Aditya Gokhale

The stadium used by Manchester United Women and the club's Under-21 men is officially being renamed from Leigh Sports Villag. The immediate change was approved by Wigan Council this week and reflects a renewed emphasis on community spirit and shared values. The rebrand comes just days after United Women set a new attendance record at the venue.

Manchester United have secured their first signing of the summer, agreeing a pre-contract deal for highly-rated Colombian midfielder Cristian Orozco, who will officially join in July after he has turned 18. The club have also handed a trial to Senegal U17 captain Mouhamed Dabo, signalling their intent to reshape midfield options for both the present and future.

Benjamin Sesko has yet to impress on the field for Manchester United since his big summer move from RB Leipzig. The Slovenian has faile to score a goal for the Red Devils despite playing close to 300 minutes. The search goes on, but a picture from training has shown Sesko mimic Old Trafford icon Mark Hughes and his famous 1989 volley against Manchester City.

Former Arsenal academy forward Billy Vigar has tragically died at the age of 21, after sustaining a serious brain injury while playing for Chichester City. The non-league side confirmed his passing on Thursday, describing him as a much-loved figure. The former Hale End star's tragic death has drawn numerous tributes from former clubs, among others.

William Osula’s deadline day move to Eintracht Frankfurt collapsed at the last moment after Newcastle United's Saudi owners intervened when the Bundesliga side walked back on a deal that was virtually agreed. Now, with Yoane Wissa sidelined through injury, the 22-year-old has stayed put, hit form in the Carabao Cup, and emerged as an unlikely top scorer so far.

Diego Leon has been training with Manchester United's first-team since his summer move from Cerro Porteno, but the 18-year-old left-back still has plenty to prove before earning Premier League minutes. Despite ambitious claims ahead of his arrival, Leon is far from ready to feature for Ruben Amorim's senior squad.

Senne Lammens has quickly adapted to life at Manchester United since his deadline-day move from Royal Antwerp, with the Belgian praised for his calm presence and maturity in training. However, despite impressing behind the scenes, the 23-year-old goalkeeper is still waiting to make his debut under Ruben Amorim, and it remains uncertain when that chance will arrive.

The EFL has confirmed that Blackburn Rovers' abandoned Championship clash with Ipswich Town will be replayed in full, despite the Lancashire club's frustration at losing their late advantage. The match was called off in the 79th minute with Blackburn leading 1-0 against ten-man Ipswich, but a majority EFL Board vote has ruled the fixture must restart.

Lauren Hemp has spoken about a surprising and amusing routine she does before games, fake tanning in the buildup to be freshly bronzed out on the pitch. Speaking to ex-England internationals Karen Carney and Jill Scott, the Lionesses winger joked that she can't always be bothered do it properly and the Manchester City star laughed it off as 'a ritual of mine'.

Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembele was named the Men's Ballon d'Or winner for the 2024/25 season. The France international was the outright favourite to win the trophy after he led Les Parisiens to a fantastic European quadruple last season, and some fans are praising the winger. However others feel that Barcelona's Lamine Yamal was unfairly snubbed.

Paris Saint-Germain have been ranked as the Men's Club of the Year at the 2025 Ballon d'Or gala after Les Parisiens won a historic quadruple led by Luis Enrique. Arsenal were named the Women's Club of the Year after their massive Women's Champions League campaign last season under Renee Slegers, becoming the first side to dethrone Barcelona from the pedestal.

Gianluigi Donnarumma has been named the 2025 Yashin Trophy award winner after helping Paris Saint-Germain to a quadruple, including the Champions League. The Italian has since joined Manchester City after being frozen out of the squad by Luis Enrique. Donnarumma dethroned Emiliano Martinez as the best men's goalkeeper in the world, with the Argentine goalkeeper having won the last two editions.

England captain and Bayern Munich superstar Harry Kane has been placed 13th on the Ballon d'Or standings, and fans are furious with the disgraceful ranking. There was also some outrage that Chelsea' Cole Palmer finished ahead of Kane despite having a forgettable 2024-25 Premier League season, which was covered up by a good Club World Cup campaign.

Vinicius Junior’s dramatic decline in the Ballon d’Or rankings has raised eyebrows, with the Real Madrid star slipping all the way down to 16th in 2025, just a year after finishing runner-up to Rodri. The Brazilian had vowed to come back stronger following last year’s controversy, but his fall from grace has coincided with Real Madrid’s ongoing rift with UEFA and the awards ceremony.

Gary Neville has branded Arsenal a 'one-trick pony' under Mikel Arteta, questioning whether the Gunners truly believe they can win the Premier League. The Manchester United legend criticised Arsenal’s reliance on set pieces following their 1-1 draw with Manchester City, warning that without greater attacking spark, their title push could ultimately fall short.

Jose Mourinho has moved quickly to cool tensions with Porto fans after sparking anger with his unveiling comments at Benfica. The 62-year-old Portuguese coach, who began his career with the Lisbon giants in 2000, stressed that his return is not about 'waging war' on Porto or Sporting, despite admitting he expects a frosty reception when Benfica visit the Dragao in October.

Mikel Arteta has defended Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres after another quiet outing in a big game, as the Gunners bagged a late equaliser in a 1-1 draw against Manchester City at the Emirates. The £64 million summer signing failed to register a single shot or create any real danger against Pep Guardiola's side, leaving frustrated fans questioning his impact.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has confirmed that Mohamed Salah and four other senior stars will sit out Tuesday’s Carabao Cup third round tie against Southampton. The Reds edged Everton 2-1 in the Merseyside derby at Anfield on Saturday, making it five wins on the bounce in all competitions. But Slot says heavy rotation is coming, with his most-used players to receive a much-needed rest.