Al-Ittihad director Ramon Planes believes the club's captain and star striker Karim Benzema will extend his stay in Saudi Arabia. The 38-year-old's contract is set to expire in June 2026. Speculation over the five-time Champions League winners future intensified towards the end of last year, when he gave a cryptic answer to questions over his intentions to extend his stay in the Middle East.

Bayern Munich boss Vincent Kompany insists he has not spoken to Lennart Karl over his recent transfer remarks regarding Real Madrid after reiterating that the teen sensation has apologised for his “communication mistake”. The Bavarians' head coach has come to the aid of the 17-year-old, who raised eyebrows earlier this month by revealing it is his “dream” to play for the Spanish giants.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen could close his Barcelona chapter this month as the German goalkeeper looks to secure a move away from the La Liga's leaders. The player has fallen out of favour at the club under the management of fellow countryman Hansi Flick and is below Joan Garcia and Wojciech Szczesny in the pecking order between the sticks, yet could find a way to kickstart his career elsewhere in Spain.

Pep Guardiola has defended the passing skills of his goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. The Manchester City boss praised the Italian's composure, control and short passing game, saying the 26-year-old is "much, much better than people think", with the ball at his feet. However, the Spaniard admitted that the ex-PSG man's long passing could not compare to City's former keeper Ederson.

Arsenal star Declan Rice has been banned from driving after he was caught speeding twice on the same road in the space of a week. The England midfielder has also been issued with a fine after he was spotted going over the speed limit in his £40,000 Jaguar Land Rover at the start of last year. He did not appear at Crawley Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

A split between Jason Wilcox and Ruben Amorim led to the latter's sacking at Manchester United after the Portuguese coach took issue with a comment made by the director of football. Amorim was sacked as the Red Devils coach last week after he exploded in a post-match press conference and made a number of pointed comments aimed at the club's hierarchy.

With all the data and all the video footage you could ever hope for, there really shouldn't be many secrets left in the world of youth football. Sure, progress isn't linear and some players' attributes translate better to the adult game than others, but for most teams, picking and finding the best young talent still feels like a bit of a lottery, at least from the outside looking in.

Rennes are no strangers to producing some of the best players around, and Mohamed Kader Meite looks primed to become the next elite talent to step off the conveyor belt after the likes of Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue and Eduardo Camavinga. Still just 18, the towering striker is already said to be turning heads across Europe.

From Ibrahima Konate winning the title with Liverpool, to William Saliba anchoring Arsenal's charge to the top of the table or Leny Yoro's big-money signing for Manchester United, French centre-backs have had a massive influence in the Premier League's recent history. Now, the race to sign Les Bleus' next great defender is on as the top clubs from England and beyond circle Tylel Tati.

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.

One of the best midfielders of his era, perhaps the greatest crosser of a football ever and a free-kick taker to rival the best the game has ever produced, David Beckham was a special player to say the least. And yet due to his off-field impact, one of the sport's great champions of the past 30 years is generally forgotten when it comes to referencing the true legends of the game.

Romario moved around the penalty area with the stealthy gait and sly gaze of a panther, ready to suddenly accelerate as soon as the ball came his way, to disorient the opposing defenders with a couple of feints, to pounce on the ball, which inevitably ended up at his feet, as if magnetised, and finish with an unstoppable shot of pure technique or power, or alternatively serve up a perfect assist for one of his team-mates. He was a Hall of Fame striker if ever there was one.

Describing Roberto Baggio to those who did not experience him is a sort of generational challenge, an arduous attempt at conveying something that is too difficult to explain in words. But we will try - because Roberto Baggio was, especially for Italians, a symbol, a standard-bearer, an icon and an emotion.

Rebel United introduces players who prefer to swim against the tide, such as Barcelona and Spain legend Gerard Pique, who has achieved great significance beyond the pitch thanks to his Catalan pride and innovative spirit...

"La France, c'est vous." Translated as 'France, is you', that was what French president Charles de Gaulle told footballer Rachid Mekhloufi in 1968. Mekhloufi had just led his Saint-Etienne side to the double, and the reward was an audience with the most powerful man in the country. For Mekhloufi, this sentence brought things full circle. Now he was both Algerian and French; 10 years earlier, he had - in a sense - been neither.

In the latest from our series focusing on players who swam against the tide during their careers, we take a look at one of Germany's great sporting rebels

On September 15, 2018, N'Golo Kante walked off the Stamford Bridge pitch, satisfied. As was often the case, the Frenchman had just covered every blade of grass over the course of the 90 minutes. And, as was so often the case, he was not one of the major speaking points at full-time. Not right away, at least.

Anyone that manages to carve out a career for themselves in professional football is ridiculously talented. The standard at the highest level is just so high that it is simply impossible to 'fake it 'til you make it'. However, not everyone is as prodigiously gifted as Lionel Messi or Lamine Yamal. Your average player will require some time to get to grips with the rigours of the elite game.

Player development in football follows many different paths. Some exceptional talents, such as Lamine Yamal and Estevao, make an impact at the highest level at a very young age. At the same time, countless players need more time before their qualities fully emerge.