Manchester City goalkeeper James Trafford admits that he was blindsided by Pep Guardiolaâs swoop for Gianluigi Donnarumma, with the England World Cup hopeful leaving the door open to another transfer 12 months on from making his way back to the Etihad Stadium. The 23-year-old is desperate for regular game time, but finds himself stuck behind the revered Italian shot-stopper.
Jose Mourinhoâs shadow looms large over the Santiago Bernabeu years after his departure from Real Madrid. Rumours of a possible return to the Spanish side in the wake of Xabi Alonso's sacking gained steam after the Portuguese coach masterminded Benfica's incredible 4-2 win over his former player Alvaro Arbeloa and it turns out president Florentino Perez could bring him back to the club for free in the summer.
Marseille suffered more frustration, in what has become a difficult period for the club, when throwing away a two-goal lead in their 2-2 draw with Strasbourg. The contest was their first since seeing Roberto De Zerbi relieved of his managerial duties. Inspiration is required from somewhere, as OM try to restore some stability, and Mason Greenwood is doing his best to provide that.
Lionel Messi is well versed in the art of goal celebration, but the Argentine GOAT struggled to crack a smile after watching son Mateo find the back of the net for Inter Miamiâs youth team. The youngster is hoping to follow in the footsteps of his famous father by becoming a professional footballer, with the eight-time Ballon dâOr winner on hand to offer words of advice.
Neymar experienced mixed emotions when making his return to action with Santos. The Brazil international, who is clinging to his 2026 World Cup dream, is back on the field after recovering from knee surgery. He is looking to play his way towards full fitness, with an eventful cameo appearance being taken in when stepping off the bench in a meeting with Velo Clube.
Marseille have been plunged into fresh turmoil as former defender Adil Rami warned that a culture of "fear" and "negativity" is actively preventing top talent from joining the club. The outspoken 2018 World Cup winner spoke out following another disappointing result on the pitch, where the French side surrendered a two-goal lead at the on home soil to draw 2-2 with Strasbourg. The stalemate only added to the sense of dread surrounding the club, who have seen their leadership structure evaporate in a matter of days.
Vinicius Junior has revealed how he helped Real Madrid to sign Kylian Mbappe, with the Brazilian claiming to have acted as the French forwardâs âagentâ. World Cup winner Mbappe finally became a âGalacticoâ at the Bernabeu in 2024, following several years of speculation regarding a move to Spain, and has become a prolific presence for Los Blancos.
Bayern Munich legend Lothar Matthaus is âconvincedâ that Harry Kane will remain at the Allianz Arena and sign a contract extension as âmoney isnât his top priorityâ. The prolific England international striker has seen a transfer speculated on, as there are release clauses in his current terms, but discussions regarding an extended stay with the Bundesliga champions are being lined up.
Mikel Arteta deployed Bukayo Saka in a central role for Arsenal against Wigan in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday and saw his team cruise to a emphatic 4-0 win. The Arsenal boss spoke about his decision to swap Saka from his usual role out wide, admitting it is something that he had wanted to try and is now a tactic that he could look to use more often.
Lionel Scaloni's plan to stop Lamine Yamal in La Finalissima has been revealed as Spain gear up to take on Argentina in Qatar. The European champions will take on the Copa America winners in Qatar next month in the pre-World Cup meeting in the national team equivalent of the now-defunct Intercontinental Cup. The game will see the Barcelona wonderkid come up against Lionel Messi for the first time.
Antonela Roccuzzo took to Instagram to show off the giant Valentine's Day gift she received from husband Lionel Messi. The Argentina international showed off his personal side as the forward continues to recover from injury. And rather than make a big song and dance of the day, Messi treated Roccuzzo to dinner and gifts as a display of affection.
Mikel Arteta has confirmed the reason behind Martin Odegaard's absence from the matchday squad for Arsenal's FA Cup win over Wigan on Sunday. The Gunners eased past the Latics on home turf to breeze into the next round of the competition but Odegaard sat out the resounding home victory as the Norwegian's stop-start season continues.
Lyon boss Paulo Fonseca insists that striker Endrick needs to learn from his red card after the on-loan forward was dismissed during OL's 1-0 win at Nantes last weekend. The teenage striker was shown his marching orders on the hour mark in the narrow victory at the Stade de la Beaujoire last weekend which extended their winning run to six matches ahead of tonight's game against Nice.
Wayne Rooney has named the two clubs that he would join as an assistant manager, with the Manchester United legend not ruling out a return to the dugout in a head coaching capacity. The former England captain endured a tough time across his last two stints at Birmingham and Plymouth, but he has not lost the bug and is ruling nothing out at this stage.
Harry Kane is thinking about Robert Lewandowski's Bundesliga goal record, with the Bayern Munich striker admitting that âanything is possibleâ. Prolific Polish frontman Lewandowski once found the target on 41 occasions across a single Bundesliga campaign. Nobody has been able to raise that bar, but 2025-26 could see Kane could claim another entry in the history books.
Real Madrid have issued an injury update on star striker Kylian Mbappe ahead of their meeting with Benfica on Tuesday night. The Spanish giants play the Portuguese side in their Champions League playoff clash as the two sides vie to secure a spot in the last-16 of Europe's elite club competition. The fixture sees the sides meet just weeks after Benfica's dramatic 4-2 win over Los Blancos in the group phase.
Eberechi Eze bounced back from his midweek nightmare at Brentford to help Arsenal set a new FA Cup record as they thumped Wigan 4-0 to cruise into the fifth round. Eze, whose form has been the subject of much scrutiny having been hauled off at half-time by Mikel Arteta during Thursday night's 1-1 draw at the Gtech Stadium, produced two superb early assists as the Gunners became the first Premier League side in history to score four times in the opening 30 minutes of an FA Cup tie.
Yan Diomande has responded to claims that Liverpool are his 'dream club' with the Reds and Bavarian giants Bayern Munich among the teams linked with a move for the Ivorian. The teenage winger has established himself as one of the most exciting wide prospects in Europe and there are a number of elite teams keeping tabs on the RB Leipzig star.
Cristiano Ronaldo has always been a bad loser, former Manchester United and Portugal team-mate Nani has revealed, with the all-time great breaking down in tears if things did not go his way. CR7 has spent his record-shattering career chasing perfection, with any stumbles endured when heading down that path leading to an outpouring of emotion.
Aymeric Laporte admits that âeveryone is afraidâ of Spain international team-mate Lamine Yamal, with the Barcelona wonderkid having rivals running scared. At just 18 years of age, the teen sensation continues to see his stock soar. He has earned another comparison to Argentine GOAT Lionel Messi, with their dribbling ability considered to occupy a similar talent pool.
Real Madrid are 'lucky' to have Trent Alexander-Arnold, at least that's according to head coach Alvaro Arbeloa. Alexander-Arnold moved to the Spanish giants last summer on a free transfer, a transfer that irked Liverpool fans. However, the right-back has endured an indifferent start to life in Madrid, with injuries limiting the England's international's impact.
Ruben Dias would be advised to stick to his day job, with Maya Jama sharing some of the Manchester City defenderâs attempts at artwork. The Love Island presenter, who has been filming in South Africa, got to spend Valentineâs Day with her Portuguese partner. They headed out for a romantic meal, with that dining experience including opportunities to put their drawing skills to the test.
Jude Bellingham treated his girlfriend, Ashlyn Castro, to a trip to the Bernabeu on Valentine's Day. The pair were spotted in the VIP section as Bellingham watched his Real Madrid team-mates ease to a 4-1 in over Real Sociedad on Saturday evening. The England international is currently sidelined after suffering a hamstring injury in the 2-1 win over Rayo Vallecano earlier this month.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has explained why he is more Cristiano Ronaldo than Lionel Messi, with the NBA superstar adding his voice to the long-running GOAT debate. The Milwaukee Bucks talisman is hoping to form part of those discussions in basketball circles and sees himself being cut from similar sporting cloth to Portuguese icon CR7 - while being a huge admirer of magical Argentina international Messi.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has broken his silence on the future of âgood friendâ Mohamed Salah, with the Egyptian superstar continuing to see a move away from Anfield speculated. Interest from the Saudi Pro League refuses to go away, heading towards the summer transfer window, but those on Merseyside are hoping to see a talismanic presence stay put.
Eden Hazard has opened up on some of the 'really bad' clashes with Jose Mourinho during their time together at Chelsea. The Belgian winger moved to Stamford Bridge in 2012 and established himself as a fan favourite during his seven years at Stamford Bridge before he went on to sign for La Liga giants Real Madrid in 2019 having won the Premier League, FA Cup and Europa League with the Blues.
England and Scotland games at the 2026 World Cup are under threat, with Gillette Stadium in Foxborough yet to be granted the license required to stage FIFA fixtures. The iconic venue on the outskirts of Boston, which is home to the New England Patriots franchise in NFL circles, is due to host seven matches at this summerâs global showpiece.
Manchester United earned their seventh straight victory in all competitions as they came from behind to beat London City Lionesses 2-1 in the Women's Super League. A stunning Jess Park equaliser and a late Millie Turner winner on her return from injury secured the three points after Nikita Parris had given the newly-promoted visitors the lead, as the Red Devils stay second in the division with the hard-fought victory.