Manchester United under Woodward are gaining a reputation as a club whose hierarchy is out of its depth. It lacks know-how. It is naive. It is still a wonderful, wonderful club but the people in charge don't seem to understand it. They know an awful lot about value but not much about worth. They know what to sell but not what to cherish.
SAN MARINO 0-6 ENGLAND - ROB DRAPER IN SAN MARINO: Amidst rolling hills, basking in a balmy late summer sunset and over-looked by a mountain-top castle, a little piece of English football history was secured. The San Marino Stadium - capacity 4,378 - is not one most-intimidating arenas known to international football, nor is it home to the most-formidable opponents but that will not matter a great deal to Wayne Rooney.
OLIVER HOLT: On the eve of the first World Cup for 20 years he has not graced, the man who was for so long England's talisman is trying to turn away from the things that once defined him.
ANDREW JENNINGS: The campaign to give the 2006 tournament to Germany involved the shafting of South Africa, wrapped up in a strategy to retain the FIFA presidency for Sepp Blatter.
JOE BERNSTEIN: Manchester United will not be deterred in making future bids for Gareth Bale or Cristiano Ronaldo due to the fall-out with Real Madrid over David de Gea.
NICK HARRIS: The manner in which South Africa were awarded the 2010 World Cup is central to the FBI's investigations. Bribery is suspected, specifically that a $10m payment was diverted.
He still has a lot to prove but John Stones is the most exciting central defender since Rio Ferdinand came on the scene. Wayne Rooney is bound to score even more goals for England.
That performance was so much better than Paris two weeks ago and I would not change the starting XV for the World Cup opener against Fiji. Much of the rugby England produced in a fine first half was top drawer and although the intensity slipped a little after half time and there is plenty to work on, the positives still shone through brightly. Remember this was a quality Ireland team - ranked third in the world and Six Nations champions - who were never going to just roll over. It was also important to expunge the memory of that poor England performance and defeat in Dublin earlier this year because these two could meet in the World Cup semi-final next month.
WALES 23-19 ITALY - NIK SIMON: The grim reaper of the Group of Death showed his face in Cardiff as Wales struggled to overcome Italy and suffered injuries to Rhys Webb and Leigh Halfpenny.
ENGLAND 21-13 IRELAND - SAM PETERS: Stuart Lancaster's men will breathe a little easier following a vast improvement on the debacle in Paris.
Stuart Lancaster insisted his England team is ready to win the World Cup after seeing them dismantle Ireland 21-13 in their final warm-up match at Twickenham.
England won their final World Cup warm-up match against Ireland thanks to a narrow 21-13 win against their rivals at Twickenham. SAM PETERS runs the rule over the two teams.
DAVID FERGUSON IN PARIS: Scotland fell short of an historic win in a brutally physical encounter after failing to match their defensive passion with the necessary accuracy in attack.
NIK SIMON IN CARDIFF: Warren Gatland is likely to recall veteran scrum-half Mike Phillips after the sickening injury suffered by Rhys Webb in Cardiff.
LAWRENCE BOOTH AT LORD'S: The second one-day international at Lord's descended into acrimony as Eoin Morgan and Steve Smith exchanged angry barbs following the controversial dismissal of Ben Stokes. Stokes became only the second England player in 138 years of international cricket to be given out obstructing the field - after Len Hutton in 1951 - when he was hit on the glove by a throw from Mitchell Starc.
MIKE DICKSON IN NEW YORK: Britain's Jo Konta is fast turning into the surprise package of the whole US Open after taking another prestige scalp to make the fourth round. Having beaten world No 9 Garbine Muguruza she followed it up with the upset of Germany's world No 18 Andrea Petkovic in the opening match of the day, collecting a 7-6, 6-3 victory which underscored her remarkable improvement this summer.
David Warner will miss the rest of Australia's Royal London Series campaign against England after breaking his thumb. Warner was hit by a short ball from Steven Finn and forced to retire hurt.
STUART FRASER IN NEW YORK: Eugenie Bouchard has been forced to withdraw from the US Open doubles events after the Canadian sustained a head injury in the locker room on Friday night.
MIKE DICKSON IN NEW YORK: While Roger Federer has reinvented himself these past eighteen months to manufacture a revival, Rafael Nadal continues to plough a similar furrow to that which he has always done.
ADAM CRAFTON IN PARIS: It is the morning after the night before in the Paris suburb of Les Ulis and the scene is one of frenzied excitement. Inside the clubhouse of the local football club, coach Mamadou Niakaté flicks through the newspapers and switches on the TV, eagerly awaiting his appearance on the major sports channel. At the entrance, the charming mayor of the district, Francoise Marhuenda, has arrived to congratulate the club on the prestige and attention that they have bestowed on her town.
SPAIN 2-0 SLOVAKIA - PETE JENSON IN OVIEDO: David Silva took his stunning Premier League form on to the international stage to lead Spain to a 2-0 win over Slovakia but Diego Costa faces accusations of diving after winning a controversial penalty.
MATT BARLOW: England goal No 49 for one graduate of the Everton academy and England goal No 1 for another. Wayne Rooney matched Sir Bobby Charlton and Ross Barkley got off the mark.
Sir Bobby Charlton scored his 49th goal for England in a friendly against Colombia in Bogota on May 20, 1970. Wayne Rooney scored his in England's 6-0 victory over San Marino.
When Charlton broke Greaves' goalscoring record back in 1968, I would imagine Ramsey might have taken him aside for a second. 'Well done,' he would have said; nothing more.
SAMI MOKBEL IN SERAVALLE: England continued their 100 per cent winning campaign towards Euro 2016 qualification in emphatic fashion with a 6-0 victory over minnows San Marino.
Ahead of England's Euro 2016 qualifier against San Marino, all attention was on Wayne Rooney closing in on Sir Bobby Charlton's record of 49 goals for his country.
Edgar Davids rolled back the years to score two phenomenal long-range strikes during the charity match between Laureus All Stars and Real Madrid Legends on Saturday. The 42-year-old former midfielder and Holland international twice struck low lay-offs from outside the box into the far corner of the goal. Davids' brilliant brace perhaps comes as a surprise, as he was far from prolific when turning out for AC Milan, Juventus, Tottenham, Crystal Palace and Barnet during his playing career.
The Portugal squad flew to Albania on Saturday ahead of their Euro 2016 qualifier and Cristiano Ronaldo and Ricardo Quaresma made sure they got the best seats... in the cockpit. The Real Madrid forward and Besiktas winger filmed themselves sat with the pilots before taking off in a video that later emerged on social media.
JONATHAN McEVOY AT MONZA: The gap between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg yawned a little wider at Monza on Saturday - with the Briton taking pole in qualifying for the Italian Grand Prix.
JONATHAN MCEVOY: Internal feuding broke out in leafy Monza. Down at McLaren, where they have shown the patience of Job with engine makers Honda, fingers are now being pointed.
In a year of first-ever feats for Jordan Spieth, he accomplished another Saturday in the Deutsche Bank Championship. Only this one was nothing to celebrate.
Lacklustre Brazil beat Costa Rica 1-0 in New Jersey on Saturday but the revamped team of the five-times world champions failed to impress in their penultimate friendly before next month's World Cup qualifiers. Zenit St Petersburg striker Hulk scored after nine minutes when he muscled his way past a defender and fired home from 12 metres. Hulk started for the first time since enduring a disappointing World Cup last year while coach Dunga gave debuts to Gremio goalkeeper Marcelo Grohe and Santos midfielder Lucas Lima.
Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez scored in the 82nd minute as Chile beat an under-strength Paraguay 3-2 on Saturday, in their first match after winning their first Copa America in July.
NICK HARRIS EXCLUSIVE: The public purse will profit by just a few hundred thousand pounds next year when West Ham move into the Olympic Stadium.
GRAHAM HUNTER: Dutch football, so often a benchmark for intelligence and quality, is in decline, in need of renovation - in need of vision and talent.
Ever wondered why Cristiano Ronaldo has taken to Twitter to promote a Portuguese tailoring company or why Wayne Rooney has decided to post a picture of Nike's latest golf shoes?
The victims were struck by the race car when its driver lost control during the La Coruna Rally, in the Spanish municipality of Carral in the north west of the country. Footage of the crash (pictured) shows the moment the car skids across the dirt track before ploughing into a group of roughly 20 spectators, sending them flying into the air. A pregnant woman and an eight-year-old child have both been confirmed to be among the six people killed. The race was immediately suspended in the aftermath, with police warning that the death toll is likely to rise. Emergency services remain on the scene tonight (inset), supporting the victims and their families.
FRASER MACKIE: An excuse most unlikely to be parroted by Rangers manager Mark Warburton: It's never easy when a team comes to Ibrox and puts 11 men behind the ball. Warburton's Rangers are making a mockery of that lazy cliche about an opponent sitting in to frustrate.
Chris Coleman has welcomed calls for Wales to face England before next summer's European Championships to find out which nation really is best of British.
Former Manchester United assistant manager Carlos Queiroz has delivered a withering assessment of the work by David Moyes and Louis van Gaal since 2013.
Real Madrid are to donate one million euros (£730,000) to aid refugees taken in by Spain. The La Liga giants have followed in the footsteps of clubs such as Bayern Munich and Celtic.
JOE BERNSTEIN: For Teddy Sheringham, having 51 England caps and a Champions League winners' medal was not much of an advantage when he took his first team meeting at League Two Stevenage. 'I've been in dressing rooms as one of a crowd but never had 26 human beings looking at me waiting to be led,' says the former Manchester United and Tottenham star, who has just begun a managerial career at one of the England's smallest professional clubs.
Floyd Mayweather has taken to social media to thank one of his most loyal supporters. Mayweather posted a picture of a superfan, who has his back emblazoned with tattoos of the boxer, to his Instagram account.
JOE BERNSTEIN: Teddy Sheringham doesn't think Wayne Rooney will consider himself an equal to Sir Bobby Charlton unless he wins an international trophy with England.
Welsh supporters have been warned not to ruin what could be football's biggest day in the country for over half-a-century by encroaching onto the pitch - something that happened against Andorra last year.
CHARLES SALE - SPORTS AGENDA: The FA are doing all they can to ensure their mass redundancy programme doesn't affect Roy Hodgson's backroom staff.
Football returned to the dark ages as violence erupted between what were believed to be rival Romanian fans amid shocking scenes during a Euro 2016 qualifier against Hungary. What were thought to be Dinamo and Steaua Bucharest supporters squared off in the stands in Budapest before a flurry of blows were traded between the hooligans in footage captured on a mobile phone. There was also trouble outside of the stadium ahead of the game as riot police were called in after fans from both countries clashed in the Hungarian capital before the home side were held to a goalless draw.
MailOnline Fantasy Football is back... and you can pick Euro stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to boost your Premier League side
Secrets of new Henry
ADAM CRAFTON: Anthony Martial's move may have shocked many, but a Premier League legend says he can light up Old Trafford
Ronaldo shares ride in cockpit with Quaresma
Cristiano Ronaldo and Ricardo Quaresma made sure they got the best seats on the plane to Albania... in the cockpit
Bouchard ruled out of US Open doubles after suffering head injury
STUART FRASER: Eugenie Bouchard sustained a head injury in the locker room
Messi poses next to Watt as Argentina train in Texas ahead of Mexico friendly
Lionel Messi may have some difficulty getting past NFL star JJ Watt
16 in a row for Konta as qualifier makes it to US Open last 16
MIKE DICKSON: Jo Konta beat Andrea Petkovic in the opening match of the day
Davids rolls back the years with screamers
Edgar Davids scored two long-range strikes in charity match between Laureus All Stars and Real Madrid Legends
Alba and Iniesta on target as Spain go top
PETE JENSON: David Silva took his stunning Premier League form on to the international stage to lead Spain to victory
Sheringham is playing his cards right at Stevenage
JOE BERNSTEIN on Teddy Sheringham, who is out to prove a good bet at Broadhall Way
Webb and Halfpenny risk missing World Cup
NIK SIMON: The grim reaper of the Group of Death showed his face as Rhys Webb and Leigh Halfpenny
Libertines frontman (and QPR fan) Doherty serenades Austin... who looks like he can't stand it on Soccer AM
Pete Doherty is happy Charlie Austin is staying
Hayne makes 49ers final 53-man roster
Efe Obada's Cinderella story took a backward step, but Jarryd Hayne's inexorable march to the NFL was confirmed
Yours for just £790... a car painted with Rooney overhead kick and more iconic United moments
Manchester United memorabilia comes in all shapes and sizes
No need for hashtags: One Ronaldo tweet is worth... £169,000!
Real Madrid superstar Ronaldo is top... but who else makes sport's power list on Twitter?
Renaissance man Roy likened to subject of 16th century painting
It seems an uncanny likeness to Roy Keane has been giving the evil eye for centuries...
Eriksen views Denmark clash with Albania from his sofa
He's sidelined with a knee injury but that did not prevent him from watching the 0-0 draw
Sol Campbell's most candid interview ever
JONATHAN McEVOY speaks to a successful footballer, burgeoning businessman, aspirant Conservative politician...
Man City new boy Sterling 'charged up' ahead of England's clash with San Marino
Raheem Sterling has posted a selfie of himself in bed
Life's a beach for UFC star McGregor as he gears up for Aldo fight
Conor McGregor has posted a video of himself working out on the beach ahead of his fight
Barcelona striker Suarez reveals hidden talent for acting in hilarious new advert
Suarez and his many doppelgangers star in a new commercial
Cuadrado got the chop at Chelsea... but now flop is given a hair-raising welcome by crazy fan at Juventus
Cuadrado has joined Juventus on loan
United legends beat Liverpool counterparts in heated 'friendly' clash
Both Robbie Fowler and Jason McAteer made rash challenges but Liverpool lost 4-2
Hero's welcome for Berbatov in front of 10,000 PAOK fans
Jubilant PAOK Salonika fans turned up to greet the club's new signing at their Toumba Stadium
Blind fury as Holland's hopes are hit by Iceland
Danny Blind's reign got off to a dismal start as Iceland inflicted a first home defeat in a Euro qualifier on the Dutch
£52m man De Bruyne shows class in Belgium
JACK GAUGHAN: There really is something box office about Kevin De Bruyne and don't Man City just know it
Konta upsets ninth seed Muguruza in longest ever US Open women's match
MIKE DICKSON: Jo Konta played the match of her life to make history
Sock forced to retire from US Open during New York City heat wave
Jack Sock collapsed on court in the fourth set of his second-round match with Ruben Bemelmans
Hernandez snub for LVG as striker hails former boss Fergie
Javier Hernandez gave United boss Louis van Gaal the cold shoulder in his leaving message
F1 champ Hamilton set to find out if blonds really do have more fun
Lewis Hamilton was pictured in Monza with a distinctive new hairdo ahead of the Italian GP
Jose won me over despite Barca-Real rivalry, says Pedro
Pedro has told the Spanish press that he feels part of the Chelsea family already
Saido Berahino: Some says he's cocky, others reckon he's just misunderstood
SPECIAL REPORT as the West Brom striker faces a rocky future
Great rivals, reunited: Fergie joins Wenger and Co at UEFA forum
Top bosses gathered in Nyon... Wenger and Fergie seem to be on better terms these days
What a difference seven months makes: Grumpy Lennon finds happiness at Everton after permanent return
Winger looked smiles better at second unveiling
What is South Africa star Habana doing wearing a kilt?
Bryan Habana joins Drew Mitchell and Jacques Burger with impressions of Home nations
Premier League transfer window review
We asked our reporters to rate how each top-flight club had fared over the last two months. Here's what they think...
West Brom flop Ideye arrives to flashbulb fanfare after sealing move to Olympiacos
He'll be hoping for more luck in Greece after Premier League struggle
The £36m kid who married his childhood sweetheart and admits to being a telly addict
Meet Anthony Martial - Manchester United's newest big-money buy
Tsunami survivor and Sporting youngster enjoys Ronaldo reunion
Martunis, now 17, met up with the Real Madrid superstar at Portugal's team hotel
De Gea the Real victim as Spanish papers react to transfer collapse
Madrid and Man United have a lot to answer for in the David de Gea saga, say Spanish press
View from France on United's Martial deal
The shocking transfer fee for Anthony Martial - it could reach £58m - left some French outlets in disbelief and disillusion
Schweinsteiger says Germany's double-header with Poland and Scotland is 'must win'
The world champions are in an unfamiliar position in Euro Group D
Bale backed to cope with Cyprus bully boys
Wales boss Chris Coleman has warned Cyprus to forget about attempting to bully Gareth Bale in their important Euro 2016 qualifier
De Gea in Madrid... but star looks sombre after£29m move collapses
Met Spain team-mates in capital on day he was set for Real unveiling... as United answer back
DEADLINE DAY VIRALS:
Relive Sportsmail's light-hearted alternative coverage of transfer deadline day with all the hilarious virals which swept the internet
Legends of Football: Beckham scoops award at charity event and is reunited with Giggs
David Beckham has been honoured with the Legend of Football Award
It's time for Jim White's yellow tie and Sky Sports' deadline day circus to move on
EDGE OF THE BOX: It was never going to light up our telly screens...
Meet the American boxer-turned artist who's out to put Brit Smith on the canvas
Liam Smith meets John Thompson on October 10 at Manchester Arena
Sprint king Bolt touches down in London on a segway
Just days after being knocked over by a segway, Usain Bolt was pictured riding one himself at Heathrow
West Ham sign Moses on loan... as winger pens new four-year deal at Chesea
Moses moves to Upton Park on season-long loan deal
Everton midfielder Gibson pleads GUILTY to drink-driving charge after appearing in court accused of crashing £125,000 sports car into cyclist
Rooney's son meets his idols after spending time with Barcelona stars Messi, Suarez and Neymar
Rooney's son watched Barca beat Malaga
Ronaldo boards private jet for Portugal duty as Europe's top stars prepare for international week
For those not involved in transfers, international football is the focus
Ivanovic dumped out of US Open at first hurdle as former world No 1 loses to Cibulkova
Former world No 1 Ana Ivanovic was the first major casualty of the US Open on Monday
Cycling legend Pendleton finishes second in first competitive race after photo finish
Victoria Pendleton's big blue eyes shone out on a grey afternoon at Ripon
REVEALED: How £500m Stamford Bridge stadium will look
Here's some encouragement for Chelsea fans reeling - a first glimpse of their proposed new stadium
Memphis feels the cold as Holland prepare for Thursday's Euro 2016 qualifier against Iceland
United star Memphis seemed to be struggling in the cold in Noordwijk
The new doctor? Spartak Moscow medic Viktoryia Gameeva sets pulses racing with Chelsea shirt pic
Spartak Moscow's doctor Gameeva clearly has a soft spot for Chelsea
Murray shrugs off fatigue talk as star insists he's fighting fit ahead of US Open
Andy Murray put the finishing touches to his preparations in New York
Hamilton poses alongside 'good friend' Gigi Hadid at VMA party
Lewis Hamilton took to Instagram on Sunday as he joined model Gigi Hadid for a night of fun and frolics
Bale jets back to Wales on a private plane hours after brilliant Madrid double
Wales star heads home in style to prepare for Euro 2016 qualifiers
Great Britain end Worlds with double relay bronze in the men's and women's 4x400m in Beijing
Martyn Rooney and Co celebrate final success
McGregor stops off in tattoo shop as UFC star enjoys life in California
Irish UFC star Conor McGregor takes some time away from the ring in the Golden State
Wales flanker Lydiate shows off his war wounds from hard fought win in Ireland
Dan Lydiate left battered and bruised after Wales' 16-10 win over Ireland
De Bruyne celebrates City move with meal in Manchester
Belgian star dined out at Chinese restaurant Wing's ahead of £52m to the Etihad 
JONAH LOMU: I just want to stay alive to see my kids make 21...
OLIVER HOLT: The long battle with illness has left him with only one remaining ambition...
Vermaelen's late winner ends torrid year
The star trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar were reunited, but they needed help from Thomas Vermaelen
Bale strikes after just 94 seconds and James nets spectacular double
Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez hit braces as Rafa Benitez won on his first home game
Muller and Robben continue perfect start
Bayern Munich eased past Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 to go top of the Bundesliga, making it three wins from three
Meram scores late as Lampard's side suffer a disappointing defeat
Frank Lampard told his friends coming to Major League Soccer would be anything but a holiday
Evans completes £6m move to West Brom
The 27-year-old centre-half has penned a four-year deal and joins Albion after making 198 appearances for United
Groves 'ready to rock' ahead of world title fight against Jack in Vegas
George Groves has vowed to announce himself as the world's best super middleweight
Chris Coleman promises his Wales side will not be distracted by the hype as they enter uncharted territory. Victory over Israel in Cardiff on Sunday evening will stamp Wales' ticket to next summer's Euro 2016 finals and end a 58-year wait for the nation to play at a major championship.
A virtuoso performance from Sergio Aguero led Argentina to a 7-0 friendly win over Bolivia in Houston. The Manchester City forward is recognised as one of the world's premier goalscorers and a pair of deft finishes were in keeping with that reputation. But unusually, it was his creativity that stood out with wonderful passes for both of strike partner Ezequiel Lavezzi's first-half goals as Gerardo Martino's side led 3-0 at the break.
PORTUGAL 0-1 FRANCE - ADAM CRAFTON IN LISBON: Another day, another landmark. After a whirlwind week in which the name Anthony Martial has dominated the agenda both in England and France, this was another evening of genuine significance for the 19-year-old forward.
These are heady days for the Welsh football team. Not only are they on the verge of qualifying for their first major tournament since 1958, they could rise to second in the FIFA Rankings
Germany secured a 3-1 victory over Poland at the Commerzbank-Arena in Frankfurt on Friday night in their Euro 2016 qualifier. Bayern Munich pair Thomas Muller and Mario Gotze scored for the hosts.
GIBRALTAR 0-4 REPUBLIC OF IRELAND - CRAIG HOPE IN FARO: Captain Robbie Keane maintained his scoring form with a double to ensure Ireland's Euro 2016 play-off destiny is now in their own hands.
Switzerland produced an incredible comeback with three goals in the final 10 minutes to defeat Slovenia 3-2. Josip Drmic came off the bench to score twice while Valentin Stocker also netted.
FAROES 1-3 NORTHERN IRELAND: Manic Monday beckons for Northern Ireland. Victory over Hungary will send them over to the European Championship finals for the first time.
GEORGIA 1-0 SCOTLAND - STEPHEN McGOWAN IN TBILISI: On a night bearing parallels with the defeat here in 2007, hopes of a return from the international wilderness were effectively torched.
SAM PETERS - INTERVIEW: Nemani Nadolo has already achieved something remarkable. In a world inhabited by impossibly big men, the 6ft 5in and 20st Fijian winger manages to stand out among the crowd. Truly, the man is a giant. It is 20 years since Jonah Lomu trampled all over England's World Cup dreams with a four-try demolition job. With the advent of professionalism, rugby players have grown in size to such an extent that, if Lomu were to appear on the scene today, the man Will Carling described as a 'freak' would barely warrant a second glance. Nadolo, however, does. He is two stones heavier than Lomu was in his pomp - and just as quick.
Argentina paid a fitting tribute to prop Marcos Ayerza and enjoyed a nine-try romp as they beat Leicester 55-34 in their last Rugby World Cup warm-up on Saturday. Ayerza was given a testimonial after nine years service at Leicester which saw him play 214 games and win four Premiership titles.
The Rugby World Cup is just two weeks away, with this weekend's final warm-up matches offering nations a final chance to put the finishing touches to their preparations ahead of the tournament.
Tom Youngs turned on his critics after helping England see off the Irish threat and boosting his own chances of a World Cup start against Fiji.
CHRIS FOY: England's lack of experience could ruin their chances of winning the Rugby World Cup, says Rob Andrew, the RFU's professional rugby director.
Wales wing George North will make his first Millennium Stadium appearance for almost six months on Saturday after he 'ticked all the boxes' on a long comeback trail from injury.
Jonny May is praying he has finally won the fight for the No 11 jersey for England's opening clash with Fiji. 'I feel I've done as much as I can do,' he said after an impressive display against Ireland.
NIK SIMON: Shaun Edwards has rebuked Sir Clive Woodward after he expressed his belief that Wales are wrong to select just two hookers for the World Cup.
ANDY NICOL: Vern Cotter has picked his squad for the World Cup and ended all the speculation over who is going and who is not. The selection is a very strong one.
SPECIAL REPORT BY NEIL ASHTON: By the time Real Madrid got down to the nitty-gritty with Manchester United in the negotiations for the transfer of David de Gea, it had been another good day in the life of Jorge Mendes. The self-styled super agent - who boasts a stable of approaching 100 top-class footballers, with transfer values closing in on £1billion - had already been in the thick of the action over the astonishing £58million transfer of Monaco forward Anthony Martial. De Gea should have been another slam dunk, easy money for a man who picks up the phone to speak to Real Madrid's president Florentino Perez up to 20 times a day.
The Football Association are supporting the campaign to raise £30,000 to care for stroke victim Jimmy Greaves. Chairman Greg Dyke has made a discretionary donation, understood to be a four-figure sum, to a fundraising campaign set-up to raise money to support the England legend. Dyke is known to have a close relationship with Greaves; the pair having worked together for ITV during the mid-80s.
Lionel Messi is used to running rings around burly centre backs week in week out but you fear the Barcelona forward may have slightly more difficulty getting past NFL star JJ Watt.
JAMES RESTALL: TAfter setting the pace in League Two and possessing the last 100 per cent record in the Football League, Leyton Orient came crashing back down to earth at Exeter.
CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST: Barcelona have set their sights on strengthening in January, with Jesus Navas part of a quartet earmarked to add goals at the Nou Camp.
PETE JENSON IN MADRID: Relations were already strained between the two biggest football clubs in the world...even before deadline day passed.
Liverpool striker Danny Ings admits he cannot wait for team-mate Daniel Sturridge to return from injury. Sturridge made just seven Premier League starts for Brendan Rodgers' side last season.
Premier League clubs dominate the European landscape in terms of money spent on their squads, with eight of the costliest teams in Europe's top divisions coming from England.
Manchester United have hit back at claims by Real Madrid over their supposed 'naivety' in handling David de Gea's failed move to the Bernabeu.
KIERAN GILL - THE NUMBERS GAME: Last season's top four clubs had the entire summer to try to become champions-elect, while Chelsea had to prepare to defend their Barclays Premier League title. Manchester City knew their attack needed reviving and invested £101million in Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne to become the division's entertainers. So far, they have been exactly that.
Edin Dzeko, Mario Balotelli and Juan Cuadrado are just three of the 166 players currently on loan from Premier League clubs following the end of the summer transfer window. Premier League champions Chelsea are leading the way with 33 of their registered players currently plying their trade away from the club. Harry Redknapp recently criticised Chelsea for being allowed to loan out a whole squad to teams across the world, as it means Jose Mourinho cannot keep a personal check on his playing staff.
Roy Keane's beard didn't last long, but his icy stare is not easy to forget. And it seems an uncanny resemblance to the fiery Irishman has been staring daggers for centuries...
Sir Alex Ferguson missed out on signing a Wayne Rooney as a youngster - ultimately costing Manchester United £25million - because of the then young Everton star's love for the Toffees.
Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has called for higher broadcasting revenues for Bundesliga clubs in order to be able to keep up with the spending power of the Premier League.
Monaco vice president Vadim Vasilyev believes Manchester United could have signed Luis Suarez or Neymar for the £58million fee they paid for Anthony Martial.
England Under 19s beat their German counterparts 3-2 at the Belkaw Arena on Friday evening thanks to goals from young prodigies Sheyi Ojo, Dominic Solanke and Ainsley Maitland-Niles.
Fans - in the form of bloggers and the Arsenal Supporters Club - have turned on their manager in a way that is becoming traditional at this time of year. But Wenger had the perfect transfer window.
Porto have called on the giants of European football to stand up and be counted by donating money to help ease the migrant crisis.
MIKE DICKSON AT FLUSHING MEADOWS: Roger Federer took his six-year-old twin daughters Charlene and Myla to the Metropolitan Museum of Art here this week, to look at its current China exhibition. Many in New York are also talking about Federer's own work of genius, one that he has created at the US Open: his new, almost half-volley return of serve that has been working to devastating effect.
Rafael Nadal's miserable year continued as the 14-time major champion threw away a two-set lead to lose to Italy's Fabio Fognini at the US Open. Nadal outplayed Fognini for over an hour under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium but the Italian found a different gear as he came storming back to win 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.
Lleyton Hewitt's US Open career ended with a five-set thriller as the veteran lost his all-Australian tie with Bernard Tomic after spurning two match points. Hewitt, who will retire after his final home grand slam in January, is renowned for his fighting spirit and he showed it again in New York as he battled from two sets and a break down to serve for the match at 5-4 in the decider. Tomic, however, ripped up the script against his friend and mentor to win 6-3 6-2 3-6 5-7 7-5 and book a third-round clash with Richard Gasquet
STUART FRASER IN NEW YORK: Roger Federer continued to breeze through the US Open draw with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory over German No 29 seed Philipp Kohlschreiber.
Comeback queen Serena Williams staged another dramatic fightback to beat American wild card Bethanie Mattek-Sands at the US Open and keep her calendar Grand Slam dream alive.
Fourth seed Caroline Wozniacki spurned four match points as she crashed out of the US Open second round in a final-set tie-break against Petra Cetkovska
Keep track of all the latest results from the men's and women's singles at the US Open. Stick with Sportsmail for the best coverage from New York.
Marin Cilic kept his US Open title defence on track but not without a scare as the No 9 seed needed over four hours to put away Mikhail Kukushkin to reach the fourth round on Friday.
Top seed Novak Djokovic notched another straight sets win but was given a workout in a 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 victory over Andreas Seppi in reaching the fourth round.
Monza hosts the Italian Grand Prix as the European season starts to draw to a close in Formula One. So Sportsmail looks back at some of the best historical pictures from one of the crown jewels of F1, which include Sebastian Vettel's first ever grand prix victory and Mika Hakkinen famously bursting into tears of anguish in 1999.
JONATHAN MCEVOY: One of the Ferrari-red banners in the grandstand next to the start-finish straight at Monza reads: 'You cannot describe the passion. You can only live it.' 'Go Michael,' says another - the biggest of the lot - in homage to the stricken great, Schumacher. 'Go Kimi,' is written just behind it, in the white and blue of Raikkonen's national flag, of Finland. Just down along the road is one of motor racing's awesome sights, the steeply banked Parabolica curve that leads into the straight.
Speaking ahead of this weekend's Italian Grand Prix, Jenson Button has called for the immediate introduction of closed cockpits in single-seater motor-racing to avoid any further fatalities.
Lotus boss Matthew Carter insists the cash-strapped outfit will survive the remainder of the F1 season. The British team, who had their cars and trucks released by bailiffs for this week's Grand Prix.
McLaren racing director Eric Boullier says it is the British team's intention to retain Jenson Button next season. For the second consecutive year Button faces an uncertain future at McLaren.
The pair share a bitter rivalry, so it's no surprise that when you put Conor McGregor and Jose Aldo in the same building, fireworks are likely to be produced. The warring pair were at the UFC's 'Go Big' launch in Las Vegas, when they went toe-to-toe and were close to exchanging blows on stage. They had to be separated by security and president Dana White as the feud threatened to turn nasty before the pair even stepped into the Octagon.
Josh Warrington successfully defended his Commonwealth featherweight title by claiming victory by unanimous decision against Australia's Joel Brunker.
As if challenging for a world title on the undercard of Floyd Mayweather's final fling on the Las Vegas strip wasn't thrilling enough for George Groves, he has taken to battling Mother Nature in the build-up. After rebuilding following back-to-back defeats by Carl Froch, the Londoner fights Badou Jack for the WBC super-middleweight crown on Saturday night.
England's Lee Slattery recovered from a double bogey to take a two-shot lead heading into the final round of a rain-hit M2M Russian Open in Moscow. Play was delayed by 90 minutes on Saturday.
JEFF POWELL: Tyson Fury's world heavyweight title challenge to Wladimir Klitschko will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Box Office. Sky's rivals Box Nation withdrew from bidding.
MARCUS TOWNEND: If those who peddled hurtful rumours about the accident which claimed the life of Kauto Star were hoping to unsettle Collett, they had not reckoned on her inner steel.
While Efe Obada's Cinderella story took a backward step, Jarryd Hayne's inexorable march to the NFL was confirmed. Hayne was named on the San Francisco 49ers' initial 53-man roster.
Matty Bowen inspired Wigan Warriors to a 42-16 victory over Catalans Dragons at The Den, a result which confirms their place in the First Utility Super League semi-finals.
LAWRENCE BOOTH: Surrey all-rounder Zafar Ansari is set for a surprise winter call-up to the England team as the selectors look to cover all their bases against Pakistan in the UAE.
Daily Mail racing expert Robin Goodfellow (Sam Turner) brings his hottest selections for Saturday's meetings at Haydock, Kempton. Stratford, Thirsk and Wolverhampton.
A smooth three-and-a-quarter-length success in the September Stakes for Jack Hobbs at Kempton was hailed as a perfect stepping stone to the Prix de L'Arc de Triomphe.
JONATHAN McEVOY: An Italian coffee shop in Chelsea is a long way from a cramped house in Plaistow, where Sol Campbell grew up the 12th and last child of Jamaican immigrants. The former England defender cuts a sophisticated figure as he sips his drink and spoons up the froth, wearing a pink shirt, grey trousers, light blue summer jacket and brown buckled shoes.
Sportsmail's Laura Williamson runs the rule over who has enjoyed a good week in the world of sport and who has had one to forget.
The time has come for someone to smash this accursed transfer window to smithereens. It is ruining the game. Not least by prostituting the old profession of management.
On reflection, Rob Andrew will doubtless concede that the eve of a home World Cup is perhaps not the occasion to emphasise the senior England team's long-term potential.
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