Chris Burton

Scott McTominay has once again been billed as the standout performer in Serie A. Said standing was recently made official when landing the division’s Player of the Year award for 2025 - with the history books being rewritten. A club colleague at title holders Napoli, Sam Beukema, has now explained what makes the former Manchester United midfielder special.

The cost of owning grass graced by Argentine GOAT Lionel Messi has been revealed, with Inter Miami joining the trend of selling turf as they prepare to move into a new stadium. The Herons are bidding farewell to Chase Stadium, having savoured a historic MLS Cup win in that venue, and will be heading to Freedom Park next season. Fans can snap up a piece of the pitch that Messi has trodden since deciding to chase the American dream in 2023.

Arsenal have been warned that they face the threat of enduring a bleak Harry Kane-esque scenario if major silverware is not captured soon. The Gunners have remained in contention for top honours across recent seasons, only to be left empty-handed. Frank Leboeuf has told GOAL why that lack of tangible success could lead the likes of William Saliba to explore transfer opportunities elsewhere.

Cole Palmer appears to have a new love interest, but the Chelsea star was eager to keep his presence under wraps when stepping out with his model companion. The England international, who is back in action after shaking off a series of unfortunate injuries, has attended the Winter Wonderland extravaganza in London. He was joined on that trip by Olivia Holder.

The identity of the star that "pushed" for a barber shop at Manchester United’s recently renovated Carrington training centre has been revealed. It is claimed that Diogo Dalot was the man eager to ensure that Red Devils stars did not have to go off site for a trim, with a hairdresser that boasts ties to Old Trafford icon Cristiano Ronaldo being drafted in.

Cristiano Ronaldo will, much like eternal rival Lionel Messi, want to be "the number one" when the day comes to retire. Former Real Madrid striker Alvaro Negredo admits as much, with Portuguese GOAT CR7 not ready for the "last word" just yet. He still has targets to chase down, with the plan being to compete for World Cup glory in the summer of 2026.

Jamie Carragher has risked incurring further wrath of Chelsea supporters by reiterating his opinion that Enzo Maresca will not be the club’s manager next season. The Italian is being mooted as a successor to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and Carragher believes that goings on behind the scenes in west London will lead to another change in the Stamford Bridge dugout.

Thierry Henry has urged Arsenal not to look for excuses in their latest Premier League title bid, with the Gunners legend pointing out that "everyone has problems". Injuries have started to pile up for Mikel Arteta at Emirates Stadium, while seeing a lead at the top of the table cut to two points, but collective focus must remain locked on the ultimate end goal.

Transfer fees have been creeping up for some time, with Neymar blowing the doors off that particular market when joining Paris Saint-Germain for €222m (£195m/$261m) in 2017. It appears to be only a matter of time before a defender moves for nine figures, with Marlon Harewood telling GOAL of why Nottingham Forest star Murillo could be the man to make history.

Scott McTominay has delivered his verdict on why certain players have improved after leaving Manchester United, with the Scotland international saying there is no obvious "excuse" as to why that has happened. McTominay is, as a Serie A title winner with Napoli, one of several stars to have flourished since severing ties with Premier League heavyweights at Old Trafford.

Dele Alli has hinted that a return to the professional ranks may be pending, with the former Tottenham midfielder continuing his search for a new club. The ex-England international has been a free agent since seeing his contract at Serie A side Como terminated. He has been working on an individual fitness programme, allowing him to stay sharp while waiting on offers.

Erling Haaland is being tipped to snub any future interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona as he is already at a club that will allow him to land major silverware and smash countless records on the goalscoring front. Ex-Premier League forward Marlon Harewood has told GOAL why the prolific Norwegian is likely to honour an extraordinary 10-year contract at the Etihad Stadium.

Gary Lineker has responded to reports of his World Cup deal with Netflix, and the potential to front future Premier League programming, being a "revenge" mission against former employers at the BBC. The ex-Tottenham and England striker has a reported £14 million ($19m) agreement in place to front The Rest Is Football podcast on American soil next summer. He insists talk of getting one over on the Beeb is "utter nonsense".

Barcelona president Joan Laporta admits the long-running Lionel Messi saga, which started in 2021 when the Argentine GOAT left for Paris Saint-Germain, has made him "sad". He does, however, hope that a crossing of paths will take place at some stage, saying: "Hopefully we meet again." A fitting tribute to Messi, be that an exhibition game or statue, is still being planned.

Harry Kane is considered to be operating in the shadow of Bayern Munich wonderkid Lennart Karl, with the 17-year-old sensation being likened to Lionel Messi. He is, having made a stunning senior breakthrough at the reigning Bundesliga champions, also being challenged by Dietmar Hamann to match the levels of Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

Mohamed Salah’s struggles at Liverpool, which led to him aiming an explosive outburst in the Reds’ direction, are being blamed on the summer departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold. Dean Saunders has explained to GOAL why the ‘Egyptian King’ at Anfield has found the going tough during the 2025-26 campaign and ultimately felt the need to air his grievances in public.

Harry Kane has revealed his highlight of 2025 as well as his New Year’s “wish”. The Bayern Munich and England striker has lifted his fabled trophy curse, with the Bundesliga title being secured, and is eager to land more major silverware with club and country. There will be plenty of opportunities for him to do just that in 2026, with Champions League and World Cup crowns up for grabs.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is said to figure prominently on Manchester City’s list of potential successors to Pep Guardiola. The Italian tactician has previously taken in two spells at the Etihad Stadium and may be welcomed back for a third when the day comes for a highly-decorated Catalan coach to sever ties with the Premier League heavyweights.