Arsenal could move for Athletic Club winger Nico Williams, while Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni is on the shortlist of Manchester United. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe.

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TRENDING RUMORS

– Arsenal are ramping up their interest in Nico Williams, as the winger recently returned to action for Athletic Club following a lengthy absence due to a groin injury. TEAMtalk claims that the Spain international has admirers at the Emirates, including sporting director Andrea Berta. Barcelona continue to be linked with Williams, but their priorities lie elsewhere in the squad, potentially opening an opportunity for the Gunners to move first.

– Manchester United have added Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni to their shortlist of potential options to replace Casemiro this summer, according to The Telegraph. Tchouameni, 26, could be allowed to leave the Bernabeu this summer alongside Eduardo Camavinga, with the club looking to seal a midfield signing of their own in the form of Manchester City‘s Rodri. But the France international has a contract until 2028 and could command a fee upwards of €60 million.

– Liverpool chiefs have approved the signing of RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande as the top option to replace Mohamed Salah when he departs on a free transfer this summer, reports Florian Plettenberg. Diomande, 19, has only been playing at the top level since November 2024 but has impressed in the German Bundesliga and continues to be linked with a switch to Anfield. PSG are also in the race to sign him, while Leipzig are looking for a fee of around €80 million.

– Newcastle United are open to letting winger Anthony Gordon leave this summer, but only if a club is willing to match their £75 million transfer valuation, reports The Times. Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich have been heavily linked with the England international recently, with Gordon also attracting interest from Liverpool and Arsenal.

– John Stones is set to become the next high-profile exit from Manchester City when his contract comes to an end this summer, according to Fabrizio Romano. The 31-year-old defender has spent 10 years with the club since joining from Everton in 2016, but he is set to join midfielder Bernardo Silva in becoming a free agent at the end of the season. Stones has made just 15 appearances across all competitions during this campaign, having struggled with injury issues.

EXPERT TAKE

ESPN Madrid correspondent Alex Kirkland on the future for Aurelien Tchouaméni.

The idea of Real Madrid letting Tchouaméni go, after a season in which he has become arguably the team’s most important and consistent player, strikes me as quite far-fetched.

Yes, Tchouaméni struggled to find consistency early in his Madrid career — ironically, finding it difficult to replace Casemiro when he left in 2022 — and was even whistled by fans at the Bernabéu just over a year ago. He has been singled out for criticism after some poor performances in high-profile games and a perceived inability to deliver on the ball. But in 2025-26 he has been sensational, both under Xabi Alonso and Álvaro Arbeloa.

Tchouaméni has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise disappointing campaign and has consolidated his place as a certain starter in the team. He has made 28 appearances in LaLiga and 13 in the Champions League.

Camavinga may well be available for transfer this summer, having failed to develop in his five years at the Bernabéu and frustrating in key moments, but Tchouaméni is a different story. If Rodri were to arrive — which is by no means certain — he would likely play alongside Tchouaméni, or alternate with him, rather than replace him.

It would be difficult to understand letting Tchouaméni go, just when it appears he’s becoming the player Madrid fans long hoped he would be.

OTHER RUMORS

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Ogden: Rosenior may be sacked before Sunday if Chelsea lose to Brighton

Mark Ogden says Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior is “teetering on the brink” of losing his job, after just one league win in five games.

– Striker Nicolas Jackson is warming to the idea of returning to Chelsea, as a permanent move to Bayern Munich after his loan spell ends appears unlikely. (Sun)

– Ajax and Schalke are in the race to sign Rangers midfielder Bailey Rice as a free agent this summer. (Fabrizio Romano)

– Barcelona want to extend Robert Lewandowski‘s contract until 2027, on reduced wages, while Chicago Fire and Saudi Pro League clubs await an opening to make a move. (Florian Plettenberg)

– Defender Ibrahima Konate is on the verge of extending his contract with Liverpool. (Florian Plettenberg)

– Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister could be allowed to leave this summer as part of a major squad overhaul. (Football Insider)

– Liverpool have had positive negotiations with midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai over a new contract, but work still needs to be done to secure a full agreement over a renewal. (Fabrizio Romano)

– Real Madrid are interested in AZ midfielder Kees Smit, 20, as an option, with his contract expiring in 2028. (AS)

– Barcelona are looking at Real Betis’ Abde Ezzalzouli and Benfica’s Andreas Schjelderup as alternatives to Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford in the forward areas. (AS)

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Tuesday repeated his call for Congress to pass legislation that would rein in college sports at a time athletes are allowed to move freely from school to school and command salaries that put athletic departments in financial peril.

Trump’s remarks came at a White House event honoring some 100 athletes from seven teams that won NCAA championships in 2025.

Trump this month signed an executive order that would limit eligibility to five years, allow one transfer without penalty for undergraduates, stop pay-for-play schemes and build in protections for women’s and Olympic sports.

Aspects of the executive order might not withstand legal scrutiny, which is why Trump and some college sports stakeholders are asking for federal legislation that would codify restrictions and grant the NCAA an antitrust exemption to enforce rules.

Dozens of athletes have challenged NCAA eligibility rules with the hope of extending their college careers and, in turn, their ability to earn money through name, image and likeness deals. He said it’s unfair for athletes right out of high school to compete against 28- or 29-year-olds.

“It’s a very precarious position the courts have left us in,” Trump said, adding that the 2025 settlement of House v. the NCAA created a professional model that has led to financial instability for colleges. “And now it’s a total and complete mess. But we’re going to get it fixed up and we’ve got fantastic people doing it. So we need now Congress to act to clear up the confusion created by the courts and institute permanent reforms to protect college sports at every level, especially some sports.”

The national championship teams honored were Oklahoma State in men’s golf, Texas A&M in women’s volleyball, Wake Forest in men’s tennis, Georgia in women’s tennis, Youngstown State in women’s bowling, Florida State in women’s soccer and West Virginia in mixed rifle.

“Seventy-five percent of Olympians competing for Team USA played as college athletes,” Trump said. “If we don’t straighten out this, we’re not going to have much of an Olympic team because you have so many of these sports, especially certain sports where it’s like the minor leagues, call it the major leagues, whatever you want. But we’ve trained unbelievable athletes to go in and win the gold medal. Without college sports and without your ability to go into college sports and compete and learn how to play and get better, we’re not going to have much of an Olympic team anymore.”

Eli Manning retired in 2019 and missed out in his first year of Hall of Fame eligibility in 2025. He was passed over again earlier this year but still fired back at a fan who claimed one of his contemporaries was the better quarterback.

On Tuesday, a social media user floated a theory about former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. Ryan, who now oversees football operations as the team’s president, last played in an NFL game in 2022. He announced his retirement in 2024, making him eligible for Hall of Fame consideration beginning in 2028.

“Matt Ryan was a better QB than Eli Manning… people just worship rings. Agree or nah,” the post read.

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Manning caught wind of the suggestion and weighed in, pointing to the two Super Bowl-winning teams he was part of during his standout run with the New York Giants.

“I will ponder this while I play with my rings…,” Manning wrote in a quote-tweet.

Ryan’s statistical production surpasses Manning’s, at least on paper. He was named NFL MVP in 2016, an honor Manning never earned. Ryan is also the most accomplished player in Falcons history and finished his career with more than 62,000 regular-season passing yards, compared with Manning’s 57,023.

NFC head coach Eli Manning leads a huddle during a practice session before the NFL Pro Bowl at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on Feb. 4, 2023. (Michael Owens/Getty Images)

Both quarterbacks were selected to four Pro Bowls, but the key difference lies in championships. Manning won the Super Bowl in 2007 and 2011, while Ryan reached it once but fell short. Manning threw for a single season career-best 4,933 during the run leading up to the second Super Bowl title.

Ryan threw for 284 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions to help the Falcons build a 25-point lead in the championship game — a matchup remembered for the New England Patriots engineering the largest comeback in Super Bowl history.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan passes the ball against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., on Jan. 2, 2022. (Rich Barnes/USA TODAY Sports)

Manning struck a measured tone in February when discussing his Hall of Fame chances.

“If I never get in the Hall of Fame, it’s not going to change anything,” Manning told Forbes. “I’m not gonna be bitter or mad or upset, and if I do get in, it would just be an unbelievable honor to be associated with some of the great athletes and football players ever. But it’s not going to change my outlook or my approach to how I feel about the game of football.”

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The Falcons have reached the Super Bowl twice in franchise history, first in 1998, but the team is still chasing its first elusive championship.

The Giants marked their 100th season in 2024, winning four Super Bowls over the franchise’s century-long history.

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