Real Madrid reportedly want former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and prolific Manchester City striker Erling Haaland to be their "saviours", with ambitious plans for the summer of 2026 being drawn up at the Bernabeu. Los Blancos recently parted with head coach Xabi Alonso and continue to struggle in meetings with Clasico rivals Barcelona. Those issues will be addressed with a sense of urgency.
Manchester City fans sure have enjoyed watching Manchester United’s demise over the past 13 years, with each new coach that has failed at Old Trafford giving the Blues plenty of fresh material to sing about on the terraces.
Morgan Rogers is being tipped to complete a stunning £80 million ($107m) transfer to a Premier League powerhouse at some point in the not too distant future. Former Villans striker Stan Collymore has explained to GOAL why the England international will likely be on the move in upcoming windows and which teams will be leading the chase for his signature.
Sportico have released their annual highest-paid athletes list, with Cristiano Ronaldo sitting at the top of that chart. The Portuguese GOAT earned double what eternal rival Lionel Messi pulled in over the course of 2025, with the Al-Nassr forward making $260 million (£194m). There are 13 football players in the top 100, with Brazilian icon Neymar tumbling down the standings.
Fans were left puzzled after Arsenal's opening goal against Chelsea in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final was allowed to stand on Wednesday night, despite Manchester City having a strike disallowed the day before for a similar infraction from Erling Haaland against Newcastle United. Robert Sanchez flapped at a corner which allowed Ben White the simplest of headers, but Viktor Gyokeres appeared to be in an offside position as he tangled with Marc Guiu, who was defending on the line. The Gunners ended up claiming a 3-2 victory at Stamford Bridge, handing Mikel Arteta's side a strong advantage as they bid to reach the final at Wembley.
Manchester United have confirmed key attackers Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo have returned to training after the pair were eliminated from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. The Red Devils have been without the duo since a 4-4 draw with Bournemouth in mid-December, when previous manager Ruben Amorim was still in charge. United won only one of the six games where Mbeumo and Amad were absent after they went away with Cameroon and the Ivory Coast respectively, but both look to be in contention to play in the upcoming local derby with Manchester City.
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp has blamed his father, Harry, for supplying him false information ahead of an on-air gaffe in which he claimed Antoine Semenyo could reject a move to Manchester City in favour of joining Liverpool. Redknapp Jr. has claimed that, briefly, he believed he'd "turned into Fabrizio Romano".
Pep Guardiola has launched a furious attack on the standard of officiating in English football, demanding a personal explanation from PGMOL chief Howard Webb following a chaotic VAR review. Despite Manchester City securing a comfortable 2-0 victory over Newcastle, the Catalan manager was left seething after Antoine Semenyo was denied a second goal, reigniting a simmering feud over past injustices including last season's heartbreaking FA Cup final defeat.
Antoine Semenyo continued to pay off his £65m transfer fee as Manchester City's brand new signing scored for the second game running to help his side to a 2-0 win at Newcastle in their Carabao Cup semi-final first leg, putting Pep Guardiola's side on the fast lane to Wembley. Semenyo became the first City player since Emmanuel Adebayor back in 2009 to score in his first two games for the club.
Macclesfield FC will welcome the Premier League's Brentford to their Moss Rose home in the next round of the 2025-26 FA Cup after the fourth round draw handed the non-league side another glamorous tie against top flight opposition. The Silkmen sensationally beat holders Crystal Palace in the third round to complete one of the greatest FA Cup shocks of all-time.
Eddie Howe has taken aim at a rule change allowing Manchester City’s £65 million signing Antoine Semenyo to face Newcastle in the Carabao Cup. The forward played for Bournemouth earlier in the tournament, but new regulations have scrapped ‘cup-tied’ rules. It leaves Howe rueing his luck as he battles a severe defensive injury crisis ahead of the semi-final first leg at St James' Park.
Manchester City are pushing to sign Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi immediately, opting not to wait for his contract to expire in the summer. Pep Guardiola’s side have opened talks and are ready to meet the £35 million valuation to fend off heavy interest from Liverpool, Arsenal and Real Madrid. The champions are moving quickly to capitalise on the defender’s situation following a chaotic weekend for the Eagles.
Antoine Semenyo left a lasting impression on his new Manchester City teammates with his man of the match performance in the Sky Blues 10-1 win over Exeter City in the third round of the FA Cup. The former Bournemouth man grabbed a goal and an assist, prompting Rico Lewis to say the Ghanaian international made a "seamless transition" into Pep Guardiola's side.
Marc Guehi could be the beneficiary of an FA rule change on player eligibility in cup competitions. The Crystal Palace captain was part of the Eagles embarrassing 2-1 loss at minnows Macclesfield in defence of their FA Cup crown, but could continue in the competition if he completes a switch to Manchester City or Arsenal in the January transfer window.
Manchester City opened up their FA Cup campaign with a barely believable 10-1 victory over Exeter City in the third round on Saturday. Antoine Semenyo scored and assisted on his debut for the Cityzens, while youngster Max Alleyne also netted his first goal for the club, as Pep Guardiola's side swept aside their League One opponents at the Etihad Stadium.
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.
Two Manchester United players faced off in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals on Friday, with Noussair Mazraoui's Morocco knocking out Bryan Mbeumo's Cameroon 2-0. Despite the disappointment for the former Brentford forward, Cameroon's elimination provides a timely boost for the Red Devils, who will be pleased to once again be able to call on Mbeumo's services.
Mic'd Up: The former West Ham and Newcastle shot-stopper talked pressure of management ahead of an FA Cup slate, and why it was fair to let Wilfried Nancy go at Celtic
Arsenal are lining up a potential £60 million ($80m) deal to sign Tino Livramento from Newcastle but face serious competition from Manchester City, per a new report. The 23-year-old will only have two years remaining on his contract come the summer, and both Premier League giants are interested in securing his signature.
Manchester City
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
![GOAL_MatchGraphic_1[25-26]_Man City_2_1.jpg](https://assets.goal.com/images/v3/bltb8003407b5f09c75/crop/MM5DCMBWG45DMMBQHJXG653FHI3DOORQ/GOAL_MatchGraphic_1[25-26]_Man%20City_2_1.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=3840&quality=60)
