Michael Carrick is reportedly keen to have Marcus Rashford back at Manchester United next season if he stays on as Red Devils boss, but Barcelona hold the most important trump card in any transfer battle. The Liga giants took the England international forward on loan ahead of the current campaign and boast a purchase option that can be triggered in the summer of 2026.

Birmingham City's new signing Carlos Vicente has revealed that a phone call with NFL icon and Blues minority owner Tom Brady helped make his mind up to complete a marquee transfer from La Liga side Deportivo Alaves to the Championship. Vicente joins up with the ambitious West Midlands side as they aim to push for promotion to the Premier League, sitting just five points off the play-off places as we enter February.

Rumours linking Bruno Fernandes with a stunning January move to Real Madrid have been shut down by Fabrizio Romano. The transfer guru reports that claims the Manchester United captain offered himself to Los Blancos this month are "completely fake". Fernandes' future has been a frequent topic of discussion, but it appears likely that the 31-year-old will remain at Old Trafford until at least the end of the season, as his side seek Champions League qualification.

Pep Guardiola was unhappy that the first of Dominic Solanke's two goals stood during Manchester City's 2-2 draw at Tottenham on Sunday. City deservedly took a 2-0 lead heading into the second half but inexplicably collapsed, though the visiting manager was not pleased that Spurs' first goal was not chalked off by the referee or VAR.

Dominik Szoboszlai has cast doubt upon his Liverpool future in a worrying update for the Reds, with the midfielder admitting his future is "not in my hands" despite a clear desire to remain at Anfield. The 25-year-old has been one of the Reds' outstanding performers throughout an inconsistent season and talks over an extension are reported to be underway, with the Hungarian's current deal running until 2028.

Dominic Solanke scored a stunning scorpion kick goal for Tottenham as they battled back from two goals down to level matters against Manchester City. The England international striker was responsible for digging Spurs out of a hole in that contest, with his second effort of the game seeing the ball flicked home despite it dropping behind him.

Kazakhstan isn't a nation known for its love of football. That doesn't mean it's non-existent, however, and with a new teenage sensation emerging as one of the country's best players already, the nation sandwiched between Europe and Asia could be on the verge of a golden generation.

Darren Fletcher played alongside twin brothers Rafael and Fabio da Silva while at Manchester United, but little did he know that many years later, his own twin sons would be vying for a place in the Red Devils' first team. Fletcher opted against playing either of his sons, Jack or Tyler, during his brief spell as interim coach, perhaps out of fear of accusations of nepotism.

Hertha Berlin fans haven't had much to cheer about in recent years. Their decade-long stay in the Bundesliga ended after the team slumped to an 18th-placed finish in the 2022-23 season, just four years on from Lars Windhorst's €224 million minority takeover that came with the billionaire's promise to build a "true ‘big-city club’, like those in London or Madrid."

Roberto De Zerbi has clarified his Marseille future after reports surfaced he had resigned following the French side's Champions League exit. The Ligue 1 outfit were dumped out of the competition in midweek after a 3-0 loss at Club Brugge, coupled with Benfica's dramatic 4-2 win over Real Madrid. After speculation mounted the Italian had stepped down from his role, De Zerbi has now set the record straight.

Arne Slot complained about the "noise" around Anfield ahead of Wednesday night's Champions League clash with Qarabag - and one could understand why. As well as being distracting, some of it has been disrespectful. Indeed, Slot had even been asked a question about Xabi Alonso, the favourite to replace him as Liverpool boss, in his pre-match press conference.

With the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo duopoly now disappearing into the rearview mirror, the battle for the Ballon d'Or hasn't felt so open for the best part of 20 years, with countless players beginning the campaign believing they have a chance of claiming the most prestigious individual prize football has to offer. Ousmane Dembele emerged from a career plagued with inconsistencies to win the Golden Ball in 2025, and he was among a crowded field of contenders as the 2026 race got going.

Modernising the role of a full-back 30 years ago, Roberto Carlos undoubtedly set the benchmark. A tactical genius and a physical specimen, the Real Madrid and Brazil legend won countless trophies at club and international level, contributing bucket loads of goals and assists. No one in the past, present or future can ever claim to be his equal - he was that good.

One of the best midfielders of his era, perhaps the greatest crosser of a football ever and a free-kick taker to rival the best the game has ever produced, David Beckham was a special player to say the least. And yet due to his off-field impact, one of the sport's great champions of the past 30 years is generally forgotten when it comes to referencing the true legends of the game.

Romario moved around the penalty area with the stealthy gait and sly gaze of a panther, ready to suddenly accelerate as soon as the ball came his way, to disorient the opposing defenders with a couple of feints, to pounce on the ball, which inevitably ended up at his feet, as if magnetised, and finish with an unstoppable shot of pure technique or power, or alternatively serve up a perfect assist for one of his team-mates. He was a Hall of Fame striker if ever there was one.

In 1969, at the age of 23, George Best wanted to focus solely on the essentials. Just football, just his job. So he turned his back on his two other great passions, alcohol and women. His sobering conclusion: "It was the worst 20 minutes of my life." A Manchester United legend, that quote sums up Bet's rebellious attitude towards football, and life in general.

Rebel United introduces players who prefer to swim against the tide, such as Barcelona and Spain legend Gerard Pique, who has achieved great significance beyond the pitch thanks to his Catalan pride and innovative spirit...

"La France, c'est vous." Translated as 'France, is you', that was what French president Charles de Gaulle told footballer Rachid Mekhloufi in 1968. Mekhloufi had just led his Saint-Etienne side to the double, and the reward was an audience with the most powerful man in the country. For Mekhloufi, this sentence brought things full circle. Now he was both Algerian and French; 10 years earlier, he had - in a sense - been neither.

On September 15, 2018, N'Golo Kante walked off the Stamford Bridge pitch, satisfied. As was often the case, the Frenchman had just covered every blade of grass over the course of the 90 minutes. And, as was so often the case, he was not one of the major speaking points at full-time. Not right away, at least.

Anyone that manages to carve out a career for themselves in professional football is ridiculously talented. The standard at the highest level is just so high that it is simply impossible to 'fake it 'til you make it'. However, not everyone is as prodigiously gifted as Lionel Messi or Lamine Yamal. Your average player will require some time to get to grips with the rigours of the elite game.

Player development in football follows many different paths. Some exceptional talents, such as Lamine Yamal and Estevao, make an impact at the highest level at a very young age. At the same time, countless players need more time before their qualities fully emerge.