Erling Haaland
January 2026
City beat Newcastle comfortably to reach the final vs Arsenal, but some fans targeted Haaland after he started on the bench and remains on a poor scoring run (one goal in eight games). City protected a 2-0 first-leg advantage, then extended the tie with a Marmoush brace and a Reijnders goal. Haaland came on in the second half but did not score.
JJ Gabriel
January 2026
Carrick invited 15-year-old attacker Gabriel into first-team training twice, alongside other academy promotions, reinforcing his fast-rising status as a standout prospect. He first trained on a reduced-number day, then again with the full squad. The report highlights Gabriel’s “Kid Messi” viral profile, Nike boot deal, and Under-18 output (11 goals in 16 games), including a hat-trick vs Liverpool and an FA Youth Cup goal at Old Trafford.
Harvey Elliott
January 2026
Elliott’s loan at Villa cannot be terminated early because Liverpool would not waive the required termination fee and Villa would not pay it, leaving him unable to return and effectively sidelined. The loan reportedly lacks a standard unilateral recall clause; ending it required Villa to pay a cancellation fee. With no compromise, Elliott remains at a club where he is not being used, reportedly to avoid triggering a mandatory £35m clause.
Didier Deschamps
January 2026
Deschamps rejected criticism focused on Mbappe’s running metrics, saying he will not cover “11 kilometres per match” but can still be a true captain and decisive match-winner. He framed it as a tactical trade-off: you do not demand high-volume defensive running that drains the explosiveness Mbappe needs in the final third.
Scott McTominay
January 2026
Napoli’s Giammarioli said he is worried about keeping McTominay long-term and suggested the midfielder “deserves” a future move to a higher level, highlighting Serie A’s financial disadvantage against the Premier League. He argued that when huge offers arrive and the player wants to go, Italian clubs struggle to resist, using Newcastle’s cited big-money deal for Woltemade as an example of market pressure.
Martin Ødegaard
January 2026
Odegaard was a surprise omission from Arsenal’s squad against Chelsea and was not even on the bench. Arteta said he had picked up an untimely knock before kickoff, forcing a reshuffle. Eze started in the No.10 role, with Arsenal opting not to risk Odegaard after the late issue emerged.
Paul Merson
January 2026
Merson tore into Chelsea’s display after they lost 1-0 at the Emirates and went out 4-2 on aggregate, saying they “never had a go” and exited “with a whimper.” Havertz scored late to settle the tie. Chelsea created little, tested Kepa rarely, and posted modest chance creation (0.68 xG cited). Merson argued they should have taken risks to chase the final rather than drifting through the game.
Bukayo Saka
January 2026
Saka pulled out of Arsenal’s starting XI after picking up a groin issue in the warm-up at Elland Road. He is expected to miss the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg against Chelsea, but Arsenal believe the injury is not serious and he could return soon. Arteta said Saka felt a niggle in the warm-up, improved the next day, and Arsenal will monitor how he responds before deciding if he can feature “tomorrow or the weekend.”
N’Golo Kanté
January 2026
Fenerbahce blamed Al-Ittihad for the collapse of a deadline-day swap involving Kante and En-Nesyri, saying an incorrect entry in FIFA’s Transfer Matching System prevented completion. The Turkish club says both players were agreed and medicals were done. In a statement, Fenerbahce said it uploaded documents correctly, sought an extension and held discussions with FIFA, but the Saudi club failed to finish the process without explanation. The club promised to continue squad restructuring and acknowledged supporter disappointment.
Alejandro Garnacho
January 2026
Gary Neville said Garnacho looked drained of confidence for Chelsea against West Ham and called his first half horrible, after he was substituted at halftime with Chelsea 2-0 down. Garnacho has struggled for output since joining. Neville pointed to repeated turnovers, backward first touches and defensive tracking failures on Chelsea’s left, where Wan-Bissaka overlapped freely. He said the shape change after the substitution transformed the match as Chelsea rallied to win 3-2.
