚨 Al Nassr are set to present their plan to Cristiano Ronaldo hoping to get new deal sorted.
The club’s preparing changes to get Cristiano’s green light… and sign new contract to continue at Al Nassr.
Luis Diaz, David Hancko, world class midfielder and more targets have been… pic.twitter.com/FRq6rUD2P8 — Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 2, 2025
وأكد رومانو أن النصر وضع عددًا من الأسماء القوية على قائمة أهدافه الصيفية، في مقدمتهم جناح ليفربول لويس دياز، مدافع فينورد ديفيدهانكو، إلى جانب لاعب وسط من الطراز العالمي.
ويمتد عقد رونالدو الحالي مع النصر حتى نهاية الشهر الجاري، لكن النادي يرغب في ربط اللاعب بعقد جديد يُبقيه في صفوف الفريق لأطول فترة ممكنة، بعد الأداء الاستثنائي الذي قدّمه منذ انضمامه.
ومن المنتظر أن تبدأ إدارة النصر اتصالاتها الرسمية مع رونالدو وممثليه خلال أيام، وسط مؤشرات إيجابية بشأن رغبته في مواصلة التجربة السعودية، بشرط وضوح الرؤية الفنية والطموحات.
Reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has shared an update involving Arsenal and their plans for the last days of this January window, with manager Mikel Arteta and interim director Jason Ayto still on the hunt for another forward.
Arsenal linked with host of strikers as January search continues
Arteta has previously confirmed that the Premier League title hopefuls are aiming to sign a forward before deadline day on February 3rd, but the clock is ticking.
Club's ex-vice president reveals "official offer" from Arsenal for player
The Gunners are believed to have made a concrete bid.
ByEmilio Galantini Jan 28, 2025
Injuries to Gabriel Jesus – who will miss the rest of 2024/2025 after rupturing his ACL – and Bukayo Saka have left Arteta short of options both out wide and at centre-forward, with a lot of pressure currently on Kai Havertz to deliver the goods right now.
Man City (home)
February 2nd
Leicester City (away)
February 15th
West Ham (home)
February 22nd
Nottingham Forest (away)
February 26th
Man United (away)
March 9th
Viktor Gyokeres, Victor Osimhen, Igor Jesus and Matheus Cunha have all been linked with moves to N5 at various points since the January window opened, and another highly-rated striker on Arsenal’s radar is RB Leipzig starlet Benjamin Sesko.
The 21-year-old rejected a proposal to join Arteta’s side last summer, instead favouring a contract extension with his current club. However, Sesko does have a gentlemen’s agreement that he can leave Leipzig for the right club, either this year or in 2026.
Some reports suggest that Sesko is keen on a move to Arsenal, which could hand the Gunners a boost in the race for his signature, if his departure is indeed possible this month.
That being said, RB Leipzig director Marcel Schafer has also stated that Sesko is unlikely to be going anywhere, attempting to pour cold water over a potential move to the Premier League.
Proven strikers will come at a major premium, and difficult to obtain right at the end of January. However, as per Romano, it is believed that Arsenal could now be contenders for Aston Villa number nine Jhon Duran.
Arsenal make recent contact over signing Jhon Duran
Speaking on his YouTube channel, via GiveMeSport, the reporter claimed that Arsenal have made “recent” contact over signing Duran – despite other reports that the Colombian super-sub could cost as much as £85 million.
“What I’m told is that also Arsenal made a call in the recent weeks to understand the situation of Jhon Duran, because Sesko, at the moment, no green light from Leipzig,” said Romano.
“Also Alexander Isak, the dream target of Arsenal. Super expensive, almost very complicated, impossible, nothing in football, but very complicated. And so in recent weeks, also Arsenal called to understand the situation of Jhon Duran, but no bid, no direct negotiations with Aston Villa.”
The 21-year-old has bagged 12 goals in all competitions so far, which is impressive considering he is behind Ollie Watkins in Unai Emery’s pecking order. That being said, his rumoured £80m-plus valuation is a stark reminder of just how inflated the market is right now, although there are also reports that Villa are about to accept a much lower offer around £59m from Saudi club Al-Nassr.
Manchester City are keeping tabs on a £67 million-rated Netherlands star who snubbed Paris Saint-Germain this month, according to a new report.
Man City back on track ahead of monster Real Madrid clash
Following a dismal start to the season, City look to be getting back to at least somewhere near their best. After sweeping aside Chelsea in the Premier League last week, Pep Guardiola’s side survived a scare to beat Club Brugge in the Champions League on Wednesday night and secure their spot in the competition’s knockout phase play-offs.
City went behind on the night thanks to a goal from Raphael Onyedika just before the break, but second-half goals from Mateo Kovačić and Savinho, as well as an own goal from Joel Ordonez secured a 3-1 win.
“In the second half we lifted our soul and our hearts were free,” Guardiola said after the game. “For today, we are in the next round, that’s good. The first half was so academic, we didn’t have the spark to do it against a team that defends really well.”
Their answer to Rice: Man City exploring late move for "elite" £42m star
Manchester City are seeking midfield reinforcements, so could they sign a number six many believe to be better than Arsenal’s Declan Rice.
By
Ben Gray
Jan 29, 2025
Defender Manuel Akanji hinted after the win over Brugge that he believes City can now go on to win the competition, just as they did in 2022/23. The Cityzens will face Real Madrid in next round.
“Obviously Real Madrid and Bayern Munich aren’t the teams you want to face but, whoever it is, we are looking forward to the challenge and I think we can beat every team in Europe,” he said. “Whoever comes, we are ready for the challenge. Even though we didn’t play as good as we used to do, I think no team wants to face us.”
City eyeing Leipzig star Simons
While City are undoubtedly in their best form of the season, Guardiola will likely feel the need to further strengthen his squad to restore the club to its former glory. Having already spent a combined £123 million on Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis this month, City’s January transfer business appears to be complete.
However, according to journalist Christian Falk, the club is already planning ahead for the summer, with RB Leipzig midfielder Xavi Simons emerging as a key target.
Xavi Simons
The Dutchman joined Leipzig on a permanent deal from PSG earlier this month, having snubbed a return to the French captial amid fears he wouldn’t be guaranteed game time by manager Luis Enrique. Falk reports that despite Leipzig having only just secured his signature on a permanent basis, the German club would be willing to sell him at the end of the season for a fee of between £59 million to £67 million.
City are keeping tabs, claims Falk, but will face competition from Manchester United and Liverpool, who are also interested in the midfielder.
Xavi Simons Bundesliga Stats 2024/25
Games
11
Goals
4
Assists
3
Chances Created
21
Successful Dribbles
16
FotMob Average Rating
7.66
Stats per FotMob. (As of January 31, 2025)
Simons has been one of the Bundesliga’s outstanding players since initially joining Leipzig on loan in 2023. In 60 games for the Red Bulls, the 21-year-old has scored 15 goals and produced 19 assists. He was also a standout player for the Netherlands as they made it to the semifinals of last year’s European Championships.
Calum MacLeod has announced his retirement from international cricket.”Having announced my retirement to the team a few days ago, I’m sitting here thinking back to what inspired me in the first place and that would be the Scotland versus Australia game at the 1999 World Cup,” McLeod said in a statement released by Cricket Scotland earlier in the week. “I remember watching that and thinking ‘that is what I want to do’ and it lit a fire inside me to go on and do everything I could to play for Scotland.”So, to fast forward to now as I step back having played in five World Cups, I think if you’d told me way back then what I’d go on to achieve with my country, I wouldn’t have believed you.”MacLeod, 33, made his full international debut in 2008 – though he had started out the year before at ICC pathway events – and played 88 ODIs and 64 T20Is, representing Scotland in four T20 World Cups and one 50-over World Cup. He ended with 3026 runs at an average of 38.30 in ODIs – which included ten centuries – and 1238 runs at 23.80 in T20Is. He has the second-most runs for Scotland in ODIs behind Kyle Coetzer and is fourth on the list in T20Is. One of his notable contributions came in 2018, when he struck 140 not out in Edinburgh to help Scotland beat England for the first time in an ODI.McLeod was part of the ongoing T20 World Cup in Australia, too, and made 48 runs in three matches in the first round. Scotland started their campaign by springing an upset on West Indies but failed to qualify for the main competition, the Super 12s, after losing their next two matches against Ireland and Zimbabwe.Kyle Coetzer gives Calum MacLeod a well-deserved victory shower after the win over England in 2018•Peter Della Penna
“Finishing after this World Cup in Australia has been tough because we didn’t manage to achieve what we wanted to achieve, but I leave the group with a real sense of hope that, with the right backing and the right opportunities, the current team can really go far and can inspire many,” he said. “My career with Scotland has been filled with some real highs and a few lows, I feel extremely fortunate to have played for my country 229 times.”It was something that I never took for granted and it was a huge honour and a privilege. I hope I have entertained a few people along the way and, ultimately, I feel like I am leaving the team in a better place than when I started this amazing journey.”Scotland head coach Shane Burger said, “I am incredibly sad to see his career end particularly in the fashion it did with us bowing out of the World Cup in the first round as it would not have been how Calum would have wanted.”For me personally, Calum leaves a great legacy behind him in not only the runs he scored including ten ODI hundreds, but also his desire to put in performances in the earlier part of his career when he was a bowler and had to transition into a batter. He is an incredibly talented sportsman, a fantastic fielder, a real fighter and someone who would front up when it was required. Those were his characteristics, and he can hold his head really high as he has left Scottish cricket in a better place.”
Litton Das is relishing the prospect of Bangladesh beating India after they reduced the visitors to 45 for 4 at stumps on the third day in Mirpur.”If we can take one or two early wickets tomorrow morning, it is possible to win the game,” Litton said. “Our goal will be to be positive. There would be nothing like it to beat the No.1 [No.2] Test team in the world. It will be our biggest achievement. We always know how hard it is to bat in the fourth innings in Mirpur.”Litton was wary of the threat posed by Rishabh Pant, who scored 93 off 104 balls in India’s first innings and is yet to bat in the chase, but stressed that early wickets on the fourth morning would ramp up the pressure on India.”We knew that we had to give them a 200-220 target,” Litton said. “The score that we actually put up, it is still difficult. They will be under pressure if we take one or two quick wickets tomorrow. I think this target is enough for a win. If Rishabh bats like he usually does, it will be difficult. The scenario will change. We are bowling well, and the pitch is helping us. Let’s see what happens.”Related
Is Rishabh Pant the GWOAT?
Day 2 report – Pant, Iyer help India wrest back control
Bangladesh let India slip from their grasp, literally
Litton said that Shakib Al Hasan’s decision to have in-and-out fields – there were three fielders posted in the deep from the first ball of the India chase – was a smart ploy.”We know the quality of our bowlers,” he said. “It is always difficult to bat in Mirpur. At the same time, we didn’t have a big score to defend. If you give away runs while trying to attack, there’s not much left to defend.”We knew that the wickets would fall to the close-in fielders, but we kept some protection. It was a good call, as it made the batters doubt.”That Bangladesh are a position to push for a win is down to Litton’s counterattacking 73 off 98 balls. He also urged the lower order to bat in similar counterattacking fashion as he felt that chances of survival were low on such a deteriorating pitch.”When [Mehidy Hasan] Miraz came to bat, I said that there’s no point defending for too long,” Litton said. “They [India] were bowling very well. We had to counterattack. Miraz couldn’t do it, but I said the same thing to [Nurul Hasan] Sohan . He scored some vital runs.”I said the same thing to Taskin too, that if we defend too much, they will get on top of us. You need runs on this wicket – not one where the game will be a draw or you can bat for long. It doesn’t matter how, but we need runs. It is difficult to defend 100 runs, but the scenario is different when you 150 to win. It would have been better had the lead been 200. This Test wouldn’t go into the fifth day, so I kept saying to Taskin that we must attack them. I think we were successful.”Bangladesh have missed several chances in the field in this Test series and Litton wants them to be sharper if they are to defend 144 on the fourth day.”It is very difficult to field when the ball has turn and bounce,” Litton said. “Ball comes quickly. They are behind by 100 runs so we need to field well to win the game.”‘No reason to worry’ – Siraj After India lost two quick wickets in their chase, they bumped up Axar Patel to No.4. Axar is unbeaten on 26 off 54 balls with three fours. Mohammed Siraj suggested that Axar was promoted up the order to maintain a left-right combination to counter Bangladesh’s bowlers.”[Sending Axar early] was a call from the management, but to me it seemed that if there is a left-hander and right-hander it will be difficult for the bowlers. We may have lost two wickets more than we should have, but we shouldn’t be worried. Axar is set and showing good intent. There is still Rishabh and then Shreyas. So not to worry.Siraj also felt that India had let Bangladesh’s batters get away on the third afternoon but insisted that there was no cause for panic. “Their wicketkeeper [Nurul Hasan] came and started attacking,” he said. “After that even Litton did and with that momentum shifted a bit. We conceded 30 runs extra. But no reason to worry.”
It’s a bold claim to make in February, no doubt, but Arne Slot’s side are 13 points clear of second-place Arsenal with ten Premier League games to play.
The ever-tightening grip on the trophy is a product of Slot’s genius, Jurgen Klopp’s craftmanship and the overarching squad’s assimilation of tactical ideas.
Rivals needed Liverpool to drop points against Newcastle United at Anfield on Wednesday evening, but they were sorely disappointed, with Virgil van Dijk leading his team to a professional and cultured 2-0 victory.
Goals from the in-form Dominik Szoboszlai and industrious midfield general Alexis Mac Allister did the trick, with Merseyside erupting in elated fanfare as they stepped ever closer to glory.
How Liverpool beat Newcastle
If this contest served as an overture for next month’s Carabao Cup final at Wembley, Liverpool will feel pretty confident. Newcastle struggled to find an answer to the Slot machine, albeit without Alexander Isak, who suffered a groin injury pre-match but is slated to return well in time for the March meeting.
Liverpool are proving to be box-office super-sellers under Slot’s wing, capable of winning in so many different ways. Against Manchester City at the Etihad last weekend, the Reds only had 34% of the ball, but confidently won 2-0.
This time, they thwarted the Magpies with controlled play, limiting their attacking scope. Indeed, Newcastle only took three shots on the evening, none of which tested Alisson, whose sole defensive involvement was to parry a deflected cross.
As per Sofascore, the home side also won 55% of the match duels and made more tackles, clearances, interceptions and ball recoveries than their guests.
It was a complete display, with reporter David Lynch noting: “They controlled this one from start to finish.”
However, one or two Redmen failed to assert themselves as they’d have liked. Diogo Jota, for one, struggled to rediscover that clinical and dynamic quality that has been a staple of his time at the club.
Diogo Jota's performance vs Newcastle
With Darwin Nunez out of favour and slated for a summer sale, this was an opportunity for Jota to stake his claim as Liverpool’s first-choice number nine for the business months of the campaign.
Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota against Sandro Tonali
But he struggled to produce the convincing performance that he needed, having now gone six matches without scoring. It wasn’t a dismal display, but it did leave plenty to be desired, with GOAL giving the Portugal star a 5/10 match rating and writing: ‘Offered nothing as a direct threat and was quiet before he went off after the hour mark.’
It’s an understandable, if unforgiving, assessment. Jota was reduced to a bit-part role for much of the contest, taking fewer touches than his goalkeeper Alisson (36), who indeed wasn’t called upon to make a direct save as Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate marshalled the Isak-less Newcastle frontline.
Minutes played
62′
Goals
0
Assists
0
Touches
23
Shots (on target)
0 (0)
Accurate passes
11/13 (85%)
Key passes
1
Dribbles
0/1
Ground duels
1/6
Aerial duels
1/1
The fact the 28-year-old – who also lost 71% of his total duels – was unable to get a shot away typified his struggles right now. For sure, Jota demonstrated some neat and intelligent movement, found Szoboszlai with one clever pass, but he’s not exactly playing at full throttle right now, lacking the killer instinct that has been expected of him across many prolific years on Merseyside.
Liverpool don’t play this weekend given they are out of the FA Cup, but a double Champions League header against Paris Saint-Germain begins next week. Slot will have one or two bold decisions to make, one of which could be demoting Jota to the bench.
Why Diogo Jota should be benched
Jota has suffered yet another injury-disrupted campaign, missing 15 matches across all competitions between October and January, returning for the festive period but picking up another muscular twinge last month.
Liverpool striker Diogo Jota
He’s since started three of Liverpool’s past four Premier League matches but has failed to find the back of the net, also playing from the outset in a drab first-leg defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup semi-final and again during the embarrassing FA Cup exit against second-tier Plymouth Argyle.
It’s clear that he lacks confidence right now, so maybe putting him back on the bench could be a good thing. After all, the £140k-per-week talent’s last three top-flight goals have come during off-the-bench appearances.
Luis Diaz has moonlit as a mobile centre-forward on many occasions this season to combat Liverpool’s struggles with an effective out-and-out striker, be that because of Nunez’s on-pitch struggles or Jota’s injury issues. However, the Colombian is at his rip-roaring best when peeling off the left flank.
However, Szoboszlai played excellently at the Etihad when operating in a quasi-striker role, proving his relentless running and ability to close down his opponents is something that can work effectively for Liverpool.
Dominik Szoboszlai celebrates for Liverpool
Given PSG will look to bring fire to their contest against Liverpool, it might be worth deploying such an in-form player, especially since Cody Gakpo will be looking to start after returning from injury.
Moreover, Liverpool’s Hungarian engine has scored four times in little over a month of football, denoting a new and improved version who has listened to the comments about his lack of goals to complement a robust and gifted skill set.
Gakpo and Salah are Liverpool’s two most prolific players this year, so it might be worth using a more balanced focal point to act as a gravity centre, allowing them to arc inward and fire at the Parisiens in a three-pronged cannonade.
Mohamed Salah celebrates for Liverpool
Jota, as stated, knows where the back of the net is, but this is a skill that seems well suited to off-the-bench action, and Slot may want to act accordingly.
Worth more than Szoboszlai & Gakpo: Liverpool struck gold on "deadly" star
Liverpool’s fearsome frontline is comprised of varying and elite-level parts.
Everton have had a fair few transfer howlers over the previous few years, both in terms of signings and outgoings.
Former owner Farhad Moshiri didn’t enjoy the success that was predicated when he took over the Goodison Park side back in 2016.
Lavish amounts were spent on several players who failed to live up to expectations, while Everton began to slide further and further down the table.
The likes of Davy Klaassen, Andre Gomes, Cenk Tosun and Theo Walcott offered little to no contributions as the Toffees struggled under a succession of managers during Moshiri’s spell as majority shareholder.
Sean Dyche made a few decent signings during his spell in charge of the club, most notably Ashley Young and Iliman Ndiaye, who have both impressed this season.
Under David Moyes, the latter is emerging as one of the most important members of the first-team squad as they look to avoid a relegation scrap.
How much Everton paid for Iliman Ndiaye
Everton paid a fee in the region of £15m to sign Ndiaye from Marseille last summer, a fee which is beginning to look like a wonderful bargain indeed.
“Iliman is a player we have admired for a long time and we are delighted to bring a much sought-after player of his quality to Everton,” said Everton director of football Kevin Thelwell after the player’s arrival was announced.
Everton star Iliman Ndiaye
“We think he will excite Evertonians and give our attack a different dimension.”
He was pursued by Dyche following his performances for Marseille during the 2023/24 campaign, scoring four goals and chipping in with five assists as the club reached the semi-finals of the Europa League.
Not the most prolific, but considering the fee and the fact he is still only 24, Dyche clearly had a feeling he could shine on Merseyside.
Iliman Ndiaye has shone for Everton
Ndiaye and Dwight McNeil were the two players who prevented Everton from slipping into the bottom three during the first few months of the season.
The Englishman operated as a No 10, while Ndiaye played in his preferred position on the left wing, working well together.
However, since McNeil has been out injured, the former Marseille man has stepped up to take full responsibility, scoring in his previous three Premier League matches, including a vital goal against Brighton to secure a 1-0 win.
It isn’t just his goals that are of huge benefit to the Toffees, as his overall displays have also been excellent.
In the top flight, the winger also created two big chances, averaging 0.7 key passes per game while succeeding with 2.5 dribbles per game, causing plenty of damage in the final third.
Furthermore, Ndiaye wins 50% of his total duels, while making 1.9 tackles, recovering 6.2 balls and making 0.7 interceptions per game, showcasing his defensive attributes, too.
This all-round game has clearly helped the Toffees create some breathing room between themselves and the drop zone.
However, might the club have performed even better if they had retained the services of a player who was sold by Dyche last summer?
Alex Iwobi, now at Fulham, is delivering some of the best football of his career under Marco Silva.
How much Everton sold Alex Iwobi for
During the summer of 2023, Dyche signed the likes of Beto and Youssef Chermiti on permanent deals, but it was evident that he would have to sell a player or two to balance the books.
Despite registering 10 goal contributions the season prior, Dyche decided to cash in on Nigeria international Iwobi that summer, knowing that he would be able to secure a decent fee for the midfielder.
Indeed, it was the Cottagers who came in with an offer worth around £22m, and he was on the move from Liverpool to west London.
It has since proved to be an inspiring one, as Iwobi has played a key part in Fulham’s success in the top flight over the previous two seasons.
Alex Iwobi has outperformed Iliman Ndiaye this season
The midfielder scored six times and grabbed two assists last season for Fulham, which was a sign of things to come ahead of the current campaign.
Hailed as “exceptional” during his spell at Goodison Park, Iwobi is living up to this praise throughout 2024/25, shining for the Cottagers as they aim to secure a top-half finish in the Premier League.
Metric
2023/24
2024/25
Goals
5
7
Assists
2
3
Big chances created
5
7
Key passes per game
1.7
1.9
Ground duels won per game
2.7
3.4
He has already surpassed his goal tally from last term, netting seven times for the club across 24 top-flight matches, recording three assists along the way.
Ndiaye may have scored one more goal, but he has contributed zero assists for Everton.
Elsewhere, Iwobi has also created seven big chances while averaging 1.9 key passes per game – more than the four chances created and 0.7 key passes recorded by Ndiaye in the same period.
Iwobi has also registered 2.01 shots per 90 in the Premier League this season, while registering 4.37 shot-creating actions, 0.54 goal-creating actions and 618 touches in the final third throughout 2024/25.
Compare this to Ndiaye’s stats across the same period, and it becomes clear just how much better the Nigerian has been in the final third.
The Everton star has registered 1.17 shots per 90 along with recording 2.53 shot-creating actions, 0.17 goal-creating actions and 359 touches in the final third.
These statistics prove that Everton should never have sold Iwobi, regardless of whether they needed to balance the books.
He is starring under Silva, who is utilising his strengths in a Fulham side that have defeated Newcastle United (twice), Nottingham Forest and Chelsea in the league this season.
Barring an almighty collapse, Moyes will keep Everton in the division ahead of next season, but just how good might the club have been had they kept hold of Iwobi?
Moyes must unleash "dynamite" star who's Everton's own version of Kluivert
Everton will look to carry their fine form from the PL into the FA Cup this weekend.
With just one win picked up from their last five Championship games, Danny Rohl’s Sheffield Wednesday continue to fall short of the second-tier playoff spots.
If the Owls were to string together a patch of positive results, they could still leap into those coveted top six spots, with the South Yorkshire outfit only three points off Blackburn Rovers who hold that final position in the playoff picture.
For now, Rohl will just have to make do with how inconsistent his side can be, with the potential for promotion to still be on the cards if a number of his top performers turn on the style between now and the close of the campaign.
The numbers behind Sheffield Wednesday's top performers
The most obvious place to start here is with top scorer Josh Windass who is enjoying one of his finest seasons to date donning Wednesday blue and white.
Windass has already surpassed his second-tier goal tally from last season this time around, with the former Rangers man now up to ten league strikes from 29 games, compared to a lesser total of six when Wednesday were battling against the drop.
One of those goals even saw the entertaining 31-year-old score from inside his own half on New Year’s Day, with Rohl hopeful that more moments of magic like this audacious strike from his number 11 can see the Owls sneak into playoff contention.
He will also be well aware that other attackers will have to step up to the mark too, with Michael Smith another face that has been a source of goals this campaign so far.
Despite being regularly linked with a move away from South Yorkshire, the experienced EFL head boasts an impressive record of seven goals and four assists from only ten league starts.
There is also Barry Bannan of course who is a spectacular star on his day with four goals from 29 league encounters, but the Scotsman could now face a long time out on the sidelines owing to injury.
To add further insult to injury, there is one attacker who left Hillsborough in the summer and he is now outscoring both Bannan and Smith in League One surroundings.
The ex-Sheffield Wednesday man now outscoring Smith and Bannan
During Wednesday’s recent promotion heroics up to the second tier, the aforementioned Smith was often helped up top by an equally deadly partner.
Lee Gregory now finds himself back at the level where he shone with the Owls and it’s as if the 36-year-old has never been away judging by his lethal campaign to date with Mansfield Town.
Gregory’s goal record in L1 by season
Season
Team
Games played
Goals scored
24/25
Mansfield
20
10
22/23
Wednesday
38
10
21/22
Wednesday
36
16
16/17
Millwall
37
17
15/16
Millwall
41
18
Sourced by Transfermarkt
Looking at the table above, Gregory is ageing like a fine wine under Nigel Clough’s wing at the Stags, with a sublime ten goals coming his way from 20 League One encounters.
Amazingly, that means the veteran centre-forward has already matched his 2022/23 output for Wednesday from 18 fewer clashes, whilst also managing to better both Smith and Bannan’s 2024/25 numbers when lining up with confidence at Field Mill.
He was the division’s leading goalscorer during the fledgling stages of the season, with the “outstanding” 36-year-old – as he was once heralded by Rohl for his attitude behind the scenes – continuing to show there’s life in his legs still after walking away from Hillsborough on a free transfer.
It’s unlikely that Wednesday hold many lingering regrets over the way Gregory departed the club though, considering the ageing striker was in dire need of game-time.
Sheffield Wednesday striker Lee Gregory.
The German will just pray there’s enough in his team’s tank to challenge for the playoffs for the rest of the campaign, whilst Gregory aims to keep putting in some top goalscoring displays in the division below.
Championship Table: Latest standings for the 2024/25 season
Latest English Football League Championship standings 2024/25.