Real Madrid
Mourinho’s old remarks resurface as Parrott strikes against Real Madrid
Parrott answered Mourinho’s old criticism by scoring against Real Madrid after six years.
Troy Parrott, once publicly criticised by José Mourinho at Tottenham Hotspur, ended up scoring the goal that handed the Portuguese coach his first Real Madrid defeat of his second spell.
It was a sharp twist in a story that had been building for more than six years. Mourinho’s long, combustible career has produced plenty of memorable lines, and this one returned to shadow him when Parrott delivered on the pitch.
The roots of the episode go back to March 2020, when Tottenham had no fit senior striker but did have Parrott impressing for the U-23s. The young forward had already become a favourite with supporters, who were chanting for the then-21-year-old despite his limited Premier League experience.
Mourinho dismissed that outside noise with a pointed assessment of how little some people knew about the player. “This is a world where lots of people, they don’t even know if Troy has long hair or short hair. Or is blonde or is dark,” Mourinho scoffed. “They don’t even know that and speak about: Troy, Troy, Troy, Troy, he should play. There was a guy behind me on the bench the other day: ‘Play Troy, play Troy.’ I don’t think he knows Troy.”
His criticism was aimed less at Parrott’s ability than at his attitude. “Every time he was playing with the kids, he was playing with the mentality of, ‘I shouldn’t be here’ or ‘I am too good to be here’ or ‘It’s not here that I want to play,’” the former Spurs coach said. “And this is an educational process that comes. I have no problem to say because I know that he will confirm.”
“Troy cannot go there [the under-age teams] with discontent, contempt. It is a process,” Mourinho added.
Parrott did feature against Norwich City in the FA Cup later that month, only to miss his penalty in a shootout defeat that was described as humiliating. He never played another senior match under Mourinho.
A few months later, the Republic of Ireland international joined Millwall on loan and later accepted the criticism in full. “To be fair, he’s such an experienced manager and he’s done nearly everything in the game, so if he feels like that’s right then there must be some truth in it and I had to take it on the chin,” Parrott explained.
Manchester United
United Move to Tie Down Gabriel as Madrid Circle
United have made a scholarship offer to keep JJ Gabriel, while Real Madrid remain the favourites.
Manchester United have made a fresh attempt to keep JJ Gabriel at the club, offering the teenager an official scholarship contract in a bid to prevent a free departure.
The move matters because, under Premier League youth rules, Gabriel could have left in January without a fee had United not acted. The Guardian reports that the club have now returned with a scholarship offer for next season, which means any Premier League side interested in him would have to negotiate a fee directly with United.
If no agreement is reached, the Professional Football Compensation Committee could decide the eventual package, in a process comparable to Rio Ngumoha’s move from Chelsea to Liverpool.
United would hope for more than just compensation in that scenario. Per The Guardian, the club would be aiming for a fee “in excess” of £3 million ($4 million), plus 20% of Gabriel’s next transfer fee. That would be preferable to seeing him depart for another club in Europe and leaving United with only training compensation.
Interest in Gabriel has intensified since he became available. Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are among the clubs linked, but The Guardian says the Spanish side are the “favorites” to sign him.
That would fit the pattern of a young player seeking a bigger platform, though United are still trying to keep him. The problem is that a switch away from Old Trafford now appears “unlikely” to be avoided.
Should Gabriel move to a European club, only FIFA training compensation would be due, generally around £200,000-300,000 ($265,000-397,000).
His frustration at limited first-team opportunities has been central to the situation, yet a move elsewhere would not guarantee more game time. The draft also points to examples involving Endrick, Franco Mastantuono and Yan Diomande, all of whom have found breaking into a strong side far from straightforward.
Aston Villa
Endrick’s January Options at Real Madrid, Ranked
Endrick may be heading for a January exit, with several loan options on the table.
Carlo Ancelotti summed up the issue bluntly during the international break: “The problem for Brazilian boys is that they do not improve because they do not play,”
That warning now hangs over Endrick, who has gone from being cast as the face of Brazil’s next wave to becoming a case study in the risks of a move abroad before regular first-team football is secured. The 20-year-old has found minutes hard to come by since his high-cost switch to Real Madrid in the summer of 2024, and that lack of exposure has slowed his rise from wonderkid to established attacking talent.
A productive loan spell at Lyon in the second half of 2025-26 offered a reminder of his ability. In 21 matches, he scored eight and assisted eight, while also adapting to a new role on the right flank. Yet that momentum has not carried back to Madrid. With Yan Diomande and Carlos Espí arriving, and José Mourinho now in charge, Endrick has slipped further from the picture. He has made only one substitute appearance so far this season.
Madrid declined to loan him out in the summer, but a January departure now looks increasingly likely, with multiple clubs understood to be interested in a temporary move.
A return to Lyon would make sense on footballing grounds, although he would still have to compete with Ernest Nuamah and Loïs Openda for playing time.
Real Sociedad remain a credible option after previous links over the summer. Their need is obvious, with only Athletic Club scoring fewer goals than La Real among the current top 10 in La Liga, and Mikel Oyarzabal’s form has dipped post-World Cup.
Aston Villa are another possibility. Their start to 2026-27 has been difficult after a summer rebuild, but Unai Emery’s track record offers a degree of reassurance. Endrick could help on the flanks and provide another option while also learning under one of the game’s more respected coaches.
Liverpool also enter the discussion. They signed two mostly left-sided wingers in the summer and still lack a natural right-sided choice beyond Federico Chiesa. Endrick would not be replacing Mohamed Salah, but he could offer useful depth on the wing or up front, particularly with Alexander Isak needing careful management and Hugo Ekitiké still working back to full rhythm after long-term injury.
Arsenal
International break leaves major clubs counting the cost of fresh injuries
A crowded international break brought fresh injuries for leading Premier League and European stars across several clubs.
The September and October international windows were meant to ease the strain of the autumn schedule, but they have instead added to it. Across a long list of top-level names, the break delivered fresh fitness concerns for clubs already bracing for a demanding 2026/27 campaign.
Manchester United were among the hardest hit. Before the break even began, Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo withdrew from England duty, while Benjamin Šeško also pulled out with Slovenia. Matters deepened as the window went on, with Portugal coach Jorge Jesus saying Bruno Fernandes was “playing through pain” with a “complicated” injury that ruled him out against Norway. Fernandes remained with the national side and has since recovered. Patrick Dorgu was not as fortunate, returning to Manchester after a hamstring injury with Denmark, while Noussair Mazraoui also picked up a problem in Morocco’s win over Lesotho.
Arsenal had their own worries. Declan Rice withdrew from England’s squad before matches against Spain, Croatia and Czechia, and Kai Havertz later suffered a hamstring issue while with Germany. Martin Ødegaard was also unsettled after a challenge from Portugal’s Bernardo Silva, then missed training before Norway faced Wales, although he stayed with the squad. Ezri Konsa was not training ahead of England’s meeting with Czechia and was an unused substitute in the 2–0 win, though he remained with the team.
Kylian Mbappé provided the biggest scare of the break when he appeared to suffer a knee injury for France and played only 59 minutes before leaving the squad. The positive for Real Madrid is that he appears to have avoided a major setback and is expected back for domestic action. Ibrahima Konaté also sustained a knee injury with France, described by the French Football Federation as “mild.”
Barcelona were again affected when Raphinha suffered a thigh injury in Brazil’s 4–2 win over Australia and returned to Catalonia. Eric García also withdrew after a knee issue with Spain.
Liverpool, too, had reason for concern when Alexander Isak lasted only one game for Sweden before coming back to Merseyside with a thigh issue.
