BBC
Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo, who will turn 41 on Thursday, is set to boycott a second match for Al-Nassr, despite posting a picture of himself training, and might ask to leave the Saudi Pro League club in June. (ESPN), external
If Ronaldo leaves Al-Nassr, his most likely move would be a return to his first club Sporting Lisbon. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external
Nottingham Forest's England international Elliot Anderson, 23, tops Manchester United's list of midfield targets, which also includes his Three Lions team-mate Adam Wharton, 21, of Crystal Palace, and Brighton's 22-year-old Cameroon player Carlos Baleba, 22. (The Athletic - subscription required, external)
Atletico Madrid are ready to move for Tottenham defender Cristian Romero, 27, following the Argentine's latest social media post appearing to criticise the club. (Sun), external
Newcastle United chief executive David Hopkinson says he has "no idea" if Sandro Tonali's agent offered the 25-year-old to Arsenal following rumours linking the Italy midfielder to the Gunners on transfer deadline day. (Talksport), external
Portugal midfielder Ruben Neves, 28, who was linked with a January move to Manchester United among other clubs, has signed a contract extension at Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal until June 2029. (Fabrizio Romano), external
Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool are interested in signing Sunderland's Netherlands goalkeeper Robin Roefs, with the club expecting offers above £50m for the 23 year-old. (Football insider), external
Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy are exploring ways to sign 33-year-old Brazil midfielder Casemiro, who will leave Manchester United this summer. (Mail - subscription required), external
France defender Dayot Upamecano, 27, is ready to sign a new deal at Bayern Munich that will keep him at the Bundesliga champions until June 2030. (Fabrizio Romano), external
Wolves have accepted Palmeiras' offer of £21.6m for Colombia winger Jhon Arias, and the 28 year-old is already discussing personal terms with the Brazilian side. (UOL - in Portuguese), external
West Ham had agreed a £27m deal for Crystal Palace striker Eddie Nketiah, 26, in the transfer window before an injury to the player ended the move. (Athletic - subscription required), external
Robbie Savage is emerging as a leading contender for the vacant Blackburn Rovers manager's job. The former Wales midfielder is understood to fit the profile the Ewood Park hierarchy are after. (Footballer Insider), external
Out-of-favour Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier has agreed personal terms for a move to Turkish side Besiktas, with the deal expected to be done in the next 48 hours. (Teamtalk)
Sky Paper Talk
FOOTBALL
Cristian Romero is back on Atletico Madrid's radar in the wake of his outburst against the Tottenham hierarchy - The Sun
Lionel Messi is being eyed for a return to boyhood club Newell's Old Boys after confirming his dream to play for the club - Daily Mirror
Crystal Palace had agreed a £27m deal in principle to sell Eddie Nketiah to West Ham United, only for injury to pull the plug on the move - The Sun
Feyenoord are among the clubs to have made contact over free agent former Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard - Daily Mail
Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has suffered another blow after his return to football. The Frenchman has been left out of Monaco's squad for the knockout stages of the Champions League - Daily Mirror
Manchester United had five of their youngsters - including striker JJ Gabriel - involved in training ahead of their clash with Tottenham on Saturday - Daily Mirror
SCOTTISH FOOTBALL
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is reportedly edging closer to agreeing a deal with Celtic - Scottish Sun
CRICKET
Lord's could host a Test match on a drop-in pitch as early as 2029 as part of a radical response to the problem of tired and lifeless surfaces at the home of cricket - Daily Mail
RUGBY UNION
ITV will show adverts during play in its Six Nations coverage, in a landmark moment for television broadcasts of sport in the UK - The Times
The off-field turmoil in Welsh rugby has taken an explosive turn after Swansea council began legal action against the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) and the Ospreys owners, Y11 Sport and Media - The Times
Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend will take over at Newcastle Red Bulls following the conclusion of his contract with the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) - Daily Telegraph
Top-end tickets for the inaugural Nations Championship final at Twickenham will cost £280 as part of a weekend billed as the "Glastonbury of Rugby" - The Guardian
WINTER OLYMPICS
Great Britain's best chance of Olympic gold at the Milano Cortina Games has suffered a big setback after a new aerodynamic racing helmet set to be used by their world-leading skeleton athletes was deemed illegal - The Times
The International Olympic Committee president, Kirsty Coventry, has given her clearest signal yet that Russia could be back for the 2028 Los Angeles Games - The Guardian
Football's lawmakers will vote later this month on whether to bring in countdowns to prevent timewasting and on the introduction of a 10-second substitute rule - Daily Mail
Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes has spoken candidly about his relationship with head coach Arne Slot - and is "absolutely convinced" that their big-money signings will pay off - Daily Mirror
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The Athletic
Pablo Fornals interview: ‘I’ve set up West Ham notifications so I don’t miss the score’
Pablo Fornals was speaking to The Athletic after scoring a late winner against Valencia at the weekend Roshane Thomas/The Athletic
By Roshane Thomas
When the TV is on in Pablo Fornals’ household, his son often has a special request which the midfielder rarely turns down.
Fornals joined Real Betis from West Ham United for £6.8million ($9.3m) in February 2024. The 29-year-old midfielder registered 23 goals in 203 appearances between 2019 and 2024 for the Premier League team. He was also part of the side which won the Conference League in 2023. Although it has been two years since the Spain international left, his deep-rooted love for West Ham has rubbed off on his family.
“It is always going to be a club we’re going to respect, love and support,” Fornals tells The Athletic from Betis’ training ground. “My family are West Ham fans now. My son, Martin, asks us to put West Ham on the TV. When I put the games on, he’s happy to watch it and is still doing the Irons sign. He’s starting to understand the teams and the games. He says we are from Betis, from Spain national team and West Ham, but West Ham is probably his favourite one.”
On December 27, Fornals and Vladimir Coufal, who joined German side Hoffenheim last summer, returned to the London Stadium for the first time since leaving. Before the 1-0 defeat by Fulham, Fornals received an ovation when he thanked fans and encouraged them to stick with head coach Nuno Espirito Santo’s side.
West Ham remain in the relegation zone and are six points adrift of Leeds United (16th) and Nottingham Forest (17th). Despite the club’s precarious league position, Fornals is hopeful of a positive outcome.
“I felt the love when I came back,” he says. “It was amazing and people still recognised me with my hair being a bit longer! It was really good to be back and beautiful speaking to the fans. When I was there, I tried to understand the history of the club and embrace the West Ham culture. Me and Vlad were there during one of the best moments for the club, so fans recognised that. We gave all we had for West Ham and they gave us all they had.
“I’m a fan so I care about how the club does. They recruited good players during the window, and have some really good players already. We had three successive wins (against Queens Park Rangers, Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland) but sadly we lost against Chelsea. It was a decent game, and although we couldn’t hold on until the end, I think West Ham can stay up. I react like every other fan when I watch the matches. I’m happy when we win but sad if it’s a defeat. When I return to the changing room after matches, I check for West Ham’s results on my phone. I’ve set up notifications so that I don’t miss them.”
Fornals is set to have a career-best season for Betis, who are led by Manuel Pellegrini, the ex-West Ham manager. The midfielder has registered six goals and assists across 31 appearances in 2025-26. His previous highest was seven goals across 50 appearances during the 2022-23 campaign.
Fornals scored the winner in Betis’ 2-1 victory over Valencia on Sunday, which lifted them to fifth in La Liga. His form led to a recall to Spain’s national team in November and he earned his seventh cap in their World Cup qualifier against Turkey.
“I received a call from national team coach (Luis de la Fuente) and it was a dream for me and for the family to be back,” says Fornals. “The last time I earned a call-up was in 2021. It was a beautiful moment being back and the game was in Seville, in our current stadium, so it was a beautiful moment for my family. Betis is always doing well but in Spain you have top players at Barcelona, Real Madrid and elsewhere, so it’s really difficult to receive a call-up.
“I’m not thinking too much about the World Cup. I’m just training and preparing myself to be as good as possible in every game. If it comes, it comes, but I’m just trying to enjoy my football. Mentally and physically, I’m finding myself really well, so I just want to keep this going. I’m starting to train a lot at home and thinking more and better about the things I do. I have some things I would like to do. Most of them are already checked and now I have to keep going on that. I’m focused on that.”
Fornals still receives an outpouring of love on social media from West Ham fans. In October 2024, a small group of supporters travelled to Warsaw for Betis’ European game against Polish side Legia Warsaw. Sixteen months on, that support has not changed.
“The other day, a Hammer travelled to Greece just to watch me,” Fornals says with a smile. “We were playing PAOK (Thessaloniki) and think he’s converted into a Betis fan, but it was nice. After the match, people from the club recorded him and asked, ‘What are you doing here?’. He said, ‘I’m following Pablo’.”
The midfielder had many highlights during his spell in east London, like his winner against AZ, his scorpion-kick goal against Bournemouth, or singing ‘I’m Forever Blowing Bubbles’ on Instagram live during Covid-19. But a particular standout moment was the synchronised celebration with Tomas Soucek, Declan Rice and Jesse Lingard against Tottenham in 2021.
“I still have that T-shirt — that’s what I wear as pyjamas to bed most nights,” says Fornals. “The backstory behind it is, it was initially a gift from a fan who reached out to me. But I loved it so much, I bought some off him so I could give it to Tomas, Dec and Jesse.
“Without West Ham, I wouldn’t be where I am now. My football career, it cannot be explained without me speaking about West Ham. I owe everything to that club.”
Before the interview ends, as Fornals continues his preparation for Betis’ Copa del Rey quarter-final against Atletico Madrid on Thursday, he uses this opportunity to send a positive message to West Ham fans.
“I know sometimes it’s tough and I know we would like to win all the games, but I just ask you all to be with the team,” he says. “Your support will help the team move from those positions. Support the guys because we’re all in this together.”
Sport Witness
West Ham want to pay €12m for midfielder – 30% clause is additional issue
By Pedro Reinert
West Ham United have made initial checks on Flamengo midfielder Evertton Araújo and continue to monitor the 22-year-old closely. This comes after Wolves were keen a few months ago.
The information comes from Brazilian journalist Leo José, writing for club insider outlet Coluna do Fla. According to the report, the Premier League club approached the player through their scouting department and placed him under closer observation.
Inside West Ham, the midfielder already has an internal valuation. The London club rate Evertton at around £10.2m (€12m). Flamengo, however, see that figure as far below their expectations. The Brazilian side believe the player has strong upside in the European market and therefore place his value significantly higher.
Flamengo’s stance is not only financial. Sporting factors also play a key role. Head coach Filipe Luís is a strong admirer of Evertton and has no intention of losing him at this stage of the season.
The midfielder is under contract until December 2028 and is considered an important part of the squad. With a demanding calendar ahead, the club have already drawn up a clear plan for his minutes across competitions.
Recent market activity supports Flamengo’s position when faced with West Ham interest. During the current window, the club rejected a £4.3m (€5m) proposal from Brazilian side Grêmio. That decision reinforced the idea that Flamengo are unwilling to negotiate under their own valuation, especially with the season already underway.
There is also an ownership detail that influences any potential deal. Local third tier side Volta Redonda hold 30% of Evertton’s economic rights, while Flamengo control the remaining 70%. This split means any future sale would require careful negotiation to satisfy all parties involved.
In addition, the relationship between the two clubs could play a role if talks advance. West Ham have sold Lucas Paquetá to Flamengo for around £35.9m (€42m), which established direct contact between the boards. That existing link could help facilitate discussions or structure a payment model, should interest turn into something more concrete.
For now, West Ham’s interest remains at an exploratory stage. The club continue to watch the situation closely, but any progress will depend on changes in valuation and on whether Flamengo soften their stance over time.