Soccer

4:00 AM ET Tor-Kristian Karlsen In April, I looked at the next generation of male football stars — the top talents, aged 21 or under, who have shown the promise and ability to become the next household names. While the 39 players on that list were already reasonably established at their clubs, there are also

9:25 AM ET Sid LoweSpain writer Here’s a little game everyone can play, which is ironic really, because it’s the games not everyone can play that brings it to mind. Of all the managers at Spain‘s first division LaLiga clubs, who do you think is currently the best player? If you stuck them in their

4:00 AM ET Real Madrid want to pair Kylian Mbappe with Erling Haaland in a forward line that would be the envy of world football — ESPN’s Insider Notebook has the latest. PLUS: Arsenal have plans to replace Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Jump to: Arsenal’s list of Auba replacements | City goodwill towards Barca in Torres deal

6:42 PM ET Rob DawsonCorrespondent MANCHESTER, England — “That’s more like it,” said the presenter as he opened MUTV’s half-time coverage of Burnley‘s visit to Old Trafford on Thursday, and you could almost hear the relief spill out of the TVs dotted around the stadium. The past 12 months have been a tough sell for

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5:09 AM ET Barcelona have just nine first-team players available for Sunday’s trip to Mallorca after confirming that Sergino Dest, Abde Ezzalzouli and Philippe Coutinho have tested positive for COVID-19. A total of 10 players have now been ruled out this weekend with the virus as they isolate at their homes, per LaLiga protocols. Ousmane

5:59 PM ET LONDON — Even when Manchester City fail to hit the heights we have come to expect of Pep Guardiola’s team, they still end up basking on the sunny side of the street. The Premier League champions laboured to a 1-0 win at Brentford on Wednesday, yet they ended the day having stretched

5:17 PM ET Adam Brown Jorginho and Chelsea saw a potential win over Brighton slip through their hands. Robin Jones/Getty Images A win on Tuesday was vital for Chelsea as they looked to keep pace in the Premier League title race, and they looked to have sealed a victory before a late goal saw them drop

2:11 PM ET For the first time since he took the job at Chelsea last January, Thomas Tuchel is looking for answers. He didn’t get the ones he wanted from the Premier League, who declined the club’s request to postpone their eventual 0-0 draw with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Dec. 19 after a fresh outbreak of

5:18 PM ET Harry Kettle Liverpool were left licking their wounds and wondering what could’ve been on Tuesday as they fell to a 1-0 Premier League loss against Leicester City. Jurgen Klopp’s men were all over Brenden Rodgers’ stubborn Foxes for long spells of the game, but after a collection of misses, it always felt

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8:33 AM ET Barcelona have completed the signing of winger Ferran Torres from Manchester City, it was announced on Tuesday. Sources told ESPN that Barca were nearing a €55 million ($62m) deal for Torres, with the move now completed. – Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only)– Don’t have ESPN? Get instant access Manchester

5:02 PM ET NEWCASTLE, England — Ralf Rangnick now knows the true magnitude of the job he has taken on as interim manager at Manchester United. When he wasn’t shaking his head on the touchline during a dismal 1-1 draw at Newcastle on Monday, Rangnick was rubbing his forehead in frustration. The only positive for

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7:00 AM ET The January transfer window opens across Europe in just a matter of days (find out when for each league here) and for some players the chance to relaunch their career elsewhere can’t come quickly enough. 2 Related With the COVID-19 pandemic inflicting long-term damage on the finances of clubs throughout the game,

3:21 PM ET Rob DawsonCorrespondent Man City’s attacking power is no surprise, but their brief collapse vs. Leicester showed the weaknesses that give the chasing pack hope. James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images MANCHESTER, England — For the first 25 minutes at the Etihad Stadium on Boxing Day, Manchester City showed why they’re favourites to win the

2:58 PM ET Nick JuddTransfer writer Callum Hudson-Odoi celebrates after setting up a Chelsea goal for Romelu Lukaku. Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images The introduction of Romelu Lukaku proved pivotal as Chelsea won 3-1 away to Aston Villa on Boxing Day, Thomas Tuchel’s side getting the victory after dominating possession for long spells throughout the second

5:05 AM ET Tottenham Hotspur boss Antonio Conte has labelled Thursday’s meeting between the Premier League and its managers a “waste of time” and criticised administrators for ignoring mounting concerns over the Christmas fixture schedule. All 20 head coaches held a virtual meeting to discuss player welfare and fixture congestion as English football battles on