Ruud Gullit has urged Joshua Zirkzee to end his Manchester United nightmare and return to Italy to salvage his career. The Dutch legend believes the forward made a massive error by moving to Old Trafford during a period of "bad energy" at the club. Amidst rumours of a summer move to Roma, Gullit insists that Serie A is the only league where the 24-year-old can truly thrive once again.
Christian Fuchs, a member of Leicester’s Premier League title-winning squad from 2015-16, has revealed that he tried to talk Foxes legend Jamie Vardy into joining him in the fourth tier of English football. Fuchs is currently calling the shots at Newport County, having stepped into management, and asked questions of whether Vardy was up for another battle against the odds.
Honest Ahanor is just 17 years old - and yet on Sunday he started his fifth successive game for Atalanta, against Como. Unfortunately, Ahanor's afternoon came to an abrupt end - and quite literally by his own hand. Just eight minutes into the game at Sinigaglia, the defender was involved in an innocuous, off-the-ball clash with Maxi Perrone, who shamelessly collapsed to the ground as if Ahanor had struck him in the face.
U.S. men’s national team Weston McKennie’s standout January earned him Juventus’ Player of the Month award after scoring three goals in seven appearances. While his influence on the pitch continues to grow, contract negotiations remain unresolved, with Serie A rivals monitoring the midfielder’s situation closely.
Kevin De Bruyne is reportedly looking to reunite with Raheem Sterling at Napoli. The duo won numerous trophies together at Manchester City, where they formed a close friendship and remain in touch to this day. Now, it is being claimed that Sterling could join De Bruyne at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona after leaving Chelsea.
Noa Lang has lifted the lid on his abrupt Napoli exit, aiming a dig at Antonio Conte after claiming he was treated unfairly during his brief spell in Italy. The Dutch winger, who has joined Galatasaray on loan to save his World Cup dream, insists his relationship with the fiery manager was non-existent and hit out at the "political behaviour" behind the scenes in Naples that forced him out after just six months.
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.
Napoli's hierarchy has admitted they are fearful of losing Scott McTominay as rumours of a Premier League return continue to swirl. The former Manchester United midfielder has been a revelation in Italy, but a senior club official has now conceded that the Scottish international "deserves" a move to the "next level" in the future, citing the financial dominance of English clubs as a major hurdle for Serie A sides.
The cause of Jean-Philippe Mateta's failed medical with Italian giants AC Milan has been revealed after the French striker's move away from Crystal Palace collapsed at the end of the January transfer window. The 28-year-old was keen to secure an exit from Selhurst Park and looked to be inching his way towards a switch to San Siro. However, issues became apparent during medical checks and Mateta remains a Palace player.
The 2026 winter window closed on Monday, with Jorgen Strand Larsen's £48 million move from Wolves to Crystal Palace the biggest deal done on deadline day. Truth be told, though, it was a pretty tame end to what's been a fairly quiet month in the transfer market. Indeed, aside from Manchester City, most of Europe's top teams did next-to-no mid-season business, while there was very little movement at all in France, Germany or Spain - which wasn't that surprising, given January is traditionally a tough time to find good value for money.
Famously, the January transfer window is the more difficult of the two to operate in. It's hard to persuade other clubs to give up assets mid-season, sometimes even harder to convince players that they're better off making a move immediately rather than waiting until the following summer. But that doesn't mean deals are impossible, or that you can't get good value for your buck.
January is a notoriously bad time for buyers because nobody ever wants to sell top talent midway through the season. There are, however, exceptions to the rule. Some clubs need to raise funds to balance the books, while others can be left with not option but to unload an unhappy player who has made it clear that he wants to join a stronger side.
Sandro Tonali's agent has opened up on the midfielder's future amid talk of interest from Arsenal and Juventus. Beppe Riso has denied reports that he offered the Italy international to the Gunners on deadline day but says he will evaluate the midfielder's future later in the season and whether Newcastle "are open to anything." Tonali is contracted to the Magpies until 2029.
Jean-Philippe Mateta's proposed move to AC Milan from Crystal Palace has collapsed, according to reports. The Eagles striker had first been in talks with Nottingham Forest but was closing in on a move to Italy; at the last minute, however, the Serie A side have pulled the plug. Milan have opted to walk away after medical checks revealed a knee problem.
After all the drama provided by the Champions League in midweek, domestic action returned over the weekend, and it did not disappoint. Title races and battles to earn European spots are heating up around the continent, with there plenty of twists and turns still to come over the next three-and-a-half months.
GOAL runs the rule over the British players earning a living away from their homeland, with plenty more stars deciding to leave their comfort zones in search of a better footballing life elsewhere. The Premier League is still obviously one of the world's most entertaining divisions and the Championship can prove fantastic for development, but there are more options out there.
A shocking incident marred Inter's Serie A clash with Cremonese on Saturday as a firecracker was thrown at visiting goalkeeper Emil Audero, leaving him stunned on the turf. The fan responsible for the explosion reportedly lost several fingers after a second device detonated in his hand and now faces immediate arrest upon his release from hospital. Inter players refused to salute the Curva Nord after the match in protest at the violence.
AC Milan striker Santiago Gimenez has jokingly declared that he is prepared to “kill” club colleague Christian Pulisic if Mexico cross paths with the USMNT on 2026 World Cup duty. The pair have struck up quite the bond at San Siro, as they regularly watch NFL action together, but friendship will be put to one side if they lock horns in the international arena.
Inter are reportedly in talks with Liverpool over a loan move for midfielder Curtis Jones. The Reds academy product is not a regular under manager Arne Slot and that has led to links with the Serie A giants. The 25-year-old's contract at Anfield runs until the summer of 2027, and now it seems the Merseyside outfit have a decision on their hands, with the deal potentially including a buy option.
AC Milan have launched a dramatic late raid to sign Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, reportedly striking a verbal agreement with the Eagles overnight. The move is a calculated blow to Nottingham Forest, who had made the Frenchman a top target, as Milan CEO Giorgio Furlani looks to secure the forward to bolster the Rossoneri attack.
Tottenham are reportedly exploring a move to rival Inter Milan for Al-Ittihad star Moussa Diaby. The winger swapped Aston Villa for the Saudi Pro League team in a £50 million ($69m) deal in the summer of 2024, but he could be heading back to Europe in 2026. The winger is said to be open to returning to a Champions League club, which boosts Inter and Spurs' chances of signing him.
Rebekah Vardy has revealed husband Jamie's stance on going into management when his glittering playing career finally comes to an end. The 39-year-old is currently halfway through a one-year deal at Serie A side Cremonese, and despite approaching 40, he is still proving his worth in attack. But when he does hang up his boots, will he want to move into coaching?
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