Manchester City have firmly rejected claims that Erling Haaland will join Real Madrid this summer, threatening legal action over the unauthorised use of the striker’s image.
Speculation arose after Real Madrid presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme used the Norwegian international’s likeness during his election campaign.
The challenger incorrectly claimed the forward possessed a release clause that would facilitate an imminent move to the Spanish capital.
“He has a release clause and would like to join Real Madrid. If I become president, he will play for Real Madrid,” Riquelme stated.
Camp dismisses Spanish speculation
However, these assertions have been swiftly dismantled by both the Premier League champions and the player’s representatives.
A joint statement from the attacker’s father, Alf-Inge, and agent Rafaela Pimenta dismissed the political campaigning as entirely fictitious.
“All very entertaining but not true. We wish all the best for both candidates in the Real Madrid elections,” they clarified.
The Etihad club further escalated the situation by confirming there is no contractual mechanism allowing such a transfer.
Perez retains presidency with alternative targets
Riquelme ultimately lost the election to incumbent Florentino Perez, who subsequently secured his 17th consecutive year in power at the Bernabeu.
Perez immediately distanced the La Liga giants from the former Borussia Dortmund star, outlining alternative recruitment plans for the upcoming window.
“We’re going to make a significant offer, at least around €150m. He needs to be a player from midfield who can go forward, and it’s not Haaland,” Perez confirmed.
Despite the immediate future of the prolific goalscorer remaining in Manchester, long-term speculation continues to surround his eventual career path.
Long-term future remains a talking point
The Scandinavian forward has enjoyed a sensational spell in English football, maintaining a staggering scoring rate that averages a goal every 85 minutes.
Such remarkable consistency has kept Europe’s elite clubs on high alert, with Barcelona also reportedly monitoring his situation.
Borussia Dortmund president Hans Joachim Watzke, who oversaw the 24-year-old’s development in Germany, recently weighed in on the ongoing debate.
“I know very well what Haaland thinks, and I can say that a move to Madrid will happen in the future,” Watzke told Marca.
The Football Association will withhold the cheapest tier of tickets for England’s 2026 World Cup matches until the day before kick-off to prevent them from being sold at inflated prices on secondary markets.
Thomas Tuchel’s side begin their campaign against Croatia on Wednesday, backed by thousands of travelling supporters.
However, global governing body Fifa has faced heavy criticism regarding its ticketing strategy for the tournament across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Many fans have been forced to pay exorbitant sums just to secure a seat at the highly anticipated fixtures.
Combating the secondary market
To protect supporters, the English governing body has secured hundreds of entry-tier tickets priced at £45.
These affordable options will intentionally be kept off the market until 24 hours before the fixture.
The delayed release is designed to stop touts from purchasing the allocations and listing them on resale websites at a massive markup.
Fifa defends ticketing policy
Fifa maintains that United States legislation compels them to allow tickets to be resold at any price point.
The international organisers currently take a 30 per cent commission from every transaction processed through their official resale platform.
President Gianni Infantino has staunchly defended the cost of attending the finals, citing unprecedented global demand.
“If you sell it at a lower price point in this particular market it would have gone in secondary markets at much, much, much higher prices,” Gianni Infantino
The Swiss administrator argued that under-pricing tickets would simply funnel money toward black-market operators rather than reinvesting it into the sport.
Legal challenges and market comparisons
Several states across the US have launched legal investigations into the ticketing procedures, but Fifa remains unconcerned.
“If we do something wrong, then probably everyone selling tickets in North America is doing something wrong as well,” Gianni Infantino
The 54-year-old president compared the surging costs to other major American sporting events, noting similar trends during the NBA Finals.
Rangers have made a formal approach to speak with Hearts manager Derek McInnes as current boss Danny Röhl nears a move to Austrian side RB Salzburg.
The Ibrox club are seeking an immediate replacement with Röhl reportedly close to succeeding Daniel Beichler in Salzburg.
Compensation terms will need to be agreed for the German coach, who currently has two years remaining on his Glasgow contract following his arrival last October.
Boston summit awaits
Discussions regarding the looming dugout vacancy are expected to accelerate in the United States over the coming days.
Rangers chairman Andrew Cavanagh and chief executive Jim Gillespie are travelling to Boston for Scotland’s World Cup opener against Haiti.
McInnes will also attend the international fixture following a close-season holiday in America, placing all key decision-makers in the same city.
Hearts chief executive Andrew McKinlay is additionally present at the tournament as part of a Scottish FA delegation.
A familiar face for Ibrox
The 54-year-old tactician previously rejected the opportunity to take charge of his former club during a managerial search in 2017.
However, his stock remains incredibly high after guiding the Edinburgh side to a second-place Premiership finish last season.
The Tynecastle outfit ultimately missed out on the league title to Celtic on the final day of a dramatic campaign.
The departing Röhl had similarly led a resurgence, taking over from Russell Martin with the team in sixth before falling just short in the title race.
Rebuild already underway
Whoever inherits the managerial reins will find a summer squad overhaul already in progress.
A newly formed recruitment hierarchy recently secured the signature of Scotland international Lawrence Shankland on a two-year deal.
The prolific striker moved to Glasgow on a free transfer after activating a release clause, having scored 20 goals across all competitions last term.
First-team players are scheduled to return for pre-season training next week, increasing the urgency for a swift appointment.
Former Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has emerged as a leading candidate to take charge of AC Milan following the dismissal of Massimiliano Allegri.
The 41-year-old has been out of football since departing Old Trafford in January after a difficult 14-month tenure.
Conversations have already taken place between the Italian side and representatives of the Portuguese tactician.
He is reportedly high on the shortlist to lead the Rossoneri into the upcoming campaign.
Milan seek rebuild after late collapse
Club hierarchy are searching for a new direction after an alarming dip in form saw them miss out on Champions League qualification.
The seven-time European champions won just three of their final 10 domestic fixtures last season.
That poor run allowed Como to dramatically snatch the final elite European spot on the last day of the campaign.
Allegri was subsequently relieved of his duties in May following the disappointing end to the season.
Alternative candidates and pre-season permutations
Amorim had previously been linked with a return to Benfica, where he spent six years as a player, but those rumours have been downplayed.
The former Sporting CP boss is not the only high-profile name associated with the San Siro vacancy.
United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino and former Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner are also under consideration.
However, Ralf Rangnick has ruled himself out of the running by extending his contract with the Austrian national team until 2028.
Should the highly-rated tactician secure the Milan job, his first major test could come against a familiar foe.
The Italian outfit are scheduled to face Manchester United in a Polish pre-season friendly on 15 August.
Fulham have opened negotiations with former Liverpool defender Alvaro Arbeloa to replace outgoing manager Marco Silva ahead of the new Premier League season.
The Portuguese tactician has chosen to end his five-year tenure at Craven Cottage to take charge of Benfica.
This managerial vacancy arose after the Lisbon giants lost Jose Mourinho to Real Madrid, triggering a reshuffle of head coaches across Europe.
Real Madrid pedigree
The 43-year-old Spaniard recently concluded a stint as interim boss at the Santiago Bernabeu.
He stepped into the senior dugout midway through last season to succeed Xabi Alonso, who subsequently accepted the Chelsea job.
While the former full-back has emerged as a prime candidate for the west London club, sources indicate that discussions remain at an early stage.
Premier League experience
Arbeloa is no stranger to English football following playing spells with both Liverpool and West Ham United.
However, his entire coaching journey to date has been spent within the Spanish capital.
He successfully progressed through the youth ranks before earning his recent taste of first-team management.
The Cottagers, who secured a respectable 11th-placed finish in the top flight last term, are eager to ensure a smooth dugout transition.
Alternative targets explored
Prior to approaching the former Spanish international, the club hierarchy held preliminary discussions with Kieran McKenna.
A potential move for the highly-rated coach stalled over an £8m release clause in his contract at Ipswich Town.
He has since departed Portman Road entirely, announcing his intention to take a sabbatical to spend time with his family.
Veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has come out of international retirement to start for Germany in their 2026 World Cup opener against Curacao following a shock recall by manager Julian Nagelsmann.
The 40-year-old initially stepped away from the national team following the conclusion of Euro 2024.
However, excellent club form persuaded the Bayern Munich stopper to make himself available for international selection once again.
The European nation head into this tournament desperate to improve upon consecutive group-stage eliminations at the previous two World Cups.
Baumann displaced by returning star
Oliver Baumann had established himself as the national team’s first-choice option during the recent absence of the 2014 world champion.
The displaced goalkeeper handled the demotion honestly, admitting the news was frustrating while maintaining his unwavering commitment to the squad.
A recent calf injury sustained by the returning legend allowed Baumann to impress during two recent warm-up fixtures.
Despite those strong performances, Nagelsmann confirmed his preferred veteran will line up between the posts against Curacao.
Support from former champions
Long-time teammate Thomas Muller publicly questioned the communication surrounding the controversial managerial decision.
However, the experienced forward conceded that recalling the former Schalke academy graduate made perfect sense from a sporting perspective.
The imposing keeper recently signed a club contract extension after shining in a Champions League semi-final against Paris St-Germain.
Benedikt Howedes, who lifted the world title alongside the legendary shot-stopper in Brazil 12 years ago, backed the selection entirely.
“I would say Manuel Neuer is still the best goalkeeper in the world, and of course still in Germany.”
Howedes stated that a player of such elite calibre simply has to feature for the national side if available.
The former defender also highlighted the immense psychological boost that the commanding presence provides to his defensive colleagues.
Video Assistant Referee protocols were incorrectly applied during the United States’ World Cup match against Paraguay when referee Danny Makkelie reversed a yellow card to punish a dive.
The Dutch official initially cautioned American captain Tim Ream for a foul early in the second half.
Spanish VAR Carlos del Cerro Grande intervened and sent the on-field referee to the pitchside monitor to review the incident.
Replays clearly showed that Paraguay forward Miguel Almiron had simulated contact to win a free-kick.
The initial booking was rescinded, and the South American attacker was shown a yellow card instead.
Right outcome, wrong application
Fans and pundits widely praised the apparent use of the tweaked ‘mistaken identity’ rule to penalise simulation.
Well-placed sources have since informed BBC Sport that this specific application breached International Football Association Board (Ifab) guidelines.
The regulations state that mistaken identity can only be used when an official clearly penalises the wrong player for a committed offence.
Current rules do not permit the video assistant to review the offence itself to determine if a dive occurred.
World governing body Fifa has yet to officially clarify the procedural error.
Pundits debate technological limits
The incident highlights ongoing confusion surrounding new regulations introduced for the expanded 2026 tournament.
Former England international Danny Murphy commended the on-field outcome despite the breach in protocol.
Good spot and the right decision I may add. Any adaptation of the rules that means diving gets punished is good.Danny Murphy
Ex-defender Phil Jagielka echoed these sentiments but questioned the practical limits of the current technology.
It’s hard for the referees to get every decision correct. If something like that does happen, where there’s obviously not been contact and it’s been simulated and the referee has fallen for it, why not reverse it?Phil Jagielka
The former Everton centre-back warned that marginal contact situations remain a significant grey area for match officials.
What happens if I touch you a tiny bit and then you dive? You can’t reverse it, because I’ve touched you, even though my touch hasn’t made you collapse.Phil Jagielka
The expanded competition continues with a relentless schedule of up to six matches per day.
Premier League champions Arsenal are preparing a €100m move to sign Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz this summer as Mikel Arteta looks to strengthen his squad.
The Gunners secured the domestic title last season and narrowly missed out on Champions League glory.
Manager Mikel Arteta has now identified the left-wing position as a crucial area for further reinforcement.
The Spanish coach reportedly considers the Turkish international to be his primary transfer target.
Gunners plan major investment
Securing the highly-rated attacker will require significant financial resources.
The 21-year-old recently signed a new lucrative contract with the Serie A giants, placing them in a strong negotiating position.
Reports suggest the North London club are willing to sanction a massive €100m bid to bring the forward to the Emirates Stadium.
Should the pursuit fail, Arsenal have reportedly identified Christos Tzolis as an alternative option.
Stellar season in Turin
The exciting talent enjoyed a breakthrough campaign in Italy, registering 11 goals and 10 assists across all competitions.
Those impressive performances helped to elevate the young attacker into a vital role for the Old Lady during a challenging domestic season.
His form has been highly praised by prominent figures within the Italian game.
“He’s an alien, not a normal footballer. Every now and then he does something wrong just to see if he can fit into normality, but he can’t.”
That glowing assessment from Luciano Spalletti highlights exactly why Europe’s elite clubs are circling.
International duty delays talks
Advanced negotiations remain on hold while the coveted attacker represents Türkiye at the World Cup.
The newly crowned English champions possess the financial capability to conclude the deal once the tournament ends.
Arteta is also closely monitoring the striker market amid growing speculation regarding Gabriel Jesus’ future at the club.