#edgar-davids

#edgar-davids

"My time with Xabi was a learning experience; I've improved as a person. I couldn't connect with him, but I have a great connection with Arbeloa, and he's given me a lot of confidence, just like [Carlo] Ancelotti did."

Hodgson's managerial journey began in Sweden at the age of 29, where he was credited with modernising Swedish football by popularising the 4-4-2 formation and introducing zonal marking.

Frenkie de Jong's return is critical. His combination of passing, dribbling, defending, and movement in attack is hard to replace.

"Playing for Benfica, just like at Barça, is out of love. I have one year left on my contract; if I have to play in Saudi Arabia, I'll play; if I have to play in Europe, I'll play. It will depend on Al Hilal. When Barcelona calls, you can't refuse. I feel at home here; I've adapted very well."

He has got his GCSEs, and his education, I'm sure for him and his family, is important as well. What an opportunity for him to be around the squad. He could be a Premier League winner when he's still finishing school off. He's got an aura and a belief about him and it was the same against Everton.

Speaking to Neville on The Overlap, Van der Sar was asked to name the best manager he played under and chose his former Ajax boss Louis van Gaal. Neville was left stunned by the selection and suggested Ferguson instead, but Van der Sar simply stuck to his pick. Van der Sar played under Van Gaal for eight seasons at Ajax and was part of the squad that lifted the Champions League title in 1994-95.

One of the biggest challenges they've got now is that the stadium's too small. They've allegedly got 100,000 people on [season ticket waitlist]. When we were building it, we were worried about 60,000 people!

Bayern will be reactive in the transfer market when it comes to signing a center-back. A lot will depend on what happens with Kim Min-jae. The Bavarian club is open to listening to adequate offers for the South Korean defenders. He was heavily linked with several clubs in January, but the former Napoli center-back feels settled in Munich and wants to fight for game time.

I think it's because of my father. Years before I was born, he started following Barcelona, ​​and when Messi arrived, he fell in love with him. And when I was born, he always made me watch Messi and Barcelona's matches.

Image source, Getty Images "Football obsessive." Ask people who know Steve Holland well how they would describe the former Chelsea and England coach and the same phrase is repeated. "Football is his life," a source told BBC Sport. "Whether it's Champions League, thoughts on players or something else, he has a hell of a brain when it comes to football detail."

I really like Carlos Baleba at Brighton and think he could replace Casemiro at Manchester United, Stam told TEAMtalk. I like Frenkie de Jong a lot too, but it looks as though he'll be staying at Barcelona. Manchester United need to be looking for a replacement that has good legs and the engine to run up and down the field. They also need to be very good with the ball too. Baleba can do that.

Michael Carrick may have won it all with Manchester United as a player, but he came from humble beginnings. The classy former midfielder, who played 464 times for the Red Devils in an illustrious career, was appointed as the club's interim manager until the end of the season earlier this week. But a video showing a teenaged Carrick making his way as a youth footballer in the North East highlights the remarkable journey he has been on.

Heitinga enjoyed a positive spell as interim coach of the Eredivisie giants in 2023, winning 11 of his 16 league games in charge (D2 L3), but he did not have the same success in the permanent role this season. After being appointed in May 2025, Heitinga won just five of his 11 league matches (D5 L1), averaging just 1.82 points per game before getting sacked in November.

During my time at Juventus, the number of foreign players allowed went up from two to three, Laudrup tells FourFourTwo when asked how his move to Barcelona came about. Platini retired, Ian Rush came in, and then one season later they also signed Rui Barros and Oleksandr Zavarov. That made four, and since I'd been there the longest, I thought that I'd be the one they'd let go. I was a little disappointed, but PSV were interested and had just won the European Cup.

Barcelona are said to be one of several clubs interested in Ajax winger Mika Godts who has caught the eye this season with the Eredivisie giants. Reports in Belgium say that Barcelona, Arsenal, Napoli, and Roma are all keen on the youngster ahead of the summer transfer window. Godts is believed to be valued at around €15 million, although Ajax would only really consider a sale for a higher price, and seem to be braced for offers this summer.

Barcelona are continuing to push forward with their long-term recruitment strategy, and another young name has now emerged as a priority. According to SPORT, the Catalan club is moving closer to finalising a deal for highly rated Dutch defender Ruud Nijstad. The pursuit of Nijstad, who currently plays for FC Twente, fits perfectly into Barcelona's recent approach in the market. Rather than focusing solely on immediate first-team reinforcements, the club has prioritised strengthening their youth structure with players who can grow into senior roles over time.

Barcelona are reportedly close to signing young Dutch defender Juwensley Onstein from Jong Genk in the January transfer window. Reporter Matteo Moretto has posted an update on X and says "an agreement between the clubs is close" and that Onstein has already given the transfer the green light. Onstein is an 18-year-old left-footed central defender who has been linked with a move to AC Milan, but it now seems that Barcelona are set to win the race for the defender.