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Paris St-Germain have been forced to move their opening Ligue 1 game after the summer's "exceptional heatwaves" left their Parc des Princes pitch "severely damaged". The French champions had been due to start their title defence against Rennes in the capital on Sunday, but the fixture will be reversed and held in Brittany instead.Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) officials said an assessment of the pitch in Paris "did not allow the match to be played under satisfactory conditions, particularly with regard to the safety and physical integrity of the players".PSG say they will replace the pitch at the Parc des Princes before their next home fixture against Monaco on 4 September.The club said they "fully understand the inconvenience caused by this change" but stressed it was an "exceptional situation".France had its hottest day ever on average country-wide on 24 June, with temperatures hitting almost 41C in Paris and half the nation placed under a red heat alert.The number of deaths recorded in France between 22 and 28 June increased by 2,025 - nearly 30% - and deaths rose by 62% in the Paris region alone during the same period.Temperatures across western Europe have been exceptionally high this summer, with wildfires burning through areas of France.Spanish club Celta Vigo were forced to postpone their La Liga opener against Osasuna earlier this month after a fungal "disease" affected the pitch at their Estadio de Balaidos.An outbreak of fungus grew on Celta's pitch over the summer, when temperatures did not drop below 25C for over three weeks.

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BBC Sport women’s football news reporterPublished13 minutes agoCommentsPlenty of talent was on show during the Women's Africa Cup of Nations this month - but why do so few players from the continent play for clubs in England?The Women's Super League is widely regarded as one of the best leagues in the world and Europe's top talent is flooding in.Two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas joined London City Lionesses this summer - the latest figure from Spain's World Cup-winning squad to move to the WSL.It follows past high-profile moves from foreign players, including Australia captain Sam Kerr who made 158 appearances for Chelsea before joining Gotham.Some of the United States' biggest stars are in the WSL too, including Chelsea duo Alyssa Thompson and Naomi Girma, Arsenal's Emily Fox and Manchester City's Sam Coffey.There has also been an influx of Asian talent in recent seasons, with Japan captain Yui Hasegawa becoming one of the WSL's best players at Manchester City.BBC Sport explores why the WSL has just four African players - Chiamaka Nnadozie (Brighton and Nigeria), Aisha Masaka (Brighton and Tanzania), Rofiat Imuran (London City Lionesses and Nigeria) and Ines Belloumou (West Ham and Algeria).Why Michaely Bihina is the keeper making waves at WafconNational Women's Soccer League (NWSL) clubs in America have shown huge interest, spending big money on some of the continent's best players.Zambia forward Racheal Kundananji became the most expensive women's footballer at the time in 2024 when she joined Bay FC from Madrid CFF for £685,000.Her compatriot Barbra Banda, who plays for Orlando Pride, was voted the BBC Women's Footballer of the Year in the same year.Cameroon's Wafcon player of the tournament Monique Ngock is at Washington Spirit, where six African international players currently reside.Temwa Chawinga won the NWSL Golden Boot and Most Valuable Player awards in her first two seasons with Kansas City Current.Her sister, Malawi captain Tabitha Chawinga, plays for European giants Lyon and helped her country reach the final of Wafcon last week, where they lost to Cameroon.Michaely Bihina, who was a standout performer in the tournament for Cameroon, plays for Benfica.Nnadozie, who notably became the first African goalkeeper to be shortlisted for the Women's Ballon d'Or award, joined Brighton last year. The Seagulls goalkeeper ended her season with an FA Cup final appearance at Wembley against WSL champions Manchester City.A major barrier for WSL clubs hoping to sign African talent is the Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) criteria set out in the league's registration rules.Foreign players must earn a minimum number of points in five categories to be eligible for a GBE visa.The number of caps they have for their national team, appearances in the Women's Champions League and the ranking of their former clubs play a part.WSL sides also have to compete with the wages and transfer fees being offered by NWSL clubs, who are targeting the best African footballers.They have to use resources for scouting which, at the moment, is prioritised across Europe.Another major issue is the lack of coverage given to the domestic game in Africa, as well as issues around Wafcon.There was confusion in this edition when the Confederation of African Football (CAF) named Channel 4 as the UK broadcast partner, but no matches were shown live in the opening round as an agreement had not been formally reached.The tournament had also been postponed just 12 days before it was set to kick off in Morocco, eventually taking place three months later.Switzerland captain Lia Walti, who signed for Brighton this summer, told BBC Sport that, globally, coverage of women's football has room for improvement."I think you have to bring the game to the people. You kind of have to force people to watch it. I felt that was how it maybe started in England," she said."In a lot of other countries I think they have bad coverage. It's not shown at all, or if it's shown, from where they film the game [makes it look] really poor."It affects the way you watch a game. You don't really see the speed, the tactics or anything and you don't enjoy watching the game."Tabitha Chawinga believed the Malawi side put their nation on the map and showed their quality.Speaking to BBC's World Service following their final defeat by Cameroon, the Malawi captain said: "It's really the best. No-one gave Malawi a chance to be in the finals, no-one gave Cameroon a chance to be in the finals."But as you can see, we watched fantastic football. There was amazing football from both sides."Nigeria goalkeeper Nnadozie paved the way in the WSL last year with her move to Brighton.She told BBC Sport in October her Ballon d'Or nomination made a "big impact" in Africa and put the spotlight on some of the continent's best talent."We have so many good players and they just need the opportunity to show what they can really do," she said."Very soon, we will have more numbers [in the Ballon d'Or nominations] from Africa. Trust me, there are so many good talents from Africa."Some players have had the opportunity to come to Europe but some have stayed back home. I hope in the future, bigger competitions will come to Africa."The Under-17s World Cup is in Morocco. This is big evidence that they are doing a lot of great jobs over there. It is just a matter of time."Women's football is rising and Africa shouldn't be left behind."Find interviews and extra content on the BBC Women's Football Weekly feed

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Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Nicky Bandini and Jordan Jarrett-Bryan for the second of our Premier League preview podcastsRate, review, share on Apple Podcasts and join the conversation on email.On the podcast today: part two of our big Premier League preview (listen to part one here). we begin with Hull City, who have signed a lot of players and have a fascinating manager. But can anyone make the case for the Tigers beating the drop? Ipswich will be looking to avoid a similar fate, and have brought in Gary O’Neil after Kieran McKenna’s exit.Leeds were great for the second half of last season – can they extend that into this campaign? Can Liverpool push for the title again under Andoni Iraola? Manchester City expectations have slumped after a poor showing in the Community Shield, while Michael Carrick takes charge of his first full season at Manchester United.Plus: Newcastle have sold their best players and ditched Eddie Howe, Nottingham Forest have Oliver Glasner at the wheel, and Sunderland aim to keep moving forward. As for Tottenham, they surely couldn’t finish 17th for a third consecutive time, could they? All that and your questions answered.You can also find Football Weekly on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

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Chelsea and Tottenham begin the season with new optimism, refreshed squads and without the potential distraction of midweek European football.For Chelsea, it's a new manager, the British transfer record broken and a change of course with experienced players added to the youngest squad in the Premier League last season.For Spurs, there's a new way of playing without the spectre of relegation, while Roberto De Zerbi has also benefited from a loosening of the budget.Neither side will compete in Europe because of poor domestic campaigns last season and that means both may expect an uplift in their points tally and placing in the Premier League table.Firstly, let's set the parameters. Sky Sports has gone back to 2008 to look at when 'big six' clubs have been playing in a UEFA competition but did not the following season.We have then compared league points tally and finishing position across those consecutive campaigns. It's a small sample but it may provide historical context ahead of the new season.Perhaps the most significant example of this came for Chelsea. A turbulent season in 2015/16 saw Jose Mourinho depart to be replaced by Guus Hiddink until the end of the season.They finished 10th in the Premier League table and failed to qualify for any European competition.The following year, Antonio Conte added 43 points to the previous campaign tally as Chelsea won the league with 93 points, seven ahead of Spurs.The similarities are clear. A turbulent season in 2025/26 saw Enzo Maresca depart to be replaced by Liam Rosenior before Calum McFarlane took over for the end of the season. They finished 10th.Could Xabi Alonso replicate Conte's resurgence?So how many extra Premier League points can be expected when not playing in Europe?Since 2008/09, a 'big six' side has gone from a season in Europe to a season without Europe 11 times and on 10 occasions the team has delivered an improved points tally and league placing, a 91 per cent success rate.Liverpool were the only side that failed to improve their points tally and league position, dropping from 58 points and sixth to 52 points and eighth in 2011/12.As well as under Conte, Chelsea have also been in this position under the current ownership structure when Mauricio Pochettino's side improved by 19 points to finish sixth in 2023/24. One place ahead of them were rivals Spurs under Ange Postecoglou.In 2022/23, the season that Conte left, Spurs reached the round of 16 in the Champions League but Premier League form suffered with an eighth-placed finish on 60 points.The following year, without any European competition, they improved to a fifth-place finish on 66 points.Looking across the 11 sequences that fit our parameters, the average improvement in the non-European season was 16 points. Teams climbed, on average, nearly five places in the table with seven of the 11 following seasons ending in a top-four finish.The lack of European football can only be one factor in the uptick in these performance levels but it's certainly worthy of note.In general, you would expect natural improvement for these clubs anyway after an uncharacteristically poor domestic season. Managerial changes and significant spending on players are also contributing factors to better outcomes.But this season, Chelsea and Spurs can expect fewer competitive games, meaning there is less need for rotation. There will be more complete training weeks for Alonso and De Zerbi and fewer quick turnarounds between midweek and weekend matches.So does all this put Chelsea in the title hunt this season?Chelsea's 'true' level is difficult to pinpoint but one way of looking at them is in the first half of last season under Enzo Maresca. They had 30 points from 19 games when the Italian moved on and towards the end of his time in charge were not running hot, registering just one win in his final seven games.Maresca's side were tracking towards a 60-point campaign. That may have been good enough to qualify for the Champions League. This season, Alonso could feel the extra boost on top from not being in European competition.It would be reductive to place any improvement this season solely on playing fewer games. If there is a title challenge from Chelsea, the explanation for it will include Alonso's coaching, the signing of experienced players to help the squad, the impact of Morgan Rogers or an elevation in performance from players like Cole Palmer.While for Spurs it could be De Zerbi's system, or James Maddison's return to fitness or a major impact from the new defenders and midfielders signed.Manchester United only played 40 games last season. That was seen as a contributing factor to them dramatically improving their final position and ending in the Champions League places.If history is any guide, Chelsea and Spurs may find there is an upside to missing out on Europe after all.

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When Mikel Arteta arrived at Arsenal, he presented a five-step plan to go from crisis club to glory. Welcome to step five: create a dynasty.Up until this year, steps one to four were about getting Arsenal back to the Arsene Wenger days of winning major honours again.With his Arsenal team reigning Premier League champions again, Arteta is now striving to do something the great Wenger never could.No Arsenal team has successfully defended a top-flight title since the Gunners won three leagues in a row ending in 1935. Not even Wenger's double-winning or 'Invincibles' teams backed up their historic achievement with an immediate title win the following year.In his pre-match messages, Arteta often turns to creating history as a huge motivation for his team and there will be no doubt he will push the 'back-to-back' narrative to his Arsenal squad over the next nine months.But dynasty and history are not the only goals Arsenal are aiming for this season. Despite being champions of England - and many analysts' pick to go and win again - there is still improvement needed from the last campaign.Arsenal have enjoyed a memorable last year but more efficiency in attack could have made last term a superb campaign.Stream Arsenal vs Coventry on Sky with NOWThe euphoric scenes of last season - which included countless parties outside the Emirates Stadium and across the world - masked over the Champions League final defeat, where Arsenal failed to get a shot on target for the 114 minutes after they took the lead against Paris Saint-Germain.It was a missed opportunity for Arteta's side to write themselves into more history - and showed that for all their defensive excellence, there was still a sense of predictability about them going forwards, with question marks over how much they could create and score from open play.It was not just in the Champions League final where Arsenal struggled in this department. It was the story of their season. While Arsenal were outstanding in the defence and set-pieces category, their open-play numbers left much to be desired.For all of Arsenal's success last term, they were not in the top three teams in the Premier League for key attacking metrics from open play. The numbers weren't bad, but it is a clear area of improvement.The question is whether they can rectify that - and become more unpredictable - this season. The 3-0 win over Manchester City in the Community Shield, where Arsenal dominated the game, scored three times from open play, and did not create a single set-piece chance, was an early sign of progress.Yet the summer transfer window has raised some doubts about whether that attacking efficiency will come and where it will come from, especially regarding the forward line.

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A Manchester City clearout is in the offing, which could aid Newcastle’s search for a new central midfielder to replace the departed Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimarães. Nico González could be packing his bags to head up to St James’ Park, having never quite proven himself at the Etihad Stadium. Attacking players Omar Marmoush and Savinho, meanwhile, are on their way to Tottenham, which should kickstart a busy end to the window at City.On the other side of Manchester, United are looking to sell off some of their younger players to Arsenal. The Gibraltar international James Scanlon, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Swindon, and Habeeb Ogunneye are set for moves to the Premier League champions. The Gunners are ramping up their recruitment of young players to strengthen quality across the club. On his way out of the Emirates Stadium is another youngster, with Ethan Nwaneri wanted by Fulham and Everton, while RB Leipzig could also come into the mix for a loan move. Gabriel Jesus has also been linked with an exit but the Brazilian wants to stick around at the Emirates.Ezri Konsa is on his way to Arsenal, so Unai Emery needs a replacement. One man on the radar is the Chelsea defender Tosin Adarabioyo, who is surplus to requirements, but Marseille may compete for his signature. It is hard to keep up with Aston Villa’s antics at the moment, so Ajax engaging them in talks over a potential move for Leon Bailey may have been missed by the less discerning rumour mongers. The Jamaica international has a year remaining on his deal at Villa Park.It may not seem like Everton are getting much done, but they are supposedly working on things in the background. In addition to Nwaneri, Como’s Assane Diao is a winger attracting their attention and a bid could be made for the Ivorian – but with a potential £60m price tag, whether it comes to anything is unlikely.Hectic Hull, as they may soon be known amid their plotting in the transfer market, are set to miss out Niccolo Fortini after his club, Fiorentina, agreed a deal with Torino. The blow may be softened if they can get a deal over the line for Nottingham Forest’s Dilane Bakwa. Crystal Palace cannot afford to sell any of their key players but Galatasaray have called up with an offer for Ismaïla Sarr, which was quickly rejected.

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The league phase draw for the 2026-27 Champions League campaign takes place on Thursday, 27 August at 17:00 BST in Monaco.A total of 36 teams will enter that stage of the competition and while 29 teams qualified at the end of last season, the remaining seven places are decided by qualifiers that will conclude next week.In the league phase, each team will face eight different teams once, with four home matches and four away matches.For the draw, the 36 teams will be placed into four pots with one being the highest-ranked and four being the lowest. The pot placements are based on the club's Uefa club coefficient ranking from the five-season period ending at the conclusion of 2025-26.Each team will face two teams from each of the four pots and cannot face a team from the same country as themselves.The teams who finish in the top eight will qualify for the Champions League's round of 16. Those between ninth and 24th will enter the play-off knockout round. The 12 teams ranked between 25th and 36th will exit the competition when the league phase is concluded.Contact formContact formWho is in each pot?While the final seven spots in the league phase of the 2026-27 Champions League are yet to be decided, the other 29 teams are confirmed. The majority of those 29 already know which pot they will be in.The nine teams in each of the first two pots are confirmed.Aston Villa and Manchester United both return to the Champions League this season after not featuring last term. They are in pot two with Borussia Dortmund, Roma, Sporting, Porto, Club Brugge, Real Betis and PSV Eindhoven.With the remaining places up for grabs split across pots three and four, some teams do still have uncertainty as to which pot they could end up in.Feyenoord, Lille, Napoli, RB Leipzig, Villarreal, Shakhtar Donetsk and Galatasaray are all guaranteed to enter the draw in pot three.The winners of the play-off knockout round match between Fenerbahce and Lyon are also guaranteed to enter pot three.VfB Stuttgart, Como and Lens are all guaranteed to enter in pot four. The winners of the qualifying ties between Levski Sofia and AEK Athens, Slovan Bratislava and Celje, and Hapoel Be'er Sheva and Sabah, will follow them into that pot.The final four spots are contested between the ties involving NEC Nijmegen and Bodo/Glimt, Dinamo Zagreb and Viking, Celtic and LASK, as well as Slavia Prague.Bodo/Glimt will take the one spot remaining in pot three, should they beat NEC Nijmegen. If that happens, Slavia Prague and the winners of the other two qualifying ties will all enter the draw in pot four.If NEC Nijmegen win, Dinamo Zagreb would have the next best club coefficient rating. For them to enter pot three, they need Bodo/Glimt to lose and for themselves to get past Viking.While Celtic and Slavia Prague are level on their five-year and last season's club coefficient ratings, Celtic scored more ratings points than Slavia Prague in the 2024-25 term. If Celtic beat LASK and Bodo/Glimt and Dinamo Zagreb both lose, they will take the final pot three spot.If Bodo/Glimt, Dinamo Zagreb and Celtic all lose, the final pot four place will go to Slavia Prague.Winner of Fenerbahce (Turkey) vs Lyon (France)Winner of NEC Nijmegen (Netherlands) vs Bodo/Glimt (Norway)Winner of Dinamo Zagreb (Croatia) vs Viking (Norway)Winner of Celtic (Scotland) vs LASK (Austria)Winner of Slovan Bratislava (Slovakia) vs Celje (Slovenia)Winner of Levski Sofia (Bulgaria) vs AEK Athens (Greece)Winner of Hapoel Be'er Sheva (Israel) vs Sabah (Azerbaijan)This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.

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When it was revealed on Tuesday that Fenway Sports Group (FSG) had actually sold about 38% of Liverpool to 1892 Holdings, there was certainly an element of confusion.On Friday, the understanding was that the Jeff Bezos-backed consortium had purchased about a third of Liverpool, and BBC Sport was informed that speculation placing the investment in the range of approximately 30% to one-third was "directionally accurate".So why was a different figure reported just four days later?FSG's policy is not to publicly disclose precise ownership stakes, but with numbers circulating from various outlets before the official announcement on Friday, the Boston-based conglomerate was keen to give some sense of scale and indicate that what was being reported was in the right territory, rather than simply referring to it as a 'minority investment'.When it was confirmed the minority stake purchased was closer to 40% there was a perception that the club were downplaying the investment.FSG said it was not the intention to create a misleading impression and that the guidance was in response to media reports on the range of investment and Bezos' involvement. The group wanted to provide more context than it typically has before.The chain of events, though, has led to some at Liverpool privately asking why FSG was not more transparent, seeing the confusion as unnecessary.The 1892 Holdings group is led by British-Indian millionaire businessman Amit Bhatia and also includes billionaire Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin.American businessman Bezos, founder of e-commerce giant Amazon, is the fourth-richest person in the world, with an estimated net worth of $256bn (£192bn). This marks his first foray into sports ownership, although he will not join Liverpool's board.However, Bryan Baum, Bezos' business partner and founder of venture capital firm K5 Sports - through which Bezos is investing - will join the Anfield board, alongside Saverin's wife Elaine. Bhatia will also be on Liverpool's board as the club's vice-chairman.On Friday, BBC Sport reported the agreement included an option for the consortium to increase its investment in the future. Four days later, BBC Sport learned there was a specific option within the deal for the consortium to buy a controlling stake in the next 12 months - again raising questions about transparency.There is an option that would allow 1892 Holdings to become majority owners within a year, though that does not involve a formal commitment.But the very inclusion of it does pose the question as to what the long-term vision is for FSG with Liverpool.Jay McKenna, chair of the supporters union Spirit of Shankly, told the Liverpool Echo, external: "One of the questions we will be asking is that we have been led to understand this change of ownership is guaranteed. We want to understand that and want to put it to FSG and the new owners."If we were told that the investors don't have the right to [complete a full takeover] or if it's just an option, and then next summer the club gets sold, then we will want to know why we weren't told."When FSG bought Liverpool for £300m in 2010 the club were, according to current CEO Billy Hogan, "literally on the brink of bankruptcy".Sixteen years later, this deal is said to value the club between £5bn and £6bn, meaning the club is worth more than 15 times its value in 2010."It's a great deal for FSG," football finance expert Kieran Maguire told BBC Sport."They generate more than £1bn from the deal and still keep control - this represents the best of both worlds."But for how long do FSG remain in control?The partnership may have been announced as a minority stake, but make no mistake that these are major developments at Liverpool.BBC Sport was told the motivation behind the deal was to help Liverpool's reach across global business, technology and investment, including in India and across Asia - rather than just for pure investment.FSG believes the effects will be seen across the coming months. But the same period also looks set to bring uncertainty and speculation as to who will be running the club next summer.Inter close in on £30m deal for Liverpool's JonesStats that show Premier League is getting more competitiveNewcastle and Liverpool to pay tribute to Keegan on Sunday

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Another left-back has been a priority all summer, but there seems to be no sign of one coming to Old TraffordAfter signing Aaron Wan-Bissaka in 2019, Manchester United’s PR machine boasted they had scouted 804 right-backs before landing on the Crystal Palace player. At the time it felt like an unnecessary brag, designed to convince fans and journalists the club were doing their due diligence when it came to scouting and data.Now, as the search for a left-back to challenge Luke Shaw drags on with less than two weeks of the summer transfer window remaining, there seems to be a lack of credible targets.As they did with Wan-Bissaka seven years ago, United’s analysts this summer plumped for a prodigious English full-back playing for one of the Premier League middleweights. That player, Lewis Hall, ticks many boxes for the club except for the price, with Newcastle understandably slapping a premium on the 21-year-old having already lost Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimarães. United have indicated a reluctance to pay over the odds for players and hence negotiations for Hall have hit the rocks, with Newcastle valuing him at about £70m.However, United’s need for a left-back reinforcement to help out Shaw, and probably displace him longer term, is clear. The 31-year-old started every Premier League game last season and performed solidly, but his history with injuries is such that another ever-present campaign is highly unlikely, especially as United will have far more than the 40 games they played last season – the minimum amount possible and the fewest since 1914-15.With the return of Champions League football, United should play upwards of 50 games. With Casemiro gone and Manuel Ugarte unavailable for the rest of 2026 with a knee ligament injury, United would appear to have found the final piece of their midfield puzzle as they pursue Brighton’s Carlos Baleba. Up front, Marcus Rashford is back after loans at Aston Villa and Barcelona and, if he stays, will offer pace and variety to boost the attack.That leaves one major area of concern, heightened by the fact Shaw struggled in a 4-2 pre-season defeat to Ruben Amorim’s Milan on Saturday. Although Jorge Salinas of Racing Santander and Club Brugge’s Joaquin Seys have been linked with the club, both are green and would appear unready to usurp Shaw. Patrick Dorgu is viewed as more of a winger by Michael Carrick while Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui are clunky fits on the left side of defence. Youngster Harry Amass is likely to be sold or loaned out.United will be fairly happy with their midfield business if and when they get the Baleba deal done. Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans have impressed in pre-season after United chose not to go after Elliot Anderson, signed by Manchester City for £116m, nor Tonali or Mateus Fernandes, who joined Tottenham for a combined £185m. A third new midfielder was always needed to reduce the burden on Santos, Tielemans and Kobbie Mainoo over a long season.“We’ve done really good business,” Carrick said last week, before news of the Baleba transfer was mooted. “We’re delighted with that [but] we want more, we need more. We keep looking for how we can do that, so that never stops.“Over time we need to be pushing to enhance the squad, 100% we need to do that.”But if Carrick is to push for one final marquee signing, can United afford not to fully back their manager when there is a hole in the squad? Can they find value in the market as they did with Santos and Tielemans? The hope is a left-back transfer comes out of nowhere, as the deals for the three midfielders have done.Sir Jim Ratcliffe has gained a reputation for penny-pinching since acquiring a minority stake in the club that came with control of football operations. His drive to save money at Old Trafford has been controversial, with staff made redundant and bizarre stories emerging about the ways he and Ineos have tried to cut costs.That said, last summer United shelled out more than £200m on a new frontline, with Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko arriving and impressing in their debut seasons. They also found a gem of a goalkeeper in Senne Lammens from the Belgian Pro League. And their financial outlay paid dividends, albeit after the sacking of Amorim, as Carrick guided United to third place.Many believe refusing to spend more would equate to hanging a bright young manager out to dry. Having won 12 of his 17 matches in charge and being handed the reins on a permanent basis, most agree Carrick has earned the right to lead United for a full campaign.The Baleba deal would be a step in the right direction, but failing to sign another left-back could be a costly transfer mistake from the Old Trafford hierarchy.

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Detailed accounts highlight the growing financial might of the elite, and the challenges the rest of the division faceThe financial figures for 2024-25, the most recent season available, for the eight Women’s Super League clubs who published detailed accounts illustrate a growing gulf between the rich and the poor. The Guardian breaks down the key numbers. Note, any figures exceeding £1m have been rounded to the nearest £10,000.Accounts for the year ending 31 May 2025 Turnover: £21.54m (up from £15.26m in 2023-24) Total wage bill: £11.32m (up from £9m) Profit/loss after tax: profit of £22,000 (previously lost £15,000) Broadcasting revenue: £2.02m (up from £956,000) Matchday revenue: £5.9m (up from £4.35m) Commercial revenue: £1.78m (up from £649,000) Wages as a % of revenue: 53%Financial health With their impressive attendances at the Emirates Stadium a significant outlier in the WSL, Arsenal lead the charts for matchday revenue comfortably. However, their vast revenues were predominantly made up of £11.9m of “group income”, listed separately to commercial revenue, while their broadcast revenue was boosted by £1.4m distributed by Uefa in relation to their successful run to the 2024-25 Champions League title. The accounts state Arsenal remain reliant on their parent undertaking, KSE UK Inc, for continued financial support.Accounts for the year ending 30 June 2025Turnover: £1.34m (up from £1.29m in 2023-24) Total wage bill: £5.00m (up from £3.53m) Profit/loss after tax: loss of £7.29m (previously lost £5.28m) Broadcasting revenue: £452,000 (up from £330,000) Matchday revenue: £344,000 (up from £221,000) Commercial revenue: £360,000 (down from £522,000) Wages as a % of revenue: 72%Financial health Brighton have sustained substantial losses year after year, but their accounts confirm chair, Tony Bloom, has fully committed, by letter, to continue to provide support in the form of non-recall of existing loans and the “provision of additional funding if required”. Brighton, who are determined to invest in the growth of women’s football for the long-term, are pushing ahead with plans for an £80m purpose-built women’s stadium.Accounts for the year ending 30 June 2025Turnover: £21.31m (up from £11.50m in 2023-24) Total wage bill: £14.52m (Up from £10.29m) Profit/loss after tax: loss of £17.10m (previously lost £8.42m) Broadcasting revenue: £2.27m (up from £1.70m) Matchday revenue: £3.01m (up from £2.69m) Commercial revenue: £16.03m (up from £11.50m) Wages as a % of revenue: 68%Financial health Chelsea’s loss of more than £17m seems alarming, but in reality a huge chunk of that relates to the purchasing of Kingsmeadow, the women’s team’s then-home stadium, from Chelsea Football Club Limited for a total consideration of £12.08m. It has been widely reported that the move helped Chelsea’s men’s team’s efforts to avoid a Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) breach. Since then, Chelsea have announced they will play all of their home league fixtures at Stamford Bridge, which they hope will boost their matchday revenues closer towards Arsenal’s levels.Accounts for the year ending 30 June 2025Turnover: £2.93m (down from £3.16m in 2023-24) Total wage bill: £2.87m (up from £2.38m) Profit/loss after tax: loss of £1.28m (previously lost £558,000) Broadcasting revenue: Unspecified Matchday revenue: Unspecified Commercial revenue: Unspecified Wages as a % of revenue: 98%Financial health Everton have struggled to bring in revenues akin to that seen at most of their WSL rivals and, as a result, their wages-to-revenue ratio is worryingly close to 100%. However, it should be remembered that this set of financial data relates to Everton’s final season playing home matches at Walton Hall Park, their meagre former home. In 2025-26 they moved home fixtures to Goodison Park, which is understood to have made a big difference to matchday revenue.Accounts for the year ending 31 May 2025Turnover: £6.13m (up from £4.91m in 2023-24) Total wage bill: £3.12m (up from £2.58m) Profit/loss after tax: profit of £168k (previously made £594,000) Broadcasting revenue: £962,000 (up from £907,000) Matchday revenue: £341,000 (up from £168,000) Commercial revenue: £4.83m (up from £3.83m) Wages as a % of revenue: 51%Financial heath Alongside Manchester United, Liverpool are one of only two WSL clubs to record a profit over the past eight years combined, and while their supporters may sometimes wish for more investment from the board and a more competitive team on the pitch, they are run as a relatively stable business, with wages consistently sitting between 50 and 60% of revenue.Accounts for the year ending 30 June 2025Turnover: £10.62m (up from £6.60m in 2023-24) Total wage bill: £8.49m (up from £7.04m) Profit/loss after tax: loss of £2.83m (previously lost £3.16m) Broadcasting revenue: £1.71m (Up from £889,000) Matchday revenue: £1.97m (up from £1.04m) Commercial revenue: £6.93m (up from £4.68m) Wages as a % of revenue: 80%Financial health City will hope a first WSL title triumph in a decade can lead to them ending Arsenal and Chelsea’s dominance of the division. It helps that their Abu Dhabi ownership opened their wallets to ensure top scorer Khadija Shaw performed a U-turn in May and signed a lucrative new contract. This year’s return to the Champions League should help City’s finances.Accounts for the year ending 30 June 2025Turnover: £10.74m (up from £9.17m in 2023-24) Total wage bill: £5.88m (up from £5.03m) Profit/loss after tax: profit of £397,000 (previously lost £119,000) Broadcasting revenue: £1.15m (down from £1.73m) Matchday revenue: £1.22m (down from £1.87m) Commercial revenue: £3.44m (down from £4.98m) Wages as a % of revenue: 55%Financial health Operating on just over a third of Chelsea’s wage bill, it is not surprising United have yet to win a WSL title and they are expected to slip further behind rivals in terms of playing budget due to a focus before the new season on youth development. It will anger some United fans to see their club have made a profit of £1.34m since reforming as a senior women’s side in 2018, during a time when their rivals are investing. Their bank balance will also have been aided further this summer by the £850,000 sale of Melvine Malard to Chelsea, a new club-record sale.Accounts for the year ending 30 June 2025Turnover: £4.41m (up from £3.39m in 2023-24) Total wage bill: £4.30m (up from £3.45m) Profit/loss after tax: loss of £2.83m (previously lost £2.73m) Broadcasting revenue: £267,000 (no change) Matchday revenue: £433,000 (down from £513,000) Commercial revenue: £3.39m (Up from £1.48m) Wages as a % of revenue: 98%Financial health Tottenham have upped their game on and off the pitch, increasing investment in the women’s team and being rewarded with a fifth-placed finish in the WSL last season. One of their biggest hindrances has been matchday revenue, which is 10 times smaller than Arsenal’s. Growing attendances has to be a priority.There were four clubs competing in the 2024-25 WSL season who did not publish detailed financial figures. Relegated Crystal Palace recorded a turnover of £1.32m (up from £914,000 in the 2023-24 campaign, when they were promoted) and made a post-tax loss of £1.99m. Leicester City, who survived the drop, recorded a loss after tax of £4.80m, having similarly lost £4.13m. Neither Aston Villa nor West Ham United have published detailed financial figures, throughout their time in the top tier, with West Ham explaining in their most recent submission to Companies House that they was entitled to exemption from audit under section 479A of the Companies Act 2006. Villa’s men’s team’s accounts did reveal that there was a total expenditure of £7.65m (up from £5.94m) on the women’s team in 2024-25. That would put the club roughly in mid-table in terms of overall expenditure.Grabbing the headlines this summer with a remarkable recruitment drive, London City Lionesses are heading into their second season as a top-flight club and are set to be one of WSL’s biggest spenders. Their accounts showed an operating loss of £10.6m for 2024-25, when they won the second-tier title, and their expenditure was widely expected to rise last season. That loss was more than 10 times their revenue (£902,000) and Michele Kang, the ambitious American businesswoman who is are financing the club, will know revenues need to grow.Birmingham City and Charlton Athletic have been promoted to the WSL before the new season, alongside the returning Crystal Palace. Birmingham look best-equipped to establish themselves in the top tier. Their 2024-25 turnover of £6.1m would have sat comfortably in mid-table in the WSL and they also made a profit of £141,000 in that period. Their wage bill of £2.47m – in a season when they finished second in the second tier and narrowly missed out on promotion on the final day – was only £400,000 smaller than the wage bill of Everton, who finished eighth in the WSL. Charlton’s accounts on Companies House are overdue.

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Newcastle, Arsenal, Brentford, Everton, Leeds, Coventry, Aston Villa, Hull and Ipswich have all brought in exciting playersAnthony Gordon will be a difficult act to follow at Newcastle, but Touré could be a shrewd replacement. Blessed with electric pace, the 20-year-old is a bit more of an old-fashioned winger in that he predominantly plays from the left and is left-footed. As a result, he was more of a creator than a goalscorer for Hoffenheim last season.Of his 14 Bundesliga goal involvements last term, nine were assists, and Touré’s total of 44 chances created in open play was bettered by five players. Gordon laid on only 24 chances in open play in the Premier League last season. Touré is a high-volume crosser (his 115 in open play were the fourth most in the Bundesliga last season) and will be different to Gordon, but potentially a valuable source of danger.While hardly the most glamorous name in the Premier League, Leandro Trossard was a useful and dependable player for Arsenal. Replacing him is easier said than done. Tzolis has been given that task and he looks a good fit.For starters, he was a highly effective creator for Club Brugge last season, with his 135 chances created being 35 more than anyone else in the Belgian Pro League. Crucially, he produced the goods at set pieces – and we know how important they are for Mikel Arteta. Declan Rice was Arsenal’s most effective player from set pieces last season, creating 27 chances; Tzolis’s deliveries yielded 52 opportunities. That accounted for 38.5% of his total chances created. While Rice (42.9%) had a greater proportion from dead-ball situations, his total (63) was far lower than the Greek winger’s.Tzolis is unlikely to match the 40 goal involvements he recorded last season, though he made a strong first impression during the Community Shield win against Manchester City with two assists.There are plenty of French football experts who were very surprised to see Sangaré only end up at Brentford this summer. The fact the Mali international has just a single season’s experience in a top league may have counted against him, though Brentford look set to benefit from the hesitance of others.Sangaré proved himself to be an eye-catching all-round midfielder at Lens last season. Across Europe’s top five leagues, only Elliot Anderson (8.26) and Exequiel Palacios (8.04) averaged more possession regains per 90 (900+ minutes) than him (8.01). And when looking specifically at possession won in the middle third of the pitch, his 4.7 per 90 saw him rank second.Sangaré offered plenty on the ball as well. Only four Ligue 1 players tallied more secondary chances created (that’s the pass before the pass that creates a chance) than his 31. He uses the ball smartly and is a dependable presence in the buildup, both in terms of his distribution and ability to hold on to the ball under pressure.Hackney built a strong reputation during his four full seasons in the Championship with Middlesbrough after coming through the club’s academy. But, after Boro failed to earn promotion last season, it seemed highly unlikely the former England Under-21s international would be staying at the Riverside Stadium. Everton were the ones to make the move for a fee that could rise to £25m.Hackney is a deep-lying playmaker who is accurate in possession but also brings a degree of progressiveness with his passing – without being overly risky. At 33.5%, his proportion of open-play passes played forward is only a little over average among positional peers in the Championship last season, but at the same time his 52 secondary chances created were the most of everyone in the division. Similarly, his 4.86 expected assists (xA) saw him rank seventh. If the 24-year-old adjusts to the top flight, an England call-up may not be too far away.Coventry attracted a lot of praise (and envy) when they signed Yirenkyi from Nordsjælland this month. The 20-year-old Ghana international has been exciting people in analytics circles for a while thanks to his broad skill set. Nominally a central midfielder, Yirenkyi can feature as a No 6, a No 8 or even at right-back, and his range of talents suggests he could be a good fit for the Premier League.In the Danish Superliga last season, he was one of just six midfielders to average at least 1.0 open-play chances created (1.1), 1.5 tackles (2.0) and 6.0 possession regains (7.1) per 90. But of those six, his 81.1 touches per 90 were comfortably the most, and his 91.8% pass-completion rate was the best of all midfielders in the competition (900+ mins), highlighting how much of a central figure he was for his team. Yirenkyi rated above average across the board.The last time Ipswich were in the Premier League, in 2024-25, they put faith in a young centre-forward, Liam Delap. They’re doing so again this time around, having spent £24m on the Brazilian striker Emersonn from Toulouse.The 22-year-old is a bit of a gamble. He scored only six times in 28 league appearances last season. But he should still offer plenty. He’s quick, tall, technically sound and effective at running in behind and dropping deep to knit play together.He ranked eighth among centre-forwards in Ligue 1 last season for carries ending in a shot or chance created (17), and most of those above him played considerably more minutes. Watching his adjustment to the Premier League could be fascinating.Aston Villa lost Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans in the summer, so some extra attacking impetus in midfield was always going to be required. The hope is Manzambi will help ease those losses. The 20-year-old is a forward-thinking midfielder who is capable of bursting forward and evading opponents in tight spaces.At Freiburg last season, only three regular Bundesliga midfielders averaged more than his five progressive carries of at least 10 metres per 90. And he ranked 14th for dribble attempts (2.8) per 90, with many of those above him more like wingers. He then impressed at the World Cup, becoming the youngest player in at least 60 years to manage five goal involvements at a single tournament (three goals, two assists).Manzambi was subject to something of a transfer tug of war; Villa won and the prospect of him developing under Unai Emery is an exciting one.He did not make his Colorado Rapids debut until February, but Herrington was still named to the MLS All-Star squad after his first World Cup campaign with Australia. The 18-year-old’s rise has been rapid. He was linked with a host of elite clubs, but opted for Hull on the basis that he will play first-team football.The teenager is an elegant, ball-playing centre-back. Among defenders to play 400+ minutes in MLS this year, Herrington ranked sixth for touches per 90 (92.3), eighth for passing accuracy (93.8%), fourth for carries per 90 (24.4) and third for progressive carries of 10+ metres (5.4) per 90.Adapting to the physical aspects of the Premier League may require time, but his 71.2% aerial success rate in MLS was reasonably high, enough to rank 15th among the same group of defenders. If Herrington can adapt quickly, we could be watching one of the world’s next top centre-backs.Leeds made Muharemovic their second-most expensive signing (at the time) when they paid Sassuolo £34m this summer, and he feels like the kind of centre-back supporters will appreciate. The Bosnia and Herzegovina international has technical ability and is also a unit and strong competitor.He’s not afraid to be adventurous with his passing – his 191 long passes were the 11th most of all outfielders in Serie A last season, while he ranked joint-sixth for switches of play (12). He is a keen tackler although he does pick up his fair share of yellow cards, with seven in the league last season. Leeds fans will appreciate his committed nature and, at 23, there’s a lot of upside to his signing.

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