When FIFA announced last year they were set to introduce limits on the number of players teams could send out on loan, unsurprisingly many people s first thoughts turned to Chelsea.

At the time, the Blues had a remarkable 28 players at other clubs, though this was by no means a recent trend; in 2018-19, that figure was 41.

The hoarding of talent might be a solid ploy when looking to stunt the growth of a rival team or generate long-term revenue on Football Manager, but in the real world it was a practice that had long attracted criticism.

While by no means the only club in the world to have lots of young players out on loan, Chelsea have – rightly or wrongly – arguably been the most synonymous with it.

Some feel this has directly contributed to the c…

Antonio Conte hailed Richarlison s versatility after the Brazilian opened his Tottenham account with a brace to seal a 2-0 Champions League win over Marseille on Wednesday.

Spurs took full advantage of Chancel Mbemba s red card as Richarlison twice headed past Pau Lopez inside the final 15 minutes, ensuring Conte s men won their opening match in a Champions League campaign for only the second time.

Richarlison became the 39th Brazilian to score on his debut in the competition, the most of any nation, but is the first Brazilian since Oscar in September 2012 to net a brace on his Champions League bow.

The 25-year-old joined from Everton in a £60million deal in July and Conte believes his display was a perfect demonstration of why they signed him.

First of…

Barcelona are interested in signing Bernardo Silva from Manchester City, according to . The report has claimed that defending Premier League champions City will hold talks with Portugal international Silva in the coming weeks to understand if he wants to stay at the Etihad Stadium for the long term. La Liga giants Barcelona are looking to take advantage of the situation and bring the 28-year-old to Camp Nou.

Silva, who can operate as an attacking midfielder or as a winger, has been on the books of City since 2017 and has been superb for Pep Guardiola’s side over the years. The 28-year-old has won the Premier League title four times, the FA Cup once, and the EFL Cup on four occasions with City so far in his career.

It is very unlikely that City will sell one of their b…

Xeka s first-half thunderbolt proved the difference as Lille secured the Trophee des Champions for the first time, in the process ending Paris Saint-Germain s eight-year domination of the competition.

The Lille midfielder was teed up by Burak Yilmaz before blasting in from long range on the stroke of half-time, with PSG unable to make their possession count from there on in.

The story of the final could have been different, however, had Abdou Diallo taken the best second-half opportunity, failing to convert a headed effort from inside the six-yard area with just Leo Jardim to beat.

After dethroning the capital side as Ligue 1 champions last campaign, Jocelyn Gourvennec s side have now collected the first piece of silverware of France s domestic season, with the s…

Aston Villa are in advanced negotiations to sign Ross Barkley from Luton Town this summer, according to several sources. Villa boss Unai Emery is believed to be keen on having the experienced midfielder in his ranks, and Barkley is also keen on the move.

Barkley has already played for Aston Villa, spending the 2020/21 season there on loan from Chelsea. He returned to Stamford Bridge for the following season, until his contract was terminated in 2022. He joined OGC Nice as a free agent, and last summer he moved back to the Premier League to sign for Luton.

In 2023/24, the 30-year-old scored five goals and produced six assists in 37 matches across all competitions, but his presence couldn t help Rob Edwards team remain in the English top flight as they finished 18th, six …

Ronald Koeman has hit back at suggestions Lionel Messi is not working hard enough for Barcelona following criticism of his efforts against Dynamo Kiev.

Messi scored a penalty to help the Catalan giants to a 2-1 victory at Camp Nou on Wednesday, a result that left them three points clear at the top of Champions League Group G.

A clip of the Argentina star failing to press the Dynamo defenders in second-half injury time went viral after the match, though, as viewers called the forward s work rate into question.

Messi had more shots (six) and created more chances (four) than any other player in the match, but he also lost possession more frequently than anyone else (20 times) without once winning it back.

His form has been scrutinised ever since he failed to…

Spain began Euro 2020 with a frustrating 0-0 draw against Sweden as their lack of cutting edge in attack was borne out.

Luis Enrique s side enjoyed long spells of possession a staggering 85% and had the best of the chances, in the Group E encounter in Seville, but could not find a winner.

Alvaro Morata was guilty of squandering Spain s best opportunity when he fired wide with just Robin Olsen to beat.

An obdurate Sweden side executed their tactical plan to stifle Spain superbly and did threaten at the other end with Alexander Isak hitting the post.

17 Spain had 17 shots in tonight s draw against Sweden, their highest tally in a major tournament game (European Championships + World Cup) without scoring since having 25 attempts against Switzerland in a grou…

Tottenham Hotspur are interested in signing Jobe Bellingham from Sunderland in the summer transfer window, according to . Spurs are on the hunt for a new midfielder, and one of their top targets is Bellingham, who is the younger brother of Real Madrid and England international star Jude Bellingham.

Jobe Bellingham is one of the best young players in the lower leagues in England and has done well for Sunderland. The 18-year-old has been on the books of the Black Cats since the summer of 2023 when he joined from Birmingham City. The teenager, who can also operate as a forward, scored seven goals and gave one assist in 43 starts and two substitute appearances in the Championship last season.

TEAMtalk has claimed Crystal Palace and Brentford are also keen on Bellingham, but…

Sergio Aguero is staying positive as the Barcelona striker waits to discover if he will be forced to retire due to a heart problem.

Reports from Catalonia emerged on Friday suggesting Aguero may have to bring an early end to his playing career because of an irregular heartbeat.

The Argentina international first experienced chest pain in Barca s draw with Alaves on October 30, which the club later confirmed was down to a heart arrhythmia.

After undergoing tests, Aguero – who has started just two games for the LaLiga giants since arriving on a free transfer from Manchester City – was ruled out for three months.

Catalunya Radio reported the problem is worse than first feared and Aguero may have to hang up his boots at the age of 33.

However, the …

Veteran Italy midfielder Marco Verratti has signed for Qatari side Al-Arabi, ending his 11-year stay at Paris St Germain.

Verratti, who turns 31 in November, signed for PSG from Serie B outfit Pescara during the summer of 2012.

The midfielder went on to win the Ligue 1 title nine times while also helping the French club reach the final of the interrupted 2019–20 Champions League, where they were beaten by Bayern Munich.

— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English)

Verratti, part of Italy’s successful Euro 2020 side, had also been linked with a potential move to Saudi Arabia, with his transfer fee to Al-Arabi reported to be in the region of 45million euro (£38.6m).

“I’ve been very proud to play for Paris Saint-Germain for over a decad…