Still just 22 years old, Jhon Duran has joined the sixth club of his increasingly nomadic career and his third in the space of just 12 months, making the controversial decision to head to Russia and sign for Zenit St Petersburg. It is a little over a year since the former Aston Villa hitman was being linked with European giants Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Chelsea, but after spells in Saudi Arabia and Turkey, the striker is already drifting further into obscurity.
Wrexham director Shaun Harvey has opened up on the club's decision to pull the plug on a potentially historic £19 million ($24m) move for teenage sensation Sidiki Cherif during the January transfer window. The Welsh side, backed by Hollywood duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, ultimately decided against the record-breaking outlay to ensure they remained within financial regulations.
Al-Ittihad have identified Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga as their top target to replace N'Golo Kante following his move to Fenerbahce. The Saudi Pro League side are reportedly preparing a bank-busting offer to lure the France international away from the Santiago Bernabeu, hoping to capitalise on his desire for a guaranteed starting role.
Robert Lewandowski is facing a defining moment in his illustrious career as his Barcelona contract nears its expiration. The Polish striker has reportedly received offers from Atletico Madrid and AC Milan, among others, but is holding off on a decision until the club's presidential elections are concluded in March.
N’Golo Kante has officially completed a dramatic move to Fenerbahce after agreeing to terminate his contract with Al-Ittihad. The French World Cup winner has put pen to paper on a deal until June 2028, returning to European football after FIFA finally granted the green light following an administrative blunder that had initially derailed the switch.
N'Golo Kante reportedly refused to turn up for training with Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad on Tuesday after a move to Turkish giants Fenerbahce collapsed. The France international was set to fly to Istanbul to wrap up the transfer, but an administrative error from Al-Ittihad apparently stopped the deal from going through. There is still a chance of the transfer being completed, with Turkiye's transfer window not closing until Friday, February 6.
Fenerbahce have released a scathing statement placing the blame for the collapse of the high-profile swap deal involving N'Golo Kante and Youssef En-Nesyri squarely on Al-Ittihad. The Turkish giants claim a data entry error by the Saudi side in the Transfer Matching System caused the deadline to be missed, leaving the club furious after they had fulfilled all their obligations.
Unai Emery raised eyebrows after becoming embroiled in a heated clash with Youri Tielemans in Aston Villa’s Europa League win over Fenerbahce, with the Spaniard shoving the midfielder after he was substituted on Thursday. The pair were involved in the bizarre incident as the Villans sealed their place in the last 16 of the competition thanks to a 1-0 victory in Turkey.
Lincoln Henrique has unleashed a verbal volley at Jose Mourinho, claiming the Portuguese manager treated him with total disrespect during their brief overlap at Fenerbahce. The Brazilian midfielder alleges he was frozen out without explanation and accuses the "Special One" of lacking character in a damning assessment of his former boss, insisting that personal integrity matters more than a trophy cabinet filled with silverware.
World Cup winner N'Golo Kante has emerged as the subject of a bold transfer approach from Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahce as he enters the final six months of his contract in Saudi Arabia. The former Chelsea midfielder has reportedly stalled on signing a new deal with Al-Ittihad, opening the door for a sensational European return, though his current club remain desperate to retain his services beyond the summer.
On the weekend that the Bundesliga returned after its winter hiatus and two of Serie A's top three met in a crucial clash in the fight for the Scudetto, much of Europe was focused on cup competitions of varying degrees of importance. England and France played host to the latest rounds of their domestic tournaments while Spain and Turkey followed France's lead from earlier in the week in crowning their Super Cup champions.
Mohamed Salah’s future at Liverpool has been thrust back into the spotlight after reports emerged of an approach from Fenerbahce, amid growing speculation over his standing under Arne Slot. However, the Egyptian superstar’s agent has now moved to shut down talk of an Istanbul switch, offering clarity on where the 33-year-old’s immediate future may lie.
English defender Archie Brown faces a humiliating exit from Fenerbahce just months after his high-profile summer switch to the Turkish giants. The 22-year-old famously snubbed a move to AC Milan to join Jose Mourinho’s revolution in Istanbul, but with the Portuguese manager having already departed and new head coach Domenico Tedesco swinging the axe, Brown’s Turkish adventure appears to be over before it truly began.
Galatasaray have escalated their protest over Jhon Duran’s controversial celebration in Sunday’s heated Istanbul derby against Fenerbahce by filing a criminal complaint with the Anadolu Courthouse. The two giants shared the spoils following a 1-1 draw in the 14th matchday of the Turkish Super Lig.
Manchester United outcast Jadon Sancho has reportedly held transfer talks with three Turkish clubs amid his latest underwhelming loan spell. Sancho was included in Ruben Amorim's bomb squad in the summer before he secured a loan move to Aston Villa. However, he has struggled for minutes under Unai Emery and is already thought to be contemplating another change of scenery.
Ederson have revealed the reasons behind his Manchester City exit as the goalkeeper insisted that he "needed this change". The Brazilian became one of Pep Guardiola’s most trusted lieutenants and a cornerstone of City’s domestic dominance during his eight-year stay in Manchester. However, he brought his time at the Etihad to an end this summer. His farewell closed a chapter filled with silverware, which included six Premier League titles, five domestic cups, and the crowning glory in City’s first-ever Champions League triumph.
Jose Mourinho has reportedly left Fenerbahce with an eye-watering bill after spending 15 months of his tenure with the Turkish giants living in a luxury hotel. The self-anointed ‘Special One’ took up residence in the Istanbul Four Seasons, rather than find himself a property in the city. He was unceremoniously sacked after failing to qualify for the 2025-26 Champions League.
Former Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson endured a hostile welcome to Istanbul’s fiercest football rivalry, pelted with objects by Besiktas fans during Fenerbahce’s fiery 3-2 derby win. The Brazilian, who left City after eight years and six Premier League titles, responded with calm defiance as he posted a thumbs-up photo after the match, symbolising both resilience and victory in one of Europe’s most volatile derbies.
Karim Benzema could be set for a surprise return to Europe, with Turkish giants Fenerbahce making the ex-Real Madrid striker their top January target. After a slow start to the season and a lack of goals, the Istanbul club are reportedly ready to test the waters for the 2022 Ballon d’Or winner, who remains under contract with Al-Ittihad until 2026.
Juventus find themselves in a defensive crisis, akin to the one they experienced last season, which has forced them to look in the transfer market for suitable reinforcements. According to reports from Italy, the Bianconeri are looking for defenders with previous experience in the Serie A. Milan Skriniar, formerly of Inter, and Kim Min-jae, who was crucial in Napoli's title-winning success in 2022-23, are reportedly on the radar.
It was obvious that Jose Mourinho was finished at Fenerbahce the moment the full-time whistle blew in last month's Champions League qualifier at Benfica. However, it also felt like his time at the top was over, too, because Mourinho no longer seemed quite so special.
Galatasaray manager Okan Buruk has launched a stunning critique of his former rival Jose Mourinho, claiming the Portuguese "hasn't upgraded himself as a coach." After beating Mourinho's Fenerbahce to the Super Lig title last season, Buruk stated he "was better than" Mourinho and that his rival is "not focused like before."