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Aston Villa are now battling Manchester United for the signature of AC Milan star Christian Pulisic, amid a new update on his future at the San Siro.

Villa’s interest in a new forward comes amid doubts over both Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott, with the former failing to hit the ground running since arriving on loan in the summer, being unable to register a goal or assist in his opening eight matches in all competitions.

Elliott, on the other hand, hasn’t received any game time in the Premier League since the end of September, with transfer correspondent Pete O’Rourke revealing the attacking midfielder could be set to return to Anfield, saying: “Aston Villa does seem to be having second thoughts on potentially making that long deal permanent as well.

“There’s a possibility he returns to Anfield in the January window if he’s not going to figure in Unai Emery’s plans going forward.”

As such, if the Villans are to remain in the hunt for the European places, Emery may want to bolster his attacking options this winter, and a new target has now been identified…

Aston Villa now fighting Man Utd for Christian Pulisic

According to a report from Spain, Aston Villa are now battling Manchester United for the signature of Pulisic, and view the American as an ideal addition to the squad, given that they are looking to bring in a versatile forward.

The 27-year-old is able to play both through the middle and out wide, which is what has alerted Villa, but there is a possibility he remains at the San Siro, with it being revealed that AC Milan have already opened talks over a new contract.

The Milan star’s agent is already ‘handling offers’ and awaiting a decision about where he would like to play next, with a move to Villa Park potentially attractive, given that he would be likely to receive regular first-team football.

The former Chelsea man has managed to establish himself as an important player for AC Milan, and his performances over the past year have been very impressive, placing in the 86th percentile for non-penalty goals and assists per 90, when compared to his positional peers.

Although Milan underperformed last season, finishing eighth in Serie A, the USA international remained a reliable source of goals and assists in all competitions.

Christian Pulisic’s output in 2024-25

Appearances

Goal contributions

Serie A

34

22

Champions League

9

5

Italian Super Cup

2

2

The versatile forward, who has scored 32 goals for the USA, has also been lauded by journalist Jacob Schneider, who described him as “sensational” on X.

Pulisic has clearly taken his game to the next level in the Serie A, so he could be a real statement signing for Aston Villa, but the competition from Man United could pose a problem.

Aston Villa want deal for Real Madrid forward done ASAP Aston Villa want deal for Real Madrid forward done ASAP after making offer

The Villans have made an approach for a new forward, but there could be major competition from their Premier League rivals.

ByDominic Lund Nov 16, 2025

Everton have now reportedly joined the race to sign Daizen Maeda in the January transfer window after the Japan international made his exit stance clear to Celtic.

The Toffees’ search for a striker is beginning to become an open secret ahead of the winte window. Neither Beto nor Thierno Barry have hit the heights that those in Merseyside were expecting, with the latter yet to even score a goal this season, and they are now reportedly on the hunt for an extra reinforcement.

Everton hatch striker plan as Moyes moves for star with 18 goals this season

The Toffees’ strikers have struggled to convert and they now have a clinical star in their sights.

BySean Markus Clifford Nov 9, 2025

On that front, a number of names have already been mentioned as potential options. including Ivan Toney and Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee. There is a belief that the former will have to complete a return to Europe if he wants to earn a place in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the 2026 World Cup. Whether that will see Everton make their move remains to be seen, however.

Zirkzee would also be an interesting choice. The Dutchman has lost his place at Man United ever since the arrivals of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko and now needs a similar revival to the one that Jack Grealish is currently enjoying.

Whether he’d solve their goalscoring problems is another question, though. The forward is more of a false nine than an out-and-out goalscorer, which suggests that he wouldn’t solve David Moyes’ current issue.

The Toffees may not necessarily turn to Premier League experience in 2026 either, with Maeda now also an option.

Everton join race to sign Maeda

As reported by TeamTalk, The Friedkin Group and Everton are now racing to sign Maeda after he told Celtic that he wants to leave the club in 2026. The forward was denied a move in the summer, much to his frustration, but has now told the Bhoys that he’s ready to complete an exit away from Glasgow.

Sending the Premier League on high alert, Everton, Brentford, Leeds United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United have all reportedly formed the early race to secure Maeda’s signature, which is available for just £15m.

Although the versatile forward has struggled for goals so far this season – scoring just four goals in 17 games – it’s worth taking Celtic’s own struggles into accout and looking back to just how impressive Maeda was last season.

The 28-year-old scored 33 goals in all competitions last time out and eared justified praised from former manager Brendan Rodgers, who said: “If you are a young player coming through and want to give your honesty to the game, work, intensity and everything.

“No cheating, no nothing – even away at St Mirren, the penalty we got last week he tried to stay on his feet – he’s so honest to the game. Natural isn’t it? He’s been absolutely brilliant.”

Everton now exploring James Ward-Prowse move with Janaury exit expected

Manchester United find themselves building something worthwhile under Ruben Amorim and could now be set to outstrip their rivals to sign Leicester City sensation Jeremy Monga.

While having to settle for a draw at the City Ground last Saturday may have been a frustrating outcome, there were plenty of positives on show as the Red Devils came from a goal down to claim a point at Nottingham Forest.

Four Premier League matches unbeaten may not have the same ring to it as five wins in a row. However, there is undeniable progress being made at Old Trafford, and Amorim’s side are starting to find consistency in time for the festive run of fixtures.

Still, the former Sporting boss is keen to seek more improvement, pointing out that his side suffered from lapses of concentration that ended their hopes of another victory on the road.

He said on Match of the Day: “If I think about game, we lost control for five minutes. I feel in the recent past if we had had this situation, going from 1-0 up to 2-1 down, we would’ve struggled so much more than we did today.

“My feeling is that we played well but we dropped a little bit of energy. When we are full of energy, we are the better team. My players are giving everything but we have the potential to do better and sometimes we have these moments.”

There is a feeling that the best is still to come under Amorim. His reign has taken time to get off the ground, but the January window and beyond offers another chance to shape his team with key reinforcements.

With that in mind, the Red Devils are feeling some optimism that they could beat bitter rivals Manchester City to sign a top talent.

Man Utd looking to beat Man City to sign Leicester City star Jeremy Monga

According to Football Insider, Man Utd hold optimism that they can sign Jeremy Monga from Leicester City, and they could land him for as little as £2 million due to the fact the 16-year-old isn’t yet eligible to pen a professional deal at the Foxes until he turns 17.

Coming under the bracket of nominal compensation, the Red Devils’ target has registered a solitary strike and an assist in 12 appearances this campaign, breaking Jude Bellingham’s record as the Championship’s youngest ever goalscorer against Preston North End.

Compared to Ousmane Dembele by Ben Mattinson, he came close to joining Manchester City and Liverpool earlier in the year, and the Red Devils see Monga as the next in a line of poaching elite talent from other clubs following their additions of Ayden Heaven and Chido Obi Martin.

Manchester United are keen to back Amorim over the coming years, and securing prodigious stars who can potentially go on to become worth millions is an effective way of breeding squad improvement, factoring in financial limitations.

Man Utd are also preparing a big-money bid for a star from South America

That process will take time and effort, granted, though profiling players like Monga is the way to go if the Red Devils have designs on eventually rejoining the Premier League elite.

The Yankees fell short of the ultimate goal again when they were eliminated by the Blue Jays in Game 4 of the American League Division Series on Wednesday.

New York fell in a 2-0 hole after the series opened in Toronto and battled back to take Game 3 on Tuesday, only to watch its season end with a 5-2 loss in Game 4 on Wednesday night. After the game, Yankees skipper Aaron Boone was asked if he has any doubts about his future in New York after he finished his eighth year managing the team.

"No, I'm under contract," he said. "I don't expect anything."

Before the regular season, the Yankees announced they had reached a two-year contract extension with Boone to keep him as their manager through the 2027 season. He remains confident his team will eventually break through and win the franchise's first World Series since '09.

"I believe in so many people in that room," he said postgame via SNY. "That hasn't changed, the fire hasn't changed. It's hard to win the World Series, been chasing it all my life."

The Yankees went 94-68 in the regular season, tying the Blue Jays for the best record in the AL, but they were given the first wild-card spot because Toronto held the tiebreaker. They had a chance to put the Blue Jays behind them, but Toronto's home-field advantage and high-powered offense was too much to overcome. Boone admitted it wasn't the easiest year for him personally, but he expects to be back in the Bronx next season and make a run at the World Series full force.

"This has been a tough year for me personally," he mentioned Wednesday via Fox. "But all you go through to become this team you think can really do something special and for it to abruptly end is always difficult."

Winning at least 90 games in six of his eight seasons as the Yankees' skipper, Boone is still in search of that elusive World Series.

Manchester United are battling Chelsea over the signing of RB Leipzig’s highly-rated young midfielder Assan Ouedraogo, as Ruben Amorim eyes up new additions.

The Red Devils fell to a woeful 1-0 defeat at home to Everton on Monday evening, failing to beat a Blues side who played most of the game with ten men.

It was a big setback for Amorim, with United now going three Premier League matches without a win, and the manager bemoaned the performance of his players at Old Trafford.

It was further proof that United need to look at midfield additions, whether that be in the January or summer transfer window, and an exciting update has now dropped in that respect.

Man Utd have upper hand on Chelsea in Assan Ouedraogo race

According to Sky Germany [via Sport Witness], Manchester United are pushing ahead in their efforts to sign Ouedraogo from Leipzig in 2026. The Red Devils’ interest in the 19-year-old is “becoming more concrete” all the time, with Premier League rivals Chelsea also pushing for a deal.

United have an upper hand in that they have already had contacts with the player’s camp, pursuing him before he left Schalke in June 2024, but a “top offer” will be needed to pry him away from Leipzig given he has no release clause.

Ouedraogo is a huge young talent with so much potential, so United should be looking at him as a fantastic option to add to their midfield in the coming months.

Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes are both in their 30s now, and struggled together against Everton, but the Leipzig star would be a long-term signing who would add much-needed fresh legs in the middle of the park.

Related Amorim and Wilcox agree on blockbuster Man Utd move for "elite" £80m star

The Red Devils could now make a notable signing that would be represent a statement at Old Trafford.

Posts BySean Markus Clifford Nov 24, 2025

Ouedraogo recently scored on his debut for Germany, and he will be pushing to be one of the standout youngsters at 2026 World Cup, with scout Antonio Mango desribing him as a “midfield sensation” earlier this month.

While the German teenager is at his happiest in a central midfield role, he can also shine in a more attacking central berth, as well as on the left wing, and United beating Chelsea and others to his signature would feel like a major statement of intent.

Worse than Bruno Fernandes vs Everton: Amorim must bin Man Utd's 3/10 flop

Manchester City’s victory over Liverpool on Sunday afternoon was a sensational performance which gave Pep Guardiola’s side even more daylight on the 2024/25 Premier League champions.

City put Liverpool to the sword in Guardiola’s 1000th game as a manager, running out 3-0 victors.

The East Mancunian side are still some way off the top of the table, with Arsenal four points clear and comfortably leading the way. Yet, City are finding their best form, having now won four of their last five games, and leading the way for the most goals scored in the top flight.

The main reason for that form in front of goal is Erling Haaland.

How Haaland's start to 2025/26 compares to other seasons

It has got to the point where you watch Haaland now and wonder when, not if, he will score. The Norwegian striker is the most clinical player in the Premier League, and, despite being 108 games into his English top-flight career, is already one goal away from a century.

This season, Haaland has been at his very best. In the Premier League, he’s found the back of the net 14 times in just 11 games.

All of those have come from open play, too, a run which has stayed intact after missing a penalty against Liverpool. Of course, he still got on the scoresheet on Sunday anyway.

City’s striker is in exceptional form, and it does seem nigh on impossible to stop him. But, this is not even his best start to a Premier League season for City. That came in his debut campaign back in 2022/23, when he bagged 15 goals in the first 11 matches.

The following term, 2023/24, was his worst start. That is ironic, given that his 11 goals in as many games would be the ideal way for most strikers to begin the campaign. In 2024/25, Haaland has 12 goals in the first 11 games.

With 19 goals for City in all competitions, it is fair to say the City number 9 is in the form of his life. Yet, there is one of his teammates who could also be in that category.

Man City star is hitting his best form alongside Haaland

Things are starting to click for Guardiola’s side in recent weeks, with Haaland, of course, looking at his very best. Phil Foden is another player who is motoring and has put in some excellent performances in the Champions League.

But it is the man who was player of the match against Liverpool who looks to be in the form of his life. Jeremy Doku shone against the Reds with a dazzling display, capped off with a goal of the highest quality.

It was a performance from the winger which will live long in the memory of City fans. He completed an unbelievable seven out of eight dribbles and was relentless against Conor Bradley.

His goal from the edge of the box saw him drive inside, buy a yard of space and unleash an effort that sailed into the top right corner.

It is not only that game that suggests Doku is playing his best football yet. City’s number 11 has some exceptional underlying numbers, averaging 3.33 key passes and 10.72 progressive carries per 90 minutes. Both of these rank him in the top 1% of positionally similar players in the Premier League.

Described as an “unstoppable” force by BBC Sport analyst Umir, the Belgian winger already has three goals and four assists in 16 games for the Citizens this term. His best campaign saw him get 17 goals and assists across all competitions, so to be 41% of the way to that total is impressive.

With the sort of form the 23-year-old is showcasing this season, it is easy to see how he is in the form of his life. At the current rate, he could easily have his most productive season in terms of goals and assists, whilst helping City push for titles in all competitions.

Man City "genius" looks like the player Liverpool thought Wirtz would be

This Man City star has outshone Wirtz in less minutes this season

1

By
Joe Nuttall

Nov 7, 2025

There are three certainties in life: death, taxes and Arsenal keeping a clean sheet.

Mikel Arteta’s side matched a 122-year club record on Tuesday night by doing so for the eighth game on the bounce in their Champions League win over Slavia Prague.

To their credit, the Czech side came out of the blocks like a house on fire, but after the 20-minute mark, the Gunners established control over the game that remained until the final whistle.

However, while most of the team impressed, there was one player who looked off the pace and was far less effective than Mikel Merino.

Merino's night vs Slavia

With Viktor Gyokeres joining Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus on the injury list over the weekend, Merino was once again drafted in to start up top.

Given the fact that the Czech giants hadn’t lost a home game since December, it was always going to be a challenging evening for the makeshift number nine, and early on, it looked it.

However, just 35 seconds into the second half, the Spanish international once again found himself in the right place at the right time and buried a brilliant cross from Leandro Trossard.

It wasn’t a lucky or scrappy goal, though; it was a well-timed run and a proper centre-forward’s finish on the half volley.

With his name on the scoreboard, the 29-year-old seemed to grow in confidence and just 22 minutes later headed home his second from a Declan Rice delivery.

He did more than bag a brace, though, as in his 95 minutes of action, he played one key pass, took 52 touches, covered 10.2km, made three interceptions, two clearances and three recoveries.

It really was a man-of-the-match display from Merino and one that should fill Arteta with confidence ahead of a tricky game away to Sunderland on Saturday.

However, there was another starter who more than likely played himself out of the team.

Arsenal's underwhelming star

Unfortunately, while the likes of Merino, Trossard and Rice were looking brilliant against Slavia, Ethan Nwaneri was not.

Chalkboard

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

Now, there is no denying that the 18-year-old is an extraordinarily talented prospect and someone who still seems destined for big things.

However, it is also true that he was the most underwhelming player for the Gunners on Tuesday night and looked like an inexperienced youngster.

For example, while he did get himself into promising areas on several occasions, he’d then either lose the ball, play the wrong pass or hold on to it for too long.

As content creator Alex Moneypenny points out, the Hale Ender will have to “prioritise retention” more if he “wants to go to the next level.”

It might sound harsh, but the Sun’s Chisanga Malata was also unimpressed, awarding the teen a 5/10 match rating and writing that he “was anonymous in the first half and struggled to get into the game.”

Unfortunately, his statistics more than back up such an appraisal, as in 65 minutes he amassed a combined expected goal and assists figure of just 0.04, failed to complete a single cross, took 30 touches – 18 fewer than David Raya – completed just 18 passes, lost possession six times and won two of seven duels.

Minutes

65′

Expected Goals

0.03

Goals

0

Expected Assists

0.01

Assists

0

Crosses (Accurate)

1 (0)

Accurate Passes

18/19

Touches

30

Lost Possession

6

Tackles (Won)

1 (0)

Ground Duels (Won)

6 (2)

Aerial Duels (Won)

1 (0)

Fouls

2

Ultimately, Nwaneri is an incredible talent and will surely get back to his best this season, but due to his poor performance against Slavia, he should be dropped for the Sunderland game.

Arsenal "warrior" who won 100% duels is looking like Arteta's new Gabriel

Arsenal may have unearthed another Gabriel during their 3-0 win over Slavia Prague.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 5, 2025

The international break is finally coming to an end this weekend, and West Ham United will be looking to continue their good form.

After a somewhat rocky start to life in the London Stadium dugout, Nuno Espírito Santo finally got a tune out of the Hammers before the break, beating Newcastle United and Burnley.

Those victories have done wonders for the atmosphere around the club, but even so, there is plenty of work to be done in the coming months.

Moreover, the board need to help the Portuguese coach overhaul the squad, and one way they can do that is by moving on one of Graham Potter’s worst signings, alongside Niclas Füllkrug.

The latest on Niclas Füllkrug

While some fans wanted Fullkrug to leave West Ham in the summer, the German decided to stay put and fight to turn things around.

However, like the rest of the team, he started this season in dire form and then, within two games of Nuno’s reign, tore a muscle, which has kept him out of the last four matches.

During that period, it became clear that the former Borussia Dortmund striker wanted to leave the club, and now, transfers expert Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that he will, and has already been in talks with sides from Germany and elsewhere.

On one hand, it could be seen as a shame that the Irons will be losing a German international after just a season and a half at the club.

However, on the other hand, this is a move the club need to facilitate for everyone’s sake, as describing the 32-year-old’s time in the capital as disappointing would be an understatement.

Appearances

20

7

Minutes

877′

385′

Goals

3

0

Assists

2

0

Goal Involvements per Match

0.25

0.00

Minutes per Goal Involvement

175.4′

N/A

For example, since making his move to the club in the summer of 2024, he has scored just three goals and provided two assists in 27 appearances, totalling 1262 minutes.

Worse yet, he failed to score or assist a single goal in the seven appearances prior to his injury this season.

For whatever reason, the international marksman has looked like a totally different player in Claret and Blue from the one who racked up 25 goal involvements in his last season in Germany.

Therefore, getting rid of him in January would be best for all parties, which is unfortunately something that could be said about another international in West Ham’s squad.

The West Ham flop Nuno needs to axe

While it took a little while for them to settle in, it would be fair to say that most of West Ham’s summer signings have improved the squad.

Chalkboard

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

El Hadji Malick Diouf, for example, is a tremendous attacking full-back, Kyle Walker-Peters is great cover and even Callum Wilson has scored a couple of goals and is fine as a low-cost option.

However, one player who wasn’t low-cost and certainly has not improved the squad is Mads Hermansen.

Potter and Co paid Leicester City around £18m for the Danish international in the summer, and unfortunately, that fee is looking worse and worse with each passing game week.

For example, on his competitive debut for the club, he conceded three against Sunderland, then let in five at home to Chelsea the following week.

It was after the game against the West Londoners that Jamie Redknapp argued that he “needs to be changed”, and iconic commentator Ian Darke described the 25-year-old’s start to life in East London as “horrible.”

He then kept his first clean sheet against Nottingham Forest, but the next game saw him let in another three goals, this time at home to Tottenham Hotspur.

Since then, the 25-year-old hasn’t been anywhere near the starting lineup, and in his place, Alphonse Areola has reminded the club that while not the most spectacular of keepers, he can do a job.

Therefore, when the winter window opens, the board should be looking to recoup as much as they can on the former Foxes star, as he’s clearly not good enough to be the number one, and he cost too much and is too unreliable to be a number two.

Ultimately, it might be ruthless, but for the good of his own career and the squad, West Ham need to ensure Hermansen follows Fullkrug out the door in January.

West Ham flop was compared to Pirlo, now he's "National League standard"

He has shown no Pirlo-esque ability since moving to West Ham United.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 18, 2025

Leeds United are ready to sell a first-team player in the January transfer window, and there is now interest from a Champions League giant.

Pressure on Farke ahead of Leeds vs Aston Villa

Daniel Farke arguably appears to be the Premier League manager under the most pressure as club football prepares to make a return.

The Whites go into Sunday’s clash at home to Elland Road off the back of two disappointing away defeats to Brighton and Nottingham Forest.

Leeds’ upcoming fixtures

Date

Aston Villa (h)

November 23rd

Manchester City (a)

November 29th

Chelsea (h)

December 3rd

Liverpool (h)

December 6th

Brentford (a)

December 14th

Crystal Palace (h)

December 21st

Sunderland (a)

December 28th

Now just a point above the relegation zone, Farke insisted that his side aren’t panicking.

Leeds have already been linked with numerous managers to replace Farke in Yorkshire, including former RB Salzburg, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig manager Marco Rose and ex-Tottenham and Nottingham Forest boss Ange Postecoglou, both of whom are currently out of work.

However, the 49ers Enterprises are ready to give Farke until January to turn things around, and in the winter transfer market, one player exit could materialise.

Inter Milan keen to sign Leeds goalkeeper Meslier

According to reports in Italy, relayed by Sport Witness, Inter Milan are interested in signing Illan Meslier in 2026.

Leeds are ready to sell the goalkeeper in the January transfer window with his contract up at the end of the season, however, Inter, as well as rivals AC Milan, have their eyes on a free transfer in the summer.

Both Milan sides have a good relationship with Meslier’s agent Pini Zahavi, who is looking to find the Frenchman a new permanent home with the goalkeeper failing to make an appearance for Leeds in 2025/26, being preferred to new signing Lucas Perri and Wales number one Karl Darlow.

Of course, should Meslier’s situation remain the same, he’ll be able to pen a pre-contract agreement with Inter or AC Milan in the New Year.

The 49ers may find it tough to recoup the £5m they spent on Meslier back in 2020, which is something that would’ve been hard to believe a few years ago when the ‘keeper was once valued at £50m at Elland Road.

Inter are currently joint-top of the Champions League group with four wins from a possible four, conceding just once during that time.

They have Yann Sommer (36), Raffaele Di Gennaro (32) and Josep Martinez (27) as their current goalkeeping options heading into 2026, and by the looks of it, Meslier could join or replace one of the trio.

Academy star who's never played a senior minute for Leeds could replace Bijol

This might be the first international break in some time that West Ham United fans can’t wait for it to end.

The East Londoners are still in the Premier League relegation zone, but following back-to-back wins, there is a sense of optimism that they can avoid a protracted fight for survival this year.

After all, Nuno Espirtio Santo took Nottingham Forest from near the bottom of the table to Europa League football in a season and a half; why can’t he achieve something similar at the London Stadium?

However, before fans get carried away, there are still a number of players who need to be moved on from the squad, including one flop previously compared to Andrea Pirlo.

West Ham's biggest losers since Nuno arrived

After a slightly rocky start, Nuno does look to have finally stabilised and improved things at West Ham.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

However, while the team appears to be somewhat on the up, and the fans are starting to feel justifiably optimistic about what the rest of the campaign could bring, some players have lost out due to the appointment of the Portuguese coach.

For example, while James Ward-Prowse was a constant feature in Graham Potter’s midfield, he hasn’t played a minute under the new regime.

In fact, the former Southampton captain hasn’t even been named in a single squad, which shouldn’t be too much of a surprise considering Nuno also froze him out when he was on loan at the City Ground last year.

Another Potter signing who has had no luck under the Sao-Tome-born boss is Igor Julio.

The Brazilian centre-back joined the Hammers on a season-long loan from Brighton & Hove Albion on deadline day, and so far has played 13 minutes of football under his new boss, which came in three short appearances off the bench.

What makes this worse is the fact that Konstantinos Mavropanos has been out injured for almost a month, and even so, he has still been limited to a bit-part role at best.

Finally, although this may be a bit harsh, the manager appears to have lost faith in Soungoutou Magassa.

The Frenchman started his first two games in charge, but has since played just 30 minutes of action across the last four league games, thanks to two substitutions.

With that said, he’s still young and clearly talented, so there is every chance Nuno will eventually use him more often, which cannot be said for a West Ham flop who was once compared to Pirlo, but now needs to be sold as soon as possible.

The West Ham flop compared to Pirlo

The midfield pairing of Freddie Potts and Mateus Fernandes, which has worked so well in recent games, has made it evident that West Ham need to get rid of their other midfield options, who have looked way off it this season: Andrew Irving.

The Hammers signed the Scotsman in the summer of 2023 from Austrian outfit Klagenfurt, and while it wasn’t really a big deal at the time, there was a hope he’d prove to be a bargain buy, especially as he’d been compared to the legendary Pirlo in the past.

Yes, while it was certainly tongue-in-cheek, he was given the nickname ‘Portobello Pirlo’ by the fans during his time with Scottish outfit Hearts, where he made 61 appearances, scoring five goals and providing 13 assists.

Unfortunately, while he was probably deserving of the comparison north of the border, he hasn’t shown any Pirlo-esque quality in the capital.

In fact, in the words of journalist Jordan Rushworth, he has looked more like a “National League standard” midfielder, adding that he “gets walked past every time an opposition midfielder has the ball.”

While harsh and probably a little over the top, the 25-year-old has looked miles off it in Claret and Blue, and was starting in the middle of the park during Nuno’s struggles against Brentford and Leeds United.

In fact, it was in the aftermath of the former that Jamie Carragher described the Hammers as “one of the slowest teams I’ve seen in Premier League history!”

This lack of dynamism in the middle of the park was largely down to the once-capped Scotsman, and his statistics from that game did not make for pleasant reading.

In his 61 minutes of inaction, he played a single key pass, misplaced four of five crosses, lost 100% of his tackles, didn’t make a single interception, clearance or block, and lost 100% of his aerial duels.

Minutes

61′

Expected Assists

0.02

Key Passes

1

Shots

0

Crosses (Accurate)

5 (1)

Ground Duels (Won)

4 (2)

Aerial Duels (Won)

2 (0)

Tackles (Won)

2 (0)

Clearances

0

Interceptions

0

Blocks

0

Ultimately, Irving has been really quite poor for West Ham this season, and with far better options currently doing the business for Nuno, he should be sold in January.

£67m spent & no Wilson or Fullkrug: Nuno's dream West Ham XI after January

This is the dream West Ham starting line-up that Nuno could build in the January window.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 15, 2025