Soham Mukherjee

Danny Welbeck has been backed to mentor Benjamin Sesko as the forward is sensationally linked with a return to Manchester United. The striker might be approaching his 35th birthday, but he has been backed to retrace his steps to the Old Trafford dressing room, where he will find a struggling 22-year-old Slovenian desperate to find his feet in the English top-flight.

Chelsea star Axel Disasi, who was long relegated to the club’s infamous "bomb squad", was reportedly spotted training with the first team despite Enzo Maresca repeatedly insisting there is "no way back" for the French defender. The 27-year-old, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Aston Villa, has been frozen out since the summer. But fresh images from Cobham appear to show Disasi back among the first team players as he was spotted sprinting after Liam Delap in a drill, as reported by the Daily Mail.

Kylian Mbappe scored a brace and Hugo Ekitike opened his international account as France cruised past Ukraine to secure qualification for the 2026 World Cup. Les Bleus stuttered in the first half, but an outstanding display in the final 35 minutes ripped apart Ukraine's feeble resistance. Didier Deschamps' men have had a near-flawless qualifying campaign as they have won four and drawn one of their games to rack up 13 points from a possible 15.

Luis Rubiales was pelted by eggs during his own book launch on Thursday, which is titled "Matar a Rubiales" (Killing Rubiales). Rubiales’ attempt to relaunch his public image descended into complete chaos as he confirmed afterwards it was his own uncle who turned up and hurled eggs at the former Royal Spanish Football Federation president in front of cameras.

Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal and Arsenal star Declan Rice are among the 11 nominees for the FIFA 2025 Puskas Award. The global honour recognising the most breathtaking goal of the year kicked off on Thursday as FIFA revealed the shortlists for both the men’s and women’s prizes. The award, named after Real Madrid icon Ferenc Puskas, recognises the finest goal scored between 11 August 2024 and 2 August 2025, and this year’s competition is stacked with elite talent.

Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti has moved swiftly to shut down claims that he urged Endrick to leave Real Madrid in the upcoming transfer window, insisting he never told the young striker that a loan move was necessary to secure a place with the Selecao at the 2026 World Cup. The 19-year-old sensation is on the brink of sealing a January loan switch to Lyon as Los Blancos have reportedly thrashed out a deal with the Ligue 1 outfit.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has finally lifted the lid on an "unlucky" reason for Jadon Sancho's struggles as they began long before supporters ever saw him misfire on the pitch. It is the first time that the former manager has publicly disclosed the details of his early sufferings, as Sancho, who was billed to become the next big thing at United, faded to the fringes after a slow and painful unravelling.

Manchester United remain unbeaten in their last five Premier League games under Ruben Amorim, but the Red Devils have been told they are no better by a former Chelsea star who has delivered a savage verdict on their resurgence. The Portuguese coach marked his one-year anniversary at Old Trafford this month, but not everyone is celebrating, as former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has poured cold water on United’s apparent revival, insisting that, despite the recent upturn in results, the ship is still not in steady waters.

Lionel Messi was stunned to find 20,000 fans pack the Elche stands to watch him train with Argentina. It was meant to be a simple training session ahead of the Albiceleste's friendly against Angola, but it turned into a football festival unlike anything the Spanish city had ever seen. The Inter Miami star was also handed a special Elche shirt with his name and number on the back to commemorate the occasion.

Ross Barkley has revealed his struggles with alcohol and also opened up on Frank Lampard's punishment after a night out before a match during his Chelsea stint. He was once tipped to be English football’s next big superstar as he showed promise in his early days that drew comparisons to the greats. However, he never quite reached his potential, and behind the scenes, he was battling problems with drinking.

Cristiano Ronaldo has surprisingly called on Irish fans to boo him as the Portugal superstar is ready for a hostile reception during the World Cup qualifying clash in Dublin. The talismanic forward has never shied away from pressure, and this time, he was asking for it as Portugal gear up to seal World Cup qualification against the Republic of Ireland on Thursday.

Ronaldinho's son, Joao Mendes, has claimed that he is not burdened by the pressure to emulate his legendary father and is working hard to make a name for himself with Hull City. He featured in the Premier League Cup against Bournemouth last month, and the youngster is keeping his feet firmly on the ground as tougher challenges await him in the EFL.

Chelsea skipper Reece James has sent a warning to FIFA ahead of the 2026 World Cup as he urged the football’s governing body to rethink kick-off times to protect players from potentially "dangerous" heat conditions. The 25-year-old defender, who lifted the Club World Cup with Chelsea in the United States earlier this year, described the sweltering temperatures during the tournament as "super difficult" and believes that matches played in similar conditions next summer could put players’ health at risk.

Ederson have revealed the reasons behind his Manchester City exit as the goalkeeper insisted that he "needed this change". The Brazilian became one of Pep Guardiola’s most trusted lieutenants and a cornerstone of City’s domestic dominance during his eight-year stay in Manchester. However, he brought his time at the Etihad to an end this summer. His farewell closed a chapter filled with silverware, which included six Premier League titles, five domestic cups, and the crowning glory in City’s first-ever Champions League triumph.

Real Madrid are close to finalising a loan move for out-of-favour striker Endrick as rumoured suitors Manchester United fall behind in the pursuit of the Brazilian wonderkid. The 19-year-old has struggled to find minutes under Xabi Alonso, and a temporary transfer has been arranged to relaunch his career after a frustrating few months at the Spanish capital.

Wolves could reportedly swoop in for Wrexham star Conor Coady as new manager Rob Edwards is keen to reunite with the defender. The Molineux club have turned to a familiar face in a desperate bid to rescue their season by bringing Edwards in on a three-and-a-half-year deal following the sacking of Vitor Pereira. The former Luton and Middlesbrough boss now inherits a team who are sitting rock bottom of the Premier League table with just two points from 11 games, and are staring relegation squarely in the face.

Liverpool have got their explanation as to why Virgil van Dijk's goal against Manchester City was disallowed, with Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) chief Howard Webb confirming the VAR decision was correct. The club had formally lodged a complaint to PGMOL after the Dutch defender's goal was chalked off during their 3-0 defeat to Pep Guardiola's men.

Arsenal have learnt some worrying news on Martin Odegaard's fitness after Norway manager Stale Solbakken revealed a concerning update on the midfielder's injury progress, casting serious doubt over when the 26-year-old will return to action with fears he could be sidelined beyond the international break.