Reasons to be fearful or cause to be cheerful? Newcastle fans among a crowd in excess of 39,000 at St James’ Park on Saturday had much to debate as they headed home from a slightly underwhelming 2-1 friendly defeat by Bayer Leverkusen. The bad news is that a suddenly youthful team still coming to terms … Read more
The doubt for anyone when a long-strived-for goal has been achieved is hunger. Arsenal waited 22 years for their 14th league title and, compounding the yearning, finished second three times in a row before finally lifting the Premier League trophy in May. The physical exertions of last season were immense – as seen by Declan … Read more
As Zinedine Zidane gets set to return to the France national team setup as head coach, it is worth remembering just how big an impact the 54-year-old has had on his nation’s football culture. From his upbringing in Marseille to becoming the face of France’s historic 1998 World Cup victory, few players have left such … Read more
Aston Villa are preparing for the potential exit of goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez by accelerating a move for Parma’s Zion Suzuki. Juventus have revived their interest in Martínez, who is open to leaving after six seasons at Villa and is increasingly likely to depart during this transfer window. Villa are advancing a deal to sign Suzuki … Read more
Inter Milan have completed the signing of England full-back Djed Spence from Tottenham. Spence has signed a five-year deal with the Serie A champions, who are reportedly paying a fee of around 30m euros, external (£25.6m) for the 26-year-old. He is the second England player to join Inter this summer with John Stones moving to … Read more
Will Lankshear scored a second-half double on his debut as Middlesbrough fought back to kick off their Championship campaign with a hard-fought 2-1 victory, ending promoted Lincoln’s remarkable nine-month unbeaten run. The Imps – playing their first second-tier match in 65 years – made a strong start and opened the scoring in the 12th minute … Read more
Key events GOAL! Charlton Athletic 1-1 Derby County (Jones 61). A cross comes in from the left. Lloyd Jones leaps highest and slams a downward header into the net. The hosts level! Share GOAL! Middlesbrough 1-1 Lincoln City (Lankshear 62). Leo Castledine shoots from a tight angle on the left. Will Lankshear, the £10m signing … Read more
For any player, leaving a club after a decade of loyal service is never an easy decision to make. And for Matt Grimes, who spent 11 years with Swansea City, the decision to part ways in January 2025 was always going to be something of a gamble, given how synonymous he was with the Welsh … Read more
Bournemouth have vowed to “do better” after changes to matchday staffing were handled in a manner which “did not reflect the standards” the club expects. Concerns were raised over the way the Premier League club told some long-serving members of their matchday team that their services would no longer be required for the 2026-27 season. … Read more
The Scottish Football Association hopes to name the Belgian Sébastien Pocognoli as the successor to Steve Clarke as manager early next week. The 39-year-old, who was sacked by Monaco in June, will become the country’s first non-Scottish manager since Berti Vogts, who was in charge from 2002-04. Clarke’s abrupt departure came as Scotland exited the … Read more