If there is ever a moment to enact a mid-season managerial change, the November international break is it.

Manchester United do not kick a ball again until November 22, presenting the Old Trafford hierarchy with an uninterrupted fortnight to recalibrate, install fresh ideas, and arrest what has been an alarmingly concerning start to the season.

But, by all accounts, they're not going to take the opportunity.

Mauricio Pochettino still interested in Manchester United job

On the pitch, the case for change has long ceased to be a debate. A return of just one win from ten Premier League matches under Michael Carrick is relegation form and the bottom three is where Man United find themselves.

The team looks passive, confidence is shot, and the trajectory is pointing downwards, even in the face of two improbable Old Trafford comebacks in the space of a week. Despite having a long-admired, elite manager reportedly receptive to an approach, Man United appear set to soldier on with Carrick. The reason, as is so often the case in modern football, may very well come down to money.

According to talkSPORT, Mauricio Pochettino remains open to the prospect of taking over at Old Trafford. The former Tottenham and Chelsea boss has been near the top of Man United’s wish list for nearly a decade, repeatedly identified as an ideal fit throughout the club's post-Sir Alex Ferguson malaise.

The obstacle, however, lies in the United States as Pochettino is contracted to the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT), having recently committed to an extension following their 2026 home World Cup.

Poaching him would require Man United to buy him out of that deal. In 2025, reports claimed that Pochettino’s USMNT contract contained a £20m break clause, a valuation corroborated by ESPN’s reporting that any release fee would sit comfortably in the "tens of millions."

Compounding that outlay is the compensation package that would be due to Carrick and his staff if the club chose to make a change. Less than 12 months ago, Manchester United dismissed Ruben Amorim, whose severance package cost the club an estimated £10m.

Under the scrutiny of the Premier League's Squad Cost Ratio (SCR) rules, and with INEOS tasked with trimming the operational budget, Man United’s hesitation is understandable. However, dressing up Carrick’s stay as an executive structure exercising patience with a long-term project is disingenuous. Sticking with the current coaching setup could easily be seen as a cost-saving exercise.

The danger is that short-term financial caution risks baking in long-term sporting problems. Ducking a payout today protects the club's bottom line, but missing out on European qualification or sliding into a genuine relegation dogfight will end up costing tenfold in lost prize money, reduced commercial clout and squad devaluation.

Pochettino has the authority and Premier League nous to reset Man United, and the November calendar gives them the cleanest possible runway to embed him, at least until the next international break in March, but that is too long into the season to salvage an ailing campaign.

Letting this window pass without making a change in the dugout has the potential to define Manchester United's 2026/27.

For the past 40 years, the tragedy of the 1985 European Cup final has often been reduced in mainstream British discourse to a single, monolithic headline: football hooliganism.

In Heysel ’85, director Teodora Mihai bypasses the familiar cliches of terrace culture to produce something which seeks to change the conversation surrounding the disaster. Coming from a documentary background, Mihai approaches the disaster not as a reflection of senseless violence, but as a study into institutional breakdown and the callous, self-preserving instincts of political power.

The film anchors its narrative through two parallel viewpoints. The principal perspective belongs to Marie Dumont (Violet Braeckman), the fictional press attaché and daughter to the Mayor of Brussels.

Heysel '85 offers a hard-hitting cinematic perspective on the stadium disaster

Braeckman, a polyglot who learned Italian specifically for the production, delivers a performance of quiet, escalating dread as she watches the veneer of civic competence crumble from within.

Operating on the other side of the crisis is Luca Rossi (Matteo Simoni), an Italian broadcast journalist reporting live from the ground while desperately trying to locate his father, uncle, and brother, all attending the match as Juventus supporters.

Early on, Mihai builds tension through procedural unease. Disorienting, fluid tracking shots wind through subterranean corridors, establishing a sense of foreboding long before the tragic events unfold. Shot in an empty hospital in Antwerp, the oppressive concrete hallways reflect the popular view that the Heysel Stadium, built in 1930, was run-down and unfit for a fixture of such magnitude by the mid-1980s, something which is referenced in the film.

The film avoids the trap of laying blame at the feet of ticket touts, generic mobs, or rowdy Liverpool supporters. It is deeply sympathetic to the ordinary fans caught up in the events of May 29, 1985, casting a forensic eye upward at the organisers.

UEFA executives, the local municipal government, and a fractured security apparatus are all painted in an unflattering light. The territorial friction between the municipal police and the Belgian Gendarmerie is laid bare; their reluctance and inability to share intelligence or coordinate chain-of-command turns an already combustible situation into an avoidable tragedy.

Nowhere is this administrative failure more grotesque than in the depiction of the Mayor of Brussels (played by Josse De Pauw). Portrayed as a sozzled, cowardly executive, his characterisation is rooted in historical reality. According to Braeckman, De Pauw knew the real-life mayor Hervé Brouhon, a figure regarding whom it was openly joked in local political circles that any serious decisions had to be made before 11am.

The film captures the hollow facade of authority dissipating in direct proportion to his alcohol intake. In one particularly telling sequence early on, Marie is dispatched to fetch the key to the stadium’s liquor cabinet so the mayor and his dignitaries can enjoy a proper drink. It is a bitterly ironic snapshot of municipal priorities just hours before 39 people would lose their lives.

When catastrophe strikes, the narrative strips away any remaining shred of civil propriety. Mihai’s documentary sensibilities ensure the integration of genuine, unaltered archive footage feels seamless rather than exploitative, anchoring the fictional protagonists in historical reality. While the Italian delegation emerges with a degree of grace and anguish, UEFA and local authorities retreat into corporate damage control, consumed entirely by liability, protocol, and the insistence that the match must still be played.

By refusing to take the easy narrative route of sensationalising terrace thuggery, Heysel ’85 delivers an important, unsettling reassessment of the catastrophe. It is an indictment of systemic cowardice that proves human lives were not lost merely to crowd surges, but to the arrogance of an establishment that abdicated responsibility long before kick-off - and, tellingly, never resigned in its wake.

Following its UK premiere at the 70th BFI London Film Festival, Heysel ’85 will be released in UK cinemas on 20 November 2026, distributed by Icon Film Distribution.

Hansi Flick is a demanding, successful coach who doesn't often lose his cool, but his fury on Sunday evening was difficult to miss.

As Barcelona saw out a hard-fought 2-1 win against a characteristically stubborn Atletico Madrid side, Flick decided to freshen up his attack late on. Anthony Gordon’s number went up on the fourth official's board towards the end of the second half and the Englishman was spared the final few minutes.

Rather than sprinting off, the 25-year-old ambled towards the sideline at a leisurely pace. Flick, visibly enraged, began gesticulating frantically, shouting at the former Newcastle United winger to get off the pitch.

Anthony Gordon feels Hansi Flick's wrath

Flick’s anger was justified, though, both in terms of the individual match situation and the rulebook. In LaLiga, the Spanish federation (RFEF) strictly enforces IFAB’s Law 3, requiring substituted players to leave the pitch at the nearest exit point as quickly as possible.

Spanish officials have clamped down hard on dead time this season, meaning dawdling runs the needless risk of a booking for unsporting conduct.

But with Flick keen to see out the result, Gordon’s stroll ran the risk of Barcelona playing a man down at a crucial point in the game. Another of IFAB's rules states that if a player takes longer than 10 seconds to leave the field, the incoming substitute must wait.

Gordon did not take kindly to his manager's frustration, cutting a frustrated figure once he had eventually left the pitch.

The exchange captured the mood surrounding his start to life in Spain. Initial excitement has worn off, and been replaced by growing scepticism among supporters.

Catalan dailies Sport and Mundo Deportivo have both published critical assessments in recent weeks, openly questioning whether the former Everton man has the technical subtlety required for Spanish football. The recurring criticism in the local media is that Gordon is overly reliant on straight-line pace, struggling for solutions when confronted by opponents who sit deep and deny him space behind.

Supporters on social media have been similarly blunt. Compared to Lamine Yamal and Raphinha who regularly create danger in tight pockets, Gordon has on occasion looked isolated out wide, leading many Culers to question why the club spent heavily on an attacker whose skillset seems at odds with Barcelona's possession-heavy approach.

This will come with a sense of deja vu for Newcastle fans, who will recall the manner in which Gordon departed St James’ Park last season.

After his head was turned by interest from abroad in the spring, his sharpness and overall impact visibly dipped during the run-in. With his desire to leave made clear to the hierarchy, Eddie Howe ultimately took him out of the firing line, leaving him on the bench for the final weeks of the season. Newcastle and their supporters largely accepted the inevitability of the player's exit, and recouping £70 million for Gordon means there is an argument that the Tyneside club got the better end of the deal.

At Newcastle, Gordon had a tactical structure built around his relentless vertical running and pressing triggers, but at Spotify Camp Nou, the blueprint isn't being tailored to suit him. While Sunday’s flare-up with Flick was probably little more than a storm in a tea cup, it is a warning. Even though he has three goals and four assists in 15 outings for Barcelona so far, there is already a feeling - or perhaps even expectation - that he should be doing more.

Chelsea bounced back from their disappointing home defeat to rivals Tottenham Hotspur with a solid 2-0 home triumph over Manchester United last weekend. Xabi Alonso has now overseen five wins and three defeats in his opening nine league matches. It’s been a topsy-turvy start to life in his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge.

It perhaps is no coincidence, then, that three of their five wins have come with Romeo Lavia in the starting XI. The Belgian started his fifth league match of the season in the victory last weekend. It marked the first time the 22-year-old has played the full 90 minutes in the Premier League game since his 2023 arrival from Southampton.

“It was a top-class performance. His performance was very complete from a midfielder’s point of view,” the Chelsea head coach said. From an individual as talented as Alonso was in his playing days, it was high praise indeed.

Romeo Lavia must stay in Xabi Alonso's Chelsea XI

The issue for Lavia, though, has so often been the inability to remain fit for prolonged periods of time. Saturday marked just his 20th top-flight start since making the move to the capital. He’s already bettered last season’s haul of four league starts. Yet when fit, the former Saints man showcased just why he has had the faith of managers, both past and present.

Operating at the base of the 4-2-3-1 setup, Alonso needs a player who is able to both retain possession and advance play effectively. As he proved against Man United, Lavia does so to a very good standard. An 88.9% pass success rate was the fifth highest of all Chelsea starters in that game, while only Wesley Fofana (76) made more passes (72).

Only Morgan Rogers, Estevao and Cole Palmer (3 each) created more chances than Lavia's two, who was credited with the assist for the former’s opener. Admittedly, Rogers did all the hard work as he slalomed through the Man United midfield and finished with aplomb. Nevertheless, it was a commendable haul from Lavia, who prior to the win had created just two chances in the previous six league outings combined.

Admittedly, Lisandro Martinez’s dismissal midway through the second half helped the Blues' cause. That they were able to maximise their numerical advantage is testament to Chelsea’s in-game management under Alonso.

It proved Lavia is more than just a tempo-setter in the middle of the park. After all, he finished top for tackles (5) and second for interceptions (4) of all Chelsea players last weekend. The youngster maintained a 100% tackle success rate in the home triumph.

Some might assume that Lavia and Moises Caicedo will compete for the same position in the team, but that would be a common misconception. Both carried out their own individual roles in the win over Michael Carrick’s men, as Caicedo fared slightly better in possession, which in turn enabled Chelsea to dominate proceedings.

Either way, it was a partnership that worked well together, and one that supporters surely hope provides the midfield foundation for the west London side going forward. That will only come to fruition, however, should Lavia completely overcome his injury issues. A lack of European action will aid the player, with lower demands on his body to play once every three days.

In the end, it was a stroke of luck that brought Lavia back into the fold. Read misfortune, if you’re Chelsea or summer transfer target Lamine Camara. The Blues agreed a fee with Monaco for the Senegal international, only for the French side to pull the plug on the deal at the last minute as striker Folarin Balogun closed in a switch to Everton. The American’s move fell through, and it meant Monaco were stuck with the pair, which, due to financial issues, was far from ideal.

Chelsea’s loss has since proven to be Lavia’s gain. Keeping him fit in the long-run is now the priority. Yet, with Alonso seemingly managing his workload accordingly, and praising him following the standout display against Man United, Chelsea’s failure to get the Camara deal over the line could, ultimately, prove their gain, too.

Lavia had become something of a forgotten man in Cobham, as he spent ample time in the physio room. Saturday proved a timely reminder of his quality and showed why, when available, he should be Caicedo’s midfield partner in Alonso’s favoured setup.

Modern footballers keep their cards close to their chest when it comes to their personal lives, and most certainly don't tend to disclose how much they earn.

Former Newcastle United winger Allan Saint-Maximin, however, isn't your average footballer, though.

While footballers' wages are a constant topic of debate, leaked figures are routinely downplayed, and players almost never volunteer information on the exact sums to the general public.

Allan Saint-Maximin reveals eye-watering Saudi salary

In a candid social media post, the French forward revealed that he has pocketed an astonishing €45 million (£37.5m) net over three years in Saudi Arabia.

The admission arrived as Saint-Maximin sought to explain why he rejected an alleged €26m (£21.7m) takeover bid to buy out his custom-designed board game project.

Addressing his followers, the 29-year-old explained that he turned down the buyout offer because he prefers investment in the enterprise instead of surrendering control. He says he is determined to use the venture to create jobs and host prize-giving tournaments for underprivileged communities.

"Rest assured, I've already earned 45 million net in three years in Saudi Arabia, so it's not a 26 million offer that will shake me," Saint-Maximin wrote. "A billion, maybe we will discuss it, but we are still far from it! 26 million is a good deal. But changing people's lives is priceless."

Saint-Maximin remains one of the more beloved cult figures on Tyneside in recent memory. Signed from Nice in 2019, the winger was often the solitary bright spark during the bleak final years of Mike Ashley's ownership and Steve Bruce’s pragmatic managerial tenure.

With trademark designer headbands, electric dribbling, and social media rapport with supporters, Saint-Maximin often carried the attack and offered fans a semblance of escapism before the club's transformative 2021 takeover.

Saint-Maximin was sold to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli for around £23m in 2023, a deal that prompted scrutiny from rival Premier League clubs given that both Newcastle and Al-Ahli share majority ownership under Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).

After spending his debut campaign in Jeddah alongside Riyad Mahrez and Roberto Firmino, the Frenchman went on loan to Turkish giants Fenerbahce, linking up with Jose Mourinho.

Saint-Maximin then joined Mexican side Club America in 2025 but did not settle and returned to Europe, turning out for Racing Club de Lens for a time. Before long, though, he was on the move once more, joining MLS outfit Charlotte FC for whom he currently plays.

His board game enterprise, Helios, which he claims he spent years designing and testing, has already seen him hand out five-figure sums in prize money to amateur players.

Cristiano Ronaldo is bowing out from the international game after a staggering 234 appearances for the Portuguese national team.

The 41-year-old Al-Nassr forward was an unused substitute as Portugal beat Norway in the Nations League back in September and subsequently chose to withdraw from the team's camp for the upcoming October fixtures.

Ahead of November's squad announcement, Ronaldo has released a five-minute video message, mainly aimed towards Portuguese football supporters, announcing his decision to retire from the international game. Here is every word.

Every word in Cristiano Ronaldo's international retirement statement

“To the Portuguese people, The day has come to hand back the shirt and the captain's armband of the national team that belongs to all of us. I never felt that it was exclusively mine, but for 23 years, I had the privilege and responsibility of wearing it, defending it, and carrying it with me to stadiums all around the world.

"Today, the moment has come to pass it on to the future. It was not an easy decision, because some decisions are not made with the head alone. They are also made with the heart. I am bringing to an end a journey that began in August 2003 and changed my life forever. When I look back and think about everything I experienced with the national team, I don't just see matches, goals, records, or trophies. I see people. I see immigrants who, for 90 minutes, felt a little closer to Portugal. I see millions of Portuguese people whom I never met personally, but who became part of my life. Because, at the end of the day, football is much bigger than a game. Football is about people.

"Throughout my entire career with the national team, I always tried to push beyond my limits. I wanted to win, I wanted to be the best, I wanted to make history. I was always demanding of myself. I always wanted more. I always believed we could go further, and I gave everything I had for this shirt.

"There were perfect afternoons and nights. There were victories I will never forget. There were defeats that still hurt to remember today. I also failed. I also suffered. There were moments when I couldn't give the Portuguese people what they wanted so badly. But I never gave up. And above all, I never stopped feeling proud to represent Portugal.

"Over these years, I learned some very simple things: goals come and go, trophies end up in museums, records are eventually broken, but there is something that time can never erase. The place I hold in people's hearts.

"If I ever made you happy, if one of my goals ever made you hug someone, forget a worry, or feel proud of our country, then it was all worth it. Because being Portuguese is also about that. We suffer together. We get back up together. We believe again.

"Portugal will always need young people who dream, players who never give up, and new generations who believe it is possible to reach places no one has reached before. Because a country that continues to create new heroes is a country that never stops believing in itself.

"To my national team teammates, I want to leave a special message. Thank you for every run, every hug, every argument, every moment of silence before stepping onto the pitch, every victory we celebrated together, and every defeat that made us stronger. I had the privilege of being your captain, but no captain walks alone, and you are all part of my story. To all the coaches, directors, doctors, physiotherapists, kit managers, staff members, and the many people who worked with me throughout these years, thank you.

"Many of you never appeared in the photographs, but without you, none of those photographs would have been possible. To my family, thank you for sharing this dream with me. Thank you for understanding the absences, the sacrifices, and the moments when the national team had to take up a space that also belonged to you. If I made it this far, it was because we always walked hand in hand.

"And to the Portuguese people, to every Portuguese person around the world, I want to tell you one last thing. There is an image that I will always carry with me. A moment when the national anthem begins. I look around me. I see my teammates. I see the stands. I see children, mothers, fathers, and grandparents. I see Portuguese people who travelled from so far away just to be there. And during those moments, we stop being different. There are no clubs. There are no colours. There are no classes. There are no professions. There are no opinions. There is only one passion: Portugal."

To the very end, Cristiano Ronaldo wants ownership of the narrative.

Ahead of Jorge Jesus' Portugal squad announcement for the upcoming November international break, Ronaldo has officially retired from the international side of the game.

Ronaldo's retirement statement was polished and studio-produced, framing his departure from international football as a considered, dignified decision of a man bowing out on his own terms. But nobody in football should be fooled by the PR surrounding his Portugal farewell. Ronaldo is not walking away because of his obligation to 'hand back the No. 7 shirt'; he is jumping before he's pushed.

Cristiano Ronaldo retires from international football

With Portugal’s squad announcement for the November international window imminent, whispers had grown impossible to ignore, especially after the histrionics which made headlines during the most recent international break.

For everything we know about Ronaldo and the opinion he holds of himself, the prospect of reading a squad list without his name on it would have been unbearable.

No matter how it's dressed up, his exit from the international scene is an undignified end for a footballer of his stature, burning the house down rather than accept that time had finally caught up with him.

The genesis of the split came during the conjoined September and October international camps, where Ronaldo's conduct reflected entitled petulance. He could have chosen to be an experienced mentor to one of Europe's most gifted squads, but instead behaved emotionally, putting self before side.

When substituted early during Portugal's Nations League fixture against Wales, the 41-year-old trudged off, held his tongue but not for very long.

From the outset, Jesus had made it clear that Portugal’s tactical system would no longer be warped to accommodate Ronaldo. The new coach wants aggressive front-foot pressing, off-the-ball running, and quick transitions, which Ronaldo is simply incompatible with. Tensions reportedly grew in training over Ronaldo’s lack of engagement in defensive drills and his habit of dropping deep into midfield spaces, disrupting the collective shape to hunt for touches.

"After the National Team Coach's press conference, and following a conversation with the President of the Portuguese Football Federation, I made the decision to leave the National Team camp," Ronaldo wrote in a statement after being left out entirely against Norway. "In due time, I will tell the truth to all Portuguese people about the reasons that motivated my departure from the national team, to which I have always dedicated myself. Now is the time to wish good luck to Portugal and to all my teammates, without exception."

The ensuing media storm hijacked Portugal’s camp leaving teammates fielding questions about their captain's bruised ego rather than their own football.

That the curtain falls in this manner is a tragedy for international football. His 146 goals, 234 appearances, alarming longevity and bordering-on-delusional drive made him more than a footballer. Even his detractors will concede, he's earned the right to a fairytale farewell, which no doubt would have been a tearful, adoring lap of honour in Lisbon, where his career began over 20 years ago.

Now, though, he slips out through the side exit, some might say motivated by spite and wanting to save face. There will be no emotional testimonial or triumphant send-off, at least not yet. Cristiano Ronaldo may have spared himself the humiliation of being dropped, but in doing so, has traded in his hero’s goodbye.

Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola grabbed Trey Nyoni and threw him in at the deep end. Sink or swim was the aim of the game. And the teenager kept his head above water, and then some.

The teenager made his first ever Premier League start on Sunday afternoon. The call was well deserved following a fine showing against Chelsea in the EFL Cup.

That it came against defending champions Arsenal was a huge show of faith in the midfielder. The Reds may have fallen to a narrow 1-0 home defeat to the Gunners, but Nyoni’s 59-minute display proved he’s ready for regular minutes in this Liverpool side.

Liverpool need to keep Trey Nyoni in the starting lineup

You’d be forgiven for overlooking Nyoni’s showing at Anfield. Declan Rice, after all, was the star performer on Merseyside. Mikel Arteta’s ‘Master-of-all-Trades’ midfield man put in a dominant display in the middle of the park.

The assist for Kai Havertz’s one and only goal was the cherry on the icing atop the Arsenal cake.

Yet despite coming up against, arguably, one of the best midfielders in world football, Nyoni wasn’t overawed. Rather, he rose to the occasion to deliver a performance that perhaps convinced Iraola he is worthy of a starting spot at the expense of either Alexis Mac Allister or Ryan Gravenberch.

“I just tried to go out there and do what I do, tried to get on the ball as much as possible and bring the team forwards,” Nyoni told the official Liverpool website about making his debut in such a blockbuster event. Many would have been overwhelmed by the spotlight that came from such a moment. Nyoni, though, was buoyed on by the welcome of Arsenal.

The 19-year-old ended the game with the best pass success rate (96.4%) of all starters in Sunday’s match. Only teammates Virgil van Dijk (67) and Mac Allister (61) made more passes than the academy product (56). The former pair played the full 90, whereas the latter was withdrawn on the hour mark.

Nyoni was dictating the tempo in the middle of the park, and driving Liverpool forward. Only Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya (46) made more forward passes than the youngster (24) at the weekend. Fourteen line-breaking passes was the most during his time on the pitch.

Iraola’s decision to withdraw Nyoni in place of the returning Dominik Szoboszlai meant that, for a 15-minute spell, Liverpool ceded momentum as they struggled to gain a foothold on the game.

From the 76th-minute onwards, they again dominated possession, even if it amounted to nothing, but Nyoni’s substitution saw the tie swing back in Arsenal’s favour at a crucial time in the clash. It’s within this 15-minute window where Arteta’s men begin to turn the screw in games. Only Manchester United (33) have had more shots than Arsenal (26) between minutes 60 and 75. Twenty-four chances created ranks top.

Liverpool needed a player who was comfortable in possession to ensure Arsenal were unable to build upon Havertz’s early strike. Of course, the momentum swing didn’t amount to another Gunners goal. Conversely, Liverpool would have enjoyed a more comfortable period of play had Nyoni remained on the pitch.

He brings some much-needed composure in a key area, a quality that had been found wanting following the departure of Curtis Jones. The sidelined Ryan Gravenberch brings the drive from deep, while Mac Allister offers the nitty-gritty, off the ball work to help protect the defence. Nyoni, meanwhile, delivers the forward thrust with his vision and distribution, qualities that far exceed both Gravenberch and Mac Allister, particularly in a 4-2-3-1 setup.

And having been dispossessed just four times in all competitions this season, Nyoni’s press resistance is another important trait. He’s comfortable receiving the ball from the centre-backs, before turning and setting his side on the frontfoot. Even under pressure, you’d back the up-and-coming Reds star to wriggle his way out of danger.

At his age, Nyoni, physically, still has some growing to do. Iraola can be expected to manage his minutes accordingly in order to avoid injury stunting his growth. Regardless, it’s clear that Nyoni is ready for a more prominent role in this Liverpool side.

Former boss Arne Slot used Nyoni sparingly, despite speaking highly of the player. In a difficult second, and final, season in the Anfield dugout, the Dutchman opted for experience. Injuries have perhaps forced Iraola’s hand this time around, but Nyoni has grabbed the opportunity to consolidate a starting spot with both hands.

Manchester City’s start to the 2026/27 season under Enzo Maresca has received a blow, with reports emerging that Rayan Ait-Nouri’s representatives are actively and publicly seeking a way out of the Etihad Stadium for their client.

The Algerian international, widely regarded as one of Europe’s more dynamic attacking full-backs, has found himself out of the side under the Italian. Frustration has seemingly now reached a point of no return.

According to L'Equipe, which was subsequently relayed by Get French Football News, Ait-Nouri’s camp has lost patience with Maresca’s handling of the 25-year-old.

Ait-Nouri: 'I want out of Man City'

The player's entourage delivered a blunt assessment of his current predicament, declaring: "He can’t remain in a situation where his talent is wasted."

That admission provides a window into the growing disconnect between Maresca and certain members his squad. Since taking the reins at the Etihad, the former Chelsea boss has adhered to a tactical style that has bypassed Ait-Nouri’s natural overlapping instincts.

Ait-Nouri’s sidelining could be framed as particularly confusing given Man City’s recent struggles to break down low-block defences - a scenario where the Algerian’s ball-carrying ability and final-third delivery usually prove effective.

Instead, he has been restricted to cameo appearances and domestic cup starts, a downgrade in status that has not gone unnoticed by those representing him.

The January transfer window now looks a possible escape route for Ait-Nouri, following his camp's public agitating. With his entourage pushing for a resolution, there will no doubt be a host of Champions League contenders closely monitoring the situation, aware that a player of his calibre rarely becomes available mid-season.

For Maresca, the immediate challenge is finding a way to quell the mounting concerns within his ranks and restore order to the squad.

If players like Ait-Nouri feel their prime years are being squandered, and are emboldened enough to speak out about it, there is every chance more marginalised members of Maresca's squad will follow suit.

Just when Manchester United supporters thought the club's decision-making couldn't appear any more disjointed, a revelation has laid bare the apparent lack of footballing acumen inside Old Trafford.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, especially in football, but according to a report by The Athletic, prior to the 2024 FA Cup final against Manchester City, director of football Jason Wilcox championed Russell Martin as a serious candidate to replace the embattled Erik ten Hag.

It was a time when the club required a proven manager to arrest their slump which had crept in during the late-stage Ten Hag era. Fortunately, Wilcox’s suggested solution was deemed too parochial, even if the club did end up appointing Ruben Amorim whose tenure was short-lived.

How Russell Martin almost became Manchester United manager

The newly-installed INEOS hierarchy was conducting an exhaustive review into Ten Hag’s stewardship in the summer of 2024, actively vetting prospective managers.

Among the names put forward, Wilcox pushed Martin’s, seemingly drawing heavily on their close professional relationship.

It was Wilcox who had hired Martin at Southampton in the summer of 2023 during his brief stint as the Saints' director of football. While Martin did steer Southampton back to the Premier League via the Championship play-offs in May 2024, the idea that he was equipped to lead English football's biggest institution was a hard case to make.

The trajectory of Martin’s career since that 2024 Wembley triumph demonstrates just how disastrous that appointment could have been.

Upon arriving in the Premier League, Martin’s dogmatic approach to slow-tempo possession football unravelled in historic fashion. His Southampton side became notorious for defensive errors, giving up possession inside and around their own penalty area while shipping goals at an alarming rate.

Martin's apparent refusal to adapt or compromise his footballing ideology led to him developing a reputation as an obstinate idealist not equipped for a top-flight survival fight, or perhaps even top level management, let alone the hot seat at Old Trafford.

Man United ultimately opted for Amorim to succeed Ten Hag in November 2024. And while his reign was turbulent, handing the reins to Martin might have been even worse.

For all the flaws Amorim's side displayed on his watch, Martin’s insistence on playing out from deep with an already psychologically fragile defence would most likely have seen Man United dismantled by superior opposition.

The timing of this revelation lands at an inopportune time for Wilcox’s personal credibility. The former Manchester City executive was brought to Carrington by Sir Jim Ratcliffe to deliver a modern, data-driven football structure, but now Wilcox is facing accusations that he is out of his depth.

Pushing his former Southampton colleague forward for one of the most demanding managerial posts in world football doesn't chime with the kind of best-in-class mentality Man United seek. It has, at the very least, exposed a lack of imagination from an executive tasked with restoring a giant club to the summit of European football.

Presently, Michael Carrick clings to the top job on a temporary stay of execution, recruitment chief Christopher Vivell is being courted by Bayern Munich, and the dressing room remains fractured, despite Tuesday night's spirited fightback against AS Roma in the Champions League.

The club are not out of the woods just yet and with a fresh managerial appointment expected in the coming weeks, it could be the most important decision of Wilcox's tenure.

Michael Carrick's struggles mean Manchester United are expected to soon be looking for their ninth manager of the post-Alex Ferguson era. To prevent further drift and decay, it is essential the club gets the next appointment right. It is time to hand the reins to... Antonio Conte.

Conte has been linked with the job before. He was a candidate following Jose Mourinho’s sacking, but United ended up sticking with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after an impressive spell as interim boss. When Solskjaer himself came under pressure in the autumn of 2021, reports in Italy indicated Conte was interested in replacing him. But the call never came.

United were supposedly deterred by Conte’s combative nature. They feared he was a short-term option rather than a manager who would rebuild the club over several years. If United were to let those same concerns rule Conte out as Carrick's successor, they would be making a grave mistake.

"More kick-up-the-backside than arm-around-the-shoulder"

Granted, Conte is unlikely to build a dynasty at Old Trafford. Since leaving Juventus in 2014, he has not completed more than two seasons with any club. And there is no doubt he is combustible. Conte is more kick-up-the-backside than arm-around-the-shoulder and not everyone in the United squad would respond well to his methods.

Still, Conte’s track record speaks for itself. He has won six league titles with four different teams. In his last five club roles, he has only failed to scoop silverware at Tottenham Hotspur. Even there, Conte brought about an initial upturn, guiding Spurs into the Champions League at Arsenal’s expense in 2021/22.

It is not as if he has only ever taken over teams on the verge of success. With United surely to soon be looking for another man to revive a fallen giant, they should note that Conte led Juventus to their first Serie A success post-Calciopoli in 2012. Both Chelsea and Napoli finished 10th the year before Conte’s arrival; he won the league in his debut campaign at both clubs. At Inter, Conte ended an 11-year wait for a scudetto in 2021.

United cannot afford to be too precious about Conte’s tendency to move on quickly. Their recent managerial picks have only lasted one or two years anyway. At least Conte would give the club a better chance of success during his own short stay.

Conte’s reputation for putting noses out of joint would be no bad thing for United, a sleeping giant in need of a rude awakening. The Italian has the force of personality to drag the club out of its malaise. It is certainly hard to imagine players being openly critical of his tactics, as Bruno Fernandes was of Carrick’s after the defeat by Como. Conte would command instant respect in the dressing room.

Of course, there is no guarantee Conte would succeed at Old Trafford. United have tried virtually everything since Ferguson retired, going back to the drawing board more often than an overworked town planner. The club’s problems run much deeper than the manager. Would anyone really be surprised if they were in the exact same position in two or three years’ time?

Failure is not inevitable, though, and despite the understandable doom and gloom, United’s squad does contain talent. Conte would quickly make them more competitive, and morale would rise with improving results. This season is not a write-off yet. But if United want to salvage something from it, there is only one man they need to call.

Spare a thought, as Brighton and Brentford meet on Sunday, for the rest of the Premier League, forced to watch on as the footballing world swoons over those pesky poster boys.

Just look at them, with their fancy algorithms and flawless recruitment, making it all look so easy. Can’t they mess up just one managerial appointment? Must they hoover up all the midfield talent from Mali?

It is hard not to be impressed by the pair’s accomplishments. Brighton and Brentford were both in League One when their current owners took control. Under Tony Bloom and Matthew Benham, boyhood fans turned professional gamblers, Brighton and Brentford have risen to the upper echelons of the Premier League, earning admirers aplenty along the way. In this season of flux, they could challenge for the Champions League places - or perhaps even more.

"Declines that appear impossible beforehand can come to seem inevitable afterwards"

Brighton and Brentford have become part of the top-flight furniture. It is easy to assume they will continue bloodying noses and showing up richer rivals for years to come.

Yet the high-flying duo would not have to look too hard for success stories gone wrong: the Championship and League One are littered with clubs once hailed as Premier League models whose fortunes subsequently unravelled.

Wimbledon consistently punched above their weight in the 1990s, finishing in the top nine in three out of four seasons without even having a stadium to call their own. Bolton Wanderers enjoyed two seasons in Europe in the 2000s, and came within three points of qualifying for the Champions League in the middle of that decade.

The 2010s brought the rise of Southampton and Swansea City, who were mixing it with the big boys not long after promotion. Then there was Leicester City, champions in 2015/16, FA Cup winners in 2020/21, and European semi-finalists in 2021/22.

None of those teams are currently in the Premier League. Leicester and Wimbledon are languishing in League One, where Bolton recently spent five consecutive campaigns, while Swansea have been stuck in the Championship for eight years. Charlton Athletic, another side once heralded as a shining light for middle powers, have not had a seat at the top table for almost two decades.

It is tempting to assume Brighton and Brentford are run too well to suffer a similar fate. Certain factors do suggest they have more staying power than the beacons of old. But declines that appear impossible beforehand can come to seem inevitable afterwards. Brighton and Brentford should not take anything for granted.

They have already avoided one common pitfall. Bolton and Charlton’s achievements were tied to a single manager: Sam Allardyce and Alan Curbishley, respectively. When they left, the operation fell apart. Charlton were relegated the season after Curbishley’s resignation. Bolton survived for longer, but they failed to finish in the top half post-Allardyce.

Swansea and Southampton did a better job of sustaining success across managerial regimes. Swansea’s ascent began under Brendan Rodgers, before they won a trophy under Michael Laudrup and finished eighth with Garry Monk in the dugout. Southampton secured top-eight finishes under Mauricio Pochettino, Ronald Koeman and Claude Puel.

However, one bad appointment can start a downward turn. Puel never fully convinced at Southampton and his successor, Mauricio Pellegrino, really struggled. Swansea became too short-termist, with none of Francesco Guidolin, Bob Bradley, Paul Clement or Carlos Carvajal lasting long.

Wimbledon’s decline had several causes, chief among them the absence of a permanent home. But while the appointment was defensible at the time, Egil Olsen could not maintain the standards set by Joe Kinnear. The former Norway boss favoured the sort of direct football for which Wimbledon were famous, but the dressing room did not take to a former communist who walked to training and wore wellies on the touchline. Olsen was too eccentric even for the Crazy Gang.

The Wimbledon example highlights another potential hazard. It is important to have an identity, but adhering too rigidly to it is risky. Given they were in the top flight for 14 years, Wimbledon could have varied their style earlier. Yet there is a different lesson to learn from Swansea and Southampton, who lost their way after moving too far away from the principles that initially brought them success.

Continually making smart decisions in the transfer market is not easy. Allardyce’s Bolton paired overseas stars (Jay-Jay Okocha, Nicolas Anelka) with experienced British professionals (Gary Speed, Kevin Davies) to good effect, but that model left with the manager. Southampton (Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mane, Dusan Tadic) and Swansea (Michu, Wilfried Bony, Gylfi Sigurdsson) unearthed more gems than most, but eventually the well ran dry.

As for Leicester, they were always going to struggle to find another Riyad Mahrez or N’Golo Kante lurking in the French second tier. In the end, they were undone by the belief that they belonged among the league’s leading lights. Leicester allowed their wage bill to run out of control, setting the wheels in motion for a demise that brought back-to-back relegations.

Brighton and Brentford have already avoided many of those mistakes. Brighton have thrived under Graham Potter, Roberto De Zerbi and now Fabian Hurzeler. They have evolved their style at the right times, shifting from the pragmatism of Chris Hughton to the possession play of Potter and De Zerbi, to which Hurzeler has added a higher press this term.

Thomas Frank’s exit could have been fatal for Brentford, but they instead moved seamlessly to Keith Andrews. They remain a physical team who like to get the ball forward quickly, but Andrews has added his own ideas to the mix without ripping up the formula that got the Bees here in the first place.

There are no indications that Brighton and Brentford’s data-led recruitment models are about to fail them, although it is possible that other clubs will eventually close the gap. And while it has not happened so far, Brighton and Brentford are not immune from making a poor managerial pick. Only a few months ago, many Brighton fans wanted Hurzeler out, fearing they were destined for decline with the German at the helm.

The manager is often called the most important person at a football club, but that is not the case at Brighton or Brentford. As long as Bloom and Benham remain in place, supporters of both sides can be confident of their continued progress. Leicester’s fall from grace had much to do with the tragic death of owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha. Gao Jisheng did not invest in Southampton the way their fans hoped, while the takeover of an American consortium at Swansea was contested from the start.

Virtually every club in England can learn something from Brighton and Brentford, who are more than the sum of their parts at every level. But football has a habit of turning today’s trailblazers into tomorrow's cautionary tales. For Brighton and Brentford, the challenge now is to make being a model club more than a passing phase.

When Barcelona scout an emerging talent, they traditionally expect to do battle with the likes of Real Madrid, Manchester City, or Bayern Munich. But a new, highly sophisticated apex predator has entered the global transfer ecosystem in recent years, and they operate out of...Sussex.

The Catalan giants are discovering that one of their newest contemporary rivals for the world's most exciting youngsters is Brighton and Hove Albion.

According to a recent report from Portuguese outlet Record, scouts from both Barcelona and Brighton, alongside French side Lille, were in attendance over the weekend to watch 17-year-old defensive midfielder Jordan Arnolin in action for Estoril.

Barcelona and Brighton are fishing in the same ponds

Barcelona's talent-spotters are now rubbing shoulders in directors' boxes with representatives from the Seagulls speaks volumes about the shifting landscape of European recruitment - and the wealth of the Premier League's middle class.

For decades, the traditional super-clubs relied on vast, globe-trotting scouting networks and historical prestige to hoover up top-tier talent. Brighton, though, are rewriting the rulebook entirely.

Under the stewardship of owner Tony Bloom, Brighton have constructed one of the most formidable, data-led recruitment models in world football.

By leveraging highly guarded, unique algorithms, the Premier League club identify undervalued talent across global markets, often in oft overlooked leagues. This quantitative approach allows them to spot underlying performance metrics that suggest a player is destined for the elite level long before their mainstream reputation, and asking price, catches up.

Brighton’s ability to continually unearth promising young players and sign them before the bigger clubs can react has become the envy of European football.

The Seagulls snapped up Moises Caicedo from Ecuadorian outfit Independiente del Valle for a mere £4.5 million, eventually selling him to Chelsea for a British record £115 million. Alexis Mac Allister was plucked from Argentinos Juniors, developed into a World Cup winner, and sold to Liverpool for a massive profit.

Similarly, Kaoru Mitoma was identified at Kawasaki Frontale and transformed, for a time at least, into one of the most feared one-on-one wingers in the English top flight.

For a club like Barcelona, this presents something of an operational problem. The LaLiga heavyweights' well-documented financial issues have severely restricted their ability to engage in £100m bidding wars for established superstars.

Therefore, finding the next big thing at the source is now an absolute necessity rather than a luxury. Yet, whenever they identify a target like Estoril's teenage anchor Arnolin, they find Brighton’s data analysts are already on the scene.

If Arnolin is indeed the next midfield gem to emerge from the Portuguese top flight, Barcelona’s pedigree and the allure of the Spotify Camp Nou will undoubtedly hold weight in negotiations. But the modern teenage footballer is acutely aware that the Amex Stadium is among the most effective finishing schools in the sport.

Manchester United’s current predicament could get worse before it gets better, with reports in Germany suggesting that director of recruitment Christopher Vivell is on the verge of joining Bayern Munich.

As the Old Trafford hierarchy wrestles with growing scrutiny, accusations of a lack of leadership and a fractured dressing room, the loss of one of their footballing strategy leads threatens to cause further operational problems.

According to a report from Sport Witness, Vivell is being lined up by Bayern Munich.

Man United recruitment chief ready to jump ship

The German executive’s potential exit comes at an inopportune time for the Red Devils, who are currently navigating issues on and off the pitch.

Vivell’s tenure in Manchester has been relatively brief but significant. Initially brought in ahead of the 2024/25 season on a short-term, interim basis, his influence within the new INEOS-led regime quickly grew.

By February 2025, Man United had seen enough to appoint him as their full-time director of recruitment, giving him responsibility to oversee the club’s global talent identification and squad-building.

However, Vivell's long-term vision now appears to have been compromised by the current chaos and lack of results at Old Trafford.

Man United are enduring a disastrous spell at present with one win from their opening nine Premier League games this season, leaving them languishing at the wrong end of the table.

Their cup exploits have offered little relief, after they were dumped out of the Carabao Cup by Brighton and Hove Albion, and most recently suffered a damaging Champions League defeat away to Atletico Madrid.

At the centre of it all is first-team boss Michael Carrick, whose own future hangs in the balance. The manager is essentially operating under a stay of execution with many expecting the axe to swing before long.

It is the belief of some Man United outsiders that a lack of unified leadership in key positions has negatively impacted the club's decision-making processes.

Reports indicate that Vivell and director of football Jason Wilcox do not see eye-to-eye over the succession plan should Carrick be formally dismissed. While the club has reportedly shortlisted high-profile candidates, including Julian Nagelsmann, Fabian Hurzeler, and Antonio Conte, the inability of the football leadership team to align on a common direction has only exacerbated the crisis.

If Vivell were to accept Bayern Munich’s overtures, it would leave a void in Man United's recruitment department just as the club faces the prospect of yet another mid-season managerial change. Having an established working relationship with Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund, Vivell is, on paper at least, a natural fit for the German giants.

With the January transfer window fast approaching and Carrick’s future unclear, Manchester United can ill afford to lose their recruitment chief.

In April 2021, European football faced an existential threat. Twelve of the continent’s biggest clubs announced a plan to break away from the Champions League and form a European Super League, a closed-shop competition designed to guarantee them regular games against each other.

The dirty dozen would not have to qualify and could never be relegated, an affront to the traditions of European football and the principles of sporting fairness. The backlash was swift and fierce, and within days the project was dead in the water.

The Champions League survived, but only after a fundamental overhaul that gave the drivers of the Super League project much of what they wanted. Plans to switch from the old 32-team group stage to a 36-team, Swiss-style league phase had already been cooked up before the Super League news broke, yet the reforms reflected a desire to keep the elite clubs happy. We are now in the third season of this format, enough time to conclude that UEFA’s flagship tournament has been made worse by its introduction.

The league phase forgives more than a priest in Las Vegas

That is not to say the old group stage was perfect. After 30 years, it had grown stale and predictable. Dead rubbers were common, as dominant teams regularly wrapped up qualification early. Surprise early exits became increasingly rare. The tournament only came to life in the knockout rounds.

Yet the league phase has solved hardly any of those issues while creating new ones of its own. No fewer than 144 matches are required to eliminate just 12 teams, most of whom were expected to bow out early anyway.

The league phase forgives more than a priest in Las Vegas. It is possible to lose five out of eight games, as Benfica did last term, and still reach the knockouts. In 2024/25, PSG won only one of their first five outings yet ended up finishing 15th, before going on to lift the trophy. The margin for error is considerable.

The league phase creates an illusion of direct comparison. In most domestic leagues, you play every team twice. In the Champions League, you are ranked alongside sides who have played entirely different opponents. Some clubs have much tougher fixture lists than others, yet this is not (and cannot be) reflected in the standings.

In theory, there are fewer dead rubbers than before. A top-24 finish is all that is needed to extend your participation beyond the league phase, but there are advantages to ending the campaign as high up the table as possible. The top eight progress directly to the round of 16, while teams finishing between ninth and 16th earn home advantage in the second leg of their knockout phase play-off. Yet the reward for finishing in the top eight - the chance to skip a round - is an odd one. UEFA's biggest incentive to excel in its tournament is to play less of it.

The principal reason the league phase was brought in was to offer more blockbuster clashes early on, which were relatively rare in the old system of eight groups of four. This season we have already seen such titanic tussles as Real Madrid vs Inter, Atletico Madrid vs Manchester United, Manchester City vs PSG, PSG vs Barcelona and Bayern Munich vs Arsenal.

At first glance, these fixtures would appear to have delivered the goods. PSG beat both Manchester City and Barcelona 4-2 in pulsating affairs. Bayern and Arsenal drew 2-2 in a game full of quality at the Allianz Arena. There were chances galore in Real Madrid’s 2-1 victory over Inter on matchday one.

Yet for all the entertainment on show, these encounters were much less gripping than comparable contests in the knockout stage. The football was technically impressive, but the lack of jeopardy left many feeling numb. Significance had been stripped away. Without the feeling that it really means something, a meeting of European heavyweights feels like little more than an exhibition game.

The problem is, both UEFA and the continent’s elite clubs will be happy with the new arrangement. More games means more money for everyone involved. And while there is a risk of losing a couple of matches when you have to play the likes of Real Madrid or Bayern Munich, it is unlikely to put qualification at risk. After all, you can amass enough points to advance by beating Sabah, Viking and Slovan Bratislava.

The Champions League knockout stage remains the pinnacle of the club game. Memorable ties become iconic in a way that is impossible in the league phase. The Champions League will be appointment viewing again once we reach the round of 16. Until then, Europe’s biggest tournament feels strangely inconsequential.

Carrick appears to have accepted that his tenure at Old Trafford could soon be brought to an abrupt end.

Speaking ahead of Man United’s next game, a Champions League showdown with AS Roma, Carrick was fatalistic in tone when questioned about the mounting speculation surrounding his position.

Rather than offering standard managerial press conference fare of defiance in the face of public scrutiny, the 45-year-old openly acknowledged the reality of his situation.

Michael Carrick admits 'whatever happens will happen'

"I can’t look into the future, I don’t know what’s gonna happen,” Carrick admitted, in quotes via The Athletic. “I am really looking forward to the game tomorrow, you might think I’m crazy with the results we’ve had. Whatever happens will happen after that, whatever direction it goes in.”

The mood around the club has turned following a run of just two wins in nine matches across all competitions. A five-game winless streak, an early Carabao Cup exit, and a return of seven points from their opening nine Premier League fixtures has left Man United drastically off the pace.

Recent domestic displays, which include failing to capitalise against 10 men versus Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, were compounded by a dispiriting Champions League defeat away to Atletico Madrid, after which Lisandro Martinez spoke out against the club hierarchy.

Martinez broke rank to deliver a stinging critique of the club's summer recruitment, reportedly sparking an argument with a teammate on the flight back to Manchester. With a dressing room unravelling and Carrick's gentler approach failing to provoke a response, the popular view is that the club's faith in his faculties to turn things around has plummeted.

To some, his latest quotes indicate a recognition that the writing is on the wall, and with the November international break coming up, that could be the opportune time for the club to sever ties with the former interim head coach.

Old Trafford is likely to have a new first-team manager before long - national outlets have already linked Brighton’s Fabian Hurzeler alongside more experienced coaches Antonio Conte and Unai Emery.

At a club the size of Manchester United, once a manager hums 'que sera, sera', the inevitable is rarely far behind.

This week, Rio Ngumoha took to the pitch for Liverpool in the Champions League and delivered a performance from the right flank that will long be spoken about at Anfield.

Two assists, 9/10 attempted dribbles, 14 progressive carries, and 30 overall, and 10/13 ground duels won. That was the Englishman’s absurd stat-sheet against Villarreal.

Ngumoha was able to have an impact in Europe rivalled only in recent years at Liverpool on the right-hand side by Mohamed Salah, and his performance truly does beg the question: should Bukayo Saka be worried?

Bukayo Saka has competition for England, and maybe even at Arsenal, in Rio Ngumoha

Some readers might consider it a stretch, but it’s well-known, as revealed by transfer expert David Ornstein, that Mikel Arteta is an admirer of the 18-year-old.

For England, Ngumoha is already receiving call-ups, despite the last Liverpool starboy, Trent Alexander-Arnold, being oddly absent from international line-ups in his Anfield prime.

At just 18 years of age, the sole thing that is missing from Ngumoha’s locker is goalscoring threat. Additionally, his consistency remains unproven.

But if that’s Ngumoha’s biggest problem(s) at 18, Saka should be worried. Because in his declining form, as the mileage from season upon season of Premier League minutes imprints its mark on his play, Liverpool's starboy could be the future.

In comparison to his predecessor on the right, Salah was once a similar talent at Ngumoha’s age, albeit held back by the Egyptian FA’s reluctance to let him leave for Europe.

As a youngster, the Egyptian King was lightning quick, agile, a superb take-on artist, and his goalscoring bag was comparable to the creativity displayed by Ngumoha.

Flash forward to Salah’s mid-20s, and his game was almost perfected. In his early 30s, he became the complete Premier League forward, unlike any other in English history.

The 18-year-old was able to spend a solitary season in the first team under the Egyptian’s wing, who no doubt revealed the blueprint for Premier League success to him, and that should deeply trouble the Arsenal man.

What Saka is facing is a younger, hungrier, and arguably better, in their current forms, player than he is. And that’s a tough winger to beat out, when competing for future places in both the England, and maybe Arsenal, line-up - when Saka was in his prime years, the only ageing winger able to best him was… Salah.

What is working in Saka’s favour, ahead of what promises to be England’s most exciting winger rivalry in the coming years, is that he hasn’t yet achieved it all.

Sure, he’s a Premier League winner with Arsenal, and he has enjoyed standout seasons as the very best fielded by the Gunners. Individually, what does he have to show for it?

He doesn’t have a PFA Players’ Player of the Year title - Salah holds three, the most ever, and even Phil Foden bagged one - nor does he possess a Golden Boot, or a Playmaker Award.

Those individual accolades are still up for grabs as Saka enters the second phase of his career, and this isn’t too dissimilar to what Salah experienced entering his 30s.

Despite that age difference, Saka simply has far more mileage at the top level than his Egyptian rival had in his mid 20s; like Salah, the Englishman must continue to improve.

If he doesn’t, surely the Arsenal icon will come to understand that Ngumoha is breathing down his neck - even if Liverpool never sanction a move, the 18-year-old appears set to become an England mainstay beyond 2030.

If Saka wants to keep Ngumoha at bay, he has a tall task ahead of him. He must unlock the one area of his game that he has, so far, been unable to: become a top goalscorer, and provide both Arsenal and England with a quality that his 18-year-old rival hasn’t yet managed to discover.

Many people have written off the Arsenal winger, but the best players use that as fuel. Ngumoha is going nowhere, but Saka has a lot left to prove before he can roll over.

In his 1953 essay, the philosopher Isaiah Berlin distinguished between two types of thinker: foxes and hedgehogs. Berlin was drawing on a line attributed to the Ancient Greek poet Archilochus, who observed in the seventh century BC that “a fox knows many things, but a hedgehog knows one big thing.”

“For there exists a great chasm,” Berlin wrote, “between those [hedgehogs], on one side, who relate everything to a single central vision, one system less or more coherent or articulate, in terms of which they understand, think and feel - a single, universal, organising principle in terms of which alone all that they are and say has significance.

“And, on the other side, those [foxes] who pursue many ends, often unrelated and even contradictory… their thought [seizes] upon the essence of a vast variety of experiences and objects… without, consciously or unconsciously, seeking to fit them into… any one unchanging, all-embracing, sometimes self-contradictory and incomplete, at times fanatical, unitary inner vision.”

"After seven games, Hull, Ipswich and Coventry have amassed a combined 24 points"

And so to the Premier League relegation battle. In recent seasons, several promoted clubs were led by hedgehogs: managers wedded to a particular style, for whom the prickly business of amassing enough points to stay in the top flight was no reason to deviate from their principles.

Now, foxes predominate. Sergej Jakirovic (Hull City), Gary O’Neil (Ipswich Town) and Frank Lampard (Coventry City) have all shown a pragmatic streak this term. It has served their teams well, even after a set of disappointing results at the weekend. After seven games, Hull, Ipswich and Coventry have amassed a combined 24 points, the most for a promoted trio at this stage since 2016/17.

The foxward turn began last season, when Daniel Farke kept Leeds United up and Regis Le Bris took Sunderland into Europe. Both managers adjusted their approach from the Championship, shifting to a more muscular, counter-attacking style. It worked, allowing two promoted teams to avoid the drop after back-to-back campaigns in which all three went down.

The sample size is still small, but the early signs suggest Hull, Ipswich and Coventry intend to follow suit. The three promoted sides have the lowest average possession in the league. Hull and Coventry have the lowest pass-completion rates, while Hull, Ipswich and Coventry's goalkeepers are in the positional top four for long passes.

Not long ago, it was common to hear promoted managers insist they would not forsake their philosophy upon reaching the Premier League. Adaptation was seen as a dirty word, compromise construed as a character flaw, tactical flexibility tantamount to a betrayal of beliefs. Even when trailing 3-0 against an elite pressing side, their teams continued to take goal-kicks short and play square passes along the backline, like a hedgehog who responds to every challenge by curling into a ball.

The clearest recent examples are Vincent Kompany at Burnley and Russell Martin at Southampton, two coaching careers which have since diverged sharply. Even as their teams hurtled towards the Championship, Kompany and Martin insisted there was no other way.

Kompany’s subsequent employment at Bayern Munich, where he has been successful, would appear to vindicate his unwavering faith in his preferred approach, but his ability to speak German and the unavailability of other candidates were more significant factors in him securing that job than his ideological intransigence at Turf Moor.

Foxes are more willing than hedgehogs to accept that the Premier League is a different animal to the Championship. Lampard’s Coventry played some wonderful attacking football on their way to the second-tier title last term, but they have since been willing to sacrifice some style for substance.

“We'd be fools to think that we'd just go and play like we did in the 'Champ' every week when we dominated a lot of games,” Lampard said in August. A few weeks later, he professed that “you have a look at the opposition and you see what you feel is the best opportunity to try to get the best out of our team.”

O’Neil, who replaced Kieran McKenna as Ipswich boss in the summer, is on record as saying he prefers his teams to have the ball, but he acknowledged in July that “come the end of the season, the only thing that most people are going to care about is how many points we put on the board.” Against Manchester City on Saturday, he changed to a 3-4-3 formation for the first time in his current role. Ipswich lost narrowly to the league leaders.

Jakirovic is a slightly different case given Hull were already playing direct football in the Championship. That established model has proved readily transferable to the Premier League, negating the need for wholesale reinvention. Other managers will have taken note. That said, strategic continuity does not preclude tactical flexibility: Jakirovic has switched between a back four and a back five during his Hull tenure, favouring the latter this season.

Why have the hedgehogs lost ground to the foxes? Most obviously, that run of six successive promoted sides going straight back down prompted a rethink. An embrace of more functional methods higher up the division legitimised such an approach for less fancied teams. If defensive solidity and set-pieces are good enough for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, why not for a club scrapping for survival?

It is not impossible for a promoted manager to keep a team up while playing proactive, attractive football. Brendan Rodgers did it at Swansea City and was rewarded with the Liverpool job. And while Hull, Ipswich and Coventry have begun brightly with a more utilitarian outlook, there is no guarantee their good form will last. All three remain the favourites - Manchester City aside - for relegation.

Still, there is something admirable about managers doing what is best for the club that employs them, even if putting pragmatism before principle risks diluting their personal brand. A “fanatical, unitary inner vision”, as Berlin put it, is no longer in vogue for coaches attempting to keep promoted teams above the dotted line. The foxes are in the ascendancy. Hull, Ipswich and Coventry have their tails up.

Chelsea are interested in signing Brighton midfielder Yasin Ayari, but will face competition from Super Lig leaders Galatasary, according to reports.

Contract negotiations are said to have broken down between Ayari and his current Premier League club, with the Blues lurking.

The Swede has already bagged two assists in six Premier League games for Brighton this season, with his current contract set to expire come the 2026-27 season’s conclusion.

Chelsea lurk as Yasin Ayari’s contract negotiations with Brighton break down

Despite Ayari’s contract soon expiring, the Seagulls do hold an option to extend his deal by an additional 12 months.

However, according to a report from TEAMtalk, the club are yet to activate that clause, and Chelsea are prowling for the Swede’s signature, with Galatasaray emerging as clear rivals.

Ayari is well known to the Blues’ sporting director Paul Winstanley, who has been alerted to the contract conflict between the Swede and Brighton.

Winstanley worked as the Seagulls’ Head of Scouting before his exit from the club in late 2022; now, the Chelsea chief, who initially alerted Brighton to Ayari’s potential, wants to experience a reunion with the player at Stamford Bridge.

As things stand, the Blues are only keeping tabs on the Sweden international, and keeping their options alive ahead of future transfer windows in January and beyond.

If the plug is pulled, and Chelsea are successful, Ayari would join as one of many players to leave Brighton for the Blues, which includes the likes of Moises Caicedo and Joao Pedro.

In recent years, the London club has successfully pilfered more than a dozen members of staff and players from the Seagulls.

According to the report, Chelsea are likely to face competition for Ayari’s signature from multiple other Premier League sides, but they are currently unnamed.

In the Super Lig, Galatasaray, who are shooting high for an unprecedented fifth successive Turkish top-flight title, are among those outside of England hoping to bag Ayari.

Like Chelsea, they are also displaying interest and continuing to monitor developments in the Swede’s situation at Brighton. Saudi Pro League sides are also lurking, too.

As things stand, Ayari’s future with the Seagulls is up in the air; should he wish to move, Chelsea will certainly be among those interested.

Premier League and Bundesliga champions Arsenal and Bayern Munich will face off in the Champions League on Wednesday evening, but the latter side will be without Joshua Kimmich.

The Bayern Munich veteran will be unavailable after experiencing a death in his family, missing the Champions League clash for personal reasons.

The Bundesliga champions penned a statement in support of the midfielder, writing: “Due to a death in his immediate family, Joshua Kimmich is not in the squad today for the match against Arsenal in London.”

Joshua Kimmich to miss Bayern Munich vs Arsenal after death of ‘immediate family member’

The statement continued: “On behalf of the family, we ask that his privacy and grief be respected, and that further inquiries and reporting be refrained from.

“In deep sympathy, the entire FC Bayern stands by Joshua Kimmich’s side,” concluded the club’s writing.

It was already established on Tuesday evening by assistant manager Aaron Danks that Kimmich would likely be unavailable to face the Gunners.

In a pre-match Champions League presser, Danks revealed: “For Joshua, it is personal reasons. I am not sure what it means for [the Arsenal game].”

Danks was reporting for media duties in light of Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany being unavailable through illness.

“Vince has a virus, and it is important for him to rest,” revealed Danks. Whether Kompany will be present in Wednesday’s match is unclear, but the Belgian’s assistant manager clarified that he “will play his role in the game, whether in the Allianz Arena or not.”

Elsewhere, Bayern Munich will be without Michael Olise, who saw red in last week’s 3-3 draw versus Viking FC in the Champions League.

In a pre-match press conference, during which Mikel Arteta responded to “cheating” allegations directed at Bukayo Saka, the Arsenal boss then turned his attention instead to Bayern Munich’s right-hand side. Jamal Musiala is also absent with a thigh injury.

“I don’t want to say who is the best player in these kind of games… [Olise] is out, but when you look at the starting possible XI… how incredibly well coached they are.

“The mindset that they have, the competition that they have in every action, and the individual quality moments… that’s the opposition we will be facing,” concluded Arteta.

For Arsenal, their injury woes extend to a trio in William Saliba, Christos Tzolis and Piero Hincapie, none of whom are expected to participate versus Bayern Munich.

Last season, Tottenham Hotspur valiantly battled and survived relegation. This term, with new boss Roberto De Zerbi getting a full season run-out, serious improvements are still needed from Spurs.

The North London club already spent hundreds of millions of British pounds in the summer, but FourFourTwo have identified three further signings that, if secured in January, could improve this faltering Spurs machine.

Tottenham Hotspur added two Premier League standouts in Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali to their ranks ahead of the 2026-27 term, but there’s another man in the centre of the park desperately needed in North London.

Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest)

If Spurs are serious about competing, they will go all in to secure the services of Morgan Gibbs-White, one of the Premier League’s finest midfield talents. By January, it appears likely that Nottingham Forest, led by an under threat Oliver Glasner, will still be among the relegation candidates.

Gibbs-White, naturally, will be worried about his Premier League future. Sure, it’ll take an absurd fee to lure the Englishman away from the City Ground, but Spurs need him.

The 26-year-old is pure dynamism in the midfield, a strong, clinical finisher, and a player who always inspires that creative spark needed to drag Nottingham Forest through their darkest of days.

With Spurs, the Englishman would make the step up to a ‘Big 6’ club without the ‘Big 6’ standards that accompany such transfers. Given time, he could become one of the leading figures to inspire a culture change in North London, and either help to bring Tottenham Hotspur to future glory, or use the club as a stepping stone to another sizeable club in England, or wider Europe.

Kaoru Mitoma (Brighton)

This transfer makes sense on enough levels to warrant serious Spurs consideration. The Brighton winger is available for cheaper than he would have been seasons prior, has been linked to the North London side before, and, crucially, Mitoma brings Premier League-proven quality, which is more vital in today’s game than it ever has been in the English top-flight.

The Seagulls’ man is, unfortunately, of an injury-prone nature, but that shouldn’t matter much to Tottenham Hotspur. Ludicrous amounts of money have been poured into forming not just a strong squad, but a deep one, and adding Mitoma to their ranks could be lucrative, if the Brighton star is managed correctly.

Pulling out the £20-30 million it’ll take to buy Mitoma is a reasonable investment for a player that can rotate consistently with summer signings Savio and Omar Marmoush, and, if the Japanese forward can rediscover his previous Premier League heights in London, he will likely give Spurs an extra dimension in attack that could prove invaluable in a push for Europe.

Also, with Xavi Simons still recovering from injury, the motivation is right there for Mitoma to use his first few months at Spurs wisely and push the Dutchman out from the left flank. Quick, tricky, with the finishing to match, Spurs should call Brighton up this winter.

Igor Matanovic (Freiburg)

Spurs are crying out for a strong, agile centre-forward, and Igor Matanovic is their man. In the Bundesliga this season, he’s notched three goals and an assist in four German top-flight matches, having bagged 11 and two in 31 outings last term.

Matanovic could elevate Spurs significantly, particularly with the presence of Mitoma on the left flank, by offering aerial threat, clinical finishing and agile movement. And, if those three factors weren’t enough, Freiburg won’t be demanding ridiculous money for the Croatian, which makes him an ideal signing for a window in which Spurs will need to lay down well over £100 million for Gibbs-White.

In all competitions, Matanovic has already bagged five goals in 531 minutes of play this term; Spurs previously enquired about the Freiburg man in September and, despite the eventual addition of Omar Marmoush, a player of his profile is still needed in London.

At just 23 years of age, the Croatian is also one for the future at Spurs. Also, a switch-up at striker in January could ruffle some feathers and inspire the entire attacking unit to fight for their places, with so many Tottenham Hotspur forwards able to play in multiple front-line positions. Get Freiburg on the phone in January and Matanovic will surely be in North London come the new year.

The Times has issued a correction and apology to both Gianni Infantino and FIFA for a story published on October 13, containing false information about the body's President.

In that article, it was alleged that the FIFA President had taken a “second salary” that had not been disclosed, which The Times now admit was incorrect.

FIFA responded to the apology on X (formerly Twitter) by claiming: “It is evident that there is a concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine FIFA and its President.

FIFA respond to ‘second salary’ correction and apology from The Times after publishing false Gianni Infantino story

The statement continued: “FIFA urges the media to act responsibly and carefully verify all sourcing to prevent the publication and subsequent reproduction of false and defamatory information.

In their apology, The Times accepted that regulations do not require FIFA to include certain expenses and reimbursements received by its President in the annual report.

That is because they are not considered to be “compensation” under Swiss reporting requirements, making the publication’s “second salary” claim false.

Their apology and correction read: “On 13 October 2026 (Sport), we reported that Gianni Infantino received a “second salary” from Fifa, which Fifa had failed to disclose.

“This is incorrect. There was no ‘second salary.’ Regulations do not require Fifa to include expenses and reimbursements received by Mr Infantino in its annual report as they are not considered “compensation” under Swiss reporting requirements.

Additionally, The Times apologised for a second false claim, related to Infantino purchasing, alleging, a Miami property at a suspected undervalue.

“We also accept Mr Infantino did not purchase a property in Miami at a suspected undervalue as we reported,” continued The Times’ statement.

“And neither he nor his family are the legal or beneficial owners of Shadi LLC and have no control over that company, as we suggested.

“We are happy to make these corrections and apologise to Mr Infantino and Fifa for the errors.”

In response, an outraged FIFA clarified that they “welcome legitimate scrutiny,” but that The Times crossed that line.

“Scrutiny is not a license to amplify false allegations. Where reporting is inaccurate, misleading, or totally false, as in this case, FIFA will continue to challenge it directly and vigorously.”

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is set to miss the remainder of the 2026-27 season after enduring an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.

PSG prevailed against Barcelona in a 4-2 win. After nearly 80 minutes, Lamine Yamal tied the scoreline at 2-2; two late strikes from Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz won the game for the Parisiens.

Kvaratskhelia collided with Barcelona’s other goalscorer, Xavi Espart, after 59 minutes, and was carried off the field by PSG staff in the aftermath.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia suffers season-ending ACL injury with PSG

It has now been confirmed by the club that Kvaratskhelia will undergo surgery on his right knee “in the coming days” as the first step of the Georgian’s rehabilitation.

"Having suffered a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during yesterday's match against FC Barcelona, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will undergo surgery in the coming days,” read a statement issued by PSG.

A date for the PSG winger’s return has not yet been revealed; ACL injuries typically lead to sidelining periods of, at least, nine months.

As such, Kvaratskhelia, who has been hyped as a possible 2026 Ballon D’or winner after his dominant run of individual performances during PSG’s title-retaining Champions League win last season, will likely not play again in 2026-27.

2025 Ballon D’or winner Ousmane Dembele was also withdrawn against Barcelona through injury, as was club captain Marquinhos.

PSG also shed additional light on the nature of their injuries, revealing that the pair, who are suffering with thigh issues, “will remain under treatment for the next few weeks.”

For Kvaratskhelia, his best hope will be to mimic the abnormal return of Zlatan Ibrahimovic from an ACL injury in 2017.

The Swede recovered from a similar setback in just seven months, two months ahead of the likely nine-month rehabilitation period.

In this scenario, the Georgian’s best case, he would still only make it back to play in PSG’s final league game of the season, versus Toulouse in May 2027.

Should the Parisiens make it back to the Champions League final for a third successive time, Kvaratskhelia would also be available, should his body recover as well as Ibrahimovic’s did.

Manchester United’s trip to Italy in the Champions League, to face the Cesc Fabregas-led Como, is in danger of postponement.

In the 24 hours before kick-off, over 6cm of rain has been forecast. The match is set to be played this Wednesday evening.

As a result, the Italian Air Force National Meteorological Service has issued a ‘severe weather’ warning, indicating the potential for thunderstorms.

Will Manchester United vs Como be postponed?

The match is still slated to proceed as planned in the 13,600 capacity Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia; however, the forecast in Italy is complicating matters. Only one stand at Como’s stadium is covered.

Rain isn’t enough to worry Red Devils boss Michael Carrick, who downplayed talks of the weather causing an issue for his side in the Champions League.

“No, nothing immediate from me,” claimed the Englishman, when asked whether he is concerned. “We’re used to the rain. We’ll make the most of it.”

UEFA’s protocol in the event of a postponement is outlined in Article 27 of the 2026/27 regulations, with Manchester United likely to face Como the following day.

The regulations read: "If, on the day of a match, it is decided that the match cannot begin as planned or cannot be completed, the full match — or the remaining minutes — shall, in principle, be played the following day.

“This is without prejudice to any potential disciplinary measures. To this end, the home clubs must make all necessary arrangements to ensure that the required facilities are available and can be used."

While playing on Thursday is only guidance, not requirement, that potential schedule would benefit Manchester United more so than Como.

The Red Devils’ following game arrives against Bournemouth on Sunday, while Cesc Fabregas’ men will clash with Sassuolo earlier, on Saturday.

With the Red Devils having been bounced out of the Carabao Cup by Brighton in September, they would be available to play next midweek; however, Como will face Torino on Tuesday.

Manchester United have been in dire form; their last clash in Europe, versus Atletico Madrid, ended in flames after Lisandro Martinez, whose future at the club is dangerously uncertain, publicly slammed the club’s hierarchy.

Amid a string of torrid results, Carrick is now at greater risk of being sacked than any of his fellow 19 Premier League managers, but the Englishman confessed he is staying calm ahead of battling Como.

"I don't need any reassurance,” claimed Carrick. "It's pretty clear. I know the role, I know my responsibilities. I don't need anyone else to tell me that or tell me when it's going well or when it needs to be better. I know that myself.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta classily responded to Bukayo Saka ‘cheating’ allegations from Graeme Souness, saying in a presser on Tuesday: “I’m not going to speak about opinions.”

Souness’ words arrived during an appearance on Piers Morgan’s Football Uncensored programme, in which he described Saka as a diver that “should be staying on his feet.”

The former Liverpool skipper told Morgan: “Your man Saka dives all over the place. I don’t want to hear about him… Anyone who simulates a foul, in my book, would be a cheat.”

Mikel Arteta classily replies to ‘cheating’ Bukayo Saka comments made by Graeme Souness

The Scotsman continued: “The minute [Saka] looks like losing possession, he’s down. He simulates a foul… he dives when he should be staying on his feet.

Souness then described how, when Saka is tackled, he “screams as he’s going down” to help convince the referee he’s been fouled. “The referee thinks there’s nothing in that but, wait a minute, he’s stayed down,” said the ex-Liverpool man.

The Scot then turned his attention to the wider Arsenal team, laying into players who rally around Saka in such moments.

“And then, worse than that, everyone in the immediate area - all Arsenal players - put their hands up and scream foul. [So] the referee panics.

“[He] blows his whistle when it wasn’t a foul; his first instinct was the right one. He blows a foul because he’s thinking, ‘Wait a minute, [there’s] something I’m not understanding here.’”

Souness expressed clearly his belief that “simulation is a form of cheating,” then admitted that many players, not just Saka, indulge in such antics.

“If you asked 100 people what it is that you dislike about the modern game, 50 per cent would say simulation, another 50 per cent would say VAR,” concluded the Scotsman.

In turn, Arteta responded classily in a pre-match presser to Souness’ words, claiming: “I haven’t heard it and I’m not going to talk about opinions.

When pressed to say more, and possibly something more concretely against Souness’ claims, the Arsenal boss refused.

“We are open to opinions,” said the Spaniard, classily. “It’s part of our job, it’s part of our roles, and those opinions need to be respected - especially if they are [given] in a respectful way.

“We are here to prove that we belong to this level, to this stage and certainly always have the intention and ambition to improve and be better. That's it,” finished Arteta.

The Gunners take on Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday evening, with Saka, who bagged two goal contributions off the bench in the Champions League last week, expected to take part.

Two seasons ago, Liverpool won the Premier League title. They did so with the spine of a Jurgen Klopp-formulated side, and the Herculean efforts of a recently departed Mohamed Salah.

Flash forward to the present day, and Liverpool aren’t anywhere near the heights they reached in the 2024-25 term, despite parting with over £500 million to secure the services of an under-performing Florian Wirtz, an injured Hugo Ekitike, a recently returned Alexander Isak, and others additions.

Ahead of January, FourFourTwo have devised Liverpool’s dream transfer window, with signings made for the midfield and the Reds’ virtually empty right flank.

Alex Scott (Bournemouth)

A bit of an obvious one, right? Liverpool are practically begging for additional cover in midfield. In Scott’s case, this transfer would, naturally, be anything but ‘cover.’

By signing the Bournemouth man, who was recently revealed to be up for sale come January, with Chelsea also lurking, Liverpool’s midfield would entirely transform.

In its current state, it is weak, ageing, injury-prone, and overly reliant on youngsters (looking at you, Trey Nyoni) that should be given greater time to develop, not carry the Reds’ burden.

Scott offers a bit of everything, not least his immense press resistance. There’s a reason he looked so special under a heavy-metal manager in Iraola when the pair combined at Bournemouth, and there’s nothing to suggest it couldn’t be replicated at Anfield.

The fee will be ludicrous, sure, but that’s life in the Premier League, and global, transfer market. Pay up, immediately, and keep Scott away from Stanford Bridge.

Givairo Read (Feyenoord)

Liverpool’s right-back spot will never quite be the same. That’s the harsh reality, Trent Alexander-Arnold was a once-in-a-generation talent; now, he’s gone.

Luckily for Liverpool, that reality can be comforting, if they choose to accept it. Instead of scouring the transfer market far and wide looking for a like-for-like replacement for the Scouser, they should consider adding greater depth to the right-back position.

Jeremie Frimpong is a ludicrously poor option for any Premier League title-contending unit to carry with them at right-back, and that’s where Liverpool want to be. Conor Bradley’s injury woes are a concern; at his best, he was magnificent, but even his consistency, albeit superior to that of Frimpong, was lacking in comparison to the Reds’ ambition.

Bring in Givairo Read. He’s been linked prior, possesses clear defensive talent, can road forward when required, will be available for a reasonable price, and he’ll be the third in an ever-rotating right-back line-up that can receive rest, and grow hungry.

Plus, he has five assists in nine games for Feyenoord this season. That’s nothing to scoff at. Let this trio battle it out to claim the right-back spot, and one might just end up pushing themselves to limits that prove worthy of Liverpool’s standards.

Ismaila Sarr (Crystal Palace)

Even more so than Alexander-Arnold, now that Salah has left the club, Liverpool’s right wing will never be the same. Not even close. Again, that’s fine; accept the truth of the situation and move accordingly. The Reds’ only option is to replace the Egyptian ‘in the aggregate,’ and even that’ll be a tough feat.

It’s clear that Liverpool need to bring in a quick, tricky forward that can bag them around 8-10 Premier League goals each season, to add to the 25-40 strikes brought by the likes of Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Cody Gakpo.

What Sarr offers is Premier League-proven quality and a clear desire to play at Anfield. He was linked to the Reds in the summer, and they’ll no doubt be keeping tabs on the Senegalese star ahead of January.

His fee will be too high for what he’s worth, but the market is sorely lacking. Liverpool need a natural right wing option, and to let Rio Ngumoha develop in his ideal position, so Sarr is the clear choice. A strong, quick finisher - he’ll surely get at least 20% of the goal contributions for Liverpool that Salah used to bag from the right.

He’s a stronger option than Yankuba Minteh at a comparable price, and, as shown at the World Cup this summer, various Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, and in his exploits versus Liverpool, undoubtedly a better man for the big occasion.

Former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag, whose reign at Old Trafford ended in October 2024, has opened up about the impact of Cristiano Ronaldo’s behaviour on “toxic culture” at the club.

The Dutchman described issuing sanctions in matters related to player discipline, to the likes of Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford, then confessed that a similar situation emerged with the Portuguese #7.

In an interview with The Athletic, the ex-Manchester United manager claimed: “[Ronaldo] let me down… I respected him a lot,” before revealing the Red Devils icon’s behavioural issues.

Erik ten Hag claims he “respected” Cristiano Ronaldo but was “let down… he let the team down” at Manchester United

On “toxic culture” at Manchester United, the Dutchman claimed that power is given to the players who enact such behaviour, ‘fuelling the cycle.’

“They are continuing the toxic culture, they fuel it. They give power to the players… sometimes, you have to make corrections,” claimed Ten Hag.

The Dutchman then explained how he felt he had to play ‘bad cop’ with players to raise standards, while grappling with the reality of having to pick certain personnel to win Premier League matches.

Ten Hag claimed that Ronaldo’s poor work ethic led to sub-par fitness levels, leaving the No.7 unable to press or play as hard as the Dutchman required him to.

“He let the team down, and he let me down, because we planned with him,” claimed Ten Hag. “I flew out to Portugal to speak with him about what I was aiming for before I came to United.”

According to the Dutchman, the now 41-year-old pulled out of training sessions, didn’t get his heart rate raised to sufficient levels during training, and completed just two of the three scheduled laps that Ten Hag infamously made players do after a torrid 4-0 defeat to Brentford in August 2022.

“Obviously, he’s one of the best in football history. I respected him a lot. But at that time, as a manager, I had to make a rational decision and keep the players I admire in.

“I confronted him with this. Many times I say, ‘Ronnie, everyone wants to work for you to bring you in the right position, but if you can’t bring yourself in the box, you can’t score.’

“He was not capable of this. It’s the wrong idea to put this to me that I expected him to do the pressing, that he’s exhausted. But he couldn’t. He ran neither in possession nor out of possession. The reason was because he didn’t prepare himself,” revealed Ten Hag.

“Every top team has to embrace the top player, but the top player has to work for the team. He was telling the players, ‘Save your legs at the training.’”

“I understand it when you are top fit - you have sessions, you can save the legs. But first you have to train yourself to get into the right fitness levels.”

Ten Hag hasn’t returned to management since his brief stint post-Manchester United with Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. Cristiano Ronaldo, whose return date, fine and suspension period for Portugal has now been revealed, is enjoying time in the Saudi Pro League, as he chases 1000 career goals.

Rio Ngumoha has downplayed the strength of transfer links to Arsenal, amid a series of dominant individual performances being delivered by the 18-year-old at Liverpool.

Arsenal, Bayern Munich and even RB Leipzig have all emerged as contenders to try and lure the English wonderkid away from Anfield; however, Ngumoha has now insisted that such transfer talk is “all with my agent now.”

The 18-year-old appeared off the bench in Liverpool’s comeback 2-1 win versus Brentford at the Gtech on Saturday, then discussed his future on Merseyside post-match.

Rio Ngumoha tells Liverpool fans transfer talk is “in the back of my mind” amid Arsenal and Bayern Munich links

Ngumoha has appeared in five of Liverpool’s first seven Premier League outings this term, looking to turn a corner with new boss Andoni Iraola after a torrid final season under Arne Slot.

The 18-year-old has also appeared in two Champions League matches versus Atletico Madrid and LASK, and started in Liverpool’s 3-1 Carabao Cup win against Spurs.

Ngumoha is yet to open his account for the season, after two three goals and notching an assist under Slot in 2025-26, playing 19 Premier League games for a total 582 minutes.

Links to Arsenal arrived through David Ornstein, who claimed in an article for The Athletic last month that the 18-year-old is “well-liked” at the Emirates.

After his 38-minute cameo versus Brentford, during which both of Liverpool’s comeback strikes arrived, the England international said: ‘To be fair, that is all with my agent now. I think it is all going well. I am not too sure. I just let my football do the talking at the end of the day.

Ngumoha further downplayed the possibility of an Arsenal transfer, claiming: “‘I enjoy playing, and all of that stuff is in the back of my mind really. I just play for the club, and hopefully I can carry on doing well.

‘I am enjoying the challenge and to be able to play off both sides is important,” continued the 18-year-old, who has appeared on both the right and left flanks at Liverpool after the club lost Mohamed Salah last summer to Super Lig contenders Trabzonspor.

“Do I have a favourite position? No, not anymore. I am getting to grips with the right wing now, and I am liking it. It gives me a bit more unpredictability. I have been working hard on the training pitch.

‘I went away with England and I was playing on the right, so I learned a lot there as well. Watching the likes of Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka. I took on board some of the stuff they told me, and it’s really helpful.

Ngumoha then sung the praises of new manager Iraola, revealing that his received directive has been to take on players more frequently in one-v-one duels.

“I am enjoying working with him and enjoying improving,” said the England international. Whether I start or come off the bench, I have the same mentality. I know the club is just trying to look after me. We have some of the best attackers in the world, so competing for places is not easy.

"It is all about healthy competition and we all just want to make the team win at the end of the day. So whatever minutes we get, we can’t be sulking, we just have to go out and show what we can do."

Ngumoha’s current Liverpool contract runs through until 2028; for now, talk of transfers elsewhere appear to be out of sight and out of mind for the 18-year-old.

Former Manchester United boss, and current AC Milan manager Ruben Amorim has confessed that he blocked Pervis Estupinan’s move to Aston Villa after the Unai Emery-led side made a summer swoop for the Ecuadorian.

Estupinan joined the Serie A side in the summer of 2025, after spending five years at Brighton in the English top-flight.

The left-back was largely overlooked by then-manager Massimiliano Allegri in Italy; however, his new boss, Amorim, has revealed why he never had any intention of letting the Ecuadorian leave amid concrete interest from Aston Villa.

Ruben Amorim explains blocking of Pervis Estipinan from attempted Aston Villa swoop

Aston Villa made serious efforts to attempt to bring Estupinan back to England, in need of a new left-back after Lucas Digne’s exit to PSG this summer.

Sport Witness reported in July that the Ecuadorian had agreed on certain terms to set up a Villa Park move; however, Amorim never wanted Estupinan to leave.

The Serie A side coughed up nearly £17 million to secure the left-back’s services from Brighton, and Amorim was far from happy when he heard of Aston Villa’s approach.

Under Allegri, the 28-year-old averaged under 60 minutes per game during the 2025/26 Serie A term. With Amorim as his leader, Estupinan has played 340 minutes in seven Italian top-flight matches, averaging even fewer minutes played at just 48 per match.

Despite using the left-back even less than his predecessor did, Amorim has explained why letting Estupinan depart was never on his mind.

“At the end of the transfer window, we had a list of clubs that wanted Estupinan. But I said no. So, I want the fans to know that it was my responsibility,” claimed the Portuguese coach, who then acknowledged that a section of AC Milan fans aren’t overly keen on the Ecuadorian.

“Even at other clubs, sometimes the fans don’t like certain players too much. We have to help Estupinan, we have to help the fans understand who Estupinan is: and I can assure you that Estupinan works really hard.

“So, I want the fans to know that it was my responsibility. He’s playing because I chose Estupinan, because I believe in him and I’m convinced he'll be truly important for our team.”

“But I understood that feeling from the first game. We simply have to help Estupinan, because we are a team: if one of our teammates suffers because of this, the whole team suffers with him and stands by him,” Amorim concluded.

Unai Emery’s men instead welcomed Aaron Wan-Bissaka to their line-up; however, an injury against Newcastle on Saturday has left the Villans shortchanged at left-back. They return to action against Viking in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Liverpool travelled to Brentford last Saturday and left with a 2-1 victory, fighting back from a goal down courtesy of strikes from Victor Munoz and Alexander Isak.

Since the clash, in which Brentford were reduced to 10 men against Andoni Iraola’s side, footage began circulating online of a rugby ball being kicked into the Gtech Community Stadium.

Brentford have now confirmed that the police have been made aware of and launched an investigation into the matter, with the offence’s nature being “dangerous and potentially harmful.”

Investigation opened into rugby ball-kicking individual during Liverpool vs Brentford clash

The footage appeared to capture a man kicking a rugby ball, from a balcony that overlooked the Gtech, onto the pitch.

Another clip shows a member of staff carrying the rugby ball away from the pitch, captioned: “Wrong sport, mate.”

Brentford have now referred the incident to the police, describing the individual’s actions as “dangerous and potentially very harmful.”

A club statement issued by the Bees on Monday read: “Brentford Football Club is aware of an incident involving an item being kicked from a height towards the field of play during Saturday’s match against Liverpool.

“Such behaviour is dangerous and potentially very harmful. The matter has been referred to the police and the club is supporting the relevant authorities in their investigation to help identify those responsible and take appropriate action.”

Brentford stated that the individual’s actions may result in criminal prosecution, then affirmed the importance of safety for all fans, staff, players and officials visiting the Gtech.

Others can be heard in the video laughing and cheering as the rugby ball was kicked onto the pitch at Brentford’s stadium. Liverpool Football Club are yet to comment publicly.

The Reds are now positioned fifth in the Premier League standings, having taken 12 points from seven matches.

Following their defeat, the Bees are placed sixth, claiming 10 points from their first seven outings. Prior to their clash with Liverpool, Keith Andrews’ men were undefeated in the Premier League.

Liverpool, whose supporters face the highest average pint prices on their European away days this term, will next play Villarreal at home, while Brentford are set to clash with Hull City at the MKM Stadium on Sunday.

Former Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has claimed that Scott McTominay, who Manchester United sold to Napoli in 2024, was forced out of the club against his wishes.

The Scotsman went on to lift the Serie A title with Napoli, and win the Italian top-flight’s ‘Player of the Season’ award, as the league’s MVP.

For Manchester United, he bagged 37 goal contributions in 255 games; now, in light of ten Hag’s words and according to reports, INEOS want the Scot back.

INEOS want Scott McTominay back after Erik ten Hag reveals uncomfortable Manchester United truth

McTominay was sold in the summer of 2024 for a total of just over £25 million, including add-ons, with Manuel Ugarte being signed in his place.

Ten Hag has now claimed that the club broke their promise with the Scotsman, selling him to Napoli against his wishes and ousting him from Manchester.

In an interview with The Athletic, the former Red Devils coach said: “ “That’s why I got disappointed. In Ibiza, we agreed. I said, ‘No selling Scott McTominay.’ We would go aligned in the transfer window. I [made] an argument, a reason - we don’t have scoring abilities.

“Scott brings scoring abilities and a great mentality. He has [Manchester] United in all his veins. So, when they bring up the subject: ‘No’. And in the end they sold him.

“I got, of course, very embarrassed and disappointed,” admitted Ten Hag, who left the club in October 2024, just months after McTominay’s exit.

The Scot has thrived in Italy, bagging 37 goal contributions, the same figure he recorded for Manchester United, in 85 games, not the 255 matches it took him as a Red Devil.

In early October, Sky Sports Switzerland journalist Sacha Tavolieri claimed, as relayed by TEAMtalk, that Manchester United co-owners, INEOS, want to transfer McTominay back to Old Trafford.

“The player’s agent, according to our sources, maintains close relationships with several Premier League clubs and has already held preliminary discussions regarding McTominay’s future,” stated Tavolieri’s report.

It claimed that Aston Villa also approached the Scot in April, adding that the midfielder is “nostalgic… and open to the idea of ​​returning to the Premier League.”

Manchester United, placed 13th, are in dire form, with Michael Carrick’s job in serious peril. The Red Devils return to Champions League action against Como on Wednesday, as they travel to Italy.

The 2026-27 Premier League season is now well underway, and some teams, and their managers, are struggling more than others.

Michael Carrick has seized headlines recently for his dire start to the term with Manchester United - and persisting with him could, says the noise from Italy, cost the Red Devils their chance to bag Antonio Conte.

Here, as per Sky Bet, are the favourites for the next manager to get the Premier League sack, from ‘Big 6’ to mid-table to possibly relegation-battling clubs.

Michael Carrick (2/1)

While many Manchester United pessimists might have seen something like this coming, with the club’s return to Europe introducing a balancing act that Carrick didn’t have to deal with in 2025-26, going from a third-place finish to 12th and out of the Carabao Cup by October is stark.

When a manager reaches the point where a draw, as the Red Devils claimed last weekend against rivals Leeds United, is seen as enough to just about keep them in a job, they’re clearly walking on a tightrope. Manchester United have Como in the Champions League up next, where they will travel to Italy, and another dire result against an at times brilliant Cesc Fabregas-led side could be the final nail in the coffin.

After that, it’s Bournemouth at home in the Premier League, followed by Chelsea away. A nasty three-game swing, and even more motivation for Sky Bet to have him in first as their likeliest manager to exit their Premier League club.

Pierre Sage (13/8)

In the seasons prior, Crystal Palace were flying. No, not flying in the way of a bottom-half Premier League side venturing into the European qualification spots, flying in an actual trophy-winning manner, beating Manchester City to the FA Cup, Liverpool to the Community Shield, and lifting the Conference League trophy, all in two seasons.

When the architect behind that success left, Oliver Glasner, there remained an expectation that the Eagles would continue to soar. Perhaps another trophy would prove difficult, but performances that put them in contention are now the baseline.

Instead, Crystal Palace have taken just seven points from seven games, landing them at 14th in the Premier League standings. Sky Bet have new boss Pierre Sage at second in their rankings, with odds of 13/8.

Alvaro Arbeloa (9/2)

It’s slightly surprising that the former Real Madrid boss, now Fulham manager, was unable to leapfrog Sage in this list. After all, Fulham are positioned 18th in the Premier League table, with five points from seven games.

A strong 1-0 win versus Hull City last weekend, after falling 2-1 away from home to Ipswich Town the week prior, could be the reason. Instead, Sage is a few inches closer to the guillotine, and Alvaro Arbeloa has bought himself a little more time with the Cottagers.

That and, naturally, expectations at Fulham being less high than they are elsewhere in London. One thing is for certain, the longer that Arbeloa battles relegation, the higher he will move up Sky Bet’s odds list. A slight improvement defensively in recent weeks bodes relatively well for Fulham, but there is a long, long road ahead for the Spaniard to push his side to mid-table.

Roberto De Zerbi (9/1)

Hundreds of millions of British pounds spent, off the back of a season spent battling relegation, and a new manager in Roberto De Zerbi, whose previous reign with Marseille in Ligue 1 was mostly solid.

All of this, and Tottenham Hotspur still limped to the finish line against Coventry City on Monday night, to secure their first win of the Premier League season.

Spurs are now positioned 16th in the standings, with six points from seven outings, but De Zerbi’s job is by no means safe. Battling from a goal down at Old Trafford with just 10 men on the pitch was a more impressive result from the North London unit, but anything less than total abstinence from the relegation spots will be the Italian’s downfall, as the 2026-27 term rages on.

Oliver Glasner (9/1)

Crystal Palace, Glasner, what a match made in harmony. Instead, Sage is second on this list, and the former Eagles man has also managed to make an appearance shortly into his new gig with Nottingham Forest.

Glasner’s new team are 19th in the Premier League, with just five points from seven games; barring an impressive 2-1 away win at Villa Park, the highlights have mostly been lowlights from Forest in England this term.

Still, Glasner arrived with the expectation that he’d work magic - this Forest side, that finished 16th last season, was anything but a superteam before him. Sky Bet has his odds of leaving the club at 9/1, but the City Ground will surely keep the Austrian for long enough to accurately gauge whether he can replicate his London-based success in Nottingham.

Cristiano Ronaldo has been suspended by the Portuguese FA and fined less than £250 after the Portuguese maestro walked out on the national team following a row with Jorge Jesus.

That occurred during the last round of international games, during which Ronaldo exited the Portugal camp in Copenhagen prior to their Nations League clash versus Denmark.

Jesus, new boss in Portugal and former manager to Ronaldo in the Saudi Pro League, was accused of breaking his word twice to Ronaldo; now, the #7 will serve a 30-day suspension.

Cristiano Ronaldo issued under £250 fine and 30-day suspension period with Portugal

When receiving his punishment from the disciplinary council, it was not specified whether time already served under a provisional suspension would be removed from Ronaldo’s 30-day period.

As a result, it is unclear as to whether the 41-year-old’s punishment will extend to Portugal’s upcoming Nations League clashes in November; however, further information has since emerged.

According to Sky Sports News, the suspension began on the day of Ronaldo’s walk-out, September 30, making him eligible to face Denmark on November 14.

The news arrives after the #7 took to Instagram and asked the Portuguese FA to spare him any leniency, while revealing the details of his row with Jesus.

The 41-year-old also published a bullet-pointed list of ‘validated’ claims he signed off on Jesus saying in a post-match Nations League presser, which Jesus never read.

“I made the mistake in having someone of the stature of Pele or [Diego] Maradona warm up today and then not putting him in the game. If it were today, I would not do it,” read one point.

The Al-Nassr forward then clarified that Jesus broke two promises made with him, before offering an apology to his Portugal team-mates.

“The consequence of this act of mine must be assessed and punished by the Portuguese Football Federation… Regardless of each person’s status, the rules are the same.

“The Federation wants to give me [a dignified farewell]... I can promise all my fans, naturally and especially the Portuguese people, that we will have one or more farewell matches,” concluded the 41-year-old.

It appears that Ronaldo is set to return versus both Denmark and Wales next month; whether that will be the 41-year-old’s farewell with Portugal is still unclear.

European football will resume this week, with fans of various Premier League clubs travelling far and wide in search of two things: three points, and a cheap pint.

Sunderland, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth faithfuls will embark across the continent to witness their sides play Europa League football, while others will prepare for Champions and Conference League clashes.

LiveScore, using their ‘European Away Day Pint Index,’ analysed 31 trips for Premier League fans travelling across the continent, to find pint prices in the likes of Jablonec and Lillestrom.

Which European away day offers the cheapest pint for travelling Premier League fans?

To begin with, the average European away-day pint sits at £4.34, across all clubs and destinations analysed in the Index.

By looking at each club’s European fixtures as a complete schedule, the fans of two clubs emerge as ready to face, on average, the cheapest and most expensive pints in Europe, respectively.

The lucky fanbase, that of Aston Villa, will purchase pints at an average price of £3.59 across their many European excursions in the Champions League league phase, with their next trip being to Barcelona in early November.

Elsewhere, the wallets of Liverpool supporters will suffer the direst time of any travelling Premier League fanbase, paying, on average, £4.91 per pint. Their next trip will be to Fenerbahce in November.

The Index analysed 31 European away trips for all nine Premier League clubs competing in Europe this season, pricing pints at three fan-friendly bars in each away day destination. As a result, it was able to decipher the average cost of a pint for travelling Premier League supporters.

But what is the cheapest pint available to a supporter travelling across Europe to see their side play? That trophy belongs to Brighton, who can purchase a pint for just £1.22 in Jablonec.

They will be able to enjoy that cheap, tasty beverage when they travel to Jablonec on Thursday for the Seagulls’ next Conference League clash.

Unfortunately for Bournemouth, their supporters will endure a torrid time financially when they land in Lillestrom, with the price of a pint rising to £8.66.

Returning to each club’s full away day schedule, Arsenal fans are the second luckiest bunch after Aston Villa, with the average pint across their European trips costing £3.70.

In third are Brighton, with an average pint purchase being £3.93, then Sunderland at £4.18. Manchester City are next at £4.44, edging out their Manchester rivals on £4.52.

Bournemouth at £4.68, Crystal Palace at £4.80 and, as mentioned earlier, Liverpool at £4.91 complete the bottom three.

Manchester United are in danger of missing out on an Antonio Conte-shaped managerial switch-up, with Juventus now interested in the Italian.

The Red Devils are enduring a tough 2026-27 Premier League campaign, positioned 13th in the English top-flight standings. In Europe, things aren’t much better.

Pressure is now being piled upon Michael Carrick, who led Manchester United to a third-placed finish last season; and if they persist with the Englishman, they could lose out on Conte.

Time is running out for Manchester United in potential Antonio Conte managerial switch-up

Manchester United made unfortunate headlines after suffering a thorough beat-down at the hands of Atletico Madrid last week, after which Lisandro Martinez, whose future at Old Trafford is more uncertain than ever, made incendiary comments about the Red Devils hierarchy.

After a 1-1 draw versus an in-form Leeds United at the weekend, Carrick’s job remains under significant threat, with The Athletic writing that his place in Manchester is “beginning to feel precarious.”

According to reports, Conte, former manager of both Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, is linked heavily to take on Carrick’s position at Old Trafford, but time is running out for the Red Devils to see through this potential managerial switch-up.

Italian publication Tuttomercatoweb revealed that Juventus have been ‘alerted’ to his availability, amid a turbulent period for Conte at Napoli.

His side were defeated 1-0 by newly-promoted side Venezia over the weekend, and are positioned ninth in the Serie A standings with 10 points from seven matches.

Elsewhere, at Juventus, Luciano Spalletti’s job is under imminent threat having suffered a 3-0 loss to Lazio at home on Sunday. The club are seventh in the Serie A table, with 11 points.

The publication noted that Conte’s move to Manchester ‘never materialised,’ with the Red Devils’ hesitancy now set to bite them amid interest in the Italian from Juventus.

“The coach is complicating his life with constant experimentation, offering no certainty. He’s playing a complicated game with obscure language, when simplicity is needed,” concluded Tuttomercatoweb.

Manchester United were knocked out of the Carabao Cup in September, falling in a 3-2 defeat to Brighton at Old Trafford, despite leading 2-0 after nine minutes.

The Red Devils return to Champions League action away at Como on Tuesday, then host Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday, with Carrick’s job under increasing threat, and likely no Conte to step in and steady the Manchester United ship.

According to reports, Barcelona are pushing strongly to sign club captain and Manchester United record-breaker Bruno Fernandes in the winter transfer window.

The Portuguese superstar, who broke the Premier League assist record in 2025-26 under Michael Carrick, is reportedly frustrated with Man United's current direction and open to a January departure.

Galatasaray are also in the picture, as they gun for an unprecedented fifth successive Super Lig title; however, Barcelona’s emergence could spell trouble for Carrick’s side.

Barcelona emerge as strong contenders in hunt for Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes’ signature

Should Fernandes make the move, he would trade in life at Old Trafford for the chance to win major silverware in Spain, and possibly the Champions League.

Aged 32, the Portuguese star’s hopes of winning football’s biggest prizes appears likely to die in Manchester, and his time to secure such trophies elsewhere in Europe is running out.

According to Fanatik, the 32-year-old has become unhappy at Manchester United, who are currently placed 13th in the Premier League standings, and is pushing to leave Old Trafford in January.

Galatasaray, long-time admirers of Fernandes who previously tried to sign him, are pushing again for the 32-year-old, but will face serious competition from reigning La Liga champions Barcelona.

The Super Lig side, pursuing a fifth consecutive Turkish top-flight title, were beaten 4-0 by Trabzonspor in September, after their rivals secured the services of Mohamed Salah following the World Cup.

The Egyptian, who won the PFA Players’ Player of the Year trophy a year prior to Fernandes’ victory in 2025-26, bagged a hat-trick and notched an assist in that clash. Now, Galatasaray are aiming to bring a PFA victor of their own to Turkey.

However, should Barcelona’s interest remain, it is likely that the 32-year-old will instead opt for a La Liga move, with Hansi Flick’s men displaying clear Champions League-winning potential.

For now, Manchester United face a crucial decision, with Fernandes’ contract expiring next summer ahead of the 2027-28 Premier League season.

The Red Devils do hold an option for another year; however, should their captain wish to depart, it is unlikely that Manchester United will be able to prevent Fernandes from departing to Barcelona in January.

After Lisandro Martinez’s flame-stoking post-match comments, directed at unnamed executives in the Red Devils’ hierarchy, tensions at Old Trafford are boiling over, and things could soon go from bad to worse for Manchester United.

Lisandro Martinez’s long-term future at Manchester United appears to be dead in the water, with the Argentine planning a swift exit from Old Trafford.

The 28-year-old made headlines for incendiary comments made after the club’s defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, in which he aimed harsh words at the Manchester United hierarchy.

Martinez’s contract with the club expires at the end of the 2026-27 Premier League season; however, the Red Devils do hold an option to extend for a further 12 months.

Lisandro Martinez planning swift exit from Manchester United after incendiary post-match Champions League comments

Following his public criticism of unnamed members of the Manchester United hierarchy, Martinez’s long-term future at Old Trafford is in serious doubt.

As a result, questions have been raised as to whether both the Argentine and Manchester United want their relationship to continue beyond 2027.

According to the Manchester Evening News, Martinez has suggested that he does not see a long-term future at Manchester United beyond the expiration of his contract.

The defender criticised recruitment from the Red Devils this summer, implicitly questioning the work of technical director Jason Wilcox, after a strong first season under Michael Carrick in 2025-26.

The Red Devils finished third under their former player, and secured their return to the Champions League. In Europe, they were played off the park at the Wanda, provoking Martinez’s words.

The Argentine later took to Instagram to clarify that his comments were made out of frustration, and that unity must be achieved at Manchester United going forward.

Elsewhere, Carrick suggested that the matter between the club and Martinez had been handled internally, and that the conflict wouldn’t affect the Red Devils going forward.

Despite this, uncertainty still remains regarding Martinez’s future at Old Trafford - in fact, the possibility of Manchester United extending the Argentine by an additional 12 months is more unlikely than ever.

If the 28-year-old is set in his ways, and does not want to remain a Red Devil, then it is likely he will depart from Old Trafford next summer.

In terms of player options, it is rumoured that Martinez would prefer a move to Spain, with, ironically, Atletico Madrid closely linked to the Argentine.

Liverpool are hoping to plug their centre-of-the-park holes by securing the services of Bournemouth midfielder Alex Scott, setting up a potential reunion with new Reds boss Andoni Iraola.

Currently positioned fifth in the Premier League standings, Liverpool’s midfield, which contains the likes of chronic under-performers in Florian Wirtz and Alexis Mac Allister, remains an issue.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, fans of the Reds should “save the name" ahead of the winter transfer window, claiming: "I'm maintaining Alex Scott for 2027."

Liverpool’s pursuit of Alex Scott intensifies ahead of winter transfer window: report

Elsewhere in the Reds’ midfield, Dominik Szoboszlai, the club’s best-performing player in Arne Slot’s dismal last season at Liverpool, is at risk of breaking down, having missed clashes with LASK in the Champions League and Manchester City in the Premier League.

Ryan Gravenberch, once a guaranteed starter in Liverpool’s title-winning 2024-25 unit, is also experiencing reduced minutes, with Trey Nyoni stepping in for the Dutchman.

As relayed and added to by TEAMtalk, various clubs are in pursuit of Scott, with Chelsea believing they are in pole position to sign the Englishman.

According to transfer expert Romano, the 23-year-old’s club are open to selling in January, with his departure being a “genuine and serious possibility.”

“After a number of meetings between his agents and Bournemouth, the decision of the club is to change their stance in the January transfer window,” began Romano.

“In the summer, Chelsea tried twice to sign Alex Scott. Arsenal called before signing Bruno Guimaraes. Liverpool called to understand the situation without sending any bid. All the English top clubs [were] trying to understand the situation.

“Chelsea were the more aggressive and Bournemouth told all these clubs that the player is not for sale. The player is going nowhere. Then they wanted Alex Scott to sign a new contract but there was no agreement. Now Bournemouth are open to selling Alex Scott already in the January window.

“So, Scott leaving in January is a genuine and serious possibility, [but] this depends on the proposal. Sources close to Bournemouth believe it has to be, at minimum, £100 million.

“It has to be big money in order to open doors. Let me clarify, Bournemouth could be open to selling if the bid is a good bid, an important bid, and if the player wants to go. So these have to be the conditions.”

It appears that Scott’s exit in January is now a firm possibility, with the Bournemouth table having been reset ahead of approaches from the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea this winter.

Should Iraola’s men look to march on in the Champions League, or alert their rivals to a future Premier League title charge, then the Reds’ activity in relation to Scott will be one to monitor.

Sergio Ramos is exploring the possibility of a return to Europe, journeying back to La Liga with Getafe keen to sign the Spaniard.

If he does so, the 40-year-old would reunite with recent Getafe signing Dani Carvajal, whose time at Real Madrid overlapped with that of Ramos.

The club’s president, Angel Torres, has confirmed that the Spaniard’s name remains on the table, having held talks with the 40-year-old’s brother and representative, Rene Ramos.

Sergio Ramos set to make surprise La Liga return and reunite with Real Madrid team-mate

Ramos’ time with Mexican side Monterrey ended in December 2025. His final match, in which he struck a penalty versus Toluca, arrived in the Apertura Playoffs semi-final, which the Spaniard’s side lost 3-2.

The 40-year-old has been without a club since; now, according to Sport, Ramos is in contention to make a La Liga return, with Getafe interested and a reunion with Carvajal possible.

President Torres insisted that the club’s interest in Ramos is not new, then stressed that a move from Getafe would require manager Jose Bordalas’ sign-off.

“It's a topic that we've been chasing for a long time,” revealed Torres. “But it was not the priority. Now, we have that position well covered.

"It's not a position that, right now, needs [reinforcement]. The manager wanted [reinforcement in other positions]. But it's not too late yet. I mean, it's on the list for the future,” concluded Getafe’s president.

His comments explain Carvajal’s signing, with positions on Getafe’s flanks being high transfer priorities. The ex-Real Madrid man has signed for the La Liga side until June 2027, and could soon be joined by Ramos.

Torres clarified that, should the needs of Getafe and Bordalas change, then the 40-year-old would be considered for a transfer in 2027.

The La Liga side’s president confirmed that talks have been held with Rene Ramos, and that Getafe would be ‘willing to study the signing, if circumstances were favourable.’

Getafe are currently placed 15th in the La Liga table, having taken just eight points from eight matches in the Spanish top-flight.

Should the club’s dire form continue, Torres’ comments suggest that Ramos would be viewed as a solution making his potential La Liga return a reality.

After his side’s 2-1 victory at the Gtech on Saturday, Liverpool star Florian Wirtz has reached a decision regarding his future on Merseyside.

The 23-year-old has started in all nine Premier League and Champions League matches played by Liverpool this term, notching three assists in a total of 739 minutes.

Amid relentless transfer speculation, the German midfielder is, according to reports, determined to remain at Anfield, despite suggestions of an exit to Chelsea or Bayern Munich in 2027.

Florian Wirtz wants to stay at Liverpool, but can he turn a corner?

According to TEAMtalk, Wirtz, who arrived at Anfield from Bayer Leverkusen for £116 million in 2025, has attracted interest from former boss Xabi Alonso in London.

The report relayed a tweet from German football-centric X (formerly Twitter) account ‘Space,’ who wrote: “Despite Bayern representatives seemingly being unable to go a single day without entertaining the fantasy of bringing Florian Wirtz to Munich, neither the player nor his father and agent, Hans-Joachim Wirtz, have the slightest intention of indulging their delusions.

“Both remain unequivocally committed to [Liverpool] and the mystique of Anfield, where Florian intends to carve his name into the history of football’s greatest institution. Any hopes of a potential move are firmly misplaced, with neither the player nor his representatives entertaining the possibility of a departure.

“Florian remains fully committed to [Liverpool] and a move to Stamford Bridge is simply not on the agenda,” concluded ‘Space.’

Wirtz assisted Victor Munoz for the club’s equalising strike versus a 10-man Brentford; he has no intention of departing from Liverpool, during a prolonged period of English top-flight woes.

That contribution marked the German’s second assist of the 2026-27 Premier League term, and was complimented by an additional eight chances created at the Gtech.

Many have claimed this performance as a corner turned for the 23-year-old; however, those key passes arrived against a 10, then nine-man Brentford, and were largely devoid of quality.

In the Premier League, the German midfielder is yet to create a single Opta-defined big chance, and his nine created chances combined for a total 0.19 xA.

While the xA metric isn’t always the fairest judge of pass quality, the bulk of Wirtz’s chance creation came through back passes to fellow Liverpool midfielders launching edge-of-box rockets.

If the 23-year-old is to improve, his ‘Big Chances Created’ tally must increase. In 2025-26, the German created five such chances, behind Cody Gakpo’s 10, Mohamed Salah’s 11, and Dominik Szoboszlai’s 14.

For now, Wirtz’s career appears set to continue at Anfield, despite interest from Alonso in London, and Vincent Kompany in Germany.

Aston Villa essentially signed a brand new starting XI over the summer - they almost had to.

It was a period of substantial change for the Villans, who lost Amadou Onana to an ACL injury during the World Cup, Youri Tielemans to Manchester United, Ezri Konsa to Arsenal, Ollie Watkins to Al-Hilal, and Morgan Rogers and Emiliano Martinez to Chelsea. The spine of the squad was ripped out.

With a raft of outgoings and incomings, there was always going to be a period of transition. A time where the new players need to get up to speed with new teammates and the demands that come with working under a new manager. This, of course, is reflected in Villa’s league position.

Aston Villa upgraded on Ollie Watkins this summer

After the opening six games, Villa sit 16th with just five points to their name. In truth, it mirrors their start to the 2025/26 campaign, where they earned six points across the same period. That said, this is new ground for Emery and Villa. Such squad upheaval was always going to present teething issues.

And while Taylor Harwood-Bellis isn’t of the same standard of Konsa, and Joao Gomes is a different profile to Tielemans, there’s an argument to be made that Villa upgraded in the final third.

Nicolas Jackson moved to Chelsea in 2023. The Senegal international had enjoyed a fruitful second season in Spain with Villarreal, where he scored 12 and provided four assists despite starting just 16 league matches. A direct goal involvement every 100 or so minutes was a solid return.

It’s fair to say that Jackson’s Stamford Bridge spell didn’t go quite according to plan. Granted, across two Premier League seasons, he bagged 24 goals and provided 10 assists. However, ill-discipline marred his time in west London. A loan stint with Bayern Munich hardly did the 25-year-old many favours. Well, when you’re playing second fiddle to Harry Kane, that’s to be expected.

Even so, eight goals and one assist across 1004 minutes of Bundesliga action is not to be scoffed at. However, Jackson never really looked quite at home in Bavaria. He needed a club where he’d be first choice to rediscover his best form, and while it’s early days yet; the Senegalese hitman looks right at home on the Villa frontline.

Filling Watkins’ boots was always going to be easier said than done. The England star scored at least 15 league goals in each of his last four seasons at Villa Park. The 30-year-old endured a tough start to the 2025/26 campaign, scoring just three league goals before Christmas, but recovered for the second half of the season, ultimately netting 16 times in his final year at the club.

Even so, Jackson has scored more goals after six league outings this season (2) than Watkins managed after his opening 13 Premier League appearances last term (1). He’s scored three times across two Champions League games for good measure, too.

The summer signing is also offering more in the final third than Watkins did in the previous campaign. That’s not to say Watkins underwhelmed last season. On the contrary, his goals and assists were vital as Villa secured a top-four finish and claimed Europa League glory at the expense of Bundesliga side Freiburg.

The difference is that Jackson offers a little more on the ball than Watkins in a key area. Whereas the latter operates as a low-touch finisher, waiting for chances in the opposition box, the former is happy to drift across the frontline, drag markers out of position and, in the process, open up space for teammates to exploit.

This is particularly effective given the signing of Johan Manzambi, the Swiss a dynamic, box crashing midfielder who has scored one and provided two assists in the league.

As such, it’s hardly a surprise that Jackson is averaging more touches per 90 this season (33.7) than Watkins was last (28). Even then, the former is only averaging marginally fewer touches inside the opposition box per 90 (5.4) than the latter in the 2025/26 campaign (5.6). Jackson may pull away to the flanks, but he’s just as active in the penalty area as his predecessor.

He’s also prepared to pull the trigger more frequently than the former Villa man, with Jackson’s shots per 90 higher (2.8) than Watkins (2.2). With more successful dribbles per 90 (2.6 to 0.8), chances created per 90 (0.9 to 0.7), passes per 90 (16.1 to 15) and a better pass success rate (80.9% to 72.7%), Emery has a more rounded forward to call upon in his favoured 4-2-3-1 setup.

Watkins’ departure was a tough one to swallow for Villa fans. He’d become a mainstay for the Midlands side following his 2020 arrival from Brentford, and a nigh-on ever-present given his impressive injury record.

Yet the departures of Tielemans, Rogers and Watkins required a tactical rethink. Emery needed a forward who’d offer the directness of Rogers and the goalscoring capability of Watkins. In Jackson, he has the best of both, affording Emery the relevant attacking flexibility that’ll amplify Villa’s offensive unpredictability, whereas with Watkins, it was a little more one-dimensional.

For that reason alone, Jackson can be viewed as an upgrade on Watkins. Time will tell if the club-record signing truly exceeds the standards set by Villa’s recent leading marksman.

Michael Carrick brought a veneer of calm to Old Trafford last season, but that has disintegrated in rapid fashion this season.

His tenure as permanent Manchester United boss is being defined by an unruly, factional dressing room coming apart at the seams.

Tuesday night’s dispiriting Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid has extended the team's winless run to five matches, and sparked a civil war.

Michael Carrick is unlikely to inspire his Manchester United players to victory

Man United are floundering - what else can be said about a paltry return of two wins from nine matches in all competitions, an early Carabao Cup exit, six points from their opening six Premier League fixtures, and inability to capitalise against ten men in games versus Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur?

They are, for all intents and purposes, a team devoid of competitive edge. And on-pitch disjointedness is only half the problem. The deeper issue is cultural.

Argentine international Lisandro Martinez broke rank in the aftermath of Man United's defeat at the Wanda Metropolitano on Tuesday night, delivering a scathing public broadside against director of football Jason Wilcox and the club’s transfer strategy.

In doing so, he extinguished any lingering hope that squad unity was something Carrick could stand behind as a success during his brief spell. The defender was reportedly confronted by a teammate during the flight back to Manchester.

Navigating such turmoil demands a managerial giant, and it is not Carrick's doing or fault that the club finds itself in its current mess. He is, for all his understated dignity, manifestly not that man.

The former midfielder is neither an inspiring orator capable of galvanising disparate egos with his rhetoric, nor is he a Sir Alex Ferguson-esque autocrat who can lay down the law - he hasn't been there long enough, for starters.

Carrick’s once-praised stillness now appears passive and faced with a fractured dressing room taking pot shots at the boardroom, a gentle word is insufficient. Perhaps it speaks to Carrick's authority that Martinez felt compelled to speak out in such terms in midweek.

Carrick’s brief has completely changed, but his managerial toolkit has not. When he took the reins as caretaker in January following Ruben Amorim’s acrimonious departure, the remit was predominantly pastoral.

These were hugely talented players lacking confidence and drive, who had been tactically micro-managed to the point where many no longer cared. Carrick let them play, recalled certain players and allowed them the time and space to do what they do best.

He soothed bruised egos, simplified the instructions and put an arm around the wounded. Lo and behold, it yielded that most famous of textbook interim bounces, and he steered the club to a third-place finish. The pressure was off, the season had already been mothballed. With the benefit of hindsight, the hierarchy's message to Carrick over the summer should have been a firm handshake and 'thank you for your efforts, but we'll take it from here', before hiring a managerial heavyweight.

Now, though, he's the permanent man, albeit probably not for much longer.

The honeymoon is long over, and the pressure cooker has been turned up to eleven. Managing Manchester United through stormy weather requires ruthlessness, authority, ideological clarity, and the rare ability to inspire footballers to run through brick walls. That hasn't happened.

National reports are already detailing three-man shortlists to replace him, touting Brighton's Fabian Hurzeler alongside Antonio Conte and Julian Nagelsmann. The writing is very much on the wall. Carrick may retain personal affections of the Old Trafford faithful, but goodwill does not heal a fractured culture. The dressing room has reached a point of no return, and Michael Carrick is not the man to glue it back together.

After a breathtaking final at the Lusail Stadium on December 18, 2022, Argentina triumphed over France on penalties, securing their first World Cup win in 36 years - finally crowning Lionel Messi’s legendary career.

The emotional celebrations that followed produced some of the most enduring imagery in modern sports history, none more famous than Messi being hoisted above the crowd, like Diego Maradona before him, kissing and raising the FIFA World Cup trophy.

That image went on to become the most-liked post in the history of Instagram.

World Cup replica trophy kissed by Lionel Messi goes up for action

The trophy at the centre of that record-breaking post wasn’t the official FIFA version. It was actually a high-quality replica that had made its way from the stands down onto the pitch. And now, that piece of unique footballing memorabilia is going under the hammer at auction.

At a landmark event for sports collectors, Richmond Auctions has announced that this famous replica trophy will headline their inaugural Sports Memorabilia Auction on Saturday, November 7, 2026.

During the post-match celebrations in Qatar, this specific trophy was passed from champion to champion for 45 minutes. It was part of the Argentina team's jubilating and was even signed by eight members of the squad before the night ended.

The item's lore boasts the autographs of final goalscorer Angel Di Maria, alongside Lautaro Martinez, Leandro Paredes, and Guido Rodriguez.

At auction, the winning bidder will also receive a 2022 Panini Instant Lionel Messi #118 FIFA World Cup Qatar card, flawlessly graded as a PSA 10 GEM MINT. The card captures Messi holding the replica trophy, tying the physical collectible to the moment it commemorates.

The wider auction features over 360 lots, including a highly coveted 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card and a rare 1-of-10 Michael Jordan autograph card. For football fans and memorabilia collectors, the chance to own the golden prize lifted and kissed by Messi in his grandest hour is an incredible opportunity.

The auction is scheduled to begin at 4:00 pm GMT on November 7. To view the replica and register to bid, visit Richmond Auctions.

A minute's silence will be observed ahead of kick-off in Manchester United’s UEFA Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid tonight.

It follows the passing of Ana Merodio Borja, the mother of Atletico captain Koke and academy coach Borja Resurreccion.

Atletico confirmed the news in an official statement on Tuesday, revealing that their skipper's mother had passed away in Madrid earlier that morning. Both sides and supporters inside the ground will unite before the referee's whistle to pay their respects.

Atletico and Man United observe minute's silence for player's mother

Koke is one of the Spanish club's defining figures of the modern era. An academy graduate who joined Los Colchoneros at eight years old, the midfielder holds Atletico's all-time appearance record with over 600 senior matches to his name, captaining Diego Simeone’s side through a decorated era that includes two LaLiga titles, two Europa League triumphs, and two Champions League final appearances.

The family's connection to the club runs deep, with Koke's brother, Borja, also working within the setup as assistant coach for Atletico's 'Juvenil A' academy squad.

Securing permission for a pre-match tribute at such short notice is a rare and tightly controlled process but Atletico have been granted special dispensation.

UEFA enforces strict competition regulations governing matchday protocols, where television broadcast windows, player walkouts, and the competition anthem are closely coordinated.

Participating clubs are strictly forbidden from unilaterally staging a moment of silence or wearing black armbands without formal authorisation from UEFA.

Atletico are understood to have submitted an urgent, emergency request to the appointed UEFA Match Delegate and competition directors for the minute's silence request to be granted. Manchester United offered their immediate backing and cooperation, allowing UEFA to allow for the alteration to the pre-match scheduling.

Man United kick off in Madrid at 8pm this evening. The game is being shown live on Amazon Prime Video.

Celtic are reportedly keen to lure Everton manager David Moyes back to Glasgow, according to journalist Alan Nixon.

The Scottish champions are said to have placed the 63-year-old on their radar as they prepare for a potential leadership transition at Parkhead.

While Martin O’Neill’s return to the Celtic dugout provided an experienced, steadying hand, the 74-year-old was never viewed as a long-term managerial fix. O’Neill’s second stint in Glasgow has always lacked long-term viability, and with the veteran coach acknowledging that a more permanent appointment is required, the Hoops board are actively assessing their succession plan.

David Moyes' final season at Everton?

Moyes has reportedly emerged as a candidate largely due to the sudden change of circumstances on Merseyside.

Toffees owners The Friedkin Group have put Everton up for sale, seeking a full withdrawal less than two years after completing their takeover.

Speaking last week, Moyes was candid about his frustration with the American consortium's retreat.

"Yeah, I was surprised, they only came in a year and a half ago," Moyes said. "Most owners come in for a lot longer than that.

"We were all expecting them to be here for 20 to 30 years, however long it may be. But maybe the way things worked out over the transfer window, I probably had seen through it a little bit before that."

Having already endured a punishing summer transfer period in which the Toffees finished the window with the Premier League's leanest squad, selling off key players late in the day, the prospect of navigating a protracted takeover battle holds little appeal at this stage of Moyes' career.

Boardroom churn theoretically makes a return to Glasgow more enticing. Moyes has deep roots at Celtic Park, having come through the club's ranks as a young defender between 1980 and 1983, earning a Scottish Premier Division winner's medal under Billy McNeill. Despite over two decades managing at the top level in England, Moyes has never managed a club in his native Scotland.

Celtic could provide Moyes with a realistic chance of winning consistent silverware during his twilight managerial days.

While a successful season on Merseyside currently amounts to mid-table stability, Celtic guarantee title challenges, cup runs and European football.

At 63, stepping away from Premier League firefighting to lift trophies at his boyhood club might prove an offer impossible to refuse.

The Manchester City scandal has provoked debate over wider ownership issues in English football. Where once it was common for clubs to be controlled by a boyhood fan, that has become much rarer in an era of nation-states and American private equity. Only four of the Premier League’s 20 teams are led by people known to have grown up supporting them.

Two are Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace, the arch-rivals who will renew hostilities at the Amex Stadium on Sunday (the others are Manchester United, where Sir Jim Ratcliffe runs football operations despite owning just over a quarter of the club, and Brentford).

Tony Bloom has been the chairman and majority owner of his beloved Brighton since 2009, while Crystal Palace have been run by lifelong supporter Steve Parish since 2010. Parish remains responsible for day-to-day affairs at Selhurst Park despite having seen his stake diluted to around 10 percent in recent years.

"Brighton’s rise feels deliberately engineered, honed by algorithms and dispassionate decision-making"

Under Bloom and Parish, Brighton and Palace have enjoyed the most successful periods in their respective histories. There is no love lost between the two teams, whose unusual rivalry dates back to the 1970s.

Yet for all the hostility, Brighton and Palace have reason to admire what the other has achieved. Catch their fans at a quiet moment and you might even detect a flicker of envy.

Brighton have attracted admirers far and wide. Despite consistently losing some of their most important players, they have finished in the top half of the Premier League in four of the last five seasons.

In recent years Brighton have been forced to sell the likes of Alexis Mac Allister, Marc Cucurella, Moises Caicedo, Joao Pedro and Carlos Baleba, yet they have continued to go from strength to strength. The club’s use of cutting-edge analytics has helped the Seagulls assemble the most eclectic squad in England. In a 5-0 thumping of Coventry City last month, they broke a Premier League record by fielding 15 outfielders of 15 different nationalities.

Brighton have not only replaced players without missing a beat, but managers too. Chelsea poached Graham Potter a few weeks into the 2022/23 season. No matter: in came Roberto De Zerbi, who took the team to sixth place, the club's best-ever finish. He left in 2024, and despite a rocky spell last term, Fabian Hurzeler has proved an able successor. You suspect Brighton already have a shortlist of contenders to replace the German should he leave.

If Brighton’s rise feels deliberately engineered, honed by advanced algorithms and dispassionate decision-making, Crystal Palace’s approach is a little more chaotic. Brighton have not sacked a manager mid-season since 2014; Palace have done so five times since then.

You are more likely to see deadline-day deals at Selhurst Park than at the Amex. While Brighton appeared to know exactly what they wanted when they appointed De Zerbi and Hurzeler, Palace cast a much wider net following Oliver Glasner’s summer exit. Pierre Sage ultimately got the nod, but Palace looked at Andoni Iraola, Frank Lampard and Thomas Frank - three quite different managers - before that.

Like their adversaries, Palace have unearthed some gems in the transfer market. They made profits on Ebere Eze, Michael Olise, Maxence Lacroix and Daniel Munoz, all of whom made significant contributions in south London. Marc Guehi, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Adam Wharton were excellent additions too.

However, all those signings were made when Dougie Freedman was sporting director. Since his move to Saudi Arabia in March 2025, Palace’s recruitment has been much more mixed. Whereas Brighton’s model kept delivering the goods even after Chelsea prised key staff away, Palace have struggled to replace the man who was the most important figure in their backroom operation. The systemic continuity Brighton have cultivated would be welcome at Selhurst Park.

Yet the lessons do not run in only one direction. Brighton have finished above Palace in four of the last five seasons, yet it is the Eagles who have claimed the more tangible rewards. Between May 2025 and May 2026, Palace won three trophies under Glasner: the FA Cup, the Community Shield and the Conference League. That was painful to witness for Brighton, who are yet to win major silverware. The Seagulls have the model, but the Eagles have the medals.

Back when Bloom and Parish were still new in their jobs, Brighton appeared to have more momentum behind them. They moved into the Amex in 2011, a year after Palace almost went out of business. Yet it was Palace who triumphed in the first ever meeting at Brighton’s new ground. In 2013, they won 2-0 at the Amex in the Championship play-offs on their way to promotion, a feat they achieved four years before Brighton. Palace have won three of the last four meetings between the pair, while Brighton have triumphed just twice in the last 14.

Palace have shown that you do not always need the neatest process to thrive. Sometimes, it is about seizing the moment. Brighton should bear that in mind as they target a trophy this season. And if Palace want to ensure the Glasner era was not a glorious one-off, they could do worse than study Brighton’s ability to sustain success over multiple managerial regimes.

Everton ended the summer transfer window with Thierno Barry as their only recognised senior striker. It raised eyebrows, to say the least.

Relying on a young, developing forward as the focal point of a Premier League attack seemed like a bit of a high-wire act for a club that had had their fair share of run-ins with the Premier League plughole in recent seasons.

Understandably then, it might be jarring for Toffees fans to see Barry leading the entire division in big chances missed - but that's actually a really good sign.

Thierno Barry is a dark horse in the 2026/27 Golden Boot race

On paper, it's a pretty damning headline metric, all but confirming Barry is a raw centre-forward, not quite at the level of an elite Premier League striker yet.

Beneath the surface of that negative stat, though, is a compelling case for Evertonians to feel optimistic about their frontline.

The gap between Barry and the rest of the league is stark, that much is true. His 10 missed big chances is double that of the trailing pack, with Erling Haaland, Dan Ndoye, Igor Thiago, Gonzalo Garcia, and Bryan Mbeumo all sitting tied on five.

The gulf between elite and developing becomes clear, too. Haaland's shot conversion rate currently stands at 27.3% - exactly double Barry's 13.6%. That disparity highlights the dividing line between a world-class finisher in a dominant side and a young striker still finding his feet in the Premier League.

Context is everything, though, and to understand why Barry’s metric is actually quite encouraging, one only needs to look back at the precedent set by Manchester City’s talisman. Last season, Haaland missed 30 big chances in the Premier League - a full 10 clear of the second-placed player in the division.

Haaland’s numbers illustrated the following things about modern centre-forward play. First, even the most lethal finishers miss good opportunities with regularity. Finishing is a volatile skill, subject to myriad factors such as execution, and opposition goalkeeping. Second, and most importantly: you cannot miss a big chance unless you have the movement, anticipation, and physical presence to get into those positions in the first place.

For Everton, that second point is everything. A true nightmare scenario for a team playing with a solitary senior striker isn't a forward missing chances, it’s a striker who is invisible. Barry is not guilty of that, and being incapable of registering high-quality opportunities is the far greater crime.

Evertonians have backed him with their lungs at the Hill Dickinson Stadium; they're willing to be patient and hope he comes good. Only the aforementioned Haaland has accumulated more Expected Goals (xG) than Barry in the Premier League season, even if his finishing and goal tallies are doubly as good. Barry is making the runs, pulling defenders out of shape, and putting himself in positions to generate high-xG chances consistently. He's doing the hard part.

Eventually, regression to the mean will take over, which means Barry should begin finishing his big chances. Doing so at even an average conversion rate will greatly help Everton - who remain unbeaten after six games and have conceded the joint-fewest goals in the division.

The headline stat might look frustrating on the surface, but for Everton, Barry's high volume of misses is actually the clearest sign that goals are just around the corner.

Spanish football's governing body LaLiga has stepped in to block Dani Carvajal’s proposed move to Getafe over concerns regarding his declared salary, according to a report from Spanish radio show El Larguero.

The experienced full-back, who departed Real Madrid at the end of his contract over the summer, had reached an agreement in principle to join Getafe, who are situated in the southern Madrid suburbs.

However, the league's financial control committee has refused to validate the signing on the grounds that the agreed wage is artificially low.

Dani Carvajal's Getafe move on hold due to finance concerns

According to El Larguero, Getafe submitted documentation proposing an annual salary of approximately €400,000 for the 34-year-old defender.

LaLiga’s economic regulators have reportedly rejected the valuation, deeming it wildly unrealistic given that Carvajal was supposedly earning €10 million per year during his time at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Under LaLiga's Squad Cost Limit rules, the league assigns its own baseline valuation to high-profile players to prevent clubs from under-reporting playing costs, determining that a decorated international of Carvajal's standing cannot logically see his official remuneration fall by 96 per cent without bringing regulatory scrutiny.

The reasoning behind LaLiga’s veto is to prevent "under-the-table" payments across Spanish football. LaLiga's financial framework requires every contract to reflect realistic market values to preserve competitive balance.

Clubs could theoretically get around salary cap restrictions by supplementing a player's income through off-the-books commercial deals, undisclosed image-rights agreements, or third-party sponsorship arrangements that do not appear in club accounts.

The timing of this decision draws parallels with the financial charges currently surrounding Manchester City. Among the 114 alleged breaches of financial rules brought by the Premier League, a major element involves secret secondary payments.

Specifically, the Manchester club is accused of supplementing former manager Roberto Mancini’s official Etihad Stadium salary with a secondary contract for consultancy work with Abu Dhabi-based side Al Jazira, effectively offloading a substantial portion of his true earnings off the club’s official accounts.

LaLiga aims to ensure that Spanish clubs cannot utilise similar side-agreements to bypass domestic squad spending limits.

While Getafe manager Jose Bordalas had been eager to add a six-time Champions League winner to his squad, the transfer remains on hold unless Getafe can restructure the deal to satisfy LaLiga’s economic rules.

For now, Carvajal’s future remains in limbo as an example of Spanish football's uncompromising stance on toeing the financial line.

David Beckham really got the ball rolling in Major League Soccer and Lionel Messi now dribbles the ball onwards, driving MLS upwards into a competition worthy of comparison with many leagues around the world, according to the outgoing commissioner Don Garber.

The man who has developed MLS beyond all recognition since becoming commissioner in 1999 – new and full stadia, clubs worth $1bn, stars like Messi - now hopes to see Harry Kane in the US one day, playing MLS and fulfilling his dream to be an NFL kicker. “I'd love for him to do that,” Garber says.

Kane is 33 and expected to extend his Bayern Munich contract soon but has talked of playing for many more years, emulating his friend the quarterback Tom Brady, who played until he was 44. Seven owners of NFL teams also own MLS teams. And MLS is on the up with Messi leading the way. “We wanted to create something that would have the Harry Kanes of the world say, ‘I'd like to play MLS’,” adds Garber.

Garber: 'There's more respect for 'soccer' in America'

On a flying visit to London this week, the New Yorker reflected on the huge impact of the World Cup on American “soccer”, and especially the perception of the US as a genuine “soccer nation”.

He says, “Post-World Cup, it’s a different dynamic, there's much more respect for what's going on in America. I could remember coming here over the years, and people would look at me like I had three heads. ‘Who's this Yank trying to build this league in America?’ Particularly in the UK, there wasn’t a lot of confidence that we would pull it off. Then we went through an era where David Beckham was rumoured to come.” And he did, to LA Galaxy, and really got the party started.

“David put this league on the path to credibility and respect. At the prime of his career, he came here to LA. We were talking 2006 (arrived 2007). A couple years before, we were having bankruptcy discussions.” The league almost folded in 2001.

So Beckham’s arrival was massive. “He and his family lit up the city. I remember the opening party that we introduced him, and every top actor and celebrity in LA was welcoming him. And he played well. He showed the world that this league can be competitive, respected and fun. It could have great players. It attracted [Thierry] Henry [to New York Red Bulls in 2010], and many, many other players right after that.

“Without David, there's probably no Major League Soccer. That said, Major League Soccer would not be the global phenomenon and not be on the hearts and minds of just about anybody in the world without Leo Messi. It just shocks me how competitive he is, how he just plays 90 minutes, regardless of the score, how focused he is on his club and his country, how great a team-mate he is.

“I love seeing him on the field with his kids. I was speaking to somebody the other day who was looking to invest in MLS, who lives in the same area.” Messi lives with his wife and three sons in Fort Lauderdale, near Inter Miami’s training complex. “The oldest son plays in an [Inter Miami] academy team and plays with this guy's son. And the dad is going to training and Leo's there and Jordi Alba was there last year, and [Luis] Suarez is there. They’re dads who just want to be part of what's going on in MLS, what's going on in America.”

Garber mentions Antoine Griezmann, 35, another enjoying Florida, over at Orlando City. “He loves being in Orlando. He's going to basketball games, and he's playing well. There was this idea that players, at a certain age, couldn't still play, and that they played well in MLS because MLS wasn't good enough. Then Messi plays in MLS, goes in the World Cup, and could have been the Golden Ball winner.”

Messi returns to Miami for Sunday’s game against DC United following his poignant final match for Argentina in Buenos Aires. Garber was moved by Tuesday’s scenes at El Monumental. “I was emotional watching what that city did for an athlete. He’s an athlete not the Pope! An unbelievable athlete. The country loves him like he's their son, because he's just been a good guy, a great competitor. He's quiet, he's humble, he's serious.”

Er, didn't Messi once wag his finger at the commissioner over a refereeing issue? Garber laughs. “Players wag their fingers at me all the time! I don't know that anybody would pay attention to it if it wasn't Messi. It's a gift that in our league, kids can say, ‘I saw Messi score’. You're living in a world where legends are alive."

Messi is there, in Uncle Sam’s backyard. “He will be a part of MLS history forever. He will be more important than any stadium, more important than any owner, more important than any commissioner. He came, and he delivered. And that doesn't always happen in life. We’re the league of choice for Leo.”

Garber wants to continue growing the league, a mission his successor Larry Berg, a Harvard MBA and formerly co-founder of LAFC, aims to continue. “We have to have a league that is more competitive, that has an ability to get into the Club World Cup and win games. Miami won one [against Porto in 2025]. Not just be there, but have people think that an MLS team can compete against other clubs in the world now. Can it compete with Chelsea? Can it complete with PSG? It's a long way from that. We have the resources. We’ve just got to get better.”

Home-grown talent does emerge. USMNT played four friendlies during the international break, beating Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada. Teenagers like Cavan Sullivan, Julian Hall, Justin Ellis and Mathis Albert all played their part. “I'm encouraged by the performance of our young players,” Garber says. Sullivan, the 17-year-old Philadelphia Union attacker, is due at Manchester City when he turns 18.

“I'd rather have him forever. I would imagine the next Cavan Sullivan might stay later than 18. The fact that he's playing the way he is at 17 [makes European interest inevitable]. He's not the only one. Julian Hall (18, New York Red Bulls) is lighting it up, three goals in this window. It used to be you have one player pop out and the world would go, ‘Wow, maybe something's happening’. But there's dozens and dozens of players, and that's the American system.

“I'd love to see more of our players go play at a higher level. Champions League level, starting at top teams. Cavan Sullivan is one of our highest-paid players. We never used to do that. We didn't want to lose them at 15. You're going to see this with Chelsea signing Benji Flowers, Dallas 15-year-old. He's special.” The FC Dallas attacker is due at Cobham when he turns 18.

It’s a global recruitment market. I ask Garber whether he ever sees a world league. He’s not a fan. “Any time teams are coming out of their leagues or losing dates, it has a detrimental impact to what the game is locally, which is what makes England so amazing. One of guys who works with us is a Burnley fan, and he could really not care where Burnley is [division-wise]. He's going be a Burnley fan, no matter where they are.

“If you do something where clubs don't have the ability to continue that community-based generational support, because they're no longer part of the community because it might generate more revenue, I’m not sure that's a good thing. It’s what these teams mean in the community, what they mean in the minds of parents and kids who go to games together.

“I was not a fan of the [European] Super League. I would not be a fan of it now. Could there be a more global competition? Well, FIFA would say they have that in the Club World Cup.” The US hosted it last year, and could again. “We had the most successful World Cup of all time. We have big stadiums already built.”

He understands English resistance to closed leagues like MLS which lack promotion and relegation. But Garner counters, “Look how MLS has grown - and it doesn't have promotion and relegation, because you can't relegate a team that's building. New teams are coming in, investing a billion and a half dollars into facilities, a team and a roster, and there isn't the structure yet for them to be relegated to.”

Garber finally reflects on how far MLS has come in his 27 years. “I’d go to the Champions League final, and be invited to the dinner prior. In the early days, I was sitting with guys that were representing countries that I didn't even know were in UEFA. But now I'm sitting at the head of the table.”

The language left little room for ambiguity. Shocking. Unacceptable. An absolute disgrace. Manchester United had just drawn with Fulham and the sky was falling. In the TV studio, Gary Neville, Louis Saha and Ashley Young took turns to express their hurt. "I don't usually get this angry," Neville said, but he was not alone.

While the three ex-pros were giving their verdicts on Sky, the wider machinery was whirring. X users were invited to describe Marcus Rashford's performance in one word, and compliments were in short supply. A caller to talkSPORT demanded Michael Carrick's head in conversation with Alan Pardew. Over on YouTube, thumbnails were being polished, emojis deployed, titles tightened: 'PATHETIC Man Utd'. 'Carrick deserves ZERO!' 'Man Utd on LIFE SUPPORT [EXPLOSIVE RANT].' Within an hour of full-time at Craven Cottage, the Manchester United misery economy was humming once more.

It is a familiar routine by now. The final whistle is not final at all; in a sense, the game is just the opening act. This phenomenon is not unique to Man United. But as the biggest club in England, and one which has been in steady decline since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement 13 years ago, they are a particularly rich source of material.

"There is an insatiable demand for takes, the hotter the better"

Neville is the lead protagonist, giving his views not only on Sky but also on his Stick to Football podcast. Roy Keane is a co-star on both platforms, always willing to lament a dearth of characters in the dressing room. Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand and Paul Scholes have their own shows, the latter in tandem with Nicky Butt. Patrice Evra has never met a microphone he did not like.

It is not only former players. Mark Goldbridge is better known than many professional footballers. Stephen Howson, Adam McKola, Joe Smith, Andy Tate and Flex UTD are prominent Man United influencers, some more insightful than others. You will find dozens more online, with the less established often tempted to court controversy in pursuit of an audience in a crowded market.

The thing is, this stuff does numbers. The most watched video on the Sky Sports Premier League YouTube channel is a goals montage. Second is Neville arguing with Jamie Redknapp about the Glazers (“the club is rotting”). Third is Neville discussing a defeat by Atletico Madrid in 2022 (“I’ve felt down about Manchester United for some time”). A compilation of a Goldbridge watchalong is more likely to go viral if it contains expletive-laden outbursts than joyous celebrations.

There is an insatiable demand for takes, the hotter the better. Social media algorithms reward sensationalism and punish nuance. ‘Man Utd a work in progress [MEASURED ASSESSMENT]’ does not quite have the same ring to it.

Positivity rarely sets pulses racing either. Ferdinand’s suggestion in 2019 that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could choose his own salary because United were “BACK” is only so memorable because - and who could have seen this coming - United were not in fact back.

Neville senses which way the wind is blowing. In April, The Overlap (a media company he co-founded) bought Goldbridge's channel, The United Stand, and has since launched a new weekly production which features Goldbridge alongside Rooney.

Neville has criticised “those bloody YouTubers” in the past. He once called ArsenalFanTV “embarrassing” for its treatment of Arsene Wenger. But as well as being an influential pundit, Neville is an astute businessman, and astute businessmen stand ready to give the people what they want - in this case, “direct, personality-led content.”

A brief scroll of social media reveals much of this content to be hysterical and hyperbolic, yet it is also rooted in the simple truth that Man United have underwhelmed for a long time now.

For the generation of JJ Gabriel, the 16-year-old academy player who wants out of Old Trafford, the team's current struggles are not a blip but the norm. Gabriel was two when Man United last won the title. He has grown up watching not Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs, but Donny van de Beek, Facundo Pellistri and Wout Weghorst.

Since Ferguson stepped down Man United have staggered from crisis to crisis, going back to square one so often they could trace the route blindfolded.

Neville himself is no shock jock, even if his claim that the draw with Fulham contained the “worst 15 minutes” he had ever seen from his team felt a little over the top. He is usually more considered, and prides himself on never having called for a manager to be sacked. As a hugely successful player (and an increasingly underrated one due to his frequent self-deprecation), Neville provides a level of insight that is not easily replicable. The likes of Keane, Rooney, Ferdinand and Scholes have plenty of expertise to impart too.

Equally, the game has changed since their day. No one plays the sort of 4-4-2 with flying wingers on which Man United have built their modern self-image. Nor was it all attack, attack, attack under Ferguson - or “the Boss”, as some of his former charges continue to call him. Just ask Park Ji-sung, regularly deployed as a spoiler in big games, or Nani, Antonio Valencia and the aforementioned Ashley Young, natural wide men who were sacrificed when the team utilised a midfield diamond in 2012. Ferguson was more tactically sophisticated than he is often portrayed today.

It is hard not to wonder whether all the noise around Man United is contributing to the very malaise these interested parties - from Neville to Goldbridge, Rooney to Flex, Scholes to that bloke who refuses to cut his hair until they win five games in a row - are keen to see the club escape.

Yet therein lies the paradox. To flourish, the Manchester United misery economy requires, well, misery. Bad results are by no means bad for business. In fact, they keep the wheels turning. The show must go on.