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Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola has offered an update on Antoine Semenyo amid talk the winger is on the brink of a £65 million move to Manchester City. Semenyo played for Bournemouth against Arsenal on Saturday and, according to his manager, is set to feature for the Cherries again on Wednesday night against Tottenham in the Premier League at the Vitality Stadium.

Borussia Dortmund are set to back Jobe Bellingham after his poor start to life in Germany. The brother of Real Madrid star Jude has struggled to make a real impact in Germany after making his move from Sunderland. Nevertheless, a new report claims that the club have full faith in his ability and are not interested in parting ways with the youngster.

Liverpool star Alexis Mac Allister has issued a frank assessment of Liverpool’s season so far and revealed he believes the club made too many changes too quickly, which has caused the club to make a dreadful start to the defence of their Premier League title. And while the Argentina star has written off title hopes, he still believes his team can still enjoy success this season.

Declan Rice scored two superb second-half goals as Arsenal came from behind to seal a dramatic 3-2 success at Bournemouth and move seven points clear at the top of the Premier League table. Rice, who was a doubt leading up to the game after missing the midweek victory against Aston Villa due to a knee injury, showed once again how crucial he is to Mikel Arteta's table-toppers with his decisive strikes which ensured the Gunners kicked off 2026 with a win.

Manchester City ace Nathan Ake admits that Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman has told him that he must play more if he is to make the international squad for the 2026 World Cup. The defender has made just two starts in the Premier League so far this season and has hinted at the prospect of a January exit amid reported interest from Catalan giants Barcelona.

Enzo Maresca may be out of a job, but has been tipped to bounce back at another high level club following his surprise early departure from Chelsea. Maresca exited Stamford Bridge after a run of just one win in seven, but Premier League all-time top goalscorer Alan Shearer believes the Italian could walk into another top job in England or elsewhere as his reputation remains high, despite the troubled end to his time in west London.

West Ham were beaten 3-0 by Wolves on Saturday in a result that has left the club in dire relegation trouble and piled more pressure on manager Nuno Espirito Santo. Alan Shearer has called out the "pathetic" performance of the Hammers, as they were beaten by a Wolves team rooted to the bottom of the table and without a single win prior to kick-off at Molineux.

Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso has confirmed the club still don’t know when Kylian Mbappe will return after the France superstar was diagnosed with an injury to his left knee. Mbappe picked up a knock in training and is expected to miss forthcoming crunch clashes with Real Betis and Atletico Madrid, and Alonso isn’t able to put an exact date on when he’ll be back in the side.

Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike admits it is "difficult" to know that he is playing regularly for the Reds because of Alexander Isak's leg fracture. The £125 million ($168m) signing from Newcastle scored against Tottenham but, in doing so, was challenged by Micky van de Ven, and has since been ruled out for a significant period due to a leg fracture that required surgery.

South Africa is among the 16 teams that made it out of the initial group stage after finishing second in their pool, which had the seven-time champions Egypt who eventually topped it, alongside COSAFA duo Zimbabwe and Angola, who were eliminated. Former Buccaneers tactician hopes to see his country in the final but has branded another team as the 'most dangerous.'

The Africa Cup of Nations has reached a critical juncture where there are no second chances. Given that South Africa struggled against 10-man Egypt and were given a run for their money by Zimbabwe, there are suggestions that it is time for Hugo Broos to tweak his lineups. But can the Belgian tactician afford to massively tweak his lineup when South Africa need to win to remain competing in Morocco?

Bafana Bafana continue with their bid to be crowned African champions with a Last-16 showdown against Cameroon at Al Medina Stadium on Sunday. After a less convincing outing against Zimbabwe in their last Group game, they will be out to show that they are championship material.

Real Madrid boss Xabi Alonso has revealed Endrick’s ambition was behind the decision to allow him to join Lyon on loan for the remainder of the season. The Brazil star has been frustrated at his lack of playing time at the Bernabeu and has been granted his wish to leave in a bid to secure a place in the squad for this year’s World Cup in North America, Canada and Mexico.

The Kings League’s biggest stage arrives in Brazil in 2026 - here’s how the Kings World Cup Nations works and why it’s drawing global attention.

Brighton CEO Paul Barber has sent out a strong message to Manchester United over the future of Carlos Baleba, as he insists the midfielder is "not for sale" in either the January transfer window or the summer. Ruben Amorim's side are reported to be interested in signing the midfielder this month, but the Seagulls are not minded to allow him to leave.

The 73-year-old will be coming up against his former team this weekend in the Last 16 of the biennial competition, hoping to get into the last eight and eventually go all the way to win their second continental crown. The initial one came in 1996 when South Africa were hosts. In 2023, the Belgian led Bafana to a bronze.

In a celebration dubbed "Australian sport's wedding of the year," Matildas captain Sam Kerr married her long-time partner, American footballer Kristie Mewis, in a stunning private ceremony on New Year's Eve. The power couple, who welcomed their son Jagger earlier in 2025, exchanged vows in front of 120 guests at the picturesque Dionysus Villa in Perth's Swan Valley.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Felix were left fuming after Al-Nassr's defeat to Al-Ahli, as a Portuguese director of their opponents sprinted onto the pitch and celebrated with goalkeeper Abdulrahman Al-Sanbi. In doing so, he appeared to brush Felix's arm, and both he and Ronaldo were left angry at his decision to take to the field after their unbeaten run came to an end.

Ronaldo Araujo is back in Barcelona training after taking a break away from football for his mental health. Following the defender's red card against Chelsea in November, the 26-year-old requested some time off to help him refocus and rediscover his form. Off the back of his footballing pause, he is now nearing a first-team return, while manager Hansi Flick has received a double injury boost.

Al-Nassr superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has been trolled by former Juventus team-mate Merih Demiral after his side lost their unbeaten start to the Saudi Pro League season. The Portugal international is attempting to win his first league title with Nassr but Al-Ahli dealt them a 3-2 defeat on Friday evening, much to Ronaldo's chagrin.

Harvey Elliott looks like he has already played his last Aston Villa game as manager Unai Emery revealed the decision over his future was made months ago. The playmaker swapped Liverpool for the Villans on a season-long loan move but he has barely featured for the West Midlands outfit this season. The 22-year-old is now stuck between a rock and a hard place amid his uncertain future.

The 25-year-old former AmaZulu player has been doing well for South Africa in the biennial competition, having made two direct contributions to the five goals Hugo Broos' men scored in Group B to finish second with six points behind seven-time champions Egypt. The winger is expected to play a crucial role in the knockout phase.

Premier League clubs face unusual kick-off times this weekend, as the New Year's schedule continues apace. Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Chelsea are all in action on Sunday, with 3pm kick-offs being aired live on television. GOAL can explain why the kick-off times are out of the ordinary as the year of 2026 gets underway.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has laid down the gauntlet to Eberechi Eze after dropping him from his XI. The playmaker joined the Gunners from Crystal Palace for an initial fee of £60 million ($81.2m) in August, and after impressing in the first few months of the season, Arteta has barely called upon the 27-year-old in recent weeks. Now, he has gone as far as saying Eze needs to "improve" certain parts of his game.

Wayne Rooney has revealed that Sol Campbell did not speak to him for six months after Manchester United beat Arsenal to end their 49-game unbeaten run at Old Trafford in 2004. The former United striker won a penalty in the game, as he cut in from the right and went down easily under the challenge of Campbell, who claimed his compatriot dived.

Chelsea are reportedly 'intensifying' their efforts to recruit Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior following the sacking of Enzo Maresca. The Italian head coach was dismissed after 18 months in charge following a fraying of relations with the club's owners, BlueCo. Now, the Premier League outfit have set their sights on the 41-year-old Englishman, who may have opened the door to a mid-season switch.

The 24-year-old is a natural centre-back who is also comfortable at right-back, but that versatility has ironically not counted in his favour in his bid to become a regular at Masandawana. Despite limited opportunities, he continues to be linked with a move away from Chloorkop amid growing speculation about his future. However, his representative has stepped in to clear the air and set the record straight on where the defender stands.

Sunderland stalwart Luke O'Nien has brutally trolled Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma following their heated post-match clash at the Stadium of Light. The Mackems defender didn't play in the goalless Premier League draw but still found time to wind up the Italian stopper, while manager Pep Guardiola appeared to play the role of peacemaker after the game.

Recently, the AFCON organisers released the list of the players who they feel performed better in the initial stage of the biennial competition. No player from South Africa made the squad despite some strong showings from a couple of them, like the Burnley FC star Lyle Foster, as well as the Mamelodi Sundowns defender Khuliso Mudau.