Tottenham have announced the signing of left-back Souza from Santos, with the Brazilian wonderkid signing a long-term contract with the club. The 19-year-old arrives at a time when the north London club are languishing in 14th in the Premier League table, as Thomas Frank attempts to save his own job.

Jose Mourinho has aimed a thinly-veiled jibe at former club Manchester United after they named Michael Carrick as their new interim head coach until the end of the season. The Benfica boss has expressed his “surprise” at the appointment of the former Middlesborough manager, who was part of the Portuguese’s coaching staff during his period in charge of the Red Devils.

Chelsea are reportedly plotting a surprise move to sign Douglas Luiz on loan for the rest of the season. The Blues are believed to be keen to bolster their midfield ranks in the January transfer window and have identified the Brazil international as a target, despite the 27-year-old having played just 13 times for Nottingham Forest since joining on a season-long loan from Juventus.

Joe Cole has urged Manchester City to raid Crystal Palace for a second time this year, tipping the Premier League champions to move for Adam Wharton as concerns grow over Rodri’s fitness. The former England star believes the Eagles midfielder is the perfect cover for the Spaniard, who looked "lightweight" in the shock defeat to Bodo/Glimt, and claims Wharton could soon have his "pick of the bunch" of top clubs.

Former Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has returned to football in a new capacity following his dismissals from Spurs and Nottingham Forest. The Greek-Australian coach has been appointed as a UEFA Technical Observer and was immediately tasked with analysing Arsenal’s emphatic 3-1 Champions League victory over Inter, where he singled out Gabriel Jesus for special praise.

Virgil van Dijk says it was “disrespectful” for Arne Slot to be asked about speculation linking Xabi Alonso with his job as Liverpool manager. The Reds boss laughed off what he described as “one of the weirdest questions” in the build up to his side’s Champions League victory over Marseille on Wednesday - but his compatriot has now criticised the journalist who asked it.

Hertha Berlin fans haven't had much to cheer about in recent years. Their decade-long stay in the Bundesliga ended after the team slumped to an 18th-placed finish in the 2022-23 season, just four years on from Lars Windhorst's €224 million minority takeover that came with the billionaire's promise to build a "true ‘big-city club’, like those in London or Madrid."

With all the data and all the video footage you could ever hope for, there really shouldn't be many secrets left in the world of youth football. Sure, progress isn't linear and some players' attributes translate better to the adult game than others, but for most teams, picking and finding the best young talent still feels like a bit of a lottery, at least from the outside looking in.

Rennes are no strangers to producing some of the best players around, and Mohamed Kader Meite looks primed to become the next elite talent to step off the conveyor belt after the likes of Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue and Eduardo Camavinga. Still just 18, the towering striker is already said to be turning heads across Europe.

Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior has explained why Cole Palmer played no part in the Blues’ Champions League win over Pafos. The England international was left out of the matchday squad as the Premier League heavyweights returned to European action at Stamford Bridge. It has been revealed that the talented playmaker was an injury concern, leading to no risks being taken on his fitness.

Pafos manager Albert Celades was left baffled during his post-match press conference at Stamford Bridge after being asked to comment on the ongoing family feud involving his former team-mate David Beckham. Following his side's narrow 1-0 Champions League defeat to Chelsea, the Spaniard was blindsided by a question regarding the "saga" between the Manchester United legend and his son, Brooklyn.

Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has urged Reds boss Arne Slot to “stop mentioning” low blocks as uncharacteristic struggles for consistency in 2025-26 are explained. The Dutch tactician at Anfield has claimed his team suffer against opponents that sit in, but Gerrard has pointed out “that’s the way it is” and has urged those on Merseyside to come up with a solution.

Modernising the role of a full-back 30 years ago, Roberto Carlos undoubtedly set the benchmark. A tactical genius and a physical specimen, the Real Madrid and Brazil legend won countless trophies at club and international level, contributing bucket loads of goals and assists. No one in the past, present or future can ever claim to be his equal - he was that good.

One of the best midfielders of his era, perhaps the greatest crosser of a football ever and a free-kick taker to rival the best the game has ever produced, David Beckham was a special player to say the least. And yet due to his off-field impact, one of the sport's great champions of the past 30 years is generally forgotten when it comes to referencing the true legends of the game.

Romario moved around the penalty area with the stealthy gait and sly gaze of a panther, ready to suddenly accelerate as soon as the ball came his way, to disorient the opposing defenders with a couple of feints, to pounce on the ball, which inevitably ended up at his feet, as if magnetised, and finish with an unstoppable shot of pure technique or power, or alternatively serve up a perfect assist for one of his team-mates. He was a Hall of Fame striker if ever there was one.

In 1969, at the age of 23, George Best wanted to focus solely on the essentials. Just football, just his job. So he turned his back on his two other great passions, alcohol and women. His sobering conclusion: "It was the worst 20 minutes of my life." A Manchester United legend, that quote sums up Bet's rebellious attitude towards football, and life in general.

Rebel United introduces players who prefer to swim against the tide, such as Barcelona and Spain legend Gerard Pique, who has achieved great significance beyond the pitch thanks to his Catalan pride and innovative spirit...

"La France, c'est vous." Translated as 'France, is you', that was what French president Charles de Gaulle told footballer Rachid Mekhloufi in 1968. Mekhloufi had just led his Saint-Etienne side to the double, and the reward was an audience with the most powerful man in the country. For Mekhloufi, this sentence brought things full circle. Now he was both Algerian and French; 10 years earlier, he had - in a sense - been neither.

On September 15, 2018, N'Golo Kante walked off the Stamford Bridge pitch, satisfied. As was often the case, the Frenchman had just covered every blade of grass over the course of the 90 minutes. And, as was so often the case, he was not one of the major speaking points at full-time. Not right away, at least.

Anyone that manages to carve out a career for themselves in professional football is ridiculously talented. The standard at the highest level is just so high that it is simply impossible to 'fake it 'til you make it'. However, not everyone is as prodigiously gifted as Lionel Messi or Lamine Yamal. Your average player will require some time to get to grips with the rigours of the elite game.

Player development in football follows many different paths. Some exceptional talents, such as Lamine Yamal and Estevao, make an impact at the highest level at a very young age. At the same time, countless players need more time before their qualities fully emerge.