Bournemouth
Guardiola: Haaland Operating at Messi and Ronaldo Level After Bournemouth Victory
Guardiola says Haaland is playing at Messi and Ronaldo level after scoring his 17th in 13 games. EPL
Pep Guardiola declared Erling Haaland to be operating at the level of peak Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo after the Manchester City striker scored his 17th goal of the season in 13 appearances.
Haaland has 13 Premier League goals, the last two coming in Sunday’s 3–1 win over Bournemouth, already more than half of his final tally of 22 from last season with 28 league matches still to play. City’s next top scorer in the Premier League this term is unexpectedly Maxime Estève, who plays for Burnley and was responsible for two own goals when the teams met in September. No other City player has scored more than once in the league; Phil Foden, Rayan Cherki, Tijjani Reijnders, Matheus Nunes and Nico O’Reilly all have one goal each.
That concentration of goals has invited questions about reliance on Haaland, but Guardiola pushed back after the Bournemouth game. “The last game we played without him against Swansea and scored three goals,” he said, referring to last week’s Carabao Cup victory when the Norwegian was left out due to a minor fitness concern; he possibly would have been rested anyway.
“It’s like when you play with Messi or Ronaldo, their influence is so big,” Guardiola added. “Of course, we need the goals from Phil, Tijjani and the other ones who had the chances. You see the numbers of [Haaland]? Of course he’s that level.
“The difference is Messi and Ronaldo have done it for 15 years, but this is the level. The first goal [against Bournemouth], the way he shoots the ball, it’s like ‘I am going to score.’ He has that hunger. It’s top. I’ve said many times how incredibly coachable and manageable he is.
“I am tough sometimes with him, but he is open-minded. He lives for the goals and sometimes the pressure cannot sustain 90 minutes, but that’s normal. Without him it would be tough to be honest, but we are lucky that Omar [Marmoush] is back, and we have fit players, it’s good.”
Haaland already holds the Premier League single-season record of 36 goals from 2022–23. At his current 2025–26 rate he could exceed 40 league goals; with an average of 1.3 goals per game through 10 appearances, projections in the draft suggested he could approach 50. Historically, only nine players have reached 40 or more league goals in a season, and Dixie Dean’s 60 in 1927–28 remains the all-time mark.
Bournemouth
Michael B. Jordan becomes first Premier League owner to win an Academy Award
Michael B. Jordan, Bournemouth minority owner, became first Premier League owner with Academy Award.
Michael B. Jordan won an Academy Award in Los Angeles on Sunday night, a distinction that makes the 39-year-old actor the first Premier League owner to claim that honour, according to Front Office Sports. Jordan is a minority owner of Bournemouth and his Oscar win created an unusual crossover between film and top-flight football ownership.
Jordan joined Bournemouth’s ownership group in December 2022 via Bill Foley’s Black Knight Football Club, a multi-club consortium whose portfolio includes Ligue 1’s FC Lorient and Portuguese side Moreirense FC. The investment placed the actor inside the ownership structure of the Cherries at a time when multi-club models are becoming more prominent in the game.
Jordan has spoken publicly about his affection for the sport and his reasons for investing. “As a kid, I used to play soccer a lot,” Jordan told sports league TST last March. “Funny enough, I was the goalie because I didn’t like running a lot … I invested in Bournemouth a couple of years ago. When the opportunity presented itself, I just saw a team with a lot of upside, a lot of growth, a lot of potential, and I love their story. I love the team’s history.”
The Cherries took to social media to celebrate their minority owner’s accomplishment. The overlap of a high-profile entertainment accolade and Premier League ownership underlines the increasingly global and cross-industry nature of modern club investment.
Front Office Sports reported the milestone, noting that Jordan’s Academy Award sets a new first for owners connected to the Premier League. For Bournemouth, the association with a well-known figure from outside football has attracted attention on and off the pitch.
Bournemouth
United Add Marcus Tavernier to Left-Wing Shortlist as Summer Recruitment Continues
United have added Marcus Tavernier to a three-man left-wing shortlist ahead of the summer transfer.
Manchester United have reportedly added Bournemouth forward Marcus Tavernier to a short list of left-wing options as they consider reinforcements for next season. The move follows an acknowledged need for natural width on the left, a role that Matheus Cunha and Mason Mount have been asked to fill despite both being primarily central players.
Interim manager Michael Carrick said it is “quite possible” that United will look for a left winger ahead of next season. Reports place Tavernier alongside RB Leipzig teenager Yan Diomande and Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White on the club’s list. Gibbs-White is more of a No. 10 and has only sporadically been used on the left.
Tavernier’s versatility is a key reason he has attracted interest. This season he has started in a variety of positions, including central midfield, attacking midfield and on the right. In his two Bournemouth starts against United he has been directly involved in four goals and assists; one appearance in December 2023 saw him as a left winger in a 3–0 Cherries win, while the 4–4 draw at Old Trafford last December saw him line up in central midfield.
The 26-year-old is rated at $53.6 million (£40 million) and has produced 10 goals and assists in 26 appearances across all competitions so far this season. He remains under contract with Bournemouth until 2029, a fact that would allow the south coast club to demand a significant fee should they decide to sell. The Cherries have a recent history of cashing in on players they have developed into stars.
Top-five rivals Aston Villa are also reported to have shown interest, making enquiries during the January transfer window. United are expected to continue monitoring Tavernier before making a final choice at the end of the season, a decision that is likely to be influenced by whether Champions League qualification is achieved.
The club will weigh Tavernier’s adaptability, existing cover and the market before committing to any summer business. Dorgu, who was recruited as a defensive player after a spell as a left back at Lecce prior to a 2025 transfer, flourished higher up the pitch before his current injury layoff, a development described in some quarters as a happy accident.
Al Hilal
January window spenders: who spent big and how the market moved
January window: English clubs led the spending as Saudi and Brazil injected late-market drama. more.
The January window settled into a narrative of concentrated spending and late-market drama. English clubs combined to outspend the rest of the continent, their £390 million ($530 million) outlay dwarfing other top divisions. Meanwhile the Saudi market and Brazil’s strengthened finances injected headline moves.
Lazio were unusually active despite a prior transfer ban. The Romans replaced Taty Castellanos and Mattéo Guendouzi, who moved to West Ham United and Fenerbahçe respectively, by signing Ajax’s Kenneth Taylor for just shy of €17 million ($32 million) and adding young centre forward Petar Rakov. The fees recouped left Lazio with a net spend of -€23 million (-$27 million).
Fenerbahçe’s window pivoted around Guendouzi (€28 million) and the late acquisition of N’Golo Kanté on a free after his return from Saudi Arabia. The club banked on established midfield reinvention to challenge Galatasaray at the top.
Bournemouth again invested in youth, paying €28.5 million ($33.7 million) for Vasco de Gama prospect Rayan and also signing Golden Boy nominee Alex Tóth. Tottenham’s January activity saw Conor Gallagher arrive alongside Brazilian left back João Souza, though many supporters felt more reinforcements were needed. Sporting director Johan Lange asserted after the window that it was important the club remained disciplined amid potential temptations.
West Ham strengthened early, paying a combined €52 million ($61 million) for Castellanos and Gil Vicente’s Pablo to reshape their attack. They also added Adama Traoré for a small fee and brought in Axel Disasi on loan from Chelsea.
Atlético Madrid spent late, bringing in Ademola Lookman from Atalanta for €35 million ($41 million) and signing Elche prospect Rodrigo Mendoza as a potential long-term addition after Giacomo Raspadori’s exit.
Flamengo flexed improved finances following a strong Club World Cup showing, reporting club-record revenue of €249 million ($294 million) for the first three quarters of 2025 and setting a Brazilian transfer record by paying €41 million ($48 million) to re-sign Lucas Paquetá from West Ham.
In Saudi Arabia Karim Benzema’s move from Al Ittihad to Al Hilal coincided with Al Hilal leading Al Nassr in the title race. Cristiano Ronaldo’s fallout is believed linked to that switch; Ronaldo has gone on strike while Benzema scored a hat-trick on debut. Al Hilal also extended Rúben Neves and added Mohamed Kader Meïté, with the club labelled the “Real Madrid of Asia” by Benzema.
