January 4 – Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham is the most valuable player in world football at €267.5 million according to the latest report by the CIES Football Observatory. Manchester City’s Erling Haaland ranks second at €251.2 million and Vinicius rounding out the top three.
January 4 – Mohamed Salah’s future looks to have swung in favour of staying with Liverpool, with the 31-year-old reportedly leaning towards signing a new contract at the Merseyside club. The Egyptian’s current contract at Anfield runs out in the summer of 2025.
January 4 – One of Japan’s most important players at the forthcoming Asian Cup, Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu, wants the tournament shifted to the end of the domestic season in Europe.
January 4 – Roberto Mancini has named his first squad for a major championship opting for a blend of youth and tried and tested experience in a Saudi Arabian squad that is drawn entirely from the Saudi Pro League.
January 4 – Croatian Ivan Leko has become the new manager of Belgian club Standard Liège, a day after the club revealed another €20 million loss in its accounts for the 2022/23 season.
January 4 – Carlo Ancelotti has confirmed his commitment to Real Madrid after signing a contract extension, thwarting the Confederation of Brazilian Football’s plans to hire him as national team coach.
June 4 – Bulgaria’s Levski Sofia have successfully concluded negotiations with the country’s National Revenue Agency (NRA) to reschedule debt owed to the state over the next three years.
January 4 – Adidas and Arsenal have relaunched the ‘No More Red’ campaign, which will see the Gunners step out in all-white strips, drained of the club’s traditional red, to spread awareness to young people about the dangers of knife crime.
January 4 – Generation adidas International, owned by sport development tour business inspiresport (part of the Destination Sport group), has agreed a multi-year extension of its adidas partnership, but as part of the deal will be dropping ‘adidas’ from its company name.
January 3 – Spanish World Cup-winning star Jenni Hermoso told a judge on Tuesday that the kiss forced on her by disgraced former Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales was “at no point consensual” and that she had come under pressure to defend his actions.
January 3 – Belgian club Standard Liège have posted more than €20 million in losses for the 2022-23 season, bringing further damages to its finances and threatening the club’s future.
January 3 – In a warm-up match for the Asian Cup that was as much about symbolism as football, Hong Kong beat China for the first time in nearly 30 years in a friendly in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
January 3 – Newcastle United’s pursuit of Kalvin Phillips could be in doubt after the club said they are ‘determined’ not to be too reactive to recent injury issues that have corresponded with a slump in form. The change of heart over Phillips has firmly placed French Champions PSG in the front seat to sign the Manchester City midfielder after expressing keen interest this week.
January 3 – The CIES Football Observatory has ranked 270 players to watch with England and Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham (pictured) leading the pack in a report focussed on young and developing players born in 2003 or later.
January 3 – Japan have called up Brighton and Hove Albion standout forward Kaoru Mitoma for their Asian Cup squad despite Mitoma currently being sidelined by injury.