Lucas Paqueta asked not to be selected by West Ham in their FA Cup clash with Queens Park Rangers and is reportedly pushing for a transfer away from the Premier League club. The Brazilian playmaker is said to still be feeling "disillusioned" after the spot-betting scandal that dominated two years of his life, and he is now ready to leave England and head home.

Manchester City are pushing to sign Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi immediately, opting not to wait for his contract to expire in the summer. Pep Guardiola’s side have opened talks and are ready to meet the £35 million valuation to fend off heavy interest from Liverpool, Arsenal and Real Madrid. The champions are moving quickly to capitalise on the defender’s situation following a chaotic weekend for the Eagles.

Manchester United’s turbulent season has taken yet another dramatic twist with the sacking of Ruben Amorim, a decision that has inadvertently handed a massive lifeline to Kobbie Mainoo just as the midfielder appeared destined for a January exit. As the dust settles on Amorim’s departure, club legend Dwight Yorke has issued a stark warning to the young midfielder, urging him to reject any potential loan moves and prove his worth at Old Trafford.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s son Maximilian is reportedly in talks to leave AC Milan and join another one of his father’s former clubs. Ibrahimovic Snr was widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers of his generation, representing a host of Europe’s biggest clubs including Milan, Inter and Juventus in Serie A, as well as Premier League heavyweights Manchester United and La Liga champions Barcelona.

Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly rejected a loan bid from Roma for centre-back Radu Dragusin, who recently returned from nearly a year out with an ACL injury and had been targeted for a return to Serie A. The 23-year-old has been included in Thomas Frank's last six matchday squads despite coming off the bench just once, and the club may decide to keep him around this January after knocking back Roma's approach.

The transfer windows remain one of the highlights of the footballing seasons for fans and there have been plenty of big-money deals over the years.

Arsenal have hired former Liverpool throw-in coach Thomas Gronnemark as the club aim to strengthen their bid to win the Premier League title. The Gunners have considerable set-piece prowess, and have now recruited another expert in the field.

Bruno Fernandes' Manchester United team-mates 'fear' the Portuguese has had enough of the turmoil going on at Old Trafford and will quit the Red Devils for pastures new after the World Cup this summer. The 31-year-old previously claimed he was "hurt" and "sad" that the club were willing to sell him last year and team-mates reportedly would not blame him if he were to move on at the end of the season.

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.

John Terry is set to part with some of the most emotionally charged items of his storied Chelsea career, including the infamous “tear-stained” shirt from the 2008 Champions League final defeat to Manchester United. The former Blues captain will auction the memorabilia at a charity sale, with proceeds supporting causes close to his heart through his foundation.

An almost perfect 2025 for Ousmane Dembele was completed on Sunday, as the Paris Saint-Germain forward was crowned 'Best Male Player' at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai. This was the latest in a series of personal accolades for the Ballon d'Or winner, who inspired PSG to winning the Champions League for the first time ever last season. Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal also picked up a pair of awards on the night.

The Christmas period is upon us, which means we are somehow already more or less at the midway point of the 2025-26 football season. As many of Europe's leading leagues pause for the winter break, it's time to take stock and reflect on four scintillating months of action. It's also the opportune moment to assess those players who completed transfers across the continent in the summer, now that they have a decent sample size of games under their belts.

With the halfway stage of the season upon us, the time has come to shine a spotlight on the players who have made the biggest impact across Europe's major leagues. But first, let's run through the lay of the land.

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.

Kylian Mbappe has been told that Paris Saint-Germain would not have won the Champions League had he stuck around in France, with it “fantasy” to believe that European success could ever have been savoured with the France international, Lionel Messi and Neymar lining up in the same starting XI. World Cup winner Frank Leboeuf has explained to GOAL why that is the case.