Rasmus Hojlund will not be returning to parent side Manchester United at the end of the season, according to a Napoli director. The young Danish striker completed a deadline day loan move to the Serie A giants in the summer after Ruben Amorim brought in Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo to bolster his frontline. A fresh start in Italy has brought the best out of Hojlund, who is now scoring regularly under Antonio Conte.

Former Liverpool star Jamie Carragher has delivered a blunt assessment of Arsenal’s misfiring frontman Viktor Gyokeres, arguing that either Gabriel Jesus or Kai Havertz should now be trusted as the club’s starting striker. The Swede arrived at the Emirates in the summer amid considerable fanfare, with Arsenal investing around £64 million ($86m) to secure a forward many believed could finally elevate them from contenders to champions. However, he has found the transition to English football more punishing than expected.

Former Manchester United defender and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville has launched an explosive takedown of Ruben Amorim following Tuesday's 1-1 draw with rock-bottom Wolves, questioning his decision to substitute goalscorer Joshua Zirkzee at half-time. United failed to build upon their Boxing Day 1-0 win over Newcastle as they were forced to share the spoils with the down-and-out Midlands side, handing Rob Edwards' side only their third point of the season.

Emiliano Martínez was left seething over taunts from Arsenal supporters after Aston Villa suffered a 4-1 defeat at Emirates Stadium. Villa’s 11-match winning streak was emphatically ended by the Gunners, who ran out comfortable winners in Tuesday night's Premier League clash. While the result itself was damaging enough, the ugly scenes that followed in the tunnel compounded Villa's misery.

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney and wife Coleen have swapped the bitter British weather for Barbados for New Year's. The ex-England international and his family were spotted on the idyllic island with Rooney's former United team-mates Michael Carrick, Jonny Evans and Darron Gibson as the quartet and their families jetted abroad for some much-needed Vitamin D.

Unai Emery has explained why he did not shake Mikel Arteta's hand following Aston Villa's 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Arsenal on Tuesday night. Villa made the trip to the Emirates on an 11-game winning run following their 2-1 victory at Chelsea on Saturday evening as the Villans sought to go level with the Gunners at the top of the Premier League table, but ended up being blown away by the hosts.

Ruben Amorim admitted that Manchester United played with a different kind of energy during their dreadful 1-1 draw at home to Wolves. The visitors arrived at Old Trafford having lost their last 12 matches and without picking up a point since early October but they were well worth the point they left with and would have taken all three had it not been for a great save by Senne Lammens.

Fulham have seen an initial $33 million (£26 million) bid for United States international striker Ricardo Pepi rejected by PSV Eindhoven, according to The Athletic. The Premier League club is expected to return with an improved offer as it looks to bolster its attack during the January transfer window, though competition remains for the 22-year-old’s signature.

Luis de la Fuente says he has a "clear conscience" on Lamine Yamal after a long-running club vs country row. The Spain boss has previously been at loggerheads with Barcelona over his use of the 18-year-old, who was diagnosed with pubalgia after the first international break of the season in September. The teenager was forced to miss a number of games due to the chronic injury and has only played for Spain twice since the summer.

Real Madrid and Brazil legend Roberto Carlos has undergone emergency surgery after being diagnosed with a heart problem. The iconic former left-back underwent the procedure back in his homeland having returned to Brazil following a hectic month, which included jetting stateside for the 2026 World Cup draw. Carlos initially went to hospital due to a small blood clot in his leg.

Kylian Mbappe is set for a spell on the sidelines after being diagnosed with a knee injury, which is a major blow to Real Madrid ahead of their return from the winter break. His absence will be keenly felt at Valdebebas. Since the start of the campaign, Real Madrid’s number 10 has featured in almost every fixture, scoring 27 goals across La Liga and Champions League competition.

Barcelona presidential candidate Marc Ciria is "sure that Lionel Messi wants to return" to the La Liga giants. Ciria will challenge current club president Joan Laporta in the 2026 elections and has admitted that he'd do everything in his power to bring the Argentine star back to Spotify Camp Nou. Messi tearfully left Barcelona at the end of his contract in 2021 before joining Paris Saint-Germain, and now plies his trade in MLS with Inter Miami.

Marc Guehi has become a 'top target' for Real Madrid as the La Liga giants make contact with the Crystal Palace captain. The Palace centre-back will run down his contract until the summer of 2026. The England international has already informed the Premier League side that he will not sign an extension, effectively guaranteeing a summer exit and triggering a battle among Europe's elite.

Athletic Club captain Inaki Williams has slammed the decision to play the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia. The tournament will once again take place in the Middle East in January with Athletic facing defending La Liga champions Barcelona in the semi-finals. The winners of the match will go on to face either Real Madrid or Atletico in the final for the chance to claim the first Spanish trophy of the current season.

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger's new 'offside revolution' plans are set to take a step closer to reality as FIFA and president Gianni Infantino are preparing a presentation of the proposed rule change to the IFAB. Wenger has pushed for a radical change to the offside law for some time, advocating for a change that would see an offside offence only occur if the attacker is completely in front of the last defender.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen is edging towards a Barcelona exit as fellow La Liga side Girona have revealed a public interest in signing Germany goalkeeper. Ter Stegen, who has been a pillar of the Barca defence for over a decade, has found himself in an unfamiliar position this season following the ascent of summer signing Joan Garcia and his own struggles with fitness.

An almost perfect 2025 for Ousmane Dembele was completed on Sunday, as the Paris Saint-Germain forward was crowned 'Best Male Player' at the Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai. This was the latest in a series of personal accolades for the Ballon d'Or winner, who inspired PSG to winning the Champions League for the first time ever last season. Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal also picked up a pair of awards on the night.

The Christmas period is upon us, which means we are somehow already more or less at the midway point of the 2025-26 football season. As many of Europe's leading leagues pause for the winter break, it's time to take stock and reflect on four scintillating months of action. It's also the opportune moment to assess those players who completed transfers across the continent in the summer, now that they have a decent sample size of games under their belts.

With the halfway stage of the season upon us, the time has come to shine a spotlight on the players who have made the biggest impact across Europe's major leagues. But first, let's run through the lay of the land.

With the Lionel Messi-Cristiano Ronaldo duopoly now disappearing into the rearview mirror, the battle for the Ballon d'Or hasn't felt so open for the best part of 20 years, with countless players beginning the campaign believing they have a chance of claiming the most prestigious individual prize football has to offer. Ousmane Dembele emerged from a career plagued with inconsistencies to win the Golden Ball in 2025, and he was among a crowded field of contenders as the 2026 race got going.

Kylian Mbappe has been told that Paris Saint-Germain would not have won the Champions League had he stuck around in France, with it “fantasy” to believe that European success could ever have been savoured with the France international, Lionel Messi and Neymar lining up in the same starting XI. World Cup winner Frank Leboeuf has explained to GOAL why that is the case.

GOAL U.S. writers take a look at some of the biggest storylines in European soccer, including Mo Salah's future, Vinicius Jr's exit rumors, and the Premier League title race

GOAL's Front Three are going back for a new lesson, this time for Football School. Their strict teacher, Juwon (aka Mr Janos), puts his pupils' ball knowledge to the test. But who will come top of the class and who will fail? 🤔

Former Paris Saint-Germain No.1 Gianluigi Donnarumma, who now plays for Manchester City, has been named the 2025 Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper, with Lionesses star Hannah Hampton bagging the Women's prize. Donnarumma and Hampton were both part of treble-winning sides last season, while the latter also played a key role in England's successful European Championship defence.

Manchester United loanee Rasmus Hojlund has revealed why Cristiano Ronaldo is his biggest idol. The Dane has followed in Ronaldo's famous footsteps by playing for the Red Devils but is currently shining with Napoli after moving to the Serie A side on a season-long loan. Hojlund says that he has always been a big admirer of Ronaldo's mentality, rock solid confidence and hunger for goals.

Rasmus Hojlund has opened up on his time at Manchester United and says he felt he did well, particularly during his first campaign at Old Trafford. The Denmark international has since moved on a season-long loan to Serie A side Napoli and is currently thriving with Antonio Conte's side, meaning he could well end up making his stay with I Partenopei permanent.

Napoli star Rasmus Hojlund has been hailed as the "strongest striker in Serie A" alongside Inter's World Cup-winning talisman Lautaro Martinez, as the Denmark international continues his impressive goalscoring exploits following his summer loan move from Manchester United. The forward has scored six goals and registered two assists in 12 appearances, proving his worth in Italy following a dismal spell in the Premier League.

Former Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has undergone heart surgery after being diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, and his current club, Lazio, have issued a positive update on his condition. The diagnosis is one of a rhythm disorder and, as a result, the Italian tactician has undergone a minor procedure. Lazio expect him to return to his normal duties soon.

Barcelona are eyeing a move for Juventus star Dusan Vlahovic on a free transfer as the Catalan giants see the striker as a potential replacement for Robert Lewandowski. The veteran Polish forward, who will soon enter the final six months of his current contract, has yet to decide on his future at Barcelona and has not penned a fresh extension yet.

Rasmus Hojlund’s revival in Italy has gathered pace after another decisive display for Napoli, prompting Antonio Conte to explain why the striker is now thriving following his Manchester United exit. The Napoli boss praised the Dane’s growing understanding of the role, while stressing that his side are still chasing the elite standard set by Serie A’s top contenders.

Nicolas Jackson’s future is once again under the spotlight after his agent dropped a telling hint about the striker’s next move, with doubts growing over a permanent stay at Bayern Munich. The Senegal international’s loan spell in Germany appears to be nearing its natural end, opening the door to a new destination as interest builds elsewhere in Europe.

The January transfer window is fast approaching, and clubs will once again be scrambling to strengthen for the second half of the season. In the 2025 winter market, £1.2 billion ($1.4bn) was spent across Europe's top leagues and the English Championship, the highest mark in seven years, with Manchester City accounting for £191 million ($256m) of that amount alone.