Premier League
Premier League news
Why Anderson faces a different challenge at Man City to Phillips
When Elliot Anderson completed his £116m move from Nottingham Forest to Manchester City last week, there was a sense of deja vu. It is not the first time City has signed one of the most sought-after midfielders in the Premier League fresh from an impressive first international tournament with England. A similar story unfolded in 2022 when Kalvin Phillips left his boyhood club, Leeds United, to join City on a six-year deal.
Iraola praises Nyoni's confidence in pre-season win
Liverpool beat Wrexham 1-0 in their second pre-season match in New York and new boss Andoni Iraola was full of praise for young midfielder Trey Nyoni. The 19-year-old played the whole first half before being substituted for Curtis Jones. Nyoni made six appearances in the Premier League last season, all as a substitute.
Manchester City are reportedly close to signing Ayyoub Bouaddi as Rodri’s potential replacement
Manchester City reportedly already have Ayyoub Bouaddi lined up as Rodri's replacement, depending on what the Spaniard decides about his future. Manchester City are reportedly closing in on a deal for Ayyoub Bouaddi, according to Fabrizio Romano, with negotiations between the club and Lille now described as actively advancing. The Moroccan midfielder, still just 18 years old, has emerged as one of the standout young talents to come out of the 2026 World Cup, and City appear determined to get a deal over the line. Bouaddi’s rise has been rapid. He featured in five of Morocco’s six matches at the tournament before the team was eliminated by France in the quarterfinals, and that performance has only intensified interest from Europe’s biggest clubs. City are said to have gotten ahead of their fiercest Premier League rival in the race, Arsenal, who previously were viewed as favorites to sign him but have reportedly shifted their attention toward Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes instead. Ayyoub Bouaddi of Lille in action during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25. (Getty Images) Whether Bouaddi arrives now or waits until June 2027 hinges largely on what happens with Rodri. According to Romano, if Rodri stays at the Etihad, City could delay Bouaddi’s arrival until next summer; but if Rodri departs for Real Madrid, City may move to complete the deal within the current transfer window instead, bringing the Moroccan in immediately rather than waiting a full year. Where things stand with Rodri and Real Madrid Bouaddi’s timeline at City is reportedly tied directly to what happens with Rodri, which makes the ongoing Real Madrid negotiation the key variable. According to Fabrizio Romano, talks over the Spanish midfielder have advanced, and Florentino Perez has now given the green light for the clubs to negotiate directly. City, for their part, are said to be in no rush to accept, hoping PSG or Barcelona push the price higher before any deal is finalized. Manchester knows it will be very difficult to hold on to the Spanish midfielder, meaning he could depart either in this transfer window or next year, when his contract expires.
Carlo Ancelotti announces new Brazil era after 2026 World Cup disaster: ‘We’ll start putting together a new team’
Despite failing to shine at the 2026 World Cup, Carlo Ancelotti has been reaffirmed as Brazil’s head coach. Ahead of the 2030 edition, he has announced the beginning of a new era, making it clear that he will strongly bet on young players. Brazil are coming off a major disappointment at the 2026 World Cup, being eliminated by Norway in the Round of 16. Despite this, they have decided to maintain their strong commitment to Carlo Ancelotti as their coach for the future. Ahead of the 2030 edition, he has already made an important change clear: A new era is beginning. With this, several veterans will end their time with the national team. “We will begin putting together a new team, looking at young players, but without ruling out some of the soccer players who were at the World Cup and who still have a lot to contribute to the national team,” Ancelotti revealed in a CBF statement. With this in mind, not only will Neymar Jr. leave Brazil, but also some other veterans, betting on young stars as his new project. Carlo Ancelotti could give prominence to Endrick and Rayan as the new future leaders of the attack, alongside Vinicius Jr. In addition, Ederson could have more importance as a defensive midfielder, as Casemiro could leave the project by moving to Inter Miami. However, the biggest changes could come in the full-back positions, as Brazil could bet on talent from the Brazilian league, since Danilo and Douglas Santos are already veterans. Amid the transformation of the project, Ancelotti could keep certain veterans such as Marquinhos, Alisson Becker, and Raphinha. Playing in top European leagues, they remain among the best players in their positions ahead of the 2028 Copa América. However, their presence at the 2030 World Cup would depend on their physical continuity and the level they demonstrate. Carlo Ancelotti, Head Coach of Brazil, chats with his assistant coach Davide Ancelotti. Brazil’s scoring issues become Ancelotti’s biggest challenge Since Carlo Ancelotti’s arrival, Brazil have notably improved their game, solidifying their defense and midfield. With this, they have recovered their impact in CONMEBOL, becoming difficult to score against. However, the Canarinha still have a major problem to solve: The lack of attacking power. With this in mind, there are very few key pieces to redirect the project. Ahead of the 2030 World Cup, Brazil’s biggest hope would become Endrick. Despite still not managing to become a starter, he returns to Real Madrid looking to become a key figure in the future. If he becomes consistent, he could be the starting striker, as he has already shown he can be differential in the collective game and in his goalscoring ability. However, this scenario depends on his evolution throughout his professional career. Matheus Cunha is the favorite option in attack, as he was Ancelotti’s choice at the 2026 World Cup. However, he is not the most prolific goalscorer, so his differential role would be more as an attacking midfielder. Therefore, Igor Thiago seems to have a new opportunity to shine. After disappointing, he can fight in friendly matches to earn his starting spot. For this, he needs to maintain the great level he demonstrated in the Premier League.
‘Everyone has to learn,’ says Xabi Alonso after Chelsea’s narrow victory in friendly
Xabi Alonso admitted Chelsea still have plenty to improve, stressing that every player must continue learning. Chelsea continued their preseason tour with a tense 6-4 comeback victory over Australian side Western Sydney Wanderers, but manager Xabi Alonso made it clear that the result was only part of the story. The Spaniard stressed that his players still have plenty to improve before the start of the new season. Alonso said: “Everyone has to learn. Everyone. It doesn’t matter if you are young, if you are more experienced. This is what happens in the game. This is the quality that you need. You can be quick, you can be good at dribbling, but you need to have this game intelligence to do the things. And we will need to do it quick, because the competition is in just a month, and we want to get ready for that. But we need to manage that. That’s so important in football nowadays.” Despite scoring six goals, Chelsea also conceded four times, something Alonso will look to address before the competitive campaign begins. With only a month remaining until the new season, the manager emphasized that his squad must improve quickly in several areas. Alonso addresses Chelsea’s transfer plans Chelsea continue to be linked with several players before the transfer window closes, including experienced Premier League names Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck. The Blues are looking to add balance to the squad as Alonso prepares for his first competitive season in charge. Henderson can add some very valuable experience to the team (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images) The club have been connected with a number of potential signings in recent weeks, but Alonso avoided discussing specific transfer targets. Instead, he focused on building a balanced squad capable of competing throughout the season. Alonso said: “I’m sure that from today to the last day of the transfer window there will be a lot of links, a lot of rumors, so to be commenting on all of them, it’s going to be a hard task. But for sure, we need proper balance in terms of qualities, in terms of positions, in terms of balance. We want to have a complete squad and we want to make a good team.” Alonso hails Joao Pedro after hat trick One of the biggest positives for Chelsea was Joao Pedro, who scored a hat trick in just nine minutes during the victory. The Brazilian continued his impressive form and gave Alonso another reason to be optimistic ahead of the new season. Alonso said: “Very hungry. João is really, really determined to have a great season. He wants to, after a great last year, when he scored many goals. He wants to keep scoring more and more.”