Russell Martin has emerged as the leading candidate to take the reins at Leicester City following his departure from Rangers earlier this season. The 40-year-old is understood to be keen on the vacancy at the King Power Stadium as the club seeks a replacement for Marti Cifuentes, with the hierarchy viewing his previous promotion experience as the ideal solution to their current Championship struggles.

Wrexham have received a huge cash injection from Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac ahead of the January transfer deadline. A further £48 million ($66m) is being pumped into the Championship club. That should allow manager Phil Parkinson to bolster his ranks before the latest window shuts, with the Red Dragons reported to be in the market for a new striker and a couple of wing-backs.

Gary Lineker has dropped a major hint that Arsenal could land Julian Alvarez this summer, revealing that the striker is unhappy at Atletico Madrid. The former Match of the Day host believes the World Cup winner would be a "game over" signing for Mikel Arteta’s side, who are desperate for firepower after seeing their title bid falter due to a lack of goals from their current crop of forwards.

Alan Shearer has launched a scathing attack on former Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim, labelling the Portuguese coach "arrogant" for his refusal to adapt his tactics at Old Trafford. The Newcastle legend believes Michael Carrick's stunning start to life in the dugout highlights the failures of his predecessor, who was sacked earlier this month after refusing to abandon his back-three system despite poor results.

Liverpool have been warned that allowing Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson to leave Anfield would be a huge mistake. Former Reds custodian Brad Friedel has told GOAL why the South American shot-stopper would take years to replace - with Manchester United being used as an example of why “every ounce” must be squeezed out of reliable No.1s.

Manchester United face a major battle to keep captain Bruno Fernandes this summer as the midfielder demands a massive pay rise to £400,000-a-week to stay at Old Trafford. The 31-year-old has become disillusioned with how the club is run and will wait to see who replaces interim boss Michael Carrick before deciding his future, with Casemiro's exit potentially funding the new contract.

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."

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.

Pep Guardiola has taken a bizarre dig at his own Manchester City players while quoting his “idol”, Johan Cruyff. The demanding Catalan coach worked under the iconic Dutchman during his playing days at Barcelona. Many of the lessons he took back then have been implemented into his own coaching career. Guardiola is now renowned for demanding nothing but the best, and absolute commitment, from all of those working alongside him.

Here’s how you can watch the Champions League pacesetters in action this season

Barcelona supremo Joan Laporta has been criticised by presidential rivals over his decision to call elections before the end of the season. The Catalan giants are owned by their members, meaning they have the chance to vote in a new club president every five years. Laporta was sworn in back in 2021, and had to call an election before the end of June.

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.