Manchester United are, reportedly, ready to part ways with forward Joshua Zirkzee after an inconsistent stint at Old Trafford.

Impressing across a two-year stint with Bologna in Serie A, helping them qualify for last season’s Champions League, Zirkzee signed for Man United in the 2024 summer transfer window. Getting off to a brilliant start by scoring on his debut against Fulham, Zirkzee has since endured a tough time in the Premier League.

Having become well-known for the brilliance, both on the ball and in his playmaking, he had at Bologna, Zirkzee has struggled to showcase his best form in England.

In his maiden season with the Red Devils, Zirkzee netted just three league goals in 32 appearances. Towards the end of the season, manager Ruben Amorim started sometimes using the 24-year-old as an attacking midfielder in his preferred 3-4-2-1 formation.

Across the 2025/26 campaign, however, Zirkzee has made just four league appearances after 10 matches. In those games, the Dutchman has played less than 90 minutes collectively, something that has sparked rumours about his future at the club.

Zirkzee set to leave Man United

According to James Marshment of TEAMtalk, interest from elsewhere in Zirkzee is “growing” ahead of the January transfer window. Supposedly, as many as nine teams both in the Premier League and around Europe are considering a move for the Dutchman.

Appearances

54

Goals

7

Assists

3

Yellow Cards

4

Zirkzee’s struggles in front of goal may have hampered his chances in the Man United first team anyway, but over the summer the club signed Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko and Bryan Mbeumo in what was a complete revamp of their attack, pushing Zirkzee further down the pecking order.

The aforementioned trio are now finding form in Manchester. Amorim’s side are on a four-game unbeaten streak in the top flight, having beaten Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton and Hove Albion before drawing with Nottingham Forest.

Although Man United would be willing to let Zirkzee leave, it would appear that the Red Devils are not yet ready to take a huge loss like they are with Jadon Sancho. Instead, the club would reportedly prefer to let him leave on loan “with or without an option to buy”, or for a minimum of £35m.

The hope, presumably, is that Zirkzee, who has been called an “absolute imposter” in the past, could find form somewhere else, with that perhaps leading the team who sign him on loan to permanently acquire him for a larger fee. Where Zirkzee ultimately ends up remains to be seen, but it is hard to see a clear path forward for the Dutchman at Old Trafford.

"Monster" is becoming Man United's own Gabriel

Celtic have been meticulously assessing options to succeed Martin O’Neill in the dugout and may now have identified a new figure that could become a serious contender to take the Scottish Premiership champions forward.

At 73 years of age, O’Neill deserves plenty of plaudits for taking a step out of his comfortable stable of punditry work for another spell in charge of his old side, even if he may only be around for a brief period of time.

The victories over Falkirk and Rangers brought back some much-needed morale to the Celtic dressing room. However, the Bhoys’ defeat to FC Midtjylland in midweek prompted the former Republic of Ireland boss to make his stance clear on a longer stay in Glasgow.

He told TNT Sports: “I will be here as long as the football board wants me, it’s as simple as that. That could be at the end of the week, it could be after the Kilmarnock game. I just don’t know.”

Later, he added after being asked if he was in constant discussions with the hierarchy, fuelling speculation that he may not be in charge beyond the international break: “No I’m not and I don’t really want to be. I just want to be told when my time is up.”

Kjetil Knutsen continues to be in the Celtic running as his Bodo/Glimt contract comes to an end. Meanwhile, Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna is a Parkhead candidate due to his sterling work at Portman Road.

With speculation bound to continue over the coming days, a new name has entered the picture as a potential successor to interim coach O’Neill.

Celtic place Brian Barry-Murphy on manager shortlist

According to Alan Nixon on his Patreon, Celtic have shortlisted Cardiff City manager Brian Barry-Murphy as a managerial candidate to take over permanently at Parkhead.

Middlesbrough are also on the hunt for a new head coach as Rob Edwards completes a controversial move to Wolverhampton Wanderers, though the Scottish champions appear ready to throw a spanner in the works amid their links to the City Football Group.

Brian Barry-Murphy at Cardiff City – 2025/26

Wins

13

Draws

2

Losses

6

62% win ratio from 21 matches this season.

Previously, he was head coach at Rochdale before a spell in charge of Manchester City’s elite development squad, and he has also further coaching experience in a technical role at Leicester City.

Celtic could land an alternative manager with a secret release clause

Cardiff City find themselves fourth on 26 points and could go top of the table should they win their game in hand. Predominantly adopting a 4-2-3-1, the Bluebirds have been an attacking force this campaign, scoring the joint-third most goals in League One.

Nevertheless, managing Celtic is a whole different kettle of fish due to the pressures associated with the role. It remains to be seen who will be trusted to lead their bid to retain the Scottish Premiership title.

Former Liverpool winger Jordan Ibe has signed with Bulgarian side Lokomotiv Sofia. The 29-year-old will represent the club until 2027. The sensational switch comes just two weeks after Ibe put pen to paper at Kent-based side Sittingbourne. Once considered a future star of English football, the nomadic midfielder has bounced around non-league football in recent years.

• Ibe looks to revive career in Bulgaria

  The 'Railway Workers' announced the deal on their Facebook account earlier today. 

  Ibe had signed with Sittingbourne, currently playing in eighth tier of the English football pyramid, on October 31. He said he hoped the deal would help him "rediscover his love of football", after a switch to the Swedish second division with Umea fell through in the summer due to work permit issues. The ex-Bournemouth star has been open about his struggles with depression in the past few years. 

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• Jordan Ibe: Future Liverpool star to football nomad

  Ibe's move to Bulgaria is adds another chapter to a nomadic career that started with immense promise. He first caught the attention of the football public as an academy star with Wycombe Wanderers. In 2011, he joined Liverpool's youth setup and was widely tipped to be a future regular in the England team. During his tenure at Anfield, he made 58 appearances, scoring four goals and logging seven assists. 

  A £15m transfer to Bournemouth in 2016 was supposed to accelerate his development, however an inconsistent four-year spell on the south coast ended in his release in 2020. Ibe made 92 appearances for the Cherries in all competitions. 

  A year on the books at Derby County resulted in just one league appearance, as Ibe revealed he was suffering from depression. The club and player agreed to terminate his contract by mutual consent. 

  After a few months in Turkiye with Adanaspor, Ibe would spend the next few years bouncing around non-league outfits, making appearances for Ebbsfleet United, Hayes & Yeading United, Hungerford Town and Sittingbourne. 

• Lokomotiv Sofia's statement on Ibe's arrival

  Lokomotiv Sofia currently sit in 11th place in Bulgaria's First League. Originally founded in 1929, the club was wound up in 2015 due to insolvency, with a phoenix club founded in the resulting year. The original club won four league titles and four Bulgarian cups, and is historically considered one of the country's biggest clubs. 

  A club statement announcing Ibe's arrival read: "After a few difficult seasons, Jordan is ready to revive his career, and we all believe that this will happen at Lokomotiv.

  "The management of Lokomotiv wishes Jordon Ibe much health, happiness and success with the red and black jersey."

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• Lokomotiv Sofia
  

  When will Ibe make his Lokomotiv Sofia debut?

  Due to a lengthy winter break, Lokomotiv have already played half of their 30 league fixtures this season. The club has just four league games left this year, before play pauses until the first week in February, giving Ibe little time to get games under his belt if he's not deemed fit enough to start immediately. The Railway Workers' season continues with an away trip to Cherno More on November 22, with a home game against Arfa on November 28. 

Sonny Baker, the Hampshire fast bowler, will make his international debut in the first match of England’s ODI series with South Africa at Headingley on Tuesday.Baker, 22, has only played 11 List A games but caught the eye during the Hundred, where he took nine wickets in seven appearances for Manchester Originals. Capable of pushing the speed gun up to 90mph/145kph, he impressed with the Lions over the winter and was handed an England development contract earlier this year.He will be joined in England’s pace attack by Jofra Archer, playing his first ODI since the Champions Trophy, and Brydon Carse. Harry Brook captains the XI in his second series since taking charge, while Jamie Smith and Ben Duckett will continue to bed in their opening partnership.Related

• Overton's shock decision sounds alarm bells for England schedule

• Barely a pause as Hundred gives way to England-South Africa ODIs

• Sonny Baker awarded England Men's development contract

• Sonny Baker wins first England call-up, Jacob Bethell to captain in Ireland

• Baker, Tongue and Buttler seal victory for Originals

Brook said that England were “excited to see where he goes” after Baker’s performances in the Hundred, noting in particular his duels with Kane Williamson, David Warner, Steven Smith and Jonny Bairstow while playing for Originals.”He’s been awesome in the Hundred,” Brook said. “We’ve seen him bowl at some of the best batters in the world and he had them on toast, so it’s been really good to see. He bowls at high pace and he can swing it both ways with exceptional death skills as well. To have him in the team and for him to be opening up tomorrow is awesome. I think there’s quite a lot of people excited to see where he goes.”There have been a few moments. The spells he bowled to Williamson and Warner and then Smith and Bairstow, all four are world-class batters in the shorter format and he was all over them. He bowled with high pace and high skill. He was awesome to watch this year and everyone was talking about him.”On the day that Jamie Overton shelved first-class cricket, Brook agreed that Baker could potentially force himself into the equation for the Ashes: “I don’t select the red-ball side, but yeah, he’s obviously done really well this summer and we’ll see how he goes tomorrow. He’s bowling at high pace with a lot of skill, and it looks like he has quite a lot about him as well.”England XI for 1st ODI: 1 Jamie Smith, 2 Ben Duckett, 3 Joe Root, 4 Harry Brook (capt), 5 Jos Buttler (wk), 6 Jacob Bethell, 7 Will Jacks, 8 Brydon Carse, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Sonny Baker

More young seamers join county cricket’s transfer merry-go-round

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Aug-2025 • Updated on 12-Aug-2025

Mitch Killeen took a five-for on County Championship debut•Getty Images

Mitchell Killeen, the Durham allrounder, has agreed to join Essex on a two-year deal from the end of the current season.Killeen made his Durham debut in a One-Day Cup match in 2022 and has made nine List A and three first-class appearances – which included taking 5 for 36 on his County Championship debut earlier this year. He has also featured for England Under-19s and the Professional County Club XI.The 20-year-old, son of former Durham seamer, now England bowling consultant, Neil Killeen, was Durham’s 2nd XI player of the season in 2024, scoring more than 400 runs to go with 18 wickets.”I am really excited to be joining Essex for the 2026 season,” Mitchell Killeen said. “Essex have an excellent squad of cricketers and have obviously enjoyed some great success in recent years. Once Chris Silverwood got in touch, I knew that I wanted to be involved with what he is trying to build at Chelmsford.”I feel my cricket is developing and I will be doing my best to push hard for regular first team cricket. I know a few of the younger players from my time with England Under-19s and I can’t wait to meet the rest of the squad ahead of next season.”Killeen’s signing follows that of Zaman Akhter from Gloucestershire as Essex look to reshape their attack for next season.Kasey Aldridge is joining Durham•Getty Images

Durham have offset Killeen’s departure with the signings of Kasey Aldridge and Archie Bailey, from Somerset and Gloucestershire respectively.Aldridge, 24, is a tall fast bowler who played for England at the Under-19 World Cup in early 2020 and has also represented England Lions. He went on loan to Durham for eight matches in the Blast this year, taking his first T20 five-for against Nottinghamshire, and has taken 12 wickets in five County Championship appearances for Somerset this summer.”We’re delighted that Kasey has chosen to join Durham, and we have been able to secure the signing of a highly talented bowling allround,” Marcus North, the club’s director of cricket, said. “At only 24, Kasey has already established great foundations in all formats of his game, and we look forward to nurturing this very exciting talent in his next stage of his career at Durham.”Somerset confirmed Aldridge’s impending departure earlier this month, with Ben Green and Josh Davey also set to leave the club. “All three players were offered contract extensions,” Andy Hurry, their director of cricket said. “However, they have taken the decision to seek enhanced playing opportunities elsewhere and we must respect that decision.”Bailey, meanwhile, is a 20-year-old seamer who has come through Gloucestershire’s pathway. Like Aldridge, he has signed a three-year deal, and will join Durham on loan for the remainder of the Metro Bank One-Day Cup. “While it’s never easy to say goodbye, I’m excited about what lies ahead and will always look back on my time at Gloucestershire with pride and gratitude,” Bailey said.

Lauren Filer’s 3 for 8 backed up by two wickets each for Kathryn Bryce, Mahika Gaur and Sophie Ecclestone

ECB Media13-Aug-2025An astonishing bowling performance from a high-class Manchester Originals attack saw them stroll to a facile seven-wicket win with 19 balls to spare to further their chances of progression as the Hundred women’s competition hots up.With her side having elected to bowl first, England starlet Mahika Gaur backed up her spell against London Spirit, bowling 20 of the first 25 balls to leave Welsh Fire in disarray at 12 for 2. She saw the back of England team-mates Sophia Dunkley and Tammy Beaumont in a spell where she made the ball talk and finished with 2 for 10.Incredibly, Gaur’s figures were not the best on display. Sophie Ecclestone was typically excellent, dismissing the dangerous Hayley Matthews and Georgia Elwiss while conceding just 11 runs from her allocation while the most economical figures of the afternoon went to Lauren Filer, who dismissed Sarah Bryce and Emily Windsor in successive balls to snuff out any chance of Welsh Fire posting a defendable target. She added the wicket of Jess Jonassen in the same set of five to return the remarkable figure of 3 for 8 in her 20 balls.Kathryn Bryce took two wickets in the final set to finish with 2 for 10 as Fire ended with a hugely underwhelming 73 for 9.When Originals batted, it was all about the win, Kathryn Bryce and Seren Smale taking their time to ensure there were no hiccups after the early dismissals of overseas stars Beth Mooney and Melie Kerr. Katherine Bryce was stumped late on by sister Sarah for a studied 45 off 41 with five boundaries but it was too little too late as the Originals made it two from four.Meerkat Match Hero Gaur said: “It feels really good. It was a great effort by the bowlers. The conditions were good and it was swinging early so I’m really happy with that. The last game was so close; it just shows that when we play at our best, we can beat any team in this competition.”

The Boston Red Sox are making a surprising push to sign Juan Soto.

According to a report from New York Post MLB insiders Jon Heyman and Mark W. Sanchez, the Red Sox have stepped up their efforts to convince Soto to wind up in Boston. The franchise has stressed the four-time All-Star's fit with the franchise and its history with star players from the Dominican Republic, with David Ortiz, Pedro Martinez, and Rafael Devers among them.

The greatest hitters in Red Sox history have also tended to be left-handed, which would make Soto a fit at Fenway Park. Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski and David Ortiz all put up big numbers during their careers in Boston.

The Rex Sox are a surprising contender for Soto, the top free agent on the market, given their recent history of allowing star players to leave as a cost-cutting measure.

"Such an expenditure from the Red Sox would be stunning for a franchise that traded away Mookie Betts rather than signing him long term; that has cut payroll significantly beginning in 2020 and spent around $120 million less last season than the Yankees; and, relatedly, that has reached the postseason in one of the past six seasons, a span that has included three last-place finishes in the AL East," Heyman and Sanchez wrote.

"Perhaps the Red Sox and controlling owner John Henry have decided to awaken at a busy moment."

Stealing Soto away from the New York Yankees would also have to be seen as a coup for the Red Sox.

Boston faces stiff competition in the race for Soto's signature, as the Yankees, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays, and Los Angeles Dodgers are also in pursuit.

Soto is expected to land a deal that could surpass $600 million.

Gloucestershire 158 for 5 (van Buuren 28*, J Taylor 24*) trail Northamptonshire 206 (Zaib 76, McManus 44, van Buuren 3-23, M Taylor 3-48) by 48 runsGloucestershire and Northamptonshire were again frustrated by the elements in their efforts to accrue bonus points on day three of the Rothesay County Championship Second Division match at the Seat Unique Stadium, Bristol.Resuming on 65 for 3 in reply to Northamptonshire’s first-innings 206, Gloucestershire advanced their score to 158 for 5 for the loss of Ollie Price and James Bracey in the 25 overs that were possible before rain set in just before the lunch interval.Although umpires James Tredwell and Paul Baldwin ordered a mopping up operation to begin at 1.45pm, the Bristol ground-staff had to abandon their efforts when further wet weather arrived. Tea was taken at 2.55pm, after which a further inspection, staged at 4.15pm, led to play to being abandoned for the day with the loss of 79 overs.There was time enough for Graeme van Buuren (28 not out) and Jack Taylor (24 not out) to post an unbroken sixth wicket stand of 51 in the morning and cut the deficit to 48 runs, but it will require a conversation between the captains if a contrived finish is to be rendered a possibility on the final day, when better conditions are forecast.Batting remained a precarious business beneath grey skies and in the face of a moving ball on a pitch that retained the capacity to surprise following overnight rain, and the wily Ben Sanderson and seam sidekick Justin Broad strained every sinew in an attempt to exploit conditions when Gloucestershire resumed their first innings 141 behind. Their powers of concentration tested to the full, Price and Bracey erected a defensive barricade to stifle East Midlands ambition, applying themselves diligently to the task of survival as the floodlights pierced the gloom.There were still sufficient moments of attacking flare to keep the scoreboard operator gainfully employed and the fourth wicket partnership realised 50 via 94 balls, Price driving fluently when Sanderson over-pitched and Bracey pulling and cutting with murderous intent on the occasions Ben Whitehouse proved wayward. Hampered by the injury-enforced absence of skipper Luke Procter, Northants were heavily dependent upon pace spearhead Sanderson, and the batsmen were no doubt relieved to see the back of him.But there was no guarantee of security and, when Whitehouse extracted additional movement off the pitch, Price saw his middle stump uprooted, his defiant innings terminated for 37 from 93 balls. The partnership was worth 64 and Gloucestershire were 104 for 4, still 102 in arrears. When Whitehouse induced Bracey to pursue a ball outside off stump and edge to wicketkeeper Lewis McManus for 36 in his next over, he advanced his wicket tally in first-class cricket to three. The home side were 107-5, with two new batters at the crease, and under pressure.Some of that pressure was eased by the introduction of leg spin, Calvin Harrison going for 14 in a wayward first over from the Ashley Down Road end that served to give van Buuren and Jack Taylor a start. These two needed no second invitation, working Harrison and teenage off spinner Nirvan Ramesh while the seamers were rested, raising a revitalising 50 partnership from 73 balls before rain forced the players off. Lunch was taken at 12.30, but there was no improvement in the weather thereafter.

The 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA is creeping up on us, and with England already booking their spot in North America, the talk now is who will be on that plane.

Thomas Tuchel will need to select a 26-player squad as he looks to end the Three Lions’ 60-year wait for a World Cup triumph.

Some are guaranteed to be in the squad, but there are others who still need to impress. Here’s a look at who is best placed to be included.

Rank	England 2026 World Cup Power Rankings	Position	Club
1	Harry Kane	Forward	Bayern Munich
2	Declan Rice	Midfielder	Arsenal
3	Jordan Pickford	Goalkeeper	Everton
4	Marc Guehi	Defender	Crystal Palace
5	Bukayo Saka	Forward	Arsenal
6	Jude Bellingham	Midfielder	Real Madrid
7	Elliot Anderson	Midfielder	Nottingham Forest
8	Reece James	Defender	Chelsea
9	Anthony Gordon	Forward	Newcastle
10	Phil Foden	Midfielder	Man City
11	Djed Spence	Defender	Tottenham
12	John Stones	Defender	Man City
13	Morgan Rogers	Midfielder	Aston Villa
20	Cole Palmer	Midfielder	Chelsea
15	Adam Wharton	Midfielder	Crystal Palace
16	Trent Alexander-Arnold	Defender	Real Madrid
17	Dean Henderson	Goalkeeper	Crystal Palace
18	Marcus Rashford	Forward	Barcelona
19	Ezri Konsa	Defender	Aston Villa
20	Dan Burn	Defender	Newcastle
21	Eberechi Eze	Midfielder	Arsenal
22	Jordan Henderson	Midfielder	Brentford
23	Jarrod Bowen	Forward	West Ham
24	Morgan Gibbs-White	Midfielder	Nottingham Forest
25	Nico O’Reilly	Defender	Man City
26	Conor Gallagher	Midfielder	Atletico Madrid

1

Goalkeepers

Rank	England Goalkeeper Rankings	Club
1	Jordan Pickford	Everton
2	Dean Henderson	Crystal Palace
3	James Trafford	Man City
4	Nick Pope	Newcastle
5	Aaron Ramsdale	Newcastle

Jordan Pickford has been England’s number one since 2018 and the Everton star looks set to remain first choice heading into 2026, providing he stays fit.

With two more spots open for ‘keepers, there looks set to be a battle between Dean Henderson, James Trafford, Nick Pope and Aaron Ramsdale.

Of the four, Henderson and Pope are getting regular minutes for Crystal Palace and Newcastle, whereas Trafford and Ramsdale are finding minutes hard to come by. Tuchel has been picking Trafford, though, so Pope could miss out.

2

Full-backs

Rank	England Full-Back Rankings	Club
1	Reece James	Chelsea
2	Djed Spence	Tottenham
3	Trent Alexander-Arnold	Real Madrid
4	Nico O’Reilly	Man City
5	Tino Livramento	Newcastle
6	Myles Lewis-Skelly	Arsenal
7	Kieran Trippier	Newcastle

Top of the full-back charts are Chelsea’s Reece James and Tottenham’s Djed Spence, who have been regulars in Tuchel’s squads recently, with the former working under the England boss at Stamford Bridge.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was left out by Tuchel earlier this year following his move to Real Madrid, but his technical ability will surely see him selected even if it isn’t as a starter.

Elsewhere, Tuchel has warned Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly he needs more minutes at club level to be considered for selection. Nico O’Reilly is in a good position after starring under Pep Guardiola at Man City, whereas Tino Livramento is set to return to regular action with Newcastle soon.

3

Centre-backs

Rank	England Centre-Back Rankings	Club
1	Marc Guehi	Crystal Palace
2	John Stones	Man City
3	Dan Burn	Newcastle
4	Ezri Konsa	Aston Villa
5	Jarell Quansah	Bayer Leverkusen
6	Trevoh Chalobah	Chelsea
7	Jarrad Branthwaite	Everton
8	Levi Colwill	Chelsea
9	Harry Maguire	Man Utd

With Tuchel potentially going with a back four, Marc Guehi is on course to take one of two starting centre-back spots if he continues to star for Crystal Palace.

John Stones, Dan Burn, Ezri Konsa, Jarell Quansah and Trevoh Chalobah have all been in Tuchel’s squads and could battle it out to partner Guehi.

Meanwhile, Jarrad Branthwaite and Levi Colwill could make a late push if they can get enough minutes under their belt when they return from injury in 2026.

There may not be a place for Harry Maguire, though, who appears to have fallen out of favour at international level.

4

Central midfielders

Rank	England Central-Midfielder Rankings	Club
1	Declan Rice	Arsenal
2	Elliot Anderson	Nottingham Forest
3	Adam Wharton	Crystal Palace
4	Jordan Henderson	Brentford
5	Alex Scott	Bournemouth
6	Ruben Loftus-Cheek	AC Milan
7	Conor Gallagher	Atletico Madrid
8	Curtis Jones	Liverpool

Right now, Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson look set to be the two starting central midfielders in Tuchel’s England side, allowing the Three Lions’ attacking stars freedom to shine.

Adam Wharton appears to be next in line to come in for either Rice or Anderson, whereas Jordan Henderson has also made a few of Tuchel’s squads.

Alex Scott of Bournemouth was also handed a maiden call-up and AC Milan’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek has been in Tuchel’s squads in 2025.

5

Attacking midfielders

Rank	England Attacking-Midfielder Rankings	Club
1	Jude Bellingham	Real Madrid
2	Phil Foden	Man City
3	Morgan Rogers	Aston Villa
4	Cole Palmer	Chelsea
5	Eberechi Eze	Arsenal
6	Morgan Gibbs-White	Nottingham Forest

Further forward in an attacking midfield role, Tuchel will surely select Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden.

Real Madrid star Bellingham appears to be getting back to his best, whereas Tuchel sees Foden as a central player over a winger.

Cole Palmer has been injured at Chelsea and may have some work to do in 2026 to make the 26-player squad ahead of Morgan Rogers, Eberechi Eze or Morgan Gibbs-White.

6

Forwards

Rank	England Forwards Power Rankings	Club
1	Harry Kane	Bayern Munich
2	Bukayo Saka	Arsenal
3	Anthony Gordon	Newcastle
4	Marcus Rashford	Barcelona
5	Jarrod Bowen	West Ham
6	Noni Madueke	Arsenal
7	Jack Grealish	Everton
8	Ollie Watkins	Aston Villa
9	Danny Welbeck	Brighton

Captain Harry Kane will lead the line for England in North America, providing he stays fit, after starring once again for Bayern Munich, and Tuchel could select a number of versatile forwards instead of another striker to back up the Bayern Munich star.

The likes of Marcus Rashford and Jarrod Bowen can play out wide or through the middle, whereas Bukayo Saka and Anthony Gordon are currently first-choice wingers.

Players with work to do to make the squad include Ollie Watkins and maybe even Jack Grealish, despite his positive start at Everton. A surprise name to keep an eye on could be Brighton’s Danny Welbeck following his fine form in the Premier League.

Sunderland couldn’t keep the Premier League wins rolling, as a superb solo strike from Iliman Ndiaye clinched Everton an away point on Monday night.

The Black Cats are now up to an incredible fourth position in the early league standings, though, even if they didn’t make it three wins from their last three games in the challenging division.

On another night, however, Regis Le Bris’ surprise package could well have leapt up the table even further to a jaw-dropping second spot by claiming a win.

Unfortunately for the hosts, however, the relentless Wilson Isidor failed to add to his Premier League goal tally, despite registering three efforts on goal.

Thankfully, the ever-reliable Granit Xhaka stepped up as Sunderland’s new leader once more with his first strike since joining the club, as the Swiss enforcer stood out again as a calm, yet fierce figurehead.

Xhaka's best night for Sunderland yet

A fortuitous deflection guided Xhaka’s early second-half effort past Jordan Pickford, but the ex-Arsenal midfielder wouldn’t care one bit as he wheeled away in celebration.

Xhaka’s last strike in the division came all the way back in May 2023, and while the number 34 has returned to England as a more seasoned 33-year-old, he continues to perform like a “fine wine” for Le Bris’ men, as Sky Sports’ Don Goodman put it.

Indeed, away from hammering home that crucial equaliser, Xhaka also managed to roll up his sleeves and win 100% of his tackles, as well as winning six duels.

Moreover, with a huge five key passes next to his name at the full-time whistle, Xhaka will feel disappointed that his lively performance from the middle of the park didn’t spur his high-flying team to another excellent victory.

However, at the end of the day, Everton are no pushovers with the aforementioned Ndiaye running rings around Sunderland early on.

Still, despite Ndiaye impressing, Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher labelled Xhaka as being “head and shoulders” above everyone else on the pitch, in his glowing post-match rundown.

Yet, there was one under-the-radar star who was as impressive as Xhaka was for Le Bris’ men by putting in another rock-solid display on Wearside.

Sunderland star was as impressive as Xhaka vs Everton

Le Bris named six new summer recruits in his starting XI for the test of David Moyes’ side on Monday night, as the fresh blood that walked through the door in the hectic transfer window continues to largely impress.

Letshurel Geertruida is certainly in this bracket, as the season-long loanee from RB Leipzig lived up to his prior “monumental” billing by scout Antonio Mango yet again, by putting in another dominant defensive display in the Premier League up against the Toffees.

Minutes played

90

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Touches

85

Accurate passes

71/74 (96%)

Possession lost

4x

Successful dribbles

1/1

Tackles won

2/2

Interceptions

1

Clearances

3

Blocked shots

1

Recoveries

7

Total duels won

3/5

Looking at the table above, the Dutchman did all of his basics perfectly without any errors creeping in, with 100% of his tackles being won, on top of the 25-year-old also displaying plenty of energy in winning seven ball recoveries.

But, in a similar fashion to Xhaka, Geertruida also showed himself to be an assured operator with the ball at his feet, with only three of his 74 passes going astray, culminating in him walking off at the end with an unerring 96% pass accuracy.

Xhaka, despite putting in a man-of-the-match calibre showing himself, came up short with a slightly lesser 88% pass accuracy on his end, with Geertruida also matching his standout teammate in terms of tackles and duels won.

Often this season, the likes of Robin Roefs and Nordi Mukiele have stolen the limelight for their commanding showings at the back. But, against Everton, Geertruida would rightfully receive his flowers, as Roker Report journalist Andy Tomlinson dished out a high 8/10 post-match rating to the near flawless number six.

Sunderland just continue to take the Premier League by storm under Le Bris, with both Geertruida and Xhaka sticking out as key parts of the very successful Wearside jigsaw against Moyes and Co on Monday night.

Bigger talent than Isidor: Sunderland plot move for £50k-p/w “nightmare”

Sunderland could be set to win themselves a brand-new attacker in January, who is a bigger talent than Wilson Isidor.

ByKelan Sarson Oct 29, 2025