Key events
Thanks for your company, Tom Bassam is back in the chair for the next stint.
Fabian Hurzeler refused to discuss the future of Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba amid links with Manchester United. The 22-year-old is reported to be a transfer target for United, but Hurzeler insisted his focus is on the Seagulls’ clash with Aston Villa before revealing Baleba is not fit for Sunday’s game.
Brighton boss Hurzeler told a press conference: “He’s a Brighton player. Like I said, I’ll never comment on any rumours that are currently in the media, it’s also something I definitely can’t control.
“A lot of things are written, I know about situations but again, in two days I have a very important game together with my team and with my staff. We want to have a good start in the Premier League season, that’s the only focus we have at the moment.”
Hurzeler was also asked about the importance of Yankuba Minteh, who has been linked with a move to Liverpool, he said: “We know in general all the players there are rumours about, they are important players for us because they’re a big part of the journey the last two years.
“In football, you have to understand, it’s normal if you’re successful as a team, if the team is doing well, they’ve had some good achievements, then an individual can shine. Then of course there will be a big ask for our players, that’s part of our identity and part of my job here.
“It was clear for everyone this might happen during a busy transfer window. We can go through every individual player, we all know how important these kinds of players are for me, but we also know that good achievements, big achievements, especially in the Premier League, you create offers, you create a lot of attention.” PA Media
I am one of life’s great curmudgeons, refusing to partake in anything fun nor watch popular programmes. After years of complaining about Fantasy Football, I have felt the need to see if it adds anything to my life.
Denmark’s football association (DBU) has vowed to find a credible alternative to Fifa President Gianni Infantino in next year’s election, declaring on Friday that it had lost confidence in the head of world soccer’s governing body.
The DBU said Infantino’s aborted proposal to sell commercial stakes in Fifa tournaments, including the World Cup, had created “a fundamental crisis of confidence in Fifa’s leadership” that could not be repaired by withdrawals or apologies.
The DBU said it did not support Infantino in the 2023 presidential election and would not do so at the next election, which will take place at the 77th Fifa Congress in Rabat, Morocco, on March 18.
“We are pleased that several federations are now withdrawing their support,” the DBU said in a statement after a board meeting. “DBU, together with Uefa and our international colleagues, will work to ensure that the member associations in the presidential election in 2027 have a real choice and a credible alternative that can unite Fifa across confederations and rebuild the trust that has been broken.” Reuters
Gareth Southgate is not stressed about the new season. The former England head coach is at the cricket in Leeds.
Friend of the show Steven Pye has been in touch re Arsenal v Coventry back in 1993.
”Arsenal were 5/1 second favourites to win the title, but a Mick Quinn hat-trick stunned the majority inside Highbury (including me, sat inside the far from complete new North Bank).
”It’s quite interesting to note the fat-shaming of Quinn in most match reports, and the fact that he openly admitted to placing a £50 bet on himself to be Premier League top scorer at 50/1.”
Giovanni Cafagna writes: “I was moved reading about Karl Gibbons excitement of taking his son to his first match. I still remember when my dad in the remote year 1978 took me, nine years old, to San Siro for the the first time. I never forget the joy of being there with my dad watching teenager Franco Baresi in his debut year. As an avid collector of Panini stickers he was one of my heroes. After so many years, and with my dad gone to support Milan from heaven, the memory of being with him, still brings tears. Don’t you worry Karl.”
Ed Aarons
Crystal Palace have agreed a deal with Chelsea to sign Axel Disasi on loan and are expecting further interest in some of their key players in the final week of the transfer window, having informed Manchester City that Adam Wharton is not for sale.
Jamie Jackson
Reviving United amid the chaos of Amorim’s departure and finishing third last year was a fine effort by Carrick. Yet when he took over, the team were already out of both domestic cups and not in Europe. That left 17 games for the then caretaker to navigate. Now Carrick has a full programme of Premier League, Champions League, Carabao Cup and FA Cup fixture before him: a litmus test of his side, as well as of the 45-year-old.
A squad with the requisite depth of quality is beginning to form. If Baleba is added alongside a left-back – Newcastle’s Lewis Hall and Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly remain on the radar – by 1 September, then Carrick will have been bolstered by four new major transfers. There remains question marks regarding the centre-back unit but ultimately the manager can have no excuses.
If you want some live sport, get on the OBO for England v Pakistan. The hosts are very much on top.
“Whilst not my team, I am going to see Brentford tomorrow for my first visit to the Gtech “Community” Stadium,” writes Karl Gibbons. “However, more exciting is that it will be six-year-old son’s first ever game live. He is mildly excited, whereas I am very excited. Any suggestions advice to keep him engaged or what to do near the stadium would be greatly appreciated!”
I’ve not been to the Gtech, so can’t offer specifics, maybe others can.
Maybe I can push this again two years on for my experience of taking my daughter to her first match.
Former West Ham academy product Divine Mukasa has returned to East London after joining the Hammers on a season-long loan from Manchester City.
The England under-19 international, who turns 19 on Saturday, was born in Newnham and joined West Ham’s academy at the age of six, spending 10 years there.
He has appeared six times for City’s first team, including twice in the Premier League, since moving to Manchester in August 2023.
Mukasa spent the second half of last season on loan with Leicester, and becomes West Ham’s sixth signing of the summer. PA Media
Will you get to visit a new ground following your team this season? If so, let us know which stadium you are most excited to see.
Tomorrow will be my first visit to the MKM Stadium.
Fill your boots with all 20 Premier League previews. Ipswich and Nottingham Forest are the best, in my opinion.
What are our writers predicting for this season? Check out the video.
The Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones is close to completing his £30m move to Internazionale after undergoing a medical with the Italian club.
We are at midday in the UK and with it comes John Brewin’s preview of Tottenham’s season. Phwoar!
Ross Heppenstall
Your friend and mind Ross Heppenstall has been to Hull to see Sergej Jakirovic before the big kick-off.
Three months on from those wild celebrations, Sergej Jakirovic’s new-look side must defy the odds again – and then some – to survive in the Premier League. Hull have been written off as relegation certainties by bookmakers and pundits, including former England duo Carlton Cole and Joe Cole, who ridiculed them on their podcast this week. “Hull are gone, man,” said the latter. “They have spent £70m and I’d be stunned if they stay up. They have come in through the back door, they’ve slipped in.”
Such barbs do not faze Hull’s head coach, who was in typically ebullient mood before Manchester United’s visit to the MKM Stadium on Saturday lunchtime. “I’m buzzing,” said the 49-year-old. “Of course there’s a very big gap between the Championship and Premier League. We’re up against the best teams, players and managers and I’ve seen all the predictions. But it’s a great motivation to prove them wrong because we don’t have anything to lose.
Arsenal begin their title defence at home to Championship winners Coventry. This is the same fixture from the opening weekend in 1993-94, when the Gunners were humbled by Micky Quinn, who claimed to have put a £50 on himself to win the top scorer gong.
Check out the report from that day, courtesy of the Guardian Research Department.
Arsenal complete £51m deal for Konsa
England international Ezri Konsa has joined the Premier League champions Arsenal from Aston Villa on a four-year deal after the two clubs agreed a £51m fee.
Iraola wants to add to ‘quite thin’ Liverpool squad
Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola insists they will “definitely sign some players” after admitting his squad is still “quite thin”.
The departures of Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate – plus the pending sale of Curtis Jones – have in no way been offset by the recruitment of Spain winger Victor Munoz and Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet and a loan deal for fellow centre-back Ronald Araujo from Barcelona.
They are light up front as, in addition to losing Salah’s significant contribution, striker Hugo Ekitike is sidelined for several months after surgery on an Achilles tendon injury.
Liverpool had a £50million bid turned down for Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh, who himself is likely to be sidelined for potentially three months after an operation on a leg injury sustained in pre-season, and reinforcing wide attacking areas remains their priority.
Paris St Germain’s Bradley Barcola is their preferred option, although they disagree significantly on his valuation, but it is understood the club are looking at a number of possibilities to establish availability and test the market.
“We will definitely sign some players. Some deals you have to wait until the end,” Iraola told Sky Sports. “But the end is the important picture, the one we will have on September 1, because it is true that we are still quite thin.”
Liverpool look set to start Sunday’s match at Newcastle with Jacquet, whose pre-season amounted to only 45 minutes of last weekend’s friendly against Como, in central defence and the primarily left-sided 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha on the right. PA Media
What is going to happen in Ligue 1 this season? Housewives’ favourite Luke Entwistle has the answer.
On the eve of a new Ligue 1 season, many clubs seem a little distracted. Even those accustomed to competing at the top have concerns that transcend the pitch. In a league that contains the greatest team on the continent, the focus of the majority of clubs has shifted to surviving and providing, rather than competing.
Any fighting spirit has long since been kicked out of Paris Saint-Germain’s competitors; back-to-back Champions League titles will do that. It feels like a long time ago since Kylian Mbappé moved to Real Madrid on a free transfer, leaving behind a scent of opportunity that filled the nostrils of Marseille, Monaco and Lille. Roberto De Zerbi was bullish when he joined Marseille. “I’m not here to finish second,” said the manager, who has since moved to Tottenham. Finishing second has now become an aspiration, especially for a club such as Marseille, given their predicament.
Villa sign Wan-Bissaka on loan
There is another new face at Aston Villa after Aaron Wan-Bissaka completed a season-long loan move from West Ham, with an option to buy.
The former Crystal Palace and Manchester United man will provide some much-needed Premier League knowhow at right-back.
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I will be at Hull v Manchester United tomorrow to see the Michael Carrick era begin in earnest. It will be interesting to see how he sets up his midfield against the newly promoted Tigers, who will be eager to take a big scalp on their return to the Premier League.
It seemed like a joke, a hoax, when at 10pm on 19 June, Ravenna broke the news of Ronaldinho’s signing. The Brazilian, a former Ballon d’Or winner and one of the most recognisable figures in world football, had played his last official match in 2015 for Fluminense; a professional signing in Serie C at 46 years of age seemed unrealistic, to say the least. With football’s attention taken by the World Cup, the game was shocked by this bolt from the blue. For the most part, it remained in disbelief.
There was much discussion, in the city and around the world, about the real value of this operation, and we talked about it too, speaking with the mayor, the fans, and the president of Ravenna, Ignazio Cipriani, scion of the family known globally for Harry’s Bar, who is giving his city much more than a dream.
Just had a look at Robbie Ure, who has decided to have his full name on the back of his Sevilla shirt …
Karen Dobres
The fourth season of the critically acclaimed football drama Ted Lasso has taken a surprising twist. The show’s writers have decided to have their hero coach AFC Richmond’s women’s team, testing whether Ted’s “Lasso way” can work in a very different footballing environment. We’re only three episodes in, but I’ve already found myself wondering if the series will showcase what makes the women’s game distinct, or just treat it as the same sport with different characters.
The early signs are promising: we’ve already seen the issue of substandard facilities, initial disinterest from the club’s fanbase and the flak that Coach Chilton gets for exhibiting the same qualities lauded in the men’s coach, Roy Kent.
Kári Tulinius gets in touch to say: “You have that right about Seville being a great place to live as a player. It’s up there among the world’s great football-mad cities. The derby between Sevilla and Real Betis is one the games I’d most like to attend in the world. There’s a reason it’s known as El Gran Derbi.”
Where Parrott will come up against Scottish strker Robbie Ure, who joined Sevilla a few weeks back.
Coventry City have completed the signing of goalkeeper Dan Bentley from Wolves on a free transfer.
The former Bristol City started Wolves’ first game of the Championship season, a 2-2 home draw against Blackburn, but has been allowed to leave for Coventry, where he has signed a two-year deal. Bentley will provide backup for Carl Rushworth, who joined permanently from Brighton earlier this summer after an impressive season in the Championship.
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Krishnamoorthy emails: “A digress from Premier League thought but it involves a former player. Rodri said ‘I am fulfilling my dream’ on joining Barcelona. He said virtually the same on joining Atletico and Man City. Why can’t these players come up with something that adds a bit more spice. As a matter of fact, most joining and leaving have a standard text that is rattled off with zero thoughts.”
Wait until you hear about Robbie Keane’s unveilings …
We have previewed all 20 Premier League teams, with Sunderland the latest to fly off the shelf.
Marco Rose is positive ahead of his Bournemouth debut at Manchester City on Sunday. The German head coach was unveiled in May after Andoni Iraola made the decision to leave the south coast club.
Bournemouth are one of nine Premier League teams to make a managerial change this summer and Rose knows what to expect up against new Man City boss Enzo Maresca.
Rose told a press conference: “The things I saw so far with Chelsea and now Manchester City, it’s a clear idea, a clear philosophy. You know what you get, you know what they want to play, you see the processes and the approach they have. It’s quite intense against the ball, high pressing and, with the ball, you know what quality you face and you see a clear idea in established play.
“It’s a tough challenge but we are quite positive. We had a really good pre-season. I settled in very well and everyone supported me and the new coaching staff.”
The Cherries lost forward Junior Kroupi to a foot injury during pre-season, but scored 22 goals across five friendly fixtures this summer. “Everyone put a lot of effort into the preparation and all the things around so we feel well prepared for the upcoming season and for the game against Manchester City,” Rose added ahead of his Premier League bow. PA Media
Fair play to Troy Parrott for moving to the Netherlands and proving himself. In terms of picking places to live as a footballer, Seville has to be up there. What a lifestyle he is about to buy into.
Real Betis strengthened its attack for a first Champions League campaign in 21 years by signing Ireland forward Troy Parrott, whose five goals in two World Cup qualifying games lifted his country into an unlikely playoffs spot.
Parrott signed a five-year deal after joining from Dutch club AZ Alkmaar, Betis said in a statement late Thursday.
The transfer fee for the 24-year-old former Tottenham player was reportedly 16 million euros ($18.8 million). Parrott scored 31 goals for AZ last season and made headlines with stunning back-to-back games for Ireland in November. AP
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Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany said a change in Jamal Musiala’s treatment for a neurological dysfunction was the reason the midfielder collapsed in two consecutive matches and that there is no cause for alarm.
The 23-year-old Germany international went down six minutes after coming off the bench in Bayern’s 4-2 friendly win at Heidenheim on Tuesday and required medical attention before being assisted from the pitch. He also collapsed during Bayern’s 3-1 friendly victory over RB Leipzig on Saturday.
Musiala said this week that he had been diagnosed with the disorder and that the episodes were “currently part of my everyday life”.
Speaking ahead of Bayern’s German Supercup match against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, Kompany moved to ease concerns about the player’s health. “I spoke with Jamal, he said, ’no problem, you can say it’,” he told a press conference. “With his treatment he changed some things and that had some side effects. That is normal, that during treatment you try something else.”
Bayern’s sporting director Max Eberl said the club were fully behind the player, who had wanted his condition to be make public. Musiala will not be in the squad for Saturday’s match, giving him time to adjust to his condition now being public knowledge.
“We’ve known about it the entire last season,” Eberl said. “The players also knew about it. For us, it’s become part of everyday life. He changed something in his medication, which is why these situations became clear. We will give him all our support, have already done so, and will continue to do so. We’re doing this together.” Reuters
Ten things to look out for this weekend? Good to have it at double digits, nine would just be silly.
Nothing like a bit of exclusive news to kick off the shift. Can we keep this momentum going? We shall see!
Uefa and Concacaf discuss joint Nations League in latest challenge to Fifa
Matt Hughes
Uefa and Concacaf have begun talks about setting up a combined Nations League tournament featuring all 96 European and North and Central American and Caribbean countries, in another direct challenge to Fifa.
The Guardian has learned that having come together to push for Gianni Infantino’s removal in the light of the World Cup sell-off controversy, the two confederations are now working on creating their own biennial tournament, which could launch as early as 2028 after the next European Championship.
But you will always thank the memories, Tom. I have the greater stamina so will be here for four hours of non-stop fun/football journalism.
Short stint for me on the Friday football blog this morning, here to take over is Will Unwin.
Disasi loan to Palace leads Cobham exodus
Jacob Steinberg
Outgoings are the main focus for Chelsea at the moment. They’re set to loan Axel Disasi to Crystal Palace. West Ham wanted to bring the French defender back to the London Stadium but that was always a tough one for a Championship club to pull off. Elsewhere Atlético Madrid are interested in Nicolas Jackson. However, sources say Chelsea have no intention of loaning the striker out, so any deal would need to be a permanent one. Can Atléti afford the fee? Chelsea’s valuation for Jackson is £65m.
While football is truly back today, we did also have football last night and there was even a Premier League team involved.
Ryan Naderi’s second-half strike gave an unconvincing Rangers a narrow 1-0 win in the first leg of their Conference League playoff tie against Czech side Jablonec at Ibrox.
Brighton generously repaid the cost of their travelling fans match ticket for the hardy souls who made it to the far north of Norway to watch the Seagulls draw 0-0 with Tromsø in their Conference League playoff. Those watching back home had to shell out £12 for something called SolidSport and did not get refund.
Also in Conference League qualifying action, Hearts managed a 2-2 draw at home with Rapid Vienna and Hibs drew 0-0 away in Gent.
Full roundup here:
One of my favourite things for any new season is the first month when referees try to enforce a new directive, make a couple of harsh decisions on bookings or red cards and then slowly go back to the old ways after the first international break. A couple of years ago it was lengthy extra-time periods, but see also ‘preventing the restart’ or ‘high threshold’ for VAR. This season we have some new ones and Sarah Rendell has been looking at them and some other fresh items here:
Tottenham close on deals for Manchester City’s Savinho and Marmoush
Jamie Jackson
Manchester City are close to agreeing the transfer of Savinho to Tottenham for £85m, with a separate deal of around £75m for the arrival of Omar Marmoush from the FA Cup-winners to the north London club also being worked on.
Full story:
Why not start the day right with some transfer tittle-tattle? There’s some tasty morsels in today’s Rumour Mill, including this little treat:
After Vinícius Júnior signed a shiny new deal at Real Madrid, Arsenal are having to look elsewhere for a new winger. Turkey’s Kenan Yildizm who plies his trade with Juventus, is of interest to Mikel Arteta and the Gunners hierarchy. One potential way of getting the deal done is to send Gabriel Martinelli in the opposite direction.
Will Unwin has the full rumour roundup:
Preamble
Football is back! Well football has been back for a couple of weeks now (we see you, Carabao Cup and EFL), but by football I mean over-financed, TV-entertainment product we call the Premier League. Rejoice!
Have you watched your season recap? Are you up-to-date on the latest character developments? Have you heard of Pierre Sage? Well don’t worry if not, there’s plenty of time today to get ready before Arsenal take on Coventry in the Friday night curtain-raiser at 8pm (BST). Yes, it’s still summer time.
My colleagues and I will be keeping you abrest of all the latest football news and previews on this Fridau buildup blog.
