Chris Burton

Chelsea have been charged with 74 breaches of rules relating to agents, intermediaries and third party investment. The alleged misdemeanours date back to Roman Abramovich’s time as owner. Various punishments are being speculated on, but the Blues may avoid being stung with the harshest of points deductions by the Football Association.

Arne Slot has further outlined Liverpool’s plan for Alexander Isak, with the Reds reluctant to rush the £125 million ($170m) striker into making his debut. Isak has, after completing a record-breaking transfer from Newcastle to Anfield, become the most expensive player in British football. He is, however, lacking fitness and sharpness on the back of a hectic summer.

Andre Onana is being tipped to secure a marquee transfer away from Manchester United in 2026, with a loan spell at Trabzonspor allowing his reputation to be rebuilt. The Cameroon international is now out of sight and mind at Old Trafford, but the expectation is that another big club will come calling once his ability has been highlighted again in Turkey.

Wes Brown says Cristiano Ronaldo is “still better than a lot of strikers out there”, with the Portuguese “Superman” expected to keep going until he “breaks down”. There is no sign of the ex-Manchester United and Real Madrid star calling it quits any time soon, with the evergreen frontman still going strong with Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr at 40 years of age.

The reasons for Raphinha being unexpectedly dropped by Barcelona for their La Liga clash with Valencia have been revealed. Hansi Flick removed the Brazilian forward from his starting XI, with the South American - who fills the captain’s armband for the Blaugrana - being punished for off-field misdemeanours that left his demanding German coach frustrated.

Paul Pogba has revealed what he got up to while serving a doping ban, with the World Cup winner moving his family to Dubai for six months. The France international, who was cleared to resume his career in March 2025, is still waiting on his return to competitive action after heading back to his homeland and signing a two-year contract with Ligue 1 outfit Monaco.

The Mbappe family have had more cause for celebration, with Ethan netting a dramatic winner for Lille in their Ligue 1 clash with Toulouse. Brother Kylian would have been proud of the well-taken goal, and with the celebration that followed. Ethan took to mimicking the iconic pose that his Real Madrid superstar sibling often strikes after hitting the back of the net.

Neymar was less than impressed with the artificial pitch used by rivals Atletico Mineiro following his latest appearance for Santos. The Brazil international has spoken out against such surfaces in the past and, after suffering another injury that forced him to play through the pain, the veteran forward claims to have delivered more proof that synthetic pitches are "sh*t".

Wayne Rooney has shown that you never lose it, with the Manchester United and England legend rolling back the years in an exhibition game. The Red Devils’ all-time leading goal-scorer lined up alongside and against a collection of international superstars in the Nexon Icons Match, with the target found with a spectacular strike.

Marc Skinner has explained why Manchester United captain Maya Le Tissier is the “same ilk of a player” as fellow Lionesses hero Lucy Bronze. The Red Devils’ no-nonsense skipper was unaware that she reached a notable personal landmark in a WSL clash with the London City Lionesses that saw her find the target from the penalty spot in a crushing 5-1 victory.

Maya Jama led the Ruben Dias fan club when soaking up the atmosphere in Manchester City’s derby date with arch-rivals United. The Love Island host is dating the Blues’ Portuguese defender, with there plenty for the happy couple to celebrate following another epic Premier League fixture that saw City claim a comfortable 3-0 win at the Etihad Stadium.

Kylian Mbappe has been criticised for having “no private life”, with the Real Madrid superstar being urged to accept the “price of fame”. It has been revealed that the France international, who recently claimed that the world of football is “disgusting”, does not have a driver’s licence. A fellow countryman has questioned the decision to become so reclusive.

Arne Slot has hinted at the timetable Liverpool have lined up for Alexander Isak, with the most expensive player in British football seeing his Reds debut delayed. The decision was taken not to include the Swedish striker in plans for a trip to Burnley, with the £125 million ($169m) frontman being eased into long-term plans by the reigning Premier League champions.

Alisha Lehmann has scored her first goal for Como Women, allowing her iconic fishing celebration to be broken out. The Swiss took on a new challenge in Italy over the summer after severing ties with Serie A champions Juventus. She is up and running with her new employers, with the tricky forward all smiles after opening her account with a slightly fortuitous strike.

Christian Pulisic has been urged to take as many lessons as possible from legendary AC Milan team-mate Luka Modric. USMNT star Pulisic is now working alongside a Ballon d’Or winner at San Siro. That is considered to be a good thing for his ongoing development, both as a football player and one of the most marketable performers in the global game.

Lionel Messi has been defended by Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano after missing a penalty against Charlotte. Having been handed a golden opportunity to open the scoring in the Herons’ latest MLS fixture, their talismanic skipper saw a woeful Panenka attempt easily kept out by Kristijan Kahlina - who barely had to move in order to make a notable save.

Liverpool made Premier League history with another late show at Burnley. Mohamed Salah converted a 95th-minute penalty to earn the reigning champions three points at Turf Moor. No top-flight team has ever won four games in a row in such dramatic circumstances, with Arne Slot’s side making a habit of securing vital victories as the clock ticks down.

Phil Parkinson is reportedly seeing questions asked of his future at Wrexham, with talks being held behind the scenes. The Red Dragons, on the back of three successive promotions that saw the EFL history books rewritten, have endured a tough start to the 2025-26 Championship season - leading to their long-serving manager becoming the subject of sack rumours.