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West Ham have found themselves limping through this Premier League campaign, now sitting 17th in the table having only scored 37 goals and conceded 55 times.

Graham Potter, coming in halfway through the season, has struggled to get all of his ideas across, focusing more on defensive stability to gain some results and ensure the club’s safety, which could be confirmed this weekend.

Last season, with David Moyes in charge, the Hammers scored 60 goals, conceding 74 times. Therefore, despite West Ham’s poor start under Julen Lopetegui, Potter is likely to guide his side to a better defensive year.

So the focus next season will be back on the attack, looking to bridge the gap and get back towards that 60-goal mark, especially with talent such as Jarrod Bowen and Mohamed Kudus in attack.

Sadly, Kudus might not be at the London Stadium for too much longer.

The latest on Kudus' future at West Ham

According to reports from The Guardian, Kudus could be set to leave the club in the summer, with West Ham accepting a sale of their Ghanaian forward could be the best way to ‘boost their transfer budget’.

One interested club is Saudi Pro League side, Al-Nassr, where the 24-year-old could team up with Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Saudi club are reportedly preparing to “up the ante” in their attempts to lure Kudus away from London, with an offer of around £85m expected. West Ham signed Kudus for around £38m back in 2023 from Ajax, and a big sale just two years on could be good for their books.

Kudus has made 75 appearances for the Hammers so far, scoring 17 goals, providing 12 assists and totaling 5,883 minutes played.

Whilst the 24-year-old has struggled to find the same form this season as his debut campaign, it won’t be easy for the club to replace him, already forming a strong connection with Bowen at the top of the pitch.

How West Ham could replace Kudus internally

Luckily for West Ham, they already signed a young superstar winger back in the summer, with Luis Guilherme joining the Hammers from Palmeiras for a fee of around £25.5m.

Since his arrival, the 19-year-old has only made 12 appearances for the club, struggling for first-team opportunities in his first season in England.

When Guilherme was signed in the summer, Jack Elderton and Callum Goodall from Analytics United provided analysis on the Brazilian winger, labeling him “an impressively potent offensive asset”. This talent is something that has not dissipated, but is perhaps being protected whilst he acclimatises to the Premier League and the conditions of English football.

Goals

0.00

0.11

Assists

0.00

0.11

xG

0.20

0.25

xAG

0.07

0.09

Progressive Carries

2.00

3.49

Progressive Passes

2.00

2.85

Shots Total

1.88

2.60

Key Passes

2.00

1.08

Shot-Creating Actions

6.67

3.78

Successful Take-Ons

3.33

3.09

When comparing Guilherme’s underlying numbers with Kudus’ underlying numbers, it is important to include the context of the Brazilian’s minutes, only managing 133 minutes this season, which contributes largely to his per 90 metrics.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, you can begin to analyse the styles of each player, both being direct with the ball at their feet, looking to make things happen in the attacking third and create for themselves and their teammates.

Guilherme, in his minimal chances, has shown his creativity, producing shot-creating actions and key passes at a good rate.

Kudus may have a higher athletic ceiling than the Brazilian, being a nightmare to stop once he hits top speed and hurting teams in transition, but Guilherme is no slouch, described as an “electric” player with an “explosive first step” by analyst Ben Mattinson.

Giving the young Brazilian a proper chance next season to fill Kudus’ shoes could be a much cheaper alternative, allowing them to spend those funds acquired wisely in other positions such as midfield.

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ByConnor Holden Apr 17, 2025

Shrug after being bowled by Jasprit Bumrah’s offcutter was of a man who felt he’d done everything right

Vithushan Ehantharajah25-Jan-2024As part of England’s preparations during their pre-tour training camp, ground staff at Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Zayed training complex were given creative instructions.The grass on the pitches was to be shaved as close as Ben Stokes’ fade, raked, then covered in sawdust. The aim was to recreate the most extreme surfaces they might encounter in India – then go even further.The results? Well, as intended. Batters were challenged to the nth degree, wearing deliveries on the shins or helmets. Personal wins were small, humiliation in abundance. Complaints, however, were zero.Related

Yashasvi Jaiswal and spinners make it India's day

England surprised by attacking intent of India openers – Duckett

How disciplined India attacked England's defence

Therein lay the true aim of this exercise from a batting point of view. Shake off the errors, snap out of the pearl-clutching previous English sides have taken to India when surfaces turn square and embrace the doubt. And if you get a good one, move on. Ultimately – commit to the bit that has served this group so well.Naturally, it was Stokes, the captain, who encompassed this. His shrug after being bowled by a Jasprit Bumrah offcutter was of a man who felt he had done everything right. Which, in this instance, was to give himself room on the leg side, expose his stumps and shape to hammer through the off side.Stokes was the last wicket to fall, walking off having struck 70 off 88 in England’s total of 246 after calling correctly at the toss. This was the team’s highest score in seven innings away to India since their 578 in the first Test of the last tour in 2021. The run rate of 3.81 per over just a 1.01 dip from their usual Bazball rate, which can be put down to how much tougher it is to rotate the strike against a peerless spin trio.”I think we were over the par, to be honest,” said Ben Duckett, who struck a breezy 35 in an opening stand of 55 with Zak Crawley. “I think it was a tricky day-one pitch. Consistent spin from earlier. Stokesy’s knock there, to get us to where we were, was fantastic. Come day three, day four – that could be a match-winning knock if that pitch gets harder to bat on.”It certainly could be match-winning. By the end of day one of this first Test, it had decidedly face-saving qualities, too, given India are only 127 behind with nine first-innings wickets to spare.Ben Stokes scatters the field with a sweep•Getty ImagesStokes arrived at 121 for 4, as England were in the midst of a spin cycle threatening to shrink their ambitions. Once Rohit Sharma abandoned seam from the eighth over, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel combined to take six for 83 from the next 38 overs.Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root pushed back in a partnership of 61 before both fell either side of Stokes’s entrance. And while the dismissals within the top six at that point were far from reckless – Crawley not committing enough after coming down the track; Root top-edging to short fine leg playing the sweep shot that has served him very well; Ollie Pope simply out of touch – England were in trouble.It was the shirt-and-tie Stokes who arrived on the scene first – presentable for 17 off 52 deliveries before contorting his hands to reverse Jadeja through cover for his boundary. He repeated that shot twice more, without the grimaces that used to accompany it before his knee surgery in November.That third and final one came as the exclamation point in a 14-run over against Jadeja. The next time their paths crossed after tea, Stokes heaved back-to-back sixes down the ground to take 13, which led to Jadeja being taken out of the attack.If Stokes’ patience at the start was to cover for the mistakes of his teammates, the aggression was a reinforcement of the message to retain their aggression, even if it was a necessity given the dwindling partners to come. It probably went some way to humanising the likes of Jadeja, who subsequently returned an economy rate of more than four for the first time in a home innings. Even Mark Wood felt bold enough to cart Ashwin through the covers twice.Alas, England’s efforts were put into harsher context as Yashasvi Jaiswal’s blitz took India to 119 for 1. At one point, it looked like India’s next superstar might get the deficit down to double digits.Tom Hartley bore the brunt of that assault. A first day in Test cricket started well enough when he struck England’s first six, off Ashwin no less. It derailed quickly once his first delivery was sent into the stands at midwicket by Jaiswal.An English spinner being tasked with opening the bowling is hard enough, let alone one more au fait with the white ball playing in just his 21st first-class match. And there were times – three overs, 0 for 34; six overs, 0 for 51 – when you feared you were witnessing the end of a career before it had even begun.Yashasvi Jaiswal came out of the gates firing•Getty ImagesOn the field, however, there was an inordinate sense of calm. Beyond fielders fetching the odd long-hop or over-pitched delivery from the boundary, there was no sign of alarm from Stokes. Hartley had even got into a rhythm of handing his cap over to the umpire for the start of the next over when others might not have bothered to take it off, believing they would surely be dragged out of the attack.That rhythm eventually transferred to his bowling, sending it down a little slower, in turn finding some necessary dip. His two best deliveries – one spinning sharply past Rohit’s outside edge, the other pinning Shubman Gill on the front pad – were both rewarded with DRS reviews by his captain, and subsequently lost. The first was nowhere near but was pretty enough to watch again. The second, showing a projected path taking the ball over the stumps, was a cruel irony – the first time this high release point England banked on when picking him was clear for all to see.By the time his nine-over stint was done, all of Mark Wood, Jack Leach and Rehan Ahmed had been cycled through at the Pavilion End. Even while “Simon Kerrigan” trended on Twitter – another Lancashire left-arm orthodox spinner, who endured a torrid debut against Australia in 2013 and never recovered – Stokes kept faith.”On another day, captains might take you off after two overs and then you’re hiding away for the rest of the game,” said Duckett on Hartley’s spell. “But that’s Stokesy. He keeps bowling him and he nearly gets Shubman out right at the end. I’m not sure how that’s going over the stumps but I thought he came back really well.”Stokes’ methodology with the bat, selection and persisting with Hartley, and his own efforts to fix the errors, necessary and pragmatic. Finding a way to post something worthwhile on a challenging first-day pitch, ensuring the rangy spinner you took a punt on gets through this living nightmare, and even those practice pitches in Abu Dhabi are all examples of the underlying point of the McCullum-Stokes era – making the most out of what you’ve got.And what England have at this juncture, with the surface likely to get even tougher to negotiate over days two and three, is one foot in an already compelling contest.

Having been widely derided for the squad they assembled at the auction, they now sit near the top of the IPL table

Hemant Brar22-Apr-2022In February, all the talk about Gujarat Titans revolved around how they had messed up at the mega auction. Their batting looked thin, the overall balance awry, and some of the players they picked had underwhelming IPL records. On top of that, they had an inexperienced captain who was coming off an injury. But as we approach the halfway stage of the season, Titans are at the top of the table with five wins from six games. Here are some of the factors that have played a part in their success.Strong bowling attack
Rashid Khan, Lockie Ferguson and Mohammed Shami make Titans’ bowling unit one of the strongest in IPL 2022. With the new ball, Titans have been incisive as well as frugal. Their powerplay strike rate of 15.4 is the best in the tournament and translates to 2.33 wickets on average in the first six overs. Their economy rate in this phase is 7.33, the second-best among the ten teams.Their seamers, especially Shami, have benefited from early-season grass on the pitches. “It’s important to use the new ball well,” he told . “And when you have got multiple options for the back end, it becomes almost imperative to look for wickets up front.”Titans have dominated the back end too. In the death overs (17-20), they are by far the most economical side, conceding only 8.41 per over. To put that in context, Delhi Capitals, the second-best side on that table, have managed an economy rate of 10.15, while Mumbai Indians, currently the most expensive side in that phase, have conceded 13.05 runs an over. On average, Titans have conceded 18.56 runs fewer than Mumbai per game in just those last four overs.Shubman Gill 2.0
In IPL 2021, Shubman Gill had a strike rate of 118.90. This despite Brendon McCullum, his coach at Kolkata Knight Riders, insisting on the need for aggression. This season, though, Gill seems has found that extra gear while still maintaining his silken touch. He has scored 200 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 151.51. Among openers with at least 100 runs this season, only Prithvi Shaw, Jos Buttler and David Warner have scored at a quicker rate.Gill started the tournament with a duck but in his next match he posted his highest T20 score: 84 off 46 balls. He bettered it against Punjab Kings, scoring 96 off 59. Titans won both those games.Multiple match-winners
Five different Titans players have won the Player-of-the-Match award in their five wins: Shami against Lucknow Super Giants, Ferguson against Capitals, Gill against Punjab Kings, Pandya against Rajasthan Royals, and David Miller against Chennai Super Kings.With multiple players stepping up, Titans have been able to make up for the poor form of Matthew Wade and Vijay Shankar. Wade has managed only 68 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 107.93 and Vijay 19 in four innings at 54.28. Against Super Kings, they won even when Pandya was unavailable and Gill fell for a first-ball duck.When all else fails, send in Rahul Tewatia•BCCIFinishing on the right side of close games
In T20, a single over can change the result of a game, and Titans have been on the right side of that equation on two occasions. In their game against Kings, Titans needed 13 from the last three balls. At that stage, ESPNcricinfo’s Forecaster gave them a 6.85% chance of winning. A needless throw by Odean Smith made it 12 required from two balls, and Rahul Tewatia smashed back-to-back sixes to take Titans over the line.Similarly, against Super Kings, Titans had only a 4.20% chance of winning at the end of the 17th over in the chase. Rashid then whipped Chris Jordan for three sixes and a four in a 25-run over to make Titans favourites, before Miller wrapped up the win off the penultimate ball of the match.”We could have probably lost four out of six [matches], and we won five out of six,” Miller said after the game. “The dice has definitely rolled onto our side.”Abhinav’s contributions
Abhinav Manohar, who is playing his first IPL, might not have won games on his own, but he has played important cameos in almost every other match. Against Super Giants, when Titans needed 11 from the final over, he hit Avesh Khan for two fours off the first two balls to all but seal the game. Against Royals, he struck 43 off 28 balls, taking on Yuzvendra Chahal in the process and adding 86 for the fourth wicket with Pandya to set the platform for a big finish. In five innings so far, he has batted everywhere from No. 4 to No. 7, lending the team flexibility to adapt to various situations.

The National League Division Series between the Cubs and Brewers has produced plenty of runs right off the bat, literally. The Cubs–Brewers have already made playoff history with the high-scoring first innings of their first two NLDS games.

In Game 1 on Saturday, Chicago opened up the scoring early with Michael Busch hitting a leadoff home run. Milwaukee quickly followed up by scoring six runs in the first inning before eventually winning 9-3.

In Game 2 on Monday, the Cubs scored three runs in the top of the first thanks to a Seiya Suzuki three-run homer. Then, the Brewers answered with three runs of their own in the bottom of the first with a three-run homer by Andrew Vaughn.

Monday's Game 2 marked the first postseason game in MLB history in which both teams hit a three-run homer (or grand slam) in the first inning, via Sarah Langs.

Over the course of the first two games, the two NL Central teams have combined for a total of 13 runs in the first innings alone. This total is the most runs scored in the first innings through two games of the NLDS in MLB history, per Langs. The previous record was held by the 1989 Chicago–Giants series and the 2000 Cardinals–Braves series that produced combined 11 runs each.

We'll see if Game 3 on Wednesday produces a lot of scoring in the first inning again to continue the trend.

José Butto suited up in his New York Mets uniform and headed to the bullpen to await his opportunity on Wednesday but before he got the chance, news came down that he had been traded to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for Tyler Rogers. Major League Baseball's trade deadline creates these types of situations from time to time where we're privy to the traded player's real-time reaction. And Butto's was emotional.

Butto could be seen processing the information and being comforted by Mets bullpen coach Jose Rosado.

He then took his leave from the bullpen after saying his goodbyes out there.

Upon entering the dugout Butto was embraced by the other Mets as they learned of the news.

Butto had spent his entire professional career with the Mets and broke through into the big leagues in 2022. This year he has appeared in 34 games with a 3-2 record and 3.64 ERA.

Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Luis Ortiz is under investigation by MLB, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. While MLB did not initially specify details of the investigation, sources told Ken Rosenthal and Zack Meisel of that the league's probe is related to gambling.

The Guardians confirmed the news of the investigation in a statement on Thursday, adding that Ortiz, 26, was placed on paid leave.

"The Guardians have been notified by Major League Baseball that Luis Ortiz has been placed on leave per an agreement with the Players' Association due to an ongoing league investigation," the team said in the statement. "The Guardians are not permitted to comment further at this time, and will respect the league's confidential investigative process."

Ortiz was slated to make his 17th start of the season against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Thursday. Joey Cantillo will start in place of Ortiz for the Guardians.

Ortiz has recorded a 4.36 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 88 2/3 innings pitched in 2025. Last year, Ortiz racked up 3.1 WAR and pitched to a career-best 3.32 ERA as a starter and swingman out of Cleveland's bullpen.

Quinton de Kock’s ODI retirement U-turn has South Africa captain Temba Bavuma excited, but he said that the wicketkeeper-batter might not get an “easy pass” into the XI, with the team loaded with in-form batters who have helped them win ODI series in Australia and England over the last few months.”I’m a little bit biased when it comes to Quinton. I grew up playing with Quinton from school cricket. So the fact that he is back, I’m as excited as a lot of fans out there,” Bavuma said on the sidelines of the CEAT Cricket Rating Awards in Mumbai on Tuesday. “I think there’s quite a lot of batters, young batters especially, who have put up their names. So he is obviously going to have to do what he needs to do from a run-scoring point of view.”I don’t think he is oblivious to that. It’s not the case that he is getting an easy pass into the team. But I think it’s a case of, from where he has been in the abyss, per se, watching into the team, he wants to be a part of what has been created within the team.”Related

• Bavuma out of Test series against Pakistan with calf strain

• De Kock reverses ODI retirement

• De Kock is back on his own with 'no strings attached'

Bavuma also revealed that de Kock had started hinting at wanting to reverse his ODI retirement as early as January. In de Kock’s absence, two left-hand wicketkeeper-batters – in Ryan Rickelton and Lhuan-dre Pretorius – have staked their claim for spots in South Africa’s XI. Tristan Stubbs and Dewald Brevis have also been impressive, in addition to the more seasoned batters like Bavuma himself and Aiden Markram.”I chatted to him earlier this year, in January, just before we were going to the Champions Trophy. And there he started kind of throwing out the fact that he would like to be available. Before he went and spoke to Shukri [Conrad, South Africa head coach], he spoke to me. He made it clear that that’s what he would like to do. And we will support him.”Quinton is one of the good guys within the system, a super-talented player. So if it’s the Quinton who batted in the 2023 50-over World Cup, I don’t think anyone would say no to that.”South Africa will begin their World Test Championship defence in Pakistan•ICC/Getty Images

At the 2023 World Cup, de Kock scored 594 runs from ten innings, at a strike rate of 107.02, and finished as the third-highest run-scorer, helping South Africa reach the semi-finals.Apart from South Africa’s lead-up to a home ODI World Cup in 2027, Bavuma will also have to oversee their defence of the World Test Championship title, beginning with a two-Test series in Pakistan starting October 12. Bavuma will not be part of that series as he is recovering from a calf strain but he sounded positive about South Africa’s chances.”Pakistan selected five spinners into their squad, so that really shows you what type of conditions the guys will be faced with there,” Bavuma said. “Guys are back home now, busy with their preparation. So we’ll leave no stone unturned. We’ve been to Pakistan before. The Champions Trophy – yes, those were good wickets. But we are familiar with the place.”After that will be India. There’s Sri Lanka as well. So there’s a lot more of the subcontinent tours that we’re going to have to overcome the challenge. And then something a little bit more familiar back home with Australia and England. But then again, those are strong teams.”South Africa faced criticism from some quarters about getting favourable fixtures in the previous cycle, but Bavuma was adamant that they didn’t want to shy away from playing the best teams.”I know in the previous cycle, there was criticism around our route into the final, supposedly playing the weaker nations,” Bavuma said. “That’s not the case now. I think for us as players, we look at it with a lot of optimism. Firstly, as a competitor, as an international player, you can test yourself against the best players. And obviously from a team point of view, we keep going and achieving what we want to achieve.”

Inter manager Christian Chivu refused to blame goalkeeper Yann Sommer following a disappointing derby defeat to AC Milan, instead praising his team's overall performance and spirit. The Romanian coach also strongly defended his decision to substitute captain Lautaro Martinez early in the second half of the 1-0 loss, insisting the call was tactical and within his rights as manager. Inter now sit fourth in Serie A after their fourth defeat of the season.

Chivu praises Inter spirit despite Milan defeat

Chivu's first Derby della Madonnina as Inter coach ended in a narrow defeat to city rivals AC Milan, courtesy of a Christian Pulisic goal in the 54th minute. Despite the disappointing result, Chivu expressed satisfaction with his team's effort and application. 

"The performance and focus were there, we didn't suffer any counterattacks," he said. "The only time we went for a long ball, Milan scored. But I'll take credit for the good performance from the lads who tried in every way. That's the spirit I want to see."

Inter dominated possession with 64% and managed 16 shots to Milan's eight, with five on target compared to Milan's three. They also won nine corners to Milan's one, highlighting their territorial advantage. However, wasteful finishing, including two shots hitting the woodwork and a missed penalty, ultimately cost them the points.

AdvertisementAFPChivu refuses to blame Sommer for Milan goal

Milan's goal came after Inter goalkeeper Sommer got low to stop a shot from Alexis Saelemaekers, knocking it into the path of Pulisic for an easy finish less than 10 minutes into the second half. Despite the spill, Chivu held off of criticising the shot stopper.

"I'm not talking about individuals, that's not fair. For me, my players are the best, and I could never point the finger at anyone because when you do that, it smells like failure," he said. "We're all in this situation: we could have unlocked it, done better, managed it, but the statistics are what they are. We just have the duty to get back up."

Why was Lautaro Martinez taken off?

A key talking point from the match was Chivu's decision to substitute captain Martinez in the 64th minute, just 10 minutes after Milan took the lead. The Argentine forward has been a pivotal player for Inter, and his early withdrawal drew questions.

Chivu, however, was defiant in his defence of the decision, emphasising it was a tactical choice and not due to injury or poor performance, saying: "Lautaro is fine, it was my decision. He's fine, I took him off for my own technical reasons: can't I change players? Even those on the bench deserve to contribute. It was my decision."

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Getty ImagesWhat next for Inter

The defeat leaves Inter in fourth place in Serie A with 24 points from 12 matches, three points behind league leaders Roma. Chivu acknowledged that the number of defeats is a concern for a club with title ambitions.

"It's clear that four defeats in 12 games is too many. The table is tight, we need to let go of disappointments and overcome frustration, which can leave its mark. I know how much we create and how much we concede," he added.

"Due to my team's characteristics, we attack with many men, and that exposes you to counterattacks. But today we only conceded one, which was fatal. We need to work, improve, better perceive danger, and earn a few more yellow cards."

Inter have now lost three of their last five Serie A matches, a run of form that will need to be addressed quickly to stay in contention for the Scudetto.

Following this derby defeat, Inter will look to bounce back in their next Serie A fixture against Pisa which comes right after their Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid. Chivu's side will need to translate their dominance in possession and chance creation into goals and wins to climb back up the standings. The manager will also be looking for a reaction from his players, particularly in terms of defensive solidity and finishing, to avoid further slip-ups.

One Chelsea star has been critiqued for his performance in their game against Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Robert Sanchez having more touches than him at Stamford Bridge.

In what was Chelsea’s final Premier League game ahead of the November international break, the Blues played host to a Wolves side who, after 10 games, were still without a win in the top flight.

Enzo Maresca’s side struggled to do much with the chances they generated in the first half against Wolves, frustrating the home support at Stamford Bridge. Soon after the half-time break, however, the Blues broke the deadlock.

Malo Gusto opened the scoring with what was his first-ever senior goal just minutes into the second half. This lead was doubled just after the hour mark when Joao Pedro smashed a deflected Estevao cross beyond Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.

The game was put beyond any doubt when, with less than 20 minutes to go, Pedro Neto scored against his former club. The win moved Chelsea to second in the table. However, one Blues player was slammed for his performance against the relegation-threatened side.

Delap failed to make mark against Wolves

Signed in the summer from Ipswich Town, Liam Delap has endured a tough start to life at Chelsea. An injury saw him sidelined for weeks to open the 2025/26 campaign, missing almost two months. Upon his return, against Wolves in the Carabao Cup, Delap was sent off for accumulating two yellow cards after coming off the bench.

Delap, who reportedly signed a contract worth £100,000 per week, made his first start for Chelsea since returning from injury against the Old Gold, but failed to make an impact. Simon Johnson, who works for The Athletic, was critical of what the striker produced, noting that he did not appear at match fitness and said he was “struggling”.

As per SofaScore, within 64 minutes of football, Delap had just one shot on target. He was dispossessed on three occasions and by having just 15 touches in the game, had less time on the ball than Sanchez.

Delap is still a young player, one coming back from a relatively long set-back no less. His performance against Wolves, though, can simply not be the level that he consistently operates at going forward.

Chelsea weighing up move for England international

It’s always nice to see a player rebound from adversity. Ahead of England’s comfortable 3-0 win over Wales on Thursday evening, Manchester City’s John Stones said he considered retiring last season amid endless injury problems.

But the 30-year-old Stones has already started five matches across all competitions for the Citizens this term, and he cruised through the win at Wembley, albeit suffering but surviving a fitness scare.

Stones isn’t the only one of a City persuasion to be targeting renaissance at the more mature end of their career, though, with Jack Grealish starting to look like a £100m player once again.

Only, he’s doing it over on Merseyside, in an Everton shirt.

Why Man City loaned out Jack Grealish

Pep Guardiola broke the bank when signing Grealish from Aston Villa for a British record £100m fee. It was 2021. The Three Lions star was silky and stylish and all the rest, but he got lost somewhere within the Man City mechanics during his four years at the Etihad.

Still, the 30-year-old is a Citizen, shipped out on loan to Everton this summer. But Grealish has returned to his finest form so far this season, notching four assists in August to claim the Premier League Player of the Month and scoring the recent winner at the Hill Dickinson Stadium to end Crystal Palace’s 19-game unbeaten run.

Grealish, perhaps, is at his best when the leading figure in a team, the talisman. Under Pep’s wing, something went awry, and he toiled on the margins for his past two Premier League campaigns.

If the Sky Blues succeed in selling the £300k-per-week talent permanently next summer, they will not recoup anything near the figure once paid.

Across 157 outings for Man City, Grealish scored 17 times and supplied 23 assists for his teammates.

He was never a prolific player, per se, but there’s no doubt plenty was left to be desired, and Guardiola knew it, handing his record signing just 17 Premier League starts across his final two terms. During this period, he notched six goal contributions.

Grealish isn’t the only one who might have been ferried out this summer, though, with Pep and co maybe looking back at the opportunity to sell Bernardo Silva for a hefty figure with something akin to regret.

Pep should have sold Bernardo Silva

Silva, 31, is one of the definitive superstars of the Guardiola era at Manchester City. A six-time Premier League champion, his 419 appearances for the club place him ninth in the all-time charts.

But he’s beginning to dip. Even though the boss named him captain this summer, Silva has lost some of the magic that has so often been discernible throughout his career, and Fabrizio Romano has said only this week that the veteran “has chances to leave Man City” ahead of 2026.

It’s been a long and storied career for Silva at Manchester City, but Guardiola’s side are evolving, and habitually have the rumours of the Iberian talent’s potential departure emerged in recent years.

Last season was a struggle for everyone at the club, but Silva felt the upheaval and tumult more than most. His output was halved, and he was placed on the substitute’s bench seven times across the latter half of the top-flight term.

17/18

53

9 (10)

18/19

51

13 (13)

19/20

52

8 (10)

20/21

45

5 (9)

21/22

50

13 (7)

22/23

55

7 (7)

23/24

49

11 (11)

24/25

52

6 (5)

25/26

9

0 (1)

Altered in his role, Silva no longer produces goals and assists with the same regularity, and Sofascore record he is averaging just one chance per Premier League game this season, losing 70% of his duels so far.

He’s captained Man City six times across all competitions this season, and remains one of the most fleet-footed and intelligent players in the Premier League, even described as “one of the best players” Guardiola has ever seen.

But, aged 31, there’s a sense he’s into the autumn of his career in English football, and is not indispensable as he once was.

He’s still a tenacious and layered attacking midfielder, ranking among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe for pass completion, the top 10% for tackles and the top 7% for carries per 90, but the Portugal international could have fetched a pretty penny indeed for City in the past, with Transfermarkt recording the ace once bore a market value of €100m (£86m).

Silva is among only the top 54% for goals and assists combined, which isn’t enough for a City side looking for different attacking dimensions, easing the burden on Erling Haaland.

Saudi Arabian suitors presented themselves last year, got their bids at the ready. It came to nought, but since the Portuguese star has hinted this coming season could be his last as he stares at the culmination of his contract in Manchester, might there be a touch of ruefulness that a big sale could not have been engineered, and instead City must wave goodbye to one of their best on a free?

News is indeed growing over the possibility of Silva’s summer departure on a free, with Benfica and AC Milan considered among the frontrunners. This is a reality that Man City must accept. Perhaps they should have sold him last season, or the year before, but having signed him way back in 2017 for £43.5m, there are some who would suggest City have received bang for their buck.

Concerning the regret over not selling sooner to speed up the rebuild, the same logic might be attributed to Grealish, who languished on the side at Man City for two years before earning a move to Everton and resurrecting his career. Had City cashed in on either before they dipped and waned, a hefty figure may have been had.

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ByJoe Nuttall Oct 9, 2025