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Arsenal have taken the lead in the bid to sign England's regular starter in the midfield. Declan Rice has reportedly opted for the Gunners to leave West Ham.

In recent years, all the Premier League giants have tried to land the Hammers star, but in the end it was Arteta's side who would have been the ones to take the lead.

'The Guardian' is the one who claims that the Gunners have taken the lead for Declan Rice. The player looks favourably on the project that Mikel Arteta has built.

The London team is the solid Premier League leader, five points ahead of Manchester City, and with an eye-catching and effective game in front of goal.

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The figure that frames Erling Haaland's breakthrough in the Premier League so far: 21 goals in 15 games. It seems obvious that he is going to break all the records in front of goal in the English top flight, but, taking a closer look at the figures of all the top scorers of this century in the league, a conclusion emerges: the Norwegian will not only surpass them, but he smash them.

The Nordic striker made headlines this week for featuring on the new digital cover of 'GQ Hype'. At the event, he made a statement on football: "I will do everything in my power to be a key player and win trophies".

"My goal is for us to win the Champions League, I hope," he added. He also used the current Ballon d'Or as a reference: "At Benzema's age, I hope to be a better footballer than I am now".

"I think for me the most important thing in life is sleep - not just a lot of sleep, but good sleep," he said of his method for performing well.

Barcelona are continuing to analyse the futures of the players in their squad before the January transfer window closes. Xavi Hernandez has made it clear on more than one occasion that they do not want to let anybody leave if no substitute arrives.

However, several names are on the table for players who could leave the Catalan capital. The first of those is Kessie, who has been included in a possible swap deal with Inter Milan for Brozovic. Nevertheless, the Ivorian has expressed his desire to continue.

The same goes for Bellerin, whose contract expires in June and, at least in January, he is not thinking of packing his bags. In addition, the defender has always prioritised staying in La Liga since he left Betis, according to 'Mundo Deportivo'.

Two different cases are those of Eric Garcia and Raphinha. Both have lost protagonism in Xavi Hernandez's plans and Barcelona have even thought about possibly selling them. However, neither the central defender nor the winger would be happy to leave the club, 'Mundo Deportivo' reports.

Cristiano Ronaldo will have the opportunity to face Leo Messi once again. The Portuguese striker signed for Al Nassr and, due to an agreement with PSG, will have to face the Argentinean star in the friendly match of the stars of the Saudi League. It will be the last time, perhaps, that CR7 will face the '10'.

On Tuesday, it was officially announced that the Portuguese star will wear the captain's armband against the Parisians in next Thursday's clash.

Turki Alalshikh, Almeria's Saudi president, was responsible for naming Cristiano Ronaldo as captain of the Saudi All-Star team. The clash will be a hugely expected occasion to witness the Portuguese's debut.

As for PSG, who have yet to confirm their squad list, Leo Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe are likely to lead the front-line for the reigning French champions.

The last time Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi met on the same pitch was on 8th December 2020. Barcelona and Juventus faced each other at the Camp Nou for the last matchday of the Champions League group stage and the duel fell on the side of the Portuguese.

Juve won 3-0 and the Madeira-born star was the MVP of the match for the brace he scored in the 13th and 56th minute, both from penalties.

The Portuguese striker returned the favour for Ancelotti's side a few weeks after Cristiano Ronaldo trained at Real Madrid's training complex. Madrid trained at the Al Nassr stadium after beating Valencia in the Spanish Super Cup semi-finals. Ronaldo was seen a little and carefully because he did not want to draw attention to himself.

According to 'The Athletic', the Al Nassr player peeked out at times to watch Carlo Ancelotti's team in training or to smile in front of a photograph.

His former club's squad were there because they are preparing for the Spanish Super Cup final, which is being held in Saudi Arabia. Barcelona will face Madrid in a grand final.

Real Madrid fans were very pleased to see Ronaldo attentive to Real Madrid's training as it is the team where he had the best performances of his career.

The last '9' to excel at Stamford Bridge was Diego Costa and it has been six years since his departure. Since then, neither Alvaro Morata, nor Romelu Lukaku, nor Timo Werner, nor Tammy Abraham, nor Gonzalo Higuain, nor Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, nor Kai Havertz have managed to break a curse that Joao Felix is now facing: the '9' curse.

This is how their own fans refer to the failure of Chelsea's new-look strikers to excel, a problem that has been made worse in the last season, with Havertz having scored four Premier League goals, Aubameyang one and Raheem Sterling just four.

This makes the London side a poor attacking side, with 20 goals in 17 games, half as many as Arsenal and 25 fewer than Manchester City. In three meetings in three months, the Cityzens have beaten them in all three games, scoring seven goals and conceding none.

The Blues are far from being able to fight for the Permier League title, and in addition to their goal drought, they have lost their defensive efficiency, the hallmark of Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea, who won the Champions League in 2021.

A youthful United side featured eight changes as Erik ten Hag had one eye on Saturday's derby against Manchester City at Old Trafford. One of those retained in the starting line-up from Friday's 3-1 win over Everton, Antony, made the breakthrough with a sumptuous strike on 21 minutes.

Charlton were roared on by a travelling support of 9,000 and the third-tier side kept the tie alive despite Ten Hag introducing Casemiro, Rashford and Christian Eriksen off the bench for the final half hour. Rashford finally made the game safe for the hosts in the 90th minute, scoring for the eighth straight game at Old Trafford.

The England international then took his tally for the season to 15 with a thumping finish from Casemiro's pass deep into stoppage time. Newcastle are into the semi-finals of the League Cup for the first time since 1976. Eddie Howe's men are trying to end a 54-year wait for silverware on Tyneside.

The Magpies swept Leicester aside in a recent 3-0 win at the King Power in the Premier League and only a lack of ruthlessness from the hosts kept the Foxes in the game for an hour at St. James' Park. Bruno Guimaraes, Sean Longstaff and Callum Wilson were guilty of passing up big chances before half-time.

Instead, it was the unlikely figure of Dan Burn who opened the scoring. The giant left-back slotted home coolly with his right foot. Joelinton quickly doubled Newcastle's lead with a calm finish from Miguel Almiron's pass to leave the home fans dreaming of a visit to Wembley next month.

Manchester City remain favourites for the competition they have won four times in the last five years with Pep Guardiola's men in quarter-final action away to Southampton on Wednesday. Nottingham Forest host Wolves in the other last eight tie.

Both sides started the game nervously, not wanting to attack too much through fear of being caught out on the break. This resulted in a cagey opening forty-five, and Arsenal being disappointed to go in at still 0-0.

Oxford did well to remain solid in defense for the first period, but the London side still did not put enough chances their way to deal with. The home fans would have hoped for a more entertaining start to this one.

Mohamed Elneny's header opened the floodgates at the Kassam Stadium after the Premier League leaders failed to make the breakthrough for over an hour. Nketiah then sealed the win by taking his tally to four goals in as many games since the World Cup break. But victory could have come at a cost for the Gunners as Bukayo Saka limped off in the closing stages.

Mikel Arteta named a strong side featuring his preferred front three in the absence of the injured Gabriel Jesus as Saka and Gabriel Martinelli flanked Nketiah in attack. Arsenal were dominant in possession before the break but struggled to create any clear-cut chances and were further frustrated by the decision not to award a penalty for handball when Elliott Moore blocked Albert Sambi Lokonga's effort.

Fabio Vieira was one of those not commonly in Arteta's starting line-up given a chance to shine and the Portuguese made his mark after the break with two assists. The former Porto midfielder's inviting free-kick was headed in powerfully by Elneny for the Egyptian's first goal since 2021. Nketiah then continued to make the most of his prolonged run in the side following Jesus' injury. The all-time top goalscorer for England's under-21s coolly rounded Edward McGinty from Vieira's through ball to roll into an empty net.

Saka was then replaced after receiving treatment in concerning scenes for Arsenal, but there was some solace in the return of Emile Smith Rowe for the first time since September. Nketiah added his second of the night with another cheeky finish as he dinked the ball over McGinty from Martinelli's pass 14 minutes from time. A much tougher test awaits in the next round when the Premier League's top two will go head-to-head at the Etihad on the last weekend of January.

international football wilderness to qualify for two European Championships, reaching the semi-finals of Euro 2016, and a first World Cup since 1958.

The Los Angeles FC forward, who previously played for Southampton, Tottenham and Real Madrid, made his final competitive appearance during Wales' World Cup group stage fixture with England on November 29th.

"After careful and thoughtful consideration, I announce my immediate retirement from club and international football," Bale posted in a message on social media.

"I feel incredibly fortunate to have realised my dream of playing the sport I love. It has truly given me some of the best moments of my life. The highest of highs over 17 seasons, that will be impossible to replicate, no matter what the next chapter has in store for me."

Bale started his career at Southampton but made his name in the Premier League at Tottenham, before moving, for a then world record fee of £85 million, to Real Madrid, where he won five Champions League titles.

The forward joined Los Angeles FC in June 2022 and went on to win the MLS Cup in his short stint in the United States. "From my very first touch at Southampton to my last with LAFC and everything in between, shaped a club career that I have an immense pride and gratitude for," he said.

He added: "To show my gratitude to all of those that have played their part along this journey, feels like an impossibility. I feel indebted to many people for helping to change my life and shape my career in a way I couldn't have ever dreamed of when I first started out at nine years old."

Bale scored from the penalty spot in his country's 1-1 draw with USA in Qatar but defeats to Iran and England meant Wales bowed out in the group stage. He said after their exit from the World Cup that he would keep going for "as long as I'm wanted" but the Cardiff-born attacker has now decided to hang up his boots.

'Hardest' decision'
Bale issued a separate statement to his "Welsh family", saying his decision to retire from international football had been "by far the hardest of my career". "My journey on the international stage is one that has changed not only my life but who I am," he said.

"The fortune of being Welsh and being selected to play for and captain Wales, has given me something incomparable to anything else I've experienced. I am honoured and humbled to have been able to play a part in the history of this incredible country, to have felt the support and passion of the red wall, and together have been to unexpected and amazing places."

LAFC paid tribute to their star forward. "We want to thank Gareth for everything he brought to our club," LAFC co-president and general manager John Thorrington said. "He arrived here with a goal to win championships in LA and, like he has done everywhere else in his career, he succeeded.

"It was an honour to have one of the most talented, dynamic and exciting players of his generation finish his career with a title for LAFC."

Tottenham tweeted: "Congratulations on an incredible career."

The Portuguese superstar, 37, unveiled to thousands of Al Nassr fans in Riyadh last week, is by far the most famous player to sign for a club in Saudi or any other Gulf country. The oil-rich kingdom, along with Egypt and Greece, is bidding to host world football's 2030 showpiece tournament, and Ronaldo's ambassadorial role will bring his reported earnings in the country to over €400 million.

"Ronaldo will be paid more than €200 million for the deal," said the source, with knowledge of the deal but who requested anonymity. "He will be an ambassador for the Saudi World Cup 2030 bid for another 200 million." The arrival of the former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus player came just weeks after neighbouring Qatar became the first Arab nation to host the World Cup.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner, who has also won the Champions League five times and holds that tournament's goal-scoring record, is expected to make his Al Nassr debut on January 22. The deal was backed by senior royals who support Al Nassr, including Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman - widely known as "MBS" - the source said.

'International spotlight'
"MBS (and his brothers) Naif, Turki and Rakan, the sons of King Salman, are all honorary members of Al Nassr since before their father even become the crown prince," the source said. "They wanted to grant their beloved club supremacy and put it in the international spotlight. The best way was to bring the best player in the world." The deal has been financed by the conservative kingdom's sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the source added.

"Al Nassr and the other Saudi clubs don't have this huge fund for such a big deal. It's PIF that secured the payment," the source said. Recently the PIF has undertaken other high-profile sporting ventures, including the purchase of a majority stake in English Premier League club Newcastle United. It has also bankrolled the lucrative LIV Golf League, which has split the elite golf world by luring away top stars from the US PGA Tour and DP World Tour.

According to another source close to Al Nassr, it was the princes who put the surprise Ronaldo deal in motion. "It's MBS's brothers who suggested and sought to seal the deal at any price," he said. "They are all Al Nassr fans and they wanted to prove their team really is the International," the source added, referring to Al Nassr's nickname. Al Nassr have nine Saudi league titles but have never won the Asian Champions League, unlike four-time winners Al Hilal and Al Ittihad, who have lifted the trophy twice.

Paris Saint-Germain want to spread their wings outside of France. Qatar Sport Investment (QSI), who own the Parisian side, are looking to buy Tottenham.

'CBS Sports' explained that they have already had a first meeting between PSG and QSI boss Nasser Al-Khelaïfi and Tottenham owner Daniel Levy.

This is not the first time that QSI have been interested in buying an English club. Leeds United already rejected their bids and they are now going for Tottenham, after making contact with them.

The possible purchase of the London side does not mean that QSI will stop funding PSG, however. In fact, Al-Khelaifi made it clear that they still have "a lot of things to do" at the Parisian side.

Not only do QSI have the majority of shares in the French club, but they also have 23% of Sporting Braga's. Therefore, Tottenham would be their third investment.

Their idea is to copy the model which the City Football Group did, with it being based on buying clubs all over the world which are used as a gateway to the main on, Manchester City.

The City Football Group own Manchester City, New York City, Melbourne City, Yokohama Marinos, Montevideo City Torque, Girona, Sichuan Jiuniu, Mumbai City, Lommek, Troyes, Palermo and Bolivar.

Qatar-owned PSG will travel to Doha on January 17th before moving on to the Saudi capital for the match at the King Fahd Stadium which will see Messi and Ronaldo renew their rivalry. Messi returned to training with PSG last week after being given a fortnight off following Argentina's World Cup triumph in Qatar in December.

Meanwhile Ronaldo, who will turn 38 in February, recently joined Al Nassr after agreeing a contract that runs until 2025 and is reportedly worth more than 200 million euros. His arrival at Al Nassr, who are coached by Frenchman Rudi Garcia, comes as Saudi Arabia seeks to improve the profile of football in the country ahead of a possible joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup along with Greece and Egypt.

Ronaldo and Messi have dominated the sport over the last 15 years, winning the Ballon d'Or 12 times between them. Their rivalry grew during nine years in which they came up against each other in Spain, when Messi was starring for Barcelona and Ronaldo for Real Madrid.

Riyadh clubs Al Hilal and Al Nassr are Saudi Arabia's two most successful sides. PSG have made a habit of travelling to Qatar in winter since the Gulf state bought the club in 2011. However, this trip comes despite the Ligue 1 leaders having a French Cup tie scheduled for the weekend of January 21st and 22nd against lower-league opponents yet to be determined.

Real Madrid and Man City are the teams who, right now, are reportedly interested in Bellingham. The pair are thinking about fighting for the Dortmund midfielder.

Dortmund are accepting that that he could leave and they want to make sure they get big money for him if he leaves.

'The Sun' reports that Dortmund will ask for around 100 million pounds for him. And they will demand that the payment is made up front. Paying in instalments will not be permitted.

The newspàper says that Dortmund are trying to scare off the multiple suitors. They believe that clubs might forget about Bellingham with these latest demands.

Real Madrid are insisting on bringing Bellingham to the Bernabeu however possible. The club are thinking about a future with him at the club, but they do not want to get into bidding wars. 100 million pounds is the maximum Real Madrid are willig to spend on his signing. Man City will not make it easyu though and will get their chequebook out if needed.

Whether he leaves Dortmund or not, the Englshman's name is going to be one of the most talked about of the summer. Many teams want him for the 2023-24 season and everything seems to indicate that this summer could see him leave for good.

Given this panorama, Dortmund have had no other option than to start to look for a possible successor. Kudus of Ajax could well be his replacement.

Without any doubt, the transfer saga involving Real Madrid and Kylian Mbappe was one of the most important in the world of football in 2022. When the Frenchman was about to sign for Real Madrid, he decided that it was a good moment to renew with PSG until 2025.

From that moment on, Real Madrid fans said that he would not join Madrid while Florentino Perez remained as president. After renewing at PSG, Mbappe became an emblem of the club and even in Qatar at the World Cup, However, he missed out on the World Cup to Lionel Messi's Argentina.

After penning a new deal, rumours emerged that Mbappe's relationship with Neymar and Messi was not the best and that he wanted to leave. However, Mbappe still has a contract at the club and has already made it clear that he is happy at the French champions.

As for Real Madrid, they are short of strikers and only have Karim Benzema as a number 9 so they still have eyes on Mbappe. That said, it seems like there will not be much transfer activity at the Santiago Bernabeu in January.

Everything seems to suggest that activity will take place next summer. Transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano told 'AMP' that Mbappe could move to Real Madrid after all.

"There is no news on Real Madrid signing attackers. Things will be evaluated in the summer. I would say the Mbappe saga remains alive," the journalist said. It remains to be seen whether the 24 year-old makes the move to the Spanish capital in the summer.

Real Madrid suffer an unexpected defeat against an incredible Villarreal side. Setien's side manage to take all three points at La Ceramica after beating the fourteen-time European champions 2-1.

The first half, despite being frenetic, ended surprisingly goalless. Villarreal created a multitude of dangerous chances and at times even suffocated Real Madrid, who were unable to play the ball out from the back when they recovered it due to the high pressing of the home team.

Setien's side came close to starting the game in style after Coquelin almost scored the first goal of the game just five minutes after kick-off. Alberto Moreno received on the left flank and squared the ball to the first post, where Coquelin, with a back-heel finish, hit the far post. The chances for Villarreal from then on came one after the other incessantly. Courtois was essential after denying Yeremy Pino, who failed to beat him in a one-on-one situation after Gerard Moreno fed him inside the area with a lovely pass.

Real Madrid came close to taking the lead before the break after a great chance from Vinicius. Valverde crossed from the right flank and Benzema, inside the box, headed the ball to Vinicius. Unofrtunately for 'Los Blancos', the Brazilian's finish to the near post was parried out by Reina.

Villarreal continued in the same vein in the second half. Finally, in the 47th minute came what the home team deserved so much in the first half.Gerard Moreno received the ball on the edge of the box and fed Yeremy Pino inside the box. The Villarreal player's effort to the far post was deflected by Mendy and ended into the net.

However, Madrid did not throw in the towel and managed to equalise the match with a goal from the penalty spot by Benzema after the referee blew for a handball by Foyth in the home team's box.

When it looked like it was all joy for 'Los Blancos', just two minutes later, the referee blew for another penalty but this time in the opponent's area. The ball hit Alaba's hand and this time it was Gerard Moreno who scored from 12 yards. Ancelotti's team gave their all to try to tie the game until the last minute but it was not enough to beat Reina a second time.

Barcelona announced their squad for Sunday's match minutes before Xavi Hernandez came out to the press room to talk about the game against Atletico Madrid.

There are no surprises. Jordi Alba and Robert Lewandowski are the only major absentees. Both will have to serve their suspensions imposed in the last few days.

The full-back will only miss the game against Atletico Madrid due to his sending-off against Espanyol, while the striker will not be able to play again in La Liga until next February.

Pedri is back after the Copa del Rey match. Xavi decided to rest him against Intercity, and it almost paid off with the elimination of the 'Cules'.

The squad-list is made up of: Ter Stegen, Bellerin, Araujo, Busquets, Dembele, Pedri, Ansu Fati, Ferran, Inaki Pena, Memphis, Christensen, Marcos Alonso, Kessie, Sergi Roberto, De Jong, Raphinha, Kounde, Eric Garcia, Balde, Gavi, Pablo Torre and Arnau Tenas.

Barcelona know that they have to secure a signing in the winter transfer window or, failing that, in the summer transfer window. And this would be none other than that of a defensive midfielder, as Sergio Busquets finishes his contract on 30th June and seems to be convinced that he wants to leave.

That's why the club have started the search for a suitable replacement for the 2010 World Cup winner at South Africa 2010. One of them is Ruben Neves, whose contract expires in 2024 and whose price could drop in the next transfer window.

However, 'Marca' revealed that there is an internal debate within Barca about the Portuguese. Joan Laporta is in favour of signing him, as he has a great relationship with his agent, Jorge Mendes, and he knows the economic limits of the club.

On the other hand, the aforementioned source assured that the sporting management with Xavi Hernandez at the head is in favour of other players such as Martin Zubimendi or even Kante. The problem for the Spaniard is that he recently renewed his contract with Real Sociedad and his clause is 60 million.

The Egara coach sees that it will not be easy to sign this player due to the club's problems with the 'Financial Fair Play'. If he cannot come, the coach would try to convince Busquets to stay for another season, although his intention is to leave for the United States.

Josko Gvardiol is one of those players with a great potential, and the World Cup in Qatar has helped him to be on everyone's lips. The Croatian centre-back can choose his next destination.

A few weeks ago he showed his affection for Real Madrid. Now, in 'RDL Danas', he has changed teams and praised Liverpool, managed by Jurgen Klopp.

"My dream club? That would definitely be Liverpool. Ever since I was little, I've watched a lot of their games with my dad," said the Croatian national team defender.

Gvardiol knows that he has several top clubs waiting for his decision, but he will not leave RB Leipzig in the winter transfer window, but in the summer.

"I hope to spend these six months with RB Leipzig. Nobody has offered me anything. But I'm not in a hurry, we have time, let other clubs approach and we'll see," he said.

The defender almost went to Chelsea last summer: "It was close to happening, but RB Leipzig kept me. Chelsea didn't give up," said Gvardiol.

Cristiano Ronaldo made a big impact in the winter transfer window. The Portuguese footballer decided to leave Manchester United and was unveiled as the new player of Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr, where he became the highest paid player in the world.

The 37-year-old striker gave his first personal interview on Arabian soil and revealed the reasons that led him to accept the offer from the Saudi team, where he will not be able to make his official debut for a few days yet.

"It feels great to be here, of course.... Being at Al Nassr is an honour. I'm looking forward to making my people and myself happy. I'm very happy to be here," began the former Manchester United player.

And in the same vein, he added: "The most important thing is the present, to enjoy, to win for the team. I also want to help the country develop as it deserves and I am here to be part of the new generation.

Finally, Cristiano revealed why he decided to play in Saudi football: "The league has a huge potential, there are incredible players. It's a very competitive competition, that's why I'm here.

Pep Guardiola's men were well below par in the first half but were transformed after the break, with substitutes Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez combining for the only goal, scored by the Algerian in the 63rd minute. Graham Potter's Chelsea came into game languishing in 10th place in the table and were expected to face a searching examination from second-placed City but they had the better of the first half.

Chelsea, however, were up against it from the opening minutes, with forward Raheem Sterling forced off after suffering an apparent hamstring injury, replaced by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Potter was also without a string of senior players including Mason Mount, Reece James, Ben Chilwell and N'Golo Kante.

The game at Stamford Bridge was scrappy in the initial stages, with the visitors dominating possession but creating little of note. Chelsea were first to threaten, in the 16th minute, but City defender John Stones came to the rescue as Christian Pulisic bore down on goal, producing a perfectly timed sliding tackle to deny the US forward.

The American was injured in the challenge and was forced off minutes later, compounding Chelsea's problems. Teenager Carney Chukwuemeka, who came on for Pulisic, almost made an instant impact, but his shot was blocked and Hakim Ziyech's effort was saved by City goalkeeper Ederson. Erling Haaland, who has one more Premier League goal this season - 21, than the entire Chelsea side, smashed a shot wide in the 38th minute.

The 37-year-old, who won the Ballon d'Or five times and whose great rivalry with Lionel Messi dominated world football for well over a decade, will be paraded at his new club's Mrsool Park stadium after jetting in with his entourage late on Monday.

Ronaldo signed his estimated 200 million euros deal to June 2025 just weeks after his departure from Manchester United, following a TV interview where he slammed the club and coach Erik ten Hag.

Al Nassr, the nine-time Saudi league champions, represent a downgrade for the Portuguese forward who spearheaded title-laden campaigns with United, Real Madrid and Juventus.

Oil-rich monarchy Saudi Arabia, which has been snapping up sports assets as part of a drive to soften its austere image, is often accused of "sportswashing", or using sport to distract attention from human rights controversies.

"See you soon, Nassr fans," Ronaldo said on the plane, in a video posted on Al Nassr's Instagram account.

Ronaldo arrives just weeks after the World Cup in neighbouring Qatar, and as Saudi Arabia considers a joint Asia-Africa-Europe bid to host football's biggest tournament with Egypt and Greece.

Thousands of fans are expected to pack the 25,000-capacity Mrsool Park after the club received more than 130,000 requests for tickets for the unveiling, priced at 15 riyals ($4) with revenues going to charity.

- 'Welcome Ronaldo' -

On a cool, wet day in the desert country's capital, billboards saying "Hala (welcome) Ronaldo", and picturing the player in Al Nassr's blue-and-yellow kit, decorated major routes.

Police cars and checkpoints guarded the airport when Ronaldo arrived in the late evening before being taken to a five-star hotel in the city centre.

"He brought a big team of assistants and even a private security firm," said a club official who asked to remain anonymous.

Excitement is high over the arrival of Ronaldo, the most high-profile player to come to Saudi Arabia, the Gulf or any country in the Asian confederation.

Fans queued down the street to buy Ronaldo's Al Nassr shirt, with his trademark number seven, and Al Nassr's Instagram page gained millions of new followers after his signing was made public.

"Asia has never seen anything like this," said a column in United Arab Emirates newspaper 'Gulf News'.

"Wherever he goes, he is guaranteed attention and if just 10 percent of his followers take an interest in his latest move the Saudi Pro League will become one of the most watched in world football," it added.

It comes against the backdrop of a Saudi push into sports including golf, boxing, tennis and F1 as well as football, following the takeover of English Premier League club Newcastle United last year.

Saudi Arabia, led by de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman -- Ronaldo's contemporary at 37 -- will host upcoming editions of the Asian Games and Asian Winter Games, as well as football's men's and women's Asian Cups.

Hosting the Olympics is an "ultimate goal", its sports minister told AFP in August, while Saudi is also mulling its joint bid for the 2030 World Cup, officials have said.

Cristiano Ronaldo is going to arrive in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyad, on Monday at around 20:00 GMT, to be presented as an Al Nassr player, who managed to convince him to join last week with an astronomical offer.

The Portuguese international will travel on a private jet from Madrid, where he is at the moment, to Saudi soil before immediately going to a hotel to sleep for the night.

His presentation will be this Tuesday in front of 30,000 fans at Al Nassr's Mrsool Park stadium, after doing the medical and getting the international permit which allows him to play at his new side.

His debut with the Saudi club could be on the 5th January, when they are at home to Al-Tai Football Club, in the 12th Matchday of the Saudi League.

Cristiano signed a contract for two and a half years, until 2025, and will earn €200 million per year.

A manic start to Premier League matchday 19, as The Bees valiantly hold on for victory against a spirited yet frustrated Liverpool side. This victory propells Brentford up to seventh, and ends Liverpool's impressive win streak and form before today's proceedings.

Brentford on top in first period
Liverpool enjoyed the lion's share of possession in the first forty-five, as they pressed Raya's goal early doors. The London club remained calm, however, and resolutly stuck to their tactic of catching the Northerners out on the break. This worked a treat for the first period, as Brentford were getting a lot of cheap corners off of hopeful crosses. This relentlessness was soon rewarded, as Frank's side found themselves ahead after Liverpool's defender Konate was unlucky enough to put one into his own net off a cross to the near post escaped Ben Mee's reach.

This was soon added to six minutes later, but the finish from the goal-mouth scramble which followed the corner was eventually ruled out for offside by the linesman - his eagle eyes noticing Wissa standing in Alisson's net before he mopped up the loose ball. The man from the Democratic Republic of Congo might have added to his tally later, when he calmly sliced a half-volley home after smartly chesting down the cross. Unfortunately for the home fans, this one was soon was chalked off too, this time due to Mee blocking Alisson's line of sight.

First-half protagonist Wissa had not finished there however, as his determination to get on the scoresheet eventually paid off. He finally found the net after neatly finishing off a high cross, clinically punting home the header past the Brazilian Alisson, who was left uncapable to do anything to stop it. The Brentford striker would have been disappointed to go into the break with just the one goal to his name, as he could have had a hat-trick in the first half if it were not for VAR spoiling his party.

Second-half domination from Liverpool
Klopp decided enough was enough, bringing on the calvary at half-time. These changes hurt Brentford at the core and brought about immediate mayhem, with Liverpol putting the ball back into the net with barely 46 minutes on the clock courtesy of their Uruguayan talisman Darwin Nunez. His relief of breaking his current dry spell in front of goal was fittingly short-lived nevertheless, as VAR once again intervened to wipe off his strike due to a milimetrically tight offiside call, much to the visiting fans' dispair.

There was no time to breathe for Brentford, however, as they were soon under the cosh once again, this time after English duo Trent Alexander-Arnold and Oxlade-Chamberlain paired up to get the ex-Southampton man on the scoresheet, and to breathe new life into the Reds. As we have come to know over recent years from this Liverpool side, they relentlessly continued for their second of the game, which was ultimately in vain, as they failed to capitalise off their unparalleled pressure.

Just as the visiting side were getting more and more frsutrated, Brentford added to their woes, doing what they did best throughout the whole game, and once again pouncing on the counter. This time it was Mbeumo who got amongst it, after a long ball was picked up by the forward, before he turned Liverpool centre-back Konate inside-out, finishing off the move by calmly slotting it past Raya.

This result leaves Brentford within spitting distance of Liverpool as they climb to 7th place. Klopp's side remain two points ahead in 6th. Next up for the London club is a tricky tie against West Ham in the cup, while Liverpool face Wolves.

Real Madrid have several players in their squad who could leave as free agents after June 2023.

Modric, Mariano, Benzema, Ceballos and Asensio are among the 'candidates' to leave the Spanish club. Nevertheless, the renewal of the France and Croatia internationals is expected.

However, there are other players who are expected to leave the team. Marco Asensio is one of them as Carlo Ancelotti is not counting on him.

For that reason, Manchester United could take advantage of his situation. According to 'The Sun', Asensio could be the striker they are looking for at Old Trafford.

Mbappe was back in action 10 days after scoring a hat-trick in the final but then seeing the South Americans win in a penalty shootout. PSG had Neymar sent off for two yellow cards as the Brazilian made an unhappy return to action following his country's elimination in the World Cup quarter-finals.

Captain Marquinhos had put the hosts ahead with an early header but the Brazilian defender scored an own goal after 51 minutes as some of PSG's stars appeared to be suffering a post-Qatar hangover. Neymar picked up a yellow for a petulant flick in the face of a Strasbourg player and then earned another for a blatant dive in the penalty area just after the hour.

Mbappe had been a constant menace for PSG but was unable to find the target with two clear-cut chances. But deep into second-half injury time he was brought down in the penalty area and converted the winner from the spot in the 96th minute.

After the game, Mbappe said of the World Cup defeat: "I think I'm never going to get over it," he added.

Argentina superstar Lionel Messi was absent from the PSG lineup after his World Cup-winning exploits. The victory put PSG eight points ahead of Lens, who must beat Nice on Thursday to keep up. PSG also announced that their 30-year-old Italian midfielder Marco Verratti has extended his stay at the club until 2026.

In other games, Lille beat 10-man Clermont 2-0 thanks to an Angel Gomes penalty and a late settler from Mohamed Bayo deep in time added on. Lyon thrashed Brest 4-2 away from home as they push for the European places.

Jordan Pickford is having a great season with Everton. As a result, several clubs are keeping an eye on the goalkeeper. In addition, his great performances during the World Cup in Qatar increased the rumours of a possible departure.

According to 'Daily Mail', Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are interested in him and they will try to sign him next summer, as his current contract expires in 2024.

The price of the goalkeeper would be around 28 million euros, although it could change. Everton could let him leave for a lower amount if he completes his contract at the end of the season.

Chelsea want to sign Pickford, while Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United will be looking to replace David De Gea and Hugo Lloris.

The 23-year-old, who scored three goals at the World Cup for the Netherlands, had previously been linked with a move to Liverpool's rivals Manchester United. But the Reds have acted decisively to bolster a forward line currently depleted by injuries to Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota.

"Liverpool Football Club have reached an agreement for the transfer of Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven, subject to a work permit. The 23-year-old forward will officially become a Reds player at the start of the January transfer window after agreeing personal terms and successfully completing a medical," Liverpool said in a statement.

According to reports, Liverpool will pay an initial fee of 37 million euros with Gakpo signing a contract until 2028. In addition, Gakpo could make his Liverpool debut on Monday 2nd January against Brentford.

"I think this is a great club for me to come in and try to show what I can (do) and try to help the team to achieve more beautiful moments that they already did in the past years. I think for me personally it's also good to develop here and there's a lot of great players here who I can learn a lot of things from," Gakpo told the Liverpool website.

Erling Haaland scored another brace to lead Manchester City to a 3-1 win over Leeds United as the Premier League returned to action after the World Cup break in Qatar. The Norwegian striker reached 20 goals in just 14 games and became the first player in history to achieve this record in the English competition.

Haaland should have made his mark inside 45 seconds as he was denied by a fine save from Meslier when clean through. That set the tone for a first half of frustration for City as a series of glorious chances came and went. Meslier won another battle with Haaland, while two glaring misses from Jack Grealish left Guardiola with his head in his hands. In addition, Kevin De Bruyne returned in style to the Premier League after a disappointing performance in Qatar.

However, Leeds crucially failed to hold out until half-time on level terms as the visitors finally made their dominance count in first half stoppage time. Kevin De Bruyne opened up the Leeds defence for the opener and when Riyad Mahrez's shot was parried by Meslier, Rodri swept the rebound into the net. Grealish made some amends for his earlier misses by creating the second with a smart interception and unselfish pass for Haaland to roll into an empty net.

Only Rodri Hernandez was able to 'break through the wall' set up by Jesse Marsch when the referee was a step away from whistling the end of the first half. Marsch tried to hold on to the equaliser until half-time. He almost succeeded, thanks to Jack Grealish's lack of accuracy and the performances of his goalkeeper Illan Meslier.

City scored their second early in the second half thanks to Grealish. The English winger stole a ball in midfield and took no chances to make another mistake: he passed the ball to Haaland and he added to the lead. In addition, Haaland soon teamed up with Grealish again to add the third. Nevertheless, Leeds broke the deadlock with a Pascal Struijk goal from a corner.

Leeds remain perilously poised just two points above the relegation zone, but did at least get a goal to show for their efforts when Pascal Struijk headed in from a corner 17 minutes from time. Haaland did at least spare the home side his fourth Premier League hat-trick with an uncharacteristically weak finish with just Meslier to beat once more.

At the other end Joe Gelhardt's curling effort was inches away from setting up a grandstand finish. But a two-goal margin of victory was the very least City's display deserved as they leapfrogged Newcastle into second in the table.

Guardiola's team won this match and they are now 2nd in the Premier League while Leeds United are 15th on 15 points.

Prime Video released on Wednesday 28th December 'FC Barcelona, a new era', the docuseries - five episodes of 30 minutes each - that uncovers the ins and outs of the last two years at the Catalan giants.

One of the chapters talks about Quique Setien, who left the Camp Nou through the back door after a complicated few months and the historic 2-8 defeat by Bayern Munich in a Champions League marked by COVID-19.

One of the things that most affected him, apart from football, was his poor relationship with the squad. In particular, the documentary shows one of the clashes he had with the team captains, Messi, Pique and Jordi Alba.

"Do we always have to wait for you or what?" asked Setien angrily at the start of a training session to which these players arrived late. It seems, from the Cantabrian coach's reaction, that this was a regular occurrence.

Jordi Alba replied: "Leo, 'Gery' and I are sometimes late, but that won't happen." However, the tension was already evident from a veteran coach, but new to the top flight, with the main captains of a Barcelona side that, at that moment, was in a poor form.

Victor Font, former candidate for the presidency of FC Barcelona, does not bury the hatchet after confronting Joan Laporta in the fight to be the chief of the club. The businessman from Granollers was very critical of how Messi's departure and the financial levers were handled.

"Barca have not lived up to the historical dimension of Messi's figure. Hopefully we will be able to put things into perspective and make a proper analysis of everything," he said.

On this occasion, he was not going to stop there and expanded his statements: "And let the conclusions also help us to understand that, also in the world of emotions, goodwill, barbecues and determination are not enough.

Finally, 'La Vanguardia' decided to ask about another of the controversial points of his mandate. "The misnamed financial levers have been closed without a plan, in a hurry, and do not help the club's assets to grow," he said.

With the return of the Premier League, English clubs are getting down to work to speed up a number of operations that have been left on the back burner. Arsenal are planning to deal with several renewals in the squad.

According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Gunners are looking to make a triple renewal. The aim is to extend the contracts of the following players: Martinelli, Saka and Saliba.

In the case of the Brazilian, negotiations are very well underway and in the final stages. In this sense, the announcement could be made soon, as he was approached by teams such as Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona. For the moment, his contract expires in June 2024.

The London team's priorities also include Bukayo Saka and William Saliba. In fact, the England international is one of Spanish coach Mikel Arteta's favourites to partner Martinelli in attack.

The best young player at the World Cup in Qatar is a target for half of several sides in Europe. Enzo Fernandez can easily join a big club, but in the last few hours, still with the hangover of Argentina's victory, he has made some statements to reassure the Benfica fans.

"I don't know anything about offers or proposals. It's my agent who deals with these matters," explained Enzo, who has interest from Real Madrid and Liverpool on the table. Barcelona are also keeping an eye on his future, but do not have the financial resources to carry out the operation.

Everything suggests that in January big offers will arrive at Benfica for the 'Albiceleste' midfielder, but Enzo does not want to talk "anything about the subject" and is "focused" on rejoining Benfica's ranks to resume the competition.

"I don't want to say anything about it. I'm focused on Benfica, we have a game on Friday," he said, referring to the important clash against Sporting Braga.

His time at the World Cup has been spectacular and he has been revalued at an extraordinary level. He started as a substitute in the defeat against Saudi Arabia, but soon, like Julian Alvarez, he convinced Lionel Scaloni to partner Messi in the 'Albiceleste' starting eleven.

Benfica will demand at least 120 million euros to let him leave. Real Madrid have made a major bid for Endrick, who will join in 2024 when he comes of age, while Liverpool have just signed another World Cup sensation, Dutchman Gakpo.