Chris Burton

Gary Lineker has revealed the X-rated message that he would like to have seen Nottingham Forest stars deliver to owner Evangelos Marinakis during supposed committee meetings at the City Ground. The Reds are in the market for a fourth permanent manager of the season after parting ways with Sean Dyche - with players having a say in the decision to sack another coach.

AC Milan are ready to trigger an extension option in Luka Modric’s contract, but the Ballon d’Or winner will not make a decision on his future until the end of the season. The iconic Croatian midfielder is now 40 years of age and wants to mull over his options carefully. USMNT star Christian Pulisic is taking a similar stance, as he delays committing to fresh terms at San Siro.

England manager Thomas Tuchel admits that Jude Bellingham faces a “race against time” when it comes to proving his fitness ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The Real Madrid midfielder is nursing a hamstring injury picked up at club level. He has not been ruled out of March internationals, but may require his head coach with the Three Lions to make a selection based on reputation this summer.

Manchester United are “leading the way” when it comes to a possible transfer for Scott McTominay, according to reports in Italy, as the Scotland international “dreams” of a return to the Premier League. The 29-year-old has enjoyed a productive spell in Italy with Serie A champions Napoli, but is open to the idea of retracing steps to English football in 2026.

Mohamed Salah will reportedly have the option of following Lionel Messi to the United States or Cristiano Ronaldo to the Saudi Pro League when another transfer window opens this summer. The Liverpool superstar has seen a move to the Middle East speculated on for some time, but Fabrizio Romano claims interest is also being shown from teams in MLS.

The United Strand appears to have picked the wrong Manchester United team to focus his haircut challenge on, with the Red Devils’ women’s team poking fun at a fan that has gone viral after picking up their sixth straight win. Frank Ilett is still waiting on the men’s side to secure five successive victories.

Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal was ridiculed by Diego Simeone during the Blaugrana’s disastrous Copa del Rey defeat to Atletico Madrid. Hansi Flick’s side, who sit top of the Liga table, found themselves four goals down by half-time in the first leg of an epic cup clash at Riyadh Air Metropolitano. Simeone took great delight in reminding Yamal of the scoreline.

Tottenham are reportedly lining up a move for former Chelsea star Antonio Rudiger, with the Germany international approaching the end of his contract at Real Madrid. The charismatic 32-year-old is due to become a free agent in the summer of 2026. It could be that Rudiger ends up trading places with Spurs’ World Cup-winning captain Cristian Romero, as he sees a switch to Santiago Bernabeu speculated on.

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson has delivered his verdict on plans to expand the Championship play-off structure. As things stand, four teams in the second tier of English football secure tickets to the lottery that boasts a place in the Premier League as its top prize. It has been suggested that six sides could enter the mix from the 2026-27 campaign.

Ange Postecoglou has claimed that Tottenham are “not a big club” when reflecting on his time in North London and reacting to the sacking of Thomas Frank. Spurs ended their long wait for major silverware when winning the Europa League in 2025, but subsequently fired Australian tactician Postecoglou. Frank has headed in the same direction after taking in just eight months at the helm.

Cristiano Ronaldo continues to generate transfer talk in the Saudi Pro League at Al-Nassr, but the Portuguese GOAT has been informed that his next move “won’t be to Manchester United”. CR7 has previously taken in two spells at Old Trafford, but a third is being ruled out as the all-time great mulls over his future options at 41 years of age.

Michael Owen has told GOAL of the key striker decision that Thomas Tuchel must make when piecing together his England squad for the 2026 World Cup. Harry Kane, as captain of his country, is a guaranteed selection if fit. Questions continue to be asked of who should join the Three Lions’ all-time leading scorer in a star-studded party heading to North America.

Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey, who now plays in Spain for Villarreal, has been charged with two new counts of rape. The 32-year-old, who severed ties with the Gunners in the summer of 2025 when reaching the end of his contract and becoming a free agent, faces trial in November after denying allegations of raping two women and sexually assaulting a third.

Arne Slot is nursing another injury headache at Liverpool, with the Reds boss announcing that a knock sustained by Wataru Endo looks to be a “serious one”. It has been stated that the outlook “doesn’t look good” for the versatile Japan international. He was forced out of a Premier League clash with Sunderland and is facing up to a lengthy spell on the sidelines.

Tottenham are reportedly considering an interim appointment following their decision to sack Thomas Frank. A prominent managerial post has opened up again in north London, with Spurs hoping that Mauricio Pochettino - who is currently in charge of the USMNT - can be talked back to the Premier League. No deal can be done there until the summer, meaning that John Heitinga may be handed the reins on a short-term basis.

Michael Owen has explained to GOAL how Thomas Tuchel could work Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers into the same starting XI, rather than having to pick between two creative playmakers. The Three Lions are blessed with an abundance of options in the No.10 role, with the race on to nail down that berth ahead of a quest for global glory being opened this summer.

Thomas Tuchel has signed a new contract with England that will keep him in charge of the Three Lions through to the end of a quest for European Championship glory in 2028. The new agreement has been confirmed ahead of the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League draw, with the German tactician having snubbed interest from across Europe.

Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been criticised in the wake of his controversial comments regarding immigration in the United Kingdom, The billionaire businessman has claimed that Great Britain has become “colonised”, with population numbers continuing to rise. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has called for an apology, while Andy Burnham - the mayor of Greater Manchester - has condemned the Ineos chief.