Ascot United Overview

Legendary Liverpool manager Bill Shankly was never short of a good quote, but one of his best offered an insight as to how exactly a football team should be run: "A football team is like a piano - you need eight men to carry it and three who can play the damn thing." It’s a punchy line, and in modern-day international football, it rings painfully true.

The race for the Real Madrid presidency has taken a sensational turn after candidate Enrique Riquelme claimed that Erling Haaland has already agreed to a move to the Bernabeu. In a high-stakes election battle against long-serving incumbent Florentino Perez, the 37-year-old entrepreneur has staked his entire campaign on bringing the Manchester City superstar to the Spanish capital.

Manchester City and Liverpool have emerged as the frontrunners to land Hertha Berlin sensation Kennet Eichhorn after the Bundesliga's heavyweights cooled their interest. Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have both stepped back from negotiations for the 16-year-old midfielder, citing eye-watering financial requirements. The Premier League duo are now in pole position to secure one of Europe's most highly-rated teenagers.

Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea have all been left frustrated in their attempts to sign Aleksey Batrakov, with Paris Saint-Germain now closing in on the Russian starlet. The Premier League trio have long monitored the 20-year-old, but strict regulations regarding transfers from Russian clubs have effectively handed the advantage to the French champions.