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Newcastle United reporterPublished9 minutes ago3 CommentsMatthias Jaissle is reliving a nightmare."It was the biggest setback in my life so far," the Newcastle United head coach said. "I was in a real low at that time."Jaissle was just 25 when a serious knee injury ended his playing career.After realising his dream of winning promotion to the Bundesliga with Hoffenheim only a few years previously, the former defender suddenly found himself plunged into darkness.But this painful experience ultimately set him on the path to St James' Park."I got to know the heavy side of life," he said."I had to stop and quit my career as a footballer quite early, but that also showed me that you can see all challenges in a positive way and see the opportunity behind it."Now I'm here as manager of Newcastle United. I couldn't dream about that 15 years ago. That's life."Such perspective helps explain why Jaissle has embraced a huge task at Newcastle after he was parachuted into the hotseat just a few weeks before the start of the season.It has been another turbulent summer on Tyneside after head coach Eddie Howe stepped down and key players Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon left the club.However, Jaissle sees an opportunity, refusing to "waste energy" speaking about the game's financial rules, which have limited their overall spending power and heightened the need to trade."I like challenges," the ex-Al-Ahli and Red Bull Salzburg manager said. "I try to see in all challenges the chance in it, so therefore I'm here."Of course you can complain about the timing, the big transition, all the sales the club did, but we will not.Newcastle have made six signings in Lukas Hornicek, Ewen Jaouen, Amar Dedic, Sean Steur, Aladji Bamba and Bazoumana Toure, but the new arrivals are all aged 24 and under and will need time to adapt to the physicality and intensity of the Premier League.Further reinforcements are clearly required and Jaissle is "confident there will be changes" before the summer transfer window shuts on 1 September.The German remains undaunted despite a number of pundits predicting a season of strife for his side."Everyone is somehow against us or do not think we can play a good role in the Premier League," he said."We will try to convince them in a different way that we are able to."Central to that aim will be "sticking together" in an echo of the words Howe used throughout his four-and-a-half year reign.Jaissle quickly reached out to his predecessor, who ended Newcastle's long wait for silverware by winning the EFL Cup in 2025, and also qualified for the Champions League on multiple occasions.Although Jaissle wants to keep the details of their conversation private, he said he has "huge respect for what he did and what he built"."What I can say is he's not only a great manager," he said. "He's also a great human being."Howe looked an increasingly drained figure after watching so many key players leave, including striker Alexander Isak, who pushed to join Liverpool less than a year ago.As tumultous as the past two summer windows have been, though, last season was also a bruising one domestically as Newcastle finished 12th in the Premier League.It was a campaign in which chief executive David Hopkinson outlined his ambition to be fighting it out for the biggest prizes by 2030.However, Jaissle insists those above him "know about the challenges so will be patient"."It needs time to start that new journey to proceed in the right direction," the 38-year-old said. "You need to give the players time and that's not saying we're not ambitious."No, we are really ambitious and have high goals, high expectations, high demands and live to these standards day in, day out."It will fall to Jaissle to mould a new side who will look to play front-footed, aggressive football, just as Howe's team did at their best.Jaissle feels his playing style will be a "good fit for Newcastle because they are used to seeing their teams in that way"."I did my research as well on how big an influence Kevin Keegan had on this club," he added."Amazing, outstanding, therefore he is a legend. He was building the club and we just try to maintain that."The playing style back then reminds me very much of how we want to play. The Entertainers is a special name for it, so let's hope we can go in the same direction."Those inside St James' Park will pay tribute to Keegan, the most transformational figure in the club's history, who died in July aged 75, before Newcastle face another of his former clubs Liverpool on Sunday.Jaissle and his players certainly won't have to look too far for inspiration."I'm really excited," he said. "You probably don't see it, but the goosebumps are there just thinking about this match."Newcastle at best when 'us against world' - BurnNewcastle complete £30m move for Benfica's Dedic

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Six years ago Liverpool were heading into the new Premier League season as defending champions after African superstars Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane had fired the Reds to a first title in three decades.Mane's time at Anfield ended in 2022 and now the reign of Egyptian King Salah has also drawn to a close following his move to Trabzonspor in Turkey.Salah's stats during his nine Premier League seasons with Liverpool are astonishing: 308 games, 191 goals and 93 assists.The 34-year-old departed Merseyside as the fourth-highest scorer in the competition's history.BBC Sport Africa looks at some of those vying to take Salah's place as the continent's star name in the biggest league in the world.The leading candidate, Semenyo's rise to the top has been remarkable - not least because he has certainly done it the hard way.The Ghana forward was rejected by Arsenal, Tottenham and Crystal Palace as a teenager and did not make his Premier League debut until February 2023.Three years later, Manchester City decided his energy, power and eye for goal made him worth £65m.A player who takes his Christian faith seriously, City and Ghana fans will hope Semenyo's move to a Premier League giant will see him start to rival Salah's numbers.The 26-year-old enjoyed his best league season in terms of goals last time out, finding the net 17 times, even if that tally left him a fair way behind team-mate Erling Haaland and Brentford's Igor Thiago.If he can continue his seemingly inexorable improvement, this season could see Semenyo become one of football's biggest names.From non-league to the World Cup - the Semenyo storyThe problem is this Pharaoh has spent most of his time playing second fiddle to top viking Haaland.The 27-year-old has made 22 Premier League starts in the season and a half since his move from Frankfurt and found the net only three times in the league in 2025-26.Marmoush scored a double against Atletico Madrid in his first pre-season outing, taking a chance to impress new Manchester City head coach Enzo Maresca.However, his chance to shine could come away from Etihad Stadium - with Tottenham in talks to sign him.Now firmly established as one of the Premier League's best forwards, the Cameroonian racked up a combined 27 goal involvements in his final league season for Brentford before moving to Manchester United for £65m.Mbeumo, 27, only managed 14 goal involvements in his first Premier League campaign at Old Trafford, but he finished strongly after returning from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) as United regained some of their old swagger under Michael Carrick.Having missed out on the World Cup, will a summer off allow him to hit the ground running?Sarr has been linked with a move to join Mbeumo at Old Trafford and it's not hard to see why.The Senegal forward will be coming into the new season on a high, having equalled African legend Roger Milla's record tally of four goals at a single World Cup.The 28-year-old also enjoyed a stellar campaign with Palace last season, scoring a career-high 21 goals in all competitions as he fired the Eagles to glory in the Uefa Conference League.While Sarr was thriving at the World Cup, Mohammed Kudus was probably watching on with envy.A long-term hamstring issue denied him a place in the Ghana squad and the 26-year-old will hope injury problems are finally behind him as he looks to secure a starting place in Roberto de Zerbi's Tottenham rebuild.Kudus undoubtedly has the talent, but showing his trickery and invention on a consistent basis has been the issue.Everton's Iliman Ndiaye is perhaps the candidate with the real wow factor. Only City's Jeremy Doku completed more dribbles in the Premier League last season.After a second World Cup campaign, Saudi side Al-Hilal have shown interest, while Manchester United and Arsenal have also been linked.Would a move to a Champions League team give the man Toffees fans call Skilliman the platform he needs to show his magical twinkling feet can turn tricks into silverware?At Newcastle United, a knee injury resulted in Yoane Wissa missing the first half of last season as well as Afcon.But he scored three goals for DR Congo at the World Cup and will surely be a key figure for Newcastle as they look to rebuild.Benjamin Fredrick has just signed a four-year deal and been promoted to Brentford's first-team squad.That rarest of things - a player signed by a Premier League side direct from Nigeria - he was enjoying a successful loan in Belgium last season and was due to be one of the Super Eagles' starting centre-backs at Afcon until suffering a knee injury on the eve of the tournament.Bees boss Keith Andrews sees "a lot of potential" in the 21-year-old.Of course, when Salah first arrived in the Premier League, signing for Chelsea from Basel in 2014, very few people knew who he was.The same could now be said for fellow wideman Zadok Yohanna, who cost Brighton £21.5m in June.Like Salah, the pacy Nigerian is a left-footer who plays off the right.Newcastle's £43m signing Bazoumana Traore operates on the opposite flank, and the Ivorian has already been winning praise for his pre-season performances.Coventry City's new midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi made his mark in the collective consciousness with some high-class performances for Ghana at the World Cup, scoring the late winner against Panama.The Sky Blues paid a club record £23m for the 20-year-old.Or could Salah's replacement still be waiting in the wings?Another World Cup star, Morocco's Ayyoub Bouaddi, looks to be on his way to Manchester City, with the 10-time league winners in negotiations with Lille for the central midfielder who oozed a classy confidence in the Atlas Lions' opener against Brazil despite only being 18.Or will Victor Osimhen finally land in England, having been constantly linked with a move over the years?The 27-year-old striker, beloved in Nigeria, already has the profile and hit 29 goals in all competitions last year.With Salah having moved to Turkey, Osimhen swapping Galatasaray for the Premier League would go some way to filling the hole for African fans.Ice baths, almond milk and meditation: The secrets of Mo Salah's success

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Milan, Napoli and Atalanta all have new head coaches as Italian football hopes to return to the spotlightAnd so, calcio’s “third apocalypse” has passed. A lot of Italians enjoyed the World Cup more than they expected to. Without a team to cheer for, again, a country turned its attention to different sports. And found its athletes dominating them.On the day Spain defeated Argentina in New Jersey, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the first Italian driver to win a Formula One race in 20 years, extended his lead in the season’s standings by triumphing again at the Belgian Grand Prix. A week before that, Jannik Sinner defended his men’s singles title at Wimbledon. Since then, Italy has finished top of the medal table at the European Athletics Championships, and second in the European Aquatics Championships. Manila Esposito also took floor exercise gold at the European Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Championships. Glancing over the front pages of La Gazzetta dello Sport this last week, you could almost miss that a new Serie A season is upon us. The transfer gossip that typically gets top billing at this time of year has faded into the background of a medal parade.Perhaps that is a reflection of an underwhelming mercato. The best signing of the summer may be Como paying €60m to reclaim Nico Paz, who they already purchased for far less money in 2024. Real Madrid triggered their buy-back clause in June, only to immediately sell him to Como all over again. The new deal also has a buy-back clause. In practical terms, this is an overelaborate loan extension.Milan did drop a club-record €74m to land Gonçalo Ramos from Paris Saint-Germain, an astonishing figure for a player who has not started regularly at club level for three years. That is not to diminish his talent. Competition at PSG is fierce. Ramos was prolific for Benfica before moving there in 2023 and, according to Gazzetta, his goals-to-minutes ratio has remained third-best of any under-25 talent across Europe’s top-five leagues in the past three seasons.Ruben Amorim, Milan’s new manager, believes he knows how to get the best out of his compatriot, highlighting the player’s aptitude for breaking down the low blocks his club will face in Serie A. Still, we are talking about someone who started 13 Ligue 1 games last season, and 12 the year before that. Ramos feels like a gamble with potential for great rewards more than a sure bet.We might say the same for Amorim, seeking to rebuild his reputation after an unhappy chapter in Manchester. Pre-season performances have been encouraging. But wasn’t that also true for Paulo Fonseca, another Portuguese Milan manager, who spoke of aspiring to the Scudetto in August 2024 and wound up getting sacked in December?At least Amorim is a new face. As usual, Serie A’s annual valzer delle panchine – “waltz of the benches” – has found new dancing partners for familiar faces. Massimiliano Allegri swapped Milan for Napoli; Maurizio Sarri left Lazio for Atalanta. The latter was replaced in Rome by Gennaro Gattuso, who failed to qualify Italy to the World Cup. Allegri’s past transgressions hang over him in Naples. Reminded that he hurt people here previously – both when his Juventus team pipped Napoli to the title in 2017-18 and when he played for a Partenopei side that finished dead last in 1998 – he quipped “that’s why I’m here, to repay things”.Runners-up under Antonio Conte last season, Napoli have done little so far to refresh a squad that fielded the oldest average starting XIs in Serie A. The owner, Aurelio De Laurentiis’s, repeated references to Allegri as an “aziendalista” – a company man – tell a story. Much is being pinned on the return to fitness of Kevin De Bruyne. In any case, Inter will not easily be caught. No team has successfully defended a Serie A title this decade but, after finishing 11 points clear in their first season under Cristian Chivu, the Nerazzurri look well positioned to become the first.Denzel Dumfries was sold to Real Madrid, a significant loss even if injuries did limit him to 15 league starts last season. Djed Spence has been signed to fill the vacancy at right wing-back, though the impressive Andy Diouf may push him for playing time. The departures of the veteran defenders Francesco Acerbi and Stefan de Vrij have been covered by the return of Benjamin Pavard and the addition of John Stones. Inter are also still trying to reinforce their midfield with Curtis Jones from Liverpool. There is uncertainty about who will start in goal but their attacking depth, with Lautaro Martínez, Marcus Thuram, Francesco Pio Esposito and Ange-Yoan Bonny, is by far Serie A’s best.Who besides Napoli might push them? Milan would need Ramos to hit the ground running, and yet another age-defying chapter from Luka Modric. Roma will hope to progress in their second season under Gian Piero Gasperini, adding the mobile forward Santiago Castro to a squad growing into his vision, though playing in the Champions League will also demand more from them. Como should not be underestimated after finishing fourth last season. Keeping Paz was their best piece of business, but they have also strengthened their defence with the signing of Trevoh Chalobah from Chelsea. The core of the team should only continue improving as the likes of Martin Baturina, Máximo Perrone and Lucas Da Cunha hit their mid-20s.It speaks to how the landscape has shifted that we got this far without mentioning Juventus. Did they overpay on a reported €41m fee for Randal Kolo Muani? Probably, but he did average a goal every second game on loan there in 2025 and they have done smart business elsewhere. The centre-back Jhon Lucumí arrives off three solid seasons with Bologna. Kerim Alajbegovic and Jeff Ekhator are highly regarded teenage talents. Juve might just be primed for a relaunch.Can anyone else muscle into the top four conversation? It will be fascinating to see how Sarri reshapes Atalanta. Bologna, after their recent European adventures, look more likely to take a step backafter the departures of Lucumí and Castro. There is yet another renaissance under way at Fiorentina, who have appointed Fabio Grosso as manager – fresh from promoting Sassuolo then steering them to 11th – and invested more than €100m into young talent. The 20-year-old Christ Inao Oulaï was a standout for Côte d’Ivoire at the World Cup.As ever, there is intrigue throughout the division. Can Daniele De Rossi build on his impressive start at Genoa? How will Parma evolve under Carlos Cuesta, the 31-year-old former assistant to Mikel Arteta, who somehow got them to 13th while scoring just 28 goals? Gattuso started his Lazio tenure with a Coppa Italia elimination by second-tier Mantova. Perhaps he will surprise us yet, but everything about the Biancocelesti looks stale. A sharp contrast with clubs like Torino, where Ignazio Abate gets his first chance at top-flight management and might be building a team around the 19-year-old Alessio Cacciamani, who thrived under him on loan at Juve Stabia. Or Cagliari, where Fabio Pisacane also looks set to give the kids a chance … alongside Harry Winks and Yerry Mina.The newly promoted clubs are a fascinating mix. Venezia, back for the third time in seven years, hope this will finally be the time they make it stick. Monza returned via the playoffs with a group of grizzled Serie A vets including Patrick Cutrone, Matteo Pessina and Andrea Petagna. Frosinone, who only narrowly avoided relegation to the third tier in 2025, are led by Massimiliano Alvini, who insists they will continue to play the front-footed game that got them here.Lecce, 17th last season, once again look most likely to be drawn into a relegation fight. Sassuolo may suffer the exits of Grosso and their totemic defender, Tarik Muharemovic, sold to Leeds. Udinese’s manager, Kosta Runjaic, invoked Sisyphus as he contemplated the club’s insistence on overhauling its entire squad every summer, but so far he has been adept at moving the boulder up the mountain.There is much more to say, not least about the ever-expanding contingent of British footballers in Italy. But no more room for this column to say it. Fear not, we have a whole season ahead. It might not live up to Italy’s medal parade this summer, but calcio beyond its third apocalypse still has stories to tell.

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Oliver Glasner has introduced a 3-4-2-1 formation at Forest. Photograph: Joe Giddens/PAAfter a chaotic season under four different coaches, Forest fans will be hoping Oliver Glasner can bring some stabilityGuardian writers’ predicted position: 11th (NB: this is not necessarily Will Unwin’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)Oliver Glasner’s arrival has resulted, as one would expect, in a change in formation. The Austrian has introduced the 3-4-2-1 set-up that brought him success at Crystal Palace. It will take time for Nottingham Forest’s players to adapt to the new system but there have been positive signs in pre-season. Importantly, the club has three high-quality centre-backs to form the foundation of Glasner’s masterplan.Going through four head coaches in a season is never a good sign and the hope among Forest fans will be that Glasner provides the long-term stability they all crave. The team became engulfed in a relegation battle in the previous campaign as players jumped from one style to another at a moment’s notice. With Glasner at the helm things should be more straightforward, not that Forest make life easy for themselves. A lack of European football will no doubt help the squad. The talent available is also better than has been the case previously, and a more settled environment should be beneficial for Dan Ndoye and Dilane Bakwa who faced difficult first years in the Premier League.Forest are seeking to sign a new striker, with Chris Wood’s injury record and ageing body raising questions about the 34-year-old’s ability to lead the line for a full season. Liam Delap is of interest and feels like the ideal candidate if Forest can prise him away from Chelsea, albeit the 23-year-old will not come cheap.Evangelos Marinakis has launched legal action against Crystal Palace after some of their fans produced a derogatory banner about the Forest owner. That grabbed plenty of headlines, something the Greek shipping magnate is more than used to. Meanwhile, plans to expand the City Ground from 30,500 to 52,500 are awaiting planning approval from the local council, with next summer the most likely time for the project to start should it be given the green light. The process has taken a long time but when construction on this scale is involved, requiring the demolition of properties, the road is rarely smooth.Ticket prices were a sticking point for fans last season, especially in the Europa League. Forest had to drop prices after poor sales. Season tickets were frozen to soften the tension. Overall, Marinakis is generally popular thanks to Forest’s success in recent years but his hire and fire attitude when it comes to coaches leads to plenty of dissenting voices.It came as a surprise when Vítor Pereira was dismissed and replaced by Glasner. The Portuguese had done a good job in steadying the ship and the Austrian had recently left Palace, who have beef with Forest. Glasner is undeniably an upgrade on Pereira, however, and his style fits the personnel available to him in Nottingham. Glasner fell out with those above him at Palace over transfer dealings and will certainly need to have a better relationship with the City Ground hierarchy.Forest finished 16th in the league table and Opta’s expected points standings last season. That hardly represents the full story for the first team in Premier League history to appoint four permanent managers in one campaign. Not one of them left the role having overseen a positive expected goal difference in 2025-26. Can Glasner improve the team’s underlying performance? He is unlikely to last long at the City Ground if not.Gone are the days where Forest sign anyone and everyone. Ousmane Diomande is the only signing, at the time of writing, to have cost the club any money this summer, with £34m spent to secure the Ivorian defender from Sporting. He is hugely admired by Glasner and, aged 22, is a solid investment, someone who can slot in straight away but should also develop for years to come.James McAtee’s first season in Nottingham was underwhelming to say the least. He could not get into the team, blocked by Morgan Gibbs-White and never likely to oust him. Some expected McAtee to have left by now but he remains and could have accidentally become Elliot Anderson’s replacement in central midfield after Forest failed to acquire Lucas Bergvall. A gifted player with the ball at his feet, McAtee has the right attributes for the role when in possession but will need to be more aggressive and disciplined off the ball to thrive.Ola Aina is one of football’s more charismatic players and, without the prospect of being at the World Cup after Nigeria failed to qualify, he got to have some lovely time away from the pitch. Aina paintballed with Fikayo Tomori, went to the French Open and Wimbledon and made it to the pits at the British Grand Prix. He must surely be reinvigorated for the new season.

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Promoted club have targeted players 6ft and above‘Physicality is a big part of what you need to compete’Frank Lampard has urged his Coventry players to impose themselves on the Premier League, calling on his side to ensure they have no regrets after Friday’s curtain-raiser against Arsenal.Coventry play their first top-flight game in 25 years at the home of the champions, four months after celebrating the Championship title. Lampard, who last managed in the Premier League with Chelsea three years ago, acknowledges there is a step up in class to navigate, but wants his players to embrace the challenge in front of them.“The last thing I would like to have after a game against Arsenal – or any team like this – is a regret of our approach and that we didn’t give it everything,” said Coventry’s manager, who signed a new three-year contract at the end of June. “If we can do that as a team, then we will compete in this league and show teams what we are. If we don’t do that, we’ll be disappointed. I’ll remind the players of that [before the game].“I want to show in our performance and in how we approach the game that we haven’t come into it with any kind of fear. I, and we, respect Arsenal greatly, but it doesn’t mean you play with too much respect and you’re passive. I want us to go there with the right mentality and approach the game in the right way.” Coventry have spent about £130m on furnishing their squad this summer and have deliberately targeted players of a profile they believe can handle the league. Six of their eight signings are at least 6ft, including the £26m club-record signing Caleb Yirenkyi and the 6ft 6in Switzerland centre-back Aurèle Amenda. Coventry’s latest arrival, the 19-year-old striker Sidiki Cherif, joined from Fenerbahce on Wednesday and they are thought to be targeting a left-back before the close of the window.“Physicality is a big part of what you need to compete in this league,” Lampard said. “There is a difference between the Premier League and the Championship in those terms, especially [to be] the type of team we feel we may have to be.“You have to be able to compete at a physical level to be successful in this league and have the pure capacity to do so, whether that is in terms of running, physicality, size. The nature of set pieces is something we have taken very seriously in our recruitment.“I’ve played at a high level, in teams that were really, really physically strong. I’d look left and look right and see 6ft 2in and 6ft 2in [teammates] – and high quality ones, which is helpful and always will be..”Lampard believes he has learned lessons since he was last in the Premier League, while in temporary charge at Stamford Bridge. “I try to get my work-life balance to be as good as it can be,” the 48-year-old said. “We can all pretend we are robots, but in the modern day it is hard to be that robot and not see or hear anything.“Having been through the challenges, for good and for bad in my managerial career, I think it puts me in a better spot: don’t get too high, don’t get too low, continue to focus on your job. I’m better at that now than I was previously.”

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Wolverhampton Wanderers have confirmed right-back Kieran Trippier suffered a knee ligament injury on his league debut.The club said former England international Trippier sustained a medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury in his left knee during Friday's 2-2 draw with Blackburn Rovers.The 35-year-old is expected to be out "for a number of weeks" having arrived on a free transfer in June.Meanwhile fellow defender, Yerson Mosquera, is also set for a spell on the sidelines after picking up an injury against Blackburn.Mosquera, 25, has sustained a slight tear in his ankle ligaments and is expected to miss several weeks of action.However, Wolves director of performance, Phil Hayward, provided better news on winger Rafiki Said.The 26-year-old summer signing suffered a "high-grade" injury to his MCL during a pre-season friendly against Maidenhead United last month, just 11 days after arriving at the club."Rafiki's been working very hard in the gym for the last few weeks with his brace on. He's now out of the brace and the most recent scan looks great, so he's heading, certainly, in the right direction," Hayward said.Hayward confirmed that goalkeeper Sam Johnstone was a week away from full fitness while Haiti international midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde was another couple of weeks from returning to first-team training.Follow Wolverhampton Wanderers on BBC SoundsPre-match, post-match and topical Wolves contentListen on SoundsSubscribe and listen for everything you love about WolvesLatest Wolves news, analysis and fan viewsAsk about Wolves - what do you want to know?

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West Ham have urged fans to banish an "offensive and divisive" chant that was heard during their opening Championship match of the season against Burnley.The club said they are aware of the chant relating to winger Manor Solomon, containing an "anti-Palestine message", being sung by a section of away supporters at Turf Moor in last Sunday's 2-2 draw.Israel winger Solomon was recently signed from Tottenham and has had previous spells on loan at Fulham and Leeds.In a statement, external issued before West Ham's first home match of the Championship season this Saturday, against Charlton, the club said they want to "remind supporters of the responsibility we all hold to represent the club in the right way" and that "each and every supporter is an ambassador".The club added: "Regardless of their background, every supporter within our diverse fanbase should also be free to enjoy watching their team play football without fear, discrimination or abuse. And we remain committed to ensuring that everyone feels safe, respected and included."We understand that singing and chanting is a traditional and deeply embedded part of the matchday experience."We encourage our supporters to sing loud and proud about their football club and the players wearing the claret and blue shirt – but never in a way that creates division or causes offence among fellow fans."Capped 49 times by Israel, Solomon, 27, won three titles during his time in Ukraine with Shakhtar Donetsk before a loan move to Fulham, and also helped Leeds win the Championship in 2024-25.Latest West Ham news, analysis and fan viewsAsk about West Ham - what do you want to know?

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One story sums up Caleb Yirenkyi. It was a training session with the first team early in his time at FC Nordsjaelland. Alexander Riget, then technical director, felt compelled to intervene. “He was smashing into many of our key players,” Riget tells Sky Sports.Such was the ferocity, the coach could not take the risk. "I needed to say, 'Caleb, get out,' just so he could calm down a little bit and find out how to use his energy." It is an amusing anecdote now. But it reveals something about Coventry City's new signing.There are no half measures with the Ghanaian midfielder. From day one in Denmark, he was eager to impose himself and make the most of the opportunity. He even lived at the Nordsjaelland facility, taking advantage by spending hour after hour doing extra work."He just wanted to stay here so that he could get the right food and get the right sleep," recalls Riget. "He even had a bicycle in his room so that he could do these things. Every time that the players have been off, he has been in the gym a couple of hours per day."Nordsjaelland is a Danish top-flight club that, unusually, is owned by an academy - Right To Dream - rather than the other way around. The organisation has its roots in Ghana, developing a stellar reputation for bringing through high-quality talent to Europe.Even so, Yirenkyi is different. With him, it is more than just appetite, more than a mere desire to succeed. "He is a player with a unique character, just to be completely honest," says Riget. "I have never seen a player like him from a personality perspective."What exactly does that mean? "In his case, he is something special, so humble. I have never seen someone like that." Riget describes a player so focused on achieving his goals that he is able to shut out "all the other noise" and devote himself to football.There have been guiding figures along the way, nobody more so than Michael Essien, the former Champions League winning midfielder. "It is crazy that we have a world star at the training ground." He is a major influence on the team's young Ghanaian players."Where should I begin?" says Essien when asked about Yirenkyi. "He has always been a hard worker with a great mentality, but also a great listener. Of course there were a few bumps in the road in the beginning, but he always kept at it. And that has really paid off."Those bumps in the road are a reference to the fact that Yirenkyi did not go straight into the first team upon his arrival, spending a year with the development team in Denmark. "He had so much power inside him and he just wanted to get it out," Riget explains."We really needed to spend some time in the first year with him in terms of getting him more calm on the ball and his positioning and so on. Now he is at a good level on the ball but he is especially good without the ball. That is definitely what he is best at."Riget talks of the "power that he can bring into the duels and put pressure on the opponent winning second balls" - qualities that are going to be crucial for Coventry under Frank Lampard. As a newly-promoted club, that off-the-ball work is going to be key."It will suit him very well," says Essien. "It is a league that fits his qualities. He is very strong and physical, aggressive and really good with the ball at his feet. It is the perfect league for him, and Coventry is a great club for him to develop his game even more."It will be a new challenge for him, of course. "First and foremost, I have no doubt on the physical side. His ability to run, his power in the duels, it is really quite unique. He is ready for the Premier League. But the time on the ball will be more limited, for sure."Yirenkyi's in-possession game is improving, although Riget concedes that more work is required if he is to truly thrive in the Premier League. "I still think that needs some further development." But even during this summer there has been evidence of growth.In Ghana's opening World Cup game against Panama, it was Yirenkyi who raced into the box to score the late winner for his country. "Caleb is not a player who scores a lot of goals but that was his signature run, 60 metres up the pitch. It was a brilliant moment."His performance in the next game against England was arguably even more instructive from a Coventry perspective. Yirenkyi, still only 20, showed that he could handle it. "Against some of the best players in the world, he could play on that level," points out Riget.The Premier League will ask more of him on a regular basis but the hope is that Yirenkyi will benefit from his development having been carefully managed by Nordsjaelland. They waited before selling. "We could have sold him two windows ago," says Riget."But we have made a good plan with him in terms of what would be the right move and he also had a big desire to go to Coventry." The result is that Yirenkyi is not as raw as before. "He leaves Nordsjaelland as our best player in the current squad," says Essien."I am sure he will develop a lot under Lamps. He is a legend and will be able to teach him a lot, so he should be very happy with him as manager. I also know some of the coaches there from my time at Chelsea. To me, it looks like the perfect setup for Caleb."Essien adds: "Frank is a manager who is not afraid to play the younger players so I expect Caleb will get the chance he needs to show what he is made of. And he really deserves it, because he is a great kid and he is loved by everyone here at the club."

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Senior football correspondentPublished10 minutes ago12 CommentsTottenham are in talks with Manchester City over a double deal for forwards Savinho and Omar Marmoush.Sources have told BBC Sport that negotiations between the two clubs are progressing, though an agreement is yet to be reached.Spurs' interest in Brazilian winger Savinho dates back to 2025, when the 22-year-old opted to remain at Etihad Stadium.But he was limited to just seven starts in the Premier League last season, and is now minded to leave the club after joining for a £30m fee in 2024 from French club Troyes.Marmoush, a £59m signing from Frankfurt in 2025, fell out of favour under Pep Guardiola in 2025-26 but the 27-year-old still managed a respectable eight goals in 36 appearances in all competitions.City's valuation for the pair is unclear, but the club would expect to make a significant profit on both.Roberto De Zerbi has revamped his midfield this summer, signing Mateus Fernandes from West Ham United and Sandro Tonali from Newcastle for a combined £185m.But the Italian has stressed the need to strengthen his attack following the side's 17th-placed finish in the Premier League last term, scoring just 48 goals in 38 games.Spurs remain interested in Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo, but it is unclear whether the club could finance a deal for the Netherlands international as well as moves for Marmoush and Savinho.City have already sold a host of players this summer, including captain Rodri, midfielder Tijjani Reijnders and second-choice goalkeeper James Trafford.Spurs kick-off their Premier League campaign away at Brentford on Saturday (17:30 BST), while City host Bournemouth on Sunday (14:00 BST).Ask our team about Tottenham's transfer businessLatest Tottenham news, analysis and fan views

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Champions Arsenal open the new season at home to promoted Coventry on Friday, and over the weekend fans up and down the country will get a first glimpse of their new-look sides in competitive action.Who will be in your team's first XI this season? Pick your preferred line-up below and comment at the bottom.We have included players with minor injuries - who may be unavailable for a week or two - but those with long-term injuries have been omitted.

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Inter Milan have agreed a £30m (€35m) deal with Liverpool for Curtis Jones.The deal was agreed late on Wednesday night and the player has been given permission to travel for a medical.Jones' move to Inter will bring an end to his 16-year association with Liverpool, having joined the club at the age of nine.After making his Liverpool first-team debut in the 2018-19 season, Jones appeared 228 times for the club, scoring 22 goals.The 25-year-old is also the third England international to move to Inter in this transfer window, after John Stones and Djed Spence.He won two Premier League titles, two Carabao Cups, the Club World Cup and the FA Cup at Anfield - as well as finishing as a Champions League runner-up in 2022.Stream the Premier League with no contract

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Early Kick Off show on before Hull v Manchester UnitedMatch previews available free-to-air for the first timeTNT Sports will make the first 30 minutes of their live Premier League broadcasts available on YouTube this season starting with Manchester United’s visit to Hull on Saturday.The pre-Premier League show EKO – Early Kick Off – will be available free-to-air for the first time, as well as on TNT Sports and the streaming service HBO Max.Presented by Liam MacDevitt or Olivia Buzaglo, EKO will start at 11am and feature the early team news from the game, which is released 75 minutes before kick-off, and the pre-match thoughts of TNT’s main pundits such as Steven Gerrard and Joe Cole. The Saturday lunchtime live games kick off at 12.30pm live on TNT and HBO Max.In another departure for TNT, EKO will be broadcast before all of their live Premier League games this season rather than just before their Saturday lunchtime kick-offs, as was the case last season. As a result, TNT’s coverage of an 8pm Saturday kick-off will begin with an EKO programme starting at 6.30pm.The 30-minute show will have a magazine-type tone and feature discussion of wider issues rather than just the game itself, such as transfers and new players, in an attempt to broaden TNT’s match audience.“TNT’s coverage is evolving and this will help us reach more football fans earlier in the day,” Scott Young, an executive vice-president at the parent company, Warner Bros Discovery Europe, said.“We have a large number of loyal subscribers, but it’s also important to reach fans off-platform. I think everyone is really looking forward to the return of the Premier League, especially after the excitement generated by the World Cup.”