Starting with the hosts, while Oliver Glasner might have already announced that he will be leaving Selhurst Park at the end of the 2025/26 campaign, there has been serious speculation that the former Eintracht Frankfurt boss could be set for an imminent departure from south London. Missing out on the chance to gain a Europa Conference League first-leg advantage earlier in the week as they eventually had to settle for a downbeat 1-1 stalemate away at Bosnian outfit Zrinjski, the Eagles have drastically failed to find any kind of recent stability. Suffering an infamous collapse on home soil last week as they slumped to a 3-2 loss against Burnley, Glasner's side have remarkably recorded just a single victory from any of their previous 15 appearances across all competitions - a rut that stems all the way back to December 11th.
Strasbourg and Chelsea are owned by the same organisation, BlueCo, and that could give Chelsea an advantage in the transfer race. It will be interesting to see if they can beat Atletico to his signature. Meanwhile, Diego Simeone has already informed the Atletico Madrid hierarchy that he wants to sign the 23-year-old. He believes that the Argentine forward could develop into a top-class player with the right guidance. It will be interesting to see how the situation develops.
Osasuna are without striker Iker Benito and Enzo Boyomo but forward Ante Budimir is available and in form. Real are likely to still be without England midfielder Jude Bellingham as he has a hamstring problem. Forward Rodrygo is a doubt but Vinicius is expected to play. Osasuna: Herrera; Rosier, Herrando, Catena, Galan; Torro, Moncayola; Ruben Garcia, V Munoz, Oroz; Budimir Real: Courtois; Alexander-Arnold, Asencio, Huijsen, Carreras; Valverde, Tchouameni, Camavinga; Guler; Mbappe, Vinicius
The reigning Ballon d'Or winner is said to be unhappy at PSG, with the club unwilling to meet his astronomical 60m-a-year contract demands, according to Fichajes. There has also been talk of Dembele falling out with PSG manager Luis Enrique, as per TEAMtalk, who linked the Ligue 1 giants with a move for Manchester City striker Erling Haaland as a potential replacement.
The deal will see Toronto pay Norwich a fee of $22 million, which could rise to $27 million if certain incentives are met. Sargent traveled to Toronto to complete his medical Friday. The fee currently ranks in the top five that an MLS side has ever paid for an incoming transfer. The highest-ever fee is believed to be the $26m that LAFC paid for Son Heung-Min last summer, which the Sargent move will eclipse if all the incentives are reached.
Starting with the hosts, getting their Champions League play-off adventure underway with a 2-0 loss away at German giants Borussia Dortmund earlier in the week, Atalanta will be seeking an immediate response here. Nevertheless, last seen in Serie A action putting in a rugged performance as they secured a 2-0 victory against Lazio, Raffaele Palldino's side have reignited their European dreams and they will be looking to claim a heavyweight scalp when they return to Bergamo on Sunday afternoon.
The first leg of the Champions League play-off round threw up some surprises - and some sides already have one foot into the round of 16 after establishing commanding leads. So with the second leg of those games still to follow, how does the draw for the next round look like shaking out? With the tracks already half-set, each side that progresses will go into the draw knowing they can only face one of two sides each,
As Graeme Bailey of TEAMtalk notes: Arsenal and Liverpool have made their interest known in Bayern Munich's rising star Lennart Karl, with sources confirming that the Premier League giants have checked in on the teenager ahead of his 18th birthday this weekend. Bayern are understood to have an agreement in place to extend Karl's deal on his birthday, but we can reveal that talks are ongoing about a further extension potentially locking him into a fresh four-year contract.
While Millwall might have narrowly missed out on a play-off ticket last season, Alex Neil's men have come roaring back in a sensational fashion this time around. Shattering a string of records, the Lions are in the midst of what has become quite the purple patch and they can remarkably move within touching distance of the automatic promotion spots this weekend.
Manchester United remain keen on securing his signature, and he could cost around 50 million. According to a report from Fichajes, Liverpool is interested in signing the 18-year-old attacker, but Manchester United are leading the race for his signature. They need a versatile attacker like Mane, and he could prove to be a solid long-term acquisition. He is capable of slotting into any of the front three roles and will add pace, flair, and goals to the team.
It is always entertaining to learn small personal details about figures on the touchline, and Vincent Kompany recently offered one that fans might not have expected. The Bayern Munich coach revealed that his favorite video game is Fortnite, a choice that adds a surprisingly relatable layer to his intense, detail-driven public image. Football managers are often viewed solely through tactics boards, press conferences, and matchday pressure, so hearing about a pastime like gaming humanizes the role.
A poor clearance from Schmeichel led to Celtic falling behind in the 15th minute, though Stuttgart still had plenty to do after seizing possession, with Deniz Undav's glorious backheel volley picking out Bilal El Khannouss, who drilled home left-footed. Celtic equalised six minutes later thanks to a mistake at the other end, as Atakan Karazor attempted a blind pass while facing his own goal, which deflected kindly for Benjamin Nygren to round Alexander Nubel to tap in.
Tony Ward, voted the first European Player of the Year two months earlier, was dropped. He had won the award largely for his dazzling form in that season's Five Nations Championship. Then, ahead of the First Test on Ireland's tour of Australia, he was canned. It made the six o'clock news. Ward was a gifted footballer. He would go on to play in the League of Ireland for Limerick United FC, starring for them against Southampton in the Uefa Cup.
Lucas Bergvall is wanted by Aston Villa, Liverpool and Chelsea, as vultures circle during a difficult time for Tottenham Hotspur. The young Swede has been out injured with an ankle issue as of late, and is targeting a return in late March, but with Tottenham struggling towards the bottom of the table, Premier League rivals are eyeing the star as a potential option who could leave in search of European football next season.
Lille's Europa League hopes are in the balance after they suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Serbian champions Red Star Belgrade in the first leg of their play-off tie. Franklin Tebo Uchenna scored the only goal of Thursday's game at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy, bundling the ball home in first-half stoppage time after good work from Tomas Handel and Jay Enem.
"You guys have heard me talk enough by now to know that I see the game as very connected. So I think how well you defend and how good of a defensive team you are is directly connected to what you do when you have the ball, how you attack, how you press. When we talk about our football, our idea, it is about being a complete a team as possible. We're in the part of becoming a good team, building a team that can hold up on the hardest days. The season starts this weekend and we're all really excited, but building a team never stops."
Brighton & Hove Albion travel to Brentford on Saturday and it's a chance to remind us all that they've achieved something special too. The Seagulls are an established Premier League team and have been since they were promoted in 2017. They've finished in the top half three times in eight seasons, the culmination of a 25-year journey from the bottom tier of the Football League in the wake of near oblivion.
