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Luis Rubiales could have been hit with a more severe sanction than the three-year ban he was handed for kissing Jenni Hermoso, FIFA has confirmed.

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Rubiales banned from football for three yearsRFEF president kissed Hermoso without consentFIFA considered even more severe punishmentWHAT HAPPENED?

The former Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president was hit with a suspension from the governing body after he kissed the Spain star without her consent during their World Cup final celebrations. Rubiales consistently denied any wrongdoing and initially refused to step down despite pressure from within the RFEF and around the football world.

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Rubiales, who insists Hermoso consented and still refuses to apologise, was hit with an initial temporary suspension by FIFA and eventually stepped down before his full three-year ban was confirmed in October. FIFA published the details of its ruling on Wednesday and heavily criticised the 46-year-old, adding that it was tempted to hit him with an even greater punishment.

WHAT FIFA SAID

A document released by FIFA said: "First of all, the Committee pointed out that the behaviour of the Respondent [Rubiales] was particularly indefensible in relation to the incidents at stake, specifically considering the extent of his experience in the football world, but also in view of his positions as (i) President of one of the most prestigious member associations, (ii) member of the UEFA Executive Committee and (iii) one of the UEFA vice- presidents.

"In other words, in such a context, it was absolutely and categorically expected of him to maintain and embody the highest levels of professionalism, beyond the usual standards, especially at a moment where his country was at the apex level of women's football. In this regard, the Committee could not stress enough that – regardless of the emotional state he was in during and after the Match -the Respondents behaviour was inexcusable and unacceptable, especially considering his high rank within the football ecosystem at the time."

The statement added later: "In this context, the Committee wished to stress that it was tempted to impose more severe sanctions in view of the seriousness and gravity of the incidents at stake as well as of the profound negative impact that the Respondents actions had on the image of FIFA, women's football and women's sport in general. However and even with strong hesitations, the Disciplinary Committee was satisfied that the imposition of such a measure would serve the necessary deterrent effect upon the Respondent given his established (prohibited) behaviour(s), but also the category of the competition in which the incident(s) had occurred and the significant impact of those. In fact, the Committee was hopeful in its outlook that such sanction, as previously mentioned, would serve to have the necessary deterrent effect upon the Respondent in order to avoid the occurrence of any similar incident(s) in the future."

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR RUBIALES?

After being banned from all sporting activities for three years, which he plans on appealing, it has been reported that Rubiales is under a legal investigation over accusations that he sexually assaulted Hermoso by kissing her without the player's consent.

GOAL charts the Americans' much-maligned ownership of the Red Devils, which has led to waves of fans protests over the years

When Avram and Joel Glazer announced in November 2022 that Manchester United were exploring "strategic alternatives" and were to begin a process to sell the club, fans were thrilled at the prospect that the family that has presided over a steady decline would soon be gone.

However, almost 10 months on, and the much-maligned American family remain at the helm of England's biggest and most successful club, barely seen or heard from. Protests are held at every United match but the family remain unmoved and unbothered by the dissent they are subjected to on a regular basis.

After months of speculation and reports about the intentions of INEOS and Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim to buy the club, there is now serious doubt over whether the Glazers are still interested in selling United. Meanwhile, the team have made a worrying start to the new season and the club is lurching from one off-field crisis to another, beset by a lack of leadership from their absentee owners.

GOAL charts the Glazer family's 18 years in control of United, which has witnessed mass protests, institutional crises, the doomed launch of the European Super League (ESL) and the biggest drop in the club's share price in more than a decade…

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  March 2003 – Glazer buys his first stake

  On the same day that United are beaten 2-0 by Liverpool in the League Cup final in Cardiff, Malcolm Glazer, a Florida-based businessman who is also the owner of the recently crowned Super Bowl champions the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, spends £9m ($11m) to buy a 2.9 per cent stake in Manchester United. Glazer makes the purchase through a holding company called Red Football. By late November, he and his family has a 15% stake in the club.

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  May 2005 – Glazer closes in on ownership

  On May 12, Glazer takes his stake in the club to almost 57% of total shares after buying out major shareholders J. P McManus and John Magnier. The Irish businessmen, major players in horse racing, were acquaintances of Sir Alex Ferguson but fell out with the Scot over a disagreement over studding rights of Rock of Gibraltar, a horse the United manager co-owned with Magnier's wife.

  Four days later, Red Football increases its stake in United to 75%, allowing the Glazer family to end the club's status as a PLC and delist it from the London Stock Exchange. A number of United fans, who have been opposed to the takeover since February, wear black to the FA Cup final against Arsenal. United lose on penalties.

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  June 2005 – Takeover complete, fans intimidate new owners

  The sale process is complete on June 29 after Red Football's shareholding reaches 98%, meaning it is allowed to squeeze out the remaining shareholders. The club is plunged into debt for the first time in over 70 years, taking on debt of £660m (£824m), incurring interest payments of £62m (£77m) per year.

  The day after the sale is completed around 300 fans protest against the new owners outside Old Trafford and are pushed back by 100 police, leading to two arrests. United great Sir Bobby Charlton apologises to the new owners for the hostile reception they receive.

  Malcolm Glazer's sons Avram, Joel and Bryan are appointed as non-executive directors. His other sons Kevin and Edward and daughter Darcie are appointed to the club's board in 2006.

  Also in June, supporters distraught by the takeover launch a new club called FC United of Manchester, who are accepted into the non-league North West Counties Division Two.

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  January 2010 – Debt increases, unleashing more protests

  United are in rude health on the pitch, having won three consecutive Premier League titles, the 2008 Champions League and reaching the 2009 Champions League final. Despite all the success and relatively frugal spending in the transfer market after selling Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid for a world-record £80m ($100m) fee, the club's debt increases from £660m (£824m) to £716m ($894m).

  The announcement that United intend to refinance the debt unleashes a new wave of protests at matches. For the first time, fans start wearing green and gold, the colours of Newton Heath, instead of red to show their opposition to the owners.

  Mass protests take place before United's final game of the 2009-10 season against Stoke, when there is still a chance they can win the title. They eventually surrender their crown to Chelsea.

Juventus have not hesitated to spend big over the last two decades or so if they felt the occasion was right

Juventus are arguably one of the most successful teams around in the game and they have had some absolute superstars representing them on the pitch.

Just think about players such as Michel Platini, Zinedine Zidane, Pavel Nedved and Gonzalo Higuain to name just a few.

Most of these high-profile names started their careers elsewhere and Juventus had to open up the cheque book to get their men.

It all started back in 2001 when they signed Gianluigi Buffon by shelling out a world record €52.88 million transfer fee for a goalkeeper!

And of course, no one can forget their blockbuster transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018 for €117m.

There have been many more high-profile transfers, though, so let's take a look at their dealings in the 21st century and their most expensive moves.

Juventus most expensive transfers by season

*All figures are taken from Transfermarkt.

Juventus top 10 most expensive player signings

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  10Joao Cancelo | €40.40 million/£36.36 million | Valencia | 2018

  Juventus signed Joao Cancelo from Valencia on a five-year deal worth €40.4 million (£36.36 million) in the summer of 2018.

  The Portuguese defender won his first trophy with the club in January 2019 when Juventus beat Milan in the Supercoppa Italiana and he then went on to win the Serie A title in his first season in Turin.

  The versatile defender left Juventus in 2019 in favour of a move to Premier League giants Manchester City.

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  9Paulo Dybala | €41 million/£36.90 million | Palermo | 2015

  Arriving from Palermo in a deal worth €41 million (£36.90 million) in the summer of 2015, Dybala was a main-stay at Juventus right up until 2022.

  In his seven-year stint in Turin, Dybala won five league titles and four Coppa Italia trophies.

  He was also voted Serie A's most valuable player on one occasion and was also included in the Serie A Team of the Year four times in his career.

  With 115 goals in 293 appearances, Dybala is the ninth-highest goal scorer in Juventus history!

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  8Bremer | €41 million/£36.90 million | Torino | 2022

  Juventus signed Bremer in the summer of 2022 for €41 million (£36.90 million) on a five-year deal from local rivals Torino, beating Inter to the centre-back's signature.

  The deal made the Brazilian the eighth-most expensive transfer in Juventus' history.

  Bremer started his debut season on a positive note with impressive performances early on in his Juventus career.

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  7Pavel Nedved | €45 million/£40.50 million | Lazio | 2001

  The seventh-most expensive player in Juventus history, Nedved arrived from Lazio for €45 million (£40.50 million) in 2001 as a replacement for Zinedine Zidane.

  The Turin giants beat competition from Manchester United and Chelsea for his signature and it was Nedved whose incredible performances led Juventus to the final of the Champions League in 2003, in which he was suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards.

  Later that year, Nedved won the World Footballer of the year and European Footballer of the Year awards, beating Thierry Henry and Paolo Maldini for the latter.

  Nedved made 247 appearances for Juventus, scoring 51 goals in an eight-year spell.

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly ranted at Raheem Sterling last season in an "embarrassing" dressing room incident, as he urged the winger to improve.

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• Sterling was targeted by owner
• Chelsea paid £50m ($63m) for England winger
• Has struggled to hit top form at Stamford Bridge

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to a new report from the Telegraph, Boehly stormed into the dressing room last April, after Chelsea lost 2-1 to Brighton at Stamford Bridge, and made a beeline for Sterling. He both told the squad that they were in "embarrassing" shape, and also told Sterling that he was a world-class player who needed to bring more to the table in terms of his form and leadership.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Sterling is said to have taken the criticism well, accepting that Boehly was within his rights to give him his opinion, and has been receptive to feedback throughout his time at Stamford Bridge. However, his form has been patchy since he arrived from Manchester City, scoring 16 goals and registering 12 assists in 68 games. That amounts to a goal contribution every 0.4 games.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Sterling has not scored for Chelsea in the Premier League since November, when the Blues lost 4-1 to Newcastle. He has provided three assists since then, but one has to think that boss Mauricio Pochettino is expecting more from the Three Lions star.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Sterling will next be in action for Chelsea against former club City on Saturday. The 10th-placed Blues could climb as high as eighth if they win.

The Red Dragons' star striker has returned from injury, but he's received plenty of help in the goalscoring department from his team-mates

Wrexham's 2-0 victory away at Notts County on Saturday felt like a seismic moment in their season. After the game, Phil Parkinson ranked it among his best-ever days as a manager – and it's easy to see why.

Backed by a raucous, packed-out away end, his side secured a vital three points against one of their principle League Two promotion rivals, with whom they enjoyed a historic title race with in the National League last season.

Parkinson wasn't the only one who enjoyed himself either. Striker Paul Mullin was a very happy man too, describing the trip as the "perfect away day". Mullin made a telling contribution at Meadow Lane, providing the assist for Ollie Palmer's 76th-minute goal which sealed the result for Wrexham, after Elliot Lee opened the scoring just a few moments earlier.

It marked Mullin's fourth goal contribution in as many games, as his campaign gets back on track following an extremely difficult start to the season which forced his attacking team-mates to step up to the plate.

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  Mullin carried Wrexham to the title

  When Wrexham romped to the National League title, no player had a bigger role than Mullin. The Liverpool-born striker finished with a quite remarkable 46 goals in all competitions, with his closest challenger for the club's Golden Boot, Ollie Palmer, lagging behind on 16.

  It wasn't just the sheer volume of goals that was so astounding. Mullin brought plenty more to the table too, in terms of his link-up play, pressing and creativity – as former team-mate Jake Hyde reflected on recently.

  "He’d drop short, create chances and I thought ‘this lad is a proper player’," Hyde recalled. "Then he went on to prove how good he is in front of goal. When he first came in, the thing I remember is thinking ‘I’m going to like playing with this lad because he’s got that creative side’. He was better than I thought he would be."

  In other words, he was Wrexham's undisputed main man and was all set to continue in this pivotal role as the team made their long-awaited return to the Football League.

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  Disaster in the United States

  Before that, though, Mullin and Co. had to navigate a pre-season tour to the United States. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the squad, most of whom were lower-league plodders for whom a training camp in Cornwall would've been considered exotic.

  Wrexham made the most of their trip to America, taking in the adulation from their adoring Stateside fanbase and playing against some of the biggest teams in the world.

  It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, though. During the Red Dragons' penultimate pre-season game against Manchester United, Mullin suffered a horrific injury, colliding with opposing goalkeeper Nathan Bishop and coming away with a punctured lung.

  Parkinson was left seething at full-time, with his star striker forced to stay behind in the States to recover, while the rest of his team-mates flew home. Mullin would end up missing the first six games of the League Two season.

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  And Wrexham seemed to miss him

  As one might expect, it took a little while for Parkinson's charges to adjust to losing their best player. On the opening day of the season, they suffered a shock 5-3 defeat to MK Dons, a result that on the surface may seem to suggest more about the team's poor defence than their lack of firepower.

  However, on that day, Wrexham had 12 shots from inside the box, but only scored three times. Had Mullin been spearheading the Red Dragons' frontline, surely they would've converted a few more of these chances?

  A clinical edge was also lacking the following week against AFC Wimbledon, as well as in Carabao Cup ties against Wigan Athletic and Bradford City, and in a 1-1 draw with Barrow. Wrexham only gained nine points from the six league games Mullin was injured for, which speaks volumes about the impact of his absence.

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  Mullin returned – but Lee outshone him

  Mullin made his return against Doncaster Rovers in early September, receiving rapturous applause from the Racecourse faithful after being introduced as a second-half sub in a 2-1 win. However, Mullin did not find the scoresheet that afternoon, and also failed to make the net bulge in subsequent appearances against Grimsby Town and high-flying Stockport County.

  Fortunately for Wrexham, a new hero emerged: Elliot Lee. Lee had picked up the goalscoring slack when Mullin was out, netting five times during his team-mate's spell on the sidelines. And he came up trumps again when Mullin was getting himself back up to speed, scoring an 88th-minute winner in the Doncaster game before registering a goal and an assist as Parkinson's side secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Grimsby.

  Lee's contributions – from an attacking midfield role – were absolutely vital in keeping Wrexham in touch with the top three, with his excellent form earning plaudits from fans and his manager.

  "He's a little magician, Elliot," Parkinson said after his match-winning display against Doncaster. "He's got real magic in his boots and you see that time and time again with him. There won't too many that's got as many goals as Elliot, basically from a deeper position, which he's played for us, but you always feel that when he gets in and around the box something's going to happen."

The Three Lions' captain is one of the game's great goalscorers, but he might struggle to secure a summer move to a club worthy of his talent

England's Manchester City contingent turned up for international duty last week looking a little worse for wear but with three more titles to their names. Harry Kane arrived with commemorative, custom-made vinyl records for all of his team-mates to thank them for the role they had played in him becoming the Three Lions' all-time leading goalscorer.

It rather nicely summed up Kane's situation right now. In the two years since Daniel Levy refused to sell the striker to City, Pep Guardiola's side have continued to add to their impressive tally of trophies. Kane hasn't let up either, though. He remains trophy-less, but his reputation as one of the world's best centre-forwards has only been enhanced by the fact that he has continued to score freely for club and country – with his heroics at Tottenham particularly impressive.

After all, Erling Haaland won the Premier League Golden Boot, Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season after scoring a record-breaking 36 goals in his debut season in England – an undeniably outstanding achievement. However, was it really a more praiseworthy goalscoring feat than Kane netting 30 times for a terribly inconsistent Spurs team that finished eighth in the table having lost 14 of their 38 games?

It's hard not to wonder if Haaland would have enjoyed such a prolific campaign in north London – and whether Kane would have proven an even better fit for City's frontline than the Norwegian No.9. We'll never know, of course, and the worry now for Kane – and anyone that appreciates quality strikers – is that he may never get the chance to line-up for a club side truly worthy of his many talents.

Kane clearly remains one of the best attackers in world football, but recent developments in the transfer market appear to have significantly reduced the options available to him this summer…

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  Manchester United

  While Kane was scoring two goals and creating another in England's rout of North Macedonia on Monday night, many United fans couldn't help but admit online that they would be overjoyed to see him strutting his stuff at Old Trafford on a weekly basis next season. There no longer appears any chance of that happening, though – and for pretty much the same reason that Kane failed to force through a move to Manchester in 2021.

  Levy is still calling the shots at Spurs, which, let's be honest, is also a major source of frustration for the club's fans, who have seen their team go backwards since reaching the Champions League final four years ago through a combination of the chairman's parsimony and poor decision-making. The net result is that while the goals have continued to flow for Kane, his trophy drought shows no sign of ending anytime soon.

  United, of course, have their own boardroom issues, but have, at least, shown real signs of promise and progress under new manager Erik ten Hag, who reportedly viewed Kane as the perfect striker to lead his attack in 2023-22. However, United have reportedly already given up on signing the England star because they do not believe themselves capable of meeting Levy's asking price.

  Things could potentially change if a new owner arrives at Old Trafford this summer, but it's now understood that the Glazer family's sale of the club might not be concluded until next season – if at all. So, while it is believed that Kane favours a move to United above all other clubs, the deal looks dead in the water, with the club now looking at younger, more affordable alternatives.

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  Real Madrid

  The 'Kane-to-Madrid' story has been a real rollercoaster ride over the past few weeks. First, Karim Benzema suddenly put Florentino Perez on the look-out for a new No.9 after sensationally deciding to move to Saudi Arabia this summer – a decision so shocking that it reportedly raised both of Carlo Ancelotti's eyebrows. Talk of Kane transferring to the Bernabeu began in earnest.

  But then Kylian Mbappe dropped a bombshell of his own by publicly confirming that he has no intention of extending his stay at the PSG beyond 2024. Basically, they need to sell him this summer to avoid losing him for nothing next year.

  If Madrid are looking for the closest thing possible to a like-for-like replacement for Benzema, they should quite clearly pick Kane. They are both complete No.9s and share similar attributes. Kane would rather remain in his native England, but the presence of international colleague Jude Bellingham in the Spanish capital certainly would have made it easier for him to settle.

  However, the whole world knows that if it comes down to a choice between Kane and Mbappe, there is only one winner. Madrid want Mbappe, and Mbappe wants Madrid – it's been that way for years. A transfer was always going to happen and it really is only a matter of when at this point. If it's this summer, there is zero chance of Kane joining too.

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  Paris Saint-Germain

  But what about Kane moving to Paris to replace Mbappe – or even play alongside the 24-year-old? After all, we know that Mbappe's preference has always been to play off a quality striker. Certainly, with Lionel Messi having been dumped in rather unceremonious circumstances, and speculation still swirling around Neymar, there will be room for at least one more superstar in PSG's attack for next season.

  It's worth noting that this rumour is gaining serious momentum of late, with reporting on Monday that Nasser Al-Khelaifi has made Kane his primary transfer target. Their interest certainly makes sense, too. The Qatari-backed club are capable of paying a fee that is likely to be in excess of £100 million ($128m), and Levy would be open to selling Kane to an overseas club.

  However, Kane would have his doubts about joining PSG – and they wouldn't just be related to living in another country or trying to learn a new language. There is just so much uncertainty surrounding PSG right now, even beyond Mbappe and his incessant contractual drama. Christophe Galtier is still technically the head coach yet he is believed to be a dead man walking. What's worrying, though, is that no replacement has yet been lined up, with Luis Enrique the latest name being tipped to take over at Parc des Princes after the club failed to reach an agreement with Julian Nagelsmann.

  Given Kane knows all about the pain of playing for a crisis club, it's unlikely that he'd want to join another.

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  Chelsea

  With that in mind, what chance do Chelsea have of persuading Kane to join a free-spending club that makes PSG look relatively prudent by comparison?!

  One can certainly understand the Blues' interest. The idea of reuniting new manager Mauricio Pochettino with Kane is certainly appealing. The pair enjoyed an excellent working relationship and still speak very fondly of one another. Todd Boehly & Co. have also shown a willingness to spend mad money on players, meaning they could try to make Levy an offer even he couldn't refuse.

  But it just seems too far-fetched. As Ian Wright recently told , "It's the only thing Spurs fans wouldn't be able to deal with – Kane going to Chelsea." Levy would essentially be writing a resignation letter if he agreed to let Tottenham's beloved son join their second-most hated rivals.

  It wouldn't even make sense from Kane's perspective, either. Granted, he would get to remain in London and continue his pursuit of the Premier League's all-time goals record. However, Chelsea aren't even in the Champions League next season, and for all the talent they've stockpiled last summer, it's still impossible to say whether they'll become serious title challengers in 2023-24 just because they'll now have Pochettino at the helm.

Pep Guardiola takes his side back to his former club for a charity fund-raiser in aid of former team-mate Juan Carlos Unzue

Any friendlies once the season has started are extremely rare, particularly for leading clubs like Manchester City who plan for a long campaign by attacking every cup competition.

Last season City played 58 competitive matches, 61 the season before and 59 the previous year, and Pep Guardiola will be hoping and expecting for a similar amount this time.

But he’s also mindful about taking care of players who have such a heavy workload and with the added requirement of international football – even greater this year because of the mid-season World Cup in Qatar, so it might seem strange to add an extra unnecessary fixture.

However, the City boss was delighted to take his squad to Spain ahead of a charity fund-raiser at Camp Nou in support of former Barcelona goalkeeper and coach Juan Carlos Unzue, who was diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) two years ago.

Guardiola has spoken about the benefits of the trip and GOAL looks at who will gain from another match and how it could help their challenge for silverware this season…

Getty ImagesLuzon Foundation

First and foremost, the most important benefactor from the game is the foundation which carries out research into the incurable degenerative neurological condition.

All proceeds from the game will go towards ALS research, on behalf of Unzue, who is a former Barcelona team-mate of Guardiola, and 51,000 tickets have already been sold for the game.

“We go because Barcelona open doors to play a game for an important person in our lives,” Guardiola said. “They invite us to raise money for the battle that he has, and it is an incredible argument for us to be there.”

AdvertisementGetty ImagesPep Guardiola

Even in late August, no one can reasonably predict the current pleasant temperatures in Manchester, so a trip to Catalonia was a guarantee of some warm weather training.

City will base themselves at sister club Girona and will have a few days of team bonding, which began with a flight straight from the 3-3 draw at Newcastle and will see them return ahead of Saturday’s visit of Crystal Palace.

After an extended summer break for the squad compared to some of their rivals, City had a short preseason and the trip will also give the coach an opportunity to work on tactics ahead of the fixture schedule building up.

Kalvin Phillips

The £42million summer signing has so far played only four minutes following his move from Leeds and is likely to have an opportunity for more game time.

With only one game a week at the moment, it’s understandable that Guardiola has chosen Rodri as his go-to holding midfielder, partly because he’s attuned to the system, but also because he’s been in brilliant form for the past two seasons.

As the schedule starts to fire up over the upcoming weeks, Phillips will get his starts in a key position and Guardiola has said this game will give rhythm to players that have so far been on the periphery.

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Jamie Squire/Getty ImagesJulian Alvarez

Exactly the same can be said for the Argentinian striker, who will not have expected to have started the opening matches ahead of the standout summer signing Erling Haaland.

Acclimatising to the Premier League will be slightly easier for Haaland who was born in Leeds and speaks English, but Guardiola says that he needs Alvarez to be a strong alternative.

“Now he has one game a week, I tell you now when we have games every three days that Erling will not play, I will play Julian,” Guardiola said after the draw with Newcastle.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Vila Nova-GO encerra sua participação na Série B do Campeonato Brasileiro neste sábado, fora de casa, no jogo diante do Cuiabá. Com sua situação definida, o Tigre vai apenas cumprir tabela. Para o atacante da equipe, Mailson, ninguém deixou de lutar durante a temporada.

– O elenco lutou, se esforçou e buscou manter o Vila na Série B. Infelizmente não foi possível, mas não faltou entrega e dedicação de todos durante o ano.

Ainda de acordo com o atleta, ele ficará na torcida pelo clube nos próximos anos.

– O Vila é um grande clube, com uma torcida gigante. Tenho certeza que o clube estará de volta para a Série B em 2020.

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England star Mary Earps is driving her Manchester United team-mate Phallon Tullis-Joyce to get even better, Red Devils boss Marc Skinner believes.

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Earps and Tullis-Joyce both praised by SkinnerEngland's No.1 firmly first-choice at Man UtdBut is also driving her team-mate to new levelsWHAT HAPPENED?

Tullis-Joyce joined the club in September after shining in the NWSL with the Seattle Reign but has found it difficult to usurp the Lionesses' No.1 for opportunities. The American did start all four of United's Continental Cup games but Earps was preferred for the clash with second-tier Southampton in the FA Cup last week, a game many thought she would be rested for.

AdvertisementWHAT SKINNER SAID

Asked about the competition between the two goalkeepers on Thursday, Skinner praised both – Earps for the standards she sets and Tullis-Joyce for her desire to meet them. "I recently had a meeting with with Phallon, just to catch up really and just to reiterate the quality she has. She's a fantastic goalkeeper – but she's also behind the world's number one goalkeeper. That's the level," Skinner said.

"The beauty of Phallon is that she wants to raise her game to try and get to Mary's standard. Mary's difference is in the mind, the way she thinks, the way she moves, the way she prepares. She almost sees the danger before it comes. I'm in that fortunate but unfortunate position of having to not play one of them but Mary is at the highest of levels and Phallon wants to get there. I think she understands the journey, I think she understands what she has to do."

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Tullis-Joyce could well inherit the first-choice role at United later this year as Earps is out of contract at the club and is attracting interest from several parties. There is still a chance that the England star could stay and sign a new deal, though.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Only Manchester City teenager Khiara Keating (6) has kept more clean sheets in the Women's Super League this season than Earps (5).

Manchester United coach Erik ten Hag has denied that his agent has too much influence on the signings the club makes.

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Vos' agency represents Rasmus HojlundAgent involved in Sofyan Amrabat dealTen Hag denies his influenceWHAT HAPPENED?

Ten Hag's representative, Kees Vos, is the head of the agency that has summer signing Rasmus Hojlund as a client, while he was also involved in the deal to bring Sofyan Amrabat to United on loan from Fiorentina.

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However, Ten Hag insists that he and the higher ups at Old Trafford have a veto over any transfer decisions as he refuted the claim that his agent has too much power.

WHAT THEY SAID

“It can’t be [too much] because we make very good agreements about it from the start – how we cooperate in that manner,” he told reporters. “For player decisions, transfers, it’s always 50-50; we both have a veto: the club, represented by John Murtough [football director], and me. So there can never be a distraction.”

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GettyWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

United return to Premier League action on Saturday when they take on Burnley.