LONDON (ENGLAND) (ITALPRESS) – Eight players arrived this summer for a total of around £250 million, but Arsenal could dip their toes in the towel in January. Mikel Arteta, mindful of the numerous injuries that hampered last season and facing a similar situation this season, hasn’t ruled it out.

The Gunners are particularly struggling defensively, so much so that on Saturday against Brighton, Declan Rice was relocated to right-back. Gabriel has just returned, while it’s still unclear when Mosquera, Timber, and Calafiori will be available again.

“We need to understand the situation and the recovery times of certain players,” Arteta said. “We need to actively look around and then evaluate whether we can intervene or not. It’s part of our job to always be prepared, because something can always happen.”

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Source: medNews

BARCELONA (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS) – Barcelona is making its first moves on the transfer market regarding the future of its attack and is eyeing Dušan Vlahovic as a potential replacement for Lewandowski.

According to Spanish media, particularly Marca, the Blaugrana have initiated exploratory discussions for the Serbian striker from Juventus, whose contract expires in 2026. The move is being carefully evaluated, especially given Barça’s financial constraints, which are seeking sustainable and long-term solutions. Vlahovic, 25, remains a highly sought-after prospect given his age and skills, although no advanced negotiations have been reported at this time.

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Source: medNews

DUBAI (UNITED ARAB EMIRATES) (ITALPRESS) – “In just 15 days, we have received 150 million requests from around the world to purchase World Cup tickets.” This was revealed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the opening session of the World Sports Summit, the two-day event taking place in Dubai.

“Despite all the reports you may have read about prices, ranging from 6,000 to 60 dollars, the truth is that these are the numbers,” added the head of world football. “On each of the 15 days of the pre-sale, we recorded an average of 10 million requests per day, with the United States, Germany and Great Britain leading the way.”

Speaking at a forum that included football legends such as Ronaldo Nazario, Luis Figo, Andrés Iniesta, Carles Puyol, Didier Deschamps, Roberto Baggio, Paolo Maldini, Cafu and Alessandro Del Piero, who served as a speaker, Infantino also offered another optimistic statistic.

“In the nearly 100-year history of the World Cup, 44 million tickets have been sold, and we have received requests three times higher than that.” The expansion of the tournament to 48 teams and 104 matches is expected to generate a record 50–60 million tickets sold.

Infantino also announced that the next FIFA “The Best” awards ceremony will be held in Dubai, highlighting the commercial and media success of last summer’s Club World Cup. “It wasn’t just about the 33 million euros generated by each match; it also helped demonstrate the universality of football,” the Swiss official explained. “The final between Chelsea and PSG alone brought together players from 16 countries across five continents.”

Finally, Infantino outlined key principles for the future: “We will work to develop a more attacking and entertaining style of football, and also a fairer one. We must continue to provide referees with the necessary tools to correct any mistakes.”

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Source: medNews

PARIS (FRANCE) (ITALPRESS) – The Ligue 1 winter break is set to bring a change on the bench. According to L’Équipe, Franck Haise is no longer the coach of Nice: a year and a half after his arrival, the manager is said to have decided to step down by mutual agreement with the club.

After leading Nice to fourth place last season, Haise has been unable to repeat that success. The Red and Blacks currently sit 13th in the league and only ended a run of nine consecutive defeats thanks to a 2–1 win over Saint-Étienne in the Coupe de France. Results have been no better in the Europa League, where the French side have already been mathematically eliminated after losing all six of their matches.

A replacement is already lined up: Claude Puel, who previously coached Nice from 2012 to 2016—guiding the team to fourth place twice—and has been without a club since December 2021, following his dismissal from Saint-Étienne.

This season has already seen two managerial changes in Ligue 1, at Monaco (Pocognoli replacing Hütter) and Nantes (Kantari replacing Castro).

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VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Maltese authorities are facing renewed criticism after allegedly failing to collaborate in at least two migrant distress cases within a single week, according to humanitarian organisations. On 26 December, a group of 34 asylum seekers was rescued within Malta’s Search and Rescue (SAR) zone by the merchant vessel MV MARIDIVE 703.

Nearly 48 hours later, they remain stranded at sea, with no permission to disembark at a safe port. Humanitarian group Alarm Phone said Maltese authorities have refused to provide information on the group’s status, warning they risk being forcibly returned to Tunisia, which is not considered a safe port under international law. The case follows another incident earlier this week in which the Armed Forces of Malta denied receiving distress calls from a migrant boat allegedly attacked by the Libyan coastguard in Malta’s SAR zone, leaving one person dead and three injured. Alarm Phone has repeatedly accused Malta of failing to answer emergency calls.

“When we call Malta, we hear a recorded song or they tell us ‘we are busy,’” said spokeswoman Hela Kanakane. Data from the Malta Migration Archive shows Malta rescued just 2–3% of people in distress in its SAR zone between 2020 and 2024, as returns to Libya increased. The incidents come amid rising deaths in the Central Mediterranean, where at least 1,190 people have died or gone missing in 2025, according to the IOM.

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Source: medNews

DUBAI (UNITED ARAB EMIRATES) (ITALPRESS) – “It’s tough to keep playing, but I still have the passion and the motivation to do it. It doesn’t matter where—whether in the Middle East or in Europe—I always want to win more trophies and reach the number everyone knows about. And I’m sure that, if there are no injuries, I’ll get there.”

Honored in Dubai at the Globe Soccer Awards ceremony as Middle East Player of the Year, Cristiano Ronaldo is no longer hiding his ambition. The Portuguese forward for Al Nassr, who will turn 41 next February, has scored 956 goals in his career—just 44 short of the 1,000-goal milestone. 

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Source: medNews

MADRID (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS) – Last summer, despite a slew of offers from Italy, Giacomo Raspadori decided to return to the fold at Atletico Madrid, but his experience with the club has so far been uninspiring: ten appearances for a total of 400 minutes.

At the end of November, during the Champions League match against Inter, the Spanish club reaffirmed their full confidence in him, assuring him that his time would come. Diego Simeone himself reportedly confessed that he hadn’t given him the playing time he deserved, preferring Griezmann and Almada.

In any case, the exchange reassured Raspadori, who never asked to leave, nor did Atletico Madrid ever hint at a move away from him. However, according to “As,” Roma’s pressure hasn’t gone unnoticed by the former Napoli player, who will meet up with Simeone again tomorrow when training resumes. It will be an opportunity for a new discussion and to understand if the conditions are still right to move forward together.

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Source: medNews

RABAT (MOROCCO) (ITALPRESS) – Morocco is back with its captain. Sidelined by a left ankle injury sustained on November 4th in the Champions League match against Bayern Munich, Achraf Hakimi will play on Monday against Zambia in the third round of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Coach Walid Regragui announced the news, but did not specify whether the 28-year-old PSG defender, formerly of Inter Milan, will start or be a substitute. Regragui took the opportunity to thank Nasser al-Khelaifi and PSG for releasing their captain two weeks before the Africa Cup of Nations. “He’s a great leader, and we’ve always been in contact with PSG,” the Moroccan coach explained. “We have one of the best sports doctors in the world, Christophe Baudot, and the relationship has been perfect.”

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Source: medNews

ROME (ITALPRESS) – Andy Carroll faces a prison sentence. The former Liverpool and Newcastle United striker, who turns 37 on January 6, has been charged with breaching a restraining order and is scheduled to appear at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, according to the English tabloid The Telegraph.

The former England international (9 caps, 2 goals) was arrested on April 27 at the airport upon his return to the United Kingdom by Essex Police for incidents dating back to March. A restraining order, or protection order, is a civil injunction designed to prevent a person from approaching or contacting another person, or from visiting a specific address. Failure to comply with the order constitutes a criminal offense that, depending on the circumstances, can result in a prison sentence of up to five years. Carroll, who has also played for Liverpool, West Ham and Newcastle in his long career, currently plays for Dagenham and Redbridge (Sixth Division), following his experience with Bordeaux in the 2024-2025 season.

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Source: medNews

VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Malta has been crowned the best international tourism destination at the Italian Tourism Awards held in Rome earlier this month.

Accepting the award, Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) director for Italy Ester Tamasi said the recognition belonged to the entire team behind Malta’s tourism strategy.

“This recognition rewards the work shared with our head office and the many partners who allow us to tell the story of Malta and Gozo in an emotional and innovative way,” Tamasi said. She described the achievement as the result of a coherent, multidisciplinary approach that responds to the evolving needs of contemporary travellers.

Tamasi added that a successful tourism strategy must balance growth with authenticity, creating economic value while preserving the destination’s soul.

MTA chief executive Carlo Micallef said the award reflects the strong relationship with the Italian market and close collaboration with industry stakeholders.

“Our strategy is firmly focused on quality, sustainability and year-round tourism,” Micallef said, noting the importance of safeguarding what makes Malta and Gozo unique.

The jury praised Malta’s marketing, promotion and international tourism development efforts, highlighting the “Nessuna donna è un’isola” initiative, which combined wellness, female identity and the promotion of Gozo through cultural and experiential projects.

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Source: medNews