Former Premier League boss Gus Poyet has quit his post at South Korean club Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors days after his assistant manager departed amid a racism scandal. Poyet, who guided Jeonbuk to both the K League 1 title and the Korea Cup this season, informed the club he wished to terminate his contract after Mauricio Taricco was handed a severe punishment for what league officials deemed a racist gesture towards referee Kim Woo-seong.

Taricco incident sparks crisis of trust

The storm erupted during a league match last month when, deep into stoppage time, Jeonbuk were leading 2-1 and protesting a handball not initially given by the referee. Tempers flared as VAR intervened and awarded a penalty, prompting Taricco to continue his protests after being booked. Moments later, he was shown a second yellow card, during which he placed his fingers near the corners of his eyes, a gesture the referee interpreted as a racial insult. Referee Kim immediately reported the act to league authorities. The K League’s disciplinary committee reviewed the footage and issued a damning verdict, declaring Taricco guilty of making a universally recognised “slanted-eye” gesture mocking people of Asian descent. In their statement, the panel emphasised that the gesture had been penalised multiple times by FIFA and was unequivocally regarded as ethnic mockery. Taricco was banned for five matches and fined 20 million won ($13,600).

AdvertisementGetty Images SportPoyet's breaking point in Korea

Rumours of a split between former Sunderland boss Poyet and the club surfaced at the K League Awards on December 1, where he hinted that Taricco’s departure might force his hand.

"Touching my coaching staff is the same as touching me," Poyet allegedly said, as reported by

Jeonbuk officials attempted to convince him to stay, offering reassurances about next season and support for Taricco, but the 58-year-old insisted he could not continue under the circumstances. According to sources, the episode created "psychological pressure" for Poyet, who was concerned that the depleted think tank would not be able to give the best results in the future. 

In a message to fans, he said: “I’m sorry to leave without properly saying goodbye. The passion of our supporters will stay in my heart. I’ll keep cheering for Jeonbuk from afar and hope to return to Korea one day.”

Taricco has defended himself

In his response, Taricco said he had only intended to ask the referee whether he had clearly seen the disputed handball incident, claiming cultural context had been ignored.

"I have worked with many people in many countries and have lived and socialised with them without any problems related to their culture or race, and I have considered this a blessing," he wrote in a statement. "However, I have now been branded a racist by ‘self-proclaimed’ authorities due to a single misunderstanding where the context, cultural expressions, and meanings of all situations I continuously explained were ignored. I merely covered my eyes to emphasise that the referee should have directly seen the handball foul.

"My life, regardless of nationality and race, must continue in a place where there is safety, respect, peace, and equality before the law as a football person, so with a heavy heart, I have decided to leave this place after the end of this season. I would like to express my gratitude to the club and players with whom I could share success and history, and I am truly grateful to the fans who have given me unwavering support. I will not forget you."

Jeonbuk also showed support for their assistant manager and wrote: "It would be unreasonable to view [Taricco’s behaviour] as an intention of racial discrimination. The club expects a more objective and balanced judgment to be made through the appeal process and will do its best until the end so that coach Tano [Taricco] can quickly get out of this dishonourable situation and his memory of the K League and Korean football does not remain as a bitter pain."

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Getty Images SportWhat comes next?

Poyet’s departure marks a sudden and bittersweet ending to a campaign that had otherwise transformed Jeonbuk’s fortunes. He is expected to return to the UK in the coming days, drawing another chapter in a colourful career to a close. Before embarking on his coaching career, Poyet was a dynamic midfield presence in English football. He scored 45 goals in 145 games for Chelsea between 1997 and 2001, winning the Cup Winners’ Cup, the Super Cup and the FA Cup. His later spell at Tottenham was more controversial but equally memorable, featuring 18 goals in 82 appearances. As a manager, he guided Brighton to the Championship play-offs, kept Sunderland afloat in the Premier League and later served as head coach of Greece. 

On April 11 of this year, Liverpool posted a video on their social media channels accompanied by the words 'The story continues' and a crown emoji. Nobody had to press play to understand what it all meant: after months and months of incessant speculation over Mohamed Salah's future, Anfield's Egyptian King had finally agreed a new contract with the club.

"I'm very excited," the winger said of his two-year extension. "We have a great team now. Before also we had a great team, but signed because I think we have a chance to win other trophies and enjoy my football. It's great, I had my best years here. I played eight years; hopefully, it's going to be 10." 

Right now, though, that looks highly unlikely. Indeed, former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp says that he'd be "amazed if Salah sees out the last year-and-a-half of his contract" – and it's surprisingly easy to understand why.

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  'Gamble' pays off spectacularly

  The idea of Salah leaving Liverpool just over six months after signing a new contract should be absurd. As if anyone needs reminding, he didn't just play a part in the Reds romping to a record-equalling 20th English title last season, he took centre stage by producing one of the greatest individual campaigns in Premier League history.

  Salah racked up 29 goals and 18 assists, resulting in him becoming the first man ever to win the Golden Boot, the Playmaker Award and Player of the Season in the same year. As far as Salah was concerned, his numerous records and sensational stats were a direct consequence of new coach Arne Slot ceding to his request to let him focus solely on scoring and creating goals.

  "The tactics are quite different [to the Jurgen Klopp era]," Salah told . "Now I don't defend much. I said [to Slot] 'As long as you rest me defensively, I will provide offensively', so I am glad that I did. He listened a lot and you can see the numbers. When you play in the Premier League you have to defend, but I said that I can gamble and somehow I can make a difference."

  Unfortunately for Salah, Slot and Liverpool, the risk is no longer proving worth the reward.

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  Target for opponents

  Salah is by no means the only reason why Liverpool are struggling this season: the defence is a disaster, the forwards are misfiring, while Dominik Szoboszlai is the only midfielder playing well. However, the dramatic drop in Salah's productivity is startling – and seriously hurting his side. 

  For example, after 14 rounds of last season's Premier League, Salah had propelled Liverpool to the top of the table with 13 goals and seven assists. This time around, the Reds are currently languishing in eighth place, with Salah having contributed just four goals and two assists.

  Worse still, opponents are now targeting Liverpool's right-hand side even more than they did when Trent Alexander-Arnold was stationed behind Salah – and to great effect.

  "We know that Salah is always ready for the counter-attack," Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella told after setting up Estevao for a last-minute winner against the Reds on October 4. "So, we practiced that, and the manager (Enzo Maresca) said that the space might be there."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  No longer a difference-maker

  Slot initially defended the freedom afforded to Salah, arguing that in the very same game against Chelsea there were "five or six moments where Mo could have made the difference for us" because the Egypt international was still being allowed to remain so high up the field.

  "And if that would have happened, then we would have had a conversation like last season, where he so many times made the difference for us," Slot told reporters. "But if that doesn't happen then you get comments like this [from Cucurella]. It's always about the balance between winger and full-backs. I want our full-backs to attack as well, so we have to find the right balance in that, but we are conceding too many crosses compared to last season, and this is something I'm aware of and we have to do better."

  It seems that Slot has now decided that taking Salah out of the starting line-up is the best solution to this particular problem.

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  Dropped

  Against West Ham last Sunday, Slot deployed the multi-talented Szoboszlai on the right-hand side, with Joe Gomez tucked in behind him. Unsurprisingly, Liverpool looked far more solid in defence and kept their first clean sheet for nearly a month. In addition, Florian Wirtz flourished in the attacking midfield role vacated by Szoboszlai.

  Consequently, Slot elected to make just one change for Wednesday's visit of Sunderland, with Andy Robertson taking over at left-back from Milos Kerkez, who had gone down with a cramp at the London Stadium. However, Jamie Carragher, who has been very critical of Salah's media silence during Liverpool's shocking slump, was "surprised" by the decision not to recall the forward.

  "I've said this season I don't think Mo Salah should play every game, but when I said that I was thinking predominantly away games – not so much at Anfield," Carragher explained on . "Arne Slot can dress the weekend up as Liverpool have four games in 10 days, and you have to look at which games you play him in.

  "Sunderland will play deep and make it difficult so I expected this to be the one where Salah plays. For him to be on the bench doesn't feel like rest or rotation; it's dropped. But sooner or later Liverpool do have to pivot away from being the Salah team and towards being the Wirtz and (Alexander) Isak team, and maybe we saw a glimpse of that [at West Ham]."

  However, if Sunday at least hinted at a brighter future, Wednesday provided an immediate reminder of the grim reality of Liverpool's present predicament.

The baseball postseason—and specifically the World Series—has a habit of creating heroes from the most unlikely sources. This time, unlikely hero Addison Barger navigated some extenuating circumstances to help power the Blue Jays to an 11–4 win over the Dodgers in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night.

Addison Barger makes World Series history

Barger went from a pull-out couch, to the Blue Jays bench to the plate, where he belted the first pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history, blowing the game open and extending Toronto's lead to 9-2 in its eventual win.

"His family is coming in, came in tonight," Blue Jays outfielder Davis Schneider said after the game. "He needed someone. He was staying with Myles [Straw] and then stayed with me last night. My girlfriend is here so like, he’s like, ‘Can I sleep in the bed with you guys.' "

According to , it is not uncommon for Blue Jays players to stay at teammates' houses during the season, and some have looked to stay closer to Rogers Centre to beat World Series-related traffic.

So Schneider offered to have Barger sleep on his pull-out couch, though it may not have been the best night's sleep for the 25-year-old Barger.

"So I was like ‘No,’ sleep on my couch. Sleep on the pullout.' It’s a pullout, yeah. But it was squeaking all night. Yeah, it was so funny. I looked over and I just see him sleeping there in the middle of the night. He’s a headcase, but he’s fun."

Barger slept on the couch again?

Barger, as Schneider's sister Madeline pointed out on X, slept on the couch once again following the World Series victory. At this point, it's either that Barger genuinely likes sleeping on the squeaky pull-out couch, or he and the Blue Jays aren't messing with what could be good superstition.

Game 2 of the World Series begins at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday night.

The Houston Astros have been without star slugger Yordan Alvarez since early May as he's been sidelined with a small fracture in his hand.

The 28-year-old has been rehabbing his ailing hand in Florida, but has suffered a setback in his recovery. According to Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, Alvarez's rehab has been shut down and he's now set to visit a specialist in order to determine the best course of action.

Alvarez reportedly felt soreness while swinging a bat on Monday, prompting the team to shut him down.

Alvarez last played for the Astros on May 2. He'd been struggling at the plate all season, looking like a shell of his usual self throughout his first 29 games. Alvarez had a .210 batting average with a 82 OPS+ and just three home runs and 18 RBIs prior to landing on the IL.

The team expects to know more about his injury after his visit with the specialist, but this setback is certainly a cause for concern among fans, who were hoping to have Alvarez return to the lineup for the second half of the season.

Tottenham secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Slavia Prague at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday evening, strengthening their bid for automatic Champions League qualification with a commanding performance.

Thomas Frank’s side also extended their 100 per cent home record in Europe with their third consecutive N17 victory, all without conceding a single goal in that time.

Spurs have now climbed into a coveted top eight place as a result, and there were a few star performers on the night.

David Zima’s bizarre own goal opened the scoring on 26 minutes, with the Czech defender inexplicably heading Pedro Porro’s dangerous corner past his own goalkeeper after Cristian Romero’s initial flick-on.

The opening period proved slightly chaotic, with Tottenham dominating possession yet struggling to convert superiority into clear-cut opportunities against Slavia’s resilient defence.

Richarlison should have given Spurs the lead within 45 seconds, heading Wilson Odobert’s excellent cross straight at goalkeeper Jindrich Stanek from point-blank range.

Slavia threatened sporadically, with Stanek producing several outstanding saves to deny Tottenham’s attack. The Czech international frustrated Mohammed Kudus and substitute Mathys Tel — who was named in the squad despite being left out of their original 22-man list — with exceptional saves.

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However, two second-half penalties then secured Tottenham’s victory.

Kudus converted their first spot-kick before Xavi Simons completed the scoring after being fouled inside the area, though Slavia’s Igoh Ogbu escaped a second yellow card for the challenge that conceded the penalty.

In some bad news, Micky van de Ven received a booking that rules him out of the crucial Borussia Dortmund clash, representing the evening’s only negative for Frank.

Ben Davies made his first appearance of the campaign during stoppage time, providing a sentimental moment with Son Heung-min watching from the stands following his emotional farewell visit to North London.

The victory maintains Tottenham’s remarkable 22-match unbeaten run at home in European competitions whilst extending Slavia’s winless streak to six Champions League games. The Czech champions also remain without a goal across their last four European matches.

Tottenham now need just four points from their remaining fixtures against Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt to guarantee at least playoff qualification, with top-eight automatic progression firmly within reach.

A lot of the noise has centered around yet another convincing performance from Simons, his second on the bounce after Brentford last weekend, but according to Hargreaves, it was another man who stole the show.

Owen Hargreaves praises 'exceptional' Mohammed Kudus

While the media have lavished Simons’ 9/10 display, it was Kudus who attracted serious praise from TNT Sports pundit Owen Hargreaves.

Speaking after the match, Hargreaves told TNT that Kudus was Tottenham’s ‘best player by far’ and put in a truly ‘exceptional’ display.

The Ghanaian will be facing off against England at the World Cup, potentially Djed Spence, who jokingly said that he was going to pocket his teammate in the States.

However, if we were Spence, we’d certainly be worried.

Kudus has been Tottenham’s standout attacking star by some way this season, and it’s hard to imagine where Frank’s side would be without the former West Ham sensation, who crossed the London divide in July.

The 25-year-old, on top of his nine goal contributions in all competitions this season, has also averaged more successful take-ons per 90 than any other player in the Premier League — marking himself out as England’s most devastating dribbler (WhoScored).

Last night was yet another example of the excellent business done by Spurs to tempt Kudus to north London, and the best could still be yet to come.

Liverpool haven’t been very good this season. That’s an understatement, too, with Arne Slot’s side having fallen so far below expectations after so dominantly winning the Premier League last year.

Though the Reds have stopped the rot that was spreading after nine losses from 12 fixtures in all competitions, winning at West Ham before drawing against Sunderland at Anfield, there is still so much to be desired from this group, whose mini-revival is presently built atop a house of cards.

Whether the head coach finds the formula that will shift Liverpool back into a winning outfit is anyone’s guess, but it’s clear that performances and results have been so far below the firmly set standard that it beggars belief, and Slot needs to make changes before he finds himself on borrowed time, with potential successors already being touted in the media.

Liverpool looking at Slot replacement

According to Caught Offside, Liverpool chiefs Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes are putting serious thought into appointing Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner to replace Slot.

Glasner, 51, has defied the odds at Selhurst Park over the past few years, winning the FA Cup in May and then the Community Shield (against Liverpool) at the start of the current campaign. They are currently fifth in the Premier League.

It’s important to stress that there have not been any talks with Palace or the Austrian’s entourage. FSG remain committed to guiding their Dutch coach through this storm.

However, if it doesn’t abate, sources indicate Glasner is emerging as the preferred candidate to take the Anfield hot seat.

What Oliver Glasner would bring to Liverpool

Glasner has achieved great things with Crystal Palace, and his past Europa League-winning success with Eintracht Frankfurt corroborates the claim that he is a “top-five manager in the world”, as suggested by one English football content creator.

Though appointing Glasner would require something of a tactical transformation on Merseyside, with the Palace boss typically fielding a 3-4-2-1 formation, he is relaxed about the minutiae of his systems, which are interchangeable and open to tweaks. This tactical pliability suggests that he could be an interesting pick from the FSG hierarchy.

Glasner gets it. And, moreover, he speaks with the clarity and intellect to throw down with any top manager in the Premier League, perhaps even having the credentials to wage tactical battle against the likes of Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta.

The ever-outspoken Jamie O’Hara has even gone as far as to suggest that Glasner is “a better manager” than Arteta, with his trophy-winning credentials and the instant level-up he has overseen in south London bearing testament to that claim.

O’Hara’s football allegiances may lend themselves to a dislike of the high-flying Gunners project, but there is something to be said of Glasner’s success in taking over a Palace side that had lost their way under Roy Hodgson and have since achieved superstardom, plying their craft in Europe and enjoying new status as multi-trophy holders.

There is an urgency to Palace’s creative play that does not detract from their grace and elegance. They have created more big chances this season than both Arsenal and Liverpool. In fact, Manchester City are the only outfit with a higher count at this stage.

Premier League 25/26 – Most Big Chances Created

Team

Goals

BCC

Man City

35

46

Chelsea

25

41

Brentford

21

41

Crystal Palace

18

41

Arsenal

27

40

Data via FotMob

Palace’s inherent playmaking prowess under Glasner’s wing suggests that he could be the perfect fit for a Liverpool side chock-full of devastating attacking quality.

Things might have gone stale in Slot’s system, but Glasner would prove the likes of O’Hara right by joining the Anfield side and elevating this Reds side back to illustrious heights.

Glasner could be the project manager Liverpool need to rival Arteta and Arsenal and reclaim their place on their perch, should Slot indeed face the axe in the coming months.

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Manchester United have become known for relying on numerous top young prospects, with many playing key roles within the first-team and helping them achieve various levels of success.

The Red Devils have either promoted them from the academy ranks, or even paid big money for them in an attempt to secure Premier League glory in the future.

Kobbie Mainoo was one of the youngsters who emerged out of the youth ranks at Old Trafford, but his career has hit a stumbling block over the last few months under Ruben Amorim.

He’s rapidly fallen down the manager’s pecking order in the first-team ranks, which could result in a winter transfer away from his boyhood club in the upcoming window.

The same can’t be said for one other senior player, who has become a crucial player since the manager took the reins at the Red Devils a little over 12 months ago.

Amad Diallo’s key moments at Man Utd

Back in October 2020, United announced the addition of winger Amad Diallo from Italian side Atalanta, with many supporters unaware of the talent purchased by the board.

He would subsequently arrive a few months later during the January transfer window, with his first couple of years seeing him be a bit-part player and even being sent on loan twice.

However, Amorim’s arrival has seen the Ivorian become a key member of his squad over the last few months, even utilising the 23-year-old in a somewhat unnatural wing-back role.

The switch may have come as a surprise to many, but it has been a masterstroke and one that has allowed the youngster to create numerous moments to remember for the supporters.

Arguably, his biggest goal to date came in the Manchester Derby last campaign, with his last-minute effort securing a famous win at the Etihad for the Red Devils.

He’s even contributed on numerous occasions at Old Trafford, with his phenomenal quickfire hat-trick against Southampton in 2024/25 securing the side three crucial points.

The 2025/26 season has been somewhat quiet compared to the standards he’s set for himself over recent times – but he did manage to score a potential Goal of the Season contender against Nottingham Forest.

The star who could be United's next Amad

In his first 13 league games of the 2025/26 campaign, Amad has racked up a total of three combined goals and assists – with one of the efforts coming in that clash at the City Ground.

However, the manager will no doubt have to find a solution in the coming weeks, as the 23-year-old looks set to join up with the Ivory Coast squad for the African Cup of Nations.

It remains to be seen who will likely fill the void, especially with Bryan Mbeumo and Noussair Mazraoui also set to join up with their respective nations for the competition.

Such a period could see the hierarchy delve into the transfer market to land an immediate and or long-term solution to help provide needed depth in the wide areas.

Other areas of the squad will no doubt be targeted too, in the hope of finding a player with a similar profile to Amad, whilst having the potential to develop into a top-level talent.

The hierarchy have already completed one deal ahead of the transfer window, with Colombian teenager Cristian Orozco already making the move to Old Trafford.

The central midfielder set to join the club in the winter window from Fortaleza, subsequently costing a fee in the region of $1m (£750k) – a potential bargain fee.

However, despite being just 17 and operating in a different position, he does offer some similarities to United’s Ivorian star, in largely being an unknown quantity to many.

He’s also agreed to join before arriving at a later date, like Amad, which may only generate even more excitement until he formally joins the club at the start of 2026.

Cristian Orozco – stats against El Salvador
Statistics	Tally
Minutes played	90
Touches	107
Pass accuracy	75%
Passes completed	63
Tackles made	2
Duels won	9
Recoveries made	9
Dribbles completed	2
Stats via SofaScore

Orozco, who’s been dubbed a “destroyer” by one analyst, recently featured for his country at the U17 World Cup, playing a key role in all of their matches, with his showing against El Salvador showcasing the talent he possesses at his tender age.

He managed to complete 67 passes at an accuracy rate of 75%, whilst also completing two dribbles within his total of 107 touches – highlighting his incredible talents with the ball at his feet.

The teenager also won nine duels and nine recoveries alongside two tackles – numbers which could make him the perfect ball-winner for Amorim’s side in the years ahead.

His move to England certainly does have huge glimpses of the previous deal for Amad, with the fanbase undoubtedly hoping that the youngster can develop into another top talent.

However, expectations will no doubt need to be managed during his time in Manchester, but there’s no reason why the supporters can’t begin to get excited about the pending transfer.

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كشف الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا”، عن طاقم التحكيم المكلف بإدارة مباراة منتخب مصر ضد الكويت، المقرر إقامتها غدًا الثلاثاء، في منافسات بطولة كأس العرب 2025.

ويلعب منتخب مصر ضد الكويت، في إطار منافسات الجولة الأولى من عمر مواجهات دور المجموعات من بطولة كأس العرب بقطر.

ويتواجد منتخب مصر في المجموعة الثالثة من بطولة كأس العرب، بجانب كل من الأردن والكويت والإمارات.

وتقام بطولة كأس العرب، في قطر، إذ انطلقت اليوم الأول من ديسمبر وتستمر حتى 18 من الشهر نفسه بمشاركة 16 منتخبًا. موعد مباراة مصر والكويت في كأس العرب

وتقام مباراة مصر والكويت، يوم الثلاثاء الموافق 2 ديسمبر 2025، في تمام الساعة 4:30 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة.

طالع | معلقي مباراة مصر والكويت في كأس العرب 2025 حكم مباراة مصر والكويت في كأس العرب 2025

ويدير مباراة مصر والكويت، طاقم تحكيم بقيادة النرويجي إسبن إسكوس، حكمًا للساحة، ويعاونه كل من: جان إيريك إنجان، مساعدًا أول، وإيزاك باشيفيكين، مساعدًا ثانيًا، وإسماعيل الفاتح، حكمًا رابعًا والهولندي دينيس هيجلر، حكمًا لتقنية الفيديو وأنطونيو جارسيا، حكمًا مساعدًا لتقنية الفيديو.

ويشارك منتخب مصر في بطولة كأس العرب، بقيادة جهاز فني يضم حلمي طولان مدير فني ومعه أحمد حسن مديرًا للمنتخب وعصام الحضري مدربًا للحراس، وذلك بقرار من اتحاد الكرة المصري.

Everton have joined the race to sign a want-away England international in January, according to reports, but face competition from the likes of Manchester United.

Grealish admits "love" for Moyes & Everton

The general rule is that fans should never fall in love with a loan player, but what if a loanee falls in love with them? For Jack Grealish and Everton, the admiration is going both ways and the Manchester City man couldn’t help but heap praise on David Moyes and onwatching fans after scoring the winning goal against Bournemouth on Tuesday night.

Speaking to reporters, Grealish said: “It is a brilliant team and I love the manager to pieces. I have only known him a few months and I can’t speak highly enough of him as a person. How he makes me feel, how he makes me want to play for him – credit to him. We are doing well.

“I am so lucky that I have had such great clubs and great fanbases, this is another one of them. They have been so good to me today. They were singing my name before the goal, I feel like they wanted a bit more from me and I gave it to them!”

There was plenty of cautious optimism when Everton signed the England international on loan in the summer. He was struggling under Pep Guardiola, but a move away and much-needed minutes always seemed likely to spark his love for the game back into action.

It’s been such a successful deal that The Friedkin Group could look to strike a similar transfer in January. Reports have already linked Everton with moves for struggling stars like Joshua Zirkzee and they’ve now even set their sights on welcoming Conor Gallagher back to the Premier League.

Everton join Conor Gallagher race

According to reports in Spain, Everton are now racing to sign Gallagher alongside Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and, of course, Man United.

The England international has struggled for consistent game time as of late, starting just three La Liga games so far this season – and is now ready for a return to the Premier League in an attempt to secure his World Cup place.

Man United’s interest has been well-documented in recent weeks, but Everton could yet spoil their January plans by swooping in. Whether it’s the Red Devils or the Toffees, however, deal is unlikely to come cheap. Atletico are reportedly demanding around €60m (£53m) to sell their midfielder this winter.

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Despite his current struggles, Gallagher often received praise during his time in England, with Chelsea legend Petr Cech telling reporters in 2024: “He’s one of the players that’s always cared about winning and about the club.

“You find that even young players can have special abilities to be a leader. Conor is one of those players – he’s always worked hard, he’s always cared and he always tries his best.”

Having seen the success of Grealish at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, Gallagher could yet follow suit to hand Moyes an impressive addition in January.

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Celtic are back in Scottish Premiership action once again this evening as they prepare to welcome Dundee to Parkhead for Martin O’Neill’s last game in charge.

The 73-year-old manager has confirmed that the match will be his last as the interim boss before Wilfried Nancy is in post ahead of the clash with Hearts at the weekend.

Celtic won 2-1 away at Hibernian in his final away game in the dugout for the Hoops, but the experienced Northern Irishman may want to make some changes to the starting line-up from that win.

Celtic's best performers against Hibernian

Among the players who should keep their place in the XI after that game against Hibs is goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who only gave possession away 11 times from 54 touches and saved all three of the shots against him from open play, per Sofascore.

Celtic’s number one made a couple of impressive close-range saves towards the end of the game and completed all three of his run-outs to clear the ball to preserve all three points, whilst it would be incredibly harsh to criticise him for not saving Martin Boyle’s penalty.

The two goalscorers, Daizen Maeda and Arne Engels, should also retain their positions in the line-up, along with Reo Hatate and Hyun-jun Yang, who set up the goals.

Whilst Yang was not officially credited with an assist for Engels’ goal, the clip above clearly shows that it was his cross that was slightly deflected into the Belgian’s path.

Liam Scales, despite being harshly penalised for a handball, should also keep his place after winning eight of his 12 duels, per Sofascore, and completing 95% of his attempted passes.

Meanwhile, there were a couple of players whose performances may lead to them dropping out of the line-up, including right-sided attacker Luke McCowan, who should be dropped this evening.

Why O'Neill should drop McCowan today

The Scottish central midfielder has been utilised on the right wing in recent weeks, in the absence of any natural options in that position, and he started there against Hibernian on Sunday.

Unfortunately, the left-footed star was unable to deliver a high-quality performance to suggest that he deserves to keep his place in the team heading into O’Neill’s final game against Dundee.

McCowan, who was signed from Dundee in the summer of 2024, played the opening 63 minutes of the clash with Hibernian, before the manager opted to bring Benjamin Nygren on out wide.

Minutes

63

Touches

34

Shots

0

Key passes

1

Big chances created

0

Goals + assists

0

Duels won

1/4

As you can see in the table above, the 27-year-old flop had fewer touches in the game than Schmeichel, a goalkeeper, and failed to make much of an impact at the top end of the pitch.

The experienced midfielder also lost 75% of his physical duels in the win, per Sofascore, which shows that he found the physicality of the game a bit too much to deal with whilst playing on the right wing.

McCowan provided quality on a regular basis in the final third in the 2024/25 campaign, with a return of eight goals and eight assists in 36 league outings for Dundee and Celtic combined, but he has been unable to carry that into the current season.

The Hoops midfielder has not provided an assist in the Premiership since O’Neill’s first game in charge against Falkirk, and his only goal of the league season came against St Mirren on the opening day at the start of August.

This shows that McCowan has not provided much of a threat at the top end of the pitch for the Scottish giants in recent months, which may be why the experiment of playing him on the wing has not been too successful.

It is also why O’Neill should ruthlessly drop him from the starting line-up for tonight’s clash with his former club, opening the door for Nygren to start on the wing instead of in central midfield.

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The Sweden international has scored seven goals in all competitions for Celtic this season, including five in the Premiership, per Sofascore, and he may carry more of a threat than McCowan did from the start against Hibernian on Sunday.