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Manchester United have successfully secured the services of veteran goalkeeper Karl Darlow on a free transfer following his departure from Leeds United. The 35-year-old Wales international has signed a contract at Old Trafford as the Red Devils move to secure an experienced backup option behind Senne Lammens ahead of the new campaign.

FIFA has been forced to make a rare exception to its strict tournament branding rules ahead of the World Cup semi-final between England and Argentina. The governing body could not conceal the iconic Mercedes-Benz logo at Atlanta Stadium after engineering concerns made covering the landmark impossible.

Brighton & Hove Albion have smashed their transfer record to complete the sensational signing of defender Luka Vuskovic from Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur. The 19-year-old Croatia international has penned a long-term contract at the Amex Stadium after the Seagulls successfully negotiated a deal that could eventually rise to £50m.

Folarin Balogun has joined Klutch Sports following an impressive World Cup that boosted his profile on and off the pitch. The USMNT forward becomes the first footballer to sign directly with LeBron James' agency as he looks to build on his growing influence in the game.

The South African sensation has officially called time on his stay at Mayfair, penning a deeply emotional farewell to the club's supporters. The 21-year-old playmaker, who has been a standout performer in the Betway Premiership, is set to begin a new chapter in Europe after securing a move to Belgian giants Royale Union Saint-Gilloise.

Tons of big names in the women's game have been on the move in this summer transfer window. From Alexia Putellas to Georgia Stanway, Sam Kerr to Mary Earps and Beth Mead to Katie McCabe, it's already proving to be a blockbuster off-season. But there are also several lesser known talents, young players with huge potential, making transfers.

Lisa Baum has been unveiled as Arsenal's fifth summer signing, joining for a significant six-figure fee that is reportedly a club-record sale for RB Leipzig. The 19-year-old had been linked with most of Europe's elite, including Barcelona, Lyon, Bayern Munich and Manchester United, but will instead reinforce the wide areas at Arsenal after the departure of Lionesses star Beth Mead.

Former Bafana Bafana captain Aaron Mokoena has jumped to the defence of the former Orlando Pirates youngster after questions over his physical suitability for European football were made, insisting the young attacker possesses the mental speed and technical skills to thrive in Belgium despite his slight frame and the physical nature of the game in that country.

Adrien Rabiot has firmly dismissed suggestions that France are engineering a specific tactical blueprint to neutralise Spain winger Lamine Yamal in their World Cup semi-final clash. The midfielder also addressed the lingering fallout from his previous criticism of the Barcelona prodigy, which famously backfired during their Euro 2024 encounter.

Aston Villa have firmly dismissed speculation linking Emiliano Martinez with Juventus. Director of Professional Football Damian Vidagany insists the Argentina international remains central to Unai Emery's plans and says reports suggesting he could leave this summer do not reflect the club's position.

Manchester City are reportedly "pushing hard" to secure the signature of Lille's highly-rated midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi following his breakthrough performances at the World Cup. The Premier League giants are eager to bring the Morocco wonderkid straight to the Etihad Stadium as they look to bolster their midfield options for the upcoming campaign.

Nico O'Reilly is relishing the prospect of facing Lionel Messi when England meet Argentina in the World Cup semi-finals. The Manchester City youngster described the opportunity as "once-in-a-lifetime", while Jordan Pickford warned England must not become overly focused on stopping the Albiceleste captain alone.

Erling Haaland has amused football fans by bringing a bizarre $750 taxidermied raccoon back to Oslo following Norway's elimination from the 2026 World Cup. The prolific Manchester City striker showcased the unique souvenir, purchased from a famous Western store in Texas, as the national squad plane touched down back in Scandinavia.

Claude Makelele has revealed he urged Real Madrid president Florentino Perez to sign Michael Olise. The former Los Blancos midfielder also compared the Bayern Munich winger's ability to influence games to Lionel Messi, while insisting Olise should not be compared to Jude Bellingham.

Lionesses goalkeeper Khiara Keating has joined Liverpool after rejecting a new contract at Manchester City. The England international found game time hard to come by last year, leading to her being left out of some of Sarina Wiegman's squads. With the Women's World Cup less than a year away, she has now chosen to move on from the club she joined aged 11 to sign for the Reds.

The new Amakhosi signing has broken his silence following his high-profile move to Naturena from Stellenbosch FC. The defender, who has been one of the most consistent performers in the Betway Premiership, revealed the emotional significance of returning to a club where his journey first began in a very different capacity.

England captain Harry Kane has accused the media of attempting to manufacture internal camp unrest ahead of their World Cup semi-final showdown against Argentina. The striker firmly maintained the squad remains entirely united despite Jude Bellingham's dismissive response to criticism from Thomas Tuchel about England's display in their quarter-final win over Norway.

The South African football fraternity remains in a state of mourning following the tragic passing of the Brazilians star. Tributes have continued to pour in for the talented 25-year-old, with former Masandawana player Brent Carelse opening up on the lofty ambitions the playmaker held before his life was cut short.

Al-Nassr are reportedly dealing with a liquidity shortage that has delayed salary payments to members of the first-team squad and brought transfer activity to a standstill. The financial issues have emerged during pre-season, creating uncertainty as the Saudi champions prepare for the new campaign.

And so we get to the real bit. England have had, in truth, quite a favourable run in the World Cup thus far. Mexico at the Azteca was a real test, but they are yet to face a team that is, objectively, better than them. Enter Argentina, the reigning champions and led by a certain Lionel Messi.

The former Mamelodi Sundowns boss is reportedly on the verge of a sensational return to the summit of African football, with Pyramids FC closing in on his signature and offering a massive salary incentive for the 39-year-old and his technical staff.

Fenerbahce have reportedly agreed a historic €42 million package with Marseille to sign forward Mason Greenwood. The former Manchester United player is set to sign a lucrative four-year deal in Turkey, establishing a new record-breaking departure fee for Marseille.

Lamine Yamal dismissed suggestions that numerology could influence Spain's World Cup semi-final against France, while taking a swipe at former Portugal boss Roberto Martinez. The teenage winger also insisted he feels no anxiety before the biggest match of his career and remains focused only on helping Spain reach the final.

Before the start of Lionel Messi's sixth World Cup, the common consensus was that he'd seen and done it all. After effectively completing football four years ago in Qatar, there was even a fear that there was no way he could, at 39 years of age, add to his legacy - only slightly sully it. Messi, though, has spent his entire career making a mockery out of conventional wisdom and has actually managed to solidify his status as the greatest player of all time by becoming the World Cup's all-time leading goal-scorer and assist-maker during Argentina's run to the semi-finals.

When Spain's starting line-up for last week's World Cup quarter-final against Belgium was revealed roughly an hour before kick-off, the name of Pedri was immediately conspicuous by its absence. The natural assumption among pundits and supporters was that he was carrying a niggle - which tells you everything you need to know about just how highly the Barcelona star is rated.

Four years into BlueCo's so-called 'project' at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea have spent some £1.9 BILLION ($2.5bn) on new signings, and a haphazard approach to the transfer market means there have been some absolute clangers among them. For every success story, like Cole Palmer or Moises Caicedo, there have been multiple monumental and costly failures.

Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso has firmly expressed his desire to keep midfielder Enzo Fernandez at Stamford Bridge despite escalating exit rumours. The Argentinian international has been intensely linked with a move to Real Madrid after his agent allegedly explored summer exit options, but his new club manager remains determined to retain him.

Didier Deschamps has confirmed Kylian Mbappe is fit to face Spain in France's World Cup semi-final despite concerns over an ankle problem. The France captain trained separately for part of Monday's session, but his boss insisted the modified workload was only part of his recovery plan ahead of the last-four clash.

Spain-France and England-Argentina headline a blockbuster semifinal lineup as the World Cup enters its decisive week.