Gio Reyna “could play at most clubs”, USMNT legend Brad Friedel has told GOAL in an exclusive interview, with it possible that a move away from Borussia Dortmund could act as a “stepping stone” back towards another top team. Reyna has ended his six-year association with BVB in order to make a fresh start at Borussia Monchengladbach, with it up to him to prove that undoubted potential can be fully unlocked.

Time for a change: Why Reyna left Dortmund

Reyna has been one of the hottest prospects in U.S. soccer for quite some time, having moved to Germany in 2019 after starting out in the academy system at New York City FC. A senior bow was earned with Dortmund at 17 years of age, allowing him to break a youngest debutant record previously held by fellow countryman Christian Pulisic. Big things were expected of the classy playmaker.

He did go on to make 146 appearances for the Bundesliga giants, but injury problems stunted his progress. A forgettable loan spell at Nottingham Forest in 2024 saw Reyna fail to make an impact in the Premier League. He returned to Signal Iduna Park with serious questions being asked of his future.

A permanent transfer was finally completed in the summer of 2025, with Reyna opting to remain in a division that he knows well. A three-year contract was signed with Gladbach, meaning that there is still plenty of time for the 22-year-old to catch the eye of another elite outfit.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesFuture transfer: Reyna can reach the very top

Friedel believes that path can be trodden, with the former USMNT goalkeeper – speaking in association with – telling GOAL: “Absolutely he could (join another top club). Look at his age. For whatever reason, his body has broken down in the manner it has. He needs to figure out why and then build.

“He could play at most clubs. Sometimes when players get injured you see straight away that the clubs will realise and then make sure he’s out. Gio’s always attached to big clubs or somebody is looking. They know he can play, that’s not the issue. That’s a good thing. Everybody knows the talent is there. Now he has to figure out how to stay fit.”

Word Cup dream: What Reyna needs to do

If Reyna can steer clear of the treatment table, then he should get a chance to rub shoulders with the best in the business at a home World Cup in 2026. A move to Gladbach is intended to help get him the regular game time that ongoing development requires.

Friedel previously told GOAL: “With Gio, a lot of unfortunate stuff from the last World Cup, then injury after injury after injury. Talented, talented player. For Gio, he needs minutes and he needs not to be injured. Then we can see before the World Cup if he is ready. If he is, if he has a run of four or five months with no injuries, playing lots of minutes, he’s in the squad.

“He’s a really talented player, one of the better ones we have. But he really does need to play. When I took the job at Besiktas, I was over at the Copa America and was watching. You could just tell there was something a little bit off. It’s not his ability, that is there. That’s not it. His body has unfortunately not cooperated with this sport.

“Hopefully for him it goes well. He’s a really good kid and I hope he just stays fit, gets a run of games and then it will be down to Mauricio [Pochettino] choosing him or not. I don’t like to see anybody get left out because of injury.”

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Getty Images SportInjury issues: Familiar theme for Reyna at Gladbach

Reyna has taken in two appearances for Gladbach so far, with a 4-0 defeat being endured on debut against Werder Bremen. He lost his starting berth for a meeting with Bayer Leverkusen and only managed 10 minutes off the bench in that contest.

He has been nursing another fitness issue since then, with thigh problems causing concern, and all too familiar physical ailments are threatening to derail another bid to get his promising career firmly on track.

It’s hard work vs natural talent for many, thunderous strikes vs magical moments for others and a debate that has stolen the spotlight for more than 15 years. There has not been anyone close to Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in this current era of football and perhaps even history. Separating the two is, therefore, an almost impossible task.

The duo are still very much competing too, even if it’s not for the Ballon d’Or these days. In the September international break, Messi thought he grabbed the headlines with his brace in what could be his final appearance for the national team in his home country of Argentina, only for Ronaldo to swiftly respond by doing the same for Portugal a day later.

Ronaldo, himself, recently spoke about the affection that he has for Messi after years of competing against the former Barcelona star at the very top level.

He told reporters: “Of course I have affection for Leo Messi. We’ve been on stage together for 15 years. I remember translating English for him at the Galas because he didn’t speak English well. He always treated me well and respected me.”

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Messi has also shown the same respect to his rival when speaking to reporters, saying: “I have a lot of respect and admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo and for the career he’s had and continues to have, because he’s still competing at the highest level.”

It’s a rivalry that is ending with the utmost respect, but also one that almost everyone has had their say on – even former boxing world champion Anthony Joshua.

Anthony Joshua weighs in on Messi vs Ronaldo

Not one for pulling his punches, Joshua admitted that he believes that Ronaldo is better than Messi, because he works harder than the World Cup-winning legend.

It’s perhaps the type of hard work that one of Britain’s greatest boxers can relate to, having gone from narrowly avoiding a prison sentence at a young age to defeating the iconic Wladimir Klitschko in 2017 in front of a packed Wembley crowd.

With five Ballon d’Ors to his name, to say that Ronaldo’s hard work paid off would be an incredible understatement. The Al-Nassr winger, even at 40 years old, has the physical conditioning of a player at the peak of their powers.

With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, football’s biggest stage could see its two greatest icons collide one final time. It’s then that AJ and others could get their answer as to just who takes the crown.

Taijul Islam sparked Zimbabwe’s batting collapse on the first day of the second Test between Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, in Chattogram. He took the 16th five-wicket haul of his career, finishing the day with 5 for 60. The visitors were steadily batting at 200 for 4 at one stage, before Taijul got into the act with three quick wickets and a run-out. Zimbabwe eventually finished day one on 227 for 9, a far cry from how positively they had started their innings.Sean Williams top-scored with 67, while Nick Welch got 54, before cramps on his hands forced him off the field shortly after tea. Welch was Taijul’s fifth wicket. Meanwhile, Nayeem Hasan picked up two wickets, and debutant Tanzim Hasan took one.Zimbabwe began brightly, with Brian Bennett striking five boundaries in the first ten overs. He was lucky with the first one, but it was followed by a scrumptious straight drive, and his trademark cover drive. But once again, Bennett got caught behind trying to drive on the up to give Tanzim his first Test wicket.Bangladesh could have had their second in a short span, but Shadman Islam dropped a sitter to give Welch a life in the 14th over. At that time, Welch was on 1. Shortly afterwards, Ben Curran and Welch went on a six-hitting spree. Curran slammed Mehidy Hasan Miraz over midwicket before Welch stunned Tanzim with a pull that produced a sweet sound off the bat. Welch followed it up with a slog-swept six against Mehidy in the following over.Taijul removed Curran shortly afterwards, getting him to inside edge the ball on to his leg stump for 21 off 50 balls. But Zimbabwe consolidated by not losing a single wicket in the second session. Welch, who had struck a few boundaries in the morning, was more circumspect in the afternoon, adding just 22 runs in 77 balls after lunch. Williams, though, dominated their third-wicket partnership, hitting six fours during this time at the crease.Nick Welch and Sean Williams put together a solid partnership for the third wicket•AFP/Getty Images

Williams struck the ball sweetly through the covers for two boundaries, apart from two more through point, and on the leg side each. His only six came against Mehidy, as he skipped down the wicket to deposit him over long-on.Williams and Welch got into a mix-up once in the 33rd over, but Bangladesh messed up the chance with poor communication among themselves. First, the point fielder threw at the wrong end. Wicketkeeper Jaker Ali, to whom the throw went, in turn threw poorly towards the non-striker’s end while Williams struggled to get back. Zimbabwe’s only worry towards the end of the second session was Williams and Welch both suffering cramps. Williams needed attention on his calf and hamstring, while Welch’s hands were cramping up.Welch, however, didn’t last long after tea, when he walked off with cramps after just playing one ball. Nayeem then got into the act, removing the Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine for 5. Williams was next to go, Tanzim taking the catch brilliantly at backward square leg. He struck a six and seven fours in his patient 67 off 166 balls.Bangladesh conceded just 18 runs in the first 16 overs of the final session, before Wessly Madhevere struck a couple of boundaries against Nayeem. Taijul, however, removed Madhevere with a beautiful delivery that spun slightly away, and dismissed him for 15.Taijul continued Zimbabwe’s collapse with the wickets of Wellington Masakadza and Richard Ngarava in the first over with the second new ball. Tafadzwa Tsiga was run-out after falling way short of the crease at the non-striker’s end, before Welch returned to the crease to continue his innings. It didn’t last long, though, as Taijul bowled him to complete his five-for.

Wolverhampton Wanderers are already pressing ahead in their efforts for the January transfer window and could now have an avenue to landing a key target, according to a report.

Wolves look for stability after rocky Premier League start

Undoubtedly, Wolves have work to do under Vitor Pereira if they want to avoid being dragged into a scrap this campaign after a poor run of early-season results.

Three straight Premier League losses against Manchester City, Bournemouth and Everton have left the Old Gold rooted to the bottom of the table, albeit executive chairman Jeff Shi is confident that stability will come in the form of results sooner rather than later.

“Wolves need stability now – we need a coach to stay here and help us for a long time. Every coach needs time and the jigsaw to be made. We should give the coach enough time and the players he needs to prepare for the season.

“I feel the more important thing to define this season is the squad and the coach, the chemistry and the unity. If you have that foundation, you will have a strong season. If you don’t, maybe you have a doubt. Before Vitor came the team chemistry had some problems. This year that issue is gone. We have a strong team spirit and a very committed team structure.”

Tolu Arokodare’s late arrival from Genk has offered a much-needed forward option to work with alongside the likes of Jorgen Strand Larsen. However, missing out on Josh Brownhill despite talks with the former Burnley midfielder was an unfortunate turn of events.

Late on, Wolves also failed with a £30 million bid to sign Middlesbrough star Hayden Hackney, but they may be about to complete a return swoop for another one of their targets during the summer window.

Wolves target Christos Mandas could be sold in January

According to Corriere dello Sport, Wolves target Christos Mandas is likely to be sold by Lazio in January after losing his spot as their number one goalkeeper to Ivan Provedel. During the window, the Old Gold submitted a bid worth over £17 millon for the Greece international, who kept six clean sheets in 20 appearances last term.

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Unhappy to become a deputy for the entirety of the campaign, Mandas is waiting for his chance, though may be forced into considering other options if Provedel remains in front of him for the foreseeable future.

Lazio are open to selling the 23-year-old for significant financial gain, opening up an opportunity for Wolves to pitch a vision of Premier League football to the Serie A star.

Maintaining a 74.3% save percentage in the Italian top-flight across 2024/25, it remains to be seen if Pereira can tempt the talented goalkeeper to the West Midlands once the January window opens.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been backed to keep playing "at least into his mid-40s" by former Premier League rival and England star Joe Cole, who claimed the Portugal legend is "defying medical science". At 40, Ronaldo is still scoring for fun at both club and international level. He has kicked off the 2025-26 campaign on a high, having scored five goals in six matches across all competitions for Al-Nassr.

• Ronaldo determined to win a trophy with Al-Nassr

  Since moving to Saudi Arabia as a free agent in January 2023, Ronaldo has broken multiple records individually, but has yet to realise his dream of winning a major trophy with Al-Nassr. This time, though, Ronaldo and his club look determined to win the league title and also return to the top tier of AFC competition. Al-Nassr made some key signings in the summer transfer window, bringing in established European stars such as Joao Felix, Kingsley Coman, and Inigo Martinez. The heavy spending has worked for the Saudi giants as they maintain a 100 per cent win record in the league after the first four matches. Ronaldo has also kicked off the season with four league goals in as many appearances. 

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• Getty
  

  Cole hails Ronaldo for 'defying medical science'

  Speaking to about his former Premier League rival, Cole said: "He's really just defying medical science. I remember saying, when he was 35, that ‘he'll play at least into his mid-40s’, and people thought I was mad. I'm like: ‘I'm telling you, he will. He's still scoring goals.’ It's ridiculous. I know the league he's playing in [gets criticised]. But if he wants to extend his career, he's not going to do it playing in the Premier League, or La Liga, or the Bundesliga. He's in the Saudi [Premier League], and he's banging in goals. 

  "Then, when he plays for Portugal, 85% of the teams he plays against, he's going to be able to play between the box and not have to exert himself physically to the level that he used to be able to. Put him in front of the goal, he will still score a goal. So, unfortunately for Ireland, I think this is going to be a convincing victory for Portugal. 4-0."

• Ronaldo is not chasing 1,000 career goals

  While many believe that Ronaldo is chasing the massive milestone of 1,000 career goals, the Al-Nassr star himself denied any such claim last season after scoring against rivals Al-Hilal. The 40-year-old had said: "Guys, let's enjoy the moment. I'm not chasing 1,000. If it happens, perfect. If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. The moment is the most special thing not what is going to come you know. Enjoy the moment and it was a great win not because I scored of course. I'm happy to score two goals against Al-Hilal but the most important thing is to win the derby. We play against a fantastic team away, it's always difficult, we have to appreciate and we have to continue because nine games left with one more in the Champions League. Everything is possible, we have to continue and believe."

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  CR7 determined to win the World Cup

  Even in the twilight of his career, Ronaldo continues to remain a key player for Portugal. The Selecao will heavily bank on their captain to guide them to glory in North America next year. Before that, CR7 and Portugal will have to seal their qualification to the World Cup and are scheduled to face Ireland and Hungary on October 11 and 14 respectively.

Ayush Mhatre “was very impressive and a very composed young man” at the CSK trials, says head coach Stephen Fleming

Sruthi Ravindranath21-Apr-20252:28

Mhatre wows Pujara and Finch with IPL debut fireworks

Ayush Mhatre is the latest in the list of newcomers who have impressed on IPL debut.Walking in at No. 3 for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) against Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday night in IPL 2025, 17-year-old Mhatre – also on his T20 debut, incidentally – scored 17 runs off the first four balls he faced, hitting two sixes and a four. But before getting here, Mhatre, who plays domestic cricket for Mumbai, had impressed MS Dhoni and Stephen Fleming during the trials with his skills and composure.”We’ve had a few players through at our trainings and he was a player that stood out,” Fleming said at the press conference after CSK’s loss to MI. “It’s still very hard when you’re in a nets situation to get a true gauge of a player, but from a skillset [point of view], he was very impressive and a very composed young man, which is often just as important. So both MS and I were very impressed with the way he held himself together for the trial. And then when the opportunity came up, we’ve obviously got a view to the future, and he was the name that was pretty easy to pick.”Mhatre was unsold at the last IPL auction, but an injury to CSK’s regular captain Ruturaj Gaikwad earned him a call-up as a replacement.Related

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“It’s probably the position we are in [CSK are bottom of the table] and with the injury to Rutu and the form of others made it quite an easy decision to get him in there,” Fleming said. “The stage seems big but it’s one that’s familiar. We banked on him being comfortable with his surroundings [at Wankhede] and he certainly looked all that, so it was an impressive debut.”Mhatre’s first boundary came off the second ball he faced, when he drove Ashwani Kumar’s full-length delivery down the ground. His first six, off the next ball, was smashed over deep midwicket, and he followed that with a hoick over square leg. He went on to hit three more fours, all off Deepak Chahar, in his short stay before Chahar had him caught at long-on for a 15-ball 32.”I think as a youngster, he batted really well,” Dhoni said on the broadcast after the game. “And you know, that’s the kind of approach that is needed where you play your shots but, at the same time, you pick the shots that are your strength. I feel right from the start he just wanted to play his shots. We also haven’t seen him much, so it’s a good sign for us. Top of the order, [if] you can keep playing the shots, it becomes slightly easy for the middle and the lower order.”Aaron Finch, who was wowed by Mhatre’s “statement” innings, noted his strengths as a batter.”I think the shot down the ground [off his second ball] was extraordinary,” Finch said on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut. “That was nowhere near a half-volley, but he smacked it on the up through mid-off, [and then] he set up for the pull shot. Obviously looks like a very leg-side-dominant player just [going by] the way that he sets up, everything says that he wants to hit square on the leg side. There’ll be a few things for oppositions [to note] going forward but what a statement.””I feel right from the start he just wanted to play his shots,” MS Dhoni said of Ayush Mhatre•BCCI

Pujara: ‘Not easy to be fearless in your first T20 game’While Mhatre came in with no senior-level T20 experience, he has played nine first-class games and seven List A fixtures and has two centuries in each format. He made his domestic debut for Mumbai in the 2024-25 season, and scored his maiden first-class century in just his third game, in the Ranji Trophy. Mhatre also broke List A records when he scored 181 off 117 balls in the Vijay Hazare Trophy to become the youngest to hit 150 in a men’s List A innings.For Cheteshwar Pujara, what stood out was Mhatre’s “fearless” approach despite not having played much top-flight cricket.”If you are not well-prepared and you are nervous when playing your first game, you don’t get that confidence,” Pujara said on TimeOut. “But to do that – we say they are fearless but it’s not easy to be fearless when you’re playing your first-ever T20 game, that too at the highest level. To do that, I’m sure he’s done enough preparation. I haven’t seen his journey so far, I don’t know much about it, but the way he batted he seemed very confident. He’s played a lot of cricket in Mumbai and that’s definitely helped him.”How are young batters these days this bold?Ayush Mhatre, who made his Mumbai debut last season, already has two centuries in both first-class and List A cricket•PTI

“Days are gone by [when] you walk into bat in your first game and you think, ‘how can I get another game, how can I get myself into a position to get picked next game’, and you get 30 off 25 and you go ‘I’ve actually done a pretty good job for myself’,” Finch said. “But these kids now [say], ‘you know what will get me another game – hitting three or four sixes’. Then you become an Impact Player. And you can put it on reels and it can go viral. That’s what the new generation is all about.”But while head coach Fleming is all about players expressing themselves, he hoped for balance in the way youngsters approach the game so that it’s sustainable in the long term.”I think there’s examples all around the place where players are playing free. It’s impressive, not always sustainable, but it’s very impressive and it’s contagious,” Fleming said. “And what you’re seeing is young players that are feeding off other performances. I think their expectation of how they should play is going up, or at least it has been based on what others are doing. It is creating quite a phenomenon.”I’ll still balance it with craft of the older players so that the mixture of having experience in these young players is probably the best mix, but certainly we’re seeing a wave of young players in India that are just taking on the bowlers from ball one. Is it sustainable in tricky conditions, I don’t know. There’s the subtlety of the game, but in terms of what they’re bringing and how they’re playing their first games, it is certainly impressive.”

Bukayo Saka revealed a pre-match message from Thierry Henry helped make sure Arsenal did not allow history to repeat itself at home to West Ham.

Saka’s second-half penalty ensured the Gunners downed London rivals West Ham by a 2-0 score on Saturday in Mikel Arteta’s 300th match in charge of the club.

It was a milestone occasion with Saka able to mark his 200th appearance in the Premier League with a goal, which Henry had previously achieved. It brought up 100 goal involvements in the division for the England attacker. Asked about those stats and Henry, Saka told broadcasters:

“I’m really happy on these records. I’m just going to keep pushing and try and get some team trophies, which is what we have been searching for.”

Arsenal should have scored after 13 minutes but Viktor Gyokeres could not finish off Saka’s dangerous delivery and Eberechi Eze blazed the rebound over.

The deadlock was broken seven minutes before half-time when Eze had a shot saved by Alphonse Areola and Declan Rice made no mistake against his old club.

West Ham remained in the contest until Jurrien Timber was bundled over in the penalty area by El Hadji Malick Diouf and Saka tucked away the spot-kick for his first goal of the campaign after 68 minutes to seal a comfortable victory at Emirates Stadium.

It was Saka’s 55th goal in the Premier League to go with 45 assists. “I don’t really like to linger on these things, but you said it – it’s a beautiful achievement and I’m really proud of it,” Saka, 24, said.

“Obviously 200 games for Arsenal in the Premier League is a really big moment. I’m going to enjoy it and it was nice to get the goal as well and the win.”

Arteta talked up Saka’s “really impressive” numbers, saying: “When you look at those numbers, 200 games, 100 goal involvements, I mean it’s unbelievable.

“His age, what he’s doing, the manner that he’s doing it as well, really impressive. That’s the kind of players that we need to achieve what we want.”

Nuno Espirito Santo handed a debut to West Ham academy graduate Callum Marshall over experienced forward Callum Wilson.

“First of all, let’s be correct and I said it, it’s not easy to play a young lad in front of Callum Wilson, but I think it’s important for us that

we all understand that we need as soon as possible to have total knowledge of what we have in the squad,” Nuno said.

“It’s good on that aspect but this is the issue and the main reason behind that is we are going to need all of them. We have hopes that the young lads bring new things.”

Tottenham Hotspur star James Maddison has nominated a Chelsea icon for the Premier League Hall of Fame, ahead of Jermain Defoe and Teddy Sheringham.

2025 Premier League Hall of Fame vote underway

Voting for the 2025 inductees into the Premier League Hall of Fame is now underway, with the fan vote now closed, and the results have been shared with the existing 24 members, who for the first time will get the final say in who joins them.

The likes of Alan Shearer, Steven Gerrard and Sir Alex Ferguson are among the current members, with all the legendary former players and managers allowed to choose who else is inducted, ahead of the big reveal in early November.

Cesc Fabregas, Sol Campbell and Jermaine Defoe are among the players that have been shortlisted this time around, with the ex-Tottenham striker sitting 10th on the all-time top scorers list, which should stand him in good stead to be inducted.

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Fellow former Tottenham striker Teddy Sheringham is also among the nominees, having found the back of the net 146 times across a very successful career in the Premier League, but Maddison has snubbed both former Spurs players in favour of a Chelsea legend.

In a video on the Premier League’s TikTok account, the former Leicester City man said: “Eden Hazard, got it! For me, one of the best players to ever play in the Premier League. Got his shirt on my wall and probably my favourite one on there. So I’ll go with Edwin (van der Sar) and Eden Hazard, I’m happy with that.”

Hazard undoubtedly among the Premier League's greatest players

2024 inductee John Terry has previously spoken fondly about playing alongside Hazard, describing the Belgian as an “absolute superstar” and praising his ability to take games by the scruff of the neck, despite showing little interest in pre-match tactical instructions.

The enigmatic Chelsea legend is well-known to not have been the best of trainers, but he certainly came alive on match day, chipping in with 85 goals and 57 assists in 245 games, during a highly successful spell with the Blues.

Season

PL appearances

Goal contributions

2012-13

34

22

2013-14

35

21

2014-15

38

24

2015-16

31

8

2016-17

36

21

2017-18

34

16

2018-19

37

31

The 34-year-old won two league titles and the 2014-15 Premier League Player of the Season award during his time at Stamford Bridge, so there can be no denying that his Hall of Fame nomination is fully merited.

As such, it is no surprise that Maddison has suggested Hazard should be inducted in 2025, but Tottenham fans will no doubt be hoping that Defoe can win the battle, given the Englishman’s exploits in north London.

Orange Cap table

Of course, things might – and will, likely – change, but KL Rahul has now finished his IPL with 539 runs from 13 innings, giving him the seventh spot on the table. Of the PBKS batters in action on Saturday, Shreyas Iyer’s 53 took him to 488 runs and the tenth position, with Prabhsimran Singh just after him with 486 runs following his 28.On Sunday, the first match pits Gujarat Titans (GT) against Chennai Super Kings (CSK), and B Sai Sudharsan and Shubman Gill, now Test team-mates, have a chance of adding to their tallies and even, perhaps, becoming the first to cross the 700-run mark this season. Sai Sudharsan is the Orange Cap holder with 638 runs, and Gill is just behind him with 636.Suryakumar Yadav of Mumbai Indians (MI), Mitchell Marsh of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Yashasvi Jaiswal of Rajasthan Royals (RR) round off the top five. Marsh and Jaiswal, of course, are done for the season, giving Virat Kohli of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), currently No. 6 with 548 runs, a chance to move up the table.

Purple Cap table

Not much changed here either, though with GT vs CSK the afternoon game on Sunday, the two men who are tied at the top of the table with 21 wickets apiece – Prasidh Krishna and Noor Ahmad – will get a chance to get away from the other. For Prasidh, though, there are more games left in the competition, while for Noor, this is going to be his last appearance this season.MI’s Trent Boult is at No. 3 with 19 wickets, followed by RCB’s Josh Hazlewood with 18, and Varun Chakravarthy of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) is at No. 5 with 17. Varun, too, will be in action on Sunday, in the night game, when KKR go up against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH).Here’s what ESPNcricinfo’s MVP table looks like.And here are some other IPL 2025 tables that show the season’s best performers in different aspects of the T20 game.

• Highest batting strike rates
• Best bowling economy rates
• Most sixes
• Best bowling figures in a match

Everton have made a decent if unspectacular start to the Premier League season and have now identified a player they want to sign as a matter of urgency in January.

David Moyes urges Everton to continue seeking improvement

After a summer of tidy business in the transfer market and some intriguing signings, Everton have started the campaign on the front foot and look to have left the days of fighting survival behind them, providing they can sustain their momentum.

Jack Grealish has been the Toffees’ most impressive addition and created another four chances in their 1-1 draw at home to West Ham United on Monday, albeit David Moyes believes there is still more to come from the England international after he was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s latest squad.

He said before his side face Crystal Palace: “I think there’s still room for Jack to improve. We want more from him – more assists from him and goals from him, as well.

“He’s started very well, but we’re driving him on and trying to get more from him. I still think his ambition is to get back in the England team. If he scores some goals and keeps up the assists, he won’t be far away.”

Intriguingly, the Manchester City loanee could have competition for his place if Everton formalise their interest in Celtic forward Daizen Maeda after the Japan international cropped up on their radar to add versatility across the front three.

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On the flipside, the Toffees’ rearguard has remained relatively solid despite only Seamus Coleman and the lesser-spotted Nathan Patterson available at right-back, something they could now be about to fix swiftly.

Everton ready to make formal approach for Juanlu Sanchez

According to Orgullo Biri, Everton view Sevilla defender Juanlu Sanchez as a priority signing in January and are ready to make a formal approach for his services.

The La Liga outfit aren’t willing to sanction any bids that fall under the £17 million mark, though the Spain Under-21 international is open to a new challenge if the correct opportunity arises.

Five similar players to Juanlu Sanchez (FBRef)

Timothy Weah

Marseille

Nathaniel Brown

Eintracht Frankfurt

Alessio Zerbin

Cremonese

Rayan Ait-Nouri

Manchester City

Joakim Maehle

Wolfsburg

Capable of attacking and defending with a high degree of output, Sanchez has registered six goals and nine assists in 80 appearances for Sevilla and is viewed as one of their prize assets, albeit it remains to be seen whether they allow him to depart after Loic Bade and Dodi Lukebakio.

Crucially, the report describes Everton’s need for a right-back as an ‘urgent’ priority, lending credence to the fact they appear keen to conclude a swift deal to offer a different option on that side of their backline.

Jake O’Brien has featured frequently in an adapted role, though having someone who is naturally capable of slotting in would offer Moyes tactical flexibility at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.