Manchester City have set a low price tag for Nathan Ake, though the Dutch defender has rejected a chance to join Premier League strugglers West Ham United. Ake has experienced limited game time at Etihad Stadium in 2025-26 as he has fallen down the pecking order in Pep Guardiola's backline. The Netherlands international has started in just five matches, with the majority of his minutes coming in the Carabao Cup.
Tottenham are eyeing an ambitious move for €100 million-rated Bundesliga winger Yan Diomande as fan favourite Brennan Johnson is set to exit the club in the January transfer window. Johnson, who scored Spurs' historic winning goal against Manchester United in the Europa League final last season, has fallen out of favour under Thomas Frank and is now likely to leave the north London outfit.
Crystal Palace have reportedly reached an agreement to sign Brennan Johnson from Tottenham Hotspur in a deal worth £35 million ($40m) ahead of the January transfer window. The winger, who scored Spurs' winning goal in the Europa League final last season, has yet to decide on his future, and the Eagles face competition from other Premier League suitors.
A lot of leagues and competitions take the festive period off but there was no break for players in England, Italy and Portugal over the weekend, while the action at the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco resumed on December 26. The Premier League's top two, Arsenal and Manchester City, both picked up hard-fought wins on Saturday but Aston Villa remain very much in the title race after a massive win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
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.
Tottenham manager Thomas Frank has been told to resign by a former Spurs player in an explosive social media rant. The Danish coach has found himself under pressure in his first season at Spurs, with the club currently on a worrying run of form which has conjured just two top-flight victories in their last nine fixtures. Following their win over Crystal Palace on Sunday, Spurs will now end 2025 in 11th.
Randal Kolo Muani has insisted that Tottenham Hotspur’s players remain firmly united behind head coach Thomas Frank, despite mounting pressure on the Danish manager during a difficult first half of the season. With Spurs sitting 14th in the Premier League at Christmas after a run of inconsistent results, scrutiny has intensified around the club’s direction, yet Kolo Muani has offered a clear message of support from inside the dressing room.
Mikel Arteta admitted it was "emotionally tough" to process Crystal Palace’s stoppage-time equaliser, before Arsenal steadied themselves to edge through on penalties in a breathless Carabao Cup quarter-final at the Emirates Stadium. After 90 minutes the game finished level at 1-1, but the Gunners held their nerve to win the shootout 8-7, with Kepa Arrizabalaga emerging as the decisive figure.
As we reach Christmas and approach the midway point in the Premier League season, the time has come to reflect on the first half of a campaign that has delivered drama and unexpected twists in abundance. It's also the opportune moment to assess those players who completed a transfer to, or within, the English top-flight back in the summer, with a decent sample size of games now under their belts.
Arsenal shot-stopper Kepa Arrizabalaga has revealed the secret behind his shootout heroics following the Gunners' Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Crystal Palace on Tuesday night. The Spaniard was the star man as the north London side secured their spot in the semi-finals of the competition, setting up a final-four showdown with former side Chelsea.
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner sought to ease concerns over Chris Richards after the U.S. international was stretchered off in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup quarterfinal loss to Arsenal, saying the ankle injury isn't too concerning and expressing optimism the defender could return in the new year. The 25-year-old is in the midst of a breakout campaign for the Eagles.
Arsenal goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga was the unlikely hero on Tuesday night as the Gunners sneaked past Crystal Palace and into the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup after a penalty shoot-out. The Gunners went ahead late on thanks to a Maxence Lacroix own goal but were pegged back in stoppage time by Marc Guehi's equaliser. The game finished 1-1 then went to penalties with Kepa saving from Lacroix as Arsenal won 8-7 on spot kicks.
Pure excitement has been the theme of this Premier League season. Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa are locked in a three-way title race while practically the rest of the division is competing for a European place. Indeed, the table is so crowded it feels more like the Championship than the top-flight, with back-to-back wins being all it takes to propel teams from 15th to the top five.
Arne Slot has offered a revealing update on Liverpool's January transfer window plans amid links with Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi and Bournemouth ace Antoine Semenyo. The Reds spent nearly £450 million ($602m) on players over the summer but missed out on England centre-back Guehi and seemingly have desires over bringing Ghana winger Semenyo to Anfield as well. But Slot has given little away over a potential double deal.
GOAL looks at the biggest storylines among Americans Abroad, including Richards taking on Aaronson and what the French Cup could mean for Ligue 1's USMNT quartet.
Aston Villa are keeping a close watch on Brennan Johnson’s situation at Tottenham Hotspur, with the Midlands club expected to weigh up a potential move should the Wales international become available in 2026. While no formal approach has been made, TEAMtalk reports that Villa would be prepared to assess a deal if Spurs show a genuine willingness to part ways with a player who has slipped down the pecking order under Thomas Frank.
The competition is approaching the final stages, with teams soon narrowed down to the last four - here is how to watch the draw, plus everything else you need to know.
The Africa Cup of Nations is back this December and January, with the continent's very best set to battle it out in Morocco as they aim to take Cote d'Ivoire's crown after their unlikely victory at the start of 2024. AFCON's prestige, drama and quality remains up there with the Euros and Copa America, but the downside for European clubs is it's another tournament which falls slap bang in the middle of their seasonal calendar, meaning most teams will be losing players for up to a month.
Phil Foden helped fire Manchester City past Crystal Palace but that did not prevent Pep Guardiola from speaking his mind and berating his player for his overall disappointing performance in the 3-0 win. Foden buried the ball in the net in the second half to score his sixth goal in four Premier League matches but his coach was not happy with how he played.
Erling Haaland and Phil Foden raised their game as Manchester City beat Crystal Palace 3-0 despite producing an underwhelming performance in south London. The Eagles hit the woodwork in either half, but Haaland gave Pep Guardiola's side the lead late in the first with a towering header before Foden slammed the ball into the net with his favoured left foot to put the game out of Palace's sight.
Crystal Palace are reportedly exploring an ambitious January move for Bayern Munich right-back Sacha Boey, with the £30 million-rated French defender emerging as a serious target amid Daniel Munoz’s injury and the club’s packed winter schedule. With Oliver Glasner pushing for reinforcements, Palace believe a cut-price deal could strengthen their Champions League push.
Crystal Palace are reportedly exploring an ambitious January move for Tottenham winger Brennan Johnson, with Oliver Glasner keen to strengthen his attack for a Champions League push. The Wales international, who wrote his name into Spurs folklore with a Europa League final winner, is admired at Selhurst Park. However, the move hinges entirely on Spurs’ stance and their own plans for the winter.
Marc Guehi is reportedly set for a fresh round of talks with Bayern Munich after his agent met with club chief Max Eberl. The Crystal Palace centre-back will run down his contract until the summer of 2026. Guehi has already informed Palace that he will not sign an extension, effectively guaranteeing a summer exit and triggering a battle among Europe's elite.
Crystal Palace star Daniel Munoz has been encouraged to reject interest from Barcelona and instead pursue a move to Liverpool, with Colombian icon Camilo Zuniga insisting the Premier League is the ideal environment for the wing-back’s high-energy style. As elite sides circle ahead of his next career step, debate continues to mount over where the in-form Munoz should go next.
Crystal Palace
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