The return of Jamal Musiala is perhaps the most celebrated event in all of Bayern Munich's recent history. The youngster returns after nearly six months of nursing a fibula fracture. Musiala is indisputably among the best young talents in football right now and him being back on the pitch is more crucial now than ever with several huge fixtures coming up across competitions.
After a slow start, the Sky Blues found their groove as Liam Kitching stung the palms of Lawrence Vigouroux, with the Swansea goalkeeper making a fine stop soon after. Tatsuhiro Sakamoto stood up a cross to the back post for Ellis Simms to head into the ground, but Vigouroux was on hand to claw the ball off the line and away from danger.
Patrick Bamford had looked like stealing the headlines with a well-taken early double for the Blades but the hosts powered back to claim their first win in six Sky Bet Championship outings. With his short-term contract due to expire on New Year's Day, Bamford put himself firmly in the shop window as he scored either side of a Tyler Bindon own goal.
Newcastle United midfielder Joelinton, 29, is a target for Saudi Pro League clubs and the Magpies could be open to letting the Brazil international leave depending on the conditions of any deal. (Teamtalk), external Manchester City and Norway winger Oscar Bobb, 22, may look to leave the club if they complete the signing of Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo, 25, from Bournemouth in January. (Fabrizio Romano), external Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski, 37, could be tempted by a move to Saudi Arabia as there is uncertainty over the Poland international's future at the Nou Camp. (AS - in Spanish), external
"Nico is an important player for me and the group," the German said. "We worked individually on him and in meetings I spoke with him what I want to see more. "I had an individual talk with him in the last few days. It was very long, 25-30 minutes. I'm totally convinced that he recognises what we are doing."
"But I know who I am. I'm a hard worker. I love playing football. And yes, I hope I'm going to score many goals here. And I know I'm not 100%, but there's more to come for sure. "I hope I score a lot of goals, a lot of assists and a lot of wins. This is what we need now. We need a big momentum now as the season is getting tougher and tougher."
Rangers have "initiated negotiations" with French midfielder Pierre Ekwah, but any deal could be complicated by a legal dispute between the player and Saint Etienne, who he has refused to play for since their relegation from Ligue 1. (Daily Record, external via Sport) Celtic are weighing up a move for Ivorian winger Jocelin Ta Bi, who is on loan at Hapoel Petah Tikva from fellow Israeli side Maccabi Netanya. (Daily Record), external
"A lot of Blues will hammer me for this, but when we were struggling and things were looking bleak, so many Liverpool fans would come up to me and say, 'Forget the rivalries online and all that, we don't want you to go down.' "They loved the rivalry, the banter, the derbies themselves, the pride in the city that was always evident. That really was en masse."
Noted pundit Didi Hamann is getting worried about Liverpool star Florian Wirtz and how his recent form could impact his performance with the German national team. "If this continues until February or March, it wouldn't be good," Hamann told Sport1. "We saw in the international matches that he lacks confidence and is currently performing far below his potential." When asked if he thought Wirtz was putting his spot on the team at risk, Hamann dismissed that notion.
I think in all the press conferences I've been in, I've always said I don't think we'll be doing loads of business in January. If we find some players, we'll be delighted to do it and the CEO will be as well, and the owners, if we can do it. But I think it's more to do with trying to have a plan where the ownership want us to have a plan and want us to prepare and do everything in a certain fashion.
Liverpool are interested in signing the German attacker Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund. The 23-year-old has done quite well for the German club, and they value him highly. According to Fichajes, the player has a market valuation of 60 million, but the German outfit is unwilling to negotiate below 75 million for him. However, Liverpool have come forward with a 20 million offer to get the deal done.
Starting with the hosts, losing their Serie A status with a whimper last season, it is no secret that Venezia have their sights fixed on securing an immediate top-flight return this time around. Last seen securing a gritty 2-1 victory away at Mondena, Giovanni Stroppa's men are widely regarded as a standout promotion contender in 2026 and the open Saturday's showdown knowing that they could move within touching distance of top spot.
