Crystal Palace have joined the race to sign Real Betis forward Abde Ezzalzouli in the January transfer window, and their chances of getting a deal over the line have now been revealed.

Palace have predominantly been linked with new defenders in recent weeks, amid Marc Guehi’s uncertain future, but they are also looking to upgrade their options in attacking areas, having recently failed to craft many decent opportunities against Brighton & Hove Albion.

Indeed, the Eagles recorded an xG of just 0.75 against their rivals, with Jean-Philippe Mateta receiving little service, although that has been a rarity, with the Frenchman currently joint-third in the Premier League’s goalscoring charts.

Premier League top goalscorers

Club

Goals

Erling Haaland

Manchester City

14

Igor Thiago

Brentford

8

Antoine Semenyo

AFC Bournemouth

6

Danny Welbeck

Brighton

6

Jean-Philippe Mateta

Crystal Palace

6

Yeremy Pino was one of Oliver Glasner’s statement signings during the summer, but the Spaniard’s Premier League career is yet to truly take off, having been unable to register a goal or assist in his opening nine matches.

In fairness, it often takes foreign players some time to adapt to life in England, and it is still very early days for Pino, but Glasner has now set out to sign another new forward.

Crystal Palace join race to sign Abde Ezzalzouli

According to a report from Spain, Crystal Palace have now joined the race to sign Real Betis star Ezzalzouli, who is being closely monitored ahead of the January transfer window, but there may be competition from fellow Premier League side Aston Villa.

Real Betis are reluctant to sanction a departure, but may be forced to listen to an ‘irresistible’ offer, with the Spanish side’s board clear that any deal must amount to significantly more than the Moroccan’s €12m (£11m) valuation.

As such, a deal could be there to be done for Palace, with Glasner looking to bring in another winger to form a top-level forward line, alongside Mateta, Pino and Ismaila Sarr.

Once lauded as “extraordinary” by Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez, the 23-year-old has made an impressive start to the season for Betis, amassing eight goals and assists in his opening 13 matches across all competitions.

Not only has the Morocco international impressed Xavi in the past, but scout Ben Mattinson has also compared him to Paris Saint-Germain star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, in light of the winger’s “explosive” dribbling ability.

The Betis forward’s ability to drive at opposition defences has been on display regularly over the past year, placing in the 84th percentile for progressive carries per 90, when compared to his positional peers, having averaged 4.82.

As such, Ezzalzouli could be a brilliant acquisition for Crystal Palace, and they should try and get a deal done in the January transfer window to bolster their chances of winning the UEFA Conference League.

Crystal Palace lining up move for Brendan Rodgers to replace Oliver Glasner Crystal Palace line up Brendan Rodgers as Oliver Glasner succession plan revealed

The Eagles are making contingency plans, with Oliver Glasner’s contract set to expire next summer.

1 ByDominic Lund Oct 29, 2025

One manager who has previously hailed Swansea City supporters is open to the idea of replacing Alan Sheehan in south Wales.

Swansea City managerial latest

The search for a new permanent Swans manager is underway after parting ways with Sheehan on Tuesday following a poor start to the Championship campaign.

A club statement on Tuesday read: “In the wake of a disappointing run, it is felt results and performances do not meet the standards expected at this stage of the season, and we have had to take this difficult decision.

“The process to appoint a new head coach is already under way. We will update supporters on this process once it has been concluded.”

CEO Tom Gorringe and head of recruitment Adam Worth are leading the search for Sheehan’s successor, with Hammarby manager Kim Hellberg the favourite to come in during the international break.

Talks have been held with the 37-year-old who at this stage appears to be one of the frontrunners after initial discussions.

Swedish coach Hellberg isn’t the only name, though, with former managers Russell Martin and Brendan Rodgers out of work at this moment in time, as well as former Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick.

Russell Martin open to Swansea City return

According to the BBC, Martin is open to the idea of returning to Swansea, more than two years on after leaving for Southampton.

The outlet states that Martin ‘remains a popular figure among players and staff at Swansea’, however, a move back to south Wales for the available manager ‘is unlikely’ despite still having ‘many admirers within the club’.

The Swansea owners are the ones who are seemingly against a return for Martin, who was sacked from Rangers earlier this season following a disastrous short tenure at Ibrox.

The 39-year-old did take Southampton to the Premier League in his first season in charge before being sacked in the top flight by the Saints. Martin has actually taken charge of more games for Swansea than any other club in his managerial career and clearly has a soft spot for Jacks supporters.

Club

Games

Points per game

MK Dons

80

1.38

Swansea

99

1.35

Southampton

73

1.58

Rangers

17

1.24

Following a draw at Huddersfield during his time in charge, Martin was full of praise for the Swansea supporters.

Sunderland have a habit of finding gems in the transfer market and could now look to sign another Moroccan star following their summer capture of Chemsdine Talbi.

The Black Cats have been the surprise package of the Premier League campaign, and the example they have set is up there with the best newly-promoted sides to enter the top-flight.

Regis Le Bris has been a breath of fresh air against the elite in English football, and his side maintained their unbeaten home record in some style on Saturday evening, claiming a dramatic last-gasp draw against Arsenal courtesy of Brian Brobbey.

Sparking scenes of jubilation at the Stadium of Light, the Frenchman’s post-match interview paid tribute to his players and supporters as they battled until the end against one of Europe’s in-form clubs.

He told Match of the Day: “The lads worked hard to the end. They believed it was possible to change the dynamic. It was a tough game, as we expected. They are probably one of the best teams in Europe. We struggled, but we still believed it was possible to score one more goal. Our fans helped a lot. We showed before that it was possible, so now we have this faith, this belief that until the final whistle, anything is possible.”

Admittedly, it would be difficult to imagine a better start for Sunderland in their long-awaited return to the Premier League. Granit Xhaka’s leadership in midfield has offered an excellent base to build from, while figures such as Dan Ballard, Wilson Isidor and Enzo Le Fee have led the charge.

Whether from the start or off the bench, the Black Cats have a healthy balance to their squad and will be keen to bolster the ranks in January, something that could see them enter an untapped market for a player who retains considerable potential.

Sunderland bid for Moroccan talent Hossam Essadak

According to AfricaFoot, Sunderland have submitted an official offer for Union Touarga Sport midfielder Hossam Essadak after his leading role in Morocco claiming glory at the recent Under-20 World Cup in Chile.

Leading his side all the way to the final and collecting the trophy from Gianni Infantino, the 20-year-old is also wanted by Scottish Premiership champions Celtic, and there could be scope for a transfer battle between two of British football’s notable clubs for his services.

Should he opt for Sunderland, Essadak may follow similar footsteps to those of compatriot Chemsdine Talbi, albeit he would likely be viewed as one for the future in the North East.

Amid growing speculation over the prodigious star, scouts from both the Black Cats and Celtic are set to watch him in action before the January window.

Either way, Essadak has two attractive options to pick from after a run of four goals and four assists in 35 appearances for Union Touarga Sport. Wydad Casablanca and RS Berkane have also expressed their interest, but he is likely to be sold to a European counterpart.

أعلن الكرواتي كرونسلاف يورتشيتش، المدير الفني لنادي بيراميدز، التشكيل الرسمي لفريقه استعدادًا لمواجهة المقاولون العرب، اليوم الثلاثاء، ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

ومن المقرر أن تُلعب المباراة على استاد الدفاع الجوي ضمن منافسات الجولة الرابعة عشر من الدوري المصري الممتاز لموسم 2025-2026.

ويدخل بيراميدز اللقاء محتلاً المركز الرابع في جدول الترتيب برصيد 20 نقطة، بعدما خاض 9 مباريات حقق خلالها 6 انتصارات وتعادلين وتعرض لهزيمة وحيدة.

في المقابل، يدخل المقاولون العرب المواجهة وهو في المركز الثامن عشر برصيد 10 نقاط، بعد خوض 13 مباراة حقق فيها فوزًا واحدًا وتعادل في 7 لقاءات وخسر 5 مباريات.

طالع أيضًا | يورتشيتش: بيراميدز واجه مشكلة قبل مواجهة ريفرز.. وهذا ما يحتاجه إيفرتون تشكيل بيراميدز أمام المقاولون العرب في الدوري

حراسة المرمى: أحمد الشناوي.

خط الدفاع: أحمد سامي – محمود مرعي – محمد حمدي – محمد الشيبي.

خط الوسط: بلاتي توريه – وليد الكرتي – أحمد عاطف “قطة” – مصطفى زيكو – محمود زلاكة.

خط الهجوم: فيستون مايلي. بدلاء بيراميدز أمام المقاولون العرب في الدوري

محمود جاد – علي جبر – كريم حافظ – أحمد توفيق – محمود دونجا – مروان حمدي – إيفرتون داسيلفا – محمد رضا “بوبو” – عبد الرحمن مجدي

Former Premier League referee Mike Dean has admitted that he found it strange how Queens Park Rangers played the final moments of their historic game against Manchester City in May 2012, adding fuel to a longstanding conspiracy theory peddled by Wayne Rooney that Manchester United were done out of the title. Sergio Aguero's last-ditch winner famously secured the title for City instead.

• Rooney questions QPR's approach

  Rooney has always openly questioned whether QPR allowed City to win the game in question at the Etihad Stadium a little too easily. Roberto Mancini's team, who had hauled Manchester United back in during a rollercoaster title race up to that point, needed three points in their final match of the season to be sure of a first English league championship in 44 years. But QPR, who were fighting relegation, led 2-1 going into the final stages.

  It meant that because United won their own fixture away at Sunderland, they finished their season as champions. But City were still playing and had enough time to turn things around, through Edin Dzeko and then Aguero. What has always rankled with Rooney is that QPR survived relegation, even in defeat, because of Bolton’s 1-1 draw with Stoke. He has implied that they may have already before the end of the game they were safe, although that has always been unclear.

  "Paddy Kenny should have done better for a couple of the goals," Rooney said in 2022. "City get the second goal and QPR kick it straight back to them and that's never been questioned – I find that strange. Djibril Cisse celebrating after the game with the City players, but yeah listen it's a historic moment in the Premier League so I'm sure that, if you are not involved as a Manchester United player, that's probably one of the greatest moments in the league."

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• AFP
  

  Dean adds weight to Rooney's claims

  Speaking on, brought to you by , Mike Dean gave his opinion on what happened that day. He was the referee for the game and considered it odd the way QPR surrendered possession so easily after City had got back level at 2-2 through Dzeko's equaliser.

  "[City] make it 2-2, and [QPR] just kick it back and give it to them. And we [the match officials] were like, 'What's going on, why are they giving the ball back straightaway?' I said [that] in the ear piece. To kick off and give the ball straight back to them. Neil Swarbrick, the fourth official, said, 'Keep switched on, something is going to happen.'

  "You just knew something was going to happen. You could just tell. What was strange about it, once QPR found out they were safe, Jamie Mackie was on the pitch celebrating while the game was still going on."

  Rooney was also appearing on the show and cheekily added: "They had loads of ex-City players in there as well," referencing Shaun Wright-Phillips, Nedum Onuoha and Joey Barton in the QPR side – Barton had earlier been sent off for violent conduct.

• Cisse denies foul play

  QPR and former Liverpool striker Djibril Cisse was seen celebrating with City players afterwards, but recently denied that had anything to do with wanting the club to win the title over United. He told this year that it was only because close friend Samir Nasri was in the City team, combined with QPR's own survival.

  "I was celebrating with Samir Nasri," he said. "I didn't celebrate with Mario Balotelli, Sergio Aguero or anybody else. I celebrated with my brother, Samir, who had been a friend of mine for 15 years.

  "Manchester United lost the Premier League title because they dropped points throughout the season. It was nothing to do with me or QPR. What Rooney said isn't cool. He took out his frustrations on me. It's not my fault. If we had wanted Man City to win the league, would it not have been a little risky to have waited until the very last minute to let them score? We could have let them win 4–0 or 5–0 and gone home. But we played a strong team, the manager wanted to win that game. It wasn't our reserve team."

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• AFP
  

  Man City still await Premier League charges verdict

  Theoretically, United could still be retrospectively awarded the 2011-12 Premier League title. The season falls within the period of time for which City face at least 115 charges for alleged financial rule breaches between 2009 and 2018.

  A verdict is still to be given on the case that has dragged on for years, with the long-awaited hearing concluding almost 12 months ago without any further updates. Nobody really knows what sanctions and punishments could be applied if City, who fiercely deny wrongdoing, are deemed guilty. But nothing, including titles being stripped, is off the table at this stage.

South Africa allrounder was reported for a suspect action last month in Australia and hasn’t played since

Firdose Moonda07-Sep-2025

South Africa’s offspin-allrounder Prenelan Subrayen’s bowling action has been found to be legal by an independent testing centre. Subrayen, who has one Test and one ODI cap to his name, was reported for a suspect action last month in Australia and has not played since.While Subrayen was never suspended from bowling, South Africa chose to rest him for their remaining matches in Australia and did not name him in their squad for their ongoing series in England. Subrayen was tested in Brisbane on August 26 and an ICC statement confirmed that “the amount of elbow extension for all his deliveries was within the 15-degree level of tolerance permitted under the ICC Illegal Bowling Regulations”.This is the third time Subrayen’s action has come under scrutiny. In December 2012, his action was deemed illegal and he was placed in a Cricket South Africa rehabilitation program. He was cleared to bowl again in January 2013. A year later he was reported during a Champions League T20 tournament in India and then suspended from bowling in November 2015 when all his deliveries were found to exceed the 15-degree limit. After failing a reassessment in January 2016, he was cleared to resume bowling in March that year.Subrayen has been playing in South Africa’s domestic system since 2011 and made his Test debut against Zimbabwe in July. He remains part of South Africa’s plans as they build to the next two white-ball World Cups.

Spinner’s five-for sees Kent follow on, before hosts stumble to close five down

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay26-Sep-2025Kent 271 (Ekansh 71, Dawkins 61, Morley 5-99) and 136 for 5 (Compton 55*, Evison 53, Reece 4-33) trail Derbyshire 698 for 6 dec by 291 runsDerbyshire were closing in on a huge victory against Kent when bad light forced a premature end to day three of their Rothesay County Championship match at Canterbury.Kent were 135 for 5 in their seconds innings, still 291 behind, after Luis Reece ripped out their top order with 4 for 33.That came after Jack Morley took 5 for 99 as the visitors dismissed Kent for 271 in the first innings, a lead of 427. Ekansh Singh and Ben Dawkins both hit career-best scores of 71 and 61 respectively, but when the former was out Kent’s last four wickets went for just nine runs.Derbyshire enforced the follow on and Reece reduced them to 20 for 3 before Joey Evison and Ben Compton offered some resistance. Reece eventually got Evison for 53, but Compton was unbeaten on 55 when the light failed.The lights were on but very few people were at home when play began on time, with Kent on 117 for 2. Morley, who removed nightwatcher Michael Cohen with the final ball on day two, struck again in his first full over of the morning, getting Jaydn Denly lbw for a five-ball duck.Ekansh was given a life when Wayne Madsen couldn’t cling on to a slip catch after he flashed at Ben Aitchison, but Dawkins was strangled as soon as Zak Chappell returned from the Nackington Road End.Ollie Curtiss got his first first-class runs, but Morley had him brilliantly caught by Martin Andersson at midwicket for 14, leaving Kent on 217 for 5 at lunch.Morley claimed his fifth in style by clinging on to a violent return catch from Ekansh at the second attempt and in doing so he became the first Derbyshire spinner to claim five wickets at Canterbury since Les Townsend in 1931.There was raucous applause from the Nackington Road End when Evison hit Harry Came for successive boundaries to earn Kent a solitary bonus point, but he then slashed Reece to Aneurin Donald at first slip, before Aitchison got his second strangle of the day when Harry Finch flicked him behind for 14.Corey Flintoff went for a second-ball duck, hitting Aitchison straight to the sub fielder Nick Potts at square leg and Matt Parkinson lasted four balls before he edged Reece to Wayne Madsen, who took an outstanding one-handed grab at second slip.If that was bad, there was worse to come as Reece bowled Dawkins for nought with the second ball of the second innings and then had Denly caught behind for four in his next over. Reece got his third of the innings when Ekansh was caught behind for 4, but Compton and Evison steadied things.The latter was dropped by Amrit Basra off Chappell when he was on 28 in the final over before tea, at which point Kent were 61 for 3. He was dropped again on 52 when he drove Dal to midwicket, but Donald put him down, apparently while celebrating a catch he hadn’t actually taken.Donald’s embarrassment was fleeting as Evison chipped Reece to Andersson in the next over and Dal then bowled Curtiss for 4 but Compton swept Morley for four to pass 50 and bad light stopped play at 5.39pm, with eight overs remaining.

Manchester United are now keen on signing Santos forward Neymar, following a recent update from Carlo Ancelotti on whether the “legendary” forward will go to the 2026 World Cup with Brazil.

The Brazilian has been playing outside Europe since leaving Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the 2022-23 campaign, spending an injury-ridden campaign with Al-Hilal before moving back to his native country and signing for Santos.

Consequently, the former Paris Saint-Germain man hasn’t featured for his country since appearing against Uruguay over two years ago, with the likes of Vinicius Jr, Estevao and Rodrygo emerging as the new star players.

However, Ancelotti recently revealed the Brazil record goalscorer’s international career may not be over just yet, suggesting he could still take the Santos star to the upcoming World Cup if he has a strong end to the campaign.

Man Utd keen on signing Neymar

According to a report from Spain, Man United are now keen on signing Neymar, with the superstar’s chances of going to the World Cup on the line if he doesn’t put together a good run ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which starts on June 11th.

Ruben Amorim’s side are looking for a fresh spark in attack, and there is a belief the 33-year-old would fit the bill, given that he is proven at the top level, and a deal may be there to be done, as United would be able to afford the ex-Barcelona man’s wages.

That said, there are doubts over whether the Santos legend would be able to adapt to the Premier League, given his age, and he hasn’t exactly set the world alight since returning to Brazil.

The 128-time Brazil international is undoubtedly a modern-day icon, having been lauded as “legendary” by journalist Luis Cristovao, but his best days are clearly behind him, having contributed just three goals in 16 appearances in the 2025 Brazilian Serie A.

In his prime, the Man United target was one of the best players in the world, enjoying four amazing seasons with Barcelona and amassing 43 Champions League goals across a hugely successful career, during which time he was described as a “great player” by Cristiano Ronaldo.

Neymar’s attacking output by season

La Liga appearances

Goal contributions

2013-14

26

19

2014-15

33

31

2015-16

34

40

2016-17

30

27

Having suffered with injuries, gone are the days when Neymar used to terrorise defences alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, and it is debatable whether United even need to sign a forward, having brought in Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha in the summer.

Neymar has been named as one of the greatest wingers in football history Related The Greatest 20 Wingers in Football History

The best wingers the game has ever seen.

Posts ByCharlie Smith Oct 22, 2025

Benches cleared during Wednesday night’s game between the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles after O’s outfielder Heston Kjerstad took exception with Yankees second baseman Pablo Reyes as he slid into second.

As Kjerstad stole second, Reyes jumped to bring down the throw down from catcher Austin Wells and Reyes came down awkwardly on Kjerstad's head. Words were exchanged and benches quickly cleared between both sides. The Orioles' bullpen sprinted in from center field and the Yankees' relievers followed slowly behind.

The dust up amounted to a whole lot of nothing, with players quickly separating and play resuming shortly after.

Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay couldn't fathom why the bullpens cleared as well, as the incident settled before they could even get to second base from behind the center-field wall.

"I'm telling you, the run from the bullpen is one of the most ridiculous things," Kay said on the broadcast via Prime Video and . "No one's thrown a punch. No one's said a curse word. But they all had to run from the 410-foot mark."

You can't help but wonder why the bullpens even bothered. But, hey, they did what they could do get there as soon as possible, I guess.

The Orioles (12-18) beat the Yankees (18-13) by a score of 5-4 to take the rubber match of the three-game series between the American League East rivals.

With their trade for quarterback Geno Smith in the rearview mirror, the Las Vegas Raiders appear set to keep him around.

The Raiders are signing Smith to a two-year extension, according to a Thursday afternoon report from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Smith, 34, was previously set to enter free agency after the 2025 season.

Per Rapoport and ESPN's Adam Schefter, the extension will pay Smith up to $85.5 million with $66.5 million guaranteed.

Smith spent 2020 to '24 with the Seattle Seahawks, who traded Smith to Las Vegas on March 13. With the Seahawks, the West Virginia product completely rejuvenated his NFL career.

He threw 30 touchdowns against 11 interceptions in 2022—a year in which he was named the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year. He followed that up with a 20-touchdown, nine-interception performance in 2023 that garnered him another Pro Bowl nod.

Smith's traditional numbers weren't overwhelming in 2024, but he remains a reliable option at his position—and the Raiders seem to agree.