GM football fans. It’s Monday, Nov. 03 - A Premier League chief is set to introduce pro-rel into U.S. football, shirt prices are rising to new heights, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.

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Premier League: Sunderland vs. Everton, 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET. Sunderland’s win over Chelsea last Saturday means they have 17 points after nine games, their best record at this stage of a top-flight campaign since 1999-00. Meanwhile, Everton are looking to avoid three consecutive defeats under David Moyes for the first time since October 2011. See the Premier League table here.

Results…

The chief football officer of the Premier League, Tony Scholes, is set to become president of the USL’s new first-division men’s league in the United States. Scholes is expected to join the USL next summer and will be responsible for shaping the new league’s format, as well as introducing promotion and relegation for the first time in U.S. football history. The new league will directly rival Major League Soccer.

Scholes, who joined the Premier League in January 2022, will arrive at the USL at a critical period. The USL, which currently operates Division Two and Division Three, plans to launch a Division One league within the sanctioning standards of the U.S. Soccer Federation. The three-tiered system will allow the USL to explore promotion and relegation, which could begin as early as 2027. Dive deeper into the USL’s pro-rel plans here.

The USL faces some difficulties in setting up this league, which Scholes will help to guide. This includes which teams will move from its existing Division Two and Division Three leagues into Division One, and which expansion teams to allow into the new division.

A Real Madrid replica shirt featuring Kylian Mbappe’s name now retails for £185 ($243), or £200 ($263), with long sleeves and Champions League badges. The price surge reflects the growing importance of merchandise revenue, as media rights growth slows, according to the Financial Times.

The average Premier League shirt costs £75, with children’s versions priced £45–£65. Industry data shows shirts cost £15–£20 to manufacture and sell to retailers at around £35 wholesale. Clubs are also profiting from record kit deals, such as Puma’s £100m-a-year contract with Manchester City, up from £65m.

Replica kits have seen price rises of up to 56% over five years, according to data from last season. Yet, demand for shirts has not been affected as Manchester United saw a 16% rise in retail sales to £145m last year, despite overall revenue falling, while Barcelona saw retail revenue rise by 55% last year.

Following a five-year investigation, 149 referees and assistant referees in Turkey have been suspended for owning betting accounts. The bans range from eight to 12 months, depending on the severity of the offences, with probes continuing into three more officials. Match officials are forbidden from betting under rules set by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF), Fifa, and Uefa.

As reported last week, TFF president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu said that 10 referees placed bets on more than 10,000 matches each over five years, while others placed only one bet. One referee is alleged to have placed bets on 18,227 games. Top-flight clubs Besiktas said the investigation "could mark a new beginning for clean football", while Trabzonspor called the development a “historic opportunity to rebuild justice in Turkish football".

The investigation has expanded to include clubs and players. Turkish broadcaster Haberturk claimed that some 3,700 players are under investigation.

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> Two goals for Kylian Mbappe in Real Madrid’s 4-0 win over Valencia made him the fastest player to score 44 goals in La Liga history since Ferenc Puskas (More)

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> Celtic booked their place in the Scottish League Cup final with a 3-1 (AET) win over Rangers (More) | St Mirren also reached the final for the first time in 12 years after beating Motherwell 4-1 (More)

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Friday’s Poll: Do you think Manchester United's good form will continue?

🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 👍 Yes (51%)

🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨 ⬜️ 🙅‍♂️ Nope (47%)

🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other (2%)

Your punditry takes:

The worst miss you’ll see all week.

Mapping every World Cup stadium. (w/ detail on stadiums)

Has England's Euros triumph given women's club football a boost?

Neymar fakes the wall at a free-kick.

See the Son Heung-min mural in Koreatown, LA.

Every Adidas World Cup kit leaked.

Haaland goes undercover as The Joker. (video)

Question: Mohamed Salah’s goal against Aston Villa was his 276th goal involvement for Liverpool in the Premier League. Can you name the three other players with over 250 goal involvements for a single club in the Premier League?

Scroll below for the answer.

Daily Wordle: Guess the football-related word, from player names to classic phrases, in six tries or fewer. Play it here.

Answer

Wayne Rooney (276). Ryan Giggs (271). Harry Kane (259). Source: Opta.