Source ratings
Every transfer rumour we publish carries a Credibility score driven by who is reporting it. Here's how we tier reporters, why it matters, and a non-exhaustive list of who sits where.
Tier 1 — Elite reporters
The handful of names whose word is treated as near-confirmation by the rest of the industry. A single Tier 1 byline can carry a story; multiple Tier 1 reporters corroborating is the strongest non-official signal.
- David Ornstein (The Athletic / New York Times)
- Fabrizio Romano
- Florian Plettenberg (Sky DE)
- Nicolò Schira
Tier 2 — Major outlets and broadcasters
Established newsroom reporting from outlets with editorial standards and named bylines. Strong enough to push a story to "Heating up" but typically need corroboration to reach "Nearly done".
- BBC Sport, The Athletic, Sky Sports, The Telegraph, The Guardian, The Times
- Marca, AS, Sport, Mundo Deportivo (Spain)
- L'Équipe (France); Kicker, Bild (Germany); Gazzetta dello Sport, Corriere, Tuttosport (Italy)
Tier 3 — Tabloids and regional press
Volume reporters and tabloid newsdesks. Useful for surfacing stories early but treated cautiously on their own.
- Daily Mail, Mirror Football, The Sun, Daily Express, Evening Standard
- Football.London, Manchester Evening News, Liverpool Echo
Tier 4 — Aggregators (excluded by default)
Sites that re-publish others' reporting without adding sourcing of their own. We don't accept these as primary sources. If a story appears only on aggregators, it stays speculative until a tiered reporter picks it up.
- Transfermarkt, Tribuna, GiveMeSport, SportBible, CaughtOffside, Football365
See the wider rating methodology in How we rate, or our sourcing standards in our editorial policy.