Chris Burton

Jamie Carragher believes that Pep Guardiola could be playing out his “last dance” in 2025-26. The Catalan coach is tied to a contract at Manchester City through to the summer of 2027, but there have been suggestions that said deal could be terminated 12 months earlier than that proposed end date. Carragher admits that Guardiola will walk away as one of the greats, with an emotional farewell to the Premier League potentially on the cards.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has aired his true feelings on Liverpool’s injury struggles, admitting that he can “probably blame myself” for some of the issues that have arisen at Anfield. He admits that competing on multiple fronts will be difficult for the Reds, with the winter transfer window closing without any stop-gap solutions - particularly in defence - being acquired.

Karim Benzema became caught up in an angry exchange with a journalist following his stunning debut for Al-Hilal. The veteran French striker has sparked remarkable scenes in the Saudi Pro League - with Cristiano Ronaldo going on strike - after completing a free transfer. Benzema has refuted suggestions that he left Al-Ittihad without saying goodbye to his former team-mates.

Former Nottingham Forest striker Rob Earnshaw has explained to GOAL why the sight of Evangelos Marinakis on the pitch and in the tunnel at the City Ground is a good thing. The Greek billionaire, who continues to make plenty of headlines in the Premier League and across Europe, has been compared to another eccentric owner that once embraced “craziness” at Cardiff City.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s strike action at Al-Nassr has been branded “bizarre”, with Premier League legend Alan Shearer questioning how the Portuguese superstar can justify his behaviour while earning “over £400,000 a day”. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has taken to ruling himself out of contention for selection in Saudi Pro League fixtures, leading to inevitable transfer speculation being generated.

Christian Fuchs, a member of Leicester’s Premier League title-winning squad from 2015-16, has revealed that he tried to talk Foxes legend Jamie Vardy into joining him in the fourth tier of English football. Fuchs is currently calling the shots at Newport County, having stepped into management, and asked questions of whether Vardy was up for another battle against the odds.

Cristiano Ronaldo has received a public warning from the Saudi Pro League after taking personal grievances too far and going on strike. The Portuguese superstar, unhappy at the way transfer funds are distributed in the Middle East, sat out Al-Nassr’s last fixture after making himself unavailable. He has, as transfer talk rages, been reminded how things work in Saudi Arabia.

Wayne Rooney’s son Kai has reportedly been offered a new contract by Manchester United that would be worth £50,000-a-year. The talented teenager has stepped up into the Red Devils’ Under-18 side this season, allowing him to grace FA Youth Cup competition. He is considered to have impressed in a “very strong” team, and will be rewarded accordingly.

Kevin-Prince Boateng has revealed that he “had to lie” about his love for Cristiano Ronaldo in order to become a team-mate of Lionel Messi at Barcelona. The former Ghana international completed a shock move to Camp Nou in 2019. After sealing that switch, it was made clear to him that he was not to speak in glowing terms about CR7 or Clasico rivals Real Madrid.

Wrexham are being tipped to achieve promotion to the Premier League and consolidate a standing among the elite, with former Wales international Rob Earnshaw explaining to GOAL why a meteoric rise from the Red Dragons can be completed. He has also informed Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac how they will need to go about top-flight transfer business.

Lamine Yamal finished as runner-up in the 2025 Ballon d’Or vote and the Barcelona wonderkid insists that winning a Golden Ball is not something that he gives much thought to. The talented teenager would prefer to focus on collective trophy targets at Camp Nou, rather than individual accolades, with there still plenty for him to try and achieve in 2026.

Arsenal have been handed a major boost ahead of the 2026 Carabao Cup final, with the EFL delivering its verdict on Manchester City’s claims to seeing rules tweaked for January signing Marc Guehi. The Blues are being prevented from selecting the England international defender in domestic cup competition, and that will remain the case for a showpiece event at Wembley Stadium.

Arsenal loanee Ethan Nwaneri, who will be seeing out the 2025-26 campaign on loan at Marseille, has been called out by a rival manager in France after narrowly avoiding a red card. The England U21 international is still adjusting to life with Ligue 1 heavyweights, and was fortunate to escape an early ban after crunching into a tackle during domestic cup action.

Virgil van Dijk is being backed to spend “even longer” at Liverpool than the terms of his current contract, with Arne Slot seeing a long-term future for the Dutch defender at Anfield. He is set to turn 35 over the summer, with the odd mistake being allowed to creep into his game this season, while £60 million ($82m) is being invested in the potential of talented French youngster Jeremy Jacquet.

Sir David Beckham is being backed to become a Manchester United owner of the future, with Wes Brown claiming it would be a “dream come true” to see the former Red Devils winger back at Old Trafford. Beckham is currently involved with MLS Cup winners Inter Miami, where he works with Lionel Messi, and League Two promotion hopefuls Salford City.

Sandro Tonali generated plenty of headlines on deadline day as the winter transfer window of 2026 came to a close, with Arsenal reported to have made a play for the Newcastle midfielder. No deal was done, but speculation continues to rage. Manchester City are said to be another of Tonali’s many suitors, and Pep Guardiola was spotted in deep conversation with the 25-year-old at the end of a Carabao Cup encounter.

Jesse Lingard remains a free agent after severing ties with FC Seoul, with the former England international waiting on offers. A return to Europe has been speculated on for the 33-year-old midfielder, with reports now suggesting that he could link up with ex-Manchester United team-mate Robin van Persie at Feyenoord - with discussions said to have taken place.

Endrick continues to offer parent club Real Madrid timely reminders of what he is capable of, with another spectacular goal being recorded during a productive loan spell at Lyon. The Brazilian wonderkid headed to France at the start of the winter transfer window after finding regular game time in Spain hard to come by. A dream start to life at the Groupama Stadium has been enjoyed.