Chris Burton

Transfer fees have been creeping up for some time, with Neymar blowing the doors off that particular market when joining Paris Saint-Germain for €222m (£195m/$261m) in 2017. It appears to be only a matter of time before a defender moves for nine figures, with Marlon Harewood telling GOAL of why Nottingham Forest star Murillo could be the man to make history.

Enzo Maresca has addressed the speculation suggesting that he is being lined up for a potential return to Manchester City as successor to Pep Guardiola. The Italian has previously taken in two coaching spells at the Etihad Stadium, but is currently committed to Chelsea and has stated with "100 percent" certainty that he will still be in charge at Stamford Bridge next season.

Scott McTominay has delivered his verdict on why certain players have improved after leaving Manchester United, with the Scotland international saying there is no obvious "excuse" as to why that has happened. McTominay is, as a Serie A title winner with Napoli, one of several stars to have flourished since severing ties with Premier League heavyweights at Old Trafford.

Dele Alli has hinted that a return to the professional ranks may be pending, with the former Tottenham midfielder continuing his search for a new club. The ex-England international has been a free agent since seeing his contract at Serie A side Como terminated. He has been working on an individual fitness programme, allowing him to stay sharp while waiting on offers.

Erling Haaland is being tipped to snub any future interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona as he is already at a club that will allow him to land major silverware and smash countless records on the goalscoring front. Ex-Premier League forward Marlon Harewood has told GOAL why the prolific Norwegian is likely to honour an extraordinary 10-year contract at the Etihad Stadium.

Gary Lineker has responded to reports of his World Cup deal with Netflix, and the potential to front future Premier League programming, being a "revenge" mission against former employers at the BBC. The ex-Tottenham and England striker has a reported £14 million ($19m) agreement in place to front The Rest Is Football podcast on American soil next summer. He insists talk of getting one over on the Beeb is "utter nonsense".

Barcelona president Joan Laporta admits the long-running Lionel Messi saga, which started in 2021 when the Argentine GOAT left for Paris Saint-Germain, has made him "sad". He does, however, hope that a crossing of paths will take place at some stage, saying: "Hopefully we meet again." A fitting tribute to Messi, be that an exhibition game or statue, is still being planned.

Harry Kane is considered to be operating in the shadow of Bayern Munich wonderkid Lennart Karl, with the 17-year-old sensation being likened to Lionel Messi. He is, having made a stunning senior breakthrough at the reigning Bundesliga champions, also being challenged by Dietmar Hamann to match the levels of Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

Mohamed Salah’s struggles at Liverpool, which led to him aiming an explosive outburst in the Reds’ direction, are being blamed on the summer departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold. Dean Saunders has explained to GOAL why the ‘Egyptian King’ at Anfield has found the going tough during the 2025-26 campaign and ultimately felt the need to air his grievances in public.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is said to figure prominently on Manchester City’s list of potential successors to Pep Guardiola. The Italian tactician has previously taken in two spells at the Etihad Stadium and may be welcomed back for a third when the day comes for a highly-decorated Catalan coach to sever ties with the Premier League heavyweights.

Emi Martinez is “destined for more big things”, ex-Aston Villa forward Marlon Harewood has told GOAL, with the World Cup-winning goalkeeper missing out on a transfer to Manchester United in the summer of 2025. He has not let that get to him, with a mercurial talent continuing to star for the Villans as they have made positive progress at home and abroad.

Jamie Carragher has been quizzed on whether Liverpool will look to sell Mohamed Salah in the January transfer window, while also doubling down on his claim that the Egyptian superstar was a “disgrace” to speak out against the club. Salah accused the Reds of throwing him under the bus when aiming an explosive outburst in the Reds’ direction.

A brand-new version of the popular FIFA gaming franchise is in the pipeline, with world football’s governing body announcing an exciting partnership with streaming giants Netflix. Said production will hope to rival EA FC, with FIFA having split from Electronic Arts in 2023. The latest release will be made available ahead of the 2026 World Cup finals.

Manchester United have been told that Elliot Anderson, who continues to generate talk of interest from Old Trafford, is “definitely” worth his mooted £100 million ($134m) price tag. That is said to be the fee that Nottingham Forest will be demanding from any deal involving the England international. Marlon Harewood has told GOAL why those numbers add up.

It has been suggested, by Dietmar Hamann, that Liverpool could look to sell £125 million ($167m) striker Alexander Isak to Barcelona in the summer of 2026. Anfield future questions are also being asked of £116m ($155m) playmaker Florian Wirtz, while talk of Jurgen Klopp returning to Merseyside in a managerial capacity has been addressed by a former Reds star.

Former Aston Villa loanee Jermaine Jenas believes Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott, after flopping in the West Midlands, could both be on the move in the January transfer window. Two players with England international ambitions may be forced back to their parent clubs Manchester United and Liverpool before fresh agreements are sought early in 2026.

Thiago Silva is a free agent again at the age of 41, with the veteran Brazilian defender agreeing to the early termination of his contract at Fluminense. Having spent 18 months back at his boyhood club, the classy centre-half is said to be eyeing a return to Europe - where he has previously represented AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.

Former Manchester United and Arsenal striker Robin van Persie felt the need to confront furious Feyenoord fans after seeing the side that he now manages suffer another disappointing defeat in the 2025-26 campaign. The Rotterdam-based outfit have now come unstuck in three consecutive fixtures across all competitions, with a bid for cup glory coming to a close.