English Premier League

English Premier League

Barcelona avoided an upset in the Copa del Rey on Tuesday, running out 2-0 winners over CD Guadalajara of the Spanish third-tier to progress to the last 16. Andreas Christensen and Marcus Rashford found the net in the last quarter of an hour as the competition holders saw off their lower league opponents. The Catalan club, the most successful side in the history of the cup, are still on course for a 33rd triumph, having beaten Real Madrid in last season's final.

Madrid president Florentino Perez used his Christmas address to draw attention to the Negreira case, the refereeing corruption charge against Barcelona. Perez referred to it as the "biggest scandal in the history of football" and called for the Blaugrana to be punished, which is the opposite of the 2024 address in which he claimed Madrid and Barcelona needed to stick together.

In his blog, Keys wrote: How West Ham must be missing the Moyes days top half finishes and trophies. As we often say be careful what you wish for. The Scottish manager helped West Ham United win the UEFA Europa Conference League and he helped them secure a top half finish as well. However, he was shown the door and none of the West Ham managers have managed to do a decent job since his departure.

Sevilla attacker Ruben Vargas has been linked with a move away from the club, and multiple Premier League clubs are keen on him. Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Leeds United are all monitoring his progress, and they could look to make a move for him. According to Fichajes, Leeds are already preparing a 20 million offer to sign the 27-year-old attacker. It will be interesting to see if Sevilla are prepared to sanction his departure.

Manchester United are interested in signing the Trabzonspor midfielder Christ Inao Oulai. The 19-year-old midfielder will cost around 40 million, and he is a target for Manchester City as well. Pep Guardiola views him as the ideal replacement for Rodri in the long-term. It will be interesting to see if Manchester United can beat them to his signature. According to a report from TEAMtalk, Manchester United have already initiated contact with the player's representatives regarding a move.

"divisive, misleading, and self-serving"

The 25-year-old England international has struggled for regular opportunities, and he might need to leave in January in order to play more often. Manchester United, Tottenham and Newcastle are interested in signing the player. According to TEAMtalk, the player is open to a loan move in January, and Manchester United are receptive to the idea of signing him temporarily as well. They need more quality and depth in the middle of the park.

The 23-year-old has done quite well since joining the French outfit, and he is certainly one of the best midfielders in the league this season. He is a talented young player with a bright future, and he could develop into a key player for all three clubs. Manchester United need someone who can break up the opposition attack and protect the back line. The 23-year-old could be ideal for them.

Mounting an impressive second-half comeback at home against Besiktas over the weekend as they eventually snatched a thrilling 3-3 draw, Trabzonspor should find the mood in their camp at a continued high. Booking their Turkish Cup group stage ticket earlier in the month as they secured a routine 2-0 victory against Vanspor, Faith Tekke's side are scrapping it out at the top of the Super Lig standings and they currently find themselves sat in bronze medal position among Turkey's elite.

This year's period covers their participation in the Club World Cup and its aftermath. The figure, which goes some way towards vindicating Enzo Maresca's rotation and his complaints about injuries, is contained in a report published by the insurance company Howden, which puts the cost of injuries to clubs in Europe's top five leagues over the past five years at almost 3bn.

The 52-year-old saw his team booed off by travelling Spurs fans after losing 3-0 at Nottingham Forest on Sunday. Frank has faced growing criticism from sections of the Tottenham supporters with Spurs currently 11th in the Premier League having won six of their 16 games under the Dane.

Barcelona captain Marc-Andre ter Stegen has returned to the spotlight after recovering from his back injury and receiving medical clearance. The goalkeeper has now been included in the squad for three games in a row, including tonight's Copa del Rey match against Guadalajara, where he could get minutes if Hansi Flick and the club deem it appropriate. However, Ter Stegen's future at Barça is far from clear, with the German now becoming the third-choice goalkeeper behind Joan Garcia and Wojciech Szczesny.

Having signed for Newcastle this summer as a direct replacement for Alexander Isak, Nick Woltemade has enjoyed a bright start to his first season in the Premier League.