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The Croatian is still producing midfield masterclasses at 40 years of age, while the egalitarian environment at Barcelona is reaping rewards

German legend Sami Khedira has hailed Bayern Munich youngster Lennart Karl as the hottest talent in the country. Khedira believes Karl’s attitude sets him up for success and feels that Bayern’s thin squad will provide him with the opportunities needed to develop.

Andre Onana is being tipped to secure a marquee transfer away from Manchester United in 2026, with a loan spell at Trabzonspor allowing his reputation to be rebuilt. The Cameroon international is now out of sight and mind at Old Trafford, but the expectation is that another big club will come calling once his ability has been highlighted again in Turkey.

Manchester United have been urged to launch a January swoop for Marc Guehi after the Crystal Palace captain's proposed move to Liverpool fell through. The centre-back was set to move to Anfield on deadline day but, at the eleventh hour, the move collapsed, leaving Guehi to spend at least the first half of the season at Selhurst Park.

Bayer Leverkusen managing director Fernando Carro admitted the club made a mistake in hiring Erik ten Hag, but claims they reacted in a timely manner by sacking the Dutch coach after just two matches. That was followed by the appointment of former Denmark national team manager Kasper Hjulmand, who guided Leverkusen to a 3-1 win against Eintracht Frankfurt in his first game in charge.

Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso led tributes as Liverpool legend John Toshack made a rare public appearance in Spain during Real Sociedad's La Liga clash against Los Blancos on Saturday. Toshack spent eight years as a player at Anfield and later managed several clubs across Europe, including Real Sociedad and Madrid, where he even won a La Liga title in the 1989-90 season.

Chelsea's newest signing, Emanuel Emegha, was left "devastated" at the weekend as Strasbourg fans appeared to turn on the striker after his switch to Stamford Bridge was confirmed. Emegha is the club's captain but, as he collected his Player of the Month award before his side faced Le Havre, supporters booed him, before unveiling a provocative banner.

Manchester United's stance on relieving Ruben Amorim of his duties has emerged amid the club's worst start to a Premier League season in 33 years. Amorim's back-five tactics has been criticised after the 3-0 derby defeat to Manchester City, but the Portuguese coach remained bullish on his tactical system and even insisted that the club would have to sack him before he changes his setup.

After starring with two goals in Barcelona's 6-0 thrashing of Valencia, Fermin Lopez has insisted he "never had any doubts" about rejecting a summer move to Chelsea. The Premier League side made an attempt to sign the midfielder but he was convinced to stay as the club stood firm on their €90 million (£78m/$106m) valuation for the Spanish international.

Wes Brown says Cristiano Ronaldo is “still better than a lot of strikers out there”, with the Portuguese “Superman” expected to keep going until he “breaks down”. There is no sign of the ex-Manchester United and Real Madrid star calling it quits any time soon, with the evergreen frontman still going strong with Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr at 40 years of age.

The reasons for Raphinha being unexpectedly dropped by Barcelona for their La Liga clash with Valencia have been revealed. Hansi Flick removed the Brazilian forward from his starting XI, with the South American - who fills the captain’s armband for the Blaugrana - being punished for off-field misdemeanours that left his demanding German coach frustrated.

Serge Gnabry is building his case for a new contract at Bayern Munich. The winger scored as the Bundesliga champions ran out 5-0 winners against Hamburg at the weekend. Now with two goals and two assists to his name this season, he will hope to be offered a new deal before his current one runs out and he is forced to leave in a free transfer next summer.

Manchester City star Jeremy Doku was baptised almost immediately after the club's 3-0 win over Manchester United on Sunday. The winger enjoyed a dazzling display at the Etihad as Pep Guardiola's side won comfortably, and Doku claimed that the day was 'already a victory' before the whistle blew against Ruben Amorim's side.

Luka Modric has urged people to stop reminding him of his age after scoring the match-winner for AC Milan against Bologna on Sunday. The midfielder, who turned 40 last week, became only the fifth player in Serie A history to find the net at that age.

AC Milan have been dealt a significant blow with Mike Maignan set to miss their next match after sustaining another calf injury. The issue, which forced him off during the win against Bologna, adds to a worrying pattern for the Frenchman, who has now missed 54 games since joining the Rossoneri, raising questions over the club's summer transfer strategy.

Jack Grealish joined Wayne Rooney in paying emotional tribute to British boxing legend Ricky Hatton who passed away aged just 46. Former world champion Hatton was found dead at his home in Hyde in Tameside, Greater Manchester on Sunday morning by the police. Hatton was a life-long City fan and he used the club's Blue Moon song to walk out for bouts.

Ademola Lookman has been warned he faces a tough road back into the Atalanta first-team after he was left out of the squad again on Sunday. The Nigerian has been at odds with the club after his dramatic attempts to force a move to Inter in this summer transfer window. Manager Ivan Juric called it a tense situation as he asked for more "humility" and wants his players to have a "sense of belonging."

Paul Pogba has revealed what he got up to while serving a doping ban, with the World Cup winner moving his family to Dubai for six months. The France international, who was cleared to resume his career in March 2025, is still waiting on his return to competitive action after heading back to his homeland and signing a two-year contract with Ligue 1 outfit Monaco.

Wayne Rooney highlighted a "powerful" bad omen for Ruben Amorim after Manchester United's humiliating defeat in the derby against Manchester City on Sunday. As the Cityzens dominated the game, a section of the visiting United fans were spotted leaving the Etihad Stadium in disappointment. The Red Devils have now lost two out of their first four matches and are 14th in the Premier League.

Matthijs de Ligt has been backed to recover from his shaky Manchester United spell by Red Devils legend Jaap Stam, amid Ruben Amorim's struggle at Old Trafford. De Ligt, who joined United from Bayern Munich last summer, has yet to live up to the expectations. In the current season, the Dutch centre-back has appeared in each one of Red Devils' matches across all competitions.

AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri heaped praise on midfield maestro Luka Modric after his decisive goal secured the win over Bologna. Allegri believes Modric’s exceptional game intelligence keeps him a step ahead of both opponents and teammates, making him an "extraordinary" player.

The Mbappe family have had more cause for celebration, with Ethan netting a dramatic winner for Lille in their Ligue 1 clash with Toulouse. Brother Kylian would have been proud of the well-taken goal, and with the celebration that followed. Ethan took to mimicking the iconic pose that his Real Madrid superstar sibling often strikes after hitting the back of the net.

And where you can cop them

Aymeric Laporte has lifted the lid on his difficult exit from Al-Nassr, revealing the Saudi club's financial demands almost scuppered his dream return to Athletic Club. The Spain international admitted he felt "in the middle of nowhere" during protracted negotiations but insisted that coming back to Bilbao was always his primary objective.

Barcelona ran riot against Valencia as they defeated their domestic rivals 6-0 in La Liga on Sunday. Coach Hansi Flick praised the team's performance, highlighting winger Roony Bardghji's mentality as he dropped Raphinha and gave the Swedish winger a start ahead of Raphinha, who was reportedly dropped as a disciplinary measure after arriving late for a pre-match activation session.

Neymar was less than impressed with the artificial pitch used by rivals Atletico Mineiro following his latest appearance for Santos. The Brazil international has spoken out against such surfaces in the past and, after suffering another injury that forced him to play through the pain, the veteran forward claims to have delivered more proof that synthetic pitches are "sh*t".

That first international break of the season always comes at just the wrong time. With teams starting to get into the groove as they switch from pre-season to competitive action, and with the final new signings of the summer arriving on deadline day, that Premier League fans had to wait two weeks to see their teams in action was almost a travesty. Fortunately, that wait is now over.

Wayne Rooney has shown that you never lose it, with the Manchester United and England legend rolling back the years in an exhibition game. The Red Devils’ all-time leading goal-scorer lined up alongside and against a collection of international superstars in the Nexon Icons Match, with the target found with a spectacular strike.

Manchester City were forced to take action after a worker was spotted wearing a Manchester United shirt while serving pints at the Etihad Stadium on derby day. A fan on social media shared the image of the member of staff and brought it to the club's attention, and City swiftly 'removed' the person from their position. On the pitch, the Cityzens demolished their rivals 3-0 courtesy of a brace from Erling Haaland.