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Need some help to choose? Here are some odds…

Premier League winners

Arsenal: 6/5
Manchester City: 7/2
Liverpool: 11/2
Chelsea: 8/1
Manchester United: 8/1
Tottenham: 25/1
Aston Villa: 40/1
Brighton: 150/1
Newcastle: 200/1
Bournemouth: 200/1
Brentford: 200/1
Everton: 250/1
Leeds: 500/1
Nottingham Forest: 500/1
Crystal Palace: 500/1
Fulham: 500/1
Sunderland: 750/1
Coventry: 2000/1
Ipswich: 2000/1
Hull: 3000/1

Premier League Golden Boot

Erling Haaland: 4/6
Alexander Isak: 8/1
Igor Thiago: 12/1
Joao Pedro: 14/1
Ollie Watkins: 25/1
Viktor Gyokeres: 20/1
Antoine Semenyo: 25/1
Cole Palmer: 33/1
Dominic Solanke: 33/1
Bryan Mbeumo: 33/1
Dominic Calvert-Lewin: 40/1

Player of the Season

Erling Haaland: 4/1
Bruno Fernandes: 11/2
Declan Rice: 8/1
Bukayo Saka: 12/1
Alexander Isak: 14/1
Rayan Cherki: 14/1
Antoine Semenyo: 16/1
Cole Palmer: 16/1
Elliot Anderson: 16/1
Martin Odegaard: 16/1
Bruno Guimaraes: 16/1
Phil Foden: 20/1
Florian Wirtz: 20/1
Dominik Szoboszlai: 25/1
Gabriel: 25/1
Virgil van Dijk: 25/1
Morgan Rogers: 33/1
Sandro Tonali: 40/1

^{Odds courtesy of Bet365}

Surviving in the Premier League as a newly promoted club is never easy, but Hull City have decided to approach the challenge like a game of Monopoly - because they don't have any other choice.

The Tigers have dumped their wallet onto the board, rolling the dice on a number of summer arrivals.

It is an ambitious, high-risk strategy that will either prove to be a masterstroke of recruitment or send them straight back from whence they came, without passing go.

Hull City are playing Premier League Monopoly

To understand why Hull’s hierarchy felt compelled to completely overhaul the dressing room, you have to look back at how they got here.

Statistically speaking, Hull were one of the poorest sides to ever secure promotion from the Championship. Their underlying metrics painted the picture of a team dramatically over-performing their Expected Goals (xG) and points tallies, relying on special individual moments to drag themselves over the line.

Standing still with that exact core in the top flight would have left Sergej Jakirovic woefully ill-equipped. The squad desperately needed surgery, and so the club have opted for a partial reboot.

The profile of incoming talent tells its own story. Hull have raided the market for players of a calibre that could be considered top-end of the Championship like Joe Gelhardt, Luke Herrington, Jack Butland, and Matt Targett.

They've sprinkled Jakirovic's squad with wildcards like Konstantinos Tzolakis and Nobel Mendy - unknown quantities in English football but could come to be considered lower-end Premier League players.

Through no fault of their own, Hull City are betting heavily that second-tier stars can make the step up, while lower-end top-flight names can hit the ground running, simultaneously.

There is a simple reality at play here: if any of these players were the finished article, clubs much higher up the footballing food chain would have snapped them up.

They are only available for a club in Hull's position because the more accomplished sides have question marks about their ceiling, consistency, or physical durability.

No signing encapsulates this approach better than Lucas Gourna-Douath. Once heralded as one of European football’s premier young midfield prodigies, the Frenchman’s career trajectory has stalled in recent seasons.

Taking a gamble on him as a newly-promoted side is the ultimate draw from the 'Chance' deck.

If Gourna-Douath unlocks his potential at the MKM Stadium, Hull might have landed on Mayfair for a bargain price. But if those early career scouting reports were overhyped and he simply isn't cut out for the Premier League, it becomes an expensive flop that leaves their midfield exposed.

What cannot be disputed is the spirit within the camp. Battling through adversity to snatch promotion proved that the squad possesses remarkable togetherness and complete buy-in for their manager.

But in the brutal environment of the top flight, grit and team harmony only act as a temporary 'Get Out of Jail Free' card. Eventually, it's quality, tactics and squad depth that decide your fate.

For Hull City, success this season is straightforward: survival. Achieving that would represent an extraordinary accomplishment given the sheer scale of the squad's transition.

On the flip side, the nightmare scenario is irredeemable. If these gambles crash and burn simultaneously, Hull could potentially threaten Derby County’s infamous 11-point record as the poorest side in Premier League history. Mauled by the Tigers? Mauled by the rest of the league, more like.

Arsenal star Viktor Gyokeres is pushing to leave – just a year after signing for the Gunners.

That's according to an explosive new report from Spain, which claims that the Swedish hitman is in “daily” conversations to leave Arsenal for Barcelona, who are interested in his services.

Gyokeres netted 21 goals in 56 appearances in all competitions last term as Arsenal won the Premier League and reached the Champions League final – though he didn't win over everyone.

Viktor Gyokeres apparently pushing for Arsenal exit

According to Spain outlet Cope, the striker “wants to leave” N5, with his agent in conversation with Barça sporting director Deco – who isn't interested in the player just yet.

Though Gyokeres spearheaded a first Premier League title for Arsenal in 22 years, manager Mikel Arteta often preferred Kai Havertz in attack in the biggest games, thanks to the German's superior hold-up play.

Gyokeres himself has been criticised for his all-round game: though he has scored plenty back in English football, his record against last season's top 10 was patchy, leading to Arteta pivoting to pursue Julian Alvarez as a potential replacement.

Right now, however, the suggestion that the 28-year-old isn't happy simply doesn't tally with what he's said of late – with Fotbollskanalen relaying comments earlier this summer.

“Of course it’s flattering to see that clubs are interested, but I feel extremely comfortable at Arsenal,” Gyokeres said, adding, “After the season we have had, I only have positive feelings.”

FourFourTwo understands that Gyokeres is further down the pecking order than others when it comes to potential outgoings before the end of the transfer window, with fellow forward Gabriel Jesus also said to be of interest to Barcelona.

Gyokeres has relished the competition with Havertz in Arsenal's squad up until this point – with the German spending swathes of the Gunners' title-winning campaign on the sidelines through injury.

The Athletic reported last year that Gyokeres' agent had waived his fee for the transfer to help facilitate an exit from Sporting, where the striker hit 97 times in 102 appearances in Portuguese football.

It remains highly unlikely that he is pushing for an exit just yet – despite struggles at times last term.

Gyokeres is worth €65m, according to Transfermarkt. Arsenal face Coventry City when Premier League action returns.

A Tottenham Hotspur midfielder has agreed an exit, with his departure now at an advanced stage.

That's according to a new report, which claims that the Lilywhites are starting to accelerate outgoings, having committed well over £160 million on bringing Matheus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali into the engine room.

With Tottenham also said to be interested in signing both Omar Marmoush and Savinho, they may have to trim the deadwood a little more to avoid heading into the season with a bloated squad.

Pape Matar Sarr on the cusp of Tottenham Hotspur exit

According to a report from Africa Foot, Galatasaray are closing in on signing Pape Matar Sarr.

Sarr has reached an agreement for a three-year contract, having been offered what is described as a “lucrative contract”.

The 23-year-old played 26 games in the Premier League for Tottenham last term, but only played just over an hour of football under De Zerbi.

The Senegalese international joined as a highly-rated young prospect from Metz in 2022 and has impressed sporadically – but with De Zerbi favouring a double-pivot, Sarr may not be one of the first few options in the pecking order.

Fernandes and Tonali will likely be Spurs' most-favoured pairing this term, with Conor Gallagher, Archie Gray and Rodrigo Bentancur all options in the centre of midfield.

Lucas Bergvall – another young player from before De Zerbi's era – is also an option, though FourFourTwo understands he could well leave, too.

Mohammed Kudus, James Maddison, Xavi Simons and Dejan Kulusevski are all options in the no.10.

Turkish outlet Takvim noted earlier on this year that Fenerbahce were in for Sarr, though they appear to have dropped out of the race completely now.

Africa Foot states that talks are progressing well between the North Londoners and Galatasaray over Sarr, with the move now expected to happen.

The midfielder is worth €14m, according to Transfermarkt. Tottenham kick off their Premier League season against Brentford this weekend.

The Premier League is back for 2026/27 and the new season could scarcely be dripping in more narrative. Arsenal defend their title, Man City deal without Pep Guardiola, Andoni Iraola begins life at Liverpool, Coventry return after 25 years away and Tottenham try not to finish 17th. FourFourTwo is here with all the broadcast information you need to watch every game live.

The Premier League's 35th season could be its most intriguing since Sky Sports invented football in 1992. No Arsenal side since the great Herbert Chapman vintage of the 1930s have won back-to-back top-flight English titles, but the recruitment of Bruno Guimaraes and Christos Tzolis – with more to come – give Mikel Arteta's side a strong look. They kick the whole thing off against Frank Lampard's Coventry on Friday night as the Sky Blues return after a quarter-century away.

For the first time in a decade, Man City begin a new season without Guardiola in the dugout. Tonsorially similar Enzo Maresca brings his interpretation of Pep-ball to the Etihad, with Elliot Anderson the key arrival as Rodri seems set to join Bernardo Silva in heading for the exit. They start against Bournemouth on Sunday.

The Cherries' former boss Iraola will take charge of his first competitive Liverpool game on Sunday, as the Reds take on a stripped-back Newcastle side after the sales of Guimaraes, Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali. Anfield wants a return to heavy-metal football but pre-season results have been mixed.

Matchweek 1 comes to a close on Monday night with a west London derby at Craven Cottage. Chelsea have spent big on Morgan Rogers to link up with best-bud Cole Palmer as the Xabi Alonso revolution takes hold. Fellow former Real Madrid boss Alvaro Arbeloa takes charge of his first Fulham game in that one.

In this guide, FourFourTwo break down all the Premier League viewing options globally, with all 380 games available in many countries. We'll have in-depth details on UK, USA, and Australia broadcaster, along with a full list of outlets internationally.

• Read More: Three brand-new wonderkids FourFourTwo can't wait to see in the Premier League this season

Premier League — Matchweek 1 Fixtures

This week's Premier League fixtures:

Can you watch the Premier League for free?

Unfortunately, free Premier League 2026/27 streams are scarce but there are a couple of options.

The Premier League will have select games available free-to-air in Brazil via CazéTV's YouTube channel.

Those in the US can stream USA Network and NBC on YouTube TV, Hulu Live TV and DirecTV.

Abroad for Matchweek 1 of the Premier League 2026/27? You need a VPN to unlock your stream — find out more below.

How to watch the Premier League from abroad

Chances are you'll find yourself overseas when some Premier League 2026/27 games are taking place, but does that mean you have to miss the action? No, it doesn't... a VPN will ensure you get your coverage from anywhere.

Premier League live streams are geo-restricted on all streaming services, but a VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a neat way around this, unpicking the geo-locks by altering your device's digital location. It's great for accessing your usual streaming services while on the move, and it does wonders for your internet security, too.

NordVPN is the best, so say our good friends across the office at TechRadar.

How to watch the Premier League in the UK

In the UK, Premier League TV rights for the 2026/2027 season are shared between two broadcasters: Sky Sports, and TNT Sports. It's the second year of the EPL's latest £6.7bn deal that lasts until 2029. At least 267 of the 380 fixtures to be shown live.

► Sky Sports has broadcast English top flight matches since the Premier League’s inception in 1992, and it continues to air more live action than anyone else. The service will show at least 215 games in 2026/2027 across Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports+.

► TNT Sports and its streaming platform HBO Max have rights to 52 live Premier League matches in 2026/27, usually Saturday lunchtime kick-offs and a couple of midweek matchdays.

Why aren't all Premier League games live on TV in the UK?

Yep, the Saturday 3pm 'blackout' remains in place, which means that no games that kick off at that time can be broadcast live. This is enshrined in law and is designed to protect match-day attendances further down the football pyramid.

Like last season, though, any Premier League game not taking place at 3pm on a Saturday shown live on TV. Good news for fans of clubs on the Thursday-Sunday timetable of the Europa League/Conference League grind.

More: Sign up to our ... And It's Live! weekly newsletter for the skinny on football streams

How to watch the Premier League in the US

NBC Universal holds the Premier League broadcast rights in the US, splitting the coverage across various channels and platforms: NBC, USA Network, and Peacock.

► NBC is the flagship cable TV channel, which hosts only the marquee fixtures.

► Peacock is NBC's streaming platform which not only hosts a live stream of the NBC games but also exclusively shows a number of other games each week – roughly half of Premier League games.

► USA Network is another cable TV channel that houses roughly the other half of the fixtures. As we've mentioned above, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV and DirecTV all carry the channel and have free-trial options, while Sling Blue has USA Network and NBC but not Peacock.

How to watch the Premier League in Australia

Aussie soccer fans have it easy, and pretty cheap. Every single Premier League game is available to stream live on Stan Sport. Yep, all 380 of them.

Better still, it's even cheaper to watch the EPL 2026/27 Down Under because Stan have introduced a new Basic tier at AU$9.99. You'll also need the AU$20 Sport add-on, but you get every Premier League game, plus the Champions League, FA Cup, and more, all for AU$29.99 a month.

Other Premier League live streams around the world

The Premier League is the world's biggest, brashest, most popular league, so it's no surprise you can watch live streams in pretty much any country you like. Here are a few providers in select locations:

Europe

• Albania - Digitalb
• Andorra - CANAL+/DAZN
• Armenia - Saran Media
• Austria - Sky Deutschland
• Belarus - Saran Media
• Belgium - Telenet
• Croatia - Telekom Srbija
• Cyprus - Cytavision
• Czech Republic - CANAL+
• Denmark - Viaplay
• Estonia - TV3
• Finland -  Viaplay
• France - CANAL+
• Georgia - Saran Media
• Germany - Sky Deutschland
• Greece - IMG (sublicensed to Forthnet)
• Hungary - TV2
• Iceland - Syn
• Israel - Charlton
• Republic of Ireland (Eire) - Sky Sports, TNT Sports, Premier Sports
• Italy - Sky Italia
• Kosovo - Telekom Srbija
• Latvia - TV3
• Lithuania - TV3
• Luxembourg - CANAL+
• Malta - TSN
• Moldova - Saran Media
• Montenegro - Telekom Srbija
• Netherlands - Viaplay
• North Macedonia - Telekom Srbija
• Norway - Viaplay
• Poland - CANAL+
• Romania - Saran Media
• Portugal - Eleven
• Serbia - Telekom Srbija
• Slovakia - CANAL+
• Slovenia - Telekom Srbija
• Spain - DAZN
• Sweden - Viaplay
• Switzerland - CANAL+ (French-language), Sky Deutschland (German), Sky Italia
• (Italian)
• Turkey - beIN Sports
• United Kingdom - Sky Sports, TNT Sports
• Ukraine - Setanta

Asia-Pacific

• Afghanistan - Saran Media
• Australia - Stan Sport
• Azerbaijan - Saran Media
• Bangladesh - JioStar
• Bhutan - JioStar
• Cambodia - Jasmine International
• China - Migu
• Chinese Taipei - ELTA
• Hong Kong - PCCW
• India - JioStar
• Indonesia - EMTEK
• Japan - U-Next
• Kazakhstan - Saran Media
• Kyrgyzstan - Saran Media
• Laos - Jasmine International
• Malaysia - Astro
• Mongolia - Unitel
• Myanmar - CANAL+
• Nepal - JioStar
• New Zealand - Sky NZ
• Pacific Islands - Digicel
• Pakistan - JioStar
• Singapore - StarHub
• South Korea - Coupang
• Sri Lanka - JioStar
• Tajikistan - Saran Media
• Thailand - Jasmine International
• Turkmenistan - Saran Media
• Uzbekistan - Saran Media
• Vietnam - K+

Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Africa

• Middle East and North Africa - beIN Sports

Americas

• Brazil - ESPN
• Canada - Fubo
• Caribbean - ESPN
• Costa Rica - Fox Broadcasting Corporation, TNT Sports Mexico 
• El Salvador - Fox Broadcasting Corporation, TNT Sports Mexico
• Guatemala - Fox Broadcasting Corporation, TNT Sports Mexico
• Honduras - Fox Broadcasting Corporation, TNT Sports Mexico
• Mexico - Fox Broadcasting Corporation, TNT Sports Mexico 
• Nicaragua - Fox Broadcasting Corporation, TNT Sports Mexico 
• Panama - Fox Broadcasting Corporation, TNT Sports Mexico
• South America - ESPN
• United States - NBC Sports

We recommend VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service).2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad.We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Liverpool’s decision to sanction Curtis Jones’ imminent £30 million transfer to Inter Milan is understandable from a purely financial standpoint.

The midfielder has already entered the final 12 months of his Anfield contract, meaning this summer represents the club’s last opportunity to recoup a significant fee rather than risk losing a homegrown asset for nothing next year.

Cashing in on an academy graduate delivers a neat £30m boost to the balance sheet. But, from a sporting perspective, taking a red pen to the squad's engine room midway through August is...certainly a decision.

Curtis Jones could hold the key to Liverpool's success or failure in 2026/27

Unless an immediate, top-tier replacement is lined up and has been kept under wraps from the press, it raises a glaring question: what on earth are Liverpool doing?

The expected sale leaves Liverpool’s central midfield looking rather thin, relying almost entirely on a core trio: Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, and Dominik Szoboszlai.

While those three have top level Premier League quality, the depth behind them is less so.

Wataru Endo remains in the squad, but the Japanese international is fundamentally a functional, defensive backup rather than someone equipped to start three matches a week.

Nineteen-year-old Trey Nyoni has featured throughout pre-season, but it's a big ask to expect him to replace one of the more senior players in that position.

Going into a campaign with essentially three senior central midfielders for two starting spots is...certainly a decision.

This level of depth, or lack thereof, is especially baffling when considering Andoni Iraola’s demanding, high-pressing style of play.

Iraola’s setup requires energy, relentless off-the-ball counter-pressing, and continuous box-to-box engine work in central areas.

Expecting Mac Allister, Gravenberch, and Szoboszlai to sustain that level of intense physical exertion across four competitions is, in FourFourTwo's opinion, asking for trouble.

In the modern game, muscle fatigue and soft-tissue injuries are an inevitability over a 50-plus match season.

Making matters worse is Liverpool’s habit of drafting central midfielders into emergency roles elsewhere on the pitch. In recent seasons, defensive shortages have repeatedly forced central players, most notably Szoboszlai, to plug holes at right-back.

If a full-back injury forces Iraola to slide Szoboszlai out wide again, Liverpool’s central midfield options are diminished overnight.

Granted, almost a fortnight remains before the transfer window shuts, but the transfer rumour mill offers precious little comfort.

Liverpool’s current recruitment drive is firmly focused on bringing in a wide attacker, according to reports, rather than bolstering the middle of the park. While speculative links to Adam Wharton persist, any late approach will be strongly rebuffed by Crystal Palace, who have no intention of parting with their prized asset so late in August.

Even if a deal were possible, Wharton himself may hold out for a rumoured move to Manchester City in 12 months' time. By choosing to bank £30m for Jones on the brink of contract expiry, Liverpool may have solved an accounting issue, only to leave themselves one injury away from a full-blown crisis.

In isolation, banking £30m for Jones who is on the brink of contract expiry is a good bit of business. But in current circumstances, it can only be deemed good business if Liverpool have someone else lined up in that position, who will meet Iraola's needs and elevate the profile of the squad. Even then, it mightn't be enough and Liverpool could find themselves running on fumes by March, coasting to the finish.

Newcastle United are ready to make another major sale, as the Toon exodus continues.

Despite making some exciting young signings, the Magpies have endured a tough summer on the whole, losing Sandro Tonali, Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes, as well as manager Eddie Howe.

It appears as if the departures haven't stopped either, with Nick Pope leaving before another Newcastle midfielder.

Newcastle United to sell another first-team midfielder

SporDepor reporter Musafa Karatas has claimed in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that Besiktas have made a move for Joe Willock.

The Istanbul outfit have made a €7 million offer for the midfielder with €5m of add-ons, some €8m less than the Toon are demanding.

Willock has been on the radar of Besiktas since July, according to journalist Yagiz Sabuncuoglu, but Newcastle have only reduced their demands by a couple of million pounds.

The former Arsenal man originally moved to Tyneside on loan in 2020 and struck eight Premier League goals in 14 appearances in the second half of the season, helping propel the Magpies away from the drop zone.

Appearances haven't been a problem for the Englishman, who has played 80 games in all competitions over the past two years – but with Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton and Sandro Tonali ahead of him in the pecking order, Willock hasn't kicked on and developed into a more influential player at St. James' Park.

Now 26, he may have expected to feature more this season with two of Newcastle's first-choice midfield of last term having left, though given that the club have brought in replacements in Sean Steur and Aladji Bamba, Willock may still be competing for a place.

Newcastle will also likely favour Lewis Miley in midfield, too, as one for the future worth developing.

Newcastle have also brought in the likes of Amar Dedic and Bazoumana Toure this summer, while giving Will Osula the no.10 shirt and making Dan Burn club captain.

Willock is worth €14m, according to Transfermarkt. Newcastle kick off their Premier League season against Liverpool this weekend.

Arsenal are looking to bring in a €100 million superstar, but may have to wait until next summer to do so.

The Gunners kick off their Premier League campaign this Friday night, having only added Bruno Guimaraes and Christos in terms of first-team regulars likely to feature in that fixture, with Ezri Konsa now on the way.

But while Arsenal are still on the hunt for a difference-maker in attack, they now seem unlikelier than ever to bring one in before the deadline.

Arsenal looking to next summer for Kenan Yildiz

Sport Witness have relayed TuttoSport's back page today, which states that the Gunners are still looking to bring in Kenan Yildiz.

The Juventus man is a long-time target for the Gunners, who have also pursued the likes of Vinicius Jr and Morgan Rogers for their left-wing spot.

With the Old Lady handing Yildiz a new contract earlier this year, it's always been a long shot that the Gunners could convince the Turkish international to join this summer.

This new report states, meanwhile, that he could well become a €100m option for next summer, with manager Mikel Arteta wanting to make the right signing rather than simply panic-buying before the window ends.

FourFourTwo understands that Arsenal only want to improve the squad if they can sign a player that they deem to be a genuine upgrade on Gabriel Martinelli – who remains for sale.

“With not long to go for the window to close, it would be difficult for Juventus to sell Yildiz,” Sport Witness says, adding, “They don’t have long to find a replacement, which will make things complex for Arsenal.”

Additionally, Arsenal are looking to get Gabriel Jesus on the wage bill, with Barcelona and Napoli reportedly sniffing around for the Brazilian's signature.

Barcelona apparently want Jesus as an alternative to Julian Alvarez, who the Catalan outfit still want to bring to Camp Nou.

With the Alvarez saga likely to drag on until the end of the window, however, Jesus may stick around until then, too.

Yildiz is worth €75m, according to Transfermarkt. Arsenal kick off their Premier League season against Coventry City.

It's May 2025 and Ajax fans are reeling.

In one of the biggest collapses in Eredivisie history, their side has just thrown away a nine-point lead in just six matches, handing the title into the incredulous arms of PSV Eindhoven.

Scapegoats to apportion blame are instantly sought. And very quickly, one conspicuous difference between the sides during the season rears its head - scoring goals.

Across 34 games in the campaign, PSV found the net a substantial 36 more times than their main title rival. And a significant reason for that was the struggles of Ajax's forwards, in particular one Brian Brobbey.

The Dutchman had ended up with just four league goals - fewer than the top scorers at two of the relegated sides, Almere City and RKC Waalwijk. This stretched to merely 7 in 44 appearances in all competitions.

The fact that this pitiful return came just one year after the best goalscoring season of his career perfectly encapsulated Brobbey’s time in Amsterdam, which repetitively veered from exciting potential to frustrating inconsistency. In a mixed time with his boyhood club, Brobbey often sparked without truly setting alight.

It meant that, when Brobbey was, as expected, sold that summer, the overriding feeling was that it was right for both club and player. If there was any major emotion, it was surprise that he had secured a Premier League move, with newly promoted Sunderland coughing up a reported £21.6 million fee.

Fast-forward a year and the Life of Brian looks totally different.

Few could have predicted that just over a year after that tepid end to his Ajax career, Brobbey would not only be starting for the Netherlands at the 2026 World Cup but wreaking havoc upon opposition defences. For a long period, fans of the Oranje viewed Brobbey at best as a muscular impact sub and a squad player. Now, after scoring three goals in three starts at a tournament where he also linked the play brilliantly and showed his pace and power in abundance, he is the undoubted first-choice no.9 for the foreseeable future.

It has proven to be one of the more remarkable redemption arcs of the past year. And it all started with the foresight of those at the Stadium of Light.

The Brobbey Paradox

Those who watched Brobbey a lot in the Eredivisie would have perhaps considered that if the Black Cats were after that vital ingredient to ensure Premier League survival - a goalscoring striker - then Brobbey was better off being left on the shelf for someone else.

The academy graduate had previously returned to Ajax after a difficult half-season with RB Leipzig, initially on loan and then permanently in 2022. Even factoring in the leniency given to players with time on their side, there was a clear Brobbey paradox over the course of the next three and a half seasons.

One game he would look like a young player with all the attributes to become one of the world’s best old-school centre forwards. The next like one of those bigger kids who’d get picked for the school football team, but then give the distinct impression that they had never properly seen a football in their life.

As fans of Sunderland will now attest, Brobbey is able to combine fantastic strength and hold-up play with speed and a predatory instinct to get himself into the right positions in the box. The problem was, too often at Ajax he would do everything right but then fail to supply the necessary finish. It was as if a scientist had constructed the perfect young centre forward but then got distracted when applying the final and most important touches.

Blossoming in the North East

It turns out there was a real striker in there. He just needed the North East, not North Holland, to blossom.

With his physical attributes, there was no doubt Brobbey was going to be able to cope with the rough and tumble of Premier League football. Nevertheless, it has been a surprise - including to those across the North Sea - at how quickly he settled into life on Wearside.

A total of seven Premier League goals and one assist aren’t exactly big numbers on their own to get excited about, yet it was the nature of these contributions and the wider improvements in his game that have been so impressive.

After a slow start where he was initially brought in off the bench, two moments kick-started his career in England - one showed the player he has been, the other the player he is quickly becoming. In an away win at Chelsea, it was Brobbey’s superb strength, hold-up play and lay-off that enabled the cavalry to arrive in the form of Chemsdine Talbi to score a late winner. It was textbook Brobbey. Then, two weeks later we saw a far rarer side to his game with an acrobatic 94th-minute finish to earn a point against Arsenal. It was the sort of instinctive play that was often missing at Ajax.

At present, Brobbey looks like a man increasingly able to deliver at crucial moments. Last season included late equalisers against Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, the equaliser that sparked an away win against Everton, plus winning goals against Crystal Palace, Bournemouth and of course in the Tyne-Wear derby at St James’ Park. Throw in the aforementioned assist against Chelsea, and Brobbey directly played a part in securing 11 points for his team. Without them, Sunderland wouldn’t have been qualifying for Europe but ending just four points outside the relegation zone, nestled in between Tottenham and Nottingham Forest.

The capacity Brobbey has for drawing in defenders and being a physical nuisance is also invaluable for Sunderland when looking to get up the pitch, freeing up space for others. His quick turn of pace to break into the box - often after laying the ball off and spinning in behind - is frightening when he gets it right. The best example of this was his opening goal against Sweden at the World Cup, when he looked more like a 100 metre sprinter than a footballer.

On his day, watching Brobbey can feel like being taken back in time to an era of old school strikers getting their hands dirty, backing into defenders and revelling in the physicality of it all. A player happy to run the channels and to simply get in the box to cause some mayhem. He looks like he was made to play in the noughties, running out to ITV Football’s ‘Beautiful Day’ theme tune.

The really exciting thing about Brobbey is that theoretically there is still so much more to come from a player who is only 24 years of age. The challenge for the Amsterdammer is to now take his output to another level, and prove that he can get over the fallow periods that have previously knocked his confidence. Some strikers give an aura that they know they were made to score goals. Sometimes you feel Brobbey needs a calm tap on the shoulder to remind him of his potential.

According to XG Stat, compared to other Premier League strikers, he was in the top 16% for goal conversion last season but in the bottom 25% for non-penalty expected goals, demonstrating that if he can refine his decision-making in the attacking third, his ceiling for goal numbers is high. And for a player who does his damage within the penalty area, being in the bottom 22% for touches in the box per 90 minutes clearly needs improvement. Furthermore, as outlined by FotMob, a player who is one of the best in the whole division for aerial duels should definitely be having more than just six headed efforts on goal across a whole season.

An enigma no more

For much of his short career, Brobbey has been a bit of a footballing enigma. Could he actually be a good striker or not?

The question marks over his capacity to play in the Premier League were also understandable. Especially when, as has been proven in recent years, Dutch strikers in England - a bit like their country’s local Bitterballen cuisine - have been hit-and-miss. For every Ruud van Nistelrooy, there’s been a Memphis Depay.

There is room for improvement, but the doubters have been proven wrong. And the humble pie for those who doubted him, is still being eaten.

The different pieces needed for Brobbey to become a high-level centre forward were always there. Perhaps all it needed was the right environment to place them correctly together.

Looking for football fixtures across the 2026/27 calendar? Look no further!

Perhaps you're simply looking for how to watch the Premier League – or maybe you'd like a full guide on the top four divisions of English football, each cup competition, Europe's top five leagues, women's competitions, or even Major League Soccer, the J.League or the Super Lig.

Well, we can help you plan your schedule with a fully interactive calendar that includes every match from the biggest competitions – and even a search bar to find the complete schedule for your team. Let's begin, shall we?

FourFourTwo's football calendar

The 2026/27 calendar for football fixtures

View this calendar full-screen in a new tab

How to watch

There's more football than ever before: from leagues to cups, from Blighty to abroad, you just can't move for all the action – with TV guides these days resembling that famous Mitchell and Webb sketch.

With literally every second of the football presumably mattering to someone somewhere, the 2026/27 season promises to be a big one across Europe in both the men's and women's game – and FourFourTwo are your friends when it comes to all the info on where to watch all the action. Our exhaustive guide delves into the TV details for every competition that you'll find in our calendar, so there's really absolutely no excuse for ever missing another second ever again (unless, of course, it's just too much).

Wherever you're watching on Planet Earth, we've got the details you need, plus our calendar has different time zones built in for you to peruse – so you're no longer having to add or subtract hours to your team's kick-off time. And if you're a frequent flyer (or sailor, or even enjoy the EuroStar from time to time), then fear not either: we can help you catch up with all the action with a VPN. All the details below.

Remember, the best place to be first when it comes to the football schedule is our exclusive …And It's LIVE! newsletter. We kindly drop a full list of every kick-off that you'll want to invest in ahead of the weekend – plus all the quizzes, injury news, features and previews that you know and love from FourFourTwo.

The full list of football broadcasters

How to watch the Premier League

► Premier League TV guide

From 2025 until 2029, the Premier League will be split between just the two broadcasters, with a sharp increase in the number of games shown on television.

Sky Sports have the rights to 215 live games, with TNT Sports and HBO Max getting 52 games. The BBC's Match of the Day retains the rights to the highlights.

► These are the cheapest ways to watch the Premier League this season

How to watch the English Football League

Until 2029, Sky Sports will be the sole broadcaster of the English Football League – the Championship, League One and League Two – showing over 1,000 matches from the three divisions a season, including the play-offs.

ITV has the rights for the highlights.

How to watch the Scottish Premiership

The Scottish Premiership is available to watch across two broadcasters until the current television deal ends in 2029.

There are 60 live Premiership matches available to watch on Sky Sports, with 20 pre-split matches (and six post-split) per season on Premier Sports. Premier Sports also get coverage of the Scottish Cup.

Select Scottish Cup games are on the BBC, too.

How to watch the Women's Super League

In October 2024, it was announced that Sky Sports and the BBC would share the coverage of the Women's Super League, in the first long-term agreement of its kind for women's football in England.

Sky have the lion's share, with 163 live matches broadcast, with the BBC taking 19.

How to watch the FA Cup

The FA Cup is continuing on non-terrestrial television and will be shown via TNT Sports and HBO Max.

While ITV no longer hold any rights, however, the BBC have entered into a new agreement as the free-to-air broadcaster of the competition, showing 14 games – which includes two live matches from each round through to the quarter-finals, one semi-final and the final.

The FA Cup Final is one of 10 events reserved for live broadcast on UK terrestrial television under the Ofcom Code on Sports and Other Listed and Designated Events.

How to watch the League Cup

The League Cup is available to watch across Sky Sports' platforms: a select few games are available to watch on the Sky Sports Football channel, with the rest streamable on Sky Sports+.

A select few games are available to watch free-to-air on ITV, following the broadcaster showing the final last year in conjunction with Sky.

How to watch the Women's FA Cup and League Cup

The Women's FA Cup will be broadcast across TNT Sports and Channel 4 with 25 matches shown live across the season.

Sky and BBC are broadcasters of the Women's League Cup although we have no confirmation on how many games will be shown.

How to watch the Champions League

In the UK, the Champions League is largely broadcast on TNT Sports, which is available on television and via the HBO Max app, with one game every Tuesday available to watch on Amazon Prime.

The highlights show for the competition is shown on BBC One.

Watch the Champions League for FREE in Ireland

Every Champions League game live in the US and Australia

How to watch the Europa League and Conference League

TNT Sports have the rights to both the Europa League and the Conference League, with all games from both competitions available to watch on television and via the HBO Max app.

How to watch the Nations League

The Nations League broadcaster depends on which home nation you're looking to watch.

After Channel 4's tenure of covering the England men's national team, the Nations League returns to ITV Sport for the Three Lions this season. The BBC will broadcast games for Northern Ireland and Scotland, while S4C will show Wales.

How to watch the Lionesses

England women's national team matches are live and exclusive to ITV Sport, just as the men's are.

How to watch Ligue 1

The French top-tier is available via a bespoke Ligue 1 pass, available to those in the United Kingdom, with added content such as highlights packages and episodes dedicated to iconic former players, season reviews and the best of Ligue 2.

DAZN shows the Coupe de France.

How to watch the Bundesliga

In the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, the Bundesliga is broadcast on Sky Sports, with the BBC getting the rights to Friday night games.

The premium fixture of each weekend is shown live every Saturday at 5.30pm on Sky Sports Football, as an alternative to the teatime kick-off in the Premier League.

Premier Sports shows the Pokal.

How to watch Serie A

For the 2026/27 season, you can watch Serie A on DAZN with select games on TNT Sports via HBO Max. Premier Sports is your place for the Coppa.

How to watch La Liga

The La Liga television rights in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland are held by Premier Sports, who broadcast the competition on their LaLigaTV platform, with over 340+ matches available online and on television.

In addition to this, one match per week from the 2026/27 season will be shown on Disney+. The platform will show a Saturday night fixture.

In the US, ESPN is the home of La Liga.

How to watch the Primeira Liga, Eredivisie, Belgian Pro League and the Super Lig

The Primeira Liga, Eredivisie, Belgian Pro League and Super Lig are all broadcaster on Triller TV.

How to watch the MLS

All Major League Soccer matches are available to watch on Apple TV+ around the world.

How to watch the J-League

The J-League is available to watch on YouTube, with four matches broadcasted per week.

How to watch the A-League

Australia's men's A-League coverage is available to watch in the United Kingdom on TNT Sports and HBO Max.

How to watch the NWSL

Selected NWSL matches are available to watch on TNT Sports and HBO Max in the United Kingdom, with all other fixtures on NSWL+.

We recommend VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Researchers found over 5,500 overtly racist messages directed at members of the Three Lions squad from a sample of 300,000 posts on X during the 2026 World Cup.

The findings show that while racial slurs made up one-to-two per cent of sampled tournament posts, abusive content doubled to between four-and-five per cent on match days.

The volume of racist posts then escalated significantly following England’s semi-final loss to Argentina.

Online racial abuse of England players at World Cup peaked after semi-final defeat

Online hostility was concentrated on specific players and driven by high-profile viral accounts. Jude Bellingham received the highest overall volume of racist posts, while Kobbie Mainoo - who did not play a single minute - and Bukayo Saka experienced the highest proportion of racial abuse relative to total mentions.

Defender Djed Spence was also subjected to anti-Muslim abuse.

Campaigners argue that standard remedies, such as blocking individual accounts or restricting platform access for under-16s, fails to address the core problem: algorithms engineered to maximise platform traffic and advertising revenue prioritise controversy and outrage.

"Our research shows that hate targeting footballers follows a clear and predictable pattern," said Patrik Hermansson, senior researcher at HOPE not hate. "It focuses on specific players and is, to a significant degree, driven by a small number of high-profile actors who benefit from the anger and attention they generate.

"This is not new or unexpected, and platforms should no longer be able to treat it as such."

Taylor Gese from the Future of Tech Institute has accused regulators of failing to enforce existing powers, noting that social media firms do not deploy available safety features because 'outrage drives engagement, and hate sells.'

Ahead of the new domestic season, advocacy groups are urging media regulator Ofcom and the UK government to classify major fixtures as high-risk events and to ensure tech platforms no longer amplify outrage, viral hate and mass harassment.

Newcastle United are preparing to say goodbye to long-serving goalkeeper Nick Pope, with the 34-year-old’s exit from St. James' Park entering its final stages ahead of the transfer deadline.

Pope’s standing in the squad has shifted following the arrival of head coach Matthias Jaissle.

The German head coach has overseen an overhaul of Newcastle's goalkeeping options this summer, signing both Lukas Hornicek and Ewen Jaouen. The pair are expected to serve as Newcastle’s first and second-choice shot-stoppers, respectively, for the upcoming campaign, leaving Pope firmly out of Jaissle's plans.

Nick Pope Newcastle exit imminent

Jaissle recently addressed Pope's situation following a pre-season match, confirming that open discussions have taken place regarding the player's future: "I had a talk with Nick. I really appreciate what he has done in his career.

"He knows exactly the situation right now and we need to deal with it in the best possible way."

According to various reports, Scottish Premiership champions Celtic have emerged as the leading contenders to sign Pope as they seek an experienced replacement following Kasper Schmeichel’s retirement.

The England international has also drawn interest from Premier League sides including Leeds United and Ipswich Town as he seeks guaranteed first-team minutes.

Although a move to either now seems less likely after the two clubs' respective captures of James Trafford and Kjell Scherpen.

An exit will draw the curtain on an eventful four-year tenure on Tyneside for the former Burnley shot-stopper. Arriving in the summer of 2022, Pope established himself as a fan favourite and a central pillar of Newcastle's revival.

His defining campaign came during the 2022/23 season, in which he helped Newcastle secure a top-four finish and UEFA Champions League qualification alongside a run to the Carabao Cup final.

However, Pope's time in the North East was also marked by setbacks. A costly red card against Liverpool saw him suspended for the 2023 Carabao Cup final, while recurring shoulder injuries sidelined him for substantial portions of subsequent seasons.

His relative limitations in ball distribution also contrasted with Jaissle’s preference for a modern, proactive keeper capable of playing out from the back.

FourFourTwo understands Pope is walking away from a lucrative Newcastle contract which is now into its final 12 months.

When you watch the 1966 World Cup final now, even through modern eyes, one thing jumps out at you immediately: Bobby Moore was really bloody good.

A lot has changed about the game in the 60 years since England lifted the World Cup, but Moore would be right at home in the modern game.

The centre-back's grace, composure, and willingness to come forward with the ball and offer a threat in the final third would be just as much an asset to Thomas Tuchel now as it was to Sir Alf Ramsey then...and yet it's still not the first thing people talk about when discussing Moore.

Sir Geoff Hurst: 'Bobby Moore was my role model'

Just ask Sir Geoff Hurst, who came through the youth ranks at West Ham alongside Moore before the two of them went on to play well over a thousand games combined for the club, winning the FA Cup and Cup Winners' Cup along the way...to say nothing of their achievements together on the international stage.

But despite Moore being just eight months older than his centre-forward, Sir Geoff admits that he always saw Moore as a role model.

Sir Geoff told FourFourTwo: "[Bobby] was a fantastic player - the best player I played with - and his reading of the game, and his calmness and his distribution were terrific. He made two goals in the 1966 World Cup Final as a central defender.

"But he was always one I looked up to, although he's similar age to me.

"The word I often use with Bobby is ‘immaculate’.

"When we went to lift the World Cup trophy at Wembley in ‘66, I was right behind Bobby. He saw the Queen wearing white gloves and he wiped his hands before he shook hers so as not to dirty her gloves

"I mean, who does that after winning a World Cup Final? An immaculate man with an immaculate character."

Sir Geoff added: "It's funny because some people are just born with it.

"Without being elected, it's like they are in parliament, and often without even realising it, they’re just born for greatness – born to lead and inspire.

"You get them in all walks of life, from business to sport, and these people automatically show themselves as leaders.

"Bobby was the captain of West Ham’s youth teams, then the captain of West Ham and then England.

"He didn’t ask for it, he didn’t scream or shout or dominate people, he just inspired. He had that glow about his character you can’t really describe – you just followed."

Are you a football trivia hotshot with lightning fingers and a memory to match? The latest FourFourTwo Quickfire Quiz gives you 90 seconds to answer 10 questions. Let's 'ave it.

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo has lots more football quizzes and they're all courtesy of Kwizly. Let's begin with our big quiz of one-season wonders and some questions about momentary Premier League stars of years gone by.

We also want you to name every team to have played in the top flight of English football since 1945 and sort some small groups of players in order of the number of Premier League appearances each of them made. There are few tap-ins there, if we're honest. Good luck.

There are quizzes that ask you to name every club in the Championship, League One and League Two of the EFL right now, and which challenge you to name every team to have won any of the top four tiers of English football.

Our Big World Cup 2026 Quiz will put you through your memory paces with 20 trivia questions focusing on the good, the bad and the ugly of the summer tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

If the World Cup is your thing, try this on for size. Can you name every team from every men's and women's World Cup final since 1930?

We have puzzles too. Our Weekend Crossword is a regular football teaser for your Sunday, and remember to sign up to the newsletter for more quizzes in your inbox. Don't forget to join The Club for free additional membership benefits!

Harry Kane believes he has never played better, delivering as a 10 and 9. “This is the best version of myself for sure,” says the Bayern Munich and England forward, who was today presented with the European Golden Shoe as leading scorer across the Continent with 36 goals in the Bundesliga.

“Last season speaks for itself, my best season in my career, no doubt.”

In all competitions for Bayern, Kane scored 61 times and made seven assists in 51 games. Including England, Kane scored 73 times in 65 games.

"It’s been building"

Kane has invariably responded to the challenge of a centre-half and is enjoying working for Vincent Kompany, Bayern’s head coach and Manchester City legend. “Since the Boss has come in here (2024), he's elevated my game to another level. That's down to the style of play, the way we attack, the way we defend, the way he gives the players (like Kane) freedom to come and receive the ball sometimes deeper, and arrive in the box later.

“It's a multiple of different things. I also had a lot of these different positions during my Tottenham career as well, especially from the (Jose) Mourinho stage onwards (2019). Same sort of thing: I had freedom to come and drop, pick the ball. I had a great relationship with Hueng-min Son. It’s been building.

Pick the ultimate 4-4-2 line-up from players in FourFourTwo's definitive Top 100 List

“With the team I have around me, with the players I have, and the system that we play from the coach, it's just elevated me to another level. I feel extremely comfortable on the pitch. I know where I should be. I know where the players are going to be.

“I just use my instincts and my freedom to score the goals I score but also dictate the play sometimes in certain games. Each game poses a different test. I'm able to determine what game I need to drop, what game I need to stay high. Last season I got that balance really well.”

Kane played down the possibility of returning to England to break Alan Shearer’s Premier League goalscoring record of 260 (Kane has 213). He’s obviously loving life at Bayern where there's talk of a new contract for the 33-year-old. “When I first left (Spurs in 2023), for sure it was something that I thought I'd definitely be coming back. That itch isn't there as much anymore.

“I'm extremely happy here in Munich. It’s opened my eyes to a totally different world of football outside of England. It’s made me appreciate European football even more. With the team we have here, with the manager. My family are really settled here. It's just about being in the best place possible. I never say never but, for now, I'm concentrating on Bayern Munich, and we'll see what the future holds.”

He’s determined to keep building on even record seasons. “That’s the aim. You know me, it's always to improve. 73 is such a big number and, for sure, going to be difficult to beat. But the team I have around me, the way I'm feeling right now mentally and physically, there's no reason why I can't push that level again.

“The goals are a consequence of loads of hard work behind the scenes, doing stuff every day when people aren't watching. It's just about improving on all those little aspects as well.”

In receiving the award, Kane said he loves “making a sliding tackle as much as scoring a goal”. Really? “The goal is the best feeling in terms of that moment! The celebration, the adrenaline, the way it feels when you score, especially a winning goal. No doubt!

“That's the best feeling, but I also love the different parts of my game, the different sides of the game. I love those sliding tackles or tracking back, running. When I'm watching my clips to improve my whole game, I find myself watching those moments maybe more than the goals now.

“I've always loved doing my bit for the team. I love to see the reactions of the players when I do those things. It’s a big part of my game that maybe isn't always seen because I'm judged on goals. Maybe the last couple of years people have been seeing more of that and appreciating a little bit more.”

As for the Golden Shoe, Kane reflected on “an extremely proud day, my second one now”. Bayern staff attended the presentation, as did his family. “This one definitely feels a little bit more special after the season we had as a team, as well to win the trophies we won.” Bayern won the Bundesliga, German Super Cup and DFB-Pokal but lost to Paris St-Germain 6-5 on aggregate in the semi-finals of the Champions League.

“Looking ahead, the Champions League is a big goal of ours,” Kane continued, a comment that surely ends those headlines about Saudi. “You're coming up against the best teams in Europe and PSG are back-to-back champions. It’s going to be really difficult.

“Arsenal reached the final. Real Madrid always. There's so many top teams that you have to beat to be European champions. I’m looking forward to that challenge again. We got extremely close to reaching the final last year. This year we need to try and do everything to go that one step further.”

Kane hails PSG’s centre-backs, Marquinhos and Willian Pacho, as the best around. “I love playing the best because they bring out the best in me as well. Against PSG was tough match-ups – Marquinhos, Pacho, two great defenders. We had good battles. They won some duels, I won some duels. There's a reason why PSG have been so successful over the last couple of years, and they have been a big part of that. They are probably the two that stand out. A lot of the top teams have great centre-backs, and I enjoy those challenges.”

He was quick to show his support for his Bayern teammate Jamal Musiala, who suffered two absence seizures in pre-season games. “Jamal is obviously going through a bit of a difficult moment right now. I know he posted on social media about the small condition that he has. From our point of view, it's just about supporting Jamal. He's a great player, extremely talented. He's a big part of our team.

“We feel really sorry for him. We feel frustrated for him when things like that happened in the last couple of games. He knows he has the full support from everyone here at FC Bayern and his friends, his family. We'll be there to help him deal with it.

“He's going through something that not everyone goes through, but also there are people who have dealt with it well before. He's doing everything possible to be his best version. He'd come off the back of a tough injury last season (broken fibula). I know how much he works behind the scenes, how much he's working on the training pitch.”

Kane’s focus is immediately on Bayern and his teammates with the resumption of England duty to come next month. He’s used to the relentlessness of the international programme. “We've gone pretty far in all those tournaments,” Kane reflects on the summer’s World Cup and preceding tournaments such as the 2018 World Cup, Euro 2020, the 2022 World Cup and Euro 2024. “I'm used to these quick turnarounds.

“In a way, sometimes it suits me. You don't lose too much rhythm, you don't lose too much fitness. You just get into the routine of going again, and that's where I'm at now. For England, it was an amazing summer in a lot of ways. Of course, a real disappointment to lose in the semi-final the way we did (to Argentina). But to win the 3rd/4th game was important, to get the feeling for everyone involved and also for the fans. And now we tackle a new year. You’re right at the bottom of the mountain again; you're getting ready for Nations League, and then that goes into European qualifiers.

“The Euros being in England, in a couple of years (2028), is obviously a big motivation. For now it's just about getting back into club football, hit the ground running, hopefully scoring some goals. And then before we know it, we'll be back in that international camp in September, a bit different this year with the two-week camp and the four games.

“We play the world champions, Spain, in the first one (at Wembley on September 26). A lot to look forward to from that point. There will be a lot of things to process that we've done in the summer, the good things, also a lot of things we can improve on, and now that's the challenge to try and get better for the Euros in a couple of years.”

Watch Celtic vs LASK as The Bhoys aim to take a big step towards the league phase of the Champions League in the first leg of their play-off round tie. FourFourTwo has all the details on free streams and TV channels for the Champions League clash, wherever you are in the world.

Celtic have started the 2026/27 season with three wins out of three in all competitions, but they will be tested by a LASK side who claimed an Austrian league and cup double last season.

Martin O'Neill's men are looking to improve on last term's performance at this stage, when they failed to reach the league phase after shock defeat to Kazakh outfit Kairat.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Celtic vs LASK online, on TV, and from anywhere.

Can I watch Celtic vs LASK for free?

You can watch Celtic vs LASK for free on Irish streaming service RTE Player, which even comes with English commentary:

Watch Celtic vs LASK from anywhere

Away from home right now? You don't have to miss Celtic vs LASK. The solution to your geo-restriction nightmares is a Virtual Private Network (VPN), a piece of software that can set your devices to appear to be in any country in the world.

FourFourTwo’s tech-obsessed office-mates over at Tom's Guide know everything there is to know about VPNs, and they rate NordVPN as the best VPN you can buy.

How to watch Celtic vs LASK in the UK

Celtic vs LASK is live on TNT Sports and HBO Max in the UK.

The clash at Celtic Park will be broadcast on TNT Sports 1, with kick-off at 8pm BST.

With the new football season upon us, now is a great time to get a TNT Sports subscription. You will be able to watch every single game in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League, plus 52 Premier League matches.

How to watch Celtic vs LASK in the US

US viewers can watch Celtic vs LASK on Paramount+, with kick-off at 3pm ET.

A Paramount+ subscription includes live coverage of the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League, as well as plenty of EFL and Carabao Cup action.

How to watch Celtic vs LASK in Australia

Fans in Australia can watch Celtic vs LASK on Stan Sport.

Stan Sport is the place to go for the Champions League and Premier League Down Under, with every single game of both competitions available to stream live on the platform.

Celtic vs LASK: Preview

With Celtic strong favourites to sweep all before them in Scotland once again, the Champions League remains the true litmus test of the Bhoys' quality.

That was brought into sharp focus at this stage of the competition 12 months ago, when they failed to score against Kazakh side Kairat across more than four hours of football and were dumped out on penalties.

It means Celtic are eyeing a return to the league phase after two years away, having muddled their way through last season's Europa League before losing to German outfit VFB Stuttgart in the first knockout round.

Of course, that was before they dramatically snatched the Scottish Premiership title from Hearts on the final day of last term, then won the Scottish Cup a week later, and with legendary manager Martin O'Neill now in permanent charge they have started the 2026/27 campaign with a 100 per cent record.

SEE ALSO Should I use a VPN to watch football?

LASK also won a league and cup double last season, but for the Austrians it was a much rarer event. The Linz-based side lifted each trophy for just the second time in their history, emulating the team of 1964/65 who also claimed both pieces of silverware in the same campaign.

They have picked up where they left off, winning all four competitive matches so far this season and scoring 16 goals, with forward Samuel Adeniran finding the net four times in three league games.

Manager Dietmar Kuhbauer will now aim to guide LASK into the main draw of the Champions League for the first time in the club's history. They lost in the play-off round after their previous league and cup double in 1965 and were beaten by Club Brugge at this stage in 2019/20.

Both teams will be desperate to reach the league phase of the Champions League, while the losers of this tie drop into the Europa League. The second leg is in Linz next Tuesday.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Celtic 1-1 LASK

The Bhoys will be targeting an aggregate lead to take to Austria next Tuesday, but LASK should not be underestimated.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Real Madrid begin their La Liga campaign on Saturday – for the first time since 2013, they’ll be under the management of Jose Mourinho.

The Portuguese boss previously spent three years at the Bernabeu, winning the league in 2012, during a time when Barcelona had both Pep Guardiola and Lionel Messi.

After a spell at Benfica last term, Mourinho was reappointed this summer by Florentino Perez, who believes he could be the man to turn things around after a difficult couple of seasons for Real Madrid.

Real Madrid great gives his verdict

Former Bernabeu favourite Steve McManaman works as a co-commentator and analyst for Disney+, who will screen Real Madrid’s opening match at Espanyol this weekend.

McManaman is fascinated by the club’s decision to rehire Mourinho, and is sure it will make the La Liga season an entertaining one.

“He’s going to have to do well,” McManaman told FFT. “That’s why he’s been brought back – it’s as simple as that, he’s got one job, and that job is to finish above Barcelona.

“With all respect to Atletico Madrid, Villarreal etc, the team they need to beat is Barcelona. They’re the strongest side, so that’s his job – to usurp them. Challenging for the Champions League is secondary.

“Hansi Flick has done the most incredible job since he’s been at Barcelona – they’re starting to get their finances in an upward trajectory, Camp Nou will bring in more and more people, therefore helping their financial situation, and with the signing of one of the world’s best players in Rodri, that will strengthen them as well, as will Anthony Gordon.

“It will be a hell of a La Liga season – it’ll be fireworks all around, watching Jose and everybody.”

Real Madrid have spent heavily to add the likes of Yan Diomande and Marc Cucurella to their squad, but Barcelona have won the title in each of the past two seasons, and McManaman knows Perez cannot afford that to happen again.

“There was a lot of criticism about them last year and they have to turn it around,” he says.

“Either you win things, or you don’t and you’re losers, aren’t you? It’s as simple as that. When it’s as cut and dry and as black and white as it is in Spain, when it’s Real Madrid and Barça, if your main rivals win, it’s a disaster.

“So it’s up to Real Madrid to sort themselves out and try to come strong. It’s going to be a hell of a contest this year.

“Barcelona were excellent last year and for all their frailties – you saw them at times and thought ‘How on earth can they keep winning?’, because they let in a number of goals – the proof is in the pudding. They’ve been winning and they’ve been successful.

“The only blot on their campaign was their loss to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, and that was circumstances, red cards etc.

“Bringing in Rodri, he will be the metronome, they’ve got the Pedris and the like around him and a new quick forward line with Lamine Yamal and Anthony Gordon, as well as Rafinha, that’s exciting.

“Expect lots of goals in La Liga this year, and fantastic football, certainly between the top two.

“I don’t want to keep saying the top two because hopefully you want to see Atletico, Villarreal and other teams challenging, but the two biggest teams have invested more than anybody this summer and look as if they’re going to be streets clear.”

ESPN on Disney+ is home to live LALIGA action every Saturday night, bringing the best of Spanish football to fans across the UK

Nottingham Forest start the Premier League campaign under a new manager – after a season-long relegation battle last time around.

Forest began last season with Nuno Espirito Santo in charge but cycled through Ange Postecoglou and Sean Dyche before moving away from the drop zone under Vitor Pereira.

This summer, owner Evangelos Marinakis opted to let Pereira go and appoint Oliver Glasner, who won the FA Cup, Community Shield and Conference League during a highly successful spell at Crystal Palace.

Legend explains why predictions are wrong

Despite that appointment, some bookmakers have tipped Forest for the drop, believing that the constant changes around the club could destabilise them once more.

That prediction has been dismissed by Forest legend Stan Collymore, who thinks they have the ability to finish much higher in the table.

Asked if Glasner’s appointment may be Marinakis’ best decision in recent times, Collymore said: “It could prove to be his most impactful.

“Seeing bookmakers list Forest among the favourites for relegation seems wildly inaccurate based on their squad depth. Unless there’s internal friction between Glasner and the hierarchy, the team operates at an eighth to 10th-place standard.

“Glasner is a proven manager who’s won trophies across Europe. Retaining Morgan Gibbs-White gives them a strong core. Forest have the framework to compete around the European positions rather than lingering near the bottom of the table.”

Gibbs-White was wanted by Spurs last summer, but instead signed a new three-year deal at Forest.

“He is on a strong contract at Forest, and Evangelos Marinakis views him as their cornerstone player,” said Collymore, speaking on behalf of 10bet, who offer online casino and sports betting.

“His performance levels last season were exceptional. Aston Villa evaluated him before opting for Johan Manzambi – viewing Manzambi as a dynamic 20-year-old profile who carried the ball well on the European stage for Freiburg.

“At 26, Gibbs-White is in his prime. Early in his career, scouts might have viewed him as a player whose standard fluctuated between a nine out of 10 and a four out of 10, depending on his defensive work rate.

“However, he addressed those defensive tracking metrics over the course of last season. He has the technical quality to feature for any top six side.”

Manchester United have missed out on a hefty fee heading their way, with a deal having fallen through.

The Red Devils have been careful in the transfer market this summer, bringing in the likes of Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans on modest fees – but haven't made huge sales to balance the books.

One player who could have helped bolster the coffers, however, is Antony.

Deal for former Manchester United man Antony falls through

Manchester United signed Ajax winger Antony in 2022 for a fee reported by the BBC to be £81.3 million.

The Brazilian failed to live up to that huge billing, however, scoring just 12 times in total for the Red Devils, failing to hold down a spot on the right-wing and frustrating fans with his showboating.

Despite the difficulties in English football, however, Antony thrived at Real Betis, first on loan in the 2024/25 season before joining permanently in the summer of 2025.

Keen to recoup some of the extortionate fee they paid for a flop, United agreed to a modest sale of under £20m to Los Heliopolitanos, but included a 50 per cent sell-on fee – which was close to being triggered recently interest arrived for for the 26-year-old.

Sport Witness reports that Betis “flatly rejected” a €50m approach, denying the Red Devils of what would have been a nice windfall.

With the Seville-based outfit in the Champions League this season, manager Manuel Pellegrini wants to keep his better players ahead of competing on three fronts.

With Betis only receiving half of whatever they sell Antony for, there's less incentive to move him on, unless there's a huge offer.

United are pushing on with signings, despite the lack of outgoings.

Carlos Baleba has agreed a contract with the Red Devils, as Carrick also prepares for a return to Europe's elite competition.

Antony is valued to be worth €40m by Transfermarkt. Manchester United take on Hull City this weekend when Premier League action begins.

Chelsea’s hopes of securing their dream transfer scenario regarding Nicolas Jackson have hit a temporary roadblock, with suitors Napoli delaying any formal move, according to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio.

The Blues are eager to offload the 25-year-old forward, who seemingly does not feature in manager Xabi Alonso’s tactical plans at Stamford Bridge.

Jackson spent the 2025/26 campaign on loan at German giants Bayern Munich, netting 11 goals across all competitions. However, upon his return to West London, it is clear a permanent departure, or at least a structured loan with an obligation to buy, remains the priority for all parties.

Chelsea require quick resolution to Nicolas Jackson transfer saga

Napoli have identified Jackson as a potential target alongside Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee and Arsenal’s Gabriel Jesus as they rebuild their front line.

However, Di Marzio reports that the Serie A side are stalling on opening official negotiations.

The Napoli hierarchy must first finalise an outgoing transfer before committing funds to a new striker, with Dutch winger Noa Lang linked to Ajax, Galatasaray, and Atalanta in recent days.

This delay leaves Chelsea in a delicate position as they attempt to trim their squad before the transfer window closes.

The club hierarchy are keen to avoid a repeat of recent seasons, where high-earning stars were banished to the 'bomb squad', forced to train separately from the main group.

Urgency to move Jackson on is amplified by regulations surrounding squad management. FIFA’s Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP) now penalise clubs that isolate senior players.

According to the guidelines, forcing professional footballers to train alone without standard coaching, sports science, or medical support is classified as abusive conduct, giving players legal grounds to terminate their contracts for just cause.

Additionally, FIFA’s international loan caps restrict clubs to a maximum of six outgoing senior loans per season.

This prevents Chelsea from relying on their previous strategy of stockpiling unwanted talent on numerous overseas loans.

Chelsea need Napoli to resolve their outgoing transfers quickly so negotiations for Jackson can resume, allowing the Blues to finalise their squad list without falling foul of 'bomb squad' regulation.

Manchester United are closing in on the high-profile acquisition of Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba, with personal terms now fully agreed ahead of a proposed move to Old Trafford, according to Sky Sports.

The 22-year-old Cameroon international has agreed in principle a five-year contract, which will keep him at Old Trafford until the summer of 2031.

With personal terms settled, the Man United hierarchy are now said to be finalising the financial structure of a club-to-club agreement with Brighton.

Carlos Baleba to Manchester United requires one more box to be ticked

The Red Devils have pitched a transfer package worth approximately £60 million, alongside an additional £5m in performance-related add-ons.

While Brighton had originally held out for a higher valuation, constructive discussions between both Premier League clubs have brought a full agreement closer than ever before.

Baleba has remained a long-term target for the Old Trafford club for well over a year.

Man United first identified the combative midfielder as an ideal recruitment candidate last spring before exploring the conditions of a mid-season deal during the January transfer window.

Although Brighton were firmly against selling the player midway through the campaign, the club are thought to have maintained an open dialogue behind the scenes, ensuring they were well-positioned once formal negotiations resumed this summer.

The signing of the former Lille star looks set to further bolster a Manchester United midfield in need of added physicality, mobility and defensive awareness.

Since making his high-profile move to the Amex Stadium as a replacement for Moises Caicedo, Baleba has matured into one of the most complete young box-to-box talents in European football.

With the five-year contract details agreed by the player’s side, all that's left to do now is for the two clubs to agree on a fee that suits all parties and the deal can be brought to a conclusion.

It could be that a medical is scheduled in the coming days should things progress as Old Trafford executives hope.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is still hoping to land a top-level forward before the end of the transfer window.

The Premier League champions have so far only brought in Christos Tzolis in attack to replace Leandro Trossard – but are hoping to move the likes of Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Reiss Nelson on before the end of the window to free up funds for a big-money attacker.

However, it's a youngster that Arsenal might land first, following a contract dispute at Blackburn Rovers.

Igor Tyjon: 'Let me join Arsenal'

According to a new report from James McNicholas of The Athletic, England youth striker Igor Tyjon is still a major target for Arsenal.

McNicholas explains that Tyjon has declined to sign a professional contract with Rovers, with the club deciding to, rather unusually, extend his scholarship contract once again, for a third season.

Tyjon has been a long-term target of the Gunners, with reporter Alan Nixon claiming on his Patreon that Tyjon has now formally asked his club to de-register him so that he can pursue his move to N5.

Arsenal have offered £1 million for the youngster, with another £2m up front to sign him – though Tyjon would likely not be a first-team option.

The Gunners are still pursuing the likes of Victor Osimhen and Julian Alvarez to supplement an attacking line that also boasts Viktor Gyokeres, Kai Havertz and World Cup winner Mikel Merino as an emergency option, with Barnet-born 18-year-old Andre Harriman-Annous next in line.

Arteta has shown willing to give Harriman-Annous – who is the nephew of England rugby and British & Irish Lions's captain Maro Itoje – a competition debut in both the Champions League and Carabao Cup over the last 12 months.

Tyjon is still only 18 himself, having appeared twice in the Football League for Blackburn and represented England at under-16, under-17 and under-18 level.

Tyjon is also eligible to represent Poland, who he has played for at under-16 level.

The Gunners recently confirmed the appointment of David Horseman as their new under-21 head coach.

Arsenal face Coventry City in the Premier League season opener.

Peter Crouch was known for his sense of humour during his playing days – but even he didn’t expect to become a comedy actor following retirement.

Crouch scored an impressive 22 times in 42 games for England and also famously entertained fans with his robot goal celebration.

After hanging up his boots in 2019, his light-hearted approach to life has led to him becoming the star of his own podcast, as well as an author.

The weird world of Peter Crouch

As time has gone on, Crouch has also been approached to do regular acting in adverts for betting company Paddy Power, who similarly take a tongue-in-cheek approach to football. It’s led to some unexpected moments for the former Liverpool striker.

“Just the other week, I was up in a hot air balloon, which was also designed like a pair of pants, in LA overlooking the California countryside – my life is very strange,” he chuckles as he talks to FFT.

“I remember when I was 18 years old, trying to make my way in the game – if you’d said then that we’d fast forward to being 45 and I’d be over California countryside vineyards in a pair of pants at a World Cup, I’d have told you you were mad.

“There are times where I look at myself and think ‘How have I got myself in this situation?’ There was one where I was lying in a bath with just my underpants on, there were rose petals in the bath and they were filming me from above – it was basically the scene from American Beauty, but with me in the bath. I was like ‘How has this happened?!’

“But it’s all good fun, I’ve found that being shy and retiring doesn’t work, you’ve just got to go for it and embrace it.

“When I’m working with Paddy Power, it’s exactly my kind of humour, it’s very similar to what I like – I don’t think we should take football too seriously. I think I'm alright at it too, so we work well together. I love every moment of it.”

Crouch has teamed up with Danny Dyer and Danny Murphy for Paddy Power’s latest advert ahead of the start of the new Premier League season, entitled 'Why The Football Not?', which references some of the weirdest moments in football over the last few months.

There's a nod to Murphy’s long lost cat Bob, while Crouch recreates Southampton’s infamous Spygate incident outside Middlesbrough’s training ground.

“The Danny Murphy cat situation tickled the nation, and my part is alluding to Southampton and what happened there,” Crouch explains.

“I’m walking past the tree, and there’s a lad who looks very, very similar to the guy that was actually spying.

“It’s about the weird and wonderful things we love about football – it’s what makes football magic. I’m no different in the things that we try to capture with my podcast, and Paddy Power do it very well.”

Some ideas have even had to be shelved over his time working with the company, because they were simply too weird.

“There have been loads, Paddy Power come up with them on a regular basis!” Crouch smiles. “Certain things, you're like ‘Can we get away with that?!’ because it’s very close to the bone. Sometimes the closer it is to the bone, the better it is, but it’s a difficult balance.

“I don’t know what I can and can’t say with regards to what they were trying to do, but some of the things they’ve tried to do over the years have been outrageous!

“I feel very blessed to do what I’m doing, it keeps me in the game and it’s good fun.”

There will be more from Crouch in FourFourTwo soon.

When push comes to shove, we all know that football is at least partially about winning silverware. The one we all want for our teams is the league title, and this FourFourTwo football quiz is all about the numbers of top-division trophies they've won in their respective histories.

All we want you to do is look at these groups of four football clubs from all over the world and rank them from most to least in order of the number of league titles – just league titles, just top-flight and just domestic – they have at the top of their honours lists.

There are 10 groups of teams to arrange and no time limit to worry about. Get yourself at it and let us know below how you get on.

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FourFourTwo has many more football quizzes to enjoy, all courtesy of Kwizly. If you've managed to sort out these top-flight winners, let's put you through your paces on some divisions lower down. Can you name every team in the EFL in 2026-27? There are 72 in all between the Championship, League One and league Two.

That's all about today. These are about yesterday. We want you to name every team to have won one of the top four divisions and every top-flight club in English football since 1945.

Are you a master of the footballer Wikibox? Let's find out with this absolute unit. Our latest career paths quiz asks you to identify a nice, round 100 players based only on the teams they represented during their careers.

FourFourTwo's Weekend Crossword 66 features clues on French managers, fair play awards, overseas cups and footballing lanes. Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter for your daily afternoon briefing of football trivia and analysis, and don't forget to join The Club: our free membership portal where you can secret hints and get on the leaderboard.

West Ham United look set to miss out on top summer transfer target Troy Parrott after negotiations with AZ Alkmaar stalled, according to reports from talkSPORT.

The Hammers had been in active discussions with the Dutch club over a deal for the Republic of Ireland international.

However, talks broke down after West Ham failed to meet AZ Alkmaar's valuation for the 24-year-old forward. The required fee would have made Parrott one of the most expensive signings in Championship history following West Ham's relegation from the Premier League.

West Ham pass on Troy Parrott transfer

LaLiga outfit Real Betis have emerged as new frontrunners, with the Hammers unable to compete with the level of football on offer in Seville.

The Spanish side are closing in on a €20m (£17m) deal to sign the former Tottenham Hotspur striker, with negotiations entering their final stages. Betis, who qualified for Champions League football after finishing fifth in LaLiga, can offer Parrott elite European competition and top flight football.

This summer's transfer pursuit follows a transformation in Parrott’s career since moving to the Netherlands.

After a productive loan spell at Excelsior where he scored 17 goals in all competitions, he completed a permanent transfer to AZ Alkmaar and quickly established himself as one of the more dangerous forwards in Dutch football.

Parrott enjoyed a prolific 2025/26 campaign in the Netherlands, registering 31 goals and 10 assists across 48 appearances in all competitions for AZ Alkmaar, including 16 goals in the Eredivisie.

Parrott’s club form was matched by headline-grabbing exploits for the national team last autumn, which saw him become a household name across Europe.

During Ireland's dramatic World Cup qualifying campaign, Parrott scored a hat-trick against Hungary that included a 96th-minute winner to secure a 3-2 victory.

Having been gazumped in their pursuit of Parrott, West Ham have turned their attentions to alternative attacking targets to lead their Championship promotion bid, bringing in Joel Piroe from Leeds United on an initial season-long loan deal.

The Hammers began their 2026/27 campaign with a Carabao Cup win over Portsmouth, followed by a 2-2 draw against Burnley in the league.

Meanwhile, Parrott is expected to finalise his move to Seville in the coming days.

Yan Diomande has been the most coveted winger in world football this summer, with Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool both attempting to sign the 19-year-old winger.

Ultimately, though, it was Real Madrid who won the race, paying a club-record €125 million plus €15 million in bonuses and signing him to a contract through 2033. However, it was just two years ago that hardly any team was willing to take a chance on him. Back then, Diomande was just an anonymous teenager looking to realize his dream of becoming a professional footballer.

When Diomande was just 15 years old, he booked a solo, one-way flight from the Ivory Coast to Florida, where he started his journey at DME Academy. Despite not speaking any English, Diomande quickly adjusted to life in his new surroundings in Daytona Beach and impressed for both DME and their semi-pro affiliate club, AS Frenzi.

Yan Diomande's path to the top was paved with rejection

Diomande spearheaded Frenzi to the 2023 United Premier Soccer League title, winning the Playoffs MVP and Golden Boot, but he wasn't able to turn that into a professional contract, with teams from MLS and Europe turning their nose up at the precocious teenager.

"I think he did slip through the cracks," his former coach Todd Eason tells FourFourTwo. "We were in Daytona, 45 minutes from Orlando City, and at the time, I had told some representatives at Orlando City, 'Hey, I've got a kid coming that looks pretty special, and I would love him to come down and train with the B team.' But they just kept delaying and delaying."

"I was very disappointed that Orlando City wouldn't come 45 minutes to watch him or at least take them into camp," adds Eason, who worked as DME's Director of Soccer and then Director of Athletics from 2021 to 2024. Today, Eason serves as the General Manager for USL Championship side Miami FC.

"I do think MLS teams have probably dropped the ball a lot on some domestic talent that have come through, but every team's a little bit different, so you can't really speak on all that. Orlando City was the one that I was really disappointed in: you couldn't go out of your way to see this kid play, and now you lost your chance."

After being rejected by Orlando City as well as other European clubs like Rangers, Chelsea, and Bournemouth, Diomande returned to Abidjan after his student visa expired. Shortly after, Spanish club Leganes signed him in November 2024, and after just 10 professional appearances, he earned a €20 million move to RB Leipzig.

The rest is history: Diomande quickly emerged as one of the most exciting talents in the German top-flight, taking home the Bundesliga Rookie of the Season award. He also established himself as a key figure for the Ivory Coast national team, scoring in the Africa Cup of Nations and helping Les Elephants advance to a World Cup knockout match for the first time.

After steering RB Leipzig from a seventh-place finish in 2024/25 – the worst finish in their Bundesliga history – to a third-place finish in 2025/26, Diomande will now be testing his skills in the Champions League. He won't be representing Leipzig, but Real Madrid, who are seeking a record-extending 16th title.

It has been a decade in the making for Diomande, who left his family at nine years of age to join Academie Inter Foot Sud Comoe and moved to a new continent at 15, all by himself. All of it in the pursuit of one objective: to receive a world-class footballing education and become a good enough player to carry his family out of poverty.

Two years after being left in the shadows, the sun is shining on Diomande, who'll be looking to stake out a starting spot on the right side of Real's attack alongside Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, and Vinicius Jr. And while he never managed to make his professional debut there, he'll always be grateful for his time with Eason in the Sunshine State.

"I think I'm just most proud that he still answers my calls," added Eason. "He's just very true to the people that mean the most to him, and I think that's a true testament of who he is. That's what I'm proud of: that he's a good, respectful man, and is still paying attention to the people that have helped him in his life in some way."

Is Yan Diomande worth the investment from Real Madrid? Tell us in the comments below

Manchester United fans' concern regarding the club's lack of transfer activity this summer is understandable. This isn't usually how they operate.

Michael Carrick's side have added Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans to bolster the midfield, as well as Karl Darlow as back-up goalkeeper - but that's it.

Yes, 18-year-old Cristian Orozco has arrived from Colombia as well as a pair of academy signings but on the whole it's been a fairly out-of-the-ordinary summer for Man United.

Manchester United would not fare well at your local car boot sale

Are the club skint? Is Sir Jim Ratcliffe tightening the purse strings at the very, very top now instead of INEOS's cost-cutting measures disproportionately affecting the little people?

The answer is more straightforward than all of that: Manchester United have spent big recently and even one of the richest clubs in the world must acknowledge there has to be some belt-tightening when there's a poor return on investment.

In short, Man United are not broke, nor are they skint - they are an organisation that is simply too large to fail, much like a Real Madrid or a Barcelona. But there comes a time when transfer expenditure deemed poor business does come back to bite.

That is what Man United are experiencing this summer. Last year's spending on Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko and Senne Lammens was significant, even if the club did manage to shift Alejandro Garnacho and Antony from their books.

Poor Michael Carrick, eh. We can all put our miniature violins away, actually, because the club have still spent a cool £85 million on Santos and Tielemans.

According to English football finance data from Valuball, Man United's net spend on player trading since the beginning of the 2022/23 season is £614m. Unsurprisingly, only Chelsea boast a greater figure than that.

Unlike the Blues, though, who have recouped almost £1 billion in player sales during the same period, Man United have been notoriously poor sellers. In five years, the club have made sales worth just £280m, which works out less than Leeds United, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest.

After a while, the inability to shift expensive deadwood, or deadwood at a good price, begins to inhibit incoming transfer business.

From this season onwards, the existing Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) are being replaced by the new Squad Cost Ratio (SCR) framework. This legislation limits a club's total on-pitch spending, such as transfer amortisation, player wages, and agent fees, to 85 per cent of their overall football-related revenue.

This means the profit a club earns from player sales directly dictates their spending power.

That said, Man United's revenue dwarves the majority of their Premier League peers, so there is every chance they will make further signings this window and not feel the squeeze as much as another club without gargantuan commercial revenue numbers.

Teams without Man United's off-field resource simply have to become savvy sellers in order to stay afloat and compete in the Premier League - that is the nature of the beast. Chelsea have become particularly astute at it, which has so far funded their eye-watering spend post-Roman Abramovich.

Manchester is once again a two-team Champions League city this season and that is a financial godsend, but if the powers that be cannot turn profits for players in the long-run, radio silence on the transfer front will soon become a recurring theme each summer at Old Trafford.

The latest FourFourTwo Quickfire Quiz is here. You have 90 seconds to answer 10 football trivia questions. You know the drill.

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo has many more football quizzes, all courtesy of Kwizly, and they include some behemoths like these. First, can you tell us the top 100 scorers in the history of the Premier League? Second, how about every Premier League player nominated for the Ballon d'Or this century?

If those stretch your memory muscles, you'll be ready for this challenge to identify these teams based solely on the nationalities of their starting line-ups and our epic 100-player career paths quiz.

We also want you to name every player to have won the World Cup and the Ballon d'Or and every FIFA nation never to have qualified for the men's World Cup. In fact, our Big World Cup 2026 quiz is just the ticket if you want to test your major tournament knowledge.

There are loads of Premier League quizzes too, including this one that asks you to arrange groups of players in order of their career Premier League appearances. We've left a few naughty ones in there, just to let you know we're there early doors.

Lastly, for now, we want you to answer these questions about some of the Premier League's fleeting stars in our one-season wonders quiz.

We have puzzles too. Our Weekend Crossword is a regular football teaser for your Sunday, and remember to sign up to the newsletter for more quizzes in your inbox. Don't forget to join The Club for free additional membership benefits!

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is playing his “last card” to land Julian Alvarez.

Despite winning the Community Shield at the weekend, the Gunners are still hoping to land another forward to help them defend the Premier League title, with new signing Christos Tzolis so far the first choice on the left wing.

With the likes of Vinicius Jr and Morgan Rogers linked with Arsenal this summer, time is running out to land a significant signing – and now, Mikel Arteta has stepped in to help bring Atletico Madrid star Julian Alvarez back to English football.

Arsenal are desperate for Julian Alvarez, with Mikel Arteta personally involved in the deal

Alvarez had been heavily linked with Arsenal earlier on in the transfer window, with Arteta keen to land another top-level attacker to compete with his existing options.

While the Argentine can play on the left, Viktor Gyokeres has failed to convince some at the Emirates Stadium and has even been discussed as a makeweight in any move.

FourFourTwo understands that Alvarez's priority all along has been Barcelona, but with the Spanish champions reluctant to pay a nine-figure fee – and Atletico preferring to sell Alvarez back to the Premier League, where he won a Treble with Manchester City – any move to Arsenal has been slow to develop.

According to Spanish outlet El Desmarque, Arteta has played his “last card” and rang the 26-year-old personally to lay out his vision – with Alvarez reportedly reiterating that he would rather a switch to Camp Nou.

Los Colchoneros' CEO Miguel Angel Gil Marin has apparently turned down a €150 million bid from city rivals Real Madrid, as Arsenal look at more realistic targets such as Victor Osimhen or Kenan Yildiz in the remaining weeks of the window.

Turkish outlet Gazete Pencere have relayed that the Nigerian answered, “We'll see”, when asked about a move away from Turkiye, though he is also of interest to the Saudi Pro League – while James McNicholas reports for The Athletic that Arsenal are waiting to see if Yildiz becomes available.

Gyokeres has been linked with Barcelona and Atletico, as the Gunners could cash in after just a year of the Swede.

With the Gunners looking to move Brazilian duo Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli on this summer, while hoping to make a pure profit sale of Ethan Nwaneri, there is certainly scope for a big signing – though there aren't many elite-level left wingers that Arsenal are left linked with.

It remains a possibility that Martinelli stays – though with Arteta not naming the forward on the bench for Sunday's Community Shield, it is fair to say that he is clearly not in the Basque boss's immediate plans.

Alvarez is worth €120m, according to Transfermarkt. Arsenal face Coventry City in the Premier League season opener.

Liverpool are edging closer to selling a first-team regular, after terms were agreed for his next move.

After spending well over £400 million last season, the Reds have enjoyed a quieter summer this time around, adding the likes of Jeremy Jacquet and Victor Munoz to supplement the stars that new boss Andoni Iraola has to get a tune out of.

With Liverpool finishing fifth last season and Arne Slot losing his job, the rebuild is well underway – and another fan favourite may yet become a casualty.

Curtis Jones is pushing to leave Liverpool for Inter Milan

While Liverpool are focusing on bringing in Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye before the transfer window closes, the club have lost the likes of Andrew Robertson and Mohamed Salah, as a new era dawns on Merseyside.

Now, Sport Witness have relayed that Curtis Jones – who became more of a fringe player under Arne Slot last term – is pushing to leave for Inter Milan, having agreed a contract with the Italian champions.

The Liverpool-born midfielder was given a first-team debut in 2018 and announced himself to the first team with a stunning effort in an FA Cup Merseyside derby in January 2020 – before going on to establish himself under Jurgen Klopp.

While Jones played 49 times last campaign in all competitions, however, he started just half of the Premier League fixtures he was included in the squad for last term, with Slot favouring Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch in midfield behind new signing Florian Wirtz.

FourFourTwo understands that Jones came close to an exit in January, with this new report reiterating that his desire for Serie A hasn't changed.

Intermediaries are apparently now working on the deal, with a confidence that Liverpool will drop their demands below €40 million.

Sport Witness cite Gazzetta dello Sport in Italy, who say that the midfielder is the “ultimate transfer wish” of Inter boss, Crististian Chivu.

Confidence is said to be growing over the move, with the report adding that “Inter will move late” to get it done.

Inter have already bought John Stones and Djed Spence from the Premier League this summer, as they look to make it a hat-trick of English signings ahead of their Scudetto defence this season.

Jones is worth €35m, according to Transfermarkt. Liverpool face Newcastle United in the first game of the Premier League season.

The Champions League is set to get under way on Tuesday, September 8 - but first UEFA must take care of the pretty important matter of the draw for the league phase.

36 teams will take part in the first proper round of the competition, with the teams that have made it through the qualifying play-offs joining the sides that have already sealed an automatic place.

Here's what you need to know about how the Champions League draw will work when it takes place on Thursday, August 27 at 5pm UK time.

Everything you need to know about the Champions League draw

You're probably familiar with the format by now, but in case you need a reminder...36 teams will compete in one massive league table, with each side drawn to play against eight other teams.

Once all the games are played, the top eight sides advance straight through to the round of 16, while the teams ranked between 9th and 24th playing each other in a knockout phase play-off. The bottom 12 sides are eliminated.

The question, then, is how each side's eight games are decided.

The 36 teams are divided into four pots of nine teams each, based on their UEFA coefficient (essentially a score based on how good the team has been over the past few years, mainly based around European performance).

Every side will be randomly drawn into two fixtures from each of the four pots, with the only restriction being that sides from the same country cannot play against one another in the league phase.

The pots are as follows, with the TBD places set to be filled by the play-off winners. Slavia Prague's pot will depend on which sides make it through the play-offs.

So, for example (and purely for the sake of argument), Liverpool could be randomly drawn to play Real Madrid and Inter from Pot 1, Club Brugge and Sporting from Pot 2, Feyenoord and Shakhtar from Pot 3, and Como and Lens from Pot 4.

Starting with the pot 1 sides and working down through them, balls will be drawn purely to decide the order in which the sides get their draw.

UEFA's computer will then give that side all eight fixtures at once. They will then move onto the next team and do the same, and then carry on that way until all 36 teams know all eight of their games.

The exact dates for each game are then determined in the days following the draw.

The play-off games are as follows, with the winner of each two-legged tie qualifying for the league phase:

• Levski Sofia vs AEK Athens
• Celtic vs LASK
• Dinamo Zagreb vs Viking
• Slovan Bratislava vs Celje
• Hapoel Be'er Sheva vs Sabah
• Fenerbahce vs Lyon
• NEC vs Bodo/Glimt

Atletico Madrid's Estadio Metropolitano will host the 2027 Champions League final at the end of the campaign.

The Gunners are seeking to add to their recruitment apparatus with the acquisition of one of European football's top scouts.

According to a report from Sky Germany journalist Patrick Berger, Arsenal are set to go head-to-head with two of their Premier League rivals for Borussia Dortmund man, Sebastian Krug.

Newcastle United, now under the stewardship of German head coach Matthias Jaissle, and Tottenham Hotspur are the other clubs credited with an interest in the Dortmund chief scout.

Arsenal want to sign Borussia Dortmund chief scout but face competition

Krug has reportedly established a reputation for talent identification in the Bundesliga.

During his tenure at Signal Iduna Park, he has allegedly played a hands-on role in the moves that helped bring two generational players in Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham to the German club.

Both players arrived at Dortmund as high-potential prodigies before blossoming into world-class talents and eventually fetching huge transfer fees from Manchester City and Real Madrid, respectively.

Arsenal’s move for Krug comes as the north London club look to keep on with the momentum that saw them end their Premier League title drought of 22 years last season, as well as reaching the Champions League Final.

Having re-established themselves as consistent Premier League title contenders and regulars in the latter stages of the Champions League, the Gunners are seemingly determined to enhance their competitive edge in youth scouting and recruitment.

Krug has held his position as chief scout since September 2022, previously working beneath Markus Pilawa who departed to join Bayern Munich in a similar role four years ago.

The pieces are beginning to fall into place for Newcastle to land one of their long-term summer transfer targets before the September 1 deadline.

Earlier in the window, highly-rated Swedish international Bergvall emerged as one of Newcastle's midfield targets after having slipped down the pecking order in North London.

Despite holding an interest throughout the summer, the Magpies' approach to formalising a transfer has left supporters asking what the delay could be.

Lucas Bergvall to Newcastle United delay revealed

A potential reason for Newcastle’s hesitation could be due to UEFA legislation termed 'the 45-day rule'.

On July 6, Sandro Tonali joined Tottenham in a reported £92.5 million deal. Under the newly enforced regulations, if two clubs buy and sell from one another within a 45-day window, the transactions are officially classed as a 'swap deal' for accounting purposes.

The rule was introduced by the Premier League's financial regulators to close an accounting loophole created by reciprocal transfer arrangements designed to artificially inflate a club's short-term profits in order to comply with Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

Newcastle fans will recall one major example of this reciprocal arrangement two summers ago, when ahead of the June 30 accounting deadline in 2024, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest avoided breaching PSR limits by agreeing two technically separate transactions.

Newcastle sold academy graduate Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest for £35m, meanwhile Forest sold goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos to Newcastle for £20m.

Both clubs netted an immediate PSR benefit helping them abide by the admittedly flawed PSR parameters.

Fast forward to this summer, and had Newcastle signed Bergvall in the 45-day period following Tonali's move, they would have been required to record only the net difference of the two transfers, effectively wiping out the accounting benefit of Tonali's big-money departure. The 45-day period in question ends on August 20.

From the 2026/27 season onwards, the existing Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) will be fully replaced by the new Squad Cost Ratio (SCR) framework.

This incoming legislation limits a club's total on-pitch spending, covering transfer amortisation, player wages, and agent fees, to 85 per cent of their overall football-related revenue.

A club's pure profit from player sales directly dictates their spending threshold, too. By ensuring Tonali's exit and Bergvall's arrival remain completely separate transactions, Newcastle’s hierarchy can book the full profit upfront. This will provide essential headroom to adhere to the incoming Squad Cost Limits and will help the club's spending power for critical transitional years ahead.

Liverpool have agreed terms with a Paris Saint-Germain attacker – and not Bradley Barcola.

The Reds have been linked with the World Cup star all summer, but with his employers dragging their heels over receiving a nine-figure fee for the superstar, FourFourTwo understands that Liverpool are reluctant and considering all angles.

While the Merseysiders have already agreed a contract with Barcola, the very real possibility that they fail to land him has led them to his PSG team-mate.

Liverpool agree terms with Ibrahim Mbaye

Liverpool have coveted Barcola from the start of the window but haven't ruled out a move for Ibrahim Mbaye, with RMC Sport now reporting that terms have been struck with the starlet.

According to the report, the Barcola talks are still on – but with a five-year deal now agreed with Mbaye, Liverpool are pressing on with a move for Senegalese teenager, too.

Paris Saint-Germain have had a busy transfer window in attack, first letting go on Goncalo Ramos to Ruben Amorim's Milan, before accelerating on moves for World Cup final hero Ferran Torres and highly-rated young Ajax prospect Mika Godts in recent days.

Last season, first-choice frontline Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Desire Doue and Ousmane Dembele netted 52 goals between them in all comopetitions, with Barcola netting 13 and Mbaye just three.

But though Barcola made more appearances across Ligue 1, the Coupe De France and Champions League than any other member of Les Parisiens' attack, he was a backup option for the most part – as was Mbaye – with manager Luis Enrique having a clear formula in the biggest games.

Dembele, in particular, started just 10 games in the league for the eventual French champions, who have doubled down on that philosophy this summer to bring in top depth for their superstars, to save them for European crunch clashes.

FourFourTwo understands that both Barcola and Mbaye are keen on moves to the Premier League, with the pathway under Andoni Iraola clearer and the competition a little less fierce.

So far, the Reds have only brought in Spanish winger Victor Munoz to bolster their attack, having lost the legendary Mohamed Salah over the summer.

Liverpool clearly have a surplus of left-wingers with the likes of Munoz, Rio Ngumoha, Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz all able to play on that flank, with Mbaye a potential option on the right.

Mbaye is worth €30 million, according to Transfermarkt. Liverpool face Newcastle United in the first game of the Premier League season.

Leicester City started their League One campaign with a 1-1 draw at Notts County on Saturday – a few days after the club were put up for sale.

The Foxes have been owned by Thai retailers King Power since 2010 – six years later, they’d guided the club from the Championship to a remarkable Premier League title, one of the greatest fairytale stories in football history.

The death of Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha in a helicopter crash at the stadium in 2018 was devastating for everyone involved in the club, though, and Leicester have now been relegated twice in two years under the stewardship of his son Aiyawatt.

Legend insists good times shouldn't be forgotten

The Foxes’ slide down the leagues has led to significant criticism of decisions made at the club in recent times, and that fan pressure has now led to King Power opting to put the club up for sale for £200m.

Former England striker Emile Heskey is a Leicester City legend who began his career at the club and is now head of football development for the club’s women’s sides. He expects that it could take a while for a sale to happen, based on how things have panned out at other clubs when owners have looked to find new buyers.

“I don’t think it will be reasonably soon, I’d say there will be a lot of protracted dealings to try to get that over the line, but I think we can’t take away from what the Thai family have done for us in Leicester, for us in football and us in the Premier League,” he told FourFourTwo.

“Leicester City and the owners made every club around the country believe that they had a chance – that you never know, it might happen.

“It’s gone a little bit sour, but they’ve done a fantastic job up to now. Whoever takes over has a wonderful foundation with training facilities, both men and women, stadium, and a decent squad to now springboard into something different.

“You can only take your hat off to them and thank them for what they’ve done, not only for the club but for the city as well.

“They’ve done some fantastic things at the hospital, children’s charities, they’ve done everything.”

While Heskey acknowledges that things have not gone well for the men’s team on the field in recent times, he’s sure that the owners have always tried their best to deliver success.

“They have, and they’ve done what they believed was right for the club,” he said, speaking in association with Premier League betting site BetWright.

“Yes, it’s gone a little bit sour, it’s gone a little bit left, but you can’t blame them because the reality is that with the financial fair play, they’ve overspent.

“You can’t say they didn’t spend. That’s one of the things that fans say at a lot of clubs – ‘We’re not spending’. But no, they have spent, they’ve overspent, to try to get out of the hole.

“They tried to do it the way that they believed was right – now we’re in a bit of a pickle, and it’s for someone else to probably take it to the next stage.”

It's one thing to take your rivals' players. It's another thing to weaken midtable. Sir Alex Ferguson was a master of it, specifically in attack: in 13 Premier League-winning seasons, Manchester United only dropped below 70 goals four times, as Ferguson crafted a formula to rejuvenate his forward line.

This was pre-xG, and simple enough to do every season: go and buy leading midtable forwards who will want to step up – and overpay if you need to.

Dwight Yorke. Teddy Sheringham. Louis Saha. Dimitar Berbatov. Alan Smith. Robin van Persie, if you want to stretch the parameters. Cristiano Ronaldo left in 2009: he was replaced by Antonio Valencia and Michael Owen. Ferguson still got his 80+ goals.

And sometimes, football really is as straightforward as that. Goals win football matches; the Premier League is a tough league to adapt to. Title rivals won't sell you their best players, but teams a little lower down the table will if you offer what they're worth to them. Taking a punt on a striker from abroad will either result in a Forlan or a Van Nistelrooy; a Bellion or a Solskjaer. With all due respect to data nerds, scouts, analysts and numbers guys, we can all look at Eric Cantona and have a reasonable idea of how he will translate an hour down the road.

Arsenal last made this kind of signing in 2023 – and even then, it wasn't there first-choice. When the Gunners were hijacked in the 11th hour for Mykhailo Mudryk, they pivoted like never before, bringing in Leandro Trossard for a fee under £25 million. It was a Sliding Door for the Ukrainian, if ever there was one: but surely even the world's greatest optimist couldn't have seen that signing panning out as well as Trossard's did.

The Belgian needed no adaptation time. He scored within weeks, rejuvenated Mikel Arteta's attack immediately and went on to become – hopefully it's not soon to say it, given what he did – a club legend. And yet Arsenal never again went and made the same kind of signing.

Not once in the last three years have Arsenal signed a league-leading attacker from a team outside the so-called ‘big six’ – and they barely had done for the decade prior. Jamie Vardy infamously turned them down after winning a league title with Leicester City. The Gunners bought Nicolas Pepe over Wilfried Zaha. Chelsea wanted rid of Kai Havertz (and we can't straightfacedly call them midtable), so it wasn't quite the same thing – the same is true of Noni Madueke, and anyway, were either of them truly tearing it up prior to joining Arsenal?

Not really. Riyad Mahrez seemingly only had eyes for Manchester City – but Antoine Semenyo was there for the taking. A steep fee at the time of around £60m for a player who Arsenal didn't desperately need – but one that they'd love to bring in now. Anthony Gordon was around £40m when Newcastle United plucked him from Everton – and a little under double that this summer. Arsenal had serious interest – but passed both times.

Arsenal weren't seriously in the conversation for Matheus Cunha or Bryan Mbeumo. They didn't pull the trigger on Pedro Neto – despite wanting him at one stage. They didn't sign Ivan Toney when they had the chance, or even Ollie Watkins. They didn't want Alexander Isak last summer. Granted, these kinds of signings aren't guaranteed to be big hits – but they were absent from conversations surrounding Richarlison and Dominic Solanke, too.

It's strange, considering that Arsenal will happily ”overpay” in midfield. Bidding for Bruno Guimaraes started far below the £75m mark that he eventually cost. There appeared to be hesitation to pay around £60m needed to buy Eberechi Eze, before Spurs spurred Arsenal into action. Board member Josh Kroenke has admitted that Declan Rice cost more than he expected.

The last of which seems like a bargain, surely, even for £105m. Like most clubs, Arsenal have their valuations when it comes to players – but is it really worth holding back the tide of inflation like Cnut, or are you cutting your nose off to spite your face?

There's seemingly a reluctance to buy a Rice or a Bruno or an Eze to improve the attack. Thinking ahead to the rest of the window – and the next couple – are Arsenal going to step up an approach for Junior Kroupi? Morgan Rogers was supposedly the big summer target, but they were reportedly reluctant to pay over the odds. Rayan at Bournemouth could become a top-level attacker. Nick Woltemade would make some sense. You get the feeling, for whatever reason, that Arsenal would are more likely to sign a 'big six’ offcast, like a Cody Gakpo, an Omar Marmoush or a Nicolas Jackson.

With all the Prem-proven attackers they've had in Arteta's time, Arsenal have looked to outsmart the market in attack. Gabriel Jesus wasn't wanted elsewhere. Gabriel Martinelli cost relative pennies but could be moulded into what was wanted. Raheem Sterling was a low-cost loan with only upside. Madueke had potential. Former Brighton man Viktor Gyokeres was seen as better value than Benjamin Sesko.

For all the names mentioned, of course, Christos Tzolis could well turn out to be the signing of the season. Two assists in the Community Shield for what looks like Trossard regen, signed for under £40m: frankly, no one will care that Arsenal didn't sign Rogers if the Greek continues at even half the pace he's set. Sometimes, it's those kind of transfers – the gem from abroad that no one was looking at, able to contribute double-figures from the start – who can make all the difference.

And not everyone can sign them. That's no doubt Arsenal's counter to all of this: not everyone can sign a Mohamed Salah. Otherwise, we'd all have a Mohamed Salah.

But where's their Sadio Mane?

As the new women's football season approaches, the top two divisions pack a few surprises and plenty of familiar big-hitters. The Women's Super League has two divisions, WSL and WSL2, and this quiz from FourFourTwo will test your knowledge of both of them.

WSL kicks off at the start of September with 14 teams in the top division and 12 in the second. We simply want you to list each one in any order and within a rather generous time limit.

There are 26 teams in total, and we're giving you 10 minutes to name them all. Most of you will get close. Few of you will get the lot. Let us know if you do!

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo has loads of football quizzes, all courtesy of Kwizly. To get started, we want to know whether you can name every club to have won any one of England's top four tiers and put every one of these famous football statues literally in its place.

There are also quizzes that ask you to name every top flight club in England since 1945 and every club in the Football League right now. The questions are simple. The answers aren't. Let's see how you go.

We've got a ton of quizzes for accomplished Premier League quizzers. First up, can you sort these players in order of their total numbers of Premier League appearances? If you enjoy that, how about shooting for 100 percent in our one-season wonders quiz.

Here's a crossword for you too. FourFourTwo's Weekend Crossword 66 features clues on French managers, fair play awards, overseas cups and footballing lanes. Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter for your daily afternoon briefing of football trivia and analysis, and don't forget to join The Club: our free membership portal where you can secret hints and get on the leaderboard.

The Champions League final is the biggest game in European club football, and only the finest venues from across Europe are considered fit to host it.

But it was a bit of a palaver for UEFA to sort out exactly who was going to get the right to host the 2027 final, which has been set for Saturday, June 5.

The initial bidding process in 2023 came down to either Budapest's Puskas Arena or Milan's San Siro - only to have to go through the whole process again.

Estadio Metropolitano to host 2027 Champions League final

That was because Hungary was picked for the 2026 final - where PSG ultimately beat Arsenal on penalties to retain the trophy - while the San Siro's future was in too much doubt for UEFA to hand Milan the final. That turned out to be a wise move.

After the bidding was re-opened in 2024, both Azerbaijan putting forward Baku's Olympic Stadium while Spain threw Atletico Madrid's Estadio Metropolitano into the hat, with the latter winning out in the end.

That will make 2027 the second time that the Metropolitano Stadium has hosted a men's Champions League final.

The first was in 2019, just two years after the stadium opened, as Madrid bore witness to Liverpool's victory over Tottenham.

Atletico's ground is only the third-biggest stadium in Spain, but has been noted for its superb transport links, facilities and wider infrastructure.

Barcelona's Camp Nou was instead put forward for the 2027 Women's Champions League final (which will actually be held in Warsaw), with the renovated stadium instead pushing to host the men's final in 2029.

No details are available as to why the Metropolitano was preferred to Real Madrid's Bernabeu home, but greater modernity and a more recent history of successfully hosting the final may be factors.

36 teams will start out in the competition in September, with the league phase giving way to the knockout stage after the turn of the new year.

Atletico will be hoping to go one better than last year and earn themselves a final on home soil after going out to Arsenal in the semi-finals last season.

The club have previously made it to the final three times, in 1974, 2014 and 2016, but ended up on the losing side in all three encounters.

England will have five representatives in the competition again this season, with Arsenal, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Manchester United and Liverpool all vying for the trophy.

Let me be honest with you. There is no magic formula. No secret algorithm. No single template that guarantees a top finish every season.

What there is, however, is a way of thinking about the game that separates the managers who consistently finish well from the ones who spend half the season wondering where it all went wrong.

Here is how I approach it.

1. Process over panic

The first thing to understand is that FPL rewards process over panic. It rewards the manager who spends twenty minutes on a captaincy decision over the one who goes with their gut at 11pm on a Tuesday.

It rewards the manager who checks the next five fixtures before making a transfer over the one chasing last week's points. None of this is complicated, but it requires discipline, and discipline is harder than it sounds when your rank is tanking and your mini league rivals are pulling away.

2. 'How' over 'whether'

Start by thinking about how a player scores points rather than whether they score points. A midfielder who takes penalties, wins bonus points regularly, contributes defensively, and rarely misses a minute is worth far more to your squad than a flashier name who hauls a banger every four gameweeks and disappears in between. Build around reliability first and upside second, not the other way around.

3. Fixtures, fixtures, fixtures

Fixtures matter more than most managers give them credit for, especially in the opening weeks of the season. The early gameweeks can shape your entire rank before September arrives, and a premium asset stuck in a brutal run of away games at title contenders can cost you weeks of progress before they find any rhythm. Map out the first six fixtures for every team in your squad before you finalise anything. Do this every single week when you are making transfer decisions. It takes ten minutes, and it will save you countless headaches.

4. Captain holds the key

Captaincy deserves its own conversation because it genuinely cannot be overstated. Double points from your captain means a single decision defines your week. I have had gameweeks where nine players barely contributed and still posted a score worth smiling about purely because the armband went to the right player. The reverse is equally brutal, and there is nothing worse than watching a popular alternative haul while your captain sits on eight points. Take it seriously every week without exception.

5. Think hard about Haaland

Now for the one that trips people up more than almost anything else. Ownership. Erling Haaland is over 70% owned heading into this season. Seventy percent. And right now, I am building a Bench Boost Gameweek 1 squad without him. Not because I think he will blank, but because it suits my squad structure and chip strategy at this particular moment. The lesson here is simple: ownership figures tell you what other people are doing, not what you should be doing. Pick a player because you believe in them. If you are putting someone in purely because you are scared of what happens if you do not, that fear is not a strategy. That is just noise.

5. Beware new signing syndrome

New signings are another annual trap. Pre-season excitement has a way of inflating expectations for arrivals who then spend their first two months adjusting to a new league, a new system or a new country. Unless the minutes are genuinely nailed down, patience is almost always the smarter call.

6. Chipping forecast

Chips are powerful and they are finite. Have a rough plan for each one before the season starts. Not a rigid schedule, but an idea. Managers who use chips reactively after bad weeks tend to waste them. Managers who have a framework tend to deploy them at exactly the right moment.

7. Trust the process (even if you're in six millionth place)

And finally, be patient with your process. Last season I was ranked around six million overall after Gameweek 5. Six million. I changed nothing. I finished ranked 837. The process works if you give it time, and the managers who end the season at the top are almost never the ones who were making the most noise in October.

Trust yourself, do the work and back your convictions. The rest tends to take care of itself.

Becoming a professional footballer requires you to take full advantage of any point of difference you can possibly find – and proficiency in another sport can be a huge asset.

Peter Schmeichel attributes his famous starfish sprawl to his handball background. Petr Cech believes playing as a goalie in ice hockey prepared him well for football. Didier Drogba points to the intelligence and footwork skills he learned playing basketball. Ruud van Nistelrooy and Zlatan Ibrahimovic both learned balance and body control from taekwondo.

For Georgi Kinkladze, it was dance.

“Traditional Georgian dance is very physical"

More specifically, it was the traditional stylings of Georgian folk dancing, which for men can be extremely explosive, fast-paced and involved a lot of spinning and quick, intricate footwork.

That just so happens to be exactly how Manchester City fans would describe Kinkladze’s work on the wing at Maine Road in the 1990s.

Kinkladze remains an icon in the blue half of Manchester for his sensational goals and for sticking by the club for two more seasons even after their relegation from the Premier League in his first campaign in 1995/96.

Asked if he believed his childhood dance lessons had an impact on the way he played, Kinklaze told FourFourTwo: “Yes, I believe that they did.

“Traditional Georgian dance is very physical. With this kind of dance, you are on your toes, moving with high energy and with perfect balance.

“Taking dance lessons gave me the core strength to change direction instantly while keeping my upper body still.

“People said I looked like I was gliding when I played; that was thanks to the dance training”

Kinkladze is also grateful to have got the opportunity to play international football for Georgia when he was still just a teenager, believing it put him on the radar for clubs like Boca Juniors and City before his later move to Ajax.

He said: “Back then, the Georgian league wasn't scouted heavily.

“Playing for the national team was my chance to show that I could perform on the big stage. Without those international caps, I might never have left Georgia and moved abroad.”

Can you answer 10 football trivia questions in just 90 seconds? Let's find out with the FourFourTwo Quickfire Quiz.

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo has many more football quizzes, all courtesy of Kwizly. For starters, how about proving that you can name every top-flight team in England since 1945 and arrange all these groups of players in order of their Premier League appearance totals.

We have a deceptively difficult one-season wonders quiz that will test your knowledge about a handful of the Premier League's fleeting former stars, and a challenge to name every team in the Football League right now, from the top of the Championship to the foot of League Two.

If you've spent hours riffling through the contents of bookshop and library sports shelves, you'll be able to identify these footballers by the titles of their autobiographies and you might even have a head-start in our football statues quiz to boot.

Here's another tricky one: Can you name Alf Ramsey's full World Cup-winning England squad from 1966?

Nailed that one? There's more international football fun lying in wait. We want you to tell us who's completed football by winning the World Cup AND the Ballon d'Or.

We have puzzles too. Our Weekend Crossword is a regular football teaser for your Sunday, and remember to sign up to the newsletter for more quizzes in your inbox. Don't forget to join The Club for free additional membership benefits!

It's not exactly the circumstances the Toon Army fans would have preferred, but they might at least get to see their side make a big splash in the transfer market and prise a key player away from a Premier League rival this summer.

Newcastle United's decision to sell Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali earlier this summer upset supporters and was a contributing factor in Eddie Howe's decision to walk away from the club.

That has left the club's under-pressure owners needing to earn back a bit of trust that they are still ambitious about the future after a disappointing season last term.

Matthias Jaissle set for midfield reinforcements after key departures

Newcastle have already set about spending some of the £237m they raised from their three big departures.

Goalkeepers Ewen Jaouen and Lukas Hornicek, winger Bazoumana Toure, and midfielders Sean Steur and Aladji Bamba have all arrived this summer for a combined £136.6m

Fans might rightly be concerned that all five are untested in the Premier League after variously arriving from France, Portugal, Germany and the Netherlands.

Just to compound matters, Hornicek is the only one of the new arrivals who was born before the 2006 Winter Olympics, leaving Newcastle to put a lot of faith in youth and potential.

A player with even just a bit more Premier League experience could go a long way, then - and to that end, reports have now suggested that Newcastle are now lining up a big bid for Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba.

The Cameroon international is hardly a grizzled veteran himself at 22 years old, but he has already racked up 92 Premier League appearances since making the move to the Amex from Lille in 2023.

Baleba has previously been linked with Manchester United, but teamTALK report that their interest has cooled.

Reports are conflicting on whether Newcastle are looking to make an offer now or hold fire until Baleba has recovered from an ankle ligament injury.

The Daily Mail have said that it is 'not an active transfer deal' as a result of that injury, but rather 'one to keep an eye on'.

However, talkSPORT's sources have been told that Newcastle think a deal can be done for £65m, while also expressing scepticism as to whether Brighton would even consider doing business in that price range.

Nothing's ever straightforward where Newcastle are concerned, is it?

Watch Cardiff City vs Wrexham as the opening weekend of the Championship season culminates with a clash between two Welsh rivals. FourFourTwo has all the details on live streams and TV channels, wherever you are in the world.

The Bluebirds are back in the second tier after winning automatic promotion from League One at the first attempt, while the Red Dragons will be aiming to kick-start another promotion push having just missed out on the play-offs last term.

Bragging rights are also at stake, though, and Cardiff will be desperate to put Wrexham in their place following the North Wales club's rapid rise through the leagues under Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Cardiff City vs Wrexham in the Championship online, on TV, and from anywhere.

Can I watch Cardiff City vs Wrexham for free?

Cardiff City vs Wrexham is not technically being shown anywhere for free, but viewers in Australia can watch the Championship clash on beIN SPORTS, which includes a 7-day free trial for new users.

Not in Australia? Use NordVPN to unlock your beIN SPORTS stream from anywhere in the world.

Watch Cardiff City vs Wrexham from anywhere

Away from home right now? You don't have to miss Cardiff City vs Wrexham. The solution to your geo-restriction nightmares is a Virtual Private Network (VPN), a piece of software that can set your devices to appear to be in any country in the world.

FourFourTwo’s tech-obsessed office-mates over at Tom's Guide know everything there is to know about VPNs, and they rate NordVPN as the best VPN you can buy.

How to watch Cardiff City vs Wrexham in the UK

Cardiff City vs Wrexham is live on Sky Sports in the UK.

The clash at the Cardiff City Stadium is being shown on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football, with kick-off at 8pm BST.

How to watch Cardiff City vs Wrexham in the US

US viewers can watch Cardiff City vs Wrexham on Paramount+, with kick-off at 3pm ET.

Paramount+ plans start at $8.99 a month and you'll get access to multiple Carabao Cup games this season, as well as every Champions League match.

How to watch Cardiff City vs Wrexham in Australia

As mentioned above, fans in Australia can watch Cardiff City vs Wrexham on beIN SPORTS.

The game kicks-off at 5am AEST (Tue) and will be live on beIN SPORTS 3, as well as the beIN SPORTS Connect streaming platform.

It is one of 155 Championship matches that will be shown live on beIN SPORTS Down Under this season, plus games from Leagues One and Two, and every Carabao Cup fixture.

Cardiff City vs Wrexham: Preview

The Cardiff City Stadium has rarely been a happy place in recent years, so last season will have felt extra special for Bluebirds fans.

After finishing bottom of the Championship in 2024/25, the Cardiff hierarchy appointed Brian Barry-Murphy 14 months ago and it has proved one of the few decisions they have got right. The Irishman led the Bluebirds to promotion as runners-up behind Lincoln City, with a core of exciting youngsters playing some delicious football.

Now back in the second tier, the Bluebirds' primary aim will be survival but fans will be quietly confident they can aim a little higher if the squad continues to improve and summer signing Jack Moylan can step up, after starring for Lincoln last term.

Long-term ambitions can wait, though, as this clash with Wrexham is all about bragging rights. It should be a cracking atmosphere in the Welsh capital and Cardiff will hope it can help them slay the (Red) Dragons.

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It is very unusual for Wrexham to be the highest-placed Welsh club in the EFL - but then again the ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney has never felt normal.

The Red Dragons' expectations have been completely transformed under the Hollywood pair and they have every reason to believe they can become the dominant force in Welsh football for years to come.

Surprisingly, Wrexham have not made too many changes to their squad since finishing seventh in the Championship last season, with goalkeeper Anthony Patterson, right-back Danny Imray and midfielder Ben Whiteman the only notable additions this summer.

Otherwise, it is as you were for Phil Parkinson and Co. as the Red Dragons play at the Cardiff City Stadium for the first time, in their first league meeting with the Bluebirds for 24 years.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Cardiff City 1-1 Wrexham

Don't be fooled by the gap between the teams last season - the Bluebirds (and their fans) are a tough first opponent for Wrexham.

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Barcelona could make a transfer move for Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres.

The Sweden international joined the Gunners from Sporting for a reported £55m plus £8.5m in potential add-ons last summer.

But just a year in to his five-year contract, Gyokeres' future at Arsenal now looks to be in doubt.

Arsenal star Viktor Gyokeres wanted by Barcelona

Three consecutive finishes as Premier League runners up - and particularly a drop in their goalscoring output in 2024/25 - had led many Arsenal fans to call on the club to sign a centre-forward of Gyokeres' calibre.

But Gyokeres went from a regular starter to increasingly appearing from the bench after Kai Havertz properly returned from injury in March - despite having finally found a consistent run of goalscoring form.

Mikel Arteta has consistently started Havertz instead of Gyokeres for all Arsenal's biggest games since his comeback, and has been rewarded for doing so.

The German was picked and scored for a potential title-decider against Manchester City in April.

Havertz then started the Champions League final against PSG and scored the opening goal, with Gyokeres coming off the bench in the 66th minute; Arteta once again plumped for Havertz in his starting line-up for Sunday's season curtain-raiser against City in the Community Shield.

Gyokeres has failed to impress in Arsenal's pre-season friendlies since returning from the World Cup, drawing criticism for his poor touch and finishing. For whatever that's worth, which isn't much, but hey.

And now Barcelona could give Gyokeres a chance to reclaim regular starts, according to El Chiringuito.

Barca have been frustrated in their efforts to prise Julian Alvarez away from Atletico Madrid this summer, and are now reported to be looking at other targets.

Gyokeres is said to be among them, and Fabrizio Romano has claimed that while Barcelona are yet to extend an offer Arsenal's way, a deal could gather momentum over the next couple of weeks.

The summer transfer window in both England and Spain will close at 11pm UK time on Tuesday, September 1.

The Premier League ranks as the richest football league in the world and means players are transferred for vast amounts of money twice a year. The fees haven't always been stratospheric but the biggest moves tend to catch the eye. This FourFourTwo quiz will find out whether you were paying attention.

Let's not beat around the bush: This is a big one. You need to name the top three most expensive transfers into a Premier League club in every summer between 1992 and 2025, so Morgan Rogers and Elliot Anderson aren't here just in case their fees are beaten.

In total, that means there are 105 players to name and 25 minutes to name them. That's not a lot but you'll run out of names before you run out of time. The fees were those reported at the time and we've been generous with our definition of 'summer' for the years before the transfer window was introduced.

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo has absolutely loads of football quizzes and they're all courtesy of Kwizly. After challenging you to identify 105 players, we'll keep it simple and ask you to name every top-flight club in English football since 1945.

If all that history is too much, how about staying in the present day and naming every team in the EFL in 2026-27. That's 72 in all between the Championship, League One and League Two. We also want you to name every team to have won any one of the top four divisions in England.

Fancy another serious test? We have another monster in the form of our latest career paths quiz. In all, there are 100 players to name based only on the teams for which they played.

Elsewhere, FourFourTwo's Weekend Crossword 65 features clues on Premier League title winners, the Super League, famous sponsors and superagents. Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter for your daily afternoon briefing of football trivia and analysis, and don't forget to join The Club: our free membership portal where you can secret hints and get on the leaderboard.