Premier League
Mbappé’s Real Madrid Rift and the Six Clubs Linked as Potential Options
Mbappé says he is “fourth-choice”, deepening a Real Madrid rift and prompting transfer speculation..
Kylian Mbappé’s recent public comments have intensified speculation about his future at Real Madrid. The forward declared he is “fourth-choice” at the club and suggested the team lost its playing style and structure in the second half of the season. He also referred to his “great relationship” with Xabi Alonso.
After two seasons at the Bernabéu, Mbappé remains a complex figure at a club that long pursued him under Florentino Pérez. He is on course for back-to-back Pichichi trophies as La Liga’s top scorer, but he has yet to secure a major team honor for Madrid. The player’s goals have not erased questions around chemistry with the other attacking stars.
Tensions escalated this month following a controversial trip to Italy with his girlfriend Ester Expósito and reports of a training-ground bust-up with a member of Arbeloa’s coaching staff. On Thursday night he was substituted on in the second half to boos and whistles, and an online petition demanding his sale has gathered millions of signatures.
If Real Madrid were to consider a departure, six clubs have been suggested as plausible destinations in recent coverage. Paris Saint-Germain featured in that list after a previous long pursuit and a contract episode that made him the world’s highest-paid player. He left PSG two years later; PSG have since reached back-to-back Champions League finals and that era appears closed.
Liverpool was long touted as an option. The club will need attacking reinforcement with Mohamed Salah departing, and Hugo Ekitiké is unavailable while recovering from an Achilles injury. The finances required for Mbappé would likely be prohibitive for the 2024–25 Premier League champions, who spent heavily last summer and have other areas to address.
Manchester City could potentially absorb the wages but would need to break their transfer record and may prioritise midfield options. A swap involving Erling Haaland was mentioned as one possible structure. Chelsea could become more attractive should they appoint Xabi Alonso as manager; Mbappé and Alonso had a good relationship at the Bernabéu and Mbappé stayed ‘Team Xabi’ in the locker-room split. Chelsea’s finances are described as precarious, although co-owner Todd Boehly is viewed as opportunistic. London life may appeal more to Mbappé, but a lack of Champions League football would be a deterrent.
Feyenoord
Wirtz Says Salah’s Post Was ‘Honest’ as Liverpool Aim to Finish Strong
Florian Wirtz said: “Mo has known the club for a long time now,” and defended Salah’s post and more.
Florian Wirtz moved to calm a growing story around Mohamed Salah’s social media criticism of Liverpool’s style by explaining why he and several teammates felt comfortable publicly supporting the post. His remarks underline a dressing-room view at odds with how the episode was played up outside the club.
Salah wrote: “I want to see Liverpool go back to being the heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear and back to being a team that wins trophies,” Salah wrote. “That is the football I know how to play and that is the identity that needs to be recovered and kept for good. It cannot be negotiable and everyone that joins this club should adapt to it.”
Slot declined to comment on the post and would not confirm whether Salah would be involved in the season finale against Brentford on Sunday. Wirtz, though, offered a softer reading.
“Mo has known the club for a long time now,” Wirtz told The Athletic. “He’s just an honest guy. He says what he thinks. This should be O.K. If you want to speak, you should be able to speak. Of course, it was a bit of a difficult season for all of us, including Mo. In my opinion, it got made bigger than it was. I don’t think he attacked anyone.”
Pressed on why so many players had ‘liked’ Salah’s Instagram post, Wirtz said: “With the ‘likes’ players gave, I think it was made too big. For me, it was just a thing that he wanted to say because he’s leaving. He wanted to make everyone in the club alert that we have to work more and do better.
“We are all anything but happy with this season. I think we can still make a little bit out of it by qualifying for the Champions League on Sunday. We have to do that. Then in the summer, we need to clear our heads and attack next season, because we have a very good squad and we can do much better.”
Wirtz also rejected the idea of internal division: “The outside world is always trying to create something between the team and the manager,” Wirtz added. “But it’s totally different in this building. We are working well every day with this manager and his staff. There is no thought about not being behind the manager. This is just something [talked about] on the outside.”
Reports in the media have repeatedly debated Arne Slot’s future, but substantial coverage has concluded he will remain. Liverpool are reportedly set to reunite Slot with his former set-piece coach Etiënne Reijnen, who has told colleagues at Feyenoord he will join ahead of the 2026–27 season. Reijnen, who played alongside Slot at PEC Zwolle and later coached at Feyenoord, helped his side concede just 17 goals from dead balls across three seasons, the best record in the division. Only PSV have scored more from set pieces over the same period.
Man City
Nico O’Reilly confirmed as 2025/26 Premier League Young Player of the Season
Nico O’Reilly is the 2025/26 Premier League Young Player of the Season after an influential campaign
Nico O’Reilly has been named the Premier League Young Player of the Season, becoming the seventh recipient of the award. The Manchester City starlet finished ahead of teammate Rayan Cherki and Manchester United prospect Kobbie Mainoo to claim the honour.
“I’m very proud to have won this award,” O’Reilly enthused after fighting off some tough competition. “After my first appearances in senior football last season, I knew this year I could have the opportunity to play more and help the team as much as possible if I worked hard.
“To get so many minutes and earn the trust of the manager and my teammates has been the greatest achievement in my career so far. I am so grateful to my family and everyone at City because this wouldn’t have been possible without them.”
O’Reilly’s campaign was notable for a standout performance away from the Premier League. The youngster scored twice in the Carabao Cup final as Man City beat Arsenal at Wembley. Those displays contributed to his inclusion in England’s 2026 World Cup squad.
Winners since the award’s introduction:
2019–20: Trent Alexander-Arnold — Liverpool
2020–21: Phil Foden — Man City
2021–22: Phil Foden — Man City
2022–23: Erling Haaland — Man City
2023–24: Cole Palmer — Chelsea
2024–25: Ryan Gravenberch — Liverpool
2025–26: Nico O’Reilly — Man City
The Young Player of the Season prize began in 2019–20, with Trent Alexander-Arnold the inaugural winner after helping Liverpool to their first ever Premier League title with four goals and 13 assists. Manchester City players have taken several of the subsequent awards. Phil Foden won back-to-back prizes in 2020–21 and 2021–22 before being aged out of contention. Erling Haaland then won during City’s treble-winning campaign courtesy of his 36-goal return in the Premier League.
Arsenal
Tuchel’s England Midfield: Surprises, Omissions and the Case for Selected Creators
Tuchel’s World Cup midfield choices split opinion, notable omissions and intriguing inclusions. 2026
Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad announcement has prompted sharp debate over England’s midfield composition. The depth of options is clear, but several high-profile omissions and a handful of trusted inclusions have defined the list.
Cole Palmer is the absence attracting most attention. Once considered a near-certain pick for North America, an injury-hit start to the 2025–26 campaign interrupted his rhythm. He never fully recovered amid the chaos at Stamford Bridge and has been brutally axed by ex-Blues boss Tuchel.
Nottingham Forest talisman Morgan Gibbs-White was also left out despite a remarkable goalscoring campaign; the 26-year-old appeared to have hit form at the perfect time. Manchester City’s Phil Foden is another notable absentee. Deeper in midfield, Adam Wharton’s omission surprised many after another fine season at Crystal Palace. Strong campaigns from Bournemouth’s Alex Scott and Everton’s James Garner likewise went unrewarded.
Conor Gallagher and Curtis Jones, who have featured in previous squads, were judged not convincing enough this time. James Maddison never stood a chance after missing almost the entirety of the term through injury.
Jordan Henderson’s selection has drawn widespread ire. The 35-year-old is not even a guaranteed starter for Brentford, yet Tuchel has included him for his off-field character and leadership. “He’s unlikely to see too much game time, but he’s a valuable presence in the dressing room.” Whether that presence justifies a place is open to debate.
Among those who did make the cut, Kobbie Mainoo’s technical ability and progressive ball-carrying mark him out as a valuable midfield option after his Euro 2024 breakthrough. Ruben Amorim’s handling of the Manchester United youngster briefly threatened his place, but Michael Carrick’s subsequent reinvigoration returned him to consideration.
Eberechi Eze, typically deployed on the left wing for England but by trade an attacking midfielder, and Aston Villa’s Morgan Rogers, a powerful and direct attacking option, offer distinct profiles. Elliot Anderson’s early England impact suggested he can bridge defence and attack, providing the kind of transitional mettle England may need at a major tournament.
