Alan Shearer has spoken of his shock at the timing of Eddie Howe’s resignation as the manager of Newcastle United.

Newcastle are understood to have identified Al-Ahli boss Matthias Jaissle as Howe’s successor. The Saudi Pro League club and back-to-back AFC Champions League Elite winners are majority-owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which also owns the Magpies.

Howe managed Newcastle for nearly five years, delivering Champions League football and the club’s first major silverware for 70 years but struggling to maintain consistent progress across multiple seasons.

‘It’s been an incredible ride’

Former Newcastle and England captain Shearer has admitted that Howe’s resignation caught him off-guard, and paid tribute to the outgoing boss after half a decade at the helm.

“I’m very, very surprised,” Shearer told Betfair. “I guess it's strange timing with three weeks to go until the new season kicks off.

“I don't know what's gone on, whether it was the end of last season, whether it was the summer, whether he feels they can't continue to sell his best players. I’m led to believe it was Eddie’s decision to leave.”

Howe’s Newcastle reached the final of the Carabao Cup in 2022-23 and again in 2024-25, when they were victorious against eventual Premier League champions Liverpool at Wembley.

It was the Tyneside club’s first trophy since they won the FA Cup under Doug Livingstone in 1954-55.

“It's been an incredible ride,” said Shearer. “I think the job that he did was unbelievable from where he took us when he came, there was a real threat of relegation. He steadied the ship. He then got us climbing the league.

“He then brought in some wonderful players. He then took us to a final; we got beaten in that final, but then took us back again and gave us the day that we've so craved.

“I've been to Wembley as a player and lost. I've been to Wembley as a fan and lost. But I've also had the pleasure of going to Wembley and winning thanks to Eddie. Whatever happens now, the Geordies will always be grateful for what he gave us that day.”

Shearer, now a popular pundit with BBC Sport, gave voice to Newcastle fans’ frustration over key players being sold, with Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon following Alexander Isak. He believes that captain Bruno Guimaraes will soon go the same way.

If he does, 2026-27 promises to be a challenging season for a team that don’t yet have Lionel Messi selling the pies and Cristiano Ronaldo cleaning their boots.

Jaissle has good pedigree as a young manager but the 38-year-old’s experiences within the Red Bull system and at Al-Ahli will be scant preparation for what he’ll face at St James’ Park in the months ahead.

“There's no doubt this season's going to be a tough one for Newcastle,” said the former Magpies striker. “You can't keep selling your best players in the hope that you're going to get to where you want to get to.”

Jordan Henderson is leaving Brentford after a year at the Gtech – but not all Bees fans are sad to see him leave.

The 36-year-old signed a two-year deal at Brentford last summer, which has been mutually terminated to allow Chelsea to complete a free transfer and continue in their plan to reunite the 2010/11 Sunderland squad, following their agreement to sign Danny Welbeck.

So surely there's some kind of sadness from fans to see a leader like that leave… right?

Jordan Henderson has thanked Brentford fans - but Brentford fans aren't wholly united in gratitude for Jordan Henderson

In a heartfelt statement on the Bees' website, Henderson thanked the west Londoners for giving him the opportunity to return to the Premier League after stints in Saudi Arabia and at Ajax, paying tribute to the staff, owners, his team-mates, and “most of all”, the supporters.

“Their backing never changed, and the connection they have with the club is clear to see,” Hendo wrote. “They care deeply about Brentford and they support the team in the right way every step of the journey.”

Yet not all Brentford fans reciprocate the love in quite the same way – and not just because the replacement appears to be a club-record move for highly-rated Ligue 1 talent Mamadou Sangare, as per The Athletic.

The former Reds man hadn't been in the best of form in the second half of the season anyway, but appeared to burn all bridges in arguably the biggest game in Brentford's history on the final day of last season: Keith Andrews' side travelled to Anfield to face a wholly beatable Liverpool, with Yehor Yarmolyuk injured, and Henderson stepping into the side.

Henderson didn't have his best game, but the fume really started when his number was raised by the fourth official – and with Brentford a goal down after an hour, the midfielder took his sweet time to leave the pitch, lapping up the applause from the Merseyside faithful and shaking hands with his former team-mates, with some suggesting that he treated a match of critical significance as a testimonial-esque opportunity to get the send-off from Liverpool fans that he never received upon leaving in 2023.

“If you thought this was bad, he then proceeded to laugh and joke with the opposition at full time and embark on a lap of honour BEFORE acknowledging us whilst every single other player and staff member was stood there gutted in front of the away end,” one Brentford fan posted on X (formerly Twitter), with plenty of other Bees followers chiming in with adjectives such as, “shambolic”, “disgraceful” and “selfish”.

There's certainly no doubting that Henderson is a leader among his peers, as proven by his selection at World Cup 2026 and glowing praise in public from the likes of Jude Bellingham and Morgan Rogers – but it's certainly not the first time that the star has rubbed fans up the wrong way.

In 2023, a move to Al-Ettifaq was heavily criticised by many, given that Henderson had been a staunch ally of the LGBTQ+ community.

“I’m comfortable knowing exactly what I am and exactly what I stand for,” Henderson explained in a controversial interview with The Athletic's Adam Crafton and David Ornstein, when talking about the move. “But I get, and I can accept, not everyone’s going to get that. So that’s why I can only apologise to those people if they feel like that.”

It'll certainly be interesting to see what kind of reception the England man gets when he returns to Brentford next term.

Any Arsenal hope of landing Newcastle United captain Bruno Guimaraes just took a major blow.

The Toon are reeling after the shock resignation of manager Eddie Howe, with German boss Matthias Jaissle set to replace the 48-year-old after five years at the helm.

With Arsenal closing in on a deal for Guimaraes, Howe's exit appears to have thrown a spanner in the works – especially given comments made by the former Newcastle boss.

Eddie Howe says Bruno Guimaraes is “committed” to Newcastle, amid Arsenal talks

Yesterday, Newcastle were battered 4-1 in a preseason friendly at Ashton Gate by Championship side Bristol City, with Howe asked after the defeat about whether he'd been granted assurances that his star man would continue at St. James' Park.

“We've spoken numerous times,” he answered, “Assurances? I don't think you can push too hard for those.

“I've said many times we want players who are committed, and Bruno has always been committed. His training performances and his game performances have been outstanding, every time he's worn the shirt, he's played with the fans by his side.

“I'd love to see that continue.”

FourFourTwo understands that Arsenal's talks with Newcastle – conducted via intermediary Kia Joorabchian – are progressing slowly, but Guimaraes has no intention to rock the boat in the way that Alexander Isak did last season following interest from Liverpool.

Howe's comments about the Brazilian's commitment to the club are certainly true, and given his sudden exit resignation – coupled with the departures of Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon – it's more than possible that a move for Guimaraes will be called off to prevent an exodus.

So far, Arsenal have only landed Christos Tzolis in terms of outfield squad players, with Plan Bs for Bruno and international team-mate Vinicius Jr likely to be steep drop-offs in terms of quality.

Newcastle are enduring another difficult summer themselves, 12 months on from a tricky transfer window which Howe led behind the scenes.

The Toon have already been gazumped in the market for the likes of Johan Mazambi and Victor Munoz, after similar issues trying to land players like Marc Guehi, Joao Pedro, James Trafford and Hugo Ekitike in previous windows.

Howe leaves Newcastle with a 48.5 per cent win percentage after 231 games, having won the club's first piece of silverware this century with the Carabao Cup triumph in 2025.

Newcastle are three weeks out from the new season and set to welcome Matthias Jaissle to the club as Eddie Howe's replacement.

Howe is leaving the Magpies after almost five years at the helm, a period in which he has led the team into the Champions League twice and lifted a trophy for the first time since 1969.

The much-loved head coach is calling time on his Newcastle stint, months after the first knockings of discontent.

Eddie Howe calls time on Newcastle spell

In truth, the writing was on the wall long before the 2025/26 season had begun. Howe had become de facto sporting director and chief spokesperson during the long absence in which Newcastle had neither the former or a chief executive after Darren Eales had stepped down due to health reasons.

Alexander Isak's protracted exit last summer and the trolley dash that ensued to replace him suggested there were key elements and figures at St James' Park that were far from aligned.

Confirmation of a 12th place finish following a long and arduous season should have been the time Howe walked away, but for whatever reason, he remained throughout this summer.

FourFourTwo understands Howe was ready to walk after Newcastle's 3-2 defeat by Brentford back in February. The Toon Army had surrendered an early lead, which had become a theme throughout 2025/26, before conceding a late Dango Ouattara winner.

Howe was persuaded to stay on but all was not well. Before long, rumours about the futures of key players Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes began to emerge in the media, from credible sources no less. Two have already left this summer, with a third highly likely to be on his way.

Within the corridors at Newcastle's Benton training base, there has been talk that Howe hasn't been the same since suffering with a bout of pneumonia. He was hospitalised in April 2025, spending four nights under the watchful eye of doctors and missed three Newcastle matches.

Re-discovering the same vigour which led Newcastle to two memorable Champions League campaigns and a Carabao Cup triumph, it would appear to some, proved too great a task.

This summer, Newcastle have been proactive in the transfer market, with signings spearheaded by new sporting director Ross Wilson.

The experienced football executive has a track record when it comes to unearthing and capturing hidden gems. Newcastle's business has reflected that, although at this stage, many of the additions still have plenty to prove in the game, never mind the unforgiving nature of English football which they are about to enter.

They have not been what one might call 'Howe signings', and that has probably played a part in his decision to leave.

Ewen Jaouen, Aladji Bamba, Sean Steur and Bazoumana Toure have arrived for a combined £111 million, the club reinvesting the money recouped from Tonali and Gordon's sales. Plainly, the new faces are not at the level of those they are replacing in the Newcastle squad just yet.

The true reasoning behind Howe's exit will remain unknown, until a time in which he discusses the departure but there are myriad factors. Firstly, there is an ownership group who have spent the past 18 months appearing somewhat disengaged, misalignment between the coaching side and executive apparatus at St James' Park, as well as Howe seemingly having to relinquish his role in player recruitment this summer, following a disastrous window this time last year.

Howe earned the right to walk away on his terms, and although it is a sad day for Newcastle supporters, many will take the view that it is a necessary step - if only the timing was a little better.

He will remain a legend in the eyes of Toon fans for what he has achieved with the club, lifting the team from relegation certainties in 2021/22 to regular contenders for Champions League football and finally ending the trophy drought.

Where Newcastle go from here is anyone's guess, except for the identity of the man filling the biggest shoes on Tyneside. German coach Matthias Jaissle, schooled under the Red Bull umbrella and has spent the past three seasons in Saudi Arabia, looks to be the man taking to the dugout. Make your own assumptions about that appointment.

The club's hierarchy have been able to line up a replacement, because they know Howe reached his limit some months ago. On the surface, what finally convinced the Newcastle boss to walk away appears to be a 4-1 pre-season friendly defeat to Championship side Bristol City, but this was far from the decisive blow.

Banks, Cohen, Wilson, Charlton, Moore, Stiles, Ball, Charlton, Peters, Hurst and Hunt is one of the most storied line-ups in English football history.

Yet the process by which Sir Alf Ramsey created the side that beat West Germany 4-2 on July 30, 1966 was far from straightforward.

England’s goalscorers in the Wembley final – Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters – didn’t even make their international debuts until 1966.

Off to a bad start

To understand how radically things changed, consider the first side Ramsey selected as England manager: a 5-2 defeat to France in a European Championship qualifier in Paris on February 27, 1963. This 11 does not roll off the tongue so easily: Ron Springett, Jimmy Armfield, Ron Henry, Bobby Moore, Brian Labone, Ron Flowers, John Connelly, Bobby Tambling, Bobby Smith, Jimmy Greaves and Bobby Charlton.

Seven of those players made the 1966 squad: Springett, Armfield, Moore, Flowers, Connelly, Greaves and Charlton. (It would have been eight but centre-half Labone withdrew to focus on his imminent wedding.) Yet only Moore and Charlton played in the final.

Ramsey certainly weighed up every option. From his disastrous debut to the last friendly before the World Cup, he selected 50 players. And the 11 that made history had only played three matches together… the quarter-final, semi-final and final.

The first of that 11 to make himself indispensable was Bobby Charlton, the outstanding English footballer of his generation. With his pace, instant ball control and passing accuracy, Charlton could change games and had already scored 25 goals for England before Ramsey took charge.

Moore, meanwhile, was a natural leader; a composed, ball-playing centre-half, so gifted it is hard to see how Ramsey could have left him out. Yet Jimmy Greaves – this is a minority view – felt the West Ham skipper wasn’t much better than Wolves stalwart Flowers, whose run of 40 consecutive England games came to an end in April 1963. It is perfectly possible that, were it not for the Munich disaster, that versatile genius Duncan Edwards would have led England in 1966, instead of Moore.

The relationship between Moore and Ramsey was complex, resembling, in part, that between disapproving father and errant son. Moore had enraged Ramsey by breaking a curfew on a 1964 tour of America. As the World Cup neared, his place was jeopardised by his failure to agree a new contract with West Ham. As a gentle reminder that even greats were dispensable, Ramsey played Norman Hunter at centre-half for three friendlies in 1966. He was not simply saving Moore for the finals as he smilingly boasted to Brian Glanville.

Changing of the guard

Ramsey began reshaping the team in his second match as manager, a 2-1 defeat to Scotland in April 1963, replacing Springett with Gordon Banks, the star of a Leicester side that nearly won the league in 1962/63. Banks couldn’t be blamed for either Scotland goal, and prevented at least two more. Ramsey tried other keepers – notably Blackpool’s Tony Waiters and Chelsea’s Peter Bonetti – but Banks was first choice.

Conceding five goals was hardly how Ramsey hoped to start his reign. As England came off the pitch, he asked captain Jimmy Armfield: “Do we always defend like that?” The inevitable changes at the back began in May 1963 when Ray Wilson featured at left-back in a 1-1 draw with Brazil.

A fiercely competitive, ball-playing full-back, Wilson was warned not to get ideas above his station by Ramsey: “You’ll play exactly how I want you to play,” said the Dagenham-born boss. The only threat to his position was injury – he tore his groin muscles off the bone in 1964 and didn’t recover until the spring of 1965.

Another injury – to Jimmy Armfield’s knee – created an opportunity for Fulham right-back George Cohen. He made his England debut at right-back in a 2-1 victory against Uruguay in May 1964 and had, as he modestly put it, a “steady game; nothing heroic”, but did precisely what Ramsey asked. In time, Cohen’s sprinting prowess would prove an asset in attack and defence.

Yet another injury disrupted Ramsey’s central defence. Maurice Norman, who played 17 out of 20 England games between April 1963 and December 1964, would have made the 1966 squad but broke his leg in five places in a 1965 friendly for Spurs and never played competitive football again.

Luckily, Ramsey already had his eye on Jack Charlton, giving him a characteristic pep talk: “I don’t always pick the best players, you know. I have a system, and I look for players to fit that pattern.”

Telling Charlton he was “quite good”, Sir Alf said: “And I know you won’t trust Bobby Moore.” Seeing Charlton’s confusion, Ramsey explained that, when Moore surged upfield, he must fill the space left behind. Good with his head and his mouth, Jack was one of England’s most vocal defenders, always organising, alerting, reprimanding. He played his first international in April 1965, a 2-2 draw with Scotland. In midfield that day was another debutant, Nobby Stiles.

Stiles remains the most controversial of the boys of ‘66. Much better on the ball than he was ever given credit for, he took no prisoners in the tackle. One shocking challenge on France’s midfield general Jacques Simon in 1966 led the FA to order Ramsey to drop him against Argentina. Ramsey’s response was to threaten to quit. Stiles had become integral to England, changing the shape of midfield.

Shape up

Ramsey’s World Cup winners are often described as a 4-3-3, but the formation was really 4-1-3-2 with Stiles anchoring in what became known as the ‘Makelele role’. That anchor could have been combative wing-half Tony Kay. Ramsey liked Kay, saying that playing him was “like putting a tiger in midfield”. The Everton star made his debut in June 1963, in an 8-1 demolition of Switzerland, and would have made the squad had he not later been banned from the game for life – and jailed – for helping to fix a match in 1961.

With Stiles winning possession, it made sense for Bobby Charlton to move from the left wing into the centre, playing in the hole and exerting more direct influence on the game. Alongside Charlton, Ramsey would ultimately settle on Alan Ball (who made his debut in May 1965 in a 1-1 draw away to Yugoslavia) and Martin Peters (who played his first international, a 2-0 win against the same opposition, in May 1966).

Why did Ramsey take so long to pick Ball and Peters? In 1963/64, he experimented with ball-playing attackers George Eastham and Johnny Byrne. An elegant midfielder, with good close control and a subtle user of the ball, Eastham made the 1966 squad but never played. The Arsenal star may have paid the penalty for missing chances in a 2-0 victory against Spain in December 1965. Nine of the side that beat Spain would win the World Cup final. (The other absentee was Joe Baker, who, though born in Liverpool, was about as Scottish as haggis and didn’t make the squad.)

Despite the ‘Wingless Wonders’ cliché, Ramsey didn’t immediately give up on wingers. Blackburn’s Bryan Douglas was unlucky. He scored three goals in three games as outside right under Ramsey but was deemed defensively unsound. Ramsey later tried Connelly, Terry Paine, Ian Callaghan and Derek Temple.

The England boss didn’t know what to make of Liverpool winger Peter Thompson. Tricky enough on the ball to be dubbed the ‘white Pele’, Thompson was tactically, as Bill Shankly said, more of a “white Nelly” and didn’t make the squad. Yet three wingers did: Paine and Callaghan, who could switch to midfield, and Connelly, a traditional winger. All three featured before Ramsey reverted to 4-1-3-2 against Argentina with Bobby Charlton, Alan Ball and Peters in midfield.

Ball’s obedience, tireless running and passing ability impressed the England boss. The worry was Ball’s temperament – he got booked a lot and, in one U23 international, threw the ball at the referee, but he kept his cool during the finals.

Peters came into the reckoning almost as late as Marcus Rashford before Euro 2016. The West Ham midfielder’s outstanding debut, in which he almost scored twice and created many chances, helped him gatecrash the squad. Industrious, two-footed, and a shrewd anticipator of opportunities, Peters scored England’s first goal in the final, from an attack started by Ball.

Hurst's destiny

From February 1963 until July 1966, Greaves was virtually guaranteed his England place. He had scored 21 goals in 29 games for Ramsey and would probably have played in the final if his leg hadn’t been gashed against France. That said, striker and manager never really got on. Sir Alf felt Greaves was disrespectful, a bad influence on Moore and suspected the striker of mocking his accent, which he was incredibly touchy about. Yet even Ramsey would have found it tough to drop a match-fit Greaves for Hurst, who had played just five England games before the finals.

After Ramsey recalled Roger Hunt in June 1963, the Liverpool forward seemed Greaves’s most likely strike partner. Other forwards – Tambling, Fred Pickering, Frank Wignall, Barry Bridges, Alan Peacock and Mick Jones – were tried and found wanting. Spurs’ Bobby Smith fell out of the reckoning when he gained so much weight after injury that the Daily Express called him “Blobby Smith”. When Hunt was given the No.21 shirt for the 1966 finals, he feared he wouldn’t be playing but, like Hurst (who had forced his way into contention with 23 goals for West Ham in 1965/66), he was the kind of hard-working goalscorer Ramsey approved of.

Hunt and Hurst’s movement off the ball gave England more attacking options and created space for Bobby Charlton to run into from deep. England no longer had to pick their way through defences; they could go over them, or round them, hitting crosses for Hurst to score or hold the ball. This tactic eventually undid Argentina in the quarter-finals, Peters crossing for Hurst to ghost in and head the only goal.

For all of Greaves’s glittering talent, his game didn’t suit Ramsey’s 4-3-1-2. Despite fierce press debate, he never seriously contemplated recalling Greaves. It was a gutsy, if characteristic decision – as Hurst said later, to Dave Bowler, author of Three Lions On The Shirt: “What would have happened if we’d lost 3-0 and Roger and I had missed a couple of sitters each?”

In hindsight, team building always looks inevitable. Yet the process can be complex, tortuous and haphazard. It is not too outlandish to suggest that, but for fraud, injury and tragedy, the England team that made history against West Germany could have been: Banks, Armfield, Wilson, Norman, Edwards, Kay, Eastham, Charlton, Ball, Greaves and Hunt.

Queen Elizabeth II's New Year Honours list was published on the first day of 1967. It contained just two names who had led England to the World Cup six months earlier – Bobby Charlton would have to wait until 1969 and Geoff Hurst until 1979, but there was an OBE for Three Lions captain Bobby Moore and a knighthood for the architect of it all: manager Alf Ramsey.

When the England boss received his honour at Buckingham Palace, it was met with widespread public acclaim, but the man himself remained so closed and uncommunicative that newspapers dubbed him ‘The Silent Knight'.

Apart from his wife and mother, people found Ramsey aloof or standoffish, and he had few close friends. It was a natural reticence that had become entrenched during his 11 years tussling with ‘the impossible job' as Three Lions boss from 1963 to 1974. What secrets lay behind this enigma's life and success?

Insults and rumours

Given that West Ham trio Moore, Hurst and Martin Peters had all played decisive roles in England's victory against West Germany, it was fitting that Ramsey's own story started in east London – in Becontree Heath, where he was born in January 1920.

Nowadays, it's part of the borough of Barking and Dagenham, but back then it was quite different. Ramsey was not, as is often wrongly assumed, an East End Londoner – he was a country boy, whose parents and grandparents lived and worked in rural South Essex.

Shortly after his birth, that landscape of cottages, small farms and market gardens was bulldozed due to 15 years of incessant building, adding more than 25,000 new houses, and effectively absorbing small towns like Barking and Dagenham into London. That mattered to Ramsey because he became marked out as ‘other' in that sprawling new estate.

The first barrier Ramsey faced might seem extraordinary to people familiar with images of him in the 1960s. On TV, he looked like a white, middle-aged member of the middle class. But as a child, he suffered a racist nickname that reflected his darker skin tone, and was referenced thereafter as ‘D****e'.

Ramsey never used that nickname about himself, nor ever acknowledged it in public – all of which strongly suggests it felt as vile to him then as it is considered now. That still didn't stop Jimmy Greaves, a member of England's 1966 squad, from referring to it openly while Ramsey was still alive, in his 1993 book.

Ramsey's childhood nickname had been printed in a national newspaper in 1952, when he was still a prominent player for England, and was referred to on television in 1969. It had also been common, though only whispered, knowledge among football players and journalists from the late 1940s to the 1980s.

The reason that Ramsey's nickname stuck links to a second prejudice. Within football, throughout his career, he was strongly rumoured to come from a GRT (Gypsy, Roma, Traveller) family. During his lifetime, Ramsey's nickname was often used to demean, insult and label GRT people, just as it was about those from other ethnic minorities. Greaves cited both Ramsey's nickname and his rumoured background. Moore once even dared reference the rumour in public.

A prominent sports journalist recalled travelling on a team bus through Central Europe in 1973, with Ramsey, England's players and all of the country's leading football reporters. The bus slowed down to overtake a convoy of Romani Gypsy caravans, at which point Moore called out: “Alf, there's some of your relatives over there.”

Ramsey, the reporter noted, went “crimson with fury”, adding that “it was always accepted in the football world that Alf was a Gypsy”. Such details undermine an established narrative: that England's 1966 World Cup victory was uniformly ‘white'.

Yes, the squad was drawn primarily from urban, industrial working-class communities, in the years before the children of migrants of the Windrush generation had reached the elite level of English football. Yet that 1966 squad was managed by someone labelled from childhood with a nickname that reflected his darker skin tone and whose family were racially, detrimentally rumoured as Gypsies.

In 1978, the multicultural threads of English football became publicly, proudly visible when Viv Anderson was capped as England's first black senior player. But Ramsey won his own first cap in 1948, three decades earlier, and appeared 32 times for the Three Lions, including at right-back during the infamous defeat to the USA at the 1950 World Cup. As England manager, he also gave senior caps to Paul Reaney, a player now often described as biracial in background.

Dog days are over

Racially loaded nicknames were only some of the obstacles Ramsey had to overcome to achieve greatness. His was a financially challenged, sometimes impoverished upbringing, and his family tree was dotted with dealers in hay, straw and other agricultural foodstuffs.

His father, grandfather and numerous great-uncles and cousins were canny businesspeople whose dealing was precarious but entailed travelling all over south Essex and east London, using horses, carts and wagons. Meanwhile, his mother and other female relatives were gritty and thrifty, both in paid work and the unpaid labour of holding family life together.

No wonder Ramsey drove his players hard, epitomised by his management of Gordon Banks, England's keeper in 1966. Banks was renowned for his work rate and relentlessness in training, but on only his second England cap in 1963, he conceded a goal from a long-distance Brazilian free-kick. Because Ramsey had explicitly coached against precisely that scenario, he calmly but pitilessly took Banks apart for his lapse post-match.

The message to the goalkeeper and his listening team-mates was unmistakable: nothing less than total effort, complete concentration and absolute ambition would ever be good enough.

In September 1962, Ramsey declared during a carefully choreographed newspaper interview that, given home advantage in 1966, England could and perhaps should win the World Cup. Such a bold assertion seemed totally out of character with his habitual cautiousness, and he hadn't yet been interviewed for the manager's job, which had become vacant when Walter Winterbottom resigned following defeat to Brazil at that summer's World Cup in Chile.

But calculating odds, via dog racing, was in Ramsey's family DNA. In the early '50s, their tiny cottage was listed as the registered address for racing greyhounds owned by Ramsey, his parents and two siblings.

In 1949, Ramsey moved back home as a 29-year-old after his transfer from Southampton to Spurs, where he would play a key role in helping his new club to win promotion in his first season, then remarkably become champions of England for the first time ever during the following campaign.

Back at home, his elder brother Albert trained and raced numerous dogs. Alf's team-mates knew him as an excellent gambler on greyhounds. Indeed, his 1955 recruitment to manage Third Division South side Ipswich Town was sparked by the Ipswich greyhound stadium's owner hearing a whisper, on the dog racing grapevine, that Ramsey was available at the end of his time at Spurs, where he'd become club captain.

Taking over as Ipswich boss at 35, within the space of just seven years he guided the team to the Third Division South, Second Division and then First Division titles – just as during his playing days at Spurs, the latter two league titles incredibly came in back-to-back seasons. Within months, he would be confirmed as England's new boss.

Shaped by war

As with the greyhounds, when Ramsey assembled his squad for 1966, he knew how to back a long shot. Leeds' Jack Charlton, for example, was unglamorous and uncompromising at centre-half – the brother of the world-famous Bobby Charlton, but nearly 30 when Ramsey first capped him against Scotland in April 1965.

How many players of that age have gone from an international debut to winning the World Cup in just 15 months? That the manager had the courage to back the defender reflected something else – as a player, Ramsey had likewise developed unusually late. Between 14 and 16, he played no football at all. From 16 to 20, Saturday shop work meant that Sunday football was his only serious option. Officially, though, Sunday football was banned by the FA until 1960.

As if that wasn't enough of a barrier, in 1940, Ramsey started six years in uniform, at the age of 20. Although the British Army developed him as a footballer and leader, and from 1943 he played a few wartime games for Southampton, it wasn't until Ramsey was nearly 27 that he played his first full professional game in a competitive peacetime league. His England debut came at age 28, only a year younger than Jack Charlton.

Another 1966 finalist born of similar grit was Nobby Stiles. The Manchester United midfielder was one of the first professional footballers to wear contact lenses, but bad eyesight wasn't to blame for his barbaric challenge on France's Jacques Simon during the Three Lions' last group game at the World Cup.

Stiles wasn't booked, but the controversy that tackle caused, and Ramsey's response to it, revealed more of the manager's deep-seated traits – demanding and rewarding loyalty, while also stubbornly refusing to be intimidated either by FA hangers-on or shrill journalists.

Stiles' brilliance in defensive midfield and his ability to judge and execute flawless, seemingly simple passes helped Ramsey to balance and link two of England's genuinely world-class players – Moore at the back and Bobby Charlton in attack. Yet following Stiles' tackle, prominent voices within the FA and the media wanted him dropped.

Ramsey's response was simply to ask his player, “Was that tackle accidental or deliberate?” When Stiles predictably insisted it was mistimed, not malicious, Ramsey persisted in picking him.

In the even tougher tests against an abrasive Argentina in the quarter-final, and the flair of Portugal in the semis, Stiles' immaculately self-disciplined contributions were major factors in England's progression.

Where had Ramsey first learned that strong leadership is built on trust? From his six years in the army, when he rose from private to company quartermaster sergeant. That military experience made Ramsey clear-minded and unbending.

During their international careers, he disciplined eight of England's line-up from the 1966 final. Anyone who needed telling the same thing more than twice about a coaching point, or persistently breached Ramsey's stringent discipline – early bedtimes, shared leisure time, rationed alcohol and smart appearance – was simply not selected again.

England's 1966 squad assembled at Lilleshall in early June for their intense pre-tournament training. On the first evening, Bobby Charlton recalled how Alan Ball, who'd just turned 21, “slipped out for a pint” with Stiles. On discovering them, Charlton said: “Alf simmered for a moment, then rasped, ‘All of you, get out of my sight.'”

Ramsey's anger can be explained by something else that Charlton observed, namely the date. “We reported for duty – a phrase that I do not use lightly – on June 6, which was the 22nd anniversary of the D-Day landings in Normandy,” the Manchester United star explained. “Our lives were not at risk, but Alf made it abundantly clear that our reputation for competitive honour and patriotism was.”

On that date in 1944, aged 24 like Stiles and Hurst in 1966, Ramsey was helping to prepare hundreds of fellow soldiers to land on French beaches and crawl into a storm of bullets. He knew that many would be killed or maimed.

The new radical

To modern eyes, much about Ramsey's life story feels old and, given a lifespan from 1920 to 1999, he was unarguably a creature of the 20th century. Ramsey's conservative suit, shirt and tie style of dress, together with his attempted but inauthentic ‘BBC English' speaking voice, reinforced that fusty, repressed image.

And yet his background was far from conventional. How many football careers have been saved from oblivion by four years of ‘illegal' Sunday games as an adolescent and kept alive during six years of army service, but finished by earning more than 30 international caps as a player, before going on to lift the World Cup as a manager?

The real Ramsey was a classic English underdog from a diverse background. A childhood in inter-war poverty, an early adulthood in post-war austerity, and a management career within the English class system that pushed him to disguise his background, rather than celebrate it as footballers might do today.

In crucial respects, Ramsey was also a modernising reformer, rather than an establishment stooge. As Three Lions manager, he banished the madness of an FA committee of old men picking the team. Indeed, he refused to take the job unless he was given total control over player selection.

He also experimented with radical new tactics – using the young, high-energy, open-minded football brains of Ball and Peters to play in ways that midfielders had never really done before. The pair would flex between attack and defence, between the middle and the flanks, not rigidly according to notional positions allocated pre-game, but in response to how the play was flowing.

Ramsey shocked and surprised people by picking no wingers during the crucial knockout stage of the World Cup. He would instead rely on Ball and Peters, plus full-backs George Cohen and Ray Wilson, to provide enough unpredictable attacking width to flummox opponents.

It was also essential, in such a setup, for attacking players like Bobby Charlton, Roger Hunt, Greaves or Hurst to follow instructions, understand the strategy and think defensively when necessary. That meant Ramsey choosing to play Hurst over Greaves – a decision slated by many journalists, but ultimately validated when the West Ham striker scored a hat-trick in the final.

Nor was tactical innovation the only surprise about Ramsey. While winning the league as a player with Tottenham, he also committed to coaching amateur adult teams twice a week at the Eton Manor Boys Club.

In 1955, when starting his managerial career at club level, homosexuality was viciously persecuted and vigorously prosecuted, but over the 18 months that followed, his management saved the career of a young player threatened by both.

The player had been pressured in court to admit to what was then illegal homosexual behaviour, though Ramsey judged that footballer not on a court case, but through his skills on the field and his character off it.

Sir Alf Ramsey wasn't just a football genius, he was a hero for his own age and should remain so in ours. Sixty years after his greatest glory, the Silent Knight's achievements live on.

Grant Bage's book The Unseen Sir Alf, by Pitch Publishing, is available to buy here

Newcastle United will be on alert after the future of one of their key transfer targets was addressed by his manager after a pre-season friendly.

The Magpies have persistently been credited with an interest in Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Lucas Bergvall, who is currently in Australia with Spurs and played in their warm-up against A-League side Sydney FC.

Spurs have signed midfielders Matheus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali for a combined fee in the region of £185 million, leaving the 20-year-old’s place in the team under threat.

‘I don’t want to convince anyone to stay’

The Sweden midfielder is understood to have informed Spurs that he wants to leave, with Newcastle a potential destination thanks to the departure of Tonali and ongoing speculation about the future of captain Bruno Guimaraes.

Spurs manager Roberto De Zerbi was candid in his comments about Bergvall’s destiny after the game in Sydney, as reported by Nazaar Kinsella for BBC Sport. The Italian has already been won over by the player but isn’t hiding the fact that their requirements might not align this summer.

“I would like that he stays with us,” said the Spurs boss. “"I think he's potentially a top, top, top player. But then I don't want to convince anyone to stay. Tottenham is already, without me, a top club and we are not to convince anyone to stay.

“He can find the space if he stays with us. The competition within the players will be very strong because we are Tottenham and we have to build a strong squad - not just 11 players - especially considering a lot of injuries we suffered in the last two, three seasons.

“He wants space. He wants to play as a double pivot as a position. I can't give, for any player in the world, the place in the first XI guaranteed. I want to be honest with the players. I want to be clear. I don't want to make the first mistake. In terms of position, I can't give guarantee.”

Spurs moved quickly to equip De Zerbi with new signings capable of underpinning improvement on the pitch after consecutive 17th-placed finishes in the Premier League and two seasons rather closer to relegation than expected, albeit with a Europa League win and a respectable Champions League campaign in the mix too.

Tonali and Fernandes have been signed along with big-money defender Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton & Hove Albion and the free transfer acquisitions of Marcos Senesi from Bournemouth, Andy Robertson from Liverpool and Burnley goalkeeper Martin Dubravka.

Added depth and an improved starting midfield don’t say much for Bergvall’s long-term prospects at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium irrespective of De Zerbi’s positive words.

If Bergvall were to move to St James’ Park, he could be back at Spurs before the end of next month.

Their first home game of the season will be against the Magpies on Saturday, August 29.

Brazil’s Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD) has ruled that 22-year-old Internacional defender Victor Gabriel will serve an unprecedented ban following his red card in a top-flight match last week.

Gabriel was sent off in a Serie A fixture against Cruzeiro. His tackle fractured the tibia of former Los Angeles Galaxy star Gabriel Pec, who joined the Belo Horizonte club from the Galaxy as recently as this month.

Pec required surgery after he was injured during his Cruzeiro debut and the severity of the break will directly impact Gabriel too.

‘Disproportionate and reckless’ tackle behind six-month ban

The idea that a player who injures and opponent should be ineligible to play for the same length of time as the injured player has been mooted often but the matter is complicated by the rather obvious fact that even red card tackles that cause serious harm are not always deliberate.

The STJD does legislate for extended bans in Brazilian sport. The Brazilian Code of Sports Justice (CBJD) allows for the offending athlete to be suspended ‘until the injured party returns to training’ in case of serious violent play. Such bans are capped at 180 days.

Gabriel has been handed a ban linked to Pec’s return after charges were filed against him and could be out of action for six months.

“Gabriel was in attendance at the STJD’s committee hearing and said he regretted what happened, had apologised to Pec, and had not intended to cause him harm,” reports The Athletic.

The hearing was muddied by the presentation and subsequent withdrawal of VAR audio as part of the defence compiled by lawyers representing Internacional and their player. The defence team, unable to prove the credibility of the evidence, admitted to submitting audio that was sourced from social media.

Gabriel’s own representation of the incident was unequivocal about his lack of intent. The Inter defender didn’t contest the dangerous nature of the tackle in question but denied outright any suggestion that he had meant to endanger or injure Pec.

“I had the feeling that I would get to the ball first, and I did,” testified Gabriel, as reported by The Athletic.

“Since the field was quite slippery and wet, I ended up hitting the ball and then I didn’t have time to pull my leg back, and that’s how this somewhat harder tackle happened, but without any intention of causing harm to my fellow professional or any malice.”

Gabriel is a central defender who joined the Porto Alegre giants from Sport Recife, initially on loan, in 2024. He made the move permanent in January and has played 22 league games between the national Serie A and Internacional’s unsuccessful regional championship defence.

Friday’s match against Athletico Paranaense, the first game of what is Gabriel’s third Serie A suspension of the season, was Internacional’s fourth consecutive league defeat.

Tottenham Hotspur are preparing a move that could have serious ramifications for Arsenal.

North London's bitter foes are no strangers when it comes to fighting it out for transfer targets, having competed for several players in the past – most notably, this summer, Sandro Tonali, who chose Tottenham after starting the window as Arsenal's first-choice target in midfield.

With plenty of business left to be done this summer, it would seem that there may yet be overlap in who the two clubs look to recruit, starting with a Spurs move on the horizon.

Tottenham Hotspur in for long-time Arsenal defensive target

According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, Tottenham are weighing up a move for Jules Kounde of Barcelona for around €65 million.

With captain Cristian Romero having agreed an exit from N17, Spurs have already signed Jan Paul van Hecke to replace him, but further reinforcements could well be made before the end of the window, with the report claiming the Lilywhites are “keen on Kounde for his versatility” in being able to play on the right or in the centre of defence.

Signing the Frenchman would be a huge coup, given that he has been a long-term target down the Seven Sisters Road.

Arsenal are understood to be on the hunt for defensive cover themselves, with William Saliba's participation in the first half of the season unclear after suffering a back injury at the World Cup.

Given the injury issues suffered by Jurrien Timber and Ben White in recent months, Arsenal could do with someone to deputise at right-back, too.

While Tottenham have not made a formal offer as yet, the interest is said to be hinging on whether Barça choose to cash in on Kounde.

The Catalan giants are expected to move for a centre-forward before the transfer window closes, with any bid of €60m or above for Kounde well worth consideration.

FourFourTwo understands that Arsenal currently aren't looking to the 27-year-old as they look to keep costs down in their pursuit of Bruno Guimaraes and Vinicius Jr, but with Spurs looking to bolster their defence, another right-back could well arrive before deadline.

Pedro Porro, however, proved himself as one of the standouts in his position over the World Cup, and it is unlikely that Roberto De Zerbi will want to replace him in his system.

Kounde is valued at €60m by Transfermarkt. Spurs travel to Brentford on the first day of the new Premier League season.

Talismanic attacker Iliman Ndiaye is reportedly closing in on a move to Saudi Pro League outfit Al Hilal.

According to transfer insider Pete O'Rourke, the Senegalese international is expected to finalise a lucrative departure this summer, stripping the Toffees of one of their main goal threats.

While losing Ndiaye depletes Everton’s firepower up front, the reality of the squad’s defensive depth - or lack, thereof - is arguably even more alarming. As things stand, Everton possess just three senior central defenders in their entire squad.

Everton in transfer trouble ahead of new season

Tellingly, two of those options are James Tarkowski and Michael Keane, both now 33 years old, who formed part of Burnley’s central defensive unit a decade ago.

During Burnley's 2016/17 Premier League campaign, Ben Mee was Sean Dyche’s preferred choice alongside Keane, although Tarkowski and Keane did play together 20 times over the course of the season.

Relying on that exact pairing ten years later highlights a stark lack of squad evolution and could leave Everton exposed at the back in 2026/27.

Compounding the growing uncertainty at Goodison Park is speculation surrounding manager David Moyes.

The veteran Scot has been linked with taking the vacant Scotland national team job following Steve Clarke's recent departure following a disappointing World Cup exit.

Given where Moyes stands in his managerial career, taking charge of his national team at this present juncture is widely regarded as his final opportunity to undertake the role.

Should the Scottish FA make a formal approach, Everton could find themselves searching for a new manager at the worst possible time.

With just over three weeks remaining before the Premier League season gets underway, the pressure on Everton’s transfer negotiators has reached the point where fans are beginning to question the strategy underpinning their summer business.

The club cannot afford to head into the opening weekend relying on an aged defensive duo, little central depth, and their star forward sold abroad.

The Toffees have added Merlin Rohl and Tyrique George on permanent deals, as well as securing Hayden Hackney from Middlesbrough, but there is work still to be done. Everton kick off their Premier League campaign at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday, August 22.

Chelsea are keeping their Premier League rivals on their toes with a string of surprising transfers ahead of Xabi Alonso’s first season in charge at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues have invested heavily this summer, bringing Morgan Rogers in from Aston Villa for a British record transfer fee and signing Atalanta full-back Marco Palestra. Geovany Quenda has completed his move and striker Emmanuel Emegha has been imported from Strasbourg.

Those four players have an average age between 21 and 22, a number lowered further by the two teenage players Chelsea have acquired for lower fees this summer, but the next players through the door will be a different story.

Henderson free to join Chelsea from Brentford

Chelsea are eager to add cost-effective experience and leadership to their ranks. Not being a club to do things by halves, they’re on the cusp of signing both Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck.

It was reported on Wednesday morning that Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion have agreed a deal for Welbeck, who has now been given permission to undergo a medical before completing a transfer to Stamford Bridge on a two-year deal.

35-year-old Welbeck is shining in the twilight of his career. The former Manchester United and Arsenal striker will join the Blues on the back of a fine season in front of goal.

He scored 13 times in the Premier League – the best return of his career – but it’s almost as noteworthy that he was consistently fit and available for the Seagulls. Welbeck is being signed for experience but there’s every chance he features regularly, with Liam Delap struggling to lock down a place and Emegha still developing.

Brighton will receive an undisclosed transfer fee thanks to a one-year contract extension signed earlier this year, while Brentford will allow Henderson to leave the Gtech Community Stadium for nothing.

“England midfielder Henderson, 36, has a year left on his Brentford contract but the Bees are willing to let him leave on a free transfer,” report Nazaar Kinsella and Sami Mokbel for BBC Sport.

“Henderson made 34 appearances in all competitions for Brentford last season after joining from Ajax. He made one substitute appearance for England at the World Cup before breaking his arm falling over advertising hoardings while celebrating their last-16 win over Mexico.”

Both Henderson and Welbeck are expected to be part of Chelsea’s pre-season tour of Hong Kong.

The Blues will play Tottenham Hotspur in Sydney on Saturday before facing Juventus in Hong Kong and AC Milan in Jakarta over the course of the next week.

Alonso will then take on his first club, Real Sociedad, in his first match in charge at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea’s Premier League campaign gets underway down the road at Fulham on Monday, August 24.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has reportedly set a deadline for Member Associations to get behind his plan to set up a private company to run competitions including the World Cup.

FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) will be worth $20 billion, with $4 billion available to outside investors. Joshua Kushner, the brother of Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is understood to be the lead investor.

Infantino’s relationship with Trump was a stain on this summer’s World Cup and makes his brazen scheme to convert every last scrap of football’s flagship into profit is made all the more problematic.

Infantino’s letter to FIFA Member Associations

UEFA, football’s European confederation, seldom misses an opportunity to pick a fight with FIFA. In a statement issued on Tuesday, it pointed out that Infantino’s plan ‘crosses a line’ and that the World Cup is not Infantino’s to sell.

“The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade - especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially,” said UEFA, whose member nations are understood to be considering a World Cup boycott in response.

A World Cup without UEFA participation would be worthless but Infantino’s financial leverage at the federation level is a genuine threat to football’s global integrity.

The continued presidency of the FIFA boss has the backing of more than 200 Member Associations, with entire blocs motivated by boosted revenue and the growth of the men’s World Cup.

In a letter to football associations reported by Sky News sports correspondent Rob Harris, Infantino has given Member Associations a deadline of September 19 to back the scheme, with $40 million not-so-subtly on offer for those that do.

“Mr Infantino warned they would have much less cash for development, grassroots football and national teams if they didn't support his plan,” reports Sky News.

“He said the launch of FFE needed the backing of its ruling council and more than 50% of its members.

“In his letter, the [Swiss] called it a "singular and unique funding opportunity only for those Member Associations who wish to participate, with their decision to be made by 19 September 2026 so we can plan ahead and with funds to be available immediately as of 1 January 2027.’”

England’s FA was among the first country-level governing bodies to speak out against Infantino’s forceful proposal but there are supportive voices even within UEFA. The president of the Czech FA has backed the plan.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has condemned the sell-off, rightly saying that the World Cup and football are not Infantino’s to sell. Football does not belong to FIFA. FIFA and the World Cup do not belong to Infantino.

Calls for Member Associations and regional confederations to take meaningful action against the FIFA president’s plan are gathering pace but the chances of thwarting him without razing the World Cup to the ground appear minimal.

“FIFA has not commented on how much Mr Infantino stands to benefit financially from delivering the $20bn venture,” reports Sky News.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino plans to privatise the World Cup, with UEFA furious about the plans.

According to an explosive report from The Times' Chief Sports Reporter, Martyn Ziegler, FIFA are to sell stakes in the World Cup to private backers, with talks having opened with investors close to the Trump administration.

The proposal has been met by widespread condemnation, with Prime Minister Andy Burnham even weighing in to state, “Football does not belong to investors.”

What have UEFA said about FIFA's new plans?

In a statement made in a post on X (formerly Twitter), UEFA blasted FIFA's plans, claiming that football was not the world governing body's to sell.

“This crosses a line that football's governing institutions should never cross,” UEFA said. “UEFA takes it extremely seriously. So should every National Football Association. So should every stakeholder: leagues, clubs, players, supporters, governments and everyone who cares about the future of the game.

“The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade – especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially. None of us are the owners of football. It is not FIFA's to sell.”

What will UEFA do about this?

According to the BBC, UEFA's 55 member associations are set for an emergency meeting later this week to discuss these proposals.

Right now, there is no clear threat from UEFA to make their own move – though that could theoretically change.

UEFA's response in itself has been described in the same report as “remarkable”, with the Nyom-based body rarely commenting on FIFA in public – but further steps will be intriguing, given the power that UEFA wields within FIFA.

Of FIFA's 211 member associations, only 55 are members of UEFA, but with six of the recent World Cup's eight quarter-finalists coming from UEFA, European football carries huge weight.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin boycotted the World Cup final this month in protest at controversial moves from FIFA.

Why are UEFA concerned about this?

While it would be nice to presume that UEFA are worried about the sanctity of the sport, FIFA's suggestion to revamp their competitions would severely impact UEFA's own products – and that's likely to be a driving force in UEFA's opposition.

For example, biannual World Cup competitions would likely bring an end to the European Championship taking place on alternate even years, throwing the football calendar out of kilter, while scaling up the Club World Cup would further complicate things.

It's fair to guess that a supersized World Cup and Club World Cup would reduce the spectacle of a Euros or Champions League, respectively, taking even more of a physical toll on footballers already stretched to their limits.

Can UEFA withdraw from FIFA?

Yes, they can. As independent legal entities, UEFA have self-governance to cut ties with the world's governing body.

But that's not where the problem lies. FIFA is an association of individual national football federations: UEFA is not a part of FIFA: for example, the English Football Association, is, however, a member.

UEFA is the unifying body for Europe's 55 member associations, but individual football associations choose to align themselves with FIFA to participate in global tournaments.

So while UEFA would need agreement between all 55 members to sever ties to FIFA, England's FA could choose to legally resign or suspend its FIFA membership.

What can member associations do about these changes?

Essentially, any action will have to either come one of two ways: individually or collectively.

The problem for UEFA is that member associations – especially smaller ones – may well be in favour of these plans: FIFA claims that it wants to extend global funding, and with each member association getting around £15 million in one-off capital, the money will be far too good for many of the 211 members to turn down.

It's easy for England, France or Germany to turn down that kind of money (in theory, at least), but there are still developing nations in Europe that would welcome that kind of investment. This would make unilateral collective opposition to FIFA's privatisation deal incredibly unlikely.

Furthermore, a pact between top nations could be shaky. Say, for argument's sake, that France and Germany both agree to boycott the 2030 World Cup: that would obviously give England a once-in-a-lifetime boost to their chances of glory in the competition.

Some would argue that history doesn't include footnotes as to why teams triumphed or not: the first World Cup was invite-only, with several European nations declining to take part due to the costs of getting to South America during the Great Depression. Inaugural champions Uruguay still display that star proudly on their shirts, though. The context doesn't matter to them.

Could UEFA take matters into their own hands?

Yes, UEFA has legal power to penalise or even straight-up ban entire national associations that break ranks – but all 55 members would have to collectively pass a resolution first.

UEFA couldn't simply ban any club taking part in the expanded 2025 Club World Cup from the Champions League, because there was no clear violation of UEFA's executive directives.

In an emergency, however, under UEFA's governing statutes, UEFA can activate their Emergency Panel. This consists of the UEFA president (Aleksander Ceferin), the first vice-president, the treasurer, and two members hand-picked by the president, with the quintet, “authorised to take and execute final decisions on urgent matters that fall under the authority of the UEFA Executive Committee”.

UEFA's administration can then execute binding executive directives. Whether or not things reach such a stage remains to be seen…

The Community Shield will not take place in England this season as Wembley Stadium is hosting a concert on the same day as the annual fixture.

This year's Community Shield sees Premier League champions Arsenal take on FA Cup winners Manchester City at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Sunday, August 16. With prices falling on VIP tickets, it seems enthusiasm for the fixture isn't massive.

The fixture was moved from London to Wales because Wembley is hosting the third of five successive shows by pop superstar The Weeknd that same day, which means it will be played outside of England for the first time since 2006.

Arsenal vs Manchester City Community Shield VIP tickets are still available

Community Shield returns to Wales due to Weeknd gig

The Community Shield is the traditional curtain-raiser to the English domestic season and sees the Premier League winners face the FA Cup holders on the weekend before the new campaign begins.

The match has been held away from Wembley just twice since the stadium reopened in 2007, but was played at the Principality Stadium for six successive years between 2001 and 2006 while the London venue was being rebuilt.

The previous Community Shield in Cardiff saw FA Cup winners Liverpool beat Premier League champions Chelsea 2-1 in August 2006, when Peter Crouch scored a late winner after Andriy Shevchenko cancelled out John Arne Riise's early strike.

Other than the years when it was being rebuilt, this year will be just the third time since 1974 that Wembley has not hosted the fixture.

The first was in 2012, when the Community Shield was played at Villa Park because the national stadium was one of the football venues for the London 2012 Olympics. City beat Chelsea 3-2 that day.

The other was four years ago in 2022, when Liverpool beat City 3-1 at Leicester City's King Power Stadium because Wembley was hosting the 2022 Women's European Championship final between England and Germany the day after.

Arsenal fans will have fond memories of the Principality Stadium, having seen their team win three FA Cup finals there when the ground was known by its original name, the Millennium Stadium.

The Gunners beat Chelsea 2-0 in 2002 on their way to doing the Double, then overcame Southampton 1-0 the following season.

Arsene Wenger's side also edged past Manchester United on penalties in 2005 following a 0-0 draw after extra-time.

Crystal Palace are the Community Shield holders having followed their 2025 FA Cup win by beating Liverpool 3-2 in a shoot-out 12 months ago, after the game ended 2-2.

The arrival of 20-year-old French midfielder Aladji Bamba from AS Monaco in a £34 million deal provides Eddie Howe with a gifted technician possessing certain similarities to Newcastle’s departing talisman.

At 20 years-old with limited senior experience, Bamba is far from the finished article and almost certainly won't have the same impact as Newcastle's skipper just yet - but the Toon Army are almost exclusively paying for potential.

The midfielder rose rapidly through AS Monaco’s academy ranks, reaching a point where he has ultimately commanded the significant fee Newcastle have paid.

Is Aladji Bamba Newcastle's Bruno Guimaraes replacement?

According to Transfermarkt, Bamba had a standout breakthrough campaign in 2025/26, making 25 senior appearances across Ligue 1, the UEFA Champions League, and domestic cup competitions.

His composure and press resistance earned him a nomination for the 2026 European Golden Boy award before Newcastle secured his signature on a five-year contract.

Bamba operates mainly as a deep-lying midfielder, and his greatest strength lies in the vision he possesses when facing stubborn, compact opponents.

In an interview with Sky Sports, a former coach highlighted this precise quality when evaluating his skillset.

"His main attribute is playing against a low block, those tiny little passes to break down a low defence," Monaco set-piece coach Abel Lorincz said.

This description mirrors the one of Bruno Guimaraes' defining features at St. James' Park. Guimaraes has excelled at taking up positions on the right-hand side of the edge of the penalty box, slipping subtle, eye-of-the-needle passes through tight defensive lines into the path of runners like Miguel Almiron and Jacob Murphy.

Bamba’s ability to turn under pressure, roll the ball in tight spaces, and weight precise passes into the penalty area suggests he can potentially grow to replicate that creative outlet in the Premier League one day.

Bamba’s rapid ascent has seen him go from footballing obscurity with local side Blois to the Premier League in five short years. After logging 22 appearances and 4 goals for Monaco’s U19 side in 2023/24, he quickly adapted to senior football, featuring in 25 first-team matches last season, while boasting very high pass completion rates.

With Arsenal actively in talks for Guimaraes, losing the Brazilian remains a significant blow for Newcastle.

However, in Bamba, the Magpies have acquired a high-upside midfielder whose technical profile on the surface appears tailor-made to fill at least some of the void.

Arsenal could have the answers to all their prayers – for free – as they juggle summer business.

The Gunners are trying to pull off the improbable in the transfer market, as they look to bring in the likes of Vinicius Jr and Bruno Guimaraes for a combined £200 million – and ensure that they have enough in the tank to strengthen in defence.

So could a familiar face present himself as a lifeline to Arsenal?

Former Arsenal man Takehiro Tomiyasu is back in London

According to James McNicholas of The Athletic, former Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu is training with Crystal Palace, as the Eagles weigh up a possible offer for the Japanese.

Tomiyasu signed for the Gunners in 2021 and established himself as a solid utility man in the Premier League – but in March 2023, he suffered knee damage that would mark the start of a string of injury problems.

The Japan international played just five minutes of football in 2024/25, before undergoing surgery – but surprisingly left the club by mutual consent to continue his rehabilitation alone 12 months ago.

Though the 27-year-old claimed his “heart wasn't really in it” during his recovery at London Colney, his exit was completely amicable with the club. “I’ll support the team as a Gooner alongside all of you,” he said after departing, describing his exit as “peaceful”.

Tomiyasu signed a short-term deal with Ajax last season, ahead of appearing at the 2026 World Cup.

The return to England is certainly apt: with Arsenal centre-back William Saliba hobbling out of the World Cup with a back injury – while right-backs Ben White and Jurrien Timber were ruled out before the tournament began – Gunners boss Mikel Arteta would certainly love to call upon a fully fit Tomiyasu as cover right now.

Though FourFourTwo understands that Palace are better placed to strike a deal – and that Arsenal aren't currently looking at re-signing the 27-year-old – the move would certainly help the Gunners out, as they look to complete other deals.

Given how much Arsenal are looking to spend in forward areas this summer, Arteta would no doubt welcome a familiar face that he knows he could trust – and with Tomiyasu available for absolutely nothing, it may be tempting for both parties to complete their unfinished business together, especially with the defender able to finally play in arguably his best position of centre-back, while Saliba recovers from injury.

With Palace a more likely option, however, one wonders how Arteta will look to seek cover for the likes of Saliba and Timber, as he looks to strengthen with eye-watering sums about to be spent in attack.

Tomiyasu is worth €5m, according to Transfermarkt. Arsenal start their Premier League title defence at home to Coventry City next month.

Newcastle United are closing in on the signing of Atalanta and Italy centre back Giorgio Scalvini, according to reports.

The Magpies have repeatedly been linked with the 22-year-old defender, who has made almost 150 appearances for the Serie A club and won eight caps for his country.

Atalanta have held firm over Scalvini, but the Bergamo-based outfit's financial position has changed this summer - and Newcastle are ready to capitalise.

Why Newcastle finally look set to seal Giorgio Scalvini signing

Scalvini doesn't turn 23 until December but has already gained vast experience at the top level, playing in Serie A, the Champions League and on the international stage.

His performances caught the attention of Newcastle and they have reportedly tracked him for some time, however Atalanta have consistently said he is not for sale.

The Magpies finally appear to have made a breakthrough, though, with French journalist Sebastien Vidal claiming the Premier League club are in "pole position" to sign Scalvini in a €45m (£38m) deal.

Vidal adds that Atalanta could accept a sale to "rebalance its finances" after missing out on Champions League qualification for the first time in three seasons.

La Dea finished seventh in Serie A last term, their lowest position since 2021/22, and will compete in the Conference League next term.

Atalanta would have banked €18.62m (£15.9m) just for reaching the league phase of the Champions League, with every league phase win worth a further €2.1m, and that is before taking TV money into account.

Losing out on that cash appears to have changed the club's stance on Scalvini and Newcastle have taken advantage as they look to bolster their options at the heart of defence.

Head coach Eddie Howe can call on Sven Botman, Malick Thiaw, Fabian Schar and Dan Burn at centre back, however the latter two players are both 34 years old.

Newcastle have already made four signings this summer, bringing in winger Bazoumana Toure from Hoffenheim, midfielders Aladji Bamba and Sean Steur from Monaco and Ajax respectively, and goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen from Stade Reims for a combined £110m.

However, they have sold winger Anthony Gordon and midfielder Sandro Tonali to Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur respectively, while captain Bruno Guimaraes has been heavily linked with a move to Arsenal.

World Cup 2026 featured 308 goals across 104 matches - and one stunning strike has been voted the best of the lot.

Cape Verde left-back Sidny Lopes Cabral's sensational curling effort in the last 32 against Argentina provided one of the lasting images of a memorable debut World Cup for the islanders, and it has now been crowned FIFA's Goal of the Tournament.

Although the extra-time strike ultimately proved in vain as the then-holders eventually triumphed 3-2 in Miami, it is fitting that Lopes Cabral bagged the award after Cape Verde became many neutrals' second team during the finals.

Cape Verde left-back wins World Cup Goal of the Tournament

Despite qualifying from Group H with three draws - including a stalemate with eventual champions Spain - Cape Verde were given little chance against the 2022 winners in the last 32.

But Deroy Duarte's second-half equaliser took the tie to extra-time, and while Lisandro Martinez restored Argentina's lead early in the additional period, the Blue Sharks were not done yet.

In the 103rd minute, Lopes Cabral received possession wide on the left, cut inside Alexis Mac Allister and bent an unstoppable shot past Emi Martinez into the top corner - before producing an equally iconic celebration in which he climbed into the stands and hugged his girlfriend.

The 23-year-old, who plays for Turkish club Trabzonspor, revealed afterwards that he had also hoped to celebrate with his mum, only to learn that she had fainted when he scored.

Lopes Cabral's strike was voted the best of a 12-strong shortlist drawn up by FIFA, with fans able to pick their favourite - and the goals that finished second and third may also surprise you.

Uzbekistan forward Eldor Shomurodov's pinpoint lob in a 3-1 defeat against DR Congo was runner-up in the voting - one of just two goals scored by the World Cup debutants at the tournament.

Haiti also scored only twice at the finals but finished on the podium, thanks to Sunderland striker Wilson Isidor's thunderbolt in the 4-2 defeat by Morocco.

That unlikely trio proved more popular than goals by some of the World Cup's biggest stars, including France captain Kylian Mbappe's second against Senegal and Lionel Messi's opener for Argentina on the way to beating Algeria.

Jude Bellingham's solo strike to seal victory over France in the third-place play-off was also shortlisted, as was Erling Haaland's second goal for Norway against Brazil in the last 16.

FIFA first awarded the Goal of the Tournament prize in 2006, with memorable winners including James Rodriguez's volley for Colombia against Uruguay in 2014 and France full-back Benjamin Pavard's delicious effort in their win over Argentina four years later.

Chelsea's first goal of the Xabi Alonso era was scored by someone who doesn't officially play for the club.

Dastan Satpayev got the Blues up and running in their opening pre-season friendly against Western Sydney Wanderers today in Sydney, which they won 6-4, but the 17-year-old is officially listed as a trialist.

That hasn't stopped Alonso taking the Kazakhstan forward on Chelsea's pre-season tour of Australia and Asia, as the former Real Madrid manager prepares for his first campaign in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Why Chelsea's first goal under Xabi Alonso was scored by a trialist

The Blues have had an agreement in place to sign Satpayev from Kazakh side Kairat Almaty since February, with the teenager joining the squad for pre-season training earlier this month.

However, the transfer will not become official until he turns 18 on August 12, so he is not yet listed as a Chelsea player.

It means the Blues have had to find a workaround for Satpayev to play for them in pre-season, with his first outing for the club coming in a behind-closed-doors friendly against League Two side Crawley Town on July 18.

They have achieved that because the youngster meets the criteria of an international trialist, which allows him to represent Chelsea if he has permission from Kairat and his parents, and signs the required forms.

As a result, Alonso was able to include him in his 28-man travelling party for the Blues' pre-season tour, ahead of his official arrival on a permanent deal which is reportedly worth £3.3m plus add-ons.

Satpayev opened the scoring inside six minutes at Sydney's Accor Stadium, taking Ryan Kavuma-McQueen's pass in his stride before firing home.

The wonderkid is an exciting prospect, having made his Kairat debut aged just 15 in May 2024 and played in the Champions League when he was only 16.

He scored against FC Copenhagen in the competition last season, 11 days after he opened his senior international account with a goal against Belgium in one of eight games he has already played for Kazakhstan.

Alonso claimed his first win as Chelsea boss in a 10-goal thriller in Sydney, with Dario Essugo and Jamie Gittens on target either side of half-time before Joao Pedro struck a late hat-trick to seal victory.

The Blues face Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the same stadium on Saturday.

Manchester United cult hero Javier Hernandez has become the first-ever signing for a club who are yet to play a match.

The former Mexico captain has joined American side Atletico Dallas, who were founded less than two years ago and are set to make their debut in the second-tier USL Championship in 2027.

It is a surprise move for Hernandez, who turned 38 in June and has not played since November, when he made his final appearance for boyhood team Chivas Guadalajara before leaving the club the following month.

Javier Hernandez explains reasons behind shock move to new American club

The striker, also known by his nickname 'Chicharito', joined United from Chivas in summer 2010 and went on to score 59 goals in 157 appearances, helping the club win the Premier League in 2011 and 2013 and reach the 2011 Champions League final.

He spent the 2014/15 season on loan at Real Madrid and joined Bayer Leverkusen the following summer, before spells at West Ham United, Sevilla, LA Galaxy and a return to Chivas.

Hernandez is Mexico's all-time top goalscorer, with 52 goals, but speculation had grown that he was set to retire after Chivas decided not to renew his contract last December and he then spent World Cup 2026 working as a pundit for US broadcaster Fox.

However, he is set to continue his playing career in Texas after signing a two-year contract with the club option of a further 12 months, becoming the first player in Atletico Dallas' history.

Hernandez told the club website: “I’ve been fortunate to live the dreams that every young footballer hopes to experience. I’ve worn some of the biggest shirts in the world and played in incredible stadiums in front of passionate supporters. Opportunities like this, though, are different.”

He added: “I believe Dallas deserves a club that reflects its passion for football, its diversity, and its future. I want to help create a winning culture, inspire young players across North Texas, and give our supporters a team they can believe in from the very beginning.

"I didn’t come here simply to finish my career. I came here to help build the future of football in Dallas.”

The 2027 USL Championship season begins next March, when Hernandez will have not played a competitive match for 16 months. He scored just four goals in almost two years in his recent spell at Chivas.

In February, Dallas appointed former Marseille, Paris Saint-Germain and Atletico Madrid midfielder Peter Luccin as their first manager.

They will play their home games at the 92,000-capacity Cotton Bowl in Dallas, which has been used for various sports and hosted matches during World Cup 1994.

Liverpool are continuing to pursue Paris Saint-Germain forward Bradley Barcola, but the deal is likely to 'take time'.

The 23-year-old is top of the Reds' transfer wishlist this summer as they aim to add quality on the flanks following the departure of Mo Salah.

Barcola is reportedly keen to join Liverpool after growing frustrated with his lack of minutes at PSG, however a significant hurdle remains before the transfer can be completed.

Bradley Barcola to Liverpool transfer latest

Barcola has faced plenty of competition for game-time in Luis Enrique's star-studded attack, starting just 21 of PSG's 34 Ligue 1 fixtures last season as they won their fifth successive title.

He has had to battle for a place with 21-year-old Desire Doue for both club and country, which saw him start only four of France's eight World Cup 2026 matches and complete 90 minutes just once during the tournament.

It is why the former Lyon man is keen for a new challenge after three years at PSG, but the transfer could command a British-record fee - eclipsing the £125m Liverpool paid Newcastle United for Alexander Isak last summer.

The Champions League holders reportedly value Barcola at €170m (£145m) but transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano believes the Reds could get him for less than that, saying: “Liverpool are working on a deal for Bradley Barcola, but don’t expect a breakthrough within the next few hours. It’s going to take time for negotiations and discussions.

“I can confirm and explain today: Barcola is very open to and keen on Liverpool. He is attracted by the project. He believes Liverpool would be the perfect option for his future.

“Barcola can’t control anything regarding club-to-club negotiations, and obviously PSG would want a significant fee. I don’t think it’s going to be €170m; I think it will be for less than that.

“Liverpool are in contact, so we’ll have to wait and see what happens.”

Barcola has two years left on his contract at PSG so the European champions are under no pressure to sell, but receiving a huge fee for an unhappy player would suit both parties.

It would also be a statement of intent by Liverpool, who have so far signed only Rennes centre-back Jeremy Jacquet and Spain winger Victor Munoz, from Osasuna, this summer.

The Reds have also been linked with Barcola's France team-mate Maghnes Akliouche, the Monaco winger who is wanted by PSG, and Brazil attacker Rayan, who played under new Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth last season.

For most players, a four-year goal drought would mark a significant part of their playing career that would go by without hitting the back of the net.

But for Japan legend Kazuyoshi Miura, his first goal in 1,351 days has seen him end what is only a minor bump in his career.

That’s because, as the world’s oldest professional player (Miura has been playing since 1986) his latest goal came six months after he celebrated his 59th birthday.

World's oldest professional player nets after four-year goal drought

During his four-decade professional career, Miura has played for teams in Asia, Europe, Australasia and South America, and is currently playing for Japanese third-tier side Fukushima United.

The 89-time Japan international found the back of the net in the 52nd minute of the club’s 7-0 victory over Iwaki Furukawa in the Emperor’s Cup on Saturday.

This was his first competitive goal since November 2022, when he scored for Suzuka PG against FC Osaka and adds another wrinkle to the story of one of Japan’s most-loved sportspeople.

Miura, who lists the likes of Santos, Genoa, Dinamo Zagreb and Sydney FC as his former sides, was the face of the J League when it launched in 1993 and is preparing for a 42nd season as a professional, having extended his loan to Fukushima from J2 League side Yokohama FC until 2027.

Miura’s spell at Fukushima United is his fifth since he joined Yokohama in 2005, with the forward not having played for his parent club since 2020.

Nicknamed ‘King Kazu’, Miura’s longevity has seen him break a series of records, including the mark for the oldest goalscorer in J-League history at the age of 50, plus the footballer with the longest career.

He has also played in five separate decades, beginning in the 1980s, when he travelled alone to Brazil as a 15-year-old to become a professional footballer.

There he would sign with the youth squad of Sao Paulo side Juventus before he earned a first professional contract with Santos.

Other notable landmarks in Miura’s career include him becoming the first East Asian footballer to play in Serie A when he joined Genoa on loan for the 1994/95 season, while he has also scored 55 goals for Japan, one of only three men to earn a half-century of goals for the Blue Samurai.

With Miura gearing up for the new season, he looks intent on playing in his 60s, something he has often spoken about in recent years.

Twenty-three-year-old Dutch centre-forward Emmanuel Emegha officially finalised his €25 million (£21m) transfer to Stamford Bridge from French outfit RC Strasbourg this summer, wrapping up a deal that was pre-agreed between the two BlueCo-owned clubs months in advance.

However, Emegha’s arrival at Chelsea comes following a turbulent spell in France which ended with public friction and fan backlash.

The pre-arranged move to Stamford Bridge proved an unpopular one among Strasbourg supporters, who have protested against BlueCo's multi-club model.

Chelsea 'open to selling' new signing before Blues debut

There were also accusations that the player had treated the Ligue 1 team as a mere stepping stone, despite being the club captain.

Emegha’s time in Alsace featured multiple behavioural flashpoints, including a formal one-match club suspension imposed by Strasbourg hierarchy for 'non-compliance with internal standards, rules, and values'.

The striker was also involved in intense post-match confrontations at the stadium perimeter fence with supporters following Strasbourg’s UEFA Conference League semi-final exit, requiring teammates and staff to physically intervene and lead him away from the hostile crowd.

Despite investment in his potential, Chelsea are reportedly ready to listen to proposals for the forward, as per Romano.

Stamford Bridge is already well-stocked in the centre-forward position, where Nicolas Jackson returns to following a loan spell with Bayern Munich. Alongside him, there are options like Joao Pedro, Marc Guiu, Liam Delap and soon Danny Welbeck.

With Emegha’s history, Chelsea appear willing to cut ties early rather than risk squad disharmony before the Dutchman has even kicked a ball.

With Arsenal the only London club to finish in the Premier League's top five, Champions League games in the capital looked to be scarce on the ground next season.

While the likes of Chelsea and Tottenham have been semi-regulars in Europe’s leading club competition in years gone by, that pair could only muster finishes of 10th and 17th respectively, as both missed out on European qualification completely.

While Xabi Alonso and Roberto De Zerbi will be plotting a return to Europe, football fans in London may well have another option if they want to go and watch Champions League football in the upcoming campaign.

Shakhtar set for London Champions League games

That’s because Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk, who have had to play their European ties abroad since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, are set to play their ‘home’ 2026/27 Champions League fixtures in London.

Following recent negotiations, the club’s boss Arda Turan confirmed on Sunday that his side will be heading to England to fulfil their home fixtures.

“It looks like we'll be playing our European matches in London for now,” he said following his side’s pre-season friendly draw against Bursaspor. “We really wanted to come to Turkey, but UEFA's conditions are putting a lot of pressure on us.

“Otherwise, playing in front of the fans in Bursa, Göztepe, Eskişehir has always been magnificent. We're expecting everyone in London too.”

Where Shakhtar will be playing has not yet been finalised, with the club approaching Chelsea, Fulham and Brentford about the possibility of using their respective stadiums earlier this month, as per The Athletic.

All three of those clubs missed out on European football this season, so their grounds will be available, and it would provide the chosen side with an extra revenue stream, as the Ukrainian team, who have qualified for the competition’s group stage, will pay them a fee.

Shakhtar have played their recent home European matches in Germany, Slovenia and Poland since the war broke out four years ago. Domestically, they have lived a nomadic existence since 2014, when Russian troops annexed Crimea, meaning they were unable to play at the Donbas Arena.

Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge is more than used to hosting European matches, having qualified for various UEFA competitions on a regular basis for the past 30 years.

Fulham’s Craven Cottage has undergone significant renovations in recent years, with the club having enjoyed three European campaigns since 2000.

The newest stadium on Shakhtar’s shortlist is Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium, which opened in 2020. While the Bees have not yet qualified for Europe, the ground hosted matches at the women’s European Championship in 2022 and has also held a number of international matches.

Manchester United’s recent attempt to identify potential ticket touts has sparked a significant supporter backlash, as ‘thousands’ of fans have had their season tickets restricted ahead of the new season.

After a number of supporters were informed that their season tickets are at risk of being revoked, several supporter groups hit back at the club, amid accusations that they are being too heavy-handed in their attempts to combat touting.

FourFourTwo takes a look at the protests and why the club have made these moves.

Why are Man United threatening to block season tickets?

Like all clubs, Manchester United have a set of terms and conditions that come with any season ticket, which include rules on how and how often season ticket holders can transfer their tickets to other people.

The Red Devils’ terms include a stipulation that season tickets can be revoked if they do not either attend or forward their tickets to approved family or friends for at least 16 out of the club’s 19 Premier League fixtures per season.

With physical season tickets no longer used, the club uses automated, third-party software to identify suspicious accounts, with a first set of restrictions recently sent out.

Manchester United issued a message to their fans’ forum last week defending their approach; it read: "Our recent operation focused on instances where multiple accounts displayed patterns of activity indicating they may have been centrally controlled, coordinated by the same individual, or operated using automated software.

"We are confident that the vast majority of accounts identified for misuse have been correctly flagged with the appropriate action taken."

This followed a crackdown at the start of last season, which saw 22,000 tickets for their club’s first five games cancelled, with the club adding that they believe around 10-15% of season tickets are controlled by touts, as per the BBC.

And while Manchester United supporter groups acknowledge the need to crack down on touts, they want to see this approach changed.

"The club and its supporters share the same objective: ensuring tickets are used fairly by genuine Manchester United supporters while protecting the integrity of the ticketing system," said a group of club supporter organisations, fan clubs and fanzines in a joint statement.

"That objective will only be achieved through trust, transparency, proportionate enforcement, better-designed systems and meaningful engagement.

"Taking time to review the current approach, engage with supporter representatives and restore confidence is in the interests of both the club and its supporters."

While Stamford Bridge has sanctioned another eye-watering mega-deal, Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta have quietly gone about their business with modern squad building in mind.

Arsenal’s acquisition of Greek international winger Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge for £34m represents great value, particularly when factoring in Leandro Trossard’s exit for £15m.

In net terms, the Gunners have refreshed their attacking options for just £19m.

Arsenal show Chelsea how it's done in the transfer market

Beyond the financials, the age gap is significant. Trading 31-year-old Trossard for a 24-year-old in Tzolis lowers the squad's age profile while injecting fresh hunger - and a point to prove after Tzolis' previous unsuccessful foray into English football.

The Greek international's track record in recent seasons is formidable. At Fortuna Dusseldorf during the 2023/24 season, he netted 22 goals and added seven assists in 30 appearances in 2. Bundesliga.

Securing a move to Club Brugge in Belgium on the back of his 2. Bundesliga exploits, Tzolis bagged 43 goals and registered 20 assists in 108 appearances across all competitions, including 33 goals in 74 Belgian Pro League matches.

The expectation is that Tzolis will not immediately replicate his prolific Belgian numbers. The jump in quality from the Pro League to the Premier League requires patience, but as a squad option learning under Arteta, his upside is massive compared to his modest net outlay.

In stark contrast, Chelsea have shelled out £117m to sign Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa. Unlike Tzolis, the 23-year-old Rogers arrives at Stamford Bridge under pressure to deliver straight away due to his elevated price tag and established Premier League profile.

The deal highlights Chelsea’s tendency to spend freely under BlueCo ownership without a clear structural plan. Stamford Bridge is already overcrowded on the flanks with Pedro Neto, Jamie Gittens and now Rogers all competing for minutes.

From an outside perspective at least, adding another £100m-plus asset into a bloated attacking unit underscores a continued lack of squad planning discipline.

Chelsea’s recent history is littered with expensive transfer mis-steps, none more illustrative than Mykhaylo Mudryk. Signed for £88m in 2023, the Ukrainian winger has proven to be a considerable drain on club resources. To make matters worse, Mudryk remains unavailable after testing positive for the banned substance meldonium, leaving Chelsea paying significant wages for a player frozen out of competitive football.

To clear space for Rogers, Chelsea sanctioned a season-long loan sending Alejandro Garnacho to Aston Villa. This comes less than a year after buying the Argentine from Manchester United for £40m - a transfer which raised eyebrows at the time. While allowing Garnacho's exit removes an unneeded wage burden from Xabi Alonso’s squad, doing so on a loan basis is merely a temporary fix rather than a permanent financial solution.

In securing a winger with Tzolis' track record for a net outlay of just £19m, Arsenal have demonstrated foresight, patience, and financial control. Chelsea, meanwhile, have dropped £117m on Morgan Rogers to address a position they could do with supplementing but are hardly short of options in.

Rogers could feasibly win the PFA Player of the Year next season; he is, after all, supremely talented. But, questions will continue to be asked of Chelsea if he does not hit the ground running, because this is a club where, more often than not, there appears a semi-permanent state of dressing room unease, squad bloat and ultimately unrest.

New Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola has had a slower summer in the transfer market than his predecessor enjoyed this time last year.

The Reds' frenetic few months breaking their club transfer record twice and splurging over £400 million as champions of England perhaps contributed to the downfall of Arne Slot, whose heightened expectations came back to bite him when Liverpool finished fifth in the Premier League.

And yet Iraola perhaps has the hardest task of any Merseyside manager in the transfer market for years: how do you replace Mohamed Salah?

Liverpool could look to familiarity, as Rayan move shapes up

Liverpool have so far only signed Victor Munoz to bolster their attack – primarily a left-winger – with the assumption that the right flank will be occupied by someone like Dominik Szoboszlai or Jeremie Frimpong unless an available superstar emerges.

Yet Iraola has replaced a superstar before: after joining Bournemouth in January as the Cherries' Antoine Semenyo heir, Rayan took to the Premier League like a duck to water, with youth football expert Joe Donnohue stating it was “little surprise he's found the net so early on,” in a report for FourFourTwo's Boy's A Bit Special series.

Since then, the Brazilian has been called up to the World Cup and even given a start by manager Carlo Ancelotti in Raphinha's absence: and while Raphinha may be more the calibre of name that Reds fans would expect the club to replace a legend like Salah with, however, there may not only be more truth in Rayan – TEAMtalk reported links earlier this month – but more sense.

For a start, the 19-year-old has worked with Iraola before and has a clear track record not just of tearing up full-backs in this league, but delivering goals, too, with five goals in just 15 appearances thus far.

Rayan is far more than just a poacher, though, having proved himself as a high-intensity presser on the right flank who will run himself into the ground – and with Liverpool needing to find the best combination of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Dominik Szoboszlai, trying to accommodate another high-output superstar might be too tricky to co

Signing a teenager instead would allow Iraola a little grace, while his work-rate can help establish the tone: goals and assists wouldn't be expected of Rayan right away, as he instead looks to work within a system and platform the players around him.

The sticking point is, of course, the price, with Rayan likely to command the kind of fee that one would expect from a ready-made superstar, despite less than six months of Premier League experience under his belt.

With Bournemouth adamant that their starlet can't leave on the cheap – especially with Junior Kroupi and Alex Scott courting attention from the elite – Liverpool may be better off throwing their weight behind a big-money, proven star who can alleviate some of the pressure from the likes of Isak and Wirtz.

Yet with big names come expectations: perhaps Iraola would be far better placed to invest in someone who can get the most from the big names he already has right now.

Rayan is valued at €60 million by Transfermarkt. The Reds begin their Premier League campaign against Newcastle United.

The business of football transfers can often be a brutal, ruthless and cutthroat affair.

Huge sums of money are banded around, reputations can often be on the line, and careers can be permanently shaped, for better or for worse, in a single window.

And it would now appear that the business of transfer journalism is going the same way, following a social media spat between two of the industry’s leading ITK figures.

Romano and Plenttenberg clash on social media

In recent years, transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has amassed a huge social media following for his tireless output on transfers and football news, with Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg also making a name for himself as another of football’s most high-profile ITKs.

Transfer journalism has become something of a major cottage industry in recent times, and the race to be first to break a huge exclusive is a highly competitive field, so for those journalists in the trenches, tensions can be high - and occasionally, they can reach a fever pitch.

This is exactly what happened on Sunday evening, when Plettenberg took umbrage of the reporting over Ivory Coast star Yan Diomande’s rumoured transfer to Real Madrid, a story that Romano has been covering heavily.

Doing his best Colombo impression, Plettenberg remarked on X that: “And one more quick note on Yan Diomande saga, because more and more things in this business are becoming a bit ridiculous:

“If there had already been a full agreement between RB Leipzig and Real Madrid, it would be possible to report the exact transfer fee, wouldn’t it? The fact is: there still isn’t one. That continues to be confirmed by RB Leipzig, Real Madrid and the player’s camp. If a €100 million bid has been rejected, then it’s pretty obvious the final fee will be well over €100 million, isn’t it?”

This post was set upon by X user @Blue_Footy, who poked the bear when he asked “Despite Fabrizio’s Here We Go?”, sparking an instant response from the Italian, who posted:

“Don’t worry, Diomande goes to Real Madrid as Klopp went to Germany. Ask about the fake news yesterday on Man City bidding €100m for Diomande when they’ve been out for days, and when Madrid were already advancing. They are good at talking about others (not even that good, they can’t even tag me) but… check your own news first, then talk about me.”

Plettenberg then warned Romano he had ‘crossed a line’ by accusing him of ‘fake news’ and went on to take down Romano’s reporting of Germany’s Jurgen Klopp appointment, which he called ‘simply disrespectful to every journalist who actually does proper reporting’.

More old grudges were brought up between the pair, with Romano suggesting he may share historical personal messages from Plettenberg, who asked how to increase followers, before the latter moved to end the argument:

“Everyone should ask themselves on what basis they report agreements, agreements in principle, done deals or “here we go’s”. Yan Diomande will join Real Madrid. DONE DEAL soon. Good night,” he posted.

That put a lid on the two transfer news big beasts’ argument for now, but with another five weeks of the transfer window left to run, don’t be surprised if we see some more barbs in the run-up to deadline day.

Chelsea are seeking to supplement their forward line with the addition of 35-year-old Brighton and Hove Albion striker Danny Welbeck.

The former Manchester United and Arsenal attacker is into the final 12 months of his Seagulls deal having extended his stay earlier this year.

Chelsea, though, are exploring the possibility of bringing him to Stamford Bridge in this window.

Danny Welbeck to Chelsea is ON

The Blues are reportedly keen to add Welbeck to Xabi Alonso's ranks due to the veteran's experience and leadership qualities.

Alonso arrived earlier this summer and has already overseen the signings of Morgan Rogers, Marco Palestra, Geovany Quenda, Emmanuel Emegha, Denner and Dastan Satpaev, many of which were pre-arranged moves.

Chelsea's transfer policy in recent seasons has been to sign young, high potential players instead of those who are already the finished article.

Their Welbeck pursuit goes against this approach, indicating Alonso's desire for a more balanced dressing room in terms of the squad's age profile has been heeded by the Stamford Bridge hierarchy.

According to The Athletic, there is optimism on all sides to do a deal.

At present, the oldest member of Chelsea's first-team squad is goalkeeper Robert Sanchez who is 28.

FourFourTwo understands that internal club chatter suggests a move is advanced following initial positive conversations between the two teams, Welbeck and his representatives.

Leeds United have moved a step closer to landing the signing of German international midfielder Julian Brandt.

The Whites are keen to make 30-year-old former Borussia Dortmund midfielder Julian Brandt their latest signing this summer.

The club have already added Tarik Muharemovic and Harry Wilson from Sassuolo and Fulham, respectively, but are eyeing the ambitious capture of 48-cap international Brandt, too.

Julian Brandt to Leeds United latest

Dortmund bid farewell to Brandt earlier this summer after seven years with the club, having previously broken through at fellow Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen.

He made 307 appearances for Dortmund, scoring 57 times and registering 70 assists across all competitions.

Leeds are thought to be front-runners for the midfielder's signature who is reportedly open to the idea of playing in the Premier League at this stage of his career.

Brandt's entire club career has taken place within Germany, aside from appearances for the national team and European competition, in which he is vastly experienced with just shy of 100 outings in the Champions League and Europa League.

Dutch giants Ajax have also been linked with a move for Brandt this summer, along with a host of other top European clubs, all of whom could offer continental football in some capacity.

Leeds, on the other hand, have the trump card of Premier League football, which remains the division in which most players seek to play, for competitive and financial reasons.

Last summer, Leeds persuaded Dominic Calvert-Lewin to turn down offers from clubs with European football in order to join up with Daniel Farke at Elland Road. Brandt may now follow suit after the latest transfer development.

Ajax appear to have agreed to spend a large portion of their transfer budget on a centre-forward, reducing their ability to be as competitive in contract talks with Brandt.

Wolverhampton Wanderers' Tolu Arokodare is reportedly on the verge of joining the Amsterdam club after a dressing room fallout at Molineux and could eventually move for €22 million, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The deal is supposedly a loan with an option to buy, meaning Ajax may still be able to afford Brandt this summer. However, their spending power would be diminished when it comes to contract negotiations due to full coverage of Arokodare's Wolves salary.

Should Brandt complete a move to Elland Road, he would join fellow German internationals Lukas Nmecha and Anton Stach, along with manager Farke and his majority-German backroom staff.

Italy legend Andrea Pirlo’s hopes of being named as the Azzurri’s new boss have been denied at the last minute following a political controversy over his potential hiring.

The former AC Milan and Juventus icon appeared to be set for the top job following a protected search for Gennaro Gattuso’s replacement, which had seen former Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola in a three-day discussion for the role only to turn down the position.

But as 116-capped Italy international Pirlo closed in on the job, he hit political resistance, which has now ultimately derailed dreams of managing his country.

Pirlo's hopes of landing Italy job denied

Italy’s search for a new boss came after they failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup under Gattuso, meaning that the four-time winners had missed out on the tournament for a third consecutive time.

Italy U21s boss Silvio Baldini was handed the role as caretaker manager following Gattuso’s sacking in April, and after Guardiola turned down the role, it looked like the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) were ready to call on another iconic former Azzurri midfielder to fill the void.

However, as Pirlo closed in on the job, the 47-year-old’s commercial ties to a Russian betting company came to the fore, with senior figures in the organisation, plus Italian parliamentarians, expressing their concerns.

Pirlo’s potential appointment has now been called off, with FIGC president Giovanni Malago pulling the plug on the deal at the 11th hour, before the former Italy skipper confirmed on Sunday evening that he is no longer in the running for the role in a lengthy statement on social media.

“Over the past few days, I have watched with great bitterness the debate that has unfolded regarding my name and the possibility of taking on the role of Head Coach of the Italian national team,” he posted on Instagram.

“Out of respect for the institutions, the Federation, and all those involved, I chose to remain silent until now. However, I feel it is necessary to clarify a few points. Throughout my career—first as a player and now as a coach—I have always conducted my work in full compliance with the laws of the countries where I have worked and the contracts I have signed. The professional collaboration at the heart of the recent controversy arose during my time working in the United Arab Emirates and is purely commercial and sporting in nature. Attributing political significance to this collaboration implies that I hold views I have never expressed and do not share.

“I would like to thank Maldini and Leonardo for the esteem and trust they have shown me. I am well aware of their expertise, their professionalism, and the love they have always dedicated to Italian football.

“It is regrettable that a decision based on sporting grounds was quickly dragged into a public dispute that ended up attributing motives and intentions to me that are not my own. My love for Italy does not depend on a specific role. It is part of my history and my identity, and it will always remain with me.

Pirlo, who is currently in charge of Emirati club Dubai United, signed an ambassadorship deal with Russian bookmaker Fonbet in October, with scrutiny of this agreement being raised when he appeared alongside his former Italy team-mate Marco Materazzi during an event organised by the bookmaker at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium. This visit coincided with aerial attacks on Ukraine, prompting widespread criticism, with Pirlo defending his involvement, insisting that his presence there was strictly non-political, yet a number of Italian politicians have hit back at this.

"After yet another defeat and another missed World Cup qualification, Italian football desperately needed a cultural, ethical and managerial revolution,” Pina Picierno, a vice-president of the European Parliament, said on social media. “The choice of Andrea Pirlo goes in the exact opposite direction.”

The future of Bruno Guimaraes is set to be one of the current summer transfer window’s major sagas, as Newcastle United fight to keep their captain at the club.

The Brazilian has been the subject of transfer interest from Arsenal, amid reports that the Premier League champions are readying an offer for the Brazil international.

With the World Cup now over and players returning to their clubs for pre-season, all parties will now focus on getting the situation resolved, and that would appear to be the case from Guimaraes’ end.

Guimaraes wants future resolved

Arsenal’s interest in the 28-year-old has been well documented in recent weeks, with the BBC claiming that the Gunners were ready to make a £70million offer for the midfielder, with the player himself said to be keen on the move.

Newcastle do not want to lose their talisman after seeing Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali leave for Barcelona and Tottenham respectively this summer, with the player himself now reportedly setting an ultimatum.

According to TEAMtalk, Guimaraes has instructed his representatives to resolve his future ‘within the next week’ before he is due to return to Newcastle for pre-season training.

Guimaraes is due back with the Magpies for a pre-season training camp in Spain following an extended break following his World Cup exploits with Brazil, where he played in all five of the Selecao’s games on the way to the round of 16, where they lost to Norway, providing four assists on the way.

The Magpies take on Bristol City on Wednesday, before they head to Spain for a warm-weather training camp and a friendly against Valencia, with the report adding that the midfielder wants clarity before he links up with the squad.

While reports suggest that the former Lyon man is keen to join Arsenal, the main sticking point for any potential deal will be the two clubs’ valuation of the 48-time Brazil international.

After seeing Tonali leave the club for £100million, Eddie Howe is said to believe his skipper would be in the same price bracket, while this latest report adds that Guimaraes has no intention of refusing to report for duty in an effort to force a move.

Instead, his representatives are now looking to get Arsenal to step up their interest and present the Magpies with an offer that they cannot turn down.

In FourFourTwo’s view, Guimaraes, who is valued at €85million by Transfermarkt, is doing the right thing in looking to ensure that this situation is wrapped up and speculation does not linger over his pre-season preparations.

The coming days are likely to be vital in this transfer saga, with Arsenal knowing that they won't be able to stand still following their title win, while Newcastle’s previous dealings in the current window set a benchmark for the kind of offer the Gunners need to make.

Manchester United could be about to tie up the signing of Eduardo Camavinga, following an agreement at Real Madrid.

The Red Devils have enjoyed a modest summer thus far, with midfield the key area for new manager Michael Carrick investing in most heavily, as the likes of Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos have both joined.

With reports that Manchester United could well make further in-roads into strengthening in the centre of the park, however, could the biggest signing yet be about to happen?

Manchester United have long-standing interest in Eduardo Camavinga – whose Real Madrid future is unclear

It's been a testing few months for Camavinga at Real Madrid, with the Frenchman struggling in the second half of the season under Alvaro Arbeloa, before his shock snub from France's 2026 World Cup squad.

As if things weren't uncertain enough, Los Blancos have brought in Bernardo Silva to compete for spots in midfield – and have reached an agreement for his former team-mate, World Cup winner Rodri, to join, as per French outlet RMC Sport.

According to The Guardian, United have already identified Camavinga as a big opportunity, with as little as £51 million needed to convince the 15-time European champions to part with the 23-year-old.

FourFourTwo understands that the transfer fee is only half of the story, however: Camavinga will command high wages wherever he goes, with the Red Devils reluctant to break their wage structure.

Should a deal be possible though, the French talent may well be the final part of the jigsaw, and given that Real have let the likes of Dani Ceballos and Martin Odegaard leave the club in the past on loan to collect minutes – not to mention the sale of Casemiro to Old Trafford, which allowed Camavinga himself to flourish – a deal feels far from unlikely.

Not only is Camavinga able to cover at left-back – a position that United have struggled with in the past, given Luke Shaw's injury woes – he is exactly the kind of space-eating ball-winner that the club currently lacks.

In Santos, Tielemans and Kobbie Mainoo, Carrick has three diligent pressers with high technical quality, but Camavinga has shown at the very highest level that he can cover plenty of ground and offer a physicality that the Red Devils perhaps lack right now.

Right now, FourFourTwo understands that the former Rennes man would prefer to remain at the Bernabeu and compete for a spot under new manager Jose Mourinho.

Should Rodri join, however, that is a situation that may alter – especially towards the end of the transfer window.

Camavinga is worth €50m, according to Transfermarkt. United face Hull City on the first day of the new season.

Arsenal are already engaged in talks with Newcastle United over one player, with another move potentially on the horizon.

The Gunners' pursuit of Bruno Guimaraes is moving slowly, as the Magpies captain prepares to return ahead of the new season – while interest in Tino Livramento is well-documented, even if Arsenal haven't made their move for the England full-back yet.

Intriguingly, though, could Newcastle have the perfect answer to Arsenal's reshuffle in attack?

Newcastle United's Nick Woltemade may well be the perfect fit for Arsenal

Nick Woltemade hit the ground running in the Premier League after Newcastle completed a club-record deal for the 23-year-old last summer – but as the season wore on, Woltemade hit stumbling blocks in his development, playing as a no.8 at times, as manager Eddie Howe pivoted to Will Osula up front.

As noted by The Athletic's Seb Stafford-Bloor in a post on X (formerly Twitter), the German has been the subject of several rumours of Newcastle making him available for loan – which Stafford-Bloor says are wide of the mark.

Nevertheless, perhaps while Arsenal are looking at Guimaraes and Livramento, the perfect forward signing for them this summer is staring them in the face.

A tall, technically adept forward capable of holding the ball up and dropping deep into the midfield sounds all too familiar to Arsenal fans – and given how badly the Gunners missed Kai Havertz during his injury-ravaged 2025/26, it seems amazing that Arteta hasn't considered looking for a like-for-like replacement.

An ambitious move for Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr is in the works, while Julian Alvarez from the other end of the city is an A-list target, too, but neither of them really offer what Havertz does in attack.

Granted, Woltemade isn't quite as industrious as his compatriot – he's a more deft and slight attacker, a better finisher, too – but given that Arsenal's alternative to their German no.9 is a polar opposite in Victor Gyokeres, why haven't the Gunners even been linked?

The answer, no doubt, lies in the fact that Woltemade is still deemed to be a huge asset to Newcastle, despite a trying debut campaign.

Given the funds invested in the German international and the currently transitional state of the club, FourFourTwo understands that it would take a monster bid to take Woltemade out of the north-east – just as it will for Guimaraes to move to the capital.

Arsenal's interest in Livramento, meanwhile, appears to have cooled for now with the injury to William Saliba suggesting that perhaps another centre-back is of more priority than a right-back.

Woltemade is worth €55 million, according to Transfermarkt. Arsenal host Coventry City to begin their title defence on Matchday 1 of the new season.

With the dust having settled on the World Cup and the start of the Premier League season less than a month away, the transfer window is now the main show in town as teams scramble to recruit for the new campaign.

For the first time in a decade, Manchester City are attacking the summer market with a new man in charge, after Enzo Maresca’s appointment to replace Pep Guardiola in the Etihad dugout.

City have already been active in the market, bringing in promising youngsters Pierce Charles and Jeremy Monga, before their £116million move for England midfielder Elliot Anderson.

City's attempted Chelsea raids continue

It feels like further big-money signings are inevitable at City, as the club look to win their first title for three years, and the latest player linked is a familiar face for City fans - and new boss Maresca.

According to reports, Maresca is ready to raid his former side Chelsea with an audacious move for one of the Blues' most potent talents.

Pedro Neto was one of Maresca’s first signings at Stamford Bridge following his summer 2024 arrival, with the Portuguese featuring 74 times during the coach’s 18-month tenure, scoring 15 times and laying on 12 assists.

Now, Caught Offside claim Maresca wants to bring Neto to the Etihad, as the Italian looks to bolster his options on the flanks.

The report claims Neto is ‘not entirely untouchable’ with the club willing to listen to the right offer, which would need to be in the region of €80million. That would represent a tidy profit for the Blues, who shelled out €60million for the 26-year-old when they bought him in from Wolverhampton Wanderers in August 2024.

With Chelsea having already spent big this summer when they broke Anderson’s short-lived British transfer record to sign his Three Lions team-mate Morgan Rogers for £117million, the London side again look set for a busy summer in the transfer market.

Whether they will want to sell Neto to a team that is considered a direct rival or not could be a challenge for City, but their hopes may be bolstered by the fact that they will have seen Chelsea sell defender Andrey Santos to Manchester United already this summer.

From City’s point of view, the winger position could become a priority if Tottenham step up their interest in Savinho, following boss Roberto De Zerbi’s admission last week that Spurs will now be prioritising attacking signings.

In FourFourTwo’s view, it’s not hard to see why City and Maresca would potentially go in for Neto, who is rated at €60million on Transfermarket, with the Portugal international just entering his peak years having played in England since 2019.

Liverpool have also been interested in a move for Neto, but the allure of working again with Maresca at a time when the club are entering a new era is likely to be a big pull for the player, assuming City are able to convince Chelsea to sell to a rival.

Loris Karius has opened up about his crisis of confidence after his nightmare performance for Liverpool in the 2018 Champions League final left him in a two-year funk that nearly saw him quit the game.

The goalkeeper was at fault for two of Real Madrid's goals in their 3-1 victory over the Reds in Kyiv.

Karius first rolled the ball onto the outstretched leg of Karim Benzema, with the ball deflecting into the net to give Real the opener; and after conceding a brilliant Gareth Bale bicycle kick he could do nothing about, Karius dropped a completely routine save into his own net to allow Bale a second goal.

"I lost my love for football. I no longer wanted to train, no longer wanted to play"

Manager Jurgen Klopp said after the game that Karius' performance had been '100% influenced' by a concussion he picked up during the game, most likely from a Sergio Ramos elbow just before the first goal.

However, Alisson's arrival a few weeks later effectively spelt the end of Karius' Liverpool career, with the keeper sent out for loan spells at Besiktas and Union Berlin over the next three seasons before being released and signing for Newcastle United.

Karius told Welt.de that his two years in exile from Liverpool in Istanbul were dark days for him.

He said: "Up until that point, my career had been on a steep upward trajectory, then I suddenly crashed – all the way to rock bottom.

"It was extremely tough, especially since at the time, in my mid-20s, I wasn't as settled as I am now.

"Quite honestly, during that period, I lost my love for football. I no longer wanted to train, no longer wanted to play."

Without naming names, Karius indicates that when he reached out for support, he was 'told that he played for a great club, had a great apartment, and earned good money' - effectively, 'shut up and get on with it'.

Karius said: "I didn't care about any of that. I was just miserable and felt like I had no one who could help me out of that hole. They were difficult years."

"I just felt empty. I even considered ending my career, but I was only 25 years old and couldn’t just stay home.

“During that period, I felt like nobody understood me."

Now at Schalke, Karius has found form again and last year helped the club finish top of 2. Bundesliga to end their three-year spell in the German second tier.

There are exceptions, but petitions are an infamously poor method of actually getting anything done.

Petitions alone often leave people with the feeling that they have done something without actually requiring them to do very much, and on their own are often pointed to as the primary form of slacktivism.

But even by those already very low standards set by the form, there have been some particularly hopeless petitions in the wake of the 2026 World Cup.

FIFA opt to ignore odd petition claiming millions of signatures

First we had a petition on Change.org for Argentina's 3-2 victory over Egypt to be replayed, despite the Egyptians' squandering of a two goal lead in the final 11 minutes of the game having little to do with officiating decisions.

Then we had Argentina fans going the other way and calling on the final against Spain to be replayed on the basis of the entirely unsubstantiated claims over 'the controversial and corrupt performance of the referee, who, according to video evidence, was bribed to influence the outcome of the match'. That's currently just shy of 100,000 signatures.

We dare say the referee had absolutely nothing to do with Argentina failing to have a shot until the 127th minute of that game, lads.

But the biggest, stupidest and most futile petition of all was the website ArgentinaOut.org - which we don't particularly recommend visiting thanks to their aggressive advert redirects, ironically to ad blockers.

They claim to have received over 28 million signatories to their call to see Argentina booted out of the World Cup and banned from the competition indefinitely.

Yeah probably that was never going to happen, we reckon.

Their Argentinian beef was multifold, with the website repeating claims of corruption in the then-reigning champions' favour, and, in fairness, some historic incidents of racism.

The website helpfully points out that the petition did not result in Argentina's defeat in the final.

It says: "Spain won the match on the field. Argentina Out was an independent fan campaign with no official role in FIFA or the tournament result."

Good to have that confirmed.

If there were indeed that many 'signatures' on the petition - and you'll be unsurprised to learn we're sceptical - then we hope everyone who aided the cause feels good about themselves for having achieved precisely diddly-squat in the name of a completely futile cause, other than lining the pockets of a website set up to exploit them for ad clicks.

Now please consider clicking any of the ads on this very page.

The World Cup proved this summer that it is still capable of introducing the viewing audience to new stars they had not encountered before.

There were a few players who enjoyed a breakout tournament that make them into household names, such as Aston Villa new boy Johan Manzambi and Mexico's Julian Quinones.

Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill was very much among that clutch of players after a series of excellent performances, making the most saves of any goalkeeper and most notably playing a key part in his side's penalty shootout victory over Germany in the round of 32.

Manchester United eyeing Orlando Gill transfer

Gill has now returned to Argentina for training with his club San Lorenzo - but the local media report that the club are now braced for an offer from the Premier League.

Vamos Ciclon write that there was a spate of links to the English top flight during the World Cup, but that such rumours had died down until this week - at which point it emerged that Gill's representatives were 'expecting an offer' from Manchester United.

San Lorenzo are now said to be on the lookout for Gill's replacement - though the report adds that a formal bid had not yet been received by the club.

For FourFourTwo, the link only really makes sense thanks to the terms of Gill's contract at San Lorenzo.

Goalkeeper became a problem position for United following David De Gea's departure in 2023, with Andre Onana failing to convince with his erratic performances and Altay Bayindir faring little better in his handful of auditions for the club.

However, Senne Lammens enjoyed an excellent debut campaign after arriving from Royal Antwerp on transfer deadline day.

Though he endured a horror moment during the World Cup, when coming on as a second-half substitute for Belgium vs Spain in the World Cup quarter-finals, at 24 the Belgian stopper still has plenty of good years to give in a United shirt

The wrinkle is that according to Vamos Ciclon, Gill has a release clause of just USD $7m (£5.5m), although confusingly, the Argentinian outlet add that that is 'the minimum from which San Lorenzo is willing to negotiate'.

That would make Gill a real steal if United or any other Premier League club were to launch a bid - even if he were only signed as backup.

Olympiacos are also said to have bid for Gill's services, but neither San Lorenzo nor the goalkeeper were moved by that opportunity.

Jurgen Klopp has warned the German media that he is more than ready to walk away from the national team job if they subject him to the kind of treatment they gave his predecessor Julian Nagelsmann.

The former Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool boss has returned to management as Germany head coach two years on from departing Anfield.

In the interim, Klopp has served as head of global football for Red Bull, leading to understandable scepticism in Germany about his appointment to his latest role, given Red Bull's unpopularity in the country following the foundation of RB Leipzig in 2009.

Just like the English media towards their own Three Lions boss, the German media can be brutal towards Die Mannschaft's head coach, with Bild particularly renowned for going after managers whose methods they don't prefer.

And despite signing a four-year deal with the DfB, Klopp has warned that he will walk away from the post if the media get too personal.

Speaking at his first press conference, Klopp said: "If you behave badly and don't leave my family in peace then I'll be gone, I'll just turn away.

"I know there are other countries where national team coaches are treated even worse.

"I'm not doing this job for myself, I'm doing it for you. I'm taking this job even though I've seen how you've treated [former Germany boss] Julian Nagelsmann and [England manager] Thomas Tuchel.

"I love this job but I am always ready to call it quits if need be."

Klopp did hint that this role may well be his last in football, however, feeling that becoming the head coach of his country leaves him with no more mountains to climb.

He said: "Jurgen Klopp is not going to have any career after the national team.

"This is the pinnacle, the absolutely high point of my footballing career as coach. I will give everything I have got.

"Over the last few days it has almost been like a movie happening to myself.

"I have always thought the job of Germany head coach is really big, but now it is really dawning on me what being the national team head coach is all about.

"For many, many years it was unimaginable for me to take on this role. As the years went by, it became more or less evident that sooner or later I would be asked to do this job. Now I think the time is right."

Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele is in talks to leave the club.

One of the biggest success stories of Luis Enrique's PSG revolution, Dembele won the Ballon d'Or last year after helping to capture the French club's first-ever Champions League title, before following it up with another European crown this season.

With the forward now 29, Dembele is said to be considering his options ahead of a monstrous move from the Saudi Pro League to lure another superstar to the Gulf State.

Ousmane Dembele the subject of interest from Al Hilal, with exit talks having begun

Hailed as a future star while at Borussia Dortmund, Dembele has had a complicated route to the summit of world football, via troubles at Barcelona and fluctuating form for the French national side.

The Norman native signed for PSG in 2023 but only really began to step into the spotlight following the departure of Kylian Mbappe, leading Les Parisiens into a European dynasty and becoming ever-more important for Didier Deschamps' France alongside the likes of Mbappe, and club-mates Bradley Barcola and Desire Doue.

According to Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri in a post on X (formerly Twitter), Al-Hilal are pushing to add Dembele to their ranks, having already signed West Ham United forward Crysensio Summerville this summer.

As just the 10th man to have won the Champions League, World Cup and Ballon d'Or, Dembele would represent a huge coup for the Saudi Pro League, with first contacts having already begun with Dembele's representatives.

Club-to-club talks with PSG are set to follow next, with FourFourTwo understanding that the European champions are reluctant to sanction a move.

PSG have already sold Goncalo Ramos this summer to Milan and are moving for Yan Diomande, though face competition for the Ivorian from the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal.

As a false nine in Luis Enrique's high-octane attack, Dembele has been invaluable but may wish to pursue a new project, given that he is now approaching 30.

In making the move to Saudi Arabia, Dembele could well become the first footballer in history to make two separate £100 million moves in his career, having joined Barcelona for a nine-figure fee back in 2017 when he replaced Neymar at Camp Nou.

The 29-year-old played just 22 times in Ligue 1 last term but still racked up 20 goals in 40 appearances in all competitions before netting a hat-trick at the World Cup against Norway, en route to the semi-finals of the competition.

Dembele is worth €100m, according to Transfermarkt.

Arsenal have dealt another blow in a transfer window that is proving to be an ongoing slog.

The Gunners have so far only landed a backup goalkeeper in Ilian Meslier and gambled on Greek forward Christos Tzolis, with the likes of Morgan Rogers escaping their grasp and a saga for Bruno Guimaraes proving to be testing.

With Arsenal potentially heading into the season with an injury crisis, too, further news that they won't be landing a preferred target to cover defensively is almost certain to leave fans concerned.

Arsenal 'unlikely' to land centre-back prospect, following 'contact'

With William Saliba bowing out of the World Cup semi-final against eventual champions Spain with a worrying back injury, Arsenal's summer transfer business was cast into doubt, with manager Mikel Arteta expected to secure a backup to the hugely important Frenchman.

Arsenal have since confirmed in a statement that Saliba will not be undergoing surgery as first reported – but the lack of a stylistic replacement to slot next to Gabriel is still a significant weakness in a defence who were imperious en route to a first Premier League title in 22 years.

Friday’s edition of Mundo Deportivo in Spain, relayed via Sport Witness, claims that the uncertainty over Saliba has led Arsenal to enquire about Real Sociedad starlet, Jon Martin.

Described as a “Basque lighthouse” who “deserves to be in the same breath” as leading Spanish centre-backs Pau Cubarsi and Dean Huijsen, by youth football expert Joe Donnohue in FourFourTwo's Boy's A Bit Special series, Martin has long been on Arsenal's radar.

While Sport Witness notes that both Arsenal and Real Madrid are capable of triggering the €60 million release clause required to secure the defender's services, it's the 20-year-old himself who reportedly wants to remain in San Sebastian for the foreseeable future.

This is similar to the path shown by the Gunners' Martin Zubimendi, who rejected advances from the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City in order to remain at La Real as long as possible – before moving to the Emirates Stadium last summer.

FourFourTwo understands that though Martin is a serious target for the North Londoners, however, a price upwards of £50m may prove to be too steep either way, for a star who is essentially a project player who is unlikely to oust Saliba from first-team contention.

The Gunners retain a serious interest in England star Ezri Konsa – thanks in part to the Aston Villa man's ability to play at right-back – while free agent John Stones has been mooted as a potential option to join on a short-term deal.

Ben White's imminent exit from N5 may be postponed by Saliba's rehabilitation instead, with FourFourTwo understanding that Newcastle United star Tino Livramento is another serious option to essentially take White's right-back role in the squad and allow his Three Lions team-mate to cover in the centre of defence.

Martin is worth €25m, according to Transfermarkt. Arsenal begin their Premier League defence against Frank Lampard's newly-promoted Coventry City.

Ronaldo and David Beckham will be on the same team once again at the Commonwealth Games.

Glasgow is hosting the event, which began on Thursday and is set to run until next weekend.

And those who attend the track cycling event at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome may well have their ears pricked up by the mention of two footballing greats of the 1990s and 2000s.

Actually it's more Ronaldinho than Ronaldo

Hoho, but of course, it's not actually going to be the footballers David Beckham and Ronaldo! That was just misleading!

In fact, it's two Indian cyclists who are both named after the famous footballing duo: David Beckham Elkatohchoongo and his teammate Ronaldo Singh Laitonjam.

Amusingly, the latter is reportedly not even named after Ronaldo, but in fact Ronaldinho.

David Beckham Elkatohchoongo holds national records (including a sub-10 second Flying 200m), and made the quarterfinals at the Asian Games, and won gold at the Indian National Games.

Ronaldo Singh Laitonjam became the first Indian cyclist to win an individual silver medal at the Asian Track Cycling Championships and previously held the junior World No. 1 ranking across sprint disciplines.

While they are breaking national records and raising India's profile internationally, pushing onto the podium in Glasgow alongside Olympic-tier opposition at the Commonwealth Games would require an exceptional, career-defining performance from both.

The cycling duo are far from the only sportspeople with famous footballing namesakes.

Ronaldinho himself is so named because his first name is Ronaldo, but he came through when R9 was Brazil's megastar - hence the suffix '-inho', making him 'little Ronaldo'.

There's Kiwi cricketer Beckham Wheeler-Green, if we're staying purely in the lane of the former Manchester United midfielder: he was born in 2002, at the absolute peak of Beckham's popularity.

West Indies cricketer Romario Shepherd is of course named after the Brazilian forward Romario, who had been awarded the World Cup Golden Ball at the 1994 World Cup just a few months before the bowler was born.

Similarly, American boxer Diego Armando Magdaleno is, meanwhile, of course named after the much more famous Diego Armando – the late great Maradona, who had inspired Argentina to the World Cup trophy earlier in 1986.

Brazilian middle-distance runner Altobeli da Silva is meanwhile named after Italy's 1982 World Cup winner Alessandro Altobelli, despite having been born in 1990.

This writer meanwhile has the middle name Alan, after Liverpool's great centre-back, Alan Hansen. Fun fact to amaze your friends.

Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group have held talks with potential new investors to join the Reds' board.

Intriguingly, Amazon mogul Jeff Bezos has even been approached as a potential new investor at Anfield, with the Albuquerque-born businessman said to be worth over $250 billion.

In late 2022, FSG explored a partial sale of Liverpool, even selling a minority stake to Dynasty Equity valued between £82m and £164m, with this latest news reaffirming the group's commitment to Liverpool, rather than suggesting the opposite.

FSG remain committed to Liverpool, despite latest investment talks

According to TEAMtalk, FSG have no intention of fully selling Liverpool, despite these latest talks.

Since 2010, the ownership have revolutionised the infrastructure of the club, increasing Anfield's capacity to over 61,000 seats and opening a new training ground, with FSG looking to acquire another football club to run as an affiliate to the Reds – similarly to Manchester City's City Football Group and Chelsea's BlueCo.

Former Queens Park Rangers co-owner Amit Bhatia has led the latest round of investment talks with “prominent business figures”, which include Amazon honcho Bezos, as the FSG look to “welcome minority investors who can contribute to Liverpool’s continued growth”.

In 2011, NBA legend LeBron James and business partner Maverick Carter became minority investors in the Reds, with their stake upgraded 10 years later after the club's first Premier League title was secured during COVID-19.

Liverpool remain extremely competitive in the transfer market, having splashed well over £400 million last summer in a spree that saw the likes of Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak join for nine-figure sums.

The Reds are now embarking on a new era under former Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola, with FourFourTwo understanding that the club are well aware that they will have to outsmart the market to compete with the likes of Man City and Paris Saint-Germain off the field.

TEAMtalk sources note that, “John W. Henry and Tom Werner remain as committed as ever to Liverpool and continue to view the club as a long-term cornerstone of the FSG portfolio.”

The Boston-headquartered conglomerate includes baseball franchise Boston Red Sox within its subsidiaries, with Getafe explored as a potential option as a sister club to Liverpool.

Liverpool kick off their 2026/27 Premier League campaign away to Newcastle United.

Manchester City's big summer of spending could be far from over as they look to bolster their squad ahead of Enzo Maresca's first campaign in charge.

The former Chelsea boss replaced the iconic Pep Guardiola earlier this summer and is now tasked with getting Manchester City back on top of the pile after two seasons without a Premier League trophy.

City finished third in an uncharacteristically poor 2024/25 campaign, but put up a better showing as they pushed eventual champions Arsenal for the title for much of last season.

Manchester City eyeing two more potential nine-figure transfer moves

City have already set about spending big in a bid to compensate for the loss of Bernardo Silva, with England midfielder Elliot Anderson arriving from Nottingham Forest for a £116m transfer fee.

City have also been linked with a move for 18-year-old Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, who played a key role in firing Morocco to the World Cup quarter-finals this summer.

Amid reports that personal terms are already agreed in principle, City are said to be preparing a €90m (£77m) bid for Bouaddi.

However, Lille president Olivier Letang has previously indicated that they will not allow Bouaddi to be prised away from the club easily, with reports suggesting they may hold out for a €100m (£85.5m) fee for the teenager.

And it would likely end up costing City even more than that if they were to pursue a move for another claimed transfer target.

That's because City are among a trio of top Premier League clubs now reported to be interested in a move for RB Leipzig winger Yan Diomande.

The 19-year-old shone for Ivory Coast at the World Cup, with the German side already reported to have turned down a €100m bid from Liverpool.

With Arsenal, Real Madrid and PSG also said to be looking at Diomande and Liverpool's interest still live, City may need to pull out the big guns to get the Ivorian signed up.

If City were to get both moves done, it would take their transfer spending this summer over the £300m mark.

As well as Anderson, City have already completed a £12.5m move to sign 17-year-old Jeremy Monga from Leicester City and a £21.7m deal for Troyes' 19-year-old winger Mathys Detourbet.

Bruno Guimaraes' future looks likely to be away from Newcastle United - but there could yet be a curveball in where he ends up.

The Newcastle captain has been at the centre of a bit of a transfer saga this summer since it emerged that Premier League champions Arsenal are reportedly keen on securing his signature.

It was widely reported on Thursday that the Gunners were set to launch a £70m bid for the Brazilian, who has spent this summer at the World Cup.

Guimaraes is said to have told Newcastle that he would like to pursue a future away from the club after their disappointing 2025/26 campaign.

The club have already lost two of their star players this summer, with Anthony Gordon moving to Barcelona and Sandro Tonali joining Tottenham.

However, after weeks of reports of their interest, it has been reported that Arsenal could yet face a last-minute swoop from a rival.

Simon Phillips claims on his Chelsea Substack that there is 'definitely something there' in Chelsea's interest in Guimaraes.

However, Phillips acknowledges that Chelsea would need to act rapidly if they are to get in there ahead of Arsenal.

Fabrizio Romano wrote on Thursday evening that the Gunners have already agreed personal terms with Guimaraes, but that Newcastle are still expected to fight to hold onto their captain.

That could leave a potential window for Chelsea to sneak in and make a rival bid that Newcastle found too enticing to turn down for the 28 year old.

Chelsea have already been thwarted this summer in their attempt to sign Granit Xhaka from Sunderland.

The Swiss international was a key player for new Blues head coach Xabi Alonso as they won the German double with Bayer Leverkusen.

However, Sunderland have insisted their captain is not for sale, while Xhaka is said to want to remain at the Stadium of Light and help push them further after they claimed a Europa League place as a newly-promoted side last season.

Manchester United star Marcus Rashford's future is still in doubt – despite two years remaining on his current contract.

The England star fell out of favour at Old Trafford under Ruben Amorim – despite scoring the first goal of the Portuguese's ill-fated tenure – and has since spent the last 18 months on loan.

But with Rashford uncertain as to his next move and Manchester United wanting to make some money on the previously untouchable forward, there could be an uncomfortable transfer ahead for the Red Devils.

Manchester United might be forced into selling Marcus Rashford to a rival, after Barcelona move dried up

After spending last season on loan at Barcelona, the Catalan giants had a ridiculously cheap £26 million option in place to make Rashford their first English signing since Gary Lineker in the 1980s.

The La Liga champions instead dithered over that clause, and after signing Anthony Gordon from Newcastle United and adding further depth in the form of Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund, Rashford's dream move to Camp Nou – which FourFourTwo understands he was willing to take a pay cut to facilitate – has all but vanished.

Despite the lack of options on the table, The i reports that United don't want to sell within the Premier League.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have all been mooted as potential destinations for the 28-year-old, with both North London rivals in particular still on the hunt for a superstar left-winger.

The Gunners yesterday confirmed the arrival of Greek forward Christos Tzolis, while Spurs have failed to fully replace talismanic captain Son Heung-min – and while Chelsea have brought in another of England's World Cup contingent in Morgan Rogers recently, they have been known to take chances on Old Trafford rejects in recent years, such as Jadon Sancho and Alejandro Garnacho.

Rashford still earns upwards of £300,000 a week, however, which complicates matters, while United are said to be incredibly reluctant to see an academy graduate turn out for another of the division's so-called Big Six, given his high ceiling.

As of right now, Rashford is actually expected to return to the fold at Carrington – and given that he harbours no bad feelings towards United, he may well feature under manager Michael Carrick during preseason.

While Carrick would no doubt be open to using Rashford in rotation next season, the wages are a sticking point – and United's hierarchy are unlikely to want to make such a high-profile U-turn.

The England man's lack of defensive work-rate may yet exclude him from becoming an elite club's leading left-winger, with Serie A an option.

Rashford is worth €40m, as per Transfermarkt. United begin their Premier League season against Hull City.

There are a few catchphrases from the world of football more ubiquitous than ‘Unbelievable Jeff!’

The exclamation – made famous on Soccer Saturday by footballer-turned-pundit Chris Kamara, a roving reporter for the show famed for his hilarious outbursts – is often heard on everything from playgrounds to factory floors.

But, as with so many catchphrases, Kamara wasn’t even aware it was one until it took on a life of its own. Indeed, one night he tuned into TV in December 2000, with Soccer Saturday still in its infancy, and discovered he’d even been saying it in the first place.

Unbelievable: "I honestly had no idea I’d been saying it"

“I switched on a Christmas TV bloopers show to be met by my own grinning face,” Kamara tells FourFourTwo on behalf of Medichecks, who offer private blood tests and at-home health checks. “It was a montage from Soccer Saturday and it was just of me, over and over, shouting, ‘Unbelievable Jeff!’ at different games. I honestly had no idea I’d been saying it, let alone so often. It hadn’t even occurred to me.”

Kammy’s enthusiastic outbursts were just one element of a weekly football show that had become cult. His catchphrase was one of the funniest parts of a show littered with well-intentioned banter. People loved it so much, he was even honoured in university drinking game.

“I remember one day, we got a letter to the studio from some students saying they’d been playing a Soccer Saturday drinking game,” Kammy smiles. “They'd all meet up in the student’s union and would have to drink every time something specific happened. They’d drink when Jeff went on one of his rants or when one of the other pundits got a footballer’s name wrong. Whenever I said ‘Unbelieveable Jeff!’ they’d have to all down their whole pints.”

Kamara has partnered with health testing provider Medichecks on a major campaign encouraging men to stop ignoring their symptoms and prioritize their health, following his own diagnosis with speech apraxia following a thyroid issue. Kamara feels his own condition, which affects the way his brain and mouth communicate and has led to slower, more slurred speech, may have been avoided had he been to get checked by a doctor sooner.

"Football fans can spend hours debating who's in the starting eleven, whether the manager got it right or who's coming in during the transfer window, but when it comes to their own health, a lot of blokes go completely quiet,” he says.

The initiative featured a "Well Man Arms" pop-up pub takeover at the Trent Navigation Inn, using football culture to tackle the alarming statistic that nearly half of men delay seeking medical advice.

Backed by Medichecks' research – which showed that while 92 per cent of men pester their mates to see a doctor, 47 per cent delay getting help themselves – Kamara spearheaded the campaign to challenge the "tough it out" mentality among men. The drive encouraged men to take proactive steps by utilising Medichecks to check for underlying health issues.

"What struck me from the research is that nearly every man would tell a mate to get checked out if something didn't seem right, but many won't take their own advice,” says Kamara. "We're brilliant at looking after our mates, but not always so good at looking after ourselves. I know from my own experience how easy it is to brush things off and think, 'I'll deal with it later', the problem is, later can sometimes be too late.

"If we can get even a few men to stop putting things off, book an appointment, get a health check or simply talk to someone about something that's worrying them, that's a win in my book."

On May 11, 1812, a disgruntled citizen strode into the lobby of the House of Commons. He’d been there before, largely pottering, and had returned after a morning of errands in London.

He waited until the arrival of the Prime Minister. When Spencer Perceval was led into the lobby, the citizen pulled his pistol from a customised inside coat pocket and shot him dead. Perceval remains the only British Prime Minister to have been assassinated.

The assassin was the bankrupt son of wealthy Cambridgeshire parents, by now a trader in Liverpool bearing a grudge against the government after he was imprisoned while working in Russia.

Is England’s World Cup star descended from Perceval’s assassin?

Perceval was killed by John Bellingham, whose grievance with the government played out within the walls of the Houses of Parliament with bloody consequences 214 years ago.

He was convicted and hanged within a week but his name is on the lips of social media users again in 2026 thanks to an extraordinary claim that England and Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham and his brother, Jobe, are descendants of the Prime Minister’s assassin.

But is it true?

The Bellinghams’ father, Mark Bellingham, paired his career in the police with an exceptional goalscoring record as a non-league footballer, initially in Essex but primarily around the West Midlands.

Mark is the son of William Bellingham. He was a military man and educator credited by Jude as the patriotic influence behind the 23-year-old’s proud love for his country.

“He was an Englishman through and through,” Jude said of his grandfather after scoring against Croatia at the World Cup in June. William passed away before his grandson’s senior England debut in November 2020.

In a profile in The Telegraph, Dominic King wrote: “William knew that travel broadens horizons. He taught in Singapore and spent six years working for Guinness in Nigeria, after that stint in the Forces. It is why he would impart wisdom and encourage pupils to reach for the stars.”

The video of William’s 1987 appearance on Mastermind was unearthed by social media users in July; for his specialist subject, he tackled 67 years’ worth of Nigerian history.

Clearly, William Bellingham was a man of the world, beloved by his family and his students alike. But is he actually related to John Bellingham?

That is the suggestion made by the reliably charming blue-ticker Daniel Hannan, whose existence had mercifully been forgotten for many years until he posted about the Bellingham lineage on X, where all the most lovable folk still hang out.

“I believe that this impressive chap was first cousin to the father of the Tory minister (and now peer) Henry Bellingham,” said Hannan, referring to William’s Mastermind clip.

“Which means that Jude, like Henry, is a direct descendant of John Bellingham.”

There’s no faulting that if it were true that Henry Bellingham’s father was William’s cousin, it would indeed mean that Jude – and Mark and Jobe – are descended from arguably Britain’s most famous assassin.

However, in the wake of Hannan’s punt, some genealogy enthusiasts have produced contradictory evidence. It is variously claimed that Henry Bellingham is in fact not related to John Bellingham, and that William Bellingham and Henry Bellingham’s father could not have been cousins.

It’s a funny old game, Saint.

Chelsea have already completed the British record transfer of Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa and confirmed the long-awaited signing of Geovany Quenda from Sporting CP, but their shopping for wide players and attacking midfielders might not be done just yet.

The Blues are also chasing Bosnia and Herzegovina youngster Karim Alajbegovic, who caught the eye at the World Cup after impressing in the Austrian league in the 2025-26.

Alajbegovic has emerged as one of the most in-demand young players in European football, with Chelsea understood to have seen off competition from several suitors in Italy’s Serie A to become the leading choice of destination for the 18-year-old.

Xabi Alonso ‘enthusiastic’ about Alajbegovic transfer

Winger Alajbegovic was called up for the World Cup squad with fewer than 10 senior caps to his name. The Cologne-born starlet soared through the age-group teams of Bosnia and Herzegovina, debuting for the under-15s just three years before his first team bow.

His lightning-quick trajectory now looks set to continue in club football too. He’s yet to play 30 senior league games but the Premier League is calling. According to The Telegraph, Chelsea’s pursuit is going to pay off.

“There are others interested in the player, including Juventus, but Chelsea now look the most likely to do the deal with Leverkusen,” reports Sam Wallace.

“[Xabi] Alonso was at Leverkusen when Alajbegovic came through the club’s development system although he is yet to make his professional debut for the team.”

Atalanta and Fiorentina have also been credited with an interest in the teenager, who spent five years at Leverkusen after playing the bulk of his junior football at Cologne.

He joined Red Bull Salzburg last summer without playing for Leverkusen’s first team but returned at the end of last season thanks to a very low buyback clause. The 18-year-old appears destined to move on again without playing a game.

“Alonso is understood to be enthusiastic about the move for Alajbegovic, with Alejandro Garnacho now on his way to Aston Villa,” adds Wallace.

Alajbegovic, who will turn 19 in September, came off the bench in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s draw with Canada at the start of the World Cup 2026 group stage and started all three subsequent matches.

The Leverkusen teenager showcased his technical ability by scoring his nation’s first goal in a 3-1 win over Qatar in Seattle, a result that took them through and set up a meeting with co-hosts the United States in the round of 32.

The World Cup was preceded by an excellent season in Austria, where Alajbegovic played 28 Bundesliga matches for Red Bull and scored nine league goals as his team finished one point short of the title.

Manchester United have struck an agreement for France international.

The Red Devils have kicked off their summer rebuild under new manager Michael Carrick with four new signings and a couple of failed pursuits, as the club prepares for a return to the Champions League.

While Elliot Anderson and Matheus Fernandes have ended up with rivals, Manchester United have brought in Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans, Karl Darlow and Tynan Thompson – and look to be making further in-roads to strengthen their midfield.

Manchester United strike agreement for Manu Kone, ahead of the likes of Arsenal

According to Thursday’s edition of Corriere dello Sport, via Sport Witness, United have reached an agreement in principle with Manu Kone over a move to the Premier League.

FourFourTwo understands that the Roma star is also on Arsenal's radar in the event that a move for Bruno Guimaraes doesn't come to fruition, while Kone is courting interest from the Saudi Pro League.

The Italian outlet cites a fee of €60m for Kone, with that figure likely to come down further and Sport Witness claiming that €45m plus bonuses may be enough to secure the Frenchman's signature.

The 25-year-old is currently on holiday, having been a consistent performer for France during the World Cup.

After Eduardo Camavinga was surprisingly omitted from Didier Deschamps' final tournament selection as Les Bleus boss, Kone was given the nod in midfield against Paraguay and Morocco in the knockout stage ahead of the likes of youngster Warren Zaire-Emery and veteran N'Golo Kante.

The central midfielder impressed, too, and has enjoyed a rise to prominence in the last year since moving to Serie A from Borussia Monchengladbach.

Having already signed two midfielders this summer in Santos and Tielemans, Carrick is said to be interested in a third, with a move for Atalanta's Ederson having broken down in the 11th hour.

The move away from a back three has placed more emphasis on Kobbie Mainoo's talents in the centre of the park, though Casemiro's exit from the club – combined with a return to European competition next term – means that Carrick would like extra depth across the side.

United are also said to be in the market for full-backs, while another forward to cover the likes of Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko may be signed, too.

Kone is worth €50m, according to Transfermarkt. Manchester United kick off the 2026/27 Premier League season away to Hull City.