… It is a lifeline for Martinez, who turns 34 next week and fell out of favour at Aston Villa following a failed move to Juventus and the arrival of Japan’s Zion Suzuki as Unai Emery’s first-choice keeper. …
… He later spent 2017-18 on loan with Inter Milan before making permament moves to Juventus (2018) and Manchester City (2019), and he ended the 2022-23 season on loan at Bayern Munich. …
… BBC Sport was told last week that Turkish club, Galatasaray, plus Italian giants, Juventus and AC Milan, were considering whether to test United’s resolve to keep their captain. …
… The 41-year-old Portugal captain is one of the most decorated players of all time, winning major trophies with Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus and current club Al-Nassr since making his senior debut for Sporting in 2002. …
… BBC Sport was told last week that Turkish club Galatasaray, plus Italian giants Juventus and AC Milan, were considering whether to test United’s resolve to keep their captain. …
… After successive friendly defeats by Tottenham and Juventus, there may have been some concerns about this Chelsea side under new manager Xabi Alonso. …
… To have everything is difficult.” Chelsea, who play Juventus in a friendly in Hong Kong on Wednesday, begin their Premier League campaign at Fulham on August 24. …
Tottenham have signed winger Mykhailo Mudryk on loan until season-end and defender Tosin Adarabioyo on a permanent deal worth up to £12m from Chelsea on transfer deadline day. Spurs hold an option to make Mudryk's move permanent for £75m.
Tottenham have signed winger Mykhailo Mudryk on loan until season-end and defender Tosin Adarabioyo on a permanent deal worth up to £12m from Chelsea on transfer deadline day. Spurs hold an option to make Mudryk's move permanent for £75m.
Chelsea maintained their perfect Premier League start with a 4–2 victory over Brighton at Stamford Bridge. Romeo Lavia scored his first Chelsea goal within four minutes, and further goals from Pedro Neto, Joao Pedro, and Cole Palmer secured the win despite Brighton's second-half rally.
Chelsea have agreed a £7.5m fee to sign Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, with the 33-year-old Argentina international set to undergo a medical at Stamford Bridge. The move follows concerns over Robert Sanchez's recent performances and comes days before the transfer deadline.
Portuguese full-back Joao Cancelo has rejoined Barcelona permanently after his Al-Hilal contract was mutually terminated, signing a three-year deal as a free agent. Cancelo spent last season on loan at Barca, helping them win La Liga, and this marks his first permanent move to the club after two previous loan spells.
Manchester United intends to reject any offer for captain Bruno Fernandes before the transfer deadline, with Galatasaray, Juventus, and AC Milan reportedly considering bids. Senior sources at Old Trafford say Fernandes is not for sale at any price, though his contract has one year left and a previous release clause has expired.
Cristiano Ronaldo told Vogue that the upcoming year will probably be his last playing professionally, saying he wants to leave a spectacular legacy. The 41-year-old Portugal captain has scored 976 goals across a career spanning more than two decades and will continue with Al-Nassr this season.
Manchester United has signaled it will reject any offer for captain Bruno Fernandes before the transfer deadline, despite interest from Galatasaray, Juventus, and AC Milan. The club has made clear Fernandes is not for sale at any price, though his contract has one year remaining with an option for an additional season and his previous release clause has expired.
Chelsea defeated AC Milan 3-0 in a pre-season friendly in Jakarta, with Joao Pedro scoring twice and Moises Caicedo adding the third. The win came after successive defeats to Tottenham and Juventus under new manager Xabi Alonso.
Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has welcomed winger Mykhailo Mudryk back to training after the Ukraine international was cleared to resume playing following a doping suspension that sidelined him for nearly two years. Alonso said no decision has been made on Mudryk's future but expressed the club's immediate focus is on helping him reintegrate into the squad.
Chelsea have completed the signing of Strasbourg midfielder Valentin Barco on a seven-year deal, making him the sixth summer signing. The 21-year-old Argentine midfielder is the second player Chelsea has recruited from Strasbourg this summer, part of a pattern of 13 deals between the clubs since last season.
England defender John Stones has joined Italian champions Inter Milan on a free transfer with a two-year contract after his Manchester City deal expired. The 32-year-old spent 10 years at City, winning multiple trophies including six Premier League titles and the Champions League.
Andrea Pirlo has withdrawn as a candidate to coach the Italian national football team following backlash over his ties to Russian betting company Fonbet and appearances alongside pro-Kremlin figures. The controversy also prompted two senior Italian Football Federation officials, Paolo Maldini and Leonardo, to resign.
England defender John Stones is in advanced talks with Inter Milan about joining on a free transfer after leaving Manchester City. The 32-year-old centre-half, who has also attracted interest from Chelsea and Juventus, is understood to be leading Inter's race to sign him on a two-year contract.
Federico Chiesa says he is "only thinking about Liverpool" after scoring in a friendly under new manager Andoni Iraola, though the Italian forward has started just one Premier League game in two seasons and previously stated he would look elsewhere if he couldn't find consistency in the league.
Major League Soccer is investigating allegations of tampering by Inter Miami after the club signed 34-year-old Brazil midfielder Casemiro from Manchester United on a deal running to the end of 2027, with an option to extend until June 2029. The investigation concerns Inter Miami's acquisition of Casemiro's discovery rights from LA Galaxy, an MLS regulation that gives a specific club first refusal over a player.
Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola has expressed his desire to retain midfielder Alexis Mac Allister and goalkeeper Alisson amid speculation about their futures. Mac Allister has two years remaining on his contract and has not begun new deal talks, while Alisson has one year left and has been linked with Juventus.
Emi Martinez says he is considering whether it is "time to step aside" from international football after Argentina's 1-0 World Cup final defeat to Spain. The 33-year-old has won 67 caps and was a 2022 World Cup winner and two-time Yashin Trophy recipient.
France lost 2-0 to Spain in the World Cup semi-final, ending Didier Deschamps' 13-year tenure as manager. Deschamps, who won the World Cup as both player (1998) and manager (2018), will manage his final match in Saturday's third-place play-off.
Wayne Rooney compared Jude Bellingham's two-goal performance in England's 3-2 World Cup victory over Mexico to Steven Gerrard's Champions League final heroics and Roy Keane's inspired display against Juventus, saying Bellingham "dragged" the team through with his timing, desire, and work rate.
Morocco defeated Canada 3–0 in Houston to advance to the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, with Azzedine Ounahi scoring twice and Soufiane Rahimi adding a third in stoppage time. Canada, who were the stronger side early on, became the first co-host to exit the tournament.
Portugal winger Francisco Conceicao said teammates feel no pressure to pass to Cristiano Ronaldo, insisting he passes to whoever is in the best position. Conceicao defended Ronaldo as "just another member of the squad" while acknowledging criticism of the 41-year-old's mobility following Portugal's 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Manchester City and Chelsea remain in talks over Enzo Maresca replacing Pep Guardiola at City, with negotiations at an advanced stage over a compensation package. Chelsea expect payment under Maresca's contract terms, as he left Stamford Bridge in January despite being contracted until 2029.
Turkey qualified for the 2026 World Cup after a 24-year hiatus, ending their absence by eliminating Romania and Kosovo in playoff matches. Coach Vincenzo Montella has assembled what is considered their strongest squad ever, featuring young talents Arda Guler of Real Madrid and Kenan Yildiz of Juventus.
Bosnia and Herzegovina qualified for the 2026 World Cup under new coach Sergej Barbarez, who took over in 2024 and rebuilt the squad with 16 debut players, eliminating Wales and Italy in playoffs to reach only the second World Cup in the country's history.
Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti agreed in May 2025 to lead Brazil as their first-ever foreign coach at a World Cup, and has prioritized learning Portuguese through intensive lessons to win over the fanbase and local staff.
Paris St-Germain beat Arsenal 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the Champions League final in Budapest, becoming only the second club to win back-to-back titles and the first since Real Madrid's three-peat from 2016 to 2018. Since the start of last season, Luis Enrique's team have won eight of the ten trophies available to them.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Al-Nassr clinched the Saudi Pro League title with a 4-1 win over Damac on the final night of the season, ending his wait for domestic silverware since winning Serie A with Juventus in 2020. Al Hilal finished two points behind.
Enzo Maresca is expected to replace Pep Guardiola as Manchester City manager for the 2026-27 season following Guardiola's departure after this Sunday's final game. The former Chelsea head coach, who previously worked under Guardiola during City's 2022-23 treble-winning campaign, has been identified as the leading contender, with talks at an advanced stage.
Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Crystal Palace have all reached the finals of the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League respectively in the same season for the first time. Villa will face Freiburg in the Europa League final on 20 May, and Crystal Palace will play Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League final on 27 May.
Chelsea winger Mykhailo Mudryk has lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport against a four-year drugs ban imposed by the FA following an adverse finding in a routine urine test in December 2024. The 25-year-old Ukraine international has been sidelined for nearly 18 months, with the ban potentially backdated to December 2028 unless the appeal succeeds.