Transfer Rumors

Neymar has been making all sorts of headlines recently, which in and of itself is not unusual. He's one of the most famous soccer players in the world. It would be weird if Neymar wasn't making headlines.

The headlines that Neymar is generating at this particular moment, though, are quite interesting, as it seems half of them are reporting that he had talks with Real Madrid regarding a possible move. The other half are, obviously, reporting that hell will freeze over before the young Brazilian engages in such talks with Los Blancos.

In early 2014, it seemed Alan Pulido had the world at his feet. Pulido had capped his finest club season to date, scoring 24 goals in 40 appearances for Tigres, with a goal in the 2014 Copa MX Final. UANL would go on to defeat Oaxaca 3-0, capturing their third Copa MX overall and their first since the 1995/96 season.

A week earlier, he scored the tying goal in a friendly against the United States in Glendale, Arizona. This was his fourth goal for El Tri, adding to the debut hat trick he’d scored against South Korea in January.

Brazilian legend Ronaldinho, club-less since leaving Fluminense in September, has found a new club, Racing de Montevideo in Uruguay. Or has he?

Ronaldinho

¡Bienvenido Ronaldinho! El jugador formará parte del cervecero durante el próximo torneo Clausura. pic.twitter.com/zwqNrbLPdX

— Racing Club de Mdeo (@RacingClubUru) December 28, 2015

After a rough November in The Premier League, which saw Arsenal collect two points, the Gunners are back on track for a second-half surge for England’s most coveted trophy as they only trail Leicester City by two points. Throw in the 3-0 result against Olympiacos to propel them into the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League, as well as the impending chase for a third-consecutive FA Cup, and Arsene Wenger’s team have quite the full plate in front of them.

After Manchester United’s dismal Champions League elimination at the hands of Wolfsburg this week, Manchester United fans from around the world must have looked at each other and said: “What the hell just happened here?”

All the promise going into this season has disappeared. United’s inability to put together a cohesive and effective attack has lead to their early Champions League exit, and all the people who were excited about the madman master Van Gaal last season are just about ready to call for his head.

He started out as one of the most promising strikers of his generation. Fans raved about him and managers wanted to coach him, but he hit a wall of injuries all of a sudden and his career went crashing down. Regarded by Mexico's manager Juan Carlos Osorio as one of the best wingers in world soccer today, this player is nicknamed after a bird. And like the legend of another famous bird, he is rising from the ashes of his crumbled career. Yes, I’m talking about Alexandre Pato. 

Barcelona have perhaps the greatest forward line ever assembled, but for how much longer?

According to The Sun (so take this information with however many grains of salt you feel are appropriate), Barcelona's wage bill is 73 percent of its total revenue.

The Sun also reported that Barca are planning a £423 million renovation of the Camp Nou.

Neymar's astounding string of performances has managed to get him in the mix to be one of the top players in the world. Nonetheless, off-the-field issues keep the superstar's future very murky.

It's a question posed to any footballer who succeeds in the relative atmospheric comforts of Serie A, La Liga and Ligue 1: "but could he do it on a cold Wednesday night at Stoke?" The implication being that in the cold of England in winter, players from lesser footballing areas like the Mediterranean and South America would wilt like the dead flowers they are. It is a perfect example of (false) Premier League exceptionalism.

His return to Brazil did not end up like he expected, but it seems Ronaldinho is not done with professional soccer just yet.

His possible next stop: the MLS.

In an interview with FutbolMLS.com, the two-time FIFA World Player of the year talked about his love for the United States and how the league’s growth is attracting talented and experienced players.