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West Ham United have made their first move for Real Betis forward Borja Iglesias after his phenomenal 2021/22 campaign in La Liga, according to an update from the last 48 hours.

The Lowdown: West Ham wanted Iglesias in 2019…

The Hammers, and by extension club owners GSB, had actually attempted to sign Iglesias back in 2019, when they were apparently ready to make a move for the Spaniard after negotiations between Betis and his former club Espanyol turned sour.

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The Premier League club were ‘willing to satisfy the demands’ of Espanyol but Iglesias opted to choose Betis instead, explaining in an interview that he was attracted by the project on offer in Andalucia (Estadio Deportivo).

The Latest: West Ham go back in for Iglesias…

According to AS, sharing news in the last 48 hours, West Ham have revived their interest for their former transfer target, making their first move in the form of an inquiry.

Indeed, the east Londoners are apparently among ‘several’ English top-flight clubs to make contact with Betis over a possible move for Iglesias.

The Verdict: Go further this time

Iglesias has just finished a brilliant season at Betis, scoring 19 goals in all competitions, leaving little wonder that he his back on the Irons’ radar.

The 29-year-old bagged four of those goals in six Europa League starts, illustrating that he can perform on the biggest stages, and he may prove a useful asset at West Ham in that respect.

Having scored an impressive 157 career goals in total, Iglesias has little trouble finding the net, so we believe that West Ham should test Betis’ resolve with a formal bid, going further than they did in their previous pursuit of him three years ago.

In other news: Offer ready: West Ham leap ahead of European giants in race for £21m forward! Find out more here.

Gio van Bronckhorst tasted success for the first time as manager of Rangers as his side won the Scottish Cup at the weekend.

The Gers won 2-0 at Hampden Park as goals from Ryan Jack and Scott Wright meant that the club ended the 2021/22 campaign with a trophy to lift.

After finishing second in the Premiership and losing on penalties in the final of the Europa League, it was a fantastic way to round off the season and head into the summer without a bitter taste in the mouth.

The focus will now turn to the summer transfer window and one player the club have already been linked with a swoop for is Welsh winger Japhet Matondo.

According to Football League World, Cardiff are only entitled to a fee of £130k should he make a move to Rangers or Celtic, who are both interested in his services.

Premier League side Leeds are also said to be keen on the youngster and they would need to negotiate a fee with the Welsh club as they do not fall under the non-English rules that benefit the Old Firm giants in this transfer battle.

Imagine him & Lowry

Now, just imagine him and Alex Lowry coming through the ranks at Ibrox in the years to come and making their mark on the first team.

Ross Wilson must land the attacker as Matondo, 16, and Lowry, 18, can be the future of the Glasgow giants and enjoy a link-up on the pitch. The former can play out wide, on the left or right, and the latter is capable of playing in central midfield or on the wing.

This means that they could play alongside each other on the flanks or with the Scot in the middle of the park supplying the Welshman with the ball out wide.

Reporter Mark Hendry dubbed him a “teen talent” and Wales Online reported that he is highly rated at Cardiff and has admirers within the national team camp. This, along with the interest in him from elsewhere, suggests that he has been in fine form this season at youth level and has caught the eye enough to warrant speculation over his future.

Whilst this does not guarantee that he will make the grade at Ibrox, this does suggest that he is an exciting young player who is worth taking a gamble on.

Meanwhile, Lowry has already shown glimpses of his quality at the first-team level. He averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.05 in four Premiership outings as he scored one and assisted one for the Glasgow giants.

This shows that both players are up-and-coming gems who could be stars in the future, which is why Wilson must secure a deal for Matondo to pair him with the current Rangers talent as they can be an exciting duo for years to come.

AND in other news, Enquiry made: Rangers avoided disaster with “annoying” dud whose value dropped £8.4m…

They came close – very close – but Pakistan’s destiny in South Africa has not changed just yet

Danyal Rasool29-Dec-2024Centurion is a great place to watch Test cricket, but even if you’re not particularly interested, there’s enough to keep you entertained. The queues for cheesy chips snaked out on most days, and more than 2 million rands of alcohol were sold. Couples lounged around the embankments shading themselves under giant umbrellas. Over by the scoreboard, a few people were jogging on the spot, raising money for a charitable cause. Unsupervised children of varying ages – invariably wearing the wildly popular fluorescent pink ODI shirt – set up their own games of cricket, scurrying back into the ground whenever a cheer went up to investigate if news was good or bad.But once lunch was over on day 4, that area which encircles SuperSport Park was no more a hive of activity. Nearly everyone had returned from the concession stands, those dozing under the umbrellas sat up. Even the children had packed away their little plastic bats and balls, aware this was a tense finish, but unsure why a multi-decade history of trauma was writ large on their parents’ faces.***Mohammad Abbas is bowling; he was bowling before lunch, and he was bowling yesterday. At this point, it seems like he’s been bowling for longer than he was out of the Test side. He might have been bowling since 2007, the last time Pakistan won a Test match in South Africa, because Pakistan have effectively been playing the same Test match here since.Related

• Secrets of Newlands pitch keep Pakistan guessing on team combination

• Mohammad Abbas ready for his redemption arc

• WTC final scenarios

• Stats – Jansen, Rabada and SA's ninth-wicket partnership for the ages

• Masood calls for more ruthlessness from Pakistan to kill off Tests

There are reasons South Africa cannot win this Test, primarily because it matters in a wider context. They are a handful of runs away from making a World Test Championship final, and a crack at yet another piece of silverware. They are – or were – in a winning position, and having begun to squander it, the path of heartbreaking failure looks like it has locked beneath their feet.But expecting Pakistan to win Tests in South Africa is a bit like being believing a steady diet of cheese will cure gout. That it failed to do so doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with the cheese. It’s just not what cheese does.Mohammad Abbas had single-handedly threatened to put South Africa’s qualification to the WTC final on hold•Gallo ImagesThis makes it a contest of a movable force against a stoppable object, because any world where Pakistan win this sort of Test in South Africa turns the narrative upside down. The plot armour that has scripted a Pakistan defeat this Test appears nigh-on impenetrable. When South Africa have bowled poorly, Pakistan just offered their wickets up. When South African wickets were falling in a bunch, Pakistan spread out their fields, threw in an hour of indifferent bowling, and ensured there was enough “cushion”, as Shan Masood called it, for a South African win to still be believably scripted. Masood pointed out this had been an issue with Pakistan in every innings. He just meant this match, but he might as well have extended that characterisation to about half the Tests Pakistan had ever played in this country.But boy, is Abbas trying to change all that. After a first innings where his exclusion from the Pakistan side appeared vindicated, he’s working on reversing more than just one narrative. Every other over, he takes off his floppy hat, almost on autopilot, and walks over to the bowler’s end. It appears human function doesn’t resume after the over begins either, so metronomic is Abbas’s end-product. Eighty-six of the 117 balls he sent down across the innings hit a hard length outside off stump, giving South Africa no breathing room from his end and picking up half his wickets. For a player who has got more than half of his Test dismissals hitting the stumps, a further 17 threatened off stump, and produced the other three.For much of the morning, though, he probes in vain, as South Africa fend off the inevitable stutter Pakistan, as well as a taut South African crowd – more than 5000 of whom have turned up on a glorious summer day – are convinced will come. Pakistan review one that whooshes past Bavuma’s bat without success, and South Africa successfully have an lbw overturned when Bavuma is convinced he got an inside edge. Abbas’ Hampshire coach Graeme Welch has encouraged him to add the bouncer to his game, and when he sends one down from time to time, it’s a mean one, rearing up high and drawing as much bounce as the faster bowlers have extracted.South Africa are cheered on by their fans as they seal their spot in the WTC final•AFP/Getty ImagesMysteriously, though, Bavuma’s ability to tell when he’s got inside edges is selective, and when, for some reason, he strides out of his crease and tries to whack Abbas over midwicket, he misses. Mohammad Rizwan appeals, but the spot where he stands may as well be a coiled spring for how often he goes up. The umpire thinks he’s got an edge, and even though it’s only clipped the flap of his right pocket, the South African captain walks off.The joy in Abbas’ expressions when he picks up a wicket is always mixed with an air of surprise, as if wondering why the batter did whatever they did, because Abbas is always doing the same thing. Length, top of off, target the pads, look for the outside edge. Having deprived him for much of the morning, it does feel like the batters are doing something different, bats jutting out away from their bodies, outside edges as if by magnetic force flying towards the ball. David Bedingham, and Corbin Bosch, who weary Pakistan supporters were convinced would hit the winning runs to round off the torment, fall off successive balls, and South Africa’s curse looks set to prove stronger than Pakistan’s history.For Pakistan, the specific details of what happen next barely matter. For the record, Naseem Shah bowls a loose over, and Rabada rides his luck. Like a long-forgotten plot point, Aamer Jamal, who had been sending a few down during the lunch break, emerges, beginning with a no-ball and ending with two boundaries. The field is spread far out as Marco Jansen – who has until now averaged 6.33 with bat this year – and Rabada pick up singles at will, casually interspersing them between the boundaries.Abbas produces a Rabada outside edge that Rizwan was standing too far back to take, but Pakistan recognise it is merely the script’s attempt at a final jump scare as it inexorably takes its course through to its denouement. It was Rabada and Jansen here, just like it was Dean Elgar and Hashim Amla in the past, or Jacques Kallis and Ashwell Prince further back. The cast may have changed, but destiny has not. Pakistan still must keep their appointment in Samarra.

Ten T20I defeats in a row couldn’t sway resilient team from sticking to their guns in emphatic win

Shashank Kishore04-Oct-2024Sophie Devine had to scream her lungs out to get Maddy Green’s attention at long-off. She was unhappy with Green’s positioning and implored her to move a few yards to her right. The move was partly instinctive as much it was down to an understanding of Smriti Mandhana’s strengths, having played with her in the Women’s Premier League.Four balls into Eden Carson’s second over, the ploy was rewarded when Mandhana tempted fate and holed out to long-off. And just like that, Mandhana’s plans of playing a shot she scores a lot of runs off, especially early on against spin, were nipped in the bud.Devine revealed the plan for Mandhana was one among many that New Zealand put together for this World Cup opener, and while the results had been slow to come to fruition over the course of the previous year, what had remained was their steadfast belief in their methods.”Look, to be honest, we’ve been planning for this game for about, I don’t know, probably close to a year,” Devine said. “We’ve been really focused on this one game for a long time now, and the level of detail that we’ve gone into, in terms of match-ups, field settings, obviously it helps having played a little bit in the WPL.”It’s all well and good to have plans. If the bowlers can’t execute it, it doesn’t mean anything. But I thought the bowlers were outstanding. We were really clear around what plans we wanted to use and how we wanted to use them, and for them to execute and to pick up wickets regularly is something that I was really proud of. It’s a pretty cool feeling to have plans executed, and to be rewarded for it.”One of those plans that Devine touched upon, it seemed, was bowling a heavy ball. On a Dubai surface where the dew didn’t come on as anticipated, the ball was gripping more than a hint. And Lea Tahuhu showed the value of hitting hard lengths. The wickets of Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh and Deepti Sharma were reward for that unwavering discipline.Tahuhu’s natural swing, courtesy of her slingy action, tends to take the ball away. While she isn’t the tallest bowler in the game, she has worked previously with Jacob Oram, the former New Zealand allrounder turned bowling coach, on a slower bouncer to complement her hard lengths.Friday’s plan was confirmation of the extent to which the players have bought into the team’s methods, without being swayed by the uncertainty that a series of insipid results, including 10 successive T20I losses, can bring.”I think a word that got used today when we were presenting our jerseys was ‘resilient’ and, when I think of resilient people, I think of Leah,” Devine said. “She’s obviously been in and out of the side, she’s battled through injuries, she’s obviously got a young family now, and [she showed] her ability to just keep bouncing back and then to perform in pressure situations like she did today.Related

• Bates banking on familiarity and 'great mind space' in trans-Tasman clash

• New Zealand shoot India out for 102 amid high drama to script big win

• Harmanpreet & Co left fuming after Amelia Kerr run-out-that-wasn't drama

• Rodrigues on batting at No. 5: 'I'm working on going all out from the first ball'

• Harmanpreet set to end India's No. 3 roulette at T20 World Cup

“As a captain it’s a real privilege to be able to throw her the ball and know that she’s going to fight tooth and nail to do whatever she can for this team. And people like that are so important in a team environment, because that mongrel spirit is infectious and I thought she’s been great today. Long may it continue.”The brightest example of New Zealand’s spirit is Georgia Plimmer who was backed to open despite a horror run of form all through the summer. She made 26 runs in four innings during a winless England tour and had just one not-so-fluent half-century in the final T20I of an otherwise forgettable Australia tour.A T20I strike-rate that had been just a nudge above 84 revealed more than an inkling of struggle in the Powerplay. It may have been prudent for Devine to move up herself, but the New Zealand captain laid out what she termed a succession plan, for when she and Suzie Bates eventually decide to move on.One of those plans was to back Plimmer to find her feet in the pressure of international cricket. And on Friday, she launched a powerplay salvo that rattled India. In the context of her career and the match, Plimmer’s 23-ball 34 up top was worth so much more, even though there were other batters, such as Devine herself, whose unbeaten 36-ball 57 looks the more significant on the scorecard.”The cricket gods decided to be with us today and sometimes that’s all it is, isn’t it?,” Devine asked. “Sometimes you get a lucky bounce, sometimes you get, you know … a catch goes in the gap. I don’t think it’s through lack of effort, it’s not through lack of trying, it’s not through lack of preparation, I think it’s just sometimes the way cricket is.”So, I’m just really proud of this group to keep sticking at it, to keep believing in themselves. Trust me, we’ve been copping stuff from all over the place about the batting order, and I hope today shows exactly why we’ve been sticking with it for the last 12-18 months, because we believe in this batting order.”We believe in the openers, we believe in Melie [Amelia Kerr], and we believe in myself and the rest of the group. So hopefully that’s brought us a little bit of breathing space, but we know that it’s on us now to make sure that we back it up.”In a way, New Zealand played like a team that wasn’t burdened by the same expectations as India. Neither are they bound by history. Devine admits theirs is a transition that has loomed for longer than expected, which they’re trying to address in the best possible way.All told, New Zealand played like a team that would’ve embraced delight and dejection in equal measure, provided they didn’t deviate from plans that had been in the making for a while. And when the spotlight was on them on a grand stage against a more fancied opponent, they conjured magic to sting their opponents like few defeats in recent memory.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are signing veteran righty Jose Urena to bolster their injury-plagued bullpen, according to a report from Jon Heyman of the

Urena will be available to pitch Tuesday against the New York Mets – the team that he began the season with. Urena had been pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays since May, but was designated for assignment over the weekend. He elected free agency on Monday and was quickly signed by the Dodgers, who are in desperate need of healthy bullpen arms.

Urena has posted a 5.87 ERA in seven games this season, including two starts. He has not recorded a decision, but does have one save. The 33-year-old holds a career 4.78 ERA across 10 major league seasons.

Tony Bloom, who is the majority owner and chairman of Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion, has been accused of running a 'secret £600 million ($800m) betting syndicate', with some of the accounts used alleged to belong to a former chief of staff of Reform UK MP Nigel Farage.

• Farage aide fronted Bloom’s betting syndicate, court hears

  A high court document has alleged that George Cottrell, a close associate of Reform leader Farage, was in charge of a major gambling syndicate that was "given control" of his betting accounts. It is also alleged Cottrell acted as a "stalking horse", as report, for a syndicate involving Bloom, according to the public documents filed at the high court. A 19-page file is part of an active dispute between Bloom and Ryan Dudfield, a former associate whose lawyers argue is owed gambling profits in the estimate region of £189m ($250m). The collective is known as Starlizard Betting Syndicate and is said to make around £600m each year in winnings, with bets being placed on the accounts of "footballers, sportsmen and businessmen", the documents claim.

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  'Cottrell lost large sums of money'

  "Cottrell was not a particularly successful gambler, and frequently lost large sums of money," it is further added, and "Mr Cottrell had given control of his betting accounts to Mr Bloom and the Syndicate so that it was not necessary for bets to be sent to Mr Cottrell for him to place". While the syndicates total winnings are unknown, Dudfield has claimed he could be owed as much as $17.5m, as a profits-share deal apparently entitles him to 7% of its winnings.

  "The claimant was told…that the syndicate’s use of Mr Cottrell’s betting accounts had ceased," the documents allege. "In fact Mr McAleavy and Mr Cottrell both knew that the Syndicate was continuing to make use of Mr Cottrell’s betting accounts and they both knew that very significant profits had/could be made as a result of the bets that had been placed and were to be placed."

• Who is Brighton owner Tony Bloom?

  Brighton chairman Bloom is one of the world's most successful gamblers, having built a large amount of his fortune through poker and other related activities in the industry. A longtime Seagulls fan, Bloom became the club's chairman in 2009 and soon secured a 75% shareholding stake of the club, investing £93m to aid the development of the AMEX Stadium. He has helped the south coast club rise from an average League One team to Premier League regulars, with the Albion impressing around Europe with their vastly successful scouting system. Brighton have made considerable profits after signing and selling the likes of Moises Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister, Yves Bissouma, Joao Pedro, Marc Cucurella and Ben White. His side enjoyed a positive first season under Fabian Hurzeler last term, finishing eighth and only four points off the European qualification places, and could go as high as third in the Premier League table on Wednesday night if they manage to beat Aston Villa.

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  What comes next?

  Lawyers who are acting on behalf of Cottrell and Bloom have been approached for comment, while Bloom is yet to file a defence against the claim. As for Brighton's on-field matters, they will soon head into a hectic festive schedule packed with fixtures. After their clash with Villa, they take on West Ham United, Liverpool, Sunderland, Arsenal and West Ham again before 2026 rolls in. 

Under-fire Tottenham boss Thomas Frank is personally very keen on signing one marquee forward amid a major setback surrounding their chase for Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo.

Thomas Frank under pressure amid woeful Spurs run

Frank finds himself navigating treacherous waters at Tottenham right now, with mounting pressure threatening his managerial position following a dismal run.

The Dane has overseen just one victory from Tottenham’s last seven fixtures across all competitions, culminating in Saturday’s disappointing 2-1 defeat at home to Fulham.

Spurs’ abject home form compounds their misery right now with just three wins at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2025, and only bottom-side Wolves have a worse record on their own patch this season.

Particularly alarming are whispers from within the Tottenham dressing room, where players have reportedly grown bewildered by Frank’s constant tactical tinkering.

Some media sources believe that strategies are frequently modified immediately before kickoff or abandoned entirely during matches, leaving squad members confused about their responsibilities (Jack Rosser).

Tottenham have also conceded eleven goals in their last three games, with goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario’s unbelievable error gifting Harry Wilson Fulham’s winning goal last weekend.

Frank’s relationship with supporters has also reached boiling point following his criticism of fans who booed Vicario’s mistake, and carried on jeering the Italian almost every time he touched the ball afterwards.

It wasn’t really the best move by Spurs’ boss to add fuel to the fire, considering his popularity was already waning among a lot of supporters, who are also extremely keen for co-sporting directors Fabio Paratici and Johan Lange to hire a new manager.

Tottenham could prove 'irresistible' to manager who Levy was urged to hire before Frank

He’s on the verge of leaving his current club.

1

By
Emilio Galantini

Dec 2, 2025

Even more worryingly for the north Londoners, credible reports suggest that players feel a ‘growing disconnect’ with the fanbase (The Telegraph), and this quite simply must cease if Tottenham stand any chance of building upon their Europa League triumph in May.

Spurs’ lack of attacking creativity has been subject to plenty of debate too, but the Lewis family are apparently looking to back Frank in January and provide him with major forward upgrades.

It is believed that both FC Porto’s Samu Aghehowa, who’s been on fire for the last two seasons, and Premier League superstar Semenyo are both on Spurs’ radar heading into next month.

Frank 'intent' on signing Aghehowa as Spurs dealt Semenyo blow

The latter’s contract includes a tantalising £65 million release clause, including add-ons, which will be active in the early stages of January.

Of course, this has piqued real interest from Spurs, with the prospect of Mohammed Kudus on the right and Semenyo on the left coming as a very enticing thought.

However, as per TEAMtalk, Paratici and Lange have now been dealt a crushing blow in their pursuit of the 25-year-old.

The Lilywhites, Man City, Liverpool and Man United are all competing to sign Semenyo in January, but Pep Guardiola’s City side are now casting doubt over a potential move to N17.

This is because they are now the prime contenders with Semenyo ‘keen to engage’ in City talks, dealing Spurs a roadblock and making them outside contenders for his signature.

That being said, Frank personally remains ‘intent’ on signing Aghehowa for Spurs, and there is every reason to believe the Spaniard would be a serious improvement on their centre-forward options.

The 21-year-old has bagged 37 goals in all competitions since the start of 24/25, making him one of Europe’s most lethal strikers right now, but Tottenham will need to fork out around £70 million to make the deal happen.

This would be a club-record deal for Spurs, eclipsing the £65 million they paid for the injury-prone Dominic Solanke last year.

Solanke’s unavailability, concerns surrounding Richarlison and Mathys Tel’s rawness emphasise the need for a new number nine, especially considering Randal Kolo Muani is only at Tottenham on a straight loan.

In terms of pedigree and potential, you could hardly do better than Aghehowa, who’s already been compared to a prime Diego Costa.

Carlo Ancelotti has issued a final warning to Neymar when it comes to 2026 World Cup selection, with the Italian tactician eager to ensure that he does not make any “mistakes” when naming his final squad. Ancelotti has yet to call upon Neymar since becoming Selecao boss, but insists that the door remains open to the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain superstar.

• When did Neymar make his last appearance for Brazil?

  Neymar is his country’s all-time leading scorer, with 79 goals being recorded across 128 appearances. He has not, however, pulled on a famous yellow jersey since October 2023 – when suffering knee ligament damage during a World Cup qualifying clash with Uruguay.

  A long road to recovery was taken in on the back of that fitness blow, with his contract at Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal eventually being terminated. That decision freed Neymar to head home and rejoin boyhood club Santos.

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  Is Neymar in Brazil's World Cup plans? Ancelotti explains

  More fitness issues have been endured there, preventing the 33-year-old playmaker from convincing Ancelotti of his worth and earning an international recall. Neymar was overlooked again when Brazil named their squad for a friendly date with Tunisia that will take place in Lille, France.

  Unsurprisingly, Ancelotti continues to be quizzed on whether an iconic No.10 forms part of his plans. He told reporters when discovering that the subject had followed him from South America to Europe: “I thought Neymar was just a topic in Brazil, but I see it's a global issue. Fortunately, he recovered from his injury. Now he has six months to play. The Brazilian Championship stops on December 7, then he can take a vacation, but then he'll have the Brazilian Championship again to show his quality and, obviously, his physical condition.”

  Ancelotti went on to reveal that Neymar is in his thoughts when it comes to World Cup call-ups, but has pointed out that he will not be taking any risks when it comes to piecing together a squad to compete for global glory in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

  He added: “Neymar is on the list of players who could be at the World Cup. Now he has six months to make the final list. We just have to observe him and other players so as not to make mistakes in the final list.”

• Best position? Ancelotti wants to see Neymar as a No.10

  Ancelotti recently said of wanting to see more of Neymar at Santos in his favoured central playmaking berth: “I know everyone wants Neymar to get back to his best physical condition. And also the CBF, the coach, the technical staff of the national team hope that Neymar can return to his best level. The truth is that today's football demands many things. Not only talent, but also physical condition, intensity… hopefully Neymar will be at his best level.

  “I think he needs to play more centrally, not as a winger, because wingers in today's football are players you need to help defensively as well. When you play a little more centrally, the defensive work is much less than when you play as a winger. And I also think that a very talented player, closer to the goal, has more opportunities to score goals. [False 9] could be his ideal position.”

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  Move in 2026? Messi reunion mooted for Neymar in MLS

  Neymar has taken in three appearances since returning from his latest injury – with his last seeing a shock victory picked up against Palmeiras that has helped to lift Santos out of the relegation zone.

  Thigh problems have been an unfortunate theme over recent months, but Neymar does have six goals and three assists to his name through 24 appearances this season. More will be required in order to earn favour with Ancelotti, with there every chance that he will be plying his trade somewhere else when 2026 is welcomed in. That is because his contract continues to run down towards free agency, with a potential reunion with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez at MLS side Inter Miami that would see Barcelona’s fabled ‘MSN’ strike force reformed continuing to be speculated on.

The search for Wolverhampton Wanderers’ new manager goes on.

The Old Gold sacked Vitor Pereira last week after picking up just two points all season, as they look to salvage the campaign and avoid relegation to the Championship.

There have been a few names bandied about when it comes to who could replace Pereira in the hot seat at Molineux.

Former manager Gary O’Neill, who was only sacked last December, came under consideration, but pulled out of the race. There are also suggestions that Erik ten Hag and Michael Carrick are two options for the club.

However, a new contender has emerged in recent hours.

The latest manager to be linked with Wolves

It was clear that Wolves needed to bring in a new manager, with Pereira struggling to get the best out of his squad.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

However, his replacement is something they must get spot on, as they look to get their first win of the season.

Well, according to Football FanCast sources, the higher-ups at Molineux have sounded out a move for former Benfica boss Rui Vitoria.

The West Midlands outfit is said to be a job that the 55-year-old would be open to taking over.

Vitoria has not been out of a job long, having managed Panathinaikos most recently, who sacked him in September.

Why Vitoria would be a good appointment for Wolves

It is perhaps a bit of a red flag for Wolves fans that Pereira has struggled in his last three jobs. The Portuguese manager, who hails from just outside of Lisbon, has had three jobs in the last four years.

One of those was as head coach of the Egyptian national team. He coached them in 18 games and was sacked after crashing out of AFCON at the round of 16 stage. The role before that was at Spartak Moscow, where he lasted 26 games, and his latest job at Panathinaikos saw him manage 43 matches.

Yet, the 55-year-old has seen success at previous clubs. Said to favour an attacking 4-3-3 formation, his best spell came as Benfica boss, where he won four major honours. That included back-to-back Portuguese top-flight titles in the 2015/16 and 2016/17 campaigns.

One man who thought highly of Vitoria’s reign was Pep Guardiola, who said his team was “worthy of Arrigo Sacchi,” the legendary former AC Milan manager.

The pair met in the Champions League when Guardiola was in charge of Bayern Munich, and although Benfica were knocked out 3-2 on aggregate, Vitoria clearly left a strong impression.

Indeed, his record at Benfica was certainly impressive. He took charge of 183 games for the club and had an excellent win rate of 68%. That saw him lead his side to victory on 125 occasions.

It is easy to draw comparisons between the potential new Wolves boss and one of their best from the FOSUN era, Nuno Espirito Santo.

Now at West Ham United, the ex-Old Gold manager took charge of 199 games at Molineux and was a huge success story.

Nuno was adored by the Wolves faithful. Not only did he guide them back to the Premier League in 2017/18, but he even led them to the Europa League. He certainly brought happier times to Molineux during his time there.

Like Vitoria, the former Wolves manager learnt his craft in his native Portugal. He began at Rio Ave, and then managed FC Porto, with a spell at Valencia in between, before moving to Molineux and starting his dynasty.

Well, via a few more clubs, that is a similar route to what Vitoria will be taking if he gets the job at Molineux. Making a name for themselves in Portugal is something the two managers have in common, and Vitoria will be hoping he can earn the same level of adoration Nuno got at Wolves.

The new Nuno Santo: "World-class" manager wants to hold talks with Wolves

Wolverhampton Wanderers could appoint their next Nuno Espirito Santo by hiring this Gary O’Neil upgrade.

By
Kelan Sarson

Nov 5, 2025

Except for the final number of dollars, which blew away even veteran baseball executives, the signing of Juan Soto by the New York Mets was the most predictable outcome in years on the free agent market. No offense to the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox, but they all were competing for second place and the golf clap from their fans that they tried really hard.

You can break down the $765 million, 15-year deal—the largest known contract in the history of sports—all you want. How Soto had the chance for a monument at Yankee Stadium by riding shotgun with Aaron Judge into the next decade. How a pure hitter, with little defensive or baserunning value, turned the $700 million of two-way unicorn Shohei Ohtani into a bargain just one year into Ohtani’s 10-year deal. Whether Soto is “worth” it or not.

That’s not what is the story behind why Soto is a Met.

The story is Mets owner Steve Cohen and how he collects art.

In 2020, when Cohen bought the Mets, magazine estimated his net worth to be about $14 billion. Today it estimates his net worth to be $21.5 billion, making him the 30th richest person in the United States and the richest in MLB.

Cohen began collecting art in 2000. When he was worth a mere $13 billion, he explained to how he purchased art: “I am purely from the gut. And I know right away. It stays in my brain. Let’s say I go see a picture. If I keep thinking about it, I know it’s something I like. If I forget about it, then I know, couldn’t care less.”

In 2019, for example, Cohen could not stop thinking about Jeff Koons’s “Rabbit,” a three-and-a-half-foot steel cast of an inflatable plastic toy. He paid $91 million for it, the most ever paid for the work of a living artist. It joined works from the likes of Warhol, de Kooning, Picasso and others in his collection that years ago was worth $1 billion.

Soto was the baseball version of “Rabbit.” Cohen kept thinking about Soto, who is such a generational hitting talent he joined Jimmie Foxx and Mickey Mantle as the only players with 200 homers and a .420 on-base percentage through age 25. He had to have Soto, which meant he was going to get Soto.

Nobody was going to outbid Cohen, as he proved by going to an average annual value of $51 million, $3.5 million more than what the Yankees put on the table. When a prospective employer is telling you he wants you more than your current employer, what are you supposed to do? 

See, besides being the richest man in baseball, Cohen is a Mets fan. He remembers when in the 1980s New York was a Mets town, not a Yankees town. He bought the team not as a hobby but as someone who wants to see his team win a World Series for the first time in almost four decades. Signing Soto guarantees him nothing; the crapshoot of the expanded postseason is the great equalizer when it comes to payroll disparity. But by outbidding and outwooing the Yankees for one of their own players, Cohen established the Mets as the alpha team in New York, a team that will swing with the Dodgers when it comes to financial might.

The $765 million? That’s a function of Cohen’s largesse, his determination to acquire what his heart desires and his quest for a title. Save the breakdown of Soto’s WAR-per-dollars. It’s definitely not about that.