Tottenham appear primed to hijack Aston Villa's proposed move for Atletico Madrid star Conor Gallagher. Unai Emery's side have been on the lookout for more strength in depth as they try to keep touch in the Premier League title race, while also competing for cups this season. But it seems Spurs may pip them to the post on one recruit, days after losing to the Villans in the FA Cup.

San Jose Earthquakes are reportedly close to agreeing a deal to sign Timo Werner, according to The Athletic. The German national, who starred for RB Leipzig from 2016-2020, has found himself out of favor in his third stint with the German club, making three appearances this year. He will fill a Designated Player spot for San Jose, who are rebuilding under manager Bruce Arena.

Carlo Ancelotti's son, Davide, reportedly put his name forward for the Strasbourg managerial role after Liam Rosenior's move to Chelsea. The former Botafogo boss is said to have been keen on the coaching position but was eventually pipped to the post by ex-Wolves manager Gary O'Neil. It seems the 36-year-old does not want to be out in the coaching wilderness for a while.

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has admitted he would be interested in returning to the club as an assistant coach, working under former teammate Michael Carrick. The retired midfielder is expected to be named interim manager imminently and Rooney, who hasn't held a coaching position since being fired as Plymouth Argyle manager, would love to join him.

Aaronson is producing the best stretch of his career at Leeds - and forcing a rethink of his USMNT role as the World Cup approaches.

Manchester United are tipped to name Michael Carrick as the club's new interim manager by Wednesday, having spent recent days weighing up who to appoint to lead the team until the end of the season in the wake of Ruben Amorim's sacking. Fellow ex-players Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Darren Fletcher were also under consideration but now seem to have missed out.

With all the data and all the video footage you could ever hope for, there really shouldn't be many secrets left in the world of youth football. Sure, progress isn't linear and some players' attributes translate better to the adult game than others, but for most teams, picking and finding the best young talent still feels like a bit of a lottery, at least from the outside looking in.

Rennes are no strangers to producing some of the best players around, and Mohamed Kader Meite looks primed to become the next elite talent to step off the conveyor belt after the likes of Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue and Eduardo Camavinga. Still just 18, the towering striker is already said to be turning heads across Europe.

From Ibrahima Konate winning the title with Liverpool, to William Saliba anchoring Arsenal's charge to the top of the table or Leny Yoro's big-money signing for Manchester United, French centre-backs have had a massive influence in the Premier League's recent history. Now, the race to sign Les Bleus' next great defender is on as the top clubs from England and beyond circle Tylel Tati.

It's never a good idea to pay much attention to football's annual awards ceremonies. These glorified popularity contests drag on for far too long and trying to wrap your head around the lack of logic involved in the voting process is an exercise in futility. However, it was impossible to ignore The Best FIFA Men's 11 for 2025 - because the omission of Raphinha made so little sense.

Michael Owen, who remains the last Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or, has told GOAL what Harry Kane needs to do in order to land a prestigious Golden Ball in 2026. The prolific Bayern Munich striker is considered to have a "big chance" of claiming that prize as he chases down Champions League glory at club level and a World Cup crown with England.

New Year's Eve is almost upon us, meaning 2025 is about to be consigned to the past - but how will it be remembered by the football world? It was certainly an unforgettable year for some players, coaches and clubs. Paris Saint-Germain, for example, finally got their hands on the trophy they craved above all others, the Champions League, thus vindicating a sensible change in recruitment strategy by the club's owners, who went from signing superstars to investing millions in youth.

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.

Describing Roberto Baggio to those who did not experience him is a sort of generational challenge, an arduous attempt at conveying something that is too difficult to explain in words. But we will try - because Roberto Baggio was, especially for Italians, a symbol, a standard-bearer, an icon and an emotion.

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.

In the latest from our series focusing on players who swam against the tide during their careers, we take a look at one of Germany's great sporting rebels

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.