A former England international, who played Premier League football, has reportedly been arrested on suspicion of attempted rape. The suspect, who is said to have represented the Three Lions in the 2010s, was detained when passing through Stansted Airport following an allegation from an ex-partner that is now being investigated by the relevant authorities.
South Africa blown away for 72 to go down by 342 runs – the heaviest defeat in men’s ODIs
Matt Roller07-Sep-2025Jacob Bethell cracked the first hundred of his professional career as England thrashed South Africa by a record margin in Southampton. Bethell’s 110 off 82 balls, a timely reminder of his immense talent, was more than South Africa’s batters managed between them as Jofra Archer ran through their top order in a blistering new-ball spell to set up a thumping consolation win.At 21, Bethell became the second-youngest England player to score a men’s ODI hundred and set the platform for a huge total in a 182-run partnership with fellow centurion Joe Root, who hardly broke a sweat. South Africa were never likely to chase 415 even if Temba Bavuma – who strained a calf in the field – had been fit to bat, but after a dramatic collapse it took a last-wicket stand of 15 for them to surpass their lowest-ever ODI score of 69.Archer struck with his second ball, a loosener which Aiden Markram edged behind, but there were no more of those across an opening burst of 4 for 10 in seven overs. He had Ryan Rickelton nicking behind, Matthew Breetzke top-edging while trying to leave one alone, and Tristan Stubbs caught in the slips as he cranked the pace up to 93mph/150kph.
South Africa were fined 5% of their match fee for maintaining a slow over rate. They were one over short of the target after time allowances were taken into consideration. As per Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct, players are fined 5% of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time.
It was a searing spell which had South Africa’s batters hopping around, with Stubbs and Corbin Bosch both wearing blows on the body. Archer was well backed up by Brydon Carse, who had Wiaan Mulder caught off the top edge and Dewald Brevis edging to third slip, before Adil Rashid mopped up the tail. It could have been even worse but for two dropped catches.Harry Brook, England’s captain, hailed the “ultimate performance” from his side, while Bavuma promised a debrief after “a poor showing” in which things went “terribly wrong” for South Africa. “A display like that doesn’t do us justice,” he said, before sheepishly lifting the series trophy.Bethell’s twin failures in England’s fifth-Test defeat to India at The Oval sparked countless column inches, which highlighted the low volume of cricket that he has played this summer. He acknowledged on Sunday morning that he could have played more, but his 76-ball hundred underlined that he is a special talent whose rapid promotion to this level is deserved.Jofra Archer ripped the heart out of South Africa’s batting•Philip Brown/Getty Images
South Africa had the chance to inflict England’s first home whitewash since 2006 after sealing the series at Lord’s on Thursday but were completely bereft of intensity. They rested Lungi Ngidi and were uncharacteristically sloppy in the field: Breetzke made a hash of a very simple chance off Jamie Smith at cover, but Nandre Burger’s drop of Bethell on 44 at mid-on proved particularly costly.Retaining his spot at No. 4, Bethell took the initiative early in his innings by attacking Keshav Maharaj. He punished the short ball, launched three straight sixes, and reached three figures with a rasping cover drive, celebrating his first senior century in his 141st innings across first-class, List A and T20 cricket by running towards the pavilion with his arms outstretched.Bethell has now made at least 50 in four of his six ODI innings this year, and this hundred confirmed his status both as an automatic pick in England’s white-ball teams and as one of the world’s most exciting young batters. If he can continue his form on a tour to New Zealand in late October, he could yet displace Ollie Pope as England’s No. 3 for the first Ashes Test in Perth.Related
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Root played in Bethell’s slipstream, reaching an effortless hundred – his 19th in ODIs, six more than any other England batter – in 95 balls. It was vintage Root: he hit only six boundaries but scored 50 singles, 10 twos and two threes to run South Africa ragged. For the second ODI series in a row, they conceded 400-plus in a dead-rubber after going 2-0 up with a game to spare.England made their best start of the series after being asked to bat first by Bavuma, reaching 59 in the ninth over before Ben Duckett’s international summer ended with a top-edged pull to midwicket. Smith looked in fine touch, racing to his second half-century of the series, before he swung Maharaj straight to long-on for 62 two balls after the drinks break.South African heads dropped during Bethell and Root’s vast stand, and even two quick wickets in the 41st over – Bethell stumped charging Maharaj, and Brook run out for the second time in the series while attempting a casual second – could not slow the scoring rate, as Jos Buttler and Will Jacks ensured a strong finish.Buttler belted 62 not out off 32, launching Maharaj back over his head, scooping Mulder for six and turning a ramp off Burger into a late deflection for four. Jacks’ straight six off Burger doubled as a forewarning for the government’s emergency alarm test, which set off a flurry of phones in the stands; a loft over cover took England past 400 for the seventh time in ODIs.South Africa’s bowling effort was summed up by them conceding 27 extras, including 19 wides, while Burger’s analysis – 0 for 95 off 10 – was the most expensive in their ODI history. Codi Yusuf only narrowly avoided the feat himself in conceding 80 from his 10 wicketless overs of medium pace – the most by a South African debutant in ODIs – then became the second of Rashid’s three victims.
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.
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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.
Vitoria record as Benfica manager
Stat
Number
Games
183
Wins
125
Draws
27
Losses
31
Win rate
68%
Goals for
388
Goals against
161
Stats from Transfermarkt
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.
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Wolverhampton Wanderers could appoint their next Nuno Espirito Santo by hiring this Gary O’Neil upgrade.
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Nottinghamshire head coach favourite to step up, with Adam Voges in talks to join as assistant
Matt Roller10-Nov-2025
Nottinghamshire’s Peter Moores is also coach of Melbourne Stars in the BBL•Getty Images
Peter Moores is in line to become men’s head coach at Trent Rockets in the Hundred, with Adam Voges in talks to join the franchise as his assistant.Andy Flower had coached Rockets’ men since the Hundred’s first season but left his role to take up a lucrative job offer from London Spirit. Andrew Flintoff and Stephen Fleming were both candidates to take over from him, but ESPNcricinfo has learned that Moores is now the favourite to take charge in 2026, adding to his role as Nottinghamshire’s head coach.Rockets are operating under new ownership, after private equity firms Cain and Ares bought a 49% stake earlier this year. They will run the franchise jointly with host county Notts, who will retain operational control as majority shareholders, and confirmed Chris Read’s appointment as women’s head coach on Thursday.Moores spent this season – in which Rockets were losing finalists – working as one of Flower’s assistants, and recently signed a three-year contract extension with Notts. He has previous experience in franchise cricket with Melbourne Stars and Karachi Kings, and oversaw Notts’ County Championship triumph last season.Related
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Voges has not previously worked in the Hundred but has established himself as a highly-rated coach after success with Western Australia and Perth Scorchers. He has a long-standing connection with Nottinghamshire, spending five years as one of their overseas players from 2008-12, and has also worked as an assistant coach for Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL.Three men’s coaches for the Hundred’s 2026 season have been publicly confirmed: Flower (Spirit), Mike Hussey (Welsh Fire) and Shane Bond (Birmingham Phoenix), with Daniel Vettori set to join the newly-renamed Sunrisers Leeds.Justin Langer is a potential contender to take charge at Manchester Originals (soon to become Super Giants) after he left Spirit, with Tom Moody becoming the franchise’s global director of cricket. Simon Katich has coached Originals’ men since inception.Southern Brave are yet to confirm a successor to Adi Birrell, with Delhi Capitals head coach Hemang Badani believed to be a contender for the role, while defending champions Oval Invincibles (who will become MI London shortly) are also on the hunt for a new men’s coach after Moody’s departure.Surrey’s deal with Reliance Industries Limited to become co-owners of the Invincibles franchise is the only outstanding paperwork in the Hundred’s privatisation process. It has still not been officially completed, but an announcement is anticipated shortly.
Defending a low total, NZ fought back courtesy Neesham’s spell but Marsh stood tall till the end
Andrew McGlashan04-Oct-2025
Mitchell Marsh now has a century in all three international formats•Getty Images
Mitchell Marsh led from the front with a magnificent maiden T20I century to carry Australia to a 2-0 series victory over New Zealand after they had suffered a major stumble against James Neesham.At 62 for 1 in the seventh over, Australia were comfortably placed chasing an underwhelming 157 but Neesham claimed four quick wickets to leave the game in the balance. Marsh, though, remained unstoppable to continue his recent surge in form, bringing up his century from 50 balls, joining the group of those with centuries across all formats, in an innings where the next-best score was 14. Sean Abbott showed his calmness and experience by helping get the job done, unbeaten on 13.Australia’s three frontline quicks had all impressed after Marsh followed his usual route of bowling when winning the toss. Josh Hazlewood set the tone and was well backed up by Xavier Bartlett and Abbott as the trio shared seven wickets, while Marcus Stoinis claimed the important figure of Daryl Mitchell with his first ball.This early-season Chappell-Hadlee series was played across just four days in chilly, damp conditions – with the second match mostly lost to the weather – and New Zealand will now prepare to face England in white-ball cricket. Australia, meanwhile, return home to play India in ODIs and T20Is ahead of the Ashes.Marsh’s lone handMarsh joked after the second T20I’s abandonment that he’d never felt such pressure being 1 off 5 balls in a nine-over slog. Today he was 4 off 5 when he got into himself into top gear with consecutive fours and a pulled six off Matt Henry. Then in the final over of the powerplay he took down Ben Sears, starting with a perfect lofted on-drive for six before showing extraordinary power to loft six over cover off the back foot – in all, the over cost 21.Marsh lost Matt Short, flicking Neesham into the deep, but consecutive sixes against Ish Sodhi – the second taking him to a 21-ball fifty – continued Australia’s momentum. Then the wheels threatened to come off. Tim David swung a big outside edge to deep third, Alex Carey was brilliantly caught at deep point by Mark Chapman – who held the catch horizontal to the ground – and Neesham put himself on a hat-trick when Stoinis drove to mid-off.He nearly claimed it, too, as Mitchell Owen got an inside edge into the pads. Owen launched a mighty six over long-on to suggest he might hurry the game to a conclusion but soon skied into the off side. Marsh scored 22 of the 23 added with Bartlett, but 24 were still needed when the seventh wicket fell, although there was never any run-rate pressure.Marsh moved to 97 with his seventh six, muscled over the leg side when he didn’t middle a pull off Neesham, and brought up three figures when a top edge landed safely.Hazlewood’s four in a rowFor the second time in the series, Hazlewood struck in the first over of a match when Devon Conway skewed a catch to mid-off after Tim Seifert had scooped his third ball for six. Three overs later, with New Zealand having made decent progress, he produced a superb delivery which nipped and climbed at Tim Robinson to graze the edge, although the DRS was needed after the on-field umpire didn’t hear the nick.In an attacking move, with the ball nibbling around, Hazlewood was given his four-over spell on the trot by Marsh – the first time he had bowled all his overs straight through in his T20 career. His top-class spell was somewhat dented in his last over when Seifert and Mitchell took a boundary a piece.David’s catch, Stoinis maidenAustralia were poor in the field during the opening match, but they caught safely in this one. Their highlight was David’s terrific effort, running back from mid-on take Chapman’s lofted drive over his shoulder, managing to hold onto the ball as he landed and it left New Zealand three down inside the powerplay.Another notable contribution was Stoinis’ opening over. He started by finding Mitchell’s outside edge with a delivery that moved considerably, and ended up completing a wicket maiden. It was his first maiden in a full T20 match, although earlier this year he completed two maiden ‘sets’ in the Hundred which are categorized among T20 statistics.In the end, Stoinis would end up Australia’s most expensive bowler as his last three overs went for 43 with Neesham taking 16 off him in the space of four balls in the 15th over including two sixes. Neesham and captain Michael Bracewell tried to rebuild from 99 for 5 but in felt like New Zealand were someway short although with the ball, Neesham nearly proved it otherwise. One player stood in their way.
Stats highlights from the penultimate day of the Oval Test
Sampath Bandarupalli03-Aug-20251:44
Bangar: India could have bowled straighter to Root
24 – Hundreds for Joe Root in Tests in England, the most by a batter in a single country. He goes past Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis and Mahela Jayawardene, who have 23 centuries each at home.Root now has 39 tons in Test cricket, the fourth-most by a batter, behind Sachin Tendulkar (51), Kallis (45) and Ponting (41).13 – Number of hundreds for Root in Tests against India. Only Don Bradman has more Test tons against an opponent – 19 against England, while Sunil Gavaskar also has 13 against West Indies.Related
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50 – Innings Harry Brook has taken to record ten Test hundreds; the least for any batter in the last 70 years. Overall, only eight batters have taken fewer innings to score their tenth hundred in Tests.13 – Fifty-plus scores for Root in the fourth innings of a Test match, the joint-most by any batter, alongside Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Graeme Smith and Chris Gayle.7 – Brook’s 91-ball century in this fifth Test is the seventh-fastest in the fourth innings of a Test match. The two fastest fourth-innings hundreds have been by England players – Gilbert Jessop off 76 balls against Australia in 1902 and Jonny Bairstow off 77 balls against New Zealand in 2022.1:58
Bangar: Brook largely responsible for what unraveled
21 – Number of individual hundreds by England and India batters in the five Tests, the joint-most for a Test series, alongside the five-match series between West Indies and Australia in 1955.9 – Number of batters with 400-plus runs, the most for a Test series. The previous highest was eight during the Frank Worrell Trophy in 1975-76, and the 1993 Ashes.19 – Century partnerships in this series are the joint-most for a Test series. The 1957-58 series between West Indies and Pakistan and The Wisden Trophy in 1967/68 also had 19 century stands.The 195-run partnership between Root and Brook was the 85th century-stand in all Test cricket involving Root. Only Rahul Dravid (88) and Tendulkar (86) have been involved in more century stands, while Ponting was also part of 85.100 – Total number of hundreds for England in Tests at The Oval. It is the second venue where England batters have a century of tons in Tests, after Lord’s (141). Australia have three such venues – Melbourne (116), Adelaide (110) and Sydney (108).
Barcelona's promising winger Roony Bardghji has decisively shut down speculation linking him with a January exit, insisting that he "feels great" in Catalonia and has no desire to leave. Despite limited playing time since his summer move from FC Copenhagen, Bardghji affirmed that both manager Hansi Flick and the football club have put their trust in him.
Though the New York Yankees couldn't muster enough firepower in their 7-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Friday night, the effort was there—mostly.
Yankees rookie third baseman Jorbit Vivas had an outing to forget after a particularly bad bit of base-running, which allowed the Braves to complete a double play in the third inning. With the Yankees down 3-0, Vivas tried tagging up from second on a deep fly ball by Cody Bellinger, but he didn't seem to be running that hard to get to third and even appeared to slow down at the end.
To give credit where it's due, Braves' Ronald Acuña Jr. uncorked an incredible throw from right field to tag Vivas out at third. But, had Vivas hustled a little bit more and slid, he probably would've been safe.
Yankees announcers Joe Girardi and Michael Kay both shook their heads at Vivas's visible lack of effort and voiced their disappointment on-air.
"Well, this is inexcusable," Girardi said. "I know [the Yankees] went over that in a meeting. That can't happen. Those are little things that cost you a chance to have Aaron Judge hit with first and third."
"You just took the bat out of Aaron Judge's hands," Kay said. "First of all, you're not running hard to third, and then you don't slide. As you said, perfect word, it is inexcusable."
Vivas admitted postgame that he was caught off guard by Acuña's arm but did take the blame for his costly error. Hopefully, the rookie can turn Friday night's mistake into a valuable learning moment moving forward.
The 2025/26 campaign has deepened and we now have a clear picture of how things are going. For Liverpool, improvements are needed across the board.
Arne Slot has cut a dismayed figure over the past several months, unable to grasp how his high-flying squad have been grounded so miserably. A run of six defeats from seven in the Premier League before the weekend win over West Ham United has cast doubt over his tenure.
With the January transfer window less than a month away, FSG are attentive to potential opportunities, and it’s no secret that Bournemouth star Antoine Semenyo is at the top of the Merseysiders’ Christmas list.
While the thought of activating Semenyo’s £65m release clause next month is tempting, he is not the only talented (and versatile) winger on the market.
And Liverpool are not the only club looking to seal his signature. Semenyo is also on Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur’s radar, with the latter “intensifying their interest”, according to Sky Sports.
But Liverpool have earmarked a number of potential signings, and Caught Offside have revealed that they have been boosted by Real Madrid’s transfer-listing of rogue winger Rodrygo for around €85m (£75m), whose fortunes at the Santiago Bernabeu have been sour for a while now, and is surely set for an exit in 2026.
Rodrygo has not been in good form for Los Blancos this season or last, but there remains a world-class talent in there, and he could finally reach his potential in a leading role at Liverpool.
Rodrygo is one of the most talented forwards in the world. Rodrygo has also gone 30 La Liga matches without a goal.
It’s clear that he needs to leave Real Madrid and restore his reputation as a “world-class superstar”, as he has been called in the past by former teammate Luka Modric. This is a versatile and multi-faceted forward who has proved himself on the biggest stages time and time again.
Cody Gakpo is a consistent force down the left for Liverpool, but he’s not Sadio Mane, who was one of the best players in the world when in his prime. Now, Slot could land such a player in Rodrygo, who is out of sorts under Xabi Alonso’s wing but still, even at an ebb tide, ranks among the top 14% of positional peers for shot-creating actions, the top 6% for progressive carries and the top 10% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.
The Brazil international hasn’t actually played that much football on the left flank, but that is his preferred position. Right-footed, he is at his most prolific when cutting inside and striking on goal, all the while retaining a creative flair that sets him apart from so many other talented wingers.
|
Rodrygo – Career Stats by Position |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Position |
Apps |
Goals |
Assists |
|
Right winger |
148 |
34 |
31 |
|
Left winger |
89 |
23 |
18 |
|
Centre-forward |
85 |
22 |
8 |
|
Attacking midfield |
4 |
– |
1 |
|
Data via Transfermarkt |
|||
Mane was also a versatile and dynamic forward, devastating in the final third. Now 33 and playing in Saudi Arabia, Liverpool have sorely missed their one-time talisman’s presence, accentuated by the sale of Luis Diaz this summer, who was never quite on his predecessor’s level.
Liverpool’s data analysts are among the finest in the game. They will know to overlook Rodrygo’s woes in recent times and look at the wider picture. For example, he scored only five goals in La Liga last season, but Sofascore show that he missed only one big chance, emphasising the kind of clinical, Mane-like returns Slot would receive.
Big boots to fill, but the South American is one of the most accomplished wingers in the game,
Rodrygo is still young – the same age, in fact, as Mane when the Senegalese completed his move to Merseyside.
The fact he has accomplished so much already is a testament to his quality and will to win. Liverpool could do with a bit of that, and if they bring such a complete and dangerous player to Anfield, it might prove to be the catalyst for sustained change.
He's like Arteta: Liverpool line up "best coach in the PL" to replace Slot
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2
By
Angus Sinclair
Dec 2, 2025
Love it or hate it, agents play a crucial part in modern football. They shape the path of some of Europe’s top stars and come at quite the cost as a result. But just how powerful are they?
Last summer, alone, some of the top agencies in European football helped broker some of the most expensive deals around as Manchester United completed an attacking overhaul and Liverpool tied star man Virgil van Dijk down to a new contract.
Now, Sportingpedia have taken a deeper dive into the likes of Wasserman, CAA Stellar and Jorge Mendes’ famous GestiFute, ranking their power in the modern game based on the market value of their clients.
10 HCM Sports Management – €0.63bn
With Viktor Gyokeres and Frenkie de Jong as their standout clients, HCM Sports Management remains one of the top agencies in the world of football. Their portfolio stretches far and wide across Europe, with Real Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger also amongst their clientele. They, of course, also enjoyed quite the summer transfer window last time out when Gyokeres was at the centre of attention, before sealing a £55m move to Arsenal.
9 ROC Nation – €0.64bn
Just ahead of HCM, ROC Nation are currently valued at €0.64bn in the world of football and can boast clients such as Vinicius Junior and Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli. Interestingly, it’s also not just football that they’ve had great success. In the music industry, they also manage A$AP Rocky, Alicia Keys and more – showcasing their success across two industries.
8 AS1 – €0.78bn
Based in London, AS1 have a number of Premier League stars in their portfolio, including Moises Caicedo and Bruno Fernandes. They also played an important part in Luis Diaz’s transfer from Liverpool to Bayern Munich in the summer, which cost the German club around £65.5m and has since proved to be a successful move. In total, 285 players are signed up with AS1 agents.
7 Bertolucci Sports – €0.86bn
Just below the €1bn-mark, Bertolucci Sports do not boast the same portfolio as AS1 and others, but their main clients have more than helped their rise in value. Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhaes is now one of the best defenders in world football, whilst Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimaraes is one of the best midfield stars that the Premier League has to offer and Matheus Cunha just sealed a £63m move to Manchester United.
6 ROOF – €1.07bn
Although ROOF have a clientele which includes established stars like Van Dijk, who recently penned a new deal at Liverpool, and Leon Goretzka, it was their rising stars who enjoyed eventful summers as the agency used their power to full effect.
Tyler Dibling, for example, completed a move to Everton worth as much as £42m, Thierno Barry joined him to become one of Everton’s most expensive ever signings at £27m and Mohammed Kudus joined Tottenham Hotspur for £55m.
5 Unique Sports Group – €1.21bn
With 654 clients, Unique Sports Group is one of the most powerful agencies across football. They’ve signed Anthony Gordon, Brennan Johnson and Malick Thiaw in recent years to see their value soar.
They also came within hours of seeing their client, Marc Guehi, complete a move to Liverpool in the summer before the deal broke down late on. Now, the Crystal Palace star is a man in-demand with his contract expiring next summer.
4 CAA Base – €1.36bn
Cole Palmer, Eberechi Eze, Pedro Porro, Rico Lewis and a number of others all make up CAA Base’s impressive portfolio of 658 players and staff, which has helped their value reach €1.36bn. Signing Palmer has proved to be a particular stroke of genius, given how he’s thrived since joining Chelsea from Manchester City in 2023.
They also manage former Real Madrid manager and current Brazil boss Carlo Ancelotti, who will be looking to add a World Cup to his stunning list of achievements next summer.
3 Gestifute – €1.62bn
Although Cristiano Ronaldo split from super-agent Jorge Mendes in 2022, he remains a Gestifute client with their value soaring. The iconic forward led the way with Mendes to become one of the most successful players of all time and the agency can now boast the likes of Lamine Yamal, Vitinha and Joao Neves.
The fact their portfolio includes two of the 2025 Ballon d’Or’s top three highlights their impressive impact on top stars, whilst their list of managers is also impressive. Chelsea’s Enzo Maresca, Aston Villa’s Unai Emery and Benfica’s Jose Mourinho are all Gestifute clients.
2 CAA Stellar – €2.01bn
One of just two agencies to hit the €2bn-mark, CAA Stellar manage players such as Manchester City’s Omar Marmoush, who is their most valuable client at €75m. Their portfolio ranges to as many as 896 clients, with Eduardo Camavinga, Ibrahima Konate and Rayan Ait-Nouri all standing out as impressive coups.
CAA Stellar’s value could also increase in the summer if Konate moves on from Liverpool and Nottingham Forest’s Eliott Anderson secures the big-money move that he has earned in recent months
1 Wasserman – €2.23bn
At an eye-watering €2.23bn, Wasserman top the list as the most powerful agency in football. They manage as many as 1,238 players, which includes stars such as Federico Valverde, Curtis Jones and John Stones.
The agency has also left its mark in the technical area, with Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta signed up alongside Newcastle United’s Eddie Howe. They remain the most influential agency around and that is only likely to grow as European football continues to reach new heights in the transfer market.
All 20 Premier League managers' salaries (lowest to highest)
How much each Premier League gaffer earns.
ByCharlie Smith Oct 21, 2025