Transfer deadline day: Mateta’s Milan move off, Kalvin Phillips to Sheffield United, and more – live

⚽ Transfer interactive: deals from Europe’s top five leagues
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The centre-forward to whose leaving I refer is Jean-Philippe Mateta. You can’t argue with numbers, I don’t suppose, and he’s done a fairly good job in patches, I just can’t get on board with a striker so bad at finishing one-on-ones. If Milan are seriously prepared to give £30m for a 28-year-old, I’d say thank you very much.

In an effort to save themselves – an effort that ought, perhaps, to have been made in the summer, strengthening a team doing brilliantly to give it a chance of performing both domestically and in Europe – they’ve taken Evann Guessand on loan from Villa. I can’t say I like what I’ve seen so far, but perhaps Oliver Glasner’s system suits him more than Unai Emery’s.

Published: February 2, 2026, 5:08 pm

Alcaraz makes strong case for being the best young male player tennis has seen | Tumaini Carayol

Winning a career grand slam at 22 is confirmation the world No 1 is on a unique path and justified the decision to jettison long-time coach

There were many things that could have rushed into Carlos Alcaraz’s mind following his attainment of a goal he has chased his entire life, the career grand slam, achieved by defeating Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open.

He could have thought about the immense hard work and discipline it took to achieve all of this, his comically large, tight-knit team and family that faithfully follows him around the world or even how close he came to losing his semi-final two days earlier.

Published: February 2, 2026, 10:39 am

Man City’s snakebitten second halves are destroying their title challenge

Pep Guardiola’s side would be on top of the league had they not consistently struggled to hold leads

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The focus had been on Arsenal. They had not won in three Premier League games before this weekend and it was reasonable to ask how secure their position at the top of the table was. But the impact of their wobble was not that their lead was eaten into, but that they missed opportunities to extend it, because those in the chasing pack were also dropping points.

In their six league games since the New Year fixtures, Arsenal have dropped seven points. But City in the same period have dropped 11, as have Aston Villa and Liverpool. Fulham have dropped 10, Everton have dropped nine, Manchester United, Brentford and Newcastle have dropped eight and Chelsea seven; nobody currently in the top half of the table has closed the gap on Arsenal at all, which is why, after Saturday’s comfortable win at Leeds, their lead remains at six points.

Published: February 2, 2026, 4:40 pm

Inter Miami have reloaded for 2026 in a way no other MLS team could have

Lionel Messi’s presence has been crucial to the defending champions’ excellent offseason

Winning MLS Cup brings only a couple guaranteed returns: the cup itself and a cash prize ($300,000, roughly the salary of one MLS backup defender). Historically, it has also ushered in a near-mandatory squad rebuild, a consequence of MLS’s parity-driven design. With rare exceptions, great teams find it nigh-on-impossible to keep the band together, or to improve on what they already have.

Not so for Inter Miami this year. After a slew of high-powered offseason additions capped by Friday’s $15m capture of Monterrey striker Germán Berterame, a historically fortunate franchise has gotten even better; completely unlike the 29 MLS Cup champions that preceded them.

Published: February 2, 2026, 12:00 pm

Tuskegee basketball coach ‘violated’ after being handcuffed by police at end of game

• Incident came after dispute over handshake line

• Coach is considering legal action over incident

Tuskegee men’s basketball coach Benjy Taylor is considering legal action after being handcuffed and led off court at the end of his team’s loss to Morehouse College on Saturday.

Tuskegee athletic director Reginald Ruffin said Taylor had attempted to make sure protocols were followed when opposing Morehouse football players joining the basketball players in the postgame handshake line.

Published: February 1, 2026, 9:40 pm

Wolff urges Mercedes rivals to ‘focus on themselves’ amid 2026 engine row

• Mercedes principal insists their new car is within rules

• ‘Other teams are finding excuses before they have started’

Toto Wolff has dismissed claims from rival teams over the legality of Mercedes’ new engine, insisting it is within the regulations. The Mercedes team principal said that the onus lay with the other manufacturers who had missed an opportunity and that they should get their “shit together”.

The row over whether Mercedes and Red Bull have stolen a march on the opposition in their engine design has dominated the buildup to the new season and Wolff notably did not rule out other teams protesting against the legality of their engines after they are used competitively for the first time at the Australian Grand Prix on 8 March.

Published: February 2, 2026, 4:11 pm

Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action

João Pedro stepping up for Rosenior, Arsenal frontmen show their teeth and stretched Liverpool are fighting on

João Pedro is enjoying life under Liam Rosenior. The versatile Brazil forward was excellent after coming on at half-time against West Ham. João Pedro, who has five goals in his last five games, helped Chelsea complete their comeback from 2-0 down by scoring his side’s first and then creating Enzo Fernandez’s stoppage-time winner. Chelsea chose well when they beat Newcastle to the signing of the 24-year-old from Brighton last summer. João Pedro was excellent at the Club World Cup, but despite dealing with fitness issues has still has 12 goals in all competitions this season. Capable of playing as either a No 9 or a No 10, the Brazilian was important for Enzo Maresca but has improved since the Italian’s departure. “I’ve had very, very good conversations with him already, probably four in my office,” Rosenior said last week. “I think he’s sick of my office, where I’ve said to him ‘If you play with intensity with your quality, the quality comes out’.” Jacob Steinberg

Published: February 2, 2026, 8:00 am

‘They’re not getting a cent of my money’: how readers feel about World Cup ticket prices

With less than six months until kickoff, Guardian readers share their experiences of buying World Cup tickets – or deciding not to

The 2026 World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada is less than six months away. Fifa’s ticketing process has been met with demand and controversy. Security concerns for fans traveling to the US have risen.

We asked readers to share their experiences of buying World Cup tickets – or deciding not to. These are some of the stories we received.

Published: February 2, 2026, 11:00 am

‘Work of art’: Japanese volleyballer takes sorry to extremes with headfirst sliding apology

Yuji Nishida’s dramatic gesture after accidentally striking courtside judge with ball seen by millions

If Yuji Nishida ever decides to give up volleyball, he might want to take up the skeleton.

In a moment of chivalry that has been widely shared online, the Japanese player displayed majestic sliding skills as he took a traditional apology to extremes after inadvertently striking a courtside judge with the ball at the weekend.

Published: February 2, 2026, 6:45 am

Football Daily | Cristiano Ronaldo and an argument at Al-Nassr that doesn’t make sense

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For a man who is raging against the dying of the light, Cristiano Ronaldo is doing a good job of throwing a blanket over the fire. And by throwing a blanket, what Football Daily really means to say is throwing a hissy fit, a wobbly, a tantrum. The legendary footballer, reduced to something of a tap-in artist these days in a league of – at best – questionable quality, seemingly threw his toys out of his Bugatti on Sunday after deciding that not enough investment has been made in his club, Al-Nassr, in comparison to the other Saudi ones.

Timo Werner is still only 29! Was he born on a leap day or something? To borrow from football cliches, when we talk of Peter Pan footballers, it is usually because they are 35 or something like that, and still full of running. A James Milner type. Timo seems like he should be 37 and in Saudi Arabia or the USA USA USA, not still 29 and at his theoretical peak … oh, he is in the USA USA USA. Someone check his birth certificate!” – Matt Atkinson.

Although Arsène Wenger certainly does not lack creativity when it comes to proposing changes to the rules of the game (see ‘daylight’ for example), I’d like to pose an idea to him: let’s reduce the game time of every match to one half of 45 minutes. This solves the whole problem of injuries due to fixture congestion, probably maximises effective playing time, and – most importantly – gives my favourite team Spurs a chance at actually winning games” – Yannick Woudstra.

This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions.

Published: February 2, 2026, 4:27 pm

Frustration for Como but Fàbregas’s side have one of strongest identities in Serie A | Nicky Bandini

There were tears after a nonsensical draw with Atalanta but young possession-based team is heading places

For the second time in less than three weeks, Cesc Fàbregas found himself in front of the TV cameras, trying to explain a scoreline that made no sense. “It’s not normal,” he said last month, after Como lost 3-1 to Milan despite “making 700 passes to their 200” (659 to 320, actually, but who’s counting?).

There was more than a hint of deja vu on Sunday as his team drew 0-0 at home to Atalanta while holding 79% of possession and attempting 28 shots. Opta put Como on 5.24 expected goals – the second-highest by any Serie A team in a shut-out since the analytics company started tracking such data 15 years ago. An astonishing number, against opponents who finished third last season and had taken 13 points from their previous five games.

Published: February 2, 2026, 12:59 pm

Topp rescue act not enough to save Horst Steffen at ailing Werder Bremen | Andy Brassell

Manager dismissed despite sublime late equaliser against Gladbach and the next appointment will be telling

Every little detail suggested it would almost immediately find its way into the annals of legend. It started as a last-ditch attempt from a set piece, in the fourth of five minutes of stoppage time, with the clock ticking towards the climax at seemingly twice its normal pace and the goalkeeper, Mio Backhaus, wandering up for the corner in desperation rather than genuine hope of his Anatoliy Trubin moment.

It was pinball; Marco Grüll’s delivery was headed out, nodded back towards goal by Isaac Schmidt and heading out for a goal-kick, only for Senne Lynen to stretch and just about keep it in, slicing it up in the air, before it fell to Keke Topp. The 21-year-old’s sublime finish appeared to have been cut and pasted from a different sequence entirely, a sumptuous left-foot volley on the swivel that arrowed past Borussia Mönchengladbach’s goalkeeper, Moritz Nicolas, hitting the net and lifting the roof off.

Werder Bremen’s equaliser felt like a near-miracle. On a day and in a minute that looked like it would be their coach’s last, they had finally, improbably coaxed the sound of the ship horn and The Proclaimers’ 500 Miles from the Weserstadion’s speakers with a goal to snatch a point at the last.

Published: February 2, 2026, 12:57 pm

Lyon nearly went down last summer. Now they are Europe’s in-form team

OL had to sell star players to avoid relegation but they are thriving in Ligue 1 and the Europa League

By Get French Football News

When Lyon were spared from administrative relegation to Ligue 2 on appeal over the summer, the overriding feeling was one of relief. During John Textor’s time as owner, the atmosphere became toxic, with fans turning on the directors. More importantly, the American ran Lyon into the ground, with the club registering losses of more than €200m in his final season in charge. Michele Kang came in as president and a place in Ligue 1 was secured but, as thoughts turned to the future last summer, fans must have felt uncertain and even trepidatious.

Lyon’s place in the top flight was guaranteed by providing assurances to the DNCG, French football’s financial watchdog, that the club would sell players and reduce their wage bill. The stripping of the club’s most prized assets had already begun earlier in the summer when Rayan Cherki left to join Manchester City. Georges Mikautadze and Lucas Perri would also depart, both bringing in considerable sums; Nemanja Matic, one of the highest-paid players on the wage bill, was released; and Alexandre Lacazette’s deal expired.

Published: February 2, 2026, 4:54 pm

‘When a match is going well, smile’: inside the scheme helping ethnic minority referees

Core X programme is working to lift match officials from underrepresented communities into the professional game

“If you can’t manage personalities on the field and you can’t articulate your decisions, refereeing might not be for you,” says Dan Meeson, Professional Game Match Officials’ development director. We are in the cafe area of the Burleigh Court hotel, tucked away on Loughborough University’s campus, where a promising group of officials are being put through their paces by the elite refereeing body as they try to reach the top level.

The 29-strong group forms part of the Core X programme, designed to elevate into the professional game match officials from historically underrepresented ethnic communities who operate at semi-professional level. The programme, launched in 2023, runs in collaboration with the Football Association and is supported by the advocacy group Bamref. It accounts for more than three‑quarters of Black, Asian and mixed-heritage referee promotions into the professional game.

Published: February 2, 2026, 8:00 am

Champions Cup and WSL talking points: Arsenal rule the world but tournament needs a rethink

The Gunners had home comforts while the other teams had to travel long distances and cope with inferior facilities

Arsenal are world champions. It’s a weird thing to say about the team fourth in the WSL, albeit with a game in hand, and who failed to qualify automatically for the Champions League quarter-finals and face a two-leg knockout phase playoff. However, the 3-2 defeat of the Copa Libertadores champions, Corinthians, by the Uefa Champions League holders secured their global title. If Arsenal had lost – and at times it felt as if they were trying to – it would have been quite the spectacle given how much the tournament favoured them. Arsenal were in season and match fit, unlike Gotham FC and Corinthians, and not only did Fifa stick the tournament in England, it placed it in London and the final in Arsenal’s ground. The Gunners were in their own beds and benefiting from the elite facilities at their training ground and the backing of their fans, while the three other sides (the Moroccan champions AS Far completed the quartet) had to travel long distances, stay in hotels and manage with inferior facilities. A rethink is needed if this tournament is going to be taken seriously, with timing and location top of the agenda. Suzanne Wrack

Published: February 2, 2026, 11:00 am

Jamie George to captain England against Wales with Itoje among replacements

• Itoje missed start of camp to attend mother’s funeral

• Arundell makes first England start in three years on wing

Jamie George will captain England in their Six Nations opener against Wales on Saturday with Maro Itoje named on the bench while Henry Arundell has been selected for a first start in three years.

Itoje missed the start of England’s training camp in Girona to attend his mother’s funeral in Nigeria and Steve Borthwick has opted to name the second row among the replacements. Itoje has a remarkable record of appearing in every minute of England’s matches for the last six Six Nations campaigns but Alex Coles and Ollie Chessum assume second-row duties against Wales.

Published: February 2, 2026, 1:37 pm

‘The referee has to be neutral’: Rodri claims Manchester City are victims of injustice

• Player stunned Solanke’s first goal stood at Spurs

• ‘It’s not fair because we work so hard’

Rodri has joined the chorus of dissatisfaction at Manchester City towards referees, saying they must remain impartial in the face of what he perceives to be general ill-feeling towards his club.

The midfielder was stunned when Tottenham’s goal for 2-1 against City on Sunday was allowed to stand. It was scored by Dominic Solanke, who appeared to kick through the leg of the City defender Marc Guéhi, sending the ball partly off him and into the net. Solanke later scored a sensational volley to earn Spurs a 2-2 draw and leave City six points behind the Premier League leaders, Arsenal.

Published: February 2, 2026, 12:38 pm

Katie McCabe heading for Arsenal exit in summer as club target younger players

• No deal on table for left-back

• Arsenal in talks to sign Barcelona’s Ona Batlle

Katie McCabe is likely to leave Arsenal when her contract expires this summer, with no new deal on the table after what sources have described as “very respectful discussions” about her future.

The left-back has been there for just over 10 years and helped them become world and European champions, but Arsenal plan to refresh their squad this summer with younger players.

Published: February 2, 2026, 8:31 am

UK Sport urges BBC to boost coverage of Olympic sports between Games

• Survey shows public want more free-to-air coverage

• Nick Webborn has had ‘positive conversations’ with BBC

The chair of UK Sport has called on the BBC to show more of Team GB’s “fantastic athletes” between Olympic Games and says there is significant public appetite for more coverage on free-to-air TV.

Nick Webborn said he expected millions to tune into the BBC’s coverage of Milan Cortina 2026, which begins on Friday, but urged the broadcaster, as a publicly-funded body, to show more Olympic sports between each Summer and Winter Games.

Published: February 2, 2026, 6:00 am

Carlos Alcaraz celebrates Australian Open triumph by gaming with brother - video

At only 22, Carlos Alcaraz said it was a 'dream come true' to become the youngest man to complete the career grand slam, a record formerly held by Don Budge since 1938, 87 years ago. He beat Novak Djokovic in four sets on Sunday night in the men's singles final. There was little fanfare after the match, with Alcaraz saying gaming with his brother and friends was 'more than enough' to celebrate the win

Published: February 2, 2026, 3:21 am

Liverpool beat Chelsea to agree £60m summer deal for Rennes centre-back Jérémy Jacquet

• Defender to join club at end of the current season

• Crystal Palace agree £48m deal for striker Strand Larsen

Liverpool have won the race for the Rennes centre‑back Jérémy Jacquet. Chelsea were pushing hard but the 20-year-old has decided on a summer move to Anfield. The package is reportedly £55m, plus £5m in add-ons.

The club had explored a deal to bring Lutsharel Geertruida to Anfield before deciding not to proceed with the move. The Netherlands international, who joined Sunderland on loan from RB Leipzig last summer, has made 17 appearances this season and appears likely to remain in the north-east. Arne Slot worked with the versatile defender, who can play across the backline and also as a defensive midfielder, while at Feyenoord with the pair winning the Eredivisie in 2023.

Published: February 1, 2026, 11:06 pm

Australia fall to worst T20 defeat in final World Cup warmup in Pakistan

• Mitch Marsh’s team spun to record-breaking 111-run loss in Lahore

• Usman Tariq hits back at Cameron Green over throwing allegation

Australia have been handed the worst possible conclusion to their World Cup warmup, suffering their heaviest T20 international defeat in a third successive morale-sapping capitulation to Pakistan.

Still wounded from a 90-run defeat 24 hours earlier at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium – their worst loss to Pakistan – it only got even more dire for Mitch Marsh’s side on Sunday as they were spun to a record-breaking 111-run loss on the same ground.

Published: February 1, 2026, 11:00 pm

Justin Rose notches first wire-to-wire Torrey Pines win in 71 years with apology to Tiger Woods

• Rose wins Farmers Insurance Open with 72-hole record

• Total of 265 pips Woods’s 1999 mark by one

Justin Rose became the first wire-to-wire winner at Torrey Pines in 71 years, starting with a six-shot lead and never letting anyone get any closer to him Sunday as he closed with a two-under 70 to win the Farmers Insurance Open.

Rose opened with a 62 on the North course and never let up, playing even better on the South course that has hosted two US Opens. He broke the 72-hole tournament record at 23-under, 265, one better than Tiger Woods in 1999. George Burns also shot 266 in 1987. “Sorry, T-dub, if you’re watching,” Rose said.

Published: February 2, 2026, 10:44 am

Cardinals turn to rival Rams’ OC Mike LaFleur as head coach

• LaFleur was in charge of Rams’ red-hot offense

• Cardinals last reached playoffs in 2021 season

The Arizona Cardinals hired Mike LaFleur as head coach on Sunday, turning to a division rival’s offensive coordinator to try to pull the franchise from the bottom of the NFC West. The Cardinals’ announcement brought an end to a nearly four-week hiring process.

The 38-year-old Los Angeles Rams assistant replaces Jonathan Gannon, who was fired in January after compiling a 15-36 record over three seasons, including 3-14 last year. LaFleur – who is the younger brother of Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur – has been the Rams’ offensive coordinator for the past three seasons.

Published: February 1, 2026, 8:57 pm

Carlos Alcaraz beats Novak Djokovic: Australian Open 2026 men’s singles final – as it happened

Carlos Alcaraz came from a set down to beat Novak Djokovic in four becoming, at 22 years and eight months, the youngest man to achieve a career grand slam

Our players are ready to come out. This is going to be special.

I keep saying it, but it bears repetition: we’re at the start of a golden age in women’s tennis. Sabalenka, Rybakina, Gauff, Swiatek and Osaka at their peaks, Anisimova coming, Andreeva getting there, then Mboko, Baptiste and Jovic on the match; ooooh yeah.

Published: February 1, 2026, 12:35 pm

Shakur Stevenson: ‘I picked him apart’ after López clinic as Benn crashes ring

• Stevenson seals title in fourth weight class with win

• Britain’s Benn enters ring, sparks buzz as future foe

Shakur Stevenson described his dominant victory over Teófimo López at Madison Square Garden as the product of discipline, preparation and years of studying his opponent, after producing what many observers viewed as the finest performance of his career.

The unbeaten American outboxed López over 12 rounds to become a four-division world champion, a moment Stevenson said validated his long-held belief that he belongs among boxing’s elite.

Published: February 1, 2026, 11:00 am