Kalvin Phillips left Leeds United for Manchester City to chase his dreams, but since penning an emotional, two-page letter to his boyhood club to mark his departure from Elland Road, his career has been a living nightmare. There have been multiple runs of bad luck, injuries and humiliation, and when his former club visit the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, the England international is highly unlikely to even be on the bench.
A Leeds native, Phillips knew he wanted to play for his local team from the first time he visited Elland Road as a boy. He had a tough upbringing, raised by his mother after his father was imprisoned for much of his childhood and adult life. Phillips was born a triplet but lost one of his sisters when she was a couple of months old, leading to his mother being left to grieve on her own while fending for herself, sometimes going without food so her children could eat.
Phillips would pass the prison his father was interned in every day on the way to Leeds' Thorp Arch training ground, and when he helped the team win promotion back to the Premier League in 2020 for the first time in 16 years, his dad called him so that Phillips could hear the in-mates chanting the club's anthem, 'Marching on Together'.
Phillips was one of the stars as Leeds finished ninth in their first season back in the big time, earning a call-up to the England team in 2020. He subsequently started all seven games for the Three Lions at the European Championship the following summer. One year later, having helped Leeds avoid relegation on the final day of the season, he moved to City in a deal worth up to £42 million, making him Leeds' record sale (albeit only for two weeks before Raphinha joined Barcelona for £55m).
"I hope you guys understand my decision and will accept that I only want to chase my dreams and test myself against and with the best teams and best players on the planet," Phillips wrote when he left for City. Unfortunately, his result in that test was a resounding failure, and Phillips' career has been on a downward slide since, one so steep that he now faces an almighty fight just to get it going again.
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Doomed from the start
It might have seemed like a small detail at the time, but with hindsight one could say that Phillips' time with City was doomed from the start. He was too ill to attend his presentation in front of fans along with the other new arrivals, including Erling Haaland, in the summer of 2022, and he did not have the best introduction to the coaching staff either.
According to , Guardiola and his assistants noted that Phillips struggled to understand the role of being City's holding midfielder and they quickly concluded that the recently departed youth academy player Romeo Lavia, then 18, would have been a better fit.
Phillips made his first appearance for City in a pre-season friendly against Club America in the unfamiliar position of centre-back, replacing Nathan Ake at half-time. He got 21 minutes in the next game against Bayern Munich, this time in midfield, and when the season began, he played a grand total of one minute across City's three opening Premier League matches.
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'Overweight'
Phillips made his first City start in an August friendly against Barcelona, but that was when his problems truly began as he injured his shoulder, aggravating a long-running issue. The only solution was to undergo surgery, meaning he missed the next 10 matches, only returning to the matchday squad for the final game before the season paused for the World Cup.
Phillips was still selected by England for the tournament in a call that emphasised how highly he was still regarded by Sir Gareth Southgate, and he made two appearances in Qatar. However, when he returned to Manchester, he was given a shock.
Guardiola didn't pick him for the Carabao Cup tie against Liverpool that kicked-off domestic action following the World Cup, and when asked why in the press conference, the coach gave a surprisingly strong response: "He's not injured, he arrived overweight."
Those comments plagued Phillips for years. "That narrative on social media just grew and grew," he told former Leeds team-mate Patrick Bamford. "Every club that I’d go to, I spoke to, like the manager and the nutritionist and stuff like that, they’d always speak about weight before they’d say anything else. And it got to the point where it peed me off a little bit. I was getting quite frustrated with it."
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Not part of Pep's vision
Phillips was a bystander during City's run to the treble in his first season at the club as he started just two Premier League games, both after they had already wrapped up the title. His second season was even more miserable as he played just 89 minutes of Premier League football across four substitute appearances.
Again, the writing was on the wall from the start as City signed not one holding midfielder but two, first bringing in Mateo Kovacic and then Matheus Nunes in the summer of 2023. Phillips, who was already struggling to get any game time while competing with the un-droppable Rodri, was now very clearly fourth choice in his position.
His first start of the campaign in the Carabao Cup against Newcastle ended in a 1-0 defeat, while his only other starts were in meaningless Champions League group games after City had qualified for the knockout stage. He did manage to score his only goal for the club, however, netting from the penalty spot against Red Star Belgrade.
When Guardiola was asked why he used Phillips so sparingly, he gave a damning explanation: "It’s just because I visualise some things and visualise the team and I struggle to see him. I feel so sorry for my decision for him. I’ve said that many times. He doesn’t deserve what has happened to him and I’m so sorry."
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No respite
Having turned down the chance to leave City on loan in the summer of 2023, Phillips took the opportunity to get more game time in January 2024, moving to West Ham. But instead of turning his career around in east London, he plunged to new depths.
On his debut against Bournemouth, he gifted a goal to Dominic Solanke with his second touch of the ball, while in his next home game he was brought on at half-time as West Ham were destroyed 6-0 by Arsenal. At Nottingham Forest he was sent off, he was hauled off at half-time against Burnley, and when he boarded the team bus after a 4-3 defeat at Newcastle, one fan shouted "useless" at him. Phillips raised his middle finger in response.
He played just one more game for West Ham after that incident on Tyneside. His loan spell ended with him making just 10 appearances for the Irons, three of which were starts, while he failed to complete 90 minutes even once.
Phillips returned to Manchester and went on City's pre-season tour of the United States in 2024, but with it being clear he had no hope of getting regular game time, another loan move beckoned. Newly-promoted Ipswich Town took him on and upon signing Phillips talked of "wanting to enjoy playing football again".
"The main reason I came to Ipswich was to get back playing football," he said. "[To] kind of play football, not stress free, but with less stress and less eyes on me, maybe. When I went to West Ham, I felt like there was quite a lot of eyes on me."
Labuschagne’s recall looks certain but debate remains about where in the order he will bat
Andrew McGlashan21-Oct-2025
Steven Smith on Marnus Labuschagne: “I think my advice to him was stop thinking so technically, just go and play the game”•Getty Images
Steven Smith has revealed that Marnus Labuschagne told him before the season that he would be back in the Test side by the start of the Ashes.Though that decision has yet to be rubberstamped by the Australia selectors, Labuschagne is all-but certain to earn a recall having made two Sheffield Shield centuries in two matches – and four hundreds in five innings across the early domestic season – in a prolific return to form after being dropped in the West Indies earlier this year.”I sent him a message a couple of days ago saying how proud I was of him,” Smith said. “He’s just gone back and he’s got his fourth hundred in five hits. It’s a pretty big statement. He said to me at the start of the summer, he goes, ‘I’ll be in that Test team come the first [Ashes] Test’. He’s backed up his words, probably. He’s obviously not selected yet, [but] he’s done a lot of things right.”Related
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During the first ODI against India, Labuschagne spoke about some of his struggles having come from getting “too deep” into his technique and “trying to be too perfect”, which echoes advice Smith had given him.”We’ve all been there [dropped] at some point in our careers and it’s difficult to hear it,” Smith said. “But I think he knew he probably wasn’t batting as well as he had been over probably four years ago when he was scoring a mountain of runs.”I think my advice to him was ‘stop thinking so technically, just go and play the game; watch the ball and react’. I think he’s been doing that really beautifully and he’s played so nicely.”While Labuschagne’s return looks certain, a significant question remains about where he bats in the order amid the ongoing debate around who opens alongside Usman Khawaja with Sam Konstas’ challenges continuing. Labuschagne was promoted to the top in the World Test Championship final against South Africa and there remains a realistic chance he will be asked to do it again.Steven Smith has been prolific since returning to No. 4•Associated Press
A large part of the final decision may revolve around how many overs the selectors are confident in Cameron Green getting through and whether Beau Webster’s bowling is also required.”He can open, as we saw in the Test championship final,” Smith said. “He can bat three. He’s versatile. We’ll see where it all stands when the team gets picked. I mean, it’s not too different to batting three, to be honest. He could be in first ball. So, it’s essentially the same thing.”I don’t think he needs to change anything if that’s the case. Just play the game, play how he has been, and see the ball hit it, and trust his instincts.”Smith, who had a four-Test stint as opener in early 2024 before returning to No. 4 last season where he averaged 53.27 against India and Sri Lanka, may also become part of the batting-order debate over whether he returns to No. 3.”I’m not too fussed, to be honest,” Smith said. “I’m happy kind of wherever. But, yeah, we’ll see what happens when the team’s picked where we’ll talk to the coaches and Patty [Cummins] and see where everyone fits in best, I suppose, and keep it as simple as that.”Sam Konstas is struggling to retain his Test place•Getty Images
With regards Konstas, who has made 4, 14, 0 and 53 in his four Shield innings of the season having scored a century for Australia A in India last month, Smith said there was a balance to strike for young players between overloading them with advice and allowing them to problem solve.”He’s obviously going through a bit of a period right now where he’s trying to figure out how he wants to play,” he said. “I think at times you’ve got to let these young players figure it out for themselves and find the way that they want to play. I think back to when I was young, I had to figure it out.”There were people that I could speak to, but ultimately you’re the one out in the middle playing. It’s your career and you need to figure out how you want to go about it. He’s so young, he’s got plenty of time to figure out how he wants to go.”From what I’ve seen, he’s got so much time as a batter when he’s facing fast bowling. That’s something you can’t really teach, so that’s a good starting point. Then there’s a few things that he has to obviously work on, but he’s a bright talent as we’ve seen and he’s got a bright future.”
أعلن مدرب نادي برشلونة، هانز فليك، عن قائمة فريقه لمباراة تشيلسي والتي سوف تلعب يوم غدًا الثلاثاء، ضمن منافسات بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.
برشلونة سوف يحل ضيفًا ثقيلًا على تشيلسي يوم غدًا الثلاثاء على ملعب ستامفورد بريدج، وذلك ضمن بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا لحساب الجولة الخامسة من مرحلة الدوري.
ويسعى برشلونة إلى تحقيق الانتصار على تشيلسي، حيث يمر البرسا بفترة جيدة مع فليك ويدخل لقاء الغد بمعنويات مرتفعة عقب الانتصار على أتلتيك بلباو يوم السبت الماضي 4-0 بالدوري الإسباني للدرجة الأولى.
اقرأ أيضًا .. كوكوريلا يستعيد ذكريات رحيله عن برشلونة: لكل شيء سبب
وشهدت قائمة برشلونة استمرار غياب بيدري عن صفوف الفريق لعدم تعافيه من الإصابة، في حين عاد فرينكي دي يونج للتواجد مع البرسا بعد غيابه عن مواجهة بلباو.
كما استمر تواجد رافينها مع برشلونة للمباراة الثانية على التوالي، بعد تعافيه من الإصابة التي عانى منها خلال الفترة الماضية. قائمة برشلونة لمباراة تشيلسي في دوري أبطال أوروبا
OAthletico-PR recebe oVasco,neste sábado (25), na Ligga Arena, em partida válida pela 35ª rodada doBrasileirão. O jogo está marcado para às 19h30 (de Brasília) e terá transmissão pela TNT, Cazé TV (YouTube e Twitch) e Rede Furacão (Streaming).
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✅ FICHA TÉCNICA
ATHLETICO-PR X VASCO 35ª RODADA DO CAMPEONATO BRASILEIRO
Data:Sábado, 25 de Novembro Horário:19h30 (de Brasília) Local:Ligga Arena, Curitiba (PR) Árbitro: Anderson Daronco (Fifa-RS) Assistentes: Rafael da Silva Alves (Fifa-RS) e Maurício Coelho da Silva Penna (RS) VAR: Wagner Reway (VAR Fifa-PB) Onde assistir:TNT (TV fechada), Cazé TV (YouTube e Twitch) e Rede Furacão (Streaming)
➡️Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte
⚽ PROVÁVEIS ESCALAÇÕES
ATHLETICO (Técnico: Wesley Carvalho) Bento; Cacá, Thiago Heleno e Esquivel; Cuello, Erick, Fernandinho e Canobbio; Zapelli, Vitor Bueno e Willian Bigode.
VASCO (Técnico: Ramón Díaz) Léo Jardim; Maicon, Medel e Léo; Paulo Henrique, Zé Gabriel, Paulinho, Marlon Gomes e Lucas Piton; Gabriel Pec e Vegetti.
Ex-camisa 10 do Santos, o meio-campista Felipe Anderson, que está na Lazio e jogou ao lado de Neymar no Peixe, não escondeu a vontade de voltar a atuar pelo clube no futuro. Embasado no retorno de muitos atletas ao seu clube de origem no Brasil, o jogador confessou a saudade de atuar no futebol brasileiro.
+ Veja tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro-2023 clicando aqui
– Tenho visto muitos jogadores que passaram pela Europa voltando para o Brasil e a maioria voltando para o time que foi revelado, com a vontade, determinação e sonho de representar de novo. Aquilo que a gente aprende aqui, com a intensidade que a gente chega, podemos ajudar muito sim os clubes no Brasil. Eu acompanho e dá saudade, dá vontade. Ontem vendo a Vila lotada, campo rápido e molhado, bom para ir para cima, realmente da saudade e espero que dê certo um dia de voltar – declarou o Menino da Vila, em entrevista a TNT Sports.
+ Garanta a sua vaga no curso que formou craques como Pet, Dante e Léo Moura! Cupom: LANCE1000
Com contrato válido na Lazio até junho de 2024, o jogador revelou ter acompanhado a goleada do Santos sobre o Vasco no domingo (1º) e decretou a sua torcida para o time se livrar do temido rebaixamento.
– Ontem eu vi, foi mais cedo o jogo e consegui acompanhar inteiro. Foi emocionante, uma gritaria, torço muito e minha família inteira também. Quando fez o quarto gol foi um alívio porque eram três pontos importantíssimos. Acompanhei o treino aberto um dia antes que a torcida foi ali, chega a dar um arrepio porque sei a paixão da torcida e o que representa o Santos nunca ter caído. O quão importante era a vitória de ontem. Fiquei feliz de ver a torcida apoiando e os jogadores dando tudo. A vitória coroou a resiliência do time por mais que esteja nessa fase difícil. Sendo contestados e protestados, mas os jogadores estão ali firmes e fortes, os torcedores se juntaram e dando apoio até o fim aos jogadores. Marcelo Fernandes chegou e é um cara que merece muito, estou muito feliz por esse momento de recuperação. Creio que vai dar certo e estarei na torcida até o final – concluiu Felipe Anderson sobre o Peixe.
PASSAGEM PELO SANTOS
Companheiro de Neymar na ‘mágica’ fase do Santos no começo dos anos 2010, Felipe Anderson sempre era tido como uma grande promessa da base do Peixe. Contudo, não chegou a liderar números expressivos na equipe. Com 110 jogos e apenas nove gols, o atleta integrou nas conquistas da Copa Libertadores 2011, Recopa Sul-Americana 2012 e dois Campeonatos Paulistas conquistados no período.
It is a testament to Everton’s growth under David Moyes that their recent 1-1 draw with West Ham United in the Premier League was met with frustration.
This is because Everton were expected to win at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, and that belief was strengthened when Michael Keane powered home a first-half header to open the scoring.
But the Toffees ended up labouring to a draw against Nuno Espirito Santo’s Hammers, with the point gained lifting them into ninth place in the standings.
Expectations have indeed been raised, with newbie Jack Grealish leading the charge.
Jack Grealish at Everton
Grealish will be disappointed with his performance against West Ham. Everton’s positive play flowed through the 30-year-old playmaker, who wasn’t at his best but still looked a constant threat, with Sofascore recording that he created four chances and won seven duels.
With four assists to his name in August, Grealish was awarded the Premier League Player of the Month award, and though he and Everton have not since claimed three points, drawing twice and losing a close game at Anfield, his level of performance remains impressive.
Grealish, perhaps excitingly, hasn’t reached his optimum level yet. There is more to come. However, as Everton grow and improve under Moyes’ wing, so too does the spotlight increase on certain stars.
And there are a few who might be holding Grealish back.
Moyes must drop £55m duo
Grealish has yet to score in an Everton shirt, but that’s not the end of the world. The Three Lions star has never been the most prolific of attacking midfielders, and he adds much to the build-up patterns and creative flow. That is his bread and butter.
The problem, though, is that Grealish is supported by a full-back in Vitalii Mykolenko, who leaves much to be desired from an attacking standpoint, and is surmounted by Beto at number nine, who has endured a tough, luckless start to the season.
Mykolenko was chased by Napoli this summer, who were willing to pay around £26m for his services. Everton turned it down, but may come to regret that decision if his fitness and form do not improve.
Undoubtedly, Beto has improved since Moyes replaced Sean Dyche, but the Bissau Guinean striker enjoyed a bright purple patch shortly after the Scotsman’s arrival, bagging five in four, and has since plateaued, with only one strike to his name this term and a litany of missed opportunities.
Beto in the Premier League
Stats
Pre-Moyes
Under Moyes
Games
42
23
Starts
10
20
Goals
4
8
Assists
0
0
Data via Transfermarkt
Everton writer Ell Bretland even remarked that “Beto’s lack of hold-up play and Mylolenko not getting forward” has been stifling the esteemed loanee, who is not being supported effectively from behind and who is struggling to get a tune out of Everton’s misfiring centre-forward, who was signed from Udinese for up to £30m in 2023.
This may require a left-field solution. Iliman Ndiaye, for example, has played up front during his career before, and no Everton player has scored more than his 13 goals since joining the club from Marseille in 2024.
Iliman Ndiaye for Everton
It would change the dynamic of Everton’s team, but with Tyler Dibling looking to nail down a starting berth of his own, this may be an outlook that would bear dividends for Moyes down the line.
James Garner provided a sumptuous assist for Keane at the weekend, too, and has played three times as a stand-in left-back in the Premier League this season, averaging 1.2 chances per game.
There is much for Moyes to ponder, but if Mykolenko and Beto fail to find form, they must be dropped to raise the level of the collective, and that not only includes Grealish but is shaped and charged by him.
Bowen 2.0: Everton must regret selling "one of the best players in the PL"
Everton must now rue selling this gifted star before he hit his full potential.
“Complicated” is the best word to describe this FIFA window for Javier Aguirre and the Mexican national team. El Tri wrapped the October break with a 4-0 loss to Colombia and a 1-1 draw with Ecuador. As Mexico looks ahead to November’s friendlies against Uruguay and Paraguay, Aguirre is expected to present a clearer idea of his World Cup squad.
AFP
Better than Colombia performance
Mexico showed better attitude and clear improvement against Ecuador following the painful 4-0 loss to Colombia over the weekend. El Tri started strong at Estadio Akron, taking the lead in the third minute through Germán Berterame, who capitalized on a defensive mistake by Ecuador.
However, the advantage didn’t last long – Raúl Rangel conceded a penalty that Jordy Alcívar converted in the 20th minute to make it 1-1, a score that would remain until the final whistle.
The match offered few real chances afterward, though Mexico looked more organized and disciplined. They even came close to winning it late, but the team still left the field to boos from fans hoping to see a victory – and a more convincing version of a squad that will host a World Cup for the third time next year.
Looking ahead, Javier Aguirre is expected to have a clearer picture of his potential World Cup lineup when Mexico faces Uruguay and Paraguay in November.
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AFP
The MVP
In September’s international window, Germán Berterame seemed to have run out of chances with Aguirre ahead of the World Cup, following underwhelming performances against Japan and South Korea.
However, the “Vasco” gave him another shot in October, and Berterame responded.
The Monterrey striker opened the scoring early against Ecuador, capitalizing on a defensive mistake to net his first goal for El Tri in five appearances. The goal comes as a much-needed boost for Berterame, who now has renewed hope of remaining in contention for future call-ups – and perhaps even making the World Cup roster.
Another standout performer was Julián Quiñones, who wasn’t part of the September squad but impressed with his energy and involvement. The América forward outshined both Hirving Lozano and César Huerta, putting himself back into the mix as Aguirre continues to evaluate his attacking options.
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The big loser
Luis Ángel Malagón clearly struggled in this window. The Club América goalkeeper conceded all four goals in the heavy defeat to Colombia, and while he didn’t feature on Tuesday, his stock took a hit.
Raúl Rangel, who started against Ecuador, didn’t help the goalkeeping situation – his foul inside the box led to the penalty that sealed the 1-1 draw. It’s difficult to say who came out worse from this FIFA window, but what’s certain is that Aguirre won’t be pleased with either of his goalkeepers – both supposedly locked for the final World Cup roster.
Also underperforming was César Huerta. The Anderlecht winger came on as a substitute and failed to make an impact. Meanwhile, César Montes and Erik Lira also struggled to find their rhythm, rounding off a disappointing night for several El Tri players hoping to secure their spot ahead of 2026.
Meanwhile, Ramón Juárez, Carlos Acevedo, and Kevin Álvarez didn’t see any minutes in this international window.
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A equipe do Novorizontino segue no G4 da Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro após vencer Londrina e Criciúma nas duas últimas rodadas. Diante desse cenário, o zagueiro Adriano Martins comemorou o bom retorno após cumprir suspensão no revés contra o Vitória.
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– É muito bom poder estar de volta e ajudar meus companheiros dentro de campo. Graças a Deus, conseguimos duas boas vitórias para voltarmos ao G4. Esses resultados representam muito para o grupo. Pelos confrontos, sabíamos que, se a gente vencesse, entraríamos novamente entre os quatro primeiros. É sempre bom pontuar na Série B – valorizou o atleta.
>Assista aos jogos do seu clube do coração com aquela gelada! Copo Stanley a partir de R$120,00
Adriano tem sido peça-chave da equipe de Eduardo Baptista em toda a temporada. O jogador acumula 29 partidas em 2023 e foi titular em 28 delas. Na Série B, o atleta participou de 17 dos 19 jogos do Novorizontino.
– Essa temporada tem sido a mais ativa da minha carreira. Estou conseguindo engrenar um bom número de jogos. Na minha cabeça, estou levando cada partida como se fosse a última. Faço isso para que eu possa dar o máximo dentro de campo. Trabalho todos os dias com esse pensamento, mas quero seguir ajudando o time até o último jogo da temporada para que, no final, possamos conquistar nossos objetivos – concluiu.
Everton fans might well have felt jittery heading into their side’s first-ever competitive contest at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, fearful that it wouldn’t feel like home from minute one.
While it will take the hardened Toffees masses some time to get used to their brand-new home, away from feeling comfort in the old-school aesthetic of Goodison Park, David Moyes’ men experienced a dream start to Premier League life on Bramley-Moore Dock by confidently getting the better of Brighton and Hove Albion 2-0.
At the end of the day, it was a determined team effort that saw the jubilant three points be secured, with Jordan Pickford having to come up trumps once more to save a penalty, but the individual heroics of Jack Grealish did steal most of the headlines post-match.
The former Aston Villa ace looked a man reborn with two sublime assists next to his name at the full-time whistle, with Moyes now on the hunt for a late Grealish-style repeat in the dying stages of the busy transfer window.
Everton now in the race for £40m star
The Toffees may well look back on the loan-to-buy deal to pick up Grealish as one of their golden captures of the window, if he can keep this sensational form up over the course of a full season.
This move might also make Everton feel more confident that they can land signings who can transform their fortunes, having already secured the capture of Grealish’s heir apparent, Tyler Dibling, from Southampton.
Tyler Dibling in 2024/25.
Moreover, Moyes has even been bold enough to try and raid his old employers, West Ham United, for Tomas Soucek, but a bid has been allegedly turned down. Still, it’s not only the Czech enforcer tickling his fancy from the London Stadium.
Indeed, the Daily Mail Online has now revealed that Everton has emerged as a surprise, late candidate for the signature of Hammers midfielder Lucas Paqueta, with Spurs and Aston Villa also in the hunt for the £40m-rated star.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Much like Grealish has previously suffered with, Paqueta has had a lot of stormy off-field issues come to light, but if he can move on from his Hammers nightmare and selects Everton as his next club, he might well go down as a remarkable repeat of the exciting Birmingham-born attacker joining Moyes’ camp.
Why Paqueta can be a stunning Grealish repeat
Even when the now 29-year-old Grealish was performing to the peak of his powers at Villa Park – which saw him collect a bumper 32 goals and 43 assists at his boyhood club in total – he was still a figure often filling column inches for some wild reasons.
Therefore, when the goals and assists subsequently dried up at Manchester City, with the £100m talent only mustering up 17 goals and 23 assists on the books of the regular Premier League champions, he had nowhere to hide from rampant criticism.
Thankfully, he looks as if he will be able to repair his fractured playing days under Moyes’ guidance, with Paqueta hopeful he can move on from a number of his own controversies, too, under his old Irons manager.
After all, it’s clear when examining his up-and-down numbers at West Ham, that he must hold a clear affinity to the Scotsman, with all but six of his goal contributions for the club falling under the reign of the seasoned Glaswegian.
Paqueta- West Ham record by coach
Manager
Games
Goals + Assists
Moyes
83
13 + 14
Julen Lopetegui
21
3 + 0
Graham Potter
17
3 + 0
Sourced by Transfermarkt
Under Moyes’ influence, the Brazilian would even guide West Ham to a Conference League success, with then teammate Declan Rice lauding the 27-year-old as possessing “mind-boggling” ability.
There were even discussions at the time that he could leave East London behind for a chance at City for £100m, which is coincidentally the same eye-watering amount Grealish – who was also raved about as a “magician” during his celebrated stay at Villa by Ashley Cole – would join Pep Guardiola’s men for.
No such blockbuster move would come to fruition, with Paqueta now more known for his alleged off-field antics, rather than his “maverick” status for the Hammers, as he was previously dubbed by Moyes.
It could well be that Everton is just the place to be this summer if you want to breathe life back into your stagnant playing days, with Paqueta back at full throttle, alongside a reinvigorated Grealish, making the Toffees a dangerous threat to watch this season.
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West Ham United “could move” for an “incredible” England international as a replacement for Nayef Aguerd, who may be set for an exit before the transfer deadline.
West Ham eyeing new defender after Aguerd refuses to travel
After spending the 2024-25 campaign on loan at Real Sociedad, Aguerd has come back into the fold this season, starting the opening two Premier League games, during which West Ham conceded a combined eight goals.
However, it is clear the Moroccan has little intention of remaining at the London Stadium for much longer, with the 29-year-old pushing to leave before the deadline, amid interest from the likes of Sunderland, AC Milan and AS Roma.
In fact, the Keinitra-born defender is well-known to have refused to travel to Nottingham Forest for yesterday’s Premier League clash, with the centre-back taking drastic action to try and force through an exit.
However, ExWHUEmployee has now revealed that the club could be hesitant to sanction a departure, should they be unable to find an adequate replacement in time, with Southampton’s Taylor Harwood-Bellis among the potential options.
Southampton's TaylorHarwood-Bellislooks dejected as he applauds fans after the match
The West Ham insider said: “The club have yet to confirm any bid as yet from Marseille or Sunderland and even if they did would have to make a decision as to whether it is worth accepting and whether a replacement could be lined up in time.
“The club have looked at other defenders and one we exclusively revealed at the start of the window and we still have interest in us Charlie Cresswell, ironically he plays in France for Toulouse.
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Although the Saints were relegated without putting up much of a fight last season, the 23-year-old clearly enjoyed a decent campaign on a personal level, having picked up his first cap for England, scoring on his debut against Ireland.
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola also singled out his former player for high praise last season, saying: “He’s an incredible threat for Southampton from set pieces and a composer when they have the ball because the manager insists the way they have to play, they have to be close, to move differently.”
With Aguerd clearly eager to leave, West Ham shouldn’t stand in his way, should a deal for Harwood-Bellis be possible, and a move wouldn’t break the bank, with a £20m price tag being touted earlier this summer.