Tom Bellwood

Vinicius Junior has been told his behaviour during El Clasico will "negatively impact" his prestige at Real Madrid after his "disrespectful" reaction to being subbed off in the 72nd minute of the 2-1 victory over arch-rivals Barcelona. Vinicius appeared to ignore Real boss Xabi Alonso and headed straight down the tunnel instead of joining his team-mates on the bench.

Marcus Rashford has singled out one of his former Manchester United bosses for special praise, with the England international opening up on a more positive time for him at Old Trafford. Rashford rose from academy product to first-team star, marked by a sensational debut season and notably scored 30 goals in the 2022-23 campaign. But inconsistent performances and disciplinary issues led to his departure on loan, first to Aston Villa, then Barcelona.

Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has reportedly shut down a potential move for one of the greatest goalscorers of all time, despite manager Ruben Amorim's interest. United made significant additions to their forward line in the summer and Ratcliffe has intervened, even though the striker in question - who is approaching the end of his career - is set to become available on a free transfer at the end of this season.

Jude Bellingham is once again at the heart of a controversial incident surrounding Sunday’s fiery El Clasico, which the England star played a crucial starring role in winning for Real Madrid. In the closing stages of the first half at the Bernabeu, he was involved in a brief clash with Barcelona midfielder Pedri, who called for referee Soto Grado to give him a red card, and Bellingham’s reaction has caused further fury between the two La Liga giants.

Two Premier League clubs are reportedly weighing up a controversial move for Mason Greenwood as the former Manchester United forward continues his dazzling form in France for Marseille. Greenwood left Old Trafford under a dark cloud in September 2023 after serious criminal allegations were dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service. He initially joined Getafe on loan before making a permanent switch to Ligue 1 giants Marseille last season.

Lionel Messi has urged MLS chiefs to overhaul the league's transfer rules to continue the rapid growth of the competition and bring more of the world’s best players to the United States. The Inter Miami star wants wide-sweeping changes to the Roster Rules, which are often seen as archaic and cumbersome, and have been accused of holding back MLS teams from buying top-tier world talent.

Lionel Messi has revealed the key criteria that will determine whether or not he lines up for defending champions Argentina at next year’s World Cup. The virtuoso forward is enjoying life in America with Inter Miami, but will turn 39 during next year’s tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and his inclusion in the Argentina squad is not guaranteed.

Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham has fired an ominous warning to his England team-mate Marcus Rashford, saying he’s back to his best physical condition and relishing playing in El Clasico. Real lead Barcelona by two points at the top of La Liga ahead of the hotly-anticipated clash at the Bernabeu, with more than just bragging rights at stake.

Liverpool suffered another damaging defeat, soundly beaten 3-2 by Brentford on a woeful night for boss Arne Slot at the Gtech Stadium. Once again defensive frailties were exposed and key players failed to perform for the champions, the defeat means the Reds have slipped four points behind league leaders Arsenal in sixth place and have played a game more.

Amad Diallo was controversially denied what looked like a clear penalty against Brighton following an intervention from VAR. The flashpoint happened when Amad tangled with Brighton's Maxim De Cuyper in the box, and while it initially looked like a foul, replays indicated that De Cuyper appeared to make the lightest of touches on the ball first.

Marcus Rashford could be thrust into the starting line-up for Barcelona for the highly-anticipated El Clasico clash on Sunday following another damaging injury to a key Barca star just hours before the match. The England international has made an excellent start to his loan spell at Barcelona, bagging five goals and six assists in 12 appearances across all competitions.

Wrexham secured a vital point following an entertaining 1-1 draw with Championship high-flyers Middlesbrough at the Riverside. The Welsh side dominated for large swathes of the match and took an early lead, courtesy of a brilliant strike from Josh Windass, which took a deflection on its way in. But there was heartache for the visitors after Hayden Hackney’s diving header drew the hosts level with just a few minutes of the match remaining.

The war of words ahead of El Clasico shows no sign of abating with Madrid captain Dani Carvajal planning to confront Barca wonderkid Lamine Yamal at the end of the match over what he sees as "disrespectful" remarks in the build-up to the hotly-anticipated clash between the Spanish giants. Speaking on a Twitch stream ahead of the game, Yamal stoked the ill-feeling between the two sides, saying: "They (Real) steal, they complain, and they do things".

The home defeat by Aston Villa and a dire performance away at Monaco means the clash with Everton has taken on significant importance for Tottenham. And the Spurs boss Thomas Frank has identified the player who is most likely to pull the strings for the hosts as the visitors look for their first win at Everton since back in 2018.

A selection debate is brewing for Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim ahead of the Brighton match, following a controversial call to drop wing-back Diogo Dalot. Dalot was part of the starting line-up in the recent back-to-back victories, including the impressive 2-1 win against Liverpool. But a United legend has urged the Portuguese boss to make key changes this weekend.

The famous Newcastle badge is undergoing a major redesign, which is scheduled to adorn club kits and training apparel within the next couple of years. The updated designs, which some see as a controversial and unnecessary change, have been shown to club chiefs and won’t be signed off without fan approval.

Manchester United are on a roll following recent victories, including the morale-boosting win over deadly rivals Liverpool at Anfield. But the dust has settled on that fine win and boss Ruben Amorim has another landmark target to overcome when they face Brighton at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon.

The Tottenham treatment room is at bursting point with a host of key players on the absentee list, including one star who has proven himself to be most vital to the club's success. Spurs' win stats fall off a cliff when he isn’t playing, they also face a huge jump in shots faced and he will be needed back ASAP to help the north Londoners get their season back on track.