Aston Villa’s pursuit of AC Milan star Rafael Leao has effectively been brought to an end following a major breakthrough in negotiations for Paris Saint-Germain starlet Ibrahim Mbaye.

As revealed by The Athletic's David Ornstein, Villa have reached an agreement in principle to sign the 18-year-old winger in a deal worth €55 million (£46.5m).

The strong personal relationship between PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and Villa co-owner Nassef Sawiris is cited to have been key in closing the agreement, with final formalities reportedly now underway.

Rafael Leao will not become an Aston Villa player - but PSG teenager might

Villa had emerged as serious contenders for Leao in recent days. According to reports from Sky Sports and Italian transfer insider Gianluca Di Marzio, manager Unai Emery had even held direct talks with the Portuguese international to explain his vision.

However, a €55m outlay for Mbaye, who operates in the same left-sided attacking berth, signals that Villa have seemingly chosen their primary long-term option, drawing a firm line under a potential deal for Leao, too.

The acquisition of Mbaye comes amid a turbulent summer overhaul at Villa Park.

Following a high-profile squad firesale that has seen core members of their Europa League-winning squad including Morgan Rogers, Lucas Digne, Ezri Konsa, and Youri Tielemans depart, Emery has been forced to rebuild his unit under strict financial conditions.

With further uncertainty surrounding the futures of Ollie Watkins and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, bringing in fresh talent was deemed essential.

Mbaye has been involved in on-and-off talks with Villa for several months, with the Midlands club long identifying him as a target.

While discussions hit impasses earlier in the window and Mbaye entertained offers from other clubs, negotiations have clearly reignited as the transfer deadline approached. Now, the Senegalese international teenager is finally set to secure his move to the Premier League, while putting an end to the Leao rumours.

After waiting 22 years to win the Premier League again, Arsenal finally did it. Can Mikel Arteta’s side now defend their title?

It will be interesting to see their mindset and approach; whether the relief of getting over the line at last has an impact, or if it only sparks even more fire to do it again now they’ve experienced the success they craved.

With so much change to managers elsewhere in the league, Arsenal’s stability in the dugout and their settled squad could be key in them defending the trophy. Their strength in depth last season was a huge reason they got over some tough hurdles, and they’ve only added to the squad this summer. The Gunners signed even more quality and proven top-flight experience in Bruno Guimaraes, giving them one of the strongest midfields in the league.

There were a few question marks at the beginning of the season, with key players like Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke working their way back to fitness after reaching the final weekend of the World Cup, and William Saliba recovering from injury, but the hope was that there was enough in the squad to get through the opening weeks.

Arsenal also came so close to winning the Champions League for the first time in May, and perhaps that might become their main focus this season. There could be no bigger motivation than to become kings of Europe as well as winning back-to-back Premier League titles. With their quality, depth, stability and know-how, Arsenal are still the team to beat this season.

Rogers at Chelsea

Morgan Rogers to Chelsea was one of the summer’s surprise moves. There was an expectation that the 24-year-old would leave Aston Villa, but the record-breaking £117m deal is hugely exciting for the Blues.

With new boss Xabi Alonso at the helm, Chelsea come into the season with a new outlook, a refreshed squad, and two of the best number 10s in world football. It will be so interesting to see Rogers and Cole Palmer, good friends off the pitch, playing in the same team and how that chemistry can have a positive impact. Their versatility means they can play in the same line-up, or in each other’s position depending on the system Alonso opts for.

After finishing 10th last year, Chelsea have no European football to contend with. That affords Alonso and his many new additions time on the training pitch. They also have a player in Palmer who is fully rested after missing the World Cup, ready and energised to perform. Chelsea could be one of this season’s big challengers, especially in the domestic cups.

Newcastle’s new era

With many managers changing clubs and lots of new faces arriving in the Premier League, it makes for an unpredictable first few weeks. One of the most intriguing new bosses is Matthias Jaissle. The 38-year-old may be lesser known than some other arrivals, but he’s regarded as one of the best young coaches in Europe.

After suffering an ACL injury as a player, the German turned to coaching at an early age thanks to an opportunity through Ralf Rangnick at RB Leipzig. He moved to Red Bull Salzburg, who he steered to two Austrian titles, before heading for Al Ahli in the Saudi Pro League and lifting a pair of continental trophies.

He now arrives in England with a massive opportunity and desire to impress – and his attacking, pressing football will excite Geordies. Jaissle’s experience of developing young talent at Salzburg will have been a big pull for Newcastle given the new era the club have embarked on, targeting younger players after losing established stars Sandro Tonali to Spurs, Bruno Guimaraes to Arsenal and Anthony Gordon to Barcelona.

As fresh faces try to impress the new manager, along with the rest of the squad, the club are certainly an intriguing prospect during the 2026-27 campaign.

Jaissle’s predecessor Eddie Howe ended Newcastle’s long wait for silverware, so what can the young German bring? After last summer’s difficult window, the Alexander Isak saga and a bruising domestic season, a fresh start feels very welcome in the North East.

Liverpool and Chelsea have entered a late-window battle to secure the signature of AS Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara.

Both Premier League clubs are reportedly weighing up a move ahead of Tuesday's transfer deadline.

According to a report from Foot Mercato, both sides have registered interest in the 22-year-old Senegalese international as they scramble for late midfield reinforcements.

Liverpool and Chelsea go head-to-head for Senegal midfielder

At Stamford Bridge, the sudden urgency to land Camara stems from an impending major departure. Enzo Fernandez looks increasingly likely to join Manchester City before the window shuts, leaving the Blues searching for a dynamic replacement to replace the World Cup winner.

Losing the Argentine would certainly impact Chelsea's midfield structure, making the signing of a proven, high-energy operator a priority for the club's recruitment team.

Liverpool, meanwhile, are yet to submit a formal proposal but it's reported they admire the player and could yet make a move.

Camara could prove to be the solution to their own tactical vulnerability. Liverpool’s midfield has been having ongoing issues, and Andoni Iraola's side remain uncomfortably threadbare in central positions following recent squad moves.

With starting options facing demanding workloads across domestic and European commitments this season, securing an additional, durable midfield option before the deadline is viewed by many fans as vital business.

Camara is one of French football's most dynamic young midfielders. The former Metz and Generation Foot prodigy is a box-to-box operator who combines tackling and ball recovery with press-resistant traits such as ball-carrying and forward passing.

At Chelsea, Camara would likely slot in alongside Moises Caicedo, providing the mobility, counter-pressing, and defensive discipline needed to balance what is one of the league's most exciting attacks. His work-rate would go some way to cushioning the blow of Fernandez’s likely departure, too.

At Anfield, Camara’s versatile profile aligns neatly with Iraola's tactical and physical demands for his central pivot.

Capable of functioning either as a deep-lying midfielder or a roaming central box-to-box option, he would offer cover and rotation for both Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch. Camara's ability to break up opposition counter-attacks before quickly advancing possession would give Liverpool the balance they appeared to lack on the opening weekend of the new season.

It remains to be seen what Monaco's asking price will be, but Camara is valued at €40m by Transfermarkt and has three years remaining on his contract, which is likely to be a lucrative deal given the tax exemptions afforded to players in the principality.

Arsenal could pivot to bring in Marcus Rashford from Manchester United before deadline day.

That's according to a new report that says there is “internal surprise” at London Colney that the Gunners are looking to sell Gabriel Martinelli after seven years of service before bringing in a replacement.

While Arsenal are still in the market for Julian Alvarez in the event that the Argentine opts to leave Atletico Madrid, there are fewer options at this stage of the market, with several big targets' futures decided.

Marcus Rashford could move to Arsenal in “temporary” deal

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has expressed his interest in keeping Rashford as part of his squad this season, even bringing the England international off the bench last week in the defeat to newly promoted Hull City.

With the forward one of the Red Devils' highest earners, however, owner Jim Ratcliffe has been happy to move Rashford on in the last few years, with loans to Aston Villa and Barcelona helping to alleviate the wage bill at Old Trafford.

Miguel Delaney of The Independent has now written that the United academy graduate remains an option for Mikel Arteta's side – though Arsenal aren't desperate to sign either Rashford or their big target, Alvarez.

“If Arsenal don’t get [Alvarez], they are relatively relaxed,” Delaney says, adding, “There is some internal surprise they let Gabriel Martinelli go before securing an alternative in that area, although some sources believe it could see Arsenal move for Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford on a temporary deal.

“It’s just as possible they keep the money and wait.”

Arsenal have had a number of major setbacks in the transfer window this summer, with interest in Morgan Rogers, Vinicius Jr and Bradley Barcola at one stage or another.

While Rogers shocked the Gunners by going to Chelsea and Vinicius turned down Arteta's advances to sign an improved deal at Real Madrid, Barcola is on the cusp of signing for Liverpool, without Arsenal ever putting in a serious offer in the end for the Frenchman.

If Arsenal do sell Martinelli and fail in their pursuit of Alvarez, that would leave Arteta with just Christos Tzolis as an out-and-out left-winger – though the Basque brought Eberechi Eze on in his place last week in the win over Coventry City.

Noni Madueke could well play on that flank, too, while youngster Max Dowman could feature on the left as well.

Rashford is worth €40m, according to Transfermarkt. Arsenal face Aston Villa when Premier League action continues next weekend.

Jose Mourinho is set for an unexpected return to Stamford Bridge after Real Madrid were drawn against Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League this season.

The Ukrainian champions have selected Chelsea’s home ground as their venue for European fixtures in 2026/27.

Shakhtar have been forced to play their designated 'home' matches thousands of miles away from home due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which renders hosting international fixtures in their homeland impossible.

Jose Mourinho can't stay away from Stamford Bridge

Having previously utilised temporary venues in Poland and Germany during recent continental campaigns, the Ukrainian side reached an agreement to stage their Champions League ties in London this year.

The arrangement was made possible because Stamford Bridge is vacant of European football this season, following Chelsea's failure to qualify for any continental competitions.

The fixture, due to be played on Tuesday, September 8, sets up a West London homecoming for Mourinho, who made a return to Real Madrid this summer for a second managerial stint at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The Portuguese manager remains an iconic figure in Chelsea's history following two spells at the club. Across his reigns in SW6, he delivered three Premier League titles, an FA Cup, and three League Cups, famously declaring himself 'The Special One' during his unveiling in 2004.

Despite managing other clubs across Europe in the years since, Mourinho has repeatedly spoken of his enduring affection for Chelsea.

"When I am in London, I meet them every day on the street. I know that is going to be a relationship forever," Mourinho previously reflected when discussing his bond with the fanbase. "They belong to my history and I belong to their history. I will always be a Blue."

While Mourinho will occupy the technical area as Real Madrid manager against Shakhtar, his presence on the Stamford Bridge touchline is likely to be the focal point of the evening. For Chelsea supporters, watching their former manager return to the pitch under the Champions League lights, even in the opposition dugout as he did last season with Benfica, will stir plenty of emotions.

Jack Hinshelwood is a doubt for Brighton & Hove Albion against Chelsea this weekend.

The Seagulls star netted two goals on the opening day of the campaign, but missed Brighton's 4-0 win over Tromso in the Conference League last night with a knock.

Now, the utility man faces a quick turnaround ahead of facing a Blues side who have won both competitive matches under Xabi Alonso.

Jack Hinshelwood could be out for five to six weekes for Brighton & Hove Albion

Hinshelwood completed 63 minutes in the rout of Villa, scoring twice from just two shots on target.

But the midfielder picked up a knock on Wednesday, with manager Fabian Hurzeler, seemingly optimistic of him returning sooner rather than later when he spoke ahead of the European clash with Tromso.

“He had a small issue in training yesterday, so we have to go day by day with him and see how it progresses over the next few days,” the Brighton boss said after his side’s victory over Tromso. “I can’t give you a clear schedule for when he will be back: it could be a really short thing, or it could be a few days longer.”

“Let’s see how he presents himself, and then we can make a decision.”

According to The Athletic, the Brighton academy graduate will be out for five to six weeks – though the injury has not been confirmed.

Brighton have a number of injuries at this early stage of the season, with both wingers Kaoru Mitoma and Yankuba Minteh sidelined right now – the latter of whom Hurzeler claims to have spoken to, to convince the Gambian to remain at the Amex.

Mitoma missed the World Cup with Japan through injury, while Georginio Rutter is still being monitored following a knock.

Rutter's absence could see Greek striker Charalampos Kostoulas get his chance to shine, while new signing Promise David could be in line for a Premier League debut after sitting on the bench against Villa.

UEFA are looking to oust Gianni Infantino from power, as they consider criminal proceedings against FIFA President Gianni Infantino.

UEFA are subpoenaing FIFA and the financial institutions involved in the United States to obtain documents related to the Swiss's plans to privatise the World Cup, which were revealed last month by Martyn Ziegler of The Times.

Yesterday, UEFA called off their threatened boycott of all FIFA tournaments, following Infantino backing down from selling off the Greatest Show On Earth – but it appears that the president is still hanging by a thread in his job.

A legal document, as seen by Sky News, claims that, “UEFA and other interested parties are preparing to bring criminal claims in Switzerland against Infantino and possibly other FIFA officials and advisors for criminal mismanagement under Article 158 of the Swiss Criminal Code and such further or alternative charges as the developed factual record may support, arising out of the secretive structuring, valuation, financing, and marketing of a transaction that inflicted direct and concrete injury on FIFA's reputation, governance authority, and commercial relationships to the detriment of FIFA as well as its 211 members, including UEFA's 55 member associations.”

The report claims that, “The application was lodged by UEFA in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against JP Morgan Bank as well as planned lead investor Thrive Capital and its CEO, Joshua Kushner, who is the brother of Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.”

The original proposal, known as the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), planned to spin off and sell a minority stake in the commercial rights of flagship events organised by the governing body, such as the World Cup.

The plan aimed to raise over $4 billion in capital from private investors, led by Kushner’s Thrive Capital, with Infantino eventually becoming chair of this new spin-off organisation.

Infantino pitched the scheme by offering member associations increased development funding, scaling payouts significantly through 2030 if they backed the initiative – but was met by widespread backlash, with UEFA, CONCACAF, and AFC all fiercely rejecting the move.

The controversial FIFA chief officially abandoned the project on August 1, claiming it had created unmanageable divisions that are “no longer in the interest” of its objective.

FIFA COO, Kevin Lamour, claimed that the governing body's own administration had been ‘deceived’ about the project, with Chief of Global Football Development, Arsene Wenger, adding that he hadn't seen the plans until they were revealed in the media.

Infantino remains under intense pressure, as he seeks re-election for a fourth term as president at the Fifa Congress in March

Doubt has been cast on Newcastle United’s anticipated sale of Nick Pope following a disastrous European night for Scottish champions Celtic.

The Bhoys' failure to secure qualification for the UEFA Champions League league phase this season has somewhat altered their financial outlook in the final days of the summer transfer window, placing Pope’s proposed move to Parkhead on the brink of collapse.

Celtic's drop into the Europa League will inflict a blow to their finances for the 2026/27 campaign.

Celtic may be forced to reassess Newcastle transfer

Under UEFA’s prize money distribution framework, reaching the Champions League league phase guarantees a club an automatic starting fee of €18.62m (£15.7m).

However, participation in the Europa League pays out just €4.31m (£3.6m) by comparison, representing a revenue deficit of €14.31m (£12.1m).

Overall, Celtic's defeat by Austrian side LASK Linz is expected to cost the club between £21m-30m in potential revenue - an especially bitter pill to swallow given the lead they held in the fixture.

This financial shortfall could leave last season's Scottish Premiership winners struggling to justify the expenditure required to land veteran goalkeeper Pope.

FourFourTwo understands Nick Pope's Newcastle deal saw the England goalkeeper remunerated increasingly year-on-year, meaning his current earnings are likely to surpass Celtic's current wage structure.

While Newcastle remain willing to sanction the move to streamline their own goalkeeping department, Celtic may not be able to comfortably accommodate Pope’s Premier League salary without a financial safety net of Champions League football.

Without Champions League participation and the revenue stream it guarantees, Celtic’s decision-makers could now be forced to reassess whether Pope remains an essential signing in the final days of the transfer window.

Arsenal are readying themselves to potentially let go of a player who only joined this summer.

The Gunners have been measured during the transfer window, adding Ezri Konsa to the defence, Bruno Guimaraes to the midfield and Christos Tzolis to the attack, with Julian Alvarez targeted as the marquee buy of the window.

But it's actually in goal that Arsenal could well see a shock departure before deadline.

Arsenal readying themselves for Illan Meslier approach from Marseille

French custodian Illan Meslier was manager Mikel Arteta's first signing of the summer, arriving at London Colney to compete with Kepa Arrizabalaga for a chance to be David Raya's backup.

World Cup-winning Spaniard Raya is an undroppable first choice between the sticks for the Gunners, having won the Premier League Golden Glove in each of the last three seasons – and FourFourTwo understands that his place is as untouchable in the side as the likes of Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka.

There could well be movement in the goalkeeping department though, according to journalist Santi Aouna, who has claimed in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that Marseille are looking at Meslier.

Aouna claims that “Marseille still need to trim the squad before they can make concrete progress”, but could well make a loan move for the Frenchman before next week's transfer deadline.

Arsenal have been widely expected to sanction a loan move for 20-year-old Tommy Setford, who served as a third-choice keeper for Arteta last season – however, this new development suggests that Dutch-born England youth international may well stick around for another season, with Meslier heading out instead.

The Premier League champions have had heavy turnover when it comes to goalkeepers, having signed one every year since Arteta took the reins as manager.

In 2020, FA Cup-winning Emiliano Martinez departed for Aston Villa, to be replaced by Alex Runarsson, who in turn was upgraded when the Gunners signed Mat Ryan on loan in January, and again in the summer of 2021, when Aaron Ramsdale signed to be the club's new No.1.

USMNT glovesman Matt Turner signed in 2022 to replace the ousted Bernd Leno as Ramsdale's backup, before Raya signed in 2023 on loan – and then permanently in 2024.

With Ramsdale exiting in the summer of 2024, the North Londoners brought Neto in on loan from Bournemouth, before Kepa became the club's cup keeper when he signed from Chelsea 12 months ago.

Meslier is worth €8m, according to Transfermarkt. Arsenal face Aston Villa when Premier League action continues next weekend.

Tottenham Hotspur are still in the market for another striker, with one Bundesliga star targeted.

This summer has been the busiest in N17 for some time, with Jan Paul van Hecke, Sandro Tonali, Matheus Fernandes and Savio signed for a combined £300 million, and Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi both joining on free transfers.

But even though Tottenham are on the cusp of announcing Omar Marmoush next, the transfer business still isn't complete, as another Bundesliga hitman has been targeted.

Tottenham Hotspur in the market for another striker

Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport has revealed that Spurs are in for Igor Matanovic of Freiburg, along with Manchester United.

Despite the Lilywhites having landed Marmoush, to add to a forward line that also includes Richarlison and Dominic Solanke, they would reportedly like to add Croatian Matanovic – which is complicating Fiorentina's pursuit of the forward.

To add further drama to the saga, Tottenham sporting director Fabio Paratici is now at the Viola, as the North Londoners look to get one over on a familiar face from the Daniel Levy years.

Spurs and Paratici are believed, however, to be on good terms, and even did business over the summer with Fiorentina signing defensive flop Radu Dragusin on loan.

As relayed by Sport Witness, “The Italian side believe Matanovic is the heir to Mario Mandzukic for the Croatian national team,” thanks to his excellent aerial ability – something that Solanke offers a little more than Richarlison or Marmoush.

United are also looking to the 23-year-old to bolster their attacking depth, though their interest may hinge on Joshua Zirkzee's status as a Red Devil by the end of the transfer window.

Spurs were humbled 3-0 at the weekend against Brentford but recovered to beat Charlton Athletic 5-1 in the Carabao Cup third round last night, as manager Roberto De Zerbi looks to turn around a dreadful two seasons in North London, in which the club have suffered back-to-back 17th-placed finishes.

Heavy spending in the transfer market has been offset by big sales in the form of Cristian Romero, Djed Spence and Luka Vuskovic, all fetching over £30m each in transfer fees.

Spurs have also been busy renewing key players' contracts, with Ben Davies, Pedro Porro, Antonin Kinsky and Micky van de Ven all rewarded with bumper new deals.

Matanovic is worth €22m, according to Transfermarkt. Tottenham play Newcastle United when Premier League action continues next weekend.

Ella Toone has been at the heart of Manchester United’s women’s team since its inception, and as the club enters a new era this season, the midfielder insists she has plenty more to give.

Marc Skinner’s five-year spell in charge came to an end this summer with former Hearts boss Eva Olid taking over as United’s new manager in her first Women’s Super League role. There has also been significant change within the squad - with Leah Galton, Hannah Blundell, Millie Turner, Lisa Naalsund, Melvine Malard and Gabby George among the departing names.

But Toone remains at the club she calls home, as United prepare for another competitive WSL campaign, with the 26-year-old determined to continue improving.

Ella Toone taking leadership role at Manchester United

“I know that as someone who has been here for a long time, sometimes it can be hard to find that motivation or be a bit complacent,” Toone said. “But because of the person that I am, I want to be the best I can be.

“As a player and a person, I always want to be better and push myself. I have that motivation to get up and give 100% every day.

“I feel like I've got a really high ceiling and there's still a long way for me to go as long as I come in and learn and develop every day."

With so much change at the club, Toone has emerged as one of United’s senior figures, a role she is enjoying growing into.

"I'm 26 and for some reason I'm now in the old category at this club," Toone said. "But I take a lot of pride in the fact that I've played a lot of games for Manchester United and I know that people can lean on me.

"I have to be a leader in this team and show them what it means to play for Manchester United. It’s something that I take in my stride."

'Bigger and better every year'

United face an increasingly competitive WSL this season, as the league continues to grow and attract some of the biggest names in world football.

Former Barcelona star Alexia Putellas is among those arriving in England this summer, joining London City Lionesses, while the league has expanded to 14 teams. Toone believes that increased competition is one of the reasons the WSL has become such an attractive destination for players from around the world.

“We know that this league is one of the best in the world because no matter who plays who, they can take points off anyone,” she added.

“No game is an easy game in this league, every game is really tough and that's why we attract such amazing players and talents from all across the world - they want to play in a league that's so challenging and competitive.

“It’s grown so much in the time that I've been a part of it and that's down to clubs investing more and bringing top world-class players in from all over the world.

“It gets bigger and better every year, so it's exciting to be a part of that change and that journey within women's football.”

That increased investment across the WSL provides an interesting backdrop to United’s own summer that has been dominated by departures that have raised questions over whether United are keeping pace with the investment of their rivals - champions Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal, and the recently-ascended London City Lionesses.

Despite reaching the Champions League quarter-finals last season in their first time in the main competition, they missed out on European football this season after a fourth-placed league finish.

Their reshaped squad now gives Olid further challenges to tackle to close the gap on the teams above them.

But for Toone, now the only remaining pioneer from the side established in 2018, her focus is on her continued development and fighting hard in another season at the club that made her fall in love with football.

And for a lifelong United fan, no moments come bigger than the opportunity to play at Old Trafford - where United will host Arsenal in their final home match of the season.

“It means everything to play at Old Trafford,” she added. “I think it means everything to everyone who plays for Manchester United to play at one of the best stadiums in the world in Old Trafford in front of our fans, family, friends. It's always an amazing opportunity for us and one that we enjoy doing.

“But Leigh Sports Village is our home and has been for a long time - we love it when we fill out that stadium, but of course we look forward to our Old Trafford games every year.”

Arsenal have reached an agreement for the purchase of Julian Alvarez of Atletico Madrid.

That's according to a new report, which says that the Argentine is closer than ever before to a return to the Premier League, following a breakdown in his relationship with Rojiblancos fans.

Alvarez was booed and whistled at the Metropolitano after publicly stating that it was his “dream” to leave – with Arsenal ready to capitalise on Atletico's refusal to sell to Barcelona.

An 'agreement exists' between Arsenal and Atletico Madrid

Sport Witness have relayed news from Spanish publication AS, which claims that Alvarez is “starting to see” that the Premier League champions are his only chance to leave Diego Simeone's team this summer.

Though Barcelona are interested in signing the World Cup winner, Atletico are unwilling to discuss a move for the star with a rival – and with a release clause set at over £400 million, negotiations can't begin without their consent.

Arsenal have been quoted a price of £128m, and now AS says that an “agreement between the clubs exists” for a €150m deal, plus Viktor Gyokeres heading to Spain in the opposite direction.

Gyokeres was manager Mikel Arteta's top scorer in all competitions last term as the club won the league and reached the final of the Champions League, but has come under criticism for his lack of all-round game and didn't make it off the bench for the first game of the season against his former club, Coventry City.

Now, all Arsenal need is an agreement with Alvarez – though that has always been the sticking point in any deal.

Earlier this summer, Arteta spoke to Alvarez personally to convince the former Manchester City forward to come to North London – but his preference remains to go to Barcelona.

Barça, meanwhile, have been linked with the likes of Gyokeres and Gabriel Jesus to bolster their frontline following the departures of Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres.

Arsenal are closing in on the sale of Gabriel Martinelli to Al Hilal, with Alvarez an option to play either on the left or at centre-forward.

Alvarez is worth €120m, according to Transfermarkt. Arsenal face Aston Villa when Premier League action continues next weekend.

Arsenal could be about to sign another defender before the transfer window closes.

The Gunners are clear in their intention to upgrade an attack that stuttered at times during their Premier League-winning campaign – but are yet to sign a big-money forward, with just left-winger Christos Tzolis added for a modest fee.

Yet the temptation to bring in yet another defensive face might be too much for Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to resist, with an opportunity having arisen in recent days.

Arsenal in for another defensive signing

Arteta has improved his defence and defensive midfield this summer, with acquisitions for Ezri Konsa and Bruno Guimaraes totalling over £120 million.

And now, ESPN Brazil says that the champions could be about to spend on another defender in the form of Santos teenager Joao Ananias.

The Gunners are among a throng of clubs interested in the 19-year-old, which includes Brentford, Atletico Madrid and Besiktas, with only the Istanbul-based outfit submitting a concrete offer so far.

The report states that Benfica came close to signing Ananias for £6 million in June, though failed to come to an agreement with Santos, who are using those negotiations as a “reference point for any new talks”.

The centre-back is under contract until 2030, but with the Alvinegro's financial situation demanding sales, a departure could help to balance the books.

In adding Konsa to their squad, Arsenal now have eight players who can play in central defence, with Ben White, Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel, Cristhian Mosquera, Pierro Hincapie and Riccardo Calafiori the other seven.

FourFourTwo understands that the club are exercising caution around the back injury that Saliba sustained during the World Cup, while Declan Rice, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Martin Zubimendi are all candidates to play at full-back in a pinch – but it would not be unusual for Arteta to bring in another centre-back to develop.

Rob Holding was used as an emergency option towards the end of his Arsenal career, with the Gunners bringing the long-serving centre-back to shore up the backline and offer experience, even from the bench.

16-year-old Marli Salmon has made four appearances for Arsenal's senior side in defence, too, and may well feature across this campaign.

Ananias is worth €500k, according to Transfermarkt. Arsenal face Aston Villa when Premier League action continues next weekend.

Manchester United have a squad full of exciting talents.

Club captain Bruno Fernandes was arguably the best player in the Premier League last season, new signings Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo have bedded in nicely, while Marcus Rashford, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba could well add plenty of star quality to manager Michael Carrick's team this term.

And yet, Manchester United legend Lee Sharpe didn't name any of them when FourFourTwo asked him which current star he wished he'd played alongside…

Lee Sharpe names Joshua Zirkzee as the Manchester United player he wished he'd played with

“Joshua Zirkzee is one of my favourite players to watch,” Sharpe somewhat surprisingly responded when asked for a current Red Devil he'd have loved to line up with, courtesy of esports betting at Thunderpick.

“His ability on the ball is phenomenal: in tight areas, he's got great feet and the ability to go past people.

I'm surprised they didn't play him a bit more or give him a chance at the weekend against Hull. It was tight and they needed goals, after all.”

“Surprised you didn't say Bruno,” FourFourTwo asked.

“Well, I really like Kobbie Mainoo, too,” Sharpe responded. “Mainoo is a top player as well.” Fair enough!

Zirkzee arrived at Old Trafford two years ago during Erik ten Hag's tenure as manager, getting off to a flier with a goal on the first day of the 2024/25 season against Fulham – but has struggled to hold down a first-team place since then.

The emergence of Cunha, Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko limited the Dutchman to just 26 appearances in all competitions last term, and a return of just two goals, both of which came under Carrick's predecessor, Ruben Amorim.

Zirkzee has been linked with a move away from United this summer, as Rashford returns from loan to compete for a starting berth.

The Red Devils also have the likes of Mason Mount and Patrick Dorgu competing for places in attack.

Zirkzee is worth €20m, according to Transfermarkt. United face Ipswich Town when Premier League action continues next weekend.

Liverpool are in the market for another forward or two before the transfer window closes, as Andoni Iraola rebuilds a misfiring team.

The Reds were criticised after a disjointed opening-day draw on Tyneside in which Dominik Szoboszlai snatched a point for Liverpool against Newcastle United, with questions asked over the defensive midfield, full-backs and Florian Wirtz in particular.

Despite their woes further back, however, it appears the Merseysiders are still chasing a number of targets to improve the frontline.

Liverpool sees transfer hopes dashed by Jose Mourinho

One player that Iraola won't be welcoming to Merseyside, however, is Endrick.

The wonderkid has struggled to adapt to life since moving to Real Madrid from Palmeiras at the age of 18, going on loan to Lyon last term – and ESPN Brazil recently confirmed that Liverpool were one of a number of sides monitoring the striker as cover for the injured Hugo Ekitike.

Spanish outlet El Desmarque have relayed comments from Los Blancos boss Mourinho, however, pouring cold water on any exit for the Brazil international.

“I didn’t want to loan him out or sell him because I enjoy working with this young player who possesses significant talent,” the Special One is quoted as saying.

“I’m not sure if he’ll make Carlo Ancelotti’s first national team squad, but having a great friend as the national team coach [helps]. He is a player I like very much, one who has attracted interest from many clubs wanting him either on loan or via a permanent transfer.”

The 15-time European champions rehired the Portuguese legend over the summer, and despite attackers including Vinicius Jr, Brahim Diaz and Arda Guler all being linked with moves away from Valdebebas, all of them have remained with the club, with Yan Diomande signing from RB Leipzig in a nine-figure move.

Liverpool were long-linked with Diomande themselves, before recalibrating to target Bradley Barcola and Yankuba Minteh – who could both move to Merseyside before the deadline.

Iraola currently has Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo competing for the centre-forward spot, with the latter linked with a move away in recent weeks, and Ekitike likely to miss the majority of the season after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon in the Champions League last term.

While backup Real striker Gonzalo Garcia has moved to Fulham this summer, Endrick has been handed the no.9 shirt at the Bernabeu ahead of the new campaign.

The 20-year-old is worth €40m, according to Transfermarkt. Liverpool face Nottingham Forest when Premier League action continues next weekend.

The Manchester club have unintentionally derailed the Magpies’ pursuit of Lille forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo, according to reports.

Newcastle had been in negotiations over a fee with the Ligue 1 outfit for the Belgian international forward, but the club may now go in a different direction after failing to agree.

The high-profile transaction between Manchester City and Lille, which sees Ayyoub Bouaddi join Enzo Maresca's side, has altered the negotiating landscape.

Manchester City land Ayyoub Bouaddi but deal has consequences

Man City’s £81 million purchase of the teenage midfielder has deposited a massive windfall of cash into Lille's accounts, transforming the French club's balance sheet.

Before Man City’s intervention, Lille were - as is the case with huge swathes of French football - operating under pressure to balance their books.

This would have made structuring a deal for Fernandez-Pardo achievable for Newcastle, however, that financial leverage has now vanished.

With their coffers overflowing from the Bouaddi deal, Lille no longer need to sell for economic reasons. Consequently, the French side have been able to play hardball in talks, holding out for a steep asking price that far exceeds what Newcastle are willing to pay.

Therefore, with Newcastle unwilling to overpay in an inflated market, the Magpies have reached a roadblock in negotiations, according to reports on the continent.

The setback occurs while Newcastle and Manchester City remain engaged in direct business elsewhere.

Newcastle are finalising a reported £50 million transfer for Man City midfielder Nico Gonzalez, which will reinforce Matthias Jaissle's options in the middle of the park.

Arsenal have been given the green light to begin talks for Julian Alvarez with Atletico Madrid.

The 2022 World Cup winner was booed and whistled by his own fans on Sunday night, making his first appearance in Rojiblancos colours since publicly stating that he wishes to leave the Spanish capital.

With Arsenal chasing Alvarez all summer, The Standard has relayed information from The Athletic, stating that Atletico have acquiesced and are now willing to discuss terms for their previously untouchable forward.

Atletico Madrid prepared to sell Julian Alvarez to Arsenal – for £128m

With the animosity between Alvarez and Atletico fans crystal clear after scenes at the Metropolitano over the weekend, there's been a reported change in stance from his employers: Atleti rejected a £128 million bid for their star in June from city rivals Real Madrid, but are now willing to discuss a sale for that figure.

This would make the former Manchester City player Arsenal's record signing, with the Premier League champions having spent just over £100m on Declan Rice in 2023 – while the Gunners are looking to shift Gabriel Martinelli for over £50m to the Saudi Pro League in the coming days to balance the books.

The Standard has reiterated that Alvarez's desire is not to move to North London but to Barcelona – but with Atletico unwilling to do business with their La Liga rivals, the Catalans have given up on signing the 26-year-old.

That leaves Alvarez at an impasse: either he remains playing under Diego Simeone for another season or leaves for a new challenge at the Emirates Stadium.

FourFourTwo understands that both Gabriel Jesus and Viktor Gyokeres have been talked about as pawns in a potential deal, with the former now into the final year of his Arsenal contract, and the latter left on the bench against former club Coventry City last Friday in the first Premier League game of the season.

Both players have been discussed as cut-price options to strengthen Barcelona's attack – though the Blaugrana are working on deals to offload La Masia alumni Alejandro Balde, Marc Casado and Hector Fort – while Gyokeres has been touted as a potential replacement for Alvarez himself.

Arsenal are also looking to loan out an academy graduate of their own in Ethan Nwaneri, as manager Mikel Arteta looks to finalise a squad capable of competing on all four fronts this term.

Alvarez signed for Atletico two years ago, after two years in English football in which he won the league twice and the Champions League – along with a World Cup in Qatar.

As reported by David Ornstein for The Athletic back in 2024, Los Colchoneros signed the centre-forward in a deal worth over £80m, giving him a six-year contract and including a release clause worth €500m (£427.1m).

Alvarez is worth €120m, according to Transfermarkt. Arsenal face Aston Villa when Premier League action continues next weekend.

Manchester United have begun talks to sell one of their most highly-rated young players.

The Red Devils have been savvy in the transfer market so far this summer with their incomings, but few players have headed out the door to balance the books.

While Manchester United now look to be keeping the likes of Marcus Rashford and Manuel Ugarte – players previously tipped for transfer – it seems one young talent is up for sale, with negotiations underway for him to leave Old Trafford.

Champions League club in to sign supremely talented Manchester United youngster, Chido Obi

Dutch outlet De Telegraaf reports that 18-year-old wonderkid Chido Obi is a target for Feyenoord, with the Rotterdammers in talks to bring the centre-forward to De Kuip on loan.

The report calls the deal “surprising” given that the club have Ayase Ueda, Ignacio Ferri and teenage nepo baby Shaqueel van Persie all as options in attack – but while “Feyenoord is currently only interested in a loan deal”, United have set a price tag of €5 million.

Obi came to attention in Arsenal's Hale End academy, making his under-21 debut at the age of just 15 and making international headlines when he netted 10 goals in 14-3 win against Liverpool, at under-16 level.

The young Dane made the shock move to Manchester United in 2024, however, along with Ayden Heaven, in search of more playing time.

Obi was handed a Premier League debut by Ruben Amorim in February 2025, and against Brentford a few months later, became the youngest player to start a Premier League game for United at just 17 years, 156 days – but found the pathway into the first team difficult and has thus far only played seven times in the Premier League.

Obi claimed Amorim challenged the teenager to “be humble” and wait for his opportunity – but with the club signing the likes of Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha last summer, the 18-year-old didn't feature once all season for United's first team last term.

FourFourTwo understands that United still value Obi highly and would prefer a loan – though wouldn't be opposed to selling the player for the right price.

New manager Michael Carrick has been seemingly more open to giving youth a chance than his predecessor, meanwhile.

Amorim reportedly failed to watch an entire academy game during his time at Old Trafford, with Carrick attending one within weeks of being named interim boss at the club.

Obi is worth €5m, according to Transfermarkt. United face Ipswich Town when Premier League action continues next weekend.

Arsenal star Gabriel Martinelli has team-mates on his side, following his brutal freeze-out from manager Mikel Arteta.

According to a new report, the Brazilian's imminent exit from North London after seven years has caused “discomfort” in the Emirates Stadium dressing room – and that Arsenal stars have shown “plenty of sympathy” for their colleague.

While ESPN Brazil reports that Martinelli is understandably upset about the situation, The Mirror has revealed that this could be a wider problem at London Colney, with team-mates backing the 25-year-old.

Arsenal turning attentions to Matias Fernandez-Pardo

Arsenal are currently pursuing Julian Alvarez as a late signing in the closing days of the transfer window, though FourFourTwo understands that the move is difficult, with the Argentine currently not favouring a transfer back to England.

Martinelli, meanwhile, is on the cusp of a move to Al Hilal, having rejected a move to Galatasaray, having not featured in either of Arsenal's first two games of the season.

The winger last featured in an Arsenal squad in pre-season, seeing himself dropped for the Community Shield in Cardiff before Arteta again left him out of his matchday squad against Coventry City, as the champions began their title defence.

In both fixtures so far, new signing Christos Tzolis has started on the left wing for Arsenal, with Eberechi Eze replacing him last Friday night against the Championship winners in a comfortable 3-0 win.

Martinelli made the move to North London in 2019 under former manager Unai Emery, but established himself as a regular under Arteta during the club's resurgence up the table.

Having scored 15 league goals in 2022/23, it looked like the Brazilian would push on and develop further – but Martinelli has stagnated somewhat and last term only put up a single strike in the club's first league win in 22 years.

This is not the first time that Arteta has frozen out a player or shown a cold side when trying to move on a star: not only were one-time record signings Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mesut Ozil omitted from the squad before having their contracts terminated, goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale was dropped in favour of David Raya, in a move that felt controversial at the time.

Despite Arteta insisting that both Ramsdale and Raya were competing for the same spot, the England international made just two appearances in the league in his final season – both against Brentford when the on-loan Raya was cup-tied.

FourFourTwo understands that Arteta still has the overwhelming support and backing from all of his squad, with no suggestion or hint of any kind of dressing room mutiny.

Martinelli is worth €45m, according to Transfermarkt. Arsenal face Aston Villa when Premier League action continues next weekend.

Liverpool’s midfield unit is in a bind as the club prepares to sanction yet another departure from its engine room.

According to transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, Spanish midfielder Stefan Bajcetic is on the verge of returning to his hometown club, Celta Vigo, with negotiations over personal terms approaching a final agreement.

The potential departure of the 21-year-old comes on the heels of Curtis Jones completing a £30 million move to Serie A champions Inter Milan.

Liverpool lose another midfielder

Losing Jones has thinned out Liverpool’s squad depth, and allowing Bajcetic to pack his bags leaves manager Andoni Iraola with surprisingly threadbare reserves in central areas, even if he was unlikely to mount a challenge to the established starting order this season.

Behind options like Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, and Dominik Szoboszlai, the bench is looking especially scarce ahead of a domestic and European campaign.

There is growing fan anxiety over the Reds' balance in central midfield, too.

Supporters are likely to view this latest transfer manoeuvre with skepticism. With Szoboszlai and Gravenberch both inclined to push forward in possession, shipping out rotational options without securing a defensively-minded replacement feels like a gamble that risks leaving the defence exposed.

For Bajcetic, heading back to Galicia represents a homecoming of sorts. Liverpool originally signed the youngster from Celta Vigo’s youth setup in December 2020 for a modest fee. He was developed into a deep-lying midfielder under Jurgen Klopp and enjoyed something of a breakout 2022/23 campaign, featuring sporadically under the German.

However, growth-related injury setbacks halted his rise, restricting him to just three senior appearances during 2023/24 season before subsequent loan spells at Red Bull Salzburg and Las Palmas.

While a return home offers Bajcetic a fresh start to reignite his promising career, Liverpool supporters are left questioning the strategy of letting another engine-room reserve walk away.

The Carabao Cup returns for its second round this week with Round Three already on the horizon.

Premier League teams entered the competition at the Round Two stage with the potential for a couple of giant-killings before we've even bid farewell to the month of August.

In Round Three, though, the remainder of the Premier League's participants are added into the mix, but there will be two draws, not one, taking place this week.

When will Round Three for the Carabao Cup be drawn?

Round Two for the Carabao Cup will be down live on Sky Sports Football on Wednesday August 26, shortly after the conclusion of Preston North End's tie with Everton.

Will Round Three of the Carabao Cup be regionalised?

No, Round Three of the Carabao Cup will not split teams north and south.

But, there will be a separation of pots and a split draw process for the Third Round, designed to manage fixture congestion created by UEFA’s expanded European competition calendar.

Will Round Three of the Carabao Cup be seeded?

Yes, the Carabao Cup is now seeded at this stage – with the EFL introducing seeds in Round Three, purely for logistic reasons.

English teams in the Champions League and Europa League play two more matchdays than those in the Conference League, meaning that there could be a fixture pile-up without some kind of system to keep these sides from meeting.

Last season, for example, third-round Carabao ties began on the weeks commencing September 16 and 23, with European fixtures clashing.

Ball numbers

Why are there two draws for the Carabao Cup Third Round?

Before the main draw, which takes place after the Everton game, there will be a pre-draw to decide whether each of the eight Champions League and Europa League Clubs will be at home or away.

The eight Premier League teams competing in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League are seeded into Pot 1 because their match dates are strictly constrained by UEFA.

How does the Main Draw work?

The first eight ties pair each pre-selected Pot 1 club (with their home/away status already locked in) against an opponent drawn from Pot 2 (the remaining 24 teams).

The final eight ties are then drawn exclusively from the 16 remaining Pot 2 teams.

Why are Premier League teams in Europe pre-selected for Pot 1?

The separation ensures no European-competing team can draw another European-competing team in the Third Round.

Round Three of the Carabao Cup is played across two separate midweek blocks in September. Champions League Matchday 1 and Europa League Matchday 1 take place on alternate weeks during this window.

If a Champions League team were drawn against a Europa League team, both clubs would have conflicting UEFA fixture commitments on alternate weeks, and because UEFA match dates are non-negotiable, finding a common midweek for them to play each other in the Carabao Cup would be impossible.

The Solution is placing all eight UCL and UEL teams in Pot 1 and guaranteeing they only play non-European teams from Pot 2.

This way the EFL can easily slot each tie into whichever of the two midweeks that specific European team is free.

Liverpool have been given a “zero per cent chance” of landing a top young star they were linked with earlier in the transfer window.

The Reds have started life under Andoni Iraola in disjointed fashion, salvaging a late point at St. James' Park on Sunday – but despite questions being asked of their defensive midfield, marquee buy Florian Wirtz and both full-backs, it appears that Liverpool are chasing another winger.

A deal for Yankuba Minteh is close, while Bradley Barcola has been linked all window – though it appears one wonderkid defensive midfielder is not on the radar.

Liverpool have no chance in pursuit of wonderkid midfielder

One-club Liverpool man Jamie Carragher was scathing in his criticism of his former side's opening weekend draw with Newcastle United, calling out Ryan Gravenberch for his positioning and stating that Dominik Szoboszlai doesn't have the “discipline” to play in a double-pivot midfield.

“I think Liverpool do need someone alongside Gravenberch.” Carragher said, adding “It doesn't necessarily have to be a player who can't get on the ball, who's just tackling and stopping players.

“If you play for one of the top teams in the world, like Liverpool are, you need to be able to get hold of the ball: but I want someone in [the midfield] who can run, and I just think Szoboszlai has to go to the no.10.”

According to Colombian journalist Pipe Sierra, that won't be Matias Orozco, who has been ruled out of a move to Anfield.

The Barranquilla-born deep-lying playmaker burst into Colombian side Deportivo Cali's first team last season, with local outlet VBar Caracol stating that the 18-year-old was close to leaving for Merseyside.

That information now appears to be premature – at least in terms of Anfield links, with Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, Newcastle United, Everton, Aston Villa, Fulham and Manchester City all touted as interested in the talent.

City have just completed a deal for another South American-based wonderkid in the form of Palmeiras winger, Allen, as per The BBC.

Leeds United and Brentford were both touted as potential destinations for Oroczo.

The Colombia youth international is worth €1.4m, according to Transfermarkt. Liverpool play Nottingham Forest when Premier League action continues next weekend.

Liverpool are plotting their next move in the Yankuba Minteh saga – despite a ‘bizarre’ issue.

The Reds opened their Premier League season with a disappointing draw at St. James' Park, as Dominik Szoboszlai salvaged a point for Liverpool with a last-gasp penalty against a dogged Newcastle United.

But despite calls for the club to bring in more defensive-minded players – even from Anfield legend Jamie Carragher on Monday Night Football, who was critical of his former club's opening performance – Liverpool are pressing on with bringing in two more wingers before the transfer window slams shut in a week, with Minteh the standout option on the right.

Liverpool still want Yankuba Minteh - despite 'bizarre' setback

Liverpool have had two bids rejected for Yankuba Minteh already in the last week.

The Gambian has become the Reds' top target to replace Mohamed Salah on the right flank – with TEAMtalk relaying that the club are weighing up whether to increase their bid to a minimum of £65 million.

The report describes the continued interest as “bizarre”, however, following journalist Florian Plettenberg revealing in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that Minteh is expected to be out of action for a minimum of eight weeks.

The Brighton & Hove Albion man picked up the knock in pre-season against Roma and missed the Seagulls' romp at home to Aston Villa at the weekend, with Plettenberg noting he may need “two to three months to be fully match-fit after his injury”.

Given how disjointed Liverpool looked in their draw with Newcastle, the injury news comes as a blow to new manager Andoni Iraola, who is trying to get his squad up to speed and ingrained in his methods as soon as possible.

Youngster Rio Ngumoha started out of position on the right on Tyneside, while the Reds had questions to answer with their high-flying full-backs, lack of cover in defensive midfield, how best to compensate for the ageing Virgil van Dijk and which position best suits big-money playmaker Florian Wirtz.

FourFourTwo understands that a fee of around £70m would be enough for Brighton to accept – with journalist Ben Jacobs corroborating that figure on TalkSPORT.

“With Minteh, they held some talks over the weekend,” he claimed, adding, “They’re deciding today; so it could change any minute and very quickly whether they want to make a third bid.”

“If they go to £70m, it’ll be a done deal, according to Brighton sources: my sense is Liverpool might consider £65m first.”

Minteh is worth €45m, according to Transfermarkt. Liverpool play Nottingham Forest when Premier League action continues next weekend.

Arsenal have been “seduced” by a leftfield option for their frontline.

That's according to a new report, with the Gunners running out of time to secure a new forward before the transfer window closes next week, and moves for big targets having not progressed in the last few weeks.

Arsenal have already replaced one Belgian this summer in the form of Leandro Trossard – but could they be about to bring in one of his international team-mates?

Arsenal turning attentions to Matias Fernandez-Pardo

Sport Witness has relayed information from Sky Deutschland and Foot Mercato regarding Belgian World Cup star Matias Fernandez-Pardo, who is said to be close to a move to RB Leipzig.

The East German outfit have targeted the Lille man as one of two options, along with former star Christopher Nkunku – while Newcastle United are preparing a final bid of around €60 million for Fernandez-Pardo, too, as per Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri, in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Sport Witness notes that Leipzig have an agreement in principle, but that Arsenal have been “seduced by his explosive qualities” and “aware they need an astronomical fee of €70m” to hijack a move for the player, who was a surprise call-up for the 2026 World Cup.

FourFourTwo understands that Newcastle are still closest to bringing in Fernandez-Pardo, though Arsenal's lack of options elsewhere could potentially lead to a shock deal of some kind advancing seemingly out of nowhere.

Gabriel Martinelli is said to be close to a £50m switch to Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, and time is running out for Arteta to source a replacement, with Julian Alvarez seemingly uninterested in leaving Spain and Kenan Yildiz having only signed an extension to his Juventus contract earlier in 2026.

The Gunners have also been linked with the likes of Bradley Barcola and Victor Osimhen.

Arsenal have been smart in the market to bring in another player with Belgian connections, signing Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge for the left wing spot to replace Trossard – with Fernandez-Pardo having played in the Pro League, too.

The 21-year-old came through Lille's academy, leaving for Gent in 2020 before returning across the border in 2024, where he has made 71 appearances for Les Dogues.

The winger only made his senior international debut this year, choosing the nation of his birth, Belgium, over Spain and Italy, who he was eligible to play for through ancestry.

Fernandez-Pardo is worth €35m, according to Transfermarkt. Arsenal face Aston Villa when Premier League action continues next weekend.

Imagine you were to offer Arsenal a left-winger who scored more goals in the Champions League last season than Bradley Barcola, Vinicius Jr or Leandro Trossard. A left-winger with a proven work ethic to do the dirty work defensively and essentially run wing-back shifts. A left-winger with a knack for huge goals in huge moments, who scored against Real Madrid and Manchester City in the last couple of years. A left-winger who has never agitated to start ahead of anyone else and simply bided their time for opportunities. A left-winger who is still just 25 years old. A left-winger who adores Arsenal.

You get where this is going. You read the headline: you know that we're talking about Gabriel Martinelli. But just in case we weren't: who else is available right now who ticks even most of those boxes?

If Arsenal had a guaranteed upgrade waiting for the no.11 shirt, you could maybe understand the freeze-out. But they apparently don't. Not even club legend Ian Wright understands why the Gunners are leaving Martinelli out of squads right now, as he said on Sky Sports last Friday.

“It really makes me feel uncomfortable,” Wrighty said. “He's done enough with this squad to be treated with a little bit more respect than he's being treated with at the moment.”

“Done enough” is putting it mildly. Martinelli was there in the trenches with Bukayo Saka: one of three players left in manager Mikel Arteta's squad whom he didn't actually sign or give a debut to, as a fourth-tier Brazilian bargain who came into an Arsenal side at its lowest and came to define this new era. He was pacy and exciting and scored goals against big teams, but more than that, he was selfless and hard-working and desperate to impress.

The treatment feels particularly cold, given how much Arsenal owe their Premier League title to this guy – and not just for salvaging them a point against Manchester City last season. Is this what Arsenal will do to Saka or Declan Rice one day?

But it's also baffling. He can still contribute – more so than some of his team-mates.

It feels as if Martinelli's own selflessness has led to his stagnation. He announced himself in 2022/23, contributing 15 league goals, dovetailing with Gabriel Jesus and Granit Xhaka on the left-hand side. He registered six goal contributions in his first 10 games, earned a call-up to the midseason World Cup, then registered another 12 in his last 12. It felt like his ceiling was as high as Saka's.

And then Jesus picked up the first of a series of serious injuries. Xhaka left – and rather than replacing him with another passing, Arteta brought in a runner for that left-hand no.8 position, using Kai Havertz, and then Declan Rice. Martinelli was limited to the touchline. He never developed that diagonal cut inside into the box; instead, he looked to stay wide – stay out of Rice's feet – and beat a man on the outside.

He should have been a little more ego-driven. He was a centre-forward before Arteta: he had a knack of getting his head to absolutely anything. Yet from 2023 onwards, the Brazilian has essentially kept his head down (literally and figuratively) to be a touchline winger, despite lacking the 1v1 burst.

He's never been given much of a sniff of playing further in-field – yet whenever he's played there, he's impressed. He last led the line against Liverpool in 2024/25 and scored, in a superb second-half performance. He's never had the space to counter-attack into, given how teams low-block Arsenal – yet last season he scored in six of his seven Champions League group games when he was given breathing space.

Martinelli will usually deliver when given the conditions to – and suddenly, Arsenal have more of a passing presence on the left-hand side, in Myles Lewis-Skelly or Bruno Guimaraes, and a reliable overlap from left-back, in Piero Hincapie. Arsenal have finally built a team for Martinelli… and it's only now that they're selling him.

It sort of feels like the Brazilian is being judged against what was expected of him. Jurgen Klopp once labelled Martinelli as a “talent of the century” – which feels a little overblown now. But if we're being completely honest, did Noni Madueke have a better season than him last year?

There are bigger issues at play here. Viktor Gyokeres lacks an all-round game, and the drop-off between Kai Havertz and the Swede is the biggest between two players in the squad. Arsenal have several players who can play on the left-hand side: unless they can land a significant upgrade on Martinelli – which it doesn't seem they can – the sensible thing would surely be to keep him for another six months as backup to Eberechi Eze and Christos Tzolis on the left, and an alternative to Havertz and Gyokeres through the centre. Wait six to 12 months until a genuine level-raiser – a Junior Kroupi or a Kenan Yildiz, perhaps – appears. Is it even taking a financial hit when you're going to buy a nine-figure player in the next 18 months anyway?

But that's not the popular decision. Martinelli has been there seven years, and unlike Saka, he's not developed into the world-class forward everyone thought he would become. This is the last chance to recoup a big fee for a player with two years left on his contract – and given that he's not improved over the past three years, it's easier to move him on and wonder “what if” than to endure another below-average season.

It seems like things are more black-and-white in football than ever before. Only last night, Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher slammed his former club's business 12 months ago as potentially the “worst transfer window in Premier League history”. It may not have even been the worst last summer – and if signing Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak is truly that disastrous, surely Arsenal would love a taste of that.

Just as Martinelli is not a terrible, unusable forward, Julian Alvarez is not the magical silver bullet to replace him. If Arsenal choose to drop £100 million on a player with a handful of senior appearances on the left wing, that's a gamble: if they choose to invest quite so much money in a footballer who so plainly obviously doesn't want to go there, that feels more like a lottery.

The decision to freeze out Martinelli and pursue Alvarez doesn't feel massively in line with Arsenal's careful approach of signing attackers – driven as much by their failed pursuits of Morgan Rogers and Vinicius Jr as by their desperation to upgrade.

Maybe those who criticise the devil they know should be careful what they wish for. Upgrading on Martinelli seems like a good idea in theory, but it might not be quite as straightforward when reality hits.

Wrexham have reportedly agreed a deal with Ligue 1 side SCO Angers for defender Jacques Ekomie, according to a report from Foot Mercato.

West Ham United and German club Hamburger SV were also reported to be pursuing the 23-year-old left-back.

French sports newspaper L'Équipe previously reported West Ham's interest in the Gabonese international, with Angers placing a €10 million (£8.7m) valuation on the player.

West Ham miss out on international defender

However, Wrexham are now understood to have moved ahead in negotiations to finalise terms with the French club before West Ham could.

The outcome comes following a winless start to the Championship campaign for West Ham following their relegation from the Premier League last season.

Despite retaining one of the highest-salaried squads in the second tier, West Ham have recorded one draw and one loss from their opening two league fixtures against Burnley and Charlton Athletic, respectively.

West Ham hold significant transfer capital after selling Crysencio Summerville and Mateus Fernandes earlier in the window.

The substantial fees recouped from those two departures provided financial flexibility for squad reinforcements, but an agreement for Ekomie was not reached on this occasion.

Ekomie joined Angers from Bordeaux in 2024 and made more than 50 appearances in French football.

His anticipated departure for Wrexham leaves West Ham searching for alternative defensive options in the final days of the transfer window.

Stamford Bridge officials must offload four senior players before September 1 or risk watching players tear up their contracts and walk away on free transfers under a new legal framework.

The summer transfer window for English clubs closes in a matter of days, leaving the Blues with a major squad bottleneck.

Premier League registration limits, FIFA loan caps and strict new player protection laws pose a significant problem for the Blues, if it cannot be rectified in time.

Chelsea's squad registration bottleneck

Chelsea’s bloated first-team squad currently stands at 39 players. While 10 of those qualify as Under-21 players, meaning they do not occupy a spot on the Premier League's 25-man squad list but remain eligible to feature, the reality for the rest of the squad is stark.

Because Premier League rules cap senior squads at 25, four established over-21 players will be left unregistered if they remain on Chelsea's books after the window shuts.

Loan loophole closed

In previous years, Chelsea might have bypassed registration headaches by farming surplus players out on loan, particularly to French side Strasbourg under the shared BlueCo ownership umbrella.

However, updated FIFA regulations have restricted that particular route.

FIFA limits clubs to a maximum of six international loans per season, with a secondary rule stipulating that no more than three players can be loaned to the same club.

Chelsea have already burnt through two of their six outgoing international loan slots, including one to Strasbourg. Consequently, Chelsea possess four remaining outgoing loan spots in total and can send a maximum of two more players to Strasbourg.

The consequences of leaving players unregistered are far more dangerous than the dressing-room discontent of previous seasons. A new agreement between FIFA and global players' union FIFPRO now gives exiled players housed within a club's "bomb squad" the power to take legal action.

If a player is excluded from the official squad list or banished to train separately from the first-team, they now hold the legal right to cite "just sporting cause."

If Chelsea are deemed in breach of these employment standards, the affected player can theoretically terminate their contract with immediate effect.

For Chelsea, contract terminations would mean forfeiting hundreds of millions of pounds in amortised transfer value and potential resale fees. In theory, players signed for massive sums could walk away for nothing.

With the transfer deadline falling next Tuesday, September 1, Chelsea have less than a week to broker the requisite departures.

Manchester United have an offer on the table for Alejandro Balde, with the full-back being ushered out of Barcelona.

Balde was left out of Hansi Flick's matchday squad at the weekend, and with Manchester United chasing an upgrade at left-back, Balde has been frequently touted as a long-term solution in that position.

With Barcelona having re-signed Joao Cancelo over the summer and Flick favouring Gerard Martin in Balde's role, too, the 22-year-old is considering his future ahead of the transfer window closing.

Alejandro Balde closer to a Manchester United move, given “uncertain” Barcelona future

According to a Cadena Ser report, Balde is uncertain about his immediate future at Camp Nou, and manager Hansi Flick “has not clearly defined his role for the current season.”

Balde has a “firm proposal” from Manchester United but has not been formally asked to leave Catalonia, despite Flick recently asserting that he “expects more commitment, more competitiveness, and more intensity” from the defender.

Michael Carrick's team lost 2-0 to newly promoted Hull City on Saturday in the shock of the weekend, with long-serving left-back Luke Shaw coming under fierce criticism.

Red Devils legend Gary Neville – ranked at no.48 in FourFourTwo's list of the greatest Premier League players of all time – dissected Shaw's performance on Monday Night Football on Sky Sports, noting that while Shaw has plenty of experience, he had “no idea what [he was] doing” for the goal.

31-year-old Shaw is now in his 13th season as a Manchester United player, with last term the first time that he featured in every league game of the season.

United have been linked with a younger upgrade in the form of one of Joaquin Seys, Lewis Hall and Myles Lewis-Skelly – though the latter two are not for sale – and while Balde has been a long-term target, he is unlikely to leave Barcelona in the coming days unless he is explicitly told he has no future.

FourFourTwo understands that Barça are also keen to move another two La Masia graduates out of the club in Hector Fort and Marc Casado, with Premier League interest in both players at one stage.

Deemed one of Barcelona's most exciting young players after his breakthrough in 2021, Balde made his debut for his hometown club at 18, made an international debut a year later, and signed a long-term contract with his hometown club in 2023 with a billion-euro release clause, marking his ascension as one of the most exciting young defenders in world football.

A hamstring injury in 2024 somewhat stunted his development, however, and despite a surprise call-up to the 2022 World Cup, the left-back star was left out of Spain's triumphant Euro 2024 and 2026 World Cup squads.

Balde is worth €50 million, according to Transfermarkt. United host Ipswich Town when Premier League action continues this weekend.

Liverpool debutant Jeremy Jacquet was thrown into the deep end during Sunday's 2-2 draw against Newcastle United.

The young French centre-back experienced a baptism of fire at St. James' Park, likening the atmosphere on Tyneside to one of European football's most notoriously intimidating arenas.

Jacquet, 21, recently completed his transfer to Anfield following an impressive rise through the ranks in Ligue 1.

Jeremy Jacquet: 'St James' Park is like Marseille's Stade Velodrome'

Handed his Premier League bow in front of 52,000 roaring Geordies, the highly-rated defender found himself thrust into the thick of a fiercely contested battle.

The clash saw Liverpool and Newcastle trade blows, ultimately sharing the spoils after a frantic ninety minutes that ended in a 2-2 draw. While the action on the pitch was at times breathless, it was the relentless noise from the terraces that left a lasting impression on the newcomer.

Speaking to French broadcaster Canal Plus, as quoted by Get French Football News, after the final whistle, Jacquet drew parallels between Newcastle's home and Olympique de Marseille's famous Stade Velodrome.

Across France and the wider European continent, Marseille's home ground is revered and feared in equal measure. It carries a reputation as an ear-splitting cauldron of hostility, where ultras create a visually spectacular and loud environment for visiting teams.

It seems the Geordie faithful managed to replicate that wall of sound on Sunday afternoon, offering the young Frenchman a stark welcome to the English top flight.

“The atmosphere? It wasn't bad. It reminded me a bit of the Velodrome," the young defender confessed. "It's an iconic stadium, fans shouting everywhere. That's why I'm here. I like that."

The newly arrived centre-back claimed to relish the intimidation, taking the St. James' Park decibel levels in his stride, although he was substituted during the second half for the more experienced Ronald Araujo, on loan at Liverpool from Barcelona.

Liverpool are to submit a third bid for Yankuba Minteh, as the Brighton player waits to formalise personal terms.

The Reds have been linked with the likes of Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye this summer, but last week, reports dropped of Liverpool's interest in Minteh, with his entourage dismissing the claims as “old news”.

Now, however, the Merseysiders are expected to ramp up their offer for the Gambian – who didn't feature in table-topping Brighton's first fixture of the season at the weekend – in their search for a needle-moving wide man.

If Liverpool bid over £70m for Yankuba Minteh, Brighton are likely to accept

According to journalist Foday Manneh in a post on X (formerly Twitter), a third bid is expected for Minteh, with the Reds “ready to go with an improved and convincing offer”.

Minteh himself is described by Manneh as “[waiting] to formalise personal terms” once a fee is agreed between the two clubs, with Sport Witness claiming that £70 million should be enough for the Seagulls to accept.

Minteh signed for Brighton from Newcastle United in 2024, making 66 league appearances over the past two campaigns for Albion and becoming a hit at the Amex opposite Kaoru Mitoma on the opposite flank.

The BBC reported his original transfer fee to Sussex as being £30m, with the deal sanctioned along with the sale of Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest, so that the Magpies could satisfy Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

A sale at £70m would represent a profit of more than double what Brighton paid – though they don't particularly need the money – reportedly turning down over £90m for Mitoma last year.

Last Thursday, it was widely reported that Brighton had rejected a £50m bid for the winger, with a second bid also rejected over the weekend.

FourFourTwo understands that Minteh is extremely keen for the move to one of Europe's elite and that personal terms aren't thought to be an issue, though he hasn't agitated for a transfer just yet.

Liverpool may well land Barcola on top of Minteh before the transfer window closes, with Victor Munoz secured in attack as well – as the World Cup winner made his debut for the Reds over the weekend.

Youngster Rio Ngumoha started Andoni Iraola's first game as manager on the right wing meanwhile, with Minteh a more natural fit for that flank.

Minteh is worth €45m, according to Transfermarkt. Liverpool play Forest when Premier League action continues next week.

Lewis Hall experienced the full spectrum of footballing emotions at St James' Park on Sunday afternoon, putting in a strong performance against Liverpool before inadvertently playing the pantomime villain.

The 21-year-old left-back was tenacious down his flank for 90 minutes in Newcastle United's 2-2 draw, showcasing his defensive nous and composure, both in and out of possession.

However, an agonising stoppage-time foul inside the box handed Dominik Szoboszlai the opportunity to equalise from the penalty spot. Despite the late heartbreak, Hall’s overall display was among the finest on the pitch, serving as a emphatic reminder to Newcastle fans and interested suitors of his potential.

'No chance' Lewis Hall is signing for Manchester United, says Newcastle boss

It was a timely shop window display after three months spent out of the spotlight. Hall spent his summer on the outside looking in, omitted from Thomas Tuchel’s England World Cup squad despite delivering consistent displays throughout the 2025/26 season.

Had Hall been plying his trade in the red of Manchester United rather than representing a Newcastle side that finished in the bottom half of the Premier League table, his international trajectory might have looked somewhat different. The added visibility and selection weight associated with Old Trafford often sways national team managers, a reality that could weigh on the young defender's mind.

This situation presents Manchester United with a transfer ultimatum of sorts. With just eight days remaining until the summer window shuts, the Red Devils must act now or risk missing out entirely.

Man United have long-considered Hall the primary candidate to succeed Luke Shaw, but time is slipping away, much to Newcastle's delight. Hall’s performance against Liverpool proved that months away from action have done nothing to dull his edge, putting the ball firmly back in Man United’s court to mount a late approach before the deadline passes.

Engineering a late swoop will be far from straightforward, as Newcastle quite rightly remain determined to stand their ground.

Speaking to Viaplay following the final whistle on Sunday, Newcastle head coach Matthias Jaissle poured cold water on suggestions that Hall could head to Old Trafford. When asked directly by former Man United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel whether Hall could be moving to Manchester, the German manager offered a swift and unequivocal response, declaring: "No chance! No chance!"

Jaissle made it clear that Newcastle view the full-back as a key player in this new-look side, meaning Michael Carrick's men will need to present an extraordinary offer to break Tyneside resolve before the window closes.

Arsenal could collect a record sale for one of their squad – but there's a catch: they don't want to sell.

The Gunners got off to a storming start in the Premier League on Friday night, playing with a lot more freedom and expression than Arsenal fans came to expect last season against a newly-promoted Coventry City.

But with the transfer window drawing to a close next week, manager Mikel Arteta could well part with a star that he wants to keep, and actually used on the opening day of the season.

Martin Zubimendi could yet leave Arsenal for Real Madrid

Martin Zubimendi has been linked with an exit from Arsenal since the Gunners signed Bruno Guimaraes in the same position – given that Real Madrid were desperate to sign the midfielder before he penned a move to North London last summer.

Los Blancos lost out in their pursuit of Rodri earlier this summer, and now Spanish outlet Fichajes has relayed information from journalist Tomas Gonzalez Martin that Arsenal have set Zubimendi's price tag at £100 million – over £60m more than Arsenal have ever sold a player for – with the 15-time European champions considering him as a deep-lying playmaker for manager Jose Mourinho's midfield.

According to the report, “Zubimendi would be willing to play for Real Madrid, but [Madrid president] Florentino Perez is not considering making the move for that amount.”

Arteta has publicly denied that Arsenal will part with the 27-year-old, meanwhile, recently calling him an “important player”.

“Without a doubt, he was one of the best players for Arsenal last season,” the Gunners boss said of his fellow Basque, adding, “Without him, we would never have got into the position that we got into in the last few weeks”.

Zubimendi started 34 of 38 league fixtures in Arsenal's Premier League-winning campaign – appearing in the other four off the bench – and started 11 of the club's 14 matches in the Champions League, establishing himself as a key man for his new club and becoming integral to Arteta's new-look midfield.

But while the no.36 started the season strongly – even recording a brace in just his fourth appearance for Arsenal, against Nottingham Forest – Zubimendi ran out of steam towards the end of the season and lost his place in the engine room to Hale Ender, Myles Lewis-Skelly.

FourFourTwo understands that Arsenal would only consider moving Zubimendi on for the right price, with Arteta wanting depth in his midfield this season to compete on four fronts.

New signing Guimaraes missed the opening game of the campaign following a knock, while Declan Rice has suffered with injury and fatigue in recent months, meaning that Zubimendi may well have a bigger part to play than is perhaps immediately obvious.

The World Cup winner is worth €75m, according to Transfermarkt. Arsenal face Aston Villa when Premier League action continues next week.

Liverpool hiring Andoni Iraola came as a curveball to some: Xabi Alonso was available for quite a while, after all.

That was the obvious choice, too. The former Liverpool midfielder had been heavily linked to take over from Jurgen Klopp, before Arne Slot was even in the conversation for the job – so when Alonso to Anfield rumours failed to materialise at the end of last season, it was assumed that the Reds would stick it out with Slot. Alonso even moved to Chelsea.

Which made Iraola an interesting hire. On the pitch, yes, he's perfectly suited to the high press that has come to define the red half of Merseyside over the past decade or so. Off the pitch, few have made the connection just yet.

Andoni Iraola didn't just join any big club - Liverpool offer a collective identity that he wants to work under

The Basque played almost his entire career at Athletic Club before sampling the Big Apple with a season at New York City FC – before heading into coaching.

In 2024, FourFourTwo met up with Iraola to talk about his journey from Bilbao to Bournemouth and how he became one of the most exciting young coaches in the world through a very particular pathway.

Athletic, famously, have a very defined identity: their ‘cantera’ policy focuses solely on developing players of Basque origin or from the region. The fanbase at San Mames, meanwhile, are openly politically active, expressing solidarity with international social and political movements. Regardless of whether you're broadly left or right in Bilbao, however, you belong to something bigger.

Rayo Vallecano – who Iraola managed before Bournemouth – are staunchly socialist. The club's prominent ultra group, Los Bukaneros, is explicitly anti-fascist, anti-racist, and pro-workers' rights. In 2014, the club and fanbase aided Carmen Martinez Ayudo, an 85-year-old local woman evicted from her home, flying banners with “The evictions of a sick state, the solidarity of a working-class neighbourhood” at the very next game.

And when FourFourTwo put it to Iraola himself that perhaps a club's identity was integral to him in football, he nodded in agreement. While careful not to use the P-word (that's politics), he made it very clear that he likes to align himself with clubs who passionately believe in something.

“I’d practically been a one-club man as a player: I stayed 16 years at Athletic Club, and I think at Athletic and Rayo Vallecano, the sense of belonging is really important,” Iraola said.

“In the end, I always ask my players to think first collectively, even if I understand that the players want to achieve a lot of things in their careers. If we work as a collective, I will look like a better manager, they will look like a better player and even the players who are playing fewer minutes will look better – because the ones that are playing will look better. I think we have to prioritise the team, and the team always comes first.

“This has always been the case at Bournemouth.”

It was Bill Shankly who once said, “The socialism I believe in is everybody working for each other and having a share in the rewards. That's how I see football, that's how I see life.” Plenty has happened politically, socially and at football grounds – both to Liverpool and within the city – since those words were uttered.

But the feeling of Liverpool's identity has always been palpable. Perhaps nowhere else in the country could a parallel of “Scouse not English” take off. The Reds bought into the collective under Klopp a lot more than some fans have with high-press priests at other clubs. It's perhaps fair to suggest that Liverpool's identity was a big reason for Iraola moving to Anfield.

Liverpool have seen their hope for another big-money signing dashed.

The Reds have had a modest summer after spending well over £400 million last summer – and with the likes of Bradley Barcola and Yankuba Minteh still on the table, new Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola has promised that new players will arrive at Anfield.

But the Basque won't be getting his hands on Adam Wharton of Crystal Palace – and that's confirmed.

Adam Wharton's Liverpool move won't be happening, says manager

So far this summer, only Victor Munoz and Jeremy Jacquet have joined Liverpool on permanent deals – but speaking to Reds one-club man Jamie Carragher in an interview for Sky Sports, Iraola confirmed, “We'll definitely sign players”.

“Some deals you have to wait until the end,” the former Bournemouth gaffer stated, adding, “At the end, the important picture is the one we have on September 1, because we are still quite thin.”

The Reds have just parted with academy product Curtis Jones, and CaughtOffside recently dropped an exclusive report on how the 20-time champions of England were “targeting an ambitious move” for Palace controller Wharton to replace his fellow England international.

But in quotes relayed by transfer influencer Fabrizio Romano in a post on X (formerly Twitter), new Palace boss Pierre Sage says that “it's not the moment” for Wharton to leave Selhurst Park.

“Adam can play at a big club but I think one year with us, one year with a new dynamic, will be good for him and we need him,” Sage said.

Wharton signed for the Eagles from Blackburn Rovers in January 2024, after breaking into his hometown club's senior side as a teenager and becoming a regular in the Championship.

A call-up for England and four international caps have followed, with plenty suggesting that Wharton could be one of his country's most important midfielders of the next decade.

The 22-year-old has been linked with moves to Liverpool and both Manchester clubs this summer, after being named as the Man of the Match in the Conference League final for Palace last term.

FourFourTwo understands that Palace view Wharton as almost unsellable this summer, with the Lancastrian likely to become a £100m transfer when he eventually departs South London.

Wharton is worth €70m, as per Transfermarkt. Liverpool play Newcastle United when Premier League action begins again this weekend.

The Turkish giants suffered a damaging 1-0 defeat at home to Ferencvaros in the first leg of their UEFA Europa League play-off tie.

Having come off the bench against Kasimpasa in the Super Lig last weekend, the former Liverpool superstar was handed his full debut at Papara Park, but even the Egyptian's presence could not prevent his new side from faltering.

Trabzonspor dominated large periods of possession, registering a higher Expected Goals (xG) total from the match, but struggled to dismantle a resilient Ferencvaros setup.

Mo Salah waiting on first win in Trabzonspor colours

Operating on his usual right flank, Salah showed occasional flashes of his trademark quality, cutting inside to test the goalkeeper with a curling effort early in the second half.

However, the Hungarian champions stood firm, frustrating the hosts and proving clinical when their moment arrived.

Former Bristol City and Cardiff City winger Callum O'Dowda featured for the visitors, operating on the same flank as Salah.

With a 1-0 advantage secured on foreign soil, Ferencvaros head back to Budapest as favourites to advance to the Europa League league phase.

For Trabzonspor, the defeat carries consequences that extend beyond the pitch. Failure to overturn the deficit in Hungary next Thursday would see the club drop down to the UEFA Europa Conference League, inflicting a potential financial blow on the club.

Reaching the main stage of the Europa League guarantees participating clubs a baseline starting fee of roughly €4.3m, complemented by broadcast revenues and performance bonuses. In contrast, dropping into Europe’s third-tier competition reduces guaranteed entry fees to approximately €3.17m, alongside vastly reduced television market shares.

For a side that invested heavily to bring Salah to Turkiye, missing out on Europa League revenues represents a deficit they can ill afford.

Aston Villa are moving for Tosin Adarabioyo to replace the Arsenal-bound Ezri Konsa.

Villa fans have endured a tough summer, selling the likes of Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne, with Emiliano Martinez and Ollie Watkins seemingly following next out of the door, along with Konsa.

Rogers in particular was a record sale from Aston Villa to Chelsea – and there could be much more business to be done between the two teams.

Tosin Adarabioyo could now move to Aston Villa from Chelsea

Villa have already confirmed the loan signing of Alejandro Garnacho – and with Konsa now heading to Arsenal, the Europa League winners have identified another Blue in Tosin as his replacement.

That's according to Sky Sports, with The Sun claiming that Benfica have also made an offer, as ex-Fulham manager Marco Silva looks to reunite with his former Whites centre-back.

There could yet be even more business between Chelsea and Villa, with Nicolas Jackson said to be on the table – with transfer influencer Fabrizio Romano claiming in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that the Midlands outfit have chased the Senegalese for 12 months.

Jackson worked with manager Unai Emery at Villarreal and could be one of three ex-Blues making the trip to Birmingham this summer, as a relationship between Chelsea and Villa develops.

With both clubs needing to do creative business in recent years to satisfy the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), the likes of Ian Maatsen, Jadon Sancho and Axel Disasi have all been signed by Emery.

Chelsea would be able to bank Tosin's sale as “pure profit”, too, given that he signed for them on a free transfer originally.

The former England youth international began his career at Manchester City before a Deadline Day move to Craven Cottage in lockdown of 2020, and a cross-capital move across SW6 four years later, to become one of Enzo Maresca's first signings.

Tosin established himself as a regular in his first season at Stamford Bridge, with 41 appearances in all competitions, but found game-time harder to come by last term – and will likely see that reduced further if he stays at the club, given the acquisition of Maxence Lacroix in his position.

FourFourTwo understands that Villa have sold Konsa for £51 million plus add-ons – meaning that they've made a profit of well over £200m this summer after securing a European trophy and confirming their place in this season's Champions League.

Tosin is worth €16m, as per Transfermarkt. Villa begin their season with a trip to Sussex on Sunday, as they play Brighton & Hove Albion when Premier League action gets underway.

FIFA have issued a series of sanctions against the Argentine Football Association (AFA) and several individual players following disciplinary breaches during the 2026 World Cup, namely the post-match scuffle at the final on July 19.

The AFA have been fined a total of $321,000 (£235k) for breaches involving discriminatory chants and gestures by supporters, non-sporting demonstrations, team misconduct, and failures in match order and security.

FIFA have also ordered Argentina to limit spectator capacity to 50% for their next home match.

Argentina hit with substantial fine over World Cup fracas

A second match capacity limit and $100,000 (£73k) of the fine have been suspended subject to a probationary period, while $100,000 of the total fine must be directed into an anti-discrimination plan.

Individual suspensions have also been handed down to four members of the Argentine squad and staff following altercations at the end of the final. Meanwhile, one Spanish player has been sanctioned.

Argentine midfielder Leandro Paredes will serve a 10-match ban and pay a $90,000 (£66k) fine, while defender Nahuel Molina has been hit with a seven-match ban and a $90,000 fine.

Argentina forward Thiago Almada and assistant coach Roberto Ayala were issued one-match and three-match suspensions respectively, with each receiving a $30,000 (£22k) fine.

Spain midfielder Gavi will serve a one-match suspension and has been ordered to pay a $30,000 fine, too.

FIFA have confirmed that all match bans will be served during the respective national teams' upcoming international fixtures this September and October.

All parties have 10 days to request a motivated decision prior to any potential appeal.

It is understood that part of Argentina's sanction relates to the players and supporters' display of a Falklands banner following the team's semi-final victory over England.

Ex-Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Giovani Lo Celso was pictured with the flag in question, deemed by FIFA as an unsporting demonstration, before it was laid on the turf in front of Argentina fans.

Sky Sports' line-up of commentators, pundits and presenters has been revealed for the weekend.

Over the past three decades, Sky Sports have become synonymous with bringing the best in class to our screens – with several stars making more of a name for themselves on the box than they ever did on the pitch.

It's the second weekend of Premier League, kicking off with Friday Night Football at Selhurst Park tonight – and FourFourTwo are here to guide you with exactly who you'll be watching.

We've got guides on how to watch the Premier League wherever you are in the world – and if you'd rather go out for the game, we can help, too, with our comprehensive guide of over 300 pubs, bars and live venues for watching football in the United Kingdom.

Be sure to never miss another fixture again with our handy fixtures calendar, where you can toggle competitions, search for specific teams and keep on top of what to watch, whatever time zone you're in.

We've got exactly the same guide of pundits, presenters and commentators for TNT Sports, too – so if you may wish to bookmark both pages to return to every weekend.

And finally, remember to subscribe to our exclusive …And It's LIVE! newsletter, which drops every week with all the details of how and where to watch football every single day – with quizzes, injury news, previews and much, much more included as standard.

Who are the commentators, pundits and presenters on Sky Sports this weekend?

Friday Night Football

Who are the commentators, pundits and presenters for Crystal Palace vs Manchester City on Sky Sports?

Crystal Palace have been a bit of a bogey team for Manchester City over the Pep Guardiola years – but with each side bedding in with new managers, Enzo Maresca will be hoping to get two wins from two against Pierre Sage in the opposite dugout.

Mark Chapman will be hosting this one tonight, joined by Jamie Redknapp and Clinton Morrison in South London.

Coverage starts at 7pm, with kick-off at 8pm.

Saturday Night Football

Who are the commentators, pundits and presenters for Tottenham Hotspur vs Newcastle United on Sky Sports?

Tottenham Hotspur take the Saturday teatime slot for a second week in a row – and will be hoping for a much better performance against Newcastle United.

Kelly Cates is presenting this one from the studio in Oswestry, with two former Spurs stars in Jamie Redknapp and Ryan Mason, who has had a couple of interim spells coaching the Lilywhites.

Coverage begins from 5pm, with kick-off at 5:30pm.

Super Sunday

Who are the commentators, pundits and presenters for Super Sunday on Sky Sports?

Super Sunday returns for four games, live from Old Trafford at 1pm.

The 2pm fixtures see Chelsea host Brighton & Hove Albion, Leeds United at home to Brentford and Fulham travelling to Sunderland – then at 4:30pm, Manchester United kick-off against Ipswich Town.

Kelly Cates presents once more, in the company of Darren Bent, and former United and Ipswich star Ashley Young.

Gary Neville is on co-commentary for this one in the gantry with Peter Drury.

Monday Night Football

Who are the commentators, pundits and presenters for Aston Villa vs Arsenal on Sky Sports?

Monday Night Football is a tasty clash, with Aston Villa hosting Arsenal.

Dave Jones presents, as ever, alongside Jamie Carragher, analysing all of the weekend's action – with a special guest to be confirmed.

The team are on air from 6:30pm, with kick-off at Villa Park from 8pm – and Gary Neville once again on co-comms.

Arsenal could yet pull off a deal for Julian Alvarez to sign before the transfer window closes.

The Premier League champions have chased the Argentine all summer, yet FourFourTwo understands that the player himself would rather remain in La Liga than return to England with Arsenal, favouring a Barcelona move as his dream.

Reports out of Spain, however, suggest that the deal isn't dead in the water for the Gunners, with Alvarez becoming ever-more likely to move to North London.

Julian Alvarez could yet make Arsenal move before deadline

A new report from Spanish outlet Sport claims that “Julian Alvarez’s future will be decided in the coming hours, and all signs point to England,’ with Atletico Madrid “pushing” the striker to N5 over a rival.

The 26-year-old said earlier this summer that “the ​best thing for everyone is ‌a transfer and I want to fulfil my dream,” with Real Madrid reportedly seeing a £129 million move rejected by their city rivals.

Since then, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta has phoned Alvarez personally, but it appears that the former Manchester City star only has eyes for Barcelona.

Atletico sporting director Mateu Alemany is currently in London to discuss a deal for Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson, with Sport Witness noting that Alvarez could also be discussed as an option for the Gunners during this trip.

Arsenal could well have another part to play in the saga, with Viktor Gyokeres now linked with Barça and Gabriel Jesus said to be on the Blaugrana shortlist, too – but FourFourTwo understands that Arteta is prepared for the possibility that he doesn't bring in another forward at all this summer.

Gabriel Martinelli has reportedly turned down an offer from Galatasaray, while there is said to be interest in Victor Osimhen from Arsenal.

The Gunners are not involved in the Bradley Barcola pursuit, and have seen pursuits for Vinicius Jr and Morgan Rogers come to nothing, with the former opting to extend his contract in Madrid and the latter choosing to sign for Chelsea in a British record transfer.

Sport Witness have relayed the Sport report from Spain, noting Arsenal's Alvarez offer stands at “€80m plus Viktor Gyokeres,” and that the star “can double his salary at the Emirates and have a key role under Mikel Arteta.”

The Argentine could well replace Martinelli on the left-wing, or feature more as a centre-forward alternative to Kai Havertz – depending on who leaves London Colney in the coming weeks.

Alvarez is worth €120m, as per Transfermarkt. Arsenal face Coventry City as Premier League action returns tonight.

William Osula is set to remain at Newcastle United for the upcoming campaign, bringing an end to months of speculation surrounding his future at St. James' Park.

The Danish forward was heavily linked with a move to the Bundesliga throughout last season, with Eintracht Frankfurt identifying him as a top target.

A January transfer to the German club almost materialised in the closing days of the winter window, but the deal ultimately collapsed, keeping Osula on Tyneside to fight for his place.

Will Osula expected to play central role for Newcastle this season

That perseverance paid off during the run-in, as Osula enjoyed a strong end to the season, finishing the campaign with seven goals from eight starts.

He has built on that momentum throughout pre-season under new head coach Matthias Jaissle, featuring prominently throughout summer preparations.

Most notably, Osula delivered an eye-catching performance during a 1-1 friendly draw against Strasbourg, where his direct running and pressing caused problems for the French side's defence.

Jaissle’s tactical preferences could also suit Osula's physical profile, too. In previous managerial stints, the German manager has implemented a system featuring two centre-forwards designed to unsettle opposition backlines.

This setup relies on pairing an athletic, line-stretching runner like Osula, who can stretch play and press aggressively, with a supporting forward like Nick Woltemade, who drops into pockets of space to link play between midfield and attack.

"We've already learned [Jaissle's] play styles in and out of possession and how he likes to play tactically. It has been good," Osula told BBC Radio Newcastle.

"I want to continue to show what I can do, remain confident. I know what I can do on the pitch so it's just keeping doing that."

Newcastle are without European football this season but could prioritise going deep in the cup competitions; the club's cohort of strikers will be expected share the bulk of the goalscoring load.

FourFourTwo understands Osula could play a central role for Newcastle from the start this season, as opposed to the bit-part function he has carried out in previous campaigns, beginning this weekend against Liverpool.

With his immediate future settled and a head coach who values his specific tactical qualities, Osula now has the platform to establish himself as a key fixture in Newcastle's attack under Jaissle.

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.

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.

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.

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.