Birmingham City have reportedly moved into pole position to sign Brighton & Hove Albion winger Jeremy Sarmiento, dealing a significant blow to ambitious rivals Wrexham. The Championship club are closing in on a permanent deal for the Ecuador international, with Blues owner Tom Brady seemingly getting one over on Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac in the battle of the high-profile American owners.

Arsenal sensation Ethan Nwaneri is set to join Marseille on loan for the remainder of the season after the two clubs reached a full agreement on terms. The 18-year-old midfielder will link up with Roberto De Zerbi in Ligue 1, a move heavily influenced by Mikel Arteta to aid his development. The deal involves a substantial loan fee which could rise to roughly €4 million depending on playing time.

Dominik Szoboszlai has revealed he spoke to Mohamed Salah "almost every day" during the Africa Cup of Nations but refused to clarify the forward's future following his explosive interview about Arne Slot. The midfielder insisted the ongoing saga regarding the Egyptian's broken relationship with his head coach is strictly "between the manager and the club," as uncertainty around the star's situation lingers.

Jamie Carragher has delivered a brutal verdict on Michael Carrick’s chances of landing the Manchester United job permanently, claiming the interim boss lacks the "special" quality required to win the Premier League. Despite a recent derby win over City, the Liverpool legend omitted Carrick from his final four-man shortlist, instead tipping a current international manager to take the reins at Old Trafford this summer.

Sir David Beckham has been told, alongside his wife Victoria, that their “brand” should not “come before your kids”. A former Manchester United team-mate of the ex-England captain has reacted to an explosive statement from Brooklyn Beckham that savages his parents. Rebecca Loos, who once worked for the family, has also spoken up on social media.

Thomas Frank insists he retains the full backing of the Tottenham board despite fans calling for his head after the West Ham defeat. The Dane revealed he held a "friendly lunch" with club chiefs on Monday, claiming the atmosphere remains normal ahead of a crucial Champions League tie against Borussia Dortmund. He faces the Germans with a decimated squad featuring only 11 fit outfield players.

Hertha Berlin fans haven't had much to cheer about in recent years. Their decade-long stay in the Bundesliga ended after the team slumped to an 18th-placed finish in the 2022-23 season, just four years on from Lars Windhorst's €224 million minority takeover that came with the billionaire's promise to build a "true ‘big-city club’, like those in London or Madrid."

With all the data and all the video footage you could ever hope for, there really shouldn't be many secrets left in the world of youth football. Sure, progress isn't linear and some players' attributes translate better to the adult game than others, but for most teams, picking and finding the best young talent still feels like a bit of a lottery, at least from the outside looking in.

Rennes are no strangers to producing some of the best players around, and Mohamed Kader Meite looks primed to become the next elite talent to step off the conveyor belt after the likes of Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue and Eduardo Camavinga. Still just 18, the towering striker is already said to be turning heads across Europe.

Manchester United have reportedly contacted Borussia Dortmund boss Niko Kovac as they explore potential long-term successors in the dugout. The 54-year-old, who famously rejected Tottenham Hotspur years ago, is understood to be high on the Red Devils' shortlist. With close links to United executive Christopher Vivell, the Bundesliga manager is said to be open to a future Premier League move.

How to watch the Champions League match between Bodo/Glimt and Manchester City, as well as kick-off time and team news.

How to watch the Champions League match between Real Madrid and Monaco, as well as kick-off time and team news.

One of the best midfielders of his era, perhaps the greatest crosser of a football ever and a free-kick taker to rival the best the game has ever produced, David Beckham was a special player to say the least. And yet due to his off-field impact, one of the sport's great champions of the past 30 years is generally forgotten when it comes to referencing the true legends of the game.

Romario moved around the penalty area with the stealthy gait and sly gaze of a panther, ready to suddenly accelerate as soon as the ball came his way, to disorient the opposing defenders with a couple of feints, to pounce on the ball, which inevitably ended up at his feet, as if magnetised, and finish with an unstoppable shot of pure technique or power, or alternatively serve up a perfect assist for one of his team-mates. He was a Hall of Fame striker if ever there was one.

Describing Roberto Baggio to those who did not experience him is a sort of generational challenge, an arduous attempt at conveying something that is too difficult to explain in words. But we will try - because Roberto Baggio was, especially for Italians, a symbol, a standard-bearer, an icon and an emotion.

In 1969, at the age of 23, George Best wanted to focus solely on the essentials. Just football, just his job. So he turned his back on his two other great passions, alcohol and women. His sobering conclusion: "It was the worst 20 minutes of my life." A Manchester United legend, that quote sums up Bet's rebellious attitude towards football, and life in general.

Rebel United introduces players who prefer to swim against the tide, such as Barcelona and Spain legend Gerard Pique, who has achieved great significance beyond the pitch thanks to his Catalan pride and innovative spirit...

"La France, c'est vous." Translated as 'France, is you', that was what French president Charles de Gaulle told footballer Rachid Mekhloufi in 1968. Mekhloufi had just led his Saint-Etienne side to the double, and the reward was an audience with the most powerful man in the country. For Mekhloufi, this sentence brought things full circle. Now he was both Algerian and French; 10 years earlier, he had - in a sense - been neither.

On September 15, 2018, N'Golo Kante walked off the Stamford Bridge pitch, satisfied. As was often the case, the Frenchman had just covered every blade of grass over the course of the 90 minutes. And, as was so often the case, he was not one of the major speaking points at full-time. Not right away, at least.

Anyone that manages to carve out a career for themselves in professional football is ridiculously talented. The standard at the highest level is just so high that it is simply impossible to 'fake it 'til you make it'. However, not everyone is as prodigiously gifted as Lionel Messi or Lamine Yamal. Your average player will require some time to get to grips with the rigours of the elite game.

Player development in football follows many different paths. Some exceptional talents, such as Lamine Yamal and Estevao, make an impact at the highest level at a very young age. At the same time, countless players need more time before their qualities fully emerge.