Every month, GOAL brings you the top stories involving teenage wonderkids and the world's best young footballers. During September, there was plenty to be said about the likes of Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid's Franco Mastantuono, but there were also plenty of other headlines made by the planet's emerging stars in both the men's and women's games.
Timo Werner’s RB Leipzig story is heading towards its final chapter. Even though the striker has fought his way back into the squad and made a late cameo against Wolfsburg, his first Bundesliga appearance in nearly two years, reports in Germany say a January move is on the cards, with the club ready to cash in.
Howard Webb has backed Jared Gillett and the VAR officials for their decision to overturn a penalty following Nick Pope's challenge on Viktor Gyokeres during Arsenal's 2-1 win away at Newcastle on Sunday. The PGMOL boss made the comments on Sky Sports' Match Officials Mic'd Up, telling Michael Owen that Pope's touch on the ball made it a "clean challenge" making the original call a "clear error".
Manchester City star Erling Haaland revealed a crippling fear as he opened up on dealing with grief. Haaland had to bid goodbye to dear ones in the last few years, including his agent Mino Raiola and a close family friend Ivar Eggja, who passed away in September at 59. Eggja was the best man at Alf-Inge Haaland’s wedding and was fondly referred to as “uncle” by the City star.
Morgan Gibbs-White opened up on why he chose to commit his future to Nottingham Forest, despite strong interest from Tottenham Hotspur in the summer. Spurs were very close to signing Gibbs-White in the summer transfer window but the midfielder eventually put pen to paper on a new three-year deal that will now run until the summer of 2028. His previous deal was due to expire in 2027.
Alejandro Garnacho got inked once again as a new tattoo can be seen on his neck during the latest Chelsea games. Garancho have had a slow start at Stamford Bridge since moving from Manchester United in the last transfer window. He had a fallout with manager Ruben Amorim during the Europa League final last season and was put in Amorim's 'bomb squad' throughout the summer.
Newcastle United suffer a huge injury blow as star full-back Tino Livramento will be sidelined for up to eight weeks after suffering a knee ligament injury. Livramento sustained the injury after being challenged by Arsenal's William Saliba last weekend, which led to him awkwardly landing on the ground. He received medical attention before being stretchered off in the 77th minute.
Three Premier League clubs are set to compete in the Club World Cup from the next edition as FIFA aim to increase the number of teams in the competition. The inaugural edition of the tournament, held in the USA, saw English giants Chelsea winning the title by beating European champions Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 in the final. The representative from England were Manchester City.
Ex-Tottenham midfielder Jamie O'Hara has called for Manchester United to hire former captain Roy Keane as manager, in a bid to reverse the Red Devils' atrocious form under Ruben Amorim. The talkSPORT pundit lauded the fiery Irishman for his leadership skills, saying the 58-year-old would "not allow poor standards". O'Hara did acknowledge the club was highly unlikely to make the move, however.
Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke has undergone "minor surgery" to resolve a persistent ankle injury. The ex-Bournemouth man has been struggling for fitness in the 2025/26 season, with last appearance for the Lilywhites coming against Manchester City on August 23. He was absent from training on Monday, and did not feature in Thomas Frank's squad for his side's 1-1 draw against Bodo/Glimt.
Rasmus Hojlund produced a statement performance for Napoli in the Champions League, scoring twice against Sporting CP and celebrating by pointing to the competition’s badge. The on-loan Manchester United striker seemed to send a message to his parent club, who are enduring a season without European football under Ruben Amorim, which has not been going down well in Manchester.
Mikel Arteta has played down fears over Gabriel Magalhaes after the Brazilian defender was forced off during Arsenal’s 2-0 Champions League victory over Olympiacos. The centre-back went down following a collision with David Raya and received treatment before being replaced, but the Gunners boss later revealed the issue was only a precautionary concern.
Gus Poyet, in an exclusive chat with GOAL, has brutally explained why there is little chance of Harry Kane ending up at Manchester United if the England captain decides to return to the Premier League from Bayern Munich. There are said to be clauses in the prolific striker’s contract that could allow him to head home in 2026, but Old Trafford is not expected to be his next destination.
Liverpool are anxiously awaiting scan results to determine the severity of Alisson Becker’s hamstring injury after the Brazilian goalkeeper limped off during the Champions League defeat to Galatasaray. Head coach Arne Slot has confirmed that Alisson will miss Saturday’s Premier League clash with Chelsea, sparking fears of a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Liverpool, along with every other Premier League club, could be set for a mega pay-day if Manchester City are found guilty in their long-running Financial Fair Play (FFP) case. At least 115 charges have been hanging over the Etihad Stadium since February 2023. A final ruling, following an independent hearing, is expected at some point in the near future, with several potential outcomes still being speculated on.
Pep Guardiola was left furious after Manchester City were denied victory in Monaco as a controversial late penalty decision cost his side two Champions League points. The Catalan tactician refused to comment directly on the incident but took a swipe at 'Spanish referees' following another night of refereeing drama in Europe, which resulted in Eric Dier scoring a late penalty equaliser.
Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish has offered advice to Florian Wirtz after the £116 million summer signing’s sluggish start at Anfield. The German playmaker is yet to score or assist in the Premier League and the Champions League, but Dalglish believes building chemistry with Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike could unlock his potential in Arne Slot’s system.
Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal has been told - in an exclusive interview carried out by GOAL - that he would have “no chance” of winning the Ballon d’Or at Liverpool, as Chelsea playmaker Cole Palmer is offered advice on how he could push himself into contention for the most prestigious of individual honours. Those words have been delivered by Blues legend Gus Poyet, who continues to keep a close eye on European football.
Manchester United forward Joshua Zirkzee could be on the move this January, with Serie A side Como reportedly exploring a deal for the Dutchman. Manager Cesc Fabregas’ ambitious project is said to view Zirkzee as an ideal attacking addition, and United are open to either a loan or permanent transfer midway through the current Premier League season.
Manchester United could revisit their interest in Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in January, despite signing Senne Lammens earlier this year. With Ruben Amorim under pressure after a poor start to the campaign, the club are expected to explore reinforcements — and former Red Devils scout Mick Brown believes Martinez remains firmly on their radar.
Manchester City stand accused by La Liga president Javier Tebas of “losing money and cheating” for 10 years. The Premier League heavyweights currently find themselves at the centre of a long-running Financial Fair Play (FFP) saga, with serious questions being asked of whether rules were breached. Tebas is less than impressed with goings on in England, while he has also taken aim at Champions League title holders Paris Saint-Germain.
Barcelona legend Xavi would be “tempted” by the project at Manchester United if Ruben Amorim were to be removed from his post at Old Trafford and an official approach was made, claims Gaizka Mendieta. The Red Devils continue to see more change in their dugout mooted, with speculation rife regarding who could be handed the reins if the decision is taken to move in a different direction.
Welcome to Wrexham showed the pain and glory of British lower league football to the world but it would never have existed without Sunderland Till I Die. Rob McElhenney watched the documentary on the recommendation of his actor friend Humphrey Ker and was immediately hooked. After finishing the series he instantly decided he wanted to invest in a lower league club and soon his ambitious project with Ryan Reynolds was born.
Benjamin Sesko has been sent a warning about life at Manchester United by Slovenia national team head coach Matjaz Kek, as the striker is off to a slow start at his new club. Since completing a big-money transfer from RB Leipzig to Old Trafford in the summer transfer window, the Slovenia international has managed to score just one goal in his opening seven games.
The Premier League are set to vote on scrapping the divisive Profit and Sustainability Rules and bringing in a new system that will be more aligned with the UEFA financial regulations. The PSR was introduced by the Premier League ahead of the 2015/16 season in a bid to prevent clubs from overspending on transfers, however, time and again, the rules have faced criticism.
Premier League chief Richard Masters dropped a huge hint over the future of the 3pm blackout. The rule has been in place for the last 60 years and the Football Association has consistently policed the blackout as it is viewed as essential to protect attendances in the Football League. However, in recent years, there have been several rumours of a push to abolish the system.
Referee Jarred Gillett broke PGMOL protocol in the process of denying Arsenal a penalty at Newcastle last weekend. While Arsenal went on to win 2-1 at St. James' Park courtesy of late goals from Mikel Merino and Gabriel Magalhaes, fans were incensed as Gillett overturned his decision to award a penalty in the 14th minute when it looked as though Nick Pope had fouled Viktor Gyokeres.
Liverpool have been dealt a huge blow with the news that Alisson is expected to be ruled out until the November international break through injury. The Brazilian was forced off early in the second half of Liverpool's 1-0 Champions League defeat to Galatasaray on Tuesday night after suffering a hamstring problem at RAMS Park, with Giorgi Mamardashvili in line to deputise.
Manchester United reportedly considered appointing former coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer before they hired Ruben Amorim last November. The Portuguese coach was brought in from Sporting CP as United parted ways with Erik ten Hag after a poor start to the 2024-25 campaign. Solskjaer managed the Red Devils for three years before being dismissed in November 2021.
Crystal Palace are ready to compete with Manchester United and Real Madrid in the transfer market to sign Dutch wonderkid Kees Smit from AZ Alkmaar as the Eagles plot an ambitious swoop. Smit came into the limelight in 2023 after he scored from 50 yards against Barcelona in the UEFA Youth League and then helped Netherlands win the European U19 Championship last summer.
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