𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

New season, new Manchester City. And, if it all goes well, old Phil Foden. The best season of his career was followed by his worst. And yet, in the curiosity of a tournament that belonged fully to neither one season nor the other, there were hints he was returning towards the kind of form that saw him named Footballer of the Year. The Club World Cup may offer a long-term benefit to City if it provides a shift in momentum for Foden.

“I wouldn’t say [I was at my] absolute best but I was definitely feeling a lot sharper, I managed to score a couple of goals as well,” he said. Three, to be precise. The last was his best and 100th for City during the 4-3 defeat to Al Hilal.

The football fixture calendar is relentless, and the news cycle feels nonstop – spanning everything from results and matches to tactics, competitions, transfers, politics, global expansion, and even the geopolitics and greater forces now reshaping how the very sport is played.

In short, there’s a lot to keep up with – and to make sense of. That’s where my new newsletter Inside Football comes in.

Every Monday and Friday, Inside Football delivers insight, opinion, and the under-the-radar details you love.

Click the link below for more details and how to sign up so you don’t miss a thing this season:

Liverpool haven’t yet gone all in on signing Alexander Isak though it seems he is their priority.

The Reds want to bring in a new striker during this window and have drawn up a shortlist of options after selling Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich and accepting an offer for Darwin Nunez.

Real Madrid’s Rodrygo has been linked with them and now reports say that Bradley Barcola has been added to the list.

Barcola is a key member of PSG’s team and the French champions will not let him leave easily with the sum of £87.3m (€100m) being touted as the possible fee.

Manchester United winger Antony is still determined to return to Real Betis during this window, reports Sky.

Betis are struggling to gather the funds to make a permanent deal this summer, and Antony has attracted interest from Saudi clubs, though the Brazilian has so far refused their advances.

However, “there is a willingness from all parties to strike a deal” between Utd and the Spanish club.

United are said to value the winger at around £30m, and prefer a sale over a loan.

Jakub Kiwior and Fabio Vieira could be set to leave Arsenal this summer, with reports linking them both to moves away from the Emirates.

Kiwior is pushing to play more with Porto thought to be interested, though Arsenal rejected an offer from an unnamed club last month according to Fabrizio Romano.

And Vieira – who spent last season on loan at Porto – has been the subject of an approach from German side Stuttgart, who want to sign him on a permanent deal, according to David Ornstein.

It is though that both players could command fees in the region of £26m.

Rarely do footballers cite their club’s owner as the key reason behind a major career decision. The script often reads something about managers, teammates, fans or wider ambition – but not about the typically-silent powerbroker, their over-arching employer.

Forest’s star man didn’t simply pledge his future to the club. He pledged it to Evangelos Marinakis.

David Ornstein reports that Al Hilal have reached an agreement in principle with Liverpool for a deal for Darwin Nunez, worth €53m (£46m) plus add-ons.

The Liverpool striker is “indicating willingness to accept” the deal, with “steps needed to finalise”.

Manchester United are prepared to sell Rasmus Hojlund for £30m this summer says The Times.

The 22-year-old Dane is prepared to fight for his place though and when asked if a move away from Old Trafford was on the cards he replied: “Nothing so far.

“I think the most important (thing) for me is just to keep working hard and stay focused and then obviously we’ll see what happens.

“I think my plan is very clear and that is for me to stay and fight for my spot, whatever happens.”

AC Milan are the latest club who are said to be interested in the striker, though they would prefer an initial loan with an obligation to buy.

Liverpool have reached an agreement with Al Hilal for the sale of Darwin Nunez, reports Sky.

It is understood that the Saudi Pro League club are set to pay a fixed fee of £46.2m plus add-ons that could take the deal to over £56m.

Sky in Italy are reporting that Al Hilal have accepted Nunez’s wage demands, though it is understood that Liverpool are yet to be informed that Nunez has given his blessing for the move.

Leicester City have agreed a fee worth around £8.5m with Besiktas for Wilfred Ndidi, according to Sky.

Ndidi has attracted interest from a number of clubs in the Premier League and Europe after his buy-out clause reduced following Leicester’s relegation, but plans are now in place for Ndidi to fly to Istanbul in the next 24 hours to undergo a medical.