Tom Bellwood

Ivan Toney could make a sensational return to the Premier League in a last-gasp bid to be included in England manager Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup plans. Toney left Brentford last year to join Al Ahli in the Saudi Pro League, but has dropped down the Three Lions’ pecking order and could make a dramatic move to force his way back in.

Portugal remain focused on landing the greatest prize in world football after Bruno Fernandes vowed the team are playing to win the World Cup for the entire nation. Portugal have a 100 per cent record heading into the Group F qualifier clash with Ireland, and Fernandes has spoken of the emotion he and his team-mates feel ahead of the tournament.

Kylian Mbappe’s stunning solo goal helped France ease to a comfortable 3-0 victory and take another giant step towards qualifying for next years’ World Cup with victory over Azerbaijan in Paris. Adrien Rabiot and Florian Thauvin were also on target, but there were worrying scenes towards the end as talisman Mbappe signalled to come off with what looked like an ankle injury.

The financial benefits of Manchester United moving to a new multi-purpose stadium are becoming clear with a new forecast predicting a £100 million ($133.4m) windfall if they sign a lucrative deal with the NFL. United have recently announced plan for a state-of-the-art 100,000-seater ‘New Trafford’ which would be located next to the famous current ground, but plans are still in the very early stages.

Liverpool’s record signing striker Alexander Isak has been hammered for his behaviour during the protracted move away from Newcastle this summer. Isak effectively went on strike, refusing to train for the Magpies, but finally completing his switch to the Premier League champions in a £125 million ($166.7m) deadline day move. And the Sweden striker’s conduct has now been called out by former Liverpool midfielder Don Hutchison.

Jack Grealish has been told he is now at a club where his undoubted talents can flourish and finally bring an end to his Manchester City nightmare. Grealish has made a thrilling start to his loan spell at Everton and can become a “maverick again” following his “sour spell” at Man City, according to former Toffees midfielder Don Hutchison.

Arsenal have received a fine of £500,000 ($665,000) from the Professional Game Board (PGB) for breaching FA Cup rules during last season's third-round tie against Manchester United in January. The breach concerned FA Cup Rule 192, which stipulates that for matches other than a semi-final or the final, the away club is entitled to claim 15 per cent of the tickets issued.

Manchester United are set to appoint Ameesh Manek as their new director of football operations. Manek joins United from Brentford and his primary responsibility will be overseeing the daily operations at United's Carrington training ground. This encompasses areas such as travel, security, training facilities, staff management, and infrastructure for both the men's and women's teams.

Portugal legend Pepe has heaped praise on his former manager Jose Mourinho following his return to management with Benfica. The pair worked together at Real Madrid in what was, at times, a fractious relationship. But Pepe is delighted to see Mourinho back in his homeland, after he took his place in the dugout at the Estadio da Luz.

Liverpool may have to wait weeks before they begin to see the best of their record signing Alexander Isak following his protracted move from Newcastle. The disappointing projection has been blamed on that drawn-out transfer which saw Isak sidelined while the two clubs negotiated for almost two months, meaning he missed pre-season and was left well short of match sharpness.

Manchester United part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has massively eased the pressure on under-fire head coach Ruben Amorim, revealing he has three years to get things right at Old Trafford. The news comes in the wake of a hugely disappointing start to the Premier League season, with the 20-time title winners languishing in 10th place.

England boss Thomas Tuchel has sounded an alarming warning for England and Chelsea star Cole Palmer, saying his persistent injury issues are threatening his World Cup hopes. And, what’s more concerning, the German boss fears Palmer’s groin problem could become chronic and impact his career longer-term.

Fans have reacted furiously after Hashtag United announced the signing of two AI players, called Holly and Harvey. Hashtag are known for their unique blend of traditional football and esports, and claimed that while the technology for the duo's debut on the pitch may still be in development, the AI footballers will immediately begin creating content and representing the club.

Ex-Manchester United midfielder Andreas Pereira has taken a swipe at his former club’s training facilities after hailing the quality of those at his new club Palmeiras. Pereira spent 11 years in Manchester, which included a whole host of time away on loan, and has now revealed Man Utd’s training base wasn’t a patch on the offering at his new club in Brazil.

Referee chief Howard Webb has reached out to Manchester United bosses to explain that a key error was made by matchday official Craig Pawson during the recent, damaging 3-1 defeat by Brentford. Webb has made the revelation about the mistake, which came when Man Utd were only a goal down and still had plenty of time left in the match.

Russell Martin needed a significant police police presence to whisk him safely away from Falkirk’s ground after his Rangers team were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw, heaping more pressure on beleaguered boss. The Glasgow club have had a shocking start to the season and Martin has since been sacked, per new reporting.

Free-scoring Man City striker Erling Haaland has revealed he’s feeling the pressure from rivals Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe in the race to be Europe’s top goalscorer. Haaland bagged another against Brentford to take his total for the season to nine, but accepts the battle to win the top prize will be fierce.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has issued a worrying update on Declan Rice after he was forced off during the 2-1 victory over London rivals West Ham. Rice was forced off in the 79th minute of the match at the Emirates and will now be assessed by Gunners medical staff.