Ritabrata Banerjee

Former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit has backed Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez to join the Blues this summer, claiming the Argentine could be an "inspiration" in their dressing room. Martinez appeared to bid a tearful goodbye to Aston Villa fans after their final home game of the 2024-25 campaign against Tottenham in May, though he has yet to publicly confirm he wants to leave the club.

Angel Di Maria could not hold back tears after sealing an emotional return to Rosario Central on a free transfer. Di Maria left Europe after 18 years as his Benfica contract expired at the end of the 2024-25 campaign. The winger also revealed what ex-Argentina team-mate Lionel Messi told him after returning to his boyhood club.

England goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck has returned to the Women's Super League after just one year as she signed for Aston Villa on Tuesday. Roebuck left Manchester City to join Barcelona on a two-year deal last summer but she is now back in her homeland after mutually terminating her contract with the Catalan giants. Roebuck has signed a two-year deal with the Villans.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca claimed that European clubs came to the Club World Cup after gruelling campaigns compared to South American teams but was left speechless when it was pointed out that the Blues' semi-final opponents, Fluminense, have played more matches than them since the summer of 2024. Chelsea appeared in 63 matches across all competitions before heading to the United States.

Napoli have launched their first bid worth €55 million (£47m/$64m) for Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez as Antonio Conte looks to bolster his Serie A-winning squad. The Italian champions are considering the Uruguayan as a priority transfer target after a meeting between club owner Aurelio De Laurentiis and the player's agent Fali Ramadani.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has confirmed that Noni Madueke will play in the Club World Cup semi-final against Fluminense despite being linked with a move to Premier League rivals Arsenal this summer. The winger has featured in all of the Blues' Club World Cup matches thus far, including the quarter-final win against Palmeiras, where he came on as a substitute in the second half.

Inter Miami are "extremely confident" of tying Lionel Messi to a new contract despite strong interest from Saudi Pro League giants Al-Ahli. Messi, who joined the Herons in the summer of 2023, has an active contract with the club until the end of the 2025, however, the David Beckham-owned side want to retain the Argentina legend beyond this year.

Chelsea-bound Estevao Willian rejected a chance to join up with Blues squad for the remainder of the Club World Cup in the US as he wanted to bid a proper goodbye to his boyhood club Palmeiras. The youngster scored in his final game for the Brazilian side against his future club but they crashed out of the competition after suffering a 2-1 defeat in the quarter-finals.

Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala has had successful surgery on his broken left fibula, the club has confirmed. The Germany international suffered a horrific injury during Saturday's Club World Cup quarter-final clash against Paris Saint-Germain. The midfielder had to be stretchered off the pitch after a painful collision with Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Manchester United are closing in on signing Valencia midfielder Javi Guerra this summer. The Spaniard has attracted interest from Serie A giants AC Milan but the Red Devils are being considered favourites to secure a transfer for the youngster. United have completed three transfers in the summer window, including the signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolves.

Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate has decided on his next destination if contract talks with the Reds do no porgress in the next one year. The French defender has entered the final 12 months of his deal and negotiation over a possible extension has currently stalled. Konate could follow in the footsteps of Trent Alexander-Arnold and move to Madrid for free next summer.

Al-Hilal have once again rekindled their interest in signing Victor Osimhen from Napoli this summer. Osimhen, who spent last season on loan at Galatasaray, has returned to his parent club, but is unlikely to stay in Italy for much longer. Galatasaray are pushing for a permanent transfer but will face stiff competition from the Saudi Pro League giants.

Bayern Munich could beat Barcelona to the signing of Liverpool forward Luis Diaz this summer after the Bundesliga club struck an agreement on personal terms. Diaz is yet to negotiate a fresh deal with the English champions and has reportedly assured Bayern Munich officials that he would consider moving to Germany in the summer.

Arsenal are on the verge of sealing a transfer for Viktor Gyokeres after agreeing to match Sporting CP's demands for the striker. The Gunners have agreed personal terms with the Swede, who has made up his mind about moving to the Premier League this summer. With Gyokeres' transfer almost sealed, Arsenal are no longer pursuing a move for RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko.

Barcelona were running out of patience with Nico Williams and his agent before the Spain international commited his future to Athletic Club by signing a new long-term contract. Williams was once again closely linked with a move to the Blaugrana this summer after transfer talks broke down last year, however, the winger eventually penned a new Atheltic Club contract which runs until 2035.

Carlo Ancelotti's son Davide is set to accept his first senior managerial role by joining Brazilian side Botafogo. The 35-year-old has been working as an assistant under his father since 2012 and was part of the veteran manager's coaching team at Bayern Munich, Everton and Real Madrid. After Ancelotti became the Brazil national team head coach, Davide had initially joined his staff.

European Champions Paris Saint-Germain have joined Arsenal and Al-Nassr in the transfer race to sign Rodrygo from Real Madrid this summer. The Gunners have been linked with a move for the Brazilian for a long time as they look to bolster their attack before the start of the 2025-26 campaign. However, they are now likely to be dragged into a bidding war for the winger.

Manchester United duo Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes have been granted extended leave on compassionate grounds following the tragic death of their Portugal team-mate and Liverpool star Diogo Jota. The 28-year-old forward and his brother Andre Silva died in a devastating car crash in Cernadilla, Spain in the early hours of Thursday, July 3.