James Westwood

Memphis Depay slipped and missed a penalty in Corinthians' derby clash with Palmeiras in the Paulista A1 on Sunday, after an act of sabotage from his ex-Manchester United team-mate Andreas Pereira. Depay blew the chance to open the scoring from the spot in the first half, and Corinthians ended up losing 1-0, with Jose Manuel Lopez scoring the winner for Palmeiras in the 84th minute.

Paul Scholes has admitted that he would "love" Manchester United to sign "pissed off" Tottenham star Cristian Romero. The Red Devils legend believes Romero has "checked out" at Spurs amid their dismal run of results under Thomas Frank, and wants his old club to capitalise on the uncertainty surrounding the Argentine World Cup winner's future.

It is reportedly expected that Jose Mourinho will be offered the job as Portugal manager after the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) are set to swoop for the current Benfica boss when Roberto Martinez's contract expires at the end of the global tournament.

Liverpool fans never fully appreciated Luis Diaz. Indeed, most of them seemed to welcome the Colombian's departure to Bayern Munich last summer, believing that his sale was necessary to accommodate £116 million ($158m) signing Florian Wirtz, with Cody Gakpo still on hand to fill the first-choice role on the left flank.

Ousmane Dembele sent an ominous warning to Paris Saint-Germain's domestic and European rivals after scoring another Puskas Award contender against Marseille on Sunday night. The 2025 Ballon d'Or winner hit a brace as PSG romped to a 5-0 victory in Le Classique, which saw them return to the top of Ligue 1 ahead of Lens.

Why does Cristiano Ronaldo always have so much bad luck?!... First, Erik ten Hag didn't recognise his unrivalled ability at Manchester United, then Fernando Santos ruined his 2022 World Cup bid with Portugal. And now, the powers that be in Saudi Arabia are conspiring to make sure his trophy drought in the Middle East extends to three-and-a-half seasons. Give the guy a break!...

Dele Alli is reportedly in line for a sensational return to MK Dons, the club where he began his professional career. The former Tottenham and Everton star, who has won 37 international caps for England, has been a free agent since being released by Serie A outfit Como in September, but is now stepping up his latest comeback bid.

Newell's Old Boys vice-president Juan Manuel Medina has announced that the club are "working on" a 2027 homecoming transfer for Lionel Messi. The Inter Miami superstar took his first steps into football at youth level with the Argentine club, who are eager to bring him back as the face of a new "project for the city of Rosario".

The LA Galaxy are reportedly 'exploring' a free transfer swoop for Manchester United midfielder Casemiro. The Brazil international, who is enjoying a resurgence under Red Devils interim manager Michael Carrick, has confirmed he will leave Old Trafford upon the expiration of his contract in June, and has also been linked with a lucrative switch to Saudi Arabia.

Wrexham have completed the signing of Zak Vyner from Championship promotion rivals Bristol City for an undisclosed fee. The defender has become the Red Dragons' first new addition of the winter transfer window, committing to a contract running until the end of the 2028-29 campaign.

"There’s still questions about the mental strength of the team. I think there was a lack of aggression. Too many players failed to deliver," Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira said on Sky Sports after watching his former side suffer a 3-2 defeat at home to Manchester United last weekend. "It was a must-win game. They needed to send a message to the rest of the teams in the league."

So there we have it! After a mammoth 144 games that included plenty of goals and drama, the curtain has been drawn on the league phase of the 2025-26 Champions League. Arsenal finished top of the table with a perfect record, while Manchester City secured automatic qualification to the round of 16 by the skin of their teeth. But three historic European giants have been eliminated already, in the form of Napoli, Marseille and Ajax.

The final round of league phase fixtures in the 2025-26 Champions League is finally upon us, and it promises to be the most dramatic yet. Only table toppers Arsenal and Bayern Munich have already secured automatic qualification for the round of 16, with the former boasting a 100 percent record through their first seven games, while just four clubs have been eliminated so far: Eintracht Frankfurt, Slavia Prague, Villarreal and Kairat.

There haven't been many periods of great optimism at Manchester United in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, but for a brief moment at the start of 2019, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made supporters believe again. He delivered eight successive wins after replacing Jose Mourinho as interim manager, including a stunning 3-1 victory at Arsenal in the FA Cup fourth round, bringing back the scintillating counter-attacking style Ferguson championed throughout his glorious 26-year reign.

Former Manchester United star Luis Nani has seemingly taken inspiration from Portuguese compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo by coming out of retirement at the age of 39. Nani initially hung up his boots in December 2024, but has now reversed that decision to sign a one-year contract with Kazakhstan club FC Aktobe.

Manchester United star Matheus Cunha could be facing a potential suspension for his emotional outburst into a television camera following his winning goal against Arsenal on Sunday. The Brazilian struck United's third goal after stepping off the bench in a thrilling 3-2 victory at the Emirates that lifted his side into the Premier League's top four.

Arsenal are enjoying their best season in 22 years under Mikel Arteta, having established a seven-point lead at the Premier League summit while also winning all of their seven Champions League fixtures to top the league phase table. The Gunners also have one foot in the final of the Carabao Cup, and will be expected to reach the latter stages of the FA Cup.

"We’ve known Jobe [Bellingham] for several years, and of course we have followed his progress very closely. He has taken another huge step forward in his development over the last year, and even at the age of 19 he has become a real leader," Borussia Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl said after Bellingham's £28 million ($37m) transfer from Sunderland in June. "His commanding presence in central midfield is remarkable, and he will improve our team in various systems."