Frank Lampard says it's ‘vital’ Everton get transfer signings right

Frank Lampard admits it is "vital" Everton get their recruitment right this summer if they are to avoid another season of struggle in the Premier League.

The Toffees manager is on the lookout for a new striker after last season's top scorer Richarlison left the club last week to join Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur in a deal that could be worth up to £60 million ($71.6m).

However, the Brazil international only registered 10 goals last term as Everton flirted with relegation for the majority of the campaign before sealing survival with a 3-2 win over Crystal Palace in their penultimate match.

With first-choice centre-forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin hampered by injuries, Everton's next-highest scorer in 2021/22 was Andros Townsend with just three league goals.

The departures of Fabian Delph, Cenk Tosun, Jonjoe Kenny and Gylfi Sigurdsson after the expiration of their contracts leave a number of places available, but Everton’s finances, having posted cumulative losses of more than £370m over the past three years, means a tightening of the Goodison Park purse strings.

Owner Farhad Moshiri, who is in discussions to sell the club, has spent more than £500m on players during his six-year tenure, but precious few have turned out to be a success or provided anything close to value for money.

Lampard has been working closely with new director of football Kevin Thelwell to identify transfer targets and said Everton face a "big challenge" to get the right players to steer the club on an upwards trajectory.

Everton appointed Thelwell in February, a month after Lampard arrived, so this will be their first proper transfer window at the club.

Richarlison leaves Everton for Spurs

“Recruitment – and who goes out – is a huge part of any football club,” Lampard told evertonfc.com.

“Particularly when you are a manager who comes in mid-season.

“The transfer window shut one day after I joined, so you work with the players you have straight away.

“But when you look forward, you think about how you can strengthen in different areas, ‘How would this look?’. It is vital to get that right.

“It will be a big challenge for me and the club … to make sure we go in the right direction, because it is clear we don’t want to be fighting relegation and recruitment will be a big part of that.”

The consortium attempting to buy the club insist it is still interested despite claims Moshiri had ceased negotiations.

50 notable summer transfers

An initial period of exclusivity expired late last week and it was suggested that had ended the process. The Press Association reported it believes the group, headed by former Chelsea and Manchester United chief executive Peter Kenyon and bankrolled by United States real estate tycoon Maciek Kaminski and billionaire mining and investment magnate John Thornton, has applied for an extension to the exclusivity.

It is understood there were more talks over the weekend but KAM Sports, the company set up by the Kaminski family to buy “premier international sports assets”, are unhappy with the amount of public debate taking place.

“As a general principle, we prefer to conduct our business in private to create the fairest environment for those involved – and in this particular situation, to minimise uncertainty for fans of Everton,” said a statement.

“It is regrettable that this has not been possible. We respectfully remain interested in acquiring the club as we believe its fans deserve nothing less than the best, and our offer to achieve this stands.

“However, in consideration of all Everton fans, we will not be making further public comments at this time.”

The biog

First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work

Jewel of the Expo 2020

252 projectors installed on Al Wasl dome

13.6km of steel used in the structure that makes it equal in length to 16 Burj Khalifas

550 tonnes of moulded steel were raised last year to cap the dome

724,000 cubic metres is the space it encloses

Stands taller than the leaning tower of Pisa

Steel trellis dome is one of the largest single structures on site

The size of 16 tennis courts and weighs as much as 500 elephants

Al Wasl means connection in Arabic

World’s largest 360-degree projection surface

Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare

Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.

First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus

AIR

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What sanctions would be reimposed?

Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:

An arms embargo
A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods

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New Zealand
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Tries: Faletau, Murray
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Join parent networks
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Match info

Bournemouth 0
Liverpool 4 (Salah 25', 48', 76', Cook 68' OG)

Man of the match: Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)

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Uefa Men's Player of the Year: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)

Uefa Women's Player of the Year: Lucy Bronze (Lyon)

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Goalkeeper: Alisson (Liverpool)

Defender: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)

Midfielder: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax)

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Uefa President's Award: Eric Cantona

Our family matters legal consultant

Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.

8. Pillar 2 implementation

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

The Sky Is Pink

Director: Shonali Bose

Cast: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim, Rohit Saraf

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This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

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